This story is completely fictional and I am not in anyway implying that Lance Bass or any members of Nsync are gay. The usual warnings apply...If you shouldn't be here, then don't be here.
Thanks to Steve for his continued support and harassment. Rob special thanks to you for your edits, inspirations, and for simply being there. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter, and I would appreciate any comments and criticisms. You can email me at mccall0470@hotmail.com.
Lance and Michael: Lance's Love Chapter Seven "Sexual Healing"
February 14, 2000 Somewhere over Texas
--Journal Entry, February 14, 2000. Wow. It's been a long time, hasn't it.
I haven't typed an entry since...well, since the incident with Andy. Just about four months now. So much has happened. It's hard to believe that I actually have time to write it all down now. I'm currently on a plane on my way home from Orlando. Home. :sigh: I'm not used to calling the new place home yet. Y'see, before I got out of the hospital, Lance bought a house for us. It was all very sweet and all but I didn't get much choice in the matter. --Anyway, I got over it as soon as I saw the house. It's beautiful and five minutes from the ocean. Lance was so cute those first few days I was home from the hospital. Though I never would admit that to him. I was too busy pushing everyone away from me and wallowing in self pity and shame to enjoy much of anything. Lucky for me, Tyler and Alyx had briefed Lance about how I reacted the last time Andy had raped me...Damn, I must be coming along with the therapy...I've never been able to say that without breaking down before. --Where was I? Oh yeah...So, Lance knew what he was in for and he stood by me. He told me that no matter how hard I pushed or how much of an asshole I was to him he would still be there...loving me, supporting me and helping me through the whole thing.-
Michael McCall sat back from his laptop and looked out the plane window with a smile. He took a sip of his water then returned to the keyboard. --Life has pretty much been a whirlwind of activity for me. I spent Thanksgiving in Las Vegas with the guys. I really wanted to enjoy myself while I was working. I was still at the point where I just didn't want to be around anyone. I got so frustrated because everyone from the guys to the crew was walking on eggshells around me. Like I needed to be reminded that I was emotionally unstable! I just wanted everyone to treat me like nothing had happened. I can't be mad at them, though...Everyone was just trying to be helpful. Make me feel more comfortable. I didn't help much by not telling anyone how I felt. Looking back at the weekend, its kind of funny...Everyone had their own tactics that they used in an attempt to get me out of my funk. Melinda thought she'd help by easing my workload. That just made me mad. Joey and Chris gave me space and sent me gifts. Justin kept checking to see if I needed anything. JC was the most persistent and quite possibly the most successful. He locked himself and me in my hotel room and kept talking to me about the incident until I finally broke down and started crying. The strange thing is that I felt better after that. It brought JC and me closer together. He's really the only person I've been able to talk to. Lance tried to get me to be social, but I basically did the shows and stayed in my room. Emphasis on the word my...I insisted on separate rooms. I should probably explain that Lance had voluntarily given me space to recover. It wasn't until New Year's Eve that we slept in the same bed. --New Year's Eve...Wow! It was the most beautiful night I've ever had in my life. We were in Hawaii for concerts. I had never been to Hawaii. It was breathtaking. After the concert, I went back to my room to change clothes. I walked into a room filled with candles, roses and Lance. He was standing in the center of the room wearing all white. He looked like and angel. He escorted me to the balcony where we watched fireworks and talked for hours. At midnight, he asked if he could give me my New Year's kiss. It was the most amazing kiss that we had ever shared. It was so gentle and full of love. (Okay, McCall, cut back on the mushy stuff! You've got enough saccharin here to off a diabetic.) I could tell that he wanted to make love to me that night, but he never brought it up. (The topic, that is.) I asked him to sleep with me that night. I needed to be near him. Feel his arms around me. Like I said earlier, it was the most beautiful night of my life. --I started work officially with Johnny Wright on January 4. It has been non-stop work ever since. With all of the lawsuits settled making it possible for the guys to proceed with the new album, everything went into overdrive. The guys went back into the studio to finish the remaining tracks and fine tune everything else. --January 17 saw the release of Bye Bye Bye. The weeks before that we were in Los Angeles shooting the video. That was fun. I felt like I was in my element. For the debut of the video on TRL, I was with the guys in New York. It was amazing! All of those kids outside the studio...crazy! We followed up the release with the performance on the American Music Awards. The guys tried to bully me into being one of their back up dancers for the show. Luckily, Britney needed a date for the show. --Now that's something I'm not used to...Being seen as the boyfriend of Britney Spears. It's been cool though. She and I have had to spend a lot of time together. We've become good friends. She's kind of adopted me as her big brother. But it's weird seeing my picture on the cover of the tabloids. Johnny tells me that it will die down soon. He says that it just got blown out of proportion because of the publicity when I was in the hospital.- --I really haven't had much free time. I've spent most of my time travelling. And even less of that time with Lance. I've missed him terribly. I feel like I wasted so much time, closing myself off from him while I recovered. I'm pretty sure that I was an asshole for most of that time. But I get to make up for all of that tonight.--
"You still working on your journal?" Rob asked as he returned to his seat next to Michael.
Michael looked up from his computer with a smile. "Yup. But I'm ready to take a break."
"You write everyday?"
Michael saved his latest entry and powered down the computer. "I try to." He nodded. "But this is the first time since..."
Seeing the look in his friend's eyes, Rob decided to change the subject. "So...Big plans for Valentine's Day?"
"Yes." Michael could feel his cheeks blush. "I do."
Rob leaned closer to his friend with a flash of mischief in his brown eyes.
"Tell me, tell me, tell me!"
Michael rested his head on his seat and let out a sigh. "Well, I have a candlelight dinner planned." He turned to his friend. "Nothing heavy. Just some pasta and some wine."
"Sounds romantic."
