*April 21st 2002*
Walking down the length of the mall, Brian looked over at AJ and couldn’t help but grin a little. Things had been going well for the past few months. It seemed like, since Christmas, their lives had just been coasting so nicely. The side effects of the medication were wearing off slowly but surely. Enough so that AJ’s days had become almost perfectly normal. With the right diet and proper care, his quality of life was improving again. If it wasn’t for the medications he took, it would almost have been like he was perfectly healthy.
Mikayla had become a big part of their lives, often coming to visit and even spending the night. It surprised Brian how quickly he felt himself bonding with her. She had, in such a short time, become a part of the family. A part of his family; like a little sister. No matter what was going on she was there for them. When Brian worried about little things he knew that he could talk to her. She was practical minded enough to keep a level head in stress and her nurses training enabled her to explain things to the two men that otherwise they might not have understood.
At the moment she was actually racing ahead of them, practically skipping down the walkway. The three of them had come to the mall for just an afternoon of shopping and fun. Brian had resigned himself to walking for hours with two shopaholics.
“She is such a little kid.” Brian said jokingly as he watched Mikayla dart into the store that had been her target: the Disney store.
AJ looked at where she had gone and laughed outright. “You think? She’s got that insane thing about The Little Mermaid, though. I generally try to get her something along those lines when I shop for her. Something I know she doesn’t have, and that she typically wouldn’t be able to afford. She doesn’t like that I spend the money, but I like doing it, so I win. As usual.” He smiled at Brian as he spoke. The urge to hold Brian’s hand was strong enough that AJ had to force his hands into his pockets to keep himself under control.
“Cocky little twerp, aren’t you?” Brian teased. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he knew how AJ was going to take them. The little smirk that AJ wore only confirmed it. Flushing, Brian shook his head. “Oh, God, don’t even say anything. Not a word. I know I set that up, but please…”
Sighing, AJ pretended to be frustrated. “Fine. If I must be good, I guess I have no choice.”
“None whatsoever.” Brian replied pertly. He gave AJ his goofiest grin and had his lover laughing at him.
It was difficult for them sometimes, to be walking in public. After spending so much time at the house and around the guys, who all knew about their relationship, they had a difficult time not acting like a couple. Not just the holding hands or the touching, but the looks and the jokes and the secret smiles. Neither of them had realized how often they did it until they were in public and had to force themselves not to.
They stopped and sat at a bench outside of the Disney store to wait for Mikayla. Under the pretense of looking behind him at the lower levels, AJ took the opportunity to murmur “I’ll be good now, but later on I intend to be very, very bad.”
A pleased hum tickled Brian’s throat. He forced himself to look forward at the store, knowing that if he looked at AJ it would be even harder, if not impossible, to keep the desire from his eyes. AJ chuckled as he turned to face forward again. Despite the small amount of distance between them, they sat on either end of the short bench, the air between them still seemed to almost crackle. Now that AJ had said that, Brian couldn’t keep his mind from going to what would happen later on that evening. He shivered slightly.
AJ chuckled again, obviously seeing that shiver. “Patience, Rok.” He teased him.
No one who came up would know what AJ meant by that, or understand the infliction that AJ had put on his nickname, but Brian did. The images that put in his mind had him shifting in his seat and crossing his legs. Well, two could play at this game. “I’m very patient, Bone. I like the anticipation that builds when you wait for something that you really want. That way, when you get it, you enjoy it so much more. You know what I mean?”
He smiled, sneaking a glance at AJ from the corner of his eye. He knew exactly what thought that would put in AJ’s head. Many times had they deliberately turned one another on throughout the day, but never let it get beyond simple kisses and pets so that, by evening time, they were fair to bursting. It was a game they like to play on occasion. Just like right now.
It took everything he had not to laugh when he saw AJ slide his shades on his face. That was a surefire sign that he was getting to him. AJ rarely hid his eyes anymore, most especially around Brian.
“I think I do know.” AJ said softly. They tried to keep their voices pitched lower so that passerby’s wouldn’t be able to totally understand them. Just in case, though, they worded things very carefully. So far they’d been lucky that no one recognized them. AJ had a sweater on and, as he got more comfortable on the bench, he pulled the hood up. Brian wore his old ball cap with the bill down low and a light windbreaker. “But sometimes it can be even more fun to just…take what you want, right when you want it.”
Oh, Goddamn him. Now Brian really had to shift. All he could think about now, damn AJ, was finding a secluded place somewhere that they might be able to hide inside of and pinning his boyfriend up against the wall and…He had to cut that thought off before it got too far. That little shit never played fair. For a moment Brian just sat there and tried to control his thoughts. Mikayla would be coming out at any time and he needed to be calmed down enough that he would be able to stand up without embarrassing himself in the middle of the whole mall.
