"So JC has a new boyfriend," Chris said and chewed on one of the carrot sticks that was drenched in the ranch dressing. Justin nodded across the kitchen island and reached for the celery stick on the platter. "They've been dating a while."
"So I've heard," Justin replied and bit into the food with a loud crunch. He chewed a bit as Chris attacked the dressing again. It was nice having this planned group lunch, even if a couple of them still weren't there yet. Lance was hosting it, finding himself lost in his bedroom still, running behind in picking his outfit, something Chris laughed at and said something about how he was the gayest straight male he knew.
Justin swirled another piece of celery in the dip as he swallowed his food and met Chris's stare.
"How's the album coming along?" he asked and Justin shrugged. It took him many hours, many days, to work up the courage to go to each one of them and tell them he wanted to do a solo album. It had been accepted easily, so easily that he wondered why he took that long to wait. JC had seemingly been the most encouraging friend and he couldn't help but smile now in Lance's kitchen at the thought. His friend, supportive JC.
Lance walked into the room and they looked towards him as he held his arms out. "Green is my color."
"If you say so," Chris replied as the doorbell rang. "That must be Joey."
It was Joey and they found themselves moving the dip and chips to the living room. Justin brought his foot up, resting it on the table as he leaned back in the couch, enjoying his day off from going into the studio and writing. It had been a month or so since they had all been together and Justin bit his lip nervously, waiting for JC, wondering how that would be like.
He didn't wait that much longer when the doorbell rang and he sat up, feeling nervous for some reason. Chris went to answer the door and Justin watched the exchange of shadows before they walked into the room. A stranger was walking behind them and Justin brought his hand up to his hat, pulling it down to cover his eyes slightly with shadows.
"Hey, this is Adam," JC said after the initial hello's were shared. Justin looked over him. "My boyfriend."
Justin seemed to push his back into the couch as he watched 'the boyfriend' shake hands with them, finally sticking it out for Justin to take. He shook it slightly, letting go quickly so Adam could shake Lance's hand and he looked back to JC as if for confirmation. He had heard about JC going on dates, talked to him about it too, but had always assumed it was with someone different, but with JC looking at Adam with his eyes wide of excitement, Justin figured it had only been one person he was dating.
His stomach dropped and his eyes welled up as if he wanted to cry, before he cleared his throat and sat up.
"I'm going to the bathroom," he said to no one specifically but they all nodded as he made his exit. He didn't care that Joey took his seat, didn't care that JC was looking at him curiously, but he entered the bathroom, pulling the hat lower as he leaned back against the closed door.
He was jealous. Completely.