"Boy has a tongue on him like an electrocuted eel," said JC , leaning toward the mirror and wiping away a smudge of his eyeliner. He blinked a couple of times and then smiled, when it looked perfect again. "You don't want to be messing around with him, it's just a waste of your time."

"An electrocuted eel?" Justin blinked, pulling on one of the ringlets in his face and trying not to figure out how JC knew. And what that meant, exactly. He was still way too new at this. "Well, okay. Um. Is there anyone out there that *hasn't* blown you?"

"Out there, in particular?" said JC, waving his fingers vaguely in the direction of the packed club. "There are usually a few, on any given night. That's why I keep coming, after all. Just remember -- good looks aren't the same as talent."

"Well, right." Justin nodded, but still thought maybe JC didn't know what he was talking about on the count at least. He knew the blowjobs he'd gotten from hot girls were always a little better than the ugly ones. When he kept his eyes open. Maybe it was different with guys, though. "Um, so you never let a guy, more than once?"

"Well, of course I have," said JC. "Not often, but sure. You remember John, right? Chris always made fun of his name; you remember why. I let *him* do it as often as he liked."

"No electrocuted eel, huh," Justin murmured, tugging at his collar and then deciding that he, at least, was ready to get back out there. And let JC pick someone out for him, if he was gonna be such a know-it-all about every guy Justin chatted up.

"Definitely no electrocuted eel," said JC fervently. "Oh, Justin, you have *no* idea. Too bad he wasn't still around, I would've made sure you hooked up. Just so you'd *know* what a great one is like."

"I've gotten great blowjobs before," Justin replied stiffly. "I'm not a fucking virgin, C." He was starting to really regret confiding in JC about this. It was just ... well. He couldn't confide in Joey. For the obvious reasons.

"No, you've gotten blowjobs from girls," JC corrected him. "It's a whole different world, Justin, you'll see. Oh, you're going to love it. I'm so excited for you. So. See anything else you like?"

"Why don't you just pick someone for me," Justin gave in, holding the door open for him. "Just pick someone and I'll offer him the chance to suck off the great Justin Timberlake. Isn't that how you do it?" He pasted a look of complete naivite on his face.

JC stared at him for a second, like he didn't understand. "No, honey, that's *not* how I do it. I usually offer to reciprocate. But that approach probably won't work for you just yet, so you'll just have to use your natural charm. See that blond boy at the bar? He's sweet. Give him a try."

"And should I just drag him back to the bathroom?" Justin blinked slowly. "Or maybe all he needs is a dark corner?" He actually thought he wouldn't give the boy JC pointed out a try. It would take a lot more beer to make him forget he wasn't doing blonds ever, ever again.

"Well, you could," said JC slowly. "And he probably would, for you -- you're his type -- but you could also offer to take him home, you know. He'd show you a good time. You wouldn't be able to help but be enthusiastic about it."

"I'm enthusiastic," Justin replied dully. "And don't you think he'd be disappointed if I took him home and all that happened was him sucking me and me sending him home? or. Do you think I should let him do that other thing."

JC laughed, even threw his head back a little. "I told you about all *sorts* of other things, Justin. In great detail. Which one do you mean, exactly?"

"Well, the fucking one," Justin said, lowering his voice automatically when he said that word. "Fucking me. That one." All he'd have to do was lay there, pretty much. Since JC seemed to have zero confidence in his ability to 'reciprocate,' or whatever he'd said.

"Jesus, Timberlake," he said, sounding surprised for the first time that night. "Speaking of needing enthusiasm ... listen, honey, if you don't want to do this tonight then don't do this. Don't let *me* push you into anything, just 'cause I'm happy you finally said you wanted it. It's gotta be something you're ready for, you can't be afraid of it."

He'd halfway thought JC would just offer himself when he'd told him, but JC had apparently had other ideas. "Well," he shrugged, glancing around the room again. "I'm not afraid. I want to. Just. Not that guy. Find someone else. Someone a little less ... bottle." He pulled on one of his own curls again, sort of missing Chris there to bat his hands away. Missing Joey there ... just because.

"Okay, then find someone else," said JC, looking up and around at Justin's other options. "It's your first time, Justin, it's okay to want it to be special, you know. You don't have to just find someone and get it over with. Just because that's what I does, doesn't mean it's the right decision. You were always more of a romantic than me."

More than JC knew, probably, Justin sighed to himself. But it was exactly why he couldn't wallow. "I want my first time with someone special to be special," he finally corrected him. "This, this is just sex."

"Well, if you're sure," he said, giving him an encouraging smile. That was easy, to get JC thinking about sex again. "So what kind of boy are you looking for, then? Maybe that'll give me a better idea of who to maybe point out. I can tell you who's good, but I guess that's not entirely what you're looking for."

"Dark hair," Justin said immediately. No reason to be coy about it if it meant he'd get what he wanted sooner rather than later. "Dark hair. Tall as me, or close. Big arms. Maybe scruffy. Yeah. Like, in the not-clean-shaven way."

"Hmm," said JC, frowning as though that was a tall order or something. "Hmm. Well." And he looked around again, this time more critically. When JC wanted to find something, he did. "There's a guy in the corner there, with the tight white T-shirt? His name's Merv or Mel or something hopeless like that, but he was a good guy so don't let that stop you."

"God, how many guys *have* blown you," Justin muttered, squinting to try and see the guy JC meant. Then he smoothed his shirt over his stomach and adjusted his collar again, and his wristband. He was good-looking enough, despite the fact that Justin could tell from here he wouldn't have brown eyes. But that kind of *was* a tall order. "How do I look? and ... just ask him if he wants to spend the night?"

"Just introduce yourself. Ask him if he wants a drink. He'll know what you mean, Justin." JC was practically *beaming* at him. "Oh, I'm so excited for you. You look great, good enough to eat. Which is the point, isn't it? Now go get him."

"Um, okay," Justin said, but he didn't move. It had been forever and a year since he'd picked up someone, and never a guy. He was mortally afraid of being laughed at.

"You want me to go talk to him, send him over?" murmured JC into his ear a moment later, laying a hand on the small of his back. "Would that be easier for you?"

Justin shivered a little. When he reacted like that to *JC* touching him, he wondered how he'd ever fooled himself as long as he had that he didn't want boys. "Please," he said, grabbing his drink and chewing on some ice. It *would* be easier.

"Just tell me you're absolutely sure," said JC, moving around his body to look him in the eye.. "Last chance to back out, go back home and save this for another night. Not that I want you to, because he's just a darling in bed and I think you'd have a great time. I just want you to be sure."

"Sure, I'm sure," Justin nodded, giving JC a little glare for good measure. He knew what he wanted. Nobody would question him if it had something to do with their music, or their career. "Just, you know. If he doesn't want to, don't, like. Bribe him or anything."

"I'm not that crass, honey," said JC, then with a single pat to Justin's cheek, he was off. There was no turning back now.

* * *

Justin shuffled blearily to the door and barely glanced through the peephole before opening it. "You have a key, man," he mumbled, raising his coffee mug to his lips as he trodded back to the kitchen. "You're allowed to come in."

JC poked his head in the door like he was expecting to see someone else still there. "Didn't want to interrupt," he said as he finally stepped inside. "You missed brunch with the guys, I thought you might've been a little tied up. In the figurative *or* literal sense ... "

Snorting softly, Justin slumped back on the stool he'd been sitting on. "No, definitely not," he admitted. "That's ... no. I think I'm a ways away from that. Sorry about brunch ... did, um, did anyone say anything?"

"Besides 'where's Justin'?" said JC, making himself at home. "No, nothing. And I didn't say a word, as per your request. They'd all be completely supportive, though, you know, Justin. Sometimes *too* supportive. So how was your night? You look ... worn out."

"I didn't sleep a lot," Justin admitted, and he hadn't. The guy -- *Marvin* -- had been nice enough, but Justin wasn't able to fall asleep with him. He just dozed until the guy woke up and left, giving Justin a kiss on the cheek but no phone number. "My night was fine, though. Marvin said to tell you thank you."

"Oooh!" said JC, bouncing in his seat a little, his eyes getting wide and bright. "Oh, Justin, you have to tell me *all* about it now. What did you think?"

"You've already had him, why do you need me to tell you what he was like," Justin replied, a little crankily. The thing was, it had been ... almost pathetic, how fast Justin had come. And then he'd *wanted* to return the favor, but he'd obviously done something wrong because Marvin had just told him it was okay if they just kissed and touched and stuff. Justin *really* needed someone to teach him.

"You know what I mean," said JC, but that bright eagerness was already gone from his expression. "What was it like for *you*? Did you have a good time? Would you do it again?"

"He was good," Justin said, feeling bad for taking his shit out on JC again, as always. "I mean. He knew what he was doing. He, um. Just had nice hands." His hands had been the thing that reminded him most about Joey.

JC grinned at him. "He did, didn't he. And I bet he liked that about you, too. So is that all the detail I'm gonna get? After all the things I've told you?"

"J*C*," Justin complained, busying himself sipping his coffee again. He didn't want to talk about messing up. "We didn't fuck, if that's what you want to know. I think he, um, knew I hadn't. And also." He stopped. He didn't exactly want to tell JC the other reason Marvin had made it clear they wouldn't fuck. The reason he hadn't left his number.

"And also what?" said JC; he never just let things things go. "I didn't think you'd fuck, Justin. It's only just your first time. What *did* you do?"

"He blew me," Justin said, pulling his feet up. "And we kissed, some, which was nice. And then I got him off and he slept over. I mean, not all night, he got up kinda early but. He didn't seem like he hated it."

JC laughed a little but, but nervously. "Well, i'm pretty sure he didn't hate it, sweetie. You didn't either, right? You liked it? You haven't really said ... "

"Oh, I liked it," Justin replied seriously. "I mean. It was." He *had* liked it. He just felt weird trying to curl up with the guy, felt weird doing and saying the things he'd started to let himself hope he'd do and say to someone else. "I'm pretty gay, JC."

"Yeah, I pretty much knew that," said JC, smiling back at him and looking almost proud. "I'm glad you liked it, that you had a good time with him. You think you might see him again?"

"Ha! no," Justin replied immediately, laughing until he realized that JC didn't have any clue why that was funny. "He didn't exactly leave me his number," he explained awkwardly. "But. Hey, I'm that much closer to knowing what I'm doing, right? Ten more guys or so and I'll be set." He didn't mean it to sound so bitter.

"Hey. Hey," said JC softly, reaching for Justin's cheek. "I didn't know that, sorry. If it's any consolation, I don't have it either." Justin doubted JC had even thought about it, though.

"Well, whatever," Justin sighed, turning his face into JC's hand and just blinking sleepily. "Whatever. What does Chris always say? his loss. I just. Hate feeling like I have to feel dumb because I'm not experienced."

"Well, everyone has to start somewhere," said JC gently. "Didn't I ever tell you the story of the first time I tried to give a blowjob? I was *awful*. It does get better, Justin ... it does get easier. A lot easier. You don't have to be all, you know, down about it. Sex is supposed to be fun."

"So just, so show me," Justin asked again. Too tired to keep the pleading note out of his voice. "I just want to be passable. I want ... " He wanted to be with someone who cared about him. And right then, someone who he was pretty sure he wouldn't call by the wrong name.

"Me?" said JC, looking startled. "Me show you? Or me ... tell you some more, about the best ways to do things. the easiest ways. Justin ... I'm sure you're already passable. More than."

"Come on, C," he pressed, putting down his coffee and slipping off his stool, bending gracefully to his knees in front of JC. "Just. I don't understand why you said we can't. Show me how. Talk me through this." He ran a hand up the inside of JC's thigh.

JC closed his eyes and shivered and Justin knew he was getting somewhere. "Because," he said shakily. "Because it would make things complicated. You're not just anyone, you're ... you're Justin." He didn't sound as convinced as he had last time, though.

Justin hid his smile. He knew JC knew what he was doing; knew too what Joey and JC had done, and how Joey looked after ten minutes alone with JC. He wanted to know how to make someone look like that. To make *that* someone look like that. "I think I like it when guys pull on my hair," he murmured, coaxing JC's hand into his curls.

"Justin ... we can't," insisted JC, but then there his hand was, grasping Justin's curls and tugging gently. "It would make things weird ... " Except it never had before, when JC was with anyone else, and especially not now when he knew that Justin just wanted to learn from him.

"Oh," Justin exhaled, surprised at how good it *did* feel. He slid his own hands higher. "You don't even have to do anything," he promised. "Just. Tell me what I do wrong. Tell me how to make it better."

JC chuckled deep in his throat, a sound Justin wasn't used to hearing. "Am I gonna be able to stop you, or should I just go with this. Hmm, Justin?"

"Um, you could stop me," Justin admitted, knowing that he'd probably stop if JC so much as looked at him wrong. He just. He knew JC, knew that JC knew that he'd made a real effort to try with someone else, knew that JC knew how important it was for Justin to be good at things. "I don't want you to, though."

"It didn't go so well last night?" JC asked, softly and shakily as he let Justin continue to touch him. "Is that what this is about?"

"You know I wanted you to let me, before that," Justin murmured, bending his head to kiss JC's knee gently. "Nobody knows me like you, C, and I won't be embarrassed with you." It didn't exactly answer JC's question, but it was enough.

"Okay," whispered JC. "I'll ... I'll talk you through it, Justin. If you're sure." It was already very obvious that he was hard; any protests he was making to Justin seemed like they were just for show.

"Okay," Justin whispered. "Are you comfortable, here? Or should we ... ?" He smoothed his hands over the tops of JC's thighs down to his hips, and tried to keep them still there. "What first."

"First, we go somewhere *you're* comfortable," insisted JC, awkwardly straightening up from the way he'd slumped forward. "Then we worry about the rest. I can do this anywhere, honey, it's you we need to worry about."

"I'm fine," he insisted, even though he knew JC wouldn't believe him. JC'd let anyone else suck him anywhere, but Justin suspected he wouldn't want Justin on his knees in his kitchen. "Is it better if you stand?" Justin had been standing when Marvin sucked him the night before. Well, he'd started out standing.

"Not always," murmured JC. "Come on, Justin, you don't want your first time to be in a kitchen, do you? Let's go find somewhere it'll all be easier on you. "Standing's fine in a bathroom, but sometimes you just wanna lie down and not have to worry about pesky little things like balance."

Justin just grinned and got to his feet. And before JC could stand up, or stop him, he leaned forward to give him a quick kiss on the mouth. Their first. So maybe he *was* a romatic, or something, but he just didn't think it was right to suck someone's dick if he couldn't even be bothered to kiss him first.

JC looked more startled by that than by the fact that Justin wanted to suck him off. "Oh," he said softly, then finally got to his feet and looked down for a minute. Justin thought he was going to say something, but then he didn't, he just smiled and nodded his head. "Okay, Justin. Okay. So where are we going to do this?"

"Um, living room?" Justin offered. He'd stripped the sheets off his bed as soon as he'd gotten up. "The sofa? Is that okay?" He reached for JC's hand, gestured for him to walk in front of him.

"If it's okay with you, it's okay with me," said JC, moving more confidently again. Justin had obviously shaken him up a little, but he was in control again now. "That sounds perfectly comfortable. Do you just want to learn how to give a blowjob today, then?"

Justin moved behind him and rested his chin over JC's shoulder as they moved. The little time it took to do it was enough to make sure his voice was even. "Are you offering something else?"

JC laughed again. "Let's just see how you do with the first lesson first, okay? Don't bite off more than you can chew, Justin. And speaking of biting. Um. Don't. That's your first hint right there, but I hope you knew that one already. Or else you get up to much kinkier games in bed than I ever imagined."

"You've imagined me?" Justin asked, teasing JC a little. He knew it probably wasn't what he meant. He just was getting JC back for flustering him by asking if the blowjob was *just* what he wanted to learn. Like somehow that wasn't big enough?

"Oh, I've imagined you all sorts of ways, honey," JC said, back in his element again. "Some of them you're probably not ready to hear about, either. So ... you ready for this?"

"Oh," Justin said dumbly again, letting his mind drift for a second. But this was JC, and they were friends, and he wasn't JC's type and JC wasn't his and they only got along half the time anyway. He knew he'd never feel anything more for JC and was banking on JC feeling the same. "Yeah. So, um. How do you start? Do you kiss? Do you just ... unzip their pants and take it out?"

"It depends on where I am," said JC, lounging back onto the couch at his first opportunity. Obviously he'd made his decision about how he wanted to do this. "I don't kiss an awful lot, if you want to know the truth. Sometimes I start with a little teasing, sometimes I go right for the pants. The key thing to start with is just to make sure the guy knows your attention is focused on him."

Justin smiled. "Like it's never not, for you," he said, folding down to his knees gracefully again. "Is your attention on me, JC?"

"Can you imagine it being anywhere else right now?" countered JC, smiling back and looking pretty damn comfortable.

"Then I'm ready for step two," Justin told him, slipping a little closer. Hoping for a just a second that he hadn't overstepped boundaries with him when he *had* kissed him. He wouldn't do it again.

"You're still on step one," said JC, with another little smile. "Make me feel like you want me, Justin. Say something or maybe touch me, really intimately. Make it clear you want to do what you're doing."

Justin held his gaze and slowly licked his lips; he knew what they looked like when they were wet, like that. "Say something?" he echoed slowly, almost drawling. "Like. I've been wondering what you taste like, C?"

JC gave him a lopsided grin that seemed like a good sign. "Yeah, like that," he murmured. "That's a good one. That's a very good one. So .. step two would be to follow up on that ... "

"Okay," Justin said, taking a breath and cupping JC carefully with one hand as he worked at the button of his pants with the other. That part, at least, he was experienced at.

"Oh," breathed JC, like Justin had done something that felt good. "Also, you can touch me other places, touch my skin. Even ... even if you're in the back of a club or something, you can still shove someone's shirt up, touch him like that. It's another thing ... it makes him know you're focused on him, and on making him feel good. And shows you're into it."

Justin always liked having people touch his stomach -- he worked hard for it to look and feel like it did. JC's was just amazing naturally, and he'd barely finished talking before Justin had moved one of his hands up under the hem of JC's shirt. He felt goosebumps and muscles and fine hair, and scratched him very very gently with his blunt fingernails.

"Oh, oh yeah, that's good," said JC, his breath hitching just a bit. "That's, yeah, just exactly the kind of thing you want to do, to a guy. You should keep doing that."

Shifting on his knees closer again, Justin rucked JC's shirt up so it would stay. He'd finally gotten the button and zipper undone, and had something else that needed his attention. Trying to keep his eyes on JC's face, his reaction, Justin pulled the flaps of his pants open and leaned forward just enough to press his lips to the spot on JC's abdomen that he'd scraped.

"Yeah," breathed JC. "See, now I really, really believe you're into this. That you want me. And ... yeah, that's a good thing ... " He ran out of things to say, and just squirmed for a moment. That said more than words could, to Justin.

"So," Justin said quietly, glancing down at the wet spot his mouth had left on JC's skin. "Step two?" This was already easier with JC than it had been with Marvin.

"Right," said JC, "moving smoothly into step two. And I think you know what that involves, yes?" Since JC *had* already said -- follow through -- Justin didn't even need to answer. "You don't have to do much right away, just pay it some attention ... "

"Okay," Justin whispered, curling his fingers around the edges of JC's pants and pulling them down a little more. Enough so that he could let go and do the same with the waistband of JC's underwear.

JC was at least as hard as Marvin had been, which was a really really good sign as far as Justin was concerned. He pulled the elastic over just the head of JC's cock, and took a quiet little breath before he leaned over again and snaked out his tongue to taste the very tip.

JC sighed happily; when Justin looked up he could even see the little smile on his face. "Yeah," he said, still guiding Justin along. "That's right, take it slow but don't be hesitant. Get a feel for it before you dive right in. Later on, you might be able to just take it in right away, under the right circumstances, but this is the way to do it right now."

"Okay," Justin said again, not any louder, just before he licked at JC once more. He tasted predictable salty and kind of ... just warm. It was a good taste. It wasn't a girl taste.

He didn't quite know what to be doing with his hands at the moment, so he rested them on JC's knees. Until he had to let go with one of them to adjust himself in his pants.

"Whenever you feel ready," said JC, his words sounding very forced now. "You can take just the head into your mouth. Be really gentle at first, when you do that. Get used to it, too. And you can keep touching ...might make it easier for you ... "

Touching? Touching himself, or touching JC's stomach? Justin didn't know what JC meant when he said that, so he just ignored it and did the thing he *did* understand. He breathed though his nose a couple times to get accustomed to it, then licked his lips once more before wrapping them carefully around the head of JC's cock, right under the ridge. It felt like it was made to fit right there.

"Right," said JC, moving from forced to strangled. "Now don't be afraid to use your tongue. Think about what feels good, when someone is doing it to you, and try that. I'll ... I'll tell you, if I think you should try to do something else." Justin should've just made JC do him first, and then copied it.

