forallyoucare | (no subject)

JC was outside talking to some of the Twelve and a few of the followers that they had gotten to come by the garage, Peter right next to him and JC holding his hand as he so often did when 'court was in session' as Simon called it. Simon himself was feeling a little bit too relaxed to hang around outside, so he was there sprawled out on the floor when Judas exclaimed.

"This better be good," he groaned and pulled himself to his knees to kneel-walk over to where Judas was sitting, resting a hand on his knee and a chin on his hand. Simon played puppy pretty well, though his scene was a little more -- well, a lot more -- dominant. He was too tired for that right now. "How'd we get two hundred bucks already? Did you put dirty dancing as one of the incentives?"

Yeah Judas just... looked the other way on the crazy shit Simon was into. Not his area but who was he to judge? They were kind of similar in a lot of ways, but they were both the kind of guy to know it without saying anything about it. Still, it was a rare bit of a connection between them and while they butted heads - and they could do that a lot - they understood one another in their own weird way.

"Hey, maybe we should add that as one of these stretch goals. I bet someone would pony up a bunch of money for that." He waggled his eyebrows before he laughed, leaning back with the laptop on his lap. "I have no idea how we got this much already but it's a ton of little donations. You know, five, ten bucks each." Not exactly like their twitter followers were rich people, so it was what he would have expected anyway. "How hard do you think it'd be to convince JC to--" He paused, then laughed all over again. "Fuck. No, not even going to suggest it to him. He'd either not get it or go all in without realizing what he was getting into."

"To dance? Like strip? Oh! What about a date? Or one on one teaching session or whatever?" Do not tell Simon that you're planning these things, Judas. He was entirely too into it. "We could have him film it. Maybe have whichever person donates wear a GoPro? Put it up on the website?"

Simon climbed up onto the makeshift bench JC had made by putting some planks across some folding chairs for place holders.

It was not even remotely comfortable. The floor was better.

His grin turned mischievous. "But would you be all right with that, mate? Setting him up with someone else?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Judas stared at Simon like the other man had lost his mind. "How did this go from dancing to dates?" He mimed cuffing the other but didn't actually even touch, rolling his eyes. "I don't know if you've seen the end result of him going on dates but it's pointless when he's so damn oblivious about it ... still, that teaching session..." that might be an idea, or- "what about having him come and talk with a private group? Like if a big donation? We'll come to your city and have a private teaching session?" That had some merit to it.

Still. Grin. "Small donation will get Simon to strip for you." He was teasing, not thinking the other would take him seriously. "Besides, JC has to stay fully clothed or they'll haunt him with those pics."

"Make it twenty for a lap dance and a hundred for a session. Cheaper than I use to get paid at the club for," Simon pointed out. He didn't rib Judas too much on the date thing. He might have once thought he'd heard Judas call out Jesus' name when he made him orgasm hard a few months back when they were both high and needing a little bit of pleasure., but he wasn't going to hold that over his head.

Simon leaned against Judas to watch him play around on the website. Three more donations came in, three bucks each.

"Make it exciting. I bet if we ask for a few thousand we could have him lecture at a school or a synogauge group or something? Just caveat that it had to be like a hundred miles of Jerusalem?"

He didn't want to talk about that. Fuck, he'd forgotten about that. ...He didn't want to talk about that.

"Whole goal is to try and go around the country, so I dunno if it has to be within a hundred miles of anywhere?" He reached up and scratched at his jaw, ignoring the feeling of stubble. He did, however, raise a brow at Simon. "You serious, though? I'll add it. You've got quite the following yourself. Means chicks, dudes, old young... who knows what you'll end up with." Not judging Simon on that by any means, just pointing out the issue at hand.

