Date: Sun, 15 Aug 1999 03:24:19 EDT
From: D LS <dls_stories@hotmail.com>
Subject: Brian & Me Parts 22-24

Okay, first things first.  This story is a complete work of fiction, and is
not meant to imply anything about anyone.  While some of the characters may
be loosely based on real people that I know, none are meant to actually
represent anyone, particularly any of the members of the Backstreet Boys.
We may wish that they were gay, and maybe some of them even are, but I'm
certainly not about to say that they are. :)

As usual, if you are offended or made uncomfortable by material concerning
sexual relations between consenting adult men, lighten up or go somewhere
else.  Also, if it is in any way illegal for you to be reading this type of
thing, please don't.  Or do, just don't get caught and feel *very* guilty.
;)

If any of the BSB happen to be reading this (hey, we can dream can't we?),
feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you think.

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to write, and encourage
them and others to keep doing so.  It's nice to see that people like the
story.  Also, I happen to be an email junkie (which JB, EG and Yuli could
attest to) and I live for new mail. :)

***Thanks go to Yuli and Tyler for their extra-nice comments.  It makes it
much easier to sit down and write with people like you to encourage me.

***Special thanks also to JB and EG (author of Adam, Zach and BSB), both of
whom read over what you are about to read, either in whole or in part, and
offered their opinions.  There is no doubt that the story is better than it
would have been without them.


Drop me a line at DLS_stories@hotmail.com and let me know what you think

Enjoy!


     PART 22

     I spent much of Saturday either sleeping or hanging out with Andrea in
front of the TV.  Around six I decided to start getting ready for dinner
with Brian.

     I had just decided on what I was going to wear (khakis and a white
dress-shirt - simple but nice) when my cell started ringing.  I had left it
in the living room, so Andrea managed to reach it before I could.  I just
made it into the room in time to hear her say "Oh, hello Brian," and dread
what would come after.

     "Oh, yeah, he's here.  But can we talk for a minute?"  She flashed me
her smile again and I had to hold myself back from tackling her for the
phone.  "I was just wondering what your intentions were toward my darling
Nate?"

     "Andrea!" I hissed, holding out my hand for the phone, but she cocked
an eyebrow and turned away.  "Yeah," she said into the phone.

     Suddenly, Andrea's mouth dropped open in shock.  Her smile returned
and she started to howl with laughter.  She was still laughing when she
tossed me the phone.  "He's great.  You can keep him," she said, walking
past me and heading for her bedroom.

     I grinned and put the phone to my ear.  I could hear Brian laughing on
the other end.  "I don't know what you said to her, but you've won her
over," I said.

     "What did she say?" he asked, still trying to stifle his laughter.

     "She said I could keep you."

     "Good," he replied, finally gaining some measure of calmness.
"Listen, Nate, there's been a slight change of plans."

     "You're not cancelling, are you?"

     "Hell no," he laughed.  "But I can't pick you up.  There's something I
have to take care of before dinner, so I'm going to send John to get you.
He'll take you to the restaurant, and I'll meet you there."

     "You don't have to send John, Brian.  I can drive myself."

     "I'm sending John," he insisted.  "You're travelling in style,
remember?"

     I gave up arguing.  "Alright. I'll be ready.  Seven, right?"

     "Yep.  I'll see you at the restaurant."

     "Okay, Brian.  Bye."

     "Bye Nate."

     I hung up the phone and headed for the shower.


     John showed up about ten minutes before seven, and I jumped in the
back of the limo.  Not having anyone with me, I lowered the window and
talked to John on the ride to the restaurant.

     "So how's it going, Mr. Healy?" he asked as we pulled out onto the
street.

     "What did I tell you about that, John?" I laughed.

     "You said I was fired if I called you sir.  Mr. Healy was never
discussed," he answered with a laugh of his own.

     "Well then, let me make this perfectly clear.  I want you to call me
Nate.  Just Nate."  I thought for a moment.  "No wait, either Nate or Your
Royal Highness," I said with a grin.

     "Fine.  Nate it is.  Will you be having dinner with Mr. Littrell again
tonight Nate?"

     I cleared my throat.

     John sighed, but smiled at me in the rear-view mirror.  "Will you be
having dinner with Brian again tonight?"

     "That's better," I smiled back. "Yes, I will be.  He's meeting me at
the restaurant.

     John nodded and turned his full attention back to the road.  "That's
good.  You two make a good couple."

     My heart stopped for a moment.  Had he really just said what I thought
he said?  "Excuse me?" I asked.

     "You and Brian.  You're a couple, aren't you?" He asked, giving me a
concerned look in the mirror.  Seeing my face, he pulled over to the side
of the road.  "Look, Nate, it's alright.  I won't tell a soul," he said,
turning in his seat to look directly at me.

     "Why would you think we were together?" I asked, still dumbfounded.

     "Well, for starters, I know that you're gay."

     I looked up at him with a curious look.

     "My wife loves your book.  She watches and reads every interview with
you she can get her hands on.  She loved that stunt you pulled on Rosie, by
the way," he laughed.

     The smile returned to my face.  At least, a shadow of one did.  "So
I'm gay.  What does that have to do with Brian?"

     "Well, how often do two guys go out for dinner together, and then to a
movie and not be on a date?"

     "Not often, I guess, but it does happen."

     "Yes, it does," he conceded.  "But how often do those two guys come
back out of the movie with their hair and clothes rumpled and huge grins
pasted on their faces?" he said with a laugh.

     I blushed, making his smile grow.  'Mom's right, I've got to stop
doing that,' I thought to myself.  "Alright, I give in.  Yes, we are seeing
each other, John."  He nodded with a smile.  "But you can't tell anyone.
Not even your wife.  It could really hurt Brian's career."

     "Don't worry.  If you only knew the stories limo drivers could tell,"
he laughed.  "I won't tell a soul."

     "Thanks," I said.  I breathed a sigh of relief as John pulled the limo
back out into traffic.


     Brian wasn't at the restaurant when I arrived, and the maitre'd
refused to seat me at his table.  While I understood that LA restaurants
must get fans trying to bother celebrities all the time, it still
frustrated me.  My heart-rate was still not quite back to normal from the
little bombshell that John had dropped on me.  As a result, my debate with
the maitre'd began to get heated, which normally I would never have allowed
to happen.  I'm generally very easy-going.  I finally convinced him to call
Brian and talk to him.  After a moment on the phone, he returned to the
bench where I was sitting.

     "I am so sorry, Mr. Healy," he apologised.  "Please understand, we
often have fans trying to lie their way into the restaurant, hoping to get
a chance to meet their idols.  Please accept my apologies.  I'll show you
to your table."

     "It's no problem, really.  I'm sorry I lost my temper.  It's been a
bit of an odd evening for me," I said, getting up and giving him a smile.

     "Think nothing of it, sir," he said, seating me at a secluded table.
"Would you like anything to drink while you wait, sir?  Mr. Littrell asked
me to tell you he would be a few moments late."

     "I'd love an iced tea," I said, sitting down.

     "Very good," he replied, walking quickly away to find me a waiter.

