They rode back down to Jenna’s apartment, since she needed to be at work the next day.

“You should take the next few days off, baby,” JC tried to convince her.

“I need the distraction, and I can’t really take much more time off. I only get so many paid sick days…”

“If it’s about the money…”

“It is and it isn’t.  I love what I do, I feel you understand the importance of that, whether it’s music or teaching.”

She walked into her bedroom, JC hesitating in the hallway.

“What?” Jenna wondered. 

“Am I allowed in?”

“You’ve slept on my bed a couple times already, Josh…”

“I like that you’re calling me Josh,” he smiled lazily.  “I just don’t want to fuck things up.”

“It’s new, but it’s ok. I liked waking up in your arms then, I don’t see that changing now that we’re… whatever we are.”

“I like to think we’re together, we like each other…”

“Yeah. It’s just a lot to process, JC Chasez is my boyfriend.  I’m your girlfriend.”

“Yet you want me in your bed,” he teased. 

“I’m not an idiot,” she laughed. “You ok watching me change?”

“I am if you are.”

She looked at JC.  “This isn’t out of pity or anything, is it?  What’s the opposite of Stockholm Syndrome?” she giggled, her eyes also hoping for an honest answer.

“Florence Nightingale Syndrome? I feel we know each other too well for it to be that.  I knew once I saw these beautiful eyes, that there was something special.  I know you’re not like anyone I’ve ever been with, and that’s a very good thing. As much as I saved your life, I think you’ve saved mine as well.”

“We’ll talk about THAT delusion later,” she sighed, turning to her dresser to get a fresh set of pajamas.  She looked at him, a blush rushing to her cheeks as she pulled her shirt up, revealing her bra.  He unconsciously licked his lips at the sight, biting his bottom lip.   She pulled her camisole over her head, aware of the shift in his eyes. She pulled her jeans off, stepping into the matching set of shorts.

She got into bed, her eyes on JC.  There was no blush to his face as he pulled his shirt off, a smirk as he pulled his jeans off.  Her eyes were wide, her jaw dropped. 

“Is this ok?” he chuckled. 

“More than ok.  A bit… intimidating…” she said, her eyes flitting to the arousal in his boxer briefs.

“Ignore that,” he laughed. 

“Hard not to,” she laughed in response.  “I may have started as a Justin girl, but I’ve heard Lance’s response to ‘Bang, Marry, Kill’.  Poor Joey.  No, he’d kill Justin.  Either way I say he got it wrong.”

“I’m sadly quite aware of this conversation. How did he get it wrong?”

“Bang implies, at least to me, that it happens once. I know we’re not even to ‘bang’ yet, but I’d ‘marry’ you to do it the rest of my life, not just once.”

“I’m in no rush to get there.  Well, that’s a lie.”

“Your eyes give you away, if nothing else did.  I’m trying to process all of this.”

JC got into bed, wrapping his arm around her.  He kissed the hollow of her neck, tracing the shell of her ear with his nose.

“Ok, keep doing that and these clothes are coming off right now,” she groaned.

“Good to know.  Goodnight, Jenna.  Sweet dreams.”

“There’s nothing left to dream, you’ve made all of them come true.”

I can think of a few that still need to come true, beyond either of our imaginations.

…

Jenna’s alarm woke them up the next morning, JC having slept better than he had in a while. 

Jenna snuggled against him. “Is that because it’s morning?” she hummed. 

“I think last night would say definitely not.  You’re so beautiful, sexy… I have to make a confession.”

“What’s that?” she wondered, turning to face him. 

“Saturday night, after your seizure, you got naked in front of me, even told me to look.”

“I wondered if that wasn’t just a dream…”

“So trust that when I say that I’ve seen basically everything. And last night when I dozed off or whatever? Totally was starting a sex dream…”

“How far in, no pun intended…”

“Right about here,” he said, his eyes on hers as his hand found the waistband of her shorts. 

“Oh, ummm, wow.  Well, lucky me, I guess.  I need to get ready for work. You wanna get coffee started while I shower?”

JC tried to ignore the twitch in his briefs at the thought of her in the shower.  “Yeah, I’ll need the distraction.”

Jenna rolled her eyes as she gave him a quick peck on the lips before moving to get out of bed.

“Hey, I want a longer version of that before you leave…” he smiled, pulling her close, his lips capturing hers.  She hummed in knowing it wasn’t a fantasy, it was her new reality.

Jenna pulled away slowly.  “I gotta get ready, or I might as well call out.”

“I’m not opposed to that…”

She playfully pushed his shoulder, rolling her eyes before turning over and getting out of bed.

JC got dressed as he heard the shower start, opening the door again.

“Doing the walk of shame, are we?” Kelly laughed, pouring herself a cup of coffee.  “I just got home from work.  Hoping it was a good night…”

“I told her everything. Took her for a ride…”

“A space ride? With a cowboy?  Sorry, I couldn’t help it…”

“We rode my motorcycle up to my place, showed her the view of the city.  I told her Jen left, and that I realized I have feelings for her.  We kissed, I brought her back here, and we went to sleep.”

“Well, that’s boring,” Kelly laughed. “Kidding. So you guys are together?”

“Yeah.  I wanna take her out to dinner after the MRI.  I know that’s tomorrow, but yeah.”

“Where are you gonna take her?”

“I’m thinking of Olive Garden or Buca di Beppo…”

“You’re JC Chasez and you’re taking her THERE?!”

