Mistaken Dreams

Mistaken Dreams 19

Author: Angel

Email: AngelAshling@Hotmail.com (same me! Just a new email addy!)

Pairing: Lance & JC, Joey & Justin!!!!

Disclaimer: Grr, Laury didn't want to write it, too nervous he said! But it's ok, maybe some other time! :)

Message from Me: Remember in my last message, how I said that there wasn't going to be any drama for a while? Well that still stands! I say so because I got an email from someone (not a nice one!) saying they wouldn't read the story anymore until I brought Brian back, and although I hate to lose/disappoint a reader, I just really don't think this is the right time for it! And by the way, how would they know when I do unless they keep reading??? Anyway, sorry for complaining, but that made me kinda irritated! And also, I have to apologize to all the people who I told that this chapter would be out earlier, especially Rob and Dan, because I told them it would be out like ages ago, hope you like it guys! And lastly, I gotta say to my boyfriend: Love you Laury! (Now did anyone really think I was going to forget???) ;)

Chapter 19

Mistaken Dreams: Lance n' JC.....

"What do you think they talk about while we're not there?" Justin asked suddenly, turning away from the dresser drawer he was rifling through, trying to find something both clean and cute to wear.

"I don't know," Lance answered, sticking his head out the bathroom door, where he was trying to style his unruly hair. "Us, maybe?" He asked, biting his lip in concentration.

"Yeah, maybe." Justin agreed absentmindedly, picking up a bottle of fragrance from the dresser top. `A light, hazelnut-vanilla blend.' He read silently, before spraying a bit on each wrist and then rubbing them together. "Mmm, this is nice." He commented, bringing it up to smell the scent.

"Oh, yeah, isn't that stuff great? JC bought it for me as a surprise a couple weeks ago." Lance smiled as he said it, thinking back.

"Sweet." Justin murmured non-committally, setting the bottle of perfume back down. "So, like, seriously, what do you think they talk about?"

"Who?" Lance asked, puzzled, having already forgotten their previous subject.

"Joey, Chris, and JC!" Justin said, exasperated.

"Oh! Umm, I don't know. Sports, maybe, you think?" Lance still wasn't paying much attention and Justin was beginning to get a little irritated.

"I don't think so, Joey's usually only interested in basketball, and only then if he's playing."

"Yeah, it's the same with JC." Lance agreed, deciding he was very thankful he wouldn't ever be forced to watch a football game unless someone they knew was playing in it.

"So?" Justin asked, waiting for Lance to offer up more options on what their band-mates might be talking about.

"So what?" Lance asked, frowning at Justin as his thoughts were interrupted.

"So what do you think they are talking about!!!" Justin yelled, startling Lance, who looked at his normally patient friend with widened eyes.

"Jeez man, you don't have to bite my head off." Lance admonished, frowning.

"Sorry Lance, it's just, well, it's just... it's nothing I guess, sorry." Justin settled onto the bed and wouldn't look Lance in the eye.

`Ok, something is definitely wrong.' Lance realized, wondering if he should have noticed before now. "It looks like it's a bit more than nothing, Just, what's up?" Lance sat down beside his friend, forcing the younger boy to look at him.

"It's nothin', really."

"Justin, come on," Lance admonished, a frown forming on his face. "Obviously, something is going on, you never snap at me like that. C'mon Just, you can tell me, I'm your best friend."

When Justin still seemed reluctant to offer up any information Lance decided to start guessing.

"Is it me?" He asked, but didn't really think it was; he couldn't think of anything he had done, and Justin wasn't the kind of person to not just come out and say it had that been the case.

Justin didn't say a word, only shook his head sullenly, so Lance moved on.

"What about JC, did he do something? Chris, maybe? Joey?" When he said the last name the curly-haired youth burst into tears, and Lance wondered what in the world Joey could have done that Justin could so quickly become upset about it now, when he had been fine around the older man only moments earlier. `Talk about a delayed reaction.' He thought, but rubbed Justin's back comfortingly, knowing the rest would come out soon enough.

"Today, today's our anniversary..." Justin stuttered out through his tears, and Lance wanted to smack himself on the forehead.

`Even I should have remembered that.' He thought, feeling stupid. Not only had Justin not been able to shut up about it for the past few days, but Justin and Joey's anniversary came just one day after his and JC's, and yesterday had been theirs.

"And, and I think Joey forgot." Justin started sobbing again. Lance knew he couldn't do anything until he could be heard over Justin's tears, so he sat with the younger boy, both hugging each other as they rocked gently back and forth.

`What is it now, their one month, no, wait, two month anniversary?' Lance reasoned the dates out in his head and decided it had to be at least their two-month. How long had he and JC been going out again?

"Well, maybe he hasn't forgotten, just, like, has something special planned." Lance said, not realizing how truly plausible it was until the words were out of his mouth.

`That is the kind of thing Joey might do...' He reflected, chewing on a thumbnail. `I'm sure he hasn't forgotten, he couldn't forget, he never forgets stuff like this...' Just as he had decided that he would go talk to Joey himself he realized Justin had stopped crying and was now looking at him intently.

"Really?" He asked in a tremulous voice. "You think he just hasn't mentioned it yet because he has a surprise planned?" Justin looked so hopeful that Lance hated to break his spirit, no matter what his opinion might be.

"For sure." He said instead, smiling. "Now dry your eyes and lets go see those guys of ours, maybe give yours a little talking to." He said it sternly but then laughed, and Justin even offered a weak smile as both got up off the bed.

Lance spritzed on a little perfume as they walked out the door; things would be all right, he was sure of it.

**********

Lance and Justin came through the door to find an interesting scene played out before them. Joey and JC were sitting on the couch, watching TV, flipping through the channels guy-style, as normal as could be. Except, of course, for one thing: They appeared to be using Chris as a cushion.

"Umm, what are you guys doing?" Lance asked, more than a little confused.

"Sitting on Chris." JC replied non-chalantly, a bit of a `doi' expression on his face.

