Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 01:54:59 EST
From: Cameron J <glenwoodbronco@hotmail.com>
Subject: Mile High Meeting-Chapter 17

Greetings!

I want to apologize to everyone for taking so long to finish this chapter,
but I needed some time to step back from the story to evaluate where it is
going.  I feel like I had lost my way the last few chapters.  I have
received a few e-mails with suggestions about the storyline, and I found
myself trying to implement all of those suggestions into each chapter, and
the story got away from me, so to speak.

I finally realized that I need to write this story my way, instead of by
committee, so I hope you enjoy this installment as much as I enjoyed writing
it.  Please let me know what you think!  I can't guarantee when I will have
the next chapter out, but I am not planning on ending the story any time
soon.

That being said, here comes the fun part:  This story is not meant to imply
anything about the sexuality of any person, place, or thing.  It is a work
of fiction, and should any similarities between the characters in this story
and those in real life are coincidental (as much as I would like for them to
be true).  If you are underage, you know the drill.  The song at the end of
the chapter is "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker.

On with the show...



Mile High Meeting-Chapter 17

     "So, are you ready to face the firing squad?" I asked Nick jokingly.

     "I'm as ready as I will ever be," he replied with uncertainty.

     With that, we were walking toward the house, and I walked in the front
door, not immediately seeing anyone.

     "Mom?  Dad?  Anyone here?"

     It only took about one second for both of them to practically race out
of the kitchen to greet Nick and I.

     "Cameron!" Mom exclaimed as she pulled me in for a kiss and a hug.

     "Hey, Mom!  What, no appointments this evening?" I asked.

     "I cancelled them all so I could be here when you got home," Mom
replied as Dad came in for a hug.

     "Wow, you cancelled a whole evening's worth of plans for me.  I must be
moving up in the world," I said, laughing.

     "So, how was the trip?" Dad asked.  It was his way of asking how I was
without being too direct.

     "It went quite well," I said.  Nick hadn't said a word, and I am not
even sure that he had looked either one of them in the eye.  I understood
that he was nervous, but this wasn't the impression I wanted Nick to give
off.  I knew that he wasn't the shy type, and that no one usually
intimidated him, so I needed to break the ice as soon as I could.

     "Mom, Dad...I would like to introduce you to someone," I said, putting
my hand behind Nick's back, pushing him forward so he was even with me.
"This is Nick.  Nick, these are my parents.  I think you can figure out
which one is which," I said, bringing a smile to Nick's face.

     Mom was the first to greet Nick, and as per usual, she gave him a hug.
I can't think of anyone who hugged more than my mother.  Fortunately, Nick
didn't know this, so he took it as a sign of acceptance, even though it may
not have been.  Once Mom stepped back, Dad stepped up to the plate, and
shook Nick's hand with his usual killer grip.  Nick was able to hold his
own, and I could tell that Dad was impressed.

     "Nice grip," Dad commented.

     "It's a pleasure to meet both of you," Nick commented, which garnered a
smile from both of my parents.

     "The pleasure is all ours, hon," Mom said.  "I will have dinner ready
in a few minutes, so you guys can head into the dining room if you like."

     "I think we'll grab our bags, and take them up to the room, and then we
will be down," I informed her.

     "Okay...just don't be long, because it's almost ready," Mom warned.

     Nick followed me out to the Navigator, and we both grabbed as much as
we could, walking back into the house, and up the staircase.  I led Nick
down the hall to the right, and into my room, which was at the other end of
the house.

     "This is a great place," Nick commented as we threw our things on the
bed.  "A queen sized bed even," he observed, making me laugh.

     "I'll take you on the tour of the house later, but I have something to
take care of first."

     "What's that?" Nick asked as I grabbed him, kissing him passionately.

     "I've wanted to do that since North Platte 5 hours ago." I said, out of
breath.

     "Funny, I've wanted you to do it since we left Denver," Nick responded.

     He pulled me in for another lip-lock, and I was more than happy to stay
that way, but I knew that my parents would be waiting for us, so I forced
the separation.

     "We don't want to keep them waiting," I said.

