Star Encounter

Title: Star Encounter Author: Jezebel Feedback: eh_oh_po@yahoo.com

Disclaimers: I do not know any of the celebrities mentioned herein, this has no element of truth to it. This is no reflection on their true sexualities or personalities of any people mentioned.. If you are underage for your area or if it is illegal for you to look at this why not go somewhere else, if you don't like the thought of two men together in a loving, sexual way this isn't for you either.

Part 9

Justin should have known that it would not be as easy as telling the boys that he was dating Brandon and that he wanted to take a month off to spend time with him. He should have known that they would at least expect to meet him. Everyone knew the Brandon Taylor that appeared on the stage but none of them knew him personally and they would not let Justin go off with just anyone. It was like having four overbearing older brothers and Justin wondered if this was how Maya felt when Brandon judged the men that she dated.

Brandon had taken it all in his stride, perhaps it was part of the older brother code and he had been expecting it. He arranged his schedule so that he could be with Justin for the last day of the Nsync tour and the party afterwards.

Justin didn't understand why he had left it so long but Brandon proposed that if he came to the party to celebrate the success of the tour that the record company were throwing them and if he was accompanied by his teenaged sister that less people would question why he was there. That would leave them free to disappear off the next day and no-one would guess that Brandon and Justin had left together. It also had the added advantage that if the boys disapproved of Brandon then he would not have to listen to them trying to talk him out of the relationship as they had done with Maya.

The after show party on the last night of the tour was the biggest that they had ever had to reflect the fact that this was the longest and largest tour that Nsync had done to date. The record company were proud of their top sellers and wanted to show them and the world that they were proud.

The record company had hired the events hall of the hotel where the boys were staying in Miami. It was decorated in reds and blues, the garish colours of the tour logo, and all around were large promotional pictures from the tour. The press had been show "behind the scenes" before the party and then been locked away so that the boys could party in peace. Everyone who was anyone was going to be at the party but the official guest list was kept under wraps. Only those closest to the band knew just how far up the social food chain the guests were coming from.

Justin was more nervous than he had been for the majority of the tour. Even performing in front of a hundred thousand screaming fans was not as nerve- wracking as knowing that Brandon and his brothers would be under the same roof since they found out that he and Brandon were dating. He hoped that they would get along and if they didn't he was glad that he could escape to Brandon's hotel as soon as the party was over.

The party had already started when Justin and the boys arrived, fresh from their final night on stage and ready to party. Despite the fact that they had just sung and danced their way through a concert to entertain the fans they were more than ready to party.

Justin went off in search of a drink and his lover.

Maya had come to the party early. Brandon had offered to escort her but she gave him a look of disgust and muttered something about not taking her brother as a date to prom. Of course Maya had never gone to prom, had never finished high school, but Brandon knew her well enough to know that she didn't want to be seen with him.

Maya was mingling well with the crew and support acts. She was enjoying the disco and gave Justin a small wave as he walked past before heading back out to the dance floor. In another life she would have made it as a dancer, Brandon had paid for her to take ballet and later hip hop and street dance when she asked but Maya never had the patience to study it in depth. She had grace, she had poise but she didn't have the commitment to do it full time. At 17 Maya didn't really have the commitment to do anything full time so Brandon was happy to let her dabble until she found what she wanted from life. Still, it was good to cut loose every now and then and, in the mean time, she could certainly hold her own on the dance floor.

Maya danced through eight songs straight before a slow song came on and she took that as her chance to come off stage and take a breather.

"You're hot." A male voice said to her as she came off stage. Maya turned and saw a familiar face. "You were really cutting it up on the dance floor but I know you're not with the tour. I don't want to brag but I could hook you up with some great choreographers."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm not a dancer." Maya replied.

"You could have fooled me." He replied. "I would love to show you some of my moves."

"Thanks for the offer, but I know exactly what kind of moves those would be and I'm not interested." Maya replied.

"I don't know what you've heard but..."

"Wade, I know about Britney, and trust me, anyone that would screw with his best friend's girlfriend is not the kind of man that I want to do the horizontal mambo with." Maya said.

Wade was about to ask where she had heard these lies when he saw a man come up behind her and put his arm around her.

"I got you some water, thought you might be hot after your little performance out there." Lance said as he held the water out to Maya. The bottle was still sealed and Maya smiled as she took it from him and took a sip. Lance obviously knew women well enough to know that they wouldn't accept an unsafe drink from a stranger. She had been thirsty and didn't much mind Lance's proprietary arm around her.

"Thanks." Maya said. "Wade was just complimenting me on my performance as well. He said he thought I looked good out there."

"You look good everywhere, sweetheart." Lance said, his deep bass tone sending shivers through her as he said the words. Lance had always been Maya's pin up and now she finally had a chance to get close to him she was not about to let it slide. Maya leaned up and kissed his cheek before turning to Wade.

"You'll have to excuse us, we should mingle." She said to Lance. "There are a lot of people here that we should see."

Wade was left wondering how Lance had hooked such a good looking and talented woman and why he had told her about their private business. There was a time when he would have been a party to everything that went on in the Nsync camp but one indiscretion had left him out in the cold. He wondered what it would take to get back into the inner circle again. Perhaps if he spoke with Britney she could help, she always had known how to get around Justin.

Justin had located Brandon standing in a corner of the events hall trying to blend into the background. It was hard when you were as famous as Brandon was to blend in anywhere, especially when you only had an orange juice in your hand, but he was trying his best and Justin smiled when Brandon gave him a small wave.

Justin was halfway across the balcony to meet Brandon when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Justin?"

"Now isn't a good time, pinky." Justin said, using her nickname without even thinking about it.

Britney smiled.

"There was a time when you couldn't get enough of me."

"That was before you slept with my best friend." Justin replied.

"We made a mistake Justin, one mistake, you can't hold that against me forever. We are good together."

"Were." Justin replied. He didn't really want to have this conversation but he especially didn't want to have it in such a public place.

"Excuse me." Brandon said, interrupting Justin's chance of continuing.

"OH MY GOD." Britney exclaimed as she realised who was interrupting them. "You're, You're..."

"Justin, I was wondering if I could have a word with you..." Brandon said, pulling his lover away from Britney who was still shocked that she was at a party that was attended by Brandon Taylor.

"Thanks." Justin said as soon as they were in a more secluded spot. "I really didn't want to speak to her tonight."

"I'm surprised that she was invited."

"Same record company." Justin commented. "It probably means that Wade is here too."

"The guy she slept with?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah. How did you..."

"Justin, just because I wasn't in your life, it doesn't mean that I don't know what happened to you while we were apart." Brandon said.

Justin knew it should have creeped him out that Brandon knew things, things that even his closest friends outside the group didn't know, but to know that even when he had felt alone Brandon had been thinking of him made Justin feel good. It made him feel as if Brandon, someone that mattered a great deal to him, felt the same way that he did.

"Have I told you today that I love you?" Justin asked.

"Did I tell you how glad I am that we'll have two weeks alone together to talk about these things?" Brandon replied.

They both smiled and turned to watch the crowds instead. There was time enough to talk when they were in private. For now it was good to just be together. They hadn't had nearly enough time together.

Brandon and Justin spent the next two hours talking to each other and fielding questions and queries from the other guests. Justin didn't mind sharing Brandon with other people because he kept in the back of his mind that he would have him to himself for 2 weeks after that night.

