Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 21:28:24 -0700 (PDT) From: Billy Burrew Subject: TIMEOUTWITHBSB-5 Time Out with the Backstreet Boys By Billy Burrew Legal Disclaimer: This story is totally fictional and not meant to imply anything about the sexuality of Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, or Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. If you are under the age of 18, offended by homosexual material, or it is illegal to view such materials in your area, you should be leaving now. Otherwise, go grab a nice mocha or some chai tea, or hot cocoa, and a box of Kleenex, then get real comfy and ready to suspend your disbelief. Have Fun and Enjoy the Story. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What's up Kevin?", Bill replied looking into Kevin's eyes, "Are you OK?" Kevin nodded and leaned forward, kissing Bill full on the lips. "Thanks for doing that for us today.", Kevin said quietly, "I don't think we will have to sweat the sexuality issue for a while with your seal of non-homo-ness on us. Though privately, I think you need your gaydar checked, cause I know that my gaydar was telling me that there were 4 "blips" at that table today." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 5 Begins Now..... Bill began to chuckle as Kevin looked at him smiling. "Hmmm....I think I knew, but you never know who's just nelly and who is being a flamboyant musician these days.", Bill replied as his chuckle began to turn into a knee slapping laugh as Kevin grin faded to a look of mock horror. "Nelly?!?!", Kevin frowned with great exaggeration, "I am NOT nelly!!" "Of course not, Mary Haines.....HAHAHA...er I mean Kevin!", Bill guffawed. "Mary Haines??", Kevin asked, his face knotted up questioningly. "Sorry....another gay movie reference. Its from "The Women". I have it in my bag, it's one of my faves.", Bill chuckled, his eyes wet with laugh tears. "You're a strange little man, you know that?", Kevin grinned. "Yeah. I know.....I'm odd aren't I? A little queer, huh?!?", Bill said and fell back into another fit of laughter. "So....are you feeling better now?", Kevin asked, "Let's go out and hang out with the guys and your sister. We were all worried about you when you took off after the press conference." "Yeah...I just needed to be sick....I should never have eaten breakfast, I always get sick when I eat breakfast.", Bill nodded, getting up off the toilet lid and helping Kevin up from the bathtub. As Kevin regained his feet, he pulled Bill back into an embrace and kissed him again, much more passionately. "Mmmm....Kevin.", Bill replied as the kiss ended and they both pulled back, "Let's not rush into anything, OK. I have some issues I am still dealing with right now." "OK.", Kevin replied, "Anything you need...you tell me, OK? I...the guys and I really like you, you treat us like friends you've had for years instead of falling over yourself like a star-struck fan." "I am an admirer of y'all. I think there is a different thing altogether from your fans. I like your music. I love some of your lyrics, they hit home for me, and I am a true believer of nice polished sound with crisp lyrics and quality vocalists that really sing!", Bill replied smiling. "I think that's why I like so many pop bands, I like music that is NICE to listen to. I don't wanna have the lyrics of a song screamed at me and I really don't like some of the bands that are out there now that are basically all theatrics and fake blood. If I wanted that I would have listened to Kiss and Alice Cooper ages ago." "Hmm...", Kevin said, pondering his thoughts with a light smile, "I see your point. So, what lyrics did you like? I got to write some on this album." "I really like, "Shoe Me The Meaning", "Don't Want You Back", and "Back To Your Heart".", Bill stated, ticking off the titles on his fingers, "The whole album was excellent, but I really liked those songs a lot." Kevin grinned and kissed Bill quickly on the lips before opening the door and ushering Bill out to the main room. The other guys looked up as Bill and Kevin emerged from the bathroom. Kathy and Howie looked over from their conversation on the sofa by the window as well. "Feeling better?", Brian, Nick, and Kathy all said in unison. "Yeah. Just stress.", Bill replied, walking over to his bag and pulling out a huge bottle of Mylanta, opening it and taking a long pull from it. "Wow!", Kevin said, looking concerned, "you must get stressed out a lot!" "Well....I bought this