"Hello?"

"Nelly, hey, it’s Justin."

"Oh hey, J! What up?"

"Just returnin’ your message is all," Justin replied, stretching out on his couch, flicking through the channels on his television.

"Such the exciting life you lead," Nelly laughed.

"I’m actually enjoying the time off. I like not having to be busy."

"Cool, man. I can understand it, and you been at it lots longer than me and the others."

"Okay so I know you didn’t want to talk about how boring my life is, so what’s up?"

"Well I knew you had a shit load of free time on your hands, even wit the recordin’ of your album and thought maybe you’d wanna do somethin’ since your group mates are elsewhere?"

"I think I could be talked into making room for you in my busy schedule," Justin said. "Like when?"

"Whenever, I ain’t got nothin’ goin on."

"Well I’m out in Cali so whenever you get around to it, head on out here," Justin replied.

"Cool, I’ll let ya know when I’ma be there then."

--

"Justin, if you don’t turn that damn CD off I’m gonna throw you out the damn car," JC groaned as the opening notes of ‘Hot In Herre’ could be heard.

"I’d like to see you try," Justin replied, turning the CD up just to be a punk. "Besides, you like this CD."

"I liked it just fine before I got in this car," JC said. "That was before I got to hear the same nine songs twenty times."

"We haven’t been in the car long enough for you to have heard them twenty times yet," Justin replied, breaking in his singing. "Girl I think my butt’s gettin’ big!"

"Can I at least know why I have to listen to them?"

"Cause Nelly’s coming in tomorrow," Justin grinned.

"You are so obsessive," JC shook his head. "Do I need to supervise to make sure you don’t slip up?"

"Probably, but you can’t," Justin said.

"Why not?"

"Nelly thinks y’all are elsewhere," Justin answered. "I didn’t think it was important to tell him you were just on the other side of the city."

"And if he happens to see me at some point?"

"Just act like you didn’t know I was in town," Justin replied. "But really, I think LA’s big enough that we won’t have to go to one of your clubs."

"Better not," JC joked. "They’re mine, and I don’t feel like sharing."

"Damn you for picking all the good ones," Justin teased back.

"Oh fuck off," JC said. "Thanks again for the ride."

"No problem, gives me a chance to drive by Britney’s and make her jealous."

"With me?" JC rolled his eyes.

"You know she thinks we’ve been fucking for years, this’ll just piss her off."

"I’m not sure I enjoy being a pawn in your twisted game," JC said. "I do know I don’t like your ex-girlfriend thinking we’ve been fucking for years, as you so kindly put it."

"Don’t you worry one bit. Your heterosexuality isn’t in danger, cause really who’s she gonna tell?"

"Damn well better not tell anyone. People already think I’m gay, I don’t need them thinking I’m having sex with you."

Justin grinned. "They already do! They like to call it Joshtin, Jushua, JuC, Mouselove, the list goes on."

"I’m taking your computer away from you," JC said. "You’re a sick twisted bastard, reading stories bout you and me having sex."

"Only on the occasion. I prefer the ones about you and Chris, or Chris and Lance, those are yummy," Justin snickered. "I’ve also recently discovered the wonderfulness of you and Tony."

"What about yourself? Who do you read with you?" JC asked, humoring him.

"Nelly, duh," Justin exclaimed. "Our fans are great, they agree with me that we should be together."

"You get all your sexual feelings for Nelly out before he shows up," JC said. "I don’t wanna have to come rescue you from him when he tries to kill you for putting the moves on him."

"People don’t generally try to kill me for putting the moves on them."

"What about Eminem?"

"That’s different, he doesn’t like me."

"Yet you still hit on him," JC shook his head. "No matter how much Nelly might like you I don’t recommend trying to get with him."

"You’re right," Justin nodded. "Unless--"

"Unless nothing," JC stopped him. "On the off chance Nelly could be bi and want you, he’ll make his move."

"Love advice from the man who dated Bobbie, have I really sunk that low?"

"From the man who dated Bobbie, yes you have, man who dated Britney."

--

"So this is the new house, huh?" Nelly said when Justin let him into his house.

