The living room was a mess. Not only were Sean's toys spread all over the ground, but the plate you'd had your lunch on hours earlier was still sitting on the table, your glass sitting next to it on a coaster. Sean's spill-proof cup was lying on its side on the carpet, a small spot of liquid had worked its way into the carpet. So much for spill- proof. At least it was only apple juice and not something that would stain.
As you surveyed the mess from your position on the floor right in the middle of it all, you shook your head. JC would not be happy when he came home. But in your own defense, you'd been playing with Sean all afternoon and hadn't had a moment to clean any of it up. You realized that excuse wouldn't work on JC and you sighed as you watched your son climb to his feet. Bending down, he grabbed a hot wheel car and made his way over to you, little legs climbing onto your own in an attempt to get closer to you. You grabbed onto his waist to hold him steady, his feet barely touching your legs as you pulled him closer.
His goal, you found out, was to drive the hot wheel across your forehead and down your cheek before running it over your mouth. You tipped your head back laughing, trying to get away from his assault but he persisted, leaning his little body into your own in an attempt to get his hands close enough to your face. He laughed happily as you fell backwards onto the carpet, cradling his body in your arms so he didn't fall. Finally, the car fell to the ground and he lifted his head, eyes meeting your own as he crawled up your chest, smile plastered across his face.
"Hi dada." It was his new thing. He said hi to you, JC, and anyone else that happened to be in your house at least twenty times a day. Neither of you were sure why, exactly, considering it wasn't a new word for him, but regardless it still made you smile.
"Hey, kiddo." Sitting back up, you rested him in your lap. He was tired, it was evident in his face. "How about we watch a movie?" Tired, but hopeful eyes met your own as he nodded. "Yeah? Which movie do you want to watch?"
"Nemo!" You refrained from sighing. That movie got played daily. It was to the point you could probably recite the entire thing from memory. But if it kept him quite on the couch while you cleaned up the mess before JC got home, Nemo it was.
Standing with him still in your arms, you bent down to grab his juice and set him down on the couch. Once the cup was grasped tightly in his little hands, you turned to find the movie, only to be stopped by the small whimper that came from his mouth. Turning back to him, you saw him pull the cup close to his chest as his met your eyes, tears shimming in his own.
"Blanky," he said, eyes dropping to his cup. Of course, how could you forget the blanky? Scanning the living room, you saw it tossed on the chair across from you, hanging of the edge and you grabbed it quickly before the tears turned into sobs. That was all you needed was for JC to come home to a messy house and a sobbing child. Once he had the blanket in his possession, curled around his hand and brushing his cheek, and the movie was in, the beginning scenes playing across the TV, you turned and surveyed the mess once again.
*****
You heard the front door open just as you were finishing putting away the last few dishes you'd washed and dried. Sean was asleep on the couch, had fallen asleep ten minutes into the movie and had been clutching his blanket tightly when you'd left the room.
You heard JC moving around, setting his keys on the table by the door, hanging his jacket up in the closet, setting his bag down by the closet door, shifting through the stack of mail piled next to his keys. It made you smile to know that some areas of your life were so predictable. Like the fact that you knew JC's routine every time he stepped in the door. It was a comfort you liked and appreciated. But it also made you remember just how unpredictable he could still be in your life. Like how you'd come home two days ago from golfing to find Sean at your mother's house and your own house lit only by candlelight, a romantic meal for two spread out in the dinning room, and JC standing in the living room, surrounded by soft jazz music and the aroma of scented candles, waiting for you.
Moving down the short hallway, you slid up behind him, wrapping your arms around his waist and nuzzling your nose into his neck. His hands found yours, resting on top of them and squeezing softly. You could feel the smile against your cheek as he relaxed back into your chest.
"Hey, baby." He turned in your arms, eyes meeting your own as he leaned in for a kiss. “I take it Sean is asleep?”
“How’d you guess?”
“When he doesn’t come tearing ass toward me the minute I step into the door, he’s gotta be asleep.” His fingers, still laced with yours, played gently over the smooth skin on the inside of your wrist. “Did you wear him out today?”
