A week later, AJ was at another party near LA. Not an industry party, just a random party Nick had dragged him to, declaring he needed to get out more. He'd been successfully avoiding Kevin since what had happened at his house that day when Marshall had been there, and he hoped tonight would be no exception. He had a feeling though that Kevin was going to show up sooner or later…Kevin loved to party, especially lately.

After Marshall had left, AJ had booked a ticket on the first flight out to Florida, deciding to get the hell out of town and away from Kevin for a while. He didn't want to talk to him or see him after what had happened. Kevin wasn't even the same person lately it seemed. AJ didn't know what to make of how he seemed to be slowly flipping out, but he did know it was freaking him out.

Luckily, AJ's mom had sensed her son's distress at the mere mention of Kevin, so when Kevin had called there looking for him after not being able to track him down for days, she had lied and told him she had no clue where AJ was, that he hadn't been in touch with her either. Kevin had the nerve to tell her then that he thought AJ might be drinking or drugging again. That he'd been acting strange lately and Kevin suspected he was off the wagon.

Denise had politely bit her tongue, not at all liking the way Kevin was purposely trying to place doubt in her mind about her son. Instead of telling him she knew for a fact that AJ wasn't doing that because he was right there with her, she simply said, "I have faith in Alex. He's worked too hard to stay sober to let that happen." Kevin had then said a curt goodbye and hung up, clearly not happy she hadn't believed him. Denise hadn't mentioned a word of the conversation to AJ, not wanting to upset him.

AJ and Nick were talking to a couple of girls off in a corner of the party when Kevin walked in. Almost immediately, AJ sensed eyes on him and turned to find himself staring across the room into the green eyes of the man he'd been avoiding. He swore under his breath.

When Kevin started toward him, AJ quickly turned back to the girls and asked one of them to dance. By the time Kevin reached them, AJ was out on the dance floor grinding away. Kevin stood by and scowled in his general direction.

Nick excused himself from the other girl and walked over to Kevin. "You know, if you keep looking at him like that, people are going to talk. Not that they don't already, but damn. Get over it Kevin. He's moved on and you're married."

Kevin turned to Nick and shot him a death glare. "Shut the fuck up Nick."

Nick watched in surprise as Kevin walked off. AJ wasn't the only one who'd been noticing the change in Kevin lately. Nick had too. Hell, so had Brian for that matter. They'd talked about it over the phone one night.

It was as if ever since AJ had cut him loose Kevin had been going through some sort of midlife crisis a decade early. First the mohawk, then he'd gotten drunk in public a few times, and then the stick up his ass had turned into the size of a small tree up his ass. Nick shook his head as he watched Kevin take up residence a short ways away and refocus his glare on AJ and the girl he was dancing with.

Minutes later, that was how Marshall found AJ. Grinding on a girl on the dance floor. He had just gotten back to LA earlier that day after dropping Hailie back off at Kim's and he hadn't been planning on going to the party at all, but Dre had talked him into it. Marshall still wouldn't have gone if it wasn't for the fact that it suddenly popped in his head that AJ might be there. He hadn't talked to him since that day at his house when they'd kissed, and he figured accidentally bumping into him at a party would give him the excuse to see him without it seeming like he was seeking him out.

He still didn't know how he felt about that fucked up, hot as hell kiss. He should have been disgusted by it. He'd let a guy's tongue in his mouth. He'd gotten hard over his tongue in there, and when he'd felt AJ's erection against his, he'd gotten even harder.

He'd been having dreams about it every night since. Dreams he'd wake up hard and horny as hell from. He refused to jack off though and relieve his problem because he knew damn well he'd be jacking off to thoughts of AJ…of fucking AJ, and he was sure that would scar him for life.

The guys had noticed something was off with him too. He'd been on edge all week because of those dreams. He'd been snapping at Pete, Proof, and anyone else that dared to ask him what his problem was. The only one he managed to be calm around was Hailie.

And then there had been the Kim incident, or rather, non-incident. When he'd picked Hailie up, he'd still been reeling from kissing AJ and hadn't even muttered a word to her about what she'd tried to do to him. He hadn't even realized until after he and Hailie were pulling out of her driveway that she'd had three men there with her…three large men. When he'd asked his daughter who they were, Hailie had said matter-of-factly, "Mommy said they were there to keep her head on her shoulders where it was 'sposed to be."

