It was the morning of the show in Philly, and Deana was taking a shower. Justin grabbed his phone, thumbing through his contacts. 

Hey, have your girl available this weekend, an impromptu girls weekend. I’ll take care of the rest. 

Will do, she definitely needs one, the recipient replied. 

…

They were in the dressing room at the arena when Deana got a text. 

“John and Renee are here. I’ll meet them at the gate and let them in.”  Justin kissed her before she got up to leave. She walked away, an extra wide swing of her hips. 

“Mmm, I love to watch you walk away…” he growled. She laughed before winking at him and closing the door behind her. 

She met John and Renee at a side gate, getting them through the security team. They followed her back to his dressing room. 

“Have a seat on the couch, it’s super comfy,” Deana said. Justin got off the couch, letting Deana sit with her friends while he sat on the arm of the couch next to Deana. 

“Have you picked names yet?” Deana asked. 

“So don’t laugh, but their initials will be JT…” John said with a laugh. Justin smiled a little. 

“Jacob Tyler and Jordan Taylor,” Renee answered. 

“Why do I feel like you’re getting ideas?” Deana said, looking up at Justin. 

“Doesn’t hurt to be prepared…” he laughed. 

“We’re not even planning on anything until after February,” Deana replied. 

“I said what I said.”

She leaned close to him. “Do you know something I don’t?” she whispered. 

“No, just looking forward to that point in our lives.  The tour is almost over if you change your mind…” he smiled. 

“After the wedding,” she answered.  She looked at John and Renee.  “I'm the maid of honor for my brother and my best friend.”

“Do you need anything, Renee?  I can grab you water, get some food, whatever you need…”

“I’m good, thank you.  Maybe in a bit?”

“I’m surprised they were able to get extra stools available…” Deana said.

“For me, there is nothing off limits.  Well, I retract that.  When I told my team why I needed them, they were definitely on board.  We’re a family, and the arena was more than hospitable.  Our next place is SUPER great, super private.  I know it’s not really around anything else as far as big cities, but it’s one of the best arenas because of how they treat the clients using the facility.”

“What has been your favorite stop so far, Deana?” Renee asked.

“For me?  Well, different places for different reasons.  We have a little vacation in Vancouver around Valentine’s Day, it was nice to be in Southern California and stay at Justin’s house and get used to that area, meet some of his friends.”

“I’m sure that’s been an adjustment.  Who’s your favorite people you’ve met?” John asked.

“I’m still not done with cities, but I’m a full 5 for 5 of meeting *NSYNC.  16 year old me would never believe ANY of this…  35 year old me barely believes it.  Anyway, we saw my aunt and uncle in Phoenix, and now here seeing you guys.”  

They hung out in the dressing room for a while, getting food once Renee was hungry, then going out to the bar stools before the show.  Deana sat on the end, with Renee between her and John.  

“Deana, this, this is incredible,” John said.  “I mean, after everything you’ve dealt with the last 5 years, to have it all come to this?  It couldn’t happen to someone more deserving.  He clearly loves you SO much, and you deserve that after Morgan.”

“I agree, it’s incredible.  He’s done so much for me that I couldn’t even believe, supported me in finishing up school.  He easily could have been like ‘no, I got you, you don’t need to work’.  We’ve had that discussion of what I wanna do, timelines for things like marriage, kids, and how work would play into all of that.”

“That’s great, Deana.  You’re so lucky to have each other,” Renee said.

“Sometimes I can’t put into words what it’s been like.  Surreal, amazing, incredible, humbling, the list goes on.”

“I’m sure there are perks that come with everything,” John said.

“This, for one.  I get my choice of wherever I want to be, though after we went public this has been my spot.  We get free drinks, they know from Justin that whatever I want, I get.  Tonight, it’s extended to you guys as well, especially Renee.  For his birthday show in NYC, I was blown away by all of this.  I had no clue who he WAS at that point, so it seemed over the top at first.  Once everything was out in the open, it got easier to accept, being able to see him in his element on tour.  I know he’s gonna miss this in a few days.  Start a new normal, whatever that is.  I’ve been to some amazing places, incredible hotels, restaurants, but none of it matters without HIM.  He could be starting out and be staying in crappy hotels and it would still be exciting.  I’m getting comfortable in what he’s used to, but my favorite memories have been when it’s just us, everything else is kinda stripped away.  Watching Friends on the couch, eating Chinese food right out of the containers.”

