Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 19:09:08 EDT From: KandLStories@aol.com Subject: The Maze of Moments Ch. 14 - celebrity/boyband DISCLAIMER TIME KIDDIES!! No, I don't know Lance Bass, Justin Timberlake, or any of the other members of N'Sync. What follows is the latest installment in the continuing story that emerges from my warped little imagination. All other characters are fictional, and any coincidence is just that. Please, don't sue me. You won't get much! I'd like to take a little time here to do a few things, so if you'll indulge me, dear reader, I greatly appreciate it. First off, Ye Writer would like to extend a warm thank you to everyone who has written in with comments about the Maze of Moments series. It means a great deal to me. I apologize for taking so long in getting this chapter out, but you know how things happen sometimes. Life gets in the way. Ah, if only I could be paid for writing slash. And speaking of slash, I'd also like to take a couple of minutes to do some pimping here, and point you in the direction of some truly outstanding stories that are out there. First and foremost has to be My Surprise Romance, written by my one and only Guru, the wonderfully talented Gabriella Morrison. This was the one that inspired me folks. So, if you like my little tale, you will absolutely love hers. Next, I highly recommend Jamie's Romance and the companion tale, Lance's Story by Jim. Great stuff. Just great. If my writing was as half as good as his....whoa. Also, two others real quick. Lance's Search and Just Together are well written and imaginative stories that feature everyone's favorite N'Sync member. Just Together is notable because it also features Justin and Danny, from Real World 9. There are others that I am probably forgetting, so I'll try and do better next time. Promise! Next on the agenda, I encourage you to visit railwayshoes.net, the home of Gabriella, who has been sweet enough to host my story. Go there. Now. Please? I don't really know if there are any words left that can express the hurt, outrage, and sympathy we all feel in regards to the events of 9/11/01. Needless to say, my prayers and thoughts are with the victims, their families, the rescue workers, and the communities affected by that horrible day. I can only hope that by reading this story, you are able in some small way to forget the events of the past few days and escape for a little while. God Bless America. Lastly, a special thank you to the Friday Night Club for putting up with me and inspiring me without fail. Love you guys, more than you know. Hey, tell me what you think! Drop me a line at KandLStories@aol.com and make your voice heard! A Kevin and Lance Story and The Maze of Moments copyright 2001. Thanks for waiting (longer than usual, too! Whew!) and now on with the show!! --Tony The Maze of Moments - A Kevin and Lance Story Chapter 14 - You Make Loving Fun "Sweet, wonderful you...you make me happy with the things you do" --from "You Make Loving Fun" by Fleetwood Mac It was shortly after nine o'clock Saturday morning when Lance Bass stirred awake. Rolling over, he saw Kevin sleeping soundly on his right side, facing away from him. Apparently during the night they had moved about the bed and become separated. Sitting up and stretching, he decided to surprise his boyfriend by serving breakfast in bed. Moving quietly so as not to disturb him, he got out of bed, crept over to the closet for a shirt and a pair of shorts, and left the room, pausing once to look over his shoulder and smile at the site of his boyfriend, all curled up and looking cute. Walking down the hall, he went past the large bathroom and could hear the shower running. Apparently Justin had not left yet....and Lance could swear he could hear singing coming from behind the closed door. Pausing in front of it, he listened carefully, and could just make out the words his friend was singing: "You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life....See that girl, what's her scene..." 'Dancing Queen?' Lance thought to himself. 'Maybe there's more to Justin than meets the eye...' With a chuckle and a grin on his face, Lance continued on downstairs to his kitchen. He started to brew a pot of coffee and cut some fruit up in a bowl. As he was arranging some muffins on a plate, Justin came in, his hair still a little damp. "Morning Scoop. You sleep okay?" he asked. "I slept great, yeah. I'm making you some coffee to take with you in a thermos...don't want you falling asleep at the wheel you know. What would the group do without you?" "Hmm. I guess promote you to a lead." Lance looked up and smiled. "Well, in that case, how about I give you some warm milk to take instead?" Justin laughed and took an apple from a bowl on the table. "No cereal?" Lance raised an eyebrow. "Nah, not this morning." Justin crunched into the apple, chewing it and swallowing before continuing. "Mind if I grab a cup before I hit the road?" "No, not at all." Lance was back at his tasks and didn't look up. "Hey, Justin, there's something I need to ask you. You know we're going back on the road after this week....and things are going pretty good with me and Kevin and all....well, I was sort of wondering if you think...that is, if you wouldn't mind if..." "Fine with me," Justin said, sticking