Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 16:04:27 -0700 (PDT) From: tumbler99@yahoo.com Subject: "'N SYNC Savior - Part 6" Note: This is a complete work of fiction. I am not implying that any character within this story is gay or bisexual. This is just my fantasy, so let me have it!!! I'm planning on making this a continuing plot, with twists and turns and everything else thrown in. So please, don't be afraid to send any comments my way. Since I've never been to New York I may need a little help with some scenery and stuff. Please e-mail me at tumbler99@yahoo.com 'N SYNC Savior Chapter Six "I told the other three guys about my life back in Kansas while you were....away....I just want you to know that I've been through a lot more than you would believe and I have a lot to offer. Even I'll admit that and as you've seen, I don't like to take compliments or credit unless it's completely deserved. I'm not trying to sound conceited or anything, I just want you to know that if you have any problems and you need to talk, like the issues you mentioned earlier, my ear is always open. I don't leave friends in the dark when they're hurting...." I paused and wondered if I should go on. Before I could make a decision my mouth was already moving. "And I can tell you're hurting....you're hurting really bad." I looked at JC as he stared at me, stunned. I'm not sure what he thought I was going to say, but I know that he wasn't expecting that little speech. "Well, I'll see you guys in twenty-three." I walked out of the room quickly and quietly, not making any noise on the soft, plush carpet. JC was still sitting on the bed with a lost expression on his face as Lance started to laugh quietly. "You've got it bad, don't you? He's affected you more in a few hours than anyone else has in years." Lance looked over at JC with love in his eyes. Not love from a lover - love from a brother. "Don't be scared of him, or of it. He's got a lot to offer; anyone can see that," he paused for a second as he stared at JC. "Now go get ready, you're down to...." he glanced at his watch quickly, "uhh....23 minutes," he laughed, "just like Matt said." He slowly exited the room as he shook his head and wondered how I did it. JC was still on the bed - he hadn't moved an inch since I had left. Adam walked down the hall slowly, hoping I would open the door behind him before he had reached his room. "I guess I can't be angry at him," he thought. "Even I had a little crush on both JC and Lance when I first joined up with them. But I can't help feeling bad for him....JC's got so many issues to work out." He continued the debate in his head for a few seconds until he finally gave up. "Maybe Matt is exactly what he needs. I mean think about it. He's shown me what I really want to do with my life. He's completely affected me for the better. Maybe he could help JC." He paused for another second. "Jesus, what's the point in worrying about it. They're both mature and they're almost both adults. They can do whatever they want I suppose - who am I to tell them not to." He had finally reached his door as his mind quieted. Glancing back to the middle of the hallway he felt his heart sink a little. With a sigh he opened the door and walked inside. He knew I would be all right but he was still a little worried. Justin had entered his room and started stripping out of his clothes. He had really enjoyed the day so far but he was ready to get to the concert. He turned the water on and stepped into the shower, soaping up his body quickly. As his hand slowly traveled down his body he closed his eyes and sighed. His soft cock was slowly expanding as he circled it and rubbed it with the soap. "God, why is this happening again?" he thought. "You told yourself you were going to take a break after Preston. Why do you have to be interested in Matt?" He sighed as he continued washing himself, drawing away from his throbbing member. "Besides, he's probably not interested in you anyway. Did you see how he was looking at JC once you pulled him back to the room?" His eyes shot open as he realized exactly what he had thought. "But he couldn't....not after what JC did to him....but, well, he did forgive him awfully quick....oh man, he couldn't....but I think he does." He washed the soap off his body as a smile formed on his face. "Wow....Matt and JC. They would make a cute couple. And I'm positive he would be very good for JC. But I guess I can't be sure until I watch them some more." He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Glancing at the clock he noticed he only had 15 more minutes. His curly hair was going to take 10 of those easily so he knew he had better hurry. Chris unlocked his door and walked over to the bed. He fell on his back and closed his eyes, a smile forming on his face. "Wow, that was a pretty interesting morning. I'm