Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2001 23:44:52 -0700 (PDT)
From: John D <zachstack@yahoo.com>
Subject: BSB Hearts Assunder Part 8

Previously...

Brian pulled Nick into an embrace and kissed him
lightly on the lips and on the forehead.  "Now what
say we get back to looking for that boyfriend of yours
eh?"
******************************************************
[Flashback]

"Thanks!"  Nick and Brandon kissed softly.  "I
promise, I won't be long."  Nick scurried after the
Backstreet Boys after one last kiss.

end of part 7
-------------------------------------------------------
**Disclaimers:  This is merely a work of fiction and
should not be taken otherwise.  The story is
constructed in a PG-13 type of environment, so please
sit back and enjoy the story.**
-------------------------------------------------------

Hearts Assunder Part 8
Family


[Flashback]  Nick's house.

"Keep your eyes closed now."  Nick beamed with
excitement.  "No peeking, Brandon."  Nick's heart was
palpitating with joy at his success of planning this
night so well.  He had just picked Brandon up for
their date.  Nick had worked so hard during the
afternoon cooking and cleaning and setting everything
up for this night.

"C'mon Nick, what's the surprise."  Brandon smiled
underneath the bandana that had completely covered his
face.

"You'll see."  Nick fixed the bandana and gently laid
a kiss on Brandon's lips.  "Now c'mon follow me."
Nick pulled Brandon quickly behind him, leading him by
the hand up the walkway to the door.

Brandon welcomed Nick's soft lips lovingly, still
amazed at how happy he was ever since Nick became a
part of his life.  Having lived in group homes and
with his foster family, this type of love was one
thing that Brandon had long since dropped all hope
for.  It was 7:00 p.m. when Nick finally came to pick
him up.  His mother had hated him running off with his
friends again when he could've stayed home and cleaned
the house or got a job.

"Okay, you can take the bandana off now."  Nick opened
his front door and welcomed his lover for the first
time to his lovely, but until now, lonely home.

Brandon lifted the bandana and squinted at first at
the light but soon adjusted to the light.  The room
was beautifully furnished.  The soft lush carpeting
caved beneath his shoes as though he was walking on
clouds.  The walls were of light colour making the
room seem brighter, even in the candle light that
illuminated the house.  Candelabras stood illuminating
the beautiful home with ceiling to floor windows
cascading with velvet drapes.  The candles' soft warm
light brought a certain homey and cozy feeling to
Brandon that he could not help but want to wrap it
around him and Nick forever.  Brandon was speechless
at the beautiful set up of the room.

"I thought to have the place all readied for us.
Since being out on a date is really out of the
question.  C'mon, this way."  Nick gently intertwined
his gentle fingers with Brandon's and led him into
the dinning room.  "I even cooked for us tonight.  I
hope you like it."  Nick giggled, pulling Brandon
behind him to the table.

Brandon had been overcomed by the beauty of the living
room from which he entered.  But the sight of the
candles, the rose petals, and the soft romantic music
playing on the sound system stunned him in its
elegance and beauty.

"I hope it's not too corny...hehe I think I did get
carried away with the rose petals..."  Nick playfully
picked up a petal and put it in the front pocket of
Brandon's flannel shirt.

"Nick it's...it's beautiful..."  Brandon gazed deeply
into Nick's eyes pulling the other into a deeper kiss.

Brandon knew now that he had nothing to be ashamed of
nor to doubt, Nick was everything to him.  He knew now
how deeply he adored Nick.  His passion drove him even
more to a depression knowing that there really wasn't
anything he could offer Nick.  "But...but I don't
deserve all this."  Brandon whispered grievously
gesturing to everything around him.  "I have nothing
this grand to offer you."

"Being here with me is more than enough, my love."
Nick shushed his beloved with a kiss.  "Now let's
eat."  Nick winked at Brandon and kissed away the
other's tears.
********************************************

"That was a magnificent dinner, Nick."  Brandon smiled
across the table at Nick.  "This is by far the most
wonderful thing that anyone has ever done for me in my
entire life..."  Brandon sighed at a loss for words
trapped in the deep clear pools of Nick's beautiful
pale blue eyes.

"I kinda burned the duck though."  Nick giggled,
blushing under the weight of Brandon's admiration.

"Burned it?  I thought the dinner was perfect...like
you."  Brandon smiled back at Nick.

Nick slowly got up from his seat and walked beside
Brandon where he gracefully fell to his knees.
"Brandon, I have never felt this way about anyone in
my entire life. For the last few weeks you have made
me the happiest man alive."  Nick gazed deep into
Brandon's eyes and started to sing...

I never thought that I would lose my mind
That I could control this,
Never thought that I'd be left behind
That I was stronger than you, baby
if only I knew what I've done
You know, so why don't you tell me
And I, I would bring down the moon and the sun
To show how much I care

Don't wanna lose you now
Baby, I know we can win this
Don't wanna lose you now
No no, or ever again

I've got this feeling you're not gonna stay
It's burning within me
The fear of losing
Of slipping away
It just keeps getting closer, baby
Whatever reason to leave that I've had
My place was always beside you
And I wish that I didn't need you so bad
Your face just won't go away

Don't wanna lose you now
Baby, I know we can win this
Don't wanna lose you now
No no, or ever again

I never thought that I would lose my mind
That I could control this
Never thought that I'd be left behind

That I was stronger than you
Don't want to lose to loneliness
I know we can win
Don't want to lose to emptiness, oh no
Never again

Don't wanna lose you now
Baby, I know we can win this
Don't wanna lose you now
No no, or ever again

Brandon was driven to tears by the time the song was
done.  Through which, their eyes never dared stray
away from the other.