the apple in his mouth to free up his hands and pour himself coffee. This quick answer caused Lance to look up from what he was doing. "But...I didn't even ask you yet." "Oh. Well, I thought you were going to ask if it was okay if Kevin came with us on the tour, or met up with us along the way. But, if that's not what you were going to ask...." Justin sipped his coffee and then took another chomp out of the apple. "Yeah....yeah, that is what I was going to ask. How the hell did you know that?" Lance had an astonished look on his face. Justin shrugged as he finished off his apple. "I'm just that good. Been working on ESP in my spare time." "Very funny...really, how did you know?" "I just guessed, that's all. I don't mind one bit if Kevin comes along. It'll be nice to have someone to run hoops with...he's almost my equal you know." "Oh. Well, you're a good guesser then." Lance went on, cutting a few slices of bread, and asked his next question, again without looking up. "Do you think that....." "No, they won't mind at all, but I can talk to them if you want." Again, Justin had answered the question before it was even asked. "Alright Timberlake, what the hell is going on here?" Lance put down the knife and loaf of bread, crossed his arms and stared at his friend. "How do you know what I'm going to ask you before I even ask it?" "I told you, and you said yourself....I'm a good guesser," Justin smirked as he took another sip of his coffee. Lance was about to say something else, but was interrupted. "Scoop, listen. If you weren't asking this stuff, I'd be wondering about you, you know? It's only natural that you'd want Kevin to come with us. Hey, we've all had our significant others along for the ride at some point...it's your turn, it's only fair." Lance blinked. "Thanks, Justin." "You're welcome. I'll give the other guys a holler later today, okay? And I'll pass along the details of the concert. That way you can have a worry free weekend with your boy." He finished up his coffee and put the cup in the sink. "You got that thermos you mentioned?" "Oh, yeah." Lance was still in amazement. He figured that, being gay, he might have to do a little convincing of the others to let Kevin come with them, or meet them in various locations. 'I should have known they'd be great about it,' he thought to himself as he got a thermos out of his cabinet. 'If Justin was fine with it, the others probably will be too.' "Don't worry about talking to Johnny about it either, I can take care of that for you on Monday before I come back. You'll need, what, all access? The usual stuff for him?" Justin asked as he took the thermos and started to pour from the coffee pot. "You...you'd do that for me?" Lance asked, stunned once more this morning by his friend. "Yeah, why not? Lance, you can't take care of everything, all the time. I can do this for ya, it's not a big deal." Justin finished pouring and added some cream and sugar. "Besides, you do more than your fair share. I'm just pitching in, that's all." "Just...I don't know what to say..." "Thank you would be nice. Hey, we're friends. This is what friends do." He finished screwing the top of the thermos and walked with his host and friend towards the front door. His overnight bag was at the foot of the stairs, and he paused to pick it up. "Have a great weekend, okay? Give me a holler if you need anything...I'll see you guys Monday afternoon." "Thanks, Justin. I mean that," Lance said as he hugged his younger friend and walked outside with him. "Hey, no problem, Scoop. Play nice with each other, huh? Tell Kev I said bye." Walking to his car, he popped the trunk and dropped in his bag. As he walked over to the drivers side door, he saw a silly grin come over Lance's face. "What?" he asked. "Justin. ABBA?" Lance asked. Laughing, Justin got in his car and rolled down the window. "Yeah, well. Always expanding my horizons and all. See ya Scoop!" He started the car and backed out the driveway, exchanged waves with Lance, and drove off. Shaking his head and laughing, Lance walked back inside to finish up breakfast. As Justin made his way to the interstate, he chuckled to himself. He almost told Lance about his late night visitor. Almost. ********** It was a wonderful dream. Kevin was with Lance somewhere...not quite sure, but it was outside, because he could feel the cool breeze drifting over their naked bodies. They kissed and touched, fondled and caressed each other, causing pleasant sensations to ripple down to the erect manhood that jutted out from their groins. They were on a beach. Yes, it had to be. He could hear the surf pounding against the shore, he could feel the spray of the water over their bodies. The grit of the sand stuck to them as they rolled back in forth in each other's embrace. And the smells. Those wonderful, outdoor smells that only an isolated beach on a warm summer day could provide. The salt in the air from the ocean, the freshness of the leaves of palm trees swaying in the breeze. The coffee, freshly brewed and.... Coffee? Kevin stirred a little in bed and inhaled deeply. Definitely coffee. Rolling over onto his back, he opened his eyes and saw Lance putting a tray down on the trunk at the foot of the bed. "Hey you," he said with a touch of sleep in his voice. Lance turned and smiled as he saw