Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 03:15:33 -0500 From: Carter Subject: Open Arms: Chapter 12 Open Arms Chapter 12 m/m : boy bands Warning: I do not know, nor have I ever known any of the Backstreet Boys or any other celebrity character contained within this story and thus I do not mean to imply anything about their sexual orientations, or lives in general. Any quotations taken from songs are the property of their respective owners. This is simply a work coming from my imagination, and I'd expect it to be taken as such. If you are in any way offended by homosexual romances and/or sex, or if you are not of legal age to be reading this, please do not continue. So now without further ado, I present you with the next chapter of Open Arms. -Carter (nicksxtacy@sympatico.ca) Open Arms: Chapter 12 The reflection stared back at Nick, and he couldn't help but think that he had done well. His short blond hair was gelled in one of his now-famous messy styles- the one that looks like it took a well trained hairstylist hours to individually place every strand of hair perfectly, just for it to appear that Nick had just rolled out of bed. Nick laughed quietly to himself at the time he spent trying to achieve that look. But the time had paid off, not only was his hair perfect, but Nick looked stunning. His slightly tanned skin even seemed to glow in the light of the bathroom. Nick was wearing a ribbed black turtleneck sweater with a pair of loose fitting black slacks. The look was that of a California blond, boy-next-door crossed with that of a European runway model. And of course, more stunning that the hair, and the way the outfit caressed Nick's body were the Carter specialties. His blue-grey eyes shone in anticipation of the exciting night ahead. As his full, moistened lips gave way to the trademark Carter smirk, Nick couldn't help but admit that he had come a long way from the skinny pre-pubescent kid that had first joined the group oh so many years ago. As Nick stood before the hotel bathroom's mirror, Nick found himself quietly talking out loud to himself, " Sure, I may look all grown up now, but when Brian sees me, all he sees is that 13 year old he met years ago. How am I supposed to make him see beyond the weak child that he helped to bring up? How do I convince him that I'm a man. I'm the man meant for him. Frig, how do I convince someone who's not even gay that what he needs is a man, and that the man he needs is me? URGH!" Nick was too busy shouting at himself in the mirror that he failed to notice Chris standing in the doorway to the bathroom. Chris stood, silently listening to Nick's ramblings watching the beautiful young man who seemed to have it all, who was yet so deeply in pain. Chris' soul was torn in two. Half of him wanted to grab Nick right there, kiss him and convince that he could love him the way Nick so desperately needed to be loved. But the part of Chris which cared about Nick's friendship as well as his own feelings told him that he had to trust Brian's judgement and hope that Brian's plans were going to really make Nick happy this time- and not be a total disaster like when Brian had the brilliant idea of setting him and Nick up for their blind date. Although Brian had consulted with Chris with the planning of tonight, and Chris knew what was to happen, Chris still didn't know where Brian's heart lay, and whether Brian's intentions for tonight were anything more than a plot to cheer Nick up. Regardless, Chris had to trust Brian that tonight should at least be a great night that Nick would treasure. But what Chris hoped more was that tonight would be the night that would see some of Nick's dreams come through. Anyone could see the boy needed something, and if Brian was the only one who could provide that, then Chris was going to see to it that he did. "Ummm, Nick. We've got to get going buddy" Chris was unsuccessful in his attempt to not startle Nick. "Oh, Chris, how long have you been standing there? Sorry, I was just talking to myself" Nick blushed realising that Chris had caught him in the middle of a heated argument with his reflection. "Nick, I didn't hear anything I didn't already know. You love Brian, blah blah blah" Chris tried to keep a joking tone in his voice in order to not seem insensitive to Nick's feelings but also to avoid getting into a lengthy discussion with Nick. He grabbed Nick's hand and led him out of the bathroom and through the suite. "Now let's get going before we're late. The limo driver's been waiting for almost an hour. I will never understand why in the world it takes someone as naturally gorgeous as you that long to get ready?" as soon as Chris said it, he regretted it. He'd let it slip. He'd tried so hard to just be a good friend to Nick and to try to put his feelings for the younger man aside. Chris silently prayed that Nick wouldn't comment. It was all he could do to keep himself from pouring out his feelings for Nick and begging Nick to give him a chance to prove that his love could be just as good as Brian's. "You think I'm gorgeous Chris?" Nick's tone was half mocking, but there was a hesitation as well in his voice which caused his insecurity to show through. Suddenly, something inside of Chris snapped. In hearing the pleading tone of Nick's voice. After having helped Nick through the process of dealing with his sexuality