Date: Thu, 03 Feb 2000 17:29:14 MST
From: DJs Tale <djs_tale@hotmail.com>
Subject: Forever 25-28

Disclaimer
----------
	This story is completely in the mind of the author and is
not intended to reflect the actual personalities or sexualities of
the Backstreet Boys (no matter how much the author might wish it
otherwise!).  If any member of BSB is gay, it's their life and their
business (but they can feel free to e-mail me and complain about the
story).  Don't read this story if you're too young in your corner of
the world.  Don't read this story if it's illegal in your corner of
the world.  No hamsters were harmed during the filming of this movie,
etc. etc. etc.


<Author's comments following the story, since I know you're ALL dyin'
to see what happens after last episode's cliffhanger ;-)>

Previously on 'Forever':
This time when I woke up, it was to a warm body next to me.  Much
better!  I would have to congratulate him.  Later, of course.  Right
now, I was too busy enjoying the lips that had started nibbling on my
ear.  And too drowsy to notice that something didn't feel totally
right.

I was laying on my side, facing the wall again.  He was behind
me, pressed up against my back.  He started running his hands around
me, skimming one over my stomach while the other ran through my spiky
hair.  The roving fingers on my stomach slowly made their way down to
my waist, hesitating when he reached my boxers.

I smiled as he paused, figuring he'd say something about the fact
I was violating the `dress code' I'd mentioned to him earlier: nude
when in bed.  I'd taken off my t-shirt, but drifted off before I
stripped all the way down.

To my surprise, he didn't say anything, just started kissing down
my cheek.  I guess he just wanted to keep the mood going.  I turned my
head, giving him access to my lips as his hand slid into my boxers.  He
wrapped his hand around me, giving me a squeeze, and I moaned as he
slid his tongue in my mouth.  I brought one hand up to the side of his
head, planning on pressing him further into my mouth, when I realized
somethin' was VERY wrong.  Kevin didn't have that many earrings.  And
he wasn't wearing the hoop style.

I surged out of bed, stumbling back into the wall.  I almost
tripped over a chair, but managed to catch myself.  I couldn't find a
light, so I yanked the curtains open.  There was enough light coming in
from the city outside to show me my guest.

"AJ?!?!?"


And now...'Forever'...



Chapter 25

"What the hell are you doing, man?  Are you NUTS?"  I screamed at
AJ.

"Nah, man, not at all," he said as he stood, slowly moving
towards me.  "I just figured you and I could, ya know, get to know each
other a bit better."

I threw a glance to the door, wishing Kev would walk through it.
That reminded me.

"What are you doing here, AJ?  You're supposed to be with the
other guys.  And how the fuck did you get in here?"

"I told the guys I wasn't feelin' well, so I could come back
alone.  And the nice lady at the front desk was kind enough to give me
a key to my bandmate's room since I had to get some stuff outta there,"
he said.

"Yeah, well, y'all've had your fun.  Time to go `bye-`bye now," I
said.

I was NOT happy.  Yeah, he was kinda cute and all, but I LOVED
Kev.  I wouldn't do something like that to him.  Frankly, I was pissed
that AJ could think I'd be interested in cheating on my boyfriend.  And
that he'd do this to his own friend.

And the way he had touched me.  ALL of me.  I blushed, embarrassed
at what he had done.  I started to walk by him, making my way towards
the door.  He grabbed my arm, spinning me down onto the bed before
falling on top of me.

"Come on, man.  Kev's gone for a while.  We've got time to fool
around a little.  You were enjoyin' it earlier."  He put his hands on
mine, pulling them up over my head.

"I thought you were Kevin earlier, AJ.  Now just knock this shit
off before you do something we'll all regret," I said.

He ignored me.  He started pushing his body into mine.  I could
feel his hard-on pressing into my leg.  He leaned in and started
kissing me again.  I turned my head to the side, trying to avoid his
mouth.  He decided to go back to my ears and neck.

`Damn, he's a lot stronger than he looks,' I thought as I tried
to get him off of me.  I pushed as hard as I could, trying to get him
to let go.  I wasn't having much luck.  I was still tired from all the
other shit going on.

"Come on, Dylan, quit fuckin' around."  He said softly into my
ear before pulling his head back.  Our eyes were locked.  "You know you
want it.  We both do.  So let's just go for it.  Kev'll never know," he
said.

"Wanna bet?" came Kev's voice from the door.

I thought my heart was gonna explode in relief.  Kev had a look
of cold fury on his face.  Nick was behind him, although I had no idea
why.  His mouth was practically on the floor.  AJ jumped off of me, his
arousal clear in the light from the door.  I just rolled over and
climbed off of the bed.

"AJ, it's time to leave," Kev said.  AJ started to say something,
but Kevin shut him up with a look.  "Get out, AJ.  Now."

AJ quickly grabbed his clothes, sliding by the guys and heading
out the door.  I slumped in relief, then walked over to Kevin, smiling.

He stiffened when I put my hand on his shoulder.  The smile on my
face began to fall as I realized that he was still angry.  And it was
directed at me.

"Kevin?" I asked a thousand questions with his name.  He didn't
respond.  Just stared at me, furious.  It dawned on me what this looked
like.  And what he was thinking.

"Kev, it is NOT what you're thinking," I began.  He didn't wait
for me to finish.

"Oh, really?  Looks to me like you and AJ were about to have a
little fun.  I thought it was kinda strange that the two of you got me
to go out, then he was suddenly not feelin' good," he said, his voice
dripping with sarcasm and naked anger.

