Sucker

Copyright November 24, 2002-October 22, 2004 by Matthew Haldeman-Time

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 stuff and things.

Continued from part one...

        Ashley was drunk.  Not extremely drunk, but not quite himself.  Joey was drunk, too, but Joey was used to being drunk, and it didn't affect his behavior.

        They were on the sofa where Howie and JC had been holding court, mostly by themselves as the party died down.  Joey's jeans were still wet and uncomfortable, so he opened his fly.  Underneath, his underwear was wet, and the cotton clung to the outline of his soft prick.

        "I'm not a girl," Ashley said, apparently referring to Joey throwing him in the pool.

        "You're too pretty to be a guy," Joey said.

        "I'm not pretty," Ashley said.

        "You're a pretty girl," Joey said.

        "No, I'm not," Ashley insisted.

        "You're prettier than Sheila, and she's a girl."

        "Maybe she's not."

        Joey grinned.  "I fucked her in your bathroom.  She's a girl."

        "You can't fuck me," Ashley said.  "I'm a guy."

        "You don't want me to fuck you?" Joey asked.

        "No.  I'm a guy," Ashley repeated.

        "Guys fuck guys," Joey said.

        "Not me," Ashley said.

        Joey leaned closer and put his hand to Ashley's cheek, gently turning Ashley to face him.  Ashley gazed at him, letting him look, not worried about it, too drunk and too trusting.  "You're too pretty," Joey said.  "You're a girl."

        "I'm not a girl," Ashley insisted.

        Joey stayed there, not drawing away, to see what Ashley would do.

        Ashley seemed okay with their too-intimate position.

        Joey's thumb rubbed up and down Ashley's cheek, gentle and soothing.

        Ashley looked at Joey's mouth.  He leaned in closer, blue eyes locked on Joey's lips.

        Joey waited until there was no doubt that Ashley was going to kiss him.  He waited until Ashley was too close to deny it.  Then he pulled back and said, "Is Howie still here?"

        "What?" Ashley asked, startled from his trance.  "Howie?"  He tried to get his mind back on track, tried to remember what was happening.  "I don't know.  I haven't seen him."

        "I'd better get going."

        "Now?  Are you okay to drive?" Ashley asked.

        "I came in a taxi, I'll leave in one, too," Joey said.  "I left my cell - - can I use your phone?"

        "Yeah, sure, let me," Ashley said, and went to find one.

        Joey glanced around, made sure no one was looking, and rubbed his dick through his wet drawers a little, just enough to make it perk up.  Just enough to let Ashley see him hard, just enough to make Ashley wonder.

        Erik was in the kitchen with Dan, cleaning up, when JC came in.  Erik couldn't help but stare.  He looked for tell-tale signs, a mark, some evidence.  But JC looked as carelessly flawless as ever.  Carelessly flawless?  Flawlessly careless?  He didn't know how to characterize JC's style.  He didn't know how to characterize JC.  He only knew that whatever it was...he was stunned by it.

        "Do you need some help?" JC asked.

        "No, we've got it," Dan said.  Dan sounded normal and friendly.  Dan didn't know that JC had just walked downstairs after having sex with Howie in Erik's bed.

        "Thanks for the party, man," JC said.  "It was great."

        "Sure," Erik said.  "No problem."  Dan, reaching past him for a glass, elbowed him.  Fine.  "I'll walk you out," Erik said, setting down bottles, wiping his hands on his pants.

        Howie was waiting in the foyer.  He didn't look at all like he'd been screwing.  He didn't look like he'd done more than walk up the stairs and back down again.  Maybe Erik was wrong; maybe they hadn't done anything.  Maybe JC had been in there with a girl, and Howie had, something.  It was crazy to think that JC and Howie had been in there together, doing anything.  They wouldn't risk being caught.  They wouldn't have sex on his bed when they could just go home to screw.  If they screwed.  Did they?  Maybe they were just really close friends.

        Howie thanked him and kissed his cheek.

        He kissed Howie's cheek.  It made his spine prickle, in a semi-good way, but it didn't seem to faze Howie.

        JC said good-bye and kissed his cheek.

        JC never kissed his cheek.  That was Howie's thing.

        JC's breath smelled like cum.

        Now that everyone had cleared out, Ashley, Erik, Dan, and Jacob were cleaning up the house.  "I don't look like a girl," Ashley said.  "I don't act like a girl."

        "No, you don't," Dan agreed.

        "If you're about to kiss somebody, and all of a sudden you say 'Where's so-and-so,' what does that mean?" Ashley asked.

        "It means you're afraid of getting caught," Dan said.

        "It means so-and-so is either your current or your ex," Erik said.

        "Or the friend of your current or your ex," Jacob said.

        "If I'm about to kiss Mindy, and I stop and say, 'Have you seen Lisa,' then that means-"

        "It means Lisa's either the one you're cheating on, or the best friend of the one you're cheating on," Jacob said.

        "Why the hell would a guy's breath smell like jism?" Erik asked.

        "He perfected the art of masturbation," Jacob said.

        "Either he's gay, or he has a few things to figure out about himself," Dan said.

        "He might have just kissed a girl after she, you know," Ashley said.

        "God, I hate that," Jacob said.

        "It isn't my favorite thing, but sometimes she doesn't take the time to brush her teeth in between the act and the kiss after," Dan said.  "You learn to deal with it."

        "That's disgusting," Jacob said.

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

        "Snowballing!" Erik said, slapping Ashley's back.  "Snowballing."

        "Right," Dan said.

        "What?  What's snowballing?" Ashley asked.

        "It's when a girl does her thing on your thing without strapping on the plastic first," Erik said, "but she doesn't swallow."

        "Then she kisses you and gives you a mouthful of your stuff," Dan said.

        "Why would I want that in my mouth?" Jacob asked.

        "Because it's kinky," Erik said.  Dan laughed.

        Jacob left them to start on the pool area.

        Dan tossed a stained throw pillow onto the floor to remind himself to wash it later.

        "The best friend of someone he's cheating on," Ashley said, thinking about it.  Joey hadn't mentioned that he was dating anyone.  Then again, he mught have just broken up with someone, with a friend of Howie's, and didn't want anything to get back to her.  Not that there was anything for Howie to tell; not that there had been anything for Howie to see.

        Jacob walked back into the living room.  "Where's Trevor?"

        Chris put his hand over Trevor's mouth.  "Ssshhh, quiet."

        Trevor tried to stop laughing.

        Chris started to laugh, too, letting his hand slip.

        "Ssshhh, shut up, we're not supposed to be in here," Trevor whispered, laughing harder than Chris was.

        "Quiet, here, hurry up," Chris said, handing Trevor more tape.

        "Why do you have this shit in your car?" Trevor asked.

        "They were part of some half-assed promotion," Chris said.  "Hurry up."

        Jacob's voice yelled, "Trevor!"  Startled into fear, Trevor and Chris ducked down into a close huddle on the floor in the darkness.  Trevor was clutching Chris's hand.  Racing hearts slowed.  No one discovered them.  Trevor let go and helped Chris up.

        "Do you think we have enough?" Trevor whispered.

        "More over here," Chris said.  Trevor smelled like a mixture of alcohol and chlorine.  Chris probably smelled the same, only more faintly, since he hadn't been in the pool as much as Trevor had and hadn't been drinking as much as Trevor had.

        Trevor stood on the bed, and Chris put a hand up to steady him.  Trevor, O-Town, these young male forms, bodies growing into manhood, they reminded him of Justin.  There was something soft and touchable about them, something still young and inviting, not yet hard and masculine.

        Chris had never been that young even when he had been that young.

        Trevor showed up out of nowhere, walking Chris out, whispering and laughing.  When he came back, they made him help them clean, although his mind was on his task about as much as Erik's or Ashley's.

        Finally, when they were mostly finished, they gave in and went to bed.  Jacob crossed the pool to get to his room, opening the door.

        "Trevor!"

        "...plastered *NSYNC pictures all over Jacob's room.  He was furious.  Jacob's room is his sanctuary.  He told Trevor off, and he slept in Ashley's room overnight until Trevor took them all down."

        "*NSYNC pictures?" JC asked.  "No wonder Jacob was mad."

        "Yeah, he wasn't looking to have new wallpaper in his room," Erik said.

        "We're not that bad to look at, are we?" JC asked with a smile.

        "I don't think so, but Jacob has his own thing," Erik said.  "You'd have to know him to understand."

        "Justin's inviting everyone to Junction 58 on Thursday.  I thought you might want to come with me."

        "The club?" Erik asked.  Junction 58 was for real celebrities, the ones who had power names, the ones who knew how to party.  Erik had always wanted to go, but he'd rather not go at all than go and be turned down at the door.  Now Justin was throwing a party there?

        JC smiled.  Erik didn't need to know how many strings they'd pulled to make it happen.  All Erik needed to know was that for one night, the whole club was Justin's private party.  "You should come.  You can invite the rest of the guys along, too.  As much time as we're spending together, you're right, I should get to know Jacob and the other guys.  I've just been so busy getting to know you..."  JC let his gaze drop deliberately to Erik's lower lip, which was a considerable target.  If Erik didn't know how to kiss...  JC tried not to shudder with distaste.  JC was too good to waste himself on someone unworthy.

