HeY..it's number two of Can I Keep You? =) To all those who are reading..drop me a line or two at melsleepy@hotmail.com and tell me your likes and dislikes bout the story or just to talk to me.
Shout outs to Anh hai, Jon kor kor, Zak, Angel, Dayse, Bon Bon, Mark, Ariana and Elisheva. As always, this is a figment of my imagination so don't go thinking that this is true.
Can I Keep You? ------------------------ Previously:
As Nick stared at Kevin's peaceful profile, he sighed. The perfect cheekbones, the soft lips, the strength beneath the face. "Can I keep you?" Nick breathed out the famous words from 'Casper'.
JC was running away from the assault of Nick and Brian when he bumped into someone. The whole room quieted and JC recoil away. "Hi, Lou," Kevin softly said.
AnD NoW..ParT tWo -Life is never as it seems-
Lou smiled widely at them. They didn't respond to his smile but just looked at him warily. JC scrambled up from the floor and rushed back to the remaining standing nine on the other side. Lou walked slowly towards them while Nick, Justin and JC could be seen trying to hide behind the whole group. Brian stood in front of Nick protectively. He knows what Lou had done and is capable of doing.
Flashback
"Nick, what is wrong?" Brian pleaded with Nick who was in the bathroom. Nick continued vomiting, not opening the door for Brian. Brian cried softly and ran to get Kev and the rest of the guys in AJ's room.
"Come quick. Something is wrong with Nick,"
With that one word, all of them ran back to Nick's room. Nick is still in the bathroom but now there was total silence. Kev and Brian knocked on the door but there was no response. Howie's face whitened while AJ paced in the room. "Nick, Kevin here. Open the door," coaxed Kevin in his deep voice.
Inside the bathroom, Nick could hear Kevin but he couldn't reach up to open the door. 'I will miss you,Kev'He looked intently at the blood slowly dripping on the white floor. He closed his eyes, unable to resist the sleep that was going to overcome him.
"Kevin, something is wrong in there!" Brian frantically tried to open the door. "Stand aside," AJ yelled and Kevin and Brian jumped aside when AJ threw a flying kick at the door. The door fell open and they all gasped at the sight of Nick on the floor, blood all around him. Kevin rushed forward, finding a pulse on Nick and felt relieved a little.
"Call the resident doctor,"ordered Kevin, taking charge of the situation.
Once he had Brian and AJ searching for the doctor and Howie calmed down, he wrapped Nick's wrists in the towels provided and cradled him in his lap. 'Why did you do it? Why are you leaving me?' Kevin sighed down looking at Nick's tranquil face. Brian and AJ came rushing back with the doctor in tow. "Excuse me, sir. You have to step aside for me to see the patient,"
Kevin reluctantly stood aside while the doctor checked Nick's pulses and everything else. "Luckily you all found him early. He lost very little blood and I think he needs some rest. I suggest you bring him to see a physchiatrist," the doctor finished. "But all that blood on the floor. Are you sure he doesn't need to go to the hospital?" questioned Howie.
"Yes, don't worry. It looks worst than it actually is. I am more worried about his mental state,"
Kevin and Brian thanked the doctor and walked him to the door while Howie and AJ carried Nick to the bed. Upon returning to Nick's bedside, both Brian and Kevin knelt beside it, looking at Nick's pale complexion. AJ and Howie joined hands with Kevin and Brian as they prayed for Nick's recovery.
'What is so terrible that you have to take this way out?' asked AJ. They kept a night vigil over the youngest member of the band. The next morning, trashing and shouting from Nick awakened them. "Leave me alone! Don't do anything to them!" Brian shook Nick awake. Nick opened his eyes, blue eyes looking blankly.
When he finally realizes that he is not dead yet, he started shouting. "Why did you save me? I wanted to die!" he screamed at AJ. "WHY!" AJ lost his temper and slammed his fist into Nick's face. Nick finally quieted while Kevin rubbed his palm on Nick's back. AJ and Howie sat on the bed, waiting to hear any response from Nick.
"Nick, why did you ..try to kill yourself?" Brian asked his best friend.
"To stop all the pain,"
"Pain from?" questioned Kevin.
"I can't tell you. I want to but I can't,"
"Nick, we will always be here for you. Tell us or how can we make it better?" pleaded AJ.
"Stop him from doing it?" Nick innocently asked. Kevin nodded at the sixteen year old Nick. "Who is him?" Howie asked now.
"Lou,"
"Lou? What did he do?" Brian furiously asked, dreading the apparent answer. He never trusted Lou from day one. He reminds Brian of a sex convict somehow.
"He says that if I don't do whatever he tells me to, he will destroy our group and that I deserved everything that he does to me,"
"What had he done so far?"
