Chris was late for a quiet evening in at Justin's with the rest of the guys. Quiet evenings, of course, were never exactly calm, just private. Something always happened that made them loud and boisterous and just fun.

Chris loved the nights at home more than those spent at clubs. They split up when they were out, dancing, drinking and talking to others. It only made sense when he considered how much time they actually spent together. Still, after a few days away or time spent in pairs, they'd always wind up at someone's house.

He knew it was strange, the way they fit together, finishing each other's sentences and curling up together. Joey and Lance fit into each others space comfortably and JC could wrap himself around any of them and fall asleep in minutes. He didn't think that they remembered that this sort of closeness wasn't normal anymore.

Justin was their baby, a strange overgrown child. When they drank, he insisted on playing games, asshole, bullshit or even truth or dare if he was feeling crazy. Tonight was obviously a truth or dare night, since Justin was staring hard at JC and JC was fluttering his hands, face turning pink and his mouth was open in shock.

Chris grinned. "What did you ask him this time, Infant?" He plopped down on the floor since the couches were taken up with the other's sprawls.

Justin sipped delicately at his beer. "Nothin' much. Besides he asked for Truth."

Joey snorted. "Yeah, like anyone would take a dare from you, J." He turned to Chris. "He asked Jayce if he'd ever thought about any of us while he..." Joey made a rude gesture and Chris laughed out loud.

"Yeah. Guess I'm going to have to start catching up." Chris accepted his drink and looked at JC with interest. "So, Jayce?"

JC hid his face in Lance's stomach. "Um. Yeah." He straightened up, his face truly red now, but his jaw set. "And that's all I'm saying." He cleared his throat. "Chris. Truth or Dare."

Chris watched as JC settled back against Lance. They looked like lovers, the way Lance's hand combed comfortably through JC's curls. "Dare, C."

Justin crowed and Lance giggled, deep and Chris thought, adorable. JC smiled, and he didn't look embarrassed anymore. "Take your pants off."

Chris remembered then, why no one ever took dare from JC. Justin's were crazy and wild, but JC's were just strange. He'd ask for these random things that always wound up being more embarrassing than anything Justin could think up. He stripped, the air cold against his thighs, grateful that he remembered boxers that morning.

"Yeah. Lance. Truth or Dare?"

Lance smiled and sipped. "Dare."

"Kiss Joey. For real."

It always disintegrated to this, Chris thought. By the time they were drunk, the dares always led to touching and kissing that they'd never have known how to ask for otherwise. He thought that it was why no one ever protested when Justin suggested playing.

Lance crawled over to the other couch, drink clutched in one hand. Joey smiled lazily up at him, eyes crinkled and Lance dipped in, winding a hand around his cheek and pulling him closer.

Chris watched, loving the way he could see the pink of Lance's tongue sliding into Joey's mouth, shifting uncomfortably as the kiss drew out and they slid together. He was suddenly turned on, and JC pointed, laughing, at the bulge in his boxers.

He shrugged. 'They're hot. You know it, too."

Justin said "We're all hot, dude." He stretched up, smiling around the room. "We should all get naked and fuck."

Chris shivered, thought that it was possibly the most incendiary thing Justin had ever said. He watched everyone's eyes widen, saw how Joey's hand rubbed up and down Lance's side, and how JC suddenly rolled over onto his stomach. He put his pants back on.

"Maybe not, J. Don't think we could handle that." He wished that he thought they could, but kissing and groping as a dare required alcohol and someone else's direction.

Justin curled back up, his eyes dark, draining his beer and reaching for another. "Yeah, y'all couldn't deal with the goods."

They all laughed, and Lance threw a pack of cards at Justin and suggested a game of asshole. Chris told himself that he was grateful for the change, and mostly he was.

~end~