Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 00:39:44 EDT
From: ZeroDQ@aol.com
Subject: Heaven In Your Eyes -2

Let me begin by thanking everyone who wrote to me.  The positive response I
received managed to boost my ego enough to make me take another stab at
writing.  I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint anyone :), although I am
sorry it took so long to write!  Lets all blame work ;)!  Also, I once
again advise that you all read "Intimate Stranger", "Josh and Just",
"Changes", "Twist and Turns", as well as "This I Promise You", "Because I
Love You" and "Justin's Secrets"!  My list continues to grow and I know I
am missing some good stories out there :D

Legal Stuff: If you are reading this, then I hope it's because you are A)
Of the right age, and B) Are accepting of other relationship types (That's
one way to put it I guess :).  If either of these don't apply, I ask that
you don't continue reading.

Disclaimer: I don't mean to imply that any celebrity involved in the story
is gay in anyway.  (But I do have my own speculations about a few . . . but
I'll keep those to myself :)

Last Time: "Kevin and I haven't always been real close.  Ah mean, we get
along, but were different.  The age gap I guess.  It's not the same as
having a friend."
	"Well . . . uhm what about . . ."
	"You?"  Nick's whole head jerked up.  He heard Brian chuckle and
felt anger begin to swell up inside his body.  How dare he joke around like
that, specially after Nick had opened up his heart to him.  But Brian's
face grew serious, or at least as serious as it could.  "You."
	"What about me?"  Nick raised an eyebrow.
	"You were saying how you always wanted a friend.  What about me?"
This was so strange, yet felt so right at the same time.  Like their was a
connection between the two of them.  Nick couldn't explain it; he had never
felt anything like this in his lifetime.  Was it because they were both so
scared, and in varying ways, alone?  Or was it something more?
	"That would be . . . that would be cool."  Cool?  Nick groaned
inwardly.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

