Date: Mon, 09 Aug 1999 11:28:43 EDT From: D LS Subject: Brian & Me Parts 14-18 Okay, first things first. This story is a complete work of fiction, and is not meant to imply anything about anyone. While some of the characters may be loosely based on real people that I know, none are meant to actually represent anyone, particularly any of the members of the Backstreet Boys. We may wish that they were gay, and maybe some of them even are, but I'm certainly not about to say that they are. :) If any of them happen to be reading this (hey, we can dream can't we?), feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you think. As usual, if you are offended or made uncomfortable by material concerning sexual relations between consenting adult men, lighten up or go somewhere else. Also, if it is in any way illegal for you to be reading this type of thing, please don't. Or do, just don't get caught. I've received a lot of very positive emails about the story. Everyone seems to be enjoying it, and I'm really glad. I'm trying to make it as realistic as possible, and input from readers is really helping. I thank everyone for their input, and encourage you to let me know what you think of the coming chapters. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to write, and again, special thanks to JB for looking this over before I sent it in. What you are about to read makes a little more sense because of him. :) This is my first time writing a story like this, and it's also my first time letting other people read anything that I've written, so I appreciate any and all comments (good and bad) that any of you may have. If they're bad, please support your opinions so that I can improve. Drop me a line at DLS_stories@hotmail.com Enjoy! PART XIV "A date?" Brian asked, looking confused. "Yep, a date. If we're going to do this, we're going to do this right," I said happily. A slow smile spread across Brian's face as he understood. "When?" he whispered, giving my hand another squeeze. "Well, you sound like you have a busy day today, and will probably be pretty tired tonight, right?" I asked, squeezing back. Brian nodded. "So what do you have going on tomorrow?" Brian frowned as he tried to think. "We've got an interview with a teen magazine in the morning, but we've got the rest of the day off, as far as I know," he said with a smile. I returned the smile, already looking forward to our date. "Well then, tomorrow night sounds like a good time. What do you think?" Brian continued smiling and leaned in for another brief kiss. "I can't wait," he said lowly, as though afraid that someone would hear, even though we were the only two in the room. "Tomorrow night it is then," I said decisively. "What would you like to do?" Brian thought for a moment. "Dinner and a movie?" he asked, looking at me for my approval. "Sounds good. I'll pick you up at, say, seven?" "Nope," Brian said, his smile slowly being replaced with a grin. "I'll pick you up. In the limo." The grin was at full force now. "It's all about style, baby!" he laughed. We sat there for a few moments, holding hands and looking into each other's eyes. He was beautiful. There was no other word to describe it. I could feel myself getting lost in those deep blue eyes, and let it happen. The moment was broken by Nick running full force into the door, causing a loud crash. "Shit, who the hell locked this thing?" we heard him ask himself. Brian and I both broke into laughter again, as Brian released my hands and walked to the door. He unlocked it and threw it open, smiling at Nick. He was sitting on the floor in the hall, rubbing his shoulder. Seeing me sitting on the bed, Nick came rushing over, giving me a hug. "Oh Nate, are you alright? Howie had no right to go off on you like that!" he said, backing away again and finally taking note of the smile that I had on my face. "I'm fine, Nick. At least I am now," I said, looking past him to Brian. "What's going on, guys?" Nick asked, looking from Brian to me and back again. Brian opened his mouth to respond when Kevin knocked on the doorframe. "I hate to break this up, but we really have to get going. Nate, are you okay? I'm really sorry about that." I nodded to let him know that I was fine, and he turned his attention to Brian. "What about you, cuz?" "I'm fine, Kevin. I'll fill you all in later. Can I have a moment alone with Nate?" he said, turning back to me again. "Sure," Kevin and Nick said together. "We'll be waiting in my room when you're ready, but don't take too long," Kevin added, closing the door behind them. Brian moved back to the bed and took my hand again. "I don't want to leave," he said sadly. "I don't want you to leave either, but you have to. You have work to do, and I have a date to prepare for," I said with a grin, trying to draw one from him as well. It had the desired effect, and soon Brian was smiling happily. I hated to ruin the moment, but I knew that I had to ask. "Brian, what about Howie? Are you going to be able to work with him today, after everything that happened?" I asked worriedly. The smile stayed on his face, but I got the impression that he had to work very hard to keep it there. "We'll get along fine. I'm sure after the talk that he had with the guys he'll be avoiding all of us as much as he can, and when we can't avoid each other, we'll ignore each other, I guess." "Alright then. If you're sure that you'll be okay, I'm going to take off too. I have to get home and showered and then start planning," I said, getting up but keeping my hand in Brian's. He got up as well and we walked to the door. Once in the hall, Brian and I shared one more quick kiss, and then separated. He headed down the hall toward Kevin's door, and I moved to the elevators. As the elevator doors opened, I looked back. Brian was standing outside of Kevin's room looking back at me. We waved to each other, then stepped inside. As the doors closed, I heard Nick ask Brian what was going on. Before I could hear his answer, the doors sealed shut and I pressed the button for the lobby. PART XV Andrea was practically prancing at the door when I arrived back at the condo. She threw the door open before I could even reach for the knob and drew me inside. "Well?" she asked, moving from one foot to the other. "Well what?" I asked coyly, taking off my shoes and moving into the kitchen to get a drink. "You know what!" she shrieked, following me. "What happened? I know you spent the night with him. He called." "I didn't spend the night with him. I merely stayed in the same room with him and Nick. Nothing happened last night," I said, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge and spinning the cap off. I knew what she was after, and there was no way I was going to make it easy for her. The look of disappointment on her face was almost comical. I almost lost it when I saw her face, but I managed to keep a straight face until I was out of sight. She was still standing there when I poked my head back out into the hall. "But what happened this morning, you won't believe," I said with a grin, running into my room. "You bastard!" she laughed, following me. She jumped onto my bed beside me and elbowed me in the ribs. "What happened?" she asked again. "Shouldn't you be at work?" I asked, making her wait. "I called in sick," she said. "It's not everyday your best friend comes back from spending the night with Brian Littrell. Now spill." So I told her everything. I told her about the video shoot, and how the guys had invited me back to the hotel for dinner. I told her about talking with Nick and Brian on the balcony, and about waking up in Brian's bed, which prompted another round