that Kevin was awake. "Hey, sexy. Good morning." "Great morning. Always is when you're around. Is that coffee I smell?" "Yeah, I brought us eats and treats," Lance answered as he stripped off the shirt he had put on and joined Kevin on the bed. "I thought you might like some breakfast." Kevin reached up and took Lance in his arms, pulling him down for a deep good morning kiss. "Mmmm....maybe you'd like something else to start off the day with then?" Lance asked when they finally broke the kiss. Before Kevin could say anything in reply, his stomach grumbled loudly, causing them both to laugh. "Well, I guess there's your answer. Sorry," Kevin said with a grin. "No problem, I understand entirely. Why don't we eat then?" Kevin sat up in bed as Lance reached over and put some goodies on a small plate. Kevin was about to take it, when Lance shook his head, and picked up a small piece of banana and fed it to him. This went on with slices of oranges and apples as well. Once the fruit was gone, it was Kevin's turn. He picked up a blueberry muffin off of the tray and broke off a bit, feeding it to Lance, who seductively cleaned off Kevin's finger of crumbs. This went on for several minutes, using muffins and slices of bread and jam, some of which dripped down onto Lance's chest. "Whoops, look at me. I'm such a slob...." Kevin leaned over and licked it off slowly, causing Lance to moan. "Mmmmm...tasty." "You want that coffee now?" Lance asked playfully. "In a minute," Kevin whispered in reply, once more pulling down his love to lay next to him and make out. Again, this went on for several minutes, and they paused only for Lance to take off his shorts. "First thing in the morning snugglebunnies....I could get to like this," Lance said with a grin. Unknown to the two of them, someone was approaching the house. He was uncertain if anyone would be home, but the site of the 4 Runner in the driveway told him everything he needed to know. He walked up to the front door, and rang the bell. Lance looked up and took his mouth off of Kevin's cock when he heard it ring. Kevin looked down questioningly. "Expecting anyone?" he asked. "No...I told the folks I would be away for the whole weekend, and Justin's already gone." Ignoring whoever was at the door, Lance put his head back down and licked Kevin's balls. The doorbell rang again. "Aren't you going to see who it is?" Kevin asked between moans. Sighing, Lance got up and trotted out of the room, naked, to one across the hall, so that he could peek out a window and find out just who the hell was bothering him on a Saturday morning. Stepping through his office, he reached the window, crouched down, and parted the blinds. What, or rather who, he saw, made him panic just a little. "Oh, SHIT!" he said, loud enough for Kevin to hear. Getting back up, he practically him over as he dashed back towards the bedroom. "What? Who is it?" Kevin asked. Lance, though, was inside the room, tugging on his shorts and muttering to himself. "Would have to show up now....perfect timing, just perfect..." "Lance, who is it?" Kevin tried again as he stood in the doorway. "It's Terry," Lance answered as he pulled his shirt over his head. "I gotta go head him off at the pass." "So? Just don't answer the door. What's the big deal?" Kevin wondered. "The big deal," Lance explained as he jogged into the hall and past Kevin, "is that he has a key to the house, remember? And it would be just like his eager young self to let himself in to check the messages and mail and everything while the boss sleeps in! Get some clothes on!" Lance's voice trailed off as he ran down the stairs. With a shake of his head, Kevin went back over to the bed and bent down to pick up the boxers he had worn the night before during his conference with Justin. Then, realizing that they were indeed Lance's, he dropped them and sifted through the clothing for his own. As he put them on, he wondered just how Lance was going to explain his presence. Meanwhile, Lance had broken some sort of indoor speed record. He reached the front door and slid to a stop. Pausing for a moment to catch his breath and run a hand through his hair, he unlocked and opened it. Terry Reid was just about to use his key when this happened, and he took a step back as his doorbell ringing was finally answered. "Mr. Bass! Did I wake you?" he asked. "Good morning to you too, Terry. Nah, I was up already....guess I just didn't hear the bell. And don't call me Mr. Bass!" Lance answered. "Oh, okay. I'm glad I didn't wake you up then...uh...Lance." "No problem. What did you need?" "Well, nothing really. I just came by to see if you needed anything, and maybe to check the phone messages and email. I thought you probably came in late last night and hadn't gotten around to it." 