"What did you say, Justin?"

Justin sighed. This was taking much longer than he thought it would. He didn’t know what he had expected but he knew this wasn’t it. He hadn’t expected her to repeatedly try to walk out on him and their friendship. The fact that she was still here had to count for something. He looked into her eyes and made a decision. Her eyes were filled with tears and all her defenses were down. He saw straight into them and saw her raw emotions. The hurt was prominent in them, but so was the love. He hoped the love he saw was the kind he hoped it to be and knew there was only one way to find out. He was tired of playing the games. She was about to walk out of his life anyway, why not have her know exactly how he felt. That way if she left he’d be able to know that she knew how he really felt about her. If she left him then it must not have been meant to be.

"If you’re just going to ignore me then I guess I’m out of here. Tell your mom I’ll miss her and she can call me if she really needs to." She saw the new look of determination in his eyes and turned to leave. She knew that he fought for something he believed in. That was one of the things she loved about him. Right now it was all or nothing in her head. He’d either take all of her or have nothing of her. She didn’t want this just friendship anymore. She wanted to give more, but if he didn’t want to take it then he’d get nothing from her. She could no longer allow herself to be subjected to the agony of being friends with the guy she loved.

"Do you really want to know why I didn’t kiss you under the mistletoe with everyone watching and waiting last night?" he asked as she reached the door.

"That would have been what I’ve been asking you for, Justin. Do you have a better answer than the fact that I’m your best friend?"

"Yes, I do."

He walked up behind her and took the handle of her bag out of her hand with little resistance from Nick. She allowed him to pull her into the room and shut the door. She stood still as he stared at her before taking her hand and gently squeezing it. He raised his other hand and caressed some of her hair in between his fingers. His gaze moved to his hand in her hair at he took a few deep breaths.

"Nick…"

"Yes?"

"There was more of a reason why I didn’t kiss you last night. I didn’t want our first kiss to be like that."

Her eyes widened. "Our first kiss?"

"Yes, the first kiss that would show you how much you really mean to me and change our relationship forever. Our first kiss." He leaned his forehead against hers and shut his eyes.

"You mean you really did want to kiss me last night?" She nervously licked her lips as his eyes opened and the seas of blue pulled her in.

"I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a long time now, Nick. I just never knew how you felt about me so I put it in the back of my mind and put it on the list of things I’d like to do but shouldn’t. So is that a better reason for not kissing you? Will you take that explanation?"

"Yes, I will." She nodded and took half a step closer. "Now the funny thing is that I’ve wanted to kiss you for a while now and I also haven’t acted on it for the same reasons. I never knew how you felt."

He inched his lips closer to hers. The feel of her hot breath on his lips began to cloud his brain.

"So now that we both know that the other person is willing to participate do you think I might be able to kiss you?" His lips were now brushing against hers.

In way of replying Nick nodded and when her head moved her mouth against his the second time his hand on her hair moved to the side of her neck and he increased the pressure on her mouth. The kiss progressed slowly as they allowed themselves to be completely honest with each other on the importance of their relationship in their lives. Nick placed her hands below his shoulders and allowed Justin to fill the hole in her heart as he held her tenderly, yet with a sense of possession as if now that he was holding her he wasn’t ever planning on letting her go.

There was a noise outside the door but it wasn’t until the door swung open and two large men stumbled in that the couple broke their embrace. Mike and Randy straightened themselves and mumbled apologies. Justin pulled Nick to him and let her bury her red face in his chest.

"Well, at lest you two have the decency to look ashamed." Justin shook his head. "What do you two want, or are you just eavesdropping?"

Mike took a step toward the couple. "I promise you we do have a real purpose to be right outside the door, we’re not just interested in how your love life is going. The producers were wondering if you were ready to finish what you need to."

"I think so. Do you mind it if I finished a little solo I need to, Nick?" He smiled as she nodded, head still buried in his chest. "Can you go get them, guys? Tell them I’ll behave this time. Now that I don’t have a major dilemma on my mind."

