Hi again everyone! Here are chapters 11-14 of Escape. Again I want to thank all my loyal readers who e-mail me everytime I submit another section. You guys make me feel great each time I check my e-mail. Also, I want to just let you all know that JM e-mailed me to say he did like my story. It was a little thrill for me so I decided to share.
Here's the bad news. I leave for school on Friday and I don't know when I am going to be able to get the next section out. If I get it done before I move, it'll be in by Friday. If not, it probably won't be in until sometime next week.
Disclaimer time: This is fiction aka not real. I don't know if any of the people mentioned in this story are actually gay and if they are it's none of out business. This is just fantasy!
ENJOY!
ESCAPE
Chapter 11
Kevin rolled over and felt around for AJ. Through squinted eyes, he saw that AJ was gone. He groaned, remembering that AJ had an early appointment with Fatima. Kevin was off today and there was nothing he wanted to do more then sleep. Well, he would rather spend it with AJ, but that wasn't happening.
His mind was awake, despite the fact his body still wanted to sleep. Kevin sat up and looked around. The house was freezing. AJ must have the air conditioning set to Antartica again. That was one thing Kevin would never get used to. He loved to be warm. AJ loved to be cold.
Kevin climbed out of his warm cocoon of blankets and sprinted over to the drawers. He pulled on a pair of shorts and a sweater. He stretched and headed to the kitchen. First some coffee, then he would hit the gym for a bit. He needed to do some work on his abs.
Kevin had just begun sipping his coffee when Nick walked into the kitchen.
"I guess it's time to change your access code again isn't it Frack."
"Morning Kevin. It's 11:30. Did you just wake up?"
"Yeah, do you have a problem with that kiddo?"
"Nope. Wanna' go shopping or something? I need to go get some stuff before Allie gets here."
"What do you need to buy?" Nick blushed. "Well, a sofa for one. I haven't gotten one yet."
"Nick you moved in a year and a half ago. What have you been sitting on all this time?"
"Brian's sofa. But now that Shelley is living there, I can't spend as much time on his sofa. Or at his kitchen table."
"You don't have a kitchen table either." Nick shook his head. Kevin stared at him in disbelief. "How do you live Nick?"
"I dunno. I eat out a lot. Or I just eat on the floor in front of the Nintendo. Howie has me over at least once a week."
"Let me go shower and then we'll go. I swear Nick, what would you do without me?"
"Ask Brian to go with me."
Kevin stuck his tongue out at Nick and finished his coffee. "Go play Nintendo or something goofball. I'll be about 20 minutes."
"Do you think she'll like this one?" Nick asked Kevin for the millionth time. The sofa they were standing in front of was one of the most hideous things Kevin had ever seen. He shook his head.
"I think the first one you looked at was the best Nick. It was comfortable, attractive, and it fit your style. Get that one." Nick hesitated slightly.
"But do you think Allie will like it? I don't want her to hate our home."
"Nick, she's just visiting for a few weeks not moving in. Once you two get married, you can let her decide what she likes. For now, get what you like."
He nodded and told the salesman he wanted the first one he had looked at. The salesman added that to the kitchen set he had picked out earlier.
"Can I get the whole set actually? I don't have any chairs either." The salesman got a happy gleam in his eye.
"So you want the kitchen set, the sofa, the loveseat, and the two chairs."
"Yup. Can I have them delivered tomorrow?"
Nick finished with all the paperwork and went to collect Kevin who was napping on Nick's new sofa.
"So is it really comfortable Kev?"
"Yeah it is. Maybe we'll start spending all our time at your house now instead of mine and AJ's."
He and Nick walked out of the store and headed to the car.
"Kevin, we need to go to a jewelry store as well." Nick blushed fiercely. "Ring time Nick?" He nodded. "Please come with me Kevin."
"Where are we going Nick?"
"The same store Howie went to. Apparently they are really good. Plus Howie called ahead and told them to get ready for us."
They sat quietly, listening to the CD Nick had in. "Who is this Nick?"
"A new band called Pete's Parakeet. Do you like them?"
"Not really. Can I turn it off? I kind of want to talk to you."
Nick flipped off the CD and kept driving.
"Nick, I never thanked you for what you did out in LA."
"You don't need to thank me. I only did what you have done for me a million times."
"No Nick. What you did was much more. You kept everyone calm and focused on the problem. You didn't let any of us get crazy. I never thought you had it in you Nick."
"I guess have finally gained a little maturity after all these years. Seriously though Kev, I didn't do anything that special. You and AJ mean a lot to me. I would have done anything for you two."
"Thanks Nick."
"Was that all you wanted to talk about?"
"No, not really."
"So what's on your mind Kevin. I'm here to listen."
Kevin was quiet for a moment.
"How did you know Allie was the one for you? I mean how can you be so sure?"
Nick shrugged and pulled into a parking space.
"Allie makes me feel whole. I guess that's the best way to describe it. I just know."
Kevin didn't say anything in response. Nick let him think for a moment before opening the car door and stepping out.
"Nick, will you help me look at rings too?" Kevin said quietly, keeping his head down as they walked. A huge smile broke out on Nick's face. "Of course I will Kevin."
AJ pulled his car into the driveway, groaning slightly. Fatima had worked him to death. She had decided to start with separate rehearsals this time to get the guys back into the groove of dancing. Today and tomorrow were AJ's lucky days. All he wanted to do now was take a hot bath and go to sleep. Kevin's car wasn't there, so he knew he was alone.
He turned the hot water on, letting the bathtub fill as he went back into the bedroom. He took off his sweaty clothes, leaving them in a pile in the middle of the floor. AJ flipped through the CD's by the bed, looking for something different. He finally gave up and grabbed a Chopin CD from his collection.
Relaxing in the hot water got AJ's tired mind even sleepier. He listened to the quiet piano music and thought about the events of the past two months.
It had been terrible to begin with, but now it was blissful being out. He had gotten so fed up with hiding all these years. And the horrible fear that someone from the past, from high school when he had been out, would re-appear and tell the world that he was gay. It was finally over.
Granted it had taken Kevin a lot longer to accept the fact that everyone who cared to know now knew that they were a couple, but he had finally accepted it and actually seemed to be enjoying the freedom as well. Last week they had gone grocery shopping and he had held AJ's hand. Just the simple action of holding each others hand in public was liberating. Four years of hiding had conditioned them to ignore each other in public. Now they didn't have to.
AJ smiled again, thinking about how much he loved that feeling. He would never get tired of it.
"Do you think she will like that one Kevin?"
Kevin groaned out loud. Never again would he shop with Nick for anything that might have something to do with Allie's opinion of it. He looked down at the ring and gasped.
"Nick, it's magnificent." The ring seemed to sparkle with a fire from within. It was a single diamond, surrounded by topaz's and garnets, set in platinum. Nick held the ring in his hand delicately, looking down at it.
"I think this is it. I know this is it Kevin." He set the ring down on the square of velvet he had picked it up from. "I want this ring." The salesman took Nick aside to try to tell him the price. Nick laughed.
"I don't care. This is the ring for Allie."
"But sir, this ring is $22,000. I believe it might be out of your price range."
"Yeah okay fine. My name is Nick Carter, as in Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. I believe a Howard Dorough called ahead and told someone I was coming in. I think I can afford to get this ring for my fiancée. Now would you please wrap it up for me. Thank you."
Properly chastised, the salesman went off to the back to wrap the ring. Nick returned to Kevin and watched as he looked at rings.
"Do you see any you like?" Kevin nodded and pointed to a simple silver band with diamonds around the outside.