so glad that Adam was walking that street last night. If not....no, don't even think about that. Just be thankful that he's here with us now, and possibly for a little while longer." His eyes also shot open as he realized exactly what he had thought. "Oh man, I wonder what he's going to do now. He might want to go home early - after everything that's happened he has to be feeling like he needs something normal and routine." He let out a little sigh as he sat up. He knew he should get ready but he just didn't feel like moving. Suddenly his stomach let out another growl and he knew he had to get going. "Well, I guess it's my job to make sure he has a good time while he is here. Well, not just my job I guess, all of us." He finished dressing as he thought of things they should do. "I just hope JC doesn't do anything else that hurts Matt's feelings. Especially since he has a crush on JC." He laughed a little as he realized how much he knew about Matt without even really knowing him. "Maybe I am good at reading people! But, I do have to watch out for the m at the same time - JC's definitely not the smoothest guy when it comes to dating and relationships." He walked out the door and down the hall. He didn't see anyone at the elevators so he knew he was first. It was funny how that always happened when he was hungry. Lance walked out of JC's room and across the hall to his own. He had already showered and changed earlier this morning before going over the group's schedule. He glanced at his watch again and sighed, not knowing what the do with the time. He picked up some papers that were stacked neatly on the table but when he glanced at them he didn't see anything. His eyes glazed over as he thought back to the morning. "I can't believe how similar we are. It's like looking into a mirror and seeing your twin - only in a different body. I just wish he would have never met Mark last night. No one should have to go through that." He softly sighed as he realized that ultimately it didn't matter. "He's strong enough to get over this - that much is obvious. But even he will need a little help. I'm just glad that he feels comfortable enough around everyone to be himself. So many of our ‘friends' are so fake it's almost disgusting. I only wish I would have met him earlier," he thought. "He could have been an awesome friend to have through high school." He stopped once again as he just sat. Different things were going through his mind now - each one traveling so fast he could only catch a glimpse of them. He thought of his horses back home, of his ‘best' friend who ditched him as soon as he had moved away, of his family that he rarely saw, of his old girlfriends, of every little thing that had changed in the past 6 years. "God, I've missed out on a lot, haven't I? But I suppose it's for the best. This is my life and this is what I'm supposed to be doing. You've always known that deep down in your heart....Matt just shined a light on it." He stood up, knowing it was time for him to head to the elevator. He had to be the first one there or else they would never let him live it down. As he opened the door he almost had to laugh. "I should have figured you would be waiting," he shouted to Chris. "Always on time when it's for food, but always late for anything else." He saw Chris flip him off as he started walking down the hall. He just laughed it off as he sat next to him on the bench. "So what do you think about JC and Matt. Are they going to be okay, or do you think JC will do something even worse?" Lance shook his head and smiled. "I should have known saw it," he chuckled. "Yeah, JC has fallen hard. Matt stayed after you guys left to talk to both of us and he made it very clear that he had forgiven JC and that he would be there for him if he ever needed a shoulder to lean on. JC didn't actually say anything because he was a little taken aback - you know how he gets sometimes - so Matt left without another word. I even tried to say something to him about it but he was just staring off into space." He took a little pause as he thought of the little drama that was unfolding before them. "But....I think if JC opens his heart for once that everything could work out. Of course we'll have to look out for them and make sure he doesn't screw anything up!" "That's pretty much what I was thinking," Chris said, "but then I thought of something else. How long is Matt going to stay? I mean, with the rape and all he has to be feeling homesick. Do you think he'll head back early?" He looked over into Lance's soft green eyes and waited, knowing Lance's brain was running at full speed. "I didn't think about that. I suppose we'll just have to make him have so much fun that he forgets about what happened. Maybe if we show him an awesome time he won't mind staying for awhile longer." "I don't know about that, buddy," Chris