"My ass hurts."

"We're out of orange juice."

"How many times can you play that stupid NFL game, Chris?"

"Oh God, get me off of this damn bus."

* * *

"Look, they're screaming." Chris sounded like he had never seen this happen before. He peered out the tinted windows of the bus, pressing his nose up against the glass. His breath fogged up the window in little puffs.

"They're always screaming." JC barely looked up from his keyboard.

Joey climbed up beside Chris, also looking out. "Hey, Lance, there's a sign for you."

"And there's one for JC."

"And there's thirty for Justin."

"The trouble with 'Lance' is that it kinda rhymes with 'pants.' Look - 'I want Lance in my pants.' 'I want Lance in his underpants.'"

Lance glanced up from his math homework and ignored Joey and Chris by asking, "Where is Justin, anyway?"

With a withering look that he saved for his band mates alone, Chris said, "Hey, Mr. Calculus-Genius, we're on a bus. There are only so many places he could be."

Rolling his eyes, Lance didn't reply and picked up his pencil again. "Fine, fine, but someone better tell him we're almost at the venue."

Chris continued to peer out of the window, as if he hadn't heard Lance. Joey followed suit. Lance seemed to be absorbed in his homework again. But of course, they left it to JC.

With a sigh, JC stood and maneuvered his way back to the bunks. Justin's upper bunk curtain was closed tight. The end was bunched, like Justin was holding it closed. He had probably heard JC coming. Reaching up and tugging at the curtain, JC felt resistance.

"Leave me alone."

"Stop sulking." JC tried to pull harder, but Justin held on tight.

"I am not -"

Sighing again, JC said, "Then stop being lazy. You haven't gotten up all morning."

"What do you care?"

"Fuck off, Justin." JC tugged once more, with all his might, and the curtain pulled back with a metallic scrape. He found Justin huddled inside his blankets, almost hidden from view. "Joey and Lance might put up with this crap, but I won't."

Growling, Justin turned over so his back was to JC. His bleached blonde hair was a curly mess and his clothes were rumpled.

Raising an eyebrow, JC said, "What makes you think you can slack off all day? You've got homework to do, too, you know. And I told you not to drink."

"Dammit, JC." Justin rolled over now. His eyes were blazing blue ice, shot through in tendrils of red. The boy was gloriously hung over. "You're not my father."

Since they were eye to eye, JC glared back. "Maybe you've forgotten that you're on a team, Justin. A team. Grow up, Timberlake. Try to learn that you're not the center of the universe."

"Join the clergy if you're gonna keep preaching." Justin's curtain closed with a snap.

* * *

JC walked back to the front of the bus. He sat down at his keyboard.

The other guys were watching him out of the corners of their eyes.

For a full twenty minutes, JC sat there and stared at his music sheets without really processing anything. Then�

"ARRRGGGGGGHHH!"

JC's scream reverberated throughout the bus and made everyone jump.

Panting, JC threw his music sheets on the floor and stomped to the back of the bus.

* * *

"Justin. You can't go out again tonight."

"God. Here we go again."

"You can't do this every night! Don't give me this fucking attitude. You're not God."

Justin's voice was calm. "Neither are you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Do you like bossing all of us around? Telling us where to be and when?" demanded Justin. "I don't have to listen to you. There's no leader in this group. So don't order us around thinking that you can be our leader. It doesn't work that way."

Is that what Justin thought?

"Jesus. Fuck off, JC." Justin's eyes shot icy daggers. "Don't go on power trips by pretending to care about me."

JC blinked. "Fine. Fuck you."

As JC headed to the front of the bus, as far away from Justin as possible, he could hear Chris muttering, "That was harsh, Justin."

Before Justin replied, if he did at all, JC stopped listening. And caring.

* * *

It was late at night and no one was on the bus except Lance and JC. Everyone else had gone out to the clubs.