        "Yeah, I'll be there," Erik said.  "Thanks."  JC knew that he was trying to play it cool, like it was no big deal.

        JC smiled at him.  "Great."

        "Hello, Townhouse, Ashley speaking."

        "Ash, it's Joey."

        "Joey," Ashley said.  He could feel himself smiling and blushing like a fool.

        "Thanks for the party.  Let me return the favor."

        Ashley shut his mouth so he wouldn't stammer.  When he closed his eyes, every time he closed his eyes, he could still see Joey's opened fly, Joey's wet underwear, Joey's prick half-hard and ready for his touch.

        "Are you still there or am I talking to dead air?" Joey asked.

        "I'm here," Ashley said, and cleared his throat, trying to clear his mind at the same time.  "Return the favor?"

        "Justin's having a party at Junction 58 on Thursday.  Drop by.  Bring those guys you live with, too."

        "Really?  That sounds...  Yeah, great.  Thanks."

        "No problem.  See you later, pretty."  Joey hung up.

        "I'm not..."  Ashley stopped.  He wasn't pretty.  But Joey thought that he was.  Joey thought that he looked like a pretty girl.  Joey fucked pretty girls.

        "You don't want me to fuck you?" Joey asked.

        Confused, Ashley hung up the phone.

        Trevor opened the front door.

        Chris lowered his sunglasses and gave Trevor a speculative look.  "You'll do."

        "I'll do for what?" Trevor asked.

        "I need a date for Thursday night.  You're a little too young for me, but I'm desperate.  Everyone else is bringing a hot young guy from O-Town, and I don't want to show up with someone from Westlife and look out of touch."

        "What are you talking about?" Trevor asked.

        "Thursday night.  Junction 58.  I'll pick you up here.  Probably.  Or are you busy?"

        "Junction 58?" Trevor asked.

        "Justin's having a party to celebrate...something.  His latest haircut, a new pair of Air Jordans, you got me.  You have to say yes, or I'll have to go round up one of the children from Dream Street, and if they turn me down, I'll be humiliated."

        "Sure, I'll go," Trevor said.

        "Many blessings upon you.  See you then."  Chris pushed his sunglasses back up and left.

        Erik talked to Ashley first, to see if Ashley had heard about the party.  The two of them then talked to Trevor.  Since the three of them had been invited, and since both JC and Joey specifically had invited all five of them, they decided to approach Dan and Jacob.

        Dan said yes, absolutely.

        Jacob said no, hell no.

        Erik cajoled.  Trevor coaxed.  Ashley begged.  Dan encouraged.

        Jacob said no, hell no.

        "You've been Justified."

        "Don't answer your phone like that again."

        "AJ?"

        "Here's the plan.  You're having a party.  Your crew is invited as a matter of fact.  They invite their new boys.  JC invites Howie."

        "I know all of that," Justin said.  If AJ kept up this tone, a smackdown would be in order.

        "You're inviting me," AJ said.

        "Why?" Justin asked.  He couldn't believe he and AJ had to work together to bring down Dan.  He'd rather do it by himself.  He didn't know how JC was managing to get along with Howie that well, because he couldn't talk to AJ without wanting to hit somebody.

        "Because I'm doing you behind closed doors."

        Oh, hell, no.  "No, you're not."  Maybe JC and Howie were pretending to be lovers, but he wasn't going there with AJ.  He wasn't getting anywhere close to it.

        "Yes, I am.  Invite me."

        "What about the party?"

        "Take my cue, follow my lead, and we're set."

        "Can you be more specific?"

        "No."  AJ hung up.

        "Arrogant fuck," Justin muttered, hanging up on his end.  Maybe AJ thought that because Kevin treated him like shit, that was the way to go, but Justin wasn't about to let it be like that.  AJ wasn't Kevin, and Justin wasn't the whole damned group's whipping boy.  Whatever hold Kevin had over Justin was between Kevin and Justin, and whatever hold AJ had over Joey was between AJ and Joey.  AJ had nothing on Justin, and it looked like Justin was going to have to remind him of that.

        Chris dialed the number he'd found on his windshield.

        Brian's voice came to him, warm and pleased.  "Hello, Chris."

        That voice...  His name on that tongue...  "How did you know it was me?"

        "Kevin told me your ID says Topher Patrick."

        Kevin and Brian had talked about him.

        "How are you?" Brian asked gently.

        "Good."  His pulse was rushing.  "Fine."  His palms were sweating.  "Miserable."  His balls hurt.  "I love you."  There was this twisting, sick sensation around his heart.

        "I love you, too, Chris," Brian said softly, sounding for the world like he meant it.

        Chris's vision was blurry with tears.

        "Good-bye."  Brian hung up on him.

        Chris couldn't let go of his phone.

        Ashley and Erik were going through each other's closets, looking for something to wear.

        Dan, already dressed and ready to go, was helping Trevor.

        Jacob was in the kitchen, making soup.

        JC hadn't talked directly with Howie since the night of O-Town's party.  He ran his hand back through his hair and tugged at his pants before ringing the doorbell.  He knew that Lance was okay with him and Howie becoming intimate, which made his situation easier.

        He'd talked with Lance, and Lance had told him what had really been going on the other night.  Under the pretense of letting Brian and Lance get to know each other better before they got to work on Jacob, Howie had brought Lance over to give Brian a taste of what Lance had to offer.  Lance had given Brian a blowjob.  Then Lance had given Howie a blowjob, which was when JC had walked in.

        JC didn't understand it.  Lance didn't like giving head all that much, and it didn't sound like either Brian or Howie had any intention of reciprocating.

        But maybe that was the point.

        Didn't Lance mind being passed around like a Backstreet whore?  Lance had a lot of self-respect.  Why would he allow himself to be in that position?

        JC was about to ring again when Nick opened the door.  "Hey," Nick said, and let him in, kissing his cheek and giving him a quick one-armed hug.  Nick was always nice to him, as nice as anyone would be to a lower being in worshipful love.

        "Are you coming to the club?" JC asked.  God, Nick looked good.  It was hard not to touch him.  JC put his hands in his pockets.

        "No," Nick said.  "We're letting Ashley get at-home comfortable with Joey first."  He looked like he had something he wanted to say, so JC waited for it.  "You look good."

        "Thanks," JC said.  "You look great."  Being near Nick always made JC feel warm inside, made his cheeks flush, made him feel vulnerable and in heat at the same time.  His heart was pounding and he wanted to kiss Nick just once.  But if he did, he wouldn't be able to stop.

        "Howie said you still have a good mouth."

        JC tried not to, but he had to look away.  His cheeks burned with shame, but it wasn't his place to be embarrassed.  He shouldn't be humiliated, and he had no right to anger.  He'd given Howie head in Erik's room, and he'd enjoyed it.  He and Howie had planned it out beforehand, but ultimately it had been his decision, and he wasn't going to regret it.

        "Howie's good," Nick said.  "I want you to like it."

        "I do," JC said pointedly, pretending for one moment that he was capable of making Nick jealous.  Then he dropped into direct honesty.  "It isn't like it was with you."

        "Nothing ever will be," Nick said, and kissed him.

        Love and desire curled and uncurled in JC's stomach.  He gave Nick his kiss the way he'd give Nick himself if Nick ever wanted him again: fully, completely, openly, without fear or regret.  Nick kissed like no one else, making JC's entire body feel it, making JC's spine hot and weak, making JC's toes ache.

        "When it's over," Nick said, letting JC steal more kisses, letting JC touch his body, "when it's over, I want you in my bed."

        A thrill of promise sang through JC's blood.  Nick wanted him again.  He was being drawn back into Nick's bed.  That was all he'd wanted, all he'd dreamt about, for such a long time now...

        "Howie's going to let Erik fuck you," Nick said.

        JC froze, shocked.  He would have jerked back, pulled away, if it hadn't been Nick.  Nothing could make him move from Nick, but Nick's wishes.  "What?"

        "Howie's going to let Erik fuck you," Nick said again.  "Do it.  Let him.  But don't give him head.  He doesn't get to use your mouth like that."

        "It isn't up to Howie what Erik does to me," JC said.

        "Yes, it is," Nick said.

        "It's up to me," JC said, insisted.

        "Then you let him fuck you," Nick said.  "Let him think he's good enough.  Let him think he's worth it."

        JC had never fucked Nick.  Why should Erik get to fuck JC?

        "Nothing you could do could raise him higher than that," Nick said.

        "If we're raising him that high, we'd better drop him pretty damned low," JC said, angry.

        "You will," Nick said.  "I know you will."  Nick gave his cheek a soft kiss and left through the front door.

        JC wanted to follow Nick, to be with Nick and to let everything else fade.  But he'd started this thing with Erik, and he was going to finish it.

        He'd let Erik fuck him.  He'd give that to Erik, and then he'd take it, and everything else, away.

        Howie walked into the foyer.  "Did Nick go?"

        "Yes."  JC took Howie by the arm and pulled Howie in closer, kissing Howie's mouth, wrapping his arm around Howie's waist.  He wanted Nick, and Nick was gone.  Howie was here, and Howie was letting him.