sighed. "That sounds like a good plan but I don't think partying and having a good time is enough. I think we just have to tell him that we want him here. I know I personally do. He's one of the coolest guys I've met in a long time....and no," he laughed, "don't go getting any thoughts in your head about us. He's not really my type." Lance let out a laugh as Chris read his mind. "I wasn't thinking that, honest!" Chris just shook his head and continued. "I think we have to tell him that he should stay. Still show him a good time and all, but actually let him know that we like him and want him here. And I think it would be good for us too. We haven't really had too many friends outside of the business if you think about it." Joey walked down the hall and caught the last part of the conversation. "I don't know about you," he started, causing the other two to jump, "but I've made a lot of friends." Chris laughed as he tried to slow his heart. "No, Joey. You've met, and flirted with, a lot of girl's who just want to know you because you're from the group. Those aren't friends." "Oh, so you're just angry that no one's been attracted to you lately, huh? I tell you, it's that stupid hair." Chris punched Joey in the arm as Lance started laughing. "All you gotta do, uhhh, is dye it red like mine, uhhh, quit punching me dude, it feels like a little bug keeps flying into me, uhhh." He finally pulled away from Chris and stood looking down on them. "A little bug, huh? I wouldn't start talking about little things Joey, because we all know...." "Don't you even," he yelled, "or else you'll find yourself toilet papered on your bed tomorrow morning." The guys continued where laughing and joking as Justin and JC finally walked out of their own rooms. Lance, Chris, and Justin held their breath to see if JC would say anything. When he sat down on the floor, with his back against the wall, they all knew he was still thinking about what happened. Joey, still clueless to the problem, just shrugged and believed JC was tired like he always was. A few second later Adam opened the door and we walked out. I walked into the room and noticed Adam was almost done dressing. He looked up at me and smiled. "So, what do you think now?" "Well, lets just say I'm completely shocked that you work for ‘N Sync. And I'm completely angry at you for making me walk into their room without any hint whatsoever. But other than that - thank you - that was one of the best times in my life. I never thought I would actually get to meet him....um, them....and I never thought I would actually talk to them." Adam smiled as he sat down in a chair. I pulled one up and sat beside him, still moving slowly and gently. "Well, I'm glad I could brighten your day a little. But, I do have to unleash my fatherly instincts once again." I looked at him curiously, not understanding where he was headed. "I noticed the way you were looking at JC. Now I'm not going to go tell you who you should like or anything, but I do have to warn you. I hope I'm not out of place here - I just feel protective of you." "Warn me about what Adam? And don't worry about being protective; you've already saved me and I'm thankful that you are watching out for me." He slowly reached out his hand and grabbed mine. "JC's not bad - he really isn't. But he's not that mature in some areas. Lance wasn't joking when he said JC had devoted his life to music. He just never really cared about anything else so he doesn't quite know how to handle some issues. And honestly, after what happened this morning, I have a feeling that there are some things about him that even I didn't know. There's something in his past that's making him act this way." He took a deep breath and continued. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't want to see you get hurt. I guess I just want to see you have a crush on someone else, that's all." I sat in silence, looking down into my lap. I finally let out a sigh as I stared into Adam's eyes. "Is it that obvious? I thought I was doing a good job of hiding it." "Well, it wasn't completely obvious. I'm sure Joey didn't catch it," he laughed. "But I noticed, and I'm sure Chris did, maybe even Lance. But don't worry about it. They won't do anything, or say anything. Remember, they're just normal people like you and I. They can just sing and dance really well!" I let out a little laugh as I slowly pulled my hand back. "Well, we should probably go. It's almost time to meet at the elevators. And Adam?" He looked up at me again. "Thanks for the warning, really. But I have to follow my heart. I really like him, at least I think I do. But after meeting the other guys for real and seeing how different they are from what I'd imagined, I'm not sure how I'll feel. I just have to get to know them better." I stopped talked as I started walking to the door. As