They shouldn�t have been friends. They really had nothing in common. Chris was from a family of tailors who had come to London just ten years earlier in search of a better life for their children. He was the eldest of five. The rest girls who would hopefully marry into well-to-do families. Chris was twenty-two when he met Lance at the shop his father owned. Lance was a Lord who was being fitted for a new wardrobe. His parents had decided at eighteen years old he should start looking for a wife. Lance was against the idea, but humoring his parents in hopes he could postpone marriage for a lot longer if they thought he was at least looking.
It was during Lance�s fittings the two men started to talk. Normally it would be against every rule of polite society in the year of thirteen hundred and forty eight, but Lance had long ago decided rules were meant to be broken. He liked the way Chris looked, he briefly considered propositioning him, but quickly decided he needed to watch his activities for awhile so as not to alert his parents to his plan of delaying marriage. Still, they talked. Every time Lance would come in for a fitting they would talk about anything and every thing. After Lance�s clothes had all been made and fitted, they worked out a time to meet at an out of the way local tavern.
A year later when Chris� father died it was Lance who held him in his arms as Chris cried for the man he had lost. They had not become lovers, but along the way these two unlikely men became the best of friends. Through Chris, Lance discovered a world he didn�t know existed. He learned of the poverty which existed in a London he didn�t know. He also discovered people could care about more than money and social standing. Through Lance, Chris learned how to read and do basic math; things which helped his family better themselves.
* * * * *
Chris and Lance had been friends for two years when Lance started to notice some changes in Chris. They still met once a week at the tavern to talk, but Chris seemed quieter somehow. Lance figured he was worried about his family business or something at first, but when he only seemed to get worse Lance was finally driven to ask.
�Chris what is going on?� He asked after they had each had several shots of whiskey.
�What do you mean?� Chris answered evasively.
�You don�t seem like yourself. It�s like you aren�t here mentally or something.� Chris could hear the concern flowing through Lance�s voice.
�Lance. You are my best friend and believe me, if I could tell you I would. There is just something going on right now, a decision I need to make and I need to consider all my options. It has nothing to do with you, I promise.�
�Okay. I guess I have to take your word for it. I just hope you realize I�m here if you want to talk about anything.�
�I know Lance. Your willingness to help means a lot to me. I promise when I get this figured out I will let you know. For now though I should go. I�ll see you next week?�
�Of course. I�ll see you next week. Send a message to me if you need to talk sooner.�
�I will.�
Lance and Chris didn�t meet the next week. Chris sent a message that something had come up and he would be away for a couple of weeks. Lance was suspicious because Chris ran the shop since his father�s death. He went down to the shop, but Chris was not there. His mother told Lance Chris had left a couple of days earlier without telling her where he was going or why.
It was almost a month later Lance received another message from Chris asking him to meet at their tavern that evening. Lance canceled the plans he had made with a woman his parents had introduced him to. He still wasn�t interested in marriage to anyone besides his soul mate whom he had yet to meet. It was with the knowledge this woman was not the one he was looking for that Lance to gladly cancel and meet up with Chris.
After hugging his friend Lance set back in his chair and waited for Chris to explain what was going on. He could tell something had happened to his friend. Chris seemed to almost glow and Lance felt a gentle sexual pull to his friend he had not felt before.
�Lance, the most incredible thing has happened. A couple of months ago this woman came into the shop. She was so incredibly beautiful and she seemed unlike any other woman I had ever seen. We talked some as she was ordering uniforms for her servants. She came back a couple more times and was very polite each time. The last time she came in she said she had something she wanted to talk to me about, but she couldn�t do it at the shop. I met her at her home the following evening and she told me the most amazing story and she gave me a choice.�
�A choice?�
�She told me she was a vampire Lance.� At Lance�s look of disbelief Chris continued. �I know it sounds insane Lance, but it is true. I didn�t believe it at first either but then she showed me and she gave me a choice Lance. She said she had never created another but she felt I was meant to be a vampire. I�ve been thinking about it for all those weeks. At first I didn�t believe any of it, but then I thought about it and started to believe. I found myself wondering what it would be like.�
�I was planning on talking to you about all of this before I made my final decision, but she came to me about a month ago and said she had to leave London. Apparently someone had found out about her and it was no longer safe for her to be here. She gave me one last chance to come with her and she would change me. I couldn�t say no to her. It was my chance to live forever. Please say you understand Lance. I couldn�t bear to lose your friendship.� Chris finished and sat back to let Lance absorb all Chris had said.