"I think AJ would love it." Kevin looked at him hopefully. "Really?"
"Really. You could give him a Froot Loop as a ring and he would love it because it came from you. Plus he would have a snack whenever he got desperate or you did the shopping."
Kevin began to laugh at Nick, who joined in quickly.
"Don't ever change too much Nicky or else we won't be able to survive without your sense of humor."
"I wasn't planning on it."
The salesman returned to find Kevin tickling Nick, who was laughing uncontrollably. He cleared his throat and the two of them jumped apart.
"Can I help you gentleman with anything else?" Kevin nodded and stepped forward.
"I need to see that one." Kevin pointed to the ring and waited as he unlocked the case. When Kevin held it in his hand, he felt a spark of electricity from the ring. This was the ring for AJ.
"I'll take this one. And it needs to be sized to fit my pinky finger."
The salesman took the measurements of his finger and headed to the back again.
"Are you going to get married Kevin?"
"No, I don't want marriage, yet. I want to show the world he is mine and at the same time show him how much I love him and how much he means to me."
"Allie and I set a date when I was out there with her." Nick blushed fiercely again, turning beet red this time.
"When is it?"
"May 30, 2002. We haven't decided where though."
"Nick, that's great. I'm really happy for you."
"I have to set up a long break in the touring then, because there is no way I am not going on a kick-ass honeymoon with her."
"I'll help you out with that."
"Thanks Kevin."
AJ climbed out of the tub, feeling much more relaxed and much less sore. He wandered back into the bedroom and turned the air conditioning up. Kevin had a tendency to keep it too warm in the house.
Bored, AJ wandered around the house looking for something to do. He came across a pile of laundry Kevin had set aside to do that day. AJ had been forbidden to do laundry a long time ago, but he figured what the hell, it'll help Kevin out. He did help AJ with the grocery shopping last week.
He picked up the pile of clothes and the cordless phone. He dialed up Howie's house as he walked down the stairs into the basement.
"Hello?"
"Hey Ameena, it's AJ."
"What's up AJ?"
"I kind of need your help with something."
"Do I have to get up and move, because if I do, I swear I will throw up everywhere again."
"Nope, no moving required."
"Okay then shoot."
"Can you talk me through how to do laundry without shrinking everything?"
Ameena burst out laughing, unable to stop as AJ got annoyed at her. She finally stopped and took a deep breath.
"Okay, start by separating the clothes in similar colors. Keep the whites separate. Also try to keep anything that is permanent press separate as well."
"What's permanent press?"
"Anything delicate."
"Like silk boxers."
"Yeah like silk boxers. AJ can I just say this is really, really funny to be doing."
"Thanks Ameena. What do I do now that I have three separate piles?"
"Which is the largest?"
"Colors."
"Okay, do the colors first. Put them in the washing machine, turning any T-shirts that have designs on them inside out so they don't fade. When you are done that, check the level of clothes and set the washer on what you think is that level. Finally put the soap in and shut the lid. You might want to wash it on cold water as well to prevent shrinkage at all costs."
"Cool, I did it. So I won't shrink anything right. Kevin got really mad when I shrunk his favorite black sweater last time."
Ameena was quiet for a moment. "Well, call me back before you put everything in the dryer just to be sure."
"Thank you so much Ameena. I owe you one."
"Cool, I'll just add it to your list of hours owed in babysitting."
"You got it sweetheart. Talk to you later."
"Bye AJ."
AJ hung up the phone and walked back upstairs. Having actually accomplished something made him feel good. He walked into the kitchen, scratching his arm and yawning to himself.
Nick and Kevin stared at AJ as he walked in. He hadn't noticed them yet obviously or else he would have run out of the room. Kevin put his hand over Nick's eyes, shielding him from seeing AJ naked.
"AHH! What are you two doing here?"
"I live here and Nick went shopping with me today, so we came back here for a bit. Umm....AJ, babycakes, are you feeling a draft?"
AJ looked down, noticed he was naked, began to blush ferociously and ran out of the kitchen. Kevin shook his head, trying to keep himself from thinking about AJ being naked. He wasn't succeeding, so he left Nick in the kitchen and went upstairs.
AJ was sitting on the bed in his boxers, flipping through the latest issue of Rolling Stone.
"Not coming back down sexy?" AJ shook his head. "Nah, I'm embarrassed enough for one day. Figured I would hide out in the bedroom for a bit."
Kevin climbed on the bed behind him and started to rub his shoulders. AJ put the magazine aside and closed his eyes.
"How was your day with Fatima?"
AJ groaned loudly. "That woman will never change will she. She is a slavedriver. I am dreading tomorrow."
Kevin chuckled. "What are you laughing about old man? She's going to run you ragged when it's your turn."
"Nah, Fatima and I have an understanding. She knows I am the best dancer and all the rest of you need to be beaten into the ground. And me I just run through everything once and get it."
AJ swatted Kevin, who laughed at him again. "You are such a liar Kevin. Everyone knows that I am the best dancer. She just doesn't want to have to watch you dance that long."
Kevin kissed the back of his neck. "Who are we kidding? Howie's the best dancer. The rest of us suck."
AJ turned around and kissed Kevin softly. "Well you and I do." His hands began to run up and down Kevin's back.
"Is Nick still here?" Kevin nodded, still sucking on AJ's neck. AJ broke away from him and dialed the extension for the kitchen. Nick picked up.
"'Ello?"
"Go home Nick."
"Uh, sure AJ. Bye."
AJ returned to Kevin and continued to kiss him. "That wasn't nice AJ." "Don't care. I'll apologize later. I want to be loud."
AJ quickly pulled Kevin's clothing off, tossing them around the room. He worked his way down Kevin's body quickly, eager to get to his prize. Kevin just laid back and let AJ go to work.
He scraped his nails against Kevin's skin, causing him to twist underneath him. He grabbed Kevin's hard cock and engulfed the whole thing in one swift movement.
"AJ! Oh God!" Kevin jumped, only being held down by AJ's mouth on his cock. He couldn't believe how fast this was going. He pushed AJ's head down, grabbing him by the hair.
"Fuck me Alexander! I want you in me." AJ pulled off Kevin's cock and sat up. He lifted Kevin's legs slightly and pushed in. Kevin moaned as AJ entered his ass slowly at first. As soon as he was all the way in, AJ began to thrust hard, sending waves of pleasure through Kevin's body.
He ran his hands down Kevin's chest as he pumped his body. Kevin was breathing heavily and sweating. AJ licked his upper lip before plunging his tongue in Kevin's mouth.
They began to roll around in bed, never separating. Kevin dug his nails into AJ's back, leaving long red streaks on it. AJ bit Kevin's lip hard, causing him to moan louder. He began to thrust again as he felt himself approaching orgasm.
AJ yelled loudly as he came, filling Kevin's ass with cum. He leaned over and twisted Kevin's nipples hard. He pulled out of Kevin's ass and went down on his cock to finish him off.
Kevin could not hold back any longer as AJ lightly scraped his teeth against his sensitive cock. He exploded into AJ's mouth, shouting AJ's name. AJ kissed Kevin, sharing the cum with him, which Kevin eagerly accepted.
They lay back, still covered in sweat and cum. AJ began to stroke Kevin's soft cock. He looked into Kevin's eyes.
"Want to go again?"
Chapter 12
Kevin yawned out of boredom. He looked around the room and saw the other guys were all in the same state of boredom. Nick was wearing AJ's sunglasses to hide the fact he was fast asleep.
"So that is the plan for the appearance schedule once the album is finished."
