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Disclaimer: I do NOT know nor
have I ever met any member of *NSYNC. They are their own person and, well, I
don't particularly want to know them. Shoots down all those preconceived
notions, you know. Anyway, I mean no offense to any person mentioned in my
stories. I hold the deepest respect for who they are and what they do. So in
other words: read, have fun, make merry, and remember that these stories are FICTION and, therefore, NOT real. |
Scoop 4
Lance was sitting at his desk looking over some contracts for FreeLance when he heard the door slam shut and Justin calling his name. He noted that it was only two o’clock. He wasn’t expecting Justin or JC for several more hours. Lance pushed away from the desk as Justin called his name more insistently. He strolled into the hall and stopped in his tracks. “What the hell happened to him?” Lance’s heart nearly stopped when he saw JC. It immediately kicked back up into overdrive and he felt adrenaline pump through his veins. His vision narrowed until Josh was the only thing he could see.
JC’s arm was around Justin’s shoulder,
and Justin had his arm around JC’s waist propping him up. In his other hand JC
was holding an ice pack, which he had pressed against the left side of his
face. He winced as Justin leaned him against the wall.
Justin sniggered as he walked over to
stand by Lance. He gestured to JC. “Spaz over there didn’t eat breakfast before
we left this morning so when we broke for lunch he hit the door running.”
Justin giggled and then with a straight face he said, “Unfortunately the door
hit back.” Justin started laughing again. “He just laid out. Right there in the
lobby. He was out cold on the floor.”
“Can you two talk about this later?”
JC moaned from his position as wall prop. “I would really like to lie down.”
Justin looked at Lance and decided it
would be better if he left the two of them alone. “Lance, can you handle him? I
need to get back to the studio.”
“No problem.” Lance had already
started toward JC as he answered Justin. Justin smiled at the look of concern
on Lance’s face and then quietly left.
The one eye Lance could see was
closed. He peered closely at the ice pack and then reached up to gently move it
away from JC’s face.
JC’s eyes popped open and he saw
Lance’s face close to his own. He closed his eyes and let his arm drop as Lance
gently probed the area around his nose and brow line. He winced as Lance
touched a particularly sore spot. “Lance-“
“Shhh, come on. I don’t think you
broke anything but you’re going to have a beautiful black eye and one hell of a
headache. Let’s get you to bed, and I’ll get you some aspirin.” Lance pulled
JC’s hand with the ice pack back up to his face and drew the other arm around
his shoulders.
Resting his head against Lance’s neck,
JC allowed himself to be led upstairs. He felt better just knowing Lance was
there for him. Through the haze of pain he could hear Lance humming something
soothing as he deposited him on the bed.
JC surrendered the ice pack as Lance
tugged his shirt off over his head. He dropped his arms down and leaned back on
them as Lance knelt in front of him to take his shoes off. He watched the
blonde head as it was bowed over his legs. When Lance was finished he looked up
at JC and the light caught in his crystalline eyes. The breath caught in JC’s
throat and he knew that as long as he lived he would never forget the
tenderness and love he saw shining in Lance’s eyes.
Looking up at JC from his position on
the floor, Lance couldn’t help the expression of love he knew was on his face.
His emotions were hard enough to control on a good day. The scare JC had just
given him had stripped him of what little control he had left. His heart was
just starting to slow its frantic beating, and his hands were calming their
nervous shaking.
He told JC to lay all the way back.
Lance stood as JC did as instructed. He tried to still the shaking in his hands
as he reached for the snap on JC’s pants. He quickly glanced at JC’s face and
was relieved to see that he had his eyes closed. Taking a deep breath Lance
undid the button and lowered the zipper. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband
and told JC to lift his hips.
JC hooked his feet on the bedrail and
lifted his hips at Lance’s request. He was afraid to breathe. If he did he
might lose the miniscule amount of control he had. There was no doubt he wanted
Lance but right at this moment he wasn’t prepared to handle the repercussions.
When he and Lance finally got together he wanted to be able to keep the
promises his body was urging him to make.
Lance finished pulling JC’s pants off.
While JC was getting under the covers he went to get aspirin and water. He was
back in less than three minutes. When he got back JC had the ice pack back on
his face, and his eyes were closed. Lance stood there for a moment and stared
at him. His eyes traveled over Josh’s hair down to his strong chin. His gaze
caressed the strong shoulders. The sculpted biceps and forearms. The nearly
hairless chest. The hairless abdomen barely visible above the blanket.
“Are you just going to stand there or
are you going to bring me the aspirin?”