I stepped back, feelin' a little like he'd punched me.  THAT was
what he thought?

"You think we set this up." I whispered, then continued, building
in volume, "You think the two of us got you out of here on purpose so
we could fuck?"

I could tell by the look in his eyes that it was exactly what he
was thinking.  I was...stunned.  I had no idea what I was supposed to
say.

I wasn't hurt so much that he assumed what he did when he came
in.  Hell, I'd've thought the same thing if I'd walked in on him like
that.  What hurt the most was the fact that he didn't even give me the
benefit of the doubt.  He didn't even let me try to explain.  I loved
him so much...and he actually thought it was possible for me to just
fuck AJ at the drop of a hat.

"I see," I said, hesitantly.  I just...died inside.

I dropped my face, looking down at the floor.  I was having
trouble breathing.  I knew I had to go.  I had to get outta there.  I
didn't know where I was gonna go, but I knew it had to be somewhere
else.  "I guess I should be going, then."

I turned and grabbed my suitcase, quickly zipping up the cover.
I looked around the room, grabbing my Birks.  I turned to Nick,
ignoring the look on his face.

"Nick, would you mind if I slept in your spare bed?  If you do, I
can get a different room.  It's only for tonight," I paused, looking
over at Kevin.  He was looking past me, out the window.  "I think I'll
be leaving in the morning."  I stared at Kevin.  He refused to meet my
gaze.  I shook my head.

"Um, yeah, sure, Dylan," Nick finally answered.  "You can crash
in my room."  I nodded and moved past them.

`Looks like I'm the one walking out this time,' I thought.  Nick
followed me out, and I heard the door shut behind me.



Nick took the lead once we were in the hall, grabbing my suitcase
as he passed me by.  I just stumbled after him.  I didn't really know
what else to do.  I was just out of it.

We'd had such a beautiful day.  We'd spent so much time together.
We'd just...BEEN with each other so much that day.  And suddenly, it
was all gone.  He'd just erased that day, maybe even our entire
relationship, with a cold look from his eyes.

I collapsed onto a bed once Nick got the door open.  I curled up
in a tight ball, staring at the wall.  I heard Nick moving around for a
minute before he spoke.

"D, you gonna be ok alone for a second?"  I didn't respond.  I
think he knew that I wasn't going to answer, that I was just gonna sit
there.  I heard the door open and close.

I lay there for a few more seconds.  I was in a fog.  I felt like
I'd stepped into the Twilight Zone.  I couldn't think; I couldn't
focus.

Then, it hit me.  I knew what I needed.  I knew where I had to
go.

I stood up, grabbed a pair of sweats, and walked out the door,
moving with a purpose, ignoring everything around me.  I didn't really
even see anything around me.  I knew where I had to go.

I stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the lobby.  I
knew where I had to go.  It was becoming like this mantra in my head.

`I know where I have to go.'



Chapter 26

I walked out into the lobby, looking around for a sign that would
point me in the right direction.  I spotted what I was looking for and
turned to my right, walking down a large hallway to a set of double
doors that opened outside.

The pool was flickering in the moonlight.  I could see the
reflection of the lights from the hotel and the sky in its surface.  It
was a little eerie to look at, actually.  Since the pool lights were
off, the water was a black, shiny mass, reflecting everything that hit
it.

I spotted a lounge chair and went over to it, quickly lying down.
And there was what I'd come here for.  The sky.  The stars.  Calm,
cold, unchanging.  The light from those stars had left thousands,
possibly millions of years before I was born.  It would continue to
arrive for millions of years after I was gone.  They didn't care about
anything that happened here.  They just continued on.

I don't know how long I lay there, just staring up at the sky.
The traffic passing by not far away faded into background noise.  I
entered a private place in my mind, away from everyone and everything.

It had happened some times, when I needed an escape.  I would
basically black out, disconnect.  When I would wake up, time would have
passed, but I'd never realize it.  I never knew how much had passed,
and I didn't remember anything that had happened while I was out.  It
was never for long and never too deep.  But sometimes it was exactly
what I needed.

When I came back this time, Nick was shaking me.  I blinked my
eyes a few times, trying to bring myself back out of my `zone.  I
looked over at him, seeing a concerned expression on his face, mixed
with relief.

"Dylan, are you ok?  Why'd you take off, man?  When I got back
and couldn't find you, I freaked.  I've been lookin' for you for like
45 minutes," he said.

"I'm sorry, Nick.  But, there are times when I'm not feelin' 100%
that I just need...I need to see the sky, the stars.  I've always been
like that.  The night sky is kinda soothing for me," I explained,
trying not to sound foolish.  Nick just nodded.

"The ocean is like that for me.  When I have problems, I find a
beach, preferably a quiet one.  If it's night, so much the better.  The
sound of the waves breaking, the dark blue of the sky as it meets the
blackness of the water far away," he stopped.  Maybe he did understand
after all.  "That's why I came here.  If I'd been havin' a problem, I
would've come to the pool.  It's the closest thing to a beach that I
could find in a hotel."

I nodded, understanding.  It wasn't until then that I realized
just how deep this guy really was.  He was always a little goofy, the
eternal kid, maybe.  It was just his way.  But, he also had a depth of
character that would probably surprise a few people.  In a way, I felt
special that he'd showed it to me.

"Dylan, about Kev," he began, but I lifted a hand to stop him.

"No, Nick.  There's nothing to say about him," I said softly.

"But he didn't mean," he tried to start, and I stopped him again.

