*****
As they went through the steps of “It Makes Me Ill” for the nine-hundredth time that day, JC watched the sweat stains on Lance’s t-shirt spread slowly out from under his arms and around his neck, moving gradually down his back and between his shoulder blades. It made the thin, yellow material cling to his torso, defining muscles normally hidden from view, allowing JC to see the dark smudge of nipples through the damp cloth.
Lance must have sensed that JC was watching him, because he turned to frown at him, adding lines of anger to the shadows of exhaustion around his eyes. JC blinked, pulling back from Lance’s ferocity. Everyone was tired, and that sharpened their emotions, adding a dangerous edge to their interactions. They were all perfectly capable of cutting each other to the bone with very little effort or intent when they were this busy and worn down, so they tried to pay attention and be careful not to let a temporary slice fester into something more than it needed to be.
Wade waved a weary hand at them, calling a break and leaving the room, saying something about the bathroom. JC grabbed a bottle of water and headed over to where Lance was running a towel through his hair, making it spikier than it already was. His loose, fluid dance movements of before were replaced by tight, jerky motions of irritation.
Wordlessly, JC held the water out to him. Lance stared at it for a long moment, as if he were willing to die of thirst rather than accept it, then he snatched it out of JC’s hand, refusing to meet his eyes. He uncapped the bottle and tilted his head back to drink, the muscles of his throat moving as he swallowed, making JC’s mouth go dry in spite of how annoyed he was at Lance’s pissiness.
Lance lowered the bottle and looked at JC, catching him staring. “Knock it off, JC,” he snarled.
Provoked, JC snapped back, “Give it a rest, Lance.”
“Fuck off.” Shoving the half-empty bottle of water back at JC, Lance turned and stalked away, across the room to Joey, like Joey was a fucking magnet or something. JC could see Lance relax the minute he got within five feet of his best friend, and as usual, that just made JC feel defeated. There was no way he and Lance were going to work this out, not as long as Lance used Joey as a refuge whenever he didn’t want to deal with JC.
Joey knew it, too. He glanced apologetically across the room at JC, even as he put his hand on the back of Lance’s neck and pulled him in for a quick hug. JC’s lips tightened. Sure. Fine. Whatever.
He went over to where Justin and Chris were busy laughing at themselves in the mirror that covered the entire front wall, making stupid faces and cracking each other up. JC hated to tell them, but they weren’t nearly as funny as they thought they were.
“Hey, J, don’t you think, on this one part, here,” JC said, starting to show Justin a dance step he thought maybe they should change, but Chris quickly interrupted him.
“It’s break-time, JC. Break. Time. Go away.” He sounded annoyed, so JC shrugged and turned to go over and fiddle with the sound system. If he sat down while they were taking a break, his legs twitched, and it was just better if he kept moving. Chris knew that, they all did, so JC didn’t see why Chris had to be all crabby about it, especially since he didn’t have room to talk, what with him not being able to sit still for more than two minutes at a time himself.
As he moved across the room, he saw Lance watching him, his expression unreadable. Joey whispered in his ear and Lance shook his head. Joey gave him a little push, and even though Lance growled something at him that JC couldn’t hear, he let himself be pushed again, and this time he moved in JC’s direction.
The sound system was set up in the front of the room, and JC stood next to it, pretending to play with a couple of dials, while he watched in the mirror as Lance slowly approached him. He was still frowning, and JC thought maybe this was a bad idea, to try and talk now. Their eyes met in the mirror, though, and JC saw a little gleam of rueful amusement in Lance’s. Relief flooded through him, and he couldn’t help it, he smiled. Lance ducked his head, but not before JC caught the answering smile playing on his lips.
JC laughed out loud, and Chris looked sharply over at him. He and Justin exchanged a look that very clearly said, “Thank God,” and JC flipped them both off. Joey’s smile was completely self-satisfied, and JC flipped him off, too.
JC turned around and rested his forehead on Lance’s shoulder. The yellow t-shirt under his nose smelled of fabric softener and sweat. “I’m sorry.”
Lance put his hand on the small of JC’s back, fingers resting just under the waistband of his sweatpants. “I know.”
JC turned his head and nuzzled Lance’s neck. Lance sighed and JC placed a soft kiss right under his ear. They stood like that until Wade came back.
*****