Deana realized other people were listening in on their conversation.  “As a fan, he really is as amazing as we imagine.  As his girlfriend, it’s more than I ever dreamed of.”

One woman next to John spoke up.  “Sorry for listening in, but I follow you on Instagram.  You are so down to earth, you want to be with the other fans, you’re relatable.  You’re not stuck up, letting his fame get to your head and making you better than anyone.  After hearing you talk, I admire you more for not just dropping out of school once you started dating, using him for his money and stuff.  I’m sure it’s nice at times, but that you’re happy in those quiet moments, too, speaks volumes.  Sorry, just wanted to say thank you and you are an inspiration to a lot of us.  Thank you for letting us in to your relationship a bit, seeing some of those quiet moments, hanging out on tour, having a romantic dinner, but at the same time maintaining privacy.  Speaking of which, I’m sorry about what happened a few weeks ago… I’ll shut up now.”

“6 months ago, I was just a fan singing in a bar at karaoke night.  I’m very careful on what I post, getting his approval so that nothing is too much, crossing any lines.  There are definitely times where we’ll be doing something and I’m like ‘the fans will want to see this’.  Sometimes it gets posted, sometimes he’s worried about privacy and being followed.  I’m just glad fans have really opened up to me being in his life, I know we haven’t always been kind to the women in his life.”

“He’s said it, you’re different than any other woman he’s been with, and we can tell that by how you react around each other.  There’s that genuine affection, and for a lot of us it makes it feel like we’re very much on this ride with you as a fan of his.”

The show started, Justin smiling and hamming it up whenever he was in front of Deana, giving everyone a great show.  They took lots of pictures and video so they could remember the night, Renee getting anything she needed, John enjoying a few drinks with Deana.  They stayed on the floor for a bit after the show so Renee wouldn’t be pushed around by the crowd.

“You guys can probably come backstage again if you want, say goodbye,” Deana offered.

“Maybe just to say goodbye, then head home.  Gotta get this one to bed,” John said, rubbing Renee’s shoulders.

“I’m so happy for you guys.  I remember when you guys broke up all those years ago, afraid that was it.  Then when you got back together, got engaged, married, it was a culmination of things.  Like how you guys are happy for me now, that’s what it was like for all of us with you two.  I can’t wait to meet these little babies.  I’ll be sure to be there for the baby shower.  Thanks again for coming tonight, it was great to hang out, have someone out there with me.”

“Thanks for having us, it was a great show.”  The three hugged goodbye, John shaking Justin’s hand, Justin giving Renee a side hug to not squish the babies.

“Let’s head back to the hotel, get some more use out of it before we go back home for a hot second…” Justin laughed.

“You mean to get more condoms?” Deana teased.  

“I mean, unless you WANT to get pregnant now…”

“No.  I stand firm on my after February stance.  I don’t want the wedding to be a ‘will she go into labor?’ situation, cuz it would time out about then if I’m not wrong.  I guess maybe before that wouldn’t be so bad, as long as I’m not showing yet…”

“We’ll see.  What are you thinking for tonight?” he asked.

“I dunno.  That shower combo, me bent over the tub… Then again, we have the handcuffs for the headboard.  I’ll leave it up to you.”

“Decisions, decisions…”

…

True to his word, they flew to NYC to get a box from Amazon.  It was a decent sized box. “Really?” Deana laughed when she saw it. 

“It’s boxes of boxes. Not like the box is full to the brim with them… This also has to be for here, LA, Memphis, Montana when we go…”

“There’s what, 10 boxes here, Justin? Jesus…” she gasped, doing the math. 

“Better safe than sorry.”

“We’re just coming back here after the tour, right?”

“For a while, until I need to do more for the movie. Then we’ll be in LA for a month or two at the least.”

“Is there enough in your bag for the next few days?” she asked. 

