Author: Zarah

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: JC Chasez/Justin Timberlake

Warning: Dark. Adult content. Graphic male/male sex. I think that just about covers it.

Note: Well, that was quick, wasn't it? I hope it doesn't suck, though, because I don't have the time to edit it the way I want to: I have to leave in about half an hour.

Summary: Wherein JC is, uh,... not JC.

Disclaimer: Since I tend to write disclaimers that are a little, uh... Odd? Incomplete? (sorry, David!) - I'm gonna write a real one for once. Here we go.
The members of 'N Sync are their own people and the author is in no way related to any of them. This story does not mean to imply anything about their sexuality nor that any of these people would act like that in real life. This story contains adult content, so if you're under 18, you should hit the "Back" button of your browser now. Same if homosexuality offends you or if it is illegal to view such material where you live.
That all? I think so.

II.

Missing

21^st Floor - Lobby: A young couple. 6^th Floor - Underground Garage: A businessman in a black suit. Lobby - Basement: A mechanic. 6^th Floor - 32^nd Floor: A girl and her mother. Lobby - 7^th Floor: Two old women. 22^nd Floor - Underground Garage: Another businessman, gray suit. 13^th Floor - Roof Terrace: Another couple. Lobby - 21^st Floor: A hotel employee. Basement - Lobby: The mechanic. 27^th Floor - Lobby: Three young singers. 21^st Floor - 11^th Floor: The employee. Lobby - 30^th Floor: A group of Chinese tourists. 27^th Floor - Lobby: Two young singers.

Somewhere between the 27^th floor and the lobby, the elevator got stuck.

"What the..." JC was leaning against the wall of the elevator, studiously avoiding looking at Justin. Instead, he glanced up at the red digits that were supposed to show the number of the floor they were at. Only that the number didn't change, the red "17" blinking as if to taunt him.

"We're stuck!" JC exclaimed.

"No shit." Justin was leaning against the opposite wall, wearing an amused expression.

JC narrowed his eyes. "You don't seem too worried."

"Why should I be?"

"Because we might be stuck in here for hours?"

"So?"

"You're acting as if you expected this to happen."

"That's probably because I did."

"You knew that this elevator would get stuck?"

"Yes."

"You knew that this elevator would get stuck? - I think you owe me an explanation."

"I bribed the clerk." Justin smirked, ignoring JC's expression of just barely contained rage. "We'll be in here for two hours. Just you and me, JC. Nowhere to escape. No song to write. No window to stare out."

"The others will come looking for us."

"Right now, the others are on their way to get dinner. They'll be back when we get out."

"One of the bodyguards will notice."

"Lonnie was the one who got rid of your cell phone for me."

"Someone will try to use the elevator."

"There are 'Out of order' signs. People will use one of the other two elevators."

JC punched the wall, the sound echoing through the elevator shaft.

Justin watched him calmly.

JC balled his hands to fists, looked around.

Justin was reminded of a trapped animal. A wildcat, maybe.

He sighed. "JC? Can't you just talk to me? I'm your best friend, Josh. You can tell me everything."

The brunette's eyes were sending daggers at him. "This is your fault, Justin. This is your goddamn fault. So don't tell me that you are my best friend."

"What did I do? - JC! JC, look at me!"

"None of your business."

"Excuse me?" Justin left his place, approached JC. He knew that he was intruding JC's personal space, but at this point, he really didn't care. "First, you're telling me that it's my fault that you've become a stranger, and then you're saying that it's none of my business? Are you nuts?"

The next time Justin opened his eyes, his jaw was hurting and he was lying on the floor, a horrified looking JC by his side.

The younger man sat up, feeling the sore spot with one hand, then he turned to stare at JC, eyes wide and shocked.

The brunette moved away from him, retreating until his back hit the wall.

They stared at each other, Justin's hand still cradling his jaw, JC's breathing coming out in short, painful gasps.

Blinking, Justin shook his head, closed his eyes. "Tell me you didn't just hit me, JC. Tell me I stumbled against the wall."

"I..." JC averted his eyes.

"JC?"

"Sorry." The brunette's voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.

"You hit me?"

"I'm sorry, Justin." JC still wasn't meeting his eyes.

Justin slumped against the opposite end of the elevator, a look of disbelief clouding his features. "You hit me."

JC leaned his head against the wall, and when he squeezed his eyes shut, Justin knew that the brunette was trying not to cry.

Keeping his eyes fixed on JC's figure, Justin crawled closer until he was directly in front of JC. He could see the wetness pooling behind JC's eyelashes, threatening to spill out, and laid a comforting hand on the older man's shoulder. The brunette's eyes flew open.

"If I hug you right now, will you promise not to hit me again?" Justin whispered.

JC nodded dumbly.

There was a short moment of hesitation, then Justin enveloped him in his arms, and after a few tense seconds, JC relaxed into the embrace, breathing in Justin's scent. He was aware of the tears that were running down his face, but was no longer trying to fight them. It would have been hopeless anyway.

