Wow, where to begin with all of this. First off, I want to apologize to everyone that wrote me and I didn't get back to them. I had decided to stop writing this story because, well, frankly, I couldn't think of where to go with the plot. I kept getting e-mails on when the next installment was going to come out, and I wasn't sure if there was even going to be another one. But, as you can see if I have written something now, and I hope that it was worth the wait. I hope you guys enjoy it, and let me know what you think about it. I really want to hear it.
Anyway, I'm not going to prattle on, but I should mention all the crap that goes along with all these stories. It's a complete work of fiction, the characters are figments of my imagination. If you're under 18, you shouldn't be here, yadda, yadda...on with the show.
Chapter 4
"So, Brian," Jim began, "what brings you and Mike to this neck of the woods?"
Realizing that the question had come from Mike's dad and not his mother, Brian tried to quickly regain his composure. The last thing he needed now was for Jim to pick up on what Mike's mom already had. He managed to blurt out, "Ohh, well, Mike promised to take me gliding today, but things didn't work out. Since, we were already in the area, we decided to head on over here."
"Oh, so what you're saying, is that my son never had any intention of stopping in to see his parents even though he was going to be nearby?"
"No, no, I didn't mean for it to sound like that..."Brian started, but was fortunately interrupted by Mike who was now making his was over to the table.
"Don't listen to my dad Bri, he's just trying to lay on a guilt trip."
"Is it working?" Jim asked.
"Not really," Mike replied with a smile.
"Can't blame a father for trying can you?" he asked looking over at Brian.
Brian tried to force a smile and replied, "sure can't." When he turned and looked at Mike, he noticed that he was now studying him. He was getting the definite impression that Mike had picked up on his sudden mood change. Luckily, he was letting it slide.
Mike turned and faced his mother, who was still watching Brian. Brian noticed he was about to say something and then turned and faced him again. He looked between the two and then Brian watched as a look of understanding crossed his features. Suddenly Mike's hand was resting on his arm and he said, "Hey, Brian. How about I show you a quick tour of the house?"
Brian was a little surprised by his question, but felt relieved that he would be removed from the uncomfortable situation, at least temporarily. "Sure," he agreed, "that sounds good."
"Okay," and with that the two stood and walked into the house. Once the door had closed Brian felt Mike's arms wrap around him. Brian returned the gesture and the two remained standing there for a minute without a word passing between them. Finally Mike spoke, "My mom figured it out didn't she?"
"Yeah," Brian replied solemnly. "She noticed how I was looking at you. I'm so sorry, Mike, I never meant for this to happen. I can go if you want, I'd understand."
Mike started rubbing his hands up and down Brian's back in an effort to reassure him and then replied, "No, I don't want you to do that. I told you they wouldn't say anything and they won't. Just relax, I promise everything will be okay."
"I'm sorry, Mike. I really am."
"I'm not, so don't worry about it. I was going to tell them soon anyway, so forget about it." Mike broke their embrace and looked into Brian's eyes. "You do realize though, that now you're going to have to be on your best behavior," he said with a smile forming on his face.
"Why?"
"Well, now my mom's going to be scoping you out to see if you'd make a good boyfriend for me."
Brian was forced to smile at that comment. "Thanks for adding a little pressure for me there, Mike."
"Hey, don't blame me, Bri. You're the one that let the cat out of the bag."
The words hit Brian with a large force. Not only did Mike think he was to blame for his mom figuring it out, but he was also throwing it in his face. He turned and began heading for the door, realizing that he no longer wanted to be in this situation.
As he was approaching the main hallway, he felt a hand grab onto his arm and Brian was being spun around to face Mike. "Hey, what are you doing Brian? I was only joking with you, you know. Come here," he said as he forced Brian into another comforting hug. "I'm not upset at you if that's what you think. I told you I was probably going to talk to them really soon anyway, so don't worry about it."
"I can't help but feel guilty, Mike. If the situations were reversed and we were at my parents place, I wouldn't be taking this so calmly."
"Well then, I guess I'm glad we're not at your parents place. Look, I know my parents, and they'll be cool about it. Just be yourself and everything will be fine, I promise."