"Yep, you like?"

"Nice," Nelly nodded. "Where do you want me?"

‘In my room,’ Justin thought. "Well eventually you’ll have a choice, but only one of the guest rooms are finished right now, so that’s where I’ll put ya."

"Sounds good," Nelly said, following him upstairs.

Justin gave Nelly the nickel tour while they made their way to the guest room. After Nelly’s bags were dropped off, they went back downstairs.

"Beer’s in the fridge," Justin said walking into the kitchen. "Or there’s pretty much anything else you might want to drink. Make yourself at home."

"Good deal," Nelly nodded, grabbing a beer for himself, gesturing to see if Justin wanted one as well.

"Thanks," Justin said taking one from him. "Whatcha wanna do tonight?"

"If it’s aight wit you, wanna just hang out around here. Jet lag’s a bitch."

"Sounds good to me," Justin nodded, glad he would have Nelly’s attention to himself. "Wanna order in something or whatever?"

"Don’t matter to me."

"Hope pizza’s all right then," Justin replied, picking through his menus, settling on the Pizza Hut ad.

"Perfect," Nelly nodded.

"Whatcha want?"

"Barbecue?" Nelly suggested.

"Sounds good. Wings, breadsticks, or both?"

"Whatever you want."

"Both. Thick or thin?"

"Thick. Cheese on the breadsticks?"

"If you want, I don’t care."

"Without."

After their food was ordered, they took their drinks and went out to the back deck.

"You excited about your performance at the VMAs?" Nelly inquired when they were settled in.

"Yah, but I’m nervous as fuck too," Justin replied. "It’s one thing to be out there with the other guys there with me, but it’s very different when they’re sitting the audience judging me like everyone else."

"They won’t judge you."

"Yah they will. Chris is a mean bitter old bitch, loves to point out where others mess up, and JC’s got a mean streak in him, loves to see others fail."

"They’re your friends though."

"You’d think that’d make a difference, but really just makes them look harder."

"Well for what it’s worth, you’ll do an awesome job, I’m sure."

"Thanks, man," Justin grinned.

"And if not, you can go home with the knowledge that Janet Jackson used you for sex," Nelly teased.

"You gonna tease me about it too?" Justin pouted. "She did use me for sex!"

"And you’re complainin because?"

"She’s almost my mom’s age, and I enjoyed it."

"Janet looks good for a thirty-six year old, though. Next time you talk to her, tell her I don’t mind bein’ used for sex."

"I’ll let her know," Justin shook his head. "Although I don’t think I’ll be hearing from her anytime soon. I can’t believe she took me serious when I said I loved her!"

"I told you it was a bad idea to play around like that."

"So did everyone else, but do I listen?"

"No. And now you’ve lost the right to tap that ass."

"Damn I’m a moron," Justin sighed. "I got harder stuff, if you’d prefer," he said when Nelly finished off his beer.

"Lemme get some food in my system and I just might take you up on that," Nelly replied.

They sat out on the deck talking until Justin’s security guard buzzed to let Justin know his food had arrived. After eating, they went to their respective rooms to change into swim trunks. Justin finished first and was in the process of getting out more beer when Nelly came into the kitchen.

"Figured these might be safest while we’re in the hot tub," he explained handing Nelly one.

"You’re probably right," Nelly agreed, accepting the drink. "Wouldn’t do either of us any good to drown."

"No, it wouldn’t," Justin said.

"Who are ya goin to the VMAs with?" Nelly asked when they were settled in the tub.

"Haven’t really thought about it," Justin answered. "Thought maybe Janet, but that’s not happening. Prolly my mom. You?"

"The guys and I will go together, don’t think I’m takin’ a date. Too much of a hassle."

"That’s why I’m thinkin of taking my mom; she knows the drill."

--

"We ever gonna leave this house?" Justin questioned on the fourth day of Nelly’s visit.

"Too hot," Nelly replied, not taking his eyes off the baseball game. "Besides I thought ya liked hangin’ out wit me."

"I do, but surely there’s something you wanna do outside the area of my home."

