Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1999 13:16:03 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael McCall Subject: Lance and Michael: Chapter One (Celebrity, Boy Bands) This story is completely fictional and I am not in anyway implying that Lance Bass or any members of Nsync are gay. This is my first story for Nifty. I'd like to take a quick second to thank Rob for his help and suggestions as I worked through this story. I hope that you all enjoy it and I would appreciate any comments and criticisms. You can email me at mccall0470@yahoo.com. Lance and Michael Chapter One "Getting to Know You" August 6, 1999, Chicago, Illinois: Lance Bass silently entered the dressing room that he shared with the rest of the members of N'Sync. Glancing around the room, he saw that Justin was sitting in a chair talking on his cel phone. From the smile on his face, Lance knew that Justin had to be talking to his girlfriend, Britany Spears. Not far from Justin, Chris sat on the floor playing with his dog, Busta. On the other side of the room, Joey and JC were sitting on the couch in conversation. No one had acknowledged his entrance, so Lance walked over to the couch and plopped down next to Joey and JC, letting out a heavy sigh. "Damn, JC." Joey continued, "You'd better be careful. The way you're going, having sex with fans in every city, you're libel to catch something." JC leaned back, stretching his legs out and clasping his hands behind his head. "Nah, dude. It's all good. I'm just spreading the love." He smiled, then let out a chuckle. "There's no shame in my game." Joey shook his head. "I hope you're at least using protection." Lance listened as Joey and JC's conversation continued. He focused his green eyes on the two guys next to him. They still had not acknowledged that he was there with them. Lance let out another sigh as he threw his head back against the couch. He crossed his arms across his chest and closed his eyes. "God!" he thought, "Do I need to a neon sign for them to notice?" After Lance's third sigh, Chris looked up from playing with Busta. "Uh, guys, I think Scoop is trying to tell us that he's depressed." Justin looked over at Lance, then turned back to his phone conversation. JC and Joey both stopped talking and looked at Lance who was still leaning back with his eyes closed. "Nah," JC said while playfully patting Lance on the stomach. "Scoop here is just tired. Aren't you scoop." Lance slowly opened his eyes and glared at JC. After about a minute, Lance flatly answered. "Danielle and I broke up today." "WHAT?!" They all said in unison. JC turned his attention completely to Lance. "Dude, what happened?" "I don't want to talk about it." Lance answered, closing his eyes again. Joey stood and headed to the bathroom. JC leaned in closer to his friend and whispered. "C'mon, Lance. Tell me. What happened?" JC stared at Lance for a few seconds. He placed a hand on Lance's thigh and gently rubbed it. "You can trust me, Lance." Lance slowly opened his eyes. JC could see the tears beginning to form and it made his stomach twist. "It's okay." JC whispered, pulling Lance into a hug. Lance returned the hug and held on to his friend tightly for a moment, then pulled away. "I'm okay." He said, rubbing the tears from his eyes. "We both felt that the long distance thing was putting a strain on the relationship. So we ended it." JC sat back and looked at his friend. The tears had momentarily disappeared, but JC could tell that something else was bothering his friend. He quietly looked over the rest of the room. Joey had emerged from the bathroom and was doing some stretches. Chris was rolling around on the floor with Busta, and Justin was still on the phone with Britany. No one was paying attention to him and Lance. "That's not the only reason you guys split, is it." He said quietly. Lance rubbed his face in his hands and came up with a small grin. "You know me all too well, my friend." JC placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and smiled. "Wanna talk about it?" Lance let out a long sigh. "I don't want to, but I think that I need to." He looked around to make sure that no one was listening, then continued. "It was my decision to break up. Not so much because we never see each other.But more because of what you and I have been talking about for the past few weeks." "Which was.?" JC asked, knowing full well what Lance was talking about, but knowing that his friend needed to say it aloud. "I've realized that I can't ignore the attraction I have towards guys." Lance said, almost painfully. "That I might be gay." JC laughed softly and shook his head. "Good for you, Lance! Now what are you gonna do about it?" Lance's brow furrowed at his friend. "What do you mean?" "You know what I mean, Scoop." JC giggled, elbowing Lance in the arm. "We gotta get you a man!" Lance shoved JC playfully away. "Yeah right. Where are we gonna find one?" There was a knock at the door, causing the guys to look up from what they were doing. JC grinned at Lance. "Maybe.." "Shut up." Lance said. "Come in." Chris called at the door. The door opened, and the group's Special Projects Producer, Melinda Bell entered with a guy that they didn't recognize. "And this is where the guys hang out before a show." She explained before turning her attention towards the guys. "Hey guys! I want to introduce you to Michael McCall, our new Production Intern. He'll be with us for the rest of the tour." Lance watched as the new intern introduced himself to the other guys. "This is too weird," Lance pondered. He was drawn out of his trance when Michael's green eyes met his. Lance hesitantly took the hand offered to him and shook it. "Hi," Michael smiled. "Michael McCall." "Nice eyes," Lance mumbled. "Huh?" Michael questioned. "Lance Bass," Lance recovered. "Nice to meet you." "Uh. you too." Michael answered, looking down