Ch. 35 – Shooting For The Stars

Chapter Thirty-Five – Shooting For The Stars

Jonathan pulled the blanket around his body and shivered. "Why on earth did I agree to this?"

Rusty lay on his back, hands behind his head, and sighed contentedly. "Because there's no better view than this. You can't really see the sky like this from your window, right?"

They were on the roof, and the temperature wasn't that conducive to admiration of the night sky, but Rusty seemed happy to have someone to share this experience with, so a mild cold seemed like a small price to pay. He should have grabbed his coat on their way up, but Rusty had responded to that by throwing a blanket at him and ordering him to stop playing the delicate flower.

"Indeed," Jonathan replied and looked up. The snow had slowed to nothing and only a few clouds obscured the stars now. It felt free to be there and gaze at the heavens in the company of one of the most peculiar yet fascinating people he had met in a long time.

"Hey, what're your plans with Maddox?" Rusty asked the most serious question of all suddenly.

"What do you mean?" It took Jonathan an effort of will to turn his head and face Rusty.

"Are you in love with him?"

Jonathan cleared his throat. He hadn't been expecting such a direct question, so he postponed answering by pretending to be enraptured with the night sky and avoiding Rusty's stare.

"You should be," Rusty continued, seemingly not annoyed by his silence. "Because Maddox is a really great guy."

Jonathan nodded pensively. "Can you keep a secret, Rusty?"

"Cross my heart," Rusty replied. "After all, you're keeping mine. I'm all too willing for a trade."

Jonathan took a deep breath. "I believe I am," he said quietly.

"You're what?" Rusty teased.

"In love with him," Jonathan said quickly.

"With whom?"

"Dammit, Rusty, really?"

"Just say it. It's only you and me here. And the stars," Rusty pointed out. "Look, don't say it to me, if you find it weird or something. Imagine that you're alone, but say it out loud."

Jonathan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "The things you make me do."

"I get that a lot."

"I don't doubt it for a second."

"Come on, Hamilton, while it's still today."

Jonathan opened his eyes and stared at the sky above. "I'm in love," he said, the words drawn painfully from his throat and vocal chords, "with Maddox Kingsley." His heart was in his throat and he could feel the frantic pulse of his blood. Yet, at the same time, a weight lifted from his chest, and he felt like laughing and crying simultaneously. Maybe this was what it felt like when you were shooting for the stars.

All that came crashing to a halt when Rusty surprised him by smacking his back in encouragement. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it? There are much, much harder things in life, like root canals, finals, and trying to rub your dick with a baseball mitt--"

Jonathan scoffed. "Jeez, Rusty, way to ruin a grand moment." He hid his face in his palms and laughed, nonetheless. "Baseball mitt, really?"

"We only live once," Rusty said matter-of-factly.

"I suppose you're right," Jonathan agreed.

"So, when are you going to tell Maddox that you're in love with him?"

Jonathan looked down, at his hands resting in his lap. "I'll have to think about it."

"Why? Don't dip your toe into the water, just jump," Rusty suggested.

"That's easy for you to say," Jonathan said with a snort.

"Maddox won't mind. Actually, I think he's going to be uber happy to hear it."

How could he explain it to Rusty, who, despite his kinky adventures, seemed to be such a pure soul? "I've said the words before," he uttered with some difficulty. "I just want--"

He wanted what? To be sure? If he were honest with himself, he had fallen in love with Maddox probably at first sight, other knee-jerk reactions aside. More so, he wanted the words to mean something, not just to be thrown out between studying and hot lovemaking.

"It's all right. I won't pester you. For now," Rusty warned him. "You're going to sleep here tonight, right?"

"I should go back to my place," Jonathan said immediately.

"Stay here," Rusty insisted. "You can sleep in Maddox's room. What better opportunity to snoop around and find his dirty secrets?"

"I have no intention of snooping," Jonathan protested. "And something tells me that Maddox is not the kind to have dirty secrets."