thinking that meeting you guys might be more stressful to me than it has been.", Bill replied, eyeing the size of the bottle as he put it on the counter. Bill pulled a tape from his bag and threw it at Kevin. "Here you go Mary Haines.", Bill laughed, "Here's that movie I was telling you about." "Cool!", Kevin said, putting the tape into the hotel room's VCR, grabbing two pillows and sitting down against the foot of the bed near the TV. Bill watched Kevin for a minute more as the movie cued up and then sat down on the bed and leaned back and began to nap. The next thing Bill remembered was Kathy shaking him awake, asking him if he was OK. "Yeah. Just tired. I had to work all day yesterday, fly to Charlotte, then rescue the fair damsel Nickolas there from the crazy fans, then fly here and then get up early and speak in public to a bunch of newspaper people who not only mentioned my sexuality to the free-world, but put it in press for everyone to see. So, yeah, I am a little tired.", Bill said crabbily and then quickly turned over on his face to go back to sleep. "Yep!", Kathy said, looking up at the guys who had been watching the exchange nervously, "Even with three older sisters, HE still is the biggest bitch of us all!" Howie guffawed loudly, causing the rest of the guys to begin to laugh. Kevin walked over to the bed, leaned over and whispered into Bill's ear quickly. Bill looked up and smiled and began to laugh. Bill turned to the other guys, held out his hands and wiggled his fingers at them as he said, "Jungle Red, sweeties......Jungle Red!" Hearing this reference from the movie they had just watched, the other guys began to laugh hysterically. Howie and Kathy fell back onto the sofa and Nick and Brian crashed onto the other bed as they laughed. "So....", Bill yawned, "What's on the agenda?" "We were gonna go grab some lunch, it's about 1 pm now and we have to get to the arena at 3 pm for sound checks and to walk through some of our sets.", Kevin said. "Hmmm....", Bill replied, "Let's go eat at the Hard Rock Caf‚. It's two blocks away." Bill picked up the phone and dialed up the Hard Rock restaurant and quickly asked to speak with Duranne, the manager. As she came on, Bill said hello to her and told her that he was calling for lunch reservations for the Backstreet Boys and if he could get a private seat on the mezzanine? After finishing up with the reservations, Bill hung up the phone as the guys in the band looked puzzlingly at him. "What?", Bill said, smiling. "How did you know who to ask for and where to sit?", AJ asked. Kathy laughed and explained, "Bill here used to work at this Hard Rock Caf‚." "Yeah, I worked here all through college.", Bill said nodding, "We should be taken care of today, the manager actually remembered me from when I worked there." The September weather was still warm as the guys donned hats and glasses and walked the two blocks to the restaurant. As they entered, Duranne, the manager, immediately came over and hugged Bill, smiling. "Hi Billy Burrew!", Duranne grinned, "Glad to see you could make it back in here and with such famous friends." Bill grinned and introduced her to the guys and his sister before she whisked them all up to the second floor mezzanine seating area of the Hard Rock. After the waitress took their drink and food orders, Duranne re-appeared and chatted with them all quickly, then leaned over and spoke to Bill. "So....I wanted to say again how sorry I was that no-one called you about Rick's death. We were all stunned. We knew he had caught cold, but never realized that it was that bad.", Duranne said, frowning as she looked at Bill who was visibly shaking. "It must have been so hard for you....you were his best friend. He talked nonstop all through January about how you and he were gonna head to South Beach for his birthday....and then...well...." Duranne said as Bill got up and ran down the two flights of stairs to the basement bathrooms. "Shit!", Kathy said loudly, "I should have never let him take us here. This is the first time he's been back since Ricky died in January." "Oh God!", Kevin, Brian, and Nick exclaimed, jumping out of their seats and running downstairs to find Bill. AJ and Howie both looked to Kathy for an explanation. "Rick and Bill both worked here for a few years and were BEST best friends.", Kathy explained, "They were like brothers. Rick was diagnosed HIV+ in 1992 and his immune system finally gave out on him this January, right before their vacation to Miami for