'Yep, I was right,' Lance thought as he smiled at the sandy haired young man in front of him. Lance genuinely liked Terry. Ever since hiring him, he had come to respect and admire his work ethic, and the dedication and enthusiasm he brought to FreeLance, and as a personal assistant in general. In a way, he was almost more of a workaholic than he was. Still, if only he could just get him to stop calling him Mr. Bass. "Nah, I have it under control Terry. We're going to be busy next week with the concert, so why don't you just take the rest of the....what are you looking at?" Terry was peering over Lance's shoulder, because he had seen Kevin come down the stairs, turning towards the kitchen. Lance looked behind him and saw this, and breathed a sigh of relief that his boyfriend had the good sense to put on some clothing. He turned back to face Terry, who had a confused look on his face. "I didn't know you had company," he said. "Um...yeah. That's Kevin Douglas. Remember, I told you about him. He sort of came up with the idea for the concert. Now, why don't you...." But Lance was cut off as the eager Terry, who was also perhaps just a little curious now, saw an opportunity to help out, or at least attempt to. "Do you think I should meet him? I mean, find out if he thinks we'll need anything for next week?" he asked. Lance sighed and thought to himself for a minute. 'Well, I guess it couldn't hurt....they're going to have to see each other next week anyway.' "Yeah, why not. Come on in," he said, opening the screen door and stepping aside. Terry walked on ahead of Lance to the kitchen, where Kevin was drinking a glass of juice. "Morning. Kevin Douglas," he said, extending his hand. "Terry Reid, very nice to meet you Mr. Douglas," Terry said while shaking his hand. The use of formality once again caused Lance to roll his eyes and Kevin to grin. "Call me Kev, it's cool. Nice to meet you, too. Lance has told me a lot about you." "He has?!" Terry said, a little too excitedly. This caused Kevin to raise his eyebrows upon hearing the reaction, and he shot a sideways glance towards Lance, who just shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, he has. He said you work very hard for his company, and that you're a big help to him when he's out of town," Kevin explained. "Oh....oh, yeah. Well, you know. I...ah...just want to do good work, you know. Is there anything I can get for you Mr. Dou...um, Kevin?" "Get for me?" Kevin asked. "Yes, you know. Like, for this week. Is there anything you need?" "Oh, that. No, I think I'm okay, thanks. Unless you can whip up a new transmission for a Jeep Wrangler maybe?" Kevin dead panned, referring to the previous days incident where his vehicle broke down. "Well, I guess I could call around...." Terry started. "No, no! Terry, dude, I was just kidding! You really don't have to do that!" Kevin laughed. Lance, on the other hand, rolled his eyes again and shook his head. "Terry, why don't you just relax this weekend, okay? We're going to be busy enough as it is come Monday. Go...do whatever it is you do when you're not doing things for me. Okay?" Lance said. "Oh. Okay." Terry looked just a little crestfallen when he heard his boss say this, and this did not go unnoticed by at least one other person in the room. "Say, Terry. Why don't you come back later tonight, we'll grill out or something. Lance here was talking before about how he makes a mean chicken leg out there," Kevin said. "I did?" Lance asked. "Yeah, remember, on the drive yesterday? What do you say dude? Join us." "Umm. Well, if you don't mind Mr. Bas...er, Lance. If that's okay with you?" Terry asked as he turned towards Lance. Lance looked out of the corner of his eye, and saw Kevin wink at him. "Yeah, sure. It's not a problem. Head back this way around seven or so. That cool?" "That would be great! Okay...uh, should I bring anything?" Terry was once again being eager and helpful. "Nah, we have it covered. We'll see you later, okay?" Lance was now leading his young employee back towards the front door. "Take it easy this afternoon. Bye!" He watched as Terry got in his car and drove off, waving. He also noticed the huge smile on his face. Shaking his head, Lance closed the door and returned to the kitchen, rejoining Kevin, who was seated on a stool at the breakfast bar. "What was all that about?" Lance asked. "You're not mad, are you?" "No, not really. I just thought we were going to spend the weekend alone, that's all." "It's just one night, Lance. Besides, he seems like a good enough kid. This can be a way to show your appreciation for the work he does." "I guess." Lance now joined Kevin on the barstool next to him. "So much for skinny dipping then." "We can do that tomorrow," Kevin laughed. "Unless you want to add more fuel to his crush, then we can do it in front of him." "His what?" Lance asked, confused. "His crush. Terry's." "You don't really think that..." But Lance was interrupted before he could finish his sentence. "Yeah, I do. You saw his reaction to what we were saying. Babe, he doesn't just look up to you, I think he kind of likes you. It's cute, you know?" Kevin said with a smile. "I guess. I just never noticed before. You think I should tell him about me? About us?" "Maybe not right away, but it's probably a good idea. Better to do that than to string him along, you know? You don't want him to get hurt....trust me, I know a little bit about that." Lance looked up with a worried expression. "Kev, I didn't mean to...." "Forget it," Kevin said with a wave of his hand. "Not a big deal, I'm just mentioning it for emphasis. Now, if I may change the subject, Mr. Bass." "Sure, what?" Lance smiled and reached out to hold his boyfriend's hand. "What was this surprise you had in store for me today? And when do I get to see the rest of the house? And are we going to finish