*****
Five Things JC Never Wants to Hear Come Out of Chris's Mouth, EVER AGAIN, for Jennifer
1. "Oh, shit," JC says as he paws frantically through the crap on the dresser. "I can't find the key!" Chris glares at him from the bed, rattling his cuffed hands against the headboard.
2. "I cooked dinner," JC said, surveying Chris's kitchen with dubious pride. Chris smiled weakly and closed his eyes against the chaos.
3. "I wrote a song about what we did last night. It's called--" Chris clapped his hands over his ears and stared at JC in horror. JC was never going to get his songs played on the radio at this rate.
4. "I taught him how to do that," JC says softly, as Justin does something with his tongue that makes Chris's eyes roll back in his head.
5. "Yi yi yi yipee yi yay, yipee yi yo, yipee yi yay!"
*****
Five Things Lance Wishes He Could Tell Chris, for Den
1. That his first time wasn't with the cute, blonde girl in Munich that Chris saw coming out of his room one night when it was Lance's turn to have the single. His first time was actually with the cute, blond boy in Berlin that Lance made damn sure nobody saw.
2. That when Lance slid to his knees, unzipping the boy's jeans with trembling hands, he wished it was Chris standing over him, one hand in his hair, the other coaxing his mouth open.
3. That even though Joey laughed so hard Lance thought he was going to choke when he mentioned it, Lance thinks the beard horns are the hottest thing he's ever seen.
4. That the way Chris paid attention to him in the early days made Lance hope for things he knew he could never have.
5. That it took years for Lance to stop hoping, and while he may have finally managed it, wanting is another matter entirely.
*****
Five Things Justin Loved About the Early NSYNC Days in Germany, for Juli
1. Justin was used to hearing girls scream. There'd been no lack of screaming on MMC, after all, although he'd been too young then, and too well-protected, to take advantage of what those screams promised. But in Germany, he wasn't a little kid anymore, and in spite of his mother's best efforts, every once in a while he managed to hear the screams a little more privately.
2. It seemed to Justin that there was never any time to sleep. He could deal with that just fine, mostly. He wasn't a baby, he could handle a little sleep deprivation without complaining. There were days, though, when every time he sat down for more than five minutes, he could feel himself drifting off. He found it was easy to give in to the temptaion to sleep when JC's shoulder was right there, waiting for him to just tip his head to the side and close his eyes.
3. Justin tried really hard to be a grownup. Compared to Chris, he thought he was very mature, most of the time. But sometimes, when a pretty girl's gaze slid over him dismissively, or the look in some record company suit's eyes made him feel like he was nothing more than a commodity, he wanted to revert to age four and throw a temper tantrum. He could throw a memorable one when he put his mind to it. On the rare occasions when he gave in to the impulse, Joey was there to absorb the brunt of his frustration, letting Justin throw things and swear at him, taking his anger and turning it into something else entirely with just a touch of his big, friendly hands.
4. Chris was insane, Justin was sure of it. It was one of the things Justin liked best about him, and the times when Chris would grab him by the hand and tow him up to the roof of their hotel, or out into the darkened alley behind whatever club Justin had bluffed or charmed his way into, slipping him a joint or a bottle of dark German beer, were some of his favorite times. Especially when Chris would get drunk enough that the ever-present guarded expression in his eyes was replaced by a look that made Justin smile secretly to himself.
5. Lance took to having security at his beck and call like a duck to water, as Justin's grandma would say. He was a natural at giving orders, sometimes with a confident smile, sometimes with a steely glint in his eye. But it was the look on his face as he told Justin to get on his knees that Justin liked the best.
*****
Five Lessons Justin Never Thought He'd Learn at Bus School With Lance, for Learn_me
1. Justin glanced sideways at Lance out of the corner of his eye. Lance’s head was bent studiously over his math book, and he efficiently scribbled equations across his homework paper. Justin’s mom hummed under her breath as she did the dinner dishes, her back to the two boys at the table. Justin thought he knew his mom better than anyone else, but apparently Lance was pretty good at reading her body language, sensing when she was going to turn around, and he smirked slightly as he slid his hand out of Justin’s lap whenever Lynn reached for another dirty plate.
2. Justin liked to make noise during sex. He hadn’t really been having sex all that long, actually. He was only sixteen, after all, and as the novelty hadn’t quite worn off yet, he was fairly enthusiastic about voicing his appreciation. But lately, Lance had been teaching him the rewards of staying quiet. He held as still as he could, his fist in his mouth to muffle any sounds, leaving teeth marks on the back of his hand as Lance slowly sucked him off in Justin’s room, where they were supposed to be doing their homework, Chris and JC only a few feet away, playing video games in the living room.