"Not really, but if you wanna go somewhere we can," Nelly said.

"Nah, too much of a hassle, and it makes no sense if you don’t really want to go out," Justin replied.

"I’m kinda enjoyin’ keeping a low profile."

"That’s cool," Justin nodded, laying back on the couch, watching Nelly watch the baseball game, proud of how well he’d managed to control himself the past four days, especially when neither had bothered to dress in more than shorts and wife beaters.

"You want something?" Nelly asked five minutes later.

"Excuse me?"

"You’ve been starin’ at me for the last five minutes," Nelly said.

"Sorry bout that, just lost in thought," Justin replied, turning his attention back to the game.

"Aight," Nelly nodded, doing the same.

They watched the rest of the game in silence, only speaking to ask if the other wanted anything when they were up. When the game was over, Nelly turned the television off.

"Justin."

"Yeh?"

Nelly didn’t really move, just looked at him for a moment. Justin sat up to see what the other man wanted, and he was caught off guard as his lips met with Nelly’s. He immediately responded to the kiss, allowing Nelly to be in control. When he felt Nelly nibble gently on his bottom lip, he parted them enough to allow the other man’s tongue to enter his mouth. He gave Nelly the chance to explore his mouth a bit before slipping his tongue into Nelly’s mouth. Justin allowed himself to be lowered back onto the couch, not breaking the kiss.

"Shit," Nelly cursed when he broke the kiss.

"Nelly--"

"I’m sorry, J," Nelly cut him off, getting off of him. "I gotta go."

"Nelly--" Justin tried again, stopping when Nelly fled the room.

‘I won’t cry,’ he repeated to himself while he sat on the couch, waiting for Nelly to return. When Nelly did return he had his bags and was on his cell phone arranging to be picked up. Justin sat silently, not sure what to say.

"I’m sorry," Nelly said again, before exiting the house.

Justin waited until he heard the front door close before dialing JC’s number.

"Justin, what’s wrong?" JC asked, concerned when he realized the younger man was crying.

"Can-- can you come over please?" Justin managed to get between sobs. "I really need you."

"I’ll be right there."

Justin curled up on the couch waiting for JC to arrive. Fifteen minutes later he heard the front door open and foot steps leading to the living room, followed shortly by JC’s voice calling for him.

"In the living room," Justin answered.

"What’s wrong, Jus?" JC questioned, sitting down next to the younger man. "Nelly was gettin into a cab when I pulled up and he didn’t look too good."

"He kissed me," Justin cried, covering his head with a throw-pillow. "He kissed me, and he freaked out and left!"

"Oh, baby," JC said, pulling Justin into a hug. "I’m sorry!"

"Why-- why would he kiss me and leave?"

"Some guys aren’t comfortable with the idea of having feelings for another man, Jus," JC said. "Maybe he just needs time to think about what the kiss meant to him."

"He started it, though! It’s not like I forced myself on him, I let him be in control."

"That still doesn’t mean he knows what it means to him," JC replied. "Give him time to think things over. If he doesn’t call you before the VMAs or ignores you at them, move on. If he tries to talk to you, let him say his piece. Even if it’s not what you want to hear, don’t let this get in the way of your friendship."

"You’re right," Justin nodded, taking a deep breath.

--

"So, have you heard from him?" JC inquired when Justin walked off stage after finishing his final rehearsal.

"No," Justin sighed. "What if I never do?"

"Then you’ll find someone else," JC replied.

"Don’t suppose you’d give me a pity fuck?"

"Not happening," JC shook his head. "Is that another one of the stories you’ve read about us?"

"As it happens, yes it is," Justin nodded. "It’s a new one I found yesterday. Nelly comes to visit me, and everything’s going great until we kiss. Then he freaks, and you come to comfort me, and we have sex to make me feel better."

"Maybe you could get Chris to go along with it, but not me," JC shook his head.

Justin shuttered. "I do not have sexual fantasies about Chris and I."

"Yet you have sexual fantasies about me and him?"