Marshall hadn't had a clue what she was talking about at first, but then it registered. She had thought he was going to kill her after what she'd tried. He had almost laughed. Good. Maybe if she was scared shitless of him, she'd leave him the hell alone.

Marshall pulled his attention back to the present and watched AJ for another minute, getting turned on by the way he moved. AJ was a damn good dancer. The girl he was with was halfway decent, but the things AJ could do with his hips and body was fucking unbelievable.

Marshall got a sudden image of what AJ could do with those hips and that body in a bed with him and felt himself stir. Fuck. He was loosing his mind. Either that or all the damn drugs he'd done in the past had finally caught up with him and fucked up his brain but good.

He started to turn away and caught sight of Nick, staring off at someone with concern on his face. Marshall followed Nick's eyes over to where he was looking and discovered Kevin glaring out at the dance floor, most likely at AJ, with a look on his face like he wanted to march out there and grab the younger man and drag him off somewhere.

Marshall didn't like that look one damn bit. He couldn't figure out why AJ had been with the man in the first place. AJ was nice, funny, laid back and seemed to enjoy life. From what Marshall had seen of Kevin so far, he was a mean, angry asshole who needed someone to put him in his place. Marshall had a fleeting fantasy about being the one to stick him in it, but then he remembered his damn probation and scowled.

Dre picked that moment to glance over at him, then followed his eyes to who he was scowling at. "Marshall, man, don't go starting any shit with the boyband bitch, a'right? You're on probation. It's a free country. He can go where he wants."

Marshall realized that Dre thought he was pissed just because Kevin was there and was a Backstreet Boy. He was glad Dre didn't have a clue as to why he was really pissed, or he'd be hauling him off to the men with the straight jackets.

Shrugging, Marshall put on his best bored expression and said, "Yeah, what the fuck ever. Like I care anyway."

Dre barely heard him as he watched someone walk toward them. "Uh oh, the bitches are traveling in packs again."

"What?" Marshall asked, then looked over where Dre was pointing.

Marshall's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Nick heading over to them.

"Hey, Em."

Marshall nodded his head at him, not sure how to react. He didn't want to go off on Nick for approaching him because he was a friend of AJ's, but he could feel Dre's eyes on him waiting for some sort of reaction from him. Thankfully in the next instant, Dre was sidetracked by someone wanting to talk to him and walked off.

"Hey." Marshall replied.

"About the other night, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for being so rude."

Marshall wasn't sure what to say to that. He hadn't expected Nick to apologize. In fact, he'd forgotten all about the incident. It wasn't like Nick insulting him had actually bothered him.

Marshall shrugged. "Forget about it, I have."

Nick stared at him for a moment, and Marshall got uncomfortable. "What?"

Nick shrugged. "Nothing. Just realizing that AJ's right."

"About what?"

"You really are all right."

Marshall fought off a small smile at the wonder in Nick's voice. "Yeah, well, you know. The media fucking likes to hype shit up."

"Yeah, I know." Nick said, understanding completely.

They stood there for a minute in silence and Nick's eyes wandered back to Kevin. Marshall caught it and asked, "What's his fucking deal anyway?"

"Um…" Nick hedged.

"It's alright. I know about him and AJ." Marshall said, realizing Nick didn't know he knew.

"You do?" Nick squeaked, shocked.

AJ and Kevin had never told anyone outside the group before. Kevin's wife didn't even know. He'd have to ask AJ later what had possessed him to tell Eminem of all people.

"Yeah."

"Oh, well, uh, I don't think Kevin's over AJ…at all."

Nick decided this had to be one of the weirdest conversations he'd ever had. It even topped the time Brian had explained how to pleasure a woman to him when he'd been all of fifteen and about to have sex for the first time with his then girlfriend.

"I got that much. What I can't figure out is why the fuck AJ was ever with him. AJ's so…nice and funny and laid back, and from what I've seen of asshole over there, he's the total opposite." Marshall commented, pulling his eyes off Kevin to look at Nick.