Michael nodded. "Yeah, but that's not all." Shifting in his seat, Michael leaned closer to Rob and whispered. "After the meal, I'm gonna put in some Marvin Gaye (Lance's favorite), and we'll do a little dancing."
"Yeah?" Rob smiled his interest peaking.
"And then I'm gonna tell him that I want to make love to him."
"Really?" Rob questioned. "Are you sure?"
"It's been four months, Rob." Michael responded. "I need to be with him. And I know that not being able to make love to me has driven Lance insane."
Rob returned his gaze forward and nodded. "Just as long as you feel that you're ready."
Michael turned around in his seat and opened his computer. As he waited for it to power up, he smiled to his friend. "Thanks, Rob."
"That's what friends are for."
Santa Monica, CA - 4:30pm.
"Y'know, Chris," Michael McCall struggled to hold the phone in between his shoulder and his ear while placing the pan of Lasagna into the oven. "It would be a hell of a lot easier to prepare this meal for Lance if you and Joey stopped calling me."
After setting the pan in the oven, Michael closed the oven door and double-checked the temperature. "I know that you guys miss me." He smiled, leaning on the kitchen counter. "That's sweet and all, but tonight is just me and Lance."
He casually walked over to the phone base and cleared his throat. "Just a second guys."
Pressing the speaker button, Michael set down the phone. "Okay, I've got you guys on speaker." --Tired of carrying us around?-Joey's voice boomed over the speakerphone. "That's it." Michael spoke in the general direction of the phone as he began to set the dinner table. --What are you doing now?-Chris questioned. "I'm setting the table." --Are you sure we can't come over?- Michael set two candles on the center of the table. "I told you Joey," he sighed. "I'm spending tonight with Lance. Just Lance!" --You're gonna have sex!- --JOEY!-Michael heard Chris hit his friend. "Why do I suddenly feel like I'm in high school again?" --Sorry.-Joey sounded hurt. Michael walked back over to the phone and picked it up. "It's okay, Joey. Look, its not that I don't want to talk to you guys or even see you. I haven't seen Lance in almost two weeks." He said calmly. "And as you both know, it's been even longer for...other things. I'll call you guys tomorrow and we can get together for lunch. Okay? Thanks for calling. Bye." Michael hung up the phone and let out a sigh. He glanced at the clock and nodded. Dinner would be ready in about two hours. Just enough time to set up the bedroom and take a shower. He quietly walked into the bedroom and turned on the CD player. "Let's see what Lance has been listening to." The music started, causing him to stop and look at the player. As the opening lyrics of Tearin up My Heart filled the room, Michael shook his head. "Figures he'd be listening to his own music." He let the music play as he changed the sheets on the bed and replaced them with clean flannel sheets. Tyler had told him that it had been getting cold at night with the rains and all, so warm and cosey seemed to be the way to go. After making up the bed, Michael replaced all of the used candles in the room with new ones. Feeling comfortable with the look of the room, Michael made his way into the bathroom. Passing through the double sink area, Michael walked into the shower and toilet area. He reached into the shower and turned on the water.
Setting the temperature, he moved back to the sink area and grabbed a couple of towels before returning to the shower. He slowly peeled off his clothes and tossed them into the clothes basket. Reaching back into the shower, he tested the water before stepping inside. Michael let out a long sigh as the water began to wash over him. "Just what the doctor ordered."
Elsewhere in Los Angeles:
JC Chasez made his way into the house from the pool. With a towel wrapped around his waist, he padded barefoot towards the kitchen table. Running a hand through his wet hair, he grabbed his pager with the other. Seeing that he had a message, he picked up the phone and quickly dialed his voice mail.
--Hi! This is JC! You know what to do!- Hearing his greeting, JC quickly punched in his codes to access the awaiting message as he walked upstairs to the room that Chris was letting him use while in Los Angeles. --Hey JC! It's Rob!-Rob's voice filled his ear as he entered the room. -Just wanted to let you know that I made it to LA okay. I'm staying with Michael while I'm out here for the Grammy's. I'll be out and about for awhile at rehearsals and shopping. Thought we could get together for dinner tonight. You've got my cel phone number. Give me a buzz.- JC smiled as he deleted the message and hung up the phone. He walked over to the dresser and pulled out some clothes. Setting the clothes on top of the dresser, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror above the dresser. His smile broadened as his eyes moved to the two photos taped to the mirror.