"At least he must have some dirty socks. Just in case you have that fetish."

Jonathan groaned. "Rusty Parker, where do they make people like you?"

"Nowhere. I'm unique," Rusty said with satisfaction. "So, sorry if you wanted a piece of me," he joked. "I belong to the entire horny population of Sunny Hill, while you, well, you're one guy's dude."

"The entire horny population of Sunny Hill?" Jonathan said slowly, willing to tease Rusty back a little. "Not only the females?"

"I've never done a dude," Rusty said quickly.

"Really?" Jonathan drawled. "Never, never? How could you miss on that huge opportunity to add to your plethora of experimentations? I'm sure plenty of guys here, at Sunny Hill, wouldn't mind at all if you asked."

Rusty growled like an annoyed dog. "In case you don't want me to start my experimentation with your gay ass, you better stop."

Jonathan laughed. "I think I know you well enough now to not take your threats seriously."

"I haven't even threatened you yet," Rusty protested.

"Exactly," Jonathan said with satisfaction. "That's who you really are. All bark and no bite."

"I bite," Rusty said promptly.

"Why am I not surprised?" Jonathan murmured under his breath. "I should go, though."

"Nope, you're sleeping in Maddox's room." Rusty grabbed his arm quickly. "Since you're a neat freak, I'm sure you'll make it look like you weren't ever there at all, in case that's what you're worrying about. Plus, do you think you can leave me here, alone with the roasted turkey?"

"I suppose that's not a risk I'm willing to take," Jonathan said, wanting to be convinced some more. He was grinning despite himself.

"Good. Then it's settled. And I promise you I'll turn a blind eye if I stumble upon you sniffing something weird."

Jonathan offered his hand to help Rusty to his feet, but then he promptly grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and squeezed hard. He wasn't the type to touch strangers casually like that, but he could hardly consider Rusty a stranger now, given his earlier confessions.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch," Rusty complained. "You have a mean streak in you, Hamilton, don't you?"

"Trust me, you haven't seen anything. And I think I need to hide that turkey meat anyway."

"Aww, don't be like that. I'm going to behave, cross my heart and hope to die."

"Something tells me that I shouldn't take any chances with you," Jonathan said promptly. "But all right, maybe I'll let you have a bite, just to see if it's any good. It's not like I've cooked a turkey before."

"If you let me have some, I promise I'll put in a good word for you with Maddox," Rusty promised.

"I'm afraid to count on such recommendations. Maddox might find it pretty strange."

"I'm his bestie," Rusty reminded him. "So he'll totally listen to me."

Jonathan snorted. "Okay, bestie. Just don't go overboard and tell him that I like sniffing socks and other strange things."

"Too bad, that was a big part of my strategy for winning Maddox for you," Rusty said and grinned.

"Inside, now." Jonathan guided him by holding the back of his neck. "You can have a sandwich, but then you're going to sleep."

"But it's early. We should hang out a little more," Rusty pleaded.

"No. I need my beauty sleep," Jonathan said airily.

"Hmm," Rusty said, and once in the hallway, he turned and stared at him. "I think I can see some dark circles. Let's not ruin your pretty face."

Jonathan scowled. "Don't you know guys don't like being called pretty?"

"What guys? I like being called pretty."

Taking in Rusty's muscular arms, Jonathan thought that probably no one ever thought 'oh, how pretty', looking at the guy. He just shook his head. "Should I push you down the stairs now or later? Because you are sort of driving me nuts."

"No need." Rusty sat on the handrail and slid with ease to the ground floor. He then waved at Jonathan, his face split by a broad grin.

Jonathan could totally understand why Maddox liked Rusty, and why they were close friends. Together, they were probably making the world laugh.