of whistling from Andrea. After I made it clear that Brian had not been in the bed, I told her about seeing him and Nick in bed together, and our conversation in the bathroom. Finally, I told her about breakfast with the guys, and Howie's outburst. As expected, Andrea was livid. It wasn't until I told her what happened afterward in Brian's room that she calmed down. "He told me that he was falling for me, and then he kissed me!" I swooned, giving her a hug. Andrea returned the hug happily, then sat up. "So what are you going to do? Did you discuss your concerns with a relationship between the two of you?" she asked. "No. They had to get to the studio, and I didn't want to get into it at the time. It was already a bit too emotional. But we are going on a date tomorrow night," I said with a smile. "We'll probably discuss it then." Andrea jumped up off of the bed. "Okay then. I'm going to let you get some rest, and then we're planning the most romantic evening you've ever seen," she said, moving toward the door. "Thanks Andy," I smiled from my spot on the bed. "I think I will take a nap. It's been a long morning already." "No problem, sweetie. Get some sleep," she said, closing the door. A thousand different thoughts were going through my mind as I drifted off to sleep, but the one image that kept returning was that of Brian's eyes. Deep blue and full of life, they seemed almost eternal. I woke up hours later, and rolled out of bed. I walked down to the bathroom and drew myself a hot shower, hoping that it would help me wake up. After showering, I shaved and brushed my teeth. When I had my hair done to my satisfaction, I emerged into the hall feeling much more human. There was a pot of coffee already brewed on the counter, and Andrea was sitting at the table doing her crossword. When she saw me, she put it aside and drew me into another hug. "I'm so happy for you," she said into my ear, squeezing me tight. I hugged her back. "I'm so happy for me too," I laughed. I made my way to the counter and got my coffee, then returned to the table and sat down across from Andrea. "So you stayed home today just to find out what happened between me and Brian?" I asked her, stealing her crossword and looking it over. "Like I said, things like this don't happen everyday," she said. "I had to be here to get the details. I might go in later, just to finish up a couple of things." "I don't know what I'd do without you," I said, looking at her with a smile. "Well, for starters, you'd be planning this date on your own," she said. "What did you have in mind for the two of you?" I told her that we had decided on dinner and a movie, but that beyond that, I hadn't really given it much thought yet. For the next two hours we planned, before finally deciding that it was perfect. "So what do you want to do now?" Andrea asked, getting up from the table. "Well, I was planning on getting a bit of work out of the way. There are a couple of ideas that I want to run past my editor and stuff like that. And I've got some emails that I really should respond to. What about you?" "Like I said, I have a few things to take care of too. A couple of contracts that need looking over, and some files that need updating. Nothing too heavy. I'll take care of that while you're working, and then come back here and we can grab some dinner, if you want," she said, moving toward the door. "Sounds like a plan," I said, grabbing my computer case from the chair in the living room and returning to the kitchen with it. Andrea grabbed her keys and said goodbye, heading to the office for a couple of hours and leaving me alone in the house. I plugged in my computer and started to work. A couple of hours later, I was just finishing up my phone conversation with my editor. "So you see, Pete, by introducing the daughter to Sam, we open up whole new realms of possibility," I said into the phone. He still didn't get it. Pete was a great guy, but a little thick. For the life of me, I don't know how he managed to get his job sometimes. I was about to try and explain it again when the phone in the apartment started ringing. "Listen Pete, I'm going to have to let you go. I'll call you back in the next few days and we'll see where we are with all of this. I think it will work, though," I said, exchanging a few pleasantries quickly and ending the conversation. I managed to grab the phone just before the machine was going to pick up. "Hello, Nate here," I said into the receiver. "Hey Nate! It's Nick." "Oh hey Nick, how's it going? Shouldn't you be in the middle of an autograph signing right now?" "We're taking a short break," he laughed. I could hear the muffled screams of the girls at the signing through the phone. "Listen," he said. "Brian told me what happened between you guys this morning, and I'm really glad." "Thanks, me too," I said with a smile, bringing my fingers to my lips, where Brian's had been earlier. "So I was wondering if you wanted to get together tomorrow sometime. Sort of get to know each other better? I could help you get ready for the big date if you like," Nick said. "Sure, that'd be great, Nick," I replied. "Andrea and I already planned some stuff, but I have some running around to do. You're more than welcome to come along." "Okay then. How about I swing by after that interview we have in the morning and we can get going?" "Sounds good. I'll see you in the morning." "Sure thing," he said. "Listen, break's over, so I have to get off the phone. I'll talk to you later." "Alright Nick, have fun," I laughed, putting the receiver back into its cradle. Andrea arrived home shortly after I finished talking to Nick, and we decided that, rather than get dressed to go out to eat, we'd just order some Chinese food and watch TV. Shortly after midnight, we made our way to our rooms. As I walked into my bathroom to brush my teeth, I couldn't help but marvel at how much my life had changed. A year ago I had been an aspiring writer, living in obscurity with my best friend, with a non-existant love-life. Now, my book was on the best-seller list, I had money in the bank, and I was looking forward to a date with one of the most beautiful men on the planet. Smiling to myself in the mirror, I put my toothbrush back into its holder and washed my face before heading back into my bedroom and climbing into bed. Again, the image of Brian's eyes came to mind as I started to drift off, and the comforting feeling of having his hand in my own was the last thing I thought about as I fell asleep. PART XVI "Time to get up!" Nick yelled, jumping on my bed with a laugh. As I was jounced from my sleep, my first sense was an incredible feeling of deja-vu. My second was an intense feeling of disappointment. 