     I had been seated with my back to the door, and I was half-way through
my iced tea when I heard someone shout my name.

     "NATE!"  Before I could turn around and see who it was, I was tackled
from behind.  I laughed to myself, still unsure what was going on, and
pulled my 'attacker' around in front of me.

     "Robbie?" I asked, finally seeing him.  "What are you doing here?"

     Robbie threw his arms around me again and nodded behind me.  "They
brought me," he said.

     Still holding Robbie, I turned both of us around to look.  Brian and
the rest of the guys were standing just inside the door, looking at us.
All of them were smiling.  Brian waved and they started toward the table.

     I shook each of their hands as they arrived at the table.  Howie
looked a little uncertain, but he accepted and shook my hand as well.
Brian came last, and I pulled him in for a quick hug, knowing that we were
in public.  "Thank you," I whispered, feeling the first tear fall from my
eye.

     Brian pulled away and smiled.  Bringing his hand to my face, he wiped
the tear away with the side of his thumb.  "You're welcome," was all he
said, taking his seat beside me.  The guys had left the seat on my other
side open for Robbie.  As I sat back down, I noticed that he was staring up
at me with a huge grin.

     "Hey," I said, reaching over and ruffling his hair.

     "Hey Nate," he said.  "I missed you."

     "I missed you too.  How did you get here?" I said, wiping my eyes
again.

     "That was Brian's doing," Kevin spoke up.  I looked at Brian and he
shrugged.  Kevin, deciding that Brian was being too modest, told me what
happened.

     "When you told us that Robbie wasn't allowed to see you anymore, we
all felt bad about it.  Brian decided that he would surprise you by fixing
it so you could be together for a while."

     "Nate?" Robbie said quietly.  I turned my attention back to him.  "I'm
sorry my mom was so mean."

     "Oh Robbie, it's not your fault.  Some people just aren't able to deal
with certain things."  My eye was drawn to Howie as I spoke.  "Your mom did
what she thought was best."

     "You wouldn't hurt me, would you?" he asked, looking me in the eye.

     The pain in his eyes was almost more than I could take.  "No, Robbie.
I would never do anything to hurt you.  You know that, don't you?"

     He nodded and gave me a smile, which I gladly returned.  I looked back
to Brian, who was watching us with a sad smile on his face.  "But how did
you arrange all of this?  There's no way she would have agreed to it."

     "She did agree to it.  She just didn't know exactly what she was
agreeing to," he said with a devious smile.  He reminded me of Andrea at
that moment.  I gave him a puzzled look, and urged him to continue.  "Well,
I had the tour director call Robbie's mom and tell her that we were
starting a new program where we pick one of the fans who had backstage
passes to a previous concert and they get to have dinner with us.  It was
all very official sounding, and she agreed.  And the best part is, it's not
a lie.  He is having dinner with us.  We just neglected to mention that you
would be here."

     I laughed.  "No wonder Andrea likes you so much," I said.

     Brian smiled.  "I was a little nervous about her insisting on coming
along with us, but apparently she works late Saturday nights, so she was
just happy to save on the baby-sitting costs."

     "How am I ever going to thank you?" I asked.

     "Oh, I'm sure he can come up with something," Nick laughed from the
other end of the table.  Brian blushed, but I laughed and looked at Robbie.

     "You know you can't tell your mom that I was here, right?"

     Robbie nodded.  "She'd freak," he said, making the entire table laugh.

     "So how's school going?" I asked him as we ordered our meals.

     "Fine," he shrugged, exactly as I had when I was his age and my
parents asked me how school had gone.  I smiled inwardly at the memory.

     Robbie told us all about what he had been doing in the last year since
he had seen the guys after the concert, and asked them all about touring
around the world.  I could tell that they were really starting to like
Robbie.  Even Howie loosened up and enjoyed himself, although he barely
spoke to me.

     "How's Andrea Nate?" Robbie asked suddenly.  "Mom won't let me see her
either."

     "I know, Rob.  Andrea's good.  She misses you a lot, though.  So do
Mom and Dad."  During the course of my time with Robbie, he had met and
gotten to know Andrea and her parents to the point that they had started to
care about him almost as if he was one of the family.  I hadn't been the
only one devastated when Robbie's mom had refused to let me see him.

     "Will you tell them I miss them too?" he asked sadly.  "And tell them
I'm sorry?"

     I noticed that all conversation at the table had stopped, and looked
up to find the guys all looking at me, waiting for me to answer.  I looked
back to Robbie and felt a tear fall.  I tried to answer him, but couldn't
seem to speak, so I just nodded.

     "Robbie," Brian said, drawing attention from me so I could gather
myself again.  "You don't have anything to be sorry about.  Nate, Andrea,
and her parents all know that."

     "But it's my fault," he insisted, looking down at his plate.  "I'm the
one that told her about that interview.  If I hadn't mentioned it, she
never would have seen it, and wouldn't have made Nate leave."  He sniffled
and wiped at his eyes.

     "Robbie," I said, making myself smile for him.  "She would have found
out eventually.  It wouldn't have mattered if it was from that interview or
another.  You can't blame yourself for the way your mom acted."

     "But..."

     "Robbie, you know that I love you, right?"  He nodded.  "And you know
that I'm just me.  Same as I always was, right?"  He nodded again.  "Then
that's all that matters.  Your mom will either eventually come around or
she won't.  But you can't blame yourself for that.  Understand?"

     "I guess so," Robbie said, still obviously sad.  "But why does she
hate you so much?"

     "I don't really know, Robbie," I said.  Brian's hand was suddenly
resting on my knee under the table.  I reached down and took it, giving him
a brief smile of thanks.  "Do you know what it is to be gay?" I asked
Robbie quietly.

     He looked up quickly, then nodded with an embarrassed smile.

     "What do you think it is?"

     "Well," he said, still slightly embarrassed.  "It means that you like
boys instead of girls."

     "And that's all?" I asked with a smile.

     "I think so," he said uncertainly.

     I used the hand not holding Brian's to wipe away the last bit of
moisture on his face.  "That's exactly right.  That's all it means.
There's a bunch of stuff that comes with it that helps make someone who
they are, but everyone gets that stuff in some form or another.  The
problem is, there are a lot of people out there who think it's a whole lot
more than just a matter of liking boys instead of girls.  They don't
understand it, and it scares them."

     "So mom hates you because she doesn't understand?"

     "I think that's part of it Robbie," I nodded.  "She thinks she
understands, though, and what she thinks is the truth scares her."

     Robbie nodded his understanding.

     "She also probably feels like I lied to her by not telling her from
the start," I said.  "Maybe I did."  I shrugged.  "The truth is, I don't
know Rob.  Only your mom would be able to tell you why she did what she
did."

     "But she won't even talk about it."

     "Then the only thing you can do is wait and see how things go," I said
sadly.  "Do you remember what I told you about hate?"

     Robbie smiled widely.  "'It is better to be hated for what you are
than to be loved for what you are not,'" he recited.  "But I can't remember
who said it."

