Sucker

Sucker

Rating: NC-17 for graphic male-male sex

Pairings: Backstreet Boys/*NSYNC/O-Town

Disclaimer: The young men who comprise the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, and O-Town are their own people. The author has not met anyone here described, nor does the author mean to suggest that these people act this way in real life. This writing is a work of fiction. I make no money from this venture.

Dedication: I would like to thank Diamond, for everything. She's made all the difference. I'd also like to give a shout-out to Bella, who wanted to hear all about the story even though the premise makes no sense; and to everyone who e-mailed me about "Sucker" before it was even on the site.

It's worth reiterating: The author has not met anyone here described, nor does the author mean to suggest that these people act this way in real life. This writing is a work of fiction.

Important things to keep in mind:

The premise for "Sucker" is a little unusual, crazy...how can I describe it...okay, impossible. But trust me, read the first few parts, give it a chance to draw you in.

The first scene here is an article, directly quoted from soundbuzz.com. (Singapore - 19 September 2002)

This story begins in November of 2002. Nick Carter's Now or Never, Justin Timberlake's Justified, and O-Town's O2 have just come out.

Manufactured boyband O-Town have labelled their chart rivals N'Sync "ugly" and ridiculed Lance Bass' failed astronaut attempt.

The "Liquid Dreams" heart-throbs were created on reality audition show Making The Band, produced by Lou Pearlman, the same man behind the group fronted by Justin Timberlake and his bandmates.

Dreadlocked singer Jacob Underwood mocks, "There are a lot of bands that are ugly too. Like 'N Sync - they're pretty ugly."

When asked if they would have joined Lance on his dream trip to the International Space Station (ISS), Jacob replied, "No way. I wouldn't go because Lance isn't cool and I like hanging out with cool people.

"Just look at him. The hair, the clothes, it's a package deal.

"I've met him and you wouldn't want to hang out with him. There's no way I'd go to the moon with him."

Bandmate Ashley Parker Angel adds, "I'd only spend a week with Lance if somebody else paid." (WENNM)

"What the hell?" Lance asked.

"What the fuck?" Justin asked.

"'Lance isn't cool, and I like hanging out with cool people,'" Chris said. "What kind of seventh grade fucker-"

"Did he call us ugly?" Justin asked. "Did he call us ugly? I'm buying him a mirror. He needs to take another look because, damn, they've got us beat to hell in the ugly department."

"What the hell is Ashley 'Me-Too' Angel talking about?" Chris asked. "Did that read like 'Hi, I'm a sheep, I agree with whatever Jacob says because he's cool and I like hanging out with cool people,' or is it just me?"

"What a bunch of shits," Justin said, disgusted.

"Guys, forget it," JC said. "They have to rag on us, Jacob really has to rag on us, because they're trying to do their own thing, and we're this shadow looming over them. They shouldn't have said it, and I wouldn't call that professional, but forget about it."

"Fuck 'em," Joey said. "Forget about it."

"Fuck 'em, I wish," Chris said. "Fuck them up the ass and make them beg for mercy. You'd only spend a week with Lance if somebody else paid? How many people are clamoring to spend a week with them?"

"'I'd only suck Lance's dick for a week if somebody else paid,'" Justin muttered.

JC laughed.

"Did he just say there's no way he'd go to the moon with Lance?" Chris asked. "He'd turn down a trip to the moon, our moon, our planet's one and only moon where no one ever gets to go, based solely on the fact that Lance might be his travelling companion? We're not talking about a walk to the corner store, we're not talking about a trip to the planetarium, we're talking about going to the fucking moon, and-"

"What'd you just say?" Lance asked Chris.

Chris took a deep breath. "Did he just say there's-"

"Before that," Lance said.

"Uh..." Chris tried to remember. "Something profound. Something wise and meaningful."

"Very profound. Deep, even," Justin agreed.

"Fuck them up the ass and make them beg for mercy," Lance said.

"Right, that," Chris said. Then he realized the horrible thing that Lance was thinking. "Wait, no. No! I didn't, Lance... No, no. No, no, no."

"Shit," Justin said.

"No, no, no, no," Chris said quickly.

"We could," JC said mildly.

"No, no, no," Chris said vehemently.

"JC!" Justin protested.

JC smiled and shrugged.

"That was me being hostile and bitter!" Chris said. "I wasn't serious! I didn't mean it! Just because... We can't... We're not turning this into a tradition!"

"They just put out their second album," JC said. "It would be time."

"No!" Justin said.

"Were you not here last time?" Chris demanded. "Were you - - are Justin and I the only ones who remember - - if you even think about-"

"Joey?" Lance asked.

"I'd do it," Joey said.

"Oh my god," Chris said, horrified.

"Do to them as was done to us," Lance said.

"We can't," Justin said. "We don't know how! We're not evil. I'm talking sociopathic, kill your own mama, why aren't these people locked up in a psycho ward somewhere, evil."

"We don't have to do it by ourselves," Lance said.

"What?" Chris asked. "No!"

"No," Justin said. "Absolutely fucking not, I'm not - - hell, no."

"If we hate O-Town, you know they're itching to kill them, too," Lance said.

"I'm getting off this train right now," Chris said. "I want no part of this horrible tragedy. There is no way I'm having anything to do with it. And if you're talking about going to them for help - - I can't even think about it. I can't comprehend what you're saying. These words don't even compute. This is a horrible idea!"

"Everything they did to us, everything he did to you, you can take out on O-Town," Joey said.

"Justin's right," Lance said. "We are too nice. We need their help, or we won't do it right, and if we don't do it right-"

"Oh, if we're doing it, we're doing it right," JC said. "They'll never talk that way about us, any of us, again."

"Then we're asking them to join us?" Lance asked.

"Yes," JC said.

"It could be fun," Joey said.

"Fun," Chris repeated. "Fun!" He put his head in his hands, groaning. "Oh, god, he said fun..."

"Guys, I'm serious," Justin said. "You can't mess around with this. O-Town isn't like us. And you can't-"

"Fun," Chris muttered. "You think this is fun? If you had any idea of the kind of fun I've had... His concept of fun is - - if you even - - I can't handle any more fun. God, it's fucking playtime, I can't go through this again..."

"They're not like us," JC agreed with Justin. They'd learned to let Chris talk, since he didn't really want a response when he got like this. "They're young, immature, irresponsible, self-absorbed, introspective brats. They're children playing an adult's game. We'll show them how real adults play it."

