JC approached the bed with a grin that could only be described as…predatory. Crawling up from the foot of the bed, he leaned over him and bent down for an all too chaste kiss.
Then he lifted himself back up again, the dangerous grin back on his face, as he slid down the smooth body, stopping at the waist.
With a devilish glint in his eye, JC leaned down, tongue peeking out, and swiped an arcing path from hipbone to hipbone, stopping at his navel halfway. And…
And had he made that screeching noise? Even though he knew it was just a dream, Justin felt his dream-self flush with embarrassment.
Then he heard it again, louder this time. And no, it couldn’t be him, and it certainly wasn’t JC, who seemed far too preoccupied with lapping at the faint hairs that peeked above his waistband.
When it happened a third time, Justin awoke with a start, fear overpowering anger at having been interrupted from what was surely going to be a most enjoyable dream.
“C,” he whispered urgently, elbowing the sleeping man beside him. “C! Wake up!”
JC mumbled something and snuggled further into his pillow. The screeching noise returned and this time Justin screamed. JC sat bolt upright.
“Wha-” he opened his mouth to say something, but Justin stopped him with his hand.
Again, the screech returned and this time Justin saw his fear mirrored in the other man’s eyes.
JC ran a soothing hand down Justin’s bare arm and put a finger to his mouth to silence him as he stood up from the bed and tried to follow the sound.
Justin was sure he was trembling with fear as he saw JC slowly approach the large window across the room.
He stood against the wall beside it and grabbed at a sheer curtain with shaky hands.
Justin resisted the urge to cover his eyes, terrified of what might happen next.
On the count of three, JC abruptly yanked back the curtains and turned towards the window to see…nothing. Absolutely nothing.
But the screeching persisted.
JC’s brow furrowed in confusion. He pressed his nose up against the window and looked up, and then down.
“Oh!” He said.
That wasn’t “Oh” as in Oh my goodness call the police Right.Now. Nor was it “Oh” as in Oh, yes, right there baby! No, it was “Oh” as in Oh, look at the little puppy! He’s so cute, isn’t he, J?
JC turned back towards Justin and silently motioned for him to come look.
“On the ledge there. See?” JC whispered and pointed towards the ledge directly below the window, causing Justin to press his forehead and nose against the glass in order to see.
It was a bat. A little brown bat, from what they could see with the help of the full moon. It was a little brown bat, and it was hugging one of its wings to its body protectively.
“J, it’s hurt,” JC said as his fingers found the locks to the windows and started opening them.
“C! No! Bats have rabies, man!”
“But…he’s hurt.”
“Which is more important to you: bringing the bat inside so you can coddle it like a baby or leaving it out there and avoiding potentially contracting rabies?”
JC looked down at the little creature sympathetically, but made no further attempts to open the window.
“Lemme call Animal Control. They’ll know what to do.” It was Justin’s turn to comfort JC now, and he pressed a quick kiss to the older man’s temple before walking off towards the phone.
* * *
An hour later, the two were finally settling back into bed, the bat having been picked up a half hour ago.
JC had curled back up and was about to drift off when he heard another screech.
Only this time, the screech was coming from the other side of the bed.
Turning over, JC found himself face-to-face with a grinning Justin, who held a small, soft, brown lump up for him to see.
It was a Beanie Baby. A Beanie Baby bat.
“Found this in the closet. Must’ve got it for my brothers or something.”
JC couldn’t help but grin. He leaned over and kissed Justin.
“You’re too much,” he said, still grinning. “How can I ever repay you?”
Justin seemed to ponder the question for a moment before smirking devilishly. “Well, before the whole bat incident, I was having this dream…”
