Copyright November 24-December 2, 2000 by Matthew Haldeman-Time
Rating: NC-17 for sexual situations involving minors
Pairing: Jason Fox/Marcus
Disclaimer: "FoxTrot," with its related characters and themes, belongs to Bill Amend, not to me. I make no money from this venture.
Dedication: This slashfic is for Ewan McGregor.
Wherein Jason deals with Marcus, Peter, and Roger, not in that order.
Notice: This site is the proud home of Jason/Marcus slash.
Roger frowned. He heard a door slam upstairs. Jason's bedroom door?
Paige walked into the kitchen, shaking her head. "I swear. I knew that guys were idiots about relationships. Two of them together, I don't see how they ever manage it."
"Is something wrong with Jason?"
"Dad, there are about a zillion things wrong with Jason. I don't have time to list them all." She plucked a diet soda from the refrigerator, closing the door again. "He and Marcus had a fight."
"A fight? Maybe I should go..." He hesitated, about to lift himself from the chair. "...talk to him?"
Paige popped open the can. "Daddy, your romantic advice has never been good. The stuff you told Peter about dating and girls was pathetic. I don't think that you'll be any more help talking to Jason about dating and boys."
"I'm his father. I'll talk to him."
"Good luck," she said as he left the room. "Daddies can be sweet," she decided. "Clueless, but sweet."
Roger knocked on Jason's bedroom door. "Jason?"
"Go away."
"What's going on?" Peter asked, coming into the hallway.
"Paige says that Jason and Marcus had a fight," Roger said.
"Really? I thought they were the perfect couple. You know. For guys."
"They've been best friends their whole lives. I don't know why they're fighting now."
"It's different, I guess," Peter said. "What'd they fight about?"
"He won't tell me." Roger knocked again. "Jason, open the door."
"Go away."
"One more try, son."
There was a mutter and a thud; the door opened reluctantly, Jason scowling at the floor. "What do you want?"
"Want to play chess?" Roger tried.
"Maybe later."
Peter pushed Jason's hair back into order. "You're fighting with Marcus?"
"We're not having a fight," Jason muttered, turning away to sit on his bed. "Marcus is a jerk."
"No name-calling," Roger said automatically.
"You broke up?" Peter guessed.
"I guess."
"You guess or you did?"
Jason pulled Keith into his lap. "I don't know. He's stupid anyway."
Roger sat beside Jason. "You've never said that before."
"Jason's never been mad at him before," Peter said, pulling over Jason's desk chair, straddling it backwards. "What happened? He did something?"
"He said that Krycek wants Mulder."
"Who?" Roger asked.
"'The X-Files?'" Peter asked. "You're fighting about 'The X-Files?' You can't even have a normal fight like a normal person, you have to fight about a TV show."
"He said that Krycek wants Mulder. That's stupid. Any idiot fool can see that Mulder's the one in love with Krycek. And I know that Krycek kissed Mulder, but that's just because-"
"They kissed on television?" Peter asked. "Two guys kissed each other on television?"
"Where've you been?" Jason asked.
"You think that one of them likes the other, and Marcus says that it's the other way around?" Roger asked, still trying to get it. "Why can't they just both like each other?"
Jason opened his mouth. Closed it. Raised his eyebrows.
"I can't believe two guys kissed on national television," Peter said. "On my network."
"It's not your network," Jason said.
"It's called FOX," Peter said.
"You've seen two guys kiss," Jason said.
"No, I haven't. And I don't want to."
"You've seen...you've never seen..." Jason turned red and looked down again.
"I can't believe they put that on FOX."
"It wasn't - - what if they did?" Jason asked. "So what?"
"I don't want to see that."
"Like I want to see those guys and girls all over each other? They show straight couples having sex on TV all of the time, a lot more obvious and graphic, and that's okay. It's gross, I don't want to see it."
"But that's..."
"That's what?"
"Normal."
"You suck. Get out of my room."
"Jason-"
"Son." Roger put his hand on Jason's back. "Peter, I think you'd better apologize."
"He can call straight people gross, but I can't not want to see gay people?" Peter asked. "He doesn't want to see straight people having sex, I don't want to see two guys kissing."
"You never saw..." Jason's voice stopped.
"I never saw what?" Peter asked.
"Me. Kissing. Marcus."
"No."
