Nick turned his stereo up a little louder and pushed his sunglasses up a little higher and took the next corner a little faster, reveling in the sunshine and the fresh air and the fact that he had nothing to do -- *nothing* -- for the next seven days. He sped down the empty street with a smile on his face and hardly slowed down at all where the street curved sharply to the right.

He didn't expect the other car to be idling there.

"Shit!" he said, and slammed on the brakes and yanked on the steering wheel and somehow managed to only rip the side mirror off the other car. God knows what he did to his own, though.

He shut off his car and climbed out after catching his breath, not not NOT wanting to have to deal with this. As he turned, a head in a hat peeked out of the driver's side window of the other car, looked down at the door, then up at Nick.

"I'm ... oh. Fa- Nick. Nick. Hi. What? Happened?"

Nick ripped his sunglasses off and all but threw them on the ground, scowling. He wasn't sure if it was better or worse that it was someone he knew. Though he should have figured it would be, around here.

"Fuck," he said again, surveying the damage. "You okay?

"What?" JC was rubbing the back of his neck, then pulled off his cap and tried to open his door. "Okay? Yeah, I think so. I'm ... look, I'm *so* sorry, are you okay?"

"*You're* sorry?" repeated Nick, having trouble believing his ears. "What? No, I'm fine, just shaken up. Look, is your neck okay? Are you hurt? Who gives a fuck about the cars, right?"

"The cars?" JC blinked in confusion. "Oh, right. Right." He finally got the door open and slid his legs out into the small space between the cars, but fell back into his seat quickly after he attempted to stand up.

"Oh hell," said Nick with a sigh. "Look, can you go out the passenger side? Are you okay to do that? We probably need to get you checked out and stuff. Shit. Shit, shit, shit."

JC was rubbing his forehead, looking even more confused. "I don't think I'm hurt," he murmured. "I don't think I hit anything. It's not like the time Joey gave me that concussion, I ... just dizzy." He tried to stand up in the same place again, despite what Nick had said, and swayed against the door.

Nick reached out and grabbed for his arm. "No, dizzy's bad, I think," he said, trying for the life of him to remember. "Let's just ... what are you doing here? Is there somewhere you can sit down? Fuck. What a mess."

"Going to Joey's," murmured JC, grasping un-self-consciously at Nick's arm. "But ... I forgot the turn before the turn. Maybe ... " He lurched again, and Nick almost freaked out that he'd fainted until he realized he was just trying to get to the curb.

"No, no," said Nick, helping him get to the curb to sit down. "No, you were just sitting there. Were you trying to remember the way or something?"

"Right," JC said, nodding, his limbs folding gracefully as he sat on the cement. "I forget, sometimes, and his parents live the other way, and." He started rubbing his forehead, then his neck again. "I should call him. Somebody. People."

Nick whipped his cell phone out and handed it over, and put the sunless back on top of his head so he wouldn't drop them. "Seriously, you sound ... gone. Was it the accident or something else?"

"What?" JC said again, staring at the phone, then turning it on and continuing to stare at it. "Um. I can't ... remember his number." When he looked back up at Nick, he seemed a little more alarmed, and his face was pretty pale. "Nick?"

"Shit," said Nick again, putting his arm around JC's back when it looked like he was about to topple over. "What the hell? I mean ... I guessed you would be shaken up, but I only grazed your car ... "

"I know, but ... I think maybe I had my head down, and ... " He looked even paler, almost like he was going to be sick. "My phone should be on the seat in my car ... can you get it? Joey'll, he'll come get me, so you can go."

"I am in *so* much trouble," muttered Nick, carefully letting JC go so he could crawl into the car through the passenger side and get the phone, hoping JC at least knew which speed dial to press. "I'm not leaving you here alone," he insisted, handing the phone over. "Much as I'd like to flee the scene of *this* crime. We should probably get you to a hospital, you know ... "

JC didn't even protest that, just grabbed the phone gratefully and, Nick noted, scrolled through his address list to find Joey's number. "Joey?" he said shakily, when someone must have picked up. "Joey, I'm ... I was in a car accident. And I'm not ... there's no one here, yet, but we're ... I don't have security or anything. And I might need to go to a doctor. And can you come?"

Nick was amazed that all that had come out in one long breath, and wasn't worried about him being *too* hurt. He just looked so damn pale, and shaky. And then he was covering the phone and talking to him.

"What road are we on?" he asked sheepishly.

Nick had to look up for a sign to remember himself. "Blackwelder way," he said finally after squinting at the distant sign for a moment. "About halfway down, right at the corner. Obviously."

He actually needed to make a few calls himself. A towtruck, his insurance company ... he was pretty sure Joey was going to take care of the hospital bit after hearing JC's shaky voice on the phone. He should have already done it himself.

"Thanks," murmured JC, before turning back to his phone and murmuring a few more quiet words, and then hanging up. He tried to rest his elbow on his knee and put his head in his hand, but kept slumping and barely catching himself.

Nick put an arm back around him again and tried not to think of just how fucking surreal this whole thing was. "I'm sorry," he offered finally as he tried to support JC against his own body. "Everything's gonna be okay."

"They're gonna kill me," JC said, even though Nick wasn't entirely sure of the they. He also let himself be held more readily than Nick would have thought. Or than Nick would have *done*, in his case. "I mean, everybody jokes and all about not letting me operate heavy machinery, but look. Not a joke."

"Hey, hey," said Nick, not quite sure how to be soothing and trying to remember what people had always done for him, when he was younger. "It's not like it was your fault at all, really. You were just sitting there, minding your own business."

The towtrucks and the insurance could wait a little while, he decided. The cars would still be there when he called. But JC ... JC couldn't really wait.

"But I was ... I was stopped in the middle of the road, right?" JC turned wide, dazed blue eyes on him. "That's how you hit me? And it's just ... so stupid, because duh, it's Joey's house, and I practically live there, but there was this song on the radio and I got distracted ... " Nick was certain if he could feel JC's heartbeat it would be fluttering like a bird's.

"Well, not in the *middle*," said Nick slowly. "Kinda off to one side ... not *parked* or anything but ... I shoulda been able to miss you anyway. Look ... really, it's okay, no one 's gonna blame you or anything. Trust me ... don't you think when Joey gets here the first person he's gonna be blaming is me?"

"Oh, he won't," JC protested immediately, with a little too much faith in Joey's good humor, Nick suspected. "He'll be all, sigh-y at me, and exchange these looks with you like I can't see them or something." He shivered a little. "My head hurts. Do you really think I should go to the doctor?"

"Yes," said Nick immediately. "Did you hit your head, JC? Do you remember?" If JC was hurt, Nick was *sure* the blame was gonna come down hard on him. He'd seen the way the guys -- especially Joey -- looked at JC, and he had no illusions about how they'd all see him.

JC shocked Nick even more by groping for his hand and clutching it tightly, with his thin fingers. "Maybe," he said carefully, apologetically. "But I think it just ... I just jerked it, or something. Will there be needles?"

"Oh," said Nick softly. JC's genuine fear of needles was legendary. "No ... no needles," he promised him, squeezing his hand back reassuringly. "Maybe X-rays, though. I think. They X-rayed me all over last time I got myself in an accident."

"When did you get in an accident," JC asked, and Nick wondered if it was just an attempt to try and get his own mind off of seeing a doctor, or if JC was really curious. He expected it would be hard to tell even if JC wasn't being so loopy.

"I've been in a couple," he admitted, looking up at the two cars and wincing. "Last year, though, I got rear-ended pretty bad. I mean, the car did, not me. That's a whole different story. They stuffed me in and ambulance so quick, even though the other guy was injured worse, I think. I was fine, though. No needles."

"I'm sorry," JC said softly, reaching over to pat Nick's hand with his other then just leaving both of the wrapped around it. "I don't remember hearing about that. Was it here? Was I here?" His voice sounded a little stronger even if his face still didn't have color.

"JC, relax," Nick said softly. "It was when I was in, like, L.A. I'm not even sure it made the news or anything. Are you doing okay?" JC looked awfully pale, and seemed pretty confused, and Nick had no idea what to do about it. Whether it was because of the accident or just ... normal, for him.

"I just want Joey," murmured JC, even as he grasped Nick's hand tighter. "My head hurts, Nick. And I know you don't have time to sit around here all day."

"No, I got nowhere to be," said Nick with a sigh. He had seven days of nowhere to be. "I was just out for a drive, even. I'll wait with you until Joey gets here, it'll be fine. You'll be okay. And I'm very, very sure that Joey will be here soon."

"I'm sorry I messed up your drive, then," JC said, all soft again as he slumped further against Nick. "Wake me up when he gets here?"

"No!" said Nick sharply, shaking him. "No, you can't sleep, JC. You're not allowed. You might have, like, brain damage or something. Just ... talk to me, I guess? About anything."

"Ow," mumbled JC, tipping over the other way and looking dangerously like he *would* pass out. "Ow, Nick. Not nice. You're supposed to be the nice one. Right?"

"No, I'm not very nice sometimes." said Nick quietly, but he pulled JC back against his shoulder again gently. "But you *can't* go to sleep. Not until a doctor sees you. For serious, JC, I'm not just being mean here."

"But I don't know what to talk about," JC protested weakly. "What do you want me to talk about? Everybody always tries to get me to shut up so I don't know what to talk about. What do you like, Nick? Do you like babies?"

"Babies?" repeated Nick, baffled but going with it. "Sure, I like babies. They cry a lot and they smell but they're kinda cute, too. Do you want to talk about babies? We can talk about whatever you want, promise."

"You don't have one though, right?" JC asked, still sounding half out of it. At least half. "Me either. That I know of. Isn't that awful? That you have to, like, footnote that. Or not footnote. But, um. Whatever the word." He sighed. "Joey has one. One he knows about, I mean."

"No, I don't have any babies that I know about," said Nick. All he could do, pretty much, was just keep him talking and keep him from falling over and keep an eye out for Joey. He almost just called an ambulance anyway. "Actually, I can pretty much guarantee that I don't have any babies at all. This one girl, she tried to say that I fathered her baby, but she pretty much just got laughed at when the whole thing all came out. I know Joey has a baby. Is she cute?"

"Yesss," JC sighed, squeezing Nick's hand again. "She's like this little doll. Will you be sad if you don't have a baby, someday, Nick? Like ... someday."

"I ... don't think so," said Nick honestly, with a little sigh. JC definitely didn't seem to be getting any better. "I really don't think I'm going to be. Do *you* want to have a baby, JC? Like Joey's?"

"I don't want Joey's baby," JC replied, all too quickly, and all too defensively. Nick almost laughed at how he'd heard the question wrong. "Why would you say that?"

"I said *like* Joey's," said Nick, smiling at him. But wondering, too, just why JC would react that way to the question he *thought* he heard. "A baby *like* Joey's. Maybe your own little girl one day?

JC sighed again, and swayed closer. And sighed one more time. "I wouldn't be the right kind of parent," he said eventually, after obviously thinking about Nick's question with more seriousness than he maybe had intended when he asked it.

"Well, maybe not *yet*," acknowledged Nick, holding him a little more firmly, concerned. "But you're still really young. You have lots of time to ... settle down, of whatever. Cause there's not just *one* kinda of right parent, right?"

"I don't think that'll ... no," JC murmured. "I do like babies, though." And then he fell silent again, and Nick was left to decide between coming up with something else to say, or risking JC falling asleep on him.

"Well, I'm sure Joey will always let you play with his little girl," he said finally, shaking JC just the slightest bit again to make sure he was still with him. He seemed coherent enough, and he wasn't rubbing his head anymore, but he still wasn't right. "And the rest of his little girls, when he has them," he added. "I have money on that, you know. I have him stopping at four."

"Three," JC shook his head. "It's some catholic thing, I dunno. He says three. But," he leaned back and put his cheek on Nick's bare shoulder. "Bet they're all girls." His face was cool, and Nick could feel his breath down his arm.

"Of, they're definitely all going to be girls," laughed Nick, trying not to concentrate on how good JC's face felt against his skin. He was *injured*, dammit. And he was JC Chasez. And Nick just ... was not even thinking about it. "Somehow it just seems right."

"And lucky for them, too," JC said, even more softly. "'Cause he wouldn't know what to do with a boy. Not ... his area of expertise."

Nick gave JC a bit of an odd look, not sure at all what to make of that. "Well, he *is* one," he pointed out finally, "which probably gives him a bit of an edge. But I dunno. Maybe you would be better at raising boys than him?"

JC moved his head. "Well, at least I can throw a ball," he said, and Nick knew better than if he hadn't responded at all that that wasn't what he'd been referring to before.

He sighed and looked at the ground and knew he had to keep talking to keep JC awake, but didn't want to say the things he had on his mind. "Look, I might look like a big, dumb guy," he said finally. "But I listen okay when I'm chained down. Which ... I kinda am right now. So if you want to tell me what's actually wrong? Besides the fact that I just got you in a car wreck? You can."

"What?" JC said slowly. "You're not dumb. And I'm not ... nothing's wrong. And I promise Joey'll be here. He said he would. You don't have to stay." He squinted over at the cars. "Um, your car'll run, right?"

"I'm sorry you want me to go," said Nick, trying very hard not to think about the cars, and the accident, "but I can't. I go and then you fall over and fall asleep and then Joey finally gets here and you're dead or something and then he'll come and kill *me* for letting it happen. So no. Besides, you're kinda nice. And interesting."

"You're nice," JC said back to him, quickly. "And I don't want you to go, you just ... didn't you just say you were chained down? I was just trying ... " He pulled away even more, pulled his hands away and held them up. "See? Nothing keeping you here." He sighed. "My *head*, though, Nick." He shifted and turned his face toward him. "Is there, like, a bruise there?"

"No, I didn't mean ... I just don't have much of an attention span sometimes. Chained down isn't a bad thing." He reached out hesitantly for JC's face to check for injuries, brushing his soft hair out of the way to check his forehead. "You ... um, look okay," he said. "Does this hurt?"

JC looked dazed at the contact, but he kind of already looked dazed. "No," he said quietly, lifting his own hand to rub at his neck again. "Um, you too?"

"Me too what?" asked Nick, still holding JC's hair, his fingers sifting through it a moment later before he could really stop himself. JC really did *look* fine, but that didn't mean anything.

"The attention span thing," JC said, with a blooming smile. "I didn't ... "

He stopped mid-thought when another car pulled up behind Nick's, and a predictably frazzled Joey climbed out without even turning off the engine. He glanced at the damage to the cars and then moved quickly to JC's other side, brushing Nick's hands away like he wasn't even there. He wasn't sure he'd even *recognized* him yet.

"He thinks he might have hit his head," he said finally, when JC didn't. "If you've got him, I have some calls I need to make about this ... " It was only when Joey was taking care of JC that Nick realized how much his *own* body ached; the adrenaline had apparently kept him from noticing.

"What?" Joey said, his expression startled when he *did* see Nick. "Oh, Nick. Hey, man. Wait. *You're* the other driver? Dude. What are the odds." He shook his head and looked back at JC, cupping his face familiarly. "What'd you do to poor Nicky's car, C. Did you see a dog on the side of the road or something?"

He said it so reasonably that Nick wondered if maybe this happened to JC more often than not. But JC just shook his head and closed his eyes, and looked close to passing out again.

"No," interrupted Nick again, determined to defend JC. He tried to stand up but just ended up falling on his ass again so he stayed there, fishing his cell phone out again. "He was just sitting there, on the road. His car, I mean. So it was kinda my fault. JC ... you feeling better now, man?"

"No, my head," JC mumbled quietly, and Joey glanced at both of them with a little more alarm.

"Did either of you guys call an ambulance?" he asked, shaking JC a little and making him whimper. "C! Open your eyes. Who else did you call."

"Fuck," Joey muttered, wrapping JC up easily and again, familiarly, in one arm as he dug out his own phone. "I thought I'd just take him to the doctor, but he doesn't look good." He squinted at Nick. "You don't look good. What the hell, Carter? What have you guys been doing?"

"Been keeping him awake," mumbled Nick, his neck aching as he looked up at Joey. "He said he might've hit his head ... that's what you're supposed to do, right? After he called you ... figured he'd be in good hands once you got here." He really *didn't* feel so hot now. At all. But he knew, at least, that *he* hadn't hit his head. Or broken anything.

"No, that's good, I just ... " He shook his head and turned back to JC. "JC. JC, why didn't you tell me you were *really* hurt?" He shook his head when JC apologized softly and dialed 911, speaking insistently with dispatcher, Nick guessed. Then he surprised the heck out of Nick by kissing JC softly on the lips and turning back to Nick. "What can I do for you, man? Do you need ... do you think you should lie down?"

Nick frowned a little bit, looked down at his legs and his feet for a moment. "I might be okay," he said finally. "Fuckin' *hurts* though, all suddenly. But I'll ... I'll be fine as soon as I can stand up again." Whenever *that* might be. He might just lie down on this nice person's lawn for a while first. "Can probably drive away from it. Um. How does my car look? I didn't do *much* damage, right?"

"You can't *stand*?" Joey asked, more worried. "Shit, okay, did you call anyone? 'Cause I gotta ... you both are gonna have to get in the ambulance, and I need to ride with C, and we can't just leave the cars here." He grabbed his own phone again. "Fuck, call Lance," he muttered, not seeming to notice JC's head loll back.

"No, I'll be okay," said Nick. "It'll just take me a minute. I'm just sore. JC ... " He reached out for JC's arm again, not caring whether or not Joey was there, not thinking about what his relationship with JC might be, or might not be. "JC? Are you still with us here?"

He didn't answer, and Joey dropped his phone and elbowed Nick out of the way *again*. "Shit. C. *JC*." He tapped his face lightly, and reached around to cup the back of his head supportively.

Nick heard them both breathe in relief when JC blinked blurry eyes at them, and watched a ton of emotions cross JC's face when he saw Joey's so close to him. "Joey, what?"

"Don't fall asleep," said Nick quietly, not sure if an intrusion would have been welcome or not. "Just ... don't fall asleep 'til you see a doctor, JC. Just in case, okay?"

Then JC turned those big eyes on him. "Oh, Nick," he said. "Joey, Nick and I were talking, before. About accidents. And he said I *would* be a good father, if I wanted to be."

"That's great, Jace," Joey replied soothingly, brushing JC's hair the way Nick remembered doing, and raising an eyebrow at Nick when JC couldn't see.

Nick frowned a little again -- it was so *random* to him, but seemed to make perfect sense to JC -- and shrugged at Joey. Maybe he'd figure the whole situation, in time. "You would, JC," he said softly, just to keep him soothed.

JC still looked really pale, but content enough to let Joey hold him while he murmured on the phone to Lance. But he -- JC -- was watching Nick.

"You're not really going to try and drive, are you?" Joey asked, when he'd clicked off the phone again and shifted JC to his other arm.

"Me?" said Nick, struggling to follow the conversation. "I guess ... yeah ... why not? I should be okay, I think." He shook his head slightly to clear it. "I just need ... a little rest. Just a little rest. JC? Still there?"

"You should come to the hospital, Nick," JC replied, still watching him. "Just ... get looked at. I'd feel just awful if you weren't okay, and it was my fault. And we let you leave."

"Well, that was pretty coherent," murmured Nick, giving him a reassuring smile. Just a little rest, that's all it would take, and he'd probably be stiff for a week. But he was okay. "I probably should get looked at anyway ... you know, for the insurance ... "

"Yeah, insurance." JC looked at him blankly, and Joey snorted.

"You lost him, with that, man," he said. "You're right, though. You should get looked at, kid."

"Kid," snorted Nick under his breath, and shook his head. But at least Joey wasn't on his ass blaming him for the whole accident like he could have been. Like -- he admitted to himself -- he probably should have been. "Yeah, I can go. I'm gonna be in *so* much trouble for this. 'Take a week off,' they said. 'Don't get in any trouble.' Guess I blew that already."

"It's just a car accident," Joey laughed, and JC twisted to look at him again.

"It was an accident, Nick," he agreed. "Just a car accident. Happens every day and we're both alive so how's this getting into trouble?"

"I think what they meant by that was 'Don't make the evening news and try not to land yourself in the hospital'." He shook his head again as the fog threatened to intrude, and blinked a few times. "Well, I'm sure it won't come as a surprise to anyone."

Joey snorted again and shifted JC back into Nick's arms as he stood up, seeing the ambulance approach. JC just looked up at Nick and reached for his hand again. "It was just an accident," he repeated. "Why are you sad? What wouldn't come as a surprise?"

Nick gave him a soft smile, blinked a few more times to clear his vision. "I'm not sad," he said. "I'm just resigned to my lot in life, and enjoy it as much as I can. Are you feeling better? Head not hurting so much?"

"It hurts," JC whispered. "My eyes are blurry, and there are spots. I mean, I'm sure it's just a concussion." He gave him a sweet smile, touched his cheek. "Come in the ambulance? I'm glad you're not sad, Nick."

"Sure. I think they're gonna make me come in the ambulance anyway," murmured Nick, reaching up to touch JC's forehead again briefly. "You're gonna be okay. They'll take good care of you."

He looked up and watched Joey meet the paramedics and try to explain what had happened. As best he could, anyway, considering he hadn't been there and they hadn't really explained it to him well.

"It was nice to see you today, and talk to you," JC replied shyly. "Even if I don't know what I said, so much. And won't remember." He laughed and squeezed Nick's hand as the paramedics helped him to his feet and Joey hovered over him. And kept looking back over his shoulder to make sure Nick was following.

Nick wasn't. He was still having trouble getting to his feet, but it wasn't his legs that were sore, it was mostly his back and his neck and suddenly his head was *pounding* and he wished he had that adrenaline rush back again so he could at least function.

"You guys go ahead," he muttered, thinking he would just rest here for a little while, and then he could get up and drive to the hospital and get checked out, like he promised. "I'll ... meet you there. Joey, you take good care of him, I know you will."

But then there was another paramedic behind him, hoisting him to his feet. "Come on, big guy," he muttered. "You're not following anyone. You okay riding with these gentlemen, or would you rather wait for another ambulance?"

Nick was too surprised to say anything for a moment. That and standing up made him too dizzy to think until the spell passed. "No ... I'm okay," he got out finally. "To ride. With them. Or drive ... "

"No driving," the man chuckled, the did a small double take. "We just have to ask, in accidents. If there was an altercation, and it's not an emergency, we don't make you ride together. Um. Mr. Carter?"

"It was just an accident," murmured Nick, sure that the paramedics had seen the position that he and JC had been in when they got there anyway. "Just ... one of those things. Coincidences."

"Of course," the man nodded, and then they were at the back of the ambulance, and Joey hopped down to help Nick up. Which put him next to JC, who was having his eyes checked with a light by the other paramedic. He looked smaller, somehow, especially when he stared at the IVs tacked to the walls.

"I'll just sit here, then," sighing in relief when he was sitting down again and the pressure was -- more or less -- off his back. "And you guys take care of JC. JC? Are you still okay, man?"

JC groped for his hand, obviously a little terrified, as Joey slipped in across from them. "He's okay," he murmured to Nick. "I'm not sure, but he ... I mean, when I got hurt, last year, he rode with me in the ambulance and was just ... not good. He's okay."

Nick really wasn't sure of this, but he let JC hold his hand anyway because he looked like he needed it more than he needed the paramedics to examine him. It was Joey that he was talking to, though. "I promised him no needles," he said softly, even knowing JC might be able to hear. Hoping that he was right.

"He's fine," Joey insisted casually. "A concussion, probably. They're probably gonna be poking at you in a sec. What's up with your back, man? Do you think you wrenched it? Did you really hit that hard?"

"I was ... going a little fast," admitted Nick for the first time. "So yeah, I grazed him pretty hard. I just didn't think there was gonna be a car right there on the road, you know? I'm sure I'm fine ... I must've just got banged up and didn't really notice ... "

"Well, and you're probably pretty tense," Joey told him, and then there was a big, warm hand rubbing his shoulder. "Like, all worked up from it. Look ... JC's gonna be okay, alright? and so are you. So relax."

"I'm relaxed," said Nick, shaking his head roughly as the world started to feel fuzzy and indistinct again. "I know JC's gonna be fine. I'm glad. This is just not how I imagined my vacation turning out. Seven days of freedom and I'm gonna spend them flat on my bad."

"Y'all are on break?" Joey asked casually. "Cool. You will not be on your back, man. Relax. They'll just look at you and send you home with a neck brace you can toss and a nice prescription for percodan."

"Maybe," said Nick, reaching up with his other hand to rub the back of his neck. "But I won't be out cruising the highways, either. More likely to be in front of my TV with my drugs and a bag of chips. Which ... actually isn't so bad, really, for a break. But not what I was looking forward to."

"What were you gonna do?" Joey asked, slumping back against the wall with a small smirk on his lips after checking on JC again. "Hang out at Howie's?"

"I was gonna do whatever I wanted," said Nick with a shrug, then a wince as it pulled at some very sore muscles. "Seven days with no obligations. No appointments, no meetings, no interviews, no *any*thing. Instead, what do I do? In the first few hours of it I get in an accident and hurt someone. This really kinda sucks, and not just for me."

"JC's *fine*," Joey promised again, and it grated on Nick a little how comfortably he assumed he could answer for him. "Or is that not what you meant?"

"No, that's good," said Nick, feeling JC squeeze his hand again and flicking his attention back to him again. "Um. Is it bad that I feel like I'm gonna throw up?"

The paramedic's attention turned to him quickly. "Which car were you in , sir?" he asked. "Are you dizzy, or just nauseated?" Nick saw Joey slip next to JC, and the paramedic get in front of him. "Take some deep breaths," he said, and held up a bag. "If you need to be sick." He reached over to take his pulse.

"Dizzy, too," said Nick slowly, licking at his lips that felt so dry. "And ... foggy. But I didn't hit my head ... I know I didn't ... I would have remembered that. You should ... you need to look after JC. I hit him, you need to look after him first ... "

"He's okay," the man said, his voice more distant. "He's going to be okay. Open your eyes, Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. Open your eyes so I can check them, please."

Nick hadn't really realized his eyes had closed, and cracked them open again to look at him, or at least at his somewhat fuzzy outline. He blinked a few times and it cleared up, and he managed to open his eyes wider. "I'm sure I'm fine," he said, feeling slow. Thick. "Just shaken up a little."

"Stay awake, please," the man said, shining a bright light in his eye that he tried to pull back from. "You too," he muttered, and then Nick heard mumbles from where Joey and JC were. "Can you feel all your limbs? Here." A strange hand, not thin and soft like JC's, was holding his. "Squeeze my hand, please, Mr. Carter."

He squeezed; he knew he could do that, at least, he'd been doing it with JC now for what felt like forever. He even wished it was still JC's hand in his. "No, I know, I was keeping *JC* awake. JC's the one that needs attention. I'm ... fine." The words still felt so strange in his mouth, though.

"Yup, you're fine," the man said soothingly, pulling at the skin under his eye to look closer into them. "I'm gonna have you lie down, okay? Just move slow." He saw motion out of the corner of his eyes, he thought, and there were arms underneath him, and then the pressure on his neck was gone.

"Feels nice," he had to admit. "But I'm okay. I'm not in any trouble. Is JC ... JC, you okay, man? JC?" He hadn't heard from him in a while, had something happened they weren't telling him? His thoughts felt muddled again and he tried to shake his head to clear them.

"Right here, Nick," came JC's soft, melodious voice. And he didn't care that he thought it was melodious. "Open your eyes?"

He did, again not realizing they'd been closed, and there was JC's smiling face, with Joey supporting his back.

"I'm fine," he insisted again, smiling back in relief. "You know how't is. Adrenaline's all gone ... starting to crash ... " He was sure they were only fussing over him because he was Nick Carter and they wanted to be extra, extra sure he was okay. "Stomach's a little off. Just shak'n up."

"Sure," JC smiled, and that was the last thing Nick saw.

* * *

Nick's mouth felt all ... cotton-y, and gross, when he blinked his eyes open in a room that was unfamiliar, but at least recognizable. And then he realized how much he ached elsewhere, and promptly forgot about his mouth.

Maybe he groaned, or else JC was watching him like a hawk to catch him opening his eyes, because all of a sudden he had an intense-faced member of *NSYNC kneeling my his bed.

It wasn't as though he'd forgotten the accident -- the *fender-bender*, he'd thought -- but the last thing he remembered he was sore, but fine. And it had been JC that had been injured.

"What?" he managed to get out, then his eyes searched the immediate area for water. "The hell?"

"Hey, Nick," JC said softly, reaching out a careful hand to Nick's wrist. "How are you feeling?"

"Ow," he murmured, figuring that said it all. He struggled to try to get up into a sitting position and looked around again. Someone had taken his contacts out and everything looked a little soft. "Water?"

"What? oh," JC said, and looked around himself. "Oh. I don't ... hold on." Nick watched him stand up carefully, drowning in a large sweatshirt, and walk gingerly into the bathroom before returning with a paper cup of water. "So, yeah. You've been out a little while."

Nick sipped the water before asking anything else, letting it sooth his parched throat. "How long?" he asked finally. "We're only talking hours, right? I didn't, like, lose three months or something and you're afraid to tell me?"

"Actually, I'm JC's grandson," JC replied, grinning. "And you've been cryogenically frozen. And ... there are flying cars, now."

"Oh, shut up," said Nick, cracking a smile and taking another sip of the water. "Are you doing okay? They take good care of you here?"

"I'm fine, just cold," JC admitted, crawling up on the edge of the bed. "I guess I passed out too, but they said they weren't too worried about either of us. Since we were so coherent before." He bit his lip. "I, um. Joey called Howie. I wasn't sure who else ... "

"No, that's fine," said Nick, wincing inwardly. "Howie's good. He'll just laugh, I think, that it only took me a few hours of freedom to get into trouble." He looked around the room, and it didn't seem like he'd been *too* settled in. "How long *have* we been here?"

"Just since this morning," JC replied, looking relieved and brushing Nick's bangs away from his eyes. "It's almost 5, now. Long enough for Joey to go home and do ... stuff, I guess. He'll be back in a little while to take me home. But I wanted to wait until you woke up. To apologize, again."

"Apologize for what?" asked Nick, frowning and trying to think of what he might be talking about. "Is there something I'm not remembering? I guess there could be, what with the blacking out for hours, since I don't even remember hitting my *head* at all."

"Well, that makes two of us," JC smiled. "No, just ... apologize. For the accident. Lance came by, and said your car was actually pretty scraped up. And it was at least partially my fault."

"You were just sitting there minding your own business, though," murmured Nick, reaching out to touch JC's hair. "You didn't ask for me to come racing around that corner. I'm really glad you're okay. Joey's been ... treating you good?"

JC narrowed his eyes a little, even as his mouth curved into a soft smile when Nick touched him. "What do you mean?" he asked, a little defensively. "He's ... he gave me a sweatshirt?"

"Because you were cold," agreed Nick, nodding his head and then stopping when it hurt too much, "I just meant ... nothing. Just making sure someone else was taking care of you when I couldn't, is all."

"When you couldn't?" JC echoed, smiling even more sweetly, looking not a little pleasantly surprised. "That's ... you were so nice, earlier, too," he went on, more shyly. "And you were probably hurt worse."

"No, I don't think I was," Nick protested, still. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You weren't ... making a lot of sense, all of the time. Enough, though. Enough for me to get to know you a little ... "

JC blushed, and ducked his head. "Just 'cause I wasn't making sense, doesn't mean I was hurt," he protested. "Ask anybody. I was probably just being normal me. Like ... Joey didn't seem too concerned, did he?"

"Concerned enough," Nick told him, recalling that at least. "But, not about how you were talking, yeah. It was ... kinda cute anyway. And kinda intriguing. And ... I think maybe I did learn something about you, even though my brain was getting all foggy." He reached up and touched JC's hair again, then lifted his chin.

JC let him, easier than he'd expected, and met his eyes -- more aware, maybe, than he'd expected. "What did you learn," he asked softly.

"Maybe now's not the time," he replied, taking his cup of water again just to be doing something with his mouth other than talking. He definitely wasn't sure he was up to handling this now, nice as it might turn out. "But ... I did learn that you're interesting, and gentle, and ... " He sipped down the last of the water. "And very, very attractive."

"Thank you," JC said, looking pleasantly surprised at the compliment, too, and ducking his head a little to try and keep Nick's gaze. "Nick, I ... "

Once again, he was interrupted. Once again, by Joey, who knocked on the halfway open door before stepping inside. "You look better, too, Carter," he said, by means of hello. "Feel okay?"

"Feel like shit," he said honestly, letting his hand drop. "Pretty bad for a little accident I figured I was gonna drive away from. What did the doctor say, anyway?"

"JC had a mild concussion," Joey said right away. "I don't know what ... "

"Nick, too," JC cut in, taking Nick's hand in his own, and not hiding it. "The doctor told me you did, too. When he came in, when you were sleeping."