I put my hand on the knob to turn it I looked over my shoulder. "But don't worry. I'm going to take it nice and slow. Remember, this is my time to grow and learn about myself even more. Maybe having a few dates or a relationship is a good way to do that." I opened the door and started walking down the hall, noticing all 5 of the guys where already there. Adam was hanging back, letting me get away from him. "I just hope you're right, Matt. I don't want you to get in over your head here." He closed the door, took a deep breath, and started walking behind me. Everyone had looked up and stood up when we had entered the hall. Lance hit the elevator button to take us down to the lobby. I smiled at Justin and Lance, who were both looking in my direction, and then dropped my eyes to the floor and JC. He still had his eyes closed and his head against the wall. I almost felt sorry for him - it was obvious he was going through some difficult issues right now - but I made myself stop thinking about it. "You've talked to him already. You told him you were there to listen. You made it very clear that you weren't angry at him anymore, so it's up to him if he wants to do anything more. Just forget about it and have fun. Look, Justin's over there all alone, looking at you. Go talk to him and let JC have some time to think." I shook my head as I listened to the voices and started walking towards Justin. Sometimes I'm just too much, even for myself. "So Justin, what about them Blue Devils?" I asked. The rest of the group laughed as a pouty expression clouded Justin's cute face. "Man....I hear they're a really good team." I ran into the elevator as it opened, narrowly missing Justin's light punch. We stepped out of the crowded elevator into an even more crowded lobby. There was a huge group of young girls standing off to the side; it seemed as if each one had a picture, a sign, or a CD in their hand. I heard Justin moan as Chris let out an "uh-oh." Before the "oh" was out of his mouth the guys had been spotted. JC - somehow he was standing next to me - grabbed my hand and pulled me to the side. We started running through the lobby into a small hallway. After we had closed the door I heard all of the guys sigh and laugh. Their reaction time was so fast I knew that they had experienced stuff like that many times. I glanced down at my hand and realized JC was still holding onto it. I felt his warm fingers cross with mine and felt like cheering out loud. It felt exactly like it did upstairs only this time was different. We were actually holding hands - just like a couple. I drew my eyes away from our hands, only to have them drawn to his dark blue eyes. I saw him smile as he realized what I was thinking. My mouth opened as I tried to think of a witty remark to say about our situation but as luck would have it I was interrupted by Justin. "God, I'm really getting sick of this. Can't they leave us alone for a little while? Do they have to hang around every single hotel, restaurant, and mall we visit?" I saw the pained expression on his face and once again felt my heart leap out. I slowly released JC hand, not missing his shocked expression, and went over to Justin. I rested my hand on his shoulder and laughed a little. "It's got to be hard, Justin. I've only experienced a little bit of it but I think it's obvious that your lives aren't easy by any means. But come on, they're just doing it because they love you. Half of those girls out there want to be the future ‘Mrs. Timberlake.' Can't you let them have any fun?" I smiled my warm smile again to let him know I was partly joking, but still partly serious, and was relieved when he returned his. "I suppose you're right....It just gets so irritating." He looked at me curiously. "Do you really...." "Wait a minute, Matt." Lance interrupted. "You're meaning to tell me that Justin gets half of them to himself but the other four of us have to share half? That's not quite fair." I could see Lance trying not to break a smile but I knew I could beat him out if I tried. "Well, you definitely don't have the dance moves, Lance. That takes away a big chunk of yours. And your voice is so low they all think of you as a man. Justin here is still a boy, within their dating range." "What?" I heard Justin shout. "I'm a boy now?" "You've always been one, Just! But don't worry, that puberty thing you've always heard about will kick in one of these days. I can fill you in on some of the things that will happen to you later, but right now I'm talking to Lance." My smile was starting to crack. This was getting harder by the minute. "Now....where was I?" "You were saying I couldn't dance and my voice was too low," Lance informed me. "Ahh, exactly. Thanks for reminding me, bud! And as for your body...." He finally broke. My expression also broke as soon as he doubled over laughing. A