"Jayce. Jayce, wake up," Justin said, shaking JC's shoulder. JC mumbled and turned his face against Justin's neck, warm breath tickling him. "C'mon," Justin tried again. "We're here on the island. We have to get off the plane so we can have our vacation."

At the word 'vacation,' JC sat up, running a hand over his face and shaking his head to wake himself. "Already?"

"Well, we still have to take the boat out," Justin said. "But yeah, we're here."

JC pushed at Justin. "Then get up, man. Vacation!" he said, grinning widely. He followed Justin into the aisle of the airplane, checking their seats for any items they might have left behind before taking the carry-on Justin handed him. "Go!" he said, pushing Justin forward. "Vacation!" Justin laughed, grabbing the second carry-on and a backpack as he walked off the plane.

*

Two hours later, they were skimming across the bright blue water toward their destination. Justin could just see the outline of the little island they were headed for. "Jayce, look!" he said, wrapping an arm around JC's shoulders and pulling him close. After a quick survey to make sure the captain wasn't looking, he gave JC a quick kiss. "Our own little island, baby," he said lowly. "You, me, sun and sand for a whole week."

"A whole week," JC sighed, leaning against Justin. "When's the last time we had a whole week off?"

"I don't know. Back when MMC got cancelled?" Justin joked. "Doesn't matter, Jayce. We're here now."

As they drew nearer to the island, JC could make out a large white house with a wrap-around porch. A kayak and canoe were propped up against the porch, which had a swing in one corner and a weathered blue wicker chair in the other. The boat pulled up to a wooden dock, and JC vaulted over the side of the boat easily, grabbing the bags Justin tossed him before helping him off the boat. They paid the captain and set the pick-up time for a week later. When he was out of sight, they turned to each other, holding hands as they grabbed their suitcases and made a run for the house, laughing as they fell on the front steps.

"C'mon," Justin urged, dusting himself off and offering JC a hand up. "Let's see inside."

It was an old house, with large heavy windows and worn wooden floors. There was no air conditioning, but they quickly found that a steady breeze blew through if they opened the windows, and then it was entirely comfortable. The kitchen was huge, fully equipped though not modern, and the living room walls were lined with bookcases. Upstairs, the master bath held an enormous claw-foot tub, and the bedroom was furnished with comfortable antiques.

"This is awesome," JC said, running his hand over the top of the dresser. "This is like, the perfect beach house getaway, man. It's gorgeous, but not so much you worry about bringing some sand in with you."

"I think it needs a dishwasher," Justin said, "but yeah. Hey, did they stock the fridge like they were supposed to?"

"Yep," JC confirmed, nodding. "I checked while you were whining about having to do dishes." JC smirked, yelping when Justin pinched his side. "Hey!"

"I wasn't whining. I was just lamenting the fact that you'll have to spend time doing dishes when I could be doing you."

"Excuse me? You're doing dishes too, baby, no matter how much you pout," JC declared, yanking Justin's baseball cap down over his eyes and running down the stairs. He was down to his boxers by the time he hit the dock, and he made a clean dive into the water, laughing and splashing at Justin when he surfaced. "Come on!" JC urged, grinning and swimming farther out. "It's perfect!"

Justin grinned and stripped slowly, showing off his body to its best advantage as he took his shirt off, then reached for the button on his jeans. JC swam back to the dock, eyes on Justin. He pulled himself out of the water and reached for Justin, who slid away smoothly. "Nah-uh," he chided. "I'm going to go swimming."

"Tease."

Justin fixed him with a look, drawing his jeans down his long legs and kicking them off. "Baby, I always, always deliver," he said, cupping JC's chin with his hand and giving him a slow, deep kiss. He trailed a finger down the center of JC's chest, snapped the waistband of his boxers, and dove into the water before JC had a chance to recover.

*

"Justin?" JC called up the stairs. He'd just finished doing the dishes (Justin had cooked), and his boyfriend was nowhere to be found on the first floor.

"Out here," Justin called. JC padded out to the porch and found Justin sprawled in the blue chair, reading glasses perched on his nose as he worked on one of the novels they'd found in the living room. He looked up when he heard JC's footsteps, his frown of concentration melting into a smile. "Hey. Come here," he said, marking his spot in the book and dropping it on the floor. JC walked over to him, running his hand over Justin's newly-shaved head and kissing him on the forehead.

"Hey yourself."

"I said come here," Justin repeated, wrapping an arm around JC's waist and pulling him onto his lap. They shifted for a few moments until they were both comfortable, Justin's chin hooked over JC's shoulder as they looked out at the beginnings of the sunset.

"There's a swing over there, you know," JC said, pointing to the opposite end of the porch. "Made for two."

"I like this chair," Justin said, tightening his hold on JC.

"I'm not complaining. I'm just sayin'. If we go over there your legs won't end up numb."

"I'm fine, baby."

"Justin?"

"Hmm?" Justin asked, stroking lazily down the center of JC's body, hand stopping right over his navel.

"I'm gonna fall asleep on you if you keep that up," JC murmured, body relaxing against Justin.

"I don't mind that. I don't mind that at all," Justin whispered, kissing behind JC's ear.

*

The week passed far too quickly, as vacations seem to do. They spent their mornings sleeping in and making love, their afternoons swimming and exploring, and their evenings on the porch, watching the sun set in the blue chair. On the day before they were supposed to leave, JC woke early, when the sky was still dark and the birds hadn't yet begun to sing. He observed Justin in the darkness, cataloguing the lines of his body, the softness of his features, the way his nose scrunched when JC drew a line down the center of it. He'd watched Justin for years, first as a surrogate little brother in Tyler's absence, then as a good friend, and for the past year and a half as a lover. Justin had grown into an incredible man, and at times like this, when he still showed the vulnerability JC had first seen in that little boy, his heart felt full to bursting.

"I can hear you thinking," Justin said quietly, opening his eyes. "What's going on inside that head of yours?"

"Thinking about how lucky I am to have you," JC said, taking Justin's hand and kissing a line from his wrist to his elbow.

"Shh," Justin said, tugging him closer. "Stop thinking so loud and try sleeping while we have the chance," he said, brushing his lips against JC's when he began to protest. "Sleep, baby."

"I love you."

"I know. And I love you," Justin said, stroking JC's back. "Sleep."

*

JC was quiet all day, excusing himself quickly as soon as they were done eating dinner. Justin's eyes had been on him all day, curious. While Justin cleaned up after dinner, JC walked along the shoreline, kicking the sand with his bare feet.

"You're thinking too loud again," Justin said, coming up behind him. "I could hear you all the way from the kitchen. What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Baby ..."

"It's nothing. Go finish cleaning up. We have to pack tonight." He walked away, still kicking at the sand, marring the otherwise perfect beach.

Justin let him go. He always came back.

*

JC walked around the entire island, which took all of an hour even at his slow pace. When he got back to the house, Justin was sitting on the porch in the chair, looking out at the water. When he saw JC he rose, meeting him halfway up the beach.

"Come sit with me," he said, offering his hand. JC took it, marveling at the way his hand fit in Justin's when at first it had been the other way around. "I miss you, when you go away like that." He sat down in the blue chair, pulling JC with him.

"I don't want to leave," JC said, curling a hand in the fabric of Justin's white tank, tinged gold by the setting sun.

"We have to, Jayce," Justin said quietly, hugging him tight. "That, all of it, is what makes it possible for us to do things like this."

"We can't be us there."

"We're always us, baby," he said, pinning JC with his eyes. You just have to figure out how to always be you."

"We all play parts, J," JC said, looking away.

"Yeah. But you, baby - you get lost inside it."

"I find you."