Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 22:42:18 -0400
From: ScorSagian <ScorSagian2K@hotmail.com>
Subject: Boy-Band / Decisions (part 10)

Disclaimer: This story contains homosexual themes.  If you are under the
age of 18 or if reading this story is illegal to read where you are
residing, please read no further. While the people in this story are real,
the events are purely fictional.  This is not meant to imply anything about
the sexuality of the people portrayed in this story.


If you have any feedback, either positive or negative, you may contact me at
Dannibailey@hotmail.com


"Decisions"
    by D.B.

Chapter 10


"Hey, you two time to get up." Joey's voice was full of excitement.  "We're
inside the city limits. We're home!"

You looked at your watch.  It was almost 11:00.  It had felt so good to have
that much uninterrupted sleep.  You turned to Justin and kissed him gently.
"Hey babe, you got about a half an hour to make yourself look presentable and
the way you look right now, its gonna take at least that long."

He was not amused.  "Thanks, you really know how to make a guy feel good,"

"Come on rabbit, JC teased, quit being a grouch. We already poured your cereal.
We're home.  Aren't you excited?"

"No, he mumbled, and quit with the rabbit jokes."

You leaned over and whispered in his ear.  "I got no problem with you being a
rabbit. screw them."

He managed a smile and headed over to enjoy his cereal.  After that he would
tackle the rest of the day.

The bus pulled into the parking lot of the Olive Garden amid shouts of joy from
the family and friends who anxiously awaited your arrival.  Although the guys
had been home off and on during the past year this was different.  They would
be home for the better part of two months and everyone was excited.

As soon as Justin left the bus his eyes panned the crowd looking for his mom.
He had really missed her even though he felt she tended to be a bit
overprotective at times.  He spotted her immediately and ran to hug her lifting
her in his arms as he did.

"I love you mom," he said as he kissed her.

"I love you too, Justin." Lynn replied.  "It's so good to have you home! You
look great."

You watched the scene from a few feet away, enjoying the interaction between
Justin and his mom.  You could see where Justin gotten his good looks. Lynn was
a very attractive woman and her smile had been passed down to her only son.
Justin turned around and motioned for you to join them.

"Mom, I want you to meet a good friend of mine. This is Gary Martin.  He's
going to be traveling with us on the NSA tour. Gary, this is my mom, Lynn
Harless."

"Gary it's very nice to meet you" said Lynn  "Its always nice to meet some of
Justin's friends. Will you be staying with us while you are in Orlando, or do
you have family here?"

Justin looked at you and smiled.  "Nice to meet you to Mrs. Harless, and I'm
from New York.  This is my first time in Orlando, so if you don't mind I love
to stay with you."

"We'd love to have you. There is always room for one more" Lynn said.  "Now,
lets get you boys something to eat."

You thoroughly enjoyed lunch. The guys' families and friends were wonderful and
you could understand why they were all anxious to get home.  Justin was sitting
next to you playfully rubbing his hand on your thigh.  From his boyish grin you
knew he understood that he was making it very difficult for you to concentrate
on the conversation.  You leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"Pay backs are hell, Justin. I owe you big time."  Justin just laughed.

"So Gary, what is it that you do on the tour?"  Lynn asked.

"Well, NSA will be my first tour with them," you replied.  "I think the
official title is `Tour Technician', but basically I'll be in charge of
computers and anything electronic.  I've been a computer consultant for the
past 3 years. That's really my strong suit.  I just kinda fell into the
electronics side of it."

"I'm impressed," said Lynn, "I'm sure you'll be a wonderful addition to the
tour. It's hard to believe how many people it takes to do the show now.  The
boys have really come a long way from three years ago when they were practicing
in the warehouse."

"Yes ma'am, they have" you concurred.  "You must be very proud of Justin."

"Oh, I am" she said with a gleam in her eye and then continued,  "how about we
get you guys home so you can relax a bit."

"Justin, your dad dropped off your car earlier and I brought my own.  I wasn't
sure how many of the guys would be coming home with us."