"Really?"
"Really. Trust me, I know my parents. My mom's probably just filled in my father and when we go back out there they will be acting as if nothing's changed." Brian felt his heart sink now knowing that his father would know too. "Don't be surprised though, when they start asking you some more personal questions, because they're going to want to know about you."
"Great," Brian said allowed. "I guess I should tell them I'm in the band, huh?"
"That's probably a good idea, since they're bound to find out sooner or later."
"Alright."
"You ready to go back out there?"
"Yeah."
The two started heading back to the door to the porch and before it was opened, Mike threw in, "I'll be right beside you, don't worry." Brian felt himself smile, and then the two walked outside.
Both Jim and Carol looked up from their conversation to see the two boys walk out of the house. Brian felt like he was suddenly at a Spanish Inquisition, as both pairs of eyes seemed to be studying him. After they'd sat down at the table, Jim decided to break the silence by asking, "So did you get the full tour?"
"Ah, yeah," Brian replied sheepishly, "You have a beautiful house."
"Thank you," Carol responded. "So tell me, what is it that you do, Brian? Are you still in school?"
Brian could see a smile forming on Mike's face and he suppressed the urge to form one of his own. He instead, answered the question. "No, I'm in a band actually. I'm a member of the Backstreet Boys."
"The Backstreet Boys? That name sounds kind of familiar. Is there any way I would have heard of you before?" Carol asked.
"Mom, you've probably heard them on the radio a hundred times. You know that really catchy song, `I Want It My Way' or something that's always on the radio." By Carol's action, Brian could tell she was trying to place the tune without much avail. "Hey, maybe it would help if Bri sang a little bit for you," Mike offered turning to Brian with a large smile on his face. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
Brian just glared back at Mike, obviously conveying his discomfort at being asked to perform in front of his parents. Mike just shrugged as if he had no idea why Brian might feel that way and then waited patiently for Brian to begin. Swallowing his fear, Brian began to sing out a couple of lines from the song.
When he was finished, he looked over at Carol and noticed that she had in fact recognized the lyrics. "God, I hear that song on the radio everyday. I never really paid much attention to it, but," Carol paused before continuing, "wow, you have a beautiful voice."
"Thank you," Brian responded to the compliment, his face turning a deep crimson.
"Yeah, you do have a great voice, Brian," Jim threw in his two cents. "Hey, maybe you could throw in a few pointers to Mike. You should hear him in the shower, it could make the paint peel off the walls."
"Hey shut up, over there dad. My voice isn't that bad."
"I love you Sweetie, but I'd have to agree with your father on this one. Your voice could shatter glass, and I don't mean that in a good way."
"Thanks mom," Mike said, turning his attention back to Brian. "Can you understand why I never come home and visit my parents now?"
"Well Mike, I'd have to admit I trust your parents judgement, and uhh, remind me not to be around when you take a shower," Brian said with a large smile on his face.
"Smart move, Brian," Jim commented.
"Great, three against one. Well, I hope you all realize I have no other choice but to do this now," Mike started before singing some horrible tune for the people gathered. I won't get into details, but the words "Rudolph" and "reindeer" were used, and it wasn't pretty. When it was over, Jim was the first to break the blissful peace and quiet.
"I think I speak for everyone hear when I say, please don't EVER do that again, Mike," he said with a smile on his face. "That was awful."
The other two just nodded their agreement.
"Just remember where I got my singing genes from, DAD," Mike retaliated.
"So, Brian, do you live here? Or are you just up here for a concert, then?" Carol asked, changing the subject back to Brian.
"Actually, I live in Orlando. I'm just up here for some promotions and then I've got to get back."
"Then how did you meet, Mike?"
"I'm a guest at his hotel. He was delivering a fax to my room, and we got to talking."
"How long are you here for?"
"A few more days, and then I have to fly back."
"Ohh, that's too bad. But, I guess you're fairly busy with your concerts and song recording. You must not have much time for a social life."
If Brian didn't know any better, he could have sworn that Carol was trying to uncover his intentions towards her son. "I'm not going to lie, there are times when work is a little overwhelming, and I don't get much of a social life. But when there's a break in our schedule, I make the most of my time off. We usually give ourselves two or three months off a year from doing anything music related."
