Marshall backed up his car, pushing the button for his power windows as he went. By the time he got back to where AJ was standing, his window was all the way down.

"Need a fucking lift somewhere?" Marshall asked impatiently.

AJ stood on the side of the road next to the car and opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to find his voice past the shock of who was staring out at him from the driver's side of the car and offering him a ride.

Marshall shot a glance down at his watch in the dark as if he could read it that way. "Well? I ain't got all goddamn night."

AJ still couldn't find his voice so he just nodded and walked around the front of the car, stubbing out his cigarette on the pavement then climbing in the passenger seat still in a state of shock.

"Where to?"

AJ turned to him, finally finding his voice. "Uh, back to the party would probably be the easiest thing. Kevin can give me a lift from there."

"Uh uh. I ain't goin' back there. The fucking cops are back there. Besides. I have no intention of pulling up in front of that party with a Backstreet bitch in my car."

AJ ignored the jab and asked, "What are you saying then? You want to take me all the way home? It's probably out of your way."

Marshall shrugged as he stuck the car back in drive and started off again toward the highway. Grudgingly he said, "Yeah, well, you were right about the cops. You saved my ass tonight. I guess I owe you at least that much."

AJ was silent for a moment, recognizing the statement for what it was…the closest thing he'd get to a thank you. "So, did you find anything in your car?"

Marshall snorted. "A whole fucking drug store. E, blow, some funky little pills that I've never even seen before…"

When he trailed off, AJ commented, "Damn."

"Yeah."

It was silent inside the vehicle for the next couple minutes.

When they got to the highway, Marshall asked, "North or South?"

"South."

Marshall got on the onramp headed south and the car was silent for a while longer, neither quite sure what to say to the other, both still trying to come to terms with the fact that they were in a car together.

After a few more minutes, the reality of what had almost happened started to sink in and Marshall's stomach started to burn with rage. He couldn't believe he'd come that close to almost loosing his daughter, the only person who kept him sane and made his life worth fucking living. All because of Kim. The fucking bitch who continually seemed to make his life a living hell.

AJ grabbed a hold of the car door on one side of him and the arm rest on the other side as Marshall suddenly cut across two lanes of traffic and swerved onto an exit ramp at full speed. "What the…"

"I've gotta get out of here." Marshall mumbled by way of explanation.

AJ misunderstood, thinking it had something to do with being trapped in a car with him. "Listen, it isn't any picnic for me being stuck with you in this car either but…"

He trailed off as Marshall found a spot on the side of the road to pull over at and swerved again, jerking the car to a stop and shoving it in park before pushing his door open and nearly jumping out the door.

AJ watched him for a minute from the passenger's seat. The older man was pacing and raving like a lunatic and AJ was starting to wonder if maybe he'd done some of those drugs he'd found in his car. Keeping his gaze fixed on him, AJ fished his cigarettes and lighter out of his pocket and lit up once again. He was nearly chain smoking tonight, but he didn't care. It took the edge off the craving for alcohol he was having right then.

He watched silently as Marshall continued to pace and rant. Although the words were muffled, he could hear his raised voice through the window and picked up a few words here and there, figuring out from what he could make out that his anger had nothing to do with being stuck in a car with him and everything to do with his ex and what she'd tried to do to him that night.

Suddenly Marshall turned in a circle as if looking for something. AJ watched him stop as his eyes lit on the car. He got a little nervous at the wild look in the other man's eyes, made all that more eerie by the moonlight playing off them as he stalked toward the car. AJ jumped in his seat as Marshall reached the vehicle and started slamming his fists into the hood and sides, cursing Kim out as he did.

AJ didn't know what to do as he sat and watched him beat out all his aggressions on his car, but he did know that he wished to hell he'd just stuck to walking. He'd be at the party by now and yeah, he'd have to put up with Kevin, but at least he'd be with someone slightly more sane than Marshall seemed to be at the moment.

Marshall was seeing red and had all but forgotten AJ was in the car as he slammed his fists into the unforgiving metal over and over. Somehow he ended up near the back of the car and rammed his fist into the glass of the back door window, shattering it. The sound of the breaking glass, along with the searing pain it shot through his hand cut through the haze of his rage.

His anger slowly started to dissipate somewhat and his curses died off, turning to silent tears as he thought about how he could have lost his daughter. With one final punch with the fist that hadn't gone through the window, he leaned heavily on the side of the car, trying to control his emotions, but failing. Slowly he slid down and landed backwards on his butt. Bending his legs, he rested his elbows on his knees and leaned his forehead against the palms of his hands.

AJ had seen Marshall's fist heading for the window of the back door right behind him out of the corner of his eye the instant before it happened, and had instinctively hunched over a little and covered his head with his hands. Cursing under his breath, he shook the stray pieces of glass from the back of his hands and hair, thinking once again he should have stuck to walking. Brushing more glass off the shoulder facing the door, he listened as it got quiet outside the car. Taking one last long drag off his cigarette to calm his nerves, he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and turned in his seat, looking back behind him out through the window, or rather the opening where the passenger side back door window had been. No Marshall. Where the hell had he gone?

