DISCLAIMER TIME! No, I don't know Lance Bass, Justin Timberlake, or any of the other members of N'Sync. I wish I did, but hey, whatever, right? This is fiction, and is copyright by me, myself, and I.
As always, many thanks to all of you who have written in. I appreciate it. Special thanks to the wonderful Gabriella (my guru!), who honors me by hosting this story. Luv ya sweetie. :) Please, feel free to send me a line or two (or three!) and let me know what you think! Send all feedback to: KandLStories@aol.com
Lastly, a word of caution. You will note during the course of this chapter, we've got some alcohol consumption going on. Please, be smart when drinking folks. And if you do and you're out and about, give the keys to someone else, okay? Please? For me?
Now that I've done my public service announcement for the day....on with the show!
---Tony
The Maze of Moments - A Kevin and Lance Story
Chapter Nine - Looking For Space (Happy Birthday, Lance)
"When I was twenty-one, it was a very good year...."
--from "It Was A Very Good Year" by Frank Sinatra
Friday, May 5, 2000. A little past three in the morning.
Kevin tiptoed down the stairs, making sure not to wake his anyone. Although all of the lights in the apartment were off, the one out on the deck was on, which enabled him to see Justin curled up on the couch, fast asleep. Making his way to the door which led outside, he opened it slowly, and stepped out onto the deck. There, standing underneath a clear, perfect night sky was Lance, who was looking through the lens of his new telescope up at the stars. Closing the door behind him, Kevin walked over and rubbed his hand up and down the back of the blond haired young man.
"You feeling any better?" he asked with a smile.
Lance straightened up and turned to face his boyfriend with an embarrassed grin. "Yeah, a little. I couldn't sleep, that's all."
Turning around, Kevin walked to the rear of the deck and sat down, leaning up against the apartment. He extended his hand to Lance, who came over to join him, walking somewhat unsteadily. Sitting down between Kevin's outspread legs, he leaned back against his body. They sat in silence and looked up at the stars. The night was warm, and the only sound to be heard was the chirping of a cricket or two off in the distance.
Kevin leaned down and kissed the top of Lance's head.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you, too, sexy."
It had, indeed, been an interesting day.
Thursday, May 5, 2000.
Having made it through the rest of his finals, Kevin Douglas was looking forward to a few things. First, summer was at long last here, and he intended to take advantage of it. Usually, summertime meant working some kind of odd job on a part time basis - not that he needed the money, but he felt that it kept him honest in a way. This summer, however, was different, because after thinking long and hard, he had come up with a plan for how to spend the next few months. That plan directly related to the second thing he was looking forward to, spending time with Lance Bass of N'Sync, the young man he had met only a week before, and with whom he found himself in a new relationship.
There would be only one more full week of any kind of free time Lance would have before the group's summer tour would begin, and part of that week was going to be spent in Jackson, Mississippi, to perform a benefit concert for the patrons of a church that had been burned by an arsonist only a few days before. After that event, Lance would have to be back on the road, performing, making appearances, and doing who knows what else, all of which would prevent he and Kevin from spending any significant amount of time together. But Kevin had come up with what he felt was the perfect solution: he would go on tour with N'Sync.
Well, not exactly go on tour, as he wouldn't be performing. Yet, Kevin had more than enough money that he could afford to travel on his own, separately from Lance and the others, and meet him in whatever city they were going to next. If he had to go in his jeep, fine. If it meant flying from one place to the next, so be it, even if he wasn't too fond of flying for obvious personal reasons. The fact remained that he had determined that he would become, for lack of a better word, a groupie, albeit a groupie who was seeing a member of the band. It would also give Kevin the opportunity to travel around the country, which was something he had always wanted to do.
This plan was going to be part of Kevin's birthday present to Lance, along with the telescope that he had purchased earlier in the week. And this was the final thing Kevin was looking forward to, at least as far as a more immediate basis was concerned: today was Lance's birthday.
It was a little past nine in the morning, and Kevin was seated at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal. He looked up when he heard the front door open, and saw his roommate, Eric, come in. Eric's last final was at eight that morning, and he looked more than a little sleepy.
"Morning," Kevin said through a mouthful of Frosted Flakes. "How'd it go? Want some breakfast?"
Eric walked over and took a bowl from a cabinet. "Yeah, I think I will. It went okay, I guess. I'm just glad it's over with." Pouring from the box, he then got a spoon from the clean side of the sink and sat down at the table with his friend. "We all set for tonight?" he asked while pouring milk into the bowl.
"Yeah, I suppose so. I think we're just gonna order a bunch of pizzas since he said he didn't want anything special to eat."
"Cool," Eric said as he lifted a spoonful of cereal to his mouth. Chewing it and swallowing it down, he continued. "I didn't know what to get him either, so I just got a gift certificate. Think that's okay?"
"Where's it from?"
"Dillard's. I guess he can buy some clothes or something."
"That's cool, I think he'll like that."
"Doesn't compare to your gift of course."
Kevin put down his spoon and looked up at his roommate. "Now, listen. We talked about this. It's not a competition or anything here, it's a birthday present. He'll appreciate it."
"I guess so."
"Eric, look, I'm sorry if you think I went nuts with the telescope, but like I said, I wanted to give him something special. Okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Okay. Must be nice to be able to afford something like that."
Kevin, at this point, was about to resume eating, but when he heard Eric's words, put his spoon back down. "Just what the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. Forget it."
"No, I won't forget it. What's wrong with you man? You know I've never been in your face, or anyone's face, about the fact that I have some money."
"Some?" Eric asked sarcastically.
"Well, okay, more than some. So what? Shit, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous or something."
"Well, maybe I am."
Kevin tilted his head as an astonished look came over his face. "What's with you this morning, Eric? You've known me almost my entire life, and now you're making this an issue?"
Eric sighed and put down his spoon. "You're right. I just....oh, forget it. I'm sorry."
"No, what is it? What's bugging you?"
"It's just....I dunno, I got to thinking about how lucky you are and all, and....never mind."
"Go on," Kevin urged.
"I don't know. It just seems that stuff kind of falls into your lap, you know? You'll never have to worry about money, you've just started a new relationship with a great guy, you've always been popular..."
"Hey now, you're pretty popular too ya know."