Nick glanced at Marshall curiously. The way he talked about AJ, it was almost as if…no. Nick pushed the thought from his head immediately. There was no way in hell Marshall liked AJ that way. Nick looked down at the drink in his hand vaguely wondering if that girl he'd been talking to had stuck something in it.

Nick finally realized Marshall was waiting for some sort of response from him. "Well, Kevin wasn't always like this. When he and AJ were together, Kevin was a different person. He loosened up a lot for a while, grew his hair out, pulled the stick out of his ass. But since they've broken up, he's like…he's fucked up. He cut his hair into that God awful mohawk because he knew how much AJ liked his hair long and he's constantly ornery and bitchy…and just…mean."

"Huh." Marshall said, then asked, "How long ago did they break up anyway?"

Nick took a drink and answered, "The day AJ decided to go into rehab. AJ woke up that morning and finally realized Kevin wasn't good for him. It was because of their relationship that AJ ended up drinking so much in the first place. Anyway, their argument got pretty bad and AJ stomped off to his room and slammed the door and locked it."

Marshall's brows knit in confusion. "I thought I heard that dickhead was the one who convinced AJ to get help.

Nick snorted. "That was just what we told the press when it leaked out that Kevin kicked his door in. The truth is that Kevin got pissed and took off after him. When AJ refused to let him in, Kevin kicked the door down. I heard the noise and went over to see what was going on and Kevin was going after AJ like he wanted to strangle him or something. I tried to stop him and Kevin punched me, so I punched him back. I broke my hand on his jaw."

"Damn." Marshall really didn't like what he was hearing. Kevin had a violent streak. Marshall had sensed it in him before, but it was obvious now.

Nick nodded. "Yeah, thank God for stage make-up or we would have both been a mess for those interviews the next day."

Marshall turned back toward where he'd seen AJ last and discovered he wasn't anywhere to be seen. Looking back over to where Kevin had been, he realized he wasn't around either. Marshall's instincts told him something was off. Excusing himself from Nick, who looked just as relieved to end the conversation from the fifth dimension of the twilight zone, he headed off in search of AJ.

"You're boyfriend's here." Kevin said flatly, standing in the doorway of the back bedroom that AJ had found himself in after excusing himself from the girl on the dance floor.

AJ knew Kevin meant Marshall, even though he wasn't his boyfriend. He ignored the fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach at finding out that Marshall was close by, and whipped around to glare at Kevin. Kevin had been the reason he'd gone off to have a moment to himself. He'd felt Kevin's eyes on him the entire time he'd been dancing. He was sick of this shit. If Kevin hadn't been part of the group, he would have classified him in the group of obsessed fan, or hell even stalker with the way he kept following him around and staring at his every move.

"Kevin, go the fuck away. I came in here to get away from you."

Kevin walked into the room further, shutting and locking the door behind him. "Well then, you're out of luck, because I'm not leaving. You lied to me. You told me we'd talk and then you blew me off."

AJ sighed. "Fine. If you won't leave, I will."

AJ started past him, heading toward the door, but Kevin reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him.

AJ tried to yank free. When Kevin didn't let go, he looked up into his face. "Let me go. Now."

Kevin glared back. "No."

AJ reached up and shoved at him hard, but Kevin was prepared that time, unlike he had been in that bathroom little over a week ago, and didn't budge. "Kevin I swear to God, if you don't let me go…"

Kevin interrupted leaning in so their faces were only inches away. "You'll what, Alex? We both know you're no match for me."

AJ felt the first tendrils of fear curl through him. Trying for a softer tone, he said, "Kevin, come on. Stop it. Let me go."

Kevin just shook his head, but the rage left his eyes, replaced by a strange look AJ couldn't quite place. "No, I don't think so. You know what I think is the problem?"

AJ swallowed. "What's that?"

Kevin turned to face AJ more fully and snaked out his arm around AJ's waist, pulling him against him. In a low, seductive voice, he answered, "You've just forgotten how good we were together. Just let me show you."

Kevin leaned in and nipped at AJ's earlobe, then continued in a whisper near his ear, "Give me one night, Alex. Let me touch you and taste you and get inside you the way I used to. I promise baby, you'll remember and you'll want me again too."