Cautiously, he climbed out of his car and looked down, locating Marshall on the ground next to the back tire of the car, his face in his mangled hands. AJ looked at him for a second and hesitantly asked, "You ok?"

Marshall didn't answer at first, just sniffed, then finally shook his head and said, "I could have lost her. I could have lost my Hailie. The only person who means a damn thing to me in this entire world, and I almost lost her."

AJ swallowed, knowing in that instant that he'd definitely done the right thing in telling him, even if he had wound up with a sore jaw and glass in his hair because of it. Without stopping to think much about who he was offering the comfort to, he walked over and dropped down beside him, putting an arm around him. A minute too late he realized his actions might not be welcome but to his utter surprise, Marshall let him, even going so far as to lean into him a little.

In a quiet voice, AJ said, "But you didn't. You need to focus on that."

For a long minute neither spoke, then Marshall finally answered, "Yeah."

They sat there for a few minutes more before Marshall slowly became aware of his surroundings and stiffened next to AJ. Pulling away, he started to wipe at his face with the back of his hands, but found it just made his face wetter. Pulling his hands away, he cursed under his breath at the site of his bloody hand from where he'd sent it through the window, realizing that blood was probably all over his face now.

"Mother of fuck. I'll bet I've got blood all over my fucking face now."

AJ grabbed his chin and turned his head toward him to see, another impulse move on his part. To both their surprises, Marshall didn't jerk away, instead staring back at him. AJ reached up with his free hand and pulled his sunglasses off so he could get a good look…or as good of one as he could in the darkness anyway.

"Yeah, you do."

For a split second they stared into each other's eyes, trying to read the other's thoughts, feeling something they couldn't quite pinpoint pass between them. Just as quickly as the moment hit them, it passed and AJ let go of his chin and stood. Reaching down, he grabbed Marshall's arm and helped him to his feet.

Capturing his hands in his, AJ studied the swelling bloody flesh carefully and asked, "You got a first aide kit in your car anywhere?"

Marshall grunted, cringing when pain shot through his hands as AJ manipulated them to get a better look at the damage. "Fuck if I know. I don't think about shit like that."

AJ cast him a side long glance before unbuttoning his shirt and shrugging out of it. Marshall watched him closely as next he pulled his beater over his head, leaving him bare-chested in front of him.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He asked in a strange voice, trying to ignore the fact that his eyes kept wandering to AJ's cut abs.

AJ didn't answer him as he pulled his button down shirt back on then grabbed the beater he'd taken off between his hands and yanked hard, shredding it into several strips. "Give me your hand."

Marshall held out a hand to him, trying to figure out yet again why the younger man was helping him. He watched, clenching his jaw against the pain as AJ wrapped first one hand then the other up in the scraps left over from his beater.

After he was through, AJ stepped back and ran a hand through his hair. "Don't suppose I can talk you into going to the hospital to get your hands looked at huh?"

"Fuck no."

"You might have some broken knuckles."

"They'll heal. They did before."

AJ shook his head. "Yeah, I figured this wasn't a first for you."

Marshall opened his mouth with a retort, but stopped as he watched AJ open the passenger side of the car, lean in to brush the remaining glass off the seat, then step back, motioning for Marshall to climb in. "You ain't driving my car."

AJ raised an eyebrow. "Well, you definitely aren't, so who does that leave? That fucking fairy that flew by my head and told me all that shit about Kim earlier?"

Marshall fought back a smirk, remembering the comment from the bathroom earlier when he hadn't wanted to believe what the other man was telling him. He'd never admit it to him or anyone else, but he was finding he was starting to like the guy. He wasn't half bad if you ignored the fact that he sang pansy ass songs and danced for a living.

Putting on his best bored expression, he started for the car, climbing in the passenger side as he threatened, "What the fuck ever. You get us in an accident or get so much as a scratch on this thing, you'll regret the day we ever met."

"Yeah, cuz it's in mint condition after the way you beat on it tonight, right?" AJ retorted as he shut Marshall's door and headed around to the drivers side.

After AJ climbed in and shifted the still running car into drive, Marshall said, "That smart ass mouth of yours is going to get you into a shitload of trouble one of these days."

"This coming from a skinny white boy rapper who smart-assed his way into best selling rapper of all time."

Marshall did smirk then. Yeah, AJ wasn't half bad at all. It didn't even occur to him that it was the first time he'd thought of him by name instead of some derogatory nickname since he met him.

Half an hour later they pulled up into Marshall's driveway and AJ cut the engine and pulled the key ring out of the ignition. Walking around to Marshall's side of the car, he opened the door for him and waited for him to get out before shutting it. Walking up to the house, AJ looked through the key ring in his hand.