"Does that mean I can get out of here soon, too?" asked Nick, giving JC's hand a gentle squeeze. "I guess I could call Howie for a ride, if I had to, since he already knows and all. Um. Speaking of. Did we manage to keep this pretty quiet?"

"Lance," Joey said evenly, like that explained everything, his eyes watching JC and Nick's hands as JC watched Nick.

"What did Howie say, on the phone, Joey?" JC asked, still not looking at him. "We can give you a ride," he insisted. "Joey can, I mean."

"I think," said Nick, with another little squeeze, "I've already inconvenience you more than enough. Is Joey gonna stay with you, JC, just to ... watch, or whatever you're supposed to do when someone hits their head?" The question, while directed at JC, was obviously for both of them.

"No," JC said, linking their fingers and smiling. Almost ... almost suggestively, if Nick didn't think he knew better. "He's just going to take me home."

"Ma's watching Bri," Joey argued, finally managing to get JC's attention on him. "So I can stay after all, JC. I want to stay."

"You don't have someone else to go home to?" said Nick, only realizing what that innocent question sounded like after it was out of his mouth. "I mean. It would be good, to have someone there, for JC. I'm just checking."

"Thanks, Carter," Joey said, his voice still calm. "I've got it under control, I think. We're all adults, here."

JC was still looking at him curiously, but turned back to Nick and just shrugged at his questioning look. "It won't be an inconvenience," he said instead. "Let us drop you off."

"I guess. If they let me go," said Nick warily, reassessing the situation again. Which wasn't easy to do when he head was aching like it did. "Do you know where my car ended up?"

"Lance had it towed to the dealer," Joey cut in again. "You can talk to them about what you want them to fix. He assumed you had something else to drive, too, and wouldn't need a loaner?" He walked closer into the room, and Nick was surprised he hadn't noticed that he'd been standing at the door the whole time.

JC, for his part, took that as some kind of signal, and stood up, gently letting go of Nick's hand. "I'll be right back," he said. "Let me just check with the doctor."

Joey paused in grabbing JC's coat off the chair he'd been sitting in. "No, Jace," he said patiently. "I'll go. Just sit down until I come back." He very obviously pointed at the chair.

Nick looked from one to the other and back again. Whatever they had between them, it was very complicated and not something he was going to be able to sort out completely for a while. But he thought he got the gist of it.

"I have another car," he confirmed, instead of commenting on anything else. "There's no problem there. Thank Lance for me?"

"Sure," Joey said, closing the door carefully behind him. Leaving JC to resume his place on the bed right away. Even a little closer, maybe.

"Tell me," he said softly, but earnestly. "Nick, what you said before, what you thought you learned about me ... "

"I already told you," said Nick, smiling at JC's eagerness and reaching out despite his sore limbs to touch his face again. "I told you I learned that you were a really attractive person. To me. As in ... I'm attracted to you. " He didn't think that was going to seem weird to JC. He didn't think it was going to bother him at all. "Now ... I think *you* were saying something ... "

"Just that there's never a bad time to hear that," JC replied, closing his eyes to Nick's touch. "Nick, are you ... seeing anybody?"

"No," said Nick honestly, running his knuckles down JC's cheek gently. "Not right now, no. You?"

JC shook his head, blinked his eyes open again; all so slowly. The ease with which he answered that question surprised Nick, just a little. "Would you consider, maybe, going out with me sometime?" he asked more softly. "Or even ... staying in with me?"

"Done. Considered. I'd like that," said Nick instantly, giving him a smile. "Though I bet, even though Joey didn't take it out on me about you getting hurt in the accident, he's sure gonna be on my ass about dating you. He's ... the protective sort, huh?"

"He doesn't get a say in it," JC said evenly, his flinch almost imperceptible. "Is there ... a reason you keep bringing him up?"

"Yeah, there's a reason," said Nick, still stroking his skin, feeling comfortable doing it, already. "You know there is, JC. The guy's ... I don't know what he is. But you guys are really close, I can see that much."

JC reached up and caught Nick's wrist, bringing it to his mouth carefully and pressing a soft kiss to the heel of his hand. His lips felt ... Nick had never felt lips like that. "It's just Joey," he said quietly. "And we don't do that. And ... I'm hoping you can maybe be someone that'll help me stop resenting that."

Nick smiled gently at him, those words confirming a lot of the things he'd been wondering. "I hope so, too," he said. "The 'crash your car into them' technique for picking up guys wasn't something that I'd ever thought of before, but it seems to have worked pretty well ... "

"Almost as good as the 'damsel in distress' act I seem to be perfecting," JC grinned back, gently. "So ... you said you're on a break? So you maybe might have the time, and the, um, desire, to come hang out at my pool tomorrow?"

"Seven days off," Nick said, like it was his mantra. And those seven days were looking up again. "I probably won't be able to do much, but I'd like that. And we can talk about stuff. Like ... babies, And driving regulations."

"Babies?" JC blinked, obviously not remembering their earlier conversation. "Uh, sure. Well ... you know, hanging out by the pool. Not normally too strenuous. We can trade pain medicine and get sunburned. And, sure. Talk."

"Guess you were kind of out-of-it after the accident," murmured Nick with a smile. "Yeah, that sounds really nice. Sounds perfect. I'm looking forward to it." He sighed. "What I'm not looking forward to is letting the guys know what happened. If Howie hasn't already."

JC dipped his head a little to kiss Nick's thumb. "Joey said he didn't sound ... well, nothing bad, at least. I think they'll probably just be glad you're okay. It's their vacation too."

"Well, not exactly," admitted Nick. "They all have stuff to do. I was the only one that was kinda doing nothing. I mean, there's nothing as a *group* this week, but I don't have any personal stuff either. It's a real vacation. Anyway, it's not that. They won't even be surprised, I don't think."

"I'm certain," JC murmured, "that they don't look at you the way you think they do." And that was all he seemed to want to say on the subject, tracing strange patterns onto Nick's hand, letting his fingers trail up Nick's arm.

"It's not bad," insisted Nick, and he couldn't help smiling at JC, smiling despite everything that had happened because something good had come of it. "I'm just the little brother. The one who gets in trouble even just by breathing. It's not horrible, I just don't deal with those, you know, knowing laughs right now. I ... think maybe you understand that?"

JC did chuckle, and murmured "little brother" back at him, then seemed to laugh at himself. "You know I do," he said finally. "And if you think Joey didn't figure out exactly what happened in that accident and is planning on the ways to make fun of me for it ... well, he is." He leaned over smoothly, so their faces were almost touching. "So let's make each other feel better, and forget them."

"I think I'd like to forget them for a while," agreed Nick, staring into JC's face and forgetting about all the pain for a moment. "For as long as we can."

Nick wasn't sure if JC had intended to kiss him -- it certainly looked that way -- but Joey-of-the-impeccable-timing chose that moment to walk back in the room. And rolled his eyes a little at seeing their position on the bed.

"Okay," he murmured, picking JC's coat up again. "You're both all clear to go. Nick, the doctor's gonna come in, in a sec, and give you your prescription and stuff. But me and Jace are supposed to wait in the waiting room."

Nick licked his lips and nodded his head, finally tearing his eyes away from JC again. "Okay," he said quietly. "Okay ... thank you for taking me home. I guess ... " He couldn't help turning his attention back to JC again. "I guess I'll see you in a few minutes."

"You will," JC smiled encouragingly. Looking *happy*, like Nick had made him that way. And not moving. "And I'll write down my address for you, while we wait, okay?"

"JC," Joey said awkwardly. "Come on."

"That would be great. I'd hate to not be able to find your place tomorrow." He kind of knew that would push Joey's buttons, but right then he didn't care. He was too focused on the smile he'd put on JC's face, and the smile JC had put on his.

JC got close again, almost like he *would* kiss Nick, then pulled back at the last moment with another smile and slipped off the bed. "See you in a minute," he said.

And Joey followed him out the door, but not without a look that Nick would describe as part confused, and a lot appraising.

* * *

Nick drove slowly on his way over, stopping fully at every stop sign and turning corners gingerly. So he was fifteen minutes late when he got there, and figured JC wouldn't mind so much because he'd gotten there in one piece. And he was up and walking around again, even though he felt as creaky as an old man.

He got into the neighborhood easily enough and slowed down even further to find the right house. Funny how he'd never been by before, not in all the years they'd known each other -- friendly and otherwise -- and with just how many mutual friends they had. When he finally did spot the right place he swung in the long driveway and drove right up front of the house and hopped out -- feeling his back crack as he did -- to meet JC at the door.

"Hi, Nick," JC said with a smile, hopping on the cement in his bare feet. "Hi." He stepped close, close enough for Nick to smell his shampoo, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Come on in. You haven't been here before, have you? Well. Nothing special. I mean. You can have the tour if you want."

"Nope," said Nick with a grin, peering past him into the house, reaching out to take his hand at the same time. "Never had the pleasure. Nice place you got here; it's really good to see you again, JC."

"Nice to see you," JC beamed, looking pleased at what Nick had to say and smiling at the way he said it. "I was worried ... I mean, just a little. That you'd get up this morning and, you know. Change your mind or something." He brushed past Nick to lead him through the high-ceilinged rooms, through the kitchen, out to the big backyard where he actually had a pitcher of lemonade.

"All you had to do was look in the mirror to know I wouldn't," said Nick smoothly, touching JC's back as he glanced around for a place to sit. "How are you feeling? I didn't do any permanent damage, did I? I'm pretty sure I can get sued for that. It's like vandalizing a national monument or something."

"Nick!" JC protested with another pleased smile, waving Nick toward the deck chairs. "You don't have to say that kind of stuff. But I'm feeling better, thanks. Definitely not as woozy." He poured some lemonade into a glass and handed it to Nick shyly. "How about you?"

"Definitely not woozy anymore," he said happily, taking the drink, careful not to let the glass slip through his fingers. "Generally feel like I got run over instead of just bumping into you, but other than that, I'm doing great. I had something to look forward to, after all. And as long as I'm *here*, I'm not out robbing a 7-11, or whatever else Kevin is worried I'm gonna do in my time off."

"Oh," JC said, not quite managing to hide a frown. Nick just wasn't sure what part of what he'd said caused it. "Well. It really is nice to have you here. I've been looking forward to it, too." He smiled and sat down smoothly on the foot of Nick's chair. "Did you bring a bathing suit?"

"You mean I'm not allowed to swim naked?" said Nick, widening his eyes and affecting a look of alarm. "Damn. Well, I guess I'm just gonna have to watch you, then ... " He sipped his drink and gave JC a smile and was glad all over again that he'd come, despite the bumps they were bound to encounter during their first little while together.

That, JC handled a little more smoothly, too. He lounged more on the chair, and looked up at Nick. "I'd been kind of counting on you getting into the pool with me," he admitted. "The promise of nakedness was unanticipated."

Nick gave him a little half-shrug and a grin. "Well, I'm glad you're seeing it as a promise and not as a threat. That's a good sign." He touched JC's hair gently, and the feel of it was just like he remembered. "I really have been looking forward to this, for a lot of reasons. But mostly because of you."

"Well, I didn't know you were going to be all sweet about it," JC replied a little softer, nuzzling into Nick's hand. "Don't take offense that I wasn't expecting that, either. Just ... people that know me, rarely say that. So far."

"Well, I can not be sweet, if you really want," offered Nick, and sincerely, too. "It's just the best way I know to, you know, make people like me more. But that's not ... ! I mean ... I think you're really pretty and you deserve to get a lot of compliments." He sighed and smiled sheepishly and shook his head at himself. "Okay, um, better stick to the smooth and sweet, huh?"

"Well, that was all very sweet, too," JC protested, kissing Nick's hand before standing up. "I've got stuff for sandwiches for lunch, since it's ... you know. Lunchtime. But I really did just want to get in the pool for a second. The doctor said it would be good for my -- our -- necks." He watched Nick almost intently as he peeled off his shirt, and reached for his shorts.

"Well, as long as it's what the doctor order," said Nick, breathing a sigh of relief as he got back on track. Any effort to be spontaneous and sincere usually met with disaster, he'd learned. He'd had his interviews played back to him in front of a table of stony-faced publicity reps, after all. He knew.

He stripped his own clothes off easily, all of them, and gave JC a smile and a wink. "Go ahead," he said aloud, as JC hesitated for a moment.

He was used to people watching him, staring at him. He couldn't bring himself to mind when it was someone like JC, looking at him with an expression like JC's. His hands seemed shakier when he pushed off his shorts, surprising Nick with bare skin underneath, too. Until he remembered AJ saying something about JC never wearing underwear if he didn't have to. "I guess this means you're getting in too, huh," he murmured.

"Well, I did assume that was an invite," said Nick, reaching for JC's hand again to pull him closer before they got in. "And I can't say I'd mind getting all wet and slippery with you." This time, when he pulled JC in to kiss him, he at least had the certainty that they wouldn't be interrupted.

The hint of JC's smile that he caught before they kissed was as sweet as the rest of him, and Nick could feel it on his lips at the beginning of the kiss. But then his mouth relaxed under his own, and his hand squeezed Nick's back, and there was only the smallest amount of space between their very naked bodies.

"Now that was better," murmured Nick when they finally parted. Their lips, anyway, if not their bodies. "I think I'd like to do that again, if you wouldn't mind." And before JC could answer -- not that Nick thought his answer would be anything but yes -- he kissed him again, still softly but a little deeper.

"Oh," JC breathed softly into his mouth, tasting like lemonade himself and just ... other sweet things. "Nick." He ran gentle fingers up Nick's arm, wrapped them almost too gently around the back of Nick's neck.

"JC," breathed Nick back at him, between soft kisses. Then he pulled his head back and grinned at him. "Well, now that we're sure who we're with, you want to go for that swim with me? And then ... whatever?"

JC smiled, and slipped out of Nick's arms to walk ahead of him toward the pool. He was so thin, just amazingly thin, but with muscles in his back and the tightest, perkiest ass Nick had ever seen and he was drooling, he must have been drooling.

It was a good thing he already had more than enough reason to be hard, having just had an enthusiastic JC in his arms, otherwise he would have just sprung up right then and there. It took him a moment to actually follow JC to the edge of the pool, dipping his toes in to check the temperature and shivering slightly like he always did.

"You don't have to get in," JC murmured, already slipping into the pool and turning around to grasp Nick's ankle gently. "You could just ... you know. Sit there."

"I've never turned down a chance to get into the water," admitted Nick, sliding his foot in a little further and smiling down at him. "Just getting used to it a little." He pulled his foot out and moved away, down the edge of the pool, then comfortably dove in, surfacing a few moments later and slicking his hair back off his face.

JC was blinking at him, only his head breaking the surface of the water, his own hair still dry in soft waves. 'God," he muttered finally. "Nick. You are just ... no wonder Justin hates you."

"I'm just what," said Nick, blinking a few times then looking down at himself as though he could spot what JC was seeing and that he'd been missing. He didn't. "Wha'd I do?" He broke into a smile, though, watching him. "C'mere."

JC went, easily. And eagerly. "You look so good to me," he explained. "Your ... arms, and shoulders, and please." He let his hand cup Nick's ass, under the water, and drew himself up to stand in front of him again.

"Justin hates me because you like my ass?" laughed Nick, shaking the excess water from his hair. "Well, you should probably stop talking about it in front of him, then."

JC smiled. "No, no. He hates you because of how good you look. You do look good, Nick. I've never seen you look so good." He leaned in, closing his eyes. "Kiss me again."

"And here I thought he hated me because I was the better singer," joked Nick, but didn't waste any more time than that in kissing JC again, in wrapping his arms around JC's back and holding him as close as he could.

JC's body was slender in his arms, and his tongue was wet and hot and just a little kinky in his mouth. And he wasn't shy about being pressed so close, naked; not at all. He started rubbing himself against Nick's thigh without any precursor.

"Well, good to see proof that you're intact," said Nick, running his hand down until it was cupping JC's ass without squeezing. "Can't say we're doing much swimming, though ... "

"Oh, we weren't supposed to *swim*," JC murmured, smiling wryly against Nick's mouth. "Just ... you know. Get in the water, the doctor said. Let it relax us. Which, yeah, it's kind of doing." He closed his eyes. "Some parts, at least."

"Ah," said Nick with a grin. "Yes, there are some part of me that definitely are *not* relaxed by being in the water with you. But I'm thinking that's probably a good thing, so I won't complain."

"We can't do this in here,," JC chuckled, nipping at Nick's shoulder. "Nick. We're supposed to go do this on the pile of towels I strategically laid out for just such an occasion."

"I think we're supposed to be in the water for a little more than thirty seconds," said Nick, giving him a little squeeze and sliding his cheek closer to give JC's ear a little lick. "That's fine with me, though ... we can make it foreplay ... "

JC gasped a little, then swam back out of Nick's reach, pressing up against the side of the pool and tipping his head back over the edge. "I like you," he murmured. "No bullshit, huh?"

"Didn't think I'd need bullshit with you," said Nick, gliding over to him, almost more comfortable in the water than he ever was on land. "You know where I'm coming from and I know where you're coming from and we still have a lot to learn about each other but ... what we want is no secret. Right?"

"Right," JC agreed, his breath hitching when Nick touched him again. "I just ... the lack of games is nice, is all. I respect that. Which maybe isn't the right thing to say, how much I respect you, if I want to ask you to fuck me silly."

"Sometimes games are just a waste of time," said Nick, kissing JC's neck tenderly but hungrily. "Crashing into you was a hell of an ice breaker. I don't think I could top that with any kind of game."

"It wasn't that," JC protested weakly. "I mean. I guess it was, but it was more ... you were just really gentle with me. But not in a condescending way." His head tipped back even farther, and he clutched at Nick's forearms.

"Well, you were really shaken up," said Nick simply, giving him another wet, slippery kiss along his collarbone. "I'd have to be a real ass not to be gentle with you. Besides ... I liked doing that for you. It made you all good and happy."

"It did," JC admitted, sounding not a little surprised at that realization. "But then I felt so bad when Joey said your concussion was probably worse than mine." He pressed back against Nick, finally, trying to reach his ear.

"Yeah, well, neither of us knew that, though," said Nick, keeping his voice soft and low. "It didn't hit me right away. I hopped right outta my car like nothing was wrong. And then got really focused on keeping you okay."

"We don't have to talk about it," JC finally murmured. "I mean. You were sweet and I liked it and you didn't mind, so. That's that." He slowly slipped his leg up along the outside of Nick's knee. "We're obviously both okay."

"I hope we're both a little better than okay," said Nick, turning his head to focus on the other side of JC's neck. "In fact ... I think we're both a little better off than we were before yesterday. If not in body, then in ... companionship."

"Oh, yes," JC said quickly. "Yes. I didn't ... I just never thought ... well. I didn't think I'd be your type. Not that I know what your type is. Just that ... I didn't think I was it." He curled his ankle behind Nick's calf and pulled a little.

"You thought my type would be more curvaceous, maybe?" murmured Nick, lifting his head to give JC a smile. "I have to tell you, I'm more of an ass man. And you ... definitely fit that kink." He couldn't say the same back to JC, though. If Joey was JC's type, well, Nick definitely had a similar body type to that.

"Thank you," JC blushed again. "Chris always makes fun of me, though. Of it. He thinks it's too small to have any fun with. I always tell him that if I let him get as close as he wanted, he wouldn't be saying that."

"I think there's definitely just enough there to have some fun with," agreed Nick, kissing just beneath his ear. "Chris is an idiot. But ... maybe I need to *prove* him wrong. I'm not all talk, after all." And he squeezed lightly again.

JC chased down his mouth, nipped at it, then put his hands on the edge of the pool behind him and started to heave himself out. "I'm so pleased to hear that," he exhaled. "It's been a ... longer than I wanted."

"Since the last time?" said Nick, staying in the pool for the moment. "Or since you and me started this?" When JC was sitting on the edge, his feet dangling in the water, Nick moved in and kissed his inner thigh, making it very clear where his mouth was going next.

"Oh. Both," JC murmured, bracing himself carefully, then running a hand through Nick's damp hair. "I meant since the last time, kind of. But also ... also, just in general. To be able to do this, here, all ... relaxed. With someone I can relax with."

"Well, don't relax *too* much," said Nick, deciding those would be the last words he needed to say for a moment. He moved his face further between JC's legs, licking around the base of his cock and then upwards to the crown. JC was so hard, as hard as Nick was, so obviously just as into doing this.

"Nick," JC cried softly, his grip in his hair loosening as he spread his knees a little wider and placed the bottom of his foot on Nick's chest. "Oh. Your mouth."

Nick pushed in closer, taking the head into his mouth and hollowing his cheeks and sucking lightly, more playfully than anything even though he knew -- from much experience -- how good that felt. He swirled his tongue around a couple times then let JC slip from his mouth.

"I think it might be time to get out of the pool now."

"Unngh," JC grunted, letting his shoulders fall back on the warm cement. "Yes. Sure. Okay. Whatever you say." He looked more blissful than Nick really had hoped, and the sun played off the drops of water on his body so beautifully.

"Or I could just suck you off right here," murmured Nick, hoisting himself halfway out and hovering over JC's body. He looked so fucking great. "But I thought maybe you had something else in mind ... "

"I do, I do," JC protested, but he didn't move. "I want you. I just, I want to be fucked. Really, really bad." He raised his arms over his head. "There's towels. Um. Somewhere."

"We'd better find them," said Nick, looking from side to side and still holding himself up with his arms though they'd started to ache. "I'd hate for you to scrape up your shoulders on the cement as I fucked you. And you would."

"God," JC groaned again, blinking his eyes open and staring. "Wow. Okay." He pushed himself up on his elbows and gave Nick a quick, dirty kiss, then rolled over to get to his feet.

Nick finally hoisted himself the rest of the way out of the pool and let himself drip on the cement as JC stood up. As soon as he did, Nick pulled him closer for another kiss, longer but no less wet and hard.

"Lead the way," he said quietly ."And then, if it's what you want, I'll just take over from there ... "

JC ran a hand over Nick's hip. "That would be perfect." He turned around again, with a wink this time, and walked a little stiltedly over to where he did have a pile of towels on a deck chair, and a bag that Nick could only assume held the rest of what they'd need. "We could go inside," JC promised, as Nick caught up again. "I mean. If you think a bed would be better; if you're too sore to maybe try this out here."

"I'm sore," admitted Nick, since that was certainly no secret. "But it's not like a bed would be any better. And really ... I'm thinking if we do this right, I'm gonna be able to forget all about that soreness anyway."

JC smiled knowingly. "I haven't felt sore since I saw you drive up. And you probably think I've got a bad one-track mind around you, Nick." He pushed the towels, and a blanket, onto the deck, then knelt to spread them out.

"Well, if you have a one-track mind, then so do I and it's the same track," said Nick, giving him a reassuring laugh. It was so much easier, when both people wanted the same thing and were clear about that. "It's not all I want, with you, but it's what we want right now."

JC nodded, and bit his lip. "Can you come down here, then?" he asked, holding his arms up to Nick. "And show me what you want right now?"

Nick was down on his knees a moment later, leaning in to JC's arms and giving him another hot kiss. JC responded so quickly, and so eagerly, that Nick didn't even have a moment of hesitation. "I'd like you on your back," he said, his voice low, his eyes meeting JC's. "Your legs up and me in between them."

JC was biting his lip *hard* as he nodded, unfairly graceful when he lowered himself down on the towels and ran his hands down his hips, between his legs, down the inside of the very tops of his thighs. "There's stuff," he murmured. "Unless ... we don't need it."

"How comfortable are you with not?" asked Nick, reaching for the bag and pulling it closer but not looking inside. Then he knelt down, a little more awkwardly than JC had, and rested his hands on JC's knees. If they both weren't perfectly comfortable with what they were doing, then there was no point. They'd find a way that they both wanted it.

"Honestly, I'm so turned on right now ... " JC said, not bothering to finish the statement. "Might be nice, not to bother." He covered Nick's hands with his own and tried to tug them higher.

"Then we won't," said Nick easily, leaning forward and forcing JC's shoulders against the ground again. "I'm fine with that. We might need to do a little something to get me slicker, though. Pool water just isn't quite enough." He didn't move his dick to JC's mouth, though; instead he brought up the fingers of one hand.

JC shifted his shoulders just enough under Nick's hands, and his eyes darkened as he licked his lips and parted them for, it looked like, whatever Nick felt like putting in his mouth. And he left his own hands on his legs after Nick moved his, rubbing almost soothingly to himself.

Nick shivered as JC did wicked, wicked things with his tongue -- the first time JC gave him a blowjob was going to be mind blowing, that was for damn sure. He wrapped his other hand under JC's knee and just lifted, spreading him out gently but purposefully.

"You feeling good?" he confirmed as he let his fingers slip from JC's mouth, watching JC's tongue chase after them for a moment.

JC just nodded. "Nick," he said tightly, slipping one of his own hands further up between his legs. "You've got just the best hands I've ever ... yeah."

"Just wait," murmured Nick, bringing his saliva-slick fingers back between JC's legs and lifting his knee even further out to expose him. "Just wait and see what my hands can do." He just stroked his fingertips across JC's hole, to begin with, taking his time about going inside.

JC was hot in his hands and against his fingers, exhaling in soft little breathy pants that were sexy and adorable at the same time. He kept his eyes open and fixed on Nick; didn't look agitated or impatient about him breaching his body. Yet.

Nick was, though, or was starting to be, more and more turned on just seeing the way the JC looked and moved and sounded when he was naked and aroused. He didn't give him any warning as he slid one of his fingers inside, a little surprised at how smoothly it went, and turned it slowly.

"MmmNickyeah," JC said, sounding just like that, as if it was all one word. He spread his own legs even further, lifting his knees so high that the fact that Nick was holding one in the air was almost irrelevant.

It certainly wasn't going to be critical for him to take his time with him to make sure JC was loosened up enough, but Nick had bottomed enough times at least to know how good that preparation felt whether it was necessary or not. And he also knew that, for JC, one finger wasn't going to satisfy him for long; a second slid in almost as easily.

"Nick," JC said again, no squeaking, no sign of discomfort. And it was nice to hear his name on his lips, nice that it seemed important enough to JC to express who he knew he was with. "Nick. This is all very good -- great, god -- but ... how are we gonna get you ready?"

Nick didn't answer for a moment, twisting his two fingers and pushing just a little further inside. JC just swallowed him up, tight but accommodating. "We might just have to make use of your mouth again," he murmured finally, feeling his dick throbbing between his legs but focusing more on JC than himself right then; there would be plenty of time for him, and he'd never been a selfish lover.

JC smiled slowly and licked his lips again before finally closing his eyes and bearing down, just a little, on Nick's hand. "I think my mouth does 'used' pretty well."

"I think there are a lot of things your mouth does well," said Nick, feeling another shiver go through his body, pure anticipation. He could have added a third finger, but he wanted JC to be able to really feel it when he entered him, and he was pretty sure that was exactly what JC would have wanted too. Not that he was going to pause to ask; there were things you needed to confirm, for trust and for comfort, and there were things that you just *did*. He did spend some time scissoring his fingers, spreading JC wider, making sure JC was ready before JC got *him* ready."

JC'd begun slowly rocking his hips on Nick's fingers once he started spreading them like that, pushing back against the hand Nick kept behind his knee and the foot he had flat on the towels. The rhythm was slow and perfect and Nick got distracted for a moment, thinking of JC working himself on his cock just exactly like that.

Nick finally slid his fingers out and let go out JC's leg, encouraging him to lower both of them so he could move up JC's body, poise himself over JC's face. "Your turn," he murmured with a little, encouraging grin, loving how JC showed just no hesitation.

JC blinked his eyes back open, kept them open, as he slowly opened his mouth and took Nick's cock onto the pillow of his pink, pink lower lip. Then he swirled his tongue around the very tip, and opened wide for Nick to slip right inside.

Nick almost couldn't for a moment, too worried he was going to slide too far, too hard. He wasn't sure that JC wouldn't have let him, but he wouldn't, not like this. He took a couple of sharp, deep breaths, then slowly did slip inside and let JC's lips and tongue envelope him.

And JC took to it right away, his eyes still open and on Nick's and from that position Nick couldn't help but watch the way his cock looked, being welcomed inside. And it was warm and wet and all of that and it was all Nick could do not to let himself get lost in it, not when there was somewhere else he'd promised both of them he'd be.

"Okay," he breathed, keeping himself under control as best he could. "Okay, that's ... " It was hard to pull out again, *so* hard, but he had to to be able to give them both what they wanted. Next time, though. Next time JC could go down on him and he could return it and they'd both learn just how wicked their tongues could be.

JC chased after Nick's cock with his mouth the same way he'd chased after his fingers; even more wantonly, perhaps. He looked dazed and pleased and still so, so eager. "God, you're going to feel good," he murmured softly.

"Yes, it is," said Nick, twisting JC's words just enough. He reached down with both hands to lift and spread JC's knees this time, holding him wide open. He didn't use his fingers again, didn't need to. He just wanted to feel himself sinking into JC's body, and from the way JC was reacting to him, JC wanted to feel it just as much. Letting go of JC's leg only long enough to line himself up, he slowly pushed inside.

JC might not have needed him to stretch him any more, but it was still so tight to just push inside like that. JC grabbed abortively at Nick's shoulder, then seemed to force himself to raise his arms over his head, and arched carefully off the ground as he accepted Nick into his body.

Nick still went slowly, watched JC's every reaction, even caressed the skin of his legs with his thumbs as he entered him. Then, when he was in as far as he could be, he leaned forward and discovered just how limber JC could be as he managed to briefly kiss his lips.

"Nick," JC said quietly, licking his lips as soon as he'd moved. He touched a finger to Nick's nose, then brushed his bangs off his forehead and kept his hand in his hair as they both adjusted to Nick's size. "You do feel good."

"It'll feel better," Nick promised him. "It's good now, but it'll be better." He paused a little longer, breathing and feeling JC breathe beneath him, then drew out just enough to push back inside again.

"Fuck," JC hissed quietly, bucking right back up against Nick's hips at that first thrust. "Do I need to tell you that you can do whatever you want to me?" he asked.

"No," said Nick with a smile and a pant. Assuming that JC was just fine with what was going on again, he thrust in a little harder, a little faster, sinking his fingers into JC's calves as he did. "Trust me."

JC just lifted his legs higher on his own, again, and smiled. Nick knew that he did, anyway, and knew that JC knew that he probably did.

His body just took everything Nick had given it so far: his legs were spread impossibly wide, held impossibly high. And he'd returned to the breathy pants he'd been emitting when Nick had fingered him.

It was so easy, so comfortable, being with him, and Nick felt like he didn't have to worry about a thing, he could just lose himself in it. And he did, closing his eyes and holding him tightly and caressing his skin and re-angling his body after every couple of thrusts inside JC.

"Nick," JC sighed, tugging on individual pieces of Nick's hair as their bodies moved. "You're so amazingly hot, like this. Doing ... this." When Nick opened his eyes again, JC was still staring at him. "Doing me."

"Doing you," echoed Nick with a grin. A moan escaped his lips as he watched the way JC was reacting to him. Letting go of one of JC's legs -- he was holding them up just fine on his own -- Nick stroked over his chest, plucking gently at his nipples.

JC grinned back, until Nick touched him there. Then he hissed again, and batted at Nick's hand, grabbing it after a moment and pulling it to his mouth. "Stoppit," he murmured. "You'll make me come too fast. That's my ... you know. Button." He moaned the last word when Nick shifted his angle again, and sucked Nick's finger eagerly between his lips again.

"Good to know," murmured Nick, licking his lips as JC sucked on his fingers, wondering if JC knew what that did to *him*. He pushed JC's leg higher, and drew himself up onto his knees for a few moment, finding himself able to go in even *more* deeply. And discovering that JC could move just about any way Nick moved him.

JC nipped at the very tip of his finger, and then let it slip out just to kick slowly up the length. "You know," he panted unevenly. "You're well on your way to flipping me over, you keep that up." But he smiled and just braced himself to buck higher, too.

It was hard to thrust like this, but it felt so, so good when he did. Nick clung to JC's body with his one hand, the other practically shaking under JC's attention, and drove in as far and as hard as he could.

"Ow," JC breathed, and Nick glanced up, but it must not have been a real 'ow.' JC was smiling and breathing hard and squeezing Nick's wrist as he bit at the skin between his thumb and forefinger and twisted his own hips around Nick's cock.

"Biting," said Nick quietly, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment and stilling his hips, sliding his knees out from under him again. "That's mine. So you know. Biting."

JC carefully coaxed Nick's arm to the ground by his head, and twisted on his body again to nip teasingly at the inside of his elbow while he cushioned Nick's thrusts. "That's even better to know," he breathed, lapping at the tiny marks he made.

