Twelve
A
pale and weary JC Chasez walked out of the tunnel and into the airport. Justin
couldn't be there to meet him at the gate, but JC knew he'd find him down at
the luggage terminal.
“Jayce.”
JC felt long arms go around him and he inhaled the familiar smell of Justin's
shampoo. The load seemed to fall off of him as he allowed himself to be
embraced. He shuddered as he felt himself on the brink of sobbing. “Don't,
babe. Not here. Let's get out into a cab.” Justin led JC outside, shouldering
the large duffel bag. He had not yet felt brave enough to go for his driver's
license, even though Joey had an car. Justin hailed a taxi and shoved JC into
the backseat. Justin gave the driver the address to his apartment before
turning to JC. “Do you want to talk now or wait until…”
“Wait,
please,” JC whispered. “I don't care what Joey knows.” He knew that was why
Justin had asked. He simply slid his thin fingers into Justin's warm hand and
let his head fall back against the seat.
Justin
paid the driver and half-pushed JC up the steps to the apartment. Though Joey
was home, the door was locked. Justin unlocked it and JC went in ahead of him.
“Just drop your stuff here,” Justin instructed, and JC let his bag of art
supplies carefully fall to the floor.
“Hey,
C,” Joey said with a warm smile. “I made some apple dumplings…you want one?”
JC's
stomach actually rumbled. Joey knew that his apple dumplings were one of JC's
favorite foods on the planet. “I, uh, could maybe eat one,” JC said finally.
“Great.
They're just out of the oven,” Joey said, hurrying back into the kitchen. JC
sat down at the table with Justin by his side. Joey poured milk over a hot
dumpling, then brought the bowl to JC.
JC
took a bit, blowing on the spoon before sliding it into his mouth. “Perfect, as
usual,” he said. Joey nodded in thanks.
“So…do
you want to stay here for a few days?” Jusitn asked. “The guest room is yours,
you know that.”
“I
don't know,” JC said. “I don't want to impose.”
Joey
and Justin exchanged glances over JC's head. “You know you're welcome as long
as you need to stay here,” Joey said gently. Justin rubbed JC's back.
“You
know he'll probably look for you here, right?” Justin said softly. JC nodded
and looked down at the bowl. Suddenly the few bites he had taken threatened to
come back up.
“I
have to…” JC shoved his chair back and ran for the bathroom.
Joey
sighed as they heard the bathroom door close. “This must've been something,” he
said. Justin nodded unhappily.
He
waited about fifteen minutes, then went to knock on the bathroom door. “Jayce?
There are clean towels in the closet by the window. Why don't you take a long
hot bath while I get the bedroom ready for you, okay?”
“Thanks,” came the muffled reply.
Justin
went through JC's duffel and pulled out sweats and a tshirt. He snuck into the
bathroom and put them on the hook on the bathroom door. About an hour later, JC
came out of the bathroom, looking clean but not any happier. Joey and Justin
were on the living room sofa watching television.
“Sorry,”
JC said sheepishly. “I just suddenly felt sick.”
“It's
okay,” Joey said. He stood. “Well, I have some phone calls to make. Glad to
have you back, JC.” Joey disappeared into the bedroom.
“Sit.”
Justin turned off the TV and patted the sofa next to him. “Feel any better?”
“A
little,” JC said, playing with the afghan that hung over the back of the sofa.
He looked up at Justin. “I don't want to talk about it.”
“Then
don't,” Justin said simply. He moved slightly and suddenly JC found himself
enveloped in Justin's warm embrace. The afghan was pulled over him, and he
snuggled against Justin's chest. Justin brought a hand up to wander through
JC's damp wavy hair, and they sat silently that way for almost an hour.
“He's
back with AJ,” JC said suddenly from his warm cocoon.
“Hmm?”
Justin said almost absent-mindedly.
“Lance.
He's with AJ. Probably has been all this time,” JC said. “We were at a club, I
got drinks, and when I came back they were all cozy against a wall.”
“Are
you sure?”
“AJ
was whispering sweet nothings and Lance was practically giggling like a
schoolgirl,” JC snapped.
“Sorry.
Of course you're sure,” Justin said.
“No,
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to react like that,” JC said. He sighed. “I was just a
damn fool, J. I shoulda known someone like him would never settle for someone
like me.”
“You're
not settling, Joshua Chasez. Not for anyone. If anything, HE was too low for
YOU,” Justin said almost angrily. “Baby, he's an asshole. I don't want to
believe it, because I really like Lance. But if you truly believe that he was
playing you that way…then I can only believe it, too.”
“Why
are you like this?” JC said, the tears beginning to fall. “Why do you take care
of me like this?”
“Because
I love you,” Justin said simply. “I always have. It's different now…I mean, in
a few weeks I'm marrying Joey, but I still love you. You looked after me all
those years when I couldn't see. I owe you.”
“I
love you, Justin,” JC said, crying on his friend's chest.
