notes: all made up. Thanks to Jawa. Part of the Yankee Foxtrot Hotel Collective. For entertainment only, really.

SHINY SHINY PANTS AND BLEACHED BLOND HAIR

Jeff Tweedy - singer, songwriter, Lance/Britney closet OTPer. It sounds ridiculous, Jeff thinks as he boots up his laptop and logs on. But it's true. He was searching the internet for information on pop music because people were asking for his opinions and he liked to be informed. He ended up just following links since he was bored and dealing with a case of writer's block. He came across a story. A really good story, about Lance and Britney. Lance Bass and Britney Spears. Together, as a couple.

It wasn't even a gradual thing, this obsession. Almost immediately he'd joined mailing lists and started searching for more stories. Now, Jeff has all the archives bookmarked and checks them every day. There are never enough stories though, and he's seriously considering running a Brit/Lance archive. He sings the songs in concert and whispers into the mic "Write more Lance/Brit" and the fans all think he's saying "bite me Lancelot." It's not that he really thinks that subliminal messages will get Wilco fans to write pop fiction, but it can't hurt.

Sometimes when he goes to the archive and there's nothing new he gets much more pissed than he probably should and even sits down to write songs about it. He's on mailing lists and he know he's that guy who's always posting "why doesn't anyone write this?" When new stuff does come out, he feedbacks with more praise than it deserves just to encourage the pairing. And he knows it, but fuck, people write all these silly pairings and can't they see? Damn it, he's met Eminem, granted it was only once, but still and Eminem is so not sleeping with JC but people seem to love write that and why can't they see how cute Lance and Brit are together?

When he wrote a ficlet and submitted it, no one really understood it. He only got one piece of feedback. He's still trying though - he doesn't want to be a hypocrite and ask for something without ever writing it. And it's funny, of course, because reporters ask Jeff about these love songs he writes and he doesn't want to say, "well, see, it was part of this Lance/Brit story I was thinking about and he was coming home via Chicago" so he lies and blows it off. He's trying to write another story, but he's on tour and sometimes the drummer comes in and says, "What are you writing, man?" and he just minimizes the page. He should find a beta, maybe, people recommend that.

It's kind of hard though, because it's not a popular pairing. Especially not among the best writers. They - the slashers, who want to pair all the boys together - tell him that Lance is obviously gay. Even on the off chance he isn't, they ask, would he really fuck one of his best friend's girlfriends? He always responds "That's what creates all the tension! They're cute *and* complicated." He has a "Brit and Lance are soinlove" folder on his laptop where he's saved every picture he's found of them together and any articles where they mention one another. He's managed to find a few people who really understand and they get together when he comes through their city and talk about their poor neglected het OTP and keep one another updated whenever they find new fic or catch footage of the two of them - 'cause that's like Holy Grail material. So, It's long and hard and lonely - the path of a Brit/Lance OTP-er among a community of slashers on one side and teenies on the other, but he's gonna stick to it.

It's not like he gets invited to the right events to ever have a chance to really meet Lance or Brit, but he thinks if he did, he would say to Brit that it seems like she has a real friend in Lance. Just to see how'd she react. He gets it, he's an adult, he knows they're not really going out. But. He likes to think maybe. Under cover of everything. Because maybe Lance is bi. Cute and complicated, after all.

It's the summer tour, and he looks out at the front row and there's Chris Kirkpatrick. Which, well, he thinks Chris is the coolest guy of that whole scene, but man. In his new fic, the one he's working on, Lance and Brit end up at a Wilco concert because they think no one will recognize them. The one he needs a beta for. And there's Chris and sure enough, no one recognizes him.

He tries not to be too excited when he sees Chris walking around backstage after the show. Bad idea to jump on him and say, "Dude! Lance and Brit are soinlove, right? Right? Come on, throw a guy a crumb!"

So, he acts all casual. He almost pretends he doesn't recognize the guy, but really, that's just rude. So, when Chris introduces himself, Jeff says he really liked "The Two of Us". He doesn't add that he sometimes imagines Lance singing it to Britney. Even he knows how cheesy that is. Chris seems surprised, but says thanks.