Justin and Lance looked at each other for a long moment, both confused and dumbfounded, before either recovered enough to reply to JC's terse answer.

"Is this what the three of you do when you're alone? Cus maybe, you should like, take up pottery or something." Justin advised aimlessly, sprouting out the first activity that came to mind.

"Pottery?" Joey asked, confounded by Justin's choice of hobby for the three of them.

"Never mind that, why are you both sitting on Chris, exactly?" Lance asked dismissively, a furrow appearing between his brow.

"Would you prefer it was only one of us sitting on him?" JC replied politely, somehow managing a look of innocence.

"No, no, but I would like an explanation." Lance rubbed his forehead and began to wonder why he even bothered.

Chris, silent up until now, yelled out with a burst of energy. "Please, Lance, get them off of me and I swear I'll tell you everything!"

Lance looked at him for a moment, considering if it was worth it. "Yeah ok, get off him guys." Lance commanded, but smiled at JC as the brunette leaped up off their band-mate and came to give him a light little kiss. Joey, however, continued to sit on Chris, prompting Lance to whine at his boyfriend. "JC! Make Joey get up!" He requested petulantly, and pouted at JC, who cast a glare in the other man's direction.

"Joey, I don't want to get in trouble, and especially not because of you, now get up."

Joey grumbled but did as JC asked; after all, he didn't want to get in trouble with his boyfriend either.

"Finally," Chris grunted, standing up to smooth his clothes down before sitting right back down on the couch, albeit in a little more dignified position.

"Thanks." He said tacitly to Lance, setting his feet up on the coffee table and beginning to flip through the channels.

"Hey!" Justin shouted, pouting; he wanted to hear the story just as much as Lance did.

"Yes, is there something I can help you with?" Chris asked, eyes wide.

"You said that if Lance got them off you that you'd tell us the story, and he did, so now you should too!" Justin explained impatiently, already irritated.

"Oh, right, I'd almost completely forgotten about that." Chris said wickedly, knowing that the suspense would be getting to Justin.

"Chris." Joey warned in a stern tone, recognizing his boyfriend's `I'm-about-to-be-upset' expression.

"Allright all right, fine then, have it your way." When Chris didn't go on Joey took a few decisive steps towards the coach before Chris began to shout. "Fine fine I'll tell! Jeez, you big bullies."

Joey and JC decided to ignore that comment.

"So anyway," He turned towards Lance to tell the story, zeroing in on who he supposed would be the most sympathetic to his plight. "I'm sitting here on the couch, it was right after you two left, just minding my own business, when these two dunderheads here," he paused for a moment to point to Joey and JC, like there had been a doubt as to who he meant, but then rushed on when they began to protest. "Well so they start to fight and-"

"Wait," Lance said, cutting his band-mate off abruptly. "-is that true?" He asked, turning towards JC.

"Well yeah, kinda." JC replied, rubbing the back of his neck and looking sheepishly embarrassed.

"What in the world about?" Justin asked, perplexed as to what they could have found to fight about so suddenly.

"It was just a really really stupid-"

"Really stupid." JC agreed, cutting in.

"It was just a really dumb, stupid..." Joey seemed lost for words, so JC spoke up.

"-guy kinda thing." He supplied, finishing the other man's sentence.

Lance and Justin exchanged glances, both remembering their earlier conversation about why they weren't considered `guys' by their boyfriends. Lance decided this was the time to pursue it.

"Oh, so you mean it's something the two of us wouldn't understand, because we aren't guys or anything." Lance stated sarcastically, while Justin delivered his own patent glare.

Joey and JC exchange glances as well, alarmed that they were both obviously in trouble over this.

"No, I mean, of course that's not what we meant." Joey sputtered out before JC could, abashed.

"Right, yeah, we just meant the fight was like a-" JC began, but was cut off.

"-like a boyfriend thing." Joey finished for him, smiling until he realized that wouldn't go down so well either.

JC groaned, knowing both boys would have something more to say now.

"So now we wouldn't understand because neither of us are those, either?" Justin asked acidly, and this time Lance supplied the glare.

JC and Joey looked at each other again, and decided that the only way to hoist themselves up out of the hole they had just dug was to tell the boys something they had been fighting about. Of course, they didn't want to tell the truth, because they'd get even more flak from their boyfriends for that.

Joey decided to make something up.

"We were, uhh, arguing about whose going to win the Super-Bowl." He said, picking out something that sounded suitably guy-ish to substantiate what they had said earlier.

"Between who?" Justin asked suspiciously, squinting.

"The, umm, Raiders and the Wizards." JC replied, naming the first pro teams that came to mind. He silenced Chris, who had been about to speak up, with a glare.

"Oh, well ok then." Justin sat down on the edge of the bed, silent, and Lance followed him.

Both turned to each other to speak at the same time.

"I-"

"I mean-"

"That was so-"

"It really was a stupid guy thing!" Lance finally managed to spurt out, and Justin nodded fervently, a little dumbfounded.

"But, but how does that have to do with being a boyfriend too?" Justin asked, looking to Lance, confused. When both realized that neither knew they turned to their boyfriends, wide-eyed.

"Umm, well ya see it's cus-" JC tried, but was obviously blank.

"Uhh well cus we eventually got around to kinda arguing about which one of you would make the best cheerleader!" Joey declared rapidly, and Chris burst into laughter, but was ignored by all.

"Jesus, that was even stupider than the first thing!" Justin exclaimed, almost impressed.

"I know, and they were right again!" Lance replied, grimacing as if in pain.

"Yeah I know." Justin replied, but then paused, a tad confused. "Wait, they were?" His expression clearly asked how.

"Well wouldn't you say that qualified as a stupid boyfriend thing?" Lance asked, laughing.

"Oh yeah, big time!" Justin agreed, beginning to giggle.

"How about, from now on, when they tell us it's a guy thing, we just agree and leave it at that, what do you say?" Lanced asked, trying to speak over his giggles.

"For sure." Justin agreed, laughing as well.

