Who Am I?

By:  Lara

 

 

Justin sighed as he flopped onto the floor of the bus. “I’m not tired. I hate when we finish a show and I’m not tired and I can’t go out.”

“You can’t go out anyway, you baby.” Chris smiled at him in a condescending manner as he curled up on a seat of the bus.

“I’m not a baby, and I can go out if I want,” Justin grumbled to no one in particular.

“Cool!  I get the shower first!”  Joey practically ran back to the shower.

“Um...why are you guys here?” Lance asked as he walked onto the bus.  “What’s wrong with YOUR bus?”

“JC’s entertaining,” Justin replied.

“Oh,” Lance said softly.  Chris glared at Justin.

“He is not.  Our TV is all messed up.”

“You have nothing else to do but watch TV?” Lance asked, giving Justin his own glare.

“Nope. Can’t play Playstation, can’t watch videos,” Justin told him.

“Second in the shower!”  JC called as he walked onto the bus.

“Dammit,” Lance growled and stomped off to his bunk. Justin and Chris looked at each other, grinning.  JC looked confused.

 

By the time Lance finally got into his shower, there was hardly any hot water left.  He frowned and quickly got cleaned up.  JC was dozing off on the sofa.  Justin and Chris were playing Playstation.  Joey smiled up at Lance.  “Hey, Lansten.  We’re ready to play.”

“No.  Oh no.  At the next rest stop they’re going back to their bus.  I need to sleep.”

“So sleep. We’ll be quiet,” Justin said, just as Chris let out a joyful yelp.

“YES!  Gotcha.  You’re dead, Timberlake.  The Steelers win yet another Super Bowl!”  Chris did a dance of triumph. 

“You were saying?” Lance said to Joey.

“C’mon. We’ll play that game we made up.  That will bore them into going back home,” Joey said.

“What game?”  Justin asked, smacking Chris on the ass.

“Just a game,” Lance said.  “Look, JC’s asleep. He is setting a good example.”

“He’s not asleep.”  Chris yanked hard on JC’s hair until he snorted awake.

“WHAT?”

“We’re playing a game.  C’mon. Follow me.”  Chris pulled on the hair until JC joined him on the floor.

“Okay. What’s the game?”  JC gave in with a yawn.

“Here.”  Joey passed out index cards.  “Write questions on here. Questions you would want to ask any one of us. Questions you’d ask yourself.”

“Anything?”  Justin asked.

“Anything.”  Joey scribbled a few of his own questions, then tore a card into five parts.  He scribbled names on the cards and placed them in an empty bowl.  “Pick.”

Everyone drew a card.  “I’m Chris,” Joey said.

“What?” Chris asked.

“The name you draw is the name you are.  I’m you. I answer the questions as you,” Joey informed him.

“Oh.”  Chris looked at his paper.  “I’m Justin.”

“Oh dear Lord,” Justin groaned. “I’m in trouble now.”

“Who are you?” JC asked.

Justin glanced at his paper.  “I’m Lance.”

“Talk about a stretch.”  JC looked at his paper. “I’m Joey.”

“That leaves JC for me,” Lance said softly.  Justin and Chris grinned happily at each other, oblivious to the rest of the group.

“Okay...everyone picks some questions,” Joey ordered.  They all grabbed a handful.  “Okay...I’ll start.”  He was Chris.  “What’s the first thing you notice about a girl?  Boobs.”

“No argument there,” Chris replied.

“JC as me?” Joey asked.

“Chest...definitely.”

“Lance as JC?”

“Um...eyes?”

“Probably,” Justin muttered. JC glared at him.

“Chris as Justin?”

“How many times she looked at me adoringly and how many times she giggled at what I say,” Chris answered.  Justin threw a shoe at him.

“Justin as Lance?”

“Hair,” Justin answered definitely.  Lance blushed.  “I like brown hair. Light brown hair with highlights.”

“Okay, TMI,” Chris replied.

“I’ll read next.” JC pulled a card from his pile.  “What’s the first thing you REALLY spent money on...something secret no one knows about.  Um...I’m Joey.  I bought a bigass freezer for all the food I eat.”

“Pig,” Chris said.  Joey hit him AND JC.  “I’ll go...I’m Justin?  I commissioned a portrait to be done of me out of diamond dust and twenty-four carat gold paint.  And I worship it every night.”

