Gathering the Falling Stars

hey everyone im still waiting for my co author to come online so we may talk... but hopping that we will talk soon

A/N

Rapunzelle - yep yep he loves his Junko!

Babby - yay for marriage and your just going to have to find out about the mPreg later on


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Chapter 33

Junko slipped the end of a rogue garland over the bottom branch of the huge Christmas tree everyone had helped to decorate. There were several large gifts tucked up under it, some looking quite shaken, causing Junko to shake his head in annoyance. He stood , running his hands through his recently retouched hair when a high-pitched beeping came from his back pocket. Frowning, he pulled his phone out and stared at the number on the screen a moment before answering.

"Junko."

"Hey Junko... you will never guess who this is..." the voice was familiar.

Junko smiled softly, wondering who felt so playful toward him.

"You're right. So tell me."

"Caleb... Caleb Grant from elementry and middle school." Junko's jaw dropped.

"Caleb?! Wow, Caleb, how've you been!" A huge grin split his face and he switched hands, dropping his free one into his back pocket.

"Not bad how about you?" Junko shrugged, feeling silly.

"I've been great. So what have you done with yourself, huh? I know you always had that dream of being so successful."

"Ya im working with a large company. Hey you still in that house. Im in town and i wanted to see you." Junko laughed nervously.

"Er, no. We moved a few months ago, but I'd love to meet you somewhere."

"Anywhere in particular?" Junko shrugs again.

"Idunno. We could meet at the old pizza parlour we used to hang out at."

"Alright then see ya there." Junko nods.

"Alright. I'll be a few minutes. I'm farther away than I used to be."

"Thats fine. I'll wait for you then." the phone goes dead as Hoshi walks in.

"Hey who was on the phone?" Junko smiles brightly.

"An old friend from middle school called to get together. I'm going to meet him at the pizza place. You want to come?" Hoshi raises an eyebrow.

"Sure that sounds fine." Junko goes out into the hall and grabs a heavy coat.

Slipping it on over his tight sweater and even tighter jeans, he turns to Hoshi.

"You want to drive or should I?"

"I'll drive." Hoshi walks over and picks Junko up like a sack of spuds.

"Now that i got my precious cargo we can go." Junko laughs and slaps Hoshi's ass but doesn't fight.

"I should be used to this by now, I think". Hoshi chuckles and opens his lambo door.

He drops Junko into the passanger seat and leans over him. He claims his lips roughily before moving back. Junko can't help but return the kiss. When Hoshi releases him, he buckles up and closes the door. Hoshi climbs into his seat and drives out of the driveway.

"Where to?"

"The old pizza parlour. You remember where I used to work?" Junko replied with a nostalgic smile.

Hoshi grinned as he drove over to the place. As they drove his hand moved over Junko's inner thigh. Junko raised an eyebrow, but couldn't hide his body's reaction to his lover's touch.

"You going to try to embarass me with my old friend?" he asks jokingly.

Hoshi smirks.

"No just getting you primed for later on. I think a sensual massage would be good." Junko's smile has an edge of desire to it as he slips his hand over Hoshi's.

"Sounds like fun." Hoshi grins as he takes his hand away.

He parks in the parking lot and climbs out. Junko leaps from the car and runs into the building, pausing at the entrance to search for Caleb, Caleb stands up at a table as he smiles what the trained eye could see was a fake smile.

"Hey Junko! What did you do to your hair??" Junko runs a hand through the blue and pink locks self-consciously.

"Ah, well. I think it looks good..." He gestures to Hoshi, grabbing his hand. "I hope you don't mind that I brought someone. This is Hoshi." Caleb looks at Hoshi as the taller man crosses his arms.

"And who is Hoshi to you?" Junko blushes.

"Er. He's my l-lover..." Junko stutters slightly over the word, remembering the reason Caleb and he had quit talking in the first place.

Caleb keeps his face nuetral but inside he was livid. Maxy, the little pet name he had for Maximous, had told him that Junko was sleeping with his son but he hadnt believed him.

"Well... i see... so you will be with this dark emo and not with me... thats fine..." Junko took a deep breath, his blush darkening.

