Forever Young: Girlfriend
by Karen and LB
© 2002
Number 25 in the series
After summoning Lance to his office, Lou makes sure the boy waits for a long
time. When he finally has Lance sent in, he glares distastefully across his
desk. "Sit down, son," He growls, managing to make the last word sound
like an obscenity. "How are things going?"
Lance ignores the tone in Lou's voice, remembering instead everything his parents taught him about respecting his elders. "Everything's going fine, Lou. What's up?"
"We had a talk a couple of months ago. Do you remember?"
Lance fidgets in the chair. "Um, yeah. I remember. What about it?"
"Have you done what we discussed?"
The girlfriend. There it was. The thing Lance dreaded most. Everything else was going so well--the album, his relationship with JC, his friendship with the guys was stronger than ever, and now Lou has to bring this up again. Lance had been hoping Lou would forget, but Lou never forgets. Not when it involves his investments. "Um, I'm working on it."
"It's a little late for that. I told you to take care of this or I will. And I have. You'll be meeting her in a few days."
Lance almost flies out of the chair. "WHAT? You're setting me up on a blind date?"
"Not exactly. You're doing the TGIF thing. She'll be there."
"Who is it?"
"Danielle Fishel. She's on Boy Meets World. Lovely girl."
"Oh. Yeah." Lance had met her once or twice at parties but had never really talked to her. She seemed okay, but he never thought of her as girlfriend material. Maybe because he wasn't interested in girls. He almost laughs out loud but catches himself in time. Still, if he was going to date anyone, she seemed as likely a prospect as anyone. And he's sure JC will understand. At least he thinks JC will understand. All these thoughts pass through his mind in the seconds since he last spoke. "So I guess we're done here?"
"I want you to be seen with her, understand? I don't care about anything else. You like her, you don't like her. You really date her, you don't really date her. You need this for your image. And so does she."
Lance still didn't understand what's wrong with his image. Fans are buying the record. That's all that matters. And most of them are too busy swooning over Justin to notice him anyway, which is fine with him. But he isn't going to argue with Lou. Not now, anyway. If this is what he has to do, he'll do it if it helps the group. But he's NOT going to let it jeopardize his relationship with JC. And he certainly hopes Danielle doesn't get hurt in the process. One way or another, despite what Lou wants, Lance will see to that. "Whatever. Can I go now?"
Lou gives Lance a long, measuring look. "Yes. Go ahead. And don't screw this up."
Screw this, Lance wants to say, but doesn't. There's only one thing he'd like to screw right now.
*****
On the drive to the rehearsal space, Lance plans what to say to JC. His biggest fear is that JC will misunderstand and will think Lance is serious about dating Danielle. So he wants that on the table right from the start. He stops at a coffee place on the way and gets JC's favorite kind, then pulls into the parking lot with plenty of time to spare. JC is already warming up, so Lance puts the coffee down and tosses his bag on the floor.
JC looks up when he hears the thump of Lance's bag hitting the ground. His face lights up. "Hey, baby."
"Hey." They're alone for now, so Lance uses the opportunity to sneak in a quick hug and kiss. "I brought you coffee."
"Thanks," JC says, hugging back. "You knew I'd get up too late to stop, huh? So, what did Lou want?"
"It's stupid. Nothing, really. I have to date Danielle Fishel."
"He set you up with someone? He's such a creep."
"I guess if he waited for me to do it, it would never happen. He's right about that. But at least she seems nice. And once we're seen in public together that takes the pressure off of us to have to sneak around all the time. If people think I'm going out with Danielle, there's no way they'll think I'm gay so we can hang together without anyone thinking there's more to it."
"That's why you got good grades," JC says, but his smile is a little sad.
Lance lifts JC's chin with his index finger. "Hey, it'll be okay. I promise. Nothing's gonna change between us."
"I know. I KNOW. I just hate that he can do this to you--to us."
"I'm not crazy about it either, but he's our manager and he has to make decisions that are best for everyone. We might not like them, but it's part of the business. Besides, it's not like I have to, like, sleep with her or anything. How would THAT look?"
"Don't even say it."
"It's not gonna happen."
"I trust you completely. You know that, right?"
"I hope so. Because JC, we're gonna have to deal with stuff like this all the time from now on. We HAVE to trust each other."
"I know it's necessary. That doesn't mean it doesn't suck."
"I promise, after I see her I'll come see you right away."
In response, JC simply hugs Lance, holding him very tightly until they hear voices outside the door.