Lance sat there for about ten minutes thinking over everything Chris had said. Looking at how Chris had seemed to change in the month since Lance had seen him last. It wasn�t really any physical changes although Chris was dressed nicer than usual and seemed to be carrying himself more regally. It was more the confidence he exuded and the sensual feeling which surrounded him. Lance didn�t feel any menace coming off of his friend; he didn�t feel like he was in any danger. He decided all he could do was accept his friend and try to understand. He didn�t know anything much about vampires and the questions were flying through his mind.
�So, you must drink blood to survive and you can�t go out in sunlight anymore? The holy water and the crosses?� Lance asked confused.
�There are different types of vampires Lance. The woman who changed me was a sexual vampire. She feeds off of the energy sex creates. Yes, I will have to drink blood occasionally, but the main way I feed is by sexual pleasure. I can go out in the daytime. It is uncomfortable, but it will not harm me. Holy water and crosses are just a legend. I can be hurt with rose oil or fire. I can be killed if I am in the middle of feeding all other times I am immortal.�
�Feeding as in sex?� Lance asked fighting to understand.
�Yes, feeding as in sex or when I am drinking blood. A vampire must make himself vulnerable to feed. I do not harm my victims though. When I feed off the sexual pleasure all they know is it was an extremely pleasurable experience. When I must feed off of blood, I can alter the experience to make them believe after they have simply caught a cold or something.�
�So why were you gone so long?�
�She was teaching me what I needed to know to survive. Teaching me about my powers and how to use them.�
�What powers?�
�I can read people�s thoughts and change them if I want to. Make them believe something happened when it hasn�t or erase things that did. I can increase people�s sexual desire. She taught me how to make someone orgasm without ever touching them. I am stronger physically than I was before and I seem to be more mentally aware of everything around me. It is like I can sense danger or when things are off.�
�So, what do you do now?� Lance asked patiently.
�I go on like I did before. I still have my mother and sisters to take care of. The only difference is now I have an edge. Hopefully it will help me get further in business.� Chris explained as he took a sip of whiskey.
�You still drink alcohol?� Lance asked.
�Yes. I still eat and drink like everyone else. Oh, it�s not something I have to have to survive. I love food and drink though and they will not hurt me. Any more questions my friend?�
�I can�t think of any tonight. I think I need some time to absorb all of this. If I have more questions, may I ask later?�
�Of course. For now, you should go home and sleep on what you have learned.� Chris and Lance hugged and then went their separate ways.
* * * * *
The two talked often over the next several months. Chris answered every question Lance asked with patients. If anything their friendship only grew closer. Chris� business took off to where he was so busy he had to hire in more helpers. Many of the royals and upper class were now coming to his establishment to get their clothes made. He had quickly set aside dowries for each of his sisters and was happy his eldest sister was quick to make a good pairing.
Lance�s family was starting to put a great deal more pressure on him to find a wife and start a family. His parents had figured out what his plan had been and were no longer buying into his delays. He was about to give in to the pressure when all of their lives were turned upside down. The Black Death had been working its way across Asia and Europe for several years when it made its arrival in London. People were quick to shut their doors and avoid contact with others.
Chris checked on Lance almost daily once the plague started to show up around London. As an immortal he was immune to the disease but was intensely worried about his family and Lance. The shop had been closed down due to lack of business so he spent his time going between his mother�s apartment and Lance�s townhouse.
It was two weeks after the shop closed when Chris� littlest sister got sick. His other sisters and mother also quickly fell ill. The symptoms of the plague came on very quickly and took the victims just as quickly. From the day his little sister got sick to the day his last sister died was only a week. Chris was devastated at the loss of his entire family and did the only thing he could think of, he ran to Lance.
He hadn�t seen his friend in several days because he had been caring for his family. When he arrived at Lance�s door he was surprised to see the sign on the door saying that the plague had attacked someone within. Chris was terrified. He could not lose Lance too. God would not be that vicious. He knocked, but no one answered and he let himself in. The house was eerily quiet as he searched the rooms looking for Lance. He found him in the master bedroom, pale and breathing shallowly. Chris rushed to Lance�s side.
