Disclaimer: I don't know *NSYNC, as much as I'd like to, and so this work of fiction can't be said to tell the true sexuality of any members in the band. Thus, I could totally be wrong, with JC and Lance being straight and the rest being huge, flaming queers. Who knows? Someone's got to, and they should start spilling. Oh, and if you don't like romance and sex between guys, what the hell are you doing here and why are you planning on reading this? And I'd love to hear from you: flyguy2240@hotmail.com. I'll do my best to respond to all the serious e- mails. Anyway, on with the story.
CROSSED LINES by James An *NSYNC fantasy-of-sorts
Part Two
Lance woke up to pounding on his hotel room door. He groaned and rolled over to look at the clock. 9 am. -Am I in Central time? I don't remember. Hell, I don't even know what city I'm in.- The pounding on his door continued, and he called out to his visitor. "Who is it and what do you want? It's too early."
A muffled voice from the other side of the door responded. "It's Joey. Come on, Lance, let me in."
Lance rolled out of bed, grabbing his t-shirt from last night and pulling it on as he trudged to let his band mate in. "This better be good," he chided as he opened the door.
Joey burst past him into the room, gravitating to the television. "It's good, all right, Scoop. We're on TV again." He pressed the on button on the remote and changed the channels until he found the right one. Regis Philbin filled the screen, chatting inanely, and then the camera shifted to show the boys of *NSYNC, co-hosting "Live".
"You got me up at nine, when we got to the hotel at three this morning, to watch a program we hosted months ago, a RERUN of a show in which you guys took extreme pleasure in making an ass out of me?"
"Hey," Joey responded, trying to look innocent. "You made an ass out of yourself on 'Celebrity Millionaire.' We were just doing our part as your friends by pointing it out to you."
"Yeah, on national television." Lance tried to be angry, but couldn't, especially with Joey trying to give him puppy-dog-eyes. It was a rather funny look on his older band mate, and Lance couldn't help but smile.
"Come on, man, sit down and watch with me. I didn't want to be pathetic and watch it on my own."
Lance lay back down on his bed, intentionally kicking Joey as he did. "You just didn't want to be pathetic? Joey, you're always pathetic, and watching TV with me isn't going to change that."
Joey laughed. "Wow, Scoop, I didn't think you had sarcasm in you this early in the morning. I'm impressed."
Lance groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. "It's desperation. I just want some sleep. I was hoping I could insult you out of my room."
"Fat chance."
"Yeah, I figured as much."
There was another knock on the door, this one softer and more polite. But the pattern was unmistakable. Chris. Lance looked at the door, and then at Joey, glued to the television. "Joey, get that. You're more up then I am."
"But I'm watching this, Scoop." Joey's eyes never left the TV, where Regis and the band were interviewing Adam Sandler about his new movie, which at this point was out of theaters.
"Fine." Lance rolled out of bed and shuffled to the door, opened it, and without a word, shuffled back to the bed.
"Good morning to you, too," Chris said, a smile on his face. He walked into the room and sat down on one of the chairs by the window. "So, what's happening?"
"How can you guys be up and chipper right now?" Lance grumbled from the pillow he had buried his head under. "We got in that three a.m."
Chris shrugged. "Don't know. Just am." Joey ignored the conversation, still mesmerized by the television. Now he was watching the segment in which he cooked chicken Marcella with his father.
Lance rolled over and looked over at Chris, who was staring at him. "What?"
"You gonna tell me what's going on?"
Lance tried to look puzzled, but inside he was blanching. Did he look like something was wrong? "What are you talking about, Chris?"
"I'm not dumb, Scoop. That, and I talked to Justin already this morning."
"Justin's already up?" Justin had been talking about him?! He was going to have to put a stop to that. Well, if he could do it without talking about JC.
"Well, since you're ignoring the question, I figure you're not going to tell me." Chris smiled. "But I wanted you to know that I'm here for you, too, bud, if you don't want to talk to Curly about it." His smile turned wry. "Not that we can call him Curly anymore, really. I mean, since he cut off all his hair, he really doesn't have any curls."
Lance just rolled his eyes and flopped back underneath the pillow. There was another knock on the door, but he ignored it. Chris looked at Joey, now watching the absurd winter fashion show they did, and then got up to answer the door. Justin stood in the hall, concern on his face.
"What is it, Curly?"
Justin sighed, and then looked up at Chris. "I don't want to freak you guys out, or anything, but I can't find JC."
The sun shone bright and clear through the windows of the cab, but JC didn't notice the beautiful weather. Instead, he sat curled within himself, thinking heavy thoughts, mostly about Lance and the guys. His sunglasses and baseball cap pulled low hid his face, but if it could be seen, it would show pain and sadness. -Why did this have to happen? Why did I have to fall for Lance? Why am I torturing myself over this? Damn it, why can't things just be the way they were?- The thoughts continued to circle and weave through his head, leaving nothing but an increasingly larger lump in his stomach.
