JC woke up to a loud scream, followed immediately by a string of profanities. It took his sleep laden mind a moment to realize the scream was in his mind and not physical. Immediately calling out to Justin, all the way on the other side of the country, JC’s heart rate increased, the worry causing him to awake fully.

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing, just playing a video game. Did I wake you?” Justin responded, the voice reverberating through JC’s mind.

“A video game? You screamed in my mind over a video game?”

“Sorry, babe. It was an accident.” JC could hear the guilt in Justin’s voice, sliding through his head.

It’s ok,” JC sighed. “I just got worried.”

“Go back to sleep. It has to be early there. I didn’t mean to wake you up. I’ll be more careful.” JC let his head fall back to the pillow and sighed, eyes slipping closed. As wonderful as being able to talk to Justin through his mind was, it was times like these that he cursed the connection they had.

They’d first realized they could speak to each other through their minds back on the set of MMC. It was the first time Justin was doing a solo performance and just before he went out there, in front of the crowd and cameras and all the other cast members, JC heard a voice whisper. It swirled around his mind, hitting his senses hard. His eyes had shot open and he’d look immediately for Justin, having recognized the voice, although not usually with so much fear and trepidation. Justin hadn’t even been looking at him. His eyes had been focused straight ahead, not an ounce of the fear showing on his face.

JC walked over to him, standing beside his younger cast mate, the kid who’d become like a younger brother to JC.

“You’ll do fine,” JC whispered, causing Justin to jump before looking up, bright blue eyes boring into JC’s own. The question shot immediately through Justin’s eyes. “I heard you, in my mind. You said you were scared shitless. And that there was no way you could do this.”

“How. I mean. What?”

“I don’t know how, Justin. But somehow I heard the thoughts in your head. It’s strange, but it happened just the same. Anyway, that’s beside the point right now. You just concentrate on going out there and kicking ass. You’ll nail it, kid. I know it.”

And Justin had. He’d gone out there, sang his heart out, and completely nailed the performance. JC’d watched the performance from off to the side, smiling wide, so very proud of Justin. Afterwards, Justin had found him, eyes shimmering brightly with excitement. He’d been proud of himself too, and with every right.

After that day, they’d become even closer. They talked about what had happened, how JC had heard Justin’s voice in his head, but neither could figure out how it had happened, or why. But as hard as they tried, they couldn’t make it happen again.

It was almost three months later when it finally happened again. JC had been standing on one of the props. That wasn’t anything new, as most of the cast took to standing on the long counter or tables set up around the set all the time. But then, before he knew what had happened exactly, he’d slipped and fallen flat on his stomach on the ground, his ankle twisting painfully. Justin’s head shot up from across the stage where he’d been practicing lines with Ryan. His mind was filled with JC’s voice, the pain evident, almost coursing through his own body. Dropping his script he sprinted across the set to where JC lay, face buried into the ground, low moans leaving his lips.

It’s been a minor sprain and he was as good as new just a few days later, but Justin knew he’d never forget the way JC’s voice had sounded in his head the moment he hit the ground.

They realized at first that it wasn’t something they could control. It just happened, usually when emotions were running high. Fear and excitement were the most frequent emotions involved. And it also only happened when they were in the same room.

Throughout the course of the show, it happened a fair amount of times, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t get it to happen on purpose. It was always just a random moment, but they got use to it, liked having the connection. They never told anyone else. This was something just between them. Besides, neither of them was sure anyone else would understand it, let alone believe them.

It was when they were in Germany, just a few days before Justin’s sixteenth birthday, when it changed a little bit. JC was sitting alone in the hotel room he shared with Justin, flipping through a magazine, enjoying the down time before the show that night. The loud voice screaming in his head caused him to drop the magazine, eyes darting around the room. He knew Justin wasn’t there, knew he’d been alone for quite some time, but there was no doubt it was Justin’s voice that had just filtered through his head, the excitement Justin felt wrapping around him.

JC moved quickly to the door and pulled it open, peering into the hallways just as the elevator dinged open and Justin came bounding off in a rush of excitement. Justin’s eyes caught JC and he rushed forward, wrapping his arms tightly around JC, squeezing him in a tight hug.

“We did it, Jace.” He pulled back so he could see JC’s face, wanting to see the reaction when the news was reveled. “We got a gold record!” JC’s face went from the curiosity that Justin had caused from the moment he’d heard his voice to shock to pure elation, all in a matter of seconds. He grabbed Justin, pulling him close to him again in a tight hug, laugher filling the halls, bouncing off the walls. Chris was the first to hear their excitement and he stuck his head out the door. His loud yell of excitement called the rest of the group curiously out of their rooms until the hallway was filled with the overflowing excitement of the five of them, hugging and laughing. Their dreams were coming true.

