Challenge - 'Angel' - Soul Asylum

A month had passed since Chris had tried to end his life. A month since Joey saved him. And things were good. Better then good. Just the day after he had e-mailed his mom she had called. They had spoken for hours, cried most of it. Chris explained and his mom listened but not before first telling him that she loved him and no matter what he did she always would. She told him how proud she was of him and how she was glad he was still alive. She was sorry he had to go through what he did alone but extremely grateful that Joey had been there to see him through it.

The change in him had been immediate. He still wasn't the man Joey had seen when he first moved in, but he was talking more and he was a great hit with the customers at Fatone's. Joey's family loved him and had all but adopted him as their own, had shed tears when hearing from their son all that he had been through.

Chris still slept with Joey. Both finding comfort in the other's heat. Limbs pressed together and arms wound tightly not wanting to let go. They had grown closer in the weeks following Chris's heart to heart with his mother. They worked together and lived together and often sat up at nights eating Ben and Jerry's Chocolate chip cookie dough and talking about everything and nothing. The one topic they never discussed though was Chris' prostitution and his suicide ideals. It was like a common understanding that it wasn't to be mentioned unless Chris himself brought it up. Which he never did, and that was the reason why Joey was shocked when sitting closely together eating from the same Ben and Jerry's tub Chris softly spoke up.

"I couldn't have done this without you."

"Eaten a tub of B and J's? It's easy man! I didn't get this figure for no reason." The Italian laughed but stopped abruptly when his small dark companion stayed silent and stared at his hands intently.

"Chris?" his tone worried and his brows burrowed in confusion. Before this moment they had been laughing together over an old episode of friends and now the smaller but older man was sitting as sadly as he had that first night.

"I meant.. I couldn't have lived without you Joe." The weight of the man's words hit him straight down to the bottom of his heart. One simple line had him choked up. The atmosphere in the room changed at once, unspoken words started to fill the air by mere looks. His own brown eyes met the chocolate ones of his companion and the ice cream was instantly forgotten.

Joey reached out his empty hand and traced his fingertips lightly down Chris's face, he watched as the brown eye's fluttered closed and a soft sigh filled the now silent room. They stay frozen that way, Joey stilling his hand to cup the bristly skin beneath his palm. Then as though something just clicked between them, as though a decision had been made by mutual consent they inched slowly closer together. Their mouths hovered a breath away from each other. Both men taking in the ice cream flavoured breath fanning their faces. Both seemingly suspended in time. Then breaking the tranquillity of the moment they both passionately melded their mouths together. Both pairs of dark eyes closed in sensation. Lips and teeth moving together in an age-old dance.

Someone grunted. Joey thinks it was him. He had often thought about this moment but always threw it aside and let guilt take him over. He had always thought Chris attractive, from the moment he moved into the apartment next to him, he was attracted but it was quickly forgotten. But now after knowing the man that he was he couldn't help but hope that the sleeping arrangements meant more. He was brought back to the kiss as a soft wet tongue ran along his bottom lip. He couldn't help but smile into the kiss and open his mouth to except more of Chris. He sighed, this was everything he had dreamed of for the last few weeks.

Chris pushed insistently until the ice cream toppled to the floor and Joey laid on his back his knees reflexively bending and spreading for Chris to fall into the space. Mouth's never parting and hungry breaths filling the air were interrupted when a deep warm voice called out.

"Oh god! Chris!" the smaller man smiled against the younger man's lips and continued to cup Joey's erection through his pants pushing upwards hard. Joey could do nothing but groan, but when the small purposeful hand reached into his boxers he pulled away. Struggling for breath.

"Chris are you sure about this?"

"Uh huh."

"But.."

"Shhhh... I'm sure." His lust filled gaze offered his consent and he grinned at the confused Italian as he pushed himself up from the couch. Once standing he gazed down at Joey. Swollen lips and unbuttoned jeans. He growled.

"Come on." He took hold of the large hand resting on Joey's stomach and pulled the taller man up. He turned his back to him holding his hand the whole time and led him though to their bedroom.