Author: Zarah

Pairing: JC Chasez/Justin Timberlake

Rating: NC-17

Note: I'm tired. Very tired. Extremely tired. If this chapter sucks, you know why.

Summary: Wherein the writer annoys herself in using a story line which was first used in 532, Justin learns to use his brain before making stupid bets while Josh is just basically our poor and unsuspecting victim.

Disclaimer: Not only am I tired, no, I'm also tired of writing disclaimers. Double tired. Or maybe it's tired squared, I'm not really in the mood for Math right now. Not that I ever am. Um, okay, where was I? Right, disclaimer. Do I know these guys? Sure. Do I own them? Of course. Do I mean to imply anything about their sexuality? Always. Did you notice that I'm already half asleep? I'm no longer able to tell a dream from reality...

II.

If That's What It Takes

Che cosa cerchi tu da me (What are you searching for in me)
Che cosa vuoi di più da me (What more do you want from me)
Eros Ramazzotti, Fuoco Nel Fuoco

JC knew it was Justin even before he opened the door. It was the knock he recognized. Living together for a long time made people know little things like that about each other.

"Can I sleep here?"

"Um..."

"Thanks."

Tossing him a smile, the younger man stepped around JC and into the room, dropping some clothes on a chair.

"I said yes?" JC raised a brow.

"I can't?"

"Well, I'm not sure if..."

"But, you never said no!"

"You never acted like... this before."

"Like what?"

"Like..."

"Like?"

The brunette threw his hands up. "I don't know. Not like you."

Justin offered him a lascivious smile. "How so?"

"That. That smile. That's what I mean, Justin. That's not how you used to smile at me."

"Well, things change."

JC glared. "I don't want them to. Things were fine before."

"You're mad at me?"

"No. Yes. I don't know."

"Don't be."

"I think I have every right to be angry."

"Don't be mad at me, Josh. Just... let me sleep here, okay? I'll behave."

The brunette sighed, promising himself that one day he would learn to resist that pout. "Okay. But if you don't, you're out of here."

Seeing Justin's smirk did nothing to reassure JC.

***

"What are you doing? Didn't you say you'd behave yourself?"

"Oh, come on! You're acting as if we've never changed in front of each other."

"Changing clothes: Yes. Doing a striptease: No."

"So, you're saying that I'm doing a striptease in front of you now?"

"Yes."

"Isn't that supposed to be this erotical turn-on dance?"

"You know what a striptease is, Justin."

"Just want to hear it from you."

"Yes, it is this erotical turn-on dance. Happy now?"

Justin smiled, slowly approaching the brunette. "Very. So you're saying that I'm doing a striptease in front of you?"

"We already cleared that up."

"Okay. So I'm doing a striptease in front of you. An erotical turn-on dance. Well... Did it turn you on, then?"

"Fuck you, Justin."

"That means yes."

"I'm taking a shower."

JC left the room, ignoring Justin's question if it was going to be a cold one.

***

"I let you stay after the striptease incident, but I swear, if you don't start behaving yourself right now, then you'll be out of here."

"Behaving myself?"

"As in: stop rubbing against me."

"I like rubbing against you."

"Why?"

"Well, duh! Josh, if a person is rubbing against you, what does that tell you usually?"

"That I'm about to get laid."

"Right. Now, if I am rubbing against you, what does that tell you?"

"That I'm definitely not about to get laid until you're out of the room."

"Wrong answer, baby."

JC freed himself, unlocking Justin's arms around him, and scrambled to the far end of the bed. "Why, Justin?"

The younger man sat up, gaze never leaving the brunette. "Why I want to have sex with you? That's your question?"

"Yeah."

"Because I want you. Because you're sexy. Because you're you."

"I'm also your big brother."

Justin shook his head. "You're not."

"Yes, I am. I've been for a long time."

"No. We're not siblings. You know that."

"You're like my little brother."

"You're fooling yourself. You don't think of me as a little brother."

"How would you know?"

"Who did you think of when you jerked off in the shower?"

"That's none of your business."

"So you did jerk off... Was it because watching me undressing turned you on?"

"No."

"That's a lie. You thought about me, didn't you?"

"Get out, Justin."

Silence.

"Now."

More silence.

"I don't want to sleep in bed with you as long as you're like that."

Shrugging, the younger man left the bed and and picked up his things. Before he closed the door behind himself, he gave JC a last, broad smirk. "You never answered my question. But we both know the answer, don't we?"

The brunette threw his pillow after him, muttering a curse as it hit nothing but the solid wood of the door.

***

He wasn't even sure how, but for the last three days, JC had managed to completely avoid Justin. Of course, the fact that they stayed in the same city for more than only a few hours had been an advantage. In the bus, it was almost impossible to avoid someone, but as long as they were staying in hotels, it worked. Not very well, but well enough for him. And if he had to decline going clubbing in order to avoid flirty Justy, then he did.

Even if it worked against his plan to get laid.

But maybe he had overdone it. The last three days, he had only seen the other guys during rehearsals, interviews and the one concert which was scheduled here. And obviously, it was starting to worry them, at least that's what Joey had told him when he had stopped by just a few minutes before.

The Italian had also told him that, no matter what it was, he needed to work out his problems with Justin because nothing, absolutely nothing was worth risking their friendship. Joey had emphasized the "nothing", looking pointedly at JC, as if trying to burn that message into the brunette's soul. JC didn't tell him that this was exactly why he was avoiding Justin at the moment.

After all, having sex with one another certainly qualified as risking a friendship.

***

"Chris, stop moving so much. Switch places with JC. Justin, you put your right arm around JC. Joey! I want you to stand next to Lance, not behind him. JC, stop glaring."

"You'd be glaring, too, if I did to you what you just did to me." JC mumbled under his breath, forcing a fake, toothy smile on his face.

Next to him, Justin started humming "Life is life...", dropping his arm from JC's shoulder and letting a hand rest on his back, slowly travelling lower until it came to rest on the brunette's ass.

"Stop it." It wasn't easy to talk while keeping up the fake smile.

"Make me."

"I can't. Unless I want everyone here informed about your strange behavior."

Justin's smile was a lot more natural than JC's. "I know."

"Ever heard of sexual harassment?"

"Yeah." Justin's hand was starting to gently massage JC's butt. "This isn't, though."

"And why not?" The brunette's smile was wavering and the photographer called him back to attention.

"Because we both like it. I like to touch you. You like to be touched by me. Definitely not sexual harassment."

Secretly, JC had to admit that Justin had a point. Which didn't mean that he was about to say out loud that he liked being touched by the younger man. "What makes you think that I like it?"

"I know you. I know what you like. I know the little signs you give when there's something you like. And I know that you like my touches." The hand was getting bolder.

"Justin, didn't I tell you to put an arm around JC?"

The brunette stepped forward, away from Justin. "I think I should switch places with Lance. Justin's and my outfit aren't matching at all, don't you think so?"

"You can switch with me." Joey offered quickly.

JC nodded.

He missed Justin's glare and the smirk Joey gave in return.

I'm sorry about that chapter. I'm so so sorry. Really. I wasn't in the right writing mood, but I promised to get this done today. So I did. And this is the result. Which should teach you not to ask me for new chapters when I'm not in the mood...

Feedback: Zarah5@t-online.de

Homepage: What It Is...