Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 22:42:30 EST
From: RinSong@aol.com
Subject: Reunion Part 6

Disclaimer: This story is a work of pure fiction.  It is in no way meant to
show that he members of 98 Degrees are homosexual.  This is just a piece
that I have had running around my head for a couple of weeks.

Rating: PG

I love all of the feedback that you guys are sending!  Keep it coming.

Sorry about the delay between stories.  My modem and Cd-rom drive decided
to go south on me.  I was just able to get them both repaired.  I know,
this is a short one, but reality kicked while I was down and made me take a
break from my writing.  I should have more for all of you in a couple more
days.  Bear with me. :)

Oh, and one quick note <> these indicate private thoughts.

Anyway, enough of my yammering.  So, here it is.

Peace.
RinSong@aol.com



    Chapter 11

     Matt stayed away from the theater for the rest of the weekend.  He
tried not to think about what had happened but found it impossible. <Why
can't I just put things behind me?>

     He walked outside and noticed that he had neglected his garden for far
too long.  Going back into the house to change he heard the phone ringing.
"Hello?"

     "Hey you," Laura's voice came from the other end of the phone.
"What's up?"

     "Not much, sweets, yourself," Matt asked.  He hoped that he didn't
sound as falsely cheerful as he thought he did.

     "Well, now that you mention it.  There is something up with me...and
you."

     "Oh really?  What, don't tell me...you are pregnant with my
love-child?  Damn!  I knew that we should have used a condom!"

     "Stop it, Matt!  I am trying to be serious here and you are turning it
into a joke.  I just got off of the phone with Drew."

     <Oh God, here we go.  I should have known that he would call her and
rail about me.> "Oh?"

     "'Oh?'  Is that all you have to say?  Son of a bitch, Matt!  Nick came
in there hoping to at least get a conversation out of you and you won't
even allow him to say anything."

     "Now wait just a minute there, Laura!  Let me guess, this is what Drew
told you.  Nick went in and tried to get him to talk but all he could do
was pick a fight?  Am I close or is that verbatim?"

     "Matt, stop it!  I didn't call you to fight.  Drew told me that you
looked just as upset by Nick's presence there as Nick was by finding you
working there.  He was worried that one of you would start a major fight.
He snapped at you trying to break the tension between the two of you and
hoping that it would lead to some sort of resolution."

     "Oh, I wasn't aware that Drew cared about Nick and I.  The last time I
knew, he hated the fact that I was in Nick's life.  He used to glare at me
constantly when we were out as a group.  Since when did he care about what
I wanted?  Oh, hold it.  He was trying to protect big brother wasn't he?
That's it.  Make me the bad guy so that Nick comes out smelling like a
rose.  I don't fucking think so!  Good bye Laura.  Don't ever bring up this
subject again.  If you do, I will hang up on you again."

     Matt slammed the phone onto the wall with almost enough force to break
it free from its support.  He stormed into his bedroom and collapsed onto
the bed.  Before his head even hit the mattress he was sobbing. <Oh, God!
Why does it feel like this all over again?  Why won't the pain ever go
away?>

                          ************

     It was night by the time that Matt came out of the bedroom.  His head
hurt like hell and he could barely see, much less breathe. <That will teach
me to cry like a baby for hours on end.> Heading into the bathroom, he
stripped off his clothing as he walked.  Once in there, he lit some candles
and turned on the faucet to the hottest that he could stand.

     When he had left Ohio and came home, he had emptied out the savings
account that he had out there.  He had put the checks that Steven had paid
him, without the band's knowledge.  Steven had told him that the guys would
have thrown a fit if they found out that he was on the payroll.  Matt had
laughed and agreed.  Nick had told him that he didn't have to work.  He
could support the two of them and Matt had agreed.

     But, he found life at home with no job to be boring.  So, he had
approached Steven and asked if there was anything he could do to help out.
So, Steven hired him and they worked to together in private.  His checks
went right into a savings account.  He figured on putting the money, little
by little, back into the joint account that he and Nick shared.

     Well, he had never gotten around to it and by the time he had left and
come home, he had almost $500,000 in the account.  He went to the bank and
had it transferred to the joint account he had back home with his mother.
Then, he drove home.  Using almost $100,000 of the money, he had bought a
house out in Chesterfield.  He like the neighborhood he lived in.  One of
the first things that he had noticed was that there were quite a few gay
couples here and more than enough gay-friendly people here as well.

     The house was not small but, it wasn't huge.  To Matt, it was just
right.  He had immediately started on a garden.  Then from there he had the
master bedroom and master bath remodeled.  The rest of the house was fine.
He was never as happy with the bathroom as he was right now.

