Chapter Text
The only reason Jay bothered to attend Sunday mass with his parents was because it was part of an agreement. Wasting away his family’s hard-earned money attending university without going to majority of his classes and failing nearly all of them was the deciding factor; his father had refused to fund his education any further until Jay could prove himself reformed, which explained all this shit he needed to do or be involved in.
With all of his financial support cut off, Jay had been forced to move back to his childhood home and, while he could’ve taken a part time job, he didn’t really want to. He preferred to play this little game his parents thought they were winning instead, one that gave him the freedom to spend his days doing nothing while pretending he was changing for the better—all at no cost or effort on his end.
Sweet.
Admittedly though, mass was bothersome and required him to act like a model child as his parents paraded him around. They were proud to finally have him here and attend it at all, but not of him. What they were proud of was themselves. Jay hated every minute he spent here. Donned in his Sunday best, he and everyone else fluttered about from one group to the next, the members of the congregation socializing with fake smiles and warped words as if being inside the church itself cleansed them of all sin. And then there was the very ceremony itself. Jay despised the sermon most of all, the way the priest came off as all-knowing where he stood at the pulpit, waving his fists at them all with judgment in his eyes.
Sundays were such a joke.
“Jay.”
A harsh tap on his knee yanked him away from the game he was playing on his phone, the end of his mother’s foldable fan making a sharp sound as it hit his arm. Looking up and slightly startled, he found her glaring at him as she turned her gaze pointedly at the foot he’d propped up on the pew in front of him.
“Sit properly and put that away. This is a church.”
Trying his hardest not to roll his eyes, Jay did as he was told, exiting from his game and locking his phone. The mass was over, wasn’t it? He’d swallowed the Body of Christ, drank His blood, and even sang His hymns. Didn’t he deserve to catch a break? Apparently not as Jay took note of his father’s sharp glance and he put his foot down as he sat up a little straighter, not wanting to piss his old man off. Jay had been doing well mostly, but having to attend mass really got to him. It took an insane amount of self control to behave in the presence of the church. Maybe because he didn’t think highly of the congregation in general, having known nearly most of its members the majority of his life.
None of them were holy, much less “good”.
“Father Choi,” his mother said suddenly, she and Jay’s father immediately standing up as the neighborhood priest stopped where they were to chitchat, as was usually the case after mass. Jay only fleetingly watched his parents talk to Father Choi however, not caring about whatever it was they always talked about after these ceremonies, and instead focused on the person standing a little bit away and in the background. Clad in slacks and a white, long sleeved button up shirt was goody-two-shoes Jake, and the sight of him made Jay grin.
“Hey Jake,” he greeted with a salute using two of his fingers, allowing his gaze to make its slow descent down the altar boy’s body before it climbed back up to his face, his eyes. Jay’s grin turned into a smirk as he watched Jake squirm in discomfort. “How’s it going in paradise? All good up there?”
Jake gave him a tight smile as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“Hello, Jay. I wouldn’t know and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. You’ll have to find out for yourself.”
“Sounds like a challenge,” Jay answered, pushing his dark hair back and away from his face with a wink. “Though I can think of a lot of different ways I can get the answer out of you.”
And Jay honestly did, those ways unkind and forceful because fuck did he resent Jake. Growing up in a small and religious neighborhood meant all of the kids in the area were pitted against each other in the guise of a friendly competition and every parents’ favorite, from childhood to now, had always been the Sim couple’s only son. He was well-behaved, had good manners, did well in school, and used nearly all of his free time volunteering in church. He was the dream child of every parent in their little community even if they refused to say it but Jay didn’t buy the act.
Jake couldn’t be all good like he was the next Jesus or something. There was just no way.
“I’m sure you can,” Jake answered, an unexpected and somewhat secretive smile forming on his lips. It ticked Jay off because what the hell was that about? He was itching to find out. “Especially knowing how creative you are. Anyway, what’s keeping you busy now that you’re not in school?”
