Title: A New York Minute
Author: Tommygirl
Fandom: Popslash - JC Chasez/Justin Timberlake
Rating: R
A/N: This was written for this year's SESA (
sesa_discuss) for
addictedkitten who wanted current JC & Justin. It's been awhile since I'd written for these boys so it came out a bit sweet & schmoopy at points. Much love to
iamtheenemy for her ability to point things out while mocking. Oh and before you ask, in case you never read any of my much older Nsync fic of the past, I really *do* think JC is a big girl. That's a given - he's just a pretty girl! Feedback always appreciated.
A New York Minute
JC ducked his head as he walked down the busy New York street. It was one of the many things he loved about this city, his ability to throw on a knit cap and blend in with the rest of its denizens. He hummed under his breath as the late fall weather whipped the wind around him. JC held onto his shopping bags and walked back in the direction of the hotel, having spent enough money for the day and seen a few interesting gallery exhibits as well. Not a complete waste of a day, but he didn’t want to tire himself out completely. After all, the best part of this trip was just about to happen.
Justin would arrive in about an hour and JC wanted to be there to greet him. It had been too long since they’d last seen each other and they only had a few days in New York City as it was. Justin had a busy life - always working, always going to someone’s party, always doing something somewhere. JC was the one with plenty of time on his hands. That was mostly a good thing, allowing him to dabble in his interests - he currently finished reading an interesting book on photography and bought a bunch of equipment - and write new songs.
JC entered the hotel, offering a small smile to the doorman, and made his way to the elevators. A small group of people came to stand next to him, paying him little attention. JC smiled. He would never take private moments for granted again, not after years of having bodyguards follow him around everywhere he went.
As he walked toward his suite, JC stopped mid-walk and stared at the sight before him. Justin was slouched against the door, his eyes shut and his duffel bag clutched in his hands. JC was torn between the urge to rush over, lift Justin off the ground, and flood him with kisses, and the desire to let Justin stay just like that. Justin was beautiful when he slept.
Hell, Justin was simply beautiful.
JC kicked him lightly. Justin stirred and glanced up at JC through sleepy eyes. He smiled up and said, “I fell asleep.”
“I figured out as much from the snoring and drool.”
Justin’s hand quickly went to his chin. He rolled his eyes and said, “No drool and I don’t snore.”
“Yeah, you do.”
“Says the guy who once snored through an entire movie in the theater,” Justin commented. He stood up, allowing his bag to drop to the floor, and wrapped his arms around JC. At first, it was a simple hug, no different from the many they shared over the years. Then Justin’s arms ran under JC’s shirt, moving his fingers along the curve of JC’s muscles and then pulling JC closer to him.
Justin pressed JC against the door and kissed him. He bit down on JC’s bottom lip, allowing his tongue access to the inside of his mouth. As the kiss deepened, Justin pressed against JC even more sliding a thigh between JC’s legs and grinding his erection into JC. JC groaned, unable to do anything else, even though they were about to break all types of indecency laws. Justin kneaded his hands into JC’s back, moving them lower and lower to that just right spot.
JC was having trouble breathing let alone thinking. Justin tended to have that affect on him with his perfect hands and cocky smile. Finally, JC pulled away, much to his own chagrin, and mumbled, “Take this inside.”
Justin nodded, but didn’t move away from JC. Instead, he sucked on the skin beneath JC’s ear. Justin could market the abilities of his tongue if he wanted to, JC thought for a second, before Justin’s hands braced on JC’s hips.
“Justin…” JC managed, though it was nothing more than a small gasp.
“I’ve missed you, Jayce.”
JC couldn’t think straight, but somehow was able to get the key out of his pocket and open the door. Both he and Justin tumbling inside, losing bags and jackets without really breaking contact. JC knew he was afraid that if he let go of Justin now, Justin would be gone and JC would realize it was nothing more than a dream, one of those ongoing fantasies to hold him through the separations.
Justin’s teeth tugged on JC’s earlobe as JC removed Justin’s shirt. JC’s hands ran along the contours of Justin’s body, taking in every freckle and muscle as he went. As Justin groaned into JC’s neck, JC pushed Justin down on the couch and said, “I’ve missed you too, J.”