He nodded. “More than enough since we have the two shows, not like we’ll be at it those days.”

“I’m gonna leave room for you to change your mind about that…” Deana laughed lightly. 

“I suppose you’re right on that, never know what will happen. Is it bad I’m a little disappointed we still have any left?”

“Knowing how many we’ve used, I’m surprised I can walk…” Deana laughed. 

“Over the last 8 weeks, that’s not bad.”

“Doing the math, that’s an average of 2 times a day. Some days we didn’t, some days definitely more…” she smiled. 

“Are you trying to make me want you? Cuz for some reason, it’s totally working…” Justin growled. 

“I mean, we’re already here…” she laughed. 

…

They got to the casino he’d do the last two shows at. They had one of the royal suites, plenty of seating in case they wanted to have guests. “Go look at the bathroom,” Justin whispered.

She walked in, seeing a long, deep tub. “You spoil me,” she said.

“Room for two, just in case…” Justin breathed in her ear. 

“Always planning ahead…”

“You know me. We have the rest of the day, the first show isn’t until tomorrow night.  Plenty of time to keep up our average.”

“How romantic…” she said sarcastically.

“How does me wanting to be intimate with the woman I love not qualify as romantic?”

“When you use words like ‘keep up our average’…”

“Can I try again?”

“It’s heavily encouraged…”

“We have all day, let’s enjoy being here, together.” He pulled her close to him, his hand on the small of her back, the other reaching into her hair. He gazed into her eyes, their breath on each other. 

She closed her eyes as he closed the distance between them and kissed her. He started slow, a hum coming from his lips. 

“Much better,” she said softly. She pulled her shirt over her head before pulling herself back to kiss him. 

Their tongues danced, Deana sucking gently on his tongue, Justin groaning in enjoyment. Her hands ran up under his shirt, digging the pads of her fingers into his back. 

“Harder,” he breathed in her ear. She complied, pressing so her nails dug into his skin a little. He groaned at the pressure he felt. “Fuuuck, I love when you do that.”

There was a bench seat in front of the bed, Justin pulling her to sit across his lap as he sat. His hands framed her face. One edged into her hair at the back of her neck, the other tracing along her ear. 

One hand traveled down her body, rubbing over her bra, unhooking it behind her and slowly easing the straps off of her shoulders. He continued to kiss her, his hands massaging her breasts before one hand traced down her waist.

She was wearing a knee length skirt, the material easily moving out of his way to run his hand along her thigh before grabbing her ass.  He pulled slowly at the waistband of her panties, Deana rising up a bit to get them over her hips, being sure not to break their kiss.  

Justin pulled back.   “I want to try something.”  Deana smiled, curious at what he had in mind.  He pulled off his shirt and undid his pants, leaving him in his boxer briefs.  He moved Deana onto the edge of the bed, himself kneeling on the bench seat.  

He pulled the skirt up off of her, giving him an unhindered view of her body.  Since Memphis, she had become more serious about eating healthy and working out again, and he noticed a difference.  He couldn’t help but smile, thinking that their romantic “workouts” had had an effect as well.  

Deana sat up on the bed, Justin kissing her deeply, tongues dancing between their mouths.  His lips pulled away, trailing kisses all over her body, never staying in the same place for long.  His fingers did the same, massaging her breasts, then her thighs, in her hair, along her back.  “Justin…” she moaned, her voice full of need.

He smiled, knowing exactly what she needed next.  His fingers went along her outer thigh, over her knee, and up her inner thigh.  Deana moaned in anticipation at feeling him, her body bucking against his touch as he reached her core.  He traced around her button, slow circles at first, before slipping two fingers inside her.  She groaned in release, but still needing more.  Slick with her, he went back to tracing over her clit.  She couldn’t tell what he was doing, whether circles, up and down, all she knew was that it felt amazing, groaning in ecstasy at his touch.  “Juuuusssstiiiinnnnn, fuuuuck, yessss, YEEESSSS!”

“Cum for me baby,” he growled, continuing his movements.  She felt the pressure growing inside her belly, feeling like her whole body was on fire.  She moaned as she shook in release.  Her breath catching in her throat.  Her eyes looked up at the ceiling after being squeezed tight shut.  She didn’t have long to recover, as his tongue licked up her slit before taking over where his fingers had just finished.