        JC pushed Howie back against the wall and dropped to his knees, reaching for Howie's belt.

        Howie let him, gently fucking his mouth, and JC jacked himself off onto Howie's clean hardwood floor.

        Ashley took Jacob's wrists and sprayed the back of each hand with cologne.  "Which one smells better?"

        Jacob sneezed.

        "I like this one better, but Trevor says this one's better," Ashley said.  "Dan likes it, but Erik says it smells like wet snatch.  What do you think?"

        "Joey likes wet snatch," Jacob said, but to humor Ashley he sniffed his choices.  "God, no, it smells.  That one, that one."  He sneezed again.

        "Thanks."  Ashley jogged back upstairs.

        "You're not ready!" Erik said, seeing Jacob on the sofa.

        "I'm not going," Jacob said.  He knew he'd made that clear from the beginning, so Erik couldn't be surprised.

        "You have to come," Erik said.

        "No, I don't," Jacob said.

        "Yes, you do," Erik said.

        "We're ready," Trevor said, running downstairs, followed by Dan.  "Where's Ashley?"

        "Would you tell Jacob he has to come?" Erik asked Dan.

        "You have to come," Dan said.

        "I'm ready!" Ashley said, running down even faster than Trevor had.  "Does this look okay?"

        "Yeah, it works," Trevor said.

        "It works?" Ashley said.  Apparently that argument wasn't convincing.  "Dan?"

        "You look good," Dan said.  "You always do."

        "Jacob, you're coming with us," Erik said.

        "Get dressed," Trevor said.

        "Come on," Ashley said.

        "No," Jacob said.  If they wanted to make fools of themselves, they were welcome to it, but he wasn't going to be there to see it.

        "Give him a good reason to," Dan said.

        "Do it because we're your friends and we're asking you to," Trevor said.

        "Do it because we're your best friends and we're saying please," Ashley said.

        Jacob groaned, then gave in.  "Let me get my shoes."

        Trevor and Ashley celebrated.

        Erik ran to find Jacob something to wear before the good mood wore off.

        Lance found Justin by the bar.  "JC's on his way with Howie."

        Justin nodded.  "AJ's coming later.  What about Brian?"

        "No."

        "Nick?"

        "I don't think so."

        Justin took a drink.  His voice was remarkably steady when he asked, "Kevin?"

        "Not tonight."

        Justin took another drink.

        Now that Jacob had committed himself to joining them, he was going to grin and bear it, for their sakes.  They could count on him to smile through it without giving attitude, as long as he was unprovoked.  They prayed that no one would provoke him, although they knew it was guaranteed to happen.  If luck were on their side, it wouldn't be in the first fifteen minutes, at least.

        Chris and Joey picked them up and drove them to the club.  At the door, they were waved through automatically.

        Inside Junction 58.

        Lights flashing and breaking the darkness; loud music pumping bass like sex through the body; everything a club should be, only better.  Erik felt the vibe and loved it.  He had to elbow Ashley to keep Ashley from gawking like a kid.

        "Come on and let's hook you up with a hot dance," Joey said to Ashley.  He patted Erik's chest.  "Go take Danny and Jakey to say hi to our host."  Joey pointed through the crowd to where Justin was, then took Ashley off through the club.

        "You want a drink?" Chris asked Trevor.

        "Yeah, sure," Trevor said.

        Chris hesitated, stepping back.  "Are you old enough?"

        "Yes," Trevor said, and gave him a look.

        "Are you sure?" Chris asked.  "When's your birthday?"

        "Nineteen seventy-nine," Trevor said.  "I'm twenty-three."

        "Twenty-three?" Chris asked.  "Since when?"

        "Since my birthday," Trevor said with deliberate patience.

        They were only eight years apart.  Justin was younger than that.  "Are you sure you're old enough to drink?"

        "Yes.  Are you?" Trevor asked.

        "Why?  How old do you have to be?"

        Trevor laughed.  "Come on.  I'll buy you something."

        Justin was talking with Lance, casually dancing in place, drink in hand, when Erik walked up.  Lance saw them over Justin's shoulder and nudged Justin, who turned.  He gave them a quick look, taking them in, and said, "Hi."  Then he said it again, seeming to mean it this time, letting his eyes rest on Dan.  "Hi."

        "Hi," Erik said.  "JC and, uh, Chris and Joey invited us.  Thanks for..."

        "No problem," Justin said.  "Thanks for coming."  His gaze flitted over Dan.  "Have a good time."

        "Thanks," Erik said.  It was rude to ignore Lance, so he said, "Hi."

        Lance nodded.  "Hi."

        "You want a drink?" Justin asked.  He seemed to be speaking generally, but since he was looking right at Dan, it was hard to be sure.

        "Yeah," Dan said.  "What are you having?"

        Jacob stood apart slightly, his hands in his back pockets, trying to be a good friend and not either storm out or make a scene.  For these guys, he strove to do his best to put his loyalty and friendship over his other demanding principles.  It was hard, especially right now.  He didn't want to be here; he didn't want to do his part to pump up Justin Timberlake's already overinflated ego.  This was not his crowd and not his scene.  But these were his friends.  He could give them this night.  He hoped.

        Ashley liked girls, but he wasn't too familiar with the kinds of girls Joey knew.  They were getting pretty familiar with him, though.  He tried not to yelp when one of them squeezed the goods.

        Joey smacked his ass and handed him a drink over his shoulder.  "Having a good time?" Joey asked in his ear.

        "Yeah," Ashley said.

        Joey picked up one of the girls, holding her to his hip, letting her wrap her legs around him and lick his ear.  "I'll show you the back room later."

        The back room?  Where they did what?  Sex?  Drugs?  Gambling?  "Sure," Ashley said, watching the girl's tongue flick over Joey's cheek.

        Joey wiped his face with the back of his hand and set her down, patting her ass and pushing her towards Ashley.  "Keep him busy until I get back."  Joey disappeared.

        Ashley hoped Joey would come back soon.  He took a drink and looked around for Erik or Jacob.

        "How's it taste?" one of the girls purred in his ear.

        Ashley choked.  "Good."

        She kissed him, apparently to find out for herself.

        Joey stepped outside with his cell phone and called JC.  "The bird is in the nest.  Repeat, the bird is in the nest."

        JC laughed.  "Okay, Joe."  Minutes later, Howie's sleek convertible pulled up in front of the club.

        It was time to get this party started.

        Ashley still had the girl's tongue in his mouth.  Trevor was still on his first drink with Chris.  Jacob was still doing his best to tolerate Erik and Dan hanging out with Justin and Lance.

        The bass beat violently; the lights were blinding; a shout passed through the crowd.  Suddenly, they were all in a different party.

        Someone tossed Justin a mic.  "We're all here.  The doors are locked.  Welcome to Junction 58.  Tonight, it's my party, and I'll fuck if I want to."

        Everybody screamed.

        Spotlights hit formerly dark areas of the club.  Jacob looked at one, frowning.  It looked like a cage.

        A girl was inside.

        "Dancers," Erik said.

        "Strippers," Lance said.

        Jacob looked away.

        "Shit," Justin said, handing the mic back and seeing something across the club.  "He brought Howie."

        "You knew he was going to," Lance said.

        "I know," Justin said.  "Hey, JC."

        JC squeezed Justin and Lance's hands.  Lance handed him a drink.  "Not bad," JC said to Justin.

        "Trying to top the master," Justin said with a grin, raising his glass to JC.

        JC gave a modest smile.

        "Howie," Justin said.

        "Justin," Howie said graciously enough.  His gaze settled on Erik.

        "You have any tables left?" JC asked Justin.

        "Somewhere," Justin said.

        "Let's grab one," JC said.

        Justin lead the way.  JC and Howie lingered, letting everyone else pass; and Erik lingered, too, wondering what they were waiting for.

        They were waiting for him.  "Thanks for coming," JC said.

        "Thanks for inviting me," Erik said.

        "You look good," Howie said, leaning in, brushing soft lips against his cheek.

        Erik kissed Howie's cheek, too, letting his eyes drift shut for that second.  "Thanks.  You guys look great."  They always did.

        "Let's go sit," Howie said.

        "Have you heard of snowballing?" Erik asked.

        Howie raised his eyebrows.

        Right.  Like there were sexual acts a Backstreet Boy wouldn't know about.  "Do you like it?"

        "That depends on who's doing it," Howie said.

        Erik looked at JC.

        "Are you asking if I like having it done to me, or if I like doing it?" JC asked.

        Well, damn.  That confirmed that question, once and for all.  JC was gay, or at least bi, and JC sucked off guys.  If that was true, then it also had to be true that JC sucked off Howie.

        Howie was sitting down, greeting Dan.

        JC whispered in Erik's ear, "I'd like to do it for you, but we don't have an open relationship."  JC kissed Erik's cheek, light as a feather, and took a seat.

        Girls were doing shots off of Trevor.  Lemon in his mouth, salt on his neck, shot glass held between his thighs.

        Chris wondered what Trevor tasted like, wondered if they could even tell through the drunken mix of flavors.

        Trevor probably didn't taste anything like Brian.

