"I've been waiting here for you."

Justin's words hung in the air between the two boys in the hallway outside the locker room.  JC wasn't sure what exactly Justin meant by that until he looked down and saw how Justin's jeans pulled tightly across his erection.  JC looked up at Justin and smiled.  "Didja like watching me tonight?"

Justin leaned close to JC again and whispered, "You were gorgeous."  Then he licked at JC's ear, letting his tongue trail lightly down JC's neck.  JC fought the urge to throw Justin up against the wall and fuck him until he couldn't see straight -- instead, he decided to play it cool.

So JC ignored Justin's tongue and asked, "So why are you at Lincoln tonight watching me instead of at your own game, 'Lake?"  Justin pulled back and turned away from JC.  JC, confused, reached out to grab Justin's arm.  "Justin?  What happened?"

Justin turned around but didn't look JC in the eye.  "Lance," he said simply, studying his shoes.

"What about Lance?"

"He heard us.  At Brian's.  And he told my team."

"Oh shit," JC breathed, "Justin, I'm sorry."

Justin looked up, anger evident in his blue gaze.  "Yeah, well, I got suspended for tonight.  For skipping practice yesterday.  So I came to watch you."  He paused and looked down again.  "I've always loved watching you."

JC smiled.  "Did I live up to your expectations tonight?" he asked Justin, sliding a finger under Justin's chin.  Justin raised his eyes, and when he saw JC's smile, all of his anger drained away.  Somehow all that shit is worth it for a moment like this, he thought.  He caught the back of JC's head with one hand, and, while threading his fingers through JC's damp hair, Justin pulled him in for a kiss.

Their tongues met in a sweet crush, and, for blissful seconds, Justin forgot about everything.  He kissed JC feverishly, pressing himself against him, feeling JC harden against his thigh, and all was well in Justin's world.  All was well until --

"Hey!  Hey, what the hell are you two doing?"

It was the Lincoln High janitor.  They'd been caught.  JC tore himself away from Justin and took off running away from the intruder.  Justin took off after him.

"That's right, you get the hell outta here!" the janitor yelled after them.

Neither boy stopped running until they'd reached the parking lot.  When they got out there, only Justin's car remained.  Then something dawned on Justin.  "JC, weren't you s'posed to take the bus back to Kennedy?  Did they leave without you?"

"Yeah, I told them I was getting a ride back."

"With who?  Are your parents here?"

"Nope.  They're in Florida visiting my grandma."

"Then..." Justin's eyes lit up as he saw JC's smile.

"Yeah, I saw you in the stands.  I was hoping you'd drive me home.  If you hadn't been there waiting for me outside the locker room, well...  I would've been shit outta luck."

Justin grinned.  "What makes you think I'ma drive you home?"

JC shrugged.  "Guess I'll start walking."  He turned towards the exit of the parking lot and started to walk away.

Justin caught his arm and pulled him back.  "Get in," he growled, slapping JC across the ass.  JC looked up, eyes blazing with everything except anger.  He turned and climbed into Justin's car, and Justin did the same.

They drove in silence for the first ten miles with their last kiss and the sudden rush of adrenaline from their being caught igniting the air between them.  Then, JC decided it was time.  "Justin."

Justin looked over at JC and almost swooned at the look in his friend's eye.  "What?" he whispered.  It was all he could manage with JC eyeing him like that.

"My parents are gone.  Come home with me."

Justin's heart almost stopped beating.  The anticipation of JC's room, JC's bed, caused all of Justin's blood to flow to his crotch in a rush.  Justin thought he should probably at least try to protest so he didn't seem too eager, even though he was sure JC had seen the desire rush through Justin's body at his suggestion.  Justin returned his eyes to the road.  "But JC, it's a Tuesday night.  We have school tomorrow!" he tried first.

"You can just leave a little early tomorrow and swing by your house to change before first period.  No one will mind if you're a little late."