"Well so I guess we were both right!" Lance said, knowing Justin would understand what he meant, even if no one else would.

"Yeah, they talk about sports and us!" Neither boy could control their laughter and were soon rolling on the bed, laughing hard.

Eventually they stopped, but since Justin couldn't look at either JC or Joey without bursting into giggle again he stated his intention to go fix his hair, and beckoned Lance to come with him. They left, saying they'd be back shortly.

As soon as the door closed it was Joey and JC's turn to burst out laughing.

"Dude, I can not believe that worked!" JC crowed, high-fiving Joey, who was also laughing.

"But man, I thought it was over when you said the Wizards! Thank God neither of them realized that's a basketball team!"

"Well yeah but it was the first team that came to mind, and I knew they wouldn't know!" JC replied, grinning smugly.

"Can you even imagine how seriously screwed we would have been if they had known though!"

"Ahh I don't even want to think about it!"

Chris sat silently, wishing he at least had someone to make up silly lies for.

*********

"Can you believe how dumb that was?!?!" Justin asked as soon as the door closed behind him.

"It makes my head hurt just thinking about it." Lance replied wearily, rubbing his temples.

They were across the hall and back in Lance and JC's room before either realized that they had completely forgotten to get the rest of the story out of Chris.

"And we forgot to talk to Joey, too." Justin said quietly, and Lance could tell his friend was getting sad again.

"Oh, well do you want to go back?" Lance asked, trying to be as kind as he could.

"Naw, it's ok, if he actually has forgotten I want to delay knowing about it for as long as possible." He said, trying to smile.

"Understood." Lance replied, taking his friends hand.

"I think I want to change my shirt." Justin said, changing the subject as he twisted his fingers in the hem of the light blue tee he was wearing.

"K, you wanna borrow one of mine?"

Justin nodded and they spent the next ten minutes searching through Lance's suitcase until Justin spotted a bright red top he liked the look of. After they had both agreed that Joey would love him in it he slipped it on and they headed out the door once again.

*********

"So what do you guys want to do today?" Chris asked as they all sat down, this time on separate pieces of furniture.

"Are we allowed to choose ourselves?"

"Yeah, remember they told us to decide." Chris replied.

"Oh, right. Well I don't really care what we do so long as it's during the day; I want to take Lance out for a special dinner tonight." JC said, smiling.

"You two celebrating something?" Chris asked, only mildly curious.

"Yeah, well kinda, I mean it was our anniversary last night, but we were kinda involved, so I-" JC had a dreamy smile on his face and looked like he might continue for a while, but Joey quickly cut him off.

"Yesterday wasn't you anniversary." He interjected sharply, looking at JC.

"Uhh, yeah it was." JC replied, irritated about being interrupted.

"No, today is your anniversary."

Joey sounded so vehement about it that even JC began to look unsure of himself; But he quickly glanced at the date on the watch Lance had given him and decided Joey was most definitely mistaken.

"No, yesterday was my and Lance's anniversary."

Suddenly Joey looked seriously worried.

"Are you sure?" He asked, squinting.

"Yeah, totally."

"Like, positive? No doubt in your mind at all?"

"None." JC replied, realizing this might be something serious.

Joey stood stock-still for a moment before beginning to shout.

"Aww fuck! Shit-damn-FUCK!" He yelled, incredibly pissed with himself, it seemed.

"Joey, dude, what the hell is the matter?" Chris asked, alarmed.

"Justin and I got together the day after Lance and JC did, when they told us they were dating! So that means our anniversaries' are a day apart as well! And I thought that theirs' was today, meaning mine and Justin's would be tomorrow, and I had all this really cool stuff planned for him! Roses and the whole shebang! But if their anniversary was yesterday that means ours' is TODAY! And I haven't even mentioned it to him yet!" Joey explained frantically, trying to think of a way to save the situation.

"Well, well, but it's ok, right, cus he hasn't mentioned it either, meaning he forgot too!" Chris offered, trying to be helpful but failing utterly.

"Nonono, all that means is that he remembers and is waiting for me to mention it and wish him a happy anniversary and tell him what we are doing to celebrate, cus that's, well, cus that's my job!" Joey exclaimed, worried.

When Chris looked dubious of this proclamation JC caught his eye and nodded that it was true.

"Shit, you guys, what the fuck am I gunna do? Justin must be pissed!"

`Not nearly as pissed off as Joey is at himself for forgetting.' Chris decided, feeling a pang of sympathy for the younger man.

"It's ok, we'll think of something, we just need a couple minutes!" JC exclaimed when he heard Lance and Justin talking the hall. "Chris, go distract them!" He commanded, and this time Chris didn't hesitate.

"Ok, ok, we can do this, we just have to think preemptive strike." JC said rapidly, his mind racing.

"We have to do what now exactly?" Joey asked, completely confused.

"It means you have to say something about it before Justin does, cus if you wait until he finally asks you if you've forgotten then you're seriously screwed no matter what you say."

"Right, royally fucked." Joey agreed, and both were silent for a moment, thinking as quickly as they could.

***********

"You guys!" Chris shouted at Lance and Justin, who were only about a foot in front of him by the time he dashed out the door and closed it behind him.

"What?!" Lance asked, startled.

"You, you, can't go in there!" Chris exclaimed, but couldn't think of anything to substantiate his reasoning.

"Umm, why not?" Justin asked, looking at Chris oddly.

Chris first line of defense had been to say that either JC or Joey were naked, but in the moments before he managed to say it he realized that that wouldn't matter a thing to either boy, so he spluttered for a few minutes, trying to improvise.

"Move Chris." Lance said desicively, gently nudging Chris to the side.

"Wait, wait!" Chris yelled just as Lance was about to turn the knob.

"WHAT?!!" Justin asked exasperatedly, ready to be done with this, whatever it was.

"I, I, I'm so lonely." Chris was leaning against the opposite door by now, and slid down it until he was sitting on the ground with his head on his arms, making sobbing noises; he was doing his best impression of what Justin did when he was upset, and was praying to God it would work.