Wrapping his fingers tighter in the waist of JC's underwear for leverage, Justin did his best to trace along the underside of the head -- it was unfamiliar, and he was maybe a little shaky, but it wasn't like he'd never performed oral sex on *anyone* before. Maybe he'd just rushed too much the night before.

Once he'd done that, and flicked his tongue almost accidentally over the slit at the tip, he finally hollowed his cheeks a little and started sucking carefully.

"Oh yeah, you see? It's not so hard ... way better than my first time, that's for sure ... just keep doing that." JC took a couple of hard breaths. "And when you're comfortable, feel free to take some more of it into your mouth."

His mouth already felt plenty full, even though he knew he barely had any of JC's length in there. It was frustrating to know he was about to mess up, or do something wrong, and he felt himself stiffen and grip JC's knee a little harder.

He tried, though; tried to flatten his tongue and move his face closer to JC's groin, tried to take him deeper.

JC actually reached up and stroked his hair. "When you're ready," he murmured again, obviously feeling Justin tense up. "Don't do it before you're ready. That's the big thing guys always do ... try to do too much at once. Even if you never get past the head, you can still make me come, Justin."

Justin let JC slip out from between his lips and sat back a little, shivering once. He was gonna make JC come. It was pretty amazing to hear that.

"Do you want me to take your pants off the rest of the way?" he asked, breathing a little heavily himself.

"Only if you want to," said JC, and Justin realized his eyes were closed, his head lolled back against the back of the couch. "I'm okay like this ... well ... maybe a little further. You're doing good, Justin."

"Thanks," Justin replied, not really able to keep from smiling at that. JC might just be saying it, but he *looked* like Justin was doing good. So it didn't hurt to believe him. "So, um. Lift up, C." He leaned forward and slipped an arm around JC's waist, raising his hips off the cushion of the couch, and tugged his underwear and pants down to the top of JC's thighs before letting him back down.

"Glad you don't have a scratchy couch," said JC, opening his eyes to look at him again, and smile. "You feeling okay about it so far? Damn you look good, Justin, you look good going down on me ... "

"Like you imagined?" Justin teased him innocently. He was flushed a little, though, so he knew JC would know he was pleased by the comment. He looked down, away from JC's eyes, and didn't even bother to hide the fact that he was studying JC's erection. It was. Big.

"Better," said JC, and slumped further down on the couch, thrusting himself a little in Justin's direction. "It's not a view I've ever had before. So you ready to ... go some more?"

Justin nodded silently, and reached out to run a finger down JC's shaft before he clutched both of his hands together in his own lap and leaned over again. Starting the way he had before, with just the head. And a little bit of tongue. "Yeah," breathed JC. "Oh yeah, Justin. Just hit those right spots, you know the ones, you've had this done to you enough ... "

Then, almost all of a sudden, it felt ... different. Maybe it was the way JC said his name just then, or something, but Justin ... he just wanted to climb on top of JC and press their bodies together and he was losing all the detachment he'd had. He reached up to grab JC's hips tightly in his hands and started sucking -- enthusiastically, this time. And then was mortified when he moaned at the taste he was coaxing out of JC.

"Oh god, yeah," said JC, pushing toward him but -- thank god -- not thrusting. "Just keep .... yeah, with the tongue, don't forget the tongue and ... Jesus, Justin, yes, right there, yes ... "

Even though it felt, again, like his mouth was totally full, Justin knew that he didn't have JC very deep at all. He just ... he couldn't. He was too preoccupied with everything else, with how JC sounded and the way his bones felt under Justin's fingers and everything. He dragged his fingers from outside JC's hips along the crease of his thighs to his groin; pressed his own groin up against the edge of the sofa to get some kind of contact for himself so he *wouldn't* just crawl on top of him. Before he finished, anyway.

"I think ... " said JC carefully, between gasps. "I think you need to decide ... if you're gonna swallow or not, Justin ... " Which meant JC *had* to be pretty close now. "If you aren't ... there's kleenex on the end table ... "

Justin snorted, which made him choke a little and he had to pull off. It was his house! JC was too funny. Plus. He was going to do this the right way. What could be so hard about swallowing anyway? he always figured the girls that didn't, it was just because they thought it was gross or something.

"And try not to choke," JC added, the teasing so gentle that Justin just let it breeze past him. "Okay, Justin, okay ... I'll still try to tell you when ... you're doing *really* good ... "

Justin maybe showed off a little when he bent back over, spreading his tongue wide and lapping generously at JC from root to head before taking him back inside his mouth. The heels of his hands were probably digging into the top of JC's thighs, and his thumbs traced along the edge of the hair between his legs.

"Oh yeah," said JC, "oh yeah, now you're into it. Just ... just hit that spot again, the way you were before. That might ... oh yeah ... that might do it for me ... "

Not having any idea which spot JC meant, Justin just tried to do exactly what he'd been doing before: sucking, and using his tongue when he could, and sucking some more. He'd thought maybe that JC would have wanted him to use his fingers, or something, the way Marvin had ... but he didn't say anything. And as many blowjobs as JC had had, this seemed like enough for him.

"I'm gonna come, Justin," he said, very clearly, tugging on Justin's hair again like Justin had told him about before they'd even started.

For the first time, Justin just closed his eyes. He didn't need to see to do this; to swallow impulsively and complulsively as soon as he felt hot hot liquid flooding his mouth. He could tell he was making a mess, that he wasn't getting all of it, but nothing was going to make him take his mouth off of JC right then.

"You look so fucking amazing right now," whispered JC a moment later, relaxing his grip on Justin's hair but not letting go. "Oh honey, you have no idea ... "

Justin let JC slip from his mouth before he blinked open his eyes, unclenching his fingers from JC's legs to wipe his lips with the back of his hand. "Did it feel okay?" he asked quietly, clearing his throat. That was so much more important to him than what he looked like. Joey lived with him every day; he wasn't gonna be impressed with what he looked like.

"Oh yeah." said JC fervently, then laughed a little. "You were really good, Justin. And it was cool, how open you were to direction. You've got nothing to worry about, next time. You're gonna make some guy come so hard he's gonna feel broken." "Having you tell me helped," mumbled Justin, feeling weird to admit that about anything. "Um, excuse me for a second, okay? I'll be back and we can ... I dunno. Talk about what I can do better." He wiped his mouth again and then wiped his hands on his jeans, and stood up.

"Hey," said JC, grabbing for his hand. "Don't you want me to, you know, take care of you, too?"

"Oh," Justin said, wiping his hands again. "I thought. I was just gonna ... y'know, go take care of it myself. You don't have to. Unless you wanted to, like, demonstrate?" That would actually probably be really helpful. He just -- he kind of assumed this was a one-way thing, JC helping him.

JC laughed again and reached for Justin's pants, tugging him onto the couch next to him. "I'm gonna do it because it'll feel good," he said. "If you wanna take it as a demonstration, go right ahead. I'm not gonna let you just do *me* without me doing something back." He tugged his own pants up, then leaned overtop of Justin and started undoing *his*.

Justin was already hard as a rock, and any protests he would have made would sound weak at best, so he didn't even bother. He just laid his head back on the armrest and watched JC carefully. Watched the confident way he manipulated Justin's body, the practiced way he rid him of his pants.

"So okay,"said JC, running his hands up Justin's thighs. "You're probably gonna run into times like this, when you don't want to tease at all, that the guy you're with is already too far gone. Those are the times that you just dive right in." And then he did, closing his lips around the head of Justin's cock then sliding it in further.

Letting himself whimper a little, Justin arched his back off the cushion and spread his legs. After what Marvin had done last night, and even though JC hadn't asked for it, hoping that JC did that sort of thing.

But JC just hung onto his legs, behind his knees and up onto the back of his thighs, and sucked him in deeply. A lot more deeply than Justin had managed, but then JC seemed to have a *lot* more experience.

It took no time at all for him to come anyway; it's not like he would've been able to last for JC to use his fingers as it was. JC's mouth was a lot softer, and wetter, and *better* than Marvin's. He liked it.

JC was also better at swallowing than him, taking it all down effortlessly and sucking Justin clean as he slid his mouth off. He licked his lips and smiled. "You taste good," he told him. "Not everyone does. I'm not sure there's much you could've learned from that, though ... "

"I know, sorry," Justin said, covering his eyes for a second. That was kind of why he had just wanted to take care of it himself, instead of wasting his one shot with JC when he was about to come in his pants already. "It was just good."

"Good," said JC, giving the inside of his thigh a soft kiss before sitting up. "Now aren't you glad you didn't sneak away to take care of that yourself? It's always -- well, not always, but *usually* -- usually more fun with someone else."

"I just didn't want to assume," Justin said honestly, just laying there a second before he reached for his pants. "I don't understand why that was so much easier with you, but. It was. Thanks, C." Not calling him by Joey's name probably helped.

JC made a sympathetic face, and pulled Justin into a hug before his pants were even buttoned. "Was last night that bad?" he asked him again. "I thought you would have a good time, Justin."

"I did, I did," Justin insisted. "I did. Just. You know me, all my trust issues and stuff. You just made it easy is all, and that's why I wanted it to be you all along. So thanks for not saying no this time."

"Yeah, well," said JC, shrugging his shoulders. "I had really good reasons for saying no, Justin, so ... don't let this get weird now. Just because we did this and might do it again. I don't want things to get weird with you. I'm glad I made it easy. I gotta tell you, it was pretty easy doing it, too."

That made Justin smile a little. "Which?" he asked, almost coyly. "The talking me through doing it, or doing it yourself?" His heart had started pounding a little when JC said they might could do it again, and Justin wasn't stupid enough to say no to *that*. Practice always did make perfect.

"Oh, both," said JC breezily. "I like giving them a lot anyway, so it's no chore for me to do it. Especially for someone like you, Justin, and you know it. I got a little ... distracted, giving instructions, though. I hope I didn't forget anything important."

"Well, we'll do it again to make sure," Justin replied, with a little false bravado. "I mean, I will. You don't have to." He squirmed and tried to untangle himself from JC enough to button his pants.

"Did you miss the part where I liked it, honey?" JC reminded him as he let go. "If you feel like you still want to learn more, and we do it again, I'm not gonna just lay back and let you do me. That's just not right, between friends."

"I don't mind," Justin said, but he was happy to let it drop, too. "So, um. Was my mouth too dry or something? I'm still just, you know, trying to figure out what I do wrong."

"Do wrong?" said JC, looking confused. "You didn't do anything wrong, Justin. I mean ... you were a little nervous, and in time you'll get a little more comfortable using your tongue and taking a little more in, but those aren't things that are *wrong*. You did fine, you did good, actually."

"You tasted good, too," Justin mumbled, not really wanting to hear JC try to make him feel better. He gestured at JC's groin. "You have a ... your. It's nice."

JC grinned and looked down at his groin. "Thanks," he said, like Justin had just complimented his hair or something. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. And you really did seem to enjoy it. I'd figured you'd be more hesitant, to be honest."

"I want this," Justin said bluntly. "I want to do this, I want to be good at it. And you know me, I'll do what it takes to get what I want, and no holding back, you know?"

"And it's nice to see this is no exception," agreed JC, nodding his head at him. "I'm glad you know what you want now, Justin. I think it's gonna make you a lot happier than you have been, especially once you find someone. I know you want to -- you're not like me, you'd never be happy flitting from one guy to the next."

He wasn't so sure how happy JC was, but he'd never seen anything to make him think he wasn't, either. Just his own inability to understand being happy like that. "Yeah, once I find someone," he said awkwardly instead. Awkward, because as far as he was concerned, he'd found his somebody. It was just convincing him.

"Hey, good for you," said JC, nudging him a little with his shoulder. "At least now you're looking at the right people, right? And ... you know I really don't mind helping you out, to get up to speed on the whole gay thing. I'm happy to, even."

"Why did you say no, then?" Justin asked, honestly curious. "Before, I mean? Just because ... because you think I get attached to people and you didn't want me to get attached to you?"

JC shook his head and looked at his hands. "I was just worried it would make things strange. I thought I could just tell you all about it and have you try things out with other people. But I'm okay being your guinea pig, if you're really that much more comfortable with it. With me."

"Oh, JC," Justin said, frowning a little. "You are, but you're not. Maybe we shouldn't. I don't want you to feel like I'm using you and if you think you're my guinea pig then you do think that."

"Well yeah, you're using me," said JC lightly. "I mean, obviously you don't want to be with *me*, we're just doing this so that you can learn. But you're not *deceiving* me about that, and I'm fine with it. I'm willing. You can't really use me in the bad way, unless I don't know that you're using me. So don't worry about it."

And *that* made Justin feel like shit. "Okay," he said; something non-committal. "So thanks for coming by and checking on me, C. Sorry if anyone worried about me, at brunch."

"Oh, Justin," he said, managing to sound both worried and impatient. "Don't do this right now. We both knew what this was before we started. But you see, this is what I was talking about when I was worried about it getting weird. You weren't supposed to let it, honey."

"*You*" weren't supposed to let it," Justin argued. "I'm fine. Just don't ... how am I supposed to feel when you just say I'm using you, out loud, like that? That's not nice, JC."

"And you should know exactly how I meant it," insisted JC. "You always take things how you want to hear them, Justin, and not how people are actually saying them. Of course you're using me to learn, we laid that all out before we even started, so don't go getting all strange and guilty about it now."

He didn't really know what his problem was; did he really think JC wouldn't acknowledge that he was being used? Justin was truly dumb sometimes; especially when he couldn't let something go. "Why would I want to hear you be upset that I'm using you, instead of being fine with it?"

"I don't know," said JC, "I don't know why you're choosing to hear that. Because I'm not upset. You're only ... I don't know ... assuming I am, maybe because you expect me to be. Because *you* would be. But I'm not."

"Fine, good, okay," Justin said, standing up. JC was perfectly one hundred percent right. As usual. He just hoped the way JC was, that wasn't why Joey slept with him. "So I guess your next lesson would be how *not* to make someone feel after you have sex with them, huh."

JC finally smiled again, and relaxed. "No offense, yeah, but you could probably use a few lessons on that. Though you did compliment my dick beforehand which helps make up for it. My dick and I appreciate that."

"Well, it *is* nice," Justin said, shoving his hands in his pockets awkwardly before he knelt down in front of JC on the sofa again. And rested his cheek on JC's leg. "So what else."

"What else what?" asked JC, looking down at him and smiling really gently, for him. Usually JC's smiles seemed to have something behind them. "Did you have any questions or anything, Justin? I'm *really* good at answering questions."

"Okay," Justin said slowly, staring at the seam in JC's pants. "Okay. Here's ... here's one. How come you didn't want me to try and, you know, use my fingers on you. Er, in you, I mean. You know what I mean."

That actually startled JC, which Justin hadn't been expecting to do. "Well, it was your first time, pretty much," he said a moment later. "I wouldn't ask you to do that your first time, honey. You're still figuring this whole thing out and that's ... I didn't know if you'd be comfortable with it yet. I ws taking it slow."

"But it's better, right?" Justin pressed. "I mean, you like it better. The way it feels and all?" He tugged at JC's pants until they were laying flat under his cheek, and closed his eyes. He really *hadn't* gotten a lot of sleep.

"Yeah, I really like it a lot," said JC. "It's one of my favorite things. If you're ready for that, Justin, you can just try touching at a guy's ass. If he spreads for you, that's a pretty good sign he wants you to use your fingers. If he doesn't, then you know not to push it. Because some guys, they're just tops, they don't enjoy it at all. But me ... yeah, I do. I really do."

"'kay," Justin murmured, storing that away. "Me too. I mean, I think. How come you don't kiss?" His questions were getting less and less tactful the more tired and relaxed he got.

"I do kiss, sometimes," JC corrected him. "Usually, the people I get with, they're not so interested in it. Kissing's a really emotional thing, Justin, and if you're not really emotional with the person you're with, kissing's almost a waste of time. But if you *are* really into the person, well, kissing's great."

"'kay," he repeated, grabbing one of JC's hands blindly and unceremoniously dumping it on top of his head. "Do you kiss Joey when you're with him?"

JC chuckled before answering, and ran his fingers slowly through Justin's hair. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I kiss Joey when I'm with him. I have huge, huge emotional ties to all you guys. It's only natural."

"Aren't you worried about things getting weird with him?" he asked bluntly, even as he sighed and wriggled a little at how good it felt to have his hair touched like that.

"Yeah, I was worried about things getting weird with him." admitted JC, "but they haven't. It's pretty casual. It's convenient. And Joey's ... he's really comfortable with himself, and with his life. Things don't tend to get weird with Joey in general. Which I'm sure you already know."

"I hope," Justin yawned, barely even knowing what he was saying anymore. "Come upstairs and nap with me, C, and then after we can do some stuff some more."

"You hope?" said JC curiously, but he was already letting his hand fall from Justin's hair and helping him to his feet. "Okay, Justin. Joey said he was gonna call or stop by today, too, since you weren't at brunch."

"'kay," Justin said for a third time, that not exactly registering either as he draped his arms around JC's shoulders and shuffled with him to the stairs.

He forgot about the sheets completely until JC stopped short at the door to his room.

"Oh, um," he said. "Guest room?"

JC didn't even miss a beat, like he'd been expecting that. "Sure," he said, turning to face Justin again. "Which one?"

Justin shrugged and just led JC to the next room. It was a blue one with big windows and very pretty and the one that most of the guys slept in if they stayed over anyway. "Comfy sheets," he smiled, walking slowly across the room to draw the blinds.

"Come on, sleepy boy," said JC, staying by the bed and holding an arm out to him when he started back. "You obviously need your beauty sleep."

"m'tired, C," Justin agreed, crawling up on the mattress. "Show me how you sleep with guys you have sex with?"

He thought maybe JC hesitated for just a second, but maybe he just blinked for too long because before he knew it JC was stripping him of his pants and ushering him into bed. Then JC wrapped his arms around him, holding him close.

"If I stay the night," he said, close to Justin's ear, "this is how we sleep."

It was nice, and not at all different from the way any of them held him when they fell asleep together anyway. Which was nice in its own right, and gave Justin something else to ponder as he drifted off.

* * *

JC was already awake when he heard the doorbell, but Justin didn't so much as twitch. Not a big surprise; if JC knew him -- and he pretty much did -- Justin had stayed up a good part of last night, not doing anything fun, but obsessing about what he *had* done. JC would just let himsleep for a while.

Throwing on his jeans and not bothering to search for his shirt -- something told him it had ended up under the bed when he'd finally peeled it off -- he headed back downstairs to answer the door.

Joey blinked at him from the other side of the door, then blinked again when he saw JC's abre chest. Then cocked his head and grinned evilly. "What's this? not what I'd thought you meant when you said you'd come check on him first."

JC rolled his eyes at him and opened the door wider. "He's sleeping," he said, nodding his head toward the stairs. "Not what *I* thought I meant either, but the boy's persistent and ... he's Justin, you know? There was only so long I could hold out."

Joey's expression didn't exactly change at that. "He's so funny," he said, stepping into the hall. "Only Justin would be so ... methodical, about this. He probably doesn't even think the rest of us know yet, right?"

"Oh, I'm sure he doesn't," said JC with a sigh, closing the door behind them and leading Joey into the kitchen. "We didn't talk about that. You know ... I really did think I could pull this whole mentor thing off by just talking to him. I knew it would be rough, but I thought I could do it. And in the end he only had to ask me twice and there I was, with my pants off."

This time Joey rolled his eyes at *him*. "You're the only one that thought you'd pull it off," he said. "Still, I thought you'd last longer too. And anyway, I thought you said he took someone home last night ... ?" shorterandmeaner:

"He did," confirmed JC. "Some guy I knew once. I guess it wasn't exactly a night of burning passion for him. Still ... it wasn't with me, either. I'm not kidding myself about that, Joey, so you don't have to worry or something. I just taught him some stuff. You want anything to eat? Drink?"

Joey shook his head but sat comfortably in one of the stools. "'Taught him some stuff,' huh?" he echoed, grinning. "You're so cute. But you're sure you're sure? I'm a little worried about you, and worried about him, too. You're kind of irresistable when you want to be, Chasez."

"Oh god," snorted JC. "You don't need to be worried about *him*. I mean, not in that way. I'm kind of a pit stop, on his way to something better. And we didn't even get past blowjobs today so you just stop whatever you're thinking right there. You have a filthy mind, Fatone."

"You didn't even get past blowjobs *today*?" Joey parroted back, his eyebrow arching higher. "What does that mean? And ... does that mean I should be worried about you after all?"

"No, no, don't worry about me," said JC again, getting himself a glass of juice before sitting down next to him. "I know what i'm doing. And Justin ... has expressed interest in trying other things. You know how he is, Joey ... he wants to be *perfect* at it when he goes out and tries to pick someone up. That was probably the problem last night."

"Ahhh," Joey said knowingly, leaning into JC a little. "Did he not ... follow though with the guy or something? or did the guy push him? Man, I was trusting you to find someone sweet for him, C, not some jerk that wouldn't be nice to the kid ... "

"He was sweet!" said JC. He'd certainly been sweet when JC had been with him. "He *was* sweet. I steered Justin away from so many people he was just about ready to give up, I think, until I saw him there. Why are the cute ones always freaks? Anyway ... I don't know. Justin wouldn't tell me. He's not exactly open about his failures."