"I am!"  JC said,  "I'm not missing out on your cooking for anything. I think
the rest of the guys already have plans.  Chris and Danni are going to their
place and Lance is going over to Joey's, so I guess its just me."

"Well, you know you are always welcome Josh" Lynn said as she kissed his cheek.
"You boys ready to go?"

"Sure mom, just need my keys" Justin replied.  Lynn dug in her purse until she
found the key ring with the single Mercedes key on it.

"Here you go honey, just drive carefully. I'll see you boys at the house."

As you headed to the  car you could see Justin's nerves were getting to him.
It saddened you, but you knew it was to be expected.  The next few hours were
not going to be easy.

"Justin, you and JC wait for me in the car" you told him. "I'll be right back."

You caught up with Lynn who was making her way to her car.  "I just wanted to
walk you to your car. It's getting kinda dark and I thought maybe you could use
an escort."

She looked at you and smiled "Why thank you Gary.  That was very thoughtful,
but I'm fine."

"Well, I wanted to talk to you" you said uneasily.

"Sure Gary, is something wrong?" she asked.

"Not really.  Its just that I know Justin has something important to talk to
you about when we get to your home and I just wanted to ask you to listen to
him and keep and open mind.  He loves you very much."

You could see the concern on Lynn's face.  "Is something wrong with my son?  Is
he in some kind of trouble."

"No ma'am" you said trying to reassure her "It's nothing like that.  Justin is
fine."

You could see the relief in her eyes. "Ok, then I'll keep what you said in
mind.  I'll see you boys at the house."

The 20 minute drive to the Harless home seemed to take hours and Justin's
nerves were not improving.

As you pulled into the driveway, you quickly leaned over and kissed his cheek.
"I love you."  Justin forced a smile and got out of the car.  Lynn pulled in
right behind you.

"Josh, could you and Gary bring in the bags.  Justin and I need a few minutes
to talk."

"Sure Lynn, no problem" JC said.  He knew what Justin was going to talk to him
mom about and was glad that he had a reason to excuse himself.

"Mom, Gary needs to be in on this conversation too" Justin informed her.  "Can
we go in the living room?"

"Of course, honey" she said in a worried tone. "Please just let me know what
this is all about?"

The three of you sat on the sofa in the Harless living room.  Justin sat in the
middle facing his mom and taking her hand in his.  He exhaled deeply before he
started.

"Mom there is something I need to tell you and there is no easy way.  I've put
it off for too long already, but until recently there was not real reason to
tell you.  Mom I'm gay."

You could see the color drain from Lynn's face.  "Justin, just because you are
experimenting with things doesn't mean your gay.  A lot of boys your age go
through phases like that."

"I'm not experimenting mom and it's not a phase.  Maybe when I was 14 or 15,
but not now.  I'm in love with Gary."

Anger was now taking over.  "Justin no your not!  That's crazy!  What about you
and Britney?"

Justin was trying his best to make his mom understand.  "Mom, there is nothing
between me and Britney.  She's a very good friend, but that's it.  She and I go
out just for appearances."

Lynn's voice was getting louder.  "So you're leading her on Justin!  How could
you do that to her?"

"It's not like that mom, I'd never do that.  She's known about me for years."

"For years?  Who else knows about this?" she asked angrily.

"Well, the guys, Johnny and Brit" he informed her.  "That's really about it."

"That's it!" she yelled.  "It seems that everyone knows about my son except me.
I never should have let you tour.  This never would have happened if you would
have stayed home!"

Tears were in Justin's eyes now. "Mom it has nothing to do with touring.  It's
just part of who I am.  Why can't you just be happy for me!  I love Gary!"

"Happy for you?  How can I be happy for you when you're ruining your life."
Lynn was on the verge of loosing control. She looked at you with anger in her
eyes. "You say you're in love, so are you guys having sex?"

"Mom!"  Tears were steaming down his face now.