for the past few weeks, falling deeper, and deeper in love with Nick and now having to deal with Nick's low self confidence, Chris couldn't hold his tongue any longer. Chris stopped dragging Nick, and spun around, the blonde's hand still clutched in his. Chris wrapped his free arm around Nick's waist, pulled Nick close to his body and kissed him. The kiss was not gentle like the kiss that had been shared between Brian and Chris, but rather it was savage. With Chris initiating the release of all the lust he had stored inside, and Nick still emotionally and sexually frustrated, the kiss turned heated in mere seconds as both men lost themselves in another world for what seemed like several minutes, but was probably less than one. Finally, Chris pulled back and released Nick's hand. "Nick, THAT is the way I feel about you. From the day I saw you in concert, I've been infatuated with you. I've told you this, and you know it. I've wanted to kiss you, I've wanted to hold you, and I've wanted to ask you to be mine. Now I know that it wasn't meant to be. I know that your heart is Brian's and you feel that no one else could ever own your heart but Brian, but let me assure you Nickolas, Brian Littrell is not the only person who is capable of giving you the love you deserve." Chris let all his thoughts out in one breath, before even realising just exactly what he had said. "Chris, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I've been so insensitive to your feelings. I'm sorry that I never really thought about the fact that while I'm wishing that I could be with Brian that someone may have been wishing for me. This whole relationship thing Chris, I'm new to it. Apart from a few flings with girls, which was never much more than casual dating, I don't have much experience. I don't know what I'm doing." Chris could sense the feeling of being overwhelmed sweeping over Nick as he pulled his friend into a tight hug. "Nicky, I adore you and I know you don't feel the same way about me as I do about you. And I understand that. And although it hasn't happened yet, Nicky, I will get over you. So I don't want you to feel bad at all. I promise you sweetheart, it will all work out in the end. Now I'm not going to tell you again, we have to get going, we're going to be late!" Nick smiled as he returned the hug, silently thanking heaven that he had been given Chris as a guardian angel. Someone gay who understood what he was going through and with whom he could be emotional and talk about Brian. He wished he could talk to one of the other guys about it, but discussing any of this with any of them right now seemed like more than he could handle. Nick decided to put it out of his mind, and just enjoy his night with Chris as much as possible. He could deal with Brian and the rest of the group when he was back in Orlando. *********************************************** The limo ride went by quickly with Chris and Nick chatting away about the various guys Chris had dated in and around Hollywood. Nick couldn't believe some of the names he heard Chris dropping. All along he had felt at such a loss, being a gay pop star and silently wishing he wasn't the only one. With Chris opening his eyes to how much their was going on behind what was visible to the public- and even to the untrained eyes of someone in the industry who didn't know what they were looking for. The talk did wonders in reassuring Nick and it made the journey fly by. Before Nick could realise it, they had pulled up at the back entrance to Madison Square Gardens. Nick looked to Chris and remembered that this was supposed to be a surprise. He decided to play along and not ruin Chris' obvious hard work. "Well, Nicky, we're here!" Chris was trying to contain his happiness at knowing what tonight held in store for the boy he loved so dearly. "The Gardens? Chris, what are we doing here. is there like a basketball game going on tonight or something?" despite his best efforts, Nick couldn't hold a straight face, and tried desperately to suppress the sly grin that spread across his face. "You little Prick! You knew! Why didn't you tell me you knew we were coming to Mariah's concert so that I could stop sneaking around and trying to be all secretive? Brian told you didn't he? Loser. he couldn't keep it to himself!" Chris ranted as if he was angry but the look on his face told Nick that there was no malice behind his words. But something he said did catch Nick's attention. "Brian? What about Bri, did he know about tonight?" As always the mere mention of Brian sent Nick's mind - and heart- racing. Chris grinned realising that Nick obviously knew very little about the plans after all. He just had to do some damage control then Nick wouldn't suspect a thing. The two men were escorted out of the limo, through one of the Gardens many 'secret' entrances, through several long halls and to their seats. Chris checked his watch and noted that the timing had been right. They had just enough time to get to their seats before Mariah came on, but they had come late enough to miss the opening act and thus reducing the time in which someone could realise that Nick was sitting in the audience. As the usher brought them to their seats, Nick gasped. Although years of star treatment had led him to become accustomed to preferential treatment, being granted front row centre seats at