3. Justin watched in admiration as Lance pretended to pick tiny bugs out of Chris’s hair. Not ten minutes earlier, Chris had been frowning and poking Lance in the chest, demanding to know why it had taken Lance and Justin an extra half hour to get down to breakfast that morning, like it was any of his business. Now, the sparkle in Chris’s eyes as he bit Lance on the leg meant that Lance and Justin’s early morning whereabouts were the farthest thing from his mind. It wasn’t like Justin didn’t already know how easily Chris could be distracted, but lately Lance had proven himself a master at it, and watching him work was one of the highlights of their trip to South Africa.
4. There was never enough time. It seemed they always had to be in ten different places at once, rushing from home to the studio to radio stations, from airports to photo shoots to buses, from hotels to venues and back again. There was barely time to eat, breathe and sleep, let alone have any kind of sex that wasn’t rushed and furtive. Justin was becoming an expert at getting Lance off in a hurry, one eye on his watch and one ear on the door. It hadn’t taken him long to learn exactly what to do with this tongue to make Lance gasp, “God, wait, Justin, wait,” pushing at Justin’s shoulder. But Justin couldn’t wait, they didn’t have time, and he’d hold Lance’s hips firmly in place, and Lance would come, his hands tightening almost painfully in Justin’s hair. Then he’d pull Justin to his feet and lean his forehead against Justin's while he caught his breath.
5. It had never occurred to Justin before just how sensitive the skin on the inside of his elbow was, but now that it was the only place Lance would touch him, using his lips and his tongue to drive Justin crazy, it was the only place on his body that he had any awareness of at all.
*****
Five Things That the Moms Knew That the Boys Weren't Aware They Knew, for Cressy
1) Sometimes, it was hard to remember that Chris was so much older than the other boys. He fit in with them so well, and he and Justin in particular seemed to almost share a brain. Sometimes Diane would forget that he was perfectly capable of slipping his leash and foraging around in whatever city they were in, managing to find all sorts of things she didn’t approve of. Lynn might smile indulgently when the sweet odor of pot caught her attention as Chris walked by, the smell clinging tenaciously to his sweatshirt, but Diane wished he was young enough for her to not feel so awkward about telling him to be careful.
2) Joey hurried into the hotel dining room, heading for the big round table where the rest of them were already having breakfast. He paused, peered around the room, then made a detour to the buffet. Diane watched him hurriedly pile food on his plate, including a large piece of the smelly cheese that she knew he hated. He was flushed, and as he approached their table he cast a furtive glance at Wesley, who looked back at him and nodded almost imperceptibly. Diane frowned as Joey’s face lightened with relief, and she knew that the girl from last night must have been safely escorted to the elevator and ushered out of the hotel with no problems. Her lips tightened as she watched Lance’s face. He was studiously avoiding looking at Joey, instead giving his breakfast the kind of attention he usually reserved for dance rehearsals. Joey was too preoccupied to notice Lance at all.
3) Every time Lance allowed his eyes to rest on Joey’s face for more than a few quick seconds, those times when he thought no one was watching, Diane’s heart broke just a little bit. He was so sure nobody knew, and maybe he was right about the others, but Diane was his mother, and what he was able to hide from them, she could read on his face as if it was an open book. Joey knew, of course, but he was kind enough to pretend he didn’t see the hope in Lance’s eyes when Joey smiled at him.
4) “Those boys,” Lynn sighed. “They’ll be the death of me yet.” She smiled ruefully at Diane, shaking her head in fond exasperation. “I had no idea that when we agreed to herd a bunch of teenage boys around Europe, we’d have to deal with secret crushes and hurt feelings and raging hormones, did you?” She laughed as Diane rolled her eyes and coughed, swallowing her beer a little too quickly. “And not a girl in sight to be causing all this turmoil.” Lynn paused and took a bite of pizza, chewing thoughtfully. “Well, except for Joey’s-” she broke off at the expression on Diane’s face. “I know, I know.”
“Did Justin ever convince JC that he was old enough to seriously consider going on a date with?” Diane asked somewhat waspishly. She didn’t particularly like talking about Lance’s unrequited crush on Joey with Lynn.
But Lynn didn’t take offense at Diane’s tone. She knew all too well what it was like to watch your son pine over someone who obstinately refused to see him in a romantic light. “I don’t think so,” she said. “But J hasn’t given up yet. He won’t tell me what he has planned, but he’s determined. Of course, JC’s as stubborn as a pig, so I think Justin has his work cut out for him,” she chuckled gleefully.
5) Diane smiled in spite of herself. She wasn’t about to tell Lynn what she had seen the other night, when she walked past the small alcove where the vending machines stood. She wasn’t sure Lynn wanted to hear the details about how JC had Justin pinned against the Coke machine, kissing him thoroughly enough that Justin appeared to be keeping his knees from buckling with some effort. There needed to be some things Justin didn’t have to share with his mother.