During rehearsal, Lance is completely focused on the task at hand, secure in knowing that he and JC have talked things out before the fun begins. And it begins sooner than he anticipated. The next day, the boys are invited to meet some of the cast members of the TGIF shows, and Danielle is one of them. And so it begins, thinks Lance, as he approaches Danielle shyly. Danielle smiles flirtatiously when Lance approaches and greets him enthusiastically. She's cute, he thinks, and after talking for a few minutes he finds they actually have some things in common. He wonders how much she knows about this arrangement. Soon, they're seated on a couch with plates of food in their laps, talking about the music business and acting.
Danielle looks around and sees there's no one within listening distance. She drops her voice anyway. "Look, I don't know why they're making YOU do this, but this, well, sucks. You seem really nice and all, but I'd rather find my own boyfriend, you know?"
Lance smiles, glancing across the room. "I know. And I'm sorry they're making you do this. It's just for publicity. I promise I won't cramp your style."
"The whole THING is about cramping my style. Apparently I'm 'too sexy' for a family show. They think me having a steady boyfriend will make my image more wholesome."
"They obviously don't know teens very well."
"I guess." Danielle rolls her eyes expressively. "Well, since we gotta do this, we might as well make the best of it. If I have to have a fake boyfriend, at least you're, you know, okay."
Across the room, JC watches. Even he has to admit that the two make a pretty cute couple. He quickly pushes that thought from his mind and looks away, knowing watching is just going to make it worse.
During the photo session, Lance makes an effort to stand close to Danielle and put his arms around her. Since they're not officially dating yet, he doesn't want it to seem too forced, so he thinks of this as an acting exercise. After all, acting is something he's always wanted to try so this can be practice. Like a test. If he can convince the world he and Danielle are a couple, there's nothing he can't do.
JC stays as far away as possible. He knows it's all an act, but he still can't look at it. Lance is so convincing.
It's after one when they finally get back to the hotel. As usual, Lance grabs a change of clothes and sneaks over to JC's room, where he knocks softly on the door. "JC, it's me."
JC pulls himself off the bed, feeling much older than his 22 years. He moves slowly to the door and opens it, smiling for the first time in hours when he see Lance. "Hey, babe," he says softly, stepping back to admit Lance.
Lance kisses JC before he's past the doorway. "Wanna watch a movie?"
"Yeah, sure. I'll see what's on." JC reaches for the remote and sits heavily on the bed.
Lance kicks off his shoes and sits beside JC. "You okay?"
"Yeah. It's just...it's just harder than I thought it was going to be. I'm sorry."
"You mean this thing with Danielle? You know it's not real. You KNOW it. No matter how it's gonna look."
"Yes. I DO know it. And I'm sorry. I know you don't need this from me."
"It's okay." Lance rubs JC's back, a slow, lazy circle. "You're kind of sexy when you're jealous."
"You're completely adorable when you're comforting."
"I am?" Pushing gently on JC's shoulders, Lance coaxes JC onto his stomach and straddles his back. He begins to rub JC's tense shoulders, applying just the right amount of pressure.
"Mmmm. That feels good." JC sighs. "How is she . . . about all this?"
"She's cool about it. She was pushed into it too, so it's not like she wants this either. But she's nice." He grows quiet, kneading the knots from JC's tired muscles. "Is it going to bother you hearing about it?"
"I think...it would be worse to treat it like it's some secret."
"I have no secrets. In fact, if it starts to bother you, you know what I'm gonna do?"
JC tries to look over his shoulder. "What?"
"This." And without warning, Lance proceeds to tickle JC mercilessly.
"Hey!," JC giggles, struggling. The way Lance is straddling him, he's helpless.
JC's girlish laughter only eggs Lance on. He holds JC firmly between his legs as he commands, "So no jealousy, understood?"
"It's not that I'm jealous," JC says, still breathless from his laughter. "It's just . . . I wish it could be us. "
"It's us right now."
"No matter what the world sees."
For the next few days, the world saw five guys enjoying their new- found fame and one rising TV actress. They played it slow at first-- Lance calling her and hanging out at a club, visiting the set of her show when he wasn't rehearsing for the TGIF special. She came to watch them rehearse, they had pictures taken, and all seemed to be going as planned. Still, Lance felt guilty whenever he'd see JC watching them, and every time he held Danielle's hand he felt it should be JC's. It was hard keeping a balance, but Lance would do what he needed to do for the benefit of the band.
JC tries his hardest not to let his sadness show. He hates that Lou has this kind of control over them. And worse, the other guys don't see it as much of a problem, so he has no one to talk to about it. He stops going to clubs at night, preferring to stay in and avoid seeing anything painful.