�Lance. Oh my God, not you too. I can�t lose you too.�
�Chris. I waited for you. I�m sorry I have to go. I will miss you.�
�Lance, please don�t leave me. I can�t go on alone.�
�I have no control over this my friend. I have held on longer than I thought possible. They took my parents away three days ago.�
�You have been alone since then?� At Lance�s slight nod Chris� heart broke a little more and then he realized he couldn�t lose his friend. He had the ability to steal Lance from the hands of death. �Lance, please, let me change you. I want you to spend forever with me.�
�I will not spend eternity like this Chris. If I were healthy I would jump at the chance. But like this, bedridden and weak, I could not suffer forever in this hell.�
�You won�t have to. The change would heal everything. You would be healthy again. You would live forever by my side. Please Lance, say yes.�
�Yes. What do I have to do?�
�Just lie there. It must be done during sexual relations. I will try not to hurt you.� Chris said realizing he must hurry or it would all be in vain.
Chris stripped Lance�s clothes from his wet skin and separated his legs in preparation. He grabbed some oil from the side table and quickly prepared his friend and himself. Chris eased into Lance as gently as he could but still cringed as the pain slipped over Lance�s face. His friend�s breathing was getting more and more shallow as time went on so Chris quickly set to work at Lance�s neck. He bit through the skin and began to suck the blood flowing out. It had the sour taste of sickness and death, but he continued until he could feel Lance�s heart start to slow. Chris pulled back and slit the skin of his wrist before putting it to Lance�s mouth. �Drink.� Chris whispered as he thrust over and over into his friend. A few seconds later Lance began to suck on the wrist offered.
It was several minutes later when Chris began to feel the tension in the air, the feeling of sexual satisfaction fast approaching. He knew then Lance would be all right and started to thrust harder into Lance, now searching for the emotions needed to feed them both. They both exploded simultaneously and smiled at each other.
�How do you feel?� Chris asked softly.
�I feel alive and more.� Lance answered. �Thank you my friend.�
�It is I who should thank you. I could not bare the thought of being alone. You agreed to come into this world with me, you will never know how happy you have made me. I�ve wanted to ask you to join me in the past, but I wanted you to be sure before I gave you the choice.�
�I knew what my answer would be if you ever asked after that first night. I was jealous of all you were experiencing but I never wanted you to feel obligated.�
�I wish I had known Lance. It would have saved you so much suffering.�
�Ssshhhh. It is all right. It happened as it was meant to. I only have one question now.�
�What?�
�May we please leave London for awhile? I fear there are too many bad memories here for both of us now.�
Sounds like a perfect plan to me.� Chris answered with a smile. They were packed and leaving the city within the day. They had a world waiting and they were eager to explore it and the powers they now possessed.
* * * * *
They weren�t sure of their destination when they left London, but they knew together they could face anything. Several days into their adventures they were settled at a roadside inn attempting to find someone to feed their hunger. Chris had managed to feed on blood before they left London to replenish what Lance had taken for the change. Now they needed to feed their sexual hunger. They both had their eye on the same serving girl and after a quick discussion decided they could share her. Lance set to seducing her figuring that he needed to practice. Chris just sat back and smirked as he realized Lance was a natural at all of this.
Soon the three were in a room upstairs. The girl who whispered her name was Elle was obviously nervous. Chris read enough of her thoughts to realize she was a virgin and set to work making her comfortable. As he kissed her shoulders and neck, Lance worked on divesting her of her clothes. Soon all of them were naked and curled together on the floor. Chris and Lance knew the greater her pleasure the more it would feed their hunger. They worked hard at making every touch, every lick, every caress drive her farther into ecstasy. Her moans were loud as she came with Chris deep inside her and Lance attached to her breast. She smiled shyly and told them she had to get back to work. Chris pressed a gold piece into her hand as she left.
Although their vampire hungers had been fulfilled, Chris and Lance still had another hunger raging through their bodies. Chris looked at Lance seriously for a moment and then asked him a question that would change their lives.
�Do you feel it Lance? Do you want me as much as I want you?�
�I�ve always wanted you Chris. I just figured our friendship was more important.�
�Can we not be friends and lovers?�
Lance smirked and motioned Chris over to him before growling, �I�m sure we can be both.� He pulled Chris to him and kissed him long and hard.