"But that's just it, Nick.  He did.  He walked in, caught AJ on
top of me, grinding away, and assumed that we'd hatched some evil plot
to get him out of the way so we could fuck like dogs," I couldn't keep
a trace of bitterness from entering my voice.  I sighed, continuing,
"but it wasn't just that.  I could understand that initial reaction.
AJ wasn't exactly on his best behavior, and what Kevin saw was
definitely not something innocent," I stopped, lifting my eyes to
Nick's.

"But, man, Nick, he never even asked me.  He never even gave me
the benefit of the doubt.  When I tried to explain, he shut me down.
How can I live with a man, even one I love as much as Kevin, when he
doesn't even trust me, doesn't even know me enough to understand that I
would never do something like that?"

"Sex is so special to me, Nick.  Up until now, I've only had a
handful of partners in my life.  None that even come close to meaning
what Kevin does to me.  I don't do one-night stands.  I have sex
because of the connection it gives to the person I'm with.  Without
that connection, sex is meaningless and empty for me.  And Kev believes
that I could just toss that aside and jump AJ just because...hell, I
don't even know WHY Kev thinks I'd want AJ."

Tears were gathering in my eyes.  I wiped them away.  I was tired
of crying.  I had cried more tears in the last six months than I had in
the 25 years prior to that, I think.  It wasn't like me at all.

"AJ wasn't...entirely honest when he told ya what happened with
Glen, Dylan, about why Kev ended it," Nick broke in on my thoughts.  I
glanced up and met his eyes.  "Actually, no one but Kev and I knows the
real reason that Kev figured Glen out."  He waited, so I nodded for him
to continue.

"We were at rehearsal one day.  I don't even remember where we
were.  Kev and I were takin' a break while the other guys worked
through their solo songs," he paused to explain, "We each did a solo
during our first tours.  Helped to fill space on the bill and also gave
us a chance to show off our individual voices," he said.  I nodded.  I
had seen a concert or two on TV that had them performing alone.

"He and I headed to the back to grab some food.  When we walked
into the side room, Glen had another guy bent over the couch.
Literally.  They didn't notice us there, so Kev got to hear Glen
tellin' this guy all about how much better he was, how Kevin couldn't
come close.  I think the worst was that, when Glen finally noticed us,
he didn't even stop.  He just kept goin'.  Kev and I left before he
finished.  It helped Kev see that Glen was messed up.  They were broken
up the next day, and we never told the other guys why."

He stopped, letting me digest this latest `Glen-revelation' that
was goin' on.  I really HAD stepped into the Twilight Zone.

I stood up from my chair, moving across the patio.  I needed a
good pacing area.  I walked back and forth for a few minutes, trying to
work things out in my head.  I finally came up with my answer and
turned back to Nick.

"So?" I asked.  I think that one floored him, as he got a look on
his face like someone had just given him a swift kick for no reason.  I
began to pace again.

"So what, Nick?" I asked again.  "I'm not Glen.  I'm Dylan.  Glen
might be the type to cheat.  I'm not.  Glen might be the type to
blackmail.  I'm not," I said.  "God, Kev talks about forgetting the
mistakes of the past, moving on.  He talks about us having to be open
and honest if we're gonna make this work.  Maybe he should practice
what he preaches."

I knew I sounded harsh.  But I had my reasons.  Kevin had hurt me
tonight.  Badly.  Again.  Knowing that he'd reacted the way he did
because he was reacting to something Glen had done almost made it
worse.  I decided to add something for Nick.

"Nick, the fact is that everyone has baggage from something in
their lives.  I'm not going to go into mine, because I don't think it
matters.  When things in our present remind us of problems in the past,
we have to face them.  We can't just retreat behind the excuse that
`so-and-so did such-and-such to me before'," I paused, my eyes
darkening with memories.  I continued a little more somberly, "We all
have our crosses to bear, Nick."  I turned back to him, gathering
myself for one final point.

"And the fact is that Kevin and ALL of you guys seem to be
missing a pretty major point," I paused, drawing in a breath.  "I AM
NOT FUCKING GLEN!!!" I screamed.  Nick was quiet, just staring at me.

"No, you're not," Kev's voice cut through the silence.



Chapter 27

I whipped my head in the direction of Kev's voice.  He was
standing there along with Brian, AJ, and Howie.  Our eyes met for a
moment, mine reflecting the anger and hurt I felt, his reflecting his
sorrow, his confusion.

"Forever, huh, Kev?" I asked softly.  He at least had the decency
to cringe.  I guess that hit the mark.  I sighed and turned away,
putting my back to all of them and walking across the patio.  I leaned
up against the wrought-iron fence at the edge of the pool area, resting
my head against one of the iron bars supporting it.

I heard someone walking up to me.  I knew it wasn't Kev.  I could
always tell when he came near.  A hand rested on my shoulder.

"Dylan," AJ said.

"Forget it, AJ.  I don't want to hear anything you have to say
right now," I cut him off, refusing to even look at him.

"I told him what happened," he continued.  I turned and looked at
him.

"It doesn't matter, AJ.  What happened between you and me isn't
the point.  It's not even on the scale as far as I'm concerned," I
replied.  I don't think he really knew what to say.  I turned to all of
them.

"None of you get it.  This isn't about Kevin's reaction to what
happened.  Christ, I probably would've started throwing things around
the room if I'd walked in on that.  It's about the fact that he shut me
out.  That he didn't even trust me enough to let me tell my side of the
story."  I met Kevin's eyes across the patio, speaking more softly, as
though the others weren't even there.

