Devotion Chapter Twenty-Three: Boiling Point
Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with *NSYNC. I just write random crap about them ^^ Enjoy, and feel free to write me with your comments, etc. Thanks to those who do, you know how much I love you all! -Angel1313 ^^
"I think we may actually be on time today," Lance observed as he and three of his bandmates piled into a taxi. "Yeah, I guess it was JC who was holding us back every other time," Chris joked. Laughing, Joey asked, "So, how do you think his date went? I'm surprised he was so excited about this girl, if you know what I mean," he said, keeping an eye on the driver. Sighing, Justin tuned out the conversation of his bandmates. He was glad that he had taken the front seat in the cab, as he could just ignore the other three. It wasn't that he was angry with them, they just kept talking about JC, someone the nineteen year-old didn't really feel like thinking about at the time being. For some time now, Justin and his best friend had been straddling the line between friendship and something more intimate. Justin knew that he wanted something more, but when he'd tried to get to that level with JC, the twenty-four year-old had told him that he didn't want to take that step. Yet, they continued to flirt, falling back into their old relationship. But something had changed. The nineteen year-old couldn't quite place it, but deep down, he knew that something was different. JC seemed more distant and somehow disappointed in his best friend. At the same time, however, the two had seemed to become more intimate. Physically, JC had been more affectionate with the younger man. Then there was the whole kiss-and-run thing the two had started doing. Justin sighed. This was giving him a headache. Finally, the cab arrived at Radio City Music Hall, where the Mtv Video Music Awards were going to be held. *NSYNC didn't have to be there until five-thirty, as they were doing a sort of dress rehearsal of the show, and they weren't performing until relatively late in the course of the Awards. Hopefully it would go without a hitch, and their practice wouldn't take long. Justin paid the driver before exiting the taxi and walking into the building, refusing the offers to repay him by his bandmates. Once inside, the four young men immediately made their way to the stage. There they found Darren, their dancers, and surprisingly, JC. He had taken off his red shirt and was standing at the front of the stage in only his wifebeater and cargoes. His mike was also already on, and his voice echoed through the hall as he spoke with their choreographer. "No, I think this will be all. Even Lance just about has the dance down," he was saying as his bandmates made their way down one of the aisles to him. Darren asked another question, also wearing a mike. "What about you? You seemed to be a little lost on that last part." "Yeah," JC replied. "but Justin has it down; and I know the part in the very beginning where he gets confused." The choreographer laughed. "Yeah, between the two of you, you usually get the entire dance. Okay, then, once the other guys get here, you and Justin practice real quick while we set up, okay?" "No problem," JC confirmed, jumping down from the stage. "Hey guys," he said, walking over to where the other members of *NSYNC were getting outfitted with microphones. After JC helped Justin secure his mic, the two made their way over to the area right in front of the stairs to the stage, where there was the most room. They quickly got to work, each helping the other with the part he was struggling with. The two immediately became comfortable with each other, the slight awkwardness of a few moments before forgotten. Watching as his bandmates laughed and had fun together, Lance shook his head. "I don't know how they do it," he stated aloud. "Yeah, I know it's a difficult dance, Scoop, but if you try hard enough, you'll eventually get it," Chris teased, overhearing the Mississippian talking to himself. "Shut-up," Lance laughed. "You know that's not what I meant. It's how they work so well together. No matter how they feel personally, they always seem to be able to put that aside to work. And, boy, does it pay off." "Thanks, Scoop," came Justin's voice through the loudspeakers, followed by a lot of his and JC's laughter. Turning a very dark shade of crimson, Lance muttered, "I forgot my mic's on." The laughter soon died down, and *NSYNC finally ran through the routine that they were to perform the following night. It went without any major problems, as the boys, as well as the dancers, had been working on it for some time now, and they all knew it extremely well. Places where there were problems were worked on until they were fixed. Finally, around seven, the young men of *NSYNC were allowed to go home. "As soon as we get home, I'm heading into the shower," Justin moaned, laying across the seats in the back of the limo. His head rested in his best friend's lap. "Amen to that," Chris teased. "You stink!" "I do not!" Justin protested. "It's *Joey* who stinks!" There was a general agreement at this from everyone. Except, of course, Joey. "What?!" he exclaimed. "I smell like a bed of roses!" "Right after it's been fertilized," JC muttered under his breath. Justin began to laugh loudly, and the other three turned to him in questioning. "What's so funny?" Lance asked with a smile. "Nothing," Justin replied. "Just JC making fun of