"He..he asked me to strip and then he took photographs of me naked. He ask me to give him a hand-job and..." Nick broke off, sniffling. Brian hugged Nick close and glared at the others over his head.
"All this time he pretended to be our friend. Our father figure," spat out Kevin. AJ broke into the solemn mood, "Nick, answer me this. Did he ever force you to do anything more than just the photographs and the hand job?"
"No but he says that the next time he wants me to..to give him a blow job,"
"That BASTARD! I am going to kick his fat ass so hard that he couldn't find it," cursed AJ. Howie joined in the ranting. "CALM DOWN! We are going to get him where it hurts the most. Through Nick and our contracts. If you all go and beat him up, it will make him the victim in the eyes of the world," Kevin yelled to be heard.
One week after that incident, the Boys had managed to break free from Lou's management with a few threats to expose him. The Backstreet Boys became stronger than ever, everyone looking out for each other even more, if possible.
Present Day
"No hello hug?" Lou walked closer. Kevin just ignored his words.
"Say your piece and be done with it,"
"I just wanted to see my two favorite groups. Is that so wrong?"
"Favorite?" spat out Joey, his eyes darkening. Lou had been sexually harassing Joey and JC for almost a year before they dared to tell the others and then leave the management. Somehow the incident had affected JC more. That was one of the reasons why JC hid behind his music and protects Justin so much. He didn't want Justin to endure what he himself had.
"Okay, guys. I need you all downstairs and ASAP. The photo shoot will not wait for the whole day," stormed in Jonathan. He stood there, looking at Lou and then the guys and then Lou again. "Hello? I mean now," Jonathan clapped his hands to get their attention. Lou had whirled around to see who had intruded in.
"Okay, Mister Whatever-Your-Name-Is, I don't know whether are you authorized to be here but I need my guys now. I won't have them late on my first day. Anything else you need to say to them, you can tell me and I will tell them," with that he shooed all the guys out to the lifts.
The Backstreet Boys and *N Sync boys burst out laughing at Jonathan's high hand ways. "Bossy, aren't we?" teased JC. Jonathan blushed and just waved them into the awaiting elevator. The bus downstairs are swamped with girls with overload hormones. They are chanting for the guys. "What do we do now?" Jonathan panicked inside the hotel. Kevin shrugged and Nick snickered. "You're the tour manager now since Marianna is gone. You think of something," Chris added unhelpful. Jonathan wrinkled his eyebrows.
He walked out of the hotel, yelling at the top of his lungs. "QUIET!" All heads swirled to him.
"Please leave the premises. The guys are not here,"
"They are!!!" screamed back the crowd. Jonathan rolled his eyes.
"They are at the M652zz radio station, recording an interview. If you hurry, you might just catch them,"
And with those words, miraculously the crowd disappeared. AJ raised his eyebrows.
"Either you are a good liar or they are really gullible,"
"What do you mean?"
They left in the bus, heading to the photo shoot location. The photographer, Lee wanted headshots of everyone and groups shoots. First up was Nick while the others got ready and lounge around. "Nick, smile to me," Lee shouted out from behind the camera. Nick managed a wry smile. He is still thinking about Lou. "Okay, if you are not going to smile, then pout," Lee said exasperated.
Nick looked at Lee blankly while Jonathan, Kevin, Lance, JC and Brian was standing nearby. Kev started making funny faces at Nick. Nick looked at Kevin surprised and then burst out laughing. Jonathan too joined in. Lee was happy with the turn of events and he started snapping as fast as he could at Nick who was giggling at every face expression that the group was making. "That's good enough. Lance, you are next," Lee shooed Nick away from the stool. By then all the guys are standing behind Lee and had heard of their earlier actions.
"Lance, look at me. Don't smile. I want to see your intense eyes and lips firm," Lee yelled out. "Lips firm?" whispered Justin, giggling. He received a slap on his arm by Joey who also giggled. Lance looked straight at the camera, eyes twinkling but no smile as ordered. Chris started to pretend to gag and fall to the floor. Then AJ jumped on top of Chris, pretending to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
At that, everyone burst out laughing, including Lance who was the spectator to the whole show. Lee whirled around and gave them a long stare. "Don't mess with the photographer. I can make you look good or bad," Everyone quieted and the rest of the photo shoot went on without any event. Jonathan was sitting on a stool nearby couldn't take his eyes off the guys when they were photographed.
'If only one of them are gay.' He sighed. 'That is not true. You just want a certain green eye boy to be gay,' 'Shut up. What do you know about things?' "Oh my god. I am going nuts, talking to myself like that," Jonathan stood up and stretched his sore back.
"Hey, are you a model?" asked Lee with interest at Jonathan. "Me? God, NO!" Lee walked over to Jonathan, staring at him thoughtfully all around.