A stream of fans and well wishers came through, interrupting any chance that Brandon and Justin had at a real conversation but it was only when Tank, Brandon's security, came to speak with them that Brandon realised how long it had been.

"Maya not with you?" Tank asked, looking at Brandon.

"No, I thought..." Brandon trailed off, his face gradually paling as he scanned the hall and saw that she was not easily visible.

"She's probably just dancing." Justin said, remembering that he had seen her out on the floor a few hours before.

"Nope, I just came from there." Tank said. "I did a sweep of the bar and the rest areas but she's not there either. I thought she might be hiding up here with you^Å"

"Get Tina to check the bathrooms, You take the Lobby and I'll look in the restaurant." Brandon said to his security guard, already off on the hunt.

Justin stared after him for a moment before following, wondering why Brandon was so worried about Maya. She was a big girl and she could look after herself.

Tank must have had no luck with the lobby because by the time Justin caught up with Brandon his security was on his tail too, just in time to see Brandon spot Maya in a corner booth.

"Maya, it's getting late..." Brandon said, as he saw the back of her head. As he got closer he realised that she was not alone.

Justin could see that Maya was sitting, back to the room, on the lap of an unidentified man. It was clear that they were not just playing as his hand was buried deep into her dark curls.

"Maya..." Brandon warned, pulling her away from the man.

"Hey." Lance said, as he tried to focus on who was interrupting them. He looked up into the face of an angry Brandon Taylor.

"Maya, Let's go." Brandon said.

"I'm not sure that Maya wants to go with you." Lance replied, forcibly removing Brandon's hand and allowing Maya to slide from his lap to sit beside him. He didn't care that this was Brandon Taylor, or that this was Justin's boyfriend, he wasn't letting Maya go anywhere with someone this angry unless she wanted to leave.

"This is between Maya and me." Brandon said through gritted teeth. It was clear that he was barely controlling his anger.

"Jesus, Brandon, get a grip..." Maya said as she saw how angry her brother was.

Lance slid his hand into hers, offering her his unspoken support and angering Brandon further.

"Take your hands off her." Brandon ground out. "Maya. We're leaving." It was obvious that this was not a request.

"No." Maya argued. "I'm enjoying the party and I want to stay here with Lance."

"Brandon?" Justin asked from just behind his lover, trying to work out what was going on. "You okay?"

"No, I'm not. I guess that you knew about this?" Brandon said, turning his accusations to Justin.

"We weren't together before tonight." Maya answered defensively. "And I don't see why you're so upset."

"You're not the only one." Lance confided to Maya.

This infuriated Brandon who turned back to Lance, his fists balled as if he was ready for a fight.

"You take advantage of my sister and you dare to ask why I'm so upset." Brandon seethed.

"I do." Maya said. "I'm not a kid anymore."

"You're seventeen." Brandon replied. "You're hardly an adult."

Lance dropped Maya's hand then, looking at her questioningly. He didn't know that she was so young, he certainly didn't know that she was Brandon's sister.

"I swear, I didn't know." Lance said as he looked towards Brandon.

Maya was crying now as she realised that her one chance with Lance had fallen by the wayside and that her brother had been the one to ruin it for her. Yes, she was only 17, but her mind was much older. She had matured more quickly than other girls, she had to after Brandon entered her life, and she didn't feel 17.

Standing up she pushed her way past Brandon, feeling as though she needed to get away.

"I hate you." She said to him as she pushed past him.

Justin caught her arm and tried to stop her but she fought him.

"Here." Justin said, sliding something into her hand as she passed.

Brandon too turned to leave, trying to follow her at first and then pausing by Justin who reached for him as he passed.

"Don't." Justin said. "She needs some time to sort this out."

"I can't just let her walk out of here." Brandon answered.

"I'll go." Tank said, finally breaking the silence he had kept as he watched events unfurl.

Brandon looked from Justin to Lance and then moved to leave.

"B?" Justin asked, using the endearment that Maya so often used. He was feeling uncertain and that showed in his voice.

"I think I need some time too." Brandon replied. "I'll call you in the morning."

With that Brandon left Justin and Lance alone.

"Do you want to tell me what that was about?" Lance asked, looking to the only person left in the room for the answers that he sought.

"I wish I knew." Justin said as he took a seat next to Lance. He sighed when Lance did not say anything and knew that he expected more than this. Instead of leaving he started to tell Lance the story of his first trip alone, and of his 21st birthday. It was going to be a long night.

Justin paused a moment before knocking on the door. He knew that Brandon had said that he needed time, and that he would call him in the morning, but Justin didn't want to wait. He was scared that if he left Brandon on his own for too long that he might build their argument up into something that it wasn't and there were still a lot of answers that Justin needed. He loved Brandon, but he loved Lance too. Lance was his brother and he didn't understand why Brandon would not trust him with Maya. She was young but she was not stupid and she was certainly mature enough to know her own heart. If it told her to trust Lance then surely her brother should agree.

"Hi." Brandon said as he answered the door. He didn't look as though he had been sleeping and Justin was glad that he had not woken his lover up. "I guess you'd better come in." Brandon said, opening the door wider and ushering Justin into his Penthouse suite.

"I know you said you needed time, but..."

"No." Brandon replied. "It's okay. I was going to call you, but I wasn't sure if it would be welcome. I thought maybe you might still be at your party."

"I left a while ago." Justin said. "There wasn't really anything for me there."

Brandon ran his hand through his hair nervously and took a seat on the couch, Justin followed him and sat in the arm chair opposite. He wanted to give Brandon the distance that he said he had needed.

"I guess I owe you an apology." Brandon said after a while. "I didn't mean to overreact like that..."

"Then why did you?" Justin asked. "I know that you want to look out for Maya, and that you're her brother, but that doesn't mean you have the right to tell her who she can and can't be friends with or who she can and can't date. Believe me, I get enough of that from the record company and it's never good to be made to feel like an infant."

"I know, but it's complicated."

"Maya said the same." Justin said. Brandon looked up at him, his brow knitted in confusion. "I spoke to her just after you left. She's staying in my room at the hotel tonight before going home tomorrow. She said that she needed some space, that she'll probably head up to LA for a few days to clear her head."

"And she told you?" Brandon asked.

"No, she just said that it was complicated but that she didn't want to say anymore."

"Maya was almost kidnapped."

"What? When?"

"She was 15." Brandon said. "She was in her first term at a prestigious private school in LA - I wasn't exactly in the best place back then and Maya had just come to live with me full time. She was supposed to board while she was there but she didn't like it so she wanted to come home. I told her to wait till the weekend, that I would come to get her, but she didn't listen. She hitched a lift with a truck driver, gave him the whole sob story about her rich brother not wanting her..."

"What happened?"

"The guy wanted to take her but he slipped up. He asked a friend to join him, explained how easy it would be to get a ransom and the friend knew that it was trouble. He took Maya to a truck stop and called the police."

"How do you know he was going to kidnap her?"

"The police said that the man was known to them. They had a number of unconfirmed stories about him." Brandon said. "The friend told police that he was going to ask for $10,000, but if he knew who she was, who I was, he would have asked for much more."

Justin frowned as he heard the story. Suddenly so many things about Maya and Brandon seemed to make sense. Maya leaving school and touring with her brother, Brandon's overprotective streak and the close relationship that the pair seemed to share.

