Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 16:41:58 +1000
From: Daniel Murphy <danielm@intouchcall.com.au>
Subject: Celebrity - Boy Bands - Degree My Love 04

DISCLAIMER: Over a year off and I still hate this part... alright here we
go. If you are under 18 (or 21 depends on your local legal system) please
avoid this as I accept no responsibilty should ya mama walk in and catch
you chokin' the chicken to this. If you are offended by M/M concepts I
think ya in the wrong place! Why not go to Disney.com? I claim no knowledge
of the personal lives of mentioned celebrities within this fictional
piece. I am not associated with Univeral records (or any other record
company for that matter). No Goldfish were harmed in the making of this
story!

AUTHOR'S CHAT: There is so much I could have to chat about here, but then I
guess that'd defeat the purpose of a chat wouldn't it. Hmm... it's still to
early and I think I need more coffee. If I seem a little bit weirder than
usual in writing this chapter I'm like really sorry but work has gotten to
me and I'm like fully not with it. Though I must say... four months and
getting a promotion already... this has got to be a good thing... right?
More hours... less pay... NOOOO!!! HAHA! If they even think about cutting
back my pay they've got another thing coming! I'd do an evil laugh but
still not enough coffee in my system. I've found it very evil having blood
in my caffine system. Told you I'm in a weird mood today didn't I. Please
don't reply to the email that is at the top of this, it's my work one and
that means BIG trouble.

AUTHOR'S THANKS: Thank you to Nifty for allowing me to post on this
wonderful site along with so many other talented writers. Thank you to
Danny. You are my twin man...love you! Steve... you've been there for me
through the hardest times and through the best times. You are an angel in
disguise. I don't care what you do for a job... I still love
you. Darren... thanks for the shoot the shit conversations, they help me
more than you will ever know. Brad... you and your kids are amazing... and
you put up with my moods while writing for weeks on end. You even put up
with me first thing in the morning ... marry me? LOL. Your insight is
amazing and I'd be lost without it.Now go and make me another bloody
coffee!

RECOMMENDED READ:

The Gift - (boy bands) - Drew Lachey and another Drew... I am loving this
story... Sprout's pretty cool too.

My Everything - (boy bands) - charming story with Nick Lachey nad non-celeb
called Sean. Very fast paced... just the way I like it. Stories that
is... now go fetch your minds from the gutter people!

Search and Rescue - (boy bands) - One of the best stories I have ever read
on Nifty. I'm in two minds though at the moment seeing as Matt is dead :o(
, but JC is still around so it's not all bad :o)

FEEDBACK: brissyboi1982@hotmail.com - messenger attatched to this email so
feel free to add me. If you email me, can you please note in the subject
that you are writing in relation to this story.


Degree my Love 04
by
Sun Child


Waking up Mark felt some one pushed up behind him, spooning into his back
as close as possible. In his mind he recounted the previous days activities
and shrank back at the memory of yelling at Jeff, then it dawned on him who
was behind him. Looking around his saw Jeff curled up against him and felt
something pressed hard against his back. Smiling, he extracted himself from
Jeff as carefully as possible without waking the sleeping man. Pulling on
his boxer-briefs and grabbing some clothes, Mark padded down into the
bathroom. Stepping into the shower Mark turned the water on to a suitable
temperature. Standing there underneath the casacading water, Mark failed to
hear the door enter or close and knew nothing of the other person in the
bathroom until he felt a firm body pressed up against him. Jumping, he
slipped backwards and crashed into Jeff sending them both tumbling to the
bottom of the bath. Mark turned and slapped Jeff.

   "Asshole. That was not funny." Jeff looked at the expression of
mortification on Mark's face and burst out laughing. Mark realised the
absurdty of the situation and started to laugh. When the finally stopped
laughing, Mark leant across and kissed Jeff.