JC lay on the sofa, flipping through the television stations. Lance was doing his homework. All that kid ever seemed to do was his homework. But that was a lie because Lance had rehearsals, interviews, photo shoots, sound checks and concerts to do. Lance used his free time to get some work done. Plus, he was too young to go out clubbing.

But that didn't stop Justin.

The thought made JC want to hit something.

"Ya gonna stop flipping stations yet?"

"Oh." JC stopped channel surfing, only to land on a bad movie on the Sci-fi network. "Sorry, am I bothering you?"

"Nah." Lance's eyes looked even brighter behind his glasses. "There's something bugging you, isn't there?"

The answer came half a second too late. "No� no."

"Uh-huh." Lance was way too shrewd for a seventeen-year-old. "You and Justin are friends, right?"

"Well� yeah. Best friends, I guess. I�" JC stared at the television screen. He didn't want to talk about this, not now, not with Lance. JC paused. He expected Lance to say something else, but when he glanced over, Lance was still watching him expectantly. Sighing, JC stared up at the ceiling of the bus. He exhaled slowly. "I don't know, Lance."

Lance was chewing on his pencil's eraser. "You fight whenever you get close to each other, nowadays."

"Thank for the observation, Captain Obvious."

"Just saying, man. There's gotta be a reason."

Clenching a throw pillow in his hands, JC suddenly felt like he was lying in a psychiatrist's sofa and Lance had turned into Freud. Or something. But JC kept talking, anyway. "It's just� He doesn't understand! He doesn't know what it's like to be a normal person. To be humble. To know that you aren't the best. He's always been the best at everything he's done. He thinks he's invincible, and he's not. All of this," JC gestured wildly at the bus, "doesn't help, because on tour, everyone is at his beck and call. He's getting�"

"Proud." Lance said. "I know. We all know that."

"I was gonna say egotistical and small-minded, but that works too."

Those bright eyes seemed to be smiling at him, even though Lance's expression hadn't changed. "It's nice to know you're so worried about him."

"I�!" JC choked, even though he wasn't drinking anything. "I� I'm not."

"You don't want to see him get hurt. That's why you're trying to make him understand." Lance's eyes still smiled. "Maybe you should help him � you know, to make him human. Right now, you're just blaming him for something he has no control over, instead. He can't help it if he's born lucky. You need to teach him how to deal with it."

JC wanted to ask Lance how he knew so goddamn much about everything. What JC ended up saying was, "Why me?"

With a smile that reached his mouth this time, Lance said, "Why not you?"

* * *

Despite all the damn cable stations they got, nothing was worth watching. JC flipped the set off and lay down on the sofa.

Justin came in from the bunk area, searching through the sofa cushions on the opposite sofa. For what, JC was unsure. Justin pulled a comb out and left again.

A few moments passed in silence. JC got up and went to the front of the bus.

"Going out again?" JC went to the fridge to get some orange juice.

Justin stopped combing his hair to glance warily at JC. "Yeah," he said. "Chris and Joey are already outside with a ride. They're waiting for me."

Forcing a neutral and unaffected tone, JC said, "Have fun."

"What, no lecture?"

"No." JC paused. "Just� be careful, okay?"

JC tried to ignore the way Justin was staring at him, as if he was trying to figure out a hidden trick in JC's words.

"Sure," said Justin, finally.

After pouring some juice in a glass, JC turned to Justin. "I trust you, Justin." And he did. Even though every bit of JC was screaming how wrong it was to let Justin go out again for the umpteenth time this week� JC trusted him. It was time to let Justin know that. Smiling, JC said again, "I trust you."

For a moment, Justin just stared at him. Then, abruptly, Justin turned an indescribable shade of red and practically ran off the bus. He almost tripped on his way out.

JC had no idea if that was a good or bad sign.

