The next morning AJ was tossing and turning in bed, unable to get back to sleep after having a nightmare about Kevin attacking him. He couldn't believe the nightmares were back. They'd went away after he'd had sex with Marshall the first time, but after the incident in the hall last night, everything he'd been trying to forget had come rushing back, and this time Marshall wasn't there to hold him and make him feel safe.

The shrill ring of the phone made him jump. Reaching over, he insanely hoped it would be Marshall, but his stomach sank when he picked it up and said hello, only to hear a recorded message. It was just his wakeup call.

He hung up the phone and flopped back on his back, staring up at the ceiling. His wake up call. What a joke. He'd been lying in bed awake for hours now, fighting the urge to go down to the bar downstairs that he knew was open all night and get wasted. He knew Marshall had told him to call no matter what time of day or night it was if he started having cravings, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Besides, he needed to deal with it himself, not go running to the other man every time something was wrong.

Last night when Marshall had called him, AJ hadn't even mentioned the hall incident, just wanting to forget it for a while and get lost in the conversation with him. It was ridiculous really. After spending the last two days with the man, he wouldn't have thought they could come up with enough stuff to talk about that they'd end up on the phone for over two hours, but they had.

He figured part of that was because when they'd been together, they'd mostly spent their time naked and fucking instead of talking, knowing they didn't have a lot of time before they'd be apart again. Plus, there was the whole uncertainty thing surrounding them and neither of them knew if there'd be a next time, so they'd been trying to sate their sexual hunger for each other.

AJ wasn't sure if Marshall had managed it, but he sure as hell hadn't. He wanted him just as badly now as he had in the living room the other day after Dre left. His hand slowly started to creep down underneath his blanket toward his naked erection forming at the thought of that. His fingers had just closed around his dick when he heard a knock at the door.

"Aje! Are you up?"

AJ cursed under his breath and pulled his hand away from his cock and climbed out of bed, throwing on some boxers as he headed for the sitting room and the door to the hall.

"Aje! Wake up!"

AJ cursed again as he reached the door and pulled it open, hiding the lower half of his body, including his half formed erection behind the door. "Whaddaya want, D?"

Howie studied his bruised face from the fight the day before and the dark smudges under his eyes from lack of sleep for a second. "You look like crap, Aje."

AJ rolled his eyes. "You came here and pulled my ass out of bed to tell me that?"

Howie smirked at AJ's typical morning grumpiness. "No, I came here to make sure you got up with your wake up call."

"That's Brian's job." AJ said, frowning.

Actually, it had been Kevin's job, but ever since they'd been in New York Brian had been doing it for him.

Howie looked away for a split second and cleared his throat before looking back at AJ. "Yeah, well, he asked me to do it today."

AJ's heart sank. "He's still mad at me isn't he?"

Howie sighed and said honestly, "He's hurt, and he's worried about you. He doesn't like him, Aje. He thinks he's dangerous and in general an asshole."

AJ's shoulders slumped and he turned away from the door leaving it open for Howie as he walked over to the couch and sat down. After Howie followed him, closing the door behind him and sitting in a nearby chair, AJ asked, "And what do you think?"

Howie fidgeted. "I don't really know what to think. On one hand, there's what the public sees of him, and what they…what we see, is a violent man. He beat up a bouncer who was like…half a foot taller than him with a gun, Aje. He pulled it on someone else. He talks about killing and raping women and slams gay people in his lyrics as easily as he breathes air."

When Howie paused, AJ prompted, "And on the other hand?"

Howie shrugged. "I've known you for what? 12? 13 years? I don't honestly believe you'd be friends with him if he was all of what he seems. Besides, since when are any of us what the public sees? I know none of the five of us are everything the fans and critics think."

AJ nodded, not offended at all by what Howie had said. Truth was, he could see his point to a certain extent, and besides, Howie was at least willing to give Marshall the benefit of the doubt. "I can't answer for him about the stuff you said, the lyrics and what he did in his past. All I know is the man I've gotten to know, and he's a lot different than how people see him. Yeah, he's got a violent streak, but the times I've seen him explode it's always been toward inanimate objects, not people. But I can tell you that he's not homophobic the way he comes across in his lyrics. I uh…know that for a fact."