"Well, if you're gonna be *that* way ... " said Nick, and let go of JC's other leg so he could bring a free hand up and toy with JC's nipples again. "It's only fair." He was able to focus on thrusting into JC's body again, both of them so far along that he drove right for his prostate as he pinched his nipple, shooting them both towards the edge.

JC glared at him until his eyes fell shut. Keeping his other arm above his head, he sank his teeth into Nick's bicep, and cried out when Nick twisted his nipple in return. Then cried out again when Nick delved deep with his hips.

Nick really, really wanted JC to come first, but one more bite and he was sure it was going to be him; it was hard enough to hold off as it was. All he could do was focus on the motion of his hips and on JC's body and hope that JC was as close as he was.

He finally thrust hard enough that JC slid on the towels beneath them, causing him to reach up and clutch at Nick and bring their bodies closer in an even more impossible angle that had them both coming and JC crying out a third time.

Nick threw his head back and panted and held himself inside for as long as he possibly could, feeling himself throb and JC throb and JC's fingers claw as his slick skin. He couldn't say anything, had nothing to say, there were never any words for this moment that just felt better than anything.

JC sighed, and only then -- afterwards, after the sex -- wrapped his long, lean legs around Nick's waist. And pulled himself up to kiss Nick's mouth with lips panted dry.

"I swear, you're double-jointed everywhere," mumbled Nick into the kiss, resting most of his weight against JC's body. "That was fantastic."

"Do you like that?" JC smiled teasingly, licking at Nick's lips. "And it was. God, it was. Like ... even better than I'd daydreamed, all morning." He stretched and kept Nick right where he was, trapped in the embrace of his legs.

Nick softened inside him, but JC wasn't constrictively tight and he felt comfortable enough. "I wasn't sure it was possible for anyone to move the way you do," he admitted.

"Really?" JC said, looking pleased and hefting himself up to kiss Nick softly one more time. "That's not bad-strange, though, is it?"

"The word "bad" never once entered my mind," Nick assured him, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, getting himself back under control again. "Fantastic. Just fantastic."

"Really?" JC asked even softer, his cheeks turning from pink-with-exertion to pink-with-modesty. "That's ... can I make you a sandwich?" Asked without moving a muscle, still.

Nick first grinned, then laughed softly. "I think you're just about the best host *ever*," he blurted out, kissing him again.

JC laughed too. "All I want to do is jump in the pool and then dry off curled around you in the hammock in the sun," he admitted. "But my mama raised me pretty well after all. And I did promise you lunch."

"I think I could handle getting in the pool first," Nick assured him, riveted by the pink of JC's cheeks. By the effect they had on each other. "Cool off a little bit. I think we've already taken care of the working-up-an-appetite part, though."

"You're so *good* at it," JC breathed, without any irony in his voice. He kissed Nick once more and finally lowered his legs, squirming as his hips adjusted to the new angle.

Nick kissed him one last time, then finally shifted his own body and slipped out of him easily. "We fit well together," he said, still so sated he found himself smiling every time he thought about it.

"We do!" JC agreed happily, stretching and nodding and reaching for Nick with his hands. "I knew we would, but not ... it was just perfect. Love your body, Nick. The way it felt. Feels."

"We'll have to do that again," agreed Nick, stretching out on his side next to JC and resting a hand casually on his hip. "Soon. I can't wait to show you what I can do when I'm not one day removed from a car accident."

JC just smiled, and leaned close to kiss him. Their tongues tangled lazily and JC tugged on Nick's hair and it was just a perfect post-coital, pre- .... whatever, kiss.

Until Nick felt a shadow fall over them, and blinked up to see Joey standing two feet away.

"JC, I brought you that heating pad you thought would help," he said tightly, looking very studiously at the pool and not at them. "You know. For your sore *neck*. And *back*."

Nick stilled for a moment, then looked up into Joey's face and gave him a smile before turning back to JC again. "That really should help," he said, as much for Joey's benefit as JC's. "I got mine out last night and it did a world of good. Of course, it's a lot better when you don't have to do it yourself, when you have someone around to help you out with it."

He hoped that JC would be the one to maybe ask Joey to go inside until they'd at least put some clothes on; he hadn't really planned to be naked in front of him. But then, he wasn't sure Joey *would* go, even if JC did say something.

"Thanks," JC said quietly, just for him, before glancing up at Joey himself. "Joey, I told you I'd come by and get it." He sat up, and stretched, and let his legs fall open. *He* obviously didn't care about being naked in front of him. And seemed to be showing it off, if it didn't seem like an un-JC thing to do. "You knew Nick was coming over today."

Joey wrapped his arms around his chest and turned his cheek even farther. "Sorry," he said. "I guess I didn't think I'd be interrupting ... that. Not even counting the fact that you're hurt."

"Sorry," said Nick, not sorry that they'd *done* it, not by a long shot, but that Joey had walked in on it. Joey seemed to be the most awkward one of them all. "Looks like this is just a bit of bad timing. But now that you're here, maybe we can all go for a swim?" It seemed like the best way to defuse the situation; he didn't even feel more than a flicker of guilt about inviting Joey along when it was JC's house.

"Yeah, bad timing," JC said tightly, still staring at Joey. Sounding very much like he didn't think it had anything to do with timing.

Joey, though, finally was staring at Nick. He gave his body a long, slow perusal, then smiled guilelessly. "You're done?"

"For now," said Nick, glad he was still lying on his side as Joey gave him that once over. He let his hand rest on JC's thigh now, not possessively, but very, very comfortably. "'Specially since we have company. Thanks again for getting me home last night, I really appreciated it. Saved me a lot of trouble."

"Wouldn't want you to get in any trouble," Joey muttered, staring harder, until JC sat up and threw a towel over the both of them. Nick was surprised at how peeved he looked.

"Joey, cut it out," he said evenly. "What are you even doing here? The whole 'pretending to be jealous' thing doesn't work so well when both of us know you aren't."

Nick coughed politely and looked away, definitely determined not to get in the middle of this, whatever it was. Unfortunately, though, he already seemed to be. "You think I could borrow some swim trunks, if you have any that would fit?" he asked finally. "I'd hate to ... um, traumatize ... Joey any more than I already have."

Joey snorted and JC's jaw tightened before he stood up and stalked across the deck, still buck-naked, to retrieve their piles of clothes. He didn't seem to notice Joey's eyes following him -- or if he didn't, he didn't care -- but Nick did.

He was blatant about rubbing the mess on his stomach and groin off with a towel after dropping Nick's clothes in his lap. Swimming seemed to be off. "I don't think Joey's staying," he said quietly. "This, um. Isn't his scene."

Nick just nodded his head, non-committally, and cleaned himself up a lot more discreetly with the towel that JC had left across his lap. There were some serious mixed signals coming off those two; from his perspective, Joey's interest seemed clear, but obviously there were reasons JC was very convinced otherwise.

"Well, another time," he said, as lightly as he could.

"I don't think- " JC started, just as Joey fixed his glare on Nick again. A glare mixed with surprise.

"Another time?" he interrupted, before glancing back at JC. "But. You. But ... "

"Go home, Joey," JC said tiredly, reaching down to hold his hand out to help Nick stand up, giving him the briefest of soft smiles. "You can call and yell at me later. But Nick and I were busy when you interrupted, and I think" - he smiled hopefully at Nick - "he still wants to be here. With me."

"I do," he said softly, returning that smile before turning back to Joey. Well, halfway in between both of them, really. "Not another time, then?" he questioned, trying not to invest too much of himself in the worlds. Or in any of this, yet. "Was this just supposed to be for right now, then?"

"No," JC said quickly, and maybe even a little desperately, just before Joey stepped closer and actually put his hand on JC's arm.

"JC," he said awkwardly, not looking at Nick and obviously trying not to look at JC's *still*-naked body. "Can I just ... can we just talk alone, for a minute? 'cause there's something I was ... this morning, I was thinking, and ... just, please, okay?"

Nick couldn't read JC well enough to know whether he wanted to say yes or no to that, so he took a step back and let JC decide speak for himself. "I can go inside and make those sandwiches," he offered. "I even promise to wash my hands first."

JC shook Joey's hand off, but he also shivered a little and shrugged before turning to Nick again with that same hopeful smile. "Just give me a minute, Nick," he murmured, stepping right up to him. "Help yourself to anything I've got." He grinned even more playfully and then planted a deep, wet, lots-of-tongue kiss on his mouth. "Oh, in the kitchen, I mean. I'll be right there."

Nick even gave JC's ass a little squeeze before heading for the sliding doors, figuring the kitchen wouldn't be hard to find. And impishly hoping that it had an open window so that he could hear the conversation going on. Whether it was his business or not, he really wanted to know just what the deal was between them.

He couldn't hear, as it turned out, but he could see. Could see Joey try and take JC's hand, twice, only to get pushed away; could see Joey pick up JC's shorts and try and hand them to him, only to end up having to hold them awkwardly himself as JC stood there. Whatever Joey was saying, JC seemed disbelieving.

When he pushed Joey away for a third time, it seemed even more serious. Serious enough for him to walk away and sit at the edge of the pool, with his head bowed. And Nick would have gone to check on him if Joey hadn't appeared to keep him in the kitchen.

"He *loves* me, Carter," he insisted, no introduction and no preparation. "Always has. Are you that blind?"

Nick was dumbfounded for a moment, unable to believe, even given how Joey was acting, that he would just come in here and confront him like that. "Am *I* that blind?" he echoed him finally. "You think I don't know how he feels about you? But a person gets a little tired of feeling that stuff for a person who can't love them back." He opened the fridge and, thankfully, was able to grab two beers out of it, handing one of them to Joey as a sort of peace offering, knowing he was about to push some buttons. "If you don't love him back the same way, Joey, why's it so hard to let him have someone else who -- honestly -- is really interested?"

"You don't know how I feel," Joey snapped, and Nick had to wonder if he'd said the same thing to JC, and been faced with the same reaction. But he took the beer reluctantly anyway. "And is that how you got him to sleep with you? by pretending to be someone who's really interested?" Nick had never seen, or heard of, the normally-cheerful Joey Fatone acting like this. Ever.

"Joey," he said calmly, popping the top off his own and taking a long drink from it. He really wasn't supposed to while he was on painkillers, but one beer wasn't going to hurt him. "Just don't, okay? Please? I don't know what's going on between you two, but JC obviously thinks -- or thought -- that you weren't interested. And I am."

Joey's eyes darkened. "You don't even know him," he said tightly. "You don't. You may have sweet-talked him into spreading his legs for you, but ... you don't know what he looks like when he sleeps, or how he smells when he gets out of the shower, or what he sounds like when he's curled up on your lap and murmuring the words to a song he has in his head, in your ear. You don't know him enough to be interested. Not the way he deserves."

"Maybe not," said Nick, his fingers tightening around the bottle in his hand at the images Joey was conjuring. "But I want to. I want to have that chance, with him. No one ever has those things to begin with, but you learn them as you go. That's just a part of being with someone." He took another sip of his drink and watched Joey closely. "Tell me why you don't like me."

"Because," Joey snapped again, before shutting his eyes. "Why do you think? You're ... preoccupying him. And he's never told me to leave, before, no matter who he has over. And just ... because."

"You've got to let him have a life, Joey," he said, as gently as he could, hoping it didn't come out sounding like a lecture. God knows he hated -- just *hated* -- when Kevin did that. "Yeah, he loves you, and he wants you, and I know that. And maybe it feels good that he wants you like that. But how fair is it to him, if you can't give that back, if it's all one-sided? I *like* him, Joey. For real. I'm not just fucking around here."

"Well, me too!" Joey blurted. "I mean. God, Nick. Obviously. Obviously it's not all one-sided. If you're observant enough to tell how he feels, I'm ... I'm not fooling myself that I'm hiding it any better. Why do you think I came over? knowing you'd be here? not knowing what you would have already *done*, but knowing you'd be here?"

"Nope, you weren't hiding it very well at all," Nick agreed with him, taking another sip and not meeting his eyes. "Of course, by the time I figured *that* out, I was already hooked. I was already interested in him. And honestly? If you hadn't done something about it *already*, with JC? I wasn't sure you ever would. And I'm pretty sure JC wasn't sure you ever would either, the way he talked about it."

"I didn't realize I was being timed," Joey slumped against the doorframe. "I didn't realize that he'd just up and meet some random guy and be fucking him the next day and kicking me out."

"I'm not random," said Nick, frowning at him. "And I got the idea this has been going on for a really long time, Joey. Why *wouldn't* JC want to find someone, if he thought he didn't have a chance with you? He's an attractive guy, and fun, and sweet ... "

"Look, I know, okay? I know what he's like." Joey was glaring back, and still hadn't opened his beer. "And he does have a chance with me now. He *has* me, now. I didn't ... I guess I didn't realize I wouldn't be enough for him, the way I was before. But I'm not going to lose him, Nick."

"You're *not*," insisted Nick, staring down into his half-empty beer. "Joey, you wouldn't. If you're not gay then don't ... don't fuck with him like this. He wouldn't stop being your friend, just because of me. I'm not gonna ... I only just found him, Joey. Don't do this, okay? You're not going to lose him."

Joey laughed, but it sounded choked. "You don't know what you're talking about. You think I'm fucking with him? Telling him I need him, and that seeing him flirt with you yesterday kept me up all night, and seeing him naked with you today just ... made me act like this? that's not fucking with him." He sighed. "He may not stop being my friend, because of you, but he'll stop loving me the way I want him to."

"And you're willing to give him back everything that he wants?" asked Nick slowly. "You're willing to be with him? Willing to have sex with him?"

"That's what I told him," Joey replied, just as evenly. Then laughed again, wryly. "That's what I just told him. Kind of awkward, with the nakedness, but ... yeah."

"And you want me to just, what, walk away?" he asked, still slowly, still considering everything, considering his choice. "Let you have him, because you suddenly decided that you're ready to love him back?"

Joey looked hopeful. "Would you? I mean. I guess it's a lot to ask, but ... you know how he feels, and you know how I feel now, I guess, and ... " His grin was friendly. "It'd be a real stand-up thing to do."

Nick bounced his leg nervously. "And what if I'm not willing to do that?" he asked finally, at the risk of really getting Joey mad. "What if I already ... feel too much, to just walk away so easily?"

"It might not be up to you," Joey said, that challenging tone back as quickly as it had left. But Nick heard what he wasn't saying, read between the lines at the 'might not' that was used instead of an 'is not.'

"What did JC say, when you told him?" asked Nick quietly, gripping the bottle so tightly it was a wonder it didn't shatter, or slip right out of hi s hand and go crashing to the floor. "What did you guys talk about, before you came in here?"

"He said he needed to think about it," replied Joey. "He said ... a lot of the stuff you said. He asked why now. He said he didn't know, is what he said. And he said it depended."

It was obvious to Nick how hard it had been for Joey to hear that, to not have JC just go leaping into his arms. He hoped he'd at least half been expecting that it might be more difficult than that. "I like him, Joey," he said again, finally. He didn't really need to justify this to Joey, but a part of him wanted to. A part of him knew how important it was." A lot. I think we have a lot in common. But I do know how he feels about you and how you feel about him ... and to be honest, I don't know. I don't know what to do here."

Joey sighed and rubbed his forehead roughly. "Fuck," he muttered, and for the first time Nick noticed how red his eyes were, when he wasn't glaring. "Well. That makes two of you. I guess the chances of you both letting me decide are pretty slim, huh?"

"Yeah," admitted Nick honestly. "You know as well as I do how hard it is to find someone real. And when you do ... you fight like hell not to let them go. I don't want to fight you, Joey, but I don't want to let him go, either. And ... I guess that's pretty much where we stand."

"Fine, fine," Joey muttered. "Just ... fucking forget it." He threw his unopened beer in the trash, then looked like he was going to leave before slumping against the wall and covering his face again. "I love him," he mumbled behind his hand. "I love him, and he wants you now."

"Aw hell," said Nick with a sigh, and it was just like the day before, at the accident. He talked big game, but when he saw someone hurting, his first instinct was still to go and help. "Joey ... he didn't say that. I'm very sure he didn't say that to you. He does love you, even if he doesn't know what he wants to do about it right now."

"He didn't have to *say* it," insisted Joey. "Do you think he's ever told me 'no' before? I'm not too dumb to figure out why he did, this time, either. I think it had a fucking lot to do with how I found you."

Nick even went so far as to touch Joey's arm, to try to sooth him a little. "Well, growing pains suck," he said finally, "but it's hardly a very balanced relationship if he never tells you no. JC's ... a grown up. We're all adults here, as I think has already been pointed out. I'm not going to apologize for sleeping with him, Joey, but I know that just because we did, doesn't mean JC's gonna choose me. If he's even *going* to choose."

Joey not pushing him away was probably the biggest surprise Nick'd had all day. "I'm not dumb," he said again. "It was ... good. Yeah? He's all ... basking. I know JC, and I know what he likes, and he won't give that up unless you make him."

"Yeah, it was good," said Nick, staying right where he was. "We both really liked it. I'm not gonna ... I won't pretend I know what he's gonna do, though. He doesn't love me. He maybe could, some day, if we have that chance, but he doesn't right now."

"He thinks I won't give him that," Joey finally whispered. "He thinks ... I know how he thinks. He thinks I'm being jealous and selfish -- and I am, but that's not ALL -- and that if he says yes and lets you go that I'll never ... come through. I know how he thinks."

"Well ... can you blame him?" asked Nick tentatively, stroking Joey's arm almost unconsciously. "Since ... I don't think you ever have before? With a guy at all, I mean, not just JC. So I can imagine he's thinking that maybe you'll decide that you don't, you know, want that."

"Nick," Joey smiled awkwardly. "You don't ... I've done stuff, before. That's not why. I don't think. I've. *We've* done stuff. Not, uh, what you guys, but." He closed his eyes. "I messed up, I guess. Stopping us before. We wouldn't be here. Or, well. You wouldn't."

"There isn't gonna be any kind of easy answer here," said Nick with a sigh, "If we both want him, Joey -- if we're both very sure of that -- then we have to leave it up to JC, what he wants and who he wants. We need to talk to him about this."

"I think he wants to talk to you," Joey said dully. "Like, without me here. Or ... at least not around me, since I told him I wasn't leaving until you did." At least he looked a little ashamed of that. "He threatened to make out with you in front of my face, but I just ... I'm not leaving."

"I'm not leaving either," said Nick quietly. "Not unless JC asks me to. So I guess we'll ... by the time someone leaves today, we'll know what's going on."

Joey nodded, and leaned back against the wall again, and then there was just awkward silence. JC had obviously told him to leave him alone, and that, at least, he was agreeing to.

"So, um," he said quietly. "It was nice, what you ... um. Outside?"

"What I ... ? Oh," said Nick, and gave him a smile. "I just wanted things to be okay. I like you. Do you think I should ... ?" He gestured outside, to where JC still was.

But Joey shook his head. "No," he said. "No, he said he just needed a minute. He looked pretty ... dazed. Even for JC. I can't tell if it's what I said or what you ... did."

"I think, coming right on top of each other like that," said Nick, nodding his head and glancing out the window at JC anyway. "Can't have been easy. I'm a little dazed myself, really."

Joey grunted softly and turned to watch JC alongside him. Almost as if he felt their stares, it only took JC a minute to stand up and grab his shorts -- Nick didn't miss Joey's soft intake of breath at that -- and slip them on before padding out of their view.

Joey and Nick glanced at each other, then leaned casually on the counter right as JC appeared in the doorway. "Hey," he said softly. "Nick, I'm sorry. Can I make you that sandwich? Joey, you want one, or are you taking off?"

"Don't worry about it," said Nick, holding up his almost-finished beer. "I'm covered, for the moment. I'll make myself something if the urge strikes. You ... doing good?" It was awkward to ask that in front of Joey -- especially after JC all but suggesting he leave -- but it had to be said.

JC, in fact, glanced at Joey, then shrugged. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm just ... I guess I'm still recovering. From the accident, I mean. I'm kind of tired." He crossed the kitchen carefully and surprised Nick by placing a soft kiss on his mouth, then stepped back and touched Joey's arm. "And I don't know what to do."

"JC," Joey blurted quietly. "Don't ... don't rush to decide. If you want us to leave, to give you some time to think about what I said ... "

Nick knew his eyes were speaking volumes, about how much he wanted to stay with JC now that he knew what it could be like with him, how much he wanted what they had to become more. How much he wanted JC to choose him. But he just nodded his head and drained the last of his beer instead of saying all that.

"Go with your gut," he said softly, even knowing that might not be him. "Don't ... let anyone make this decision for you."

JC bit his lip, and nodded, and then seemed to make *some* decision. "Joey?" he said softly, turning to the other man. "I ... I do need some time, to think about. What you told me. It was ... not expected. But ... " he glanced at Nick again. "I did invite Nick over today, and I'm not really ready for him to leave, so can we, uh. Maybe talk later? About all of this?"

Nick looked at Joey almost guiltily, then focused his attention on JC. He wasn't going to say no, if JC wanted him to stay, but he didn't want to lord it over Joey, either. "Are you sure that's what you want to do?" he asked finally. "I *want* to stay, JC, very much. But I'd hate to be in the way if this is a bad time."

JC just touched his hand and kept looking at Joey. Joey, who looked almost crushed but desperate to hide it. Nick thought about what Joey'd said before, about not leaving even if they made out in front of him.

"JC," he started, then closed his eyes. "No, whatever you want. Whatever you want. Just promise you'll call me." He blinked. "Please?"

JC nodded and wrapped his arms around his bare chest, watching Joey carefully.

Nick was the one that had to reach out to touch Joey, to soothe him again; he couldn't *not* do something about it. "We won't be late," he promised him. "I have a heating pad back home with my name on it."

Joey stared at him, then nodded silently himself. He grabbed what must have been his keys off the counter -- Nick hadn't even noticed them before, and suddenly wondered how long Joey had been in there before he'd made his way onto the deck -- and reached out to pull JC into a hug.

"I love you," he whispered, and quiet enough that Nick had to know he wasn't saying it for his benefit. "You know that, JC." But JC just buried his face in Joey's shoulder for the briefest of seconds before he pushed him away gently and turned to the sink.

"I'll see you later," murmured Nick, unable to shake the feeling of guilt, and gave Joey a nod as he finally did start to leave the room. Nick slid an arm around JC's waist. "You really doing okay?"

JC seemed to wait until he heard the front door slam before slumping against Nick a little. "I'm so sorry," he insisted instead. "I didn't ... you have to know I really wasn't expecting him to do that. If you're embarrassed, I'm, I'm just sorry."

"I'm not embarrassed," Nick promised him, holding him securely, like he had the other day. "I know you weren't expecting it; I don't think I would have been here if you were ... "

"No," JC agreed, rubbing his forehead. "No. And Nick ... Nick, I really don't know what to do. I didn't just say that in front of him, even though I know that's what he probably thinks. I want him. I still want him."

"Well, what do you *want* to do?" he asked carefully, remaining in close contact with him, reminding JC of who he was and what they'd just done. "Who do you want to be with?"

JC winced. "It's Joey," he explained again, softer. "I mean. I don't know if I believe him, yet, but he ... wow. Seemed really serious." He looked up. "But then I can still feel you inside me, Nick. And ... it's not just me, right? that was pretty amazing? and, like, comfortable. In the good way."

"It was definitely amazing," agreed Nick, nuzzling his throat for a moment. "And everything about you, JC, makes me want to be with you more. In every way."

JC's hands were soft on his arms, gently getting Nick's attention, kissing him when he raised his head. "I know," he said, looking confused. "Like, I really thought this might be the beginning of something. I didn't know what, yet, but ... " He kissed him again. "You're what I want."

"But so's Joey," murmured Nick, unable to forget that, especially when he was sure it was what JC was thinking about. "I don't want to lose you, JC, but I can see how you feel about him. Even before either of you said anything."

"Joey's *who* I want," JC disagreed. "I still have ... very little faith, really, that he'll be *what* I want. Especially ... I mean. He takes care of me. Obviously. But he doesn't make me feel the way you do, when you say things." He sighed, and looked almost distraught. "How do I pick?"

"I don't know," confessed Nick, giving him another kiss. "I really don't, JC. That's why I said to go with your gut. I can't choose for you and neither can Joey and neither can anyone else. I can only tell you that I want to be with you."

"I want to be with you," JC admitted, in a small voice. "But him, too. I think ... " His voice caught. "I think. Nick. I have to try with him." He held on tight when Nick pulled back, obviously expecting it, and continued quickly. "But can I still see you? Please?"

Nick hadn't been expecting that, and had no idea what to say for a moment. "I ... okay? If that's what it takes, JC. If that's how you want to try it. Then okay." He kissed him again, to seal the deal. "But I don't know how Joey's gonna feel about that."

JC closed his eyes. "It's the only thing I can do," he replied. "Choosing, before I know ... it's making me sick to my stomach, thinking about it. And I know it's not, like, the fairest thing to do, but ... " He kissed Nick's lips a little more wetly. "Don't hate me?"

"I don't hate you," said Nick with a sigh. "I'm a little worried, but I don't hate you. *You* didn't know that was coming. I didn't know that was coming. I'm not even sure *Joey* knew that was coming until it happened."

JC chuckled weakly. "I think you're right. He seemed ... like he couldn't really believe he was saying that stuff." Slowly, hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around Nick's neck and kissed his ear. "Don't be worried," he breathed. "I'm ... kind of falling for you here, Nick."

Nick knew he still wasn't where Joey was in JC's heart, but it was a start and it brought a smile to his face. "Yeah, I'm kinda falling for you too," he said, brushing a kiss across JC's cheek. "So let's just go with it and see what happens."

"Speaking of," JC said, a little lower, before taking Nick's earlobe gently between his teeth. "Speaking of seeing what happens ... "

Nick laughed softly. "Ready for round two already?" he murmured. "Or were you looking for something else?"

"What else, something else?" JC asked, nipping a little harder and then pulling back just enough to smile at Nick. "Does round two sound bad?"

"Round two sounds very good," said Nick, sneakily running a hand up JC's chest. "I'd be willing to skip a swim for round two."

JC batted at his hands, his eyes twinkling, and hopped up on the counter. "We could always share the heating pad, after."

"We're going to *need* to share the heating pad, after," he joked, letting his hand drop to run over JC's thighs. "And I thought I was sore before ... "

"We don't have to," JC said, a little more solemnly, wrapping an ankle around Nick's knee and threading his fingers in Nick's. "Really. We can swim. Maybe take a nap? Or just talk."

"Shut. Up," laughed Nick, leaning in for another kiss. "You really think I'm gonna turn you down?" Wriggling his hand free, he curled his fingers around the edge of JC's shorts and tugged. "You're overdressed, though. How'm I supposed to suck you off if you aren't naked?"

JC exhaled shakily and smiled back. "You're not naked," he pointed out, then wrapped his arms around Nick's neck again and slipped forward so his groin was pressed against Nick's belly. "And ... I don't know. Round two might rate a tour, first."

"I don't need to be naked," said Nick, rubbing against him very deliberately. "Not yet. I can wait my turn ... "

"I kinda liked our turns happening at the same time," JC replied, gasping softly and climbing against him.

"That can definitely be arranged." Nick wrapped his arms around JC's back and held him tightly against his body, rocking against him. "In a lot of ways. Did you have anything you wanted to try, you think?" He pressed his lips against JC's throat as he waited for a reply.

"Nick," JC mumbled, and god, it did feel good to hear him say his name. "It's just. I'm already. Ready." He sighed and tipped his head back, again, wrapping his other leg around Nick's hips. "You know. That way."

"You want to ... again?" confirmed Nick, nuzzling along his jaw. "Are you sure?"

"You don't?" JC backtracked. "We don't have to. I can ... we can do what you said." But he pressed even closer, rubbing up against Nick's torso and gripping him tightly with his legs.

"No!" said Nick quickly, sliding one hand down the back of JC's shorts. "I do. I really, really do. I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable. If you're good, I'm good. I'm very good."

"I asked for it." It was JC's turn to laugh. "And I'm not being very subtle, with this," he squirmed more for emphasis. "So come upstairs with me. Let me, um. Show you how good I can be."

"In a bed this time?" said Nick. JC's legs were wrapped firmly around his waist so he just planted his hands on JC's ass and lifted. "Just tell me where to go."

"Upstairs," JC smiled, kissing Nick deeply before he could start walking. Then he started squirming again, but not in the fuzzy-feeling way. "Oh, wait, put me down," he insisted. "Your back, your neck. I'll let you sweep me off my feet next time."

Nick would have argued if he *wasn't* so sore; instead he let JC slide to the floor but left his hands on his ass. "Next time," he promised him, with a kiss. "I'll carry you anywhere."

JC just beamed at him, taking his hand and pulling him into the hallway and up the stairs. His whole house seemed light and big and simple, and his bedroom was no different. There was a balcony with gauzy curtains that looked like something out of "Romeo and Juliet," and a big, big bed with white blankets. "Okay?" he asked, leaving Joey by the bed and walking over to open the doors to the balcony.

"Better when I was holding you," Nick called back, then just followed him even though he was sure JC would be right back. "This is really nice. You'd hate my room. I have clutter everywhere."

"I wouldn't," JC argued, turning into his arms slowly and shivering when a breeze hit his bare skin. "My room used to be like that; papers and books and CDs and sketchpads and ... but then I kind of started having trouble sleeping? when I wasn't on a bus? and this doctor, she said to just use my room for sleeping and ... yeah. Other bed stuff. So no more clutter."

"I have books and paints and CDs and books and ... " Nick abruptly shushed himself and gave JC a kiss and didn't tell him all those things he hadn't asked. "It's cluttered. I like this, though."

"You look nice in here," JC grinned, placing his hands on the curve of Nick's waist. "Big blonde boy, and all the white ... here. Go lie down on the bed?"

"As long as you come with me," said Nick, tugging him along loosely. "I'm not gonna lie on that big bed all alone. And I don't want you lying on it alone either."

"But I want to look at you," JC protested playfully, pulling his hands away to give Nick a little push. "Just do it. Just for a second."

Nick went over to the bed and paused at the edge, turning around to face JC again. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his shorts and gave him a questioning look. "How do you want to look at me?"

Grinning encouragingly, JC dropped to his knees and tugged at Nick's shorts himself. "You beat me to it," he murmured. "I was going to complain about you ruining the nice lines for me, with your shorts on."

Nick paused as JC's head was level with his dick, then sat back on the bed so JC could pull his shorts right off. If he wanted to look, he would get to look.

JC stood back up and slipped out of his own shorts, giving Nick a chance to watch his cock grow plump and rise almost up to his belly. From nothing except looking at him, and maybe a little anticipation. "Lay down?" he asked, more gently.

Nick stretched out over the bed, leaving his calves dangling over the side and letting his eyes meet JC's for a long while. Then slowly he pulled his legs up and rolled over onto his side, propping his head up on his hand.

"Are you gonna join me now?" he asked quietly, not wanting to break the mood.

"Back on your back," JC murmured, finally kneeling at the foot of the bed and touching Nick's shin almost shyly.

Nick rolled over again with a smile, stretching his legs out and looking at the ceiling now as JC touched him so he wouldn't strain his neck. "Whatever you like," he whispered, willingly at JC's every whim at the moment.

He felt JC's lips soft on his knee, and then a little higher on the inside of his thigh. And then he slipped up the length of his bed, next to him. "You want this?" he confirmed, brushing Nick's long bangs back delicately.

"How could I not?" said Nick, eyes wide with feigned innocence, but the honesty in that expression was genuine. "I really like you, JC. And I really like doing this with you. And I *really* like this bed, I have to tell you."

"We shouldn't have done that, outside," JC murmured quietly, kissing Nick high on his cheekbone and then rolling away to rummage through his nightstand. "Your back. Let me make it up to you?"

"It was worth it," insisted Nick, tugging him back again before he was done. "Seriously, JC, it was worth it. And I'd do it again in a second, if you asked. It was hot."

"It was," JC agreed, not shy about that, and not shy about rubbing his thumb against Nick's lip either. "I think this will be, too. My favorite position?"

"What *is* your favorite position?" asked Nick, resisting the urge to roll over onto his side again so he could really look at JC. "Is it kinky?"

JC shook his head, glancing down and then rolling away again to paw through that drawer. "What's kinky, to you?"

Nick didn't pull him back this time, just propped himself up a little and stroked JC's leg lightly. "I don't know," he admitted. "Handcuffs, blindfolds, fun stuff like that. All sorts of things are kinky."

"Is that what you'd like?" JC finally turned back, with a small smile. "It's not ... just give me a minute, if it is."

Nick laughed softly. "No, not right now," he said, intrigued that it would only take a minute if that *was* what he was interested in. "You were telling me about your favorite position, I think. Or was it just going to be a demonstration?"

"Not if you liked it," JC smiled even more broadly. He leaned over, again, and licked at Nick's shoulder. Then let his eyes drift shut, and did it again.