"Oh, all three of them." Joey rolled his eyes again, this time at nobody. "Well. What did *you* think? I mean ... was he awful? or you think he just psyched himself out with the guy."

"He wasn't bad, actually," said JC consideringly. He'd certainly gotten the job done. "I mean, he's not god's gift or anything, he could use some practice, but I've had a lot worse. And he was certainly eager. Maybe he just wasn't into it, with ... Mel? Merv? I can't remember that guy's name."

"Maybe he just wants you," Joey replied, watching JC. "I'm serious. I know we were joking earlier but. You know it's possible, C."

"You know if I thought that I'd be all over it," JC reminded him. "I'd still be in bed with him and not shooting the shit here with you. I guess he feels like he can make mistakes in front of me, or something. Ask me questions and not have to feel all embarrassed about it."

Joey sighed. "Well, that's a good thing. I mean, not that I don't think he could stand to be made to feel inexperienced for once in his blessed life, but. He's lucky to have you." He touched JC's nose briefly. "But I thought you were over him."

"That was before he asked to suck my dick," said JC with another choked little laugh. "Or, you know, before I knew he wanted to suck dick in general, for sure. Anyway. I am, I am. I'm fine. I can handle this. I can get young Timberlake up to speed and manage not to moon over him in the process."

"Yeah?" Joey did not believe him for a second, JC could tell. "That's why you held out so long. I bet he didn't really ask you, either, did he? He just mentioned something about wanting to try it with someone else and you said 'well, since I'm here and all ... ', didn't you?"

"I even said no when he was on his knees in front of me with his hands between my thighs," said JC, raising his hand innocently. "I swear, Joey, I gave it my best shot. I tried to get him to just take my advice and find his own test subject. But he wasn't having it ... and, I mean, he was on his *knees*, Joey. How long could I really be expected to hold out?"

Joey sighed once more. "Yeah, okay. You know I'm just giving you a hard time, C, 'cause I gotta look out for both of you." He blinked slowly. "And on his knees in front of you? Seems to me that boy already knows half of what he's supposed to do ... "

"He definitely had the general idea before I even said a word," agreed JC, sighing again. "I shoulda told him to come to you, except that probably would've freaked him right out. You would've taken good care of him."

"Well, you can," Joey replied doubtfully. "I mean, if you think doing anything else'll be too hard for you. But ... here's the thing, C. He knows I do guys too, and he didn't choose me. He chose you. So he probably ... you know. I'm not you."

"No, I guess not," he agreed. "You're not good old, reliable, flaming JC. You know, I think he came to me because he thinks I'm the best. Oh, no offense, of course! But I think he figured he could learn the most from me, seeing how I. Well, how I get around."

"I think he came to you because he knows you love him and because you're one of his oldest friends," Joey disagreed quietly. "And you know as well as I do that it's a hell of a lot easier to perform when you're with someone that's just beautiful. And. I mean, should I keep going here?"

"No, you can stop," said JC, blushing a little under the compliments and Joey's gaze. "I don't know for sure why he chose me. I just know what my role is -- to teach him everything I know about making a guy happy. In bed, anyway, I'm pretty sure he knows I don't have much experience with anything else."

"And that's the way you like it," Joey reminded him. "So anyway, should I go, then? Leave you two lovebirds to it? I really did want to check on him but if you think he'll flip if he knows I know ... "

"I don't know when he's gonna wake up," admitted JC, letting the lovebirds comment go. Joey didn't have to know how much that stung. How much all of that stung, in a way. "You can stay if you want. Just you being here doesn't mean you know anything; I already told him you were gonna be calling or maybe showing up today."

"Okay," Joey smiled, shifting closer and touching his finger to the tip of JC's nose again. "Gives me a chance to spend some time with you, anyway. Maybe show you what *I* know about making a guy happy?"

JC broke into a grin again, finally, and was able to push Justin out of his mind. "I'm up for that kind of lesson from you any time."

He loved the way Joey's eyes darkened at that, and watched him slip off his stool to *his* knees in front of him. "I know I don't have the mouth and the eyelashes and the hair and the virginal territory thing working for me," murmured Joey, wrapping his hands around JC's hips and sliding him to the very edge of his stool. "Hopefully you can overlook that ... "

JC let his eyes flutter closed for a moment. "No, you've got a whole other set of things working for you," he murmured. "And I gotta tell you, it'll be nice having someone do this where I don't have to talk them through it. That kinda kills the mood a little." And he wasn't going to let anything kill *this* mood.

"Who says 'this' is what I'm gonna do to you?" Joey teased slowly, leaning between JC's legs and nuzzling his bare stomach with his nose. "I'm not about to suck you right after you had TImberlake give you head."

"Well, anything else is gonna have me falling off the stool," said JC, grabbing hold of Joey's hair but not like he'd grabbed Justin's. Joey was ... Joey was a whole different thing entirely. And the longest relationship JC had ever had, if he could call it that. He knew exactly what Joey was capable of doing to and with him. "And sex isn't much fun with a concussion."

"Aww, baby, you don't trust me," Joey murmured, leaning further up to just breathe on one of JC's nipples. "You think I'm gonna let you fall?" Almost as if he was proving it, he wrapped those warm, huge arms around JC's waist and JC'd never felt so secure.

"I trust you," he whispered, three little words he said to very, very few people. "I should've come found you last night instead of going home alone. I'll know better, for next time."

Joey just smiled, and then said "no more talking out of you." He unbuttoned JC's pants confidently, then lifted him off the stool so they fell to his ankles. And gently guided him to lean over the counter of the kitchen island.

"Oh, Joey," he said, only taking about five seconds to break the no talking rule. Joey knew him well enough to have seen that coming, he was sure. But he didn't add anything to it, just let his head drop to his chest and let his eyes flutter shut again and waited.

Not for long, though; Joey never made him wait long. JC felt his wet lips behind one of his knees first, before they disappeared and returned just above the small of his back. "J didn't wring you dry enough that I can't make you come with my tongue, did he?"

"Hell no," breathed JC, smiling to himself. "I'd like to see you try, though. Last time you tried you ended up fucking me anyway. You just can't resist my ass and you know it, Fatone." And *that* was the way JC liked it.

"Oh, baby," Joey practically whispered, running his palms over it gently. "But you deserve it today, being so generous ... so selfless ... don't you think you deserve it?"

"I think I definitely deserve it," agreed JC, bending over even further for him, and spreading his legs a little more. "I've earned this. And I bet you're gonna enjoy my reward just as much as I am."

"Yeah." That *was* a whisper from Joey, and JC had to close his eyes when he finally felt him lift and spread the cheeks of his ass carefully, dragging a dry thumb down over his opening before replacing it almost immediately with his tongue. Hot and wet and JC could only uncharitably hope that Justin kept his ass upstairs for another ten minutes.

The way he'd left Justin sleeping, though, he could very well have another ten *hours* with Joey. He didn't even open his eyes; seeing anything right then would just distract from what he ws feeling. "Oh god, Joey." He hoped that Joey *would* be able to take him all the way, this time, though he couldn't say he'd actually object if Joey chose to fuck him instead.

"JC," Joey hummed in reply, squeezing him with his fingers and breaching him with his tongue. Experienced and talented and enthusiastic, making soft noises that made him sound like he was enjoying himself more than JC could imagine. JC just tried not to remember how much they sounded like the few soft noises Justin had made when he'd sucked JC off.

Just because his eyes were closed, though, didn't mean he didn't know *exactly* who he was with right then. He couldn't imagine Justin ever doing what Joey was doing to him right then -- to him or to anyone else. And Joey did it better than anyone. He almost reached down and wrapped his own fingers around his erection but he stopped himself. It would be amazing if Joey actually managed to do what he said he would.

He heard Joey chuckle and had no idea how he'd seen even that brief movement. Or maybe he'd just predicted it. But then Joey was even deeper inside him, moving the muscle of his tongue furiously and kneading his ass so roughly that he was practically lifting him off the floor against the counter.

And that was what he loved about Joey -- that he was so big and strong and *into* it. He could hold JC up against a wall and fuck him, if he wanted to, He could toss him onto the bed or onto the couch or anywhere. Sex with Joey was always, always great, even if he sometimes forgot that in the interim. Right now he couldn't do much for him, bent over the way he was, but he would sure as hell be making that up to him after.

By the time Joey slipped a single finger inside him beside his tongue, JC was ready to scream. So good, so good. He was so good to him and despite what he'd said earlier he didn't *want* to share him with Justin.

"More, just a little more," he whispered, rubbing himself against the counter. "God, Joey ... " He knew Joey wasn't finished with him, though, knew the little things that Joey liked to do when he was back there. And JC couldn't wait, even though, like always, he wasn't sure he could take it.

He heard Joey's muffled laugh and felt him withdraw his tongue just as he jabbed deeper with his finger. And nipped sharply at the flesh of his ass.

"Oh," he gasped, arching even closer to him. "Damn you, Fatone." He was even harder now, from that little nip, aching for Joey to make him come. Joey knew just exactly how he liked it, better than anyone.

"Back atcha," Joey muttered, biting him again and then swiping his tongue generously along the cleft of JC's ass as he twisted his finger and dragged it against his prostate.

"Oh, oh!" said JC, getting louder now, lifting his head and opening his eyes and seeing only the top of the wall, the stairs, the ceiling. "Oh damn, Joey, yeah ... " A couple more motions just like that, and he was done, finished.

"Jesus, C," Joey grunted softly, then there were two fingers, and his tongue trying to press back in, and JC hoping he was imagining things when Justin appeared in the doorway.

He squeezed his eyes shut again, because there was just no stopping, no, not right then. He was right on the brink and Joey was about to send him over with just one more thrust, one more twist, one more lick, and there, right *there*. JC gasped as he came, his mouth falling wide open and letting a long, passionate moan out.

"Pig," Joey teased, pressing a soft kiss over one of his bite marks and then smacking JC gently, and all that was enough for JC to know he had no clue that Justin had just witnessed what he'd witnessed. "Draw it out, why don't you."

He stopped chuckling abruptly when he stood up. JC could feel the breath on his bare shoulder from where he suspected Joey was about to kiss, before he caught sight of their friend. JC didn't want to open his eyes.

He didn't have a choice, though -- everything had gone quiet around them, no one was even breathing loud let alone talking. So he bit his lips and opened his eyes and wished there was a discreet way to pull his pants up. Not that he thought there was anything wrong with what he'd done, but it was more than a little embarrassing to be caught in the act. Especially in someone else's kitchen.

"Hey."

"Um, hey." Justin looked ... JC couldn't even really read the expression. 'Upset' wasn't a stretch, though. "Hi, Joey. Sorry I ... I'll let you. Um."

Joey said his name but Justin had already turned around and disappeared up the stairs again.

"I think maybe I'm gonna have to owe you this one," said JC, yanking his pants up and then patting the bulge in Joey's pants fondly. "Sorry, Joe. So ... do you want to go talk to him, or should I? Cause we really should say something ... "

Joey was still staring up after Justin, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "What? oh. Maybe you. God, um, apologize for me? That's pretty tacky, what we just did. Not that I didn't ... " He finnaly faced JC and grinned. "You know. Enjoy it."

JC leaned in to kiss him, not caring what he'd just been doing. "I'll go talk to him, you can -- " He looked at the counter. " -- um. Clean up? Just don't take off or anything. I'll bring him back down."

Joey's grin softened into a smile at the kiss, even as he balked at the mess that JC'd made on the island. "Go, go," he shooed. "God. Serves me right for trying to show off for you."

"I was impressed, for the record," JC said, smiling back at him, and gave him another quick kiss before turning around and dashing up the stairs to find Justin.

He checked in the room they'd napped in first, and didn't see him; but he didn't hear any water running either. Turned out he was curled up on the bare mattress of his own bedroom, staring out the window. Looking surprisingly small.

"Hey," he said, tapping on the door lightly before ducking inside, closing the door halfway behind him. "Hey Justin. Listen, sorry about that, honey. We're cleaning up now. I didn't think you'd wake up for a while yet."

"Obviously," Justin murmured, not flipping over or turning his head or anything. "I just, I heard you, and. I'm sorry, it's not like I didn't know. I guess I just didn't expect y'all to be ... and in my kitchen."

JC had to laugh, even though he didn't mean to. "Sorry," he said again. "That was totally rude of us, I know. I promise the kitchen will be spotless before you see it again."

"Why *did* you," he pressed tightly. "I mean. I thought ... I thought we were. When I woke up. You couldn't even wait for me?"

"He knocked at your door, Justin! It's not like I called him up and asked him if he could come over and rim me in your kitchen or something. I thought I'd be nice and let you sleep instead of making you answer the door." He sat down on the edge of the bed and watched for *some* kind of reaction out of Justin. "It doesn't mean we're not going to, still."

Justin just laughed. He laughed and it didn't sound amused at all, and he *still* didn't turn over or even acknowledge that JC was there, really. And JC had no real clue why he was acting this way. Although he had some guesses.

"Justin, you said it yourself, you've known forever what me and Joey do together. So what's wrong, honey?" He reached out and touched Justin's hair, even tugged it a little. "What's going on?"

"You were rubbing it in," Justin snapped quietly. "You're ... I don't know, what? pissed at me 'cause of what we did? and so you're just being an ass and rubbing it in. How much more you know and how much more you can do and ... and how much Joey wants you and that's just *mean*, JC."

"Justin!" said JC, a little louder than he meant to. "Joey came over and we just fooled around and it doesn't have anything to do with you! I'm sorry you walked in on it, but ... what do you want me to do? I apologized for doing it in your kitchen. Joey apologizes too, he said to tell you. But it didn't have anything to do with you."

"That's why you couldn't wait?" Justin went on, his voice weaker. "Just ... just go home, JC. You and Joey just go and fuck and whatever else you do but do it somewhere else. I don't rent rooms by the hour."

"Now wait a minute," said JC, lifting his hand. "Justin ... you don't need to be like this about it. What's your problem, anyway? If you don't want us to do it here again, we won't. But you don't have to get all nasty about it."

"Well, jeez, how'd you expect me to react, C?" Justin said, finally flipping over, and JC sucked in a breath at how pinched his face looked. "Don't lie to me next time, how about, with whether I satisfied you or not."

"Oh, now that's just ridiculous," said JC, trying to be gentle about it, to not let his impatience win. "Justin, we've been asleep for a couple hours. When's the last time *you* weren't ready to go again in a couple hours? *Especially* if someone just outright offers. It's not like I even asked."

"You guys are such sluts," Justin muttered, turning back over and pulling a pillow over his head. "Look, I'm sorry I ever asked for your help, okay? you don't need to worry about wasting your time with clumsy me anymore. In bed, anyway."

JC stood up and just stared at him for a minute, shocked. "What is your *problem*, Justin?" he said. "I can't believe I'm hearing this. Maybe you should just get some more sleep and we can try this over when you're not acting like a child."

"Everything okay in here?"

Both of them turned when they heard Joey's voice at the door, but Justin covered his face again immediately.

"Justin ... I'm sorry, about ... "

"Yeah, you're sorry," Justin interrupted, but JC noted how much more resigned he sounded. "Whatever, why do I care, right? 's not like people don't hook up here all the time."

"Why *do* you care?" pushed JC, looking from Joey back to Justin again. "I don't know what you want from me -- from us -- Justin." Justin didn't know he'd told Joey anything, so he couldn't even reassure him again than he *had* satisfied JC, and quite well, too. If that was even the problem. "We said we were sorry."

Joey gave JC a questioning look, one JC interpreted as confusion over why Justin was so upset. Like JC would still be asking if he knew.

"Joey, can you give us a minute, please?" Justin asked with stiff politeness, still not looking at Joey the least bit.

JC just turned away from Justin for a moment and gave Joey a little shrug. "I'll meet you downstairs," he told him apologetically. "Maybe track down some beer or something? I think we've all earned one."

"Yeah, okay," Joey murmured. "Sorry, Justin."

Justin didn't move until he heard the door close, then he carefully stood up and walked over to stand face-to-face with JC. "I made a mistake," he said simply, very evenly. "I think I ... overestimated myself. And I think it would be ... healthier ... if I just learned this on my own. It's not right for me to keep you from what you want. I'm sorry I said the things I said an I hope you can forgive me." It was a very neat speech and as far as JC was concerned, bullshit.

But that didn't mean it didn't carry the sting of rejection. "I don't know where this is coming from, Justin," he said after a moment. "If you don't want to do this with me then that's your choice, honey. But don't make up some thing about it being because of me and Joey. You've always known about what me and Joey do. We even talked about it earlier."

"Yeah, I *knew* what you do," Justin said, struggling even more to keep his voice down. "But seeing it ... when I'm not even anywhere close to being able to do that? totally different. Totally, totally different. I just ... I'm not gonna be second-best."

"Justin,you're not second best," he insisted, sitting back down on the edge of the bed again. But not touching him; Justin would have to initiate that this time, if he wanted it. "You've only been with a guy twice, it doesn't mean you're not any good. It just means you need to do it more. I promise you, you're not second best to me."

Justin rolled his eyes at him, obviously obviously unbelieving. "After Joey?" he asked. "How could I not be. Look ... I *am* sorry I was a jerk earlier. I just, it just hurt my feelings, or whatever, and yes I'm obviously a girl, so can we please just stop talking about it and go downstairs?"

"Tell me you're okay," JC said. "Tell me this isn't just gonna come up again a few days or a few *hours* from now. No one's going around thinking about you as second best, Justin. Especially not me, who's pretty much the only one who *knows* what you're capable of."

"Well, I can't tell you that," Justin muttered. "I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm ... I don't even know if I want to *do* this anymore. I should just ... stick with girls, I think."

"Justin," said JC. "Honey. Just last night you told me you were pretty gay. You've been willing to work for things before, why's it so hard to work for the something that'll probably make you happier than anything? You don't suddenly know everything overnight, no one does. You just have to keep doing it, and have fun, and don't worry about being perfect so much."

JC knew that made sense, and so when Justin shook his head again, he was more certain than ever that there was something else going on. "I'll just do it the way everyone else does, then," he mumbled. "Pick up random people and hope they don't recognize me and ... and practice, or whatever. I think I'm already better, since you helpedme."

"If that's what you want," said JC slowly. Sometimes it was really hard to try to be the adult. "You have to choose, how you want to do this. Just make your choice for the right reasons. If you don't want to try things with me, you just have to say so, you don't have to turn it into a drama and call me names. I'd feel better if the people you picked up weren't random, though. I do know some more nice people you could try with."

"Yeah," Justin said, looking down at his feet. "Yeah, maybe. I'm sorry, JC. I feel like I pushed you into this against your wishes in the first place and now just, you know, wanting to act like it never happened. And maybe that's spoiled but."

"Yeah, it's really spoiled," said JC before really stopping to thing about that. "If I didn't really want to do it, I would've kept saying no. You're not the center of my world, Justin. But that doesn't mean it doesn't fuck me up at least a little when you start pulling stuff like this. What do you *want*, anyway? Because I'm really not getting it, honey."

"Pulling stuff like what?" Justin bit his lip, and didn't even snap back like JC had maybe been expecting. "I'm not pulling anything. Why is it so hard for you to get that seeing Joey do that to you might've ... you know, affected me? And you heping me ... I thought it was *supposed* to be about me."

"Saying you want to try things with me, convincing me, then backing out like this. Calling me a slut. Acting like it wasn't good enough for you. My helping you *is* about you, but the rest of my life isn't. And I really don't see where you get off overreacting that badly to me and Joey when it was nothing that was a surprise to you. It was embarrassing, yeah, probably for all of us. But I really don't get this whole reaction, Justin."

"You wouldn't," Justin whispered after a moment, before bending over to get his own shirt off the floor. "And I never once acted like it wasn't good enough for me. That's just not true, JC. But I think maybe it's even more a sign that we should stop where we are before anything else happens."

"Look, are you asking me to stop with him, while you and me are doing this?" pushed JC. "God, Justin, why do you always insist on playing these games instead of just telling people things? It's really exhausting getting any kind of explanation out of you."

"Well fuck you too," Justin finally snapped. "If it's so exhausting than stop trying. I've obviously told you all I want to tell you. But for the record? I don't c-care what you do to him. With him. Whatever. That's a completely different thing."

"Different than what?" asked JC. "Isn't that what this whole thing is about? What I do with Joey? Jesus, Justin, I was just trying to help you out, and *this* is how I get treated for it?"

"I *meant*," Justin groaned, "that what you do with him is different from what you do with me. DID with me. 'cause you guys have, like, a relationship. Or something. And it's not about trying to help *him* out. And look ... don't get all defensive either, 'cause if you were just doing this as a favor to me you wouldn't have your panties in such a wad about me deciding we shouldn't."

"Yeah, well, forgive me for worrying about you," muttered JC, but he backed off. "Forgive me for assuming that me being with Joey bothered you a little since it sent you up here to have a temper tantrum." He sighed and finally turned back around to leave. "Do what you want, Justin. You always do anyway."

