Love Thru Chat

Previously on Love Thru Chat

The announcement for Lance's flight sounded through the speakers and Lance looked at Bill for a second, then looked around and pulled him in for a quick hug.

"I can't wait, either, I'll see you on Saturday. We'll get the place all squared away for you to move into. See you then, B."

Bill smiled and squeezed Lance's arm once more before Lance winked and turned and walked down the ramp to catch his plane.

Chapter 22: Moving In and Starting Anew

The rest of the week went by at the pace of an asthmatic earthworm tunneling its way through rock and Bill wondered if he or his sanity would ever make it to Friday afternoon. Finally Friday arrived and Bill's co-workers threw him a nice send off lunch and party and wished him well at his new job. Bill said his goodbyes and packed up the last of his office stuff and headed for home to hook up the U-Haul. Six hours later, Bill pulled off the exit nearest his new apartment and pulled out his cell-phone and called JC.

"Hello?"

"Hi JC. It's Bill. You'll never guess where I am?"

"Hmmm....North Carolina?"

"Nope...guess again."

"Are you down here already?"

Bill laughed, "Yep. I just pulled up in front of the apartment."

"Awesome! You must have made some land speed records getting here."

Bill chuckled, "I am a firm believer in "keeping up with traffic...and it's totally out of my control when traffic happens to be going in excess of 90 mph."

"You're kidding me! You were going 90 with a U-Haul attached to your car?"

"Well....It just added to my momentum once I got going."

JC made a disgusted sound in his throat, "Remind me to drive you around if we go anywhere."

"I've never been in an accident.", Bill said.

"Yet.", JC interrupted.

Bill tutted and rolled his eyes. "So are you gonna come over and let me into my place or what?"

JC laughed, "I choose "or what". I don't have your key. Lance does. I think he's over there now. Hang on for a second...lemme call him on Justin's house phone and tell him to go out there and get you."

Bill waited as JC called Lance and talked to him. He smiled as he heard JC laugh and then mumble a few parting words to Lance and then hang the phone up.

"OK. He said he'd be right out. Joey and Chris are over there too and Justin and I are heading over now. Lance said he'd just wait for all of us to get there then we can get you unloaded and go get something to eat."

Bill smiled as he heard the door of the complex slam open. Bill looked up and saw Lance running towards him at full speed with Chris and Joey walking behind him.

"OK. I'll see you in a few, JC. Lance is fast approaching."

"Be there in a few."

Bill flipped his phone closed and put in his pocket as Lance reached him.

"You must drive like a DEMON!", Lance laughed as he grabbed Bill into a hug.

Bill rolled his eyes as he hugged Lance back.

"Between you and JC, you make 90 miles per hour seem criminal."

Lance's eyes popped wide and he dropped the hug.

"Tell me you're joking! You could have lost your license for going that fast. And with a U-Haul too! Cripes!"

Bill put his arms out in supplication and he looked heavenward and exclaimed, "Oh Dear God....I've given up living in EBF North Carolina and moved south and made friends with people who act and sound like my parents."

Lance arched his eyebrow and shook his head and then after a second he giggled, "I do not sound like your parents...tho I'll tell you for sure after you introduce me to them."

Bill grinned and he shook his head, "Oh they know all about you already. You're much loved in my family."

Lance's eyes lit up. "REALLY!?! You already told them about me?"

"Of course I did. They really wanna meet the guy who got me away from my last occupation. They weren't too thrilled with my last job. They already think you're all that and they credit you for my coming to Florida. So as of now you can do no wrong in their eyes."

Lance grinned widely and smiled as he heard a horn beep from down the street. JC and Justin pulled up in JC's jeep and they got out and walked over to where Lance, Bill, Joey and Chris stood beside Bill's U-Haul.

"So....let's go inside and get you unpacked." JC said with a smile as he grabbed Bill's keys from his hand and opened up the U-Haul.

"Justin...oh...JUSTIN!" JC yelled from inside the U-Haul. "A little help here!"