"I must taste like chlorine," he murmured, but he didn't want JC to stop. In fact, he curled an arm around JC's back so he wouldn't go anywhere. "And sweat. Chlorine and sweat."

One more slow swipe of JC's tongue, and then he was biting at Nick again, the minx. He made a small sound of disagreement and draped a long thigh over Nick's legs.

Nick moaned softly and arched up against JC's mouth, wanting to feel that sharp shock of arousal through his body again. "What do I taste like, then?" he whispered finally.

"Like boy," JC muttered, trailing his teeth and lips across Nick's collarbone, nipping the skin sharply. "Like pretty blond boy that wants me."

"Oh," breathed Nick, gasping this time. "Well then ... you've got that exactly right. Pretty blond boy that wants you a lot." JC was in control this time, like Nick had been last time, and Nick found he didn't mind one bit.

"Is that too hard," JC mumbled softly, when he got to Nick's neck. "The biting. Does it hurt? Do you want me to stop?"

"I like it hard," said Nick confidently. Convincingly, he hoped. "I like it like that. Feels ... great. So fucking turned on."

"Good," JC breathed, smiling against Nick's throat and biting him one more time. "Now lay still," he murmured, pulling away and centering his weight over Nick's thighs.

"I'm laying as still as I can," he said, letting out a soft chuckle and trying not to squirm. His skin felt like it was tingling, he was so aroused.

JC's fingers danced along the outside of Nick's hips as he raised himself up on his knees, then reached for the lube he'd found in the drawer. "Okay if we use this, this time?"

"Of course," said Nick, when he realized what JC was holding. "Didn't hurt you last time, did I? Sorry ... "

"No, no," JC reassured him with a smile, wiggling a little over his lap and uncapping the tube. "Just ... makes this easier for me, is all."

"Of course it's okay," said Nick again, watching him, wondering if JC wanted him to help. "It's always okay. God you look so good ... "

"Thank you," JC smiled, looking surprised as ever when Nick said something like that. He braced himself carefully over Nick's groin with a hand on his hip, then used just the coated fingers of his other to tease Nick's cock. He couldn't have seriously been trying to lube him up, not like that; he was drawing random patterns. Playing.

Nick grinned at him and bit back another moan. "I love being in bed with you," he blurted out. "Or anywhere. With you."

JC threw him another gorgeous smile, then shook his head. "You've never been anywhere with me," he protested, then actually gripped Nick with that slick hand. "We'll have to fix that. I've seen you dance."

"I've been in the pool with you," argued Nick, unable to avoid a hiss that time. "And I've been on the curb with you. And even in the hospital with you. We've been around, you and me."

"Ah, yes, the hospital," JC murmured, grinning and tugging a little before dropping his hand onto the sheets next to Nick's ribs. "Sexy, that. When you weren't even sure who was climbing in bed with you, since they took your contacts out ... "

"I could still tell it was you when you got close enough," laughed Nick sheepishly, starting to squirm a little bit in spite of his best intentions. "You're sexy even when I have a concussion."

JC smiled, then took a deep breath, swaying over him. "Now you can help," he murmured. "Either hold me, or ... hold yourself. Just so this goes smoothly."

"And this is your favorite?" murmured Nick, watching him as he braced himself over Nick's body. He reached for the base of his cock and held himself straight upright so JC could lower himself onto his body.

JC breathed out slowly, his head lolling back as he sank onto Nick. "Yes," he hissed quietly, then bit his lip and smiled around it. "Most of the time."

"Is it your favorite right now?" whispered Nick as he let go of himself so JC could sink right down, which he did. "You have no idea how hot you look right now. No idea."

"Nick," JC choked out, Nick buried to his hips as soon as he'd finished complimenting JC. His mouth fell slack, and all hints of the teasing grin faded. He just looked aroused.

Nick had to close his eyes for a moment, take a couple of deep breaths. "So hot," he repeated in a whisper before opening them again. He found a home for his hands curled overtop of JC's thighs, not daring to touch JC's cock yet.

He just felt *full* in him, like he couldn't be any deeper, and when JC raised himself up and twisted back down it was with agonizing slowness that confirmed it. "It's my favorite ever, right now," JC managed to get out.

He squeezed JC's thighs and tried to move up against him but it was so much effort, straining to keep in control of himself. He finally did let one hand drift upward, not to JC's cock but past it, resting on his stomach for a moment before creeping higher.

JC rocked a little faster at that, these still-slow rolls from his hips to his chest to his shoulders. He had one of his hands on his own hip, and reached up with the other to tangle it with Nick's.

"Gonna ... remember this," he breathed, opening his eyes again to meet JC's. "Gonna do this one lots. Damn."

JC opened his eyes at that, and smiled, and held on to Nick's hand tight as he leaned back. Making them both groan. "God, that," JC finally made words. If not a sentence. "Big."

Nick didn't think he was, particularly, but from the position JC was in it had to feel like it. Nick had never done it that way, himself. Holding on tight to JC's thigh he pushed up into him.

JC cried out softly, and gripped Nick's hand even more tightly, meeting Nick's thrust by bearing down harder on his body. He arched again, his stomach stretched taut and those tempting nipples tight peaks pointed in the air.

Nick felt helpless to do much back to him, but then it didn't look like JC needed him to anyway, didn't need to feel much more than Nick filling him. Still, he had one free hand when he let go of JC's thigh and he used it to stroke his ribs, then his stomach, then curl decisively around his erection.

JC laughed, and gasped, and sped up finally; bucking against Nick's body. He dragged their entwined hands over to brush against one of his nipples and cried out again, then blinked down at Nick. "Will you come, like this?"

"Oh, hell yeah," breathed Nick, trying to drag JC's hand up to touch that nipple again. The problem wasn't going to be coming, the problem was going to be not coming until JC did. "No question."

Smiling down at him, JC winked and then tossed his head back one more time. His hair was wild, like a mane, and his skin shone in the sunlight coming in from the doors to the balcony. He slowly took *his* free hand to pull the hand Nick had on his cock off, and pulled it around to rest on his ass. "Let me, without," he whispered.

"Oh," he said softly, staring at JC's dick for a long moment as it bobbed in time with their thrusts. He really wanted to see that this time, but he knew he would lose his concentration again the moment *he* was close enough to coming. The way he always did. "Okay. Yes."

"Nick," JC murmured, squirming down on him. "Nick." His legs started to shake lightly, and he let go of both Nick's hands to brace his own on Nick's legs behind his body. "Nick, *Nick*."

Nick trembled as they continued to move, fast and hard now, their bodies slapping together. He clenched JC's ass with one hand and with the other, finally free again, he went straight back to JC's nipples, knowing he was so, so close to taking him over the edge.

JC moaned beautifully, and loudly, and his muscles constricted tightly around and under and on top of Nick everywhere as his orgasm hit. "Nick," he shivered, one last time.

Nick *was* watching, though he was slightly unfocused, and he gripped JC's ass even tighter as he drove up into him a couple more times and came almost as hard as he had the first time. "JC," he mumbled out as his eyes drifted shut and his back arched.

He felt JC slump forward, limp and obviously sated, holding himself up with those soft hands on Nick's chest. "Getting up," he murmured, and before Nick had a chance to respond he'd pushed himself up and off of Nick's body and collapsed next to him on the blankets.

"I think that's my new favorite position," murmured Nick, just laying there flat on his back for a moment until the sensations subsided. Then, finally, he rolled back onto his side again and reached out to touch JC's hip gently.

"Thanks for indulging me," JC murmured after a second, with a soft smile that Nick was getting to used to seeing. "We're really good at that."

"We're really, really good at that," agreed Nick, feeling just as sated as JC looked. He stroked his damp skin casually, no longer nearly as concerned that JC might choose someone else over him. "We should probably do that a lot."

"A lot," JC echoed, reaching over a hand of his own to curl against Nick's chest. "Pretty blonde boy that wants me," he murmured. "You still want me?"

"More than ever," Nick assured him with a lazy smile of his own. "Don't wanna lose you. Want to have a chance to learn every little bit of you."

"Thank you," JC said softly, leaning up on his elbow to give Nick a sweet kiss. "I'll like that. So, vacation-boy ... when are you free, again? For me?"

"I have six more days," he said, letting his lips hover near JC's after they kissed. "And there's no one I want to spend them with more. Besides, how much trouble can I get into when I'm in bed the whole time? Except the part where I have to go back after my week off and confess to the guys that I hooked up with someone from the other side."

"But it's me!" JC protested, smiling despite himself. "It's not like I was Lance, or Justin. I'm the harmless one. And AJ likes me. I think?" He kissed Nick again, himself. "So was that a 'tomorrow', then? I couldn't tell."

"That was definitely a tomorrow," Nick assured him. "I'd say tonight but ... I know you need time. With Joey. And I need to call the shop and see how my car's doing, and probably take care of about three hour's worth of paperwork to deal with it." He sighed and focused on JC again and forget the stupid car for a minute. "Call me?"

"I will," JC promised, looking grateful to Nick for saying what he obviously didn't want to say; that he *did* need time with Joey. And he'd all but promised it to him for that night. Nick just had to hope that whatever happened, it wouldn't jeopardize what he thought they *both* realized was happening between them.

* * *

Nick straightened the collar of his jacket and wondered why JC had chosen *here*, of all places. It looked pretty busy, though thankfully not an industry place. It only took him a moment to spot him, thankfully, sitting on the airy patio with a drink already in front of him, and he gave him a quick wave before heading up the steps.

"Hey," he said, smiling behind his sunglasses and standing up to grasp Nick's arm in hello before taking his seat again. "Hey, is this place okay? It's one of my favorites, and ... " His smile broadened. "We seem to have luck with those."

Nick had to give him a smile for that as he sat down across from him, glad he'd worn his own sunglasses. The sun was bright overhead and the table reflected a lot of it.

"It looks good," he said, though he'd hardly looked around other than to notice the people. "Did I dress up okay? AJ's always saying he can't take me anywhere. I tell him to go look in a mirror some time."

"You look great," JC told him casually. "I saw you and I wanted to kiss you. Bite you, even." He smiled again. "God, it's good to see you, Nick."

"It's good to see you, too," said Nick quietly, so they wouldn't be overheard. Industry or not, gossip spread like wildfire. "Even if we can't do anything here. How was your night?"

JC settled back, a little, into his chair. "Mmm," he hummed, but didn't really seem to be stalling. Didn't seem surprised by the question, either. "It was ... kind of weird," he admitted. "But, I mean, Joey seems serious. Really serious. I'm surprised."

"But it went okay?" said Nick, toying with the water glass that was already in front of his seat and not meeting JC's eyes. "You guys are ... gonna try something?"

"Nick," JC said softly, his voice obviously pleading with Nick to look up. "It doesn't change yesterday. Remember yesterday? It's ... it's kind of why I wanted to meet you here, actually."

"I hope," said Nick quietly, "by that you don't mean that you're worried I'd pitch a fit if we weren't in public." He ran his finger around the rim of the glass before finally looking up. "I remember yesterday," he promised him. "I know what we are. I just don't know what you two are, now."

"I can't see you pitching a fit, period," JC promised. "No, I just ... I thought. It would be nice. To get to know each other in these other ways we talked about. Without having the, uh, temptation." He coughed a little. "Not that it's not there anyway, but yeah."

"But at least we're not gonna act on it," murmured Nick, silently agreeing with that. His eyes dropped again, though, and he studied the enamel of the table. "So ... how's it gonna be, then, do you think? With us."

"I don't know," JC said again. "I'm no less confused than yesterday, if that's what you mean." He sighed and pulled off his sunglasses, rubbing his nose. "Joey was ... unpleased? displeased? at my decision. But he still came over, so he can't be that upset."

"Yeah, I can't imagine he'd be too happy with me being in the picture," agreed Nick candidly. All secrets would do in a situation like this was blow up in their faces, he knew *that* much. "But I don't plan to be out of the picture, as long as you still want me there."

"And I do," JC replied firmly, with a smile and half-closed eyes as he blinked in the sun. "You're there. You were there first. In, like. A lot of ways." He leaned over a little. "Nick. I ... this dream, I had, about you last night ... "

"You dreamed about me last night?" he asked, unexpected eagerness creeping up in his voice. He stilled himself from reaching out to touch JC. "What kind of dream?"

"We were in a car," JC said, then giggled. "I mean, not a good start for us, but ... you were driving. And we were just talking. And my neck didn't hurt and then we were in bed somewhere ma-, um. Having sex. And it was just nice. Pretty." He smiled when Nick chuckled. "It *was* pretty!"

"I think we're gonna forever associate each other with cars," said Nick with a rueful grin. "Maybe we'll have to add a few different memories to that. That sounds ... like a really great dream, JC."

"It was," JC nodded, smiling back. "I got to know you. Which just means now I really have to get to know you, or I'll go through the rest of my life thinking your favorite movie really was 'Krull'."

Nick burst out laughing, finally relaxing a little, and not worrying about the attention that burst of laughter had gotten them. "I think that we're gonna have a lot of time to get to know each other," he promised. "And maybe now's a great time to start. You may not be impressed by my favorite movie, though."

JC snorted. "I know it's better than 'Krull'," he insisted. "No, but tell me. Anything. That, and what you did when you left my house last night, and whether you missed me at dinner. Anything."

"I went home and lay on the heating pad for a while," admitted Nick, finally sipping that warming water. "Then I called Howie up and talked about the accident and got told that I was a menace to society at large." He grinned at that, though; coming from Howie, and like that, it wasn't so bad. "Then I thought about you for a while."

"Did you?" JC smiled happily. "Good things? I really ... it was hard to let you leave. It was hard not to call you back. Joey ... he busted me on it too, totally."

"All good things, except the part about how you weren't there with me," said Nick. "It was hard to go, but I knew ... you know. I knew you and Joey needed to do your thing. Did you order for us?"

"What?" JC blinked. "Oh. No. I ... but I can, if you trust me," he said, without glancing at the menu. "Nick ... the thing with Joey, it's ... you didn't ask, but nothing happened. Nothing big, anyway. If that matters to you."

"I wasn't gonna ask," said Nick awkwardly, looking down again. "That was ... I don't know what's my business and what isn't. Is it cool if I ask stuff about that, or would you rather keep it all ... separate?"

"It's *not* separate, though," JC replied. "I want you to ask. You can ask. If it's too private, I'll ... tell you. I promise. You ... have a right to know, anyway, you know? since we're sleeping together? um, still."

"Good point," murmured Nick with a short nod. Especially given *how* they'd been having sex, already. "But I'm guessing you didn't ... right? Not that. So what did you, then?"

"Not that," JC agreed with a bashful laugh. "We mostly talked. We kissed a little, but that's not ... we've done that before. It was just different with him instigating it. And he kind of just held me and told me what he wanted. How he hadn't realized ... that."

"So what does he want?" asked Nick carefully. "Besides you, I mean. Do you think it's gonna work?"

"I don't *know*," JC insisted, looking up at Nick again with unshaded, unhidden eyes. "And I guess ... just me. He wants me, doesn't want to share me, doesn't want to lose me. All the things you'd expect him to say. Then got all upset when I made him leave again. He thought I was going to call you."

"I'm sorry that it's hard," said Nick honestly. "I wish this had all been easy. But I'm not sorry that we met like that, even if it did land the both of us in the hospital. So what's good here?"

"The shrimp?" JC said, making it sound like a question. He folded his hands in his lap and chewed on his lips. "I'm sorry, too, Nick. I know you don't need, um. Baggage."

"You order," said Nick decisively, pushing his menu away. He didn't need to be thinking about that right now, and he'd eat whatever anyway. "No, I didn't go looking for baggage. But sometimes the best stuff's the stuff that just happens."

"I'm sorry," JC said again, looking deflated. "I'm ... I have to visit Joey today. He has Brianna. And then he's making me dinner, but I thought ... if you wanted? if lunch went okay? that maybe I could, um. Come over later. Tonight. Bring some beer, or wine, and ... ?"

"Come over after you see Joey and Brianna," confirmed Nick, still so awkward about the whole arrangement. "It would be nice, to see you. But I'm not sure Joey's gonna like that much, you leaving. Of course I want you to come, I'm must not sure ... no one ever told me the right manners about something like this."

"If I offer to stay, I think his head'll explode," JC protested, even though Nick wasn't so sure of that. "I just want to spend the night with you." His voice got soft, his expression soft, too, and eager. "I want to see *your* bed."

Nick couldn't help smiling back at that, and he was pretty sure JC knew that before he said it. "I warned you about my room," he said. "One great big pile of clutter. But you're welcome to stay in it with me."

"And you don't think I'm too much of a hussy for inviting myself over?" JC smiled winningly. "I make good coffee for the morning, too."

"Oh, I think you're a big 'ol hussy," teased Nick softly. "But I like you that way. Throw in some eggs with that coffee and I'm yours for life."

JC just beamed from ear to ear and settled back in his seat again, not even letting the smile falter when the waiter took their order. Nick was surprised, and pleased by the invitation, but still unable to shake his curiosity about how Joey would react. Nick felt like he'd been getting the better end of the deal so far. He just wondered, too, how long that would last.

* * *

Nick couldn't quite put his finger on what was different with JC when he showed up at his door that night, later than Nick had really expected. He'd picked up the phone to make sure they were still on for the night twice, but never called. Looking at JC, he wondered if he shouldn't offer a raincheck anyway.

"Hey," he said though, opening his arms invitingly as he let him inside. "Hey, it's good to see you. I'm glad you came." He had so many questions, but they could wait until JC had at least accepted his invitation to come in, and maybe had a drink, too.

"Hey, Nick," JC replied, leaning up to give Nick a soft kiss on the cheek but not really walking into his embrace like Nick had kind of expected. "I'm sorry it's late. I kept meaning to call ... "

"I was worried," said Nick honestly, closing the door behind them, with JC barely inside. "Given our track record and all. But I hadn't started calling the area hospitals just yet. You want some to eat? Drink? A tour of the place? I'm glad you found it okay ... "

JC slapped his hand to his forehead and groaned. "Drink," he repeated. "I'm sorry, I meant to stop on my way and get something for us; it completely slipped my mind. I'm sorry." He gave Nick a slow smile, though. "I promise I won't forget the coffee tomorrow, though, okay?"

"It's okay," said Nick, reaching out and touching JC's arm since he wasn't really initiating any contact. "I guess you probably had a lot on your mind. You want something, though?" He gestured behind him, towards the kitchen. "I cleaned. Honest."

"Sure, whatever you're having," JC said easily, reaching up with his other hand to place it gently over Nick's. "How was your evening, Nick?"

"It was fine," he said, more or less brushing the question off. "Didn't do much. How about you?" He tugged on him gently, trying to lead him further inside.

JC sighed, and closed his eyes, following slowly. "It was fine," he echoed. "Saw Joey," he said, like Nick hadn't had that on the front of his mind, "and Bri, and had dinner, and ... yeah. It was fine." He was much, *much* less forthcoming than Nick had seen him, yet.

"You wanna tell me about it?" he prompted him, trying to sound casual. "You must've been having a really good time, to stay so late. Oh, you didn't keep Brianna up this late, did you?"

"No, no, Mama Phyllis came and picked her up," JC replied, looking horrified at the thought. "Before dinner, even. We just got to play a little. I don't ... Joey seemed like he had the evening planned out, pretty much." Again, he didn't seem to be inclined to say much more than that, on his own. Nick watched him wander around the kitchen, touching things.

"Oh, so you guys had the evening alone then," said Nick, resting against the counter awkwardly for a moment before finally opening the fridge. "Well ... that must've been nice ... " He didn't want to have to ask, but I didn't look like JC was going to be telling him anything. "So ... "

"... so?" JC repeated, quickly, but Nick couldn't figure out *how* to ask. "Um, no, it was nice," murmured JC finally. "We talked. Like, a lot more then we did yesterday. I guess he cooled off a little. He ... knows me really well, you know?"

"I know that," said Nick quietly, still struggling for his words. "I've always know that, JC, how well know knows you and how well I don't, yet. But I look at it, like ... I have all of that to look forward to. I have all these new things about you to find out, yet. It's exciting."

JC hesitated a little before nodding this time, which was different too. "Do you like him?" he surprised Nick by asking. "Joey? What you know of him, I mean?"

"Do I like Joey?" repeated Nick, buying himself time to consider the question seriously. "He's fine," he said finally. "I don't really know him, JC. I don't know what to say. I'm trying not to see him as my rival, but ... "

"No, yeah, it was a stupid question," JC waved him off. "I just. He was being such a jerk yesterday, that I ... but then today. It was like. All the things that I fell for in the first place, plus all this new stuff, *his* feelings."

"Right," said Nick, almost wishing he *hadn't* brought it up. "I do like him well enough, you know. What I know of him. I think I understand him." He finally just grabbed a couple of bottles of lemonade out of the fridge and hoped it would remind JC of what *they* had. "So things are going good, then."

"It was really nice," JC just repeated, talkative *now*, when Nick didn't want him to be. "He was actually ... this competition thing, I don't know. It's really getting to him. He was just saying all these things I never thought I'd hear from him, about how important I am to him, how he worries about me, how he feels when I'm with him ... "

"Well, like I said," said Nick, keeping his voice soft. "I think I understand him, at least sometimes. We both ... see things, in you, that we like a great deal. We're both happy when we're with you."

JC blinked at him, then finally crossed the room to lay his hands on Nick's chest. "Hey," he said, quieter himself. "Hey, Nick. I'm still here. I came here to see you. I would have come if it was three in the morning."

Nick took JC into his arms while he could, at least a little reassured by that. "I'm just in a pretty shaky place, you know? You're in love with him, I know, but I want you too."

"I'm not *in* love with him," JC protested immediately, not fidgeting or squirming as Nick held him. "Not yet. And I want you, back, Nick. I'm sorry I ... said all those things, earlier. I guess we're all still learning how this works."

"We definitely are," agreed Nick, slipping a hand up under JC's shirt but only to be able to stroke his back. "It's hard not to be selfish, and hope you have an awful time with him. The only reason I don't is 'cause I know how you feel ... " He sighed and gave JC's cheek a soft kiss. "Sometimes it's hard not to be an awful person, when you're jealous."

JC shivered at his touch. "It's just so *weird*," he murmured. "To not have anyone, and then ... to have two people I want so badly."

"You greedy thing, you," teased Nick affectionately. "So ... honestly ... did anything happen tonight? Between you guys?"

JC inhaled a little, but shook his head. "No. Not ... he *did* want me to stay. He asked me to. But I'd made plans with you, and ... " He trailed off. "It was more me. This time, the reason we didn't go further than just getting rid of some clothes and touching, it was me."

"So he's pretty comfortable with it then," said Nick, making his voice as bland as possible. "With, the physical stuff. Well ... that's good, then, right? That he'll be ... ready, for you."

"I didn't think I'd have to be worried about *me*," he admitted. "Like. And it was two things. Three things. I was nervous about what it might do to our relationship. I was worried that he wouldn't like it. And I was ... kind of worried that I wouldn't like it as much as I do. Um. With you."

Nick didn't let himself smile, even though he wanted to. It would have been so, so inappropriate. "Well, you have to do what's comfortable," he said after a long pause. "You guys have a lot of history. I can understand why you'd wanna be, you know, careful."

JC sighed and shook his head, and moved under Nick's chin. "I won't be able to say no for very long," he practically whispered. "What happens if I sleep with him, Nick? with us, I mean?"

"I don't know," admitted Nick, still stroking him slowly. "I really don't, JC. I've never been here, before, where I wasn't willing to just walk away. You'll tell me when you do, though? When it finally happens?"

"I promised you I would," JC replied, pressing closer. "Do you ... want to not, now? Should I leave? I would understand, if you did."

"Stay," said Nick firmly. "Please stay, JC. None of us know for sure what's gonna happen right now, but I do know I want you. And I want you here."

"All night?" JC asked softly, smiling just a little as he tilted his head back to watch Nick.

"You promised me breakfast," Nick reminded him, leaning in to finally capture JC's lips in a brief kiss. "Status quo for now, JC. Just ... keep me up on what's happening. That's all I'm gonna ask."

JC blinked at him, then closed his eyes to give Nick a full-fledged kiss of his own. "I can do that," he murmured, pulling away after a long moment. "Every thing I learn about you, I like."

"That's a pretty good track record," said Nick, his hand splayed across JC's back now, holding him there. "Let's hope I can keep that up. I ain't perfect, but I do my best."

"I'm sure," smiled JC, swaying against him again and looking a little more intense than he had so far that evening. "So, um. I believe I was promised clutter?"

"What, this isn't enough clutter for you?" asked Nick, gesturing at the kitchen where his dirty dishes were still sitting on the counter. He's meant to put them in the dishwasher -- he *had* -- but then he'd gotten caught up in pacing and looking out the window to see if JC was there yet and he'd forgotten all about them. But he wasn't going to ignore JC's comment that they head for the bedroom, and he gave him a suggestive smile.

"And your back?" JC prompted further, grinning back a little more bravely. "How's that doing? Stiff? Sore? Got anything that might need some, um. Attention?"

"I've got all sorts of stiff things that need attention," he joked, knowing how un-subtle that was. He even waggled his eyebrows a little as he gave JC a gentle shove towards the stairs.

JC shoved him back, and giggled softly. "Do I get to see how you treat guests new to your bed this time, then, Mr. Carter?" He swung his small hips a little as he danced out in front of him, heading instinctively for the stairs.

"I'm kind of a lousy host," he admitted, following along closely behind him. "I mostly just tell people to make themselves at home, stay a while. That's probably what I'm gonna say when we're naked in my bed together ... 'make yourself at home. Stay a while'. And I'm really hoping you will."

JC smiled at him again, comfortable with Nick saying that, obviously; comfortable with the promise of doing that. He still didn't seem ... quite the same, as he had the day before, or even the way he'd been at lunch earlier. But he also didn't seem as distant as he had when he'd first arrived.

"I kinda meant that, you know. Since we did it my way in my bed ... " prompted JC.

"But we did it my way by your pool," Nick reminded him, tugging on his hand to get him started up the stairs. "Or are you suggesting I get the handcuffs out and get kinky ... ?"

"That wasn't your way!" JC protested, squeezing Nick's hand in return and moving all-too-slowly up the stairs. "Plus that was the first time. Doesn't count. Getting-to-know-you stuff." He grinned over his shoulder and wiggled his ass again. "Are we comfortable enough together yet for the kinky?"

"I don't know," said Nick, reaching out to pinch it impulsively. "*Are* we comfortable enough together yet for the kinky?"

"I could maybe go for it," replied JC, his voice a little lower. "I trust you. Um, obviously." He turned completely around and started walking the rest of the way up the stairs backwards, his arms holding onto the railings. "Got any ideas?"

Nick hadn't actually expected him to say yes, and didn't know how to respond for a moment. "Well," he said finally. "What do you like? I've got lots of ideas, but the won't do us any good if they're not stuff you're into. I'm ... guessing you want to bottom? Am I right about that?"

"If not," JC replied, "I'd rather ... I mean, if *you* are, this time, I think it should just be us. It just depends on what you're in the mood for. Nick." He glanced down. "I like a lot of things. And I *love* bottoming for you, already. If that wasn't obvious."

"I do know that," said Nick with a smile. "But there's so much I *don't* know about you, yet. I didn't even know if you *liked* topping."

"Sure," JC grinned back. "What's not to like? I've never topped anyone like you before, but if ... " He shrugged, and kept grinning. "Decisions, huh."

"Well, it's that or you can tie me up," said Nick, letting his smile grow. "Or I could tie *you* up. Or I could just bend you over the bed and we could do it like that ... "

He barely kept from laughing when JC stumbled a little. "Oh. Any of those," he blinked, replying quickly, before turning and hurrying up the rest of the stairs. "Um, which room, Nick?"

"The big one," he said, running through all the things they could possibly do together once they got there. "Turn. Right here. Open the door."

JC obeyed automatically, and eagerly, and pushed open the door that Nick gestured at. And then paused, in the middle of the room, waiting for Nick to catch up to him.

"See?" said Nick, using one arm to gesture at the room and wrapping the other around JC's waist. "Clutter everywhere. Now did we decide on a position yet or are you just being really easy?"

JC seemed to try to look offended and just couldn't pull it off. He kissed Nick aggressively instead, and then moved out of his arms to tug his shirt over his head. "Easy, I guess."

"I like my guys easy," teased Nick with a short laugh, knowing JC knew better than that. Confident that JC knew why they were here together now. "Well, I'm not gonna bend you over the bed, because it would be a shame not to be able to see your face. So ... if you're in the mood for it ... you could maybe do me. Show me your stuff."

"I can do that," JC grinned. "But, um. For future reference. I've been told I'm ... a handful ... when bent over things. So." He grabbed the hem of Nick's shirt and yanked him close. "And now I'm all re-thinking my 'no kink if I top' policy."

"Oh, well, I didn't say we'd *never* do it that way. But I'm still in the stage where I want to see every single expression on your face when we're doing it," Nick told him, his voice dropping a little. Then he leaned in the rest of the way and kissed JC fiercely.

JC kissed him back, no less passionate, and yanked harder. "Let me tie you up," he mumbled against his lips. "Please. Let me ... do stuff. To you."

There was no way that Nick could say no to that. No way Nick *wanted* to say no to that. "Yes. Yes. Use whatever you want. I have ... stuff ... at the top of the closet, or just whatever. Yes."

"You get it," JC pulled back, grinning, and slapping Nick on his ass lightly as he flopped onto the bed. "I wanna see what you want me to use."

"What, you want me to work for it?" asked Nick, but he headed straight for his closet, flung the doors open and walked in, almost to the back, reaching for the top shelf and taking down his plastic basket of stuff. "Just don't forget you asked for it," he called out to him as he brought the whole thing. "I don't want you telling me I went and freaked you out."

"That won't happen," JC laughed, his voice a little more distant. "I promise. I cleaned before you came over to my house, just remember that."

Nick walked back out and JC was already naked. Just naked. No clothes in sight.

"Well, that's a bonus," he commented with a little smile, looking him up and down without shame and then holding out the little basket. "Okay, I was exaggerating a little. There's nothing scary in here. Did you want to use leather or silk to tie me up? Cliche, I know, but it's comfortable."

"Ooh," JC murmured, kneeling up on the mattress and trying to peek. "Um, silk, I think. Will this be okay? I guess the excessive preparation might kind of ruin the mood, but your back ... "

"Nothing could ruin the mood when I'm with you," he assured him as he reached the edge of the bed. "We could have naked, screaming fans crash in through the window, and I'd still want you."

JC shuddered before pawing at the basket. "What *else* do you have in here, Nicky? Just curious." He reached for Nick's shirt with his other hand, without looking and started unbuttoning it from the bottom up.

Nick laughed and batted his hand away playfully, feeling more secure about this by the moment. "Just some toys," he said vaguely. "Some stuff for when I'm alone, some stuff for when I'm not. Well. obviously, I guess." He started stripping off his own shirt a lot more quickly. "Um ... nothing *too* kinky, I don't think. I keep a couple of silk scarves in that black velvet bag, there."

JC found it, and pulled the scarves out slowly. "You trust people to do this a lot?" he asked, a little more seriously, watching Nick as his shirt fell off his shoulders.

"No," said Nick, shaking his head a little as he pulled the sleeves over his wrists and dropped the shirt carelessly on the floor. "But I try to choose people I trust, to be with. It's definitely not everyone."

"I'd trust you," JC told him, moving back a little on the bed but still kneeling with his erection proud in front of him. "I do trust you. The list of people I'm comfortable playing with, like this, is ... really small."

"A list of two, maybe?" suggested Nick, not sure if it was that limited or not. He undid his pants and started sliding them down over his hips. "Obviously I trust you. With a lot of things."

JC sobered a little at that, and settled back onto the bed, playing idly with the scarves. "I feel really good, about that, you know," he said softer. "I wouldn't change anything that's happened with us, yet. Except maybe the hospital."

"I'll admit that wasn't my favorite part," said Nick, kicking his pants and underwear off together so he was just as naked as JC. "But it got us here, so I can't even say I wish it hadn't happened."

Sitting back up, smoothly but quickly, JC reached for him. "Lay down," he breathed. "Lay down, Nick. And let me ... " He wrapped a scarf loosely, not purposefully, around Nick's bicep, and tugged.

Nick grinned at him, at how comfortable JC seemed doing what they were doing. He set the basket back on the floor, out of the way, and stretched out across the bed. "I'm all yours," he told him.

"Yay," JC said, still quiet, straddling Nick in a way that was so familiar from the day before it would have had Nick hard in a second. He took one of Nick's hands, kissed the wrist, and smiled as he pulled it up to the bedpost. Letting Nick free to touch his hip, his belly, with the other. For the moment.

He took advantage of it, stroking his hand up JC's side and brushing his fingertips over his nipple before drifting down again to tangle in the hair at the base of his erection. He was very sure that things like this, at least, still only belonged to him and JC. And not JC and Joey.