"Thanks for your permission," Justin retorted snottily, moving to close the door behind him but stopping short. "Did you fucking tell him? About me?"

"No," said JC. "No, I didn't." He hadn't, after all, had to tell him. Joey had already known. "I'm going downstairs now, Justin. I'll talk to you whenever you're done up here." He didn't wait for an answer before starting down the stairs.

He couldn't help but wince at how loud Justin slammed the door, and just rolled his eyes when Joey met him at the bottom of the stairs with that beer. "What in the *world* was that about?" he said curiously, glancing past JC up the staircase. "Um, guess he's not coming?"

"No, he's not," said JC shortly, stopping right there and staring at his feet. "Turns out we were both wrong. He wasn't with me because he thought I could teach him anything and he wasn't with me because he thought I'd be good to him. He chose me because I was easy. A slut." He took the beer and just shook his head. "He doesn't want to do it anymore; I figure he got what he wanted. And I say we just let him ride this litlte tantrum out."

"Um, okay," Joey said, wrapping a comforting arm around JC's shoulders and resting his head against JC's. "Wow. Did he *say* that? That ... it doesn't even sound like him. I didn't think he thought that about you, JC."

"He said it," JC confirmed for him. "He said a lot of things. Mostly that he didn't want to do anything with me anymore. So ... you can really stop worrying about me now. Even if I *had* been harboring some secret hope that something would happen, well, it's pretty much crushed now." He sighed again. "I need to find him someone safe to try things out with now. I really don't want him just picking people up. There are too many guys out there that would take advantage of the fact that they had Justin Fucking Timberlake in their bed."

JC felt Joey frown. "I don't want him doing that, either," he murmured. "Shit. Is this all because he walked in on us? that's the stupidest thing. He knows we do stuff all the time!" He was quiet for a moment and they both drank their beers. "Justin's not dumb. I feel like we're totally missing something here. Why's he mad at you and not me, then?"

"He called you a slut too, if that helps," muttered JC. "I don't know what's up with him and he flat out refused to tell me. I'm just ... really tired of fighting him on it right now, Joe. If I had to listen to him say one more time that he would rather pick up random guys than be with me ... "

"Oh, baby," Joey said soothingly, kissing JC's cheek. But quickly, JC noted, like he didn't want to get caught. "He doesn't even know what he's talking about. He thinks that's what he wants? Let him think that. You'll be the one that can say 'I told you so' later."

"Right," said JC, a bit dully. "Maybe it would have gone better if you'd gone up there to talk to him after all. I should probably get out of here anyway, go home and get ready to go out and be slutty again tonight." It had never bothered him before, what he did. He was content with it. But the way Justin had said it ... "He'll probably be down soon."

"Well, I guess that means I have to go get ready to be slutty myself," Joey said easily. "C'mon, Jace. He's just ... being Justin. He's spoiled and usually he knows it, he just doesn't like having it shoved in his face. This is one thing that he's *not* gonna be automatically amazing at. I think you did the right thing, not letting him guilt you into anything."

"Yeah, I know, he just got under my skin is all," said JC, taking a deep breath and shaking it off. "He just doesn't think, ever. I must be tired myself, to let him get to me like that. He'll probably change his mind back again in an hour anyway. We should just sit here and drink his beer and wait for it. And if we want to have sex again, we should do it in a room with a door. That locks."

Joey laughed, but he glanced back upstairs, too. "You do owe me," he reminded him. JC wasn't sure if he was glad or not that Joey didn't choose to comment on why JC wanted to hang around for Justin to change his mind so bad.

"I do owe you one," agreed JC with a grin. "The one question is, when and where?" He actual felt the relief go through him, though, that Joey wasn't pulling away from him too. He didn't think he could take it if they both did it at once.

Joey grinned back. "Well, I can tell you the when. I'm just struggling with guilt over the where. Except if he isn't gonna give you a good reason for why it made him so mad that we did something in his house, it almost serves him right ... "

"It almost does," said JC, reaching out and touching Joey's side, his waist, but not anywhere else. "If I didn't think he'd sulk for a week afterward, you bet I would. Raincheck? Maybe ... for tonight? Somehow, after that, I'm just not in the mood to pick up anymore. I'll doll myself up for you and everything, what do you say?"

"Sure," Joey shrugged, catching his hand a squeezing it. "You know I'm easy, Jace. And not in that way, just ... easy-to-please. Whatever you want." He pulled him into a brief hug. "You never have to ask, either," he murmured into his ear. "I'm there when you want me."

"Thanks, Joe," he said, squeezing him back and resting his head on Joey's shoulder for just a moment. "You're a great friend. And a great ... everything else, too, if you didn't already know that. God. How much does it suck that he walked in right *then*?"

Joey chuckled and kissed his temple. "I just hope it still felt good," he said. "I wouldn't want all that hard work and good technique on my part wasted." The humor in his voice was such a relief.

"You *saw* how hard I came," JC reminded him. "You heard me, Joey. You even got the pleasure of cleaning up, after. Trust me, the hard work and amazing technique did not go to waste. Though I may demand another demonstration under better circumstances, just to be sure."

"Mmm," Joey hummed, turning JC in his arms and pressing close against his back. "I can demonstrate some other things. Shit, C, why'd you go and bring this up when you're gonna make me wait, anyway?"

"To make sure you show up tonight, maybe?" he teased, letting his eyes close and enjoying the position they were in, even if it was only for a moment. "Nothing like a little anticipation to sweeten the deal."

"Well, Justin was certainly wrong about you being easy," Joey growled quietly, and bit at JC's neck even as he let him go. "I'm gonna go check on him though, 'kay? See if maybe I can get the real story from him. And then I'll see you later."

"Yeah, okay," said JC, nodding slowly. "And ... and tell him to call me, if he needs anything, okay? He'll understand, I think."

"Okay, baby," Joey said, catching JC's chin in his hand and giving him a too-brief kiss that still made JC's knees sort of weak. "I'll tell him." He kissed him once more and patted his ass, and then jogged straight up the stairs.

* * *

JC'd gotten dressed up like he said he would, and didn't let himself think about whether Joey would end up showing up or not. Didn't want to admit even to himself how much time he'd spent wondering what had happened between the two of them after he'd left. What Justin would tell Joey. What Justin would ... do to him.

But he didn't have to wait long for Joey to seek *him* out, giving him a lingering hug and then just looping a finger in JC's belt and holding onto him. "Hi," he smiled.

"Hey," said JC, and it was impossible not to smile back at him, even though his doubts. "You're here. That's great. Do you want something to drink?"

"Always," Joey smiled, bending closer again but not ... not really touching, or kissing. "You look great, C. Is this for me?"

"You know it is," he said. He'd done his eyes up again, just a little, and used just the slightest bit of glitter, and worn some of the clothes he usually only used for higher class clubs. Not the kind of thing he just wore around the house for himself, ever. "I promised you this much, among other things."

"You did," Joey agreed, looking him over once more and grinning. "Which I've spent quite a lo t of time imagining. But first, we drink?" He guided JC to a booth and then down onto his lap. "Sit like this."

"What, am I your kept boy now?" teased JC, but he certainly didn't move off Joey's lap. It was pretty damn comfortable there, and they were in a place where it was fine to do it. "I think I'm definitely ready for a drink."

Joey ordered beers for both of them when the waiter came by, and then buried his forehead in the back of JC's neck so JC couldn't see him. "You feeling better tonight? For what it's worth, Justin wanted me to apologize to you again. For him."

JC was just glad that Joey brought it up first. "How did that go, with him?" he asked, trying to look back over his shoulder at Joey. "Everything, um, work out okay?"

"You didn't answer my question," Joey replied after a moment, bouncing him a little on his lap. "Are you feeling better. Have him out of your mind?"

"I'm feeling better, yeah," said JC, even though he couldn't honestly say that Justin was *completely* out of his mind. The whole situation was still making him a little edgy. "You going to answer *my* questions now?"

"Everything worked out fine," Joey said lightly, pressing warm lips to JC's nape. "He was ... that kid is just confused. Which, I mean, I can sympathize. I just tried to explain what I guess you told him, which was that what he saw didn't have anything to do with him. And he kind of balked a little and pretended he didn't know what I meant until he realized I knew about him."

"Yeah, I might've evaded that question earlier," admitted JC. "That was between you and him, not me. So everything's back the way it was, then? Or did he have more to say? Maybe actually tell *you* what's going on in that head of his."

"He ... no," Joey said haltingly. "He didn't tell me. I think he was really hurt today, though, JC. I don't think he would've said those things to you if he wasn't. He was ... he was all curled up when I checked on him. Like a little boy."

"He wasn't the only one that was hurt today," murmured JC, looking back over his shoulder again. "I just don't know what got to *him* so much. No one was doing anything behind anyone's back there, everything was all right out in the open. Except maybe what *he* was doing, but that wasn't the issue."

"I think he thought he was being open about what he was doing," Joey said slowly. "I know what he told you he decided hurt you. I think ... I think he's reconsidering, though. If that makes a difference to you."

"I'm not sure if it does or it doesn't," said JC slowly. "I mean, it makes a difference. I'm just not sure what kind of difference it makes. He's ... he's not going to change, Joey, is he? That whole drama queen thing, that's a part of who he is."

"That is the whole of who he is," Joey agreed, sighing. "And we're lucky if we can see through the shows he puts on for us. If you're asking me if he's gonna change into someone you can ... have a relationship with? I think. I think you shouldn't wait for that."

"I think I always knew that," JC admitted. "That him and me ... it was never gonna happen. For whatever reason -- because of this, because he wasn't interested in that. I'm not sure I should go back for more lessons either, though. That's just ... that's pretty much opening myself up for him to hurt me again. I need to go back to finding him someone else to learn with, that isn't me."

Joey hummed a little. "So ... if you take most of the other people you do stuff with so casually, how come ... how come you can't do it with him?" he asked, sounding serious. "What's the difference between him and ... and me, for instance?"

"You already know what you want," said JC immediately. "You're ... well, you're a lot more mature than he is. You're not gonna fly off the handle ever other day and lash out at me. And there aren't a lot of people Ii do stuff casualy with, Joey. Not on a regular basis, anyway. Sure, I pick up, but there are only a couple I ever kept going back to, and only one now. You've gotta have a lot of trust and understanding to make that work. And I *obviously* don't have that with Justin."

"Okay," Joey said soothingly, running his hands over the tops of JC's thighs. "He just. He needs someone, C. I'm ... I can see how he might really go crazy with this, if he doesn't. Get support from us. You."

"Are you saying I *should* keep this whole thing up with him?" asked JC, leaning back against him. "I thought you'd be the first person to encourage me not to. For my own mental health. What did Justin *say*, anyway?"

Joey sighed and wrapped his arms low around JC's waist. "I don't know what I'm saying," he mumbled. "I don't even know what *he* said. A lot of stuff that went over my head, I think. He seemed a little ... desperate."

"Desperate?" said JC, still trying to look at him as much as he could. "Desperate for what? I don't know the right way to get through to him, Joe. You'd think I would, knowing him since he was little, but no."

"Desperate ... just desperate." JC could feel Joey shrug. "For attention, mostly, I guess. He. He kind of asked about you. Tried to get me to ... say stuff."

"Stuff? About me?" said JC warily. "I'm not sure I like where this is going, Joey." He sighed, though, and looked back at the table again before his neck started to get sore. "I guess i'll have to wait and see what he decides, finally. It's his move."

"Not bad things," Joey clarified, although he didn't sound so sure. "Just. He wanted to know ... to know why I did stuff with you. If I liked the stuff I did. If you were ... you know. Really kinky, or demanding, or ... I just think he was trying to figure out where he fits in."

"He asked you *why* you were with me?" asked JC. "Seriously, Joey? That's ... wow, that's kinda unexpected. I'm not even sure how to take that. Whether he thinks it's just so improbable that someone would want to be with me." He sighed and reached for his drink. "Obviously I'm still way too high-strung about this to have any kind of reasonable reaction."

"You are, baby," Joey agreed hesitantly. "I don't think that was what he meant. I think ... I *know* he liked doing that with you. He said he wished he hadn't been so tired, there were other things you guys were, um, going to show him? I just think he was ... you know, mortified might not even be exaggerating it. That I came over and you jumped on me. Or that's how he saw it."

JC shook his head. "I tried to explain that to him," he said, "that it wasn't *him*, that he didn't leave me wanting or anything. That that's just what you and I *do* when we get some time alone together. But in his head, it's because of him, it's all about him. I know he was probably at a pretty, you know, fragile point, and it sucks that it happened the way it did, but he's gotta believe me when I say stuff like that. We aren't gonna get anywhere if he doesn't trust me."

"Yeah," Joey said. "But listen. I did want to tell you that he didn't ask you because he thinks you're easy, JC. It's just... that's just not the case. He *does* trust you. He ... he obviously trusts you. More than me, at least."

"More than you?" said JC dubiously. "You're the one he told all of this to, Joey, so I'm just not buying that. It's okay, though. It's okay. He's ... he's Justin, and I've always known that he's Justin. I guess having him go down on me just changed my perspective a little."

Joey snorted and finally let JC twist around in his lap to look at him. "Well. I can imagine. And he didn't exactly say this stuff ... it's just what I think, from what he *did* say. From the stuff he was asking about, from the way he was acting."

"You're being just a cagy as he was," JC accused him, but he was smiling now that he could see Joey's face again. "What on earth could he have been doing to make you think that? It makes sense, for him to want me because I'm easy. I mean, I kind of am, Joey. Everyone knows it."

"Well, need I remind you that he chose you and not me?" Joey said, a little uncertainly. "That he asked you for your help, and not me?"

"Because when have I ever said no to someone wanting to suck me off," said JC, a little dismally. "Well, I don't think *either* of us knows what's going on in his head anyway, and trying to figure it all out is just frustrating me. I'm not ... I just like people, you know? I like being with people. I like sex. And is there anything wrong with that?"

That, finally, made Joey smile, and reach for JC's hand. Which he promptly dragged into his lap, and JC had to wonder how long he'd had *that*. "Not as far as I'm concerned, babe," he murmured. "You know, I don't say no to people sucking *me* off, either. Generally."

"Are we going to be classy about it and at least wait until we're at home?" asked JC, squeezing him gently, feeling better just knowing that Joey saw him so differently. So positively.

"Fuck," Joey hissed. "Fuck, C. I've been dealing with that thing all damn day and it hasn't gone away and I just keep ... just, please."

JC squeezed again, more of a caress than a squeeze, really. "Okay," he whispered, a little amused that Joey hadn't taken care of it on his own. And a bit flattered too. "But not right here. Bathroom?"

"Why not right here?" Joey went on, hitching JC back against him again and grinding up slowly with his hips. "I can come just ... like ... this."

"Oh," breathed JC, letting his head roll back again so Joey could bite at his neck. "Yeah, you do that, then." he encouraged him. "I'll still owe you one, though."

"Everybody owes me one," he thought he heard Joey mutter, but then he *was* biting at his neck -- sharp little nips that had JC panting -- and pawing at his lap.

"This is so, so inappropriate," he said gleefully, rubbing back against Joey as discreetly as he could. Which wasn't very, not while Joey was biting him. "Oh, Joey."

"Fuckit, we're rich," Joey hissed, practically tugging on the skin of JC's neck with his teeth, his cock hard and needy under JC's ass. "We can do what we want."

"And we do," said JC, grinding back against him, even harder, even more obviously. "Oh, we do." He did bite back a moan as Joey bit and clawed at him, even though he desperately wanted to let one out. "Oh yeah, come right here ... "

"I love ruining your clothes," Joey laughed breathlessly, then gripped JC's hips tightly and just ... yanked them against his own, pushing up off the seat and grinding until JC felt the warm gush of Joey's orgasm underneath him.

It was so fucking hot JC didn't care *what* was getting ruined. "Joey," he whispered, or meant to whisper but it came out a little louder than that. "You horny bastard. We've got to do this again some time."

Joey just laughed and helped JC off his lap, grabbing a napkin and starting to try and soak up some of the considerable mess. Enough that JC had no doubt that Joey wasn't wearing underwear. "Well," he said. "Since now we know all it takes is a tagteam of you and Timberlake, we can do it whenever you want."

JC blinked at him in confusion a couple times, his brain still a little foggy from what they'd done. "Me and Justin?"

"God, between the two of you ... " Joey shook his head, still swiping at his pants. "I wasn't kidding when I said I'd had that hard-on all day, JC. If it wasn't from you in the kitchen and then what Justin was up to, it was *thinking* about you in the kitchen and what Justin was up to ... "

"Wait, what do you mean, Justin?" JC pushed, staring at him. "What *about* Justin?"

"Justin," Joey repeated, finally looking up at JC and blinking. "*Justin*. Justin, doing his ... whatever. Pulling his shit, playing ... playing some game with me. I don't know."

"What, and that turned you on?" JC pressed him. "When you were with Justin, that's what he was doing?"

Joey's motions slowed as JC's reaction started registering. "Well, it's what he was *trying* to do," he said uncertainly. "He. I mean, I think he was flirting. Or trying to, without ... and then he said he just wanted to practice something you'd showed him."

"You ... he .... so you guys ... " said JC, trying to put it together. "Oh. Um, you kinda left that part out, when you told me about how it went with him, Joey. I think that was actually kind of an important part."

"Well, nothing *happened*," Joey said, turning his attention back to cleaning up. "He's ... that boy is so confused. I think he was trying to prove something. To me, to you, to himself ... I have no idea. All I know is that he was down on his knees and unbuttoning my pants before I could blink, checked me out, did that thing where he licks his lips, and then nodded and said he was taking a shower. All before I could blink."

JC could actually *feel* his mouth get dry, just thinking about that. And not in the good way. "Well, at least you know what I mean now, about how hard he is to resist when he's on his knees in front of you," he got out finally. "He *is* confused. He has no idea what he wants. And he can fuck with my head as much as he wants but he doesn't need to be doing that to you, too ... "

"Who knows what he was up to," Joey shrugged, dropping the napkin on the floor. "I would have thought he was just fucking around except ... except he didn't look like he was. He looked so insecure, Jace, really. So uncertain. He looked ... " He trailed off, met JC's eyes, and shrugged again.

JC shrugged too. "Who knows, with him," he said with a sigh. "I guess the guy really needs some guidance. I even suggested he try with you, so I don't know why the hell I'm getting so pissy about it now. Maybe I just wanted to think that this guy," and he patted Joey's groin, "was all about me."

"It was mostly," Joey smiled, moving against his hand. "You know it was mostly. Get me home and it will be, totally." He closed his eyes and reached for JC. "No Justin. Not in my head, at least."

"Not in my head either," said JC, letting his hand rest there, comfortably. Comfortable with Joey in every way possible. "Finish your drink first. Then I'll take you home and let you strip me and pay back a little of what I owe."

Joey smiled slowly, and blinked his eyes open, sipping at his beer and watching JC over the bottom of his bottle. "God, you do look good tonight," he said, swallowing his drink. "Think we're rich enough to get away with me stripping you here?"

"Nobody's that rich," said JC, giving him a slow and hopefully seductive smile. "But you can do whatever you want underneath them, right here. Right now."

Laughing happily, Joey shook his head. But he crawled over top of JC anyway and pushed him back in the booth, practically onto his back. "I'm fucking you hard when we get home," he promised. "Hard, JC. I don't want to spoil it."

"Yes, yes you are," agreed JC, just a little breathily. "And I'm going to enjoy every fucking second of it. So you just ... you should finish your drink. And then finish my drink. And then we can go."

"Whose house?" Joey murmured, ignoring JC's suggestion to finish their drinks in lieu of pressing him down even further into the booth. "Where do I get to do that?"

"Who cares?" said JC, pushing back against him playfully. "Who fucking cares where we do it, Joey, as long as it doesn't get us arrested? As long as we don't go back to Justin's, you know I'm happy ... "

"My place, then," Joey said decisively, groping between JC's legs before sitting up and downing the rest of his drink. "Less chance of him dropping by to tell you he changed his mind."

"I"m not that easy for him," said JC, a little darkly. If -- *if* -- Justin was going to do that, he could damn well wait; JC wouldn't be taken for granted like that. "Your place. Yes. The sooner the better."

"Well, since I kind of owe *you* now ... " Joey smiled. He helped JC to his feet and leered happily at the way his pants fit so tightly across his crotch. "You think doing it in the acar will get us arrested?"

"Not if you know the right places to park," said JC, practically dragging him toward the door while trying to look casual. "Enough teasing, Joey, you know I want you. Let's go."

* * *

"You haven't been over here for this in forever," Joey murmured, pushing JC up against the wall in the foyer the minute he deactivated the alarm. "My bed misses you."

"I think it's gonna have to miss me a little longer," said JC, wrapping his leg around the back of Joey's to trap him right there, up against JC's body. "I don't think we're going to be making it up there just right now. Do you?"

"I don't have stuff," Joey laughed, reaching his hands under JC's thighs and holding him up. "I keep that stuff put away these days, man." But he did lean in to kiss him, long and deep.

