“Damn, is ya moms baking cookies, again?” Justin asked as he sat on the edge of Josh’s mattress, lifting his head to take an experimental sniff. Yup, chocolate chip too.

It was now the end of the week and Justin had been over almost every day, usually when nightfall was at its darkest. And they’d play, Josh’s mother coming in at 1 each night, reminding them of the other people in the house. So they’d put away the keyboard and sit.

It was so comfortable, Justin almost had to resist the urge of asking to live in Josh’s bed. He had already fallen asleep once or twice but Josh would always wake him up before it got too late for him to climb back home.

Justin liked this relationship they had going on.

“Yeah, you should know by now. She’s addicted to fucking homemaker USA.” Josh flipped a page in his magazine, yawning as he turned another. Justin smiled at him, recognizing the look of sheer boredom etched on his face.

“I–”

“Justin?” Karen knocked, opening the door with a call. Justin shut his mouth and looked expectantly to the woman. Josh’s mother gave him a look and sighed. “Your father is outside, um, yelling for you.”

Josh watched as Justin transformed before their eyes, brow furrowing, lips pursing and the brunette wanted to calm him, but not knowing how.

“Alright, uh, I’ll be out of y’alls hair in a minute,” he gave a faint smile, hoping they couldn’t see his heart constricting with anger inside his chest. Karen nodded and slunk out. The blonde turned to Josh, standing.

“Um,” he said and sighed. He looked a little expectant and Josh stood up, somehow ready to deliver. Justin smiled and pulled the brunette into a quick hug, slapping his hand before encircling him, the brunette a little stunned. Even more so when Justin kept a hold on him. Though, he fell into it easily, the contact was effortless.

Josh offered a tight squeeze and Justin let out a breath onto his neck, lips inching closer.

The blonde swallowed and Josh felt it against his shoulder blade. “Thanks for teaching me. I’m actually good at it. Never would’a known with out you, man,” he mumbled, hating that his arms weren’t loosening their grip any.

This wasn’t how they were supposed to hug.

“J, you know how much I love that shit. It’s cool you actually have patience,” he laughed and Justin joined him softly, hands following the line of Josh’s spine, palm sliding slowly. He didn’t know if this was ok, but he couldn’t stop it even if he tried.

Justin rubbed his cheek against the brunette’s shirt, inhaling slowly, exhaling softly when Josh’s hands gripped at his hips lowly for a quick second before encircling him.

It was an undeniable pull, neither knowing what to do with it, both agreeing to see what happened.

Creeping closer and gaining nerve, Justin pursed his lips and ignored the urge to lick Josh’s neck in a sweep. Instead, thumb hooking under the hem of the older boy’s shirt, he pressed a kiss to the long expanse of flesh, mutely pulling away, snatching his fingers back, wetting his lips again.

Josh blinked and suddenly, Justin was gone, the door bouncing back open and he couldn’t help it, nor the smile as he brought a hand to his neck, fingers sliding over the kiss.

Justin walked into the room, a scowl on his lips, ready to give Paul a piece. But when he walked through the threshold of the living room, the words died on his tongue, the elder great and intimidating.

“You,” he started and Justin swallowed, his toe feeling behind him. He took a step and the blaze in Paul’s eyes grew. “I was ok with the attitude. I accepted it and tried my best to be your father–” The stone in Paul’s eyes stopped Justin from interrupting. “But this, Justin... God dammit.”

The older man started pacing, ranting and mumbling and Justin didn’t know what to do, how he was gonna get out of this shit. He tried to listen but Paul was being so vague and choppy and Justin couldn’t believe he was even fucking listening to this.

“Fuck you, I don’t give a shit what you feel.” Standing taller, Justin scoffed, “I don’t give a shit about you–”

Nothing but silence after the deafening sound.

Justin was absolutely stunned with wide eyes starting to tear up. He hadn’t even seen it coming. But there he was, sitting on the carpet floor of his living room, his mom hurrying through, grabbing the wandering Jordan, bracing herself for the unpredictable.

Paul lowered his hand, fingers forming into a fist before resting beside his leg. Justin swallowed against the pain. Against the shame of being hit, of letting himself be hit.

The older man pointed a long finger, shaking as he spoke, “If you would get rid of that damned attitude, I wouldn’t have to hit you. I... I don’t like it, but...”

There was only silence and the brunette cleared his throat, looking to the empty room. Embarrassment flushed his weathered skin pink and he looked at Justin, still on the floor. He fought the urge to hold a hand out.

Justin sniffled and cringed against the sore spot in his cheek, his tooth sharper than he had thought. Angry, the blonde stood up, brushed himself off for show, flashing eyes as he watched Paul.

“You’re fucking lucky, asshole,” he muttered, licking the blood from his mouth. “I should–“

”Don’t you dare with threats, I won’t hesitate to knock you down again,” the older man promised.

Justin’s lip curling into a snarl, he snorted and spit at Paul’s feet, fingers sliding along the underside of his chin before flipping the elder off before leaving into the day.

“Fuck you.”

Paul watched, heart beat sporadic in his chest, fuck you scribbled all over his minds eye.

“Don’t fuck this up,” Justin whispered to himself, rain slipping into his scold. He licked the water from his lip and sighed. He stood still, not sure if he would do this, could do this.