It was time for you to step in.  "Ms. Harless, there are certain things that
are generally not up for discussion.  Under normal circumstances, this would be
the biggest one, but since I can understand how big of a shock this it to you,
I'm willing to answer that question only this once.  Yes, Justin and I have
made love to each other, but we didn't jump into it like you're probably
thinking.  We've been together for several months now.  We've shared a lot and
have grown very close to each other.  In the beginning of our relationship, we
decided to move some things as slow as possible and not do anything that we
were both were not ready for.  We didn't share that part of our relationship
until just recently, when we were both ready and on a day that we felt was the
most special day to express how much we loved each other.  Valentines Day is a
day neither Justin nor I will ever forget.  You need to understand that we
didn't rush into anything and we have done what we felt was right for us, and
no one else.  I hope you understand and will respect that after our
conversation, this topic is not one that I am leaving open for discussion."

Lynn said nothing for several seconds, but took Justin into her arms and held
him tightly, trying to comfort him.

"Justin, I love you honey.  I'm not going to pretend to understand or approve
of what is going on between you two, because I don't.  All I know is that you
are my son, and I love you unconditionally."

She looked at you with tears in her eyes.  "Gary, I like you as a person, but
I'm going to be honest and say that I do not approve of your relationship with
my son.  I pray you love my son as much as he obviously loves you, and if
that's the case you are welcome in my home.  I do need to make one thing
perfectly clear though, if I ever find out that you forced yourself on my son,
I will have you arrested on rape charges without batting an eye."

"Oh my god mom!" Justin yelled as he pulled away from Lynn, "how could you say
that?"

Her words stung like none you had ever felt and you could feel the tears
cascading down your cheeks, but you knew how much she loved her son.

"Ms. Harless, I love Justin more than anything in the world. I would never do
anything to hurt him.  Forcing yourself on someone is not part of a loving
relationship.  I never have and never will force myself on your son.  I hope
one day you will believe me."

She leaned over and kissed your cheek.  "I believe you."

Lynn looked at Justin and could see that the conversation was taking its toll
on him.

"Justin, I think we could all use something to drink.  How about you go in the
kitchen and take care of that for us?"

Justin was trying hard to keep his composure.  "Mom, I know what you're trying
to do, but I'm fine."

You could see it too. Justin needed a break. You took Justin's face in your
hands and leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. You promised him you
would back him 100%.  He had to know you were not backing down on that promise.
How Lynn felt right now was not important.  Justin was your only concern.

"I think your mom's right, we could all something to drink."  He started to
argue, but you put your fingers on his lips to silence him and nodded your head
in the direction of the kitchen. Reluctantly, Justin left for the kitchen
leaving you and Lynn alone.

"I have some tough questions." Lynn said after Justin was out of the room.  "I
don't think Justin needs to be here.  I know this has been very difficult for
him and I must admit I'm impressed with the support you have given him.  Being
here must make you very uncomfortable."

She had no idea how uncomfortable you really were.  "Yes, ma'am it's not easy,
but I gave Justin my word I would be here for him.  Whatever else you may think
of me, I'm a man of my word."  You exhaled deeply before you continued.  "You
said you had questions.  I'll do my best to answer them."

Lynn wasted no time.  "You say you love my son.  Did you love him enough to
have yourself tested before being intimate with him?"  Her directness caught
you by surprise, but at the same time it endeared her to you just a bit more.
She was a straight shooter and you appreciated that.

"Justin was my first, just as I was his" you explained  "There was no reason
for testing. Next question."  You had every intention of showing Lynn you would
not be intimidated.

She was obviously surprised at your answer.  "I apologize, I just assumed there
had been others."

"There hasn't been, and if I have anything to say about it, there won't be.  I
am totally committed to Justin. You had another question?"

"Yes, I do" she said.  "What about Justin's career?  Have you given any thought
of the impact your decision could have on it?  He's worked 19 years to get
where he is.  If the news of your relationship becomes public, he can kiss
*NSYNC good-bye.  The public will never accept it.  What happens to my son
then, and what happens to your relationship?  How supportive are you going to
be when he is just another guy and not Justin Timberlake of *NSYNC?"

