CHAPTER 7

The days went by quickly. JC's book was almost done and he was just in the process of assembling the photos he needed. He even promised Johnny that it would be done in a month which pleased his agent immensely.

JC's feelings towards Justin also changed. JC found himself crushing hard on Justin Timberlake. The once-upon-a-time jerk was now the star of JC's dreams. Not to mention the number of poems he had already written about Justin's smile, hands and various other body parts. Oh yeah, 'Plums' was definitely going to turn people on!

Justin would frequently come over to Lance's apartment or they would all hang out at Justin's. Often Justin would play them his latest projects and get feedback from them. At times he would just play the guitar for them while Lance and Chris snuggled and JC sat staring at Justin. JC was convinced that Justin was going to get big in the industry; much bigger than he already was.

"You like him, don't you?"

JC was shaken from his reverie by Lance's comment. Justin had just left for the night and JC was still sitting side-ways in the armchair, with his head tilted back, staring at the ceiling. He moved to sit properly.

"What? Who?"

"You know. The blond, blue-eyed soul machine you have been goggling at for the past week."

JC pretended ignorance.
"I have no idea..."

"Please JC. I've known you since we were in high school. And you look at Justin the same way you looked at Andy Maslow back in senior year. Like he put the stars in the sky and the twinkle in the stars."

JC's face turned red.
"I do not look at Justin like that!" he exclaimed, then added. "Do I?"

Lance smiled.
"Yes you do. But don't worry. I don't think he had noticed it."

JC closed his eyes and groaned.
"Oh man! I can't believe I'm acting like..."

"A guy who has a crush. There's nothing wrong with a crush, JC. It's only wrong if you don't do something about it."

"Like what?"

"Ask him out. You know he's single and looking so why not?"

"Please! Have you forgotten he used to hate the sight of me?"

"You used to call him a jerk and now you're jerking off to him."

JC's mouth fell open.
"How did you..."

Lance smirked.
"Lucky guess."

JC glared at his friend.
"You're pure evil, Lance."

"Compliments aside, so you gonna ask him out or what?"

JC shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe. Let me think about it."

"Ok, but if I see you still making goggly eyes at him a week from now, I'm gonna have to give you a swift kick in the ass."

"Yeah yeah"

Lance left him alone with his thoughts after that.

JC wondered if he could do it. He had never asked a guy out. Usually it was the other guy who would ask him out. But the way he figured, perhaps it was because he took such a laid-back, passive approach to his relationships, that they usually ended badly. Maybe it was finally time to make the first move; to take charge!

JC was invigorated by that thought and promised himself that he would ask Justin out...in two days. After all he needed to pluck up his courage.

However, the very next day, he got his opportunity.

Lance and Chris had left for the night to go catch a movie and a late dinner. JC decided that having the apartment to himself was a good idea since he was just a few poems away from completing his book. The words were all down. It was just a matter of tweaking and tuning.

As JC was writing down the verse running though his head, he heard the doorbell sound. Wondering who it was, he got off his bed and shuffled his way to the door.

JC checked through the peep-hole and saw Justin. He looked down at his old stained t-shirt with a hole in front and threadbare pyjama pants and swore. He considered running back to his room and changing but the doorbell sounding again made his resign himself to looking like a hobbie in front of Justin.

"Hi!" JC greeted with a smile as he pulled open the door.

Justin grin faltered for a second when he looked at JC. JC inwardly groaned.

"Hey. You busy with anything?"

"No, why?"

"I just thought...I mean, I know Lance and Chris have gone out for the night and...I was just gonna order in some takeout Chinese. Lance told me you were nuts about Chinese. So...you wanna join me?" Justin asked with a shrug.

JC didn't have to give it any thought.
"Sure!"

Justin's grin returned full force.
"Come on."

"Um...I need to get into some decent clothes first."

Justin's eyes ran down JC's body from head to toe. JC felt like he was going to internal combust.