"Just like they did to us," Justin said. He couldn't do that, not to anyone. No one deserved that. He still had nightmares about it. He still had fantasies about it. Justin rubbed his eyes. "I can't."

"Raise your hand if you've jerked off over it in the past week," Joey said.

"Over O-Town?" Chris asked, looking up again, pretending to misunderstand.

"Over him," Joey said, his own hand raised. Lance raised his hand. JC raised his hand. Chris lifted his pinky. Joey looked at Justin. "Raise your hand if you haven't had to jack off over him because you're still having wet dreams about him."

"Shut the fuck up," Justin said. He was still being humiliated, even now, even without...him...around to do it personally.

"They still have control over us," Joey said.

"They're still in our heads, whispering things," JC said.

"We could have that kind of control over O-Town," Lance said.

"We could take over their brains, the way they took over ours," JC said.

"We could take over their bodies," Joey said.

"They're a bunch of self-centered, talent-free idiots," Chris said. "They don't deserve this kind of attention."

"They don't know that," JC said. "They think they're the shit. They think the world isn't intelligent enough to understand them and their music. And they probably blame us for it."

"How is it our fault they're jackasses?" Chris asked.

"They think that as their boy band predecessors, we've ruined the possibility of recognition of good music."

"Ruin this," Chris said, and made a crude gesture.

Justin hesitated. Maybe O-Town did deserve a good, quick fucking up.

"Oh, oh, yes, nnn, yeah..." Lance bit his lower lip, arching his back a little as he tightened his grip on his dick. He was close, close, closer, and it all washed over him, the memories, the fantasies, all of those times he'd worked his dick into that tight, hot ass. Oh, yeah, hell, yeah, fucking that gorgeous body, pushing towards ecstasy, hearing those primal moans, feeling like he'd never want anything else except this, this, this-

"Oh, yeah, yeah, god," and Lance groaned, coming into his hand, thick spurts of it pulsing forth in time with the name echoing in his head. Moaning, he collapsed, closing his eyes as his body came back down.

He went out a lot, maybe more than he should, but still, no party, no club, no hot guy compared to staying home and fantasizing about what he'd used to have. Lance knew how pathetic that was, but he still indulged himself once in a while.

And he'd had to give in to the urge, tonight. Talking to the guys today, bringing it all up again - - no, not all of it, there was still too much that went unspoken - - had been too much of a reminder. He'd started to remember, all over again. From the first kiss to the last.

He knew that they shouldn't be doing this. Going back to them? After everything? It shouldn't even be an option. He sure as hell shouldn't be encouraging it. Going back, going anywhere near them, it was dangerous. And no matter what he wanted for himself, he shouldn't drag everyone else along with him. He was sacrificing his friends just to be close again. So was Joey, so was JC - - no matter what they said, that lay behind it all. Chris and Justin were right; it was a horrible, terrible idea. They were doomed; not only that, they were dooming themselves.

But he was drawn back there. He was drawn back to brown eyes and slow kisses and burning desire. He'd never been able to resist, never. And now that he had an excuse?

He hated O-Town. Hated their attitude, hated their comments, hated everything about them. They demanded everything but put forth nothing, and acted like assholes in the process. Yes, they deserved to be brought down, and yes, he wanted to give them what was coming to them.

But he wasn't qualified to do that. He and the rest of the guys would never manage to be quite as...thorough...as others had been in the past.

And if asking for help meant bringing himself close, one more time, to all of that desire, all of that passion, all of that heat...

It was irresistible.

They'd decided to meet at Lance's house. Anywhere public was out, because they couldn't risk being overheard. An *NSYNC house was best, because it was their turf. Lance's house was big enough and clean enough to be good meeting ground, but it wasn't as closely watched as Justin or JC's house.

Justin showed up early and hung out with Lance and Joey. He hoped that no one else would come, and they could all give up on the idea. It was stupid, and it was dangerous...but there was strong, dark, twisted appeal to it. Revenge and a sick tradition. He was sure that Lance and JC were fine with it, because they were very comfortable in positions of power, comfortable with being superior. Justin didn't know if he had enough of that in him to make this work. He'd used to, before. Before it had been stripped away from him. Before it had been fucked out of him. Before it had been-

God, he couldn't fucking do this. He couldn't-

The doorbell rang. The door opened and Chris said, "Telegram!"

Justin tried to get a grip, and failed. He tried to school his face into a neutral expression, ignoring Joey's concerned glances.

"We're in here," Lance called.

Chris walked in and took a quick look around the room. "They're not here? Okay, I guess they're not coming. Must not be interested. No need for me to stick around. See you guys-"

"Coward, sit down," Joey said, and grabbed Chris, pushing him onto the sofa. "They're coming."

"Do we know that for sure?" Justin asked.

"Yes," Joey said.

Shit.

The doorbell rang.

Somehow, Justin knew that wasn't JC. His stomach hurt. He wanted to leave. He wanted this tragedy-in-the-making to stop, now.

Lance got up to answer the door.

Justin tried not to hear voices. He didn't want to know who it was. He didn't want-

Lance came back, with Howie and Kevin.

Kevin.

Justin's heart was pounding with it.

Kevin.

Justin made himself look.

Kevin's gaze flickered over him. Quickly, carelessly checking him out. Quickly, carelessly fucking him.

Justin looked away, ashamed all over again, hurt, violated, put in his place. Hard.

Lance and Howie were talking. Chris said that Lance and Howie had hooked up again, after. Just once, but... The very idea of it, of going back to that, of putting himself in that position again - - Justin couldn't imagine it. He'd never. Never. Ever. He didn't know if it was true or not, if Lance really had. He hadn't asked.

Maybe it was different for Lance. Maybe it was different for Lance, because Howie wasn't Kevin.

It had been different for JC, too. And for Joey. Somehow, they'd made it out intact. Justin felt like he'd been lucky to make it out alive.

Chris, though, Chris was as fucked up and fucked over as Justin was. At the moment, he was pulling apart the fringe on one of Lance's throw pillows, doing his best to ignore everyone else in the room, looking like he'd rather be in any place on the planet other than where he was. Justin knew how he felt.

The doorbell rang. Lance went to answer it. Justin wished that Joey would talk to him and distract his mind from the turmoil in his stomach, in his brain.

But now AJ and Nick were here, and Justin knew it was too late to strike up a conversation with Joey. Joey had unresolved feelings for AJ. No; Joey had unresolved lust for AJ. Joey was cool about it, fine with it, took it all in stride, didn't hate AJ, didn't fear AJ, had no real issues; but he had very strong urges, wants, needs, to get AJ in his bed. Joey didn't even do guys. But Joey wanted AJ.

