Two

 

Me?  Joshua Scott Chasez has a problem sleeping?  Is the world coming to an end?  It has to be because I’ve been staring at the black ceiling for what seems like days, but it’s only been a few hours.

I rolled over, the green numbers on the clock burning my eyes.  Next to it was my cell phone – something I hadn’t used in days.  I hadn’t talked to anyone since Lance’s wedding announcement – I didn’t really want to either.  Well.  Okay, maybe I really did need someone to talk to about what was going on in my head, but who?

I reached over and pulled the small silver phone towards me.  I flipped through the address book, found the number I wanted and hit send.  I glanced back at the clock again, hoping with the time difference it wouldn’t be too late.

“JC, what’s up man?”  he answered.

“Not much, you got a minute?”

“Sure, hold on.”

 

At The Same Time

 

“Lance are you asleep?”  Trinity asked as she stared down at his body.  He was on his stomach face down and staring at the television blankly.  She was muttering off wedding plans and searching her laptop for local bridal stores. 

His thoughts were far from the wedding decorations and tuxes.  His thoughts were wrapped around the fact that he was actually getting married.  Getting married can change you, right?  Right.

“Lance, are you sleeping with your eyes open again?”

His gaze wasn’t taken from the T.V., he just robotically replied, “no, I’m awake.”

“Good, ‘cause I need your opinion on some stuff,” she replied.

“Honey, it’s late, do we have to do this tonight?” he asked, content just laying there thinking.

“Lance, we’re getting married in three months!  This stuff takes time!” she freaked out.

“Mom is meeting you tomorrow with the coordinator, then you’ll know all we need to do.  There’s nothing more you can do tonight, come to bed,” he insisted.

She smiled and shut her laptop.

“Okay, you’re right baby,” she kissed his forehead.

Lance sighed, it was going to be a long three months.

 

At The Same Time

 

“Okay, sorry, had to go in a different room, what’s going on, it’s late there?”

“I just hadn’t talk to you in a while,” I shrugged.

“I’m sorry, we’ll be back in Orlando in a few days.  Kinda crazy all of that wedding stuff with Lance, huh?”

“You’re going to be next Justin,” I laughed.

“Bite your tongue!”

“I saw you and Brit on T.V. – you guys disgust me,” I joked.

“Yeah, yeah,” he replied dryly, “I disgust myself sometimes with how much I love her.”

There was a long silence.

“JC, you wouldn’t call this late unless the world was coming to an end.  When we don’t tour you are knocked out by 11:30 at the latest, so what gives?”  Justin asked.

I sighed into the phone.

“Must be something serious for you to call me and not Lance,” Justin commented.

My eyes lit up.

“I don’t always call Lance,” I retorted.

Justin snorted and then laughed, “yes you do.”

“Whatever,” I chuckled.

“Really, what’s wrong C?”

I smiled and then rubbed my face with my hands.

“I can’t believe I’m so far gone I’m asking YOU for advice,” I sighed.

“What’s wrong with me?”  Justin laughed.

“Nothing,” I replied, realizing at that moment that I really was falling bad – if not already gone.

“Tell me, what’s wrong?”

“Okay,” I thought for a second.  I knew full well I couldn’t just tell Justin I was in love with another man, let alone Lance, because even *I* didn’t understand it, so how in the hell could he?  “So I think I’m falling for someone…”

“That’s great C!”

“No, no, Jup, wait.  This person well, already has someone and they’re engaged and in love and…well…”  God I hated talking!

“Oh man…”  I could practically hear Justin in deep thought.  He knew how difficult it was for me to find someone with the fame and all.  “She must be special if you’re thinking about her like this and she’s going to be married,” he sighed.

She…

“Yeah, special is an understatement.  Anyways, what should I do?”  I asked, really hoping he had an answer for me.

“How does she feel about you?”

“Not the same,” I simply replied.

“Are you sure, have you asked her?”

“I don’t have to ask, just trust me, I KNOW.”

Justin thought for a second and then blurted, “tell her.”

I nearly dropped the phone – this was his advice?!?

“Have you gone mad!?” I shouted.

“Okay, okay, I’m assuming she’s just a friend, right?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I agreed.

“Well, hang out with her, and y’know, feel her out, see if there’s a connection there.  Maybe she doesn’t want to get married, especially if she’s sending you enough signals that you care for her this much,” Justin concluded.

Lance, sending ME signals?  I nearly busted out laughing at the thought.  Hang out with him and…YEAH RIGHT.

It was good advice, really it was, for a GIRL and someone who isn’t one of your best friend’s…or Justin’s.

“What if I know for sure that they don’t feel the same?”

“You never know that for sure unless you ask,” he replied.

“So what do I do about the whole marriage thing?”

“She’s not married yet, right?”

“Right…”

“So you’ve got time,” he simply answered.

A deep sigh escaped my throat.

“You really care about her, huh?” he asked.

“You could say that.”

“Well, good luck, let me know how it goes.  I gotta jet, Brit’s calling me.”

“No problem, thanks Jup.”

“I hope I helped.  Oh and JC?”

“Yeah?”

“Do I know this girl?” he asked.

I smiled to myself like a goofball.

“I think you may have met, I’m not sure though,” I guiltily looked up at the ceiling.

“Does she have a name?” he laughed.

“I’d rather not say right now if that’s okay,” I answered.

“I understand, it’s cool C.  I’ll see yah soon, okay?”