     "True...I would hate to give them the impression that I am taking
advantage of their sweet little boy," Nick joked.

     "Now Nick, you and I both know that I am not little," I said, laughing.

     "Yeah, right," Nick said under his breath.

     "What was that?" I asked, straining to hear him.

     "I said, dinner smells wonderful, so we should go eat."

     "That's what I thought you said.  Let's go," I said as I slapped him on
the back of the head as I walked past him.

     We walked back down the hallway, and down the stairs, with Nick looking
in every room we passed along the way.  I led him into the dining room,
where there were four places set, two on each side of the table.  It was a
large table, so it wasn't the most intimate of situations, but since we were
eating with my parents, it wasn't a big deal.

     Almost all the food was on the table, and a moment later, my parents
brought the last two dishes out, putting them on the table before sitting
down across from Nick and I.  Dad smiled at me, and then proceeded to say
grace.

     "Well boys, I hope you are hungry.  I made enough for about 10 people,"
Mom said.

     "You should have had Andy, Laura and the kids join us.  I don't know
how much we'll get to see them before I go home," I said.

     "I take it you are not staying long?" Dad inquired.

     "Well, we only have a couple days.  I wanted to show Nick around Iowa
City, and I have to take him to Chicago this weekend."

     "Why's that?" Mom asked.

     "He'll be meeting with his friends there," I said.  I forgot the fact
that they had no idea who Nick really was.  I thought I would see how long
it took for them to figure out who he was.  "We went up to their house
before we came here, so at least we got to see them.  I will have to spend
some time with the boys tomorrow before I go."

     "Good idea.  Why don't you guys take them to the zoo?  They haven't
been there for a while, and you know how much they love the rainforest and
the aquarium," Mom suggested.

     I looked over at Nick, and he nodded in approval.  "Okay.  I will call
them after dinner, to see if that will work."

     We began eating, and the conversation topic turned to me.  Apparently,
my parents were hell bent on embarrassing me as much as possible in front of
Nick.  He seemed to be enjoying the stories, if his fits of laughter were
any indication.

     Nick heard all about my younger days, when they attached a rope to my
bibbed overalls so I couldn't wander too far when I was outside, and how
when I didn't want to stay around, they would find my clothes still attached
to the rope, and they saw me running around without anything on.

     The stories continued into my later years, when I was concentrating on
something I was reading while walking through a mall, and I ended up walking
straight into a glass wall, knocking down a whole shelf of merchandise on
the other side.  I surmised that my parents had been saving up stories to
tell an unsuspecting boyfriend when I least expected it.

     I just sat there, watching everyone having fun at my expense, and I had
to admit that some of the stories they told were pretty humorous.  After an
hour or so of this, I decided that I had had enough, so I began gathering up
dirty dishes, hauling them into the kitchen.  Nick was close behind.

     "Did you enjoy story time?" I asked.

     "Very much.  Your parents are great!"

     "Yeah, they aren't too bad.  I think they really like you.  It must be
genetic."

     "Well, I am really tired.  Do you think they would mind if we hit the
sack early?" Nick asked.

     "You can if you want to, but I should probably stay up since I haven't
seen them in a while.  I'll go tell them that you are going to call it a
night."

     Nick and I went back into the dining room, to find Mom and Dad talking
quietly.

     "Cameron, I just thought I would let you know that your mother and I
are very happy for the two of you.  You seem like a perfect fit."

     "Thank you," I said.  "Nick is pretty tired, so I think he is going to
bed.  I'm going to go up there for a few minutes, and then I will be back
down."

     "Okay, Cam.  Goodnight, Nick.  We're very glad that you can put up with
Cameron here," my father said as he stood up and put his arm around Nick.

     "Oh, stop it.  Nick, we're just ecstatic that you two have met.
Pleasant dreams," Mom said as she gave Nick a hug.

     Nick was taken aback by all of this, and didn't really know what to
say.  He finally managed to say 'goodnight,' and we went up the stairs, and
down to my room.

     The minute we got in the room, Nick sat down on the bed, and let out a
sigh.

     "That wasn't so bad, was it?" I asked.