“You’re an ass,” Justin snapped, but he couldn’t help but smile.  “I’m Lance...I bought stock in a multi-million dollar company, then turned that stock into a million dollars.”

“I bought my damn noisy dogs their own mansion,” Joey answered as Chris.

“They’re not that noisy!”

“JC?” Justin asked Lance.  He thought for a moment.

“I bought a storage garage for all the music I write and then decide it’s not good enough.”

Everyone laughed as JC blushed. He was notorious for being a perfectionist, and it was rare that anyone saw a completed copy of a song after he wrote it.  “Ha ha,” JC said softly.  Lance blushed as well and studied his feet.

“I honestly think they’re good though,” he said just as softly to JC.

“Okay, I wanna ask.”  Chris pulled out his card.  “Lance…” He looked at Justin.  “Why won’t you tell JC you’re in love with him?”

 

 

Chris stared at Justin expectantly.  Justin stared at Lance.  Joey stared at Lance.  JC stared at Lance.  Lance stared at Chris.  “What?”  Lance whispered.

“Hmmm…let me see…why haven’t I told him?  Well…it’s a difficult question to answer, really…” Justin trailed off, pretending to be deep in thought.

“You’re in love with JC?”  Joey stared at Lance open mouthed.

“Sure he is,” Chris said cheerfully.

“I sure am,” Justin said.  “How could I help it?  He’s talented, and sexy, even if he IS scrawny…nice eyes…”

“Knock it off.”  Joey smacked Justin and turned back to Lance.  “You’re gay?”

“Well…” Lance squeaked, looking everywhere but at JC.

“No. No no no…” Joey got up and began to pace.  “Not hearing this…not hearing it.”

“You have lots of gay friends,” Justin said accusingly.

“Not that I share a bus with.” Joey shuddered and headed back to his bunk.  Lance’s face was red with shame.

Chris actually looked embarrassed.  “I’ll go talk to him.”  He hopped up and ran after Joey.  Justin looked at Lance.

“I’m sorry, Lance. We just…we figured it out and we kept waiting for you to say something…and you were so miserable all the time about it we thought this would help.”

“You figured it out?”  Lance repeated.

“It’s true, isn’t it?”  When Lance didn’t reply, Justin sighed.  His eyes flickered over to JC, who was intently looking at his fingernails.  “I’m gonna go see if Joey killed Chris yet.”  He ambled back to the bunk area. 

Lance didn’t look at JC. He couldn’t.  How embarrassing.  He picked at a hole in his jeans and prayed to become invisible. Or, better yet, for the ground to open up and swallow him.  “So…” JC started, then cleared his throat.  “How long have you felt this way?”

“I don’t…” Lance began to lie, then realized it was too late for that.  “A year or so.”

“A YEAR?”  JC’s voice rose and he glared at Lance.  “You’ve had the hots for me for a fucking YEAR and I’m finding out about it from Justin and Chris?”

“Well…how exactly was I supposed to tell you, JC?”  Lance retorted angrily. “Hey, JC, how’s it going?  Me? I’m fine…pining away from lust and love but otherwise just great.  Over who?  Well, you, JC.”

“How did they find out?”

“Well, apparently it’s obvious.  I guess I look at you like you’re something special…I guess I like spending time with you…I guess it just shows on my face.  But then again, you always were oblivious to anything but the music. It’s always the music with you, JC. You’re talented as all hell, which you refuse to believe, yet music is the only thing you see. You dream it, think it, breathe it, while I sat here and dreamt you, thought you, breathed you.  Now can you see why I didn’t say anything!”  Lance angrily stormed off and locked himself in the bathroom.

 

Fifteen minutes later Joey, Chris and Justin returned to the TV area.  JC was staring out the window at the darkness.  Lance was still in the bathroom.  “Where’s Lance?” Joey asked.

“Bathroom.”

“I want to apologize to him.”

“Go ahead.”  JC’s eyes never left the scenery he couldn’t see.

“Jayce, I’m sorry, man…I thought…I thought it would be good for him to talk to you about it,” Justin said gently. “I mean, with you being gay and all…”

“You thought you could hook us up?” JC finally turned around, his blue eyes like steel.

“Wait…you’re gay, too?”  Joey shook his head in confusion. “Are you guys TRYING to kill me?”  He slowly went back to his bunk again. Chris sighed and followed him, muttering something about drama queens.

