Author's Note: This story is loosely based on the song that you'll find at the bottom of the page. All rights to the song are reserved to the publishers affiliated with the songwriters, as well as the record label the artist records with.
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JC and Lance took the elevator to their floor, walking down the hall to their rooms. “I’m going to talk to Bobbie, tell her that she has to leave,” JC said. “Then I’ll come to your room, okay?”
“Alright,” Lance nodded. JC took Lance’s hand for a moment, squeezing it gently before taking his key card out of his pocket, slipping it into the slot as Lance entered his own room.
“Bobbie, I need to talk…” JC trailed off as he stopped abruptly in the doorway. Bobbie was standing on the balcony, her arms wrapped around another person. As JC watched, the second person turned around, revealing a woman with long red hair as she leaned up for a kiss. Her eyes happened to focus on JC and she stopped, causing Bobbie to turn around as JC approached them.
Bobbie opened the sliding glass door, coming in from the balcony. “Elsie, stay out there for a minute,” she instructed, before closing it behind her. She turned to JC, her eyes filled with apprehension, along with a little bit of fear.
“Elsie?” JC questioned, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Did she want you to milk her?”
“Not funny, Josh,” Bobbie replied. “Just sit down and let me explain…”
“What is there to explain? I come in here and find you out on the balcony with some woman, who obviously was here for more than just a look at the view. At least, not the view from this floor.” JC could feel his face growing flushed with anger, and that fact confused him somewhat. After all, wasn’t he planning on telling her to leave anyway?
“Get out,” JC said firmly. “And take your little girlfriend with you. I don’t want to see you hanging around us anymore, and if I do, I’ll make sure you will never work in any entertainment field ever again. Except for porn but, oh wait, you’ve already had experience in that area, haven’t you?”
Bobbie’s eyes filled with tears and she reached for him, only to have JC recoil in disgust. “Out, Bobbie. Now.”
Bobbie turned to the sliding glass door, motioning for Elsie to come inside. Without a word they filed out of the room, the door closing quietly behind them. JC sank down to the bed, his hands threading through his chestnut hair.
“Lance,” he whispered, his throat clogged with emotion. “I need to go back to Lance.”
He got up, closing the door to the balcony and locking it before leaving his room. JC walked to Lance’s door, knocking on it before resting his forehead against the cool wood, waiting for Lance to answer.
“Hey, J…” Lance stopped when he took in JC’s slumped shoulders and pained expression. “JC, what’s wrong? What did she say to you?”
Lance opened the door further to let JC pass, and watched as JC sat down on the edge of the bed, burying his face in his hands. Lance walked over, sitting down beside him. “JC?”
“You know, I knew we both saw other people, and that never bothered me,” JC said softly. “Until I caught her red-handed.”
“Woah, wait a minute,” Lance interrupted. “Bobbie had another guy in your room?”
JC chuckled slightly. “Actually, it was a girl, and they looked pretty cozy out on the balcony when I walked in.”
If it was possible for Lance’s eyebrows to mesh into his hairline, they did. “You’re kidding me? So I guess that means she’s…”
“Out of the picture, for good,” JC finished. “I just wish I knew why I feel betrayed by her. I had every intentions of telling her to go home, and we’d talk later, and then break it off with her. I shouldn’t feel like a jealous boyfriend who just discovered he was being cheated on.”
“It was a shock, and that’s just the natural reaction to a situation like that,” Lance soothed. “There’s nothing wrong with feeling hurt or betrayed. I probably would be the same way, had it been me.”
JC leaned his head on Lance’s shoulder, and Lance could feel the muscles in his body tense at the contact. God has it out for me, that’s all there is to it. I finally have a chance with the guy I like, I finally kiss him…or rather, he kissed me…and now this has to happen. I want to kiss him until he forgets everything that went on down the hall, but I’m afraid I’d be taking advantage of him if I did. And yet, I can’t seem to pull away from him. Not right now. He needs me.
“Lance,” JC whispered, his breath teasing Lance’s neck, causing him to shiver. “I know I said we were going to talk about the stuff on the roof but, for now, could we just sit here like this for awhile?”
Lance wrapped one arm around JC’s waist and nodded.
After a few minutes of silence, JC moved his head, nuzzling Lance’s neck before placing a kiss against his pulse point. “JC, what are you doing?” Lance questioned.
“Thanking you for being here,” JC answered, trailing more kisses upward, across Lance’s jawline and chin before stopping to look into pale green eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“JC, I just…I don’t want something to happen just because you’re upset over what went down with Bobbie. I want to know, if anything goes on between us, that it’s done because there are true feelings there.”
JC sat up fully, and Lance stared straight ahead as he continued. “I’m always going to be here when you need a friend, C. That hasn’t and will not change. I can’t deny that what happened on the roof tonight was something I have wanted for a long time. But I’m not going to be someone you can fall back on just because you know I’ll be around. I need more than that, and I deserve more.”
“Do you seriously believe that I would use you like that?” JC asked. “That’s crazy, Lance. I wanted that kiss just as much as you did, and I wouldn’t be here right now wanting it to happen again if I didn’t have feelings for you.”
“I just don’t want us to fall into something because you’re vulnerable and I’m available,” Lance said softly. “We both can’t do that to one another, it’s not right.”
“But what about if it’s just two people that are exploring feelings for one another?” JC responded, placing a kiss at the corner of Lance’s mouth.
Lance turned to face JC, smiling slightly. “I think we can handle that.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Leave My Heart Out Of This
I know the damage that he’s done
I know the damage that he’ll do
You know when you knock on my door
I’ll always open it to you
There is a time there is a place
But it’s not here and now’s not safe
This is a fight that’s yours and his
Leave my heart out of this
Leave my heart out of this
You’re too much to resist
I don’t have the strength to pull away
No is getting hard for me to say
I’d love to be the way your heartache ends
But ‘til it does we can’t be more than friends
I’m only trying to do what’s best
It’s gonna hurt you more unless
You leave my heart out of this
Right now confused is how you feel
Afraid to make it on your own
I know the way you hurt to heal
And I know the empty of alone
So take my shoulder, take my hand
Take what you need, I’ll understand
Just don’t take more than I can give
Leave my heart out of this
Leave my heart out of this
You’re too much to resist
I don’t have the strength to pull away
No is getting hard for me to say
I’d love to be the way your heartache ends
But ‘til it does we can’t be more than friends
I’m only trying to do what’s best
It’s gonna hurt you more unless
You leave my heart out of this
Oh you’re too much to resist
I’m only trying to do what’s best
It’s gonna hurt you more unless
You leave my heart out of this
Leave my heart…