Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2000 20:01:04 EDT
From: DivaKitT@aol.com
Subject: Puppy Love and Paper Roses

    Disclaimer: This is dumb. If I knew *NSYNC, would I be here writing slash
fiction about them? No, I'd be hanging out with them flirting my brains out.
So, obviously I don't know them. They aren't gay and even if they were, I
wouldn't know it. This story is fiction. That means that it came out of my
deranged little mind. Please enjoy.

			 *           *           *

    Fold.
    Crease.
    Fold.
    Fold.
    Fold.
    Crease, crease.
    "What are you doing?"
    "Folding."
    "What are you folding?"
    "A flower."
    "Why?"
    "Because."
    "Because why?"
    "Because I want to."
    "Who's it for?"
    "Not telling."
    "Why not?"
    "Because."
    "Because why?"
    "Because it's a secret."
    "Oh . . . I can keep secrets."
    "No, you can't."
    "Yes, I can."
    "No, you can't. You never could."
    Justin sighed and walked away. Lance watched his friend for a moment
before turning back to his origami. Fold, crease, crease, pinch, crease.
Lance held up the rose, inspecting it for flaws. None. It was perfect. Lance
smiled to himself. He set the rose down and pulled out another sheet of the
small square paper. This piece was blue. He picked up his pen, tapping it on
his nose a few times before putting it to the page and writing. He quickly
scribbled down the words floating in his head and folded the page into
fourths, hiding the tender words.
    Lance stood up, pushing his chair backwards as he did so. He picked up
the paper flower and the note on blue paper. He stared at them a moment,
smiling to himself, he walked to the door of his room stopping at the dresser
for a moment. He peeked into the hallway carefully. He could hear a commotion
in the room across the hall: yelling and laughing, obviously, that's where
his friends were hanging out. He stepped out of his room, padding barefoot
down the hall to his destination. He opened the door without knocking. He
knew that the occupant wasn't there.
    Lance treaded across the slightly messy hotel room, over to the bedside
table. He set down the blue paper which contained his affectionate thoughts
and placed the red rose on top of it. He smiled down at the decoration
momentarily, then turned and walked out of the room, closing the door softly
behind him.

*           *           *

    Justin tumbled into his room a little after one in the morning. It wasn't
that late, but he was tired. He'd been watching a movie in Chris' room when
he started dozing. JC had told him to go back to his room and get to bed. So,
he did.
    Justin quickly changed for bed, throwing on a pair of basketball shorts
and an old white tee-shirt. He walked into the bathroom and brushed his teeth
lazily. He loved brushing his teeth. Yeah, it might be odd, but he liked
feeling clean. He liked the way the toothpaste made his breath smell good.
After a good two and a half minutes, Justin rinsed off his toothbrush and
rinsed out his mouth. He smiled at himself in the mirror before flipping off
the light and walking out to the main room. He hopped onto the bed, landing
face down on the plush pillows. He lay there for a moment, then opened his
eyes. The bedside lamp was still on. He reached out to turn it off and
noticed something sitting on the table. He picked up the items, a fond smile
forming on his soft lips, as he regarded them. He set the rose down on his
chest and unfolded the small piece of blue paper.
        The sun has fallen
        Another day gone without you
        My heart keeps calling
        And I don't know just what to do
        When you're near me
        I seem to forget my lonely days
        It's more than a feeling
        It's something that can't be explained
        I wish that I was there
        When you're not here
        I wish that I was there
        You were falling
        Now I'm coming 'round again
        I was calling
        Cause without you it's the end
        I just want to see you a little more
        I just want to dream of you some more
        I just want to see you a little more
        I just wanna be with you some more
        I wish that I was there
        When you're not here
        I wish that I was there
        And you make me feel
        Won't you take me when you're not here
        It's been raining here
        And I just want you to be near
        I wish that I was there
        When you're not here
        I wish that I was there . . .

                    ~JL

    Justin read the lyrics, a tender smile gracing his lips. He looked at the
rose. It was the same one that he had watched Lance fold earlier in the
afternoon. Justin vainly brought the flower to his nose, expecting to smell
nothing but the paper which had touched Lance's strong hands. So, he was
surprised, to say the least, when he inhaled the mild, exotic scent of
Lance's cologne. Justin giggled to himself. Lance was such a romantic. They
had never really done anything, but they sent these little notes back and
forth, lyrics and poems and anything else that made them think of each other.
    Justin hopped out of bed. He skittered out of his room, scampering
quietly down the hallway to Lance's room. He knocked lightly on the door in
front of him. He heard light footsteps approaching the door, and he could
barely contain his excitement. He hopped back and forth from one foot to the
other waiting for the door to open. As soon as it did, he threw his arms
around Lance's neck, hugging him tightly.
    "I think it's great! And it smells like you too!" Justin sighed happily.
He felt Lance's arms wrap around his waist. He pecked Lance on the cheek and
pulled away. "I'm going to bed now. Sweet dreams."
    Lance laughed as Justin dashed off down the hallway.
    "That's all I get?!" Lance called after him.
    Justin leaned out his doorway and blew Lance a kiss before disappearing
into his hotel room. Lance closed his own door chuckling to himself.