Mile High Meeting

Greetings!

I want to apologize to everyone for taking so long to finish this chapter, but I needed some time to step back from the story to evaluate where it is going. I feel like I had lost my way the last few chapters. I have received a few e-mails with suggestions about the storyline, and I found myself trying to implement all of those suggestions into each chapter, and the story got away from me, so to speak.

I finally realized that I need to write this story my way, instead of by committee, so I hope you enjoy this installment as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please let me know what you think! I can't guarantee when I will have the next chapter out, but I am not planning on ending the story any time soon.

That being said, here comes the fun part: This story is not meant to imply anything about the sexuality of any person, place, or thing. It is a work of fiction, and should any similarities between the characters in this story and those in real life are coincidental (as much as I would like for them to be true). If you are underage, you know the drill. The song at the end of the chapter is "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker.

On with the show...

Mile High Meeting-Chapter 17

"So, are you ready to face the firing squad?" I asked Nick jokingly.

"I'm as ready as I will ever be," he replied with uncertainty.

With that, we were walking toward the house, and I walked in the front door, not immediately seeing anyone.

"Mom? Dad? Anyone here?"

It only took about one second for both of them to practically race out of the kitchen to greet Nick and I.

"Cameron!" Mom exclaimed as she pulled me in for a kiss and a hug.

"Hey, Mom! What, no appointments this evening?" I asked.

"I cancelled them all so I could be here when you got home," Mom replied as Dad came in for a hug.

"Wow, you cancelled a whole evening's worth of plans for me. I must be moving up in the world," I said, laughing.

"So, how was the trip?" Dad asked. It was his way of asking how I was without being too direct.

"It went quite well," I said. Nick hadn't said a word, and I am not even sure that he had looked either one of them in the eye. I understood that he was nervous, but this wasn't the impression I wanted Nick to give off. I knew that he wasn't the shy type, and that no one usually intimidated him, so I needed to break the ice as soon as I could.

"Mom, Dad...I would like to introduce you to someone," I said, putting my hand behind Nick's back, pushing him forward so he was even with me. "This is Nick. Nick, these are my parents. I think you can figure out which one is which," I said, bringing a smile to Nick's face.

Mom was the first to greet Nick, and as per usual, she gave him a hug. I can't think of anyone who hugged more than my mother. Fortunately, Nick didn't know this, so he took it as a sign of acceptance, even though it may not have been. Once Mom stepped back, Dad stepped up to the plate, and shook Nick's hand with his usual killer grip. Nick was able to hold his own, and I could tell that Dad was impressed.

"Nice grip," Dad commented.

"It's a pleasure to meet both of you," Nick commented, which garnered a smile from both of my parents.

"The pleasure is all ours, hon," Mom said. "I will have dinner ready in a few minutes, so you guys can head into the dining room if you like."

"I think we'll grab our bags, and take them up to the room, and then we will be down," I informed her.

"Okay...just don't be long, because it's almost ready," Mom warned.

Nick followed me out to the Navigator, and we both grabbed as much as we could, walking back into the house, and up the staircase. I led Nick down the hall to the right, and into my room, which was at the other end of the house.

"This is a great place," Nick commented as we threw our things on the bed. "A queen sized bed even," he observed, making me laugh.

"I'll take you on the tour of the house later, but I have something to take care of first."

"What's that?" Nick asked as I grabbed him, kissing him passionately.

"I've wanted to do that since North Platte 5 hours ago." I said, out of breath.

"Funny, I've wanted you to do it since we left Denver," Nick responded.

He pulled me in for another lip-lock, and I was more than happy to stay that way, but I knew that my parents would be waiting for us, so I forced the separation.

"We don't want to keep them waiting," I said.

"True...I would hate to give them the impression that I am taking advantage of their sweet little boy," Nick joked.

"Now Nick, you and I both know that I am not little," I said, laughing.

"Yeah, right," Nick said under his breath.

"What was that?" I asked, straining to hear him.

"I said, dinner smells wonderful, so we should go eat."

"That's what I thought you said. Let's go," I said as I slapped him on the back of the head as I walked past him.

We walked back down the hallway, and down the stairs, with Nick looking in every room we passed along the way. I led him into the dining room, where there were four places set, two on each side of the table. It was a large table, so it wasn't the most intimate of situations, but since we were eating with my parents, it wasn't a big deal.