* * * * *
Chris and Lance spent the next hundred years getting comfortable with their powers and who they had become. They would find another immortal every once in awhile and spend a night or two learning more. They found out about the other types of vampires. There were vampires out there who fed only off of blood and could not handle sunlight. There were also vampires who would feed on thoughts and those who fed off of emotions. Each type of vampire had unique powers and abilities and both men found it fascinating to explore all the possibilities.
Lance discovered his ability to change the way people saw his physical form quite by accident. Chris had been telling him about a particular fantasy involving a vampire they had met several months earlier. Lance was totally enthralled by the story and wanted nothing more than to be that particular vampire so he could fuck Chris senseless. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn�t see the shock flood across Chris� face, but he did hear the gasp. When he looked at Chris to see what was the matter, he saw fear and desire blended in his eyes.
�What�s wrong?� He asked concerned.
�What did you do? You look like him. You look exactly like Samuel.� Chris was stunned. Although the face and body belonged to another man, he could tell it was Lance underneath. Everything about Lance had changed. His voice was different as was his appearance and even his mannerisms. It shocked both of them momentarily and then both realized Lance had found his vampire ability.
They spent several years working on Lance�s ability. They had him try out all different forms and found he could become anything he could picture in his head. It didn�t matter if it was human or not, Lance could do animals as well as humans. They tried other forms as well, plants and inanimate objects and he could do these as well though he got some very strange looks when he tried being a coat rack and walked around. Lance quickly learned to watch what form he took.
Chris had thought originally he would have to stay in one spot so he could make a living. Although he was a vampire, money did not just fall into his lap. When he had changed Lance, Chris didn�t realize he had gained not only a companion but a financial genius as well. Lance had his own money and would not have to work in a normal lifetime. When he started to grasp the idea of immortality, Lance had started to study how to make the money last. He had devised ways to invest the money in other people�s businesses without having to be an active partner in the business. He was always careful of the business and the people he put his trust and money into and was rarely disappointed.
Once Chris had observed Lance�s success he asked Lance to also take control of his money. So Lance became the one to handle their money and within a couple of hundred years they knew that they would never have to worry about money if they were careful. Lance started out investing only in businesses he knew about. When Chris decided to join in the investments, Lance branched out to include tailors and seamstresses because Chris could teach him about the industry. As Lance would get comfortable with one industry, he would start to research another industry until he was comfortable enough to invest in it.
Lance spent a lot of his time with his research and with keeping up with his investments. There always seemed to be letters to read or contracts to write or correspondence to deal with. Chris normally let Lance do his thing. He knew all of this was very interesting to Lance even if it wasn�t to him. Sometimes though, Chris would get bored or Lance would get stressed out and Chris would have to take action.
Lance knew when Chris attacked there was no stopping him. On the occasions when Chris would pounce on him, Lance would try to quickly get any papers he was working on safe and then give in. Sometimes Chris would take all night licking every inch of his skin, driving him insane before he allowed Lance�s release. Other times it was quick and hard and violent. Chris always seemed to know what Lance needed and was willing to give it to him.
Their relationship just seemed to deepen as the years went on. Although Lance still held out hope for meeting his soul mate some day, Chris was his best friend and he loved him deeply. They were best friends as well as lovers, but it never went farther. Neither fooled themselves into thinking it was anything more than it was. It was a friendship. A friendship which would last forever and it was amazingly hot sex. It was enough for both of them for now.
* * * * *
Neither really knew why they decided to stop being lovers. It was 1890 and there was nothing wrong. They weren�t fighting and it wasn�t like the sex wasn�t incredible. They just stopped one day and never started again. The didn�t even talk about it for years until they were sitting around Paris in nineteen twenty. World War One had just ended a little while before and they were both mellowed from the good feelings in the air.
�Why did we stop?� Chris asked as they sat at a cafe discussing their plans for the evening.
�Being lovers? I don�t know. It�s not like I don�t find you attractive and it was easy being lovers. Maybe it being easy was the problem. I know I like a little danger, I like to work for it a little. We are so close it was never work, even when it was hard and violent.� Lance mused. �Does it bother you. It�s not like we can�t be lovers again.�
�No. I think maybe it is better this way. I mean the sex was incredible, but our friendship is the most important part to me. As long as we remain friends then the rest is just a bonus.�
�We will always be friends Chris. Even if we are not together, you will always be my best friend.�
* * * * *
They had decided in the mid-nineteen fifties they needed a break from each other. They had been friends and companions for a little more than six hundred years and thought some time apart was in order. So, they each went their separate ways to experience the world on their own for awhile.
