The Great Outdoors

By:  Lara

 

“Remind me again why we’re doing this?” Justin whispered to Chris.

“Because it’s Lance’s birthday, and he really wanted to do this yippee ki-yay roundup thing,” Chris reminded him. He nudged JC.  “Jayce, wake up.  We’re here.”

“’Kay,” JC said sleepily, rubbing his eyes and stretching.  Lance bounced out of the front seat and headed for the tour office.

“Okay. Let’s make a pact.”  Joey put an arm around JC’s shoulders and the other arm around Chris’ as they piled out of the van. “If he asks us to sing “Kumbaya”, we haul ass.”

“Deal,” Justin agreed.

“C’mon, guys…it’s his birthday. He NEVER gets to do stuff like this,” JC pointed out sleepily. “Let’s have fun, for Lance’s sake.”

“JC, are you telling me you’re GLAD to be going on a horseback ride and campout?”  Justin gasped.

“Hell, no.  I hate the thought.  I hate bugs, hate sleeping on the ground, hate it all.  But it’s what Lance wants.”  JC shrugged. “And it’s rare he asks us for anything, ya know?”

“Yeah,” Chris said, sighing.  “So, we agree to make this fun?”

“AGREE!”  JC, Joey and Justin yelled.

 

Lance walked back towards the group, watching the four men talk and laugh. His eyes were glued to JC, who was stretching and trying to wake up after the three hour van ride.  Lance sighed.  Now THAT was something he wanted in his sleeping bag to keep him warm that night.  “Guys?” He called, willing down his erection.  He could do this. He could spend five minutes with JC without wanting him. Yeah, right.  “Um, guys?”

“Yeah, Cowpoke?” Chris drawled, tipping his imaginary cowboy hat off his face.  Lance made a face at him.

“Uh, there’s a little problem. There’s a mix-up.”

“They don’t have horses and we get to go home?” Justin asked hopefully.  Chris took one look at the hurt look on Lance’s face and smacked Justin in the head.

“No.  They got the schedule confused and we don’t have a guide.  But I’ve ridden this trail before,” Lance added quickly. “I know it, and it’s well marked.  We ride out all day, camp, and then come back tomorrow.”

“No guide?” JC asked, rubbing his chin.

“No,” Lance said.  “You guys can trust me.”

“Of course we trust you,” Joey said quickly. “I just don’t know if I trust the horses.”

Lance smiled.  “C’mon.  Grab your bags and let’s get saddled up.”

“I think I’m gonna regret this,” Justin moaned, but they followed Lance.

 

JC smiled as he rubbed his hands over the face of his light brown horse.  It looked EXACTLY like the one he had ridden in the “For the Girl Who Has Everything” video, and he knew Lance had set it aside especially for him. Lance was thoughtful like that.  “What’s her name?”  He asked the stablehand.

“Sugar,” the man replied. “But she has spunk, let me tell ya.”  He handed JC a blanket.  “You might want to lay this over your saddle. You don’t got much on the back end to pad ya.”

Chris laughed out loud. “SO true!”  He looked up at his horse and frowned as Lance and Justin easily swung themselves into their saddles. “Okay, so, where’s the ladder?”

“Here.”  The stablehand cupped his hands together and gave Chris a lift up.

“Fuck…this is worse then being on wires in a concert,” Chris mumbled as the horse snorted and stomped a foot.

“We’ll take care of you, Chrissy,” Justin promised.  “Lead the way, Lance!” 

Lance spurred his horse towards the trail, tucking the map in his back pocket.

 

“Lance, can we stop yet?”  Justin whined.

“Justin, we’ve only been riding for two hours. We still have two more to go,” Lance called over his shoulder.

“But my horse told me it’s tired,” Justin announced. Justin’s horse nodded its head and whinnied.

“Fine,” Lance said with a sigh.  He reined in his horse.  “There’s a stream down there. We’ll give them something to drink.”

“No. If I get down, I won’t be able to climb back up on this thing!” Chris protested.

“Would you rather let your horse walk into the stream and perhaps dump you there?” JC asked him. 

“Help me down,” Chris ordered.  Joey dismounted and gave Chris a hand.  They led their horses to the stream and sat on the bank as the animals drank.

“This is beautiful out here, Lance,” JC said, staring up at the blue sky.

“Yeah,” Lance sighed, staring at JC. “I mean, yes, it is. I love it out here.”

“Are there bears out here?” Justin asked with interest.

“Lions and tigers and bears…oh my!” Joey and Chris yelled together. Lance gave them a dirty look.

“Not that I’m aware of.  But I hope you packed bug repellant,” Lance said. Justin froze.

“Uh…”

“Don’t worry, Curly. I got some.”  Chris clapped Justin on the back. “Let’s get going. The sooner we’re on our horses, the sooner we are off our horses.

 

JC cursed under his breath as he dismounted at the campsite.  One hundred blankets wouldn’t have been enough to pad his ass after riding on a horse for four hours. He cursed saddles, horses, and Lance, in that order.  He caught Lance watching him and pasted on a smile.  “Fucking bastard,” he muttered.

“Okay…let’s set up camp quick and then we can relax!” Lance said enthusiastically.

“Set up camp?  You mean…it’s not here already?” Justin looked around. “I don’t know how to set up camp.”

“Me either,” Joey admitted. “I’m from New York! We don’t camp much there.”

“Fine,” Lance snapped tiredly.  He had been the one to waken the others at four that morning. “Never mind. Go walk or sit or sleep or something. I’ll do it myself.”

“No.”  JC forgot his aches and pains at the weariness in Lance’s tone. “I’ll help.”