at his hand until Lance released it. "Sorry." Lance blushed. "Well, guys." Melinda interrupted, "We've taken enough of your time." Melinda continued as she headed to the door with Michael. "You'll get a chance to torture the rookie later. Have a good show." As the door closed, JC turned his attention back to Lance. "Now that boy has potential!" But Lance wasn't paying attention. He was staring at the open space where Michael had been standing just moments before. * * * Melinda ushered Michael through the back stage area, continuing her narration of what was what back stage. "So, you've met the guys. What did you think?" Michael looked at Melinda and cocked an eyebrow. "They seem nice enough. Ask me again, after I get to know them." Melinda stopped and smiled at the intern. "Sorry. You are probably overwhelmed right now." Michael let out a small sigh and glanced around the backstage area. He smiled at Melinda. "Not really.Well, kinda." Melinda laughed and patted Michael on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You get used to the craziness." With that, she continued walking. "You'll get to know the guys soon enough. I'm sure they will make themselves known to you in the next day or so." Michael threw Melinda a skeptical look that was answered with a maniacal grin. "What aren't you telling me?" he questioned. Melinda looked the intern up and down and let out an evil laugh. "What?!" "The guys tend to `initiate' rookie production members within forty-eight hours of their starting the job." Melinda answered. "It's their way of welcoming you to the family." "Oh, really." Melinda caught a glimpse of Michael out of the corner of her eye. "Uh, oh. You don't mind practical jokes, do you?" A grin washed over Michael's face and his green eyes flickered. "Oh, no. I love practical jokes." He answered. "I just always get even." Melinda placed an arm around the young intern and returned his grin. "Mr. McCall, you are going to fit in just fine." * * * "Hey, Lance!" JC said into his friend's ear. "Snap out of it." Lance stirred out of his trance and looked into JC's eyes. "Huh.what?" "Dude," JC laughed. "You're just staring out into space. Don't tell me that you've popped over the new intern." Lance quickly looked down at the floor, trying to hide the flush in his cheeks. "What are you talking about, JC? I just shook his hand." "Uh, huh." JC chuckled. "I've seen that look in your eyes before. You. Are. Smitten." Shaking his head, Lance went to the mirror to check his hair and make-up. He didn't want to openly admit that JC was right. But would that be a bad thing. JC came up behind Lance and rubbed his shoulders. He could see the confusion in his friend's green eyes. "You are so beautiful, Lance." He thought. "If it helps any," JC whispered into Lance's ear. "He's gay too." That got Lance's attention. "What?!" He spun around to face his friend. "That's right." JC said with a triumphant grin. "I could smell it on him. It's a gift." "Whatever." Lance answered. "If you don't go for him, I will." Lance opened his mouth to respond, but decided it would be best left alone. "Maybe I should get to know this new intern of ours." He thought. "It couldn't hurt." * * * "So, that's all that needs to be done before curtain?" Michael looked up from his notebook to Melinda. Melinda shook her head. "There is one more thing we do." She answered, leading Michael to a large room where the rest of the crew had gathered. Michael glanced around the room and saw that the crew and band members were forming a circle and holding hands. "Before each show," Melinda began, leading Michael to an open spot in the circle. "The guys like to get everyone from PA s to grips to band members together so." Melinda's explanation was interrupted by Lance swiftly moving between her and Michael and taking their hands into his. "So we can all have a prayer before we go on." "I see." Michael stated as Lance took him and Melinda the rest of the way to the circle. "So do I." Melinda mumbled, not missing the way Lance was being attentive to her new intern. "It's one of our traditions." Lance smiled, tightening his grip on Michael's hand. Michael's attention was once again drawn away when Justin stepped into the center of the circle to get the group's attention. Once everyone was silent, Justin bowed his head and began the prayer. Lance couldn't help himself. His eyes crept open and he looked over at Michael. His gaze began with the intern's dark brown hair and moved down to the face. Lance watched Michael's face and took in every detail. He watched him breathe and shift in his stance. "What am I doing?" he asked himself. "I just met this guy. I don't know anything about him, but.Why am I so attracted to him?" The prayer ended and the group began to move. Michael opened his eyes to see Lance staring at him. He smiled politely. "Uh, can I have my hand back?" "PLACES IN FIVE MINUTES!" The stage manager called out to everyone. Lance saw that Michael was heading towards the stage and was instantly at his side. "So, Michael.Will you be working the show tonight or watching?" "I'm just gonna watch tonight," Michael answered. "Are you familiar with the music?" Lance asked. Michael looked at the singer thoughtfully, then smiled. "Yup. You guys sing one of my favorite songs." Lance was surprised at this. "Really? Which one?" Michael continued towards the stage. "I'll Never Break Your Heart." He answered with a grin. Lance stopped dead in his tracks, his face going white. "What?" Michael burst into laughter at Lance's reactions. "Ha! You should see your face right now!" "So, you aren't serious?" Michael slugged Lance in the arm with a grin. "Nah, I'm just playing with you." Lance joined in the laughter. "You are truly an evil man." "And I'm cute, too." Michael retorted as they neared the stage. "That you are." Michael cocked an eyebrow at the statement as