help you out
by Helen

Justin was waiting in his bed.

"What are you doing here," Joey said. Justin was wearing underwear and a thin undershirt, the same standard issue clothes they all wore, all of them gone slightly grey with washing. The undershirt was a little too large.

"Um," Justin said. "I thought." he looked at the floor and then back up at Joey, smiling warily, "I could help you out, and you could help me out, and everyone would be happy."

"A little too friendly in the barracks for you," Joey said quietly.

Justin nodded. Joey sighed. "You done this before?"

"yeah," Justin said.

"uh-huh." He leaned over and ran a finger over Justin's collarbone, right where his undershirt left it bare, and Justin flinched back away from him minutely before stilling himself, closing his eyes, tipping his head back. Joey laughed gruffly and stepped back, pulling his shirt over his head and putting it on the chair next to the bed where Justin's pants and shirt were already folded. He could feel Justin's eyes on him as he untied the laces of his boots and took them off, unbuckled his belt, slid his pants off, hung them over the chair. He walked over to the doorway and flicked off the light.

"Move over," he said, climbing into bed and Justin slid sideways with alacrity. He closed his eyes. He could hear Justin's breath coming quickly in the dark. "Don't you want to—" he began hesitantly.

"Go to sleep, kid," Joey said.