“FUCK!” she screamed, feeling everything build all over again.  She made every noise she could, her body feeling as if it were going to explode into oblivion with pleasure.  She felt almost a white hot heat take over her body, her eyes tight shut again seeing nothing but almost a white light, her focus on gasping for breath in spare moments as she felt the wave rise within her.  He slipped his fingers back inside her, finding that perfect spot within her, and she screamed in release, her body unable to move.

“We’re not even done yet,” he growled.  He took his time walking over to get a condom, her eyes seeing him straining against the fabric of her boxer briefs, knowing soon those would end up on the floor.  Sure enough, he pulled them down, put the condom on, and took his place back on the bench.  He pulled her body to the edge of the bed, kneeling before her, taking in her post orgasmic glow.  He entered her in one easy move, groaning as her body practically pulled him in.  

“God, I love how you feel.  Babe, I can’t control myself…”  his thrusts were fast and furious, there was no build up, just raw unfettered lust and desire in his eyes and the movement of his hips against her.  

She groaned at the sensation, reaching the deepest parts of her.  She wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing him further in, something neither of them thought was even possible at this point.  They groaned together, eyes locked on each other.  

“Fuck, baby, I’m so close, you’re AMAZING…” he gasped, feeling his wave rising within him.  

“Cum for me, Justin.”  The way she said it, combined with her muscles tightening around him, sent him over the edge, his body collapsing over hers in release.

“Oh… my… GOD…” he gasped, catching his breath.  

“Bathtub?” she replied, gasping for breath.  He nodded against her chest.

“Once we can move, yes…”

“I’m afraid to ask, what were you doing tonight?  Something felt different, but amazing.”

“Let me have my secrets, just enjoy what I do to make you feel that way.”

“Before you die, you need to release a book on how to please a woman.  Seriously, I know some people who could use it,” she laughed.

“There’s no one way though.  Each person is different, what works for one might not for another.  The overall answer is simple, explore each other, find what works, then broaden within those ranges.  I didn't do anything different tonight as far as mechanics, just changed a few minor details that made it feel like a whole new experience.”

They walked into the bathroom, starting the water for the bath.  “You look amazing,” Justin smiled.  “I’m saying this carefully, but you’re losing weight in certain places.  You’ve been working so hard, school, wanting to lose weight.  How are you feeling?  Are you noticing a difference at all?”

“I am.  I’m glad you noticed, it shows me you’re paying attention.”

“With you, I’m always at attention,” he smirked. 

“Not that,” she laughed.  “I’m feeling good.  I feel like I sleep better, I’m happier a lot more, but that’s the endorphins from the workouts and our ‘sessions’.  Clothes are fitting looser, some of them where it’s almost too loose.  Other pieces are fitting more like they are supposed to, and that makes me feel sexy and more confident.”

“I just don’t want you becoming consumed with this, I love you, no matter what you look like.  Do I like this new side of you?  Yes.  But the Deana I fell in love with is still there.  I wouldn’t love you any less if you hadn’t started working out and losing weight.  It’s not even that I love you MORE because of this, if only that you are loving yourself more.  I love the change I’m seeing in you, from the inside out.”

The water was ready, they got in the tub, turned on the jets, and relaxed.  Her body relaxed into his, her head on his collarbone, the perfect spot for him to kiss her cheek, or for her to turn her head and their lips to touch.  There was no urgency, just enjoying the moment.  Justin knew the next few days would be crazy as he finished the tour.  He wanted to enjoy the time he had left with her like this before turning home.  He always enjoyed going home, but he didn’t want to take this for granted.

They talked about small things; from favorite memories of their time together since Vancouver, to transitioning back to ‘normal’ life at home.   

To maintain privacy, they ordered room service from one of the many restaurants that were available.  They settled on pasta, Justin splurging and getting a little bit of different foods, from chicken parmigiana to sun dried tomato and cheese ravioli, spaghetti carbonara to stuffed peppers.  

