JOSEPH MADE SURE HE WAS EARLY TO ENGLISH TODAY BECAUSE JERICHO WAS USUALLY ONE OF THE FIRST STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM.
Ms. Holbert looked like she was about to rip the quarterback's head off until the brown-haired boy walked in. He said good afternoon to her all kind-like, grinned like the damned saint he is, and she returned a smile almost immediately.
Joseph was left with a billion butterflies, all having a UFC match in his gut at the same time. He would be having a UFC match with himself in a few seconds here if he couldn't get his shit together and chill out.
How could he, though? He just got it though his thick skull that he was in love with the guy after all. Soft fingers placed a textbook on the desk next to his, and Jericho pulled a long coil of hair behind his ear.
He sat down after putting his bag on the floor and Joseph watched him retrieve a notebook and binder from it. Simple actions that made his heart squeeze in his chest because he was so damn pretty and Joseph was obsessed with him.
All the while staring, starting at the crown of curls on his head, down to his eyes, and then his lips until he gave him his full, undivided attention. He could look at him all day long.
"Yes, Joey?"
The blond put his elbow on the table and rested his cheek on his fist. Everyone, aside from Jericho, always had one eye on Joseph and the other on everything else.
What he did during class, the brand on the clothes that he wore, who he does and doesn't hang out with, knew it all. He's a high school student for god-sake, not a fucking celebrity or a public figure.
They expected him to be at school every day, looked forward to the smile that never seemed to leave his face; it wasn't allowed to, so it hid things. If you weren't really looking at him, you couldn't see the faded scars on his skin.
You'd miss the wild flash in his eyes that he had to suppress, and you certainly couldn't see the eye bags and the stress lines on his forehead.
Joseph works a lot harder than most people would assume. He plays two school sports; football in the fall and spring, he does track and field.
Whenever practice finishes, he goes home every day, aside from Sundays and game days, and works on the farm alongside his father's employees until sundown.
Tending to the livestock, grooming and feeding the horses, cleaning up the waste. He still has to shower, cook, finish his homework, and prepare for bed. It's been an everyday thing since he was old enough to walk, and it'll be a forever thing when he takes over the farm, which he's expected to do the following year after he finishes high-school and summer ends.
Joseph also doesn't have much free time, and when he does, he's obligated to spend it with his so-called friends. He couldn't be anything less than perfect around them. They couldn't see him because Joseph only ever showed them what he wanted them to see.
But with Jericho, it was different; he could be open because, with him, he wasn't the quarterback of Alamance or his father's son. He was just Joseph, and to just be, to exist without labels and biased judgment was a wonderful feeling.
The shorter boy's been his #1 supporter and home away from home ever since he was a scrawny freshman on the junior varsity football team. He's not letting this one go.
"Where's my good afternoon smile?"
The taller boy's heart almost tore straight through his ribcage, and blood rushed to his face, when Jericho gave him one. He was expecting a sarcastic remark or some kind of deflection, but he was pleasantly surprised when he received what he asked for. He'd have to try asking nicely more often.
He's probably never blushed this hard in the entirety of his life, but his real smile was Joseph's kryptonite. It was perfect. The corners of his eyes crinkled, and the dimples he was whipped as fuck. Graduation and Jericho are the only two reasons he comes to school at this point.
"Afternoon, Joey," he spoke softly, but the next part was said with a blink and a knowing grin, "your face is red, you know."
Joseph rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly, "yeah, yeah shut up." grumbling quietly.
About ten minutes passed, and the other students eventually began to pile into the classroom. Joseph was exhausted, seconds away from taking a spontaneous nap when he saw a golden glint on Jericho's collarbone. He smirked this time, sitting back up lazily and stretching back in his chair; sighing dreamily.
"You look beautiful in gold."
He turned to him, blush darkening his cheeks and a puzzled look on his face until Joseph pointed at the chain peeking out of his shirt.
"Thanks... I left it in my pocket, but I didn't want to lose it."
The brown-haired boy clumsily reached to unclasp it, but the other caught his hand and interlaced their fingers in his lap. He was the one flustered this time, cute.
"Keep it."
Joseph's voice was quiet. It was his favorite chain, the first one he bought actually. He had a few others like it but the herringbone was what he wore most often.
The blond liked the way his chain looked on him more, though. Suddenly overwhelmed by a desire to see him draped in even more gold. He'd have to get him a ring, he filed that thought in the back of his mind for later.
"No."
Jericho's even quieter. He cocked an eyebrow.
"Yeah?" He squeezed their fingers "Gimme one good reason why not."
Jericho glanced around the classroom and then back at him for a moment before shaking his head, going back to his notes. He picked up the pencil with his left hand and slowly copied down the words on the board.
"Do you even know how many people are feening after you? I could name around three people who only come to this class because you're in it. Wearing this," he adjusted it underneath his shirt so no one could see it and then went back to his notebook "is the same thing as you putting a crown on my head. Sneaking around, denying rumors, and pretending like we're still 'just friends' already isn't working."