        Brian had tasted like...perfection.

        At least, he had to Chris.

        Lance came and went, back and forth.  Joey and Ashley dropped by periodically, happier and drunker each time.  Chris and Trevor came through once in a while, telling stories and stealing drinks.  JC and Howie, separately and together, left a few times but always returned.

        Jacob stayed put, ass glued to the chair, forced smile glued to his face.

        Dan waited for Justin to get bored, waited for Justin to shake them off, but that never happened.  Justin seemed oddly content to sit there and talk with them.  It was ludicrous.  Why would Justin have this wild private party, and then spend it sitting at a table talking with them?  Maybe Jacob was right; maybe something was going on.

        JC was between Justin and Howie.  He leaned right and whispered something to Howie.  Howie nodded, then leaned right and whispered something to Erik.

        Dan watched Erik play it cool.  Erik nodded, suave and in control, then excused himself and left with JC and Howie.

        "Thank god he's gone!" Justin said.

        "What?" Dan asked, startled.

        "No, no, not Erik, he's cool.  Howie.  I hope JC keeps him busy and out of the way.  I don't know why JC always brings him around.  He knows we can't get shit done with Howie watching us."

        "What do you mean?" Dan asked.

        "Nothing.  Nothing," Justin said, making a dismissive gesture as though he hadn't just vehemently said something awfully strange.  "Let's dance.  I'm sick of sitting on my ass."  Justin got up, patting Dan's shoulder to encourage him to stand as well.  "Jacob, you coming?"

        "This isn't really his song," Dan said.  "You'll be out later, right, Jake?"

        Jacob nodded, almost managing to look at Justin.

        "Great," Justin said, not concerned about it, flashing Dan a smile.  "Let's go."

        Trevor dropped into a chair beside Jacob with a huge sigh.  "This place is crazy.  You have to get out there.  There are about ten of us still wearing all of our clothes.  Fifteen, tops.  I'm telling you.  The go-go dancers, those girls, I've never seen any girls dance like that.  JC let one out of her cage and made her give Erik a lap dance.  You should have seen it!  It was wild.  People are talking about this back room, I don't know what goes on back there, but it's the private party inside the private party."

        "What are you boys talking about?" Chris asked, coming over with drinks, sitting on Trevor's other side.  "No major plots to take over the world without me."

        "What's going on in the back room?" Trevor asked.

        "What back room?" Chris asked.

        "The back room," Trevor said.  "The secret one."

        "If it's a secret, I can't tell you about it," Chris said.  "You wouldn't get in, anyway."

        "Why not?"

        "You don't have a pass."

        "What pass?" Trevor asked.

        "The one you don't have," Chris said.

        "Do you have one?"

        "Maybe."

        "Tell me what it is."

        "Later.  When you're older."

        "Damn, I love this song," Trevor said.  "Let's go."

        "You say that about every song," Chris said, but he got up with Trevor.

        "Jacob, you coming?" Trevor asked.

        "No," Jacob said.

        "Good.  Hold this for me."  Trevor pulled off his shirt and dropped it in front of Jacob on the table.  "Come on, off with it," he said to Chris.

        "Oh, no," Chris said.  "Too pasty, not nearly cut enough.  I'll let you be the nudist tonight."

        "Take it off in the next two songs, or I'll take it off for you," Trevor said, and pulled him onto the dance floor.

        JC and Howie were dancing together.  Their bodies were intimately close; they looked directly into each other's eyes, creating a powerful connection.  JC's hand was on Howie's ass like it belonged there.

        Erik couldn't look away.  He had to watch.  He barely noticed what his own partner was doing, as long as she didn't block his view.

        JC said something to Howie, his lips close to Howie's ear, loud enough to be heard by Howie but quiet enough not to be overheard.

        Howie said something back to JC.

        JC glanced at Erik.

        Erik ground his hard-on against his partner a little harder.

        JC looked away again and said something to Howie.

        Erik wished he could read lips.

        JC walked away, leaving Howie behind.

        Howie walked over to Erik, putting a hand on his shoulder.  "Erik-Michael.  We'll  be back in a few minutes."

        He didn't know where they were going, or what they were about to do, but he asked, "Can I come?"

        "I wish you could," Howie said.  "I'll be thinking about you."  Howie kissed his cheek and left.

        Erik's face burned.

        Dan was dancing beside Justin, having a good time.  There was partying and then there was partying, and this was not the type of partying that Dan did.  This was the kind where he'd better be careful, or he'd do things he'd regret later.  Dan usually lived within his moral code, and didn't have many regrets.  There were a lot of temptations here.

        Justin pulled his shirt off over his head and tossed it into the crowd.  "Come on, Miller, what do you have to hide?"

        "Nothing," Dan said.  Justin had a great body.  Of course.

        Justin's dancing slowed until he was moving in place, still looking at Dan.  "Then show me."

        It was like a dream, suddenly unreal.  It felt almost like...almost...  But it couldn't be.

        Justin's eyes wanted him to.

        Dan didn't know why he did it.  Maybe because there might come a day when he'd regret not having done things, instead of having done them.  Maybe because of the way Justin was looking at him, in a way he'd never had another man look at him.  Whatever his brain was thinking, his body acted: he stripped out of his shirt, tucking it into the back of his waistband.

        Justin appraised him.  "Nice."

        Dan laughed.  "Thanks.  You, too."

        Justin's fingers dropped to his fly.  He unbuttoned.

        "Unh-unh," Dan said.  "That's going too far for me."

        Justin opened his fly enough to show his underwear.

        Dan shook his head in good-natured refusal.  "My mother didn't teach me to show strangers my drawers."

        Justin smiled.  "Mine taught me to get what I want."

        The dancing cages were on platforms above the crowd.  Joey took Ashley up to the balcony and onto some stairs, leading him to the cage.  The go-go dancers were naked, and this one was no exception.

        "She looks tired," Joey said.

        "She looks a lot of things," Ashley said.  He was beginning to think he'd had too much to drink, because walking up the stairs had been a lot harder than it seemed like it should have been.

        "Let's give her a break," Joey said.

        "Okay," Ashley said.  He didn't know what Joey was up to, but Joey was not in any way a mean-spirited person, so Ashley trusted him.

        Joey opened the cage and got the dancer's attention.  "Take five."

        Ashley watched her walk down the stairs bare-ass naked.  "Now what?"

        "Your turn," Joey said, and pushed him.  He overbalanced, stumbling back into the cage, realizing how drunk he was as the world spun around him.  He reached out, but Joey closed the door on him.

        Ashley grabbed at the handle, but Joey was stronger than he was, holding onto it from the other side.  What the-  Ashley burst into shocked laughter.  "Joey!"

        "Dance for me," Joey said.  "One dance."

        "I'm not a go-go dancer!" Ashley protested, laughing.

        "You're a professional dancer," Joey said.  "What's the difference?"

        "Not like this!  Let me out."  Joey was crazy.

        "You're prettier than she is.  One dance, please?  I'll let you out."

        "Let me out now," Ashley said, trying not to laugh at Joey's pleading.  This was ridiculous.

        "I'll come in there with you," Joey said.

        "No!" Ashley said.  "Let me out."  Joey couldn't be serious.

        "Pretty boy dance for Joey?"

        "No!"

        "Pretty boy strip for Joey?"

        "No!"

        "Pretty boy dance for money?"

        "I'm not a go-go boy!" Ashley protested.  This was fucking nuts!  "Come on, Joey, let me out."

        "Ashley!  Ashley!"  Erik and Trevor were down there, getting a section of the crowd to cheer for him.

        "They want you to," Joey said.

        "I'm not dancing," Ashley said.  He was still laughing.  This was crazy!  Then again, everything had been hilarious for the last hour or so.  A small part of Ashley's brain wondered if he was really in control of himself anymore.

        "Ashley!  Ashley!"

        "One dance?" Joey coaxed.

        "I don't even know how," Ashley said.  It was a weak protest, but he knew it was important not to give in.  He couldn't remember why it was important.  Maybe it wasn't important.

        "Ashley, you were born knowing how," Joey said, and the way Joey's eyes looked at him, he could almost feel what Joey was seeing inside of him, what Joey thought he was capable of.  And those things were anything but angelic.

        Heat started to spread from Ashley's groin.

        Joey opened the door and stepped in.

        Ashley stepped back to make room.  He didn't know if it was the alcohol or Joey having this effect on him, making him feel this way, making everything else disappear.  He didn't know, and he didn't care.  He knew that he should care, but everything was bright and confusing and fun, and there was this look in Joey's eyes.  He wanted to do whatever Joey wanted him to do.  Nothing else really mattered, did it?  He couldn't remember how he'd gotten in this cage, or why he felt flushed, or why he felt so...dizzy...  He just wanted to do what Joey wanted.  Joey just wanted to have fun.  Nobody partied like Joey.

        Joey was coming closer.  "Take off your shirt."

        Ashley took it off.

        Joey dropped it down through the bars of the cage.  Then Joey's hand settled on the small of his back, pulling his hips forward.  "Relax," Joey murmured, and Ashley did, shoulders back, head back, pelvis forward, hands reaching and closing around the bars of the cage.