Almost all the food was on the table, and a moment later, my parents brought the last two dishes out, putting them on the table before sitting down across from Nick and I. Dad smiled at me, and then proceeded to say grace.

"Well boys, I hope you are hungry. I made enough for about 10 people," Mom said.

"You should have had Andy, Laura and the kids join us. I don't know how much we'll get to see them before I go home," I said.

"I take it you are not staying long?" Dad inquired.

"Well, we only have a couple days. I wanted to show Nick around Iowa City, and I have to take him to Chicago this weekend."

"Why's that?" Mom asked.

"He'll be meeting with his friends there," I said. I forgot the fact that they had no idea who Nick really was. I thought I would see how long it took for them to figure out who he was. "We went up to their house before we came here, so at least we got to see them. I will have to spend some time with the boys tomorrow before I go."

"Good idea. Why don't you guys take them to the zoo? They haven't been there for a while, and you know how much they love the rainforest and the aquarium," Mom suggested.

I looked over at Nick, and he nodded in approval. "Okay. I will call them after dinner, to see if that will work."

We began eating, and the conversation topic turned to me. Apparently, my parents were hell bent on embarrassing me as much as possible in front of Nick. He seemed to be enjoying the stories, if his fits of laughter were any indication.

Nick heard all about my younger days, when they attached a rope to my bibbed overalls so I couldn't wander too far when I was outside, and how when I didn't want to stay around, they would find my clothes still attached to the rope, and they saw me running around without anything on.

The stories continued into my later years, when I was concentrating on something I was reading while walking through a mall, and I ended up walking straight into a glass wall, knocking down a whole shelf of merchandise on the other side. I surmised that my parents had been saving up stories to tell an unsuspecting boyfriend when I least expected it.

I just sat there, watching everyone having fun at my expense, and I had to admit that some of the stories they told were pretty humorous. After an hour or so of this, I decided that I had had enough, so I began gathering up dirty dishes, hauling them into the kitchen. Nick was close behind.

"Did you enjoy story time?" I asked.

"Very much. Your parents are great!"

"Yeah, they aren't too bad. I think they really like you. It must be genetic."

"Well, I am really tired. Do you think they would mind if we hit the sack early?" Nick asked.

"You can if you want to, but I should probably stay up since I haven't seen them in a while. I'll go tell them that you are going to call it a night."

Nick and I went back into the dining room, to find Mom and Dad talking quietly.

"Cameron, I just thought I would let you know that your mother and I are very happy for the two of you. You seem like a perfect fit."

"Thank you," I said. "Nick is pretty tired, so I think he is going to bed. I'm going to go up there for a few minutes, and then I will be back down."

"Okay, Cam. Goodnight, Nick. We're very glad that you can put up with Cameron here," my father said as he stood up and put his arm around Nick.

"Oh, stop it. Nick, we're just ecstatic that you two have met. Pleasant dreams," Mom said as she gave Nick a hug.

Nick was taken aback by all of this, and didn't really know what to say. He finally managed to say 'goodnight,' and we went up the stairs, and down to my room.

The minute we got in the room, Nick sat down on the bed, and let out a sigh.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" I asked.

"No. They are really great. I am just exhausted."

"Poor thing," I said as I opened up his suitcase. "I'm going to put our things in the bathroom, and I will be back out."

I carried my shaving kit and his into my bathroom, and sat them down, taking a few things out for the morning. A moment later, I walked out into my room to find Nick asleep on the bed. 'He must have been more tired than I thought,' I thought as I walked over to him. He looked so sexy even in his sleep, but I knew that he wouldn't be comfortable fully dressed.

I pulled off his shoes and socks, before unbuckling his pants, pulling them down as gently as possible as to not wake him. I repeated the process with his shirt, until he was in only his boxers. I managed to pull down the covers beneath him without too much trouble, and put the sheet over him, kissing him on the forehead and pushing the hair out of his face before turning off the light, and heading back downstairs.

I went into my mom's office to call Andy and Laura about taking the boys to the zoo, and they were excited about it. Austin and Aaron were asleep, but Andy knew that they would be absolutely thrilled with the chance to spend some time with their Uncle, and the feeling was mutual.

That being finished, I wanted to talk to my parents about Nick, to see what they thought of him.

