Part 2

Inner Reflection | home

back to But Faith

Part 2

~Can't just carry on this way...~

"Maybe you should go to bed," JC said, as he unlocked the door to his and Lance's house. Lance made an irritated noise as he walked past JC into the house.

"I said I was fine."

"Baby, you don't look fine," JC said calmly.

"Thanks Josh. That makes me feel better, too." Lance stalked into the living room, and threw himself on the sofa. JC sighed as he checked the mail. He knew he had said the wrong thing, but it was true. Lance was pale, more so than usual, which was saying a lot, with dark circles under his eyes. But it was more than that. Lance just didn`t look good. It was something that JC couldn't put his finger on. But it was there. He had been trying to ignore all of the little things about Lance that just weren't right lately. But what had happened at the rehearsal today had just magnified them. It was as if all of the little things had formed a gang and were now one big thing. And that one big thing was telling him that there was a problem. He sighed again, and walked over to the couch where Lance was sitting, his head thrown back, eyes closed, and hand over his forehead. JC sat next to him. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah? Really?" Lance rolled his head towards JC and opened his eyes.

"I am. Lance, it's just that I love you. You know that. I worry."

"You overreact."

"Maybe," JC admitted grudgingly.

"Definitely," Lance smiled a bit.

"Sometimes."

"All of the time, JC. Please don't worry."

"How can I not?"

"I don't know. Just...don't." Lance smiled again at the `yeah right' look on JC's face. "It's no big deal. I swear. I'm just tired I guess. Nothing to get worked up about."

"OK," JC agreed, reluctantly.

"Really?" Lance was surprised that he had won this easily.

"Yeah. You can't ask me not to worry, cause I can't help myself. But I trust you. If you say it's nothing then I believe you."

"Thanks, Josh. I love you." Lance said, laying his head back, closing his eyes again.

"Love you too, babe," JC responded. "Head hurting still?" he asked. Lance grunted. "Come here," JC said, pulling Lance toward him.

Lance opened his eyes. "What...?"

"Just come here," JC repeated, gently drawing Lance's head into his lap.

He began to work his fingers into Lance's scalp. His lover closed his eyes and sighed.

"Mmmm."

"That sounded like a happy noise," JC smiled. "Where does it hurt?"

"Huh?" Lance opened his eyes, looking a bit confused.

"Front or back, Lance."

"Oh. Um, the front, I guess." His eyes closed again as JC began to manipulate his forehead.

"Is it helping any?" JC asked after a few minutes.

"It isn't hurting," Lance smiled, not opening his eyes.

"Good enough for me," JC said, watching Lance's face. He noticed the features smoothing out as Lance's breathing deepened, indicating that he had fallen asleep. JC relaxed his fingers, running them through the soft hair, gazing at the beloved face. He wondered if Lance was right. Was he overreacting? He did have a huge protective streak; especially where Lance was concerned. He remembered the time a few years ago when Lance had collapsed during their tour. He shuddered at the thought. He did not want to see a repeat of that. JC remembered how scared he had been, seeing Lance lying there, so pale. Sort of like he was now. That had been when the guys had found out about his and Lance's relationship. He was just too worried at the time to try and hide his feelings. The guys had accepted the relationship easily. Their parents, however, were another matter.

JC was startled out of his thoughts by the ringing phone. Moving quickly, but carefully to not wake Lance, he grabbed it before the second ring.

"Yeah?" He said quietly.

"JC? It's Justin."

"Hey Justin."

"How's Lance?"

"He's sleeping," JC said, glancing down to make sure this was still true. It was.

"Yeah, but how is he? I mean how is he feeling?"

"He says he's fine."

"You believe him?" Justin asked, suspiciously.

"I don't know, Just. I mean, he's right, he's not a kid."

"Yeah, but Lance works past his limits sometimes, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know. And I'm gonna keep an eye on him."

"Good. All right, I'll let ya go then, man."