Joey." Rolling his eyes, Joey replied sarcastically, "Gee, thanks." Hoping to change the subject, the New Yorker turned back to JC and asked, "So, how was your date?" "Date?" the twenty-four year-old repeated. Justin abruptly sat up. "Yeah," Joey replied, oblivious to the glares being directed at him from Chris and Lance, as they had noticed the change in the mood of their youngest member. "That girl you took out to lunch," Joey clarified. Laughing a little, JC explained. "Oh, I just didn't really consider that a date." "You took a girl out to lunch, what's not date-like in that?" Justin spat, his anger taking the older man by surprise. "Justin," the twenty-four year-old said gently, reaching to take one of the blonde's hands in his own. "I'm gay." Staring at JC in silence for a moment, Justin studied the older man's eyes. In the clear blue orbs, he found sincerity, mixed with amusement. His cheeks immediately began to color as a feeling of foolishness washed over him. "Oh. Right." "So then why did you take her out to lunch?" Joey asked, snapping JC's attention away from the eyes of the younger man whose hand he was still holding. "Well, I was in a really messed up mood, and I was just sort of wandering around aimlessly, when this woman comes up to me. I thought she was a fan, but then I realized that she was an old girlfriend of mine." At this, Justin's face visibly darkened, and he discreetly attempted to pull his hand away from his best friend. JC stopped him, giving the younger man's hand a squeeze as he turned back to face the nineteen year-old. "The one that I came out to," he continued, looking into the younger man's eyes. "Bobbie. Anyway, we ended up talking for a while, and I offered to take her out to lunch when I realized I didn't have my wallet. She offered to pay, but I refused, so she went to find a place, and I rushed back here. We had such a good time," seeing the look of betrayal that was written clearly across Justin's features, the twenty-four year-old added, "*as friends,* that I asked her to the VMAs." "Cool," Lance said, once JC finished. "So I take it you don't have to come on the date-hunting/clubbing excursion tonight?" Smiling, JC replied, "Naw, I think I'm going to stay back at the hotel. Hopefully with Justin, since he already has a date, too." "Gladly," Justin confirmed, moving his hand so that his fingers were laced with JC's. "It'll be nice to spend some time alone without these losers around," he added. "Ooo," Chris teased. "Justin wants to spend the night alone with JC." "That's just because he knows that I'm good company," JC defended the younger man. "And that you're very `talented,'" Joey threw in, winking suggestively. "What does my talent have to do with-" JC began until what Joey *really* meant hit him. The twenty-four year-old blushed brightly and downcast his eyes to the floor. Justin, who still hadn't gotten the joke, placed his hand on the older man's back consolingly and asked what was wrong. "Joey, what do *you* know about JC's talents, anyway?" Chris teased, laughing at poor old JC. Lance huffed and turned his head away, giving an angry, "Yeah," as he did so. "Aw, Lance," Joey sighed. "You know I'd never go for JC. Hell, *you're* more likely to be after him, what with the way you think he's gorgeous and all." "What?!" Came simultaneously from Lance and Justin. "You think my man is gorgeous?!" Justin shouted at the Mississippian, his jealousy overcoming his sensibility. "You think I'm going for JC?!" Lance growled at the same time, directing his anger at Joey. "What's going on?" JC asked, looking back and forth between Joey, Lance, and Justin. "JC's your man?" Chris laughed, once everyone had settled down. "Uh, yeah," Justin muttered. "As in, um, my best friend." "Nice cover," the twenty-eight year-old muttered, but he decided to move on. "So, Lance, Joey, you gonna tell us why you're acting like Justin does whenever someone comes on to JC?" "What?" Justin hissed, but he was ignored. "You know why," Joey sighed in exasperation. "I don't," JC put in quickly. "Me either," Lance added acidly. "We don't have a real relationship, so why should it matter who I look at?" "WHOA!" Justin exclaimed, his shock this time overriding his anger. "Since when were you two in a relationship?" "We're not," Lance snarled. "That's the point." "Hey!" JC protested. "There's no need to take that tone with Justin." He was largely ignored by everyone *except* Justin, who squeezed his hand gently in appreciation. "Look, can we do this later, like, when we're alone?" Joey suggested, clearly not comfortable discussing the issue in front of the entire group. "Whatever," Lance muttered, turning away to glare out the window at anything that was unfortunate enough to meet his gaze. The rest of the drive passed in an uneasy silence. The elevator was worse, with the tension weighing on everyone heavily. Finally they made it to the seventh floor, where the five men parted ways, with everyone going back to his own hotel room. There was a mutual agreement that everyone was on his own for dinner, as Lance and Joey needed to talk, and no one felt like getting in their way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I hope you liked this chapter, I know it was a lot of Lance and Joey, but I've been getting positive feedback on their relationship, so I hope no one minds! I haven't written ch.24 yet, but hopefully it will be done soon! Thanks for reading this!