If you’d like to read this in an easier colorized version, it’s up on my webpage.
Title: Unknowingly Part Four
Author: Granitite Stone < granitite@yahoo.com >and CandyGurl
Summary: They were just looking for someone to write with. They never thought it would be each other.
Web Address: www.angelfire.com/weird/cobalite/index3.html
Pairing: Nick/AJ
Rating: NC-17
If you’d like to read this in an easier colorized version, it’s up on my webpage.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Nick had just been given his room assignment. "Howie, please, you can’t do this!"
Howie smirked. "But I can, and if the two of you don’t get over this, we’ll have to resort to more drastic measures."
"Like what?"
"Like locking the two of you in an enclosed space together naked." Howie patted him on the shoulder. "Just out of curiosity, what was Brian’s push in the right direction?"
"I’m writing a story with this guy online. Brian’s threatening to send him backstage passes." Nick didn’t notice Howie’s eyes bug out as he grabbed his luggage. "I mean, yeah, he’s a slasher, but there are some things fans should not be told." He turned around. "You okay, D?"
Howie nodded mutely.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Why are you doing this to me?" AJ was looking at Brian in horror.
"This is your penance for being a jackass last year." Brian handed him a stray pair of socks as he packed. "If you’d just tell him-"
"No! You and Brian are just as bad as Kaos’ friends. This isn’t because I was a jackass, this is because I helped them."
"Kaos?" Brian had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"This guy I talk to online. B-Rok, you’re looking a little green there." AJ grabbed his laptop, and opened the door. "Motion sickness is for when the bus is in motion."
"Yeah." Why was he getting the feeling everything was about to go horribly wrong?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What do we do? They’re going to figure it out!" Brian was in full Kevin-style worrywart mode. "They’re going to figure it out, and kill us both."
"Brian, chill." Howie had never seen Brian looking so like his cousin. "Everything will be fine. How could we possibly get blamed?"
"One of them will say something, and it will all come crashing down!"
Howie dumped a glass of ice water over Brian’s head, and the other man stopped for a deep breath. "Calm?"
"Not yet." Brian shook his hair like a dog, splattering Howie. "There. Now I’m calm. But seriously, what do we do?"
"We do nothing." Howie went for a towel. "Things will turn out fine. Nothing is going to go wrong."
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No sign of Kaos. AJ logged off, and listened to the shower run. This was hell. After three days of rooming with Nick, AJ was considering the slate clean. Especially after Nick walked out, in just a towel wrapped around his waist. ‘You hear me, God? After this, we’re even.’
"All yours." Nick opened his suitcase looking for underwear. He didn’t notice AJ practically dive for the bathroom as he dropped his towel. He slid on a pair of boxers, and stared at the AA batteries he’d almost drained this morning. "I must be crazy." He reached for AJ’s Discman. "Certifiable. Completely crazy."
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AJ rolled over and stared at the clock. Two am. He slid on his headphones. "Maybe I can get one of those subliminal things, or hypnosis. Damn insomnia." He clicked play on his CD player. The music turned on, loud. The dial was all the way up. He quickly turned it down, not hearing Nick stir. A few minutes later, it sputtered into silence.
"No. Nonononono!’ How could he have forgotten what a mass of hormones Nick was? As teenagers, how many times had he woken up to this? Why, oh why tonight? He couldn’t even say he didn’t deserve it. God, wouldn’t Kaos think this was hilarious?
Then, through the muted moans, he heard one distinct word, right before Nick went silent. "AJ."
AJ didn’t get any sleep that night.
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You look like a zombie." Howie watched AJ as they put drops in his eyes. "Something happen last night?"
AJ shouted, "No!" just a little too quickly, and Howie smiled. That most definitely meant yes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "You’ve been bright red since you woke up this morning." Brian was bothering Nick, who was indeed bright red, and hiding in his breakfast.
"I’m going to hell." He looked up from his pancakes. "I am, and it’s your fault. If you hadn’t gotten Freak into this, I never would have…"
"What?" Nick had gone a shade redder.
"I wouldn’t have thought to act out the damn story. He couldn’t even look at me this morning." Nick pushed aside his plate, and let his head fall onto the table. "Just put me out of my misery."
For the first time, Brian wondered if he’d made a mistake.
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He couldn’t do this anymore. How many years had he told himself they should just be friends? And when, exactly, had Nick finished growing up? He’d been avoiding looking so long, he’d missed it. AJ watched him dress out of the corner of his eye. "Nick, I need to talk to you."
Nick turned around, and he was still blushing. "AJ, I uh."
"Just let me talk, okay?" AJ wanted to pace but wasn’t willing to embarrass himself anymore.
"No, I have to say this, or I never will." Nick took a deep breath and looked AJ in the eye. "You heard me last night, didn’t you?"
Oh god. "Nick, I’m so sorry!" How stupid was he to think Nick had been saying his name? He’d just realized AJ was awake, that was all. "I… my CD player died, and-"
"I know." Nick rose from his bed, and knelt in front of AJ’s chair. "I switched your batteries."
"What?" And suddenly, Nick wasn’t on the floor, he was in AJ’s lap, his tongue down AJ’s throat.
Nick kept expecting AJ to shove him away but instead he was kissing back. ‘They were right. Holy shit they were right.’
AJ groaned when Nick pulled back, and for a moment they just stared at each other. Finally, AJ spoke. "Wow."
Nick nodded against AJ’s shoulder. "God, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that."
"I think I do." He pulled Nick to his feet, and kissed him. Somehow, by the time the kiss ended, Nick was being pressed into one of the double beds. "Years, and neither of us said anything." AJ ran his fingers through shaggy blond hair. "We really are idiots, aren’t we?"
Nick smiled. "At least I’m blond. What’s your excuse?"
"I was busy pickling my brain." He kissed Nick again, reveling in the taste of it. "Howie’s gonna flip."
"So is Brian." Nick sighed, kissed AJ back. "We’ll have to do something nice for them. I guess I’ll cancel the stripper."
"How’s that nice?" AJ rolled onto his side to let Nick breath.
"It was a male stripper." Nick grinned at AJ, then let it soften to a satisfied smile. "I hope you don’t have plans for tonight."
"I’m not going anywhere."
Nick kissed him again, and started to unbutton his shirt. "Want you so much, so long."
AJ panted as Nick licked across a nipple. "All yours, Nick. Whatever you want."
A smile against flesh. "All mine." Nick was going to send Freak a fruit basket. Right after he figured out if AJ tasted the same all over.
End of Chapter Four
~ When I look into the mirror and see a face I don’t recognize, I am no longer surprised.