JC let out a sigh, staring up at the brick row house that stood solidly in front of him.  Home.  Despite being exhausted from being on tour, he could feel his body calming at the thought of spending a week at home.  His mom stuffing him full of amazing meals, his dad and brother watching football and arguing over the better team, everything JC had missed immensely over the last few years.  He rarely had a chance to just be with his family, and he planned on taking full advantage of this week off.

Grinning, he hiked his bag up higher on his shoulder and headed toward the house.  He barely had a chance to touch the door knob before the portal burst open, the shrill sound of his mother’s voice meeting his ears.

“Joshua!”  She enveloped him in a hug, even though he towered over her slight frame.  He was instantly a little boy again, waiting for Santa in the comfort of his mother’s arms.  “Come in, come in!  I’m so happy to see you.”  She ushered him into the foyer, stopping him just inside the door way so she could inspect him thoroughly.  “You are too skinny.  Look at you!  Don’t they feed you on those tours?  Who’s taking care of you, anyway?  Isn’t Lynn with you boys?”  The barrage of questions kept coming, and JC pulled his hands up over his head and ducked as low as he could.

“Mom…please…”

“Karen, let the boy come in the house.  Stop interrogating him.”  Roy stood in the doorway to the kitchen, a grin stretched across his face.  JC dropped his bag onto the floor and reached out for his dad, bringing him into a hug.  “You look good, son.”

“Thanks, Dad.”  Somehow, being a world-famous singing sensation in the biggest boy band ever meant nothing when he was here.  He was just Josh, a quiet, intuitive little boy.  It was so good to be home.

“Well, don’t just stand there.  Come in the kitchen and I’ll fix you a plate; you must be famished.”  Karen tugged at JC’s coat, hanging it up in the entry way and prodding him into the kitchen while Roy grabbed his bags and took them upstairs.  “How are the other boys?  All home for Christmas, I hope.”

JC chewed the cookie he’d swiped, clearing his mouth before he answered.  “They’re all good, Ma.  I left Joey and Chris at the airport today; they’re both heading up north to see their families.  Justin and Lynn are back in Tennessee, and Lance is in Mississippi.  We’re all happy to have some time off.”

Karen puttered around the kitchen, stirring pots and pans, checking the oven, and piling food onto a plate.  She placed the plate at the table, motioning for JC to have a seat.  “You boys all work way too hard.  I just…,” she stopped, fanning her face and laughing a little bit, “I’m so proud of you.  You’ve just done some amazing things.”  She wiped at her eyes, banishing the tears that threatened to fall.  Chuckling again, she waved off the hug that JC was about to give her.  “Forgive your sappy mother.  I’m just so happy to have you home again.”

JC couldn’t help the love that swelled inside of him as he ate.  His family meant the world to him, and getting to spend quality time with them wasn’t something he took lightly.  He was thrilled to be able to be here for Christmas, too, since it was such a special holiday in his family.  He tucked into the food in front of him, planning to completely overindulge and let his mother spoil him.

“You finish up there and go get settled.  Tyler will be so excite to see you.”

“Where is he?”  JC slathered butter on a roll, inhaling the doughy scent.

“I sent him over to Maryann’s house to help her shovel.  She’s not getting any younger, and with her boys all out of the house now, she needs some help.”  Karen spoke of the neighbor, a tiny little woman that had been just as much family as anyone else over the years. 

“Does she need any more help?  I’d be happy to give Tyler a hand with things.”

Karen shooed his suggestion away.  “Oh no, dear, you just settle in.  Tyler is a big boy now, he can handle it.  I just want you to be able to relax.”

JC shrugged, filling his mouth with another bite of food.  “Well, if she needs any help later, I don’t mind chipping in.”  He tucked in, happily stuffing himself and forgetting about the stress of touring.  He loved being with the guys, and he especially loved getting to perform for his fans every nights.  But sometimes, it was really nice to get away for a while and just be a regular twenty-three year old again.  It also didn’t hurt that his mom liked to spoil him rotten when he was home, too.