what you started this morning?" Kevin grinned as the list grew, and this caused Lance to laugh. "Well, I can show you the house right now if you want, and we can finish our morning snugglebunnies in the shower. As for the surprise...well, let me ask you this. What do you know about horses?" ********** As he bumped up and down in the saddle, Kevin mentally cursed himself once again for speaking without thinking first. Oh, yeah, I can ride a horse. No problem. Now tell that to my ass. Lance trotted a few feet ahead, clearly enjoying himself, and grinning. Enjoying himself because he truly loved horses, and grinning because he had a feeling Kevin was fibbing him. The horse farm was owned by a friend of his, and Lance was always a welcome visitor. Two beautiful brown mares had been saddled and were awaiting their arrival. After exchanging pleasantries, and going over some last minute instructions with the owner, Kevin and Lance were left to their own devices. Lance mounted with no effort. Kevin, on the other hand, about fell flat on his back the first time he attempted it, causing Lance to laugh a little. This was the first clue that Kevin was trying to impress him. "Sorry, haven't done this in awhile," Kevin said as he brushed himself off. "No problem," Lance replied as he tried not to laugh. Adjusting his sunglasses, he saw that the second try was successful. "Ready?" "Um. Yeah. Sure." Kevin said in a less than confident tone. "Okay, then. Let's go." Lance made a clicking noise and kicked gently with his right foot. The steed walked off at a slow pace, leaving Kevin behind. Seeing that Lance was a safe distance ahead, Kevin took the reins in his hands and leaned forward a bit. "Okay, horse," he whispered, "you be good to me, and I'll be good to you. Don't make me look bad here." However, Kevin had no idea how to get the horse to go. He pulled up on the reins a little, which the mare apparently did not like, as it shook its head and neighed. Then, trying again, Kevin kicked with both of his feet into the side of the horse, which amounted to nothing. Finally, and getting a little frustrated, he made the same clicking noise he heard Lance make. That seemed to work, as the horse began a slow trot. In the wrong direction. 'How the hell do you steer this thing??' he thought to himself, as he rode off to the extreme left of Lance. Lance, meanwhile, had turned to look behind him, and saw that Kevin was having just a small problem. "Whoa, girl," he said softly, as he pulled on the reins gently. Man, what I wouldn't do for a camera right now, he thought to himself. "Hey, Kev...this way man. That way goes back to the parking lot," he called. "Um...yeah. Yeah, I know. Just...just wanted to see what else was over here...." Kevin replied. Fumbling around with the reins, he finally got his mare to turn in the right direction and made his way over to Lance. "Okay, I'm ready when you are." "Uh-huh. And you're sure you've done this before?" Lance asked with a smirk on his face. "Oh, yeah, sure. Like I said...just...uh...been awhile, that's all." Shaking his head, Lance rode off again. Thankfully, Kevin's horse followed along. What he wasn't prepared for, however, was the discomfort that came when one did not ride a horse correctly. While Lance kept his rear end elevated off of the saddle at certain times, Kevin sat in place, looking just ahead to Lance, and wondering why he was bouncing up and down every once and awhile. Twenty minutes later, roughly, he began to realize why. 'I hate it when Eric is right,' he thought to himself. 'Engage brain first. Dammit!' Lance looked behind him again and saw that Kevin was in more than a little discomfort. Turning his steed, he trotted back over. "You okay?" he asked. "Um. Lance. I sort of have a confession to make babe. Remember when I told you I've ridden a horse before? Uh, that wasn't exactly the truth," Kevin said, as he miraculously got his horse to stop so that he and Lance could talk. "Oh it isn't now?" Lance grinned. "Yeah. I..uh..sort of rode one once at a fair. But, I was like...oh, ten years old or something like that. And I'm really starting to appreciate my jeep right now." Lance laughed and shook his head. "Kevin, you don't have to try and impress me, okay? Really. I love you for you....even if you don't know how to ride." "I know, I'm sorry. Man, my ass is killing me!" "That from the horse or from last night?" Lance asked with a wag of his eyebrows. "Mainly the horse. Why is it that you like doing this, exactly?" "Because, horses are beautiful creatures, that's why. And they're very intelligent....aren't you girl?" Lance reached down to pat the side of his mare's head as he said this. "I like this, it's fun. Being out here in the open, getting fresh air, saddled up. It's great!" "Yeah, wonderful," Kevin said dryly. "Look, you're just not doing it right. Here, watch me." Lance then trotted off, and showed Kevin what to do; how to sit correctly, how to get the horse to go or to stop, how to get it to sidestep, so that they could stand next to Kevin and his horse. "See? It's easy? Now, you try those things as we head back, okay?" "Yeah, okay. But next time, can I just ride ponies at the fair instead?" ********** "What's your middle name?" After riding back and dismounting, they decided to walk around