Madison Square Gardens for one of Mariah's lone concerts was a shock. Nick silently wondered how Chris had managed to arrange it. "Chris, how in the world did you manage to get these seats? I mean they're incredible!" before Chris could respond, Nick grinned and interrupted him, "Oh, I get it. so who did you sleep with for these tickets?" The blond keeled over in hysterics as he laughed as his own joke. Rather than responding, Chris just sighed and leaned back in his seat, content that Nick had been too busy taking in the entire scene and mocking him to notice the empty seat to Chris' left. Turning to his right, and looking at Nick, he couldn't help but think of how adorable Nick was- still trying to calm himself down from his laughter at his own joke. And he thought of how lucky Brian was to have his heart. He just prayed that Brian really did know what to do with it. The timing being just right, the final set of lights dimmed and the crowd quieted awaiting for Mariah to emerge. Suddenly, seemingly from every angle, Mariah's trademark laugh echoed throughout the auditorium and the music started. As quickly as the crowd had quieted they rose to their feet as Mariah graced the stage in a cute little black dress. "Oh when you walk by every night, Talking sweet and looking fine I get kind of hectic inside. Oh baby, I'm so into you Darling if you only knew All the things that flow through my mind." Nick was like a child at Christmas. His face was aglow with excitement as he took it all in. He suddenly grabbed Chris' hand and pulled them both to their feet to join with the energetic crowd at singing and dancing along to one of Mariah's classics. Although it was lost in the roar of the crowd, Chris let out a sigh of relief. It looked like everything was going as planned- and was going to work out. He smiled and let himself get caught up in Nick's energy and began to sing along as well. "But it's just a sweet, sweet fantasy baby, When I close my eyes, you come and take me On and on and on It's so deep in my daydreams But it's just a sweet, sweet fantasy baby." Chris could see Mariah look over as she passed close by their seats and as her eyes locked with Chris they exchanged a silent message telling each other that they were right on schedule. As the concert progressed, at every break in the concert's momentum, when Mariah would dash off stage for a quick change in outfit, Nick would pull Chris into a hug and tell him how much he was enjoying himself. Never before had Chris felt so right. He had done something to make someone truly happy and it made him feel incredible. The show progressed with Mariah alternating between belting out some of her greatest hits which had the audience reaching for the lighters to wave to the sultry sounds of her trademark ballads, while others reached for nearby lovers to hold near. As she sang Hero, Chris placed his arm around Nick's shoulder and pulled the younger man closer as Nick shed a few stray tears. Knowing the tears were just those of someone experiencing the power of Mariah's gift, Chris didn't let it worry him, just drew Nick a little bit closer to his own body knowing that this would be his last chance in a while to do so. As the final notes of Hero faded out, Mariah stood centre stage as the lone spotlight highlighted her slender form clad in an elegant navy blue dress. Being an entertainer himself, Nick could see in Mariah the sense of contentment, knowing she had the audience in the palm of her hand as they sat on the edge of their seats awaiting her next breath, next note, next move. She waited for the blanket of silence to fall over the crowd- well as much silence as could be expected at a concert. She gave a timid smile in Nick's direction and spoke, "I'd like to thank all of you for coming out tonight. I hope tonight will be as magical for all of you here tonight as performing my music is for me. I want to take some time out now, and do something a little special. I'm going to bring out a friend of mine who's going to help me with a song that hopefully some of you may remember as being a beautiful song from a few years ago, and I hope to some of you this song will be the beginning of something wonderful." Nick felt it was the perfect set up for "I'll Be There" the song by the Jackson Five that Mariah had sang at MTV Unplugged with Trey Lorenz. Nick held his breath, knowing how beautiful this was going to be and how rare it was for Mariah to be singing this song, seeing as how long ago it had been when her and Trey had revived the song. Nick couldn't help but let his thoughts drift back to Brian. As the words from I'll Be There flashed through his mind, Nick felt a tightening in his heart. Here he was in the middle of a night he'd remember for the rest of his life, with Chris. Not that he minded spending it with Chris, but he knew in his heart of hearts, it was his Angel he wished to be standing near to him, swaying to some of the most beautiful love songs and witnessing the magic of Mariah's gift. Nick quickly tuned his attention back to Mariah, waiting for her to begin the song as he also braced himself for the tears that he knew would come. As the opening notes of the song played, Nick felt his heart sink as it wasn't the opening notes of "I'll Be There" that played but yet those from another song reminiscent of the 80s. Nick couldn't quite place