     "No.  They are really great.  I am just exhausted."

     "Poor thing," I said as I opened up his suitcase.  "I'm going to put
our things in the bathroom, and I will be back out."

     I carried my shaving kit and his into my bathroom, and sat them down,
taking a few things out for the morning.  A moment later, I walked out into
my room to find Nick asleep on the bed.  'He must have been more tired than
I thought,' I thought as I walked over to him.  He looked so sexy even in
his sleep, but I knew that he wouldn't be comfortable fully dressed.

     I pulled off his shoes and socks, before unbuckling his pants, pulling
them down as gently as possible as to not wake him.  I repeated the process
with his shirt, until he was in only his boxers.  I managed to pull down the
covers beneath him without too much trouble, and put the sheet over him,
kissing him on the forehead and pushing the hair out of his face before
turning off the light, and heading back downstairs.

     I went into my mom's office to call Andy and Laura about taking the
boys to the zoo, and they were excited about it.  Austin and Aaron were
asleep, but Andy knew that they would be absolutely thrilled with the chance
to spend some time with their Uncle, and the feeling was mutual.

     That being finished, I wanted to talk to my parents about Nick, to see
what they thought of him.

     I found them in the media room, watching a news channel.  They
immediately looked up when they saw me, and mom smiled widely.  Dad smiled
as well, but was much more reserved.

     "So, what do you think?" I asked.

     Mom jumped up and gave me a hug. "He is a wonderful young man, and your
father and I are very happy for you.  I do have a question though.  Why does
he look so familiar to me?"

     I laughed, and walked over to the computer in the corner of the room,
logging onto the internet.  My parents used this room for meetings and
presentations, so the computer was hooked up to a projector; the same
projector that they were using to watch television.  I brought up the
Backstreet Boys website, and prepared to switch from video to computer.

     "There's a reason that he looks familiar to you, Mom.  Here, I will
show you," I said, and with that, I turned the projector to computer, and a
gigantic image of Nick popped up on the screen.  Both of my parents had a
look of shock on their face.

     "You mean...Nick is...Nick Carter?" my mother asked in disbelief.

     "The same," I replied.  "Surprise!"

     "Well, I always knew that you had extravagant tastes, Cameron.  I guess
this proves it," my dad said, putting his arm around Mom.

     "We have a world famous singer in our house, and he is dating our
youngest son?" Mom asked rhetorically.

     "So, do you approve?" I asked.

     "Well, of course we do!" Mom exclaimed.  "I am just amazed.  He seems
so normal and down to earth.  It's hard to believe."

     "It took me a while to get used to it, too.  I met him on a gondola
ride, and we hit it off right away.  Brian was there as well, and the three
of us had a nice two weeks together.  Well, not all together all the time,
but you know what I mean."

     "I think I know what you mean, Cameron.  I would certainly hope that
Brian wasn't involved with 'certain' recreational activities," Dad said with
a smile.

     "Oh, stop it," Mom said as she slapped him on the shoulder.  "I've
listened to their CD so many times since you sang 'The Perfect Fan' at your
grandmother's funeral.  Maybe you'll actually get to sing it with the Boys
someday."

     "That would be incredible, but I haven't met the rest of the guys yet,
so I don't even know if they will like me or not."

     "What's not to like?" Mom asked.

     "By the way," Dad interrupted, "You sounded great on the radio last
night.  I think you'll put those two announcers out of a job yet."

     "Thanks.  I didn't know if you would be able to listen or not," I
commented.

     "Well, we were in the car, and it was late enough that we could get the
signal from the Denver station.  Your mother was driving, and she could
hardly keep the car on the road.  She wanted to stop at every intersection
to tell all the other drivers that her son was on the radio," Dad said,
chuckling.  "I was pretty proud too, you know."

     "I know.  Well, Nick and I are taking Austin and Aaron to the zoo
tomorrow, so I should probably get some sleep.  I have a feeling that I am
going to need all the energy I can get."

     "With those two, you'll need more than that," Dad said.  "But they are
so much fun to be around that it is worth it."

