Justin wasn't too sure as to when it finally hit him that, yeah, maybe JC was somebody who was a little more special to him. That, alright, he let his hugs to him last a little longer than anyone else's. And, yeah, if they had to pair up with rooms, he would necessitate that they be together. And, sure, if he was on the sidelines during practice, his eyes would just happen to be glued to him…

All of those things couldn't have just happened suddenly. That was too quick. Too unexpected.

Well the realization came even more quickly than that. When Chris's idea for a water balloon fight within the hotel room had ended with Justin's bed becoming completely soaked, JC had naturally told Justin that he didn't mind sharing the other bed. So Justin shrugged and agreed. They had done it before and JC was always nice to curl up to.

He swore he hadn't felt anything initially at in that agreement. When he took his pillow and slipped into the bed beneath the heavy covers, he didn't feel anything.

So that's why it had been such a shock. Waking up in the middle of the night, he'd forgotten where he was and his situation, and so he slowly stretched without a thought. When he felt his leg brush someone else's and his fingers slide against someone's soft shoulder, it hit him.

He'd sat up, licking his lips, and gazed over at the silently breathing man. JC's chest rose up and down rhythmically and his pink lips were parted as if he would speak in his sleep. His eyelashes looked so soft against his cheeks…

And something about the man's sculpted face and serene features had affected Justin's body. It had particularly affected a certain part of his body. And by the time that he grew aware that he was suddenly looking at JC in a different way, it was too late.

Then JC had moaned gently in his sleep, rolling over so that his arm pushed inadvertently against the other man, and that was it.

Justin ran towards the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

Bad. This was bad.

*******

JC had looked at Justin in concern when he woke up the next morning, fairly early himself, and found Justin watching TV on the couch. He had been expecting to be the first one up.

"You sleep okay?"

"Huh?" Justin looked up. "Great. Yeah. You have a… um… Nice bed…" It had never happened before, so now why did it have to happen nearly every time he thought about it? Control yourself, Timberlake…

"Nice bed?" JC raised an eyebrow. "I think it's the same as yours, huh?"

"What? Yeah, probably…"

JC shook his head. "J, you look a little flushed, are you alright, babe?"

Justin bit his lip, swallowing, and nodded. JC calling him that had never made him think before. It had always just been something natural. And now he started to ponder… What if things were different…?

"What time did you get up?" JC had sat down beside him.

"Um, not too long ago…" Justin kept his eyes on the TV. He shivered when he felt JC's hand slip to the back of his neck and then cup his cheek. Just something JC did when he was worried… Justin tried to act normal.

"You look tired…" JC said softly.

Justin shrugged, not giving away the fact that he hadn't gone back to bed after he'd run to the bathroom. He couldn't. "I'm really not tired."

"Did you shower already?"

"Yep." Nice, long, cold, cold shower…

"Did you do something or what?" JC eyed the other critically. "You look guilty… Or like you're not feeling well…"

Justin turned his head to make eye contact so that he would sound earnest. "JC… I'm fine. Quit it, will ya? You're not my mom."

"Okay, okay…" JC sat back with a smirk. "You'd tell me if you're not feeling well?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"That's what I can't figure out…"

Justin rolled his eyes. "Well, then maybe, just maybe, I'm fine. Not sick at all."

"Maybe… Are you guilty?"

"Of what…?"

"I don't know yet… But I'll find out… I always do…"

And that's what he was afraid of…

******

During practice it was no different. It wasn't like he really thought the feeling would go away… Those kinds of feelings usually didn't… but he'd been anxious to see what breakfast and a limo ride would do.

He decided he would try out Chris. Chris was probably the most liberal minded person he knew and the man had never laughed at or teased him about anything serious that he'd ever confided in him. So when JC stayed on stage to re-teach Lance part of a dance sequence that the southerner couldn't get, Justin took his chance.

"Chris?" Justin began, following the man backstage despite the fact that he yearned to stay and watch JC.

"Yeah, man?" Chris had reached a cooler and was reaching in for a water bottle. He tossed one at his friend before taking one for himself. "What's up?"

"Uh…Well…"

"Uh-oh, this sounds serious…" Chris studied him. "Wanna go for a walk?"

"Yeah…" Justin agreed thankfully.

They went down a hall, sipping water, and were for the first couple of minutes silent. Chris the decided to break the tranquility.

"What's it about?"

"Huh?"

"What's it about?"

"Well… JC," Justin admitted, looking at Chris pitifully.

"Fight?"

"No."

"Hm. Didn't think so…" Chris glanced over at him, taking a slow sip of water. "What is it then?"

"He's beautiful."

Chris stopped walking. He didn't choke on his water or anything so Justin took that as a good sign. He merely turned and looked at Justin squarely. "Justin, are you telling me that you're gay?"

And so Justin shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't know."

"No… I can be straight and still think he's perfect and wonderful, can't I?"

"That's arguable…" Chris admitted.

Justin looked at the ground, kicking at some invisible dirt. "Well, would it be bad if that were the case…?"

"No!" Chris exclaimed. "Hell no! I think it's awesome!"

"Really?" Justin looked up again, a blissful smile on his lips. "Really? See you were the one who I knew would have the most experience about stuff because, like, not that I'm saying you're gay because I don't think you are, nor do I think that's what this conversation is about, but last night, it just, like, dawned on me and, like—"

"Chill, child. Slow."

"Okay."

"Did you tell him you think he's gorgeous?"

"Well, no…" Justin began. "And it's more than that he's just gorgeous… My mind thinks that. My body's thinking something on the side of that, if you know what I mean…"

Chris grinned. "Sure do, pal. Sure do."

"I knew you'd understand."

"You know, I think you have a pretty good chance…" Chris started, nodding at Justin with a knowing smile.

"Really?"

Chris smirked. Justin sounded so excited and hopeful. He could almost see him jumping up and down if he kept leading him like this. "Yeah."

"How do you know?"

"Oh, just that with this and with another conversation I happened to have with JC not too long ago…" Chris continued.

Justin's eyes grew wide as saucers. "About me?"

"You could say that, yeah…"

Justin was grinning ear to ear, his poster boy image sparkling genuinely. "Cool." He paused. "Then can you do me a favor…?"

*******

JC shook his head. It was nearly midnight and he yawned. "I can't believe Chris did it again. Didn't you swear to kill him if he ever threw water balloons at you in bed again?"

Justin shrugged, pouting just slightly with his arms crossed over his chest. "JC, can I share with you again?"

"Of course," JC answered. "You know I don't mind."

And so steps repeated. Justin slipped back into bed with him, feeling the warmth of his body beside him and now not minding or worrying.

And when again a little while later, when Justin 'accidentally' stretched and shifted closer to JC and felt that same feeling come over him, he didn't run away.

Instead he shifted closer and brought his lips to JC's ear, murmuring in a soft voice, "I think you're beautiful…"

Needless to say, his initiaton was well accepted.

*******