Rick's birthday. I wonder how Kevin, Nick, and Brian knew?" "Oh man....we shouldn't have come here", AJ said, sighing, "I know I wouldn't have been able to handle it." Bill ran down both flights of stairs to the basement bathrooms and locked himself into a stall and began to cry hysterically. A minute later, he heard a loud knock and Kevin's voice came through the door. "Bill. Let me in. Let me talk with you, please!", Kevin pleaded. Bill reached up and twisted the handle. Kevin immediately pulled the door open and stepped inside, kneeling beside Bill and throwing his arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. "I am sorry Kevin.", Bill sniffed. "I thought it'd be OK, I thought I'd be OK. I just can't help it. I really cared for him....and I miss him so much!" "I know you do, baby", Kevin said quietly, rocking Bill a little and kissing him on the top of his head, "I know you do!" After a few minutes of quiet reassuring Kevin began to speak. "I know it's hard when someone dies....but I think Rick would want you to remember all the good times you had together and not to think about his getting sick and dying. Maybe that is why he didn't call you or tell you. He loved you so much that he wanted you to remember him the way he was when you were together here in DC and when you went to Miami.", Kevin said softly, running his hands through Bill's hair and rubbing his shoulders. Bill reached up and grabbed some toilet paper and blew his nose, then stood up and pulled Kevin up with him. "Let's go upstairs and look at the merchandise area where we used to work.", Bill said, a weak smile on his face. As Bill and Kevin emerged from the stall, Brian and Nick ran up to Bill and hugged him, both telling him that it would be OK, that they were gonna be there for him. Bill hugged them both back and kissed them on the cheeks, thanking them, then they all walked upstairs to the merchandise area. As they rounded the corner, Bill smiled as the host handed them price lists. As they got to the counter, Bill looked at the pins, shirts and assorted merchandise that was being sold and began to feel a weight lift off his shoulders. Kevin saw the smile and gave Bill's arm a squeeze. Duranne's voice brought them both back to reality. "What size jackets do you wear Kevin, Nick and Brian?", Duranne asked, motioning towards the leather bomber jackets, "I was gonna get you guys some clothes to thank you all for coming here." As they tried on two of the different jackets and decided on which size and style they wanted, Duranne slowly walked over to Bill and apologized. "I am.....I am really sorry, Bill....I didn't know that you were still really upset over Rick's passing.", Duranne said quietly, "I didn't know that you hadn't been back here since his death." "No problem....Just thinking about it and being here was too much all at once, then Kevin and Nick and Brian came after me and rescued me out of the bathroom.", Bill smiled. "I have a few things for you...I'll drop them off before you leave.", Duranne said, as she signed off on the merchandise comp form and took some more merchandise upstairs for Howie, AJ and Kathy. As the guys rejoined the group, their food arrived and Bill was glad of it, as the toll of his empty stomach and hysterics had begun to make him feel lightheaded. The guys ate, chatting amicably amongst each other. As they finished up, Duranne came over to thank the guys for stopping in, and asked them if she could take some photos of the group. The guys all nodded as Duranne took some photos of the guys with and without Bill and Kathy standing with them. As she returned from putting the camera on her desk, Duranne handed Bill a medium sized book box and gave him a hug and a kiss. "You come back here more often, don't be such a stranger.", Duranne said as she departed. Kevin picked up his cell phone and punched a few buttons, calling the limousine to pick them up outside. As they headed down the stairs they were greeted with a roar and an applause from the other patrons and the staff. A bunch of girls came up and ask for autographs, which the guys gladly gave. Bill noted how the girls timidly came up to Nick, keeping their distance while asking him for his autograph. A little girl pulled on his shirt and looked up at him concerned, "Are you still hurt? I heard that you got hurt last night and I cried myself to sleep. Are you gonna be able to play tonight?" Nick smiled and squatted down, putting himself almost on eye level with the little