Runaway Chapter 15

"Ty?" he whispered next to Tyler's ear. Tyler moaned softly but didn't wake. "Tyler baby, time to wake up," Brian whispered. Softly, he kissed Tyler's temple.

"Mmm. Do I have to?" Tyler murmured. "I'm so comfortable," he added, wiggling his butt back against Brian.

Brian laughed softly. "I know Ty, so am I, but we're almost at the airport." He hugged Tyler to him. "Ty? How would you feel about going to Lexington with me?" he asked.

Tyler rolled over to look at Brian. "Lexington? You mean to your family?" he asked in surprise. He ran his fingers along Brian's jaw, staring at the soft lips.

"Yeah. I need a break, and neither of us needs the glare of the media. If we go to Orlando, they will hound us constantly," Brian explained. "My Mom is anxious to meet you," he added.

Tyler looked up in shock. "Your Mom knows about me?" he asked in disbelief.

Brian smiled and nodded. "Yeah. She wants to meet the man who has my heart," he said softly.

Tyler was incredulous. He had never thought about telling his parents. Of course, he hadn't admitted to himself that he was gay, until after his mother left. Then it was too late. His father's reaction to the magazine he'd had, told Tyler everything he needed to know. Brian's parents were obviously different.

Tyler wasn't sure how to react, so he tried to smile. "Okay, Brian. If you're sure."

Brian hugged Tyler tightly. "Great! I'll change the tickets when we get to the airport," he added.

"Too late! I've already changed them," Nick said from outside the bunk.

Brian rolled onto his back and pulled back the curtain. "What, are you taking a course in eavesdropping, Nicky?" Brian asked with a grin.

Nick laughed. "Sorry. We're just pulling into the airport. I called earlier and switched two tickets to another flight. You guys are leaving in about thirty minutes," Nick said.

Brian rolled off the bunk and held out his hand to help Tyler up. "Thanks, Nicky. I owe you," Brian said as the three of them walked out to join the others.

The bus pulled up to a VIP entrance. Everyone grabbed the luggage that was inside the bus, while the rest was unloaded onto a cart. Brian made sure to separate which pieces were going where. They walked into the airport and immediately to a private lounge. The Orlando flight was leaving twenty minutes after the Lexington one. A short time later, Marcus and Pete arrived with Ben. The rest of the Backstreet crew had already dispersed.

Brian called his Mom to let her know when the flight was due at the airport. Soon it was time to board, and the guys had a group hug, wishing Brian and Tyler luck. Marcus and Kevin walked with Brian and Tyler to their gate. Kevin gave his cousin the usual lecture about PDA's, to which Brian simply smiled and nodded. Finally, the two were settled into first class waiting for the plane to take off for the hour-long flight.

Tyler was nervous about meeting Brian's family, but tried not to show it. Brian glanced at Tyler and noticed his expression. Brian pulled off his jacket and set it on the arm between the two seats. Using it as a cover, he reached over and picked up Tyler's hand.

"Relax Ty," he said softly, wishing he could kiss the fears away. "My parents are going to love you, okay?"

Tyler smiled weakly and nodded. He had no choice but to trust Brian's judgement. Tyler maintained his grip on Brian's hand for the duration of the flight. He tried not to focus on the past, wanting to concentrate on his new future, but even that was unclear. He and Brian had yet to discuss what was going to happen. Tyler knew he loved Brian. That was one certainty. Brian said he loved Tyler and Tyler was fairly confident of that too. But what did it mean? Was Tyler going to move in with Brian? What could he do for work? He also wanted to finish high school.

Tyler sighed and stared out the window as these thoughts clouded his mind. He barely paid attention as the 'fasten seatbelts' sign came on and the plane touched down gently on the runway.

Brian didn't interrupt Tyler's thoughts. He knew Ty was worried. He could tell him not to, but until Tyler saw for himself that everything would be okay, he would continue to worry.

