What Will Be (Chibs and Juice)

56

They still hadn't heard from the lawyer about the release date. It was starting to make Juice nervous, I was already Wednesday again. He had tried to keep himself busy, focused on various tasks around the shop and the club. Even still his mind would focus on Chibs, on what he wanted for when the man got home.

He knew the first night they would party, but the next night he wanted to go to the house. He wanted to just be alone with him, inside he was terrified that wouldn't happen. Too much club business needed to be handled, they'd get thrown back into the chaos as soon as the gate closed behind them. He worried even more that Chibs would feel differently about him when he came back. Technically he could pawn him off on Tig, what if he decided he didn't want the responsibility of being with Juice?

Juice was cleaning his tools in the garage for probably the sixth time that day already, it was barely lunch time, and the shop wasn't busy. He has organized most of the room, it looked better than it really ever had. He knew it wouldn't stay that way but he had to do something with his hands. He sat his wrench down and went over to Chibs box, he started digging through it. He figured the man could at least come home to some sort of order, right?

A flash of panic spread through him as he thought about the welcome back party. As far as he knew only four people inside the club knew about him and Chibs. Himself, Chibs, Tig, and Jax. Parties always had sweetbutts, lots of them, welcome back parties had even more and they all wanted a piece of the newly free men. Did their "only each other" agreement have a prison clause? Or a "just out of prison" clause?

His stomach dropped, he felt his eyes stinging with tears. What if Chibs came home, got laid, which Juice figured ultimately he could handle the random sweetbutt lay, but what if he decided he liked pussy too much to give it up? Especially for a man who wasn't ready for sex with him, who liked to be ordered around, spanked, behaved like a child and couldn't manage to take care of himself on his own.

A million "what ifs" ran through his mind on rapid fire. His eyes were fixed on Chibs tool box in front of him. He was sat on the work table they often shared, his feet dangling over the edge, wrench in his hand cleaned almost back to new.

"Gem, what's he doing?" Opie asked, staring at him in confusion from the office window.

She sighed, and stood up from the crappy computer to look out. "I don't know baby. He hasn't been right for a long time, worse since the guys got locked up."

Opie nodded, clearing his throat. "You know the cops were harassing him? He's been staying with Tig I think, because of it. There's something else going on here." He pointed at Juice through the window. "He's depressed or something."

Gemma patted his shoulder. "Needs a friend. You know everyone treats that boy differently, y'all never let him into your little circles. Chibs treats him like he belongs, who knows what Tig is putting him through?"

"Ya know I went over a few times while he was still staying at home, and he just kept telling me I didn't have to stay." Opie sounded defensive now.

"Are you dense Ope?" Gemma put her hands on her hips looking at him like she had so many times when he and Jax were in trouble. "You and Jax are thick as thieves, what could he possibly say to you? Y'all don't speak to him unless you need something, he probably felt like you were baby sitting him on Jax's order. I'd tell you to leave too."

Opie sighed, she wasn't wrong. Juice was hard to get to know though, he never said much about himself.
"I'm going to take him out tonight, away from the club, get some steaks or something he will eat, maybe shark some pool or something."

"We're his family Opie, he's been here for six years now, it's past time we start acting like his family." Gemma sat back down at the computer, shoving her glasses back onto her face.

Juice sat down the wrench he'd been cleaning, he decided to move on from Chibs cart and attack Tigs. Tigs was an entirely different chaos, at least Chibs cart was attempted to be organized, Tigs was not at all. He pulled out a drawer and dumped it out on the table. The clanging noise it made was loud enough to startle they guys around him in the shop. He blushed a little and apologized quietly.

He saw Opie strutting up to him, he wasn't sure why it made him nervous. They'd never been very close, but Opie was at least nice to him. The man was a giant though compared to everyone else, and his beard made him appear more rugged, his soft eyes were a stark contrast to his appearance.

Juice busied himself, pretending like he hadn't noticed the man approaching him.
"Hey, Juice." He spoke softly trying not to spook him.

Juice leaned back casually against the table, folding his arms over his chest. "What's up Opie?"

Opie looked around at the mess Juice created, intrigued at what he was up too. "What are you doing in here?"

Juice blushed, not really knowing what to say. He knew he was being a dork, and really he shouldn't be messing with anyone else's tools. "I, um, I was just..."

Opie chuckled cutting him off. "I'm not going to tell and get you in trouble man. Though I think they will know who did this to their stuff. Your cart is the only one that looks this nice all the time. I'm sure they will appreciate the effort, for the whole thirty seconds it stays that way when they get back. Just leave mine alone, it's organized-ish in my own way."

Juice looked relieved that Opie jokes about it instead of throwing him under the bus. "I'll leave yours out of it. Just trying to stay busy ya know? I'm at a dead end with the intel, until Jax gets back at least."

Opie nodded, he didn't really understand what Juice did but he knew it was important. "Well, you got plans tonight?" Opie just threw it out there, he didn't have to really ask anyone else they just hung out. Like Gemma said, they did treat Juice differently whether they meant to or not.

He shook his head no, assuming it was a club run or something.
"Awesome, you wanna go shoot some pool? There's a uh, pub just outside of town, good steak."
Juice looked excited despite his effort to remain casual. Opie remained neutral not giving away that he noticed the way his eyes lit up at the invitation. There was still hesitance from Juice, inside he didn't want to let Opie down, he didn't want to be weird, he didn't eat steak. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and nodded.
"Yeah, uh that could be fun." Then a flash of panic went through him. They could play pool here, they could eat here, why did he want to take him off somewhere. Did the Sheriffs attempts to frame him work? Was Opie just messing with him and then he'd stand him up? Maybe he shouldn't go.

"You know, um, actually we don't have too. We can shoot pool here after the garage closes if you want too."
Opie looked at him confused, he wasn't completely sure where the hesitation came from.
"You don't want to be seen in public with me?" He tried to joke. It only increased the fear in Juices eyes, now he thought he'd offended the man.

"Juice I was kidding. I just want to get away from the club. I like the pub, Jax and I used to go all the time before things got crazy. We can ask some of the other guys to go also. I uh, -he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly- I know you don't eat meat or whatever, but they have some killer cheese fries dude. And we can't hustle pool here, guys know what we can do already."

Juice relaxed a little, Opies awkwardness made it a little more believable that he was genuine. He decided it maybe wouldn't be that bad to hang out with someone besides Tig.

Tig still hadn't made it into the shop, probably being all domestic with Venus. The idea made Juice laugh, Tig was the last one of them anyone expected to settle down.
When we finish up here, I'm gonna go out with Opie and some of the other guys. That cool?
He waited for Tig reply, watching Opie talk to some of the prospects. Inside he felt like he was only being included because no one else was available but maybe he could bond with the guys.

:) was all Tig sent back. Juice shook his head smiling.