the tune, but knew it was a song that he had heard a few times as a child, knowing that as she began to sing the song would probably come to him. When she felt the crowd was ready, Mariah casually brushed away the few strands of hair that had fallen in front of her face and carefully lifted the microphone from the stand and took a deep breath as she prepared to sing the song, that she knew would shape the destiny of two people. "What would you say if I told you I've always wanted to hold you ? I don't know what we're afraid of, Nothing would change if we made love." Nick's eyes began to tear as he recognised the lines to the song "Friends and Lovers" by Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson. Although it had never been a favourite of Nick's he could feel the words puncturing his heart as the song triggered memories of Brian to flood his mind, and tears to flood his face. As he turned to bury his face in Chris' shoulder, Chris refused to let him turn away, and stood behind him, holding his shoulders firmly and forcing him to look ahead. As the male lead began the notes to the chorus, Nick- and even Chris, who knew what was going on, gasped quietly as the man made his way to join Mariah in centre stage while belting out the chorus with all his heart and soul, " So I'll be your friend, And I'll be your lover." Brian looked directly at Nick as he sang, speaking to Nick's soul in a way that only he could as he continued the verse with Mariah. " Cuz I know in our hearts, we agree, We don't have to be one or the other. We could be both to each other." As the Mariah took over and began the next verse, Brian, never having broken eye contact with Nick mouthed "I love you" to his friend- his soul mate the one he knew now, more than ever, was the one he could not live without. The one to whom he had already given his heart and soul, without even realising it. Not wanting to start to bawl as Nick was visibly doing in the audience, Brian turned his attention to the breathtaking woman beside him, as he listened to the words to the song that he had decided would be the one that would be the beginning of the life that he and Nick would share together. "Yes it's a chance that we're taking, Cuz somebody's heart might be breaking." Mariah returned the affectionate gaze to Brian as he once again took over the song, leaving her to bask in the moment and wishing she could bring Nick up on stage to be right next to Brian. But she knew that as impossible as it was for them to be physically with each other at this very instant, after tonight, they were unlikely to ever part. She could see what most other people could. They were meant for each other. They were the modern day star crossed lovers. Religion and Society forbid it- but there was no denying their love was one of the most pure and real. Brian continued to belt out the lines and Mariah could see it was beginning to be a struggle for him to keep the tears from falling, but his voice did not falter, yet maintained it's heart-warming charm. "But he can't stop what's inside us Our love for each other will guide us." Mariah joined Brian once again as their voices melted into one, " So I'll be your friend, And I'll be your lover." Cuz I know in our hearts, we agree, We don't have to be one or the other. We could be both to each other." The two artists joined hands as they both gave their all to give the audience, and most importantly Nick, the performance of a lifetime. "I've been through you You've been through me Sometimes a friend is the hardest to see We always know when it's laid on the line, Nobody else is as easy to find, So I'll be your friend, And I'll be your lover. Cuz I need a friend, And I'll be your lover Cuz I know in our hearts we agree We don't have to be one or the other We could be both to each other." The audience exploded from their silence to give a deafening response to what they had witnessed. There were but a few dry eyes in the house once the song had finished but every man woman and child applauded, yelled and cried their appreciation through the tears brought by the raw emotion exhibited by both artists on stage, who were hugging each other, Mariah assuring Brian that it had been perfect, and Brian thanking Mariah for making tonight a reality. As the hug ended, Brian exited the stage as quickly as he had surfaced, and before Chris could get Nick to stop shaking, Mariah had launched in to Dreamlover, bringing the crowd back into a party-like state. In mere seconds, Brian was standing timidly in front of Nick as they stared at each other, neither one knowing what to say or do, but looking into one another's eyes, knowing their lives together were about to begin. Chris moved to the furthest of the three seats, allowing Brian and Nick to sit down, side by side in their seats, both still too speechless to utter a word, yet too caught up in the other to break eye contact. It was as if they were afraid that by speaking or blinking the other would disappear and the whole thing would have been a dream. Sensing that even if Nick and Brian wanted to say or do something that they would be unwilling to given that they were in the middle of Madison Square Gardens, Chris leaned towards Brian and whispered quickly into his ear. A smile spread across Brian's face as he turned and thanked Chris for everything, then grabbed Nick's hand and