Jeff waits until they've finished three beers apiece before he says, "So, your friends are in the news a lot these days." Chris doesn't get defensive, doesn't even flinch and Jeff thinks again that there are more than a few perks to being a well-respected but not-too famous alt-country type. People always think you're too intellectual for gossip. So Chris spills a little, talks about Lance in space and the Big Break Up (which Chris says just the way Jeff thinks of it - all in caps). Chris seems kind of bitter about Britney and he wonders what happened there. He can't bring himself to ask anything else, but he definitely has a few new bunnies.

Jeff says goodnight, nice to meet you, we'll get together again, I'd like to meet the other guys, too, maybe - stresses the too and the maybe to avoid offending Chris. When he gets back to the bus, he posts to the list asking if anyone would be interested in looking over a new story and does a little research to see if it's possible for Britney to visit Lance in Russia even if she is touring.

Chris, it turns out, is really that cool and calls him two days later. He does really like Chris so they have a nice talk, about the industry and bullshit like that and Chris has stories and so does he.

And it turns out Chris is in LA and so is JC and Justin. Jeff says, "Oh, cool. Maybe, you know, we could hang. I'll be there in a few."

It's all agreed.

He finishes the story and someone agrees to beta it, a girl whose writing he likes, so that's good. She reads it over and notes that she really likes the poetic imagery. Jeff hopes she won't notice it if he ever puts the song he took it from on an album. He'll need to change the title and some of the words because he thinks 'The Ballad of Lance and Brit' might give him away. Jeff laughs at himself and thinks it will definitely give him away.

In LA, one of the guys in the band laughs at him and says to make sure no one takes pictures. "You and Justin fucking Timberlake, man." But the guys are all cool. JC talks too much, turns out he loved Uncle Tupelo (who would'a thought?) and he even has fucking bootlegs from the tour they did before Yankee Hotel Foxtrot came out, when they were playing all the songs. Justin is more serious than he expected, and Jeff reminds himself more than once to work on that in his next story.

Justin only mentions Brit once, and all he says is, "Cheating bitch. Fuck her."

They mention Lance a lot, though. Jeff hears two stories about Lance sleeping with women, and he stops himself from saying, "A-HA!" They also refer to Lance's "friend" in Russia with him as fucktoy and a 'greasy bohunk starfucker' so it's all just so perfect. Cute and complicated, Jeff thinks, grinning into his beer.

And they're all pretty cool and he has to remember that for the next story. And he needs to find someone who can give some inside dirt because he's starting to wonder if maybe his het OTP is for true and real. It's all about the subtext, maybe.

Three days after Jeff hangs out with Chris and JC and Justin, he finishes editing the story. He took all the suggestions from his beta and he likes it. A lot. More, even, than a couple of the songs on the last album. So he pastes it into an email and types up a summary and stares at the screen for eight minutes. Finally he clicks "send" and immediately wishes he hadn't. But, he likes the story and he had changed a few things based on the stories he'd heard and now he thinks Lance's characterization is just right. He's a writer, published and famous and all and this is fan fiction. So he shuts off the computer and he's happy and he goes to bed.

The next morning Jeff goes right to his laptop to check his email. Not that he writes for feedback, but he'd really like to know what people think. But then his publicist calls and Rolling Stone is on the other line and they want to talk to him and you don't say no to that, even if you are an intellectual alt-country type with secret Britney/Lance tendencies. They ask him what he's listening to and he slips "Britney Spears" in there among all the expected stuff and grins as the reporter tries not to be surprised.

After the interview there's some money stuff and then a group meeting. The session guy that he wants to do some mandolin on the new song has "issues". Jeff listens distractedly, no one would ever think mandolin players were so whiny, and takes care of everything, all the while wondering how people felt about the sex scene with Britney and Lance in the elevator and if it was too much. Because he thinks it might have been.

When he finally gets a minute alone he logs on and taps his foot on the floor while the pages load. He forces himself to check his "real" email first and then tenses as he clicks over to the stuff from the list. And there's his story. And the next email just says "nice. More people should write Lance and Brit" and he agrees, but that's it? So he goes on, through some pictures of Lance with a kind of sleazy guy who can't possibly be the "fuck toy" because he has to be 35, if not older, so he deletes them. There are two administrative messages and he's practically twitching. Then. What he was waiting for. He reads it, just a short paragraph, but somebody liked it. He hums a few bars of a song he's working on and writes back a cheery thank you note.

