Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2002 00:01:50 +0000
From: Kevin K <kdawg96@hotmail.com>
Subject: Encountering Nick - Chapter Twelve

Obligatory warnings and disclaimers:

1) If reading this is in any way illegal where you are or at your age, or
you don't want to read about male/male relationships, go away. You shouldn't
be here.

2) I don't know any of the celebrities in this story, and this story in no
way is meant to imply anything about their sexualities, personalities, or
anything else.  This is a work of pure fiction.

Questions and commentary can be sent to "kdawg96@hotmail.com".

Check out these fantastic authors as well: My buddy ND, author of 'Nick and
Ashley' (a.k.a. 'All I Need Is You'), and my pal Joel, author of 'JC's
Hitchhiker' and 'Brian and Tommy'. I recommend you check them out!

http://jcv.5u.com/all/worldofslash/ - Jayson Vascardi's website and also
Dream Slash, at http://www.geocities.com/dreamslashuk/, that features my
story and many other slash fiction stories. Go check it out.

Yea, I know, it's been a while! It is for the reason that I have been so
overloaded with work that writing has not been an option these past couple
weeks! Sorry everyone! Nonetheless I'm back, for now at least!

Don't forget to go and submit your choices for the BBSA awards before
nominations end soon!

Thanks everyone for sticking by me and supporting me throughout this series
so far. This chapter is going to be written quite different as to how the
others we written. I would really like to get all the feedback I can
receive! Please send me all comments and suggestions. Let me know what you
think. Now lets get back to what you came here for.

***
Encountering Nick - Chapter Twelve

Geoff sat alone in the lobby of Atlanta Capitol Plaza, where the band had
been checked in now for a few days. He came down to the lobby to think, to
be by himself, and see if he could apprehend what was actually going on.

'Lobby time' was sometimes a daily affair for Geoff, something he enjoyed
and looked forward to, a time for himself that was just relaxing. Yet, today
was different. He came here to try calm down, knowing he wouldn't enjoy his
time down here today. Not after what he had just seen.

A warm breeze from outside rushed into the lobby swiftly, suspending Geoff
from his thoughts for a moment. He glanced up and saw a young couple
entering the atrium, walking hand in hand. The young woman, most likely in
her early twenties, looked like she was in ecstasy, and the man next to her,
feasible to be her new-fangled husband and also likely in his early
twenties, shared the same enthusiasm. They appeared to be so happy with each
other.

The site of this made Geoff especially miserable. A little over a week ago
things couldn't have been any better. He has the most wonderful boyfriend,
or so he thought, an incredible job, and felt like he was part of a family
again. Even Jack, who Geoff feared would devastate everything, didn't seem
to be causing any problems for him or anyone else whatsoever. However that
wonderful life began to change about a week ago, when Nick had ditched the
dinner plans he had previously made with Geoff, in order to go out with
Brian instead.

Since then things seemed to have been going downhill for Geoff. Nick began
spending almost all of his time with Brian, claiming management and Kevin
carry on to mistakenly overbook matters and affairs for the band, which him
and Brian had to take care of. Even so, Geoff had his doubts, which he kept
undisclosed from anyone. He knew Brian was gay, in the process of getting a
divorce from his wife, and was so close with Nick. Nick has stated numerous
times that Brian is his best friend, but Geoff seemed to believe lately
there was more to it that Nick alleged there to be.

Yet even though Nick had been spending an uncomfortable amount of time with
Brian, he still seemed to be as loving and caring as ever to Geoff. That was
up until a day ago. He took Geoff out to dinner, and naturally Brian came
along. But Brian coming along wasn't the main problem, because Geoff seemed
to be getting along fine with him. The problem arose at the end of the
night, when Nick accused Geoff of wasting his money, his parents' money,
implying that he may not even be bothered with the memory of his deceased
parents. That's when the shit hit the fan.

Nick and Geoff went back to the hotel that night, still both somewhat pissed
at each other. Geoff was giving Nick the silent treatment, which seemed to
be clawing Nick up inside. They were lying in bed about to go to sleep and
Nick was trying to get Geoff to forgive him, telling Geoff that he loves
him, although Geoff just pretended like he was already asleep and didn't
reply. Silently, Nick was falling apart.

When Nick awoke the next day, the suite was silent and Geoff was not in the
bed.

"Geoff?" Nick hollered from the bedroom, while forcing himself out of bed.
He didn't get much sleep last night because he kept waking up practically
every half hour. His anxiety from the previous evening had caused him a
temporary insomnia. He began walking into the main lounge of their hotel
room. "Geoff, listen I'm sorry about..." Nick's voice trailed off when he
noticed that Geoff wasn't there.

All of a sudden Nick was panic stricken. Thoughts were rapidly flooding
through his head, one after another. 'Where is Geoff? Why isn't he here?
What if Geoff left me? What if what I said hurt him enough to leave all of
us, and quit his job? What if I never see him again? Why am I such a
horrible boyfriend?'