Lance blushed slightly. "Have a good show." "Thanks. I hope you enjoy it." As Michael continued on, he turned, "Opening number is `Everybody' right?" Lance shook his head and headed up to make his entrance. "We'll talk after the show." Michael waved back to Lance, softly singing "Everybody" as he walked away. * * * After the show: "What a show!" Joey exclaimed as the guys exited their dressing room. Justin adjusted the baseball hat on his head and flashed a smile. "I'm just happy we have some time off tonight. What are we gonna do?" "I don't care, just as long as we eat." Chris answered, heading for the backstage exit. As the five guys moved past the stage towards the exit, Lance noticed Michael sitting on the edge of the stage writing on a notepad. Lance stopped, looked after the guys, and looked back at Michael then back at the guys. "I'll catch up with you guys." He called. "I've got something I need to do." JC turned back to Lance with a skeptical look on his face. He watched his friend smooth out his shirt and quickly glance into a nearby mirror. "Interesting." JC said with a smile, walking over to join his friend. "Is that `something' you have to do, or `someone'?" JC asked over Lance's shoulder. "Shut up." "He is very cute." JC stated looking in the direction of the intern. Lance hit JC in the arm. "He's new with the company. I just want to make him feel welcome." "Really?" JC returned his gaze to his friend. "Well, if you aren't gonna make a play for him, then I will." With that, JC began to walk towards the stage. "Josh, no!" Lance gasped, reaching out for his friend's arm. "Okay, bro." JC smiled. "He's all yours. Let me know if it doesn't work out." Lance watched his friend go, then checked himself in the mirror one last time. Pleased with his appearance, Lance began the trek across stage to where Michael was sitting. Michael McCall sat on the edge of the stage looking up at the lighting rigging. He was so focused on the lighting instruments, that he didn't hear Lance's approach. "Hey." Lance said quietly, sitting down next to Michael. The sudden brake in the silence caused Michael to jump. "Shit!" "Sorry," Lance chuckled, "Didn't mean to scare you." Michael caught his breath and shook his head in embarrassment. "Didn't hear you come over. What's up Lance?" Lance took a moment to really look at the intern. Dark hair tanned complexion, a swimmer's build and green eyes. "Those eyes," Lance sighed inwardly. "I saw you sitting out here and thought you could use some company." He answered. "You shouldn't be alone on your first night." Michael put aside his notepad and adjusted his position so that he was facing the singer. "Thanks. I appreciate that. I've taken in so much information tonight.my brain hurts." "I can understand that." Lance chuckled. "How did you land this gig, anyway?" "I'm a film student at UCLA," Michael began. "I'm about to go into my final semester. My mentor has some great connections. He hooked me up with a couple prime internships this summer. You guys being my last stop before I head back to school." "A film student, huh?" "A producer, actually." Michael answered. "When I started at UCLA I wanted to do the directing thing, but it just never felt right. During my second year I helped a friend produce his film and I fell in love with it. By the end of my second year I figured that I needed some time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, so I took a couple of years off to work in the real world." Lance listened intently to the story Michael was telling. He could tell, by the way Michael's eyes sparkled during the story; that Michael was really passionate about his work. "I wonder if I look like that when I talk about my career?" "I did a lot of film work during that time." Michael continued. "But I also worked on a lot of special events and concerts." "Sounds like fun." "Yeah," Michael nodded. "My degree will be in production. I just don't know where my career will take me." "You just have to follow your heart." Lance smiled. There was a moment of uneasy silence as the two men sat staring at each other. "You wanna get out of here?" Lance finally asked. "Sure." Michael smiled. Later: "So Justin was left hanging there over the audience?!" Michael laughed. "Oh yeah!" Lance howled. "It was great! I thought he was gonna wet his pants!" The duo had left the venue to have dinner at a nearby restaurant. As they ate, they swapped stories of performances gone bad, embarrassing moments in life and other basic get-to-know-you types of stories. "That just about tops any stories I have." Michael grinned, finishing off his fries. After a moment, Lance decided to be bold. He leaned forward on the table and whispered, "Do you believe in love at first sight?" Caught off guard, Michael leaned back in his seat and let out a slow sigh. "Kind of a heavy question for a first date. Isn't it, Mr. Bass?" Lance blushed. "You.You think this is a date?" "You're the one who asked me to dinner." Lance pulled back and glanced around the room. "That I did. That I did." "I've noticed the way you've been looking at me all night." Michael stated, taking a drink of his coke. Noticing how Lance was shrinking into his seat, Michael smiled. "I'd be lying if I told you that I wasn't flattered.or attracted." Lance sat up at that. "Really?!" "I have to tell you though," Michael continued. "I'm just out of a bad relationship." "I'm sor." Lance began before Michael cut him off. "Don't worry about it." Michael assured him. "I would like to get to know you, Lance. And not just the member of `N Sync. I'd like to get to know you." Lance leaned his elbows back on the table and smiled broadly. "I'd like that too." "So." Michael began hesitantly. "Why me?" Lance's green eyes settled on the man sitting across from him. "I can't say for sure." He answered. "There was just this connection from the moment I first