   "Not funny ... that scared me half to death." Mark mummbled into the
kiss before closing his eyes and leaning back letting Jeff rest on top of
him, the water cascading down over the pair of them



When the water finally turned cold, the guys finally stopped what they were
doing and turned off the tap and climbed out of the bath and grabbed their
respective towels and dried off. Jeff, who had come across in nothing
wrapped the towel around his waist while Mark dressed in the bathroom then
headed to the kitchen. Standing there waiting for the kettle to boil, Mark
heard a key in the door and guessed Ryan was home and thought no more of
it. He heard a bedroom door open then a shriek of excitement? Rushing down
the hall, he saw the door to his bedroom open and walked in. There was Jeff
standing in just a pair of boxer briefs with Ryan bouncing all over the
room. Jeff was backing slowly into a corner to avoid Ryan and blushing
furiously at the same time. Mark reached out and grabbed Ryan by the
shoulder and dragged him back down to earth and out of his room. After
closing the door, Mark walked over the Jeff and smiled sheepishly.

   "I forgot to warn you that Ryan is kinda a big fan didn't I?" Jeff just
nodded stupidly. Arching an eyebrow, Mark waved his hand infront of Jeff's
eyes. Jeff visibly snapped back to reality.

   "What just hapened?" Asked Jeff. Mark shook his head and laughed.

   "You just met the gay male portion of your fan base." Jeff grabbed Mark
around the waist and drew him near, eliciting a sharp laugh from Mark.

   "Are you saying that you're not a fan." He asked. Mark shook his head.

   "I never said I wasn't a fan." Mark grinned.

   "So aren't you a gay male part of our fan base?"

   "No. I'm the heterosexually challenged part of your fan base." Laughed
Mark. Jeff smiled while shaking his head and rested it on Mark's
shoulder. Mark instinctively wrapped his arms around Jeff's
waist. Eventually Mark let go of Jeff and stepped back. Jeff looked up
sadly. Mark stepped up to him again and gently placed his hand on Jeff's
cheek.

   "What's wrong babe?" He asked. Jeff looked him in the eye and thought
for a moment before speaking.

   "There's nothing wrong. When you let go, it just felt like a part of me
was moving away. Things have never felt more right in my life. There's
someone special in my life who thinks about me and worries about me. My
career is going well and it's all that I've dreamt of. I have a beautiful
daughter who I love. I am working with three of the best friends anyone
could ask for?" Mark looked at Jeff with tears in his eyes.

   "Never before has anyone cared for me, or said something even
similar. I've had to fend for myself from such a young age, these emotions
are new to me. I thought that I cared for my first boyfriend and I did I
guess, I was disillusioned by how much. Now you come into my life and I
know that there is so much more depth to what you can feel. It's not one
way and it's not ten minutes in the backseat of his car. It's not something
you can reach out and touch or taste, it's something that runs inside of
you and it's beyond explanation." Mark stopped, and Jeff reached out and
gently stroked his face.

   "Now it's time for you to learn what real emotion is and to let go of
all the past hurt." Mark smiled faintly as Jeff reached out and rubbed his
face softly and kissed his cheek.

   "There's nothing more special in my life than you Jeff. I don't know
what decisions to make, or what to do with myself tomorrow, but those
problems all pale in comparisson to just sitting in your company." Jeff
smiled and leant in to wrap his arms around Mark.

   "Come on tour with me." He whispered in Mark's ear. Mark rocked back on
his heels, a look of surprise, hapiness, and confusion all shuffling around
his features.

   "On tour? But my work, and staying, and your management and..." Jeff
gently laid a finger against Mark's lips.

   "Those are my concerns. Your work isn't necessary, I have more than
enough money to help us through." Mark shook his head.

   "I can't do that Jeff, I'm too independant. I've been standing on my own
two feet for a great many years and am too happy this way to change it. I
like me the way I am. I comfortable where I am, I've worked hard to get to
my position in life. I didn't claw my way to the top to become vegetarian."
Mark stated. Jeff thought for a moment.

   "What if we can get you work on tour?" He asked.

   "Nick and I would kill each other." Mark countered.

   "We'll keep you seperated."

   "The guys barely know me."

   "They'll get to know you."

   "Where'll I sleep?"

   "With me."

   "I'm not going to win this am I?" Asked Mark sighing with defeat.

   "No." Jeff replied smiling triumphantly. Sighing Mark leant forwards and
rested his head on Jeff's shoulder.

