Good Guys Don't Date Bad Boys

Chapter Twenty-Four -- Better Than Nothing

Maddox watched as Rusty rested his head on his outstretched arm, while using his other hand to pour salt into his water glass. Getting the airhead off beer for at least the duration of the evening seemed like a lost cause. "Are you going to drink that?" he asked.

Rusty blinked lazily at him. He had brushed his hair, showered, and dressed in clean clothes, but that didn't mean that his mind was less of a mess. Maddox wouldn't outright say something cheesy like he was worried about his bestie, but in all truth, he was worried about his bestie.

"What's it like?" Rusty asked, ignoring his question on purpose.

Maddox gave him a stare supposed to wither him on the spot. "I'm not telling you a thing about how it is to fuck Jonathan."

Rusty grinned. "Come on, you're dying to tell me."

Maddox grinned back. Nah, he didn't want to give details or brag or anything, but he did want to say something. "It's frigging it, okay? But I'm not going to tell you more."

"It's because it's different, right?" Rusty asked.

They were still waiting for their pizza to arrive, and they were already getting to the meatiest parts of their conversation. "You're asking me if it's different because he's a dude? Yeah, it's different," Maddox confirmed.

Rusty pursed his lips and looked at him with unexpected candor. "That's not what I mean. It's different because you like him, right? Like really, really like him."

Maddox nodded. And then, he realized that he wasn't there to talk about himself and Jonathan. Rusty was deflecting and, as usual, he was damned good at it. "Yeah, so I wonder what you really, really like these days? Getting as much booty as you can?" He smirked to show that he intended to make light of the situation so that he could get near the real issue undetected.

No chance of that. Rusty's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me this is an intervention thing or whatever."

Maddox sighed. The waitress interrupted them for a moment as she placed the plates in front of them. Rusty seemed suddenly livelier at the sight of food and also at the waitress's tight mini skirt. He gave her a long appreciative look as she walked away, and she threw him a come-hither smile over her shoulder.

"You're such a dog," Maddox said.

"She has a nice ass," Rusty countered. "And legs. Two of 'em." He put two fingers up as if Maddox couldn't tell what that meant.

"You're still a dog," he repeated. "Come on, man, this is me. What the hell is going on that you can't spare a moment to sleep? You're the king, everyone bows to you, but don't you have enough already? You look like shit."

Yeah, tough love had to be it.

Rusty pouted and ran his hands through his hair like Maddox's criticism had just been a blow to his self-confidence. But, the next moment, he burst into laughter. "That Jonathan dude really has you by the dick," he joked.

"Are you trying to get smart? And what's Jonathan got to do with anything we're talking about right now?"

"He has," Rusty insisted. "Because you're all serious now, you expect me to be serious, too."

"How am I serious? Wait, are you saying that I'm boring now that I have a boyfriend?" Maddox stared at Rusty in disbelief. Not that he minded being boring, if it meant that he had Jonathan, and that was a pretty sweet deal. But what was Rusty getting at, anyway?

"Nah, that's not it." Rusty leaned back in his chair and stared at him with hooded eyes. "If there hadn't been any Jonathan, you'd be busy competing with me for chicks right now."

That was true. It was so true it was annoying. Maddox growled under his breath. Fuck Rusty and his being right. "Yeah," he admitted with plenty of reluctance. "Still, I wouldn't have been as fucked up as you are right now."

"Not my fault chicks dig me so much," Rusty said with a shrug and a smile.

Maddox jumped at the opportunity. "The real question is: do you still dig them? According to Kane, you don't stay with one longer than half an hour."

"Kane should mind his business, freaking lifer," Rusty huffed. "And I last for way longer than half an hour."

"No shit," Maddox countered without any qualms about putting his bestie in his place. "Is your dick still attached to the rest of you?"

Rusty grinned and leaned over the table. "Wanna check?"

"Here, or should we wait until we get back?" Maddox said and gave Rusty his best shit-eating grin.

Rusty laughed so loud and hard that the people at the nearby tables stopped what they were doing to stare at them. Maddox had to kick his asshole of a friend under the table to make him stop. Rusty waved at the annoyed patrons and pointed at Maddox. "This guy's a riot. He needs to do standup."

Maddox had no problem with playing along with Rusty, either, when it was them against the world. "He's just saying so. I'm not that funny."

"Oh, dear, don't be so modest," Rusty drawled.

The people began to smile and returned to their meals and conversations.