Later, after the excitement had died down, in its place a quiet happiness, JC pulled Justin back into their room and told him what had happened before Justin had stepped off the elevator. It was the first time they’d ever had any sort of mental connection when they weren’t in the same room. Neither of them knew what it meant, and still neither of them was sure how to make it happen on purpose. But after that, it started happening more often when they weren’t in the same room. It was like the connection was evolving, becoming stronger. And all they could do was grasp onto it and wait to see where it took them next.

It wasn’t until they were back in the states, on their first headlining tour, that JC finally figure out how to make it happen when he wanted to and not just at random. They’d been trying for a few weeks. It had been happening randomly more and more often. Less emotion and more distance were involved now. Before the tour, Justin had been home in Tennessee visiting his family before the months on the road didn’t allow it and one afternoon, out of nowhere, JC had heard him. There had been no intense excitement, no deep-seated fear. It had simply been Justin trying to figure out what he wanted to eat for lunch, thinking it in his own mind. And JC had heard him. He’d called him quickly on his cell phone and told him. Justin confirmed that yes, he’d been thinking about lunch. After that, once the tour started, they started trying to figure out how to make it happen when they wanted.

Chris knew they were up to something. Neither of them had ever told the other guys about it. There was no proof to back it up. And knowing Chris, he’d try to make them be in separate rooms and answer questions for each other. Without being able to control it, there was no way they’d be able to do that. It was just easier to keep it to themselves. So when Chris pounced on Justin one afternoon in his hotel room, wrestling him to the ground, all the while asking him what he and JC were up to, Justin yelled out.

JC, sitting next door in his and Justin’s hotel room, head the loud yell through the thin walls, but he also heard Justin’s voice filter through his head. Curse words, followed by Chris’s name. Shutting his eyes, he used all his concentration, thinking of nothing but the words he wanted to say. Thinking of nothing but Justin.

“Language, Justin.” It was followed by a small chuckle. And then, in the next room, he heard all movement stop, heard Chris’s voice ask what the matter was. Heard Chris getting frantic, asking if he’d hurt Justin. But there was no response from Justin. JC climbed to his feet and moved toward the door. Pulling it open just as he heard Chris yelp in the next room. The door next to JC’s was thrown open and in a flash, Justin appeared in the hallway, eyes connecting with JC’s.

“How did you. I didn’t. Not out loud. And you answered.” Chris had appeared, eyes moving between the two of them. JC shifted his gaze to Chris before grabbing Justin’s arm and dragging him into their room, shutting the door before Chris could get his foot between it and the door frame. JC knew Chris had his ear pressed up against the door so he moved closer to Justin, speaking softly.

“I don’t know how. I just heard you yell out, then I heard the cussing in my head. So I just concentrated as hard as I could, on the words I wanted to say, and you. And then the next thing I know, I hear Chris asking what the hell the matter is. I assumed you heard me, that it worked.” Justin could only nod, looking excitedly at JC.

“Try it again.” He grabbed JC’s hand and lead him over to the bed, both of them sitting down. JC closed his eyes, concentrating on his words, on Justin.

“Can you hear me?” Justin’s eyes got wide the moment JC thought the words and he jumped up, pacing back and forth. “I take it that’s a yes then?” JC asked, voice making Justin jump slightly.

“Yeah. This is so cool. Do it again!” JC rolled his eyes, mind concentrating on the words.

“You’re such a dork.”

“Hey!” Justin yelled out indignantly. “No making fun of me telepathically.” JC could only laugh before moving to the door, pulling it open to have Chris tumble forward to the ground. He looked up at them sheepishly before climbing to his feet. He asked over and over what they were talking about. He knew he wasn’t part of it, and that made him all the more determined to figure it out. But neither of them would say.

It took a couple more weeks until Justin could finally do it whenever he wanted to as well. Every night, as they lay in their separate beds, Justin would turn so he was facing toward JC and across the expanse of the two beds, he’d whisper out loud for JC to say something to him. JC would sigh, but appease him, but the novelty of it was wearing off. He was tired and just wanted to sleep.

It was on one of those nights, twenty minutes after they’d turned the lights out, and Justin was still insisting on JC using the connection they shared, that JC finally snapped.