Justin wondered what AJ had done, or had not done, that kept Joey eager for it like this. But he didn't want to ask, and Joey never said anything too specific.

Now that Nick was here, Justin waited for JC to show. Nick and JC were friends. Friends. Friends! How could JC be friends with - - fuck, didn't JC get it? Didn't JC understand? It wasn't like Nick hadn't done to JC what the other Boys had done to the rest of them. But maybe JC had forgiven Nick, or had gotten over it, or was a sick and twisted masochist. Nick and JC were friends. And JC wanted Nick, too, or at least would let Nick fuck him if Nick asked. JC had said so.

They hadn't been like this before. They hadn't had these darknesses, these needs, these knots of confused pain. They'd been normal, and good, and happy.

It hadn't been fair, either. Why had they let Kevin prey on him? Everything about it was sick. They were sick. They were twisted sociopaths.

Justin had to get out of here. He couldn't even look near Kevin. Just having Kevin in the room was making him sweat.

He knew he could get Chris to come with him, in a heartbeat. Chris wanted to be out, gone, away, just as much as he did. There was so much tension, anxiety, stress, and even fear in Chris's expression and twitching through Chris's body that, for Justin, it was like looking in a mirror. How could the other guys be this damned calm about it? Like they weren't chatting up the people who had set out to destroy their lives. Like that wasn't Kevin standing right over there - - god, Justin couldn't look, had to avert his gaze, couldn't bear to see Kevin right there, that close, in this room with him and, and not, and...

God, he was in that place again, he was right back in that place. He'd tried hard to get back to himself, he'd worked hard, he'd finally begun to bring back his self-confidence, he'd finally begun to recover, and now Kevin was back, and - - no, no, he couldn't take this. He had to go, he had to get out, now.

The doorbell rang.

While Lance was gone, and Joey was talking with AJ, Justin turned to Chris. "Chris," he said, keeping his voice low. "Chris."

Chris looked up, startled. Alarmed. Chris was freaking out.

Justin empathized. "You want to-"

"Looks like we're all here," Lance said, coming back.

It wasn't too late. They could still go. They could go, get out, leave. Justin couldn't stay here, not with Kevin in the room, not with, no. He had to go, he and Chris both did, they all did, now.

But it was too late. Chris had forgotten all about Justin. His eyes were on the doorway. Lance and JC had come in. With Brian.

Brian.

Justin couldn't count on Chris. Not now. Chris wouldn't be Chris again until Brian left. Justin was on his own. On his own and-

"Let's get started," Kevin said.

Justin hadn't been prepared for that. The sound of Kevin's voice was a whip across the back of his neck. He jumped out of his skin and didn't fit back into it. God. Fuck. He couldn't do this.

Everyone was settling in, sitting around the room. Justin automatically moved over to make room for Lance, tracking Kevin in his peripheral vision.

"It's good timing," AJ said. "They're breaking off with Lou, they're putting out their second album."

"We noticed the similarity," Lance said.

"Are you looking for pointers from us, our guidance?" AJ asked.

"It'd be cool to help you," Nick said. "I want to kick Ashley's ass."

"Why?" JC asked.

"We don't need any more blue-eyed baby boys," Nick said. "Timberfuck was bad enough."

Chris opened his mouth to spit something back at Nick.

Brian looked up.

Chris sat back as fast as he could, immediately silenced.

"We hate O-Town," Lance said. "It's not even about Lou anymore. It's about them. It's who they are, what they are, and their refusal to admit it. They need someone to put them in their place, to show them who they really are. We learned a lot about that from you. We thought you might like to help us."

The Boys looked at each other. Silent conference.

Timberfuck. Bastard.

"We'll have to work together," Howie said. "We'd have to be able to work as partners."

Hell, no. Justin was almost relieved. That would never work.

"Okay," Joey said.

Justin looked up, shocked. What?

"How do we decide who targets who?" JC asked. "How did you decide?"

"Personal preference," Nick said. "Kevin likes criers. You want Trevor?" he asked Kevin.

Criers? Criers?! Justin was going to-

"I want Jacob," Kevin said. He meant it, too. There was venom, hatred in his voice. Justin's skin prickled. He knew that voice. He'd heard that voice say things to him that, that... God, he couldn't do this, he couldn't go through this again.

"No way," AJ said. "You'd kill him. Stick with Trevor. Nick, you want Ashley?"

"Yeah," Nick said.

"Who else is there?" AJ asked. "Estrada. Any takers?"

"I will," Howie said. "No one else wants him."

"Dan and Jacob," AJ said. "The best and the worst. Brian?"

"Jacob," Brian said.

"I get Dan," AJ said.

Why did Brian get Jacob? Justin didn't get it. Chris had to be a fluke. There was no way that Brian Littrell had what it took to break Jacob Fucker Underwood. Brian would fail, and this whole plan would be for nothing.

"I'll take Jacob," Lance said. Justin didn't mind that. The only one more equipped to handle Jacob was JC, and since Lance was the one Jacob had talked about in public, Lance could take this one.

"I'll take Ashley," Joey said. Even if they hadn't hated the pretty, effeminate bitch before, after his "me too" comment about Lance, now they were after him.

"Erik," JC said. One of JC's pet peeves was people who didn't take their work seriously. JC was serious about everything he did, but especially about *NSYNC. Erik didn't have a clue. JC was about to give him one.

Who was left? Jacob, Ashley, Erik... Dan and Trevor. Dan and Trevor. Dan, Trevor, Dan, Trevor. Justin didn't care. They were the least offensive of the group. AJ had picked Dan, and-

-and Kevin had picked Trevor.

"Dan," Justin said, knowing he sounded desperate about it, knowing they could figure out why.

"You want Trevor?" Joey asked Chris.

Chris nodded. He didn't care. Brian was in the room.

As everyone was leaving, Howie whispered something in Lance's ear.

Nick kissed JC. A quick, polite kiss, but on the mouth, and JC was spinning from it.

AJ gave Joey five minutes of direct personal attention. Coming from AJ, that was a formidable amount of attention.

Brian left his phone number under Chris's windshield wiper.

Kevin asked Justin if he wanted a ride.

"My car's here," Justin said.

Kevin repeated the question.

