Justin opened the bedroom door quietly, shutting it behind him. Moving toward the bed, he caught sight of the sleeping form of JC, the moonlight spilling softly on his face, illuminating his golden skin, making his long brown curls appear lighter than normal. His long eyelashes were closed softly, resting against the upper planes of his cheeks, a small smile was on his slightly parted lips. He was sprawled gracefully on his back, on the right side of the mattress, the side of the bed that had been his for the past two years, one arm tucked behind his head, the other resting lightly across his stomach. A smile slowly crept across Justin’s face. It had been a week, only a week, since he had last laid his eyes on this gorgeous man, yet it had been one of the longest weeks of his life.

Any time spent apart from JC, his best friend, his lover, his soul mate, his everything, was too long. Reaching down, Justin ran one finger lightly across JC’s cheek. His touch was feather light. As much as he wanted JC to be awake, to smile broadly and welcome him home, to kiss him deeply, to wrap him tightly into his arms, he just looked too peaceful. Justin would settle for curling up next to him, wrapping his arms tightly around the man that he loved more than anything in this entire world.

Silently slipping off his cloths until just his boxers remained, he slid under the covers on the left side of the bed, immediately moving toward JC. As softly as he could, he rested an arm across JC’s stomach, his hand resting lightly on JC’s hip, and laid his head down against JC’s shoulder as his eyes fluttered closed. The wonderful smell that hit his senses made him smile and cuddle closer. It was the smell he knew he would never forget, the smell that told him, without a doubt, that he was home. It was the smell of JC, of his love.

He felt JC stir slightly, wrapping an unsuspecting arm around Justin. It was automatic, it was natural, it was right. Justin knew, without a doubt, that in just a moment, a soft sigh would escape JC’s throat and then he would pull Justin just a little closer, all unconsciously. But Justin had been witness to it so many times it was second nature to expect it. That’s why, moments later, when the sigh never came, and the grip around Justin never tightened, Justin turned his head to look up at JC’s face.

JC’s eyes were open, shinning in the moonlight, looking lovingly down at Justin. A smile played across his lips, reaching his eyes in the intimate look JC only used for Justin.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Justin said, his smile mirroring JC’s.

“I’m glad you did. Welcome home, baby.” JC placed a soft kiss on the top of Justin’s head.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too. And not that I’m complaining at all, but what are you doing home already? I thought you weren’t coming home for two more days.” Justin propped himself up on an elbow, scooting higher on the bed so his face was even with JC’s.

“We got done early, so I decided to come home. I wanted to be with you.” Lowering his head slightly, he pressed his lips gently against JC’s. JC returned the gesture and slowly slipped his tongue into Justin’s slightly parted mouth.

“Mmm. God Justin. Missed this. Missed you. Love you,” JC mumbled between kisses. Slipping his arms tightly around Justin, he maneuvered so Justin was half on top of him, never breaking the kiss. Finally Justin pulled back slightly, one arm still wrapped around JC, the other reaching up to stroke JC’s cheek. Running his thumb over the slightly swollen, freshly kissed lips, Justin smiled, then leaned down and gently ran his lips over JC’s again. It was barely a kiss, but it sent shivers though both of them at the tenderness of it.

“My love,” Justin whispered, pressing his face into JC’s neck, cuddling close. Their breathing became one, their heart’s beating in perfectly matched time, their hands slowly caressing one another. Justin’s tongue, unable to resist, flicked out and licked lightly along JC’s neck, moving from his ear to his collar bone. JC tasted sweet and salty at the same time, and it was the perfect mixture to make his heart flutter, to make his mind melt of anything but this beautifully exquisite man below him. Justin nipped at his collar bone, causing JC to moan into his hair, causing JC’s hands to tighten their grip slightly. Justin followed the small bite with a loving press of his lips, taking the slight sting of pleasureful pain away.