"But during the other months, I'm assuming you get pretty involved in work."
Now Brian was sure she was inquiring as to his intentions with Mike. "Yeah, sometimes my social life gets a little neglected during the other months, but we get plenty of opportunities to live our lives. The phone plays a large part, unfortunately, but friends and family are always welcome to come and visit when my schedule is too hectic for me to come to them."
"You must get the opportunity to meet a lot of people on the road," Jim stated, obviously changing the subject.
"Yeah, we do, but you learn to distance yourself a bit from people when you're on tour. You know that you're only going to be there for a couple of days max, and then it's off to the next venue."
"If you don't mind my asking, what was different about Michael that you decided you could become friends with him?"
"Mom, that's a little out of line," Mike said, trying to defend Brian from the attack.
"No, Mike, it's alright. Actually, when I got to talking with Mike, he was treating me like a normal person, something that doesn't happen too often now that the band has become successful. Even after he found out who I was, he didn't treat me any differently. I have to admit though, I don't think I've ever really met anyone quite like him."
"What's going to happen with you two when you have to go back to Florida?" Carol asked, prying just a little bit further.
"Ok, mom, that's getting a bit nosy," Mike started but was interrupted.
"Mike and I haven't really talked about it yet, but I know that I want to keep in contact. We can call each other, and both of us can come and visit when there are breaks in both of our schedules."
"I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but my son isn't exactly rich, and his school starts back up pretty soon."
"I'm aware of that, Carol, but we can work something out. I can help him out if he wants to come down and see me, and I know that I'll have a few opportunities to get away in the upcoming months."
"So, now you're looking at Michael like he's some sort of charity case?"
"That's not it at all, I just would like to see him when we get the chance."
"Whoa, whoa, let's stop so I can say something here," Mike interrupted the conversation that was beginning to heat up. Both Brian and Carol turned and faced him. "First off, mom, butt out, what I do with my life is my own business and you have no right to interfere. Secondly, Brian, before you start spewing out ideas on how we're going to keep in contact, maybe you and I should talk about it first, okay. I mean we've only just started seeing each other and we agreed to take things slow." When Mike saw the shocked expression come across Brian's face, he realized he had released a little too much information in front of his parents. He turned to face them and noticed that he had their undivided attention. `Well, it's now or never,' Mike thought to himself. "Bri, would you mind going in the house for a couple of minutes while I talk to my parents?"
"Uh, sure," Brian replied shyly.
"Thanks." Mike watched as Brian got up from the table and went into the house. He turned back to his parents and began to speak. "Remember when I came and talked to you about the possibility about me being gay when I was a kid?" Both Carol and Jim nodded their heads. "Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is, that I'm not gay, the bad news is that, well, I'm bisexual."
There was a silence at the table that lasted a few moments. Finally, it was Carol who spoke first. "Do you remember what your father and I said to you after you talked to us that night?" It was Mike's turn to nod his head. "Well, it's still true, Mike. We'll support you with whatever you do, your father and I already talked about it when you went inside with Brian."
"It just comes as a bit of a surprise to us, that's all. I mean you went out with Kelly for a while there, and we know you had really strong feelings for her," Jim said to explain his reaction to the news.
"I loved her dad, I'm not denying that. That's why I'm saying I'm not gay, I mean there have been quite a few girls I have been overly attracted to that weren't Kelly. But there's also guys, and I have to admit that Brian is one of them."
"Have you ever been involved with another man before?" Carol asked timidly.
"No, mom, I haven't. That's why I need to take things with Brian really slowly. I need to be careful so that I don't hurt him in case I come to the realization that I can't do this. I mean, it's hard getting over the stereotypical thing, and I want to be fair to him."
"Well, I'm glad your using your head through all this. I mean I've seen you before and you have a habit of following your heart and ignoring your head completely."
"Well, this is different, mom. I mean, not only do I have to be careful because of Brian's career, but neither of us have been able to tell the people around us what we really feel inside."
"What? You haven't told anyone else about your, umm, preferences."