"I guess. Maybe I'm just tired and cranky. But there are some days I'd like to be in your shoes, you know?"
"Eric, listen. You're pretty lucky yourself. You've got a great mom and dad who love you very much, you're one of the smartest guys I know, and you're my best friend. You always have been. If it seems like things just come my way out of luck, it's only by accident. You've helped out some too, you know. That great relationship I'm getting into would never have happened if it wasn't for you."
Kevin reached across the table and put his hand on his friend's arm. "Look, if it bothers you that much, I'll just return the damn thing and get Lance something else, okay?"
Eric looked up and blinked. "You...you would do that?"
"In a heartbeat. Lance is a great guy, don't get me wrong, but you only find one best friend in this world. Just say the word, and I'll pack it up in the jeep."
"Kevin, I don't want you to do that," Eric said while shaking his head. "It's a great present, and I think he'll love it. Look, I'm sorry if I upset you....it's been a long week, and I guess I'm having a bad morning. Forget I said anything."
"Okay, if you're sure," Kevin said while rubbing his friend's arm.
"I'm positive. Hell, I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees it." Eric smiled at Kevin, who smiled back. After a minute or so, Eric looked down to see that his arm was still being rubbed gently. "Um...I know we're having a moment here and all, but I'd really like to finish eating now."
Laughing, Kevin removed his hand, and the two began to eat again. After they had finished, Eric took the bowls and spoons and brought them to the sink. Leaning on the counter, he sighed. "I'm sorry I was an asshole just then. I think all the stress of exams caught up to me."
"It's okay, E. Forget it."
"Cool. Now, what do we need to get for tonight?"
"Well, I guess one of us needs to make a trip to the liquor store. Other than that, I really can't think of anything else. We can order pizza once he gets here."
"What kind of alcohol do you plan on getting?"
Kevin paused and thought for a moment. "Oh, I have a few ideas in mind. Remember when I turned twenty-one?"
"Yeah, that was some....oh, no. Kev, you aren't thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"
"Break out the shot glasses and get them clean my boy. We've got us a party to plan."
Lance Bass woke up that morning feeling no different from the way he was when he went to sleep the night before. So he was twenty-one today. Yippee. As he explained to Kevin, his birthday lately wasn't all that big of a deal. When N'Sync first formed, birthdays with the guys were special events, but as the years passed by, something else that was more important had to happen. They were on tour, or giving interviews, or making some kind of personal appearance...on and on and on. Sure, the guys and the road crew were nice, giving him presents and often finding a way to get him a cake, but it all seemed so rushed. There were always other things that had to be done, and little time for celebration.
This year was somewhat different, as May 4 fell right in the middle of some time off for the band. So, he had the opportunity to spend some of his birthday with his parents and sister, which was a nice change of pace. Then, of course, there was tonight. Kevin had promised that this year would be different, because he would be there to help him celebrate. Well, just how different it would be remained to be seen.
It was the incessant ringing of his doorbell that had woken Lance up to begin with. Groaning, he rolled over to look at the clock. "Seven thirty....who in the hell would be here at seven thirty..." he said under his breath. Sitting up and yawning, he stretched his arms up and over his head. Still, the doorbell continued to ring.
"Alright already, I hear you damn it!" he said as he walked out of his room and went downstairs. "This had better be good!" Opening the door, he was greeted by the appearance of a United Parcel Service driver.
"Good morning sir!" the driver exclaimed.
"Yeah, good morning," Lance replied, squinting his eyes as the bright morning sun hit his face. "Can I help you with something?"
"I have several packages here for a James L. Bass. Would you be Mr. Bass, sir?"
"No, I'm Nick Carter." How the hell can anybody be so chipper this early in the morning?
Looking confused, the driver looked down at his clipboard to double check the invoice. "Really? Oh, my, I must have the wrong house then...."
"No, no, I'm James Bass. Sorry, bad joke. It's a little early, ya know?" Lance said with a laugh.
"Oh...oh, yes sir. I do apologize for the intrusion, yet I was told that these had to be delivered before eight this morning. Now, if you'll just sign here, please."
Taking the pen and clipboard, Lance signed for the delivery, as the driver began placing four boxes just inside the door to his house. Then, he handed the paperwork back over as he turned to look at his packages.
"Thank you sir, and have a wonderful day!" the driver said as he jogged back to his truck.
"Yeah, thanks, you too..." Lance's voice trailed off as he closed the door. 'What the hell is all this stuff...I don't remember ordering anything...' he thought to himself. Making two trips, he brought the boxes into the living room, then went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee and get a knife, in order to open his packages.
Oddly, all of them had a return address of Orlando on them, but no information as to the senders were. Using the knife, he cut the tape off of the first box, and opened it, where he found another, smaller box inside wrapped in brightly colored paper. Taking off the card attached to it, he ripped open the envelope to see who it was from. Inside the card was written, "Happy Birthday Albino Boy! Get some sun while you're down there, huh? Love, Chris."
Chuckling, Lance began to tear off the paper that covered the present Chris Kirkpatrick had sent him. Then, opening the box, he gasped as he looked at what it contained: a pistol, that from the looks of it, probably dated back to around the turn of the century. Knowing Lance's hobby of collecting antique guns and knives, Chris had somehow managed to come across an artifact to be added to the collection. "Oh wow," he said under his breath.
Carefully placing the pistol back in the box, Lance went about opening his other gifts, each one having a similar card with a message from his other bandmates. Joey had bought him a dagger to go along with the pistol. JC had apparently been on the internet doing some bidding, for his gift was a first edition of 'To Kill A Mockingbird', signed by the author, Harper Lee. Lance re-read the book every summer at some point, regardless of where he was - it was just one of those traditions he kept up with. Justin's gift also had some personal touch: a series of videotapes, which, as the card explained, contained the original news coverage of the first moon landing in 1969, live as it happened. Such tapes were not available for sale, so he could only imagine what strings had to be pulled to get them.
Getting up, he went to the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee, all the while thinking about the great friends he had, and the thought that obviously went into their gifts. His inner monologue was interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing. Looking over at the clock, he saw that it was now a minute before eight. What was that the driver had said? Something about eight o'clock. Picking up the cordless phone, he pushed "talk."