'It was all a dream,' I thought sadly to myself, keeping my eyes firmly shut against the harsh reality I was expecting. "Nate!" Nick yelled, jumping harder and laughing hysterically. Slowly, I opened my eyes, letting them get used to the light of the room. Looking around reluctantly, I felt the disappointment slip away and relief take its place. I was in my own room, not Brian's. I smiled to myself as I realised that it had all been real after all. My fight with Howie, Brian's gentle kiss, and our date, all real. Also real was the maniac jumping on my bed. I finally looked up at him and had to laugh at the expression on his face. He was bouncing as hard as he could and laughing so hard he could barely stay on his feet. "Nick, what the hell are you doing here?" I asked, kicking my feet out to trip him. My flailing foot connected with the back of his knee, buckling his leg and dropping him to the foot of the bed. He continued to laugh as he tried to catch his breath again. He lay there on his back, his legs hanging off the end of the bed, smiling at me. "I told you I was going to stop by after the interview," he said. "What are you doing still in bed?" I shrugged and leaned over to my alram clock. I had forgotten to set it the night before, I realised with a sigh. "Looks like I forgot to set my alarm," I said, putting the clock back on the bedside table. "I wonder why Andrea didn't wake me up before she went to work? And if Andrea's not here, how did you get in?" "There was a note on the door from Andrea. She said that you must have decided to sleep in, and so she left the door open. If you weren't up when I got here, I was supposed to wake you up," Nick said, finally getting his breathing under control. "You ever hear waking someone up gently?" I joked, sitting up in the bed. "That's two mornings in a row you've shaken the shit out of me." "Well, if you could get your own ass out of bed, there wouldn't be a problem in the first place," he retaliated as he stole one of my pillows and put it behind his own head. "You keep your mind off my ass," I said, laughing again and nudging him with my foot. "Funny guy," he grinned. "So what are we gonna do all day? I don't think Brian would appreciate me spending the day in his boyfriend's bed." He tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't. My heart skipped a beat. Boyfriend? Had Brian called me his boyfriend, or was Nick just screwing around? "Look, Nick, it's just a date. We're not engaged," I said seriously, waiting to see what his reaction was. "I know, I know. Brian said the same thing. But you two would make such a good couple," Nick said, still smiling. "Well, one thing at a time, Nick. We have to get through our first date before anything else." "Okay, I see your point," Nick conceded. "So what are we doing today?" "Well, first thing, I'm going to take a shower. Then, I need something to eat, and then we can hit the road. We have reservations at one," I said, throwing the covers off of myself and standing up. I realised too late that I was only wearing my boxers, but Nick didn't seem to be embarrassed, so I just grabbed my robe from behind the door and slipped it on. "Reservations? Where?" he asked, also standing up. "You'll see," I said with a smile. "Why don't you watch some TV or something while I get showered and changed, and then we can grab something to eat." "Sure," he said, heading for the living room. I grabbed my towel and started for the bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I set my towel on the vanity and started the water in the shower. As I stepped under the flow of water, Nick's words kept coming back to me. He had called my Brian's boyfriend. That one word kept circling in my head as I showered, along with images of Brian and I together. I suddenly realised that I had been in the shower for far longer than I normally took, and quickly rinsed off. Stepping out into the bathroom, I could hear the stereo going in the living room. I quickly brushed my teeth and fixed my hair, then stepped out into my room to get dressed. When I finally walked into the living room, Nick was sitting in the rocking chair staring out the window and listening to the music. "Nothing good on TV?" I asked with a smile, heading for the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. "Not really," he called from the other room. "Hey Nate?" "Yeah?" I yelled, pouring water into the machine. "I looked through your CD's, but I didn't see any of our stuff. Where is it?" he called back. I froze with a strange smile on my face. Putting the pot into the machine and turning it on, I walked back into the living room. "I thought you said that you were a fan," Nick said, noting my smile. "I was...er...am," I said, sitting down on the couch. "So? Where's our music?" he said, getting up and standing in front of the CD rack. "Oh, it's there," I said, motioning to the rack. "Where? I can't find it," he said as he continued to search through the cases. "Right there on top. See that silver lump?" I said timidly. I was becoming very embarrassed. "This thing?" he said, grabbing the object and looking at it. He was about to ask another question when he suddenly noticed something on the side of it. As he looked closer, I saw his eyes widen and a slow smile begin to spread across his face. "You didn't," he said as he turned his attention to me. "Well..." I began, feeling the blood rise to my face. "You melted it?" he laughed, tossing the lump into the air and catching it again. "Kinda, yeah," I replied. I was glad that he was taking it so well. Most people wouldn't have been too happy about having their music melted. Nick just laughed again, tossing the object to me. "You were really mad, weren't you?" he marveled, sitting beside me on the couch. "Actually, I was more hurt than mad. At least until I actually saw Brian again. Andrea had more than enough anger for the both of us, though," I said with a smile. I turned what used to be a Backstreet Boys CD over in my hand and looked at the lettering that was still visible along its one side. Andrea and I had been listening to the stereo one night not long after I had met the guys after their concert, and not long before Andrea put the dart between Brian's eyes. I had pulled out another CD to put on, and the Backstreet Boys CD had come out of the rack with it. Seeing it, Andrea had grabbed it and thrown it across the room. The case had shattered, sending the CD flying into the corner. Andrea's action had prompted a frenzy of activity around the house as the CD was thrown, stomped on, microwaved (which I don't suggest, but gives off quite a light show), and finally melted. I had to admit, I had felt much better afterward, but I was embarrassed by it now. As I told Nick what had happened to the CD, his smile grew. "Remind me never to get Andrea mad at me," he laughed, taking the silver-coloured chunk and setting it back on the CD rack. "And remind me to get you another CD, too." "I'm glad you see the humour in it," I said with a smile. I got up from the couch and started back to the kitchen. "You hungry?" I asked. "Not really. I had breakfast back at the hotel," he said absently, sitting again in the rocking chair. "Aright, let me get something and then we'll go," I said, taking a box of cereal out of the cupboard. Nick was still absently looking out the window when I came back into the room, munching contentedly on my cereal. "What are you looking at out there?" I asked around a mouthful of flakes. "Nothing, I guess," he smiled and turned his attention back to me. "We just spend so much time in hotels, I guess I miss living in a house and being able to look out at an actual neighbourhood." "I can understand that. Hotels must get pretty sickening after a while," I responded. Nick just nodded and returned to the window. I finished my breakfast and stood up. "Ready to go?" I asked, looking at my watch. We still had a couple of hours before our reservations. "Sure," he said, getting up and heading toward the door. I left Andrea a note in case she got home before me, and grabbed my keys. "So where are we going?" Nick asked as I locked the front door. We jumped in the car and I started the engine. "Well, right now, we're going to the mall so that I can get some clothes, and then I have a little surprise for you," I said with a smile. "If we're going to the mall, I'm glad I brought these," Nick said, pulling on a hat and some sunglasses. With his hair and eyes covered, the diguise was pretty effective. A short time later, I pulled into the parking lot of the mall, and soon we were wandering