Thankfully, it did.

"Oh my god Chris what's wrong???" Lance asked, quickly coming to stand by his friend.

"I'm so alone Lance, I mean, it was ok before, when it was just the five of us, all single, but now, I look at you guys, and see how happy you are all, and it just reminds me that I don't have anyone...." Chris was fake-sobbing as hard as he could now, hoping it was believable.

"Oh Chris, it's ok." Justin comforted, taking his friends hand. "We can find you someone for you so fast that it's not even funny!"

"Yeah, lickety-split!" Lance agreed quickly, trying to get a smile from his friend.

"Really?" Chris asked, praying that he sounded hopeful.

"Yeah seriously! No joke, me and Lance catch girls looking at you all the time!"

"Oh really?" Chris was definitely interested for real now, but quickly got back into character with a frown. "I don't think so." He murmured, casting his eyes down again.

"Uhuh! He's telling the truth!" Lance said, and both boys pulled Chris was to his feet with a heave.

"Come on, we can go get started finding you somebody right now!" Justin said excitedly, and began to walk towards the room Joey and JC were currently occupying. But Chris saw it coming, and deftly opened the door to the other room, walking in, hoping Lance and Justin would not only notice but also follow.

They did.

**********

It had been five solid minutes and neither man had been able to come up with a plan. Joey was beginning to get worried, but JC already had an idea.

"I've got it!" JC shouted, standing up as he worked out the last glitch in his plot.

Joey looked up, attentive to his friend's plan.

"Here's what we're gunna do: they told us to pick out what we wanted to do, right? So when they come back in, I'm just gunna ask casually, as if we hadn't discussed it, what you would like to do for today, ok?" Joey nodded that he understood and JC continued on, uninterrupted. "And then you can say you don't really mind but that you have plans to take Justin out for an extra special dinner tonight, and then of course Chris will ask what for and you'll say it's your anniversary, and then you will be scot-free and out of trouble!" JC smiled, proud of himself.

"Ok, but wait, that's the thing you said you wanted to do with Lance, isn't it?" Joey asked, perplexed.

"Yeah, so what? I can still take him out to dinner, we'll just go somewhere different is all."

"Well yeah, but don't you want to get credit with your boyfriend for your sweet gesture thing, instead of it looking like you just copied me?" Joey frowned, trying to come up with a different plan.

"Ok, Joey, you need to look at the bigger picture here: Lance and I's anniversary was yesterday, and I didn't forget it, so this would just be icing on the cake for me, but your anniversary is today, and you did forget it, so will be in major shit if Justin finds out! So in the long run, you really need this a whole hell of a lot more than I do!" He exclaimed, torn between wanting to smack Joey and thank him for being nice enough to look at it that way.

"Right, ok, so you don't mind?" Joey asked, needing to be sure it was ok.

"Not even a little, cus y'know who Justin is gunna complain to if he realizes you forgot?"

"Lance." Joey stated, taking the ovbious answer.

"Exactly, and then you know who Lance is going to be bitchy with for however long it takes Justin to forgive you?"

"You." He replied, wanting to laugh.

"UHUH! And I really don't want that, above all else."

Joey snickered. "'Specially since you might get some action tonight, long as you don't piss Lance off." He said approvingly.

JC smiled and thought that yes, he was rather happy about that as well. When he began to feel a familiar sensation is his pants however, he decided he should probably not think about it quite so much for right now.

"Ok enough of that, we gotta get them in here before they do something bad to Chris!"

**********

Chris wasn't in quite the dire position that the other two men had pictured, but it wasn't exactly a good one either. In a last ditch attempt to get both of them away from Justin and Joey's room, after he had discarded his only other ploy, he had sadly confessed to them just how tragically lonely he really was and had asked them to help him find a girlfriend; and being the good friends they are, both had decided to assist him, though a little sooner than Chris had been hoping for. They went to work brainstorming immediately, as a matter of fact.

"What about our make-up artist, Melissa?" Lance said to Chris, and Chris just nodded dumbly, being unable to recall a face to put with the name; he didn't spend very much time in the make-up chair.

"Or maybe Malinda?" Justin suggested, smiling.

"Which one is Malinda?" Lance asked, now confused himself.

"Umm, y'know, the blonde one." Justin replied, scrunching up his nose in thought.

"That's Melissa!" Lance exclaimed, exasperated.

"Oh, well then who is Malinda???" Justin asked, wide-eyed.

Lance was about to reply that he didn't even think there was one when both their boyfriends burst through the door.

"Baby!" Joey exclaimed excitedly, sweeping Justin up in his arms and twirling him around like he weighed less than nothing. The blonde was practically out of breath when Joey finally set him down, and then the older man began to kiss him.

"I,-mm, ahh-" Justin couldn't help his moans as he felt Joey's tongue slip between his lips, gently biting down. Joey's hand roamed the blonde's body and soon Joey was supporting the blonde's limp weight with one hand on the youth's bottom and the other scooped around his slender waist.

When the brunette stopped Justin could hardly breath, but managed to question his boyfriend anyway.

"What-what was that for?" He asked happily, his words punctuated by sharp little intakes of breath.

"Just cus I love you." Joey smiled and proceeded to scoop the blonde up in his arms and carry him to the couch, where he settled down with Justin snug in his lap.

"Mm, I love you too." Justin sighed, laying his head on Joey's shoulder.

"I know." Joey whispered seductively and nipped at the blonde's neck, making him whimper in pleasure again.

Lance and JC, meanwhile, had made their way to the bed and were sitting in a position quite similar to that of the other couple. Chris had taken up residence on the opposite couch, trying to ignore the blatant tonguing and groping that was going on between his band mates.

He cleared his throat to get their attention, and they all looked up, Lance and Justin blushing as they realized their activities had been observed.

"So what did you guys decide you want to do today?" Lance asked quickly, before Chris could comment on his suddenly red cheeks.