The two guards left the room and Nick pulled back from Justin.

"A major dilemma?"

"Yeah, not knowing how to get the girl I love back into my life after she told me she never wanted to see me again I call a major dilemma." He ran his hands down her spine and felt her relax at his touch. He looked at the door and saw the smiles of the producer and his assistants.

"You ready, Justin?"

"Yeah." He looked in Nick’s eyes and kissed her forehead. "I’ll be back out soon."

"Is that a promise, Justin?" the producer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yup. Plus who wants to spend all day at the recording studio, especially on a holiday weekend?"

"And he finally gets the hint."

Justin laughed at the producer’s outburst and went into the recording booth. He took a quick look at Nick before focusing on the music in front of him.

"Now let’s get this done. There’s a special someone I’d like to spend time with and I can’t do it while I’m in here."

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Gina laid against JC’s arm and sighed. "You know, JC, this movie really sucks. Why did you pick it to watch?"

"Hey," he shifted beside her, "you were the one who suggested a movie and couldn’t choose so no complaining on the choice. This is the one that sounded the best in the book."

"Nope it’s all your fault we’re sitting here watching this horrendous movie." She crossed her arms and inched away from him. "I don’t know if I can be in the presence of someone with such bad taste."

"Then I guess you’ll hate it when I do this." JC slid next to her and pulled her waist against him. When she started to struggle he began to kiss her neck.

"JC," she laughed out, "stop it. Come on, you’re not playing fair."

He quickly made eye contact with her. "All’s fair in love and war."

"All’s fair, huh?"

"Yup." He went back to kissing her neck.

"Okay, I’ll buy that." She stopped struggling.

"That’s right. Give in to the master, girl."

"We’ll see who’s the master." She quickly moved her arms behind her and began tickling him. She turned to face him and got a better attack angle. His shouts of laughter echoed throughout the room and part of the reason why Gina continued to tickle him was just to hear his laughter. The past few days had been emotionally draining for them both and being able to release tension through laughter was very relaxing.

"Oh god…Gina! Please stop. Oh please stop," he begged in between laughing fits.

She shook her head. "Not until you beg for mercy. You gotta beg , boy."

"Never!" He grabbed her wrists but couldn’t move them away from his body.

"Beg, honey. You’ll never win." He shook his head and she got an idea. She suddenly stopped tickling him.

"I didn’t say mercy. Why did you stop?" JC took a few deep breaths to calm down. He laid on his side and let go on her wrists. As soon as he had one hand stayed at his waist and the other climbed its way up his chest.

"Because," she started when her hand got to his neck, "I had to get better access to your neck."

"Oh my god. Gina, you’re plain evil," he told her as she began tickling his neck. Since her arm was raised she left an open hole in her defense for him to make a counter attack, which he made immediately. The two were laughing hysterically when the sound of a phone interrupted their play.

"Argh!" JC grunted. "Some people have lousy timing. I bet it’s Tyler checking in so I’d better get it."

Gina looked at the phone and rolled away from him. "Yeah, go ahead."

JC stood up and picked up the phone on the other side of the room.

"Hello?"

"He-Hello?" There was a pause. "Is Gina there?"

JC couldn’t recognize the voice and wondered why someone would call for Gina on his phone. "No, I’m sorry you must have a wrong number. There is no Gina here."

"Oh, I’m sorry for bothering you. I was just trying to reach my daughter and I guess I dialed something wrong."

"Daughter? Hold on a second." JC looked at Gina before really looking at the phone. He looked back at Gina. "Hey, does your phone have half of the number seven rubbed off?" She nodded. "Then this is your phone. It’s your father."

She looked at him dubiously but took the phone.

"Dad?"

"Oh, honey. I thought I dialed the wrong number?" her father asked.