"That doesn't matter," I smiled back.  "Just remember that not everything
you're told is right.  You've got to make up your own mind about people.
Never let someone else tell you what to believe.  Okay?"

     "Alright Nate," he smiled.

     "Okay then, your food's getting cold."  I gave him a smile in return
and picked my fork back up.  He followed suit and soon we were all eating
and chatting about much less emotional issues.

     If there was one problem with dinner that night, it was that it was
too short.  Before I knew it, Brian was grabbing the bill and handing the
waiter his credit card, and Robbie was yawning.  We made our way out into
the parking lot, and I quickly spotted two limos.  John stepped out of one
and opened the rear door.

     "Nate and I will take Robbie back home," Brian said, pulling me toward
the limo.  "We'll see you back at the hotel later!"  The rest of the guys
agreed and got into the other limo with a wave.

     "Robbie, this is John.  John, this is Robbie," I said, introducing
them.

     "Nice to meet you Robbie," John leaned down a little bit and shook his
hand.  "And where would you like to go tonight?" he asked him.

     Robbie looked up at me, and I nodded.  He turned back to John and gave
his address, then climbed into the limo behind Brian.  I gave John a smile
and got in as well.

     We spent the ride in silence, Robbie sitting beside me, and Brian on
the other side of the seats.  All too soon we were pulling up outside of
Robbie's small house.  I pulled him into another hug.  "It was good seeing
you again," I said.  "Remember, you can't tell your mom."

     Robbie nodded and agreed.  "When are you coming back?" he asked.

     "I don't know, Rob," I said sadly.  "We can't pull this kind of thing
often, or she'll get suspicious."  He nodded again and gave me a kiss on
the cheek.  "Thanks, Brian," he said, giving him a hug as well.

     "No problem, Robbie," Brian replied. Looking out the tinted window to
Brian's front door.  I followed his gaze and saw Mrs. James standing in the
window, looking at the limo.  "We'd better get you in the house, before she
comes looking for you," Brian said.

     "Are you Nate's boyfriend?"  Robbie asked suddenly, looking at Brian
with a smile.

     Brian looked at me, but I could only shrug in response.

     "What makes you ask that?" Brian asked.

     "Well, you keep smiling at him, and you were always his favourite,"
Robbie giggled and smiled at me.

     Brian and I shared another smile, then I shrugged again, leaving the
decision to him.  Looking into Robbie's face, Brian made up his mind.
"Yes, Robbie.  I'm Nate's boyfriend."

     "Good," Robbie laughed, hugging Brian and I.

     "But you can't tell anyone that.  I could be in a lot of trouble if
people find out," Brian said, looking him in the eye.

     Robbie nodded.  'If there's one thing he understands,' I thought to
myself, 'it's the trouble that telling someone can cause.'

     I said goodnight to Robbie, then shifted over to the far side of the
seat, so his mother wouldn't see me.  Brian and Robbie got out of the car
and Brian walked him to the door.  Mrs. James opened it and shook Brian's
hand, then Brian gave Robbie another hug before returning to the car.  He
gave them a final wave as he climbed back in.

     "I can't believe..." he began as the door closed behind him, but that
was as far as he got before I tackled him.  Pulling him into my lap, I
wrapped my hands around him and gave him the most passionate kiss I could
muster.

     "Wow," was all he said when we broke apart again, shaking his head
quickly.

     "Thank you," I said, laying my head against his shoulder.  He was
still on my lap, and I still had my arms wrapped around him.  He jumped and
tried to move as I lowered the window between us and John.  "Relax, I
whispered.  "He already knows.  I'll tell you later."

     "Where to, guys?" John said, looking into the rear-view mirror with a
smile.

     "Somewhere romantic, John," I said, giving Brian a smile.  "The beach
maybe?"

     "Sure thing, Nate," he said as the window went up again.

     "He knows?"  Brian asked as soon as it had finished rising.

     "Yeah.  He figured it out the other night when we came out of the
movies," I said.  "He already knew I was gay, because his wife's apparently
a big fan of my book, and he put two and two together."

     "What if he tells someone?" Brian asked nervously.

     "He gave me his word that he wouldn't, and I trust him.  Besides,
there's not much we could do about it now but deny it if he did want to
tell someone."

     Brian sighed and leaned against me.

     Before long, the window was lowering again.  It stopped after an inch
or so, though, as if John was afraid of what he might see if it went all
the way down.  I laughed to myself.

     "We're here.  I'll wait here for you," he said.

     "Thanks John," we both said together and got out of the car.  Wherever
we were, John knew what he was doing.  The beach spread out in front of us,
and there wasn't a person in sight.  I opened the door of the limo again,
and quickly removed my shoes and socks, tossing them on the floor.  Brian
followed suit and took my hand.

     We walked across the sand, still slightly warm from the heat of the
day, and walked together in the moonlight, the waves crashing around our
ankles.

     Words didn't seem to be necessary, and we had walked almost a mile in
silence before we decided to head back.  On the way back, we talked a
little bit about their European tour, and about my new book, without going
into any real details. We were almost back to the car when Brian stopped
walking, pulling me to a stop as well.

     "Nate?" he asked, taking my other hand and turning me to face him.

     "Yes?"

     "Will you...will you stay with me tonight?" he asked shyly.  "I want
to spend the night with you before we leave."

     I looked into his eyes, searching for the tiniest bit of uncertainty.
I didn't find any.

     Pulling on his arms, I forced Brian to fall into me, and I wrapped my
arms around him again.  "Yes," was all I said.

To Be Continued...

Just kidding! :) Imagine the email frenzy that would result! :) Carry on...


     PART 23

     We stayed on the beach, holding each other, for a few minutes before
making our way back to the limo.  John was sitting on the hood of the car,
doing a crossword by the light of the moon.  When he saw us coming, he
jumped off and ran around to pull open the door for us.

     "John my friend," I said, smiling at him.  "I need a favour."

     He grinned.  "And what would that be?"

     "Well, I need you to take us back to my place, and then I need you to
keep my friend here occupied while I run inside and grab a couple of
things."

     "I think I can handle that," he said, looking briefly at Brian.

     "Good.  Just keep your hands off," I laughed.  "He's taken."

     Brian blushed, and John burst into laughter.  "Just get your ass in
the car," he said.

     I grinned and climbed in, pleased that John was starting to feel
comfortable with us, and we were soon speeding toward the condo.  Brian sat
beside me on the seat, his hand in mine and his head on my shoulder. It
wasn't long before I heard him start to snore, and I looked down to find
him fast asleep.  I grinned and sat back in the seat, thinking to myself
how lucky I was.

     When John pulled up outside of the house, I carefully eased Brian's
head off of my shoulder and leaned him against the door on his side, taking
the time to wipe a bit of drool from his chin as I did.  I looked up to see
John smiling at me.

     "I'll be back in a minute or two," I whispered.  He nodded and I
carefully opened the door and got out.

     I ran to the house, and found it locked.  I dug in my pocket and
finally managed to fish out my keys.  There was a note on the table from
Andrea saying that she had gone out with a couple of friends, but would see
me in the morning.  I read it, then grabbed a pen and scrawled 'No you
won't' across the bottom.

