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At some point Justin had stopped listening to him. JC wasn't sure when it had happened, because it had probably taken him a while to catch on, and at first he'd figured he'd been imagining things but it hadn't been all that difficult to find out for sure.
"And then Lance invited me as a guest speaker at the biannual meeting of the Committee for the Termination of NSYNC's Indefinite Hiatus. Obviously, the name needs some work," JC had said, a smile on his lips as he’d paused, hopeful.
Justin had just smiled blankly at him in return.
"Of course I requested an actual place on the committee, because, well, hello, but both chairmen turned me down. According to Joey I'm cohabitating with someone whose public actions are counterproductive to the committee's goals," he'd babbled on, his smile fading as Justin had only given him the vaguest of nods.
In the end JC had been a little desperate, and he'd said, "So I had no choice but to call your mother."
Justin had merely hummed in response.
And then JC had stopped talking.
***
"You know how I hate getting in the middle of this, right?"
Justin sighed almost guiltily. "Yeah, I do, and I'm sorry, but – "
"But just because it's you, and just this one time," Chris said magnanimously. "Talk to me."
Thirty minutes later.
"- 'cause I love the sound of his voice," Justin finished softly, ducking his head.
"Wait. Let me get this straight – you stopped listening to the guy, because you like the sound of his voice?" Chris clarified, struggling to keep a straight face.
"Right," he nodded.
"Wow, that's either the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Or, you know, the cutest – "
***
"That's the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard," Lance said, the deep rumble of the sigh that followed almost vibrating from the other end of the phone line.
"Right," he said, shaking his head. "You don't think it's, like, cute - "
"No, because I'm not, like, a twelve year old girl," Lance replied dryly.
"Dude. That's just cold." Justin shook his head, frowning down at his phone.
"No, what's cold is completely ignoring the guy whose voice you’re supposedly all crazy about," Lance pointed out in a low voice.
***
"Isn't that the cutest thing," Joey said, looking down at the crib in which his youngest daughter was cooing happily, her short little arms reaching out for her dad.
"Right?" Justin nodded, unable to not smile as well, even though he doubted whether the both of them were still talking about the same thing.
"Definitely." Joey looked up, winking at Justin. "Cutest thing I ever heard," he added.
Justin shook his head, deciding he could care less if Joey hadn't heard a single thing he’d said since he’d arrived. "Joe?"
One of Joey's hands found its way to his daughter's. "Yeah?"
"Did you know Lance thinks you're a twelve year old girl?"
Joey snorted. "Actually, I did, yeah."
"And?" Justin prompted, his smile broadening as he watched the little girl's fingers close tightly around her dad's.
"And I'm good with that," Joey said softly, his voice warm.
***
"You know how I hate getting in the middle of this, right?"
JC snorted. "Yeah, I do," he said.
"But just because it's you, and just this one time - " Chris didn't bother to finish his sentence, grinning when JC all but rolled his eyes at him. "What's up, man?"
Three minutes later.
"So, what you're saying is – you stopped talking 'cause Justin stopped listening?" Chris summarized, nodding to himself. "You know, that? Actually makes sense."
"Gee, thanks." This time JC did roll his eyes. "Come on, Chris – you know what's going on here. Spill."
"Ah. But I cannot, young grasshopper. Best friend confidentiality. Not that I don't love you too, man, but you know how it is," he said.
JC sighed. "Yeah, you really do hate getting in the middle of this."
***
"Oh," Lance said flatly, not a hint of surprise in his voice when he reacted to what JC had been telling him. "Are you telling me you stopped talking to Justin because he's ignoring you?"
"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm telling you. That, and you do know you're a really lousy actor, right?"
"Takes one to know one," Lance replied smoothly, amusement clear in his eyes as he gave JC a sideways glance.
"Thanks," JC said, grinning. Then his voice sobered when he asked, "Lance, why is Justin ignoring me?"
"You should ask him that, babe."