"Hello?"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOOP!!!!!!!!!!!" Four voices, in unison, shouted out the greeting. The others had set up a conference call, and wanted to make sure that Lance had a chance to receive his presents before speaking to him this morning.
"Hey guys!"
"We didn't wake up the birthday boy too early, now did we?" Joey asked.
"Now Joe, you know our Lance...he was probably up before the sun started to rise anyway," Chris said with a laugh.
"Well, to tell the truth guys, I was actually still asleep when the UPS guy came to the door. Man...you guys got me some awesome presents! You didn't have to do all this!" Lance said.
"Hey, Scoop, it was the least we could do. After all, this is the first birthday in years that you're not spending with us, and you're always working really hard for the band. You deserve it, man." JC's voice was full of respect and appreciation for their friend.
"Thanks Josh, that means a lot. Hey, Just, why are you so quiet man?" Lance asked.
"Oh, no reason, Scoop." Justin's words were barely heard, as static from his connection indicated that he must be on a portable phone. "It's just a little early I guess. I need my cereal."
The five laughed for a moment, until JC asked the inevitable. "You gonna see your boy today?"
"Yeah! We wanna know all about this guy! Has Project Get Lance Laid finally paid off??" Chris asked excitedly.
"Uhh...kinda, sorta Chris. We're getting there, slowly but surely. And yes guys, I'll be seeing him later today, after I have lunch with the folks." Lance smiled in anticipation of seeing Kevin again.
"Well, we won't keep you then. Sounds like you have a big day ahead of you. Listen, we need to have another conference call about this concert thing you're getting us into. We're sending our representative there to talk to you and get all of the information, okay?" Joey said.
"Representative? What are you talking about Joe?"
"You'll see," JC said. "Have a great day today, Lance! We'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Bye Lance!" Chris shouted.
Joey started singing "Happy Birthday" in a horribly off key voice, which made Lance start to laugh. "Okay, guys, I'll talk to you later. Bye Justin."
No response.
"Justin? You there?"
"He must have gotten disconnected. Don't worry man, he'll talk with you soon," Chris said.
After saying their last goodbyes, Lance hung up the phone and was about to walk into the kitchen, when the doorbell rang again.
"Now what?" he said to himself as he went to open it. Turning the knob, he swung open the door and was greeted by the sight of Justin Timberlake, talking out loud to his cell phone.
"Damn thing...charged you up last night and every....hey, Scoop!" Justin jumped up into his friends arms, causing Lance to laugh and stagger back into the house. "Happy birthday!!" Justin put his friend into a bear hug, while wrapping his legs around Lance's waist.
"Justin! What the..I mean...how the...?" he asked in wonder.
"Simple. I am N'Sync's designated representative to spend your birthday with you," Justin said with a smile, still being held up by his friend.
"Uh-huh. You mean the guys sent you here to scope out my new boyfriend."
"Well, yeah, that too. And talk business about this concert thing. Surprised?"
"Very. Can I put you down now?" Lance made a face, pretending to strain from the weight of his friend.
"You gonna feed me? I don't get up this early and hit the road for just anybody ya know," Justin asked.
"Yeah, yeah....the kitchen is yours. Please can I put you down??"
Sitting at his table, Lance filled Justin in on the details of the church fire, and the idea for a benefit to help rebuild the destroyed sanctuary. In addition, he told him all about the weekend he had with Kevin, leaving out certain aspects, and how it was his idea to have the concert in the first place.
"So this man of yours can sing, huh?" Justin wanted to know.
"Hell yeah he can! He's awesome. Wait until you hear him, he's really good."
"I'll take your word for it." Justin paused to finish off the juice he was drinking. "So tell me more about this guy. Why attracted you to him?"
"Geez, I thought I was called Scoop."
"Hey, I was given a mission here. I gotta get all the details right for my report," Justin grinned.
"What attracted him to me. Jesus, Just, all kinds of things. He's smart, he's funny, he's good looking....really good looking....and there's this...I don't know....it's hard to describe."
"Try me. I'm all ears."
"He's got a good heart Justin. I can tell. And even though I've only known him for a few days, I feel so comfortable around him, that it's like I've known him all my life. It's like...when we're around each other, we make each other better than we are." Lance stopped for a moment and looked up at his friend. "Am I making any sense here at all?"
"Totally," Justin replied. "You pretty well described someone falling in love, Lance. I think that's a pretty good textbook definition right there. Do you think you can be happy with him?"
Lance nodded. "Absolutely."
"Then that's all that matters. Now all I need to do is meet Kevin in person and give him our seal of approval."
"Our?"
"Well, the group's seal. We all talked about this yesterday on another call, and we're all happy for you, we really are. The other guys and me are just curious, that's all. And since I'm pretty close to you..."
"They figured it would be easy to send you over. I got it. Man, what time did you hit the road?" Lance asked.
"Early. Which brings me to my next point. I know you're doing lunch with the folks and all, so you mind if I crash?"
"Sure, no problem. Um. So you're coming with me tonight?"
"You think he'll mind?"
"Probably not, but I better call and ask first. If anything, I can say that you're around to talk about the concert, which isn't entirely false. Why don't you go upstairs to the spare room, and I'll see if they're awake yet, okay?"
"Cool." Pushing back his chair, Justin got up and left the kitchen, walking upstairs to the extra bedroom Lance had for overnight guests. Lance, meanwhile, went back into the living room and picked up his phone, dialing Kevin and Eric's number. It was answered on the first ring.
"Hello?"
"Eric, it's Lance."
"Lancelot! Hey, happy birthday buddy!"
"Thanks. I didn't wake you guys up did I?"
"No, I just got back from my last test about half an hour ago, so I've been up for awhile now. It's cool."
"How'd it go?"
"It's done. 'Nuff said."
"Fair enough," Lance said with a chuckle. "Mind if I talk to Kev?"
"Well....he's not here at the moment."
Lance was confused. "I thought he was done with his exams?"
"Yeah, he is. He just...had to go out and run a few errands, that's all."
"Oh, okay. Well, let me ask you then. You think he'd mind if I brought a friend with me later?"
"I don't see why he would mind. Who's our lucky guest?"
"Justin."
"Justin. As in, your Justin?" Eric asked.
"Well, I don't know if he's mine or not, but yeah, that Justin."