“Mmm, I think it was mutual. If I stopped right now, I’d probably fall asleep too.” The yawn slipped out before you could stop it, proving your point. JC laughed lightly.
“Poor baby.” His eyes glimmered with laugher and happiness and mischief. “I could really wear you out. If you were interested of course.”
“Was there ever any doubt?”
“How long has he been asleep?” JC asked, nodding toward Sean, still asleep on the couch, blanket pulled close to his tiny body.
“Twenty minutes or so. He’ll be out for awhile.” You moved in, letting your lips fall against the side of JC’s neck, your arms wrapping around his waist. “We have plenty of time.” Pulling you closer, he started to move backwards, pulling you with him toward the stairs, hand already sliding up under your shirt, sliding over your back. But just as you reached the first step, the phone started ringing. Pulling away, you sighed against his shoulder.
“Let it ring,” he whispered in your ear. “The machine will get it.”
“I can’t,” you said, reluctantly pulling away from him. “I’m waiting for a call from Johnny.” You weren’t on the phone long and when you hung up, JC glanced over at you curiously.
“He had the details for that benefit concert I’m performing at. It’s next month. I get three songs.” It was for a children’s charity and a lot of big name artists had agreed to perform. You’d been thinking about it for a while. You’d even figured out what songs you were doing. Well, hopefully. If everything went the way you wanted it to, there’d be two songs off your most recent album and one song that was much older. That was if you could get JC to agree to your plan. Glancing back at him, you considered for a moment how to approach the subject. But it was finally when he asked you what you were thinking about so intently, a smile apparent on his lips, that you finally just grabbed his hand and lead him through the house into the studio he’d had installed not long after he’d finally moved in to this house with you, all those years ago.
He sat down in one of the swivel chairs, eyes intent on you as you worked the controls on the soundboard, but he asked no questions. The music was keyed up quickly and flowed out of the speakers into the room. Your eyes turned to him, watching for his reaction, waiting for the moment when he recognized the song. It didn’t take him long, even through you’d changed it considerably. His eyes turned to yours immediately, questions clear in the bright blue orbs.
“What’s this for?” He asked as your voice filtered through the speakers.
“I was planning on using this for the benefit. If that’s ok with you of course. It is your song after all.” You grinned at him, causing him to grin back and reach for you, pulling until you settled on his lap.
“Why do I get the feeling there’s more to this than simply asking me if you can use a song I wrote?” His hand slid across your thigh, rubbing lightly along the rough denim. You turned so your eyes were meeting his again and sighed. He did have to be that perceptive, didn’t he? “And no, I’m not that perceptive. I can just read your mind.” Your eyes found his, shock apparent in your own.
“How in the hell?” He laughed gently.
“Justin, how long have we known each other? And how long have we been together? I think by now I know each and every look that passes across your face.” His fingers came up, running across your cheek, down to your lips. “Like the little pout you had just a moment ago. It said you were slightly irritated that I knew there was more to this then you were letting on. So,” he pulled his hand back, moving it back around your waist, “tell me what this is all about.”
“I want you to perform it with me.” There, you’d said it. His smile was gentle as he pulled you closer. You knew how he felt. After Nsync had ended, he’d started working more in the studio, producing and writing for other artists. And he loved it, loved working behind the scenes. He’d grown up more, and performing had stopped being as fun to him as it use to be. He liked the quieter life, liked not having the attention on him all the time. Asking him to do this with you was big. And you could honestly say you had no idea what his reaction would be.
“Just like that? You want me to perform with you?”
“Look, Jace. I know how you feel about it. But you loved it, once upon a time. And I’m not asking for a tour, or even a whole show. It’s just one song. With me. For me.”
“For you, huh? And you think that’s going to turn my decision in your favor, because it’s for you?” His tone was teasing and you relaxed. At least he wasn’t mad about this.
“Of course,” you said, teasing back.
“Well in that case, since it’s for you.” He trailed off, eyes shimmering.
“Is that a yes?” You mentally crossed your fingers.