He signs off and starts pondering a bunny he'd thought of earlier. He won't write it, of course, there's not that much crack in the world. But. He wonders about the logistics of time-travel anyway.

Jeff's thinking about writing an AU. Something with a side helping of slash maybe, so he can post it to more lists and get more people to see how great Lance/Brit can be. Maybe some Justin/JC? Or Justin/Chris, people seem to like that. He can kinda see it, a little, from watching all three of 'em interact. He shakes his head and gets back to work. Jeff remembers JC watching Chris intently while Chris told some involved story and the way Justin patted Chris's back more than he needed to, maybe.

An AU, he thinks, after the show. College AU, maybe, where they're all in college and Justin and Brit are the fraternity and sorority types, and Lance is too cool for a fraternity but cool enough. Something like that. And Justin is secretly gay, for the slash part.

JC comes backstage just like he has the last three shows in California. He really is a fan and he's practically following the band now. The other guys have gotten used to him, will grudgingly admit to liking him. They're also all convinced JC's gay.

Jeff says, "A guy wears tulip pants for one tour and you know."

The bassist shrugs and says, "It's not a bad thing. Cause, you know, JC seems nice and I have a friend I'd fix him up with if that's the case."

Jeff says, "Oh. Well, he's never said anything to me about it."

Jeff is happy to state plainly, "'Two of Us' and 'No Strings Attached' are just plain good songs. He's writing pop, man. He writes it well. And you gotta admit he can sing like a motherfucker." Also, JC off-camera is still sweet and occasionally scatter-brained one minute and snarky and articulate the next. Sometimes he laughs and can't stop and he isn't even stoned. He's fun.

So Jeff tries not to pump JC too much about Lance, or Brit. Not like JC hasn't known both of them for years and years but he likes JC for himself. Not just as his source of info on his OTP.

They're talking about Lance, and JC brought it up, Jeff'd swear in a court of law, and JC says, "And also, you know, now that Justin and Britney are not anymore, it's hard for Lance because he's such good friends with Brit."

He just nods, show no excitement, he thinks. "That's the way it goes sometimes," he says.

"Yeah. I know. You know, it's all complicated, too." And then JC shuts up, his face blank like he almost said too much.

The AU is actually really fun and Jeff gets kind of obsessed with research, looking up things and making sure he has all the ages right. Lance is a business major, of course and Britney's in theatre and they're really cute. He thinks he can pull people in with this one. He checks around and gets some opinions and decides that the slash should be Chris/Justin because a lot of people seem really opposed to JC/Justin. Also, he feels kind of strange about slashing JC now that they're spending so much time together.

Which they are. Because JC's on hiatus and he seems to have nothing better to do than show up at Wilco shows in random Midwestern states. It's nice, and the band has gone beyond grudging - they really like the guy and talk for a week about the time JC brings them banana bread he made himself. JC brings Chris with him once and he almost preens when the guys start bragging to Chris about how great JC's cooking is. JC brings Justin another time and they sign a cd for Jeff's kids.

Jeff's worried though, that he'll slip up. Because he knows more than he should and he wants to know even more. He thinks that eventually they'll have to notice the Pavlovian way he sits up straighter and focuses more when Lance is mentioned. He can only act casual for so long.

So he's maybe a little on edge and spills his beer backstage in Nashville when Justin says, almost offhand, "Brit called during the show. She was crying or some shit."

JC's glances around, eyes wide and hand to his mouth. "J?"

Justin's words are a little slurred, but the kid's not drunk, really. "No one here cares, C."

And Jeff feels a little guilty, maybe, but he still wants more.

There's silence, so he shifts in his chair and looks at Justin. "Break ups are," he pauses. "Complicated, man." And that might be the stupidest thing he's ever said.

But Justin nods, finishes off his beer and looks older than he should. "Yeah."

JC changes the subject then and there are stories about Lance, but he only half listens, wondering about Britney and why she was crying.

Jeff sets the AU in Illinois, because he knows that like the back of his hand. He's got about fifteen pages written, and he's decided on Lance POV so he doesn't have to write Chris and Justin having sex. It's the longest thing he's ever written and he likes it. He's kind of neglecting the new songs he should write, maybe, but fuck it. The world needs a good college AU Lance/Brit epic more than it needs a new Wilco album. He's damn sure of that.

