Date: Thu, 03 Feb 2000 21:23:45 GMT From: Kevin Michael Subject: 2 out of 5 Chapter 7 Hey there readers. Now, I was going to make you all wait for this chapter and sweat out the ending from the last chapter for a while, but I had a change of heart. First of all, people were writing me telling me they were crying by the end of the chapter. Sorry guys. Not my intention. Just trying to make it believable. Secondly, I thought I owed it to the stars of my story because they have replaced the Backstreet Boys as having the #1 video in the country! (I know you all watch MTV TRL and know what I'm talking about, right?) So, here's chapter 7. I know a ways back I said this would be a hot and steamy section, but chapter 6 led to developments that need to be worked out before the sex gets hot and heavy. Bear with me. It'll get there. Thanks to everyone who has written I LOVE e-mail. Lots of good suggestions too. Perhaps we'll see a few new characters develop and a few little side tracks. Who knows where my warped little mind will take this thing. Well, now down to business. Legal guidelines: If you are underage or shouldn't be reading this, don't. If you are offended by homosexuality, get a life. This story if fiction and in on way reflects the real life of the member's of NSync. This story is my work of sweat, tears, and passion so please don't re-post this story without my permission. Thanks! And Now.... (Drum roll please!) Chapter 7. Lance and JC continued to sit and cry in each others arms. As much as everyone around them wanted to go find Justin, they knew these two needed to make up before they could make any progress in convincing Justin to come back. Everyone backed quietly down the hall to allow Lance and JC a few minutes to make up. JC had pulled Lance's head onto his shoulder and was gently running his fingers through the spiky blonde hair. He softly whispered to the younger boy through his tears "Shhh. It's going to be okay Scoop. I promise. We'll get him back for you." Lance felt very comforted by JC's words and actions. He lifted his head up to thank JC and apologize. He looked into JC's eyes and became lost in the deep blue ocean of kindness and love that lay within them. At that moment the world had stopped. He gently leaned in and kissed JC on the lips. JC moved his hand from the top of Lance's head to the back, pulling him into a deeper kiss. Suddenly, reality hit both of them. Lance's mind reeled `My God, what are you doing. This isn't Justin, this is JC.' JC likewise was thinking `Stop this. This is Justin's boyfriend. You can't hurt him anymore.' They both abruptly pulled away and blushed furiously. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ." Lance spoke being cut off by JC. "No, I shouldn't have. " JC interjected. They agreed to forget this ever happened, although it was doubtful JC ever would. Lance's kiss was like a fire that burned the moment into JC's mind forever. The two quickly scrambled to their feet, looked around to make sure no one had seen them, and went to find the rest of the search party. They turned the corner in the hall and everyone was standing there determining who would go which direction. Everyone except Kevin that is. They all picked different hotels to check out from the yellow pages. As they started down the hall to get to the elevators, Kevin joined them emerging from his room. They got to the elevator and pressed the down button. When the doors opened, there were already guests in the elevator. As the guys piled in, Kevin said "I'll wait for the next one." He grabbed JC and asked, "JC could I talk to you for a sec?" "Sure" JC answered. "Guys, I'll head down in the next one with Kevin." "What's up Kev?" JC questioned. "Well, I was just thinking about what we talked about. You know, you being curious and all. I got to thinking that I might be able to help you out with that. And I have something that may help sweeten the pot a little." Kevin responded. "What the hell are you talking about?" JC shot at him. "Oh, nothing. You see JC life is a game of give and takes. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours if you will. I'll leave it at this - how will Justin react if he finds out that right after we read his notes, his best friend and boyfriend were playing tonsil hockey instead of looking for him?" JC's mouth dropped open. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "HOW DARE YOU?" he screamed. "Look, it can all be forgotten . . . . for a price." "You fucking ass hole. I'd tell Justin myself that I kissed Lance before I did anything with you." At that moment the doors to the elevator opened and yet again there were other guests inside, ending JC's conversation with Kevin. >From the lobby they all split up to find Justin. JC went with Chris, Joey with Lance, and Fatima with Kevin. While walking towards their first destination JC asked Chris, "What do you think about Kevin?" "He's seems okay to me. I mean he's management and all but he doesn't seem that bad. " Chris responded. "I don't trust him. I think he has ulterior motives. Just keep your eye on him for me, and watch what you say around him." "God, what do you and Joey have against him? Joey hates him but won't say why, and now you." "Just trust me on this one Chris, alright. He's trouble." "Whatever." "So Lance, you and JC make up?" Joey asked. "What? Why? What do you know?" Lance asked in a panic. "Woah. Calm down Scoop. Just checkin' on you." "Sorry, I guess I'm just jumpy until we find Justin." Lance lied. "I know what you mean" Joey agreed falling for Lance's excuse. "Lance," Joey continued "I don't