"But my parents?  I'd have to tell them.  Can't not come home twice in a week!"

"Call them and say you're keeping me company."

"Think all that'll work?"

"Yes."

"Well..." Justin looked over at JC again, feigning indecision.  "OK, I guess I could stay at your house."

JC grinned.  "Good.  Get off at the next exit."

Justin parked in JC's driveway and called his mom as soon as they were in the house.  She asked how the game had gone and he'd said "fine."  She still thought he'd played that night, but Justin didn't care what she thought.  Then he told her he was spending the night at JC's since his parents were out of town, and she said, "Josh Chasez?  Oh, I thought you were fighting with him!  I'm so glad you're friends again!  Of course you can stay there!"  Justin had grinned and thanked her and hung up the phone.  JC had been kissing Justin's neck even before the line was disconnected.

"Thanks for keeping me company, 'Lake," JC mumbled against Justin's neck, biting him gently.

Justin bit back a moan and said, instead, "You're welcome."

JC stopped and pulled away.  Justin was cold without JC against him.  "Wanna see my room?" JC asked, grinning coyly.

"JC, I've seen your room before," Justin teased.

"Yeah, when we were like 12!  I have something to show you there."

"OK," Justin said, and JC led the way down the hallway.  His door was the second on the right, right after the guest room.  "Do I have to sleep in here?" Justin asked, motioning towards the guest room and praying the answer was no.

"I had something different in mind, but..."

Justin interrupted.  "Whatever you had in mind is fine, Josh."

JC stopped in his tracks.  "You called me Josh."  Justin nodded, hoping he hadn't done something wrong.  It had felt right.  "You haven't called me that since we were kids," JC added softly.

"Do you want me to stop?" Justin whispered.

"No," JC smiled, "No, I like it from you."

Justin kissed JC's cheek, and JC almost blushed.  "What was it you wanted to show me?" Justin asked.

"It's in here," JC said, grabbing Justin's hand and leading him into his bedroom.  JC's walls were covered in posters: basketball stars, prints of Van Gogh paintings, drawings he'd done when he was little.  Justin looked around, remembering what this room had looked like the last time he was in there.  It hadn't changed much.  JC's bed was big and soft looking and pushed up into a corner.  Justin wanted nothing more than to snuggle under the covers with JC, but first he had to see whatever it was that JC wanted to show him.

"Here," JC said, reaching under his bed.  He pulled out a three-ring binder.  "Look."

JC sat down on his bed and Justin sat down next to him, close enough to feel the heat radiating from JC's body.  JC opened the binder across both of their laps.  "Oh my god," Justin breathed.  It was a scrapbook, and on the first page there was a picture of Justin and JC with their arms around each other, trophies in their other hands, and huge grins on their faces.  They were about 8 years old.  Justin turned the page and saw another set of pictures, all of Justin and JC together: playing ball in the driveway, sitting on the bench together for a game, wrestling in a hotel room at an away-tournament for summer league.

"The whole book, Justin, it's just us," JC whispered, and he was right.  Justin flipped through the pages, and picture after picture appeared of him and JC together, happy.

"Look at this one," Justin said, laughing, "Remember that game?  I was about to foul the hell out of that kid to stop the clock, but you came tearing over and kicked his ass for me so I wouldn't foul out.  Remember that?"

"Yeah," JC said with a smile, "I got a technical for punching him."

Justin laughed again, then was quiet as he turned the pages.  Eventually he asked softly, "Where did you get this?"

"I made it.  I raided Mom's photo collection and put this together myself."

"You made this?  Of us?"

"Yeah."  JC looked down.  Justin looked amazed.

"Wow," Justin breathed.  They he closed the book and gently set it aside.

"Wait, there are more pages," JC started, but Justin silenced him with a kiss.  JC took the hint.  He lay back against his pillows and pulled Justin down on top of him.

"I've got a better idea," Justin said, and he reached for JC's zipper.
 

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