"Geez, we're on our way to becoming N'Sync central over here. Yeah, that's cool. I'll tell Kev when he gets back. When should we expect you guys?"
"Well, I'm going to lunch with my parents and my sister in a couple hours, and I guess we're going to head your way after that. I imagine we'll be there no later than five or so."
"Sounds good. I'll pass on the word. See you later, Lancelot."
"See ya Eric. Bye."
Hanging up the phone, Lance went upstairs to shower and get dressed. As he passed the closed door of the extra room, he heard Justin snoring loudly.
The rest of the afternoon in Oxford was fairly average. Kevin made a few phone calls and talked to some friends who played various musical instruments, trying to make arrangements for a band that could open and then play back up for N'Sync. In addition, he had made a trip to the liquor store and a few other places, stocking up on what he called "provisions" for the nights activities. Along the way, he took time to carefully place an assembled telescope in his room, and tied a large red bow around it.
Shortly after four, Lance's 4-Runner pulled into the parking lot. He and Justin stepped out, both wearing caps and sunglasses.
"I'm telling you man, you should have come with us, the food was great," Lance said.
"Hey, I needed my sleep you know! The heartthrob of millions needs his rest so he can look as only he can look." Justin grinned and posed, holding his chin in his hand as if he was being photographed for a magazine of some kind.
"You are so full of shit, Curly, you know that?"
Laughing together, they walked up to Kevin's door, when from next door, Gina Dawson stepped out. Looking over, Lance smiled and waved. "Hey, Gina!"
"Hi Lance! How's it going?"
Justin leaned in and whispered in Lance's ear. "A guy and a chick? Damn, you've been busy, stud!"
Lance kept smiling, but stage whispered back to Justin "Shut the fuck up."
Sarah Adams, Gina's roommate, poked her head out of the door to see who Gina was talking to. She didn't recognize Lance, but Justin on the other hand....well, it's a little difficult to get all those curls under a cap.
"Oh my God....Gina...is that who I think it is??"
"Uh, maybe we better get back inside now...bye guys!"
Lance quickly rang the doorbell, and prayed that Kevin, or Eric, or somebody, would answer the door. Soon. Sarah, meanwhile, and fought her way past her roommate, and was on her way over to the two young men.
"Uh...Lance?" Justin asked.
"I know, I know." He rang the doorbell again.
Just as Sarah reached them, Gina pulling at her arm, the door opened, and Kevin looked out on what was happening on his porch. There was Lance Bass, who smiled at him; another young man, Justin Timberlake apparently, who was trying to make his way around Lance and into the apartment; Sarah Adams, who was babbling like a twelve year old girl; and Gina Dawson, attempting to pull Sarah back over to their own townhouse. Surveying the situation, Kevin looked over everyone, and at Lance.
"Sorry, whatever it is you folks are selling, we don't want any." Kevin closed the door.
Lance's eyes bugged out from behind his glasses. "The hell!" He began ringing the bell again.
The door opened once more, and Kevin was laughing hysterically. "Come on, get in here before Sarah jumps all over you guys. Gina, under control, or do I need to get the dart gun?"
"I think I got it Kev, thanks anyway. Come on Sarah, I'll explain inside." Gina was now practically dragging her roommate back over.
"Yeah, but that was....that was..." she said.
Lance and Justin walked in as Kevin stepped aside, and then closed the door behind them. Turning to Lance, who was taking off his glasses, he grinned. "Now, that's called payback for sneaking up on me all those times last weekend."
"You little....come here you." Lance and Kevin embraced and then kissed. What was supposed to have been a simple, friendly, hello kiss, wound up turning into something a little more passionate, as their tongues met and Lance let out a soft sigh. Their moment was interrupted by Eric clearing his throat. Breaking their embrace, they turned around to see Eric with a smirk on his face, and Justin looking up at the ceiling and whistling.
"Uh...sorry about that guys. Justin, that's Eric..." Lance paused as they shook hands. "And this is Kevin." He wrapped his arm around his waist and gazed up at his boyfriend, who was smiling at him.
"Well, I would certainly hope so. I'd like to think you don't just go up and stick your tongue down the throat of a stranger. Nice to meet you man." Justin shook hands with Kevin, while Lance blushed.
"Nice to meet you, too. Sorry about that, I guess we got a little carried away there. Come on in, have a seat."
Eric led Justin over to the living room, and Lance was about to follow when Kevin reached out and took his hand, pulling him back.
"Happy birthday, Lance. I missed you," he said quietly.
"I missed you, too."
They simply stared at each other and smiled for a moment, and Lance was about to kiss Kevin again, when Justin's voice suddenly was heard from the other room.
"Save it for later, you two, huh?"
Laughing, they went to join their friends.
Sitting in the living room, it was decided that business had to come first. Lance had brought with him some paperwork he had put together in regards to the concert. Each one of them had their own copy, and were flipping though the pages as he spoke.
"I've arranged for press releases to go out tomorrow, so this should break over the radio and local tv stations probably by lunchtime. It'll be carried in newspapers the following day. Tickets will be on sale at the door of the civic center, first come, first served. I've gotten in contact with the local police department and the sheriff to assist with any security issues. They'll let me know by Monday if they think we'll need to bring in a private staff as well."
"How many people will this place hold?" Eric asked.
"Set up for a concert, probably a couple thousand."
"Wow." Kevin looked up over the top of the page he was reading, and squinting his eyes. Lance looked at his face, but it didn't dawn on him right away that Kevin was having a difficult time reading it.
"I know it's going to seem like a lot of people to you two, and it probably is, but when you've been in front of ten times that many, it's nothing," Justin added.
"How are plans shaping up on your end?" Lance asked.
"It's going fine. One guy, Nick, is going to play guitar, and another, Derrick, will take bass. I'm still working on a drummer, and Eric will handle the piano or keyboard," Kevin replied.
"Speaking of which, what am I going to use? We don't exactly have a baby grand hidden around here anywhere," Eric said.
"I've got some info on that on page three," Lance said while flipping pages. Kevin started to read, and again squinted his eyes, which this time was noticed by Lance. "Kev, are you okay?"
Kevin looked up. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm just having a little trouble here. Say, would you mind going upstairs and getting my glasses for me? They're on my desk."
Lance paused for a moment. "Umm..okay, yeah. I guess we could take a little break." He put down his packet and started to climb the stairs. Justin, meanwhile, turned to Kevin.
