Forever Young: The Morning After
by Karen and LB
© 2002
Number 2 in the series. Just like the title says: the day after Valentine's day.
JC woke up happy. There were a lot of things wrong with this picture. Starting with woke up. JC never just woke up, he always needed to be awakened. But here he was, wide awake and eager for the day, with a SMILE on his face. And that was the second thing wrong with this--JC never woke up cheery. So he examined this "wide awake and happy" thing. Turned it over in his mind. What could explain this strange condition? Then he remembered.
Last night.
Lance.
Oh.
JC jumped out of bed and ran for the shower. Breakfast was in about 45 minutes in Justin's mom's room. Of course, JC usually showed up unshowered, unshaven and grumpy wearing sweats over whatever he had rolled out of bed in after being dragged out by Justin. But there's a first time for everything.
Justin awakens to the sound of the shower. Make that the sound of JC singing in the shower. He gets up and wanders to the window, curious to see if any of the other signs of the coming apocalypse have occurred. Seeing nothing, he yawns and stretches and turns on the tv, waiting for his turn in the shower.
Lance had been reading the same sentence for the past 15 minutes. Joey was in the shower; Lance had been up for an hour already and decided to get some studying done. But it's useless. He hasn't turned the page since he opened the book, and it's bothering him. He can't get his mind off last night. It wasn't like they had a date, but that's what it had turned into. He hides the smile behind the pages of the book as Joey returns, towel wrapped around his waist, fumbling through his bag for a clean shirt. Breakfast will be the test. If JC talks to him at breakfast, that will be a good sign. If he doesn't, Lance will just pretend last night never happened. Even though JC KISSED HIM. HE KISSED A GUY! Hey, Joey, I kissed A GUY LAST NIGHT. But of course he doesn't say it. And then the stab of fear pierces his gut: What if the guys find out?
"Lance, yoo hoo! That must be some book."
"What? Huh? Oh, sorry. Yeah, I have a test in a few days."
"Well, time for breakfast. You can study later. Let's go."
Lance sighs, tossing the book on the bed, and grabs his room key. The moment of truth.
Justin is completely confused. Not only did JC come out of the shower whistling, but now Mr. "Breakfast? I'm not really hungry" is urging Justin to hurry up. "Who are you and what have you done with my roommate," he mutters, cranky because his stupid hair won't cooperate.
So efficient was JC that they're the first ones to arrive. And that's when he realizes that he's actually nervous about seeing Lance. Nervous about seeing someone he sees every day. After he almost upsets the orange juice for the third time, earning him a scorching glare from Lynn, he sits as still as he can manage at one end of the couch, waiting.
Lance follows Joey into the room, his eyes wandering and trying his best to avoid eye contact with JC. "Hey," he says to the room. Chris is busily eating away, Justin is digging into a huge bowl of cereal (Lance didn't even know hotels had bowls that big), and JC is on the couch with a glass of juice. Lance hurries over to the table and busies himself with the various serving dishes. Lynn is talking about the day's schedule, so Lance decides to focus his attention on her, hoping it will take the edge off his nerves.
JC sits, trying to look casual, all the while wanting to jump up and scream "LOOK at me." And gee, THAT wouldn't scare Lance off. Still, just a little glance, a smile, and acknowledgment that he's in the room--is that too much to ask?
Chris is babbling away about something or other, and Lance nods his head and comments now and then, but mostly he stays quiet, chewing thoughtfully but trying not to think about last night. He's sitting next to Joey around the small table of food, and he finally can't help it--he steals a glance at JC. Already, he can feel his ears get hot.
JC meets Lance's glance and smiles, forgetting the food that's halfway to his mouth, ignoring the noise around the table. He snaps out of his trance and, mostly as an excuse to hear Lance's voice, says, "Hey, Lance, tell us about the schedule for today."
At the sound of JC saying his name, Lance almost chokes on the bite of egg he's been chewing, so startled is he that JC is talking to him. He is also surprised that JC was so zoned out he didn't realize that Lynn had already gone over their day. "Um, well, like Lynn said we're, um, we're going to the high school at 1:00 and the mall at 4:00, but in between we have to go over the plans for Germany." He glances around. All eyes are on him. "I think that's it." He returns his attention to his plate, hoping someone else will speak.
