UsTogether

'I hate this. I hate this. This is so not working. I'm sitting here with this beautiful woman and all I can think about is the beautiful man back at my house. And this is OUR place. Dammit, Johnny couldn't have thought of another restaurant for me to REVEAL the newest woman in my life. Stupid beards, stupid public, stupid Johnny.'

It wasn't that JC hated the idea of going out to lunch with Emmanuelle. She was a good kid, Lance's partner in crime in the movie industry, but as girlfriend material or ANYTHING remotely romantic she sucked. As least in JC's opinion, but we all know JC wasn't one for the ladies. Most men would've given their kidneys to have a date with a woman like Emmanuelle.

JC wasn't most men.

He just wanted to be home in the comfort of his warm bed and his lover's arms. He just wanted this nightmare to be over.

It wasn't that he hadn't done the whole beard thing before. He had, and he had definitely had worse: Bobbie the bitch. Yeah, he never did like her, yet he allowed her to cling to him for at least two years. And it broke Lance's heart. It wasn't that JC didn't know that, it's just at that point he had never felt it.

Eventually, however, the bitch got to him and he couldn't take it any longer. He sent Bobbie packing. The boys thought everything was going to be smooth sailing from that point on but just as reality proves, life is anything but smooth sailing.

Johnny needed there to be a woman in the picture just to keep rumors at a minimum so it was Lance's turn. That's where Laura came into the picture. She was Lance's prop girl for the movies press junket.

JC still hated her. He would have to go along for the ride to support Lance but in the process he felt as if he were supporting this fake relationship which was right in the middle of public scrutiny. But when you're in love you do crazy things.

Lance saw how much the whole Laura thing was hurting JC. He had felt it whenever he saw JC and Bobbie together. It felt like someone had sliced open your chest with lots of care and consideration and then shoved their diseased hand in, dug around for what they wanted and then ripped out your heart leaving you there to die in lots of pain. Even though Lance was the one in the relationship he felt every bit of this pain.

So as soon as "On the Line" flopped and everyone realized that Lance wasn't exactly leading man material, Laura was gone. It was a sad day for everyone except for two men who locked themselves in their hotel room, with only loud cries and moans escaping.

Johnny was never satisfied. There was already something good being made during the whole Laura ordeal. As a favor to Lance, JC had taken Emmanuelle to a couple award shows here and there. It was more like a friend thing between the three of them. Emmanuelle knew about their relationship and was perfectly cool with it all. But the damage had already been done.

People were already associating JC and Emmanuelle together. All they needed was a planned outing as a couple with a few calls into the local papers in advance to make the relationship official.

So there they sat, both more uncomfortable than ever. Emmanuelle tried to strike up a conversation but JC sat back ignoring her, not on purpose, he was just that out of it. If he was going to have to go through with this, he was going to make it painfully obvious that he was unhappy with the situation.

As soon as JC had finished eating he was up out of his chair, which by the way was situated on the sidewalk at a table that was within all of LA's view. Emmanuelle could feel the jumpy vibes shooting off of JC's body and stood up whether she was finished or not.

He dropped her off at her trendy LA loft that everyone seemed to live in and headed for home. JC grabbed at his cell phone on the seat next to him as he cruised along the interstate. He pushed speed dial 1, Lance's phone. He listened to the ring go on and on as his turn came into sight and finally someone answered.

"Hello?" Lance asked trying to catch his breath as he grabbed it.

"Hmm, dare I ask what you have been doing?" JC laughed lightly.

"Josh, hello to you too, darlin."

"God, Lance, you couldn't even wait to start until I got home," he hummed lightly feeling the weight being lifted off his shoulders already.

"Shut up, why would I do it myself when you're so good at it," he smiled.

"I'm pulling into the driveway, be in in a minute," JC said clicking his phone shut. He practically sprinted to the front door and inside. Lance was sitting on the bottom step waiting for him in the entryway. He stood as he saw the man of his dreams and JC practically charged into Lance's waiting arms.

"How was it?" Lance asked quietly as he ran his fingers up and down JC's back.

"I hated it," he mumbled into Lance's shoulder where his head lay nuzzled. He separated their bodies and took Lance's hand leading him upstairs to their bedroom. He fell onto the bed just as the tears hit, "I don't want to go out with her. I want to be with you and I couldn't even pretend to enjoy myself," JC cried his voice wavering as tears creeped slowly out from under his sunglasses.

"Josh, shh, baby, it's gonna be ok, I promise. It won't always be this bad," he said trying to put a soothing tone into his voice but knowing he had failed miserably.

"I just don't want to do it," he sobbed.

He lightly rubbed lightly up and down JC's back as he felt the chills come over the brunette's body. Lance lay down to be closer to his love and pulled him into his embrace. As Lance ran his hands up JC's arms he felt the goose bumps.

"Babe, are you ok? You're like covered in goose bumps and you're freezing," Lance said going to pull the blanket up over them.

