The rest of the evening the two spent cloistered off in their rooms alone. One, lying in bed with his anger and hurt as cold comfort. The other, miserable with his guilt of not mentioning the bet, heart breaking and fighting the urge to drink. Each one ached for the other, and neither could force their pride down to go talk to them.
Brian was absolutely miserable. He had thought that he could trust AJ. Gradually AJ had worn his defenses down until he’d let him in and trusted him. Allowed him into his heart and basically gave him the key. To find out that he had been keeping this from him was devastating. What he’d said was true. Even if AJ hadn’t accepted the bet, he still should have told him. There had been ample time to do so.
It made him feel as if he had been used. Even more so than what Stephen had done. That alone told Brian exactly how much AJ mattered to him. Because this hurt worse than anything he had ever felt before. This was a betrayal. He was supposed to be able to trust AJ with his heart, and then he found out that he’d been keeping something this important from him. Maybe he didn’t realize the importance of saying something like this, but that wasn’t an excuse!
He had a very restless night, alternating between quietly raging and crying.
Down the hall, AJ’s night wasn’t any better. He sat in the chair on his patio all night long, watching the stars and smoking cigarette after cigarette. Slowly he was working past the hurt and wrapping his mind around everything that Brian had said. The way that Brian felt was justified. If it had been him, he knew he would have felt the same way.
What was important now was finding a way to fix this. A way to have Brian see that he had never meant to hurt him, and to show him that he loved him. Words wouldn’t work. With this all being because of words said, and the problems that words had caused Brian before, AJ knew that a simple discussion wasn’t going to work. But what could he do to show Brian that he loved him? That he was sincere?
Eventually, as dawn broke the sky, his started to wonder about the article itself. How on earth had they found out everything that they had? What kind of impact was this going to have on the band? Howie had stopped by before bed and told him that they’d met with press earlier, without AJ and Brian. That was at PR’s insistence.
That was fine. Let them give their speeches. Howie said that they weren’t bothering to deny anything. There was no point. It had already spread like a wildfire so fast and so quick that there was no way to stop it, only salvage the situation. The true test would come at the next show.
Watching the sunrise, AJ wondered vaguely how the show would go that now. How many would refuse to come? How much damage would this do to their band?
Who had leaked the damn story in the first place?
The instant that question entered his mind, he knew there was only one answer, and it sent his rage sky high. With slow, deliberate movements, AJ rose and went inside to dress. He had two visits to make, very important ones, and the first was to Nick.
~~~~~~~~~
The expression on Nick’s face when he answered the door and found AJ there was almost priceless. Instantly he started to apologize. “I am so sorry about all of this, Age. D came and told me that you never meant it to look like you accepted the bet, and I was just stupid and I never should have made it in the first place but I have no idea who heard me and I just…”
AJ held a hand up to stem the flow of words. “Nick, shut up.” He said gently. From somewhere inside he managed to dreg up a smile. “I’m not mad at you. I just wanted to ask you a couple questions.”
“Anything, J.”
“Who was in the room when you told Howie?”
For a second Nick thought about it. “Just D and Kev, I think. No one else.”
AJ’s mind made the leap quickly. So that was how he had found out about it. From Kevin. “Ok, that’s all. Thank you.” There was something in his voice that had Nick worried. His young friend reached out and grabbed his arm as he turned away. “Where’re you going, J? Is everything ok?”
“It’s not right now, but it will be.”
~~~~~~~~~~
The next door that AJ came to he didn’t bother knocking on. He knew it was unlocked. Just as he knew that Kevin wasn’t there, seeing as how he’d enlisted Marcus to help him and had asked his security guard to take Kevin aside somewhere to ‘discuss how to treat security’ now that AJ was going to potentially be in danger from gay bashers.
That left one occupant in the room. The one he really wanted to talk to.
After strolling in, AJ shut the door behind him and flicked the latch closed. He didn’t want someone walking in on him and what he was about to do. The less who knew about this the better. It was why he hadn’t even told Howie. If no one knew, then no one else would be able to get in trouble with him if shit hit the fan.
He walked quietly in the room, his bare feet making it easier to be silent. He hadn’t bothered putting on shoes when he left the room. It didn’t take him long to find Stephen. The bastard was standing in the living room just getting ready to go sit on the couch. At the sight of AJ standing there he froze. “What do you want?”
A sharp smile curved AJ’s lips. This man was responsible for the shit they were all in right now. Oh, not all the way. AJ fully admitted his own culpability in the whole situation. But none of it would have come out this way, and their sexuality would not be fodder for the presses, if it wasn’t for this man standing before him. “Hello Stephen.”
Stephen’s eyes darted around the room before narrowing on AJ again. “Kevin isn’t here. He just left to go discuss security for your dumb ass.”
“I know. I asked Marcus to talk to him.”
That sentence seemed to unnerve Stephen. Quickly he regained his composure. “Then what the hell are you doing here?”
“I think you know.” AJ sauntered forward slowly. He had dressed specifically for this, knowing most likely how it would end. Comfortable jeans, not tight but not loose enough to need a belt. For a shirt he simply wore a plain black short sleeve. Nothing that would restrict his movements. Once he had his say, a part of him knew there was a high likelihood that this could come to blows, or worse. Stephen was not a balanced man. There was something wrong inside of his head. AJ had prepared himself for that. Not to forget that AJ knew his own fuse was short and he could even be the one to throw the first punch.