        The music changed.

        Ashley leaned his head back against the bars, closing his eyes.  He felt Joey's hand on his naked chest, guiding heat down the length of his torso.  He turned his head to the other side, feeling Joey's hand tighten at his back, obeying the rhythm of Joey's hips.  Joey was establishing a rocking, fucking motion, and Ashley went with it, riding it, letting the rhythm, the beat, the music take over.

        Joey's hand slid down to cup Ashley's ass.

        Ashley was rock-hard and panting, eyes closed, back arched, clutching at the bars of his cage, displaying the muscles of his upper body through the strain, hips rolling and bucking with the pace Joey set.

        Ashley's lips were parted, his skin flushed pink in the inconstant light, and he was making a soft, repetitive, eager noise that sounded like sex.

        Joey could have fucked him right then and there, and let him deal with the humiliation afterward.  But that wouldn't have done enough damage.  Joey wanted to leave scars.

        He tightened his grip on Ashley's ass and lifted Ashley slightly.  One of Ashley's feet came up off of the floor, knee bending, and Ashley's leg hooked around Joey's waist.

        Ashley's body begged, "Fuck me now."

        While Ashley's foot was up, Joey pulled off his shoe and then his sock.  Ashley brought that leg down and raised the other, so Joey did it again, slowly rubbing his palm down the arch of Ashley's naked foot.  It was easy to be intimate with Ashley, to mix fucking and trusting, to mix sex and love, because Ashley asked for both.

        The music flared even louder, switching abruptly to a fast, vicious song.  Joey jerked Ashley around, pushing Ashley into the bars, grinding hard against Ashley's ass.  He reached around in front and put his hand on Ashley's hard-on, fitting it against his palm, and Ashley groaned, melting back onto him, one hand reaching up and back into Joey's hair, the other hand sliding down over Joey's hand and urging Joey to jack him off.

        Joey's hips picked up an unmistakable humping fucking movement.  Ashley danced against it, writhing in the bare inches between Joey and the bars.  Ashley's hips jacked forward, against Joey's hand in his own hand, toward the crowd.  He melted back, limp and pliant in Joey's arms.  Then he twisted, inviting Joey to fuck him, now facing Joey, now turning away again.

        Below, in the crowd, Erik watched Ashley, half-naked, writhing against the bars of the cage, sliding and twisting against Joey, wanton and intimate in ways that shouldn't have been able to co-exist.  If that had been a girl up there with Joey, Erik would have considered it one of the hottest experiences anyone could witness in a lifetime.  But that was Ashley up there.  Ashley.  Damn.  What the hell was going on?

        The song ended, the music changed, and the lights brightened.

        Ashley stilled suddenly, eyes open.

        Joey held him close, rubbing a hand down his sweat-slick back.  "It's okay.  Private party.  Jaded guests.  No press.  No gossips.  Nobody's going to tell anybody."

        "I-"

        "Ssshhh," Joey said.  "Trust me.  A lot of stuff more serious than this has happened, and no one ever heard a word about it."

        "I-"

        "No one's telling the press, the labels, or your mother."

        Ashley rubbed his face, wiping off sweat, trying to wipe away insanity.  "I can't...  I didn't..."

        Joey stroked Ashley's back.  "Do you want a drink?"

        Ashley shook his head.  "What happened?" he asked, sounding bewildered, sounding hurt.

        Poor thing.  This moment of confusion was a stubbed toe compared to what Joey and Nick had in store for him.

        Erik watched Ashley walk out of the cage, half-naked and barefoot, not the Ashley Erik knew but a whole new sexual creature.

        A hand on Erik's back.  "What did we miss?"

        Erik turned to see JC and Howie looking from him to the cage with faint amusement.  Howie's hand was still on his back.  His back was naked, since he'd taken off his shirt to blend in with the rest of the crowd.  "Where have you guys been?"

        "What was Ashley doing up there?" JC asked, not answering his question.

        "Dancing," Erik said.  He hoped Howie wasn't grossed out by touching his sweat, but since Howie hadn't pulled away, it must have been okay.

        "Is that all?" Howie asked.

        "Dancing and having sex at the same time," Erik said, amending his statement.  Howie's hand was on the move, rubbing and stroking down his back.  Did JC know?  Not know?  Know and not care?

        "That's what this place is for," JC said.

        Howie's fingers started to draw slow, random patterns across Erik's back.  Erik tried to think of something distracting, so he watched the semi-naked and fully naked people around them dancing, but he could still feel that arousing, distracting touch.  If anyone asked, he could blame his hard-on on the naked women around him, but that would only be half of the truth.

        "Erik-Michael."

        "What?"  Erik snapped back to attention.  JC was gone.  "Where's JC?"

        "He went to talk to someone," Howie said.  Howie was directly in front of him now, absorbing all of his focus.  Howie was standing way too close, and Howie's hand was still on his skin.

        "Where were you?" Erik asked.

        "In the back room," Howie said.

        "What's back there?" Erik asked, still curious.  What was it, a secret cave?

        Howie's forefinger drew three letters on Erik's back.  "Sex."

        What was this, Justin's Party o' Porn?  "What kind of sex?"

        Howie smiled.  "Good sex."

        "What, you just go back there and get laid?"

        "Only a few of us are allowed back there.  We go, and we take whoever we want back there with us."

        "So you and JC...went by yourselves?"

        "We don't need anyone else," Howie said.  "We may want other people, but we don't need anyone else."

        Erik shivered.

        Howie's hand withdrew.

        "We have to go," JC said, right back at Howie's side.  "Sorry to duck out on you like this, honey," he said, and kissed Erik's mouth.  "Come by my house tomorrow morning.  Eleven."  He squeezed Erik's arm.

        "Bye, Erik-Michael."  Howie's lips brushed his.

        Erik watched them go.

        They'd kissed him.

        On the mouth.

        Had JC called him "honey?"

        Howie had been stroking him up.

        They'd kissed him.

        On the mouth.

        Erik brought his fingers to his lips.

        Howie had gone to a back room to have sex, no doubt sex with JC.  He'd said, like an idiot four-year-old, "Can I come?"  Howie had said, "I wish you could. I wish you could.  "I'll be thinking about you." "I'll be thinking about you.

        JC's house, tomorrow, eleven.  Erik would be there.

        Chris poked Trevor.  "Are all you guys that hot, or just Ashley Parker Angel?"

        Trevor grinned.  "All of us except Erik."

        "Can I throw you in a cage and watch you sex yourself?" Chris asked.

        "You can try," Trevor said.  "I'd charge admission, though.  Do you hear something?"

        "I hear a lot of things," Chris said.

        "Beeping," Trevor said.

        "Shit, that's me," Chris said, finding his phone.  "Hello, Trevor's House of Love.  What?  Damn.  Damn.  No, I'm coming."  He hung up.  "Trevor, my caramel cutie, I must flee the scene.  Can you get a ride with Joey?"

        "Yeah," Trevor said.  "Is something wrong?"

        "It's a long story, not for innocent ears."  He brushed his knuckles beneath Trevor's chin in a quick, affectionate gesture.  "I'll call you tomorrow."

        Trevor leaned back against the bar and watched Chris go.

        He really liked Chris.

        A lot.

        Dan wanted to track down Ashley.  He hoped that someone had slipped drugs into Ashley's drink, because that was the only explanation he was willing to accept.  Trevor might try to understand, and Erik wouldn't see how serious the situation was, but Dan wanted answers.

        Jacob would want blood.

        Searching for Ashley, Dan found Justin.  He tapped Justin's naked shoulder, and Justin turned.

        "Hey," Justin said with a wide grin.  "Dan."  His gaze dipped, then did a slow rise over Dan's naked torso.

        "Have you seen Ashley or Joey?" Dan asked.

        "No," Justin said.  "Sorry."  He pulled away more from his dance partner.  "Do you dance like that?"

        "No," Dan said.  He was the last person on the planet, besides Jacob and the Pope, who'd be found half-naked in a cage, writhing on Joey Fatone.

        Justin let the girl go completely, giving Dan all of his attention.  "Joey didn't mean anything by it.  These parties can get out of hand."

        "I'm not mad at Joey," Dan said.  Ashley, yes.  Joey, no.

        "Don't let it stop Ashley from hanging out with him," Justin said.  "It's been great for Joey and Chris and JC, hanging out with your guys.  And I was planning on hitching a ride next time they went over to your place."

        Dan opened his mouth, to comment on the first half of what Justin said while his mind absorbed the idea that Justin Timberlake wanted to spend time at his house.  Before he could speak, a girl with a pierced nipple came up and said something in Justin's ear.  Justin bent closer to hear her, then looked up, across the crowd, over heads.

        There was something in Justin's eyes, something in Justin's face, that Dan couldn't identify.  Excitement, wonder, confusion, fear...?  Whatever it was, it passed.

        "I have to go," Justin said to Dan.  "I'll see you later."  His eyes wanted more than his mouth was saying.  He started off, moving through the crowd.  Dan watched his back.

        Justin was leaving his own party.  For what?

        Dan followed, moving more slowly than Justin, not wanting to catch up but wanting to see where Justin was going.

