Five

“Jayce, what are you doing?” Chris asked, gently shoving JC's hands from his waist. “I'm trying to get some dinner.” He reached for the serving spoon.

“I was just saying hello,” JC said, leaning his chin on Chris' shoulder. He looked down at the buffet table. “No one in this room cares.”

Chris looked around. JC was right; the only people in the room were the other three guys and the members of their “posse.” “Lou doesn't need to walk in and see this.”

“Lou's back in London,” JC scoffed. “Thank GOD. I don't like the way he looks at Justin.”

Chris turned around to look at him. “What are you saying?”

JC shrugged. “He stares at Justin. Lance, too. Not good.”

“I'll remember to keep an eye on them,” Chris promised. He HAD noticed something similar to what JC was referring to, but he had thought it was his paranoid imagination.

“So…after the show tonight…” JC ran a hand along Chris' hip. Chris stared at him. JC was never this forward in public, even if the others DID have an idea about their involvement.

“I'm tired,” Chris said, and suddenly he was.

“We haven't even performed yet,” JC said with a laugh. “You'll be fine. We'll get Justin and…”

“How about it just be you and me tonight?” Chris interrupted.

“Well, uh, sure.” Chris saw the disappointment flash briefly in JC's blue eyes. “Just us. We haven't done that in a while.”

“Okay. Joey has the single, but I'll get Lance to go over with him tonight and leave me in our room alone,” Chris said. “See you after the show.”

“Okay,” JC said, aware of the fact that he was being dismissed. Chris watched him go over to Justin, who immediately brightened. Justin slid over and allowed JC to sit next to him…VERY close to him. Chris then looked at Lance, who was watching him with a strange look on his face. Chris actually blushed and turned back to the buffet. 

“You are totally not into this.” JC pulled back and sat up. “What am I doing wrong?”

“Nothing,” Chris said, mortified at the fact that he couldn't get anything past a half-erection. He blushed and patted JC's leg. “I have a lot on my mind. It's NOT you. YOU are fantastic.”

“Thank you,” JC said, preening, then laughing. He lay his head on Chris' shoulder comfortably.

“Maybe I'm just tired from the show. I'm an old man, remember?” Chris asked.

“Yeah, old and ancient at twenty-six. What does that make me?”

“Twenty-one and horny as hell,” Chris answered, and JC laughed. “Hey, I was thinking about Justin.”

“Mmm, me, too,” JC said with a sigh, and Chris closed his eyes.

“The next step is a big one. We can't just fool around with him forever.”

“Right,” JC said, nodding. He picked up Chris' hand and played with his fingers.

“I think you should be the one that does it.”

“Does what?”

“Well, uh, fucks him, for lack of a better term,” Chris said. “You should do it. You're so gentle.”

“Chris, you're gentle, too,” JC protested. “You've always been sweet to me.”

“I know,” Chris said, smiling. “But you…you should do it.”

“Maybe he won't even WANT to,” JC said, and Chris heard the concern in his tone.

“Won't want you to make love to him? Hardly, Jayce. He worships the ground you walk on.”

“Really?” JC asked, and Chris heard the way his voice changed.

“Really,” Chris said with a sigh. It was hard being the one who always made the sacrifices. 

It was a week before they could even consider doing what they had planned. Lance got sick with the flu, which Justin quickly caught. Justin got over it with amazing speed, but Lance was still a little weak when they pulled into the final town of their German tour. “You sure you're okay?” Joey asked with concern as Lance shouldered his duffel.

“Sure,” Lance said, then began coughing.

“Lemme get that,” Chris said, quickly grabbing Lance's bag as well as his own. His brown eyes were serious. “We should tell Lou to fuck off and cancel the show tonight. You're not ready.”

“I'm ready,” Lance snapped. “You're not the boss of me.”

“No, but I think I know what's best for you.”

“Hardly,” Lance snapped again, and even Joey stared at him. Chris, for once, was speechless. “I don't need you babying me.”

