Part 10


The whisper of voices around him went unnoticed. The passage of time went unnoticed. The medical personal that came and went throughout the day went unnoticed. All that Justin saw was JC’s face. All he touched was JC’s hand. And all he thought was how to bring JC back to him.

It was at first light on that cold morning when they’d been rescued. So few who went into the water survived that when the rescue boat came across the two men floating on the door they at first assumed they were dead. But Justin roused enough to call out, and they were quickly moved into the raft and transported to the Carpathia.

Justin was given a hot cup of soup and a blanket, insisting that he accompany JC to the sickbay on the other ship. The doctors looked at JC, shaking their heads at his lack of response and frostbit toes. They turned to Justin, sad looks on their faces and a decision in their eyes.

“Son, there’s nothing we can do for him,” the doctor said.

Justin blinked. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Exposure, low body temp, frostbite,” the doctor listed. “Any number of things. His lack of consciousness…he should be awake, and he’s not. That tells us that the cold probably affected his brain.”

“But he’s breathing!” Justin exclaimed. “His heart is beating! Can’t you—isn’t there something you can do to wake him?”

The doctor’s had simply said no, and moved on to other survivors. Justin had refused their diagnosis, and pulling a chair close to JC’s bed, covered him with his own blanket and took JC’s hand in his.

A few hours later, someone with a list had come by, asking Justin who he was. “Justin Randall…” His voice trailed off, not wanting to be found by Catherine or his family just yet.

The steward frowned a bit. “Sir, you’re not listed on the passenger manifest.” Justin barely heard. His eyes were locked on JC’s face. Was that a flicker of movement? “Sir?” the steward said again.”

“Oh, sorry. I’m. We’re stowaways,” Justin hedged, indicating JC. Yes, that was a movement! Justin watched again as JC’s eyes fluttered a bit.

“We?”

“My, uh, brother and I,” Justin said, finally turning toward the steward. The man’s expression was both skeptical and sympathetic. “We snuck on at Cherbourg.”

“And his name?”

“Jay…” Justin’s voice was cut off and his attention turned back to JC on the bed. JC was starting to move, just a bit. Justin dropped off the chair and knelt next to JC. “Come on, JC…” he whispered.

“Jay Randall,” the steward noted on his list. “Very well. You’ll have to speak to the authorities when we land.”

Justin didn’t hear him. He had clasped both of JC’s hands, noting that the other man was moving indeed. Actually, JC was shaking. It started softly, just his hands but soon, he was twitching and flailing on the bed. Justin tried holding him down as the convulsions ran though JC, but he was soon pulled away by medical personal. He could only watch in horror as JC shuddered on the bed for what seemed like hours, but was in fact, only a few seconds. His eyes opened and close, his back arched, his head lolled and shook and white foam appeared at the corner of his lips. Justin watched as the doctors forced his mouth open and inserted a stick, keeping JC from biting or choking on his tongue. JC was strong, throwing off most of the medical personal and shaking the small cot so much one leg broke off. Finally, he seized up, and then collapsed on the broken bed.

Calm.

Silent.

Still.

The doctor’s turned away from JC, approaching Justin slowly. Justin’s went weak, collapsing on the floor with a cry.

“NOOOOOOOO!”

****************

Justin lifted his face, enjoying the hot sun on his skin. He thought again how he’d never complain about being hot again. He’d been the coldest a person could be, and to him, the sun and heat and bright, hot air was heaven. He leaned on the fence, looking at the expanse of the great chasm of the Grand Canyon.

He’d made it. It had been six months since the sinking of the Titanic, but he’d finally made it to the Grand Canyon. One more thing to cross off his list of things to do.

He only wished JC was here to share it with him.

Justin looked over his shoulder, shaking his head at his lover. “I don’t understand,” he called to JC. “Why won’t you come and look?”

JC smiled. “This is your wish, Justin,” JC said, sitting down in the front of their borrowed car. “Enjoy it.”

Justin walked over to JC. “But when I wished to see it, it was always with you,” Justin said, leaning down and kissing JC quickly. “Please?”

JC smiled. “How can I refuse you anything?”

Justin stood back, holding out a hand and help JC exit the car. One hand in Justin’s grasp, the other clutching a cane, JC limped across the dry parking lot to the Canyon’s edge. JC grasped the fence at the edge, Justin coming around JC and anchoring him from behind.

The six months since the sinking of the Titanic had been busy ones for the two men. JC had survived his seizures, coming awake on the Carpathia to find a worried Justin and startled doctors hovering around him. Justin had collapsed onto JC, weeping and holding him close as the doctors continued to shake their heads in amazement. As soon as they’d reached New York, he’d been transferred to a hospital. And while JC had lost half his left foot to frostbite, once he’d come out of his coma, the doctor’s couldn’t find anything else wrong with him.