"Have you?" he asked Roger.
"I can't say that I have."
"You don't like it, do you?" Jason asked. "You both think it's sick."
"Jason-"
"That's okay," Jason said, rising, hugging Keith. "Can you go now? I want to start my homework."
"Jason-"
"I have," his breath caught, "a lot of homework. And my," another hitch, "physics project, we were going to start that tonight, but now Marcus," and he leaned into his father's shoulder, choking back a sob.
"Go get your mother," Roger told Peter, patting Jason's back.
"She's not home."
"Go get your sister."
"Oh, like she'll be a big help."
"Go get somebody." He heard words coming out between sobs, and caught, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Jason? "Jason, you have nothing to be sorry for. Don't cry. It's all right." There had to be something to say here. "Jason, we don't think you're sick. You're not sick at all. I love you, son. You're very happy with Marcus, and that's what's important to me. I love you."
"I got out of the car without kissing him, I didn't even say good-bye. And I know you think it's wrong but I can't help it, I can't."
"It's not wrong," Roger said. "It's not wrong."
Jason sniffled and pulled away from Roger, clutching Keith. "I need to do my homework." He pulled off his glasses and wiped at his eyes with his knuckles.
Peter handed over a tissue.
"Can you just go?"
"What's going on in here?" Paige asked. "Jason's crying? Why is Jason crying?"
"Get out of here," Jason said.
"Right. No girls allowed in Jason's room. Now we know why," Paige said.
"Paige, that's not helping," Roger said.
"It's okay," Jason said. "I know Paige doesn't care."
"I really don't," Paige agreed, casting an idle glance at Jason's Obi-Wan poster. "Why are you crying?"
"I'm not crying. Get out of my room."
"Why were you crying, then?"
"I wasn't crying. Get out of my room."
"I can't believe you're fighting with Marcus. He's like...he's the only person in the world who's...he's perfect for you. You're like soulmates or something. It totally freaks me out that someone actually finds you attractive, but that's his business."
"Have you seen them kiss?" Peter asked.
"Sure. A dozen times. Why?"
Peter checked a grimace. "When?"
"I don't know. They're guys, they're sixteen, they're horny, they're all over each other." She shrugged. "When they're not groping each other, they get sort of cuddly and cosy without even thinking about it. It's kind of cute. You know. For Jason."
"Cute," Jason muttered, offended.
"It's not gross?" Peter asked.
"Gross? Why would it be gross? It's just Jason and Marcus."
"It doesn't bother you?" Peter asked.
"What bothers me is that Jason has a boyfriend and I don't," Paige said.
They heard the front door. "Roger? Kids?"
Peter checked his watch. "Yes!"
"What?" Roger asked.
"Mom's late. She won't have time to cook."
"Yes!" Paige exclaimed. Footsteps up the stairs. "We're in here, Mom!"
Andy appeared. "I - - Jason?" She came forward, taking his chin in one hand, rubbing a thumb under his eye. "What happened?"
"Nothing," Jason said, pulling away from her.
"Roger?"
Roger handed Peter some money. "Why don't you go call for some pizza. Paige?"
"I'm going, I'm going," Paige said, following Peter from the room, closing the door.
"What's happened?" Andy asked. "What's wrong?"
Jason put his glasses on again. "Marcus and I had a fight," he said. "I'll go call him and-"
"Hold on," Roger said, taking Jason's elbow, pulling Jason back again. He rested his hands on Jason's shoulders. "Jason. I love you. I'm very proud of you. I respect you. I like Marcus. I don't think that you're sick or wrong. As long as you're happy, I'm happy."
Jason's eyes were still red. "Thanks, Dad."
"Sweetie, what happened?" Andy asked.
"Marcus and I had a big stupid ugly fight, and Peter's a jerk, and-"
"What did Peter do?"
"I'll talk to him," Roger said.
"Peter's a jerk," Jason muttered. "I'm going to-"
"No seeking revenge," Andy said. "No matter what he did. What's this about fighting with Marcus?"
"I don't know," Jason said.
"Let's give Jason a little time to start his homework before dinner," Roger suggested. He pulled Andy from the room, closing the door, giving Jason privacy.
Around seven, the doorbell rang. Paige's voice, loud and super-sweet, said, "Why, look, everybody! It's Marcus! Hi, Marcus!"