"This isn't the first time you've closed me off because of
something someone else did.  The first time, I could forgive you.  This
time, I'm," I paused, my throat choking off, "I'm not so sure I should.
You said we should learn from our mistakes and move on.  Maybe this is
one of those times when learning from the past means moving away in the
present."  I turned my back on them again, looking up at the darkening
sky.  There were clouds rolling across, blocking out the moon.

"He's right," Kevin broke in on the silence.  "You're right,
Dylan.  I blew it.  I judged you by what happened with Glen.  I was too
angry and hurt to even give you a chance.  I wish there were some way I
could make it up to you.  But there isn't, I can't," his voice was
shaking now, "so I think you should learn from this and move on, just
like you said."  His voice broke then, and I heard a sob.

My chest felt like it was going to collapse.  He hurt so much.
We both did, I guess.  I kept my back turned, knowing that if I turned
around, I would give in.  I wanted to give him another chance, but I
just couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Goodbye, Dylan," he said, so softly it was barely a whisper on
the evening breeze.  I could hear his feet on the patio.  I could feel
his presence moving away from me.  Nick decided to step in again.

"Ok, that's about enough, guys," he said in a tone that said `no
arguments'.  I turned around, shocked.  Kevin had stopped, halfway to
the door.  "Kevin, if you take even one more step towards that door
before I'm done, I will personally break your legs.  You'll do the rest
of the tour from a wheelchair.  You got it?"  Kevin just nodded.

"Howie, keep an eye on the door.  If anyone comes up, give a
holler," Nick ordered.  Howie nodded and moved closer to the door.
Nick turned to me.  "This could get messy."

"You said a bit ago that everyone has baggage," he started in on
me.  "That the important thing is that you don't use what someone did
to you in the past as an excuse in the present.  But you're doing
exactly that, man," he said.  "You didn't wanna talk about your
baggage, Dylan, because you said it didn't matter.  But I think that's
exactly what's causin' you to shut Kevin out," he said, using my own
words against me.  I wasn't sure what he meant until he continued.

"Your family," he said.  I sucked in a breath.  He and I'd never
discussed my family.  "In the last year, you've lost everyone who was
closest to you.  The ones that you should've been able to count on, no
matter what.  One was from death," and I could hear the sympathy in his
voice," the others were because they turned their backs on you.  They
closed you out for something you had no control over."

"Your mom bothered you because you'd always been very close to
her.  She was someone that was always there for you, someone you knew
you could always depend on."

"But, I think your dad bothered you just as much because, no
matter what you say about your relationship, you always wanted him to
be proud of you.  We all want our dad's to be proud of us," he said
this with a sad tone, almost like he'd experienced it himself.  "When
you were at your grandmother's funeral, and he told you how worthless
you were as a son and a man, then decked you," I heard the guys gasp,
"I think it hurt you a lot more than even you understand."

I didn't want to admit it, but I knew he was right about that.
But how did he know all of this about me?  We'd never discussed my
family, certainly not to any detail like this.  The only one I'd talked
to about them here was...my eyes shot over to Kevin.  Somehow, Nick
knew what I was thinking.

"It wasn't Kevin, Dylan," he said softly.  I looked back to him.
The light came on.  Lindsay.  He just nodded at me before moving on.

"You're running scared, man," he said flat out.  "You know that
Kev could become closer to you than anyone else ever has," he paused,
staring straight into my heart, "or maybe you realize that he already
has," he continued as I looked away.

"And you're terrified inside that he's going to do the same thing
to you that your parents did.  That some day, he's going to be a big
enough dumbass," he flashed a glance at Kevin before turning back to
me, "to turn his back on you for good, leaving you alone to pick up the
pieces again."  He walked over to me.

"You're using what happened with your parents in the past as an
excuse to keep from forgiving Kevin now so you won't have to be hurt in
the future.  Kev's using Glen as an excuse to keep from letting you in
so HE won't be hurt in the future.  You've both made mistakes.  Maybe
it's time you both pulled your heads outta your asses and moved on.
Together."

My mind was racing.  Was Nick right?  Was I doing to Kevin
exactly what I'd accused him of doing to me?  Using my past as an
excuse to hide from my present?  From what could be my future?

I leaned up against the metal fence and slowly slid to the
ground.  I looked up at the sky.  And I knew in that moment that Nick
was right.  Somehow, he'd put it all together, even when I couldn't.

I was avoiding staying with Kevin because I was afraid of what
would happen, afraid of what our future could hold.  And I was hiding
behind Kevin's mistakes.  Not only was I turning my back on him for my
own reasons, I was using his mistakes to cover up those reasons,
blaming him for everything and making myself the martyr, the `innocent
victim'.

I crossed my arms on my knees, resting my head on them.  I was
tired.  Exhausted.  Emotionally hung out to dry.  My mind was just
starting to fog over again.  I was having trouble processing all that
had gone on that night.

And then I felt him.  He was there, beside me.  He hadn't touched
me, although I could tell that he wanted to.  I lifted my head and
looked at him, staring into those eyes.  And his arms were suddenly
around me.

I lost it.  Again.  All I could do was hold on to him, saying
"I'm sorry, Kev, I'm so sorry," over and over and over as I cried
against him.

I buried my face in his chest.  He rocked me back and forth,
telling me it was alright, that everything would be ok.  And I believed
him.  I felt another set of arms around me.  Then another, and still
two more.  I felt all of the guys hugging me.  Hugging us.  And I felt
like I belonged to a family again, even if only for this moment.



