| FATES 12 |
| "Babe, don't forget to pack your heavy coat." Olivia padded down the upstairs hallway toward Lance's bedroom. She paused to pick up a pair of dirty socks from the doorway. "Such a slob," she grinned, tossing them into the hamper. She entered the bedroom and shook her head in wonder. Lance stood amidst a pile of clothes, biting his thumb, his glasses on. He stared blankly at the mess, unable to concentrate on the task. "What?" Olivia stepped over several pairs of shoes, handing him a mug of hot tea. "Your heavy jacket. It's chilly in NY at night in September." She perched on the egde of the bed, gazing at the mess he'd made. "Lance, what are you doing? It's just a week." "I know, I know," he sighed, sipping the tea. "I just can't seem to focus." He threw in some socks and boxer/briefs, then sat next to her, leaning his head on her shoulder. "Shit!" Olivia knew how hard it had become for Lance to divide his obligations to the group, and to her. Since their meeting, the pair had been inseperable, causing huge rifts within N Sync. He struggled day after day to combine the two loves of his life, and felt he was failing miserably. "Calm down, baby," she said, stroking his hair. "You sure you don't want me to come up with you tomorrow?" Lance shook his head vehemently. "No, JC will kill me if he sees you get off that plane with me." He sat up straighter and sipped his tea again. "We have like two days of rehearsals with Britney, then press. God, it's going to be a zoo." "That and it's the rules, right? I'm not allowed to see you until the show." Her lips formed into a pout and she gazed over at him. "Right, Lance?" He nodded, quietly. Yes, it was the rule, one that had been set as soon as he'd asked Olivia to move to Orlando to be closer to him. She'd gone immediatlely, each one feeling the need to explore one another deeper. She'd left her family, her job, her friends, all for him. Then JC made his damn rule. No girlfriends before show time, and none during special rehearsals. He guessed it was all for the good of N Sync, after all, he had been known to blow them off for her. Looking at her, his heart melted. Meeting her was the best thing in his life. She captured him, took care of him, loved him with an intensity that he could have never imagined, especially at his young age. Plucking a piece of her hair that strayed from her ponytail, he twirled it inbetween his fingers. Her hair was his favorite thing about her, so soft and long. He toyed with it often, just to feel it gave him comfort. "I'm sorry about that. JC's anal. You know that." "God, Lance, please don't think I'm trying to make trouble." She stood up and peeled her clothes off, throwing one of his old sweatshirts on to sleep in. "I'm not. I know you need to be with them. It's your job. You don't show up at my job and make trouble." He nodded, thinking about how funny that would be, following her around in the big EMT truck she drove. No, he would never do that. "I know, but still. I want you there. I'll miss you." Since their meeting, he'd tried, hard, not to be away from her overnight. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. He wanted to be selfish, make her quit her job, and hire her to work with him. That way he could see her all the time. He was that whipped, a word Chris never tired of saying. Screw them all, he didn't care. He loved her, and she loved him. The idea of spending the next few days without her, especially in NY, where love blossomed daily with romantic things to do, was not sitting well. He suspected that was causing his scattered mind. Throwing the rest of his clothes and toiletries in the luggage, he pushed it from the bed, lifting his shirt off and pushing his pants down, climbing into bed next to her. "I'm tired," he yawned, placing his glasses on the night table. "Hey, if my mother asks..." "I know, I know. I didn't spend the night." She folded her arms across her chest, weary of the lies they told to his parents. She was older, not by much, but enough that she could spend the night with her boyfriend if she chose. She laid down, letting his arm drape across her stomach. "Lance?" "Hmm?" Olivia knew he was already half asleep. "What time do you have to get up?" "Six, why?" "Just curious. Do I have to bring you to the airport?" She hoped, oh, how she hoped. It was going to be hard enough to let him go, say goodbye. "Naw, car is coming for me." He squeezed her closer, finding her toes with his. "Oh." Olivia stared up at the skylight she had insisted he put in, knowing that he loved the moon and stars, and the dark night sky. Often, they laid out on the deck, watching the sun disappear and the stars twinkling in the dusky sky. He was so smart, and told her what each star was, each constellation. The moon was making it's way to the skylight, and she watched as it cast a soft glow across his gentle features. Reaching out, she touched his cheek softly, not wanting to wake him. Still, she wished that he was still up, to talk, or make love, or just hold one another. She never wanted to loose him, not to N Sync, not to JC, not to the world. God had brought them to each other through a freak illness that had yet to be explained. When they met and spent time at the hospital, all his symptoms disappeared suddenly. He'd been released from the hospital, N Sync had fufilled their obligation to do the charity event, and Olivia had been asked to stay, personally by Lance. Little did everyone know that she would soon become a staple in their lives. Olivia stared at him, her life, her love. Leaving her life behind had been so easy when he was there to run to. She leaned over and planted a small kiss on his cheek, over the small birthmark that graced it. There was no one like Lance, no one. |