“He’s been so sad, JC.  He’s just been miserable.  He’s gone out a few times, tried to hook up with people, but they’re not you.  So he has just tried to go on, just tried to be your friend. I don’t even think he knows you’re gay.”

“I think you should mind your own business, Justin.”  JC turned back to his window.

 

 

Lance did not leave his hotel room until it was time to go to sound check the next day.  He caught a cab before even the bodyguards could catch up with him, and by the time the others arrived, he was smiling and joking around with a few of the female fans. He bestowed hugs and smiles as if they were candy, and the others practically had to drag him up onstage to work.

“Are you SURE he’s gay?”  Joey whispered to Justin. He had apologized profusely to Lance for his asshole attitude, and Lance had gallantly accepted. Justin poked Joey.

“Yes. Don’t you see?  This is for JC’s benefit…to show that whatever JC might have said to him on the bus last night didn’t bother him.”  Justin discreetly pointed in JC’s direction.  JC’s intense blue eyes followed Lance’s every flirtatious move, and JC was frowning.

“Ah. The plot thickens.” Chris rubbed his hands together eagerly.  “JC is finally noticing Lance.”

“I’m so lost,” Joey moaned, holding his head in his hands. Chris took pity on him.

“Joe, Lance has been in love with JC for over a year now.  He’s been going crazy wanting him, but refused to do anything about it because he thinks JC is straight and that he’ll freak.  JC is so buried in his music that he barely knows we all exist except for when we’re in the studio or onstage.  Now he’s finally looking at Lance and SEEING him.”

“And I know for a fact that JC has NOT been in a relationship for a while now. He and Lance are perfect for each other,” Justin added.

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” Joey moaned, but he didn’t run away this time.

 

“Are we done yet? Are we done yet?  Are we done yet?”  Lance babbled as the crew fixed yet ANOTHER microphone problem.

“God, that’s annoying,” Chris remarked.  Four pair of eyes turned on him.  “What?”

“Got a hot date tonight, Sir Lancelot?” Justin asked.  Lance blushed and glanced at JC.

“Yes, as a matter of fact.  It’s called a show. You know…ya get up onstage…sing some…shake your booty…”

“And you have a lot of booty to shake there, Lance,” Joey pointed out.  Lance blushed even redder.  JC punched Joey in the arm…hard.

“You have absolutely no room to talk, Lardass.  Lance looks just fine.”  JC stalked over to the piano.  Lance glared at Joey, who quickly went over to apologize yet again.  Justin and Chris gave each other incredulous grins.  JC WAS starting to notice Lance.

 

“So…doing anything after the show tonight?” JC said to Lance as their makeup was applied.  Lance was shocked.  JC had virtually ignored him all day.

“Um…no…sleeping.  Not in the mood to go clubbing. You?”

“Well, sleeping eventually. Want to get something to eat?”

“Sure,” Lance said, surprised. 

“Come to my room after you’re cleaned up.” JC got out of his chair and went to stretch.

 

 

It was all Lance could do to calmly get out of the bus, wave to fans, and then make his way up to his room. He showered in record time, then stood in front of his closet.  He frowned.  It wouldn’t look good if he made it seem like he had spent a lot of time deciding what to wear; he didn’t want to look like an overanxious idiot.  It was useless anyway; JC was probably just planning on reaming Lance out for being a perverted fairy or something, and then he’d shove Lance out the door so he could call Bobbie.  Lance shivered. Bobbie. She was nice enough, but she always looked at Lance like he had crawled out from under a rock, like she KNEW.

Lance pulled a shirt out of the closet.  Nope. Too casual. He wanted to at least look decent. Wait…where was that shirt…the green one.  Lance pulled out the green silk shirt and smiled at it. JC had said once that this color looked excellent on Lance, and it WAS one of Lance’s favorite shirts. It was silk, but it didn’t look TOO dressy. Lance dug through his suitcase for a pair of black jeans.  He got his hair spiked just right and nervously let himself out of his room.

He ran smack into Joey in the hallway.  “I thought you weren’t going out with us.”

“I’m not.”

“Then why do you look so nice?” 

“Because Lance always looks nice, unlike you, ya slob,” Justin said, giving Lance a friendly wink as he walked up behind Joey.  “Lance is staying in to keep Sleepyhead company.”

“So he knows that…” Joey began. Justin slapped a hand over Joey’s mouth.