Chapter 28

"Well, this is sure a Kodak moment."

Trust Nick to drop a stupid line like that into something
serious.  We all started to chuckle.  I could feel Kevin's laughter,
and mine just grew.  I giggled for a few minutes, then started to laugh
outright.  Pretty soon, my stomach hurt, and I had tears coming outta
my eyes.  This time, though, they were falling cause I was laughing so
hard.

It wasn't really that it was all that funny.  But, after all the
tension of the last little while, it was exactly what I needed.  It
broke the knot that had formed in my chest, made me realize how good I
had it.  I eventually managed to calm down, regain control of myself.

The guys had broken away from the hug while I was laughing.  Kev
slid around behind me, wrapping his legs around me, pulling me back to
rest against his chest.  I was glad that I wasn't the only one in need
of the contact.

The other guys fanned out around us, still staying close but not
like before.  They were all giving me a strange look.  The hysterics of
my laughter probably had them wondering if I needed to visit a padded
room.  This, of course, got me giggling again, but I managed to stay in
control this time.

I reached an arm behind me and grabbed one of Kevin's.  I pulled
it around me, resting it on my stomach.  He must've sensed what I
needed cause he lifted my t-shirt and slid his hand up along my skin.
I sighed, finally coming down from the laughter.

"Oh, Nicky!  Thanks, man.  That was SO what I needed!"  I said,
smiling at him.  He just nodded and smiled back.  "You realize, of
course, if you keep fixing my life like this, I'm gonna have to start
hawking everything I own to pay you off," I joked.

But, it was true.  In the time that I'd known him, Nick had given
me back Kevin, not once but twice.  If my reaction to losing Kevin last
time was any indication, Nick had probably saved my life tonight.

"Like I said, Dylly," he KNEW I hated that stupid nickname, "when
I see friends in need, I'm there.  You were both in some serious need
tonight, even if neither of you was smart enough to realize it," Nick
said.

I lay there for a moment, just considering how lucky I was to
have a good friend like Nick.  I may not have many, but the ones I had
were gold.  I decided it was time to face a few things.  I turned my
head around, looking at Kev without leaving his arms.

"Kev, I know that things haven't exactly been smooth between us.
We've both made some mistakes, and we've both done things that hurt
each other.  But, I'd like to try to make this thing we have work.
Kind of start fresh, right now, from this moment forward, ya know.
Learn something from the past, but not let it screw us up anymore.  If
you're willing?"

His answer was to lean down and touch his lips to mine.  There
was no sexual feel to it at all, but it was the most passionate kiss
I'd ever felt.  The universe truly did stand still for a moment.

I heard a throat clear in the silence.  I eased back from Kev,
turning back around to lean up against his strong chest.  I knew we'd
have time to continue this later.  Now that we were together, we'd have
time for anything.  I decided to confront something else that was
bothering me.

"So, AJ, you wanna explain what happened tonight in front of the
guys?  Or would you rather wait until we're alone?"  I felt Kevin tense
up behind me, but I just stroked the arm he had around me.  I knew he
was angry, distrusting, but I also knew that we had to deal with this
or it would only get worse.

"Well, the other guys don't really know, so." he trailed off into
silence.  I nodded.

"Ok, we can talk alone tomorrow," I said.  To my surprise, he
shook his head.

"No, I wanna get this out in the open.  When somethin' big
happens, when one of us really screws up or whatever, we usually talk
about it.  Especially if it's somethin' that one of us did to another."
I saw him look over my shoulder at Kev.

Kev just looked down, putting his face into my neck.  I wasn't
sure if it was cause of what AJ did or cause of what he wanted to do to
AJ.  I just squeezed his arm tighter around me, then continued to
stroke it.  AJ turned to the other guys.

"I kinda made a pass at Dylan tonight," he started out.  That got
a gasp or two.  I raised major eyebrow at that statement.  He'd touched
more of me in that `pass' than I had touched myself in a month.  He had
the decency to blush and start again.

"I lied when I told you guys I was sick tonight.  I came back to
see Dylan.  I conned the front desk chick to get a key to Kev's room,
then snuck in while he was sleepin' and got in bed with him.  I started
makin' some moves on him, and he woke up.  It was pretty obvious he
didn't know I wasn't Kev, but I kept it up.  Figured by the time he
caught me, he'd be...into it enough to keep goin'."

I could feel Kev starting to shake behind me.  His face was still
against my neck, so I turned to the side and whispered, "I love you" in
his ear.  He just sorta nodded against me.

"Well, Dylan figured out I wasn't Kev," he paused here, turning
to me.  "How'd you do it, man?  How'd you know?"  I stared at him,
wonderin' what the hell relevance this had.  But, I figured it couldn't
hurt to let him know.

"Two things.  One is that I can always tell when Kevin's near me.
I can't explain it beyond the fact that...my body knows him, responds
in a certain way.  I feel an...energy, a vibration from him.  Even
though I was a little sleep-fogged when you were there, I still knew,
deep down, that you weren't Kev," I paused.

"What else?" Nick asked.  Apparently, our story was becoming
fascinating.  I turned to him.

"AJ forgot about the earrings.  Kev doesn't wear the same style
as AJ.  I felt AJ's hoops and knew it wasn't Kev."  Nick nodded at my
`Sherlock Holmes' moment.  I looked at AJ to continue.

