Timberella3

Justin sighed, hugging his thin jacket around him as he placed things in his basket. Kevin had sent him to shop for fresh food in town, Nick wanted more candies and a new hat, and Lou just wanted him out of the house. Justin had nodded, grabbing his jacket and basket and walking the four miles into town. There was always an open market around, and it made it easier to shop for things.

He picked up four juicy red apples, his mouth watering with hunger. He checked his pockets and smiled when he saw he had enough money to buy one for himself. He smiled at the clerk and grabbed another apple, moving on to the vegetables. If Lou asked about the money, he would lie and say Nick's hat cost more, since he had told Justin that "money was no object when it came to what you wore." Justin rolled his eyes and sighed.

'I really need to get away from this place,' he thought.

~*~
Chris peeked from behind a building, searching the open market for any guards. Seeing none, he grinned, turning around to Lance.

"Hey, the coast is clear kid," he whispered. "Come on."

Lance nodded, pulling the hood of his large, brown robe over his head farther and leading Chris through the market. They stopped in front of a store with a large, hand-painted sign reading 'FATONE'S BAKERY' up front. Lance opened the door, motioning for Chris to come inside.

Joey Fatone looked up from the cinnamon rolls he was packaging for a woman when the bell on the door rang. He grinned when he saw a man in a familiar robe come in with a stranger. He taped the bag and handed it to the woman in front of him.

"There you go Mrs. Lark," he said cheerfully. "Have a nice day."

"You too Mr. Fatone!" she chirped, smiling at Lance and Chris as she left the store.

Lance watched her leave, and then slipped his hood off. He turned to his friend and grinned as Joey engulfed him in a large bear hug.

"Hey Joe," said Lance, "how ya been?"

"Good," said Joey, wiping his flour-covered hands on his apron. He turned towards Chris with a grin. "Hey, I'm Joey Fatone."

"Chris Kirkpatrick," said Chris, smiling as he shook hands with Joey. He felt comfortable with him all ready.

"Joey's the only person who knows who I am," explained Lance, glad that his friends got along. "I told Chris you were looking for another hand around here, Joe."

Joey nodded, turning to Chris. "Yep, I am. You any good with pastries? Baking, frosting, stuff like that?"

Chris shrugged. "I can learn."

Joey grinned, motioning for Chris to follow him behind the counter. "Good. I'll give you the tour."

Chris was shocked yet again. "You mean I got the job?" he asked.

Joey nodded. "If you want it, it's yours. Lance is a great judge of
character. If he likes you we'll get along fine."

Chris grinned at Lance before shaking hands with Joey again. "Dude, you have a deal!"

Joey laughed. "Good." He pulled out some money and handed it to Lance. "Could you get me another pound of flour while I show Chris around?"

Lance nodded, knowing he was a lot better at haggling with sellers than Joey was. "Sure Joe. I'll be right back." He pulled his hood back on and left the store.

Joey waved and turned back to Chris. "Come on, Chris. I get to play
Susie-home-maker for a while!"

Chris laughed and followed Joey into the back room.

~*~
Justin chewed his lip as he looked over the displays of flour, sugar, wheat and other cooking ingredients. He wanted to bake a cake when he got home.

'I have enough money leftover to buy some stuff,' he thought, 'but Lou might get mad that I spent his money without consent.' He could tell the man selling the stuff was getting restless. Justin sighed and smiled slightly. 'Why the hell not?'

He grabbed a bag of flour and a bag of sugar, handing the money to the man.

"Hey, you're short on cash!" the man said loudly.

"What?" Justin asked. "The sign says one dollar per bag. I gave you two dollars!"

"You forgot the tax," the man growled. "Either pay up or put something back."

Justin felt like crying, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Um, I guess I'll have to put something back," he whispered, moving to but the sugar back.

"Wait," a low voice from beside him said. Justin looked up and saw a man in a brown robe pay the rest of the money. He picked up the sugar and handed it back to Justin. "Here you go."

Justin took the bag sheepishly. "Uh, thank..." His breath caught in his
throat as he looked at the man's face. He was the most beautiful thing Justin had ever seen, and his green eyes sparkled when the sun hit them. Justin was mesmerized "...you."

Lance smiled, his eyes roaming over the young man in front of him. All though his face was a little dirty with soot, he was gorgeous. He had bright blue eyes that sparkled like his own, his skin was a rich, tan color, and he was built like nothing else.

"You're welcome," he whispered.

Justin felt himself blushing and he dropped his gaze. He looked up at Lance and smiled. "I'm..."

"Justin! Hey, Justin!"

Justin turned around when someone called his name, his eyes landing on his best friend. Josh Chasez, the town's blacksmith, was hopping up and down in front of his store, waving his arms around. Justin rolled his eyes and turned around when he heard the man in the robe chuckle; a low, rich sound that warmed Justin's heart.

Lance smiled and nodded towards Josh. "You should go before he has a spasm."

Justin laughed, and Lance found himself intrigued by the sound. "Yeah," he said. "Josh can get a little ... hyper."

Lance nodded. "Yeah, I know people like that," he said, thinking of Chris and Joey. "Well, it was nice meeting you..."

"Justin," said Justin, holding out his hand and hoping he didn't sound too eager.

Lance smiled and shook his hand. "I'm Lance," he said quietly. "It was nice meeting you, Justin."

Justin nodded, momentarily forgetting how to speak as Lance said his name. Not Timberella, just Justin. "You too Lance," he whispered. He turned around and headed towards Josh as Lance headed back to Joey's store.

They both stopped halfway, turning to take one last look. They met each other's eye and blushed, both men smiling before walking away.