These Nights

Justin/JC

Justin snuggled deeper into his comforter, wrapping the cloth tighter around his body. He smiled leaning his head back to rest on Joey’s knee. The Italian was curled up behind him on the padded bench which ran the length of the bus.

The bus was eerily quiet and much darker then usual. Lance sat across from him leaning back against an identical bench running along the opposite wall. His eyes were closed, but his breathing pattern proved him to be very much awake. It was funny how in the relatively short time they’d known each other he knew his friends that well. And in the grand scheme of things 6 years WAS a short time. JC... well that was completely different. They’d known each other forever. Justin sighed silently, looking down at the glass candle that sat between Lance and a very sleepy JC. It was the only light in the small cabin. All the shutters were closed, blocking out any passing headlights on the highway.

Chris coughed from his perch behind Lance. The sound ended their comfortable silence. It was Valentine’s Day and none of the 5 were with that special someone. JC and Chris were newly single, since their break ups with Dani and Bobbie respectively. Lance and Justin, the renewed bachelors, had stayed away from the relationship aspect of life, for fear of being used and abused again. Joey, however, sat pondering what Kellie would be doing in her Florida University dorm room, especially with him on transit from one city to another. Chris’ cough was followed by a soft sigh from Joey. Justin glanced up at him, he wore a thoughtful expression.

“Have you ever....” the phrase was a familiar one on nights like this. Often heard in the back of the bus. These nights were randomly regular. Where all 5 young men would climb onto the bigger of their two tour buses. Where they would gather quietly in the rear lounge of the moving tour bus. Silence was common, whispered questions, thoughtful answers. These were special nights... ones that were cherished long after the sun had risen. They would talk about everything and nothing, reestablishing the family like bond the five loved so much. They stayed up late enjoying the closeness and catching up with each other. Sometimes they sang, or wrote, or just sat and watched each other in silence.

“Have you ever... been in love with someone?” Joey finished shifting position in his seat. A moment of silence. Chris responded first.

“Yeah... I think I honestly loved Danielle. I always felt so comfortable when I was around her... it was safe to be me... because I knew that she liked the real me... my personality..” he spoke softly. “A real rarity in it’s self” he added smiling.

“I like your personality...” Lance laughed tilting his head back to look at his older band-mate. Chris absently petted Lance’s hair.

“I know... I know...” Chris sighed dejectedly. Justin found himself smiling at the exchange. JC snickered from his place on the back bench.

“I’ve never been in love...” Lance whispered. Joey sighed.

“Me neither...”

“Maybe Kellie will be the one to change that...” Justin rubbed the back of his head against Joey’s knee in affection.

“I hope so...how about you Juju... you ever been in love?” Joey immediately realized his mistake. He shifted nervously again, moving to lay along the wall with one arm dangling precariously over the edge. Justin drew the blanket closer. His head pressed into the bench, he turned to look again at the candle. He didn’t like where this was going either.

“Once maybe... I thought I was...” he sighed. “Who knows... whatever was there... it could’ve been stronger and it ended much to quickly.” He spoke from his heart and could almost hear JC’s breathing hitch at his words. He closed his eyes, fighting against the tears waiting to be released.

“I was in love once...” Justin tensed at the words. He dared not look up into the eyes burrowing into his forehead. The bus was quiet again. “Not puppy love either... but real honest to God love.. I miss that feeling... that rush...that joy.. I’ve never felt that much passion for another person before.” another silence.. This time not so pleasant. Justin felt stubborn tears slide from his eyes. He ducked his head further, pressing the cotton of his blanket to his face. He barely heard Chris and Lance quietly stand and leave the lounge. Joey sat up, moving to the edge of the seat. He leaned down rubbing the back of Justin’s neck.

“Please Justin....” he whispered. Justin looked up at him. His eyes wet and red rimmed. He nodded once, pulling his knees to his chest, Joey patted his shoulder before standing and retreating to the smaller lounge at the front of the bus. This was going to be a long night.

Justin quickly came to a fast conclusion:

When stuck in a room with your once-lover-now-ex-boyfriend... the air is tense and silence is deafening.

JC moved gracefully to the floor and around the candle to sit in front of Justin.

“Justin...” he whispered. His voice was small and sad and carried a pleading tone to it that nearly broke Justin’s heart all over again. Justin reluctantly opened his eyes and raised his head to look at JC. “Did you love me?”