Justin ran around to the back of the U-Haul and a few seconds later emerged carrying one end of a box spring. JC and Justin paused long enough to jerk their heads in the vicinity of the U-Haul, and watching as Chris and Joey took the hint and ran into the U-Haul and grabbed the mattress. Bill and Lance smiled and grabbed the bedframe and then shut the U-Haul up and proceeded into the apartment.

Bill gasped as he saw the inside of the apartment, completely repainted and decorated in various shades of greens, tans, and browns.

"Oh my...."

Lance grinned and hi-fived JC and Justin as Bill walked around the apartment in a daze. Lance came up behind him as he reached the master bedroom and put his arm around his waist.

"Surprise!"

Bill turned to face Lance and Lance gasped as he saw tears welling up in Bill's eyes.

"What's wrong....Is it the wrong color? I can have them come back...."

Bill shook his head and his tears fell down his face, "Thank you. I love it. I just didn't expect it at all. You guys didn't have to do this...."

JC walked up beside Bill and put his hand on his shoulder, "We wanted to do it. You helped us out when we needed it and we wanted to help you out now that you're coming down here to live."

"It's wonderful! Thank you so much!"

"Let's go get the rest of your stuff inside and we can put it away and then go get something to eat."

The rest of the unpacking took about six more trips from the U-Haul and by the time it was finished, the packing, the last day of work, the long car trip and now the unpacking had taken its toll on Bill. Lance smiled as Bill grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen and drank it down then turned to him and smiled.

"Ready to go eat?"

Lance grinned and nodded, "I am ready to eat. You look like you're about ready to pass out."

Bill shook his head, "I just need to eat something. I've not eaten since lunch."

Lance shook his head, "That's not good. You should have told us and we would have taken a break and gotten something to eat earlier."

Bill shrugged, "I'm good...but let's go eat, ok?"

Lance smiled and nodded as the guys headed outside and piled into Lance's Durango and JC's Jeep and headed to grab some food.

After dinner, Lance told the guys he'd take Bill back to his place and help him set up his bed in the master bedroom and then get Bill to bed. JC and Justin nodded and Chris and Joey got in the back of JC's Jeep and they headed back to Justin's house.

Lance woke Bill up from the doze he had immediately fallen into in the Durango when they reached Bill's place and then the two of them made their way to the bedroom of the apartment when they quickly put Bill's king size bed together and then put on the matress pad and sheets and comforter. Lance watched as Bill opened the second box marked bedding and pulled out four pillows and pillowcases for the bed.

"Wanna sleep over tonite?" Bill asked with a smile.

"I was wondering if you were ever gonna ask." Lance grinned as he put two of the pillows into the pillowcases and plopped them down at the head of the bed. Bill walked back out to the living room and came back in with two bookbags and plopped them down beside the bathroom. He opened both of them and began to unpack all his toiletries and bathroom stuff. Lance smiled as Bill tossed a new toothbrush over to him.

"Oh....so I see how it is...you keep a spare toothbrush around just in case you bring someone home with you."

"No. I bought this today in hopes that I could get you to stay over tonite. I kinda missed having you in bed beside me."

Lance tilted his head to one side and let out an "awww" at Bill's words.

Bill and Lance finished using the bathroom and then got dressed down to their boxers and laid down beside each other and, much like they did earlier in the week, they fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, Bill awoke before Lance, and he quietly slipped out of bed and used the bathroom, then began to quietly unpack the kitchen and dining room boxes. By the time Lance woke up, Bill had breakfast cooking and the dining table set.

"Good morning." Lance smiled sleepily as he trudged over to the coffeemaker and eyed it suspiciously. "Is the coffee maker broken?"

Bill laughed. "No. There's tea on the stove. I figured it'd be a nice change from coffee and it has even more caffeine in it!"

Lance nodded and grinned, "That's my boy! I like the way you think!"

Bill called Lance into the kitchen a moment later and let him fix a plate of food while he did the same.

Lance smiled as he took a bite of the scrambled eggs.

"Mmmmm.....these are incredible! How'd you make them?"

"I cooked them with some fresh orange essence, it gives them some great flavor."

Lance shook his head and took a bite of his toast and then dug into the eggs with fervor.

Lance had just begun chewing when his cell phone rang.

"I'll get it Lance, keep eating."

