by Kenovay
"What's up, C?"
"Nothing. You wanna have sex?"
Chris grinned. "I think I can manage it, yeah."
***
JC stirred, and rolled over in bed, opening his eyes sleepily when he couldn't find Chris. Who was hunched over the telephone, whispering quietly. "Make it earlier," he was saying. "Otherwise you'll run slap-bang into him."
"Chris?" JC's voice was slightly sharp. He didn't like waking up alone. Chris knew that. Chris jumped, and slammed the phone down quickly. "Who was that?" JC asked indulgently. He always found a secretive Chris adorable. "Justin. He's� um, he's coming over! Soon!"
"Why'd you slam the phone down?"
"He said something nasty." Chris' face relaxed, and he smiled. "Plus, it'll be amusing to see what he says when I see him."
Nice try, love JC thought amusedly, but didn't press it.
***
"Chris? I� um� found this."
Chris' face twisted as he took in the sparkling thong JC was holding. "Shit." He looked up at JC with a pleading expression. "Its� its Justin's?"
"Oh." JC dropped the thong and left the room.
***
JC glared fuzzily at the table. When the waitress passed by, he lifted his head, and asked, with his most charming smile, for another drink. "I think you're over our limit, honey." The waitress' voice was kind, and because of that JC made an immense effort not to snap at her.
"I've only had two," he said instead, with exaggerated patience.
The waitress raised an eyebrow and lifted her voice. "Ted?"
"Yeah?"
"How many's number eleven had?"
"Just let me check� two."
"Oh." The waitress glanced at JC again. "Alright, another. You a bit of a lightweight, sweetheart?"
"I'm skinny, alright?"
"Okay, sweetheart. But you know drink's never the answer."
JC resisted a sudden urge to snarl. "It is in this case. Just get the fucking drink!"
Hours later, when JC let himself in, Chris was perched on the sofa, unseeing eyes looking straight through the television. He leapt up as JC came in. "Jace! Where the h- where've you been?"
"None of your business." This time JC did snarl. Chris wrinkled his nose.
"You're drunk. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'll move out tomorrow."
"What? Jace, what the hell? What are you on?"
"I don't like sharing."
"Jace � Jace hold on." Chris chased up the stairs after him. "You think I'm cheating?"
"You're telling me I'm wrong?"
"Of course you're wrong! Who's been talking to you?"
"Well you haven't, have you?" JC said bitterly, looking down at Chris from his position a few steps above him.
Chris looked troubled. "You've been lonely?"
"Chris, every time I turn round you're on the fucking phone! And yesterday that� that� behind the cupboard. If you're not cheating, what the fuck are you up to?"
Chris glanced downwards. "I guess I fucked up again, huh? I was trying to� to organise a surprise birthday party. Went well, didn't it? Aren't I the best boyfriend ever?"
JC's throat choked, and he felt his head become clearer. "Oh. Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Chris. I should've fucking trusted you."
Chris shook his head. "I'm crap at secrets. Don't worry. I can see exactly how you'd make that connection. I just wanted something nice, y'know?"
"Oh, Chris." JC put a hand on his boyfriend's arm. "Come downstairs again. We can talk."
When they reached the living room, Chris stood uncertainly until JC, slightly unsteady, steered him towards the sofa. They sat down on separate ends of it in heavy silence, until Chris looked up. "I'm sorry, Jace. I should've seen how it would look. I never want to make you worry like that."
JC nodded. "I'm sorry too. I should've trusted you." He was beginning to smile again. Chris glanced up, and JC could see the flickerings of one of his huge, head-splitting grins. "I love you," he added, and that tipped the balance. Chris scooted over until he was snuggling against JC. JC poked him. "Chris, it's late."
"Murfle." JC laughed at the clear way the word was enunciated. Suddenly Chris looked at his face. "Unless you want make-up sex?"
"Drunk make-up sex?"
"Sounds great." Chris pulled him up then began bounding up the stairs, stopping to look back at him. "I'll work on the secret-keeping. Love you too."
"I'll work on the trusting," JC said, following Chris up.