"Why didn't you just go...."
"Shhhh!" Kevin and Eric said in unison, putting their index fingers up to their lips.
"What?!" Justin whispered.
"You'll see....just wait a second," Eric whispered back.
They could hear the door to Kevin's room opening, then silence. Then, after another five seconds or so, heard Lance scream, "Oh my God!!!"
"What the hell...?" Justin was confused. "What did y'all do?"
Eric started laughing and Kevin got up from the recliner and walked over to the foot of the stairs, as Lance walked back down slowly, a shocked look on his face.
"Well?" Kevin asked.
"Kev....you...oh wow. You didn't have to...oh wow!!" Lance struggled to find the right words.
"I'll take that to mean you like it?"
"It's....it's....wow!!"
Justin leaned over towards Eric and whispered. "What? What does he like?"
"I'll tell you in a little bit...I think we're about to see another moment here," Eric whispered back.
"Kevin....you didn't have to do that!" Lance exclaimed.
"Yes I did. Now listen you." Kevin paused to take Lance's hands into his own. "I just wanted to give you something really nice today. When I saw it, I thought of you. I wanted to show you how special you are to me, Lance. I've done nothing but think about you all week long. I've really missed you...and seeing your reaction just made the wait worthwhile. Happy birthday, Lance. I love you."
Lance smiled as tears streamed down his cheeks. Letting go of Kevin's hands, he quickly wrapped his arms around him, holding on tight, burying his face in his neck.
"That must have been some present," Justin whispered again.
"You don't know the half of it. Come on, I'll tell you in the car," Eric replied.
"The car? Where are we going?"
"Kev, Justin said he has a taste for burgers, so why don't we grill instead? I'll take him to the store with me, okay?" Eric stood up, pulling a confused Justin up with him. They had worked this out earlier in the day, after Kevin was told Justin would accompany Lance. Knowing they would want some time alone, Eric would come up with some excuse to get Justin out of the house for awhile.
Kevin turned his head and winked at Eric, who was pulling a confused Justin with him towards the door. He mouthed a silent 'thank you' as Lance continued to hug him.
"We'll be back in about an hour, okay?"
"An hour? What are we gonna..." The rest of Justin's words were cut off as Eric nudged him sharply in the ribs, and he finally caught on. "Hey, you know, I've always wanted to see Oxford. Maybe you can show me around before we hit the store."
"Good idea. We'll be back," Eric smiled at his friend, and closed the door behind him as he and Justin stepped outside.
Lance finally let go of Kevin. His face was a little red, and his eyes were still watery. "Nice. Whose idea was it to get them out of the house," he said, sniffling a little.
"Eric and I both take credit for that one. So, do you like your present?" Kevin said with a smile.
"I love it!"
"Good. Now, why don't you come upstairs with me, and I'll give you your next one."
"Next one? You bought more?"
"You'll see. Come on." He took Lance by the hand and once led him upstairs to the bedroom. Once inside, he closed the door behind him.
Lance stood in awe of his telescope for a moment, as Kevin came up from behind and wrapped his arms around him, leaning in and kissing his neck.
"Now," he said, "it took me a long time to figure out what else to get you, but I think I finally got it."
"What would that be? You didn't spend any more money, did you?" Lance closed his eyes as he felt Kevin's soft lips playing over the side of his neck.
"Yes, but not nearly as much as I did on your first present. This one was a lot cheaper."
"Okay...what is it?"
"Rule number seven, I guess....our baby steps can start to increase a little, if you want. I tested negative."
Lance's eyes opened wide as he turned around in his lover's arms. "You...you what?"
"I told you I was going to go get tested, remember? Tuesday, I went to the hospital in Memphis after my exams were done. They have this new procedure now that takes only a few hours. It wasn't the best way I can think of to spend an afternoon, but the results made it worth the wait. So, yes, Lance. I'm safe. And I'm getting closer to being ready to do everything you want....starting right now if you'd like."
"Right now? But Eric and Just...."
"...will be gone for at least an hour." Kevin finished Lance's sentence for him, then kissed him passionately, darting his tongue in and around Lance's mouth. They held each other tight, their hands caressing each other, their hips grinding into one another, their state of arousal clearly evident. Kevin backed Lance up to the bed, never breaking the kiss nor the embrace, pushing gently until Lance lay down.
"So what do you say?" he asked softly. "Up for some snugglebunnies?"
"Snugglebunnies?" Lance asked, a smile breaking out on his face.
"Yeah, that's what Eric and I call it."
"Snugglebunnies?"
"Yeah," Kevin said while working his hand up and under Lance's shirt. "Snugglebunnies." He brought his hand up to Lance's chest, massaging it and working his fingertips lightly around his nipples. They began to kiss again, Kevin laying over to the side somewhat, as his hands continued to explore Lance's body, brushing over the hardness in the crotch of his shorts. Lance moaned as Kevin softly massaged his hardened member, cupping it in his hand and squeezing gently.
Kevin moved his hand up and unbuttoned the denim shorts, maneuvering his hand inside and underneath the boxers Lance was wearing. He flattened his palm and rubbed it over the erect shaft that was straining to burst forth. All the while, he continued to kiss Lance, their tongues dueling like swords inside each others mouths, playing over and around one another.
Breaking the kiss, Kevin sat up on his knees and unzipped Lance's shorts slowly. Then, taking hold of them, pulled them and the boxers down. Lance lifted his legs so that they could be taken off completely, and watched as they were tossed on the floor.
Kneeling on Lance's left side, Kevin looked down and smiled. "Ready for the next part of your present?"
Lance, breathing fast, nodded and looked into Kevin's eyes.
Kevin stretched out, his head at Lance's groin. "Okay, I haven't done this in awhile, but here goes..." He took Lance's hardened dick in his right hand, holding it at the base. Sticking out his tongue and closing his eyes, he licked from just above his fingers, all the way to the head, slowly. He swirled his tongue over the head, getting it wet, allowing saliva to drool down the shaft and collect at his hand.
"Oh my God..." Lance said huskily as he shut his eyes and spread his legs.
Kevin turned his head towards Lance as he heard his lover barely get out the words. "You like?" he said with a grin. Lance could only manage to nod.