met you. An undeniable attraction. I just knew that I was meant to be with you." "Let's get outta here." Michael smiled while standing. The sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the otherwise quiet dressing room. Soon the sound was replaced by moaning and grunting. The two sweat-covered occupants of the room melded together in a pure carnal act. One bent over an end of the couch while the other thrust himself into his partner with pure abandon. JC Chasez thrust himself into his partner harder and faster as his partner's groans and grunts became louder. Sweat dripping down his tight abdoman, JC pulled his hair out of his face and rubbed his own chest. JC rubbed his sweat over his partner's smooth brown back, as he continued to pound his dick into him. "Oh God." JC thought, "What is this guy's name again? Why am I doing this? A different guy each night." "Fuck me harder!" his partner groaned. JC sighed and obliged his partner. He was getting close to the edge. He would cum soon and then get rid of the guy. Just as JC was about to cum, the door to the dressing room opened. "I just gotta pick up a book and.," Lance was saying as he and Michael walked into the dressing room. "Fuck!" JC yelled, trying to control himself, but losing himself in his orgasm. Michael shook his head to clear the shock and grabbed Lance by the arm. Closing the door as he dragged Lance from the room. JC collapsed down onto his partner's back with tears in his eyes. "Fuck," he whispered. "Fuck." * * * "Well, that was.interesting." Michael said as the doors of the elevator closed. "I'm so sorry that you had to see that." Lance apologized. "Sometimes JC just can't help himself." Michael let out a laugh. "Don't worry about it." The elevator doors opened and the duo stepped out. "I had a great time tonight, Lance." Michael smiled as he stopped in front of his door. "So did I." Lance agreed, stepping closer to Michael. He took a quick glance up and down the hallway to make sure that no one was around. Feeling secure, Lance leaned in and brushed his lips against Michael's. When Michael didn't resist, Lance kissed him again, placing his arms around Michael's waist. Michael leaned in to the kiss, opening his mouth to accept Lance's tongue. Michael's lips felt so soft and warm to Lance, like pillows made of down feathers and silk. His kiss was so gentle, yet firm...it sent Lance soaring into orbit. Lance's kissing became instinctively more passionate and Michael moaned in appreciation. Lance was breathing so hard, and holding onto Michael as though he was the only thing that mattered in his life. He let out a small cry as Michael pulled back and smiled. "I should go in." Michael said, motioning at the door. Lance took a step closer, placing his hands on Michael's shoulder. "Can I come in?" Michael shook his head with a smile. "Lance, as much as I want you to come in at this moment, I just don't think it's a good idea." Seeing the look of rejection on Lance's face, Michael looked him in the eyes. "Hey. We've only known each other for maybe eight hours." "I know." Lance said, looking to the ground. "I was just." Michael cut him off with a quick kiss. "Listen. I really like you. I just think I should get to know you better before I end up in bed with you." "I know." Lance smiled, giving Michael a hug. "Hey! What are you doing tomorrow?" Michael gave the question some thought. "I don't have to report to Melinda till 1pm." Lance's smile grew. "I'll pick you up at nine sharp, then." "Okay." Lance leaned in and kissed Michael deeply. "It's a date." "Good nite." Michael smiled entering his hotel room. Lance turned once the door was closed and headed back to the elevator. He stopped short at the sound of two hands clapping together in a slow applause. "Now that was just beautiful." JC said, leaning against the wall next to the elevator. "So beautiful." "How long have you been here?" Lance questioned. "Were you following me?" JC placed an arm around his friend's shoulder and pressed the button to call the elevator. "I've been here since the two of you kissed. Looked serious." Lance sighed, letting his guard down. "God, JC. He is so great! We had the best time tonight. I took him to dinner and we talked for hours." "You're glowing." JC laughed. "He's a great kisser." "Why aren't you in there fucking him then?" Lance turned to his friend, unable to contain his joy. "He wants to get to know me first. He wants more than sex!" JC rolled his eyes. "Like I said before, Lansten.You are smitten." The elevator doors slid open and the two friends entered. "That was some show you put on earlier." Lance giggled. JC gave Lance a playful shove. "Yeah.Didn't your mom teach you about knocking before entering a room?" * * * August 7, 1999, Chicago, Illinois, 1:05pm: Lance entered the backstage office with a slight bounce to his step. He could not remember the last time he was this happy. "LANCE!" Lance turned at the sound of Melinda Bell screaming his name. "Hey Mel!" He smiled. "What have you done to my intern?" she scolded. Lance looked at Mel in disbelief. "What are you talking about?" Melinda stormed into the office and slammed the door. "Don't give me that shit! He was supposed to be here at 1pm. Everyone tells me that he was out with you all night and this morning." "Well." Lance started to explain. "So help me Lance, if I hear that you guys ran another staff member off with your pranks." "Mel, it's not like that." Lance pleaded. "Michael has potential, Lance. His resume is flawless!" Melinda stood toe to toe with the singer. "You guys and your games! What did you do to him?" Melinda's rant was interrupted by a knock on the door. After a moment, the door opened and Michael McCall popped his head in. "Hey Mel. Sorry about being late." He smiled. "The bus driver took forever loading my stuff into the bus. I'll start setting up the meet and