“For you, it’s always a yes.” You stared at him for a minute before a grin spread across your face and you jumped to your feet, grabbing his hand and pulling him up from the chair, spinning him around the room. He laughed as he spun, hands clutching your own tightly.
*****
“I still don’t see why this is such a big deal.” You were leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed as JC went through the draws of his dresser, pulling some clothes out and tossing them on the bed. You were already packed and your bag was sitting downstairs by the front door. Since he’d stopped touring, he’d forgotten how to pack quickly, even through he’d come out on tour with you through the years.
This wasn’t a new argument. In the three weeks since JC had agreed to perform with you, the two of you had been arguing about it off and on. And so far, JC wasn’t budging. This was your last attempt at convincing him it was a good idea.
“No, Justin. I won’t subject him to that. There’s absolutely no reason Sean needs to be there. He won’t understand it. Besides, who are we going to leave him with while we’re onstage?” You glanced at the clock on the bedside table, noting you had a little over an hour until you had to leave for the airport, before turning back to face him.
“My mom is coming. She can look after him. No one will even know he’s ours.”
“Oh yeah, cause the fans see a two year old with your mom and they’re going to think it’s someone other than Sean. It’s not like people don’t know we have him. And everyone recognizes your mom.” He turned to stare at you for a moment, making sure you got his point, before turning toward the closet.
“It’s not like she’s going to be out in the middle of the fans. He’ll be perfectly safe. We can even have one of the bodyguards stay with her if it will make you feel better.”
“It’s not about the security, J. I just don’t want him subject to that kind of lifestyle. It’s the same reasons I couldn’t go on tour with you. And you agreed with me then. I won’t put him in that kind of chaos. At least not yet. He’s too young.”
“But it’s for a children’s charity. It makes perfect sense. I could call Jess and tell her the change of plans.” Jess was your neighbor. She lived with her mother across the street and had started babysitting for you over a year ago. She was wonderful with Sean. But so far, you’d only ever left Sean with her for an afternoon or evening. This time, she’d be staying at your house for three days while you headed to New York to do promotional press and then the concert. The truth was, that’s what scared you the most about leaving Sean at home. It wasn’t that Jess was going to be staying in you house. You’d known her and her mother for years and you trusted her. It was simply that, for the first time, you were both going to be away from Sean for more than a day. JC had tried to reassure you that everything would be ok, but you couldn’t shake the feelings you were having.
“No, Justin. I’m not budging on this. He’ll be fine here with Jess. We’re not taking him with us. End of story.” He gave you one last hard look before stepping into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. You let out a frustrated sigh and turned out of the bedroom, heading for Sean’s room across the hall.
*****
You watched JC’s face as the New York City skyline came into view out of the clouds. It was always a shock to the system, no matter how many times you saw it. And it had been awhile since JC had been in New York. Your fingers, holding his on the seat between the two of you, squeezed gently and he turned to look at you, smiling slightly.
The fight between the two of you had been forgiven and forgotten in the car on the way to the airport. You both had more important things to worry about than a fight and when you really though about it, JC was right. Sean was too young to be thrown into the celebrity lifestyle. You’d do anything to shield him from it for as long as possible. It was going to take getting home again and having him be fine for you to stop worrying about that part of it though. But things between you and JC were fine. You could smile about it now, in retrospect. And you knew that fights were inevitable. You were both so strong-willed that you were bound to clash sometime. After the fights were over, it only served to make the two of you stronger.
“You ready for all of this?”
“I’m actually more nervous than I thought I’d be. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve performed in front of an audience.” He shifted, moving your joined hands to rest on his knee. “I’ll be fine. I know the performance.”
“And I’ll be right there beside you.”
“And that’s all that matters,” he said, his smile softening to something so tender it made your heart skip a beat.
*****
You’d decided to go all out. This was your first time alone together since Sean had been born and although you were both here to work, you planned on making the weekend romantic as well.
After being shown to your room, the bellhop leaving the two of you alone, you turned and pulled JC to you, letting your lips slide over his.
“We’re all alone for three days.”
