Copyright September 14-October 1, 2000 by Matthew Haldeman-Time (actually, 3:30 a.m. October 2)

Rating: NC-17 for graphic male-male sex

Disclaimer: The young men who comprise 98 Degrees, 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.

Notice: This piece follows "I Need You Tonight," its sister fic "Boy Lead the Way to Ecstasy," and the sequel to both, "Not Easy."

        "What?" JC asked.

        "Taking off every few months to hang out with the Backstreet Boys."

        JC laughed.  "I hope not."

        Justin got off of the bus with Joey and Chris.  He hitched his bag higher on his shoulder and wrestled his suitcase from JC's grasp.  "I'm blonde, not helpless."

        "He's blonde?" Chris asked.

        "Sometimes," Joey said.

        "Is he a natural blonde?" Chris asked, and looked to JC.  Joey looked at JC.  Lance looked at JC.

        "How would I know?" JC asked innocently.  He pretended not to notice them glaring and smirking at him, and turned to Justin.  Justin was scanning the parking lot.  Right.  He stepped closer and said, "Let's go inside and make sure we got a good bed."

        Justin looked at him and smiled.  "How will we know if we got a good one?"

        "We'll have to try out every one and compare them," he decided.

        "Better get started," Justin said.  "Thanks."

        "For what?"

        "Trying to distract me."

        They knew each other too well.  "We're here to relax.  Chill.  Veg.  So come inside with me and don't worry."

        "It's just..."

        "I know.  It's a lot like last time.  But we learned a lot from last time.  The security's tighter now.  And it was okay last time.  No one got hurt."

        "Not physically."  JC stopped walking.  Justin frowned and stopped, too.  "What?  You know it's true.  It hurt a lot of people.  It hurt us."

        "I know it did," he said, setting down his suitcase.  "I'm not going to argue with you.  I just want you to stand here, stand still, and look."  He put his hands on Justin's shoulders and turned Justin to face the opposite direction.  "Police.  Security.  Protestors.  Pretty scary, intimidating.  And see that?  Fans.  Screaming, happy, excited fans, a ton of them.  They're here.  They came by choice, they came despite work and school and the cold and the time and the danger and that intimidation.  If they're here, because they want to be here, then it's okay for us, too."

        "They're so..."

        "Devoted."

        "Yeah."  Justin looked out over the fans, who were cheering, screaming, waving signs, excited, noisy, and, above all, happy.

        "I think sometimes that they're the only ones who can understand some of what I feel for you."  He looped an arm around Justin's waist.

        "When did you turn into Sap Central?" Justin asked, turning his head to look at JC.

        JC smiled.  "I'm going inside and upstairs to crawl into my nice warm big soft bed.  If you're mean to me, I won't let you join me."

        "You're not serious."

        "Of course not.  Come on."  He slapped Justin's shoulder and moved away, lifting his suitcases.  "Smile for the cameras."

        "Oh no."

        "What?"  JC wasn't alarmed by the tone of mock dread; he only wondered what was wrong.

        "Incoming," Justin said, gesturing to the road.  Through the darkness JC saw the lights of another bus.

        "It's the Backstreet Boys," Chris said, joining them with Lance and Joey.  "Think we can get inside and bolt the doors quick enough?"

        "Let's try," Justin said.  "Last one in has to play Welcome Wagon!"  At that challenge, they sped for the hotel.  Justin, JC, and Chris reached the doors first, jumped into the building, and slammed the doors shut.

        Lance and Joey pounded on the doors.  The other three made faces through the glass.  "Don't leave us out here with them!" Joey pleaded.  "Guys, come on!"

        "Oh no!  They're coming!  They're coming!" Lance shouted.  "Let us in!"

        AJ and Howie reached the hotel entrance first.  "What's going on?" Howie asked.

        Inside, JC, Justin, and Chris escaped for the elevator.  "Hi," Joey said with a fake bright smile, and held open the door.  "Welcome."

        "Thanks," Howie said.  "98 Degrees not here yet?"

        "That's terrific," AJ said.  "I am locking my door and putting in earplugs so I don't have to be near Brian and Nick pining for their long-lost love any longer."

        "They miss him?" Lance asked.

        "When they're not crying in their bottled water over Drew, they're pawing each other like they've taken a very strong, long-lasting aphrodisiac," Howie said.  "It's been a fun four months."

        "We're thinking of just handing them over to Universal and working at McDonald's," AJ added.

        "No, we're Burger King, *NSYNC's McDonald's," Howie corrected.

        "It's two a.m.," AJ said.  "Be glad I remember my name.  He glanced over his shoulder to see the other three Backstreet Boys coming across the parking lot past screaming fans.  "Let me make my escape."

        Lance decided to be nice, so he waited while Joey, Howie, and AJ went inside the hotel.  When Nick, Brian, and Kevin reached him, he opened the hotel doors.  "Hi."

        "Hey," Brian said.

        "How's the tour?" Kevin asked.

        "Great," he said.  "Yours?"

        "They're not here yet?" Nick asked.

        Lance hesitated, glancing to Kevin.  Kevin looked half sympathetic and half completely sick of Nick.  "Not yet.  We just got here," Lance said.

        "Give them some time," Brian said.  "They're performing tonight."

        "They are?" Lance asked.

        "Yeah," Brian said.

        "Wish we could have gone," Nick said.  He sounded wistful.

        "I'd like to see them perform an entire concert," Brian agreed.

        "Hang out backstage," Nick said.

        "You just want to have sex with Drew when he's sweaty and on a post-show high," Kevin said.

        "Yeah," Nick said, wistful again, sighing.

        Kevin sighed in defeat and headed for the elevator.  Brian smiled and patted Nick's shoulder.  "Come on, it'll be like Christmas Eve.  The sooner you go to bed, the sooner you can wake up and open your presents."  He sent Nick up on the elevator with Lance and Kevin, then went to round up room keys.  Of course he and Nick had separate rooms, but he wondered about Justin and JC, or Jeff and Nick.  How had their rooms been booked?  And how were their rooms booked in general on tour?  Everyone knew that they were together, now were married, but that didn't necessarily mean that they would be given one room as a straight married couple would get.

        Drew wasn't here yet.  The closer they'd come to the hotel, the more Brian had ached with hope.  He missed Drew.  And Nick missed Drew.  And he'd hoped, oh how he'd hoped, that they'd arrive and find Drew here and they could spend their first night together, the three of them.  But he'd have another night with Nick; and the anticipation, the knowledge that Drew was on the horizon, would fuel their passions.  He could sense it already.

        Hey, if they were really lucky, Drew would arrive while they were in bed.  No, that was a little too Penthouse Forum.  Nick would like it, though.  Brian would like it, too.  But he didn't want it to be one of those trashy "two guys are having sex and another guy walks in and finds them there, so he strips naked and joins them" scenes.  Drew deserved better.  It had been four months, too long, and he just wanted to spend the first hour running his thumb over Drew's lower lip.

        That was the stuff that drove Nick crazy.  Nick could hold off, Nick could wait, but when Nick was going to go for it, Nick went for it.  When Brian got quiet and romantic and just wanted to love Nick without getting sweaty immediately, Nick got antsy.  Nick had explained, once, that Brian was beautiful, and that Nick would be happy to lick Brian's cheekbones for a year, but sometimes his cock had other ideas, and his cock was always worth listening to.

        Brian went upstairs and distributed the keys to his bandmates.  It turned out that *NSYNC was along one side of the hallway - - Chris 302, Joey 304, Lance 306, and JC and Justin 308 - - while the Backstreet Boys faced them: AJ 301, Brian 303, Howie 305, Kevin 307, and Nick 309.  When Brian handed out the keys, AJ said, "Why don't you two take 309 instead of 303?"