“Well, no, Poofu, but…”

“Leave me alone,” Lance said wearily. “If you're gonna carry my bag, thanks, but please don't baby me. I'm sick of that.”

“Whatever,” Chris said, giving him a strange look. He headed into the hotel. 

Chris felt as if he were going through the show in slow motion. He did everything right, but he couldn't keep his eyes off of JC and Justin. JC was on, as usual, his entire being glowing with excitement just from being on stage. Justin could feel a spark in the air, and he seemed to give a hundred and ten percent.

When Chris wasn't watching JC and Justin, he was keeping a wary eye on Lance. Lance was NOT giving a hundred and ten percent, though he was trying his best. Lou glowered from the sidelines, his fat face a mask of worry lines as he watched Lance stumble through the performance. As they hurried off for a costume change, Chris stopped by their manager. “He shouldn't be here,” Chris spat.

“I'm beginning to think the same thing,” Lou mused.

“I didn't mean it that way,” Chris growled. “He's sick. He should have some time off.”

“You'll have a week in the States before we start doing promos. He can rest then,” Lou said, and his tone dared Chris to continue. Chris sighed and ran off to change. 

“Hi,” Justin said shyly as he entered JC's room. Chris was standing by the bed, and JC was laying on it. “What's going on?”

“Nothing.” JC patted the bed and Justin did a flying leap onto it.

“I wish I had your energy,” Chris sighed.

“You do well enough,” Justin teased, winking up at him.

“We were wondering if you were ready for the next big step,” JC murmured, his blue eyes fixed on the soft curve of Justin's neck.

“Really?” Justin breathed. “I think I am…I mean, I want to…”

“JC's going to do it,” Chris blurted. “He'll be careful and gentle, J, I promise.”

“You?” Justin turned to JC, who nodded. Justin's eyes seemed to smolder. “Oh.”

“I think you should be naked,” JC said softly, his hands toying with Justin's tshirt. Justin eagerly wriggled out of it, and soon the two young men were kissing and caressing as clothing was discarded.

“Oh,” Justin sighed as JC's hand slid down to caress him. “Jayce…”

Neither of them noticed Chris quietly slip out the door. 

“Oh!” Lance said in surprise as he opened his door. Chris was sitting on the floor in the hallway, his head back against the wall, his eyes closed. When he opened his eyes, Lance was surprised to see tears in the brown eyes. “I was, uh, just getting ice. My head hurts, and a cloth of ice seems to help.”

“Oh.” Chris looked at the door across the hall. “Justin and JC are…” Chris began, then stopped.

“But I thought you and JC were,” Lance said, blushing.

“We were…but we're not anymore,” Chris said, trying to shrug. He stood and felt Lance's forehead. “Jesus, Lance, you're burning up.”

“I'm fine,” Lance said firmly.

“No, you're not. C'mon, Lance. I'm not babying you. I'm being your friend. Please go back in your room. Lemme get the ice, okay?”

“Okay,” Lance said with a tired smile. “Thanks, Chris.”

It was so easy to climb next to Lance on the bed and wrap a comforting arm around him. Being alone in a strange country was bad, but being alone and sick was almost too much to handle. Chris knew that all too well. “I hate Lou for making you work,” Chris said. He pressed the cold cloth to Lance's head. Lance moaned in gratitude. “When we're rich and famous, I'm gonna kick his ass.”

“When we're rich and famous, I'm going to space,” Lance said drowsily. “I'm gonna be an astronaut.”

“Sure you are,” Chris said soothingly. He patted Lance's arm. “You can do anything.”

“I thought you didn't like me,” Lance said sadly.

“No, Lance, I just didn't know you at the beginning,” Chris promised, remembering how he had treated the new member of the group. He now knew what it was like to feel like an outsider, and he hated himself for his earlier treatment of Lance. “I'm really sorry. You just rest now, okay?”

“Okay,” Lance said, yawning and snuggling close. Chris closed his eyes and tried not to think about what was happening in the other bedroom.

Six