once upon a yesterday

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::once upon a yesterday- the cat came back::

Wesley woke up slowly, letting the drowsy feeling seep from his body. He started to stretch the kinks out of his spine but stopped when he realized a couple of things were preventing fro from doing it. First off, the expected kinks were not there. He had fallen asleep on the floor next to Jesse’s bed, but some time in the middle of the night he had managed to move or be moved into the bed itself. It was a pleasant surprise to wake up in a soft warm bed, but a surprise all the same. Secondly, an arm was draped across his stomach and a very warm, very strong body was clinging to him from behind. “Wow...” He muttered quietly. How could he get out of this without embarrassing anyone?

“Good morning, Sunshine.” A lusty voice whispered into Wesley’s ear, the warm damp breath hitting the back of his neck.

Wesley shuddered and tried to turn his head at the voice. “Good morning?” The hold around Wes’ waist loosened and disappeared, giving Wes the chance to turn and find a horrified young man lying next to him.

Jesse’s eyes were wide with fear. “I am so sorry, Wesley.” The boy looked down at himself and then over at Wes. “I must have... The warm body...” Jesse shrugged a shoulder and sat up, covering his flushed face with his hands.

Wes looked up at the pink canopy and sighed, before leaning over to flip on the lamp. “Did I crawl up in the bed, last night?” He -would- horrify his roommate on the first night over.

Jesse didn’t uncover his face, but he did answer. “No, I was finishing up my game, when I saw you tossing and turning. I knew you would have a long day, especially if you didn’t sleep well, so I helped pull you up into the bed. You cooperated rather well, for being asleep.” Jesse paused, dropping his hands to his sides, and passed a glance at the other man. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, again.

Wes smiled and shrugged. “It’s okay, Jesse.” Wesley threw the covers off of his legs and stepped out of the bstrestretching up toward the ceiling. He bent down to touch his toes and then leaned back up, pulling his flannel pants fro from his sweat slick legs. “It was actually pretty thoughtful of you to drag me up in the bed. I hope I didn’t kick in my sleep.”

Jesse bit his lip and shook his head. “You were relatively motionless.”

'Relative to who, I wonder?' Wes decided not to question the comment, but he did wonder who Jesse had mistaken him for in his moment of half-sleep. He wondered who 'Sunshine' was. "So..." Wesley went over to his bags and rifled through the contents. "...did you win your game?"

Jesse sighed, audibly. "Not even remotely. I was on the verge of domination and.. phbbt." Jesse sighed as he watched his roommate gather his clothing up.

"Is that our bathroom?" Wesley pointed at an opened door that opened to, what seemed to be, a ink and white bathroom. He smirked and shook his head. A bathroom hooked onto a bedroom hat wasn't the Master Bedroom? This was an unbelievable house.

Jesse nodded. "That's the girliest bathroom in all creation. I have a problem actually doing anything in there that involves me undressing. Brushing my teeth and washing my face I can manage, but if it comes down to me having to use the restroom or take a shower..." Jesse hung his head and sighed. "...I'd use the pool out back, first."

Wesley let out a startled laugh. "For which purpose?"

Jesse shrugged and grinned wickedly. "Either/or."

Wesley looked over at the bedside clock and smiled, happily. It was a few minutes before 7:00 and he felt completely rejuvenated. "Yeah, well you seem to be as freaky as me. Hopefully we can make this arrangement work." Wesley slipped off his pajama pants and pulled on a pair of purple boxer briefs, adjusting himself for comfort. "You know... whatever this arrangement is. I'm not sure if I've figured it out yet."

Jesse turned away from the young man and blew out an agitated breath. "I think we need to learn some stuff about each other before we sleep in the same bed again. I don't usually let strange men share my mattress."

Wes looked over at the boy and realized that he had turned toward the wall, in embarrassment. 'Hopefully this won't get to be a problem.' He thought with a frown. Wesley had grown up in a very open home for as long as he remembered. He had practically run around naked, as long as 'good' company wasn't over. Was he expected to tone it down? Ugh... "Oh, I understand. I've never shared a bed with anyone who I didn't consider family." Wesley pulled a tee shirt over his head and grunted. His shirts were starting to get tight on him. He knew that he should probably break down and buy a few new things, but his paycheck was pretty meager and he didn't get -that- many hours...

Jesse smirked and tossed a glance at Wesley. "Well, I try to maintain my 'good son' persona, while under Richard's roof. It seems only right."

