Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 04:57:45 GMT
From: JaDe - <melsleepy@hotmail.com>
Subject: boybands - Can I Keep You?

Hey peeps. This is my second story that is published in Nifty. You might
remember me, Jade  from 'Mirror Mirror' and hope you all enjoy this story.
Props out to Anh Hai, Jon kor kor, Zak, Angel(where are you?), Dayse, Bon,
Ad and all others. All comments to melsleepy@hotmail.com.
	This story is a figment of my imagination..okay..that's all.

Can I Keep You?
---------------
	The phone rang loudly, startling Kevin from his drink-induced slumber. He
groaned as he reached for the phone only to hear the automatic cold machine
saying 'This is your requested wake-up call. Have a nice day,' Kevin slammed
down the phone and started massaging his throbbing head.
	'What am I doing drinking all that liquor?' he asked himself. He thought
back on what had happened last night and a sharp pain returned to his chest.
The pain of a broken heart.

*The day before*
	"Brian, I don't think that this is such a hot idea," Nick worried his lower
lip, looking at Brian. "Trust me on this, the expression on his face will be
priceless," Brian coaxed Nick.
	"But then,"
	"No buts Nicky. I can just imagine what he will say when..." Brian giggled
again.
	'If only you know, Brian,' Nick thought to himself. After a while, Nick
caved in and went along with Brian. Brian had informed AJ earlier on what
they were planning but Howie was still left in the dark because he is only
joining them tomorrow after his vacation in Hawaii with his long time
girlfriend.
	Kevin and AJ walked towards the room which Nick and Brian shared. Kev
grumbled under his breath. "Those two are unbelievable. They are the ones
who wanted to go out together for dinner and where are they now? Late
again," AJ grinned, hearing what Kev had said.
	As they stopped outside the hotel door, they could hear Nick's portable
hi-fi blasting away. Even the door is vibrating from the loud noise. "I
doubt that they could hear us even if we knocked. Maybe we should just use
the spare key," AJ added. Kev nodded and took out the spare keys that were
given to him by management.
	Kevin allowed AJ to step in first before entering the room himself. "You
guys..." Kevin's jaw dropped at the sight in front of him.
	Nick was seated at the edge of the bed, bare-chested and jeans partially
down while Brian is kneeling in front of Nick with his head bent down. AJ
cut the music off, leaving a painful silence behind. Brian and Nick looked
up and quickly stood up. Nick pulled up his pants while Brian wiped his
mouth.
	AJ reached over and closed Kevin's jaw for him, barely hiding a giggle.
After a few minutes of blinking at them, Kevin finally found his voice. "You
two..together?" his voice rasped out. Brian went and put his arm around
Nick.
	"I am sorry that you have to find out this way," Brian answered Kev. Nick
just flushed lightly.
	"I am happy for you, guys. Erm, I just remembered that I have to call
management to set up tomorrow. So you all go on without me," Kev blurted out
and proceeded out of the suffocating room.
	Once Kevin had left, AJ burst out in laughter, followed by Brian and Nick.
Admist the laughter, Nick thought of Kevin. He could swear that he could see
Kevin's eyes watering a little. 'Nah, must be the trick of the light,' he
brushed it off. "If he reacts like this now, wonder what will he do when we
tell him that this is all a joke tomorrow," AJ gasped out, clasping his
sides, exhausted from laughing.
	"Guys?" Nick broke into the laughter hesitantly. 'Should I tell them now? I
don't think I can keep this inside me anymore,' Brian and AJ quieted down.
"Yes, Nicky?" Nick looked at the two earnest faces in front of him and
chickened out. 	"Uh..nothing," Nick laughed it off. 'Kevin..'
	Upon reaching his room, Kevin slumped down against the door, feeling the
rush of hot tears rolling down his cheeks. 'At first when I thought he is
unreachable, the pain wasn't so great because I know that I couldn't have
him. But to know that I could have him but he have someone else..'
	Kevin stood up after a while and walked over to the mini-bar. He downed a
small bottle of vodka in an attempt to forget things, even for a night. "How
could Brian know?" he laughed to himself bitterly. After emptying the stock
of liquor in the mini-bar, he could barely walk to him bed, much less make a
coherent thought of what had happened earlier.
	He fell asleep to the image of a blond angel with blue eyes smiling down on
him.