The blond kissed the back of the other's hand and placed them on top of the desk this time.
"Hmm... not good enough."
A few students even bothered to turn around and be nosy but not for too long. Joseph's eyes must've looked crazy because they glanced away quickly. He took a deep breath in and fixed his face, it was getting hard to keep up with the mask these days.
"They can fuck off. I don't want anyone else."
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Joseph held his hand like it was the most precious thing in the world and played with his fingers for the rest of English. And, all the way to his locker until Jericho made him let go so he could unlock it and put his textbook away. He turned around.
"You're staring again."
He closed his locker after pulling out his backpack and chastising him. He leaned his back against the cold metal door while Joseph moved to stand in front of him and grab his hips.
Shrugging, mouth pulled into yet another crooked smile as he mumbled, "Hard to look away."
There was an extensive range of different emotions on the students' faces that passed by them in the hallway. Jealousy, shock, and knowing, mostly the latter. He'd do anything to melt into the floor right now.
The brown-haired boy never enjoyed the feeling that came with being on the receiving end of unwanted attention. Joseph didn't pay it any mind, the only times he did were for his sake, and he appreciated it.
"'Cho, look at me." He waited for him to turn his head toward him. "I need to ask you somethin' important, but I wanna apologize first."
He tried to ignore all of the eyes currently staring them down and stuffed his hands into Joseph's jacket pockets.
"Okay, and apologize for what?"
"Two weeks ago, when I came over. If you weren't feelin' it, swear to god I would've stopped. Last thing I want is to hurt you. I'm sorry." He continued, "That ain't an excuse, but I'll do anything to show you how badly I want this."
The hallway was empty now, and the buses were probably about to leave, but none of that mattered right now. Jericho began mulling over what Abel said to him this morning: "He gets this dreamy ass look on his face, and if I didn't know any better, I'd think he likes you a lot more than he's letting on."
He hoped that wasn't the case because love isn't just a word that you can slap a definition onto and then keep on trucking. It's an intangible and complex and consuming emotion that you have zero control over.
"I'm willin' to wait a while longer, but I can't wait forever," He pulled their bodies together and lowered his head to whisper into his ear, "When I know what I want I'm not a very... patient man."
He leaned back but was still only inches away from his face, a strange intensity burning in his sage green eyes.
"Joey..."
"Shh," he was rubbing soothing circles into his hips with the pads of his thumbs, "there's no rush, baby. Just come watch me play Friday, and after the game let me show you. Whatever you choose, I'll respect."
The brown-haired let out a breath and removed his hands from Joseph's pockets, wrapping them around his waist instead.
"Okay."
Joseph's smile was pretty and infectious, and Jericho felt a smile of his own tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Kiss me."
He hummed. The blond let him peck softly at first but then tilted his head to deepen the exchange while backing him against the locker. Tongue parting his lips and dipping into the wet heat of his mouth.
They parted when his phone rang, he groaned, and Joseph chuckled but not before stealing another kiss. Then another, holding his bottom lip between his teeth and toying with the flesh until it was swollen.
The sting felt good but he swatted him away, he turned so he could pull the device out of his pocket and check who was calling. The contact name was a single letter 'Z'. The brown-haired boy knew it was Ezekiel. He felt Joseph lower his head onto his shoulder and nibble on the gold chain circling the column of his throat.
"Who?"
Jericho ignored his question, answering the call.
"How did you get my number?"
He realized it was a stupid question right after he asked it. There was silence, and then—
"I'm going to let you try that again."
The brown-haired boy took in a breath. He could tell Zeke was irritated about something already.
"Hello?"
"Mm. You know better than to bark at me. I'm outside, but I didn't see you leave. Where are you?"
He wanted to throw up, why the hell couldn't he just leave him alone? Joseph's grip around his waist tightened, and he felt soft pressure along the junction between his neck and shoulder.
"I'm still here," hissing when Joseph sucked on an sensitive patch of skin behind his ear. "Joey!"
The sound of Ezekiel's laughter cut through the silence.
"Outside. You have one minute."
And then the line dropped. His stomach next, Then the arms around him. Jericho's body stiffened and filled with dread as he stepped out of Joseph's hold.
"Was that the same guy from the sushi place?"
He let go and moved to stand in front of him, but Jericho's mind was elsewhere. Opting instead to readjust his backpack around his shoulders and pocket his phone.
'How did he...?'
"I have to go, okay?" Jericho pecked the quarterback's cheek and tried to smile, "call me later or I can tell you at school tomorrow."
If he left with the blond, he'd meet Ezekiel. He couldn't let that happen. Jericho knew both of them well enough, there was a 99% chance they'd get into an altercation. On school grounds, too? Joseph would definitely get in trouble.
So, he tucked the chain into his shirt and made his way out into the empty bus loop as fast as he could, and towards the obnoxiously white Porsche that the man in question was leaning against.