Pounding on his door, and Justin looks up startled. While debating whether or not he should open the door, he gets to his feet. One hand on the doorknob, he levels his right eye with the peephole, peering through.

A gasp escapes him and he hurries to open the door.

“Josh, what’s wrong?” he asks worriedly, as he looks his best friend over completely. Searching for injuries as the tears track down Josh’s face. Josh doesn’t answer his question, he silently moves forward and steps into Justin’s embrace. Justin pulls him close as Josh buries his face in Justin’s neck.

Justin’s hands rub circles on Josh’s back, in an attempt to calm him down and so get an answer to his earlier question. It is obvious something is wrong, but what is it?

Slowly, Josh calms down until he eventually lifts his head from Justin’s shoulder. He doesn’t meet Justin’s eyes as he gazes down at him with concern. Instead he wipes at his eyes, Justin’s arms still around him.

“Josh?” the uncertainty and worry showing in his voice. It makes Josh look up briefly.

“He cheated on me,” he quietly offers.

Justin’s eyes grow wide and he pulls Josh against him again, “Oh, I’m sorry,” Justin says, before pulling Josh with him and settling the both of them on the couch.

He stays close as he asks sympathetically, “What happened?”

Josh stares straight ahead and says, “I came home from work, went up to the bedroom and found him in bed with another man. I don’t know who he was, but it was obvious what they were doing.”

“Did you yell at him, demand an explanation?” Justin wonders, actually already knowing the answer.

Josh shakes his head, “No, I just turned and ran.”

He meets Justin’s eyes, whispers, “I came here.”

Justin smiles weakly at him, whispers meaningfully, “He doesn’t deserve you.”

Josh looks up at the undertone in Justin’s voice and as their eyes meet, Justin can no longer restrain himself. He leans in slowly, and gently kisses Josh on the lips.

Josh slowly opens his eyes, clouded with confusion. “Justin,” he begins, but before he can finish his sentence Justin shoots up and starts pacing the floor.

“Oh Josh, I’m sorry.”

Justin hides his face in his hands as he scolds himself inwardly.

He’d stood by silently for years, allowing one opportunity after another to pass him by. He’d looked on as one man after another hurt the man he loved more than anything in the world. And that man only saw him as his best friend. He was in love with his best friend, cliché or not, it was true.

And Josh came to him after every failed relationship. Josh saw him as his safety net, but Justin wanted to be more to him. He wanted to be the one that held him every night, that made love to him and he wanted to be the one to treat him right and cherish him as he should be cherished.

He’d went on impulse just now by kissing him and although it’d felt amazing he deeply regretted acting so bold now because it could mean he’d lose him completely. And hadn’t he decided a long time ago that he’d rather have Josh as his best friend than not at all? Now Justin could kick himself because he’d tried so hard to prevent this!

He threaded his fingers through his hair and tugged in frustration. “Josh, I’m so, so sorry, please pretend I didn’t just do that!”

“I can’t believe I just did that!!” he growled in frustration, he just ruined everything.

“What kind of a friend am I? Taking advantage of you when you’re hurt and… I’m just as bad as he is, I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.”

“Justin, Justin,” Josh called out, attempting to grasp his hands and get his attention.

“Justin!” he called again, this time successfully. Justin turned his attention to Josh, a miserable expression on his face.

“Come sit down.”

Justin slumped down next to Josh like a rag doll. Josh eyed him intently, softly asked, “What’s going on?”

Justin sighed, finally admitted, “I love you.”

Josh’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I’m in love with you. I’ve loved you for three years, but I was afraid to tell you because I thought you wouldn’t want to be my best friend anymore.”

“Please don’t stop being my best friend. I’ll ignore it, I won’t come on to you again, and I’ll stop being in love with you, just please, Josh, please?” he was aware that he was babbling, but unable to stop himself. Because he was sure that now that Josh knew he loved him for more than just a friend, Josh would stay away from him.

“Justin, no,” Josh said, shaking his head.

“No?” Justin repeated fearfully, was his worst nightmare coming true?

But then Josh smiled, and Justin didn’t dare hope. “Don’t ignore it, I don’t want you to ignore it.”

Justin gasped a little, “You… you’re not mad?”

“I am.”

Justin felt dizzy, confused, but couldn’t find words to ask. What was he saying?

“Mad, you never said anything before!”

“Oh, but,”

Josh cut him off, scooted closer to him and kissed him on the lips.

“Wow,” was the only thing Justin could say when Josh pulled back.

“Yeah,” Josh agreed with a smile, his earlier tears forgotten. “Wow.”