“You have got to be kidding me?!” Justin exclaimed as JC finished recounting his adventure from the previous night. “How did you…I mean…what was it…? Come on, JC, you know what I’m trying to ask!”

JC chuckled at Justin’s excitement and wonderment, the tone in his voice reminding him of when Justin was just a teen and would bombard him with questions the minute he came back from a date. “It was…different. Intense. Not in a bad way but I was kind of caught off guard with how into it I got.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…” JC searched for the words. “At first, it just felt like the self-hypnosis I do when I meditate, just, I don’t know, on a deeper level. That was fine but once Colleen started talking to me the way I do to her, it just…”

“Felt like you’d rob a bank if she asked you to and a small part of you almost wishes she would just so you could prove yourself to her?”

“That’s, ummm…that’s pretty accurate,” JC laughed. “It was this complete loss of control and it…it felt pretty good, I’m not gonna lie. It’s a very freeing feeling, even more so than when I’m with Mistress Raina. I can see now why she likes it so much. Living through her perspective just has me rethinking a lot of things.”

“What, like, is that something you’re gonna start doing now? Like with Colleen or Raina or Piper even?”

“No, that’s…it’s not for me. I’m gonna keep up with the self-hypnosis because I think that’s been really helpful but I don’t think anything beyond that. I’m not opposed to trying it again down the line but I like what I do with Mistress Raina and don’t plan to change that. Honestly, it kind of made me appreciate the bond I have with her even more.”

“Which her?” Justin gently teased.

“In that case I meant Mistress Raina but the statement definitely applies to both. Mistress Raina and I truly do have this amazing relationship. While it’s mainly sexual, we genuinely care about one another. With Colleen, she puts so much trust in me, not just when we play but to know when it’s ok to let that bleed into just our normal interactions and that’s…honestly, it’s a little scary to now realize how responsible I have to be with her.”

“Are you ok with that?”

“I am,” JC answered confidently. “I mean, it’s not going to be our entire relationship but it was a really important thing to discover. Not only am I glad I did it because it gave Colleen a few reassurances that she needed but it was a good exercise in truly understanding her kink. Doesn’t matter how much she described it, I didn’t get it until I learned for myself.”

“You can say that again,” Justin chuckled.

“It also, uh, how do I put this?” JC hesitated. “I guess I get why it was so overwhelming for you all those years ago. I knew what I was getting into and it was still way more than I expected. I can’t imagine…”

“It’s ok, JC,” Justin interrupted. “I think we’re all learning to deal with and make peace with our pasts lately. It’s, you know, hard to go through but better in the long run.”

“Oh, I definitely know,” JC enthusiastically confirmed. “Thanks for listening, and for all your support.”

“Same, man.”

“How are things going with you and Jess?”

“Yeah, about that…” Justin squirmed in his chair.

“Oh shit, J,” JC’s voice suddenly became somber.

“No, no, sorry. That came out wrong,” Justin quickly corrected. “Things are…we’re getting there, I just…we decided to move, to Tennessee. Closer to my family and, you know, Silas is in school now and…”

“Justin, that’s great news,” JC beamed. “A change of scenery might really be what you both need.”

“You…you aren’t mad?”

“Why the hell would I be mad?”

“I don’t know, I just…I feel like you and I have really reconnected over the past year. The writing and hanging out and just being able to talk about our relationships and all that…I don’t want to lose that.” Justin lamented.

“Justin, we’re on the phone and in the same city right now. I’m always only a call away.”

“You better remember the same thing,” Justin threatened. “I’m also only a plane ride away. Once we figure out what we’re doing with this music, I promise I will not leave it all to you to deal with.”

“I know you won’t. There's no timeline but with those babies due in a few weeks, we are at least not discussing it until the new year. Gives you time to get settled and one less thing to worry about.”

“Yeah, I mean, we’re still keeping the place in L.A. so you never know when I might pop over again,” Justin snickered.

“I promise to keep my watch charged at all times to not miss your call again,” JC laughed. 

“I promise not to open any more random doors in your house,” Justin answered. “I love you, C. I’m really proud of you. Everything you’ve been doing for you, for Colleen, for the band. It’s just…it’s great to see it all coming together for you.”

“I love you too, J. You’ve put up with a lot of shit and experienced so much growth this past year yourself. I’m proud of you too.”

“Joshtin forever,” Justin smiled.

“Oh God,” JC gave a full belly laugh. “I can’t believe you looked it up!”

“I kept seeing it in the comments after I put up those pictures for your birthday and got curious.”

“Yeah, thanks for those, by the way,” JC shook his head.

“I can’t help that you were so damn adorable,” Justin teased him with a cutesy voice for effect.

“Don’t think I didn’t catch the past tense of your statement,” JC teased right back.

“Get a haircut, you fucking hippie!” Justin jokingly yelled. “Like, an actual haircut, from a human in a salon and not a vacuum.”

“The Flowbee works fine. I’m not going every time I need a trim, that’s just a waste of money.”

“I’m going to call Colleen and start secreting funds to her to pay for you to go my damn self. She can strap you down to the chair if that would be an incentive.”

“You have a better chance of paying for Mistress Raina to go to barber college,” JC informed him.

“So you’re really gonna do this, huh?” Justin grew serious. “Two chicks, two kinky relationships but on opposite ends of the spectrum?”

“One purely kinky relationship and one relationship that has kink in it,” JC clarified. “We’re gonna try, at least. The kink isn’t why Colleen and I broke up, all of that was working so I don’t see any need to change it, nor do I want to and she doesn’t either. It works for us and that’s really all that matters.”

“I hear you and I’m not judging, I just…you really found the perfect woman in Colleen.”

“I did, J,” JC grinned from ear to ear.

“So where does that leave you? Do you just pick up where you left off?”

“No, it’s still gonna take some time but we’re gonna work at it. Pretty sure I have some more wooing I gotta throw in for a while…not that I mind.”

“Got anything up your sleeve?”

“Yeah, actually. You know that charity I work with, Unlikely Heroes? They have a gala every year and I never go but I thought a night of dressing up and dancing might be nice, and it’s for a good cause. It’s at the end of the month so I’ll talk to her about it.”

“Damn, and here I thought you were going to say you bought a laser pointer that she could just watch bounce off the walls.”

“Stop calling her a cat!” JC yelled but laughed.

“I mean, if the collar fits,” Justin tried to say with a straight face but failed, “or is that the other way around? Or is it both?”

“Dear God, you better not be my Secret Santa this year.”