     "I know, and that's why I brought Nick along.  I think he has as much
energy as they do," I said, not realizing the implications of what I had
just said.  I knew that my dad was about to say something risqué, but Mom's
glare prevented him from doing so.  I just smiled at him to acknowledge that
I knew where his mind had been.

     I hugged them both, and then headed back upstairs to get some sleep.
As I undressed, I grabbed the stereo remote off the nightstand, and turned
on some music to help me sleep.  I turned off the light, and got under the
covers, pushing up against Nick, putting my arm around his chest.  I was
hypnotized by his rhythmic breathing, and soon I was asleep.


     When I awoke the next morning, I immediately sensed that something was
missing, and my hand searched the other side of the bed for a Backstreet
Boy, only to find a cool pillow and sheets.  I opened my eyes, and looked
around the room, seeing no sign of Nick.

     I put on a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, and made my way downstairs to
see where he had wondered off to, and found him in the kitchen with my
mother, drinking coffee at the breakfast bar.  I wandered in during the
middle of their conversation, and they did not notice me at first, so I got
to hear what they were saying uninterrupted.

     "...so Brian and I decided that we would come right out and ask
Cameron, and he was very up front about his preference.  I was quite
surprised, actually," Nick informed my mother.

     "That surprises me as well.  He usually is not that quick to reveal
anything about himself to anyone.  Cameron likes to keep people guessing,
unless it benefits him.  I think he liked you from the start, and wanted you
to know right away that he might be interested," my mother surmised.

     "That sounds about right," I said as I came into full view.  "How long
have you been up?" I asked Nick as I put my hands on his shoulders.

     "About an hour.  I couldn't get back to sleep, so I came down here and
found your mother.  We've been talking about you ever since," Nick informed
me.

     "I told you to call me Cathy, Nick," Mom interjected.

     "Well, I hope you two haven't been sharing too many secrets," I said,
studying the expressions on their faces.

     "So, Nick, have you found Cameron's birthmark yet?"

     "Mother!" I said in shock, as Nick started laughing.  "What are you
talking about?"

     "Oh, you mean the big one on his..." Nick started, before I could cover
his mouth.

     "I have no birthmarks, thank you very much!  You guys are
unbelievable!"

     Mom and Nick both lost it after that comment, laughing hysterically.

     "I should have known better than to let you two be alone together.  You
may tarnish my reputation."

     "Well, I guess that's the cue for me to leave," Mom said, standing up.
"I have some errands I need to run in town.  Laura should be dropping the
boys by in an hour, so be good."

     "I'll try to keep him in line, Cathy," Nick promised, earning himself a
look of death from me.

     "Thank you Nick.  I'll see you boys later.  Your father and I will be
home for a while this evening, but then we have a dinner we have to go to,
so we will be out late.  Have fun with the boys," Mom said as she gave me a
hug, and then Nick.

     "Love you, mother...I think," I said sarcastically.

     "Love you guys...bye," she said with a smile as she walked down the
hallway to the garage.

     As soon as she was out of sight, I stepped behind Nick, putting my arms
around him and nuzzling into his neck.  "I am glad that you guys are getting
along, even though I may only allow supervised visits from now on."

     "Did you notice that she said 'love you guys?'  You have an awesome
family, Cameron."

     "Well, as far as everyone is concerned, I think you are already a part
of the family, so get used to it."

     "That means a lot to me, Cam.  I'm glad that you ended up with at least
some of your parents' traits," Nick joked.

     "Be careful," I warned, not elaborating.  "Would you like a tour of the
house?"

     "I'd love one," Nick responded.

     I took him out of the kitchen, and through the lower level of the
house, showing him the media room, my parents' offices, and the library.  We
went downstairs so I could show him the recreation room, complete with
exercise equipment, a pool table, and other games.  After that, I showed him
the pool, and he made me promise that we would spend some time there, as
well as in the whirlpool, and I wasn't about to argue with him.

     I showed him most of the upper level as well, and soon we found
ourselves back in my room.

     "Can I just retire here?" Nick asked.

     "I am sure you could afford a far nicer place than this," I observed.

     "True, but I really like it here.  Plus, your mother and I would be
able to talk all the time," Nick offered.