"Why do we have to do the Germany stuff today?" Justin complains. "Can't we do that when we're back home?" Under the cover of Justin's whining, JC nudges Lance's foot under the table.
Lance jumps and his fork clatters against his plate. Joey eyes him and smirks.
"Uh, sorry," Lance mumbles, trying to cover his reaction. "Hand cramp."
"What you been using your hands for, Lance?" Joey chides.
Chris laughs. "Maybe he got lonely last night and . . . ," but remembering that Lynn is in the room, he shuts up.
JC shoots a glare at Chris, angry at his making a comment that he knows, even though he can't look at him right now, is making Lance blush. Then he chides himself, One kiss and you're all defensive on his behalf? He finally looks over at Lance, and, seeing that no one is looking at them, mouths "Sorry."
Lance's mouth forms a half smile and he nods, looking away again. This is too weird. It's not like we even really did anything. Yet, he feels as though he and JC had gone on some sort of crime spree. He sneaks another glance at JC. He's so cool about everything. Why would he even want to go out with a kid like me?
"So what did you guys end up doing last night, anyway?" Joey asks. "Lance was asleep by the time I got in."
JC jumps and even though he isn't looking at him he knows Lance does as well. "Um, we went to dinner down the street then we came back here and caught a movie. What did you do?"
"Joey, what WERE you doing out so late? Curfew applies to everyone, not just Justin and Lance," Lynn scolds.
"Sorry, Lynn. We went to dinner and a movie, and I guess I lost track of time."
"Some date," Chris chimes in.
Yeah, some date, Lance thinks, looking at JC.
"I was back on time, Mom," Justin says virtuously. "And Lance went back to his room right after, so he was in on time, too. And JC."
"Yeah, we were all good," JC replies, grinning at Lance. Lance gazes down, trying to hide his smile behind his napkin.
"Hey, I thought everything shuts down pretty early around here," declares Chris. "So what were you doing out so late, Jo-ey?"
"Yeah, Joey, what were you doing out so late," Justin mimics. "Joey was making out, Joey was making out."
Now, Lance really feels his face getting hot and he pushes away from the table. "You know, I'm gonna finish getting ready. I'll see you all in five." He rushes to the door, breathing only when he's out in the hall.
JC watches him go, then turns back to the table. When he sees Joey pour himself another large bowl of cereal, he excuses himself as well. He goes straight to Lance and Joey's door and knocks.
Lance drops his bag at the sound of the door. He hesitates, hoping it's Chris or Justin, knowing it isn't. He opens the door a crack, then wider. "Hey," he says quietly.
"Hey." JC hesitates. Lance doesn't seem very happy to see him. "I, um, just wanted to see how you were doing, you know? We won't have much of a chance to talk today and I just kinda wanted to sort of check in with you."
Lance swings open the door, allowing JC to enter. "I'm, um, glad you did." Lance can feel the electricity between them, something he's never noticed before. "It's kind of weird being around the other guys now, though."
"Yeah, it is. But you're worth putting up with a little discomfort for."
"I am?" It seems that in the past 24 hours every time Lance turns around he's hit with another surprise.
"You SO are." JC puts a hand on Lance's shoulder, something he's done a hundred times before in photo shoots and such. But now it feels significant, powerful.
Lance bites his lip; his shoulder tingles where JC touches it. He doesn't know what to say. All this time, Lance has felt like a bit of an outsider, even though the guys don't usually treat him that way. He usually keeps to himself when they're not doing something that pertains to the group, so this sudden shift in JC's and his relationship throws him for a loop. He's not quite sure how to react. He's about to speak when Joey bursts through the door.
"Dudes, we gotta go. Check-out time."
"Man, it's early here. Okay, see you guys in the van." JC says, and heads down the hall to his own room, where he finds Justin desperately throwing things into his bag.
"Dude, where were you?" Justin demands as JC walks in.
"Oh, I just had to ask Lance something." JC goes into the bathroom and retrieves the last of his things and drops them in his bag. Justin eyes his friend curiously but says nothing.
Lynn decides they should take pictures in the area to use for publicity shots, so they pile in the van to scout for locations before heading to the school. Lance ends up seated next to JC, and their thighs touch. Lance gazes out the window, trying his best to distract himself from the boy to his right.