        Near the front doors, Justin walked up to someone.  The someone took off his jacket and helped Justin into it.  They walked out of the club together.

        There had been no kiss, no hug, no affection.  There had been no words.  In spite of that, or maybe because of it, Dan knew that they were together, together in a way that spoke for itself.

        Dan wasn't horrified or shocked so much as stunned.  It was the last thing that he'd expected.

        Justin.

        And AJ McLean.

        Trevor found Erik with a pair of girls, talking and drinking.  "Hey."

        Erik handed him a drink.  "Where's Chris?"

        "He had to go."

        "How are we supposed to get home?"

        "Joey can take us."

        "Where is he?" Erik asked.

        "I don't know.  Have you seen Ashley?"

        "Not since..."  Erik didn't know how to finish that sentence.  Ashley.  In a cage.  Simulating sex.  With a guy.  In public.  Freaky.

        "Where are JC and Howie?" Trevor asked.

        "Gone," Erik said.  "Do you know what's in the back room?"

        "Chris wouldn't tell me."

        "It's sex.  They go back there and screw."

        "Do you mean...real sex?"

        "Yes," Erik said.

        "No," Trevor said.  "Really?"

        "Hell yes," Erik said.  "Did Chris go back there?"

        "No," Trevor said.
.
        "JC did.  So did Howie."

        Trevor didn't want to say anything in front of people, but he gave Erik a look.  Together?

        "Yes," Erik said.

        "Damn.  Damn!"  Trevor had met some gay people in the business, but...damn.  JC and Howie?

        "In our house, too."

        "Our what?" Trevor asked.

        "At the party.  In my room."

        "Holy shit!"  Trevor choked on his drink.  JC Chasez and a Backstreet Boy on Erik's bed!

        "I knew you'd freak," Erik said.

        "I'm freaking!"  He'd had enough trouble with Howie being at his house for the party, but he'd tried desperately to play it cool.  But Howie at his house, having sex?!  On Erik's bed.  He'd slept in that bed!  "Howie?!"

        "Howie D. himself," Erik confirmed.  He was enjoying this.  He couldn't tell Jacob, and he knew that he probably shouldn't tell Dan.  But he'd known Trevor would love it.  Trevor idolized the Boys.  He'd probably tried out for O-Town so he could grow up to be one of them.

        "Shit," Trevor said, shaking his head.  "Howie Dorough!"

        "Guess who else was here?" Erik asked.

        "Who?"

        "AJ."

        "What?!"  Trevor started looking around the club.

        "He's not here now," Erik said, putting a hand on his arm to make him calm down.  "He was here for two minutes, max.  In and out.  I didn't even see him."

        "AJ McLean?"

        "No, AJ Snifflehummer," Erik said.  "Yes, AJ McLean."

        "Shit.  I wish I'd seen him."

        "To do what?  Choke?  Stand there stammering and blushing and fucking it up?  You spaz out when you hit big names."

        "He's  not that big," Trevor said.

        "Is that why you used to have Backstreet posters wallpapering your room?"

        "Shut up," Trevor said.

        "Good thing I'm hanging out with Howie."

        "You're not hanging out with him, he's gracing you with his presence because he's with JC," Trevor said.  "Why?"

        "Why what?"

        "Why is it a good thing you're hanging out with Howie?"

        "Because if it were Kevin at our party and here tonight, you would've flipped ten times as hard."

        Trevor grinned.  "God, you're so right."

        "You would've screamed and fainted."

        "I would've wet my pants," Trevor said.  "Kevin Richardson in my house!"

        "Why him?" Erik asked.  "I know you have a jones for Backstreet, but why is Kevin your favorite?  You never explained it too well."

        "He's Kevin!" Trevor said.

        "Yeah, that's usually how you explain it," Erik said.

        "He's huge.  He's the man, he's like Dan, only a hundred times more huge.  He's...  He's this strong force."

        "He's a force," Erik said.

        "Yeah."

        "To be reckoned with?"

        "Shut up."

        "Trevor...I am...your father," Erik said, breathing hard through his hands.

        "Shut up!" Trevor said.

        "What are you doing?" Dan asked.

        "Dan...I am...a Backstreet Boy," Erik said, still doing his Vader impression.

        "That's great," Dan said.  "Where's Ashley?"

        "We don't know," Trevor said.

        "Where's Jacob?"

        "Isn't he still sitting over there?" Erik asked.

        "No," Dan said.

        "He left?" Trevor asked.

        "Are you surprised?" Erik asked.

        "The party's dying," Dan said.  "Everyone's going."

        The crowd was a lot smaller than it had been.  A whole lot smaller.  Damn, when had that happened?

        "Guys."

        Jacob?  The three of them turned.  Jacob.  He was the only person in the whole club still fully dressed.  He had one arm around Ashley, helping Ashley walk through discarded clothes, spilled drinks, and whatever else was on the floor.  Ashley was barefoot.

        "Where are your shoes?" Dan asked.

        "Joey took them off when he was up there," Jacob said.

        "Yeah, but why didn't you put them on again?" Erik asked.

        "They're gone," Jacob said.  "Someone must have taken them."

        "How are you?" Trevor asked Ashley.

        "Drunk as shit," Jacob said.  "Even more than three of you.  Joey's gone.  I called a cab."

        "Where'd he go?" Ashley asked vaguely, trying to focus his gaze.

        "I don't know," Jacob said, irritated.

        "He was right there," Ashley said.  "Then he was gone."  He stumbled; Jacob held him up.

        "Let's go," Jacob said.

        "Why'd they all leave?" Trevor asked.

        "They have better things to do than hang around here with your drunk ass," Jacob said.

        "So do you, but you stayed," Erik said.

        "That's because I'm your friend," Jacob said.  "They're not."

        "Joey's my friend," Ashley said.

        "The doors were locked," Dan said, as if that were related to anything that had been said.

        "They opened them after a while to let people out, but no one can come in," Jacob said.

        "How did AJ get in?" Trevor asked.

        "He's a Backstreet Boy," Erik said.

        Eyes watched through the monitors as Jacob kept Ashley from falling over on the way to the door.  Trevor, Erik, and Dan walked and weaved along after them.  Four of them, especially Ashley, drunk.  Four of them, especially Ashley, half-naked.  Four of them, especially Ashley, vulnerable.  Jacob was not.  He alone was walking out unaffected.

        Ten of them were crammed into the booth.  Chris had put himself in a corner and was quietly chewing off his fingernails, Justin at his side.  Lance, JC, and Joey were watching the monitors over the shoulders of the Backstreet Boys.

        O-Town stopped at the doors, waiting for the doorman to let them out.

        Kevin had one of the cameras zoom in on Jacob.

        Brian touched the screen.  "Hello, love."

        Chris flinched at the words.

        Ashley passed out in the cab.

        Jacob and Dan carried Ashley into the house.

        Howie kissed JC.  "Thank you for tonight," he said, and JC blushed red at the knowledge in Howie's eyes.  Howie kissed Lance and walked out of the booth.

        Lance looked at JC.

        JC felt like shit, for hurting Lance; felt proud, for being good for Howie; and felt like shit, again, for having done that.  But Lance understood.  Right?  They'd all agreed.  They'd all known.  They'd talked about this.  And Lance had given Brian a blowjob, which would kill Chris if Chris knew, so Lance wasn't any better than JC was.

        Lance left.

        JC told himself not to feel bad.  He hadn't even done anything with Howie in the back room.  He could have, he could have done anything, everything back there, but he hadn't.  They'd stood back there, and talked, and watched other people.  One blowjob in Howie's house, and one blowjob in Erik's room; that was it.  The first had been for Erik's sake, and the other one Lance couldn't even know about.

        JC watched Nick talk with Joey.  Joey had been perfect tonight.  Joey had done better than any of them.

        Nick saw JC watching.

        JC looked away.

        Nick leaned in, kissed his cheek, and walked out.

        JC closed his eyes, trying to trap this feeling for later.

        AJ touched Joey's chest.  "Not bad tonight."

        "Thanks," Joey said, his body responding to the suggestive smirk in AJ's eyes, wanting to push AJ against the wall and get started.  His dick was hardening, fast.

        AJ's hand lingered, his smile full of secrets and sin.  "He would've let you fuck him."

        The word "fuck" from AJ's mouth made Joey's blood run hot.  "I know, but that's not part of the plan."  The press of AJ's hand was making Joey's nipples hard, making him want to touch back.

        AJ's hand slid down slowly, a casual journey south, as he smiled knowingly.  "Yet."

        "Yet," Joey agreed, fighting the urge to grab AJ and rip his clothes off.

        AJ gave him a wicked but sincere-looking smile.  "Ashley's a lucky boy."  He patted Joey's dick and left.

        Rock-hard and in the grip of lust, Joey went to go find a girl.  He had to take this out on somebody.  Half-naked girls on him all night was one thing.  Ashley needy and available in his arms was something else.  AJ McLean...  No comparison.

        Justin and Chris were alone in the booth with Kevin and Brian.  Justin knew that Chris wouldn't leave until Brian had gone, and he didn't want to leave Chris alone, so he was staying.  He wished Kevin and Brian would just go.  Go and leave them alone.  Go and let them be.  Go and stop torturing them.  Go and stop making him feel like he was allergic to his own flesh.  Justin was surprised he'd lasted this long in the same room as Kevin.  He didn't even think that Chris was breathing.

