Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 16:09:27 +0100 (BST) From: Jezebel Subject: Set Adrift: Second Chances 3 Disclaimers: This is fiction. Ben and Sully are figments of my imagination and The Backstreet Boys are strangers to me and not gay. This has not truth to it. This is for adults only, that's over 18 or 21, depending on your country. *** Nick was glad to get some time away from the band, and more importantly time with Ben. They had retreated to New York staying in Ben's small corner of the world. Nick had used the pretense of checking up on Sully's club to come to New York but now he was there he realised that he no longer needed an excuse to be with Ben. His lover was a lot more accepting than he had once been and just the excuse that he wanted to see him again was enough for Ben. It was nice for Nick not to have to lie about why he was there, especially not when he spent so much of his life lying to the rest of the world and pretending to be something that he wasn't. Perhaps the best part of being with Ben was that he could be a normal young gay man in a normal relationship. It was a tentative start for the couple, they had been together for a few months now but had only spent a short time of that together and now that they had more time Nick wanted to set the foundations that they already had so that they could build a solid relationship for the future. The first few days of the visit had been spent with Ben at work, sure he was only volunteering but even that deserved a commitment and Ben had explained that he couldn't leave them in the lurch. Nick didn't mind, he'd had a blast the last time he was there and while word spread that he was visiting it never got out of the neighbourhood that he was there. After a few days Ben managed to get some time off so that they could spend some quality time together. Nick was glad to get some time with just his lover. Now the two of them were on the couch, Nick with his head in Ben's lap, trying to decide what was the best way to utilise the time off that they had together. The problem was that neither of them could make up their minds where to go or what to do, the only thing that they were sure of was that they wanted to be together. "We could go to the mall." Ben suggested. "I know that you like to shop and we could stop by the arcade or something." Nick coughed something unintelligable. "What?" Ben asked self-consciously. "What are we? Fifteen?" Nick asked. "Well then, you come up with something. I mean you've vetoed a movie, a meal, a trip to the mall...it's either my suggestions that you have an aversion to or things beginning with 'M'." Ben complained. "No, you didn't mention making out. I wouldn't say no to that." Nick replied with a lazy smile. Ben rolled his eyes but leaned down and placed a soft, teasing kiss on Nick's nose. Nick moved from his position laying in Ben's lap to try and catch his lover's mouth, but Ben was too quick for him. He wasn't quite quick enough to jump out of the way though and soon Nick was straddling him on the sofa, having jumped on Ben's lap before Ben could stand up and try and escape. "Ha!" Nick said. "I've got you now. The question is, what shall I do with you now that I've got you?" "You mentioned making out." Ben replied helpfully, not really caring that Nick was sitting in his lap so he couldn't stand up. "Good idea." Nick replied, leaning in for a kiss. It wasn't going out, they weren't touring the city or spending money, but this met their criteria, they were together and this was definitely a good way to spend their mutual time off. *** Later that day they did end up at the mall, not because they were collecting a series of "M" words but because Nick had relented to Ben's persuasive methods that they ought to do something more than making out with the time that they had off. Ben had reasoned that he didn't get a chance to do these sorts of things on a normal basis and Nick had to agree, after all, he got less time off than Ben and it might be nice to try and do things that were 'normal'. Ben reminded Nick of AJ with his approach to shopping, it was a case of seeing is believing with the way the boy shopped. It was an almost holistic approach to retail, not in treating the whole experience equally, but more like buying the entire mall. At least that was how it felt to Nick who was currently carrying three bags of clothes that were not his own but were Ben's. For Nick, who did most of his shopping on the internet to avoid fans, it was amazing to watch but worrying that his lover was buying nice clothes to go out in when Nick knew that he would not be going out with him in them. Nick didn't begrudge his lover the time that he spent out, he knew that a lot of Ben's life revolved around the friends he had, but he did worry about his lover being out there, dressed in