        "Why?" Brian asked.

        "Because we already know how loud you and Nick get, and that end of the hallway's farther away from the rest of us.  Farther away from me."

        "We're not loud," Brian said.

        "Nick's loud," AJ said.  "When the three of you get together, it won't exactly be silent night around here."

        "You're so rude," Nick told AJ.

        "No, I'm just bitter that you get sex and I don't," AJ said.  "Good night."

        Nick kissed AJ's cheek.  "I'll be quiet tonight so you can get some sleep."

        "That's real kind of you, ma'am."  AJ went into his room.

        "You're going to be quiet?" Brian asked Nick.

        "I can be," Nick said.

        "Only if I gag you," Brian said.  Then he blinked.  Nick grinned at him.  "No.  I didn't mean it.  It's just an expression!"

        "Wanna try?" Nick asked.

        "No no no.  You do?"

        Nick shrugged a little.  He looked reluctant to speak, but Brian waited.  "It's just...Drew's coming.  And it's different with him.  He's a virgin.  He's only fucked us once.  He's not used to sex, and..."

        "You have to treat him differently," Brian finished.

        "It's different.  There's no fucking.  It's all making love.  I'm afraid I'll scare him."

        "Drew's tough.  He terrified me."

        Nick grinned.  "That was awesome."

        "You did it all on purpose."

        "Totally.  I wanted you two to be together so I could have both of you at once."

        "Literally."

        "I can't wait for him to get here."  Nick's arms came around Brian's waist.  Brian's hands settled on his shoulders almost automatically.  "I'm not going to ask him."

        "You're not," Brian said, looking up into Nick's eyes with a bit of suspicion.

        "No."

        "I don't believe you."

        "I won't.  I don't want to pressure him."

        "He knows you want to."

        "Then I don't have to ask him."

        "It's all right to ask."

        "I don't want to pressure him," Nick repeated.  "Last time, he said that I could, but then...  I think that he only said it because it had been a long time and he missed me and he knew that I wanted it and he felt like he was supposed to let me."

        "If he asks you this time, will you do it?"

        "I don't know.  I want to say that I won't, but I think that I will.  What about you?"

        "He's yours first."

        "Brian, that's stupid."

        "We agreed.  Last time."

        "Come on, that's...  It doesn't matter who's first.  What if he asks you to make love to him?"

        "I don't think that I'll be able to say no," Brian said.  "I'm too weak.  He's too beautiful."

        "Hey."

        "Hey what?"

        "That's what you said about me."

        "It was true then, too.  You were my best friend and I loved you.  I never say no to you.  Not on the big stuff or the little stuff."

        "Never?"

        "Once."

        "Yeah."  Nick's fingers slid through Brian's short light brown hair.  "Just once.  You broke my heart and destroyed my life and I was going to kill you, but only once."

        "I'm still sorry," Brian said, meaning it.  Hurting Nick, being as heartless as he'd been, was one of the worst regrets that Brian had.  He thanked God every day that Nick had come back to him.

        "You can make it up to me."

        "Yeah?" Brian asked, a little smile on his lips.  It didn't take a genius to figure out how Nick's mind worked on these avenues.

        "Yeah."

        "How?"

        Nick kissed him.  "Let me fuck you."

        "Is that all?"

        "For now."

        After showering and making love, Nick wanted to sleep forever, but Brian wanted to get up and see whether 98 Degrees had arrived.  Nick agreed that Drew was more important than sleep, but really would have liked to sleep longer than two hours.  Brian pointed out that if they had skipped the sex they'd get more time to sleep.  Nick decided to get Brian a therapist.  Brian decided that, in order not to exacerbate Nick's obvious sexual dependency, he'd have to keep from making love to Nick for at least a month.  Nick reminded him that Drew was coming.  Brian decided to postpone his abstinence plan for a week.

        "They're not here yet?" JC asked Brian while Nick and Justin talked.

        "No," Brian said.

        "Are we in the officially panicked stage or just mildly concerned?"

        "I'm way past panicked," Brian said.  "If something happened, we would have heard about it, though.  Right?"

        "Yeah," JC said.  "So nothing's wrong, because if something were wrong we'd have been told.  So everything's okay.  Stop worrying."

        "I'm not worrying.  Where are they?" Brian asked.  "They were supposed to come last night."

        "They'll be here.  It's the big honeymoon.  And I'm sure that Drew wouldn't miss this week for the world."

        Brian smiled.  "How's married life?"

        "Awesome.  Totally awesome," JC said.

        "I envy you and Justin.  For getting to have that."

        "You get to share life and love with two people."

        "Yeah.  I guess every relationship is different.  And the good part is that you can find a way to make each one better than all the others."

        "Mine's the best."

        "Really," Brian said, smiling.  "Why?"

        "I get Justin.  What are they doing?" JC asked when Chris and Lance came hurrying across the parking lot.  "Hey."

        "Fifteen minutes," Chris said, catching his breath.

        "Fifteen minutes for what?" Nick asked.

        "98 Degrees gets here," Lance said.

        "Here?" Nick asked.

        "They called from the bus," Lance said.  "Fifteen minutes."

        "Where've they been?" Justin asked.

        Lance shook his head.  "Nobody told me that."

        "Fifteen minutes," Nick said.  "I can't wait that long."

        "You are not going to walk up the road to meet them," Brian said.

        "Who's walking?  I'm grabbing a car and driving," Nick said.

        "Go sign your name on pieces of paper," Brian ordered, pushing Nick toward the fans.  "It's only a few more minutes."

        "What if-"

        "Now, Nick."

        "Make me get up early, make me do work, this is supposed to be my vacation, slavedriver!"

        "Your vacation can start when Drew gets here."

        Nick smiled.  "Who gets to kiss him first?"

        "Whoever runs fastest."

        The fifteen minutes passed slowly as the ten singers wandered out onto the parking lot.  With all ten there, and the other four about to arrive, the security team with police kept a strict watch.

        The bus was sighted.

        Brian found Nick and held onto his arm.  "Remember.  You're in public.  There are fans and cameras here.  You cannot take off his clothes.  You may not grope him."

        "Just a little," Nick said

        "No."

        "I can kiss him."

        "Try to behave yourself."

        "Like you did last time?  The two of you were practically screwing each other right there in the parking lot.  You were supposed to be saying good-bye, not introducing each other to your tonsils."

        "Jealous?"

        "No.  It looked good."

        "You have a lot of perversions."

        "Harmless ones."

        "Yeah.  Good ones."

        "Yeah."  Their fingers laced as the bus pulled in for a stop.

        Justin Jeffre came off first and greeted them as he got his suitcase.  Nick and Jeff came next, waving to the fans, accepting congratulations from the Backstreet Boys, who hadn't been able to come to their wedding.

        Nick's hand tightened on Brian's.  Drew stepped off of the bus slowly, his eyes scanning quickly and finding Nick and Brian.  Everyone said hi, and everyone moved to the hotel, and people helped with luggage, and there was a stream of conversation, and Brian clutched at Nick's hand while watching Drew walk away across the parking lot.

        Nick Timmons-Lachey turned and frowned at his younger brother.  "Give me this," he insisted, nabbing a suitcase from Drew's grasp.  "Go back there and kiss him."

        "Both of them," Jeff said.

        "Now!" Nick ordered, giving Drew a shove.  Drew crossed his arms over his chest and glared up at Nick.  "Oh, he's giving me the stubborn expression," Nick said.

