Excuse My Charisma~ (Rue)

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Jackson was falling asleep. His already baggy eyes were somehow even more baggy, with dark circles running along the bottom. He hadn't been getting much sleep lately. Consequence of trying to stay on top of club practices, final projects, and final exam studying...but Jackson was such a procrastinator, he took as many 'opportunities' to take a 'break' as he could from studying(he really hated it) and that had resulted in Jackson staying up later to get these super important things done that would have been done sooner if he hadn't spent half the evening watching cartoons or reading that one book or texting Rue or Finn or snacking on cookies and then getting sick....

Jackson really needed to get his priorities straightened out. That was partially the reason why he was studying at home instead of the dorms. And partially the reason why he asked Rue to come over and 'help' him study. Not that Rue wasn't going to help....but....honestly, Jackson really was going to fall asleep at the coffee table if he didn't have someone there to entertain him/keep him awake.

He also thought it was a good opportunity for Grams to meet Rue. Rue...his 'tutor'. Ack! That made Jackson feel so ashamed, to be hiding their real relationship from her, but she would literally die of heartbreak if she found out that her grandson was sucking face with another boy(a college boy at that!). That was about ten times worse than him making out with his 'girlfriend', which was still bad enough. Even worse was that Ginny had finally gotten fed up with Jackson and his lies and pretty much told him off. He didn't know if she still wanted to be friends, but after asking her to do all those things for him, and after that little 'disagreement', Jackson was too scared to approach her again. She'd probably smack him...again....

Why were women always so violent? His aunt was like that too...

Jackson peered at the older boy...no, the man sitting on the floor beside him, hunched over the low-rise table, staring into a seemingly endless wall of text. Rue was a college student...he had his own studies to think about....now Jackson felt bad about asking him over. Especially since they were being watched...basically. Grams may have had her eyes closed, sitting in that cushioned chair, but she was still there. Jackson sighed silently, the popped his head up at a sudden idea that came in the form of his stomach growling. "Uh...Are you hungry? Rue? Grams didn't make anything, she wasn't expecting anyone over tonight, but...I can probably make something real quick? If you want? Or! We could go get something?" Like snacks. Anything to get a change of pace from staring at text and text and text and text.

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Rue didn’t particularly like seeing Jackson like this, which was one of the reasons why he had offered to come over to his house. To actually help with studying rather than text the boy and wonder if he was doing the work he was supposed to. And he did help him! Sure, Rue may not have been a real ‘tutor’, but he was a teacher’s assistant and had experience urging students to do their work. So he hoped he was being beneficial in that way, because he really did want to see Jackson do well. He was such a hard worker (when he wasn’t procrastinating), that it would be a shame if he didn’t.

He was very aware of the presence of Jackson’s Grams in the room, even if she appeared to be asleep. Therefore, he’d hardly even touched the teen, lest his ridiculous urges rear their ugly heads and make him seem suspicious. Nope, so far they had been good and Rue had helped out as much as he could, not the least of which was making sure the boy didn’t fall asleep in the middle of studying.

“Just think, the sooner we get this done, the sooner you can go to bed,” he encouraged. “And I really think a good night of sleep will do you good.” Rue smiled over at the boy, resisting the urge to ruffle his hair. He didn’t know how Grams might take that if she saw. He was just being as cautious as possible. Rue shifted a little, rubbing his knee that had become a little sore from sitting for so long. Maybe he should have been worrying about his own studies too, but he was only taking a couple of classes at the moment, so he didn’t have a lot to do.

“Mm?” he rumbled, looking up at the student again. “Yeah… I am a bit,” he admitted with a nod. Rue thought for a moment, and looked out the window. It wasn’t quite dark yet, but dark enough that he wouldn’t want Jackson going out by himself… But Rue was big and tall enough that he was intimidating enough to ward off most shady people, he’d come to learn, and with his ability, he could see such people a mile away. “I think a breath of fresh air would be good for both of us,” he decided, starting to stand. And it would give them an opportunity to get out of the house and away from Jackson’s grandmother. “What sounds good to you? I’m up for anything.” Rue stretched out his cramped muscles a little, and a peek of skin appeared as his shirt lifted slightly. “Nothing too sugary or caffeinated, though. You need to get a good rest tonight, it’s too late for those things.” He smiled over at the shorter boy.