"Yeah but it will dictate where we go first yanno? Can't have a big donation not getting serviced quickly." He grinned at Judas and pulled himself up, thumbs hooking into the belt loops of his tight black jeans. He grinned at the way Peter was just enraptured with JC. it was so feel good. Simon liked to watch them. "But dude yeah. Have at it. Might want to mention it as a date. Might want to put us all up there for it. Because it might not be too on message if I offer to whip some old dude on the blog."

He finger gunned at Judas and headed for the stairs. One of the girls that followed them around left the spot next to Peter open and he was going to snag it.

"You should put your name down too. You need to get laid. Too much stress with all of this, Jud. Or we should hook up. It's always fun. Let me know." He stomped his big boots down the steps and joined the fire lit circle.

Good point. Judas hummed slightly in agreement, then tilted his head up to watch Simon as the other stood. Then grimaced because he did not need that mental image, thanks Simon. Ug. Still, it wasn't a terrible idea. See if any of the other guys were interested in the idea and offer up a limited amount of dates? Seemed like such a weird ass way to make money but if it worked, it worked.

Did Simon seriously just give him finger guns? Who did that anymore? He snorted at that, but as Simon walked away, his last comments stuck like a burr. Did he just really need to get laid? It'd been a damn long time (at least long to him). What, months now? Shit... not like he was hunting for it but it'd been a while. 'Date' didn't suggest sex but it could end like that. Simon wasn't a bad lay, a little too dominant in bed for his tastes, but the other was right. Fun for a night, nothing more. One of those few guys who it just didn't get awkward with.

He ended up needing to bother Peter for the login since the kid had been the one to set up the Kickstarter before he added in the additional donation options, starting with the whole teaching thing - he set it for $500 thinking the likelihood of someone donating that much seemed insane - then added up Simon as a date and figured by morning, he'd go around asking the others.

Wasn't like it would sell over night or something.

Peter, after Judas had prodded him for the info, ended up just being pretty darn happy. With JC on one side and Simon on the other, the crackling fire warm at their front and a bag of skittles in his lap, life was good. They were going to be doing something, something big, and he missed traveling. He'd hitch-hiked all over before finding JC (well, finding Simon... or Simon finding him) and the idea of being back on the road and seeing the world was exciting!

Simon wasn't about to go a whole day without trying to recruit everyone into dates for the Kickstarter. "It's more like,.. talking to people. One on one," he was saying as JC was finishing up saying goodbye to some regulars. "The money pays for a nice dinner and then you talk about the cause," he told Peter and Matthew. "It would be some pretty great publicity."

Matt seemed all for it. "As long as we don't call it dates or my girl is going to be pissed off."

"Tell her to buy yours," Simon pointed out. "I'm thinking it would be thirty or forty bucks for a nice dinner at the Olive Garden and anything over that would go right to the bus. I'm telling Judas to put me in for five dates."

"I could do one..." Matt agreed, scratching his cheek. "Maybe I'll get someone that knows a thing or two about publishing."

Peter chewed on his thumbnail, but after a moment or two, just gave a nod. "Sure!" Why not? He didn't have anyone he was seeing like Matt and it would only help out their group, plus it could be fun! "I'll do that, too. Five dates." Meeting some new people and helping out? It would be something different and meeting people was something he loved doing, just like JC.

As Simon went around, he'd find that Bart quietly decided it wasn't his scene and Thad didn't look really keen on the idea. The rest had laughed, decided sure, why not? It sounded like a hoot if a little ridiculous.

But Judas still wasn't sure about himself. Finally, after some serious thought, he threw himself up once. Just a single date, maybe he'd get laid, maybe not, probably it'd be boring as fuck but hey it worked. No more, though. This felt oddly a bit too close to what he had used to do, but he told himself it was for charity. Fun.

By morning, less than six hours later, most of the pledges had been reached. Simon's had all gone right away to the same two people, old clients of his. Even Peter had some and most of the others had one or two. Judas as well. JC's booking had been pledged as well and there were now thousands of dollars in the account. Not that Judas would know until a man who was sometimes more like a puppy woke him up by literally climbing over him in bed and shoving his phone into his face.