“C’mon, Joe. Let’s go wait for Chris.  Bye, Lance.”  Justin dragged Joey down the hall to the elevators.

Lance watched them walk away, confused.  What was he supposed to know about JC?  He sighed and knocked on JC’s door, nervously playing with a button on his shirt.  “Hey,” JC said.  Lance jumped and tried not to notice that JC wore only sweatpants.

“Hey.”  JC moved aside and Lance walked in. JC’s room was impeccably neat, as usual. 

“God, you could eat off the floor in here or something,” Lance said with a smile.

“Ha ha.  I thought we could eat in here, actually, if you don’t mind,” JC said.  Lance nodded and sat on the sofa.  JC tossed him the room service menu.  “I’m gonna finish cleaning up.  I had to take a call and I haven’t even made it into the shower yet.”  JC headed into the bathroom.  “Get me a burger and fries.”

Lance called in the room service order and looked around the room.  He idly wondered if Bobbie was the call JC “had” to take.  He heard the water start to run in the bathroom, and he sighed as he sat back down on his chair.  He noticed a notebook on the coffee table, and he slowly began to flip through it.  He realized quickly that it was JC’s lyric notebook and he shut it quickly. He wasn’t one to pry.  One lyric caught his eye, however, and he opened the book again. “I wonder what it will take to make you see, what’s inside of you is mirrored in me…” Lance read aloud. He shivered for some reason.  He scanned down a few lines.  “The love inside that’s hidden from view…not only from them but also from you…you don’t see the pain you don’t feel the ache…what’s burning inside me would make your heart break…”  Lance’s heart went out to JC. These were very personal lyrics and very sad.  He made himself close the book and place it where he had found it. 

By the time JC reappeared in a pair of jeans, their dinners had arrived. They arranged everything on the floor of the living room and ate hungrily. “You know…I don’t know how you and Justin stay so thin,” Lance observed.  “With all the crap that we eat.  Why can’t you be big and fat like me and Joey and Chris?”

“You’re not big and fat, Lance,” JC said. “You’re just perfect.”

Lance blushed around his cheeseburger.  “Thank you,” he mumbled with his mouth full. They chatted about other things as they finished their dinner.  Lance gathered the empty plates and put them in the hallway outside the door. When he came back in, JC was stretched out on the sofa, head on one hand.  “So…do you want to go to bed?” Lance realized how the words sounded and blushed furiously. JC laughed out loud. “I mean…are you tired?  Should I leave?”

JC slowly sat up, his movements graceful and catlike as always.  “I don’t want you to leave, Lance.  Sit down…please.”  Lance sat on a chair near the sofa.  He fidgeted under JC’s intense gaze.  “I’m sorry that I was so wrapped up in the music…that I didn’t notice.”

“Oh,” Lance said softly. “I’m sorry, too.”

“For what?”

“For loving you,” Lance said. “It will only make things harder, and Bobbie already hates me, and…”

“Bobbie…what does she have to do with this?”

“She doesn’t like me…she glares at me whenever I’m near you…it’s like she knows or something.  And I can imagine how she must feel…hello, her boyfriend is one of the hottest men in the country, not to mention one of the straightest, and here’s some gay freak wanting him for himself.”

JC moved to the end of the sofa and placed a hand on Lance’s knee. “Number one…I’m not her boyfriend. I never have been. We’re friends.  She’s agreed to say she is dating me just out of the kindness of her heart. Number two, I’m not all that hot.  Number three, I’m not straight.  Number four, you’re not a freak, Lance.”  JC sat back and waited for Lance to digest this information.  Lance slowly got to his feet.

“You’re not dating her?”

“Nope.  Not dating anyone, actually. Not for a while.  Had my eye on someone…but I haven’t been sure how to make my move.”  JC’s eyes focused hard on Lance. 

“I’m not a freak?”

“Hell, no.”  JC whispered.  “Would I waste my time with a freak?”

“You’re not mad at me?” Lance whispered as well.  JC shook his head.

“Just mad that you never said anything sooner, Lance. Why didn’t you?”

“Because I…you’re gay?”  JC nodded.  “The lyrics,” Lance realized, then placed a hand over his mouth.

“What lyrics?”

“I…um…I was flipping through that book before I knew it was your lyric book and I read something. I’m sorry,” Lance apologized. JC shrugged. 

“Which one?”