     "I guess we can forget about that, then," I said with a smile.  "We
should probably get dressed before Austin and Aaron get here."

     "Wouldn't hurt, I suppose," Nick said.  "Although I think you are
overdressed right now," he added, looking at me.

     "There's no time for that, stud.  Maybe later, though," I added to
appease him.

     We both got dressed, and I was just putting on my sandals as I heard
the doorbell ring.  Nick was finished, so he bounded out of the room and may
not have touched one stair on his way to the front door.  I quickly
followed, just to make sure that he didn't hurt himself, and I found him
talking to Laura with two kids in his arms, both giving him a hug.  I was
pleased to see that the boys had taken to him so quickly, although I wasn't
surprised, as he had had the same effect on me.

     "Good morning," I said to Laura as two little ones practically flew
from Nick to me.

     "Hey Cam...I am really glad you are taking the kids with you...they've
been asking about you for weeks, and they are so excited.  I'd love to stay,
but I have to get to work...have fun everyone!"

     "We plan on it," Nick responded.  The boys waved as Laura closed the
door behind her.

     "Well, it's about naptime for you two, isn't it?" I asked.

     "NO!  You're supposed to take us to the zoo!" they replied in unison.

     "Oh yeah...I forgot about that.  Well, let's get going then, shall we?"

     The boys jumped at the chance, and I locked the front door behind us as
I hit the unlock button on my key chain.  Both Austin and Aaron wanted to
sit up front, but they were both too small to sit up front with the air bag,
and I kind of wanted Nick up front with me anyway.  Once we were all buckled
in, I took off down the driveway, and we were on our way to Omaha.

     "So, Austin, I hear all the girls in school are chasing after you," I
commented.

     "Yeah, I guess so."

     "So, do you have a girlfriend?" I asked, teasing him.

     "Eww...gross!" Austin said, making Nick smile.

     "Smart kid," Nick said under his breath.

     Nick and I continued to talk to both of them until we reached the exit.
  Once off the interstate, it was only a few blocks to the entrance of the
zoo.  We all filed out of the Navigator, and Nick insisted on paying for us
to get in, which touched me.  I didn't argue, and soon we were in the Henry
Doorly Zoo.  Our first stop was the indoor rainforest, which was the largest
in the world.  I had been in the rainforest many times, but the others
hadn't, so we stopped at every sign, and to look at every animal.

     I brought along my digital camera, so I would occasionally snap a
picture of Nick and the boys, and I couldn't determine who was having more
fun between the three of them.  As we approached one part of the jungle, I
walked ahead so I could turn back and take a picture of the three of them.
I knew that there was a live snake encased in a tree over the walkway, so I
thought I would take a picture when I drew Nick's attention to it.  As he
walked underneath the snake, I told him to look up, and I have never seen
anyone jump so high in my life!  His head almost came in contact with the
Plexiglas holding the snake in, which I think freaked him out more. I was
laughing so hard that I could barely hold the camera still enough to capture
the expression on his face.

     Austin and Aaron were both doubled over laughing, and Nick was not at
all amused.  If looks could kill, I would have been six feet under.

     "Paybacks are a bitch, you know," he said with a deadpan look.

     "I'm looking forward to seeing it," I said nonchalantly.

     We stopped at the waterfall, and the boys got wet standing too close,
and Nick made sure to push me right under the water, soaking me.

     "Is that the best you can do?" I said, shivering from the ice-cold
water.

     "That's just a down payment, buddy boy.  The best is yet to come."

     We continued through the jungle, finally coming to the end of the path,
and back outside into the sun.  People were staring at me, since I was still
'all wet,' but I didn't pay much attention to them.  It was getting close to
noon; so we stopped at a refreshment stand to grab a bite to eat.

     We all had a mini-pizza, which cost nearly $20.  I wasn't going to let
Nick pay for this too, so I volunteered to stand in line.  Periodically, I
would look back at Nick, who was laughing and joking with my nephews,
bringing a smile to my face.  I loved him so much, and I found myself loving
him more every minute.  For a split second, our eyes met, and I saw a
sparkle in his eyes that I hadn't seen before.  I quickly had to come back
to reality, or I would have risked losing my place in an endlessly long
line, so I turned around to wait for our 'gourmet' pizza.