     Smiling to myself, I headed for the bedroom, where I grabbed some
clothes and a couple of other things that I thought I might need the next
morning.  Looking around the room, I finally satisfied myself that I had
everything I needed, and ran back out to the limo.

     I got in and shut the door quietly, then leaned over and brought Brian
to rest on my shoulder again.  John pulled away, and I reached out and
turned on the reading light in the back of the car.  Brian groaned a little
at the sudden light, but didn't wake up.

     Reaching into the small bag I had packed, I pulled out a pen and a the
copy of my book that I had grabbed.  Opening it to the first page, I wrote
a quick inscription for John's wife.  Once that was done, I turned the
light off again and leaned back into the seat, watching Brian sleep.

     I saw the hotel looming above us, and noticed that John was again
taking us around the back.  I leaned down and whispered in Brian's ear.

     "Brian?  We're here."  He didn't even flinch.  I thought of whispering
again, but decided to try another route.  I leaned down again and stead of
putting my lips to his ear, I put them to his instead, kissing him.

     At first, there was no reaction at all, and then I heard Brian moan
and felt his tongue brush against my lips.  I opened my eyes to see Brian
looking lovingly back at me.  I winked at him, which made him laugh, and we
parted.

     "We're here," I said again with a smile.

     He smiled back and leaned in again, but I stopped him.  "Wait till
we're inside," I said, taking his hand.  John brought the car to a stop,
and I lowered the window again.  "We can take it from here, John," I said.
I grabbed my book from the seat and passed it through to him.  "Give this
to your wife, and tell her I appreciate her reading it."

     John looked at the inscription I had put in the book, and thanked me.
We shook hands, as did he and Brian, and then Brian and I climbed out of
the car.

     We ran to the service door, and were soon getting into the elevator.
As soon as the doors closed, Brian pressed me against the wall and started
to kiss me, moving his hands around to the small of my back.  I brought my
hands up to his head, and ran them through his hair as I kissed him back.

     The elevator dinged and we split apart just before the doors opened,
and a bell-boy stepped inside.  He gave Brian and I an odd look, obviously
wondering what we were doing in the service elevator. He looked like he was
about to say something to us, but then he recognised Brian and quickly
looked away.

     I glanced over at Brian behind the bell-boy's back and caught him
reaching to take my hand.  Shaking my head slightly, I pulled my hand away
and nodded toward our company.  Brian sighed and contented himself with
staring at me instead.

     The doors opened on the Backstreey Boys' floor and we practically ran
off of the elevator, receiving another strange look from the bell-boy
before he was whisked off to another floor.

     Brian immediately took my hand and pulled me down the hall.  We could
hear noise and laughter coming from Kevin's room, and decided that the guys
must be down there.  I started walking toward the door when Brian pulled me
to a stop outside of his and Nick's room.

     "Aren't we going to say hello?" I asked with a smile as Brian unlocked
the door.

     "They'll be around in the morning," Brian said, pulling me into the
room and throwing my bag on the floor inside.  As soon as the door was
closed behind him, Brian leapt at me, throwing his arms around my neck and
wrapping his legs around my waist.  He smiled down at my surprised look,
then pressed his lips to mine.

     We hadn't turned on any lights, so I staggered around in the dark with
Brian clinging to me until I found the bed, then collapsed backward onto
it, with Brian landing on top of me.

     He started laughing and kissing my neck, finally running his lips
across the little spot behind the ear that drives me crazy.  Noticing my
reaction, he continued to kiss there as he ran his hands up under my shirt.

     "Brian," I started.  He looked up at me and smiled.  "Are you sure?"

     Brian kissed me again before answering.  "Nate, I love you."

     His words shocked me, and seeing this, he quickly continued.  "I don't
think I realised how much until I saw you tonight with Robbie.  The way
your face lit up when you saw him, and how happy you were.  It made me feel
incredible because I knew that I had helped to make you happy."
  
     "My mom used to tell me these old sayings when I was little.  I can't
remember who said it, but I one of her favourite expressions was 'To love
is to place our happiness in the happiness of another,'" I said quietly,
looking at him.

     "That's what I felt tonight," Brian whispered.  "I love you Nate, and
I want this more than anything."

     It was more than enough of an answer for me.  Bringing my hands up, I
caught hold of his belt and spun him off of me.  He looked up in surprise
as he landed on the bed beside me and I rolled over on top of him.  "I love
you Brian," I whispered.

     Surprise changed to lust as I leaned in and kissed him again, letting
my tongue explore his mouth.  I brought my hands up and started to unbutton
his shirt slowly.

     His hands found the back of my own shirt and pulled it out of the top
of my pants.  They then ran up underneath and he started to caress my
shoulder blades as he moaned into my mouth.

     I drew away a little and gave him a smile before I started to kiss his
neck, moving my way slowly down to his chest.  His skin was soft and
smooth, and tasted wonderful.  He brought his arms back around my neck,
resting his hands between my shoulders, while mine moved around under his,
cradling his head in my hands.  I ran them back and forth through his hair,
relishing the soft feel as it slipped between my fingers.

     I kissed my way down his chest, stopping to suck on his nipple.  This
elicited another groan from Brian, and he began writhing under me.  I
started to kiss my way to his other nipple, when my eyes caught sight of
the scar from his heart surgery and I stopped, drawing in a breath.

     Brian noticed this, and opened his eyes, looking down at me.  Seeing
what I was looking at it, he reached out and took my hand, placing it on
his chest, above the scar.  "I'm fine, Nate," he whispered quietly, a
little out of breath.

     I looked into his eyes for a moment, then nodded and removed my hand
from his chest.  I leaned in and placed a soft kiss on the scar itself.
Brian sighed and closed his eyes again, as I began kissing back up to his
neck.

     As my lips brushed his adams apple, Brian shivered.  Grinning to
myself, I slowly kissed it again, running my tongue back and forth across
it quickly.

     "Oh..." Brian moaned, holding me tighter.  I finally moved back up and
kissed him on the lips, drawing his bottom lip into my mouth and gently
sucking on it.  Brian unbuttoned my shirt and pulled it off of me.

     I backed off a little and allowed him to sit up long enough for me to
return the favour, then pushed him back down onto the bed.

     I could feel Brian's hardness pressing against my own, and I reached
down and slowly started rubbing it.  His moans increased as my hand moved
back and forth across his crotch.  Bending my head down, I again softly
kissed his adams apple.

     "Nate!" Brian whispered lowly.  Suddenly, he tensed up and his
breathing stopped for a moment.  Thinking about earlier, I immediately
looked to the scar on his chest, worried.  After a moment, Brian sighed and
relaxed again, and what had happened suddenly hit me, making me laugh.

     "What are you laughing at?" Brian asked, catching his breath again.

     I grinned up at him.  "You, if you just did what I think you just
did."

     Brian blushed and looked at me with a grin.  "Take it as a
compliment," he said in a low, sexy voice, drawing me to him again.  As we
kissed, he dipped his shoulder and rolled, pinning me to the bed.  He wound
up straddling my thighs, leaning over to kiss my chest.