"Yeah, talk to you later Justin." JC hung up and contemplated Justin's words. He had been beginning to feel better, but suddenly the feeling of dread was back in full force.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to But Faith Part 2 ~Can't just carry on this way...~ "Maybe you should go to bed," JC said, as he unlocked the door to his and Lance's house. Lance made an irritated noise as he walked past JC into the house. "I said I was fine." "Baby, you don't look fine," JC said calmly. "Thanks Josh. That makes me feel better, too." Lance stalked into the living room, and threw himself on the sofa. JC sighed as he checked the mail. He knew he had said the wrong thing, but it was true. Lance was pale, more so than usual, which was saying a lot, with dark circles under his eyes. But it was more than that. Lance just didn`t look good. It was something that JC couldn't put his finger on. But it was there. He had been trying to ignore all of the little things about Lance that just weren't right lately. But what had happened at the rehearsal today had just magnified them. It was as if all of the little things had formed a gang and were now one big thing. And that one big thing was telling him that there was a problem. He sighed again, and walked over to the couch where Lance was sitting, his head thrown back, eyes closed, and hand over his forehead. JC sat next to him. "I'm sorry." "Yeah? Really?" Lance rolled his head towards JC and opened his eyes. "I am. Lance, it's just that I love you. You know that. I worry." "You overreact." "Maybe," JC admitted grudgingly. "Definitely," Lance smiled a bit. "Sometimes." "All of the time, JC. Please don't worry." "How can I not?" "I don't know. Just...don't." Lance smiled again at the `yeah right' look on JC's face. "It's no big deal. I swear. I'm just tired I guess. Nothing to get worked up about." "OK," JC agreed, reluctantly. "Really?" Lance was surprised that he had won this easily. "Yeah. You can't ask me not to worry, cause I can't help myself. But I trust you. If you say it's nothing then I believe you." "Thanks, Josh. I love you." Lance said, laying his head back, closing his eyes again. "Love you too, babe," JC responded. "Head hurting still?" he asked. Lance grunted. "Come here," JC said, pulling Lance toward him. Lance opened his eyes. "What...?" "Just come here," JC repeated, gently drawing Lance's head into his lap. He began to work his fingers into Lance's scalp. His lover closed his eyes and sighed. "Mmmm." "That sounded like a happy noise," JC smiled. "Where does it hurt?" "Huh?" Lance opened his eyes, looking a bit confused. "Front or back, Lance." "Oh. Um, the front, I guess." His eyes closed again as JC began to manipulate his forehead. "Is it helping any?" JC asked after a few minutes. "It isn't hurting," Lance smiled, not opening his eyes. "Good enough for me," JC said, watching Lance's face. He noticed the features smoothing out as Lance's breathing deepened, indicating that he had fallen asleep. JC relaxed his fingers, running them through the soft hair, gazing at the beloved face. He wondered if Lance was right. Was he overreacting? He did have a huge protective streak; especially where Lance was concerned. He remembered the time a few years ago when Lance had collapsed during their tour. He shuddered at the thought. He did not want to see a repeat of that. JC remembered how scared he had been, seeing Lance lying there, so pale. Sort of like he was now. That had been when the guys had found out about his and Lance's relationship. He was just too worried at the time to try and hide his feelings. The guys had accepted the relationship easily. Their parents, however, were another matter. JC was startled out of his thoughts by the ringing phone. Moving quickly, but carefully to not wake Lance, he grabbed it before the second ring. "Yeah?" He said quietly. "JC? It's Justin." "Hey Justin." "How's Lance?" "He's sleeping," JC said, glancing down to make sure this was still true. It was. "Yeah, but how is he? I mean how is he feeling?" "He says he's fine." "You believe him?" Justin asked, suspiciously. "I don't know, Just. I mean, he's right, he's not a kid." "Yeah, but Lance works past his limits sometimes, ya know?" "Yeah, I know. And I'm gonna keep an eye on him." "Good. All right, I'll let ya go then, man." "Yeah, talk to you later Justin." JC hung up and contemplated Justin's words. He had been beginning to feel better, but suddenly the feeling of dread was back in full force.