There was a knock on the door and it cracked open. "Wesley, are you up?"

Wesley looked at the door and smiled, widely. "Good morning, Mr. Butler."

Mr. Butler stepped into the room and shook his head, in wonder. "You're an awfully chipper person in the morning." Richard turned his attention to Jesse and scoffed. "Am I to presumat yat you will actually be eating breakfast with me this morning?"

Jesse assumed the petulant teenager look and threw himself back into the mattress. "Are you kidding? As soon as -he- leaves my room, I may actually be able to get some sleep."

"Nope!" A melodic voice reached into the room, as a pretty blonde head stuck in the door. "You are coming to Raffi's with me. He insists that you come pose for him, Jesse. You had promised, after all."

Jesse shot up in bed and threw a pillow at his older sister. "That was a month ago and he knew that I had no intention of doing so."

Mandy shrugged and giggled, as she dodged the pillow. "He's holding you to it, Brudder. You shouldn't have shaken his hand."

Jesse grumbled and turned over on his stomach. "Get out!" He screeched into the last pillow left on the bed.

Amanda shook her head and sighed. "You can be an ass to daddy, but I won't take it, you little jerk off." Amanda crouched down and pounced onto her bed with amazing fervor. She proceeded to tickle her sibling until he cried, and finally quit her onslaught when the boy threatened to wet her bed. "Then, get up!" Amanda bounced off of the bed and passed by her, st, stopping only to give him a kiss 'good morning', and then bounded out of the doorway and down the hall.

Mr. Butler was in shock over the early morning commotion, but he did well to hide it. e just shook his head like a tired older man would, and sighed. "Get ready to go, boys. If you're careful, I'll let you drive the Jaguar."

Jesse jumped out of bed and shot across the room, grabbing at his chest of drawers, pulling random clothing out.

Mr. Butler looked puzzled, but said nothing as he left the young men to their devices.

"If you are getting pictures taken, shouldn't you wear something nice... er." Wesley pulled a face as the young man pulled a Pink Floyd tee shirt over his head and then pulled on an old pair of 'holy' jeans. "Not that those don't show off your crotch in a nice way, or anything."

Jesse smirked and brushed his floppy brown hair out of his eyes. "What's wrong with my crotch? My penis lives there and it hasn't given me any complaints, as of yet."

Wesley wasn't sure whether this was a moment he should snark back, or if he should just let it lie. "Yeah, but have you had a real heart to heart with your balls lately? Maybe they don't see things the same way as your penis."

Jesse laughed and shook his head. "As long as they aren't getting kicked or twisted, they usually don't feel that they have right or reason to complain."

Wesley chuckled and grabbed up his backpack, grabbing a few necessities out of an outer pocket. He strapped his gun holster on the back of his belt and slid his cuffs in his pocket. He hardly felt them, anymore.

"Hey..." Jesse walked up behind Wes and touched the butt of his gun. "...do you have to carry that?"

"Sergeant fought tooth and nail to get me a permit to carry this. I've still got a few months before eighteen rolls around, you know." Wesley turned and grabbed Jesse's hand, holding it firmly. "Stop touching it, man. You're starting to rattle my nerves, a little."

Jesse looked at the hand that held his and frowned. "Let go." Jesse pulled his hand back, swiftly, and turned to stomp away. "I just haven't seen a gun in a while, is all."

Wesley felt that there was something more to this admission, but he didn't want to push the boy. "All right. Just don't play with it. It's not a toy."

Jesse turned toward Wesley with loathing in his eyes and venom in his voice. "Fuck off and die, you son of a bitch. I'm not a God damned four year old."

Wesley watched the boy flee the room and shook his head. "What language." Wesley finished getting ready, brushed his teeth and hair, and headed downstairs moments later.

The car ride to the studio was silent. Jesse seething as he took curves a little too fast and a little too wide. The other cars on the road swerved to miss the super-expensive car that dominated their rightful piece of street.

After fifteen minutes of angry silence, Amanda spoke up. "Jess, I love you… and if you truly love me, you’ll stop trying to kill me."

It took all of Jesse's mental strength not to break down and cry. His face drained of color, and he pulled the car over to the side of the road, asking his sister to drive the rest of the way. "I wouldn't purposefully put your life in danger, Mandy."

