Author's Chapter Notes:

He folded one arm behind his head and watched her for a moment.. "Did you mean what you said last night?" he asked finally.

 

It was 10:20PM.


Casey's set that night had gone great. The issues she had been having with the changed dance steps were gone by the time she stepped out on stage. As always, her adrenaline kicked in and everything went smoothly. Her dancers were on point, and the crowd's response had been fantastic. With the dynamic team she had supporting her, it pushed her to give 110 percent every time. When the music began, everything but the show left her head-everything including JC.


But once she left the stage and was heading back to the dressing room, he caught up with her.


 


"Hey, you were awesome tonight!" JC smiles.


Casey grins back, still high on pure adrenaline. "Thanks. The energy out there is insane!"


"Are you sticking around?"


Most nights she and her dancers hang around to watch *NSYNC's show, but her exhaustion from the previous night has kicked in and she plans on going back to the hotel. She tells him so and he nods.


"I should be back in my room around 10:30; will you meet me there? I'm in four-thirty-six."


Her stomach somersaults, but she finds herself agreeing. "Yeah, sure." She smiles. "OK. Four-thirty-six. 10:30. I'll be there."


 


She was ten minutes out from meeting him and suddenly began to think that maybe being alone with him in his room wasn't such a good idea. Although Jasmine wasn't in the room right then, she would come back at some point. Maybe, with the threat of her return, Casey's hotel room was safer.  Then again, maybe whatever JC had to say had nothing to do with sex. And even if it did, maybe one more time wasn't such a bad idea. And maybe she wouldn't mind...


She glanced at the clock again; it was now 10:28. She took a deep breath and checked her clothes in the mirror. She had dressed casually after her shower, opting for what was her typical post-show uniform. Her leggings were black and yellow, paired with a fitted black tank top, and as was her habit, matching black and yellow sneakers were on her feet. After the heavy makeup she donned onstage, her offstage look was natural, with her hair pulled into her ever present bun. In addition to the silver ring that always adorned her left thumb, there were tiny silver studs in her earlobes. She took a sip of water and noted that it was now 10:31. She took a deep breath, verified that her keycard was in her pocket and left the room.


 


***


 


JC had just thrown some clothes on after getting out of the shower. It was 10:35 and he was glad Casey was a little late; at least, he hoped she was just late and that she hadn't changed her mind about coming. He splashed a bit of cologne on and brushed his teeth. Just as he finished, he heard a knock at the door.


He opened it to see Casey standing there looking more than a little nervous.


"Hi." She twisted at her thumb ring and smiled up at him before glancing down at the floor.


He stepped back for me to enter the room. "Hey. You've got perfect timing."


His hair was wet and she was glad she hadn't come at 10:30 on the dot. He wore an indigo colored tee and matching track pants. The color of his clothing made his bright blue eyes sparkle brilliantly. He was gorgeous, and at that thought her mind flashed back to the previous evening.


Willing herself to stop staring at him, she walked further into the hotel room. "So how was the show tonight?"


He licked his lips, and she was pretty sure he was watching her butt as she walked in front of him. She turned abruptly and, judging by the color that came to his cheeks, knew she caught him.


"Ah, yeah. The show...it was, um, good." He cleared his throat and she smirked. He walked into the kitchenette area. "Do you want something to drink? I've got, " he opened the mini-bar nestled under the counter, "pretty much everything."


"I'm good, thanks," she said, stopping about two feet from him.


JC casually leaned back against the countertop. "You can come over here," he said. "I won't bite." His grin was mischievous.


Casey smiled in spite of herself. "I distinctly remember teeth last night, so, um, I don't think I believe you." She took his suggestion, though, and sat down on the love seat that was directly in front of him. Crossing her legs underneath her, chin resting in her hand, she gazed at him expectantly. "So, what now, JC? You said you had some things you wanted to say."


He licked his lips and stared at her. He asked her to come by to talk with no ulterior motives. He wanted to talk about Orlando, and explain why, afterward, he acted the way he had. But now that they were alone and she was a mere inches from him, all he could think about was how her skin felt beneath his fingers. It was insane, really. For weeks he had done nothing but basically avoid her, and now, all he wanted was more of what he'd had the night before.


He came and sat next to her on the couch, placing his hand on her knee. He took a deep breath. "I want to kiss you again. And that's as far as I know right now."