Chris spent a couple of decades exploring Europe and Asia, searching out the back areas those only locals usually find. He learned a couple of languages he hadn�t caught on to earlier in his travels. He always moved on before people would question why he didn�t age or how he picked up knowledge so quickly. He could change their thoughts to think he was aging or to think it was normal how quickly he learned, but he never thought it was worth the bother. Moving around was never a problem for Chris, he actually enjoyed the variety it provided. It wasn�t until the early nineteen nineties he showed up in the United States and set to creating an identity to start a new life.
Lance headed off to the Orient to immerse himself in the teachings of the Karma Sutra and to explore his powers further. He was convinced he could extend his powers by digging deeper into that which gave him his power and immortal life. It was almost thirty years before he felt he had come to the end of his studies in the Orient and took off to explore the world further. Unlike Chris, he never had to worry what people would think if he didn�t age because he could control how they thought he looked. He worked his way into the United States in the late nineteen eighties and like Chris worked to set up his new identity.
* * * * *
They hadn�t spoken for the forty years they had been apart, but both knew their time apart was going to come to a close soon. It had been almost a hundred years since they were last lovers, but they would forever be friends. They both found as more time went on, the more they felt drawn to each other. It wasn�t until nineteen ninety-five Chris came up with the perfect way for them to be joined again.
Chris had met Justin Timberlake at auditions for the singing he felt would complete this identity. The idea to form a group and invite Lance to join was quickly formed. He called Justin who quickly called JC Chasez. The three met up with Joey Fatone at a club. Chris knew the only missing piece was Lance as their bass singer. He quickly implanted the seed into Justin�s mind to call his old vocal coach whom he had already embedded the memory of teaching Lance into. His plan was set and all it needed was to be set in motion.
Lance knew as soon as he received the call he would have to change his appearance in every ones eyes who saw him. He could not be seen as a twenty-something year old man who exuded sex with his every lazy movement. At seventeen a young man was not confident enough to pull any person he wanted into his snare. Nor was a seventeen-year-old boy from Mississippi supposed to be well traveled and spoken. Lance quickly adapted further the accent he had learned just a couple of months before when he had decided to try to survive and meditate in the quietness of the Southern United States. He had his hair styled to look more drab and boring. He also went out to buy a wardrobe of jeans and t-shirts. He even found a few pairs of overalls he figured with amusement any good Mississippi boy would own. He was set to go to Florida to reunite with his companion and begin a new faze of their life together and only had to do the simplest of mind-magic to make people see what he wanted them to.
Lance arrived in Florida in the Fall of nineteen ninety-five and quickly headed to the home of Justin Timberlake who would be his band mate very soon. He fought to control his expression the first time he faced Chris again after all their time apart. All Lance really wanted to do was pull Chris into his arms and plunge his tongue into the mouth he hadn�t tasted in forty years. For although they had not been lovers in a long time, the affection between the two had never lessened. The smirk on Chris� face at seeing Lance�s disguise helped to control the urges going through Lance quickly.
�I�m James Lance Bass.� He said quietly, fighting to keep from pulling all the men in the room into his snare. Lance quickly realized he should have fed before he came into this situation. It had been too long for him and it made his power harder to control; his body knew what it wanted even if Lance was determined to fight it.
�I�m Justin Timberlake.� The youngest of all of them said. �This is JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick. I don�t mean to be rude, but are you ready to sing. I�ve heard so many wonderful things about your voice, I can�t wait to hear it.�
�Okay. You wanted The Star Spangled Banner, right?� Lance asked quite prepared for the entire audition although he tried to portray he was nervous. At all of their nods, he began to sing. Three jaws quickly dropped at the beauty and power of his voice. Chris just sat back and soaked up the sound of Lance�s voice vowing to never be apart from him this long again.
�Wow.� Joey said as soon as Lance was finished. �Your voice is amazing. Do you think you�re ready to try a song with all of us?� Lance nodded and they quickly handed him the music sheets for �I Thought She Knew� and waited for him to read over the music before they began. A couple of minutes later everyone in the room knew the group had been formed. What the other three didn�t know was two old friends had finally been reunited.