JC and his friendship with the band and all of them has hit the papers. Slight gossip, a few raised eyebrows. Jeff wonders if they'll make J-14 and that's just too weird to contemplate. He flips through mags like that a lot, looking for pics of Brit and Lance or articles on the two of them but he's never bought one.

JC gets up and sings with the band at a show in Boston. He knows all the songs after all, even obscure things you'd never hear unless you collected bootlegs and listened to them a million times. It's a really great show and after JC stands outside with Jeff in an alley, wipes the sweat off his brow and says, "That was great."

"Totally, dude, that was amazing. We should have you on the next album."

JC looks down and almost blushes, it's easy to see his excitement and Jeff thinks, no wonder they call him a kitten.

And then. JC's phone rings and he holds up his hand in apology and answers it. He says, "Hello?" and then, "Lance? What's up? Where are you?"

Jeff lights a cigarette and looks away, like he's being polite and not holding himself back from grabbing the phone.

JC says, "I know, I know, J said she called crying but that's not. You know, man. She's." Another pause. "Not your fault. She made her choices and I love Brit, you know, not the same way but. She made her choices."

JC listens, murmuring sympathetic noises every now and again, tilting his head. Jeff smokes absent-mindedly and he burns his finger. "Fuck!"

JC looks over, but Jeff just waves him away and sucks on his finger for a second. Listens as JC says "No, I don't have--" and then "if you're sure" and finally "okay, make the arrangements, but I think you should call J." He sighs and hangs up and Jeff rubs his finger and stares just past JC's shoulder.

"Are you okay?" JC asks

"Oh, yeah. Just stupid. Is everything all right?" Jeff is trying to keep his breath steady and JC looks upset enough that Jeff feels kinda shitty, but he still wants to know. Because that was Lance on the phone and he was definitely talking about Britney and it sounded intense.

So when JC slumps against the wall and sighs, he does his best to look interested and concerned, which isn't hard, because he cares. About JC, too.

"It's just. Everything's so messy and Justin says he's fine. But, I worry."

Jeff nods, knowing how that goes and chasing the threads of possibility in his head. He wonders and he shouldn't, but it's all so fascinating. The kind of story someone should write for the list. Not him, of course.

"Anyway, I don't want to take sides, even if Chris kind of is, and it's not that I don't trust Chris, and Lance is just. Confused. He's coming home from Russia for a break. He says he needs to work things out. I guess he's right, but." JC thinks for a second, then grins at Jeff. "I'll still be able to make it to the show in DC, though, I think."

Jeff stops thinking about Lance and Britney's reunion and kisses and tears. He smiles back and rests his hand on JC's shoulder. "Cool. You can sing with us again, maybe? Invite your family or whatever."

They talk a little longer, but JC has to get going and the bus driver says they need to get a move on anyway. Back in front of his laptop Jeff writes the climactic scene of the AU, the frat party where Justin comes out and Britney and Lance have sex in an upstairs bedroom. He's never been to a frat party, but he thinks he captured it pretty well, not too cliched, but real and recognizable. He writes all night and it's an amazing feeling.

One, two, three days out and he's got a good ending, Justin and Chris are soinlove even though Chris is mouthy TA but not in the department where Justin is majoring so. Lance and Britney are together, of course.

On the list Jeff posts to a thread about 'Holy Grail' footage. He points out that in Britney's Diary ep on MTV when she sees Lance she falls into his arms and hugs him tight, in contrast to the way Justin seems almost stand-offish throughout. It's one of his favorite tapes.

He thinks the AU is done. He likes writing AUs, it seems less intrusive somehow. He still makes a lot of effort to get the characterizations exactly right, but it's not just transcribing stories he's heard from the guys now.

JC comes to the DC show and sings. The guys all love him now and they're looking forward to it. There are a few more teenagers in the audience than Jeff usually sees and he thinks word's gotten out about JC. He makes JC sing the songs with curses in them just to see the girls gasp and feels bad about it for two seconds. It's clear JC enjoys it.

After the show, JC sits back in a couch, takes a joint the new drummer offers him. He leans over and whispers in Jeff's ear, "Can I tell you a secret? It's not mine, but."