The first picture was a photo of him and Lance. They had taken the picture the previous summer while on tour. Both men had large smiles on their faces as they posed for the camera. The second photo was of JC and Michael taken in Las Vegas at Thanksgiving. JC remembered the day perfectly. It was the first time any of the guys had seen Michael smile since his...incident. They had all been worried about their former intern. But halfway through the first concert, Michael seemed to drop his shields and let his old self come out and play with the guys. It was a big relief for JC. He had a hard time helplessly watching Michael go through his ordeal. Though it did help him realize a few things about himself. JC shook his head and chuckled. He and Michael had gone hiking one day during the trip to Hawaii. JC had been worried about his friend ever since he had gotten out of the hospital. So he suggested that they spend the day together to "catch up". What had started out as JC trying to help Michael sort out his feelings ended up being just the other way around. "So, what's up with you and Rob?" Michael had asked once they reached the peak of their climb. Not understanding the point of the question, JC shrugged. "What do you mean?" Michael looked out, over the peak at the ocean and laughed. "Well...What is Rob to you? Are you guys a couple or just fuck buddies?" "I don't know..." JC answered softly, looking to the ground. Michael turned his attention towards the singer, trying to read the emotion in his face. Nothing. "You don't know?" he finally said. "You've been at it for a couple of months now. Don't you have feelings for him? Or is he just another one of your conquests?" JC looked up at that comment, visibly hurt by what his friend had said. He let out a long, slow sigh. "Don't get me wrong, Michael. Rob is cool and I enjoy spending time with him...But..." JC's words hung in the air as he fought the emotions in his head trying to find the right way to complete his thought. "I've never really been in a relationship. Just moving from, as you call them, conquest to conquest. That's all I felt that I needed. Just someone for the moment. "But I have to tell you that watching you and Lance these past few months has made me wonder..." JC looked out the ocean, trying to hide the tears of frustration forming in his eyes. "I just don't know..." Michael took a couple of steps closer to his friend and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. "You don't know if Rob is the person you want to be in a relationship with." He smiled in reassurance. "That's okay, Josh. You'll find the right person. And when you do, you'll know its right." JC stared back into Michael's green eyes. He smiled. How could he not looking into those eyes. "What happens," JC thought to himself. "If you've met the right person and he's with someone else." "Hey!" He thought, shaking his head back into reality. "If Rob is back in town, then..." The singer quickly dialed another phone number and glanced at his reflection in the mirror above the dresser. --Hi! This is Michael McCall, and as you can guess...I can't get to the phone. So if you want me to call you, leave a message!-- JC's smile diminished at the sound of the answering machine, but he waited for the beep to leave a message anyway. "Hey Mikey! It's Josh." He spoke softly. "Just wanted to make sure that you made it back okay. Call me...okay?" The singer let out a sigh and looked at the photos once again. His right hand gently reached up and caressed the picture of Michael's face. Tearing his eyes away from the photo, JC locked eyes with his own reflection. "Snap out of it, Chasez." He said firmly. "You're gonna develop feelings for someone you shouldn't."
Michael let out a long sigh as he turned off the shower. He smiled as he heard "Giddy Up" playing on the stereo in the bedroom. He reached out of the shower and grabbed a towel to dry off. As he heard the music pick up in the next room, he began to dance to the beat as he toweled off.
Wrapping the towel around his waist, Michael stepped out of the shower singing with the music. "Letting little things come between us! All I want to do is show you love!"
Michael continued to dance to the music as reached for the door to open it.
"Hold up!"
Michael jumped back in shock as the door opened and he realized that he wasn't alone. Standing in front of him at the bathroom sink, dressed only in silk boxers and shaving cream was his boyfriend, Lance Bass.
Lance had jumped back equally surprised. He had just applied the shaving cream to his face when Michael had opened the door.
The shock in their eyes was quickly replaced by recognition. Then relief. Then lust. Lance closed the gap between them in less than a second. His arms grabbed Michael's waist and pulled them closer together as he kissed Michael. The first kiss was soft, as if to say a quick hello. But it was followed instantaneously by a more intense kiss. It had been nearly two weeks since they had seen each other and Lance needed to show Michael how much he missed him. Michael brought his hands up to Lance's face, immersing his fingers into the shaving cream. His tongue forced its way into his lover's mouth, deepening the kiss and drawing Lance closer to him. Michael's hands moved over Lance's cheeks and into his hair, dragging shaving cream along with them. Lance let out a growl, ripping the towel off of Michael's waist. His hands quickly returned to Michael's sides, then made their way to his ass. Lance felt his lover jump slightly under his touch. This only encouraged him farther. "OOH," Michael managed to get out as he broke the kiss. "I've missed you." Lance placed small kisses and bites on Michael's neck and grunted an agreement. Then in one quick movement, he lifted Michael up and sat him down on the bathroom counter. The singer continued kissing Michael's neck and began to kiss his way down his chest. Lance chuckled softly listening and feeling Michael react to his kisses. He brought his right hand up, wrapped it around his lover's hardening cock and slowly began to stroke. Michael's hands immediately grabbed Lance's head as he gasped in surprise. "Are you okay?" Lance moved his hands to Michael's face. "I'm sorry. You're not ready yet." Michael opened his eyes and gazed at his lover. Lance looked deeply into those eyes in search for an answer. All he saw was compassion and desire. "I'm fine, Lance." Michael smiled, catching his breath. "I love you. And I want to make love to you. I need to make love to you." Lance leaned forward and gently kissed his lover. "Are you sure?" "I've needed this for so long." Michael breathed, as Lance lowered himself back down to Michael's legs. Michael felt Lance's breath against his burning cock the singer contemplated what he was going to do, then thrilled as the soft warmth of his tongue began to flick the slit and scoop up the precum. "Tastes goooood." Lance grinned, rubbing his stomach. He wrapped his fist around his lover's dick and brought the head to his lips again, then swallowed Michael's cock down to his fist, taking almost all of it down on his first try! Lance's mouth was so warm and soft and his tongue worked everywhere that pleasure could be given, making Michael reel with the thrill. Michael was so close to cumming he couldn't believe he hadn't shot off. Then he felt Lance pump his mouth back and then take more of his cock down. Another pump and Lance's hand came down to massage Michael's nuts while his nose brushed against his pubes! Lance had forgotten how much he loved the taste and he began to hum with joy making Michael feel almost dizzy as he felt the climax building and all his senses were overcome by the pleasure rushing through his cock. "Oooooooooooooooooooooo mmmmmmmmmmmmmm babyyyyyyyyyy" Michael cooed, feeling the rush of cum jet through his throbbing dick and into his lover's eager vacuuming mouth. Michael rubbed his chest and his head rolled from side to side, as he felt Lance's tongue continue to work his spurting shaft. Michael looked into Lance's eyes and saw how much he was enjoying giving him pleasure as cum dribbled from the corners of his cock-stretched mouth. Lance kept humming and sucking on his lover's cock until it was drained and semi erect, then let it slip from his lips only to lovingly rub it against his cheek.
Lance moved up and kissed Michael again. He pulled back and stared deeply into his lover's eyes. "Didn't realize how much I missed that until now." He smiled.