        "Whatever shall we do?" Jeff asked with a smile.

        "Quake with fear, I guess," Justin Jeffre suggested.

        "You're such jerks," Drew muttered, and grabbed his suitcase back again.  He went into the hotel.

        "What is his problem?" Nick asked.

        "I have no idea," Justin said.

        "Cold feet?" Jeff asked.  "Nerves?  Performance anxiety?"

        "He's ruining my happy honeymoon," Nick said.

        "Don't pout," Jeff said.  "Well, you can if you want, it looks really good on you."

        "It does?" Nick asked.

        "It's the mouth," Justin said.  "You do this thing with your lower lip.  And thank you, I am comfortable in my sexuality."

        "Oh boy," Jeff said as Nick and Brian came closer, "here come the jilted lovers.  You wanna take this one?"

        "I'm here for my honeymoon," Nick said.  "Justin, you talk to them."

        "And tell them what?  That Drew's lost his mind?" Justin asked.

        "Works for me," Nick said, and pulled Jeff into the hotel.  Now Justin was alone (relatively) with Nick and Brian.  He worried briefly how to explain Drew's inexplicable behavior.  However, they only greeted him somewhat distractedly and moved into the hotel.  He relaxed somewhat and wondered whether he should try to talk to Drew or let them take care of it.  He followed them.

        "Drew's in room 354," JC said as Nick and Brian entered the lobby.

        "Thanks," Brian said.

        "Where have you guys been?" JC asked Justin Jeffre.

        "There was a problem at the show and we had to start two hours late," Justin said.  "Then the bus broke down.  Finally they just booked us a hotel in Hingship Bay and made us stay the night while they fixed the bus.  We wanted to get taxis or something and just come here and forget about it, but no one listens to the talent."

        "Is Drew okay?" JC asked, since Nick and Brian weren't asking.

        "Up until about an hour ago, yes.  Jeff thinks it might be cold feet.  It's been four months; there's bound to be some weirdness."

        "He totally ignored us," Nick said.

        "Nick," Brian said.  "Come on.  I'm going to go up and say hi."  Nick dropped Brian's hand.  "You're not coming?" Brian asked.

        "Tell him I said hi," Nick said, and walked off down the hallway.

        "I swear," Brian said, sighing, and pushed the button for the elevator.

        "He's young and blonde," JC said.  "And pretty and pampered.  It happens."

        Brian smiled.  "You sound familiar with the type."

        "I've heard stories."

        When Brian got upstairs, he went to the other hallway and found room 354.  He knocked.  The door opened.  "Hi."

        "Hi," Drew said.

        One nice thing about being with Drew was that Brian was closer to eye level than when he was with Nick.  "It's good to see you."  Might as well go with the truth, even if it was a horrendous understatement.

        "You too," Drew said.  "You want to come in?"

        "Sure, thanks."  He did, and Drew closed the door.  "You had trouble at the concert last night?"

        "Yeah."

        "Are you okay?"

        "No."

        He wrapped his arms around Drew, held Drew tightly, closed his eyes with his chin on Drew's shoulder.  Whether he were doing it for himself or Drew, he didn't know.  It didn't matter.  He just held Drew close, inhaling Drew, feeling Drew breathe, Drew's shoulders under his hands, Drew's chest against his.  How had he lasted without this?  He'd never let go.

        "We're not supposed to know," Drew said.  "They didn't tell us."

        "Tell you what?" Brian asked.

        Drew pulled back a little, looked at him, into his eyes.  "I missed you.  A lot."

        "I missed you, too."  He saw Drew's head tilt to one side and he held his breath in anticipation. Yes, yes, here it came, yes, please - - contact, and his eyes closed, and Drew's lips were on his.  He had dreamt about this moment, fantasized about this kiss, for months.  He thought about this kiss every day, every hour, every minute.  Every second, he wanted this kiss.  And now, here it was, and it was better than he'd dreamt.  It was real, and it was Drew, and it was everything.

        Tender kiss, slow, and then his mouth opened, and Drew accepted the invitation.  His hand slid over short dark brown hair to the back of Drew's head while the fingers of his other hand twisted in the back of Drew's shirt.  Drew's tongue was hesitant at first, taking the time to remember his mouth.  He made love to Drew's lower lip and felt Drew's hand cup his jaw.  When Drew ended the kiss, he opened his eyes to find Drew leaning in to brush soft lips over his cheek.

        "I missed you," Drew said again.

        One small kiss.  "I missed you.  Nick said to tell you hi."

        Drew's lips quirked in a half-smile half-frown.  "I guess I should go apologize.  I should apologize to you, too."

        "You don't have to apologize.  You could tell me what's wrong."

        Drew shook his head,  "Where's Nick?"

        "He'll be up here soon.  The two of us alone behind a closed door?  He'll be here."

        Drew smiled.  "Some things don't change."  His thumbs passed up Brian's cheekbones.  "You're more handsome than ever, though."

        "I'd say thank you but I'm blushing too hard.  And if it didn't sound like just repaying a compliment, I'd tell you how wonderful you look."  They were still close together, touching each other, and it was easy for Brian to kiss Drew just a little bit more.  Drew was here.  Drew was here, in front of him, for real.  In person.  He could look and touch.  "This is going to be the shortest week of my life."

        Drew kissed him.  "Your hair's longer."

        "I know, I need a haircut."

        "I like it.  It's getting curly."  Drew tugged gently at a curl behind his right ear.

        "One Justin Timberlake is enough, thanks.  Justin Timberlake Chasez," he corrected himself, and kissed Drew again.

        "I acted like a little girl and I wrote my name with hearts around it.  What do you think of Andrew John Carter Littrell Lachey?"

        "Poetry," Brian said honestly, and kissed him.  He couldn't stop himself from kissing Drew.  So close, so pretty, that mouth, it drew him in, he couldn't help it.

        "Or do you like Andrew John Lachey Carter Littrell?"

        "Yes," he said.  Soft kiss.

        "You're not being helpful."

        "I like Andrew John Carter Lachey Littrell."

        "Really?"

        He kissed Drew.  "Yeah.  Because I like Brian Thomas Carter Lachey Littrell."

        "And when did you decide this?" Drew asked.

        He smiled.  "A couple of months ago.  Or three.  Or four.  But Nick doesn't like it.  He says it sounds like we just put it in alphabetical order."  Kiss.  Knock.  "Sounds like Nick."

        "It's open," Drew said, raising his voice.  "Don't want to let go," he explained to Brian.

        "I don't think I could have let you go," Brian said, and kissed him.  The door opened.

        "That's it, start the fun without me," Nick said, and closed the door again.  And locked it.

        Brian sighed.  "We don't have to have sex now."

        "Of course not," Nick said.  "There might be rabid fans around, or thieves, or something.  Locking the door is a precautionary measure.  Safety first."

        "This from the boy who never uses a condom."

        "I used to, with girls," Nick said.  "But what's the point?  You're not going to get pregnant, and I'm not going to get anything.  Unless you're cheating on me.  In which case I'll just kill you and end up in jail anyway, so having herpes won't be a big deal."  His fingers were gentle on the back of Drew's neck.  "Hello."

        "Hello," Drew said.

        Nick came around behind Brian, facing Drew.  "Look at that.  You're even better-looking in person."

        "He's been too embarrassed to tell you, but he has a 98 Degrees poster," Brian said.  "Taped to the wall in the bus."

        "Oh no," Drew said.

        "Guess which one," Brian said, smiling.

        "I don't want to guess.  I don't want to know."