“It seems strange,” JC said, a sigh escaping his lips. “But I know Sean will be fine. And it’s been way too long since I’ve had you all to myself.”
“Which is exactly why I’m taking you out tonight.” JC’s eyebrows rose slightly in question. “I already have dinner reservations.” You pulled away and turned, grabbing your bag that was sitting on the bed and pulling it closer to you. “So get dressed.” JC smacked your ass as he moved around you, reaching for his own bag.
“Still full of surprises. What else you got under your sleeve for tonight?” he asked, eyes crinkling happily. You pulled your shirt over your head, dropping it onto the bed.
“Not a damn thing,” you said, holding out your naked arms as proof. But you knew JC could read the expression on your face. The look he sent your way said he didn’t believe for a minute that it was just going to be dinner. “Ok, so I might have something else planned. But it’s a surprise and you’re just going to have to wait.” He simply shrugged and grabbed his clothes out of his bag before heading into the bathroom to get ready.
*****
The small Dim Sum restaurant was located in Greenwich Village. JC had found it one afternoon when you’d all been in town during the No Strings Attached tour. You’d been there for almost a week, getting everything ready for the HBO special at Madison Square Gardens and you’d had an afternoon free. Dragging the bodyguards along, you, JC and Chris had headed down to the Village to browse around. JC still claimed it had the best Dim Sum food anywhere.
You’d wanted a limo, but JC had reminded you that a limo was the easiest way of being recognized and he wanted as few interruptions as possible tonight. He had a point and you quickly agreed to the taxi. And when your taxi pulled up outside the restaurant, the smile on JC’s face made it worth the fact that you weren’t really a huge fan of Dim Sum food. Taking his hand, you led him into the restaurant.
As he ate his dinner, chopsticks working the food from his plate to his mouth, you smiled fondly at him across the table. You had more than enough money to afford New York City’s most expensive restaurants, but JC was perfectly content to sit in a small restaurant in the Village eating a relatively inexpensive dinner. He looked up, catching your eye over his wine glass.
“What?”
“Nothing, just remembering when we first got together.” His smile matched yours, your eyes locking over the table. “How I tried to wine and dine you until you sat me down and promptly reminded me that you didn’t need my ‘damned money,’ that you had more than enough of your own, thank you very much, and my wooing tricks weren’t necessary.” You grinned widely. “If I remember correctly, you told me that I already had you. All I had to do was get my head out of your ass and keep you.” JC laughed quietly, his grin meeting your own.
“You were a real pain in the ass for about two weeks. You seemed to forget for a short time that I knew you better than almost anyone and you didn’t have to do a damn thing to impress me. But you figured it out pretty quickly.”
“I’ve always been a fast learner.” You winked across the table as you took a drink of your wine.
“It’s a good thing too, otherwise we might not be sitting here right now. I don’t know how much longer I could have put up with the wining and dining. It was starting to get on my nerves.”
“Which is why we’re sitting here now and not at some upscale restaurant in Midtown. I knew you’d love this so much more.” He reached across the table for your hand, pulling it to his lips for a soft kiss before letting it go.
“I’d much rather have a quiet dinner with you than the media frenzy an expensive restaurant would have caused. I’d always much rather have you over the fame.” His voice had dropped to a soft whisper, but his eyes held yours and you could see the love shinning brightly. Love for you and you alone.
“Love you, Jace.”
“Love you back.”
*****
While you were eating, you’d talked Lonnie, who was in town for the concert, but was leaving you alone for tonight, into running an errand for you. The large bodyguard had originally bulked at the idea, stating that he was a bodyguard, not a personal assistant, and he didn’t do bitch jobs. He’d been around since the beginning and you knew how to get to him. You knew he’d always had a soft spot for JC and you played up to that. He’d finally, begrudgingly, agreed.
When the two of you walked out of the restaurant, he was waiting for you, leaning against a silver SUV. JC’s eyes found him immediately, curious and a bit worried. But as you took the nondescript bag from Lonnie’s hands, JC’s eyes shifted to you, the worry gone but the curiosity remaining.
“Thanks, Lonnie.”