“There are other people here, aren’t there?” Justin sighed, pulling away from JC’s neck and meeting his eyes again. JC nodded and Justin sighed again. They made it a habit not to make love when they had company in their house. It wasn’t they were embarrassed. It was simply that making love was something special they shared with just each other, and not something they wanted their friends to hear.

“How’d you know?” JC asked, readjusting as Justin moved off of him to cuddle up next to him again.

“I’m a great detective,” Justin said, a sly grin spreading across his face, hitting both his lips and his eyes, causing the skin around his eyes and cheeks to crinkle slightly. JC ran a finger over the soft skin, flattening it out again. “So who is it exactly that had to go and ruin my plans to ravage you tonight?”

“I thought you were a great detective? You don’t need me to figure it out,” JC said, smiling at the still grinning man next to him.

“Hey, I figured out there were people here. I never said I knew who they were.”

“Tell me how you knew people were here first then I’ll tell you who it is.” JC leaned up to capture Justin’s lips again, before he could answer. He couldn’t resist. Justin’s kisses were essential to him, a part of him, almost like breathing. Especially when they were in bed together. And the fact that they hadn’t seen each other in a week, well, JC had a lot of kisses to make up for. “So, how’d you know?”

“Unfamiliar shoes that you’d never wear in your life by the door, a jacket that’s too big for you, didn’t smell like you, and isn’t mine lying across the banister,” Justin said, shrugging as if it was no big deal.

“Did you think I was cheating on you?” JC grinned. He couldn’t resist.

“Not for a moment,” Justin said, kissing him gently again. “I’ve never had a reason to doubt you. I trust you with all my heart and soul. Besides, people just show up at our house and decide they can move in for a few days all the time.”

“Very true. The jacket is Joey’s. He was planning on leaving the day after tomorrow. And the shoes are Tony’s. His bathroom is being remodeled. He needed a place to shower, so I said he could just stay here. Suppose to be able to move back in tomorrow. They were going to both be gone by time you were supposed to get home.”

“Then I had to go and spoil everything by coming home early.”

“It’s better having you here and not being able to do anything I feel like doing to you, but still getting to hold you in my arms and kiss you senseless then to not have you here at all,” JC said, kissing him to prove his point.

“Yes it is,” Justin sighed, leaning in to kiss his neck again. Slowly, he moved from JC’s neck, down his collarbone, to his chest, sliding under the covers as he went. With just his golden curls peaking out, he ran his tongue across JC’s chest, causing the older man to moan. Moving across the hard expanse of bare skin, he reached JC’s right nipple, pulling it gently into his mouth, sucking and nipping lightly. JC’s hands found his hair, and tangled in the curls, massaging Justin’s scalp softly. After sufficient attention, he kissed his way back across the bare skin, reaching the other nipple and giving it the same amount of attention.

The soft moans and purrs coming from JC were driving him wild. Making is way farther down JC’s body, kissing and licking and biting every possible inch of skin, he stopped at his navel, slipping his tongue inside and swirling it around expertly. JC’s back arched up, trying to get Justin’s tongue deeper as another moan escaped.

Completely covered by the blanket, JC’s hands still roaming across his head, down his neck and shoulder, nails running lightly across his back, was turning Justin on. It was privacy beyond just being in a closed bedroom. This was something that, even if someone was standing in the doorway, would be private. No one would know what he was doing under there. And that made that much more special.

Obeying the ‘no sex while people are in the house’ rule, he stopped his decent after leaving a mark along JC’s hip bone. It was one of JC’s favorite places to be kissed and marked with Justin’s mark alone. It was a place that was hidden from view from everyone but the two of them, and that, to them, made it completely sexy. Running his tongue one last time over the slightly purple bruise he couldn’t see, but knew would be there, he heard JC moan.

“Mmmm. Feels so good baby.” It was muffled by the covers between them, but it made him smile against JC’s flushed skin.

Making his way back up JC’s stomach, he had just reached his rib cage when there was a sharp knock on the door.

