~ ~ ~ ~

"Okay, we've covered the song list, we've covered the stage set up, we've covered the rehearsal schedule." Johnny looked over his glasses and broke into a slow grin. "Final item. It appears that congratulations are in order."

They all looked up with interest. Lance kicked Joey, who'd been dozing, and he sat up with a start.

Johnny's smile grew wider. "It concerns the cover of Cosmogirl."

"Hey," Chris started. "I thought that was over awhile ago."

"Nope. It just ended." Johnny beamed and Justin started to grin. He was in the process of standing up, arms raised in victory when Johnny said,

"Congratulations, JC. You won the Survival of the Sexiest contest." Johnny grinned as Chris and Joey and Lance whooped loudly and pounded the conference room table.

Justin sat back down with a thump, and they all turned to JC as he blinked nervously.

"Um," JC said. "What?"

Johnny chuckled and Chris patted JC on the shoulder. "Dude. You won the cover. According to teenaged girls with 10 or more email addresses apiece, you are the world's sexiest man." He grinned as a slow blush crept up JC's neck. "Not that there was ever any doubt, but really, JC. Tell us poor unsexy losers how you did it."

Lance nodded approvingly. "I thought it was gonna be that kid from Lifehouse, but JC really surged at the end."

"I bet his mom hacked the system," Justin muttered, arms crossed.

"I won what?" Perhaps Joey hadn't been the only one sleeping through the meeting.

"Cover shoot and interview next Tuesday," Johnny announced, gathering his papers and preparing to leave. "Just JC, of course."

"Interview? By myself?" JC asked with thinly disguised panic.

"All by yourself, baby!" Chris cackled as he leaped to his feet. "Now we can introduce you as the world's sexiest man on the tour, and we won't be lying, will we? Ladies and gentlemen, to my left, singing tenor and risking permanent injury by wearing the tightest pair of spangled stretch pants known to man, I give you the winner and undisputed champion of Cosmogirl's Survival of the Sexiest contest, JC Chasez!!" He ruffled JC's hair affectionately and JC batted at him.

"Did I enter this contest?" JC was still bewildered.

"No, JC. The fans voted you in," Lance explained patiently. "Remember? This started way last Fall, I think. We were all in it at one time or another."

"Well, most of us." Chris put in, with a grin at Joey.

"Oh, Chris. Thanks man."

"Are ya'll sure this is such a good idea?" This from Justin, sitting like a little black cloud at the end of the table. Joey looked at him sharply.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked carefully, and Justin squirmed.

"Well, I dunno, but I thought we were trying to kind of move past the pre-teen demographic. You know, grow with our audience." Justin sat up straighter, eyes wide and guileless. "Weren't we? I mean, Cosmogirl isn't exactly what we're trying to target here, right? Cosmo, maybe, but not Cosmogirl."

They all stared at him silently for a moment. JC bit his lip and looked down, and Lance rolled his eyes.

"You're absolutely right, Justin." Lance leaned across the table, mouth set and eyes serious. "Cosmogirl is not something we should aspire to. I mean, its not like its YM, or J-14, right?"

"And you weren't on the cover of Cosmo, J. It was an insert." Joey added.

"Of a very, very fat issue." Chris contributed smugly. He rubbed JC's shoulder comfortingly. "Don't mind him, C. He's just jealous because he has no chest hair."

"I'm just sayin'!" Justin stopped and had the grace to flush as he squirmed uncomfortably. "Yeah, yeah, alright." He stood, wiping his hands on the legs of his jeans. "Hey, C."

JC looked up warily, Chris's hand gentle on the back of his neck. Justin smiled wanly.

"I think its really cool that you won. Really. I'm sorry about that crack I made about your mom hacking the system." Justin's lower lip quivered, just a little bit. "I mean, you got the cool hair and stuff, and you deserved it, right?" JC smiled and Justin looked at the other three pairs of eyes leveled at him. "Hey!" he said brightly. "We should go out, celebrate. You think?"

Everyone relaxed, and Joey rubbed Justin's shoulder with a smile as they all filed out.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Sexy sexy sexaaaaaayyyy . . ." Chris was in an excellent mood as they left the club, almost bouncing his way to the limo. JC sighed and followed him, waving at the others as they headed for the other car. He climbed in after Chris and slid as close to him as he dared.

"I don't understand, still. What was this about new people every month? And how did I even get into this contest?" He sighed. "I thought they were supposed to tell us before these contest things."

Chris grinned and patted JC's knee. "Lance explained it pretty clearly, C. At least I thought so. Where were you?"

"When? Just now? While the music was playing?" JC didn't remember Lance talking, but he could be wrong. He'd been wrong before. His brow knit and he shook his head. It didn't really matter. Not now, when Chris was smiling so brightly at him. He groped for his train of thought.

"So, I have to do an interview? For Cosmogirl?"