greet area." "Thanks, Michael." Melinda sighed. "Next time, buzz me on your cel to let me know, okay?" "Sure." Michael glanced over at Lance and smiled. "Hey." Lance smiled sheepishly. "Hey." After Michael left, Melinda let out a long sigh and sat at her desk. "Lance." Lance placed his hands on Melinda's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "It's okay, Mel. Just remember to breathe every now and then." "So, tell me." Melinda spun around in her chair as Lance was trying to leave the office. "What did you do with my intern last nite?" Lance blushed slightly at the question. "We had dinner." "Really?" she raised an eyebrow. "Was this a." "Mel!" Lance was completely red now. "I saw the way you were looking at him yesterday." Lance's gaze dropped to the floor. "Was I that obvious?" "So it was a date!" Melinda cheered triumphantly. "Good for you, Scoop!" "Thanks." "Does he feel the same way?" Lance moved from the door and sat on the edge of Melinda's desk. With a grin on his face, he continued. "He said he wants to get to know me better. The real me, not the Nsync me. We had a great time last nite. I can't remember the last time I felt this way." Melinda smiled at the young singer. "Sounds like you've got a keeper." * * * Michael McCall stood outside in the courtyard overseeing the setup of the Nsync meet and greet area. He was checking off a list on his clipboard when he heard someone call his name. "Hey Michael! `Sup?" JC asked sitting on a picnic table near the intern. Michael smiled and took a seat next to the singer. "Not much JC. How `bout you?" "Just chillin, dude." JC nodded. "You got a minute?" Michael set down his clipboard and adjusted his sunglasses. "Sure." JC cleared his throat and glanced around. "I wanted to apologize for last night." "For the floor show?" Michael grinned. JC laughed with the intern for a moment. "Yeah. That." "Dude, don't worry about it." Michael assured him. "It's not like I've never walked in on anyone before. It's cool." "Yeah. But it's not every day you see a member of Nsync buttfucking an usher." Michael took off his sunglasses and looked at JC. "Hey. What you do in your personal time, is your business. I could care less who you fuck. Doesn't change what I think of you." "Thanks, man." JC smiled. "You're a good guy. Lance is lucky." "What?" Michael questioned with surprise. "Lance tells me everything." JC stated. Michael shifted uncomfortably at the table. "What exactly did he tell you?" "He told me that you guys went to dinner and got to know each other a little bit. He walked you to your hotel room and you guys made out for a while." JC explained, leaning back onto his elbows. "He's got it bad for you, man." Michael put his sunglasses back on and stood. "JC, don't get me wrong.I really like Lance. But I don't know if it's a good idea for us to get involved. What would it look like, a new intern making time with one of the headliners?" "Who cares?" "I do!" Michael kicked the trash can next to the table. "I'm trying to start a career here, JC. You guys have that already. I can't let anything stand in the way of that." "Then don't." JC stated while standing. "But Lance has feelings for you. And I could tell by the way you kissed him last night that you are attracted to him too." Michael picked up his clipboard and looked away. "Don't be so focused on a career that you miss out on a good thing." With that, JC left the intern to think about their conversation. * * * Later: Lance looked at his watch as he entered the production building. So far, the day was going as planned. He jogged over to the production office and stuck his head in the door. "Hey you." He called. "Hey." Michael smiled looking up from the computer. "What's up?" "Me, whenever I'm around you." Lance smiled back. Michael rolled his eyes and laughed. "You are gonna get me in trouble with talk like that Mr. Bass." "That's the goal, Mr. McCall. But not right now." Lance began. "Melinda asked me to come find you. She needs you out in the courtyard." "Really?" Michael asked while standing. "I didn't hear her on radio." Lance stood aside so Michael could exit the office. "Uh, her battery's dead." "Oh." Michael responded as he headed toward the courtyard with Lance. "Thanks for breakfast today. I had a lot of fun." "I did too." Lance smiled. "Dinner tonight?" "Sure. I've got some time before the show." Michael answered as he reached the door to the courtyard. He didn't notice Lance bend over and pick up a large bucket next to the door. Michael opened the door and stepped outside into the courtyard. Suddenly, Michael found himself under a barrage of water. Justin, JC, Chris and Joey were all positioned in the courtyard spraying the intern with large water guns. Michael tried to duck and turned back to the door. "Sorry baby." He heard Lance say before the bucket of water hit him in the chest. The courtyard filled with laughter as the five members of Nsync approached the intern. Michael brushed his wet hair out of his face with his hands, trying hard not to laugh. He shook his head and shook a finger at the group. "Welcome to the Nsync experience!" Joey laughed, squirting Michael one more time. "Consider yourself initiated." Justin beamed. "Thanks." Michael groaned. "You're part of the family now." Chris added. JC slung an arm over Michael's shoulders. "Hopefully in more ways than one." He whispered. Michael smiled at JC and shook his head. "We'll see." He said, turning to Lance. "And you, blond boy." Lance stepped back, holding the bucket in front of him for protection. "Hey.someone had to get you out here." "Okay, boys!" Melinda called over the laughter. "Now that you've gotten the new intern wet, let him get cleaned up. You've got twenty minutes till meet and greet." Having tossed his shirt and jeans into the dryer, Michael stood in the wardrobe room in his boxers. He ran a hand through his