     I brought my hands to rest on his shoulders, feeling the muscles work
as he tried to unfasten my belt.  "Brian, we don't have to."

     Brian stopped, raising his head so that his lips were only an inch
from my skin.  "Oh yes, we do," he whispered.  The sensation of his breath
running over my damp skin was incredible, causing me to shiver.

     His hands returned to their work, and he quickly had my belt
unbuttoned and the front of my pants undone.  Standing up suddenly, he
grabbed the cuffs of my pants and pulled them off of me, leaving me in just
my boxers.

     I pulled myself up the bed until my head was resting on the pillows as
Brian pulled off his own pants before once again lying on top of me.  He
began kissing my neck again, paying particular attention to that spot
behind my ear, as his hands worked their way into my boxers.

     I gasped as his fingers wrapped around my member and started to gently
squeeze.  Brian kissed his way down my chest, pausing to suck and lick at
my nipples, then worked down my stomache.  I opened my eyes and looked down
at him as he reached my navel, and I saw his tongue dart out as his lips
closed over it.

     The sensation was like nothing I'd ever felt before, and I couldn't
stifle the moan that escaped my mouth.  Brian glanced up and grinned before
he moved lower.  Pulling down just the top of my boxers, Brian exposed the
head of my penis.

     Carefully, he licked around the head, driving me crazy.  Seeing this,
he quickly opened his mouth and engulfed the entire head.

     "Oh my God!" I moaned loudly.  Encouraged by my reaction, Brian's
hands grabbed the waistband of my boxers and yanked them down.  His hands
moved back up to me, and one grabbed the shaft of my penis while the other
reached back up and began to lightly play with my nipples.

     Brian continued to run his tongue over the head while his hand tugged
gently on my member.  He slowly started take more of the shaft into his
mouth, running his tongue along it as he went, until he started to gag.
Pulling back a little, he began to quietly hum, gradually getting louder.

     I can't even begin to describe the ecstasy that I was in.  My hands
went to the back of his head again, running through his hair and my head
was thrashing from side to side from the pleasure of it.

     My eyes flew open as I realised that he was humming 'O Canada,' and I
started to laugh.  Looking down at Brian, I found him looking back at me.
His eyes had a glint in them that it took me a moment to place, and then it
came crashing home.  It was love.  But more than that, it was love,
happiness, security, passion, and a million other emotions all rolled into
one.

     Somewhere in my mind, I heard a voice say 'The eyes are the windows of
the soul,' and I knew that that was what I was looking at.  Brian had
opened his soul to me.  And at the same time, I knew that he was seeing it
in my eyes as well.

     All of this was too much for me.  I could feel my orgasm building, and
quickly warned Brian.  Expecting him to pull away, I was surprised when he
reacted by taking even more of me into his mouth, as his hand picked up its
pace.

     The colour drained from the room as I came.  Mindblowing is the only
word that comes close to describing the experience.  I collapsed back onto
the bed with my eyes closed, my breath coming in raspy heaves.  I felt
Brian move back up my body, finally coming to rest beside me and nuzzling
my neck.

     "Nate?  Are you okay?" he asked, noticing the condition I was in.

     "Take it as a compliment," I said as I smiled at him and kissed his
forehead.

     He grinned and nuzzled in closer.  I held him and gazed around the
room.  The colour was back, but it was still pretty dark in there.  My eyes
settled on something across the room, but I couldn't quite make it out.  I
strained my eyes trying to see, and suddenly they flew open and my jaw
dropped to my chest.

     I tried to keep it in, but my laughter came roaring out of me just the
same.  Brian jumped a little and looked up at me quickly.

     "What is it?  What are you laughing about?"

     I couldn't answer him.  Tears were streaming down my face as I
continued to laugh.  Seeing Brian's confusion, I simply nodded, indicating
the direction he was supposed to look.

     Brian turned his head in the direction I had indicated, and a moment
later I could tell by the size of his eyes that he had seen it too.  "OH
FUCK!" he yelled, jumping out of the bed.

     Nick was in the other bed.  He was lying on his stomache with his
pillow pulled down over his head and his arms crossed over it, pressing it
to his head.

     I had been calming down a little, but Brian's reaction set me off
again.  I brought my hands around myself and held them to my sides, which
were starting to hurt a little.  Seeing me, Brian's face broke into a
slight smile, and soon he too was laughing.  Sitting back down on the bed,
he took my hand as we laughed together.

     When we had finally managed to calm down to the level of the
occasional giggle, Brian looked me in the eye.  "Do you think he heard us?"

     "Well," I said, pointing to his buried head.  "I doubt he normally
sleeps like that."

     Brian grinned an stood up.  Pausing at the foot of the bed, he bent
down and threw me my boxers, which I quickly pulled back on.  He then
proceeded to the side of Nick's bed and lifted the edge of Nick's pillow.

     His eyes were scrunched tight together, and it took Brian a moment to
get his attention.  When he finally noticed Brian, he cautiously opened one
eye, looking toward the bed, where I was still sitting.  I gave him an
embarrassed smile and a little wave.  His eye roamed up to take in Brian,
who was also clearly embarrassed, and he finally opened them both and
released his hold on the pillow, letting it drop.

     "Are you guys finished?" he asked, sending us both into fits of
laughter again.

     "Sorry, man," Brian laughed, patting him on the shoulder.  I nodded my
agreement.

     Nick looked up and grinned.  "Let us never talk of this again," he
said with a laugh.

     Brian and I laughed with him, and apologised again.  "Why didn't you
say anything?" I asked.

     "Well, I didn't wake up until you were already...well, you know.  I
figured that rather than embarrass everyone involved, I'd try and ignore
you and get to sleep, and hope that you didn't notice me."

     Brian laughed.  "Okay, we never bring this up again," he said, looking
at me.  I agreed and he looked back to Nick, who nodded eagerly.

     "Don't worry, I have no desire to talk about it," he said again,
pulling his pillow back underneath his head.  "Goodnight guys."

     We said goodnight and Brian joined me again in his bed.  Pulling the
covers back up, he leaned in and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me
close and nuzzling my neck.  I kissed his forehead again and was settling
down into the warmth of the bed, when a thought occurred to me.

     "Brian?"  I whispered.

     "What?"

     "What did you tell Andrea?"

     "When?" He asked, opening his eyes and looking into mine.

     "This afternoon, when she asked what your intentions were toward me."

     "Oh.  I told her that I was going to wine you and dine you."

     "That can't be all," I replied, remembering the shocked look on her
face, and then her laughter.

     "Well, then I told her that I was going to fuck your brains out and
make you mine forever," he grinned, kissing my jaw as we both laughed.

     "Guuuuyyys!" Nick groaned from his bed, reminding us that he was still
there.

     "Sorry," we said in unison, then started to giggle together again.

     "Don't be sorry, be sleepy."

     Brian closed his eyes again with a smile, and, after another kiss, we
were soon asleep.