***

Justin didn't remember how long they were already sitting on the cold metal floor of the elevator, JC sobbing into his shirt, twisting it in his hands, while Justin was murmuring soothing words into the older man's ears. It might have been ten minutes. It might have been an hour. Justin didn't know. But he slowly felt JC's sobs subside, no longer shaking JC's whole body, until they eventually died down, became quiet sniffles.

In the mirror, Justin could see the red, swollen eyes, the tear-stained skin, but when he tried pulling back to directly look at JC, the older man tightened his grip, clung to him as if afraid of letting go, so Justin gave up. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around JC again, stroking his back comfortingly.

JC rested his chin on Justin's shoulder, blinking and sniffling a few times, but Justin was sure that the worst part was over.

"Wanna talk about it now?"

And just like that, JC's body stiffened. But Justin had expected that reaction. Therefore, when JC tried to pull away, Justin held on tight, refusing to let him go, his hands still stroking JC's back. Justin was afraid that JC would put the mask back on, but he didn't. He just drew a few shaky breaths and buried his nose in the younger man's neck.

"It's okay." Justin whispered. "It's okay, Josh. Just tell me and you'll feel better."

JC shook his head, his hair tickling Justin's cheek.

"It started the night in the club, didn't it? When you left early?"

Once again, he felt JC tense, but this time, the older man didn't try to pull away.

JC nodded.

"What happened?" The blonde's hands were drawing circles on JC's back in hopes that the regular, steady motion would calm JC.

"I..." JC shifted, burrowing his face deeper in Justin's neck. "There was this guy."

"What did he do?" Suddenly, Justin had a feeling he knew where this was leading to, and he didn't like it. Not one bit of it. I'm overreacting, he told himself. There's no way, no way at all that anyone would...

"We didn't have any bodyguards with us, remember?" JC's voice was distant, as if he was telling a dream. "That guy, he followed me."

Justin's hands faltered, but he caught himself in time, tried not to let his feelings show.

JC went on talking, he didn't seem to be aware of his surroundings or that Justin was holding him. He had his eyes closed, face expressionless, and his voice was monotone, void of any emotion.

"There weren't any other people outside, so he shoved me against a wall. Said I was a fag and a queen and liked it up the ass so he would give it to me."

Justin bit his tongue to keep from crying out.

If JC had felt him stiffen, he ignored it, his chin propped on Justin's shoulder. The face reflected by the metal walls of the elevator was the one of a sleepwalker.

"He didn't, though, he just... Ground against me, got his hands down my pants until he made me come, and then there were people and they recognized me and wanted an autograph and he slipped away and I went with them and got into a cab and back to the hotel, and..."

JC's voice trailed off, and Justin felt like hitting something.

Anything.

It didn't even matter what, just to relieve at least some of the rage, the disgust boiling inside of him. He couldn't, though. He didn't want JC to feel any of these emotions. It was not what JC needed right now, so it would have to wait until later.

"So that's why you acted the way you did those last few days?" He hoped he sounded calm and collected.

JC nodded.

"Why didn't you talk to us, Josh?" Justin tried not to make it sound reproachful, keeping his voice gentle. He didn't mean it as a reproach, he just...

He wanted to understand.

Smoothening out the wrinkles, JC's gaze was directed at Justin's shirt. "I didn't want you to be disgusted or disappointed."

"With that sick bastard? Well, I am disgusted with him. And I want to beat him up, but that's beside the point."

"No." JC shook his head, and Justin had to strain his ears to hear him. "I didn't want you to be disgusted with me."

"With you?" Justin's eyes widened. He hadn't just heard that, had he?

He had.

"Josh, look at me."

The brunette pulled back slightly, tilted his head up, but his eyes were staring at something behind Justin's left shoulder.

"I said look at me, Josh. Not at the wall!"

JC hesitantly met his eyes, and Justin almost sobbed upon seeing the pain reflected in them.

"I'm not disgusted with you, okay? Why should I be? It wasn't your fault. That asshole touched you against your will, and it was none of your fault."

"I came, Justin. He molested me, and it turned me on so much that I came!" A look of utter shame crossed JC's face.

Justin shook his head vigorously. "So what? You came. That's a physical reaction, Josh. Men can be brought to orgasm against their will. You didn't want it, and that's what's important."

The blonde wasn't sure if JC had been listening, had understood any of his words, but he hoped so. He was still angry, but right now, there were other things, more important things.

JC felt guilty, which was stupid. But maybe he could talk the brunette out of that.

JC was traumatized. They could work on that together, maybe cancel a few gigs.

The asshole who had molested him had to be killed. Justin would see to that.

And then...

"Hey, C?"

"Hmm?" JC was still clinging to him, and if everything hadn't been so serious and sad and awful, then maybe Justin would have laughed at the nose and the hair tickling his neck, at the sudden reversal of roles. Before, JC had always been the one to take care of him, and now JC was weak and needed his help.

And he would do his best to help JC.

But there was something they had to clear up, or Justin was afraid it would stand between them like a dark looming shadow, stopping JC from accepting his words.

"Josh? You said it was my fault that this happened. Why did you say that?"

"No!" JC's head shot up and he shook his head emphatically. "I just... I wanted to hurt you, Justin. I didn't mean that, none of it, okay?"

Somehow, Justin doubted that.

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