        Maybe he could get Chris to sneak out with him.  Justin got up, pulling on Chris's arm until Chris stood with him.  The door was-

        "Do you want a ride?" Kevin asked.

        "Yes," Justin said.  Shit!  What the hell?  He'd barely registered what Kevin's question was!  And no, he didn't want a ride.  He didn't want a ride with Kevin, from Kevin.  He wasn't doing this to himself again, he wasn't.  He couldn't.

        "Let's go," Kevin said.

        He couldn't leave Chris!  Not alone with Brian.  He wasn't that cruel.  No one was.  He didn't have a clue what Brian had done to Chris, or what Brian might do tonight, but he knew that Chris wasn't Chris anymore when Brian was around.  He knew that Chris was terrified of Brian.  Which sounded insane, because Brian seemed like one of the most nice, normal, wholesome people Justin knew.  What could Brian, of all people, possibly have done to Chris?

        "Justin," Kevin said.

        "I..."

        Kevin turned away from him, stepping towards the door.

        Justin's chest knotted.

        Kevin was on the stairs.

        Justin ran after him.

        Chris kept his eyes on the floor.

        Brian tidied up.

        Chris couldn't move.  He had to hold very still and be very quiet.  That went against his instincts; every cell in his body was screaming out, wanting to grab Brian, seize the moment, seize this one opportunity, the first he'd had in a long, long time.  The agony of having Brian close and not doing anything about it was tearing apart his soul.

        "Chris," Brian said, walking over to him.

        Chris held very, very still.  Brian was here, and he couldn't breathe.  Brian was close to him, very close, voluntarily and deliberately close, standing right in front of him.  Speaking to him in that perfect voice.  Close enough to touch.  He had to touch.  He couldn't touch.

        "I haven't seen you for a while.  I missed you."

        He wanted to revel, glory, celebrate.  Rejoice.  It hurt, it was excruciating, not to respond.  Brian was speaking to him, Brian was inviting response; how could he possibly ignore it?

        Brian's knuckles brushed Chris's jaw.  "We're alone."  His voice was soft in the privacy of the booth.  "We don't have to pretend."

        Oh, oh, god.

        Brian kissed him.

        Everything inside snapped.  Something inside Chris howled with ecstasy.

        Brian moved in closer, body pressing against Chris.

        Chris opened his mouth, letting in Brian's kiss.  Too much, too much, it was so perfect and so real it couldn't be happening.  It was wrong to hope, to believe, but Brian was here, really here, with him, touching him, kissing him.  Chris had to memorize this moment, the perfect fit of their bodies, the sweet mating of their mouths, the near-silent, barely audible breathy sound telling secrets to his heart.

        "I lay awake at night, thinking about you," Brian whispered.  "Remembering the way we were together."

        The soft, erotic touch of Brian's tongue.  So perfect, so real...

        "We were good together," Brian said.

        The gentle touch of Brian's hands.  So perfect, so real...

        "I want you," Brian whispered.

        Chris reached for him.  He was so perfect, so real, so everything Chris lived for-

        Brian turned away and left the room.

        Chris's hands were empty.

        Joey fucked a girl and pretended he was making love with AJ.

        JC went to bed and dreamt of Nick.

        Lance fucked a guy and pretended he was making love with Howie.

        Chris went home, went to bed, and hurt.

        Kevin took Justin home, fucked him on the stairs, and left.  Naked, Justin dragged himself up the stairs and into bed.  He couldn't shower.  He might wash away the scent of Kevin that lingered on his skin.

        Jacob was the first one awake.  He went from bedroom to bedroom, checking in on the guys.  Ashley and Trevor were still passed out, hard.  Erik moaned and rolled away, wanting to be left alone to die.  Dan accepted water and coffee, then went to take a shower.

        Around noon, Trevor staggered down and dropped onto the sofa.  He moaned and slept.  Jacob had to give him credit for having tried.

        Around twelve-thirty, Erik could be heard throwing up in the bathroom.  Then the shower started.

        Around one, there was sudden swearing and banging.  Dan went to investigate.  Erik was in his underwear, tearing apart his room.

        "I was supposed to be there at eleven!  Fuck it, where is my shirt?!  Eleven, it's after one now, I was supposed to be there at eleven!"

        "Be where?" Dan asked.

        "JC's house!  He fucking - - I'm not gay.  I'm not gay," Erik said, stopping in his frantic actions and facing Dan.  "I'm not gay, but JC kissed me on the mouth, Howie kissed me, they went to the back room for sex with each other and Howie said he'd be thinking about me!  Howie had sex with JC while he was thinking about me.  JC invited me to his house and fuck if I miss it!  Where the hell is my shirt?!"

        "You're two hours late," Dan said, not even sure what to say about the rest of that.  "Maybe you should call first.  Do you know where he lives?"

        "He gave me his address when he gave me his number," Erik said.  "I can find it.  I'm going.  He'll understand.  The club, the party, I slept in, he'll be cool."

        "Can you be a little quieter?" Dan asked.

        "Look, JC wants me at his house.  Fuck being hung over."

        They'd known Erik would be late.  Howie arrived at eleven-thirty.  They talked, about Erik, about general topics.  Then Howie slid closer on the sofa and kissed JC, pulling up JC's shirt, putting his hand on JC's skin.  JC kissed Howie back, opening the buttons on Howie's shirt, exposing Howie's chest.

        "Nick was right about you," Howie said.

        That was the best compliment anyone could have given JC, because it implied a compliment from Nick.  "What did he say?"

        Howie smiled, kissing him again, and didn't answer.

        Chris was supposed to call Trevor.

        He couldn't.

        Not today.

        Not...not today.

        Erik hopped up the stairs and rang JC's doorbell.  He didn't look too crappy and hung over.  He was only three hours late.  Not bad.

        JC opened the door.  "Erik-Michael."  JC kissed his cheek.  "Come in."

        "Hi.  Thanks."  Erik walked in, JC closing the door behind him.  "Nice place."

        "Thanks.  Did you get home all right last night?"

        "Oh, yeah," Erik said.  He'd seen Howie's car in the drive, but...  "Is Howie here?"

        "Yeah," JC said.  "Come on."

        Erik followed JC through the house.  It had the same flawless carelessness, or careless flawnessness, that trademarked JC's personal style.  While checking out JC's place, Erik checked out JC's ass.  Did JC fuck Howie, or did Howie fuck JC?  Or did they take turns?  Neither one was really what Erik would describe as butch, so it was hard to go by stereotypes.

        "He got a call.  He's probably still on the phone," JC said.  "The Boys have been calling all morning."

        "The...Backstreet Boys?" Erik asked.

        "They're a little pissed about last night," JC said, and walked into a room.

        "Why?" Erik asked, and then forgot the question.  Howie was in the corner of the L-shaped sofa, one ankle across his knee, one arm spread along the couch while his other hand held the phone to his ear.  His shirt was open, and Erik could see everything from neck past navel.  His skin was amazing, and he had great pecs, and he had great abs, and Erik realized a little too late that he was more aroused than he was jealous.

        It had never seemed like an intimate thing to know the color of another guy's nipples before, but suddenly...

        Suddenly...

        Wait, "Suddenly."  Erik looked around the room.  Was he hearing things?

        "Nick.  Nick," Howie said.  "I have to go.  Erik-Michael's here.  No, I don't know.  No, I won't ask him.  That's between you and Joey.  That's between you and Joey," Howie repeated.

        Nick and Joey?  Nick Carter and Joey Fatone?  What?

        "I'll talk to you later.  Bye."  Howie hung up the phone and stood, coming closer.  Erik closed his eyes and Howie kissed his mouth.  It was brief, and chaste, but it felt good, it felt so good...

        "What's Nick going to do?" JC asked.

        "Nothing stupid," Howie said.  "I hope."

        Erik tried not to stare at Howie's chest.  It was like last night, with all of those naked breasts at the club, trying not to stare at them.  He hadn't expected Howie to be this buffed.  He wondered what Howie's biceps looked like.  He wondered what Howie's nipples would feel like under his tongue.

        Holy shit.  Erik had to get his brain on something else.  "What are you listening to?"

        "What does it sound like?" JC asked with a smile.

        "It sounds like O2," Erik said.

        "I bought it for him," Howie said.  "He's been listening to it all day."

        "What do you think?" Erik asked.

        "I like 'The Joint,'" Howie said.

        "I wrote that one," Erik said.

        Howie winked and touched his back.  "I know."

        "Leave him alone," JC said, teasing, pushing Howie's hand off of Erik.  "I love 'Favorite Girl.'  It's the most slammin' tune you guys have done."

        "Really?" Erik asked.  Damn.  Should've picked that one for a single.

        "There's something new and fresh about it, and the way - - do you have time?"

        "Hours," Erik said.

        "Want to take a ride?"

        "Yeah, sure.  Where?"

        "The studio."

        "For what?"

        Jacob headed up the stairs.

        "Where are you going?" Dan asked, already knowing the answer.