Michael returned the smile and brought a hand up to caress Lance's cheek which was still covered with shaving cream. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Lance reached over, grabbed a towel and wiped the cream off of his face. "I wish we had time to continue, but your dinner smells like its almost done."
Michael let out a sigh and glanced over to the clock. "Yup." He said with some disappointment. "Why don't you take a shower and finish getting cleaned up while I get dinner on the table."
"So, how was your trip?" Lance asked, taking a sip of his wine.
Michael and Lance had both cleaned up and were now enjoying their dinner in the candlelight. Michael took a moment to just look at Lance as the candles flickered in front of them. A smile grew on his face, seeing the sparkle of his lover's pale green eyes that was accented by the green shirt he had chosen to wear for dinner. He had noticed over the past few months that Lance had chosen to let his dark hair grow out and only bleach the tips rather than his whole head. For some reason that he couldn't explain, Michael found that completely provocative and he hoped that Lance would stay with this look for awhile.
"What?" Lance blushed, noticing his lover's stare.
"Nothing." Michael broke his gaze and finished up the last bites of the meal. "I've just missed looking at you."
"You're gonna make me blush." Lance chuckled as he stood and walked over to the stereo.
"You are blushing." Michael teased.
Lance turned up the volume on the stereo and the soft music that they had playing for ambiance became a little louder. The singer smiled as the voice of Marvin Gaye filled the room. "You know, its nice that even after six months of being together, you can still say things that touch me and make me blush."
Michael had started to clear the dishes from the table. "It has been six months, hasn't it."
Lance walked over to his lover and extended his hand. "Dance with me?"
Michael quietly took Lance's hand and followed him to the living room. Once they reached the center of the room, Lance pulled Michael into his arms and they began to slowly sway to the music. Lance let out a small sigh, feeling Michael's arms around him and his breath on his neck. It was if he were finally whole again after being separated for so long.
"My trip was good." Michael stated, resting his head on Lance's shoulder.
"What?"
"You asked about my trip." Michael said, softly. "It was good."
Lance brought a hand up and stroked Michael's hair. "I'm just glad that you're back and that the next time you have to go anywhere, I'll be with you."
Michael lifted his head so that he could see his lover's eyes. "Those eyes." He thought. "They never fail to draw me into him and never let me go." He leaned forward and gently kissed his lips. "I hate being away from you, too."
They danced in silence as one song ended and the next began. Michael recognized the song right away and chuckled slightly. Adjusting his sway to the beat of the new song, he pulled Lance closer to him and lightly kissed the singer's neck. "I want to make love to you tonight." He whispered as Marvin's voice flowed through the room.
Lance stepped back slightly as they continued to dance. He saw the love in Michael's deep green eyes and knew that after all the months of emotional healing, Michael was ready. He gently placed a hand on Michael's cheek and smiled. They didn't speak. They just swayed to the music and stared deeply into each other's eyes.
"Whenever blue tear drops are falling," Marvin's words flowed from the stereo, "And my emotional stability is leaving me, There is something I can do. I can get on the telephone and call you up baby, and Honey I know you'll be there to relieve me."
"I know that the past few months have been hard on you..." Michael started to apologize.
Lance brought his fingers up to Michael's mouth to quiet him. "Shhh." He whispered. "What matters is that you were getting better. Not whether or not I was getting sex."
Lance pulled Michael close to him and held him tightly. "It's never been about sex." He reiterated softly. "I'm perfectly happy just lying in bed with my arms around you. That's all I ever want."
Lance reached up and brushed away the tear that was making its way down Michael's cheek. "That's all I want to do tonight." He smiled. "I just want to sleep with you in my arms."
"If you don't know the things you're dealing, I can tell you, darling, that it's Sexual Healing." As the music continued to play, Michael gently kissed Lance's lips. Lance returned the kiss softly, then brushed his tongue over Michael's lips as he pushed forward to deepen the kiss. "Get up, Get up, Get up, Get up, let's make love tonight. Wake up, Wake up, Wake up, Wake up, 'cos you do it right." Michael broke the kiss, taking Lance's hand and began to walk towards the bedroom. "Let's go to bed, then." Lance stepped forward, placing his arm around Michael's waist and gave him a small squeeze. Silently, the lovers walked side by side into the bedroom and closed the door.
