Everything I Own

"Everything I Own" By Chris christopher_bass@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER:

Same disclaimer as last time. If you are underage or don't like reading stories about gay romance or say there is "No chance whatsoever" that someone from `N Sync could be gay, then please leave. If you are none of the above, please enjoy.

Again, I want to thank all of the wonderful people who have e-mailed me! They keep me going and keep me wanting to write more and more. Please e-mail me with your comments. I need them!

CHAPTER THREE

JC starts to go after Lance when Mark stops him. "Can I go after him please?" Mark asks him. JC looks at Joey and Chris, who nod their heads. He looks back at Mark and agrees. "Thanks, JC! I really want to get to be friends with you all." Mark runs off in search of Lance. After looking for quite awhile, he sees him sitting down in Rosie's office. Lance has his head on his hands and is shaking hard. It is obvious to Mark that he is crying.

Mark sits down next to Lance and puts his hand on his shoulder. Lance looks up and sees Mark and cries even harder. Mark jumps to conclusions on what is wrong. "I knew it! I sucked on the show and you regret asking me!" He follows Lance's lead and starts to cry.

"No, Mark! I told you that you were great and I was proud of you. I meant that! Do you think I was lying about that all?"

"Of course not. I was just trying to figure out why you were crying. You were so happy before I sang with you all!"

"That's not the reason!"

"Then what's the reason, Lance? Why are you crying? Please tell me! I really want to be your friend!"

"You'll think I am an idiot or something if I tell you!"

"Scoopy, I could never think that about you!" He dreamily replies.

"What did you call me?"

Mark is nervous now. "Uh.... Scoopy, should I go back to calling you Mr. Bass?"

"Of course not! People usually call me Scoop, but not Scoopy. I love it!"

"Thanks! Anyways, if you tell me what's wrong with you, I will tell you something that is heavy on my mind right now."

Lance agreed. "OK, Mark. I'll go first." He pauses for a few seconds to calm down a little bit then starts talking again. "I think I am going crazy!"

"Is that all?" Mark asks. "I'm crazy, so that's nothing that will make me think you are an idiot. So, why are you going crazy?"

"I just met you. I don't know that much about you, yet I don't want to lose you. I feel some kind of deep connection with you. I did even before we met."

"How is that possible?"

"When you were talking with Rosie after you did the intro, I was watching you on a TV we had in our dressing room. For some reason, I felt this connection with you."

"I don't want to lose you either, Lance. You've always been my favorite person in the band. I still cannot believe I got to meet you guys! This is the highlight of my life! Your opinion of me will change once I tell you what I have to."

"Mark, there is nothing you can say that will make me not like you."

"Lance, I'm gay."

Lance couldn't believe his luck. He was so scared to like Mark because he thought Mark was straight. Now his dream has come true. Mark was gay. Unfortunately, he showed his surprise a little to loudly. "What?" He shouted.

Mark's heart was broken. He knew he was in love with Lance, but still couldn't believe it. However, to find out the man you love, besides not being gay, was so insulted that he was gay. "God, I knew I should never have told you!" He starts to cry and runs out of the room. He bumps into Joey, almost knocking him down. He doesn't notice and continues to run away.

Both Joey and JC were very worried. "Uh oh!" Joey started to say, "What happened in there?"

JC replied, "I think one of them didn't tell the other their true feelings. So, which one do you want to talk to?"

After thinking for a minute, Joey replied, "I think I should talk to Lance."

JC agreed. "You're right. Let's go."

Joey goes to Lance, while JC looks for Mark. JC finds him going outside. He tries to stop him. "Mark! Mark!" He finally catches up to him and stops him.

Mark is still crying. "Look JC. I am very grateful that you guys let me sing with you. I will always remember that. I just need to get out of here."

"What happened with Lance?"

"He was really sad that I was leaving. It took my telling him something that was bothering me to get him to tell me that. He freaked out when I told him." He cries harder. "He hates me, JC! I dreamt of meeting you guys for a long time, and once I am lucky to actually meet you guys, the guy I like most hates me!"

"I doubt he hates you, Mark!"

"Yes...he does. I know it!"

"What did you tell him that was so bad that he would ever hate you?"

"I might as well tell you as I won't see any of you again. JC, I'm gay."

"You think he hates you because you're gay?"

"Yes!"

"If he hated gays, then he would have a major problem staying in the group. Mark, I'm gay and we just found out today that Joey is bi."

Mark was completely floored that Joey was bisexual. "Joey is bisexual? No way!"

"You can believe I am gay but not Joey being bi?"