around in search of the perfect outfit. We decided to split up for a while. I stopped to check out some khakis, while Nick ran into a shoe store. A little more than an hour later, I was just putting my wallet away after paying for my purchases when I heard a piercing scream from outside in the mall. I made my way out of the store, and saw Nick running toward me, dragging three shopping bags behind him. As he caught up to me, I could see several teenage girls running our way. "Run man!" Nick said, rushing past me and heading for the exit. I took one more look back over my shoulder at the screaming girls and followed him. By the time we made it to the car, we were both laughing hysterically. "Is there anywhere you can go without causing a scene?" I asked him as I threw my bags in the back seat and climbed in. "Hey, it wasn't my fault," he protested with a grin. He put his stuff with mine and got in beside me. "Everything was going fine until the sales girl saw the name on my credit card. She screamed, and..." he waved his hand back toward the mall, where a group of girls were standing looking around, presumable trying to find Nick's trail, "that happened." "Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter. It's almost one o'clock now, and we have somewhere to be." I started the car and pulled it out into traffic. We made it with a couple of minutes to spare. As I pulled into another parking lot, Nick looked up at the building. "A spa?" he asked, turning to look at me. "Yep. I decided that I needed to relax before I see Brian tonight, and with your little adventures so far this afternoon, I'm sure you could use it. I called yesterday and made reservations," I said, opening the door and getting out. Nick caught up to me as I opened the door to the spa. "Yes sir, can I help you?" the receptionist asked politely as we walked inside. "Yes, I made a reservation yesterday," I said, giving her a smile. "Alright," she said, looking down at her appointment book. "Mr. Healy?" "That's me," I replied. "And this is Mr. Carter." Nick looked up quickly at the sound of his name. "Relax," I told him. "I called the manager and told him who would be with me today. He assured me that we wouldn't be bothered." Nick relaxed visibly at that. The receptionist smiled again. "Here are your towels, gentlemen," she said, handing them to us. "And here are the keys for your lockers. Inside you'll find robes and slippers. Please leave your personal belongings in the lockers. Each key has a clip so that you won't lose it while you enjoy the spa." Nick and I thanked her and made our way into the change rooms. "I've never been to a spa before," Nick said, opening his locker and pulling out the robe. "Really? I would have thought that you guys did this type of thing all the time," I said, surprised. "Well, we have our own trainers and stuff who travel with us, but nothing like this place," he replied, pulling off his shirt. "Well, just relax and put yourself in their hands. You're gonna love it." We finished getting undressed, then put on the robes and locked our things in the lockers. We decided to start with a soak in the hot tub, and made our way to the pool area of the building. As we relaxed in the water, we started to get to know each other. We talked about our childhood, what we had wanted to be when we grew up, that sort of thing. "So you always wanted to be a writer?" Nick said, sighing as he leaned back against the wall of the hot tub. "For as long as I can remember," I said. "I used to write stories when I was in grade school. One teacher even enrolled me in a writer's workshop with kids from other schools when I was in grade four." "So you must have died when they decided to publish your book," he smiled. "I went nuts," I laughed, remembering. "I was still living here at that point, and Andrea and I went out and celebrated with her parents. I don't think I slept for a week, thinking about how everything was coming together for me." "That's exactly how I felt when we first got our record deal," Nick said. I smiled and sat back in the water, remembering how nervous I had been opening the letter from my publisher, and how happy Andrea and her parents had been for me. I was saddened for a moment by the thought that my parents hadn't been there, but I knew that they would be proud. Suddenly, Nick sat back up. "I'm turning into a prune," he laughed, holding up his hand for me to see his fingers. "What do you want to do now?" We decided on a massage, and got out of the water. We quickly dried ourselves off and headed toward the massage rooms. Luckily, there was one available with two tables. As we lay down, two women walked in and introduced themselves. "Are you ready, sir?" one, Cathy, asked me. I nodded and she started to rub my shoulders. The other woman walked over and talked with Nick for a moment before she too began. Before long, my eyes drifted shut and I dozed off a little. Before I knew it, Cathy was tapping me on the shoulder. I opened my eyes and looked up at her. "You're done," she said with a smile. I thanked her and sat up, pulling my robe back over my arms. I looked over to see Nick also with his eyes closed. As his masseuse finished and went to wake tap him on the shoulder, I stopped her, telling her that I would do it. I thanked her with a smile and waited for her to leave. As soon as the door was closed, I turned back to Nick. Grabbing the edge of the table, I started to shake it violently. "Time to wake up Nick!" I yelled, laughing. Nick's eyes shot open and he jumped up off of the table. When he saw me laughing, he couldn't help but smile. "Alright, alright, you got me," he said, grabbing his robe and putting it back on. "You scared the hell out of me, but you got me." I was still laughing when we made our way into the hall. "What now?" Nick asked, looking around. "No trip to the spa would be complete without a manicure and pedicure," I said, grabbing his arm and leading him down the hall. There was a bit of a wait, but before long we were seated in a small room with four chairs set up. Nick took one chair and I took the one beside him. Shortly, several women entered. Half of them sat down in front of Nick, and the other half came over to me. Taking my hands, the started to clean and trim the nails. I could see by the look on Nick's face that he had never done this either. We continued to talk about our lives, and what we were hoping to do in the future. Nick carefully talked around the book that I was currently working on, knowing that I wouldn't talk about it. I could tell that the women looking after us were trying not to look like they were paying attention to our discussion, and I guessed that several of them must be Backstreet Boys fans. Finally, they announced that we were done. Nick looked down at his hands and feet and smiled. "Wow," he said to the women in front of him. "Thanks a lot." I stood from my chair, also taking a moment to admire my hands and feet, then offered Nick a hand. He took it and I pulled him out of the chair. I noticed several of the ladies who had helped us were still smiling at Nick. "You know, you might want to give them a couple of autographs," I said, leaning in and whispering so that they wouldn't hear. "I think they're smitten with you." Nick smiled and turned back around, speaking with them. I took it as my cue to leave, and wandered back out into the hall. After a couple of minutes, Nick joined me. "You feeling all relaxed now?" I asked with a smile. "You bet!" he responded enthusiastically. "I'm gonna have to start doing this more often." He looked back down at his hand again, moving them back and forth so