"It's amazing how something like that brings people together." Brandon continued as if sensing Justin's thoughts. "It was the shock of that which forced me to straighten my life out and stay sober enough to get back out on the road again. Maya appears as if she doesn't have a care in the world, she doesn't let many people see beyond that façade."

"She obviously trusted Lance." Justin argued.

"I know, but I worry that she still trusts too easily." Brandon replied. "She's so young and despite her protestations that she's grown up she still has a lot to learn about the world."

"Lance isn't going to hurt her." Justin said. "I've known him a long time now and I've never seen him treat a woman with anything but respect. He's too kind for his own good sometimes and maybe that was what Maya saw in him."

"She's never going to forgive me, is she?" Brandon asked, knowing that he had humiliated his little sister in front of the guy she idolised. She liked Lance for more than his good looks and soulful voice, she looked up to him as someone that was making a name for himself in more than one field and wanted to be like that.

"I think she just needs some time." Justin replied. "If you want to postpone us going..."

"No." Brandon answered curtly. He stood and moved towards Justin, leaning down and holding a hand out to him. "We've waited long enough to spend some time together and I won't let anything interrupt that."

"Brandon..."

"No, you were right. Maya needs some time and space to sort this out on her own." Brandon replied. "From here on in it's just the two of us."

"That sounds nice."

"It will be."

Justin woke up to an empty bed. For a moment he wondered if Brandon had left him again but as soon as he sat up he saw that his lover was already up, and had his phone plastered to his ear.

"Hi." Brandon said, smiling at him before turning back to his phone. "I've got to go. I'll speak to you in a couple of weeks."

Justin raised an eyebrow as Brandon hung up.

"Tina." Brandon said, in response to the unasked question of who he had been talking to. "She's arranged for your bags to be transferred to the boat. We're leaving just after breakfast."

"Where are we going?" Justin asked, surprised that Brandon had yet to reveal their destination to him.

"Just a little resort that I know."

"And we don't need to fly there?" Justin asked, trying to work out where it was.

"No." Brandon said. "It's a day or so off the coast, but I thought you might like the boat trip."

"I didn't know you sailed."

"I don't." Brandon responded. "But my friend has a little dinghy that I thought we could borrow."

Justin felt his stomach lurch at the thought of sailing on a small boat, but he would be with Brandon so he went with it, not saying anything about his fears. They showered separately, not wanting to be late for their schedule, and headed out. Justin was very nervous by the time they arrived at a small marina.

Brandon's driver pulled up in front of a large yacht and Justin looked around it to see if he could see something smaller.

"I know it's not much but..." Brandon began.

Justin's jaw fell open as he realised that this luxury boat was just for them.

"You bastard, I thought you were serious when you said it was going to be a small boat." Justin said, knowing from the shining mirth in Brandon's eyes that he had been joking.

"Is this okay?" Brandon asked.

"It's better than okay, it's brilliant." Justin said, already half out the car and heading towards the boat. Brandon smiled to himself and was glad he had chosen to call in a few favours to organise this trip. It would be well worth it if he got to see the beaming smile on Justin's face, as well as the time that they would get to spend together.

Justin knew that after the most plush and pampered two days of his life on the luxury yacht with Brandon and a very discreet crew that he should have expected something just as extravagant for the resort but he still had in mind the private bungalow that Brandon had stayed in before. That would have been nice enough but as they moored on the island Justin realised that this was a little more special.

"Welcome to Paradise." Brandon said as he held his hand out for Justin to take him from the boat. "For the next two weeks, we'll be the sole inhabitants of this island."

"You mean...?" Justin paused, taking in the large wooden built chalet surrounded by palm trees and tropical plants. There was another smaller cabin closer to the beach and a few other buildings which he could view from their vantage point.

"You said you wanted to lock ourselves away from the world, to a place where no one cared that you're Justin Timberlake and I'm Brandon Taylor." Brandon said. "There is a whole satellite system to contact the outside world if we need it, but unless there is an emergency, we're not going to be disturbed."

"But it's so much." Justin said, not just meaning the large resort but also the fact that it must be costing Brandon a mint to hire it.

"You're worth it, trust me." Brandon responded. "Besides, I know the owner and managed to get it for a good price."

"We should get our bags." Justin said, scared that he was going to wake up and this would be a dream.

"Relax, it's all being taken care of." Brandon said as he pointed to a couple of members of the crew who were already unloading boxes of supplies as well as their bags. "While they sort that out, let's take a walk on the beach. There are a couple of other things that I wanted to show you."

The island wasn't too large, everything was a few minutes walk from the main complex and after a short walk along the beach they reached one of the larger outer buildings. Brandon slid open a glass sliding door. Inside there was a small lounge area with a two way mirror that looked into a large recording studio.

"No pressure, but if you want to do some work while we're here..." Brandon said, allowing the suggestion to filter through Justin's mind.

"You thought of everything, didn't you?" Justin asked.

"I hope so." Brandon said. "I just wanted this to be the perfect break for you."

"Thank you." Justin said, leaning in to capture Brandon's mouth. Brandon smiled into the kiss and thought that this was thanks enough for the planning he had put into this place. Just to be able to hold his lover, to kiss him and touch him freely without constantly having to watch his back would be more than enough for him, but he also had a dream about making love to Justin on the beach under the stars. He hoped that was a dream that he could make a reality.

After the boat was unloaded and Brandon had said goodbye to the captain they were left alone and Justin took a chance to explore the rest of the island. There were a few cabins which he supposed were for staff or guests which were currently empty as well as a fully stocked gym and work out area next to the large swimming pool. Justin wasn't sure why you needed a pool when you were on a tropical island but he supposed that not everyone wanted to swim in the sea. There was also the recording studio that Brandon had shown him as well as the main house.

The house, Justin couldn't quite think of it as a chalet when he saw it, had a large main room with large wicker sofas around a table and a plasma screen (which was hooked up to the satellite) as well as large doors that could be opened out onto the beach. There was also a dining table in here which looked as though it could seat six. There was a small office room in the centre next to the staircase that led up to the second floor where two large master bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, stood. At the back of the house was a large kitchen, built for entertaining, which led directly out onto a patio by the second, smaller swimming pool.

It was obvious that whoever had built this place had wanted a retreat from the outside world. It would probably be possible to live happily there, although it would become a lonely existence, but for getting away from it all it really was perfect.

"You found everything?" Brandon asked as Justin entered the patio. Brandon was sitting at one of the poolside tables with a glass of lemonade and reading a book.

"I think so." Justin said. "Although I'm still sure that I'm going to turn a corner and find something new, this place is huge."

"Probably a little big for just the two of us." Brandon replied. "Still, at least we can guarantee that we'll be alone. Anyone trying to find us would probably get lost."

Justin laughed, taking a seat next to his lover and waiting for a moment before he spoke again.

"How protected are we?" Justin asked, knowing that journalists would probably wonder where he had gone for his break and that they were not above hiring helicopters and other means of watching celebrities from a distance.

"Other than the fact that we're two days out at sea?" Brandon asked. "There are two smaller islands a short distance away that have smaller cabins on them. They act as a buffer. If anyone tries to fly past, or get a boat over here then we'll know about it before they get close enough to see anything."

"That's a bit excessive." Justin commented.

"Not if you're the kind of person that gets followed everywhere they go." Brandon replied.

"Who owns this place?" Justin asked.

Brandon shrugged.

"A friend."

"You won't tell me, will you?" Justin asked.

