EDIT: Some changes, all in accordance with the rest. ;) Gotta squint to see them, but they're important.
A huge thanks to all of my lovely readers! A thousand hits wasn't much of a problem at all! ;)
All of your reviews and follows really helped me put this one out, despite how busy I've been as of late. In relation to that, please visit my profile for constant updates on this fic. When I say updates I mean actual word counts, so don't get sad if I don't update right away! I'll always be working on it.
And as usual, reviews/advice/suggestions are always welcome! I love you guys. :P
So without further ado, here's a ridiculously fluffy chapter. IT TAKES PLACE A COUPLE MONTH AFTER THE LAST CHAPTER (to clarify things :o) And some plot related snippets. Enjoy~
It had been months since Jay had last seen Masky.
Jay last laid eyes on the mask in the scorching heat of the abandoned building. Amongst the vague shards of his memory, Jay vividly recalled the sun lighting up the other man's brawny silhouette from behind. A flaring, blazing assault. Jay was robbed not only of his humility, but of his camera too.
He had enjoyed it, admittedly. That was what disturbed him the most.
Jay also got the message.
He didn't buy another camera.
The rest of that fiery day ebbed slowly into the cool night, and was spent trudging back through Rosswood. Jay was exhausted by the time he reached his hotel room. His mind and body were drained. Dull. Gray. That was all the world was to him. A sullen mess, he remained in his room for a long time.
An unclear amount of time.
The void which had taken residence within his chest consumed him. Jay didn't even think he moved an inch - until he received a phone call.
It shook him awake. Jay's fingertips had trembled as they brushed against the cool plastic buttons.
He heard Tim's voice, but not the words he spoke. The sound itself was enough to break Jay. The sweet, caring voice of his only friend cracked him and pulled him apart, until he was sobbing into the receiver. Tim's concerned voice echoed through the phone as Jay cried.
Jay was convinced that he was done with it all.
Done with filming.
Done with being stalked.
Done with the mask.
Jay didn't hear the knock at his door - he was still shaking with the phone gripped tight in his fingers. Tim let himself in. He was soaked, shirt clinging to his skin from the rain outside. Jay wasn't really sure of what happened next. He was somewhat unaware of the feeling of Tim's waterlogged clothes against his own. Not quite sure if he really truly felt the rain seep into him. Slightly aware of his face pressed to Tim's chest - even more alert to the warm sound of his beating heart.
Jay thinks he was carried to the car. So pathetic. He could remember the feeling of Tim's arms around him. Even in the passenger seat, he remembered catching Tim throwing occasional glances at him, eyes dark with worry.
Jay was sure that he didn't deserve this sort of attention. He wasn't worth all of Tim's troubles.
At least, that was what Jay was thinking now. With his head under Tim's covers, in his soft bed - it smelled like tobacco and something sweet - Jay pretended to sleep. He couldn't dream. His dreams were haunted. Empty, hollow, and infected by images of the mask. Memories of shameful, burning, pleasure.
Jay could not risk closing his eyes.
He wondered if Tim knew that he was awake. He could hear his friend peeling off his wet clothes. Don't think about it like that, Jay. Don't think about it at all. Jay could hear only the occasional rustling of cloth and his own, erratic breath. The bed shifted with Tim's sudden weight. As if with uncertainty, Tim hesitated before lifting the covers.
Tim thought for a moment if this was alright. They were both clothed, right? I mean, more or less. I have some pants on.
Tim slid beneath the covers and stared at the back of Jay's head. He shifted uncomfortably.
Yeah, nope, this is weird. Sharing your bed with your friend is weird.
Tim was about to get back out when he caught Jay shuddering in the corner of his eye.
Oh.
Tim stilled, wondering if he should move a little closer.
Oh god, would he mind? Is he asleep, would he wake up? He seems cold. I kind of want to - hmmm. This is probably the wrong time...
Yet Tim inched himself closer. He had such awful self-control. He knew that this was probably the last thing Jay wanted right now but - he just couldn't help himself. Something inside him...something wanted this so badly...
Carefully, gently, he slid one hand into Jay's hair. So soft, he thought. How he had missed this feeling. How he had missed this human contact. To touch something so tangible...
Tim slid his other arm forward, gently pushing up the hem of Jay's night shirt. He tapped his fingers lightly on the warm skin there. His actions were made in a detached sort of way. Like they were being guided.
Oh, thought Tim absently. I guess he's going to wake up now.
He already was. Jay's breath was caught in his throat like a fly in thick honey.
Did Tim know he was awake? Was this his revenge for not receiving a thank you? He didn't realize he was being so ungrateful! What if - what if Masky came back? Could that happen? Could the mask just appear and could Tim just...shift?
Jay's mental state was deteriorating under Tim's haphazard touches.
He stiffened considerably when Tim pressed his lips to the side of his neck. Tim breathed on Jay's shoulder, and whispered, "Sorry...".
Sorry? Sorry for what? wondered Jay.
"I'm so...uh..." Tim struggled with his words, mouth moving aimlessly against the soft flesh of Jay's shoulder.
"Just let me..."
He trailed off. Tim didn't really know what he was saying. He just felt his own hand slip into his pants and - it was really just and accident - tighten his grip on Jay's hair. This wasn't him.
He wasn't doing it on purpose.
It was the monster inside of him.