"Great! We're done right?" Brian started to get out of his chair, but was immediately shot down by the shake of a head.
"We still have to talk about the tour. Someone wake Nick up so he can be a part of this conversation." Howie poked Nick in the side, causing him to jump.
"Yeah, great plan. I'm all for it." Nick mumbled trying to hide the fact he was asleep.
"Perfect. I haven't even explained anything yet, but Nick agrees to it. Try and stay awake for this okay Nick." Nick took off the sunglasses and rubbed his eyes.
"The tour starts in Europe where we are doing two months of concerts all over the continent. From there you guys are heading to Australia for a week of concerts. And then it's back to the US."
They all groaned. "Do we get any breaks?"
"Well, not until you get back to the US."
Howie jumped up, angry. "What? I have a wife and a baby on the way. You can't expect me to not see them for three months."
"It's not three months Howard. It's only two and a half months."
"It doesn't matter. You can't keep me away from my family."
"This will be discussed in the one-on-one, what you guys need sessions of this conference that will take place tomorrow."
Howie sat back down, fuming over this tour. Nick didn't even open his mouth, but he looked pleadingly at Kevin. Kevin just shrugged, not knowing what he could do yet.
"Now, we have one more issue to discuss and everyone here knows what that is. Kevin and AJ."
Both Kevin and AJ spun around to look at him. "What issue would you be talking about? I thought the issue of us was dropped a long time ago when we came out."
"It was, except that we have been inundated with request for interviews for just the two of you. It is time to discuss whether or not you do these interviews. I told Kevin about these request a while ago. He declined to discuss them with me, saying that it wouldn't be fair to the band."
Kevin dropped his head to the table. He had known that he and AJ had been asked to do interviews by themselves, but had chosen not to tell AJ about it. Damn Steve for bringing it up.
"What I want to know is what the rest of you think? I personally think it would be a very good idea to do some of the interviews. You two have a chance to bring gay relationships to the mainstream. Plus, you could clear up a lot of the misinformation out there about your relationship."
AJ just looked at Kevin, who hadn't moved his head from the table. The other three seemed uncertain about the question.
"Can I please talk to Kevin alone please?" AJ asked quietly. Everyone got up and left, including their manager, Steve, who was reluctantly dragged out by Brian.
Kevin didn't move.
"Kevin look at me." He turned his head to look at AJ. He was sitting facing Kevin with his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face.
"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Kevin didn't answer. AJ sighed loudly. "I thought we agreed to tell each other what was going on so we didn't have the problems we had before this time."
"We did. I just wanted some semblance of a normal life. I didn't want us plastered all over magazines and TV."
"Kevin we already are all over TV and magazines. We're in the Backstreet Boys for Christ's sake." AJ was getting mad at Kevin.
"I know. Do you want to do some of the interviews AJ? I will if you want to."
"Yeah I do. I would like some good to come of this situation. Besides Steve is right. There are a lot of mistakes out there regarding our relationship. Let's set them straight."
"Are you still mad at me AJ?" Kevin sat up and gave him his `I'm sorry' face. AJ tried to look mad, but couldn't help but laughing.
"I hate it when you use that face Kevin. I can't stay mad at you." He pulled Kevin in for a hug, wrapping his arms around him. Kevin buried his face in AJ's stomach and held tight.
"We should let the other guys back in now." Kevin shook his head and continued to hold AJ tightly around the waist. "Come on Kevin. Let go." Kevin reluctantly released AJ, who walked over and let everyone back in.
They all sat down with solemn looks on their faces, expecting Kevin and AJ to still be fighting. AJ took Kevin's hand in his and looked at all of them.
"If it's okay with you guys, we want to do a few interviews."
"That's fine with us AJ. We will be there for you if you want us."
Steve cleared his throat. "Good, we have a few suggestions for interviews for you two to accept." Kevin cut him off right away. "No, we will pick the interviews." Steve opened his mouth to object, but decided against it. Kevin could be very stubborn when he wanted to be and Steve sensed this was one of those times.
"That's fine. You and AJ look over this list and let me know. Now we have to talk about rooming arrangements. I realize as you guys get older and have steady relationships, you want separate rooms on this tour, so you are getting them. At least for Europe. The US might be tricky. You are moving around a lot more."
Everyone smiled. At least they had that luxury.
The meeting drug on and on as Steve found more ways to bore the guys. Nick had fallen asleep again during the discussion about what sound system to us.
"Okay, last issue for the tour. Who else are you touring with? You guys have a choice. 'N sync and Britney Spears or Christina Aguleria and Passion."
They all looked at each other quickly.
"Britney and 'N sync. We can actually stand being around them. The guys in Passion hate us with a passion." Nick answered for them, smiling at his little joke.
"Okay then. I'll let them know and you guys are done. Kevin and AJ will get back to me on those interviews right?"
Kevin nodded and stood up. "See you tomorrow Steve." They all filed out, feeling like they had been run over by MAC trucks.
"That was so boring today. Kevin how do you stand sitting through those meetings all the time?" Brian complained, rubbing his neck at the same time.
"I drink a lot of coffee during them and keep telling myself that it is worth it so we have some sort of say in our lives." Kevin held AJ's hand tightly as they all walked out of the building.
"So are we having a group meeting later at Nick's or not?" Howie stretched in the sun, enjoying the warmth after that long meeting in air conditioning.
Nick nodded. "Yeah. Should I call the 'N sync guys and Britney?"
"Isn't Britney living with Justin by now? They are engaged." Brian asked.
"I think so. But I really am not sure. So who wants to bet why she was paired with them instead of Christina." AJ poked Nick in the side. "That's not nice Nicky. She is a good performer in her own right, not just because she's Justin's girlfriend."
"Sorry. So should I call them to discuss the tour? Or do we want it to just be a night for us?"
Everyone turned to look at Kevin. He turned to look behind him, joking with them.
"Why do I have to decide?"
"Because your Kevin and it's your job." AJ kissed him and gave him a sweet smile.
"Well, how about we make tonight just us and our loved ones? We'll do the friendly tourmate thing sometime next week. I need time to prepare myself for Britney and her hyperness."
With that, they all climbed into their respective vehicles and took off.
AJ looked over the list of interviews Steve had given him.
"Kevin, which ones do you want to do?"
"I'd like to do Rolling Stone, just so I can say I have been on the cover once in my life. What do you want to do?"
AJ looked over the list. "The Advocate and Oprah. I think we can get the rest of the guys to do Oprah with us."
"Is Rosie on the list?" AJ nodded. "We should do her as well. Rosie has always been so good to us."
"Hey Time is on the list. Do you want to do Time Kevin?"
"What the hell. Let's do it AJ."
Kevin gripped the steering wheel tightly, barely seeing the road ahead of him. He did not want to do any of these interviews. He hated Steve for bringing them up after he told him to bury the topic. He knew AJ would want to do them, but he was sick and tired of having people look into his private life.
AJ glanced over at Kevin, who was silently driving. He noticed how tightly he was gripping the wheel. His knuckles were white.
"Do you want me to drive Kevin?" Kevin jumped slightly at the sound of AJ's voice.
"No I'm fine. We are almost home anyway." AJ let it drop, instead concentrating on the paperwork in his lap.
This had to be about the interviews. He just knew it. Kevin was going to fume over this for a long time, not telling him what was wrong, just letting it build up until he exploded. Maybe they shouldn't do the interviews. AJ pulled out his date book, looking over his schedule for the week.
"Shit!" AJ smacked his hand on his forehead. "What?"
"I have a meeting tonight. I'm going to be late for the meeting at Nick's."
"AA?"