Howie did a double take. That was the first he was hearing of that. He made a mental note to ask Brian why he'd failed to mention that part, then scratched it. Either Brian didn't know or didn't want to talk about it, and if it was the former, he certainly wasn't going to be the one to tell him, not with how Brian felt about the guy. "You guys are…together?"

AJ shrugged. "I wouldn't go that far. We've had sex, yeah, but uh, we aren't exactly in a relationship."

Howie nodded, although he had his doubts. He didn't think AJ was lying to him, but he was pretty sure he was lying to himself about the extent of their relationship. "I see. Well, you know I'm not gonna pry. It's not my style, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. You know that right?"

AJ smiled. "Yeah, I know. Thanks."

Howie nodded and stood. "K, well, I'd better go get ready. See you at breakfast?"

AJ shook his head. "Nah, I think I'll just order room service."

"Aje…"

AJ stood and said, "Don't Aje me. I attacked Nick yesterday and I'm betting he's still upset about it, you know I can't stand being around Kevin right now, and Brian? Shit, I don't need to subject myself to the disappointment and hurt I saw in his eyes last night this morning."

Howie hesitated for a minute, but honestly, he could see AJ's point. "I guess, but don't make a habit of it ok? Closing yourself off from us isn't good for any of us, and the last time you did it, it didn't work so well."

AJ knew he was talking about his drinking and drugging. "I won't."

Howie nodded and headed for the door. After he left, AJ sighed and headed toward the bathroom for a shower. The day was starting off great. He couldn't wait to be stuck with all of them in a studio all day. If he wasn't ready to commit a violent act by tonight when he got back to the hotel, it would be a miracle.

"You're fucking kidding me." Marshall snapped, sitting up in bed and holding the phone to his ear as he tried to wake up and process what Dre was telling him.

"I know, I know. You hate PR bullshit, but it can't be helped. With the release date moved up, you've gotta do this shit now. You need some press out there when the CD drops." Dre said, trying to convince Marshall he really needed to do this.

Marshall rubbed a hand over his face, and asked, "Where did you say again?"

"New York. I know it's out of your way and they were supposed to come to you, but they're fitting you in and holding off on the publishing until you get there so they can put you in the issue a month earlier."

Marshall chuckled. "Dre, stop trying to talk me into the shit and just give me the fucking time of the flight already."

Dre was silent for a moment. He'd expected a fight at the very least, maybe even the sound of the phone hitting the wall just before the line went dead. In fact, he had Marshall's cell number ready to go just in case of that eventuality. What he hadn't expected was for him to sound almost…excited about the prospect of going out of his way and traveling for PR shit he hated doing in the first place.

"He's there isn't he?"

Marshall stiffened. "What?"

"The boy band bitch…AJ, Alex, whatever. He's in New York isn't he?"

Marshall smiled. Dre knew him too well. "Yeah, he is."

"Goddamn man, you're fucking scaring me here. What's going on? Are you in love with the guy or some shit?" Dre asked, only half joking.

Marshall frowned. In love? What the fuck? Why would he think that? He'd vowed after Kim he'd never let himself fall in love again. Love was just a bunch of shit that made a person miserable and made them do stupid shit.

"Fuck you, Dre. No fucking way. I'm not in love. It's just that it won't be as bad being stuck in ass fucking New York if there's someone there I know and actually want to hang out with. The reason I don't like going there is cuz I spend all damn day in my hotel room with my finger up my ass when I'm not doing whatever I'm there for."

Dre chuckled. "Ok, sure Slim. Gotcha. No feelings involved. He's just a good lay, right?"

Marshall's dick twitched involuntarily as his mind wandered back to the two days before when AJ had been there. Fuck yes he was a good lay. The best he'd ever had in fact.

"Dre, I am not talking about this. You knowing I'm sticking it to a guy is one thing, talking about how good it is with you…that's just fucked up."

Dre laughed. "Yeah, I didn't really wanna know anyway. Listen, security's already been arranged and a car's gonna pick you up at your place in an hour, so get your skinny white ass in gear and get ready."