he could admire his nails. "Well, come on then. I want to take a nap before I have to get ready for tonight. You can think about how pretty you are later," I said, laughing and dragging him toward the locker room. Nick laughed and followed me. We quickly changed into our clothes and left the robes, towels and keys with the receptionist. "Thanks a lot, please come again," she said as we started out the door. "Count on it," Nick smiled and walked out. We jumped into the car and headed back to the condo. "Make yourself at home," I said, throwing my bags on the bed and opening my closet door. Nick sat down beside my stuff and let out a low whistle. "What?" I asked, unpacking the things that I had bought that afternoon. Nick stood and walked to my closet door, looking at the clothes inside. "This," he said, pulling out a couple of things. "You've got some nice stuff here. No wonder you're always so well dressed." "Thanks, I guess," I said with a small laugh. "One question, though," he said, looking through the clothes hanging there. "Yeah?" "Where are your grubbing-around clothes?" I turned to look at him, one eyebrow cocked. "What the hell are 'grubbing-around' clothes?" "You know, sweatshirts, sweatpants, that kind of thing. What you where when you're just hanging around the house," he explained, looking at me like I was crazy. "Oh," I replied, grabbing some more clothes off of the bed. "I don't have any." "What do you mean you don't have any?" Nick asked. A confused look made its way across his face. "I mean, I don't have any. What's the big deal?" "Well then what do you wear when you just want to relax?" he said, again brushing his hands through the clothes hanging in the closet. "You must have something comfortable in here." "I have lots of comfortable clothes," I said with a smile. "You don't have to look like a slob to be comfortable." "Sure you do, that's part of the deal," Nick laughed, moving back to the bed. I put the rest of my purchases into the closet, noticing Nick yawn as he sat down again. "You wanna take a nap, Nick?" I asked, gathering up the bags and putting them away. "Are you propositioning me, Mr. Healy?" Nick said with a grin. "You wish," I laughed. "You can sleep in the guest room, if you want." "Yeah, that sounds good. What time do you have to pick up Brian?" "Actually, he's going to be picking me up at seven." "Oh. Guess I'll call a cab back to the hotel," Nick said, getting up and heading for the door. "Well, you could take my rental car, and I could just have Brian drop me off back at the hotel. Then I can bring the car back here," I suggested. "Sure, that'll work. Thanks," he said. "You want to wake me up when you get up?" "No problem. I'll even be gentle this time," I said with a smile, setting my alarm and laying down on the bed. Nick laughed as he closed the door, and before long I was fast asleep. PART XVII For the first time in years, I was awake before my alarm went off. With a groan, I rolled over onto my side to turn it off. Finally getting my eyes to focus, I checked the time and decided that it was time I was up anyway. I sat up and let my legs dangle off of the side of the bed while I worked up the energy to stand. A moment later, I managed to make my way into the bathroom, deciding to let Nick sleep until after I had showered. Turning the water, on, I took another look at myself in the mirror. "You're one lucky bastard," I said to the bleary-eyed creature in the mirror with a smile. "But you've looked better." I chuckled to myself and turned my attention back to the shower. When the water was the right temperature, I stepped inside the shower and continued the waking up process. I took much longer than usual in the shower. My mind kept wandering from the task at hand to my date with Brian. By the time I got out, not only was I pruney, but I had also worked myself up into a bundle of nerves. I dried myself off and threw on some boxers and my robe, then brushed my teeth and walked back out into the bedroom. After the steamy bathroom, my room seemed downright cold, and I drew my robe tighter around me, deciding to go and wake Nick. I could hear him snoring all the way down the hall. I knocked quietly on the guest room door, and, receiving no answer from inside, I silently opened it and walked in. Nick was rolled on his side, curled up in a ball and clutching one of his pillows. He looked so cute it was almost a shame to wake him. After a moment of internal debate, I decided against jumping on the bed to wake him up, and made my way to the side of the bed. Leaning over, I laid my hand on his shoulder and gave it a slight shake. Nick just snored a little and curled up even tighter. I shook his shoulder again, and recieved the same response. Finally, I flicked him in the forehead. His snore cut off abruptly as his eyes flew open. I could hardly contain my laughter as I looked at the surprise on his face. "What the hell?" he said, sitting up quickly and rubbing his forehead. I couldn't hold it in any longer, so I started laughing. "I thought you said you'd wake my up gently? That didn't feel like gently to me," he said, bringing his hand from his forehead and watching me laugh. "I tried, man, I tried. I shook you, but you wouldn't wake up. I had to get creative," I said through my laughter. His hand went back to his forehead for a moment before his smile broke through. "I'll have to remember that one next time AJ oversleeps," he said. "What time is it?" I shrugged. "About six, I guess. I already showered. Now I just have to decide what to wear." "Brian likes blue," Nick crooned, standing up and following me from the room. "Well, that's too bad for Brian," I laughed, throwing open my closet. "How much blue do you see?" Nick looked at the clothes and laughed. While it was present, there was a decided lack of blue in my wardrobe. "I guess that's out then," he said. I had just started to look through my closet when my cell phone started ringing. Nick, who was once again seated on my bed, grabbed it and flipped it open. "Hello, Nate's phone," he said with a smile towards me. "Hey man, how's it going?" Nick said, leaning back on the bed and making himself comfortable. "Yeah, I had a great time. After we got out of bed, Nate and I hit the mall, and then spent the afternoon at a spa. What's that? Oh, sure." Nick made a 'psst' sound at me, and threw me the phone when he had my attention. "It's Briiiiaaaannnn!" he said with a laugh. I blushed and put the phone to my ear. "Hey Brian." "So what? I sleep with him the other night, and now you're in bed with him?" Brian laughed on the other end of the line. "Hey, it wasn't my fault," I protested, also laughing. "I woke up and the little bugger was in my bed. Actually, I suppose jumping on my bed would be a little more accurate." I gave Nick what I hoped was a reproachful look, but it died in the face of his grin. "The boy does get around," Brian agreed with a chuckle. "Anyway, I was just calling to find out about dinner. Are we talking jeans and a t-shirt, or suit coat?" I thought about it for a moment. "Well, it's a nice little restaurant, but nothing special. I'd say dress casual, but nice." "You're a big help," he laughed again. "Well, go beyond bluejeans and a t-shirt, but stop before suit coat, I guess," I tried. "What are you wearing?" Brian asked. I laughed quietly to myself. "Shhhh! Brian, Nick's in the room," I said teasingly. Nick looked up with a smile, but I shook my head to let him know it wasn't important. It took a moment for Brian to realise what he had said, and then I heard him giggle a little. I knew that if I could see him, he'd be blushing. "I meant for