hair, bringing it out of his eyes and sighed. Checking the time on the dryer, he saw that he had ten more minutes till his clothes were ready. A pair of arms wrapped around his waist, and pulled him close. Causing him to yelp. Lance chuckled in Michael's ear and placed a small kiss on his neck. "You're looking kind of cute standing here in your underwear, Mr. McCall." "Damn," Michael said with his back still to Lance. "I was hoping you were Joey." "What?!" Lance gasped, turning Michael to face him. "Gotcha!" Michael laughed pulling Lance back into their embrace. "You are so easy." Lance didn't answer. He just gazed into Michael's green eyes and smiled. Slowly, he moved forward and brushed his lips against Michael's. Seeing the smile on the intern's face, Lance closed his eyes and kissed him again. This time, Michael returned the kiss. His tongue snaked its way into Lance's mouth and Lance dissolved in his arms. Lance let out a small moan as Michael deepened the kiss and pulled him closer. Lance's hands slowly moved down Michael's bare back to the waist band of his boxers. One by one, Lance inched his hands timidly into Michael's boxers and gently cupped his ass. Michael moved his right hand up to the back of Lance's head, pushing himself closer to the singer. He moaned slightly as he felt Lance's hands on his ass, causing him to softly grind his bulging crotch into the singer's leg. Their lips parted for a brief second, causing Michael to gasp. "Lance!" "Shhh." Lance whispered, moving his head closer to continue the kiss. This time he was more aggressive. Thrusting his tongue into Michael's mouth and squeezing his ass with need. It was Michael who melted this time, moaning with pleasure as the singer held him close. The duo was so entranced in their kissing that they didn't hear the door open and Justin Timberlake enter the room. The young singer stopped in his tracks at the sight of Lance and Michael making out in front of the dryer. His shock turned to anger as he slammed the door to get their attention. "Ah, shit." He barked. "Not you too, Lance!" Lance and Michael quickly separated with the slamming of the door. "Shit." Michael cursed, turning away from Justin trying to hide the obvious bulge in his boxers. "Justin, I can explain." Lance began. Justin grabbed the jacket he needed from the costume rack and headed back to the door. "I don't want to hear it Lansten. First JC decides he's a fag, and now you. That's just what we need, another potential media disaster." With that, he was out the door and down the hall. "Justin wait!" Lance called out with tears in his eyes. He started to follow Justin, but stopped at the door to look at Michael. Michael had gotten his clothes from the dryer and was already dressed and putting on his shoes. "I was afraid this was gonna happen." He groaned, looking up at Lance. "Well, don't just stand there staring at me! Go after him!" "I'm sorry." Was all Lance said before running after Justin. Joey was kicking a hackey sack in the hall when Justin stormed by him, pushing him into the wall. "Hey!" He called after him as Lance was running up the hall after Justin. "What's with him?" Lance stopped briefly to answer. "He caught me and Michael making out in wardrobe and he freaked." With that, Lance ran after Justin. Joey stood in the center of the hall with his mouth open. "What's going on?" JC asked coming up the hall. Joey shook his head. "Uh.Justin caught Lance and the intern Michael making out in wardrobe and he freaked out." "Shit." JC cursed, grabbing Joey's arm. "C'mon." "Lance is gay?" Joey asked as he was dragged down the hall. "The new intern is gay?" * * * "What's with you?" Melinda asked Michael as he slammed another box of photos onto the meet and greet table. "Nothing!" Michael snapped. "Hey." Melinda scolded, touching the intern on the arm. "If we're gonna work together, you're gonna have to trust me. So, spill it." Michael sat down next to Melinda at the table and sighed. "I might as well tell you. I'm sure it will be going around soon enough." Melinda stared at Michael expectantly. "Well?" "In the past twenty-four hours, I've gotten myself romantically involved with someone on the staff." "Lance. I know." Melinda stated while setting some photos on the table. "Did he tell everyone?" "He didn't have to tell me everything." Melinda defended Lance. "I could tell by the way he was acting around you yesterday that he was interested. And I saw the way the two of you interacted today." "I'm sorry, Mel." Michael interrupted. "I want so badly to be seen as a professional here. That's what an internship is about. I want my employers to see that I am more than capable than handling name talent events in hopes of securing future employment." Melinda placed a hand on Michael's shoulder and spoke softly. "Calm down, Michael. As long as you do your job well, that's all that matters. Who cares who you are involved with." "After today, I don't know." Michael shook his head. "What happened?" Michael ran his hands through his hair and sighed again. "While I was waiting for my clothes to dry earlier, Lance came in to talk to me. We ended up kissing and Justin walked in on us." "Oh." Melinda nodded. "I can't believe I was so stupid." Michael moaned. "I was in my underwear. God only knows what it looked like. No wonder Justin freaked out." "Michael, you didn't do anything wrong." Melinda reassured him. "The guys look out for each other. I'm sure that Justin won't tell anyone." "But." "No buts." Melinda smiled. "You are a good guy, Michael. With a great resume. You won't have any problems in the professional world. Now, the guys will be out in a couple of minutes, so why don't you start lining up those screaming girls and we can get started." "Okay." Michael answered while standing. "Thanks, Mel." Melinda sat and watched her intern walk away. "Poor kid." She mumbled, reaching