Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2000 09:47:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: Red <redfirewitch@yahoo.com>
Subject: Hide In Plain Sight [Part 4: The Boyfriend]

Title: Hide In Plain Sight

Author: Red [redfirewitch@yahoo.com]

Disclaimer: This is just fiction and there isn't an
ounce of truth about the sexuality of the Nsync boys
in here. At least not as far as I know. If you're
below 18 or if you don't want to read fiction about
homosexuality, do not go further than this line.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 4: The Boyfriend

The guys were all hanging out in Justin's room,
watching a movie, throwing popcorn at each other and
just chilling until they had to leave for the concert
venue. They were all happy that the weeks of
exhausting touring were finally coming to an end. More
than that they were all excited about going back home
to see their family and friends. As much as they loved
their fans, 'Nsync was more than ready for a break.

"I'm thinking of dyeing my hair blue." Joey said
suddenly out of the blue.

"You've got be kidding me." Chris replied.

"No. I'm serious. I want a change. I need a change."
Joey complained as he looked at his hair in the
dresser mirror.

"You've been hanging with the chicks too much, Joe!
They are starting to rub off on you." Justin added.

"Yah! This from the guy who spend an hour on that
thing he calls his hair, every morning." Joey shot
back with grin.

"Hey! No dissing ma fro!"

"You started it! Besides, blue is pretty cool!"

"Who says? Superman? Oh my god! That's it, isn't it?
First red. Now blue." Chris retorted, then frowned.
"By the way, what color is color is kryptonite?"

"Management's going to have a swell time with you if
you do dye your hair blue, Joey. As it is, they
already think you're not a very good influence of the
kids." Lance added.

"Screw them. They are always giving me flack about my
hair. They never said anything about Chris' hair back
when he resembled a science experiment that had
seriously gone wrong."

"That was because the group came with my hair
included!" Chris defended his past hairstyle. Then
added as an afterthought. "HEY!"

"Besides, we've are now known as the boyband with the
guy who has the red hair. PR is going to have trouble
changing it to the guy with the blue hair." JC said,
with a smile.

Justin was pleasantly surprised and thrilled to see
JC's smile. All day, he had been in his own world of
sorts. The other guys didn't think much of it as it
was just so 'JC' to have these unexplainable highs and
lows. But Justin had noticed and was relieved.
"Yeah. Plus that would totally screw up Eminem's
video." Justin added.

"Ok." Joey agreed. "Now I HAVE to dye it blue."

"Way to go, Curly!" The guys threw their pillows at
Justin while Chris and Lance launched themselves at
Justin, initiating an impromptu wrestle.

Just then, Justin's cellphone rang. Justin, who was
being smothered by Lance and Chris, managed to lift
his head from under his two friends.
"JC, get that for me, will ya?" he grunted.

"ONE, TWO, THREE..." Joey continued counting down like a
referee.

JC laughed as he flipped Justin's phone open.
"Hello? Justin's phone here."

There was silence for a while and then someone spoke
up.
"I need to speak with Justin."

"I kind of got that what with you calling his phone
and all. Who is it?" JC asked with a laugh. He saw
Justin's legs contorted in strange position as Lance
and Chris continued to wrestle with him.

The person at the other end of the line sounded angry
as he exhaled loudly.
"His boyfriend."

JC stopped smiling.
"Er, Matt? I'm sorry. I didn't recogn..."

"Is Justin there or not?" Matt asked, rudely.

JC knew that Matt was angry for some reason.
"Yeah. Hold on." He looked over at where Justin was
still fighting a losing match on the floor . "Justin.
It's Matt."

Justin's head shot up. He quickly pushed Lance and
Chris off of him and hurried to take the phone from
JC. JC saw the happy look on Justin's face and knew
that Matt meant a lot to him. JC felt that familiar
ache in his chest but just handed his friend the phone
and moved away. He knew that Justin would probably
want to talk to Matt alone so he pretended like he
wanted to see a particular movie on the television and
turned up the sound.

Justin knew that JC was providing him with an excuse
to leave the room so that he could talk to Matt in
privacy. He sent JC a grateful look and headed for the
door.
"I can't hear a thing with the noise here. I'll be in
JC's room," he said and excused himself.

Joey, Lance and Chris didn't think much of it and
turned their attention to the television. JC just
sighed and pretended to pay attention to the
television.

**

Justin closed the door to JC's room and sat down on
the bed. He had been waiting to hear his boyfriend's
voice since the day before yesterday but hadn't been
able catch Matt.
"Hey you! I left like a dozen messages! Why didn't you
call me wh..."

"Why is JC answering you phone?" Matt asked, his voice
showing his displeasure.

"What?" Justin asked, wondering why JC was the topic
of their conversation. He had been expecting more
along the lines of 'I love you' or 'I miss' you'.

"I asked you why JC was answering your cellphone. Does
he have access to every little bit of your life?"

Justin rolled his eyes, glad that Matt couldn't see
him. He was really getting tired of this jealous
boyfriend routine. He didn't understand why Matt
couldn't just trust him.
"Coz' he was the closest to it," he replied wearily.

"So you asked him to answer it?"

"Yeah."

"What were you so busy doing that you had to ask him
to answer?"

Justin had about enough.
"I was giving him a blowjob! Are we done with the
third degree now?"

There was a long silence at the other end. Justin
immediately regretted his word and losing his temper.
"Matt? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. I so
sorry."

The silence stretched. Justin began to panic.
"Please, baby. I'm sorry. You know the way I get
before a gig. Please forgive me. Please?"

Justin didn't like to grovel but he was more afraid to
lose Matt. He held his breath waiting for an answer.

"It's ok," came the answer but the tone said anything
that it was anything but.