"Then you're really gonna like this." Kevin took the head of Lance's dick into his mouth and gently sucked on it, massaging it with his tongue at the same time. This caused Lance to squirm around on the bed somewhat, as the new, powerful sensations coursed throughout his body. He groaned in pleasure, as Kevin slowly worked his mouth lower, sucking on his cock all the way down. He moved his hand out of the way, and lowered his face even further, until he could feel the head of Lance's dick enter the back of his throat. This caused him to gag just a little, and so he backed off, raising back up to the middle of the shaft. Breathing through his nose, he went down again, and this time met no resistance, as he successfully deep throated Lance.
"Oh God...Kev....." Lance moaned and opened his eyes, looking down at Kevin, who had his dick lodged in his throat. Breathing though his mouth, his legs began to shake a little. It felt as if he were floating in an incredible, warm, wet paradise, and all of the nerves in his dick were sending raw, sexual impulses throughout his body.
Kevin could feel Lance's movement, and had to match it with his head, as the cock in his mouth was being moved in and out. He continued to work over it with his tongue, and started to stroke the part that wasn't in his mouth with his hand, using the drool that covered it as lubrication. He figured he was going to be hoarse tomorrow morning, but it would be worth it. He tightened his lips and let the topside of it work along his tongue
Bobbing his head up and down, pausing once and awhile to suck at the head, Kevin could feel Lance begin to breath heavier and harder, and figured that this was coming close to its natural conclusion. This was confirmed when he could feel Lance's balls tighten, and a spurt of precum flowed out over his tongue.
"Kevin....I'm gonna...I'm gonna come! Oh my god!" Lance grunted. His dick started flexing, and the tube running down its center swelled against Kevin's lips. The first drops sort of oozed out over Kevin's tongue, and he smeared them against the roof of his mouth, savoring the taste. Then, the floodgates opened. Lance's hips bucked against his face, and he began to shoot long, thick streams of cum. In his original plan, Kevin didn't exactly plan on swallowing right off the bat, but there was so much of it, and they were both into it so much, that it seemed like the natural thing to do.
Lance moaned and shuddered with the force of his orgasm, which lasted well over a minute. After there was nothing left to shoot out, his dick continued to spasm and pump, as if it had the dry heaves. The fact that Kevin was still working his mouth and tongue over it didn't help matters any. Finally, Kevin slowly moved his head up, sucking one last time all the way. Letting go with an audible "pop," he released Lance's cock, which fell back wetly onto his groin. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he turned back to look at Lance, who was gasping for breath.
"How did that feel?" he grinned.
"Oh my God....holy shit...that was...God, Kev...that felt fantastic!"
"Good. I'm glad you liked it." He moved back up to kiss Lance deeply for a minute. Then, breaking the kiss, he stared into his lover's eyes and smiled, stroking his face gently with the fingertips of his right hand, which was still a little wet.
Lance smiled back and then began to smack his lips, while making an odd face.
"What?" Kevin asked.
"Hmmm. So that's how it tastes." Lance smacked his lips again for emphasis.
"Oh geez...I'm sorry! I guess I should have used some mouthwash or something before I kissed you, huh?" Kevin laughed.
"No, that's okay. It's not that bad....it's just....different. Kinda salty."
They both laughed, and Kevin lay down on Lance, snuggling up against his chest. Breathing a contented sigh, he closed his eyes. "Happy birthday. I love you."
"I love you too, sexy. So when do I get to try this?" Lance asked.
"Oh, I'm sure we'll have time later on. We'll just have to make sure not to be too loud...wouldn't want to keep Justin and Eric awake, now would we?"
"Yeah," Lance chuckled. "Speaking of which, we should probably get downstairs. They'll be back soon."
Reluctantly, they got up and off the bed. Lance put on his shorts, and followed Kevin out of the room.
"You know," Kevin said as they walked down to the living room, "your diet as a lot to do with how...uh..it tastes. Try adding some more fruit to your diet. It won't be as salty."
"Fruit?" Lance asked.
"Yeah. Like pineapple..."
After Eric and Justin returned, Lance brought down his gift and took it out on the deck, where the four were joined by Gina and Sarah. Kevin had suggested inviting them for dinner, and Lance did not object. It took awhile for Sarah to get over the fact that she was going to be eating with two of the members of N'Sync, but she was able to stay relatively calm throughout the experience. Kevin stood at the grill, while Lance showed the two ladies and Eric his telescope, explaining the various functions of all of the different components. Kevin looked at this and smiled, and couldn't help but think how much Lance looked like a little boy on Christmas morning. Justin walked over to join him.
"I gotta admit man, you sure know how to pick out a gift. I'm impressed," he said.
"Thanks. It took me forever to decide on something, but when I saw it, it had Lance written all over it. I'm glad he likes it," Kevin replied.
Kevin flipped over a couple of the burgers as Justin took a sip from the beer in his hand. The youngest member of N'Sync pondered his words carefully before continuing his conversation.
"So...you and Lance seem pretty happy together."
"Yeah. We haven't had a lot of time to spend with each other so far, but hopefully that's going to change here pretty soon. I mean, we still have this week coming up and all."
"Uh-huh. Then what?"
Kevin closed the lid of the grill. "You've brought up the same thing I've been wondering about myself." Looking over Justin's shoulder, he saw that Lance was still busy with the others. Pulling Justin aside, they turned away so that they couldn't be heard. "Listen, Justin, I know what you're thinking. I don't want this to be some kind of quick, 'gee, it's been fun, but you're going, so thanks for all the sex' type thing, and I know Lance doesn't either. If you're worried about that, don't. I'm not doing all this because he's famous, and I'm not doing it for the sex, either. And I certainly hope you don't think that about me, because if that's the case....I'd rather you leave my house right now."
Justin shook his head and laughed under his breath. "Well, Kevin my boy, you just answered the million dollar question correctly."
A confused look came over Kevin's face. "I did what?"
"Look, I didn't think that about you, and neither did the other guys, okay? Going on everything Lance has told us, we figured that you weren't like that at all. Still, we wanted to be sure, you know? It's hard to totally trust someone outside of the business who isn't family, or that we haven't known for awhile."
Kevin nodded, and then Justin continued.