February 21, 2000. The Staples Center
Michael McCall stood just inside the entrance to the Staples Center reviewing the day's schedule. Shaking his head, he looked out the doors at the pouring rain. He was pretty positive that the Nsync didn't say anything about a rain storm. So far, the morning had been pretty uneventful. He and Lance had arrived at the venue early so Lance could set up some interviews and meetings while Michael secured some rehearsal space for the guys. Looking at his watch, Michael decided it was time to head over to watch the guys rehearse. Even though the guys weren't performing for the Grammy's, they thought it would be a better use of their down time at the center to get in some rehearsing. "Hey, Michael!" Michael turned at the sound of his name and smiled as Rob approached. "Hey Rob!" Rob jogged over and gave his friend a quick hug. "'Sup?" "Not much." Michael answered. "I was just gonna go watch the guys rehearse. Wanna come?" "Sure!" The duo made their way through the halls of the Staples Center. The Center was buzzing with activity. Production personnel and talent running around trying to get in their time and hoping that the rain would let up soon. Michael said hello to a few people as he and Rob walked through the halls. "How have rehearsals been for you?" "Amazing!" Rob grinned. "I think we actually get to rehearse with Will this afternoon." "Cool!" Michael smiled as they reached the rehearsal room. "Here we are." The two friends entered the room to find Chris, Justin, JC and Lance sitting on the floor talking. "Hey guys." Michael said from the doorway. "Where's Joey?" "Don't know." Chris grunted while standing. "Probably hung over somewhere." Justin stated. JC stood and went over to the sound system. "I'm tired of waiting. Let's just do it without him." Taking a quick drink of water, Lance nodded. "I agree." JC motioned for his friends to take their places as he cued up the music. Once the music was ready, he picked up the system's remote control and headed over to his place in the formation. "Hey," he stopped short. "How am I supposed to do the partner work without Joey here?" "Quit whining and just deal," Chris said with a slight note of sarcasm. JC huffed a little and took his place. As JC hit play on the remote control, Lance glanced over to Michael with a question in his eyes. Michael caught the look and nodded his reply. Turning to Rob, "Hey, Rob. I'll be back in a sec." "What?" "I'm gonna have some fun." Michael called over his shoulder as he jogged over to fill Joey's place in the formation, leaving Rob standing alone in the open doorway. Michael hit his mark just as the music started and the guys turned to the front. "Bye Bye Bye!" the five men sang and went into their dance. "Hey!" Rob cheered as he watched Michael join the guys in their song. "I'm doin this tonight," JC sang, trying to keep his attention on his dance moves and not on Michael dancing next to him. "You're, probably gonna start a fight. I know this can't be right, hey baby come on." "Damn," Rob thought to himself. "JC looks so hot when he's dancing. He seems distracted though. I wonder what's bothering him?" Rob watched the guys rehearse. He shook his head at the sight of Michael filling in for Joey. "It's too bad he doesn't perform anymore. He is such a natural." As Justin began singing his verse, JC returned his concentration on the dance. He dropped to the floor for his puppet movement, but as Michael lifted him up to his feet, he nearly lost it. JC leaned back into Michael's arms and dropped his head back onto his shoulder. The singer was completely taken in by his friend's cologne. He nearly fell back to the floor when Michael released him to move on with the dance. Rob was so involved in watching the guys and enjoying their performance, that he didn't hear the clicking of a camera over his shoulder in the open doorway. "Don't wanna be a fool for you." Michael sang with the guys, a large smile on his face. "Just another player in your game for two." "You may hate me," Justin sang. "But it ain't no lie, baby..." "Bye bye bye!" "Don't really wanna make it tough, I just wanna tell you that I had enough." "Might sound crazy," JC continued, "But it ain't know lie, baby..." "Bye bye bye!" Michael came out of his turn and started to make his cross of the stage. He chuckled softly as he forgot the words, but managed to get the "Bye Bye"s out in the right place. He his mark on stage left just as the music broke and Justin continued. Rob was so completely taken away by the guys, he jumped when he heard Joey's voice over his shoulder. "What's so exciting?" Joey asked glancing over Rob's shoulder. "Joey!" Rob smiled then motioned into the room. "The guys are just rehearsing." Joey looked out at the dance floor again and noticed that someone else was dancing his part. "Looks like I've been replaced." He grinned. "You mean Michael?" Rob asked. "He's just having some fun." "I can see that." Joey stated as the song ended and the guys struck their poses. Joey and Rob applauded and whooped loudly for the guys and they relaxed and caught their breath. Joey walked over to Michael and threw an arm over his shoulder. "Looks like I can sit things out for a while. You guys have finally found the new Joey!" "Hey, if he doesn't fart like you do on the bus," Chris stated wryly, "He can take your place permanently." "And he's better looking than you are." JC added. Michael took a quick drink of Lance's water and shook his head. "That's okay guys. I like my job. No one can replace Joey." "Ahhh," Joey laughed. "Thanks, Mikey."
"Where are we going?" Michael asked as Lance led him through the hallways of the Staples Center.
Lance smiled back at Michael. "There's someone that you have to meet!"
"Who?"
"A friend." Lance smiled slyly.
"Not an answer."
Lance turned back to Michael and shook his head. "I want to introduce you to someone very important to me. Someone who really helped me deal with things when I decided to be honest with myself about being gay."
"Sounds like someone important." Michael agreed.
Lance's smile grew as they continued on. "We don't see each other very much, but we keep in touch through emails and stuff. I've told her all about you. She really wants to meet you."
Lance stopped in front of a door and knocked three times. After a moment he poked his head inside. "Hey!"
"Hey Lance!" a familiar female voice called back. "Did you bring him with you?"
Lance pushed the door open, and pulled Michael inside before closing the door behind him. "Michael McCall, I would like you to meet my good friend..."
Michael stopped short seeing the woman standing in front of him. "Rosie O'donnell!"
Lance laughed seeing his lover's star struck eyes. "Rosie, this is my boyfriend, Michael McCall."
Michael's head shot around to Lance. "Rosie is who you wanted me to meet?"
Lance let out a chuckle. "Isn't he cute?"
"It's so nice to finally meet you." Rosie smiled, giving Michael a quick hug. "Lance has told me so much about you."
Michael looked from Rosie to Lance, confusion settling into his face. Rosie directed him to a chair and patted the seat.
"Have a seat." She grinned. "There's so much to talk about."
Michael slowly sat down in the chair offered to him. Rosie took a seat across from him and turned to Lance.
"Lance," she began. "Why don't you give a few minutes. I won't hurt him, I promise."
"Okay." Lance nodded, bending down to give Rosie a quick kiss on the cheek.
He turned to Michael and kissed him gently on the lips. "Have fun."
Rosie waited until Lance had left before turning back to Michael with a broad, infectious smile. "You are so much cuter in person!"
Michael blushed. "Thanks."
"Lance told me what happened in October." She leaned forward touching his knee. "How are you doing?"
Michael was surprised at how comfortable he felt around Rosie. Normally he didn't like talking about the...incident. But for some reason, this talk show host put him at ease. "I'm doing okay." He answered. "I have my good days and my bad days."
"That's good to hear." Rosie nodded. "You've graduated already...right?"
"Yup." Michael smiled. "I finished school in December and started working for Wright Entertainment last month."