“Jace?” Justin heard Tony’s voice and an evil smile hit his lips. Peaking out from under the covers, he caught JC’s eye and JC knew what he had planned.

“Uh, yeah Tony?”

“You ok in there man? Can I come in?” Justin winked at him and JC ran a hand along his cheek for a brief moment.

“Um, no. I mean. Um. Hang on.” The few acting skills he had acquired from MMC days came back as he stuttered incoherently. Justin could just imagine what Tony was thinking. He was sure Tony had been passing the room when he had heard JC moan, and not knowing Justin was home, was curious as to what was going on. Suddenly the door opened, light from the hallway spilling into the dark room, causing shadows along the walls.

“JC! What the fuck!” Tony yelled, standing in the doorway with his hands crossed over his chest. Justin licked JC’s stomach, causing his eyes to roll slightly back into his head. “What the hell are you doing?” JC almost laughed at Tony’s anger. But caught himself just in time. Justin knew he could see that someone else was in the bed with JC, buried under the covers. It hit him to be glad their friends would watch out for both of them like that. But knowing the situation, it was funny, and he had to burry his face in JC’s side to keep from laughing.

“Tony, I just.” JC stopped, not really sure what to say.

“Don’t ‘Tony, I just’ me! What the fuck are you doing?! Justin’s coming home in two day. TWO DAYS! And you can’t keep it in your pants long enough to wait for him? I thought he meant more than that to you!” He was yelling and suddenly Justin heard another voice. Groggy with sleep, but definitely Joey.

“What’s going on?” JC glanced behind Tony and saw Joey standing slightly to the left of him in the doorway.

“What’s going on? JC’s got someone else in bed with him. That’s what’s going on. Although I’m not sure why!” Joey’s eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped as he saw the lump under the covers that was definitely that of another person.

“Jace, man. What the hell are you doing? How the hell could you cheat on Justin like that. And what about the no sex rule when you have people over? Or does that just apply when Justin is here and not other people who you decide to cheat on him with?” Joey was angry, really angry. Joey never got angry. This cause JC to swallow deeply. Justin felt it through his body. He had no reason to be guilty, since he hadn’t done anything wrong, but Joey’s tone made him feel that way.

“Who the hell is in that bed with you?” Tony asked, bitterness seeping into his voice. And then suddenly, before anyone else could react, Tony stepped forward, grabbed the covers, and yanked them down off of JC and Justin. Justin turned his head and grinned up at the two of them, both standing there with their mouths hanging open.

“You can pick your jaws up off the floor now. It’s just me.” He moved up so he was next to JC again. “You’re faces were priceless. I wish I’d had a camera.”

“You bastards!” Joey yelled. But his tone was playful. “Had us all worried we were going to have to kick JC’s skinny little ass.”

“It’s good to know our friends care about us,” Justin said, turning to JC. “You could never cheat on me if you wanted to.” He kissed his cheek gently then turned to look at Joey and Tony again. “Thanks guys, it makes me all warm and tingly inside to know that you care.”

“Yeah yeah, you’re both getting you’re asses kicked tomorrow for pulling a stunt like that. For now, we’ll let you two be alone, but just be warned, tomorrow the paybacks start. Welcome home J.” They left closing the door behind them. Justin turned and was met by JC’s loving eyes.

“That was interesting.”

“I love you,” JC said, pulling Justin close in a tight embrace.

“I love you too, baby.” Justin reached down and pulled the covers back up, covering them both as he snuggled into JC’s arms, wrapping a leg over JC’s thighs. “I love just being here with you. Being able to cuddle close, all wrapped up in your arms and share my world with you.”

“Yeah, pillow talk is great, huh?”

“We’re both huge girls, you realize that?”

“Yeah. But I love you anyway.” Stealing one last kiss, Justin snuggled in and closed his eyes. Happy to be home, happy to be in JC’s arms again. Happy that this wonderful man was his, forever.