***

There should have been nothing strange about being inside Maddox's bedroom, since he had been there plenty of times before, but it felt like something new and somewhat exciting. Jonathan pushed himself off the bed and began looking at the books stacked in neat rows on the shelves. He grabbed one and browsed through it, smiling at the dog-eared pages. No one could accuse Maddox Kingsley of being nothing but a pretty face, for sure. As he picked up the books one by one, he could tell that Maddox had read them all. It had to be one of the reasons why they understood each other so well. Like him, Maddox was competitive, and he loved an intellectual challenge. He was hard working, intelligent, and kind-hearted.

And Jonathan couldn't help being in love with him. He grinned as he reached the last book on the last shelf to the right. On one of the first pages, Maddox had written one note on the side.

I really don't get all this bs.

Jonathan, slightly amused, returned to the cover. The topic was pretty dry, and Maddox must have gotten the book for an elective during his previous years of college. Somehow, he hadn't gotten around to getting rid of the book, though, and that gave Jonathan an idea. There were no dog-eared pages here.

He reached for a piece of paper on the desk, carefully folded it and ripped a square from it. Then, he sat down in the chair, and wrote five words, the most meaningful ever. While sticking the note between the pages, he was still smiling.

***

"Why did you let me eat so much?" Rusty patted his belly and groaned.

Jonathan snickered. "Because I've never seen anyone capable of eating as much as you do, so fast. You basically didn't give me a chance to shake off my shock."

"Yeah, right," Rusty said with a scoff, but then he smiled. "You're an awesome cook, Hamilton. If the chemistry thing doesn't work out, go turn yourself into a chef or something. With your looks, you'll become a celebrity in no time."

"I'll bear that in mind," Jonathan said and smiled, as well. "Now, what would you like to do? I could endure watching sports if that's your thing."

"In this house," Rusty said solemnly, "we don't watch sports, we do them. Come on. Let's burn some of that turkey off."

Jonathan felt like lazing around for a bit after their meal, but it looked like Rusty wasn't the kind to take 'no' for an answer. "Who's going to do the dishes?"

Rusty groaned. "Live a little, dude. We'll worry about that later, 'kay?"

"We?" Jonathan quirked his eyebrows and gave his newfound friend a pointed look.

"You'll do them," Rusty said quickly and then tugged on his hand to make him get up from his chair.

Jonathan decided that leaving dirty dishes behind was irksome, but not enough so to prevent him from following Rusty and seeing what he had in mind as entertainment.

***

"This is so incredibly unfair," Jonathan complained as Rusty stole the ball from him for the umpteenth time and sent it through the hoop without even touching it. "And why are you so good at two things at the same time?"

"You're one to talk, Hamilton," Rusty teased him by moving the ball from one hand to the other, right in front of him as if he would give Jonathan a chance to snag it.

They had the whole campus to themselves, and that gave them free reign over the entire school property. However, Rusty had opted for a basketball court, and one outside, even. Jonathan was thankful for the workout, even though he was overdressed for the occasion. To see Rusty made so happy just by showing off his prowess on the field was a reward in itself.

"Is this about my cooking? It's nothing that special, trust me." He swallowed his words, as he realized he had been about to bring up things from the past, things that really didn't matter now.

"That's not what I'm talking about. And you can tell me about the five Michelin-star dinners you have had, 'cause I don't mind."

"There is a maximum of only three Michelin stars a restaurant can have," Jonathan corrected him.

"Underachievers," Rusty said with a snort. "Whatever. I was talking about your special talent."

"What's my special talent?" Jonathan decided that it was no use to try and outrun Rusty, so he just lagged behind.

Rusty grinned at him as he performed half a pirouette, jumped, dunked the ball and remained hanging from the hoop for a few moments. "You flipped Mad Dawg," he drawled.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Obviously, it was a one-time thing. I mean, I've never flipped anyone else." Definitely not Drew, as much as he had tried at the time.

"You don't fool me, gay boy." Rusty walked over to him and stopped a hairsbreadth away.

Jonathan didn't flinch as Rusty stared him in the eyes. He was getting used to Rusty's antics, achieving familiarity at a frightening speed.