led him to the door that lead Backstage, pausing only to slip the extra backstage pass that Mariah had given him around Nick's neck. Sure, they were the Backstreet Boys and didn't need the passes, but Brian didn't want to risk killing the night that was so far perfect. Once they were backstage, and out of the way of Mariah's crew running around getting set and outfit changes prepared, Brian and Nick were finally alone. Tucked away, in a corner behind stage left, that Mariah had reserved for the two men, where they could still see the show, yet remain undetected and undisturbed, Brian turned to Nick and wiped the tears that continued to fall from Nick's face. He could see so many emotions reflected in the blue oceans of Nick's eyes. From pure love and adoration to fear and confusion. There were no words that could have reassured Nick and given him the answers to all the questions that were cluttering his mind, but could not be expressed, so Brian did what Brian knew was the only thing left to show Nick how he felt. Nick felt Brian's hand on his cheek, wiping away the tears then lightly tracing the side of his face and then the gentlest touch of Brian's fingertips just barely brushing across his lips, causing Nick to stop breathing as his body trembled slightly under the touch of his Angel. Before he could realise it was really happening, he felt the touch of Brian's fingertips on his lips being replaced with the feel of Brian's lips on his. The kiss began tenderly, with Brian just letting the softness of Nick's full lips register as he carefully wrapped his arms around Nick's waist and pulled Nick as close as possible. Initiating the next move, Nick began to tenderly nibble on Brian's lower lip, lightly running the tip of his tongue over the older man's lips as he wrapped his arms loosely around Brian's neck. Brian gave in to the passion he felt and parted his lips, allowing Nick's tongue to slip into his mouth, and moaning at the rush of adrenaline and lust that engulfed him as he tasted the smooth sweetness that was Nick. The friends' tongues intertwined for the first time, yet to both men, it felt as if they had been born to be connected as one. Seconds turned into minutes, and as if on queue, both men pulled away and each released a sigh. Years of unrequited and repressed feelings had manifested themselves in that kiss and there was only one thing left to be said as they remained in their embrace, each with a serene smile plastered on his face. Before the words could escape, they turned to watch Mariah, still in each others arms, as a familiar tune began to play and Mariah began to sing the words that Nick had lived by for so long, "Lying Beside you, here in the dark Feeling your heart beat with mine Softly you whisper, you're so sincere How could our love be so blind We sailed on together We drifted apart And here you are by my side So now I come to you, with open arms Nothing to hide, believe what I say So here I am, With open arms Hoping you'll see, what your love means to me Open Arms... Living without you, living alone This empty house seems so cold Wanting to hold you, wanting you near How much I wanted you home But now that you've come back Turned night into day And I need you to stay So now I come to you, with open arms Nothing to hide, believe what I say So here I am, With open arms Hoping you'll see, what your love means to me Open Arms.." Neither man had released his hold on the other and as the closing notes came to an end, they turned once again to face each other and at the same time each leaned in to plant yet another tender kiss on each others' lips. Rather than backing away completely, they let their foreheads rest against one-another's and just stared into each other's eyes, searching desperately for the answers to the dozens of questions dancing through each of their minds. Nick felt like he was in a dream as he felt Brian release his arms from around Nick's waist, and clutched Nick's hand tightly with his. Instinctively their fingers intertwined as Nick let himself be led where Brian was taking him. Still neither man had spoken, but yet it had all been said. They both knew that when the time was right the words would find them; it had been too long and too difficult a road to get to this point, and neither one was about to step on the breaks now that they had passed through the rough spots. Brian led Nick back through the maze of halls until they found themselves outside the stadium and being escorted to their waiting limo. Immediately, Brian settled back against the comfortable leather seats of the limo, and pulled Nick close as they huddled in a corner of the seat, protected from the prying eyes of the public and the driver by the tinted glass. As the limo got on it's way back to the hotel, it gave them the time that they needed to get some of the words out of the way. Once again the boys found themselves staring into each other eyes relishing in the knowledge that they each held the key to the other's soul. Nick was the first to speak, needing more to break the silence than anything else. "Brian, I don't want to believe this is happening, because I'm so terrified that I'll wake up and you'll be gone, but at least before I wake up from this beautiful dream, let me tell you just how perfect tonight was, and I thank you for in a matter of hours making me the happiest