Joey smiled, they might well pull this off. "Well I don't really mind what we do, as long as we're done by six or so."

"Oh, why's that?" JC asked, trying to sound at least a little genuinely interested, since he already knew.

"Justin and I have special dinner plans at Le Central tonight." Joey replied, naming a French restaurant he knew Justin loved.

"We do?" Justin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but it's supposed to be a surprise, so shhh, don't listen." Joey replied smiling, kissing Justin gently on the forehead and shutting the blonde's eyes for him.

Justin giggled. "Joey! You can't just make me to go to sleep by doing that!"

"Well, how bout if I said that if you go to sleep now then when you wake up, I'll have a surprise waiting for you?" Joey proposed slyly, smiling.

"What kind of surprise!?!?" Justin asked excitedly, bouncing up on down on his boyfriend's lap.

`Well if you keep doing that a pretty big one!' Joey thought as he felt his pants begin to tighten, but he decided not to say that aloud.

"Well if I told you then it wouldn't be much of a surprise, now would it?"

"PLEASE Joey! Please please tell me!" Justin begged, now intentionally rubbing against Joey's already hardening lump.

"Nope, you're just gunna have to wait and find out." Joey smirked, proud of his resolve.

"But Joey...." Justin made the words into one long plea, accompanied by his hand dropping down and snaking its way under Joey's waistband, so that his digits were grasping Joey's hardened dick. He slowly began to move his hand up and down, all the while looking straight into Joey's eyes.

"Justin, we aren't alone!" Joey said frantically, knowing if Justin continued much longer they would wind up with a very sticky situation on their hands. Or Justin's hand, to be exact.

Justin looked up and around, blushing bright scarlet as he realized that Chris was in fact watching them, one eyebrow raised.

`Apparently he forgot there were people around.' Joey thought, trying not to laugh aloud.

"So anyway," Chris commented, looking around the room. "Hey, JC!" He barked at the brunette, who had lain Lance down on the bed and looked like he was about to start removing the younger boy's clothes, regardless of who was in the room.

"Yeah, what is it?" JC asked, not looking up as he kissed Lance's neck.

"Could you stop groping your boyfriend long enough for us to have a conversation, please? All I'm asking for is just 5 gay-free minutes, ok?" He asked exasperatedly.

"I don't think that's likely to happen with these two here." Joey said, but kissed Justin while he said it, so the blonde would know he was only joking. JC smirked, agreeing, but used the same procedure on Lance, who sighed happily.

"Guys!" Chris yelled, and JC sat up, pulling Lance with him.

"Right yeah sorry we know Chris." He apologized, smashing all the words together.

Chris grumbled, but was gratified that both couples were now paying attention to him.

"So, if I remember correctly, we were trying to discuss what we should do today."

"Oh, right, well actually I kind of need to borrow JC for a few hours and have him come with me to get a few things ready for tonight." Joey said, smiling down at his boyfriend.

"What kind of things?" Justin asked, batting his eyelashes at the brunette.

"It's a surprise." Joey said mischievously, smirking.

Justin was about to say something else but Chris cut him off, seeing exactly where this was leading.

"Ok never mind that! Joey wants to go out, so I say that the three of us leave now and that Lance and Justin can amuse themselves here for a few hours, does that sound all right?" He asked, looking around the circle.

"Oh, well if it's ok with you, we'd kinda like to keep Chris here with us?" Lance asked, smiling at JC, whose idea to take Chris he thought it was.

"Yeah, we're finding him a girlfriend!" Justin exclaimed excitedly. Joey looked at Chris oddly, and the older man tersely explained what he had said in the hall.

"But I really think I should go with JC and Joey to help out!" Chris half-shouted, trying not to get stuck here with the two amateur matchmakers.

"Naw it's ok, I bet we can spare you, if the boys want." JC said wickedly, and Joey nodded his agreement.

"But-" Chris was quickly cut off by Joey.

"Oh don't worry about it, JC and I will be just fine." He said, using a mock tone of regret as he smirked, one which went unnoticed by both blondes.

"Well you guys had better get going then!" Justin exclaimed anxiously, excited to find out what his surprise was going to be.

"That all right with you sweetie?" JC whispered, just to make sure.

"Yup, it's fine." Lance smiled as his boyfriend kissed him.

"We're going out to dinner tonight also, y'know?"

"Oh really?" Lance asked, but an odd inflection shadowed his words.

"But not," JC slipped a hand around the blonde and gave him a gentle squeeze on the bottom. "with them." He murmured as he bit down lightly on Lance's earlobe, so that his meaning would be clear.

"Mmm, I was hoping so!" Lance smiled, and pushed JC away from him, giggling. JC

stood up and looked over to Joey.

"Alright man, well if we have to leave let's do it now." JC said, and began to move towards the door.

"Walk me to the door?" Joey asked quietly, and Justin nodded, smiling. But the brunette didn't allow the blonde to stand up, carrying him instead.

"So really, you didn't mean walk with you so much as just come with you, yes?" Justin asked, laughing, and Joey nodded his agreement. He set the blonde on his feet and leaned down for one last kiss, taking the blonde's lips into his own and gently sucking on each before letting his tongue slip into the youth's mouth.

"I, uhh, mmmm....."

"Happy Anniversary, babe." Joey whispered and Justin jerked back to look at him, startled, and then broke into a hundred-watt smile, throwing his arms around the brunette's neck once more.

"You remembered!" He cried happily, and Joey hugged him as tight as he could.

"Course I did, I'll never forget, I promise."

***********

"So what all are we getting?" JC asked, tossing his coat over his shoulders as they exited the room.

"Umm I'm not sure really, lets see, uhhh, roses, a card, a gift or something, and definitely some lunch." Joey added as his stomach began to growl.

"Lunch is good." JC agreed, ready to eat.

************

Fortunately for Chris, the five of them were billeted in a hotel that was just a short walk from a multitude of tiny gift shops and cafes, otherwise his jeep would have been victim to another joyride.