 


***


 


"I'm out." Jasmine tossed her cards down. She yawned and eased her fingers through her hair, pulling through a few tangles. "I'm tired, too. I think I'm gonna turn in."


Chris, Justin, Lawrence and Jasmine had opted to play poker with some of the security team and crew, while Joey, Lance and Mike had gone out.


A buzz from her phone made Jasmine look down. She flipped it open to read the incoming text message and smirked.


Don't wait up. :-)


She typed a quick reply, not expecting a response. What happened to forgetting it ever happened? :-P


"What's so funny?" Lawrence asked, noticing her grin.


"Oh, um, nothing." She flipped her phone closed and straightened up.


Justin raised an eyebrow. "Who was that?"


"Casey." She smiled brightly.


"I'm out, too," he said, dropping his cards to the table. "Take a walk with me, Jazz." Without waiting for her answer, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up from the table.


"Dude, seriously?" Chris was obviously annoyed. "You can't just walk away from the game now."


"We'll be back," Justin replied with a backward glance.


Lawrence watched their retreating figures. "What's that all about?"


Chris shrugged. "Probably the fact that JC and Casey are conspicuously absent tonight, which is moderately interesting, if not expected, considering last night."


Lawrence regarded him suspiciously. "What do you mean 'considering last night?' What happened last night?"


Chris snorted. "The same thing that's probably happening right now." He glanced at his watch. "Or maybe it already happened; the show was over a couple of hours ago."


Lawrence's jaw dropped. "I can't believe she lied to us!" he exclaimed. Jasmine had met them back at the hot tub after talking to Casey, and told them she hadn't been able to get any information..


"We should've bet on when they'd finally hook up. Or maybe not. It actually took longer than I thought it would." Chris looked down at his cards. "Fuck it; I'm out, too."


"How'd you find out?" Lawrence asked, gathering up his chips. "JC tell you?"


Chris leaned back in his seat with his hands folded behind his head. "Nah, he told Justin and Justin, being the excellent keeper of secrets that he is, told us."


"So is it still a secret?"


"JC knows nothing stays secret on tour. Not to mention..." Chris shook his head and laughed. "It's not like anyone's surprised. Like I said, we should've been taking bets."


 


***


 


"What was that all about?" Jasmine demanded crossly, rubbing her arm where Justin had grabbed her. They were standing in the hallway outside of the meeting room they'd come out from.


"Sorry about that, but you know, don't you? About Casey and JC?" he asked, blue eyes sparkling mischievously.


Jasmine broke into a surprised grin. "JC told you?"


"Yeah, after soundcheck today. When'd Casey tell you?"


"Same time, after soundcheck. She was acting so weird and jumpy and just not quite there. And then Mike caught JC saying something to her backstage. We kind of joked about them maybe spending the night together, but I honestly didn't think they had." She laughed. "So, what'd JC say about it?"


Justin shrugged. "Just that it happened and that Casey wanted to forget it."


"Really? Because she made it seem like they mutually agreed to forget it."


He grunted. "Maybe JC agreed to it, but as of earlier today, he definitely did not want to. He's all for round two."


She seemed to consider that for a minute. "What do you think of them? Together I mean?"


He rolled his eyes. "I think they're both ridiculous and they deserve each other. They've been eyeing each other from afar this whole time."


"Seriously," Jasmine agreed. "I guess Tony kinda put on damper on things, though."


He shook his head. "I'm so glad that guy is gone, and not just ‘cause it means Casey and ‘C can hook up uninterrupted." He ran his fingers over the top of his blonde curls. "Is she OK from...all of that?"


"Your guess is as good as mine." She frowned. "She won't talk about it to anyone. Her mom wanted her to talk to like, a therapist or something. She says she's fine."


Justin nodded slowly and they were both quiet for a moment. "So, I kind of figured Lawrence and Mike don't know, huh?" he asked finally.


Jasmine shook her head. "No. Casey was all, ‘swear you won't tell them' but seriously, if everyone else knows I don't see why they can't know. And besides, now that she and JC are together again tonight, I'll be really surprised if this doesn't become a regular thing."


Justin smirked. "Knowing Casey, she'll try to rationalize it a few more times."


Jasmine was thoughtfully quite for a moment. "Justin, do you think...do you think it'll be more than a sex thing?"