Bill popped open the phone and spoke a greeting into the receiver.

"Lance?"

"No m'aam, this is Bill, I am one of Lance's friends. He's eating breakfast right now and can't come to the phone just yet.

"Oh..OK. This is his mother, Diane. It's good to meet you Bill."

"You as well Ms. Bass. Oh...Lance is motioning me to give him the phone so I guess he's going to be able to talk now."

"MOM?", Lance asked into the phone, "Hi mom. oh...OK. Well...he made scrambled eggs with orange essence and sausage links and toast and jelly. No mom. He's not a chef. He's a friend of mine who is a new graphic artist at our company and he'll also be doing some writing on our tour as well. What's that? Oh. OK. I'll make sure. Thanks Mom. Bye."

Bill smiled and drank his orange juice as Lance shook his head.

"That was my mom...she wants the recipe for the eggs and she wants to meet you too. She said it was nice that I have friends outside the group."

Bill giggled, "I reminded me that my parents treated me like I was 15 until I was in my early 20's. I think they just can't help themselves."

Lance nodded. "She did my laundry last time she was in town...I think she ironed my underwear. I didn't want to ask."

Bill nodded, "My grandma used to do that when she lived with my parents and I would come home to visit. It used to creep me out."

Lance was about to speak when Bill's cellphone began to ring.

"Hello? Hi JC. Us? We're just having breakfast. Scrambled eggs, sausage and toast. There's still a bit left in the kitchen. I cooked enough for six cause I kind of expected you to be here already. Oh...you're right outside the door, huh? Well....don't just stand there while your breakfast gets cold, come on in. OK. Bye."

Lance burst into laughter as he heard the front door open and JC and the rest of the guys pile in.

"You called from outside his apartment? What if he hadn't cooked enough for everyone?"

JC shrugged, "It was a calculated risk."

Bill grinned and then smiled as the guys sat down at the dining table and began to eat.

Bill turned to Lance and smiled, "So...did you get in touch with Paul Summerstorm and get him under contract?"

Lance blushed slightly and nodded, "I faxed him a copy of the contract to look over and asked him if he'd not mind coming down and staying for a week or so for us to go over the contract, get it signed and get a few demos made of him."

Bill nodded, "Good idea! If you want, he can stay here in the guest room.while he's down here."

"Really? You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all. He seemed pretty cool."

JC and Lance and Chris then began to talk about Lance's new artist and Bill took that opportunity to clean up the dishes and the kitchen. As he was cleaning the dishes, Joey and Justin walked in and leaned on the counter.

"So how do you like Orlando so far?"

Bill smiled, "It seems like a great place. It's nice to live where I have some friends."

Justin and Joey smiled.

"Joey! I wanted to thank you for getting the kitchen all stocked up and outfitted. Lance said you took that task on."

Joey smiled and grinned, "Well...since you cook so much and so well, I figured you were gonna need a serious kitchen."

Bill chuckled, "Well..I am amazed. It's really incredible! Thank you!"

Justin smiled, "Well...you know I did the dining room, right?"

Bill smiled and nodded, "It's awesome. That table is the perfect size for the room and with the drop leaves I can sit and feed two boybands with room to spare. The chandalier is really nice too. Where'd you go?"

Justin rolled his eyes, "That would be telling!"

Bill laughed and closed the dishwasher and started it up.

"So you guys are getting psyched up about the new album?"

Justin and Joey nodded their heads vigorously.

"It feels good to be back at work after that stupid lawsuit."

Bill nodded, "I almost applied there...with your former management...I am glad I didn't."

Joey shook his head, "Lance wouldn't have let you...or JC would have stopped you. We all know better now, we would definitely have warned you away from there."

Bill grinned, "Mmmmm.....I can just feel the love."

Justin snorted, "Oh yeah baby! I feel it too, its like a kick in the..."

The door to the dining room swung open and Lance walked in smiling, with JC and Chris behind him.

"What are you guys up to?"

Justin and Joey just shrugged and Bill smiled, "Justin was telling us about the soft spot he has for your former management company."

JC groaned, "We all have a soft spot for them. It's on our backs where that knife they stabbed us with went in. It's still a little soft and tender cause we're still HEALING!"

