Lance Bass heard her before he saw her face, laughing it up with his band mate Justin Timberlake as they walked into his new house in Orlando where the others were as well. He finally saw her face that he could only describe as beautiful. Her light green eyes sparkled as she laughed, tossing blonde hair over her shoulder. He felt...hurt as she neared him. She didn't know how he felt, that was what hurt him.

*Oh please Bass,* his mind scoffed at him, *she doesn't know because you don't tell her.*

He turned away quickly as her eyes darted over to him. Lance didn't want her to see how he felt because he knew it was clearly written on his face because of the looks Justin was giving him.

He sighed. *We'd be so perfect Krys.* He thought looking back at her when he was certain she wasn't looking at him.

Lance had known Krystal Rodriguez for nearly six years. Since *NSYNC started for she was Justin's childhood friend.  He'd loved her nearly as long. She had no idea though. It wasn't like he never tried to tell her how he felt. Something always got in the way. *But, tonight,* Lance told himself, *is going to be different.*

She was everything he ever wanted in a girl. She was smart, insanely funny, the good girl type. Most of the time anyway.  She was the first and only girl he'd ever loved.

"Krys? Can I...can I talk to you for a second?" Lance asked her and she looked away from Joey and Justin to smile at him.

"Sure." His heart skipped a beat.

Lance led her to the other side of the lawn.

"What'd you need to talk to me about?" She said, smiling, showing off her perfect teeth as her hands went into her back pockets; a bad habit Lance loved.

"I...uh..."

"Congrats on graduating from college so early." *I'm in love with you.*

"Thank you!" Krystal laughed and hugged him before running off.

Lance laid awake that night. He didn't want to close his eyes because he knew the dream that would come to him would be just another of Krystal. She'd haunted his dreams for the past five years. He always wondered what she was doing as he laid sleepless. He wondered if she was asleep, if she was out with her friends or out on a...date. Lance sighed and finally closed his eyes, letting sleep overtake him.

"Lance? Can we talk? Please?" Krystal asked him and he jumped up in an instant to follow her into another room, away from their friends' probing looks.

"Yeah?" He asked, looking at her as she tucked blonde hair behind her ear, another bad habit he loved.

"There's something I have to tell you..."

"Yeah?" Lance said again and wanted to kick himself for being so stupid.

"I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you for years Lance."

"I'm in love with you too." He smiled before taking her into his arms, kissing her lips.

They made love that night and hours later, Lance lied awake, watching her sleep in his arms. He knew then he'd do anything for the girl in his arms. He'd give her the world if she only asked him to.

Lance shot up in bed, sweat covering him as he looked around his dark bedroom.

It was just a dream.

He laid back down, sullen with the discovery. If only he had the guts to actually tell her his feelings for her.

"Tomorrow," he mumbled. "I'll tell her tomorrow." He finished as he fell back asleep.

"Krys, can we talk?" Lance asked her the next day and she gave him that smile.

"Sure." She said and sat down next to him on the couch.

"I uh, I have to tell you something." He said and her green eyes looked up at him.

"Yeah?"

"I love you." He said.

He didn't have to wait for a response.

Her lips on his was enough.