JC is already stoned. Jeff should say no. But.

It doesn't matter what he should do, because JC is talking again before Jeff can answer. Jeff is listening, but it's hard to understand, lots of babble about NSync and love and brothers. And then.

"Britney and Lance think they're in love."

Jeff stares, struggles not to let his jaw drop. Because really he never thought it. He liked the idea and sort of almost half-believed it sometimes. But it's true. Britney and Lance. For real. And he smiles, thinks about the picture he has taped on the inside cover of his notebook - a group shot from a photo shoot they did with Britney and she's leaning her head close to Justin, but really it looks like she's smiling at Lance. It's adorable.

JC is still talking though, so he makes himself listen. JC looks worried.

"Jeff," he says urgently, "you can't tell anyone, okay? I maybe shouldn't have said--"

Jeff nods and hands JC the joint. JC smiles gratefully and Jeff waits until he's taken a hit before speaking.

"Who would I tell, man?" JC nods. Jeff isn't going to tell, after all. "So, is this. I mean, are you all okay. Or?" He doesn't want to ask the logical question.

JC shakes his head. "I don't know. Chris is pissed and Joey is kind of. Waiting? Justin is pretending none of it's happening. Lance feels guilty and Britney doesn't understand why things can't just be easy."

JC shrugs and Jeff nods, Britney's kind of selfish that way - not mean, but just thoughtless. Or, he thinks she is. That's how he wrote her, anyway.

"What about you?"

JC frowns. "I don't know. There's Justin and the group and all of that. It's." JC waves the joint, smoke swirling in the air. "Complicated. But then, Brit and Lance are really so--"

"Cute."

"Yeah." JC looks at him and then away. "They are."

They sit in silence and finish the joint.

He finds another beta so he can have two and they both fawn over the AU. He thinks the slash part will really pull people in. He tries not to think about what JC said, or, at least, not think about when writing.

It's pretty easy for him to separate the real from the rest, and he thinks he's pretty suited to this fiction writing gig. He knows the biz, he knows how your character gets distorted every which way and how little of any of it is truth in the big way.

Jeff sympathizes more with Lance in some ways, because he's in a group, but sometimes more with Brit because she's out front, the lead. But he decides from now on, he's only writing AUs or weird magic realism things because he knows too much and he doesn't want what he knows to taint what he imagines.

JC still comes to shows, his plans for home improvement out the window in lieu of playing around with the band, singing at shows, cajoling them into a studio to do an impromptu cover of the Replacements' "Skyway "and REM's "So. Central Rain."

"Save it for some soundtrack, or something," JC says. And JC holds his copy of the demo close to his heart, blushing like a fan asking for an autograph.

Jeff posts the college AU, and subs to some slash lists for Justin and Chris and "Timbertrick" and the main Nsync slash list. Hell, maybe even that is true, too, but he won't ask. He doesn't think so, somehow, though because Chris looks more at JC sometimes, when he thinks JC isn't looking from what he's seen of them all together. Jeff gets really nice feedback, four pieces of it and he makes sure to respond immediately.

Two days later there's an item on the Lance het list, gacked from Page Six that implies in very very veiled terms that Lance and Brit are together now. Jeff bites his lip and doesn't comment.

JC calls before the first of two shows in New York, says he can't make it, but he'll be there the next night. Jeff asks if everything's okay and JC's voice is only a little strained when he replies, "group stuff".

The guys are a little disappointed not to have JC there, he's been a fun addition to the dynamic. The few teenage girls low-cut sleeve tops leave pouting. The show goes well anyway, of course, but Jeff skips the after party.

In the hotel, Jeff checks his email and sees that word is Britney's in New York and seems happier than she has in months. Jeff smiles, happy for her and signs on to AIM. He chats with some friends and starts to plot out a new AU. Lance is in a band of some kind, plays the drums maybe? Britney is a fan. Jeff asks about other slash pairings, decides this time he'll do JC and Chris. That way he can send it to more lists and maybe get more people into Lance and Britney. He'll make JC the singer in Lance's band, he thinks. By the time his eyes are itching with exhaustion, he has some ideas sketched out and what might be either an opening line or a song lyric. He'll be able to use it one way or another.