You knew this issue would come up and you had tried to prepare yourself.  "Ms.
Harless, Justin's career is always a major concern to me, but not for the
reasons you're suggesting.  We are both very aware that our relationship cannot
be made public and we take precautions to ensure that it stays that way.  We
have total support of the other guys and they have made a difficult situation
much easier.  You need to understand that the only reason I care about *NSYNC
is that I know it's what makes Justin happy, but if it were gone tomorrow, I
wouldn't miss it.  I'm fully prepared and willing to support Justin if that
were to happen."

Lynn looked deeply into your eyes as if she were looking for any signs of
insincerity.

"You really love him, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am, I do" you said unequivocally.

"Then I guess I better get use to having you around.  It's obvious Justin cares
for you very much or he never would have put himself though this today."  She
moved closer to you on the couch and hugged you tightly.

Her voice was filled with anxiety.  "Gary, please don't hurt him."

You tried to reassure her.  "I won't Ms. Harless.  All I want to do is make him
happy"

As the two of you ended your embrace, you looked up to see Justin's huge smile
staring at both of you.

"I didn't expect to see this today!" he said with excitement.

He set down the tray he brought in from the kitchen and sat on him mom's lap
wrapping his arms around her neck.

"I love you mom," he said softly.

"I love you too, Justin" she answered, "but it appears that I'm not the only
one."

Justin turned to see you motioning him to join you.  He turned back and looked
at Lynn hoping for approval.  "Go on honey" she whispered.

Justin's eyes lit with excitement as he left his moms embrace and rushed into
your arms.  His body was trembling and you held him tightly trying to comfort
him. As you ran your fingers through his hair, you looked at Lynn.  Although a
single tear could be seen on her cheek, it was her smile that caught your eye,
and you realized just how deeply she loved her son.

She was indeed, a remarkable woman.  You knew today had to have been extremely
difficult for her, but now she had managed to put her own feelings aside for
the sake of her son.

Justin had moved from your lap and handed his mom the glass of wine he had
poured for her.  He smiled at her and said sheepishly, "I kinda thought a glass
of wine would be what you wanted about now."

A broad smile came over her face as she grabbed his hand and pulled him until
he lost his balance and fell on top of her.  She immediately started to tickle
him.

"Oh really," she said as she continued her assault, "Is that what you thought I
wanted?"

She was relentless as Justin begged for mercy and tried to catch his breath.
Finally, she quit as tears of laughter were running down his face.

"I got what I wanted," she said sweetly, "you're home!"  "Now why don't you
guys get settled in and I start something for dinner.  What sounds good?"

JC had heard the commotion and joined the three of you in the living room.  He
was pleasantly surprised to see that all was well.  He was very close to Lynn,
and of course Justin, and was afraid that the news of your relationship with
her son, would put a wedge between the two of them.  He had underestimated
Lynn.

"Did someone mention dinner?" he asked.

He amazed you. Food was a driving force in his life.  You couldn't count how
many times during the last tour he had talked you into a trip to some fast food
joint for a midnight snack, but he was a great guy and you hadn't minded.  He
had been very supportive of Justin over the years.  Having been with him on the
Mickey Mouse Club, JC was the first one Justin had told and their friendship
had never wavered.

Justin was ready for a real meal too. "Mom, you know what really sounds good?
How about us grilling some steaks?"

Lynn nodded in agreement.  "That sounds great, as long as you guys handle the
grill.  I'll take care of the rest of it."

"I think we can take care of that." you assured her.

"Ok then, let me run to the store and pick up a few things." Lynn said.
"Anybody need anything?"

JC looked at you and Justin and winked.  "Lynn, I need a couple of things.  Do
you mind if I tag along?"

"Not at all Josh," she answered, "it will give us a chance to get caught up."

JC grabbed the car keys and headed out the door after Lynn.  He looked at the
two of you and smiled. "Enjoy!  I'll stall her as long as I can."