"OK. Before I have to start dolling out the antacids, let's change the subject."

Justin belched loudly and pounded his chest, "Too late!"

Bill looked at Justin and smiled, "Nice! I am sure breakfast tasted better going down, huh?"

Lance scrunched his face up, "Ew! Don't say anything Justin. That's something I don't need to hear the answer to."

Justin grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know about you guys, but I can't stand to live out of boxes. I am gonna get all this stuff unpacked and then set up the bed in the guest room."

The rest of the morning consisted of unboxing and putting away of all sorts of things, from clothes and linens to candles and framed pictures.

Around 2 pm, Bill looked around and smiled as he realized almost everything was unpacked and all he had to do was hang the pictures and wall decorations and he was basically finished.

Bill smiled as he walked by the guest room and saw JC and Justin fast asleep on the guest bed. Bill turned off the lights and closed the door, giving them a well deserved rest. Bill walked out into the living room and saw Chris and Joey asleep on the two sofas that Lance had bought from the Restorations Store. Bill walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water, drinking it down quickly then refilling it and emptying it several times until he had slaked his thirst. Bill walked out of the kitchen and grabbed two throws from the closet and spread them out over Joey and Chris and then walked back into his own room and supressed a giggle as he saw Lance fast asleep on the bed. Bill pulled off his shirt and turned on the overhead fan and then got into bed with Lance and curled up next to him and quickly drifted off to sleep as well.

Bill awoke around 4 pm, dazed at first at his surroundings, then it hit him that he had moved and that this was his new home. Bill looked over at Lance who was just rousing and smiled, then leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Have a good nap?"

Lance nodded, "Did you get everything put away?"

Bill smiled, "I just have to hang up the pictures on the wall and I believe I am done."

Bill smiled and got up and headed into the bathroom, taking a quick shower to wash off the sweat and smell and then went back into the bedroom and got dressed as Lance made use of the shower. Bill walked over to the linen closet and grabbed a stack of towels out, putting one in Lance's bathroom and then went out and put the rest in the other bathroom as well.

Bill approached the guest room and knocked softly and waited until he heard a mumble that passed for conscious recognition. Bill opened the door and smiled as he saw Justin's one eye open and his face contorted in a rather unbecoming scowl.

"That's a nice look for you. Tired AND pissed off. I am sure the crowds will love it."

Justin snorted, "Ha Ha Ha. It is to laugh. Is naptime over? Cause I don't wanna get up. This bed is SO comfortable!"

Bill smiled, "It should be. That bed is over 3 times your age. They definitely don't make them like that anymore. That was the bed my grandma gave me when she sold her house and moved in with my parents."

Justin's eyes widened slightly, "Wow! It looked really...um..nice...and antique."

"It is. So do you wanna wake Prince Charming up? I am gonna go wake Joey and Chris up. Y'all are welcome to take a shower here if you want to. I just did and I feel 300% more human."

Justin nodded and then reached over and shook JC's shoulder.

"Josh. Wake up!"

JC mumbled incoherently and Justin shook his head then leaned down into JC's ear and yelled, "Josh! Look out! The sky is falling!"

JC's eyes popped open and he flopped out of bed and onto the floor and then growled from where he lay.

"There's a certain curly haired popstar who is SO about to get his ass kicked!"

Justin giggled and ran past Bill and into the bathroom before JC could come through on his threat.

"Wakies Josh!" Bill said with a smile as his head peered over the side of the bed.

"Oh! Hi! I almost mistook you for Justin there. Good thing I didn't. You wouldn't know where he's gone off to, would you?

Bill nodded and pointed to the bathroom where the shower had just started and smiled evilly, "You know Josh, there's no water temperature regulation in this place."

"Oh really!?!?" Josh said as his face contorted into an evil leer. "That's a damn shame. But very good to know."

Bill turned around and walked out to the living room to wake up Joey and Chris and smiled as a few seconds later, the entire apartment was filled with an almost inhuman screech.

"OOOOOOOWWWWWWW!!! HOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOT!!!"

Bill had just finished waking up Joey when a smug looking JC walked into the living room and sat down on the chaise.