"Which one's for the house?"

Marshall cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable. Shifting from foot to foot he said, "Uh, it's not on there."

"You leave your house unlocked?" AJ asked, not understanding.

"No asswipe. I just have a couple different key rings." When AJ opened his mouth to ask, he added, "Don't even ask. I ain't telling you."

AJ nodded. It was none of his business anyway. "Fine. Whatever. Where's the key ring with your house key on it?"

Marshall didn't answer right away. He tried hard to think of a way to get at it himself, but looking down at his hands all wrapped up and barely able to bend anyway, he knew there was no way in hell of getting around what was going to happen next.

"Well?" AJ prompted impatiently.

"In my jeans." Marshall mumbled under his breath.

"Your…uh, I didn't feel them in there when I grabbed that vial out." AJ said, not looking forward to having to stick his hand in his pocket again, especially now that he'd discovered he was attracted to him.

"Other side."

"Oh." AJ said.

There was a short pause as they both stood there uncomfortably.

"Well?" Marshall finally said, wanting to just get it over with.

"Well what?" AJ said, clearly stalling.

Marshall rolled his eyes. "Are you going to get them?"

"Am I going to get decked again?" AJ hedged.

"Like I could right now. Just fucking get them already. And if you touch anything you shouldn't, it won't matter if my fucking hands are broken. I'll beat your ass into the ground."

AJ swallowed hard, really hoping Marshall didn't wear briefs and tuck himself up on that side. He didn't have any doubt the man meant what he said about beating on him.

Not looking at his face, AJ focused on his shoulder instead as he stepped forward and reached out reluctantly to stick his hand in his front jeans pocket. Digging down to the bottom of the big pockets on his baggy jeans, he was relieved to find the keys without touching anything he shouldn't…even though secretly his cock was jumping to attention at being this close to the man he was finding himself more and more attracted to as the night went on.

Marshall did his best to focus on anything besides the feeling of AJ groping around in his pocket. He was not comfortable with anyone in his personal space, let alone having a guy stick his hands inside his pockets.

Every instinct inside him was screaming at him to deck him, but at the same time, he had this strange fluttery feeling curling up his gut and making him want to puke. He decided his stomach much be rejecting whatever it was he had for dinner, because it had nothing…nothing to do with the man in front of him with his hand so close to things he'd never even dreamt of letting any man touch.

"Got 'em." AJ mumbled in his raspy voice close to Marshall's face.

Marshall ignored the little shiver that sent up his spine and said, "Then stop fucking groping me and open the damn door already."

AJ chuckled, letting off nervous energy as he pulled his hand out of his pocket. "You know Em, you've got issues."

Marshall did a double take, realizing that was the first time AJ had called him by name since he'd done that weird ass greeting thing at the party earlier to get close enough to tell him to meet him in the bathroom. For some reason, he didn't like it. He wanted him to call him Marshall.

Marshall followed AJ into the house, frowning. Only people close to him called him Marshall, and AJ definitely wasn't close to him. Although he had in essence cried on his shoulder earlier. He didn't want to think about that though. It was a moment of insanity he was trying very hard to block out of his head.

Five minutes later the two of them were standing in Marshall's bathroom, staring at his reflection, or more specifically, his face and the blood all over it from when he'd tried to wipe his tears away with his bloody hand.

AJ said, "You're going to have to let me do it for you."

"No. Go to hell." Marshall snapped.

"Ok, then do it yourself." AJ said, crossing his arms over his chest and his half open shirt and staring at the older man in the mirror.

"I will." Marshall said stubbornly.

"I'm waiting." AJ challenged.

Marshall's eyes dropped to his hands which were now unwrapped and sighed. He could barely move them…either to straighten them or bend them. He was in no shape to clean up his face and they both new it.

"Fuck you. Fine. Just do it already." He said irritably.

AJ cracked a sarcastic grin. "You know, Em, it's such a pleasure helping you out. I don't get enough verbal abuse as it is from the guys in my group."

Marshall just grunted in reply and turned toward AJ, waiting for him to wash his face for him like he was a two year old. AJ wet down the wash cloth, ringing out the extra water and brought it to Marshall's face, his other hand gripping his chin to hold him the way he wanted him.

Marshall stared at the look of concentration on AJ's face as he wiped at his skin. The feeling wasn't entirely unpleasant. In fact, it wasn't unpleasant at all. That thought unnerved him. What the hell was going on?

On an impulse he blurted, "Marshall."

AJ paused in his ministrations and focused his brown eyes on Marshall's blue ones. "What?"

"Call me Marshall. I don't like to be called Eminem or Em unless I'm in public." Marshall elaborated, trying to play it off as not a big deal that he was asking him to call him that.

A slow smile spread across AJ's lips. "Ok, Marshall it is."

With that AJ went back to washing his face, neither of them speaking, both lost in the comfortable silence surrounding them, and both refusing to think too much about why that was.


Chapter Three
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