        "To talk to Ashley," Jacob said, still on the move.

        Dan wanted to talk to Ashley, himself.  Maybe if he were there, doing some of the talking, Jacob would back off a little.  He knew that what had happened last night had been inexcusable, but he was sure that Ashley would feel bad enough about it without Jacob's censure.  He got up and followed, Trevor right behind him.

        Ashley's room was dark, lights off, curtains closed.  He was sitting up in the middle of the bed, hugging his knees to his bare chest, still in last night's pants.

        "How do you feel?" Trevor asked.

        "Like shit," Ashley whispered.

        "Good," Jacob said.  "You should.  It's good practice for how you're going to feel when you ruin your career, our careers, fucking around with guys in public."

        "He didn't ruin anybody's career," Trevor said.

        "We don't know that," Jacob said.  "We'll never be sure of that.  How many people were at that club?  It only takes one."

        "There's no evidence," Trevor said.

        "Security tapes," Jacob said.

        "Shit," Trevor said.

        "You knew coming into this that you had to play it straight," Jacob said to Ashley, furious.  "You never once let us down.  Until last night.  You fucked up, Ashley.  You fucked all of us over!  Us!  I thought we could count on you!  You jeopardized everything!  And for what, so-"

        "Jacob, wait," Dan said.  "Slow down.  It might not be Ashley's fault.  Somebody could have put something in his drink."

        "Who?" Jacob demanded.

        "Anybody.  Ashley, where'd you get your drinks?"

        "Joey gave them to me," Ashley said.

        "Where'd he get them?" Jacob asked sharply, suspicious.

        "From the bartender, and sometimes from other people."

        "Other people?" Jacob asked.

        "Just...people.  I don't know."

        "Did you feel drugged?"

        "I felt...  I don't know.  I felt...  The whole night, everything was...  There was so much sex, and so many girls, and Joey, and I was drinking...  When he took me up there, it was a joke, and then...  He looked at me, and he said...  He told me to dance, and I said I didn't know how, and he said, 'Ashley, you were born knowing how.'  For all of my life, people have seen me a certain way, and I thought that was the way I was, but he sees something else in me, something different, and I wanted to be that person.  I wanted to have that in me, and I wanted to show the world that what Joey sees in me, I can be that, too."

        "What does he see?" Trevor asked.

        "I don't...  I don't know.  Something..."

        "Something sexual," Jacob said impatiently.  "Ashley, we all see that in you."

        "We do?" Trevor asked.

        "Fine.  I see that in you.  It's assholes like Joey who take advantage of it."

        "Why did he leave me?" Ashley asked.

        "Why did he leave you drunk and possibly drugged against your will, vulnerable in the middle of an out-of-hand party with strangers without even a pair of shoes on?  I don't know, Ashley," Jacob said.  "Maybe because he doesn't give a shit about you once he's had his fun."

        "If it hit the press, he'd look bad, too," Ashley said.  "He told me it wouldn't.  He said..."

        "Come on.  Take a shower," Dan said, pulling him gently off of the bed.

        "I'm sorry," Ashley said, ashamed but truly sorry, trying to meet Dan's eyes.

        "I know," Dan said.  "It's okay.  We'll get through it."

        Joey kept replaying last night in his head.  Not the party, not Ashley, just that one moment with AJ.  The rough sex in AJ's voice.  The knowing rise and fall of AJ's lashes, bringing back memories of times when AJ had been so close to him, he'd felt those lashes brush his skin.  The smirk in AJ's smile, the knowledge that AJ was proud of him, the knowledge that AJ knew what he was capable of.  The touch of AJ's hand, the slow press of it over his fly, the too-quick teasing squeeze of his dick.  He'd been instantly hard.

        AJ always did that to him.  His body was trained to jump into instant readiness just at the thought of AJ.  His dick was a dog on a leash, and whenever AJ was near, whenever AJ touched him, that dog was up and barking, fighting to launch into action.

        It wasn't all about sex.  AJ had a magical hold over him.  One smile from AJ could make him happier, prouder, warmer than anything else in his life.  Some of his best memories were all AJ.  Going to club after club, dancing and dancing and sweating and laughing.  Those dangerously exhilirating times they'd picked up girls together, fucking in the same bed, first separate girls, then the same girl, Joey starting to realize he didn't want the girl there at all.  That long weekend in a hotel in New Orleans.  The sound of AJ's laugh.

        That was all before things had started to go bad.  Before everything had spun out of his control.  Before he'd lost more than he could ever, ever get back.

        His body would always respond to AJ.  His heart, whether he admitted it or not, would always respond to AJ.  And AJ would always be something he could never really have.

        Erik had been in the studio before, but he'd never been there with JC.  JC was doing the wildest things to the track.  He'd never thought that one of their songs could sound like this.  He'd never thought that any song could sound like this.

        Howie kissed the back of JC's neck and JC turned red, fumbling the controls.  He lowered his head and visibly pulled himself together.  Howie's shirt was buttoned now, but open at the neck, and Erik kept staring at Howie's skin.  Howie's neck.  Howie's-

        "It's not right," JC said.  "Something's not right."  He listened to it again.  "Erik-Michael."

        "What?" Erik asked.  He stopped staring at Howie and looked at JC.  Damn.  Now he didn't know where to look.  They were both too freaking gorgeous.  His eyes were starting to hurt from it.  Someday, someday soon, he was going to find an excuse to put his fingers in their hair.

        "Call Jacob and ask him to come over here."

        "He won't do it," Erik said.

        "Call him," JC said.  "Beg him.  I need his voice.  It is so right on this song."

        Just Jacob's voice?  Not his, or Dan's, or...just Jacob's?  That was kind of insulting.  He got out his phone and dialed.

        "Townhouse, Dan speaking."

        Townhouth, Dan thpeaking.  Erik smiled.  "It's Erik-Michael.  Give me Jacob."

        "Hey, Jacob!  It's Erik," Dan called.

        "What does he want?"

        "Pick up and he'll tell you!"

        "Hello?" Jacob's voice asked in Erik's ear.

        "Jacob.  We're in the studio, and JC's remixing 'Favorite Girl.'  It sounds like the bomb shit.  I'm handing it to Clive myself as soon as it's done.  But he needs your voice for some ad-libs."

        "He what?"

        "'Favorite Girl.'  Remix.  Need you.  Come here now."

        "No," Jacob said.

        "Excuse me," Erik said, and went into the hallway.  "Jacob, JC hasn't done anything wrong or suspicious since he met me.  He's doing us a huge freaking favor right now.  He's fucking amazing.  Fucking.  Amazing.  Get your ass over here.  Do it for me.  Do it for us.  As soon as this mix hits the radio - - and I'll make sure it does, myself - - it's going to number one, and we're not even releasing the original as a single.  If it hits the air as it is, when it's number one, people can say it's all JC and maybe they'll be right, and you'll hate it forever.  If you come over and give us some vocals, no one can say it's all JC, because it's JC and it's us."

        Silence.

        "Please."

        "It has to be me?"

        "He asked for you."

        "Well, I feel special," Jacob said.

        Erik laughed.

        "Okay, I'm on my way.  Where are you?"

        "Yes!"  Erik celebrated.

        Erik was gone; Jacob had just left the house.  Dan had gone out to buy aspirin for Trevor and Ashley.  Trevor was watching a soap opera with the sound off.  Ashley, clean and dressed, made himself a bowl of cereal.

        The doorbell rang.

        "I'll get it," Ashley said, and Trevor waved.  Ashley opened the door and got the shock of his life.

        Nick Carter was on his doorstep.

        Ashley tried to make that make sense.

        "Angel," Nick said.  It was a sneer, not an endearment.

        "Can I-"

        "Angel," Nick said again, stepping closer, into the doorway.  "A pretty name...for a pretty boy...with a pretty face."  He was walking around Ashley in a tight circle, threatening, intimidating.

        It was too reminiscent of the playground taunts and locker room harassment of his youth.  And it was mixed in with adult hatred, adult violence.

        "I hope you had fun last night," Nick said.

        The worst part of it was, he had.  He'd had fun in the club.  He'd had fun with Joey.  "What-"

        "Did you like it?" Nick asked.  "Did you like being his girlfriend for the night?"

        What...  Joey?  Was this about Joey?  What on earth-

        "He liked it," Nick said.  "He liked it too much."  Nick stepped even closer, eyes narrowing.  "You are very pretty.  I know what he sees in you."  His eyes were so blue and so dangerous, Ashley couldn't look away.  "You won't get him.  You can't have him.  You can be as pretty as you want.  You can let him fuck you," heartbeat, "as much as you want.  It doesn't matter.  He's mine."

        Nick's gaze saw right through him, and Nick's words were echoing in his brain in crazy, nonsensical patterns.  Ashley tried to breathe.

        Nick shoved him, hard.

        Ashley stumbled and caught at the doorjamb to keep himself from falling.

        "You're good, Angel.  But you'll never be better than me."  Nick turned and walked away.

        Ashley slammed the door shut and leaned against it, still in shock.  Oh, god.  What the hell.  What the hell.  "Trevor.  Trevor!"

Continue on to part three..

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