“You’ve been hanging around Josh again, Justin. You two get along nice?”

     Justin blinked and shrugged. It was too damn early and he was cranky. “He’s cool.” His mother was so cheery, as if stuff didn’t fuck her over. He wanted her to try and be a fucking teenager once in a while.

     “So that’s where you’ve been instead of coming home? Isn’t that nice?” Paul gave a saccharine smile and Lynn sighed, hoping her husband, just for a second, would keep it to himself. “That boys trouble if you ask me,” he added his two cents in, grumbling behind the Tennessee Star and Lynn couldn’t erase the creases in her forehead, bracing herself.

     “Stay behind ya damn paper,” Justin mumbled around his eggs before shoving more in, not looking up when the newspaper slowly fell and Paul had fire in those brown eyes.

      “Boy, what did I tell you–”

      “I know, respect you. But how the hell am I supposed to respect a sack of shit–”

      “Justin!” his mother interjected, lips pursed, and she looked to him with pity in her doe eyes. He hated it and swallowed quickly, squirming. When he looked up, he was only talking to his mother. “I’m sorry.”

      “I’ll take that too,” Paul boomed and Justin rolled his eyes, standing up.

      “Family breakfasts don’t work here.” Justin looked at Paul. “We’re not fucking family...” He pushed his chair in and his mother sighed, watching as he left, front door slamming behind him.

      “He’s a trouble maker, and he has it out for me, Lynn,” Paul informed, raising his paper.

      Lynn sighed and rubbed a hand over Jordan’s head, looking to him with a smile as he played with his food. “He’s just a teenager,” she justified.

     “Trace!” Justin yelled as he stood in the younger man’s yard, waving his arms as he watched the other boy walk around his room. “Stupid bastard,” he cursed as he walked up to the front door, the wood opening almost immediately.

      “I thought that was you, boy,” Trace’s mother grinned, stepping aside. “He’s upstairs listening to some junk.”

      Justin smiled. “He’s in his rock stage again?”

      The woman’s eyes slanted as she chuckled. “Worse, country,” she groaned and Justin laughed as he tipped an imaginary hat and bounded up the stairs to Trace’s room.

      “Hey white boy!” he called out as he crossed the threshold, sliding onto the brunette’s made bed. “Your mother, I’m supposing?”

      Trace turned around with a grin. “Who else makes my bed? What’s up, boy!” They slapped hands before Trace went back to his closet. “Jule is coming over tonight. She said she got something important to tell me. Its crazy, I think she loves me.” He cast Justin a bite of his lip and a shrug. “Not sure.”

      “You love her?”

      Trace stayed silent then shrugged and Justin knew the topic was dropped. But there was something else he wanted to talk about.

      “Ey yo, why the fuck did you say that about Josh yesterday? I told you not to tell nobody.”

      Trace rolled his eyes as he pulled on a torn beater. “I was clearing his name.”

      “By telling everyone he’s gay!” Justin threw up his arms, rolling his eyes. “I only know half of it so even I don’t know the truth–”

      “But would you rather people know the truth than talk about shit they don’t know? Think about it...” he offered and Justin rolled his eyes. “What’s up with you and him anyways? Yall are spending too much damn time, I’m starting to think you don’t like me no more.” Trace tried his hand at a pout and Justin gave a small smile before shrugging.

      “He’s cool.”

      Trace studied Justin with an inquisitive eye. “He’s also gay–”

      “You don’t fucking know that,” Justin gritted out and closed his eyes, ignoring the pounding of his heart at the simple statement.

      “Alright,” the other relented, but promised himself to keep an eye on his friend.

      “You’re the talk of the town, ya know,” Justin said as he walked up the stairs to Josh’s bedroom, waving to his mother who was prancing down the hallway with an armful of laundry. Justin immediately strode up to her, taking part of the load. “Point me in the right direction, ma’am.”

      Josh rolled his eyes and took the other part of the clothes, kissing his mother on her cheek. “He’s a showoff, mama. Don’t pay attention to him,” he stated and Justin laughed, readjusting his arms.

      “Just because I’m willing to help doesn’t mean you have to. Go in your room and wait to be pampered, little man.”