Chris chuckled, his knee pressing against JC's as the car started and pulled into traffic. "And a photo shoot, C. For the cover, and you know, other photos for the inside." He eyed JC appraisingly. "Talk to me before you pick out clothes, though. That is, you know, if they're going to have you wearing any." JC's mouth fell open in shock, and he saw Chris suppress a smile.

"Chris, I don't. I mean. Hey, wait. Wait. Do I have to do this? I mean, did I sign something?" JC's eyes were wide on Chris's face, and Chris gave in, smiling reassuringly.

"C, it'll be fine. Really, it'll be fine." He took JC's hand and rubbed it soothingly. JC moved a little closer and leaned against him even as he blushed. "Its Cosmogirl, not Playgirl." JC groaned, and Chris reached a hand over to rub the back of his neck, stroking through the hair curling at the nape. His voice softened. "It'll probably be a pretty simple photo shoot. Remember what that magazine did for Justin's? The red satin sheets and the candles and the lip gloss?" He hid a smile as JC shuddered. "It'll probably be something along those lines. Nothing you can't handle, a sexy guy like you." He smiled, and JC smiled back, leaningly trustingly into Chris hand.

JC looked appraisingly at Chris's smile and sighed. "You're teasing me," he said, and dared to move a little closer, his head cocked a little to the side. He reached out a hand and ran a finger across Chris's lower lip, watching his eyes darken. "And I think," he started, momentarily distracted as Chris's tongue reached out to meet his finger, "I think the wrong guy got voted in."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

". . . singing tenor, the winner and undisputed winner of Cosmogirl's Survival of the Sexiest . . ." Chris's voice rang overly loud through the PA of the empty rehearsal hall, drowning out Lance's whoops of encouragement and JC's helpless laughter. Joey smiled as he headed for the backstage dressing rooms, wiping his face with a towel.

He entered his room and was about the close the door when Justin appeared in the doorway, still wearing his sweaty rehearsal clothes and a bit of a pout.

"J. What's up?"

"Nothing." Justin sat down and looked at Joey expectantly. Joey sighed.

"Justin. That doesn't work anymore. It hasn't worked for years. Tell me what's on your mind, or get out." He was strong. The pout didn't work on him. Joey was enormously pleased with himself.

Until the blue eyes grew, widened, filled with tears and the pouting lower lip trembled unsteadily. Joey felt himself weaken as Justin looked up at him, absolutely forlorn. He sighed and sat down, wrapping an arm around Justin's shoulders as Justin tucked his arms around his waist and burrowed eagerly into his chest.

"Alright. Now, tell me what's on your mind." Justin snuffled into his neck and he sighed. "Is it the Cosmogirl thing? About JC," he started to say "beating you" and triumphantly substituted "winning?"

Justin shook his head no, but wouldn't disentangle so Joey could see his face. He stroked Justin's curly hair and waited.

"Its not that," Justin mumbled into Joey's neck, his breath warm and damp. "I mean, I got knocked off the contest a couple of months ago, and I thought maybe I'd get voted back on, maybe, but, I mean," he trailed off and sniffled unsteadily before pushing himself up to look into Joey's eyes. "I don't mind that JC won," he said earnestly. "Really, I don't. I mean, I'm glad for him. And I sure didn't want that guy from Lifehouse to win. I mean, he's not good looking at all."

Joey nodded and waited. Justin slid back into his arms and he stroked his back, soothingly.

"Its just, I mean, for a minute it was like this is what it's gonna feel like when it starts to happen. You know, maybe we will lose our audience. Maybe it'll happen, and in a few years nobody will care if any of us are on the cover of anything. Maybe," his breath hitched and Joey rubbed the back of his neck and slid his lips across his temple. "I just kind of panicked for a minute. I mean, this tour sold out and right now people care, but what happens when nobody does anymore?"

"Justin." Joey smiled against Justin's hair and wrapped his arms more securely around him. "Justin, we've talked about all this before, and we've all made plans for when that happens. Not if, but when. You know that." He paused, waiting for Justin's nod before continuing.

"And I can promise you that there will always be someone out there who thinks you're sexy. Even when you're an arthritic, old former pop star, the people who love you will still love you. Even if the only people who do love you are also arthritic former pop stars, you will still be loved." He felt Justin laugh a little into his neck, his breath hot and moist. He tipped his head up and looked into the blue eyes, lashes still damply stuck together. He smiled. "And if it helps you out any, I think you're the sexiest thang to ever swivel his hips on a stage."

Justin's eyes widened and his smile wavered uncertainly. "Only on stage?" he asked pathetically. The lower lip started to quiver again and Joey scrambled to fix it.

"Actually, there are those who are convinced that you are the sexiest thing to ever walk the earth. Really." Justin smiled, blindingly, and Joey gathered him closer and nuzzled his ear. "Okay?"

Silence. "Joey?"

"Yeah?"

"You're one of those people, right?"

"Oh, yeah." Silence. "Justin?"

Justin's mouth opened warmly on his throat and he wiggled closer. "Okay."