"Please...it's been so many years. I'm sorry." Caleb sighs.

"Well i guess theres nothing that we can change. Please both of you sit down." Hoshi glares at the boy for the emo comment but sat down anyway.

Junko's good mood evaporates and he seats himself heavily, a sad frown on his lips. A few minutes of painfully awkard silence is felt as their pizza is brought to them.

"So... im guessing your living with him?" Junko doesn't look up from the table, but nods.

"Yeah. He's helping me take care of my family."

"Is your mother still a few crayons shy of a full box?" Junko's hand tightens on the edge of the table.

"She's getting better." he says quietly.

Hoshi glares at Caleb.

"Excuse me for a moment." Hoshi walks towards the small bathroom.

There was something about this guy that Hoshi did not trust. Meanwhile Caleb looks at Hoshi as he walked away. He was the spitting image of Maxy.

"So how did you manage to catch him?" Junko laughs nervously.

"Er. He cought me, actually. Refused to let me go." Caleb blinks rapidly.

"Possessive? Not the kind of guy you should be with." Junko looks away.

"That's what I would have thought...but....we're good together, you know?" Caleb raises an eyebrow.

"Bet not as good as we would have been."

"I don't know, Caleb." Junko disagrees, scratching the back of his neck.

"We were always great as friends, but...you treated your dates so differently back then..." Caleb gently takes Junko's hand into his.

"Your not wearing our ring." Junko smiled softly.

"I keep it near me, though." he pulls the ring from his pant's pocket, showing it to Caleb.

Caleb smiles and slides it back onto the left hand ring finger.

"There prefect." Junko shifts uncomfortably but allows the ring to stay.

"Please...don't stay angry with me, Caleb. I missed you so much...." Caleb smiles as he just holds Junko's hand.

"I know im sorry Junko.. mostly i was just angry that you... pushed me away when i asked you out." Junko looks down at their linked hands.

"I didn't want to lead you on..." Caleb smiles as Hoshi starts to walk back over glareing at their hands.

"Our ring looks very good on your small hands now." His own ring was on his left hand almost seeming like they were married.

Junko blushes, but greets Hoshi with a small smile, mentally begging him to understand. When the older man sits down, Junko moves closer to him, laying his free hand on Hoshi's arm.

"I don't usually wear it, but like I said, I keep it close. You were my best friend, after all." he says to Caleb.

Hoshi glares at Caleb as he turns to Junko.

"Do you mind if i talk to Caleb alone for a minute?" Junko's eyes widen, but he nods.

"Um. Well, okay. I need to run to the restroom real quick anyway. " He rises and makes his way past Hoshi with a wary glance at the two.

Hoshi turns his eyes to Caleb.

"Listen to me, Junko is my lover and the only ring he is wearing is going to be my ring. Do you understand me?" Caleb keeps his satisfied smile under the skin.

It wouldn't do to have Hoshi know that his jealousy was exactly what Caleb wanted.

"And yet, it appears to be my ring on his finger, doesn't it." Hoshi glares at him.

"Not for long pretty boy. Junko is my boyfriend and soon will be my husband and you will be only a distant and when i say distant i mean very distant memory." Caleb puts a hand to his chest as though wounded.

"Surely you wouldn't keep Junko's friends from him?" Hoshi leans back in his chair.

"If that friend threated our relationship you bet your tic tac i will." Hoshi smirks as his tic tac comment was one most men knew meant their little friends below.

Caleb grins viciously.

"You try to tell Junko he can't see his friends. He won't tolerate you trying to control him and I'm not going anywhere, Popeye." Hoshi growls slightly as he grabs Caleb by the collar of his shirt.

"You hurt Junko and im going to make sure that being Popeye is something you strive to be." Junko walks out of the bathroom just in time to see this display.

He lays a hand on Hoshi's arm.

"Hoshi! Let him go! What the hell's going on here?" He asks in concern and confusion.

Caleb's face is a mixture of contrition and fear.

"I'm sorry, Junko. I must have said something wrong. I'll...I'll just go. Junko shakes his head, pulling Hoshi's fist from Caleb's collar and pushing his old friend back into a sitting position.