This was it, this was exactly how it had been. If he said yes and got a ride from Kevin, after clearly having said that he could drive himself and would in fact be inconvenienced by getting a ride from Kevin and leaving his car behind at Lance's, he would be lowering himself and putting himself in a position of shame. And they'd both know it. Back then, he'd known what was happening, and he'd still put himself through it. But things weren't that way anymore, and he wasn't doing that to himself again.

He got in Kevin's car and let Kevin drive him home.

The ride was quiet. No radio, no conversation. Kevin drove as if he were alone in the car. He didn't look any different from when Justin had seen him last. He still drove with that preoccuppied, focused look in his eyes. He still stopped at yellow lights. He still shifted gears slowly, his thumb stroking the stick in a way that made Justin's dick stiffen.

Kevin had shattered Justin's confidence and destroyed Justin's sense of self. He'd threatened, devastated, and downright traumatized. But Justin couldn't see him without wanting to be naked and writhing under his body. It was impossible to think of Kevin without feeling that dark, low, hot, shameful twisting in his gut, that wanting, that needing.

But he couldn't give in to that anymore. He was different now. He was overcoming everything that Kevin had done to him, and there was no way that he was putting himself back there. It was over. He was stronger now. He wasn't that fucked-up kid anymore. He wasn't going to let Kevin control him anymore.

He'd gotten in the car, but he could get out of the car. And once he got home and was out, everything would be over.

If Kevin asked to come in, he'd say no. He didn't even have to give a reason. He'd say no, and that would be the end of it.

The car stopped.

Justin was still unbuckling his seatbelt when the words came out. "Do you want to come in?"

"Yes," Kevin said.

Oh, god. Fear and desire. Justin felt pinpricks of pain all over. He wanted to close his eyes and make it all go away. Why was he doing this to himself? He couldn't blame this on Kevin, not this. This was all himself, his choices, his actions. But why? Why couldn't he learn? Why couldn't he control himself? Why did he still want to need Kevin this badly?

When they got inside, Justin stopped in the foyer. He turned to face Kevin, forcing himself to look directly into Kevin's eyes. He had to speak. He had to tell Kevin that it was over, that things were different now, that Kevin couldn't do this to him anymore. If he didn't...

Kevin's hand rubbed over the top of his head, down the back. His hair, his scalp, everything prickled and tingled. Justin had to close his eyes. Too much. Kevin's touch. When they'd been together, before, he'd had the white boy 'fro. Now his hair was much shorter, short enough to be almost curl-free. Kevin was feeling the difference. He wanted to ask if Kevin missed the curls, but he hated himself for wanting to know. It shouldn't matter what Kevin thought, about anything. But Kevin's hand was against his scalp, spreading warmth, infusing him with dizzy heat.

"Justin."

He kissed Kevin, quick and desperate, clutching at Kevin's broad back.

God. He'd missed this. He'd needed this so, so much for so, so long...

Kevin tasted the same and kissed the same and felt the same and smelled the same. When he put his hand on Justin's ass and pulled Justin against him, he was hard, and that was the same. When his tongue found that spot inside Justin's lower lip, and Justin shivered with wanting him, that was the same. When Justin licked his neck, he pushed Justin away, and left; and the pain and heartbreak and self-loathing and hatred and fear that rushed in, those were the same, too.

Lance was a top. He liked to fuck. He didn't like to get fucked, and he didn't suck a lot of dick.

He'd suck Howie Dorough's dick any day of the week.

If Howie ever wanted sex, Lance would be happy to oblige. Lance would even be happy to offer, on the chance that Howie might accept.

It wasn't like Joey and AJ. For some reason, every time Joey thought, "AJ," Joey's brain said, "Sex sex sex sex sex." Joey wanted AJ. Joey lusted after AJ. AJ didn't even have to do anything. Most of the time, AJ didn't do a thing but be AJ, and Joey got revved up, twisted around, and rock-hard on the spot.

JC wanted to be friends with Nick. JC had a warm glow of residual love for Nick, and a warm glow of residual heat, as well. Nick didn't abuse either one.

No one knew what Brian had done to Chris. There were gaps in the story. They knew that Chris had fallen in love. Fallen deep and hard, without knowing it until it was too late. Once it had happened, it was too late. He couldn't get out. He'd ended up broken. There was something inside of him still yearning for Brian to put him back together. No one else, it seemed, could do it.

Justin hadn't been as blinded or as confused as Chris. He'd seen what was happening. He'd known that he was being used. He'd cared, too. He hadn't wanted to be used. He hadn't wanted to be hurt. He hadn't wanted to let Kevin make him ashamed of himself. Yet he'd done it. He'd let Kevin take over his life, let Kevin become his world, and let Kevin grind him into the dirt. With his eyes open. That made it all the worse.

Chris and JC had been in love. Joey and Lance had been in lust. Justin had been in mind-fuck.

Now they were planning to partner up with these people to plot against a new victim.

They wanted to fuck over O-Town.

It would be a miracle if they didn't end up fucked over, themselves, all over again.

AJ, Brian, and Howie had "bumped into" O-Town at a party. Howie had invited them to come to his club later that week. Erik was definitely coming. Rumor had it that Jacob had moved on, and Erik and Ashley had been distracted and walked off, but Dan and Trevor had stayed and talked to AJ, Brian, and Howie for a while.

It wasn't a bad start.

Trevor was going to be their easiest prey, because he already had open interest in *NSYNC and a strong fan love for Backstreet. He and Ashley were the most likely to be at least bisexual, anyway.

Everyone liked Dan. There was nothing to dislike about him. But he was in O-Town, so they had to tear him down. No exceptions. No mercy.

Erik would be fairly easy prey. He was young and still getting to know himself. He didn't have the same rigid sense of order, of his place in the world, that Dan or Jacob had.

Jacob. Of that whole little introspective, overcommunicative, overanalytical, whiny, immature, irresponsible, self-centered, bratty little "Real World" cast, Jacob was the most offensive. Trevor was a girl, Ashley was unbearable, Erik was worse, but Jacob... They couldn't wait to rip away all of his self-righteous pretensions and show him who he really was: a little white boy who couldn't sing, was having a serious unresolved identity crisis, and only grew that god-awful hair to disguise how much of a boy band white bread frat boy he really was.

It would be very satisfying to hit him over the head with that fucking guitar he pretended he knew how to play.

Chris picked up his phone. "Kirkpatrick."

"Chris, get dressed," Joey said.

