Pairing: Justin and JC
Words: his little FACE; drawbridge; off-peak; clutch


"C, it has a drawbridge!  We have to go.  It'd be so cool."  Justin
stubbornly shoves the brochure under JC's nose again.  "We'll have
fun."

JC looks dubious.  "Why would having a drawbridge make it fun?"

"It's like a real castle, then," Justin says.

"And that's better than Paris why?"

"No one will recognize us and scream?"

"Oh."  JC nods.  "All right.  I accept the validity of the point. 
But as long as we travel during the off-peak season, we should
avoid most of the other tourists.  And there's nothing to *do* at
a castle.  Paris has... atmosphere."

Justin frowns down at the brochures.  "I don't speak French," he
says.

"Neither of us speak German," JC reminds him gently.

"But the Germans speak English.  The French know how, but won't. 
What if I get lost?"

JC gives him a tolerant smile.  "If you get lost, then you turn
around and ask one of your bodyguards where you are."  He looks at
Justin.  "You really have your heart set on visiting a castle?"

Justin shrugs and shakes his head.  "No, it's okay.  We should  go
somewhere there's stuff to do, you're right."  He lays his head
against JC's shoulder and wraps his arm around his waist.  "You're
always right."

JC drops a kiss on the crown of Justin's head.  Justin is still
clutching the brochures.  "No, I'm not.  But you can't win all of
your arguments by giving in and pouting and waiting for someone to
notice your little face and change their mind.  It's not very nice
and I don't like it when you do it to me because it's dishonest. 
If you really want something, I expect you to tell me so."

Justin looks up, shocked.  "No!  No, really, you're *right*.  I'm
not pouting.  I'm just, like, cuddling."

"Baby..."

"C, I promise.  I didn't *mean* to," Justin says sincerely.  He
hugs JC close.  "I just want to be with you."

JC strokes Justin soothingly.  "I'm not mad at you, Justin.  I
wouldn't be unless you were doing it on purpose.  But I still think
you're ducking the subject."

"What's the subject?"

"Where we're going on our vacation."

"Paris?" Justin tries.  "Right?"

JC sighs.

"What'd I do wrong?"

"You say you're listening, but then you do the same things.  What
do *you* want?  Are you willing to fight for that, or do you prefer
to win by trying to cute and guilt me into it?"

"It's not that important for me to go to a castle, JC.  That's why
I'm not fighting about it.  Besides, there are castles in France,
some near Paris even.  We can visit them," Justin replies.

JC nods.  "If that's the way you wish to be about it, then we'll go
to Paris."  He hopes that this will teach Justin a lesson.  Justin
had a valid point about the attitude of the French toward
Americans, especially since the French to Freedom PR disaster, but
JC is not going to give into Justin's conscious or unconscious
manipulation and argue his points for him.

Justin frowns.  "Why do I feel like this isn't working out right?"

"Because you're expecting me to tell you the reasons we shouldn't
go to Paris so that you can let yourself be convinced to do what
you want to do anyway."

"No, I'm not.  The reasons we shouldn't go to Paris are that the
Parisians are rude, the weather is cold, the streets are tiny, the
bathrooms scare me and I don't speak French.  Also, the French are
mad at us over the Iraq thing.  The reasons we *should* go are
because it's romantic and interesting and has atmosphere.  I can
see castles and kiss you on the Eiffel Tower and I'm taking you to
Madame Tussaud's.  Um.  And I like French wine."

JC grins, tips Justin's head back and kisses him.  "That was so
good, baby.  I'm very proud of you."

Justin smiles brightly.  "Yeah?  So you just want me to *say* it
instead of just thinking it?"

"That too," JC agrees.

Justin lays down on JC's lap, clutching the edge of the table to
keep his balance.  "Then what?"

JC reaches out and rearranges Justin's long limbs until they're
sitting together comfortably.  "Then you do it for everything. 
It's a start."

"C, I *can't* always say what I'm thinking," Justin insists,
scandalized.

"You don't feel that you can tell me what you're thinking?" JC
asks, a trace of hurt creeping into his voice.

"To you, yeah.  I thought you meant to everybody," Justin replies
reaching up to touch JC.

"I meant with you and me," JC says, accepting the touch.  "That's
partly why it hurts when you use those tactics, because it means
you don't feel you can share yourself with me."

"I never thought of it like that.  I just make the decision and act
on it, not explain myself.  There never seemed to be any reason. 
Before, no one wanted to listen.  But I'll try to remember with
you."

JC pets Justin's hair.  "I've always cared.  Even before we started
making love together."

Justin shrugs a little.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't know."

"Have I ever done or said something that would make you think I
didn't care?"

"Well.  Nothing special.  I mean, I've always just been the kid, so
it makes sense."

"You've always been special to me," JC says simply.

Justin smiles, blushing.  "Same for me with you."

"I know.  I've always known that you would listen to me and be
careful with my feelings."

Justin grins up at JC.  "Yep.  Ever since you saved me at MMC."

"Never go alone into enclosed spaces with older men unless they're
one of the group," JC repeats with an air of long familiarity.  It
used to be, 'Never go alone into enclosed spaces with anyone but
your mom.'

Justin nods.  "Wish I'd listened to you better."

JC blinks.  "Did something happen?"

"Not really.  Just a few close calls.  Lance, too.  We used to tell
each other about them over and over again until we could laugh."

"You could have told me.  We could have done something about it."

"They told us not to tell.  It meant the difference between getting
shows and albums and not getting them, they said.  We didn't tell. 
It wasn't bad."

"That's exactly the kind of thing you should *always* tell, baby."

"I know that now.  I was young and stupid."

"You're still young."

"Not as young.  Twenty-two."

"Well, no.  But you still *think* young."

Justin frowns in confusion.

JC's fingers smooth out the crease in Justin's forehead.

"What?"

"Nothing, baby.  I love you, that's all."

"I love you, too," Justin replies, face smoothing out as he
snuggles against JC happily.

JC decides he'll ask Lance for names.  That'll upset Justin less
and Lance is the kind of person who will have kept a list.  He bets
that Chris and Joey'll be happy to help him make those people very
very sorry for ever having thought about touching Lance or Justin. 
He hums a little tune.