     Once I finally got our food, I sat down at the table between Austin and
Aaron.  Aaron leaned into me for a quick hug, before starting to devour his
food.  Nick and Austin followed suit.  During the meal, Austin leaned over
to whisper something in my ear.

     "I really like your boyfriend," Austin said quietly.  I was floored by
the comment.  "He's a pretty good singer too."

     "How do you know?" I asked, still in shock.

     "Mom has the CD.  It's pretty good," Austin said matter-of-factly.  Up
until that moment, I hadn't even thought about Nick, the Backstreet Boy.  No
one had recognized him to this point, which was surprising since there were
hundreds of girls swarming around us.

     "Yeah, he is pretty good," I said, looking over at Nick, who was
listening to the whole conversation, taking it all in.

     We finished eating, and our next destination was the aquarium, which
was another wonderful attraction.  Aaron's favorite part of the aquarium was
the penguin exhibit, and he would laugh every time one of the penguins
jumped in the water, and started swimming frantically.  Aaron's laughter was
contagious, and soon the four of us were all laughing at the penguins.
Before we knew it, there were about twenty people sitting there, watching
the display, and laughing right along with us.

     Soon, we were walking through the tunnel in the aquarium, with water
all around us, and above us.  We could watch everything from sharks to devil
rays swim above us, as well as a hundred types of beautiful fish.

     "I'm glad this glass is as thick as it is, or we would be in trouble,"
I commented to Nick, who just nodded in agreement.  About halfway through
the tunnel, I felt a drop of water on my neck, and quickly turned around.
Nick looked surprised when I turned around so abruptly.

     "Did you feel that?" I asked.

     "Feel what?" Nick responded.

     "Oh, never mind," I said, trying to convince myself that I had just
imagined it all.

     A few steps later, I felt a steady stream of water on my head and neck,
and I went ballistic.  I started yelling out of sheer terror, as a thousand
thoughts crossed my mind.  I thought the tunnel was collapsing, and as I
turned around to warn Nick, I saw him standing there smiling with an empty
bottle of water above my head.

     The three of them couldn't hold it in anymore, and they busted out
laughing.  About half the people in the tunnel laughed as well, a few of
them even applauding.

     "Revenge is a dish best served cold," Nick said.  "I thought the water
would be cold enough for you," he said with an evil grin.

     "You scared me half to death," I admitted, which wasn't easy for me.

     "So, I guess we're even?" Nick asked.

     "Yeah, we're even...you jerk," I said, hitting his shoulder, making the
boys laugh again.

     After the aquarium, we went to the cat complex (largest in North
America), and the aviary (2nd largest in the world...I think you get the
point...it's a great zoo).  We were all getting quite tired, so we agreed to
ride the train around the rest of the complex.  As we approached the front
entrance, I noticed some construction.  As it turns out, the zoo was
building the world's largest indoor desert as well.  Nick was thoroughly
impressed with the place.

     "I've been to a lot of zoos around the country, and this one is one of
the best.  Who knew that a cow town like Omaha would have such a great
attraction?" Nick said.  I just shook my head as we got off the train.

     It was late afternoon by this point, and we were all ready to go.
Austin and Aaron wanted to stop by the gift shop, and Nick ended up buying
both of them gifts before we finally made our way back to the Navigator.  I
fired up the engine, and both of them were out before I got back onto the
interstate.

     "You have some great nephews there, Cam." Nick said as he looked back.

     "They are pretty special.  I like to surround myself with special
people whenever possible," I said, putting my hand on the center console,
inviting Nick to grasp my hand.  He obliged, and squeezed my hand as we
drove back across the Missouri River.  A few miles later, Nick was leaning
against the window, asleep as well.

     I pulled into the driveway, and up to the house without any of them
waking up, so I had to wake them up myself.  Before I woke the boys up, I
leaned across the console, turning Nick's head slowly and kissing him.
Before he was even fully awake, he began moving his lips.  His eyes slowly
opened to see what was happening.