Lance was roughly jerked out of his
visual perusal. When he looked up he saw a wan smile on JC’s face. Returning
the smile he sat down on the edge of the bed and offered JC the pills. JC took
them and tossed them back. Silently he took the proffered glass of water and
washed the pills down.
“Thanks,” JC said as he lay back
against the pillows.
“You’re welcome.” Lance made to get up
but JC grabbed his arm.
“Will you stay and sing to me? It
takes my mind off the pain.”
“Sure.” Lance settled back on the bed
and began to sing. It didn’t take long for JC to drift off. As the last word
died on his lips Lance looked down at the man sleeping next to him. A wave of
tenderness washed over him as he gazed at his battered angel.
Lance brushed a wayward lock of hair
off JC’s forehead as he thought about just how important he had become to him.
His life would be a hollow shell if JC weren’t in it. Lance briefly brushed his
lips against JC’s forehead and left him to sleep.
“…and I was running. Running. Then,
silence. I was scared to death. I knew the alien was out there.” Joey shook his
head disbelievingly as Chris shut the door. “I’m telling you it means
something.”
“Chris, it means you had too much
sugar before you went to bed.”
Lance stuck his head out of the
kitchen. “Is he having the alien dream again?”
Joey rolled his eyes. “Yep.” He sat
down on a barstool as Chris tried to convince him there was a problem.
“You don’t believe me. I’m telling you
it has a deeper meaning. It’s-“
“It’s a dream of isolation. You feel
cut off or left out or just odd. It’s all in your head, man.” Joey retorted. He
was tired of the subject. He turned to watch Lance chop carrots.
“What’s got your panties all in a
twist?”
Joey blew out a breath and looked at
the ceiling. “We’ve been off for two weeks. Two whole weeks and I haven’t
gotten any.”
“Oh, my God. How have you managed to
live without sex for two weeks?” Sarcasm was dripping from Lance’s words.
“Watch it, Scoop. I’m so horny even
you’re starting to look good.”
JC walked in and having only heard the
last of Joey’s statement said, “Lance always looks good.”
“Yeah, unlike our resident brawler.
Say, you beat up any defenseless doors lately, JC?”
Chris started sing-songing, “Josh
fought the door and the…door won. Josh fought the door and the…door won.”
“Ha, ha. Funny.” JC said walking to
the fridge. He pulled out a chocolate pudding cup and then plopped down next to
Joey. He didn’t bother with a spoon. He stuck his finger in and started eating.
Joey watched JC for a moment. “Such
manners. You know, it’s a good thing your black eye is almost healed. We were
afraid we were gonna have to kick you out of the group for promoting the BSB’s
new album.”
“Hmm?”
Lance’s eyes crinkled and a big smile
spread across his face. He laid his knife down and ran around the island to
stand behind JC. “No, no, Joey. JC is more like a Timex.” Lance put his hands
on JC’s shoulders and gave his best salesman’s smile. “JC. He takes a licking
and keeps on ticking.”
Lance started laughing as JC casually
raised his right hand up and shot Lance a bird over his shoulder. “Yeah. Yeah.
Lick this.”
Lance’s eyes crinkled even more as he
grabbed JC’s hand. He immediately leaned in and sucked JC’s finger into his
mouth. His senses exploded with the taste of Josh lightly veiled in chocolate.
Erotic images of the two of them together blazed like a flash fire on the movie
screen of his mind.
“He said ‘lick it’, Lansten, not ‘suck
it’.”
The words took a second to register in
Lance’s mind. When they did he slowly pulled his mouth off JC’s finger and
glared at Chris. He looked back down at Josh’s hand and licked up a dab of
chocolate off the index finger. “There. Is that better, Christopher?” He went
back to his side of the island and resumed chopping the carrots.
“Much. Thank you.”
Joey grinned at Josh’s stunned
expression. He grasped his shoulder and asked, “Did Scoop take good care of you
while you were recuperating?”
“Hmm?” JC automatically stuck another
finger full of pudding into his mouth and then motioned for Joey to wait. He
swallowed quickly and solemnly nodded his head. “Uh huh. Lance kissed it and
made it all better.” Joey laughed at JC’s attempt to sound like a two year old.
“I always knew you’d make a good
mother, Scoop.”
“Uh, thanks, Chris, but I’m not having
any more kids until I get you raised.”
Joey got up and put his arm around
Lance’s shoulder. “You do realize that means you’re gonna be childless for the
rest of your life, right?”
“Don’t worry. If he’s not grown by the
time he’s thirty-five I’m putting him up for adoption.”
Chris tugged on the back of JC’s
shirt. “Don’t let him give me away, JC. I’ll be a good boy.” The puppy dog look
made JC laugh.