tonight," he said, slightly embarrassed. "I haven't decided yet. Nick and I were doing that when you called. He seemed to be disappointed by my lack of blue clothing." "Oh, well, I'll figure something out I guess," Brian said with a sigh. "I'm sure you'll look great. You always do," I said into the phone. "Awwwww!" I heard Nick exclaim from behind me. I gave him the finger without looking around and heard him snicker to himself. "Thanks," Brian said happily. "Okay, I'll let you get dressed and I'll see you at seven then." "Sounds good. See you at seven, Brian," I said as I ended the call. Nick was back at my closet door. "You may not like blue, but you seem to be pretty fond of green and brown," he said, pointing. "Yeah, I guess I am," I said with a smile, pulling out some dark green cargo pants. Nick grabbed them back from me and put them back in the closet, taking out some dark green jeans instead. "Go with these," he said, handing them to me. I debated for a minute, and then shrugged and threw them on the bed. "Nick? Can I ask you something?" "Sure," he said, pulling clothes out, shaking his head and putting them back before searching again. "Well, I know that you're Brian's best friend and everything, and I know that you wouldn't tell me anything that he didn't want you to, but I was wondering about something." "Spit it out Nate," he laughed, turning to face me. "If it's something I can't tell you, I'll tell you. I'll tell you that I can't tell you, I mean," he said, laughing at himself. "Well, I was just wondering... well, if you knew where Brian saw this whole thing going," I blurted out, blushing. "You mean you and him?" Nick asked. I just nodded. "Well, we have talked about it, but I think that's something that you and he should talk about," Nick said, patting me on the shoulder. I nodded again. "It's just that I really like Brian, and I would really like this to go somewhere, but..." "But we leave in a few days and there's no guarantee that you two will see each other or awhile," he finished for me. "Yeah. And even if that wasn't a problem, there's still..." "The fact that Brian needs to look straight in the media, and with the tabloids and reporters all around us, you're not sure that you can handle a relationship that has to stay hidden?" I looked at him in awe. He had gone right to the heart of what was worrying me. "Yeah, how did you know?" "Because that's what Brian and I talked about," he said with a smile. "And I'll tell you what I told him: Talk to him about it. It's obviously on both of your minds, and if you're both wondering about what could happen between you, nothing will." "Thanks, Nick." "No problem," he smiled. "Now let's get you dressed." He turned back to the closet and started looking for a shirt for me. "Well, since you're doing such a good job, I'm going to get us something to drink," I said, walking out into the hall. When I returned with a couple of glasses of juice, Nick was nowhere to be seen. "Nick?" I asked the apparently empty room. I heard the jingle of hangers from the closet, and then Nick's arm appeared around the doorframe. "I'm in the closet!" he yelled. I laughed. "I remember what that's like!" "Shut up!" Nick laughed, emerging from the clothes again. He was holding a beige t-shirt and a green button-down shirt that matched the jeans he had selected earlier. "How about these?" he asked, setting them down on the bed with the pants. "Isn't that one of the shirts that I bought this afternoon?" I asked, pointing to the button-down. "Yeah. It was at the front of the closet, but this," he said, holding up the beige tee, "was at the back. You either have to get a bigger closet or fewer clothes." "These are just the ones that I leave here. You should see my closet in Toronto," I laughed, looking over the stuff he had chosen. "Looks good to me. Just about perfect for the mood of the restaurant." "Good. You get dressed. I'm going to watch a bit of TV while you get ready." Nick left me to change, closing the door behind him. I put my robe back behind the door and pulled on the beige shirt and the jeans. I took a few minutes deciding on how to wear the button-down. I tucked it in and checked myself in the mirror, then pulled it out and checked again. I finally decided on tucked, with the top couple of buttons left undone. After I was dressed, I walked over to the dresser and looked at the jewelry laid out on its top. I glanced briefly at my small selection of rings and quickly decided against wearing one. I had a tendency to tap them on the table when I was nervous, and given my current state, I was liable to deafen Brain and everyone else in the restaurant. I quickly decided on my favourite necklace and put it on. It was a dark cord necklace, with a jade 'N' dangling from it. The letter was a good match for my shirt and pants. Nick came back as I was fastening the clasp on the necklace. "Well?" I said, motioning to my clothes. "Looking good," he said with a smile. "Nervous?" "God yes," I smiled back. "If that trip to the spa calmed me down any, I'd hate to see what I would have been like without it." "Relax. You already know that he likes you, and if I know Brian, he's going to be twice as nervous as you are." "No one could be twice as nervous as I am right now," I said, adjusting my clothes in the mirror. Nick grinned and walked over to where I was standing. "Wil you relax? Everything's going to be fine. You might want to do something about that hair, though," he said pointing to my head and laughing. I had been so preoccupied with my clothes that I hadn't noticed that I had neglected to do anything with my hair when I got out of the shower. If nothing else, this was an excellent indicatory of how nervous I was - I NEVER forget to fix my hair. It was currently standing almost straight up from my head. I laughed and made my way to the bathroom again, with Nick right behind me. Sticking my head under the tap, I quickly wet my hair again, being careful not to get my clothes wet in the process. Nick handed me a towel, and I dried my hair a bit before checking it in the mirror. It took a couple of minutes to get it just right, but I soon had it under control. I added a little bit of gel to make it stay where I wanted it, then checked the mirror again. Deciding that it was as good as it was going to get, Nick and I walked out into the living room. It was quarter to seven when Nick announced that he was going to head back to the hotel. I thanked him for hanging out and helping me get ready, then tossed him the keys to the car. "Don't mention it," he said with a shrug. "Besides, it's me who should be thanking you for the trip to the spa." He smiled again as he admired his nails. I laughed and said goodnight, watching him go out the door and get into the car. He honked the horn once before he pulled out of the driveway, and then he was gone. I decided that I needed some music to calm myself down, so I walked over to the stereo and pressed the button. I sat down in the rocking chair and closed my eyes, trying to gather myself and stop my heart from racing. PART XVIII I didn't even hear the limo pull up. My eyes jerked open at the sound of a knock on the door. I heard it open, and Brian called my name. "I'm in here, Brian," I called, standing up from the chair. Brian came into the doorway and my breath stopped. He was wearing black jeans with a tight white t-shirt and a grey vest. I couldn't help myself and whistled, blushing immediately. "Took the words right out of my mouth," he smiled, looking me up and down. "Ready to go?" "Yeah, just let me grab my wallet," I said, running into the bedroom. I got the distinct impression