J.

Rating: Rish

Pairing: AJ McLean/Joey Fatone

Disclaimer: The young men who comprise the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, and Five 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 slashwriters. Hello, and thank you, Iness.

Notice: Five split. Darren dumped Daniel. Ewan's okay, right?

Joey wasn't sure how he'd gotten here, exactly. One thing after another; A leads to B connects to C; a chance meeting, a party, a phone call, and then AJ was in his bed. In his life.

He was glad that AJ was there. In his bed, in his life. AJ made him happy, warm, fluttery, horny, excited. It was strange; Joey was a guy's guy, secure in his masculinity, confident in his testosterone. But AJ had him whipped. Fast.

He didn't know what AJ was doing with him. He'd thought that AJ had a thing going with J. from Five. The English guy with the pierced eyebrow.

Scratch that.

Joey knew, for a fact, that AJ had a thing going with J.

Judging the way AJ acted, J. had dumped him. AJ avoided the subject. Got tense and prickly about it. So Joey didn't ask.

J. must've been nuts to dump AJ. Anybody would have to be.

It sure seemed like AJ still had a torch or two burning for him, too.

Joey didn't get to spend a lot of time with AJ. They were both too busy, and their schedules didn't mesh well. But when they were together, he started to notice things. Little things. Like how anxiety and hope flashed in AJ's eyes when the phone rang, like maybe AJ had an idea about who might be calling. Like how disappointed, and relieved, AJ was when it wasn't whoever it might have been.

Like how one night, AJ rolled over in sleep, pulling the covers up over his shoulder and muttering something that sounded like "Jason."

Jason?

Joey had wondered if AJ was stepping out on him. Then he'd thought, maybe Jason was J.'s real name? The guy's name couldn't be J., after all.

He wondered who J. was.

Why AJ had been with J.

Why AJ still wanted to be with J.

Whether he could replace J. in AJ's heart.

Whether he wanted to.

And then he heard that J. hadn't dumped AJ, after all. AJ had dumped J.

AJ had dumped J.

And wasn't trying to get him back.

And had moved right on to Joey, without slowing his stride.

Joey kept looking at the tattoo on AJ's chest, near AJ's shoulder. "AJ." Gorgeous tat.

Whenever they were having sex, and Joey tried to kiss AJ there, AJ wouldn't let him. It wasn't a big deal, and AJ was nice and subtle about it, but Joey noticed.

Joey also noticed how detailed the second letter was. How bold. How it stood out.

There it was. J. Right there, staring Joey in the face.

AJ had a lot of body art, and sometimes Joey caught him admiring it. But never that tattoo. AJ didn't even look at that one. He even covered it up to keep from seeing it.

Maybe Joey was reading too much into things. He had AJ, he wanted to keep AJ, and he should be enjoying their friendship. AJ had dumped J., no doubt with good reason, and come to him. AJ wanted to be with him. End of story.

One night, AJ was with him, and they were getting into it. He got on top of AJ, and AJ ground up against him, and he kissed AJ's neck. "I love you." He said it kind of muttered against AJ's skin, not a major confession, just kind of out there.

AJ's hand cupped his chin and shifted him over a few inches, away from the tattoo. Away from the letter "J." Then, only then, did AJ say, "Love you, too, Joey."

matthew@matthewtime.com
"Joey"
"AJ" series page
Series
Boyslash
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