"Yes. I always heard the rumors that you and Lance were in love. I never believed it because Lance is straight, no matter how many times I wished he were gay."

"You like him, don't you?"

"Huh?" Mark was confused.

"You like Lance."

"Well..."

"I knew it!"

"Actually, JC, I know it sounds hard to believe, but I love him."

"What?"

"I'm glad I never had the chance to tell him. He would've hated me for sure."

"Talk to Lance again. Tell him how you feel."

"I am not stupid! There is no way in hell I am doing that!"

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do. But..."

JC interrupts. "Then talk to him. Thinks will work out the way they were meant to be."

"But..."

"If you say 'but' one more time, I will hit you on yours! See it this way. What do you stand to gain if you tell him how you feel?"

Mark realizes that JC is hiding something. "OK. Spill it!"

JC was trying not to let Mark know that Lance likes him, too. "Spill what?"

"You're hiding something, JC."

"Yes I am, but it's not my place to say it. He has to."

"OK. I will go talk to him. Thank you, JC."

"Anything for a friend."

"I'm a friend?" Mark couldn't believe JC said that.

"Of course you are, Mark."

Mark is pleasantly surprised. "But we just met."

JC replied, "Mark, you treat us as normal people. You're such a big fan of ours, yet you're not like a lot of our fans."

Mark joked, "Yeah...I am about twice the age of your average fan."

"No, not that. You like our music. You don't like us just because of our looks. There's no 'JC is soooooo cute!' " He said that last sentence sounding like a teenage girl.

"But you are gorgeous."

"I mean, I watch TRL on MTV. I see what people say when they request our videos. All they ever say is something like 'I want you to play 'N Sync because the guys are so hot!' then scream way too loud. Sometimes it seems like all they care about is our looks and not our music. You care about our music."

"Besides the fact that the five of you are enormously talented, I spent most of my life singing. Music is the most important thing in my life. It always was and always will be, even though I don't sing much."

"Except for our music."

"God, I cannot believe Rosie got me to sing 'Everything I Own' on national television the day you guys are on!"

"You owe her a lot for that."

"I know I do."

"So, you think I'm gorgeous?"

"A little too skinny, but, yes, you are incredibly gorgeous."

"But I'm no Lance."

Mark sighs lovingly at hearing Lance's name. "Nobody is like Lance."

JC is amazed that Mark has such strong feelings for Lance so fast. "You really love him, don't you?"

"Yes. I never believed in love at first sight before. This is all very strange for you, but it is even stranger for me. I know I don't know him that well, but I want to. I have never felt this way about someone before, at least this fast."

"Then talk to him, Mark."

"What aren't you telling me, JC?"

"You know I can't tell you that!"

"OK. Whatever happens with him, I really want you in my life."

"We are friends, Mark. You are stuck with all of us forever."

Meanwhile, Joey goes into Rosie's office, where Lance is. He sees Lance in the corner crying and goes over to him. "Lance?" Joey asked with compassion.

Lance looked at Joey and cried even harder. "Joey, I totally fucked up!"

"Somehow I doubt that. Tell me what happened."

"It's bad!"

Joey asked Lance with compassion, "What happened that was so bad?"

"He's gay!"

Joey couldn't see what the problem was. "Uh...isn't that what you wanted? He's gay. You're gay."

"I know I have no chance with him! Before, I was able to accept it because I thought he was straight. Now that I know he's gay, it hurts me even more!"

Joey was upset. "Lance, for someone so smart, you can be so dense! He likes you! Why did he want to sing with you and not me? Did you see the look on his face when he was singing with you? It was a look of love!"

Lance couldn't believe him. "Really?"

Joey gave him the same advice that JC gave Mark. "Tell him how you feel."

Lance was afraid. "But what if he doesn't like me that way?"

"God, Lance! He likes you! Who else would he like?"

"YOU, JOE!" Lance yelled back.

"Me? Come on, James! I won't say it anymore! He likes YOU!"

There is a knock at the door. "Who is it?" Lance asked.

"It's me, Scoop...JC. Can we come in?"

"Sure, Josh."

JC and Mark entered the room. JC looked at Mark with pleading eyes.

Mark has never been as nervous in his life. "Lance, I know you hate me right now. You have every right to."

Lance and Joey look at each other in surprise. "How could I ever hate you?" Lance asked.

Mark replied, "Because I'm gay! I have something else to tell you, no matter what the consequences are. I have to tell it to you."

"What?" Lance asked, with a little bit of apprehension.

Mark pauses, looks at JC, who smiles in support, then back at Lance. "Oh, what the hell!" he said, then grabbed Lance's head and kisses him passionately.