Justin immediately took you by the hand and led you to his bedroom.  He threw
his bags on one of the two beds and turned to you with a devilish grin that let
you know exactly what he had on his mind.

"So, I guess this one is mine?" you asked casually as you set your bags on the
bed.

He laughed, "For now it can be, but when we go to bed you're sleeping with me."

"Hhmmm, we can discuss that later," you remarked, "so why the big grin?"

He pushed you back on the bed, his legs straddling your waist.  "Cuz, I'm about
to make love to you" he whispered as he started to kiss you neck.

"Justin," you reminded him, "your mom went to the store.  She won't be gone
long."

"So we better hurry then, don't you think" he said playfully while he undid
your belt.

You chuckled, "and you wonder why they call you "rabbit".

Justin's face immediately turned to disappointment and he crawled off of you
and sat on the edge of the bed staring at the floor.

You sat up and joined him.  You took your hand and turned his head to that you
could see his face and noticed tears forming in his eyes.

"Justin, talk to me" you said with concern.  "What's up?"

His voice made it obvious that he was upset.  "Gary, you made it sound like I
was just trying to have some quick sex and that's not it at all.  I'd rather
take it slow and really enjoy it too, but we don't have a lot of time, and…."
His voice was cracking, "…and I really need you right now."

You had never meant to hurt his feelings.  Apparently, the day's earlier events
were still weighing heavy on his mind.  You lay back on the bed and pulled him
on top of you kissing him passionately.  "I'm all yours, Justin."

"Are you sure?" he asked softly.

You unzipped his pants and lowered them over his hips.  "Does that answer your
question?"

Your time alone was much shorter than both of you would have liked.  Things
seemed rushed, but you knew that no matter how rushed they were, Justin needed
those few minutes of intimacy.  Justin still lay exhausted in your arms as a
car could be heard pulling into the driveway.

"Shit, my mom's home!" Justin said as he scrambled to find his clothes.

"Relax, Justin," you said trying to reassure him.  "I'll help your mom with the
groceries.  You start the grill."  You kissed him quickly on the lips and said
"I love you" as you left the room still pulling your shirt over your head.

As you reached the driveway you shot a quick glance at JC and mouthed `Thank
you' and then helped him and Lynn with the groceries in her trunk.

"Looks like you bought out the store Ms. Harless" you commented as you
continued to unloading bag after bag.

Lynn snickered "I know how much you boys can eat, so I figured I better stock
up, and please, call me Lynn."

Her warmth brought a smile to you face.

"So how come my son is not out here helping?  He's not in there playing video
games is he?"

`If she only knew' you thought. "No, he's out back starting the grill.

"Oh good" she replied.  "I know you boys must be getting hungry.  I think you
spent more time talking than eating at lunch."

As you finished carrying in the last of the bags, Justin joined you in the
kitchen and started digging through the bags obviously searching for something.

"Mom, did you get some chips?  I could go for a snack while the steaks are
cooking."

"If you want a snack young man, there's some fruit in there" she scolded.  "You
know how I feel about you eating all that junk food."

He rolled his eyes at her comments and it was very clear that Lynn was not
amused.

"Justin Randall, I better not see that again!  Do you understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am" he said apologetically and hurriedly made an attempt to change the
subject. "Do you think we have time for a short swim before dinner?"

"Sure, I think you'll have plenty of time.  I know it will take a while for the
grill to heat.  You boys enjoy yourselves."

The rest of the evening was one of the most relaxing you and Justin had spent
together since you had met.  Justin had grilled the steaks to perfection and
along with the steamed vegetables and dinner rolls that Lynn had prepared the
meal had been excellent.  You and JC loaded the dishwasher and then joined Lynn
and Justin in the living room.

"Justin, how about we watch that tape of the new choreography Darren sent for
us.  I got a couple of things I wanted to talk to you about."

"I was thinking the same thing" Justin agreed.  "Gary, you don't mind, do you?"

"No, not at all. You guys go ahead.  I've got some stuff to work on anyway.
I'll just get my laptop."

