Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 03:19:20 -0800 (PST)
From: Clive <bigc79_uk@yahoo.com>
Subject: Grand Encounter 5

Thanks:-
I thought I would start off by apologizing to you all for the amount of time
that it has taken for these parts of the story to come out. Unfortunately my
computers all crashed and I have had to build me a new one :) so now all is
working. Ooh and before I forget thanks for all the help that I have had from my
good friend Yuli a.k.a. Busta she has been a real, real big help on this story.
Finally I would appreciate any comments (good or bad) to:
bigc79_uk@yahoo.com
Thanks and hope you enjoy the story :)

Disclaimer:-
This story is fiction and does not imply anything about the group NSYNC or any
other person involved in full or in part. If you are under the legal age to read
such material in your area please leave immediately. The author takes no
responsibility for anyone's actions based upon this work of fiction.

GRAND ENCOUNTER

Chapter Five:

As Clive stood to his feet, smiling broadly, to go and meet his friend he could
see a change come over Justin. Justin turned around and faced Peter before a
single tear began to form in one corner of his eye. Both Peter and Justin stood
still, almost as if frozen in time. And before anyone in the room could
hypothesize why the two of them were deep in concentration over one another,
Justin swung his cast arm into the side of Peter causing the older man to move
sideways or to be hit. Peter sidestepped Justin's swing and turned his head
towards Clive in a questioning tone before his face to took a change of its own
showing pain and confusion over why Justin was reacting in the manner that he
was.

Justin stormed past Peter back along the corridor and headed straight for the
lift at the end, within  seconds of arriving he had pressed the silver disk
summoning the elevator and was immediately met with a low shrieking ping and the
swift response of the silver doors ahead of him. He stepped through the silver
doors and pounded on the button labelled ground, not caring about the low voice
yelling down the hall, not caring about anything other than the pain in his
heart.

"JUUSSTIN!" Peter yelled from the now open doorway facing towards the far end of
the corridor. He yelled, he called and he now stood fast with paling complexion
and tear filled eyes as Justin robed him the chance to explain himself.

"What's all that 'bout?" Joey said lifting his head in a pointing action towards
the open door ways where Peter stood.

"Dun no" was all that Chris replied slightly shrugging his shoulders and at the
same time looking towards Clive to gage his reaction. After all, he seemed to
know the man standing at their doorway even though he hadn't been introduced.
And Justin obviously seemed to have had met him.

Clive gingerly stepped up to Peter's side and rested his hand upon his friends
right shoulder and started to pull him around to partly face him. But Peter
refused to be moved...seemingly transfixed upon the far end of the corridor
where the elevators were located. Noticing his reluctance, Clive turned to JC
and mouthed the words "Can we use your room?"

JC just nodded and leaned forward to the table, picked up the key card and
tossed it towards Clive's direction. Outstretching his right arm Clive caught
the thin card and placed it into his jacket pocket before almost unnoticeably
winking his right eye at JC, but JC noticed it, he beamed and blushed at Clive's
silly attention.

"Pete... Pete... we need to talk! NOW" Clive said sternly at Peter who only made
a sign of acknowledgment on the final command that he was given.

He slowly turned his head towards the crowded room, but only his face was
visible to Clive. It was only then did Clive saw the full emotions that was
displayed to the world upon Peter's once illuminated face.
Behind the once vibrant eyes now held nothing but despair and pain. And Clive's
heart ache out to his friend's hurt.

Clive just leaned in closer to Peter and whispered quietly to his closest friend
"Pete, hun I am so sorry... lets go talk. O.K?" This time it wasn't a command
that was being placed in front of Peter instead it was pure and unhampered
concern with a questioning tone that showed that Clive didn't want to push him
but knew that they needed to talk.

Peter didn't respond verbally, but instead hung his body and pulled his shoulder
in the fashion that he always did when he was willing to do what Clive
requested.

"Pete and me here are just going to have a chat. We'll be back in a min. ok?"
these wasn't directed to anyone in particular but it was evident to the three
people in the room that JC had taken it was a one on one conversation with him
and Clive. Thus they watches him smile back at Clive and gave a silent nod of
agreement. Nobody said a word about this gesture but Lance (being Lance) made a
mental note to 'have a little talk' with JC later.