*****
Five Things Joey Never Told Kelly About Life on Tour, for Dine
1) Kelly knew all about the hot and cold running girls—along with the occasional boys—who always seemed to be available for whatever he and the other guys wanted, whenever they wanted it. Joey knew that all he had to do was point. A nod and a quick flick of his fingers and Big Mike would be down on the stadium floor before the band started the encore, beckoning to any one of the eagerly waiting girls Joey’s wandering eye happened to fasten on. They were all down there just waiting, hoping that they’d be one of the lucky ones. City after city, there they were, screaming, bouncing, flashing their tits at him, knowing what they needed to do to get backstage, or if they were lucky, onto one of the buses, willing to do just about anything to get there. Kelly knew, but she also knew they were temporary, transient, and sometimes necessary to get Joey from one city to the next. They didn’t count.
What he didn’t tell Kelly about were the nights when Joey didn’t point at anyone. Those nights when Justin stared at him and shook his head, his eyes promising something much more than any of those willing bodies could give him. Something that mattered. Those nights, Joey would gladly lower his hand as Big Mike shrugged and turned away, and Justin smiled his approval.
2. After Chris and Dani broke up for the last time, the time when they finally really meant it, things got a little out of hand. Chris got mean for a while, and his main target was an apparently unconcerned JC. There seemed to be something about JC that brought out the worst in Chris, and while JC could handle Chris just fine, thank you, Joey didn’t think he should have to.
“Fuck you, Joe, get the hell off me!” Chris said through gritted teeth.
“Fuck you, Chris. You can’t-” but Chris shoved him again, his eyes flashing anger.
“What can’t I do, Joey? Huh, what can’t I do?”
“You can’t treat people that way, asshole. I know you’re-”
“Joe.” JC’s voice came from behind Joey’s shoulder, calm and steady. “Joe, it’s fine.”
It wasn’t fine, but Joey reluctantly let Chris go, slowly backing away, recognizing the implacable note in JC’s voice. JC and Chris stared at each other, not even noticing as Joey left the room. He shut the door behind him, shaking his head at Justin, who was hovering worriedly in the hallway.
The next day, he didn’t tell Kelly how JC got the dusky bruises that encircled his wrists, but then again, he guessed she was smart enough not to have to ask.
3. Joey had heard something once, about making movies, or maybe it was about being a soldier during wartime, he couldn’t remember which it was. Hurry up and wait. He understood exactly what that meant. The group rushed around from one place to the next, only to sit and wait for whatever they were there for to happen, so they could hurry off to the next thing.
It was bad enough when Lance tugged JC down onto his lap as he circled the stripped-down dressing room yet again. They had long since showered and changed, and the crew had dismantled the Quiet Room hours ago, leaving only a few pieces of random venue furniture behind. JC was pacing, almost frantic in his pent-up energy. “Sit,” Lance commanded. JC tried to pull away, but Lance’s arms tightened around his waist. “I said, sit.” JC frowned down at Lance, who tipped his head back to meet JC’s eyes, smiling a little. Joey watched in fascination as JC’s expression changed, from an impatient frown to an anticipatory grin. He lowered his head, kissing Lance fast and hard, and Joey felt the bottom drop out of his stomach.
Chris cat-called them and Justin looked nervously at the door. Things got stupider when JC broke away from Lance long enough to say, “Get over here, Chris.”
Chris hopped up from one of the folding chairs they’d scrounged from the arena staff. “You don’t have to ask me twice,” he said, and before Joey knew it, Chris was draped over Lance’s back, trying to kiss JC, licking Lance’s cheek in an attempt to make room for himself.
Meanwhile, Justin got up and sidled over to the door, locking it, rattling the knob to make sure it would hold. Now, that was really stupid. What would Lonnie think when the bus was ready and he came to find them and there they were, behind a locked door? And what was Justin doing, advancing on Joey with that purposeful look in his eye, a look that Joey knew all too well?
He forgot to worry, though, as Justin dropped to his knees in front of him, smiling up at him through his lashes, his freakishly long fingers reaching for the zipper on Joey’s jeans. He didn’t think about Lonnie, or the bus, when he felt Justin’s tongue, hot and soft, swirling around the head of his cock. He turned his head to see JC bent over the back of a battered old couch, Lance sliding into him easily, with Chris behind them, draped on Lance’s back and both of his hands busy. Heat shot through him, and he came with a groan. He pulled Justin to his feet, kissing him as he reached inside his sweatpants. Justin frantically pushed into his hand, gasping as Joey gave a quick twist of his wrist.