Amanda took a right at the next green light and smiled over at her brother. "I know you wouldn’t, sweetie. You just had a bad morning, after getting... what? Maybe two hours of sleep?" Amanda snickered and shook her head. "Boys..." She said with a sigh, as she looked in the rear view mirror and shared a smile with Wesley. "You boys and your video gamehey hey sap your energy and your brain power."

Wesley silently agreed that video games were melting the brains of today's youth, as he looked back out the window and brooded over Jesse's emotional breakdown. Why was the kid so hot and cold?

When they reached their destination, the three stepped out of the car and checked their doors, making sure they had locked. Amanda set the alarm and immediately tested it, by setting it off. She laughed and reset it, as her brother grumbled unintelligibly. “You better get in a better mood, before Raffi takes it upon himself to get you in a better mood.”

Jesse pasted on a fake grin and growled. “He can bite my ass.”

Amanda shrugged and chuckled. “Whatever it takes, little brother.”

Wesley followed the two in silence, trying not to react one way or another to the weird quipping that went between them. They went inside the building that they parked in front of and up a flight of stairs. Amanda knocked on a door and squealed when it opened up and a handsome, burly man grabbed her up into a hug.

“Amanda, gorgeous! How are you?” Raffi looked as if he could break the girl in half, but in all actuality he held her delicately, so that her clothes wouldn’t wrinkle.

Wesley watched the man place the girl back on her feet and then proceed to attack Jesse in the same manner. There was one slight difference to the hug, though. Raffi grabbed Jesse’s ass. Not a ‘hi… how you doing’ grab, either. It was a ‘let me take you back to my place’ type of grab. Wesley wasn’t sure why this bothered him so much, but it did.

“Jesse…” Raffi squeezed the boy to his long, sturdy body and sighed, gustily. “Long time no see, babe. I didn’t think you would ever come back to see me.”

Jesse nodded his head, but said nothing, as the man put him back on his feet. After Jesse had taken a good two steps back, he smiled. “How are you, Raffi?”

“Better, now.” Raffi stepped back and motioned for them to come in. “I just finished setting up my camera. Who’s your friend?” Raffi motioned at Wesley and smirked at the two siblings, as they exchanged looks. “So, which one of you is he dating?” Raffi asked with a knowing smile.

Wesley’s jaw dropped a good two feet. “What?” He asked in a strangled whisper. Where the hell had his voice ran off to?!

Jesse smirked at Wesley’s discomfort and then shrugged. “He’s dating Amanda, but he’s sleeping with me.”

Raffi nodded and picked his camera up from its tripod. “Fair enough.” Raffi pulled his camera up to his eye, pointed it at Wesley, and smiled. “He’d be pretty on paper.”

“Ahh… yes.” Amanda slipped off her coat and shimmied a little, trying to make her silky top drape a little more comfortably. “He is a pretty thing, isn’t he? Looks like Joseph.”

Jesse scoffed and shook his head. “Joseph did not look anything like Wesley. He had…”

“A girly walk?” Raffi put down his camera and shot a grin at Jesse, who started to sulk.

“I was going to say he had style.” Jesse crossed his arms across his chest and sat down on the couch, pouting.

Raffi smiled, quietly, and shook his head. “Is little brother having a bad day?”

Amanda nodded and took her place over in a part of the room that had better lighting. “Maybe you can cheer him up. I’m all out of ideas.”

Raffi nodded, as he clicked the first picture in a series. “I’ll come up with something.”

Wesley found a chair over in the corner and sat down, watching the photo shoot in silence. Every now and again he would shoot a glance at Jesse, catching his heated gaze, and wonder what he had done to make this boy so angry.

TBC

muse- Oh no! They don’t like each other? What the hell?! Kill the author!

george16- I have plans for these characters! Don’t kill me just yet.

muse- They had better be sweaty, fun plans or I’ll be hanging you out to dry in the coming chapters.

george16- I thought you liked Blake?!

muse- I do, but… can’t they all just get along?

george16- *rolls eyes* Trust me. They will get along, a lot better in upcoming chapters. Kay?

muse- Okay, but no funny business. This Raffi guy grates my nerves.

Well, on that note… Please review. My muse is ticked off and I need a little bit of love. I wouldn’t just ruin the story before it starts, okay? Jeez… damned muse. *shakes head and grumbles* (Also, I have just finished writing the next chapter and if you want it I need reviews... it's not blackmail. It's encouragement.)