Flashes by Steph (R)

[phaballa.livejournal.com]

Continuing on my quest to explore strange, new worlds and to boldly go where no driver has gone before, I present you with a) an author who has never been rec'd here before and b) a pairing that I think no one else would ever have written.

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: Joey/Howie, Chris/Howie, Chris/Joey
Length: medium
Author on LJ: 1000_words
Author Website: None
Why this must be read: This is such an interesting way to write an AU. It's not necessarily a different universe altogether; it's more like Joey and Lance have switched places. Joey is the gay one being forced out of the closet. Joey is the one with the sad history of closeted boyfriends. And even though this is a complete flip on real life, somehow Steph writes the characters exactly right, so that I can believe and embrace Joey being gay and Lance being straight, no matter how weird that entire concept is to me. And I love how she integrated all of that into canon. I love the friendship between Joey and Lance and the slow build up of trust between Chris and Joey. I love the bits with Justin and JC.

The song changes, one of those campy disco numbers that Joey loves and pretends not to, but he doesn't have to pretend right now. When they leave here, when they're back on the street, Joey will carefully keep four feet of distance between the two of them. He will pretend for every second of his public life. But now, with the alcohol settling warm in his belly, just for these stolen, invisible moments, he can grab Howie's waist and pull him close, the two of them dancing with each other, against each other. He feels his body being handled, and he doesn't know who he's touching or who's touching him as he closes his eyes and lets himself be passed from partner to partner, arcing through the mob and then finally back to Howie. Joey's caught now, leaning heavily on Howie as he tries and fails to catch his breath.

"I needed this," Joey pants into Howie's neck. He pulls away, and they smile at each other. He needed this. Needs this. He leans in again, and his aim is almost but not quite on target. He moves his lips from Howie's chin to his mouth, and out of the corner of his eye, he sees a flash, a sparkle, the glitter and the pulse and the beat goes on, ba da dum da dum dum.

Isn't that just gorgeous? The imagery is fabulous and it's all mixed in with Joey's rather complicated emotions about being gay and having to hide and Howie and all of it.

And also:

"It's too much commitment," Joey reveals to Lance after he hangs up. "He just wanted some fun, not a boyfriend, and especially not one who was going to end up outing him."

"He's a pussy," Lance spits with uncharacteristic aggression, which is easy for Lance to say, because he has nothing to hide. True, his mother doesn't know the exact number of models he's fucked in the past year. But Lance's lie is like saying you ate two cookies when you really ate six, and Joey's lie is like saying you ate two cookies when really you've secretly been fucking guys.

Because that comparison WINS.

link: [Flashes by Steph]

Comments

[1000-words.livejournal.com]

this is so awesome and unexpected. thank you :)

[phaballa.livejournal.com]

Aww! It's a great story :) And you got me to read pairings I would normally avoid like the PLAGUE. Not only that, you got me to enjoy them!