Thirty seconds before they were to go on, and after it had taken Chris a record twenty-seven tries to get a hackey, Justin shoved him against the wall. Navy blue twin fires burned into Chris' soul, capturing him with their ferocity.
"Forget about her," he whispered, low and throaty. He bent his head and pinned Chris with a bruising, possessive kiss.
Chris' brain started again sometime during the third song, at which point Robin and all things elfin weren't exactly his immediate problem.
"Not that I'm complainin' man, but what was that for?"
Justin looked up from folding clothes into his suitcase - an act if ever Chris had seen one. Justin didn't fold anything on tour, and they'd only rolled into town at noon. They were leaving again at seven. He didn't even ask what "that" meant, he'd been waiting for the question.
"I wanted to remind you..." Justin fumbled over his words. "I..."
Chris moved into the room. He sat and endeavoured to be patient.
"I... this week you've been... and I..." he babbled. Finally he managed a complete sentence or two. "She was the last straw. I don't want to lose you, not yet."
Chris blinked. Lose him? Where had that come from? He looked at Justin's worried, half-ashamed expression, the big eyes and the way he bit his lip nervously. So young and vulnerable. Needy.
He wasn't used to "needy". Danielle had been an independent woman and Justin-his-best-friend was a take-it-or-leave-it kinda guy. Sometimes Chris forgot that this relationship was a whole different animal, and neither of them were entirely secure it in yet, no matter how cute the rest of the group thought they were.
"Hey," he protested, reaching up for one of Justin's long limbs. He took one long-fingered hand between his own, rubbing lightly over the knuckles. "I'm not going anywhere."
"You don't talk to me," Justin accused, a slight pout slipping into his tone. He caught it and continued. "I know you're hurting baby, but you won't let me fix it... and then Dani sent you a spy."
"A what?" Chris couldn't help laughing. Justin blushed hotly.
"You always went to Dani for comfort," he explained, studying the floor. "And she sent you that FuMan girl, who's going to take you away from me to work." He gnawed persistently at his bottom lip before admitting, "I feel like she's playing a bad joke on me, 'cause I stole you away from her."
"She dumped my sorry ass. Remember?"
"I stole you away before she could come to her senses and beg you to come back," he maintained doggedly. "I heard Anthony talking to her. That girl's gonna be around for at least a month! On our bus!"
"Just like Britney," Chris countered, trying to get Justin off the point.
"That's different!" Justin protested. "Brit's..."
"...supposed to be dating you." Chris pointed out. "at least if you see what's her name making a move on me, you're allowed to get mad."
"Woah." Justin used Chris' grip on his hand to pull him to his feet. Wide surprised eyes searched Chris' face. "Hold up. Stop the bus. Are you jealous of me'n'Pinky?"
This time it was Chris who found the carpet fascinating. Jealousy was the vice Chris most hated. And he liked Britney - she had been Justin's best friend for years, the first person he came out to. More than that, Britney had somehow helped Justin make that first move on Chris a few months back. Chris had a lot of reasons to be grateful to Britney Spears. Unfortunately, she and Justin had always been physically affectionate people, especially with each other. And when playing the part of the prince and princess of pop... Every minute of it hurt Chris to watch.
"You are." Justin absorbed this information. "You're jealous." He slid his free arm around Chris' waist, drawing him closer. "You don't like having her around."
"I do!" Chris protested weakly. "Brit's great. I just don't... she's all over you. And I can't be."
"I wish it could be you too, babe." Justin's hand on his cheek could have been construed as a soothing gesture, if not for the purr in his voice. A familiar spark flickered in Justin's eyes. He watched his own hand stroke Chris' face."I think about it all the time."
Chris was thrown off guard. Justin was usually fiercely protective of his partner in crime. At the very least he'd been expecting a fight. Not... this.
"Do you watch us?" Justin's eyes were sparkling fully now. His body was tense, waiting for Chris to give the right answer. Warm breaths heated Chris' face. He took refuge from them in the crook of Justin's neck. The arm that held him tightened.
"No," he admitted, still almost too ashamed to acknowledge what this conversation was doing to Justin. "I can't. I hate feeling like that."
"Mmm." A kiss dropped in his hair. A hand creeping up between cotton and skin, massaging, urging him on. "How does it feel, Chris?"
The hiss of his own name in Justin's languid, aroused tones made Chris' dick jump. Whatever he thought about the evils of jealousy, his body was definitely without guilt on the matter. Justin's hands teased him, skimming just above his jeans.
"Come on, babe. She touches me all the time. Just like this." Chris had never seen Britney rub herself against Justin like that, but the mental image of it coupled with the undeniable heat of the live action version made him gasp. "Why can't you watch? Isn't it hot? Doesn't it turn you on?"
"No," the growl that burst from his throat was unreasonable. Justin shivered against him,the friction becoming almost unbearable.
"Why?" he prompted in a near gasp.
"You're mine." Justin's incoherent, near triumphant moan of agreement drowned out all the protests in Chris head as he was drawn down on top of his very needy, very hungry lover.
Justin was much nicer to Robin than anybody had expected, welcoming her warmly onto the bus. He gave her a detailed, enthusiastic tour of the bus, apologizing for the mess in the bunk that was to be hers and loudly blaming J.C.. Robin followed behind silently. Her eyes were nearly invisible behind her glasses but Chris guessed she was taking silent inventory, already forming strategic plans, like any of their bodyguards in a new situation.
Tour over, they returned to the lounge, where Justin flopped down beside Chris. Chris motioned for her to sit somewhere. Instead she remained standing, leaning in the doorway, overseeing the area.
"Don't be a stranger, Robin." J.C. invited with a smile. "We don't bite, whatever Dani told you."
Robin raised an eyebrow but made no comment. J.C. looked a little hurt. He was so open and friendly with those around him, a cool response never failed to disappoint him. He looked at Justin. Justin shrugged and settled more comfortably against Chris. He'd done his part. J.C. appealed to Chris. The last thing in the world Chris wanted to do was make small talk with his unwanted guardian.
"Robin, why'n't you go unpack, get settled a little. I'm gonna call Dani, let her know you're here in one piece and all. Then maybe we can talk FuMan a little."
"Yes sir." The formality surprised everyone else, and made Chris even more uncomfortable. This was not going to be the easiest time in his life by a long shot.