“Gotta work her up to that. She thinks those places are fancy, and never got to go there on dates.”

JC stopped, listening intently.  “Is she singing?”

“That surprises you?” Kelly laughed. 

“I mean, I heard her at karaoke, but now… she’s good.”

“I guess you’d be the expert on that, not just a boyfriend paying lip service.”

“I dunno, very few of my songs are big hits these days…”

“Tell that to Jenna.  She found a playlist of all the songs you’ve written, produced, sang on, you name it.  I heard that it’s within the top 10% of all user created playlists…”

“I guess as long as she likes them.  I’m not out to make the next big hit anymore.  Even back then that was never why I did it.”

“I mean, you were too busy writing horny songs to really care…  Not that we don’t appreciate it.”

“I write what I feel, or have felt, experienced, whatever.  Some of it’s just for fun, getting an idea out.  It’s not whether it’ll be a hit or not.  I guess, for me, it’s a hit if it resonates with people.”

“Space Cowboy is supposed to resonate with people?  I mean, I guess, with the way the world is heading, I’d wanna get off this planet if I could.  Right now, I’m gonna fall into bed and crash.  I’m actually glad you’re ‘living here’ for a bit, my schedule is night shifts for a bit, so I’d be dead tired driving her to work in the morning.”

“Glad I can help.  I would’ve offered if I’d known and wasn’t staying here.”

“At least you’re not on the couch,” Kelly smiled.

“Not happening, Kelly… We’re taking our time.”

“Throw me a bone, man.  You don’t even wanna KNOW the things we’ve talked about with you and sex…”

“Go to bed, Kelly,” Jenna said, stepping into the living room.  

“I behaved, for the most part.  I’m just glad you kids figured things out.”

“I’m glad, too,” Jenna said, smiling at JC as she crossed to the kitchen.  He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in to kiss her forehead.

“You can do better than that, Chasez…” Kelly teased.

“I’m keeping it PG,” he chuckled before pulling Jenna into a soft kiss on her lips.  He didn't want to start anything he couldn’t finish with her schedule.

“Go to bed, Kelly,” Jenna reminded.

“I can make you breakfast,” JC said to Jenna.  

“This I gotta see,” Kelly smirked.

“It’ll be cereal, but it’ll be breakfast…”

“I’m going to bed,” Kelly sighed.  “Cute couple, but boring as fuck…”

JC cleared his throat.  “I wanna take you out tomorrow night.  I figure after your MRI, you’ll need a great first date to keep your spirits up.”

“I have to wait until TOMORROW before I have a date with my boyfriend?  However will I survive?” she teased dramatically.

“Well, I don’t fool around until I’ve been on a date with someone.”

“Funny, I don’t fool around on the first date… I guess for you I could make an exception.”

“Only if you want to.”

“Relax, Josh.  Trust me, I want to.  Maybe not all the way, but a good start.”

“Hey, I understand if you don’t put out on the first date.  Even with your boyfriend.  I’m in no rush, Jenna.  Seriously.”

“Why do I feel like you DO, though?” Jenna laughed.  “I’ve been on birth control for years, but I have some pretty high standards before I get into bed with a guy.”

“I’m glad those idiots didn’t realize what they had right in front of them, because it led to this.  I’m glad I saw your accident, Jenna.  I had no idea where it would lead me, I never thought it would lead me here, but I’m so glad it did.”

“I can’t believe this is real, I honestly never thought I’d be your type.”

“Maybe not on the outside, but you have everything I look for in a woman on the inside.”

“I’m not going to make the obvious dirty joke there,” Jenna choked back a laugh.

“You’re smart, funny, kind, caring.  I’m seeing more of the confidence I know you’re capable of.  I’m sorry you’ve been hurt before, but I promise I’ll do my best to treat you like you deserve.  Those other guys weren’t right for you.  Maybe they realized that and that’s why things never went past the first date.  They knew you were too good for them.  Hell, you’re too good for me, and here we are.”

“If you’re trying to say I SETTLED for JC Chasez, YOU need to schedule an MRI, get that brain looked at.  You settled on ME…”

“I didn't settle on anything.  I am crazy about an amazing woman that needs to eat her cereal and get to work.  Shit, I’m hoping Kelly will be up when I get back, I don’t have a key.”

“Take my set.  I can’t drive, so I don’t really need them right now.”

“Am I picking you up from work?”

“In our usual place?” Jenna asked.  “It’s just so new… I’m honestly worried about the reaction when we’re seen out somewhere together.  Maybe because I’m not a Jen type, they won’t think anything of us being together somewhere.  At least not until it’s a red carpet or we’re seen kissing in public.”

“I’ll keep the PDA in private, then, for now.  I do have some stuff coming up soon, though.  I guess I gotta tell Eric.  Though I’m sure Jen already did.  I haven’t heard from him about that, so maybe not.  Not that I need to clear my girlfriends with him, but so he’s not caught off guard and trying to figure out how to spin things.  Shit…”

“What?”

“I only have my motorcycle here.  You gonna be ok?”

“I’ll survive.”

“I’ll grab the Jeep after I drop you off, pick you up this afternoon.  Grab some of my stuff in between.  I have some stuff here already in a duffle bag, but a couple more things.  This feels more like home than my place does, right now.”

“Maybe eventually it could be OUR place?  Your house, not here…”

“I’m definitely liking that idea, at some point.”