"No, Caleb please. I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding!" Hoshi glares at Caleb.

"Theres no misunderstanding this... boy is trying to put a wedge between us." Junko's wide eyes fly to Caleb's equally wide ones.

Caleb looks completely flustered.

"I wouldn't do something like that! I don't need to break the two of you up. Junko's smarter than that. He'll come around on his own." Junko bites his lip, flattered by Caleb's comment.

"Caleb, I don't want to leave Hoshi." Hoshi looks at him his eyes burned holes into Caleb.

He grabbed his coat and walked towards the door.

"Fine if your such good friends you can get a ride home from him!" He walks out the door and into the lambo.

Junko stares at the door for several moments before collapsing into the small sliver of chair beside Caleb like they used to do when they were kids.

"I can't believe him!" he huffs. "I'm so sorry, Caleb...I shouldn't have brought him with me..." Caleb shakes his head running his fingers through his hair.

"Its ok he is a bit overly possessive isnt he... also very much jealous. What does he do for a living?" Junko opens his mouth to answer, then pauses and it snaps shut.

He blinks for a moment before saying anything.

"You know, I'm not sure." Caleb raises an eyebrow.

"Come on Junny you know what he does i mean for god sakes the man has a lamborgini." Junko shrugs, shifting slightly closer to Caleb.

"As far as I know, it was just his singing. And the Lamborghini is nothing more than a big roaring penis."

"Singing? What do you mean?" Caleb already knew but he wanted to see if Junko would tell him about it.

"Oh!" Junko exclaims, having assumed Caleb would have heard of Hoshi.

"He was a pop singer for a while when he was younger." Caleb chuckles.

"Right... that guy was a pop star. And i am Miss U.S.A." Junko turns to him and, immitating one of their old habits, puts their forehads together and looks directly into Caleb's eyes.

"Have *you* ever seen anyone driving a Lambo who *didn't* get rich suddenly and without a lot of work?" Caleb grins as he leans over and claims Junko's lips gently. Junko gasps and pulls back with a deep blush. "Caleb..." Caleb smiles.

"I thought i would try... now that you like men... i thought i could get a few kisses from you." Junko, his fingers touching his own lips, can only smile.

"You're sweet, but my kisses are reserved." Caleb smiles and looks at him.

"Not even one kiss?" Junko flicks his tongue over his suddenly dry lip, then bites it and closes his eyes.

"I....I don't think so, Caleb...."

"Come on i can see you want it. Besides how many other people have you kissed outside your family." Caleb licks his own lips.

Junko looks around, his heart beating fast. It would serve Hoshi right if he did kiss Caleb. He had no right to be so cruel to his best friend.

"H-here?" Junko asked, waving a hand to bring Caleb's attention to the many people in the pizzaria.

Caleb looks around then gets an idea.

"Na... too public... why dont you show me the place your living. I would like to see your silbings." Junko shifts uncomfortably, beginning to rethink his decision.

"I live with Hoshi..."

"It's ok knowing a guy like him would keep away from his house. Maybe hes pickling himself in a bottle of booze." Caleb shrugs as he stands up laying money down.

Junko stands too, biting his lip and leading Caleb toward the door. At the last second, though, his resolve weakens and he pulls Caleb into the boy's restroom. Inside, he freezes, though, scared of actually going through with it and unsure if his reasons are worth a damn in the light of day. Caleb blinks and looks down at him.

"Come on i dont like the thought of kissing you like some sort of slut in a dirty bathroom." Junko's eyes widen and it hits home what he was about to do.

His face reddens in shame and he releases Caleb as though the other man burned him. He turns away, a hand to his face and the other hugging his stomach. Was he really so weak? So fickle that a small fight with Hoshi could push him into another's arms? Caleb leads him to his small Buick Le Saber in a soft brown color.

"Just point me in the right direction." Junko, barely listening, buckles up with a distracted nod.

Caleb drives down the road as he looks to Junko for directions.


*~*~*~*~*~*~End of Chapter 33*~*~*~*~*~*~