JC's eyes squeezed shut, and his own hands faltered as he bucked forward carefully into Nick's touch. "Tying you up's a good idea," he mumbled. "You turn me on too fast."

"You think I can't turn you on while I'm tied up?" said Nick suggestively, withdrawing his hand slowly. "Just try me, JC. Maybe we'll both learn a few things about each other."

"Ooh, big talker," JC muttered, finishing that first wrist with a stiff yank of the knot and then draping himself over Nick to take his other hand. "Maybe I will try you."

"I thought there wasn't even a question of whether or not you were going to try me," said Nick, licking his lips when JC was watching, then biting down gently on the lower one. "You aren't allowed to change your mind once you've got me all tied up and at your mercy."

JC looked away quickly, ducking his head and running a hand through his hair. "Pretty boy," he mumbled, sounding frustrated as he focused on the other scarf, then slipped off the bed when he was done. He stood and moved around to the foot of the mattress, watching Nick laid out in front of him, and crossed his arms.

"No changing your mind," Nick reminded him, spreading his legs very deliberately and tilting his head just the slightest bit backwards. "I'm waiting for you, JC ... "

"I see that," JC murmured, sounding a little choked. He knelt on the bed and took Nick's ankle carefully in his hand, sliding it back toward his body just a little. Opening Nick up the smallest bit. "You really think anything could keep me from fucking you at this point?"

He pressed soft lips to Nick's shin, right above his fist, and bit gently. "You really shouldn't have told me that, so early on," he admitted.

Nick's moan was almost inaudible, he hoped. It was so soon, after all. "Well, how else was I going to get you to do it so often?" he asked after a moment, feeling a shiver of anticipation go through his body already. "And in so many different places."

"You could just ask prettily," JC replied, "when you wanted it. Every time you wanted it. I think I'd be very likely to give you what you asked prettily for." He nipped harder, higher on his calf. "But this way I do it the places *I* want to do it."

Nick's moan was just a little louder this time, and his dick felt just *so* hard. "You can," he had to admit, tugging at his bindings more for effect than any actual attempt to get free. "I can't stop you. I wouldn't want to."

JC chuckled, recognizing which parts were for show, and ran his hands soothingly up the inside of Nick's legs until his whole body was settled between them. And bent his head to bite at the thick tendon right at the crease of his thigh.

Nick gasped and arched his back, just a little more than he naturally would have, and lifted the other leg to wrap around JC's body. "You like that as much as I do," he murmured after a moment. "The biting me, I mean ... "

"I do," JC admitted, doing it again and then licking him softly. "I definitely, definitely do." He slowly uncurled Nick's leg from his body with a wink, and pushed it up slightly.

Nick let JC manipulate his body without complaint; he may not have been as flexible as JC but he still was able to do a little. For ever little thing that JC encouraged him to do with his body, Nick did it just a little *more*.

"I've never found anyone better for me in bed," he said, and it wasn't just flattery.

And it made JC pause, and look at him. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I'm ... can we talk about that, maybe? um. After." He smiled and bent his head again, licking once more, a little further inside than he had. Far enough inside that his cheek brushed against Nick's balls, ever-so-slightly.

"Definitely after," agreed Nick, hissing softly at the ways JC was touching him. He wasn't at all worried what might come of *that* particular conversation; JC was enjoying this as much as he was, and had said as much to him.

"You know where I'm going with this, right," JC muttered, his voice a little throaty and the tip of his nose cold on the soft skin of Nick's groin. "Tell me if you don't want it."

"I would tell you if I don't want something," Nick told him seriously, not wanting that to get in the way of what was happening. "I want this to be as good as you do. I won't let something happen that I don't want. Okay?"

"That's why I was asking," JC pointed out, before quieting and sucking carefully at Nick's flesh, then nosing at the soft patch of curls that were right there. "How are those scarves treating you?"

Nick tugged at them again, and smiled a little. "It's been a while," he admitted quietly, spreading his legs a little wider around JC's body. "I'd forgotten what it felt like."

JC lifted his head to smile back. "It's a good look for you," he promised, then hunched his shoulders just a bit more and without any preamble, his tongue was lapping wetly at the tight entrance to Nick's body.

Nick felt a sharp shiver go through his body, and this time when he tugged at the scarves at his wrists, it wasn't for show. It wasn't just the bondage that was something he hadn't felt in a while.

"So fucking good," he murmured, not even paying attention to what he was saying. "God, JC ... "

JC's hands were calm and cool on Nick's hips, holding him still as he worked his tongue slowly. He hadn't shown any hesitation, none at all, before doing it. Nick wished he could see more than the top of his head.

He yanked at the bonds again; he hadn't forgotten they were there, but the persistent pressure at his wrists was better than feeling nothing. Was a really good feeling, matched with everything else, really. He didn't move the rest of his body at all, so worried that JC would take his mouth away if he did.

That tongue dipped inside, just briefly, then Nick could feel JC curl it and slip it even further. But it was over too soon, all of it was over too soon, and Nick barely noticed the tiny bites JC was placing on the tendon on the other side of his body, he felt the absence of his tongue so strongly from where it had been.

"But ... " he blurted out, without anything to finish that sentence with, straining his head upwards to see what JC was doing. "But ... " But he couldn't ask for more, and what JC was doing now was good, too, he guessed. He just hoped that there would be more, and soon, that would let him feel like that again.

"Shh," JC demanded quietly. "You asked to be tied up, for me to have my way with you. I am. Now." He bit a little more sharply. "Tell me where you keep your lube, Nicky."

Nick gasped and sank his teeth into his lip for a moment before he was able to answer. "Dresser," he said finally. "Bathroom. Basket. Drawer. Take your pick ... "

JC chuckled more happily, and slapped Nick lightly on his hip. "I like you," he murmured, and crawled off the bed again, blowing Nick a kiss as he leaned teasingly close before pulling away to paw through Nick's drawer.

Nick squirmed on the bed once JC left, he couldn't help himself, the anticipation had been building for so long now. He'd picked up, though, that JC like to ... maybe not watch, but see things, so when JC looked back, Nick very deliberately spread his legs further and lifted his knees and angled his hips so that he was jutting upwards. All of which made him -- he hoped -- look very, very ready for whatever JC wanted to give him.

JC did blink, and his lips parted, and he looked very interested in what Nick was offering. "Yeah you keep doing that," he mumbled quietly, still digging through the drawer but not even looking. "You want me as much as you seem to?"

"More," Nick assured him, and while JC was watching he tugged at the scarves, straining his hands in JC's direction. And he smiled slyly. "You can't imagine how much I want you right now, JC. Or maybe you can ... ?"

JC chuckled at him and stood back up, lube thankfully in hand. "I think you know how badly I've wanted you, when I was the one about to be ... well, done the way you're about to be done. I didn't hide it." He smiled and smeared the lube over his hand teasingly, still standing near Nick's head. "You *can't* hide it."

"And I'm not trying to," said Nick, letting his hands fall back limp against the headboard again, letting his eyes speak for him. Plead for him. Let JC know he could do whatever he wanted. "JC ... want you so bad ... "

"Okay," JC replied, finally crawling back on the bed, raising Nick's knee and slipping a finger inside him in a way that was so smooth and so abrupt it was obvious JC knew exactly what he was doing. If not from doing it himself, from having it done to him.

Nick wasn't able to mask his reaction at all, gasping and thrusting back against him. "Damn, JC," he breathed, "more. Damn." The was the only moment when he ever wished he was untied, so he could grasp JC and pull him closer, but he knew after another few moments he would be grateful for it again, able to focus on the other sensations in his body and not worry so much about what he had to *do*.

He heard JC chuckle happily, and then he was being spread wider: two fingers, two fingers stretching him and spreading him and not at all feeling like they'd be there any longer than JC needed them to be. "You do this enough?" he murmured.

"Enough," confirmed Nick, not that enough meant very much at all. But enough that he knew what was coming, and enough that as long as JC wasn't stingy with the lube, Nick would be fine and happy and good. "Want you."

"And we're okay without a condom?" JC confirmed, slipping closer and letting his own cock rub against Nick's while his fingers still scissored inside his body.

"We have been so far," murmured Nick, squirming against him. "Why worry now?" He craned his head upward again to try and see everything that JC was doing to him, all the ways that JC was touching him.

"Just checking, for this way," JC explained. Nick could see his other hand moving slowly, probably spreading more lube on JC's cock, and then his fingers disappeared and JC was spreading and lifting Nick's ass off the bed.

"Still good," Nick assured him, his breaths quick and edgy. "We're clean. Still want you, JC, more than ever ... " He angled his head back into the pillows, exposing his throat, and lifted his hips up just as high as JC needed him to and then he waited.

He felt JC poised at his entrance, frozen there for what seemed like twenty forevers before JC actually started pushing inside. He guided himself with one hand, used the other to pinch idly at Nick's thigh, and hipbone. "Well, shit, Nick," he breathed.

It was a tight fit, but Nick had been expecting that, even if he admitted only to himself how long it had really been since he'd been in this position. It was probably only long in pop-star time anyway.

"Keep going," murmured Nick, encouraging him in all the way, making sure JC *knew* that he was good, and that he wanted this.

'Hey, who's the one that's tied up," JC protested mildly, but he pushed in more anyway. "You *are* hot, Nick. Like, burning. Wow." He shifted a little, moving his knees, and pushed in even further.

Nick's eyes fluttered closed and he could see red behind his eyelids, the blood rushing furiously through his body. "Just take me," he whispered, his hands slack, becoming completely submissive to JC as he began to draw every mind-blowingly good feeling out of Nick's body.

"My pleasure," he heard JC say, and then he was all the way inside him, and tight, and big, and his hips were bony against Nick's ass and he wanted to clutch at him and he *couldn't*. And he knew JC was enjoying it. And then JC started moving in him and Nick didn't know anything anymore.

JC didn't just move, he made Nick move with him, both their bodies working together. Nick had thought to impress him with how he looked, all tied up, but JC had just impressed him right back with how *good* and how *smooth* and how ... *good*, he was at this.

Nick couldn't really say anything, just let out inarticulate sounds that he hoped JC could make sense of.

JC rocked against him, making soft little grunts that made Nick grin, feeling like he pushed in deeper every time he thought to try it. He slipped his hand around under Nick's back, and held onto his shoulder, which actually relieved some of the pressure from being tied up.

Nick could hardly do anything to push back, still, and could only make himself as receptive as possible to JC. Could only demonstrate just how amazing it felt, and how much he wanted it, and how hot it was making him. He'd only come once before from just being fucked, but he thought maybe he could this time if JC kept this up.

"Nick," he heard JC mutter, just as he felt him shifting his angle and mouthing at Nick's chest. "Nick, miss your hands, on my body, the way you grab my ass ... " He didn't seem inclined to untie him, though.

"Next time," said Nick, glad JC didn't need any more of a response than that because he was panting and moaning softly and really *couldn't* have said anything else. He just hoped JC was getting as much out of this as he was.

"Nick, Nick," he murmured again, getting his knees under his body a little more and forcing Nick's hips higher in the air, even as his motions slowed teasingly.

"JC," Nick said back to him, yanking his arms against the scarves again, hard, as he braced himself to push back against JC. He needed to feel more, JC had already taken him so far, brought him so close.

JC's rhythm grew hard even as it slowed, more insistent and demanding, clawing reactions and movements out of Nick's body. His hair was damp and his neck was sweaty and he felt and looked amazing, on top of Nick like that.

Nick curled one leg around JC's body and used that to encourage him deeper, faster, lifting his head enough so that he could meet JC's eyes and hold them and show him just *how* desperate he was for this, now.

"What do you need," JC said, so quiet that it was almost like he was mouthing the words. "This?" He pulled a hand back between them to take Nick's cock in his hand.

Nick bucked up against him as hard as he could, the sensation a shock to his already overloaded system. "Oh, fuck, JC, just give me two more seconds of that!" he blurted out, all in a rush.

JC blinked and grinned and twisted his hips, not letting go of Nick even when he ducked his head again to bite at his shoulder.

"Oh!" Nick shouted out in surprise, and came even before he got that word out, the orgasm blasting through him quickly and powerfully. He hardly noticed what else was going on around him for a moment, muttering "oh" and "JC" and "God" and "fuck" over and over again.

JC bit at him again, he *did* notice that, and then there was the completely unfamiliar sensation of having someone come inside him. It was hot and different and complete with and straining JC precariously perched over his body. And Nick couldn't even help hold him up.

"JC," he said, softer, almost pleading but he could've have said for what. Maybe for this moment to never end, where he could feel his body tingling post-orgasm and he could feel JC inside him and he could feel this huge rush of affection for him. He waited for JC to slump against his body, pulling his legs back to prepare for it, even, and maybe if JC did it exactly right, Nick could imagine they were holding each other even though he was still bound to the headboard.

And he did, mostly; burying his face in the crook of Nick's next and pressing their sweaty chests together, then shifting his hips enough to slip out of Nick's body but only holding him tighter when he did. "Nick," he whispered in turn. "You okay?"

Nick didn't answer for a moment, just kissed the side of JC's head and breathed and got a grip on where he was. "Yeah," he said finally. "I'm good. You?"

JC surprised him by giggling, softly, then raising his head to look at him. "Yeah. It's been a little while. Feels different." He ran his hands up Nick's shoulders, then looked at his wrists. "Ready to get out of those?"

Nick nodded and flexed his hands a little, making sure he could still feel them after all that. "Definitely feels different," he said, and thought maybe he was even more looking forward to straightening out his legs than his arms. "Been a while here, too."

"Pretty boy," JC murmured again as he reached for the scarf, and Nick wondered why he thought he could get away with calling anybody *else* that. "Are you nervous?"

"Nervous?" repeated Nick with a shaky smile. "Shouldn't you have been asking that more *before* we did this? Right now I'm just ... all content. Mostly."

"I didn't mean nervous about that," JC replied quietly, his slim fingers deftly undoing the knots and then rubbing some feeling back into Nick's fingers. "I meant nervous about me staying tonight. And, um. Just mostly?"

"A little nervous," he had to admit, trying to stretch his legs out around JC's body. "Just a little ... about how this is. But more excited about you staying than nervous. And relieved. And happy."

"I'm kinda gonna have to tell you a lot how much I like being with you," JC noticed, "until this stuff with Joey is resolved, huh." He untied Nick's other hand and sat up on the bed. "I like being with you, Nick."

"You know I like being with you," said Nick, touching JC gingerly when he finally could, smiling at him. "But yeah, I can admit it, there's nothing that'll give a guy a complex faster than knowing there's another guy he has to ... measure up to, on some level or another."

JC winced, just slightly. "Yeah," he murmured. "But. I mean. Joey's Joey, and you're you, and you're just ... different people. And I wouldn't want you to try and ... do anything because of him." He sighed. "I know that's easy for me to say."

"Well, yeah, it kinda is," said Nick honestly. "And I know we're different. And I don't do anything because of him, I do it because of you and me and what we want. I mean, of course I don't forget that he's out there and that ... that you're probably thinking about him a lot. But all the stuff I've done and we've done, it's all 'cause I wanted to. We wanted to."

"That's a relief," JC told him, scooting closer and giving him that crinkly smile. "So, um. I didn't exactly know how to bring this up. But. He wants to talk to you. Again. If that would be okay with you."

"And you waited until I was all orgasm-happy to tell me that," said Nick, smiling back in spite of a strange feeling in his gut at hearing JC say that. "Yeah, 'course it's okay. Him and me ... we have an understanding, I guess. We probably *should* talk. About stuff."

"I didn't," JC protested, but it was weak. "Honestly. I kind of forgot until he came up, just now. I don't really know what he wants to say, but I told him that if he was a jerk I'd hear about it. And that talking to you probably wouldn't change the way I felt about you. Wouldn't, not probably wouldn't. He kind of just nodded."

"He already knows he can't talk me out of this," said Nick confidently, moving JC just enough that he could stretch all the way out before his legs started cramping. "We've already had *that* conversation. Well ... I guess I'll just see." He gave JC a mischievous grin. "Maybe we'll just spend the whole time talking about you. Maybe he wants tips for what you like in bed."

JC blushed immediately and completely. "You wouldn't," he protested, sounding the slightest bit unsure. "That's ... it's his job to figure that out." He chewed on his lip and started petting Nick idly. "You wouldn't."

"No, you're right, I wouldn't," admitted Nick, kissing his neck briefly. "No sense helping out the competition, right? He *can* damn well figure that stuff out for himself if you guys ... um ... *when* you guys ... "

JC sighed again, and bundled himself into Nick's arms. "Let's ... not," he murmured. "Not talk about it. Him. Okay, Nick? Not tonight, not anymore."

That was an easy thing to say yes to, especially when he had JC in his arms and he was warm and affectionate and didn't seem to want to be anywhere else. Not even with Joey. "We have better things to do," he agreed, holding him close the way he couldn't, before.

JC nodded, and nuzzled closer, running the pads of his thumbs and his fingertips all over Nick's skin. "Like finding me a toothbrush," he replied, his voice light.

"I think you don't have anything to worry about, on that front," Nick assured him. "The hardest part is gonna be getting back up out of this bed to get anything else done at all. Are you sure we have to?"

"It was for your benefit," JC admitted teasingly. "So I'm leaving it up to you." But he certainly wasn't moving anywhere, and they were already undressed, and almost under the covers, and it was late late. And Nick didn't want to do anything that might prompt JC to leave.

"I can always push you out of bed in the morning," said Nick quietly, kissing at JC's neck again but definitely not starting anything. His body couldn't take it, in the shape it was in. "Just stay. Please. And tell me how much you liked what we just did."

He felt JC shift in his arms, maybe to try and see his face. He didn't say anything for a long moment. "I did, though," he admitted, when he finally exhaled to speak. "Nick. I ... feel more comfortable with you, doing this, than I do ... would ... with anybody else. This soon. And I won't leave."

"Good," said Nick. To both things, really, though he was reasonably sure that JC would stay now. "Because I thought it was great. And you were way more, um, expert, at doing than, than I thought you'd be."

JC squeaked. "What's *that* supposed to mean?" he protested, batting lightly at Nick's torso. "I don't know I want to know what that's supposed to mean."

"No," laughed Nick, batting back at him. "Nothing bad, like, at *all*. You silly thing. I just ... figured you were more experienced at bottoming. But damn. You were amazing, just now."

Making more protesting noises, JC just burrowed closer to Nick. "I *have* fucked things, before," he insisted, but he sounded like he was trying not to laugh. "I'm no you, though, that's for sure."

Nick decided to take that as a compliment, even though it could go either way. And bit back the comment about Joey that just popped into his mind, unbidden. "It's good to mix things up sometimes," he murmured. "I think we definitely learned a few new things about each other, no?"

"Sure," JC agreed. "And reinforced some of the things we already knew." And with that, he bit carefully into the sensitive skin just next to Nick's nipple. "No?"

Nick shuddered involuntarily and even let out a soft whimper in spite of himself. "Um ... definitely that, too," he had to admit softly. "Never hurts to confirm those things, though."

"No," JC acknowledged, then just rested his cooling cheek against Nick's chest. "I bet there's, um. More we still can learn. I want to learn."

"I want to learn everything," Nick told him again. "Everything, JC, not just in bed. There's just so much ... " He kissed JC's hair softly, then ran his fingers through it. "I just really like being with you. You make me feel good. You understand me."

"I'm trying," JC admitted quietly. "I kind of like learning you. It's ... well, obviously. Different from learning new things about people you've known since you were fourteen." He sighed softly, like a big puppy. "I make you feel good, though?"

"You make me feel really good," Nick assured him, meaning it in all the ways he could. The only thing he *didn't* feel good and comfortable with, in this arrangement, was the fact that Joey was in it, too. It was something he had no control over, and that was what bothered him about it the most. "All the times we've bumped into each other and talked and whatever, before, I never imagined you were this person. I'm really glad we met, for real."

JC lifted his head, and smiled so sweetly at him that once again -- for the rest of that night, at least -- he was willing to forget that thing he had no control over.

"I really hope you feel the same way," he murmured, settling down into the bed again with JC held close against him. "I really hope we're building something here, JC, that's gonna last long past this week." If he had any say in the matter, what he had with JC wasn't ever gonna end.

* * *

Nick was just holding JC's hand, sitting curled up next to him on JC's couch, and didn't even feel like he *needed* to be doing anything else. He was comfortable and JC was comfortable and couldn't remember smiling quite so much in a very long time. It certainly didn't hurt that not only had JC stuck around for breakfast and a very adventurous shower, when they'd gotten up, but he'd even seemed excited about Nick coming back with him to his place for a little.

"So yeah, I'm a little accident prone," he admitted, finally -- and sheepishly -- answering JC's question before JC started to think he'd forgotten all about it. "Not as bad as a few years ago, when I was shooting up like a weed, but still. Enough so that the guys tease me about it a lot."

"So that's why you were all worried, about the wreck," JC nodded, leaning his head back on the sofa cushion. "You were so nervous, about that. And me. And not enough about yourself." He smiled, and his eyes were big. "They're gonna tease you about something," he pointed out. "At least it's that, and not something that's more embarrassing."

"Oh, I'm still sure I'm gonna hear about it," he said with a rueful sigh, leaning back, too, and against JC's shoulder. "I'm not exaggerating when I say I can't seem to keep out of trouble. I don't go looking for it, it just *finds* me, somehow. Accidents are just a part of it. Though, thankfully, they mostly involve tripping or cutting myself or spraining something."

"And you seem so smooth, on stage," JC smiled, running a hand over Nick's bangs. "Maybe you and Joey have more in common than I originally thought."

"Oh, well, *stage*," scoffed Nick, but he was smiling anyway. "Stage is stage. That's different. You know? When you're performing, everything's different. You're a whole other person."

JC smiled even more knowingly at that. "You don't need to tell me," he murmured, then kissed Nick's head and lifted his arm to glance at his watch. "Almost time for your date, babe."

Nick snickered. "You've gotta stop calling it that," he said, giving him a little poke. "What are you gonna do, then? You never really said. Assuming the sorting socks thing was a joke, that is."

"Why?" JC blinked at him, and Nick muffled a laugh. "Well, I will be. And various other laundry-y things. Although maybe I should stay in the kitchen, just to keep a close watch on the knives?" He raised an eyebrow at Nick.

"Nah," he said softly, giving JC's shoulder a soft kiss. "It'll be okay. I don't know what's gonna happen, but it'll be okay. For you, if for nothing else. So you're really ... laundry? Well, okay then."

JC stuck out his tongue. "Just because I've spent almost half my life in bed with you, the last few days, doesn't mean I don't have clothes that need to be cleaned." He cupped Nick's chin and kissed him softly back, then stood up. "Only stay as long as you feel like," he reminded him. "Don't feel obligated to talk to him about stuff if you don't want to."

Nick knew it was as simple as that, though. Knew that there were definitely going to be things brought up that he didn't want to talk about, but that they both needed to. "I should have brought my laundry over, too," he said instead of any of that, though. JC didn't need to be worrying about what went on between Nick and Joey, not yet. "You'd so domestic."

"What?" JC's jaw dropped, before he laughed happily. "I may spread my legs for you whenever you smile at me, but I'm not doing your wash." He gave Nick another happy, lingering kiss, then tugged him to his feet when the front door closed. And JC didn't seem surprised in the least that Joey hadn't knocked.

"Oh," said Nick, glancing toward the door. "Guess that's my cue, then." He gave JC another kiss, but quicker, and smiled. "I'll cook for you in return, you know," he promised. "It would be a fair exchange." But he knew he couldn't put off the confrontation any longer. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Come find me before you leave, if you want," JC replied, getting up on his toes just a little to give him another kiss of his own, only pulling back when they both could feel someone else in the room.

He pulled back slowly, and looked over his shoulder. "Hey, Joe," he murmured, winking at Nick before he walked over to the other man and gave him a soft kiss too. "I'll be upstairs."

Joey, for his part, didn't quite seem to want to let go of JC when he left, but didn't protest.

Nick watched JC until he was out of sight before he turned his attention to Joey at all, crossing his arms over his chest defensively and not quite meeting his eyes. "So," he said finally, unsure of how to begin this little meeting. "Hey. How've you been?"

"Fine," Joey replied, his voice sounding a little lighter, a little more jovial than Nick had heard it the past week. He figured this was more the Joey everyone else knew. "I'm good. You? You okay, Nick?"

"Okay?" he asked; it was a bit of a strange word to be using right then. So casually. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm good. I'm holding up. You. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Joey replied, then laughed, practically forcing Nick to look at him. He *did* look relaxed. More relaxed. And 'okay,' whatever that meant. "You're not scared of me, are you? You look kind of ... unsettled."

"You know why I'm unsettled," said Nick, bluntly but awkwardly, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "And it has nothing to do with being scared of you. What do ... was there anything you wanted to talk about? In particular? Or is this just a social visit?"

Joey's smile faltered, and he tucked his chin a little. "Okay," he said more evenly. "I did want to talk. I guess I just ... wanted to make sure, in case JC hadn't told you, that. Um. I guess things are starting to get a little more physical. And that you had a right to know that."

Nick nodded slowly, still not quite meeting Joey's eyes. "Well, I'd expected they would," he said after a long, awkward pause. "JC's been pretty honest about that stuff, with me. For obvious reasons, I guess." He finally lifted his eyes, trying to read Joey's state of mind. "Did you want to do this in here, or did you want to go outside or something? Either way ... "

Glancing back in the direction JC'd left, Joey shrugged and smiled again, but a lot more hesitantly than he had at first. He really looked like he was trying to make some peace with Nick, and Nick could only assume it was because he felt a lot more secure *himself* after whatever'd happened with them the night before. "Outside?" he suggested. "Either way what?"

"Either way is fine with me," finished Nick with a shrug, gesturing towards the kitchen, and by implication to the patio doors that were beyond that. "Wherever you'll be most comfortable. This is your show, Joey."

He didn't look like he expected that, at any rate, but recovered soon enough and let them out onto the deck. "Does that mean you don't have anything you want to say to me?"

"I wouldn't even know what to say," said Nick with a sigh, but honestly. "I wouldn't know where to *start*. This whole situations is ... different. I don't know the rules. Since you wanted to get together, I guessed you had something you wanted to say. Or ask. Or discuss. Or something."

"Well, I just thought ... " Joey started, taking a seat a little awkwardly and looking up at Nick. "I guess I wanted to know how you think JC's handling this. If you think he's okay. Because I know him really well and he seems a little ... just, preoccupied, I guess, and there are a lot of reasons that could be and I wondered if you knew."

Nick took a seat as well and thought about that a little. "I think he's okay as long as you and I are okay," he said finally. "It's a pretty new, pretty strange thing for him, too. First you, finally figuring out what you have about your relationship with him and ... acting on it. And then him, having both of us. I think I'd be more worried if he *wasn't* a little preoccupied."

"Right," Joey nodded. "Yeah. But so he hasn't, like. Confided in you about it, or anything. You guys are still, um. How did he put this? Learning each other, I guess he said." Joey's brow was furrowed, like he really didn't know how to interpret that.

Nick smiled a little at the phrase, *his* phase. "Yeah, we are," he said after another pause. "And I'm loving every moment of it. I think he's confided as much as he can but ... it's like he's trying to keep this balance between us. Not telling me your secrets, not telling you my secrets ... so there's a lot of stuff stuck up there in that brain of his that neither one of us has a handle on."

"Yeah?" Joey pinched his lower lip between his fingers, seemed deep in thought. "Yeah, I guess ... it's like he's trying to keep things fair? But ... they're not fair. I mean. I'm not, like, whining, but you've obviously ... " He waved his hands, gesturing vaguely. Like maybe saying it out loud wouldn't mean that JC'd slept with Nick and not him, or something.

"Yes. And he loves you," said Nick simply, giving Joey a look like that countered everything right there. "So yeah, they're definitely not equal. But fair? They are, as much as they can be, I think. Which is strange. Doesn't it seem strange to you, too?"

Joey glanced up, and chuckled. "Of course. I guess I just don't ... I mean, I get why he likes being with you. But I just wonder how long he'll want to be with both of us. Cause. Eventually, we'll fuck, and he'll ... know you enough to, uh, care about you. So what happens when he gets the stuff he needs from *both* of us?"

"I don't know," admitted Nick quietly, looking away from him again and down at his bare feet. "I don't know what goes on inside his head. I don't know how he sees us, and the differences between us. I don't even know what he wants, in the end. I just know that I'm gonna be sticking around until he figures it out."

"He thinks you're nice," Joey blurted. "Like, honestly nice. And that you make him feel special. And. I mean. I know he thinks you're, like, the best lay he's ever had. *Ever*."

Nick lifted his head for the sole purpose of grinning at Joey. "Really?" he said. "I mean, I have to be honest, the sex is great, but did he really tell you that?" He didn't wait for an answer, suddenly realizing the gushing was probably in really poor taste. "Sorry. Um. I still haven't forgotten how he feels about you, Joey. I know that if him and I hadn't started something before your Great Revelation, I never would have had a shot with him in the first place. But ... *would* you have had your Great Revelation if JC and I *hadn't* been together? And would he have been looking for someone if he didn't already have this ... unrequited need? I don't know. So ... so far, it seems like a pretty symbiotic thing. You know?"

Joey frowned again. "A what thing? All I know is ... yeah, so maybe seeing him with you, in the hospital, helped me realize what I was feeling, but something somewhere would have done it. It just happened to be you." He squinted a little. "Why couldn't you be the jerk I got to rescue him from? that's what I'm supposed to do, with Jace."

Nick chuckled a little bit, in spite of the situation. "Cause by some miracle of fate, I didn't actually turn out to be a jerk, despite most people's predictions," he said. "And because I like JC a lot, too. And I don't hate you even a little bit, which would have made this a lot easier. I could have convinced myself I was the best thing for him, that way. Whether it could have happened another way or not, though, what *did* happen is that JC's with you because of me, and JC's with me because of you, and ... yeah. That's how it happened."

Joey blinked, like that hadn't even occurred to him before. And he looked at Nick even more consideringly. "Do you think that's how he sees it?"

"I don't know," said Nick with another helpless shrug. "I doubt it, and I've never said that to him, but you know him better than I do. Do *you* think he realizes that's kinda how this happened?"

"I wonder if he's let himself worry about that part," Joey replied, still seeming as pensive as Nick figured he ever got. "Do you ... I mean. Does that mean something, do you think?"

"If it means something, I don't know what it is," said Nick. "Maybe nothing. Maybe I just think about this stuff too much. But it's interesting ... that neither of us would have him right now without the other. Don't you think?"

"Now that you mention it," Joey replied, a little more quietly. He looked at Nick. "So much for my plan of, like, killing you dead in your sleep." He smiled, then, a smile that just lit up his face. "This is so fucked up. And if it was anyone other than Jace ... "

"Yeah, like you could pull that one off," teased Nick, and it was only a little forced. "Kill me in my sleep. My security would squash you like a bug, Fatone." He smiled back then, genuinely. "It *is* fucked up. I know it is. But he's worth it."

"You forget I know where you sleep, now," Joey replied, and his smile was a little forced too. "Well. Okay. I mean, I guess I really didn't have anything else I wanted to say. But ... something's making him happy, happier than he's been. And I know it's not all me. And I thought you deserved to know that."

"Thanks," said Nick, surprised by the sentiment." I know it's not all me. But it's a relief to know it's not all you, too. JC's ... a good thing, in my life. He treats me different than anyone else does. He cares what else there is to me. And it's just great to be with someone who doesn't know you inside and out, sometimes." He paused, and gave Joey another look. "Sometimes."

Joey smiled, a little more self-satisfied? Not patronizing, but close. Almost a smirk. "Just different, probably," he replied. "I do have to admit that I'm a little jealous of you getting to discover, um, things about him by doing them. Instead of going into it already knowing, because you've heard about every single one of the people he's slept with ever."

Well, that certainly gave Nick some food for thought. "I think," he said finally, "that's some knowledge I'm happier not having. There's a lot to be said for knowing a person that well and a lot to be said for ... not. It's nice to know I measure up, though."

"God, more than," Joey repeated, this time glancing at Nick's body when he did. "And you'd think he'd have a little more tact, considering the current situation. But poor Jace, he seems to be missing some connections between his brain and his mouth."

"But we both seem to forgive him that," said Nick with a little smile. "Well, I mean, given all the stuff *I* mess up sometimes, how can I not? I was just telling him before you got here how embarrassingly accident prone I am. You have no idea. So ... I guess we all have our things."

"Well, at least your thing doesn't involve me hearing about the way his face gets all hot when you ... um. Nevermind." Joey glanced away, his own face looking a little flushed. "Yeah, so. You seeing him tomorrow?"

Nick's eyes widened though. "He really tells you that stuff?" he said. "And here I was worried that he would be all embarrassed if I told you *any*thing. But I guess you're his best friend, it make sense he'd tell you everything just like he used to. Even though you're ... something else, too, now."

