Hear me through the silence III

Part III

Johnathan is curled up on the bed when he finally has the courage to come in. The black wings on his back are vivid against his skin, curling around him protectively. He must have made some noise because Johnathan opens his eyes. He looks up at Billy and curls up tighter.

"Go away"

Billy hesitates next to the bed.

"Johnathan…"

"Go away, Billy" Johnathan says harshly.

Billy takes a deep breath and sits down on the bed.

"Not gonna leave you, Jay"

Johnathan looks up then, the tears in his eyes defying the anger in his voice.

"You can't do anything! You can't fucking save me so just…" Johnathan pauses with a sob. "save yourself the trouble and go away" he finishes quietly.

Billy shakes his head and heart beating fast, lies down next to Johnathan on the bed. He rests a hand between them on the bed.

"I'm not going anywhere"

Johnathan looks at his hand before looking at him.

"I'm not worth it, Billy. I'm not...good for you"

"Wouldn't be here if that was true" he says, turning his hand palm up on the bed. He can't help but smile when Johnathan tentatively reaches out and places his hand in his. Billy holds tight.

---

"Luke is JT's best friend"

"Friends with benefits?"

And Justin must have heard the bitterness in his voice because he turns around and looks at him.

"Billy…"

And suddenly he doesn't want to have this conversation anymore.

"Never mind. Forget I said anything" and he starts to walk back but then Justin is standing in front of him, all six foot something and towering.

"Johnathan...he...he's been through a lot. And Luke has always been there for him. I know it doesn't seem like...a normal relationship but in all of JT's life Luke has been the one person who hasn't left him and…"

"That means a lot" Billy finishes softly.

Justin smiles.

"Yeah, it does"

---

"Where are you going?"

"What am I going to do here, Luke? There's nothing! I have nothing left in this world"

"What am I then? Am I nothing?"

"Luke..."

"You have me. Johnathan, I'm not going anywhere"

Luke pulled Johnathan up on to his feet.

"You're coming home with me"

Johnathan shivered in the cold and Luke took of his over coat and wrapped it around him.

"Luke…"

Luke smiled.

"I'm not gonna go to that league school on my own, man! I need you with me"

---

He kissed him like he was the treasure he'd been looking for all his life, like he was the most singularly wonderful thing he'd ever encountered. Luke kissed him like he was the only thing that mattered and Johnathan has had that so rarely in his life.

To be continued...

Hear me through the silence II

Part II

"Why did you kiss me?"

"Because I wanted to"

"That's not an answer" Johnathan holds his eyes before looking away.

"It is"

Billy watches the wind tugging at Johnathan's hair and wants nothing more than to run his fingers through the dark waves.

"No one had ever...looked at me like that" Johnathan says quietly, still looking away.

"Like I'm worth something" Johnathan looks up, green eyes bright.

"Why do you...how do you do that?"

Billy gently touches his shoulder with Johnathan's.

"You know what I thought when I first saw you that day? I thought you were a dream. I thought no one so beautiful could possibly be real. But you were. You are"

"You're stupid" Johnathan says angrily, drawing away from him.

"Because I thought you were beautiful?" Billy asks.

"Because it's not real. None of it lasts but it's all anyone ever sees"

"I wasn't just talking about the way you look, Jay" Billy says with a small smile and is pleased to hear Johnathan laugh.

"You're still stupid" Johnathan says, smiling at Billy.

"Okay" Billy smiles back.

Johnathan stands up, ready to leave.

"You are too, you know" he says, looking over his shoulder at Billy.

"what?"

"Beautiful"

---

Cooper looks at him incredulously.

"Johnathan? As in Johnathan Thurston?'

Billy nods.

"Yeah"

"You don't know, do you?"

"Don't know what?"

"He's with Luke Lewis. You know that big blond guy."

"What?"

"Yeah, complicated relationship that one but I'm pretty sure. Everyone knows Luke pretty much lives in JT's room"

"Luke…"

"Billy, why-"

"I gotta go. See you later, Coop"

---

Billy kisses him, crushing their lips together fiercely.

"I give it back. You can keep your kiss. It's obvious it can't be mine!"

He starts to walk away but Johnathan pulls him back and he doesn't know who starts it but then they're kissing and kissing and Billy forgets everything else but this.

He can feel the pulse running a million miles an hour under his fingers, breath hot and fast on his skin. He can feel his own heart beating furiously in his chest and knows. Knows that this here, right now is the most alive he'd felt in his life. In this moment he is eternal. They are eternal.

To be continued...

Hear me through the silence

Teenage AU. The boys are at a special League school, where the best of the country’s young talent is chosen to finish up high school while also focusing on their footy. Clubs can sponsor young players to attend the school by offering scholarships. The boys come from many backgrounds but where ever they come from, one thing is certain. They are the future of the game. But life is not so simple, as Billy Slater, the latest addition to the school is about to find out.

Part 1

The boy with the black wings etched on to his back. He wasn't even sure if what he saw was real. It felt like a dream. He followed him anyway. He turned the corridor and came face to face with his vision. A pair of dark green eyes were looking back at him.

"You were following me," the vision said.

"I…"was "saw your wings,"

The other boy smiled.

"So you followed me?"

"I wasn't sure if... you were real"

The other boy smiled and leaned forward and kissed him.

"Am I real?" he asked as he leaned back.

---

"Shit, JT! What happened to your face?"

Billy looked up at Justin's voice to find Johnathan shaking his head and walking off towards the lockers. But not before Billy saw the split lip, dark against the rest of his face.

Billy followed Johnathan to his locker.

"Jay?"

Johnathan's already tense shoulders tightened even more and Billy fought the urge to reach out and touch him, between the wings that he knew were there under his shirt.

"Leave it, Billy"

"what happened?"

"Nothing"

"Jay, look at me"

For a moment Billy thinks that Johnathan would just walk away but he sighs, and turns towards him slowly. The cut is already starting to heal and Billy reaches up without thought, freezing when Johnathan flinches.

He looks up to meet Johnathan's eyes but they skitter away from his'.

"Who did this?"

"Please, Billy…"

"Tell me what happened"

Johnathan looks at him with a sad smile.

"Things just happen sometimes Billy. Nothing you can do about it"

Billy frowns.

"Why?"

"What?"

"Whoever hurt you, why are protecting them?"

Some of the other boys enter the lockers then, Cam singing 'we are the champions' at the top of his lungs and then Johnathan is gone with a soft "I'll see you on the field"

To be continued...

Kidding Around

Inspired by the QLD Origin camp :D

"What was that, Bills?" Cooper asks, plugging the hair drier in to a power socket.
Billy pulls the towel off his head.
"What?"
Cooper grimaces.
"That. At the beach"
Billy grins.
"Jay?"
"Did the whole world need to see his arse?"
"Well...it is a nice arse-" Billy stops as Cooper's face tightens.
"-err...We were just kidding around, Coop"
"Right"
Johnathan chooses that moment to walk in to the room, talking to Cam with Dave Taylor and Greg Inglis in tow.
Cooper watches Billy's face light up and sighs when Johnathan smiles back and makes his way towards them.
Billy skips towards him with a grin and Cooper turns the hair drier on so he doesn't have to hear them. But he watches them through the mirror anyway. Billy is smiling and chatting away and Cooper can tell that he's happy. Truly happy because he's got that light in his eyes that was so rarely seen last year. And Cooper has to admit Johnathan's smile looks quite genuine too. Billy uses his own towel to dry Johnathan's hair and Cooper can't help but smile as JT bends his head and submits. And people call him bossy.