Thankfully Yours

By:  Lara

 

“Yo, this is Chris. If I’m not here, leave a message. If I am here, I’m probably not in the mood to talk, so leave a message. It’s your job to decide which is which.”  BEEP.

 

“Chris, it’s Lance. PLEASE tell me you’re coming over for Thanksgiving. I’m cooking.  A turkey.  A turkey and mashed potatoes and corn and cranberry sauce.  And homemade bread. And pumpkin pie.  And Jayce is bringing that kickass broccoli cauliflower casserole thing his mom taught him how to make. Please, Chris.  Forgive and forget, okay?  Bye.”

 

BEEP.

 

“Chris, it’s Joe.  You need to haul your ass away from the TV and take a shower. Then you need to sleep.  Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I need you at Lance’s to watch football with me and Justin. God knows those wusses JC and Lance won’t be watching.  They’ll be cheerleaders or something.  Call if you want me to drive you.”

 

BEEP.

 

“Yo, Chrissy, it’s Justin.  Man, get your wacked self out of your armchair and begin to live.  So you had a fight. So JC was a dumbass.  Get up and get moving.  I love you, dude.”

 

BEEP.

 

“Chris…it’s JC.  Be there.  Please.  I need to see you. I miss you.”

 

Chris turned over onto his stomach and grabbed for the remote.  Some 80s show was on VH1 and he wanted to see it. He chuckled as he watched the New Kids on the Block dance around the screen.  “And if you knock us down we’re gonna come right back,” he sang along. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.  Dammit.  Fucking JC.  Why did he have to be so lovable?  Why did he have to be so sexy?  Why did he have to bring up living together? Things were fine as they were…then JC had to bring THAT up.  And then Chris had to ask why, and JC had to say he loved Chris, and Chris had to lie and say he didn’t love JC, and then JC HAD to go and say that maybe Chris wasn’t capable of loving anyone. 

He flipped the channel again.  The Backstreet Boys appeared on the screen, singing their hearts out as they belted the National Anthem.  Ah.  The good old United We Stand concert. “I don’t care WHAT you say, Lance,” Chris said.  “Damn…Nick Carter is a FOX.” He watched for a bit more, frowning. Their part wasn’t allowed to be shown. Their part was missing from the ABC broadcast because of some dumbass problem with CBS.  Chris pulled out his own private video of the show, fast forwarding to their part.  “Aw…JC wuvs DC,” he said, reading JC’s shirt.  JC had looked damn good that night.  He always looked good. He had looked so damn good that Chris had fucked him back in one of the dressing rooms as they waited around for the finale.  Justin had left to see Britney, Joey and Lance had left for On the Line things, and JC and Chris had been there alone.  And they spent most of those last hours ALONE.

The phone rang and Chris looked at it.  He sighed and picked it up. “Yeah?”

“PLEASE, Chris?  It won’t be right if you’re not here,” Lance pleaded.

“Lance, you are such a freaking girl. How does Joey put up with you?”

“Because he’s the boy in our relationship?”

Chris smiled, his first smile in the week since he and JC had fought.  “Okay, Mrs. Fatone.  I'll be there.”

 

“I brought something,” Chris announced as soon as Lance opened the door.  “Apple cider. You know…autumn stuff.”

“Great, Chris.”  Lance hugged Chris tight and took the two gallon jugs of cider.  “I’ve missed you.”

“Yeah, well, I know. I’m just hard to live without.”

“Speaking of trying to live without…JC is in the living room with Justin and Joey.”

“Really?  Well, do you need help in the kitchen?”

“Um, yeah, you can help.”  Lance gave Chris a strange look and led him to the kitchen.  “You can get stuff together to set the table in the dining room.”

“Okay.”  Chris began to pull plates from the cupboard.

“Fair warning…he looks like shit,” Lance said softly.  Chris ignored him.  “He looks like he’s losing weight, like he can afford it.  We told him to get over you, that you weren’t worth it…but he still has some sort of thing for you.”

Chris slammed a plate down. “It’s called love, Bass, and I’d appreciate if you wouldn’t worry about it.”

“I can’t help it. JC is like my best friend next to Joey…I worry.” Lance’s green eyes were serious as he looked at Chris. “Talk to him. Explain to him why you freaked like that, because he doesn’t understand and thinks he did something wrong.”

“Fuck.”  Chris slammed down another plate, which broke.  “SHIT!”  He yelled as he yanked a piece of plate from his palm.

“Oh, shit, Chris.”  Lance yanked Chris’ hand under the faucet and ran water over it as blood flowed down the drain.

“What happened?”  Justin, JC and Joey tumbled over themselves to get into the kitchen.

“Chris cut himself.”

“Are you okay?”  Chris watched long fingers gingerly hold his wrist.  “Lance, gauze?”

“It’s in the bathroom. I’ll get it.” Joey raced out of the kitchen.  Lance and Justin discreetly followed.

“Maybe you’ll need stitches,” JC said, carefully examining Chris’ hand.

“I doubt it.”  Chris looked back at Joey as he returned. “Thanks, man.”

“Welcome.”  Joey handed JC the First Aid kit and left the room.  JC carefully patted Chris’ wound dry as best he could, then bandaged it and wrapped it.

“At least not the hand you write with.”

“At least it’s not the hand I jack off with,” Chris teased.  JC didn’t smile.

“So, um. There you go.”

“Thank you.”  Chris finally met JC’s eyes, gasping at the pain he saw there.  “Fuck, JC.  Looks like YOU’RE the one who needs first aid.”

“Yeah, well.” JC shrugged. 

“It’s nothing you did. You just scared me. I mean, we barely came out to the guys, and you want to move in together.”

“We’re together more than we’re apart, Chris,” JC reminded him gently.  “I thought it would be nice.  I’m sorry if I scared you.”

“I’m sorry if I hurt you. And I’m sorry that I lied.”  Chris reached up with his bandaged hand, touching JC’s scruffy cheek.  “I love you. I love you more than anything.  More than myself.  I’m sorry for hurting you.”  Chris tried to swallow the huge lump in his throat.  “And I’m sorry I put that pain in your eyes.  Maybe YOU need stitches.”

“Just for my heart,” JC said weakly and Chris wanted to cry. 

“Can I make it better?”  Chris asked quietly. “Can you give me another chance?  I think I could find room for you in my house…if you can find room for me in your heart.”

“You never left my heart,” JC said, smiling.  “But about your house…I don’t think I could live there.”

“We’ll discuss this later,” Chris promised.  He kissed JC’s nose, then kissed his red lips.  “I love you, Josh.”

“I love you, Chris.  You’re the number one thing I’m thankful for.”

The End

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