"You got that from your boyfriend, too," Rusty said as soon as no one was paying them any attention. "You're gutsier."

"I call bullshit," Maddox replied. "I'm the definition of the gutsiest guy in the known universe. Always have been."

"Yeah, but you weren't kinky," Rusty said with satisfaction. "I don't think you'd have said anything before about wanting to touch the mighty Thor."

Maddox covered his face and laughed into his palms. They really needed to keep this conversation on the right track, or the people around them might think they were nuts. "The mighty Thor?" he whispered as soon as he got his bearings back. "For real?"

Rusty puffed out his chest with pride. "So I've been told. I didn't name him."

"Yeah, sure, let's leave it at that. Come on, Rusty, don't make me chase you with a bat. Don't chicks do it for you anymore? Why are you changing them like socks? Oh, wait, I stand corrected. I've seen you going outside with no socks at all, and it's November."

Rusty sighed as if Maddox was giving him too hard a problem to solve. "How do you know that Jonathan does it for you?"

"Is this bothering you? That I'm with him?" Maddox asked.

"Nope. But I want to know. What's special? You know, about the whole thing."

Maddox opened his mouth, but no sound came out. There were many things; where was he even supposed to start? And that wasn't it. He found it difficult to explain because he wasn't sure Rusty would be on the same wavelength so he could understand. So, for lack of anything else, he just stared at his friend in confusion.

Only to be met by an equally confused expression in Rusty's green eyes that was not an act at all. "Well, it is," he replied, somewhat defensively. "Don't make me say cheesy stuff. I know you're dying to."

Like how Jonathan was the most beautiful person that must have ever lived on the face of the planet, and how his smile was so precious that Maddox wanted to steal it and keep it under lock and key, and how his body was so warm and tight and...

Okay, he needed to stop or he'd just end up having wide-eyed fantasies about his boyfriend of whom he couldn't get enough, nor believed he ever would.

Quick, he needed to get himself together. The fastest way to do that was to launch a counterattack. "What about cat boys?" he asked quickly.

Rusty blinked and looked at him in even more confusion.

Maddox reached for the ketchup bottle, just to pretend that he wasn't flustered because he had been thinking a little too much about Jonathan and his perfect hard body. Before, he would have never felt embarrassed about thinking of some girl and her nice curves; but right now, everything was different, and he felt the need to hide what he and Jonathan were doing when alone from the entire world. Not even Rusty was allowed there. It was just too private.

"What about cat boys?" Rusty asked, echoing his question.

"Don't tell me you're over them, too."

"I'll never be over cat boys," Rusty declared.

Good, good, that was a way to steer the conversation away from what exactly made his heart beat faster and his body go into overdrive whenever he did as little as think of Jonathan. "So? Get yourself a cat boy and see what it's all about," he suggested.

"I can't," Rusty pointed out as if it was the most natural thing to say.

"Why? Oh, wait, is 'can't' suddenly part of your vocabulary? That's a big surprise."

Rusty hesitated, and that look of confusion was back in his eyes. "I only want to pet one."

Maddox pinched the bridge of his nose. In any other universe except Rusty's, that had to be weird as fuck, yet, somehow it made total sense. He could picture Rusty patting the head of a dude dressed up as a cat, completely not ironically. "Just pet? You don't want to grab a laser and see if the guy climbs the wall, bent on catching the red dot, right?" With someone like Rusty, he needed to check.

Rusty looked at him like he was actually considering doing exactly that. Better not put any more crazy ideas in the guy's head, Maddox thought.

"Between you and me, Rusty, though," he said quickly, "do you think that you might be into boys? Maybe a little?" That could be a solid reason for all the confusion and the affirmation of Rusty's sexuality by throwing himself into any available bed on campus with a girl in it.

"Nope. Just cat boys," Rusty said with determination.

"Okay, I'm not going to fight you over it. You know better." Maddox knew that Rusty didn't do well with being told who he really was or what he was thinking by someone else. He usually thought about what he was told, but only if there was room for him to squeeze out, and that was why Maddox was giving him an exit right now. "Now, eat your pizza. I can tell you've only been eating crap lately."

"Hey, don't disparage those who don't have the privilege of dating a chef. Hey, do you think you can convince Jonathan to sleep over and cook for everyone? And by that, I mean me."

"I'm not going to do that, you lazy bum. And he's not a chef. Just someone who knows how to cook."