Britney's on The View the next morning, so he watches while he's eating breakfast. She's cute and doesn't say anything that makes him cringe, so Jeff is glad he got to watch. He's looking down, buttering the toast when he hears one of the women say "Lance". His head shoots up and Britney is blushing and laughing.

"We've always been friends." Britney says, pushing her hair off her face.

"That's all?"

"Well, you know." The youngest of the hosts doesn't look like she knows much of anything, but she nods anyway and Britney continues. "It's complicated. But we're close."

The interviewer pushes for details only once more, but it's clear Britney's closed the subject, so they move on.

He's not nervous before the show, he never is anymore. Not in the 'what if we suck' way, though that's always present in the back of his head. But ten minutes before going onstage, JC drifts into his room and grins. JC looks tired but happy and he waves to one of the guys, cocks his head to one side and winks at someone else. JC says, "You need a back-up singer tonight?"

Jeff says, "Oh, sure. We can even offer you permanent employment, if you got the time."

He meant it to be a joke, but he can't miss JC's wince. JC shakes his head and says, "No, I've got a job. Today, I definitely still have a job."

Jeff nods and feels stupid. JC sighs. He says, "You're gonna get more press than you expected, I think. I -- okay, I asked Lance to come with me because he's here and he agreed and he maybe brought a friend. Just a friend, if anyone asks, but I don't think they will. Ask you."

Jeff swallows. His throat is dry and suddenly it's like he's smoked a hundred cigarettes. He says, "A friend?"

JC says quietly, "Britney. He brought Britney. It's, like, testing the waters or something? I dunno." He sighs. "I'd really prefer to be onstage tonight than down there with them. I don't know what Justin's gonna say."

Jeff coughs and downs half a bottle of water before answering. He's still thirsty somehow. "Oh. Huh. Lance and Brit both here."

JC nods again, plays with the hem of his knit shirt. It's purple, Jeff thinks, kinda surprised but not really, purple with a pink flower across the chest diagonally. JC's weird. But Jeff's met weirder. Jeff stands up and pats JC's shoulder. "Back-up singer it is. For the whole set if you want, or you can stay back here."

And he thinks, right. Right. JC is his actual friend now, someone he really likes. Which is way more important than dwelling on the fact that Lance and Britney are right out there. Right out there. In front of the stage.

Jeff can't see into the audience, really. The lights are bright and there are a lot of faces. It's not like he could pick them out from the stage. That doesn't stop him from trying.

JC is really into it tonight, sings more songs than usual, stays backstage in between. Jeff watches him sing the lead on "Candyfloss". He thinks maybe JC is looking for Lance and Britney, too.

After the show they stand around backstage, JC talking with the old drummer, back again just for tonight and Jeff strangely quiet. He's waiting and he feels kind of pathetic, but his heart jumps when he sees two golden blonde heads coming their way. He stands up, almost on his toes, and sees the way Lance's hand is brushing Britney's waist.

They reach the group and pull apart, just a little, but Jeff notices. He feels bad that they have to hide things, wonders how they think no one will notice the way Britney smiles when Lance speaks, even if it's not to her. JC turns towards him and he's so tense, because it's Lance and Britney and they're here and for real and together.

It's so fucking surreal. It reminds Jeff of the first time he met Michael Stipe and Peter Buck, it's just like that. They're real and right there. And not just in his head.

He gets out a few mumbled sentences, stops himself from staring at the two of them, together, trying to memorize their body language. They're the cutest thing in the world. Or, at least the room.

Lance says, "Y'all gonna keep JC for a while? We don't want to give him up, you know." It's a joke, of course, but JC smiles for a real for a moment. Jeff forces out a laugh, craves a cigarette.

Some woman in the wrong outfit for this show touches Britney's elbow, whispers in her ear and Britney turns, touches Lance's arm. She says something quietly to him, he bends down a little to hear her. Jeff wants a picture of the moment and feels like an idiot for thinking that. He looks at JC and he remembers, it's real life. JC looks five years older, tense enough to snap.

Britney says, "I've gotta go, I'm so sorry." She leans over and kisses Jeff's cheek, like he's some fashion designer or something. It's a weird thing, but it's sweet. And Britney's "I" apparently meant "we" because Lance says a few quick words to JC, grips Jeff's shoulder and then he's gone, too.

