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Cut Loose
Chris knew what responsibility was. Responsibility was bills and rent. Making sure the electricity was still on month after month. It was showing up to work on time and doing what you were paid to do.
He didn’t understand the slackers that worked with him. Most of them were late on a regular basis, screwed around and all they ended up doing was making more work for Chris.
But it wasn’t like he could say anything.
He didn’t make friends with the morons – what was the point? In a couple of weeks, they’d quit, or not show up, or find some other place that was easier and didn’t mind the slacking… and Chris didn’t bother. He did what he was supposed to, and then went home.
Home to his tiny, crappy apartment, where he did his homework, or went to class or read for his class or maybe watched the television if everything else was caught up. Fun wasn’t for him.
His life was full of responsibilities.
~*~
Chris worked in an accounting office. It wasn’t what he was going to school for, it wasn’t what he ‘wanted to be when he grew up’ – he was working in the mail room for Christ’s sake – and it certainly wasn’t enjoyable. But it paid him well enough to stay in school, pay his bills and send some money home to his mom every couple of weeks. And that was all he needed.
Someday he’d be able to maybe relax a little, not be so driven… but that day was nowhere in the near future as far as Chris could see. He had to graduate college, get a real job and take care of his mom and sisters.
His mom said things like, “Chris, honey. We’ll be fine. You don’t have to do this. Get out and have some fun.” And Chris would agree with her, because she was right – moms always were. But then she said, “Find a girl, or a boy, or one of each. I don’t care. But, son, you need more than what you have.” Then Chris would always have to go because even if she was right, it didn’t mean he had to listen to her.
~*~
A couple of the guys that Chris worked with were okay. They didn’t fuck around when they weren’t supposed to, and most of all, they didn’t make extra work for Chris. He liked that.
Lance was one of those non-slacker types that kept trying to get him to go out with everyone, offered to buy him a beer, or have him over for a barbecue, whatever. But Chris never went. He ate lunch with Lance – usually peanut butter and jelly that he brought from home – but that was about it. Lance talked about his friend Justin that he seemed to spend a lot of time with, and his friends Joey and JC and all the crazy things they used to do together when they were in school.
Secretly, Chris longed for those kinds of friendships. Someone he could call and just talk to. If he and Lance didn’t meet up for lunch, sometimes the only person Chris talked to that day was himself.
~*~
One afternoon, Lance caught him off guard. It was the end of spring break, and he had already finished all of his homework, so when Lance asked, he couldn’t think of an excuse not to go to the barbecue he was being invited to. Lance looked surprised when Chris didn’t have something to do and jumped on the chance to give him directions and tell him to bring whatever he wanted to drink.
Chris couldn’t believe it when he stared down at the piece of paper in his hands, with a drawn map and phone number on it. He felt kind of confused, like he wasn’t exactly sure what had happened, what he’d agreed to.
But there it was, black words on bright pink paper, a barbecue at Lance’s and Chris didn’t have anything to wear.
~*~
By the time the day rolled around for the party, Chris had thought of a million excuses, a million reasons that he couldn’t go, but he couldn’t bring himself to pick up his phone and call the number on the flyer he’d folded into his wallet and use any of them.
That’s how he found himself at Lance’s front door, knocking while trying to balance the case of soda he’d brought along with the case of beer. He didn’t know what everyone was drinking, and it wasn’t like he could just bring for himself. He’d been taught better than that.
Chris didn’t recognize the guy that answered the door. He had shoulder-length brown curly hair and a beer in his hand. “Hi,” Chris said.
“Hey, man. I’m JC. You’re here for Lance’s party, I guess, right?” He reached out to help Chris with the beverages. “Do you work with him?”
Chris nodded and shifted things until he could shake JC’s hand. “Yeah. I’m Chris.”
JC looked surprised. “Chris? Lance never said you were so… Wow. Um, come on in.”
“Never said I was what?”
“Nothing. Um… Come on.”