"Well, that's pretty shortsighted of you, isn't it?" said JC with a soft moan, letting his head roll back so Joey could suck at his neck. "We'll have to do something about that." Joey was right, though -- he wasn't here often enough for Joey to have things ready for him. But he would've thought Joey would be prepared for *other* guests, at least.

Joey didn't just suck on his neck, he started biting at it again. JC didn't know if he used his teeth so much because JC liked it, or if JC liked it because Joey did it so much, but either way, he'd always leave Joey's bed with tiny bruises from it somewhere on his body. "It was, it was short-sighted of me," he agreed distractedly.

"You're not going to be able to fuck me right here, now," JC went on, getting more breathless the more Joey touched him and pressed against him and nipped at him. "You might have to do something else ... "

"What, what do you want," Joey panted back, his hands seemingly everywhere. "I thought you wanted me in you ... " He rubbed himself against JC's groin, rocking his hips.

"You're the one who isn't ready to do that," JC reminded him, pushing back, rubbing himself up against Joey's body unapologetically. "I want to get off, Joey. If you aren't going to fuck me, you'd better have something better in mind. And if you *are*, then you'd better get me to somewhere you can, right quick."

"What's better than fucking you," Joey said, like he couldn't think of a single thing. "Fuck that. Up we go." He hefted JC up over his shoulder in a strange version of a fireman's carry and carried him up the stairs, palming his ass the squeezing gently as they went.

JC couldn't help but laugh a little, from his helpless position. It wasn't exactly what he had in mind, when he suggested Joey take him somewhere else, but it did the trick nicely. "A person could argue that me fucking you is pretty damn good, too," he said, "but then we run into the same problem anyway."

"Well, exactly," Joey huffed a little, kicking the door to his bedroom open and laying JC down surprisingly gently on the bed. Or not surprisingly, really. "You'd really rather do me, though? even after what we talked about at the club?"

"Hell no," said JC, already pulling at his clothes. There would be no interruptions this time, no worries about anyone walking in on them. No time limit. "Not tonight, no. You promised to fuck me, Joey, and I'm holding you to that."

"You got it, baby," Joey promised, but carefully untangling JC's hands. "Get naked for me? And lemme go get the stuff. One of these days I'll be Mr. Romantic with you but today is not that day."

"I'm gonna hold you to that, too," said JC, not wasting any time about stripping his clothes off. If Joey wasn't gonna be romantic about it, JC wasn't gonna waste any time being romantic either. He wasn't going to waste any time at all now when he knew what was coming.

"I'll let you hold me to anything," Joey said, grinning and stripping off his own shirt as he disappeared into the bathroom for a second, coming back out with condoms and lube and a pre-emptive towel. "Got any requests?"

"For things I'd like to hold you to?" teased JC. "Sure. A bed, a wall, the floor, a kitchen island ... " He lay flat on his back and spread out invitingly. "Now get over here already, Joey."

"I liked us against the kitchen island," Joey winked. "And actually, if Justin would ever get his head out of his ass, I bet *he* would have liked us against the kitchen island. I couldn't exactly see, but I bet you looked like a fucking God sprawled over it."

"I'd like to think so," said JC, pushing thoughts of Justin out of his mind again. He didn't want to be thinking about Justin when he was here with Joey, didn't need to be. If he could keep the two things completely separate, it would be better for everyone. "I bet you would've looked Just as good. Better even. Me bending you over like that, licking and fingering you until you practically screamed."

"There would be no practically," Joey growled, pushing JC back down against the covers. "God, you've got such a dirty mouth sometimes, C. You just get away with it 'cause you're pretty and people think they don't hear you right."

JC smiled sweetly, knowing how true that was. He was used to people only paying half-attention to what he said anyway. But not Joey; Joey knew him. He swung one leg up to wrap it around Joey's body, pull him closer. "You like my dirty mouth, though, don't you?"

"Almost as much as I like what you do with it," Joey agreed, attacking it with his own. "So gimme some hints." He sucked roughly on JC's lower lip and then let go, letting him speak.

JC laughed softly and tugged at him with his leg again. "I thought I already *was*. Aren't you still eager to be inside me, Joey? Aren't you still just dying to be fucking me right now, more than anything else in the world? 'Cause I really thought you were, a few minutes ago ... "

"Oh, I am, I am," Joey nodded, raising his hips to yank his own pants down and then rubbing the head of his cock greedily against JC's belly. "You?"

"Am I really not being obvious enough?" said JC, reaching out to touch Joey's hair, grab at it lightly. Kind of like he'd done to Justin. "Because I thought I was being really obvious that I want you to be fucking me as of five minutes ago." With his other hand, he reached down to stroke Joey's erection. "You just like me to say it, don't you."

"I do," Joey agreed, breathing harshly against JCs neck. They were so easy for each other, it was amazing they ever did anything out of bed. Their hands tangled as Joey slid on the condom and lubed himself up. "Say it, C."

"You want me to ask you to fuck me, Joey?" said JC, spreading his legs even wider for him, raising his knees. "You want me to tell you how much I want to feel you pounding into me, because you're the only person who knows I'm not gonna break if you do?"

"Yep," Joey nodded, slipping two fingers almost casually inside JC's ass, like it wasn't anything necessary to do beforehand. And bit his collarbone. "Say that."

"Fuck me," said JC, his voice getting rougher as Joey fingered him. "Fuck me. Make it hard, like you mean it. You know I can take it, Joey. And fuck, *keep* biting me. Keep biting me."

"Hold this," Joey demanded, shoving one of JC's knees higher in the air while he spread his fingers. "And hold on." He pushed all the way inside, no stopping, no hesitating, no slowing. Pushed deep deep inside and sank his teeth into the side of JC's neck all at once. Joey was an incomparable top but he always was the best when he still was told what to do.

JC gasped and pushed back against him and just hung on. He'd seen it coming, but at the same time he hadn't had enough time to get blase about the whole thing. I still surprised him when it happened and it still felt incredible. "God yes," he blurted out, "yes, just exactly like that, Joey, now more."

"I like you better begging with that mouth than being demanding," Joey got out, pushing JC's other leg practically up to his ear. "Or you could try biting yourself. Biting, comma, yourself; not biting yourself." He lifted his head and grinned at JC, then stretched down to tug at his earlobe with his teeth.

"Get close enough and I will," said JC. The position that Joey was holding him in didn't allow him to move very much at all, but he didn't mind. Joey was at his best when he took control like that, responding to all of JC's signals but doing it himself.

"No," Joey said mildly, leaning back himself to get three or four or eight really good, really deep thrusts in. "God *damn*, JC, you feel good. You sure you don't want a live-in cabana boy? I can ... do that."

"Sure," said JC easily, angling his head backwards and closing his eyes. "You know I'll agree to anything right now. Oh! Harder, *please*, Joey." If that wasn't begging, he didn't know what was.

Joey laughed happily and somehow managed to untangle his hand enough to cup JC's face as he did as asked, driving into JC with all the strength of his back and legs. "Oh ... the possibilities," he spit out.

"Are you planning to take advantage of me -- " He gasped. " -- Mr. Fatone?" Then he couldn't help but laugh and Joey drove into him again, just the way JC liked it.

"Is it taking advantage if I know you ... want it," Joey mused, leaning forward again to bite at JC's neck and punctuating his words with a thrust. "I'm just trying to figure out what to ask for."

"Think fast," JC warned him, getting as much leverage as he could to push back against Joey's thrusts. "You don't have much time left."

"We'll just have to do it again," Joey sighed, then shut himself up and twisted his hips almost violently, groping for JC's cock. "I don't think well under pressure."

"Lucky for me," gasped JC as Joey grabbed hold of him firmly. "Oh damn, Joey, oh *damn*, Joey." Joey wasn't even going to slow down as they both shot right over the edge into blinding orgasm, just as powerfully as they'd begun it all.

Joey was coming before JC, but just barely, and JC only knew because he had a face that JC always recognized. He kept thrusting, generously, until JC spilled over his hand, and only then let himself stop and just bask in the feel of both their bodies throbbing. "Fuck, C. Seriously, we need to do this more."

"Why don't we?" asked JC, but he knew why. As soon as they parted ways they'd be out clubbing again, picking up someone else, and Joey would find some pretty girl or boy that bent like JC did and JC would go out and find some guy who was toppy like Joey and it was just habit. It was the way it was.

And Joey just grinned at him, knowing it for the rhetorical question it was. Or, at least, assuming it. "Careful," he murmured, coaxing JC's limbs down and then slipping out, holding tight to the condom. "Oh, yeah, we're going again, though.:

"Oh yeah," agreed JC. "Now that you've got me here, I'm yours for the night. I just need a little recovery time here. Damn." He still felt breatheless, and was even lightheaded when he sat up for a moment. "There's no one like you, Joe."

"Mwah," Joey replied, blowing him an exaggerrated kiss as he stripped off the rubber. "That kind of fucking takes two and you know it. Now. Your hips okay?" Having dropped the condom in the trash and grabbed the towel, he leaned over to rub at JC's joints. "Achy?"

"A little," JC had to admit, extending his legs fully, then his arms. "But in the good way. I'm all stretched out. Clean me up?"

Joey cleaned him with his tongue and with the towel, murmuring guiltily every time he came across a raw spot on JC's skin where he'd bitten him. "You're insatiable," he murmured. "How many times does that make it today, anyway?"

"Not *that* many," insisted JC, even though when he thought about it it kind of was. But not for him. "Mmmm, you're so good with that mouth, too. But I've already told you all about that today and I don't want you getting a big head or anything."

"Aww," Joey murmured, poking at him playfully and then tugging the sheets back. "You've told me nice stuff before and I haven't, so. No big risk." He fluffed a pillow and slipped it under JC's head. "Now. Bath, or power-nap?"

"If you think I'm getting up from this bed, you're nuts," mumbled JC, tugging Joey back in with him. "I think power nap will do nicely. If I even *let* you nap."

"Oooh," Joey leered, but curled warmly and comfortably around JC's body, not pushing anything. "That sounds promising. What's next on ou-"

He broke off when the doorbell rang, and then they both heard the beep of the alarm that meant someone had actually entered the house.

"Apparently, answering the door," said JC dryly, sighing. "If that's Timberlake, consider my crush on him officially over. Dammit. I think I'll just stay right here, yeah? You head him off at the pass?"

JC stretched his arms over his head and watched Joey wrap a sheet around his body, too lazy or maybe making a point by not putting on his pants before he walked out the door. He tried to tell himself he didn't care that Justin had showed up at Joey's, but he also strained to hear what the two of them were saying in raised voices downstairs. He'd known it was Justin before he even heard them.

When the door opened again, JC couldn't quite read his expression. He could read Justin's, though, and it was a strange mix of embarrassment and fury. He got redder when Joey dropped the sheet and flopped back on the bed next to JC, his bare ass in the air.

"Justin, what the hell?" said JC, not sure whether to be angrier with him or with Joey for leading him up here to prove some kind of point or something. "What are you doing here? Especially *here*," he added, gesturing at the bedroom. "What's gotten into you, anyway?"

"You guys," he started abruptly, then threw up his hands and started pacing. "Do you never stop? Like, if this is something seriouser -- I mean, more serious -- than what you've told us, then you should tell us. Like. It's not fair to keep it a secret if you're fucking every night."

JC looked back at Joey, then over at Justin again. "It's just sex, Justin. And since we kind of got interrupted last time, we were just finishing the deed. Alone. Besides which, even if we were, what do you think gives you the right to know, anyway? We do get *some* privacy." Except that Justin was sleeping with him too, kinda, and probably did have the right to know what was going on. Even if it was only educational sex with him, which Justin had made it quite clear that it was.

"If you're boyfriends, I have a right to know," Justin replied stiffly, and Joey snorted. "What?? I *do*. And so do Lance and Chris. That's a big deal. And how was I supposed to know you're here because you were, um, interrupted? Looked to me like you finished just fine, on my counter."

"It doesn't actually matter why we're here right now," said JC, "though you probably could have guessed that if you actually thought about it. Finishing's not quite the same when you have to come and run because someone's walked in on you and freaked out. Which still doesn't explain to me why you're *here*, right now. What are you doing here, Justin?"

"He said you weren't home," Joey mumbled, his face in the pillow and his ass still in the air. Justin wasn't the only one who kept looking back at it. "He was looking for you."

"I didn't *say* ... " Justin started to protest, then shook his head and paced some more. "We weren't done talking, is all. You left."

"I didn't know we weren't done," said JC, even though he knew damn well that Justin *always* had more to say. "Do we need to do this right now, Justin? I mean, is there something in particular you need? Because I have to tell you, this is a pretty inconvenient time. I already have plans."

"And his plans are getting kind of bored with this conversation," Joey added. "J, you said you had something you wanted to ask, so just spit it out already, or get lost. Or go hang out downstairs. Seriously, we're busy."

Justin lifted his chin in the air, but if JC looked close enough, he could see his lip quivering. "I just wanted a chance to try again. I can be better."

"Oh, Justin," said JC softly. No matter how angry he was with Justin, that look always got him. "Justin, you didn't do bad, I swear it. And we *will* do it again, if you want to, I promise you. Just -- " And he looked back at Joey, needing to make a decision here. Justin had dicked him around and Joey hadn't and that should've made it easy, but it didn't. "Just not tonight, okay? Call me tomorrow and we'll get together."

JC caught him sneaking a glance at Joey, too, before he took it upon himself to kneel on the bed. "Well, why not tonight? I'm ... I'm here, you're here. You're already naked?" He tugged on the sheets a little, as if to verify that.

"I'm already naked because I'm *in Joey's bedroom*," JC pointed out, a little stunned that Justin would even suggest that, especially with Joey right there. "And, to be blunt, Justin, I'm naked because I'm having sex with Joey right now. No offense to you, because you and I will have our time, too, but just ... right now is not the time, honey."

Joey turned and sat up, wrapping his fingers around Justin's arms. "Okay, you heard the man, J. He's not interested in your, um, idea or whatever. Out you go."

"*You* seem interested," Justin blurted, staring pointedly at Joey's lap. "You wanted to watch, huh?"

JC looked at Joey again remembering what Joey had said earlier, about Justin coming on to him when they were talking. "I guess I should have asked you," he admitted softly, speaking only to Joey though Justin could no doubt hear. "What you wanted, I mean. I just assumed ... "

"No, no. You assumed right," Joey said tightly, not letting go of Justin's arm. "We're in the middle of something." He turned to Justin and raised his voice. "Okay? I thought you were over this act of being the baby when it suits you."

Justin *did* look like he did when he was fifteen when he stuck out his lip and clawed at Joey's fingers. "I'm not a baby. You didn't seem to think I was, earlier!"

"I guess that was before you barged in on us when we're obviously busy," said JC, not wanting to know what he meant by "earlier". He hated it when Justin acted like a baby, but at the same time he felt instinct kick in to treat him a little more delicately. "Justin, honey, I promise you we'll get together tomorrow and we'll do some more stuff. And I promise you that you were good and I bet we're both going to have a really good time. Okay?"

"Stop patronizing me," Justin sniped, finally wrenching free from Joey's hand. "I can tell when you are. And ... fine, okay, I'm leaving." He stood up, with another glance at Joey's groin, then muttered: "not that it looks like you'll be good for much tomorrow, anyway."

"Justin, don't be a brat," snapped JC before he had a chance to stop himself. "I made a promise to you and I'm going to keep it. Now go home and I'll talk to you tomorrow." It hurt, to be kicking Justin out like that, but he'd really been asking for it. JC just worried he might have ruined his chances with him forever, if he'd even ever had a chance. He was accepting more and more than he probably never had, though, and if he was being honest with himself, he might not have wanted what he got out of it anyway.

Joey looked like he was about to grab Justin again, so Justin hopped off the bed and out of his reach. "Fine!" he said. "Fine. And maybe I'll be home and maybe I won't. Maybe I'll just ... go find someone else for tonight myself, since you guys don't want me."

JC rolled his eyes and finally forced himself to let it go, let it all go. "Justin, you selfish little fuck," he said, every word very precise, knowing very well how they were going to hit him. "Fine, go ahead, find someone else, fuck around. Get yourself hurt maybe. Don't come crying to me after. You know what I've offered you and if you can't accept that, if you have to act like a five-year-old and expect my life to revolve around, then fine. I'm done with you. You're on your own. Now get out."

"Jace," Joey said, softly, but Justin had already turned and was slinking out the door. He looked ... looked like maybe JC's words had finally registered. And had no intention of staying to hear more.

JC turned around and buried his face in Joey's shoulder like he'd never had to do anything so hard in his entire life. "You don't really think he's going to go do something stupid, do you?" he asked softly. "He's just going to go home and sulk, right?"

Joey kissed the top of his head and rubbed his back comfortingly. "This *is* Justin," he said bravely. "Even if he does go out, I don't think he'll be hurt. He probably went for some skinny little thing like you last night, right? He can handle himself."

"He's not even gonna call tomorrow, I bet," said JC with a sigh, grateful for the comfort. "I just screwed the whole thing up. But why does he have to be such a child? He looks like a man and acts like a pre-schooler. Did we really spoil him that bad?"

"*We* didn't," Joey said soothingly. "Look. He wants what he wants when he wants it, and doesn't understand why we should be any different. But we *are*, Jace. And neither one of us should bend over backward for him to experiment on. He depends on us for a lot but mostly, depends on us to say no."

"Yeah, I tried saying no," said JC ruefully. "If only I'd been as good at it yesterday as I was today, huh? Then it wouldn't even have gotten to this point. He just ... he was pretty persuasive. And at heart, I think I mostly just want him to be safe. Maybe that's my whole deal -- he grew up into his beautiful man who looks strong but is really vulnerable and I just want to protect him."

"I know," Joey murmured, sounding wistful enough that JC was glad he couldn't see his face. He wondered if he'd ever know what went on between them. "And nobody's saying you can't help him, okay? Just so long as you set the rules. Like you did tonight. I'm ... thanks, you know. For picking me."

"Well, we had plans," said JC, unburying his face enough to kiss Joey's shoulder. "And ... he was practically blackmailing me. That's not really going to make me want to sleep with him. I know I get around a lot, but I do have *some* standards. I know what I like, and that's not it. *This* is what I like. What you and me are doing."

"Yeah," Joey agreed softly, lowering them both back down to lie on the bed. "I know you do, C." He kissed his forehead, and his nose, and seemed ... just completely out of the mood.

"I'm sorry about that," he said quietly. "That he showed up here and ... that's *twice* today. But at least we got to ... do *some*thing, before he barged in. You mind if I stay here tonight, still? Is that coo?"

"I wouldn't want you to leave now," murmured Joey. "And don't apologize for him." He didn't say why, though. Didn't say he even blamed him. But also didn't let go of JC all night.

* * *

Joey didn't look quite as disheveled as he had the night before, but he still looked like Justin had gotten him out of bed. Hopefully *without* the company this time. "Justin?" he said, more confused than impatient, which was a good sign. "Was I expecting you?"

"Um, no?" Justin replied, trying his biggest grin and lounging against the doorframe. He tried to see if there was anything in Joey's expression that could be construed as happy to see him. "Maybe I just stopped by because I know I owe you an apology."

Joey hesitated, then nodded and opened the door wider to let him inside. "Yeah, you kind of do," he agreed. "Not to mention to JC, too. What time is it, anyway?"

"12:30," Justin replied quickly, *not* wanting to talk about JC. At all. He didn't even want to think about him and was perfectly happy to pretend he didn't exist. For the time being.

He slid through the door and touched Joey's waist briefly, smiling again.

"Damn, I didn't mean to sleep past noon," muttered Joey, closing the door behind him and *not* really responding to Justin's touch. But he was obviously still tired. "So ... you were going to apologize?"

"Oh," Justin frowned, thinking that he had. But eager to please Joey, as always, he put the smile back on, and ducked his head. "You have my deepest apologies," he said, in his silkiest voice. "Seriously. I can't ... I guess I really messed up last night."

"I really don't know what you were thinking," said Joey, making his way into the kitchen and turning the coffeepot on. "You've gotta stop doing stuff like that, Justin. Seriously. You're an adult now and you need to start acting like it. Even around us. Maybe *especially* around us."

"I said I was sorry," Justin murmured, tagging along and touching the small of Joey's back as he did. He felt ... he always felt so good. "It's just a weird time for me, I'm not really myself, blah blah. You know. And I hate not knowing how to do something so it's making me a mess."

"Yeah, I know it is," said Joey, not unsympathetically. "I know how you are, Justin. But listen ... try not to mess with C's head, okay? You're really giving him some mixed signals there, with what you do and don't want to do with him. He doesn't deserve that, he's a really good and generous guy."

"I know that," Justin said, just barely keeping from snapping. He *didn't* *want* to talk about *JC*. He *especially* didn't want to have to listen to Joey go off on how great he was. "I know, why do you think I went to him in the first place. And anyway. I'm not giving him mixed signals."