        "It's such a crime," Nick said.  "Why do Jeff and your brother get to be all half-naked and not you?"

        "I knew it was that one," Drew groaned, and rested his forehead on Brian's shoulder.

        Nick's fingers slid over Drew's hair.  "And you all look so grim.  Except Nick's doing that weird pouting thing.  You could look happier."

        "I hate that poster," Drew said into Brian's shirt.

        "And you're all dirty.  I just want to lick you clean," Nick said.

        "Are you surprised?" Brian asked Drew.

        "Here, let go of my boyfriend and let me kiss him hello," Nick said.

        "He's my boyfriend," Brian said, "and I'm not finished with him."

        Drew raised his head and looked at Nick.  He smiled.  "Hello."  Arm around Brian, he reached for Nick, who tipped up his chin and kissed him very slowly and very thoroughly.

        Brian shifted his stance and felt Drew getting harder.  He felt over the muscles and bones of Drew's back through Drew's shirt, listening to Drew and Nick kiss, letting himself get harder, too, as he thought of the tales Nick had spun to keep him warm on long cold bus rides.  What was even better than hearing Nick's Drew fantasies was knowing that the reality of Drew in his arms was better than any fantasy could be.  Real-life Drew was strong, and sweet, and made him smile, and made him laugh, and charmed him without even trying.

        Last time, four months ago, he'd gotten pretty much everything he'd ever wanted: he'd been accepted back into Nick's heart, and he'd gotten to keep his own love for Drew.  He could have both of them.  Nick even encouraged him to want both of them.  And that first time, when he'd gotten to make love to Nick again, it had been incredible, it had been like coming home.  Nick was home to him.  And then he'd had Drew in his arms, naked and shivering, and it had been an awful torture, because he'd wanted to kiss Drew and make everything better, but that wasn't his job; he wasn't Drew's lover.  Drew had come against him in thick hot spurts.  Then Drew had gotten hard again, and of course he was hard, and Drew had been rocking against him, trying to come against him again, and he couldn't take it any longer, and Nick kept asking things like did he want Drew to fuck him, and of course he did, and it was too much, and he'd come.  And then...  Oh...

        He moaned as Drew kissed him.  He heard Nick laughing and reached over his shoulder with one hand to push Nick away in mock irritation.  Nick just took his hand and started to suck his fingers.  Typical.  Oh, he'd wanted to go slowly, he'd wanted to treasure having Drew back again, but he was hard, and Drew was hard, and he didn't even bother to wonder whether Nick were hard.  At least Nick had stopped sucking his fingers - - what was that boy doing now?  Oh, no, not that.  Brian tried to wrestle his hand from Nick's grip, but Nick pushed his arm down, and when his hand got close enough it stopped listening to his brain at all, and Nick didn't even have to push anymore.  His fingers wrapped around Drew's cock through Drew's jeans, palm cradling that hardness, no matter what his brain was trying to say.  Drew made a moaning noise into his mouth and made a guilty, helpless thrust into his hand.

        And all this time, these long four months, while he'd been making love with Nick, Drew had been all alone.  Poor Drew.  Brian rubbed Drew sympathetically.  Nick had told him various Drew masturbation stories on how Drew was coping with the months without them.  His favorite was one that really had happened, when Drew had called them on their bus from a hotel, and Nick had taken the opportunity for phone sex, since Drew was alone in a hotel room.  Brian just sat there beside Nick listening to Nick's soft porn, watching Nick get hard, burning with longing for Drew and envy of Nick and lust for Nick.  And then, when it was obvious that Drew was on the verge, Nick grinned and, without warning, handed the phone to Brian.  He'd swallowed, not knowing what to say, hearing only rapid breathing from the other end.  Then he'd said, "Hi, Drew."  And he'd heard a soft, awed, "Brian?"  And then Drew had come.  And the sound of it, Drew's pleasure and passion, coupled with his name, had spurred many a fantasy.  But he liked when Nick told him about it, when Nick told him what Drew had been thinking and exactly how Drew's hands had worked over Drew's cock.  He still didn't know how Nick had gotten Drew to agree to phone sex.

        "If you don't stop it he'll come," Nick said in Brian's ear.

        But he couldn't let go.  Drew in his arms, Drew's mouth on his, Drew's tongue making love to his, Drew's hands warm and strong on his back and neck, and Drew's cock throbbing against his hand, he couldn't let go, he couldn't possibly let go.

        Nick pried his fingers loose.

        Drew rubbed hard against Brian's hip and made an aching sound, and something in Brian's memory remembered that sound, that beautiful sound that meant that Drew was going to come now, rubbing up against him.  Oh, yes-

        "Hey!  Stop that.  Bad Drew," Nick insisted, one arm around Brian's waist pulling Brian back, one hand on Drew's chest keeping Drew away from Brian.  "Bad Drew."

        "You started it," Brian told Nick.  He could feel Nick's erection against his hip; he shifted on purpose to get it where it belonged.

        "Bad Brian," Nick corrected himself, thrusting slightly.

        "You know, we don't have to have sex now," Brian said for the second time.

        "Then stop grinding your ass against my dick," Nick muttered.

        So he did.  He escaped Nick's grasp and returned to Drew, leaning back against the wall, one arm around Drew, pulling Drew to rest against his body.  His free hand came up, fingers drifting over the satin of Drew's lips, admiring that temptingly curved wide mouth.  For captivating facial features, forget his own stupid cheekbones; those Lachey brothers had the best mouths.  He smiled, smoothing an eyebrow with his thumb, trailing his finger down Drew's nose, tracing the shell of Drew's ear.  Brian liked Drew's body art.  He liked Drew's body.  He liked Drew's everything.

        Drew's fingers brushed through his hair before Drew leaned in, tilted, and dropped kisses from his chin to his ear.  Drew licked up his ear, sucked on his earlobe, oh, then kissed back along his jaw to the other side.  Thumbs brushing over his cheekbones, a loving tongue up his jaw, and then a soft voice, "We don't have to make love now.  But it might be nice."

        "Nice," Brian managed to agree.  He heard Nick laughing again before Drew kissed him, and with the touch of Drew's lips to his he became oblivious to all else.  Mmm, he could stay here forever.  His blissful obliviousness ended when he felt something at his feet.  Oh.  Nick was getting started on the undressing process, beginning with shoes and socks.  Okay.  Still licking Drew's mouth, he cooperated with Nick until his feet were bare.  Nick moved on to Drew's feet.  Drew started laughing into their kiss, and Brian opened his eyes.

        "He's licking my ankles," Drew whispered, and kissed him again.  Drew giggled.  Drew moaned.  Brian decided to get Nick to do that to him sometime.  A foot fetish.  Nick seemed determined to develop all of the low-grade kinks.  The second that Nick started talking about tying him up, Brian was out of there.  Well, maybe...maybe the second that Nick started talking about water sports.  Or...maybe...okay, definitely when Nick got a whip.  But, really...he trusted Nick.  He knew that Nick wouldn't get a whip.  He wouldn't put it past Nick to try to tie him up, though.  The idea did hold some appeal.  Nick would look good tied to bedposts.  Maybe he could get Drew to-

        "What are you thinking about?" Nick asked, and Nick's voice was right in his ear.  Drew stopped kissing him, eyebrows raised.

        Brian turned bright red.  "Nothing."

        Nick chuckled.  "You can tell us now, or you can tell us later."

        "Later," he said quickly.

        "Now," Nick said, and kissed him.  "Brian?"

        He put his hands over Drew's ears and whispered in Nick's ear, "I was trying to decide whether I'd rather tie you up or have you tie me up, and whether Drew would help."