"So, I didn't want to piss you off or anything, but we had to know, okay? You passed the test, bro, congratulations. I'm happy for you two, and I hope you'll be friends with the rest of us, also." He ended his comments with a broad smile.
Kevin smiled back, and patted Justin on the back.
"Now," Justin said, "how about them burgers?"
Kevin chuckled and turned back to the grill, while Justin went back over to join Lance and the others. The birthday boy was still describing what his new telescope could do.
"....and according to the book, even if it's a hazy night, the lens is powerful enough to break through and pick up celestial activity putting out only a little bit of light. Did you know that when you see a star, you're really seeing...."
"The aftereffect of it dying out, or something like that, right?" Justin finished Lance's sentence.
The four turned around. "Yeah...yeah, that's pretty much it. Wow, I'm impressed Just," Lance said in wonder.
"Hey, I may be blond, but I'm not stupid! Come on, let's eat!"
Eric brought out some extra chairs, and the group sat around until well after sunset, eating and drinking. Justin and Lance entertained them with tales from the road, while the roommates chatted about school, some of the things that happened over the course of the last year, and life in general. Finally, just before nine, the girls left, but not before kissing Lance on the cheek and wishing him a happy birthday. After Eric had escorted them out, Kevin looked at his boyfriend with a grin that was partially playful, and partially evil (but in a weird, harmless sort of way).
"Alrighty then....time for this party to get started," he said, rubbing his hands together.
"Uh-oh. I don't know if I like the sound of this," Lance said, a hint of fear in his voice.
Back inside, the four sat at the kitchen table, as Kevin poured some clear liquor into a shot glass. He, Justin, and Eric still had beer, however. He handed the glass to Lance, who looked at it with trepidation.
"Umm....what's this?" he asked.
"All in good time, patience my boy. Now then, gentlemen..." Kevin stood up, beer in hand. "As this apartment's official toastmaster..."
"Christ, here we go," Eric said, rolling his eyes.
"...I deem it appropriate to propose a toast to our birthday boy." Turning to face Lance, he grinned and raised his beer bottle a little. "We have three traditions in this apartment when someone turns twenty-one, Lance. The first, is the toast. So, here goes."
Pausing to clear his throat, he continued. "Here's to you...here's to me....and if ever we should disagree....fuck you, here's to me. Cheers." They all laughed, and Lance knew right away this was all in jest, so he took no offense. His friends took drinks of their beer as he held up the shot glass and eyed it suspiciously.
"What is this stuff?" he asked, a little hesitant to take it right away.
"It's the second tradition. Go for it."
Kevin grinned, Eric was ready to put a hand over his eyes, and Justin looked at Lance in anticipation.
Shrugging, Lance held up the glass and toasted the others, and then bolted back the contents. His reaction was swift. Coughing, tears streaming from his eyes, he barely choked out his next words:
"Mother fucking....shit....you poisoned me! Water!"
Laughing, Kevin handed over a beer which Lance took gratefully, and immediately began to drink from. After a few minutes, he looked up at his boyfriend with a pained expression on his face. "What the hell was that?"
"It's called grapa," Eric said. "We got it from a friend of ours who spent a semester in Italy. It's made from the peel of the grape, and I think it has something to do with tree bark. We only break it out for special occasions."
"I can see why! That shit is brutal! Do I even want to know what the third tradition is??" Lance asked, once again looking at Kevin.
"The third tradition is less painful. Lance, now that you're of legal drinking age, you can finally be initiated into the century club," Kevin said.
"The what?" Justin asked.
"The century club is when you do one hundred shots of beer over one hundred minutes," Kevin explained.
"Well, that doesn't sound too bad...I guess I can do that," Lance said.
"You sure? No pressure..." Kevin reassured him.
"Hell, it's just beer. Bring it on."
An egg timer was used as a clock, and every minute, Lance filled his shot glass with beer and downed it. All the while, the four played cards, as the stereo played in the living room behind them. After shot number thirty, Lance's reaction time to the poker game started to slow down. Minute forty-five passed, and he began to slur his speech somewhat.
Shot and minute sixty came, and Lance put down the latest empty beer bottle on the table.
"I....think I need a new beer guys...." he said slowly.
"You sure you want to go on Scoop?" Justin asked.
"Hell yeah! I can do this...I got big balls! Wanna see?" Lance pushed back in his chair and was about to undo his shorts, when Kevin stopped him.
"No, that's okay Lance, we believe you," he said with a grin. "You sure you want to keep going?"
"Bring it on!"
So, on it went. After shot seventy-five, he stopped playing cards altogether. Shot seventy-nine was downed, and he leaned over to Kevin.
"Psssst! Hey, Kevin!" he said, not exactly in a whisper.
Kevin turned to Lance and smiled. "Yeah, babe?"
"I gotta pee!"
"Okay, you know where the bathroom is. Go for it."
"Okay!"
Lance got up and stumbled over to the bathroom, slamming the door unintentionally behind him. As he relieved himself, he started singing "Bye, Bye, Bye," which caused the others to start to laugh. Justin, who was a little buzzed himself, turned to Eric.
"Man, you guys are fucking cruel!"
"Hey, now, this wasn't my idea! Don't blame me....hey, do you guys mind if I smoke?" Eric wasn't usually a smoker, but when they were drinking, it was one of those things he did.
"Nah, go ahead. Your lungs dude," Justin said.
Lance, meanwhile, was taking the longest piss in recorded history.
Reaching behind him, Eric opened a drawer and pulled out a package of cigarettes, while Kevin got an ashtray from a cabinet. Lighting one, he inhaled and let the blue smoke seep out from his nostrils. This was the sight that greeted Lance when he had finally finished doing his business. Looking at Eric, his eyes went wide, and he stumbled over to Kevin.
"Hey...hey Kevin!"
"Yes, Lance," he replied.
"Look! Eric's breathing fire! Just like a dragon!"
"Uhh....not quite. Why don't you sit down. You sure you want to keep going?"
"Hell yeah! Pour me another!"
And on it went. Finally, one hundred minutes had elapsed, and Lance had taken one hundred shots of beer. Finishing his final shot, he slammed down the glass triumphantly, to the cheers of the others.
"Alright Scoop! Say something man!" Justin was now beyond slightly buzzed, and had become slightly drunk himself. Oddly, only Eric and Kevin seemed fine, although they had consumed just about as much alcohol as Justin did.
