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 news 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 concern.  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 dreading 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 who was 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."