"It tastes better like that," JC said.

"Dude. What planet are you from?"

"Corellia. Why?"

"JC," Chris said patiently, "you are not Han Solo."

"You're not even Princess Leia," Justin said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Do we have any white bread left?"

"Justin, what did you mean?"

"You finished the white bread *and* you mixed the peanut butter and jelly?"

"I was hungry. What did you mean?"

"Well, look at you."

JC looked down. He was wearing a pair of faded flannel boxers and his NYFD t-shirt.

"You look like a girl," Justin said.

"No he doesn't," Chris said, and grabbed a chunk of JC's hair. JC tried to wiggle away, but it hurt too much.

"Sit still!" Chris said sharply.

"What are you doing?"

"Braiding."

JC twisted his head around to glare at Chris, but Chris smacked him. "Face forward," he ordered. JC sighed.

"Do you have one of those. Things?"

"Scrunchies?"

"Yeah. One of them."

"No."

"Why the hell not?" Chris asked.

"Because I'm not a *girl*, Chris."

"Hang on," Justin said, and ran to his bunk. A few minutes later he emerged triumphant, a pink scrunchy in one hand and a tube of glitter in the other.

Chris raised an eyebrow.

"Brit left 'em."

"I am *not* wearing glitter," JC said.

Justin grabbed his chin. "Don't be silly. It lends verisimilitude."

"To *what*?!"

"Girl-JC."

JC stood up, knocking Justin over. Chris tsked behind him, and JC swung around to face him, pulling his hair away.

"Stop it."

"I'm not a girl!" JC shouted.

"Okay," Justin said. "You don't have to beat the issue to death with a shovel or anything. We were just playing. Besides, you *did* mix the peanut butter and jelly."

"Fuck you," JC said. "Fuck you, and your extra-chunky Skippy and grape jelly sandwiches cut into little fucking triangles with the goddamn corners cut off." He stomped to the back of the bus.

"What was that about?" Justin asked.

Chris sighed, and picked up the scrunchy from the floor. "I'll go find out."

When he entered the bunk area, JC was sitting cross-legged on his bed, trying desperately to untangle his hair.

"It's. stuck," he said, looking at Chris with red-rimmed eyes.

"Let me," Chris said. He sat next to JC, and gently ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm not a girl," JC said softly.

"I know," Chris said. "I wouldn't want to fuck your brains out if you were."

"What?"

"Well, you know. There's the whole gay thing."

"That's not what. Chris. What?"

"Justin's just being bitchy 'cause he only had half a bowl of Oreo O's at breakfast."

"You don't think I'm. Effeminate?" JC said the word like it was something disgusting.

"Maybe," Chris said. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Taylor used to tease me about it."

"Taylor's an idiot."

"Everyone on MMC did, too. One time, Britney insisted on giving me makeover because she wanted to see what her new powder foundation looked like."

"Britney's an idiot."

"Hey!" Justin shouted from the front of the bus.

"C, sure, maybe you come off as effeminate sometimes. Or, you know, downright flaming."

"Thanks a lot, Chris."

"I'm not finished yet."

"What else? You forgot to mention that I'm stupid, and spazzy, and."

"Shut up."

"Chris."

"No. Shut up. God, C. Sometimes you mystify me. I mean, do you have any idea how fucking gorgeous you are?"

JC picked disconsolately at his t-shirt. "Yeah," he said, "real gorgeous."

"That's it." Chris stood up, and pulled JC to his feet. "You're coming with me, mister," he said.

"Chris"

"I'm afraid I have to arrest you for excessive self-pity. Do you have any idea how far along that road you were headed?"

"Um."

"And it's a one-way street, too." Chris shook his head. "Tsk, tsk. Going the wrong way on a one way street is a serious offense." He pushed JC into the bathroom, and closed the door.

"Look in the mirror."

JC glanced at his reflection. His hair was falling all over the place, his eyes were still red, and his cheeks and nose were blotchy.

"I look awful," he said.

"Do you know what I see when I look at that face?"

"Someone who can't cry?"

"I see someone who is so filled to the brim with music that he shimmers with it. Someone who loves wholly and unselfishly, who gives of himself completely, and who is so dorky that he can't tell a knock knock joke without breaking down, but who makes me laugh anyway because he's so adorable trying."

Chris kissed the back of JC's neck.

"Also," he said as he left the room, "you're acting like a girl."

JC turned around and slipped his arms around Chris' waist. "I thought you didn't wanna fuck girls," he whispered.

"I don't."

"But you want to fuck me."

"Well, duh, C. You're hot."

JC smiled. "Okay," he said, and followed Chris back to his bunk.

"As long as we're clear on that," Chris said.

"We're clear."

Chris pushed JC down on the bunk

"No more acting like a girl?"

JC slipped his t-shirt off. "Nope."

Chris leaned over and kissed his jawline. "No more pity?"

"Never," JC said, and slipped his hands under Chris' shirt.

"No. Ah. Um. Yeah..." Chris moaned softly.

"Guys!" Justin called, "a little more quietly please? Some of us are trying to eat."

Chris smiled. "No more mixing together the peanut butter and jelly?"

JC slid a hand down Chris' pants. "Well," he murmured, "I'm afraid you're on your own there."
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