Brandon shook his head.

"You've just come off a hard tour, and you wanted a place to relax. I know a few people that are as guarded about their privacy as me and asked around. They mentioned Paradise."

Justin realised that this was the name of the island.

"No one really publicises the fact that this place exists because otherwise all of the paparazzi would know about it, so anyone that stays here is sworn to secrecy." Brandon said.

"Oh." Justin replied, it wasn't the answer that he wanted but he knew it was the best that he would get and he understood the need for privacy, especially given the fact that he didn't want to be outed. Brandon might survive coming out because of his status in the music world but Justin wasn't sure he would be so lucky. Boybands were two a penny and they thrived on being available, if anyone knew that he was bisexual and settling down with a man they might not want him anymore.

"So..." Brandon said. "What do you want to do first?"

"We could go for a swim." Justin said, pulling off his T-shirt.

Brandon's eyes glazed at the sight of a topless Justin.

"I've got a better idea." He said as he stood and pulled Justin inside and towards the bedroom. "I've been wanting to do this for a long time."

Justin wasn't exactly sure what Brandon wanted, but he had a fair idea.

Brandon pulled his shirt off and Justin moved to do the same, but felt Brandon's hands on his stopping him.

"Let me." Brandon said as he reached to loosen Justin's clothes. "I want to take care of you, to make it special."

Justin nodded, knowing that there was something that Brandon wasn't saying about why he wanted this but he wasn't forthcoming and Justin was happy to let his lover undress him and explore him now that they had time.

Brandon tenderly unwrapped Justin as if he were a precious artefact that should be cared for and admired. He laid him out in the centre of the bed and then took his time stroking, kissing and caressing each part of Justin's body, learning the secret places that made Justin moan and whimper and still keeping in mind the fact that Justin was growing ever harder.

This was what Brandon wanted. To be able to take his time and love Justin in the way he had not had a chance to before. He wanted to show Justin just what he meant to him and this was the only way that he knew how.

Taking the opportunity to learn about his lover's body, where he liked to be touched and what made him hot. Slowly he worked his way down Justin's body until he got to his cock.

"Lift up." Brandon said softly, Justin pulled his legs up and Brandon stroked a finger down his perineum towards the puckered opening. He popped the cap on the lubricant and put a little on his fingers, preparing the way with his fingers before he went in. The tight ring of muscle felt snug around the two fingers he had inside but as Justin got used to him he relaxed and the muscles were less tense. Slicking up a third finger Brandon put in three this time and fucked them in and out, this time finding the nub inside and bringing groans from Justin as he brushed against his prostate.

Justin was in heaven, he kept his eyes firmly on Brandon and saw the love in the eyes as he was finger fucked by his lover. Brandon pulled his fingers out to prepare himself as Justin lay on the bed apparently lost in the passion of the moment, Brandon's cock was hard and dripping precum and he knew that he was not much better, slipping on the condom he positioned himself at the opening and then reached up to take Justin's hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze and then placed a kiss on the palm.

"I'm starting now." He said as he began to push, not sure why he had spoken the words but wanting to say them anyway. Once he was fully in he leaned down and kissed Justin, whose legs were tight to him, his head propped on pillows. Brandon reached his hand down and stroked Justin, his other hand on Justin's hip to guide him in his strokes on and out.

They were moving now, Justin wanting to push himself onto the cock in him so that he could have more exposure to it and Brandon moving in and out and timing his stroking of Justin's cock with his movement. An entire conversation was carried between them as they made love although neither spoke a word. Messages of love and lust shared in looks and touches like a duet that they sung in perfect harmony. As Justin neared climax he panted out the words that they so rarely shared.

"I love you Brandon." Justin said, then came as he felt the large cock in him touch his prostate. Brandon kept moving, wishing that the stories of synchronised orgasms were easy and true. A few moments later he felt the tightening of his balls and then he came, shooting his cum into the condom that surrounded him. He waited a few minutes, just enjoying the feeling of being enclosed in the warmth of his lover before his dick slipped out. Getting rid of the condom he then snuggled down with Justin who lay in a boneless sprawl enjoying his post orgasmic state.

Both of them were covered in a sheen of sweat, the heat of their lovemaking and the humidity of the island too much for them. Brandon and Justin slumped in exhaustion but both happy and relaxed for the first time in weeks.

When Justin got the energy to talk he opened his mouth.

"That was exactly what I needed." Justin said. "And I meant what I said. I do love you."

"I love you too." Brandon said. "And I'm going to spend the next two weeks showing you exactly how much."

Justin smiled, still too tired from their work out to move but knowing that Brandon would do anything for him, would do anything to make him happy. This was love and Justin wanted to spend the next two weeks bathing in it's glow.

Contrary to what Brandon had said that first night together on the island they didn't spend the whole 2 weeks making love, although they took every opportunity to do so. There was plenty of time spent in each other's company talking about all of the things that they didn't know about each other and building a closer relationship. Brandon also tried to spend at least an hour a day in the studio and after the second day Justin had joined him.

At first it was reminiscent of their first night together but Justin had learned a lot since then. He had watched Josh in the studio during the recording of "NO STRINGS ATTACHED" and had worked his way through "CELEBRITY" with Wade before his betrayal.

Justin and Brandon had a closer personal relationship and this seemed to carry over into the studio. It was as if they were always supposed to work together and at least twice they worked all night on some of the best songs either had produced.

By the time the two weeks were up neither of them really wanted to return to the real world, Paradise had captured their hearts and minds and they were not ready to go back to their old lives but life was life and work was work and neither was going to wait for them.

"I don't want to leave." Justin said on their last night on the island as he watched the sun go down with his lover. "I wish this sunset could last forever, that these weeks could just keep going on."

"I don't want to leave either but I know that you have to be back in the studio and I have a sold out stadium tour to perform. At least you're heading back into the studio with some new material and with a refreshed outlook. You're not too bone tired and hopefully you'll be able to spend some time on this one, make it something you can be proud of like you were with "Celebrity"."

"I'm not even sure I want to do another album." Justin said. "And I don't know what kind of material we'll have."

"Well, you have what we've worked on." Brandon said. "That's a start."

"I thought..."

"What?" Brandon asked, "that I would automatically use them?"

"Well, yeah. It's your music."

"And your lyrics." Brandon countered. "I'm not saying I don't want any credit, but they're as much yours as they are mine and if you want them..."

"I don't know." Justin replied. "It feels wrong somehow, like they're special, just for us..."

"Justin, if you don't want to use them, that's fine but I'm not going to stop you. Nor will I be upset." Brandon said. "They are special, any song that you write is going to be special, but it will allow other people to share in our love if we share them."

"I'll think about it." Justin allowed. "You never know, Josh might have already written 12 brilliant songs during the break."

"The two of you don't work together." Brandon said. "I always wondered why that was. I mean, No Strings was Josh's album, Celebrity was yours but you haven't written anything together. You're both very talented, and together you could be twice as good."

"We have very different styles and when we get into the studio..." Justin paused, trying to choose his words carefully. "It's like Josh and I are two powerful magnets, we can work really well on our own but together, we repel each other."

"And you and I?" Brandon asked. "We attract each other?"

"Well, I'm certainly attracted to you." Justin replied with a soft smile.

They stayed on the beach, just watching the sun over the horizon.