Yeah, people did stupid things when they were bored, but as JC scrambled back into his pants and Chris yelled at Lonnie to keep his shirt on, because somehow the door had gotten locked, and just give him a minute, he was trying to get it open, Joey winked at Lance, gave Justin one last kiss and decided not to be too annoyed at the bus mechanic after all.
4. “Hey, babe, how was the show tonight?”
“Fine. Great. Over with, anyway.”
“That bad, huh?” Kelly laughed.
Joey shrugged. “You know. It’s Pittsburgh. You know how he gets.”
Kelly sighed sympathetically into the phone. “I know.”
“Even JC got impatient. He just wouldn’t shut up.” He shook his head. “It, like, went on forever.”
“Well, I always thought giving Chris free rein to do and say whatever he wants in the middle of a show wasn’t the best idea you guys ever had.”
“It was his idea,” Joey snorted.
“Of course it was.” Kelly laughed again. “Hey, guess what Bri did today?”
Joey, always eager to talk about Briahna, was happy to change the subject. Chris hadn’t just been extra-hyper on stage tonight, he’d been a total pain in the ass all day. As they got closer and closer to the end of the tour, he got more and more annoying. At the rate they were going, Justin was going to kill him by the time they got to their final show in Orlando.
Joey didn’t say anything, though. He knew by the look in Chris’s eyes when they rested on Justin that that was his goal. Leave it to Chris to think it would make things easier if the kid he’d been in love with for almost ten years hated his guts by the time they all went their separate ways. He was just perverse enough to consider that strategy a master plan. Joey couldn’t understand why Justin didn’t see through it, but he wasn’t able to convince himself that it was any of his business.
He laughed into the phone at Kelly, and tried not to think about how fast everything he knew was coming to an end.
5) Joey loved Kelly. He knew they’d be together for a long time. She was patient with the insanity that *NSYNC had become, and she didn’t ask too many questions, which made Joey love her all the more.
She didn’t really need to ask a lot of questions, because Joey told her almost everything. He’d known her forever, and she was his best friend. She loved to hear stories about being on the road, and when it all got to be too much, she was there to listen to him bitch.
She didn’t know everything, though. She didn’t know about the nights when Lance slipped quietly into Joey’s bed, sliding down Joey’s body in the dark, doing things that Kelly would never, ever hear about.
*****
Five Times Epic!JC Did Not Smack Chris Upside the Head, Even Though Chris Absolutely Deserved It, for M
1) JC knew exactly what Chris was doing, and there was just no way he was going to reward that kind of behavior. If Chris wanted JC’s attention, there were better ways to get it than by interrupting him every five seconds to mock him. Lynn was beginning to look as irritated as JC felt, and JC decided that was an effective way to handle the situation. Let Lynn do it. It wouldn’t be the first time.
“Christopher,” Lynn finally said, with a definite edge in her voice. “Enough. JC and I are trying to have a conversation here.”
It didn’t really do any good, of course. First attempts to stifle Chris were rarely successful. He subsided into silence only briefly, re-emerging to snort loudly when Lynn said in response to JC’s suggestion about the extra suitcases, “You’re right, JC. That’s a good idea.”
“Right, because JC’s such an expert on, um, whatever it is you’re talking about.”
Lynn put her hands on her hips, and fixed Chris with her best glare, which made her look uncannily like Justin. “Chris. Out. Now.” She pointed to the hallway.
“Well, if you’re sure you don’t need me,” Chris said as he headed towards the door. He grinned over his shoulder at JC, then winked as he left the room. JC looked after him and sighed.
“Don’t worry, JC. He’ll figure it out eventually,” Lynn said, and she patted his shoulder comfortingly. “Give him time.”
Startled, JC blinked at her. She was laughing at him, but her eyes were kind. “I’m not blind, JC, and I’m not stupid. I don’t think you are either,” she added shrewdly.
JC gave her a reluctant smile. “Well, no, I’m not. Chris might be, though. But I’m not going anywhere,” he added.
“Lucky for Chris,” Lyn said, and JC blushed, just a little.
2) “It’s a bad idea,” Chris said flatly. He tossed his jacket on the narrow hotel bed and turned to glare as JC followed him into the room.
“I don’t know, man,” JC said reasonably. “I think-”
“Well, I don’t.” Chris rolled over him like JC hadn’t opened his mouth. JC narrowed his eyes, but didn’t say anything. Sometimes it helped to just let Chris talk. “It’s not gonna end well at all, and you know it. It’s gonna fuck everything up.” Chris’s hands were clenched at his sides and his eyes snapped furiously at JC. “They’re just kids, screwing around. They’re gonna get bored, and it’s gonna get ugly.”
“Chris-” JC began soothingly, reaching out a hand to gently touch Chris’s cheek. Chris jerked his head out of JC’s way, still scowling, and JC slowly lowered his arm, blinking at him.