"Yeah. I don't want to miss one."
AJ had decided to enter AA after the last time he got drunk at Marilyn's house. Since then he had been sober(at least as far as Kevin knew) and had been attending meetings once a week so he could keep his drinking under control. None of the other guys knew he was doing it and he had asked Kevin to keep it a secret from them.
"How are the meetings going?" Kevin took his hand again, squeezing reassuringly.
"They are okay. I feel a little weird each time I go, but I know it helps. I want to drink though. I'm scared of what is going to happen when we are on tour again."
"AJ, I promise that nothing will go wrong on the tour. I won't let anything happen to you." Kevin held his hand firmly, letting AJ know he meant it.
AJ was quiet for the rest of the car ride. They pulled into the driveway and climbed out.
"I'm going to call Nick and let him know that you are going to be late okay AJ."
AJ nodded and went up to the bedroom to take a nap. Kevin sighed and sat down in the living room. He knew he shouldn't do it, but he needed to talk to someone. Kevin pulled out his address book and flipped to the W's, looking for a cell phone number.
With a heavy heart, Kevin dialed the number, listening to the ringing.
"Hello, Reverend Manson speaking."
"Brian, it's Kevin. Can we talk?"
"Hold on for a second." Kevin could hear Marilyn whispering to someone nearby. What Kevin didn't hear was a slight click as AJ picked up the phone in the bedroom.
"What's up Boo?"
"I don't know. I just needed someone to talk to."
"I'm here to listen, well at least for another 10 minutes until I have to go onstage."
"Oh God, I'm sorry Brian. I didn't know you had a concert tonight. I can talk to you later."
"Boo, it's cool. I can talk for a bit. I'm getting make-up done anyway."
"AJ and I are doing interviews about us. I really don't want to Bri. I don't know how to tell him. He's really excited about it. I can't seem to say no to him right now considering all he is doing to keep our relationship together."
"You mean the AA?"
AJ wanted to scream at Kevin right then. He had promised not to tell anyone and he had told Marilyn.
"Yeah."
"Boo, just because he's doing that it doesn't mean you have to cater to his every whim. You are allowed to say no to him if you don't want to do something."
"But it is also a good idea. It will create great publicity for the group."
"Are you more worried about yourself or the success of the group? What do you want Kevin?"
"My life back." Kevin began to cry.
"Boo, don't cry. You have your life. It's just how you choose to let it rule you. Be in control of what your life is now and turn it into what you want."
"I bought him a ring Brian. I just haven't given it to him yet."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. I tried to talk to Nick about it, but he didn't help much. His love for Allie was so immediate and so true. I don't know what I want."
"Kevin do you love AJ?"
"Yes, with all my heart."
"Do you love him like you loved me?"
"That's not a fair question. Your two different people." Kevin protested the question.
AJ held his breath as he waited for Kevin's answer. He knew in his heart Kevin was going to say he loved Marilyn more. He knew that he was Kevin's second choice.
"Answer it anyway. Do you love AJ like you loved me?"
"No. I love him more then I ever loved you." AJ held back a surprised gasp.
"Good. Now do you know what to do?"
"Yes."
"Okay Boo. I hope I was a help. I have to go put on a show now. Tell Allie that her father and I love and miss her. Tell Nick to keep his hands off of her or else I'll rip his dick off. And make sure you use those words or else he won't believe it was me."
"Thank you Brian. Thank you for being you."
"Your welcome Boo, just don't let the whole world know I'm really a nice guy. I can keep my fans being gay, but a nice guy, no way."
He laughed and hung up the phone. Kevin hung up as well and smiled. He knew what he had to do.
AJ felt betrayed, holding a dead phone in his hand, knowing that his boyfriend had lied and told someone something so private. But he loved him more then he had ever loved Marilyn. And Marilyn had seemed to be Kevin's true love for so long. At least in AJ's eyes. He was so confused.
AJ hung up the phone and went into his closet. He checked the door and began to go through a bag on the ground. He pulled out a bottle of scotch and took a sip, letting the warmth flood his body. Suddenly everything seemed okay. He could deal with this. He took another long sip.
Kevin climbed the steps, positive of what he had to say and do now. He had to show AJ just how much he meant to him. He opened the bedroom door only to find AJ stuffing something into a bag, with a guilty expression on his face.
"AJ, what are you doing in the closet?"
"Looking for my wallet. I think I left it in my bag."
Kevin looked at the bed. Sitting in plain view was AJ's wallet. He picked it up.
"This wallet?"
AJ stared at Kevin's hand, knowing he had just been caught in a lie.
"Yeah, that wallet."
He sat Indian-style on the ground staring at his hands. Kevin stood by the bed, waiting for AJ to say something. Instead AJ just reached into the bag and held out a bottle of scotch to him.
"Please take this Kevin."
Shocked, Kevin walked over and took the liquor out of AJ's hands. He walked into the bathroom and poured it down the sink. He could hear AJ sobbing from the bedroom. Kevin's heart broke with each sob.
He walked back into the bedroom and gathered AJ into his arms, holding onto him tightly, rocking him as he cried. Softly, Kevin began to sing to AJ.
as the sun comes up, as the moon
goes down
these heavy notions creep around
it makes me think
long ago I was brought into
this life a little lamb
a little lamb
courageous, stumbling
fearless was my middle name.
but somewhere there I
lost my way
everyone walks the same
expecting me to step
the narrow path they've laid
they claim to
walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
hold my love me or leave me
high.
AJ continued to sob in Kevin's arms, listening to the words Kevin was singing.
say "keep within the boundaries if you want
to play."
say "contradiction only makes it harder."
how can I be
what I want to be?
when all I want to do is strip away
these stilled constraints
and crush this charade
shred this sad masquerade
I don't need no persuading
I'll trip, fall, pick myself up and
walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
hold my love me or leave me
high.
if I have a bag of rocks to carry as I go
I just want to hold my head up high
I don't care what I have to step over
I'm prepared to look you in the eye
look me in the eye
and if you see familiarity
then celebrate the contradiction
help me when I fall to
walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
hold my love me or leave me
high.
walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
hold me love me or leave me
high.*
Kevin held AJ tightly when he finished singing, tears streaming down his face as well. AJ buried his head in Kevin's shoulder, holding onto Kevin for dear life. He wasn't strong enough alone and that scared him.
"AJ, come on sweetie, stop crying. Shhh...I'm not mad at you. Everyone makes mistakes. It was just one time. Come on baby, talk to me."
"Kevin it wasn't just one time. I can't stop. I'm not strong enough. I need it. I need it. I can't deal without it."
AJ began to sob again. Kevin just did what he could, hold him tight and tell him he loved him. AJ calmed down a little and Kevin began again.
"AJ, you are strong enough. You are the strongest person I know. And I will be by your side every step of the way. I love you so much Alexander James McLean."
AJ sniffled loudly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
"You love me more then you loved Marilyn?"
Kevin was taken aback. "What?" Had AJ listened to his whole conversation with Marilyn? Did he know about the ring and that Kevin had told about the AA?
"You told him you loved me more then you ever loved him. Is it true or were you just saying what he wanted you to say?"
Kevin took AJ's face in his hands and stared directly into his eyes.
"I have never loved anyone like I love you. You are my heart and my soul. You complete me. You are stuck with me because I plan to love you until we are old and gray."
AJ began to sob again. Kevin wiped the tears away with his thumbs.
"We are going to get through this AJ. It's just going to take some time. Have I ever broken a promise to you yet?"
AJ shook his head, trying to control his tears, thinking about the promise Kevin had so recently broken by telling Marilyn that AJ was an alcoholic.
