Notes: Sorry it took me so long to send out this chapter. But i'm ill, and I wasn't really in the mood to do anything. But I feel al lot better already, and I promise to send the next chapter out sooner:)!
Disclaimer: Don't know, don't want to imply, this is fiction.
Chapter 20 by Dannii
"Hey Josh!" Justin grinned happily at the older boy. "Man, that sounded great! But are you sure that you are fit enough to be down here and play piano?" JC smiled a bit at Justin's concern.
"Yes, dad, I'm sure. I'm fine. I feel a lot better already. No need to worry." Justin sighed.
"Okay. - Oh, this is Lance. We have photography class together. He brought me home and offered to help me in class, cause photography is his major. I thought I'd invite him in for a while."
"Uh, that's nice. Hi Lance." JC offered the shy boy a fake smile, which didn't get unnoticed by Justin. He looked at JC quizzically.
"Hi Josh", Lance answered shyly.
"JC", JC corrected him sharply. "My name is JC." Lance blushed and nodded.
"Sorry. JC." Justin shot JC a glance that asked him what his problem was, but JC just shrugged. Justin turned to Lance, who was still a bit red in the face.
"Shall we go upstairs? I can show you my room, and maybe you could help me pick out a camera from the magazine I have upstairs. I still need to buy me a good one."
Lance looked at JC unsure, and when he saw the glance JC was shooting him, he swallowed and shook his head.
"I have to go home. I need to... need to do something there," he said apologetically and turned around to leave the room. Justin grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Wait! I'll bring you outside." Without looking back at JC, who was still sitting at the piano, he followed Lance out of the room and to the front door.
"I'm sorry Lance, I don't know what's up with him. I think he still has problems with his head. - Are you sure you don't want to stay? You don't have to go just because of Josh."
Lance shook his head again. "No, I better go. I promised dad to help him with the car today."
Justin nodded and then said, "okay. Then we'll see us in class tomorrow, right? Will you reserve me a place beside you?" He was rewarded with the biggest smile he'd seen on Lance's face so far.
"Sure! I'll see you tomorrow!" Justin watched as Lance jumped down the stairs to his car. He couldn't help but smile at the blond boy.
<He's definitely sweet,> he thought. <Maybe not as sweet as Josh, but...> His face darkened when his mind came back to the boy who was still sitting in the piano room. He waved at Lance one last time, closed the door and walked back into the room where JC was really sitting on the piano bench, with his back to Justin.
"What the hell were you thinking, JC?" Justin asked, causing JC to turn around very quickly, surprised. For a short moment JC felt dizzy, but he tried not to show it.
"I don't know what you mean," he acted innocently. Justin snorted.
"Yeah, sure. Come on, Josh. Lance is already shy enough. I don't know what your problem was, he's really nice. I like him a lot. And there's no reason for you to be so cold towards him." Now it was JC's turn to snort.
"Yeah, whatever." But deep down inside he knew that he was being unfair. Lance seemed nice, yes - but he was a boy, and Justin liked him, and JC didn't want Justin to like somebody more than he liked him, JC. Justin sighed.
"What is it, Josh? Are you pissed because of something?"
"No, Justin, I'm not pissed!" JC shouted and jumped up from the bench - what was a big mistake. Because in the next moment, he felt his head spinning madly, and then he collapsed on the floor.
Justin stood there frozen for a minute, but then he ran to JC's side, dropping to his knees.
"Josh? Josh! Jace, come on, talk to me please!" <This can't be happening,> he thought desperately. He gently cradled JC's face in his hands and stroked his cheeks with his thumbs.
"Jace, man, come on. Don't scare me here." JC's eyes fluttered open slowly, and he looked at Justin, trying to focus.
"Shit, that hurt!", he said weakly. "I really thought one bump in my head is enough for the moment." Justin smiled at his attempt to be funny.
JC noticed that Justin was still stroking his cheeks, and he thought he was in heaven.
<Maybe I'm already dead. This just feels too good. I hope that he'll never stop doing this.>
But sure enough, in the next moment Justin pulled his hands back and stared down at JC.
"You know, I'd really love to slap you at the moment, if you weren't already hurt. I knew that you weren't fit enough to be down here. I really don't know what mom was thinking, letting you come down." JC decided not to say anything. He knew that it would be useless at the moment. So he just let Justin talk.
"And now I'll bring you into your bed, you big baby. And I'll make sure that you stay there this time! And you won't go to class this week. - No protest! I know that this is shit, because it's the first week, but it'll be okay. Tyler will tell you everything you need to know about your music business class, and I'll care for the rest. - And now, let me help you up."
As carefully as never before, he helped JC into a sitting position, then went around him to grab him under the armpits. Slowly he pulled him up, pausing for a moment when he felt JC sway. Then he wrapped his arms around JC from behind and guided him forward, to the stairs.
Now JC was sure that he was in heaven. There was no way that he could feel this happy down on earth. He almost forgot the throbbing pain in his head, and just focused on the feeling of Justin's arms around his waist, and his back pressed against Justin's chest.
Justin was having similar thoughts. JC was so close that he could see every tiny hair in his neck, and smell the faint scent of his shampoo. Suddenly he had the urgent desire to kiss JC on the neck, and it took all of his will to not do it. With panic he realized that he was becoming aroused.
<No, no, no,> he thought. <Not now, when he could feel it. Please. Think evil thoughts.> As fast as he could, but still slow enough to make sure that he didn't hurt JC more than he already was, he guided him into his bedroom and helped him into bed. He tucked him in and excused himself for a moment.
"I'll be right back, Josh. I'll bring you some of these painkillers." He went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, leaning against it. He was breathing hard.
<Calm down, Justin. Be cool. Calm down!> He looked down at the tent in his jeans. <I can't go back into the room like this. No way. Oh god, I just want to lay down with him, and hold him, and tell him how much I love him... I love him! I really do!> he suddenly realized. <And not just because of the fact that he likes me, too. I mean, Britney likes me, and I hate her!> He giggled at that. <And Lance, he seems to like me, too, and he's cute, but I don't like him like that. It's just Josh.> He sat down on the edge of the bathtub. <What do I do now? Should I just tell him? No. That would be too sudden. And I want to know first what he really feels for me. If it's just a small crush, or if he loves me, like I love him.> He stood up again and took some painkillers out of the closet above the sink.
Noticing that everything was back to normal in his pants, he took a deep breath and went back into JC's room. JC was still lying on his back, his eyes on the bathroom door, and he smiled when he saw Justin come back. He watched Justin's every movement as he crossed the room, poured some water in the glass on his bedside table, and sat down on his bed, so that their bodies were touching. Justin put his hand behind JC's head and helped him up, and JC swallowed the painkillers and washed them down with the water before lying back again.
"Can you scoot over a bit?" Justin asked him suddenly, and JC looked at him with big eyes, but did as he was asked. Justin then lied down beside him, but on the comforter, while JC was lying under it. Justin turned onto his side, so that he was facing JC.
"Close your eyes", he told him, and JC obeyed. The next moment he felt a hand stroking his hair, his forehead, and his cheeks.
"Sleep", Justin whispered, and JC sighed. Unconsciously he scooted closer to Justin, so that their bodies were touching from head to toe, and threw his left arm over Justin's waist, hugging him lightly. Justin smiled and kissed his hair, massaging it. He continued until he heard JC's even breath and knew that he was asleep; the he closed his own eyes and followed JC into dreamland.
TBC...