Brandon did not pressure Justin anymore about the songs, he knew that if the younger man wanted them he would use them and for now he was happy to just sit and watch the sun set on their last day together and pray that they would be able to do this again soon.

The journey back to reality was an anticlimax to the whole trip. Justin had not expected to return so quickly either but after a short boat ride they were escorted to another island in the archipelagos and were driven to a small airfield.

"I thought you said that you couldn't fly here?" Justin asked Brandon as they got on the private leer jet which would take them back to the mainland.

"No, I said that the island was not accessible by plane, which is true, but there is an airstrip here. I just wanted to make the trip to the island a little slower than the journey back. As much as I would like to stay with you for a few more days I have to get back."

Justin nodded, allowing their co-pilot to talk them through some of the pre- flight safety measures, before returning to the conversation.

"I still have another two weeks off." Justin replied. He wanted to tell Brandon that he wanted to spend them with him but knew that if Brandon had work to do that he would probably not want Justin around.

"I know." Brandon answered.

"Maybe we could..."

Brandon stopped Justin with a look.

"Justin, you said that you needed some time to think about what you wanted to do with your life. I think that you need more than a little time away with me to focus on that, and I know that you've not really thought about it over the last week."

"I was only saying that to Johnny to get some time off." Justin replied.

"Really?" Brandon asked. "And you haven't thought at all about pursuing other avenues of work."

"I'm with Nsync."

"You won't always be." Brandon countered. "I really think that you should take some time out to really think about your future. I know that you like being in the band, that the boys are your brothers but you're still young. You could have a solo career, a movie career. You could do almost anything that you want."

"Josh already thinks that I'm leaving the band, if he thinks I'm even considering a solo career..."

"Josh could have a great solo career too." Brandon responded. "And if he's as wound up as you say he is then maybe that is exactly what he wants. He's probably feeling guilty that you and he are both thinking about that because of the same loyalty that he feels to the other members of the band."

"You don't understand what it's like for us." Justin said. "We're so close, have been so close for years..."

"That you're living in each other's pockets? Afraid to make any move by yourself for fear of how it will affect the group?" Brandon asked. "Justin, I may be a solo artist but the band I travel with has been together for nearly a decade, add to that the fact that I was married...I know about being trapped in a place where the last thing you want to do is think about yourself for fear of being labelled selfish."

"I'm not sure that I could cope on my own." Justin said, clearly thinking about a solo career now that Brandon had sowed the seed in his mind. "It'll be so different than knowing that the four boys, my four best friends, have my back."

"They'll still 'have your back'" Brandon said, using Justin's turn of phrase, "They just won't be standing behind you to do it. Think about it, talk it through with them, you never know, they might be thinking the same thing."

Justin nodded, pulling out the book that he had packed but not started while on holiday and tried to signal that he didn't want to talk about it anymore. Brandon took the hint and opened his laptop and worked on some work or other that Justin didn't pay much attention to.

It took a while, Justin wasn't sure how long, but eventually the plane landed and they were cleared for exit on the small, private runway where they had landed.

Justin waited for the co-pilot to come out and open the door before he unbuckled his seatbelt and stretched his legs. Brandon followed him out of the aircraft, knowing that their luggage would be unloaded by the baggage people, and they were both surprised to be met by Maya.

"Hey, kiddo." Brandon said as he reached to hug his sister. "I thought that you were going to LA, to hang out with the movie stars."

"I've been working." Maya said distractedly. "But I came across something that I thought you needed to know." She said, handing Brandon some papers. Justin couldn't see them but as Brandon leafed through them he saw the look of fear which crossed his lover's face. Justin didn't know what was on the pages but he wasn't sure that he wanted to know either.

"Brandon, what is it?" Justin asked, fear affecting his voice and bringing out a little of the Tennessee twang that he had tried to eradicate from his tone.

"Chrissie." Brandon said. "They found Chrissie."

Justin knew that this was bad. Something had happened to Brandon's ex- wife. He was about to ask for more information when Brandon pulled out his phone, ignoring the signs that said their use was not permitted, and with shaking fingers dialled the number from the paper.

"Hello, Miami Tribune?" Brandon asked, checking that he had the right number. "Tell Peter Marshall that Brandon Taylor is on the phone for him. No, he's not expecting my call but he'll want to speak to me."

There was a pause, Justin looked to Maya but her face yielded nothing as she stared at her brother.

"Peter, this is Brandon Taylor. Yes, that Brandon Taylor." Brandon said, a hint of impatience in his tone. "I want to talk to you about a story that you're writing."

"Maya?" Justin asked, but she ignored him.

"No, I don't want to comment on my marriage. Nor do I want you to print the story. How am I going to stop you?" Brandon asked, clearly repeating the question that he had been asked. "Well, I thought that perhaps you might prefer another story instead, a piece that you can really get your teeth into, it involves a young pop star and something that he's trying to hide from the world."

Brandon looked at Justin as he spoke the words, then turned his back and started to walk away.

Justin could not hear the details that Brandon was giving the reporter but he felt a pain in his stomach as he inferred that Brandon was going to sell him out.

This couldn't be happening.

Brandon loved him.

Justin looked and saw that Maya was giving the baggage handlers information about what to do with their bags and then it dawned on him. Brandon would do anything to protect his sister, Justin knew that, but he had never realised before now how far he would go. He knew that Brandon would risk a fight in public for his sister, he had seen that before they went away, would he risk outing Justin to save her the pain of dredging up his past. If they had found Chrissie then it was not a much bigger leap to find Maya.

Brandon loved Justin, but he loved Maya more.

Grabbing his own bag Justin exited the airstrip, finding himself in a place just outside of Miami that he knew reasonably well. He pulled out his phone and placed a call for a cab, then he called Johnny. If Brandon was going to sell him out and there was nothing that he could do about it except lessen the damage and he would need Johnny's help to do that.

If this was a movie, Justin pondered as he waited for his cab, then Brandon would come out and find him, tell him that it had all been a mistake and that he was just arranging for a car to drive them off into the sunset. Justin knew this wasn't a movie, this was real life and that didn't happen here. And as he got into the back of the cab he knew that Brandon was not coming for him, neither was Maya. The heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that the pair of them had each other. They didn't need him and from here on in he was on his own.

Part 10

Any illusions Justin had about Brandon not selling him out were shattered over the following few hours as Justin sat with Johnny and went over their story. They were so busy organising things that Justin barely had time to think about Brandon's betrayal but he knew that in the days and weeks that followed he would not be able to think of anything else.

Johnny had called the other boys, told them that they were not to talk to the press. Josh, who was in the area, came to the office and stayed with Justin throughout the ordeal. They had fallen out over Maya and had not been as close but Josh was Justin's best friend and there was no way that he would not be with him at this time. Josh didn't say 'I told you so' although Justin thought that he had every right to say it and in hindsight Justin wondered if he should have been more guarded about his relationship with Brandon. The only defense he had was that he was in love.

Justin knew that he should speak to his mother. She was out of the country on business but he did not want her to hear it from anywhere else.

"Josh, I need to call my Mom." Justin said, his voice thick as he fought back the tears.

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Josh asked. "I know that it'll be hard for you, but..."

"No." Justin said. "I should do it."

"Are you sure you want to do this now?" Josh asked. "We can take a break, maybe get something to eat while you work out what you want to say."

"I've thought about this a lot." Justin replied. "I've known I was bi since I was 18, I just never imagined coming out like this, I always thought that if I told her that Brandon would be at my side."