"Okay, then we will tackle this problem together."
"But it's not your problem Kevin, it's my problem."
He put his finger on AJ's lips.
"No, it's our problem. I am not leaving you on this one."
Kevin and AJ sat on the floor in the bedroom for quite some time, just holding each other and crying.
"Come on baby. Let's go wash our faces. We have an AA meeting to get to."
Kevin helped AJ up and followed him into the bathroom. The phone began to ring, so he left AJ alone to get cleaned up to answer it.
"Hello?" Kevin's voice broke slightly, betraying the fact that he was still upset.
"Kevin, it's Nick. I just wanted to make sure everything was cool tonight. Allie is making her specialty but she won't tell me what it is so, say 7ish?"
"Actually AJ and I are going to be late. We have something very important to do. We will be there though."
"Okay Kevin. Try not to be too long though. We need you to clarify stuff for us since the rest of us slept through most of the meeting."
"We will be there when we are finished okay Nick. See you then."
"Bye Kevin."
AJ walked out of the bathroom looking a little better. His eyes were still puffy and red, but at least his face wasn't tearstained anymore.
"Kevin?"
"Yes honey?"
"When did you start listening to REM?"
Kevin chuckled and gave AJ a kiss on the cheek.
"After last years MTV Music Awards. Something about their performance touched me, so I began to listen to their music. Why do you ask?"
"I love that song."
"I know."
Chapter 13
"Nicky honey, would you please get me another bottle of gingerale?"
Allie hollered from the kitchen. Nick shrugged and walked down to the basement to the spare fridge. He grabbed another bottle of gingerale and walked upstairs. What was she doing with all this gingerale? This was the third bottle she'd gone through. He tried to walk through the kitchen doors, but was quickly pushed back with another promise of a surprise.
Nick returned to his new sofa and sat back down. He was trying to get this sofa to have a comfortable groove in it for him like Brian's did. He had just picked up his controller again when the doorbell rang.
"Nick, can you get that? I'm a little busy." Allie shouted to him. "Sure honey." He sighed as he got back up from the sofa and made his way to the door.
"Hey Howie. Hey Ameena." He gave both of them a hug.
"Bathroom?" Nick pointed to the one down the hall and Ameena quickly headed that way.
"She's in that constant peeing phase of pregnancy. At least she has seemed to have stopped throwing up everytime she moves." Howie smiled weakly.
"Hey only a few more months D. Then you get an infant in your lives."
There was another knock on the door and Howie opened it to let Brian and Shelley in the house.
"Hey Frack, what's that weird smell?" Nick shrugged.
"Allie's cooking. She won't tell me what it is though."
"Allie can cook?"
"I guess. If not we can always order out."
Ameena rejoined them. "So where's the food Nick? I am starving." They all followed him to the living room. Brian began to laugh.
"You got furniture Nick!"
"Yeah, Kevin and I went shopping a few weeks ago. I got a kitchen table too. What do you think?"
"Nice job. Kevin pick it out?"
"No I did. You don't have to be gay to be able to choose furniture."
They all settled into the furniture. Nick kicked Brian out of his spot so he wouldn't screw up all the hard work Nick had put into making it comfortable. He handed Ameena a bowl of pretzels, which she took happily.
"Nick, I have one question before we get too comfortable. Where are the dogs?" Shelley asked him nervously. Allie had brought Marilyn's dogs with her because there was no one at home to take care of them. Shelley wasn't that fond of Rasputin and Nostradomus.
"Out back. They decided to eat my Mortal Kombat game instead of dinner so they are banished." Shelley looked very relieved.
Allie joined them in the living room with a plate of sandwiches. She put them on the coffeetable and sat down on Nick's lap. They looked at her and then back at the sandwiches.
"Pizza will be here soon. Let's just say dinner didn't turn out right." She pouted slightly and then started to laugh. "It's my own fault. I never should have tried one of Twiggy's recipes without the hash in it."
"Where are Kevin and AJ? They are never late." Brian asked Nick quietly. "They are going to be late. When I called Kevin sounded a little upset and said they had to go somewhere first."
"Upset as in interrupted them during sex upset or actually upset over something important?" Brian said jokingly.
"Bad upset. I'm a little worried. Kevin is usually pretty good at hiding his emotions over the phone."
Kevin held AJ's hand tightly, feeling a little silly in his baseball cap. They were sitting in a small room in a local church surrounded by other people. No one was going to recognize him and AJ here, but AJ insisted on the slight disguises.
AJ took a deep breath and stood up, still holding Kevin's hand.
"My name is Alex and I'm an alcoholic."
"Hello Alex." The group smiled at him pleasantly, trying to make him feel comfortable.
"I guess I have known that I have a problem for some time now. I've always turned to alcohol when I was upset. About two months ago, I began to drink heavily again. It had tapered off for a while, but it began to pick up. We stayed at a friends house while on vacation and I got really drunk for the first three nights we were there. Kevin found me passed out each night. The third time left me with a hangover on what turned out to be the worst day of my life. I guess that was when I realized I had a problem, but I wasn't ready to face it yet. All I wanted to do was crawl back into the bottle that had become my life so everything would disappear. I didn't then, but about a week ago, I went out and bought a bottle of scotch. I finished it before I even pulled into the driveway of my house. So I bought another. And another. Today I opened up another bottle when I was feeling confused and upset. Kevin found me drinking and I broke down. I handed him the bottle and he poured it down the drain for me."
AJ sat back down, shaking from the emotion he had to suppress. He buried his head into Kevin's shoulder to hide the tears that were threatening to fall.
"Kevin are you an enabler?" A young man sitting near them asked Kevin out of the blue.
"I don't know what you mean by that." Kevin said confused.
"Do you let Alex off the hook when he drinks? Do you hide his drinking from others, covering for him when necessary?" He asked as unaccusingly as possible.
"I have done that in the past when it's needed. But if Alex's drinking got out, there would be a huge controversy. I was just protecting him."
"Stop protecting him. You have to let him fight this battle alone. You can support him, but you can't do it for him. Just watching the two of you, I can tell you love each other very much. You have to be strong enough to let Alex do this himself."
Kevin wanted to protest, but he knew that it was the truth. As much as he loved AJ, he couldn't do this for him.
"Alex, you need to begin to heal something in your past. Most people begin to drink to hide from something they aren't ready to face. A lot of times it is stress. What do you do for a living?"
AJ and Kevin exchanged glances.
"I'm a entertainer. I have been most of my life."
"How old are you now?"
"23."
"Is your career stressful?"
"Yeah, very. Sometimes, I feel like I am dying from the strain and no one seems to notice. That's when I tend to drink the most. I'm very good at hiding it though. I've done performances, interviews, photo shoots drunk off my ass. Usually no one can tell."
Kevin was shocked as AJ continued to talk. He had always known when AJ was drunk. Or so he thought. He had never known that AJ was drunk during performances. He was usually flawless.
Kevin slipped his hand away from AJ unconsciously. AJ turned to look and saw a bewildered expression on Kevin's face. AJ realized that he should have never said those things with Kevin sitting next to him. What had he done?
AJ attempted to focus on what was being said to him, but he couldn't hear anything. All he could see was Kevin's strange expression. He reached for Kevin's hand, but Kevin pulled it away before he could take it. Kevin turned to look at AJ, trying to figure out what he was feeling inside.
AJ took the opportunity and mouthed 'I'm sorry' to Kevin. A small, forced smile broke across Kevin's face and he took AJ's hand for the rest of the meeting.
