Pairing: Joey and Lance
Words: smooth; aphrodisiac; citrus; jabbering fool


Joey's there for people.

It's part of his role in the group.  He knows this and accepts it. 
He's happy with it.  There's times when it's good not to have to be
the bratty child or the responsible parent or anything else but
*there*.

Especially when there's screaming going on about aphrodisiacs being
hidden in perfectly ordinary breakfast foods and grapefruit being
lobbed overhead.  He definitely doesn't want to be the parent right
now.

Lance screams.  The damn grapefruit just slammed him right in the
face.  Citrus fruit in the eye.

Of course, when the parent gets injured, someone has to step in. 
Joey stands up and bellows, "Hey!" in his best
someone's-going-to-die-right-NOW voice.

All the activity in the room stops.

Joey moves over to Lance.  "You okay?"

Lance looks up, tears trickling down his face.  "Fucking citrus,
man."

"Yeah."  Joey takes Lance's face in his hands, looking at the
damage.  "Gonna have a bruise too, I think.  Want some water to
flush your eye with?"

Lance squints and nods.  "Can you, like, lead me to the bathroom?"

"Yeah, sure."  Joey puts one arm around Lance's waist and leads him
out of the room, glaring impartially at everyone else as he leaves. 
Justin, at least, has the grace to look guilty.

In the bathroom, Lance flushes his face with water over and over
again.  It freaking burns.  "Why were they throwing *grapefruit*? 
No nevermind.  I just wanna know where they got it."

Joey shrugs, watching Lance in the mirror.  "Sorry, no idea. 
Wasn't paying attention."

"Oh, well."

"Besides, when people start talking about other people putting
stuff in their food to get him to sleep with them -- then I know
it's just Chris being a jabbering fool again."  Joey snorts. 
"'Cause you and me both know it's the other way around, if
anything."

Lance laughs.  "True.  You think it's really gonna bruise?"  He
studies his face in the mirror.

"Probably, yeah.  Sorry."

Lance sighs.  "Better think of a cover story.  On second thought...
I'll just blame flying citrus fruit."

Joey comes up behind him and wraps his arms around Lance's waist in
a comforting gesture.  "It's more creative than saying you walked
into a door, at least."

Lance snorts, leaning back against Joey.

Joey rubs circles on Lance's stomach.  "Gonna yell at them?"

"Is it even worth it?" Lance asks tiredly.

"No, probably not," Joey admits.  "They're just gonna do stuff like
it again.  I bet they're sorry they hurt you, though."

Lance shakes his head.  "If you say so."

"They are.  If you think about it, you know they weren't trying to
hurt you."

"I know that.  They're not mean.  Well.  Not often."

"You wanna go back now?  I promise I'll protect you from any more
grapefruit attacks."

Lance solemnly says, "It was a drive-by fruiting."

Joey snickers.

Lance smiles, happy to make Joey happy.

Joey runs his hands up the sides of Lance's arms and kisses the
smooth skin of his temple.  "Feeling any better, babe?"

Lance turns in Joey's arms.  "Kiss me and I will."

Joey looks down at Lance, studying his eyes.  This isn't part of
his role.  It definitely isn't something he does or is going to do
for the others.  He nods, then bends his head to take Lance's mouth
with his own.

Lance lets the kiss be gently and friendly, and he doesn't push it
toward anything more.  When Joey pulls back, he whispers, "Thanks. 
And, uh.  Feel free to do that -- or whatever -- any time."

Joey cradles Lance in his hands, touching his hip and the solidness
of his shoulder.  "I will," he says, and kisses Lance again before
letting him go.

Lance wipes the smile from his face before reentering the main
room.