“Yes..” he breathed the word out.

“Do you love me?”

“Yes... I’ll always love you Josh.... I’ll never be able to stop...”

“Were you ever *in love* with me?”

“I don’t know Josh...”

“Yes you do... now tell me... please Justin... were you ever in love with me?” Justin felt his heart constrict.

“I...” he took a deep breath. “I’ve always been in love with you..” he cried. He looked up at JC. Josh nodded.

“I know...” he whispered. “I know...” Justin watched with hooded eyes as JC moved to kneel in front of him.

“Josh..”

“Shh... shh..” JC peeled back the heavy comforter. Justin watched as he was carefully uncovered. JC pushed the fabric away from the blond’s body. He held Justin’s hands in his own bringing them to his lips for a gentle kiss. Justin’s eyes closed and he sighed. He’d missed those lips, those gentle kisses he knew so well. He wanted more of these kisses and caresses. One word and Josh was closer.

“More...” JC released his hands moving to trace up his arms and over his shoulders. A cotton T-shirt keeping skin from skin. Justin sighed when fingers danced across his collarbone and up the hollow of his throat, around to the nape of his neck and along the curve of his jaw. They traced the ridges of his ears and the width of his forehead. The fingers never stopped moving. They smoothed his eyelashes and traced the pink of his lips. He remembered these hands, he knew them better then his own. “Kisses..” he whispered. JC complied, replacing his finger tips with his lips. His fingers threaded through Justin’s curls as lips met lips.

Justin spread his arms and legs pulling Josh closer to him. He wanted every part of JC against every part of himself. JC moved easily into his embrace, pressing into the familiar body. Justin closed his legs around him. JC licked at Justin’s lips coaxing him into accepting the intrusion. Justin had missed his taste too.

And then Justin’s hands were slipping under fabric and moving over JC’s back, gliding over muscle and folding against curves. He pushed at the fabric when it fell in his way. JC broke away first, pilling the shirt up and over his head. It fell to the floor beside them. Justin ducked his head, kissing at JC’s neck and the pale skin he found there. Yes... he’d missed all of this.

And when JC was *finally* naked and pressed to him in a full body kiss... he finally felt home.

And when JC slid into him, slick with sweat and saliva, filling him and warming him from the inside out, all doubts of love and forever were erased from his mind.

“Josh... Josh... Josh...” the name flowed from Justin’s mouth with every breath, every brush against his prostate, every meeting of lips to skin. JC groaned pulling Justin up into his arms, cradling him to his chest. Justin moaned dropping his head to rest on JC’s shoulder. He breathed in the mixture of sweat and soap and cologne JC’s had always smelled of. He panted for air, bursts of hot breath fanning across JC’s skin. Justin pressed his hands to JC’s back in an effort to keep him close.

“Justin... I love you so much...” JC whispered the words for the first time that night. Justin arched in his arms, crying out loudly as he came between them. JC watched his lover orgasm. His eyes darkened and glazed over. His cheeks flushed an even darker red hue. Justin clenched around him before going slack against him. He moaned with each thrust and movement JC made against him. JC’s voice rang out clear and loud, as he came inside of Justin. The two collapsed back against the floor.

Justin smiled threading his fingers through Josh’s sweat slicked hair. JC panted against his chest, eyes closing, lips swollen and red from kisses. Neither wanted to move ever again. They were content to have just each other.

Joey groaned rolling over in place. Chris yelped when a stray arm hit him in the forehead.

“Lance!?!” he whined. “Move over...”

“Where would you like me to go?”

“I don’t care... just move your big ass out of my space!”

“Well excuse me... me and my big ass have no where to move too!” Lance growled back.

“Shut up! I’m tired of your constant bickering... please... spare me... we are all tired and cramped... and...” a loud moan radiated from the back of the bus. “and... nauseated... but please don’t make me homicidal...” Joey spoke through gritted teeth. “Isn’t all the noises we have to endure pain enough?” his sentence was accented by a loud cry that sounded suspiciously like Justin Timba-Timba- Timerblake. Chris giggled from beside him. Lance punched his shoulder in response.

“Oww... what was that for?” Chris whined rubbing his arm.

“Shut UP!” the two chorused.

THE END