“Look, J. I’m tired. I just want to sleep. Let it go for tonight.” His tone had been angrier than he’d intended and he immediately felt back. In the dim moonlight, he saw Justin flinch and close his eyes. JC sighed.

“I’m sorry.” It was second nature by now. With as much as Justin was making him do it lately, he barely had to concentrate anymore. It was just something he could do. And it wasn’t even every thought. He could keep them to himself or send them to Justin. Justin’s eyes didn’t open and JC got no response. He moved, shifting the covers off his body and sat up, legs hanging over the side of the bed. “Justin, come on man. Say something.”

“I’m sorry too.” And JC’s eyes went wide with surprise. Because he’d heard Justin, as clearly as if the words had been spoken. But they weren’t reverberating around the room, bouncing off the walls to settle in his ears. Instead, they were swirling around his head, shifting back and forth across his mind. Justin’s eyes opened, focusing on JC. And he knew immediately that JC had heard him. He’d finally done it.

It had been in an unguarded moment that JC had found out about Justin’s feelings. They’d been on the bus, traveling to a new city, a new venue, a new show. They were all a little worn out from this tour. It was Pop Odyssey, their biggest one ever, and the demand for their time was intense. Radio shows, interviews, photo shoots, meet and greets. Everyone wanted a piece of Nsync. Plus on top of that, they’d just released a new album, right smack in the middle of the tour. According to most magazine articles they were the hottest band around. They were all having a blast, but their bodies just couldn’t keep up sometimes.

Justin was lounging on the couch in the back of the bus, JC sitting across from him. Justin’s eyes were closed and he was half asleep, but every now and then, his eyes opened and met JC’s across the small expanse of the room. JC looked up from his book and smiled, feeling Justin’s eyes on him, before turning back to his book. Justin’s eyes closed again sleepily.

“God you’re so hot. You have no idea how much I want you.” JC’s head shot up, eyes intent on Justin immediately. But Justin showed no reaction that he’d intended for JC to hear that. Instead, his eyes stayed shut, his breath coming in slow, even puffs. He was on the very edges of consciousness. JC was convinced he wasn’t suppose to hear that, so he said nothing, turning his eyes back to his book. But he couldn’t concentrate after that. Justin wanted him. A smile crept over his face and he ducked his head as Chris walked into the back room, slapping at JC’s feet, silently asking him to move them as he reached for the playstation controller.

That night, after the show, after they’d showered and were lounging together in Lance’s room, the five of them, JC looked over toward Justin. His eyes were intent on the movie in front of him. JC hadn’t been paying attention, didn’t even know what movie it was. His mind had been on nothing but Justin’s revelation that afternoon.

“What would you do if I kissed you?” Justin’s head shot up, eyes turning to JC almost franticly.

“You ok, J?” Joey asked, catching the quick movement. He followed Justin’s line of vision, eyes stopping on JC. JC wasn’t looking at either of them, instead focusing on the notebook in his lap. He could imagine the confusion on Joey’s face. But he knew Justin had heard him.

“Would you like that, Justin?” Justin climbed to his feet, and headed toward the door, grabbing JC’s arm as he went. Joey looked at them both for a moment, eyes shifting from JC to Justin and back again. Nothing had been said out loud and JC knew Joey was confused by Justin’s actions.

“I need to talk to you,” Justin said, pulling JC toward the door. JC could feel Joey, Lance, and Chris’s eyes on them as they slipped out of the room. Once they were back in their own room, Justin turned to face JC, eyes full of emotion. “Why did you say that?”

“Because I want to kiss you and I was curious how you’d react.” JC didn’t see any reason to tell Justin that he’d heard him earlier.

“I’d kiss you back,” Justin said, lips curving into a grin as he stepped closer to JC. Their mouths met, softly at first. But soon the want, the need between them grew and they licked and sucked hungrily at each other’s mouths, tongues dueling. Justin’s arms wrapped around JC’s shoulders, hands fisting in JC’s curls, tilting JC’s head until the kiss became deeper. JC’s hands found Justin’s hips, holding on tightly. His thumb slipped up under the hem of Justin’s tee shirt, drawing small circles against the smooth, warm skin. Justin gasped and moaned into his mouth.

It was nearly six months into their relationship, once they were both sure they were comfortable with where this was going, with what they had together, that JC finally told Justin he’d heard him that afternoon on the bus. After that, neither of them were so careful with the things shared. If something slipped, it didn’t matter, since neither of them had much to hide from the other.