that he was checking out my ass as I did so, but when I returned, he was standing patiently by the door, a slight smile on his face. I locked the door and followed him to the limo. Brian waved off the driver and opened the door for me himself, motioning for me to get in. I smiled and climbed in the back, Brian right at my heels. "I don't know where we're going, so you're going to have to give him directions," Brian said, nodding his head in the direction of the driver. I nodded and lowered the window between us. "Do you know where Angelo's is?" I asked the driver as he pulled into traffic again. "Yes sir," he responded with a smile. "Well that's where we're headed," I said, returning the smile. He driver nodded and I raised the window again. As soon as I did so, Brian's hand made it's way into mine. I looked over at him and smiled. He leaned in and we shared a very tender and gentle kiss. I felt my heart begin to race again. When we broke the kiss, Brian leaned back against the seat again, but he kept his eyes on mine. "Nervous?" he asked. I was still reeling from the kiss, so I just nodded. He continued to smile as he drew the hand that wasn't holding mine across my cheek. "Me too," he whispered. We sat there, holding hands and looking into each other's eyes in silence until we felt the car come to a stop. Momentarily, the window lowered again. "We're here sirs," the driver said. "Um, I'm not sure how long we'll be," I started, not wanting the driver to just sit out here and wait for us. "Not a problem, sir. Mr. Littrell has the number for the phone in the limo. I'll find somewhere to park this monster, then grab myself something to eat. Just call when you're ready, and I'll be here," he interrupted me. Brian thanked him and got out, again holding the door for me. I thanked the driver as well, and climbed out behind Brian. Brian and I were seated right away at a table near the back of the restaurant. It was the most secluded table they had, and someone would have to be right next to us before they would be able to see who we were. "Nice table," Brian commented as the waiter set down our glasses of water. He gave us our menus and walked off, promising to return in a few minutes. "Yeah," I agreed. "When I called to make the reservations, I talked directly with the manager of the restaurant. Apparently, my name isn't quite well-known enough to pull any strings, but when he found out who my dinner companion was going to be, he just about fell over himself trying to accomodate us," I laughed. Brian smiled again, picking up a menu. "What did I tell you? Travel with me, and you go in style." He brushed his nails against his chest importantly and laughed at himself. "Yeah yeah yeah," I smiled, picking up my own menu and trying to decide what I wanted. When we had both decided on our dinners, Brian raised his arm and flagged down the waiter. As he came up to the table, I noticed him checking Brian out. "Have we decided, Mr. Littrell?" he said directly to Brian, completely ignoring me. Brian didn't seem to notice. "Yes. I'll have the lasagna, with a caesar salad on the side, and I'm fine with water to drink," he said, smiling up at the waiter. "Nate? Are you ready to order?" The waiter tore his gaze away from Brian long enough to take my order down. "Yes," I said, "I'll have the glazed chicken with roasted potatoes, and I'd like an iced tea as well," I said, giving the waiter a wide smile. The waiter nodded and walked off toward the kitchen. I started to laugh when I saw him take another glance back at Brian over his shoulder. "What's so funny?" Brian asked, looking at me with a confused expression on his face. "Nothing," I laughed. "Just that the waiter was trying to figure out the most civilised way of jumping you right here on the table." "What are you talking about?" he asked, looking after the waiter. "I'm talking about the way our waiter was making eyes at you. I'm telling you, he wants you." "He does not. He was just being nice," Brian protested with a smile, unsure whether I was kidding or not. "If that's his being nice, I can't imagine what his flirting must be like," I continued to laugh. "He was practically sitting in your lap when he was taking your order!" Brian finally gave in and laughed. "Well, he's out of luck. I'm on a date with someone much cuter." I blushed and let the laughter wind its way down. So, what did you do all day?" I asked, hoping to change the subject. "Well, AJ and Kevin decided that if they left me alone I would just sit in my room and make myself nervous, so we went out and saw some of LA. We hit a couple of malls, grabbed lunch at Planet Hollywood, and wandered around a bit. Nothing too exciting." "Sounds like fun," I said, taking a drink. "Yeah, but it didn't really work. I was still nervous, I just wasn't sitting in my room," he said with a smile. I smiled back and we spent a few minutes in silence before I decided I needed to use the washroom. Excusing myself, I made my way through the restaurant, smiling at our waiter as I passed him. He smiled back, then disappeared into the kitchen. When I returned to the table, the food had arrived, and Brian was grinning at me. "What are you grinning at?" I asked as I sat down opposite him again. He passed me a small piece of paper. "It looks like you were right," he said. I unfolded the paper and looked at it. It took me a moment to figure out what it was. The paper had a phone number on it, and the name 'Philip' scrawled below. "He dropped it in my lap when he brought the food," Brian said, trying to contain his laugher. His laughter was infectious, and soon we both had tears running down our cheeks. Noticing a couple a few tables over looking at us, I straightened in my chair and motioned for Brian to do the same. I passed the paper back to him. "You going to call him?" I asked innocently, taking a bite of my chicken. Brian grinned again and put the paper on the table. "I think not," he said, picking up his fork and looking directly into my eyes. "I have more important people to spend time with." I blushed again and looked down, concentrating on my dinner. A short time later, our waiter materialised next to the table again. "How is everything, gentlemen?" He was asking us both, but he was looking at Brian. "Everything's great, Philip. Thanks," I said with a smile, drawing his attention. Realising that I must have seen the note, he blushed and seemed at a loss for words. Finally, he seemed to gather himself again, and nodded before returning to the kitchen. "That was mean," Brian said, trying to sound reproachful and not laugh at the same time. "Well, he shouldn't have tried to pick up my man," I said with a grin. The words were out of my mouth before I realised how they would sound. "Look, Nate," Brian said, putting his fork down and looking across the table at me. "We really need to talk about something." I nodded my agreement. "I know," I said. "I'm not sure where this," I waved my hand at the table and the two of us, "is going. I'm not sure where you want it to go, or even where it can go." "I'm glad that we're on the same page here," Brian smiled. "I can answer one of those questions for you. I want to try a relationship with you Nate," he said, taking my hand and holding it. I glanced around nervously, checking to see if anyone could see us, but the manager had made sure that the table was as secluded as possible, and there was no one. I squeezed Brian's hand and gave him a smile. "I want that too," I said. "But can we do it? You're taking off in a couple of days, and god only knows when we'll see each other again." "I know. I know that it'll be tough to be together. I