JC feels like his entire being is concentrated in that one thigh pressed against Lance's. And the strange thing is, at this time yesterday, he practically wasn't aware of Lance's existence. Okay, THAT's an exaggeration, but Lance has gone from being the person in the band to whom he was the least close to being the most important to him in like 12 hours.
They stop at a park not too far from the school, and Lynn takes several group shots, sometimes with the boys goofing around, sometimes looking serious. Then she decides to take individual shots of them by a large tree. When it's Lance's turn she fusses with his shirt (he's wearing a short-sleeved checked shirt over a white t-shirt), and finally satisfied has him stand next to the tree. First, she asks him to smile, and he puts on his best friendly smile. Then she has him look serious. His face becomes a mask of intensity as he leans against the tree, arms crossed self-consciously. He isn't even aware that JC has moved behind Lynn as she snaps the picture.
JC has never really noticed before how uncomfortable Lance is when he's being singled out like this. Who's he kidding? He never bothered to notice much of anything about the kid. He remembers back to his earlier days in the business--of course the Mouse Club people had groomed them for such things. He promises himself that he'll help Lance out with this--give him some tips and stuff. He steps to one side so he's less in Lynn's shadow and finally catches Lance's eye, giving him an encouraging look.
"Very nice, Lance. Just hold it," Lynn encourages. Finally, Lynn decides she has enough so they head to the school for a short performance. After three songs they sign some autographs (much to their surprise), and then head to the mall for their next show. Since they're a bit early, Lynn tells the boys they can wander around for a half hour but warns them that they MUST be back in time. Chris and Justin decide to play video games, but Joey wants to hit the record store and drags Lance and JC along. Joey wanders off to the oldies section, and Lance lingers around the pop aisle, flipping through a stack of the latest releases.
"Anything good?" JC asks, flipping through his own stack. "Or are you waiting for ours to show up?"
"Just checkin' out the competition."
"Any good ideas we can steal?"
"Aw, now don't you want to be original? Besides, you're the songwriter. I'm sure you've got plenty of ideas for us."
"I was KIDDING about the stealing part." JC allows his arm to brush against Lance's. "But, yeah, I DO have ideas. I just hope I get to use them someday, you know?"
Lance blushes at his blunder, but recovers quickly. "You will. I mean, you could use them now." He pauses. "I'd love to hear what you've got."
"You would? Really?" JC replies, eagerly. "I'd really like that. I've listened to my own stuff so much that I can't tell anymore. I'd love to get your opinion. And . . . " JC hesitates. "It would be a chance to spend some time together."
Looking back at the rack of CDs in front of him, Lance mumbles, "Yeah, that would be fun. I mean, I'm not an expert or anything, but I'd really like to hear your stuff."
"Do I make you nervous, Lance?"
"No," he says, a little too quickly. "I guess I'm still hyped up from the school. And we should probably get back. We only have five more minutes anyway."
"Yeah, I guess." JC raises his voice. "Joe? We're going." He turns back to Lance and they start to walk out of the store. "I don't want to, you know. Make you nervous."
"You don't," Lance reassures. "I guess it's still kind of strange, after . . . last night." He smiles, looking down. "That sounded bad. I just meant . . . " But before he can finish, Joey comes bouncing behind them.
"Time to rock, dudes."
JC rolls his eyes. Joey has the worst timing. And why has JC never noticed before that for a group of guys who spend all their time together, it's practically impossible to have a conversation? The three head back to the spot where Lynn told them to meet her and they can hear Chris and Justin's voices somewhere close by, arguing over some disputed game score.
Once again, they do three songs and once again the crowd is very responsive. There are even several girls from the high school they were at earlier who approach them when they're done. Lance is impressed. With each show they do, as small as they are, he feels this sense of accomplishment and anticipation for what they can achieve.
That night, they're back in Orlando.
Lynn has them pretty well trained. After saying goodbye to Joey at the airport and driving home, the boys--including Lance, who's staying with them while his mother's back in Mississippi--unpack the car and sort out their laundry while Lynn starts dinner. By the time they sit down to eat, both the washer and the dryer are whirring quietly.
After dinner, the boys disperse. Justin and Chris declare a rematch of their video game rivalry and Lance announces that he's going to study. JC putters around in his room, occasionally scribbling in his notebook. He really wants to go talk to Lance, but he doesn't want to interrupt his studying. And besides, he's convinced Lance is getting sick of him just being there every time he turns around.
