forallyoucare | (no subject)

(no subject)

JC wasn’t sure when the voices started. They popped up here or there in his childhood, usually egging him on to do something dangerous. His mum use to say that he was playing with an imaginary friend, but the voice was never a solid thing to run down to the corner shop with or to throw sticks in the river with when the other boys in the neighborhood thought he was too weird or creepy to hang around with. The voice never stuck around either so JC couldn’t exactly blame it. And he sounded mad when he did.

After a rather detrimental and insistent period in his teenage years, culminating in one very big adventure that nearly gave his parents a heart attack when the voice demanded that he go all the way to the city for a few days without telling anyone, it disappeared for a long, long time.

But that sweet, familiar persistence came back again one afternoon where they were just leaving a coffee house after a small after-concert rally with the Twelve, or while he was showing Andrew a cat video that one of their online supporters tweeted him, or when he was by himself in the woods looking up at the sun through the sky-- He didn’t know when it started but it was back again and it was itching at his skull like sand stuck behind his eyes.

All he knew was that they needed to start reaching more people. Facebook and Twitter were fine. Tumblr worked. The new Youtube channel seemed to be doing all right but the coffee shops in small towns around their home base? The venues were just too small. They needed to travel, together. All of them.

That’s when he went to Judas with his idea. Err…the voice’s idea. “What if we rented and RV and traveled? We could book gigs everywhere!”

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Though JC wasn't fragile, he thoroughly enjoyed such a gentle handling, collapsing onto Judas as he took every little lesson and built upon it. JC thoroughly enjoyed himself, fingers stroking down Judas' long neck and nails lightly scratching his scalp between the dreads. They kissed until his lips ached and JC found himself grinning happily down at Judas, shirt still open and one shoulder bare from the wriggling. He propped his cheek up on one palm, his smile turning more thoughtful as he contemplated what they had just done.

"Thank you," he cooed, half breathless, lips a deep coral red. "I feel... I feel like I might just burst. Is it always like this?"

JC didn't think so. And that was a shame. Human beings should spend more time just kissing each other.

It did feel like high school again. Messily rolling about on the sheets like this, learning something all over again, and it felt strange to have it again but not in a bad way. Something that he was still scratching the surface of and trying to understand, this new part of JC that was surfacing. It seemed that ever since the moment of the idea of the bus that things had been changing rapidly.

"It can be?" Judas wasn't sure 'burst' was the verb he would have used here, though definitely in other times, but maybe JC was just more inexperienced...? He let his fingers trickle over skin, taking his time and enjoying the feeling of it, wondering how he could make this better for the future. He needed some half decent condoms and lube for sure...

But some of what JC had said was almost frightening to someone like Judas who had always been so independent. 'Forever'. It occurred to him that JC sounded like a girl when he spoke but there was so much more to his words. There always was.

"Long as it feels good, that's what counts."

JC was a good Jewish boy working in the contexts of his faith and in the way of the world. He wasn't like Judas. He couldn't just sleep around-- He didn't want to. So when he decided to do this, to really do it, he wanted it to be with someone that wouldn't leave him. And Judas, he was certain, was that person for him. They were already inseparable. JC had no reason to think that it wouldn't stay that way.

He was big on eye contact at the moment and with his arm over Judas, head on his pillow, he gazed at the redhead as if he was the only person alive right now. It wasn't the first time he'd done that of course, he was good at focusing his whole being on one thing sometimes but there was a heated difference here. Lust, desire, and simple human need had brought JC down from his lofty pedestal and coloured the way he saw Judas now.

"It does feel good. I hadn't thought it was possible to have a connection this strong."

In return, it was coloring the way he saw JC. It made all those claims and whispers about JC being something more than human even more ridiculous in his mind. JC was a man, one with an amazing view of the world and compassion far greater than the average man, but someone didn't consider an athlete somehow inhuman because they could do well on the field.

He thought, and he would never tell JC it, that JC was just reacting strongly to finally be able to explore whatever sexuality he was. Once he got through those initial stages they all got through as teens, he would calm down. So for now, he held JC close and let him get that experience about a decade or so too late. What was his life? The thought made him smirk, squeezing with his arm.

"Why not? We've always been connected this strong." Still weird to say out loud but something he knew was true. It was that simple to him.