After eating, JC made his way into the living room, kicking off his shoes and slouching onto the couch.  There was a Redskins game on later and he wanted to be able to catch it.  He flipped through the channels, finding ESPN and settling back.  It wasn’t long before his eyes closed and his breathing evened out.

~*~

“Where is he?”  The voice was loud enough to wake JC from his nap.  Groggily, he opened his eyes and looked around, taking a minute to figure out where he was.

Right.  Home.

“Sleeping?!  He can’t be sleeping while I just shoveled my ass off outside!”  Tyler’s voice came closer, and JC grinned, sitting up as his brother charged in the room.  “You ass!  How long have you been home?”

“Tyler!  Watch your language!”  Their mother called after him, poking her head into the living room to scowl at her younger son.  “You leave him be, and stop swearing!”

“Yeah, mom, sorry.”  Tyler waved her off, matching JC’s grin with one of his own.  “How have you been, stranger?”

JC stood, accepting his brother’s hug.  “Good, man.  I’m so happy to be home.”

Tyler pushed his brother back, giving him a good once-over.  “You look so skinny, dude.  Mom is going to be stuffing food down your throat at every chance she gets.”

JC laughed, pulling back and scratching at his neck.  All of the attention was great, but slightly embarrassing.  “Yeah, she’s already fed me once.”

“I’m glad your back, Josh.  We’ve missed you.”  A noise from the TV alerted both boys to the football game currently playing.  In true Chazes fashion, they fell onto the couch, completely engrossed with the play on screen.  Occasionally, a yell at the players would fly from one or both, and it wasn’t long before Roy was seated in the arm chair, joining in on the fun.  It was an intense pastime in this family, and one not usually messed with by any other member.  Tonight, though, was different.

“Don’t get too comfortable there, boys.  You’ll have to go clean up soon.  Company will be here in an hour.”  Karen stood in the doorway, watching as the males in her life seemingly ignored her.  Sighing, she stepped into the room and trudged over to the TV, standing in the way, much to the irritation of the audience.  “I said, you all need to clean up soon.  Company will be here in an hour.”

She stomped back out again, mumbling under her breath as a grin stretched her face.

“Company?”  JC looked between his father and his brother, confused.

“Shit!  The Christmas party.”  Roy stood, reluctant to leave the game but quite aware that his wife would roast him if he didn’t go help in the kitchen.  “Tyler, make sure you’ve cleaned the front steps and turned on the lights.”

“Christmas party?  What’s going on?”  JC was even more confused as he watched his father leave the room.

Tyler sighed.  “Yeah, Mom didn’t tell you?  She’s invited the neighbors and some of your old school friends to come over for dinner.  She thought you’d like to see everyone while you were here.”

JC sat back, running a hand over his face.  A party was the last thing he wanted.  He was looking forward to peace, quite, and the anonymity that came with being home.  Now, he’d have to put on a smile and entertain.  Really, this was supposed to be his vacation.

“I’m going to finish shoveling.  You might want to shower now, before Mom threatens to take you upstairs herself.”  Tyler grinned, waving at his brother as he headed back down the hall and outside.

JC trudged up the stairs, back toward his childhood bedroom.  Suddenly he felt exhausted.  He didn’t really want to have this party, but how could he tell his mom no?  Anyway, it was too late now.  “Just a couple of hours and you’ll have paid your dues, man.”  He told himself, heading into the bathroom to shower and hopefully wake up.

Forty-five minutes later saw JC downstairs helping his brother downstairs, setting the table and opening bottles of wine.  The food was ready, the house filled with Christmas music, and lights glittered outside. 

The first of the guests arrived shortly, and JC plastered on a smile.  It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy to see these people.  Really, he’d known all of them since he was a boy.  He just wasn’t up for answering the barrage of questions he knew would come, and he drew the line at singing for anyone tonight.

“JC, you remember Martha and Steve?  From across the street?”

“Joshua, come say ‘Hi’ to Betty and Evan.  They’re visiting from Florida.”

“This is my son, Josh, isn’t he all grown up?”

“Josh, why don’t you grab a glass of wine for Sandy?”