At first Lance's eyes go wide in shock, then he relaxed to enjoy the kiss. JC and Joey smile broadly. Five minutes later, Mark and Lance are still kissing. JC doesn't know whether to stop them. However, at that same time, Chris steps into the room, sees them kissing and yells, "What the fuck!" Mark and Lance don't hear Chris and keep kissing.

Joey asked the rest of the guys, "Should we stop them?"

Chris replied, "I think we should. After all, they do need to breathe. How was it that the Backstreet Boys solved a problem like this?"

Mark broke the kiss and said, "Ice water thrown on at least one of them?"

JC was amazed. "How did you know that?"

Mark asked, "I was right? I just read that in some slash stories."

JC rolled his eyes. "You read those?"

Mark replied, "I love those stories! My favorites were always the ones with Lance. JC, that was the first reason I thought you and Lance were together."

"But you never believed those rumors, even though for awhile they were true." JC still couldn't believe why Mark didn't believe the rumors. "Mark, tell them why you never believed the rumors."

Mark laughed hard. "I had a strong feeling JC was gay. However, I thought Lance was straight."

Everyone laughed. Lance asked Mark, "You thought I was straight? I think you are probably the only person in the world who didn't know me who thought I was straight!" He laughed harder.

Mark laughed and replied, "Yes. It was the first and only time my gaydar was wrong. It was OK before, when I had just a crush on you. Now, after I met you, I think I would have been devastated."

Lance felt guilty for acting the way he did earlier. "Mark, I am so sorry I acted so rudely earlier."

"You were just surprised when I said I was gay. It's OK. If you had told me first that you were gay, I might have acted the same way. You really are attracted to me?" Mark said.

Chris replied, "You couldn't tell by that kiss? It was one of the most passionate kisses ever! I was jealous!"

Mark smiled. "Yes, I could tell, but I still just cannot believe he likes me. It's just like in all those boy band stories I read where the huge fan falls in love with their favorite."

JC looked at Mark. "Now that you know how he feels about you, isn't there something you need to tell him?"

Lance gets nervous. "Oh God! Do I want to hear this?"

JC smiles broader. "Yes, Scoop. You definitely want to hear this."

Mark is more nervous than Lance is. "Why is this so hard to say?"

JC is annoyed. "Mark, either you tell him or I will!"

Mark replied, "OK. I will tell him." He pauses for a long time.

"MARK!"

"I never dreamt of being able to say this." He looks deep into Lance's eyes.

Lance knows what Mark is about to say and begins to cry again. "You're in love with me?"

JC looks at Lance with his mouth wide open. "James, how... I..."

"I just knew it, JC." Lance replied. "I felt his love for me."

Joey was flabbergasted. "You're in love with him, Mark?"

Lance was mad at Joey for that comment. "Fuck you, Joe! You don't get everyone you want!"

Mark thought he was hearing things. "Excuse me?"

Joey was embarrassed. "As usual, Lance is wrong. Yes, I said you were cute, but I never said I wanted you."

Mark still couldn't believe Joey was bisexual. "You like guys?" He asked, not wanting him to know that JC already told him of Joey's being bisexual.

Joey joked, "Yep. I'm deeply in love with Chris."

"WHAT?" was Chris' shocked reply.

Joey, Mark, JC, and Lance laughed hard.

"I don't want this to end, " Mark started to say, "but shouldn't you guys check up on Justin?"

Chris replied, "He's OK. Before we went onstage, we asked one of Rosie's people to bring him back to his hotel room. I was making sure he got back there before I came in here and saw Lance and you making out hot and heavy."

Lance blushed. "We really should get going. I don't like leaving J alone."

Mark was very depressed that the day was ending. "I want to thank you all, especially you, Scoopy, for giving me the best day of my life. I will always remember it."

The guys didn't know what to say. "You sound as if this is goodbye." Lance asked.

"Isn't it?" Mark timidly asked, trying hard not to cry.

"Of course not!" Chris replied. "JC and I are your friends, Joey thinks you are gorgeous, and Lance.... well... Lansten, how do you feel about this guy?" Lance was staring at Mark as Chris spoke. "Lance? Hey, Lance!" Chris yelled.

Lance slowly became aware of his surroundings again. "What did you say?"

Chris was mildly annoyed. "I asked you how you felt about Mark. We all know now that he loves you."

Lance replied with confidence, "I love Mark with all of my heart. I know it's very sudden, but I love him too. I know that with all of my heart."

Mark was floored by Lance's admission of love. "You're in love with me?"

