Webster
Copyright October 3, 2001 by Matthew Haldeman-Time
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Lance Bass/Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone/Justin Timberlake
Disclaimer: The young men who comprise *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 slashwriters. Diamond likes "Three-Fifths."
Wherein there's Chris, and JC, and now we're out of people.
Notice: First, read "Three-Fifths."
Chris considered Lance's advice to Joey. Tell him that you love him. Tell him that you're in love with him.
Hunh.
It wasn't bad advice...
Wasn't great advice, either.
He thought about it. What it would be like. To walk up and say, I love you. I love you. "I love you."
Lance froze.
Oh.
Um, shit.
Lance was a sport. He tried to smile it away. "Love you, too, Chris."
Chris was at a loss for words. That, alone, probably gave away his inner panic.
Lance massaged down Chris's left arm.
"With a capital l," Chris said.
Lance kept his eyes on his work, moving more slowly.
"And a heart for the o," Chris said, and his voice shook a little, and he drew a heart on Lance's chest.
Lance went still, his hands in mid-massage.
Chris waited. The ball was in Lance's court. He knew that they were friends. Real friends, close friends, not just "let's do lunch" friends. And he knew that Lance must... Must have something for him. Some extra interest that Lance didn't have for the other guys. Because Lance was not Mr. Touchy-Feely, but funny how Chris got what amounted to a full-body massage any time he wanted one. And maybe it was just a personal proximity thing, maybe it wasn't because Chris was Mr. Sex on Legs, but Chris kept noticing how sometimes, when they did this, Lance sort of...got a hard-on.
A nice one, too.
Not that Chris looked.
Much.
Lance and JC were the mature and responsible ones. Still, Chris was the oldest of the five of them. He corralled the young'uns. And *NSYNC was his. Lance had walked in a step late.
Lance had been impressing them all since day one. That wasn't the issue. Not anymore. But Lance kept...kept doing something kick-ass and then turning to Chris, looking to Chris, like, see?
Chris saw.
Saw how smart Lance was. How talented. How mature. How sexy. How gorgeous. How special.
It wasn't like he'd wanted to start crushing on Lance. He just...had.
And then it wasn't really a crush anymore.
It was more like...
Like love.
With a capital l.
And a heart for the o.
The ball was in Lance's court.
Lance looked up from Chris's inner elbow, where he'd been staring and not seeing anything, to Chris's eyes.
The ball was in Lance's court, but it wasn't like Chris couldn't help the guy out a little. He parted his lips. Come on, Lance. He prayed without words.
Lance leaned in.
And kissed him.
JC sat up in bed. He couldn't sleep. What an injustice.
He looked around the dark room. He scratched the back of his neck. He tucked his legs into the lotus position.
He knew what it was. What kept him awake.
Joey was down the hall. In Justin's room.
Joey was in Justin's bed.
He leaned forward until his spine curved and his forehead touched the mattress.
Joey was in Justin's bed.
He said it out loud. In a whisper, but in words. "I want Joey in my bed."
His fists tightened.
"My bed."
He closed his eyes.
He'd thought... It had seemed... He'd almost expected Joey to want him. Joey was friendly and affectionate and... Okay, so Joey was like that, period. Joey acted that way with all four of them. But it had felt like Joey... Like Joey liked him. Liked to tease him.
He liked to be teased.
He liked it when Joey teased him.
When Joey touched him.
It still happened. Joey still messed around with him. But Joey was sleeping with Justin.
Why?
Why Justin?
Why not JC?
He tried to stay cool about it. Justin was his best friend. If they were happy together, whether it was just getting off or something more meaningful, he was all for it.
He was also jealous.
He loved Joey. Sure, he loved all of the guys. But Joey was the one. The one who teased him, tickled him, messed with him. The one who actively loved him. The one...the one for him.
He tried not to let it show. He tried to keep it out of his eyes, out of his smile. He didn't want Joey to know, because he didn't want Joey to feel guilty. And Joey would feel guilty, for not loving him back.
So he'd keep it to himself.
He'd be happy for Justin.
Just that night, Joey had grabbed him from behind, around the waist, and lifted him off of his feet. He'd had the solid heat of Joey against his back. Strong arms around him. Joey had set him down again, patting his stomach, and gone off to bother somebody else.
JC rubbed a hand over his
stomach where Joey's touch had been.