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Why don’t you wander on back to your little girlfriend? Or, wait, I hear she’s not talking to you right now. Something about a nasty little bet you made. Tsk, tsk AJ. Betting on someone that way.”
“Oh, I suppose it’s so much better to run to the press with your little stories and smear people’s names, is it?
A wide grin covered Stephen’s face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He lied through his teeth. “Shocking, that you’d think I would do that!
“Oh, I know, Stephen.” AJ took a few steps closer. “I’m not a fool. I know Kevin was in the room when Nick confessed everything to Howie. I know that Kevin would come and complain about it to you because of how angry he is with me right now. Out of that group of people who know, there’s only one who would have enough hatred to pull something like this.”
Taking the last few steps, AJ stood barely a half a foot away from him. He glared up Stephen’s tall frame, not the least bit intimidated by his size. There was hell in his eyes and he knew it. They were bright and hard. That look alone had Stephen starting to step back before he stopped himself. AJ’s smile grew sharper as he continued to speak.
“The thing is, I don’t care what you have to say about me. Make me out to be a bad guy. Go ahead. Tell the world I’m gay. Watch me tumble from that pedestal you seem to think I’m on. About all of that I could really care less. I’ve dealt with worse shit and bigger punks than you before. I’ll come back from it. For every fan you lost me, I gained another one in the gay community. I have no shame in who or what I am.”
The smile slid off his face and suddenly he looked very lethal. “But this is the last time you will ever hurt Brian. That man has cried enough tears over you. Mess with him again, Stephen, and I guarantee you that you will regret it. Are we clear on this?”
Stephen’s hands balled into fists on either side of him. “Are you threatening me, you little punk?”
The grin came back, harsh and quick. “I don’t make threats, Stephen. I make promises. You don’t want to test me on this one.”
When Stephen raised a hand, AJ rolled his shoulder lightly and chuckled. “Think of the shit you’ll get in for hitting me. A celebrity. Everyone would see it at tonight’s concert.” He warned. That seemed to stop Stephen, if only for a moment. “You couldn’t prove it was me. You can’t prove any of this was me.” He sneered at AJ. “There are no witnesses here.”
That was what AJ had figured he would realize. So he was braced when the fist came flying, just managing to dodge out of the way. Adrenaline pumped in his veins. It mixed with the rage that was sitting right below the surface. This man had done the one crime in AJ’s book that was the worst you could commit. He had hurt the man AJ loved.
Stephen barely skipped a beat when his fist didn’t make contact. He was already prepared and spun quickly, his other fist catching AJ in the gut. AJ let his instincts take over, and every ounce of street fighting he had ever done came back. First hit had been made. Everything was open game now. He feinted and dodged around Stephen’s punches, managing to get one or two in of his own. One hit barely grazed his face, but enough to cut his lip open.
The two got a hold of one another, grappling until they fell to the ground. Stephen used his weight to pin AJ down and deliver a solid punch to his face and another to his gut. That was all he got in before AJ wiggled out from under his grip and used a leg to swipe Stephen off balance. Next thing Stephen knew he was lying on his stomach on the ground and AJ was kneeling on his back, a hand on the back of his head.
“I warned you to stay the fuck away from him.” AJ swore softly. He pressed his knee further into Stephen’s back. “Last warning. Hurt him again, and I won’t be so nice next time.”
Grunting, AJ pushed to his feet, glaring down at the other man. It took everything he had to turn and walk away and not pound him into the carpet until he bled and bled. But he had delivered the message he wanted to pass along and that was good enough.
There was barely any sound to warn him before Stephen slammed into him from behind, knocking him to the ground. His arm caught the top of the cabinet nearby, cutting his skin from mid bicep to shoulder. He paid no attention to it. Hands shot out to catch himself and then he was kicking his feet back even as he rolled sideways. One foot connected with Stephen’s head.
AJ had to force his temper under control as he stood back up. The kick to the head had disoriented Stephen enough that he was still lying there. While he was, AJ couldn’t resist kicking him one more time in the gut. “I told you. Don’t fuck with him, Steph. Remember this, and remember who won this one. I promise you it won’t be so easy for you next time.”
With the back of his hand he wiped the blood off of his chin and headed out the door, leaving Stephen lying on the floor.
Once in the hallway, AJ cursed lightly when he saw Nick walking toward him. The younger man’s eyes quickly took in where AJ was coming from and the bruises and blood on him. “What the fuck did you do?” Nick swore as he started to run forward.
AJ figured the answer was obvious, so he didn’t bother speaking, just continued on toward his room. Nick followed behind him, which made AJ sigh. Once he had his door open, AJ stopped in it and turned to face Nick. “What I did is nothing that you need to worry about, Nick. The less you know the better. It keeps you out of trouble. I promise you, I’m fine. Now, I’ve got plans to make to try and figure out how to do what I want to do to fix things. So, if you don’t’ mind…”
“Let me help!” Nick exclaimed, bullying his way in the door.
For a second AJ debated grabbing the kid and throwing him out of the room. But an idea came to him and he found himself shutting his door. “You know what, Nick? I think you can help.” He said slowly. His mind was already spinning as he walked further into the room. “This is what I was thinking…”