know how to say this, but just watch what you do/say around Kevin. I don't know if I trust him all that much and we don't want your and Justin's relationship getting too public." "Come on Joe, you know he has a privacy clause in his contract. He can't say anything. If he does, management will eat him for breakfast - if he lives that long!" Lance joked. "I'm not worried about him telling anyone. I'm afraid he'll use whatever he finds out to get what he wants. He does that. I mean, I just have a feeling he'd do that." Joey said trying to cover his tracks. "Whatever you say there guy." Lance said appeasingly. The search went on for hours without any luck. The groups were searching the last hotels on their respective lists when Lance's cell phone rang. "Lance, this is JC. I think we found him. Get a cab to the Hilton on Riverside. " "GREAT!" Lance exclaimed excitedly. "Should I call Fatima and Kevin?" "NO!" JC snapped. "I, uh, already called and said that we found him and we'd meet them back at our hotel later. " "Okay. See you in a few." Lance answered before hanging up his phone. "Joe! They found him! Get a cab!" Lance practically yelled. "I'm standing right next to you, must you yell?" "Sorry, I'm just relieved we know where he is." They flagged down a cab and in no time were at the Hilton. "Where is he?" Lance asked looking around frantically for the youngest band-mate. "Relax Scoop. We know he's here. The manager is coming over to give us the info." Chris said with a chuckle. "Excuse me gentlemen" the manager spoke up "the guest you inquired about left specific instructions not to be disturbed and that no one is to find out he is here." Chris pulled the manager aside saying, "Okay, you look like a reasonable guy. Listen, the guest you have here, Justin Timberlake, is a member of the singing group NSync. We are all member of that group. As sometimes happen when 5 guys spend too much time together, we fight; and we had a big fight today. He left and we've spent all day looking for him. We have a concert Friday night and we need to make this better by then. I don't know what it will take, but we need that information. " Joey said while reaching for his wallet. "Sir, I couldn't take a bribe from you." The manager said grabbing Chris' wrist. "However perhaps for 2 tickets and a few autographs, you could `accidentally' find a room service tray headed for one "Mr. Timberlake's" room with delivery instructions and room number on it." "DONE!" Chris said. "I'll personally drop of the tickets and autographs first thing in the morning." "The kitchen is down that hall and to the left. I'll call and let them know you'll be taking the cart to the room." "Thank you so much!" Chris said running over to the guys. They all got the cart and headed to the elevator. On the way up, Joey started snacking on some of the food. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lance asked, smacking Joey's hand. "Oh, I see. Your boyfriend can take of, lay in a hotel room all day and have all the food he wants. Meanwhile we're scouring the city looking for him with nothing to eat all day and I can't have a few fries." Joey sarcastically replied. "Yo - that food does smell damn good." JC added. "We can eat AFTER we find Justin" Lance said. They get to the room, knocked on the door, and hollered "ROOM SERVICE!" Justin opened the door and, upon seeing the guys, tried to close it again. JC had pushed the cart into the doorway making it impossible for Justin to slam the door. "Get the fuck out of here." Justin said to them. "Is that what you really want?" Lance asked dejectedly. "Yes." Justin answered plainly. Lance hung his head and the guys began to turn around. "NO." JC firmly stated. He pushed the cart away and walked into Justin's room, taking a seat in a chair by the window. "Um, excuse me, but this is MY room and if I have to call security to get your ass out of here, don't think I won't." Justin said, raising his voice. JC got up, walked over to Justin and said "I'm not leaving until you hear me out. Can you guys leave us alone for a few?" The guys shrugged and left, the door closing behind them. Justin went to the corner of the room and stood there looking out the window. "You can talk all you want, but my mind is made up. You just wasting your breath." Justin said. JC walked to him put his hand on Justin's arm and began to turn the younger boy around. Justin pushed JC's hand off his arm, and turned back towards the window. "Okay Justin, here it goes. Everything on the line, nothing held back. Justin, I love you. Not how Lance loves you, but I still love you. You're my best friend. Always have been. In the last year things have changed. I don't know you anymore. You're off with this one and that one, leaving me behind. I miss you Justin. I cry myself to sleep at night thinking about the way things were. The little kid that hung onto my leg the first day of MMC. The one who hid behind me when Brittney tried to kiss you. The one who crawled into my bed when he was homesick. I miss you Just. I miss being your friend. But I know you've outgrown me. I just am having trouble adjusting to that. I will. I'll never leave you, but if you don't want to be my friend I'll deal with that. I don't deserve you. After all I've done to you this week, you're better off without me." Justin turned, his eyes overflowing with tears. "How can you say that? I've never outgrown you. I've never wanted you gone. I love you too. I was just afraid of .. of being . rejected. When I told you on the bus Monday that I was gay, my worst fears came true. You couldn't even look me in