With the ice broken, Michael and Rosie fell into a natural dialogue. Michael had to pause every few minutes to make sure he was breathing. He couldn't believe it. Of all the celebrities he had met in his life, very few had seemed so down to earth as Rosie had. He could see why Lance felt comfortable talking to her about anything. And it was clear that Rosie cared deeply for Lance and the rest of the guys of Nsync. She couldn't stop raving about how nice they were...how talented...how cute.
"From what I gather, you make Lance very happy." Rosie said matter of factly. "He never stops talking about you."
"He makes me very happy." He smiled. "I love him."
"I can tell." The talk show host stood, giving Michael another hug. "And he loves you too."
The dressing room door opened and Lance stepped inside. "How is everyone?"
"Great!" Rosie said cheerfully.
Lance walked over to Michael and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Well?" he asked Rosie, "What do you think?"
Rosie took a minute to look at the two men in front of her. Lance had placed his head next to Michael's and was smiling from ear-to-ear. Should could see the love in his eyes and in his body language. It was obvious that these two men were in love.
"You've got a keeper here, Lance." She smiled. "A real cutie puhtootie!"
Michael blushed and looked to the floor. "Thanks. It was great meeting you, Rosie."
"You too, Michael. And if you ever need anything, give me a call!"
February 22, 2000
--Journal Entry: February 22, 2000. What a week this is turning out to be!
Since Melinda is stuck in Orlando getting things ready for the album release and this summer's tour, Johnny has assigned me to work as the official representative for Nsync while they are out here for the show. Talk about a crazy job. It's amazing the schedules these guys keep. Between rehearsals and interviews, Chris has FuManSkeeto meetings. JC is in the studio with Wild Orchid. Joey is meeting with Wayne Brady about the acting book they are publishing. Justin is doing public appearances for the Disney Movie he shot in October. And Lance...Lance. If he's not in phone conferences with his home office of FreeLance Entertainment, he's looking over my shoulder making sure that I'm handling Nsync business the way it should be.-
The sound of Britney Spears beginning her sound check brought Michael's attention away from his laptop. He looked down from the balcony he was sitting on and waved to the young woman on the stage.
"Hey sexy!" Britney called up, not realizing that her microphone was on. Her voice echoed through the arena and everyone turned to see who Britney Spears was talking to. The singer giggled when she saw Michael shake his head and laugh at her. "How are you, sweetie." She placed her hands on her hips. "Pick you up at seven for the party tonight?"
Michael shook his head in amusement and gave Britney a thumbs up. As soon as she started singing, he returned to his typing. --Jumping off topic for a moment...Britney looks great today. If I wasn't with Lance, I could easily develop some serious feelings for that girl. She took me on a shopping spree last week to say thanks for all the shit I have to put up with making appearances with her. We had such a great time! We had a long talk over lunch. Covered just about every topic that we could. >From work to play. Of course we talked about our boyfriends. We talked about how great Lance is and how supportive he has been in everything that I've done and gone through. Then we talked about Justin. Things haven't been great with them lately. --Eventually we got back on the topic of public appearances. I have to say that being Britney Spears' public-eye boyfriend has been very amusing. I mean, I can do without having my picture in the tabloids every other week and all the stories that go along with them. But I have to tell you that it gives my ego a boost to be seen in public with her. The looks I get from other guys are priceless! --I'm sorry...Going off topic again. Where was I? Oh, yeah, Lance. I know he means well. He just wants to make sure that I'm doing okay with everything. I get a little frustrated with him at times. I want him to trust in me and my abilities. To be honest, this job isn't much more difficult than coordinating a film shoot. But, what can I say...The guy loves me! --Anyway, the schedule for the rest of the day isn't that bad. This afternoon is the photo shoot for TRL. The guys will be there for interviews and the big photo. Since it's a high profile appearance, I'll be in the shadows and out of the way. Tonight is the pre-Grammy party. I'll be working the party. Not for Nsync, but as Britney Spears' date. The guys are supposed to be interviewing people for the Rosie show, so they will be busy. Unfortunately, it will be another night away from Lance.-
"Dude!" Michael jumped at the sound of Joey Fatone's voice in his right ear.
"Shit, Joey!" he tried to catch his breath. "You scared me!"
Joey laughed and slapped a hand to his friend's back. "What are you doing up here?"
"Just relaxing." Michael stated, shutting down his laptop. "Why?"
Joey grabbed his friend by the shoulders and pulled him to his feet. "We've got down time, buddy! Let's go do a movie!"
Michael glanced at his watch. "We've only got four hours till you need to be back here for the photo shoot."
"Plenty of time!" Joey said, dragging Michael up the stairs. "Like you have plans now anyway. Except maybe a quickie with Lance."
"That's not a bad idea." Michael smiled.
Grammy Night:
"Hi! I'm Joey!"
"I'm Chris!'
"I'm JC!
"I'm Justin!"
"I'm Lance!"
"And we're Nsync!" the guys said into their microphones.
Lance stepped forward and spoke to the camera. "Rosie has given us the very important task of interviewing the stars as they come down the red carpet."
"The problem is..." JC poked his head over Lance's shoulder. "That no one will stop to talk to us!"
Joey joined his friends at the camera. "Yeah! We were just dissed by the Backstreet Boys!"
"Hey!" they heard Chris call. "Hey! I got somebody!"
Lance, JC and Joey all turned to see Chris and Justin escorting Britney Spears and her date from the red carpet to their media platform.
"Britney!" JC greeted their friend. "Could you answer a couple of questions for the Rosie O'donnell Show?"
"Sure." Britney giggled as she straightened her dress and made sure that Michael was seen on camera.
"So, Britney." Justin began the questioning. "You are performing tonight as well as nominated for a couple of Grammys. Which makes you more nervous?"
"Both are equally nerve-wracking." Britney smiled. "It is such an honor being nominated. If you would have told me a year ago that I'd be performing at the Grammys let alone be nominated for Best New Artist...I would've thought you were crazy!"