"No, we kind of came out to each other last night at the hotel. This whole thing started up pretty fast, and I need to make sure we move slowly so that neither of us gets hurt. But, I have to tell you mom, that you were being really unfair to Brian earlier about what the two of us were going to do when he left."
"I know, Michael, and I'm sorry. I'd noticed how the two of you were looking at each other, and I just wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt."
"I appreciate it mom, but you have to realize that I am an adult now and you don't need to treat me like a little kid anymore. I am quite capable of handling the consequences from the decisions I make."
"He's right, Hun, you need to back off," Jim spoke up. "You can't keep trying to fight his fights."
"I know that, but I'm just not sure you know what you're getting yourself into. A long distance relationship is one thing, but having to be secretive is another."
"I've had the opportunity to think about it a bit mom, and I know it's going to be tough. I don't even know that it's going to work. But, I've seen something special in him that I've being trying to find for a while now and I'm not just going to let it go."
"Well, then there's nothing else you need to say, Mike. Your mother and I both love you and we'll support you with whatever decisions you make."
"Thanks, guys, that really means a lot to me, you know. I don't know what I would have done if I thought that you guys wouldn't be there for me," Mike said getting up from his chair. He walked over to his parents and gave them both a hug. "I love you both."
"We do, too, sweetie," Carol said. "Now get in there and make sure your boyfriend's alright."
Mike managed a small laugh and started off towards the door. Before he entered, he commented, "You know, it might take me a while to get used to people referring to Brian as my boyfriend."
"I'm sure it won't take you that long," Carol said smiling.
"No, me neither," Mike added before going into the house.
Mike found Brian sitting on the couch in the living room. He seemed to be in an almost trance like state as he stared out the window to the world outside. Mike walked over to him and sat down on the couch beside him. He placed his hand on his shoulder and commented, "Today's not exactly what I had in mind for the two of us."
"I'm sorry," was all Brian said.
"Don't be, I'm still glad that I got to spend it with you."
"You don't have a problem coming up with the mushy stuff, do you?" Brian inquired.
"It's a talent, what can I say?"
Silence filled the room again before Brian spoke what was on his mind. "How did they take it?"
"Like I told you they would. They told me they'd support me no matter what I do and they stressed how much they loved me. Then they told me to get in here and talk to my boyfriend."
"You mean they're okay with us?"
"My mom is a little concerned, mostly because we're getting into a long distance thing here."
"Is that why she was grilling me in the backyard."
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I talked to her about it and she apologized. She was just trying to look out for her son."
"I understand I guess. You should probably listen to her, you know."
"Hey, like I told my mom, I'm a big boy now and I can make my own decisions. I'm not backing away from something with you because there's a few miles between us."
"Yeah, but those miles can get pretty big."
"Well, then I guess we'll have some pretty hefty phone bills to pay," Mike joked trying to lighten the mood. He could tell it wasn't having much of an effect. "Listen Bri. I like you. You've got these incredible qualities in you that I've been looking to find for a while now. Now that I've got someone like you, I'm not prepared to just let you walk out that door."
"Do you mean that?"
"Yeah, I do."
Brian leaned in and kissed Mike firmly on the lips. At first Mike was a little surprised, but it didn't take him long to recover and then reciprocate. He opened his mouth and lashed his tongue around playfully to Brian. Brian eagerly opened his mouth and accepted it into his own. They continued for a few more minutes before Brian broke away.
"I don't want to walk out that door without you, Mike."
Mike smiled and wrapped his arms around Brian's shoulders. "I guess that means I'm stuck with ya then."
Brian elbowed Mike in the ribs and then muttered, "More like the other way around."
"Hey now, I don't mean to point any fingers, but who followed whom home?"
"It's not like I had much of a choice there. You practically handcuffed me to your car to get me here."
"I didn't see you complaining."
"You just wait until you're on my home turf. The guys are gonna have a field day with you."
"Do you see me shaking?" Mike held out his hand. "Nope, neither do I."
"You just wait."
The two sat around in the living room for a few more minutes, just sitting in each other's arms. Neither were in a rush to go back outside for the time being and they were enjoying their time together.
To Be Continued (Let's all pray it's a little sooner this time )