Jason hurried into the foyer and pushed Paige toward the stairs. He cast Marcus a quick, hesitant look. "Hi."
"Hi," Marcus said.
"Let me take your coat," Paige said. "Relax. Stay a while."
"I can take his coat. Get out of here," Jason said impatiently.
"Okay. Just be sure you stop at the coat." Laughing, Paige ran upstairs.
Marcus handed Jason his jacket; Jason draped it over the bannister. "I'm sorry," Marcus said. "I think you're right. I think we're both right."
"Yeah. Me too."
"Maybe we should...start our physics project."
"Yeah. Come on upstairs."
Peter was upstairs later. Still feeling confused and guilty after his earlier conversation with Jason, he stopped by Jason's room.
Jason was sitting on the floor, in the lotus position, back against the bedframe. Marcus was stretched on his back across the floor, feet in Jason's lap. They were reading what looked like physics textbooks. Marcus rolled over, onto his stomach now; Peter watched Jason's eyes track up Marcus' body. Jason gave a tiny, wicked smile and went back to reading. Marcus, oblivious, said, "Hey, Jason, look at this."
Jason did just that, crawling up over Marcus until he was kneeling astride Marcus' hips, peering over Marcus' shoulder. He laughed. "We did that experiment when we were eight."
"I thought we were seven. Remember Mrs. Kirsick's class?"
"These projects are lame. We'll have to come up with our own ideas."
"We always do anyway." Marcus turned a page. Jason licked behind Marcus' earlobe. "I thought we were working."
"You can keep working if you want," Jason said.
Marcus rolled and wriggled until he was on his back under Jason. "Is your web cam still on?"
"Nobody's watching."
"That's what you said last time."
"Hold on." Peter ducked out of view as Jason scrambled to his feet. There was a mutter and a click before Jason resumed the position and Peter peeked in again. "Okay?"
"Okay," Marcus said, and slid a hand back through Jason's hair. Jason dropped his glasses and leaned in for a kiss.
Peter watched. It was sort of weird. Weird because he wasn't disgusted at all. It was just Jason and Marcus. Just kissing. It seemed...comfortable? Familiar? Natural? Normal. It seemed perfectly normal.
Jason sucked in air, and Marcus giggled, and then they rolled and Jason was on the bottom and Jason's hand was rubbing down Marcus' back. Then Jason's thighs spread, and Peter went downstairs.
Andy came by a few minutes later. "Boys. Jason!"
Jason lifted his head. "Oh. Hi, Mom. We were just...studying."
"For physics," Marcus added.
"That's good. Why don't you try studying downstairs in the living room?"
"Paige is watching 'Felicity,'" Jason said.
"If you're going to be studying in here, I want you to be studying physics, not each other."
"Yes, Mom."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Thank you." She went downstairs again. Jason ducked in for a quick kiss and went back to his book, finding it shoved under the bed.
"You okay?" Marcus asked.
"Sure."
Marcus looked at him. "Okay."
Jason read some more. Turned a page. "Peter's a jerk."
"What did he do?" Marcus asked, scooting over to sit beside Jason.
"He thinks we're gross. Guys kissing and stuff."
"It's not gross."
"Thanks." Jason turned a page. "My dad...I think he's more okay with it than I thought he was."
"That's good."
"Yeah. He can be pretty cool sometimes."
"What are you going to do about Peter?"
"Mom said I can't seek my revenge."
"Why not?"
"I don't know."
"What would you do if you could?"
"Make the punishment fit the crime."
"Make him watch gay porn?"
"Ew!"
"I don't even know where to get any."
"Me either."
"Guys kissing. He thinks it's gross? I think it's fun."
"I like it, too."
"You should make Peter kiss a guy."
"I don't hate anybody enough to make Peter kiss him."
"You'd never get Peter to do it, either."
"And nobody with a brain would ever kiss Peter."
"He's cute."
"What?!"
"For an idiot jock."
"He's not cute."
"He's not as cute as you are. He's not bad-looking."
"Then you kiss him."
"Ew! No!"
"See?" Jason fiddled with the page corner. "You think I'm cuter than Peter is?"
"Of course. Jason." Marcus put up a warning hand. "Your mom already told us to - - told us to - - Jason - -" Giggle. Gasp. Moan.
"Jason!" Andy exclaimed.