Once it started, it seemed like the stream of people never ended.  He was re-introduced to what felt like the entire neighborhood, shaking hands and smiling.  Everyone asked about *NSYNC, and more than one person asked for an autograph.

This was not how he wanted to spend his time off.

“JC, I want you to come see Brianna.  She had to work but she’s here now.”  Karen tugged at her son’s hand, looking back with a question when she met resistance.

“Ma, really.  I need a break.”  He gave her his most pitiful look, but she leveled her ‘I’m-the-parent’ gaze at him and he shuffled along behind her.  He was this close to stomping his feet and throwing a tantrum.

“You’ll remember Bri.  She went to grammar school with you.”  She gave him a broad grin.  “She’s turned in to quite the beautiful young woman.”

“Bri?”  He wracked his brain, trying to remember who this girl was.

“Yeah, Brianna Sullivan.”

Realization dawned on him.  “Sully?”

Karen scoffed.  “Really, JC, she’s a grown young lady now.  She should not be called Sully anymore; it’s not becoming.”

JC didn’t have time to respond.  Standing in the doorway, chatting with one of the many neighbors was someone JC hadn’t seen in years.  His mother wasn’t lying when she’d said that Brianna had grown up quite beautifully.  She was a lot taller than he remembered, but her eyes were the same bright green, sparkling with laughter.  She was engaged in a conversation and didn’t see him come in, but Karen cleared he throat and grabbed the girl’s attention.

“Brianna, you remember my son Josh, don’t you?”

Their eyes met and JC felt his heart stutter in his chest.  He fought the blush rising up his neck, trying to convince himself that he was suddenly warm. 

“Hey!”  She reached out a hand to him, sending sparks down his spine when they touched. 

Since when did he become a drooling school-boy?

“Hey…it’s ah…you look great.”  He stuttered, silently cursing himself in his head.  He was never this awkward, especially with people he knew.

This time, the blush crept up her cheeks.  “Thanks, you too.”

“I’m going to pull the turkey from the oven.  Mary, can you come help me?” Karen grabbed the neighbor Bri had been chatting with, waving at the two kids with a grin.  “You two catch up.  Dinner will be served in half an hour.”

Suddenly alone in the foyer, JC felt extremely shy.  He shuffled his feet, rubbing the back of his neck and grinning sheepishly over at Brianna.  “You look good, Sully.”  He said again, aware that he was starting to repeat himself.

She tipped her head back, laughing.  “No one has called me Sully since middle school.”

He shrugged, chuckling.  “Sorry, old habits.  My mom told me that I had to call you Brianna now.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it.  Sully works just fine.”  She paused a beat, grinning.  “So, is it Josh or JC now?”

The blush came back full force, and JC suddenly felt too warm.  “Do you want to take a walk with me?”  He glanced around, listening to the laughter and seeing the people milling about the house.  “I need a little breather.”

Bri shrugged, her eyes bright with laughter.  “Sure.”  She grabbed her coat off of the rack, following JC outside.

They walked in silence for a while, the serenity of the outdoors a welcome change from the noise of the party going on inside.  JC lead her to the small park down the street, enjoying having her close even though he had no idea what to say to her.  He had been transformed into a little school boy again.

“Your Mom has been talking about your homecoming for weeks now.”  Brianna broke the silence, bumping JC’s shoulder with her own as they walked slowly around the park. 

“That’s funny, she never mentioned this little party she was throwing in honor of my homecoming.”

His ears were met with Brianna’s laughter and he wondered if he could get her to do it again.  He could spend all night listening to that laugh.

“How long has it been?  Ten years?”  She stopped at a park bench, grabbing a seat and motioning for him to join her.  He sat down, making sure to leave just enough space between them. 

“Just about ten years.  Damn, that’s a long time.”  He could feel her gaze on him again, the fire rushing back into his cheeks.  He hated the fact that he blushed so easily.

Her chuckle made his pulse speed up.

“You haven’t changed a bit, Chasez.  In fact, it might be even easier to make you blush now than it was back in school.”  Her grin was wide.