There was a pause as Josh realised that Justin had been happy with Britney for a lot of those years and that he had probably thought they would spend the rest of their lives together. When he had got together with Brandon he had again thought it was the forever kind of love.

"I'll be here." Josh said. "You don't have to do this alone."

Justin smiled, knowing that Josh would always be there for him and that their disagreements over Maya were moot now.

Justin reached for the phone on the desk, dialling the familiar number and waiting for it to connect.

"Momma?" Justin asked softly, sounding like a small child who was unsure of taking his first steps alone.

"Justin?" Lynn said, sounding half asleep. "What's wrong, baby?"

"I'm sorry to call you so early." He said, knowing that she was in a different time zone to him, somewhere in Europe he thought. "I just need to talk to you."

"Of course, baby, you know I'm here anytime." She said, and he knew that it was true.

"There are going to be some stories in the paper tomorrow, or maybe the day after." Justin said. "You won't like what they're going to say, I'm not sure exactly what words they might use, but I wanted you to hear it from me."

Lynn murmurred something that sounded like an indication to continue.

"Mom, I'm bisexual."

"I know." Lynn said.

"I've been...What?" Justin asked, as he registered what his mother had said.

"I know you are, Justin." Lynn said. "I always had a suspicion that you might be after you met Tyler on the Club and couldn't stop talking about him. Then you got together with Britney and I assumed that it was just experimentation but I've always prepared myself for this."

"It wasn't just an experiment, Mom. I've been seeing someone." Justin said. "I thought that he cared about me, but he's going to sell a story to the Miami Tribune and tell them about me, about us."

"Do you need me to come home?" Lynn asked.

"No, Johnny's dealing with it."

"I'm here if you need me."

"Momma?" Justin asked. "I think you should know who it is."

"Does that matter now?" She asked. Lynn wasn't sure that she wanted to know the name of the man that had broken her son's heart.

"It might do." Justin replied. "Mom, I've been dating Brandon Taylor."

This was met with silence.

"The singer?" She asked after a while, and that was not what Justin had been expecting.

"Yeah." Justin replied. "We've been together a while, I just..." His voice wavered as he talked about Brandon as it brought feelings he wanted to bury to the surface again.

"Justin?" His mother asked. "Why would he sell this story? He has just as much to lose from this as you do."

Justin frowned. That had not occurred to him before, he wondered what it was that Brandon was doing.

"I mean, surely this will look as bad for him as it will for you. The same people that are going to criticise you for being homosexual will turn on him too." Lynn said. "And if the papers don't reveal their sources then he must know you can counter it with your own story."

The more Justin thought about it the more it seemed to confuse him. Brandon was not naïve he knew the business well enough to know how the press would treat him and it was obvious that he had friends in the press because he had managed to keep Maya's name out of the papers for so long.

"Momma, I have to go." Justin said.

"Okay, baby." His mom replied. "I just want you to know that I love you, no matter what."

"I love you too."

Justin hung up and then reached for his phone. He had called his mother on the secure line in Johnny's office. He had not wanted to use his own phone in case he got a call from Johnny or one of the boys. It was only now that he realised that it had been off the entire time he had been at the compound. Justin turned it on and the phone buzzed to life, showing two voice mail messages.

"Justin, where are you? You just disappeared at the airstrip. I'm sorry, I panicked. Call me when you get this message, okay." It was Brandon.

"He's got a nerve." Josh commented.

Justin shushed him, wanting to hear the next message.

"Justin, where the hell are you?" Maya's angry voice said in a hushed tone. "You call me or Brandon as soon as you get this message. I can't believe you just walked away at the airport, he's about to go public with some of the worst parts of his history to protect me and you...He needs you. Call him."

Justin's hands started to shake as the pieces fell into place.

He should have known that he could trust Brandon, that his lover would not do something like this without talking to him first. It wasn't Justin that Brandon was going to out, it was himself and he wasn't just going to talk about that but he was going to mention all the other details of his past and Justin had walked away from that.

"Josh, I need to go out." Justin said as he stood up. "Tell Johnny that I don't think they're going to need that statement after all."

"Justin, you can't go to him..." Josh said.

"It's not what you think." Justin replied. "Brandon isn't going to sell my story, he's going to sell his own."

"I thought you said that you heard him say he was going to give them your story, sell your secrets."

"No, he said that he had the story of a young popstar and something he was trying to hide from the world." Justin said. "He's not talking about me, he's talking about himself."

"Surely if he outs himself that is as good as outing you."

"He's not coming out." Justin said. "He's going to admit that he is an alcoholic."

"Brandon Taylor is an Alcoholic?" Josh asked. "I didn't know that."

"No one does." Justin replied. "I need to see him, speak to him..."

Josh tried to stop Justin but he was already on his way out of the door, phone in hand dialling as he moved. Justin hotfooted it out of the compound as quickly as he could and tried to track down Brandon. He could not believe that he had abandoned him just when Brandon needed him the most. He would never forgive himself, he hoped that Brandon was a little more lenient.

Brandon Taylor was having one of the worst days of his life and the only thing that he could think was that he really wanted a drink. He didn't want to blow two years of sobriety over one mistake but he had so much on his mind and now he was worrying what he had done to make Justin disappear. He knew that this was supposed to be their time together but surely Justin understood that he had to do some damage limitation before the story of his secret love affair and marriage hit the streets. Brandon had not had time to worry about it at first, he assumed that Justin had headed home and would call him later, but now that the initial commotion had dulled and his lawyers were working on a contract over what would and would not be said, now he could only think about Justin.

Maya had been a tower of strength, just as she always was, with a power and grace that belied her age. He wondered how he had managed to miss seeing that, remembering that, when they had argued over her choice to spend time with Lance. She organised everything as the plane was landing and all Brandon had to do was make a few calls and deal with a few queries. The toughest part of the day had been the call to his ex-wife. He and Chrissie were not much more than acquaintances and though the divorce had eventually been amicable this was not the way that he wanted to reinitiate contact.

"Hello?" She had answered when Brandon called. "Chrissie Reynolds speaking."

Brandon knew that she had remarried, he had sent her flowers on her engagement and a bride gift of $50,000 as her final alimony payment the day before the wedding. Hearing her use her new name though was something different.

"Chris, it's Brandon." He said.

"Oh, hi." Chrissie replied, she sounded as if she was slightly disappointed and he could hear her moving around, closing a door and then settling into a seat. "Sorry, Michael's parents are here. We're alone now. What's up?"

"I didn't mean to interupt..." Brandon said, feeling guilty that he was intruding on her life with her new husband. His past was not something that he was proud of and he didn't want to cause her more pain by dredging up something they were both trying to put behind them. "I just..."

"Brandon, what is it?" She asked, using the same exasperated tone he had heard so often during their short marriage.

"Someone called, a journalist from the Miami Tribune, he knew about you, about us." Brandon said. "I managed to work out a deal so that they wouldn't mention your name." Brandon added. "But I wanted you to know that someone else might pick it up."

"We always knew that this might happen." Chrissie replied. "I've spoken to Michael, and although he doesn't know the full story, he is more than willing to stand by me. I have some money set aside and can go away for a while if I need to."

"Good, that's good."

"Brandon, what have you told them?" She asked with a touch of concern in her voice. Despite the years apart and the mess that they had made of their marriage she still cared for him.