They waited until the rest of the passengers left before walking out the door and along the ramp. Tyler stayed close to Brian, afraid he would lose him in the crowd of people. The made their way to the luggage carousel and waited for their suitcases. Brian grabbed a cart, and they put the suitcases on it as they found them. Once they were sure they had everything, the two began to walk through the airport. Brian, having been in the airport a hundred times, knew exactly where he was going. He knew his mother would be waiting near one of the less used entrances.

After a short walk, Brian spotted his mother sitting on a bench.

"Mom!" he called out, attracting her attention. Jackie stood up and waited until the two men reached her.

She smiled broadly and walked over to her son. "Brian, honey, so good to see you," she said sincerely, hugging Brian tightly. Brian returned the hug.

"Good to see you too Mom. I missed you," Brian said.

He pulled back from the hug and stepped over beside Tyler who had been silently watching the exchange. "Mom, this is Tyler Johnson," Brian said proudly. "Tyler, my Mom, Jackie Littrell."

Tyler smiled shyly and held out his hand. "Mrs. Littrell."

Jackie smiled at the gesture and moved in close, pulling Tyler into a hug. "It's Jackie. And I'm sorry for all your troubles, Tyler, but I'm happy you are a part of this family now," she whispered to him.

Jackie's words were heartfelt and brought tears to Tyler's eyes. "Thank you," he whispered, blinking back tears.

Jackie patted his back and moved back. "Okay. Lets get you two out of here and back to the house," she said. Brian looked at Tyler in concern, seeing the unshed tears. Ty just shook his head and smiled.

They followed Jackie outside and found Brian's brother Harold Jr. waiting by the car.

"H-Dawg!" Brian exclaimed happily and ran over to hug his older brother. Tyler smiled seeing the happy expression on Brian's face. He pushed the abandoned cart over to the car and Jackie popped the trunk. Brian and Harold carried on an animated conversation, while Tyler and Jackie put the luggage in the trunk. Jackie closed the trunk and gently grasped Tyler's arm, walking him over to her two sons.

"Brian?" she said as only a mother can.

Brian turned and quickly realized what he'd done. "Sorry Ty!" He turned back to Harold. "Harold, I want you to meet Tyler Johnson, Ty, my brother Harold Jr."

Harold smiled at Tyler and shook his hand. "Great to meet you Tyler. Welcome to Lexington!" Harold said.

Tyler felt suddenly shy around the gregarious man and blushed slightly. "Thank you," he said softly.

Harold just grinned and walked around to the driver's side. Brian opened the back door and let Tyler get in, before running around to the other side. Jackie took the front seat beside Harold. As soon as they were settled Brian reached across the seat and picked up Tyler's hand, twining their fingers together. Tyler glanced at their hands then up to Brian's face, smiling at his boyfriend. Tyler wanted to just lose himself in Brian's eyes, but instead he turned to face the front as Jackie and Harold Jr. began to point out some of the historical places of the city.

The trip from the airport took about thirty minutes before Harold drove through a gate and up to a large plantation style house. Tyler was impressed and gazed at it in wonder. The grounds were perfectly manicured, and even some very early flowers were in bloom. He turned to Brian.

"You grew up here?" he asked quietly.

Brian shook his head and smiled tenderly at Tyler. "No, baby. I helped my parents buy this house after the group became popular. It had reached a point where I couldn't come home, because fans were parked in front of the house and stealing anything they could. They went so far as to dig up chunks of grass from our lawn!" Brian explained.

Tyler's eyes widened in shock. "Really?"

Brian nodded. "Yeah. I wanted a place where I could come home and visit, away from prying eyes. I fell in love with this house when I first saw it, so I brought my parents to see it and they loved it too."

"Its beautiful," Tyler murmured looking at the mansion again.

Harold stopped the car in front of the main door. Everyone helped carry the luggage into the giant foyer, graced by a majestic curved staircase set to one side.