"I bet that you made doe eyes at him and told him, 'Would you awfully mind if I flipped you, Mr. Kingsley?'" Rusty said the last words nasally and made weird faces while at it.

Jonathan bit his lips trying not to laugh. "I don't talk like that."

Rusty seemed caught up in his impersonation game because he next assumed a relaxed stance and gave Jonathan a long once-over that felt overly familiar. "And then he said, 'Nah, go ahead, my man.'"

Jonathan grinned and waited. Rusty leaned close, without losing eye contact. "My man, get it?" He snickered. "And then, you two smooched a lot." Rusty puckered his lips and made kissing sounds.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Did you play with dolls a lot while you were a kid?"

Rusty made a surprised face. "How do you know that? Are you a wizard?"

That was his cue to smack Rusty playfully upside the head. Just like that, his mischievous companion pulled away, laughing.

Jonathan followed him. "You know, Rusty, I didn't ask you. What are you grateful for today? It used to be a valued tradition in my family," he added, "to tell one another what we are thankful for."

Rusty turned to face him and walked backwards. "Friends, mostly. Including new ones." He smiled warmly at him.

Jonathan offered the same smile in return.

"And that turkey, 'cause it was awesome. So, I guess I'm thankful you can cook. What about you?"

"Mainly, for getting to know and like so many wonderful people here at Sunny Hill," Jonathan said promptly. "Also, hearing you sing. Would you sing again? I'd like to listen in, if that's all right with you."

"Sure, why not?" Rusty slapped him on the shoulder. "But I'll have to blindfold you." He said the last words in a subdued voice.

"We're not getting kinky for your sake," Jonathan warned. "And stop trying to scandalize me because it won't work."

"I'm not doing that," Rusty replied. "It's been a long time since anyone watched me while listening to my singing, is all."

Jonathan was starting to figure out when Rusty was telling the truth. His features softened, and his green eyes, always up to no good, became slightly distant as if they no longer were looking at what lay in front of them, but they turned inward in an effort to discover a new world.

Jonathan took Rusty's hand and squeezed it briefly. "Blindfold me, then. I won't mind."

The green eyes turned toward him and smiled along with the rest of the boy's face. "Cool. But don't go nitpicking about what kind of blindfold I'm going to use."

Jonathan decided that rolling his eyes just wouldn't work. "All right. Use whatever you have. See what sacrifices I'm willing to make only so that I can hear you sing once more?"

Rusty clapped his hands together in unhidden glee. "Let's go then. I know exactly what I'm going to sing to you."

"Let's hope it's nothing embarassing."

"They don't do BDSM opera if that's what you're worrying about, Hamilton." Rusty could joke all he wanted, but judging from the way his eyes shone, Jonathan could tell he was over the moon with the prospect of having an audience, even if it was going to be just one person.

***

Regrets weren't the kind of thing Maddox was used to experiencing, especially when it came to important things. Now, as he sat around the table with all his siblings and parents, just sensing the slight tension in the air made him feel guilty. The last thing he had expected when he was leaving Sunny Hill to come home had been to ruin Thanksgiving for everyone. Now, his sisters were talking a bit too loudly, his dad was praising his mom's cooking a bit too much, and furtive glances were being cast in his direction, as if to check on him and see if he was the same.

He was the same. He was pretty sure of that. Only now, after he had admitted to loving another guy and, to his surprise, his family had reacted in a way that he had never expected, things felt different than they had before. After thinking things through the previous night while struggling to fall asleep, he began to understand their reaction a little bit, although a part of him still wanted them to see him for who he was, their son that they had known all their lives.