They both came to find out that sex without actual spoken words was an amazing thing. Gasps and moans sliding across slick skin was one thing, but sliding through their minds, wrapping around and around and taking hold was completely another. And to combine the two, the physical and mental sounds, was the most incredible thing either of them had ever experienced. JC loved hearing Justin’s words, his strangled breathy moans and soft gasps, his whimpers of begging and pleading, sift through his head. They connect on a way most people never could. They were truly a part of each other, knowing what the other was thinking, how they were feeling, what felt good. Their connection took them beyond the realm of physical love making and into a realm of something more, something neither of them could put into words. It connected them beyond anything either of them had experienced before.

They’d made a pact that during sex their minds were an open book. Nothing got closed off to each other. It made things that much more incredible for both of them.

Chris found out their secret by accident.

It was during the Celebrity Tour and the three of them were sitting on their bus, traveling across the country. Justin’s phone rang and he glanced quickly at the caller ID before climbing to his feet, dropping his controller into JC’s lap for him to finish the game with Chris, and heading toward his bunk.

“Everything ok?”JC asked as he picked up the controller, eyes following Justin down the short hallways.

“It’s my mom,” Justin replied, words filling JC’s mind as he heard Justin’s mumbled hello filter down the hallway as he climbed into his bunk. JC knew they’d had a fight that morning, although he wasn’t sure what it was about. Justin had been upset, but hadn’t wanted to talk about it. Now it seemed like the conversation was continuing where it left off earlier. They heard a low voice drifting from the bunks, but no actual words could be made out. Not five minutes later, Justin threw the curtain aside and slipped back out of his bunk, a loud, frustrated yell falling from his lips as he made his way back to the lounge. Chris looked up at him curiously.

“Who was that? Everything ok?” But Justin ignored him, flopping down on the couch, head falling to JC’s lap. JC’s hand went immediately to his head, stroking over the short hairs.

“It’ll be ok, J. She’s you’re mom. You’ll figure it out and everything will be ok.” Chris looked from JC to Justin and back to JC.

“I swear it’s like you two are psychic when it comes to each other.” It was an innocent statement on Chris’s part, but they both looked up guiltily, eyes meeting Chris’s before turning to look at each other. “Wait, wait. What the hell was that look for?” And really, how was it to be explained without telling the truth?

As expected, Chris insisted on testing out their telepathy. He pushed JC, Joey, and Lance into one room and pulled Justin into another. Then he said something, made Justin repeat it to JC, JC to Joey, and Joey back to Chris over their cell phones. Then he made them test it in reverse. Joey to JC, JC to Justin, Justin to Chris and back to Joey. Once he was convinced it was for real and they weren’t just fucking with his mind, pulling some kind of prank, he was ecstatic and made them use it for his benefit as often as it benefited him. It was so much easier then a cell phone, he insisted. The usually just rolled their eyes and went along with it. It was Chris, after all, and neither of them minded.

Now, JC sighed as he lay in bed, mind going over everything that had happened to them since they’d met and figured out how this worked between them. He couldn’t get back to sleep and it was all Justin’s fault. Justin, who was in New York getting ready for his first ever solo performance in just three days. Justin who had woken him up from across the country over a video game. JC was headed out there the next afternoon and he couldn’t wait to see Justin again. It had been awhile, with everything Justin had going on working on his album. But for the moment, he was a little upset. It was only seven in the morning after all. He sighed again and rolled over, staring up at the ceiling.

“I thought you were going back to sleep. What’s with all the sighing?”

“Well now I can’t go back to sleep. And it’s all you’re fault, just so you know.” He smiled, despite himself.

“I said I was sorry. I’d kiss you and make it all better if I could. Unfortunately that can’t happen until tomorrow.” Justin said, and JC could hear the anticipation in his voice.

“That still doesn’t take care of the fact that it’s seven am here and I’m already awake. You’re the one doing an album, and promotion, and performance. You’re the one suppose to be up at the crack of dawn. I’m on vacation, remember?” It was teasing and JC heard Justin’s light laugh slide around his mind. It was almost as good as having him there, arms wrapped around JC, laughing against his neck. Almost, but not quite.

“I’ll make it up to you. Count on it.” Justin’s voice dipped low, a whisper in JC’s mind. And he could see the look on his face; eyes half open, looking up through his lashes, a soft smile on his face.

“You bet your ass you’ll make it up to me.”

“My ass is always ready and willing to be bet on when the stakes are you,” Justin said, and JC could hear the smirk. JC smiled and stretched, his body sliding languidly against the sheets. Visions of Justin running through his mind.

“So what’s the plan for today?” JC asked, giving up on sleep. He knew it would be futile to even try anymore.