Chris looked down at himself. He wasn't naked. His clothes didn't actually match, but Joey couldn't tell that over the phone. "Why?"

"We're going to Howie's club."

Um, no. "JC's going to Howie's club," Chris corrected.

"Trevor and Ashley are going to be there."

Bleah. "Why can't Kevin and Nick go?"

"Our story is that Howie invited JC, and JC dragged you and me along."

Chris scrunched up his face. "Why would Howie invite JC anywhere?"

"If they're ganging up on Erik, they have to act like they're friends in the first place."

"They're not. I have to act like I'm Kevin's friend?" Kevin had seriously fucked with Justin's head; Chris wasn't going near the guy.

"You're going to be fucking the same person," Joey pointed out.

"That's gross." He didn't actually have to fuck Trevor, did he? Maybe they could just thumb-wrestle.

"Get dressed."

"Joey-" Joey was gone. Damn it.

Lance dialed JC's number, turning on his computer.

"This is JC."

"How'd it go last night?" Lance asked.

"Great. Howie and I chatted up Erik like he was our liquid dream. Joey and Ashley talked about Superman so long, I think they're actually going to end up friends."

Sounded like things were off to a decent start. "What about Chris?"

"He doesn't have it in him. We'll have to wait for Kevin to take the lead, and Chris can follow that."

Lance opened his e-mail. "How are you getting along with Howie?"

"Good. He was great at the club. What's he...like?"

Howie? Lance tried to keep his voice casual. No matter how often he thought about Howie, he never got a chance to discuss Howie with anyone. "Good. He makes you do most of the work at first. He's there to be worshipped."

"Is he worth it?"

God, yes. Hell, yes. Fuck, yes. "Yes."

"Chris is freaking out over thinking he might have to get some action with Kevin. It made me think. If Howie and I are double-teaming Erik, we might have to get closer to make it work."

Lance really would rather not think about JC and Howie in bed together. He started deleting e-mail. "It would draw Erik in more. I guess that means I have to deal with Brian."

"After whatever he did to Chris, you'd better be careful."

He could handle Brian. "I should've signed up for Erik so I could get back with Howie. Any problems last night?"

"We might have to watch out for Joey getting too close to Ashley."

"They talked about Superman all night?"

"Ashley has the same hard-on for the cape and tights Joey does."

"Save us," Lance muttered. "Okay. I'll talk to you later."

"Later."

Trevor hadn't seemed like a loathsome human being. They were probably worse when they were together. Maybe taken as individuals, they were tolerable.

Chris didn't know which angle to take with Trevor. He didn't know where to start. He wasn't the kind of person who preyed on and manipulated people. He could do to Trevor what Brian had done to him, but that wasn't his style. He didn't think he could pull it off.

It would help if he knew Trevor better. Once he'd gotten to know Trevor, he'd know Trevor's strengths and weaknesses.

At the very least, he could scout them out for Kevin. And speak of the devil, look who was calling him. "Kirkpatrick."

"This is Kevin. What have you been doing?"

Rude much? "My dear sir, whatever could you-"

"You took him out to lunch yesterday and played one-on-one with him this afternoon."

How did Kevin know? Did Kevin have someone stalking him? "He likes mushrooms on his pizza, he hates Jacob's hair, he looks up to Dan - - who happens to be a tall white guy with dark hair and a lot of strong backbone and a big brother role in the band, like someone else I may have met - - he likes white girls, and he's been a wild screaming Backstreet Boys fan for years."

"Good work."

Up yours. "I thought so, too."

"How'd you get all of that?"

Well, first he'd knocked Trevor unconscious, and then he'd beamed Trevor up to the mother ship, and then- "I talked to him. He plays a decent game, too. He almost beat me."

"Is he attracted to you?"

"Snort, laugh, choke, no."

"Find out if he's bisexual."

Sure, there was a question all guys loved to be asked. "Trevor doesn't go for instant trust with strangers."

"Don't be a stranger. Be his friend."

"I'm his friend who sets him up so you can tear him to pieces?"

"Yes."

Kevin seemed like the tear-you-to-pieces kind of guy. "All right. Works for me."

JC was on the phone when Erik walked in. "Unh hunh. Yeah. Right. Right." He laughed. He listened. His voice dropped. "Absolutely. I'll be there. You know I will." JC licked his lips. "I would, you know I would, but I'm meeting someone for lunch. No, nothing you need to worry about. It's Erik-Michael." JC smiled. "You know I noticed. All right. I'll see you tonight. Bye." He hung up and looked at Erik with a quick smile. "Sorry about that. Come on, sit down. Howie said hi."

"That was Howie?" Erik asked. "How close are you guys?"

JC smiled. "Close enough."

Chris picked the mushrooms from his pizza and put them on Trevor's plate. "...so then when I asked for her dog's phone number, she told me to go to hell. I said, look, lady, if you don't want me to water your flowers, I won't, but won't your mother miss her wig?"

Trevor almost laughed himself off of his chair.

Joey and Ashley sat in the back of the theater, passing the popcorn back and forth, laughing at the outdated special effects.

JC walked Erik into Howie's club. "Hey," Howie said. "JC." He kissed JC's cheek.

JC kissed Howie's cheek in return. "Look who I found."

"Erik-Michael." Howie kissed his cheek. "Go on and grab a table."

Erik followed JC through the club. He hoped he wasn't supposed to have kissed Howie back, because he hadn't done it. He wasn't into kissing guys, on the mouth or the cheek. It had probably just been a friendly thing Howie did out of habit. Howie couldn't think he was gay. JC had kissed Howie back, but that made sense, since he was getting a lot of signs that Howie and JC were...well, not a couple. More like very close friends. Very close.

JC stopped walking and turned around to him. "Do you want to dance?"

"Yeah, sure." Erik looked around for a girl. Then he thought about it, and looked at JC again. "With you?"

JC gave him a patient, amused smile. "Yes."

Erik tried not to frown. "Uh, I don't..."

JC touched his arm. "Maybe later."

Whew. Yeah. Right. Later. Or not. Erik liked JC. JC was...wild. Awesome. But Erik didn't do guys. Erik's bed was strictly girls-only territory.

Apparently JC's bed wasn't. And that was cool. Erik could handle that. But if JC was getting ideas about - - wait. Hold it. JC? Getting ideas? About him?

"What's funny?" JC asked, taking a seat at a table that said "reserved." Either the table was reserved for JC, or JC could sit anywhere he wanted.