[Bye Jim!!]

"We have been," JC agreed, settling down to press his face into the crook of Judas' neck. Simon wasn't a cuddler but JC was. Judas already knew that going in and had nothing to complain about when it happened now. His eyes closed and he huffed happily against skin that still smelled of middle eastern spices and that hotel soap judas hoarded for special occasions.

There was nothing awkward in the morning, though JC was up with James and John and Peter when Judas woke up, having breakfast. That was pretty normal when JC stayed over though. He nibbled away on his bagel and grinned at Judas when he emerged to hand over coffee he'd just finished brewing before his feet could be heard on the stairs.

It would be a good day. A productive day. And the lecture that evening would go over so well that by the following morning, they'd have even more hands on deck helping out. Simon himself wasn't paying too much attention to Judas until Wednesday afternoon. He hadn't experienced butterflies in so long but going out with Peter, even as friends, to his old club was a big deal.

"What brand of liner do you use?" he asked, dropping into the seat next to Judas as they broke for lunch. He lounged in his chair, one let over the arm rest like he owned the place. "I like it. Extra smudgy."

[Jim just winked on the way out. XD This is what I get for having more than one window open at a time... browser couldn't figure out who I was logged in as.]

Coffee. Judas gave a grunt and a nod and took the coffee, plodding down to sit and get caffeine in his veins. Maybe not the most morning of peoples. Still, it woke him up and got him going for a long day ahead. He had a meeting with the plumber to discuss what they could get away with and how much it would cost - he had to find the perfect balance of 'this is too expensive' and 'makes the most sense for 12+ guys on the same bus for long periods of time' - and being the shrewd bargainer he could be.

Judas looked up from his phone, mouth full of sandwich, and quickly chewed it down before grunting. "Cheap shit from the drugstore. Basically go for whatever they have that's less than a buck. If it's a super shitty one, use the tiniest bit of oil. Makes it smudge better." He still liked his look. Really, was his answer even a surprise? "Could loan you it..." But his glance turned curious, then his lips turned up in a smirk. "Want to look good, huh?"

His eyes turned pointedly towards Peter who certainly looked absolutely beaming over the last few days. He figured something had happened between the two. Finally.

"Well, first of all, I look great. I'll stick with my expensive MAC," Simon postured. "Pete wants help with his look tonight and I figure the more smudge able, the better when it comes to eyeliner. And didn't anyone ever tell you not to share stuff that goes in your body or on your face?" He snorted.

Yeah that was a tease about the needles. Simon never felt the need to sugar coat anything with Judas. Not when they understood each other so perfectly.

A little smirk touched his lips and he followed Judas' eyeline towards where Peter was helping to hook up the sound system. It was not going well. They were hoping to use it so that JC could deliver better sermons without a bullhorn. It tended to jumble the message. Of course right now all they could get was Metallica playing whenever anyone touched the external PA system so that wasn't the best.

"I never had a kink for wardrobe control but just the idea of pouring him into leather pants is making me very unfocused."

"Of course you'd go for that expensive shit." Judas rolled his eyes, putting down the sandwich and eyeballing up Simon, brows up. "So you're actually going out with him? ...Just don't lead the kid on, man. You know he's going to take this to heart whichever way it goes. Wears his heart on his sleeve and all that." He was going to totally ignore that needle jab (heh, pun) because it was terrible, not because it bothered him. If any of the others had done it and he had thought it was on purpose, he probably would have laid them into the ground.

"We're going to end up needing that electrician to help with the sound system," Judas grumbled; it might mean more money. "None of us know how to get that shit together and it sounds worse than the bullhorn and that thing already sounds like crap." He shook his head, not sure what else they could do. "Maybe we could put out word we need a sound system guy. There's got to be one who's willing to donate a little time, right--"

He seriously didn't want to think about Peter in leather pants. "Whatever floats your boat, man. You're the one who's going to have to deal with the hardon all night."

"We're not going out," Simon scowled. "I don't think I could do that to him. He's such a good guy. I want to make sure he stays that way and being with me the way I want him to is going to ruin that." And Simon settled down just about as much as Judas did. Meaning not at all. "I can't risk hurting him either. Can you imagine what his face might look like all bunched up and in tears? I don't even want to go there."

