AN: Yay, mushy chapter. Nothing like a good ole romance story now and again. Feedback is VERY much appreciated. Also if ya'll know any great *NSYNC awards sites taking nominations, I'd be equally thankful for a link. I'm always looking for new sites to check out. Thank you kindly... inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com **************************** Blindsided: Chapter Six *********************** JC hummed softly as he gently scooped Laura up into his arms. She was a solid weight in his thin, strong arms, not heavy but comforting in her heat and presence. She murmured in her sleep and he paused, waiting until she took another breath of sleep and continued to dream. Jayce pulled back the sheets of his bed and gently set her down in them before drawing the blankets up to her chin; he knew she got cold easily at night. His fingers strayed in their task to run up and down the length of her fleece covered arm and to brush dried and curled hair that had escaped from her usual post shower pony tail of the night. He loved it when she fell asleep watching some movie or show with him on their coffee nights. Usually they were in her room so he could put her in her own bed, but tonight had been one of the rare times it was easier for her to meet him because of the crowds. He loved it when she slept because Laura slept soundly when she finally managed to fall asleep. He could stare at her until his own lids grew heavy with exhaustion, stare and marvel, and write songs that lauded her beauty in his head. He would sing them to her one day, one day soon perhaps, but for now he saved them for her dreams. JC sang softly of his love and devotion to a certain not so normal assistant under his breath as he rose and got ready for bed, pulling on flannel pants in favor of his jeans and keeping his plain white t-shirt, though he usually slept without one. He brushed his teeth and stuck his head out of the hall long enough to tell the bodyguards goodnight and that he and Laura were in for the night. It was a credit to them they didn’t bat an eye. JC would have fired them if they had made one ill mannered remark in concern of their assistant. The rest of the world had given Laura Danon enough pain in life. If JC could prevent a little more he’d bleed to do it. He knew she’s do the same for him and that meant the world. JC stopped singing when he crawled on top of the covers of the king sized bed. The first time Laura had fell asleep in his room on tour she had been horrified to wake up in his bed with him on the small couch and had thrown such a fit they had come to a sort of compromise. Jayce refused to let her sleep on the uncomfortable sofas and chairs so he insisted she take the bed. She insisted that he take the bed too. So he was always careful to tuck her in under the covers and sleep on top of them. It was a compromise Laura wasn’t particularly comfortable with but she wasn’t unhappy. And JC thought his heart would stop ever rare morning he rolled over and found Laura at his side, ever smelling of peaches and apricots and summer days. He wished the world could see what he saw when he looked at her. Was glad, selfishly, sometimes that they couldn’t. Because then the world would want her, want so much of her there wouldn’t be any left over for him and, as much as he wanted people to adore her, JC was content on most levels to be the only one to understand Laura Danon’s perfection. There was less competition that way. JC sighed as he settled onto his pillows and rolled onto his side so that he could watch the steady rise and fall of the chest of the woman he knew he loved until he fell asleep as well. ************************************************************************************ Laura had a very, very good internal alarm clock. It never failed unless she had bone deep exhaustion like she had before the tour, then it would take a tank to wake her, or JC resetting her alarm clock. But, even when she fell asleep, on tour buses, in dressing rooms, in Joshua Chasez’s hotel room, she was always awake and ready to go when she was supposed to be. This particular morning she woke up exactly at five AM, wrapped in JC, literally. Which was why she was confused because they didn’t have to be awake until six. But her confusion cleared up a bit, if only a bit, as she registered JC’s tongue darting into her ear and the heat of his hand brushing the skin exposed on her hip by her fleece shirt riding up. Laura felt herself blush to her roots, even more so when she heard him murmuring to himself as his legs tangled with hers, which had kicked off her protective covers during the night. JC was asleep, but awake enough to know he had a woman in his arms. Laura counted to ten in her head, twice, and yelped as Jayce’s mouth traveled to her collarbone in a leisurely trail that made her toes curl. The man definitely knew how to seduce, even in his sleep. Damn him. Job professionalism was something Laura prided herself on. Somehow she felt like she was failing some very large “assistant” test by this groping session. She tried to carefully ease herself out of his grasp, not because what he was doing didn’t feel good, amazing, life changing, but because whatever it was, it wasn’t right. The second he woke up enough to realize who he was holding, he’d freak out. Unfortunately, JC was apparently a clingy lover. He grumbled as she tried to pry herself away and dragged Laura back to him until her small body was flush against his long lean one. She sucked in a deep breath and counted to thirty this time as Jayce’s too familiar cinnamon and cologne smell filled her nose and he absently tucked her head under his chin. His roving hands stopped though and he seemed to settle with one last tender, sleep filled kiss at the base of her neck that left Laura breathless. “Night,” came the husky whisper that raised goose bumps on her arms. She fought sudden fierce and unwanted tears as she gave up with another sigh shifted, trying to get comfortable. Jayce’s arms snaked around her body, forming a sort of cradle of muscle and sinew and comfort that was too nice to fight. She’d give anything, even her job, to have someone hold her this way and mean it. She’d kill for it to be JC. Laura hastily wiped her tears away and forced herself to go back to sleep until the alarm went off in an hour. She could pretend for an hour and when her friend freaked out an hour from now they’d talk and move on. No more sharing beds, even if it meant Laura slept on the floor. Even if it meant she’d really, really miss waking up those rare mornings with JC at her side. It wouldn’t be hard to care for him as more than a friend, more than she should, more than she deserved. But then that’s how it worked. People like JC found happily ever after and Laura got an invitation to his wedding. Despite her crush on the “Baby” Laura had understood that fundamental and unchanging fact the moment she walked into Johnny’s office to start this job. Johnny Wright wouldn’t have accepted any less from *NSYNC’s future assistant and Laura wouldn’t have accepted anything less from herself. It was professional to think that way, as sad as it was. Laura dozed back to sleep as the very opposite of professionalism stroked her back gently. It was a good thing JC was a heavier sleeper than she was.