Adjusting

Title: Adjusting
Author: Shadith
Summary: JC adjusts to life with and without Justin
Rating: FRMAO (R and Up)
Pairing(s): JC/Justin past, JC/Em current
Feedback: desired.
Characters: Eminem, JC Chasez, N'sync, various celebrities
Betas: Aewnaur
Author’s notes: I blame this on Aewnaur. Awful person that she is she encouraged me to write it. Nags me about finishing it. Remembers details I've forgotten. If it weren't for her this would still be a summary.
*Disclaimer: I don't know, own, nor claim any memembers of N'sync, Aftermath, Shady Records. I've lied about everything.

It was habit to give Justin what he wanted. Almost ingrained in his very nature. It had started long before they'd become involved. Just a matter of trying to look out for the baby. The first time that really registered was back in Germany. Far from home, surrounded by the unknown Justin hadn't wanted to room with Lance. He wanted to stay with JC. Never mind it was JC's turn to get the single room. Justin simply couldn't bear to be away from the only thing reminding him of home. Staring down into Justin's teary eyes, it wasn't worth fighting over. Not something so simple. So he adapted.

The start of their romantic life was less than auspicious. They'd been out blowing off steam, finally back in the States. In a small club in Orlando, he'd run into an ex. Eric had been as handsome as ever, so when his ex had started flirting, he'd responded. He hadn't realized there was a problem, until Justin was in his face. He remembered being irked at Joey because he could smell the beer on the younger boy's breath. Before that had even really registered Justin had swung. He was never sure whether it had been at him or Eric, but he'd wound up with a the black eye. By then the guys had converged on them. Together they'd bundled Justin into a cab, him berating Joey all the way back to the compound.

Once there the others had left him to deal with a slowly sobering Justin. A Justin who'd developed a bad case of roman' hands and russian' fingers. All the while spilling out his anger and jealously. Not sure starting anything right then was a good idea, he'd tried putting Justin off. Justin had been implacable. It wasn't what he would have imagined for their first time. Even at that age Justin had been bigger than him. His huge hands stroking anywhere they could reach. The heavy weight of the taller boy pinning him to the bed as Justin tried to crawl inside him. The frantic ripping of cloth. Bruising grip, slick with sweat. The first punishing thrust. No it was not how he'd pictured their first time but JC adapted.
 

~~~*~~~

By the time Britney came on the scene, he had long adjusted to Justin's little idiosyncrasies. Except this time nothing he did worked. Justin could not...would not be appeased. The younger man found fault with everything he did. Every little thing was setting Justin off lately. And what might happen every once in a blue moon, was happening damn near every other day now.

Only this time was worse, cause Justin had actually hit him in the face. Something he'd never done, well not while sober. JC leaned, actually it was more of a slump, against their trailer. Fingers absentmindedly tracing the forming bruise, and he sighed. How was he going to explain it away, this time? He snorted, forcing himself straight. And the guys thought he was a bad liar. He'd been lying so well, for so long, that he wouldn't know the truth if it hit him in the face. He winced at the unintentional pun, before pushing it and the fight to the back of his mind. He knew Justin loved him. He knew that this was just the fallout from the stress of the last few months. Finally legally breaking from Lou, the media blitz over N.S.A, and his 'relationship' with Britney. All of it adding up to a volatile Justin. But he knew as soon as things calmed down he'd have his Justin back. He just had to hold on a little longer, adjust just a tiny bit more.