“Yeah yeah. You owe me, J. Just remember that.” With a quick smile he climbed back in the SUV and after he’d driven away, you met JC’s eyes. His eyebrows were raised slightly.
“Sending Lonnie on errands now?”
“Just for this,” you said, holding up the bag.
“And what, exactly, is this?” He tried reaching for the bag, but you pulled it back.
“This is something you’re just going to have to wait for.” You winked quickly and then turned away from him, raising your hand to call for a cab. When you told the driver to take you to Central Park, you caught JC’s smile out of the corner of your eye. He knew you too well and you were sure he’d figured it out by now. But you still weren’t telling him what was in the bag.
The park was busy, but you managed to find a relatively quiet spot, nestled under some trees. JC sat down next to you as you reached into the bag, pulling out two containers and two forks. JC smiled when he saw the cheesecake.
“I seem to remember someone saying tonight was all about me.” JC smiled softly, a teasing gleam in his eyes.
“Oh it is. But you got your damn Dim Sum, I get my cheesecake. Besides, you like cheesecake, so stop complaining or I might just have to eat your piece as well.”
“Do it and die,” JC said, hand moving to your leg, fingers hovering over the spot you were most ticklish. You laughed lightly and offered the container over as a peace offering. Once he had the container securely in his hands, he sat back against the tree, stretching his legs out and slipping his flip flops off his feet.
As you both ate your dessert, your eyes roamed the park, taking in all the activity. But they always landed back on JC after a few moments. You were still, after all this time together, so very much in love with him. And you knew this day, this weekend, was just the thing you’d needed together. Not that there were problems, but neither of you had really had a moment off since Sean had been born. And having this weekend alone was something special.
Your eyes were wandering again when you felt JC’s foot against your leg, toes rubbing gently against your denim covered calf. When you met his eyes, he was smiling softly at you and you couldn’t help but smile back. Moving the empty container off his lap, you leaned in to press a quick, soft kiss against his lips before laying on your back, head resting on his outstretched legs. His fingers rested on the top of your head immediately and you closed your eyes as he started massaging gently.
You weren’t sure how long you laid there, JC’s fingers massaging your short curls, when you felt a raindrop land on your face. Opening your eyes, you met JC’s own eyes. He too had noticed the rain and he sighed heavily as you got up, collecting your trash quickly. As you made your way out of the park the rain picked up slightly, a steady drizzle falling by time you made it to the street and hailed a cab. But just as you were about to climb in, JC’s hand on your arm stopped you.
“Let’s walk.” You looked at him like he was insane.
“Are you crazy? It’s raining.”
“I know.” His smile was tender as he glanced from your shocked face up to the sky. “It’s not far, Justin. Let’s walk.” And, as you apologized to the cabbie and shut the door, you figured it was the eyes that did it. You’d never been able to say no when he looked at you, eyes so bright and full of love and trust. Grabbing his hand, you started to walk down the sidewalk back toward your hotel. His pace was leisurely, like he didn’t have a care in the world and you slowed down to match him, fingers linking and squeezing gently with his own.
“You know, this shirt is dry clean only. It’s probably gonna be ruined,” you teased, eyes glancing toward him. He shrugged lightly.
“It’s mine anyway. So don’t worry about it.”
“But I loved this shirt,” you moaned, face drawing up into a pout, his laugher filling the air around you. And even though the rain was cool, drenching you with a cold chill, a warmth at the happiness in his voice spread through you, warming you down to your very soul.
*****
The following day we spent in a whirlwind of activity. It started with an early morning wake up before heading to the venue to rehearse, followed by media interview after media interview and pictures upon pictures. A dinner at an expensive restaurant in the middle of New York City was thrown in there for the photo opps it held. Neither of you was overjoyed with the idea of a public dinner, but knew it was inevitable. The fact that JC was performing was big news, considering he’d not done anything live since the end of Nsync and the media was eating it up. Throw in the fact that he was performing with you and the level of interest shot up considerably.
