Part 23

Justin didn’t know what to do.

JC meant a lot to him, more than the older man would ever know and now he was ignoring him. He even pushed Justin away during the day when the blonde had come close for a kiss. Justin didn’t like it much.

And he told JC. Called him a bitch. Told him he was a little fag that played too many games. Now he was sitting on the apartment steps, his duffel bag by his side as he smoked a cigarette.

So maybe going off wasn’t the way to fix things.

“Shit.” he cursed as he stomped his foot. Things had been good. Very good. They had been pure bliss. A week where all they needed was each other. No one knew, no one cared, it wasn’t thier business anyway. Others didn’t have a say in it and Justin was in heaven.

Now he was cold and missing JC.

If he had just kept his mouth shut about Shane, this wouldn’t have happened. If JC wouldn’t have been so nosey, they could have avoided all this drama. But, as Justin had learned in the past, drama followed him closely.

Though now, he had to find a place to stay. And he could just go back to 118, stay with a friend, get a job, get his own place... start over again.

But he was spoiled and he didn’t want to. He wanted a heated place with a certain burnette where he didn’t have to do anything but look pretty.

The block was looking like his only choice though, JC’s snarl still fresh in his mind.

----------

“You’re just a fag who needs to stop playin’ these damn games! Hear me?!”

JC was stunned silent, his wide blue eyes magnificent in the slice of sunlight peeking through the drawn blinds.

“Excuse me?”

JC’s voice was lower than Justin had ever heard and it gave him chill bones, his body instinctively taking a step back.

“A fag?”

Justin straightened and swallowed his fear, his pride worn on his chest. “Yeah, stop being such a queen.”

“Queen?”

Justin licked his lips, not liking the way JC was staring at him, the mere look unnerving.

“JC, stop this shit.”

“Out.”

Justin, shocked at the demand, gave a crooked smile. “What?”

JC put his hands on his hips. “You stupid? Get. The. FUCK. Out.” He pointed to the door and Justin’s jaw was on the floor as JC started for his drawers, ripping out peices of articles and throwing them to the floor.

“What the-”

“I’m packing for you. Though, I hope I don’t rub any of my ‘fag’ cooties on your shit.”

Justin rolled his eyes. “Alright, so lets not blow this shit out the window.”

JC turned with surprised eyes. “Excuse me? You insult me to my fucking face and I’m not supposed to over react? I think I have a right to, if I don’t say so myself. So here.” He threw a bag at Justin, his face red and his veins protruding. “Pack your shit and get the hell outta my house.”

Shellshocked, Justin had no words as JC stuffed his possesions in the bag, only flinching when the sack hit him in his chest.

“Get out.”

“I-... I’m-”

“I don’t care, alright. Just get out, now.”

--------

“Fuck.” Justin hissed and put out his cigarette, standing up from the steps. Right now, anything was looking better than walking to that door and having to see JC like that again.

“It’s funny because you’re never here when we wanna go out...” Chris grinned and JC rolled his eyes.

Joey smirked and didn’t hide his dissatisfaction that JC was suddenly spending time with them. “You know why don’t you? His precious Justin finally fucked him over. I was waiting for the time to come. But no, he didn’t listen to him when I warned him.”

“You know I’m right here, right?” JC asked into his coffee mug, shifting on Chris’ couch. Joey chortled sharply and JC bowed his head.

“I’m saying it because you are here. You abandoned us once your loverboy was in the picture-”

“I did not abandon you guys! I just didn’t have much time to hang with yall.”

Joey rolled his own eyes. “And that’s not abandoning us at all. And what sucks even more is that you’re here now, because Jason is no longer around. We’re not gonna be around everytime you need us. Don’t be careless with your friends, J, you never know when you’re going to nee- Are you listening? Is he sleeping? Chris, is he sleeping?”

Chris looked over and grinned as JC’s closed eyes fluttered slightly, his mug set on the coffee table in front of them.

“Hm, seems he is.”

Joey growled. “He’s never going to learn I have good things to say.”

Chris laughed. “I don’t think I have learned yet.”

Officer Camme was not someone to screw with. Point blank.

JC just had to learn that the hard way.

“So, what? This job suddenly isn’t important to you? Sleeping with a gangbanger is suddenly more to you? Mr. Chasez, right now I should kick your ass out of my office and tell you you could kiss this case goodbye, because as I’m concerned, right now, you’re doing absolutely shit for us. We didn’t hire you so you could go diddle the enemy. Are you listening to me?”

JC nodded, trying to maintain eye contact though he was feeling unbearably uncomfortable.

“You have done nothing. Nothing. We could have had this thing dealt with by now. Did you even know that there was a shooting the other night in block 164, where 5 people were wounded? I bet you didn’t. You don’t pay attention to anything but your... your... whatever the hell he is.”

“That’s over with now.” JC added quickly but Camme didn’t seem too impressed.

“What? Now you’re actually going to start doing work?” She tapped her nails against the desk as she walked around it, settling in front of JC. “Mr. Chasez, I am this close to calling off this case. To closing it, letting the local police deal with it. Let those people wipe themselves out because of their ignorance. How would you like that? Your lover killed by gunfire that you could have prevented if you got your ass up and actually did something...” Camme went on to talk, but JC couldn’t get past the idea of Justin getting wounded or even... killed. He had never thought about that, and the thought alone scared the hell out of him. No matter what had happened, Justin meant something to him whether he admitted it or not.

JC blinked once before zoning back onto Camme where his eyes narrowed. The woman had played dirty and now his heart was beating like crazy, the need to make sure Justin was ok killing him.

“Officer.” he interrupted and the woman stopped, a little startled at the interference. JC stood and cleared his throat. “I’ve heard enough, and I’ve realized that you’re right. I’m putting all these lives at risk. An unresponsible person like me shouldn’t be on this case. Therefore, upon request, I am hereby resigning from this case. Happy now?”

Camme watched with stunned eyes as JC walked out, slamming her door with force that made the picture frames on her desk rattle

Part 24
Tricky Index