![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
laniew1TITLE: The Guardians – JC/Justin – JC/AJ
Author: Melanie
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing at all, least of all those contained within.
Chapter 4
Whenever Nick had to come into the house after midnight he felt like he was once more fifteen and trying to be desperately quiet as he snuck past his mothers’ hotel room in Germany for a few hours of freedom.
It didn’t seem to matter that he hadn’t had to sneak past his mother in years, or that he owned ¼ of the house.
Old habits were hard to break.
He kicked off his shoes by the doorway, and walked as quietly as possible to the kitchen.
A glass of water and his vitamins then he’d sneak up to bed and hopefully Megan would never realize how late he’d gotten back from Justin’s.
“Why are you skulking about like a burglar?” JC’s amused voice came from somewhere in the darkened kitchen.
“Jesus Jace,” Nick wheezed, hand pressed to his chest as he flipped the switch. Flooding the kitchen with light he blinked quickly to allow his eyes to adjust. “Why are you sitting in the dark?” the words left his mouth and he winced as realization hit, his hand flying back over to the switch to throw them back into the darkness. JC’s voice halting him.
“It’s okay, migraine’s gone,” JC shrugged. “What are you doing back so late?”
Nick frowned at the tone of his voice, then took in the sight before him. Forced calmness, with just a hint of… jealousy? The container of Ben & Jerry’s in his hand… The ice cream was Megan’s and JC normally didn’t indulge unless there was something wrong.
Something personal that he was trying to work through in his mind. He claimed the ice cream helped him think.
And there was only one thing going on in his personal life that fit that description.
This did not bode well for any of those involved… but especially not Justin. If JC’s normally unwavering affections were in fact wavering…
Nick knew without a doubt that AJ would never harm a hair on JC’s head. Justin was not so lucky… especially since AJ was fully prepared to physically harm Justin for just chasing after JC, if JC actually left him for Justin… well Nick had no doubts that AJ would kill Justin.
And Nick would help because as much as Justin was his friend AJ was his brother.
“Justin got a new game, we were trying it out,” Nick shrugged nonchalantly. “What’d you guys do?”
AJ had left Brian’s shortly after the game was over, his overwhelming concern for JC’s welfare overriding his desire to spend time with Brian and Nick and keep an eye on Justin.
Nick had been proud of him, and Justin. They’d made it through a whole game without one ‘I’m sorry my elbow slipped’, without a ‘I must have had a muscle spam in my knee’ they didn’t even get a ‘sorry I didn’t mean to trip you my feet just got away from me.’
All in all it was a boring game compared to ones they’d played in the past.
There’d been absolutely no bloodshed.
“AJ said you guys had a good game,” JC said quietly pushing the ice cream aside and raising his eyes so they finally met Nick’s.
He was surprised at the pain he saw in them. JC sounded better than Nick ever remembered him sounding after one of his migraines, but there was pain in his eyes.
And loneliness.
Nick didn’t look too closely at that last emotion. JC was AJ’s and AJ took very good care of him. Nick would get his ass kicked if he interfered.
Besides the fact that JC would never leave AJ.
“Nick?” low query from JC.
“Oh… yeah,” Nick laughed. “Brian and I should have split up, played against each other because your boys were worthless as a team.”
“They didn’t try to hurt each other again did they? AJ promised.”
“No, no… they were just… distracted…” Nick said delicately, the by you, was unspoken but understood.
Nick grinned as JC grinned, surprised to see the pain fading from the older mans eyes replaced by amusement instead.
“Yes well… anything for the good of the game… how is Brian?”
Nick hopped up on the counter, his grin widening. Brian was one of his favorite topics of conversation.
“Leigh’s not coming back…”
“So he finally filed,” JC nodded slowly. “Is he going to be okay with that? I know he doesn’t believe in divorce.”
“He does if one of the parties in indulging in an extra-marital affair.”
“Leigh was cheating on him?” JC’s voice rose an octave higher than its norm, eyes widening. JC always believed the best of people, he didn’t believe that someone could choose to hurt anyone that they claimed to care about.
It wasn’t the first time that he thought JC naïve and wondered exactly how AJ, who was the furthest thing you could get from naïve and not be bitter, had managed to snare him.
Of course then he realized that if JC was this upset about Leigh and Brian that there was no way in hell that he would put AJ through the same thing.
“Well he didn’t actually say the words, but it was distinctly implied.”
“Hmmph,” JC’s eyes narrowed and Nick knew that his mind was running a mile a minute and Leigh would live to rue the day that she had ever thought about dallying with anyone besides Brian.
“Brian seemed okay,” he offered instead hopping down from the counter and moving to the refrigerator. Opening it he stared at the contents trying to decide if he wanted the water or the lone can of Pepsi hiding at the back behind the milk. “Where’s Megan?”
“She hasn’t come back yet.”
“She’s out?” Nick looked up in surprise, touching his pocket he realized that he’d never grabbed his cell before heading out.
“Meeting.”
“You didn’t… oh… girls only huh?” Nick nodded grabbing a bottled water and shutting the door with one last longing look at the can. “Sarah finally lost her voice?”
“It was amusing listening to her try to ask for Megan on the phone,” JC smirked and Nick knew that JC had played stupid for as long as he could pull off. “She croaks very well.”
AJ woke slightly when JC slid back into his place in front of him; wrapping his arms around the other man he moved as close as possible and kissed the back of his neck.
“You okay?”
“Just talking to Nick,” JC murmured, wriggling a little to get more comfortable.
“Jace?”
“Hmm?”
“You’d tell me if something was wrong right?”
JC sighed and turned in his embrace, hand resting lightly on AJ’s hip he leaned forward to kiss him softly. “There’s nothing wrong,” he whispered against warm lips. “I’m fine, it was just… confusion I guess.”
“And you’re not confused anymore?”
“I know where I am.”
AJ frowned, reaching up to stroke JC’s cheek with a gentle caress. “I love you,” he whispered. He didn’t ask the questions plaguing him. He didn’t ask about Justin, about himself, about JC’s pain.
He didn’t want to know if it had been him that caused it. He didn’t care as long as JC was with him.
And he was here; JC was here with him, voluntarily. That should be enough of an answer for him.
“I love you too.”
(no subject)
Date: 2003-06-06 05:20 pm (UTC)He didn’t ask about Justin, about himself, about JC’s pain.
He didn’t want to know if it had been him that caused it.
Oh, ouchy for AJ.
He didn’t care as long as JC was with him.
Hmmm. Not sure that's a good thing. At all.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-06-07 07:30 am (UTC)Hee, hee. They were distracted though so does it count?
Oh, ouchy for AJ.
What I set out to do was accomplished. JC and Justin are not the sole 'heroes' of the story.
Hmmm. Not sure that's a good thing. At all.
AJ is not going anywhere. I'll tell you that much. ;)
Next chapter is almost done, actually this chapter and the next were originally going to be posted together but it kicked my butt. The chapter after (6) is completed just waiting for 5 to go up.
Thank so much for continuing to read this! And feedbacking it.
Melanie:)