Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2001 22:08:22 +0000
From: Angel1313@att.net
Subject: Devotion ch.45

Devotion
Chapter Forty-Five:
"The One Who Matters Most"

author: Angel

e-mail: Angel1313@att.net

Disclaimer: Fiction.

Notes: Well, I was up until 2:30am last night (yes, I had class today), but
hey! Who cares? I got the chapter done, right? >.< I edited it once, but
there might still be some mistakes. My apologies, but I'm leaving in an
hour and my brain isn't really functioning right now. (Can you tell that
I'm a little stressed out?) Anyway, I'll be back the tenth, and I'll try to
write for "Devotion" while I'm away. That being said, enjoy this chapter
and please tell me what you though about it. After all, you'll have a week
to mull over it! ^_^ To those who do send me feedback: you know how much I
love you. ^_^ And I do!!! Thank you, Angel ^_^

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Chapter Forty-Five:
"The One Who Matters Most"

	Yawning, Joey announced, "I'm beat!"
	"Shhh," JC shushed him. "Justin's sleeping."
	Joey laughed, looking at the youngest member of *NSYNC. He was
curled up next to JC, his arms wrapped around the brunet as if he was a
stuffed animal. His head was resting on JC's shoulder, his mouth slightly
agape. In the quiet, the teen's heavy breathing could be heard.
	"Jace, I'm getting the feeling that he wouldn't wake up if a herd
of elephants came through here," Joey joked.
	JC smiled, looking down at the younger man affectionately. Running
a hand through Justin's thick curls, now out of the bandanna he had been
wearing all day, JC replied, "Yeah, but I'd still feel better if we didn't
chance it. Justin's had a long day."
	Lance raised his eyebrows. He was sprawled out on the seat next to
Joey. "We all have."
	His hand coming to rest in the nest of curls, JC closed his
eyes. "There have been things in his day that have made it worse."
	"Aw," Joey protested. "Fighting with you doesn't count, JC."
	Lance sat up. "Joey, please. Not now."
	JC looked down at Justin again. "It takes more out of him than even
I had thought," he said softly.
	Chris, who had remained quiet, finally spoke up. "You might not
have noticed, but the rest of us had."
	JC looked up. "What?"
	"You weren't there when he was talking about his insecurities; we
were."
	"What do you-" JC began, but Chris interrupted him.
	"You've walked out on him more than once, JC. What did you *think*
was gonna happen? I know you probably think Justin has a huge ego, but he
doesn't. Every time he starts feeling good about himself, you knock him
right back down."
	"I don't mean to," JC said helplessly.
	"Well, that's what rejection *does.* If you don't like him, there
has to be a reason why," Chris explained.
	"It's not that I don't like him," JC tried, but once again Chris
cut him off.
	"It's not me you should be explaining this to."
	JC sighed and looked down at the man in his arms. The car lapsed
into silence, and JC tried to think of what he would say to Justin when
they got back to the hotel.