A little surprised that JC seemed to know who he was and really curious as to what Lance never said he was, Chris waited a second before following the taller man through the house. While he did, he couldn’t help looking around, staring at the walls. Pictures were everywhere. Chris stopped near in the living room, at a table where there was a large group of pictures. In every single one, all the guys in them were laughing or smiling. Arms were thrown around shoulders, and in a couple the guys in the pictures were kissing.
Chris picked up one that showed Lance kissing a younger, blonde guy that looked vaguely familiar before setting it back down carefully. He grinned and shook his head before catching up with JC in the kitchen. “Hey, man. Get lost?”
Chris smiled easily. “Something like that. This is a really nice place.”
JC waved his hand, like it was nothing. “Justin has some fancy-shmancy music job. He and Lance – you knew about him and Lance, right? They’ve been together forever. Anyway, me, I just do weird jingles and sometimes do backup for some of Justin’s group of the month. Someday, though. I’ll have something like this.”
Chris stared at JC. He’d always wanted to sing, he just never thought he could make enough doing it to actually live. He really envied someone that could. “You sing? I wish I could do something like that.”
JC laughed and pulled the other case out of Chris’ hands and set it on the counter. “Come on,” JC directed. He led Chris through the kitchen, through a sliding glass door to the backyard. “You’re lucky I was in the house to hear you,” he said. “Everyone else is back here and no one would have known you were here.”
Chris looked at everything carefully. Lance was at a huge barbecue on the patio, dressed in an apron and holding a spatula. He waved it in the air, and said, “Chris! You made it! I wasn’t sure if you’d show. Come on – let me introduce you to everyone.”
He handed the spatula to JC and said, “Don’t let these burn.” JC nodded solemnly, but there was a look in his eye that made Chris figure he better like charcoal-flavored burgers.
Chris obediently followed Lance to the circle of lawn chairs near the pool. He recognized the blonde from the picture in the living room. And there was another dark haired guy that Chris recognized from the pictures as well. The others didn’t seem familiar at all to Chris, but they were all guys. Chris noted that there were no girls at all in the backyard or, when he thought about it, in the pictures in the living room.
Well, it was good to see that he was in familiar company.
“Chris,” Lance said. “This is Justin, my boyfriend.”
Chris barely blinked. Justin was obviously the guy in the pictures, and when he smiled, Chris realized that he’d seen him before in some entertainment magazine. He just shook the young man’s hand and smiled. The grin he got in return was beautiful, and he looked back at Lance for a second before being introduced to more people. “This is Joey, and Howie and James and Michael and Tom.”
Smiling, Chris waved a little. “Hi,” he said. It wasn’t that he was shy, exactly. It was just that he felt kind of weird when all of these people clearly knew each other – knew things about each other that Chris just had no idea about.
Lance laughed. “You didn’t know about me and Justin, did you?”
“Well,” Chris said with a shrug. “I kind of figured it out when I saw the pictures in your living room.
Justin laughed and slid his arm around Lance’s waist. “He didn’t say anything?”
“He does talk about you all the time. But he always calls you his ‘friend’… and I never assume about these things,” Chris said, smiling.
The one that Chris thought had been introduced as Joey snorted. “Friend my ass.”
Lance laughed again. Chris couldn’t see, but he thought Lance grabbed Justin’s ass, because Justin jumped as Lance said, “No, that’s my ass.”
Everyone laughed again, but then there was a very girly scream from behind them which turned out to be JC. “Shit, Lance! Help me, shit. I think I dropped one inside. Shit, Lance!” he yelled.
Chris watched as Lance rushed over and calmed JC down before trying to fish out the ruined burger from the coals. “That was yours,” Lance said.
JC looked kind of sad for a second before grinning and shrugging. “They taste better that way anyway.”
~*~
Chris had no idea how it had happened, but somehow, he’d fit right in with Lance’s friends. They’d ended up taking to him right away, talking about the classes he was taking in college and his family and telling stories. It was almost like he’d been friends with them all for years.
It was completely surreal how comfortable he was with them all.
There was so much to eat, that Chris was really over full. He was sprawled on a lawn chair close to the pool, almost asleep when he felt his chair being tipped. He opened his mouth to yell, but by then it was too late.
