What It Is - Once More
Author: Zarah
Title: Once More (Sequel to: No More)
Pairing: JC Chasez/Justin Timberlake
Note: I wasn't planning on writing this. I really wasn't. But there were such a lot of nice requests *coughthreatscough* for a sequel to No More, and then I read Tiffany's version of this, and it inspired me. So, this is my very own version of the sequel to No More. And it's for all you people who wanted it.
Disclaimer: Don't know. Don't own. Imply. No, wait, make that: Don't imply. Yeah.
Once More
Sequel to: No More
[Last few lines of No More:
"What are you doing here?"
"I was waiting."
"Why?" The conversation sounded strangely familiar to Justin.
"I was worried about you."
"That's a first."
JC got to his feet, staring straight at the younger man in front of him. "Make love to me, Justin. Please."
The keycard dropped along with Justin's jaw.]
For a moment, there was only silence, then Justin bent down to pick up the card from the floor. He shook his head. "You know, I really shouldn't have had that last drink. It smelled kinda funny."
"Um... Excuse me?"
"It causes hallucinations. Like, there's this guy, Joshua Chasez, I think you know him. Well, he used to come to me every night for... I guess you could call it fuck and go. Made me feel like shit. Dirty, you know? Cheap. Worthless. Like a whore. Anyway, it took me some time to find the strength to stop it."
JC swallowed.
Justin shrugged nonchalantly. "And now I thought I heard him say that he wants me to make love to him although he made it very clear that he's not and will never be a bottom. So why should he do that?"
"Maybe... Maybe he found out that he loves you?"
"Yeah, right. Seems as if I was wrong when I assumed you know Joshua."
"People can change."
"Not him."
"How do you know? How do you know he's not really sorry for everything he did to you? How do you know he's not in love with you?"
"Because we're talking about an insensible asshole here, someone who doesn't give shit about other people's feelings."
The brunette winced. "Maybe you don't know him well enough."
"I know him very well, thank you. I know what he looks like when he comes inside of me. I know what he looks like when he's calling me a whore. I even know what he looks like when he's telling me not to kiss him because kissing is only something for lovers and "this whole thing is about sex and not love". - I think I know him too well."
Tossing him a sugary sweet smile, Justin stepped around JC into his room and closed the door.
***
The next morning, JC cornered Justin on the bus, pinning him against the wall in the bathroom.
Justin didn't have the chance to avoid being kissed.
He did, however, have the chance to free himself when the brunette got lost in the kiss and loosened his grip on him.
He took it.
***
JC wouldn't try anything, Justin was sure about that. JC wouldn't try anything, not with the other three guys in the room, none of them knowing about what their band mates used to do every night for quite some time.
Boy was he wrong.
"That guy, Joshua Chasez... Assuming you weren't having hallucinations when he asked you to make love to him: What would he have to do to make you believe that he's in love with you?"
Justin glanced around, at Joey, who didn't look surprised at all, at Lance and Chris who were both gaping at JC, and then, finally, at JC himself. "He'd have to prove it."
"How?"
"I don't know either."
***
"You and Justin were dating?"
"No."
"But you want to?"
"Yes."
"And he doesn't?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I treated him like shit before."
"How?"
"I used him."
"For?"
"Sex."
"You..."
"You didn't!"
"I did."
"Justin?"
"The baby?"
"How could you?"
"He's your friend!"
"I don't think he still calls me a friend."
"Your fault."
"I know."
"What are you going to do now?"
"Try to make him love me."
"How?"
"Beg. Fight. Die."
"Die?"
"Die."
"No."
"Yes."
"You're out of your mind, JC."
"You're not yourself."
"That's right. My heart's missing. And as I don't think I'll ever get it back, I want Justin's in return."
"You listen too much to our songs."
"Yes."
***
"How did you get in here?"
"Killed Lance and stole the spare key to your room." JC's gaze stayed glued to Justin's face, not sweeping over the younger man's body, barely covered by a towel.
"How did you get in here?"
The brunette sighed. "I convinced Lance that I'm really in love with you and that it would kill me if I didn't manage to win you back."
"How did you get in here, Joshua?"
"That was the true version."
"Why did you get in here?"
"Let me stay the night."
"No."
"Justin, please!"
"No."
"I promise I won't try anything. Just... let me be near you, please."
"No."
"I'll even sleep on the couch."
"There's no couch in here."
"I'll sleep on the floor."
"Why do you want to sleep in my room if not to get in my pants?"
"I just want to be close to you."
"Why should I believe you?"
"Because I love you. I'm in love with you."
"You could be lying."
"I'm not. I promise I'm not."
"Can you get out, please? I want to get dressed."
"Justin, please! Don't throw me out. Please."
"I'm not throwing you out. I'll let you back in when I'm done dressing."
"Let me stay in here, Justin, please. If I leave the room, I'm not sure if you ever let me come back inside."
"I will."
"Can I just turn around while you dress? I won't look. Just don't make me leave."
"I don't..."
"Trust me."
"JC..."
"Please?"
Justin sighed. "Okay, turn around."
"Thank you."
***
Justin knew that the floor wasn't comfortable. Justin also knew that he shouldn't care about that. After all, JC was the one sleeping on it, so why should he care? He didn't care. Not at all.
JC shifted.
How much damage could a night on the floor cause to a dancer's back? Not much, right?
JC's head bumped against something solid.
Right?
JC shivered, missing a blanket.
Justin cursed himself for what he was about to do but did it anyway.
"Joshua? You can... I'll let you sleep in the bed, Wade would kill me if you've got backache tomorrow. Stay on your side, though. Touch me and you're out of here."
