Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2006 23:30:39 +0000
From: Ricky T <frickandfrack@hotmail.co.uk>
Subject: Secret Love - Chapter 2

Disclaimer: This is not supposed to imply anything about the celebrities
mentioned or their sexuality. This work is purely fictional and is in no way
to be taken seriously. This story contains scenes and suggestions of a
homosexual nature. If you are not of the legal age to view this material
then please leave now.

Secret Love - Chapter 2

::Ritz-Carlton Hotel - Howie's Room::

"Howie" Brian walked into Howie's room and sat on his bed. Howie wasn't
currently in the room at the moment, he was in his bathroom getting ready
for the night out that AJ had planned. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Is this about you and Leighanne?" Howie asked as he came out of the
bathroom putting copious amounts of products onto his hair.

"Sort of. It's sort of about someone else as well"

"Well you can always talk to me. Who else does it concern?"

"Um...It's difficult to say"

"Why?"

"Coz I think I'm falling in love with this other person" AJ's head peered
around the corner of the door.

"Are we ready to go?" Brian looked at Howie and then back to AJ.

"Yea, we're ready" Brian said as he got up and walked out of the room. Howie
was left perplexed. Brian had told him that he loved someone else but he
hadn't told him who it was. Not to mention that Brian had been slightly
protective about his jacket this week, whenever anyone touched it he would
snap and want it back. Howie shrugged and joined up with the rest of the
guys down in the hotel lobby. They made their way out into their awaiting
cars and got in. As usual, Brian was with Nick while Howie was with Kevin
and AJ. Kevin and AJ had noticed some changes in Howie recently as well. He
had become more reserved and secluded.

"You ok D?" Kevin asked as he got into the car.

"Yea I'm fine" Howie thought for a moment before shaking away any thoughts
in his head and getting into the car alongside Kevin.

"Something's up, we know it Howie" AJ said as he got in and trapped Howie
between himself and Kevin.

"I'm fine" Howie tried to avoid their gaze but they were trapped in the same
car for a few minutes and so he couldn't look anywhere else.

"Is it something?" Howie shook his head. "Someone?" Howie nodded. "A bad
thing?" Howie nodded. "How bad?" Howie looked down to the floor and they
knew it had to be bad. "We'll try and introduce you to some nice girls
tonight then" AJ said, not knowing that he was only making things worse than
they already were. The cars pulled to a halt and they all climbed out. Brian
was the last one out of the cars and walked slower than the others purposely
so he could check something out. "Hey Bri. Hurry up" AJ called as he entered
the club. They found a small booth in the corner and they slid in. Brian was
sitting on one end and Kevin was sitting on the other end. Howie, AJ and
Nick were in the middle and weren't able to get out easily. Kevin got the
group drinks and they sat around talking for a few minutes. Two girls came
up to their booth and pulled chairs around so that they were sitting with
the boys. One of the girls had blonde hair and the other had brown.

"Anyone wanna dance?" The blonde asked. Everyone hesitated for a minute.

"I'll dance" Nick said as he climbed over Howie and Kevin to get out. He
grabbed the girl by the hand and the group watched as he led her out onto
the dance floor.

BRIAN'S P.O.V

I watched him lead the girl out onto the dance floor. No one knew how much I
wished to be her. It sounds strange but to be dancing that close, that
intimately with him. He'd never know how much he means to me.

"Bri?" I quickly snapped my head back around to see AJ looking at me.
"You've been watching Nick for about 5 minutes solid now. Sure he can dance
but we've seen him dance before" I didn't realise AJ had caught me looking.
Damn that could've been embarrassing.

"Yea, I s'pose" I looked over at Howie, he seemed to be in a world of his
own. Kev had gone over to the bar and was chatting with the bartender about
something and AJ was leading the brown haired girl onto the dance floor.
Something's up with Howie. "Howie, you alright?" His attention seemed lost
on something on the ceiling but there wasn't anything there. I clicked my
fingers in front of his face and he turned to face me.

"Huh? Sorry did you say something?"

"I asked if you were alright"

"Yea...I'm fine"

"What was with the hesitation?"

"Nothing"

"It doesn't seem like nothing" I noticed that whenever anyone asked him how
he was that he would always reply that he was fine. This wasn't the usual D.