I found them in the media room, watching a news channel. They immediately looked up when they saw me, and mom smiled widely. Dad smiled as well, but was much more reserved.

"So, what do you think?" I asked.

Mom jumped up and gave me a hug. "He is a wonderful young man, and your father and I are very happy for you. I do have a question though. Why does he look so familiar to me?"

I laughed, and walked over to the computer in the corner of the room, logging onto the internet. My parents used this room for meetings and presentations, so the computer was hooked up to a projector; the same projector that they were using to watch television. I brought up the Backstreet Boys website, and prepared to switch from video to computer.

"There's a reason that he looks familiar to you, Mom. Here, I will show you," I said, and with that, I turned the projector to computer, and a gigantic image of Nick popped up on the screen. Both of my parents had a look of shock on their face.

"You mean...Nick is...Nick Carter?" my mother asked in disbelief.

"The same," I replied. "Surprise!"

"Well, I always knew that you had extravagant tastes, Cameron. I guess this proves it," my dad said, putting his arm around Mom.

"We have a world famous singer in our house, and he is dating our youngest son?" Mom asked rhetorically.

"So, do you approve?" I asked.

"Well, of course we do!" Mom exclaimed. "I am just amazed. He seems so normal and down to earth. It's hard to believe."

"It took me a while to get used to it, too. I met him on a gondola ride, and we hit it off right away. Brian was there as well, and the three of us had a nice two weeks together. Well, not all together all the time, but you know what I mean."

"I think I know what you mean, Cameron. I would certainly hope that Brian wasn't involved with 'certain' recreational activities," Dad said with a smile.

"Oh, stop it," Mom said as she slapped him on the shoulder. "I've listened to their CD so many times since you sang 'The Perfect Fan' at your grandmother's funeral. Maybe you'll actually get to sing it with the Boys someday."

"That would be incredible, but I haven't met the rest of the guys yet, so I don't even know if they will like me or not."

"What's not to like?" Mom asked.

"By the way," Dad interrupted, "You sounded great on the radio last night. I think you'll put those two announcers out of a job yet."

"Thanks. I didn't know if you would be able to listen or not," I commented.

"Well, we were in the car, and it was late enough that we could get the signal from the Denver station. Your mother was driving, and she could hardly keep the car on the road. She wanted to stop at every intersection to tell all the other drivers that her son was on the radio," Dad said, chuckling. "I was pretty proud too, you know."

"I know. Well, Nick and I are taking Austin and Aaron to the zoo tomorrow, so I should probably get some sleep. I have a feeling that I am going to need all the energy I can get."

"With those two, you'll need more than that," Dad said. "But they are so much fun to be around that it is worth it."

"I know, and that's why I brought Nick along. I think he has as much energy as they do," I said, not realizing the implications of what I had just said. I knew that my dad was about to say something risqué, but Mom's glare prevented him from doing so. I just smiled at him to acknowledge that I knew where his mind had been.

I hugged them both, and then headed back upstairs to get some sleep. As I undressed, I grabbed the stereo remote off the nightstand, and turned on some music to help me sleep. I turned off the light, and got under the covers, pushing up against Nick, putting my arm around his chest. I was hypnotized by his rhythmic breathing, and soon I was asleep.

When I awoke the next morning, I immediately sensed that something was missing, and my hand searched the other side of the bed for a Backstreet Boy, only to find a cool pillow and sheets. I opened my eyes, and looked around the room, seeing no sign of Nick.

I put on a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, and made my way downstairs to see where he had wondered off to, and found him in the kitchen with my mother, drinking coffee at the breakfast bar. I wandered in during the middle of their conversation, and they did not notice me at first, so I got to hear what they were saying uninterrupted.

"...so Brian and I decided that we would come right out and ask Cameron, and he was very up front about his preference. I was quite surprised, actually," Nick informed my mother.

"That surprises me as well. He usually is not that quick to reveal anything about himself to anyone. Cameron likes to keep people guessing, unless it benefits him. I think he liked you from the start, and wanted you to know right away that he might be interested," my mother surmised.

"That sounds about right," I said as I came into full view. "How long have you been up?" I asked Nick as I put my hands on his shoulders.

"About an hour. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I came down here and found your mother. We've been talking about you ever since," Nick informed me.

"I told you to call me Cathy, Nick," Mom interjected.