*Present Day*
	Kevin tidied up the empty bottles, disposing them into the rubbish bin. At
last the room smelt and looks free from liquor. The door knocked a few
times. 'It must be the breakfast that I had ordered' Kevin thought as he
walked towards to door. He opened the door to admit in an exhausted Howie.
	"You're early," Kev said surprised. "Yeah, I miss you guys," Howie said,
sprawled on the bed.
	"A quarrel with Kelly?"
	"That girl! She said that I flirt too much. Can you believe her?"
	"You do flirt..." Kev broke off when Howie sat up, with an evil glint in
his eyes. The door was knocked again and Kev rushed to the door, glad for
the interruption. He admitted in the rest of the guys and the hotel bellboy
who brought breakfast.
	All of them helped themselves to the food. Kevin avoided looking at Nick
who was eating heartily. "Bri? You gonna tell D?" Kevin asked quietly. "Tell
him what?" Brian asked with his mouth full of sausage. Kev pointed to Nick.
Brian gulped down his sausage as he remembered of the prank the day before.
	"Oh Kev. I forgot to tell you. Gotcha,"
	Kev didn't let the words register into his mind until a bit later. "GOTCHA?
You put me through all that for a joke?"
	"Don't get all mad about a faggot joke, Kev," entered AJ.
	Kevin took a look at AJ in disgust and slammed the hotel's door as he left.
Howie looked on in surprise. "Anyone want to let me in on what had
happened?" he asked the three guilty faces in front of him.
	Brian finally filled Howie on what had happened since it was his 'Bright'
idea. After he finished, Howie shook his head. "How could you all be so
stupid? And AJ, the last remark was really unnecessary," "What do you mean?"
asked AJ. "HELLO! Don't tell me that I am the only who knows here," Howie
yelled in frustration. "Know what D?" asked Brian.
	"Kevin is GAY!"
	"WHAT!" the three yelled in unison. "How do you know that?" Nick asked when
he finally calmed down. Howie looked at Nick fondly, 'If you would only know
how much he cares for you'. "My gay-dar of course," he replied. "WHAT! You
are gay too?" AJ asked in surprise. "NO I am not. I just happen to have a
gay-dar," Howie defended himself.
	Nick ran out of the room, with one intention in his mind. To find Kevin.
The shining eyes filled with tears last night are true. It must have meant
that he could possibly feel something for me too? Please God, if there is
something in the world that I want, it's Kevin. I live for the moment that I
see him. Don't make him lost to me. Nick begged and half-cried as he ran
aimlessly trying to find Kevin in the hotel.
He stopped in front of the hotel map on the wall. 'Gym!' was the first thing
he thought of. He stopped in front of the gym breathless. Sure enough he saw
Kevin working the machinery with murder in his mind when he peeked into the
room.
	"What can I say? What if he run away and never talk to me again?" Nick
mumbled to himself.
	Kevin didn't know what to do. 'Oh God. If AJ is so against gays and he is
the most open minded in the group. What will the others say..what will Nick
say?'
	Nick finally decided that he couldn't tell Kev. Just not yet. He pushed
open the doors to find himself face to face with Kevin who was about to
leave the place. "Kevin!" he gasped out while Kevin uttered out Nick's name
in shock.
	After a pause, both of them smiled at each other wanly. They walked
together to Kevin's room, not saying a word but feeling completely at ease
with one another. Both of them entered the room to have AJ, Brian and Howie
fussed over them.
	"Kevin, I am so sorry. I still love you, even if you are gay," AJ blurted
out. "WHAT!" Kev shouted in surprise. AJ clasped his hands over his mouth.
"I'm sorry..I didn't meant for that to come out," AJ gushed. "I guess there
is little point in hiding things anymore. I am gay,"Kevin admitted. One by
one came forward to hug him tightly. Kevin was surprised. This is totally
different from what he had expected to happen. The last to hug him is Nick.
Nick knew that this is the perfect opportunity to tell the guys about
himself but he couldn't do it.
	"Okay, enough of these mushy stuff. We have a meeting to go to," Kevin took
charge of the situation. AJ and Nick laughed. "Kevin, always the
father,"teased Brian. Kev surprised them by sticking his tongue at them
before leading them to the waiting limo.