You remembered when the two of you had first come out. You’d decided it was time, both of you ready to stop pretending. You’d talked about it extensively before you both decided you were ready, were both on the same page. Then you’d called MTV to give them the exclusive, along with a few stipulations. All you’d told them before agreeing to sit down in front of their cameras was that it’d be the two of you talking, no interviewers, no questions. And it would be aired in its entirety, not edited to their liking. This was too important to both of you for either of you to be misquoted. They’d agreed, wanting the exclusive, and you’d seen their faces when you made the announcement. It made you smile, made you feel, for a moment, like you were giving the entire media the finger. Which was something you’d wanted to do more times than you could count over the years.
Things had exploded after that. Everyone wanted an interview, a picture, a quote, something. But you’d both said all you were willing to say at the moment. The reaction had been a mixture of good and bad. You’d gotten some credit for taking that step from both the media and other artists. But there’d also been the negative reaction. Upset parents and communities, angry slurs. You’d both taken it all graciously, not letting the negative affect you, or at least trying. And when it had affected you, you’d slipped into JC’s waiting arms and held him close, remembering why this was so important to you. Remembering that you never had to hide this again.
Now, though, years later, it had mostly been accepted as something that just was. Sure, there were still some people who had a problem with it, but you’d dealt with people reacting in a negative way toward you since you were fifteen years old and just starting out in this industry. You could deal with that.
During the interviews that morning, you’d gotten the questions about the two of you. Were you still happy? Any regrets? How was your son doing? And you and JC had both been happy to answer them. But most of the questions had strayed away from your private life and had been about the music and the concert and the charity instead. JC had gotten asked, more than once, why he’d finally decided to do a live performance again. His answer had been a soft smile in your direction, followed by a soft “Justin can be very persuasive.” You just smiled back, knowing each and every reporter that had asked the question was coming up with their own ideas, filling in the blanks in JC’s words. And you didn’t give a damn what they came up with.
*****
You were met with applause when you stepped out onto the stage after being announced. The years of wild, out of control screaming had passed as your audience had grown and matured. But the energy was still the same as it had always been. You glanced off to the side and could see JC standing in the wings, smiling brightly, ready to watch you perform.
And as the band started up, as you started singing the current single off your album, you lost all thought except for that of your performance. Through two songs, you had the audience hanging on your every move, watching intently, as wrapped up in it as you were. But you knew, you could see it in their faces. They were waiting for JC. And that thought alone made you smile into your mic. Even after all these years the fans still loved him.
When the music finally faded out on your second song, you grabbed a bottled water and took a long drink before turning to the crowd again.
“I know you guys have been waiting for him, waiting for this moment for years.” You paused and turned to look at JC, eyes locking. “I’ve been waiting for it too.” You turned back to the audience but could still feel JC’s eyes on you. “Waiting to perform with him once again. But it’s a little different this time. This time, instead of five of us, it’s just the two of us. Ladies and gentlemen, JC Chasez.”
He was met with loud rounds of applause and cheers and he took the stage, smiling brightly at the audience as he made his way to your side.
“I’d forgotten what this felt like,” he said into his mic once the noise died down once again. “I’ve got to admit, I’ve been pretty nervous over the past couple of weeks, ever since I agreed to this. And through that nervousness I never remembered what a rush it is, to see all the faces out there. It’s good to be back.” He glanced sideways at you for a moment as the music started. “This is a little something I wrote a long time ago that Justin insisted we do. Let’s see if you remember it. This is called ‘The Two of Us’.”
And then he was singing, his soulful voice filtering across the packed venue, clear and beautiful. You’d slowed down the music, turned it from a fast song into a slow, beautiful ballad. He’d loved it the moment he’d heard it and you knew this song was special to both of you. And he sounded just as wonderful singing it tonight as he had all those years ago when you’d performed it night after night during the Pop Odyssey Tour.
You picked up on the chorus, your voice blending automatically with his own. And you could tell by the look on his face that he was happy. Happy he’d done this, happy he was out here with you, performing once again. You knew it wasn’t something he wanted to pick up again like you did, but for tonight, for this moment, he was glad to be here.