"Ahh...Mission accomplished...That hurt him more than it hurt me." JC said with a grin.

Lance walked into the living room a minute later and informed JC, Joey and Chris that the other bathroom was empty if they wanted to shower.

JC quickly got up and headed back to the master bedroom.

Ten minutes later, Justin emerged from the bathroom and walked into the living room with a towel wrapped around his head.

"Remind me to check into getting you a water regulator tomorrow. I think I just par-boiled my nuts!" Justin said with a mock frown.

Bill stifled a giggle and rolled his eyes as Chris got up and walked into the bathroom to shower.

JC emerged soon after and Joey made his way into the master bathroom leaving Justin, Lance, JC and Bill in the living room.

"So. What now?"

Lance got up and studied the wall behind the sofa he was sitting on and looked through the various pictures and paintings Bill had stacked along the one wall of the apartment and grabbed one and held it up.

"What do you think, guys? Here?"

JC and Justin looked at the painting and nodded and then turned to Bill who was nodding as well.

"Looks good to us, Lance."

Lance walked over the toolbox and grabbed a hammer and a hanging hook and nails and then proceeded to hang the painting.

JC, Justin, and Chris got up and perused the selection of prints and paintings and grabbed one each and headed off to where they thought it would look best and proceeded to get opinions and then hang them in place.

When Joey finally emerged from the bathroom, there were only three pieces left to hang. Joey grabbed two of them and headed back into the bathroom, dragging Lance with him. Lance re-emerged a few minutes later and smiled and waved his hand towards the bathroom for Bill to inspect the work. Bill smiled as he saw where Joey had picked to hang up his grey cast mold gargoyle heads and the bathroom, with it's dark sponging paint treatment was ideal.

Bill smiled and then the guys headed back out to the living room and settled in front of the television. An hour later, Bill got up from his place on the sofa and jerked his head to Lance to follow him and the two went into the kitchen.

"Did you wanna go out to eat or did you wanna order in and watch movies, or maybe wanna cook up something."

Lance pondered for a second. "Let's order in..that way you don't have to cook and clean again today and you can just toss the containers out after we're done eating."

Bill nodded and Lance walked over to the foyer of the apartment and grabbed his bag and pulled out a collection of menu's.

"I thought I'd need to leave some of these with you...so you know where to get delivery from.

Bill and Lance popped the question of dinner on everyone else and the guys chose their favorite delivery items and then Lance and Bill called in the orders. Soon everyone was happily munching away at dinner while watching a DVD from Bill's collection.

Chris and Joey and Justin and JC began to yawn around midnight and then said their goodnights and headed back to Justin's place. Lance smiled as Bill looked over at him as the movie ended and then grabbed his hand.

"Time to get you into bed, young man!"

"Now was that a offer or a promise?" Lance laughed coyly.

Bill grinned. "It's an offer you can't refuse."

Lance grinned and then yawned, "Like I would refuse an offer like that. C'mon. I'm beat."

Bill snickered, "Oh! Beat, huh? You like it kinky too?"

Lance blushed, "Ummm....no! Well at least...I dunno yet."

Bill grinned, "Naah...I can't picture you like I did in that story, getting into s/m like that. That's not you at all!"

Lance raised his eyebrow and smirked, "And how can you picture me?"

Bill walked by Lance and put his hands on Lance's chest, rubbing his pects and nips and smiling as Lance moaned from the tactile contact. "Well....how about nekkid and wet laying on my bed with that cute innocent look you have on your face. That picture works for me!"

Lance's jaw dropped and his eyes widened as Bill walked past him down the hall towards the bedroom.

"Coming?", Bill called out, the amusement audible in his voice.

Lance shook his head, giggled and whispered, "I almost just did!"

Lance walked into the bedroom and smiled as he saw Bill stretched out on the bed, already half asleep. Lance got undressed and crawled into bed beside him. Lance turned and moved next to Bill, letting him spoon him.

"Goodnight B."

"Nite Lance."

Questions, Comments? Email Me:

billy_burrew@yahoo.com

or click the link below and fill out this EZ response form

http://www.geocities.com/billy_burrew/respondform.html