Nick, incapacitated by means of misery and convinced that his boyfriend had
left him, thought that he seriously needed someone to talk to. He thought
that he needed to talk to someone who could relate to what he was going
though. Possibly someone who was in the midst of getting a divorce. Brian
would know how to help him.

He rushed to the door, sensing that soon he was going to burst into tears.
All of this had happened so quickly; he hadn't even stopped to think that
possibly he was being melodramatic. He just hurried out the door, slamming
it behind him, without giving it a second thought. He slammed the door so
hard that a gush a wind surged into the room, carrying a scrap of paper on
the coffee table, which Nick had failed to take notice of, onto the floor
under the table. The paper happened to have a scribbled message on it.

"Nick,
I am sorry about how I acted last night. Please forgive me.
I had to leave before you woke this morning for an early rehearsal. You
looked so peaceful and beautiful in your sleep that I decided not to wake
you. I'll be back after lunch.
I love you.
Geoff."

Nick knocked on the door to Brian's room, but there was no answer. He
knocked again, and once more waited. Then all of a sudden the door flew
open, and there stood TJ in front on him.

"Nick!?" TJ gasped.

"Trevor!?" Nick said confused, just as surprised as TJ probably was, to see
him here. "Where's Brian?"

"Uh... He's inside. Yea... We were just... He was just... helping me. Yea."

"Uh, okay." Nick said, still feeling confounded, and not actually buying
TJ's story.

"Yea. Anyways, I got to get to rehearsal! I am so late! Bye!" TJ said. Nick,
still in a distress with the convinced thought that Geoff was gone, didn't
pick up on the fact that the dancers currently had a rehearsal. TJ stepped
past Nick, who then stepped into Brian's room and shut the door.

"Fuck!" TJ muttered under his breath, as he was stepping into the elevator.
Not only was he extremely late for rehearsal again, but also he may of just
blown Brian's cover. As far as he knew, no one knew that Brian was gay other
than him.

He had spent the night with Brian again last night. Brian had given him a
call pretty late into the night, actually, for him to come over and have a
little fun. Ever since that night they literally knocked each other off
their feet back in Las Angeles, TJ and Brian had become pretty close. They
weren't officially an item or anything, but the sex was pretty hot.

This wasn't the first time TJ nearly blew Brian's cover as well. It was a
little over a week ago, when the band was still in Washington, that TJ had
ran into Kevin when leaving Brian's room after a hot night of sex. Luckily
Brian told TJ not to worry the next night when he asked Brian what Kevin had
said. They had decided, though, that whenever they were to have these
encounters together that TJ would spend the night from now on and leave in
the morning to prevent the both of them from further accidental exposures.
Although that idea didn't seem to be any better, because now Brian may have
been discovered by Nick. Even though Nick wouldn't expose Brian if he asked
him not to, TJ knew that Brian didn't want Nick to know right now, because
of the feelings that he for Nick. He had most likely totally messed things
up for Brian and, on top of that, TJ was moments away from yet another
bitching from Andrew about being late again.

He stood outside the rehearsal room, hearing the music blasting from inside
and Andrew yelling the steps to do over the song as best as he could. He
tried to sneak into the room without being noticed, but he was over half an
hour late and that was sure to be observed and realized already. He felt
like a kid back in high school again, trying to sneak into class late after
the bell had already rung. He was never able to get away with it in high
school, and was probably not going to get away with it again here. He only
made it a few steps into the room when the music stopped and the room fell
silent. TJ stopped and stood frozen.

"TJ..." Andrew said in a very irritated and disappointed tone.

"Listen, Andrew. I swear this is the last time this is going to happen! I
didn't mean to..." TJ said but was cut off.

"Outside now!" Andrew yelled. Boy, this really was like high school all over
again. Andrew turned to the rest of the dancers. "Five minute break, that's
it." He said irritated by TJ and turned and stomped out the door to give yet
another lecture to TJ.

"He's so screwed this time." Greg said about TJ, as soon as Andrew was out
of the room.

"I can't believe he came late again!" exclaimed Jody.

"I heard Andrew say to the boy's choreographer, Jenny, that if TJ came late
one more time they might fire him." Natalie said.

"I heard the same thing from AJ, who heard it from management." Added Jenny.

"Wow, I didn't realize it was becoming that serious." Geoff said. "I know
this is like the forth time this week he's come late, but are they really
going to fire him?"

"Well, yea, probably." Melissa answered, "I mean, if he doesn't take this
job seriously enough to show up on time, they have a good reason to get rid
of him. Right?"

"Uh, yea I guess so." Geoff said, feeling rather sorry for the guy. The two
of them hadn't really talked much and remained distant from one another ever
since their confrontation about Nick in that McDonalds back in LA. He had
been meaning to patch things up with TJ, become friends again, but so far
hadn't gotten the chance to do so. Now it may have been to late to even try.

Through all of the conversation in the absence of Andrew and TJ, Jack
remained quiet, but still observant. He realized how easily someone could
get fired around here. He also realized how easy it would be to get someone
else fired around here.