The song ended to loud applause once again and he grinned widely, taking your hand as the two of you bowed to the audience. As you followed him offstage, you couldn’t help the soft smile that reached your own lips. You knew, by watching the crowd, that more of the applause was for him than for you. But you had absolutely no problem with that. He deserved it all.
That night, as you lay in bed, curled up around each other, sweaty and sticky and oh so very happy, you laid a soft kiss on his chest. Your connection, way back in the very beginning, had always been music. And tonight, up there on that stage, performing with him, you felt it again, coursing through you, filling you. There was something special about performing with him, always had been. And although you hadn’t forgotten what it felt like, it was incredible to experience that again.
And when you told him so, he smiled tenderly, kissed your forehead, and agreed wholeheartedly.
*****
When you woke up your bed was cold and empty on JC’s side and you sighed as you pulled yourself from under the covers. After your weekend alone with JC, you’d gotten use to waking up with him again every morning. But now that you were back home, Sean didn’t allow that very often. It was almost inevitable that he’d wake up first and one of you, whoever woke up first, would go get him, leaving the other to sleep. You already missed the warmth of waking up with JC next to you and getting to cuddle close for a while. But at the same time, it was a small sacrifice when the reverse was that you had Sean in your life.
Slipping on a pair of sweats, you made your way out of the bedroom and downstairs. You heard Sean talking animatedly in the kitchen and smiled as you reached the doorway. He was wide awake and munching on come cereal, talking as fast as his jaw would work in between the bites of food. Some of it was English, some of it was simply gibberish. JC was sitting at the table, cup of coffee in his hand, eyes still half closed. He looked like he could use a few more hours of sleep.
Sean saw you and a huge smile lit up his face as he called to you. JC turned in his seat to smile sleepily at you. You ruffled his hair affectionately and planted a kiss on his lips as you passed.
“Hey monkey,” you greeted Sean.
“Dada! Up.” You looked down at his still full bowl of cereal and plucked out a handful of dry fruit loops from his bowl.
“Not till you eat some more cereal,” you told him as you went to get your own bowl, filling it with cereal and milk. Setting it down on the table, you grabbed the pot of coffee and refilled JC’s cup before sitting down to eat your own breakfast. He smiled in thanks as he took a drink from the freshly filled cup.
After you finished your cereal and put the bowl in the dishwasher, you grabbed Sean out of his highchair. He was done eating and was simply playing with what was left in the bowl so it was pointless to keep him there. Setting him down, he ran off into the living room, Simba following him as you grabbed his bowl to dump. JC smacked your ass lightly as you passed and just grinned at you when you jumped and turned toward him.
“I take it the coffee finally kicked in,” you said, winking playfully at him. He nodded and grabbed you wrist, pulling you in for a quick kiss before releasing you.
“This weekend wore me out. I forgot how tiring all that goes along with something like that can be.” Your hand found his as you sat back down, fingers linking lightly with his own.
“I know I’ve said it already, but thank you again for doing that. You have no idea how much it meant to me, how happy it made me.”
“Yes I do. You seem to keep forgetting lately how well I really know you, J. Trust me, I know how much it meant to you. It meant a lot to me too.”
“Good.” You grinned and leaned in to kiss him, but pulled back when you heard him sigh softly. “What was that?”
“Justin, you know that this was a one time thing, right? I mean, maybe someday, down the road, I might do something like it again, but please don’t get ideas in your head that I’m going to go on tour with you now.” He started to say more, but you placed your fingers over his mouth, stopping him.
“I know, babe. I know you’re happy with the quiet life, working behind the scenes. I get that, and I’m ok with that. I have no disillusions that this weekend was more than what it was. It was a one time deal. And that’s perfectly a-ok with me.” You winked quickly. “Besides, I like having you all to myself, not having to share you with the world. This way I don’t have to chase away anyone lusting after your hot ass.” His laughter resounded around the room, reminding you, once again, just how lucky you were, how happy you were with your life. And if he never wanted to perform again, that’d be ok with you too. You had the memories, all of them, and those were more than enough to last you a lifetime.