   "Damn you for being so persuasive." Smiled Mark quietly.



After prying themselves apart, both found their respective clothes and left
the bedroom. Mark stuck his head down the hall and looked for any signs of
Ryan, and not seeing any, shrugged and wandered down towards the lounge. He
assumed Jeff was just behind him. After making it to the lounge with no
sign on Ryan he was slightly confused as to why he couldn't hear Jeff
behind him and turned around to check why. Arching an eyebrow, he found no
sign of Jeff and walked back over the steps he'd just taken. Turning a
corner he found Jeff backed into a corner being barraged by questions for
Ryan. Sighing, Mark walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

   "He's not at work, he's a guest, leave him alone." Mark said with a
sigh. Ryan pouted at him.

   "I don't wanna, he's so cute and adorable and...

   "And he's mine. Leave him alone." Mark said a little more
sternly. Ryan's eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

   "Don't tell me Mr Puritan may have actually succumbed to the idea of
having a boyfriend." Ryan mocked him slightly.

   "Don't tell me Mr I-Live-On-Backseats doesn't have a latest conquest."

   "You're jealous that I have a sex life and you don't."

   "Just like you're jealous that I'm so cool, sheep count me when I
sleep." Mark threw back.

   "Same as you're jealous that I'm important in this town."

   "You're right, they called before asking for their idiot back."

   "And the voices only talk to you right?"

   "Yes and my powers are only for good." Jeff sighed and shook his head.

   "Children please." Jeff said, trying to calm the storm.

   "I don't have children." Mark said.

   "But hell you have fun trying to make them." Ryan added dryly.



The rest of the day,Jeff and Mark lounged on the couch watching snippets of
different shows that flickered across the television screen. Mark rested
back against Jeff's chest rubbing an arm that Jeff left lying casually
around Mark's shoulder. Ryan drifted in and out of the room, occasionally
sitting and watching the television with them or talking briefly to
Mark. As night neared, Jeff's cell phone let out a scream that jolted them
both from their semi-dream like state. Picking up the phone Mark didn't
even bother to look at the ID.

   "Yeah Sprout?"

   'How'd you know it was me?' Came Drew's voice over the line.

   "You're the only one who'd call me while I am with Mark."

   'Oh yeah, well, you're right I guess.'

   "So wassup man?" Jeff asked.

   'Was wanting to know what you and Mark are doin tonight because these
two are boring as.'

   "Well we aren't much better, you do know that don't you?"

   'Would you guys be up to movie or club later though?' Asked Drew. Jeff
looked at Mark,

   "Drew wants to know if we're up to going out tonight." Mark reached up
and snagged the phone off Jeff.

   "Hey Chuckles, whadda ya want, your timing is really bad ya know."

   'Oh that was more information than I ever needed to know.'

   "No, that's when I tell you how many items of clothes we're not
wearing." Mark grinned at Jeff.

   'That's just ventured so far into overshare territory that it isn't
funny. I owe you a nightmare.'

   "In that case, just turn up here naked." Mark threw back. "Anyways, what
did you want to do tonight, other than something with two arms, two legs
and a heartbeat."

   'Yeah funny. I don't know, a club or movie or something.' Mark shrugged.

   "Fine with me." With that he handed the phone back to Jeff and settled
back into lying against Jeff's chest. Jeff spoke briefly and hung up the
phone.

   "Sprout said he'd be here in about an hour."

   "You do realise that it'll be your job to keep Ryan off him don't you?"
Asked Mark. Jeff just groaned,

   "You could have reminded me that he was about."

   "And take away my amusement factor for the evening? Not bloody likely."
Laughed Mark. Jeff sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

   "I'll keep Ryan away from him and long as you make sure Ryan doesn't
start to go near me."

   "Not a chance, I'm normally on Freak Patrol, it's someone else's turn
this time." Mark's phone started to ring

   "Yes Neats?"

   'HEY! I called your home phone and I know there is no caller ID on
that. How did you know?'

   "Because it was bad timing." Laughed Mark.

   'That's so not fair. By the way, you have a Drew on the inbound... LEAVE
THE RADIO STATION ALONE!'