* * *

Rubbing his eyes, Justin groaned loud enough to be heard all over the bus. He shuffled barefoot to the front and flopped down in a seat. His eyes were closed. He looked... so odd. A gentle face and innocent eyes, but they contrasted with the grimace from his hangover. Justin was a contradiction of two extremes - too young and too old, all at once.

JC glanced over his magazine at him, but didn't say anything.

"Okay there, Sport?" Joey sat down beside Justin.

"Nhgh," said Justin through his hands.

Chris sat on the other side of Justin. "You shouldn't go out with us anymore, Just. Can't keep this up. Not to mention, you're totally underage, man."

"It's not good for you," added Joey.

JC didn't know whether or not to be surprised with this sudden responsible streak in both Chris and Joey.

Justin raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot and bleary. The morning sun glittered in them, made them look empty and hollow.

"Okay," said Justin. His voice was quiet. "I won't."

Surprised, JC looked up. Justin was looking at him.

JC resisted the strange urge to blush. He went back to reading his magazine.

* * *

JC was dreaming that he was on an island, in the middle of nowhere. On some level, he knew he was dreaming. But� he was lost in it. In the dream.

Above, the night sky was pitch black but so many stars lit up the sky that it was almost blinding, in an abstract sort of way. When JC looked down at the sandy beach again, he realized that a suitcase had washed up on shore. The leather was covered in seaweed and sand. But suddenly, Justin was behind him and JC turned around.

Why is there no moon tonight? asked Justin. He was staring at JC with eyes like the sea, wearing torn jeans and no shirt. Only the stars. No moon.

There's always a moon, JC wanted to say, but for some reason, he couldn't get the words out. It's just that sometimes you can't see it because� because� JC forgot why. Something to do with orbits and the sun and everything that JC forgot about high-school science.

JC knew he was dreaming, but he looked up and he realized there really wasn't a moon up in that black sky. Nothing at all, not even the outline of the new moon, which you could sometimes see when it was clear enough. Nothing. Justin was right. No moon existed. JC shivered.

Look, said Justin, and his voice seemed so far away, even though he was standing right there. Do you know why there's no moon?

When JC tried to reply, no noise came out of his mouth.

Because heaven hasn't opened the door yet, said the dream-Justin. His skin gleamed silver in the starlight as he walked away. After a moment, Justin was gone completely from view. JC was alone on the island again, with nothing but the stars and the ocean.

Then heaven's door opened. The world exploded with a crash.

Oh.

That wasn't the world. It was a dream, JC remembered. The noise was someone walking around on the bus.

JC cracked one eye open. He realized he wasn't seeing anything because it was nighttime and he was lying in his bunk with the curtain pulled closed. Someone had fallen over, probably tripping over everyone's clothes on the way to the bathroom. Another bump and a soft curse revealed who the person was.

"Ngh�" JC groaned. It was too late to be waking up people. "Just?"

Another crash, then a string of hissed expletives.

Blinking and exerting the massive strength it took to open his bunk's curtain, JC peered out into the dark bus interior. Justin was getting up from the floor. Joey's boxers were tangled around his feet. "You okay?" JC asked.

"Shit� yeah, I just tripped over I don't know what�" came Justin's soft mutter, annoyed. Justin was always a terror when he woke up.

Nodding, JC closed his eyes and fell back on his pillow.

Some amount of time passed, exactly how much JC was unsure because he had drifted off. But he opened his eyes again when Justin murmured, "Sorry for waking you up."

"Sokay."

"I made it to the bathroom okay, but on the way back I just kinda got fucked up."

"Yeah, yeah, Justin. People trying to sleep here."

"Sorry, yeah, I'll just be moving�"

Sticking an arm out of his bottom bunk, JC hooked his hand around Justin's knee and pulled gently forward, until Justin was kneeling on his mattress. Another pull, and Justin was lying somewhat beside him. His knee was jabbing into JC's hip, but that was okay.

"�along now," Justin finished lamely.

The way Justin's voice cracked made JC smile.