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 Jackson didn’t need any help to study (in his opinion), he did it pretty darned good on his own all by himself…it just took a lot out of him and he was left half-dead by the time exam season was over.  Jackson never needed a tutor before so…but this was the only excuse that he could use to have Rue come over without his Grams getting suspicious.  They couldn’t just be friends, because Rue really was so much older….but he could be a tutor…ugh, Jackson was terrible, having to deceive a poor old lady like that, but it was for her own good! (and his!) How else was he supposed to explain his relationship with Rue? Not that they had a for-realz relationship, but they were…doing stuff.  Stuff he knew he shouldn’t be doing, but he couldn’t help it because whenever he was with Rue it was just soooooo hard to concentrate on anything else.

Even when he was just sitting still, exactly like this, looking all studious like he was.  Jackson’s glasses slipped down his nose as he stared just a little bit too long and then back to his own books.  He frowned at the so-called ‘encouragement’. “I don’t wanna go to bed…” he muttered sourly, just like the kid he was. Jackson just didn’t want to study because that was the reason why he was tired and wanting to sleep. If they were doing something else, something more active(and Jackson could think of a couple of something he’d rather be doing right now), then Jackson would be having no problem staying awake! But even Rue was treating him like a kid that needed to be looked after and given a bedtime before ten o’clock.

Whatever happened to the Rue who thought that Jackson was mature for his age? Isn’t that the reason he mistook the boy for being older than he was in the first place?

At least Rue agreed that it’d be a good idea to get up and about. Sitting here forever was putting Jackson to sleep, and he’d rather not risk stabbing himself in the eye with his pencil every time his head seemed to dip in his drowsiness. Jackson sat up straighter and started stretching himself, preparing to get himself out of that uncomfortably stiff position. “Mmmm! Yeah,” he agreed with a hum as his arms reached over his head. Jackson considered the question and was about to respond with….exactly what Rue told him not to. He pouted. “Aww….” And here he wanted ice cream and soda. He’d live off those if he could. Jackson shrugged. “I don’t know really. I only came up with this place two seconds ago and usually I just go get what I feel like when I see it.” It was probably why he always ended up getting sugary stuff in the first place, actually. Jackson was an impulse buyer, he usually just got what looked most delicious to him at the time. He never really planned his snacking in advance. ‘Grazing’ is what his doctor called it, and he frowned on the practice.

Jackson hefted himself up to his feet, a little unsteady from a sudden head rush, and plopped in his socks over to his Grams still resting in the chair in the corner. “Hey…hey, Grams?” he muttered to the half-asleep woman. “We’re gonna go get something to eat, you want anything?” he asked. She uttered a smallest of sounds which Jackson took to be a ‘no’. He looked up at Rue. “Are you gonna get anything?” he asked swiping up his shoes and stuffing his feet into them halfway. His heels crushed the backs of them. Jackson was too lazy to fix it.

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Rue agreed that Jackson didn’t really need the help. Hell, he was a better student than Rue was, really. The older man wasn’t a slacker, per say, but he never had a lot of motivation to do his own work; he liked helping others more. Did he feel guilty about pretending for the sake of Jackson’s grandmother? Well… Yeah. His conscience didn’t like playing the part in front of an old woman. But… What else were they to do? Rue didn’t want to stay away, and Jackson seemed to want to keep him around, so…

Their eyes met, and Rue’s chest made an odd fluttering feeling. Something about Jackson in those glasses drove him crazy (well, crazier than usual), and it took all his effort to say screw everything and take him there on the floor. He swallowed hard and made an amused smile. “But sleep is good for you,” he responded, as though speaking to a child. “It helps you retain what you’ve memorized tonight so you’ll be able to remember it.” He faked a yawn and stretched his arms. “I like sleeping…” Rue was a somewhat lazy person in that regard; he could stay in bed in his fuzzy pajamas all day if he didn’t have anything he needed to do.

