Pairing: Justin and AJ
Words: dreamy; lupine; empower; gnaw


"A drinking problem," Kevin was explaining calmly on MTV.  "AJ has
a drinking problem."

AJ shut the TV off and turned to face his bandmate.  "Could you
have come up with something more humiliating?  I like to fondle
little boys, maybe?  Wear women's clothing?"

"We needed a plausible explanation for why you were gone, and you
already drink a lot and everyone knows it," Kevin said calmly.

"It's *not* a problem."

"But it's an established condition, one that people will believe."

"Except now I have to give up drinking," AJ grumbled.  "All because
you couldn't come up with a better way to avoid telling people what
really happened."

Kevin shrugged.  "So fall off the wagon.  I don't give a damn if
you drink, as long as you do it out of the sight of the public."

"Kev, I can't *get* drunk anymore.  It's physically impossible."

"So it shouldn't be very hard to give up, now should it?"

"I hate you."

"Look, AJ, I'm not real fucking happy here that your latest bout of
unsafe sex left you like this," Kevin gestured at AJ, who looked
perfectly normal, for AJ.

"Looking like what?  Two days ago, sure, but I'm fine now.  Anyway,
once you found me, I'm surprised you didn't just spring for
electrolysis and call it a day."

"Okay, look.  I'm sorry, all right?  I panicked.  You were gone,
and I needed an excuse.  It's not every day that someone you
know--"

"Goes feral?  Howls at the moon?  Discovers his inner wolf?"  AJ
smirked at him.

"No, starts trying to gnaw on my leg.  Thank goodness Nick knocked
you away before you broke the skin, even if he nearly broke his
wrist on your thick skull doing it."

"What's the matter, Kev?  Don't want to be like me?"

"There's only room in the world for one of you."

"Except there's two.  At least two.  Probably more."

"I meant, there's only room for one AJ McLean."

"Oh, yeah, that."

"Just one thing -- if the next attractive woman you meet up with
and decide to go to bed with happens to have a cloning device on
her, just say no.  Okay?"

"Um.  About that, Kev?"

Kevin groaned and dropped his head into his hands.  "Join a boy
band, they said.  Meet girls and sing, they said.  Maybe get famous
and make a little money, they said.  Nowhere in that was there
anything about werewolves, cloning or deals with the devil."

"Personally, I thought the Lou Perlman disguise was a little
obvious, if you know what I mean?" AJ offered helpfully.  "You
expect more out of the devil in the way of cleverness, really."

"Shut up."  Kevin grabbed up a silver cross from the table --
Brian's discarded jewelry -- and brandished it at AJ.  "Back, evil
creature of the night!"

His hand sizzled and started smoking.  "Oh.  Damnit."  He dropped
the cross.

AJ opened his mouth, laughing silently like a coyote.  He'd been
doing that a lot lately; the lupine qualities coming out more
strongly as time passed.  "That works better if you're not a
vampire, Kev."

"I forgot, okay?" Kevin said, vexed, wrapping up his hand.

"Go look in the mirror.  Oh, wait.  Our rider expressly forbids
mirrors.  Wonder why that is, huh?"

"Because excessive focus on one's appearance encourages a negative
self-image in today's youth. It's our responsibility as role-models
to empower teens to construct healthy patterns of behavior.  Our
make-up people don't need mirrors to get us ready.  That's the
official story, and I expect you to stick to it."

"Uh-huh.  And sucking people's blood is a *positive* thing?"

"May I remind you which one of us tried to eat the other one?  At
least I have some self-control."

"What's up with that?  I thought you were supposed to be stalking
dramatically around in a black cape biting people.  Not getting
your PA to mix tomato juice with blood from a butcher and put it in
V-8 bottles in a cooler on the catering table.  And may I just say,
thank you, because that was the funniest thing ever watching Brian
drink one.  I didn't know the boy could spit that far."

"I know that was your fault.  I don't know how yet, and I can't
prove it, but I know you were somehow behind it."

"Well, yeah, um, Kev?  About that evil twin thing?"

Kevin rubbed his forehead.  "God hates me."

"Hey, don't take it personally.  I'm sure he hates all undead
demons.  By the way, how's that weekly Bible study with Brian
going?"

"We haven't done that since Germany, and you know it."

"What happened in Germany?  Secret compact with a coven of witches? 
Kinky sex magick, maybe?  And, just so you know, fuck you very much
for leaving me out of it, if so.  Ooh, or did you have to stop them
because Brian became immortal like one of those 'Highlander' guys
and went out for sword-fights all the time?"

"First of all, 'Highlander' is fictional.  It was a movie."

"And a TV show.  Just like 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', fang man."

Kevin ignored him with the ease of long practice.  "And second of
all, there was no specific reason we stopped.  We just weren't able
to find time for it as often as we would have liked, so eventually
we gave it up.  Not everything has a supernatural explanation,
contrary to how it may seem."

"So *that's* why," AJ said, with the air of a man who had just
figured out the secrets of the universe.

Kevin knew he shouldn't ask.  But if he were good at resisting AJ
-- if *anyone* was good at resisting AJ -- they wouldn't be in this
situation to start with.  "That's why what?"

"That's why we've all fallen into the bowels of darkness.  You and
Brian went pagan on us.  It's all your fault that I'm a werewolf
and you're a vampire, and Brian married a harpy and Howie got
abducted by aliens."

"We did not go pagan.  Besides, there's still Nick.  He's normal--"

"Nick's been fucking Justin Timberlake for months now.  Which would
you rather be?  A vampire, damned creature of eternal darkness, or
screwing someone from NSYNC?"

"Um..."

"Yeah, me, too.  Still, Timberlake does have a nice ass."

"AJ!"

"What?  You can't tell me you haven't noticed."

"I haven't noticed.  No.  Never.  Ever.  Not even when... no."

"So you did notice.  Dreamy lips too, y'know?  Wet dreamy."  AJ
licked his lips lewdly.

"Shut up."

"Make me," AJ challenged.

"You just want another chance to bite me.  Don't make get out the
muzzle and the leash, because I will if I have to, AJ.  We aren't
going to have a repeat of what happened at the last full moon."

"It wasn't my fault. I didn't know I was a werewolf then.  But
don't let me stop you from expressing your kinky side, Kev."

Kevin muttered something about not realizing the downsides of
signing compacts with demons, and left the room in search of
aspirin.  AJ counted it as a victory, and laid down on the couch. 
Got up, turned around, and laid down again.  Got up yet again, and
this time, settled comfortably, dropping his head down to rest on
his folded hands, closing his eyes for a nap.