"Call it!"

Lance looked on lazily, the heat from the hot Carribean sun beat down on him. A slow smile spread across his fragile features, and he traced little circles in the sand. It didn't matter, nothing mattered when he was so near. Heads or tails, he would make sure they travelled on the same bus for the rest of the tour.

"Heads! Shit!" Laughter erupted from him. Lance frowned, so deep it tugged the corners of his mouth down involuntarily. Fuck, heads, what did that mean? He couldn't remember. Chris' coin had landed, and he couldn't remember.

"That's it. When we fly back, Lance and Joey get the small bus. Ha! Loosers!" Chris' voice tinkled through Lance's ears, and his cheeks burned painfully. No, he wouldn't let them be separated, he just wouldn't. Panic washed over him and he shook JC's shoulder.

"We have to travel in different buses?" The question was posed , the answer was feared.

Blue eyes met green ones tauntingly. "Don't be like that. It's only the bus. We still have the hotels." With that, he was gone, up and off in the sand, tossing a frisbee with Justin, leaving Lance dumbfounded. What had happened recently? JC was growing more and more distant, treating their relationship second rate.

"Fuck." Lance felt the tears sting his eyes, but refused them. Crying was weakness, and he'd be damned if JC was going to make him cry, not this time, not on the beach of paradise.

A large hand landed on his shoulder and Lance blinked hard, catching the soft brown eyes gazing at him. "Hey, buddy. You okay?" Joey saw the obvious pain in his friend's face, the torment and the frustation of JC's aloofness. "Want me to kick his ass?"

Lance snorted bitterly, picking up a sea shell and tossing it aside. "No, it wouldn't do any good. You'd just squash him and I'd be more miserable."

Joey frowned. Hurting Lance was not an option. While teasing was in his voice, his heart was hot with the pain Lance felt, pain that JC himself caused day in and day out. Joey stared out at him, resisting the urge to tackle his skinny ass to the sand and make him hurt. No one should hurt Lance, not ever. The most gentle soul Joey had ever encountered, and JC had no right. "Hey, about the bus, at least we get our own beds. We'll make it the par'tay bus, right?" He nudged Lance with his elbow, but no amount of good cheer could pull him from his funk. Joey knew exactly what was in Lance's mind, sleeping alone without his lover's arms to protect him.

"Yeah, it'll be fine," Lance answered, portraying the true dispair and helplessness he felt. For reasons unknown, JC had treated him badly for the past few months, and it was taking it's toll on him. He forced a smile to thank Joey for caring and laid back down in the sand, covering his eyes with his sunglasses and praying for the heat to burn the hurt out of his heart. Home would be better. Almost. Soon. Home with JC was always better. Touring was not condusive to their relationship, however new it was, it just killed it. Stealing one more glance at JC running in the sand, he sighed, rolling over on his stomach, making the tears stay at bay.

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Email the Author: Destiny Jade