D’aww… look at him, so cute and sleepy… Rue just wanted to scoop the boy up and cart him off to bed right now so he could use him as his own personal teddy bear to keep him warm. But… He couldn’t, not here or now. Sigh. Food sounded good, at least. “Well, we can just walk downtown and see what pops out,” he suggested, thinking about what was down there. “I’ll treat. You’ve been working hard, you deserve it.” Rue smiled fondly at the boy, a little too fondly; hopefully Grams was too asleep to notice.

He waited for the boy as he spoke to the old woman, stretching again and rolling out his stiff neck. Ahh… Some days, he felt so much older than his twenty-one years. Rue nodded as Jackson turned back to him and spoke, and he followed the younger boy into the hall. “Yeah, I could use something,” he replied, taking a moment to put his own shoes on properly. He smiled, seeing the squished pair Jackson was wearing, and took the opportunity to touch him as soon as they were out of the grandmother’s site. Rue gently pressed the boy up against the wall and stole a kiss, his hand trailing down Jackson’s side. “You know your glasses drive me crazy, right?” he whispered against the teen’s ear. “I wasn’t joking the other night, even though I was a little tipsy.” Rue was still embarrassed about that night. He eventually pulled away and gave the boy a faint smile. “Shall we go, then?” Once they were out of the house, Rue would feel even more comfortable showing his affection. He felt like there were eyes here, still watching…

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Jackson would be the only person who thought he wasn’t that great of a student. He just did things the easy way, the bare minimum necessary to get full points. If they asked him to write each vocabulary word in a sentence, they’d be the simplest things ever, despite him being able to write something a lot more complex. Cut corners, mince words, find loopholes, and do all the extra credit ever. Also, sucking up to the teachers helped. They didn’t get on his case as much when he was on their good side, and that led to him being able to miss some assignments on occasion without much penalty(if any at all).

Basically, school wasn’t that hard, why did people keep trying to push him into it like it was the most important thing ever?

Jackson always felt this way around exam time, though the truth was that it was clearly important enough to him that he stayed up into all hours of the night trying to get his assignments done, despite his constant procrastination and slacking. “Meh, who needs sleep?” he said with a slight grump. The boy raised his chin proudly, eyes closed and glasses still hanging off the end of his nose. “I can function perfectly fine without it,” he said smugly, flicking those glasses right back up in place. Though Jackson had his lazy days as well, and would gladly join Rue on those all-day-pajama-days if he could. You know, once the school year ended and they let out for the summer and he had nothing else important to do, like club practices.

He nodded with a bit of excitement. Now that he wasn’t staring into a book anymore, and the thought of food and moving around was seeded in his mind, Jackson was starting to become a bit more lively. “Sounds good!” He beamed even brighter at the offer of being treated, and for a moment he entertained the idea of simply filling a basket completely with treats and sweets, and having Rue get that for him. But he nixed the idea a moment later. He couldn’t take advantage of Rue like that, and besides, the man said to not get things that were too sweet. Or with caffeine. Oh, sadness, those were his favorites.

“Okay,” he replied, smiling at the man as he waited with a little bounce in his heels for Rue to put on his shoes. He was starting to get a little jumpy. Amazing at how quickly his energy could change from one minute to the next. He was not expecting, however, to be suddenly pulled off to the side as soon as they left the room, and certainly not to be pressed against the wall to engage in a sudden kiss. Jackson flushed and closed his eyes as he took it in and enjoyed caresses of the older man. “I’m sorry…” he said meekly, his head arched up in a light swoon. Rue’s confession only served to embarrassed the boy more and he gripped the sides of his glasses, unsure if he should take them off now or not. He didn’t really need them to see, they were just for reading. Jackson nodded and followed Rue outside. Well…now he was self conscious…but he lowered his hands to his sides, deciding to leave the glasses on anyway…

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“Everyone needs sleep,” Rue replied firmly, but with a faint smile. “It’s not healthy rely on caffeine and sugar to keep you awake.” If you lived with me, I would make sure you took care of yourself, he thought idly, almost reaching up to brush away a few strands of the boy’s hair before catching himself and messing with his own instead. He snorted slightly. “Right… That’s why you’re almost stabbing yourself in the face with your pencil while you work,” Rue replied with a chuckle. If Jackson’s head had been drooping any lower, he would have face-planted on his textbooks. “That’s part of my new tutoring regimen. Healthy studying habits.” And Jackson was his only subject.