He came up sputtering, looking around for the culprit. It turned out to be obvious who it was – everyone was silent, except for Justin. Chris saw that he was covering his grin, his eyes full of merriment. Chris didn’t waste any time, he pulled himself out of the pool, dripping wet, and grabbed Justin’s arms.
“No, Chris!” Justin tried to back away, but Chris had his wound his leg around Justin’s, and sure, it meant another dip in the pool, but Chris was already wet. He didn’t care. It only took a brief second and Chris was back in the water.
When he surfaced that time, Justin splashed him. Chris could hear loud laughter around them, so he splashed back. Justin tried to dunk him, and before long, it had turned into a wrestling match in the middle of the deep-end.
Justin declared Chris the winner, at Chris’ insistence, and then Justin was plotting with him on how to get Lance into the pool. Chris wasn’t sure, he had to work with Lance – he didn’t want to piss him off or anything. But then Justin pointed out that he’d be the one sleeping on the couch and Chris had to grin. So he agreed to distract Lance and lure him near the pool so Justin could be the one to push him in.
Chris hadn’t had this much fun since he was about eight years old. He grinned to himself and went to talk to Lance, even though he was still dripping wet.
~*~
He was upstairs, changing in what turned out to be Lance’s bedroom. And Justin’s too, he supposed. Lance had dug around in his closet and found some sweats and a t-shirt that fit Chris pretty well. Lance had thrown his jeans and shirt into the dryer, which Chris thought was pretty nice of him, considering the whole pool incident.
It was a little unexpected when the door opened. Chris twisted around without realizing that the sweats he was putting on were still down around his calves and then he tumbled to the floor, bare-ass hanging in the wind.
He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when he heard JC’s laughter fill the room.
“Sorry, Chris. I was supposed to come up and see if you were okay.”
“I’m fine. Except for the whole being too embarrassed to live thing.”
JC laughed a little more, but said, “Okay, I’ve turned around you can finish dressing.”
Chris struggled up and pulled the pants up and pulled the shirt over his head before even looking up to see if JC was telling the truth or not. When he did finally check on JC, he realized that he had turned around, but he was facing a mirror and could see everything anyway. Chris shrugged.
“If you’d wanted a free show, man, all you had to do was ask,” he said through a barely repressed grin.
JC caught his eye in the mirror and then turned around. At least he had the grace to blush a little. “Uh. We’re going to play Trivial Pursuit. Which isn’t as lame as it sounds, I swear. Justin always loses and he gets indignant that it’s just because he’s younger and the game almost always ends with him stomping off. His tantrums are really entertaining.”
Chris grinned. “Well, I’m really old, so I know a lot of stuff.”
JC nodded. “Me too. I’m twenty-eight.”
Snorting, Chris shook his head and headed out of the room, hoping JC was following him. “Twenty-eight, ah yes. I remember it fondly. I’m thirty-two, man. I’ve got ten years on Justin.”
“You wouldn’t know it by the way you were acting in the pool,” JC said laughing.
Chris looked back over his shoulder. “Keeps me young, man. And you’re only as old as you feel. Or something. Though usually, I feel much older.”
JC slid his arm around Chris’ shoulders and they walked down the stairs together. “I like it.”
Chris’ breath caught in his throat, but then he shook his head. He had to be wrong. This gorgeous man did not just say anything that could be construed as flirting.
~*~
JC was right; Justin’s tantrums were adorable. He kept sighing towards the end of the game, when it was a race between Chris and Lance to get to the middle, and everyone but Justin had at least three pieces of pie. Justin had only gotten the pink Entertainment piece. He kept scowling at everyone, and then when Lance landed in the middle, crowing with delight, Justin poked him in the side. “Ask him sports,” Justin suggested. “He got lucky with the green question before.
Lance laughed, but Joey and JC were nodding so Chris read the question aloud, hoping that Lance wouldn’t know. “What American League baseball team was Ricky Henderson playing for when he broke the base-stealing record, previously held by Willy Mays?”
The blank look he got in return made Chris grin. “Um. Baseball? Couldn’t I have gotten a chess question again?”
Everyone laughed, but Chris couldn’t breathe all of a sudden. It had nothing to do with the game and everything to do with JC’s hand settling on his thigh. Chris stared down at the hand and then up at JC.