"So what do you think Justin might like?" JC asked as they looked over menus at a small cafe restaurant that they had found just three blocks from hotel.

"I'm not sure really..." Joey replied, aimlessly flipping the plastic-coated pages. " At first I was thinking something like the locket you got Lance, but it has to be pretty different, cus I don't want him to be bummed or anything, so I decided I need more time to think about that, so for this anniversary I think I might just stick with flowers and champagne."

"That sounds like a good plan. Know what kind of flowers yet or you just wanna go check out a couple florists?" JC asked, smiling; he was getting pretty good at this boyfriend stuff.

"Yeah, well I think so anyway, cus remember when we were doing that interview last week? The one with Seventeen or Teen or whatever it was?"

"Yeah, Lance and I made out in the coat closet." JC smirked when Joey looked up at him, surprised.

"I'll have to remember that for the next time Justin and I are on an interview." He murmured, smiling. "But anyway, I was sitting there with Just when they were doing the individual interviews and they asked him what flower he would most likely get for his sweetie on their anniversary, and he said `Well I'm pretty fond of those white roses with the red tips, because they have the red for love, but also the white, which means friendship, doesn't it?' And it was really funny too because the girl was kinda tactless and was like `Well actually it's yellow that means friendship.' And so then Justin of course asked what white roses meant and she said that she thought they were usually symbolic of girlhood, and Justin blushed so hard, it was really adorable." When Joey realized that JC's eyes had begun to take on a glazed look he hurried on. "So anyway when we got back to the hotel Justin just had to check if she was right, so he used the computer room in the hotel and got on the net, and found out that only white rose_buds_ symbolize girlhood, and that when red and white are given together they symbolize love and unity, so that made him happy." By the time Joey had finished JC was practically drooling out of boredom and asked:

"So, umm, was there like a point to that story or what?"

"Oh, right!" Joey exclaimed, realizing that he had gotten so caught up in the memory that he had forgotten to answer the original question. "So anyway, when Justin said that thing about the roses he looked right at me, and since I'm guessing that I'm the only `sweetie' he has, I think he didn't mean he would get them for me so much as I should get them for him."

"A reasonable assumption." JC replied, now laughing; that would be just like Justin.

"Can I take your order now?" A perky blonde waitress had returned with the drinks they had requested from the hostess, interrupting their conversation as both realized that they had barely looked at the menus.

************

"CHRIS!" Justin and Lance both yelled insistently, chasing Chris as he ran out the door.

"No, no! Leave me alone! I was wrong, I don't want a girlfriend!" Chris said frantically, running into his room and shutting the door behind him, locking it tight.

Justin and Lance were left standing outside in the hallway, staring at each other, perplexed.

"But I thought he wanted us to get him a girlfriend?" Justin said petulantly, looking to his friend.

"So did I." Lance agreed, pouting.

"Maybe, maybe he wants a boyfriend instead?" Justin asked brightly, all innocent eyes and sunlit curls.

"Yeah!" Lance exclaimed, excited by this prospect. "We could get a brand new friend!"

"And we would like him of course, since we picked him out, so we could tell him everything, just like we do with each other!"

"Yeah, it'd be so great! And then the three of us could have like complete control of the band, too!" Lance laughed, smiling.

"For sure! Cus really the only thing holding us back is Chris!" Justin agreed happily, going along with the joke.

"We should get right on this." Lance said mock seriously, enjoying himself.

"Quick-like, Sheriff!" Justin exclaimed, quoting an old-western that was one of Joey's favorites.

Both boy's burst into laughter.

Chris heard their merriment.

He began to worry.

*************

"What about this?" JC asked, tossing a bright blue stuffed teddy bear to his friend.

"Too ugly." Joey said after a cursory glance, throwing it back. The two had left the cafe after their breakfast and were now walking through a large Hallmark gift shop, JC walking backwards, tossing various things to Joey for his appraisal.

"This maybe?" A bright green beanie baby came flying Joey's way and he caught it in one hand, wrinkling his nose in dislike.

"Too stupid." He said, almost laughing at the inane little puppy dog he was holding.

Over the next five minutes he tossed back everything that was thrown at him, deeming them too girly, disgusting, or frightening for Justin. He was almost beginning to despair of finding anything at all when JC stopped dead in his tracks and beckoned him over.

"Hey, dude, come over here and look at this." He said quietly, gesturing.

"Oh, that's it, that's perfect."

It was a giant card, about three feet tall and one and a half across, with a snuggly looking teddy bear on the front, wishing the receiver a Happy Anniversary. Sitting in front was the same teddy that was on the card, but in real stuffed animal form. He was holding a little heart that said `Happy Anniversary to the One I Love' and had a little sticker tucked back beneath that proclaimed that he could hold a vase with flowers between his arms.

"Yeah! That's it, absolutely!" Joey exclaimed happily, picking up both bear and card. "And I can get the flowers and put them in between his arms just like it says and all, Justin will love it!"

JC agreed. "Dude, maybe I should get one for Lance, too." He exclaimed, imagining how much his boyfriend would like it as well.

"No, you can't do that!"

"Why not?" JC asked, looking around to see if he could find another.

"Well I don't really think they would be thrilled when they realized we got them the same thing, do you?!?!?" Joey asked, aghast at the thought.

"Well so how would they know they got the same thing?" JC asked, still looking around.

"JC! Have you forgotten the fact that they would tell each other????" Joey couldn't believe how stupid his normally competent friend was being.

JC turned around suddenly, stark white and startled. "Damn, I had forgotten that!" He smacked himself on the forehead while Joey resisted the urge to give him another smack on the back of his head.

"Doof." He muttered instead, but JC missed it.

"All right, well help me find something different for Lance then!" JC said; after all, it had been him who had found Justin's gift.

Joey agreed, relieved.

************

Lance and Justin had gone back to their room to talk over the merits of finding Chris a boyfriend, but after fifteen minutes had decided that they definitely liked the idea, much to their excitement.