the eye. And then you go and blame Lance. And try to hurt him." JC, who had dropped onto the bed overcome with emotion, spoke "I could never reject you. I was shocked. Justin, I used to know everything about you. EVERYTHING. And I had no clue. You had shut me out. I felt helpless. Like you turned away from me. And when everyone else knew before me, I was crushed. I don't care if you're straight or gay or bi-. All I care is that I have you as a friend. I love you, and love means forever, no matter what. And I never blamed Lance, he blamed me. The fight this morning - well, I tripped. I fell and you were there. Lance thought I was making a move on you. He and I are better now. We worked things out. We realized you are the most important thing in both our lives and that we couldn't live without you. " "JC, I'm not defending him, but you did sort of come on to me in the hall last night." JC turned bright red. "Justin I'm SO sorry about that. I was drunk. And I wanted back into your life. If that meant being with you `that way' I'd have done it. " He started to sing "I'd do anything for you. Anything you want me too." "Alright, you're turning into a Backstreet Boy here, and I won't let that happen. I didn't realize how you felt. I guess I'm to blame for pushing you away. I don't know how to ask this, so I'll just say it. Are you gay too Josh?" "Just., I don't really know right now. I guess a little curious. How is it? I mean, is it different than with a girl?" "Seeing as I've never been with a girl and well, Lance is my first for everything I've done - I can't tell you. It's been great so far though!" "Maybe you and Lance can show me the ropes sometime!" JC joked. "Oh Baby" Justin laughed. "Oh wait - last time I got in between you and Lance, my nose got broken!" JC suddenly got serious "I am so sorry about that Justin." "I'll live." Justin replied. "JC, just for the record I want you to know that I didn't outgrow you. I was afraid of you finding out about me." "What do you mean finding out?" "JC, since I can remember you could read me like a book. In the past few years, I started to realize things about my sexuality. I was afraid you'd pick up on it like you do everything else. I thought I'd loose you. So I pulled away. If we weren't together as much you wouldn't have as much of a chance to notice. And there was one other thing. . . ." Justin trailed off. "Which was?" JC interrogated. "JC, I always loved you as a brother but for a while, I started to love you in a different way. Maybe not love, but more like wanting to be closer to you . in a physical way. I figured if simply knowing I was gay didn't make you run away, knowing that surely would. " "So what does that mean now. I mean with Lance and all. " "Somewhere along the line I found myself being attracted to different guys, and I felt it best we just stayed friends, so I put it out of my mind. Then I started noticing Lance. It just grew from them." "I'm insulted - choosing Lance over me." JC threw his head in the air melodramatically. "Nothing personal, but Lance has a little `more to offer' if you know what I mean." "So, it's not bad enough you forget about me for `him' but now you insult me too??" JC tackled Justin and the two began wrestling just like the old days. JC's heart melted knowing he had his friend back again. Justin too felt a world of relief. He had his big brother back. Justin looked at JC with adoring eyes and said "I still love you. I never stopped. You know that, right?" JC didn't say a word. He simply leaned down and gave Justin a kiss on the forehead. Justin just lay there feeling his world was now at peace. The peace didn't last long as the door opened and Lance, Joey, and Chris walked in. JC and Justin jumped up. "You guys alright? It sounded like World War III broke out in here." Joey asked. JC stood there with his arm around Justin's shoulder and said "Yeah, everything's cool." "So does this mean you're coming back?" Chris asked. "I guess so." Justin replied. They all went back to their hotel, having made up with Justin. They went to their rooms and settled in for a quick night's sleep. Lance got into bed and asked Justin "Are you going to join me? Or should I leave?" "Um, Lance - we still need to talk. You have nothing to worry about with JC. But he's a big part in my life. I can't have you two fighting over me all the time. That's what hurt me the most today. I think I'm going to spend the night in the other room, and tomorrow we can talk and work everything out. OK?" "Whatever you're comfortable with. I don't want to rush you. Just know I'm sorry for all of this." "I know that Scoop. And we'll get everything worked out. I just need some time to think." Justin headed into the hall looked at the door to the empty room across the hall. Then he turned, went to JC's door and knocked. "What's up Curly?" "I was wondering if my best friend would mind holding me until I fell asleep." JC got a tear and his eye and said "Sure." The two crawled into bed, JC's arm wrapped tightly around Justin and they both drifted off to sleep with smiles on their faces. Okay - so I had too much caffeine today and I let my mind have fun with this chapter. Don't you just hate not knowing where the story is going?! Don't you just wish you could drag it out of me? And don't you hate that I'm going away for a few days and won't be able to post Chapter 8 until Tuesday??? ANYWAY ! I hope you all liked it. So the big question is will Justin and Lance make up? Or will Justin and JC be the "2 out of 5"? And what about Kevin ... Ahh only time will tell. E-mail me ! studat25@hotmail.com.