**
Later in the evening JC called for room service. He flipped on the television and glanced up at Justin who was guzzling down a bottle of water like he had recently escaped from the dessert. JC leaned back on the sofa and said, “They said about thirty minutes.”
“I’m gonna shower.” JC nodded and turned back to face the television. His face must’ve conveyed something because Justin sighed and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Huh?”
“Jayce, it’s a fucking shower.”
JC rolled his eyes and said, “I didn’t say anything.”
“Right.”
“Justin go shower. I understand.”
“Understand what?”
“You can’t be seen by anyone. I know how it works.”
Justin tossed one of the throw pillows at JC’s head and replied, “Don’t be an idiot. We fucking roomed together for years and no one thought anything of it.”
“Okay,” JC replied.
Justin sat down on the sofa and crossed his arms. It was times like this Justin looked so fucking young, reminding JC of when they first met so many years ago. JC met Justin’s annoyed gaze and said, “I thought you were showering.”
Justin scowled. “I have that lingering airplane smell, but if you want to be around me when I reek…”
JC leaned in closer to Justin, kissing Justin’s neck, and said, “Smell fine to me.”
Justin’s annoyed expression faded and Justin smiled. “You’d say that even if I stunk of spoiled milk…but if you need me to prove that I don’t give a fuck what some hotel attendant thinks, than I’ll smell, man.”
JC shook his head and said, “Go shower. You want to shower and I’d prefer it if you weren’t in a pissy mood for the remainder of the night.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Once the food was delivered, Justin appeared, wet head and clad only in sweatpants, and sprawled out across the sofa. He glanced over the food and said, “I’m starving.”
“I figured.”
“I didn’t get a chance to eat before I left and I fell asleep on the plane.”
“You got here earlier than expected.”
Justin picked up his burger and between chews said, “I got out of the studio earlier than usual.” Justin scooted over so that JC could sit next to him and added, “Actually, I think everyone decided to call it quits because they could tell my mind was elsewhere.”
“That’s not like you,” JC said, picking at the fries on his plate. He glanced at Justin and asked, “Everything okay?”
Justin shrugged. “I just missed you. I had hoped to get you alone at that party last month, but that stupid journalist wouldn’t leave your side.” Justin put his burger down and rested his hand on JC’s thigh. He said, “We both have money - a whole lot of it - and can afford private jets and first class seats as often as we want. So why is that we only do this every few months?”
“Because we both have work and obligations,” JC replied. He picked up Justin’s hand and raised it to his mouth. He added, “And by we, I mostly mean you.”
Justin sighed. He turned to face JC and before JC could even react, Justin was on top of him. Justin’s hands slid along JC’s chest and up his neck, cupping JC’s face in his hands. He kissed JC and JC didn’t even mind that all he could taste was onion. Justin pulled back enough to look directly in JC’s eyes and said, “One day soon we’re going to retire and not have to worry about a fucking public image.”
JC nodded. There was nothing to say to that. He wanted it, wanted it so bad he could taste it, but he also knew Justin. The one thing Justin loved more than anything was entertaining people. And the conversation always went the same way and ended with both of them angry or depressed.
It was a vicious circle, after all, one that ended with JC drinking way too much wine and wondering what the hell the point was to any of it. He and Justin would never be a real couple, not the type that walked the red carpet together, not even the type that could go out to dinner and a movie without a bunch of “two pals hanging out” bullshit. Their relationship would continue to be made up of weekends on the sly, reading about whatever girl Justin was supposedly fucking, and paranoia regarding every tender moment the two shared in public.
Justin continued though, “It’s you and me, Jayce. That’s all that matters.”
JC nodded again, smiling this time. He reassured Justin. It had always been his job, long before this...thing...between them began. JC pulled Justin back against him, kissing him with all the feeling he could muster and reveling in the feel of Justin’s hard body on top of his. This was the reason JC put up with things...because when it was just them, it was fucking perfect.
Justin smiled into the kiss and mumbled, “I love you, Jayce. It’ll always be you.”
“I love you too,” JC replied. He felt Justin start to move his mouth toward JC’s neck, but JC pulled back. He was going to take control this time and he made sure his eyes conveyed it.