It wasn't like him to spend a lot of time in introspection, either. That was a new feeling, as well, and as uncomfortable as a new jacket that didn't quite fit. He had blurted out to his family that he loved Jonathan, and why had that thought never occurred to him before? Maybe, in a way, it had, because lately he had been with Jonathan more than he had been with anyone else in his life. Kane teased him constantly that he was taken now, Dex was always smirking and trading meaningful glances with his pal whenever he thought Maddox wasn't looking, and Rusty… Well, Rusty had taken to his relationship with Jonathan like it was the most natural thing in the world, and there had never been a time when Maddox had been competing with him for the attentions of the female population on campus.

It was late in the evening when he got the chance to sit and talk to his parents again. All his life, he had known that they loved him. They had always given him the longest leash, too, always letting him get away with things his siblings weren't allowed to even think about, so being their favorite had been something that maybe, just maybe, he had taken for granted.

He sat at the table across from them like he was about to face a firing squad. "I'm sorry I ruined Thanksgiving," he blurted out and stared at his linked hands. He could argue about loving Jonathan to the moon and back, and they really needed to meet him to understand why he was insisting on this so much, which meant that, right now, words would not be enough.

"You didn't ruin anything, Maddox," his mom said in a weary voice. "You took us by surprise, that's all."

Maddox looked up. "So, you're fine with it?" he asked slowly.

His parents exchanged a short, eloquent look. "We talked, and we realized that you're very young, and that means that you're entitled to make your own mistakes."

Maddox clenched his jaw so hard that a sharp pain shot through it. Were they really calling Jonathan a mistake now? What the hell were they thinking? He wasn't supposed to be mad at them, he had even promised that to himself, but right now, nothing felt like it should.

"We believe that you'll come to realize that in your own time," his dad added, seeing how he wasn't saying anything. "If we contradict you, you'll only think you're right, and we're wrong. Don't forget that we're your parents, Maddox. That means that we've known you for longer than you've known yourself, and it will always be like that."

He hadn't been expecting a heart to heart talk from them, and definitely not one that was supposed to put him in his place like this one seemed to be intended to do. "Maybe I'm someone else now," he said quietly. He averted his face for a moment. He wasn't the kind of person to fall prey to his emotions like that, either.

"That's what you think," his mom contradicted him, and his dad stopped her by putting an appeasing hand on her shoulder. Maddox could tell she was keeping herself from saying more, and with a lot of effort. As volcanic as his mom's temperament was, she always said she was sorry later, when things cooled down a bit. But she had had the entire night to think things through, and it looked like she had made up her mind.

Maddox leaned back in his chair, half-defeated. Then, he revolted, mostly on the inside, since the still rational part of his brain told him that he needed to navigate this with careful consideration and a bit of diplomacy. "Then I suppose I need to prove to you that Jonathan and I are good for each other. It's my longest relationship so far, and I don't see an end to it now, not sometime in the future, and not ever."

The strength with which he said those words seemed to have taken his parents aback a bit, because, for a few moments, they looked at him like he was someone new, and maybe a grownup, too.

His mom pursed her lips, so his dad took over. "All right, Maddox. We're old enough to admit that we might also be wrong sometimes. That is a piece of advice we want to give to you, as well. When that moment comes, when you realize that you've been wrong, come to us and admit it. We promise that we won't judge you for making a mistake, and we will respect you for having the strength to tell us about it, as well."

"I won't have anything to admit," Maddox said, feeling some of his natural confidence coming back.

The suddenly peppy tone of his voice triggered a half-smile from his dad. "If that's the case," he replied, "one day, we'd like to meet Jonathan."

"We would?" His mom looked up at his dad.

"Yes," his dad replied firmly.

That was everything he needed to hear.

***

How's it hanging, Sunny Hill? Hopefully, that turkey and pie have already settled because we're about to drop the bomb, with a capital B, literally, of the year, and maybe the biggest in the entire history of yours truly, Xpress. We have drama, mystery, romance… and what else? Oh, maybe a few drops of betrayal? Just for flavor.

So…

Pumped up for the news drop? Check with us on Monday. Remember; you always hear it here first. Tootles!

TBC