man of the face of this earth. Even if this never happens again, I'll live forever with the memories of tonight. And for that, Thank You." Shocked by what he was hearing, Brian couldn't help but smile at Nick's naivety and he realised just how wounded Nick had been so many times, that Nick's reluctance to open his heart to being hurt again was completely understandable. Brian knew, it was now or never that he needed to ease Nick's heart, so that he could successfully eliminate the pain and fear that Nick had felt for so long; yet the words just would not come to him. He inched close to Nick and placed a light kiss on Nick's cheek then stayed close, so that there were but a few inches separating the two men. "Nick, I'm not going anywhere. When you wake up tomorrow, I'll be by your side. And when you wake up a week from now, I'll be right there beside you, and if for some reason I'm ever not physically right by your side, I'll always be a phone call away, and I will ALWAYS from this day forward and forever be yours and only yours." "But Brian, what about." Nick began, not wanting to believe the words he was hearing. "No Nick. Forget about that. I know what I'm doing. I know this is what I want, and I know now that this is what I've always wanted. LeighAnn was but a big mistake; and as for the religious part of it- well, I've done a lot of soul searching- and I don't see how my Church, that preaches love and peace, could object to love. To me, God is love and what you and I share Nickolas, is far more genuine than what I have ever felt for any woman- or for anyone. If this is wrong Nick, then I don't want to be right." Brian spoke the truth of his heart, and he knew that it was up to Nick, but he would not give up, they had both fought way too hard to reach this point for them to ever give it up. Too overwhelmed by his happiness, Nick decided not to press the issue any further. He had all he'd ever wanted and there was no reason to push it away. They had a lifetime to sort through the various complications, and tonight was their night. To be Nick and Brian, best friends, lovers, soul mates. Before they knew it, they were back at the Plaza Hotel, and Nick was following Brian into the elevator. As Nick went to push the button for the floor he and Chris had been staying on, Brian stopped him, instead hitting the button for the top floor of the building. When the door opened, Brian led Nick to the door of the suite that he had arranged for tonight. As he opened the door, he stood away from the doorway letting Nick enter before him. "Oh Brian.." it was barely above a whisper, but Brian took it as a sign that once again his plans had paid off and that everything was perfect. Brian followed Nick into the room, and even he gasped at the sight of the honeymoon suite. The hotel had set it up exactly as Brian had asked them to, but even he had not expected the dramatic effect in the room. As both men walked slowly further into the room, what seemed like a thousand little white candles lit the room from tables, ledges, windowsills and practically every solid surface throughout the main room of the suite. The faint smell of vanilla permeated throughout the suite, creating an instant sense of warmth and comfort. "Brian, I love it, I love everything about it. It's perfect." "No, you're perfect baby," Brian said seductively, suddenly realised that for the first time that night, him and Nick were completely alone. Ensuring the door was locked, Brian once again took Nick's hand, and gently led Nick to the bedroom where they were greeted with a large, circular bed covered in white satin sheets, sprinkled with red rose petals. Before Nick could react, or anticipate what was to come, Brian had made his way to the night stand and pressed play on the awaiting CD player. "Ooh thinking about all our younger years There was only you and me We were young and wild and free Now nothing can take you away from me" Bryan Adams' tune filtered softly through the room, setting the mood perfectly for the two star-crossed lovers. Nick felt himself being pulled into Brian's arms and felt Bri's arms wrap around his waist as they had in his most precious fantasies. Their lips connected once again, neither wasting their time but needing to taste the other, to feel his tongue massaging that of his best friend. Brian marvelled at how silky Nick's tongue felt and tried to desperately pull Nick even closer than he was so that every possible inch of him was pressed against Nick's front. "We've been down that road before But that's over now You keep me coming back for more" Nick placed his left hand behind Brian's head intertwining his slender fingers in Brian's curly hair, trying to experience every single sensation he had dreamed about, wanting to know just how good it felt for real. With his left hand still playing with Brian's hair, his right hand tenderly stroked Brian's cheek . Nick could feel Brian shudder slightly as he lightly grazed over Brian's soft cheek with his fingertips. It was then Nick's turn to moan into his kiss as he felt one of Brian's hands come to a rest on the wonderfully round mound of Nick's butt. "Baby you're all I want When you're lying here in my arms I'm finding it hard to believe We're in heaven" Feeling the light touch on his ass, Nick gently pulled away from his kiss with Brian and searched Brian's eyes