They both sat quietly, participating when needed. When it was finished, they stood to leave.
"Excuse me Kevin and Alex, can I talk to you for a second?" They turned to see a young woman standing behind them.
"Actually we have to run." AJ began to walk away.
"AJ, please stop." He turned to look at her, knowing that she knew who he was. Kevin took her arm and pulled her aside. AJ followed them.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Obviously I know who you are. That's not why I am talking to you though. I want to help you AJ. My name is Jessica, but you can call me Jessie. I'm a ballet dancer, so I know the pressures of performing."
"Thank you Jessie, but I'm fine really."
"Are you going to be fine when you start to tour again and all your friends are out drinking and you have a water in your hand? When Kevin here drinks and you can't? Are you going to be fine then?"
AJ thought for a moment. He shook his head slowly. "No, probably not."
"That's what I am offering. An objective ear to listen to you when you are in trouble. Everyone in AA has a sponsor, I'm offering to be yours. Well, it'll be more of a joint thing because I haven't been sober that long. I need someone who understands my life as well. So what do you think AJ?"
"Are you going to be here next week?"
"Of course."
"Can we talk more then?"
"Yeah AJ. If you need me before then, here's my phone number." She took out a pen and wrote her number on the back of his hand.
"Thanks Jessie." Both he and Kevin shook her hand.
"It was nice to meet the both of you. I hope everything goes well for the two of you."
She walked away leaving Kevin and AJ alone.
"So how many others do you think recognized us?" Kevin said icily.
"Probably none. I like her Kev."
"She could be a psycho fan AJ. She sees her opportunity to get into your life and is jumping at it." Kevin was only partially joking. He and AJ walked out of the church to the car.
"Don't be such a jerk Kevin. I think that possibility is totally false."
Kevin shrugged. "I hope your right because I know you and you plan to take her up on the offer to be your sponsor. To be honest, I like her too." AJ smiled.
"We should probably get to Nick's house before all the food is gone."
"Are you sure you want to go AJ?"
AJ shook his head. "Not really, but we should go."
"Screw 'em. Didn't we say that we were going to stop taking care of them. I think we need to take care of each other tonight. It has been a very stressful day."
AJ nodded, agreeing with that statement. "Will you call them Kevin? I'm not up for the battle that will start."
"Sure sweet thang." AJ blushed at Kevin's silly nickname. He pushed Kevin up against the door of the car, kissing him passionately.
"Okay, time to breath. Let me call the guys and then we will have plenty of time for that, if we feel like it later." AJ nodded and climbed into the car, waiting for Kevin to call.
Everyone was laughing at a stupid joke Howie had made at Nick's expense when the phone rang.
"I'll get it. It might be my dad." Allie jumped up and dashed to the phone.
"Hello?" She said slightly breathlessly.
"Hi Allie, it's Kevin. Can I talk to one of the guys?"
"Which one?"
"Depends, whose in the best mood?"
"Brian. He's been giggling like a madman most of the night."
"Brian it is then. And send him somewhere private."
Allie covered the phone with her hand. She walked over to Brian.
"It's for you and go into the kitchen. It's private."
Brian looked confused, but followed her orders.
"Hello?"
"Brian, it's me."
"Hey cuz, where are you?"
"AJ and I aren't going to make it tonight."
"What do you mean you aren't going to make it Kevin? We need you. You and AJ can't bail on us now."
"Brian, it will all be explained at a later date, but for now, please just be understanding."
"If this is just because the two of you are too busy fucking and don't feel like putting clothes I am going to be really pissed when I see you tomorrow."
"Brian stop."
"Kev, if this is really important, I understand and I am behind you. I just want you to know that if it's not, I'm going to be mad."
"Brian it's really important."
"Okay, what should I tell everyone else?"
"Tell them that AJ is sick and we have to stay home."
"Kev, that's not going to work." Brian whined.
"Then think of something. Please Brian as your cousin and friend I am asking you to please take care of this for me."
"I will Kevin I promise. Give AJ a hug for me."
"Thank you so much Brian. You are the best cousin in the world."
"I know. Now go do whatever you have to do. Goodnight."
Brian walked back into the living room and hung the phone up. He rejoined everyone else and began to laugh and joke like nothing had changed.
"Who was on the phone Brian?" Nick asked perceptively.
"Kevin."
"Kevin? When are they getting here?"
"They aren't."
"What!?!" Howie turned to Brian, confused.
"AJ is sick."
"Bullshit Brian. What's really up?" Howie knew Brian was lying.
"I honestly don't know. Kevin called and said he and AJ couldn't come. He wouldn't explain, but he seemed upset and said he would explain at a later date. He asked me to cover for him and AJ."
Everyone exchanged glances.
"What is wrong? AJ has been skittish for the past few weeks, avoiding everyone. And his mood swings have been terrible. Kevin has gotten even more over-protective of AJ, jumping down everyone's throats whenever we try to find out what's wrong. What are they hiding?" Howie asked all of them questioningly.
Allie began to cough, choking slightly, causing everyone to look at her. She looked almost frightened by the question and sudden attention.
"What is it Allie?" Nick asked her.
She wrung her hands. "I am really not supposed to say, because Marilyn promised them I wouldn't, because he isn't even supposed to know and he didn't mean to tell me and dad, it just slipped out when we were all talking about his conversation with Kevin earlier in the day and then when he found out I was coming to stay with Nick, he made me promise not to say a word. I need to shut up now."
Nick rubbed her shoulders. "Just tell us Allie. I'm sure it's not that big of a deal."
She shook her head. "Kevin and AJ should tell you guys. It's not my place."
"Allie come on tell us." Howie was getting angry at her, which was making her more and more nervous.
Nick stepped in. "Stop Howie. She made a promise. If it is so important, Kevin and AJ will tell us. We don't need to scare it out of Allie."
Howie sat back down, still a little angry that she knew and they didn't.
"So anyone want to watch a movie?" Nick gave them a weak grin, trying to change the subject.
Chapter 14
Kevin stared intently at the camera, keeping his eyes off of AJ like he was told. They were positioned so Kevin was looking forwards and AJ was about two inches from Kevin's face.
This was their final set of photos for the Rolling Stone interview. This was also the final interview they were going to do without the guys.
"Kevin, look towards AJ only with your eyes." Kevin shifted his gaze to AJ's face, winking at him. AJ grinned. The photographer took a quick picture of that.
"I wasn't planning that one, but it looked good. Nice one guys. Now freeze."
They did as they were told and the photographer began to shoot. Kevin let his mind wander over the past few weeks. After they had left the AA meeting, they had gone home and had a long talk about their relationship, AJ's drinking, and Kevin's relationship with Marilyn. It hadn't been easy. There had been a lot of screaming and hurt feelings, but in the end, they worked it out.
AJ had made his feelings about Kevin clear. He made Kevin understand that he felt like he was still his second choice. Kevin refused to give up the friendship he had with Marilyn, but did agree to keep it much less hidden. They talked about whether they wanted to end their relationship, if that was the best thing to do for the two of them.
After a day locked in the house, avoiding each other, they decided they didn't want to lose what they had together. Jessie came over and helped the two of them talk about the drinking and what they needed to do to help AJ. She turned out to be a big help and AJ grew to like her more with each passing day.
Daily, they grew back together until they had reached a point where they knew they were going to be fine. Everyone else had been scared to death. After the phone call to Brian, no one had heard a word from the two of them. All the access codes to the house had been changed and they refused to answer the phone or door. So following a week and a half of seclusion, Kevin and AJ sat down with the rest of the guys and explained everything.