"Oh, you're not?" said Joey skeptically. "Begging him to let you try things with him, then telling him you didn't want to anymore, then coming back and saying you wanted to try again, then treating him like he's your property when he says he'll let you? Telling him that it's just so you can get the hang of things, then acting like he's supposed to be faithful to you? You don't think those are some pretty mixed signals?

"I ... I didn't," Justin gaped. Is that really what he thought he'd done? what *they* thought he'd done?? "How did I treat him like my property? How did I act like I expect him to be faithful?? I know he does stuff with you, Joe. We talked about it." It just didn't mean that Justin, in a million years, could have been prepared t *see* it. Twice.

"You expected him to be at your beck and call, Justin, don't tell me you didn't. You're not that naive, you knew perfectly well what you were doing last night. And twice you got angry at him for being with me. You're right, he does stuff with me, he has for a long time." He sighed and poured himself some coffee, even though the pot was far from full. "If you want him as more than someone to experiment on, well, you should tell him that."

He didn't, though. That's what he wanted *Joey* for. Justin sighed. "That's not why I got angry," he had to admit. Maybe opening up to Joey a little, that would help him get back on his good side. Get him to actually touch him *back* for once. "I wasn't being possessive, just. Over-sensitive. I was embarrassed that he went straight from me to you and didn't look back."

"You were being a real jerk," said Joey, wincing at the hot coffee but drinking it anyway. "Seriously, Justin, no matter what your reasons for doing it, you can't treat people like that. And look ... you don't need to be embarassed. JC really did tell me you were good, especially for your first time."

"Oh," Justin said, hating himself for thinking such uncharitable thoughts about JC just then. "Look, can you stop hating me, Joey? I said I was sorry and I *know* the way I acted was wrong, but you know I don't treat people like that all the time." He stuck out his lip a little and ducked his head, watching Joey through his eyelashes.

"I don't hate you, Justin, of course I don't hate you," he said immediately. "It's great that you're sorry, but it's even better to prove to me that you mean it by not doing that stuff anymore. The world doesn't revolve around you, kiddo -- at least when it comes to us, it doesn't. And I really think it's JC you should be giving the bigger apology to anyway. You can call him, if you want."

"Look, I *will*; I'm going to see him too," Justin groused, none of this going the way he'd wanted it to. He wore his best jeans. "And I'll prove it to you, that I'm sorry, when I see both of you together or whatever. Now are we done talking about JC? Please?"

"I thought you were *here* to talk about JC," Joey reminded him. "To apologize? Was there some other reason you came over this morning, Justin?"

"I was *here*," Justin said, "to apologize to *you*. For, um. Stuff. Like, the way I left you yesterday. And for interrupting you last night." He smiled slowly and stepped closer again. "And anything else I did that needs apologizing for."

"Well, apology accepted," said Joey, a bit curtly. That wasn't really how he was supposed to react to it at all. "Did you want some coffee, since it's already made and all? I'm not going to have more than a couple cups before I go out anyway."

"Um, no, that's okay," Justin said uneasily, taking a breath and going ahead and laying a hand on Joey's arm. "Hey. Aside from the stuff with JC ... what can I do to make things okay with you, Joey? 'cause I can tell they aren't. I'm not blind."

"I already told you," said Joey, looking down at the hand on his arm but not shaking it off. "Prove to me that you're not a child anymore, Justin, and treat people with respect. If you can do that, things between you and me will be better than ever."

Justin had no doubt. And he also knew he was really running a risk by pushing anything, right then. But Joey hadn't moved, hadn't made him stop touching him ...

"I love you guys," he said quietly, knowing that the naked honesty in that couldn't be interpreted by Joey as faked. "I have a lot of respect for you. I just also have a lot I have to live up to."

"Justin, it's really not so hard," said Joey with a soft sigh. "I know it's a full-time job to be what everyone else expects of you, but all we want is for you to be our Justin. For you to be our friend and respect us like you want us to respect you. I love you too, man, you know that."

"I just didn't think we had favorites," Justin went on, whispering. Even though that was exactly what he hoped *would* happen. He just didn't want there to be favorites that weren't *him*. "I didn't even get a chance."

"A chance to what?" said Joey, staring at him again, his expression unreadable. "Who has favorites, Justin?"

"Just, a *chance*," Justin insisted, feeling his cheeks flush. "You know, to what. You're favorites with JC and I didn't know and didn't get a chance." More naked honesty. Justin felt sure it was a record for him.

"It's not about favorites, Justin," he said, with a touch of impatience again. "It's about *what* we are to each other, not how much we mean to each other. You all mean the world to me, we just do different things to, you know, express that. And I told you, Justin, if you *want* JC that way, then you have to say something to him. He needs to know that."

"Not *JC*!" Justin cried, frustrated with being misunderstood and feeling like he was on the verge of stamping his foot. "*YOU*! I want *you* that way. I want *you* to know that."

Joey choked on his coffee, spitting it out all over the counter. "Me?" he repeated, like he couldn't quite believe it. "Oh hell, Justin. You sure have a funny way of showing it. Wow, what a mess."

"Why a mess?" Justin said, staring at the puddle of brown liquid. "Why does it have to be a mess? and how was it a funny way of showing it??? I didn't even mean to tell you until ... until I was ready. You weren't *supposed* to know."

"Acting possessive about JC was a real funny way of giving us any clue it was ... was *me* you thought you were interested in. Oh, Justin. This isn't ... wow, I'm really not ready to deal with this right nown ... "

"I wasn't acting possessive about JC!" Justin insisted, and this time he *did* stomp his foot. But then he also covered his mouth with his hand and stood there until he could feel his pulse slow a little. "I just ... I was jealous that you guys were together and I couldn't very well say the *real* reason ... "

"We aren't going to stop being together just because you're jealous," said Joey softly, sipping his coffee carefully again. "You'll find someone, Justin, but you're just so impatient. Give it some more time."

Justin stared at him. "That's it?" he said quietly, feeling a little bit of his world crumple around him. And Joey just sipped his fucking coffee. "No chance at all?"

"Oh, Justin," he said again, and at least he looked apologetic. "I'm ... you know I'm already with someone. And I don't think you even *know* what you want, yet. I think you're really eager to try out all this stuff that you're just now discovering and you think you're feeling things that you're not."

"I am not," Justin said quietly, keeping his chin up. "And don't tell me what I feel. I've liked you since before I even knew what that really meant." He closed his eyes. "This wasn't supposed to go like this."

"You're a couple years to late for it to go any other way," said Joey gently. "I'm sorry, Justin, I really didn't know. I really do love you lots and I don't want to hurt you.And I promise you you *will* find someone, someone better for you than I am."

"You wanted me yesterday," Justin blurted, blinking back the furious tears that threatened to spill when he opened his eyes again. "And I turned you on last night. And ... and. Who are you with? are you talking about JC? Because he doesn't think he's with you. And if you're talking about Kelly ... then who is JC?"

"That was when I thought it wouldn't mean anything. I can do sex when it doesn't mean anything, Justin, or at least when it doesn't mean *that*. I am with JC ... whether he knows it or not. You do turn me on, Justin, of course you do. You're a hot, young guy. But it wouldn't be anything more than that."

"Why *not*," Justin insisted. "You don't even ... I don't even get to *try*?" He didn't understand how Joey wanting JC when JC just thought of Joey as a fuckbuddy was any different than this. Except that it meant they were getting laid and he wasn't.

"If I thought you could just make it sex, and not anything else, then I would," said Joey honestly. "I've done that with lots of people. But I'm already in love with someone else and I don't owe you a chance to try to break that up, Justin. I'm sorry, but I don't."

"He doesn't love *you*!" Justin lashed out, and to his ultimate shame, a handful of tears did fall. "I don't care if you think he does because he never tells you no, or. Or whatever, but he doesn't. And ... *please*, Joey. I can."

"I thinik you need to go," said Joey tightly, putting his mug down. Justin was afraid he might break it if he didn't. "I think you need to go now, Justin. I'll talk to you later."

"No," Justin begged, realizing he'd gone this far and he couldn't very well make anything worse. "Please, Joey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Please." He fell to his knees and tugged at Joey's shirt, careful in all of it not to make it seem like a sexual overture. "Please don't kick me out."

"I don't know what to do with you, Justin," he admitted. "I could give you some advice, but I don't think you'd take it. You'd probably even get mad at me for suggesting it. So I just don't know what to do now."

"I won't get mad, I promise," he pleaded, touching Joey's thigh with his other hand. Anything so he didn't make him leave, and then run to tell JC all about it. Anything so this wasn't what he remembered once Justin *did* leave. Because it would be hard to recover from that.

"I think you really, really need to be with someone who's not one of us," said Joey with raw honesty. "I think you need to meet someone and learn all about them and let them learn all about you and not have the baggage that comes with dating one of your best friends. Because there's a *lot* of baggage, Justin. Believe me when I tell you that finding someone else will probably be one of the best things you can do for yourself."

"But ... you're not," Justin said, not understanding. He was still reeling from being told 'no'. "Or, you think you're not."

"No, I'm not," agreed Joey. "And that's how I know how complicated it is. But at least I had a chance to date, before I settled on something. To look around and see what was out there. You haven't even had *that* much yet, and you need to. You need to have a life and to ... to grow a little, Justin."

"I can wait," Justin said finally, stubbornly. "I can wait for you to change your mind, like you're waiting for JC to change his. And I'll prove to you that stuff you said, about respecting you guys and growing and all of it." He tugged on Joey's shirt again. "Okay? can we go upstairs now?"

"Justin, no!" He said, and he did shake him off that time. "*Did you even listen to a word I said? If you try with other people and nothing works out for you and you come back to where you started with a little more experience, a little more maturity, then *maybe* I would consider it. But no, not now. You're just ... you're just horny, Justin. You just want to get off, But ... I really don't think you should do it with JC anymore either. You should find someone for yourself."

Justin fell back on his ass, blinking. "Now *you're* jealous," he said. Reaching, reaching. "You're jealous of me, jealous of ... how I didn't even have to ask to get JC in my bed. Of *course* you don't want me doing anything with him. What makes you think I'd think that was for my benefit?"

"I just don't want you hurting him." said Joey softly. "And you are, even when you don't know you are. You're ... you're a selfish little child, Justin, and you think everyone else is as selfish as you are. Grow up!"

Wiping his nose, Justin scrambled to his feet. Joey never ever spoke that sharply to him. Never. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Do I really have to go?"

"What are you going to do if you stay?" asked Joey. "Would you be happy just having some lunch with me? Or are you going to start being pushy and nasty to me again? There's only so much I'll take from you, Justin."

"Pushy and nasty," Justin said, then smiled weakly and wrapped his arms around himself. He just had to ... regroup. But he couldn't leave with this being the way Joey remembered him last.

Joey sighed finally and pulled Justin into a hug. "You should listen to me," he told him. "I actually know what I'm talking about. But maybe you just have to figure that out for yourself. Good luck, Justin."

"The pushy and nasty thing was a joke," Justin said, his voice muffled against Joey's shirt. "Duh." He clasped his hands together behind Joey's back to keep them from drifting anywhere unwanted. From drifting anywhere that, despite what Justin thought, and despite what *JC* thought, Joey regarded as being JC's property.

"I know it was," said Joey, "But I mean it, Justin. You need to live a little. You need to discover someone and fall in love unexpectedly. And maybe fall out of love, too, but you need to do it anyway. You're still growing and learning and there's a lot left to do. And that's not me being a jerk, that's me giving you some good advice, I think. Okay?"

"'kay," Justin sighed. Very very tired of hearing it. And already struggling with what he'd do, when he did make it to JC's. To apologize.

"Good," said Joey. "If you want something to eat, feel free to stay. As long as you understand, you know, where we're both at, here."

"No, that's okay," Justin finally admitted, being the first one to pull back, and giving Joey a sweet kiss on his chin. "Not really hungry now. Plus, still have another stop on the great Timberlake Apology Tour 2002."

"Right," said Joey, letting him go. "You're a good guy, Justin. Just don't let that other side of you take over too often, and you'll be all right."

Justin bit his lip and let himself out before he responded to that in some way he'd regret. He loved Joey, he did, and nothing that had happened made him want him less. But that didn't mean he would ever get used to being told that the way he did things was wrong. Or the things he wanted were wrong. Or the way he felt was wrong. It just meant he had to try another way of convicing him it was right.

* * *

JC just sort of stared when he opened the door to find Justin there. At least he hadn'tjust let himself in; he could say that much at least. He looked ... small, and he wasn't imagining that his eyes looked red.

"Um. Did Joey call you?"

JC nodded slightly. "He said you were on your way, and that you had something to tell me," he said as he let Justin just into the foyer of the house. And Joey wouldn't tell him any more than that, said it was Justin's place to do it. "So what it is, then? What do you need to tell me?"

"*Oh*," Justin said softly, scuffing his feet. "So he didn't. Okay. Um. I just ... " He looked up, and his eyes *were* red. "I'm just here to apologize. For last night, for yesterday ... for everything I said and did to make you upset and to make you think I'm. A brat. And because apparently I forgot this part at Joey's: I'm sorry."

"Okay," said JC gently. "Okay, thank you. I guess I don't have to tell you that it was pretty harsh, what happened last night. Let's just not do that again, okay, honey? I think we'll all be happier if we don't get so worked up about things."

"Yeah, no kidding," Justin muttered, then heaved a giant sigh. "So, um. What are you up to? I almost figured you'd still be at Joey's, but you weren't ... "

"No, I left after I got up this morning," said JC breezily, leading him the rest of the way into the house. "Joey barely woke up to kiss me good-bye. I bet he slept his whole morning away. I've just been doing ... things. Not too much. Wasn't sure you were even going to come over today."

Justin blinked at him and JC had to wonder what he gave away with his tone. "Um, yeah. Seems like he did sleep most of his morning. So." He touched JC's back almost hesitantly. "Were you, um. Hoping, or dreading?"

"I'm not even sure," JC admitted with a sigh. "I guess I was hoping you would, and we'd be able to settle things. And you did and we have, so I guess it all worked out okay."

"So things are, um, settled?" Justin said, and JC turned around in time to catch a frown. "What does that mean? Does that mean done?"

"It means neither one of us is so upset anymore," said JC, watching him a little closer. "Which is true, isn't it? No one's going to be calling anyone else any nasty names anymore?"

"No, no nasty names, I promise," Justin said, leaning closer himself. Then grinning slowly. "You know. Unless you're into that."

"Which I am *not*," laughed JC, giving him a playful swat. "So that's the thing you had to tell me? You wanted to apologize? Wow, talk about much ado about nothing. Joey made it sound like it was gonna be the end of the world or something."

"Oh, well, it *is* a rare event, right?" Justin said, smiling bigger with each exchange. "Me apologizing? Maybe he was still in shock." Of course, that still didn't explian Justin's red eyes.

"Maybe that was it," murmured JC. "You guys didn't fight, did you? He didn't make you come over here and apologize? It was all ... civil, and stuff?"

"He did not make me come over here," Justin said firmly. "I was going to anyway. He just ... he wanted to make sure I did, I think. He's. He's all super-protective man, I dunno." He laughed hollowly. "Thinking I'm going to hurt you."

"Well. You kind of did," JC reminded him. "Hurt me. But it's over now, it's in the past, let's just ... have a fresh start. That would probably make Joey happy, or something. Satisfied. That we're not messing with each other when we're still angry."

"Right. No messing with each other," Justin said, then smiled hesitantly. "I'm sorry I hurt you, C. I never, ever meant to do that. No matter what I was *trying* to do, that wasn't it."

"Oh, I know that, honey," said JC. "I know that. So just forget about it. You won't do it again, right? So ... it's okay. It's over now and we can just move on from it." If he kept telling himself that, he might start to believe it.

"Right," Justin repeated slowly, reaching out with one of those big hands for JC's waist. "So. Did you have a nice night? Did Joey ... you know, do what you like?"

"We didn't do anything after you left, Justin," he said reluctantly. That night was best left alone, really, but Justin seemed to want to pick at it. "It kinda ... ruined the mood, fighting with you like that. I just slept, and left in the morning. So I guess no, he didn't get much of a chance to."

"Oh." Justin ducked his head. "Well. Do you think ... do you think maybe I can make it up to you? It, um, sounded like Joey had stuff to do today."

"Oh?" said JC, thinking back. He didn't remember Joey saying anything about that to him. "Well ...did you want to move on to your next lesson, honey? Or ... I guess I shouldn't be calling it lessons, but I'm not sure what else to call it, really."

"Don't call it anything," Justin insisted, moving closer and putting both his hands on JC's hips. "Don't ... don't make it about that. You're attracted to me, right? You like me? Then, then it can just be this. Us. Having fun."

"Right," said JC carefully. "You're sure about this, Justin? You're not going to freak out again? You're ... okay, with the way things are? I just can't go through a repeat of that, honey. It was hard enough once."

"I know, C," Justin sighed. "I mean, I get that now. I promise not to freak out. I just ... I really want you to, um. Sleep with me."

"Well ... how do you mean sleep with you, exactly?" asked JC, watching Justin's body language as much as he was listening to him. He couldn't open himself up the same way again, as much as he wanted him. It was going to take some time. "I just want to be clear, Justin. Not pushing you too far too fast."

"Sleep with me," he repeated, looking up with eyes that were very blue, even as his fingers tightened. "Um. Fuck me. If you, you know. Do it from that side." He looked dead, dead serious.

"I do," said JC. "I mean, I can. If you really want to learn about that, justin. I'll make sure you know how to do it right and safe, so you'll have nothing to worry about when you try it on someone you really want to be with."

Justin pulled JC against him, and dipped his head to kiss him sweetly. Maybe only the third or fourth kiss they'd shared, and it was more gentle than any of the others. JC wondered if Justin remembered them talking about it. "Please," he murmured, licking slowly at JC's lips.

"I said I would," he murmured against Justin's lips. Despite his prohibition against kissing, he wanted it again. It was *Justin* after all, and he made JC lose his self-control when he wasn't careful. "But upstairs, not here. I may let you blow me on the couch, but we're not fucking there, Justin."

"No, upstairs," Justin agreed, surprising JC by lifting him up and holding him against his thigh. Something only Joey ever really presumed to do to him. "I want to look at you."

JC was just enough off-balance that he was nervous about this -- and he didn't get nervous about sex very often. He had it daily, and with a lot of different people, and he was almost always into it. Not worried about it, because he knew what he was doing. Maybe that was the difference with Justin -- in a way, he didn't know what he was doing.

"You can look at me," he promised, giving Justin a smile and wiggling out of his grip. "I'll make it good for you."

"Why are you running away," Justin laughed, trying to grab JC's pants again. "I know it'll be good; it's you. Come back." He tugged JC against him again and kissed him. Still sweetly; no real pressure.

"I'm not running away," said JC, unable to keep from kissing him back. "I'm just trying to get you upstairs is all, honey. It's what you came for, right?"

"If you want me," Justin said, his voice sounding a little funny. "That's what I came for if you want me." He clutched at JC's hand and moved it to cup his own ass, and JC watched his eyelids flutter shut.

"You know I'm willing," said JC, avoiding that question as much as he could. "You don't have to seduce me, Justin. You just have to, you know, be nice about it."

"I'm not?" Justin murmured, moving closer again so JC's hand could slip down farther. "Being nice, I mean. I'm not trying to seduce you. In the cheesy way, at least."

"No, you are," said JC, uncomfortable all over again. "I don't want to feel you up down here, Justin, I said we should go upstairs. You're trying to seduce me and you really don't need to. I'm kind of a sure thing, here."

"I didn't know that," whispered Justin. "I mean, the sure thing part. Okay. We can go upstairs." He started toward the staircase, looked back over his shoulder. "I didn't want to mess up."

"You're not messing up, Justin," JC assured him, following close behind. "And I do want you to relax, but we should get upstairs first, get your clothes off and get somewhere you can be completely comfortable. Then we can do it right. Save the seduction skills for when you need them; I already know you're good at *that*."

Another funny look passed over Justin's face, but JC could only barely see it from behind him. "But," he said. "Doesn't it make it nicer for you? Doesn't it ... isn't it nice, to have me say those things?"

"Sure it is," said JC lightly. Under certain circumstances, anyway. "But we both knew we didn't want to get into anything down there. We were kinda just wasting time, since we knew where it was headed already."

Justin ducked his head as they walked into the bedroom. "I bet Joey does, though," he said quietly. "Seduces you. Gets into it, wit you, wherever he wants. My kitchen, for example." He didn't sound *jealous*, though. He didn't sound much of anything.

"Yeah, Joey seduces me," said JC slowly. "Sometimes. Joey's also not with me just because he wants to learn all about being with a guy. Joey *knows* about being with a guy. He does it with me because he likes to. So which room do you want to use this time?"

"Your room is fine," Justin replied weakly, biting his lip so hard that JC could see it. "I haven't gotten a chance to do it with you yet, C. I'm sure I'll like to, too. Just like ... like Joey."

JC decided not to lead Justin to his bedroom, though, defending the decision to himself by the fact that he hadn't cleaned it in days. "This'll probably be better," he said, leading him into a large, airy guest room. "No clutter, and I know the bathroom's stocked. I'll make sure you like it, Justin, I'll be good to you."