"Chris, Chris!" Lance and Justin were both pounding on their beleaguered older band mate's door, interrupting the quiet, peaceful time he had been having reading his book.

"What!?!" He yelled back, irritated.

"We figured out why you don't want us to find you a girlfriend!" Justin exclaimed excitedly, and Chris rolled his eyes.

"Good for you!" He shouted back, hoping they would leave him alone.

"You wanna know why?!??!!?" Lance called out, disappointed that he hadn't asked already.

"Not particularly, no!" He replied loudly, sighing as he laid his book facedown on the couch and stood up, wondering whether or not the sound of the shower and TV combined would drown them out.

There was a momentary silence from the other side of the door as the boys mulled over what to say in response.

"We're gunna tell you anyway, k!??!?" Justin shouted out, proud of his plan.

"If I said it wasn't ok, would it make any difference????" He wondered, loud enough for both to hear.

"Not particularly, no!" Lance said smugly, giggling as he quoted Chris' earlier statement back to him.

Chris had to shake his head and laugh. `Good thing they're both cute.' Chris thought ruefully, shaking his head once more and deciding to play along willingly, since he was going to have to anyway. "All right, hit me with it, why don't I want you to find me a girlfriend?"

"Because-" Justin began. "Drum roll please, Mr. Bass!" Both boys started drumming their hands against the door frame and Chris was soon laughing once again. "It's because...." Justin let the suspense, as he thought of it, lengthen for a moment until he and Lance both spoke at the same time. "Because what you really want us to do is find you a boyfriend!!!!!!" They exclaimed happily, proud of their deduction.

Chris, who had had his back facing the door, now turned around, a hand resting heavily on his forehead.

"I want what, exactly?" He asked, trying his best to be patient.

"It's cus you want a boyfriend, not a girlfriend!" Justin repeated excitedly.

"Yeah, and we want a new friend too!" Lance exclaimed, revealing their ulterior motives.

Chris began to contemplate going down the fire escape.

**********

Joey and JC quickly found the perfect cuddly stuffed animal and an adorable card for Lance as well, paid, and exited the shop, hats pulled down low to avoid any kind of recognition.

Luckily they found a likely looking florist just two doors down and decided to go inside. They wandered around aimlessly for a few minutes before the clerk, a pretty redheaded girl who looked to be around twenty, came out from the back.

"Can I help you guys find something today?" She asked perkily, seeming to bounce around.

"Uhh yeah, do you have any of those white roses with the red tips?" Joey asked, hoping that just because he hadn't seen any didn't mean there weren't any here.

"Sure thing," She replied perkily, surprising both men. "They're the owner's favorite, so we almost always have them in." She explained, seeing their expressions as she walked across the store to the refrigerated display where the roses were kept. "My name's Fiona by the way, but everybody just calls me Tosh." She called back as they followed her.

"Uhh, hows that work, exactly?" Joey asked, curious as to how Fiona had gotten shortened into Tosh.

"It's a long story, maybe some other time." She smiled, reaching into her pocket. "How many can I get for you?" Tosh asked, pulling back the door of the display.

"Umm, two dozen, I think, right?" Joey said, glancing back to JC, who nodded that he thought that sounded good.

"Florist's dozen or baker's?" She asked mischievously, pulling her curly hair back into a loose ponytail.

"Umm, what's the difference?" Joey asked, squinting.

Tosh laughed. "If you don't already know then you won't think it's very funny anyway." She glanced past him to JC, who couldn't help but snicker at the stupid joke. "See, he gets it." She laughed again and pointed at the other brunette. Joey turned around to look at his friend, but JC just waved his wand, as if saying it was too dumb to explain.

"Will you be wanting a card with these as well?"

"Oh, no, we already got all that stuff." Joey replied, holding up the Hallmark bag he was carrying.

"Ah Hallmark, gotta love 'em, my boyfriend got me one of those sets of kisskiss bears for Valentines last year, they are so adorable!"

"Oh you have a boyfriend?" JC asked, making conversation as they headed back towards the front counter so she could wrap the flowers.

"I did, we broke up a few months ago." She didn't sound very sorry about it, but JC felt he should offer his condolences anyway.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." She said, flashing him a smile. "I dumped him." She smirked and turned to Joey. "Would you like a vase for these?"

"Uhh yeah, but see, I need it to fit in here." Joey said, pulling out the teddy bear. "It's supposed to go inside his arms." He explained.

"Aww sweet! All right, hmm, I think I have the perfect one in the back! Give it here and I'll go find it, or at least one that will work, do you have any kind of preference about it?" She asked as she was walking away, back turned towards him.

"Uhh no, not really, just as long as it's good looking!"

"Of course!" She laughed and disappeared into the back to search through the vases they had. "So who is this for anyway?" She yelled out through the door to the two men who were at the moment her only customers. When she didn't hear an answer she decided to start guessing. "Anniversary gift for your special lady?" She asked, spying the Happy Anniversary heart that was attached to the stuffed bear.

"Uhh, yeah, something like that!" Joey shouted back, not really knowing how to reply.

Tosh laughed. "I thought it might be more `something like that!'" She yelled in response, and Joey looked warily at JC, who just shrugged his shoulders. "Aha! Found it!" She marched out from the back, holding it up. "Perfect, isn't it?"

"Beautiful." Joey agreed, smiling at her enthusiasm. "Umm, so, what did you mean by you thought it might be something like that?" He asked, running his fingers along the glass counter-top as if he wasn't really interested, wondering if they were thinking of the same kind of `something like that.'

"I meant exactly what you mean." She said, winking at him. "But don't worry, we get a lot of `something like thats' in here, I like it, I think it's sweet." She threw her hair carelessly across her shoulder and tossed him a smirk and another saucy wink before turning to JC, who was barely controlling his laughter. "What about you, what can I do ya for?" She asked, smiling again.

"Well, here's the deal, I want to get my `something like that' flowers also, but they both know each other, so-"

"So it can't be anywhere close to the same thing, or they won't be happy with you two."