"No, dad, it was just a phone mix up. JC and I have the same phone so he thought it was his. Sorry about that." She sat on the edge of the bed.

"It’s okay I guess. I just wanted to call and see how your weekend with Lisa at JC’s house was going."

Gian sighed. "It went all right. The Chasez family was really great. Our drive down was a little hectic," she told him, remembering the girl at the rest stop, "but otherwise the whole weekend is going pretty well."

"So you’re in Maryland now?"

"Umm, actually I’m in New York City. JC and the guys had to do The Rosie O’Donnell Show and I came to New York with JC so I could see them all. It’s been since August that I’ve seen all of them at once."

"So you’ve seen some of them since your internship?"

"Yeah, here and there. They’ve been recording some in New York and have driven up to see me. Nothing special." Gina left out that the only person to repeatedly come up was JC. Once Justin came up but most of the times it was JC coming up to see her.

"That’s nice, Gina. They sound really nice. We’ll have to meet them sometime. Especially JC," he slipped in.

"Oh, dad, I’m sure you’ll get to meet them. Mom’s been hounding me for months on when she’ll get to meet the famous people I worked with this past summer. Why can’t she- Wait a minute. Why did you just specify JC in who you have to meet? There are five of them." Gina tapped her fingers impatiently.

"Oh, I know there are honey. It’s just that lately your mom has been talking about how you two used to fight and now you get along so maybe something could develop."

Gina sighed. "And before that it was why didn’t I go for Chris because I did the whole page on him and now I know he’s a good guy. Oh, before that it was Justin because we became such good friends. Next she’ll be talking about Lance and how he’s only a year younger than me or Joey because he’s only a year older than me. And don’t forget about the money issue here. They all have it and I’ll have access to it to blow it. I know how she thinks, dad. Big star equals money and status. I don’t need any of those to live, dad. When I fall in love it’ll be with someone I love, not an image I’m supposed to love. Tell mom that when we get off the phone."

"So there’s nothing going on between you and JC?"

Gina rubbed her hand against her forehead before mouthing ‘sorry’ to JC.

"No, dad, there is nothing ‘going on’ between JC and I. We are friends, dad, I don’t think that word is foreign to you." JC crawled on the bed and laid heavily beside her. "Wait. Is mom there next to you? Did she put you up to the call?"

There was silence on the other end of the line. I guess this shows how much my parents care about me. She began unconsciously rubbing JC’s shin.

"Listen, dad, I don’t need this right now. I’m trying to have a nice conversation with one of my friends and this isn’t helping me. Can I call you sometime this week?"

"Sure, honey. I’m sorry about pushing the JC issue." Her father sounded apologetic and she knew he was. He was just trying to make her mother happy.

"It’s okay, dad. Say hello to everyone for me."

"Talk to you soon."

"Bye, dad." Gina hung up the phone and dropped it to the floor. She crawled beside JC and laid her head on his chest. "Well that was a nice conversation."

"Just like the one you were having with your friend before your father called." JC bit out.

Gina looked at his eyes and saw the anger and the hurt in them. "What’s wrong, Josh?"

"Don’t call me Josh." JC turned away from her. "Only people really close to me are allowed to. You know family, people who have known me for years, my girlfriend may be able to call me that."

"But I am your girlfriend, Jace." Gina slid next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. An intense stab of hurt ran through her body when he shrugged her off.

"Not according to your parents."

She sighed and placed her forehead on his back. "We’ve been through this before. Why beat something that’s dead?"

"But my parents know."

"Your parents also know the drill. You’ve been famous since when? 1992 or so? They’ve had a few years to know how to handle this. With the way my mother acts I just don’t think that them knowing at this point is a good idea. My mother already drives me crazy I don’t want to be pushed over the wall. I would tell my father if I knew there was any way to keep it from my mother. I did tell Anthony. That has to count for something."

JC tilted his head back and rested it on hers. He closed his eyes and didn’t say anything for a few minutes.

"Jace?"

