how did i fall in love with you.
by alexis
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Remember when we never needed each other
The best of friends like
Sister and Brother
We understood we'd never be
Alone

*Flashback*

"Lance!"

"Leave me alone." Lance groaned as the eight year old girl shook him.

"Lance, wake up. I had a bad dream." Oriana sighed and the nine year old boy turned over to face her.

"You didn't have to wake me. You never do." He said lifting up the blankets so she could crawl under them.

"I know but this was a REALLY bad dream Lance! I dreamed that we were older and you went away. You never came back. I had gone to look for you and when I found you, you acted as if you didn't know who I was. I woke up crying." Oriana said with a sniffle as she curled up to her best friend.

"We'll always be together O. We'll never be alone." Lance told her and she nodded.

"Never ever."

*End Flashback*

Lance Bass remembered when he actually did leave Mississippi. He had told Oriana Carrington and she had thought he was crazy. But when he asked her to come along with him, she instantly agreed.

*Flashback*

"What are we going to do next weekend?" A now 17 Oriana asked, jumping on her best friend's back.

"I'm going to Florida..." He said and Oriana got off to walk around him and face him.

"What do you mean you're going to Florida?"

"I'm gonna be in this new group with four other guys down there. I'm going for an audition." An 18 year old Lance told her and she frowned, her hand reaching up to tug on a lock of her light brown hair.

"You're coming back right?"

"I don't know, it depends on how well this turns out."

"James Lance Bass you are insane. You can't just get up and leave everything behind." Oriana said and he shook his head.

"It's not like I'd never come back if this works out. I want you to come to Florida with me. Come with me O." Lance said, his light green eyes pleading and she sighed.

"Okay Lance."

*End Flashback*

Those days are gone
Now I want you so much
The night is long
And I need your touch
Don't know what to say
Never meant to feel this way
Don't want to be
Alone tonight

Now six years down the road, Lance sat in the back of the bus he was sharing with his band mates Justin Timberlake and Chris Kirkpatrick. He was watching Oriana as she laughed at something Justin was telling her. Her hazel eyes sparkled as she laughed and Lance knew what that look she had said. She had a crush on Justin.

And it hurt Lance.

Those days he had just been reminiscing about were gone and he wanted her now. He wanted to be the one to hold her in his arms, the one who kissed her, the one she loved. Oriana didn't know. He had no idea how he would tell her but he knew he had to make her his before it was too late.

What can I do to make you mine
Falling so hard so fast this time
What did I say, what did you do?
How did I fall in love with you

"He loves you, you know." Justin told Oriana when Lance left the back and she looked at him like he was crazy.

"Please Justin. Why would he love me?" She said, moving her eyes away from his to look out of the window. She had been in love with Lance since she was a little girl. She had been trying to make it look like she had a crush on Justin so Lance wouldn't get suspicious.

"Because you're Oriana, the girl he's known since the day she was born. When we first met you two, he looked at you like a proud older brother and you looked at him with all of the stars in your eyes. Now when he looks at you, he's the one with the stars in his eyes. Half of them though, I can still see the other half in yours." Justin said with a grin and Oriana laughed.

"The deep side of Justin, you gotta love it." She said and he just smiled at her. "Do you really think so?" She asked, getting serious and he nodded.

"I think he's just afraid to tell you." Justin told her and she sighed before drawing her legs to her, resting her chin on her knees.

"How can I make him mine?" She asked and Justin grinned.

"I've got a plan..."

I hear your voice
And I start to tremble
Brings back the child that
I resemble

Lance turned around when he heard Oriana's laughter, walking into the lobby. She looked beautiful and down right happy. Then he looked at who was with her, and saw their fingers intertwined.

Justin.

Lance's heart crumbled as he watched Justin lean down to kiss her cheek softly and she blushed. Justin wasn't a stupid man. He knew Oriana was a great girl and he was actually a bit glad one of his friends managed to get her. If it's not me... it's better it's one of them and not some stranger, he thought and then smiled as they walked up to him. "Hey." He said and Oriana hugged him.

"Hi Lance. We need to do something when you guys have a day off. I miss you." She said and he nodded, agreeing.

"We've got today off." He said. Lately he couldn't say much around her. He loved to just listen to her talk. To him, she had a beautiful voice.

"Can I go?" Justin asked, wrapping his arms around Oriana's waist from behind and she leaned back to kiss his cheek.

"No, it's a Lance and Oriana day." She said and when she looked back at Lance she saw the slight look of hurt on his face. He really does have feelings for me.

I cannot pretend
That we can still be friends
Don't want to be
Alone tonight

"So, what was that back at the hotel with Justin?" Lance asked as he and Oriana sat at the food court at a mall, having lunch.

"Oh, well... We're kind of seeing each other." Oriana said with a blush.

"He's a good guy Ori." Lance said.

"I'm glad you approve Dad." She said and Lance stole one of her fries. "Hey!"

"Shut up." He said and ate the fry.