JC was laughing at Lance, and maybe not paying attention to his hand. That had to be it. But then JC squeezed and looked up at Chris. JC smiled and Chris didn't know what to make of it, especially when his hand, now lax, remained.
“Um. The Penguins?” Lance asked.
“That’s hockey. Holy crap, Bass. I almost feel bad for you,” Joey said, still laughing.
Chris smiled faintly and then watched as everyone else rolled the die and took their turns, but JC didn’t move his hand. Maybe it was a ploy so Chris would lose, because he certainly couldn’t be expected to think with JC’s hand there.
When it was his turn again, Chris didn’t even hear the question. He just shrugged and said he didn’t know. JC didn’t move his hand – except to squeeze Chris’ leg, like purhaps in sympathy… but really, it was torture.
Lance got lucky with the next turn and ended up getting the answer right. Thank God. With the game over, JC had to move, and Chris helped put everything away and then stood up to go.
“I’m really glad you invited me over, Lance, but I think I need to head home now.”
Lance nodded. “No problem, Chris. Thanks for coming. Do you think you can give JC a ride home? He would just end up staying in our guest room, but if you could…”
Chris heard himself saying that it wasn’t a problem and he probably smiled too, because Lance was grinning at him. Chris didn’t know who or what had taken over his body, but clearly, something had because why did he just agree to drive JC home?
JC was waiting in the living room and smiling, and Chris couldn’t help smiling back. He wondered if he’d just been set up. That Lance was a crafty one.
~*~
Chris spent most of his time in college doing actual school work and reading. Sure, he had dates, but he didn’t have a whole lot of experience with other men. Not that he didn’t want the experience – he’d just always found that women were more understanding of all his craziness.
JC had caught him completely off guard. He wasn’t expecting to have someone even remotely interested in him, so when someone seemed to be, he wasn’t exactly sure how to handle it.
He fiddled with the buttons on the radio, pushing his pre-sets too rapidly to actually hear what was being played. JC grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together. The speakers started playing something that Chris couldn’t identify and he longed to change it. But JC wasn’t letting go of his hand.
“Chris – ”
“JC – ”
Chris chuckled nervously. “Okay. So, what are you doing?”
JC shrugged. “Turn left up here at the light. I’m the third building on the right.”
Sighing, Chris turned and then stopped at the building indicated.
“Listen. I don’t know. I… just… I don’t know. I think you’re funny and cute and if I’m freaking you out I’m sorry. But I want to see you again,” JC said finally, answering Chris’ question.
Chris nodded enthusiastically. “I’d like that,” he said quietly.
JC grinned at him and leaned over the space in the middle and pressed a quick kiss to Chris’ lips. Then he jumped out of the car, all in one fluid motion, leaving Chris staring after him.
Chris grinned the whole way home.
~*~
The washing machine was chugging away and Chris was mopping when the phone rang the next afternoon. He picked up thinking it was his mom or one of his sisters.
“Hello?”
“Chris?”
“Um, yes?” It was a male voice. Chris couldn’t figure out who it was.
“It’s JC. I um, got your last name from Lance and then made him look you up online so I could call you. I hope that’s okay.”
“Oh. Ohhh. Um. Sure, that’s fine. I should have given it to you last night.” Chris leaned the mop against the wall and sat down in the living room. Grinning, he was sure, like a loon.
“So, um… What’s up?”
Chris laughed. “Not much. I’m just cleaning my house. I’m kind of boring.”
JC laughed, low and sexy and Chris was really glad he was sitting down. “I bet you’re not.” He paused for a second and then said, “So, we should get together. What are you doing later?”
Chris was boring. He didn’t have any plans beyond finishing the kitchen floors and then cooking himself dinner. On a whim, he asked, “Do you want to come over here? We can order a pizza and watch a movie?”
And then he held his breath, waiting for JC to answer.
“That sounds great!”
Chris let out the breath and smiled before giving JC directions and then hanging up. He finished the mopping and then stared at his bedroom. After thinking for about two seconds, he quickly changed his sheets and then set to work on his bathroom.