     "I could get used to this," he said as I sat back in my seat.

     "I am counting on it," I responded.  We opened our doors, and closed
them gently.  We opened the back doors, and gently unfastened the boys' seat
belts.  Nick carried Aaron into the house, and I carried Austin.  We took
them into the family room, and put them on the couch to let them sleep.

     Nick and I sat down on the loveseat, and ended up napping ourselves
until Austin jumped in between us.

     "Aaron and I want to go swimming," Austin said to me.

     "Okay.  We can do that.  Let's go get changed."  Nick and I stood up,
and went upstairs.  The boys had clothes here at the house for occasions
just like this, so I led them into one of the spare bedrooms, finding
swimming suits for them.

     "You guys put these on, and then come over to my room.  Do not go down
to the pool by yourselves."

     "Okay, Uncle Cam," Austin answered for the both of them.

     I followed Nick into our room, and pushed the door closed.  I found my
trunks, and Nick found his.  I stopped stripping down for a moment to watch
him undress, but quickly remembered that the boys would be here any second,
so I finished putting on some trunks just as they opened the door.

     "Are you guys ready yet?" Aaron asked.

     "Yep," Nick answered.  "Let's go!"  The three of them raced down the
stairs, and out to the pool.  I stopped to get some towels out of the hall
closet before joining them.  Austin was already on the way down the slide as
I stepped outside, with Aaron close behind.  They were both excellent
swimmers, but I wanted to get into the pool just to make sure.  Once I saw
them both resurface, I went over to the diving board, jumping in.  Nick was
in the pool by this time, so I swam over to him to give him a quick kiss.

     We played around in the pool for about a half hour before I heard
Laura's car slowing down on the highway, and driving up the hill.  I
couldn't see her directly, as the pool was at the other end of the house, so
I asked Nick to keep an eye on the kids so I could tell her where we were.
I grabbed a towel, wrapping it around my waist before walking down the
sidewalk until I could see her.  I waved at her as she looked in my
direction, and she headed my way.

     "Boy, at least the boys aren't going to be spoiled or anything," Laura
said with a smile.

     "Well, I have to spend time with them while I can." I said, as we began
walking around the house.

     "You've got a great tan, Cameron.  I wish I could get that dark."

     "One of the benefits of spending two weeks at 9,000 feet.  You get a
lot more sun," I said.

     "You are really looking great!  I can see why Nick likes you so much,"
she said, making me blush.

     "Sorry, Cam...I don't mean to embarrass you.  I think Nick is quite a
catch too," Laura admitted.

     As I opened the gate, Austin and Aaron saw us.  "MOM!" they both
yelled.  They swam to the shallow end of the pool, and began running towards
us when Nick told them to slow down.  Laura nudged me and smiled at that.
She was obviously impressed with Nick in more ways than one.

     "Well boys, I hate to cut this short, but we have to get going.  We're
going to meet your father for dinner in town."

     The boys moaned, but didn't argue.  "Go get your things, and you can
change when we get home," Laura told them.

     Laura talked to Nick a bit while we were waiting for the boys to
return.  A minute later, they returned carrying their clothes.

     "Say goodbye, guys," Laura said.

     They hugged both of us, and waved as they walked toward the car.

     "Bye Uncle Cam, bye Uncle Nick," the boys said.  I looked over at Nick,
and he was beaming.  He almost looked like he was on the verge of tears.

     "Do they know something we don't?" I asked him as we waved goodbye.

     "They are pretty smart kids..." was all Nick said.

     We decided to jump in the hot tub to relax for a while before going in
the house.  Nick got in first, and I sat on the floor of the hot tub in
front of him, leaning back as he massaged my shoulders.  I was happier than
I had been at any time in my life, thanks to the man behind me, and I was
determined that I would show him my appreciation every day for the rest of
my life.

     After about a half hour, we decided to get out of the hot tub.  As we
walked inside, the phone started ringing, and I saw that it was my mother's
cell phone.

     "Hello?"

     "Hi, hon. I know I said we would be home for a while this evening, but
something has come up, so we won't be there until late, so you will have to
fend for yourselves."