"You look fine to me," Justin said with a lazy smile, then added, "But hey, come over when you're ready." and went back to his apartment.

JC closed the door and swooned against it. He then recovered quickly and ran to his room and pulled the t-shirt off his body and replaced it with a clean gray one which skimmed his torso. He then slipped out of the pyjama pants and tugged on his favourite pair of jeans. He ran his hands though his hair and nodded at the mirror in satisfaction. Slipping a ten into his jeans pocket, he made his way out of the apartment and knocked on Justin's door.

"Come in," Justin invited, opening the door.

JC stepped in, taking in the apartment for the first time since his misunderstanding with Justin. The place looked much cleaner now although the guitar still remained on one of the armchairs and paper still littered the floor.

"What would you like?" Justin asked, waving the take-out menu in the air.

"Hong Kong style fried noodles and fried dumplings," JC said without even needing to look at the menu.

Justin smiled and nodded as he picked up the phone.
"Make yourself at home...like you did," Justin said with a grin.

JC grinned and made himself comfortable on the couch. As he settled in, he found a folder on the couch. He moved to put it on the table but some paper slipped out from them. JC was about to pick them up and put them back in when he noticed that they were not papers but rather photos...of Justin.

"Our order will be here in 20 mi...,"

JC blushed.
"I didn't mean to be nosey. I was just moving the folder and..."

"It's ok," Justin said with a shrug and smile. "It's just some promotional pictures. Take a look. I'm fine with it."

JC took the chance to look at the glossy pictures. There was nothing stylistic about the photos but the subject sure was hot. Although JC felt that Justin's smile in the photo was nothing compared to the real thing.

JC looked up to see Justin looking at him. He looked back at the photo and tried to ignore the flush in his face.
"So um...why would you need promotional pictures if your work is mostly behind the scenes?"

"Well, my agent is trying to make me cut an album and become a solo artist," Justin replied, rolling his eyes like he thought it was a ridiculous idea as he sat down beside JC.

"I can understand where he is coming from. You're so damn talented, man!" JC gushed.

Justin blushed and grinned at the same time. JC thought it was too adorable.
"Thanks but," the grin lessened to a smile. "I like being behind the scenes. It makes me feel like people appreciate my music more. You know how this business is. It's all about sex and looks. Talents comes second place. I just feel like at least in the studio, I can let music speak for me. Not how I look in a pair of leather pants or who I am currently fucking."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," JC observed, looking at Justin closely.

Justin chuckled.
"Unfortunately yes. I...well...I never told...I mean even Chris doesn't know this."

"Ok, now I'm intrigued," JC said, grinning.

"You're not to tell Chris. He'll never let up on the teasing if he finds out," Justin said, looking very seriously at JC.

"Cross my heart and all that," JC solemnly promised while fighting to not smile.

Justin leaned closer until he was just inches from JC's face. JC's breath caught from the proximity and the musky sweet smell of Justin.

"Do you want to know my secret?" Justin whispered.

JC nodded.

"I used to be in a boy band."

JC's mouth fell open and Justin laughed and leaned back.
"No way!"

"Unfortunately, yes way. And not a good boy band either. No, in this one, we were asked to lip sync, made to wear tight clothes which were all alike, forced to have beard girlfriends and sing about girls and happy preppy love all the time."

"And you did all that?" JC asked, very surprised by this bit of information.

"Yep. For six months. Then I realised that I didn't want success *that* badly and quit the band."

"Wow, and now look where you are."

Justin nodded, contemplatively.

"I guess sometimes it's all just kismet," JC mused.

"Kiss what?" Justin asked, looking at JC in confusion.

"Kismet. Fate. Sometimes things are meant to be and will just work out somehow," JC said, smiling sagely.

Justin just looked at him for a long time and lifted his hand towards JC's face.
"You know, you are really..."

The doorbell rang. Justin paused in his movement and brought his hand back down.
"I guess that's our food."

As Justin got up off the couch, JC silently cursed the delivery boy.

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