"I’m just thinking, hon. It’s just hard knowing that there is one subject that you won’t talk to me about."

"I tell you everything," she protested.

"No, you don’t. You tell me how your mother acts and how it affects you know, but I don’t know the history there. I know a bit from when we used to talk on-line as strangers but I know there’s more there that you’re just not telling me. About her and about your father too."

"Okay. How about we make a deal? I’ll tell you about that if…"

"If what?"

"If you tell me about that year you spent in L.A.."

JC’s body stiffened at her proposal and his face turned to the pillow. He dug his head into the pillow as if he was hiding from her words. She ran a hand down the back of his head.

"No."

"No what?"

"No, I’m not going to tell you about that year. I’ve told you bits and pieces already."

"Yeah. Bits and pieces. JC, you’ve related the good and fun times but never really said anything about the rest. All I know is that you got screwed and left. I really don’t know much more than that. If you want to know all about my history I need to know about yours. It’s only fair and don’t give me that all’s fair crap again." He opened his mouth but she stopped him. "Unless you’re either dropping this subject or you’re about to agree with my terms you’d better save your arguments. They’re not working here. So which is it?"

"I guess I’m dropping it. You are going to have to tell me one day. Just like you’re going to have to tell them."

"And if we last you’re going to have to tell me about L.A.. That’s my condition for ever really talking about my family. I give and you give. It’s what’s fair."

"I know." JC turned his head and kissed her palm. "I guess we’re just not ready to let go that much yet. But how long do you think we can keep this from them? I mean on Monday it’s going to be public knowledge that I have a girlfriend and you know your mom will be all over you on that."

"I’m just hoping that after a month or so she’ll stop bugging me about you and go on to Joey or Lance. Those are the only two she’s hasn’t hit me up to ‘overlook’ the friendship and go for something more. Money before love is her motto. Sometimes it’s money instead of love which is the worst opinion to have."

"And I just happen to have both."

"Yeah, you do, but our relationship is based on the correct things. I don’t care how much money you have. I’ll never ask for a dime of it. I want to make my own money. There’s no way I could live off of you. I do have morals and a conscience."

"I know you do. Those are two things I love about you. You have your own goals and you’re not letting the fact that I am who I am get in the way of your life." He completely turned around and rested an arm on her stomach.

"Why should I? It’s not like we’re married or anything. Plus, even if we were I’d need something to keep me busy while you’re working all day, and most of the time the work’s not even in the same state."

"True. Listen I’ve had about enough of this heart to heart talking. This is one of my days off and I don’t need my brain to explode on me."

"Point taken." Gina smiled. "Now where were we before the phone rang?"

JC saw the gleam in her eyes and inched away until he had fallen off the bed. He rubbed his sore hip and glared up at a laughing Gina.

"That didn’t feel as funny as you think it is. I don’t have a lot of padding there."

Gina continued to laugh as she moved to lay across the bed. "Well, it looked funny from where I was and, no, you don’t have a lot of padding there but you do have a cute butt nonetheless."

"Aww, thanks, hon. Now won’t you do me the honor or joining me down here." Before she could move he grabbed her arms and pulled her off the bed.

"Hey-" Gina stopped when she heard a throat clear at the connecting door. "Hey, Tyler, Lisa, and everyone. Enjoying the show?"

Lisa laughed and sat on Justin’s bed. "Not really. You and JC acting like fools isn’t anything new to us."

"Thanks." JC rolled his eyes. "So when did you two come in?"

"Oh, about an hour or so ago. We just wanted to let you two kids have some more time before you had to head off to work, bro."

"Work? I thought we were done for this weekend?"

Lance emerged from the group. "Sorry, Jace, but they’ve scheduled a photo shoot. They figured that on Monday when the news comes out they want new photos to be distributed with it. Hey, one of our lead singers is serious about someone. They want to make nothing of it but also a lot of it at the same time. If that made any sense to you."