the farm for awhile. Kevin put up with some good natured ribbing from Lance over the funny way he was walking, and insisted that he would get payback at some point down the road. They eventually wound up at a pond at the rear of the property, and decided to sit in the grass. This was when Lance asked the question. "I never told you?" Kevin replied. "No, and I don't think it ever dawned on me until just now for some reason. So what is it?" Lance asked again. "You'll think it's stupid," Kevin said, pulling up some blades of grass. "I won't, I promise. Come on, tell me. Please?" "Okay. It's Marshall." "Kevin Marshall Douglas. I like it. It sounds very southern." "Yeah, which is odd considering I'm a Yankee by origin, don't you think?" "A little, yeah. But it's not stupid at all. No worse than James Lance Bass." "True. And much better than Eric's." "Oh? What's his middle name?" "Montgomery," Kevin said with a grin. "Now that really is southern, isn't it?" Lance laughed. "It's cool though...it has a nice sound to it." He paused and looked out on the pond. "It's so beautiful out here. I feel so calm and relaxed." "I've never been much of an outdoor type in the way you are, but you're right, this really is nice." Lance nodded before continuing. "I hope you didn't mind my asking about your middle name, but there's still so much about you that I don't know yet." "Not at all. Ask away." "Well, what were you like in high school?" Lance asked. "A jock," Kevin said with a laugh. "Starting quarterback from my sophomore year on. We almost won state my senior year." "You just play football?" "I did baseball for awhile too, played catcher." "Did you try and play at Ole Miss?" "Nah. I got recruited by the local college back in Bowling Green, but I came here instead. I thought about trying to walk on, but changed my mind. I guess I had my fill of it." "You weren't the typical dumb jock, were you?" Lance asked with a playful nudge. "Hardly," Kevin grinned. "I was actually a pretty nice guy when it came right down to it. I kinda looked out for the freshmen on the team, that kind of thing. I had my moments, but I wasn't an asshole or anything. Well, what about you, Mr. Bass? What were you like in high school?" "I was a dork," Lance replied, causing Kevin to laugh. "I was. Not the most popular, but not the biggest nerd either...I sort of fell in the middle. I guess I was popular enough in my own right, you know? But I did student council and choir and all, not sports, so that kind of shut me out from a lot of people. I'm surprised the guys wanted me. I certainly wasn't as good looking as the rest of them." "The ugly duckling turned into the swan, huh?" "I suppose so. I remember I was just in awe of all of them, how talented and handsome they were, you know? And I always felt so inadequate next to them. Well, except maybe for Joey," Lance looked up and grinned. "But, as time went on, and I got more comfortable around them, those feelings went away. I guess I had some last minute blossoming to do as well." "Well, I'd say it was worth the wait," Kevin leaned over and kissed Lance. "You call me sexy...you should look at yourself in the mirror sometime, you know that?" "I guess," Lance answered. He waited for a few moments before continuing. "Have you ever thought about the future?" "Mine, ours, or in general?" "I guess all of the above." "Well, I don't think it's fair to think about us in terms of the future, you know? Let's be honest here, and I'm not trying to be mean, but it's only been a week after all." "No, I know." "Okay. Didn't want you to get upset or anything. As for mine...I just sort of take things one at a time, you know? I find that planning ahead sometimes works out, and sometimes it doesn't. You never know what kind of curve life will throw you when you least expect it." "What about a career?" "You mentioned that once before if I recall correctly," Kevin smiled. "You hinting at something here Lance?" "Maybe," Lance sort of blushed. "Just hoping you keep all your options open. All I'm saying is that if you ever think about doing something in the music industry, I just may know who to hook you up with." "Oh? So what are the Backstreet Boys up to these days?" Lance's mouth opened wide as Kevin began to laugh, and leaned over to tickle his boyfriend. Falling on top of him, they wrestled playfully back and forth for several minutes, until Kevin rolled off and onto his back, groaning a little in as he caught his breath. "Man, I can't remember the last time I was this sore!" Lance leaned over him, looking into his eyes upside down. "Well, how about a nice long soak in the hot tub. Think that'll help?" "Do I get a massage out of it too?" Kevin asked with a puppy dog look and a bite of his lower lip. "Don't push your luck there Mr. Douglas," Lance said as he kissed Kevin on the nose. "You know what one of the things I love about you is?" "My dashingly handsome good looks?" Kevin grinned. "I suppose so, yeah...but more than that...you're fun, you know that?" "Aw, that's so sweet. So, what about that massage?" Laughing, Lance pulled Kevin up to his feet. "Oh, I guess I can do that for you. What do I get out of it in return though?" "I'm sure we can think of something. Like, say, hot tub snugglebunnies maybe?" As they started to walk back, Lance reached out