     Climbing into the sunken tub and letting the water wash over his
shoulders he luxuriated in the warmth.  There was not light except for the
candles spread around the room.  That was one luxury that he had never
lost.  As many candles in the bathroom as you can get.  Nick had learned
that one really quick!

     <Damn it!  Why does that man have to keep popping into my head?>

     Matt leaned back against the back of the tub and did not move for
almost an hour.  One of the features he had added to the tug was a built in
heater.  Which he used to its full use.  He was beginning to fade away into
a peaceful bliss when the phone rang.

     He had learned a long time ago to take the phone into the bathroom
with him.  So, reaching over, he put down the glass of wine he had been
nursing and picked up the cordless and answered with a soft "Hello?"

     "I'm sorry, honey," Laura's voice came over the line.  "I shouldn't
have gone off like that."

     "No, don't be sorry.  After all, I am the one that hung up on you not
vice versa," Matt told her, laughing softly.  "I was being a bitter bitch
and feeling sorry for myself.  So, what did Drew say?"

     "Well, he told me that he had never seen either of you that tense.
That was why he did what he did.  He knew that you would go off on him and
he was hoping that Nick would jump to your aid.  Apparently, it didn't
work," Laura told him.  She sounded somewhat disappointed.  "I miss you.
You need to come out here."

     "I can't Laura.  Not with you and Drew in a relationship.  That would
be to compromising."

     "No it wouldn't.  They are still on tour for another month.  Fly out
and spend the weekend with me.  Please?"

     "I can't.  Anyway, so, are you guys talking marriage yet?"

     "Matt!  No, we haven't even gotten much further than the 'fuck me
anywhere sex' yet.  How are we going to talk about marriage when we are
still acting like two high school kids getting it any chance we have?"

     Matt laughed at this and shook his head.  He didn't have a hard time
picturing Drew lifting Laura up onto the kitchen counter and taking her
then and there.  "But, isn't that countertop a bit hard for that?"

     "Fuck you," Laura said with a laugh.  "And, no, for your information,
it isn't."

     "Argh!  I didn't need to hear that!"

     Matt and Laura talked for another hour or so and then decided to call
it a night.  After hanning up the phone, Matt got out of the tub and
dressed in a pair of boxers and a t-shirt.  Carrying his now empty wine
glass into the kitchen, he grabbed the open bottle from the fridge and put
it into a wine cooler filled with ice.  He headed back into the bedroom
with his burden and sat down in the bay windowseat and stared out at the
night sky.

     "Oh, Nick.  I love you so much.  Why was I ever so stupid not to
realize how much you loved me?"

                           Chapter 12

     Karen called on Sunday and told Matt that she wanted him to take the
week off.  "I don't want any arguments from you," Karen said, her tone
making it clear that she would not accept any arguments.  "You need the
time and you can afford it.  I know that much.  So, take the time and enjoy
it."

     "All right," Matt sighed, giving in without so much as a denial.  "I
could do with some cleaning around here.  Thanks Karen.  I owe you."

     "Don't mention it Matt.  Take care."

     Matt hung up the phone and went for his jacket.  The temp was almost
average for this time of year today.  It had been in the lower seventies
and upper sixties for the most part but today it was a bit chilly.  Matt
grabbed his jacket out of the hall closet and headed out the front door and
climbed into his car. <All right, a quick run to Target and then back here
to clean.>

     Unfortunately, he didn't get home as soon as he expected.  After
finishing up at Target, Matt pulled onto Brentwood Blvd and headed for the
Galleria.  It was one of the better malls in the St Louis area.  Plenty of
original stores and all of the old reliable ones to boot. <I could use some
new clothes.  I haven't bought anything for myself in quite a while.>

     Matt found a parking space fairly quickly.  He was walking into the
building thinking to himself that his week was already starting to improve.

                        ****************

     Nick was walking around Marc Shale's mens area and idly glancing at
the clothes on the racks.  Drew, on the other hand, had both arms full and
was grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.  Jeff and Justin were out in
the mall looking for anything and everything they could get their hands on.
Nick saw a shirt that caught his eye and picked it up. <Matt would look
good in this....Oh, man, why do I do this to myself?>

     Placing the shirt back on the rack Nick turned to his brother.  "Yo,
Drew, I am going to go look for Jeff and Justin.  Catchy ya later."

     "What?  Oh, all right, see ya," Drew said, not even looking up from
the shirts he was examining.

     Nick laughed to himself and walked out of the store.  He stopped at
the Mrs. Fields cookie shop long enough to buy a soda.  He was headed for
the Disney store, certain that Jeff and Justin would be there when he froze
in he tracks. <Matt!  What is he doing with the guys?>