Some tears might be all right, especially during comfort states of a scene but nothing about this would be good for him. And still Simon couldn't help himself. He wanted to flaunt Peter. He wanted him on his arm. He wanted to show him off to his old friends.

"This is just hanging out. At the club. Nothing more." If Simon said it enough, it might be true. "But anyway, wasn't there a guy that strung up the lighting? Can't he help with stringing up the sound system? Petey said we're completely covered now with costs. Some of the guys already started on their dates too." Like Simon did last night. Two for one. It had been a lot of fun.

Judas' expression changed to a deadpan one. "You can't be seriously thinking that Peter won't take this as a date. Don't be that kind of fucking dick. If you want to drive him off, tell him a lie, the truth, whatever, but otherwise you're gonna lead him on. I've seen this kind of crush before and that's exactly what you're after. Otherwise, just tell him. Tell him what you want. You realize at worst, he'll balk completely and your problem will be dealt with or he'll be into the idea and you'll have what you both want. Isn't part of that whole scene about laying out the ground rules? You tell him that you'd still be out fucking other people or whatever you plan to do... " He let out a breath. "Just be honest with him. If you don't, you're probably going to break his heart either way."

He glanced towards the bus, then shrugged. "Sound systems aren't the same as lighting. I'll put out the word on Facebook or-- shit, better yet, the Kickstarter email thing. Someone'll come forward if we ask, I'm sure of it."

"I'm going to tell him. Tonight. Everything about me." That was a big old lie because there were things about Simon that he didn't expect to share with anyone. Not even Judas, and Judas knew him better than anyone else ever did. "I guess my point is to shock him, you know? Give him a taste and let him save face if he's not into it. He can always chalk it up as that one weird thing Simon did, right? Have a laugh about it and he can move on. I'm not planning on getting into any contracts. He's too... Peter. He doesn't know the game yet. And hey, Mister out in the open. Have that talk with your someone special?"

JC was acting normal. Mellow. He wasn't glowing or beaming or spending any of his time glancing over. He couldn't understand their leader and that's part of why he followed him.

Sure. They could discuss the sound system now and the Kickstarter but relationships were more interesting to Simon. And Judas had the technically stuff already figured out. Why not pry?

Judas didn't expect 'everything about me' would include certain things in the same way he wouldn't tell anyone, for any reason, about his time on the streets. He had no interest in talking about it and no one who didn't already know deserved to know about it. "At this point? That's the the best you can do. Give him the chance, let him back out if he realizes he's over his head. But don't you get hurt if he does, okay?" He raised an eyebrow at Simon, then snorted at the latter bit.

"Hey, just because you're open about talking about that shit doesn't mean I am. We talked about things and that's as much as you're knowing." He knew it would drive Simon right up the god damn wall and it was hysterical.

"That's cold, man. I tell you about everything," Simon all but pouted, swinging his legs over from the arm rest. "I'm hurt. I really am. But hey. You do you. I'm going to worry about getting a good cup so I don't reveal too much about how tonight is gonna go."

Just being in Peter's room was going to do his head in. It wouldn't help that Judas could be right downstairs listening in. Especially because Simon was an exhibitionist. He'd never do anything about his own emotional state without a clear consent agreement in place of course.

"If you don't tell me, I'm just going to make it up in my head anyway. And judge you for my own perverted mind."

Judas rolled his eyes at that. "Then go ahead. I'm not going to tell you. Let's just say we talked, we made our decision about things, and things are okay. That's all you need to know." He smirked, watching Simon spread himself out. Man could never just sit normally, could he?

He wasn't going to listen in. Last thing he wanted to know was the details. The nice thing about being in the basement was that it was mostly soundproofed from the rest of the house. "The best part is I know even your perverted mind won't do that to JC, because you know it isn't true and you respect him, so I'm feeling pretty confident."

"I might respect him, but you? Well that's another story." Simon threw little pieces of shite bread at Judas until some stuck in his hair and they both managed to laugh together. The day went by more quickly as they worked on some of the upholstery for the frames JC constructed for the bunk area and as it all wound down and the Twelve wandered off, Simon insinuated himself into Peter's space, t-shirt clinging to him and hair a little less perfect than usual, and waited to be noticed before he smiled.