   "I take it that you're driving him from that screech." Mark said holding
the phone away from his ear.

   'Screech? That wasn't a screech!' Anita moaned lightly.

   "No, it was more like a banshee's howl." Laughed Mark.

   'Oh bite my ass!'

   "I'll leave that for Justin. Now hang up, shut up and drive. Talk to you
when you get here." Mark said hanging up the phone. The phone rang again
and Mark lifted it up.

   "I'm not a bitch, I'm the bitch and to you it's Mr Bitch." Mark said
calmly.

   "ASSHOLE!" Roared Anita over the line.

   "Yes I believe I have one of them and I even named it Jeff." Mark said
smiling faintly. Jeff looked down at him curiously as Anita and Drew
started to both roar with laughter. Mark smiled sweetly at Jeff and spoke
down the phone.

   "And if that line ever gets repeated I will kill you both. Now get off
the phone, pull over, and stop laughing because I don't want to have to
explain why there is a splatted boy band member with a smile on his face to
the local newspaper." Grinned Mark.

   "I can see the interview now, "Yes, I was talking to my friend who
called me while giving his famous workmate a head job". That'd make world
news."

   "What that you actually learnt to give decent head or that you were
talking to me?" Asked Anita.

   "Bite my ass woman, I'm hanging up and going back to my loving boyfriend
now." Pouted Mark over the phone.

   "I'm not even going there. See you in five." Anita said

   "FIVE? JEFF QUICK GET DRESSED!" Yelled Mark into the phone.

   "You haven't... you weren't... EEEEW!" Wailed Anita hanging up the
phone. Mark replaced the handset and looked up at Jeff.

   "We've got company coming." Jeff just smiled.

   "I take it I better go put some clothes on." Mark laughed and rested his
head back down on Jeff's chest.



Half an hour later, Mark awoke to a person landing on his back.

   "Get off me Chuckles." Mark growled. Drew got up and looked down at
Mark.

   "How'd you know it was me and not Anita?" He asked.

   "The body was too short to be Anita's. That and the person on me had a
chest, Anita doesn't." Mark said poking his tongue out. Anita leant down
and slapped him across the back of the head.

   "HEY! I am in the room you know."

   "Anita, I'm sure you have some small animal to go turn into a sacred
offering to Pagan Gods." Anita clutched out at Jeff,

   "Come here my pretty." She cackled. Mark leapt up off the couch.

   "He's not small!" Anita arched an eyebrow then reached for his jeans.

   "Let's test this theory." Jeff swatted her hand away.

   "Not for you sorry dear." He scolded. Anita shrugged and grabbed Drew's
arm.

   "You heard him, I need a small animal and you're vertically challenged
enough." Drew looked mortified and tried to shrink away. Sighing, Mark
removed Anita's grip and looked at her.

   "I thought Mr Jeffre was your pet at the moment."

   "He is, but he's boring me at the moment. I need some excitement."

   "So you come here? Great, what did I do to do that? Drive a car through
a shop of mirrors?" Chuckling, Mark ducked a back hand from Anita and
running back and cuddling up to Jeff. Jeff pushed him away as Anita lunged
forwards.

   "Find yourself some other Patsy to play human shield for you." Mark
reached for Drew and hid behind him as Anita leapt at him again. Laughing
Mark ran down the hall with Anita in hot pursuit. Mark shot by ask Ryan
opened his door only to hear a loud crash as Anita slammed into it. Ryan
peered out and around the corner at her.

   "Mark, I killed the token straight girl. Told you we needed to fix my
door so it opened correctly." Mark turned and laughed at the sight. Anita
was crawling around the door as Ryan peered down at her dressed only in his
boxer shorts. Jeff wandered down the hall and wrapped himself around Mark,
resting his chin on Mark's shoulder looked at the scene before them. Anita
looked up and gave them the finger while Mark laughed and led Jeff to his
room closing the door.


---

Hey, I'm back, well for a chapter at least, will start work on part 5
soon. Sorry, I've just been whacked out of it with work and bad time
emotionally, which is why I am thankful for my friends. Anyways, let me
know what you all though -= brissyboi1982@hotmail.com =-

Peace, SC.