Erik sat across from him. "Nothing." JC could sit anywhere JC wanted. JC could screw anyone JC wanted. JC was semi-with Howie. He and JC could kick it and be cool and everything, but Erik knew he was pretty far down the list of people who'd be invited into JC's sex life.

Chris still had Brian's phone number, the slip of paper he'd found under his windshield wiper when he'd left Lance's house.

He hadn't called it. He'd memorized it, slept with it, and obsessed over it, but he hadn't called it.

For all he knew, it wasn't really Brian's number. He'd dial it with his heart in his mouth and get, "Every day is a great day at CompUSA."

Brian wouldn't do that to him.

Who the hell was he kidding? Brian would do anything to him. Brian could do anything to him.

Joey picked up his phone. "You got Joey."

"Joey. Do you want to trade?" Justin asked.

"Sure," Joey said, agreeable to whatever Justin wanted. "Trade what?"

"Ashley for Dan."

"No. Why?"

"Come on," Justin urged.

"No. Why?" Joey repeated.

"I don't want to have to kiss AJ. You've done it. Switch with me."

Kiss AJ? "Justin, AJ is phenomenal. He is a phenomenon. You'll love it. It'll change your life."

"I've already had my life changed by one Backstreet Boy. I don't want another round of it."

"Grow a pair. It'll be good. You and Lance had better get on it, too. Chris and JC and I are kicking your asses."

"How's Ashley?"

Joey almost snorted. "He's one trusting little sucker. He thinks we're best friends. Give it another day and he'll take me home to meet his parents."

"What about Nick?"

Joey was uneasy about partnering up with Nick. He didn't like the guy, and he couldn't pretend to. "I don't know. He wants to play it differently. We're working on it. Hey, Chris said he was trying to call you."

"I can't talk to him."

Justin sounded serious about that, like Chris had done something to upset him. Joey frowned. "What? Why not?"

"If I have to get sexual with AJ, and JC's planning to get personal with Howie, and - - god, Joey, fuck. Chris is going to get with Kevin."

Now that was a note of desperate panic. "Justin-"

"I can't do this. I was good, I was over it, but now he's back and I can't do this."

Joey frowned. Kevin was a cold motherfucker. "Has he been fucking with you?"

"He kissed me. After the first meeting, he drove me home, he was in my house and he kissed me. I can't walk in my own front door, I can't walk past my own foyer, without thinking about it. I'm dreaming about it. I can't see him again, and I can't talk to Chris, I can't see Chris, if Chris is going to be with him."

Joey didn't like hearing Justin sounding frantic. No one but Kevin ever got him worked up like this. Joey'd used to think no one ever could. "It doesn't mean anything. It isn't about that. Chris couldn't give two shits about Kevin, and Kevin-"

"Kevin doesn't care about Chris. I know. Kevin never cared about me, either." Justin's voice was showing some serious pain. "He never cared about me."

Joey couldn't believe that; everything Kevin had done to Justin, and he'd never cared at all? "I care about you. We care about you. You have to forget about him. He's a bastard, he used you, you're better than that."

"He left me. I'm not better than anything without him."

"Justin. Listen to me. Fuck Kevin. Fuck him. Spit on him, smack him around, kick him while he's down. Say it. Fuck him."

"Fuck him," Justin mumbled.

Better. "Fuck him," Joey repeated, encouraging. "Fuck him."

"Fuck him," Justin said again, with more strength.

"Fuck him!" Joey said, determined to hear confidence in Justin's voice.

"Fuck him," Justin said. "Fuck 'im!"

"That's right."

"Oh, fuck Kevin," Justin said. "Fuck him and fuck his little dog, too."

Joey grinned. "Good. Feel better?"

"Yeah. Okay." Sounded like Justin was gathering himself back together. "Now all I have to do is fuck up Dan."

"Piece of cake."

"Easy as pie," Justin agreed.

"What are you doing?" Jacob asked as Ashley came through the hallway with an armload of dirty clothes.

"Erik said I can stash my stuff in his room."

"Why?" Jacob asked.

"Because he's a good friend?" Ashley guessed, dumping his laundry on Erik's floor.

"Why do you need to put your shit in Erik's room?" Jacob asked, holding onto his patience.

"Joey's coming over, and I don't want him to know how messy my room is."

"Since when do you care?"

"Since I made fun of him for being messy." Back in his room, Ashley shoved junk under his bed.

"Hey," Dan said from Ashley's doorway. "Where's Trevor?"

"Right here," Trevor said behind him. "What's up?"

"Chris Kirkpatrick is at our front door," Dan said.

"Shit." Trevor disappeared.

"Where'd he go?" Ashley asked.

"His room," Dan said.

"Are we under siege?" Jacob asked. "Is there an *NSYNC infestation?"

"Joey's my friend," Ashley said. "Chris and Trevor have been hanging out. Erik is dating JC or something, I don't know. Does this look clean enough?"

"How do I look?" Trevor asked, reappearing in the hallway.

"That shirt's dirty," Ashley said.

"Shit." Trevor disappeared.

"Why does it matter?" Jacob asked.

"Why does what matter?" Ashley asked.

"What he's wearing."

"Chris is a fashion designer," Ashley said.

"Chris once owned a now-defunct clothing company," Jacob said. "The manager of the local McDonald's is not a gourmet chef, and Chris Kirkpatrick is not a fashion designer."

"How do I look?" Trevor asked, back again.

"He's still waiting," Dan reminded him.

"Shit. Later." Trevor disappeared.

"What did you mean, Erik's dating JC?" Jacob asked.

"They go out a lot. To restaurants and clubs. It's not exactly dating, but it's not exactly hanging out with the guys," Ashley said.

"Why would JC be interested in spending time with Erik?" Jacob asked.

"Because Erik's a lot of fun," Ashley said.

"Why would Erik be interested in spending time with JC?" Jacob asked.

"Let's ask him," Dan suggested. "Erik!"

"What time is it?" Ashley asked.

"Two-thirty," Jacob said.

"Shit. I need a shower." Ashley started flipping through the clothes in his closet.

"You rang?" Erik asked, showing up in Ashley's doorway.

"Why are you dating JC?" Dan asked.

"Man, JC is awesome," Erik said. "He's so freaking intense. I think he's gay, too. It's the way he talks. He gets manicures. And pedicures. And I think he's doing Howie, but I'm not sure."

"Pedicures?" Jacob asked.

"Howie?" Dan asked.

"You paint your nails," Erik said to Jacob.