"Brian, I've set aside the bedroom next to yours for Tyler," Jackie said looking at the two young men. "Of course any other arrangements are up to you. Why don't you show Tyler around? Dinner will be at seven so you have about an hour to look around and get settled in. Your Dad should be home shortly too," she added.

Brian smiled. "Thanks Mom." He reached over and grabbed Tyler's hand, picking up a suitcase in the other. Harold grabbed the other bags and followed Brian as he led Tyler up the stairs.

At the top of the stairs, Brian turned to walk down the hallway running to the right. At the second door, he paused and opened it, before walking in. The huge bedroom was decorated in white, grays and dark blue tones. A king-size four-poster bed was the focal point of the room. There was a matching oak set including dresser, desk, entertainment center and nightstands.

Brian set his suitcase on the floor by the closet. "Just set the rest here Harold, Tyler and I will take care of it," Brian told his brother.

"Sure thing," Harold said. He glanced at Tyler who was looking around intently at the room. "I'll leave you two alone for a while. See ya at dinner," he said. Tyler turned at his comments and blushed. Harold grinned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Tyler turned hesitantly back to Brian. He realized that it was the first time he'd been alone with Brian, without the other guys close by. It wasn't that he was afraid of Brian, but he was unsure about where their relationship was going.

Brian smiled tenderly at Tyler and walked over to hug him. "Relax Ty. No one is going to hurt you, or force you to do anything you're uncomfortable with." He picked up Tyler's hands in his. "The door over there," Brian nodded in the direction of a door, "leads to the bathroom. There is a door on the other side of the bathroom for the other bedroom. That is your bedroom, Tyler. Do you want to go there right now?" he asked gently.

Tyler shook his head. "No," he whispered. "Will you just hold me?" he pleaded softly.

Brian nodded. "Come on." He pulled Tyler to the huge bed. Tyler crawled on to the blue and white quilt and Brian snuggled up behind him, holding him tightly. "Are you feeling a little overwhelmed?" Brian asked softly.

Tyler nodded, choking back a surge of tears.

Brian moved back and crawled over Tyler so they were lying face to face. He pulled Tyler to him and gently kissed the wet cheeks. "Shhh. Everything will be okay now. Just let it go, baby," he murmured as Tyler sobbed.

The stress had finally reached a breaking point in Tyler. The pain and anger over the beatings from his father, and the rape, combined with the added worry of his arrest, the lack of sleep, and meeting Brian's family, were too much. It all had to come out. Tyler clung to Brian and sobbed hysterically.

Brian held him and stroked his back, hoping to calm him down. He began to get concerned, when Tyler's tears didn't subside. A short time later, he heard a knock at the bedroom door. He tried to get up to answer it but Tyler wouldn't release his grip. All Brian could do was call for whomever to come in.

He glanced over and saw his concerned mother. He looked at her helplessly, hoping she could do something to help Tyler.

"I'll be right back, Brian," she whispered before walking back out the door.

Brian continued to hold the weeping Tyler, hoping his Mom would get back quickly. Tyler was close to hyperventilating and Brian's concern was growing. Tyler had never cried like this before.

Finally he heard the door open again and his Mom walked back in with another woman. Brian recognized her as one of their neighbors, and a doctor. She had a small bag with her that she set down on the end of the bed. She pulled out a syringe and a bottle of something, and filled the syringe. Slowly she walked over to the side of the bed.

"Hi Brian," she said softly. "This is a mild sedative that should help him calm down, okay?" Brian nodded and gently moved Tyler back from his chest.

"Tyler? Tyler look at me," Brian insisted. Tyler raised his blood shot eyes. "This is Dr Kelly Armstrong, Tyler," he said quietly and turned Tyler so he could see the doctor.

"Hello Tyler," she said calmly. "Is it okay if I give you this shot? It's a sedative and should help you relax a little," she explained.