“The love inside that’s hidden from view…” Lance recited. JC smiled.

“Oh yes…yeah, that’s a “please pull me out of the closet” song if I ever heard one,” JC said with a grin. “I was having a bad night that night.”

“I’m sorry,” Lance said.  “I know what it’s like.”

“I wish you would have said something, Lance,” JC replied.  “Then I wouldn’t have had to have bad nights, wishing that the one person I wanted would notice me and want me as much as I wanted him.”

 

 

“What?”  Lance whispered.

“You heard me. I’ve liked you for so long…but I never knew.  Never thought you wanted me, too.”  JC’s blue eyes were huge.  Lance swallowed deeply.

“But you’re…you…Bobbie…”

JC sighed patiently. “Lance, I AM gay.  Lance, Bobbie and I are just friends. I love her but not like that.  Lance, I love YOU.”

“You love me,” Lance whispered.

“Yes.  I love you, and now I’m gonna kiss the lips I fall asleep dreaming about.”  JC possessed Lance’s mouth with his own so fast that Lance hardly had time to kiss him back. Lance moaned, his hands moving up to slide through JC’s hair.  JC grabbed Lance by the backside, pulling him tight against him. Their bodies moved against each other, grinding and sliding seductively.  JC was the first to pull away, and he carefully studied Lance’s green eyes.  He found the answer he sought, and he took Lance by the hand and led him to the bedroom.  Lance closed the door and JC understood. Time to shut the world out and make up for lost time.

Mouths met and tongues explored.  Eager hands made short work of clothing until the two men fell onto the bed, bare skin against bare skin.  “JC…I…” Lance tried to speak, but could only gasp as JC’s red lips sucked at a nipple.  “I…don’t want you to think…that…”

JC stopped what he was doing and came up to look at Lance.  “You don’t want me to think that you only want me for the sex, right, Lance?”  Lance nodded and blushed.  “I know that, Lance.” JC rubbed a finger across Lance’s kiss-swollen lips.  “But that’s all I want you for.”  JC could barely keep a straight face at the shock that registered in Lance’s green eyes.  He laughed out loud. “Kidding kidding kidding.  I want you for sex…I want you for love…I want you for crying and touching and laughing and hugging and celebrating.  I want you.”

“I want you,” Lance repeated, and the sound of his low voice made JC harder then he thought possibly.

“Say it again,” JC whispered, sliding back down Lance’s body.  His long fingers went first, gliding across Lance’s stomach to his hard cock.

“Oh, JC, I want you so bad…” Lance hissed, arching up at JC’s touch.  JC’s mouth was warm, JC’s mouth was wet, and soon JC’s mouth was all Lance could think of.  JC moved back up to kiss Lance, letting his tongue lick along Lance’s lips.

“What do you want, Lance?”

“Hmmm?”  Lance groaned, stroking JC’s hardness.

“OHHHHHHHHHH God you need to stop that…” JC panted.  Lance smiled and continued to stroke.  “I meant…what do you want…what do you like…which do you like better…” JC gritted his teeth as Lance spread the precum down his cock.  “And if you don’t stop that, you’re not getting a choice.”

“Are you asking me if I want to fuck you or be fucked by you, Joshua?” Lance asked, all innocent green eyes.  JC almost fell off the bed.

“Say that word again.”

“What word?  Fuck?”  Lance swore later that he saw a shiver actually ripple through JC’s skin.  “That word?  You like when I say fuck?”

“Oh, Lance…” JC moaned, falling onto his back and closing his eyes.  Lance draped himself over JC, discreetly spitting onto his hand.  He slid fingers down JC’s cock, over his balls, and finally down below.

“You like when I say that?  Like when I say I wanna fuck you so hard…” Lance slid first one finger in, then another.

“Lance…don’t…oh God…don’t stop…” JC writhed and arched beneath him.

“So hard…I want you to scream…I wanna be inside you so bad…JC…”

JC knew it HAD to be illegal to talk porn in that voice.  It HAD to be.  But thoughts were lost forever as Lance slowly slid himself inside.  “Lance…ohfuckingGod…” JC almost screamed.

“JC…am I hurting you?” Lance asked anxiously.