"This is not a manicure," Jacob said, displaying chipped black nail polish.

"No kidding," Erik said.

"I hate this shirt," Ashley muttered from his closet.

"Howie who?" Jacob asked.

"Howie D.," Erik said. "Did you know they really still call him 'Sweet D.?' I thought that was a press nickname, but they use it. I'm going to use it and see what happens."

"Does this make me look young?" Ashley asked, showing them a shirt.

"I don't know. You've never looked old," Dan said.

"I was out with Joey and I got carded," Ashley said. "I was so embarrassed. I don't want him to think I'm a kid."

Footsteps pounded up the stairs. "Guys, hey, Dan. Can I borrow twenty bucks?" Trevor asked, out of breath.

"Yeah," Dan said. "On my dresser. What's going on?"

"Great, thanks, I'll pay you back." Trevor ran off again.

"Can't the fashion designer afford their date?" Jacob asked.

"You're just bitter Justin Timberlake doesn't want to be your best friend," Dan teased.

Jacob pressed his fingertips to his forehead to keep his brain from exploding. "I'd rather set my own face on fire."

"Can I borrow that shirt?" Erik asked Ashley. "I'm going out with JC tonight."

"Fuck everybody," Jacob said, and left.

"What's with him?" Ashley asked.

"Fear of assimilation," Dan said.

"You want to hang out with me and Joey?" Ashley invited.

"Sure," Dan said.

"You aren't afraid of being assimilated?" Erik asked.

"I like *NSYNC," Dan said, shrugging.

Chris and Trevor rode the roller coaster one too many times, and Trevor threw up in the men's bathroom. They played games, and Trevor won an orange platypus-looking toy, which he gave to Chris. Chris bought Coke and funnel cake, and they ate it on a bench in a dark corner behind the Whack-a-Mole. Chris told too-long, too-funny stories, and Trevor told dirty stories even Joey didn't know, and Chris talked about growing up without money or a father, and Trevor talked about growing up half white, half black, too much of both and not enough of either.

Then they rode the roller coaster again until it was Chris's turn to get sick.

In the car on the way back, they made up a name and life story for the orange platypus.

They always called him Erik-Michael, never just Erik.

Howie kissed his cheek every time they met.

If JC asked him to dance again, he might say yes, just to see what it was like.

Ashley crossed the pool area to the guest house and knocked on Jacob's door.

"Come in," Jacob said.

Ashley opened the door. "Hey."

"What's up?" Jacob asked, setting aside his guitar.

"It's been a while since we had a real party, a good one. JC and Erik are always going out, and Erik wanted to invite JC over here for once. Erik and Trevor and I are friends, and JC and Chris and Joey are friends, so we thought-"

"You want to throw a big party to impress *NSYNC."

"We're not trying to impress them, Jake. We just thought it'd be fun to invite them all over at once, instead of one at a time like they're not best friends."

"To our house," Jacob said. "To my house."

"They're good guys," Ashley said. "I want you to get to know Joey."

"You already have Dan's seal of approval," Jacob said. "You don't need mine."

"Come on," Ashley said. "It'll be one night. You can invite whoever you want, too."

"Fine. Go ahead. Have fun. Pretend you haven't noticed how suspicious it is that all of a sudden three of you are best friends with the three of them."

"We live in the same town and run in the same circles," Ashley said.

"Right. They have every reason to want to spend their time with us," Jacob said.

"You don't always have to treat everything like this," Ashley said. "You don't have to be cynical all of the time."

"I'm not," Jacob said. "Only when it's smart to be."

"I trust Joey. He's never acted like he had any ulterior motive. What ulterior motive could he have?"

"I don't know," Jacob said. "When I figure it out, I'll let you know."

"We'll invite them over, we'll have a party, we'll have fun. When it's over, if you've figured out their big evil plan, you can tell us, and we'll do something about it. If you haven't, then you have to admit that they're decent guys and treat them like it."

"Okay," Jacob said. "Agreed." They shook on it.

Trevor pulled off his shirt and wiped his face with it.

Rich, caramel skin, smooth all over. Chris catalogued that for Kevin and tried to spin the ball on the tip of his finger.

"We're having this thing at the house," Trevor said. "Tomorrow night. A party. You want to come?"

Chris met his eyes. If guys could have pretty eyes, then Trevor had pretty eyes. Nothing like Brian's, but then again, no one's were. "Sure. I'll drop by."

Jacob opened the refrigerator to get a drink, and found it crammed full. "What is this?"

"Jacob, do you have any cash I can borrow?" Erik asked, walking into the kitchen.

"No," Jacob said. "What is this?"

"Just give me something," Erik said.

"No," Jacob said. "Who bought all of this?"

"The caterers brought it over," Erik said. "They thought it was a.m. instead of p.m. I know you have money, just-"

"I said no," Jacob said, closing the refrigerator door.

"Come on, we have to have something to drink besides beer and milk," Erik said.

"That's your problem," Jacob said. "I don't want to impress your new friends."

"You don't want to impress anybody," Erik said.

Jacob smiled. "That's about it, yeah. Since when do we have catered parties?"

"Since we've been throwing frat parties all this time," Erik said. "*NSYNC goes to crazy clubs and private parties and God knows what kind of celebrity orgies."

"Have you been to JC's house?"

"No."

"I guarantee you it's bigger than this place, and there are five of us living here versus one of him. Drinking cheap beer and taking a dip in our pool, that is not how he spends his nights. Ask yourself why he'd come over here tonight."

"We're friends," Erik said.

"JC is not down-to-earth, one of the guys at heart," Jacob said. "Back out of it now before it blows up in your face."

"Why would he spend time with me unless he wanted to?" Erik asked.

"Why would he want to?" Jacob asked.

"Bastard," Erik said, and left.

Jacob shook his head and leaned against the counter.

"What's going on?" Dan asked, coming through.

"What are they up to?" Jacob asked.

"Who?" Dan asked.

"*NSYNC."

"They want to steal our secret dance moves?" Dan suggested. "I don't know. I'm taking them at face value."

Jacob shook his head again. "Something's going on."

"You don't know what it is," Dan said. "You can't accuse them if they haven't done anything."

"I don't trust them."

"They're only hanging out with Trevor, Ashley, and Erik-Michael," Dan said. "If it were a big plot, they wouldn't ignore you and me."

"Yes, they would," Jacob said. "You're too smart, and I'm too suspicious, to fall for anything."

Dan couldn't argue with that. "You don't have to like their music or their existence, but you can't say the whole group is nefarious."