“We’re celebrating,” Justin said.  “You've adjusted so well to everything.  I still remember how nervous you were when you found out you were really in love with ME.  I felt so relieved to have everything out there, but you were still reserved.  You had me compartmentalized, I was separate from Bruce, and it took you a bit to mesh the two together, that he was me and I was him.  That I felt all those things for you.  There are times where I wish I knew you were the person I wanted to see most when I got my tea.  I actually felt a little guilty at the connection I felt with Michele.  Though knowing who you were, that made it easier to mesh those two together.  I know my life can be chaotic, especially on tour, so thank you for rolling with everything.  It’s gonna take a bit to get used to not having to rush off to this, that, or something else, to just BE in one spot for a while.”  

“You’ve been so patient with me, through everything.  When we were first starting out, being so careful that I was ready for whatever we did.  I knew you wanted more, but you were willing to wait for me to get there.  You’ve been so great with me as I adjusted to life with you, helping me feel comfortable with your family and friends. I know this chapter in our lives is almost over, but I’m excited for what comes next.”

The bulk of the day was spent in their suite, talking, watching movies, spending time together.  Deana felt like they were back to their early days, just in nicer surroundings. 

They dressed up a bit and got a private table at Tao. Deana found some things she liked, Justin having her try bites of his food, trying to slowly expand her palate. 

It felt nice to be out, but still have privacy. She knew there would be places in LA and NYC like this. “How often do you do things like this during downtime? I know occasionally I’d see pictures of you going out somewhere, but are those special things, or do they just not catch you out?”

“I know the right places to go. If we want to be seen, or to keep things private and out of the spotlight. I know we had a lot of dinners in early on, but once we get home we’ll have a balance of going out and staying in, cooking together.”

“I was just curious, nothing has really been normal with you.  As Bruce, we never really went out, but of course I understand why now. Then being on the road is completely different.”

“How do you decide if you want to be seen out or not?”

“Sometimes it’s more of that I want to eat at a certain place, and that’s part of things.  My birthday party was a reason to be out and be seen.  Sometimes I might tell you to dress up, and I take one look at what you’re wearing, and decide people need to see how good my beautiful woman looks.  Especially in LA or NYC, there are places you go just to be seen.”

“Again, I was just curious.  I’m sure we’ll both have an adjustment period to being at home for a while.”

“For a while, it might help to be like we were at the start of all of this, just being at home, the two of us.  It gives us privacy, lets us reconnect and adjust together.  I know this feels normal, and my tours are at least a year long, so at some point it HAS to feel normal, but once we’re home, that will be normal soon, too.  I’m glad I’ll have you to go home with, not just an empty house.”

“We’ll see how it goes,” Deana said softly.  

They went back to their suite, getting comfortable on the couch with a movie.  Deana was completely relaxed, falling asleep in short bursts.  

“You tired, babe?” he asked.  “It’s OK if you wanna go to sleep.”

“I guess earlier today wiped me out, you have that effect on me,” she laughed softly.

“Hey, the feeling is mutual…” he chuckled.  “I like having you curled up against me, but I understand if you wanna turn in for the night.”

“I dunno, something tells me I should stay awake for a while.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re really gonna make me say it, aren’t you?”

“Yup.  Sometimes you’re still that shy girl I first met.  It’s cute, so I try to make her blush,” he smiled.

“My arm against your lap, I felt you start to get hard…” she said, her cheeks turning pink.

“Not very hard with you around,” he laughed.  “I will always want you, find you drop dead sexy.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Do you not remember the night we were at your apartment, you were in your ratty t-shirt and pajama pants, and I showed you just how sexy you were…?”

“Hmmm, I guess you’ll just have to refresh my memory…” she teased.

“I’ll do more than refresh it, give you a whole new memory of just how sexy you are to me.”

“I’m a very lucky woman, Justin Timberlake thinks I’m sexy… How is this my life?”

“You better believe this is the rest of your life, the most beautiful, sexiest woman I know.  The one I live to put a smile on her face, and make her scream in the bedroom…”

“Or wherever we are at the moment…” she chuckled.

“Hey, sometimes I can’t control where and when I want you.  Sorry not sorry.  Right now, I say we start here and see where things go…”