Clive turned to face Pete and slightly nodded his head towards the hall way, as
soon as the two tall man were out of the room and the door clicked shut a volley
of questions could be heard bombarding around behind the thick hallway door.


*********************************************************************
Outside leaving the lobby...
*********************************************************************


Justin just kept walking ignoring every thing around him, all the smells and
sights that were in his way...
soon his eyes were misted and aching so much that he couldn't even keep them
open. But determined not to stop and to carry on he moved forward blindly
stumbling until...

"Watch what ya doing prick!" a small man only just visible blared at Justin.
Justin, barely avoiding from walking straight into the man, thought that it was
a better idea not to say anything back. Instead, he kept on moving towards the
corner of the street, not knowing where he was going.

"I can't believe I let him use me, I trusted him... I think I trusted him, I
mean I have only known him an hour or so, but he seemed so caring and, oh my god
what have I done" Justin quietly mumbled under his breath as he carried on
walking along the now crowed street. It was as if he only had one thing on his
mind and was totally indifferent to all his surroundings, in fact the young
youth didn't have any idea where he was or where he was heading. All he could
think about was why, oh why had he let himself be used... no, not used,
abused...

Justin just kept on walking and walking for hours moving past people of all
types and class, sauntering past well lavished and decorated department stores
but not once did he move his head up from the pavement (maybe that is why nobody
had notice him... yet).


*********************************************************************
Meanwhile up in JC's room...
*********************************************************************


Clive entered JC's familiar room, looking around and only now noticing how the
room hadn't changed since he had last been in there only the day before. Every
thing was in its place and the room looked as if it hadn't even been lived in,
unlike Joey's! All this only took a moment to sink in and it was then that he
remembered why he had returned to this room and was taken aback when he noticed
Peter studying his face.

"Hey Clive are you alright?" Peter lifted his right eyebrow and motioning
towards the bedroom with his head whilst forcing a small chuckle. But all the
time he was caught up in thought over his Justin. Why had Justin stormed out on
him... he just couldn't comprehend why, why had Justin abandoned him.

Looking pale faced but begging to regain colour in his cheeks (even though they
were turning red) Clive retorted back, "WE know that we DIDN'T come here to talk
about ME...." A long silence hit the room before he continued, "Are you going to
tell me about your escapade in Joey's room or do I have to tickle you to death?"
the question ended with a large grin and a mischievous twinkle in Clive's eyes.

"Shit no... you ain't getting me to talk that way, I'll talk." Replied Peter as
he held both his hands up in defeat. Both men started to laugh as they recalled
times when they had wrestled each other and almost inevitably Clive would win
and end up pinning Pete to the floor and tickle him until Clive got his way.

"So spill..." was all the taller and more powerful friend said as he leaned back
and popped his spine sending a wave of cracks through the room.

Peter began to describe the afternoons events to Clive (but not in detail, just
the how where and when's) before coming to a realization himself of why Justin
had reacted in the manner that he had...

"Oh god... Oh god..." was all Peter kept saying over and over again nothing more
than this simple phrase.

"I don't think that's how we learnt to pray Pete!" Clive said toward his friend
with a hint of sincerity and an underlying tone of sarcasm...

"I got to go find him Clive, I made a real big mistake. I told Justin earlier
that I had had a crush on you...
and I think that when he saw how we said hi to each other he must have thought
that we were an item. Shit... shit..." again Peter began to repeat him self but
his voice gradually getting quieter and quieter.

"Well I don't see how he can think that, I mean he may know that you are gay but
he doesn't know that I am." Clive logically pointed out and at the same time
placed his hand onto Pete's right shoulder trying to calm his friend down.

"That's not exactly true..." was all the smaller framed friend said now letting
his body go limp and expecting an outburst from Clive to take over the (in his
opinion) stale and un-naturally eerie atmosphere of the room.

"You told him about me." Clive said calmly as he removed his hand from Peter's
shoulder. He wore the mask of gentleness perfectly, not showing any signs of the
irritation he's feeling inside him, knowing that it wouldn't help the situation
to have an 'outburst' as Peter called them. After all, he had dragged his friend
here to 'help' him in his situation, 'the rest can wait,' he thought, recalling
that revenge is sweet always.

