Will wonders never cease? (Fic!)

[aruan]

Inspired by actual events, as related to us by without_me over Challenge weekend, that had me absolutely breathless with love.

*

The bell hanging over the entrance chimes to announce a new costumer. It's been a slow day, probably the intense heat keeping even the more ambitious tourists confined to their air-conditioned suites, so you look up from your comparative psych to see who entered.

You're fairly new, but you've seen him in here before. You'd recognize him anyway, of course - no one can be on television as much as those five and expect to live in any sort of anonymity. This is LA, and he's probably out early in the afternoon for the same reason everyone else is staying inside. Your little sister listens to their music and you liked Bye Bye Bye well enough. You close the text in front of you and come out from behind the counter to straighten the magazine section, which puts you near to him in the aisle.

He doesn't look up but for a brief glance. It makes you wince a little, realizing how it may have looked for you to walk over like that. You try to be discreet, but when you catch a glimpse of what he picks up, you have to say something. "That one's really hard to find, even on eBay. It's almost unheard of in that condition."

You've got his attention now - he turns from the comic to face you. "You know about this stuff?"

For eight years, at the beginning of every month when you got your allowance, you'd walk down to the newsstand at the end of your street and buy the new issue of Krypton Chronicles. Judging by his tone, he's relieved, not surprised, and you nod helpfully. "They have me gather a lot of that inventory. Bought that for myself before it became so collectable. It's a fluke, actually, how popular that issue became. Something about a publisher's error; they ended up printing thousands less than usual."

He grins, a little sheepishly you notice, as he runs his fingers along the plastic sleeve. "You'd think I'd know that kind of thing by now."

You silently compliment your sister on her good taste in teen idols. "You collect Superman memorabilia?"

His smile broadens. "Something like that, yeah."

"Well, I can tell you that's something you won't come across every day."

You walk back up to the front of the store together to ring him up. He pays with credit - you've only ever heard of black American Express cards until now. Feeling almost tacky waiting for the confirmation beep, you busy yourself bagging the comic. After signing the receipt and taking the parcel in one hand, he leans forward to offer his other. "Thanks for your help...?"

"Meghan." You extend your own, which he shakes it in a friendly, firm grip. "It was nice to meet you..." You glance at the receipt on the counter. "Lance."

He smiles again, squeezing your hand a little before letting go to put his sunglasses on and step back outside.

You're a bit embarrassed to find your face warm - it's not as if celebrities are rare to come across in this neighborhood. He was handsome though; good handshake, too. You make a mental note to set aside a few items you know are coming in the next shipment as you reopen your book.

Comments

[ramblinround.livejournal.com]

Thank you for writing this. I've always loved that anecdote.

*smooches*

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Susie! *huuugs* You're the sugar in my morning coffee, baby, truly. I'll catch you for that BSB footage at some point, but it's class for me right now. Thank you!

I'll never forget her telling the three of us, all piled on one bed, leaning forward with every word and then the seconds of awed silence before we all dissolved into squeeing. Lance is simply too darling for words. Hollywood Boulevard! Broad daylight! I just. *meep*

[without-me.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm. Just lovely! *hugs*

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

*smooch* Thank you. I'd try to remember how we went on the tangent that led to your telling us that story, but mostly I'm just impedibly grateful that you did. Because, though a lot of people, myself included, are currently becoming almost cultish about Bassez (so much of that video footage the other I day saw me gawking at the screen at their private-corners-only body language!) at the end of the day it is still All About the JoLa. I would just like to take this moment to offer a cookie to whoever coined that one. Whee!

[icebun.livejournal.com]

Because, though a lot of people, myself included, are currently becoming almost cultish about Bassez (so much of that video footage the other I day saw me gawking at the screen at their private-corners-only body language!)

Ooooh! Which video footage would that be that you speak of?

::is nosy::

[valisme.livejournal.com]

*grins*

I was just waiting for one of us to throw that anecdote into something so yay to you! *sigh* Lance buying things for his Joey. Man. It really is All About the JoLa ;)

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

The Larry King interview was fun, as was the Celebrity-promo TRL and AH coverage and MTV's Greatest TV Moments excerpts. Stuff from late NSA to mid-Celebrity is supposed to be riddled with it. Seriously, I've never seen two people give off vibes quite like that. Like I told Alicia I think, if there really is/was a relationship that happened within that group, it's Bassez.

