Something More

By: Foxy Lady

Lance looked down at the answering machine, pressing the play button for what must have been the tenth time since he had walked into his house. Hearing the words spoken over and over again as he tried to understand what they meant. Of course he understood, but if he accepted then easily he knew in his heart that he would just lose it right then and there. A year of his life. Planning and hoping. All of it was done with just one answering machine message. A life long dream no longer possible.

He knew it probably was a good thing that he wasn't going. J didn't even want to talk about him going up into space. The few times they had discussed it there had been arguments, so Lance had just stopped bringing it up unless he had to. Now he wanted to. He wanted to run to the man that had become more than just his best friend in the past few weeks. That night at JC's was still fresh in his memories. The way they had sat on the couch for the rest of the night, sitting next to each other, JC sleeping soundly as his head rested on his shoulder. That night had been the start of something. Something they hadn't quite defined yet, but with each passing day Lance knew what it was. He just didn't have the nerve to say it. He hadn't even had the nerve to say it to himself in his head. How could he tell his best friend how he felt for him?

Sighing softly, he ran a hand through his hair as he made his way further into the house. Leaving the answering machine message behind him... or trying to anyway. Flopping down on the couch, he threw his keys on the coffee table, watching them as they slid off the other side and fell to the floor. Not even bothering to pick them up, he closed his eyes. Space had always been this unattainable dream of his. Ever since he was a little boy, he loved space and dreamt of going there one day. When the group happened, he had pushed those dreams aside and focused on another dream of his. Even though he had achieved his one goal, his mind always went back to his dream about going into space. Then the space tourist thing got started and he thought just maybe he had a chance to make it.

Now that chance was starting to look more and more dim. First it had been the money. The sponsors had backed out. Now it was the worries following the shuttle crash. Which was justified. He wasn't sure he would want to go up right this moment without knowing why that occurred, but he still wanted to go up. Running a hand over his face, he reached blindly for the television remote he knew lay on the couch somewhere. Picking it up, he began flipping through channels as he moved to lay on the couch, not even kicking off his shoes to be more comfortable.

It was sometime later when he realized that he had somehow fallen asleep like that. The channel he had left the television on now had a color screen and the clock that sat on top of the set proclaimed it was sometime after 3am. He looked at the chair across from the couch and saw JC sitting there watching him silently. Yawning, he moved to sit up slowly as he ran a hand through his hair. "Josh, what are you doing here?"

JC bit his bottom lip as he shrugged. "Figured you might need me here."

Lance laid back down with a sigh. "So you heard already?"

Standing up, JC walked over to the couch, lifting Lance's head so he could slide beneath, setting Lance's head on his lap. "Yeah. There was one of those news things online already, so, like I said, I figured you might need me."

Lance looked up at his friend. "But I thought you didn't want me going up into space, Josh."

"I don't, but you want to go, so that is what matters."

Lance sighed shakily as he closed his eyes. "Well, it doesn't look like I'm going now, so you can stop worrying about it."

"Lance, I wasn't worried that you were going." Lance just opened his eyes and looked up at his friend with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Okay, so I was. You're one of my best friends and I would hate anything to happen to you. I'd hate to lose you. Especially now."

Lance sighed softly, his next words coming out almost whisper-like. "What makes now so different?"

JC blushed and Lance smiled a little. "Well ... you know ... just because."

"Because why?"

Blushing more, JC shook his head. "Lance, I think you know why."

Chuckling lightly, Lance sat up a little, leaning forward until his face was just inches from JC's. "I think I might too, but is it so wrong that I want to hear you say it."

JC smiled and shook his head. "No... nothing wrong with that. I think I would hate to lose you... because now ...well ... I have these feelings for you. More than friend type feelings, and would really hate to lose you now."

Lance smiled even wider as he pressed his lips against JC's. It was the first time one of them had said anything like that, and it was also the first time they had kissed. He felt JC kiss him back with a soft moan and he pulled away slightly. "I'd hate to lose you too, now, because I have those same feelings."

He watched as JC smiled. Sighing softly, he knew that JC made everything just a little bit better. He had possibly lost one of his biggest dreams, but he was also gaining another. One that made the one he lost not as bad.

The End

Tell Foxy Lady what you thought of this story!