        "To the bed?" Nick whispered back, in his ear, cheek to cheek, and he heard Nick's grin in Nick's voice.  "They're my scarves, I get to tie you up first."

        "You have-"

        "Hell yeah.  What else were you thinking about?"

        "Nothing."

        "Tell me."

        He licked his lips and whispered, "Water sports."

        Nick pulled back at that point and looked into his eyes.  "Golden showers?"  Nick laughed.  "Bad Brian," Nick admonished, and kissed him.

        Drew pulled Brian's hands from his ears.  "What aren't you telling me?"

        "We have to keep secrets so you don't know how perverted we are," Nick said.

        "I know how perverted you are," Drew told Nick with a smile.

        "I think that's why he likes me," Nick told Brian.

        "We love Drew for his body, you because you're perverted, and me because I'm...because why?" Brian asked.

        "Just because we need a third person to fulfill Nick's perversions," Drew said.

        "Oh.  Okay."  He kissed Drew.  "Where were we before this interruption?"

        "Naked strip nude bare take off your clothes," Nick said.

        "I think we were just kissing," Drew disagreed.

        "Just kissing?" Brian asked.  "There's nothing 'just' about it."  Drew kissed him again, apparently in agreement.  Nick made a frustrated sound and moved away from them.  Brian was lost in the kiss for a while, until he felt hands on his fly.  And Drew's hands were on his neck and shoulders.  He batted away Nick's hands and held Drew closer.

        Suddenly Drew shuddered.  "Oh, please, Nick, don't," Drew moaned in a voice that said yes please do.  But Nick obeyed Drew's words, apparently, and stopped, because Drew's attention returned to kissing Brian.

        "What'd he do?" Brian asked.

        "He licked my neck."

        "You don't like that?"

        "It felt good."  They kissed some more.  "Where'd he go?"

        Brian opened one eye to look, then stopped kissing Drew altogether.  "He's...on the bed."

        Drew went still in Brian's arms.  "What's he doing?"

        Brian smiled.  "Sleeping."

        "What?"  Drew hadn't expected that.

        "He's not really sleeping.  He's just pretending to look innocent so we'll go over there and he can attack us."

        Drew smiled.  "Should we fall for the young blonde sleeping beauty routine?"

        "He's just pouting because we're ignoring him."

        "Some people just have to be the center of attention."

        "Yes, I've met your brother."

        Drew laughed.  "Be nice."

        "Sorry."  He ran his hands up and down Drew's back.  "If Nick's sleeping, we really shouldn't disturb him."

        "But I wanted to make love with you," Drew said with a smile, catching on to Brian's plot.

        "We can't do it while he's in the bed."

        "We could go to your room."

        "Okay."  Something occurred to Brian that he actually hadn't remembered.  "The key card is in his pocket."

        "Oh."  Drew kissed him.  "Do you want to get it or should I?"

        "I'll get it.  He's so used to me groping him he won't even notice."  Brian let go of Drew and approached the bed.  He came around behind Nick and slid his hand carefully over Nick's hip.

        "Other pocket," Nick whispered.  He sighed and reached over more.  Nick yelped.  "That's not a pocket!"

        "Sorry.  My mistake.  Go back to sleep."

        "How can I sleep when I have blue balls?" Nick asked accusingly, rolling to his back, glaring up at him.

        "You don't have blue balls," Brian said, getting on top of him.

        "The two of you all sweet and petting each other.  God I wish I had a camera," Nick said, stroking down Brian's back.  "But you know, this isn't a race to see who can hold out the longest.  Can't we just get naked and sweaty already?"

        "Okay."

        "Okay?"

        "Okay.  What do you want to do first?"

        "I want to suck Drew.  'Cause it makes me hot when he asks for it."

        Brian couldn't argue with that.  He crawled off of Nick again and stood.  "You mind?" he asked Drew.

        "No," Drew said, looking slightly scared and slightly amused.

        "You don't have to be nervous," Nick said, rising from the bed.  "I don't bite."

        "Yes you do," Brian said.

        "Yeah, but not his dick," Nick said.

        "You'd better not," Brian said.

        "I take good care of my toys," Nick said.  Brian watched Nick tip up Drew's face.  "You kissed his mouth all red," Nick accused Brian.  Drew kissed Nick, one hand on the back of Nick's neck, other hand sliding back through soft blonde hair.  "Brian, take off your clothes," Nick said, kissing Drew some more.

        Brian made a face at Nick's back and pulled his shirt off over his head.  He stretched a little, coming closer to watch them kiss.  Up close it was amazing, to see their mouths mate, to watch the slide of their tongues.  He wondered what it looked like when he kissed them.

        Nick ended the kiss.  "That made up for four months," he said.  He glanced right.  "That's not naked, that's half naked.  Doesn't count."

        Nick and Brian became quite still when Drew stepped over to Brian.  Strong warm hands settled on Brian's naked shoulders, skimmed down Brian's arms.  Fingers traced over Brian's pecs before Drew kissed Brian's shoulder, kissed Brian's collarbone, kissed down Brian's chest.  Brian gasped with pleasure when Drew's tongue came over his nipple.  Drew stayed there, licking his nipples, before going down a bit more.  Oh, no.  Nick came around behind Brian, reached around, and opened Brian's pants.  Nick's hands tugged down Brian's jeans and boxers to Brian's ankles, clearing the way for Drew, who kept going.  Drew's tongue met Brian's navel.

        Brian dropped to his knees and took Drew's mouth with his.  Drew moaned into their kiss.  Brian smoothly, having perfected his technique on Nick, lowered Drew back to the carpet.  He could feel Drew's hard cock through Drew's jeans, against his hip.  Drew moaned softly beneath him.  Brian got one hand under Drew's shirt and felt his way up over tight abs, making Drew hum with pleasure.

        "You could put him on the bed," Nick suggested above them.

        "Sshhh, I'm trying to get him naked," Brian said.

        "Amateur," Nick said, and pulled Brian back, helping Drew up again.  "This is how a real man gets Drew Lachey naked and in bed all at once."  He kissed Drew, holding Drew close to his body.  Nick kissed Drew right through the whimpering stage, waiting until Drew was clinging to him and sucking his tongue greedily.  Then he started to walk Drew back toward the bed.

        When the bed hit Drew's legs, Drew obediently, automatically, laid on the mattress, pulling Nick over himself.  Brian was impressed.  Nick kept kissing, then started to pull up Drew's shirt.  When Drew's abs were bared, Nick slid down and kissed Drew's skin, licking over his abdomen.  Nick pushed the shirt up higher, kissing up Drew's torso, then got rid of the shirt entirely and sucked Drew's nipples.  Drew's back arched and Brian's cock throbbed.  Nick kissed up to Drew's mouth.  "Drew."

        Drew licked Nick's lips and waited.

        "Drew, tell me what you want."

        "Please."

        "What?" Nick asked, looking down and fitting his hand over Drew's erection through denim.

        Drew's body arched again.  "Nick, please."

        "Tell me what you want.  You know I'll do it.  You know I'll always do it.  You just have to tell me."

        "Please, Nick, suck me."

        Brian's body felt relief at the words.  Now, finally, it would come.

        But Nick wasn't finished.  "Suck you where, Drew?  What do you want me to suck?"

        "Nick, please," Drew begged, thrusting against Nick's palm.

        "What do you want me to suck?  Tell me, Drew, tell me what you want."  Nick kissed Drew, gently squeezing Drew's cock.

        "Anything," Drew whispered, and moaned.

        Nick let go of Drew.  "Not yet.  Bad Drew.  You can't come until you tell me what you want."