Peter pulled back his shoulders and looked Clive in the eyes before speaking
quietly, "I'm really sorry Clive, I didn't know at the time that he knew you...
no I lie... I wasn't sure if he knew you. I really am sorry." As he ended his
apology, to his friend a tear appeared in the far corner of his left eye. But as
soon as Peter felt it forming he drew his eyes closed, waited and opened them
again leaving no sign of the tear that would have inevitably dropped if he had
left it to do so.

"You know me by now hun, I am pissed at you but that ain't going to sort your
problem out with Justin so I am going to let it drop. For the moment, I suggest
we just forget about it and try to get your man back, 'K'?" Clive said with a
tone of authority and an ease to his voice whilst at the same time replacing his
hand back onto Pete's shoulder where it had been a minute ago.


*********************************************************************
Out on the streets back with Justin...
*********************************************************************


BLEEP... BLEEP... BLEEP... BLEEP...

Justin placed his hand into his Jacket pocket and pulled out his mobile phone,
he never left it anywhere and verybody that knew him also knew that. Looking
down at the display it read that he had one new text message, Justin pondered
for a moment or two looking at the display contemplating whether or not to read
the message and eventually decided to leave it and look at it later. Slowly he
placed the phone back into his pocket and moved on, along the street just
following the crowd. But by now it had started to close in and the air was
getting cold and damp. Justin looked up at his surrounding for the first time in
nearly 3 hours and noticed that even thought there was still a fair amount of
people on the streets there wasn't near as many as when he had left the hotel.
Not only that but it dawned on Justin that he didn't know where he was...
looking around he couldn't see anything that he recognised at all... until he
came around a corner and there with the lights starting to be turned on was a
large illuminating sign... "THE CLAPHAM GRAND"

"OH GRREAT!...Just my luck to be back here." He thought ironically at the way
life love to play with him. He allowed himself to move forward to the front
door, looking at the font elevation. He noticed a plaque on the side of the main
door and started to idyll read it. Then his eyes gazed up to met with the
picture of Clive, showing himself off as the manager of this fine establishment!

"Hey stranger..." a smooth young male voice came from behind Justin.

Justin didn't pay much attention not thinking that the words were even aimed at
him, so he just kept staring at the picture in front of him...

"Earth to Justin... earth to Justin..." the voice said again, this time getting
his attention Justin snapped his head round in a surprised state.

"You scared the shit out of me" was all Justin said before he realised who he
was talking with..."Clive... what are you doing here?" Justin snapped back at
the older (and at the present time) more presentable man who had been standing
behind him.

"I think I should be the one asking you that question! After all I do run this
place and if you must know I am here to work... but I got to say I wasn't
expecting a heart throb to be standing outside my little place" Clive added a
small quiet laugh to the end of his statement to try to alleviate the noticeable
hostility that Justin was showing towards him. " I tell you what Just...come on
inside I think that you and me need to talk about a certain something,"

"Don't you mean a certain someone!" Justin said this time not taking the
aggressive attitude he had shown a minute ago but tilting his head down to the
ground and sighing at he shook his head at the thought of 'that' certain
someone.

"Whatever, lets just talk about 'it'" Clive emphasized the last word as he
motioned with his right hand toward the main door. Turning on his heals and
heading towards the door Clive removed a large cumbersome set of keys from his
right hand pocket and started to unlock the door. He moved inside without
waiting to hear a reply from Justin, he knew that if they stayed out there and
talked much longer eventually Justin's refusal to listen would make Clive mad so
he decided to at least prepare himself in a comfortable familiar environment.


*********************************************************************
At the same time in the hotel...
*********************************************************************


Lance decided that now was as good a time as any to have a talk with JC, after
all Clive had headed off to work for the evening and his friend, who turned out
to have had gone to school with Clive had headed off at the same time. Lance had
waited until both him and JC were alone and it didn't take long because both
Joey and Chris to decide that it had been far too long since their last meal all
5 hours ago so they had headed off to one of the restaurants near by on their
own. So now that Lance and JC were the only two on their floor he decided that
it was time for him to bring up the 'issue' over Clive that he, (and obviously
so had every one else) witnessed earlier, just after Justin stormed out. As
Lance thought about this his thoughts processes moved over to why Justin had
flown off the handle and where he was at that moment.