"You didn't set me up for any dates," JC said the moment Judas opened one eye. He hadn't been in bed for longer than four hours and yet here he was being woken up by his best friend as if he didn't need to sleep at all to find stockpiles of energy. "So I bought yours. Don't be angry but I wanted to go to Olive Garden too."

The fuck...? Judas was not awake enough to deal with the phone practically in his eyeball, JC sounding almost accusing, or being crawled on. He grumbled and vaguely tried to swipe the phone away, brain trying to process what was going on.

"Whawasthat?" he slurred a bit, forcing himself up onto his elbows and looking exhaustively towards JC. Shit, man, he'd put in a full day's workout yesterday he deserved some sleep! ...Damn his neck was sore as hell. What was that about dates and Olive Garden? Was JC mad they had done it? Definitely not awake enough for... life just yet.

"How are you still sleeping?" JC teased good naturedly and hopped to the bottom of the bed to take off his shoes before he once again hogged up all of Judas' space by half laying on him as he burrowed in between his friend and the wall. "The Kickstarter," he told Judas almost accusingly. "You put up dates with almost everyone else but me. So I bought yours."

It probably didn't occur to him that Judas might actually want a date and not just a nice dinner out at a mediocre Italian restaurant.

"And it looks like we're headed out to Caana. I have family that way. One of mom's cousins. For that private lecture. Peter says there's eight or nine email requests asking to put up more travel pledges too." JC finally made himself comfortable and laid an arm over Jucas' waist and the bunched up blankets.

"Some of us worked yesterday," Judas grumbled, taking the second of freedom to rearrange himself with a yawn, watching JC blearily. That was until 'bought yours' was uttered and he just blinked at JC for a second or two before letting his head fall back. So much for Simon's suggestion, huh? Sort of defeated the purpose, too, if JC put his money in on that. Maybe he'd throw himself up for another one, then, but... "You know I'd have taken you out somewhere if you really wanted." ...Maybe not Olive Garden good, though. He was still pretty bad about his budget and always would be.

"Headed out to... wait-" That woke Judas up even more. "You mean someone bought that $500 option!?" Whoa! He hadn't expected that in the least. "Did you say eight or nine- fuck!" That was almost five thousand dollars waiting to happen! He flailed to grab his phone over JC and got the kickstarter up on his phone, his jaw dropping open at how much it pronounced they had. How- the-fuck-!? Just over night?!

"Whoa."

JC took the phone back and laid it on his chest, the edge of light around the device visible in the darkness and only slightly touching his eyes. He watched Judas a little strangely and laid one of his arms over his forehead. "I didn't think you'd want to."

He was not talking about taking money for speaking engagements (JC was going to insist on a free lecture or two with every one that donated because he didn't believe in taking money for spreading his ideas around., even if he knew this was a way to get their bus and trip funded.

"And maybe I should have asked first. But... I thought you might say no. Which, yes all right, probably should have been the first clue to why I ought to have asked-- if you would rather someone else, I'll withdraw it."

He didn't look happy though, just mildly annoyed. Probably at himself.

"What-" Damn it, why did JC keep putting words in his mouth? Why was he doing this before dawn? Judas scrubbed his face with a hand before he reached down and snagged JC's chin, trying to tilt those liquid eyes up to him. "Stop that. What's gotten into you?" This didn't sound like the Jesus he knew, which told him more than anything that something was up.

"Didn't I just say I'd have taken you out somewhere if you wanted to go? Without having to bother with the Kickstarter?" he pointed out, raising a brow down at JC before he let go of his chin. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it." They both knew he wasn't that kind, but JC was acting weird compared to normal. In fact the last few days had been like that, but he chalked it up to change, a lot of it, happening.