"Yes... I am. I never believed in love at first sight until I met you."

Chris joked, "Guys, you are starting to make me sick!"

Joey was jokingly hurt, "But Chris, baby, what about me?"

Chris joked back, "Joe, you make me the most sick!"

Everyone laughed. Lance and Mark stare at each other with intense love in their eyes. The guys are about to break them apart when Rosie O'Donnell comes up to them.

"There you are, Mark!" Rosie said to Mark. "You were so great on the show!"

Mark was very happy and grateful to her. "Thank you so much, Rosie! I don't know how I could ever repay you. This may be the one moment that changes my life forever."

Rosie replied, "So, you and Lance got together?"

"What?" Mark asked.

Rosie was amazed. "I'm talking about you and Lance realizing you liked each other."

Joey knew that Rosie could be trusted with any secret. "Rosie, it's more than like."

Mark was horrified at the thought that the audience saw their attraction towards each other. "Was it that obvious?"

"Yes it was." Rosie replied.

Mark was totally stunned and confused. He didn't know what to do. He loved Lance, yet he didn't want to jeopardize Lance's career or the career of any of the other guys. If it were to come out that one of the guys of 'N Sync were gay, it would mean the end of their career.

Rosie nudged Mark's shoulder, bringing him back to reality. "Are you OK, Mark?"

"Yes. Thanks, Rosie. I was just thinking." Mark told Rosie. He then looked at Lance and the other guys. "Guys, I think I need to go."

JC replied, "I thought we convinced you that we're your friends."

Mark replied, "You did and I know you are."

"Then why are you leaving?"

"Because I love Lance and care about you all too."

Lance heard this and was shocked. He began to cry. "If you love me, why are you leaving?"

"You heard was Rosie said. It was obvious that we liked each other. If word got out that one of you guys were in love with another guy, it would end all of your careers."

"It doesn't matter, Mark. If my singing career ends, then it ends."

"You know it matters, Lance."

"You matter much more to me than my career. I can do something else, maybe get into management."

"You are going to have a long singing career first. Even if that means that I lose you from my life."

"I do want to keep singing for a very long time, but you are more important."

"But..."

JC smiled and said to Lance, "Please shut him up as only you can."

Lance kissed Mark passionately. After a few minutes they broke the kiss. "I love you, Lance!" Mark said to Lance.

"I love you too, Mark. I will always love you."

Rosie said, "I am so happy for you guys."

Joey added, "I don't want to end this lovefest, but we do need to get back to the hotel and check up on Justin."

Chris replied, "Let's go. Thank you for everything, Rosie."

Mark hugged Rosie and said, "I don't know how to thank you."

Rosie replied, "Lance is finally happy again. That is thanks enough for me. I am glad you found each other."

Mark and the guys of 'N Sync left the studio and went back to their hotel. On the way back, the guys decided that Mark would check on Justin while the rest of the guys took showers and rested. Back at the hotel, Lance, Joey, Chris, and JC went to their rooms and Mark went to Justin's room. Mark saw that Justin was asleep and didn't want to wake him. He walked over to him and put his hand on Justin's forehead to check his temperature. Justin still had a fever. Mark noticed that Justin was hotter than someone with a normal fever would be. He also noticed that his body was not moving as someone who was asleep would. "Justin?" Mark asked. There was no response. "Justin?" There was still no repsonse. Mark was getting very scared. He checked to see if Justin's heart was still beating, which it was. He bolted out the door and yelled, "Lance!!! Lance!!!"

Lance ran out of his room, wearing only a towel. "What's wrong, Mark?"

"It's Justin! Something is seriously wrong!!"

Lance and Mark ran into the room where Lance saw Justin for the first time. He turned white in horror. "Is he...?" He asked Mark.

"His heart is still beating, but he didn't repsond to my trying to wake him up. Before you ask, I know how hard it is to wake him up. Something is wrong."

Lance tried to stay calm. "I will call for an ambulance. You get the rest of the guys."

Mark runs out of the room and pounds on Joey, Chris, and JC's doors. They all open the doors at the same time.

"What's going on, Mark?" Joey asked.

"It's Justin!" Mark replied. "I went into his room to check on him and he's not responding to me!" He starts to cry uncontrollably.

"WHAT?" JC replied. He, Joey, and Chris run into Justin's room while Mark falls against a wall and continues to cry.

TO BE CONTINUED

Yes, I know there was no sex in this part either. Don't worry... it IS coming (in more ways than one! LOL!) . Please send any comments and suggestions to christopher_bass@yahoo.com