"Well, I hope you two haven't been sharing too many secrets," I said, studying the expressions on their faces.

"So, Nick, have you found Cameron's birthmark yet?"

"Mother!" I said in shock, as Nick started laughing. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you mean the big one on his..." Nick started, before I could cover his mouth.

"I have no birthmarks, thank you very much! You guys are unbelievable!"

Mom and Nick both lost it after that comment, laughing hysterically.

"I should have known better than to let you two be alone together. You may tarnish my reputation."

"Well, I guess that's the cue for me to leave," Mom said, standing up. "I have some errands I need to run in town. Laura should be dropping the boys by in an hour, so be good."

"I'll try to keep him in line, Cathy," Nick promised, earning himself a look of death from me.

"Thank you Nick. I'll see you boys later. Your father and I will be home for a while this evening, but then we have a dinner we have to go to, so we will be out late. Have fun with the boys," Mom said as she gave me a hug, and then Nick.

"Love you, mother...I think," I said sarcastically.

"Love you guys...bye," she said with a smile as she walked down the hallway to the garage.

As soon as she was out of sight, I stepped behind Nick, putting my arms around him and nuzzling into his neck. "I am glad that you guys are getting along, even though I may only allow supervised visits from now on."

"Did you notice that she said 'love you guys?' You have an awesome family, Cameron."

"Well, as far as everyone is concerned, I think you are already a part of the family, so get used to it."

"That means a lot to me, Cam. I'm glad that you ended up with at least some of your parents' traits," Nick joked.

"Be careful," I warned, not elaborating. "Would you like a tour of the house?"

"I'd love one," Nick responded.

I took him out of the kitchen, and through the lower level of the house, showing him the media room, my parents' offices, and the library. We went downstairs so I could show him the recreation room, complete with exercise equipment, a pool table, and other games. After that, I showed him the pool, and he made me promise that we would spend some time there, as well as in the whirlpool, and I wasn't about to argue with him.

I showed him most of the upper level as well, and soon we found ourselves back in my room.

"Can I just retire here?" Nick asked.

"I am sure you could afford a far nicer place than this," I observed.

"True, but I really like it here. Plus, your mother and I would be able to talk all the time," Nick offered.

"I guess we can forget about that, then," I said with a smile. "We should probably get dressed before Austin and Aaron get here."

"Wouldn't hurt, I suppose," Nick said. "Although I think you are overdressed right now," he added, looking at me.

"There's no time for that, stud. Maybe later, though," I added to appease him.

We both got dressed, and I was just putting on my sandals as I heard the doorbell ring. Nick was finished, so he bounded out of the room and may not have touched one stair on his way to the front door. I quickly followed, just to make sure that he didn't hurt himself, and I found him talking to Laura with two kids in his arms, both giving him a hug. I was pleased to see that the boys had taken to him so quickly, although I wasn't surprised, as he had had the same effect on me.

"Good morning," I said to Laura as two little ones practically flew from Nick to me.

"Hey Cam...I am really glad you are taking the kids with you...they've been asking about you for weeks, and they are so excited. I'd love to stay, but I have to get to work...have fun everyone!"

"We plan on it," Nick responded. The boys waved as Laura closed the door behind her.

"Well, it's about naptime for you two, isn't it?" I asked.

"NO! You're supposed to take us to the zoo!" they replied in unison.

"Oh yeah...I forgot about that. Well, let's get going then, shall we?"

The boys jumped at the chance, and I locked the front door behind us as I hit the unlock button on my key chain. Both Austin and Aaron wanted to sit up front, but they were both too small to sit up front with the air bag, and I kind of wanted Nick up front with me anyway. Once we were all buckled in, I took off down the driveway, and we were on our way to Omaha.

"So, Austin, I hear all the girls in school are chasing after you," I commented.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So, do you have a girlfriend?" I asked, teasing him.

"Eww...gross!" Austin said, making Nick smile.

"Smart kid," Nick said under his breath.

Nick and I continued to talk to both of them until we reached the exit.

Once off the interstate, it was only a few blocks to the entrance of the zoo. We all filed out of the Navigator, and Nick insisted on paying for us to get in, which touched me. I didn't argue, and soon we were in the Henry Doorly Zoo. Our first stop was the indoor rainforest, which was the largest in the world. I had been in the rainforest many times, but the others hadn't, so we stopped at every sign, and to look at every animal.

