Used (9)

by Chris J

"Listen," said AJ, tucking the phone between his shoulder and his ear so he could use both hands to round a sharp corner. "I'm not going to be able to make it to your friend's thing tomorrow after all. I have somewhere else I need to be."

"Aw, damn," came Justin's voice after a moment, the slight quaver in it telling AJ there was probably some pleading and possibly guilt tripping coming up. "Are you sure you can't do it some other time? Mark's only doing the one show and all ... "

"Sorry, kid," said AJ, "it's kinda important. We'll have to do something another time. After the weekend, I'm gonna be busy until Monday. "He hoped that sounded final enough; the last thing he needed was to have to fight with Justin about this at all, let alone when he was driving.

"Well, where do you have to be?" asked Justin, unexpectedly coming at him from another angle. "Maybe I can just come with you."

"it's just not that easy," AJ cut in, taking another corner just a little too fast. "I'm going to see Nick,"

"Okay, two things," said Justin after a momentary pause. "First, is there a really good reason I can't go with you? You said you didn't care who knew we were hanging out. And second ... since when can't you put off going to hang out with Carter?"

"I'm going to see Nick in Arizona."

"What the hell's he doing there?" Justin spouted off immediately, not taking even a moment to think about it. "Arizona? Huh. Hey, isn't that where you ... ? Oh."

It was a little like putting two and two together to get five, but it was the right conclusion anyway. Until that moment, AJ hadn't even been entirely sure Justin knew where it was he'd gone to rehab, couldn't remember ever telling him, even though it hadn't been much of a secret. Had thought maybe he'd have to spell the whole situation out, but thankfully it wasn't unfolding that way.

Justin fell silent, and AJ imagined that a lot of things were suddenly becoming clear. Not the least of which being why AJ -- why all of them, really -- seemed to have too much time on their hands.

"It's hushed up," he responded finally. "For a lot of reasons. Once Nick gets out, he can make the choice himself if he wants to talk about it or not. So I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't even tell your guys, just this once."

"Yeah," said Justin, surprisingly agreeable. Despite getting to know Justin, and despite knowing the industry all too well, AJ still had the absurd idea in his head that the Nsync guys were the type to get together for slumber parties and tell each other all their secrets. "Yeah. Shit. I had no idea. He doing all right?"

It was a pleasant surprise, that that had been the first thing Justin asked. "He's coping," said AJ, as honestly as he could. He really didn't know anything beyond that "He says he's finally ready to see me, so I have to go."

Justin fell silent again, and AJ suddenly started to dread the next words out of his mouth. After such a good start he didn't want to see him backslide, ask again if he couldn't put it off for a week. No, he wasn't going to put Nick off, not for anyone.

"So you're sure I can't keep you company?" he ended up saying, though.

AJ laughed, not sure if he was more relieved or genuinely amused. He knew, though, that at least part of him was grateful. "Let's give him a little time to get used to the *idea* of us being friends first, okay? Maybe next time."

Justin fell into another long silence. If they'd been together, AJ could have at least made an attempt to read his expression; as it was, he could only push, or wait. He waited.

"You worried about him?"

"Course I'm worried about him," AJ snapped instantly. "What do you think?"

"Anything I can do to help?"

It was AJ who fell silent that time at Justin's tentative interruption, already regretting snapping at him. He hadn't yet come to expect overtures like that from Justin, but it was clear even from that question alone that somewhere along the way, Justin had passed over that invisible border between acquaintance and friend.

At the next intersection, he turned the car right around and started off in the direction of Justin's place.

"Yeah, there is actually," he said. "Want to do something with me tonight?"

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