Devotion

Devotion Chapter One: Fighting Words

disclamier: Um, I don't know *NSYNC, I don't know the sexuality of anyone in *NSYNC, well...you know the deal. If you're a homophobe, why are you in Nifty? If you'd like to give me feedback, then please, drop me a line! Thanks ^_^ -Angel1313 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter One: Fighting Words

"What are you talking about, JC?" Joey asked, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Look, all I'm saying is that there's no need for us to have scantly-clad female dancers hanging all over us," JC defended himself.

"Well all I'm saying is that if you want to be gay, that's cool, but you don't need to drag the rest of us down with you," Joey acidly replied.

No one in the small dance studio dared to move; the room was frozen in a tense silence. JC himself was speechless. His mouth hung slightly open as he tried to think of a response to Joey's hateful comment.

Before JC could say anything, Justin stepped in. He had been standing off to the side, listening in to the conversation between his two bandmates, along with Lance, Chris, and Darren, the choreographer for their upcoming performance at the Video Music Awards. "That was totally uncalled for, Joey," he spat at the older man. "How could you even think of saying that to JC?! `Dragging us down'?! Just what the fuck were you thinking?" he repeated.

Joey was taken aback by the sheer anger that he felt and heard coming from Justin. "I'm sorry," Joey mumbled, wanting to get out of the situation as quickly as he could. "I was just angry; I wasn't thinking."

"Damn straight, you weren't thinking! I oughtta-" Justin was clenching and unclenching his fists as he spoke. His hands were shaking slightly from the rage he felt building up inside of him.

Lance glanced at Chris and Darren nervously. Chris' eyes were saucers, and Darren looked about ready to bolt. None of them had ever seen Justin so angry, not even when Chris had spilled grape juice on his favorite Noth Carolina shirt.

Lance's attention returned to Justin as the young man took a step foreword, placing himself between Joey and JC. As Justin folded his arms across his chest, Lance breathed a small sigh of relief. At least he wasn't going to punch him.

"Listen, Joey," Justin began again, his voice low and even. "If I ever hear you making any kind of comments that upset JC again, so help me God, I will personally hunt you down and-"

"Justin," JC gently interrupted his friend, placing a hand lightly on his shouder. Justin winced inwardly at how quiet and tired JC's voice sounded. "It's okay."

Justin quickly spun around to face his friend. They looked at each other for a moment before Justin pulled the older man into a tight hug. "No, it's not okay," he whispered. JC just squeezed his eyes tightly shut. "I can't stand to see you hurt, Josh," Justin continued. "I can't stand to-"

"Shh," JC soothed his friend, rubbing his back gently. "It's all right, Just. I know you care about me, I know you do. This just isn't the time to be getting upset over something so trivial."

"Trivial?!" Justin repeated, pulling back from JC enough to look into his clear blue eyes. "How can you say that?"

"Just-" JC began, but Justin stopped him.

"No! No. Josh, I refuse for you to let people do this to you. How can you say this is trivial?"

"I'm sorry, I-" JC began, but Justin stopped him again.

"No," he said, pulling the older man into an embrace once more. "I'm sorry. I just-I just don't want you to think that you're not worth the fuss, that you're not worth getting upset over." JC held him tighter. "You're worth much more than this, Josh. I just want you to know that no matter how many stupid jerks-" Joey winced "-you come into contact with, I'll always be here for you. You have a right to be angry about this, and I think that I do, too, as someone who loves you and who would do anything for you, Josh-" JC tenderly wiped away a tear that had found its way down Justin's face. "-just to make you happy," Justin finished.

JC smiled at him. It was a small smile, but it was genuine. "Thanks, Just," he whispered. "You're the best. I don't know what I'd do without you." He gave the younger man another hug before turning to everyone else. "I'm, um, going to take a quick break, if that's all right with you all."

"Y-yeah, uh...sure. Um, t-take fifteen everybody," Darren stuttered.

JC smiled weakly at him before exiting the room.

Justin watched him leave before he quickly turned away and rubbed at his eyes furiously. Joey walked over to him cautiously. He lifted a hand to place it on Justin's shoulder, but decided against it and just slipped his hands into his pockets. "Justin," he began, but the blonde spun around angrily.