"You playing the best friend card, too?" JC asked in his most casual of voices. Because somehow he'd always thought Lance wasn't Justin's -
Lance sighed softly, interrupting JC's thoughts, because JC really wasn't any better of an actor. "I don't play favourites, you know that." In a droll tone of voice he then added, "But I know this twelve year old girl who, like, totally does."
***
"Even though I'm not at all threatened in my masculinity, I do think there's cause for concern when no one bats an eye at my being referred to as a twelve year old girl," Joey said, foregoing the more traditional 'hello' when he answered the phone.
"Actually, I thought Lance was talking about Brianna."
"She's nine," Joey pointed out.
"Ah. Now – if I was, say, her godfather, then I'd probably know that. After all, I know Kloey's – wait, no, I'm not quite sure how old she is either," JC mused out loud.
"Damn. Where's the love, man," Joey exclaimed with mock hurt.
"You know I got nothing but love for you, babe," JC replied without missing a beat.
"I know C, I know." Joey grinned. "So – Justin's still not listening to you?"
"I wouldn't know," JC said. "You know, what with me not talking to him."
Joey sighed. "Look, here's the deal – "
***
"So," Justin prompted even as Chris mumbled something vaguely resembling a greeting, his voice rough with sleep. "What is it: the dumbest or the cutest?"
"I think the jury's still out on that," Chris said blithely. "But at this exact moment in time? We're leaning towards dumbest. Seriously, Justin do you have any idea what time – "
"Have you talked to JC?" Justin interrupted him.
"Have you?"
"Chris – "
"Oh, wait, no – because he's not talking to you, right?"
"Chriiiis - "
"Justiiiiin," Chris said, in a near perfect imitation of the classic Timberlake whine. Of course he'd had years of practice. "Let me explain something to you – see, people like me? We go through life trying to prove we’re more than just a pretty face. And while I do still meet the occasional stranger who fails to see beyond my sparkly good looks, I'm thinking I can expect a little more from my friends, right?"
"Right," Justin mumbled.
"So, maybe it's a little like that for JC – 'cause rumor has it he's not exactly hard to look at, and he has some friends who know he does occasionally has something to say that's worth listening to. You know, 'cause even though you stopped listening? We didn't."
"Right," he whispered, hanging his head.
Chris sighed. "So - where is JC?"
***
JC pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, squinting down at the tiny letters of the book he'd been not reading for the past few evenings. He pretended not to notice Justin's arrival, mentally preparing himself for yet another evening of silence.
"The sound of your voice," Justin mumbled.
His eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at the pages of a book, distracting himself with attempting to remember the title. JC had a feeling flipping the book over would be something of a giveaway.
"I like it," Justin tried again. "Like, really like it - love," he added.
And then of course Justin had to go and use the one word he just couldn't resist, and so JC glanced up, arching one eyebrow.
"I love hearing you talk," Justin continued as he sat down on the edge of the mattress, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of their duvet. "I miss hearing you talk."
JC's brow furrowed. "But you don't listen," he said, his confusion audible.
"I forget," Justin admitted, meeting JC's eyes when he'd started talking to him again for the first time in days. "I start listening to your voice and I forget to listen to the, well, words." He ducked his head.
"That's – " JC shook his head, opening his mouth as he considered the options - ridiculous at the top of the list – then closing it again when Justin looked up, his cheeks flushed a deep red. "Cute," he finished without thinking.
"Right?" Justin asked hopefully, inching closer.
JC groaned. "I'm a twelve year old girl," he sighed.
"Well, at least you're in good company," Justin pointed out, a smile crossing his face when JC beckoned him closer.
"True," JC agreed with a chuckle as he watched Justin move closer, pushing the covers to the side. JC tilted his head when Justin suddenly paused mid crawl and straddled JC's thighs. Their eyes met, and Justin gave him an almost smug smile before leaning forward. "Justin," JC murmured.
Justin just hummed in response.
And then JC stopped talking.