Ahh, of course he would have more energy now, though. It made sense – Rue had a tendency to get droopy when he studied no matter how much sleep he’d gotten, so really, a break was definitely in order. “Alright,” he replied, smiling. Aw… So cute. If Jackson did go through with his plans, Rue would make sure to toss some healthy things among the mix and make sure those, at least, got eaten as well. He was going to make a health nut out of the boy yet! … Maybe.

Rue was awful, wasn’t he? Taking advantage of the teen the moment they left his grandmother’s line of view. But what could be expected? He’d been waiting for who knows how many hours, he had to get it out of his system! “Don’t apologize,” he murmured against Jackson’s lips, stealing another quick smooch. “Unless you’re doing it on purpose. Fiend.” Rue chuckled and finally backed off, and was glad when the boy seemed to decide to keep the glasses on. Subtly, he reached for Jackson’s hand and gave it a squeeze, but pulled away after a moment, assuming the younger boy wasn’t wanting to show such affection in public. “So… Boba tea shop?” he suggested as they walked, still letting their arms occasionally brush. “They have snacks and things along with tea, and it’s not too far. Does that sound good?” He glanced down at the shorter teen, head tilted quizzically. And, when they found themselves walking down an otherwise empty side street, Rue took advantage of it and leaned in to give the boy a quick smothering of kisses on his cheek. He really had lost all self-control, hadn’t he?

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Jackson knew Rue was right, he just didn’t want to admit it.  Because he didn’t want to be some kid who had to be told when his bedtime was, and that was exactly what Rue was doing! He got that enough from his Grams, he didn’t need it from Rue too.  “I would not be so stupid,” he argued like the kid he was, stubbornly looking away from the man. ‘Healthy studying habits’….Jackson did  well enough without them, why did he have to implement ‘healthy study habits’.  Bleeeeehhhh.
 
Moving around was much more his style and as soon as they started doing that, Jackson’s mood picked up as well, his sourness towards the older man nearly forgotten.  Nearly, because he was still treating Jackson like a kid, but at least Jackson wasn’t grumpy from restlessness anymore.  Besides, food was always a reason to be excited. 
 
Yes, Rue was terrible! Especially when he knew very well how anxious Jackson got from the thought of his family(especially his Grams) finding out about what he was doing with Rue.  But then, at the same time….at the same time it enlivened him even more, having the possibility of being discovered floating over his head while he swooned under Rue’s lips and touches. He shook his head lazily at the accusation. “M’not…” At least, he didn’t think he was. What was he even doing that made Rue go crazy like that? Jackson mindlessly thought that he’d have to figure it out so he could do it on purpose…no, that’d make him terrible, wouldn’t it?

Recovered(somewhat, he was still blushing and a little breathless), Jackson followed beside the older man, smiling at the small squeeze of his hand. His hand felt cold once they parted. “Yeah, okay!” he agreed brightly, rubbing his now lonely hand with his other one. Jackson smiled, idly thinking about already what he was going to get once they reached the tea shop. His thoughts were filled with bubble tea and sweets when they reached that alleyway, and his breath caught at the sudden kisses. Jackson peeked up from behind his glasses and sent Rue a kiss through the air. Then he dipped his head and giggled, his cheeks now a bright apple red. Rue was so silly!