"Well, what about you? Do you have anyone in mind for yourself?" Oriana asked and Lance picked at his chilly cheese fries.

"Yeah, I do. But it'd never happen." Lance said, frowning.

"Why not?" Oriana asked and his eyes met hers.

"She's with someone else."

What can I do to make you mine
Falling so hard so fast this time
What did I say, what did you do?
How did I fall in love with you?

"Well? How'd it go?" Justin asked Oriana when she walked into her hotel room to find him on the couch, watching TV.

"I feel like scum. He really does think we're together. He asked about us and I said we were seeing each other like I was supposed to and I asked him if he had anyone in mind, ya know? And he said yeah but it wouldn't happen. I asked him why and he said because she was with someone." Oriana said, frowning, sitting next to Justin.

"You're going to tell him sooner then." He said and she looked at him with wide eyes.

"I can't tell him yet! What if... What if I was reading him wrong all day and he really didn't mean me but some other girl?" Oriana said and Justin shook his head.

"It's you girl."

Oh I want to say this right
And it has to be tonight
Just need you to know, oh yeah

Lance knew Oriana was with Justin but he knew he had to tell her that night. He was laying on his hotel bed when there was a knock at the door. Lance got up slowly and opened the door to see Oriana on the other side, looking down at the floor. "Hey."

Oriana looked up, her hazel eyes meeting his green ones as she gave him a small smile. "Hey... Can I come in? I need to talk to you about something." She said and he nodded, moving aside to let her in.

"What do you need to talk to me about?" Lance asked and followed her out to the balcony.

"I don't know how to tell you this." She said with a sigh, staring up at the dark sky.

"Tell me what Ori?" Lance said, leaning against the railing beside her and she smiled at the old nick name.

"I'm not seeing Justin."

"What? Why? What happened, you guys just got together?" Lance asked, telling himself not to sound too excited.

I don't want to live this lie
I don't want to say good-bye
With you I wanna spend
The rest of my life

"That was a lie James." Oriana said and her eyes met his. "We were never together..."

"Then what was today about?" He asked, confused.

"He's more of a best friend. I only acted interested in him to hide something. He saw through that and apparently through someone else too. I've been in love with this guy since the day I met him. He's great Lance. He doesn't know I love him though. Justin says he sees stars in his eyes whenever he looks at me, so he must love me too."

"Oh." Was all Lance could say. She was in love with another man, a man who loved her too. He must be someone he knew if Justin knew him. Could it be one of the other guys?

What can I do to make you mine
Falling so hard so fast this time
What did I say, what did you do?
How did I fall in love with you?

"Well, I have to tell you I'm in love with someone too. She loves someone else though." Lance said quietly, resting his hands on the railing.

Oriana reached over and placed a hand on his, biting her lip. "Lance... What if I told you that the other guy... was you?"

"Don't play the 'what if' game Ori." Lance told her and her hand squeezed his.

"It's you Lance." Oriana said and Lance's light green eyes met hers.

"You love me?" He asked her and she nodded.

"Only you."

"Ori..."

What can I do to make you mine
Falling so hard so fast this time
Everything's changed
We never knew

"I've been in love with you since I was in middle school Lance. I don't know how it happened but it did. I thought you'd never look at me as anything more than a little sister... but when Justin told me what he thought and came up with this stupid plan, I went along with it because I wanted to make you mine..." Oriana said and became quiet when Lance placed a finger against her lips.

"How did I fall in love with you Oriana?" He said quietly and moved his hand to cup her cheek and she offered a small smile.

"I don't know, when you find out let me know so I can figure out how I fell for you."

"I can't believe I never really noticed you until we did No Strings Attached. The whole time I kept thinking "What will Ori say about this when she hears it? Will she like it?" I sat down and started thinking and I realized that with everything I did, I was looking for your approval, it means that much to me. I'd just sit there and look at you. The more I looked the more I saw how beautiful you are. I love you." He finished quietly and Oriana moved closer to him, tilting her head so their lips were a breath apart.

How did I fall in love with you?

"I love you too." She whispered before leaning in and pressing her lips to his softly. Lance's arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her even closer until she was flush against him and the hand that was on her cheek moved into her hair to cup the back of her head as his tongue slipped into her mouth.

Oriana's arms wrapped around Lance's neck and they both had their eyes closed as they shared their first kiss ever and they didn't notice Justin in the next balcony over, smiling as he watched them. His smile turned wistful as he watched them pull apart and smile at each other, and kiss again before walking back into the hotel room.

Justin sighed and looked up at the dark sky. *At least you had her as long as you did.* He thought and looked over at the room next to his to see that the lights were out. "You did what you had to do, she loves him not you." Justin said to himself, looking down at the deserted street below. "How did I fall in love with you Oriana?" He whispered before turning around and walking into his hotel room, alone.

*****
Copyrighted 2002.
Do not steal or plagiarize any part or idea of the story.
If you do, I will report you to Zero Tolerance. You have been
warned.