“Awww Lance,” replied Justin bringing his hand up to his eye to wipe away fake tears. “You waited up for me. You have no idea how this makes me feel.”
“Actually,” laughed Lance as he continued walking over to the kitchen. “Nick is spending the night and I know he sometimes wakes up in the night wanting water so I thought I’d get some for him now and put it by the bed so he doesn’t have to get up if he wakes up.”
“Nick is spending the night?” asked Justin dryly, his day going from good to bad in a matter of seconds. “And you’re babying him still. Dump him Lance, you can do so much better.”
“Not again,” groaned Lance. “It’s late do we really need to get into another fight regarding Nick?”
“He’s not good for you,” protested Justin angrily.
“Keep your voice down,” scolded Lance. “Nick is sleeping and I would like it if you wouldn’t wake him up.”
“I am your best friend Lance!”
“Then act like it!” shot back Lance. “Nick is my lover! I know Nick isn’t perfect but I do love him and I wish you would treat him nice once and awhile for my sake!”
“Lance, baby?” called a groggy voice from Lance’s bedroom.
“I’ll be back in a minute Nicky I’m just getting you some water,” Lance called back softly before glaring back at Justin. “Leave it alone Justin,” he said harshly before turning back to his bedroom.
“Why are you pretending to be happy when you aren’t?” asked Justin, his voice soft and sad.
“What are you talking about?” snapped Lance stopping in his tracks, swinging around to face Justin. “Of course I’m happy.”
“Lance,” began Justin trying again. “I’ve known you for five years and not once in those five years have you been truly happy. I know what happened Lance, we lived in a small town remember? Of course I was going to find out about Josh. Lance I know you haven’t been nearly as happy as you should be since he left.”
“Justin,” replied Lance, his voice calm and cold and Justin knew that was a bad thing. “You have no idea what you are talking about. It was my decision for us to break up. I wouldn’t have made that decision if I wouldn’t have been happy about it. I don’t plan on ever finding another person like Josh, nor would I want to.”
Before Justin could reply Lance stormed off to his room and slammed the door behind him.
“Great Justin,” he mumbled to himself wondering what he was to do now. He wanted to call Chris or Joey but they were probably passed out by now. Oh well he decided, Operation Basez was in trouble and he needed their advice.
“If you aren’t a six foot blond with a nice ass and great tits I’m hanging up,” came the groggy reply over the phone after it had rang about ten times.
“Put on Chris then,” ordered Justin knowing that was what was needed to wake Joey up. “Operation Basez is in serious trouble along my friendship with Lance right now.”
“I’m awake, I’m awake,” replied Joey quickly. “What happened we didn’t mean start anything tonight you know.”
“I know, but Lance was up getting Nick some water when I got home because he’s a little baby and we got into a fight over Nick because I well hate his guts yet Lance is too blind to see what a jerk he is, so then I brought up Josh and how I knew what happened and he turned all cold on me and I really don’t want to spend the night here anymore because I can’t stand it when Lance is mad at me since like he’s my best friend, so I was wondering if I could come back over and spend the night on the couch, which would be a lot nicer than staying here.”
“Umm . . . Justin?”
“What?”
“Could you please talk a little slower next time? I have been drinking all night and you did just wake me up but I think I understand most of what you said. Basically you fucked up, Lance is pissed and you want to crash on the couch here, right?”
“Right!” laughed Justin and it was strange how well he clicked with Joey even after they’ve only known each other for a few hours.
“Okay, but come soon or I’m likely to fall asleep again and you’ll be locked out and I don’t have plans on getting up again.”
“Thanks Joey I’ll be over in a few minutes,” replied Justin hanging up the phone. He was about to grab his keys from the table where he left them when he came in when he saw Lance standing off to the side in the living room.
“You don’t have to leave,” said Lance quietly. “You live here too you know. I don’t have complete say in what happens here.”
“I know Lance,” sighed Justin, flopping down on the couch and Lance sat down next to him. “But I pissed you off for no good reason and I’m pissed too because I’m only trying to help. I think it’s best if I just left for the night, or what’s left of it. Besides Joey will kick my ass if I don’t show up and woke him up for nothing.”
“Joey?”
“He’s one of Chris’ friends who went with us tonight,” explained Justin. “Joey and JC. You’d like JC, he reminds me of you.”
“Look Justin why don’t you call Joey back and tell him you won’t be going over and stay here and talk things out with me?”
“Okay,” whispered Justin picking up the phone and pressing re-dial.
“Lo?” asked Joey sleepily and Justin knew he had fallen back to sleep after hanging up earlier.
“Joey?” he asked raising his voice so that he sounded like a women. “This is Jessica. We met at the club tonight and well I just couldn’t get you out of my mind you big Italian stud. I know it’s late but I just had to call you because I need to ask you a really important question.”
“Sure baby,” replied Joey wide-awake but not remember the girl at all.
“Can you introduce me to your friend? The cute curly-haired one? He was so dreamy and I just know he and I would be a perfect match.”
“Justin!” yelled Joey his brain finally kicking it that it was a man he was talking too.
“Hey Joe,” laughed Justin in his normal voice. “Just letting you know that I won’t be coming over after all since the big, mean Lance has cornered me and won’t let me escape.”
“So everything is cool between you and him?”
“I think so. Don’t know about ‘you-know-what’ though.”
“Who care’s as long as you don’t call me again tonight,” replied Joey.
“Be nice or I’ll start C on a nice long conversation on music tomorrow with you around,” threaten Justin and he could hear Joey cringe over the phone.
“I’ll be good, I’ll be good,” he begged.
“Night Joey,” laughed Justin again. “And for the third and final time tonight.”
“It better be,” grumbled Joey before hanging up the phone.
“I think I’m wearing out my welcome with Joey,” he told Lance smirking at him, replacing the phone.
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” asked Lance smiling gently at Justin.
“Don’t know,” laughed Justin. “But Chris and JC like me so I’m in the clear. C still thinks I’m a little angel.”
“C?”
“JC,” informed Justin. “I guess Chris and Joey thought that the name JC was too long or something.”
“Got it,” nodded Lance.
“So you wanted to talk?” asked Justin.
“Yeah I’m sorry for blowing up at you when you mentioned Josh,” said Lance softly. “I should of told you about Josh a long time ago but it hurt too much, still does actually. It took me a long time to get over Josh and I’m finally moving on. I know you don’t like Nick but he does make me happy.”
“But he’s always making you do stuff for him,” protested Justin.
“Nick doesn’t make me do anything,” replied Lance placing his hand lightly on Justin’s arm to keep him calm. “I do all those things for Nick because I want to, because I love him. I like taking care of him, I need to take care of him. That’s just the way I am because I did the same things for Josh.”
“Can I ask you something if you promise me you won’t get mad?” asked Justin and Lance nodded his head. “Do you still love Josh?”
“Josh will always hold a special place in my heart,” replied Lance softly. “Whether we are together or not. Does that answer your question?”
“I guess so,” replied Justin standing up and walking over to his room. “Night Lance.”
“Goodnight Justin.”