     PART 24

     I was the first to wake up.  At first, I was confused waking up in the
strange room, but then Brian shifted against me in his sleep and I
remembered everything.  Smiling to myself, I looked over at him.

     He was sleeping on his back, with one arm on his stomache and the
other between us, with our hands linked.  Being careful not to wake him, I
rolled onto my side so that I could watch him sleep.

     There was a small smile playing around the corners of his lips, as if
he was having a good dream.  The sun was coming in bright and strong from
the side windows, but our bed was still in the shadows of the room.  My eye
fell on the scar in the middle of his chest again, and for a moment, all of
the surprise and fear that I had experienced upon seeing it the night
before came back to me.

     Reaching out, I laid my hand on his chest gently, softly running my
thumb over it.  I continued to do so, lost in thought, watching as the sun
crept up the side of the bed and onto Brian's sleeping form.
     
     "Nate?" I heard him whisper, snapping my attention back to the
present.

     I looked up from his chest to his face, and found him looking back at
me with a smile.  "Hey," I smiled back and leaned in for a good morning
kiss.

     "Ugh.  Morning breath," he laughed, then his face grew solemn.
Lifting his hand from his stomache, he brought it to rest on mine, which
was still gently caressing his chest.  "Do you want to talk about it?" he
asked quietly.

     I shrugged. "I don't really know what there is to talk about.  I just
feel so sad looking at you and knowing that you might have died with me
still mad at you.  Before we could be together," I said, the sadness
creeping into my voice.

     He nodded.  "I know.  How do you think I feel knowing that I might
never have gotten the chance to talk to you and let you know how much you
mean to me?" he said, his hand still resting on mine.  "But I did, and now
we're together and I'm fine.  You've just got to hold onto that."

     I gave him a half-hearted smile.  "I know I do, but it's just so scary
to think about.  I can't imagine my life without you in it, and that scares
me too."

     "Why?"

     "Because I've never been here before.  I've dated, but nothing I would
call a relationship.  I don't know if I can give you what you need.  What
if I suck at this whole relationship thing?"

     "Nate," Brian said, rolling over on his side to face me.  Our hands
stayed together as they slid off of his chest.  "This," he indicated the
two of us, "is what I need right now.  In the future, who knows?  What I
can tell you is that you have been giving me what I needed from the moment
we met."

     I looked up quickly, questioning him with my eyes.

     "Remember in your essay, when you said that having a Backstreet Boys
CD gave you that initial push you needed to come out to Andrea?"  I
nodded. "Well, you did the same thing for me.  When I saw how open and
comfortable you were with Nick and I, it started me thinking about how much
I wanted that.  I could also tell that you were special, and that, given
half a chance, I could be happy with you.  You gave me a reason to go
looking for that happiness.  That was exactly what I needed then."

     "But..." I started.  He put his finger to my lips to make me stop.

     "And this week, when Howie went off on you like that, I saw the way
you looked at me to make sure that I was alright, and tried to keep me out
of the line of fire.  You alienated yourself from Howie even more, just to
make sure that he didn't turn on me too."

     "But..." His finger returned, along with a shushing noise.

     "And what about the way you've been trying to get to know the guys,
those who are closest to me?  Especially Nick.  Do you know how much that
means to me?"

     "But..."  I tried again.  No finger this time, and no noise.  Just a
look, but it was enough.

     "Don't you see Nate?" Brian said with a smile.  "You've been giving me
what I needed since the very first time we met, and you didn't even know
you were doing it."  Before I could say anything, he leaned in and kissed
me again.

     "Thank you," I said quietly, settling back in the bed and pulling him
down with me.

     He lay back down with me, and turned his head toward the other bed in
the room.  The sun hit the hollow of his neck as he did, and I couldn't
resist kissing it.

     He giggled and nodded his head at Nick.  "Look at him."

     I looked and laughed.  Nick was sleeping sideways on his bed, with his
feet sticking over the side towards us.  Brian laughed and climbed out of
bed.  I whistled as I caught sight of his boxers.  He looked at me and
laughed lowly as he made his way to Nick.

     During the acrobatics it must have taken to reach such a position,
Nick had kicked off all of his blankets.  Brian grabbed them and pulled
them out of the bottom of the bed, then spread them back over Nick.  He
then walked back to our bed and got in, pulling the covers back over
himself.

     "That was sweet," I said, kissing him again.

     Brian laughed.  "It was the least I could do, after last night."

     I grinned.  "How long do you suppose it took him to get back to
sleep?"

     "I don't know, but I think I'll let him sleep through breakfast.  We
don't have to leave for the airport until eleven thirty, so he's got lots
of time."

     I laid my head on his shoulder and nodded.  "What time is it?"

     Brian looked at his watch.  "Just after eight.  Kevin will be calling
soon to get us up."

     "What the hell is he doing up at this hour on an off-day?" I asked,
snuggling into Brian.

     "That tickles," he laughed.  "Kev's always been a morning person.
Nine's late for him."

     "So he's up now?"

     "Definitely.  He's probably pacing back and forth in his room waiting
until he thinks it's safe to call us."

     "Well, maybe you should call him and tell him that we're up, so he
doesn't wake up Nick by calling us," I suggested.

     "But that means getting out of bed again," he protested weakly with a
smile.

     "Lazy ass," I laughed.

     He turned to look at me.  "Well why don't you call him,
Mr. Energetic?"

     'Because I'm nice and warm,' I thought, smiling inwardly.  "Because
he's your cousin," I said, sticking my tongue out at him.

     Brian reached out quickly and grabbed ahold of my tongue, surprising
me.  He smiled as he leaned in so that his mouth was directly beside my
ear. "There are much better uses for that," he laughed quietly as he let go
of my tongue.

     I grinned at him and grabbed hold of the blankets, dragging them off
of Brian and wrapping them around myself.  "There now, you're most of the
way out of bed anyway.  You might as well call Kevin."

     "You little bastard," he laughed.

     I just smiled back from my warm little cocoon of blankets.

     Sighing, Brian got up again and walked to the small telephone table.
Picking up, he dialed Kevin's room number.  He turned back around to me and
stuck his own tongue out.

     I laughed and made pincher motions with my thumb and forefinger,
making him smile.

     "Hey Kev," he said into the phone.  "Yeah, we're up...I wanted to tell
you not to call the room, because Nick is still sleeping, and I wanted to
let him sleep in...What?...Yeah, we.  Me and Nate...Kev...cut it out..."
Brian blushed heavily, even his back turned red.  "Alright, we'll be
there...Nine, right...okay...bye."

     Brian hung up the phone and turned back to me.  I smiled and opened my
arms, bringing the blankets open in invitation.  Brian laughed and ran at
the bed, jumping in beside me as I brought the blankets around the two of
us.

     "Mmmmm." Brian nuzzled my neck again and closed his eyes.

     "No you don't.  You're not going back to sleep.  We have to be in
Kevin's room at nine."

     "Nate, that's a half hour away," he whined with a yawn.

     I sighed.  Brian was already back to sleep.  Carefully, I disentangled
myself from him and climbed out of the bed, tucking the blankets back in
around him.  Silently, I grabbed the bag I had packed and headed for the
bathroom.