There was a level of frustration here that caused all of JC's muscles to tense at once. He had been known for his temper tantrums, usually at injustice or disrespect, but this was an entirely new sort of dealing for the near thirty year old man and he couldn't figure out the proper course of action. The voice was very clear on some things and very unclear on the rest.

Buy the date as a personal donation. Check. It implanted a certain sort of fear that Judas might be stolen from him otherwise and he couldn't allow that. He couldn't do this without Judas moreso than the rest. There was a clear heirarchy in the Twelve, at least in his eyes, with Judas at the head and Peter and Simon beneath, Matt, John, Mark and Andy under them and so on.

The hand on his face felt like burning and when Judas released him, that burning turned to ice. JC leaned up on his elbows and scowled. "I want you... To be with me..."

He thought he was being clear about that.

"And no one else."

Of course, he probably ought to have outlined that being with him wasn't the same thing as dating. At least, JC hadnt officially linked the two up in his mind just yet and the voice wasn't giving him good answers either, just pushing him to a goal he was clueless about to bind Judas to JC

What.

Judas stared at JC with slightly parted lips, trying to figure out what the hell JC just said because it couldn't be what he just heard. JC had never looked at him like this - oh, sure, in anger before, and with temper tantrums, and with surprise and hurt but not this sort of almost sullen rage beneath the surface that left Judas stunned. He unconsciously shifted back, but in a rare moment, was struggling to find his words.

Of course until they just burst out of him. "What- excuse me!? Since when? You've never said anything about this until today and you're pissy with me about it!?" Did he wake up in the Twilight Zone or something!? "I haven't gone on a date or anything in fucking years, something even you've teased me about, and now you're what? Jealous? Angry? What is even going on?"

Fuck! JC wanted to date-date him!? Since when!? His brain felt like it was looping in on itself again and again, leaving him downright confused to his core.

"I thought you'd be able to figure it out! You're not a dumb man, Judas!" How long had it been since they'd had a good and proper row? Probably a month? Maybe two? The last time it was over Judas' attempt to get them to donate their shoes to the poor. Their shoes. Which they needed. Jesus was all about charity but he wished some of his friends would just think clearly sometimes. How could they do their good work if they didn't have shoes?!

No one got under his skin like Judas. They were inseparable, madly assertive and the degree to which they butted heads was proof of how intimate they were without being exactly intimate.

"I'm not jealous, but yes, I'm angry!" he conceded. "I teased you about it and so you had to just put yourself up there? Why? Was it supposed to get a reaction out of me? Because it did!"

The walls were thin. Judas' roommates, members of the Twelve, we're all very used to yelling at all hours though. Most of them just turned over or put headphones in and went back to sleep.

The anger left for sorrow -- JC couldn't hold anger for very long at all -- and JC scooted to the end of the bed so he could put his boots back on and get out of there. He was almost too upset and confused to properly lace them up.

"Do what you want. You always do anyway."

All it took was JC to shout at him to turn all that confusion right over into anger. Judas had a fuse that could just as easily be lit as JC's, though in different ways, but JC always had the match that could get it going instantly. Oh he could go get fucked about the shoes because he never listened - it was people who badly needed shoes because of the glass-filled place they were living in and the Twelve had donations coming in so they could buy more and it wasn't like they were without any!

His eyes flared as his fists balled up at his side. "If you didn't fucking notice almost all the rest of them put themselves up there and you're not waking them up to give them shit right now! It had nothing to do with getting a reaction out of you! The whole fucking world doesn't evolve around you, you know! I did it because I thought it might be fun to go out and just hang out with someone for the night who wasn't one of us, but no, you've got to suddenly turn into a jealous dick about it!"

In another room, Peter sat awake, listening, his chin on his knees and his arms around his legs, frowning. He never could sleep when people were fighting.

"Oh, do what I want? That's rich, coming from the King of Do What I Want." Unfortunately, Judas' anger, once raised, tended to be way longer lasting than JC's.