"So, Dylan hopped outta bed when he figured out it wasn't Kev.
Ripped the curtain off the window and saw who I was.  He told me to
leave," he slowed here, getting quiet, "but I didn't.  I pushed him,
tried to convince him to go along with it.  When he tried to walk out,
I pushed him onto the bed.  Kev showed up right after that.  And, y'all
know the rest."

This was all just background and trivial to me.  Having lived
through the thing, I really didn't need to hear about it all again.
This was for the guys' benefit.  I was about to ask AJ my real question
when Brian spoke up.

"AJ, man, that's cold.  How could you do that to Dylan?"  I had
to raise an eyebrow at the fact he asked about me before Kev.  He did
catch it on the next sentence, though.  "How could you do that to
Kevin?  What were you thinkin'?!?!"

"I wasn't, ok?!?"  AJ got defensive.  "I was jealous.  These two
obviously had somethin' goin' on, and I got jealous.  I figured if Kev
was gettin' a little than I probably could, too."

"I wasn't gettin' anything, AJ," Kev broke in, looking up at the
guys again.  "Dylan and I haven't had sex, not that it's any of y'all's
business."  There were some surprised looks from the guys.  "Geez,
guys, we haven't even been `together' a full week yet, not to mention
the fact that I'm out on tour now.  We decided to wait until we were
home."

I sat staring at AJ as Kev spoke.  Something didn't feel all that
right to me.  Something in his story just didn't work.  Frankly, he was
a hottie.  If he wanted someone, man or woman, then he could probably
get `em.  Then, the light turned on.

"But that's not the whole truth, is it, AJ?"  He looked at me,
then down at the ground.  "You were jealous, yeah, but not because Kev
was gettin' a little tail.  You were jealous because...," I hesitated,
not sure I should say it, "you were jealous because I took Kevin away
from you.  You love him."

That snapped a few heads around, and brought out a few gasps.
The guys all stared at me for a second as I watched AJ.  Then, one by
one, they turned to him.  He just kept staring down.

"AJ?" Kev spoke up.

"It's true, alright?"  Another round of gasps.  These guys were
gonna develop oxygen deprivation if they didn't start breathing
normally.  "But not like you think."

"Yeah, I was jealous.  I love Kev.  Not like LOVE him.  He's one
of my closest friends, even out of you guys," he said.  I was relieved
when he said that.  We were already treading dangerously close to `Days
of Our Lives'.  If it turned out that AJ was in LOVE with Kev.

He turned to Kev.  "But, man, when you get with someone, you just
totally shut the rest of us out.  You don't hang with us, you're always
serious, always thinkin' `bout who you're `with' and not who you're
with."

"I lose a best friend, man.  I already saw it happenin' today
with Dylan.  Only two days together and you were already blowin' us
off, blowin' me off.  I didn't want it to happen again."  He sighed.

"So, I did somethin' so fuckin' stupid that even I'm a little
amazed at it.  I tried to force myself on my best friend's boyfriend so
I could get `em to break up.  Lucky for me, Nick here's a whole lot
smarter than he looks."  He looked around at all the guys before
finally staring in Kev's and my direction again.

"Kev, man, I had no idea how strong you felt about him.  Not that
it's an excuse.  What I did was still wrong.  I hope you can forgive me
for it some day, cause I don't think I could forgive MYSELF if you
couldn't."

He stopped for a sec, staring over my shoulder.  I presumed that
Kev was staring back at him.  I finally felt him nod.

"Not today, AJ.  But someday, yeah," he said softly.  AJ just
nodded, relief at Kev's acceptance battling it out with the sadness at
Kev's distrust.  He turned to me, then.

"Dylan...," he started, the paused.  "Hell, I don't even know
what to say to you," he said.  I stared at him a minute before making a
decision.

"It's ok, AJ.  You don't have to say anything.  I forgive you," I
said.  This brought another round of gasps and head turnings.  "You
guys're gonna hurt yourselves if you keep jerkin' your heads around
like that," I joked lightly.  I got serious and turned back to AJ.

"Look, AJ.  We both know what you did was SO wrong.  But, it's
obvious you feel like shit about it.  It's also obvious that you did it
out of love, even if it was a TAD," I threw in some sarcasm, "bit
misguided.  I can't really fault you for having love for the guy who's
basically become the center of my universe, can I?"  It was cheesy, I
know, but it was true.  He just sat there.  There was just one more
thing.

"Having said all of that," my eyes turned stony and my voice went
ice cold, "if you EVER try to do to me what you did tonight, you can
kiss your chances at a long career goodbye, cause your existence will
come to a swift and painful end the second you try it."  I paused to
look into his eyes.  "Do we understand each other?"

He sat there for a minute, his mouth hanging open.  I guess he
wasn't sure what to say.  I just continued to stare, unblinking,
letting him know how serious I was.  I would never actually hurt him,
but he didn't need to know that.  Sometimes, a healthy dose of fear is
a good thing.  He finally nodded.

I relaxed, leaning back against Kevin and closing my eyes.  I
could tell by the silence that the guys weren't sure what to do next.
I figured I should probably do something to loosen things up.

"Now, AJ.  Kev and I've decided to start fresh tonight, so I
think it'd be good if you and I did, too.  We won't forget the
mistakes, but we'll learn from `em and move on.  Agreed?"  He just
nodded again.

"Good," I said, turning to the guys.  "Cause I have another
question I wanna ask you.  Are you gay?"  He shook his head `no'.

"I don't really classify myself anything but `open'," he said.
"I go with what's fun, with what seems right at the time.  Most times,
it's women.  Sometimes guys.  I guess I'd be bi if you had to put me in
a category."  I understood.  He'd never really struck me as someone who
stuck to boundaries or labels.  He always just kinda seemed like his
own person.  I turned back to the others.