Chris looked at the floor, refusing to meet JC’s eyes. “Sorry,” he said. “But that’s not a good idea, either.”
3) “I am not your mother!” JC yelled furiously.
“Well, no, C, I didn’t think you were. Really,” Chris said, an amused smirk on his face. “I don’t-”
“I mean you’re not your mother!” JC shouted, completely exasperated. He was too mad to be making any sense, he knew this.
“Right again, JC. You’re on a roll here, dude.”
“Shut up! Just shut up for five seconds and let me talk!”
Chris finally seemed to get on board with how pissed off JC was, and he actually shut up, although JC knew it wouldn’t last. He took a deep breath, then another one, just to be sure he was calm enough for coherent sentences.
“Just because your mom’s had problems with, um, relationships, and stuff, doesn’t mean everybody else is the same way.” There, he’d managed to make sense that time. Although judging by the expression on Chris’s face, maybe he was better off when Chris had no idea what JC was talking about.
“Are you kidding me, JC? You’re really gonna throw my mom’s life in my face?” Chris said incredulously.
“No, I’m just saying that sometimes love works, sometimes it lasts, but you’re so sure it never will, and I’m just trying to say that not everyone is like your mom.” That’s not how he meant it to come out, and he knew he’d gotten it wrong the minute the words left his mouth. Chris’s face darkened and JC thought, oh shit.
“You wanna talk about my mom? What about your mom, JC?” And JC knew he wasn’t talking about Karen. “At least my mom didn’t get rid of me, Josh.” Chris’s eyes immediately went wide as the enormity of what he’d just said hit him.
JC went cold, although his face felt like it was on fire. He couldn’t hear Chris’s next words over the roaring in his ears. He stood there, stunned, his hands clenched into fists. He wanted nothing more than to slam his fist into Chris’s face, but his stricken expression stopped him, just barely. He lowered his hands and stood there, his arms dangling helplessly at his sides. His throat constricted, and he had to try twice before he could speak. “You didn’t just go there. I know you didn’t just do that,” he breathed.
Chris’s eyes burned in his pale face, and there were two spots of color high on his cheeks. “I did. And it was unforgivable,” he said stiffly. “I don’t know why-”
But JC did. He moved closer to Chris, slowly closing the distance between them. He cautiously wrapped his arms around Chris’s shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug. Chris allowed it, and JC breathed a sigh of relief. “Chris. I love your mom. You know that, man.” Chris nodded into JC’s neck without speaking. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”
Chris pulled back and looked up at JC. He nodded. “I know. And you’re right, sometimes I just think, why bother trying? Love doesn’t last, you know? It just doesn’t.” He subsided back into JC’s shoulder with a weary sigh. “I’m so sorry I said that,” he mumbled.
JC kissed the top of his head. “Sometimes it does, though,” he whispered.
4) Good riddance, is what Chris thought. It had taken way longer than it should have, but finally, finally Bobbie was gone. For good, Chris hoped. He felt bad because JC was sad, but Chris knew he’d get over it. It hadn’t exactly been a love for the ages, after all. Bobbie was hot, but she was a bitch. Well, so was JC, but JC wore his bitchiness with a flair that Bobbie had never quite been able to manage.
“She hates you, you know,” JC told Chris as they waited for the photographer to set up the lights for the next shot. He paused as he watched Justin pretend Lance wasn’t standing next to him, desperately hoping that Justin would acknowledge his presence, even if just for a moment. Chris followed his gaze and shook his head in disgust.
“I was right, wasn’t I?” he asked, nodding his head in their direction. “Just look at them.” Justin had walked away, gone over to paw through the rack of clothes on the other side of the room. Lance’s eyes followed him hopelessly. “And, dude, of course she hates me. I saw right through her bullshit.” He turned to JC with a grin.
JC studied him through narrowed eyes. “What bullshit was that, man?”
“All that love crap,” Chris answered him carelessly, his mind still on Lance and Justin. He was surprised at the anger in JC’s voice when he spoke again.
“She hates you because she knows how I feel about you, you ass,” JC hissed. He held up his hand to stop Chris from saying anything. “I don’t want to hear it, Chris. I’m not in the mood for your we’re just fooling around, don’t take it so seriously speech right now.” He stalked across the room to join Justin.
Chris sighed. They were just fooling around, and if JC thought there was anything more to it than that, he was sadly mistaken. He took another look at the bleak expression in Lance’s eyes and shook his head. No way was he ever falling in love, not if that’s what it did to you.
5) “It’s the XBox, isn’t it? You only love me for my XBox.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s not it. Although it’s a very nice XBox,” JC agreed.
“It’s the best game system ever made,” Chris said reverently.