JC's absence does not go unnoticed. One night, Lance decides enough is enough--he's going to spend time with his boyfriend. So he drags Joey to the video store and picks up a bunch of JC's favorite movies and then stops off at a Chinese take-out and heads back to the hotel. When Lonnie offers to carry some of the bags, Lance politely refuses, wanting to bring everything to JC by himself. "Special delivery," he announces from behind the door.
JC turns off the TV he's been staring at sightlessly and moves slowly to the door. He opens it and blinks in surprise at Lance. "What are you doing here? I thought you had to go out."
"I don't have to do anything I don't want to do. And right now, what I want to do is watch movies with you and eat Chinese food."
JC considers. "Did you bring lo mein?"
"Would I forget the lo mein?"
"I knew I could depend on you." JC lets Lance and his bags into the room.
Lance spreads the food out on the bed. "Besides, we can't let your scoring the single room go to waste."
"So you think you can just ply me with orange chicken and have your way with me?"
"I could have my way with you even without the orange chicken. But just to be safe, I brought those string beans you like, too."
"You're so devious. The old string bean seduction."
"It's an ancient Chinese secret." Lance opens up the container, extracts one very long bean and takes a bite.
"You really think that's gonna work?" JC asks, leaning over to steal the other end of the bean with his teeth.
"Mmm hmmm," Lance murmurs, meeting JC halfway.
JC lets his lips linger on Lance's for a moment, then pulls back and reaches for the lo mein.
"Told you it would work." Lance grins as he grabs the moo shu pork.
"Hey, I'm just eatin' dinner here. Not being seduced."
"Whatever you say," Lance singsongs. He puts down his chopsticks and sticks his fingers in the container in his hands. Then he brings one sauce-covered finger to his lips, his tongue flicking out to lick off the sticky sauce. "Mmmmm."
JC studiously ignores Lance and digs into the chicken. "What movies did you get?"
"All your favorites." He picks up a large chunk of meat and plops it in his mouth, sucking loudly at his fingers.
JC sneaks a glance at Lance, who, although he doesn't realize it, is much closer to cute than seductive. "Thanks. I . . . I missed this."
Lance stops what he's doing and looks up. "I did too. I miss being with you."
"We've just gotta get good at making the most of the time we have."
Lance picks up the container of string beans again and sits next to JC. He holds up one succulent bean to JC's lips. JC opens his lips, letting Lance slip the bean between them. "This is the best meal I've had in ages."
"It's," Lance leans in for a kiss, tasting the spicy sauce on JC's tongue before pulling away, "delicious."
JC smiles as he notices a small drop of sauce decorating Lance's chin. He moves closer to kiss the spot away.
"I see why you like Chinese food so much. Here, try this." Lance reaches into one of the cartons and holds a piece of chicken, dripping with tangy sauce, between his fingers.
JC obediently opens his mouth, letting Lance feed him the chicken, then closing his lips over Lance's fingers.
Lance lets JC's tongue play over his fingers for a minute and then replaces them with his lips. Only this time he doesn't pull away. He intensifies the kiss, depositing the carton of food on the table and wrapping his arms around his boyfriend.
JC starts to draw Lance down onto the bed, stopping when he realizes that there are still cartons of food between them. Quickly he moves the food to the floor and pulls Lance close again.
There are no thoughts of Danielle or Lou or any of the responsibilities imposed on him of late. Right now, there's only JC, and when JC embraces him Lance surrenders completely.
JC kisses Lance again and again, covering every inch of his face. He rolls them over so Lance is lying completely on top of him and breaks the kiss, smiling up at the face he loves.
"You know what's great about Chinese food? It can sit there for a while and still taste good."
"Did you have something in mind?"
"Only if you're UP for it."
JC moves his hips against Lance's. "What do you think?"
"I think your pants are too tight. Why don't I just loosen them for you?" Lance slides his hand down JC's torso and reaches between JC's legs, giving the sizable bulge forming there a gentle squeeze before flicking open the button of his jeans. He slips his hand inside JC's shorts, freeing the trapped erection.
"That's much better," JC sighs, kissing Lance's throat. He lets a hand drift down Lance's back and squeezes his firm, round ass.
"And this shirt," Lance growls against JC's lips, lifting his shirt to reveal smooth skin marked only by the ridges of his muscles. "It's probably too hot. You should take it off."
"You think? But I might get cold."
"I'll just have to keep you warm." And Lance begins by kissing JC's chest. But he's soon drawn to one pink, erect nipple, which he takes in his mouth, warming the small, puckered peak.
JC twists his neck to look down at Lance, gazing at the curve of his cheek, the closed eyelids, the slowly working mouth.
Lance lingers, letting his tongue trace spirals around the nipple before moving on to the next. The Chinese food is all but forgotten with this tasty morsel in his mouth.