It was his turn to chuckle, and he bumped his shoulder gently into hers.  “I’d say you haven’t changed, either, but I don’t remember you looked quite so gorgeous.”  He glanced down at her legs, “In fact, I think you had permanently skinned knees.”

This time, she blushed.

A comfortable silence settled over them then, and they both found themselves lost in thought.  JC remembered the gangly, boyish Sully, always the first to jump into a game of basketball with the guys and never one to back down from a challenge.  He never admitted it to his buddies, but he’d always liked it when Sully hang around.  Of course he pretended to be put out, just like the other boys,  but Brianna had been a lot of fun to have around.

Apparently, his feelings hadn’t really changed much at all.

“Do you remember that time that Sam dared us to eat worms?”  Her comment brought him back to the present, and he laughed, the memory vivid in his mind.

“Yeah, and I’m pretty sure you pinned Sam down and stuffed the worms into his mouth when he called you a scared little girl.”

Brianna grinned, “He never called me a girl again.”

JC felt as if this moment we’re real.  Hours before he’d been on a plane on his way home from his world tour, and now he was sitting in Maryland with his school crush.  His head was spinning, but it was the best kind of dizziness.

“I think watching you smother Sam in worms was when I knew I had a crush on you.”  JC couldn’t quite believe the words had just come out of his mouth, but he was glad that he’d said them.  He wasn’t a thirteen-year-old boy anymore.  He knew how to talk to girls.  At least, he thought so.

She laughed again.  “Oh, for me it was when you sang Boys II Men at the 4th grade talent show.”

JC groaned, remembering the performance she was referring to.  Not one of his finer moments.  “Wait…you had a crush on me?”

Brianna reached over to ruffle JC’s hair, “Of course I did, Mr. Heartthrob.  Why else do you think I came to your mom’s party tonight?  I couldn’t miss the chance to see if you lived up to all the hype.”

JC found his pulse skittering again.  Her hands weren’t in his hair anymore, but he could still feel her touch lingering.  “What if I told you I still had a crush on you now?”  His palms were sweating, despite the seasonal chill.  Her answer felt like a long time coming, but when he shoulder touched his again, he looked up into her smiling face.

“What if I told you I’d been following your career from day one and just waiting for the chance to run into you again?”  Her eyes danced with hope and something else, but JC could feel himself grinning like an idiot.

Instead of answering, he grabbed her hand, twining their fingers together.

“We should get back.  Mom wouldn’t forgive me if I made you miss dinner.  Plus, she’s on a kick to fatten me up.”  He stood, pulling her from the bench.  He kept their hands locked as they walked home. 

When they reached the house, both were ushered back inside by Karen, who’s face held a knowing look.  She didn’t ask questions, though, instead shooing them both into the dining room where everyone was piling food onto their plates and chatting away.  Dinner was informal, everyone searching for a safe place to balance their plates and drinks.

JC grabbed his food, pulling Brianna with him into the living room where they found an empty corner.  Conversation was light as they ate, both trying hard to hide the silly smiles that threatened to break through at any moment.  They shared more stories of childhood, filling each other in on events that have happened since the last time they’d seen each other.

“Here, you two, let me take those plates.  And, here, I’ve brought you some eggnog and cookies.”  Karen interrupted them once, giving them a sly smile as she took their plates.  “Oh, and did you know you’re sitting under mistletoe?”

As she walked away JC laughed, looking up to see a bunch of mistletoe that his mother had tacked up to the bookshelf behind them.  His smile faded slightly, though, when his eyes caught Brianna’s.  Her gaze was smoldering and a blush had painted her cheeks, making her look ethereal.  Despite the crowd, JC reached his hand out, cupping her chin.  His thumb traced her cheek and over her lips, and he smiled when she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

Slowly, he lowered his mouth to hers, feeling a thrill rush through him as they kissed.  It was sweet and slow, even a little tentative.

After a moment, Brianna pulled back, chuckling as she licked her lips.  “Well, that was nice.”

JC found himself laughing again, unable to stop the joy that filled him.  “Merry Christmas, Sully.”