JC hardly ever cried. It wasn’t that he was too macho for it, he just never showed emotion like that.

And when he came to your room, big fat alligator tears rolling down his pretty cheeks, you scooped him up like mother hen and held him.

He cried into your shoulder, mumbling about nothing important. You were waiting for him to tell you what had happened and when he did, you weren’t surprised it had to do with his on and off again girlfriend.

You didn’t like her. Her name was Freddi (Spelled differently because she was ‘unique’ like that. You thought she was pushing it.) and she had to be the biggest hussy you had ever seen. She was beautiful and acted humble though every time she got a compliment on her “Beautiful vibrant eyes” it went straight to her dome. You wished she would get burned severely, just enough to mess up her face. We’ll see who’s humble then. And then there was the issue of you. She didn’t like you either, made it known too. Told JC to pick once but he said no and broke up with her on the spot. You had cringed when you heard them fucking that night in the room next to you. It was sad.

“J, I just... she said all these things, hurtful things and, I-I couldn’t believe-” he hiccuped and sniffled into your t shirt, his fingers twisting around the light cotton. You tried not to wince when his grip tightened around your waist.

“What’d she say?” You kept your voice light, comforting and he burrowed closer. Y’all were sitting on the floor near the door, resting against the wall.

“That I didn’t-” he hiccuped again and sighed, breathing deeper. “That I didn’t love her enough. But I do! I do!! But she just kept saying no, and that I didn’t deserve her. Or you, or anything I got because I was a bastard... and... and.” The tears came again and he sobbed against you. You hated Freddi.

“You love her?” you asked, hoping he’d say it was a lie. And this really wasn’t a time to be selfish but you couldn’t help it. You had JC in your arms and this was probably what you had yearned for for years before. But, you thought, you weren’t going to be selfish.

“I do. Just not enough.” he whispered and looked at you with wet, red eyes. You pushed his head back to your shoulder, hating the picture of JC crying.

“What happened? Why’d she say that?”

“You.” he said simply and you froze. What about you?

“Uh...”

JC shifted and got comfortable next to you, arms thrown around you. “She likes you, she’s just too pushy to admit she likes someone lower then her.”

You rolled your eyes though shock was apparent in them. That was ludicrous. Y’all hated each other, point blank.

“And I like you, but... ya know, you’re not into me like that.”

Now you’re jaw was to your neck and you closed your eyes.

“What?” you choked out, confused.

“We’re... we...” He looked up at you with glass eyes and his breath ghosted over your face, warm and cool at the same time, minty. JC always had minty breath, you were jealous.

“We what?” you whispered, realizing you didn’t have the strength to raise it anymore.

“We were fighting over you.” He bowed his head and chuckled softly. “That must sound crazy. You, she’s had a thing for you since we ever hooked up. But I loved her and I accepted it. I mean, me myself had feelings for you but you weren’t into me, or her, so we kinda fit together. But lately, we’ve... you and me I mean, we just... closer and she’s accusing me of taking you.” He took in a deep breath and frowned. “She told me that I was trying to move in on you, but you aren’t hers! You aren’t anyones but yourself.” he ended softly and you wanted to laugh and kiss him and tell him you were his. But you couldn’t, the shock paralyzing you. This was too much at one time.

“So... lemme get this straight. Y’all both want me... and the reason y’all are fighting is because she thinks you’re trying to steal me from her?”

“Yes! But you’re not hers.”

“Yea, I’m yours and-”

“What?” JC had big eyes, big wet eyes and they made your body vibrate.

And oh shit. You didn’t just say that aloud. “What?” You were acting cool. You were cool-

“You’re mine?” he asked softly, staring at you and dammit, you couldn’t take it.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“Don’t evade the question. You want to be mine?”

You looked at him and threw your fears out the window. You fucked up, might as well suffer the consequences.

You nodded and swallowed thickly, wanting to know what was gonna happen now. So he liked you, you liked him... was sex in the question? You grinned to yourself, a blush tinging your cheeks.

His hand grazed your soft cheek and your smile slipped off slowly and you got ready. Ready for what you had wanted for a long time coming. And wow, he was right there about to--

JC jumped back at the knock on the door, visibly shaken and cleared his throat. You cursed whoever was at the door.

“What?” you answered as there were more knocks.

“Is JC in there?” Freddi. JC started to frown again and you came close again, giving him a soft kiss that would be y’alls first and he wasn’t frowning anymore, his lips soft and supple against yours.

“Justin!!” The knocks kept coming but you held on tight to JC, calming him with your kiss. It was so innocent and so docile you felt like you were in middle school again, playing “Seven Minutes in Heaven” with your best friend. God, this was good.

“JUSTIN!!”

You pulled back, JC mewing as you moved away but you smiled reassuringly and walked to the door. You pulled on the latch and it sounded loud and cruel as you locked it. You smiled when Freddi hit the door again.

You were at JC’s side before you could count to three, your heart beating right out of your chest as you laid down, his kisses playing with your mind.

“You love me.” he murmured against your open mouth, his arms tangling with yours. “You love me.” His eyes were still red rimmed, but they were bright and he sniffled, his nose pink. God, you loved him.

“And you love me.” you repeated and the grin he gave you melted your bones. And he loved you. You kissed him again, glad he had come to you that night, glad that you could stop his crying.