JC smooths Lance's hair back from his forehead, still enthralled by the sweet expression on his face and the sensations Lance's mouth sends through his body.
After what seems like minutes, Lance sits up, straddling JC's body, so he can remove the shirt that still seems to be in the way. He lifts JC's body and discards the shirt on the floor, but then pulls JC up into a sitting position and into a long, passionate kiss.
JC wraps himself around Lance as they practically dissolve into the kiss, into each other.
Lance kisses JC again and again, those full lips that keep him coming back for more.
JC loosens his grip on Lance enough to remove his shirt, then pulls him back into his arms, pressing their naked chests together.
A shiver runs up Lance's spine, not from cold but from the electrifying contact with his lover. His mouth moves across JC's cheek to his ear, where he whispers, breathless, "I want you."
JC pulls Lance closer still, so he can feel the heat build between their close pressed groins. "I'm yours. Always."
Lance doesn't consider the alternative. He just continues to kiss JC, first his earlobe, then down his neck. He squeezes one hand between their bodies, back to the burning bulge between JC's legs.
JC lies back down, looking up at Lance as Lance's caresses make him squirm and shiver.
While continuing to kiss JC, Lance lowers JC's pants and only sits up to remove them. He then strips off his own pants, never taking his eyes off JC.
JC runs a finger along Lance's now exposed thigh, watching Lance's expression go blank with desire as his hand nears Lance's erection.
Lance moistens his lips with anticipation, then puts his hand over JC's. "You do that, and, um, there won't be much left for anything else."
"I have faith in your . . . abilities." But JC drops his hand and lets his body go limp.
"You do, huh?" Lance asks as he searches the nightstand for some lubricant.
JC smiles lazily. "Always. And you've never let me . . . down."
Lance covers JC's pulsing erection with his hand while he flips open the cap on the lube. "That would be hard."
"It already is, baby. It already is."
"Roll over."
JC complies, moving as gracefully and sensually as a cat stretching.
Lance runs his fingers down the pronounced slope of JC's spine to the swell of his tight ass before rolling on top of the lean body stretched before him. He coats himself thoroughly with the lube before nudging apart JC's legs and covering JC's body with own. He kisses the back of JC's neck, breathing in his scent while pushing inside.
Pinned beneath Lance's sweet weight, JC can do little but relax and welcome Lance in. The contented sounds he makes tell Lance everything he needs to know. Lance moans in ecstasy as he wraps his arms around JC and rolls their bodies to the side so he can have better access to JC's hot erection.
JC turns his head over his shoulder, blindly seeking Lance's mouth.
Lance's mouth finds JC's, and the heat from JC's lips encourages Lance to press in further. His hand encircles JC's erection and begins to stroke its length, the organ so familiar and comfortable in his hand.
JC reaches back and clasps Lance's ass, pulling Lance more deeply into himself. His other hand grips Lance's head, buried in the soft hair as his mouth moves hungrily against Lance's.
Lance's chest slides against the sweat on JC's back. He pants softly when their lips part, whispering, "I've wanted this all week."
"I'm right here for you. Whenever you can get away. For you."
Closing his eyes, Lance moves inside JC faster, fully confident of the truth of JC's words.
"Ohhhhh." The sound is too loud to be called a sigh, too inarticulate to be a word. But it's full of pleasure and JC moves against Lance in perfect counterpoint.
Lance holds JC securely, as though JC were a precious sculpture. His moans become louder as he thrusts harder and faster and when he comes it's exquisite.
JC hangs onto Lance wherever he can reach, so when they've both come, they collapse into a bundle of limbs lying on the bed. Impossible to see, impossible to feel, where one ends and the other begins.
Sighing contentedly, Lance hugs JC tightly, then when his heartbeat quiets, he speaks. "No one can take this away."
"Never. Not as long as we love each other."
"You know what else I'd love?"
"More Chinese food?"
Lance lifts his head, surprised. "How'd you guess?"
"I know you."
Sitting up, Lance pulls on his shorts and scuttles to the bathroom to retrieve a towel for JC. "I know you too. Guess what sappy movie I brought?"
"Princess Bride?"
Lance flips through the stack of DVDs and holds up a box. "As you wish."
"Oh, my sweet Westly."
"Now I know you've seen this movie too many times, Buttercup."
JC brandishes a chopstick. "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya..."
"Oh, you do NOT want to start that," replies Lance, extending his own chopstick.
"I guess I'd be more convincing if I wasn't naked."
"No, but the naked is a nice touch."
Smiling, JC locates some sweats and they curl up comfortably together, watching the movie and feeding each other bits of Chinese food.
"See," Lance says when the credits roll, "true love always finds a way."