"You have the build. Do you want to be a model? I can make you a big star," Lee persuaded. Jonathan shook his head. "I am perfectly happy as the tour manager and STAYING behind the scenes," Jonathan said nervously. He never liked being in the center of attention. It makes him feel like he is naked. "Okay, if you change your mind, here is my card," and with that he left. Jonathan glanced the card over and dropped it into the trash bin nearby. 'Never in my life. I will sooner die or heart attack'
Jonathan went and get a drink, pondering of events earlier in the hotel. Who was that fat guy? Somehow he had the feeling that his boys are not comfortable with him, therefore he had managed to get the courage to shoo Lou away. A hand fell on his shoulder. "AHHHHHH!" he screamed, falling to the floor. When he looked up, he saw Howie, Brian and Chris laughing their heads off. "That was so NOT funny," Jonathan tried to silence them. It only made them laugh harder.
"Why are you so jumpy?" asked Chris once he got his breath back. "No, I am not," he feebly answered. The three heads shook their heads, not believing him. "I just don't like being crept up at,"
They accepted that and dragged him to the dressing room. Jonathan was in heaven when he entered the room. The only ones fully dressed other than him and the other three was Joey. The rest are in states of undressed. Jonathan gulped down the lump in his throat and thought of everything disgusting to get his penis to soften. "Be a professional. You are going to see more of them like this," he said under his breath. "Did you say something?" asked Howie who was standing beside him. Jonathan quickly shook his head but Brian and Howie knew better.
Jonathan couldn't help from keeping his eyes from straying towards Lance. Lance saw Jonathan looking at him and purposely dressed himself even slower. 'God, he is so gorgeous. That six-pack. I would love to go over and ravage him right now,' Nick looked at Kevin. Kevin was only clad in a pair of khakis, searching for his top.
'Why am I such a chicken? If I dared, I would just go over and kiss him senseless,' cursed Kevin, sneaking a look at Nick. 'It is because you don't want to lose him as your friend,' both of them answered the hanging questions in their head. Chris could see Nick and Kevin looking at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. "Hmm, interesting," he muttered. "What's interesting?" questioned Justin. "Nothing, Curly. Get your gear together you slow-poke," Chris retorted. Justin stuck his tongue at Chris and went searching for the missing side to his loafers.
"Looking for this?" asked JC, holding out the missing pair. "Thanks!" Justin squealed and gave JC a big wet kiss on the lips. The Backstreet Boys and Jonathan stared at them with slacked jaws while *N Sync boys just acted indifferently. "What?" asked Joey. "Those two?" pointed Jonathan to the still kissing JC and Justin. "Are you against gay or something?" Chris's voice steeled. "No, no. To the contrarily," muttered Jonathan. Nick jogged to the door and locked it. "Okay, let's all confess now. Everyone say what is their sexuality," Nick suggested. They sat down at the various chairs and couches. Justin started, "I am gay,"
JC "Bisexual"
AJ "Straight but curious" Eyebrows went up at that comment but AJ just shrugged and slipped his shades up on his nose.
Chris "Straight"
Joey "Straight"
Brian "No comment" "Hey, that is not fair. You must at lease give an answer," complained Chris. Brian smiled softly and said no comment again. "Next,"
Kevin "Gay"
Howie "I know this is surprising but I am... STRAIGHT. Haha" Pillows all around came flying towards Howie who ducked behind Nick.
Lance "Bisexual" "What? Why didn't we know?" *N Sync boys cried out. Lance shrugged carelessly.
Nick "Gay," That too get a rise out of the Backstreet Boys.
Jonathan stood aside, listening to them. 'I would have never thought that Kevin is gay. What the heck? Even Lance being bisexual is a complete surprise. What is happening to my gay-dar? I would have thought AJ or Joey to be the gay ones,' "JON!" all ten voices yelled out. "Huh? What? What?" he was startled out of his thoughts. Ten grinning faces looked back. "So what are you?" teased Joey. "No no, you are not getting me into this conversation of yours," Jonathan fidgeted, not comfortable to be in the spotlight. "No fair, you gotta tell us," Howie squealed out. This received approval all around.
"Okay, okay. If you must know, I am gay too," Jonathan admitted. "Okay, cool. So no more secrets!" reprimanded Justin. 'Nick is also gay! But wait. Just because he is gay, it doesn't mean he is raring to get together with me,' Kevin shot himself down. Justin and JC were making out on the couch while the others are making small talk. Brian looked at them from time to time. It made him recall the past.
Flashback
"Don't leave me!" Brian screamed into the night. The mysterious person never stopped, continuing walking away into the dark. Brian sobbed his heart out.
"Brian? Why is the door open like that?" Kevin stepped into the house. He took one look at Brian and rushed over to Brian, hugging him close.
Brian never explained the night to Kevin or anyone. He just kept it alive in his memory, not wanting anyone to know.