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Yes…. Rue was aware of how nervous Jackson was about his family finding out about their… Thing. But really, he wasn’t being that bad! His grandmother was the only one home (as far as he knew) and she was pretty much asleep in the other room. They were fiiine. Besides, Jackson was obviously very into it, and it made Rue smirk a little. “If you say so,” he replied, believing him. Heh, the poor kid really didn’t understand what he did to the older man, did he? Then again, Rue still didn’t quite understand it himself…

He wanted to hold Jackson’s hand longer, but that would really risk them getting caught, and Rue wasn’t ready for that either. “Alright,” he replied with a smile. Rue wasn’t quite sure what to talk about after their hours of studying, so he walked in mostly silence until the alley opportunity arose. Rue snickered at the air kiss. “What was that?” he teased, pausing to face the boy and bend him backwards slightly over a nearby railing. “Are you teasing me?” His eyes glittered as Rue melded their lips together again, like not too early before, but this time he didn’t hold back at all; surely no one would see them back here. Rue parted the boy’s lips gently with his tongue and tangled it with Jackson’s, his fingers going up to nestle in his soft hair. A content hum rumbled in his chest, and his free hand trailed downwards to settle on the teen’s side, gently caressing his soft stomach under his shirt. After several long moments, Rue finally parted with a soft smack. “Mmm… I waited so long to do that,” he chuckled, holding Jackson close and gazing at him for several moments before gently peeling away. “Next time, let’s take a break sooner, alright?”

Feeling a lot better and less tense, Rue led Jackson back onto one of the more main roads that led to the tea shop, a smug smile plastered on his face. “So, what do you think you’re going to get?” he asked casually, watching people as they passed by. It was a little late, so the sidewalks weren’t too busy, but there were still a good number of pedestrians about. A pleasant evening for a walk. Mm… If only he could take Jackson back to his place afterwards….

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“I-I don’t know what you mean,” he said coyly, averting his eyes from the intense gaze of the older man.  How would Jackson know how to tease and taunt Rue into pouncing at him?  Jackson barely knew what sex was, he barely knew what flirting was, how could such an innocent little Catholic pull off such a thing at someone who was clearly more experienced?
 
Though….Jackson was already swooning and holding his breath from being arched back.  Yes, he liked this, he admitted it, albeit silently.  He’d likely never say how much, though, the risk of getting caught thrilled him and made every single move just that much more intoxicating.  He was sensitive under Rue’s touch, everywhere from his tongue, to his lips, to his fingertips; every one of them tingled pleasantly.  He gripped his hands on the railing behind him as he was pushed back into it, his chin arched upward to meet his mouth with Rue’s invading tongue and lips.   Then there were his wandering hands that tickled at Jackson’s sides and abs, making him smile and squirm during the kiss.  He giggled when Rue finally released the boy.  “I could tell,” he teased with a bright smile upwards.  “You’ve been looking at me like you want me ever since you came over.”  Did those words just come from Jackson’s mouth?  His face flared up from uttering such an embarrassing thing, but didn’t look away from the tall man. Instead, he nodded and giggled with glee. “Okay!” he agreed. That really was the better idea anyway. Jackson could only concentrate on one thing for so long long, especially if it involved studying.

Eyes forward again, Jackson followed Rue to the main street with a little skip in his step and smile on his lips. “Um…I don’t know. Something sweet.” Great answer. “I usually just get what stands out to me, I guess.” As said before, Jackson’s snacking decisions were often impulsive and rarely decided beforehand. Jackson scampered up beside Rue, acting like a puppy following his dear dear master. “What’re you getting?” he asked, resisting the urge to simply cling to the man’s arm as they walked. That would definitely draw unwanted attention.

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Logically, Rue knew that Jackson was telling the truth. He knew he was the boy’s first kiss, first… Several things, and possibly first other thing to come in the future (not that he’d thought about that… Nope…). But still… How else could he explain how crazy he got around the fairly average teenage boy? Rue just couldn’t understand it, and it drove him mad. And he used to be so good at controlling himself… Maye it was just that Jackson made him feel like a kid again. Or something.

Heh… Jackson really was cute like this, though. Rue chuckled to himself as he felt the boy wriggling under his touch, and gave him a teasing smile when he finally pulled away. “You act like you’re really ticklish,” he commented, reaching out and tickling the boy’s stomach again. “I’ll remember that…” Hehehe. He was going to have to invite Jackson over after finals were done so they could at least cuddle/tickle/kiss on his couch again. Though, when Jackson replied with his rather cheeky comment, Rue’s eyes widened before he snorted and laughed shortly. “It wasn’t that obvious, was it?” he asked, almost worried. “I wouldn’t want your grandmother to see me making sex eyes at you…. I wouldn’t know how to explain that.” Still…. Rue smirked. “Someone’s getting a little more cocky, huh?” he teased, ruffling Jackson’s hair affectionately. “Just don’t wear your glasses all the time… Holding back just one night was hard enough.” They made him that much more desirable.