All of the guys had decided that it was best to leave Justin to his own devices
but Lance knew something that the others didn't and he sort of figured that he
was upset at the thought of not being able to have Clive. Maybe Peter was the
problem and Justin felt that Pete would be getting in his way of something
happening between him and Clive... but at the moment all this was just him
guessing and he didn't actually have anything to back this up with so he left
well alone for the moment. After this brief side track of thought
over Justin, Lance remember who he had to talk to and made his way out of his
room down the corridor to JC's room.

Lance knocked lightly on JC's door and before he could knock a second time JC
pulled open the heavy wooden object and was met with a startled Lance...

"Where you off to?" Lance questioned JC as he noticed JC had on one of his
better looking getups on...

"ermmm, yeah I was just... I was just heading over to that club that we were at
the other night." JC stammered out, obviously surprised to see Lance in front of
him. It wasn't like he was trying to lie to him or deceive him by going out with
out him, it is just that he didn't really feel like explaining why he was
heading over there on his own.

"Oh... Ok... but before you go Josh I need to talk to you." JC knew that he
couldn't back away from Lance's questions especially when he called him and the
others by their real names and not their nicknames.

"You want to talk in yours or my room Lance?" JC questioned, wanting to know
where Lance was heading with *his* questions...

"Might as well use your since were here!" he pointed out moving past JC and not
even waiting to be invited in.

"'K' so what you want to talk to me about Lance?" JC still hadn't got any more
information of Lance to why he was intent on speaking to him now of all times
and so needless to say was getting slightly... intrigued to what Lance was up
to.

"What's up with you and him?" was all Lance said now facing JC and sitting down
on the recliner.

"'cuse me? What you talking about" JC thought that he was insinuating something
was going on between him and Clive but didn't want to give Lance any information
on it if it wasn't what he was asking about.

"I was wondering what you and Clive are up to... you seem to be friendly, or at
least it looks like you want something from him. I am just going to ask you this
straight off the cuff Josh... Are you gay?"

The look on the two men's eyes couldn't have been any more different, Lance's
eyes were quizzical whereas
JC's eyes were full of shock and looked like a scared child's eyes might.

"I... I..." JC couldn't force himself to either deny or acknowledge what Lance
had just said.

"Then I take that as a yes", Lance said out loud please with himself that he had
outed (not to others but to himself) two of his friends in the same amount of
time.

"Lance I'm sorry... I don't know what to say. I guess I want to know how you
knew" JC said with a small tear in his eye looking up to meet the gaze of one of
his best friends.

"Firstly Josh don't be stupid and go apologizing, I only figured it out today
and I should be the one apologizing for not noticing it earlier. Secondly I
guess the way that you were drooling over Clive sort of gave it away" Lance
couldn't help but laugh to himself as he said this, and was relieved to hear JC
take a deep intake of breath and then the beginning of a smile appeared. "I got
to know something though JC... just promises you that you won't go and mess up
what chance you have of being a friend with him by telling him that you are gay.
I don't want you to be upset when you find out that he isn't that way inclined"
Lances face was dead serious but JC's was a contrast to his friends as his smile
grew even wider.

"I promises that I won't spoil what chance I have of us being friends by telling
him that I like him more that most 'normal' people!" JC's smile continued to get
wider and wider.

"Now that is cleared up...how's about us going out together, cos' I wouldn't
want my little gay friend getting chatted up all on his own with nobody to help
keep score!" Lance now joined JC's smile as he shook his head and stood up
slowly to go and hug JC.

"Deal! ... just make sure you don't look as good as I do, after all I don't want
more people to hit on you than on me" both men started to laugh hard as the two
of them headed over to Lance's room so that Lance could get ready to go out.


TBC

:)

What is going to happen between Clive and Justin... well to find out if they
patch things up check out the next part, coming out soon :)

My ICQ is now working so you can either contact me by way of it or through
email...

Mail me with any comments to bigc79_uk@yahoo.com
ICQ# 56762367