There was barely time for a shower and changing clothes before the doorbell was ringing and JC was standing there, grinning. At least with being so busy, Chris didn’t have any time to worry about whether or not this was a date. Of if he’d actually need the clean sheets he put on his bed.
God, JC was gorgeous. He wasn’t dressed up or anything, just wearing jeans and t-shirt, but it was the way he wore them. The jeans were like a second skin, all dark and the shirt showed off his arms and Chris could hardly keep his tongue in his mouth.
Some part of him knew that this was crazy, that he didn’t have time for a boyfriend, or friends, or anything of the sort. He had school and work and his mom and his family and no time. But JC was… He was so adorable and he was interested in Chris, which just didn’t happen often.
Chris smiled at JC and invited him in. He was thrilled when JC held up a movie case and said, “I brought something for us to watch. I hope you haven’t seen Lost in Translation.”
Shaking his head, Chris pulled the door open more so JC could come in. “Nope. Isn’t that supposed to be really good?”
JC nodded as his eyes wandered around the room, taking in Chris’ house. Chris had to smile to himself, it wasn’t much, but it was clean, especially now, and it was pretty good, considering that he was still going to school. It wasn’t like he needed much.
“Nice place,” JC said with an easy smile. “It’s very cozy.”
Chris laughed. “If by cozy you mean small, sure.”
JC bit his lip, but smiled and Chris looked around wildly, looking for something, anything to talk about. He hadn’t gotten that far in his plans. “Uh. What do you like on your pizza?”
“Oh! Um… Pepperoni? And lots of cheese.”
Chris picked up his phone to order while JC leaned against the wall. He’d put the movie on the counter and was watching as Chris wound the phone cord around his fingers, waiting for the pizza place to pick up.
~*~
After a small tour – it was only four rooms after all – Chris got them beer from the fridge and then settled on the couch to watch the movie. He didn’t have a lot of time for movies – either going out to them or renting, so he considered this a treat.
Chris was a little surprised at the way JC snuggled in close to him, practically wrapping himself around Chris’ body, but it didn’t feel weird. Chris ended up being way more interested in watching JC and JC’s reaction to the movie than the actual movie, which turned out to be mind-numbingly boring.
When there was a knock at his door, Chris didn’t want to extract himself from JC, but he did and paid for the pizza before bringing back plates and more beer. JC found the remote and had paused the movie while Chris was gone – like he’d miss something earth shattering.
“This is good,” JC said, chewing thoughtfully.
Chris smiled. “I don’t get to order from this place that often, but when I do, they’re always excellent. Their crust is amazing.”
JC nodded, agreeing. “Thanks for inviting me over. My place is boring and I’d have just ended up falling asleep watching the news or something.”
Waving his hand like it wasn’t a big deal, Chris bit into another slice of pizza. “I probably would have done the same thing.”
“Well, then we can just do it together.”
Chris snorted and choked on a piece of pepperoni. He was coughing so bad that he had to get up and get a glass of water from the kitchen. When he got back, at least most of the blush had faded.
“Um. So…”
JC laughed – he didn’t seem embarrassed at all. Had he really just said that they could sleep together? Sometimes Chris felt like he was twelve. Or still in high school. Or just projecting. It had been a really long time since he’d slept with anyone.
“You okay, man?” JC asked.
Chris nodded and picked his pizza back up. He refused to meet JC’s eyes, and JC just kept looking at him. It was a little weird. But more in the way that Chris didn’t understand what exactly JC was looking at.
When they’d finished the last of the pizza, Chris tossed the paper plates and napkins into the box and folded it up. “Another beer?”
JC nodded. “But, this is the last one… I have to drive home.”
“You can stay, if you want.” It was out there before Chris could stop it. “On the couch,” added quickly, but not fast enough that he didn’t see the grin cross JC’s face. “I mean, if you want. Or you know, um… I… never mind.”
Chris grabbed the remote and turned the movie back on, staring at it, even though he really had no idea what was going on because he’d been watching JC before, and not the movie. He had no idea who the blonde girl was and what she was doing with Bill Murray.