The cab pulled up next to a park, the park closest to the hotel, as requested. JC threw some cash at the driver, mumbling something about the change, and got out. He needed to spend some time alone, thinking and maybe writing, and he always did his best thinking in parks. So he lumbered off down the path in search of a place to sit and just be for a while, a place where he didn't have to be Joshua Scott Chasez from *NSYNC, but rather just a guy enjoying a nice day in the park. He found a nice tree somewhere near the playground and sat down, watching the kids run back and forth between the equipment and their guardians. It seemed to have a calming affect, and for the first time in weeks, JC managed a real smile. He forgot about the guys and he forgot about Lance, and it felt good. The sun was warm, and he could feel his entire body relax, releasing tension he didn't even know he had been holding. Then a thought crossed his mind, and he pulled out the notebook and a pen that he always carried in his back pocket for just such an occasion. He smile again, and then began to write.
"What?!?!" Chris called out so loud that Lance nearly fell out of bed.
Justin walked into the room, throwing himself into a chair and letting his head fall into his hands. "I can't find JC. I went to go make sure he was up so that he would be ready for breakfast and the radio interview we have at 11:00, but he wasn't there. I called down to the lobby, but they didn't see him leave, and he's not in the restaurant, at the pool or anywhere else in this damn hotel. I was wondering if you guys knew where he was."
The guys all expressed ignorance, and the tension in the room grew. It wasn't like JC to just disappear, and he never missed breakfast with the guys. Something was up.
Lance didn't know what to think. So he didn't. Instead, he got up and went into the bathroom. He knew if he stayed in the room, someone was going to ask questions about things he wasn't ready to talk about. He didn't know why...he just felt it. So he started the shower and tried not to think about anything except getting clean.
Justin watched as his band mate went into the bathroom, and then turned to Joey and Chris. "Okay, guys, something's up with both Lance and JC...Joey, quit watching the fucking television and listen to this. It's important."
Joey snapped his head toward Justin, and then sheepishly turned off the TV. "Sorry, dude. I'll pay attention."
"Good." Justin leaned toward the guys, whom were both sitting on the bed. "Kay, guys, here's the deal, and I need to know what you think. Well, um, I had this talk with Jace on the bus last night, and I know something's going on with him, which has got to be the reason I can't find him this morning. And like I told you, Chris, I think something's also up with Lance. Did he talk to you at all?"
"Nope, Curly, but then, I didn't think he would."
"Neither did I, but I thought it might help if it wasn't me asking, 'cause I know it's gotta do something with JC. And JC won't talk about it either, but I found him trying to do Scoop's work for FreeLance last night, and I know that it's not a lot to go on, but I just have this feeling, but I don't know if I'm right, and I want to know what you guys think, 'cause maybe I'm wrong..."
Chris sighed. "Justin, just shut up and tell us all ready!"
Justin blushed. "Sorry, guys. Um, well, I don't know for sure or not, but I think JC and Lance have the hots for each other."
Joey and Chris just stared at Justin, surprise widening their eyes. "What?" Joey whispered, almost unsure if he wanted to know again for sure.
"Um, I think JC and Lance are in love, but they don't know about each other yet."
Chris finally found his voice again, but it was kind of shaky. "How do you know?"
Justin shrugged. "Well, I don't really know. I just kinda put some pieces together, and they sorta fit. Like, I keep catching JC looking at Lance when Lance isn't looking, but when they're in public, they hardly ever look at each other. And Lance is even more quiet than normal, and he doesn't seem to be able to keep up with all the things he could before. Well, that and I've known JC's gay for a long time and I've always kinda suspected Scoop was, too."
Joey started coughing like he'd been choking on something. "Jace is gay?! And he didn't tell us? And YOU didn't tell us?"
"Hey, hey, chill," Justin responded, holding up his hands as if it would prove his innocence. "JC's never told me, and since I wanted to wait for him to be comfortable enough, I never said anything about knowing. But I've seen some of the stuff he visits on the web and some of the books and movies he likes, plus the way he's always checking out guys. It's not real noticeable, but if you know him like I do, you just kinda figure it out. It's hard not to. And you guys can't tell me you don't wonder about Scoop, too."
Chris nodded with a sardonic grin. "Yeah, I've always thought that Lance might be a little light in the loafers, but I never thought JC would be, too. It's just...I don't know, weird or something. Not that it bothers me or anything. To each his own. I'm not one to judge."
Justin glanced at Joey, who was staring out the window with an odd look on his face. "Hey, Joe...you okay?"
Joey looked back at Justin, then smiled. "Yeah, I guess I'm okay. Just kinda took me by surprise is all."
"Does it bother you?"
Joey looked thoughtful for a moment, then turned to Chris. "I don't think so. I've never really thought about it. But then, they're still the guys we know and have known for a long time. It's just they want guys instead of girls. Not that big a deal to me, I guess."
Justin smiled. "Good. Then you guys will help me hook them up."