"What do you mean?" he asked, brows knit together.


"Casey likes him. JC, I mean. No matter what she's said to the contrary, but after everything with Tony...I don't know. She's gotta figure that one out. But you've known JC for years so...what do you think?"


He shrugged and inhaled. "He likes her; I can guarantee that. What it'll mean long term? I don't know. JC's...he's hard to figure out sometimes. And they're both stubborn as hell. I guess it all depends on how honest they are--with themselves and each other."


Jasmine chewed her bottom lip for a moment. "Yeah. I guess we'll see what happens."


 


***


 


They were no longer on the couch, having left a trail of discarded clothing on the way to the bed. They were a tangle of arms and legs spread out across the king-sized piece of furniture. The blankets and sheets were twisted and hanging off the bed, and most of the pillows were on the floor.


"So much for talking." Casey sighed heavily. She ran her fingers through JC's hair as he kissed her collarbone.


"You were talking a moment ago," he mumbled into her skin. "Saying the same thing over and over, but--"


"Hush you!" She giggled, tugging his hair playfully.


He kissed her with a loud smack and rolled over to lay next to her. "I really did ask you to come up just to talk. I know it probably doesn't seem that way, but..."


She turned her head to look at him.


He folded one arm behind his head and watched her for a moment. "Did you mean what you said last night?"


"I said a lot last night," she replied evenly. He seemed to weigh something in his head before speaking again, and she waited quietly.


"We both said a lot last night. Including that we wouldn't do this again. And yet," he raised an eyebrow, "here we are. And I guess I just want to know if you meant it?"


Casey sat up to look him the eye. "I thought I did." She inhaled deeply. "You said something yesterday that's kind of been on my mind."


JC shook his head emphatically. "Casey, if you're talking about what I said before we...you know, I'm sorry and you don't have to--"


She touched his chest, effectively silencing him. "You mentioned Tony, and I'm just, uh--"


"Regardless of what I mentioned last night," he began, interrupting her, "I'm in no position to judge you for anything. And I don't, OK?"


She was contemplatively quiet for a moment. "Thank you for that. But I just want you to know," she stopped again and laughed nervously. "You mentioned the, uh, company, I keep and I just think you maybe have the wrong idea about me. I actually haven't...I haven't been with anyone since Tony. Until you, I mean." Her face burned and she kept her eyes in her lap, absently playing with the sheet there.  


JC's eyes slipped closed and he ran his hand across his face. He was, he decided, an asshole. It wasn't an issue really, who she was with after Tony. And he wasn't completely sure why he brought it up; he wasn't the sort of guy that judged a woman for doing the same things that he did. Knowing that there hadn't been anyone since Tony was oddly flattering, but it wouldn't have mattered one way or the other.


He sat up to move closer to her and raised her chin so he could look her in the eyes. "I'm sorry, Casey. For everything that I said and everything I implied. I don't even know why it came out. But this is between us. I don't care about anything before now."


Casey leaned over and kissed him lightly before pulling back. "Which brings me to my next question." She wiggled her eyebrows. "What is this, exactly? We kind of went from--"


"Zero to sixty in no time," he finished with a laugh.


She grinned. "Pretty much. Last night--and tonight, too, for that matter-- was--"


"Fucking fantastic," he interrupted again, his expression serious.


She sputtered. "Well, yeah, that. But that isn't what I was going to say.  I was going to say--"


"I don't regret it, Casey." He stared at her openly. "I know you said you wanted to act like it didn't happen, but...it did happen. And I like that happened and...I don't know."


She looked down at her fingers and smiled shyly.


"Hey, look at me." He touched her cheek. "I'm attracted to you, and in all honesty, I have been for a while."


She eyed him skeptically. "JC, you don't seem to like me very much. I mean, before last night. You ignore me half the time when I'm around, and the other half you grudgingly tolerate me."


"I-I don't..." He shook his head again. "That's not true. At all. I know how I've acted around you, but..." He sighed. "I just know that right now, this feels good, you know? This...whatever this is."


She nodded, seeming to consider his words.


"So...can we just...see what happens? Just explore it?"


"What are we exploring exactly? Sex or...?"


JC smirked. "Well, yeah. Definitely that."


Casey rolled her eyes with a grin and lightly hit his arm.  


"The way I figure it," he began, taking her hand, "We have quite a few weeks to make up for in terms of getting to know each other--and not just in the biblical sense."