"What's the buzz, Petey? Feeling up to spending the rest of the day or should I just pick you up at ten? You mentioned maybe wanting an eye on your wardrobe. Could always go shopping and dinner?" Simon knew he was starting with control early but if this ended up working... And that was a big if... He wanted to be ready.

Peter couldn't help but smile wide when Simon came over, looking up to his friend and listening. When Simon was done he thought on it. The idea of going shopping and dinner was something that sounded perfect to him, so if Simon was offering... why not take it? So he nodded, unable to hide the excitement from his face. He was always terrible with lies.

"Dinner sounds great," he said happily, glancing down at his watch and thinking on the time. "Do you want to go now?" It was a bit early, but he had no idea how long shopping would take. It actually seemed kind of odd to go shopping for clothes with someone, but hey, if he wanted something neat to go clubbing in, why not take the best?

"All yours tonight so ready when you are." Technically, that wasn't true. Simon wasn't anyone's save for maybe JC's but his status tended to fluxuate based on mood. Right now, he was willing to give Peter slack. And that might change depending on how tonight went.

Deciding that it was unlikely that Peter had anything appropriate, Simon took him to one of his favorite stores. Tight jeans, leather pants, mesh shirts-- he was going to have himself a little fashion show. Yes, it was at Peter's expense but it wasn't like he was hiding out and peeping. This was all on the up and up. And he would start to pepper the idea of just who he was into conversation after he greeted the shop girl with the pink undercut hair and dog collar. "Mindy, this is Pete. I'm taking him out tonight to the old stomping grounds. Pete, this is Mindy. She's one of my old colleague's subs. How's Mitch doing?"

"Master is just fine. He got a promotion. Are you going out tonight?"

"Yeah. Petey here needs something appropriate to wear," Simon smiled, fingering a leather glove display to test how supple the material was. Too girly for him, and mostly studded with rhinestones, he wasn't interested in their purchase. He was just displaying his ease around the store and with the conversation.

"Oh my god, is he your new boy?" Mindy looked excited but Simon shook his head.

"Pete's a friend. He's not in the community."

Peter was, thankfully, not completely confused, but only because of his previous online snooping. He looked around quietly at the sort of clothing he had never worn before in his life, trying to puzzle out what some of it was even for, when he heard Simon speak up. So he looked to the woman and gave that warm smile of his, though his mind was gobsmacked that Simon would just drop the 'sub' comment so effortlessly. "Pleasure," his voice as warm as his smile. He always did well with new people, all bright-eyed and innocent looking. It was hard not to like a face like that.

Just as surprised to hear 'Master' leave her tongue. So this was someone super into that sort of world. Was Simon... just as much into it? But if Peter hadn't dug into it, he wouldn't have known, so he was definitely uncertain.

New boy? That he wasn't sure what it mean, but he could pick up the idea of it, vaguely, and thus ended up blushing. "Ah, sorry, no. We're just here because I'm the last person to have any sort of clothes decent for clubbing so I asked for help."

"Such a shame. You're completely adorable. If you're interested, you should come to a work shop. They're not as good since Simon stopped giving demonstrations--"

Simon laughed. "Miriam is just as good, probably better," he pointed out, glancing at Peter to see just how interested he might seem in actually going to a workshop. "But really. We're just here for some clothes."

Mindy put her hands on her hips and gave Peter a look over. "All right, cutie. How much do you trust me? You've got a very conservatively hipster thing going. And I can work with that. Or we can go with something a little more daring...?" She held her hand out for Peter to take, glancing at Simon.

The dom in him couldn't help but nod permission for her to take Pete away.

A workshop? Mindy had actually caught Peter's interest and he quietly decided he would look to see if he could find out what time (and what on!) these workshops would happen. Maybe he could learn something more about Simon... but the idea of demonstrations already suggested he would be somewhere at the back and probably blushing the entire time. His puzzling about how to go to one without getting caught might have skewed what Simon saw on his face.

"Ah," totally missing that nod, assuming Mindy was just looking to make sure Simon wouldn't get upset over her taking over, "I... might want to start small?" he suggested, not sure just how wild she was thinking, but he still put his hand in hers. Trusting, because Simon trusted her or he would have said no immediately. There was total faith in Simon.

He would swiftly learn that tight jeans could not match up to how tight leather could be - or how un-modest Mindy was about helping him in and out of things. His face was going to be a permanent tomato!

