Part 12 of the Semi-Precious Stones Series

Turquoise were his tears

By Zenia

 

Rick sat sprawled in the chair, his leg spread out before him, his hands clenching the armrests.  He wondered why Uncle Max had called him to the office for, it scared him.  He swallowed hard and forced himself to speak.

 

“So what is it?  Usually I come here looking for an advance in my monthly allowance.  It’s not supposed to go the other way.  You’re making me confused Max.”

 

Max leaned forward in his chair and steepled his hands in front of him. “I wish it were as simple as discussing finance with you Ricky.  But it’s something more than that.  I received a letter from your Aunt Dee and your Uncle Henry.”

 

“What do they want?” Rick’s voice caught in his throat.

 

“I think you already know.  They want custody of AJ.”

 

He nodded. “And?”

 

Max sighed and turned away, briefly.  When he looked at Rick there was a sadness in his eyes. “Ricky, your father and I, we were old friends, I met him in high school.”

 

Rick shrugged his shoulders, squashing down the sudden panic in his stomach.  He was going to be sick, right here on the carpet.

 

“And I love the both you and AJ very much.  So when I say this, Rick it’s not to hurt you.” Max got up and walked over to him.

 

He looked down at his boots.  They were dusty, scuffed.  Maybe he could get AJ to shine them when he got home.  The kid was so good at that sort of thing.  Max touched Rick’s chin, forced his head up. “Don’t Max, don’t please.”

 

“They can give him a lot of things Rick.  They can—”

 

Rick turned away. “No!”

 

Max ran his fingers over Rick’s temple, brushed the hair from his face. 

 

Soft hands, Max always did have soft hands.  Rick remembered joking with him as they lay in bed…lawyer’s hands. “Can they win?”

 

“Yes.  There is a very good chance they will win.”

 

He laughed, angrily. “Well don’t pull any punches.”

 

“We never have, not with each other.” There was a gentleness in his voice that mirrored his touch.

 

No, they hadn’t ever pulled punches with one another.  It was one of the reasons Rick had seduced him into bed.  Rick had been seventeen and Max had seemed so sophisticated, mature.  He had always told Rick the truth, no matter how painful.

 

“Will you help me?” Rick licked his lips and grasped Max’s fingers. “I don’t have much money but…” He kissed the palm of his hand.

 

Max jerked his hand away. “You know I’ll help you for free.”

 

Rick grinned at him smugly. “I know.”

 

“You little bastard.  I ought to take you up on that offer, just to spite you.” Then he turned very serious. “I’ll do my best.  How you going to tell AJ?”

 

“I don’t know.” He closed his eyes.  God, he was so tired.

 

“Do you want me to do it?”

 

He shook his head. “I’ll do it.  Will we have to go to court you think?”

 

“It depends.  Hopefully it won’t come to that.  Why don’t you go home Rick.  I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Yeah.  Thanks Max.” Rick stood up and hugged him.

 

“I’ll do what I can.” Then he stepped away. “Go home.”

 

**********

 

Rick staged his nonchalance as perfectly as he could.  When AJ got home from school Rick was waiting for him in the living room.  He sat on the couch, leaning his head back, a soft smile on his face.

 

AJ came in, dropped his books on the coffee table and gave Rick one of his brilliant smiles. “Hey.”

 

“Hey.  How was school?”

 

“It was okay.  I got an ‘A’ on my French test.  How was your day?” AJ kicked off his shoes and flopped next to him.

 

“It was all right.  I saw Max today.” He laid a hand on the back of AJ’s neck and squeezed gently.

 

AJ sighed and lolled his head. “Are we out of money already?”

 

“No, nothing like that.”

 

He frowned. “Then what?  Nothing’s wrong is it?” There was a panic in AJ’s eyes. “Rick, what’s wrong?”

 

Rick opened his mouth and…and AJ looked pale, his lips pressed together. “He just wanted to know how we were doing.”

 

“Oh.” AJ let out a deep breath. “Is that all?  We should probably invite him for dinner one of these days.  You two used to be really close.”

 

“Yeah…close.” A part of him wanted to tell the kid about his relationship with Max.  He probably should have, a long time ago.  God, he was a coward.

 

AJ leaned over and kissed his mouth. “Wanna make love?”

 

“Maybe later, huh?” Then he grabbed a fistful of hair. “I love you.  I’ll always love you, till the day I die.”  It was times like these that it hurt to love AJ, when all he wanted to do was grab the kid and cry.  Maybe sex was a good idea.  Maybe touching him, tasting him, hearing his moans was just what Rick needed.

 

He caught AJ’s bottom lip in his teeth and sucked gently.  AJ sighed and twisted his body.  Ah damn him, it was always so easy for the kid to reach out.

 

Rick pushed him down against the couch.  Then he trailed his mouth down his neck, kissing, sucking, licking the salty flesh.  He could feel AJ swallowing.  Rick pressed his hands against AJ’s sides.  The kid was too skinny. 

 

He moved downward, nuzzled the cotton-covered chest, and sucked his nipples through the cloth.  When he got to AJ’s stomach he pulled the t-shirt up.  The skin here was hot, soft…vulnerable.  AJ’s hands were clenched in his hair and he was moaning softly.  Rick sighed and laid his cheek on his stomach.

 

“C’mon, don’t stop.” AJ tugged on his hair.

 

He swallowed the lump in his throat and shook off AJ’s hands.  Then he sat up.

 

“What is it now?”

 

Rick opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.

 

“Look, if you didn’t want to then you shouldn’t have started.  You don’t have to tease me.” AJ rolled off the couch and got to his feet.  As he turned and stalked away Rick spoke.

 

“Max got a letter from Aunt Dee and Uncle Henry,” he said, his voice hoarse.

 

AJ froze.

 

“They want custody.”

 

“Custody?” He turned. “What am I?  A baby?  I told them I wanted to stay with you.”

 

“They think—”

 

“Shut up!” He strode over to Rick and grabbed him by the chin. “Just shut up.”  He shoved Rick back and straddled him. Then AJ touched his face: cheeks, forehead, mouth. “We’ll be okay.”

 

“Yeah.” Rick didn’t believe it, but there was a determination in AJ’s eyes.

 

“Max will take care of it.  Say—say it.”

 

“We’ll be okay.  Max will take care of it.”

 

AJ nodded. “Nobody’s gonna take me away.  Nobody Rick.  Now touch me.”

 

Rick ran his fingers through his brother’s hair and pulled him down for a kiss.

 

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