"I'd like that. And, um, this is actually the perfect segue for the next thing." She wrinkled her nose and looked down.


He could see the mild discomfort on her face and he began to worry about what going to come next.


"We, uh, we've had sex twice now."


"Yeah..."


She squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Twice without a condom."


Realization dawned in his eyes and he nodded. "Yeah, that."


She looked up at him. "It's backwards as hell to have the conversation now, but I just--"


"I'm clean. I can show you the paperwork, if you want. I was last tested about a month ago, maybe a little less, and I'm typically very, uh, responsible." A slow smile spread across his face. "The last couple of nights have been, uh, something else.."


She heaved a sigh of relief. "I got tested right after...Tony...and I'm clean, too." She shivered. "And I trust you; you don't have to show me."


He nodded. "Same here. And you're on birth control, right? I mean, I assume that's what you meant last night."


"Yep. The shot, in my ass, every three months without fail."


"Sounds pleasant," he mumbled caustically, the mere thought of a needle enough to send a chill down his spine.


"Peace of mind is always pleasant." She took a deep breath and looked down at their still intertwined fingers. "So, um, that only leaves one more thing."


He raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"


"Everyone else. Namely, your band and my dancers." She stopped and looked at him guiltily.


"What is it?" he asked.


"I kind of already told Jasmine," she replied sheepishly. "But the fact is, there's no way we're going to be able to keep this a secret. Do we tell them or just..." She shrugged.


With a wicked grin, JC leaned over her, pushing her down. "Justin already knows, too, and if he hasn't already told the guys, when they see you leaving my room in the morning, they'll have an idea."


Casey pushed him back playfully. "Who said I was spending the night?"


"I did. Just now."


She laughed at his boldness.  "And what makes you think I want to?"


He moved up and kissed her mouth slowly, deeply. "Oh, I have a feeling I'll make it worth your while."


 


***


 


"I can't believe you held out on us!" Lawrence exclaimed as he and Jasmine took the elevator back up to their floor. "Why didn't you tell us?"


She grinned. "I couldn't, Lawrence! Casey swore me to secrecy. But that was also when she was saying that they weren't going to do it again. And we see how long that lasted."


"So what'd she say when she texted you?"


They reached his room first and hung outside the door for a moment.


"Just not to wait up. So I don't know if that means she's coming back to the room late or--"


"Not at all," he finished.


"I vote for not at all, but I guess we'll see. I'm tired; I'll see you guys in the morning." She began to walk down the hallway to her room.


"Hey, Jazz," Lawrence called after her.


"Yeah?" She turned back.


"If Casey comes back, text me. I want details."


She grinned and shook her head. "You really are worse than a teenaged girl. Goodnight!"


 


***


 


"So basically Jazz lied to us. And tonight, Casey's with JC again."


Mike rubbed at his closely cropped red hair. "So when I saw them backstage--"


"He was telling her he wanted to talk about last night," Lawrence finished.


"So how'd it happen? And what happened to her whole ‘I hate JC' routine?" Mike asked.


"Jazz says Casey didn't go into a lot of detail, although considering she lied about not knowing anything in the first place, I'm not sure I believe her. But apparently they got into an argument which somehow led to sex. Because, you know, that makes perfect sense."


Mike smirked. "It makes sense considering you could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife."


Lawrence laughed. "Seriously."


"So are they talking tonight or is everyone pretty sure they're..." Mike let the question hang.


Lawrence chuckled lightly. "Casey says they decided to let last night be a one-time thing, but...Jazz and Justin seemed convinced it won't be. I don't know."


"You know," Mike began slowly. "I mean, after everything with Tony, Casey's been doing a good job of pretending to hold everything together, but...I don't think she's really been OK."


Lawrence made a face. "That guy is such a piece of shit."


He nodded his agreement. "Definitely. And I think she needs something, or someone, to just kind of distract her from it. And I think she could do a lot worse than JC, you know? He seems...solid. She could use solid right now."


Lawrence turned the light out next to his bed. "I guess we'll find out tomorrow."


"Guess so," Mike agreed.


"Jazz did say that she'd be, I quote, ‘shocked' if Casey comes back tonight. I told her to text me if she does."


Mike laughed and turned his light out as well. "You gossip worse than they do, man."    



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