shyly, and took Kevin's hand in his. He looked over and smiled as he felt Kevin rubbing his thumb over it. ********** After returning back to the house, Kevin borrowed a pair of swim trunks and settled into the tub, letting the bubbles and water soothe the ache in his back and rear end. A couple of minutes later, Lance stepped outside and joined him, sinking into the water down to his neck before rising back up, and moving closer to sit next to Kevin. "What's up with all that Dr. Suess stuff you showed me before?" Kevin asked. "Oh, just a hobby of mine. I like to collect things that relate to his characters. Big fan of 'I Love Lucy' also. Don't you have any hobbies?" "Yeah, I happen to be a comic book nut," Kevin answered. "Really? Like, Batman and stuff?" "Almost. I'm a big fan of the Justice Society." "The who?" "The Justice Society. The original super team, way before the X-Men or anything like that. They started out back in the 1940s and have been around in one form or another ever since." "Wow, talk about longevity," Lance said. "Yeah, that's one way of putting it." Kevin ducked his head under the water, and then came back up, wiping his eyes and shaking his head. "Okay, since we're in our getting to know each other phase, what's with the scar by your eyebrow?" Lance grinned. "You'll laugh." "No I won't. Come on, tell me." "Okay, remember 'American Gladiators'?" "Yeah, sorta. Kind of like pro wrestling but without the ring and stuff, still just as hokey though?" "More or less. Well, one day a friend of mine and I were playing 'Gladiators'....without going into too much detail, let's just say I'm lucky I didn't poke my eye out." "Oh, geez! Yeah, I'd say so. Still, the scar is pretty sexy." Kevin waded over and kissed Lance. "Okay, so your turn. Ask me a question." "Umm...okay. Let's see here." Lance thought for a minute or two before deciding. "I know. Where's the best place you've ever been for vacation?" "Oh, that's easy. Disney World in Orlando. I love that place. I haven't been in forever though. I've always meant to get back. What about you?" "Right here." "Here?" "Yeah, here. Kev, you forget that I'm on the road pretty much all the time as it is, so this is both home and a getaway spot for me. I can relax, see my family, and just kick back. And now when I do it, I get to spend time with you as well." And on it went. They traded questions back and forth, covering everything from favorite foods and flavor of ice cream (Lance preferring Butter Pecan while Kevin liking Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough better), to color (green for Kevin, red and blue for Lance), to types of music. It was a laid back, playful afternoon, with no pressures on them. It was an opportunity to forget about the rest of the world and find out more about each other. There were two areas that Lance was curious about, but because they were having such a good time, chose to wait before probing into them. The first was about Kevin's sexual past. As his current boyfriend, he felt he had a right to know a little bit about lovers that had come before him. Part of this owed to natural curiosity, while part was also because, in a way, Lance sometimes felt a little inadequate when it came to this area. Kevin knew so much more, and had done so much more, than he, and his subconscious told him that there was a lot to live up to. The other area was money. Ever since he laid eyes on the telescope, Lance assumed that Kevin was worth quite a bit. This made no difference to Lance whatsoever, but it was still that natural curiosity once again gnawing away at him. After all, the average college student normally wouldn't have bought something that expensive. Still, these were questions for another time. Right now, they talked and enjoyed each others company, splashing water up and over one another every once and awhile with their feet or hands. They sat in the relaxing waters for about an hour or so, then got out and swam and played in the large pool next to it. Then, as the afternoon sun warmed them, they lay out on towels, drying themselves. Lance came up behind Kevin and rubbed some sun screen over his shoulders. "How does your butt feel now?" he asked while rubbing the cream into Kevin's already tan skin. "A little better. The tub helped a lot....my lower back, too. But, I didn't get my massage I'll have you know," he said with a smirk. "Poor baby," Lance said as he rubbed the excess lotion onto his chest. "Well, I didn't get my hot tub snugglebunnies." "Hmmm. Good point. Well, I suppose I can make up for that later tonight then." "Okay," Lance said. "I guess that means you get your massage later on also." "Promise?" Kevin winked. "Yeah, promise." He gave him a quick kiss, put his sunglasses back on, and laid back down next to his boyfriend, to enjoy the waning hours of the sun. ********** Seven o'clock came, and right on time, Terry arrived back at Lance's house for dinner. Once again, he rang the doorbell...and got no answer. A puzzled look came over his face, as he saw that the 4-Runner was parked right where it had been that morning, and Kevin had apparently rode with Lance. Obviously, they had to be home. Then Terry remembered the pool out back. Maybe they were already out there getting things ready. Walking around the side of the house, he could hear the faint sound of laughter. They were out there after all, and couldn't hear the bell ringing. As he turned the corner, he saw Lance putting food on the grill, and Kevin standing behind him, tickling his ribs. "Kevin, stop! I never should have told you where I was ticklish!" 