In the best disinterested voice he could manage, Marshall grumbled, "Yeah, what the fuck ever. I'll be ready when I get ready."

Dre laughed harder and Marshall smirked. Dre was still laughing as they hung up.

Later that afternoon, AJ was ready to commit murder if he didn't get out of that studio soon. Finally Brian called it a day and AJ nearly jumped for joy. As it was, he almost grabbed him and kissed him, but then he remembered things were still tense between them, so he settled for a sarcastic, "Yay," instead.

Nick rolled his eyes and smirked, well aware of the fact that AJ wanted to be anywhere else than there all day. They had made up over lunch and were back to joking and fucking with each other when they came back into the studio together that afternoon, causing the other's to shake their heads at how they always managed to forgive and forget so quickly, even though their faces were still carrying the evidence of their fight.

"Hey Bone. Where are you headed?" Nick called, stopping AJ on his way out.

AJ shrugged. "Dinner and back to my room I guess."

Nick snorted. "You're turning into an old man, just like the rest of them."

Howie stiffened and said, "Hey! I don't sit around my room, thankyouverymuch."

Nick laughed. "Sorry D." Turning back to AJ he said, "Come on. Go out with me clubbing tonight. Howie'll never go to the good places with me, and I'm so in the mood for that kinda fun tonight."

They all knew what Nick meant by 'good places'. He was talking about the gay clubs. Howie just wasn't interested in that. Once in a while Nick could get Brian to go. Brian actually enjoyed it because he could dance and have fun and not have to worry about temptation. He took his marriage vows to Leigh very seriously. And Kevin? Kevin was in a funk lately and not going anywhere.

AJ hesitated. Dancing did sound good, but there was Marshall's nightly call. "I don't know Nick…"

"Come on. Don't be such a stick in the mud. Besides, you owe me for making me your personal punching bag last night."

AJ started to smirk, but Brian cleared his throat and spoke up, stopping him short.

"Nick, don't push him. AJ doesn't need to be clubbing right now."

AJ stiffened. "Why's that Rok?"

Brian realized his mistake a minute too late. "Uh, I just meant, you know. You're going through…stuff right now. You just fell off the wagon."

"Yeah, and I got right back on, Brian. It's pretty common to relapse at least once when you get sober you know. It doesn't mean I suddenly have no will power anymore."

"I didn't mean it like that." Brian tried to explain, wishing he'd just kept his mouth shut.

AJ turned back to Nick. "You know what? I do feel like clubbing tonight. Let's go."

Nick nodded, wishing he'd never brought it up. He didn't like seeing AJ and Brian upset with each other like this. It didn't happen that often, but when it did it lasted days, sometimes weeks.

Once they were out in the parking lot, Nick said, "Hey, Aje. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause more problems between you and Brian."

AJ smiled at Nick as they climbed into the van that would take them back to the hotel. "Don't worry about it. You didn't cause any problems. Brian's just…being Brian. I know he's just looking out for me, but damn. I don't need another mother, you know?"

Nick nodded. He did know. It was the same way with him and Kevin. "You don't have to go tonight just to prove something to him you know. I didn't mean to push you."

AJ wrapped an arm around Nick's neck and pulled him in reassuringly, resting the sides of their heads together as he said, "You didn't. It's fine. I wanna go. I was just hesitating because Marshall's supposed to call me tonight again, but I can take the cell with me and put it on vibrate so I don't have to worry about hearing it ring over the music."

Nick smiled, wrapping his arms around AJ and hugging him. "Ok."

Two hours later after eating a quick dinner down in the hotel restaurant, they were ready to go. Nick was getting antsy, nearly bouncing off the walls in AJ's room. It had been a while since they'd went clubbing together, and Nick was looking forward to it. Fun just seemed to follow AJ wherever he went.

"Jesus Aje, every hair doesn't have to be in place, you know."

AJ's laughter floated out from the bathroom where he was still primping in front of the mirror. "Easy for you to say. People look at you like you're some kind of blond God, even with the weed-whacker hairdo. I have to work at looking good."