JC slid next to him on the couch and curled around him again. “I’d like that,” he said. “To stay. But I don’t want to sleep on the couch.”
Chris stared at him. “You…”
JC smiled and kissed him. Chris moaned softly and clutched at JC’s arms. “You don’t have to.”
“Good,” JC whispered against his lips, before licking them, smiling when Chris opened for him. “Yeah,” he breathed.
Then they were making out in earnest. Chris couldn’t keep track of all the places his fingers had been, so he had to keep touching JC, just to make sure he’d mapped all of him. He pushed at the hem of JC’s shirt, the tips of his fingers brushing against the fluttery skin of his stomach. Long thin fingers met his and the shirt was gone exposing all kinds of glorious skin to touch and look at.
If Chris thought that JC was beautiful before, he knew so now. He almost couldn’t believe it and for a split second, he was going to be nervous about taking his own shirt off until he remembered that JC had pretty much already seen him naked at Lance’s when he was changing.
So, instead of thinking, because he did way too much of that, Chris just pulled his own shirt off and went back to kissing and touching JC. The little noises he was making as encouragement were making Chris crazy. Little moans, gasps and whispers of Chris’ name… it was seriously hot.
“Chris,” JC said a little more urgently. “I… Do you…” he said pulling back, his eyes searching Chris’. “I want you to fuck me.”
Chris could feel his eyes go wide. When there had started to be nakedness, Chris had only let himself hope for a hand job. Or, maybe if he was really lucky, a blow job. But JC wanted… He nodded before JC could think that he didn’t want that. He could feel his breath catch in his throat and then JC was pulling him to his feet and leading him to his bedroom.
Chris swallowed and forgot about the lights, the television and the empty pizza box on the couch. He didn’t care about any of those things, not even a little. An amazing man wanted him and there was no way that Chris even wanted to wait a few seconds to turn anything off.
“Do you have…” JC trailed off, but his meaning was clear.
Chris nodded. “I think so. I haven’t needed anything in so long…”
JC laughed again, the low and sexy one that made Chris bite his lip.
“Baby, you’re so sexy. So, so sexy,” he repeated before his hands slid down Chris’ chest and made short work of the buttons on his jeans. Chris had no idea when or how JC had gotten naked – the kissing was so distracting that he couldn’t think – but they were both naked when JC tumbled them onto the bed and kissed Chris completely senseless.
Panting, Chris couldn’t help grinding up against JC’s thigh, begging shamelessly without words for some kind of friction. He groaned, unable to help himself and slid his hands down JC’s back, pulling him closer and whispering nonsense things into JC’s shoulder.
“Chris,” JC said breathlessly. “God, Chris. You have to stop.”
Chris pulled his hands away immediately, and stared up at JC. “I thought…”
“No, no. That’s fine, God, you’re fucking amazing. I just… I want to come with you inside me, and if you keep doing that, it’s going to be over way too soon,” JC said, grinning.
Chris grinned back and licked a stripe across JC’s jaw and then tugged him back down for more kissing. He sunk his teeth into JC’s bottom lip, gently, before swiping his tongue across when he heard the low moan he got in response.
So hard, so excited, Chris gulped a mouthful of air before trying to wiggle out from underneath JC.
“We need… Jesus, JC. You’re so fucking gorgeous. I can’t…” He was going to say that he couldn’t believe that JC was there, but he shook his head instead and pulled open the drawer on his night stand.
He rooted through it, pushing aside a book and a notebook before closing his hand on a bottle of lube. He held it up, somewhat triumphantly, grinning sheepishly when JC giggled at him.
“I know I have condoms in here somewhere,” he said as he set the bottle down and turned back to the drawer.
After a couple more seconds of searching, he found a couple of loose ones in the bottom. He looked up, to show JC, and almost fell over. JC had snagged the bottle and had apparently applied enough to his hands to start stretching himself.
Chris could only stare. “I…” he said dumbly.
JC slid his fingers out and Chris stared. In his haze, he hadn’t realize how much a hurry JC was in, but then he was pushed back onto the bed and the condom was plucked from his fingers. Chris watched as JC tore it open with his teeth and then tried to remember to breathe when it was rolled onto his cock.