"Guys, I really wanna say thanks.  For everything.  Except for a
few stumbling blocks along the way, you've all been really decent to
me.  You've accepted me a lot better than," I paused, my eyes clouding
over.  I cleared my throat and continued, "than others have, and I want
you to know I appreciate it."

"Dylan," Brian spoke, "you don't have to thank us.  If you and
Kev are in this for the long haul, and I'd say you probably are, then
you're pretty much family.  Especially to me," he smiled at that.  I
could see why so many people thought he was cute.  It was his eyes, if
nothing else.  So blue.  "We watch out for our own."  I nodded in
gratitude.

We sat there for a little while, no one really saying anything.
It was nice that we were all comfortable enough to just enjoy the night
together.  I worried about AJ for a second, but Howie reached a hand
over to touch his shoulder, so I knew it'd be ok.

A few minutes later, as I was starting to drift to sleep in
Kevin's arms, the door into the hotel opened.  Tom walked out.  I guess
he'd noticed that we were all missing and decided to check up on us.

"Hey, guys," he greeted us quietly.

"Hey, Tom," Nick replied.

"Is everything going ok out here?" he asked.  "I came down a
while ago and things looked pretty...intense.  So, I took a seat inside
and watched the door to make sure you weren't bothered."

"Thanks, Tom, that was cool of you.  We had a lot to work out," I
spoke up, deciding that I wanted to be the one thanking him since I was
the one who'd brought us all out here.  Well, maybe not me alone, but
close enough.

"I hate to break this up, since it looks like you're all
`bonding'," he said with a smile and a hint of sarcasm.  Could Tom be a
closet smartass?  I figured I'd have to check into that.  He continued,
"but it's going on 3:00am, and there's a full schedule tomorrow.  Well,
today."

"Cancel it, Tom," Kev spoke up, obviously surprising the guys.
Kev looked around.  "We've been through a lot tonight.  It's been a
stress.  We can reschedule stuff for Monday since we'll still be here.
We have a show tonight and the meet'n'greet beforehand.  But we need
some sleep."  The guys just nodded, obviously not gonna argue.

"Ok, Kev, I'll take care of it.  I'll let the managers know
you're `off', and I'll even post a guy in the hall to make sure no one
bugs you.  Take your phones off the hook, and you should be pretty much
left alone."  Tom just took charge of our day off.  I knew he'd be good
to his word.  I was glad, cause I was tired again, despite all the
sleep the day before.

We all gathered ourselves up and stood.  AJ and Howie led the way
through the door.  We moved into the quiet of the lobby.  The only
noise was the fountain trickling away.  The guys started towards the
elevator when Kev stopped Tom and I.

"Dylan," he said to me, "why don't you head up?  I need to work
out a few things with Tom."

"Sounds good," I said.  I was getting so tired that I almost
forgot where we were as I stepped towards him for a kiss.  Fortunately,
Tom put a hand on my arm and snapped me out of it.  Kev just smiled a
little and shook his head.  I turned and joined the guys in the
elevator.

We all moved off the elevator when it reached our floor.  I
walked with Nick to his room to grab my suitcase.  I followed him in as
he held the door for me.

"Nick, I really wanna thank you again.  You've been a pretty good
friend to me lately, and I don't have a clue how I'm ever gonna repay
you," I said, wanting him to understand how much it meant to me.

"Like I said before, Dylan, it's no problem.  It's what friends
are for," he replied.

I left it at that, not wanting to embarrass him or get too drug
down with serious thoughts.  We'd managed to lighten up a little
outside, and I wanted that to continue for a while.  I grabbed my
suitcase, said goodnight, and walked down to my room.  Our room.

Kev came off of the elevator just as I started looking for my
key.  Which was probably lucky for me since I had no idea where my card
was.  He realized my predicament and smiled as he opened the door for
us.

It was good to be back in our room again.  It had only been a few
hours, but it honestly felt like a month had passed.  Kev had been
right downstairs.  We'd all been through a lot tonight.  But, I felt
like it was all gonna work out.

As soon as I put my suitcase down, I turned and walked into
Kevin's arms.  His mouth met mine, and the heat that always seemed to
exist between us surged up.  I felt his mouth open, and his tongue slid
out over my lips.  I opened my mouth, too, letting him in.

I slid my tongue back into his mouth while I ran my hands over
his body.  Across his back, up his neck, through his hair, all over.  I
couldn't get enough of him.  I felt like a guy who'd just spent a month
in the desert without water.

He pushed me back, causing me to fall onto the bed.  I was
surprised that our lips never parted when we fell.  He was good.

He started pushing down into me, grinding our bodies together.  I
could feel him, how hard he was.  It only made me more excited.  Since
I was only in sweats, I'm sure he noticed the effect he was having on
me.  I pulled my mouth away from him for a minute.

"Kev, I love you, so much," I said, barely a whisper.  He slowed
his movements, then stopped.  We just stared into each other's eyes.

"I love you, too, D," he said, his own voice nearly as silent as
mine was.  "I don't know what I'd do without you here, with me."  I
smiled.

"Well, that's probably good since I don't wanna be anywhere
else," I replied.  "Ok, maybe one place," I continued.  He lifted an
eyebrow.  "I could really use a hot," I touched my lips to his,
"steamy," I touched our lips again, "mind numbing," again, "shower," I
finished.  He just smiled back at me.  I could tell what he was
thinking, but I made him ask anyway.