"Don't even speak to me, Joey!" he shouted. "I can't believe that you said that to him. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking, remember? Look, I made a mistake. A huge mistake-"

"But there's nothing that he can do about it now," Lance added, walking over. He knew that this had to fixed, and quickly, before anyone did any permanent damage. "Look Justin," he continued. "I know that you're probably going to be angry with Joey for a little while, but think about it. It was just something that Joey said in the heat of the moment. You've been there. You've said things that you regret."

"Yeah," Chris added. "Joey already looks like shit; let's not make him feel like shit, too."

Despite himself, Justin smiled. However, just as soon as it appeared, the grin disappeared, and Justin sighed loudly. "I know. I'm sorry, Joey, it's just that-" Justin closed his eyes. The other three members of *NSYNC glanced at each other. They each shrugged in turn. After a moment, Justin continued. "I just don't want JC to get hurt. At all. Ever. Because of anyone. And for someone who I thought was his friend-"

"I am his friend!" Joey interjected.

Justin's expression turned angry. "Then why would you-" But he stopped himself. Taking a deep breath, he began again. "I know. I'm sorry Joey. It's just that-Nevermind. There's no reason I should get all riled up over it again." Justin's expression turned sad once more.

"What's wrong, Curly?" Lance asked gently. His mind went back to JC wiping the tear off of Justin's cheek. "Is there something else bothering you?"

Justin shook his head and laughed a soft, melancholy laugh. "No. It's silly, isn't it? For me to get so emotional over something that happened to someone else? It's just that I care about him so much. I just want to make him happy." Justin sighed again and went to sit down against the mirrored wall in the room.

Lance glanced at Chris and Joey. He just wants to make JC happy, Lance thought to himself. Interesting.

JC returned to the room. Justin immediately began to get up, but JC motioned for him to stay where he was. The older man instead walked over and took a seat next to the blonde. "Just," he said quietly. "I want to thank you again for standing up for me. You don't know what it means to me."

Justin took his hand and squeezed it gently. "Anything to make you happy, Josh. It was my pleasure."

JC laughed and the four other people in the room looked over at him immediately. JC leaned over to Justin and placed a small kiss on his cheek. "You're the sweetest person I know, Curly," he said, affectionately ruffling Justin's hair. Justin blushed.

Lance raised an eyebrow at the two. Things were starting to fall into place.

Watching as the two leaned towards each other so that their foreheads touched, Lance noted that JC and Justin were still hand-in-hand, and that they were gazing intently into each other's eyes. JC was whispering something to the younger man, and Justin was smiling at him. Lance nodded to himself. He knew that there had to have been an explanation as to why Justin had gotten so upset.

"He's in love with JC," Lance whispered to himself, a satisfied smile on his lips.

"You say something, Scoop?" Chris asked, turning away from his conversation with Joey.

"What? Oh, um, no." Lance responded, still smiling slightly.

Chris glanced at JC and Justin, who had shifted positions. JC had his arms wrapped protectively around Justin, and the latter had snuggled up against the older man, burying his head in the sweatshirt covering JC's chest. "Well," he chuckled. "Didn't they get comfy quick." The two men he spoke of had both drifted off to sleep.

"It's been a long day," Lance commented as he walked over to where Darren was standing. "Hey," he said, getting their choreographer's attention. "I think that we're going to cut out of here. We'll decide on the dancer issue tonight, and get back to you first thing tomorrow morning." Darren nodded and Lance turned back to the four other guys. "All right, everyone. Darren said we could call it a day, and get going!"

"'Bout time!" Chris exclaimed, and Joey let out a little cheer. JC's eyes fluttered open, and he gently shook Justin awake. The two stood up and collected their things with the other guys. The group said their good-byes to Darren and then promptly exited the building and piled into the limo that was waiting outside for them.

Once they were inside, Justin immediately curled up against JC. "You make such a wonderful pillow, Josh," he whispered sleepily.

JC smiled at him affectionately as he wrapped his arms around the curly-haired nineteen year-old. "Thank you," he whispered back, kissing the top of Justin's head gently. Justin smiled and snuggled even closer to his human pillow.

Chris arched an eyebrow at them, as Lance had done earlier. He sent a look of question at the other guys, which was returned by Joey. Lance just smiled knowingly.

Within minutes, both Justin and JC were asleep in each other's arms. The ride was spent in silence as the other three band members reflected upon the two men in front of them, as well as the events of the day. Eventually, everyone fell asleep except Joey, who looked at JC guiltily and sighed before placing an arm around Lance, who had fallen asleep with his head on Joey's shoulder, steadying the younger musician. Finally, he, too drifted off to sleep.