     "Mom, we are leaving tomorrow.  Can't you get out of this?"

     "I wish we could, but Mr. Berkman is one of our biggest clients, and we
can't reschedule."

     "Okay.  Tell Dad hi, and I guess we will see you sometime," I said, not
hiding my disappointment.

     "I'm sorry, sweetie.  Tell Nick hello, and we love you both.  Bye."

     "Goodbye," I said as I hung up the phone.

     Nick had already gone upstairs, and by the time I got up there, he was
fully dressed.

     "Well?" Nick asked.

     "Mom and Dad aren't going to be here until late, so we are on our own.
I am really happy that they are so successful, but I would really like to
see them once in a while," I said, almost pouting, before realizing what I
was saying.  "I'm sorry Nick.  I know you see far less of your parents than
I do, so I don't mean to complain."

     "It's okay, Cameron.  We both miss our parents.  It's only natural, but
we have to let them go sometime," Nick said, joking.

     "You are such a cornball," I said, laughing.

     I stripped down and toweled off, finding some clothes to put on,
providing a bit of a show for Nick along the way, which he was appreciating.
  Once I was fully dressed, I sat down on the couch.

     "So, what are we going to do tonight?" Nick asked.

     I thought about it for a moment before thinking.  "When is the last
time you cooked over an open fire?" I asked.

     "I haven't done anything like that in years," Nick said.  "That sounds
like fun."

     "A bonfire it is, then.  I'll find some food in the kitchen, and then
we'll go up to the campfire."

     We went down to the kitchen, and I found some hot dogs and chips.  I
grabbed some drinks and condiments, and packed them all up.  Nick suggested
walking to the campfire, but I told him that it was nearly a half-mile back
in the woods, and once it was dark, we would never be able to see to get
back.

     I then got another idea, and I asked Nick if he knew how to play the
guitar.  He said that he did, so between the two of us, we should be able to
make some music.  I went down to the rec room to get my guitar, and packed
them in the Navigator to take up to the campfire.

     We drove up through the hills, and got to the campfire after several
minutes.  Nick unpacked the food, and I started the fire with ease.  The sun
was on its way down, so I wanted to build a healthy fire before it got too
chilly.  I had a couple blankets in the Navigator for later.

     After Nick unpacked everything, we found a couple sticks to cook the
hot dogs, and eating was relatively uneventful.

     "This was a wonderful idea, Cam.  This is a lot of fun."

     "Glad you are enjoying it, and I can't think of anyone I would rather
be with than you," I responded, putting my arm around his.

     It was almost dark now, and the fire's warm glow reflected off Nick's
skin, making him look so incredibly sexy.  Nick reached behind him, pulling
out my guitar.  He played a few chords, and then began singing to me.

"You are so beautiful...to me,
You are so beautiful...to me,
Can't you see?

"Everything I hoped for...
You're everything I need...
You are so beautiful to me,

"You are so beautiful to me,
Can't you see?

"You're everything I hoped for,
Everything I need...
You are so beautiful...
To me."

     It was one of my favorite songs...It was such a simple song, and yet so
powerful when he sang it to me.  Tears were flowing down my cheeks as he
ended the song.  He was crying at the end of the song as well, and as I
embraced him the tears really began to flow.

     It was completely dark by now, and the fire was burning faithfully.  I
stood up, and walked over to get the blankets that were in the back of my
SUV.  I spread one out next to the fire, and sat down on the ground,
beckoning Nick to join me.  He slid down onto the ground, and as he did, I
took his hand in mine, and I leaned in for a kiss, pushing him slowly down
onto the ground as our tongues met.  Once we were both lying down, I rolled
over to his left, and spread the other blanket over us.  I again reached for
his hand, and as we nuzzled in together, we were both captivated by the
millions of stars in the sky.

     Out of a world of six billion people, I had found the one person that I
knew I would love for the rest of my life.  We spent the rest of the night
outside, both thankful that fate had brought us together, and determined
that nothing would ever tear us apart.


Comments are welcome and appreciated - glenwoodbronco@hotmail.com

Thanks for reading!