"You wouldn't know it," Joey muttered, the first time he'd sounded bitter all afternoon. "No, he tells me. I think he forgets. I'm just ... working on getting him to look at me different. It's taking longer than I expected."

Nick couldn't be unsympathetic to that, not the way Joey looked -- not just bitter but sad and resigned. "Well, he's known you for a long time," he said. "He's used to being a certain way about you. Once things *do* start happening, though ... well ... you'll be close. Really close. And maybe he'll ... I don't know. Maybe he'll remember to stop talking about me."

"Maybe," Joey said, looking back at up Nick with this sort of penetrating stare. "So. You didn't say. If you were seeing him tomorrow." The emphasis he put on 'tomorrow' wasn't lost on Nick.

"I am," he said, though they hadn't made plans yet. "And you don't have to hint, Joey. We're a little beyond that, don't you think? If you want to see JC now ... just say so."

"I do," Joey admitted. "Unless there was something *you* wanted to tell me. Or talk about." As much as he sounded like he wanted to see JC, he also hadn't really moved out of his chair. He didn't seem anxious.

"Is there something I should be?" asked Nick, turning it around a little. "Is there something you're waiting to hear, Joey? Because I don't know what to tell you; it sounds like JC has been really upfront about what he and I are doing together. And if you had any questions ... I'd answer them. In the interest of keeping everything here ... smooth. And okay."

"I guess ... no," Joey admitted, and then he did squirm. "I guess I'd just want to hear that you won't come over too early tomorrow. Even though I can't really ask you to stay away, given what I, um, interrupted. Your first time."

"Well," said Nick, nodding his head and trying to accept that as best he could. "Well ... even if I do, I'd still have to knock. I'm not ... you. I don't have all-access privileges."

"I guess that's true," Joey nodded, but he didn't look any happier at the prospect. "Well. Okay, then. Are ... we okay, then? Or at least as okay as we were when I got here?"

Nick gave him another smile, and it felt easier now. "We're okay," he promised him. "I can't say I *like* the idea that you'll still be here when I get here tomorrow ... but that's how this goes. So I'll deal. I guess we both will."

"We both have to," admitted Joey, finally smiling back. It was a nice smile to have directed at you.

* * *

Nick wasn't blind or stupid -- he could see Joey's car parked conspicuously in front of JC's place, possibly entirely for his benefit -- but he parked next to it and went up to the front door anyway. It took a long time for someone to come to the door, and he felt a twinge of guilt about interrupting, but it was almost noon so it wasn't as if he'd shown up early.

When JC did answer the door, he was scrubbing a hand through messy hair, and only wearing a pair of sweatpants, and when Nick looked closely he could see little marks all over his body. "Nick!" he said, smiling and looking honestly happy to see him, but also looking a little confused. "Hey. Did I forget something we were supposed to do?"

"Oh ... no," said Nick, giving him a sheepish smile that was almost sincere. "I was just going out for lunch and I thought you might like to come with me. I'm sorry, I probably should've called first. Are you ... am I interrupting?" He obviously was, but that was the politest way he could think to put it.

"Oh," JC said, scratching his head again. "I'm ... is it lunchtime already? I hadn't realized. I would love to, but. Um. Joey's still here, yeah." He stared at his bare feet. "But come in, though. If you want. I think he was gonna get in the shower."

"Sorry," said Nick again, but he stepped inside past JC and then, uninvited, he leaned in to give him a brief, soft kiss. "I just missed you. I didn't know he'd still be here."

JC blinked, seemingly a little surprised at all of that, and even raised a finger to touch his mouth. "You missed me?" he echoed. Then he just looked considering. "I missed you, too."

Nick looked at the stairs pointedly, up to where Joey was, then back at JC again. "I'm not sure you had *time* to miss me," he said, closing the door behind them when JC hadn't. "But thank you for saying it anyway. I guess you guys ... ?"

Flushing at that, JC looked down again. "Yeah," he admitted, nothing Nick hadn't already obviously guessed. "We did. That doesn't mean I couldn't miss you, though."

"Well ... congratulations?" offered Nick awkwardly, looking down at JC's bare feet for a moment then back at his eyes again, unable to just focus on one place. "I hope it was ... what you wanted it to be. And what he wanted it to be."

"I'm sorry?" JC replied, just as awkwardly. "I thought ... I mean. I figured, after what we said yesterday, that you ... kind of knew it probably would happen. Does it change things?" It was too soon for JC to be asking that, really, but he looked worried about Nick's response.

"No, I knew," said Nick softly, reaching out to curl a couple fingers inside the waistband of JC's sweatpants. "I knew that ... probably. And now I know for sure. And ... it doesn't change things for *me* JC. I still want to be with you. Does it change things for you?"

JC stared at his fingers, then let him pull their two bodies a little closer together. He was so obviously surprised, and pleased, that Nick was still touching him so intimately; *initiating* the contact, even. "It changed things, of course," he said quietly. "But not ... not in any way that makes me want to be with you any less."

Nick had to smile at that, even not knowing at all what JC meant by it. The thing that was clear to him right then was that JC hadn't chosen Joey over him. "I guess it had to change things for you," he admitted, keeping his voice soft still. "Of course it did. You've wanted him for so long. But ... so ... how does this work, now?"

"How does what work?" JC replied, taking Nick's fingers in his hand and then pulling him toward the kitchen. "The same? Unless you've changed your mind ... " But JC himself didn't sound so sure of that.

"I haven't changed my mind, JC," said Nick firmly. "I don't plan to change my mind, even though this is ... I'm not used to having to share. I'm spoiled and I know it. So I'm just wondering ... how *us* works. Do we get to alternate nights, or what? He'll already get to be with you so much more, since you work together ... "

JC blinked, looking a little bit caught. But it wasn't exactly like it was something he hadn't thought of, yet. Maybe just that it was something he hadn't figured out what to do with, yet. "That was a little ... cold," he said gently. "I'm not used to this either, Nick."

"I'm sorry," said Nick, pulling JC closer again so he could feel him solid and real in his arms. "I didn't mean it like ... I'm jealous. You know I'm jealous. *Joey* knows I'm jealous. And I'm scared that you two being together without me around so much will mean that you'll forget about me."

Shaking his head too quickly for it to be an automatic reaction, even, JC cupped Nick's cheek and gave him a firmer kiss. "I won't," he said, sounding like he meant it. "You're ... you give me these things, Nick. Things that he doesn't."

Nick looked toward the stairs again, knowing all too well now just what had gone on up there. "Still?" he asked, trying not to sound *too* pathetic when he did. "Still, JC? Even now that the two of you are ... everything?"

"Still, Nick," JC replied carefully, gently. "And we're not everything, we're just ... we're more things. And besides ... " He kissed him again. "Joey told me what he told you, yesterday. About what I've told *him* about you."

Nick smiled into the kiss in spite of his fears. "That was before," he murmured, wrapping his arm around JC's waist. "I *am* sorry I interrupted, though. I wasn't thinking. Well, I was thinking, but I was thinking that you'd be done."

That made JC blush again. "It kind of ... went well," he admitted. "Like, better than I think *I* was thinking. But you know I'm not upset you're here?"

"Well, *you* might not be," said Nick carefully, "but I can think of someone else who might be. I'm really glad it was ... good, though. I mean. Just that it worked, between you. I know how much that means to you. To both of you, even."

"Thank you," JC said, kissing Nick again softly. "And I don't think Joey will be upset. He said that you ... made him realize something, yesterday? and that you guys have an understanding." JC looked confused, but not inclined to ask Nick what it was about, either.

Nick hesitated, then nodded his head. "We do," he said thoughtfully. "I wasn't sure that he'd agreed with me at the time, but I guess we do. So is it really crude to ask you to tell me about it? Last night, I mean?"

JC laughed, blushing again, and sort of covered his face. "What do you want to know? I mean ... I'll tell you. Probably. But I don't want to say things you don't want to hear."

"Well, Joey already seems to know just what you and *me* do," said Nick, convincing himself to smile a little. "I just ... I thought it might make it easier to accept. Knowing what happened. Knowing what you do when I'm not there."

"Okay," JC replied agreeably, but cocking his head and looking carefully at Nick. "If you're sure. It was ... really nice. Kind of romantic, which surprised me. And ... the first time?" -- he blushed at that -- "I mean. We just took things really slow. There was a lot of ... pent-up stuff."

Nick shivered a little, and he wasn't sure quite why. "Well, yeah," he said softly, almost wishing he hadn't asked. He slowly stroked the skin of JC's back, more to reassure himself he was welcome more than to do anything for JC. "Of course there was. You guys have ... so much history. It must've been amazing."

"It was better than I expected," JC said again, tilting his head forward a little and closing his eyes as Nick caressed him. "We stayed up late, really late, and talked and kissed and talked ... about you, a lot, and us. And stuff." He looked back up. "Is that what you wanted to know?"

"I wanted to know what you wanted to tell me," said Nick. "And I guess ... I wanted to know what I have to live up to, now. Joey's been a hard act to follow, even when you weren't ... what you are now." He couldn't even say it; that was a bit of a surprise. "I really like you, JC. I know it's not a competition, but it's really hard not to ... compare."

"I really like *you*, Nick," JC replied, so earnestly that it surprised Nick as well. "And it's not a competition. I know what I have in both of you, and ... more, each day. Which makes me nervous."

"We aren't going to make you choose," said Nick, lifting a hand to stroke down the side of JC's face. "I'm sure we've both already told you that. Sure, we both want you. A lot. But we want you to be happy, too."

JC blinked at him. "I believe that. But ... really, how long will it last, the not making me choose thing? You deserve to have someone all the time. You both do. And you yourself just asked how we'd work it. Swap nights, or whatever." He obviously gritted out those last words.

Nick bit the inside of his cheek and said nothing for a moment. He knew -- had known all along, really -- that if it came down to it, JC would have to pick Joey. Joey as *there*. He and Joey had so many years of love between them. Nick had an ego, to be sure, but he still couldn't think what he had that would make JC choose him over Joey, not given everything that would stand in their way.

"We can work it out," he said finally, and a little bit desperately. "We can find a way, JC. We have to at least try."

JC surprised him again by kissing him, cupping his face so carefully. "We will. I'm not losing you, until you want to lose me. Maybe we all just need to ... " He chewed on his lip for a long moment, glanced back over his shoulder toward the stairs. "Be, um. Accommodating."

"Isn't that what we're already doing?" asked Nick, smiling at him again and feeling at least a little relief. "Being accommodating?" Then he followed JC's gaze to the stairs as he thought about it.

"We are," JC said hesitantly. "But ... well. We can work it out, like you said." He seemed so close to saying something else, but didn't. Just kissed Nick again. "Since you guys are, um. On speaking terms, maybe all three of us could have lunch? or was all that, yesterday, just for my benefit."

Now that surprised Nick a little. "Well, sure, we could," he said after a moment. "Of course. That would be ... fun. We are getting along, JC, you don't need to worry about that. I actually kinda like him. At the very least, he has good taste in men ... "

And Nick's answer obviously made JC happier than he expected it to. "He said really nice things, about you," he breathed happily, hugging himself a little. "It *will* make this easier, if you get along ... "

"Did he really?" asked Nick, surprised by that, too. "Well ... I guess I'm just a really nice guy. We don't want to make this hard on you, JC, either of you. We both really care about you. That's what's got us here in this tight spot to begin with, right? Um. No pun intended."

JC blushed and slapped Nick's arm. "Well, okay. Let's just ... we'll just see." And that was all he really seemed inclined to say on the matter, kissing Nick's jaw lightly. "I should go shower, if we're all going out."

"Yeah," murmured Nick, kissing his temple and inhaling deeply. "You smell like sex. It would be really distracting, if we went out like that. Attractive, but distracting."

"Nick," JC protested weakly, flushing deeper. Nick actually surprised himself with how easily he'd said that. "Well, I can take care of that. I'll be down soon. Just ... make yourself comfortable? You know where everything is. Or, I mean. You could ... come up. If you wanted."

"Come up?" said Nick, flustered for a moment. "But ... JC ... you know Joey's up there. Waiting for you, probably ... "

"I don't think so," JC shook his head, smiling almost to himself. "He knew who it was. I mean, yes, he's waiting for me, but I also think he probably wouldn't guess that you would be leaving, either."

"Well, if you're sure," said Nick, taking JC's hand and holding it tightly. "I won't promise it won't be a little awkward, but okay, JC. Okay."

"You don't have to," JC insisted, but he didn't let go. "You can wait down here. I won't be but, like, ten minutes ... "

"JC," said Nick, squeezing his hand and steeling himself. "Let's do what you want me to do. If you want me to come upstairs with you? Then I will."

"Okay," JC smiled, pulling him toward the stairs. Nick even reached out to touch his bare back, softly, as he walked ahead of him, earning him an even bigger smile.

Nick didn't need to tell him that this was strange. They both already knew it, and he was sure that Joey would think it too, when they got there. He only hoped that Joey was dressed. Or -- he hadn't even thought of this until they were halfway up the stairs -- that Joey didn't join JC in the shower. Nick wasn't sure he could take that.

"You look really great," he said, when he met JC's eyes for a moment. "I don't think I've told you that yet today, but you do."

"Nick," JC replied quietly, like he wanted to disagree, but he just shook his head and pecked him on the cheek. "You're so sweet. Come on."

They approached JC's bedroom, and memories from the time they'd spent together there hit him full-force. Until JC knocked on his own half-open door.

"Yup?" Nick heard Joey call from inside, followed by his heavy footsteps. "There's plenty of water, left, Jace ... "

Nick didn't even look up, at first, just in case Joey *wasn't* decent. "Hey," he said, just loud enough to be heard by him, lifting his hand in greeting.

"Nick," Joey replied, after a pause. "Hey."

JC giggled and pulled Nick inside, forcing him to look up. Proving that Joey was decent, if only barely, dressed in a towel and still wet from his own shower. At least he wouldn't have to worry about that.

At least that way, it was clear that it was JC's idea that he come up here and not Nick's. It may have been a fine distinction, but it was an important one to him and he would be willing to bet it meant something to Joey, too.

"Hey," he said again, even more awkwardly. "Um. JC needs to shower ... "

It was, quite possibly, the most inane thing he'd ever said.

And Joey just smirked at him, but completely without malice. "Yeah, I know," he said, glancing over at JC and letting his gaze linger. "He's all ... dirty."

"Joey," JC sighed, smiling at Nick and then dropping his hand and heading for the bathroom. "You done in here? Just give me ten minutes and then I thought the three of us could go to lunch."

"Lunch?" Joey sounded as confused as JC, turning to watch him. "Already?"

"It's noon, more or less," Nick told him, not surprised he didn't know that, if JC hadn't. If they'd been as busy as he got the impression they'd been. "I came by to -- " take JC to lunch " -- take the two of you to lunch. If you were interested."

Joey turned back to just blink at him, and JC giggled again and closed the door shut behind him. Leaving the two of them alone, in JC's bedroom. For all intents and purposes.

"That's ... okay, nice," Joey finally said, brushing past Nick to dig around in one of JC's dresser drawers. "Didn't know it was so late."

"It is," said Nick, watching Joey even though he wasn't sure he should be. "So ... JC said," he began awkwardly, knowing Joey would know just what JC had told him. "And I was just ... how was it? I don't mean that in the dirty way, just ... I know you've never, before ... "

Joey threw him an unreadable glance, over his shoulder. "Never ... ?" he prompted. "Oh. It was ... what I expected. And ... not at all. I mean, how does he bend, like that?"

Nick smiled a little bit and shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted. "I sure can't do that. So ... I mean ... you're good with it, then? It didn't change your mind about anything? Not that I expected it to, but ... just making sure, I guess. That you're doing okay." Then he met Joey's eyes and quickly added. "Both of you. That both of you are doing okay."

That made Joey smile, a little, before turning back to the drawers and coming up with a tee shirt that might have been his once -- still too big for JC -- but would probably be a tight fit. "I'm good, thanks," he said, a little cheekily, before facing him and holding up the shirt. "Hope lunch wasn't gonna be someplace nice."

"Well, not now," said Nick, looking him over and backing down a little from being so concerned about them. "McDonald's all right with you, then?"

Joey laughed and pinched the skin of his waist. "Obviously," he said, before brushing past Nick again to grab a pair of jeans off the bed -- the ones he'd been wearing yesterday. "Look, I'm kind of just giving you a hard time. I really don't ... I know you came over to take Jace to lunch, not me. I can just take off. I'm seeing him for dinner, anyway."

"No, he wants you to come," said Nick, giving him a rueful smile and not thinking about the fact that they already had dinner plans. "I'm sure you guessed that part was his idea. He wants it to be all three of us. So of course, it was JC, so I said okay."

"You're allowed to say no to him," Joey replied, looking quite serious about that. "I mean. He's not going to walk all over you, if you don't, because it's him. But still. That's not the best habit to get into with anyone." He even managed to still look serious, and concerned, as he let his towel drop to the floor shamelessly.

Nick locked his eyes on Joey's face, and was sure it was very obvious how hard he was trying not to look. "We have to find ways to make this work, is all I'm saying," he went on, but a few moments past when he should have in the natural flow of the conversation. "And if JC thinks that this is gonna help us, well, I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt. He's worth it."

"No, I know," Joey replied, starting to tug on his jeans over his bare skin, but leaving the fly partly-unbuttoned as he picked the towel back up and scrubbed it over his hair one last time. With his eyes covered, Nick couldn't help but glance at his chest, and the way his arms looked raised over his head. Couldn't help it. "So, it feels kind of weird to have finally done it, and know that later today or tomorrow or whenever, he may be doing it to you."

"Feels kinda weird to me, too," murmured Nick, sighing softly to himself. There was no way Joey didn't know he was looking; of course he was looking. "To know that you guys are, now, and it's not just him and me. I've never done this before. Well, not intentionally anyway."

Joey laughed at that. "Yeah, exactly," he murmured, practically touching Nick when he leaned over to snag the tee shirt he'd dropped on the bed. He smelled clean and a little musky and very much like the scent JC had all over him when Nick had arrived. "But it's not changing anything for you? You're okay with ... sharing?" He smiled when JC's voice, singing something happy in the shower, became audible.

"I'm okay with sharing," said Nick, hoping he sounded convincing, forcing himself to look away from Joey before he started *staring* or something. "As okay as I ever was, anyway. I guess it would be stupid to say it doesn't change anything, but it doesn't change it in the sense that I want to leave now. At all. I still want this a lot, Joey."

"Well, me too," Joey said, tugging on the shirt -- which WAS tight -- and then lounging on the bed next to Nick. "He seems really happy that you came over, and happy about us getting along. I guess it makes it easier for him. So how ARE we going to work this?"

"I have *no* idea," said Nick, flopping back onto the bed and then involuntarily letting out a little groan, flushing when he realized that Joey would've heard. "And I seem to put my foot in my mouth every time I talk to JC about it. I'm not even getting along with you just for his sake ... why'd you have to be so damn *nice* and ... stuff. *I* could deal with this easier if I could let myself resent the hell out of you and think of you as the enemy. But no."

"You said that yesterday," Joey pointed out, sounding amused. "We both admitted how frustrating it was to actually kind of like each other. So how'd you put your foot in your mouth, with him?"

"Don't even ask," muttered Nick. "Obviously I didn't divert the subject cleverly enough. Don't worry, it's all smoothed over now anyway. And for the record, if you're thinking about making a comment about him seeing us on alternating nights? Don't."

Joey laughed out loud at that. "Okay, thanks for the tip," he replied. "He still wants you, Nick," he went on, after a moment. "He made me talk to him about you. Which is definitely weird, in bed."

"In bed?" confirmed Nick incredulously, turning his head to watch Joey again. "I mean, he told me you talked about me, too, but in bed? Then again ... where else have you been since last night, right? I'm glad he wants me. I want him, too. And ... I think this is probably going to get really complicated."

Joey sighed, and closed his eyes. "He asked me if I thought he should ... break it off, with you," he admitted, and Nick felt his own mouth drop open in surprise. "If sharing was too big a thing to ask you to do. You notice how he didn't worry about whether it was too much for *me* -- and I don't think that's a good thing -- but he really wanted my opinion. On whether he should stop before he hurt you."

"Well, it's a little late for that already," he admitted; it wasn't as though he hadn't already admitted much more to Joey. To both of them. "Joey ... he knows you better, I guess. Knows what you'll do for him and what he won't. I'm practically a stranger, next to you. He really ... considered it?"

"He wasn't happy about it," Joey pointed out, then touched Nick's arm carefully. "I told him that it was up to you to decide what was too much to ask. Which ... you think us getting along is weird? What about me passing up an opportunity to have this all taken care of. Not that he would have necessarily listened to me, but still."

"Well, thanks," said Nick softly, remembering their conversation from the day before, and how JC had even mentioned how Joey had brought it up, however indirectly. "You knew I would want to stay and you still ... you must love him a lot, huh?"

Joey let go. "Don't sound so surprised," he muttered, embarrassed for some reason and sitting back up. "I wouldn't deserve him if I lied to him, that's all."

"No, I'm sorry," said Nick quickly, reaching out to grab Joey's arm before he could get too far. "It doesn't. At all. Surprise me. Except for the part where it allows me to have what I want, too."

"Well," Joey replied, almost gruffly, before getting up off the bed despite Nick's hold on him, and walking over to the bathroom door and pounding on it. "Jace, you girl. Come on. Let's go eat so I can pick up Brianna."

"Two more minutes," JC called back through the door, still sounding ridiculously happy.

"You know, you don't have to come, just 'cause you're invited," said Nick awkwardly, sitting up himself. "I didn't know you needed to go pick up your girl, Maybe lunch was just a bad idea, we can go and do it another time. Then JC can have us all together, like he wants, and it won't be inconveniencing you."

"She's just at my parents'," Joey shrugged, turning back to face Nick and then realizing he still didn't have his pants buttoned all the way. "Do you want me not to come? I thought we were being open, now."

"We are," said Nick, "and if I didn't want you to come, I'd say so. And I hope if *you* didn't want to come, you'd say so, too. I know we have to compromise here but ... well, we just don't need to be doing that, with each other."

"We're all going to have to suck it up at some point and figure this out," Joey replied bluntly, fixing his pants and then walking over to the mirror to fix his hair. "I know it's not sexy or romantic or anything to have to talk about it, about the logistics? is that the right word? But we have to anyway. We have to make C do it, too."

"We all know we are, Joey," said Nick, standing up and joining him at the mirror. He looked as good as he did when he'd left the house earlier that morning. "It's not like we're trying to avoid it or something. It's just happened fast, and this is pretty much the first chance we've *had*, to even start considering how this is going to work."

"Yeah," Joey sighed, then turned to face Nick, a slight frown on his face. "Here, this isn't working right," he said, tugging at an errant spike in his dark hair. "I hate Jace's gel. Can you fix it?"

"My best look is bedhead and you're asking *me* to make it look right?" said Nick, smiling at him and hoping it might lighten things up a little. "Well, I'll give it a shot." It was really nice, he realized, to be standing face to face with someone who was almost his own height, and size, for once. He didn't think about it so much anymore, but at moments like this he was reminded how *small* most of the people he spent his time with were. "There, how's that? All right?"

Joey turned back to the mirror, and gave Nick a bright smile in the reflection. "Well, you should tell me. Unless you're not even letting yourself look at me, like that."

"You look good," said Nick, meeting Joey's eyes in the mirror. "You look hot. Don't worry."

Joey gazed back, his smile changing into something a little less readable again, just as the bathroom door opened and JC came bouncing out in a towel of his own. He blinked when he saw the two of them standing so close in front of the mirror, then smiled and cocked his head. "What'd I miss?"

"Aliens invaded, the sky is falling, Backstreet broke up and Brianna's in college," said Nick, turning his head to look at JC with an only-slightly-unsettled smile. "Have a nice shower?"

JC blinked some more, looking back and forth between the two of them until Joey snorted and rolled his eyes, patting JC lightly on the ass as he brushed past him to go back into the bathroom himself. "Oh, ha, ha, Nick," said JC, moving closer himself and holding his arms out. "What, did you just miss me that bad?"

"Yes," said Nick softly, wrapping his own arms around JC. "Always miss you when you're not around, now. And hey, *I* thought it was funny!"

"You and Joey were laughing at me," he pouted lightly, even though they hadn't been, not really. "You're just ... best friends, now, aren't you."

"We weren't," said Nick, leaning in for a kiss while he could, while Joey wasn't watching. "But we're getting along, yeah. Really well, I think. That's what you wanted, right?"

JC kissed him back, more than willingly, tasting clean and damp and toothpaste-y. "Sure," he said, a little too casually. "And you're still sure he can come with us?"

"Of course I'm sure," said Nick. "Even though it sounds like we might have to make it a quick lunch so he can get on with his day and, I guess, have dinner with you?"

"Oh," JC blushed. "Yeah, but. I mean, we do have plans, but I was hoping that -- if you weren't busy, and, um, if you wanted to -- you could maybe come over tonight. I kind of miss you, and" -- he blushed even more -- "it's been a whole day."

"I'd love to," said Nick, kissing him again, gently. "As long as I won't be stepping on your other plans. Are you sure the two of you were only going to have dinner, or would Joey be expecting ... something after?"

That only made JC blush deeper, and Joey came back into the room before he responded.

"Jace, come on," he groaned teasingly. "Get dressed. I was giving you a chance to change without being naked in front of both of us, but I obviously shouldn't have bothered. Now you get to give us a show." He winked at Nick.

Nick even grinned back, slightly, as he let go of JC. "Are you sure that wasn't his plan?" he teased.

"JC!" Joey pretended to be shocked. "I always knew you wanted to be a kinky sex god, but I don't know about this exhibitionism ... "

Nick chuckled as JC sputtered. "I didn't! Nick was being ... distracting."

"I bet," Joey replied quickly, glancing back at Nick. "He tends to do that."

Nick stared at his feet for a minute and tried not to smile. Or worse, blush. "Well," he said finally as he lifted his head. "Let's see then. Off with the towel. It's not like its a mystery to *either* of us anymore ... "

Joey was the one that moved, though, crossing the room until JC was essentially trapped between the two of them. Even though neither of them were touching. "Yeah, JC," he murmured lightly, his eyes flicking to Nick's face before he slipped a hand around JC's waist and tugged at the knot there. "Nick wants to see."

"And apparently Joey wants to touch," murmured Nick with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at both of them very frankly. He could be comfortable with this. He could.

JC batted at Joey's hand, but it was too weak and it was too late and all the towel falling to the floor did was make it obvious that something in the situation -- Joey's touch or Nick's gaze or both? -- had turned JC on immediately and completely.

But JC didn't shy away even while he blushed; just glanced down at Joey's palm resting on his stomach, then lifted his eyes to Nick's. "You guys aren't going to embarrass me," he said mildly.

"Who says we were trying to embarrass you," said Nick softly, dropping his arms so he could rest one hand just on JC's hip. He couldn't not, not the way JC was looking, or looking *at* him. Not the way Joey was already touching him possessively.

"Then what *are* you doing," JC said, choking on the last word when Joey pressed his lips to JC's shoulder.

"Helping you get dressed?" tried Joey, under his breath. "Helping you show off?"

"I don't know," whispered Nick honestly. They sure as hell weren't fighting over him, though; this was something different altogether. "Helping you ... something."

Joey met Nick's eyes for a split second, then slipped his other hand on top of the one Nick had on JC's hip. Nick just watched JC's eyes flutter shut, then blink back open as he slipped out from between them. "You'd probably help me right out of the house, just like this," he said lightly, clearing his throat. "That *would* be embarrassing."

Nick felt about as turned on as JC looked, and cleared his throat noisily to keep from letting out any inappropriate sounds. "Hardly," he said, a moment later. "Looking like this? We're gonna want to keep you all to ourselves."

Joey hummed wordlessly, and followed JC, with a look for Nick that couldn't have been anything other than encouraging. Right before he reached down to run a palm over JC's bare bottom.

"Joey," JC protested, but it was even weaker than his earlier token protest, and Nick could see the way his back arched ever-so-slightly into Joey's hand.

"I know, I know; lunch," Joey said, the only one of the three of them that actually sounded calm.

"Lunch was just an idea," murmured Nick, watching them together rather than doing anything else. Rather than joining or leaving, which seemed to be the only other options. "If you had something else in mind ... " He cleared his throat again and tried to remember the last time he'd been nervous about sex. He couldn't. "Well, I'm all ears."

"Lunch," JC said, more firmly, and Joey let go without being told. But not without a glance at Nick that seemed appraising and a little disappointed at the same time, if Nick was reading it right.

"Oh," said Nick softly, and moved to JC's side again. He hesitated, then leaned in to give JC another kiss, this time not caring that Joey was right there. Or, if he was being honest, *because* Joey was right there with them. "Well, if you're *sure* ... "

"*Lunch*," JC insisted, but that strangled sound was back in his voice, and Joey was chuckling and that had to be a good thing.

"Put your pants on, C," he sighed, rubbing his eyes and lounging against the dresser. "Or we really might be here all day."

Nick stood up again, and just smiled at him -- and JC *and* at Joey. "Guess I need to figure out where I can take you guys, dressed like that. Some place that's not my kitchen, I mean."

"What happened to McDonald's," Joey protested lightly, while JC seemed to take advantage of the focus being off him for the moment to pull on some track pants and a tee shirt himself. "JC won't think you're cheap." He tugged JC around into his arms and gave him a kiss of his own, almost perfectly matching the way Nick had done it.

It was still so strange to watch JC kissing someone else, but at least it was Joey. That's exactly what JC said to himself -- 'at least it's Joey'. "Save some of that for me," he said as lightly as he could, which was all the overt attention he paid it, though he did run his hand casually over the back of JC's T-shirt as they were kissing.

"Well, hey, if McDonald's is what you want," he said with a little, indifferent, shrug and a grin. "You sure you wouldn't rather have Burger King, though? Cause that's classier, what with the crown and all ... "

Joey snorted, and JC pulled back, wiping his mouth and making a face at him. "Gross, Joey," he protested, and Joey just grinned at Nick.

"Let's just go," Joey replied, still casual, with a hand low on JC's tailbone after he slipped on his shoes and then a surprising hand low on *Nick's* back. "Either place, I get to cause a scene with two pretty boys."

Nick's eyes flicked to him in surprise but he didn't pull away, didn't argue. "Don't expect me to call you pretty in return, Fatone," he joked. "There are many attractive things you are -- " And he looked Joey up and down quite frankly. " -- but pretty isn't one of them."

"Yeah, I saw you taking an inventory before," Joey murmured, keeping a straight face at JC's soft squeak. And it was only then that Nick realized just how easily JC was taking all this in stride.

He wasn't quite sure what to say about that, about any of it, other than this whole thing was turning out a lot easier -- and yet, a lot *more* complicated -- than he'd imagined it would.

"So," he said finally. "There's a sandwich bar I like. We're going there. Quick food, not all greasy. All agreed?"

"Sure," Joey said easily, and Nick could have sworn he let his hand brush over Nick's ass when he pushed him and JC out the door ahead of him. "You ride with Nick, JC," he added. "I'll follow so I can get Bri, after. And then what you two do is your business." He hesitated. "You know, as long as you're still ready and dressed appropriately for dinner on time, JC. And I'm look at *you*, Nick."

Nick grinned back at him and winked, then almost reached for JC's hand before remembering they were outside, and out front, and that wasn't such a great idea. "He'll meet you for dinner," he promised, "but I can't promise what shape he'll be in when he gets there."

I got easier with each moment to say things like that to him, and *mean* them, and not have it be a big deal. And Nick even found himself liking the arrangement so far, wondering just where it was going to go next.

* * *

Nick shouldn't have been surprised, he *knew* he shouldn'tve, when Joey was still at JC's house when he arrived later that night. He himself had still been there when Joey picked JC up for dinner earlier, after all; unapologetic and probably fairly predictably. Everything seemed to be happening at an increasingly rapid pace, and neither of them seemed inclined to be left behind.

And for all that, JC seemed calmer than ever. Completely unfazed by spending what had to amount to every second in the past 48 hours with one or the both of them. He looked practically *serene* opening the door.

"Hey," he said, leaning in automatically once he was inside the door to give JC a quick kiss, wrapping an arm around his slim waist. "How was dinner? Did the two of you have a good time?"

"We did," JC replied, accepting the kiss easily and smiling. "It was ... yeah. Good. Come on in." He led Nick into the living room, where Joey was sprawled on the sofa, looking not a little flustered. "Can I get you something to drink? And Joey, your pants."

Nick watched Joey fumble slowly with his buttons, then turned back to see JC smiling and wiping his mouth delicately with his thumb.