"What's wrong with your room?" Justin asked, hanging back in the hall. "I don't ... I mean, this room's fine and all, it just. Feels like this is. Clinical. Or that you don't want, um, to remember me in there. Or something."

"My room's a mess," said JC. "I haven't done laundry and the sheets are dirty. And the bed's covered in notes for this song i've been picking at. I figured it would be better if we didn't have to deal with that is all. Besides, you've always liked this room, haven't you? I figured you'd be comfortable here. It's the one with the window."

"But the sheets'll ... just smell like you," Justin said awkwardly, trying a smile. But he followed JC into the room and went and stood by the window. JC watched the light tease the curls of his hair. "Well. You're the teacher."

"And the teacher's pretty confident in the student's ability to get his clothes off," teased JC, closing the door behind them. He thought about locking it, but no one was going to be interrupting them, this time. He was *with* Justin; he didn't have to worry about him showing up. "Or did you want some help wth that ... ?"

"Is it sexier, with a guy, to watch?" Justin said, turning back around and looking at JC with *huge* eyes. He played with the bottom of his tee shirt. "Do you want to watch me?"

"*I* like watching," admitted JC, giving him an encouraging smile. Justin really did seem to want this, and with him, didn't seem like this was going to be a repeat of last time after all. But he still couldn't bear to put too much of himself out there yet, until he was sure. "Some guys like stripping you themselves. Some guys, it just doesn't matter to, they just want to be naked."

"I want you to watch," Justin nodded, like he was convincing himself. He looked back up to make sure JC was looking, and then pulled the front of his shirt halfway up his chest. Running his other hand down his bare stomach before using it to help pull the material over his head, then threading it through his hair as he watched JC watch him. And none of it was as cocky as JC would have bet he'd see.

"You look good," said JC softly as he watched. He couldn't tell if it was an act, or if Justin was genuinely nervous and sincere about wanting this with him. And hated that he had reason to doubt it now. "You look really good, honey. I don't remember the last time I was with someone quite as built as you."

Justin ducked his head again so fast that JC couldn't even see whatever pleased reaction he was sure he'd had. He just ran his hands over the tight denim covering his hips, and then carefully unbuttoned and unzipped himself. Pushing the jeans down over his thighs, standing up slowly, then stepping out of the material ... he *did* look built. He also looked young.

"Don't be nervous," said JC gently. "I've seen you before, remember. Lots of times. Don't think I haven't noticed you, how you looked. Even if I wouldn't have done anything about it, until I knew you were interested."

"Just because I look like this, doesn't mean it's what you go for," Justin said, surprising JC, then shaking his head. "Anyway. So is it sexier for me to come over there and undress you, now? or. Wait for you to strip yourself too."

"Well, that's up to what *you* like," said JC, beginning to tug at his own shirt. "It's not all about what the other guy likes, after all. Do you want to watch? Or do you want to strip me?"

"Can I?" Justin asked, reaching for JC, still from the other side of the room. He moved smoothly and pulled JC against him before he could even respond, and kissed him again. So presumptuous about the kissing, at least. And then slipped his hands up under JC'sshirt.

"I had a feeling you might want to," murmured JC, not forgetting how Justin had been with him before they'd come up to the bedroom. "You like to touch a lot, don't you. I've noticed that about you, ever since you were jailbait. You love to touch the people you feel good with."

"As much as I don't want to be touched by the people I don't," Justin agreed, snuffing against his neck and unbuttoning his shirt, pushing it down over his shoulders and trapping JC's arms. "C, you smell good. Next time, I want to do it in your dirty sheets."

"We'll see," said JC, trying to keep him in the now and not in the future. "*I* don't even want to be on my dirty sheets, I think you're overestimating the sexiness of smelling me."

"I don't," Justin argued, pulling on the shirt so JC was pinned even tighter before he started working on his pants. "I *know* how often Joey does his laundry, and I bet you don't complain."

"He's a little more conscientious about his sheets," laughed JC, but Justin was right about the rest. "And I'm not afraid to complain to him if he's skanky. But I know you're more of a romantic, Justin. This right now, this is more romantic."

It sounded strange when he said it, and Justin seemed to catch that. "Why?" he murmured, sucking gently at JC's neck after a brief pause. "Why is it more romantic with me?" Which wasn't exactly what JC'd said.

"You just ... like things to mean more, I guess," he said carefully. "It's a difficult thing to explain. *You* know what you mean when you say romantic."

Justin sighed and captured JC's lips again, not really even trying to reply. He unbuttoned the rest of JC's buttons and freed him from his shirt, then worked his pants over his ass carefully and picked him up again.

JC was at least ready for it this time, and smiled down at him. "Ready for me to have my wicked way with you, honey? You're such a ... a dominant guy. I bet you'll like being topped. Being able to give up a bit of that control for a while."

Justin closed his eyes briefly, then smiled back. "I'm trusting you with it," he said, and JC could hear in his voice that he might like it, but he was still nervous about it. "Control. Um. Topping me." He let JC down slowly.

"Thank you," said JC, quite seriously. "Just be careful who you trust, with this. Become a good judge of people. The reason giving up control feels so good is because you feel safe while you're doing it. If you don't feel safe, it doesn't feel so good. Even the most hardcore stuff, at the root of it you need to feel safe."

"I'm not ready for hard-core," Justin admitted, like JC wouldn't know that. "And I think ... I think I'll stick with you guys. While I can." He kissed JC once more and then slipped his thumbs under the elastic of his underwear, and slid them down as he slid to his knees.

"You won't want to for long," said JC, and tried not to be sad about that. "Once you're ready, there's a whole world out there waiting for you. You've conquered it once, you can conquer it again."

"I'm happy with what I have," Justin whispered against his hip, before cupping his balls experimentally. "Or. What I *will* have." He nuzzled at JC's dick with his nose, and they both watched it grow plumper.

"Oh, I hope you are," said JC softly, watching what was happening with a kind of wonder. Maybe Justin had just been scared last time, maybe Joey was right. Maybe it would work, now. "I hope you're very happy with this."

"Good," Justin whispered, then with a quick look up from under his lashes, he let his tongue slip out and lick at the head of JC's cock as it rose next to his cheek. "If you want me, I want you to be able to have me."

"I do," breathed JC. "Want you, I mean. Oh I do, Justin. You should ... you should let me get the things we need, from the bathroom. So I don't have to go looking later."

"Okay," Justin nodded, with a soft kiss to JC's other hip. "Okay. I'll just ... get the bed ready?" He rose smoothly to his knees, and glanced back over his shoulder at JC as he knelt down on the bed.

"You do that," said JC, wondering only for a second what Justin was going to do to get the bed ready before disappearing into the bathroom.. Like a good host -- or, really, just a host the knew his friends' favorite activities -- he kept *all* the bathrooms stocked for just about any kind of sexual act. Not including those that required props.

When he came back out, though, Justin hadn't really done much beyond folding the comforter back neatly, and stacking the throw pillows down on the floor in a tidy pile. He was stretched out on his stomach, having shucked off his own underwear, with his arms wrapped tightly around the pillow he laid his head on.

"Hey," said JC, taking a moment to just appreciate the view. It wasn't exactly one he'd had before, no matter how often he'd seen Justin naked. "You look comfortable. And that's exactly how it ought to be. Do you know how you want to try it?"

"I want you to do it the way you like," Justin replied in a muffled voice. "You know I've never ... I don't know what I'll like. I trust you," he said again. He shifted a little and propped himself up on his elbows, arching his back slowly.

"Oh, don't do that," murmured JC, meaning 'yes, please do that some more, thanks'. "All right. Well, the first thing you need to do, then, is just be completely comfortable and turned on. You need both."

Justin glanced over his shoulder and smiled a little, finally smirking slightly in the way JC'd expect. "I'm comfortable," he promised. "So come turn me on."

JC laughed as he set the things down next to the bed and rested a hand low on Justin's back. "That's more like it," he said. Playful and demanding, but not pushy like he'd been downstairs. This was the Justin he wanted to sleep with. "Well, the comfortable is a good start. Now you need to be relaxed, too ... "

"I'm not going to be totally relaxed, knowing what's coming," Justin murmured, turning to hide his face in his pillow again but arching his back like a cat at the same time. "Unless you have suggestions ... maybe breathing exercises ... "

JC began rubbing his back gently. "No one's totally relaxed, but it's good to not be anxious or stressed about it at all. I always make sure the guy I'm with wants it and is ready for it. Sometimes that only takes about 30 seconds, sometimes 30 minutes. So don't even think about it, just let it happen."

Justin practically purred under JC's hand right away, though. "You have nice fingers," he told him. "Strong. You, uh ... you want to show me what else you can do with them?" He pulled one of his knees further up under him, tilting his ass higher in the air.

"Oh, I plan to," said JC, surprised at how quickly Justin was doing that. "You had girlfriends do this to you before?" he asked. "With the fingers, I mean?"

"No," Justin replied, his voice soft again. "No. Just ... just Marvin, the other night. And, um. Mine. But I liked it! I want you to." He stretched his arms out over his head, his face still totally hidden from JC.

"I thought you wanted to see me, and to have me be able to see you," said JC, gently coaxing him to turn over. "I think you'll be a lot more relaxed if you can see what's happening, right?"

"It's not easier like this?" Justin asked uncertainly, even as he rolled onto his back and blinked up at JC, his cheeks all red from being pressed into the pillowcase. He smiled, though, when he caught JC's eyes. "Hey."

"Easier isn't always better," said JC, reaching out to run a hand over Justin's chest. "And it's easier in the physical sense, a little, but not in any other way. So you've, um, done it to yourself?" Damn, that was a hot image.

Justin nodded hesitantly, then gave that slow smirk again when he saw what must have been a bit of a flustered reaction in JC's face. "Yeah," he said. "Wanna know when?"

"Yeah," breathed JC, running his hand further down Justin's body. At least he could tell now that Justin *was* aroused. Very aroused. "Tell me about it."

Justin trailed JC's hand with his own, then ran a single finger down the crease of his thigh as he lifted one of his knees. "After you left," he said, in an even, deep voice. "After you left me yesterday, after Joey left ... after you left me and I had to take care of myself. Had to ... unngh." He hissed a little and closed his eyes, and JC's eyes jerked down to see him start to tease himself.

That left no doubt that Justin was ready to do this, and JC was able to ignore the mildly accusatory tone Justin took when saying he'd had to take care of himself. It was still a fucking hot image. "How about you let me do that, huh?" he suggested, gently bumping Justin's hand aside and beginning to tease with his own.

"You want to feel inside?" Justin whispered, and his voice was just too soft to be able to tell if he was taunting. All JC knew was that he was practically scalding hot.

"Yes," said JC honestly. "Yes. And I will, Justin." Sooner than expected, too, from the look -- no, the feel -- of things. Maybe this was a very *good* idea, after all. "I'm just going to ... get something to make it go smoother."

JC watched Justin's stomach muscles ripple as he pulled himself up into a half-sitting position. "I thought you had," he accused, his face still flush, as he grabbed JC's wrist and held his hand exactly where it was. "Where are you going?"

"I'm not *going*," said JC, nodding his head toward the bedside table. "I'm just reaching, for where I left everything. Let me go, Justin, I'm not going anywhere, I promise. Just ... just keep relaxing." He halfway didn't *want* Justin to let go though; it was even hotter, seeing Justin hold his hand so insistently between his legs.

"No," Justin said, falling back on the pillows and *not* letting go. "No, not yet. You're ... you can come up with something else ... no. Get it in a minute." And then he started ... started *squirming* against him.

"Oh Justin," JC breathed, practically in awe of him. He really hadn't seen this coming. "Okay, just let me ... " He ducked down and even as he was teasing at Justin's hole with his fingertips, he drew his face closer and closer. "We do need lubricant, of some kind, after all ... "

Justin threaded his fingers through JC's hair and tugged. Not roughly, but enough that JC was even more excited about the promise of topping him. Just as soon as he finished what Justin had obviously intended him to start.

Justin let him withdraw his hand just enough so that he could lick broadly at him, getting him as wet and slick as he could without poking inside. Then he sucked his fingers into his own mouth, wetting them as much as he possibly could. "Are you ready?" he asked, though, before he did anything. Justin would do well to learn that when you're not sure of your partner, it was always best to be sure.

"Shit, C," Justin whimpered, and that did wonderful things to JC's body. "Please, I know I want it ... I know it'll feel good ... *please*, JC!" His voice was still muted, but finally JC could tell it was because he was holding himself back.

JC took him at his word and slipped one finger inside. He was careful, but it turned out that it was very easy to do -- Justin *was* relaxed enough to let this happen. He clearly did know what was coming. JC almost couldn't wait until it was time to push something else inside him.

"Fuck, JC; fuck, JC," Justin repeated, squirming again; and that was nice and not entirely expected ... hearing Justin use his name so much. "Can you, with ... that spot?"

JC laughed again, delighted by Justin's eagerness, and carefully slid a second finger inside before curling them and dragging them over Justin's prostate. Only had one person ever do this to him besides himself, and he already knew about that, enough to ask for it. "Like that?" he asked, doing it again.

"Yes!" Justin blurted, always the fastest learner of anyone JC knew. His hips started moving rhythmically; up and back, up and back, in tiny shallow thrusts that brought his cock close to JC's face and then stole it back.

He hadn't really expected Justin to be *quite* so much of a bottom -- that might actually be a problem between them, later on -- but he certainly wasn't disappointed with it right then. It was just ... hot. Everything was hot. "Do you want more?" he asked him as he fucked him with his fingers.

"I want you to give me what you want," Justin whispered. "what you like to give to Joey, if he ever lets you do this ... " He arched his back almost completely off the bed, driving JC's fingers even deeper than he'd gone with them.

"How about we don't talk about Joey right now," suggested JC, trying to make it sound mild. "How about we make this just about you and me? If you're worried, Justin, I'm *not* thinking about Joey right now, I'm only thinking about you." Which was mostly true. Seeing and feeling Justin like this was pretty much consuming all his thought processes.

He watched Justin smile, and then laugh happily, gripping JC's wrist tighter and holding it right where it was as he moved himself on JC's fingers. Fucked himself on JC's fingers. "I know," he grinned. "I can tell you wanted this."

"I can tell you wanted it too," counted JC. "Do you want more now? Or do you want me to make you come with just my fingers, teach you how *that* can be done? Because ... we're well on our way already, honey. Damn, you're so hot ... "

Justin bucked against him, against his hand, and then clawed at the sheets. For a moment JC actually thought he was trying to pull away, until he realized he was just trying to turn back over. He slinked a long leg over JC's arm and managed to make it about halfway before he threw his head back and gasped -- maybe at the angle? JC had no idea.

He kept thrusting, kept moving inside Justin's body as he moved. "I'm not even sure what kind of an answer that was," he admitted, but it was clear that it was a "yes" to something, maybe to anything. "How do you want this, Justin? And I'll make it happen."

"God, stop *talking*, C," Justin finally blurted, and JC recoiled. "Just. Just *fuck* me. Stop asking me questions, stop ... stop being so nice. Just. You wanted to top me, top me. I mean. Slow, please" -- and he managed to sound a *little* contrite -- "but ... you're the expert."

This had clearly stopped being any kind of lesson a while ago, and JC stopped trying to make it one. It was what he wanted to do after all, just be able to fuck Justin, get sweaty and slick and lose control with him. And he was in no position to turn him down.

"Just let me get a condom," he whispered, and suspected that it would be the last thing he said.

"Okay," Justin nodded, exhaling heavily, and arching his back in that absolutely gorgeous way again. His spine, his shoulderblades ... JC just wanted to touch. He was such a beautiful boy.

JC didn't want to take his fingers out of him but he had to, putting on the condom in record time and using just enough lube to be slick. Justin was opening up easily to him; he would go slowly, but he wouldn't overdo it. Justin whimpered while JC was absent from him, settling himself on his stomach in a comfortable position, and whimpered again when JC started to enter him, but for entirely different reasons.

"Ow," he moaned softly, sounding plaintive and shy, and even with all his cockiness he couldn't quite bluster his way through this. But at the same time he arched his back even more, lifted his ass higher, gave JC just the angle he wanted.

JC kept going slowly, running his hands soothingly over Justin's skin as he pushed inside him. It was going to hurt a little, that couldn't be helped, but Justin still wanted this, was still participating. JC was more than halfway before he finally paused, letting Justin get used to that for a few moments.

"Big," he choked out, tipping his head back again. "Bigger than fingers," he laughed. He got his elbows underneath him and turned his head, enough for JC to see his profile. He mouth was slack, his cheeks were red, he looked ... he looked like JC had always imagined.

He had to close his eyes for a moment, just to stay in control for the moment. Then, when he felt Justin's body begin to relax under his hands again, he slowly pushed in the rest of the way. And *then* he opened his eyes to see Justin's reaction to having JC completely inside him.

He was biting his arm. Biting his own arm, his white teeth sinking right into that gold skin, his dark lashes making shadows on his cheeks. "Oh, C," he breathed, and it was like he said it in slow-motion, he looked so ... pliant.

JC waited a little longer, still feeling the underlying tension in Justin's muscles, the finally started moving his hips, making tiny thrusts inside him. Enough to feel, but not enough to do much. Just enough to get Justin used to it. Then, once he was, JC didn't have to hold back anymore. It was hard enough now; it would be impossible soon.

"J*C*," Justin said again, drawing it out, trying to measure the motion of his own hips against JC's. Trying to synchronize them then, it seemed, trying to move opposite ... trying to drive JC's cock deeper.

He worried a little bit about Justin trying to do too much too fast, but that didn't stop him from starting to thrust as soon as Justin was bucking back against him. It was an instinctive reaction and, apparently, one that Justin appreciated.

"*Fuck* yes," Justin shuddered, stilling once JC started moving the way he apprently wanted him to. Just bracing himself, gripping the pillow, bowing his head. "Please."

JC didn't need to be asked again, not at that point. He stopped concentrating as hard on the fact that this was Justin's first time and just starting *doing* it, the way he liked and the way he knew other people had liked in the past. Fast and strong and deep and precise and accompanied by caresses to Justin's body as he worked his way around to grasp Justin's cock.

Justin cried out again, in obvious protest, but before JC could pull his hand away he felt Justin coming over his fist. Before either of them were expecting, probably, and before Justin had wanted, certainly. "No," he whimpered.

"It's okay," said JC, finally speaking again. He slowed his thrusts to a full stop but stayed inside Justin's body, not wanting to pull out right away. He let go, though, and ran his hand over Justin's back again. "Not just okay. It's great, Justin. That you were that into it. Makes me feel incredible."

Justin didn't respond. He stayed still, even, with his face covered. Didn't shift, didn't make a sound. Didn't pull away, which was one thing, but didn't do anything to make JC feel welcome exactly either.

He finally did pull out, and stripped off the condom, and tried not to make it obvious to Justin that he was still hard in case that was part of what was bothering him. "Hey," he said, sliding up the bed so he could speak near Justin's ear. "Hey. You wanna look at me, honey?"

"What are you doing," Justin asked quietly, most definitely not looking. "Why aren't you ... I know you didn't finish, JC. You can. Please. I don't ... god, please don't stop before I even make you come."

"Hey, no, relax, Justin." said JC, still trying to get him to look up. "I don't know what kind of porno sex you're using as a model for normal sexual relations between guys, but it happens like this all the time. I'm not gonna just keep going when it's not gonna feel good for you anymore. We just do something else to finish me, is all."

"Doesn't happen with Joey, I bet," he muttered, then pushed himself up onto his elbows. "And I wouldn't even know, would I? what was normal or that it wouldn't feel good after I was ... after I came, or. Anything. I don't know anything."

"Yeah, but you're learning," said JC gently. "Don't go getting frustrated now, Justin, that was great. And for your information, it *does* happen with Joey. Lots of times. I just usually suck him off after and it works out really well."

"If it was great, you would have come," Justin said, like that was all there was to say on the matter. He shook his head, then, and pushed himself up onto his knees before crawling on top of JC. He pinned him to the bed firmly, and ducked his head to lick at JC's cock, grimacing a little at maybe the taste left from the condom.

JC was going to argue with him about that, but that could wait until *after* he'd finished. It wasn't like he had far to go or anything. "Oh," he breathed, as Justin liked at him. "Oh, okay, you can ... yeah, do that. If you want."

"Want," Justin said, almost harshly, and he was still so new at it, so shaky. But he was still enthusiastic and passionate and JC could *not* complain, not when he flet more of his erection than he'd really expected enveloped by that hot mouth.

He would've thought Justin had been practicing but there just hadn't been time for him to have been. And then he didn't think anything at all as Justin sucked and licked and stroked and he was taken right to the edge. "Oh, I'm gonna ... " he said, which was all the warning he gave him.

Justin let him slip out until just his head was in his mouth, and suckled him to orgasm. Tasting and, it looked like, savoring every drop. Something about doing it had made him pacified again, and JC knew he was never going to understand how Justin's mind worked. Maybe especially not in bed.