for her radio. "Lonnie, this is Mel. Where my boys at?" After a moment, Lonnie's voice came through her radio. "On our way out now." Melinda turned her attention to the stage door and saw Lonnie exit with JC, Lance, Justin and Joey in tow. She watched them make their way through the courtyard to the autograph table. "Okay, guys." She said while standing. "Take your seats. Where's Chris?" "He'll be out in a minute." Lonnie answered. JC, Justin and Joey took their seats at the table while Lance looked around the courtyard. "I gotta go talk to Michael." He said, spotting Michael near the gate. Melinda grabbed his arm and redirected him to a chair. "No you don't." she directed. "Mr. McCall is working right now. And so are you." "I'll go talk to him." Justin said. "Haven't you done enough?" Melinda smacked Justin on the back of the head. "You will all sit here and await the screaming girls to come and beg for your hands at marriage." * * * "Okay, ladies." Michael spoke over the crowd. "We're about to open the courtyard for the meet and greet. As you enter the autograph line, please have your photos and cameras ready. They guys are only able to be out here with you for a couple of hours. So the faster they can sign for you, the more time they have to hang out with you afterwards." Michael completed his speech and stepped back from the gate to where Lonnie, Nsync's personal guard was standing. "Somehow I don't think they were paying much attention to me." "Yeah." Lonnie laughed. "They've only got five things on their minds right now." A sudden commotion at the gate caused the two to look back to the fence. The girls were going crazy. Michael turned back to the courtyard to see Chris approaching at a jog. "Boy, what are you doing out here?" Lonnie asked, trying to shield Chris from view. "I need to talk to Michael for a second." Chris answered, taking Michael by the arm and directing him around the corner. "What?" Michael asked. Chris sighed and looked at the intern. "Listen, some major shit just went down in the dressing room." "Great." Michael rolled his eyes. "Just what we need." "No, dude. You don't understand." Chris shook his head. "Justin freaked. And he had no right to. Lance sat us down and told us that he's gay and that the two of you are kind of involved." "And.?" "I just wanted to let you know that everything's cool." Chris reassured. "You seem like a great guy, Michael. Lance really likes you and that's cool with me." Michael stepped back in disbelief. "You sure?" "Yes, I am. And so is Joey. We both want you to hang out with us so we can get to know you better." Chris smiled. "Lance is happy right now. That's something he hasn't been in a while." "Thanks, Chris. But what about Justin?" "Justin's an asshole most of the time." Chris answered. "But he'll come around." Michael walked Chris back to the autograph table as the gates opened for the meet and greet. As he neared the table, his eyes met with Lance's. Lance mouthed the words, "Are you okay?" Michael nodded and gave Lance a small smile. "Careful, McCall," He thought. "You could fall hard for this one. Take it slow.remember last time." As the autograph line thinned out, the members of Nsync left the table to mingle with the crowd. Melinda Bell sat on the autograph table and let out a sigh. Scanning the crowd, she found her intern surrounded by a small group of people answering their questions. When he finished, she motioned for him to join her. "Well," she began as he took a seat next to her. "What do you think of your first real day of work?" Setting his clipboard down, Michael chuckled. "Aside from getting water logged by the guys, it's been okay." "Cool." Melinda answered. "Then you can totally handle the next one on your own." "Whatever." Michael laughed. "I see how it works. The intern does the work so you can lay by the pool." "Oh yeah!" Their laughter was interrupted when Justin walked over and sat next to Michael on the table. There was an uneasy moment of silence, then Justin handed something to Michael. Michael took the item. "What's this?" He looked down to see that Justin had handed him an 8X10 glossy photo of himself. "Read it." Justin said flatly. Taking another look at the photo, Michael noticed that Justin had signed the photo. "To Michael-Sorry for being such and asshole.-Justin" "Damn," Michael sighed. "You personalized it. Now I can't sell it on Ebay!" Justin shook his head and chuckled. "Fucker." "We cool?" Michael asked, extending his hand. Justin looked at the hand for a moment then shook it. "Yeah, we're cool." "Good. Now get your ass back out there and mingle with the fans." Justin saluted the intern and bounded over to a group of fans. Melinda clapped her hands together. "Nicely done, Mr. McCall. Forgive the talent and send them on to work." Michael stood and picked up his clipboard. "Thank you Ms. Bell. I have to run myself. I need to firm up the details for the Make a Wish group for tomorrow in Milwaukee." "Hey guys." Lance timidly interrupted. "Lance." Melinda nodded. "Hey." Michael said. "I saw you talking to Justin." Lance directed at Michael. "Is everything okay?" "I'm fine, Lance." Lance glanced over the thinning crowd in the courtyard then turned back to Michael. "I was hoping we could talk." "Not now." Michael stated flatly. "But." "Lance." He interrupted. "I'm working right now. We can talk later." With that, the intern said goodbye to Melinda and headed for the production office. Lance stared after Michael with a saddened look. "Talk to him after the show." Melinda said, rubbing Lance's shoulders. "You're right." The singer nodded. "Hey, Mel. I need a favor." * * * After the show: "Michael," Melinda called as she grabbed her backpack and laptop from the production office. "Make sure you don't forget anything. Do a sweep of the backstage area and be on the bus in fifteen minutes." Michael tossed his