Nick looked from one to the other and back again, slowly, sure he looked as confused as he felt. "Yeah," he murmured finally, choosing to look at JC for the moment -- though it wasn't an easy choice. "I think this moment definitely calls for a drink or to. Um ... what's up?"

"We were just having a ... discussion," JC said mildly, waving Nick to the other sofa and talking over his shoulder as he headed into the kitchen.

Joey met Nick's questioning look, but didn't seem inclined to be more enlightening. He just squirmed a little, and adjusted himself carefully, and Nick realized from his predicament that he'd *really* interrupted, this time.

Nick sat down awkwardly, not sure he ought to ask if Joey wasn't volunteering any information. With JC gone -- and even when JC was there, if he was being honest -- he had no idea what to do. "Sorry?" he offered softly after a long pause. "So ... um ... what did you do for dinner, then?"

"We had reservations," Joey said, clearing his throat and glancing away. "We didn't exactly make them. JC had some stuff he wanted to ... discuss. Like he said. And it probably wasn't appropriate in public."

He really seemed different than he had earlier, at JC's house or at lunch or then again when Nick left earlier that evening. But Nick didn't have a chance to figure out why, if he even knew how to approach it, before JC returned with a handful of beers.

He took his with relief, draining a good part of it without slowing down. Whatever was happening -- enough to unsettle *Joey* -- he was sure that he was going to be needing it.

"So," he said again, wishing one of them would just tell him what was happening, for better or for worse. "You didn't ... " He turned to JC and gave him a pleading look. "If you changed your mind about me, can you just tell me? Straight up?"

JC blinked, his hand pausing in the middle of taking his own sip. "I *would*," he insisted, just as Joey blurted "that's *not*." Then they exchanged another unreadable look and Joey closed his eyes.

"I would," JC repeated, softer but firmer. "And not in front of an audience, either. But it's not that, Nick." He set his beer down and then knelt on the floor, touching Nick's knee. "Did you? change your mind?"

"No!" said Nick quickly, keeping his own beer close to his lips. "No, of course not. JC ... you know perfectly well, I didn't. I came here tonight thinking ... well, you know what I was thinking. And now I'm not sure what's going on anymore, if we're still going to or what. Everything feels a little strange right now."

Joey started to stand up. "JC," he murmured, giving Nick a shaky smile. "Maybe I should just let you ... ?"

But JC was shaking his head, and reached over to tug on the leg of Joey's pants too. "Not yet," he told him, before turning back to Nick. "Nick, I do want you to stay tonight. I want to do what you're ... thinking. I just, I have a question, first. And it's kind of hard for me to put into words."

Joey snorted lightly at that, but he sat back down.

"Well, just ask," said Nick, draining the last of his beer already and setting the bottle aside. "Please, just ask however you need to, because any more of this waiting and I don't know what I'm going to do. You're both making me really nervous here."

JC looked rebuked at that, and just as obviously looked over to Joey for ... what? help? confidence? rescue?

Joey just sighed, and surprised Nick -- more, even -- by sliding closer to him on the sofa. And resting a friendly hand on his knee, which actually *did* help. Until he slid it a little higher, and opened his mouth.

"Are you ... attracted to me, at all, Nick?"

Nick stared at him and knew his mouth was hanging open but he couldn't seem to help it. It was one thing, the friendly flirting earlier, but this was definitely another. Definitely more. He looked at JC briefly, but his attention was drawn right back to Joey again.

"I ... " he began, but he still had no idea what to say. So he lay his hand overtop of Joey's and squeezed and closed his eyes for a moment. "I think maybe I made that obvious earlier," he said when he opened them again, meeting Joey's eyes and not looking down. "With the ... towel and the you wearing nothing? And the whole everything that happened before?"

Joey looked relieved, briefly, but before either of them could say anything else JC was leaning into Nick's lap and taking his chin in his hand, forcing Nick to look at him. "You know I want both of you, Nick. But what happened before ... it just, and I realized ... " He exhaled. "I want *both* of you." The difference was obvious.

"Oh," said Nick softly, and once again he was speechless. He maybe could've seen this coming, if he looked back and examined everything that had happened between them, but he hadn't noticed along the way, really, so these last five minutes were hitting him like a board to the back of the head. "Oh. Wow."

Both of them were watching him, and neither one had moved their hands. "Um," JC said, glancing at Joey and then back at Nick. "You just let me know when you're ready to hear my sales pitch?"

"Just talk to me," said Nick, closing his eyes and groping for a hand, any hand, to squeeze. "Tell me how we got here, okay?"

"You didn't ... feel anything, today?" JC asked curiously. "When we were upstairs, to me it was like this ... blanket of electricity. And maybe I was just looking for it, grasping at the idea because it makes some other things easier, but ... "

"Don't tell me how I feel," he said softly. "I know how I feel. Well, maybe not know, but I feel how I feel already even if I don't understand it. Tell me how *you* feel. Both of you."

JC looked burned, again, and fell back on his heels as his face fell. But just like before, Joey was right there to take over for him, squeezing Nick's thigh to get his attention and then ducking his head to kiss him. On the mouth.

Nick was shocked, but more than that he was responsive, a hand coming up automatically to curl around Joey's neck and hold him right where he was as their lips pressed firmly together. He hadn't even thought about doing that, it just happened, and if that didn't tell him how much he *did* want this, nothing would.

When Joey pulled away, Nick was smiling. "Yeah, okay," he murmured, a little dazed.

"O-*kay*," JC echoed, looking even more dazed than Nick felt when Nick glanced down at him. "Can you do it again, Joe?" He sat back up on his knees, insinuating himself between Nick's legs, and kept a hand on Nick's other thigh as he watched.

This time Joey gave Nick a questioning look first, even as he licked his lips.

Nick nodded his head, just slightly, but it was enough for Joey to lean in again. This time both their lips were parted, just enough to be moist and soft when they pressed up against each other.

"Pretty," Nick heard him whisper, even as their mouths moved together, and Nick could feel JC shifting where he was sitting pressed against his leg.

"My turn," JC finally mewed, and when Nick blinked his eyes open again JC's face was right there.

He didn't hesitate to kiss JC, that was familiar now. And, at the moment, comforting. Though he didn't forget about Joey, could feel him pressed up against his side as Nick and JC kissed, his fingers digging into Nick's thigh just enough to be felt.

"So we try?" JC said, a little breathlessly, when Nick released his lips. Nick was halfway expecting Joey to lean over to kiss JC at that, but he didn't. Just kept his hands and eyes on Nick. "Just maybe try?"

"So we try," said Nick firmly, to each of them even though it still felt so, so strange to do that. "We try. And when you guys are off without me which you're gonna be *so* much, you don't forget me."

JC shook his head and leaned up again, but Joey beat him to it, his large frame pushing Nick back in the depths of the couch as he crawled over him. "You can just watch, for a minute, Chasez," he said dryly, smirking at Nick just a little. "You gotta let me and Nick get acquainted. Maybe even catch up."

"I don't think he minds watching," he murmured, waiting for Joey to kiss him ... or whatever. "You're a quick learner, you know that? A week ago you would've freaked out, thinking about this, I bet."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Joey protested, but not sounding irritated in the least. "I got over my roadblock. I'm more worried about you two jokers, now." He pressed Nick farther into the cushion. "*You* ever been with two guys?"

"Not that I cared anything about," said Nick, licking his lips as he watched Joey talk. "I'm pretty up on the logistics of the thing, though. If that's what you're asking. Which I think you're not."

Joey raised an honestly surprised eyebrow at him, then glanced down at JC. Who, Nick noticed, Joey was physically holding off with a strong hand to the chest. "Well," said Joey mildly. "So much for the fun part."

JC just grinned and tried to climb up on the sofa too, pushing at Joey's arm, but Joey wasn't budging.

"There are all sorts of fun parts," Nick assured him, shifting underneath him and watching JC for a moment. "But I can tell you one thing right now ... there's no way all of us are gonna fit on this couch ... "

"Good thing JC doesn't get to play yet, then," Joey said, ignoring JC's squawk of protest and capturing Nick's lips again. Much more confidently than he had the first time. And quickly accentuated with Joey's hands on his face. He was heavy and warm and everywhere, and Nick was only the smallest bit distracted by the quick breathing that had to be JC's, by his ear.

He definitely hadn't expected Joey to be like this -- more confident and eager than any of them, more sure of what he wanted and how to get it. But Nick couldn't bring himself to mind, not when Joey's lips were on his and Joey's body was trapping him against the couch. He reached out a hand blindly to be able to touch JC, to be able to bring him into this, if only a little.

His motion, though, must have made Joey pull back, because all of a sudden his mouth was gone and Joey was scrubbing a hand through his hair and looking apologetic. "Sorry," he murmured, obviously collecting himself, shooting completely unreadable looks at JC. "Just tell me where you want me."

"Wait, what?" said Nick, looking from one to the other again, trying to sort this out. "No, no ... I ... no. Come back."

Joey shook his head, and JC finally sighed and spoke up. "Come on, let's go upstairs," he said softly, patting Nick's knee but standing up without kissing him. He actually tugged Joey off the couch, and spoke even more quietly to him. "Don't," he whispered to his friend. "I know you, so don't you dare take that personally, Joey."

Nick wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure he should intrude. The rules had all changed again, and he hadn't even learned the last ones yet.

"I don't understand," he said finally, getting that out in the open. There was no other way. "Did I do something wrong there?"

"No," JC said immediately, and Joey just looked at his feet. "No," he said again, quieter, and helped Nick up too. "I think that ... maybe it's important that you guys get a little more comfortable with each other. Important for both of you."

Joey didn't lift his head, at all, but he had something to add. "I didn't mean to be too aggressive, Nick," he said, sounding honestly apologetic.

"Hey," said Nick, clutching JC's hand but leaning towards Joey. He knew he needed to be the aggressor this time, to reassure him if for nothing else. "You weren't. I'm just getting used to you." Then he leaned in and kissed him firmly again, with no second thoughts at all. This was what he wanted.

Joey's mouth was surprising in how much more pliant it was, and Nick felt JC move out of the way. "He wants you to like him," JC whispered behind Nick's ear, while they kissed. "He's sure of me. He's not sure of you."

Nick wasn't sure Joey would have been able to overhear them or not, he was so close. Nick hoped not, though -- he didn't want Joey to be any more self-conscious than he already seemed to be. He was so eager to do things, yet at the same time so nervous about how they'd go. So Nick just kissed him, and kissed him well, and didn't hold back at all.

He knew he'd done it the right way when Joey's hand came back up to touch his face again, brushing his thumb carefully over his cheek. And when it felt like JC got on his tiptoes to kiss the back of Nick's neck. And both of their bodies pressed that much closer.

Nick had to stop to breathe, eventually, and suddenly realized his eyes had closed. When he opened them again they met Joey's, a warm, loving brown, and he wondered why he'd never noticed how beautiful Joey's eyes were before.

"This is gonna be ... special," he murmured, and gave him a confident smile.

Joey blinked slowly back at him, almost like he was sleepy but he didn't *feel* sleepy, to Nick. "Yeah?" he said, like he was honestly asking, and then Nick watched his eyes shift over his shoulder. To meet JC's, obviously.

"Upstairs," JC murmured one more time, mouthing at Nick's neck and slipping a hand around Nick's waist to grasp Joey's shirt.

"Upstairs," agreed Nick. If they didn't go now, they never would, that he was sure. Then he nudged the both of them gently. "Before I teach the both of you a thing or two right here."

Joey and JC exchanged another look, and Joey actually *blushed* while JC just pinched Nick's ass. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, kissing Nick one more time and then moving him aside to touch Joey. "You good, Joe?"

Joey kissed him just as softly as it seemed he was kissing Nick, and gave both of them a little bit braver smile before being the first one to start toward the stairs. "I'm good," he said, but Nick also saw the way he held JC's hand.

It was really beautiful, watching them kiss, now. It didn't make Nick feel anxious anymore, not like it had before when every time they touched might mean the end of things between him and JC. Instead of losing him, Nick had ended up with something more.

"Man," he laughed, patting *both* their asses as he came up behind them. "Can't wait to see the guys at the end of this week and have them ask me what I did in my time off."

Joey laughed, and with that it seemed like everything was back to the way it was when they first realized this was going to happen. "You should invite that AJ over sometime," he mused, then laughed again when it made JC pout. And then deny he was pouting.

"What, that prude?" teased Nick, letting his hands linger for a moment, then nudging them up the stairs. "You just don't know him, guys. He'd be no fun at all. I think we oughta keep this a private party."

"I like it the way it is," JC agreed quietly, glancing back over his shoulder at Nick as they climbed the stairs. "I didn't know you'd done this before."

Nick coughed politely. "I've done a lot of things," he admitted as he continued to follow them, resting a hand on Joey's back. "I'm not proud of all of them. There was a one-night-stand, a couple years ago ... it doesn't even compare. At all."

Joey smiled at both of them, but didn't say anything -- seemingly happy to just be there, now that whatever switch had been flicked in his head about whether Nick wanted it. "Is this going to be hard, then?" JC murmured in reply.

"Only if we do it right," said Nick lightly, giving JC a wink. But then it really hit him, what they were doing. This, he *hadn't* done before. One night, with a couple guys he didn't know ... it didn't even resemble this, except in the number of body parts. "I think we'll do okay," he said. "We'll just have to ... relax. And have fun. And I *know* you know how to do that."

They reached JC's room and it seemed smaller than it had earlier, even with the same three of them inside. Joey was inside first, turning around slowly and then holding out his hands to JC. "You have some unfinished business," he said, and JC went to him.

Nick let them go, and watched a little helplessly as he felt himself lose what little control he had over the situation. "Okay, you do that," he murmured, and then he watched because that seemed to be the one position remaining.

But then Joey held out his hand to Nick, looking serious even with JC kneeling in front of him and unbuttoning his pants. "Nick?" he murmured questioningly, when Nick didn't move at first. "Can we work on that kissing thing some more?"

Nick blinked a few times. Yeah, he was the experienced one, whatever. He was still at least as nervous about actually *doing* this as any of them; maybe even more. "Okay," he murmured, and found space for himself to lean in and kiss Joey again, at the same time tangling his fingers in JC's hair.

One of JC's hands automatically came up to rest behind Nick's knee in response, and Joey gasped into Nick's mouth and his fingers bumped Nick's on JC's head. "What do you ... think we should do?" Joey whispered in hitches, so quiet that Nick knew JC couldn't hear over the quiet sucking noises he was making.

"'S'a pretty good start," murmured Nick, daring to glance down for a moment to see *exactly* what JC was doing. He probably shouldn't have; he already knew just what JC could do with that mouth, from personal experience. "We could just see where it goes ... "

JC's fingers clutched Nick's pants tighter, and then slid up the inside of his leg. He and Joey both gasped at the same time, this time. "You promise you're ... ah, okay? with this? with ... me?"

"Promise," breathed Nick, kissing Joey again and again. Sure that the kissing was more important than his words. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't okay. If I didn't want ... you."

Joey kissed him back harder before jerking his head and blurting "fuck, Jace." And when Nick looked back down Joey was cupping the side of JC's face, delicately, but also purposefully away from his cock -- which was swollen and wet and very, very hard.

"Maybe the bed ... ?" Nick murmured, and he couldn't stop staring, at both of them. "And maybe less clothes, too ... "

"Who," Joey panted lightly. "And, um, what ... "

JC wiped his mouth again, this time with the back of his hand, and rose to his feet. "Him first?" he murmured to Nick, nodding at his clothes.

Nick reached for Joey's clothes, tugging at his shirt gently. "Just ... in the interest of this going smoothly?" he asked, pulling it up. "What have you done, Joey? What can we do?"

Joey raised his arms, blinking slowly at Nick while JC slipped around behind him to take his pants the rest of the way off. "Um. Blowjobs," he murmured. "And JC's let me ... inside him. But what you *can* do? I mean ... I trust you guys, if that's what you mean." But just looking at him, Nick figured that they probably should just work with that. The first time, at least -- surprising himself by assuming it would just be the first time.

"Just don't want to take you by surprise, assuming you've done something you haven't," said Nick. Once he pulled the shirt off over Joey's head, he began stroking his back slowly, and kissed him again for a very long time while JC worked to get his pants off.

"You won't," Joey said, kissing Nick back, and JC chuckled.

"I think, yeah, we might," he disagreed, resting his chin on Joey's shoulder and staring at Nick. "Your turn?"

Nick gave them both a smile and took a step back, raising his arms, perfectly happy to have the two of them strip him. "I'm thinking maybe JC's given you an idea what we've done?" he suggested to Joey softly, and lightly. "Besides ... we need to save *some* stuff for later, right?"

Joey seemed to finally figure out he was naked, and that this wasn't anything worth arguing about, and didn't waste any time kneeling down himself to work at Nick's pants. JC slid slowly up against Nick and kissed him deeply, pushing his shirt up and nipping at his lip before he pulled back to get it off. "*You* good?" he asked.

"So far," said Nick, for JC's ears only, lifting his arms for him. "Pretty creative solution, this, you know. I'm impressed." He leaned in again, swiftly, to steal another kiss. "And happy."

"*You* started it," JC protested, and Nick jumped a little when he felt Joey's warm palms on his bare hips. "With all that ... stuff. You saw what it did to me, earlier, you guys teasing like that ... "

"You took it from teasing," murmured Nick, teeth sinking into his lower lip again as Joey touched him. "You took us here. You made it real, JC."

"We all did," argued JC, running a hand down Nick's chest. "It wouldn't have worked without all three of us making it real." He pushed away, giving Joey space to stand up, and then just stared at the two of them for a long minute. "And me?" he whispered.

"Oh, we were just gonna leave you dressed," teased Nick, but already he was reaching for JC's pants to bring him to the same state as Nick and Joey. "Didn't you just want to watch?"

"I wouldn't complain," JC admitted, then watched a little warily as Joey moved behind him, and all of a sudden they were in the same exact positions they'd been in that morning. Except Joey and Nick were naked, and JC was dressed.

"We can do that," added Joey, breathing on the back of JC's neck and winking at Nick. "I bet Nick could teach me some stuff ... "

"Oh, I think definitely," murmured Nick, his hands just inside JC's pants. "There's so much we haven't done yet." Then he leaned over JC's shoulder to give Joey a lingering kiss.

Joey accepted it easily, so eager to kiss and be kissed, and so welcoming to Nick. He even pulled him back, tugging him closer to JC in the process, to keep kissing him after Nick started to move away. JC didn't seem to mind.

Nick didn't mind either, being pressed up against one another and rubbing together, even with JC still having his clothes on. "Could get used to his," he mumbled, clinging to JC as he continued to kiss Joey. "Would like that."

Then he felt sharp teeth at his shoulder, and pulled away from Joey's mouth to glance at JC -- who was trying his best to look innocent. And Joey was watching intently, once he managed to open his eyes again. "Oh, you wouldn't last, watching," Joey teased JC finally.

Nick shivered and almost asked for JC to do it again. But instead he just slid a hand up under JC's shirt and, still rubbing up against him, pinched his nipple gently. "No, he wouldn't," he agreed, speaking to Joey but staring right at JC.

JC whimpered, and Nick almost laughed at Joey trying to peer over JC's shoulder to see what he'd done to him.

"He needs to be naked," Joey finally managed, tugging on the collar of JC's shirt to yank him back against his body. "So we can wear him out and *then* make him watch?"

"We should give that a try," agreed Nick, dropping his hands again to JC's pants and this time unbuttoning them quickly, not giving himself a chance to be diverted into doing something else. "I think he might even like that."

"I think he might like not being talked about like he can't hear you," JC pointed out, but he sounded so breathless when he said it, so turned on, that Nick had to doubt that.

Joey was unbuttoning his shirt blindly, licking at JC's ear, and Nick could see and feel the way he was slowly rolling his hips against JC's ass.

With Nick rubbing against his front, he wouldn't be surprised if JC was ready the moment they got him naked and on the bed. Which made getting him naked that much more urgent. Nick just dropped to his knees to pull JC's pants off, not surprised that JC wasn't wearing any underwear, and considered -- *wanted* to be -- sucking him for a while, but he didn't dare.

JC moaned the minute that material slid down his thighs, and Nick was certain Joey hadn't stopped what he was doing with his hips. "What do you think he wants, Nick?" he asked quietly, getting the shirt open finally and pulling it down over JC's shoulders, trapping his arms to his side. "Think he wants both of us at once?" He said it so gently -- almost reverently -- that it didn't come across as crude; not at all. "Or maybe take turns?"

Nick did kiss JC's thigh wetly as he pulled the pants down to his ankles. "I think it should be both of us," he said softly. "Because I think I'd hate to have to miss out on our first time. JC ... what do you think?"

JC buried his hands in Nick's hair and just breathed for a moment, then opened his eyes and nodded. "Please?" he murmured. "Both of you."

He stood still for Joey to gently tug the shirt off the rest of the way, and for Nick to help him out of the pants entirely, and then all three of them were naked and the next step seemed almost insurmountable.

Nick took JC's face between both his hands and gave him a soft kiss, then did the exact same for Joey. "You guys look amazing," he said, then gently nudged them toward the bed, because someone had to or they would just stand here staring at each other and touching each other all night. "And I really can't wait to be with you."

Joey sat down first, only a little hesitantly, and smiled when JC climbed into his lap. But his eyes kept flicking back to Nick. "So I have to admit," he murmured, "my mind's going kind of wild with, um. Positions, here." Another questioning look at Nick, then he kissed JC's forehead. "Do you know what you want, JC?"

JC reached out behind him for Nick, guiding him onto the bed next to them. "No," he admitted. "No, and ... Joey, there's something me and Nick have to tell you."

Nick looked at JC in surprise, kissing his shoulder even as he watched for JC to continue. "There is?" he asked softly, wondering just what there was between them that JC wouldn't have told Joey. "I promise I'm not pregnant ... "

JC nodded, and Joey shifted him in his arms. "What is it, C?" he asked, looking nervous all over again. Nick wished he had a way to help him relax.

"We haven't been using condoms," he admitted. "And I know how you feel about that and so I just ... you needed to know. So you wouldn't be surprised at that, either."

Joey stared at him for a second, then stared at Nick. "*Oh*."

"You didn't tell him that?" whispered Nick in JC's ear, wondering just *how* Joey felt about that that he wouldn't've. And hoping that it wouldn't affect what was going on here. He rested a hand on Joey's back and stroked the skin gently with his thumb, being as reassuring as he knew how.

"Oh," Joey murmured again, his voice sounding much smaller. JC was very still in his arms, obviously waiting for a different reaction. Or some reaction at all, actually. "Are you ... so you don't want me to? is that it?"

When JC didn't answer right away, Nick began stroking his back in wider circles. "Don't do anything you aren't comfortable doing," he said firmly. "Seriously, Joey. I would never ask that and ... and I'm sure JC wouldn't, either."

"But if you guys aren't," Joey said, even weaker, and closed his eyes. "No, I have to. I'm sorry. If that ... if that changes things, or whatever, changes how you want this to be, JC, then I understand, I can accept that." His eyelashes blinked back open and he looked apologetically at *Nick*. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," said Nick, curling around the *both* of them the best he could. "Don't be sorry, Joey, that's nothing bad. That's just how it is." JC's silence was beginning to worry him though. "Right, JC?"

"Right," JC said, after a moment, then leaned down to kiss Joey's forehead. "I *love* you," he whispered earnestly. "Don't you dare worry." But then he climbed off of Joey, gave a mostly-unreadable look to Nick, and stretched out on his stomach to reach for his bedside drawer.

Nick gave Joey a fleeting kiss, then stretched out alongside JC to reach his ear. "What?" he whispered, very softly. "What are you thinking, JC?"

"Nothing," JC mumbled, not quite looking at Nick, pulling condoms and lube out of the drawer. "It's just ... unfortunate. I want him to feel what we feel, is all." His voice was barely audible to Nick, and when Nick glanced around, he saw that Joey had his head bent and buried in his hands.

Nick gave him a quick kiss, too, then wrapped an arm around him. "Give him time," he said quietly. "He'll get comfortable. Just give him time to figure that out. Okay, JC? And you and me, we can still ... "

JC didn't respond to that, though, just handed him the stuff and crawled back over to Joey. He tangled his hands in his hair and straddled his hips again, kissing him softly and often, all over his face. Soon enough, Joey's arms came up around JC's back, and Nick could see how tightly he held him.

"Nick?" Joey whispered to him, uncertainly, when JC gave him a chance to breathe.

"I'm here," he murmured, clutching the items in his fist as he watched them. "I'm ... right over here, don't worry." But he didn't touch, just watched, unsure of where he fit in now. There was so much emotional weight to this whole thing, he wasn't sure he should just intrude.

"Nick," Joey repeated, a little more pleadingly, holding JC off and looking over at him. "Are you ... ?" JC brushed his hair off his face and glanced at him too. "Please?"

"I'm here," he said again, touching Joey's back just to prove he hadn't gone anywhere. "You guys just ... I'm here. I have your things. It'll be all right."

"Our ... what?" Joey looked even more confused, and looked back at JC. "Our what?"

"Shh," JC closed his eyes, kissing him again and squeezing the back of his neck. "Condoms. For when we need them. Okay? Just relax, Joe."

Slowly, he pushed at Joey's shoulders until he was laying flat on the bed with JC still straddling him. Which meant, when JC leaned down to kiss Joey one more time, that JC couldn't have been spread out more perfectly or more obviously for Nick's vision.

Nick moaned softly, his fist closing even tighter. He couldn't deny how wonderful they looked together. How right. If love were a thing he could see it would be right there, between them. He still didn't touch, though, didn't get between them.

Joey wrapped an arm around JC's back, holding him there flush against his body, JC's ass tilted in the air. Nick couldn't see Joey's face, not with JC blocking his view, but when Joey took his other hand and cupped one side of JC's ass delicately, and squeezed, he wanted to more than anything.

He moaned again, then bit his lip, not really wanting to even breath if it might interrupt this. He had no right. But he did, quietly and slowly, stretch out on the bed so he could see both of them, see as much of them as he possibly could.

JC was sucking softly at Joey's neck, and Joey was smiling. At least, he was when his eyes met Nick's. He mouthed something that Nick swore was "you," and then gestured with his chin back down to where Nick had been sitting before. Then he squeezed JC's ass again, and lifted carefully, spreading him open wider and eliciting a moan from JC.

Nick hadn't been a shy boy since he was about thirteen years old, but he felt it right then, still not convinced that he should get anywhere in the middle of that. But Joey's gesture was unmistakable, and hard to resist, and so he moved back to where he was again and reached out to touch JC's ass gingerly.

"Oh!" JC blurted, arching his back immediately in surprise and in response, and Joey actually laughed and pulled him into a kiss. Then moved his other hand from where it had been stroking JC's back to clutch his other cheek, lifting it too.

They could certainly do more with four hands than two, and as long as the both of them were sure they were ready for him to be there, Nick was all for it. He sat up on his knees and touched JC with both hands, resting them very far inwards but not touching his hole even though it was exposed to him.

"I think we need some verbal consent here," he murmured.

"Consent? Yes, yes, yes," JC babbled, and Joey just laughed again. "From me? Yes. Please. You can, anything. Right, Joey?"

Joey laughed even more happily, it seemed, and glanced up at Nick over JC's shoulder. "I think that was a yes. Don't keep the man waiting, now."

Nick remembered his first time with JC, how he hadn't needed real lube, but he figured this time it couldn't hurt anything, especially with Joey watching and learning from them. And it wasn't as though he didn't already have the stuff in his lap. So he opened it up and smeared it on one hand and, before anyone could stall or object, slid two fingers inside JC's body.

Joey had his head raised in what had to be an uncomfortable position, obviously straining to watch, as JC squirmed in his hands and tried to push back against Nick. He was doing those breathy pants that Nick liked so much, and gasped when Joey squeezed his ass again and lifted it even higher.

Every time JC pushed back against Nick, he also rubbed himself against Joey, doing very pleasant things to both of them, Nick had to assume. He just concentrated on what he was doing, though, and when they'd established a smooth rhythm, he leaned forward to kiss JC's shoulder, looking over it to meet Joey's eyes.

They were crinkled halfway shut, and the grin on his face hadn't gotten any smaller. He lifted one of his knees, just a little, shifting JC higher up against his body and making him even more open for what Nick was going to do. Wanted so much to do.

He kissed JC's nose, keeping his eyes on Nick, and then lifted his chin again to be able to reach and kiss JC's shoulder.

His lips and Nick's lips didn't quite meet, but it had the same effect on both of them. Or on Nick at the very least. He felt the same tingle throughout his body that he would've if they *had* kissed.

With one hand still stroking in and out of JC's body, he finally looked away and used the other to coat himself with lubricant, so he could slide in without the least bit of discomfort crossing JC's face. He wondered how it had happened, when JC and Joey had been together the first time, and thought that maybe if he asked later, they would tell him.

Joey kept his eyes on Nick's, pressing light kisses to JC's collarbone and neck and cheek in an obvious attempt to keep him soothed. Because JC's body was absolutely throbbing around Nick's fingers, and under the palm he had resting on his back, and Nick knew Joey could feel that. It was probably a lot of what was making him so happy. Nick couldn't convince himself he would have been, had their positions been reversed.

He didn't waste any more time, just slid his fingers out only a moment before he slid his dick in, just as smoothly as he'd imagined he would. Once he was all the way inside he leaned over to JC's shoulder again and kissed it and looked over it at Joey.

"I'll let you do me after," he whispered, "and JC can watch."

"Fuck," Joey exhaled, his eyes squeezing shut and his head falling back against the mattress. Nick could tell he'd spread his own legs wider, maybe even unconsciously, as the angle he had in JC's body shifted without him having done anything. "I won't last," he moaned quietly, reluctantly, but obviously very seriously.

"Nick," JC breathed, breaking his own silence.

"Later, then," murmured Nick, smiling at the reaction, and kissed JC's shoulder again before closing his eyes and beginning to move his hips, deliberately resting his hand on *Joey's* leg. "Joey," he breathed, knowing Joey could hear, was probably listening for every sound right about then. "Joey, touch JC for me. "

"Where," Joey breathed immediately, quiet but still audible over JC's distracting moans. His hands had slid up to rest higher on JC's back when Nick had entered him, and were just clutching carefully at the muscles there.

Nick thrust deep inside JC, then carefully lay his hands over Joey's and guided them around the other side of JC's body. "Here," he said, leaving them there. "Now just ... explore."

"But," Joey started, shutting up when JC slowly braced his hands on either side of Joey's head and pushed himself up. Giving Joey plenty of breathing room to explore. Nick had to smile when he went right for one of JC's tight nipples.

This would probably be over soon, for all of them, the way things were going. Nick just kept moving at the same pace, pushing into JC's body, causing JC's body to push against Joey's in return. And JC was definitely responding to the ways that Joey was touching him, just encouraging him to do it more.

Joey's eyes flicked back over JC's shoulder to look at Nick, chewing on his lip since he wasn't able to reach any part of JC's skin with it any more. Still teasing at JC's chest, blinking at the way JC kept grunting Nick's name, he raised his other hand to offer one of his fingers to Nick's mouth.

Nick sucked on it hungrily, reacting to its presence before really realizing that it was there. He'd been trying to stay detached so that this was good for the other two, but he just lost it right then, his eyes fluttering closed again, his hips thrusting him into JC's body, his hands drifting down to touch Joey's body again.

He heard JC cry out, and felt Joey shudder both under his own fingertips and through JC's body, and wasn't exactly sure what had happened -- *he* hadn't come, and he knew JC hadn't -- until JC breathed Joey's name happily and wiggled his hips. And then let his arms give out, his body draped over Joey's once more, sucking gently at his neck.

Nick tried to pause, to let them have this moment, but it was *damn* hard when he was already inside and so close and feeling so good. So the best he could do was slow down, so he didn't disturb them too much, and clutch at Joey's body desperately.

That made Joey cry out -- not in pain, but overstimulation, maybe? -- and JC to buck back against Nick demandingly. Which had Joey crying out again, burying his free hand in JC's crazy hair and rubbing his thumb against Nick's lip as he slipped another finger inside his mouth.

Nick grazed them with his teeth as he picked up the pace again, thrusting hard and fast into JC's body. There was nothing either of them wanted to wait for, at this point -- both wanted the very same thing. He mumbled "come" around Joey's fingers -- a request, an order, he wasn't sure -- and then *he* was, almost blindingly, shocks of pleasure shooting up through his groin, then his whole body.

He felt Joey's fingers slip out of his mouth and cup his cheek, and JC shudder in orgasm between them just as quietly as Joey had come. Nick couldn't move. Didn't want to move, even though weight from both their bodies was pressing Joey into the mattress. Then JC reached behind him, over his head, to wrap a hand around the back of Nick's neck.

Nick laughed softly and briefly, letting out some of the tension that still kept him rigid. That still hung in the air between them. "Wow," he whispered, finally opening his eyes again and kissing JC's shoulder, still right in front of him. "Wow, guys."