JC sat up, eyes shining in the dark. "I can? Really? I mean... Are you sure? I can sleep in bed with you?"
"Yeah. Just keep your hands to yourself."
"Okay."
Justin watched JC as the brunette walked around the bed to the right side, then lay down on the mattress, curling up very close to the edge, but facing Justin.
The blonde turned away, feeling eyes on him. He wondered if he had just made a mistake.
***
Arms around him. Okay, that was nice. Smelled good, too. But who...?
Justin's eyes flew open and he scrambled out of the embrace, backed away to his own side of the bed.
JC! No, Joshua. He was calling him Joshua now. It sounded more distant, like he didn't know him very well.
Not that that was important at the moment, important was only one thing: Why had he slept in JC's, no, Joshua's arms, and for how long exactly?
Joshua was still where he had fallen asleep. Which meant that he had been the one who had moved over, into JC's, Joshua's arms. Did the brunette know?
Justin seriously hoped he didn't.
***
JC came to sleep in his room the next day, too.
Also the day after that.
Justin didn't know why, but he didn't have the heart to send him away. Or maybe he did know why. He just didn't want to know.
***
"Can I kiss you?"
Justin almost spit out his coke. "What?"
JC blushed.
Since when did JC blush?
Interesting.
"Not on the mouth or anything. Just... On the cheek? Or on the forehead?"
"You want to kiss me?"
The brunette nodded.
"You want to kiss me." Justin repeated, not sure what to make of it.
JC blushed even more. Cute.
Wait, Joshua wasn't cute.
Was he?
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea."
"I'll cross my arms behind my back, okay? No touching. I promise."
"Okay. I guess."
"I can?"
"Yeah. On the cheek. Make it quick."
The strange thing was, Justin wasn't sure if he wanted JC to cross his arms behind his back.
***
"So, how are things?"
JC sighed. "I wish he'd stop calling me Joshua."
"And apart from that?"
The brunette's face lit up immediately. "Great! Totally great, Joey. I kissed him today."
"He let you kiss him?"
"On the cheek."
"That is great?"
"Of course."
"Well, when you said he let you kiss him, I thought you were talking about a real kiss. On the mouth, you know."
"Maybe he'll let me. Someday. It's too early to already try anything like that."
"You're sleeping in his room for two weeks now."
"Yeah."
"And you think it's too early?"
"Yeah. I won't mess it up by rushing things. Not this time."
"So you're what? Going to wait a year until you try anything more than a kiss on the cheek?"
"Until he's ready for more. Maybe I can kiss him on the cheek from time to time now."
"You're crazy."
"Maybe." JC agreed.
When Justin heard the sound of moving chairs, he stopped pressing his ear against the door and continued his way down the corridor, feeling dizzy.
***
"Joshua?"
"Hmm?" The brunette, already half asleep on his side of the bed, opened his eyes.
"You can kiss me, if you want."
JC smiled and leaned over.
Justin shook his head. "Not on the cheek."
Stopping, a look of confusion crossed JC's face. "Forehead?"
"You can kiss me on the lips, if you want."
If he hadn't been enjoying the kiss so much, Justin would have laughed at JC's expression of utter bliss. The brunette was looking as if he was about to cream his pants.
***
"He let me kiss him, he let me kiss him!"
Joey yawned, sitting up. "And that's news? JC, it's to early to wake me up just because you got to kiss Justin on the cheek."
"On the lips. He let me kiss him on the lips."
Tossing him a tired smile, Joey flopped back on his bed. "That's great, JC. Congratulations. And now please go and jerk off thinking about Justin's lips on yours so I can go back to sleep."
"Will do. Night, Joe!" Half dancing, half bouncing, JC left the room.
Joey shook his head, wondering when exactly JC had lost his mind, and went back to sleep.
***
"Can I kiss you again?"
"Can I call you Josh?"
"Yeah."
"Okay."
***
"Justin?"
"I'm sleeping."
"We'll be late."
"So?"
"Come on, bab-"
Justin sat up abruptly. "Were you going to call me babe?"
"No!"
"It's okay."
"It is?"
"Yeah. But I'm still not getting up."
"I'll ask Lance if we can stay an hour longer."
"Why?"
JC shrugged. "Because. So you can sleep."
"Lance will be mad at you."
"Yeah."
"You're still doing it?"
"Yes."
"Thanks, Josh."
***
"I can call him babe!"
"That's great, JC. And now get out and let me sleep."
"Night."
Joey groaned.
***
"Josh, you don't have to put your hands in the pockets of your jeans when you kiss me."
"I don't?"
"No."
"Am I allowed to touch you?"
"Above the waist."
***
"He..."
"JC! Congratulations. Get out and let me sleep."
"But Joey, he let me touch him!"
"Great. Good night."
"Night."
***
"Justin?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
Justin smiled. "Thanks, Josh."
JC tried not to be disappointed.
***
"Could you..."
"Hmm?"
"Never mind."
"Could I what?"
"It's not important."
"Josh? What is it?"
"I... I was going to ask if you could make love to me." JC saw Justin's face tense and hurriedly continued talking. "I'm sorry. Sorry. Please, forget I ever said it, okay? It's not important."
"Okay."
"You'll forgive me?"
"No."
"Oh."
"I'm going to make love to you."
I'd probably ask people to vote for Just To Be With You, but, well... There are too many excellent stories in the Justin/JC category, so I don't have a chance anyway. If that doesn't stop you or you just want to check it out (just as I said, there are a lot of good stories!): http://www.geocities.com/slashodyssey2001/frames.html
Also archived on my website: What It Is...