for the permission to take their love just a little bit further. "And love is all that I need And I found it there in your heart It isn't too hard to see We're in heaven" Brian's eyes gave Nick all the reassurance he needed and the whimper that escaped Brian's lips let Nick know that if he didn't make a move, Brian certainly would. Nick brought his hands up to the older man's shirt collar, and slowly began to undo the buttons of Brian's light blue shirt. As each button gave way, Nick's heartbeat jumped to a new high. Inch by inch, the revelation of Brian's smooth, hairless chest caused Nick's already hardening member to grow, causing Nick a discomfort that he knew would finally be relieved in a way it had never been before. "Ooh once in your life you find someone Who will turn your world around Bring you up when you're feeling down" Brian looked down and watched as Nick tenderly finished unbuttoning his shirt and gently let it fall to the floor. Catching Nick off guard, the smaller man pushed Nick backwards onto the bed and straddled Nick's waist, his clothed butt sensing Nick's arousal despite the layers of fabric separating it from him and it only turned Brian on more. Brian lifted Nick torso off the bed so that he could pull Nick's sweater up and off of him leaving Nick's defined chest in sight. Brian had of course seen Nick's body many times before, but it wasn't until tonight that he was able to touch it the way he was. He brought his lips to his best friend's navel and nibbled tenderly on the soft skin before licking a trail up to Nick's left nipple which he managed to have hard in a matter of seconds. Next his attention turned to Nick's right nipple and he lightly bit down, causing Nick to throw his head back and let out a monstrous groan, filled with need and desire. "Yeah, nothing could change what you mean to me Oh there's lots that I could say But just hold me now 'Cause our love will light the way" Seeing Nick's reaction, Brian paid extra attention to Nick's nipples until he could hear Nick panting his name over and over. Not wanting to risk sending Nick over the edge, Brian relented his assault on Nick's chest and moved lower down to the prominent bulge that was straining against the material of his black pants. As Brian found himself at eye level with the mound, he gave into temptation and quickly undid Nick's belt and pants, sliding the pants off in one swift move, leaving Nick on the satin sheets in just a pair of black CK boxer briefs. The sight before him caused his own erection to strain painfully against his own pants. Brian discarded his own pants quickly so that he and Nick were just as equally exposed and then returned to his position straddling Nick's waist looking down at the flushed face of the blond God before him. "Baby you're all I want When you're lying here in my arms I'm finding it hard to believe We're in heaven" Nick stared at Brian above him and forced himself to blink repeatedly, just making sure that his senses were not deceiving him and that the object of his affection was now on top of him in nothing but a pair of silk boxers. It felt real, it looked real and more than anything, those kisses tasted real. Nick felt his eyes suddenly fill with tears as he realised that there was something missing- yet it was something that he did not miss at all. That feeling of loneliness, of incompleteness that had been plaguing him through good times and bad was suddenly gone; and Nick assured himself that he would never do anything to make Brian leave- and allow those feeling to return. "And love is all that I need And I found it there in your heart It isn't too hard to see We're in heaven" As quickly as Nick's tears fell Brian had licked them up tenderly with the tip of his tongue. He buried his head in Nick's neck and proceeded to suck, nibble and lick greedily causing Nick to giggle uncontrollably at the stimulus to his over-sensitive neck. Nickolas grinned as he realised just how well Brian knew him. Even having never been intimate before, Brian knew just what to do to drive him wild. Nick decided it was his turn to take the lead, and in one swift movement he rolled both him and Brian over, so that he was now above Brian looking down at his lover before him. Nick began by kissing Brian fully and allowing their newly acquainted tongues to continue learning every inch of the other's mouth. Enjoying the warmth of Brian's mouth, Nick couldn't help but wonder at the what the sensation would be having Brian's mouth caressing his pulsing penis. "I've been waiting for so long For something to arrive For love to come along Now our dreams are coming true Through the good times and the bad I'll be standing there by you" Nick broke from the kiss and moved lower down his angel's body, pausing only to trace over Brian's hardening nipples and rock-hard abs with his tongue. Longing to taste what else Brian had to offer, Nick continued on his trek and soon found himself confronted with Brian's length tenting his midnight blue silk boxers. Both Nick and Brian released a sigh in unison as Nick reached his destination and placed his hot mouth over the head of Brian's still covered penis. Within seconds of Nick licking through the boxers, Brian was breathlessly panting and thrusting his hips off the bed hoping to experience more of the heat that was his Frack. Nick remained level