JC mumbled nonsense and tilted his head forward to kiss Joey's shoulder in turn, and Joey just smiled brightly up at Nick. Then Nick felt him brushing his foot against Nick's calf, and it was ridiculously comfortable. "How was that, JC?" Joey asked, just earning himself more mumbles for his trouble.

Nick shifted just enough to slide out of JC's body and stretch out more comfortably, still across the both of them. "The question is," he said, his breathing still quick and deep but trying to sound light anyway, "what do we do for an encore?" Then he released his grip on Joey and started just caressing him as he nuzzled against JC's neck.

JC squirmed a little, but Joey held him in place and smirked at Nick. "I thought you already had a suggestion about what we were doing next. *I* heard a suggestion. Did you hear a suggestion, C?"

"Blow my brain," JC mumbled.

Nick felt a slow smile crossing his face as his eyes met Joey's again. "I definitely think JC's ready to just be watching," he agreed, making his caresses a little more suggestive.

JC was making more protesting-sounding mumbles, but Joey just kept watching Nick. His eyes were darkening again, and his eyelids looked heavier.

"Oh, you don't think so?" Joey murmured placatingly to JC, winking at Nick. "You being greedy?"

"Well, if you get eager when you're watching," murmured Nick against JC's ear, "you can always go down on me. Or touch Joey and teach him some things."

JC squeaked again and Joey chuckled, looking a little breathless himself at that suggestion. "He's so greedy," he repeated, before turning his head and resting his lips on JC's ear. "You're feeling all empty, without Nick. And stretched and a little used. And you want to feel full again, don't you?"

Nick was constantly surprised by just how *comfortable* Joey was with this, already. Taking the whole thing in stride. "He'll feel it again soon enough, I'm sure," he murmured, to both of them. "Between the two of us, I think we can keep JC satisfied."

JC moaned. "Blow my brain," he repeated, even weaker, slipping out from under Nick and resting on his side so he could blink at both of them.

"I've already been wondering how he's been able to walk," Joey admitted, and when Nick turned his attention back to him he caught Joey's blush at the two of *them* finally being pressed against each other.

"Well, what the hell," murmured Nick, and dove in for a kiss, a long one, even squirming a little atop Joey's body. "May as well do this thing the whole way, for real. You're sure you want to ... ?"

"What?" Joey panted, when Nick pulled back. "Want to what?" He was holding onto Nick's back tightly, and their legs were still a little tangled. And JC was holding Joey's hand.

"Be with me," finished Nick, kissing him again. And again. Feeling himself begin to become aroused again from being pressed up against his body. "You're sure you want to fuck me?"

He could *hear* JC swallow as Joey blinked at him, licking his lips impulsively. "I wasn't sure you meant it," he admitted quietly, even as his own cock started to thicken again under Nick's hip. "It's okay if you were just saying it, in the moment ... "

"I meant it," said Nick, his voice only a little shaky, reaching out to touch JC again, too. "I meant it, Joey. I want you to. Just ... I don't do it as much. So ... you know. Slow and stuff."

JC laughed, then, startling both of them. "Oh, sorry," he murmured, looking away from Joey's slightly-hurt expression. Nick didn't know what *he* looked like. "I wasn't ... it's just. Nick. You should have seen him, our first time. I don't think you need to worry about the slow part."

Nick nodded his head at JC, then leaned down to kiss Joey again, reassuring him. "Just wanted to let you know that I'm a little different from JC, like that," he said softly. "I like it. A lot. But I do it the other way a lot more."

"Okay," Joey whispered. "Um, duly noted, or whatever." He struggled a second to get his elbows underneath him, and propped himself up to kiss Nick again shyly before looking back over at JC. "Are *you* okay, with this?"

JC just gazed back at him. "If you are," he said, sounding honest. "I trust you with him."

Which "you" and which "him", Nick wondered briefly, but it was probably both. "Just wait until he sees you thrusting inside me," he murmured to Joey, though nothing was really private, feeling himself flush at the thought. "I wanna see what it does to him."

"I wanna see what it does to *you*," Joey murmured back, a little braver. "Is there a way you like it?" JC was still playing with his fingers, and touching Nick's arm softly, and just ... watching. Intently.

"Facing me," said Nick quietly, licking his dry lips. "And touching me and ... mostly just facing me, so I can see those eyes. And that rest of you. Um. Is that how you two did it before ... ?"

"We tried a couple ways," Joey replied, bashful and smirking all at once. JC was just smirking. "JC has this, um. Position? His favorite?"

Nick grinned back, not even feeling a little twinge at sharing that, to his surprise. "Yes, he does," he murmured. "And he's very good at that. But I'd rather ... the other way. If that's okay with you."

Joey nodded and just kept watching him. "We need to switch, then," he pointed out, just as JC slid closer to both of them again and kissed Joey, then Nick.

"Feeling left out," he whispered, against Nick's mouth.

Nick kissed him back energetically, before finally rolling off of Joey's body so he could get on the bottom. "Nobody ever gets left out," he promised. "Not anymore."

JC kissed him back just as passionately, and Nick let himself get kind of lost in it until he felt Joey's breath on his neck. "Watching isn't being left out," he said to JC, but JC kept kissing Nick.

Nick finally broke the kiss off and smiled at him for a long moment before turning back to Joey. "I left everything at the end of the bed," he confessed. "I know you'll be needing it."

Joey's smile faded a little, and he glanced away. "I don't have to," he murmured. "If you guys aren't ... "

"Joey," JC sighed, uncurling himself from Nick and falling back onto the bed on his back. "It's okay. We can maybe discuss it later. Don't let it bother you now; just go ahead and use it."

Nick frowned at JC a little before kissing Joey firmly. "I don't mind," he said softly. "I don't, Joey. I understand. Until you're comfortable enough to not ... we will. And I won't ever argue."

"What?" JC said softly, to Nick, even as Joey crawled over top of Nick's body and kissed his cheek, and jaw, once their mouths had parted.

"Thanks," he said. "If you're really okay with it, I think I'd ... be more comfortable. If I used that stuff."

"I'm really okay with it," Nick promised him, giving JC a gentle pat. "It feels different, without, but you can learn that later. For now ... we all just want to be comfortable. Right?"

It looked almost like Joey gritted his teeth, but then he was kissing Nick's neck again and he couldn't tell. JC rested his cheek on the pillow beside Nick and tangled his hand in Joey's hair. "Should I go get it?"

Nick nuzzled Joey back and, instead of butting in this time, decided to let Joey answer for himself. There was obviously some backstory there that he just didn't know about -- and the two of them *did* -- and until they decided to let him in he wouldn't be much help in working it out.

"Okay," Joey murmured quietly, not really looking at JC, but glancing down at Nick every so often. Then he brushed a surprisingly gentle hand over his hair. "Thank you," he added, but that seemed directed to Nick.

Nick just kissed him in response -- there was no really appropriate thing to say to that when you were naked in bed together. So he kissed him and JC crossed the bed and neither said a word about it.

"I'm looking forward to this," he did say, though, and smiled at Joey encouragingly.

That seemed to give Joey a *little* more confidence -- which he shouldn't have really lost in the first place. He kissed Nick a little more insistently, reaching down with one of those big hands to pull Nick's knee out of the way, so he could settle against him.

Nick just naturally spread his legs, even though that wasn't what Joey was needing him to do, just yet. Still, it put them in a more comfortable position. "Take a long time with your fingers -- or whatever -- first, okay?" he murmured, not sure if Joey wanted instruction or not, but giving it anyway. "Longer than JC likes. I really ... like that. And. Um. Ask JC for what else I like ... I'm sure he'd be happy to tell you."

Joey blinked down at him. "*You* can tell me," he pointed out, but then his face was turned to the side as JC lay back down beside them and kissed him.

"I'll tell you," he insisted, and Nick silently agreed that was better; a way to keep all of them involved in what was still too new and precarious to go too crazy with. "Let me tell you. Then he can hear me say them and get all ... hot ... waiting for you to do them."

And he would, that was for sure. He was sure he was gonna get some of the same treatment he'd given JC, and hear hoarsely whispered instructions of what to do to him next.

"Could someone ... " he started softly, fingering his erection. "Um. Washcloth? To clean up a little? Before we go again?"

Joey just gazed down at him, smiling to himself, and JC rolled his eyes and stood up. "Going," he pouted, and then kind of stood there. Joey winked at Nick, and neither one of them said anything.

"Well, you know, you're the one who's gonna have his mouth on it," teased Nick finally, looking up at JC and smiling. "If I'm lucky."

"Whose mouth is going to be on *me*," JC pouted, still, before stepping out of Nick's field of vision, allowing him to focus just on Joey and Joey's warm weight for a moment.

"Okay, seriously?" he said quietly. "Anything I need to know?"

"That you don't already?" said Nick, stroking his back. "I don't think so. Is there anything you're worried about? I'm not one of those people who thinks it kills the mood to talk about it a little, first. Saves trouble later."

"I just want you to want me," Joey smiled, almost angelically. Nick wondered if he got it from JC. "Want you to want this *from* me." He ran a hand of his own down Nick's side, to his hip, and squeezed carefully.

"I do," Nick promised him. "I may not have spent a lot of time thinking about it, but I do. I like you. And I like sex. And I like feeling you against me. And I can't think of *anything* about this that would be bad. Are you nervous?"

"Would it ruin my image if I said yes?" Joey replied, reaching down with his other hand to brush through Nick's hair again, before kissing him a little dirtily, suggestively. "It was different, with C. I knew it wouldn't mess us up, even if I did it wrong."

"I'm a pretty easy guy to get along with," said Nick, still stroking his back slowly. "This isn't gonna mess things up, Joey. Even if you'd never done this before. You just relax and have fun and we'll work the whole thing out." He gave Joey a quick kiss. "I'm a little nervous, too, if that helps. Well, more like excited, but kinda nervous. It's our first time together, really."

"That's not *helping*," Joey pointed out shyly, then made a soft "oof" sound when JC returned from the bathroom and pounced on his back.

"Move," JC teased, nipping at Joey's shoulder while he kept his eyes on Nick. "I need to clean up dirty-boy, here."

Nick stole another kiss from Joey and whispered, "no pressure. seriously." before letting him go and letting JC get close enough to take care of him. "Dirty boy, am I? Why single *me* out?"

"You're the only one that complained," JC pointed out, winking at Joey who was still playing with Nick's hair, then touching his mouth delicately with his finger. JC took the washcloth he'd brought with him and wrapped it none-too-gently around Nick's erection.

"Hey," laughed Nick, more grateful than resentful for the change in mood. "Careful, I've only got one of those and I have to service *both* of you with it." He shot a quick glance in Joey's direction. "Well, I will someday, anyway."

Joey smiled back, and let his glance flick down to the erection in question. "Someday," he echoed softly, then closed his eyes to suck on JC's shoulder while JC continued to wipe Nick. More gently, at least. And definitely copping a feel as he did.

"Leave some of that for Joey," said Nick, grinning at JC and pushing him lightly, but not pushing him *away*. "Do you want me to come before he's even inside me? Um ... come *again*, I mean?"

"No, he doesn't," Joey inserted, still mouthing at JC's arm. "He wants to watch, remember?"

JC reluctantly pulled the washcloth away. "Better?" he asked. "Do I need to get a little closer, and check?"

Nick shivered and licked his lips again. "Well ... it never hurts to be sure," he murmured. "Maybe you should both check ... "

JC's eyes brightened just as Joey's darkened, but they both had predatory smiles. JC leaned back over first, taking Nick's erection in his hand and holding it away from Nick's stomach. Joey was slower to move close, but he was the first to reach out to taste him, with his tongue.

"Oh," he breathed, closing his eyes and just feeling them after that. He hadn't expected that from Joey, had expected him to hold off for a little while before maybe becoming comfortable enough for that. He was very happy to have been proven wrong. "Yeah. Oh god ... "

He could feel Joey's soft breaths along his shaft, then heard his breath actually catch in his throat just moments before Nick felt another tongue. They were both ... he had to watch.

It was almost too much -- the physical stimulation, the visual stimulation, and then the emotional -- the *knowing* that they both wanted him, and for more than the night.

"My god," he murmured, watching both of their tongues tease at him, then watching them pause to kiss, his dick trapped between them.

"I think he's okay," Joey whispered, pulling away first and wiping slowly at his mouth, very decidedly not looking at Nick.

"Just okay?" JC replied, licking his lips and then ducking his head again, taking Nick almost all the way into his mouth.

Nick cried out, surprising himself more than either of them. JC's mouth ... fuck ... could do all the amazing things that Nick had imagined it could. "God," he said again, leaning back on his elbows and closing his eyes again before it *was* too much. "JC ... Joey ... "

He opened them when he felt JC's mouth slipping off of him, just in time to see Joey pulling JC by the hair and then taking his mouth in the most searing kiss Nick had ever seen up close.

It was almost -- almost -- as good as being touched himself. "I'm ready for you, Joey," he murmured, spreading his legs wide again, but he wasn't even sure if Joey could hear, or was listening. Not with JC in his grasp like that.

JC was swaying on the bed when Joey finally let go, turning his attention back to Nick. "Are you? Should I let JC get my fingers all ... slick, for you?"

"Um ... um ... okay," Nick stammered out, then grinned at them, refusing to be embarrassed by that. JC was supposed to be the one watching, not him. "You do that and I'll just ... wait." And he lay back onto the bed and lifted his knees, spreading himself wide open for them.

"You still *want* my fingers, don't you?" Joey pressed, as JC grinned and grabbed for the lube eagerly. "I thought you said you liked that part ... " He leaned over to rest his cheek on Nick's knee, stroking his fingertips down the inside of Nick's leg.

"Still want your fingers," Nick told him, reaching out to be able to touch him again. "Still *need* your fingers. Just ask JC, how I am ... "

"How is he, JC," Joey said immediately, but not looking away from Nick's face.

"Hot," JC replied, his own head bent as he took Joey's hand and started smearing lube all over it. "And tight, Joey. Tight like you'd never expect, and you're not ready for."

"I am," agreed Nick softly, feeling all the hotter for hearing it. For hearing how someone else saw him. "I need lots of fingering, or whatever. I get really ... excited, by it, too ... "

"Excited?" Joey murmured, pulling his hand away from a JC who looked extremely reluctant to let it go. "Excited how?" He pressed down on Nick's other knee, forcing his legs wider, and swiped a cool fingertip just over Nick's hole.

Nick's mouth trembled and he couldn't even answer for a moment. "Excited you know how," he mumbled at his, raising up on his elbows again just so he could watch. "Excited you can see how, Joey."

"Joey," JC breathed, moving up behind him and trying to get his hand between Nick's legs too, until Joey swatted at him.

"Just ... me, Jace," he breathed, looking up at Nick for confirmation, almost. "Let me." He bit his lip and pushed the very tip of his finger inside.

Nick pushed back against him, just lightly, letting Joey know it was okay more than anything. "You talk to him, JC," said Nick, encouraging him, too. "You watch him and you tell him ... tell him how ... tell him things about me ... talk dirty to him ... just, you know, keep talking ... "

Joey gripped Nick's knee and pushed his finger in farther, as JC put his chin on Joey's shoulder and watched more intently than Nick had even expected him to. "Tight?" he asked him quietly, kissing Joey's skin every so often. Nick wondered where his hands were. "I know it is, but you'll be so deep in there, Joe ... "

"You'll be in there soon," promised Nick, pushing back against him again and feeling Joey slide in further. "With more than just your fingers. But for now ...yeah ... you can move it a little, if you want?"

"I have done this before, kids," Joey muttered, but there was no heat behind it, and he was just staring at his hand between Nick's legs.

JC, for his part, was blinking slowly, and still kissing at Joey's skin. "Want me to help? Use my mouth, maybe?"

"*No*, JC," Joey said again, pushing his finger as far as he could.

Nick moaned softly, and reached out to take JC's hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing gently. "No, you definitely know what you're doing," he said finally, forcing his muscles to relax a little. "Definitely."

Joey just stroked his finger inside Nick carefully, and gently, still kneeling half-above and half-beside him with JC draped on top of him. "He seems to like it," he pointed out to JC. "Almost as much as you."

"No one likes it as much as JC," said Nick, trembling again at the way Joey was touching him. There wasn't really much he could wrong at this point, except maybe go too fast. And JC would keep him from doing that, Nick was sure.

"I don't like waiting," Joey murmured, turning to glance at JC and kiss him quickly. "More?"

"More," JC acknowledged, licking his lips again, and looking like he wanted nothing more in the world than to slip under Joey's arm and get between Nick's thighs himself.

Nick spread his thighs further and waited for more, waited for the familiar fullness that another finger would bring. Joey's fingers were big and thick and he could already feel himself stretching a little. Part of that was from nerves, from being a little tighter than he might have been if it had just been JC, but part of it was just from the fact that Joey was a big guy.

Joey leaned down to kiss Nick's knee, and JC followed, whispering something in his ear that Nick couldn't hear. But a second later, when Joey's lips were replaced with his teeth just as he pushed another finger into Nick's body, Nick could guess.

"Oh!" he said loudly, pushing against him hard, taking it all in. "Yeah, again, please, Joey?" Now that Joey knew his little kink, Nick bet that he would be feeling that a lot more often.

"Which?" Joey breathed, a huge grin on his face as he slowly withdrew his fingers and rested his bristly chin on Nick's knee.

"Both!" he said, grinning back and squeezing JC's hand again even as he reached to grab some part of Joey. *Now* Joey was having fun. "Again. Again again again."

Joey's eyes crinkled shut as he carefully thrust his fingers back inside, and twisted his torso to be able to nip at the outside of Nick's thigh. His motion forced JC back down on the bed, where he stayed for barely a second before slipping around and curling up next to Nick.

"Oh!" Nick cried out again, unable to help himself. When Joey did something, he obviously put everything of himself into it. Whether it was public or ... private. Like this. "Oh Joey. Oh Joey I really like this."

Joey was still grinning as he looked over at JC for what seemed like permission to continue. Or maybe just the next step, when JC opened his mouth.

"Spread your fingers, Joe," he murmured. "Like you did to me, that first time ... when I practically started coming ... "

"Oh yeah," breathed Nick, already imagining what that was going to feel like with Joey doing it to him before Joey even had a chance to move. "Oh yeah, that. Stretch me out. Make me feel good, Joey."

"JC didn't do that, earlier?" Joey teased, spreading his fingers but doing it almost painfully slowly. "Hey, that's actually kind of insulting."

JC leaned over to try and bite Joey's arm, and then Nick's rib, until Joey batted him away.

Nick just let out another happy laugh and squirmed as they both paid so much attention to him. "This is different," he said, pushing himself back against Joey's hand. "This is ... very different."

Joey had finally settled for letting JC suck on the fingers of his other hand, but he was concentrating ... deeply ... on what was happening between Nick's legs. Watching intently, and taking a small breath before he curled his fingers gingerly.

"Oh ... oh ... oh," breathed Nick, slamming his shoulders back into the bed again. "Oh, Joey, yeah ... " Little sparks shot off randomly in his body, spots of pleasure that culminated in the *huge* one between his legs. "I'll be ready for you in no time. Fuck. Yeah."

Joey just exhaled, and bent his head to bite Nick's knee as he shifted between his ankles. JC was panting, too, and Nick almost let himself be distracted by whether JC really would last, watching. Until Joey curled his fingers again.

"Fuck!" he said again, bucking back against him. He probably wasn't a very good bottom, getting very demanding when he found something that felt really good, but no one really seemed to mind so much.

"Please what?" It was *JC* that responded, and Joey just chuckled, stroking Nick carefully and then touching Nick's stomach with fingers wet from JC's tongue.

Nick squirmed again under that touch, under those gazes. "Please fuck me," he said softly. "Please. I want you to. I think I'm ready for you to."

Joey nipped at him again. "Should I let JC put the condom on me, too?" Nick wasn't going to bemoan the use of the condom if it meant Joey was going to say things in that voice.

"Only if you let me watch," he murmured, biting his lip and hoping that JC would do it without frown or argument. He pushed himself up onto his elbows again to be able to see, when they did.

JC seemed way too eager to do it, actually, taking the condom from Joey but taking his sweet time getting it out of the package, fondling Joey's balls and stroking him slowly until Joey started laughing and reached for the condom himself. "You're still not getting it," he teased JC. "This is for Nick."

Nick just wanted to feel him now, was looking forward to that stretched feeling that he knew was coming. It might sting, a little, but what he got out of it was so, so much more. He was reminded almost every time he did it just how much he enjoyed it, but he still didn't do it often. Probably more because of opportunity than desire, though.

"Faster," he murmured, reaching for them but not quite making it.

He *was* forced to watch as JC slowly rolled the rubber over Joey's erection, not much faster at all, and then twist his wrist as he smeared lube all over it. He figured he should be grateful for the preparation, but at the moment all he could do was resent JC for getting to touch what he wanted so much.

"Think I'm ready?" Joey whispered, winking at JC. JC just nodded, his lips parted. "Nick?" Joey asked then. "Do I look ready?"

"Doesn't matter how you look," murmured Nick, angling his hips up higher and looking as ready as he could. "It's all about how you feel. Please? I ... I'm really ready, Joey. *Really* ready for you."

"Pretty," Joey whispered, then took his cock in his hand and positioned himself right where Nick wanted him. And JC moaned -- before he'd done anything, causing Joey to wink at Nick and then spread him open carefully. "Slow, right?"

"Slow," agreed Nick. He wanted it, badly, but he knew his limits. He was so, so glad Joey was willing to take both his and JC's guidance when it came to this, and not assume he knew better. "Slow and steady, Joey, and I can take it all."

JC moaned again, and tried to lean over before Joey playfully pushed him back. "Quit it," he admonished, and without more warning than that, started to push himself into Joey's body. *Very* slowly.

Nick let out a long low moan, feeling it from the moment Joey started. He was both grateful for and frustrated by the slowness of it. Joey was a pretty big guy, and felt all the bigger when he was trying to push inside Nick's ass. But it felt good, too, so good.

"Nick," someone whispered, and he honestly couldn't tell which of them it was. Joey's breathing was as steady as his pace, where JC's was quick, and shallow. When he looked up, they were both watching Joey sink into Nick.

He didn't dare push back this time, just did everything he could to make it easy for Joey, and for himself, too. He felt hard and hot and so big and it was almost, but not quite, too much.

"Want you," he murmured, and it was directed toward Joey, but it was for both of them, and for everything. He wanted them.

Joey looked surprised, and smiled, and brushed a hand down Nick's chest. "You doing okay?" he whispered, still holding JC away with his other hand but keeping all of his focus on Nick. "Not hurting?"

"Doesn't hurt," murmured Nick, very glad of that. "Not at all. Just feels big and full and big. And big. I'm good. Are you good? Are both of you good?"

"I'm good," Joey chuckled, sighing a little when it seemed like he'd gotten about as far in as he could go.

"You look good," JC added. "The two of you, together ... you don't know how good you look."

Nick wasn't thinking really hard about how they looked -- pretty much all his focus was on how he felt, how Joey felt inside him, how he was being touched. "Are we turning you on?" he murmured to JC, knowing the answer but wanting to hear it said to him anyway.

Joey laughed again, slipping back out a little, and JC groaned.

"Yes," he insisted. "Yes. Me, again, next? Please?" He pressed up against Nick's side and started rubbing himself against his hip.

"I might have to finger you until you come," admitted Nick with a grunt, pressure beginning to build up inside him already. "After this my poor guy might be spent. Course ... I can't speak for Joey ... " And he thought he might like to watch that -- his *body* certainly reacted to the image.

"JC," Joey said, his voice a little more strained than it had been before he was so deep inside Nick's body. "You're supposed to be watching, remember?"

"I never agreed to that," JC pointed out, still humping Nick's hip and then leaning over to give him a wet kiss.

Nick couldn't help but kiss back, of course he couldn't. It just added more to what he was feeling, Joey inside him and touching him and JC touching him and kissing him and it was almost unbelievable that he was in this position.

"I'm okay with it," he mumbled.

Joey let go of Nick's other hip and slapped JC's ass. Not sharply, but not very gently, either, and JC released Nick's mouth to look back at him.

"Just watch, JC," he said softly. "Please? I ... just this time." Nick realized what that might be about; it was still in the first few handful of times he'd done this to anyone, and he'd already figured out that Joey was less sure of himself than he wanted to be.

Nick immediately reached for Joey, and pulled him in for a kiss of his own. They were so tight together as they did, the pleasure was almost excruciating. "Just you and me," he promised him, softly enough that JC wouldn't hear. Then he wrapped one leg around Joey's back, showing a limberness that he guessed Joey wasn't quite expecting.

Joey gasped in slight surprise, his brown eyes big and round before they crinkled shut in a smile. "You're such a liar," he whispered back. "Telling me you don't know how JC bends the way he does ... "

"I'm not *that* good," he murmured, kissing him again, and not *forgetting* that JC was right there beside them, but not focusing on him either. "I ain't putting my feet behind my head for you."

"Wouldn't want you to try," Joey muttered in reply, carefully wrapping a hand under Nick's knee and thrusting inside him for the first time. "Like you the way you are."

JC had moved down the bed, a little, pressing up against Nick's leg instead of his side, leaning over to whisper something in Joey's ear that Nick couldn't hear, again.

"Like the way we are, too," said Nick, losing himself for a moment as he felt Joey thrust. Joey was strong, really strong and Nick thought he was going to like that a lot, about him.

Joey turned to kiss JC, a tiny bit aggressively, then smiled as he pushed him back down on his back on the bed and JC reached immediately for his own cock. Not seconds later Joey looked back down at Nick, still smiling, and thrust again. "You *are* tight," he murmured. "S'good."

Nick could feel how tight he was, and could imagine how it felt for Joey. "This feels good," he said, struggling to form sentences. "Having you inside me, so hard and hot and big. I don't let just anyone do this, with me. But it feels *so* good, Joey. So good."

"Sorry I can't quite kiss you, like this," Joey admitted, pushing himself deeper again and twisting his hips a little, just at the end. Their bodies, together, just didn't fit to allow it. "Cause your mouth, Nick ... I bet you can do all sorts of really dirty stuff, with that mouth."

"S'worth it," mumbled Nick, swallowing a moan. "You just wait and find out what I can do with this mouth, Joey. I'll show you. I promise." And he licked his lips.

"Fuck," Joey grunted, shutting his eyes and jerking deeper into Nick's body. JC moaned, too, and when Nick looked over at him, saw that he was still fondling himself. A little less lazily.

"Joey!" Nick blurted out, slamming back down against the bed again. "Oh ... yeah ... " It may not have been the most expert fuck he ever had, but it was so genuine, and so solid, and it was making him incredible so what did it matter anyway. "Please more," he said again and didn't even care *what* he got as long as it was more and more and more.

Joey held on to his leg tightly, keeping it wrapped around him, and found his rhythm again. JC made encouraging noises, and whatever he'd said to Joey had obviously helped Joey relax about how JC would occupy himself. He didn't protest, at least, when JC leaned over Nick's torso at teased at a nipple with his tongue.

Nick felt a shiver go through his body, the additional sensation almost too much. But not. "Oh Joey," he murmured, and touched JC's hair. "Oh ... please ... touch me?"

"How?" he breathed immediately. "Where?" He thrust in again. "I still don't know, what feels good when you're being ... when you're doing what *you're* doing right now. What feels good and what's too much. I'm sorry ... " He bit his lip and then reached for Nick's erection. "Just this?"

"Yeah," breathed Nick, both relaxing and tensing as Joey touched it. "That feels good, for me. Not too much, just ... touch." Whenever Joey chose to try it from this side, he'd have to find out for himself what worked for *him*.

Joey wrapped that warm palm around him, and just held him as he moved in and out of Nick's body in time with JC's little pants. "Guess there's no real point in asking you if you can come twice, huh," he teased breathlessly.

Nick chuckled suddenly and picked up the pace a little bit. "Well, ditto," he murmured, glancing over at JC again, who finally looked *very* satisfied with what he was getting.

Joey shook his head, most likely at himself, and then laughed breathlessly when JC leaned lower and lapped at Nick's belly-button. "Do we look like we need *that* much help?"

"You'll get yours," murmured Nick, stroking JC's hair again and throwing his body back against Joey's as much as he could, which wasn't as much as he would have liked. But at least more than he could when he'd been tied up. "Oh *Joey*!"

"God," Joey blurted, thrusting harder in response and then freezing, bracing himself over Nick's body. "Too much?" he choked out. "Too hard?"

"Keep *going*," insisted Nick, gripping him with his leg. "Keep *going* Joey, I wanna ... I'm gonna ... "

Joey started his motion again almost before Nick had the first word out of his mouth. He reached between their bodies and pushed JC out of the way again, a little more desperately, and then managed to get his knees under himself enough to practically lift Nick off the mattress as he pounded into him.

"Joey, Joey, Joey!" Nick was shouting, and then it was all too much for him, he was coming before he could say another word, pulsing hot and hard in Joey's hand and gripping JC's hair.

Joey cried out, gritting his teeth, and as soon as Nick's body had stopped spasming so violently he could feel him coming too. And then he whimpered and pulled out, gripping the condom, and it had to be as soon as he'd finished.

Nick bit his lip at the loss, letting his leg slide off Joey's back and releasing his grip on JC. He wasn't sure who to look at first, touch first, talk to first. "That was great, Joey," he whispered finally.

"Ow," Joey chuckled, rolling over onto his back and blinking at the ceiling. "Just, *ow*. You're so tight, and when you started coming, it was ... " He chuckled again. "Great, but ow."

JC climbed up next to Nick and touched his hip. "Any ow, for you?" he whispered.

Nick shook his head -- he was feeling sore, sure, but not ow. It was still a good sore. "Was good," he murmured. "Still a little stunned. Mmm. Broken. Sleep now." Though he was sure that JC wouldn't let him.

"No, no," JC protested, and Joey just laughed again, rolling off the bed to go take care of the condom. "No sleeping, Nick. Nick. Nick, you said ... ?" He squirmed against him.

"I said a lot of things," said Nick, stretching then turning on his side to see JC again, press up against him. "Which one were you hoping I would do now, JC?

JC didn't really reply, just rubbed himself up against Nick until Joey came back in and sank down onto the bed. "Let the poor guy breathe, Jace," he yawned.

"Hey," said Nick, turning his head to give Joey a wide grin before turning back to JC. "Just gimme a minute," he said, stroking his hand lazily down JC's chest. "S'all I need ... "

"JC, you greedy boy," Joey kept protesting, though, slipping up behind him and kissing the space between his neck and shoulder.

JC squirmed more. "You guys got to come twice already."

"And you got to watch," murmured Nick, stroking his hair at the same time. "What did it look like, JC? Can you tell us what we looked like together?"

"I wanted to be in the middle again," he replied immediately. "Like, Joey still inside you but me between you, feeling every time he pushed into you ... it was so hard, at the end, I thought he might break you."

"I'm hard to break," said Nick, smiling at him and then Joey again. "We'll have to try that some time ... with you in the middle like that ... that could be a lot of fun." JC looked like he understood now why Joey had wanted it to be just him and Nick for the most part. Or at the very least he wasn't complaining about it.

Joey smiled back at Nick and snuck a hand down to JC's erection, squeezing it lazily. "What are we gonna do about this, though, Nick?" he murmured. "I'd tell him to deal with it on his own but I don't want him ravaging us in our sleep."

Nick leaned in to give JC a slippery, dirty kiss. "What do you want us to do about it, JC? Do you want one of us to finger you? Do you want *both* of us to finger you? Or maybe you want someone to go down on you for a while ... ?"

JC's expression just looked like a kid's in a candy store, with too many choices. Joey chuckled again, and winked at Nick, and then slipped his other hand between his body and JC's, where Nick couldn't see. But he knew exactly where he was when JC squeaked.

Nick gave them both another smile, then kissed him again, even longer and wetter. JC nipped back at his lips, like he was looking for something to grab hold of as Joey touched him.

"You like that, don't you," he murmured, not expecting an answer from either of them. "We'll have to do that some more."

"Which?" JC gasped, squirming between them. "What do we get to do more?" He squealed again when Joey let go of his cock to pinch a nipple.

"Want to get in here too, Nick?" he asked quietly.

Nick's breath caught but he still managed to grin and nod and trail his hand down JC's body, over his groin and between his legs. He let his other hand fall away from JC's hair to toy with his other nipple and watched the way JC reacted to *both* of them touching him like that.

He threw his head back against Joey's shoulder and panted loudly, making Joey grin back at Nick and pull his finger out of JC's body to twine his hand with Nick's and slip their fingers in together. JC was easily spread enough for that, and it was smooth and very, very hot.

"Oh, JC," Nick murmured as they both stroked inside him, and both toyed with his nipples and both just lavished attention on him with their hands and their mouths. "I'm gonna like this a lot."