Sequel to Not Surprised
Chris opened his eyes into the pillow and it still tasted like Joey's sweat. Like Joey's skin, and Chris squinted and licked his lips and went back to sleep because that was definitely his new favorite rambling rowdy asleep dream.
"Yo, Joey!"
There was yelling and Chris woke up again. Justin. Justin on ten. Chris rolled over and Justin was mute, mouth hanging open.
Chris coughed. "What, dude?" He ran a tongue around his furry mouth and was kind of cold and then remembered he was naked. In Joey's bed. He scrubbed a palm over his scratchy face and coughed again. "I guess you forgot how to knock, fuckwad."
"Right," Justin said, kicking the carpet. "Yeah, sorry, I, dude, what the fuck?"
"'Sup Jup?" Joey said easily, coming out of the bathroom. With a towel around his waist. Chest hair still glistening wet. Fuck. Chris shifted on the bed and dragged a pillow over his lap.
"No more rhymes now, this time I mean it," Justin said, but weakly.
"Anybody want a peanut?" Joey said, their old routine, just like always, just like nothing had happened. Joey punched Justin in the shoulder and threw a dizzying grin at Chris like it didn't cost him a dime to be so goddamned cheerful so early in the morning.
"Yeah," Justin said, looking at Chris with a question on his face. "Uh, I just, we're going down for breakfast cause JC says this place has wicked good waffles, so, I thought..."
Joey glanced back at Chris with a softer smile this time, raised an eyebrow, cocked his head in a nod. The universal guy nod. Chris tossed one back. "Sure," Joey said, moving towards the door, and Justin backed out of the room. "We'll be down in just a minute. Don't spill the fucking syrup all over the table this time, y'hear?"
Justin laughed a little then, shook his head at Chris and pulled the door shut behind him.
Joey dropped his towel on the floor like it was a locker room and dug for boxers in his duffel. "That's why we don't take the kid to poker games, yo," he said, stepping gingerly into one leg and then the other.
"Jesus," Chris said, starting, sitting up, "are you even allowed to take a shower with your leg yet?"
"Nah," Joey said, pulling on a t-shirt, and Chris opened his mouth but Joey waved him back. "I took a bath. Sort of, I, like, hung my leg over the side and tried to get halfway clean. It was pretty funny though. You should've seen it." Joey's hair was spiky and his legs looked solid and strong, like tree trunks of an indestructible forest, and Chris swallowed hard.
"You could have broken your fucking neck, you ass, and then, I mean, I'm supposed to like make sure you aren't more fucked up, and Johnny would've --"
"I'm fine," Joey said. "Look." He held out his arms like he was gonna run for a bear hug and tackle someone. "I'm totally cool," he said, beating a little on his chest and laughing.
"I could've helped," Chris said, scratching at his neck. He was still kind of fuzzy and paranoid like he always was first thing when he woke up.
"You were asleep, dude." Joey sat on the bed to put on his jeans and the sheet fell off Chris' hips. Joey paused, swallowed audibly and reached out a hand to touch Chris on the chest. "You look, like. Happy. Really fucking happy when you're asleep."
His hand was scorching Chris' skin like the slow burn of a tattoo needle and Chris' eyes slid closed. He arched into the touch and clawed a hand out around Joey's back, pulled him close. Joey kissed Chris' temple and then his lips, and his big hand circled the side of Chris' waist. He wrapped fingers around Chris' hard dick and Chris moaned.
"You awake now?" Joey whispered in his ear and Chris laughed, opened his eyes. Joey was a half-inch away, sleepy lidded but warm-eyed and Chris' throat burned like he was trying not to cry.
"I'm awake," he said, tilting so they sat forehead to forehead. Joey lifted him up by the waist and pulled Chris onto his lap. "I am."
"Cause you were -- you were freaking there, a little, huh." Joey's stomach was soft against him, reassuring.
Chris slid his hand up under Joey's shirt and palmed Joey's shoulderblade. "Yeah," he said. He kissed Joey's jaw. "I haven't even had my coffee yet, man. I mean, I roll over and Justin's standing there looking like we killed his dog or something and you, you're naked and just, yeah."
"You're okay?" Joey said.
Chris nodded and hung his arms around Joey's neck, kissed him again. "I'm awake now."
END.
Credits: Both Sandys. Ani, for the title, and The Princess Bride.