"Brandon, will you come with the Backstreet
Boys...with me on tour?  I don't think that I can ever
live without you by my side."  Nick took Brandon's
hand and laid his face gently against it.

"Nick...I...I don't..."  Brandon thought about what
his mother would think about him leaving the family
for a few months, and thought about the abuse.  "Yes.
I will only be too happy to be with you."  Nick jumped
to his feet and wrapped his arms around Brandon.
Brandon gasped at the sudden prodding that came with
the embrace.

"I'm sorry."  Nick blushed again and quickly turned
away from Brandon.

Brandon laughed.  "I see that we're very happy about
my answer."  Brandon pulled Nick around and kissed
him.  "Nick, don't be sorry.  I know how you feel."
Brandon pulled Nick's body closer to his.  "I know
what I've said in the last couple of weeks about this,
Nick.  But I haven't been sure if I was ready...until
now."  After another loving kiss, Brandon proceeded to
lift Nick up in his arms and carried him infront of
the blazing fireplace where they finally allowed their
passion to take physical shape.  Throughout the night,
their passion fueled a far greater fire that the logs
in the fireplace could ever deign imagine.
*******************************************************
Somewhere else....

"Hello?  Mrs. Carter?  I got some news about your son
Nick."

"What? Who is this?"  Nick's mom felt panic in her
heart for her famous son.

"It doesn't matter who this is.  My suggestion is, go
to your son's house.  I think he needs you right now."
*click*
*******************************************************
Somewhere in a hotel lobby

"This is for your own good, Nick...." The mysterious
man hung the phone up and ran to the parking lot and
disappeared.

[End of Flashback]
*******************************************************
Back at Brian's hotel room.

Both Nick and Brian have been working feverishly over
the computer monitors and the phone, trying vehemently
to find Nick's lost love.

"Damn he sure is hard to find."  Brian threw his arm
over Nick's shoulder squeezing him reasuringly against
his own smaller but more muscular body.

"Brian, where is he?"  Nick desperately scanned
through the results on the monitor.

"It's alright, Nick.  I asked AJ and Kevin to have
some of their friends look around for Brandon or Scott
in the area.  We'll find them.  I promise.  Now, you
go get some rest, we have a big concert to get ready
for tonight."

"Okay."  Nick sighed and trodded back to his room to
rest up before they head out to the arena for last
minute rehearsals.

Brian turned back to the monitors and resumed his
vigilant watch for any sign of either Scott or Brandon
on the US People Search.

Minutes after Nick had left for his room, Brian's
phone suddenly sprang to life.  Almost making Brian
jump out of his shorts.

'Sheesh!'  He whispered before picking up the phone.
"Hello?"

"Mr. Littrel, there's a Scott on the phone for you.
He says you know him.  Wouldn't give a last name
though.  Do you want to accept?"  The voice on the
other end of the line inquired.

"Yes, yes!"  Brian felt the rush of adrenaline as his
excitement went up ten folds; their search was
finally paying off.

"Hello?"  Scott's voice came through at first with a
little static.

"Hello?  Scott?  That you man?  Brandon's brother?"
Brian couldn't contain himself anymore.

However, there was suddenly a slight pause on the
other end.  Something suddenly made Brian feel a bit
uneasy.  "Yeah..yes this is the same.  What do you
want?  I hear you've been looking for me?"  He sounded
bitter.

'Rightfully so,' Brian thought to himself.  "Scott,
listen.  I know we had some disagreements before, but
I am really sorry.  Listen, is your brother there?"

Again another hesitation.  "I'm here, that's all that
matters.  What do you want?"  Scott's voice sounded
choked up on the other end, but Brian dropped it
thinking that it was due to the connection.

"Um, I don't know how to say this but...um..."
Finally getting past his initial adrenaline rush,
Brian finally realised that he had no clue what to say
to the other man.

"Spit it out, Brian.  Unlike you, I don't make
millions without even really having to do anything."
Scott was definitely upset to say the least.

"Listen man, I know what I did was wrong.  But that's
why I want to make it up now.  I'm sorrier than you
will ever know, but please Nick really needs Brandon
in his life.  Nothing has been the same
since..since...that night."

"Yeah.  So after all this time, after all that all of
you did to Brandon, you come crawling back to him."
Scott scoffed after another hesitation at the mention
of his beloved little brother.

"Listen, we can fight about this all we want, but
right now I am fairly sure that the two people that
are very special to each of us are hurting even as we
speak."

"Ha!"  Scott scoffed again followed by another ackward
silence.

"Hello?  You still there?" Brian was now getting
heated up also.

"Where do you want to meet me first?"

"Brandon gonna be there?"

"No."  Scott abruptly interjected.  "Just me and you
and whoever, except Nick.  That way we can plan the
surprise together."  There was something in the way he
said surprise, Brian just couldn't finger it.

"Fine, but where do you want to meet me then?"  Brian
gave a mental sigh, hoping that he can finally make
ammends to the thing that he regrets the most in his
life:  ruining Nick's.

"You have a concert tonight,"  Scott said
matter-of-factly.

"Yeah?"

"Make sure they know I'm coming.  Tell them, whoever
runs the damned place, that you will be expecting
someone.  Don't try to seat me in the front.  You'll
find me easy enough in the crowd without having to do
that."

"What will you be wearing?  Will you be bringing any
signs with you?"

"No.  As I said, you will see me easily enough without
anything else. Until tonight then."  *click*

Brian looked at the humming receiver and his heart
began to flutter in realisation that everything will
soon be okay.  He just hoped that Brandon can forgive
him for what he did in the past.

End of Part 8
*******************************************************