Rusty snorted. "You should kiss his ass and ask him to feed you."

Maddox looked at his plate. Rusty needed to stop it with the innuendos. Sure, he loved kissing Jonathan's ass and also feasting on that awesome cock of his, but right now, he had to think of anything else except that.

"You're thinking of something kinky," Rusty said with a laugh.

"Am not," Maddox protested. "Shut up, cat boy lover. Just go chase some tail already."

Rusty sighed theatrically. "I can't, man, I just can't."

"You still didn't tell me why, though."

"Because I'm not gay like your gay ass," Rusty replied and waited for Maddox to jump for the bait.

Maddox crumpled a tissue and threw it at his friend. Rusty dodged and laughed.

"My gay ass worries about your straight ass. Eat your food. And we'll set some ground rules later. Like you cannot have more than one chick over a week."

"Says who? Kane?"

"Everyone. Stop whoring around, you male slut," Maddox said.

"All right. One a day."

"Five days."

"Three."

"Deal."

Still better than nothing, Maddox thought to himself. With Rusty, that uphill battle was always worth it, though.

***

Jonathan smiled as he grabbed the phone. "Hey," he said, feeling the now familiar warmth in his chest whenever Maddox was involved.

"Hey, do you think you can come out for a sec? I'm right outside your dorm. I know it's late--"

"I'll be right there," Jonathan promised as he got off the bed and started changing. "I'm walking out the door right now. Don't go anywhere."

Maddox chuckled in his ear. "I wouldn't dream of that."

Was he talking too much? Jonathan felt heat rising in his cheeks as he walked into the hallway and grabbed his coat. Supposedly, they were official only in each other's eyes, and they hadn't had the chance to talk about it. But was right now a good moment? Did he sound too eager? Was he even right to assume that Maddox truly wanted it?

There was no time for overthinking. He found Maddox right outside and hurried to him as if the guy was a magnet and he a random fleck of iron. Maddox grinned from ear to ear and moved to meet him mid-way.

"Hey," Jonathan said, feeling suddenly stupid and lacking any clever words to say.

"Don't talk." Maddox pulled him into a hug and kissed his lips hard.

Jonathan closed his eyes and abandoned himself to the sensation. Good thing he didn't have to talk at all. His lips parted, allowing Maddox's playful tongue to sneak inside. They were kissing as if they hadn't seen each other in ages, when it was only this morning that they had been locked in a similar embrace, kissing in front of the entire campus.

This time, at least, they didn't have an audience. Maddox moved slightly away, but then came back, and kissed him harder. Jonathan let out of small moan of pleasure as Maddox snuck his hands inside his coat and locked them just above the small of his back.

He was the one to tear away this time, but not completely. He kissed Maddox back and he was kissed back. Why did things ever have to be complicated? Kissing made everything seem so easy.

"Hmm," he cleared his throat as soon as they let their mouths part ways. "Someone might see us," he whispered.

"It's late," Maddox pointed out. "And we've already been outed, so what else can happen?"

"I don't know. Maybe get busted for indecent exposure?" Jonathan asked.

Maddox laughed and teased his ear, while his hands moved lower and cupped Jonathan's ass. "What indecent exposure?"

"Indeed," Jonathan said and laughed. Then he remembered that he needed to say in person the same thing he had been messaging to Maddox all day. "I'm really sorry about how everything went down this morning. I had the best intentions--"

Maddox placed a finger against his lips. "Stop saying sorry. I mean it. Care for a little walk?"

"Sure." Jonathan accepted Maddox's hand wrapping around his and trembled slightly at the roughness and warmth he felt right away. "How's Rusty?"

"Hopefully, less of a whore now that I talked some sense into him," Maddox said with self-importance.

"He has quite the reputation," Jonathan agreed. He understood Maddox's concern, even though he didn't want to say it out loud. "Is he going to listen to you?" He was curious, not only about Rusty and how Maddox could convince a free wild spirit like that to do the right thing, but about so many other things -- all of them -- that made Maddox who he was.

"We struck a deal," Maddox confirmed. "So, just to check with you, we're really boyfriends now, right?"

Jonathan hadn't expected such a straightforward question. In hindsight, he should have expected Maddox to be the kind not to beat around the bush. "Um, yes. So everyone thinks," he replied quickly. He hated how unsure his voice sounded.

Maddox burst into laughter. "It's not a life sentence. You don't have to be so gloomy."