spend most of the year travelling all over the place, but I feel like we have to at least try it. I can't explain it, and I think it's too early to say that it's love, but it feels right." I nodded to let him know that I knew what he meant. "Yeah, it does. When I first met you, I admit it was mostly blind fan worship. But even that first night I could tell that there was something there. That's why it hurt so much when you ran away. I know it's going to be hard, but I still want to try. Besides, Andrea would kick my ass if I let you slip away," I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. Brian laughed. "At least she wouldn't throw a dart at you." I gave his hand another squeeze before I started again. "Brian, there's something else that's been bothering me about us." "What's that?" "Well, it's sort of the logistics of us being together. I mean, to the world you're straight, and you need to stay that way for the sake of the band." Brian nodded. "I understand that, but how are we going to be together if we're always looking over our shoulders for a camera or a reporter? People know that I'm gay." "I've been thinking about that too," he admitted. "But I think we'd be fine as long as we weren't making out in public. I mean, there's no law saying that I can't have a gay friend. As long as it looks like we're just hanging out, I don't think it would be an issue. There may be a few more rumours, but so what? Like there aren't enough of those already, and it isn't hurting the group." I thought about what he had said. Obviously, he had been putting some thought into it. It made me feel good that he cared enough about being with me to work all of this out in his mind. "I suppose, as long as we're careful, it wouldn't be too hard to make work. I'm not much on public displays of affection anyway," I said with a smile. Brian just grinned. "So we're decided? We're unofficially officially dating?" I asked, widening the smile. "We can seal it with a kiss once we've got a little privacy," Brian said, returning the smile and picking his fork up again. "Well then, lets get this meal over with and get back in that limo," I laughed as I grabbed my own fork. We ate the rest of the meal in silence, simply enjoying being there together. As soon as we finished, Philip was back at the table, asking us if we wanted any desert. We both declined the offer, opting instead to get the check and head to the theatre. Brian got out his cell phone and called the driver, who agreed to meet us outside the restaurant in a few minutes. I grabbed the check and, disregarding my new boyfriend's objections, paid it. With a final wave to Philip, who blushed heavily, Brian and I made our way back outside. As promised, the limo was waiting, and the driver was standing ready to open the door for us. We thanked him and climbed in, lowering the interior window once he got back into the driver's seat. "Excuse me," I said to the driver. "Can I ask what your name is?" "Sir?" he asked, confused. "I was wondering what your name was," I repeated, giving him my friendliest smile. "It's John, sir," he replied, still sounding confused. "Alright John, it's nice to meet you." I leaned in through the window to shake his hand. "I'm Nate, and this is Brian. Now that we know each other, if you call me sir one more time you're fired," I laughed, flopping back down on the seat next to Brian. "Yes si... Nate," he said with a smile. "And where would we be heading next?" "Well, John, we're heading to the movies." "Very good," he said, turning back to the wheel and pulling the limo away from the curb. Brian thanked him, then raised the window again. "What was that all about?" he asked, once it was securely raised. "I can't stand being called sir, for one thing," I smiled. "And I hate thinking of people by their occupation. People have names for a reason. He's not 'the driver.' He's John, who happens to drive the limo," I explained, taking Brian's hand. "I never really thought about it that way. We have so many people running around us, it just gets to be routine to think of people as 'the assistant,' or 'the stagehand,'" Brian said, leaning back in the seat and putting his head on my shoulder. "Just so long as I don't get to be 'the boyfriend,'" I laughed, resting the side of my head against the top of his. Brian sat up a bit and looked at me. "Nope, you get to be Nathaniel...something...Healy," he said, giving me a kiss after each part of my name. "Who just happens to be my boyfriend." "Something?" I said, sounding indignant. Brian grinned. "Well, I don't know your middle name. What is it?" "Sorry," I said with a smile. "That information will cost you." "Oh?" Brian said, moving over so he was sitting on my lap. He put his hands on my shoulders and pulled me into a kiss. His hands moved from my shoulders to the back of my head as he pulled my lips to his, and I felt his tongue trying to enter my mouth. I parted my lips for it and Brian moaned as his tongue explored, moving against my own. Finally, we broke the kiss, but remained with our foreheads touching, staring into each other's eyes and slowly recovering our breath. "Well?" Brian asked. "Well what?" I said breathlessly. "What is it?" "What is what?" "What's your middle name, dummy!" Brian laughed, moving from my lap back into the seat. "Oh," I said stupidly, trying to gather my thoughts. "It's... uh... James." "Well then, you're Nathaniel... James... Healy," he said, again giving me a quick kiss after each part. "And you just happen to be my boyfriend." "Mmmmmm..." I moaned. I was about to lean in for another kiss when the limo swerved and came to a stop. Brian and I quickly tried to straighten our clothes and hair again, before John opened the door for us. "Thanks John," Brian and I said in unison as we climbed out of the car. "No problem. Give me a call when you're ready to leave, just like at the restaurant," he said as he closed the door and walked back around to the driver's side. We gave him a wave as he pulled away, then made our way to the cashier. We bought tickets for a new comedy that would be starting in a few minutes, then rushed inside to get some popcorn. When we got to the theatre and looked around, Brian groaned. "The only seats left are the ones over to the side at the back. I hate those seats." "Oh, I'm sure we can manage to find something to keep ourselves occupied if we get bored," I said with a smile as I pushed past him. As I did, I reached out and pinched his ass. He jumped, but then a smile spread across his face and he followed me to the seats. We didn't see a whole lot of the movie, but what I saw looked okay. Of course, I only managed to see the first five minutes and the closing credits. As the lights came up in the theatre, Brian and I sat up in our seats and straightened our clothes once again. While we waited for the rest of the people to file out, Brian pulled his phone out and called John, letting him know that the movie was done. Again, the limo was waiting for us when we left. We got more than a few stares as John opened the door for us, but I don't think anyone recognised Brian. Soon we were back on the road and heading to the hotel. As John pulled the limo up to the service entrance at the back of the hotel, I lowered the window again to thank him for taking us around. He smiled and said it was his job, then, over our protests, got out to open the door for us. We thanked him again as we got out, then ran inside the service door. To Be Continued... Okay, that's it for this part. Please let me know what you think. Everyone's opinion is welcome and wanted. Email me at DLS_stories@hotmail.com Thanks for reading! :)