Title: Give It To Me
Rating: T (Language)
Word Count: 2,207
Disclaimer: The boys belong to the Oaks.
Summary: How their relationship could've changed if Jake had taken a slower approach to getting to the McQueen house during the "Bunny Cricket" episode.
Author's Note: Written for the McDean fanfic challenge.
"Yes, c'mon, it's 10-7 to me, and there's no WAY that I'm losing the next set, which will make it 3-1 to me and game over," Craig smugly states as JP twirls the frying pan.
"Just bowl the bunny, yeah?" John Paul confidently replies, taking his position. Craig tosses the bunny and watches as it twirls through the air before catching it in his hands and cheering triumphantly.
"What did I tell yer?" Craig cheers, tossing the bunny in the air. John Paul catches the bunny as it tumbles back down.
"Alright, so you're winning, don't get too smug just yet, but I can still bowl you out next!"
Smirking, Craig walks close to him and, cupping his cheek, pecks his lips lightly, "I know you can… but I'm better," He says, a Cheshire cat grin spreading across his grin as he snatches the bunny from JP's hand.
"Craig, what are you doing?" JP asks as Craig walks away. He puts the frying pan down on the counter.
"Do you want the bunny?"
"Yeah! Craig, it's my turn to throw it!" John Paul whines, following after Craig as they move into the sitting room.
"There it is," Craig says, holding it up to the left and snatching it away before John Paul could get near it and then holding it just above the sofa, teasing his lover once more.
"Craig," John Paul says, trying to grab it but fails and falls across the couch. He stands and chases Craig to the stairs, "Craig, gimme the bunny!" as Craig jokingly asks, "What are you doing?"
"Craig, we haven't finished!" JP laughs as he speaks, reaching out for the bunny once more.
"What are you talking about?" Craig jokes, standing on the first step of the stairs, the bunny pressed to his chest. He makes a run for the stairs, John Paul saying his name twice as they climb it to JP's room.
The two of them enter the room, Craig still in possession of the bunny, "Craig!" JP says, following after him as he closes his bedroom door behind them.
"What?" Craig asks, standing before John Paul's bed.
"Give it to me!" he demands, a broad smile shining on his face.
"If you want it!" Craig replies, after dodging John Paul's hands once more. JP is now flat on his bed, but quickly bounces to his feet.
Craig runs but trips over his own feet and falls to the floor, his fingers grasping the bunny by its ears. JP falls on top of him.
"Craig!" JP says, for what must be the tenth time in the space of 3 minutes.
"What?" Craig mocks, laughing as JP tickles him in an effort to gain the prize.
Craig somehow gets free of John Pauls idle thumbs but not fast enough and the younger boy gets a grip of the bunny. They struggle for a few moments before Craig once more gains control of the game.
"Take it! Have the bunny!" Craig mock offers, having backed away from JP. Once more John Paul lunges, but Craig is faster and the bunny is quickly out of JP's reach. His arms crash around his boyfriend and they grapple as he asks, "Show me the bunny!"
They crash against the door and Craig shoves the bunny down his top, laughing so hard he's short of breath.
"What are you doing, putting it down yer top?" JP asks, catching a grip of Craig's fingers beneath his top.
He uses Craig's hand behind his back and the bunny falls to the floor, but he's suddenly lost interest in it as brown and blue eyes spark a connection so strong it could light up a city. John Paul quickly removes Craig's top and holds his hands above his head before attacking the older boys' lips with his own.
The kiss grows in fire and Craig parts his lips in fast submission. He groans as he feels John Pauls tongue begin to stroke the roof of his mouth. JP lets Craig's arms loose and they quickly take hold on JP's hips, steadying the two lovers as they crash against the desk.
Craig quickly turns the tables and gains the upper hand. He practically rips his lovers shirt off and tosses it to the floor. And that's when the door opens.
"What do you think you're doing, leavin' Sarah alo- Craig, what the hell are you doing?!" Jake Dean shouts, his eyes bugging out in disgust as his brother and his best mate, a bloke, separate from their kiss.
Craig is already beginning to cry as he sharply rubs his neck in embarrassment, confusion, denial, shame, disgust – he glances at John Paul quickly before becoming really interested in the discarded bunny that now lies on the floor before Jake.
"I'm-We're… Jake, it's…," Craig falters, rubbing at his eyes, his cheeks, his forehead and his neck once more.
"What did you do to him? What mind games have ya been playing on him? He's STRAIGHT, you queer! Didn't that register in yer thick head when he gave ya that thumping back in February?!" Jake snarls, spitting his insults into John Paul's face.
Spinning his snarling face to his younger brother, Jake shoves his brother away from the filthy queer.
"Get dressed Craig," He orders with snarling venom. He stands between the two teens and lets the sniffling form of his brother exit the younger lads room before rounding on the blond once more.
"I knew we should have kept the two of you separate after that dance-off. I told mum to keep Craig away from ya, told her you would start twisting him with your words. But now I can tell 'em all I was right! Now, I can keep my brother safe from your pervy ways and I can help him keep his normal life – he's still got Sarah and the two of them are going to Dublin in a few weeks,"
John Paul sobs and he collapses to the floor. Jake's eyes sharpen to slits and he spits and he laughs at the broken boy.
"If I see you again, it'll be too soon. Stay. Away. From. Craig," Jake snares, physically spitting on the boy.
He storms down the stairs, finding Craig openly crying beside the McQueen front door. He grabs the boys arm and slams the door wide open, dragging his brother with him.