	For the first time in eight years, Kevin felt completely at ease with the
guys. Not having to hide anything except his feelings for Nick. He sneaked
looks at Nick while Nick did the same when they thought the other wasn't
looking. Howie looked on with a knowing smile on his face. AJ caught Howie.
"What was that smile for?" "I am just happy today," he lamely replied,
looking out of the window. Brian sat there. Kevin being gay is not a big
surprise for him. Somehow Brian always felt that there was something that
Kevin had been hiding from him. Even now after his admission.
	That night they had dinner at an Italian restaurant before heading to a
club. They returned to the hotel around two a.m. "I am so wasted,"AJ
sing-songed. Brian shook his head and dutifully helped AJ back to his room.
Kevin who was also drunk was leaning against Nick while Howie walked
unsteadily towards the general direction of his room.
	"Nick, I will help AJ back to his room and you to Kevin's room, okay? I
meet you back in our room later," gasped out Brian. 'For someone so small in
size, he is heavy,' Brian muttered under his breath, pulling AJ in tow.
	"Kevin, where are your keys?" Nick asked Kevin who was giggling. Kevin
didn't answer and started to grope Nick. Nick in shock, just stared at
Kevin. He shook himself out of it and searched Kevin's body for the hotel
key. Nick couldn't help but feel excited as he ran his hand through Kevin's
body. 'GET A GRIP! He is drunk, that is why he lets you do that,'Nick
scolded himself.
	Founding the key at last, both of them fell through the door. Nick brought
Kevin to the bed and laid him down. Kevin was already fast asleep on the bed
when Nick got up to tuck Kevin in. As Nick stared at Kevin's peaceful
profile, he sighed. The perfect cheekbones, the soft lips, the strength
beneath the face. "Can I keep you?" Nick breathed out the famous words from
'Casper'. He stood there and stared at Kevin for a while longer before
returning to his room where Brian is probably worried about him.
	"HOW DID YOU ALL SLEEP LAST NIGHT?" bellowed out Brian. Kevin, AJ and Howie
visibly winced at the loud voice. Their head pounded even more. "I SLEPT
FINE," yelled back Nick. Both Brian and him wanted to get back at the guys
for making both of them lug the rest back to the hotel.
	Kevin slumped down in his seat, cradling his head in his hands. "Do you all
have to talk so loud?" AJ whined. Howie stuck his fingers into his ear,
wanting peace and quiet. "ARE WE TALKING LOUD?" Nick looked at AJ
innocently. "Okay, we promise not to drink so much anymore. Stop the
bellowing," Kevin asked for a truce. Finally Brian and Nick agreed.
	"HELLO People," squealed Marianna. Everyone turned towards Marianna, their
tour manager. She chirped around everyone, not noticing the death glares.
	"Could you keep it down?"gritted Howie. Marianna ignored him and continued
talking.
	"The rest of them are joining us in about... an hour from now,"
	"Others?"asked Nick.
	"Yes, *N Sync,"
	"WHAT? *N Sync is joining us?" yelled AJ, forgetting about his hangover.
	"Kevin, didn't you tell the others?" questioned Marianna.
	"Hehe, I wanted it to be a surprise,"
	The rest of the Backstreet Boys are bustling with noise. They all couldn't
wait to see the *N Sync guys. Contrarily to belief, they are all great
friends.
	"Guys..GUYS! Quiet, let me finish,"
Everyone turned towards Marianna, expectedly.
	"There will be a guy who will be joining us. He is going to be my
assistant,"
	"I believe there is something that you are not telling us," Howie looked at
her.
	She smiled sheepishly. "He is my nephew. That doesn't mean I won't come
down hard on him. He is 18 this year and has a good head on his shoulder,
and.."
"Marianna, don't worry bout it. If he manage to get through management, how
bad could he be?" Brian tried to calm her down.
	"The thing is, I have to go back to my hometown for a couple of weeks, so
Jonathan will oversee you all and *N Sync for me. Although I know you all
are older than him, cut him some slack, okay?" They slowly nodded, hiding
grins all around. Marianna sighed in relief.
	"Hey JC!" Howie called out. The *N Sync guys saw the Backstreet Boys,
lounging on the couch and walked towards them. They hugged each other all
around. "Long time no see, Fatone,"AJ hi-fived with Joey. They chatted about
what had been happening for the past few months that they didn't see each
other.