I brought along my digital camera, so I would occasionally snap a picture of Nick and the boys, and I couldn't determine who was having more fun between the three of them. As we approached one part of the jungle, I walked ahead so I could turn back and take a picture of the three of them. I knew that there was a live snake encased in a tree over the walkway, so I thought I would take a picture when I drew Nick's attention to it. As he walked underneath the snake, I told him to look up, and I have never seen anyone jump so high in my life! His head almost came in contact with the Plexiglas holding the snake in, which I think freaked him out more. I was laughing so hard that I could barely hold the camera still enough to capture the expression on his face.

Austin and Aaron were both doubled over laughing, and Nick was not at all amused. If looks could kill, I would have been six feet under.

"Paybacks are a bitch, you know," he said with a deadpan look.

"I'm looking forward to seeing it," I said nonchalantly.

We stopped at the waterfall, and the boys got wet standing too close, and Nick made sure to push me right under the water, soaking me.

"Is that the best you can do?" I said, shivering from the ice-cold water.

"That's just a down payment, buddy boy. The best is yet to come."

We continued through the jungle, finally coming to the end of the path, and back outside into the sun. People were staring at me, since I was still 'all wet,' but I didn't pay much attention to them. It was getting close to noon; so we stopped at a refreshment stand to grab a bite to eat.

We all had a mini-pizza, which cost nearly $20. I wasn't going to let Nick pay for this too, so I volunteered to stand in line. Periodically, I would look back at Nick, who was laughing and joking with my nephews, bringing a smile to my face. I loved him so much, and I found myself loving him more every minute. For a split second, our eyes met, and I saw a sparkle in his eyes that I hadn't seen before. I quickly had to come back to reality, or I would have risked losing my place in an endlessly long line, so I turned around to wait for our 'gourmet' pizza.

Once I finally got our food, I sat down at the table between Austin and Aaron. Aaron leaned into me for a quick hug, before starting to devour his food. Nick and Austin followed suit. During the meal, Austin leaned over to whisper something in my ear.

"I really like your boyfriend," Austin said quietly. I was floored by the comment. "He's a pretty good singer too."

"How do you know?" I asked, still in shock.

"Mom has the CD. It's pretty good," Austin said matter-of-factly. Up until that moment, I hadn't even thought about Nick, the Backstreet Boy. No one had recognized him to this point, which was surprising since there were hundreds of girls swarming around us.

"Yeah, he is pretty good," I said, looking over at Nick, who was listening to the whole conversation, taking it all in.

We finished eating, and our next destination was the aquarium, which was another wonderful attraction. Aaron's favorite part of the aquarium was the penguin exhibit, and he would laugh every time one of the penguins jumped in the water, and started swimming frantically. Aaron's laughter was contagious, and soon the four of us were all laughing at the penguins. Before we knew it, there were about twenty people sitting there, watching the display, and laughing right along with us.

Soon, we were walking through the tunnel in the aquarium, with water all around us, and above us. We could watch everything from sharks to devil rays swim above us, as well as a hundred types of beautiful fish.

"I'm glad this glass is as thick as it is, or we would be in trouble," I commented to Nick, who just nodded in agreement. About halfway through the tunnel, I felt a drop of water on my neck, and quickly turned around. Nick looked surprised when I turned around so abruptly.

"Did you feel that?" I asked.

"Feel what?" Nick responded.

"Oh, never mind," I said, trying to convince myself that I had just imagined it all.

A few steps later, I felt a steady stream of water on my head and neck, and I went ballistic. I started yelling out of sheer terror, as a thousand thoughts crossed my mind. I thought the tunnel was collapsing, and as I turned around to warn Nick, I saw him standing there smiling with an empty bottle of water above my head.

The three of them couldn't hold it in anymore, and they busted out laughing. About half the people in the tunnel laughed as well, a few of them even applauding.

"Revenge is a dish best served cold," Nick said. "I thought the water would be cold enough for you," he said with an evil grin.

"You scared me half to death," I admitted, which wasn't easy for me.

"So, I guess we're even?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, we're even...you jerk," I said, hitting his shoulder, making the boys laugh again.