Nick rolled his eyes. It was always the same conversation when they went out. "AJ, shut up. You don't have to work at shit. Just the way you walk and talk is sexy. You're sexy. Now come on!"

AJ finally stepped out of the bathroom doing an exaggerated swagger as he walked up to Nick and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek for effect. "Aww, thanks for the compliment Nicky boy, but I know you're just saying that to get me out the door."

Nick laughed and threw an arm around AJ, pulling him out the door in question. "Now would I do that?"

AJ laughed too, wrapping his arm around Nick's waist and letting the younger man pull him along. "Hell fucking yes you would."

Nick laughed harder as they headed down the hall. When AJ stopped short, Nick almost tripped and fell, still having his arm around him. He looked for the reason for AJ's sudden halt and found it in the shape of Brian, standing in his doorway, dressed to go out.

"Hey Bri." AJ said, eyeing him up and down and trying to figure out where he was going at this time of the evening.

Brian fidgeted under AJ's scrutiny. "Hey."

"Where're you headed?" Nick asked.

Brian cleared his throat. "Uh, I was thinking that, um, that is, if it's all right," he paused and took a deep breath, trying to get past his sudden nervousness that AJ would tell him to go to hell once he managed to spit out what he was trying to say.

AJ didn't give him the chance, figuring it out by the way Brian was acting. "You want to go out with us? Is that what you're getting at?"

Brian looked at AJ and nodded. "If it's all right, that is."

Nick didn't say anything. It was fine with him, but he knew this was between AJ and Brian.

AJ was silent for a moment, then said, "That depends."

Brian let out a breath he'd been holding. At least it wasn't a flat out no. "On what?"

"On if you're going to sit at a table all damn night and watch me with an eagle eye to make sure I'm a good boy, or if you're coming to dance and have a good time and watch me with an eagle eye." AJ said, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips and ruining the serious tone he was going for. He knew this was Brian's way of watching out for him and at the same time apologizing for acting like an ass earlier.

Brian looked at AJ a hint of a smile tugging at his lips too. "Well, I was considering just sitting in a corner and glaring daggers at you all night, but I think I can manage to dance and have fun while I'm glaring instead."

AJ laughed and held out his free arm, his other one still around Nick's waist. "Come here, B."

Brian walked over willingly and wrapped an arm around AJ's waist at the same time AJ wrapped his around Brian's shoulders. With that they set off, laughing and joking.

Marshall paced his hotel room scowling. When he'd gotten into town, he'd immediately been hauled off to an interview, which took forever and ended up turning into dinner at a ritzy restaurant that made them wait an hour for dinner just because they could, then served miniscule portions of food, just because they could and called themselves fine dining…just because they could.

When his dinner finally arrived and he discovered they thought he was a bird who needed next to nothing to survive on, Marshall had seriously thought about upending the table and telling them to go to fucking hell…just because he could. But no, he decided to be a good boy, not wanting to get his name in the press and alert everyone he was in town. If that happened, it'd be next to impossible to sneak away and see AJ.

AJ. The current reason for his fowl mood. Well, not AJ exactly, but the fact that he couldn't get a hold of him. He'd tried his cell, but AJ for some reason had it off, or his battery had gone dead. Then Marshall had tried the studio they were working at, only to be told he'd just missed them. He'd ignored the abject disbelief in the girl's voice on the other end as she'd told him that, obviously unable to figure out why he wanted to know.

He briefly wondered how long it would take it to make the papers if he'd just come out and told her he was asking because he was horny and wanted to get inside AJ's ass. He figured he probably would have caused her heart failure though, so he refrained. Then he'd called the hotel he knew AJ was staying at, but when they put him through to the room, the phone rang and rang with no answer.

So now here he was, in New fucking York, alone and pacing his room, pissed off at the world, and willing AJ to turn on his phone so he could find out where he was and be there too. With his scowl deepening even more, he reached for the phone again.

"Nick, I'm gonna go find a warm body and grind, ok?" AJ said in his raspy voice.

