DISCLAIMER: O-town, Backstreet Boys and N'Sync are all bands that I don't know. I am not implying anything here. This is strictly created in my fantasies. I wish it was actually happening but I highly doubt it. I am in no way affiliated with Jive or J records, MTV or any other way with these bands. If homosexual content offends you or is illegal for you to read then please leave.
The only thing I have remotely in common with these guys is that Ashley Parker Angel and I were born on the same exact day-August 1, 1981.
FIRST THINGS FIRST: I've been home for Spring Break all week, that's why the updates have been coming so quickly but it hasn't come without a price. I've been sick pretty much since the day I got home and for some reason I just can't seem to shake it. I've been fighting through it so I can put out some new chapters, which was the goal but please understand if I can't. I'm home until Sunday and so far I've done 3 chapters and a sideline for "Encountering Nick" while I've been home so I hope I can put out some more.
I'm kinda running out of ideas lately though. Kdawg threw a bunch my way a few days ago and I am very appreciative of it but he's the only one. A lot of people email me and tell me that they love the story and all that but I'm asking you, my readers now for some ideas. Once I get started on one or two I should be ok to keep going but throw a few my way. Pytn18@hotmail.com
Make sure everyone checks out "Making the Band" every Saturday night at 9pm on MTV.
Other great reads: "Encountering Nick" by Kdawg (Nick Carter story) "Fame, Love and Reality" by Alejandro my good buddy. (Backstreet Boys story- Nick/Kevin/Brian) "Never guess who ran into me today" by SquallThrawn (Lance Bass story) "Encounter in the Sand" by Jeremy (Justin Timberlake story)
http://jcv.5u.com/all/worldofslash/ --Jayson Vascardi's website that features my story and many other slash fiction stories. Go check it out.
Pytn18@hotmail.com for suggestions and comments.
All I Need Is You-Chapter Three
"What can I get ya sir?" the man asked from behind the bar.
He had heard that question asked to him so many times before that it became a repetitive echo drowning out his head. He used to hear it every night, after concerts, before rehearsals, any time that he could possibly get in there to ease the pain of life.
It has been so long since he had felt that pain, so long since life was unbearable for him. For AJ, life had been good lately. They had remained successful through the year, his friends were always there for him and he had met Jacob.
"Jake" AJ let out with a sigh.
A phone call with him was the reason he was sitting at this bar, a forbidden place for him. He had never felt so far away from him after those few words he spoke with him. He loved him, he truly did. No one had ever made him feel that way before. None of his ex-girlfriends, including Amanda Latona of Innocence, who he got pretty serious with, had ever given him the power he feels when he was with Jacob.
After that phone call though, where he told him that Dan and Devon's marriage wouldn't be supported by management, a nerve had struck his boyfriend. Jacob questioned his love asking about their marriage someday. That was a step that AJ wasn't sure he was ready to take. His life had changed so much in the past year or two.
He could remember a time where it was just him and the guys. There were no boyfriends, girlfriends or anything. Nothing could get between them. Life had changed since then and AJ went on without them. They were still very close, but the novelty of it all seemed to fade after a while. Brian and Kevin got married and everyone kinda drifted. AJ needed a friend and alcohol was always there for him.
That eventually turned into a bad addiction and he realized he needed help. The same people who he thought turned their backs on him were there to help him through that rough time. He saw those same 4 guys that he started all of this with. When he got out of rehab, it was a time for celebration, the prodigal son had returned home and everyone welcomed him with open arms. They were about to start a new tour with this new boy-band out of Orlando and everything was exciting again.
Then came New Year's Eve. Everyone was partying and celebrating, AJ with his glass of water of course. He noticed someone from across the room stealing glances at him. It was Jacob, one of the O-town kids. AJ, at this time, was just starting to come to terms with the fact that he was gay. A girl came over to him and without even realizing it gave her a simple kiss on the lips for New Year's. He looked back to see his watcher and noticed he wasn't there.