Someone else was touching him, touching his cock, and it had been so long for Chris that he had to bite down on his lip to keep from coming immediately. His eyes closed, but then he forced them open. He had to watch, he had to see. JC knelt over him and then with a grin, lowered himself onto Chris’ cock.
It was all Chris could do to hold himself still, to not thrust up into the tight waiting heat that felt glorious around him. “JC,” he gasped. “Fuck.”
“Yeah,” JC agreed. And then he was all the way down, his hands on Chris’ stomach as he took deep breaths, steadying himself. His eyes opened and he leaned down for a kiss before sitting up and starting to move in a rhythm that had Chris moaning incoherently.
Tingling spikes of pleasure spread through Chris, filling him just as he filled JC. It felt like he was going to pass out, the spiraling heat moved through him so fast, pushing him so close to the edge that he cried out and reached out to hold JC’s hips.
His fingers were probably digging into the tender flesh there, he could feel the muscles of JC’s thighs working as he fucked Chris steadily. “JC… JC… Fuck,” Chris cried out.
Chris arched and came, orgasm washing through him. “Fuck,” JC echoed and then there was a warm wetness across Chris’ chest and JC slowed and stopped before collapsing on top of him.
It was several minutes before Chris had caught his breath enough to open his eyes and smile. “Um, hi,” he managed.
JC grinned and slid to the side before curling around him. “I can sleep here, right?”
Chris laughed. “Like I’d let you leave now.”
JC’s breath evened out and Chris realized he was asleep. He had to grin to himself. After reaching over and setting the alarm, he pulled the blanket over them and threw an arm over JC and let himself drift off as well.
~*~
“Holy crap, Chris.”
Chris looked up at Lance, confused. “What?”
“Did you get laid?”
Chris couldn’t have stopped the blush if he’d tried. “I… Um… No,” he lied. “Why would you say that?”
Lance laughed and looked skeptical. “That hickey has always been on your neck and I’ve just never noticed?”
Chris’ hand shot up, covering his neck where he kind of remembered seeing something in the mirror. “Um. Oh. That.”
“Yeah. That,” Lance laughed. “Did JC get in touch with you? He called me yesterday… Oh my God,” he said, realizing.
“Shh. Lance,” Chris whispered.
“JC? Holy crap,” Lance whispered back. “I mean, I thought you were, but I guess… Wow, Chris. This is big. He doesn’t do that.”
“He doesn’t?”
Lance shook his head. “He hasn’t done anything like that for years, Chris.”
“Years?” Chris looked down at his desk and smiled. And then he started grinning. “If you’re messing with me, Lance, I swear to God I’ll do more than help Justin dunk you in the pool.”
Laughing, Lance shook his head. “I’m not. But I am really happy. I hope it works out.”
He backed away, leaving Chris smiling to himself. Chris thought about what he’d left that morning. He’d woken up to his alarm and JC twisted around him. It was completely surreal and made him so happy that he couldn’t stop grinning.
Even now, he couldn’t seem to wipe the smile off his face. He pulled his wallet from his pocket and dialed the number from the slip of paper inside.
JC picked up his cell phone, his voice groggy, “Hello?”
“Hey,”
“Chris,” he said, his voice immediately warming. “I was still sleeping. But your voice is the best wake up call.”
Chuckling, Chris looked around. Anyone near him was going to think he’d gone crazy. He didn’t make personal calls at work, but it seemed that he did now. “I was just thinking about you. I really didn’t want to just leave you like that in my bed.”
“Yeah? Mmm… I was dreaming about you. I don’t have plans today… You should come back here for lunch,” JC said, the sound of a smile in his voice.
“I’ll leave here at noon.
It’ll take me ten minutes to get home.”
“See you then. Bye, Chris.”
“Bye, JC.”
He felt like singing when he headed to the copy machine. As he passed Lance’s desk, he leaned in and said, “I don’t think I’m going to make it to lunch with you today. It seems I have other plans.”
Lance laughed. “Good luck, man.”
Chris looked at his watch. Only an hour until lunch. He couldn’t wait.
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