Even in the darkness, Justin's huge eyes blinking nervously were visible. "Um� C?"

As a reply, JC shifted so that Justin would have more room. Justin took the cue, and the offending knee was gone. Justin rested his head on JC's chest. Still, he lay stiffer than a wooden plank. Tension hummed through Justin's muscles, as if he were ready to bolt.

"C?"

"Be quiet and let me sleep."

Even though JC wasn't looking, he could feel Justin's smile. The tension eased.

JC smiled himself, eyes closing. Justin hadn't gone out tonight. He didn't smell smoky and sour, like he usually did. Justin smelled� sweet. His hair held the soft smells of sweat and shampoo. The curls were damp and silky against JC's fingers.

Only a few moments had passed, but Justin's breath had evened out. His cheek felt warm against JC's chest, through the thin fabric of JC's t-shirt.

"I had a weird dream," said JC. He stifled a yawn, folding his other arm around Justin's waist. "You were in it."

"Mmm� really?" Justin sounded asleep already. "What happened in it?"

Eyes fluttering closed, JC said, "I don't remember."

His dreams that night were full of beautiful skies with glittering stars and a pure, white moon.

* * *

JC didn't know how many hours they had slept, but he knew the other guys were up, because he could hear them moving around on the bus. The harsh overhead light was on too, stabbing through the slit in JC's curtain.

For a moment, JC sleepily wondered why he was so warm that he was sweating. Then he remembered last night and the fact that Justin was lying down on him. JC remembered weird dreams but he couldn't remember what were in them.

When JC looked down, he realized Justin was awake. His friend was lying very, very still and his head was raised, meeting JC's gaze. Those eyes were disturbingly focused.

Uncomfortable, JC cleared his throat. "Just?"

Biting his lip, Justin whispered, hoarse and intense, "I'm sorry."

For some reason, JC suddenly found he couldn't speak. He didn't need to hear it anymore. Not any more. "It's okay, Justin."

"No, it's not. It� I'm sorry. We� I� we're a team."

Smiling for real, for the first time in a long time, JC whispered back, "We are."

"I missed you," said Justin, and abruptly, JC was aware of the longing in Justin's voice. It tugged at something warm and unfamiliar in the pit of JC's stomach.

For lack of anything else to do, JC hugged him. Felt Justin in his arms and it felt like he hadn't hugged Justin in forever. Since� JC didn't know when. It had been too long. Justin felt bigger, in his arms, more solid now.

They stayed like that for so long that JC thought Justin had fallen asleep again. That's why he almost jumped out of his skin when Justin stretched forward and kissed him. A hard, dry, but warm, kiss. It was over in an instant and an eternity too soon.

JC didn't know what kind of expression was on his face, but it made Justin start turning red. "Sorry," Justin muttered again. He looked down, staring at JC's chest. "Sorry� I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," said JC. He was trying to keep from turning red himself. "It's� okay." More than okay. A lot more than okay.

You should apologize too, a part of JC's mind said, because it was only fair since Justin said sorry. But what was JC apologizing for? He had to say something�

Maybe JC should have asked for permission first, but he kind of surprised himself when he leaned forward to kiss Justin again. He tilted Justin's chin up with his fingertips and their lips met tentatively. The kiss was slower this time, softer. Good God, it felt� JC's stomach was doing cartwheels and his blood was pounding out of his veins.

And when Justin made a happy, surprised kind of noise against JC's mouth, JC thought maybe he didn't have to apologize after all.

* * *

"My head hurts."

"My ass hurts."

"We're out of apple juice now."

"You can't fit five guys on a bus," said Justin. He smiled, and JC knew that smile was for him, even though Justin's eyes were watching Joey tackling Lance. "It's not possible."

"Yep." JC brushed his fingers across the back of Justin's hand. The skin was soft and smooth under JC's fingertips. "It'd never work."

"Not in a million years." Justin's voice was soft and gentle, like a kiss.

The End