Challenge - Lollipop

Warm chocolate brown eyes focused on the small elfish man as he sat solemnly across the room from him. They had just finished their last show before they broke up to do their own things and were all sitting together in Lance and JC's hotel room. The pair were sitting comfortably together on the couch. JC resting with his back on Lance's chest while he sat between his lover's legs. Lance was idly playing with JC's long curls. Justin was lying on the floor, the same place he had collapsed when he first entered the room and hadn't moved since. Chris was sitting opposite Joey both on single armchairs, the eldest with his head thrown back against the chair and his eyes closed and Joey watching intensely.

"I'm gay!" everyone shook from their private thoughts to look at the person that had spoken up. The one of five that was finding it hard to believe he had just blurted it out like he had. He had had a plan. He was going to tell them all individually, starting of course with Lance and Jc, Nsync's token gay couple and ending with the man he was in love with. But now? Now he had no idea what to say. So he didn't say anything at all. Instead he stood up and left. Hurriedly opening the door to the room and walking out, marching as fast as he could to his own and slamming the door behind him before collapsing onto his bed.

It only took five minutes before there was knocking at his door. And he knew without doubt that it was his friends. The question was whether it was all of them or the designated peacekeeper. Not that there was any peace to keep. As a group they had already accepted and supported the relationship between Lance and JC when they had come out about three years before. So he was far from worried about them accepting his sexuality, what he was worried about however was the pact he made with himself. His promise to tell the man he loved about that love the day he came out to his friends, the day he accepted himself for what he was.

Pushing himself from his bed he walked over the door slowly. Aware of the consistent knocking. He flung it open and came face to faces with two smiling band mates.

"We are so proud of you man!" and quickly he was pulled into a three-man sandwich. He revelled in the comfort and momentarily forgot what he had to day later that day. He pulled away reluctantly after a few seconds. And moved to sit on his bed. Lance and JC followed suit.

"Thanks, I mean I knew you guys would be ok with it but I wasn't planning on just blurting it out like that you know."

"It's ok Joe, it's just great that you told us. I remember how hard it was for us, it took a lot of guts." The slim brunette said and threw his lover a smile as he threw an arm around the cuddly Italians neck.

"Thanks Jaycee."

"Hey hey! I'm not interrupting the party am I?" they all turned their attention to the door as a smiling Justin walked through it and sat in a small chair opposite the three on the bed.

"Of course not JuJu. Sorry I just left like that."

"Not a problem Joe, best news I ever heard now there are more laydees for me." he winked at his friends to show them he was joking and they all laughed at the youngster.

"Justin, you know that before I decided to ‘come our of the closet' that you owned most female hearts already right?"

"Of course." he smiled "just now I don't have to be careful as to who you have your eye on."

"You certainly don't." Joey chuckled and threw the nearest pillow to him at his youngest friend. Silence filled the room but smiles stayed in place. All four were wondering when their oldest band mate would join them. After a few minutes conversation started again and after an hour and still no sign of Chris they decided it was time to disband.

"We have like an hour to get showered, dressed up and ready to partay for our last night together. I'll meet you all in the foyer at eleven" and with those parting words the shaven headed youth bounded out of the room with a happy smile on his face, albeit tinged with sadness as tomorrow they would part and he was alone.

Only seconds after Lance and Jc left as well. Pushing at each other jokingly before taking each other's hand and running to their room.

Joey sighed once he was left alone. He was yet to get the most important response. Chris hadn't come to see him. Come to say that it was ok, which only meant that maybe it wasn't ok. That Joey wasn't accepted by the man he loved for who he was. Sadly he picked himself up from the bed and moved into the bathroom to take a much-needed shower.

Humming softly he came out refreshed and with only a towel placed loosely around his waist. It wasn't until he lifted his eyes from the floor that he stopped suddenly in shock.

"Chris? Hey, what's up man?" he was fully aware that his voice was shaky but he was hoping that his friend hadn't noticed. He had.

"So. You're gay."

"Yeah." he moved slightly from one foot to the other. The image of Chris sitting on his bed almost too much for him to take.

"So.. Always? Recently?"

"Always? I guess always I knew. But recently I admitted it to myself." Chocolate eyes met coffee and held for long seconds. Joey conscious of the fact that he was standing half naked, exposed and vulnerable in the middle of the cold room with dark coffee eyes watching his every move.

"Ok. Cool man. It's great that you told us." the elder elfish man stood and started to walk over to the nervous man before him. Halfway there he stopped and seemed to change his mind about whatever he had planned. So he smiled, a devilish Chris Kirkpatrick grin and turned to leave.

With baited breath Joey watched him reach the door before sub-consciously asking his friend to stop.

"Yeah?" Chris answered quickly and turning back to face the room with hope in his eyes. Hope that Joey could see as plain as day, although wasn't sure what exactly it meant.

"I, there's something I have to tell you."

"Ok." the tall dark haired man took a slow step closer. Followed closely by two others.

"I.. This is hard."

"We're best-friends man, whatever it is you can tell me." this time it was the shorter man's turn to take a step to shorten the distance between the two men.

"I.." another step closer.

"Yeah?" one-step closer more.

"You.." now just two steps away from each other. Eyes trained on the man opposite them. "I?" one-step apart. Breath fanning the pair as both of their breathing quickens. Gazes never broken.

"Love.."

"I get it!" no space apart. Arms entwined and lips meshed. Trembling bodies and nerves expelled, grasping, rough, quick, needy. Tongues fight, then dance, then love. Neither can breathe but neither wants to part. In time they have to.

"I love you too." Chris says. Eyes closed, breathing heavy, face buried in strong Italian neck and arms vowing to never release their hold.

"Thank you. For understanding. I love you."

"Always? Recently?"

"Always." the assault continues.