by Kenovay
"Hey, baby."
JC squinted one eye open and pulled the phone a bit nearer. "Aje?"
"Yeah."
"It's four in the fucking morning!"
"More like ten, baby." JC slanted a cat-eyed gaze at the clock.
"Oh. What d'you want?"
"Wanted to check on you. BMG told you anything?"
"Fuck." JC's voice was expressionless.
"No?"
"Vague shit. Might be out in January."
AJ made a sound of sympathy. "They given any excuse?"
JC shook his head, then remembered AJ couldn't see him. "No." He hauled himself upright in the bed and brought the phone to his ear. "Sorry, didn't catch that, I was sitting up."
"I said, this kind of jerking you around, it's not right."
JC pulled at the covers. "The fans think it's Justin's fault."
There was silence at the end of the line. Then AJ said slowly, "How'd they figure that?"
JC shrugged. "Not sure. He rang me yesterday, he was saying he keeps getting a couple of fans at every concert with signs. Nasty signs. I think he was a bit pissed at me."
"He can't think the fans are your fault." JC was reassured by the flatness of the statement.
"I think he wants me to publicly deny it." There was silence. "I don't want to publicly deny it, Aje! I don't want to draw attention to the fact that I have no idea when my own fucking album's coming out!"
"Ssssshhh." AJ's voice was soothing. "You don't have to. Justin'll just have to cope for a while. And they'll release the album eventually � they'll have to. Fuckers are just yanking your chain."
"Yeah, but it's the fact that I'm letting them yank my chain. I'm not going somewhere else." Neither of them said anything. "Justin'd be going somewhere else," JC said finally, miserably.
"Fuck, I wish I was there, baby." AJ sighed. "You're just as talented as Justin."
"Yeah? So why is his solo career working and mine isn't?"
"Yours is. Christ, no one's solo career is working if you compare it to Justin's. Michael Jackson'd probably look a bit inadequate next to him. Cocky little shit."
JC choked on a small laugh. "I appreciate the thought. God, I should have paid more attention to The Art of War."
"The movie?"
"No, not the movie. The book written by the Chinese general... the one that makes me think that I should have kidnapped a few of those record company arseholes and tied them up, and made them do indecent things to each other just so I could blackmail BMG."
AJ cheered on the other end of the line. "Yeah, baby! It's not too late. I'd help!"
JC grinned slightly. "Yeah?"
"Of course. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't help my partner carry out a vendetta against his enemies?"
"A sane one?" JC was laughing. "When're you coming for a visit?"
"Soon as I can, baby. Next Wednesday?"
"Yeah? Cool. See you then."
"See you then." Just before JC pressed 'disconnect', he heard AJ mutter something at the end of the line. He brought the phone back to his ear.
"What?"
"Didn't say anything."
"You did."
"Hypothetically," AJ sounded nervous, "if your boyfriend was to express his feelings, would you freak out?" JC's heart speeded up.
"Hypothetically, probably not."
"Um, Josh?
"Yeah?"
"I think I might be sort of in love with you."
JC hugged himself. "Yeah? I love you."
"Dammit, I'm not waiting till Wednesday. You free tomorrow?"
"Don't you have a meeting?"
"Screw it. I'll see you tomorrow. Love you."
"Love you."
