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Empty Aisles
by Shine
The metal shelves seemed to stretch out forever, and dim, distorted hits from the early eighties echoed in the cavernous room. The store was deserted--in forty-five minutes of browsing, Justin had only seen three people not in uniform, and a woman with a hysterical baby and a guy who smelled of wine and dirt weren't likely to care that N'Sync's resident heartthrob was doing his grocery shopping at three in the morning.
Or that he wasn't alone.
Behind him, he could hear Joey examining the watermelons. *thump* *thump* *thump* The sound resonated oddly in the cold air. He imagined what it would taste like--cold and sweet and juicy-red-wet, the soft grainy melting texture of the flesh, the flat slick seeds. Watermelon would be good. He was hosting a barbecue that evening, it being the last night of their only free week during this tour--if they got a big one, they might even have enough for everybody. Lance went through watermelon like no one's business.
For his part, Justin was carefully scrutinizing the offerings of fruit. They all ate a lot of fruit salads. Fruit salads were easy, fast, and could be combined well with alcohol--plus, they tended to get eaten up, so he didn't have to worry about leftovers. Unfortunately, it was about two weeks before cherry season really began, so the ones on offer were pale red with brown specks, small and wizened. He sighed and moved on to strawberries.
Four pounds of strawberries and two pecks of blueberries later, he had given up the quest for good stonefruit and was filling his cart with different kinds of apples and pears. Joey appeared with a humongous watermelon, portobello mushrooms for JC, cucumbers for Joey's special cucumber dip, and candied ginger for Brianna, who loved to suck on a piece tied up in cheesecloth and safety-pinned to her shirt.
Justin leaned into Joey for a moment, under the guise of studying the cart to see if he'd missed anything. It was late, and no one was there, and they were both worn out--Joey was still limping from the accident, and Justin was exhausted from the constant strain of touring and appearances. The cart was full, the guys would be coming over in less than twelve hours, and for one blissful second Justin let himself soak in the warmth of Joey's body, the solid bulk of his presence.
He felt Joey's hand run through his hair and slide down to his neck, felt the brief pressure as Joey dropped a kiss on his head. The scent of Joey's body swirled around him, comforting, smelling of oregano and sweat and cologne and fabric softener.
Another stolen second, and he reluctantly pulled away. Another hour, maybe, to check out and get home and put the stuff away, and he and Joey would be in their own bed, able to curl up for real.
Until then, he still had to be Justin Timberlake, N'Sync's heartthrob, even if it was only to the empty aisles.
Fin
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