After the aquarium, we went to the cat complex (largest in North America), and the aviary (2nd largest in the world...I think you get the point...it's a great zoo). We were all getting quite tired, so we agreed to ride the train around the rest of the complex. As we approached the front entrance, I noticed some construction. As it turns out, the zoo was building the world's largest indoor desert as well. Nick was thoroughly impressed with the place.

"I've been to a lot of zoos around the country, and this one is one of the best. Who knew that a cow town like Omaha would have such a great attraction?" Nick said. I just shook my head as we got off the train.

It was late afternoon by this point, and we were all ready to go. Austin and Aaron wanted to stop by the gift shop, and Nick ended up buying both of them gifts before we finally made our way back to the Navigator. I fired up the engine, and both of them were out before I got back onto the interstate.

"You have some great nephews there, Cam." Nick said as he looked back.

"They are pretty special. I like to surround myself with special people whenever possible," I said, putting my hand on the center console, inviting Nick to grasp my hand. He obliged, and squeezed my hand as we drove back across the Missouri River. A few miles later, Nick was leaning against the window, asleep as well.

I pulled into the driveway, and up to the house without any of them waking up, so I had to wake them up myself. Before I woke the boys up, I leaned across the console, turning Nick's head slowly and kissing him. Before he was even fully awake, he began moving his lips. His eyes slowly opened to see what was happening.

"I could get used to this," he said as I sat back in my seat.

"I am counting on it," I responded. We opened our doors, and closed them gently. We opened the back doors, and gently unfastened the boys' seat belts. Nick carried Aaron into the house, and I carried Austin. We took them into the family room, and put them on the couch to let them sleep.

Nick and I sat down on the loveseat, and ended up napping ourselves until Austin jumped in between us.

"Aaron and I want to go swimming," Austin said to me.

"Okay. We can do that. Let's go get changed." Nick and I stood up, and went upstairs. The boys had clothes here at the house for occasions just like this, so I led them into one of the spare bedrooms, finding swimming suits for them.

"You guys put these on, and then come over to my room. Do not go down to the pool by yourselves."

"Okay, Uncle Cam," Austin answered for the both of them.

I followed Nick into our room, and pushed the door closed. I found my trunks, and Nick found his. I stopped stripping down for a moment to watch him undress, but quickly remembered that the boys would be here any second, so I finished putting on some trunks just as they opened the door.

"Are you guys ready yet?" Aaron asked.

"Yep," Nick answered. "Let's go!" The three of them raced down the stairs, and out to the pool. I stopped to get some towels out of the hall closet before joining them. Austin was already on the way down the slide as I stepped outside, with Aaron close behind. They were both excellent swimmers, but I wanted to get into the pool just to make sure. Once I saw them both resurface, I went over to the diving board, jumping in. Nick was in the pool by this time, so I swam over to him to give him a quick kiss.

We played around in the pool for about a half hour before I heard Laura's car slowing down on the highway, and driving up the hill. I couldn't see her directly, as the pool was at the other end of the house, so I asked Nick to keep an eye on the kids so I could tell her where we were. I grabbed a towel, wrapping it around my waist before walking down the sidewalk until I could see her. I waved at her as she looked in my direction, and she headed my way.

"Boy, at least the boys aren't going to be spoiled or anything," Laura said with a smile.

"Well, I have to spend time with them while I can." I said, as we began walking around the house.

"You've got a great tan, Cameron. I wish I could get that dark."

"One of the benefits of spending two weeks at 9,000 feet. You get a lot more sun," I said.

"You are really looking great! I can see why Nick likes you so much," she said, making me blush.

"Sorry, Cam...I don't mean to embarrass you. I think Nick is quite a catch too," Laura admitted.

As I opened the gate, Austin and Aaron saw us. "MOM!" they both yelled. They swam to the shallow end of the pool, and began running towards us when Nick told them to slow down. Laura nudged me and smiled at that. She was obviously impressed with Nick in more ways than one.

"Well boys, I hate to cut this short, but we have to get going. We're going to meet your father for dinner in town."

The boys moaned, but didn't argue. "Go get your things, and you can change when we get home," Laura told them.

Laura talked to Nick a bit while we were waiting for the boys to return. A minute later, they returned carrying their clothes.

"Say goodbye, guys," Laura said.

They hugged both of us, and waved as they walked toward the car.

"Bye Uncle Cam, bye Uncle Nick," the boys said. I looked over at Nick, and he was beaming. He almost looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Do they know something we don't?" I asked him as we waved goodbye.