You went to Justin's bedroom and got your laptop and the notes Johnny had given
you regarding the upcoming tour.  You were glad Justin would be occupied for a
while. This would be the perfect opportunity to get started on what appeared to
be a 6 month project that you had just 2 short months to complete.  You grabbed
the pillow and blanket off of Justin's bed and headed back to the living room.

A wide grin covered Justin's face. "Perfect" he said as you sat on the sofa.
Before you could say anything he had fluffed the pillow and positioned it
carefully on your lap.

"Excuse me, but where is my laptop supposed to go?" you asked.  "I was gonna
get some work done, remember?"

He knew exactly how to get to you.  It was the eyes, the big, crystal blue
eyes.  He stared right at you and pleaded.

"Pleeease. You can work all day tomorrow if you want.  I won't bug you at all,
I promise."

You shook your head and pretended to look disgusted.  "You're pathetic!"

The trademark smile immediately returned when he knew he had won. "I know," he
said as he kicked off his shoes and placed his head on your lap.

You could have easily predicted the outcome.  Justin could never put his head
on a pillow and last more than half an hour and you knew tonight would be no
exception.  You ran your fingers lightly over his back and 20 minutes into the
tape he and JC were sleeping soundly.  Looking down at him, you noticed the
stitches still over his left eye.

"Lynn, Mark said these stitches should stay in for about a week and then they
could come out.  Does Justin have a doctor here in Orlando?"

"Well, not exactly" she said in an embarrassed tone.  "He's got a pediatrician.
He's never home, and rarely gets sick, so he really hasn't needed one.   When
he got his shots to go overseas, Transcon took care of it."

"Oh, he's gonna love sitting in a pediatrician's waiting room" you laughed.

Lynn chuckled too, envisioning the scene.

"You know, he and Chris really need to take it easy when they rough house" she
said.  "One of these days someone is really gonna get hurt."

"Pardon me?"  you asked, not sure of what Lynn was referring to.

"Justin told me he and Chris were wrestling and he cut his head on a table. Is
that not what happened?"

"Not exactly" you informed her.  "How about I get him to bed and then you and I
can talk."

"That would be great, Gary" she said pleasantly, "but I hate to wake him up."

"He won't wake up" you assured her.  "Just pull back his covers."

You carefully carried your sleeping lover into his room and gently placed him
in his bed.  He stirred only slightly as you covered him and kissed him on the
cheek.  Kissing him goodnight had become so routine that you totally forgot
Lynn was in the room.

"I'm sorry Lynn" you said sincerely "I wasn't thinking."

"It's Ok" she said in a comforting tone "That was very sweet.  It'll just take
some getting used to."

The two of you walked out of the room, closing the door behind you as you left.

"I'm going to heat some water for tea, would you like something?" Lynn asked.

"I'd really like some coffee" you let her know  "I need to get some work done
and I never get any done while he is awake.

"That's because you spoil him."  Her voice had the tone of a reprimand.  "He's
way to heavy for you to be carrying him.  He could have walked."

"Yeah, but I'm use to it.  He never falls asleep in his bunk. I always end up
putting him to bed."

She shook her head smiling. "Let me get you some coffee and then we can discuss
how he really got that cut."

While Lynn went to the kitchen, you managed to get JC alert enough to head
towards his room and get him into bed.  When you returned, Lynn was waiting,
sipping casually on her tea.

"So let's hear it.  How did he get hurt?" she asked.

"Lynn, I'm sure he didn't tell you because he didn't want you to worry" you
explained.  "Don't be mad at him"

"Do I have a reason to worry?' she asked cautiously.

"Not really. He just tends to push himself too hard sometimes.  That's how he
got the cut.  It was after a concert. He was exhausted and just passed out.
When he fell, he hit his head on a glass coffee table.  I'm just glad Mark was
there.  He was great."

"Is that the doctor that is going to be joining you on the tour?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think he is going to be a big help.  He's gonna work with the guys a
lot and from what Johnny says, he can even impose curfews so I imagine the
"clubbin" will be limited.