Simon took himself around the shop slowly, not really looking at anything so much as trying to puzzle out that strange look on Peter's face. Was the flight reaction happening all ready? Well, he had been sure it would. He was prepared for tonight to not really happen and he was prepared to Not Be Hurt, or whatever it was Judas was going on about.

Peter was still being stuffed into a pair of jeans fitted with zipper and D-rings when the phone in Simon's pocket vibrated. He was pleasantly surprised, and then not at all surprised, to see the caller ID. "Hey Mitch? Your pet call to tell you about Pete already?"

The deep throated laughter made him smile. "I got a picture. You're interested?"

"I'm interested. Trying to decide if he's interested."

"I'll call Amy. Bring him down to the club around nine and we'll get a little demo started. Mindy's idea. That should weed him out of the vanilla pack for you pretty easy."

"I'm going to kiss you, man," Simon all but purred and found himself bolstered as he hung up the phone and snatched up a cropped, long sleeve fishnet shirt to saunter on back to the dressing room with. "Peter? I'm coming in."

He didn't ask. Just warned.

Peter almost yelped when suddenly the door swung open. He was currently shirtless and clearly trying to figure out how to balance himself in a pair of jeans this ridiculously tight. It felt like his balls were somewhere up in his body! So he looked to Simon, blinking, before shifting slightly. "I don't know about this pair," he admitted, flexing his thighs a little. "I don't even know how I could wear a pair of boxers under these they're so tight!"

Which suggested he wasn't wearing any underwear under them right now.

He wasn't. Probably why he was so red.

His eyes flickered to the shirt in Simon's hand and a point followed. "For me?" Which was why he thought Simon must have come in.

"But you look so hot," Mindy said in a pout. "We can go up a size if you can't breathe but they'll mould to your body better this way and after a few wears, they'll be perfect. You just have to put in the work. Simon, tell him he looks hot."

Simon didn't need to do anything, not with the way he was staring. He cleared his throat and hung up what little fabric he had in his hand up on the rack with a few other garments. Including a pair of leather hot pants. "You do look hot. Maybe a little too hot," Simon said, making a motion with his fingers for Peter to give a spin before he reached for him and tugged on the waistband. "Crouch for me." Again, not a question. He technically just wanted to see if Peter could move in those. The stretch goring over the knee and at the crotch should help.

It really didn't hurt that crouching would be giving him an eyeful. And put Peter at a position almost near his feet. "Try kneeling," Mindy said, giggling, before Simon gave her a look and she immediately looked down, eyes on the floor and shoulders relaxed and forward. "Sorry, sir."

"I can breathe but there's parts of me I'm worried about can't!" He was both serious and joking, blushing as he put a hand on his hip, gesturing with the other. This whole discussion...!

Too hot? He blinked but did a little spin as requested, then crouched down. The look on his face suggested 'oh god my balls' meant a size up actually might be necessary, but he actually did go to kneel down, accepting the instruction without thinking why Mindy was suggesting it. His brain just said they were trying to check out the fit of the pants.

Until she said that. Then Peter looked up to Mindy, that complete and utter sudden change taking him by surprise. She'd been... well, normal up to that point, but then all at once it seemed like she had changed. Programmed? He looked to Simon, assuming that had to be the 'sir', but wasn't sure what to make of it. Was that just... a thing? Like if you were part of the community you had to just respond to other people like that?

Peter sucked on his lower lip as he stood up, not sure how he felt on the idea of other people being able to tell him what to do.

"Okay, much too tight," Simon said smoothly, putting his hands on his own hips. "What about something shiny? I saw purple vinyl out there. And they look lined."

"They're really comfortable too," Mindy said, returning to her bubbly self after acknowledging that she had indeed overstepped some boundaries there. No one should tell another to kneel unless they were negotiating. It wasn't her place to undermine Simon. Peter would learn, perhaps. If he wanted to. "I'll go and get them."

"And that black shirt with the leather collar built in? Go small on it."

Mindy nodded and let herself out and Simon, who may have forgotten himself, went straight to Peter's fly to help him out of those pants.

He blinked and dropped his hands a moment later. "Yikes, sorry about that. I'll be outside."

Peter was just so... Docile. Easy. Training him would be a pleasure.