Lance doesn't know how long he's been sitting on the bed; all he knows is that he's thirsty and needs a break. If he studies anymore he's convinced his head will explode and wonders if that's ever actually happened to anyone. On the way down the hall, he notices JC's door is half open. He hesitates for a moment, wondering if he's being too pushy, wondering if he should just drop the whole thing. But he'd probably do this even if . . . what happened the other night hadn't happened. So he knocks gently, pushing the door open a couple of inches more, and asks, "JC? I'm going to get something to drink. You want anything?"
JC looks up from his notebook . "Yeah, thanks. Are you taking a break? You could, um, come hang with me for a while."
This is the last thing Lance expected, but one that makes him so happy it takes every ounce of control not to jump up and down. "You sure? 'Cause I don't want to bother you, but I could sure use the break. If I read one more paragraph about the Revolutionary War I'm gonna pass out."
JC grins. "We can't have that. Not respectful of our founding fathers." When Lance comes back with their sodas, he stays in the chair and offers Lance the bed to sit on. He's not sure what to say; this is as confusing and as unexpected for him as it must be for Lance. "Lance, I'm worried that I've totally freaked you out. I never meant to."
Lance tries not to act surprised. But he is. "Freak ME out? I thought it was the other way around. I mean, I know that I'm not exactly the loudest member of this group, and you were friends with everyone else before . . . and I thought maybe that I did something I shouldn't have. Does that make any sense?"
"Yeah, but that's not what's happening here. This--whatever it is-- this is mutual." JC pauses. Has he assumed too much? "Right?"
Lance nods slowly. So there it is. It's been two days, and JC hasn't run away screaming. "Yeah. It is. It's crazy. I've never been attracted to guys before. Not really. Not like this."
"Me either. And you know, with all the girls I've been attracted to, I've never felt quite like THIS." JC shifts on the chair. "This feels like something that could be . . . huge."
Blushing, Lance looks away, grinning, but at the same time, not quite sure if that's what JC meant. "Um, I, um . . . "
"You've got a dirty mind, Lance Bass."
"ME? You're the one who said it!"
JC moves to sit next to Lance on the bed. "That's not what I meant."
Lance wipes his hands on his pants. "Oh. What did you mean?"
JC watches the movement of Lance's hands as if it were the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. And perhaps it is. "I mean huge as in really important."
"Um, JC, we're friends right? But this is happening so fast. Are you sure?"
"It doesn't have to be fast. We can take this as slow as you want. But I'm sure I want to give it a try."
"How come? I mean, we never even really talked much."
"I--how do you explain attraction? It's like last night, something just clicked."
"I know what you mean. It's just so strange. I mean, we're bandmates. And we're guys."
"Tell me about it. Everything about it is strange. But it feels so right."
"Um, I don't know what we're supposed to do now. I mean, normally I'd ask a girl out. But . . . "
"You already did. You definitely asked me out last night."
"Oh, yeah. That counts? I guess that was our first date then. That sounds so weird."
"Forget how it sounds. How does it feel?"
Lance stares at his fingers, studying his chewed nails. "I don't know. Good, I guess. Strange. Exciting. Confusing. Definitely confusing."
"See? We're perfect for each other. I feel exactly the same."
"So what do we do about it?"
"What I said last night. We spend time together and see where it goes."
Lance nods silently, and his leg starts bouncing.
JC puts a hand on Lance's knee, stilling his jittery leg.
Lance gazes at the hand, then up at JC's face. His breath catches in his throat as he leans in closer . . .
JC meets Lance halfway, his mouth closing over Lance's tenderly.
Lance has never experienced anything this amazing before. Not space camp, not touring with the Showstoppers, not even getting the call to join the group. At this moment, he feels like his whole body is on fire. As his lips close over JC's again and again, his heartbeat races; he cannot believe that this confident, cute, talented boy can like HIM. When they finally part, Lance licks his lips and looks down, smiling shyly. "I, um, should probably go."
JC wants to grab the younger boy and keep him right here, but instead he glances at the clock and says "Yeah, Lynn'll be checking up on us soon." He brushes a hand over Lance's cheek. "See you tomorrow."
"Yeah, tomorrow," Lance murmurs, rising and stumbling back before catching himself. If he doesn't leave soon, it's going to become real obvious that he doesn't want to leave, and he says a silent prayer of thanks that he's wearing baggy sweat pants.