Guilty Pleasures: Muskrat Love
by Karen and LB
© 2002
So we were sitting in a restaurant between the sound check party and the concert at Giants Stadium. And "Muskrat Love" came over the speakers. And we KNEW we had to do something with it. Or maybe it was just the vodka lemonades. May become a series of undetermined length.
One thing Lance really likes about Johnny's place is there are lots of places to hide. They've been working all day on the new album and even the best of friends can get on each others' nerves after a while. So when the time came to take a break, Lance searched out a quiet room by himself to sit and listen to some music and do some work for Free Lance. Now, he sifts through the bag of CDs he brought with him, and a huge grin forms on his face when he pulls out one in particular. It's one of his all-time favorites. One that always seems to lift his spirits and helps keep him centered. That one song that can put a smile on his face even during the darkest day. With headphones on, Lance presses Play and waits for the familiar melody to kick in. Before long, he's singing along:
"And they whirl and they twirl and they tango Singing and jinging a jango Floating like the heavens above Looks like Muskrat Love..."
*****
They'd agreed on a half-hour break, and everyone's back. Everyone but Lance.
"C'mon, I wanna get back to work," Justin whines. "Where IS he?"
"Give him a break," Joey says. "This is like the first time he's been late for anything in like six years. It's kinda cool."
Chris rolls his eyes expressively. "He can't have gone far."
"I'll go look for him," JC says, eager to do SOMETHING.
*****
Eyes closed, Lance lets the music flow through him. Before long, he's singing along, and his voice grows louder with each verse:
"Muskrat Suzie, Muskrat Sam, Do the jitterbug out in Muskrat Land. And they shimmy, Sam is so skinny "
*****
JC wanders through the house, until he hears Lance's voice. Singing. What the HECK is he singing?
Lance is so lost in the song that he's not even aware he's dancing. As the chorus repeats, his voice gets louder:
"And they whirl and they twirl and they tango Singing and jinging a jango Floating like the heavens above Looks like Muskrat Loo-ooo-ooo-ooooo--"
JC walks up quietly. Not that it matters. Lance is completely lost in his little world. JC cracks up. He would never have suspected. Muskrat Love? MUSKRAT LOVE??? Schooling his face to blandness, JC steps behind Lance and taps on his shoulder.
"--oove--HUH?" Lance stumbles forward, startled and disoriented. He flings off the headphones and spins around, his face on fire. "JC! What the heck are you doing here?"
"Um, break's over. I came to get you. So, whatcha doin'?"
"Nothing. Just . . . how long have you been standing there?"
JC allows himself a small smirk. "Long enough. Never had you pegged for a Captain and Tenille fan, dude. Or was it the original America version?"
Lance groans and hides his face in his hands. "Please tell me you didn't hear that. PLEASE tell me you did not hear that."
"I could tell you that. I'd be lying, of course."
"Shit. Shit, shit, shit. You CANNOT tell the guys."
JC's smile spreads over his face. "I can't?"
"Please, JC--this is worse than that time I went onstage in Germany when I wasn't supposed to. If they find out, I'll never hear the end of it. You CANNOT tell them."
"But it's so CUTE."
"It's not cute, JC. It is so not cute. It's embarrassing. Tell me you will NOT say anything."
"I'll--what is it they say? Take it under advisement."
Lance is not going to panic. No way. Okay, maybe a little. "Listen, JC, you tell and I'll . . . I'll . . . "
"You'll what?"
"I'll . . . do something that YOU will not be able to tell the guys."
"What are you going to do, Lance, short-sheet my bunk? Ooooh, I'm so scared."
"No, worse."
"Like what? And never mind what you'll do if I DO tell. Maybe you should be thinking about what you would do to KEEP me from telling."
"You know what I would do?" In his desperation to keep his secret safe, Lance blurts out, "I'd kiss you!"
JC blinks. Where did THAT come from? How did Lance know that that was the one thing that just might keep him from talking? He's never let on. Or thought he hadn't. "That's kind of risky, isn't it? Most blackmailers keep coming back for more."