JC nodded. “Yeah, it is, man.” He reached out to touch it, and jumped when Chris smacked his hand away. “Ow. What the fuck, Chris?” he squawked indignantly.
“I want you to love me for more than my new Platinum XBox,” Chris whispered, his voice almost too low for JC to hear.
JC just stared at him. All these years, all the shit that had gone down, everything they’d been through, and this was JC’s reward for having more patience than Job had ever thought about having? JC was sure that if he were Catholic, they would have made him a saint already.
“Maybe,” Chris allowed. He smiled sweetly at JC. “But I’m a moron who’s going to kick your ass at Halo 5.”
*****
Five Moments From the Future of Epic!Lambs, for KC
1) “I can do this, you know,” Lance says irritably. “I have been in a recording studio before.” He pushes Justin firmly out of the soundbooth.
Justin looks at him doubtfully as he allows himself to be pushed, but he nods his head and says, “I know, man. I know you can do it. But-”
“I don’t hover,” Justin says defensively, but he knows he’s lying. He’s a born hoverer and they both know it.
“Go bother JC. Leave me alone for one hour, take C to lunch. Then you can come back and tell me how to sing some more.” Justin sees the sound engineer give Lance a not-so-subtle thumbs-up. He frowns. He doesn’t know why Lance isn’t letting him produce his CD. He knows exactly what to do to get the best out of Lance’s voice, although maybe some of those sounds don’t belong on a Christmas album.
As if reading his mind, Lance says, “Justin. I love you. But if you don’t let me do this, I can’t make any promises as to how long that’s gonna last.”
“Okay, fine,” Justin huffs. He lets his eyes sweep around the studio, pinning every person in there with a glare. The sound engineer actually rolls his eyes.
Lance kisses him softly, lingeringly, and Justin feels himself relax. He knows Lance is in good hands here, really. He pulls back and smiles ruefully at Lance. Lance’s answering smile is full of promise. “Later, babe.”
Justin nods and waves a goodbye at the room. He’ll leave now, but unless building security has his name on a list somewhere, there’s nothing to stop him from coming back this afternoon. Sooner or later, Lance has to give in.
2) Lance’s new realtor comes with a lot less drama than his last one did. She simply finds a buyer for his house, and Lance doesn’t end up in the tabloids. It’s nice.
He’d moved into Justin’s house long before he sold his, of course. He toyed with the idea of waiting, but Chris, of all people, smacked him on the back of the head and said, “What the hell, Lance? After all this time, you’re still not sure?” He glared at Lance over his coffee. Lance realized Chris thought he still didn’t trust Justin, and that realization had him packing up his shit that evening.
He stands in the middle of Justin’s living room, not at all sure he likes Justin’s couch well enough to give up his own, when Justin’s arms come around his waist from behind, and he feels a warm kiss on the side of his neck. “We can put your couch over there, under the window, if you want, man.”
Lance shakes his head. “We don’t need two couches, Justin. It’s fine.” He squeezes Justin’s hands reassuringly. “It’s fine.”
3) Lance turns off the TV with a sigh. He knows, he gets it, and it’s okay, really. It’s nothing new, and he’s seen how it works, from both the inside and outside, and he thinks outside is better, no question. Watching Justin do promo for a new CD and tour is akin to watching him take over the world, and mostly it’s fun to watch, and actually, it’s kind of a turn-on. But it’s also lonely as fuck at times.
Lance could be out there with Justin, but that seems kind of lame, like he doesn’t have anything else to do with himself other than follow Justin around. And he does, he has plenty to do to keep himself occupied.
The phone rings and he smiles as he picks it up. “Hey, baby.”
“I miss you.” Justin sounds tired, his voice soft with fatigue.
“I miss you, too.” They talk a few more minutes, but Lance can tell Justin’s about to fall asleep. “Go to bed, Justin. Get some sleep.”
As Lance hangs up, he thinks maybe it’s better this way. If Justin misses him, maybe he’ll come home sooner.
4) There’s no way Lance is missing Justin’s first show, especially a club show, so he flies to New York, taking the red-eye because he doesn’t trust the airlines to get him there on time if he takes a later flight. Justin’s bus is already at the venue, but Justin isn’t. Lance decides he can skip the Today Show-he’ll watch it later online-and heads to Justin’s bed in the back of the bus, kicking his shoes off and crawling on top of the neatly made bed to take a quick nap before Justin shows up.
Then there’s warm breath in his ear, and cold fingers under his shirt and Lance huffs out a sleepy laugh as he pushes Justin’s hands away.
“Hey,” Justin protests.