Nick would have joined him on the dance floor, but he'd already been out there dancing for nearly an hour and he needed a break. Nick nodded his head, tossing back another shot. He hadn't planned on drinking in front of AJ, but AJ had insisted, telling him it was fine, and ordering one for him. Looking around after AJ left the booth, he spotted Brian smiling and dancing with a guy over on one side of the dance floor. He smiled. Brian was so cute acting all flirty like that and dancing. Brian wasn't the best dancer, but he made up for it with utter sweetness.

It was really too bad he was straight and in love with Leigh. Nick had a feeling they could have been great together. God knew he'd had enough fantasies involving the older man when he was younger. He sighed, shifting in his seat and putting his hand down on it next to his leg to brace himself as he turned his attention to AJ who had already found two partners and was in the middle, one of them grinding up on his ass, the other guy attached to his front.

A second later Nick realized through his half-drunk state that something was resting against his fingertips and he frowned, looking down. It was a cell phone. Picking it up and flipping it open, he realized it was AJ's cell, and it was off. Hadn't AJ said he was going to leave it on and on vibrate?

Nick shrugged, hitting the on button and waiting for the console to light up. For a second he sat mesmerized by the shining light on the display, then shook his head, figuring if that was mesmerizing him maybe he was a little more drunk than he thought. He started to lower the cell to the table when suddenly it shook in his hand. He let out a yip of surprise, dropping it on the table, before he realized it had just been vibrating and that meant someone was trying to call AJ.

Picking the phone back up, he pushed the button to answer it. " 'Lo."

Marshall stiffened as loud music and an even louder voice suddenly blasted into his ear. Who the hell was answering AJ's phone? "Who the fuck is this?"

Nick's brow furrowed. "That isn't a very nice way to answer the phone you know. Maybe I should just hang up."

Marshall's stomach clenched. He'd been trying too hard to get a hold of AJ to be hung up on now. "Wait! Don't. I just wanna know who's answering AJ's phone. You sound familiar."

Nick's face screwed up in drunken concentration as he signaled the waiter to bring him another shot. "So do you."

"Well?" Marshall asked impatiently.

"Oh, uh, Nick. I'm Nick. Nick Carter." Nick said, deciding he was in fact well on his way to being very drunk.

The tension in Marshall's shoulders eased a little with that revelation. "You're drunk."

Nick giggled, covering his mouth a he realized how girlish it sounded. "Yep, guess you could say that. So who the hell are you?"

"Marshall. Put Alex on the phone." Marshall said, starting to get impatient with the other man.

Nick shook his head, belatedly realizing Marshall couldn't see him. "Can't. He's out on the dance floor grinding."

Marshall tensed, wondering what Nick's definition of grinding was. Even more than that though, he wondered why he cared. It wasn't like they were boyfriends or anything. AJ could grind on and fuck whoever he wanted. Marshall scowled at that, not liking the thought of AJ with anyone but him.

"Where the fuck are you?"

"A gay club. You wouldn't like it." Nick said, shrugging.

"Oh, and why's that?" Marshall asked, not sure why that comment bugged him.

"Because it's a gay club. Jeez. Keep up with the convo, dude." Nick said, rolling his eyes as the waiter brought him another shot and he tossed it back.

Marshall clenched his jaw. He didn't mind Nick much when he was sober, but drunk Nick was a pain in the ass.

"A name. I want a motherfucking name, Nick."

Nick giggled again and said, "You don't need another name. You've got three. That's just greedy. There's Marshall Mathers…uh, Eminem…and Sim Sady…no, wait, Slam Slady…fuck! I mean Slim Shady."

As Nick rattled off his names, Marshall squeezed the receiver in his hand, trying hard not to loose his temper and throw the phone against the nearest wall.

"Of the club dickhead. Tell me the name of the fucking club you're at."

"Oh, yeah, right." Nick said, then proceeded to rattle the name off, somehow managing to get it right on the first try.

Marshall wrote it down and said, "K, I'm gonna be there in half an hour. Can you do something for me?"

Nick nodded and said, "Sure."

"Keep AJ there and don't tell him I'm coming. I wanna surprise him."

Nick nodded again. "Yep, can do."

Marshall didn't even bother with a goodbye before he hung up and dialed down to the desk for a car.


Chapter Twenty-Six
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