Anyway…. Focusing on walking again. “Mmm… I should have guessed,” he chuckled. “Well, there will be plenty of sweet things there, I’m sure.” Rue smiled over at Jackson as the boy caught up beside him, letting their arms brush every so often. “Hmm…. Well, definitely some tea, and maybe a scone or something,” he mused. “They seem to have different things every time I go, though…” Mm… He was going to feel nostalgic, he realized. This was where the two of them had first met, back on that snowy day. How long ago had it been now? They turned a corner leading onto the street that the tea shop was on, and Rue glanced at a tall man that was walking towards them. He looked vaguely familiar, and Rue wondered if he had seen him somewhere before… Hammel, maybe? Whatever the case, the guy was dressed very obviously expensively and talking on his cell phone with a serious expression, so Rue didn’t take the time to wonder over it too much. “Aaand here we are,” he announced a few minutes later, opening the door for Jackson to walk inside. Ahh… it always smelled so inviting in here.

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Rue was pretty much Jackson’s first experience in everything related to…..those things.  And he still wasn’t sure if that other one thing was going to be included in the equation eventually, or no?  And Jackson still wasn’t sure if he was alright with that.  He still had so many hang-ups, all of which were the reason why he went to such lengths to hide their relationship from…pretty much everybody. 
 
As for why Jackson drove Rue crazy?  Jackson’s guess was that he was just a horny, dirty old man(not that old though) with no self –control.  Well, Jackson didn’t hate it, so it was fine.

Clearly he didn’t hate it, considering how he swooned every time Rue had him in one of those back-arching positions with his lips meshed both fierce and tenderly over Jackson’s. “Sorry….” the boy uttered breathlessly followed by another giggle when Rue tickled him again. Jackson might argue the opposite, however, that Rue was the one driving Jackson mad and into doing things he otherwise wouldn’t. Before they met, Jackson had been very diligent in not considering other men for any sort of relationship other than friendship. So there must’ve been something about Rue that made Jackson give in….no, wait, there was nothing to give in to, because Jackson wasn’t gay! Nope! This was just….because it felt good and was an enjoyable distraction until Jackson could find a girlfriend, yup!

At least he didn’t think so…

Jackson covered his mouth to snicker at Rue. “Maaaybe just a liiiittle,” he teased. But those sex eyes were something that probably only Jackson noticed, if just because he was looking for them. And at them. “Ha ha, she’d probably have a heart attack if she knew,” he joked, though Jackson was almost convinced that his grandmother would just drop dead if she ever found out about Rue and Jackson’s true relationship. He giggled again at the hair ruffle. “Okaay. I don’t like wearing them anyway,” he said with a slight pout, though….he was probably going to wear his glasses more often, since Rue seemed to like them.

Jackson felt like such a kid sometimes with Rue, though, especially when it came to his own childish habits. Like buying snacks based on impulse rather than a plan. But…Rue didn’t seem to be bothered much by it, so…maybe he shouldn’t either? Hmmm. “They do? I don’t really notice,” he said, looking up at Rue. “I look at it every time, but I don’t really pay attention to the menu, to be honest.” And what things they consistently had vs special seasonal things. He probably should.

Jackson smiled and looked up as they approached the tea shop, though as he did, his eyes too took notice of the person walking towards them. ….Wasn’t that….that researcher who just started at Hammel? Jackson had seen him around campus a number of times and…he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t snuck a few admiring gazes. Why not!? He was tall, good looking, smart….actually, he was a lot like Rue when he really thought about it. Jackson wondered if Rue would get even more handsome like that as he got older(he didn’t know that the researcher was only a couple years older than Rue either). Jackson didn’t realize he’d been staring(again), and had even stopped walking to catch a glance behind him. Wow…he had such broad shoulders…..just like Rue….

