"What did you need to tell me!?"
He yelled, and Joseph let him go in surprise, allowing Jericho to back up so he could retain some much-needed space.
"I don't want to miss my bus."
He watched him stare in wonder at his open hand and then clench his fist. Joseph cleared his throat.
"Sorry, it's just... wanted to ask you about homecomin'."
The brown-haired boy let out a nervous breath.
"It was a joke, who you kiss has nothing to do with me anyway. But now we're even. Besides, you have my number, right? You could've texted me."
He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Has 'nothin' to do with yo'—? Forget it, I'm only goin' to homecomin' now if you come with me. If anyone finds out why I decide not to attend there could be a revolution, I don't know."
His little plan backfired in the worst way possible. He wasn't wrong about the second thing, though, they'd probably harass him at school for the next 2 months.
"Anyway, I was doing some thinkin'. The theme's 'A Night in Paris', right? And then I remembered you told me your middle name was Parris a while back, so I was wonderin' if it was alright to use that? I know you have that thing with your dad choosin' it 'n all."
Jericho cringed. He hates that name.
"Yeah, but don't be too upset if I say no." He shrugged nonchalantly, "School dances aren't really my thing."
The blond smirked this time as he walked away.
"Yeah, me either. I'm not worried, though. When the time comes, you won't wanna say no."
He'd try not to think about his words too much on the ride home as he walked to his bus and got in, but he could still feel the rough grip of a hand on his waist.
He put his headphones in and closed his eyes, hitting his head against the window and staying that way until he got home.
———————————————————————————
Not even two hours later, the sun was shining, and his friends were blowing up his phone; he was having a mini panic attack because news spreads real fast around here, as he said.
Angelica was chewing him out over text because he "betrayed" her and the pact they formed freshman year 'no school dances, ever.' Even though he told her he wasn't going anyway.
Cade kept asking in the group chat why this was decided after 'everything that happened,' he only had a bare bones idea of what happened. According to Angel, most of the student body now knew he was going to homecoming with Joseph, completely denouncing Jessica's rumor.
Joseph told Michael, who 'accidentally' announced it to the entire team, and they told all of their little friends. It would technically be Joseph's first time attending a school dance, too, which was news to him.
That wasn't why he was freaking out though, everyone who was anyone was at that party, and they weren't as secretive as they thought when they decided to sneak off and hook up.
They were both a hot topic now, people were digging shit up and talking about that too, but he had a feeling Jessica had a hand in how quickly it got out. She was, after all, the one Joseph was consistently ditching so he could get his dick wet.
He knew, deep down, this would happen. It was Joseph Turner after all, and nothing about the golden boy was ever kept under wraps, and unfortunately, that included all parties involved.
He turned his ringer off, but his screen continued to light up, and he ignored it until a third person popped up on the screen, Joseph. He almost threw his phone out of the open window when a call came through.
It vibrated until it went to his voicemail, and he wasn't answering the second or third time either. He didn't have the energy for this. He'd laid in his bed moping for 20 minutes, this was the apex of his teen-life crisis, but he was interrupted when the doorbell rang.
He was able to convince himself that it was his mom who must've got off work early, so he dragged himself out of bed and stomped down the stairs.
Jericho didn't bother checking the peephole, but he probably should have because he doesn't remember his mom ever forgetting her keys or being a six-foot-three, white man.
"Hey—"
The brown-haired boy tried to slam the door in his sweaty face, but Joseph quickly managed to push it back open and barrel in, closing and locking it behind him.
"Jericho, it's just me." He raised both of his hands into the air. "I tried to call you, let you know that I was on my way over; I heard about what happened. We were in the area for practice, but you didn't answer your phone."
That explains how he got here so fast, but why he barged into his home, technically, unannounced was the real mystery here.
"Thanks. I've got it under control. My mom'll be home at some point, though so you need to leave before she gets here."
Joseph folded his arms across his chest, the synthetic white fabric of his shirt pulling taut across his shoulders and back. Jericho tried not to eyeball him too much as he walked further into the house. He was suddenly hyper-aware of everything that was out of place or slightly messy in the entryway now.
"No, this works. What we need to do is sort this," he gestured between the two of them, "out. We've both been beatin' around the bush."
He shook his head.
"Close the door on your way out."
Jericho turned around and started toward the staircase so he could shut himself up in his room for the rest of the day and finish sulking.
"Stop screwin' with me, I'm not going anywhere, Jericho. If I didn't know any better, it seems like I'm the only one trying to make this work! It's been two weeks since we agreed to talk about it, but it has yet to happen. Somethin' else is goin' on, just tell me."
Jericho stopped moving at the foot of the stairs when his voice grew closer and quieter.
He continued, "I'm tired of this limbo shit. Don't deny the tension between us either, you know exactly what I'm talkin' about. Franky's party? My car? Those weren't accidents; you keep tryin' to play it up, but I know neither of us had more than two drinks that night. I made sure of that and I know you're not a lightweight. I'm done with the mixed-messages. I want you."
He could tell it was the truth. But, what if it didn't work? He would lose a best friend, too. Was he supposed to be okay with that?
"Baby, please."
His voice was soft, and his pleading cut right through him. Joseph wouldn't do it on purpose but he'd still pull him in, take everything in his heart, and then leave. Maybe it would have been different if Joseph hadn't changed so much.
He'd always treated him well but they only got closer as time went on, eventually the line between best friend and more than that had all but disappeared.
"I don't—"
A hand wrapped around his bicep, turned him around, and crowded him against the wall. It was deja vu, except they were completely sober, and no one else was around to interrupt them. His eyes were greener than the Macon bayou, and it felt like he was trying to drown him in it.