“Thanks Ju, g’night.”

“Later,” he hung up.

 

One Day Later

 

Why tell me why did Joey have to leave town for a day?  I swear I was being tortured for having impure thoughts about Lance.

“You two are not paying attention!”  Trinity yelled at Lance and I.  “Burgundy or purple?”

Lance and I looked at each other and then shrugged.

“Trin, why don’t you go with the lavender since it’s a summer wedding,” Diane replied as she looked up at us.  We were literally walking a couple yards behind them with out hands in our pockets.  The huge bridal store had anything and everything for any wedding.  The coordinator had advised Lance and Trin to go pick out the colors they wanted and then look around to get some ideas for some personal touches.  So, here we were.  Lance’s parents had stayed in town to help and when Lance asked his dad to come along today he laughed and said no.  So, since Joey’s not in town, I got dragged out to the store from hell so Lance didn’t have to go through it alone.  Not that I minded spending time with him…just. Not. Planning.  HIS.  Wedding.

“Trin says there’s one of these stores in Georgia, so she’s going to fly home this weekend to find dresses for her bridesmaids,” Lance shoved his hands deeper into his pockets.

“Cool, you can hang out with the guys then.  Justin will be back,” I replied, trying not to sound too excited.

We both looked down at the ground, our baseball caps covering our faces at the same time.  The groups of girls passed, but didn’t stop, just looked at us oddly.

“Yeah we’re really overdo for a jam session,” Lance replied as Trinity stopped to look at some decorations.

There was an awkward silence, both of us looking at each other a bit too long.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of him, he was absolutely beautiful.

“You’re not paying attention again!”  Trinity interrupted us.

It was going to be a long day.

 

That Night

 

It was another sleepless night for me, accept this time all I did was think about three years ago over and over.

Why didn’t I pursue it further, why did I just let him go like that?  He wouldn’t of kissed me if he didn’t WANT to, right?

Thinking about that kiss just set my body on fire.  All of this time all I thought about was how to deal with my feelings and I never really thought about anything sexual until…well…right now.  I sighed loudly as I realized my body was quite aroused by my mental images of Lance and I kissing.  My hand slid down my body and under my boxers.  Just as I was wrapping my hand around myself, the phone rang.  I nearly flew out of bed like I was a teenager being caught by my parents.

I snatched the phone off the nightstand and pressed it to my ear.

A semi-frantic “hello” left my mouth.

“Jayce?  You sound startled, did I wake you?”  Lance asked.

I took a deep breath.

“No, no, I was uh, just thinking, uh, what’s up?”  I asked.

“Nothing, Trin’s asleep and I…I dunno, I just wanted to say hi,” the sound of his deep voice made my issues worse.

“You sound like something’s wrong,” I commented, knowing full well as my hand slid back down my body that I was going to hell.

 

Lance looked over at Trinity, who was facing the other way snoring and then quickly reached under the covers and inside his boxers.  He bit his lip feeling guilty as hell before wrapping his hand around himself.

“Nothing’s wrong,” He calmly replied, his body suddenly responding to his hand.

 

I noticed the change in his vocal tone instantly as I slid my hand up and down myself. 

“You sound busy Lance, or just…I dunno…out of it, are you sure everything’s alright?”  I asked, my breath catching a bit in my throat for a second.  It was amazing to me how I could muster hanging upside down, pouncing on a big blow up toy ball, and Velcro myself to a wall while singing, but I can’t even jerk off while talking on the phone without cracking my voice.

“Yeah, it’s fine, just sitting here watching her sleep,” he commented.

I didn’t mean to say it, but Jesus, I was slowly losing control, so the words just flew out of my mouth: “no sex for Taz tonight?”

He chuckled a bit, his breath catching in his throat.  I hope I didn’t embarrass him.

“Uh, no, not tonight,” he responded with a laugh, “although…” he coyly replied.

“Although what?”  I asked, my body reaching the top quicker than I had anticipated.  His voice…

“Just those male issues that a guy has and sometimes does not want to be around…well HIS girl,” he replied, guilt stinging his voice.  “God that so didn’t come out right,” he tried to make up for it, but too late, he already had my attention.  I’d only been in love once, perhaps you could say twice, and I knew that I never wanted anyone but her.

“Lance, I mean, are you sure everything’s okay with you and Trin…the wedding plans were kinda sudden and all,” my hand worked faster and faster.

“I dunno Jayce, I just…”

And that was it, he said his nickname for me and I lost it.

I bit my lip so hard I could feel and taste blood on the edge of my mouth.

“You there Jayce?” he suddenly ask.

The liquid that covered my hands was a reminder that I had to come back down from the temporary cloud I was on.

“Huh, yeah, I, uh thought you were going to say more…or something,” I stuttered.

“JC?” he asked quickly.

“Yeah?”

Suddenly the line went silent as Lance reached his climax, a slight cough leaving his mouth as his head fell back into the pillow.

“Lance?  You still there?”

Lance shook himself out of his trance.

“Huh, sorry, yeah Jayce, I’m just…distracted a bit, I’m sorry,” he turned on his side, contently and listened to the voice on the other line.

“It’s okay, you sound tired, maybe you should get some sleep?” I suggested, really not wanting to get off the phone, I loved the sound of his voice far too much.  But I still wasn’t quite sure why he called…

“Maybe, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, g’dnight Jayce, sweet dreams.”

“Night Lance."

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