Hiding

By: Foxy Lady

JC was hiding. Hiding from his family. Hiding from his friends. Hiding from Justin. The day after the tour had ended, he had hopped onto a plane. All he told everyone was that he needed some time alone. Time to think. Time to write. Time to just be alone. Not that he didn't love his friends. Nothing could be further from the truth.

After five years of being together non-stop he needed time to himself. Time where he can reflect. Time to think of the mistakes he has made. Including the biggest one of all, and the main reason why he was hiding out. He had fallen in love with one of his four friends. He didn't know it had happened really. One day he loved him as a best friend. Someone he could talk to. Someone who was always there with a smile or a joke to make him laugh. Then one day that changed and he realized that he was in love. In love with someone he shouldn't be in love with.

He thinks even the other guys knew how he felt. Kids on one of the internet boards had even started making comments about the two of them during the tour. They all could see he was in love with Justin. Everyone except Justin himself.

So instead of telling Justin how he felt, he had ran. Found a house in Virginia Beach, and rented it for the summer. No one knew the house except for the realtor and his mother, and she wouldn't tell anyone where it was. He had been here a week already, and he had gotten a lot of thinking done. All this thinking and solitude had made him realize that deep down he had always loved Justin. As far back as he could remember he had loved him, would have done anything for him, wanted him.

He had just fought this feelings because Justin was so young when they met, and when he was old enough, he had Britney, and it was too late for him to say anything. Now Britney was somewhat out of the picture. Justin had never really said what had happened there. Just said they were having some problems, and left it at that. He hadn't pushed for details. If Justin wanted to talk to him, he knew where to find him. Until a week ago that is. He felt bad that he hadn't even told Justin where he was going, but then he wouldn't have been hiding.

JC leaned against the railing of the deck looking out over the water as the waves hit the beach. He moved away from the railing over to the stairs and climbed down walking through the sand in his bare feet. He walked along the shore with his hands in his pockets and his head lowered. He wished he could see Justin right this moment. If he could, he would quit this charade and tell him how he really felt for him.

He turned to walk back towards the house looking up as he got close. He stopped when he saw a figure standing on the deck. He closed his eyes briefly, and looked again. The figure was still there. He shook his head as he ran his hand through his hair. He was losing it if he was thinking that he saw Justin. Justin, the man he loved. Justin, the man he run from. Justin, the person he had come here to hide from.

As he walked closer to the house, he saw that Justin wasn't a figment of his imagination. that he indeed was standing there. In a pair of jeans and a black wifebeater, a baseball cap on his head. As JC walked up the stairs, Justin looked down at the deck at his feet."Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," JC said as he leaned against the railing.

Justin took the cap off his head and ran his hand over his shaved head. "Listen, I know I probably shouldn't even be here, but I had to talk to you."

"How'd you find out where I was?"

Justin shrugged his shoulders. "I asked your mom, and told her I needed to see you, and she told me."

JC sighed. "Well, she shouldn't have, and you are right you shouldn't be here." JC pushed past Justin and walked inside the beach house. He didn't know what he was doing. Just minutes before he had been planning on telling him if he saw him, and now that Justin was here he was pushing him away.

JC could hear Justin following behind him. He wished Justin would just go away. Leave him alone. Allow him the time to get over him during this break and move on. JC walked upstairs and into his bedroom. As he began to close the door, a hand reached out to stop it. He sighed and walked out onto the balcony. "Justin, just go. I don't want to talk right now."

Justin shook his head as he stepped out onto the balcony. "What did I do, Jayce? You seem like you've been mad at me for awhile now and I can't figure out why."

JC sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "I'm not mad at you, Justin. It's just complicated."

Justin walked up to JC and stood in front of him. JC was leaning his back against the railing. "JC, you have been my best friend forever. I tell you practically everything, and now you're hiding something from me, and I want to know what it is."

"No, Justin, I'm not going to tell you."

"Jayce, what is so bad that you can't tell me? Nothing is going to change how I feel about you, so just tell me."

JC threw his hands up in the air. "Fine. You want me to tell you why I came here. I'll tell you." JC looked up at his friend before turning away.

"I'm waiting, JC." Justin leaned against the railing next to his friend.

JC stood silent for a few moments looking out over the ocean before letting out a loud sigh and turning towards his friend. "You want to know why I ran off and hid from all of you. You want to know why I've been acting different around you lately. Then I'll tell you." JC took a step back from the balcony railing. He turned his back to Justin, and whispered, "It was because I fell in love with you."

Justin didn't say anything, and JC turned to look at him. "What did you say?"

JC threw his hands up in the air. "I said I love you, Justin."

Justin nodded his head. "I thought that is what you said. Just checking."

JC sighed shaking his head. "Is that all you have to say? You aren't going to scream or yell?" Justin shook his head. "Try and hit me?" Justin shook his head again. "Then what are you going to do then, Justin?"

Justin raised his hand to his chin as if he were thinking. After a moment, he reached out and pulled JC to him and kissed him. When he pulled back, he smiled. "That is what I am going to do, JC." As he saw the confused look on JC's face, he laughed. "I love you, too, JC."

"You do?"

Justin nodded his head as he wrapped his arms around JC's waist. "I have for a long time, but I just didn't say anything. I was worried that you would get mad or something."

It was now JC's turn to laugh. He buried his face in Justin's neck, and let out a small laugh. "I thought the same thing, baby."

Justin moved so that he could see JC's face. "What'd you call me?"

JC began to blush and whispered, "Baby. If you don't like it, I won't call you that anymore."

Justin shook his head before kissing JC's forehead. "I like it. I just had waited to hear you call me that forever that is took me by surprise."

"Well, get used to it, baby. I plan to call you that a lot more in the future."

"Good. So are you done hiding now?"

JC shook his head. "I figured we could hide together now."

"Ooh, I like the way you think."

JC took a step back from Justin and walked backwards towards the bedroom. "Why don't you come show me what else you like about me, baby?"

Justin laughed as he ran after JC. Once inside the room, he closed the door behind them, and shut the drapes so they could hide from the world.

The End

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