No one thought any less of AJ because of his drinking problem. They were more then supportive, even going to the extent of promising not to drink around him or bring any liquor into the hotel rooms. They were shocked at how close Kevin and AJ had come to breaking up. None of them had known that they were anywhere near that point.
"AJ lift your left hand and place it on Kevin's cheek like you are turning him towards you."
Kevin held in a smile as he saw the light catch on AJ's ring. He had given AJ the ring about a week ago and still got a fuzzy feeling whenever he saw it on AJ's finger. They hadn't decided whether it meant they were engaged or if they were just showing a strong commitment to each other.
"Okay you two, last shot. This one is on you. They want a cutsy kissing picture with passion. Think you guys can swing that?" The photographer had a smile on his face when he asked. He had been keeping AJ and Kevin from kissing all day.
"I think so."
AJ turned and sat on Kevin's lap, wrapping his arms around his neck. The photographer moved to the side to get the shot. AJ closed his eyes and moved towards Kevin. Their lips met and the photographer took the picture. They continued to kiss, tongues wrestling with each other. AJ ground his crotch against Kevin's, pulling him closer to him.
"Ahem." The photographer tried to politely break them apart. When they didn't budge, he said their names. No luck. He finally came over and pulled them apart.
"Oops. Sorry." AJ blushed and wiped his mouth.
"That's okay. I don't mind. Now, the interview is taking place in the next room in about twenty minutes. Food will be supplied during the interview, so you two are free to relax for a bit."
They got up and walked into the next room.
"I'm going to call Howie and see how Ameena is doing. I'm worried about her." AJ nodded and curled up on the couch.
Kevin dialed Howie's cell phone and sat next to AJ, who immediately used Kevin's lap as a pillow. Ameena had been having problems in the pregnancy over the past two weeks. She was put on bedrest last week. Howie had been home with her everyday. Management was getting really pissed about him missing all that studio time, so starting tomorrow, they would be recording in the small studio Howie had in his basement.
"Hello?"
"Hey Howie, it's Kev. Just wanted to see how Ameena is doing."
"Actually it's been a pretty stressful day. She has been having false contractions and is getting panicky. It's too early Kevin. She's barely seven months along."
"It'll be fine Howie. She'll make it the whole way. How are you doing?"
"I'm scared. I called Brian and asked him to come over to spend time with me. He should be here soon. Nick is taking Allie to the airport and then coming over after that. I'm so scared Kevin, but I have to be strong for her." Howie's voice was breaking and Kevin knew he was going to start crying soon.
"Shh...it'll be fine Howie. AJ and I will come over tonight too. We'll bring dinner and some movies. We'll all keep you and Ameena company."
"Thanks Kev. How's the shoot and interview going?"
"Weird. I can't wait to see these pictures. The interview is starting in a few minutes, then we are done. AJ's catching a little shut-eye right now. Long night. I guess I tired the poor boy out."
"Eww...Kevin. I don't need to know about that." Kevin grinned as he kept Howie's mind off of Ameena and the baby for a few moments.
"Like you didn't tell all of us when you got some Latin loverboy. Hell, all of you tell me and AJ when you get some."
"Hey it was always a miracle when one of us got some. You and AJ just fucked like bunnies for the first year or two. We had to brag when we could."
"You were just jealous D."
"Damn right I was."
They continued to joke back and forth for a few more minutes, until Kevin and AJ were joined by their interviewer. He hung up with Howie and woke up AJ.
"Sweetie, she's here. Time to wake up Sleeping Beauty." AJ stretched and pulled Kevin down for a quick kiss. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"How's Ameena?" Kevin's face fell at the question. "Not good. She's having false contractions, which is setting both her and Howie off. Brian is heading over there now and Nick is going after he drops Allie off at the airport."
"We are going over right after this interview." AJ was scared now.
"I know."
They both stood up and walked over to the young woman by the door. Kevin stuck his hand out.
"I'm Kevin Richardson, but I'm sure you know that already." She laughed and took his hand.
"Shera Wilson from Rolling Stone. It's nice to meet you both. Now we can do this wherever you want. If you guys are hungry, we can eat first or even during the interview if you want. I'm pretty flexible."
"You hungry AJ?" AJ nodded and headed over to the food.
"If it's okay Shera, we're going to do the interview while we eat. We really need to go to a friend's house as soon as possible after this."
Kevin took her arm and walked with her over to the food. They all filled up plates and sat down at the table to eat. She took out a small tape recorder and turned it on.
"You guys ready?" They nodded.
"Okay, interview with Kevin Richardson and AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys tape one. I want to start by saying that is a beautful ring AJ. Where did you get it?"
AJ blushed deeply. "Kevin gave it to me last week."
"Are there wedding bells in the near-future for you two?"
Kevin shook his head.
"We haven't really decided what the ring symbolizes yet in that sense. It is a commitment ring from me to AJ to show him how much he means to me and to show the rest of the world that he is mine. There might be a chance we do get married though." Kevin smiled knowingly at AJ.
"Only three months ago, this whole relationship was a well-kept secret. Tell me what went through your minds when you found out the whole world knew?"
"I broke down. I couldn't see anything but my future crumbling. I believed not only did I destroy mine and AJ's career, but our love for each other at the same time. I also thought I had destroyed Nick, Howie, and Brian's careers."
"I on the other hand, was relieved. Kevin saw all the bad things, I only saw the good, at first. I felt like I had been released from a cage I had been trapped in for so long. Slowly, I began to realize how much it was destroying Kevin and how much of a violation of our privacy this was. Then I got angry at the press especially."
"At the press conference, you both apologized for misleading your fans, but also stated that you didn't lie about anything. Care to explain that paradox for me?" AJ took a bite of his salad so he didn't have to answer this one.
"AJ and I never lied. We never said we were straight in any interview. When we were asked in interviews what our perfect woman would be or what we consider sexy in women, we told the truth. We may be gay, but we do find certain things about women sexy."
"What about the fact you both have been rumoured to have girlfriends, AJ in particular?"
"You mean Amanda?" AJ began to laugh when Shera nodded.
"Amanda is a friend of mine. She and I are very close. If we did give off the impression we were dating, that was only because the press said we were."
"What do the two of you have planned for the future?"
"More recording, more touring, and a lot of babysitting. We owe Howie and Ameena so many hours of baby-sitting that we are going to be watching their children until we die."
Kevin smiled and kissed AJ's cheek.
"Why do you owe so much baby-sitting time?"
"Well it turns out that we are both totally incompetant when it comes to fixing anything broken. Howie comes over to fix it for us. This is the way they want to be paid back for any favors."
"You both have been on tour with the Backstreet Boys for years. What was it like to finally have a long break? The last tour ended what six months ago right." Kevin nodded.
"Well, it was a shocker. We had a lot of problems adjusting to doing things for ourselves. It was also the first time Kevin and I had ever lived alone with each other. In the past Nick had always lived with us. I found out that Kevin can never go to the grocery store alone, even if it's just for milk."
"And I found out that AJ has no knowledge of how to do wash. He shrunk my favorite sweater the first and last time I let him do wash."
"Hey that's not true. I did wash a few weeks ago and didn't shrink a single thing."
"Yeah, but that's only because Ameena told you how to do it. And I ended up putting it all in the dryer anyway, which is where everything shrinks."
AJ stuck his tongue out at Kevin, causing Shera to laugh at them.
"You two sound like an old married couple."
"Well it will be five years in January. Jeez, your going to be old aren't you Kevin." AJ poked him laughing.
"Shut up freak. I'm only going to be thirty."
"Yeah, but I'm still younger."