Tosh predicted accurately.

"Right. So do you have any suggestions?"

"Hmm, let's see, well, it shouldn't be the same at all, or at least I would want it to be if I was them. Umm, daisy's maybe?" She was thinking aloud, and began to reach for the white flowers. "Mmm, no, they're too just, umm, friendship-y I think is the word, not boyfriend sweet, unless that's the message you want to send?" She asked, her hand hesitating over the bouquet.

"No no," JC said hastily. "It definitely needs to be romantic."

"Thought so, too bad, those are really quite pretty." She moved on, leaning down to smell a few different flowers and hesitating quite a few times as if thinking. "You guys might as well take off your baseball caps by the way, unless you're terribly fond of them, I already know who you are." She smiled at them over her shoulder and they hesitantly removed the caps and sunglasses, which they thought had been working out very well.

"What gave us away?" Joey asked, curious.

"Probably the fact that you were standing right beside my little sister's N'sync calendar, and this month has a picture of the two of you." She pointed to the far wall where they had been standing a moment before, and sure enough, there was the incriminating picture, in plain view even now. "I'm just bummed that you didn't bring Chris along with you," she continued, picking up an attractive arrangement, but then setting it back down and moving along, "after all, he's the real good-lookin' one. No offense to you two, of course, you're cute and all, but Chris, mmm, I bet he could keep me warm at night." She smirked at Joey, whose mouth was half-open, shocked she would say something like that about their friend.

"We'll be sure to let him know you feel that way." JC teased, recovered, hoping to incite at least a blush from the redhead. After all, she had gotten them each a few times already.

"Please do." She said, her smirk crushing JC's hopes. "I've got it!" She shouted suddenly, quickly crossing the length of the store, the guys following. "How about this: Stargazer lilies, with some really pale pink roses, just a few, and some white tulips in there too, and a bit of baby's-breath as a garnish, but no ferns-after all, we don't want it to seem too plant-ish!" She was running around the store, grabbing all the different flowers as she spoke.

"What do you think?" She asked, almost breathless, thrusting a beautiful bouquet at an astonished JC.

"Wow, yeah, that looks great." JC replied, impressed by her creativity.

"Wait! Now his looks better than mine though!" Joey exclaimed, alarmed by this development.

"Ok ok, calm down and wait a minute, hmm, here's what we'll do: I'll add some baby's-breath garnish to yours also, and a couple rosebuds, here, and here-" She added the items artfully to the vase as she spoke, somewhat appeasing the brunette. "And then we'll just give JC a simple little vase, so that it won't detract from his flowers, or yours, allrighty?"

"Yeah, cool." Joey smiled, and laughed at how foolish he was being as she tied some ribbon around the vase he was holding. She quickly dashed behind the counter and found JC a simple but beautiful vase and inserted each stem carefully, so as not to crowd any of them.

"Anything else?" She asked, looking around to make sure they had everything.

"Uh yeah, I think so." Joey said, looking to JC for confirmation.

"All right then boys, it's reckoning time." She gave them her best old-western stare as she saw JC nod, and pulled out her pretend pistols from imaginary holsters. "Knock 'em down or shoot em' up!" She declared, and burst into laughter.

JC and Joey couldn't help it; they began to laugh as well.

************

On the way back to the hotel Joey and JC discussed where they were going to hide the gifts until later that night, and finally came to the consensus that it would have to be Chris' room.

The trip through the lobby was calm, thankfully, as was the ride up the escalator. It was when they got to their own floor that there was an outburst of craziness.

"I DON'T WANT A BOYFRIEND!!!!!!!" Chris shouted loudly, running from JC's room into Joey's, both of which had the doors open.

"YES you do, yes you do!!!!!!!!!" Justin and Lance came tumbling after, obviously chasing the older man.

"What the hell is going on here?" Joey asked, turning to JC, who looked just as dumbfounded.

"I have absolutely no idea, but the door to Chris' room is open, so let's go stick this stuff in there, and figure it out in a minute."

"Good plan." Joey agreed, and they walked into Chris' room, looking around for a moment before deciding the closet would be the best place to hide their purchases.

Chris came streaking into the room only seconds after they had turned from the closet, throwing the door shut and locking it fast behind him.

"How the hell did you two get in here!?!?" He asked with a burst of air, bewildered and rather frantic.

"The door was open, so we just walked in, what the hell is going on???" Joey replied, entirely confused by the whole situation.

"All your fault...Joey...asshole-" Chris was hunched over with his hands resting on his knees in an extremely uncomfortable-looking position, gasping for breath after all the running and shouting he had just endured. "First, I told them, I wanted a girlfriend, to keep them away from the room, then, you jerks, left me here, so I said I didn't want a girlfriend, which they took to mean I wanted a boyfriend!"

Joey began to laugh hysterically, he couldn't help it, all the shouting and hysterics now made sense.

"Not funny you ass!" Chris landed a hefty smack on Joey's arm, but the younger man decided not to retaliate; after all, Chris had been through a lot. "So then, they were so determined, that they broke into my room! And-"

"And you've all been running around screaming and hollering ever since." JC summed up for his friend, laughing himself.

He received a mighty glare from Chris, but not a smack, so he chose to ignore it.

At that moment Justin and Lance began pounding on the door again, shouting for Chris to let them in.

Chris looked around, wild-eyed. "Help!" He shouted, looking to the other two.

"I'm sorry Chris but this is just too-" Joey began.

"You help me or I swear to god I will tell Justin that-"

"Ok ok! Jeez, ok, we'll think of something." He said quickly, wondering if Justin could hear them through the door as he tried to come up with a idea.

JC and Joey looked at each other simultaneously, the same thing on their minds.

"Tosh." JC said, and Joey nodded his agreement.

"What???" Chris was very confused.

"Ok, we may have a plan....."

**********

Yayay! It's done! I'm seriously so gunna start the next one right away, and I'm trying to finish those other stories too! Seriously!

-Angel