At least they weren't coming to blows or a shoving match at the moment. That always got a little messy, especially when they were alone. Or mostly alone. JC shook his head sadly at Judas as he stood there, shirt miraculously unwrinkled despite all of the climbing around he'd done in Judas' bed. It was rare that JC didn't look pristine, though. He'd crawled around a bus in the middle of being demolished and still came out clean.

What Judas lacked, JC thought, was insight. There would always be a new cause. There would always be people in need of help. One should t just rush off to every new cause. Joining charities and specific nonprofits had overheads. It was t just about goods or money donations-- JC wasn't getting into that now, even if it directly pertained to the fight at present. Again. Judas was not capable of looking at the big picture.

The voice was loud in his head, but the words were jumbled and confusing and JC had no mind to try to untangle them. Instead, he tried to ignore the sounds, though they made it difficult to function. His head felt like it might explode, especially after he logged back into Kickstarter and removed his donation from under Judas' date pledge.

"There. Done. Have fun hanging out with someone that isn't one of us for a change," he snapped, feeling dizzy. He had to brace himself on the wall as he shoved his phone back into his pocket. "Good luck," he muttered, and went to leave. He'd be slamming the door behind him.

"Stop acting like a child!" Judas growled, seeing a flash of red go through his vision. That was exactly what JC was acting like right now - a spoiled child who wasn't getting his way. Fuck, he was getting his way just not in the exact way he wanted! How could someone like JC, who Judas thought was a brilliant, caring man who had the power to change the lives of everyone he touched, so completely blind to the bigger picture sometimes!?

He didn't even flinch at the slamming door, just glared daggers at it until he was sure JC was away, then threw himself back into bed. It wasn't like he was going to sleep or anything even though he made an attempt at it, instead his mind kept going over the minutes before their fight. Why was JC acting so suddenly jealous? Had he always been jealous but because Judas hadn't bothered with the dating scene he hadn't seen it until now? What right did JC have to act jealous, anyway? He'd offered a lot to JC when things first started that JC hadn't taken, there hadn't been any active talk or signs since... fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. He hated this.

He glared into the darkness of his room, a scowl etched onto his features.

Peter sighed, shifting his weight to put his forehead on his knees. Hated when they fought and they could really get into it when they fought. How long until things smoothed over this time?

There was too much passion for Judas and JC to really stay in a fight for too long, so Peter wouldn't have to worry after awhile. Of course, he probably also wasn't expecting JC to arrive at his door, knocking lightly and asking to be let in.

Once Peter opened up for him, JC settled onto the chair at the desk, looking a little put out. And maybe a little more than just pouty. He frowned for awhile and then tilted his head to the right.

"Do you think you can put me up there? Just one. For whatever you think is fair?" The voice was still pounding his skull and so JC spoke softly, as if he could barely manage more.

No, Peter definitely wasn't expecting that. Still, he wasn't about to say no, even if it was a bit awkward, and refolded himself onto his bed as he watched their leader. It really was a lot like listening to his mother and father shout at each other, not that it had happened a lot when he lived there, but still. He had just been about to say something when JC spoke up.

Put me up there? It took Peter a few moments to put two and two together and barely held back a wince. Oh because that didn't make things even more awkward. "S-Sure," he said after a moment or two, trying to figure out what it would even be worth. "Um, let's see, everyone else is up for a hundred but it seems like you sure be more, right? Maybe two hundred?"

"Two-- Peter no. I'm no different from you or any of the others. I just want to help out and since most of the guys are doing it, I should too. I don't want it to be too prohibitive." He was already halfway against taking money for private teaching sessions. He didn't want to put some poor fan out.

Of course, JC had no idea that he would be popular enough to have his pledge bought up in less than five minutes by a woman named Mary. when Peter told him that, JC actually laughed.

"Not my mum, I hope?" Wouldn't that be hilarious? Or maybe a little sad. He didn't expect his mom to know what Kickstarter was though. He was probably safe.