"About rehab, about the pressures of touring and how I realised early on in my career that I had a problem with alcohol." Brandon said.

"Not about being married, or about..." Chrissie paused for a moment as if she was searching for a way to phrase it. "...about why we split up."

"No." Brandon said. "I've been seeing someone, another man, and he's not out either. I can't tell them that without revealing his situation too and he doesn't want that. Neither of us do."

"Does he make you happy?" Chrissie asked, her voice soft as if she wasn't sure she should ask. There wasn't really a protocol for asking about your ex- husband's new boyfriend but it was something she felt that she needed to ask. For so many years after their marriage broke down she had looked for reasons why they had broken up, first blaming herself, then blaming him, but when it came down to it she knew that they were both to blame in their own ways. She hoped that now he had found a way to move on, just as she had.

"Yeah." Brandon said with a contented sigh. "I am."

"I'm glad." Chrissie replied.

"And you and Michael?" Brandon asked. "Is everything okay with you?"

"Yeah, he...I..." Chrissie paused, looking for the right words. "His parents are here today so that we can break the news to them...I'm pregnant."

"Wow." Brandon said. "That's brilliant news." He was truly happy for her because one of the things he had not given her while they were married were the children that she so desperately wanted.

"It is, isn't it." Chrissie replied.

"Let me know if you need anything, for the baby." Brandon said. "I'd better go."

"Yeah, me too." Chrissie replied.

Brandon wanted to say so more, there were so many words that neither of them had spoken since the divorce and so many things that were left to say but neither one was ready to speak them. Brandon had always hoped that in time they would regain some of the friendship that they had lost but in truth he knew that once you left high school things were never the same.

The pair had said their goodbyes and Brandon had gone back to working on his statement.

Now he could only sit back and think about Justin.

In the distance he heard a phone ring, he dismissed it as just another call working out the details, until he realised that the ring tone was familiar. "Bye, Bye, Bye" played in all its polyphonic glory and Brandon turned to see Maya answer her phone. He stiffened, knowing who she had alloted that tone to, the only person that she would speak with associated with Nsync - Justin. And all he could think was that Justin was calling his sister because he didn't want to speak directly to him.

Justin had tried a few different times to contact Brandon, to contact Tina and finally to get through to Maya. It had taken him two attempts to track her down but finally when the call connected he knew that he had a lot of begging to do.

"This had better be good." Maya said angrily as she answered the phone.

"Where are you?" Justin asked.

"We're at the Clarendon." Maya said. "Brandon wanted to keep his head down somewhere while he ironed out the details of his life that he's going to tell the world."

"I'm on my way over." Justin said.

"Why?" Maya asked.

"What do you mean why?" Justin asked frustratedly. "I need to see him."

"Maybe Brandon doesn't need to see you." Maya said. "What makes you think that you can just walk in at the eleventh hour and everything will be forgiven. Where have you been anyway?"

"I got scared." Justin said, not wanting to reveal his betrayal to her. "I had to..."

There was a pause as Justin heard the line go quiet, at first he thought that Maya was going to hang up on him but then he heard a slight scuffle and a conversation going on in the background.

"Give me the phone." Brandon said in the background.

"No." Maya replied. "I don't want him to upset you."

"Maya, give me the phone." Brandon ordered.

There was another sharp exchange of words that were inaudible to Justin and then Brandon came on the line.

"Justin, I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I should have involved you, told you what I was doing..."

"It's okay." Justin replied. "I'm the one that should be apologising. I thought...When you said that you had a young popstar with a secret, I thought that you meant me." He admitted.

"Justin, I would never do that." Brandon replied, horrified that Justin would think that.

"I know." Justin said. "It took me a while to realise that, and I'm sorry for that. I shouldn't have doubted you."

"And now?" Brandon asked.

"I know you wouldn't do that." Justin replied. "And if you can forgive me, I'd like to be there for you."

"Justin, you didn't do anything wrong, not really." Brandon said, although it cut deeply that his lover had not trusted him. "And I would love you to be here right now, but I'm not sure it's such a good idea."

"I don't care." Justin said. "Just let me come."

"Okay." Brandon replied. He was tired and frustrated and the last thing he needed was another argument.

There was a knock at the door and Brandon turned to see Maya open it. Justin walked in and went straight for Brandon, dodging Maya's lethal glare and wrapping his arms around his lover who still gripped the phone as if it were a lifeline.

Brandon returned the embrace and finally let the tension leave him. There was still a lot to do that night but suddenly neither one felt as alone as they had and in that hotel room they realised just how much they meant to each other. No matter what the world threw at them, or how the story was met in the press they knew that they had each other.

Justin wanted nothing more than to charter a flight and whisk his lover back to Paradise, back to a place where their lives had seemed easier and back a few days to where none of this had ever happened but as they sat up late into the night discussing Brandon's options and the deals he wanted to do in the next few days Justin knew that was not possible.

Brandon had agreed to an interview with Peter Marshall, the journalist that found the original story, and they had reached an agreement that it would be sold to a number of press agencies that Brandon approved of. In return for the interview Peter Marshall would hand over any and all evidence of Brandon's marriage and signed a non-disclosure agreement. Brandon had given the interview by phone, answering only the questions he felt were required, and then he would have final approval before the story went to press.

Brandon was finally able to relax at a little after two in the morning when Justin finally managed to drag him to bed to get some sleep. They were going to allow the story to run for a day before Brandon made any further statements. Brandon was booked on "Good Morning America" the following day for another interview and was in talks with 60 minutes. He was nervous about the entire thing but in the forefront of his mind was why he was doing this. As Justin held him tightly, Brandon finally fell into an uneasy sleep.

Justin was glad that he had managed to get Brandon to sleep a little the night before because they woke at 6am to hear about the first news as it was breaking. CNN carried the story on their entertainment bulletin that morning and other news agencies around the globe picked the story up as they began to broadcast first to the breakfast, and then the lunch time audiences.

The initial response was good. Brandon had spoken of the pain of getting over addiction, of the daily battle he had with his demons and that he felt that it was finally time to break his silence and speak out so that those who were also suffering knew that they were not suffering alone.

The news was filled with images of ordinary people sending their messages of support, thanking him for sharing his story and telling their own stories of brothers, uncles, sisters, mothers addictions and sometimes of their own. 24 hour news channels that had to fill air space were talking to anyone that they could find who would advise them about the kind of struggle that alcoholics faced, the help and support that was available and why so many stars turned to drink and drugs when the pressure became too great.

Brandon watched it all with a numb sense of detachment, as if this was not his life that they were talking about, and Justin worried that he was not coping as well as he had first thought. Brandon had shared his own pain in order to save others the pain of this exposure but it did not mean that he was happy with it.

Justin was at a loss of what to do. In some ways he was glad that he had the time off to spend with Brandon but in others he hated sitting and watching as his lover went through this. Maya too seemed powerless to deal with her brother and though she was still angry with Justin she agreed with him that they needed to do something.

"I just wish I knew what to say to him." Justin said as he finally gave in watching Brandon stare at the television and stepped outside their shared room to get some air. "I've told him the response is good, that he's going to be okay, that it will die down eventually but he doesn't want to listen."

"You're not the only one." Maya replied. "I think that he just needs to work through this on his own."

"Does he have the time?" Justin asked critically, knowing that Brandon was booked on a couple of shows and had a few other interviews the following day.

"We'll make the time." Maya responded.