Chris was the one to choke this time. "Damn, Curly, you gotta stop doing this to me. I'm gonna have a heart attack and I'm not even thirty yet."
"What?" Justin looked concerned. "You don't think we should?"
"Well, what about the band?" Joey asked. "Couldn't this be a bad thing, especially if it doesn't work out? And we don't even know for sure."
Justin grinned. "Well, it can't be any worse than it is right now, can it?"
"No, I guess not," Chris replied.
"And it's not like we're going to tell them to hook up or anything. I think we just have to arrange a situation where they HAVE to talk to each other." Justin sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, beaming with satisfaction.
Joey and Chris looked at each other, and then nodded. "We're in," Joey declared. "If for no other reason than to keep you from screwing it up, Just."
"Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence, guys," Justin pouted.
They heard the shower turn off in the bathroom, and Joey quickly flipped the TV back on. "We'll talk later," Justin whispered, and the guys nodded.
JC looked up from his writing and at his watch. Ten minutes after ten. -Oh, shit, the interview!- He leapt up from the ground and sprinted out of the park to find a taxi. Nothing. No yellow cars anywhere. -Damn, I should have paid attention earlier. I don't even know where I am.- He picked the direction where all the cars seemed to be coming from and ran down the sidewalk, hoping to find a cab. Still nothing. -Shit,- JC thought. -What am I going to do. The guys are gonna flip.-
He caught a street sign pointing toward downtown and followed, hoping that even if he didn't find the hotel, the downtown area would have more taxis. But no matter what, he had to haul ass. He briefly wondered what Lance was doing, but put it out of his mind when he caught sight of a yellow vehicle. He sprinted after it.
Lance stood just out of the bathroom, surveying his band mates sprawled across his room. Joey was still glued to the TV. Chris was flipping through the TV Guide the hotel provided. Justin was staring out the window, his hands playing with the hotel pen and paper on the table. Something seemed odd. Then he knew. They'd been talking about him. But if he said something about it, he might have to answer questions. -Nope, not going to say anything. They can just wonder.- He made his way to his suitcase and opened it up to look for clothes to wear.
"So," Chris started, looking up from the guide in his had, "how long did it take you to spike the hair this morning, Lance. You turned the shower off almost twenty minutes ago."
Lance glanced up from his suitcase to shoot Chris an evil glare. They were always teasing him about his hair. "Shut up, Chris."
"Come on, Scoop, we're going to be late." Justin turned from the window, acknowledging the room for the first time since the shower was turned off. Joey was still staring at the TV.
Lance debated on asking about JC for a moment. If he did, would he look like a lovesick fool or just a concerned friend? And if he didn't, would he look nonchalant or just rude? He thought he saw Justin's eyes sparkle for a second, like he knew something that Lance wasn't telling him, but the bass singer couldn't be sure because the look was gone before he could confirm it. Then finally, he broke down--he just had to know. "So, did you guys find Jace?"
Joey spoke, still fixated on the television and his voice sounding as if it was coming from the living dead. "No, we didn't. You don't know where he is, do you?"
"No," Lance responded, perhaps a little too quickly. So he didn't say anything else, choosing instead to pull on some boxers and a pair of jeans.
"So, when were you going to tell us you're gay, Scoop?" Chris asked, turning a page in his magazine.
"What?!" Lance cried, before he even knew it was coming out of his mouth.
"Chris!" Justin bellowed, literally leaping from his chair to the bed to smack Chris across the head.
"Huh?" Joey asked, turning off the TV.
"Ouch, Justin. That hurt." Chris rubbed his head, then looked at Lance. "Sorry, bud. I just couldn't hold it in. I'm amazed I lasted that long."
"You think I'm gay?" Lance sank to the carpet, eyes wide and unfocused, his hands shaking as he clutched them to his chest. He was beginning to hyperventilate.
Justin crawled from the bed to sit next to Lance, pulling his friend into his arms. "Whoa, Scoop, calm down. It's okay. We're here for you."
"You think I'm gay?" Tears welled up in Lance's eyes.
"Oh, hey, Lance. I didn't mean to freak you out." Chris leaned over the bed to face Lance. "It's okay. I'm cool, no matter what. And so are Joey and Justin. It's okay, buddy."
Suddenly, Lance was on his feet, hands clenched into tight fists. "I'm not gay. How dare you guys talk about me like that? What do you think I am, just someone for you to gossip about? I'm not. I'm NOT!" Lance ran from the room, still shirtless, and nearly bowled over JC, still sweaty from running all the way to the hotel.
"Whoa, Lance. You okay?" JC asked once he figured out who had hit him.
Lance simply looked at JC, tears streaming down his face, and continued to run down the hall, disappearing around the corner. JC walked into the room, where Joey, Justin and Chris all sat speechless. "What's going on, guys?" Josh asked, concerned. "What's up with Lance? He's not what?"
Joey couldn't help himself, and his thoughts tumbled out of his mouth. "Oh, what the fuck are we going to do now?"