"Tell me how you two fell in love."
"Well Kevin fell in love with me at 4 in the morning after we had just finished cleaning up Brian's puke again, so I guess I should be flattered somehow. I on the other hand, fell in love with Kevin the moment I saw him."
"Why didn't the two of you get together sooner then you did?"
"Timing mostly. I was in a relationship soon after we all met so I was unavailable."
"But Kevin had to break up with him when we got popular. It was really to save both of their careers. After that, Kevin was a holy terror for months. No one, including me, could stand to be around him for more then a few minutes."
"What happened to change that? You two can obviously be around each other for much longer now."
"A sudden realization that I was an asshole and driving away four of the people I care about most in the world. I resolved some issues with my ex and we decided to stay friends and not cut each other out of our lives. Oh and realizing I was in love with AJ helped too." Kevin smiled happily.
"Would this ex you speak of be Marilyn Manson?"
"Marilyn and I are friends only. He is a pain most of the time. I couldn't imagine dating him. I don't know how Mikel can stand him."
"How did the two of you end up together?"
Kevin and AJ looked at each other and smiled.
"It can all be blamed on Howie really. AJ had been confiding in Howie for years about his feelings. Well, I began to use Howie for that as well. He decided to play matchmaker."
"Howie arranged for a private beach in California. Then he kidnapped us and brought us there seperatly. We arrived finding only a blanket, a bottle of champagne and a note from Howie."
"It said: Just ask him already. You both are retarded for each other. Howie has a thing for the movie Mallrats." Kevin said as an explanation.
"We both sat on the blanket next to each other. Kevin leaned over and kissed me softly. I couldn't believe what was happening. This was my dream come true. The rest is history."
Shera smiled happily at the story. This interview was turning out quite well. Now for some of the tough questions she had to ask.
"Okay, I know you guys have done interviews before and answered these same questions a million times, but I do have to ask these."
"We understand Shera. Ask away."
"What are the plans for the group in the next year?" She rolled her eyes at the question making Kevin and AJ laugh.
"Well, the album will be finished by the end of November. I think a Christmas release is planned. The tour begins after New Years in France. We will be back in the USA around March 20th."
"Who are you touring with?"
"Oh I can answer this one Kev." AJ said happily. "'N sync and Britney Spears."
"What are the groups plans for the next few months before the tour and the album release?"
"Damn that's outta my league. That's a Kevin question."
"I know for sure that we are presenting at the MTV Video Music Awards on the 9th. After that, not much is planned. We are still taking it easy."
"Can you let us in on what the new album is like?"
"Actually I can't tell you much because I don't even know what it is like. We only have three tracks finished. This time, we wrote most of the songs, instead of having people write for us. I also produced one of the finished songs, which Nick wrote. And Brian is producing two of the songs in progress. We haven't been in the studio together all week though, so it's going slow."
Kevin snitched a fry from AJ's plate while he was answering Shera's question. AJ of course noticed and smacked the back of his head. Kevin handed the fry back to him. AJ smiled happily.
"Little piece of trivia for fans. It is impossible to eat off AJ's plate. He is such a hawk when it comes to food. One of these days I am going to succeed though." Kevin said rubbing the back of his head.
"And Kevin talks in his sleep."
"Hey shut up about that AJ." Kevin gave him a fake mad look. Shera began to laugh at them again.
"It's really cute though. I love to wake up and hear you mumbling."
Kevin leaned over and planted a kiss on AJ's lips.
"Do you guys fight?"
"Of course we do. What couple doesn't?"
"Who usually ends up sleeping on the couch?" She grinned.
"Howie, but he's used to it. We never go to bed angry with each other. Granted when we are really fighting, we don't get much sleep, but it's worth it. If you go to sleep angry, nothing will get resolved."
"If you could change anything about the past few months, what would it be?"
Both Kevin and AJ were silent for a moment.
"We wouldn't have gone to see Tori Amos that night. Both of us agree that it was a stupid mistake on our part. We were careless and we paid for it. We lost our privacy." AJ said seriously.
Kevin nodded.
"I only regret that. Well that and shopping for furniture with Nick." AJ laughed along with Kevin, having heard this story already.
"Why do you regret that Kevin?"
"Because he was so worried about whether Allison would like it or not he drove me completely nuts. Love'll do that to someone."
"Okay final question guys."
"Yay! Just kidding Shera."
"Are you happy?"
Neither of them said anything, thinking back over the course of their whole relationship, especially the past few months.
Kevin spoke first. "If you had asked me a few weeks ago, I may have said no. But now, I am the happiest I have been in years."
It was AJ's turn.
"Happiness is relative. I try not to let my happiness be based on circumstances and people. I'm in love. That's more important then being happy all the time."
Shera turned off the tape recorder.
"You guys are great to interview. So open and free. I had always heard the two of you were the toughest to interview out of all the Backstreet Boys. I guess that's because you had the most to hide."
"Well, it has been easier to do interviews since then. But you were also easy to talk to. A lot of people are itimidating and are just trying to get the dirt on all of us."
"Aww thanks guys." She gave them both hugs. "I guess I'll see you at the MTV awards next week."
"Your going to be there?"
"Yup, I'm covering it for Rolling Stone. And Warren, the guy who did the photos is going to be there too. How come you guys aren't performing this year?"
"Well, we were asked, but we decided that we would prefer to just present so we don't have to worry about getting a dance routine and a song together. If we were touring now like we have been every other year, it would be cool. But not this year."
"Understandable. Well, make sure to say hey when you see me okay. I'll send you a copy of the article in a few days. The pictures will take a little longer."
"Thanks Shera. We'll see you there."
AJ and Kevin left the room and headed to their car.
"Okay, over to Howie's."
AJ hopped behind the wheel and pulled away.
"Oh, I promised Howie we would bring dinner and some movies to keep everyone occupied."
"Pizza?"
"It's the easiest and everyone likes it. What movies?"
"Umm......how about The Sixth Sense and The Exorcist?"
"No, nothing scary AJ. How about something romantic?"
"Oh, how about Steel Magnolias then?"
"You are such a sap AJ."
"Hey that's a great movie."
"Fine Steel Magnolias, but I get to choose the other one."
"Great, let me take a wild guess. Raising Arizona."
"That's not romantic, but I like it. I haven't seen that movie in months."
"Just call and order the pizza so it will be ready when we get there."
Kevin dialed a local pizza joint and called in an order for 6 pizzas. They were going to be ready in twenty minutes so they stopped at the video store first. Kevin ended up renting Shakespeare in Love instead, knowing that Ameena loved that movie. That was the first movie she and Howie had seen together.
They picked up the pizzas and headed over to Howie's. The house seemed very quiet, so Kevin used his access code to get inside. Brian came running out of the living room.
"Thank god you two are finally here. I've been trying to call you for the last two hours."
"I had my phone off during the interview. What's wrong?"
"Ameena's water broke. We have to get to the hospital now!"
To be continued......
Okay, that's it. Hope it was worth waiting for. I want people's opinions here. I have two options. I can end this series soon, before the tour begins or I can continue the story during the tour and see how far it goes. That involves adding the characters of 'N sync and Britney Spears. I kind of want to do that, but I also want to keep the story original enough. So PLEASE tell me what you think. Thank you so much ahead of time. I'll let you know at the beginning of the next section.
Oh, if you want to contact me via AOL Instant Messenger my name is Zillah37. I would love to talk to some of my readers to bounce ideas off of them.
*The song Kevin sings is Walk Unafraid by REM. It was on their latest album UP. Check it out sometimes. It is one of the most incredible albums ever!