Justin started to realise that it was true. Brandon had to work through this at his own pace and they could only wait around and see.

He was about to go back to sit with Brandon when he saw his lover standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry." Brandon said, obviously having heard some of the conversation. "This is all just happening a bit fast for me. I'm glad that you're here. I want you to stay."

"I will." Justin said, glad that he didn't have commitments and that he could be there for him.

Justin could only watch from the hotel room the next day as he watched Katie Couric interview Brandon about his alcohol addiction and the pressures of fame. He wanted nothing more than to be there for his lover but explaining why Justin Timberlake was there instead of with his band would be too difficult. Even Maya was forced to stay behind so that there would be no questions as to who she was. All eyes would be on Brandon for a while now and they would have to take extra precautions.

The interview, the first of a dozen that day, seemed to go well and when Brandon returned to the hotel he looked as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Well wishers, who had seen the interview or read the papers the day before, were flooding his record company, his management agency and his fan club with messages of support. They started to arrive at the hotel mid-morning when someone realised that Brandon was in the city and, despite feeling a little overwhelmed by it all, Brandon was glad of their support.

There were other interviews, a photo shoot to accompany a piece for "The New York Times" and by the end of the day Brandon was exhausted (but in a good way). Justin was worn out just watching him.

They lay in bed together that night, the guests on Letterman talking in the background, and Brandon let out a contented sigh.

"I can still hear them." Brandon said, referring to the fans that had gathered outside.

"But they're here to give you their support." Justin argued. "It's a good thing."

"You think they'd still be here if they knew about this?" Brandon asked, indicating a hand between himself and Justin.

Justin didn't answer the question because it was a moot point. At least for the moment neither of them was ready to tell anyone.

"I'm going to miss this." Justin said. "Being able to just spend time with you."

"I thought you had another 2 weeks." Brandon replied.

"And you have work to do." Justin countered.

"I can fit you in."

Justin sighed. He couldn't believe that they were having the opposite conversation to the one that they had on the plane. This was going to be an ongoing argument and Justin wasn't ready to get into it tonight.

"I told my mother." Justin said. "About us."

"Wow." Brandon said, rolling over and looking at his lover.

"I thought that you were going to out me." Justin said, in explanation. "She had to know."

"I'm sorry." Brandon said.

"It's okay, it's actually a good thing that it's out there. Now I can be a little less careful around her, and around the boys."

"You mean I might even be able to come out and see you on tour." Brandon said. "I've always wanted to see how a real tour works."

Justin laughed.

"You're booked in to play a stadium tour and you want to see how we do it?" Justin asked.

"Hey, you have all the pyrotechnics and the light up suits." Brandon said. "I don't get any of that."

"You don't need any of that." Justin countered.

Brandon rolled his eyes. He wasn't sure when Justin would realise that he was no more talented than Justin, it was just that he had been in the industry longer and that he had been working alone. Brandon had made a lot of money over the last fifteen years but he had no doubt that Justin would be the same in 9 years time.

"Have you thought anymore about what we talked about on the plane?" Brandon asked carefully. "About what you might want to do after the break?"

"I'm going back to Nsync." Justin replied automatically.

Brandon let out a soft sigh.

"That doesn't mean that I won't think about a solo deal." Justin continued. "We have a five album deal, and I'm committed to that. If and when I go solo I don't want to leave the fans hanging on wondering when Nsync are getting back together."

"Okay." Brandon said, glad that Justin was at least thinking about it. He wanted so much more for his lover but he knew that this was not about what he wanted but what about made Justin happy. If that was being in Nsync then Brandon would support him for that decision.

"I'm thinking about calling Jayce tommorow too." Justin said. "I thought about what you said, about us working together..."

"I thought you were chalk and cheese." Brandon commented.

"We are, but we can at least pool ideas and try to work together. I was thinking about that song we wrote 'Turning The Tables' and I think that it would work well as a dance track. I thought I might play it to JC. That's really his arena."

"That's a brilliant idea." Brandon said, thinking that was not one of the best songs that they had written and that he would not use it himself. He was glad that Justin would make use of it and that it might bring he and JC closer together as well.

"You don't mind?"

"Justin, they're your songs just as much as they are mine." Brandon said, repeating what he had told Justin before. "I think that you'll more than do it justice."

"Thanks." Justin said, hoping that he could live up to his lover's expectations.

"Now, get some sleep."

Josh stared at his friend in amazement as the final bars of the song played out. He knew that Justin was talented, had loved what he had done on their last album, but he had not thought that Justin would ever come up with something like this. The influences from Justin's listening tastes were there but they were subdued by some other elements that were original. JC could see that with a few tweaks this would be a huge hit.

"Justin, that's brilliant."

"Thanks." Justin said. "Of course, I didn't work on it alone. Brandon did some of the musical arrangement, and I hope that you'll be able to remix it but I think it could work."

"You want me to work with you?" Josh asked. He had never questioned why Justin worked with Wade instead of him, only assumed that it was because of their different styles.

"Josh, you're my best friend, I wouldn't trust anyone else with this baby."

"Thanks." JC replied, and for the first time since Maya had walked into their lives he felt as if they were best friends again.

The next two weeks saw Justin and JC working as hard as they had in the first days, putting in the sixteen hour days that they were used to and forgetting that they were supposed to be on holiday. They knew from past experience that if they wanted musical control they would have to present the record company with songs that they would think were marketable and Justin and Josh wanted more than a couple of songs each, they wanted the whole album.

Working together proved to Justin that Nsync was where he was supposed to be. Any doubts he may have had in his mind, any thoughts of leaving the group, were now dulled by his sense that this album was going to be their best yet.

When they met up as a group ten days after Brandon had spoken publically about his addiction the other guys seemed well rested and Justin and Josh were glad that they liked the new material.

"I love it." Chris said, when he heard the first strains of "Turning the Tables" which Josh and Justin had chosen as their first track for the album. "It's like a mix between 'Up Against the Wall' and 'Pop'"

"That's good." Justin said. "Because we both worked on it."

"This is a collaberation?" Lance asked, surprised that the two of them had worked together.

"Well, a joint effort between Josh, Brandon and myself." Justin said. "And before you ask, yes Brandon knows that we are using the song and he really likes what Jayce did with it."

JC blushed slightly at the praise, not realising that Justin had played the track to his lover.

"Wow." Joey said. "You've been really busy on the break."

"Yeah." Justin said.

"I hope that you didn't work too hard." Lance said. "We've got a pretty full schedule ahead of us."

"I know, Scoop." Justin replied. "And don't worry, I'm more focused on work than I have been for a while. Now that you know about Brandon, things should be easier and I plan to give Nsync 110%."

"You always did." Josh replied.

"No." Justin insisted. "I didn't have my head in the game towards the end of the tour and I think that it showed. I want to make sure that you guys know that you come first."

"You too, Jup." Josh said.

"Group Hug!" Chris called, with a wicked grin on his face, and because of his infectious smile all the boys joined in. It was the start of the best recording session that they had ever had and the start of the best album they had ever produced.

*** End Season 1

Note: I'm taking a break from writing Brandon and Justin, just a little while until I get a few more ideas for the boys, they've kept me writing for nearly 150 pages and I hope they will allow me to write more. Thanks to everyone that has sent feedback, questions and messages of support. It means a lot to me, and if you have any ideas for what you think Brandon and Justin are going to do next, please, feel free to let me know :)