Scoop4

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.