"I need you to say it to my face. Tell me that you don't feel the same; I'll back off and leave it at that. You know I'm good for it."
The house was quiet, far too quiet for his liking when Joseph spoke. He couldn't find it in himself to say that he didn't want him because he did, badly but not like this. Not with them both at a breaking point, this is how mistakes are made.
The tension had been building up for a while now, he denied it well enough for the both of them. it was his fault, Joseph was frustrated, in more ways than one, and he had almost every right to be. So, he said nothing, pushing his body off of the wall and against the others.
The second he leaned in, Joseph dropped the grip on his arm and settled it around the column of his throat. Parting his lips with a tongue and pushing it into his open mouth with the same amount of force. He looped both arms around the blond's neck, flush against his chest so he could feel his heartbeat.
"Is that a yes?"
He asked in between breaths, Joseph dragged his hands down his spine and over his ass to hook them under Jericho's thighs and carry him up the stairs.
"Shut up."
He laughed and nipped at his bottom lip. They got to his room eventually; he lowered him onto the mattress and followed his descent. His clothes were snatched off with a terrifying precision, teeth finding every inch of exposed skin on their way off.
Biting back the low sounds exiting his throat and, as a direct result of that, the hands steady against his sides, firm and continually shifting in their exploration, stopped.
"Cut it out. I've had about enough of you holdin' back on me. I wanna hear everythin'."
The still fully clothed blond looked at him, eyes dark and soft as he stepped off the bed and stood at the foot of it. He glared through hooded lids, studying Joseph's physique while he took his sweet time undressing in front of him.
The gold chain sitting pretty on Joseph's collarbone glinted when the light streaming through the blinds struck it at certain angles. Peeling off the under armor like a second skin and stepping out of his sweats. There was only a single article of clothing left between them now.
Between all those years of hard labor on his family's farm, contact sports, and god only knows what else had been both a blessing and a curse. Jericho unconsciously shifted backwards when he climbed back over him, body warm and solid, faded scars and freckles littered the expanse of his skin.
He seemed about ready to eat him. The blond moved with the grace of a big cat; it matched the look in his eyes, dim and greedy, but there was concern too as he leaned down to whisper against his lips.
"If this isn't what you want tell me, but don't run from it."
They never got this far at the party, they couldn't without someone accidentally busting the door down, so they kept it pretty mild. Jericho pushed the uneasy feelings he was experiencing further away and took a breath to ease his nerves. This was the least he could do. Peeling his eyes away, he nodded.
He needed someone to take control before the doubt ultimately got to his head, but Joseph only watched him, gauging his reaction, he supposed, because the other looked just as hesitant as he felt.
"I need a verbal answer."
So, Jericho pushed him off, getting back up onto his knees and grabbing the back of the other's neck to kiss him again. Scratching his nails down Joseph's chest, over his abs, and making their way to the golden trail of hair snaking into his cream-colored compression shorts.
"Yes, I want this."
The brown-haired boy palmed him through the nylon fabric, when he tugged at the waistband and wrapped his hand around Joseph's dick, he could feel the organ throbbing in his palm. He dragged his hand downwards, peeling back the foreskin and watching the blond's jaw clench in a soft hiss.
"Fuck."
Another string of curses followed when he pushed him onto his back and leaned down. Brushing lips over his navel and kissing the skin of his hips and around the aching flesh. Humming when an encouraging hand finally slipped into his afro.
"God, you're perfect..."
Focusing on the slit of the reddened head before working his way down, following the thick vein on the underside with the flat of his tongue. He sucked him off slowly, unblinking as he held his eyes and took more each time he went back down.
It was big and hung slightly to the left, so he used his hand for the rest that he couldn't reach with his mouth. The lack of speed was the blond's punishment but he figured it wouldn't last long.
Joseph growled, yanking Jericho's head down further, burying his nose in the golden curls, and holding him there. Suffocating him.
"I know you can do better than that."
His fucked his face, nearly choking him on it every time it hit the back of his throat. His eyes nearly rolled back into his head, the natural musk was dizzying and he could barely breathe. This was the shit he loved.
"Look at me." Jericho whined low in his throat but did what he was told "It's yours. Act like it."
He nodded and the blond released the grip on his scalp and let him get back to it. Jericho wrapped his lips around his teeth and sped up, never breaking eye contact and never sloppy except for the drool running down his chin.
"Mm, good boy..."
Joey was close. He could tell by the way his thighs flexed periodically and the pleased hums leaving his mouth. He pulled him off with warm praise and a lewd 'pop' before sitting him up in his lap.
"Lube?"
He could go without it honestly, maneuvering to snatch his boxer-briefs off and then rocking against his thigh, trying to get some kind of relief before barking out 'drawer.' He grabbed it but, Joseph wasn't done asking his questions yet.
"What time does your mom actually get home?"
Jericho leaned forward until their foreheads knocked together and they were breathing the same air.
"Joey. Please fuck me."
But, he wouldn't budge, and Joseph grabbed his hips, digging his nails in to keep him from moving again, leaving ten crescent moons on the skin of his ass.
"Needy aren't you? Time."
"Midnight." He practically snarled the word out.
Joseph's smile was shark-like.
"You want it dry then? Promise you'll be good for me."
He finally let go to drag a long finger down into the crack of his ass and teasingly circle the puckered flesh.
"I promise, Joey please."
The blond toyed with his nipples, scraping his teeth over the brown skin while Jericho arched into his touch.
"Promise what?"
He was going to die if he asked one more question.
"I'll be good."
The taller boy kissed him and gave another bright grin.
"You're mine then."