JC nodded. "Yeah, it does. So has Justin come back yet?"

The group shook their heads.

"No, but they’re on their way. We called Mike a little bit ago and he said they’d be here soon." Chris sat beside Lisa. "He wouldn’t give us any status on the Nick front either."

"So I’m a front, Chris?"

Everyone turned to the door and their mouths dropped. Their eyes roamed from the couple’s happy expressions to their entwined hands. They all were curious but no one knew how to ask the question that needed to be answered.

"Look, Nick, we actually made these guys speechless. Now that’s a feat."

"I think they want to know what happened today. The last thing they knew I had ordered you out of my life." She smirked up at Justin.

"That’s correct, my dear. Now let’s not keep them in suspense any longer." He walked over to the dresser and picked something up. He threw it at Joey. "How about another crack at this? Do you mind, Nick?"

She shook her head and stepped closer to him. "You ready, Joey?

"I guess." He stood beside her and lifted his hand above her head. "So you going to do the right thing this time, J?"

"Yes, Joey, I am." Justin looked at the mistletoe in Joey’s hand before smiling down at the girl in his arms.

Nick looked up and she matched Justin’ smile as their lips met. She was about to pull away when he pulled her closer and increased the pressure of the kiss. When he finally pulled back she stared at his cocky grin. He grabbed her other hand.

"You know they wouldn’t have let me get away with a small peck. These guys," he nodded his head at everyone else, "are voyeurs and wanted to see some real lip action. They never would have let up unless we showed them what they wanted."

"Alas, the boy is right," Joey said from beside them. "But what we really wanted to see was how patched up your relationship is. Now that we see you’ve made amends and came to the conclusion that you belong together we’re even happier. Aren’t we, guys?"

A chorus of agreements rang out. Justin and Nick sat on the floor beside JC and Gina.

"So what’s the plan for tonight?"

"I’m sorry to tell you this, Curly, but I had to tell JC earlier that we’ve got work to do. A photo shoot." Lance shrugged apologetically.

"You mean I have to work even more? I just worked all morning. Oh, I’m done now, Jace. The song’s all recorded."

"Sorry about that, slugger, but it’s true. You three have to separate from your women for a bit." Chris pointed at Justin, Lance and JC. "Can’t do anything about that."

"Slugger?" Justin raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, guys," Mike called from the door, "It’s time to go. Get your butts in gear so you can do this shoot and come back."

A bunch of grunts were heard and the five *N SYNC members said good bye to everyone and filed out of the door.

"Finally," Tyler exclaimed, "I get four beautiful women all to myself. Who-"

"Ahem."

"Sorry, Lisa, I get one to myself and I get to borrow three from my friends. Who-

"Ahem."

"Okay." Tyler hung his head. "I get the extreme honor of being the only lowly peasant male in the presence of four goddesses."

Lisa walked up to Tyler and lifted his chin. "Much better."

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

"That photo shoot was so pointless. We sat there for almost four hours to be told that they really didn’t have to do it, they just wanted to. Gotta love this gig." Chris sighed and leaned back in his seat in the car.

"I know but it’s what we got to do." Justin tapped his fingers on his knees. "And this is all because someone decided to go public with his relationship." He gave a pointed look at the dark-haired man beside him.

"Well, I’m not the only one who gave something away there. You also made an announcement that you had someone in mind for something. Ever think about that?"

"But you’re you and I’m me. With me they never air those statements. Sure there will be rumors around until I announce it, but there will still be fans that will believe it’s not true. You’re just squashing their hopes right off the bat. There’s a difference here."

"I know but you and Nick will get some press. You know that. Now people will take interest in the fact that your best friend is female and there’s a chance that she’s the one you meant on Rosie, for those fans who saw it or heard about it."

"We’re here, guys." Joey announced and got ready to run into the hotel. Once inside he slowed down and waited for Lance. "Hey, buddy, the other guys are all happy to be back and see their girls. Is something up because I haven’t heard you saw Jackie’s name once."

