A/N: Okay, I swapped chapter ten with eleven. ;)

Enjoy the bonus extra.

Language, seriously, I have such a writing potty mouth.

Disclaimer: I know already that I do not own these characters, they belong to the brilliant Erica Wester and that I'm just borrowing them for this prompt fic. The only characters I can say that are mine are any OCs I write.

Chance Encounter

timestamp: the 9 Week Gap

Take me to church

I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies

I'll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife

Offer me my deathless death

Good God, let me give you my life

The rapid tapping on his door brought Jonathan back from slumber. Dragging his hand over his tired face he felt stubble there, he hadn't shaved in two days. Rolling his eyes Jonathan heaved himself up from his beaten old recliner making his way to the door. When he opened it he regretted that decision when he saw a purple-haired women standing. Before he had the chance to close the door on Lil—and she did not look happy—she pushed her way in wrinkling her nose at the smell.

There were several empty bottles of beer scattered around the room indicating last night's drinking. Jonathan could feel the beginning of a headache behind his eyes but knew better than to point it out to Lil. He would not get any sympathy points.

"Are you fucking kidding me," Lil breathed out her voice in disbelief. Whipping back to Jonathan's tired blue eyes her hazel eyes steeled jaw clenching. "You're still drinking?! After the shit your father pulled you're more than happy to follow in his fucking footsteps!?"

Jonathan bristled at the mention of his father. The old man might've finally kicked the bucket three years ago but the subject was still a no-go and Lil knew that. "Lil," he warned.

"Oh, finally struck a nerve, did I?" Lil sneered a bit. "Well you deserve it. That was a fucked up thing you did to Sock."

Ah, and here's subject #2 of things not to mention in front of me. Jonathan narrowed his eyes at Lil. This was not his morning and she didn't seem to care. Jonathan turned his back to her picking up the bottles needing to clean up, a habit he can thank his father for installing.

"Do you even care what you did to him?" Lil said after a minute of silence when he returned to the living room. "Sock's a mess since you left."

"It's not my problem," Jonathan mumbled. A moment later he was shoved onto his couch with a seething Lil towering over him.

"Not your problem. Not your fucking problem!? Are you kidding me?" Lil growled. "I just talked to him. Sock is still hopelessly in love with you. And I know you are too. So do yourself a favor and pull your head out of your ass." Lil walked out toward the door and opening it before turning back around to stare at him, "Please think about it before you lose him too."

The door echoed as she slammed it shut. Jonathan groaned closing his eyes as her voice resonating inside his skull. He couldn't do it. I mean, look at all the shit I did. I'm exactly like my father. I would only continue ruining Sock more than I already have. And yet... Jonathan felt selfish. He didn't want to let Sock go. He couldn't. Sock was too engraved into his DNA. But he had to let him go. There was no way Jonathan was going to drag Sock down with him.

He couldn't commit. He couldn't hurt Sock like his father did to him...

Jonathan ran his hands over his face before skating over his blond hair. He needed to take a shower and clean himself up before he went to work. And shave too.

"...Fuck you... you bastard, I wish I never met you..."

Jonathan snapped his eyes open his breath coming out in pants. Sock's broken choked voice fading into the recess of his mind. His heart lurching at that moment. Jonathan could feel the stinging of tears in his eyes as he turned to his side squeezing his eyes tight. He didn't know why this was affecting him; it was over two weeks since Sock uttered those words. Twelve days since Lil's abrupt visit. And a full week since he gave up drinking.

Drowning in alcohol wasn't helping him in anything except an early grave like his father. Which Jonathan was trying to separate himself from. He might be living in his old house again but it wasn't anything like his childhood. There was no more yelling. No more alcohol. No more of that misery that plagued this house or at least not the misery of pain, just heartache.

He was going to get himself better. He had to. He was going to do it; Jonathan was going to fight his demons. His heart gave a pang reminding him of his loss. Sock would probably have moved on before he pulled himself together.

Lil's voice echoed in his head. Please think about it before you lose him too.

Jonathan closed his eyes in defeat, It's too late; I know I've already lost him, Lil. Just like I lost you too all those years ago.

He was at work re-shelving when Jonathan heard the doorbell jingle. Thinking nothing of it, he continued working as Dan, his co-worker, handled the new customer.

"We have a problem." Lil announced moments later. Jonathan stood up brushing his hands on his pants before giving her his full attention.