	Morning.
	More correctly, the morning after one of the best dreams Nick
Carter had ever experienced.  Acceptance, Friendship, alien words in his
everyday life.  Yet, during a dream-like conversation, Nick had been given
a chance to encounter both. Finally, he had found someone else who was
alone.  Someone who had reached out to him . . . needed him, instead of the
other way around.
	Nick's scrawny arms wrapped around his pillow, pulling it closer to
his face.  A desperate attempt to hold unto the fading caress of sleep, to
return to a world where the darkness of his life had been broken by the
opening of a door.  It was a fight that he wasn't about to win anytime
soon.  Easily passing through the bus's tinted windows, sunlight had
already began its advance across the floor.  It spread over Nick's sheets,
not slowing as it reached his face.  The battle for dreams only became more
futile as the warmth spread across his exposed skin.
	Nick sighed softly and opened his crystal-blue eyes to accept
reality.  He was back in the world where loneliness' favorite puppet was a
certain blond aspiring singer. Nick felt his heart sink and any desire he
may have had to get out of bed drifted away.  Nick grabbed for his pillow,
pulling it over his head as it hit the mattress.  He had barely begun to
lie still when a flux of depressing thoughts began bombarding his brain.
All in all, it was the normal morning routine for the young singer.
	As he lay in the darkness, a hand gently closed around his
shoulder.  Though the touch was far from malicious by nature, it still came
as a surprise to the unsuspecting Nick.  He leapt upward, completely
forgetting how low hanging the bus's bunks were.  As his head was
connecting with the top, Nick barely held back the array of swears that
popped into his mind.
	"Oh Gosh Nick, I'm so sorry."  There was no sarcasm in the voice,
just pure natural concern.  Perhaps even with a few hints of guilt.  But it
wasn't the emotions of the voice that caught his attention.  Rather, it was
the identity of it's owner. While the hand still rested on his shoulder,
Nick didn't feel the need to brush it away.  As his head slowly turned, two
sets of blue eyes made contact.  Eyes that Nick, during a surreal
conversation, had found himself lost in the night before. The same
conversation that was now replaying in his mind with a vivid accuracy.  It
hadn't been a dream.  His thoughts became monotonous, repeating and
repeating that statement continuously.  Each time, as it gained more
certainty, Nick could feel his heart swelling with more joy.
	"Bri . . . Brian?"
	"Don't be angry with me Nick, please.  You don't know how sorry I
am.  Does it hurt?  Can I get you something?  An icepack?" As Brian poured
the attention down upon him, Nick couldn't help but blush.  Though he felt
like a child, he didn't feel the need to object.  Instead, he watched
silently as Brian continued to ramble on, caring less about what the older
teen spoke, but rather the fact he was speaking at all.  Brian went to
stand, ready to search for the icepack he had only just mentioned.  Nick
was quick to catch his arm, gently holding unto it.
	"Brian, it's all right.  It really doesn't even hurt that bad."
From the way Brian studied his face, Nick could tell that he didn't believe
him.  Nick sighed, then broke into a small smile.  "Really, I'm not going
to die from a little bump on the head."
	Seeming to be finally convinced; Brian squatted down beside the
bedside once more.  Finally, a smile spread across his face.  It was the
same glorious smile that Nick had admired the night before.  It seemed to
be so full of life, so pleasant and honest.  "Sorry about the scare.  I
just figured that my wake-up call would be better then the one AJ is giving
out."  Nick raised an eyebrow, wondering what exactly Brian was talking
about.  As he struggled to hold in his laughter, the older teen's face was
turning a bright shade of red.  "Just ask Howie."
	"Sounds like I should be scared to."  Brian began opening his mouth
to reply, but was instead cut off by his own laughter.  The battle had been
lost, Nick's comment having pushed him over the edge.  As Brian struggled
to regain control, Nick swung his legs off the bed.  "All right, now you've
definitely scared me out of doing out."  The blonde looked down at Brian,
watching as he began calming down.  The ever-present grin still remained
glued to the Kentucky's teen's face.  Nick's mind, however, was currently
dealing less with physical appearance than the situation he was currently
in.  Brian had giggled, actually giggled, at something Nick had said.  The
thought was bringing back the mysterious feelings from last night and, at
the same time, forcing a smile to spread across Nick's face.  It had been
awhile since he had smiled for real.  Sure, there were the photo shoots or
the faces that he put on so his parents didn't think anything was wrong.
But they had been empty, void of any real emotion or happiness.  In fact
nothing, in a long time, had ever brought enough joy in Nick's life to
deserve a true, heartfelt, grin.  Nothing, that was, until this moment.
	"Nick?"  The blonde blinked, shaking his head.  Brian was watching
him thoughtfully.  Or perhaps quizzically was the better word?
	"Huh?  What?"
	"I knew you didn't hear a word I said.  You seriously looked spaced
out there.  Are you sure that everything is all right?"  Brian hesitantly
touched the top of Nick's forehead, feeling around for the newly formed
bump.  Nick blushed and his body began to pull back by instinct, but then
stopped.  Nick relaxed, an unexpected comfort being found in the fact Brian
was caring for him.
	"It's really not that bad, Brian."  Nick's voice was barely above a
whisper.  He looked up into Brian's eyes, becoming lost once again in the
blue orbs of his bandmate.  The smile faded from the elder teen's face as
he stared back.  Silence fell over the two, a comforting silence that was
accompanied by an odd urge in both of their hearts.  They had unexplained
feelings in their young minds that needed answers, needed exploring.  Brian
withdrew his hand from Nick's head, but didn't break the invisible thread
between their eyes.
	The moment was broken by a high-pitched shout.  Brian looked away
and glanced down the corridor, his grin returning.  "Looks like AJ just
woke up Howie."  As if nothing had happened, he stood and raced towards the
direction of Howie's bunk.  Nick remained sitting at the bed, still
recovering from the experience.  Or perhaps the better title was the missed
experience.  That thought hit him, brought a focus back to his mind.
Missed experience?  What had he missed?  What exactly had been going on
between them in those few seconds of silence?
	He remembered the night before, when he had felt some sort of
invisible connection between the two teenagers.  He no longer doubted that
it was more than a simple outcry for attention, a simple end to his
thirteen years of loneliness.  There was something special happening
between them, something that he was almost certain Brian had felt as well.


	"AJ!!!"  The water dripping from Howie's drenched body was forming
puddles on the bus floor.  His face was contorted from a mix of absolute
shock and anger and he stood stiff as his mind struggled to get his body to
react.  AJ's head appeared from around the curtain in the front of the bus,
a practiced innocent look plastered on his face.
	"Yes D?"  AJ added a sweet smile for an extra effect.
	"Don't. Yes. D. Me."  Eyes narrowing, Howie managed to take a step
in the direction of his bandmate.  Brian appeared beside AJ, his face
wearing the same innocent mask as the formers.  "D?  What's wrong?"  His
voice was quivering as he struggled to hold in the bouts of laughter that
wanted to come screaming out.
	"WHAT'S WRONG?  I'M SOAKED!"
	"Oh, is that all."  AJ brought a hand to his chin, rubbing it
contemplatively.  "Hmm, now that you mention it, you do look a little wet.
Maybe you should towel off?"  Howie was still stunned, buying AJ the time
he needed to get a running start.  Muttering to himself, Howie took chase,
nearly colliding with Nick on the way.
	"That was the morning wake-up call?"
	Brian nodded, "See, I promised that you would like mine better."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Well that's it for right now :) I promise that next chapter is going to be
longer ;) Hope yah'll liked it . . . and remember to email me at
DQTorpedo@aol.com :)