"Well, I'm grateful Justin is too young for that.  I really don't approve."

You said nothing to confirm or deny her statement, but sipped slowly on your
coffee hoping the issue would drop.  It didn't.

"Justin doesn't try to get into those places, does he?" she asked with concern.

You exhaled deeply and said nothing, but Lynn understood all too clearly and
you could tell she was becoming irritated.

"How does he get in?" she asked angrily.  "He's only 19!"

"Lynn, he's Justin Timberlake" you reminded her.  "Trust me, no one asks for an
ID."

"Does he drink?" she demanded to know.  "And I pray that you say no, or else he
is in more trouble than he has ever seen."

"Lynn, I don't approve of him drinking at clubs either, but that's not the
case. He's only overdid it once that I know of and trust me, he paid for it.
He's in a world of adults, sometimes he just needs to be reminded that he's
only 19."

"Gary, I don't like what I'm hearing" she said in a loud voice.  "Drinking at
his age is nothing but trouble."

"I totally agree with you Lynn" you reminded her.  "Justin and I have talked
about it and he understands what he did was wrong.  Please don't mention it to
him. Can't we keep this between the two of us for now?"

"You boys have hit me with a lot today, but through it all I have admired your
maturity and your obvious love for my son.  If you say you have taken care of
it, then I'm willing to let it drop."

With that, she leaned over and gave you a brief, but gentle hug.  "I'm going to
bed.  It's been a long day and you should think about getting some sleep too."

"Thanks Lynn, but I have got to make some headway on this mess. I won't be up
long."

After Lynn had left you buried yourself in your work.  When you next looked at
the clock, it was 3:30 am and your eyes were burning.  You quickly finished one
last task and then headed to your room to join Justin.

The only light in the room was the moonlight peering in from behind the blinds.
Somehow Justin had managed to position himself so that it illuminated his face
and golden curls.  He always looked so peaceful when he was sleeping but the
room's moonlit glow had given him an angelic look.  You could not resist
leaning down and kissing him lightly on the head.

"Gary?" he asked softly.

"Yeah babe, its me" you whispered  "Just go back to sleep.  I didn't mean to
wake you."

"What time is it?" he asked groggily.  "Have I been asleep long?"

You sat on his bed and ran the back of you hand across his cheek.  "It's about
3:30.  You and JC feel asleep at about 10:00."

He sat up in bed rubbing his eyes.  "So, where have you been?  Did you go out?"

"Of course I didn't go out" you let him know.  "Where would I go without you?
I was talking to your mom and then after she went to bed I got some work done."

You finished undressing and pulled back the covers on your bed.

"What are you doing?" Justin asked with an air of panic in his voice. You sat
on the edge of his bed and kissed his soft lips.  "I'm going to sleep" you said
as you ran your fingers through his curls.  "Now lay back down and do the same
thing.  It's late."

"No Gary, I want you to sleep with me.  I'm not use to sleeping alone."

"Justin, we're in your mom's home" you reminded him. "I don't think it would be
right."

"We won't do anything" he promised.  "I just want you to hold me."

As usual, Justin had been very convincing.  "Sure, but no monkey business,
right?"

"You have my word" he said quietly "I just want us to be together, where we
belong."

You crawled in bed next to him and he immediately wrapped his arm across your
chest and snuggled close.

"Ah, this is much better" he said contentedly.

You had just about drifted off to sleep when Justin whispered in your ear.
"Gary, I can't sleep.  Will you sing to me?"

You rubbed your hands though your hair and took a deep breath, trying to bring
yourself back to consciousness.  You cradled his head on your shoulder and
began to sing softly.

When the visions around you Bring tears to you eyes And all that surrounds you
Are secrets and lies

I'll be your strength I'll give you hope Keeping your faith when it's gone The one
you should call Was standing here all along

And I will take You in my arms And hold you right Where you belong

Till the day my life is through This I promise you

There was no need for a second verse.  Justin was sleeping soundly once again.
You kissed him one last time and drifted off to sleep.


Will Be Continued...