"Oh hey Lil, pleasure to see you again. No, yeah, my day is great thanks for asking. What brings you around here? There seems to be a problem, oh do tell." Jonathan mocked his blue eyes bright. Lil didn't look pleased at this and her face read as much. He sighed, "Okay, I'll bite, what's our problem?"

"Sock," Jonathan bristled. His whole demeanor changing from relaxed to stiff.

"Lil, I thought we agreed not to—."

"—He's moving." She interrupted, "Sock is moving out. I saw the boxes this afternoon and I came all the way down here to tell you. He's fucking moving out in a week."

Tears sprang out of Lil's eyes genuinely upset over the news and she had every right to be. She was really close to Sock and liked watching Sherlock and fangirling over it. Jonathan felt his stomach fall and felt a tightening in his throat. He hadn't thought the news would affect him so much.

Six weeks didn't feel too long in his road of recovery. He wasn't ready yet and it seemed his time was up. Sock had moved on—literally—he's moving on. And until this moment, Jonathan held a candle that Sock would still be there but he was deluding himself. Sock was too good for him. A hundred—no—a thousand times better and of course he would move on—of fucking course—he would get sick of waiting for Jonathan to get his shit together.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

Jonathan lowered his shoulders in defeat, "What do you want me to say? Good for him for getting his shit together and doing the smart thing and moving on?"

"You're not going to do something?" Lil said in disbelief. "You're already throwing in the towel!?"

"Lil, it's for the best," Jonathan reasoned. "I've done enough damage. He's better off without me."

"Bullshit," Lil hissed unshed tears in her eyes. "Sock's waiting for you. He's still waiting for you to go to him. You're going to lose him if you don't go. You're going to regret it for the rest of your life."

Before Jonathan could mutter a word, Dan interrupted, "Miss, is there anything I can help you with?"

Lil stared at him for a few seconds before nodding at whatever his face said and turned around. "Yeah, I was actually looking for a record from Def Leppard."

"Oh it's over in this section." Dan grinned ushering Lil to the other side of the store. Jonathan stood still for another moment before reaching down and re-shelving again. Jonathan had to decided, he had one more week before his last chance left for good.

Sock is still waiting for you. But would he still like Jonathan with all his faults? Would Jonathan be able to commit, knowing that he might become his father? Can he risk hurting Sock again?

Jonathan had a lot to think about in the next seven days.

No, I can't do it. Jonathan should just let Sock go. He hasn't talked to him in almost nine weeks and even then it was after a month of silence. If he was noble he would have let him go without contemplating it. Let Sock live his life away from him. It was better this way.

Then why was Jonathan having doubts? Was he being selfish by wanting to go to Sock or selfless?

"Fuck," Jonathan exhaled collapsing on his bed as he yanked on his hair. Sock was leaving tomorrow and Lil had urged him to stop Sock again just this afternoon. She told him Jojo would be there too that she had been staying at his place all week. And that brought up jealousy in Jonathan like he could not believe.

The blonde woman with her short hair and baby blue eyes taunted him. He could still vividly picture her smug look after she came out of the bathroom. Jojo's pink lips swollen from Sock's kisses. Oh the flood of jealousy then had lead to him drinking just to get the courage to knock on Sock's door and kiss him. To possess the brunet who had been haunting his dreams for weeks. And lo had his mouth been heaven. Jonathan could still taste him, he still craved Sock. His bones ached wanting to hold Sock in his arms; even if it was just for awhile because Jonathan could never stay the night. He couldn't trust himself not to leave if he did.

He needed alcohol at the beginning, just so he had something to blame when he woke up later but that lie never could stick long when in the wee hours of the morning he wanted to kiss Sock awake for another round never satisfied. Sure Jonathan managed to stay away for a while the first time but eventually he couldn't and he just kept coming back to Sock's warm arms. Sock was his piece of heaven and Jonathan was selfish in wanting to be there every night. Until he made the mistake of showing up sober.

He had wanted to see Sock like before, like the beginning of their friendship but it was no use. He wanted to grab Sock and press him to the counter and lick his way inside his mouth. To hear all the noises Sock made while he trembled in Jonathan's hands before he surrendered and reached his climax.

Jonathan cursed under his breath. No, he had to let Sock go.

Turning over, Jonathan hit his radio to play. Getting comfortable he listened to Mr. Brightside as it finished and the next song slowly took its place. Hoobastank, The Reason.

And suddenly, Jonathan changed his mind.

A/N: Song mention: 'Take Me to Church' by Hozier