girl, "The doctor here says I'll be good as new in a few days, and I should be able to sing all night!", Nick smiled. "Goodie!", the little girl said, grabbing him and hugging him, "I came to see you, you know? You're my most favorite!" "Thanks", Nick smiled and grabbed a pen. Reaching over he grabbed a merchandise bag and signed his autograph to the little girl. Bill smiled at Nick and the rest of the guys finished up their autographs and headed to the front door and the waiting limo. Bill looked at the box Duranne gave him as he got into the limo. As they pulled away, Bill opened the box, looked down at its contents and gasped. "What is it, Bill?...Oh wow!", Kevin said, leaning over beside him to look in the box. Inside the box were hundreds and hundreds of guitar and cloisonn‚ pins. Rick's Hard Rock Caf‚ pin collection. Bill looked down at the box as tears streamed down his cheeks. Kevin looked at Bill and saw his tears. He leaned over and whispered to Bill, "Remember the happy times. These pins are from those happy years he spent with you." Bill nodded and put the lid on the box again, sighing as the tears continued to fall down his cheeks. Back at the hotel, Bill walked into his room, putting the box of pins down by his bed and falling face down onto the mattress. A little while later Kathy came in to check to see if he was doing OK. "Hey bro...are you all right? I didn't know Rick's death would still effect you this much.", Kathy said sadly as she stroked Bill's hair. "I'll be fine....I am just having to deal directly with this issue for the first time. I was stuck in NC when it happened, ya know?", Bill replied, shaking his head. "Go ahead and talk with the guys, I'll be fine." Kathy left as Bill laid back down on the bed. A while later Kevin woke him from his nap. "Hey sleepyhead....We're ready to go and practice. Are you gonna change clothes or just come dressed like that?", Kevin smiled, staring into his eyes. "Yeah. Lemme just change into something real quick and I will be ready to go.", Bill replied, grabbing Kevin's arm and pulling him into a fierce hug. "Oooofff......What was that for?", Kevin asked, surprised at the hug. "Just being you, just being there for me, and helping me out and all.", Bill said, smiling up at him and then kissing him softly on the lips. Bill changed into a button down shirt and a pair of loose jeans and some boots, ran a brush through his hair and proclaimed himself ready. Kevin looked up and smiled, "Let's get going then, let's not keep the guys waiting." As they walked down the hall, Kevin put his arm around Bill's shoulders and Bill put his around Kevin's waist. As they turned the corner to the elevator, Kevin and Bill smiled widely as they saw Howie and Kathy locked in a deep embrace, both of their faces wet with tears. "So I dunno if I should introduce any of my other siblings to you guys if all we ever do around you guys is cry and cause you all to cry as well.", Bill said, injecting some light humor into his voice. Howie began to smile and Kathy managed a weak smile as well as they all got on the elevator and rode to the lobby. They met up with the other guys in the lobby and then headed out to the waiting limo. The ride to the stadium was no more than 4 blocks, and passed quickly. As the guys got out of the limousine and headed to the stage, Kathy and Bill hung back at the end of the group and found two chairs set up near the stage to sit on. "So....Are you glad you got to meet the guys?, Bill asked, smiling at Kathy. "Yeah.....I really really like Howie. He is really nice and I feel like he and I can talk about anything at all. I haven't felt so comfortable around someone in ages.", Kathy nodded smiling as she looked at the guys on the stage. "Kevin seems really nice.", Kathy commented, looking away from the stage to her brother and smiling. Bill nodded, "He is....He and I have been able to talk about things I would never really have talked about with anyone. He gives good advice." "What did he say to do about John?", Kathy said, "Aren't you two still dating?" Kathy hadn't finished her sentence as Kevin, appearing out of nowhere and replied, "Bill and I haven't discussed him yet. So Bill....Who is John?" Well....That's it for that installment. Any comments, concerns, questions? Email me: billy_burrew@yahoo.com I am actually uploading this as soon as I get one done so I don't have them stockpiled like I have the XTREME-NSYNC story. The next chapter will be out as soon as I can write it.