He quickly scanned the room and saw that the balcony door was just swinging closed. He decided to go see what was up, at least making a friend out of it. It was on that balcony, over a cigarette that Jacob declared that he had feelings for him and the two stayed up all night talking about it. They decided to give it a shot. That had been so long ago, almost a year in fact and so many events had happened since then. Events that brought them together, such as the Lou and Shellie situation and watching Nick and Ashley get married, and things that tried to split them apart such as the Howie deal.
AJ wouldn't trade it in for all the money in the world. Every moment of his time with Jacob was special to him, but things have changed all of the sudden and the tables have turned. Nick and Ashley were supported together and Dan and Devon wanted the same thing but weren't for some reason. This went straight to Jacob's head and scared him, obviously thinking about their marriage before.
"Excuse me sir, is there anything I can get you?" the bartender asked again breaking AJ's daze.
"Scotch and water." AJ said coldly.
The bartender fixed the drink and set it down in front of him and walked away, leaving AJ alone at the bar. AJ brought the glass to his face and inhaled the deep odor. It flooded his head with memories, good ones and bad ones. He was about to take the first sip he's had in close to a year when he was interrupted.
"You sure you wanna do that?" an eerily familiar voice asked from his right.
AJ quickly glanced over and was shocked to see himself sitting next to, well, himself.
"What the, who are you? And why do you look so much like me?" AJ asked.
"Because I am you genius. Well you about two years ago." The other man said.
"That's not possible." AJ said as he turned back forward.
"Are you sure?" the other AJ asked from his left now.
"How the fuck did you do that?" AJ asked
"Nevermind, that's not the reason I'm here." He said
"Oh man I haven't even started drinking yet and I'm already seeing things. Alright man, then why are you here?" AJ asked
"To stop you from being stupid again." He said
"Whatever man, life was good for about a year or so then it went to shit again." AJ said in his low, raspy voice.
"Are you sure about that?" he asked
"You're me, that means you heard the conversation I had with him tonight." AJ said
"I heard a confused boyfriend, one that you love very much, who needs your help. And now you're gonna sit here and cop out on him by breaking your trust with him and breaking it with yourself." He said.
The words echoed through AJ's head. He was right. This wasn't the answer. Jacob was the answer. They needed each other.
"Yeah you're right. I guess," AJ looked over and the other guy was gone.
'Man, that was weird.' AJ thought to himself while getting up. He left the money for the drink and walked out of the bar. He was about to reach the elevators when they opened with Nick inside of them.
"There you are, I went to your room to talk to you and you weren't there. What were you doing down here?" Nick asked
"Just talking to myself" AJ said with a smile
"Huh? Is everything ok?" Nick asked
"Yeah Nicky, everything is great." AJ said walking with his friend into the elevator.
Dan and Ashley sat in Ashley's hotel room, a pizza box almost empty in the middle of the bed as the two men were on either side of it. Dan had come to Ashley to just talk about everything that was going on.
"I just don't know Ash. I was just shocked when they said they wouldn't support it." Dan said
"Danny, you know that me and Nick are behind you 100% on this." Ashley said while taking a bite of his slice of pizza.
"I know you guys are. You guys always are. You're two of the closest friends we have but the way Clive said it was so weird." Dan said
"What do you mean?" Ashley asked
"He said it like he had a frown on his face. It was like it hurt him to tell me this news." Dan said
"Clive is like a father to us Dan. I bet it did hurt him." Ashley said.
"This is just so frustrating." Dan said as he laid fully on his back on the bed.
"How did all of this get so far?" Ashley asked
"All of what?" Dan asked
"Everything, it seems like yesterday that I ran into the room with news that we were touring with the Backstreet Boys. Now I'm married to one of them and you're engaged to a heartthrob actor. When did life get so deep?" Ashley asked with a laugh.
"We finally made it Ash. Tell me one thing though, what does it feel like to wear that ring?" Dan asked.
"This one?" Ashley lifted up his left ring finger revealing the beautiful gold wedding band.
"No, that decoder ring you got in your cereal this morning. Yes, that one!" Dan said with a laugh.
Ashley hit him with a pillow then settled down to answer the question.
"It's honestly one of the best feelings in the world. When there's some bullshit going on somewhere, it doesn't matter because you look down at it and it reminds you that there's always something you can fall back on. There's always love waiting for you somewhere. It's a great feeling especially with the two stud boyfriends we've got." Ashley said with a laugh.