JC’s tongue slicked his lips and he pressed them against the skin on Justin’s throat. A low, almost-guttural moan escaped from Justin and JC continued to move his mouth along the tender skin. JC only stopped when Justin’s hands move down to the elastic of JC’s boxers. JC tilted his head back, his hands moved to Justin’s hair, and once again the two of them managed to get lost in the moment and forget about everything else.
**
Justin stood on the balcony of the hotel suite, his hands raised as though he could fly and his bare chest glistening in the city lights. It was rare to see Justin so unfettered by his persona and responsibility. Justin must’ve felt JC’s eyes on him because he spun around and smiled. Every movement fluid and graceful - Justin was the personification of smooth.
Justin motioned for JC to come out there and JC obliged willingly. The two of them stood there for a few minutes, each leaning against the balcony and watching the world go on around them. Somehow, it didn’t seem right to JC. Time and everything else should stop when the two of them were together.
“What are you thinking?” Justin asked.
JC smiled lazily and said, “How I wish time would stop.”
Justin nodded. “Me too.” Justin turned to face JC, his hip resting against the railing, and asked, “Have you given any thought to my offer the other day?”
“What offer?”
“You moving into my place.”
“The one in Tennessee that you never use?”
“I use it.”
“J…”
Justin crossed his arms and said, “I do use it. A lot.” Justin rubbed the bridge of his nose and directed his gaze at the ground. He replied, “Okay, maybe not a lot yet, but one day that will be the house, Jayce. And I want to share it with you. It’s a start, right?”
There was so much that JC wanted to say, and yet all that came out was, “I have a house.”
Justin frowned and said, “I know that.”
“And I like my house.”
“I know that too.”
“What the hell would I do in fucking Tennessee, Justin?”
“Be with me.”
JC sighed. He kept his gaze on the city around them. It was easier than looking into Justin’s eyes and giving in to some pipe dream that didn’t make any sense. JC said, “I’d give anything to be with you, you know that.”
“So it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“But living in Tennessee wouldn’t exactly equate to being with you, J. You spend most of your time in Los Angeles or New York or wherever the mood strikes you to record next,” JC replied. He stepped closer to Justin, JC’s hand reaching for his, and added, “You have a career that you love and I don’t want to fuck that up.”
“We won’t. We can be careful. I talked to my mother about it and even she said that if you stayed with me in Tennessee no one would think anything of it. You can write and produce music there. Nashville is full of wannabe stars waiting for you to discover them.”
“It’s a nice dream, J.”
Justin lifted JC’s hand and squeezed it. He asked, “Don’t you want more, Jayce? This whole month-to-month thing we’ve been doing since the group hiatus...does that really work for you?” Justin dropped JC’s hand and answered before JC could, “Because I know you, man, and I know this wasn’t what you had in mind for the rest of your life. And I...” Justin gulped down air, swatting JC’s hands away as JC reached for him. “...I don’t want to lose you.”
JC stepped closer, ignoring Justin’s attempts at creating space between them, and rested his forehead against Justin’s. JC replied, “You won’t lose me, Justin. I promise.”
“My stupid career is keeping us from having a life together.”
JC rolled his eyes and responded, “You love your stupid career. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“There is when it keeps us apart.”
“We’ll just have to make more time for each other then,” JC replied. He caressed Justin’s face and added, “Nashville might be a fun place to spend more time.”
“You mean it?”
“Well, I’m not saying I want to move there right now, but you and I should definitely spend some time down there. Come up with whatever excuse you want.”
“One day we won’t need excuses. One day it won’t fucking matter,” Justin countered. He wrapped his arms around JC and hugged him tight.
JC kissed Justin’s shoulder and said, “I know.” For once, he could almost believe it. He could picture the perfect feelings of their time together in New York carrying over for months and making the distance and lack of contact okay. He could almost see him and Justin and the future that they both wanted.
Justin gripped JC’s tee-shirt and said, “Let’s go back inside. You’re frozen and I need to warm you up.”
JC raised an eyebrow and asked, “How do you plan to do that?”
Justin smirked. “I have my ways, Jayce.”
JC allowed Justin to pull him inside and JC managed to get out, “I love this city” before Justin’s lips engulfed his own. And he really did. Almost as much as he loved Justin.
{Fin}