huge smile formed on my face and I started chuckling to myself. Chris and Joey were leaning on Lance's back, trying to stand up but really pushing him down more in the process. Justin had moved over to JC and Adam; they were watching the scene with laughter in their eyes and on their tongues. I walked over to Lance and offered him my hand. He slowly reached up to shake it and stood upright at the same time. I pulled him in for a hug and I leaned into his ear. "You'll never be able to beat me when it comes to insults!" I whispered. "But don't worry, if you weren't straight I would fall for you in an instant." I pulled away from him as he stared at me in shock. "Hey," I said, speaking at a normal volume. "I have a good sense about these things, remember!" I saw his smile break again as he pulled me in for another hug. "Lance, if you don't mind we really need to get going." I looked back over my shoulder and saw JC smoothing out his shirt, obviously ready to go. His smile had left his face but I wasn't quite sure what that meant. I had gathered that he was not the kind of person who smiled 24/7 and that made it all the more difficult to read him. Was he just ready to go, or was he a little jealous? He didn't look me in the eye, I noticed, but then again he didn't look anyone in the eye - he just said what he said. I shrugged my shoulders, reminding myself once again to let him have his space to think over whatever was bothering him. As we walked out the door to a side street I saw the limo. I must have gasped because I heard Chris laugh. "You get used to it," he said, grabbing a shoulder to keep me moving. "Here, come sit by me." As we piled into the limo I was surprised at how big it felt on the inside. A bench-like seat surrounded the cab, except for where the doors opened. I sat with Chris and Adam on the back bench; Lance and Joey sat on another bench; JC and Justin finished out the group sitting on the bench closest to me. The ride was fairly quick but it might have been because of the conversations in the car. Joey had gotten onto the subjects of their fans once again. Adam and I had started talking more about my life. Lance and JC had gotten into a debate over what they should do for the rest of the week here. Although I was paying attention to Adam I did float between the other two conversations. Joey's wasn't incredibly interesting to me (as if I have to explain) but Lance's caught my ear more than once. I must have been focusing a little too much on their conversation and not my own because I felt Adam nudge my shoulder. "What....Oh, sorry. What were you saying?" I tried to throw myself back in the conversation. "No, what were you thinking about? It has to be more interesting than what I was talking about." I was ready to speak when I felt a pair of eyes on me. I turned my head to the side and stared into them. I don't know why it happened every single time I looked into them, but it did. I was trapped. I felt like I was falling into nothingness. The color was unlike anything I'd seen before and it seemed as if I could actually see into his soul. I was fighting for control when I finally grabbed onto a string to pull me back up. Shaking my head I looked back at Adam. "Well, I was listening to Lance talk about their plans this week and I realized that I probably don't have a hotel room." I heard the limo grow silent as everyone looked at me. "Well, I mean they probably didn't hold my hotel room after I ‘forgot' to check in yesterday." "Don't worry about that, Matt," Lance said. "We've got connections; we can get you a room easy." "I have a better idea," Adam interrupted. "Tonight will most likely be my last concert. He can spend the night in my room and then for the rest of the week he can have it all to himself. There's no need for me to stay here during your vacation." I felt the bombshell hit once again and couldn't breathe. Even though I had only met him this morning I felt connected to him. I didn't like the fact that he was leaving so soon. Obviously the rest of the guys felt the same way. "God, you're really going to leave, aren't you?" JC asked. I turned my head at the sound of his voice but avoided his eyes. Adam nodded his head as I saw Justin start to speak. "Well, as much as we'll miss you, that would probably work. We've already got the room reserved for the rest of the week, plus it'll allow him to be in the same hall as us." Even through the sadness I felt a smile form on my face. Although a lot of bad things had happened my vacation was definitely taking a turn for the better. I was still turned to look at Justin when it happened. My body was turned towards the side of the limo when I felt the emptiness under my body. The limo screeched to a stop as I flew off my seat. Joey gasped and I thought I heard Justin scream as I felt my body connect. To be continued....