Pairing: Joey and AJ
Words: bribe; chapter one; larder; organic
"Fuck off."
"AJ..." Joey said, but it was no use. AJ was glaring at the reporters and fans and random passing strangers, puffed up like a bantam rooster, and rocking back and forth on his toes.
"Fuck off. Fuck you and you and you. Yes, a merry fuck you to you, too. Fuck off."
"AJ, that isn't the way we do things."
AJ whirled on him. "I don't give a good goddamn about the way NSYNC does things. These people have no business being here." A flashbulb went off and he snarled. "Fuck off already."
"I know you're trying to help but, please. Stop already."
"The only thing that's going to help is all of these people going away. Now."
Joey silently conceded that point. It wasn't going to happen though. Not until there was definite word on what had happened in Russia. CNN was their current best source, and the new channel was reporting only that there had been a bombing at the Russian space center, and that it was supposed to be a terrorist attack. They knew, the world knew, that was where Lance was. But they had no idea whether he was alive, dead, or even involved at all. The situation was too confused yet to sort out, and the video from Russia more frightening than anything else.
The first he'd known about it was AJ walking out the door, going back to his own house, then coming back inside and slamming it.
Joey had been in the kitchen, verifying that the larder was indeed bare, and making a list of what he wanted from the store. Organic produce, because JC wouldn't eat anything else, and he liked to make sure JC ate when he came over. Junk food, because Chris lived on the stuff. The usual pasta makings for himself, with steak and chicken for the grill because it was summer and because he had months before he had to worry about being in shape for the next tour. Coffee for AJ, who mainlined the stuff and preferred the flavored stuff while claiming he drank it black, 'like a real man'.
The slamming door hadn't startled him, but AJ stomping back into the kitchen had. Their on-again, off-again thing didn't include scenes or morning afters. Joey wasn't real happy with himself to realize that his first thought had been, 'Oh shit, they found out about us.'
Well, the world had found out about them, but it was the least of his concerns.
His hyperactive pissed off person-he-was-currently-screwing was his first concerned. His possibly dead lover was his second.
Which was a messed up set of priorities, maybe, but AJ looked about ready to start chewing up the curtains. "AJ, please, get away from the windows at least."
"What? You care if they get photos? They already got pictures of me coming out your front door at 8 in the morning. How much worse can it get?"
"Someone outside with a gun?"
"Way to think positive," AJ said, but stepped away from the window.
Joey felt better. Stupid, but better. "I'm not feeling very rational right now, okay?"
"You think I am? Fuck."
"If you want, you could put on some music." As bribes went, it was pathetic, but Joey didn't really have anything better to offer, not when he was sitting here, wanting the phone to ring and reading it ringing all at the same time, CNN on the TV, hoping he wouldn't see what he was already preparing himself to see.
AJ snorted. "What? You want to listen to 'The Hits: Chapter One'?"
"I hear there's some cute guys in that band," Joey joked half-heartedly.
"Guys, plural?" AJ asked, looking at him with arched brows. "You want to be getting it on with some of my brothers?"
"No. Kevin scares me."
AJ scoffed, put in a CD, and came back to the couch, where he perched on the arm. "Kevin's a big pussy cat. Howie's the scary one."
"Howie? I don't believe you."
"It's always the quiet ones who fool you."
"Yeah. I guess so." Joey couldn't look away from the TV screen. They were reporting on the stock market, with a scrolling text bar across the bottom telling people just tuning in the already hours old news from Russia. Nothing new, and he still was afraid to miss anything.
And it was easier than turning to AJ, crouching above him, ready to bolt at any moment. It was uncomfortable, having him here. This thing between them didn't allow for intimacy or reassurance, didn't even allow him to confess what was between him and Lance, even though Joey was fairly sure AJ at least suspected. He wanted JC and Justin and Chris to be here, but he was afraid to use the phone to call them, lest he miss the more important call telling him what was going on with Lance. The person who he really wanted to have here.
The silence between them was mocked by the muffled rumble of noise from outside, the muted music from the stereo system and the dry, pedantic tone of the CNN announcer. The longer it went on, the worse it got.
Joey had nothing to say. And AJ apparently had nothing to say to him.
The ringing of the phone was a relief.
He muted the TV with the remote and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"
"Joey?"
It was Lance. He closed his eyes. "Thank God you're all right." He meant it too. Every word. He'd light candles for Lance's well-being in church on Sunday. Every day between now and Sunday, too, for that matter.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's funny, actually. They were supposed to drop me into the Black Sea today. They were going to, but then they got the call about what happened at the space center, and everything got put off. They had me locked up behind guard for the past couple of hours, and just let me have a phone a little while ago."
"Lance..."
"I had to call you first, but there's so many other people I have to call too, you know?"
"I know. It's okay. Let everyone know you're okay."
"I will. And I'll call you back when I'm done if I can. Love you, Joe."
"Love you, too, babe." He held onto the receiver even after Lance had hung up, not wanting to let go.
The man across from him on the couch cleared his throat, and Joey looked up at AJ. And knew at once that AJ had had no idea that he wasn't the only one, that Lance was first and would always be first for Joey.
He set the receiver back on the phone. "That was Lance," he offered lamely, because there was nothing else to say. "He's all right."
"Good. I'm... that's good. I'm glad for you." AJ seemed deflated, younger. Momentarily stripped of his cockiness. "I-- if you let the people out front know that Lance called you, I should be able to slip out the back."
"Yeah," Joey said, nodding. It was over between them, and he didn't know why, in the face of his relief that Lance was okay, that he felt so sad. "I'll do that."
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