AJ shivered in his arms in spite of himself. He may have been over Kevin emotionally, but his body definitely still remembered how good of a lover Kevin was, and the way Kevin was talking to him was doing things to him he didn't want it to.

"Kevin, let me go." AJ said in a quiet voice.

Kevin snaked out his tongue and licked a line up the side of AJ's neck, feeling the shiver it sent through his body. "Uh uh. I don't think so. You don't really want me to anyway, do you?"

AJ didn't answer as Kevin let go of his arm and reached his hands down to cup his ass, grinding his erection against AJ's slowly forming one.

Kevin chuckled against his ear. "That's what I thought. You still want me, even though you can't admit it, don't you?"

AJ shook his head, bringing his hands up to brace himself against Kevin's chest, trying to push away, trying to will his body's reaction to stop. "No. Kevin, no. We can't…I don't want to."

Kevin ignored him and turned his face to AJ's. Reaching up with one hand, he gripped the back of his head and pressed his lips against AJ's giving him no way to escape the kiss.

AJ pressed his lips together in a firm line, denying Kevin's tongue entrance as he tried again to push away. After a minute when Kevin didn't give up, AJ's resolve started to crumble a little. What could one last time hurt anyway? Maybe if he gave Kevin what he wanted, he could convince him afterward that yeah it had been good, but he still didn't want to be in a relationship with him again. Maybe Kevin wouldn't act so crazy after they had sex one more time. Kevin always had been more relaxed after sex, more willing to talk about things. And besides, it had been months since he'd gotten laid last.

Kevin moaned as AJ suddenly opened his mouth to him and let him in. Soon the kiss deepened and AJ reached up, winding his arms around Kevin's neck, kissing him back. Kevin let go of his head and reached back down between them, undoing AJ's pants and sliding his hand down inside to stroke him.

AJ bucked into his hand and moaned into his mouth. Kevin pulled his mouth free and kissed his way out toward his ear. "Yeah, baby, that's it. God you're so hot when your all turned on this way. I'll bet what's his name can't make you feel anywhere near as good as I can."

AJ was lost in sensations as Kevin stroked his hard cock, and he couldn't figure out what Kevin was talking about for a minute. "Huh?"

Kevin chuckled, loving how lost in the moment AJ was. "Tell me. Tell me kissing him…touching him, isn't as good as being with me. Tell me. I need to hear it."

AJ froze in Kevin's arms, suddenly pulled back to reality and what was happening…and what was happening was wrong. Not because of his feelings for Marshall, because that might or might not be going somewhere. It was wrong because he didn't have feelings for Kevin anymore and Kevin obviously did for him. He couldn't do this because it would hurt Kevin more in the end than telling him no now.

Reaching down between them, AJ pulled Kevin's hand out of his jeans, fighting back a whimper at the loss of his touch. Wiggling out of Kevin's arms, he took a step back and ran a hand through his hair.

"Kevin, I'm sorry. We can't. I can't. I…I don't feel that way about you anymore."

Kevin looked at AJ, confused. "What do you mean you don't feel that way anymore? I sure as hell felt something just now when I had my hand down your pants."

AJ sighed. "No…I mean, yeah, you turned me on just now, but that's all it was. I'm not in love with you anymore. It wouldn't be fair to either of us, but mostly you if we went through with this. It'd just be sex to me. Nothing more."

Kevin stood stock still as emotions washed over him. Sadness, hurt, loss, and finally anger. "Well then fine. Let's just have sex." He snapped.

AJ backed up a step as Kevin advanced on him. "What?"

"Let's fuck, Alex. You've got me hard now, and I know you're hard, so let's just fuck. For old time's sake." Kevin said derisively.

"Go to hell." AJ snapped.

The fear was back, and he realized suddenly that he was in real trouble. Kevin didn't look quite all there. He continued to back up until he felt a wall at his back.

Kevin laughed humorlessly. "Hell? Baby, I've been there for practically this whole past year. Ever since you said we were over. Maybe it's time you taste a little of it too."


Chapter Eight
COMPLICATE ME Contents