He beat himself to the inner arguments, telling himself to fuck off before leaping up the banister, crawling until landing on his stomach on the shingles of the first roof. Justin squinted through the haze of water.

He crept up easily, seeing the blinds drawn on each window, praying he got it right. If not, he’d have to run like hell, that’s for sure.

Thunder growled above him as his hand formed into a fist, tapping on the glass and he flattened against the side of the house just for good measure, watching as nothing happened. Justin got ready to knock again before the blinds opened a little too swiftly that Justin tumbled back for a second before his fingers caught raised patches.

“Shit,” he cursed, taking a deep breath. His eyes widened as the drapes lifted and Josh stood, squinted eyes adorable, mussed hair every which way. Justin smiled weakly.

He crawled over, the window opening, Josh never saying a word as Justin peeked in, hopped into the room and shook out his hair.

Midnight silence draped the room as Josh looked around, finding a bin, picking through it, Justin too nervous to do anything but stand and wait.

The brunette came over, eyes now at half mast and he shoved a towel at Justin before laying the Bob Marley shirt on the edge of the bed, along with some of his brothers sweat pants that were two sizes too big for him. The elder then proceeded to climb back into the bed, Justin wondering if this happened on a regular basis. He hoped not.

He walked silently into the hallway, into the bathroom, keeping the light off just in case.

Justin walked back into Josh’s room, locking the door, purely on habit before padding over to the bed, Josh on his belly, face pressed into the pillow. He laid a soft hand on the brunette’s back, glass eyes fluttering in reply.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, wincing when Josh just blinked. “I didn’t know where to go.” God, he groaned. He was on fucking Lifetime now.

“You ok?” Josh asked, already sitting. His outstretched hand was welcomed but the moment it touched Justin’s high cheek, the blonde almost bowled him over, pushing him away roughly.

“Shit, I’m sorry–”

“What happened?” Josh reached for the little lamp beside his bed but Justin stopped him. He watched the blonde before laying back down carefully, resting on an elbow.

“Shit, I don’t mean to intrude–”

“You aren’t, don’t worry.”

Justin blinked, rain matting his eyelashes and he nodded. He slipped to the ground, sitting with crossed legs, side leaning against the bed. Josh watched him for any sign.

“What happened to your cheek?”

Justin swallowed hard, suddenly remembering the feel of being hit and the knot in his throat damn near choked him as it formed. He took deep breaths and tried to hold it in, squeezing his eyes shut for a quick second. When the blonde opened them, Josh was watching him with soft eyes.

Josh scooted and patted the obvious gap beside him. It was just experimental but he knew what he’d want if the tables were turned, so he’d at least try.

Justin almost broke down then, settling for a nod instead.

With Josh next to him, body heat wrapping around Justin the blonde fought to calm his quivering lip.

“I don’t know why–” His voice crackled and he had to pause for breath, closing his eyes against the heaviness. “I don’t know why I’m being a such a twat about this. I, God,” he swallowed and almost gasped aloud with relief when Josh’s arm wove its way around Justin, settling under the blonde’s own. Josh curled it around the younger boy, hesitantly resting his chin on the broad display of shoulder.

“It’s ok.”

Justin let a tear slip, squeezing his eyes shut as he exhaled.

“You can tell me in the morning,” Josh murmured, moving forward, cheek pressed against the blondes ear, feeling the pulse against his face, the natural rhythm easing him to a light sleep.

An hour later, Justin hiccuped and Josh’s eyes fluttered. The sleep wasn’t much and he had been awake for almost half of it. He shifted, a slice of Justin’s bare back pressed against Josh’s nude stomach and the brunette didn’t know how to feel about it.

“I can tell you now,” Justin offered suddenly and the brunette was no longer tired. He blinked and licked his lips, nodding against Justin’s ear. Neither noticed his hand which crept up higher into a firm hold, curling around Justin’s waist.

“Ok.”

“My step-dad...”

And it was all he had to say before the ever-present knot in his throat tightened and he choked before continuing.

“I shouldn’t be crying. I’m sorry... Shit, he’s such a fucking asshole. He thinks he knows me, knows my fucking family better than me. And he thinks he can– he can run the house. He’s not fucking blood. He’s not my father, doesn’t know shit about my father. The fucking pussy had the balls to act like he could replace him, like he would ever be able to. I just, I can’t...”

Josh could feel the intensity build inside Justin’s stomach, growing tighter with every breath. He kissed the baby curls as some sort of solace and Justin sighed, unintentionally. He didn’t even question the situation.

“He hit me. Fucking bitch slapped me like the little prick he is. I mean he can’t touch me. He thinks he can–” Justin stopped. Shaking his head. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t see why,” the other replied, a steady hand sweep unraveling the tension.

“I’m supposed to be tough, and here I am crying like a little bitch.”

“Justin–”

Justin turned quick, nose to nose with Josh and the brunette swallowed his words.

“Is this ok?”

Of course, Josh wanted to breathe, his lips parting a little. The blonde beside him shifted and the heat rolled over them, Josh’s eyes fluttering close.

Justin turned his head quickly, laying it on the pillow and closing his own eyes, not ready to deal with consequences just yet.

TBC...

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