His flight left in approximately 3 hours. And he was leaving hating Justin. Or more correctly, hating the way Justin had him sitting on his bed, keys in hand, ready to do something drastic.

The last he had heard was that they were staying at a friend of the family's, just down the street. That there was some court thing going on. The house was black, dark and haunting in the frame of the window, Josh's eyes pinpointing the unmoving door. Waiting for something to move, someone to come out and into his yard, feet silent on the grass, creaks of steps as they made their way onto the deck...

"You ready?"

He hadn't heard the soft knock of his mother and he barely caught her words but he looked towards her sweet smile, no longer sad by the news of him leaving.

Josh picked up his duffel bag, easing down the stairs, his mind three steps ahead as he passed through family members. His father gave him his first kiss on the cheek, squeezing him a little tighter than last time before relinquishing him to his sister. His brother was currently absent but Josh had seen him the day before.

His mother's arms were warm and soft around his neck, his tight around her waist. She spoke into his ear, mostly of things to come, encouraging bits that he smiled at as she released him. He kissed her on the lips, grabbing her for another hug.

Standing on the porch, he turned and waved, his family picture perfect in the doorway. But he didn't see them, instead he pictured Justin's curls and small smile waiting for him when he bid his goodbye. Of course, that problem seemed to plague him.

And that same predicament had him standing on the Ayala's, unsure and anxious.

He knocked three times, turning to look at the cab next to the curb. The meter was running but he had to say goodbye, at the least.

"Well... hello. I'm sure you're here to see Justin." Her tone wasn't vindictive but it sure as hell wasn't welcoming, not like Lynn's who next came to the door with a hug. She gave him his third kiss, promising that she didn't blame him for anything. Josh just nodded, eyes darting from her curls to another's.

Justin's attractiveness played with the blue eyed elder, curving his lips and opening his arms on their volition. And when Justin stepped into them, he doubted he could let go.

"I didn't think you'd show."

Josh pulled slightly, nodding to the outside and Justin looked back at his mother who just smiled. They settled on the porch before Josh reached in, his face coming near, his lip molding against Justin's mouth.

He pulled back to wide eyes and he cleared his throat. If he waited, his balls would shrink and nothing would get done...

"Come with me. I have no fucking idea where I'm going but I don't wanna go without you. I... I fucking love you and... and–"

"And we both know you're going to Georgia, either way. We both know we're in love," he closed his arms around Josh's waist. "But I know you're going to leave me in the end."

Josh closed his eyes, the sting behind them overwhelming, trying everything to push the lump in his throat down.

"Come with me to the airport? I'll give you money for the ride back. Just please, see me off."

Justin accepted with a kiss, slipping his hand into Josh's hold, moving to the car. As they settled into the leather seat, their eyes staying connected as Josh gave orders, he knew Josh wouldn't be making that flight today.

They were at some motel in Memphis, just minutes from the airport but Josh had his bags by the door, his shirt next to it, his pants by the foot of the bed as he continued to undress Justin who's own clothes were on the decent down.

It had started out as a discreet lick to the ear, Josh's gaze languidly slipping to Justin's and he read it. Read what Justin wanted, one last time. He needed it, too.

Now he was licking into the blonde's mouth, nothing gentle about it. He wasn't stressed about the time, instead he was driven by the raw desire flowing through him, settling in his dick.

He had replayed their morning time and time again, internally torturing the hell out of chest, the ache never ceasing. Until now.

Now with Justin's bare thighs against his, the blonde's nude chest pressed to his, Josh couldn't find the hurt that usually accompanied the thoughts of the youth. Instead, he had the swell of desire pooling in his belly, Justin's hand rubbing right above it with large splayed fingers, nails scraping over his navel.

There was an unspoken match of feelings that they carried with them under the sheets, sticky to the small sheen of sweat covering their bodies. Justin slipped on top of him, his ass settling onto Josh's belly, his arms lowering to the brunette's chest. Leaning up for a taste, Josh let his tongue run over Justin's collar bone, down the middle of the blonde's chest, swirling around a nipple before slanting up for a kiss.

Lips met after tongues did and Justin slid to rest on Josh's crotch, their electricity mixing for a debilitating second. Justin felt his lungs tighten, the pleasure run from his cock straight up to his chest. He closed his eyes against the sting of the brunette undulating up against him, against the quaking in his body.

He grinded lower before raising a little, his eyes pinning Josh's, the elder nodding before leaning into him, his mouth on Justin's, his hand on the other's hip, his cock pushing forward.

The resistance was mere pressure this time, no split second pain, just the feel of a void being filled and Justin knew it was different this time. Knew that this would mean something different than the first time. His thoughts zipped around but it all came back to the fact that Josh was inside of him and his brain was locked on the pleasure sprouting out over his body.

They settled into an up and down rhythm, Justin's hips coming down to meet Josh's thrusts and the minutes seemed to last forever, every second adding to the tension bubbling between them.

Brunette strands matted to the elder's forehead, framing his narrowed eyes and pursed lips. He was almost there...

Justin panted for it, reaching for it while he wrapped his fingers around Josh's neck, letting them slide over his face and into his sweat slick hair. He bounced a little, letting his head loll back, his mouth moving against the air. He fisted the brunette curls a second later when Josh pressed deeper, his balls warm against the blonde's wet thighs.

