Copyright March 27-28, 2001 by Matthew Haldeman-Time

Rating: PG-13

Pairing (so to speak): Nick Carter/JC Chasez/Brian Littrell/Justin Timberlake

Disclaimer: The young men who comprise the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC are their own people.  The author has not met anyone here described, nor does the author mean to suggest that these people act this way in real life.  This writing is a work of fiction.  I make no money from this venture.

Dedication: This slashfic is for Ewan McGregor and the Savage Garden slashers.

Wherein they slam doors, they pound the floor, and they sigh.

Notice: This story follows "Wannabe," "Slack," and "Oops."

---

Adam

        "Nothing," Justin said.

        "I'm tired of playing referee, Justin."

        "It's my fault.  I - - I'll go apologize."

        "You-"

        "Sorry about disturbing the creative process."

        JC gave him a slow look.

        "What?  I'm going to go grovel now.  I can't grovel right with an audience.  Go."

        "You're going to grovel."

        "Not with you standing here watching me.  Go and let me grovel in peace."

        JC went back upstairs.

        Justin sighed.  Great.  Carter was crazy-mad-bonkers, and now he'd promised JC he'd apologize.  For what?  For saying that he and Carter should be friends?  Yeah, sorry, that had been a real mistake.

        Carter wasn't perfect?  That wasn't news to Justin, but it would be the front page story everywhere else.  Nick Carter was just super.  He'd started out in the business so young, he was so talented, he was so special.  And those vicious Backstreet Boys fans, just try to reason with them.

        *NSYNC was not trying to be the Backstreet Boys, and Justin was not trying to be Carter.  He had his own groove, his own sound.  But the comparisons were endless.  And Carter was the original, the real deal; Justin was just the wannabe.  And Nick Carter was special, Nick Carter was great, Nick Carter was beautiful and blessed and troubled and even JC had fallen for it.  And Justin was just, just Justin.  Popular and famous and living in the shadow of a Backstreet Boy.

        Like Carter was so great.

        Brian loved him.

        JC loved him.

        Okay, all right, yeah, yeah, Justin loved him, too.

        It was hard not to.  With all of that sex oozing out of his pores.  Justin was jealous of Carter but had ended up falling in love with him, anyway.  It was JC and Brian's fault.  They were in love with Carter for no reason, and they made Justin do it, too.

        But what was going on now?  This "I'm not perfect" thing?  Justin didn't like it.

        Better do something.

        Maybe Brian would come home.

        Not for hours.

        Ummm...

        Justin chewed on his lower lip and walked towards the bedroom.  He knocked.  "Carter, I'm coming in for a minute."  He opened the door and entered the room.

        Carter stood from the bed.  "Get out."

        "You're upset, and JC's busy, and Brian's out, so that leaves me.  I should be able to do this, I've seen them do it."  He walked closer.  One hand on the back, one hand in the hair, pull the head to his shoulder, pet soothingly, and say, "I love you."

        Carter was holding very still.

        "This is easy.  I think I got the tone of voice wrong.  Let me try it again.  I love you.  That was better."  Carter was bigger than JC and Brian.  It made a nice change.  Carter wasn't so bad.  He could get used to this.

        And then he was knocked ass-first onto the floor and the front door slammed.

        Justin pounded the floor and wished he had something to throw.  Damn it!  He was never being nice to that unappreciative self-indulgent jerk again!

        "Justin?" JC called from upstairs.

        Damn it.  He hoped Carter would get hit by a truck.

        Run down by a bicycle, at least.

        Carter was still gone when Brian came home.  Justin refused to feel guilty for Carter's childish disappearing act.  He didn't know how to explain it to Brian and JC, so he just said that he and Carter had been fighting again, and Carter had taken off.  It was only sort of a lie.

        By midnight, Carter hadn't made an appearance.  Brian was talking about going out to look for him.  Justin figured Carter could take care of himself.  He was only trying to make them worry, anyway.  Real mature.

        Justin wasn't worried.

        He took up Carter's favorite position, sitting on the sofa, leaning against Brian.  Brian kissed his hair and put an arm around him and they just sat there.  It was a good thing.  Then JC came over and it was just the three of them, he had Brian and JC all to himself.  He didn't miss Carter.  They could be comfortable and happy without Carter.  They didn't need Carter.

        He could see why Carter liked sitting like this, here with Brian.  It was like snuggling right up to home and love.  And with JC on his other side, petting him in sweet places, Justin thought he could stay here forever.  He didn't miss Carter at all.  They didn't need Carter.  Here was proof.

        They already had a Backstreet Boy, a tenor, a blond, a young guy...  They weren't lacking anything without Carter here.  It was actually better this way.  A lot better.  Easier.  Much easier.  They were better off without him.

        They decided to go to bed.

        Justin had Brian and JC all to himself.  All at once.  He'd never had it so good.

        Snuggling in between them, warm and sated, Justin vowed to get the locks changed first thing in the  morning.  Keep out the unwanted riffraff.

        Door.  Footsteps.

        Nick was back.

        Justin opened his eyes as Nick crawled in behind Brian.  Asleep, Brian sighed and scritched back against Nick.  Nick's arm came around Brian.

        Justin's hand rested on Nick's arm.

        Nick was home.

        Justin slept.