"I just feel sick," JC sniffled trying to get his tears in check. He hated to cry. It was so unmanly. At least his hat and sunglasses hid it slightly.

"Let me make it up to you. This is all my fault," Lance mumbled as he pulled JC closer to him.

"It's not your fault."

"Yeah, it is. I mean if I could've hacked it with Laura, you wouldn't be sitting here crying right now," Lance said pulling JC down to rest on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault," JC said again.

"Well, at the very least, let me love you," Lance murmured as he crawled up onto his knees and rested his lover's head down on the pillow.

Lance climbed up on top of JC, leaning down slightly to remove the sunglasses that shielded the world from his beautiful eyes. He set them on the table next to their bed never taking his eyes off the man he loved. He took the hat off with a little less care and flung it across the room as he leaned down to let their lips meet.

"Lance," JC mumbled into the kiss as Lance rested his body down on JC's groin.

"Yeah love?" he asked as his lips trailed from JC's and over to his ear. "Something the matter?" he whispered directly into JC's ear as he felt JC thrust up slightly into him.

"Not at all," JC groaned as Lance licked slightly at the lobe as he moved his hands down to the waist of JC's jeans. He pushed his palm slightly against the fly and he could feel JC moan just inches away from his own ear.

"Good?" Lance asked quietly as he sat up slowly and ran his hands underneath the black t-shirt JC wore. He let his fingers play against the abdomen until he felt it shudder and then let his fingers travel upwards a little.

"Amazin," JC stuttered as Lance captured his nipples, one in each hand. JC lost all self-control as his hips bucked off the bed and collided with Lance's.

"Slow down, baby," Lance grinned as he slipped the t-shirt over JC's head. JC reached up immediately to do the same to Lance. He sat up for a minute, leaning forward allowing their bare skin to touch each other.

"So nice," he mumbled as he lay back down. Lance knew neither of them would last too much longer with all the passion swimming between the two so he went straight for the pants. He slid the zipper down slowly and pulled the jeans down far enough to get to the boxers. JC watched in anticipation as Lance slipped his hand under the waist and he grunted as Lance grasped him.

He settled down in between JC's legs and pulled the boxers and jeans down a little further. "Josh, I love you," he mumbled as he slowly took him into his mouth. He moved up and down the shaft already tasting the white fluid that was oozing out of the man he loved.

"Babe, I ain't gonna last too much longer," JC moaned gripping the sheets in each hand.

"Thanks, for the forewarning," Lance grinned moving up the bed a little. He kneeled straddled above JC's chest as he allowed JC to unzip his pants and yank them off his hips. Their eyes never left each other. Lance slowly rose and stood unsteadily next to the bed. JC noticed and offered a hand to him, which Lance took willingly. He quickly removed the rest of his clothes and went to the end of the bed to take off JC's shoes, socks and then his pants and boxers. He crawled up the bed and settled carefully behind his love.

JC rolled over on his side as Lance pushed up behind him. He found the opening with ease and pushed carefully inside. "Lance," JC gasped pushing back against him. Lance's arm slipped up around JC's shoulder and ran over his face and up into his hair as his other slipped down around his waist, pumping him quickly to keep up. He flung his leg over JC's hip trying to get closer to him.

Lance rested his head on JC's shoulder and against his cheek as he thrusted in and out expertly. "So good," he mumbled as he ran his fingers through the long brunette strands. Their bodies met perfectly in time and JC stiffened just as he felt Lance come deep inside of him, as the word "Josh" tumbled out of his mouth over and over right into his ear. JC came seconds later.

"Wow," JC grinned as Lance's arms wrapped slowly around his waist pulling him closer. Both were sticky and sweaty but neither cared because at that moment all they needed was each other.

As JC woke up the next morning he realized that there was neither the presence of a warm body against his or anywhere in the bed. He panicked for a minute before he fully woke up and heard the deep voice coming from down the hall. Lance, he smiled brightly. He got up and padded down the hall and stood in the door to the office.

"Johnny, no. NO!" Lance shouted loudly, "I told you no more beards. None, no more. We're not putting up with it anymore. The fans won't care. It's time for us to take care of ourselves and each other and not have to worry what anyone else thinks. I don't care that 'JC and Emmanuelle'" he muttered in a high pitched voice, "are dating according to the LA Times. They're friends. They go out to lunch. That's what you tell the press. No, it's not an empty ultimatum. Yeah, you heard me. I didn't stutter when I said it, did I?" he paused and JC smiled getting a kick out of seeing business Lance for once. "Yeah, that's right, you either get us together, or neither of us. We'll leave the group. I'm not even kidding. Do I sound like I'm kidding? Yeah, that's what I thought. So are we set, no more beards?" Lance said as he turned around to face the doorway and grinned as he saw JC standing there. "So it's us together," he said one more time into the phone as he threw it back onto the desk.

"Us together?" JC questioned slightly as he walked around the desk and sat down on Lance's lap, "I like the sound of that."

THE END