"They are pretty smart kids..." was all Nick said.

We decided to jump in the hot tub to relax for a while before going in the house. Nick got in first, and I sat on the floor of the hot tub in front of him, leaning back as he massaged my shoulders. I was happier than I had been at any time in my life, thanks to the man behind me, and I was determined that I would show him my appreciation every day for the rest of my life.

After about a half hour, we decided to get out of the hot tub. As we walked inside, the phone started ringing, and I saw that it was my mother's cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, hon. I know I said we would be home for a while this evening, but something has come up, so we won't be there until late, so you will have to fend for yourselves."

"Mom, we are leaving tomorrow. Can't you get out of this?"

"I wish we could, but Mr. Berkman is one of our biggest clients, and we can't reschedule."

"Okay. Tell Dad hi, and I guess we will see you sometime," I said, not hiding my disappointment.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Tell Nick hello, and we love you both. Bye."

"Goodbye," I said as I hung up the phone.

Nick had already gone upstairs, and by the time I got up there, he was fully dressed.

"Well?" Nick asked.

"Mom and Dad aren't going to be here until late, so we are on our own. I am really happy that they are so successful, but I would really like to see them once in a while," I said, almost pouting, before realizing what I was saying. "I'm sorry Nick. I know you see far less of your parents than I do, so I don't mean to complain."

"It's okay, Cameron. We both miss our parents. It's only natural, but we have to let them go sometime," Nick said, joking.

"You are such a cornball," I said, laughing.

I stripped down and toweled off, finding some clothes to put on, providing a bit of a show for Nick along the way, which he was appreciating.

Once I was fully dressed, I sat down on the couch.

"So, what are we going to do tonight?" Nick asked.

I thought about it for a moment before thinking. "When is the last time you cooked over an open fire?" I asked.

"I haven't done anything like that in years," Nick said. "That sounds like fun."

"A bonfire it is, then. I'll find some food in the kitchen, and then we'll go up to the campfire."

We went down to the kitchen, and I found some hot dogs and chips. I grabbed some drinks and condiments, and packed them all up. Nick suggested walking to the campfire, but I told him that it was nearly a half-mile back in the woods, and once it was dark, we would never be able to see to get back.

I then got another idea, and I asked Nick if he knew how to play the guitar. He said that he did, so between the two of us, we should be able to make some music. I went down to the rec room to get my guitar, and packed them in the Navigator to take up to the campfire.

We drove up through the hills, and got to the campfire after several minutes. Nick unpacked the food, and I started the fire with ease. The sun was on its way down, so I wanted to build a healthy fire before it got too chilly. I had a couple blankets in the Navigator for later.

After Nick unpacked everything, we found a couple sticks to cook the hot dogs, and eating was relatively uneventful.

"This was a wonderful idea, Cam. This is a lot of fun."

"Glad you are enjoying it, and I can't think of anyone I would rather be with than you," I responded, putting my arm around his.

It was almost dark now, and the fire's warm glow reflected off Nick's skin, making him look so incredibly sexy. Nick reached behind him, pulling out my guitar. He played a few chords, and then began singing to me.

"You are so beautiful...to me, You are so beautiful...to me, Can't you see?

"Everything I hoped for... You're everything I need... You are so beautiful to me,

"You are so beautiful to me, Can't you see?

"You're everything I hoped for, Everything I need... You are so beautiful... To me."

It was one of my favorite songs...It was such a simple song, and yet so powerful when he sang it to me. Tears were flowing down my cheeks as he ended the song. He was crying at the end of the song as well, and as I embraced him the tears really began to flow.

It was completely dark by now, and the fire was burning faithfully. I stood up, and walked over to get the blankets that were in the back of my SUV. I spread one out next to the fire, and sat down on the ground, beckoning Nick to join me. He slid down onto the ground, and as he did, I took his hand in mine, and I leaned in for a kiss, pushing him slowly down onto the ground as our tongues met. Once we were both lying down, I rolled over to his left, and spread the other blanket over us. I again reached for his hand, and as we nuzzled in together, we were both captivated by the millions of stars in the sky.

Out of a world of six billion people, I had found the one person that I knew I would love for the rest of my life. We spent the rest of the night outside, both thankful that fate had brought us together, and determined that nothing would ever tear us apart.

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