Lance opens his eyes and peers up at Justin, who’s pouting down at him. Lance grins and stretches languidly. He follows Justin’s gaze to where his shirt is pulling away from the waistband of his jeans, and he stretches just a little more, so that his shirt rides up a bit farther. Justin stares at Lance’s exposed skin and his tongue comes out, sweeping over his bottom lip in a way that makes Lance glad he braved the rigors of air travel. “So,” he says breathlessly, “How’s Matt Lauer?”
Justin kind of growls, although it’s not a sound he’s very good at making. He just doesn’t have the voice for it. It’s the thought that counts, though, and Lance reaches up, hooks a hand around the back of Justin’s neck, and pulls him down for a kiss.
Justin seems to like that, if the speed at which he gets them both naked is any indication. Lance finds himself on his stomach, with a mouthful of pillow and a fistful of sheets, grunting happily as Justin thrusts into him. This is what he flew across the country in the middle of the night for.
Well, this and to be there when Justin steps out onto that stage tonight. He didn’t get to do that for Justin’s last two solo tours, but he’s here now.
5) Neither one of them says anything as Britney smiles on their TV screen. It’s her second album since the divorce, and her promo machine is almost as relentless as Justin’s, although Lance would never say that out loud. They usually try to avoid watching, but it’s getting harder and harder to do as the drop date for Britney’s CD approaches.
They don’t talk much about the past anymore. Things happened the way they happened and talking about it isn’t going to change anything. They weren’t either of them blameless, and Lance thinks they’re both afraid to stir up any lingering hard feelings.
He doesn’t even think about it now, really. He held on to so much anger for so many years it exhausted him. Lance was so tired that he almost let Justin go a second time. He smiles. No way would Justin have let that happen.
“Lance?” Justin is looking at Lance’s smile with some confusion. Lance leans forward and kisses Justin on the mouth. He pulls back and Justin is smiling, too.
Justin turns back to the screen and studies Britney for a moment more, listening to her talk about the CD, and about her boys and her on-going feud with Paris. How many years have those two been fighting, Lance wonders idly.
“She was just a kid, too,” Justin says softly, clutching the remote in his hand. Lance looks at him, and his expression is sad.
“Yes, she was,” Lance answers, and he reaches out and takes the remote away from Justin and changes the channel.
*****
Five Things Justin Does to Alleviate JC's Boredom, for Fox
1) On the bus, when JC has stared out at the passing cars for as long as he can, when he starts to blink and look around restlessly, Justin drags him to the bunks, pushing him back into the shadowy recess, stripping off his clothes and holding his hips firmly in place, giving him something else to think about for a while.
2) In the studio, when everyone has stopped listening to JC’s suggestions, and he’s left to wait while Chris and Joey sing their parts, Justin sits him down in a quiet corner and listens closely to his ideas, nodding intently while JC’s hands paint songs in the air.
3) In the middle of a photo shoot, while they wait for another interminable lighting change, when JC tips his head onto Justin’s shoulder and whines, “I’m bored, man,” Justin pats him on the knee and whispers filthy things in his ear, telling him all about what he’s gong to do to him later, when they’re back at the hotel and the others have gone to bed.
4) Backstage, JC’s usually ready before the others, and he rides his scooter around until he ends up being late for their hackey, but sometimes Justin gets in costume first, and he waylays JC in the long stadium corridors, kissing him senseless, until he can’t remember which direction the stage is, and then Anthony laughs at him.
5) Sometimes, on a long flight, Justin sits next to JC, and if it’s nighttime, he waits until the others are dozing fitfully under thin blue airline blankets, then he slides his hand into JC’s lap and makes the flight a little more interesting for them both.
*****
Five Crossover Kisses That Never Happened, for GeneLi
1) Joey adores women. He loves their plush curves, their smell, how their warm, wet places welcome him. There’s nothing about men that can possibly compare.
But Nick, Nick looks like he’s hiding some welcoming places of his own, and Joey watches his mouth, fascinated. Nick’s laughing at something AJ is saying, lips curved into a grin, his mouth open and wet. Joey imagines catching that lower lip between his teeth, thinks about licking into Nick’s mouth, sliding his tongue inside.
He sees the possessive gleam in AJ’s eyes as they rest on Nick’s face, and he thinks better of it.
2) (Under the Bridge outtake) Every time Kevin Richardson bitched about NSYNC, Chris rolled his eyes. He got it, Backstreet felt betrayed by Lou and Johnny, whatever. Did Kevin really think Lou wouldn’t try to duplicate his success with the Backstreet Boys? Was Kevin even in the music business? If NSYNC was the only new boyband Lou tried to launch, Chris would walk naked down Church Street at midnight on a Saturday night.
Nick, however, didn’t seem quite so hostile. He grinned his big, sunny grin at Chris, shaking his head at Kevin’s glower.
“Dude, ignore him. He just needs to get laid.” He cocked his head, looking at Chris speculatively. Chris felt like the centerpiece on a buffet table all of a sudden. He backed away, looking wildly around for someone to rescue him from this surprisingly seductive kid.
