Title: Lovers

Author: Lazalot_Anreads

Beta: None

Characters/Pairings: Justin/Richard

Rating: NC-17

Challenge: None

Summary: A year after the murders, something new develops between Justin and Richard.

Notes: None

Chapter 005

Things were going incredibly well, which is what tipped Justin off that something bad was bound to happen sooner rather than later. Of course, knowing that something would happen still didn't mean he could prevent it, and so it was that Richard ended up getting disowned and kicked - literally - out of his home when his father caught them kissing one evening that they were hanging out there.

Richard was quiet on the way to the bluff, and Justin, sensing his partner's confused mental state, left him alone. Instead of talking, he kept himself occupied thinking about what they were going to do. He knew his mother would never allow Richard to stay with them, if she noticed, so that wasn't a viable option. 'Their' house at the bluff was much too unstable for anyone to actually live in, and he couldn't see anyone renting out an apartment to two underage gay boys.

Richard had some money stashed, of course; he'd confided once in Justin that he'd been expecting to be disowned at some point for years, ever since he'd discovered his bisexuality. He'd been saving most of his very hefty weekly allowance since he was thirteen years old. It wouldn't do him much good now, however; their was still another month to go until his eighteenth birthday. Justin supposed they were lucky it was only a month.

Richard could rent a room at one of the weekly motels in town for the month, though. It would put a serious dent in his nest egg, but if they both got jobs and Justin sold the antique weapons he'd been collecting since he was eleven, they could get a one bedroom apartment, graduate high school, and start community college the following fall.

Of course, the entire plan hinged on Richard's agreement, but he was nearly positive his partner would agree. Even after spending only two weeks together in the biblical sense, Justin was confident that their relationship was a permanent one. It was hard to think otherwise, when his lover told him every single day just how important their relationship was to the older boy.

As they climbed out of the car and headed toward the house, Richard took Justin's hand, surprising the younger boy. "What are you plotting?" His partner flashed him a crooked grin and tapped Justin's forehead. "I can practically hear the wheels turning in there."

So over whiskey and a joint, Justin laid out his plans for his lover, watching him carefully for a reaction.

He wasn't disappointed. Smiling for the first time since his father had stormed in on them, Richard smiled - a bright, happy smile that made the younger boy's heart skip a beat. "You're brilliant," the older boy told him fondly, reaching up to caress his boy's cheek. "Only you could fix such a messy situation in under an hour. I'm not sure about community college, though."

Startled, Justin choked on the drink he'd just taken, face turning a violent shade of red as Richard pounded him on the back and he struggled to regain his breath. "Why not?" He asked eventually, when he was sure he wasn't going to hack up his lungs. "I mean, I knew you aren't interested in college, but I am and the community college here has already offered me a scholarship."

"I just think you're selling yourself short," Richard told him seriously. "You could get a scholarship to any school in the world, Justin, not just our town's pathetic little community college."

Justin flushed, both pleased and embarrassed by the compliment. "It would be hard. We'd have to move, almost certainly to another state, which would be expensive. Then we'd both have to find new jobs and a place to live … it might not be possible."

"So? We'll make it possible." The older boy smiled affectionately at him, but his eyes were serious. "Haven't you learned by now, Justin, that we can do anything together? No, it won't be easy, but since when is life easy? At least we wouldn't be bored, which is more than I can say for us if we stay here."

"I have always wanted to attend Harvard," Justin said thoughtfully. Then, "How do you feel about Boston, Massachusetts, Richard?"

Letting out an excited whoop, the older boy kissed him hard on the mouth, then stood and pulled him to his feet and over to the bed. "I'd follow you to hell and you know it, Justin. Boston is a step up. Now, shut up and make love with me."

"I'm not the one talking," Justin protested, laughing at his partner's enthusiasm as Richard stripped first him, and then himself. [I'm glad you're happy, beloved.]

[I'm always happy when I'm with you, baby,] Richard replied as he leaned in to kiss the younger boy. [You make everything horrible about this world just that much more bearable. It's just one of the reasons I love you so much.]

[I love you, too, Richard,] Justin replied warmly, returning the kiss with enthusiasm. [More than anything. More than books, even, and you know how I love my books.]

[A book can't make you feel the way I make you feel.] Even the older boy's telepathy sounded cocky, but his chest puffed up and Justin could feel through their bond that he was touched by the sentiment.

They got serious after that, touching every inch of one another as their mouths mated and their hips thrust, rubbing their cocks together. It wasn't quite as satisfying as full on sex was for their bond, but Justin figured Richard had his reasons for wanting to keep at least some emotional distance and so didn't push. It was still very, very good anyway.

Much later, after they'd come and Richard lay sleeping beside them, Justin thought over their plans once more and smiled. His partner was right; they could do it, if it was what they really wanted - and they did want it. They would make it work. They would have to, because losing each other would never be an option for either of them.