Lance can't believe he said what he said, and he almost wishes he could take it back. ALMOST, because there's a part of him that's glad he got it out there. He's tired of pining away in secret. He takes a tentative step forward. "Yes sir, they do. But I have to shut you up somehow."
"So, if you kiss me now, you're well aware that I might be back, say, tomorrow, demanding more kisses. Bigger kisses."
Lance takes another step forward. "You mean you'll up the ante? If that's what it will take to protect my secret. And I DO want to protect my secret."
"So you'd do anything I want? Anything I ask for?"
"I'm in no position to bargain. My reputation is at stake."
"That's true, Muskrat Sam."
"Shut up!"
"Make me."
"I will."
"Sure you will, Sammy."
"Stop! I will. I'm going to. You say another word, I'll do it. I'm serious, JC, I'll kiss you."
"Dare you."
Using the adrenalin rush he's felt since JC walked in the door, Lance shoves JC against the wall and does just what he threatened to do.
For a second or two, JC lets Lance kiss him, passively. Then he responds, turning the kiss from a playful tease to something much more interesting.
This is not at all what Lance expected. He thought JC would take the whole thing as a joke. But JC's mouth tells a whole other story. Lance's eyes grow wide as he senses JC kissing him back, and he lets his lips linger for a moment before pulling back. "Um, so there!"
"Yeah, I guess you showed me," JC says, huskily.
Lance touches his lips, still feeling the burn of the kiss. "Yeah, so don't even think about telling anyone about what you heard."
"Oh, I have a feeling I'm going to need frequent reminders."
"Be careful what you wish for."
"I know what I'm wishing for."
"What? That you had a bottle of alcohol to clean off the cooties?"
"No," JC says quietly. So quietly that Lance has to strain to hear. "I wish you had kissed me because you wanted to, not because you had to."
So, the game is over. All this time, Lance thought JC was playing with him. He thought it was all one-sided. Can JC really be saying what Lance is hearing or is this still part of the game? Lance stands his ground. Hands on hips, he thrusts his chin out. "What if I wanted to?"
"Did you? Do you?"
Now Lance is starting to fidget. This can't be happening. It cannot be happening. "Yeah. I did. I do."
"Then will you? Kiss me because you want to?"
Lance narrows his eyes and smiles, suspicious. "Okay, funny. You've tortured me enough about that stupid song."
JC's gaze falters. "Then you didn't . . . you don't . . . want to."
"I do if you do."
"I-I, um, want to."
"Well, then I'm gonna kiss you again. Okay?"
JC nods, silently. Lance puts his hands flat on the wall on each side of JC's head. "This is crazy," he murmurs, before leaning in for another kiss, this time slow and soft and tender.
JC's hands rise slowly until he's cupping Lance's face. His lips meet Lance's again and again, tasting and learning his mouth.
Still not sure this is real, Lance holds back a bit, keeping his tongue in check in more ways than one. The hands on his face are so encouraging though, that he has to fight the urge to really let go.
"Lance? C? Where ARE you two?" Joey's shout from the hall carries easily into the room.
Lance pushes away flustered and angry. "Shit. Why now?"
"It's okay. We can, um. What are you doing later? When we're done in the studio?"
"I don't know. I guess go see a movie or something. This is really strange."
"Yeah, but good strange. I've--look, we'll talk later, okay? I really want to, but we have to get back."
"Yeah." Lance scratches his head, completely baffled by what happened in this room. One minute he's kicking back listening to some tunes, the next he's kissing his bandmate. And LIKING it. "Hey, one thing--you're not gonna tell, are you?"
"No, of course not. I wouldn't have told even if you hadn't kissed me."
The realization hits Lance, and he grins. "You did blackmail me!"
"Only a little."
"I may have to get you back."
"I totally deserve it."
"Yeah, you do." They start to leave, but then Lance turns back, remembering his CDs. He packs them up, tucking away his Best of Starland Vocal Band at the bottom. After all, he wouldn't want JC to see that.
Or would he?