        Drew growled in frustration and snapped.  He took Nick's face in two hands and pulled Nick in, nose-to-nose.  "I've been waiting for this for four months!  Nickolas Gene Carter, suck my cock, now."

        Nick smirked.  "And if I don't?"

        Drew smiled charmingly.  "I'll just have to suck yours."

        Nick winced with pleasure.  "Okay, okay, I'll do it."

        "Thank you."  Drew kissed him and released him.

        "These pushy bottoms," Nick muttered, sitting back on his heels.

        "Pushy what?" Drew asked, rising up on an elbow.

        "Okay, so you're the top and I'm the bottom, you're still annoying about it," Nick said.  "Now be quiet."  He unbuttoned Drew's jeans.  "God, I've been waiting for this moment forever."  His eyes ran over the parts he'd already bared.  "Damn you have one fine body."  He shook his head and returned to the task at hand.  He unzipped the fly and listened to Drew's sounds of contentment, then pulled down Drew's jeans, dropping them to the floor.

        Brian sat at the side of the bed to watch, holding Drew's hand.  Nick eased down Drew's boxers.  Drew's sigh of relief was overcome by Nick and Brian's soft, heartfelt moans of pleasure.  "God, it's better than I remembered," Nick said.  Brian's mouth watered.

        Nick leaned closer and Drew's breath hitched.  Nick licked up slowly from root to head, following as Drew's hips rose from the mattress in response.  Drew moaned, grip tightening on Brian's hand, as Nick licked over his cock.  Up over the sides, stroking with practiced fingers, then up onto the head, taking it in, making him groan.  And just as Nick always knew when to make it hard and when to keep it gentle with Brian, Nick also knew when to deep throat Drew and when that would be too much.  So Nick sucked lovingly at the head, swallowing pre-cum, stroking up the shaft.  A little more lick and suck, a little more rub and tug, and Drew came, groaning, breathing Nick's name.

        Nick swallowed.  "I could do that all day."

        "We know," Brian said, smiling, stroking his hair.

        "Let me do it to you?" Nick asked.

        "I thought that it was your turn now," Brian said.

        "You wanna scandalize Drew?"

        "You sure?" Brian asked.

        "What?" Drew asked.

        "Sixty-seven, sixty-eight," Nick said.

        "Sixty...nine," Drew said.  "You do that?"

        "We could teach you how," Nick said.  "You and Brian being the same size might even make it easier.  Wanna watch?"

        "Sure," Drew said, smiling, sitting up on the bed.

        "Isn't he the best?" Nick asked Brian.  "C'mere."

        "Carter or Timmons-Lachey?" Chris asked.

        "Carter," Justin said.

        "Rumor has it he's in Drew's room with Brian," Howie said, "so you won't see him until Sunday."

        "Where's your better half?" Lance asked Justin.

        "Talking to Jeff."  Justin sat on the sofa arm beside Chris.

        "Jeff's spending his honeymoon talking to JC?" Chris asked.

        Justin shrugged.  "Sounds like a good honeymoon to me."

        "Not for Nick," Howie said.

        "Jeff has Nick wrapped around his finger," Chris said.

        "Really?" Lance asked.  He coughed suddenly.

        "Sure."

        "How can you tell?" Justin asked.

        "Nick proposed.  The one who gets proposed to is the one with power in the relationship," Chris explained.

        "What?" Justin asked.

        "Really?" Howie asked.

        "Sure," Chris said.

        "That's not true," Justin said.  "I proposed to JC.  We're equals."

        "You sure?" Chris asked.

        "We share everything.  He's not in charge."  Justin thought about it.  "If anyone's in power, it's me."

        "You think so?" Howie asked.

        "Sure," Justin said.  Chris coughed suddenly and smacked Justin's leg.  "What?" Justin asked.  Chris smacked him again, harder.  "What?!"  He looked around and saw JC in the doorway with Jeff.  "Oh."

        "We're looking for Nick," JC said, and there was nothing in those normally expressive eyes.

        "Check outside," Lance said.

        "Thanks," Jeff said, and left, JC following.

        Justin groaned and dropped to the floor.  "Great."

        "Just to make it clear right now, this is not my fault," Chris said.  "I started the conversation, I did not make you say that."

        "How long was he standing there?" Howie asked.

        "A while, I think," Lance said.

        "Then why didn't you stop us?" Chris demanded.

        "I tried, I just didn't want to be totally obvious about it."

        "You tried?"

        "I coughed."

        "You - - the whole way back then?  He heard everything!"

        "I'm so dead," Justin moaned from the floor.

        "Still not my fault," Chris said.

        "Why don't you go apologize?" Howie asked Justin.

        "The simple, direct, easy way?" Chris asked.  "That's no fun for anybody."

        Nick smiled at the fans.  "Nice meeting you.  Hey, JC."

        "Hey," JC said.

        Nick and Jeff went into the hotel and stepped on the elevator.  "We were supposed to be doing this hours ago."

        "I know.  I'm sorry," Jeff said.  "I'll make it up to you."

        "You don't have to make anything up to me.  Just having you is enough."  Nick kissed him.

        "I don't know why you're this gorgeous," Jeff said.

        Nick laughed.  "What?"

        The doors opened and Jeff pulled Nick down the hallway.  "Which room is ours again?"

        "One of these.  It's beside Drew's."

        "Right.  So we can listen to him having sex all week."

        "No, so he can listen to us having sex all week.  Oh.  I don't want him listening to that.  I don't want him to have sex all week, either."

        "So we'll lock him alone in his room, and we'll take a room at the other end of the hallway."

        "Good."

        Jeff kissed Nick.  "I don't hear a thing.  They're being nice and quiet.  You can pretend they're in there meditating."  He fished the key card from his pocket.  "Great.  No room number."

        "It was Justin, then us, then Drew."

        "Right.  So which room is Justin's?"

        "That one."

        "No, that one."

        "No, wait.  Let me remember.  We came down the hallway, and we stopped...here."

        "So that's our room."

        "Oh, forget it.  Let's just try the key in all the doors and see which one opens."  Nick took the card from Jeff and tried 358.  "Nope."  356.  "Nope."  354.  The door swung open.  "See?"

        There was a shriek followed by a flurry of noise and naked limbs; Brian hid under the covers, Drew grabbed for pillows, and Nick fell off of the bed with a curse.

        Jeff yanked the door shut.

        Nick gaped at the door.

        "That's not our room," Jeff said.  "Nick.  Nick, you okay?"

        Nick gaped at the door.

        "Nick, come on.  Close your mouth."

        "They're not meditating."

        "You can meditate naked."

        Nick turned swiftly and walked down the hallway.  Jeff sighed and tried 352.

        Meanwhile, in 354, Nick Carter was having hysterics on the floor.  Brian threw a pillow at Nick and put his hand on Drew's knee.  "It's okay."

        "I've never been more embarrassed in my entire life."

        "I don't think that they saw anything."

        "They saw enough."

        "They saw that you were in bed with me and Nick.  They knew you would be."

        "In theory.  They've never..."

        "They've never really seen you with us.  Except when you kissed us good-bye last time."

        "Yeah."

        "Is it...  They've seen you with Nick.  Not naked in bed, but before, at the Planet Earth Awards, when you first started seeing him.  And last time.  But now it's not just Nick, it's me too.  Is that what bothers you?  That they saw you with two of us?"

        "I don't know."  Drew turned away from Brian.

        Brian sat back a little.  "I guess it's one thing to have an understanding that you're with two guys.  I guess it's different to show people.  To do it."