      Karen laughed and waved off the boys. “Justin, down the hall in to the bathroom, in the closet. Josh, honey, since you’ve never done laundry, that’s yours on top and then Tys. You got it?”

      Josh rolled his eyes and ambled away, Karen giving Justin a wave and a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Justin.”

      “My pleasure, ma’am.”

      Karen walked away chuckling.

      They regrouped in Josh’s room, the older man closing the door behind him, heading straight to his CD player.

      “What are you more in the mood for? Lionel Richie or–” Josh stopped at Justin’s face. “No you did not just diss my man Lionel, I mean come on. He’s like, the swooning king or something. Do you know how many panties he’s probably collected? Don’t hate,” he warned as Justin rolled his eyes.

      “Your man?”

      Josh hitched and swallowed. “You know what I meant, ass.”

      Sure, Justin smiled. “What’s my other choice of torture?”

      “Ms. Dynamite. She’s from England or some shit. She’s hot.” Josh, though had already made up his mind, popping in the woman’s CD, Justin shrugging in acknowledgment.

      “I can play her one song on the piano. It’s wicked,” he sampled and Justin laughed.

      “You’re ridiculous. And you can play the piano? Teach me.” He knew he probably sounded like some kid, but Josh was so cool, so into everything and Justin wanted to be like that with at least one thing.

      “Yeah. Um, well, it’s up to you. When do you want to learn? I can teach you–”

      “Now is good.”

      Josh closed his mouth and tried to calm his racing hormones, ignoring how spontaneous they reacted.

      “Well uh...”

      Justin scooted up, sitting cross-legged on the bed, hands in his lap properly. “I’m ready, man.”

      Josh watched Justin for a second more before sliding off the bed and grabbing his keyboard, turning off his stereo.

      “You really serious?”

      Justin rolled his eyes. “What the fuck you think? Look at me? You better hurry before I get bored. I might have to resort back to jonin’ on your clothes again...” And his smile was brilliant, Josh’s body humming in reply.

      “Alright, um... alright, here. Let me play you somethin’ real quick. Wait.” He put a hand to his scruffy chin, and Justin watched before cracking his knuckles and leaning forward, the side of his thumb running across the stubble before leaning back, shrugging.

      Josh’s heart had stalled too long for him to just wave it off though. “What...?”

      “I don’t have like, a full blown beard yet. I just wanted to feel what not shaving felt like.” Then, seeming to realize that this was Josh, that the implications were out of this world, Justin groaned and shook his head to himself. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable–”

      “It’s all good,” Josh answered quickly, turning back to the keyboard. “What... what were we doing? Ah, yea. Look, for today, I’ll teach you notes. Do you know how to read music?” At Justin’s no Josh nodded. “Alright, that’s cool. Well, lemme just teach you the notes first then.” He settled into teacher mode and taught, catching Justin’s eye every now and then before good-naturedly winking.

      After a good hour and Justin catching on like all hell, Josh sat back and watched Justin repeat a cadence, no longer amazed that the boy had only tried twice before nailing it.

      “You’re a fucking prodigy, kid,” Josh said, lifting from his seat and turning the piano off, Justin giving a goofy grin.

      “What can I say?” He blew on his knuckles and then faded into a soft giggle.

      “Seriously, dude, you’re good. Can’t believe you’ve never played before. You have nice hands for it, your fingers are long...” he trailed off, grabbing Justin’s hand and splaying it against his to show his thoughts.

      What he hadn’t expected was the warmth of Justin’s flat palm seeping through his skin and sending a chill through his whole arm. He removed his hand and resisted the urge to bat his eyelashes.

      The blonde sighed at the ceased contact and nodded. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate it. Ya know, this teaching thing.”

      At that Josh couldn’t help the bright grin. “No prob. Music is addictive, you’ll see,” he promised and stood up, pulling at his jeans. “You wanna come over tomorrow? I can show you this tight ass compilation that Maxwell put together, half of it is all piano and it’s just... great,” he ended with a blush and Justin beamed at his shoes.

      “Sure,” he answered, comprehending that Josh really didn’t mind his time.

TBC...

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