The drummer says, "Dude, are they going out? I thought he was gay." He covers his mouth and says, "Sorry. Sorry, man," to JC.

JC shrugs. He's still tense. "He's bi, okay?" The room has emptied out, it's just JC, the band, some guy passed out in the back who can't hear them and is maybe just part of the scenery of this theater. JC says, "He's bi, he's my damn ex-boyfriend and I've known her since before she had to wear a bra and it's all just fucking insane." No one says anything and JC visibly makes himself relax. He says, "Okay, I'm clearly a little too tightly wound. Is someone carrying, cause I could use a fucking joint right about now."

There are only two shows left on this tour. Chicago and LA, then it's time to rest, see the family, write some new songs. Jeff writes while he travels, but not songs. The new AU is coming along. He was planning on making Lance and JC exes, thought it would make for some nice tension, but after New York he changed his mind, left them as friends. Chris he brought in as their manager. He's really having fun with Britney's character, imagining what she'd be like if she'd grown up poorer, angrier. He thinks it'll be finished and ready to go to beta at the same time the tour ends. So, he's happy with that.

He's still getting feedback on the college AU. A girl on the Timbertrick list, Kristin, tells him she loved the story. She was surprised that she was almost more interested in the Lance/Britney story than Chris and Justin. Jeff writes back, thanks her, waxes poetic about Lance and Britney and she replies, says "they *are* cute and complicated". She asks for recs and photos. Jeff sends his favorites of each along with the Page Six item. Under that he types, "I'm writing CANON, baby! CANON!" He thinks it's okay, because Kristin doesn't know what he knows and it's just a gossip column.

The Chicago show is fun, it always is because a lot of his old friends manage to show up. It's a practically a party on stage and then definitely a party backstage. JC seems happier too, and Jeff wonders if it's the atmosphere or if things are better. He doesn't ask, just makes sure JC always has a fresh drink. It's nice to see him relaxed, no matter what the reason.

They're on the same flight to LA the next morning, and it's delayed, so they grab some coffee and wait. They're talking about music, about stuff JC's been writing and Jeff thinks JC wants to ask him to look at the lyrics, but hasn't quite worked up the nerve. He's about to offer when JC's cell phone rings. He's not sure which of them jumps more, but clearly they're both a little tense.

JC rolls his eyes and checks the display. "I've gotta take this."

Jeff expects him to stand, move away, but he doesn't. He just shifts over a few inches and answers it. "Hey, man. What's up?"

JC is quiet for a moment and then he starts smiling. Really smiling, Jeff can tell now. JC says, "And then?" and "So you're --" and finally, "Dude, that's awesome. I'm so happy for you."

More silence as JC listens and nods and grins. Then JC says, "Okay, bye!" and hangs up. He turns to Jeff, still smiling.

"So that was clearly good news."

"It was!" JC almost squeals. He says, "It's -- okay, you know all our big secrets now anyway, but. Okay, it was Justin. That was Justin. He's, you know, he's seeing someone. Which is really good, really good. He said he wanted to call Lance to tell him and that's just. Really good to hear. I think things are going to be okay."

Jeff grins, too. He hates seeing JC sad now that they've become real friends. "Justin's seeing someone?"

JC looks down. "Yeah, you won't see that part on Page Six. It's, uh, a friend of his. Guy. A friend of his friend Trace, they, you know, they went to see the NBA games in LA and I was hoping, but now. Yeah. So, you know, not to be a jerk, but."

Jeff says, "My lips are sealed."

On the plane, Jeff switches seats with someone else in first class and sits next to JC. JC does show him the songs and they talk about the lyrics a little. JC's bubbling a little, but then he says, "It's really good. Justin, Lance, Brit, Joey, everyone's got someone."

Jeff nods and changes the subject.

They get off the plane and walk through security and Jeff sees the car waiting for him. He waves to JC. JC's standing by another car, hugging Chris and he turns briefly to wave to Jeff and then turns back to Chris.

"Kirkchastrick," Jeff says as he gets in the car.

The driver says, "What?"

Jeff just waves at him, tells how to get to where he needs to go. Happy endings are the best part of the story, he thinks. When they make sense.