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“Mm… You better be sorry,” Rue teased as he chuckled at the younger boy. “I’ll make you pay for looking so cute… Sometime. When’s the last day of your finals again? I could have you over to… Celebrate.” Not that he would force the boy to do anything he was uncomfortable with, but… Well, surely they were getting deep enough into whatever relationship they had going that it would eventually lead to them sleeping together, right? Rue just wasn’t sure how to bring it up…

He blushed and covered his face with his hand momentarily as Jackson spoke. “Aigoo…” he sighed. Rue really needed to learn how to control himself and his expressions again, otherwise he risked doing things he would regret. “I don’t want that,” he pouted, looking up at the boy. “Your grandmother is very nice. I hate having to hide things from her.” But then again, they were hiding this from pretty much everyone, so… That should set of Rue’s alarm bells, and maybe it did a little, but he just couldn’t find the effort to stop this thing they had going. “Heh, alright. Cutie.” Rue gave him a peck on the cheek before they started off again.

He had to keep reminding himself not to take up Jackson’s hand as they walked. Was it really starting to feel that natural to him, like they were…. Boyfriends, or something? Rue had never asked Jackson how he felt about the relationship, but he wondered if someday he should. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to call Jackson his boyfriend… Not that he didn’t care deeply about the boy, but Rue was still hesitant to get exclusive with anyone. “Yeah…. I guess I go there a lot, so I’ve noticed,” he chuckled, snapping his head out of his thoughts. “Hey, have you ever considered getting a job? I know they’re hiring often, so if you’re interested, it might not be a bad place to look.” They seemed to have a high turnover rate; the tiny, athletic-looking Chinese girl that used to work there hadn’t been there lately, which Rue was bummed about, because he had liked her quite a bit.

… Yeah, maybe he did go there too often, since he got to know the workers pretty well.

He was thinking about this when he noticed that Jackson seemed to have gotten distracted with something. Or rather, someone. Rue scowled as he realized this, and automatically took the boy’s hand and tugged on it gently, to remind him that he was here. “What are you looking at?” he accused with a pout. “That guy? He’s a vain, rich jerk. I think I remember him from my days at Hammel. And he’s too old for you.” Hah… Like Rue wasn’t? “Come on, tea, remember?” What was that he was feeling… Jealousy? Well, of course he was jealous! That guy was ridiculously handsome, even if he had a thousand negative qualities. He led Jackson into the shop, feeling just a tiny bit grumpy. Hmph… What did that guy have that he didn’t…?

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“Celebrate?” Jackson repeated, looking up at Rue with sparkling eyes. Oh, wow, that sounded awesome and he was already looking forward to it, and was completely oblivious to Rue’s intention to possibly take their relationship a step further. That was Rue’s fault, for being so vague. Jackson was already thinking that he might want to have Finn there too and maybe another friend or two for the celebration. He tapped his chin in thought. “Um…I think it’s not until next thursday. That’s if they don’t spring any last minute surprises on us in my other classes.” That was over a week away, which felt so far away, but the anticipation had him excited enough already to be willing to hold out for such a fun event.

Jackson snickered as Rue seemed to get embarrassed over his oh-so obvious behavior in front of Jackson’s grandmother. Rue really didn’t have any self-control. Jackson’s smile softened and turned somewhat sad. “I don’t….I don’t like hiding things from her either,” he admitted, taking up Rue’s hand and giving it a small squeeze. “But….she’s…her…and the rest of my family…they’re not the most open-minded people.” Who knew what they’d do or say to Jackson if they found out he was…no, he wasn’t gay, but he was kissing this very good looking, sexy, maddening older man. His smile grew a little brighter at the peck on his cheek and Jackson giggled from the butterflies tickling his tummy. “Okaaay~” he agreed, releasing Rue’s hand and following beside him.

Jackson wasn’t sure what to call their relationship either. He refused to use the word ‘boyfriends’ simply because of the connotations that came with it, but….no, he just didn’t know. Yes, he liked Rue. Quite a lot. Frankly, he was addicted to the older man. As for his feelings….well, simply put, Jackson was a 16-year-old boy with no experience in relationships and hang-ups about homosexuality. His feelings were too complicated for him to sort through right now. It was better if he just ignored them and just kept doing what they were doing. At least until he figured them out. Which would be…sometimes, somehow, maybe, possibly, who knew? It was hard to tell.