clipboard in his bag and shouldered it. "Not a prob." Without another word, the young intern was on his way from the production office to the stage. He paused briefly to watch the rigging crew as they were striking the lighting and sound equipment, then continued on to the dressing room. Stopping at the dressing room, he placed his ear to the door and listened. Sure enough, the sounds of JC grunting loudly came through the silence. "One for the road," Michael whispered before knocking. "Yo, JC!" he called through the door. "Bus is leaving in ten. You'd better cum soon." "Ugh.ugh..Thanks Mike.uh." he heard JC yell to the door. Michael chuckled and headed out to the bus. * * * Michael stood in the small bathroom on the production bus looking in the mirror. "What a day." He thought. Having changed into a t-shirt and sweat shorts, he grabbed his bag and headed out to the main room of the bus. Melinda was sitting at the table playing solitaire on her laptop. "Hey." She greeted him. "So, how do you think you did?" "Not bad." He responded, dropping his bag on the seat in front of him. "Personal life snags aside.I'd say my performance was good for the first day on the job. Your opinion?" Melinda looked up from her game thoughtfully. "I'd have to say.Personal life snags included, you did exceptionally well for your first day. The staff thinks you're great. Everyone wants you to work for them, at some point, which can be arranged. The guys like you, and that's a key thing in working for this company. "Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be fine. Now, you should get some sleep. We've got a busy day tomorrow." "Yes, mom." Michael smiled, heading up the hall to his bunk. He considered himself lucky, his bunk was in the center. Not too high and not on the floor. Without paying much attention, Michael parted a small opening in the curtain in front of his bunk and climbed in. Closing the curtain, he rolled over to face the wall and let out a small scream. "Hey." Lance whispered with a small smile laying up against the wall. "Took you long enough to get here." "What are you doing here?" Lance rolled over onto his stomach and placed his head on the pillow. "Well, you said we could talk after the show, so." "Aren't you supposed to be on your own bus?" "Melinda took care of that for me. She knew that we needed to talk." Lance answered, looking a little hurt. "Do you want me to go?" Michael rolled over onto his back and sighed. "No. I don't want you to go. We do need to talk." "I'm sorry about today." Lance began. "I put you in a bad position in wardrobe. I don't know what it is, Michael. I just can't get you out of my head. I want to be with you all the time. To talk to you, listen to you.touch you." Lance timidly reached a hand out and touched Michael's cheek. Michael's eyes closed and his head turned into Lance's hand, enjoying the intimacy. "Be careful, Mr. Bass." He smiled. "With talk like that, I could fall hard for you." Lance leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the intern's forehead. "Well, I've already fallen hard for you, Mr. McCall." "I've noticed." Michael said as his lips touched Lance's. His tongue slid out and licked Lance's lips, then he pressed closed and his tongue probed between the singer's lips and began to tangle with his tongue. Lance put his hands alongside his head, his soft hair between Lance's fingers. Michael's hands clutched Lance's head as well and he pulled to make their kiss tighter, more frantic. The kiss seemed to last for an hour, but all too short. Lance leaned back to catch his breath. "Wow." He panted. Michael smiled and laid back down. "Are you staying the whole night?" Lance moved closer, tracing Michael's facial features with a finger as he spoke. "I would like to sleep with you tonight. Just sleep. And.you know.get to know you a little better." Michael chuckled. "What?" Lance questioned. "Getting to know you, getting to know all about you." Michael softly sang. "Showtunes?" "No." he explained. "My room mate and I like to annoy each other by quoting songs in normal conversations. It's a fun little game to see who has the better music knowledge." "Oh, really." Lance said with amusement. "Yeah." Michael grinned. "Like today for instance when Justin apologized to me for being an ass. I wanted to say `It's not right, but it's okay'. But I figured that he wouldn't get it." "So I could say `I lie awake and drive myself crazy. Drive myself crazy, thinking of you'?" "Oh, no." Michael answered flatly. "Why?" "If you are going to play this game, you can't use any songs that you've recorded." Michael stated. "I would like to think that you are more original than that." "Ah." Lance nodded moving his hand from Michael's face down to his chest. He slowly traced his fingers across the intern's defined pecs while he thought of an appropriate song to quote. A smile grew over his face as the music entered his head. He bent his head down so that he was next to Michael's ear and softly began to sing. "I'm crazy for you. Touch me once and you'll know its true. I've never wanted anyone like this, it's all brand new. This feeling in my kiss, I'm crazy for you." With a tear in his eye, Lance moved up and brushed his lips against Michael's. "I'm crazy for you." Michael reached up and brought the blond into a tight hug. He placed a kiss on Lance's forehead as he rocked them slightly back and forth. Pulling back, Michael looked deeply into Lance's tear soaked green eyes and smiled. Lance returned the smile and rested his head on Michael's chest. They lay in each other's arms, listening to each other breath, Michael stroking Lance's hair and Lance tracing circles on Michael's chest. Lance was content listening to his partner's breathing become more steady as he succumbed to his fatigue. Shortly after, Lance fell asleep to the sound of Michael's heartbeat. To be continued.