by Kenovay
�Fuck off,� AJ growled. �I didn�t start it.�
�You didn�t finish it either.� JC eyed AJ. �Face it, Aje, you aren�t anywhere near top of the pile.�
AJ felt his fists curl. �We haven�t been here that long. I�ll make it.�
�AJ.� JC�s tone changed, and he rubbed a little at the back of AJ�s neck, thin fingers digging into the muscle. �AJ, you�re hard, baby, you�re tough. But you�re tiny.�
�Christ�s sake, JC, I know! But you�re no fucking use at all in a fight, and if I don�t have some kind of reputation you�ll -� he hastily backtracked �we�ll have hawks on us like flies!�
�Jesus, Aje, you�re putting yourself through this to� some twisted notion of protecting me?� AJ slumped, and felt his cheeks heat. Gentle fingers carded through his hair. �I thought you were just doing that macho bullshit, trying to be cock of the walk.�
�Yeah, well. That�d be a pretty fucking stupid aim, wouldn�t it, since I�m so fucking tiny.�
�Not tiny in a bad way, sweetie! But� yeah.�
�Fucking Kirkpatrick manages it.�
�Kirkpatrick is older than you and hard as fucking nails.�
�And I�m not?�
�No. And I like you that way.� JC returned to daubing gently at the cut on AJ�s cheek. �I�m fine, baby, you�re fine, we�ll be fine.�
