Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 22:17:05 +0100
From: Tris <mystories@btinternet.com>
Subject: Under Management Chapter 14

Author's Note:

Hey everyone, this is my first submission to the Nifty Archive. I hope you
enjoy reading it as much as I am writing it. I'm trying to get as much
realism as is possible in a story of this type, so the characters will need
to get to know each other before there is any sex. It's also not exactly a
'two guys fall in love, and live happily ever after' story, there are going
to be a few bumps in the road.

If you have any comments or constructive criticism or whatever then e-mail
me: mystories@btinternet.com

Disclaimer:

This story is a work of fiction. I don't know or own any of the celebrities
mentioned in it. I also don't know anything about the personalities or
sexual orientations of any of the members of *NSYNC, and the purpose of
this story is not to imply anything about them.  Secondly, this story
contains adult themes and content as well as gay relationships. If you're
too young to, or don't want to, read what's contained within, then leave
now. Everyone else, enjoy...

Under Management by Tris


Chapter 14

I flipped the tinted visor of my helmet open, and made sure that the
kickstand was fully extended before I lifted myself off my bike. The more I
was using the thing the more impractical I found it to be. The helmet
messed up my hair, I couldn't wear a suit into work and I hadn't found a
way around the lack of storage space provided by the small compartment
under the saddle. I wasn't planning on admitting defeat just yet but I was
holding off on selling my old sedan, it may still come in useful. Once I
had flipped off the engine, I could clearly hear my cell phone ringing. So,
with some difficulty, I pulled the phone from the small pocket in my
leathers and flipped it open. For once, I checked the caller ID, "Hey
Suse!" I said after reading her name on the screen.

"Hey Alex. Feeling a little less stressed this morning?" She asked, I could
hear the smile in her voice.

"Why? Have I been a little grouchy this week?" I asked, knowing the answer
to my question.

"You could say that." She giggled. "Anything else gone wrong since we last
talked."

I groaned before explaining, "My mother paid me a visit last night, she met
Lance which I guess is a good thing, especially as they seemed to get along
pretty well..."

"But..." She interjected.

"But she came to tell me that my little brother didn't go to school
yesterday as was hung over." I stated.

"Well, you know, that isn't so bad, I mean he's growing up Alex, and..."
She paused and then gave a little sigh, "There's more isn't there."

"How did you guess that?" I laughed.

"With you, there's always something more... I mean if its not, 'I'm sorry
Susie I can't go out with anymore... because I'm gay'," she mimicked,
suppressing a giggle, "then it's, 'I've got a new job... working with an
internationally acclaimed boy band'..."

"Ok, I get your point." I interrupted, "But this time it's not quite as bad
as that, basically it was Justin who took Jesse out and got him drunk."

"Uh...Well what can I say?" She asked rhetorically, "I pity the two of them
when you get your hands on them. Try not to let it spoil your relationship
with Jesse, but also don't fall out with Justin, you have to work with
him."

"Yeah, I understand that." I said thoughtfully. There was a pause in our
conversation as I popped open the saddle on my bike and pulled out a small
rucksack. I slung it over my shoulder and walked towards the main reception
of the Jive compound. It wasn't my usual route to the interview room, to
which I was confined for nine hours, but I had to meet my new coworker Ben
as today was his first day on the job. I looked back briefly and pressed a
button on my key ring. My 'cycle squeaked signaling that the alarm had been
activated; don't ask me how an alarm on a motorbike works but its there so
I use it.

"On a lighter note, how would you like to be introduced to a tall, dark
Italian?" I grinned as I stepped through the glass doors and into the cool
air conditioned environment.

"I'm listening... Oh, you don't mean Joey do you? Ugh!" She exclaimed.

"Nope, not Joey. Our new tour manager..." I responded, but as I did so,
someone tapped me on my shoulder, I glanced back and there was Ben, waiting
for me in reception. "Uh... speak of the devil..." I laughed, my new
compatriot smiled politely. "I've gotta go now Susie, sorry, speak to you
soon..."

"Hey! That's not fair!" My friend complained, "You can't leave me hanging
like that... waiting for a description of a cute..."

"Bye Suse!" I interjected, giggling, and quickly pressed the end button.

"Someone I should know?" Ben asked, slightly perturbed at my talking about
him.

"Oh no, it was just a friend, she's kinda nosey but sometimes you can't
help but oblige." I grinned trying to lighten the mood, and hoping that we
hadn't already gotten off on the wrong foot.

"Um... Is there a reason why you got me in so early this morning?" He
frowned and then his face changed as he stifled a yawn.

"Actually yeah." I answered, "I thought I'd give you a tour and explain and
few things before we start."

"Before we start what?" He was apprehensive.

"Interviewing. I figured you could join me today and then the guys
tomorrow, just to get to know us a little better. So, how about we start at
the top?" I suggested as I lead him to the elevator.

"Whatever." He shrugged.

***

As Daniel walked home from school his heart pounded in his chest. He had
made his decision; today would be the day. After much careful thought he
had chosen to tell his mother first; she had always seemed to be more
understanding, caring, and ultimately, more forgiving. He was going to ask
her to sit down and read the letter that he had written, he would stay with
her to gauge her reaction and, if he had to, prepare for the worst.

The young boy, as he scuffed his way home, drew little attention to
himself. He was quiet and reserved for much of the time, and felt as though
he didn't fit in at school. He wasn't a geek or a nerd or whatever the most
politically correct term was for those guys, and more and more often girls,
who spent their lunch in the computer lab rather than the cafeteria. He
also wasn't one of the popular crowd, constantly going to parties or dating
or on the football team. Sure there were people like him, who didn't
particularly fit into either group and consequently they had formed their
own, a middle of the road crowd of about twenty people. Daniel had thought
about just going over to one of them and talking to them. He didn't, he was
too shy.

As he thought about school and mentally chided himself for being so
reticent, Daniel was reminded of his shock impulsiveness of last night. He
had agreed to meet the mystery guy from the chat room, in a safe and public
place of course.  Normally something like this would cause him much mental
anguish but at the current time it was his one source of excitement.

He reached his street and turned into it, but then paused. His feet ached a
little from the walk, he lived about half an hour from school, too far in
the hot Floridian summer but not far enough to warrant a pass for the
bus. Daniel inhaled deeply and, standing tall, continued to walk brusquely
towards the family home.

Daniel removed a key from his pocket and proceeded to open the front door;
he swept a stray strand of hair back from his face. "Hey honey!" His Mom
called as she heard the door open. His heart pounded faster.

"Hey Mom," responded Daniel, his voice a higher pitch than usual. He got a
strange look from his mother as he breezed past her in the hallway. He
would normally remain downstairs and sit with her in the kitchen, but today
was different. He bounded up the stairs and into his bedroom, slinging his
rucksack onto the bed he quickly opened the locked draw beneath his desk
and retrieved the letter. As he did so, he noticed that his hands were
clammy. There was a moment of hesitation as he left the room, with doubt
clouding his mind he thought twice.

Eventually, after what seemed to Daniel to be an eternity of deliberation
he summoned the courage to continue, with clenched fists he descended, to
talk to his mother.

***

"Guys!" I yelled, cupping my hands to form a sort of megaphone. "Guys!" I
repeated. *NSYNC continued to dance, oblivious to my calls. It was the
first of their late night rehearsals; sure they complained but they knew
that they needed as much practice as they could possibly get for the
tour. This evening Ben had accompanied me so that I could properly
introduce him before he visited the recording studio tomorrow.

I knew the guys had seen me since they had smiled and waved when I walked
in, and besides that we were standing in a virtual hall of mirrors, also
known as a dance studio. They had more than likely decided to try to
impress their tour manger, so I allowed them their moment of glory.

As the routine drew to a close I made my way over to the sound system, I
glanced at Wade and silently asked for permission to stop the music. He
nodded in response, so when *NSYNC had assumed their finishing pose I
pressed stop and began to applaud them. I was joined by Ben, who remained
by my side, and the three choreographers, who then approached the group,
handing them towels and water.

There was a comfortable silence as the performers struggled to regain their
breath; I took this as my cue to speak, "Guys..." I began, before noticing
the three instructors who had inadvertently joined my audience, I smiled at
them; continuing I added, "...and girls, this is Ben. He's our much
anticipated tour manager." I patted him on his back before pushing him into
the throng. Despite our shaky start this morning, Ben and I were now on
fairly amicable terms - I guess nine hours locked in a little interview
room will do that.

As I sent Ben off to mingle, I could've sworn I saw Lance check him
out. Sure enough, just moments later my boyfriend approached me, and
certain that we were away from the crowd, he whispered softly into my ear,
"Pretty cute, ain't he?" My reaction obviously wasn't that difficult to
read as Lance quickly followed that statement up with, "Don't worry, he
doesn't even come close to you..." In response I smiled warmly at him, and
then I motioned for us to join the group.

Ben seemed to be enjoying himself as he chatted freely with the guys,
except Justin that is, who was noticeably subdued. My guess is that he was
dreading our inevitable 'discussion' over my brother's welfare. We avoided
each other for the duration of Ben's introduction and both took a back seat
in terms of conversation.

After quarter of an hour or so I noticed Wade getting fidgety. He was eager
to get back to the rehearsal, as were Joey and Chris, both of whom didn't
appear to be particularly taken with their new manager. JC and Lance on the
other hand were engaged in a very animated conversation with the newbie,
strange since they would never normally be within ten paces of each other,
given the choice.

I wandered over to the three of them, and made the suggestion that perhaps
the guys should get back to work. Then the strangest thing happened, Ben
brushed JC off, standing in front of him and ignoring him. JC's facial
expression, one of total bewilderment, almost certainly resembled mine. We
were both stunned speechless.

Ben was now speaking solely to Lance and had been transformed into a
different person. "Its been nice talking to you," he swooned, making eye
contact and flashing his teeth in a smile. Lance warily offered his hand,
which Ben accepted with both of his, clasping Lance's firmly. He was
turning on the charm.

"I'm so looking forward to working with you tomorrow." cooed Ben.

Lance was now getting uncomfortable, "Uh, yeah... I'd better get back, it
looks like they're ready to start." He said, peering theatrically at the
rest of the group.

"Sure, go ahead." Ben responded, either not noticing or ignoring Lance's
unease.  Lance trotted away towards the others.

Ben, perhaps knowing that I had just watched, turned and gave me an icy
stare, which sent a chill down my spine.

I tried to shake it off, but to make matters worse I felt a tap on my
shoulder. I turned and found Justin standing behind me; he said very
seriously "I think we need to talk."

***

Daniel exhaled and pushed open the kitchen door and walked bravely in. His
mother looked up in surprise, "Danny, is there something..."

"Mom..." He cut her off, "I'm not exactly sure how to start but... I think
you'd better sit down." She complied with his wishes but looked very
concerned.

"Danny, you're starting to worry me." His mother said nervously.

"Uh... Well..." the boy hesitated, before blurting, "Read this." He
extended his arm towards her; she took the plain manila envelope from him,
with a mixture of anxiety and curiosity on her face. She opened it
cautiously and appeared surprised at what she found. "It's a letter,"
Daniel explained, "I... I wasn't sure if I could say it... so... so I wrote
it."

"Alright." The woman sighed apprehensively, before beginning to read
it. From time to time she uttered phrases under her breath, "You have shown
me nothing but kindness." And then, "Now I have no siblings to be second
best to; Anne- Marie's death hit us all hard." A tear sprung to the woman's
eyes and her face softened, she sniffed a little and glanced up at her son
before continuing.

As she read on her expression changed once more, from sadness to intrigue,
Daniel knew what was coming next, and could almost sense his mother's heart
miss a beat. "I am gay. I did not choose to be this way. I did not want to
be this way, but this is who I am." She muttered aloud. Her brow creased,
she looked her son in the eye, stared at him for several seconds before
finishing the document in front of her. Daniel had flushed under her
gaze. "Your son, forever."  She concluded.

She said nothing from that moment on. She simply got up from her chair and
walked to the telephone, before picking it up and dialing a number. Daniel
didn't even have to think twice as to who would be on the other end of the
line. His father.

"Hello." She spoke abruptly into the receiver. "Yes, it's me." She paused
for a response and then said, "Come home." She waited once again, but not
for long, "I couldn't fucking care less what you're doing!" She
snapped. "Come home!  Now!"

The blood drained from Daniel's face.


***

*NSYNC finished their rehearsal at around nine that evening. I had been
waiting for them to finish so that Justin and I could talk. When he
approached me earlier he had seemed genuinely sorry, but I still needed to
explain a few things to him and make sure that he understood the situation
because as much as my heart was telling me to forgive and forget my head
was telling me that it could happen again. So to set my mind at rest I
still wanted to talk to him.

Unlike Ben, whom I now had mixed feelings over, I had stuck through four
and a half hours of the same dance steps and, more annoyingly, the same
music. The guys were now sweating profusely and to be honest I really felt
sorry for them.  No matter how hard I had tried to cancel the recording
studio so that they could concentrate on their routines someone, somewhere
along the line had decided it wasn't such a great idea and rejected my
suggestion. The sweat had another affect on me, besides pity, it sort of
aroused me. Seeing them; actually more specifically seeing Lance, drenched
and dressed only in a tight wifebeater and shorts almost made the hours of
waiting worth it.

Once Wade had ended his final speech on fitness and dedication both Justin
and Lance approached me. I gave them both a smile but spoke firstly to
Justin, "Just, why don't you go take a shower or something? Oh, and change
out of those stinkin' sweats."

He laughed slightly and grinned at me; he appeared pleased that I wasn't
quite as mad at him as I was earlier. He jogged off towards the changing
rooms, catching up with JC on the way.

"I suppose you want me to do the same." Lance said indignantly. He turned
to walk away but I swiftly grabbed his forearm and pulled him back.

"On the contrary," I growled seductively. Lance giggled childishly in
response.

"I knew it!" He laughed, "You were so mentally undressing me back there."

"Busted." I shrugged in an attempt to play it cool, although I think a
faint blush gave me away.

"Anyway, I was thinking we could maybe go out tomorrow night." He
suggested, "You know... just the two of us." This time it was his turn to
blush. "I was going to suggest tonight but what with the rehearsal and
then..."

"Justin" I finished.

"Yeah, well I didn't know how long it would take so I booked a table for
tomorrow instead... don't worry, my treat," He grinned, seemingly pretty
proud of himself for taking the initiative.

"Why Mr. Bass..." I turned on a fake southern drawl, "If I didn't know
better, I could've sworn you were courting me."

"So what if I am?" He asked cheekily.

"So much for the shy Mississippian of a few weeks back," I laughed.

"A change for the better?" He questioned.

"Most definitely." I admitted.

"I better go take my shower; the guys'll probably wonder where I am. I
usually hate to be all hot and sweaty." He said, and then cringed. He
glared at me and warned, "Don't say a word!"

"You kind of left yourself open then Lance." I smiled, to which he shrugged
and turned, heading for the exit.

"I'll call you tomorrow."

"Sure, see ya Alex." He called.

"Bye." I responded, before leaning against a table. I did nothing for
while, just standing there twiddling my thumbs, I didn't even think about
that much. But that didn't last very long; I had always had trouble
standing still, always wanting to be active. My thoughts turned to Lance's
sudden brashness, he was now making moves in advancing our relationship,
and of course I was pleased about this. All I could hope was that it wasn't
another of his mood swings, he seemed to turn hot and cold, going from
brave and daring to shy and retiring at the slightest suggestion. I suppose
it was part of the process of him finally discovering himself, and becoming
more comfortable with who he was. It was something I had dealt with many
years ago, although many aspects of it for me were very painful, I prayed
that Lance never had to encounter such situations.

"Hey" Justin said simply as he sat next to me on the table.

"Hi" I smiled, before suggesting that we go outside, where it was cooler.

"Sure" He agreed. He followed me out, but we were encompassed in an awkward
silence. I sat on a curb just outside the dance studio and he followed
suit. I looked out across the lot towards the large security gates, behind
which the street was bustling with party goers and tourists, all looking
desperately for a table in a restaurant or club that they could get into. I
took a deep breath and launched into my deep and meaningful with Justin.

"Justin," I sighed, "I realize you don't know a lot about me or my family,
but you seem intent on trying to make friends with Jesse. That in itself I
don't have a problem with at all, in fact I welcome it, you can never have
too many friends.  The problems occur when you take him out and get him
drunk..."

"But..." Justin interrupted; I raised my hand to stop him.

"I know it wasn't entirely your fault. He's seventeen and perfectly capable
of making decisions for himself. He went out, agreed to go into a club, and
bought alcohol, I've talked to him about it and he told me not to blame
you. I don't Justin..." I spoke softly yet purposefully, "However I do
think you should've stopped him or at least gotten him home before you did,
so that he could have gone to school the next day."

"Yeah, I guess." Justin nodded solemnly. "Alex, if you don't mind me
asking, why are you so protective of him? It seems to be more than just
being a caring older brother."

"Uh..." I hesitated, I wanted to tell him but it would make things too
complicated too quickly, so I skipped over the details. "When we were
younger, my parents were always too busy to look after us so we had a
nanny. Then we moved over here; Jesse was only seven, he was terrified at
going to a new school with people who talked differently, acted
differently..."

"Acted differently?" Justin posed.

"In the UK we were fairly upper class we went to public schools and were
taught to speak eloquently and good etiquette. I guess you could say we
were...  sheltered."

"You don't seem sheltered now." He commented.

"Something happened... when I was sixteen and I was visiting my father for
the summer... things changed, I changed. My parents divorced a little after
that, I sort of blamed myself and thought it was my fault that we would
grow up without a father. The truth is we never really had one to begin
with. I took over, I became Jesse's substitute Dad, it sounds really deep I
know, but it felt right."

"I'd never have guessed so much had happened to you... if you ever need to
talk then we're here, the five of us, but I think you know that." Justin
said.

"Thanks." I smiled, "Listen, there's another thing and I'm going to be
blunt about it... Justin you're famous, and from what you and the others
have told me and from what I've seen over the past two months it can be a
little overwhelming even for you. Try to imagine what its like for someone
who has never known it, for someone who has never been in front of a camera
or heard themselves on the radio. If you can do that then you can sort of
understand just how difficult it could get for Jesse. As far as he's
concerned he knows Justin Timberlake and at the moment I'm not sure if he
can see past that fact. I just don't want him hurt."

"I understand Alex." Justin affirmed. We sat in silence again for a few
minutes, but it was a much more preferable one to what we experienced
earlier. "Alex?"  Justin asked a little while later, "You wouldn't happen
to know what's up with Lance would you? We're worried about him, I know
Josh hasn't made it easy, but we're here for him to talk to, only he's
not. He's closing us off and spending so much time with you... we're
concerned is all."

"I'll talk to him, but I think he'll share when he's ready, and only then."
I said.

"Thanks Alex."

"No problem Just."

***

"Daniel! Explain to your father." The youngster's mother ordered, "Explain
to him, or I will!"

"Mom, please, calm down." Daniel pleaded, with fresh tears in his
eyes. Once his mother had made the phone call to his father, over an hour
ago, he had been marched into the den where he had been chastised, shouted
at and been told repeatedly that 'Homosexuality is sin, you are a sinner, a
sick perverted sinner' and 'You are going to hell'. Daniel had broken down
into tears several times and apologized continually, 'I'm sorry, I'm so
sorry' he had cried.

Daniel couldn't think of anything else to say or do, he had expected a bad
reaction, but nothing like this. He had never, ever seen his mother like
this - angry, swearing and cursing. And worst of all was that she had
disowned him.

"You're queer?" She had spat. Daniel replied with a silent nod. "Then I
have no son." She had pledged.

Five minutes previously, Daniel's father had pulled up outside their house,
which had started a new wave of persecution. "Please... calm down." Daniel
tried once more, as a solitary tear trickled down his cheek.

"I think you should Dear, it can't be that bad." His father voiced calmly.

"Can't be that bad! Can't be that bad!" His mother wailed, flailing her
arms madly, "Your son is a homosexual, what could be worse than that?"

"Uh... excuse me?" The older man was taken aback by his wife's disclosure;
he looked between her and his son unsure of what he had just heard.

"Mom, Dad, please sit down, both of you." Daniel attempted. His father did
so, and taking her husband's lead, so did his mother.

"Is this true son?" Daniel's Dad asked, his temper rising.

"Y... yes, yes it is." The boy nodded.

"And look at this!" The woman, now sitting, exclaimed, waving Daniel's
compassionate letter, "He gave me this and thought it would all be Ok, just
blame it on his dead sister and everything would be fine."

"No! No! It's not like that." Daniel cried, while his father snatched the
now crumpled piece of paper from his partner. He scanned it quickly.

"Well?" The older man demanded, his face turning a deeper shade of red
every second. Daniel didn't answer, he avoided his father's harsh stare, he
looked at the floor and sniffed back his tears. This only served to make
his parents angrier; his father rose from the sofa and stepped towards
him. Daniel couldn't help but retreat a few small steps.

"Are you choosing to live a life of sin?!" The fuming man queried. Daniel
still couldn't meet his father's gaze. The imposing figure of his father
advanced further, the vein in his forehead pulsating wildly. "Answer me
damn you!" He bellowed, grabbing the adolescent by the throat and thrashing
him back and forth. "Are you a queer?"

Finally Daniel clenched his fists and raised his chin, looking his father
in the eye he answered, "Yes sir, I am." The grip on his throat became
tighter; the teenager gagged.

In a flash of fury his Dad released his hold and threw him backwards,
catapulting the slender child across the room and into the wall. In roar of
anger his Dad spat, "Get of our house fag! You don't belong here!"

Daniel was left sniveling in the corner as his parents stormed out. He was
hyperventilating from the trauma, but despite himself he wiped his eyes
with the back of his hand and scrambled to his feet. As he headed for the
door he tried to block out the taunts of 'Pervert' and 'Homo' echoing
throughout the house.

***

"Honestly Alex, he seemed genuinely interested in what we were doing. He
was polite and unobtrusive; I can't see why you don't like him." Lance
continued. He didn't take his eyes off the road while he was talking, but
then he was navigating through a very narrow country track. We were on our
way to a 'quaint countrified little place' in Lance's own words.

Lance was fond of the country, according to the guys it reminded him of
home, but having never been to Mississippi let alone his home town, I
really wouldn't be able to vouch for that. He also seemed to be a sucker
for all things romantic.  After a lot of prodding and probing he had
revealed the name of the restaurant, I had then phoned around a few people
to find out a little about the place. I guess I spoiled any possible
element of surprise in the evening, but I was curious.

All I could basically find out was that it was a pretty smart place and, as
Lance had suggested, I might feel out of place in anything less than a
shirt and pants. I aired on the side of caution and wore a jacket as well,
but steered clear of a tie - that would be going too far.

"I know Lance, I thought that too, but Ben really weirded me out last
night." I rejoined.

"You've only known him for three days though, and yes, I've known him for
even less time... I think it's too early for either of us to pass judgment
on him." Lance said diplomatically.

"I guess." I shrugged. There was a pause as I looked out of the window,
taking in the Floridian countryside. Suddenly Lance slammed on the brakes
and turned sharply onto a gravel track. I looked around once more, I could
see the faint lights of Orlando shimmering on the horizon to the left but
in front there was nothing, only blackness. "Are you sure you know where
you're going?" I laughed.

"Of course I do Alex." Lance answered, "I know these roads like the back of
my..." He braked once more and slid onto another track, before completing
his sentence, "hand." This trail was composed of nothing more than
compacted dirt.

"Good job you drive a four by four." I sniggered "Who in their right mind
would build a restaurant out here?"

"Restaurant? Oh yeah." Lance laughed. "Alex, could I see your cell?"

"Uh... I guess..." I said confused, I pulled it from my jacket pocket and
handed it to him. He slowed slightly and looked down at the phone;
eventually he found and pressed the off button. He slipped it into his own
pocket and sped up once more. "Lance what are you doing?" I asked, totally
baffled by his actions. He giggled and then shrugged.

"Alex," He began, chuckling, "There's something I've gotta tell you."

"Alright..."

"We aren't going to that 'quaint countrified little place' that I told you
about." He smirked.

"We're not?!" I exclaimed.

"No."

"So why am I wearing an Armani jacket?" I blurted causing him to give me a
bemused sideways glance.

"So you wouldn't guess. I had to throw you off somehow." He explained as if
it was the most natural thing in the world. I sat in shock for a few
moments before frowning.

"So where are we going?" I asked, still not recovered from his
announcement.

"You'll see soon enough." He replied cryptically. I slouched in my seat
and, pouting, let out an exasperated sigh. "That ain't gonna work on me."
He commented. Our journey continued for a few more uneventful minutes
before the road met up with a small creek, they ran parallel to each other
for a mile or so until the road abruptly disappeared. Lance slowed down and
pulled up on a grass verge near to the edge of the water.

"Uh... Lance... where are we?" I asked, slightly worried.

"The middle of nowhere." He giggled, before sliding out of the 4Runner. I
did the same and met up with him around the back of the vehicle, where he
pulled open the trunk, well I say trunk but compared to my sedan it was
more like a baseball stadium. From it Lance pulled what looked like a
picnic hamper. He noticed the expression on my face and laughed, "Well it
had to be something pretty special to be a McDonalds."

"You are kidding though, right?" I asked, he responded with a small shake
of his head. "You're not kidding?"

"Come on Alex, it'll be fun." He proposed while taking hole of my hand. He
pulled me over to the edge of the water. Lance stopped and looked me over,
"You might want to lose the shoes and socks." I looked at him like he was
crazy, but his expression didn't change.

"What the hell." I shrugged, before pulling them off; I wobbled a little
while I was on one foot. Lance set the basket he was carrying down and did
the same; he then rolled up his pants. "Aren't there like alligators or
something?" I asked apprehensively.

"Nah. It's too shallow."

"What about the people who get them in their back yards? They don't exactly
have their very own Lake Michigans but they still get 'em." I argued. He
took no notice of me, picked up the hamper, and stepped into the stream.

When he was about halfway across he muttered, just loud enough for me to
hear, "You can be a real drama queen..."

"Ugh!" I groaned theatrically and then hiked up my pants and followed him
across. We paddled along the bank for about fifty yards before Lance
stopped and pointed to a fallen tree.

"There." He gestured. I focused on the log but then looked past it and saw
the most beautiful scene. The creek widened into a small pond, over which
scores of fireflies hovered noiselessly. Their eerie glow was reflected in
the water along with the night's crescent moon and a blanket of stars. The
only sound was that of the water lapping on the shore.

Instinctively I reached out for his hand; I found it and held it
tightly. He then guided me through the long grass towards the dead
trunk. "Lance. It's amazing." I choked out emotionally. Wordlessly he sat
me down on the tree and proceeded to open his picnic basket, which I had
entirely forgotten about. With a flick of the wrist he unfurled a blanket;
he then pulled out a lantern and lit it with a match from his pocket.

"Come sit with me." He suggested, of course I followed his directions. When
he was sure I was comfy, he gave me a sheepish smile. To be truthful I was
stunned into silence, Lance seemed to sense this, "Alex," he spoke softly,
lovingly, "I found this place when I was nineteen. I was really confused, I
knew who I was...  but I couldn't... wouldn't accept it. I spent a lot of
time driving around, just trying to sort everything out. One evening I went
out and got drunk, like really drunk in some backstreet bar. There was this
guy who I thought was kinda cute and, freed from my inhibitions, I went
over and started talking to him.

"I ended up back at his place. Alex... he threw himself on me, he tore my
shirt off and it brought me back to reality, I landed one right on his nose
and ran for it. A few hours later, when I had sobered up a bit I
drove... and drove and drove...  until I reached the end of the road, back
there." He pointed in the general direction of his Toyota. "I got out and I
did what we just did... paddle along the stream. I found this place Alex,
and something in me sort of snapped. I don't know what it was but from then
on I forced myself to forget about my sexuality. I figured no sex was
better than gay sex."

As he told me a little more about his life before we met, I tired to
comprehend what he was telling me, but I found it difficult. Since just
before my seventeenth birthday I had been completely open about myself with
everyone around me.  Apart from the guys of *NSYNC that is, it seemed only
sensible after the reaction Lance received, but I was anxious for that to
change.

"It was only about a year ago that I started to entertain the possibility
that I might be gay. I suppose you can only ignore something like that for
so long. I came back here again and wished that I had somebody... somebody
special... to share it with." Lance looked right into my eyes, "Now I do
Alex, you." He finished.

"Thank you Lance." I sobbed, "Thank you so much for sharing that... and for
sharing this." I motioned to our surroundings.

"You're very welcome." He said, before pulling out a bottle of champagne
from the hamper. He popped the cork and filled two plastic glasses, he
handed one to me, before holding his up, "To us?" He suggested.

"To us." I affirmed.

Over the next hour we indulged in general gossip and story telling as we
devoured everything Lance had prepared. It couldn't really be called a
dinner as it was mostly dessert - strawberries and cream, chocolate mousse
and fruit salad. He had also managed to squeeze in a platter of smoked
salmon which complemented the first bottle of champagne well, I say first
intentionally as it didn't take long for us to open and then empty a second
bottle.

Following that very little was said for the longest of times; we simply
enjoyed being close to one another. Leaning against the tree trunk we
watched the fireflies dance magically in the air.

"Thanks for going to so much trouble tonight Lance." I said, sure that our
time was nearly up and we would be forced to get back to the hustle and
bustle of our daily lives.

"That's Ok, but it's not as though I didn't enjoy myself too." He smiled
showing his perfect teeth, a rare occurrence outside of publicity shots. He
leaned over and pecked me on the lips; he withdrew a little but then halted
only a few inches from my face. He looked directly into my eyes once more;
I did the same, looking into the deep pools of jade. The moment lingered
and then was over as he pressed his lips to mine once more. This time he
was more forceful, I sensed passion and lust in the kiss. His tongue peeked
into my mouth, exploring the cavity more fully than he had done before. I
slid my own tongue between our pursed lips and into Lance's mouth; I
savored the unique taste of his saliva and the feeling of our two tongues
playing against each other.

With our lips still locked firmly together, Lance surprised me by
straddling my waist. I unconsciously planted my hands firmly on his hips
and felt that his shirt was becoming damp from his sweat, just as my own
was. Lance's hands slid up beneath my shirt, his fingers tracing the ridges
of my abs and dipping into my navel. He broke our kiss at that point, his
eyes flickering open as he sat on my crotch, doubtlessly feeling my state
of arousal. He looked at me questioningly while leaving his palms resting
my stomach. Somehow I knew what he asking, "Are you sure Lance?"

He nodded in the affirmative, and began to unbutton his own shirt. When he
reached the button just below his pecks he giggled to himself and then
pulled the shirt over his head, causing some tufts of hair to fall out of
place. He flexed his exposed muscles and rested on his hands, placed either
side of me. His biceps bulged as he lent on them and waited for me catch
him up in the clothing stakes.

I peeled my sticky, wet shirt back from my shoulders revealing my upper
body.  Lance then shocked me firmly gripping me by shoulders and rolling us
over, so that I was on top of him, I could now feel his hard cock pressing
against the confines of his pants.

"Show me what to do." He breathed huskily from beneath me. I leaned in
towards him and nipped at his neck, running my tongue along the line of his
jaw, while I tweaked both of his erect nipples. I traced a line from his
Adam's apple down the shallow valley between his pecs. As my tongue
wandered lower, so did my hands, eventually they found the waistband of his
pants and the bulge beneath. I gently squeezed him through the cloth,
looking up to make sure he was alright, last time I done something like
this it had freaked him out, but not so tonight. In fact he groaned with
pleasure. I took this as a signal to move on. I slowly eased down his
zipper, and then found the catch on his expensive chinos, undid it and slid
them down to his knees, from there he kicked them off.

By now my tongue had found its way to his navel, and had swirled around it,
leaving a pool of saliva. Meanwhile, my hands slid back up Lance's things,
massaging the muscles and coming to rest on the soft cotton of his
boxer-briefs. I could wait no longer and pulled them down as well, his cock
sprung up. I checked on him again, he must have been expecting it, because
he quickly nodded for me to continue.

I wrapped my right hand in a fist around the head of his penis and smeared
the copious precum around with my thumb. I gave him several strong jerks,
"Ugh!  Alex!" He moaned. With that I plunged down on him, wrapping my lips
around his cock, and stimulating the sensitive underside with my tongue. I
then bobbed my head up and down trying to find a suitable rhythm. I
gradually took more and more of him into my mouth, before long I was
deep-throating him and he was obviously enjoying it. "Oh Alex!" He cried,
"That feels so good!"

His hands found the back of my head and ran through my hair wildly. He
began to buck his hips uncontrollably, so I adjusted my position so that I
could hold him down with my forearms. I added a little more suction and
stopped bobbing but swirled my tongue around the rim of his head. "Alex..."
He panted, "Alex, I'm nearly there!" I persisted with my oral attack while
reaching up for his nipple and tugging on it and then twisting it.

I inhaled his musky scent and forgot about his nipple, I sucked harder,
squeezing his cock as tightly as I could. "Alex!" Lance whimpered, swatting
at my forearms leaving him free drive his prick far down my throat,
"Alex... I'm gonna cum!" He exclaimed.

Sure enough, Lance was soon shooting powerfully into my mouth, I tried to
swallow it all, but some dribbled from between my lips and down his cock,
coming to rest in his thick brown pubic hair. I sucked until he started to
go soft; I then released him, eliciting a satisfied sigh. I crawled up so I
was level with him, "Alex... I think... I think..." He struggled to catch
his breath, "Alex..." He huffed, "Would you be my boyfriend?"

Taken aback, I could reply with nothing more than, "Gladly."

We kissed another time.

***

End of Chapter 14

***

In case you haven't guessed from the time it's taken me to get that chapter
finished, I'm currently suffering from some serious writer's block as well
as way too many work commitments. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that... poor
Alex still hasn't gotten off... oh well. If you have anything to say,
particularly anything that'll get me writing a bit faster then email me:
mystories@btinternet.com