How could he stop it -
Jay gasped aloud as his head was pulled backwards. He could feel Tim's closeness, feel the warmth of his bare chest through his own thin shirt. His eyes were wide - helpless - as Tim wound his fingers deeper into his hair, hot puffs of breath against his back making him shudder uncontrollably.
What was he doing?! What was Tim doing?
Or was it Masky now?
Jay didn't know. He was partly scared and partly weak beneath the larger man's touches. What could Jay do to fight back? Did he even want to at this point? Tim's fingers felt so undeniably good scraping gently at his scalp. The slight, uneven pulls acted like a sedative for Jay. He craned his neck in an effort to steal a glance over his shoulder.
Jay's eyes were immediately met by Tim's darker ones. They churned with desire; Jay could almost see black, smoky clouds swirling into themselves. They struck him as familiar - they all too similarly resembled the irrevocably dark pits of the mask. The void in Jay's chest thumped violently. Well, it might have been his heart. He wasn't sure. Heat colored Jay's cheeks when he saw what Tim was doing - but the hand in the pajama pants did not stop its motions. Tim gave an odd little smile. He never recalled seeing such a smile on his friend's face. Jay felt his stomach do a somersault and he snapped his eyes forwards.
"Sorry," breathed Tim, voice low. His free hand continued to stroke Jay's sandy brown locks. "You can do it too...if you want..."
Jay swallowed. W-what was Tim asking him?...How could he - did he really want him to -
Tim let out a breathy moan.
Sparks of arousal coursed through Jay's body. D-damn...I - I don't know what to do...
Jay was certainly feeling the effects of Tim's touches. Should he just try it? - no! It would totally be weird to touch himself in front of Tim! No, no he won't -
Tim's hand tugged at Jay's hair, encouraging him. "Don't make me have help you, Jay."
Tim drew out Jay's name like sweet toffee.
Jay froze, and before he had the chance to say a single word, he found Tim's hand guiding his own down to the growing problem in his pants. Jay flinched at the sudden contact, and tried to pull his hand away. Tim sighed, keeping Jay's wrist in a firm grip.
"Come on Jay, don't be stubborn."
Jay made a weak noise as Tim smoothed his hand down the front of his pants. Their hands slipped in and Tim guided the first movements there. Jay blushed furiously, desperately wanting Tim to leave him alone, to withdraw and let him cool off by himself. Yet when Tim did remove his hand, Jay couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Ah, what's wrong with me? Jay asked himself, breath escaping his throat in helpless rasps as he worked himself. Hnn...I can hear Tim b-breathing...
"H-hold on Jay, I'm almost -" Tim stammered a short warning before pressing his body into Jay's. His hand moved rapidly - he was close to the edge. Tim (Tim?) dug his hand into Jay's hair, earning an eager yelp from the other man, and nuzzled the warm flesh of his neck. Jay mumbled something softly and Tim smiled against his skin, breathing in his sweetly innocent scent. It was delicate. Jay was delicate. He was so very breakable...
Tim gasped as he came into his own hand, still shivering through the lingering ripples of pleasure. Seeing that Jay had not yet finished, he bit down gently on the smaller man's neck and tightened his grip in the soft brown hair. A burning sigh left Jay's mouth. Tim grinned and pulled at Jay's head, coaxing him to turn around. He was getting caught up in it, this darkness. Tim thought it felt awfully good though.
Just a little one... thought Tim as he pulled Jay's pleasure-shocked face towards his own. Just a brush of the lips, and he could feel Jay tense against him. Mmh, just a bit more.
Jay's hips twitched excitedly as he neared his end. Tim's tongue lapped at his bottom lip. The corners of the camera man's mouth curled up despite himself. This was nice. Even if just for a moment, Jay could forget it all and just feel the warm arms of ecstasy wrap around him. Tim's mouth disconnected from his own to allow for some room as Jay gasped in pleasure at his release.
For a while, they breathed. Jay's face was flushed, and he removed his sticky hand from his pants.
The darkness had retreated from Tim's being, and he felt...hollow. Good, in his post-orgasmic haze...but empty somehow.
"I'm gonna go wash off." He said suddenly, leaving the comfort of the covers.
Jay's eyes watched the bigger man's figure disappear behind the bathroom door. For the moment he was content, drifting in a blissfully ignorant haze. But in the back of his mind, something was nagging him. There was still something off...something wrong about all of this...but Jay couldn't be bothered to think about it now. Sighing lightly, he sank beneath the covers fingering a lock of his hair.
OOO
A focused gaze watched as the larger figure left the room, leaving the smaller alone to shift slightly in the bed. Boots scuffed the wet asphalt as the onlooker squatted in the parking lot, bare meters from the window. He withdrew a neatly folded piece of paper from the pocket of his orange sweatshirt, and uncapped a black marker. After scribbling for a while, he recapped the marker and examined his drawing with impassive, red cut-outs. He placed the paper on the wet ground carefully, and walked away from the building where Tim and Jay would be spending the night.
They didn't see him.
They never saw him.
They couldn't see him.
Unless he wanted them to.
It occurred to the hooded man that he would have to tell his partner about this later. He was sure the other would take interest in an event such as this one. Not that it was all that satisfactory, but Hoody enjoyed relaying the occasional tidbit of information.
Things were progressing nicely at this point, he decided.
It wouldn't be long now.
What's this? Plot? Are you sure that didn't sneak in there on accident...
In any case, why don't you sneak in a review? It'll help Jay...cool off.