It turned red between their heaving chests, the pressure mounting and mounting until it was bright and overwhelming around them. But Justin didn't want to come yet, maybe not at all because as long as he stayed hard and open wide, Josh was there. Josh would stay if he could just hold on for one more second.

But even that dragged on too long and Justin felt his body seize, his bitten nails dragging over Josh's shoulder blades as he came. He leaned down with a sloppy kiss to give, the brunette accepting it as he held on tighter to the other's hips, rocking him one last time against the constriction inside Justin.

He didn't want to pull out but he needed to finish this visit. He couldn't stay inside Justin forever and he certainly couldn't stay with Justin forever.

Crystal eyes opened and the first image they were greeted with was Justin's sated smile, his innocence coloring him pink.

"I love you," pushed out of him before he could edit himself, his arms coming around the other boy. He felt them, the insistence of tears burning his eyes. His eyelids lowered, a shaky breath taken to quell these feelings. He could leave when Justin wasn't bared to him like that, when Josh himself could take not being able to touch him as deep as he wanted. "I love you too much, I'm so sorry," he muttered, shaking the curls from his eyes.

Justin just wiped a hand over his face, sitting back on Josh's thighs, dark cobalt catching Josh's cerulean. He smiled against the own pain wringing his stomach, the months ahead, the minutes even seeming emptier than he had ever imagined.

In all his seventeen year old glory, Justin had given Josh something he had never had, had never imagined to attain from Ryan Maroe, from Keith even. Something he never thought he could have with a teenager, something mature and meaningful. Something he never thought scrawny Justin Timberlake who used to looked up to him could show him with his oblivious power. And he was grateful for the opportunity, his mind opened just a little bit more.

"Call me when you get settled in."

Josh blinked, brow furrowing almost immediately. "Justin, we–"

"Tell me about your roommate, tell your friends about me, and that I'll be down sometime to see you. Make sure you don't forget my Christmas present either, you know how much that shit means to me. Call me whenever you see Ludacris, he's always around I hear. Get an autograph if you can–"

"Just–"

"Think about me, ok?" Tears seeped into his voice, his words crackling with the force. "Before you go to bed, just think for a second of what I'm doing. And... and..." His face was wet, his lips quivering beyond control. "And miss me everyday, alright?" he gritted out, blue eyes pink as he panted for a breath, rendering Josh immobile.

The knot in his throat tightened, his fingers flitting over the blonde's body in remembrance.

"Of course," was his reply.

Justin cried to himself as Josh dressed, the brunette coming to him with his own clothes. Devastation was glowing and clear in his tears, drops of salt landing on Josh's own skin as he pulled up Justin's jeans. The blonde had his T-shirt over his head, smearing tear tracks as he sniffled into it.

"I won't mind if you don't come to the airport," Josh said, Justin's breaths haggard and loud next to him.

"I can't," he whispered, wiping at his face.

Josh moved closer, Justin's tears appearing again and the elder cursed. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

Josh sat on the edge of the bed, watching Justin take a deep breath. His eyelashes were thick and clumped with his cries, his whole face red from the intensity. It killed him, to sit and not know what to do.

"I don't know, actually. For making you feel this way, maybe."

Justin's lip curled and there was light at the end. "I promise I won't be this emotional next time you leave."

In the next instant they were tangled and Josh was crushing the youth, trying to get everything he could for the plane ride. For the months ahead of them.

When they made it to the door, Justin's arms wrapped around Josh's waist, his fingers flitting underneath the shirt, the blonde gave him a single kiss on the corner of his mouth.

Josh chuckled with the weight in his chest, the sound forced and uncomfortable. Justin just shook his head, no smile apparent but his eyes were bright, outstanding in color and Josh closed his own pair.

"What exactly did you want for Christmas, again?" he mumbled, Justin's laugh disintegrating the tension pressing upon them.

"Be safe." Josh nodded, tightening his hold. "Bye."

Josh stopped smiling but agreed, pulling away. He couldn't say it though, physically couldn't answer with his own farewell. Instead he gave Justin one last kiss, their lips moving softly for a long second or two before they separated again.

Justin watched the brunette travel to the awaiting cab that had been called, Josh never looking back as the driver shut the trunk, scurrying to the wheel. Justin kept watching though, smiling when Josh's glass eyes caught his and the grimace on the other's face resounded through the blonde's head in waves. A single hand raised and Justin returned the wave as the car turned then flew out the parking lot, disappearing before the youth took his first breath since the kiss.

He didn't leave the hotel room right away, idly watching TV until night fell and the puffiness shrank a little from his eyes. It was too dark in the room and he searched for the night stand, his hands coming in contact of the wood with a sigh.

Picking up the phone, Justin willed all emotion from his voice as he dialed, holding the shaking receiver to his ear. Asking for his mother, his eyelids drifted shut, projections of earlier snapping along.

"Can you come get me?" He rattled off the hotel's name, his mother chatting for a minute or two. Then a moment of silence before she sighed.

"He called," she mumbled, the lilt in her voice making Justin grin.

"I know."

Lynn smiled. "Asked about some rapper, wanted to know if you wanted the autograph made out to Justin or J."

Justin laughed, shaking his head as he hung up the phone, his laughter turning into tiny sobs as he wrapped his arms around his stomach. But his smile remained, bright and brilliant in the midnight black of the hotel room.

TBC...

Power Of Love Home     *Epilogue*