Never Before Seen by Giddygeek - R

[shutyourface.livejournal.com]

Fandom: POPSLASH/TRADING SPACES
Pairing: Chris/Lance, Justin/Joey, JC/Ty
Author on LJ: giddygeek
Author Website: The Geekdom

Why this must be read:

Because I'd pay money to see the guys on this show in real life. Because JC and Ty make a pretty, pretty picture in my head. Because the story's just fun in one of those fannish 'What if?' kind of ways.


After an hour, JC finally wanders into Justin's garage wearing carpenter jeans that are slung low on his hips and entirely too baggy, with a bright yellow t-shirt that's had the sleeves ripped off, and a bucket hat with denim and yellow cotton stripes. He's wearing tan boots like construction workers wear. Minus the bucket hat, he'd look like a guy who should be posing on the cover of women's romance novels. Minus both bucket hat and shirt, he'd look like a guy who should be posing for pornographic magazines.

Ty looks up from the designs Frank had slapped in his hands a couple hours ago and smiles, hops forward to shake JC's hand. "Hey man, nice hat," he says in lieu of an introduction. "But take it off. No obstruction of view when you're working with power tools."

JC's mouth, shadowed by the brim of the hat, curves. It's a sweet smile, gentle. Ty smiles back happily, not really realizing that he's still holding onto JC's surprisingly strong hand. Then JC reaches up with the other hand to take off his hat, meets Ty's gaze, and Ty drops his hand like it's a live wire. Drops it and takes a step back, feeling like something's fallen out of his stomach, or fallen in--something. Something. Something he can't describe.

Paige steps up behind him and braces one hand on his shoulder; he shudders because he had forgotten she was there, and that's a shock. She stands up on her tiptoes to see past him, to aim her little handheld camera. JC's gaze shifts from Ty's face to the camera and his smile changes, widens. Becomes less intimate. Ty shifts and thanks his lucky stars for his cluttered toolbelt.

"Hat's off," JC says, and then he holds his arms out at his sides. His hip is cocked forward and his jeans threaten to fall farther down them. With his arms raised, it's easier to see what he's using as a belt--a thin silver chain with links that glitter in the bright lights Ty's set up in the otherwise dim garage. It must be nearly useless, Ty thinks, watching as the jeans inch lower. Please, be useless--

"What's next?" JC asks, and Ty almost says, "The pants, please," but refrains. Instead he says, "Grab a pair of goggles, dude. We're building bookcases!" and then he turns to Paige and jerks his thumb over his shoulder.

"This is my assistant," he says, hoping that his wide eyes look like humor and not honest-to-God amazement. It's easier to talk now that he isn't looking directly at JC, although he feels the other man's attention focused on him like a touch. "Assistant. That is my assistant." Paige laughs and Ty hams it up, throws up his hands and heaves a sigh, walks out of the camera's view.

"Hey, JC," he calls, looking over his shoulder, watching a grinning Paige aim her camera at JC, who's sliding a pair of goggles over his loose, glossy hair. JC looks up quizzically and Ty feels the impact like a fist to the gut, ignores it. "You ready to assist?" he asks, and thinks that maybe this'd be easier if he like, pokes out his own eyeballs or something. The Blind Carpenter. He could get his own show on PBS.

JC slides the goggles into place and smiles, his face bright and really just perfect. "I'm ready for anything," he says quietly. "Bring it on."



Never Before Seen.