'Why would Kevin be tickling Mr. Ba...Lance,' Terry thought to himself. 'Well, maybe they just got to be pretty good friends over the past few days. Or maybe....no, that couldn't be it.' Could it? With a loud clearing of his throat, Terry announced his presence, which caused Kevin to step back and Lance to jump a little as they looked up. "Oh....heya Terry. Come on in," Lance said, blushing a bit. "Yeah, we're just starting to cook dude, you're right on time," Kevin added. Tentatively, the young guest stepped into the backyard, still a little unsure of what he had just seen. But, after pondering it for a few moments longer, he put it out of his head, and simply chalked it up to the fact that his employer was a friendly, easy going person, who was comfortable in the company of his friends. Still, there was a small voice inside his head that told Terry otherwise: his employer was gay, and so was his friend. While the atmosphere of the night was relaxed, Kevin couldn't help but notice that Terry seemed oddly distracted. Every time Lance said something, he hung on his boss' every word. When he wasn't talking, he gazed at him with a far-off, distant look in his eyes. Kevin had seen this look before, usually in the mirror when he had a crush on someone. 'This,' he thought to himself, 'is not only not good, it has the potential to get ugly, too.' Just before ten, Terry thanked his host and his host's guest profusely for allowing him to join them for dinner. Lance shook his head and rolled his eyes once again as Terry went out of his way to be eager and appreciative. Kevin grinned and shook his hand as they saw him out. "Okay, the press conference is Monday morning at eleven. Do we have everything ready?" Lance asked. "We sure do! Radio, the newspapers, tv stations...everyone is going to be there. Oh, and we're going to have someone from MTV, too! Isn't that cool Mr. Ba....um, Lance?" "It sure is. You did a great job getting all of this together, Terry. We couldn't have done it without you. Okay, you have a great day to yourself tomorrow, and we'll meet you on Monday morning." "You....you really think I did a great job?" Terry asked, his eyes lighting up. "I sure do," Lance replied, patting his employee on the back. As Terry got into his car, Kevin swore that the boy was going to start jumping up and down in his seat, and perhaps let out a high-pitched "Squee!" of joy. He and Lance waved as Terry backed out and drove off. With a sigh, he turned to his boyfriend. "You know, you have really got to tell him about us. And, like, soon. This could blow up in your face if you're not careful," he cautioned. "Yeah, I know, I know. I probably should have tonight, too. Okay, I'll tell him before the concert. How does that sound?" Lance asked. "The sooner the better. I'm thinking on Monday." As they walked back into the house, Lance shook his head once again. "You know, there are times I almost wish I was straight. You'd think telling people would get easier as time goes by, not harder." "I know," Kevin said as he slung an arm around Lance's shoulder. "But, hey, listen. You're doing just fine. You can't be so shy all the time, that's all. The people you care about, the ones that mean something to you....those are the people you have to worry about telling. The rest is nobody's business." Lance stopped and looked at Kevin. "That mean my family, too?" "Well, probably. When you're ready, though. They deserve to know, it's the telling that's the hard part." Kevin waited for a moment and laughed a little under his breath. "What? What's so funny?" "I'm sorry, I just thought of something. Telling your family versus them accepting the fact that you're gay. Which one is worse? You ever see 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' ?" "Yeah, what about it?" "When they're on the cliff, trying to get away? And Robert Redford doesn't want to jump because he can't swim? Well, I just thought of the line Paul Newman said. 'What are you worried about? The fall will probably kill you!' " Lance, in spite of himself, started to laugh. "Yeah, I see your point. I guess I need to get around to telling them, too. Hell, who knows. Maybe this week, since we're here and all." Closing the door behind them, Lance locked up and turned off the outside light. Then, walking over to Kevin, he took him in his arms, kissed him, and pulled him close into a warm hug. "What's that for?" Kevin asked as he rested his head on top of Lance's. "For being you. And for loving me. And being fun to be with. And for making so much sense....need I go on?" Lance answered as he closed his eyes and sighed, snuggled up close to his lover. "Well, I suppose you could. I am all that, after all. With a bag of chips, no less." Laughing, they walked upstairs to the bedroom, to once more find contentment in each others arms. The coming week was going to be an eventful one. Exactly how eventful, they had no way of knowing. End of Chapter 14... But Kevin and Lance will return in Chapter 15, coming soon! Thanks for reading!