clothes that made the best of his figure with no visible attachments. "What do you think of this one?" Ben asked, holding up a translucent lilac shirt that glimmered when you held it to the light. "Too gay?" "It's nice." Nick said, knowing that it would be tight and show off Ben's nipples slightly. His own cock hardened at that thought and he decided that he didn't want his lover buying it if other men would see him in it. "I think that it would suit you." Ben said with a smile. Nick frowned. He liked the shirts that he wore. He didn't need to dress in clothes like that. He was about to reply when his cell rang. "Sorry, I'd better..." Nick said, indicating that he was going to answer his phone. Ben nodded although he was a little annoyed that their already limited time together was going to be eaten into by what was most likely a work conversation. He should have known that despite the fact that they had said Nick had three days off that it would get cut short. "Hello?" Nick asked suspiciously as he wondered who it was that was calling him while he was away. He had expressly left orders that he wasn't to be disturbed unless it was an emergency and had brought his alternate phone so only a few people had the number. That meant that either someone was ignoring him or it was important. "Nicky?" A small voice asked. "Are you there?" "Aaron?" Nick asked. "What's up bro?" "Nick, you've got to come home." Aaron replied in a voice that belittled his fifteen years. He sounded like the child that Nick knew he had never had the chance to be. "You know that I can't." Nick replied. "I'm kinda busy here in NY, I miss you too kid but I'll be home soon enough. We're back in the studio and I'll see you at Christmas." "Nick, It's Lou." Aaron said, in a few words causing his brother's attitude to change. At the mention of the name Nick had felt the colour draining from his face as he remembered his own problematic childhood, one that he had promised his brother would never have to go through. But it wasn't as easy to get Aaron out of his contract as it had been with the Backstreet Boys and he was still with them. Nick had told his little brother to call him if it ever got too hard and he supposed that now Aaron was taking that offer. He just hoped that Ben, who didn't have any family to speak of, would understand Nick's obligation to his family and that he would let him go home. "What has he done this time?" Nick asked, his voice hollower than he had meant it to be. "I was at the office to look over some papers and I heard some stuff I shouldn't have." Aaron said. Nick was waiting on tenterhooks to hear what his brother was going to say next. "Nick, you have to come back because I think that he's planning on making another move against the Boys." Aaron said. "I don't know what but I heard that there might be another lawsuit." "Aaron, what exactly did you hear?" Nick asked. He had to be sure that this wasn't just the paranoid delusions of his teenaged brother and that there was definetely something up before he called in the troops. "Lou said that he was finally going to get what he had wanted from the Backstreet Boys and that you would all get what you deserved." Aaron said. "I assumed that he meant money but..." "It's okay kid." Nick said. "I'll be home soon, we can sort it out then." "Okay." Aaron said, sounding defeated. Nick looked up and saw that Ben was trying to cover the hurt that he was about to be left behind again. He had only just found Nick, had only just discovered what love really was and now he knew why he hadn't wanted it in his life before. The problem with opening yourself to love is that you also open yourself to get hurt and for Ben that was what he was feeling. "And Aaron?" Nick asked finally. "Let Mom know that I'll be bringing a friend home with me." Ben's eyes shot up to meet his, as if he didn't quite believe what he was hearing. "I think it's about time I told you guys about the real reason I was in New York." Nick hung up after saying his goodbyes and then went back to Ben, hoping that he could make ammends for having to leave him and hoping that Ben would come to visit the family with him. "So, I guess we've found something to do with our time off." Ben said with a small smile. "It's not exactly what you had planned I know, but it is important. It's all tied to the problems that Sully had with our former manager." Nick explained. "It's okay." Ben said with a nod. "I don't care what we do, as long as we're together. I said that already and that means it doesn't matter where we are either. I have to be back in a week for work but until then I'm all yours." Nick smiled. "All mine?" He asked. "I think that I like the sound of that." *** To Be Continued. Note: Thanks as ever to those that sent feedback, this is for all those of you that asked for more Nick and Ben :)