     Closing the door, I turned the water on for a shower and rummaged
through my bag for the change of clothes that I had brought.  Finding them,
I placed them on the vanity and jumped in the shower.

     Twenty minutes later, I was showered and dressed, and walking back out
into the room.  Looking at Brian, I noticed that he hadn't moved.

     I walked over to him and shook him.  "Brian?  You've got to get up."
Nothing.  'What is it with the guys in this group?' I asked myself as an
idea formed in my head.  'What worked for one might work for the other.'
Reaching out, I brought my hand to Brian's head and flicked him in the
center of the forehead.

     His eyes flapped open and he looked up at me with surprise.  "What the
hell was that?" he asked.

     I smiled.  "You wouldn't get up. If we're not there soon, Kev will be
calling."

     "Alright, alright, I'm up," he said, sitting up in the bed and rubbing
his forehead.  "But I must say I enjoyed the way you woke me up in the limo
more."

     I laughed and kissed his forehead.  "Better?"

     "Almost," he said, stealing a kiss on the lips.  "Woo!  Someone's
minty fresh!" he laughed.

     I waved my hand back in front of my mouth.  "And someone's not," I
smiled.

     Brian laughed and threw his pillow at me, then surrendered before I
could retaliate.  He got up and ran into the bathroom, saying that he would
be back in a minute.

     I wandered out to the balcony and watched as the light crowd below
moved and changed.  A couple of minutes later, I felt Brian's hands wrap
around be from behind, and his head came to rest on my shoulder.  "You
ready?" I asked.

     In response, he turned me around and pulled me into a kiss.  "I am
now."  Taking my hand, he led me back into the room and closed the balcony
door.  We grabbed the room key from the table and left, leaving Nick still
sleeping.

     Brian locked the door behind him, placing the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on
the knob, then we walked toward Kevin's room.  On the way, we ran into AJ
coming out of his.

     He looked at the two of us and smiled knowingly, but didn't say
anything.  He whistled when he saw me though.  "You really didn't have to
get dressed up for breakfast, man."

     I looked at myself.  Brown jeans, creme-coloured t-shirt, white
button-down.  Then I looked to Brian and AJ.  Brian was wearing a Kentucky
sweatshirt and flannel pajama pants, and AJ was wearing torn jeans and a
black t-shirt.  Neither one of them were wearing socks.

     I shrugged.  "Can I help it if you two look bad?" I asked with a
smile.

     AJ laughed and threw his arm around me, leading us once again toward
Kevin's door.  AJ knocked and opened the door at the same time, not waiting
for an answer.

     Kevin smiled up from the table.  "Hey Nate."

     "Hey Kevin," I said, returning the smile.

     "Where's Nick?" AJ asked, looking around.

     "He, uh, didn't sleep very well last night.  I'm letting him get a bit
more before we have to head to the airport," Brian said without looking at
AJ.  "What about Howie?"

     "He's on his way," Kevin said.  Kevin looked up and, seeing the
worried expression on my face, gave me another smile.  "Don't worry Nate, I
told him you were going to be here.  He's going to be on his best
behaviour."

     I mimed wiping sweat from my brow and we all laughed.  Howie joined us
a few minutes later, and sat down without really looking at me and Brian.

     Brian and I sat together opposite him, and AJ and Kevin took the ends
of the table.  The smells coming from the cart sitting beside the table
were driving me crazy, and I was glad that I had been up for a while, so I
could enjoy breakfast with everyone else.

     Passing the trays of food around, we were all soon eating.  We made
light conversation around the table as we did so.  Kevin talked about the
details of the upcoming leg of the tour.  AJ, Brian, and Howie complained
about those details, and offered suggestions of their own, most of which
involved them sleeping in.

     We had just finished eating and were pulling away from the table when
Nick walked in.  He was still in his t-shirt and boxers, and had his
blankets wrapped around him.

     "How come no one woke me up?" he asked, sticking his lower lip out
dramatically.

     "Well, Nate and I knew you didn't sleep that well last night, so we
let you sleep in," Brian said, flashing Nick a knowing look.  Nick's cheeks
flushed, and he nodded his understanding.

     "How come you couldn't sleep, Nick?" Kevin asked innocently.

     I could tell by the colour that rose in AJ's face that he had a pretty
good idea, but he thankfully kept silent.  Nick just shrugged.  "One of
those nights, I guess."

     Kevin nodded and offered his seat to Nick, then went to the phone and
ordered some breakfast for him.  Brian took my hand and led me to the couch
a few feet away.  Making me sit, he promptly sat on my lap and put his arm
around me.  AJ, Kevin and Nick smiled at us, but I noticed Howie avoiding
looking in our direction.

     "So what are you going to do now Nate?"  Kevin asked.

     "Right now?  I'm kinda tied down," I laughed, pointing to Brian.

     Kevin smiled.  "No, I mean after today.  Isn't your vacation done?"

     "Yeah.  My agent will probably be calling first thing in the morning,
wanting to know how the book is going."

     "So are you staying in LA?" AJ asked, tossing the last bit of toast in
his mouth.

     "I'm not really sure what I'm going to do.  I may stay for a little
while, but I want to get back to Toronto too.  And I have a couple of
meetings in New York in two weeks.  I may stay here until then, then just
keep going north when I'm done there."  I shrugged.  "There's really no
reason to rush anything.  I can write anywhere."

     AJ nodded.  "I can't imagine actually *wanting* to spend the winter in
Toronto."  He shivered just thinking about it.

     "It's not all that bad," I laughed.  "Of course, you're a bigger wuss
than I am."

     "Did he just call me a wuss?" AJ asked Nick.

     Nick grinned, knowing what was coming.  "Yep.  I'm pretty sure he just
called you a wuss."

     "Them's fightin' words!" AJ yelled, jumping up out of his chair and
raising his fists comically.

     I laughed and pointed at Brian.  "Good thing I brought my trusty
bodygua..." I stopped as Brian suddenly was gone.  One second he was on my
lap, and the next he was standing at the end of the couch.

     "Sorry, you brought this one on yourself," he laughed as he shrugged
and headed for the table.

     "Aha!" AJ laughed.  "Not so tough without your boyfriend to protect
you, are you?"  He ran at me, knocking me sideways on the couch, then
pulling me to the floor.

     We rolled back and forth on the floor laughing as we each tried to pin
the other.  Finally, I wound up sitting on AJ's stomache with his shoulders
pinned.  "You give up?" I asked him with a smile, trying to catch my
breath.

     "Yeah yeah," he laughed.  "Just get off of me.  I'm not Brian you
know."

     Brian and I both blushed and I let AJ up.  I started to walk toward
the table, then saw Brian smiling and looking past me.  I just had time to
brace myself when AJ landed on my back, throwing his arms around my neck.

     I was just about to say something when there was knock at the door.
AJ was still clinging to me as I waved off Kevin and went to answer it.
The waiter did a double-take as I opened the door, but soon started
smiling.  I led him into the room, where he picked up the other cart and
Kevin signed for the food.

