Eleven 

“You're really nervous about this, aren't you?” Lance asked Josh, smiling at him as they walked up the sidewalk to Scott's house.

“Well, we've always hung with MY friends, and I guess I'm a bit shy around new people,” Josh confessed.

Lance stopped walking. “Joshua Scott Chasez, stop it. You are wonderful, and if these people give you any crap, we are turning around and walking out the door.”

“I guess I'm always afraid you'll find someone at school that you have more in common with than me,” Josh finally said. “I'm always afraid that while I'm at work, you'll hook up with someone else.”

Lance was grateful for the darkness of night, because he felt his face turn red. “I promise you, Josh, that I am NOT hooking up with someone at school,” Lance said truthfully. “Okay.”

“Yes,” Josh said.

“Love you.” Lance gave him a quick kiss as he rang the doorbell.

“Lance!” Scott yelled. He opened the door and gave Lance a hug. “You must be the Josh we hear ALL about. Great to finally meet you.”

“Thanks,” Josh said, blushing slightly. He clung to Lance's hand as they came into the house.

“Pick up a beer or something in the kitchen. Everyone's downstairs in the rec room,” Scott said.

Scott's boyfriend, Evan, was in the kitchen filling up a cooler. “Hey, Lance,” Evan said. Lance didn't know Evan very well; he had play practice or some other acting activity during most of their meetings.

“Evan, this is Josh.”

“Hi,” Evan said, reaching out a hand. “You should be onstage. Look at those cheekbones!”

Josh shook the hand and blushed again. “I'm…I'm not an actor.”

“You SHOULD be,” Evan told him.

“C'mon. Let's find everyone else.” Lance pulled Josh out of the kitchen. “Evan loves acting. He LIVES acting. He's a little over the top.”

“He can't be as bad as Justin,” Josh said.

“True,” Lance admitted.

Lance was greeted by many hellos as they came down the steps. He introduced Josh around. A young woman named Hilary grabbed both Josh and Lance and pulled them aside. “Lance, fair warning,” she said, throwing her jet black hair over her shoulder. “Louis is here.”

“Oh,” Lance said, then groaned.

“Who's Louis?” Josh asked. Hilary linked her arm through Josh's and smiled up at him.

“Well, you could say that your Sir Lancelot has a fan club.”

“Oh, really?” Josh asked. He couldn't help but be amused at the way Lance turned red, and he liked this Hilary.

“Yes. It only has one member, a guy named Louis. He works for the college radio station, and he never poked his head out of the office until one day someone introduced him to Lance. Now he's at all our meetings, hanging out wherever Lance is.”

“Oh, REALLY?” Josh repeated.

“Josh, I swear to GOD I don't encourage him. He's a nice guy and all, but he just…”

“He lurks,” Hilary said helpfully. “I mean, can you blame him? I dig girls, but your boy Lance is a cutie. And that sweet Southern charm…” Hilary pinched Lance's cheek. He moaned and Josh laughed.

“I'll defend your honor,” Josh promised.

“We all take turns defending it, because Lance is too nice to tell the guy to back off,” Hilary said. “You shoulda lied when he asked if you were coming tonight.”

“I know,” Lance said, sighing.

“Well, we'll just have to stay attached at the hip tonight,” Josh said, putting an arm around Lance's waist.

“No problem,” Lance replied, giving Josh a kiss.

“Too cute for words,” Hilary declared. 

Lance and Josh were snuggled on a corner of one of the sofas, talking to another couple, when Lance suddenly gasped and buried his head in Josh's neck. The other couple began to laugh. The more flamboyant of the two, a black man named Christian, gave Josh a smile.

“Better get ready to defend your boy, honey. His little shadow just got here.”

“Christian, be nice,” his boyfriend Al replied. “It's not Lance's fault he's got it.”

“Whatever it is, I'll give it back,” Lance moaned.

Josh looked towards the stairs. A tall brunette lingered in the doorway, his brown eyes searching the crowd. They lit up as he caught sight of Lance. “Leave this to me,” Josh said, standing up so fast Lance almost fell off the sofa. “Hi. You must be Louis.”

“Uh, yes,” Louis said, coming over to shake Josh's hand. “Do I know you?”

“No, but I've heard so much about you. I'm Lance's boyfriend.”

“You're…oh,” Louis said, blushing slightly. Lance looked as if he wanted to crawl under the cushions of the sofa.

“Hi, Louis,” Lance said gently.

“Hi, Lance.” Louis looked at his feet. “I guess…I guess I'll get something to drink.”

“Come back, then,” Josh said. “I'm trying to get to know all of Lance's friends.”

“Um, okay.” Louis darted back into the crowd. Josh sat back down.

“Did you not tell him you had someone?”

“I tried,” Lance promised. “But he kept interrupting me.”

“I'll have to keep a closer eye on you,” Josh said, pulling Lance's legs up over his lap. “I didn't know you were such a mankiller.”

“Neither did I,” Lance sighed. “But don't worry. I don't look at any man but you.” 

“Okay, Princess.” Chris picked Melody up and Justin took her plastic pumpkin. “That's enough for you.”

“But Daddy!” Melody began to wail.

“Melody, I said that's enough,” Chris said in a stern voice. Melody toned down to a loud indignant sniffle as they walked back to the apartment.

“Little girl, you cleaned UP!” Justin said. “I never got this much candy.”

“I like candy,” Melody stated. “Don't eat any of my candy!”

“I won't,” Justin promised. “I'm just carrying it.”

When they got to Chris' apartment, he allowed her to pick out three pieces to eat before they got her ready for bed. Justin supervised her choice as he looked through the candy to make sure everything was okay. “Stickers? Someone gave her stickers? And a granola bar? How cheap is that?”

“Some people think that kids shouldn't get all this sugar for Halloween,” Chris said.

“What's WRONG with those people?” Justin asked. He slid the granola bar out to throw away later, but left the stickers. He knew she'd enjoy them. “Okay, Princess…let's take off that costume and get you into your jammies. Uncle Joey will be here soon, and Daddy and I have to get ready for our party.”

“Uncle Joey!” Melody yelled, tearing off to the bedroom with a piece of candy in each hand.

“Lucky Uncle Joey gets a kid on a sugar high,” Chris grinned.

They finally got Melody into her pajamas and were halfway dressed themselves when Joey knocked at the door. “No way,” Joey said with a grin when Justin answered the door. “Dude, you look good.”

“I know.” Justin kicked his long skirt out of the way and went towards the bathroom. “I just gotta get my makeup done.”

“I don't believe this,” Chris grumbled, almost falling as he came in from the bedroom. “How the hell did I let him talk me into this?” He and Justin both wore long velvet gowns, but while Justin looked slim and attractive in his, Chris looked short and uncomfortable. Joey laughed so hard that he almost fell over.

“Uncle Joey!” Melody yelled, running in from the bedroom. “Isn't Daddy bootiful?”

“Yeah, he sure is,” Joey said, laughing again.

“Shut up, Joey,” Chris snapped.

“Chris, c'mere and lemme put some of this on you.”

“I am NOT wearing makeup!” Chris yelled back. “Get your butt in gear and let's go.”

“Fine,” Justin grumbled, adjusting his wig. He walked over to Chris and tugged a long black wig onto Chris' head. “Good enough, I guess.”

“It'll have to be,” Chris said. He picked Melody up and kissed her. “Be good for Joey, okay?”

“Okay,” she said obediently. Justin gave her a kiss, and the two princesses swept out the door, leaving Joey laughing in their wake.

Twelve