"Amen to that, I remember when you told me about Nick I got so jealous. That boy is fine." Dan said with a smile.
"Dude, have you taken a look at what you go to bed with every night? I don't even wanna hear about it." Ashley said as the two men laughed the night away.
It was a simple sign that showed so much. With all that happens, one thing can conquer it all-friendship. Laughter truly is the shortest distance between two people.
All of O-town's management was gathered together in an Orlando office, Clive Davis sitting at the front of the boardroom table.
"I've called this meeting today to discuss a few things that have been on my mind" Clive said as everyone paid attention to the owner. "I want to talk more about Dan and Devon's engagement." Clive said
The room was filled with talking and people arguing after this was brought up.
"Clive we talked about this the other day. There's no way we'll be able to hide two marriages." Mike, the tour manager said
"You pay us to make these types of decisions Clive now please let us make them." Another manager said.
"I just don't understand how we can fully support Nick and Ashley and not give Dan and Devon the same treatment, especially when Dan and Ashley are the two people that draw the most attention out of the whole band." Clive said
"That's the whole point. Ashley and Dan get the most attention, therefore it would be hard to hide the fact that both of them don't have girlfriends, etc." Mike said
"How about the fact that Dan is so upset with us right now? What if he decides to leave?" Clive said.
"Dan won't leave Clive, he's got too much potential with O-town." Another manager said.
"That's exactly my point. Dan's the best dancer out of all of them, he's got the voice that carries half of our songs and he gets good attention from the girls. What would stop him from leaving?" Clive asked
"Look Clive there's no use in fighting about this. It was hard enough to arrange for Nick and Ashley's wedding to be in the dark, if we let Dan and Devon get married that means AJ and Jacob will be not so far down the line and then Lance and Trevor, Erik and Mandy and now all of the sudden we've got 5 married O-town members. Who would follow them then?" Mike said
"Look at Brian and Kevin from BSB. They're married and they haven't lost the fans. We can't control their lives. Lou did that and I refuse to put these guys through that again. They don't deserve it. I love them too much as sons and I'll be damned if they're gonna get hurt by anything." Clive said as he sat back down in his chair.
All men at the boardroom table just stared at each other, not sure of how they would solve this stalemate.
Jacob sat alone in his room. He wasn't in the mood to do or see anything. Everything around him was getting to him. Everything seemed to bother him. This whole thing with AJ and Dan and Devon was really bothering him. It was such a frustrating situation that seemed to bring a drag on everything. The ring of his cell phone brought him out of his trance.
He looked at the caller ID and saw the words "Alex Cell". Jacob sighed not sure whether or not he should pick it up. He wasn't ready for another argument but his boyfriend deserved better than him ignoring it.
"Hello." Jacob said as he answered the phone.
"Hey babe. You feeling any better?" AJ asked
"Not really." Jacob said coldly.
"Oh that's too bad. Well Ashley called me with some good news. He wanted to tell you but he said you were kinda keeping to yourself so I figured I would call and let you in on it." AJ said
"What is it?" Jacob asked.
"Clive put his foot down and management is forced to support the wedding and any other relationship or wedding that you guys feel is necessary." AJ said.
"That's good" Jacob said still being colder than usual.
"Jake, I'm sorry. I wasn't being supportive at all the other day. I do love you, with every part of me. I was just surprised the other night when marriage came up because we had never really talked about it. I did a lot of thinking the other night and I do want to marry you someday, whenever the two of us are ready. I don't care about Nick and Ashley or Dan and Devon, I only care about you. Whenever me and you decided that we're ready, then I will be happy with that. I'm sorry Jake, I should have been there for you and I wasn't." AJ said.
"Finally, I can stop being mad at you." Jacob said with a laugh.
"Damn, it feels good to hear you laugh again baby." AJ said with a smile.
"I love you Alex." Jacob said.
"I love you too Jake." AJ replied with a smile on his face that was meant only for one man.
TO BE CONTINUED...
<<<< Pytn18@hotmail.com for comments and suggestions. >>>>