artificially flavored: 500 miles, strawberry, hallelujah, ad/advertisement.
by allecto


They were almost 500 miles into the tour when the 2-man bus broke down. Joey and Lance gathered some sheets and a change of clothes, and climbed onto what Chris insisted on calling the "We Have a Life" bus and Joey privately referred to as the "Fuck, We Have to Room with Chris" bus.

Usually when the buses pulled over for a swap, someone would be up front waiting to greet the newcomers. Justin was fond of grabbing Joey and pulling him to the Playstation, yelling to Chris about fresh blood. JC and Lance would sit at their keyboard and laptop, respectively, and work away in happy silence. Only this time, no one was there.

Joey and Lance exchanged glances, shrugged, and made their way to the back of the bus. They were about to open the door when they heard Justin.

"Dude! Your aftertaste is *rank,* man!"

"Oh, fuck you, Jup," Chris said, "Like you taste so great."

Joey looked at Lance. "Aftertaste?" he mouthed. Lance shook his head. He would have responded, but his jaw seemed to be stuck to the floor, so it was kind of hard.

"I *so* taste better than you do," Justin said.

"Whatever," JC said, "neither of you holds a *candle* to Joey."

Lance raised his eyebrows. Joey turned bright red, and pulled the door open.

"I thought we weren't telling them-oh."

Justin, Chris and JC were lying on the floor, trying on lip balm. *Nsync lip balm.

"Telling us what?" Justin asked. He had been about to try the Green Apple, but he abandoned it in favor of staring at Joey.

"Nothing," Joey said.

"We're dating," JC said.

"You're *what?*" Lance asked.

"Dating," JC said. "Blue Raspberry?"

"Yeah, well. Joey already took Green Apple. Anyway, since when is Justin Vanilla?"

"Hey! Unlike *some* people," Justin said, looking pointedly at Joey and JC, "I have not had tons of hot kinky sex."

"We did *not* have hot kinky sex!" Joey protested loudly.

"Sure," Chris said. "C borrows my handcuffs all the time."

"Shut up, Mr. Strawberry."

"Joe," Chris said, "give it up. C is practically a walking advertisement for hot kinky sex."

"What?" JC said. "How? What?"

"C, Dude. You know we love you, but. Watermelon?"

JC blushed. "It tastes good."

"Uh-huh. And that's why you've been hogging the Green Apple all morning."

JC tossed Chris his tube of lip balm. "Here," he said. "Go to town."

"Gee," Joey said. "Thanks. I don't feel pimped out or anything *now*."

"Joe! I wouldn't! I just. It's. Artificial."

Joey crossed his arms. "So now I'm artificial?" He sniffed pathetically. "I suppose it never even occurred to you that blue raspberries don't exist."

"Of course they do!" JC said.

"C," Lance said, "they do not."

"But they make blue raspberry popsicles!"

"Yes," Chris said. "Also, blue raspberry sherbet."

"See! Chris agrees with me."

"I do not."

"But you said-"

"C, Watermelon sucks. It tastes like Bubbalicious."

JC tackled Chris, sending them both rolling across the floor. The tubes of lip balm went flying everywhere, one of them hitting Justin in the eye.

"Ow! MotherFUCKERS!"

Joey pulled JC off, while Lance restrained Chris.

"It's all fun and games," Justin said, "until somebody loses an eye."

"Sorry," Chris said. "You okay?"

"Other than the fact that my eyelid probably tastes like strawberries, I'm fine. I might even be able to see for the show tomorrow."

"Hey! They fixed the other bus," Mike shouted to the back.

"Hallelujah!" Joey said. "Come on, C. Let's go fuck."

"Hey! You're not leaving me with these two!" Lance said.

"Sorry, buddy. You're my best friend, and all, but I can't resist the lure of JC's booty."

JC turned bright red, and started pulling Joey out of the room.

"I have a fine booty!" Lance yelled after them.

"Sure," Joey shouted, "but *blue raspberry?*"

Chris patted Lance on the arm. "It's okay," he said, "I'll fuck you even if you are artificially flavored."

"Thanks," Lance said, and kissed him.
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