Andrew and TJ returned, and things looked bad. TJ looked so miserable, and
it kind of looked like he had just been crying. Now Geoff felt really sorry
for the guy. TJ went over the bench to grab his bag he'd brought with him
and began to leave the room. Geoff ran over to him quickly, before the
rehearsal had begun again, and grabbed TJ by the shoulder to stop him.

"TJ, wait." Geoff said.

TJ stopped, and turned around to face Geoff. "What do you want?"

"Where are you going? Did they fire you?"

"No, although I bet that's what you would have liked." TJ said coldly,
knowing that Geoff probably hated him because he tried to steal Nick away.

"That's not true." Geoff said, a bit frustrated with TJ's assumptions. "You
know that's not true."

"Whatever." TJ said, "Anyways, I'm not fired, but I am suspended from
dancing indefinitely."

"Oh," Geoff said, "I'm sorry."

"Yea, I bet." He said before turning away from Geoff and walking out of the
room.

Geoff, mixed with feelings of sorrow and aggravation, hurried back to the
group to continue the rehearsal.

TJ trudged out of the room and headed straight for the washroom. He locked
the door to prevent anyone else from coming in, and then completely broke
down. Tears began streaming down his face as if his eyes the Niagara Falls.

'What the hell is going on?' TJ thought. Everything seemed to be getting
fucked up for him today. First off, he most likely had blown Brian's cover.
Secondly, he has gotten suspended indefinitely from dancing, without pay.
Andrew had also said that if he does one more wrong move, like coming late
again, he's gone. He'll be fired immediately without question. Then lastly,
Geoff pretended to be his friend in order to find out what had happened,
which is exactly what TJ didn't need at that time.

As soon as the waterworks stopped, the depression kicked in. He felt like he
couldn't take this anymore. He unlocked the door and left the washroom,
having no place to go. He couldn't go back to the rehearsal, because he
wasn't wanted there, much less allowed. He couldn't go to Brian, because
Nick was probably still there and he felt guilty for what had happened this
morning. He began to just wonder the hotel aimlessly. Eventually he came
upon the hotel bar, and took a seat at the counter.

"What can I get you sir?" the bartender asked him.

"Just a beer." He responded impassively. He looked down at his watch and
noticed it was only just after eleven in the morning. He thought it was
probably to early in the day to start drinking, but then just shrugged off
the fault and chugged down the first beer as soon as it arrived within
moments.

After about an hour's worth of drinking, which happened to be five or six
beers, he couldn't exactly remember, TJ knew he was smashed. But in spite of
his intoxication, his problems still bothered him deeply. All the drinking
did was intensify his furry.

"Ah, so this is where you've wondered off to." A voice from behind him said.
The man came and sat down next to TJ, ordering a beer for himself as well.

"What do you want Jack?" TJ asked grimly.

"Oh TJ, I'm not here to fight with you, or bother you. I'm here to support
you, and be your friend." Jack said in some kind of ominous tone. Yet TJ
didn't take any notice of the sound of his voice.

"Really?" TJ said, not trying to hide the fact that he was surprised. He had
never really ever talked to Jack at all since he first took over Matt's
position when Matt left to start his film career. All TJ knew of Jack was
that he was a ruthless man who got Geoff fired. 'Maybe Geoff was wrong about
him.' TJ thought, 'or maybe I was wrong about Geoff.'

"Yes TJ. I'm here for you. I know what it's like to have everyone against
you, making you feel like everything's your fault." Jack said, "Remember
that they fired me from my last job?"

"Yea, I heard that. So you know what it's like then?" TJ asked.

"Yes, very much. But you know, there is still something we can do. You don't
have to lose this battle." Jack said devilishly, raising an eyebrow.

TJ looked up from his drink and stared at Jack. "I'm listening..."

Meanwhile Geoff stood in his empty hotel room searching it for his
boyfriend.

"Nick?" he yelled, "Are you here?!" But all that he heard in response was
silence. He noticed that the note he left for Nick wasn't on the coffee
table anymore, so he figured Nick must have found it.

'Maybe he's with Brian. He's always with Brian.' Geoff thought, shutting the
door when leaving his room and heading towards Brian's suite.

He knocked on Brian's door, but no one answered. He tried the knob and found
that the door was unlocked. He walked into the room, and heard some noise
coming from the bedroom. He headed towards it and opened the door.

"Oh God!" Geoff cried out.

In front of him Nick laid completely naked on Brian bed, getting a blowjob
from his so-called 'best friend'.

"Wha?! Geoff!?" Nick gasped.

"Fuck you!" Geoff yelled and ran out the room crying, leaving Nick and Brian
alone to grasp what had just transpired.

***

End of Chapter Twelve
Please e-mail me with all questions and comments at kdawg96@hotmail.com -
and I'm always open to new and fresh ideas. I look forward to hearing from
all of you. Check back soon for Chapter Thirteen!