"We hear that you are working on a new album." Joey stated. "When can we expect to see that released?"
"The next album is tentatively titled 'Just Britney' and should be released in early May." She answered. "The first single will be a cover of Satisfaction."
"Cool!" Chris added before starting his own rendition of Satisfaction.
"Who's your date this evening?" JC spoke up with an evil grin.
Britney patted Michael's arm and her smile broadened. "This is my good friend, Michael McCall."
Lance stepped forward with the microphone. "Mr. McCall," he began. "What's it like dating one of the hottest performers in the music business?"
Michael took a moment to mull over the very loaded question that Lance was throwing at him. "Well..." a smile began to appear on his face. "I've never actually thought about it in quite that way. It's quite a rush attending these events with Britney. If pinned down for an answer...I'd have to say that I'm seriously enjoying dating the one of the hottest performers in the music business."
Britney caught the double meaning in her escort's answer and smiled broadly. She gently touched his arm and looked into the camera. "Isn't he cute?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Britney saw Justin's flash of anger, and she took that as her cue to lead Michael back to the red carpet. As they left, Michael glanced over to Lance who blew him a subtle kiss. Michael chuckled softly and followed Britney down the red carpet.
The After-Grammy Party:
"I'm sorry that you didn't win tonight." Michael said softly as he guided Britney to their table.
Britney smiled at her date as she took the chair that he held out for her.
"Thank you."
As Michael took the chair next to Britney, she continued. "It's not about the awards anyway. I've got enough of those as it is."
Michael looked over to the young woman sitting next to him. He could see the sincerity in her eyes. He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze.
"Hey." The duo looked up to see Lance standing over them.
"Hey sweetie." Britney chirped.
"Hey." Michael smiled.
"Brit," Lance spoke softly. "Can I talk to Michael for a minute?"
"Sure," the pop star said as she got to her feet. "I think I'll go congratulate Christina."
"How's your night going?" Michael asked as Lance took the seat next to him.
Lance turned to face Michael with obvious hurt in his eyes. "I'm not having a good time."
"Why?" Michael asked, fighting the urge to hold his lover's hand.
"Because I'm not with you." Lance smiled.
"Ahhh," Michael teased. "Isn't that sweet."
"Don't tease me."
Michael laughed and gently pushed Lance. "You can always just close your eyes and remember what we did this morning."
"I don't think that would help by evening." Lance chuckled.
"Well," Michael's eyes beamed in his lover's direction. "You're with me now, so things are looking up for you."
Lance shook his head and chuckled. "Awful sure of yourself, aren't you."
"You know it!" Michael sat back in his chair. After a moment of silence, he leaned forward, motioning for Lance to do so as well.
"You see," Michael whispered wickedly. "I know for a fact just how lucky you are gonna get tonight to make up for the fact that you aren't spending the evening with your boyfriend."
Lance's face flushed almost instantly. The sparkle returned to his green eyes as he gazed into the eyes of the man sitting next to him. "Oh, really?"
Michael slowly stood then leaned down to Lance's ear. "Count on it, poofu!"
Lance couldn't control his laughter any more as Michael started to leave.
"I have to go find my date." Michael waved back to his lover. "See you later."
"EXCUSE ME?" Britney Spears questioned, her voice raising to a near yell. She had left Michael and Lance to find Justin Timberlake. At this moment, standing outside on a balcony overlooking Los Angeles, she was beginning to regret having found him.
"You heard me." Justin said through clenched teeth. "We are leaving."
Anger flashed through Britney's eyes as she closed the gap between herself and the young man in front of her. "I don't think so." She poked a finger into his chest before spinning on her heel and pacing the other direction. "And who are you to tell me when I'm leaving. It's not like you're my date tonight!"
"That's the point!"
Britney's head slowly turned back to Justin. She slowly looked him up and down, thinking about her response. "I see."
"We've been in the same city for almost a week now and I've seen you maybe twice in that time." Justin explained, trying to curb his anger. "You're always running off with your dancers or going to events with Michael!"
Britney folded her arms over her chest. "You're jealous."
Getting in the young woman's face, Justin replied loudly. "I...am...not...jealous!" He took three steps away from her. "I just want to spend some time with my girlfriend."
Britney opened her mouth to reply but was stopped by Justin. "Do you know how hard it is to open a paper or turn on the television everyday and see you arm in arm with another man? And to top it off you always look like you're having fun!"
"Keeping our relationship secret was never MY idea." Britney retorted. "You decided that we had to keep it secret to protect YOUR career."
"Throw it in my face, why don't you."
Britney let out a sigh. "I don't believe you!" she exclaimed, raising her hands into the air. "I thought you'd love the fact that Michael was my date! He's no threat to you! He's in love with another man...remember?"
Justin locked eyes with his girlfriend. His anger very evident. "You will stop seeing him!" He growled. "He is no longer your escort!"
"ARGH!" Britney growled in frustration. "I don't have to listen to this! Find me when you grow up!" With that, she stormed off the balcony and back into the building.
"JC!" Michael called, spotting his friend standing next to the ornate fountain outside of the ballroom.
JC turned at the sound of his name. Seeing Michael walking towards him, JC smiled and said, "Hey."
"Why are you out here?" Michael questioned. "The party is blowing up inside! I figured you'd be on the dance floor."
The singer nodded silently and returned his attention to the fountain. "I'm not really in the mood."
"What's wrong, Josh?"
JC flinched slightly when Michael used his first name. Normally, he wouldn't mind. In fact he loved it that Michael felt comfortable enough to call him Josh. But not tonight. "I just want to be alone right now."
Michael moved to stand next to his friend and stare at the fountain. After a moment, he looked at the man standing next to him hoping to see what was bothering his friend. Normally, JC was full of energy and bouncing around at parties. But not tonight. "He hasn't been himself all week." Michael thought.