"No I read other people’s sexual fantasies about you and Chris," Justin corrected. "Just because I’ve put out a few plots, doesn’t mean--"

"You stop right now," JC exclaimed, covering Justin’s mouth. "I don’t want to know what you do in your free time!"

"For someone so flamboyant you’re painfully straight, C," Justin sighed.

"So sorry my heterosexuality is a problem for you," JC replied. "Look who’s over there talking to Eminem."

Justin followed JC’s gaze and sighed heavily when he realized it was Nelly. "Not only has he ignored me since he kissed me, now he’s chatting it up with Eminem, one of many people who wishes I were dead."

JC squeezed Justin’s shoulder. "Don’t let it bug ya, Jus. If nothin else remember he’s the one that kissed you. If he acts like an ass, just remind him of that."

"You’re right," Justin nodded. "Well I’m ready to get out of here, how about you?"

JC nodded. "Yah, I’ve got things to do before I meet up with Veronica."

"Which one was she again?"

"The Jive intern."

"Nice choice," Justin nodded remembering what the girl looked like. "Do you think I should’ve brought a date?"

"Nah, you need to appear unattached for a bit after the whole Janet thing," JC replied. "Besides, you like coming to these things with your mom, she thinks you’re God, remember?"

"And your mom doesn’t?"

"I’m more of a saint than a god to my mom," JC said.

"Fags," Eminem spat as Justin and JC walked past him and Nelly.

"Blow me, Marshall," Justin replied, pushing on through.

"You wish, fag."

"Oh yes, don’t you know it! All my fantasies involve getting blow jobs from Eminem," Justin rolled his eyes.

"Justin, quit," JC said, trying to pull him along.

"You might wanna listen to your boyfriend," Eminem said.

"J, don’t start with him," Nelly spoke before Justin had a chance to reply. "Listen to JC and go."

"What if I don’t want to?" Justin replied. "What if I wanna stand here and fight with him? Who’s gonna stop me? You, JC? Who?"

"I’m gonna stop you," Nelly answered. "You in a pissed off mood? Fine, be pissed off. Don’t get yourself in trouble."

"Why do you care?"

"Cause I’m your friend."

"You were my friend," Justin corrected. "Lets go, C, I’ve got shit to do."

JC nodded and followed Justin out to their waiting limo, catching a glimpse of the frown on Nelly’s face as they left. He tried to mention it to Justin on the way back to the hotel, but Justin wouldn’t let him.

--

"J, can we talk?" Nelly asked catching up to him at one of the after parties.

"I‘m--"

"Of course you can," JC cut Justin off, glad to have someone to distract Justin long enough for him to get a chance to talk to his date without having to try and keep her and Justin from fighting.

"No--"

"What did I tell you that night at your house?" JC whispered in Justin’s ear.

"To let him say his piece."

"And what did you say?"

"That you were right and that I would."

"Here’s your chance, do it," JC said pushing him at Nelly. "You two have a nice chat."

"Can we go somewhere and talk privately?" Nelly questioned, leading Justin away from JC and his date.

"Like where?"

"Well if you don’t mind leaving the party for a while, my hotel’s not too far away."

"It’s dead anyway," Justin shrugged, looking around the room.

He followed Nelly out to his limo, saying good-bye and congratulations to random people as they left.

"So?" Justin said when they were in the limo.

"I wanna apologize again for what happened at your house."

"You already apologized enough that night."

"I still feel like I should apologize."

"Instead why don’t you explain why you’ve ignored me since then?"

"Because I wanted to give you time to cool off, and I was embarrassed because C showed up right as I was leaving. I didn’t know you two were together, or I never would’ve--"

"JC and I aren’t together," Justin stopped him. "JC is painfully straight."

"Then why--"

"He came over because I asked him to because I was upset, and I needed someone to talk to."

"I’m sorry I upset you! I shouldn’t have kissed you."

"That’s not why I was upset," Justin replied.

"Why were you upset then?"

"Because I allowed myself to think you might actually feel something for me, more than friendship, and then you freaked out in the middle of kissing me. How was I supposed to feel?"

"You’re-- you’re not upset that I kissed you?"

"Okay, hello, did I not kiss you back?"