They’d stuck to the story of being stowaway brothers; no one in authority really seemed to care. The White Star line was more interested in whether or not they’d be joining in the lawsuit against the ship company. Justin had assured the lawyers they had no interest in that, they wanted neither the money nor the publicity. The White Star lawyers seemed pleased, vowing to pay for all of JC’s medical bills, just as they were doing with other survivors. JC had agreed to that.

JC recovered slowly from his surgery, more depilated than they’d at first believed. He’d spent six weeks in the hospital, finally being released into Justin’s care. After that, they’d gotten a room at a small boarding house and Justin had continued to care for JC, helping him learn to walk again, getting him fitted with a special shoe to assist in his ambulation.

Justin had a minor twinge of guilt when he’d thought of his mother, grieving for him, but knew that with his insurance, she’d be well taken care of. JC wanted to tell Justin’s mother that he was still alive, but Justin had refused. It was better this way. The mills were safe with Mr. Hill. His mother had money and her position in society was still in tact. He’d even read that Catherine was engaged to someone else.

Best of all, he was free to be with JC.

And oh, yes. The money. Justin still smiled when he remembered leaving the Carpathia, reaching inside his coat pocket and finding the small velvet bags. His mind had flown to that awful night, remembering Catherine stuffing his pockets with her jewelry. Justin had waited until he and JC were alone in the hospital before showing JC the bounty of jewels he’d found in his pockets. After JC’s surgery, Justin had gone to a jeweler and had sold the items, banking the money in an account under the names Justin and Jay Randall.

Only one cloud had entered their life. They’d been walking down Fifth Avenue, JC getting used to his new shoe when they’d spied Catherine ahead of them. They’d ducked into a store, watching as she passed with her mother, stepping into a car parked on the street. That night, the men decided to leave New York. Setting out a map, they’d decided to head to California.

Now they were at the Grand Canyon, looking at the great expanse, holding each other close and happy that they were still so much in love.

“Thank you,” Justin whispered into JC ear.

JC turned a bit. “For what?”

“For this,” he said, lifting a hand and pointing out. “For giving me your love.” Justin held JC tighter. “For saving my life.”

JC lifted a hand, stroking Justin’s cheek. “It was my pleasure,” JC said, turning in Justin’s arms. “It’s always my pleasure,” he said, slipping his hand over Justin’s back, holding their bodies close together.

As always, heat rose at the first touch. JC leaned in, taking Justin’s mouth softly, then intently, kissing him as if it were the first time. Moans sounded in the hot desert air, and hands slipped down to pull hard erections together.

“Have you seen enough?” JC asked, slipping his mouth down Justin’s throat, sucking and biting the skin there.

Justin groaned in response to JC’s action. “Uh, yeah…maybe.” He took a step, pushing JC up against the fence, shifting his neck to give the older man better access. “I think we should,” Justin leaned in, whispering hot into JC’s ear. “I think we should celebrate being together. Right here.”

JC stilled. “Justin?”

“Shh…” Justin turned JC toward the fence, placing JC’s hands on the wood and slipping his own down the older man’s body.

“Justin, I don’t think…”

“Shh,” Justin said again, hands busy undoing JC’s pants and slipping inside. Hot hands grabbed hotter flesh. “Don’t think. Feel.”

“Oh, god,” JC moaned. He was helpless to stop Justin. In their time together, Justin had never been so aggressive, had never made such an advance and it was keeping JC from fighting. Not that he really wanted to, but they were out in he open and oh, god…Justin’s nails scraped lightly against the sensitive head of JC’s cock, and JC’s head lolled back onto Justin’s shoulder, giving the younger man as much access as he wanted.

Justin smiled at JC’s capitulation, continuing to whisper hot, nasty words into JC’s ear, his hands fisting JC’s cock, making quick work of him. JC shouted his release, shaking and grasping the fence for support.

Justin pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, using it to clean off JC before buttoning back up his fly. “You okay?” Justin asked, a smile in his voice.

JC opened his eyes, noting the smirk on Justin’s face. “You just wait, Justin Randall. I’ll make you pay for that tonight.”

“Oh, I hope so!” Justin laughed.

They lingered at the Canyon’s edge, the sky pinking with the setting sun. Standing here, Justin was reminded of that night on the ship, when Justin had come to JC and they’d stood on the rail, flying over the ocean together.

He said as much to JC, who nodded. “I was thinking about that night, too,” JC said softly. “You were so brave to come to me.”

“Do you ever wonder…” Justin began.

JC shook his head. “No.”

“No, what?”

“No, I don’t wonder.” He held Justin’s arms tighter around him, shifting his weight from his lame leg. “I told you, I believe in fate. You and I, Justin, were fated to be together. Regardless of what happened, or will happen.”

“You sound so sure of things.”

JC shook his head again. “No, just sure of us.”

Justin held JC close, knowing he was right. That being together was right. It was fate.

At sunset, they left the Canyon to continue their new life together.

The End.



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