"Don’t worry about me, Joe. Just because I haven’t said her name doesn’t mean that I haven’t been thinking about her." Lance brushed past his friend and entered the elevator.

Once as they got upstairs the guys found out that the girls and Tyler were still out. They separated into their two rooms and began packing for their travel the next day. The door between the rooms was opened so anyone could claim lost items. About a half hour later the others still weren’t back.

"I think I’m going to call Gina and see where they are. This is my last night with her for a while and I don’t want her spending it with my brother." JC picked up the cell phone by his bag and dialed Gina’s cell number.

"Oh, someone’s whipped. Wouldn’t you say so Lance?"

Lance nodded. "Yup. She has him so wrapped around her finger it’s not even funny." He paused. "Wait a second. I’m wrong. It is."

"Oh will you two please shut up. As if you’re not wondering where they are."

"Of course I’m wondering where they are. JC, you are my friend and with that role comes teasing. I know you are familiar with it." Justin dug his hand in his bag.

JC pretended to think. "Oh, yeah, that’s when you pretend to be funny." He turned around to block out his friend but turned around when something hit his back. "Now what just hit my back?"

"Nothing." Justin turned and put something in his bag. "It was nothing."

"Nothing my foot." He turned away again to only be hit again. This time he turned quickly and saw the sock in Justin’s hand. "That had better be a clean one, boy."

"Oh, it is."

"Good." JC opened his bag. "Because so is this one."

JC whaled Justin with the end of one of his socks and the two continued exchanging blows around the room. Every few aims were off and the hotel furniture was hit. JC still had the phone to his ear and pressed recall. The other three stopped to watch the fight and provided play-by-plays.

"And Timberlake gets Chasez with a good blow and runs across the beds. Do you think he’ll get away, Lance?" Chris shifted his hand so Lance could talk into the ‘microphone.’

"I don’t know, Chris. Chasez is a tough competitor. I’m sure he has something up his sleeve for the young kid."

"Oh my god, Nick, what are our boyfriends doing?" Gina’s cry stopped all movement in the room.

"Well, it looks like they’re having a sock fight. Mine’s a teenager. What’s your excuse?" She took the sock from Justin and hit him with it. "Please don’t embarrass me like this again."

"JC, hand over the sock." Gina held out her hand. "No, I’m not going to hit you with it. Just give it to me."

JC sighed and handed the sock to her. "He started it. All I was doing was trying to call you and then I get hit with a sock."

"Aww, JC, you are too cute for words." She folded the sock. "And were you trying to call me on that phone?"

"Yeah."

"Take a good look at it. Especially the number seven." She stifled a laugh as he noticed he, once again, mistook her phone for his.

"Hey, guys?" Jackie called out from the window.

"Yeah?" a few people answered.

"What is this white stuff on the window? It looks like it’s been here for a few hours."

JC and Gina looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Would either of you like to share something with the class?"

JC shook his head. He was laughing to much to speak. He pulled Gina closer and buried his face into her neck. Gina looked beyond her laughing boyfriend with tears in her eyes.

"It’s whipped cream. We had some this morning with some strawberries."

"How’d it get over here? Don’t answer that. I don’t even want to know." Jackie let Lance take her hand. "So what’s the plan for the rest of the night?"

"Well, if it’s okay with everyone, especially JC, I’d like to hangout as a group for a bit and then spend some time with Jace. How does that sound?"

Justin nodded. "I think that’s cool. That way I get some time with Nick too."

"But, Jus, some of us won’t get to see our girls as much as you. At least she lives in Orlando. Some of us aren’t that lucky." JC pulled Gina closer and closed his eyes. "That makes it much harder. Doesn’t it, Lance?"

"Yeah…harder," Lance answered distractedly as he stared at Jackie. He snapped out of his daze. "So what are we doing? Movie?"