        Drew curled a knee to his chest.

        "You're not going to finish that blowjob, are you?" Nick asked Brian.

        "I don't think that Drew wants me to," Brian said.

        Nick got up and sat on the bed.  "What'd I miss?"  Brian stood.  "Where are you going?"

        "Stay here," Brian told him.

        "You're not leaving."

        "Stay."  Brian pulled on his clothes and kissed Nick.  "I'll see you later."

        "Where are you going!" Nick shouted, but Brian left.  "Jerk," he muttered, not meaning it.  He turned back to Drew.  "What's going on?"  Drew turned and hugged him.  He sighed and held Drew.  "You two are seriously fucked up."

        "We are not," Drew said.

        "Are so."

        "Are not."

        "Are so."

        "Are not."

        Nick let go and kissed him.  "Want me to go get him?"

        "Stay with me."

        "Okay, but just for another three years, and then I have to go get Brian."

        "Okay."

        "No," Justin Timberlake Chasez said.

        "And you?"

        "No," Brian said, picking at the grass.

        "The photographers can see you from here."

        "We're allowed to sit outside," Justin said.

        "And mope," AJ said.  "Shall I call someone in to play therapist?"

        "No thanks," Brian said.

        "Should I do it myself?"

        "No thanks," Justin said.

        "Okay."  AJ went back inside and ran into Lance in the lobby.  "You know what's wrong with that curly-haired kid?"

        "JC overheard something."

        "You know what's wrong with B-Rok?"

        Lance frowned.  "No.  What's wrong?"

        AJ shrugged.  "I'd track down Nick, but I think that they want a little more time to feel sorry for themselves.  Hey," he said to Jeff.

        "Have you seen Nick?"

        "Your Nick?" Lance asked.  "No."

        "Weren't you just with him?  You got on the elevator, I thought you were going to...honeymoon." AJ said.

        "We ran into a problem and he disappeared."

        "You called out someone else's name?" AJ guessed.

        "We walked in on Drew," Jeff said.

        "You mean..."

        "Drew.  And Nick.  And Brian."

        "Wow," Lance said.

        "Nick was a little disturbed," Jeff said.  "Now I need to find him, fix him, and drag him upstairs again."

        "Well, you won't have to worry about walking in on that again," AJ said.  "Brian's outside moping with Justin."

        "Justin JC's Justin?" Jeff asked.  "Oh, right.  Wait, why is Brian-"

        "Are all three happy couples having trouble?" AJ asked.  "Where's the happy vacation?"

        "I'm sticking to girls," Lance said.

        "Like they're no trouble?" AJ asked.

        "I'll just be celibate," Lance said.  "I'm going to go talk to Justin."

        "I'm going to go find Nick," Jeff said.

        "I'm going to go find someone who isn't having a dramatic emotional problem," AJ said.

        "Good luck," Lance told him.

        Two hours later, Justin Timberlake Chasez and Brian were playing basketball in the small court of the hotel gym.  Kevin and JC were at the piano.  Drew and Nick were in Drew's bed, kissing and talking.  And Jeff was kissing his husband down onto their bed.

        "It's been so long," Nick said, sliding his hands down Jeff's naked back.

        "Too long," Jeff said, kissing him.

        "I've wanted you."

        "So much."

        "Every day."

        "Every night."

        "Every second."

        "Nick."

        "What?"

        Jeff frowned a little, leaving their kiss.  "This is really bad timing."

        "What?"

        "I'll ask you later."

        "Ask me now."

        "We're having sex now."

        "Jeff.  Ask me."

        Jeff sighed and shifted aside, lying stretched alongside Nick, who turned to face him.  "Are we equals?"

        "What's our other choice?"

        "Do we share the power in our relationship?"

        "I think so.  You don't think so?"

        "Chris said you're wrapped around my finger."

        "Chris Kirkpatrick?  I'm gonna hit him."  Nick thought about it.  "Maybe I am wrapped around your finger, in some things, but not really.  You think I am?"

        "I don't think so.  I know you love me, but we're different people, and we don't agree on everything.  When we don't agree, you don't just give in to me."

        "You don't want me to, do you?"

        "No.  That would get really old really fast.  And I know that sometimes I'm wrapped around your finger, too.  But sometimes I'm not."

        "So we're equals."

        "Like we should be."

        Nick kissed Jeff.  "I think I'm in charge.  My name comes last."

        "So if we were Lachey-Timmons, I'd be in charge?"

        "Yep."

        "Can we go get that changed now?"

        "Nope."

        Jeff rolled Nick to his back, straddling him, hands pinning his wrists over his head.  "Guess what?"

        "What?"

        Jeff leaned down and smiled at Nick.  "I think I am in charge."

        "Why?" Nick asked, eyes narrowed, not giving an inch.

        "I can make you beg."  Jeff's smile grew.  "I can make you scream."

        Nick wrenched his wrists free and grabbed Jeff's shoulders, moving up and down until Jeff was lying flat back, head at the foot of the bed, and he was holding down Jeff as Jeff had held him.  "Ditto, Sugar."

        Jeff twisted slightly under Nick.  "You think that just because you're taller you can beat me?  We both know I have more muscle.  And you have to let go sometime."

        "For what?"

        "To get the lube, for one thing."

        "Shit.  Where is it?"

        "Language, language.  It's in my suitcase."

        "Go get it."

        "You get it."

        "If I let go, are you going to fight me?"

        "I wouldn't dream of it."  Nick let go.  Instantly Jeff pounced, shoving him up and back to their former position.  He was about to push back when Jeff's hand reached under the pillow under Nick's head and pulled forth a tube of lubricant.  Jeff held it up and Nick's eyes fixed on it.  "Ah ah," Jeff said.  "You want this you have to be good."

        "Give it to me," Nick said.

        "We're getting to that."

        "Jeff-"

        "Sshhh."  Jeff put a finger to Nick's lips, waited until Nick was quiet, then rested his hand on Nick's chest.  His other hand still held the lubricant.

        "You lied to me."

        "Twice, at least."

        "You're pure evil."

        "You just noticed?  Now, are you going to be good, or are you going to give me trouble?"

        "What are you going to do?"

        "I'm going to make love to you.  If you're a good boy, I'll be nice and do it face-to-face and let you come.  If you misbehave-"

        Jeff never got to finish his sentence, because his words ended in a quick yelp when Nick went on the offensive.  They wrestled across the bed and onto the floor.  It didn't escape Jeff's notice that when they fell from the bed, which was entirely Nick's fault, Nick went first and cradled his head with one hand for the landing.  After some struggling and rolling over the floor, they ended up back near the bed again, Nick pinning Jeff down, the lubricant held between Nick's teeth.

        Jeff tried to catch his breath.  "You haven't won yet."

        Nick rose, hands around Jeff's wrists, pulling Jeff with him.  He spat the tube onto the bed and said, "Are you going to be good?"

        Jeff glared at Nick for giving his words back to him.  "Guess."

        "You'd better behave."

        "If I don't?  What are you going to do?  Spank me?"  Nick's eyes went wide with shock.  Jeff took advantage of the moment to jerk free and scoop up the lubricant.  "You wish."

        "I think I do," Nick said, sounding alarmed.

        "Don't worry, I'd never let you."

        "Hey, give me that!"

        "It's mine."

        "It's mine!"

        "It's mine!"

        "We're married.  What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine."

        "Then your ass is my ass, so let me have it!"

        "Hey!"  There was another struggle, brief this time, and Jeff pinned Nick to the mattress.

        "This looks familiar.  Where were we?"