“I have a radio interview in an hour.” And as quickly as that, JC’s mind began to work. Only this time, the thoughts weren’t open to Justin. He grinned to himself, sitting up in bed. He had a plan for revenge and fully intended to go through with it.

An hour and ten minutes later, JC was relaxed on the couch in just his boxers. If everything was on time, Justin had started his interview ten minutes ago. And now was the time for revenge. Sliding a hand beneath the waistband of his boxers, JC’s fingers slid over the warm flesh, fisting around it. He began to stroke slowly, felt himself hardening.

“What would you do if I told you I was touching myself?” Halfway around the country, Justin stopped in the middle of answering a question, his eyes widening almost comically. The DJ looked at him curiously. Justin quickly cleared his throat and finished the answer before letting his mind speak to JC.

“Stop that. I’m in the middle of a damn interview.” He heard JC laugh.

“Revenge is a sweet sweet, oh god that feels good, thing.” JC said, ending in a deep moan. Justin could see it, JC laying across the bed, maybe the couch, hand on himself, stroking up and down. And no, he didn’t need to get hard now. He was in the middle of an interview and this could not be happening right now. “I’m so hard, J. So hard. Thinking about you. Thinking about what I want you to do to me. Remembering what it feels like when you take my entire length in your mouth, sliding those perfect, fuckable lips up and down my hard cock.” He heard Justin moan, low and deep and dirty, and really hoped it hadn’t been out loud as well. That was all the country needed was to hear Justin Timberlake’s sexual moans over the radio.

Justin shifted in his seat, reaching down to adjust himself as subtly as possible while still trying to pay attention to the DJ. It was an almost impossible thing to do with JC’s sexy moans and gasps filling his head. He had always been loud in bed, moans and whimpers sliding from his mouth almost without pause. Justin loved the responsiveness that JC had when it came to sex, but right now, he sort of wished JC was the quiet type in bed. It’d make his life a hell of a lot easier right now. But at the same time, it was sexy as hell, JC getting off in his mind while he talked to all of New York City over the radio. It was hot.

JC continued to move his hand at a steady pace, his other hand sliding to his chest, plucking at his nipples.

“I wish you were here, Justin. I wish you were sucking and licking and biting at my skin, getting me so hot, so ready.” He moved his hand down, grasping his balls as his other hand still moved steadily on his cock. “You can see it? Can you imagine what I’m doing to myself?”

“Fuck, baby. I can almost feel it.” He shifted in his chair again, his pants almost painfully tight across his groin. Resisting the urge to adjust himself again, he made himself listen to the DJ amid the moans JC was making, amid the words he was whispering in his ‘come fuck me’ voice. The DJ took that moment to ask about the rest of the guys and Justin grinned, ready to answer, only to close his eyes tightly, cock twitching sharply at JC’s next words.

“I’m loosening myself up for you, baby. So tight, so warm. Wish it was your fingers, your hand.” He whimpered slightly and Justin had to resist the urge to moan out loud. It took everything he had to turn back to the DJ.

“They’re all doing their own thing right now. Joey’s doing RENT, Lance is in Houston doing NASA stuff. Chris is chilling in Florida, and JC’s probably relaxing on his couch right now out in LA.” He grinned, knowing he’d get a copy of this interview for both him and JC to remember later. “They’re coming out for the VMA’s though.” And as he said the words, he heard JC’s responsive moans filtering through his head.

“Oh god, J. I’m so close, so fucking close.” He moved his hand up and down his cock, precum sliding along with it, making the movements easier. He sped up his pace, hips lifting off the couch. He gasped sharply, fingers sliding against his prostate. Seconds later he was coming, body shaking harshly.

Justin knew those sounds, knew them as well as any other sounds JC made. That was the sound of him coming, of his body tightening and releasing all that was inside of him. Justin had to swallow past the tight lump in his throat, his cheeks burning with a blush. He ducked his head under the pretext of tying his shoe as they went to a commercial break. His breathing had increased slightly, simply from hearing JC’s release. It wasn’t something he could help. JC coming was the most beautiful thing in Justin’s world and it caused his body to react accordingly, regardless of the distance between them.

As JC lay there, panting, eyes closed, he smiled to himself. He knew Justin would get him back, somehow, someday. But for now, his revenge was complete. JC just hoped Justin had time to get to a bathroom and take care of the problem JC knew he was having right now.

“I hate you, you know that?” Justin asked, but JC could hear the grin in his voice.

“Love you too, J.”