All thought of that went out the window when AJ turned to look behind him again, placing him close enough to Brian’s ear that he could murmur in that straight sex voice of his. “I’ve got a condom in my wallet, just in case of emergency. There’s a rarely used restroom on the lower level, near the Sears. It’s tucked back in a corner so most people don’t see it, and it only has two stalls in there. Wait a few minutes after I leave and follow me down there. I promise, I’ll make it worth your while.”
Holy shit. All the blood in Brian’s head dropped straight to his loins. There wasn’t anything that he could do but nod slightly. Like he would pass up that offer!
But fate conspired against them. Just as AJ moved to stand up, before he’d even managed to lift off the bench, they heard the one sound they’d been dreading to hear. A high pitched scream rent the air. Oh, hell. So much for their plans.
There was no denying what that sound meant. The two men shared a quick look, AJ peeking out over top his shades, and a rueful smile. It was a risk they took when they went out in public. That was why they’d deliberately come to the mall in the early afternoon when kids were still in school. But that still left the fans that were out of school.
They both turned toward the sound right as three girls, looking around eighteen or nineteen, came rushing over to them.
“Oh my god, it really is you!” The tallest of the three gushed. She was pretty enough; average height, small frame, and long waves of blond hair. The other two girls with her looked almost identical, just a little shorter. Blond haired, blue eyed. Dressed in skirts and heels and short little tank tops, Brian couldn’t help but think that they looked like sisters, and they definitely looked like they were on the prowl. Women may not have been his cup of tea, but even if they had been, these three would never have been his type. They screamed ‘man-eater’ to him.
The second of the girls stepped toward AJ. “My names Candi, with an ‘I’, and I’ve been a fan for, like, ever! You are just so awesome, AJ!” she exclaimed as she tried to take his hands. It took everything Brian had not to snicker at Candi, with an ‘I’.
Gracefully, AJ rose to his feet and hugged the girl before she could throw herself in his lap. “Thank you very much, Candi. It’s always an honor to hear we have such dedicated fans out there.” He told her kindly. The other short girl stepped forward and hugged him tightly as well. “I’m her twin and my name is Mandi, with an ‘I’. Like, I just can’t believe you’re here! Oh my God!”
Reclining backwards on the bench, Brian wrestled with the grin that wanted to tear free. Candi and Mandi? Holy crap, that was just too much. He almost chuckled when AJ flashed him a dirty look from behind his shades. Brian was enjoying this. So far, none of the girls had noticed him yet. Or, if they had, he wasn’t the one they wanted to see. That was ok; sometimes some fans loved one of them more than the others. It happened.
But the taller girl suddenly did seem to notice him. Her eyes grew wide and all of a sudden Brian found his lap and his arms full of the long legged blond. “Oh God, Brian, I’m like, your biggest fan! I just can’t believe I get to meet you!”
“I, uh, thank you.” He stammered out. No matter how he moved the woman moved with him. She was like a monkey, clinging tightly to him so that he couldn’t even get his feet underneath him to stand up. “It’s very nice to meet you too, Miss. But um, if you wouldn’t mind…” he tried to graciously get her off of him, but she just babbled right on over top of that. “My name’s Bambi and I’ve just been in love with you for so long! It’s like a dream come true to be here! Oh my God, I just can’t believe it!”
Another female voice echoed around them and this one Brian recognized. “What on earth is going on here?” Mikayla demanded in a voice that held barely contained laughter.
Brian looked over Bambi’s shoulder to see Mikayla standing by AJ, who was trying to untangle himself from the twins. He watched as Mikayla grinned at their obvious discomfort. Then she hooked her bag higher on her arm and walked right to AJ, sliding easily past the blonds to wrap her arm around AJ’s waist. In the process she turned him so that they were better facing the girls. It effectively detached the both of them. “Excuse me.” She said sweetly.
Mandi and Candi stood there and glared at her openly. But they did back off, even if they huffed a little as they did.
With another grin, Mikayla looked up at AJ. “Hold my bag for me, would you, hon?” she asked him. AJ grinned and took the bag she handed him, automatically starting to sift around inside of it. Mikayla rolled her eyes. She moved away from him and stepped over to where Brian was still trying to get the blond monkey off his lap. “Problems, Bri?” she asked him.
He gave her a look that purely screamed help. Right at the moment he was done trying to be nice as Bambi wound her arms around his neck and ignored any effort he made to detach her. “Please.” He begged her shamelessly.
Mikayla put a finger to her lip as if thinking. “I don’t know. Girl looks pretty comfortable to me.”