"You're good," he whispered after a moment, and not just to soothe Justin's ego. The guy had really taken to the whole sucking dick thing already. "We''ll ... again, soon. Yes."

Justin made a sound that seemed like a chuckle in the back of his throat, then flipped over onto his back and wiped his mouth lazily. "God, my ass hurts," he said after a moment. "Damn. You get used to that?"

"Yeah, you get used to it," JC promised him, trying to tug him a little closer again. "It gets easier every time. You okay, honey?"

"Yeah, why?" Justin asked. For all of JC's concerns that Justin was a romantic, and would take sex too seriously ... it certainly didn't seem like that was the case. "I liked it. I'm mad I came so fast, though."

"I'm glad you came so fast," countered JC. "It means you really liked what we were doing. That's a good thing, Justin, don't be upset about it. If it *always* happened like that, it still wouldn't be a problem."

Justin pondered that for a minute. "Was there something wrong with me?" he asked stiffly. "The way I felt, or. Was it not good? Seems to me that if one guy came first, it'd be the guy on top."

"And that," said JC patiently. "Is why you're the guy still learning about it. Because that's not how it goes, Justin. Well, I mean, sometimes it is, but it just depends on the moment. You didn't do anything wrong, you did great. I was just concentrating on lasting a long time so that *you* would enjoy it, is all."

"I'm still sorry," Justin murmured, seeming very sincere about that. "Does there still get to be a next time? or. Am I messing it up again."

"Justin ... you've gotta stop apologizing, honey. You didn't do anything wrong, it was good. If there was anything I wanted to do different, I would have said. We both enjoyed ourselves, right? LIked doing it? That's the important thing."

"I liked it," Justin nodded. Then winced as he sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. "Thanks for letting me apologize, JC. And thanks for showing me, you know, everything. I'll get out of your hair."

JC was two surprised for a few moments to say anything at all. "That's it?" he got out finally. "You're just gonna go, then?"

"Do you want me to stay?" Justin asked, looking back over his shoulder at JC. "I just ... I figured you had stuff to do. But. I mean. I can. What ... what did you want to do?"

"I just figured you would want to," admitted JC. "After something like that. After something that ... intimate. I figured you would *want* to spend a little time with me. But if you don't ... that's fine. It's not a requirement or anything. Lots of guys would never even ask you to."

"I just thought ... you know, you didn't. Didn't stay. When I first asked you to," Justin tried to explain, "and I asked how you slept with guys? you were all ... saying how you hardly ever did. I just thought this was one of those things and Joey's your exception."

He was right about that at least. There weren't many guys that JC would be willing to cuddle with after, let along sleep with. But he would with Justin ... if only he wanted it too. "You have to do what your comfortable with," he said finally. "I'm not usually comfortable with sleeping with people like that. But I know you better."

"But it's the middle of the day," Justin smiled teasingly. "I can come back tonight, if you want." He rolled over and slid a hand up JC's thigh. "We can try again?"

"Sure," said JC, just letting him go. "Sure, give me a call later, we'll make plans. Just be careful, you're gonna be a little sore for a while. Go easy on yourself. Don't head straight to the gym or something."

"I won't," Justin said, but he didn't move his hand. "C'mon, C. If this isn't cool, just tell me. Don't forget this is all new to me ... " He crawled closer and kissed JC's shoulder, then tilted his head up to kiss his mouth.

JC smiled slightly into the kiss. "It's fine, Justin," he assured him. "Like I said, you do what's comfortable for you. That's the big lesson I want you to come out of this with."

"Okay," Justin said, nipping at JC's lip and then winking and climbing off the bed. "You're the best, C," he added as he pulled on his underwear. "What're you gonna do today?"

JC gave him a little shrug. "Work in the garden, spend some time in the music room. Just hang out, I think. Maybe go shopping." Call Joey, just as soon as Justin was gone. "What about you?"

"Nap," Justin winked, tugging on the rest of his clothes, running his hands down his body halfway teasingly after he did. "Maybe go bug Joey; something."

"Right," said JC, forcing a smile. That Justin had to go away from him to nap -- but it was Justin's choice. "Sounds like a good day. Glad you could come by, though."

"Me too," Justin grinned, before jumping across the room and tackling JC back down onto the bed with a deep, wet kiss. And hopped right back up. "See you tonight!"

"Yeah, see you later, Justin!" said JC, giving him a wave as Justin cheefully bounded out of the room. At least he seemed to have enjoyed it, and that was a start.

* * *

The first thing JC did when Justin was gone was get up and take a long shower, then he left a note to change the bedding the next time his house was cleaned, and only then did he head back to his own room and sprawl out on his bed and pick up the phone to call Joey.

"Jace," Joey answered the phone. "Oh, man. I'd been kind of waiting to hear back from you. Did Justin come over? did he tell you what he did?"

"Yeah, he came over to apologize," said JC, "about last night and all. And stayed a while for ... stuff. I was really kinda impressed, with how sincere he managed to do it. Maybe he really did get what made us so upset."

Joey was silent for a second. "JC?" he asked. "Can you ... would it be okay if I asked what kind of stuff? Because. Shit. Okay, just tell me, okay? Please?"

"Well yeah, sure," said JC easily, rolling over onto his back and stretching his still-sore muscles. "Of course you can ask. Once we made up and everything was cool, he said he still wanted to keep on with what we were doing. So I did.It wasn't ... don't go worrying about me getting my heart involved or anything, Joey, because he left right after, but he seemed really into it."

"That little ... " Joey muttered. "JC! I thought we talked about this. I thought ... I really thought -- look, do you *remember* last night? the things he said, what *you* said??? How you wouldn't do that with him even if he asked? Is he just *that* irresistable to you?"

"He *apologized*," JC reminded him. "Like, really apologized. Though, to be honest, I was expecting a little something more than that, the way you built it up on the phone. Anyway, when it comes down to it, I really would rather he learned from someone he can trust. I know what I said, but ... I guess I'm not as mad anymore. Are *you* mad now, Joey?"

"JC," Joey said, and JC realized that that was Joey's trying-to-keep-calm voice. "I am ... yes. I'm very, very mad. But not at you, baby, okay? I just ... I'm confused at you. Or by you. I know you want to take care of him but I think ... I think that can't be all the reason you did it. I just wish I understood."

JC sighed and closed his eyes. "You know how I feel about him. Or felt, I'm not sure anymore. He definitely *hasn't* outgrown his big baby phase yet and I *do* see that, which is maybe why the protective instinct grew. To compensate for ... waning interest, maybe. But you never made such a big deal about it the first time Justin and I did something. I know it was *more* this time, but it's still not that different."

"More?" Joey echoed, his voice getting even higher. "God, C, you let him fuck you? And that's not ... that's not even why. He didn't even tell you what he did when he came over here, did he. He didn't tell you ... tell you what the whole selfish tantrum yesterday was *about*."

"No, he let me fuck him," JC corrected him immediately, getting more and more uneasy about this whole thing. "He didn't really ... he just said he was being a brat. And that he wanted to apologize for it, and that you *really* wanted him to apologize to me for it. And he did and I just ... let it go. I didn't really want to rehash it, Joey. Why are you ... what *was* it about, then?"

"You let it go and he ... he knew exactly fucking how to manipulate you. God I hate him right now." That was something JC had never, never heard Joey say. About anyone. "JC ...he thinks he's in love with me. Or ... or that's what he told me, at least. We were fighting and I was ... telling him to just *tell* you if he wanted you, and he got frustrated and said. And said he wants *me*."

JC had no idea what to say to that, no idea what to think of that or feel about that. The moment Joey said it he just got kinda ... numb. And cold. "Did he," he got out finally, just to have something to fill the dead air. "He ... he told you that. And then he came over here. To get me to have sex with him."

"After I *told* him to leave you alone!" Joey insisted. "I got so mad at him, C, you have no idea. I had to, like, push him off me. And told him to apologize to you and not to fucking *toy* with you anymore. And he did anyway." He took a breath. "JC? I'm ... I'm sorry."

"Yeah, don't worry about it," said JC flatly. "Whatever. Not your fault. I'll tell him no next time. Whatever. It doesn't matter."

"No, no, C," Joey said. Pleaded, even. "JC. Baby. I mean ... yes, you should definitely say no next time, but ... look. It's okay, you did it, it's ... maybe it'll help him. Like you said. But now you just, you know not to want him any more. You can, y'know. Want other people instead."

"God. You guys must think I'm a fucking idiot," JC blurted out finally. It still wasn't all hitting. "No wonder he called me a slut. Well, yeah. Look, no offense but if you guys are going to be hooking up I'm gonna make myself scarce for a while. Start hitting the clubs again, haven't really been doing much of that lately what with you and me making time together. Wouldn't want them to forget me after all ... "

"JC!" Joey snapped. "Jesus. You think I'm going anywhere *near* him, after this, for like a year? I'm ... you have no idea how mad I am at him. And even ... god, even before he did this to you, I already told him no way, no how. Not interested. I'm." His voice softened. "JC, you have to know he's not who I'm interested in. DOn't you know that?"

JC was shaken by Joey's tone of voice, but more than that it was what finally managed to shake him out of whatever had been keeping him from reacting. "That little *fuck*," he said. "I wasn't mad *enough* at him last night. I don't ... I didn't think you were interested. I also didn't think you'd ever given it any thought. And he's ... I can't beleive he just did that to me. I can't believe him."

"I don't know what he's thinking either, baby," Joey said, sounding relieved. "I really don't. And ... of course I'd never thought about him like that! He's ... he's not my type. Even if I was looking. Which I wasn't. Which I'm not. He's ... he's so self-centered, so selfish ... "

"He said he wanted to come back tonight," murmured JC. "To do it again. He was going to do it *again*. And never fucking tell me. I can't even ... I don't even know what to say, Joey. What does he think of me, that he thinks it's okay to just do that? Maybe I *am* just that easy."

"No, baby, you're not easy," Joey chuckled. "You're not. And he's ... I'm sure he's furious at me, at both of us maybe, that's why he did it. Or he really *did* just want a chance to sleep with you before you found out. Or. I don't know. How about you just not be home tonight, though?"

"I'm not really in the mood to go out, Joey. No matter what I said," murmured JC, thinking back on every little thing he'd done with Justin that afternoon. "I'm a little ... more shook up than I wish I was. How could he fucking *do* that?"

"I don't want you to go out, either," Joey said slowly. "I want you to let me come pick you up, take you back to my place ... spend the night with me. Let me, um, do all the things you never let the boys you pick up do. Spoon with you. Kiss you. No sex, even. Unless you want."

JC actually sniffled, just once, at the thought of Joey being that good to him. "Will you give me expensive liquor, too? And let me watch really loud movies in your theatre with you? That stupid little fucker. Did he really think you wouldn't tell me?"

"Maybe he wasn't thinking," Joey said gently, and JC could almost see him shrug. "I'm sure he wasn't thinking. He ... he knows stuff. About, about how I, or we, feel. About each other. So I think he knew it wasn't something he'd ... get away with. I just don't want it to be something that comes between *us*. Or maybe ... I don't know, maybe he was hoping you liked it so much that it wouldn't matter what I told you."

"He's not *that* good, honey," said JC immediately, surprising even himself. "Not *bad*, of course, he's Justin Timberlake. But definitely a beginner with a pretty big ego. Maybe ... yeah, I'd really like to come over, Joey. I don't even ... I don't even care that it's you he likes. I mean, at least I can understand the appeal, you know? But he's still a little selfish brat."

"I don't care it's me he likes either," Joey agreed, still softly. "I *do* care that you ... you want to come over. Let me help you, you know, forget about him. Let me take care of you a little like I think you deserve. You never let me, C, and ... and. I just think I'd do a good job."

"All right," said JC quietly, wanting nothing more than to be taken care of a little, right then. "All right. I'm just gonna grab a few things and I'm gonna come right over, okay? I really don't want to be here right now, let alone when he comes back."

"No, no, let me come get you, baby," Joey said. "Don't drive, okay? Just. Get your stuff and I'll come pick you up and take you home and you can have the expensive liquor and I'll put coffee on and, and anything else you want. I'll be there in ten minutes. Okay, Jace?"

JC sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Oh," he said. "Oh, well, okay, Joey. You don't have to but ... you don't have to do any of this. So okay. I'll be ready when you get here."

* * *

After greeting him with a sweet kiss when he showed up at JC's house, Joey had been surprisingly quiet. In the car, when they were picking a movie ... it was like he was tiptoing around JC. Not sure where and if he was wanted. And for what.

"Thank you," said JC for the third time. "For coming to get me and ... everything you're about to do, I guess. Even though you were late." He couldn't resist the gentle teasing, hoping to bring a smile to Joey's face.

"I said I was sorry," Joey said, but he did smile hesitantly. "I had to. You know, actually make the place presentable." He gestured around the theatre. "Bri likes to, like, hide her toys and food and shit in here. I didn't want you sitting on anything less comfortable than my lap."

JC laughed as he tentatively sat down, reaching for Joey's hand so he would join him. "She's pretty mobile now, huh?" he said. "They're a lot easier to look after when they don't move around a whole bunch, I bet."

"She's not a handful, she's five handfuls," Joey rolled his eyes, sitting down. "But you know I still don't see her as much as I want, so you won't hear me complain." He slowly took JC's other hand, and held them both. "So, C. How ... how are you doing, with everything? you know you can tell me."

JC had known this was coming, but it still knotted him up a little to hear it. "I had some time to think about it, while I was waiting for you," he started. "And ... I guess I'm not as angry anymore. Hurt, and a little confused, but ... he's Justin. He's just ... Justin, and that's how he is, and maybe it's a really good idea if I get over the fact that he's hot and concentrate on the fact that we would've been just awful together."

"He's really, really young," Joey agreed. "And just ... not that the experience matters, like with sex, but ... he's just not experienced with feelings, C. And I know you like to treat sex casually but you let yourself because you treat feelings seriously. And he wouldn't be able to fit that, for you."

"No, he wouldn't," agreed JC. "He made me think a little, though. The first time I took him out? I realized that I'd had just about every guy worth having at the club, at some time or another. Mostly blowjobs or whatever, but ... that's a lot. And I don't have a problem with that at all, that's what made me happy and I had a great time, but maybe that's not for me anymore. I was ready to fall for Justin, so maybe I *am* ready to fall for someone else, too. I dunno. Something to think about."

He felt Joey clutch at his hands a little tighter, then smile apologetically. "I think," he started. "I think it makes me really happy to hear you say that, JC. Um. Why do you ... why did you think Justin was a person you could fall for? I mean. Besides the way he looks."

JC laughed ruefully. "There needs to be a besides? You know I had a crush on him forever. I think I just built it up in my head that it would be good with him. I didn't really take into account the reality that Justin Timberlake is spoiled rotten and not really known for being great in relationships. I wasted too much time thinking about him, I think."

"I think too," Joey murmured, rubbing the back of JC's hand with his thumbs. "So. Any thoughts on who *might* be great in a relationship? or. Did you kind of think you wanted to, I dunno, start fresh." He grinned, and JC smiled back, even though Joey's eyes looked a little scared.

"Well, that's when you finally got to my place," teased JC. "So I didn't have time to think about it anymore." He watched Joey's face carefully; he was pretty good at reading him, and he thought he knew what he saw there. "*You* have any thoughts?"

"For you?" Joey asked, then pretended to think about it. "Maybe. I just wonder if you'd take my suggestion seriously. This person might not automatically come to mind in the 'great in relationships' contest."

"Well," said JC slowly. "That's not always the most important thing. How he treats me, that's the important thing. Because Justin, he didn't treat me very well at all. And I don't think he would have, even if he'd been interested. So yeah, that's something that's important. And devastatingly good looking. His track record doesn't matter so much."

Joey narrowed his eyes at JC, and then started blushing. "JC," he said slowly. "Okay. Now you're ... you're just playing with me a little. That last part was a joke. And I'm trying to be *serious*. Like, dead fucking serious."

"So I shouldn't ask if you're trying to set me up with Chris, then?" said JC lightly, but he didn't make him suffer for long. "No, no, I know you are, Joey. I'm serious, too. You *are* devastatingly good looking ... "

"J*C*!" Joey cried, trying to untangle their hands. "I can't ... you're so mean. That's so mean. I've kept this inside for fucking ever and you're ... *please*, C. If you want to pretend I didn't say it, just ... tell me that. Is that what all the joking is? Like, a defense thing?"

"It wasn't a joke," said JC gently. "I was just trying to ... let you know I knew. Let you know I wanted it to be you. I wasn't trying to be mean, I promise. I promise, Joey."

"Oh," Joey stilled. Then, "Oh! You knew? and you, you ... *want* it to be me, JC? How long have you known? Wait. No. Say you want it to be me again. The part about ready to fall for someone and it being me."

"I'm ready to fall for someone and I want it to be you," said JC softly, and it felt good to say it. To admit it to both Joey and himself. It made everything that had happened, and the results of those things, that much easier to take. "I've only known for sure, about you, just right now. But I was thinking about it before."

"Before when," demanded Joey, only it wasn't a demand. And he was holding his hands again, threading their fingers together. "When before were you thinking about it. I've ... I've tried, C, not to push you ... not to keep it from you, really, just not to push it on you."

"Before you came to get me," said JC. "Before, when I finally pushed Justin out of my brain and ... other places. He actually hadn't made it very far in, you know. Maybe because there was already someone else there, blocking his way." He grinned sheepishly. "I just couldn't see you past Justin's big head, I guess."

"Oh, Jace," Joey replied, shaking his head. "I'm ... I'm just sorry. Maybe if I had said something earlier, it was just ... you seemed so set on keeping it casual. Like you never wanted anything more. And then you started sounding so serious about Justin and I had no idea when I missed the boat."

"The thing with Justin was stupid, just stupid," said JC. "I clung to that crush so long. I don't know, maybe it was because he was someone I couldn't have. And then I could, in a way, and ... it wasn't what I thought it would be at all. But I think it made me see that I didn't have to be afraid of being with someone for real. Someone I *could* have. Wanted to have."

"Did you let him kiss you?" Joey murmured, blinking down at JC solemnly. "Did you let him in like that, JC? And did it make you ... more, or less scared about *being* with someone?"

"Less, Joey, less scared," he insisted. "If I was ready to be with someone like him, well, I'm past ready to be with someone I actually like, and don't just lust after. It just took me a while to see it is all. I was already *doing* it, being with you almost exclusively, and I didn't even realize."

"*Were* you?" Joey looked surprised, and *pleased*, at that. "*Were* you, Jace? I didn't ... I didn't know. I was scared to ask. But ... oh, gosh, this is. Great. Me too, you know ... I kind of gave that away with not having any stuff in my room last night. Wow. Okay, are we at the big kissing part yet?"

"Justin's going to hate us both forever," said JC, "and yes, we're definitely at the big kissing part now. Hopefully the big kissing and fucking part, but I won't push my luck."

"JC," Joey protested, but he also lifted JC easily onto his lap and kissed him deeply. Soft lips and soft tongue and scratchy goatee, but warm hands and a warm body. JC felt *safe* with him in a way he knew he'd never have felt with Justin. Even if it worked.

"I'm not your plaything," he protested mildly, but he liked that Joey could handle him like that. So easily and comfortably. Joey *knew* him, knew what he liked and what he didn't, knew how good they were together. "Do I still get to watch movies and drink expensive liquor?"

"You get to do whatever you want," Joey swore softly. "JC, you can move *in* if it'll make you happy. Or make one of the other rooms yours, to do whatever, work on music ... just, *whatever*, C. I've wanted you a long time. I hate that Justin got to know before you."

JC blinked at him in surprise a few times. "Justin knew?" he said softly. "Joey ... you never told me that. I can't believe ... no wonder you hated him. He knew, and he still ... "

"I barely even had to tell him," Joey sighed, looking away. "I was ... I reacted too strongly for there to be any other explanation. And he ... he told me. That you didn't feel that way about me, and I told *him* it didn't matter. That I wasn't going to stop feeling what I felt."

"Oh, Joey," he whispered, wrapping his arms around him and squeezing tight. "At least ... at least I know now, right? And at least he was wrong. About me not feeling that way about you."

"He was so sure," Joey went on, ducking his head. "He ... told me that I was telling him to leave you alone because I was jealous, and because ... because I knew how much you wanted him. I swear I almost hit him, Jace, because. It was everything I was scared of, you know?"

"He's just a jerk," said JC. "You know that, Joey, that's what you were telling me all along, too. So don't you believe him, especially not now. Oh wow ... I bet you were *so* mad."

"I was furious," Joey nodded. "I still ... you know, I don't even. I can't talk about it, and it doesn't matter! You're here with me. You didn't fall for him and neither did I and we're just ... it's just us."

"It's just us," said JC, getting comfortable in Joey's lap. They'd done things like this before, just been comfortable with each other, and Joey *liked* to pull JC into his lap, but it was different now. "Just you and me, Joey. I've never tried to be faithful to someone before, though, so ... maybe i shouldn't think about it so hard. Maybe I should just let it happen." "Yeah," agreed Joey. "I think we should."