with Brian's cock but looked up and met his friend's eyes. The look that greeted him was that of desperation. "Baby you're all I want When you're lying here in my arms I'm finding it hard to believe We're in heaven" Nick quickly but carefully pulled Brian's boxers off, releasing the remaining element of his beauty to Nick's view. So many times Nick had seen flashes of 'little Bri' aroused and pumping in and out of LeighAnn, but now 'little Bri' was all his to do with as he pleased. Nick began by lightly flicking his tongue over the very tip of Brian's organ causing a cry to escape from Brian's lips that, had they not been in a penthouse honeymoon suite, would have echoed through out the halls of the hotel. Nick grinned at the pleasure he was bringing to his lover and quickly engulfed the entire head with his full lips, allowing Brian to finally experience the kind of attention that he could have never gotten from his ex-fiancée. "And love is all that I need And I found it there in your heart It isn't too hard to see We're in heaven" Brian tried to resist the temptation to grab Nick's head and push him further onto his dick- so he instead placed his left arm behind his head to allow himself a better view of Nick, and placed his right band lightly on Nick's head to toy with Nick's hair but also to provide encouragement for his buddy to take him further into his mouth. Nick was in love with Brian's penis. The taste of Bri's juice was intoxicating as was the texture of his penis. The head was the size of a golf ball but was smoother and softer than anything Nick could compare it to. The long shaft pulsed as Nick felt the veins with his tongue- each little touch of the tongue eliciting a new moan from Brian. Nick gave up on trying to take the entire length into his month and instead wrapped his right hand around Brian's base and pumped at the same rhythm as he bobbed up on and down on the head, lightly running his tongue around the circumference of the top causing Brian's cries to reach a new volume. A symphony of sounds were coming from Brian as he experienced true pleasure for the first time. The loving care Nick took as he tongued his cock was something that no woman had ever shown to Brian. Before he knew it, Brian felt himself pass just beyond the point of no return and he roughly pulled Nick, by the hair, upwards so that their lips could meet. Nick locked lips with Brian, allowing Brian to taste traces of himself in Nick's mouth as Nick wrapped his right hand tightly around Brian's dick and pumped furiously until Brian released himself from the kiss and slammed his head back into the mattress screaming Nick's name. Nick watched as spurt after spurt of Brian's cum landed on his chest , Brian's eyes clenched shut and bit down on his bottom lip. After the fifth or sixth load, Nick replaced his mouth over Brian's now purple cock head to swallow the last 3 spurts of cum. Once Brian had calmed down and his prick had started to soften, Nick released it from his mouth and travelled back up Brian's body, stopping to clean the drops of cum from Brian's body with his tongue. When they were once again face to face, Brian opened his eyes to stare deep within Nick's and kissed the younger boy for what seemed like the hundreth time that night. Brian was amazed at what a sensation it was to taste himself in Nick's mouth yet he had to pull from the kiss, still trying to recover from the most powerful orgasm he had ever experienced. "Nick, I. I've never felt anything like that before. It was incredible." "Shhh.. Bri, you ain't seen nothing yet.." Nick said it with a grin that caused Brian's exhausted prick to twitch one more time. "It's my turn to please you now Nick" Brian said as his breathing started to return to normal and he gripped Nick's cotton covered dick as he tried to hide a slight yawn. "Brian, you're exhausted and we've had an eventful day- and that's putting it mildly. We have a life time ahead of us, there's no need to rush." Nick knew that Brian was tired and didn't want to over exhaust him, there would be a lot of talking to be done the next day. "Thank you Nick. But I won't forget that I owe you one" "As long as I have your heart Brian.." "You always have Nick - it's just that neither you nor I knew you did." Nick melted at Brian's words and looked to the foot of the bed for the blanket. He unfolded the blanket then placed it over both himself and his lover and he gently pecked Brian's lips, not wanting to go for more than a few minutes without having felt Brian's lips beneath his own. He placed his head against Brian's chest and as Brian wrapped his arms loosely around the man he would never ever want to let go of. Both men fell quickly into a rhythmic pattern of breathing and within minutes they were asleep. Right before slumber took them from the conscious world, the last thought in each of their minds were the echoing lines of the song that had been the basis of it all. As they drifted to sleep the words continued to play through their minds, "So here I am With Open Arms Hoping you'll see What your love means to me Open Arms." To be continued ************************************ Wow, I can't believe after having started this story over a year ago, that I've finally gotten to this part. Feedback fuels the writer's soul so please send any comments, questions etc to nicksxtacy@sympatico.ca.