"I'm just missing someone, that's all"

"Anyone I know?"

"Yea...Kinda"

"Girlfriend? Love interest?" I could tell I was pushing the topic a bit far
but he hadn't seemed to react too much yet.

"Possibly a love interest"

"Who is she?"

"Wow look at how Nick's dancing" My attention was straight on the dance
floor. As usual, Nick might as well have just been fucking her on the dance
floor right there and then. His dancing was so provocative. It almost seemed
like Howie had pointed out Nick's dancing on purpose but I had to do
something, I couldn't allow that girl to get it on with Nick.

HOWIE'S P.O.V

Why does everyone always push the subject if I tell them that I'm fine? It
means that I don't want to be bothered anymore so don't ask me again. Why
don't people understand that? Brian was getting far too close to the point
of why I was depressed. I saw Nick's dancing and realised that it would be
my escape route if all goes well. Brian's attention seemed to focus straight
on Nick when I said it.

"Hey, look who it is" AJ tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the door.
My heart almost jumped from my body and I had trouble lifting my jaw from
the floor.

"Is that..."

"Ricky!" AJ called out and he turned his attention over to us. It was Ricky,
our ever so great, and attractive tour manager. He was coming over to me. I
could feel a rise in my pants. I turned my attention away as if I hadn't
noticed him, maybe he wouldn't notice me.

"Hey Howie" Damn! He put his hand on my shoulder and I turned around. I
nearly crumbled under his touch. It was so warm, so soft. I wanted to be
next to him. But I couldn't. Not in this straight bar.

"Hey Ricky" His smile was perfect. His blonde hair. The way it dropped just
in front of his eyes. I wanted to reach out and brush it away from his eyes
but I couldn't. Not with everyone watching.

"What brings you here?" AJ had decided to leave us alone now. Thanks AJ!
First he brings him over and then walks off for me to live through this
unbearable infatuation on my own.

"AJ arranged a night out for us" I managed to say in between staring into
his deep blue eyes and going into my own little obsession world.

"I wanted to talk about the other week" I knew he'd bring that up! The
nerve! Just because he has no friends around, he thinks he can try and
embarrass me in front of mine!

"What about it?"

"The kiss? You remember?" Of course I remember! How the hell could I forget
it?! It's been in my dreams every night!

"Yea, I remember it"

"Well I heard you were coming to the club and had to kinda follow you. I'm
not like a stalker or anything but I wanted to know if you really felt
anything?" How am I supposed to answer that?!

Narrators P.O.V

Howie looked at Ricky. He didn't know what to say or what to do. He sat
frozen for a few minutes before getting up and walking away from him. He
walked over to Brian who was trying to pull Nick away from this girl.

"What do you want?!" Nick yelled as he pushed Brian to one side.

"Nothing!" Brian yelled back as he got up and walked out of the club and
back to the car. Kevin followed him and got into the same car making sure
that Howie, AJ and Nick could take the other car.

"Nick!" Howie called as Nick walked out of the club and back to the car.
Soon enough all of the guys were back at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Brian was
sitting in his room crying. Kevin had his arm around his cousin and was
trying to find out what was wrong. Nick, Howie and AJ walked into the room
and sat down on the bed.

"Nick, I think you have some apologising to do" Kevin said as Nick looked at
Brian.

"I only pushed him"

"It wasn't that" Brian said between tears.

"What was it then?"

"Nothing" Brian realised his mistake. He saw his jacket draped over the
chair and walked over to it. He quickly took it up and threw it into the
wardrobe.

"Brian something's wrong. In fact, I'm going to treat you two like we did
when you were younger. Tonight you're going to be sharing this room and
neither of you are leaving." Kevin got up and walked out with Howie and AJ
following closely. He pulled the door shut and locked it from the outside.
Each of the boys went to their separate rooms. Howie lay on his bed looking
up at the ceiling and wondering what was going to happen from now on. He
heard something moving outside his door and then saw a piece of paper slide
underneath. He got up and picked up the piece of paper.

"If you really meant it, then come to room 112 at midnight" Howie sat down
on his bed and looked at the paper. Did he really want to go through with
the act? Was he sure he was gay? What happens if the guys find out?