"God! I can't believe I yelled at you. I've been
missing you like crazy these past weeks and the moment
I hear your voice all I wanted to do was to tell you I
love you and instead I screw it up by yelling. I'm
such an idiot." Justin declared.

"No you're not. I guess I'm missing you too and I
overreacted. I'm sorry."

There was a comfortable silence for a while.
"I love you Justin. I hate it when you are not with
me."

"Me too."

"Where are you guys now?"

"At the hotel. We'll be leaving for the stadium in a
few minutes. But the good news is this is the last
one. We'll be heading back to Orlando tomorrow."

"Wow! Finally! It seems like decades since I last saw
you."

"Come on! Are you saying you didn't catch MTV?"

"You know what I mean, brat!"

Justin laughed and was interrupted when the phone in
JC's room rang.
"Hold on." Justin said to Matt as he grabbed the
handset of the hotel phone. "Yo? JC''s room. Justin
here."

There was just silence at the other end.

"Hello?"

Silence then a click as the person on the other end
hanged up. Justin clucked his tongue and replaced the
handset, turning back to his cellphone.
"Hey sorry about that."

"You are in JC's room?" Mat asked.

"Yeah. The guys are in my room."

"I thought this was your rest time before the show?"

"It is but we just wanted hang out together and
relax."

"Jesus! Do you guys have to spend every fucking moment
together?" Matt exclaimed.

Before he knew it, Justin was back in that familiar
argument. The one that was making his life miserable.
"Matt. Don't act like this."

"How do you expect me to act, Justin? I don't see you
for weeks. I miss you like crazy while you are there
having fun with your buddy and JC." Matt spat the last
word.

"What's your problem with JC, Matt? He's never done
anything to you."

"There aren't just two people in this relationship,
Justin. I feel like there are three. Make that six!"

"They are my friends, Matt! And JC! Hell! He's the
only one who knows about us and he's been so
supportive! He's helped me deal with this more times
than I can count."

"I don't understand why you had to tell him in the
first place."

"He's my best friend, Matt!" Justin exclaimed.

"And he's more important to you than me!"

Justin felt his temper rise but reined it in by taking
a deep breath.
"Matt. I love you. You know I do. But I also love my
friends. These guys are my buddies. We spend more time
with each other than with our family. These guys are
my family. And if you have problem with me being with
them, then..."

There was long silence.
"I don't want to lose you, Justin."

"I don't want to lose you either.

"I can't help the way I feel. It all just seems unfair
that they get more of you than me."

Justin sighed.
"I know. But I love you, Matt."

There was silence but Justin could almost hear a
smile.

"Look, Matt. I understand that while you're there and
I'm here, this is all that harder. I'll be coming back
the day tomorrow. Then..."

"Then we can talk."

"Then we can talk. Among other stuff." Justin added,
with a grin.

"Among other stuff." Matt repeated with a laugh.
"Gosh! I miss you so much. I can't wait to hold you in
my arms again."

"Me too. But I hope that's not all you're going to
do." Justin quipped.

"No way. I've got plans that involve champagne,
whipped cream and silk ropes." Matt drawled throatily.

Justin gulped at the image.
"Can't wait," he whispered.

"And the best part is that I will have you all to
myself. Do you promise that?" Matt asked.

"What?" Justin asked, confused.

"I want you to promise me that you will spend all your
time with me."

"What? Matt, my mom..."

"I know. I know. I'm not talking your family, Just.
I'm talking about your 'the guys'. Look. You yourself
said that your spend 24/7 with them when you are away.
You're only going to be back here for a month at the
most. All I'm asking is you spend less time with them
and more with me when you are back. Is that too much
to ask?"

Justin didn't like what Matt was asking him to do. At
the same time he understood where his boyfriend was
coming from. As much as he hated to sacrifice his
friends for his lover, he knew he had to do this or he
and Matt were over.
"No. All right. I promise. I'll spend more time with
you when I'm there. Happy?" Justin asked.

"Very. So happy that I feel like doing a cartwheel!"
Matt gushed.

Justin laughed.
"Don't even try, old man!"

"Hey! Who are you calling an old man?"

"See? The hearing's the first to go!"

"Haha! We'll see who's the old man. And who is 'up'
for more without having to sleep first." Matt drawled.

Justin grinned.
"You're on."

There was a knock on the door as JC stepped in.
"Sorry. We've got to make a move. Lonnie, Wes and
Randy want to move us together."

"Ok. Hey, Matt. I've got to go. So I'll see you
tomorrow?" Justin said into the phone.

"Ok. So I'll see you tomorrow right?"

"Latest midnight. Don't come to the airport. I'll call
you once I reach home."

"All right. Take care. I love you."

"I love you too." Justin said with a smile and
switched off his phone.

JC who had been acting as if he wasn't eavesdropping,
quickly looked away from his friend. But not before he
saw that love-struck smile on Justin's face.
"So how's Matt?" JC asked conversationally as he
grabbed his shades and cap from his dresser.

"He's fine."

"G-good. Coz' he sounded mad just now." JC said,
looking in the mirror.

Justin faltered a bit before quickly replying.
"Nah. That's just the way he sounds. Ok, see you at
the elevators." Justin said and closed the door behind
him.

JC watched the door close and sighed. Then he laughed.
"God! Can I be any more pathetic?"

JC looked in the mirror and took a deep refreshing
breath. Now was not the time for angst and distressing
about his screwed up life. He had a job to do. A job
that he loved. JC told himself that he was lucky to be
doing what he was doing and that he should give 110%
tonight for all the fans who have supported Nsync.
With that little, traditional pep-talk, JC put on his
cap and left his room.

A few minutes after JC had left, footsteps sounded
outside his room. A small envelope slipped under the
door and the footsteps receded.

Tbc...