“Self-reflection,” Jay replied easily, settling against the back of the bench he was seated in a little more comfortably and not wanting to lose whatever competition was happening in this conversation—because that was what this exchange was. Whoever pissed the other off first or made them more uncomfortable was the winner. “Oh, and you. Thoughts of you have been keeping me busy especially at night when I’m all alone in my bedroom.”
He watched with satisfaction as a blush bloomed on Jake’s cheeks. He obviously understood what was being insinuated here and that made him less perfect than he already was in Jay’s eyes. He probably jerked off in the privacy of his bedroom too, just like any other guy out there, and boy did Jay want to know and see such a thing first hand just at the thought.
He could even help out.
“I’m happy I’m included in your bedtime prayers,” Jake eventually stuttered out, but Jay already knew what was running in that holy head of his. Based on his reaction, Jake had thought of a very different thing, the exact same thing Jay was thinking. “I’ll make sure to include you in all of mine moving forward, too.”
“We can even pray together,” Jay murmured suggestively. “I could come over or you could.”
“Why is Jake coming over?”
Not having noticed his mother returning where he was, she didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she turned to Jake and smiled kindly at him.
“Whatever the reason is, you’re always welcome at home, Jake. The Lord knows Jay needs some good influence in his life.”
This time, Jay didn’t hold back: he rolled his eyes, annoyed.
“Haha,” he muttered with as much sarcasm as he could add to a couple of breathy syllables, glancing at Jake who was smiling that sweet, good boy smile he reserved for parental figures. “And no, he’s not coming—”
“Is a sleepover ok, Mrs. Park?”
Jay narrowed his eyes as he straightened up in his seat a little, not even irritated about the interruption because a sleepover?
“Of course. As long as it’s ok with your parents, then stay as long as you want.”
That secretive smile was back on Jake’s lips as he turned back to Jay.
“Great! Let’s plan something this coming week, Jay. Thank you so much, Mrs. Park!”
“Woah, hey, wait a—”
But before he had the chance to say more, Jake was gone with a wave as he caught up to Father Choi, leaving a very confused Jay behind.
Huh.
Jay was almost done with his cigarette by the time Jake stepped out of the church’s side door a few minutes after Monday’s youth bible study. He had a huge stack of hardbound books in his arms, but the real highlight was the pair of glasses he was wearing. Wasn’t he just cute and fake as fuck?
“Hey Jake.”
Jake saw him at the same time he lifted the hand with the cigarette in greeting, and he watched the altar boy pause where he was with narrowed his eyes.
“Jay. What are you doing here?”
Jay tossed the remainder of his cig on the ground, crushing it with the heel of his boot. He shrugged.
“Asking why the hell we’re going to have a sleepover. You can’t be serious.”
A wave of amusement passed over Jake’s face but it was gone so quickly, Jay felt like he’d just imagined it.
“No littering,” he scolded instead of answering what Jay just said, walking over and punching the air out of Jay’s lungs by pushing the hardbound books against his stomach. “Hold this for a sec.”
“Ow, what the fuck,” Jay muttered, doing as he was told with a cough. Jake then bent down to pick up his crushed cigarette, walking over the trash bin and throwing it properly. Turning back around, he grabbed a small bottle of sanitizer from his pocket, opened it with a click, and poured a considerable amount in his hands—Jay glared at him the entire time. “You could have been gentler, you know.”
“I don’t think you like gentle,” Jake quipped, walking over with a sweet little smile as he grabbed the books again. He didn’t miss a beat, talking on as he began walking away, leaving Jay clutching his belly. “I’m free on Friday so I expect you to pick me up right here, same time, for our sleepover.”
“I haven’t even said yes yet!”
Jake was already getting into his car, a beat up, secondhand model that screamed soccer mom.
“You haven’t said no either,” he shot back with a grin and a wave. “See you on Friday, Jay!”
With that, Jake started his car and pulled out of the parking area, leaving Jay staring after him in confusion. Was this a game of some sort?
If it was, Jay wasn’t about to lose—whatever the rules were or the prize, anyway.