“No…no DON’T stop…” He grabbed Lance’s hips and pulled him closer.  Lance closed his eyes and tried not to lose control.  JC was so tight…JC’s slender legs wrapped around him…urging him harder…faster…

“Lance…oh yes…Lance…” Lance looked down in shock as JC came without being touched. His prostate was that sensitive.  Just the thought alone caused Lance to shout JC’s name as he came, thrusting deep inside.

Once the world stopped swirling, Lance slowly moved out and lay down next to JC.  His green eyes fluttered open and he looked at the man next to him. JC was still, his eyes closed.  “I…um…should have used something…” Lance said finally. “I even have them in my wallet…”

“It’s okay.”  JC opened his eyes and smiled.  “I don’t think I’ll get pregnant.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Lance said. “I mean, I’ve been tested and all but I worry anyway and…”

“It’s okay, Lance,” JC said reassuringly. “It’s okay.”  JC cupped Lance’s chin in his hand and gently kissed him.

 

“I hate busses.  Hate mornings.  Hate mornings on busses,” Joey grumbled as he picked up his duffel and almost collided with Chris as the elevator landed on the first floor.

“They hate you too, I’m sure,” Chris replied cheerfully.  “God…I hope we don’t have to sit around waiting on JC again.”

“Is our TV fixed?”  Justin asked a bodyguard, who shook his head.

“Dammit,” Joey grumbled.  “Can’t you guys just go without?”  Chris and Justin stopped walking, turned around, and stared at him.  “Guess not.”

“I’ll give you a nice massage,” Chris promised, and Joey brightened slightly. Chris gave good massages.

“Well, we’ll give JC ten minutes and then…” Justin froze on the steps of the bus and Chris ran into him.

“What the hell, J?”

“Nothing…nothing at all…” Justin slowly walked onto the bus.  Chris froze on the steps.

“Chris, move your big ass.”  Joey shoved him slightly and Chris continued walking. Joey froze on the steps.  “What are you doing here?”

“Um, I live on this bus?” Lance said, shoveling a spoonful of Lucky Charms into his mouth.

“Not you…the pod person that looks like JC.”

“Our TV is broken,” JC said, stealing some of the marshmallows from Lance’s cereal.  “Oh…cool…the lucky clover.”

“That’s a star.”

“It is not!”  JC snapped at Lance. “It’s a clover.  THAT is a star.”

“That’s a horseshoe.”

“The fuck it is!”  JC exclaimed.  “It’s a fucking star!”

“THIS is a fucking star, JC.”  Lance spooned up a marshmallow and JC swallowed deeply.  Lance smiled innocently, but malice glimmered in his eyes.  He had used the “F” word.

“Fine…it is then.”  JC wandered back to the bunk area.  Lance smiled sweetly at the others, then slowly followed JC.

Joey glared at Justin and Chris.  “You started this. This is ALL your fault.”

 

“I’m Joey,” Lance said with a sigh.

“Chris,” Justin said.

“JC,” Chris stated.

“Justin,” Joey said, and groaned.

“Cool…I must be Lance, then.”  JC smiled at Lance as he grabbed the last piece of paper.

“I’ll ask first.”  Joey flipped open a piece of paper.  “No.  I’m not asking this.”

Chris grabbed it and smiled.  “JC as Lance…favorite sexual position…”

“Missionary, of course,” JC replied, smiling at Lance, who was blushing furiously.

“I’m JC…so I bet I like it doggie style?”  Chris asked, glancing at Lance, who blushed darker.

“I like too many to chose from,” Lance said as Joey, trying to stop blushing.

“I like any position where I can look at myself in the mirror,” Joey said haughtily as Justin. 

“I’m not as vain as you guys think I am!”  Justin protested. “And me as Chris says that I’m so happy to actually get sex that I don’t care HOW I get it.”  Chris punched Justin, hard.

“Favorite sound,” JC read.  “Lance as Joey?”

“Food sizzling on a grill.”

“Chris as me?”

“Um…” Chris thought hard.  “Lance’s voice saying anything.”

“Especially fuck,” Lance volunteered, and JC shivered.  Lance grinned. Too easy.

“Okay, that was TMI.  Justin as Chris?”

“Those damn noisy dogs barking.”

“They’re not noisy!”

“Joey as Justin?”

“My own voice.”  Joey ducked as Justin pummeled him with pillows.

“And?” Lance asked JC softly.  JC smiled a smile just for him.

“Hearing the man I love say I love you in return,” JC answered softly, kissing Lance’s nose.

The End

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