"Jace?" The room was dark and quiet; Justin closed the door softly. "You awake?" JC had closed the curtains to the outside, and the only sound in the room was the gentle whirr of the air conditioner. He lay on his stomach; arms away from his sides, legs open so his thighs wouldn't touch. He'd pulled the sheet up but it had slipped free on one side, baring his hip. He was naked under the sheet and even in the dim light, his sunburn looked painful.
"Uhn." JC grunted and shifted slightly, and Justin caught a quiet whimper when he moved.
"Here." Justin sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to touch JC's reddened body. "I got some aloe from the front desk."
JC grunted noncommittally and turned his head. Justin didn't sigh, though he rolled his eyes at the back of JC's head. He squeezed a dollop of gel onto his palm and touched it as gently as he could to JC's shoulder, but JC still flinched.
"Okay, not to be a bitch or anything," JC gasped, "but could you not touch me? Please?"
"I haven't heard you say that for a while." Justin laid one hand on the pale stripe of JC's side, one of the few places he wasn't red, and carefully applied the aloe with his gentlest touch.
"It just...it hurts," JC said, and turned his face into the pillow.
"Shhh, almost done," Justin said softly, and squeezed one last dollop of gel into his hand. "You need to drink some water."
"Are you this mean to your girlfriends?" JC mumbled into the pillow. " `Cause, man, that explains a lot."
Justin laughed and said, "No, I'm only mean to you." He ran his hand lightly under JC's hair and lifted it away from his neck. The skin wasn't as burned there, and careful of JC's body, Justin kissed his nape lightly.
"You miss this, don't you?"
"Miss what. Miss you? Definitely." Justin wiped his hands on a towel and tightened the lid on the aloe bottle.
"Thanks, but not what I meant. That "protector" jazz you used to do with Brit. Babying someone."
Unable to resist, Justin carded his fingers through JC's hair again, and leaned down to give him another kiss on the neck. "Yeah, nothin' wrong with that. You don't like it?"
JC snorted. "I'm enjoying the hell out of it right now, sure. Cameron doesn't seem the type to go for that, though."
Justin laughed suddenly, loud and startling in the quiet room. "She's like a female Chris," he cackled. "So, no. I don't baby her much."
"Didn't think so," JC snorted again, then whimpered when he tried to shift position.
"Need some meds?" Justin asked. JC grunted.
"A little weed might be nice."
"Drink some water and I'll grab a joint from Lance. Want some fruit? I'll call room service."
"Melon," JC murmured. He sounded sleepy. "Cantaloupe and watermelon and honeydew. Mmm, that really sounds good."
"Drink," Justin prodded. He tilted the straw just so before holding the bottle at JC's mouth. JC scowled at him, but dutifully sipped down half of the water before he pulled away.
"Better?" Justin asked.
"I'll be better after a few hits. You promised," JC reminded him.
"First the fruit." Justin called Dre and ordered the assortment of melon that JC wanted, and added bottles of water, papaya juice and orange juice to the list. He glanced at JC and found him watching the transaction, his eyes sleepy and slit like a cat's, eyelids drooping lower and lower.
"Typical, Chasez. Fall asleep before the stuff gets here."
JC's grin was crooked, and he closed his eyes. " `M gonna float away," he said. Except for the bright flush of JC's skin, it might have been any other night they'd spent in each other's rooms. JC's breathing slowed and evened out, and Justin couldn't pass up an opportunity to touch.
He lifted the sheet, critically eyeing JC's burn and appraising his body. His ass was startlingly pale between the reddened skin of his back and legs. Justin trailed his fingers lightly over one muscular curve. Small and round and tight.
"You lookin' at my ass?" JC murmured sleepily.
"Yep," Justin answered.
"Just checkin'."
He had the best ass of any of them, and Justin couldn't resist palming a cheek, briefly. When JC didn't protest, he stroked lightly, slowly, up the crease between. JC shuddered.
"Okay, you need to stop," JC said. "Severely sunburned guy here, so quit it." But when Justin slipped a finger between and rubbed gently, JC tilted his ass upward ever so slightly. "You just...go call your woman, J, before she starts looking for you."
"She knows where I am," Justin said, but he withdrew his finger. JC's body relaxed visibly, and he glared over his shoulder at Justin. Justin smiled back. "I'm staying here tonight," he announced. Before he pulled the sheet back over JC's hips, he bent to kiss the upper swell of one cheek, then lightly bit it.
"I don't remember inviting you to stay" JC said. "And you can't sleep in the bed because I hurt all over, you ass."
"This bed is like, the size of Texas. It'll be cool," Justin scoffed. "Anyway, we'll worry about it later. For now: partake." He slipped a slim joint out of his t-shirt pocket and waved it under JC's nose.
"You had it all the time," JC laughed. "Lance, my ass."
"You want me to lance your ass?" Justin looped a curl of JC's hair around his finger and tugged gently.
The bed shifted, and JC winced slightly when he moved. "You need to get me high, feed me, and then let me sleep."
"God, you're a cranky bitch," Justin said, fishing in his pocket for a lighter. JC carefully settled back onto the bed.
"Fuck you, I`m in pain. Pain, J," JC said. Justin just nodded sympathetically. "You can stay while I'm sleeping. If you want."
"I do want, I told you that. And I told the guys not to call," Justin added. "I might have told your parents not to call, but it was loud and I couldn`t hear what I was saying."
"Justin. You didn't." JC turned his face into the pillow and laughed. "God, my mom's going to freakin' kill me."
"We're in a different hotel for a reason," Justin reminded him. "Shotgun?" JC's eyes flicked up. Justin took a drag off the joint and held it in, then leaned close to JC's face. Their lips nearly touching, Justin blew the smoke slowly and steadily into JC's mouth. Their eyes locked and they watched each other until JC dropped his gaze. Justin studied his lashes, and when JC looked up, Justin straightened. JC released the hit.
"Call your girlfriend," JC said, " `Cause I don't want her calling while I'm trying to sleep. And you're a greedy motherfucker, you know that?" His lips were curved in a wicked smile, and he was practically purring.
"I want what I want," Justin answered simply. He touched a finger to JC's bottom lip.
JC touched the tip of his tongue to Justin`s finger. "You always get what you want?"
"You always get what you want," Justin clarified. "Sometimes I have to wait." They exchanged another long look, and JC kissed Justin's palm.
"Go find my fruit," JC said softly, "before I push you off the bed." He closed his eyes. "I hurt," he sighed.
Justin pulled the sheet up a little higher, and kissed the back of JC`s neck. He headed for the door.