But you! You got the Japanese interview, which is supposed to be, like, the Holy Grail of Bassez! I'm going to need a little more than ohmygawdthey'resofuckingwithclothesonandcamerasaroundthem in the way of description, please.

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

It is! It is, it is, it is, it is, and no one will ever ever convince me otherwise. Even if it isn't in that way, those two absolutely melt me. Best. Friends.

[icebun.livejournal.com]

Seriously, I've never seen two people give off vibes quite like that. Like I told Alicia I think, if there really is/was a relationship that happened within that group, it's Bassez.

Yeah, it's definitely very difficult for me to watch a lot of the footage and to not see sonmething there, that's for sure.

But you! You got the Japanese interview, which is supposed to be, like, the Holy Grail of Bassez! I'm going to need a little more than ohmygawdthey'resofuckingwithclothesonandcamerasaroundthem in the way of description, please

Oh hell, yes. Holy Grail it is indeed.

After watching the tape, the one thing that I really came away with is that JC just cannot hide his feelings at all. Seriously, he just gives so much away on his face, it's insane. There's longing looks and there's quite honestly, completely lustful looks as well as lounging almost on top of Lance at one point.

I do actually have one part of the interview on cd (the best part, IMO). The quality is not great, but it's worth a look. If you want, I could zip it up and send it to you over mail? Just email me your address (icebun@xtra.co.nz).

[without-me.livejournal.com]

Long live the Basez! (But I do love me some sweet JoLa, too.)

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

But it's really not just JC. Lance may not be quite as transparent, but he's pretty obvious in his own smaller ways, especially in comparison to how much attention he pays to the other guys. There's an... intensity about him, if you'll bear with the cliche. He doesn't just watch JC - I couldn't keep it together under that kind of scrutiny.

Whee! How exciting! Thanks for that, mail is on its way!

[plumsnickety.livejournal.com]

Whee! It's so great that Superman mentions are now totally connected to this story. And not Smallville. *g*

But yes, this Bassez thing just strikes my fancy but hell at this point I'm the popslash whore. I'll take just about anything. Hee!

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

It really is one of the sweetest stories I've ever heard anywhere. That it means Lance loves Joey enough to risk going out to downtown LA, to Hollywood Boulevard no less, for Superman memorabilia, well, that's just a big fat OTP bonus.

Dude, even when I came into this fandom, Bassez was this seriously taboo thing, like, you didn't mention if you liked it because while it was no longer grounds for ostracization from a large segment of fandom, it was still this tacky, sugary substance mostly unconnected with literary merit. I'm so very glad that people have not only embraced its very real potential, but also the potentially complex dynamic between them.

The canon of this fandom really is the best. These boys sparkle and glow and are funny and this is the canonwhore within me speaking but damn it, continuity's guaranteed.

[walkingshadow.livejournal.com]

"You collect Superman memorabilia?"

His smile broadens. "Something like that, yeah."

That's just . . . dawwww. Sweet little moment, babe. Nice POV, too. And it makes me wonder: Is it by any chance All About The Jola?

;-)

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Apparently, I'm all about the happiness lately. The angstmongrel inside appears to be napping. We'll see how long that lasts.

Nice POV, too.

Whee, thank you! The whole structure actually mimics the way Alicia told us the story, which was entirely from her perspective, having the salesgirl come up, the revelation at the end that it was Lance, not Joey who comes into the store. The twist comes at the end, unexpected and just soul-warmingly sweet. Because, Lance! *hugs him tight* Sweetest. Boy. Ever.

Is it by any chance All About The Jola?

Maybe I should edit that survey of fours to reflect that you obviously know me not at all if you had to ask. ;)

[walkingshadow.livejournal.com]

Maybe I should edit that survey of fours to reflect that you obviously know me not at all if you had to ask. ;)

::casts significant look at sixteen hand-crafted jola icons::

::looks back at jules::

::assumes that won't be necessary::

*mwah*