        "You were going to give me that lube and get on your back," Nick said.

        "I don't think so."  Jeff used one hand and his teeth to uncap the tube.  "Come on, open up."

        "No way."

        "You know you want to."

        "Since when?"

        "Since I've met you, according to what I've heard."

        "Don't believe everything you hear."

        "Were you lying?"

        "I don't lie."

        "Then open your legs and hold still."

        "Why don't you?"

        "I'm in charge here."

        "You are not!"

        "Chris says I am."

        "Chris has never heard you begging me to kiss you."

        "That was you!"

        "Oh.  Right."

        "Come on, open."

        "What happens if I do?"

        "I'll make love to you."

        "And?"

        "And what?"

        "That's all I get?"

        "What, you want more?"

        "Can I do you next?"

        "Maybe."

        "Will you suck me?"

        "Maybe."

        "Jeff?"

        "What."

        "Will you kiss me?"

        Jeff smiled.  "Maybe."

        Nick's thighs spread; Nick's knees bent.  "Okay."

        Jeff brushed a kiss over Nick's cheek and whispered ever-soft in Nick's ear, "Love you."  Then he sat back and lowered slick fingers.

        "I normally smell bad?"

        "Should've let me shower with you."

        "We wouldn't have showered."

        "That's the point."

        "I thought we were leaving."

        "We are."

        "Then stop kissing me."

        "You want me to stop?"

        "No.  I didn't tell you earlier, I like your hair."

        "AJ and Howie said they'd kick me out if I didn't grow it out again.  They didn't like the weedwhacker look, I guess."

        "You have nice hair.  When it was like this before I always wanted to run my fingers through it and see how soft it would feel."

        "You can feel me as much as you want.  What was that?!"

        "Nick."

        "Nick - - your brother?  Oh.  Honeymoon."

        "Come on, let's go."

        "Are they going to sound like that all weekend?"

        "You were planning to sound like that all weekend."

        "Do they always do that?"

        "Come on."

        "I don't hear Jeff."

        "You will.  And it's really creepy to hear him calling out 'Nick' like that, because not only is he screwing my brother but he's also calling out your name, so can we go?"

        "I want to hear it."

        "What?"

        "Come on, just a second.  I'm curious."

        "You are not thinking about having sex with my brother-in-law."

        "Just a little."

        "Nick!"

        "One second."

        Drew sighed and waited and tried not to listen.

        "Wow," Nick said.  "They must be...really...good."

        "I'm sure that they are.  Can we go?"

        "God, that's so cool.  Okay, okay, I'm coming.  I mean I'm going.  I mean let's go."

        "Thank you."

        "I wish I had no morals whatsoever."

        "Why?"

        "So I could try to seduce Jeff."

        "Please don't."

        Nick kissed him.  "I won't.  I don't need to.  I don't want to.  I have you."

        "And Brian."

        "And Brian.  You and Brian.  God loves me."

        "Hey," Kevin said.

        "Hello, JC."

        JC glanced at him, busy writing notes.  "You want something?"

        "Just in the neighborhood, thought I'd stop by."

        "Excuse me," Kevin said.  "I have to go...check something."

        "Take your time," Chris said.  He sat beside JC as Kevin left.  "So.  How's it going?"

        "Fine," JC said, not looking at him.

        "Writing a new song?"

        "Working on one."

        "Is it about me?"

        "No, it is not about you."  A smile was creeping into JC's voice despite JC's best efforts.

        "Is it about Joey?"

        "No."

        "Is it about Lance?"

        "Yes."

        "What?"

        JC laughed.  "No, it's not about Lance."

        "You're sure it's not about me?"

        "I'm sure.  Sorry."

        "Who's it about?"

        "Nobody."

        "Nobody?"

        JC's eyes darkened and he pressed his pencil harder.

        Chris nibbled his lower lip.  Hmm.  "JC?"

        "What?" JC asked, sounding tired and irritated but not angry.

        "Who's the song about?"

        "It doesn't have words."

        "So?"

        "So it's not about anybody."

        "But what's in your head when you write it?  You have to be writing about something."

        "It's nothing."

        "Tell me.  Tell me.  Tell me tell me tell me tell me-"

        "Justin."

        "Justin Jeffre?"

        "You - - not that Justin.  Justin Justin."

        "Your Justin."

        "He's not mine.  I'm his.  Isn't that what you said?  Isn't that what he said?"  JC's voice was tense, growing sharp.

        "I don't know.  You mean Justin.  Justin Timberlake Chasez.  He has your name, must make you his."

        "He's not mine.  I don't own him."

        "Does he own you?"

        "No."

        "And you don't own him."

        "I don't."

        "Are you sure?"

        JC looked at Chris finally.  "What?"

        "Did you ask him?"

        "Ask him if I own him?  No."

        "Do you need to?"

        "What?"

        "What?  I'm just sitting here talking to pass the time."  Chris got up and left.

        "You are so weird!" JC shouted.

        "You are so stupid!" Chris shouted back to him.

        JC set down his pencil and sighed.  He didn't own Justin.  Justin wasn't his.  Justin was beautiful and strong and independent.  He didn't own Justin.  Justin wasn't even on loan to him.  He simply was the person who had the distinct privilege of being allowed to know Justin better than anyone else did.

        "So good to me," Justin said, sliding a hand down JC's back.  "JC always takes care of me."

        "You're babbling."

        "I'm so pretty."

        "Yes you are.  Go to sleep."

        "Be your baby...any day..."

        But Justin wasn't his baby, wasn't his anything.  His best friend, his husband, his love, but not to keep, not for real.

        "If you call me your baby, can I call you mine?"

        But it wasn't like that.  Chris and Justin had been right back there in the lounge.  He belonged to Justin, body and soul.  He just got to call Justin his, to pretend.  He couldn't keep Justin.  And he knew, without question and without rancor, that Justin didn't, couldn't, share his depth of devotion.

        He knew that there was something in Justin, something needy.  And his own devotion matched Justin's neediness perfectly.  When Justin said, "Love me forever," he could promise that he would.  He could pledge himself, he could promise to take care of Justin, and he could try to fulfill Justin's needs.  Justin needed love, acceptance, passion, sex, and more love.  And he had all of those things to give to Justin.  Justin even had said it once, that he was devoted while Justin was "needy-greedy," and that that was why they fit well together.

        But he wondered, sometimes, whether Justin wouldn't be just as happy with someone else.  If someone else could offer Justin the emotional depth that he could, would Justin be with that person instead?  And wouldn't it be easier if Justin would?  After all, Justin was bisexual, and if Justin were with a woman instead of him, then Justin wouldn't have to live in fear every day.

        Justin's blue eyes opened.  "JC?"

        "I'm right here, baby."  JC sat on the bed and leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Justin.  Justin sat up to meet him, holding on tightly.  "I'm here, it's okay."

        "I'm sorry," Justin said.

        "Sshhh, don't cry.  It's okay, I'll take care of you."  He could feel Justin's tears on his shoulder.

        If JC left, Justin wouldn't have to be afraid anymore.  Justin deserved to live a bright happy life as golden as Justin himself.  JC only wanted Justin to be happy.  And he knew that there was every possibility, every likelihood, that Justin would be happier without him.

        Did Justin own him?  Rule him?  Have him wrapped around one long slender finger?  Oh yes.  There was no question of it.  And he, all he could do was stand by and watch Justin's glory and wait for the day when he was bereft.

        [Will AJ find someone who's not having a dramatic emotional problem?  Will Jeff let Nick make love to him?  Will JC finish his song without Kevin?  Tune in to "No One" Part Two.]