Jacob didn't buy it. "We'll see."

JC rang Howie's doorbell. Before his hand was off the button, the door was opening.

"Hey," Brian said. "I'm just on my way out. Are you going to the party of the year?"

JC smiled. "Yeah. Is Howie-"

"He's almost ready. He's a little busy, but he'll be out in a minute." Brian left.

JC waited. He'd never been to, much less inside, Howie's house before. He looked around. Nice.

A minute passed.

Maybe Howie hadn't heard the doorbell.

JC started to wander.

Nice place.

He heard something. JC stopped, but couldn't catch the sound again.

There it was. He looked around, but didn't see anything. Wait. It was coming from... It sounded like...

It sounded like a blowjob. That wet, lapping sound.

JC crouched down by the fireplace. He could see through it into the next room.

Howie was sitting lounged in a chair, head back, eyes closed, legs spread, completely relaxed. Like he was sunbathing with his clothes on. Kneeling in front of him, sucking his dick through his open fly, getting him off, was Lance.

Howie made a quiet, sudden, gasping sound, followed by a slow, soft groan, and Lance started swallowing.

JC rose, backing away.

He was surprised, and he was jealous, and he shouldn't have been either one. They'd all known that Lance was willing to give Howie sexual favors. And the way Howie treated JC, the way JC felt about Howie, that was for show, that was for Erik; it wasn't real.

He did wonder what Brian had been doing there, leaving the house right before JC found Lance with Howie.

Lance walked out of the bedroom. "JC." He looked surprised.

"Brian let me in," JC said. "I'm taking Howie to the party."

"Right," Lance said. He licked the corner of his mouth. "I'll call a cab."

"I can drop you off," JC said.

"No, it's all right," Lance said.

JC wondered if Howie had kissed Lance, after.

"Hi, JC." Howie smiled. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

JC didn't know what to say to that.

"You can catch a cab?" Howie asked Lance.

"Yeah," Lance said.

Howie kissed Lance. JC lowered his gaze discreetly when he saw the pink of Howie's tongue in Lance's mouth. Then Howie stepped away and gave JC another smile. "Let's go."

JC made eye contact with Lance before he followed Howie. Lance seemed fine.

It made JC miss Nick.

Then again, something inside JC always missed Nick.

Ashley was talking with a pretty blonde who was trying to get him to join her in the pool, when Erik grabbed him and dragged him away.

"What?" Ashley asked, trying not to laugh, pulling his shirt straight again.

"Howie's coming. JC's coming. He called from the car, JC called from the car, and he said he's on his way and he's bringing Howie."

"Howie?" Ashley asked. "That's great, that's cool."

"That's not great! That's not cool!" Erik said. "JC Chasez is coming over here, and he's bringing Howie Dorough from the Backstreet Boys. To a frat pool party."

"It's not a frat party," Ashley said.

"Don't argue with me."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Fix this place! Turn it into a hot club! Turn these people into celebrities! Joey and Chris might be okay with this kind of thing, they might be willing to overlook it out of the goodness of their hearts, but JC and Howie?"

"What do you want me to do?" Ashley asked again.

"At least turn this into a sex orgy," Erik said. "That might make them feel at home."

Ashley looked around, pretending to consider the idea. "Dan wouldn't like it."

"Get naked and ask those two girls to get on you. I'll start over in this corner," Erik said.

"Why are we huddled in a corner?" Dan asked, resting his arm on Ashley's shoulder.

"JC's on his way, and he's bringing Howie," Ashley said.

"Howie owns his own club!" Erik said. "What is this, corn chips and light beer?"

"It's not that bad," Dan said.

A girl screamed.

"I think one of our special guests is here," Dan said.

Jacob stayed on his side of the pool, in his space, and avoided running into anyone unworthy.

Chris sat on the edge of the pool, dangling his feet in the water, while Trevor stayed in the water, hanging on the edge, talking to Chris, showing off his biceps.

Howie sat out in the living room, JC by his side on the sofa, talking with a rapt audience. Erik was never away for more than five minutes.

Joey and Ashley set up a basketball game in the pool. Shirts versus skins. Joey's team was skins, and he was the only guy on his team.

JC leaned in close to Erik and whispered in his ear, "Where's your bedroom?"

"Upstairs, first door on the right," Erik said softly, pretending not to feel those twists of hot shock in his gut.

"Thanks." JC sat back and gave Howie his attention again.

Erik waited, but nothing else happened, and a girl came to take him away.

Dan found Ashley. "I can't get in the bathroom."

"Joey's in there," Ashley said, eyes on the drink he was pouring. "With Sheila."

Oh. "They're..."

"Yeah," Ashley said.

Dan was okay with it. It was probably Joey's way of making the party worth his time.

There was a scream and a splash. Sheila was back in the pool.

"All of the pretty girls, into the pool!" Joey said, and gently tipped another girl until she fell in. Most of the girls jumped in; the flirty ones made Joey push them. "All of the pretty girls!" Joey said, rounding up the last few. "Hey, Ashley," Joey said, "I said all of the pretty girls."

"I'm not-"

"Oh, yes, you are," Joey said, scooping him up and dropping him in. Dan laughed. Trevor quit hitting on the girls and hopped out, to make his status clear. Ashley came up blushing.

"All right, all right, Joey, stop begging me, I get the hint," Chris said, and slid into the water.

Erik came back to the couch. It was crowded, but not with the right people. "Where's JC?" he asked a girl.

"He and Howie said they were going to get something from the kitchen," she said.

Erik went to the kitchen. They weren't there.

His brain clicked and stalled.

It wouldn't...they couldn't...it wasn't...

Erik went upstairs. The door to his room was shut. He'd left it shut, as a weak precaution against party guests sneaking into his room to steal or screw. But that didn't mean...

Quietly, he checked the handle.

Locked.

Anyone could be in there. JC and Howie were probably downstairs, or had been so bored they'd gone home.

It wasn't them. They were grown men. They wouldn't sneak up to his room for sex, and they wouldn't risk being caught, either. It was idiot guests, and he was going to kick them out. Erik knocked. "Hey." He knocked again.

The door opened a sliver. It was JC. JC with soft, kiss-bruised lips and hair no longer strand-for-strand perfect.

JC had been making out in his bedroom. On his bed. With Howie. On his bed. In his room. JC. Howie. Sex.

JC gently closed the door in his face.

Continue on to part two...

matthew@matthewtime.com
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