“Sorry, Chris. I have to side with
Lance. I don’t want him to give me away, too.”
“That’s not gonna happen. Mommy
wouldn’t give away his favorite,” Joey supplied.
“I am not his mommy.” Lance said as he
pointed his chopping knife at Joey. There was no point in denying the favorite
part. Turing to JC he said, “Speaking of giving you away. I’ve got your
production contracts with FreeLance. You just need to sign them.”
“’K. Are they in your office?” At
Lance’s nod JC got up and headed out of the room.
Lance yelled after him. “Don’t forget
to date them.”
JC closed the door to Lance’s office
and leaned back against it. He took a deep breath and thought about what had
just happened. For the past two weeks he had been trying his best to get under
Lance’s skin, but, somehow, Lance always threw him a curve ball. Like licking
his finger.
Josh’s knees weakened as he thought
about the sultry moment of contact. He slid into Lance’s chair and propped his
head on his hands. The moist warmth of Lance’s mouth had paralyzed his senses.
The nerve endings in his finger were all that mattered. His entire existence
had been centered around the warm mouth on his finger.
JC knew he was in big trouble. With
every passing hour he could feel his emotions become more and more entangled.
He had been falling for Lance for years but suddenly the ground was in sight
and he was speeding up. He just hoped Lance hit the ground with the same
satisfying smack he knew he himself was going to hit it with.
Getting down to business JC searched
Lance’s desk for his contracts. He looked them over, and when satisfied they
were in order he signed and dated them. A smile slowly formed on his face as an
idea took hold. Lance’s words came back to him, and he set about planning his
next mission to bombard Lance’s defenses.
Chris waited until he heard the door
to Lance’s office close before pouncing. “You know, Lance, the two of you would
be a lot happier if you would just give in and tell him how you feel.” Maybe he
could talk Lance in to giving up. There would be no harm done if he could get
the two of them together and win his bet with Joey at the same time.
“And how exactly do I feel,
Christopher?”
Chris rolled his eyes. “Don’t try to
fool us, Lansten. Me and Joey know more than you think.” Chris rubbed his chest
and looked toward the ceiling. “Of course I know more than Joey, but, hey,
someone has to know everything.”
Joey eyed Chris trying to figure out
what he was up to. There was definitely more going on there than met the eye.
He’d have to keep an eye on him.
Lance gave in without an argument.
“Okay, you guys want to know how I feel?” Lance’s eyes blazed. “He’s driving me
insane. Every time I turn around he’s doing some little something that gets
under my skin.” He laid the knife down and ran his fingers through his hair. A
goofy smile spread across his face. “There is absolutely no other place I would
want him to be either.” He looked at his two friends and hunched his shoulders
in a questioning manner. “Some days I don’t understand it and others I want to
shout for joy. I’ve never felt as alive as I do when I’m with him. I just
want…I just want to-“
“Hug him and squeeze him and call him
George?” Chris said before running and hiding behind Joey.
“Chris, can’t you see Lance is trying
to be serious?” Joey admonished. The effect was ruined by the laugh he couldn’t
control.
Chris peeked his head over Joey’s
shoulder. “Sorry, Lance. I was just trying to help. Go on.”
Lance just smiled. “I guess I just
love him. There’s not much else to say.”
“Sooo, you’re finally admitting you’re
gay?” Joey said as he toyed with a napkin in front of him.
“Hey, Lance, for what it’s worth, I’m
a lesbian trapped inside a man’s body,” Chris said as he stepped out from
behind Joey and gestured to himself. Joey and Lance burst out laughing at the
idiodicy of Chris’s statement.
“Thanks…Chris.” Lance was laughing so
hard tears were streaming from his eyes. He could just see Chris dressed as a
woman chasing Dani around the room. He and Joey made eye contact and cracked up
again.
JC walked in to find Lance and Joey in
tears from laughing and Chris with a perturbed expression on his face. There
really were days they all needed committing. “Laaaannnce, I thought I told you
not to make fun of Chris without me.” He said plaintively.
Lance wiped his eyes and managed not
to laugh through his whole statement. “Sorry, Josh. It was too good an
opportunity to pass up.” He erupted into another bout of laughter before he
could stop himself.
When he finally calmed down, Lance
turned to JC. “Did you get the contracts taken care of?”
“Yep, and I even had time to get a
date for dinner. You better be on your best behavior. This is one I don’t want
to run off.” JC watched closely for Lance’s reaction. When he saw the
disappointment he knew his plan would work beautifully. He smiled inwardly and
then pasted a bright smile on his face. “Well, I better go get ready. I don’t
want to disappoint my date. See ya at dinner.” With a wave he exited the room.
TBC…