	/I could always just go to my room,/ JC thought to himself as he
stood in the elevator with the other four members of *NSYNC. He glanced at
Justin, who was leaning heavily on Lance, his eyelids drooping. /I should
probably wait until morning to talk to him, anyway./
	"Justin!" Lance exclaimed, shifting the young man. "You're too big!
You're making my shoulder hurt."
	Justin straightened. "Sorry, Scoop," he slurred sleepily. "Josh?"
he asked, yawning. "Am I too heavy to lean on you?"
	Smiling, JC held out his arms. "No, of course not. C'mere, baby."
	Justin wrapped his arms around the brunet's shoulders as JC's arms
slid around the young man's waist. Justin sighed contentedly as JC pulled
him closer, nuzzling Justin's soft curls.
	"Aw," Joey cooed.
	Lance looked at them wistfully before turning his attention back to
the elevator doors. Chris shot him a questioning glance, but Lance did not
notice.
	It was another moment before the doors opened. "Well," Joey
announced. "This is my stop. I'll see you all tomorrow morning!"
	"Ten AM my room, don't forget," Lance reminded him.
	"I know, Scoop. I'll be there," the New Yorker assured him.
	Lance looked at him skeptically. "How many times have you said
that?"
	"I'll get a wake-up call," Joey promised him.
	Lance nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Good."
	"Goodnight everyone!" Joey called as the doors closed.
	"Shh," Lance hissed. "There are people on this floor sleeping!"
	Joey laughed, and the doors shut.
	"Lucky man," Chris commented. "He's home already!"
	Lance smiled. "Oh, come on. We only have another floor to go." Just
then, the doors opened again. "See? That wasn't so bad, now was it?"
	Chris returned the smile and stepped out of the elevator. Lance
followed, and then JC and Justin stumbled out.
	As the doors closed behind them, Justin stretched. "I'm so tired,
I'll probably fall asleep in these clothes!"
	"It's been a long day," Lance agreed. "We've been up since four,
and it's already midnight!"
	JC groaned. "That's just *wrong,* man."
	Chris began to walk down the hall. "Enough yappin'! Let's get to
our rooms already!"
	Lance nodded and the other three members of *NSYNC followed Chris.
Chris' room was closest to the elevator, so he got there well before the
other members of *NSYNC made it to their rooms.
	"Goodnight," he said, quickly closing the door behind him.
	"Ouch," Lance laughed. "That was pretty harsh, Christopher!"
	"Yeah, get over it!" came the muffled reply.
	Laughing, Lance walked past JC and Justin's rooms to his own. "I'll
see you all bright and early tomorrow," he said cheerfully. "Ten AM sharp!"
	JC nodded. "We'll get wake-up calls, too."
	Yawning, Justin said, "I don't think I'll be awake long enough to
get a wake-up call."
	"I'll-" Lance began, but JC interrupted him.
	"I'll wake you up tomorrow, Just," he said quickly.
	Smiling sleepily at the brunet, Justin said, "Thanks, Josh. Come
over a little earlier and we can have breakfast together."
	JC returned the younger man's smile. "I'll do that."
	Lance, watching the two, shook his head. /How can they possibly
*not* be together?/ he wondered.
	Aloud he said, "Well, I'm turning in. I suggest you do the
same. Goodnight."
	"Goodnight, Scoop," JC replied.
	Justin simply waved. He then turned back to JC. "I guess we should
be turning in, too."
	JC nodded. "Yeah, I guess we should. Goodnight, Justin." With that,
he turned around and opened his door. He was about to step in when Justin
called softly to him.
	"Josh?"
	JC turned around. "Yes, Justin?"
	Justin reached out and pulled JC into an embrace. "I miss having
you as my roommate."
	His face softening, JC let his arms wrap around the younger man. "I
know, Just. I miss having you as my roommate, too." JC pulled back
slightly. "But I think we should really-" He stopped abruptly as he
realized that Justin was crying. "Just? What's wrong, sweetie?"
	Justin looked away. "I'm sorry," he sniffled. "I just - I just
really miss you, that's all."
	JC sighed. He did *not* want to have this conversation right
now. "Just, honey, you really need to get some sleep. We're going to have
to get up early tomorrow, and I want you to be well rested."
	Justin twisted out of JC's arms. Rubbing at his eyes, he mumbled,
"I understand."
	"No, Just-"
	Turning to his door, Justin continued, "You don't have to explain,
Josh. I'm used to it."
	Placing his hand firmly on the younger man's arm, JC said sternly,
"No. You don't. I want to have this conversation, Justin. Just not right
now. This is going to take a long time, and I know that neither you nor I
am up for it right now. So let's wait until the morning. Okay?"
	Justin nodded, still sniffling.
	"Aw, Just. Don't look so pathetic," JC said, smiling a
bit. Brushing away the last of the tears off Justin's cheek, he added, "I
really do want to talk to you about this."
	Justin closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. "I know. I'm sorry
I got so upset."
	"Don't be," JC replied. "Don't apologize for your emotions,
Justin. It's all right. It's good that you can express them."
	Justin didn't open his eyes. He simply nodded again.
	Retracting his hand, JC said, "We really should go to bed
now. Okay? Goodnight, Justin."
	Opening his eyes, Justin reached out to JC once more. After giving
the brunet a quick hug, he whispered, "Goodnight, Josh. I love you." He
then quickly spun around and entered his hotel room.
	Watching as the blonde's door closed, JC replied softly, "I love
you, too."

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That's it for now! I hope you liked it, even though they didn't get to the
talk like I had originally planned. You'll just have to wait for chapter 46
for that, I guess! Thank you, as always, for reading this! -Angel ^_^