"You maybe want a little company?" he asked.

"Mmmmmm, that might be nice," I answered.

Kev slowly stood, taking my hand to lift me out of the bed.  I
followed him into the bathroom.  He dropped my hand as he turned to
start the water running in the shower.

He turned back to me once the water was going.  We just stared at
one another for a moment.  I let my eyes explore him.  The strong, firm
lines of his face, the piercing green of his eyes, the quiet strength
in his chest and arms, the definition of the veins in his hands, the
perfect shape of his torso, the sinewy grace of his legs.  Even his
feet were beautiful.

I looked back up to his face to find him checking me out in the
same way.  I didn't have a clue what he saw in me.  Compared to him, I
was pretty average.  Although, compared to him, a LOT of guys were
pretty average, I guess.

We each reached for the other, slowly and gently stripping each
other's clothes off. I took the time to touch what I had so closely
examined with my eyes minutes before.  His skin felt so...right beneath
my fingertips.  Soft and smooth, yet I could feel the hardness of the
muscle just underneath.

We finished taking our clothes off, and he stood naked before me.
Sleek.  Toned.  Beautiful.  Perfect.  He was hard, and so was I.  And I
knew that, while we might not take it to its ultimate level, the moment
had come.  Neither of us could wait any more.  I looked to his eyes.

"Kev," I said his name, half whisper, half moan.  He understood.
I could tell by the look in his eyes that he, too, was ready.  He
simply held out his hand.

I reached out and grabbed it, holding it...holding him as though
he was somehow my lifeline.  And perhaps he was.

He pulled me towards him, at the same time stepping back into the
shower.  I followed him, luxuriating in the feel of the steam as the
water began to rain down his body, and then mine.

He moved under the showerhead, pulling me to him and kissing me.
His tongue slid into my mouth, moving quickly against mine.  I pushed
back, driving my tongue into his mouth.  We battled back and forth, not
for any kind of dominance, but to each be closer to the other, in every
way we could.

We were pressed tightly to one another.  My hands were on his
back, holding him as close to me as possible.  He had one hand in the
small of my back.  The other was on the back of my neck, trying to join
our mouths even closer.

I pulled away from his mouth, kissing my way down his cheek,
feeling the water beating down on me.  I ran my tongue over his ear and
felt him gasp.  I circled the outer edge before taking the lobe in my
mouth, gently sucking on it.  I felt his body shake in my arms.

I continued my exploration, licking down his neck to his
shoulder.  I reached down and took his hard cock in my hand.  I
squeezed it, gently, just so he'd feel it a little.  I pulled my face
back to look at his.

His eyes were only half-open.  I could tell how badly he wanted
this.  And I could also tell that he wouldn't last long.  There'd been
too many `almost' moments the last couple of days.  Neither of us could
hold out for too much time.

I moved us together, taking both of our shafts in my hand at
once.  I slowly started to stroke us, together, as I pushed my hips
into him.  I took my other hand to his face, cupping his cheek.

He opened his eyes more, although they were glazed over with
passion.  I slid my hand around behind his neck and pulled him to me,
once again bringing our lips together.

My movement on our cocks was faster, now.  I was getting too
close.  The feel of his body, the touch of his skin, the depth of my
love for him.  It was all too much.  I couldn't hold back, and I didn't
think he could, either.

I pushed hard against him, forcing him back against the wall.  I
worked my hips harder, faster, grinding against him.  The heat between
us was...overwhelming.  My mind just started to go blank.  All I could
sense, all I could feel, was him.

The heat of his hard, wet body against me.  The tight strength
held in his taut muscles.  His breath on my face as we kissed.  His
arms around my back, pushing me harder, faster.  And when it hit us, we
both nearly collapsed.

We shot our loads at nearly the same moment.  I groaned into his
mouth as I felt the first surge.  I continued to push against him as we
unloaded together.  Pumping out shot after shot.

I just leaned into him, still kissing him, although with less
urgency, less demand.  Our tongues slid back and forth between our
mouths, softly teasing one another.

I finally pulled away from his mouth and just rested my head on
his shoulder.  I moved my hands to his sides, silently holding him
there, just...feeling his presence.  I felt his hands on my back,
lightly stroking up and down.  I sighed, knowing that it was only the
beginning for us, that our lives together would only get better from
here on.  I smiled as I gently kissed his neck.

"I love you, Kevy," I said, murmuring against his skin.

"I love you, too, D," his voice barely a breath.


To be continued...
----------------------

Ok, I thought I'd be nice since I kinda left everyone hanging last
time.  No cliffhanger on this one.  I hope everyone liked it.

In my own defense, the blackmail worked.  I got tons of e-mail after
the last posting.  Thanks to all who wrote.  I'm afraid I have
something of an inferiority complex where this story is concerned,
so it was nice to have all the good words that were sent.  I tried to
reply to everyone.  If I missed you, feel free to write again.  I
always try to answer my mail.

Having said that, there's no cliffhanger to get a response from y'all
this time, but I'd still love to hear from you.  I moved into a little
bit different territory between Kev & Dylan this time, so I'd lilke to
hear what everyone thought.

The Boyband Awards are now taking votes.  I encourage everyone to go
place votes for their favorites.  There's a category for just about
everything you can think of.  This is a great way to encourage your
favorite authors, especially if you're not fond of the e-mail
solution.  And, a huge thanks to Curlybrok, author of 'Justin's Dream',
for doing all the work on 'em.

Hope you all enjoyed the post.  I'll catch ya next time.