party
by Helen
They set up a hundred yards beyond the walls of the facility, in a duck blind, hiding the jeep another quarter mile down the road in a deep thicket. The afternoon was windy, and chill, and they worked quietly as it got dark, Lance wrapping the wires more tightly on the explosives, and setting up the timers, Chris double checking the shells in his gun and then strapping his holster more tightly to his thigh. Justin sat on a flat rock, out of the way, arms wrapped around his waist. Lance glanced at him, and then stood up and took off his jacket, putting it around Justin's shoulders before going back to work.
"thanks," Justin muttered.
The only other break in the silence was Joey testing the com equipment, the slight hum of static when JC said "got you loud and clear," when Lance hooked the earpiece on and said "test." a few times.
"say something, Justin," Joey said.
"test," Justin said.
"It'll be dark in 20 minutes," Chris said.
"we're ready," Joey said. Chris nodded. Lance stood up.
"wait," Joey said. He walked over to Justin and kissed him on the cheek, and Justin tried to smile at him, clutching Lance's jacket around him.
"I'll be right with you, the whole time," Joey murmured in his ear, low enough that Lance and Chris couldn't hear.
"okay," Justin said, and stood up, one hand in Joey's for balance.
"okay," Joey said.
"You'll go out to the road," Lance said. "walk up to the gate house, and tell them you're here to see the general."
"right," Justin said. He took off the jacket and handed it back to Lance. Chris shifted on his feet in the background.
"just." Lance sighed, and pushed his hair roughly off his forehead. "Stall as much as you can."
"yes," Justin said, and turned and walked out of the clearing.
They lost contact after Justin introduced himself to the gatehouse guards and Joey flicked frantically through the channels, trying to pick him back up.
"What the fuck, JC," he said "Where the fuck is he?"
"It'll be fine," JC said. "You're just getting some interference because of the fortifications. The General's room is on the second floor."
"well, he—" Joey said, and then stopped, as the crackle of static resolved into a man's voice.
"—old are you?"
"six-sixteen," Justin said. His voice was quiet, but steady.
"He's sixteen?" Chris whispered in astonishment, backpack halfway on. He was staring at Joey.
"nineteen," Joey said. He tuned the dial minutely, jaw working a little. "He's nineteen," he muttered.
"Let's go," Lance said. He touched Joey quickly on the shoulder before he and Chris faded into the underbrush.
"so this is, um. a nice room," Justin said.
"you like it?" The General's voice was low and dry.
"sure. It's, um—"
"come over here."
Justin's breathing was sharp and loud in his ear.
"so, did you." Justin's voice trailed off.
"you'll be paid, if that's what you're worried about." There were some small shuffling noises, and then the creak of furniture, Justin's quick exhalation.
Joey turned the volume up loudly enough that Justin's breathing was a ghost echo over everything.
"I can. I could."
"shut up."
Then there were the soft wet sounds of kissing, for a long time, the rustle of fabric, and Joey thought about Justin in the seat next to him on the way there, smoothing his hands down his thighs, pressing his cheek against the window.
"sweet," the General said. Justin's breathing hitched sharply, ugly and loud, echoing over the headphones. "unbutton this for me."
"okay," Justin whispered.
"mm," the General said. Justin cried out softly. "sensitive there, hm?"
"sorry," Justin muttered.
Joey pulled off the headphones, clenching them tightly in his hand, and his own breathing was painful in his ears. After a moment, he put them back on.
The General sighed contentedly, and then there were sloppy kissing noises, the metal click of snaps being undone.
"I—uh."
"you like that?" There was a pause, and then Justin said,
"yeah," his voice breathless, thick. "I can, um. do you want me to—"
"sh. there's plenty of time, sugar."
"oh."
"you like to party?"
"I don't—um. what are those?"
Justin's voice had changed, cracking in the middle of the question, and Joey leaned in, putting his fingers against the transmitter, biting the inside of his cheek.
"just something to loosen you up, a little, so we can have some fun together."
"I don't—" there was a short pause, and then Justin said "they don't like it if I—we don't need those," he said softly. "we can have fun together without them. "
The General laughed. "you'll take them, or you can get out—will your employers like that?"
"oh," Justin said. "I. okay."
"There you go."
More kissing. Slick rustling sounds, and Justin said,
"how long until—"
"ten minutes, maybe. come with me."
The transmission crackled and faltered, briefly, and Joey twisted the antenna in desperation, getting the signal back as Justin said, "so. um. do you, um—."
"lie down."
"okay."
A small creak of springs, and there was a series of metallic clinks, and then the faint slide of fabric.
"oh, if you want," Justin said. "I can help."
"what you're doing is just fine."
The springs groaned, and Justin made a soft startled noise, and then there was a series of deep wet noises, and Joey waited for Justin to say something else, but there was silence, only the occasional creak of springs, and more kissing, and Justin's shuddering breaths.
Joey looked at his watch, squinted above his head at the half moon, high in the sky. Looked at his watch again.
"you're beautiful," the General said.
"thank you," Justin said.
"you like to suck cock?"
"I did that with Joey this morning," Justin said, his voice a little muzzy. "I mean—"
"mm." He was kissing Justin's jaw, or neck, the bugs picking up disproportionately loud moist smacking sounds. "I'm gonna fuck you so hard, sweetheart," he murmured.
Joey pressed his palm against his mouth.
"okay," Justin said, voice dreamy and soft.
"take those off," the General said, and then there was the sound of a drawer opening and closing, and the shuffling sound of fabric.
"hm," Justin said.
"you need help—" the General started to ask, chuckling slightly, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. "wait here," he said, and there were quick footsteps, and a short muffled conversation, too far out of range to be understood. The sound was garbled and staticky until it resolved into the General saying.
"—be back in a minute."
"But—no," Justin said. The General was moving quickly around the room, probably dressing. "wait," Justin said, almost desperately. "I don't want you to go."
"that's nice, honey. I'll be back."
"no," Justin said. "because I'm not supposed to—I'm—"
"calm the fuck down," the General said, and there was the sharp sound of a slap, and Justin crying out, and the bed creaking under his weight. "slut."
"I'm sorry," Justin whispered.
"when I get back," the General said, his belt clinking. "you can make it up to me." There were heavy footsteps, and then a door slammed.
Lance and Chris crashed into the clearing. Lance was bleeding from a cut on his temple, and Chris' shirt was ripped, but he gave Joey a tense grin, already moving towards the monitoring equipment.
"Go get him," Lance said. "You've got ten minutes."