     As soon as the door was shut behind him, I grunted and ducked,
throwing AJ over my shoulders and onto the couch.  He laughed again and sat
there panting.  I grinned at him and asked him if he'd had enough.

     AJ just nodded and smiled.  I backed away slowly, keeping my eye on
him, until I felt Brian grab my leg.

     "Rule number one: Never call AJ a wuss," he laughed as I leaned in and
kissed him on the forehead.  As I did, something caught my eye.

     Walking over to Kevin's bedside table, I picked it up.  "Rule number
two," I said with a smile, holding it up.  "If you know the author, you can
get a really good deal on the book."  They all looked at me, and Kevin
laughed as he saw his copy of my book.

     "How many of you guys are reading this damn thing anyway?" I asked.

     I was surprised to see AJ and Nick raise their hands, smiling, but I
was blown away to see Howie raise his hand as well.  There wasn't much of a
smile, but it was something.

     "And what do you think?" I asked Howie, hoping that we could finally
connect on something.

     He shrugged.  "It's not bad."

     "I'm loving it," Nick said quickly as he started eating.

     I smiled at him and Howie.  "Thanks," I said to both of them.

     "Yeah, it's not bad, for you being such a wuss," AJ laughed, coming
over and slapping me on the shoulder.

     "Well then," I said with a grin.  "I expect book reports from each of
you when you finish.  1500 words, no less."

     "No fair!" Nick yelled.  "Brian's sleeping with the teacher!"

     Brian's mouth opened in shock, but everyone else laughed.  Even Howie
smiled.  It may have been the first honest smile I'd seen from him.

     "Nick!"  Brian was still surprised, but there was a smile on his face
as well.

     "Oh come on, Brian," AJ said, sitting down.  "Did you really think
that none of us could put it together?  We heard you and Nate come in last
night, and you certainly didn't come in and hang out like you did the last
time."

     This time, both of us blushed.  Nick looked up with a puzzled
expression.  "But you guys knew that I had gone to bed."

     Kevin and AJ just grinned at him, and it slowly dawned on Nick.  "You
knew!  You knew I was in there and you still let them!"  Kevin, AJ and
Howie all burst out laughing.

     "Oh you guys are in for it!"  Nick laughed.  "I don't know how, but
I'll get you back."

     They just kept smiling, enjoying our embarrassment.  Finally, Brian
broke the silence.  "Alright, enough about our love life.  Look what you
did, AJ," he said, pointing to me.

     "What?"

     "You messed up my boyfriend," he laughed, pulling on my shirt.  I was
all untucked and rumpled from my wrestling match with AJ.

     "I told you you needed grubbing-around clothes," Nick smiled up at me
from the table.  Everyone else looked at us, curious.

     I laughed and started to straighten my clothes.  "And I told you, you
don't have to look like a slob to be comfortable."

     "Sure you do," AJ said.

     "See?" Nick laughed and pushed his plate away.  I just shook my head
in mock dismay and continued to fix my clothes.

     "Oh!" Nick said suddenly, jumping up from the table.  "I have
something for you Nate.  I'll be right back."  He ran out of the room,
leaving his blankets behind and running into the hall in his boxers.

     "Put some pants on!" AJ called after him.

     Nick returned in a couple of minutes with a small box and a picture,
as well as some pants.  Handing me the picture, he turned and gave Brian
the marker he had brought.  "This is to replace the one in your room," he
said with a smile.  I looked at the picture of Brian, then handed it to
him.  He smiled and started writing.

     "And this is from me," he said with a smile as he handed me the box.

     I tore the tape off of the flap and opened the box.  Inside were
several CD's.  Taking a closer look, I saw that they were all Backstreet
Boys CD's.

     "They're every CD we've released in every different country," Nick
said with a laugh.  "Try to keep them away from any strong heat sources."

     I grinned and thanked Nick, looking through the CD's.

     "I don't get it," Kevin said, sitting down beside me.  I gave him an
embarrassed smile, then explained about what had happened to the Backstreet
Boys CD I already owned.

     "So it's just sitting there, on your CD rack?" Kevin smiled.

     "Yep.  We thought it would make a nice souvenir," I replied as
everyone laughed.

     Brian had finished with the picture while I was telling the story, and
he finally grinned and handed it back to me.  I groaned and turned it
around for everyone else to see.

     He had drawn little horns on himself, as well as a moustache and
beard, and had even gone to the trouble of blacking out a couple of teeth.
Underneath it, he had signed it 'With Love, Brian.'  Laughing, he put the
marker down on the table and looked at me.

     "You don't need a picture of me," he said with a smile.  "You need a
picture of *us*."  He handed me an envelope.  I opened it to find an
enlarged picture of Brian and I kissing in the hall.  I looked up at AJ to
find him smiling back at me.

     "How did you get this developed?" I asked.  "There's probably some
clerk out there scanning this onto her website as we speak."

     AJ shook his head.  "Nah.  Management takes care of stuff like that.
They take the film to private labs, and make sure that there aren't any
copies made."

     I offered him my thanks, which he waved off, then turned to Brian.
"Thank you," I said, kissing his nose.

     "You can do better than that," Brian said softly, drawing me in for a
much more involved kiss.

     "Ahem," Kevin cleared his throat and we broke apart, both of us
smiling widely.

     "Sorry."

     Kevin smiled and then took charge of the situation.  "Okay, everyone
needs to be dressed and packed in half an hour so we can go to the airport.
Nate, are you coming with us?"

     "Yes, he is," Brian answered before I could, giving me a smile.

     "Yes, I am," I echoed, returning it.

     "Okay.  Half an hour, guys," Kevin said again, as he began to take
clothes out of the closet and put them into a suitcase.

     We all got up and made our ways back to our rooms.

     Brian was already mostly packed, so he and I spent a couple of moments
gathering up what was left and putting it away, then helped Nick get ready.
I noticed Nick kept looking at us and smiling, then looking away when he
saw me looking back.

     I was about to lean over and bring it to Brian's attention to it, when
I noticed that Brian was being unusually quiet.  Looking over at him, I saw
a sad expression on his face.

     I walked over to him and put my arms around him.  "What is it?"

     "I don't want to leave you here," he whispered, holding me tightly.

     I stroked his hair, resting my head on his shoulder.  "I know. I don't
want you to go either, but we talked about this.  You have to go.  I'll be
here when you get back, or maybe I'll come and visit you.  We'll talk all
the time, and we'll work something out."

     Kevin knocked on the closed door of the room, calling that it was time
to go to the airport.  Nick grabbed his stuff, gave me a smile, and said he
would wait in the lobby as he went out the door.  Brian pulled away a
little and looked into my eyes.

     "Come with us," he pleaded.

     "I am coming.  You told Kevin yourself," I said.

     "No.  Not to the airport.  Come with us when we leave.  I want you to
come on the tour with me."

To Be Continued...

Okay, that's it for this part.  Please let me know what you think.
Everyone's opinion is welcome and wanted.  Remember, I live for email.

Email me at DLS_stories@hotmail.com

Thanks for reading! :)