Nick’s smile just got wider, and he actually winked, tossing his floppy blond hair back from his face. “Maybe I’ll see you later, back at the hotel.” <'p>
Chris thought about it for a minute, thought about kissing Nick, thought about how it would feel, wrapping those silky golden strands around his fingers, pulling Nick’s head down, not letting go until he’d gotten a good taste of those full, red lips.
Chris shook his head regretfully. “I don’t think you will, kiddo.”
Nick pouted a minute, then smiled blindingly at him again. “Your loss, dude.”
Chris didn’t doubt that for a minute.
3) Lance has been pretending for so long that it’s almost become second-nature. He knows how to watch without appearing obvious, and he knows better than to do more than look, most nights.
But when he sees Nick Carter turn around and lean back, his elbows resting casually on the bar, surveying the room with a wide smile on his face and a predatory gleam in his eyes, Lance can’t help himself. His feet are carrying him in Nick’s direction before he even knows he’s moving.
He licks his lips, wondering if Nick will just follow him to the bathroom, or if Lance is going to have to be persuasive. He imagines manhandling Nick down a dark corridor, pushing him up against a wall, kissing him roughly, getting off on the chance of discovery.
Lance's face is impassive, he’s sure of it, but something in Nick’s smile changes as Lance approaches him. It becomes a smirk, almost triumphant, and once again Lance’s feet act of their own accord, detouring past the bar and towards the table where JC and Justin are laughing into their drinks.
He makes it a point not to turn and look at Nick as he joins them, but he can almost feel Nick’s glare boring into the back of his head.
Lance smiles.
4) JC hasn’t seen Nick Carter out and about in LA for quite some time. He knows this because he makes it a point to pay attention. So he’s pleasantly surprised when Nick comes up to him at the very exclusive after-party JC has charmed his way into. This might be the chance he’s been thinking about taking.
Nick looks tired, though, and there’s an edge to his voice and a wild look in his eye that causes JC to take a step back. Nick grimaces at him and shakes his head.
“Fucking Aaron. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking.”
So JC listens as Nick talks about his family, and the TV show they’re doing together, nods his head sympathetically, pats Nick’s shoulder and gets him another drink.
Later, he makes sure Nick gets safely into a cab and says good night with just a smile.
5) Justin’s never kissed a boy before. He’s kissed plenty of girls, thank you, he’s sixteen, after all. But never a boy, and until he saw Nick Carter and AJ McLean making out behind the wall in front of the locker room showers when he slipped back in to get his lucky sweatband, he didn’t know he wanted to.
But the flash of Nick’s tongue, and the way AJ had his eyes closed make Justin think about things he’s never thought about before. He watches Nick during the basketball game with a new awareness that makes heat prickle under his skin.
*****
Five Things That Lynn and Justin Said to Diane to Persuade Her to Let Lance Join the Group, for Lesasoja
1) That there was no reason to worry about Lance’s education. There would be a tutor with them in Orlando and also when they traveled. “I’ve had a tutor before, on the Mouse Club. It’s great, and you learn all sorts of stuff,” Justin told her enthusiastically. “It’s better than regular school, really, because the student-teacher ratio is so, high, um, I mean low. You know, it’s really good,” he finished, pretending not to notice his mom shaking her head in bemusement.
2) That Lou was the nicest guy in the world, and they trusted him completely. “He’s done this before, with the Backstreet Boys, you know. He totally thinks we can be really famous, be successful and all, for real,” Justin said confidently. “And he’s got lots of money, and I know he can make this happen. You won’t be sorry.” Sitting next to him, Lynn’s smile was bright.
3) That it wasn’t going to take them long to get famous at all. “I mean, a couple of months, Chris says, and Lou thinks so, too. We’re gonna do a showcase, like, a concert for some record company guys, and then we’ll get signed, you’ll see. This time next, year, we’ll be number one!” Lynn nodded, her eyes glowing as she beamed at Justin.
4) That it didn’t matter that Lance hadn’t really had any professional experience. “I mean, yeah, Joey and Chris have had jobs at the theme parks, singing, and of course, there was the Mouse Club. JC’s really talented and all. But we’re all starting over, and Lance can catch up, no problem. The record guys’ll love him.” Lynn didn’t quite meet Diane’s eyes as she nodded in agreement.
5) That they were always going to make their own decisions, together as a group. “We’re not gonna let anyone control us, and we’re not gonna do anything we don’t want to do. Just the five of us,” Justin asserted earnestly. Lynn gave him a look and he hastily added, “Well, our parents, you know, they’ll, I mean, y’all will be involved, too.” Lynn’s smile was small and satistfied.
*****