"You'll never see that boy again. I'm gonna keep you safe, okay? I'm gonna protect you like I should've when he kissed you."
Jake's manta of helping his brother is background noise as the two pass by two of the McQueen girls, Jacqui and Mercedes to be particular.
"What's up with 'im?" Mercy asks, using her manicured nails to move a strand of her hair out of her face.
"None of your damned business, McQueen!" Jake shouts, continuing his path back to the Dog in the Pond.
Jacqui, her eyes following the younger Dean lad, quickens her pace home, "C'mon, we have to get to John Paul."
--
John Paul hadn't moved from his spot since he heard the door slam downstairs against the wall. He can feel the saliva run down his chest, but is too numb to move.
He wasn't crying, he was shouting. He was stoic. Frozen in love-sickness. He knew, without doubt, John Paul believed Jake's threats to keep the two lovers separate would be true.
The door below slammed once more. His name was called out a few times. He didn't reply. He just sat there. The stomping of his sisters echoed through the house and his door opened once more.
"John Paul?" Jacqui asked, kneeling before him, her eyes conveying a deep sign of worry, "John Paul, are you okay?"
"He's gone."
--
"Jake, what happened?" Frankie cried out as she saw the state of her baby boy, the anguish that covered his face.
"Nothing. Everything's fine mum. Craig just need some time alone. I'm gonna put him to bed and then head back to the flat; I left Sarah alone with Charlie."
Leading his brother to his room, Jake sat him on his bed, "I'm gonna go home now, okay Craig. Everything's going to be fine. I'll keep you safe."
Jake left his brother in his capable arms of his mother and headed home – he had his son to care for.
--
"He loves me Jacqs, he's in love with me," John Paul repeats for the third time.
"He's using you, you numpty!" Mercy groans, tossing herself onto the couch.
"No he isn't! He's going to end things with Sarah and then he's going to tell his family about us," John Paul swears, sipping at his tea.
"Craig's straight. He's got a girlfriend. What makes you think this isn't some sort of experimenting he's doing before he goes off to Uni?"
"Because we've been together for months," John Paul explains.
"Months?" Mercy asks, shocked.
"Since our exams started. He's the reason I ended things with Spike. I'm in love with him, and he loves me and even if we only have a few weeks left together, I'm not gonna care. I'm gonna be with him as long as I can be."
--
"What do you mean, it's over? What's happened today that made you want to dump me? What did I do? I know I shouldn't have told Jake we'd babysit together, but we hadn't had any alone time in a while. I'm sorry I took you away from John Paul."
"Sarah!" Craig moans, wiping his tears away once more, "nothing you did today made me want to end things… I've just not been happy in this relationship for a while now and … and I didn't want to continue hurting you."
"You… you WHAT? You didn't want to hurt me so you dump me? HOW does that work Craig?!" Sarah groans, crying again as she gets to her feet. She stifles her sobs and gains an air of confidence.
"There's some other girl, isn't there? You love her more, don't ya?"
"There's not another girl, Sarah." Craig answers, his heart beating just that little bit faster, "there's not another girl, Sarah," Craig repeats.
Sarah's breathe hitches. She must've heard him wrong, right? He wasn't implying what she thought he was implying?
"What does that mean, Craig?"
"It-It means that I'm not cheating on you with a girl. Okay?"
"So, you're cheating on me with a bloke then?" Sarah asks, her voice disbelieving.
Craig scratches his neck but still nods in recognition.
Sarah heaves. She sobs and runs.
--
"I need to see him," John Paul whines. He's lying on the couch, his mother and Jacqui busy moving around him.
"Craig's been holed up for the past two days in his room. Apparently he broke up with Sarah, told his family he's in love with our John Paul," Jacqui whispers as they pass each other in the kitchen.
"So he did what he said he'd do?" Myra asked, cutting up the bacon butty into two triangles for her son.
"Looks like it."
The incessant knocking at the front door draws Myra away from her chat with her daughter. As she passes John Paul, she hands him his butty before answering the door.
"Craig, luv," A shocked Myra says.
John Paul chokes on his sandwich as he sits up, Jacqui has to thump him on the back a few times before he can breathe normally. He places his sandwich on the armrest as he sits up.
"Hey, Mrs. M… Is John Paul in?" the boy nervously asks, yet keeping his head held high.
"Course, son," she replies, holding the door open to invite him in.
"C'mon, Jacqui and me have to go and do a wee bit of shopping, leave you to have a nice talk."
Myra grabs her and Jacqui's bags and guides her out the door, smiling at her son as he nervously stares at his feet. The door finally shuts and the two boys are unable to speak.
"I'm sorry. For what Jake did the other day, he's just…" Craig starts, but cannot find the words to finish.
"Don't worry about it, it's understandable, he found you kissing another guy."
Craig takes a tentative step forward and takes hold of the tightening string of JP's hoody. He plays with it between his fingers. He takes a step closer.
"I ended things with Sarah. Told her I was seeing you and everything; told my family about us. I did everything I'd been promising you finally."
"Why? Because Jake found out about us?"
"Because he would have kept us apart. And I can't live without you. Because I can't stop thinking about. I love you. And I don't care who knows it."
He kisses John Paul slowly at first. But, like always, their fire burned brightly, "I love you too, Craig. So much," John Paul sighs.
Offering JP his hand, Craig leads him to the stairs. They fall onto John Paul's bed and end up just lying on his bed, wrapped in each others limbs.
"We're gonna be together, John. As a real, honest to goodness couple."
"And I couldn't be happier."
The two smile at each other as John Paul leans up to kiss Craig's soft pink lips.