"I'm not," Jonathan protested. And he would take that life sentence if it meant he would be with Maddox forever. Now those were silly thoughts. "I just barged in on you, without bothering to ask you first--"

"Hey, hey," Maddox warned, "what did I tell you? Stop saying sorry, or I'll make you shut up. Wanna challenge me?" he added in a playful tone.

Jonathan had an idea about Maddox's means to shut him up. "Not really, or we might end up doing some unspeakable things in very public places." There was comfort in knowing they wanted each other so much.

"I'm not against that," Maddox said, rising to the occasion and pushing against him playfully.

"I am. I'd rather not have us both expelled on the grounds of not being able to keep it in our pants."

"It?" Maddox challenged him. "You mean, my hand in your pants? I'd keep it there."

"Stop joking," Jonathan scolded him, but he was laughing, too.

"And then," Maddox added since he was on a roll, "when anyone asks why my hand was there, I'd say that I was cold and needed to get warm."

"Hmm. My pants appear to be just the right option for warming one's cold hand," Jonathan played along. "They'll get that."

"Not anyone's cold hand," Maddox contradicted him. "Mine."

"Of course."

They were walking aimlessly, talking silly. Jonathan couldn't remember how his conversations with Drew usually went. It had all seemed so intense at the time; now it was far away and vague, those thoughts from long ago borrowing the texture of mist, full of nothing but bad memories.

"Hey, where did you go?" Maddox swung their linked hands to get his attention.

"I was just thinking."

"Care to tell me about what?"

"Just how so different everything is now," Jonathan admitted. "I wasn't even thinking properly when I ran to you this morning. It's like I'm living a new life."

"Wow, that's deep. You should have chosen something else as your major. Or do you specialize in magic potions in that chemistry lab? Ah, that explains how quickly you ensnared me," Maddox said emphatically, like an actor on a stage. "It has to be magic."

"Shut up," Jonathan shot back with a laugh. "You're the one who makes people believe the craziest stories. Although, you might want to work on your charm, because Xpress doesn't want to even consider that you're real about me." Are you real about me? He wanted to ask that out loud. "We might have to convince them, you know."

"I don't give two shits about Xpress," Maddox replied and snorted for good measure. "So I'll be labeled as gay or whatever. I have you, and that's what matters."

Jonathan swallowed thickly. How nonchalant Maddox was. "I'm glad," he said in a small voice.

"What? You'll have to speak louder," Maddox teased him.

Jonathan stopped to face him. "I'm glad that you think that. That... you think that I matter." He did a great job of stumbling over his own words.

Maddox let go of his hands only so that he could pinch his cheeks, hard enough to make him protest.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"It'll teach you not to be so insecure around me. Too bad I have to take you back 'cause it's so late. Or else, I'll use all this," Maddox gestured at his body, "to convince you of what I really think of you."

How long was this going to last? Maddox seemed not to care about what Xpress and the rest of Sunny Hill thought about him right now, but in the long run... It was better not to think about it. Because even if Maddox suddenly decided that everything was wrong and pushed Jonathan away, these moments would still be real.

And it would still be so much better than having nothing at all, the way he had felt when Drew had thrown him under the bus to save his skin as if Jonathan was nothing but a stranger or, even worse, an enemy.

He caressed Maddox's cheeks, basking in that beautiful smile. The campus was well lit at night, so there was no problem seeing each other, even in the dark. Still, he took in every line of that handsome face so that it would be with him forever.

Maddox knocked against his forehead. "You're doing it again," he said. "Just stop it, whatever you're doing. I can bet my ass you'd be much happier if you just thought less of every single thing."

"Don't bet your ass," Jonathan replied playfully and grabbed Maddox's perfect behind for a second. "It's too good to lose over a bet like that."

"Oh, really?" Maddox drawled. "Do you like my ass?"

"Of course I like your ass."

"Well, keep that in mind."

"What for?" Jonathan looked at Maddox, trying to figure out what was going through the guy's mind.

"You'll see," Maddox said in a secretive voice and reached for another kiss.

Jonathan wanted to spend all night here, kissing back. But it looked like one of them still had half a brain because, eventually, Maddox let him go. "Let's get you in bed," he said.

"Right," he agreed. "Do you think we can see each other this weekend?"

Maddox snorted. "I'll see you any day you want. Oh, you mean, for--" He pushed Jonathan's shoulder and batted his eyelashes.