Tyler glanced at Brian. Brian nodded in encouragement and Tyler nodded to the doctor. She pushed up the sleeve of his shirt and swabbed the bare skin before inserting the needle. Tyler winced slightly but didn't say anything. Doctor Armstrong pulled the sleeve back down and put the used needle into a small bag before returning it to her bag. She turned back to Tyler and squatted down in front of him.

"Okay Tyler. That should start to work pretty quickly. When it does, you may feel sleepy, but that's okay. I understand that you haven't had much sleep in the last couple of days, so don't fight it. Let yourself sleep. Things might look a little better when you wake, okay?" she said.

Tyler could already feel the effects starting. His sobbing had slowed although tears continued to run down his face. He felt completely exhausted. He leaned back against Brian and closed his eyes. Brian held him tightly and gently rubbed Tyler's arm.

Brian looked up at Dr. Armstrong and his mom. The doctor smiled slightly and nodded. Brian mouthed the words 'Thank you' before the two women left the room. He remained on the bed holding Tyler for a few more minutes, wanting to make sure Tyler was completely asleep. Finally, he carefully slid from under Tyler and gently placed his head on a pillow. He carefully unbuttoned and removed Tyler's shirt and pulled off his jeans, leaving him in his boxers. He brushed Tyler's hair back and kissed his cheek. Brian silently walked out of the room and closed the bedroom door before walking downstairs.

He glanced at the clock and realized it was nearly eight. After a brief search, he found his parents, brother and Dr. Armstrong in the kitchen, eating dinner.

"Hi," he said in surprise. "I'm sorry we made you hold dinner so long," he apologized.

Jackie smiled. "Don't worry about it Brian. Come sit down and have something to eat," she encouraged.

Brian walked over to join them. He paused by his father. "Hi Dad," he said, hugging him.

"Good to see you son," Harold Sr. said.

Brian sat down and filled his plate, before looking over at Kelly Armstrong. "Thank you for coming over," he said sincerely. "I was really starting to worry about him."

She smiled. "Its no problem Brian. From what Jackie has told me that young man has seen more than his share of problems."

Brian nodded in agreement, as he began to eat.

"Do you know what exactly started him crying, Brian?" Kelly asked.

Brian sighed and set his fork down. "Exactly? No. But everything has been happening very quickly. Since last night, he was arrested, had to go to court, saw his mother for the first time in three years, was set free, and flew here to meet my family." Brian recounted the events of the last twenty-four hours. "And he doesn't turn eighteen for two more days," he added.

Kelly nodded. "That's a lot for anyone to cope with, let alone someone so young," she commented, watching Brian closely. "Have you thought about having him talk to someone like a therapist?" she asked.

Brian nodded his head. "The doctor Tyler saw, after the rape, suggested it. But we haven't talked about it since. It sounds like a good idea. Once things settle down a little I'll talk to Tyler about it," he added.

The conversation moved away from Tyler, and Brian reacquainted himself with his parents and brother. As soon as dinner finished, Kelly excused herself to return home, telling Brian not to hesitate calling her if he needed to.

Brian silently helped his Mom clear the table, before the two of them joined Harold Jr. and Sr. in the family room.

"So how was the tour, Brian?" Harold Sr. asked as Brian settled onto the couch.

Brian covered his mouth as he yawned. "It was okay. Long and tiring as usual," he said tiredly.

"Brian, when was the last time you slept?" Jackie asked.

Brian smiled at her slightly. "I managed to get a few hours this morning at the courthouse while we were waiting for Tyler's hearing."

Jackie frowned. "Brian, why don't you go on up to bed? You guys can talk in the morning, but you need some sleep," she recommended.

"Your Mom is right Brian," his Dad added. "You look exhausted. Have a good night, and we can spend some time together tomorrow, alright?"

Brian smiled at his concerned parents. "Okay, okay. You don't have to force me. I am tired. I'll see you both in the morning. Good night!"

Brian slowly walked up the stairs to his bedroom. He smiled slightly as he saw Tyler still sleeping soundly. He stripped off his clothes and crawled under the covers, quickly joining Tyler in slumber.