“So will I,” Chris volunteered, putting an arm around Lance’s shoulder and giving him a rub on the head.

“We will, too,” Justin said guilty as he and Joey stood back up.

 

“Okay…um…how many tents did we bring?”  Joey asked.

“I had one, JC had one, and Chris had one,” Lance told him, carefully making a ring around where they would light their fire.

“I didn’t have one,” JC said.  “I only had that bag…the one with the food in it.”

“JUSTIN was supposed to bring the food,” Lance said.  Justin frowned.

“No…the tent was heavier so I told Jayce I’d carry it. He handed it to me and then…” Justin blushed. “I bent down to tie my shoe and forgot to pack it.”

“That was the biggest tent, Justin!” Lance announced angrily.  “Fuck…why the HELL did I even try to come out here with you guys?”  Lance stomped off into the woods, leaving the others staring at him.

“I’ll go after him,” JC said with a sigh. “You three sleep in the larger one, me and Lance will sleep in the smaller one.”  JC pushed his way through the woods until he saw Lance sitting under a tree.

“I just wanted you guys to see how great it is to get away from everything,” Lance said sullenly.  “I wanted us to have fun.”

“We will, Lance.”  JC sat down next to Lance and closed his eyes.  He leaned against Lance slightly.  “You are MUCH more comfortable then my horse,” he murmured.  Lance finally smiled.

“Thank you. Anytime, JC.  Use me anytime.”  Lance blushed at his words.  JC chuckled.

“I will.  Oh, by the way, I told them you and I would share the small tent.”

“What?” Lance gasped.

“Was that bad?” JC looked up at Lance.  “Is that a problem?”

“No, well, yeah, well, no. Of course not.”  Lance pushed JC away and stood. “I should check on them.”

“Lance…” JC called, but Lance kept walking. “Fuck,” he mumbled. 

 

“C’mon, you guys, it’s a gorgeous night. Stay up a while longer,” Lance begged.

“I am beat, Lance.  It is gorgeous out here, but I’m tired.” Chris looked at Justin, who was asleep with his head on Joey’s lap.  “Justin’s already out.”

“C’mon, Justin, bedtime.”  Joey shook Justin, who got up and went into the tent without really waking up.

“Good night, guys,” Chris called over his shoulder.

Lance stared at the fire, biting his lip. No way.  He absolutely could NOT sleep alone in a tent with JC.  What if he had some kind of wet dream about him?  No. He’d sleep in front of the fire.

“Lance?” JC asked.

“I’m tired.”  Lance stood and headed for the tent. Fuck them all. He could do this.

“What did Justin tell you?” JC asked, and Lance froze.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  Lance went into the tent, pulled of his shoes, pulled on an extra sweatshirt and climbed into his sleeping bag.

JC came in, zipping the tent closed.  He lit the small lantern and quickly got ready for bed. He leaned on one elbow as he looked at Lance.  Lance closed his eyes.  “I know he said something to you…that’s why you’re acting weird with me, right?”

“What could Justin POSSIBLY have said to me to make me act weird with you, JC?” Lance snapped.

“He could have…you know…he could have told you I’m gay.”

Lance’s eyes flew open and he sat up. “You’re WHAT?”

“Gay.”   JC played with the zipper on his sleeping bag.  “He’s the only one who knows…except now you know.  I didn’t know you were homophobic, though.”

“JC, I’m NOT homophobic. TRUST me,” Lance promised. “I’m just…surprised. That’s all.”

“Okay.”  JC looked only slightly more relieved. “I haven’t really BEEN with anyone…not yet…it’s hard enough being in our business and finding someone when you’re STRAIGHT.  I’m still looking.”

“Yeah,” Lance said softly. He turned his head away and blinked back tears.  Dreaming about straight JC was bad enough…knowing JC was gay and that he’d never have him was a nightmare.

“Do you have anyone, Lance?” JC asked softly. “Are you and Laura…”

“No.  That’s done. Never really started. Management pressured me to say something,” Lance answered sharply.

“Still…you had someone,” JC said wistfully.  “I came out to Bobbie, and that ended.  Now I don’t even have anyone PRETENDING to love me.”

“People love you, JC,” Lance said almost angrily. “God, how can we fucking help it?”  Lance bit his lip as he realized what he had said.

“Y-you love me?” JC whispered.  For a moment, Lance considered trying to cover it up, then decided against it.

“Yeah.  I do.  I love you, and not the way that Joey, Justin and Chris love you, JC.  I have for ages now.  So…um…that’s why I acted freaky with you. Being alone with you makes me nervous.”

“Why?” JC asked, scooting a bit closer.

“Because it’s hard.  I can’t have you and right there you are.”  Lance’s throat seemed to constrict more by the second.

“But you never asked,” JC said softly.  He reached out to touch Lance’s face, then nibbled at a fingernail.

“JC…don’t…” Lance began.  “Don’t do this just because you want someone.”

“All I want is to kiss you,” JC breathed, and then his mouth was on Lance’s.  Lance whimpered, his fingers coming up to run through the long dark hair.  “Oh…yes, I want to kiss you,” JC whispered before kissing Lance again. He moved to lay over Lance, the sleeping bags bunching up between them.  JC pulled away first, panting.

“I…whoa…” Lance said weakly.  JC smiled nervously.

“Do you still feel nervous with me?”

“For entirely different reasons,” Lance said, and kissed JC again.  “I think I’m gonna buy Justin a car for forgetting the extra tent,” he said when they pulled apart. 

JC smiled.  Suddenly the “great outdoors” had truly become great.

The End

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