“A job?” Jackson hadn’t considered getting a job…no, that was a lie, but every time he considered it, and brought it up to his Grams, she immediately said ‘no’. Jackson shook his head. “Grams won’t let me get a job,” he explained. “She says my job is to be a kid and a good student, and to let her worry about things like money.” That didn’t mean Jackson wasn’t still worried about money…but if Grams said ‘no’, then there was nothing he could do.

Jackson didn’t notice anything about Rue’s apparent irritation or jealousy until he started to tug on Jackson’s hand…even then he wasn’t sure what had gotten into the older man. “H-hun? What?” That guy? Jackson listened to Rue’s complaints. “He’s rich?” He turned to look back at the other gentleman as he continued to walk away. “…I can tell. I could never afford to wear anything like that even if I worked every day for the rest of my life.” That was an obvious exaggeration, but….Jackson couldn’t imagine being so well off that he could afford to wear such expensive clothing casually. He didn’t really hear most of what else Rue had to say about the man. “Mmm, right. Tea,” he repeated, eyes still on that guy’s back until they entered the shoppe. “He reminds me of you,” Jackson said, innocently looking up at Rue. He smiled. "Very manly." Jackson laughed and gave Rue a poke in the stomach before turning to go wait in line and inspect the menu. Ahhh, there were so many things to pick, Jackson couldn't decide what to get!

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Well, really, if Jackson wanted to have a little party with Finn and some other friends, there was no way Rue would deny him that. He deserved to have some fun after studying so hard, and the older man would be happy to provide him with a place to do so. “Next Thursday… Alright. How about we do something Friday night, then?” he suggested with a smile. “You can come over to my place for a while, so we don’t have to worry about… You know,” he finished, vaguely motioning back in the direction of Jackson’s place.

He sighed again as she was talked about, looking down at his hand when Jackson took it up. “Yeah… I know,” Rue replied softly, rubbing his thumb in circles over the back of Jackson’s palm. “I wish I knew how to change their minds. I don’t want you to have to hide this for… A long time…” Not necessarily his relationship with Rue in particular, but his… Well, being gay. Because even if Jackson was denying it, there was no way the older man couldn’t see it. The younger boy’s aura was always pink to some extent when he was around. Rue’s was too.

It seemed, since they were both rather stuck in the relationship for one reason or another, things would likely remain the same between them. And that was fine with Rue, really. He was enjoying his time with Jackson, while also not feeling guilty about occasionally seeing other people, such as Vicky, sometimes. Most of his attentions were on the younger boy, but he was so young and inexperienced… No, what they had going was good. “Oh… I see,” he replied at the mention of working. “Well, that’s alright. You’re still young, and it’s sweet of her to take your youth into consideration.” An idea came to him. “You could try volunteering with me sometime if you would like, though.” That might be a fun sort-of-date thing to do, right?

But… Hmph… Why did that guy need to show up and make Jackson swoon? Because that was what Rue was seeing. “Yeah… I saw him working at this expensive clothing boutique once. They even had his pictures on the walls modeling their clothing.” Okay, maybe Rue knew more about this guy than he realized. He wasn’t jealous…! “Anyone with that much money should be donating it to charity, not using it to buy over-priced goods,” he complained quietly with a scowl. That’s what he would do, at least, or so he liked to think. Thankfully the guy went out of sight when they went into the shop, but then Jackson said- “He’s nothing like me,” he replied with a grump. Though Jackson’s explanation… “… Manly?” he repeated incredulously. “… Well… I guess… That’s not untrue…” Though he doubted the guy’s pecs and abs were as soft as his were. Hmph. Anyway… Tea. “What would you like?” he asked as he walked up to the counter and scanned over the menu. He decided on a honeydew boba tea and a blueberry scone, and waited for Jackson to say what he wanted before paying for them both and standing off to the side to wait for the order to be ready. “…. I think I know what your type is now…” he mentioned in a slightly teasing voice. He was feeling a bit less grumpy now, fortunately, that they were getting food.