"I don't think I ever thanked you." Michael said, returning his gaze to the fountain.
"For what?"
"For being there." Michael answered, running a hand through his hair. He turned to face his friend and smiled. "You forced me to talk about the rape. You got me to verbalize my fears and anger. I can't tell you how much that helped me."
There was a moment of uneasy silence and Michael added. "...Or how much it meant to me."
JC turned to his friend and saw the sincerity in his eyes. "I..."
Michael smiled and patted the singer's arm. "I just want to let you know that I'm here to return the favor whenever you need me. I'll leave you alone now."
JC watched Michael walk away towards the entrance to the ballroom. "I don't know how you can help me." He mumbled once Michael had entered the ballroom. "I think I love you."
Justin Timberlake made his way through the crowded dance floor. His eyes scanning the crowd as he went. He had been searching for Britney ever since she stormed away from him.
"Hey Justin!" Chris tapped the singer's shoulder from behind.
"What!" Justin spat.
Chris took a step back in surprise. "Whoa there!" he raised his hands in surrender. "I come in peace."
"Sorry." Justin apologized. "Have you seen Brit?"
"No. Why?"
Justin let out a sigh and put his head in his hands. "We had a fight and I need to talk to her."
Chris did a quick scan of the room. "I haven't seen her. You okay?"
"I just need to find her!" With that, the young singer resumed his search.
JC Chasez stood near the bar surveying the large ballroom. He couldn't believe the amount of people crowded on the dance floor. It was definitely a place he needed to be! Dancing would definitely take his mind off of his problems. He took a couple of steps towards the floor but was stopped by two hands covering his eyes.
"Guess who?" Rob giggled from behind the singer.
"Rob!" JC smiled. "I was just heading to the dance floor. Wanna come?"
"Funny," Rob wiggled his eyebrows. "I was just gonna check and see if you wanted to...cum!"
JC's took a moment to consider Rob's proposition. "If you can't love the one you want...," he thought as his eyes suddenly filled with mischief, quickly scanning the ballroom for a safe place for a quickie with Rob.
Michael McCall made his way through the throng of people trying to find an exit. He needed air. He had been looking for Britney for nearly thirty minutes with no success.
Michael rounded a corner and ran right into someone coming the opposite way. "Ouch!" he said.
"Watch where you're going!" Britney spat. Then realizing who she bumped into. "Michael? Sorry."
"I'm sorry." Michael apologized. "I wasn't paying attention. Hey, are you okay? You look upset."
Britney rolled her eyes. "I just had this stupid argument with Justin. He can be such an ass sometimes!"
Michael chuckled. "I'm sorry."
Britney shook her head. "Men."
"Hey!" Michael said in mock pain.
"Wanna Dance?"
Michael extended his arm for his date. "We have to do something for the tabloid photos!"
"And I have the perfect idea what to do." Britney said, an evil smile growing on her face.
JC leaned back against the wall in the darkened supply closet as Rob kissed his neck. "You look great tonight. So hot!" Rob grinned, kissing JC again before sliding down between his legs. "Ooooo yeaahhhh... Your cock is ready for me." he winked, as he rubbed JC's crotch. He gently grasped the waistband of JC's pants with both hands and slowly slid them down his body, starting to nibble JC's pubes and the base of his cock as they appeared, then continued to lick up his shaft as he unveiled JC's achingly hard meat. JC lay back and let Rob's hot tongue work it's magic, moaning with pleasure as his prick was released from his shorts and suddenly encased in the warmth of Rob's hot velvety mouth. "Ooooo yesssssssss... fuck yessssssssss..." JC gasped. "Mmmmm yeaaaaahhhh..." Rob's eyes smiled up at JC as he hummed and sucked on his cock. He steadied himself with his left hand on the wall, while he kneaded his own cock through his pants with his right hand, wincing and moaning on JC's shaft as he worked up a steady pumping and sucking with his wondrous mouth. Small whimpers of pleasure humming through JC's cock as he worked over his own. JC was enthralled by the sight, then felt Rob slide his left hand around the base of his dick, squeezing gently, just enough to hold back the load of cum that was aching to rush through his hot cock. "Mmmm mmm oooo ooo Miiiii Miiii oooooooooooo!!!!!" JC whimpered, as he writhed under Rob's expert mouth. Rob shoved his right hand down into his pants, to grope his cock directly. His eyes were just slits as he obviously came closer to orgasm, himself. With a deep moan, he released the grip of his left hand from JC's cock, as his body shuddered with orgasm. He pulled cum coated fingers from his pants and used the juice as jacking lube on JC's shaft, while his cock noticeably flexed, obviously still spurting beneath the fabric of his pants. "Ohhhhhhhhhhh yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!" JC cooed, as he felt the pent up cum blast through his aching cock. "Yes......oh, Michael....yes!!" He surrendered to his orgasm. Rob's head pulled off of JC's cock upon hearing JC call out Michael's name in the heat of passion. "What?!"
Lance Bass circled the dance floor in search of Michael. After his earlier conversation with his lover, he was anxious to get home and spend some quality time with him.
"Hey Scoop!" Justin called as he neared his friend.
"Have you seen Michael?" Lance asked.
"Nope." Justin answered. "You seen Brit?" Lance shook his head and returned to scanning the dance floor. Off to their right there seemed to be a gathering of people and the flashes of cameras taking pictures.
"Let's go see what that is all about." He suggested.
The two members of Nsync made their way through the crowd to investigate the gathering. As the wall of people parted in front of them, Lance and Justin stopped dead in their tracks. They could not believe what they were seeing.
Standing in the middle of the flashing cameras were Britney Spears and Michael McCall dancing closely and locked into a very deep and passionate kiss.
--to be continued-
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it took so long. As always, drop me a line to let me know what you think!
Michael