~*~

The next day was Saturday, which meant Richard's father would be working and his mother would be shopping, so at around ten o'clock they snuck in using the older boy's spare key and packed up some of his clothes to take back to 'their' house. As everything else that mattered to Richard was already there, it didn't take them long before they were throwing his bags into the trunk of the car and driving back up to the bluff.

"You know, Justin," Richard said thoughtfully as they walked inside, looking around the house, "it would be better for both of us if I spent our remaining time in San Benito here. I mean, we need every penny we can get for the move, right? So why waste money on a motel?"

"Well …" Justin looked around as well, wincing. "It's not exactly protected from the elements, Richard. I didn't think you'd want to stay here. Besides, where would you bathe? In the ocean? You'd freeze your balls off!"

"I can shower at your place." Richard rolled his eyes. "Your mother is always asleep whenever she's home; she'd never notice. As for the elements … it'll be a bit like camping, I suppose. A tent would be cheaper than a motel room."

He had a point, Justin knew. They really did need to save as much of their money - not that he himself actually had very much to contribute - as possible at this point, and if the older boy really didn't mind staying at the house, well, that was great. "Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have said anything if I weren't." Wrapping his arms around the younger boy's waist and resting their foreheads together, Richard smiled at him. "We'll just have to spring for a really good tent. Maybe - maybe you could even stay with me, sometimes. You've stayed here overnight plenty of times and your mother never noticed before, right?"

[You just don't want to stay here by yourself,] Justin teased him telepathically. [You never could stand being alone. But yes, of course I'll stay with you, beloved.]

[Good.] Richard kissed him lightly, running his fingers up over the younger boy's throat and face and then back through his hair, tugging gently at the dark blond locks as he did so. [Now, we have the entire rest of the day to set this place up … how about a break?]

Justin didn't reply this time, rather he simply smiled and kissed his lover back, grabbing his shirt front to pull the older boy over to the bed and down on top of him. He'd grown much more confident in their relationship after Richard had let him top, but found that as pleasurable as that had been, he still preferred to bottom. That was fine by Richard, who apparently preferred things that way most days as well.

As they kissed, they tugged each other's clothes off, and soon were naked, writhing against each other on the cool sheets that covered their bed. Justin thought, as he spread his legs for his partner, that he would probably have to take the mattress with them, when they moved. It had sentimental value, now.

For the first time, Richard didn't bother with the lotion at all, satisfied that he'd opened Justin well enough with his tongue. Slicking his dick with saliva, he placed it at the younger boy's entrance and slowly began rocking in, whispering endearments through their bond all the while.

They took their time loving each other, savoring every second of the union of their souls as they so often did. Back before they had become lovers, whenever Justin had let himself fantasize, he'd imagined that the sex between them would be wild and passionate - and sometimes it was, but sometimes it was also like this, just a slow communion of their bodies and minds that always reassured him that Richard was right where he wanted to be.

[I love you, Richard,] he said telepathically, clinging to the older boy as his orgasm washed over him. [I love you so much, sometimes it feels like I can't breath when you're not with me.]

[My baby,] Richard murmured back, obviously not completely coherent. Justin looked up at him and smiled, admiring his gleaming ice blue eyes even as he ran his fingers through his partner's ultra soft, spiky blond hair. Tightening his muscles, he slammed his hips up the next time Richard thrust down, and that was it, that was all the older boy needed to come hard inside him with an incoherent shout.

Sometime later, they stirred and separated, both sighing a little at the dampening of their bond as they moved apart. They lay side by side, then, holding hands, not really talking but not exactly being silent either. Rather, they sort of passed their emotions back and forth through the bond, creating a sort of shield from the negativity that came from thinking about the outside world.

Richard was right, Justin thought, when he'd said that they could do anything together. Look at their bond - something that should have been impossible, but was there, as real as anything they could touch physically, and maybe even more real than that. It was certainly the most realistic thing in Justin's life.

"Do you think that we depend on each other too much?" Justin asked his partner quietly. "I mean … do you think what we have is unhealthy, in any way? Not that I'd care if it was." He added the last bit quickly as Richard turned his head to frown at him - he never wanted the older boy to think that his love made him ill, or something equally as ridiculous.

"I think," Richard replied, "that what we have is healthier than what anyone else has. Certainly healthier than what my parents have, or what your parents had before they got divorced. I think … well, I think we belong together, Justin. I think we always have, and I think maybe we even knew it from the moment we met. If there's something wrong with that, well, I really don't give a damn."

Justin smiled. Sometimes, when he let his guard down, Richard could be incredibly eloquent. "I agree," he replied simply, and then he curled in close to his lover to take a nap.

Richard's tent could wait until he was through basking in the afterglow.