Pairing: Justin and Joey
Words: ferret; bulge; carelessness; crack the whip


The thing about Justin is that he really does care about his
bandmates.  Oh, he loves being the star and the one all the fans
scream for and the one whose name people remember.  But he does
care.

So when he notices that Joey is always packing extra bulge in his
pants when Lance is around, he decides to ferret out the truth. 
All subtle-like.

"So, Joe," he says, dropping down onto the couch next to Joey. 
"How long have you had a thing for Lance?"

"Oh, since about his seventeenth birthday.  See, I ended up with
two presents, so now I just carry one around constantly.  I've
always got something for Lance," Joey says blandly, still watching
TV.  

Justin blinks.  "Seriously?  Dude!"

"Yep.  I usually have something for most of you.  Presents make
people happy."  

Justin edges away.  "Hey, now.  I was just asking.  Friendly-like. 
I'm not looking for anything.  If you get off on Lance cracking the
whip that's between you and him."

"I see," Joey says, pretending mournfulness.  "All right then. 
Besides, I never have anything for you," he adds with convincing
carelessness.  

Justin settles.  "That's better.  So why aren't you two getting it
on?"

"What two?"  

"You and Lance!"

"Dude.  That's icky.  Lance is, like, my brother."  

Justin's about ready to scream with frustration.  "Yeah, right.  A
brother you always get a hard-on about."

Joey looks at Justin in disgust.  "That's sick, man.  I mean, if
you wanna get all pervy on Steve, go for it.  But *do not* tell
me."  

"Lance!  I'm talking about Lance!  You can't be feeling very
brotherly about him if you're always getting a hard-on when he's
around."

"What are you talking about?" Joey asks.  

"Forget it. You're not listening to me."  Justin pouts.

"Of course I am, dude.  You're just not making any sense."  Joey
slings his arm over Justin's shoulders.  

"Am so."

"No, man, you're not."  

"You, Joey, get a little present in your pants for Lance whenever
you see him.  I've noticed!"

"So, if you've noticed, who else was always there?"  

Justin's eyes narrow.  "What are you saying?"

"I'm asking a question."  

"You said you didn't have a thing for me."

"I said I didn't have a thing for you," Joey agrees.  "In reference
to presents.  I never carry stuff for you, because you like
spontaneous gifts."  

"Yeah, that's what you *said*, but you *knew* I was talking about
hard-ons."

"You were?" Joey asks in surprise.  

Justin rolls his eyes.  "*Yes*.  Duh."

"You didn't say so, Justin.  You were talking about Lance.  I'd
never bone Lance.  That's pervy."  

"But it's not pervy for you to get hard whenever you see him?"

"Only if I'm thinking of him."  

"Oh."  Justin digests this.  "So you're thinking about someone he
reminds you of?"

"Nope.  Just thinking of someone else.  Someone I can sense, even
when I'm not looking."

"Oh.  That's boring.  I thought maybe there was something cool
going on with you and the group.  Not that you get hot just sitting
around thinking."

"Mmm.  I was thinking about someone else in the room."  

"One of the dancers?  The make-up lady?"

"You said you noticed this how many times?"  

"Lots."

"So who was there every time?"  

"I don't know!  I was just looking at you and Lance, not who else
was in the room."

"So.  I was always there.  And Lance was always there?  And *you*
were always there?"  

"Yeah, duh.  Of course...  No way.  No way, dude."

"What?"  

"You're talking about *me*."

"You think?"  

Justin looks at him suspiciously.  "You're just trying to fuck with
my head, aren't you?"

"Not your head, no."  

"C'mon, Joey. You can't possibly mean you get a hard-on over me."

"Why not?  You're reasonably attractive, aren't you?"  

"Yeah, of course I am," Justin says scandalized.  How *dare* anyone
think that he's anything other than hot?  "But you're *Joey*."

"And you're Justin," Joey agrees.  

"Whoa."  Justin just looks at Joey.  "You're serious?  You're not
just playing a joke on me and ha-ha, Chris is gonna jump out of a
closet and start laughing at me or something?"

"Chris is in the closet?"  

Justin gives him a look.  "I'm just saying, if this is a practical
joke, I admit it, I fell for it, let's get on to the stage of
laughing at me for being dumb."

"You're not dumb," Joey insists.  "Don't ever think that you are. 
You're very smart and sexy and nice."

"Last week, you and Chris said I was a poopyhead and tried to flush
me down the toilet."

"I touched your ass, though."  

"Um."

"I did."  

"You tried to flush me down the toilet so you could grope me?"

"No.  I *agreed* to *help* flush you down the toilet so I could
touch your ass.  I didn't grope you."  

"Touching, groping, same diff."  Justin worries at his lip with his
teeth.  "You, um.  You couldn't just have done it?  Groped me, I
mean?"

"Like this?"  Joey gropes Justin.  

Justin's eyes widen, and then he melts into Joey.  "Yeah."

Joey smiles.  "I didn't know if I could."  

"Hey!  You stopped with the groping!  Keep going.  It was just
getting good."

Joey laughs.  "Right.  Your wish is my command."  

"And don't you forget it," Justin says, lying back against Joey
with a smile on his face.