	The door opened slightly and a head poked in. "Jon, calm down. How are you
going to take charge if you don't calm down," he said to himself. He ran his
hand through his black spiked up hair. He looked down at himself. He was
dressed in a black sleeveless Abercromie and Fitch hooded sweatshirt and
khakis. "Okay, I look presentable," he talked to himself. On the outside he
looked calm but inside he is a jumble of emotions.
	"Aunt Marianna is really great to let me come here as her assistant. God
knows, how fast Mum and Dad wanted to get rid of me. I can't let her down,"
"Let's do it," and with that he pushed the door open. He nearly fainted with
relief when he saw Aunt Marianna. She caught sight of him and jogged towards
him, giving him a hug. "How are you doing, sweetie?" "Okay, Aunt Marianna,"
"They still not talking to you?" she mentioned about his parents. He shook
his head moodily. "Give them time. Anyway, let's introduce you to the boys,"
she pulled him towards the guys.
	"Guys!" she said once. Not getting any reaction, she walked towards the
squabbling Chris and AJ and pulled both of them by their ears.  They let out
a scream, getting the attention of everyone. "Thank you, AJ, Chris. Anyway,
I want to introduce you all to your assistant tour manager," she pointed at
Jon who flushed slightly.
	Lance looked at Jonathan with interest. "I guess I better introduce myself.
I am Jonathan Loo, 18 years old from New York," One by one stood up and
shook Jon's hand. Nick stuck his face in front of Jonathan and stared at him
bluntly. "Do you play Nintendo?"
	"Erm...yes," Jonathan answered hesitantly. "HAH! Brian, you owe me ten
bucks. How many times have I told you that any red-blooded guy could not
resist playing Nintendo?" Nick bounced back to Brian. Jon just looked at
Nick's retreating back. "Welcome to the family," Lance greeted him warmly.
Jon smiled and caught himself staring into the amazing warm green eyes.
"You're quite short, aren't you?" AJ quizzically asked. Justin whacked AJ's
head. "Oww..but that is the truth," he defended. Chris and Joey threw a
pillow at AJ.
	"I am 5'7 and half. I am tall for an Asian," Jonathan explained. "No wonder
you have that great tanned skin,"exclaimed Howie. Jonathan blushed. "Where
are you born?" asked Kevin. "I am a Chinese born in New York but my mother
and father was from Singapore," "Hmm..interesting," murmured Lance.
	"What you are leaving?" exclaimed Jonathan. "Yes. I have to fly back to
Singapore to take care of something," Marianna explained. Jon brooded there.
"I will be alone," "No, you will not. You will have a ball trying to keep
the guys in line," Jonathan groaned. Marianna smiled as she got dressed in
front of Jonathan. "How does this look?" she asked for his opinion. He
wrinkled his nose. "Doesn't suit your color,"
	"Don't you feel weird asking me for advice on what to wear, Aunt Marianna?"
	"No, gay guys always have better taste in clothes," replied back Marianna.
Jon just nodded and lay on his back, looking on the wall.
	"So what do you think of the guys?"
	"Cute,"
	"Is that all? You sure have something more to say about your new
employers,"
	"They are an interesting bunch,"
	"Johnny, what do you think about Lance?"
	"Huh? What about him?"
	"Don't you think he is the perfect boyfriend material?"
	"Please, he has a girlfriend. He won't look at little old me,"
	"Whatever you say,"
Jonathan cursed under his breath. Damn Aunt Marianna to making me curious
about Lance.
	"Boooo........." whined Nick, batting his eyelashes.
	"What," asked Kevin resignedly.
	"Make Brian stop bullying me," Nick stuck his tongue out at Brian.
	"No, Kevin is on my side. I am family,"
	Kevin pulled out the water gun under the table where he was doing some
paper work and squirted water over both of them. "Happy now?" he asked,
snorting in laughter at everyone's expression. Justin jumped up and wrestled
the water gun from Kevin. He squirted the water on Kevin and then hi-fived
Joey. Kevin calmly keeps the papers in front of him in the drawer before
grabbing another water gun from the closet. Everyone was spraying water at
each other.
	JC was running away from the assault of Nick and Brian when he bumped into
someone. The whole room quieted and JC recoil away. "Hi, Lou," Kevin softly
said.

~~~~2 bE cOnTiNueD?~~~~