*Three Months Later*
The rain was pouring down in sheets outside the window. As it hit the roof it made that tapping sound that Brian found so soothing. Right at that moment he felt more at peace in his world than he had ever before. The band was done with their tour, everyone had gone home. He had gone with AJ to his house to enjoy some private time between them and to just enjoy freedom.
The house was quiet around them all except for the movie on the television screen. Rain was making a steady sound on the roof and the night had drawn dark, giving them an almost secluded feel in their home. You could see nothing outside but the night and the rain. It was almost as if they were in their own little private world.
He was curled up in the corner of the couch wearing just a pair of sweats. Tucked under his arm and snuggled to his chest was the man he loved more than anyone else in his life. AJ had one hand curled around Brian’s thigh and the other over his heart. Smiling, Brian let his gaze drift over his lover, his partner, his friend.
Earlier they had been tangled together in the sheets on their bed. It was their bed now, not AJ’s. In their hearts they knew that they wouldn’t be apart from one another again. Brian had already started the process on selling his own home so that they could live here together.
When they’d decided to watch a movie, Brian had grabbed his sweats and thrown them on, but AJ had simply grabbed Brian’s shirt and wore that and nothing else. Curled against Brian’s hip the way he was it gave Brian a good view of those long, muscled legs that he loved so much. Legs that, earlier, had been wrapped around his waist.
There hadn’t been any trouble in their world since Stephen had left. They knew that there was a possibility that he might try to come back one day, but they were prepared to deal with it. For a short while the public had been a little up in arms about their relationship, but nowhere near as bad as they had thought the response would be. Most reacted the way that the fans had at that first concert after the story came out. Pretty soon he and AJ had become the tabloids little golden couple.
His parents had taken the news surprisingly well. Brian still remembered talking to his mother on the phone. He’d been so surprised that she wasn’t upset with him.
“Well, Brian!” she’d laughed at him. “Your father and I figured out you were gay years ago. We’ve just been waiting for you to come and tell us!”
That had floored him. He had never expected that kind of reaction from them. But they were some of their biggest supporters. That had both pleased and humbled AJ as well.
Time was slowly changing AJ. Watching the process was amazing. Less and less often did his temper get out of control the way it had before. There was more of a peace to him now. A wisdom as well that could sometimes still astonish Brian. He’d asked once, a month after all the tabloid stuff had ocme out, where all these changes were coming from.
AJ’s words had taken his breath away and made him feel cherished. “Being with you has changed me, sugar.” AJ had said in that oh so sweet voice he used with Brian. The one that was full of love. “I’ve learned that I don’t need to jump the gun on everything and go in, fists swinging. Before there was always something in me that felt like it was missing. A part of me that was empty, only I didn’t know it, so I filled it with other things. But now I have you in my life and things are good. I’m happy in ways I never knew I could be. Your love mellows me. What’s the point of getting furious with someone over something stupid when I know I can walk away and come home to the greatest thing in my life? Everything else pales in comparison to that.”
Not all of his rebel was gone, though. For that Brian was grateful. Those little quirks were part of AJ, and part of what he had fallen in love with. When it came to Brian, his temper was still shorter than most. He was fiercely protective of him, sometimes too much so. But that was just AJ. He protected those he loved. So Brian chose to look at AJ’s extreme protectiveness as a sign of how much he loved him.
So many things had changed in their lives, and yet there was so much more peace now. This was where they were meant to be. This was who he was meant to be. AJ had helped him realize that, and had helped heal the old wounds inside of him.
Full of love, Brian bent his head and placed a kiss on top of AJ’s hair. Very quietly he heard AJ sniffle just as something warm and wet splashed onto his chest. For a single second Brian felt worry grip him. Then his eyes shifted to the TV and the movie they were watching. Ah. His lips curved into a smile.
They were watching The Green Mile and it was at the end of the movie where John Coffey is executed. By far and above the saddest part of the entire movie. Though they’d seen it a million times, it never failed to make AJ cry. That had Brian chuckling softly. If only others could see the rough and tough AJ Mclean, rebel of the Backstreet Boys, tattooed freak and known bad boy, curled up in just a t-shirt against his boyfriends side crying at a movie.
“Oh, shut up.” AJ rasped against him, having felt Brian chuckle. “I can’t help it. It’s not fair he has to die!”
Brian ran his hand up and down AJ’s arm in a soothing gesture. He felt his lover bring a hand up to wipe his tears away. “You know this movie makes you cry every single time. Why on earth do you still watch it? It’s not like the endings going to change.” He pointed out.
“I know that! But it’s a good movie.”
Unable to resist, Brian bent his head down and placed a kiss on AJ’s hair again. “You’re too cute sometimes. Even when you’re being a chick. I still love you, though.”
He could feel AJ chuckling against him. “Shut up, asshole.”
“Hey now, that’s not how a lady talks!”
“Lady?” Growling, AJ shifted his body so that he could glare into Brian’s face. “You watch it now, sugar. I may have chick moments, but I am definitely more dude than chick.” There was a sparkle in AJ’s eyes that had Brian grinning and chuckling again. He couldn’t resist teasing.
“Can you even see yourself right now, Age?”
“What?”
“You’re wearing only my shirt and nothing else, curled against my hip, crying at The Green Mile…need I say more?”
A pout curved AJ’s full lips. “Oh, fuck you.” He grumbled as he sat up, away from Brian. It didn’t bother Brian in the least. In fact, his grin grew wider. “Well, if you insist.” Brian said with a fake sigh. Without warning he stood and scooped AJ up into his arms. A small squeal slid past AJ’s lips in surprise to find himself suddenly lifted into the air. Automatically his arms went around Brian’s neck. “Brian! What do you think you’re doing?”
“You said ‘fuck you’ so that’s what I’m going to do.” Brian grinned as he carried AJ out of the living room and up the stairs. He pressed a kiss against AJ’s lips. “Even if you do squeal like a little girl.”
AJ buried his face against Brian’s neck. “Oh, God, don’t ever tell anyone I did that. It’ll kill my rep.” But then his lips curved and he was moving to give Brian an impish look. “I do have to say, if this is the treatment that being the chick gets, I could get used to it. Once in a while.”
They reached the bedroom. Instead of setting AJ down, Brian moved to the bed and sat, still cradling AJ in his arms. Tenderness stole over him and he nuzzled AJ’s cheek. “I love you, Alex.”
The smile that lit AJ’s face was the most beautiful thing that Brian had ever seen. “I love you too, Brian. Always.”
“Always.” He repeated. That sounded perfect to him.