"Yah, but I thought you were just caught up in it and were gonna be pissed to hell when you realized what was going on," Nelly replied.

"So instead of sticking around and finding out, you freak out and leave? Good plan."

"How was I supposed to know you wouldn’t try to kill me?"

"Because I’m homophobic, right?" Justin rolled his eyes.

"I didn’t know!"

"You just assumed the worst and left."

"I’m sorry," Nelly groaned.

"Why did you kiss me?"

"I went to visit you to try and get over my crush on you. I couldn’t help myself when I saw you lying there, it was just too much," Nelly answered.

"Did it work? Are you over whatever you felt for me?"

"No, kissing you just made it worst."

"Good."

"Why?"

"Because otherwise you’d be pretty pissed off if I did this," Justin replied, leaning in and giving Nelly a kiss on the lips.

Before Nelly got a chance to respond to the kiss, the limo stopped in front of his hotel. Justin pulled back, smirking at him before climbing out of the limo. Nelly followed Justin to the elevators.

"You knew we were stopping, didn’t you?" Nelly said, glaring at Justin as they road up the his suite.

"Possibly," Justin replied. "What’re you gonna do about it if I did?"

"Nothing that will stop me from getting to kiss you again."

"Good answer," Justin grinned.

"I’ll warn ya right now, you’re the first guy I’ve ever allowed myself to do anythin’ with," Nelly said letting them into the room, "so don’t be making fun of me."

"Relax, it’s pretty much just like a girl except there’s no breast and only one hole," Justin replied. "You’re a guy so you’re familiar with the male body, it won’t be a problem. Pretty much everything else is the same."

"I’m just sayin’."

"Okay," Justin nodded.

"So are you gonna kiss me?" Nelly asked, sitting on the couch in his suite.

"No," Justin replied, sitting next to him.

"No?"

"No, you have to kiss me," Justin said. "Everything will move at your pace."

"Okay," Nelly nodded. "This isn’t some evil plot to get back at me for freaking out, is it?"

"If it were, I would already have gotten you," Justin answered.

Nelly nodded again and pulled Justin closer to him. When Justin was close enough for his liking, he leaned in, capturing Justin’s lips with his own. The kiss went much the same as the first one, Justin allowing Nelly to move at his own pace. The vibrating of Justin’s cell phone resulted in the breaking of their kiss.

"Hello?" Justin sighed, disappointed their kiss had been interrupted.

"Jus, hey, it’s JC."

"Hi, C," Justin said, pulling Nelly back down when he started to get up. "What can I do for you?"

"I’m having the limo take me back to the hotel. I didn’t know where you and Nelly ended up. Do you need me to send someone for you?"

"No, I think I can find my own way back to the hotel," Justin replied, stifling a moan when Nelly began to place light kisses on the exposed part of his neck.

"All right," JC said. "Things go all right with Nelly?"

"They’re going pretty well right now," Justin answered, unable to stop the moan that came when Nelly bit his earlobe.

"Oh for the love of all things holy, please tell me you aren’t having sex with him while you’re talking to me," JC groaned.

"No we aren’t having sex just yet, but if we continue this phone call I can’t promise you it will remain that way," Justin replied.

"I’ll talk to you later then."

"Bye, C," Justin said hanging up.

"Sex, huh?"

"If you’d like," Justin answered. "I told you everything is up to you."

"See that’s how you ended up being used by Janet for sex, all this everything is up to you shit," Nelly laughed.

"Are you gonna use me for sex too, then ignore me if I tell you I love you?"

"There’s a good chance I might, you still up for it?"

"You tell me," Justin replied, placing Nelly’s hand on his crotch.

"You’re a slut, Timberlake," Nelly shook his head.

"When you date someone who looks like Britney for three years and she don’t wanna have sex, you’re allowed to be a slut after the break up," Justin said. "It’s in the rule book."

"As much as I’d love to hear more about your rule book, I was really enjoying what we were doin’ before C called, so how about we back to that?" Nelly suggested.

"I like that idea," Justin said, leaning into Nelly for a kiss.