Smiling, Lance stood up to accept the accolades of the others. Then, he decided to stand on his chair, more than a little shakily. Kevin quickly got up and steadied him with his arm.
"Well...." Lance slurred. "I did it....and here's what I have to say....."
He closed his eyes, and the others waited. And waited. And waited.
Finally, Lance began to sing.
"Lord Almighty, feel my temperature rising! Higher, higher, it's burning right through to my soul!"
As Lance broke out into his Elvis impersonation, the others broke out into laughter. Justin fell out of his chair, and lay on the ground, his face red, tears streaming down his face as he became hysterical.
Lance continued on, even gyrating his hips a little, as he looked at Kevin.
"Cause your kisses lift me higher...like a sweet song of a choir...you light my morning sky, with burning love!" Grinning goofily at Kevin, he stumbled and fell from his chair, but Kevin caught him before any damage could be done. He wrapped his arms around Kevin's neck, and swayed a little. Then, he changed songs:
"You know baby...my love for you will always be true....heh...that's right...cause there is noooo me, without you!"
Justin was pulling himself back up from the floor when he heard this, and he began to laugh again, sinking back down.
Suddenly, Lance's smile disappeared as a panicked look came over his face. Kevin and Eric knew immediately what this meant, and Eric leaped over to open the bathroom door.
"Oh shit," Lance muttered, as he stumbled inside, and closed the door behind him. The next sound they heard was the unpleasant retching noise that usually accompanied someone's induction into the century club.
"Welcome to the club, Lance," Kevin said, raising a beer in toast to the bathroom door.
Justin finally got back into his chair, and was calming down. "You think....you think he'll be okay?" he said through the last of his laughter.
"I think so." Kevin went over and knocked on the door. "Lance? You alright in there?"
Lance was starting to quickly sober somewhat, and not in the way he intended to. "You fucker...I'm gonna get you for this...." he said weakly.
"Yeah, he'll be fine," Eric said with a smile.
The rest of the evening, Lance lay on the couch while the others continued their card game. Finally, at just after two in the morning, it was decided that enough was enough for one night. Oddly, Justin, who was in pretty bad shape himself, won the game and the pot, which totaled nearly seventy-five dollars.
Kevin went over to the couch, and knelt next to Lance, who was half asleep.
"Hey, how are you feeling?"
Lance kept his eyes closed and groaned. "You are so going to pay for this Mr. Douglas."
Grinning, Kevin leaned over and kissed Lance on the forehead. "Still love me?"
"Yeah. I probably shouldn't, but yeah."
Kevin then helped Lance up, and walked him upstairs, as they shouted good night to Eric and Justin, who had quickly claimed the couch and promptly passed out. Eric turned out the lights, and stumbled upstairs, wondering how Justin won....
Friday, May 5, 2000. A little past three in the morning.
Lance sat in Kevin's arms, his eyes closed. His head was still swimming a little, and it was probably going to pound in the morning, but in a bizarre way, it was worth it. Once they had gotten upstairs, Kevin helped him out of his clothes, and laid down in bed next to him. He had expected to fall asleep right away, but for some reason he couldn't. So, he came back down, and decided to go out on the deck, and look up at the stars.
"They're really beautiful, you know?" he said.
"Yeah, they sure are. I can see why you're interested in them."
"Yeah. You know, this is one of my favorite things to do. Like, when we're on the road somewhere, and I can't sleep...I like to sneak outside and just stare up at them."
"I didn't know that," Kevin said with a smile.
Lance nodded. "It's like...whenever I'm unsure of myself, or I'm lonely...whatever...looking up there makes me feel better."
Kevin smiled again. "You're looking for space."
"Well, I guess that's one way of putting it, yeah," Lance replied.
Shaking his head, Kevin laughed a little. "No, no...I guess you didn't get it. You've never heard of that song?"
"No, I haven't." Lance shifted and turned to face Kevin. "Sing it to me."
"Right now? Here?"
"Yeah, right now."
"Lance, you've heard me sing..."
"Yeah, but not to me. Please? It can be my last birthday present."
Suddenly, Kevin remembered his decision from earlier the preceding morning, but chose not to bring it up just then.
"Well, okay. It sounds better if I play the guitar with it, but here goes."
Smiling, Kevin began to sing:
On the road of experience I'm trying to find my own way Sometimes I wish that I could fly away When I think that I'm moving Suddenly things stand still I'm afraid cause I think they always will
And I'm looking for space And to find out who I am And I'm looking to know and understand It's a sweet, sweet dream Sometimes I'm almost there Sometimes I fly like an eagle and Sometimes I'm deep in despair
All alone in the universe Sometimes that how it seems I get lost in the sadness and the screams Then I look in the center Suddenly everything's clear I find myself in the sunshine and my dreams
And I'm looking for space And to find out who I am And I'm looking to know and understand It's a sweet, sweet dream Sometimes I'm almost there Sometimes I fly like an eagle and Sometimes I'm deep in despair
On the road of experience Join in the living day If there's an answer It's just that it's just that way
When you're looking for space And to find out who you are When you're looking to try and reach the stars It's a sweet, sweet, sweet dream Sometimes I'm almost there Sometimes I fly like an eagle and Sometimes I'm deep in despair
Sometimes I fly like an eagle Like an eagle I go flying high....(1)
By the time he finished, he saw that Lance was smiling, and tears were rolling down his cheeks.
"Lance, what's wrong?" he said softly.
"Nothing...it's just...you got it. You got it perfectly. That's exactly how I felt."
"About what?"
"About....everything. If I made the right choice with my life, or wondering if I was going to ever find someone. But you know what? I did make the right choice. If I never joined N'Sync...I never...I never would have met you..."
Kevin pulled Lance over and hugged him, and a tear trickled down his face as well.
"I love you so much, sexy," Lance whispered.
"I love you too," Kevin replied, smiling.
"But if you ever make me drink that much beer again, you're gonna regret it...."
Laughing, Kevin helped Lance up to his feet, and they walked back into the apartment. They went past Justin, up the stairs, and into the bedroom. Laying down, they kissed one last time, cuddled in each others arms, and fell asleep.
It had been an interesting day.
End of Chapter Nine
- "Looking for Space," words and music by John Denver, copyright 1975.