“Kay!” he cried out. One of Bambi’s hands slid down between them and Brian quickly grabbed it, pulling it back up. What the hell was up with this woman? “Come on. I’ll do anything, just help me out here!”
“Anything?” Her eyes lit up and she grinned. “Make me your Mom’s sweet potato pie?”
“Yes!”
Mikayla’s smile grew even wider. “Deal!” she exclaimed. For another second she stood there, debating how best to do this. Then she shrugged and her grin turned slightly evil. With one step forward she was right in front of them. Bambi barely paid any attention to her, she was so busy trying to get her hands on any part of Brian that she could.
Using that distraction, Mikayla reached up and grabbed a fistful of the woman’s blond hair and yanked. Instinctively, Bambi brought her hands up to her head, which made her let go of Brian. That allowed Mikayla to pull her straight off his lap. The woman somehow managed to get her feet underneath her so that she didn’t hit the floor. Once she was steady, Mikayla let go and grinned at her before shaking her finger in Bambi’s face. “No touching.” She said teasingly.
Brian quickly got to his feet, just in case Bambi had any ideas about trying to climb back on him. But she was too busy straightening her hair and glaring at Mikayla. “You bitch!” she exclaimed once she had her hair perfectly back in place. “Keep your hands off me!”
“Then don’t touch what isn’t yours, sugar pie.” Mikayla deliberately upped her accent so that she had all the sugary sweetness of any southern belle. The girls may not have understood what that meant, but Brian and AJ did. The sweeter a southern girl could sound, the more likely she would be to scratch your eyes out. Or, in Mikayla’s case, knock out your pearly whites.
The potential for a fight was cut off when suddenly the mall seemed to echo with screams. AJ and Brian quickly looked behind them. Shit was all Brian could think. There was a whole crowd of girls rushing toward them. He happened to catch sight of the clock as he looked back and grimaced when he saw it was three forty five. Hell. The teenage girls were out.
All of that registered in just a split second. Without security guards, the two knew that this could turn dangerous, quickly. There was only one option, really. Both of them spun back around. As they did they each took one of Mikayla’s hands and pulled her with them as they took off down the aisle.
Despite how fast they ran, the fans seemed to be gaining on them. Brian tugged them inside of JC Penny and wove through the clothes racks, trying to dodge behind things and get some kind of lead. Mikayla ran in the middle and AJ behind her, the three of them still linked.
Quick as a flash AJ took them to the escalator when he saw it. People shouted as they tried to lean out of the way of the three running people. They managed to get down the escalator and out the front of the lower level of that store, but as they hit the main part of the mall again another crowd was coming directly toward them and the crowd at the back was catching up.
“Fuck.” AJ swore loudly. Mentally, Brian echoed the sentiment. What were they going to do now?
“Here!” Mikayla called out. She darted around one of the kiosks that were set up on the mall floor and tried to take them through a couple of them. But the fans were moving too quickly. Suddenly one of the kiosks fell over and they were surrounded by fans. Dimly Brian heard a voice shout over all the screams that instantly caught his attention.
He turned around to look and see AJ sitting on the ground holding on to his leg with Mikayla trying to act as a shield over him. Brian stopped paying attention to anything else and simply pushed his way through the few girls that were between him and AJ. Just as he reached him, the crowd around them seemed to close in so that hands were everywhere, pulling at their clothes, their hair, everything.
Brian’s eyes locked on to the leg that AJ was clutching and he felt his face drain of color. The jeans that AJ wore were torn and blood was starting to seep out past his hands. Someone got close to that leg, a hand darting out to try and touch AJ’s hand or take his shoe or something, and Brian dropped down between the two. He knelt on one knee, the other up to rest his arm on as he tried to shelter AJ. His eyes moved up to Mikayla’s. “Get security.” He ordered her.
But that wasn’t necessary. Security had already been called and had been trying to catch up with them. They surrounded them now, pushing the girls back a safe distance and slowly clearing out the area around them. It was a battle and the girls kept trying to dive back in between their arms or their legs, but the guards built a small ring around them.
That left Mikayla and Brian free to look at AJ’s leg. In this, Brian deferred to Mikayla’s nurses training and moved back out of her way. He shifted closer to AJ’s body, wanting to hold him or hold his hand but not wanting to blow their cover so publicly.
White as a sheet, AJ didn’t’ seem to care about their cover as he leaned his shoulder against Brian. “Sweet Jesus, that stings.” He swore softly.
The ranks around them broke and a mall medic stepped into the group. He knelt down by AJ’s leg and went to instantly start applying a compress to the bleeding. But Mikayla looked at his hands and pushed them away, careful not to touch them with her own hands which already had blood on them. “You have a cut on your finger.” She told the medic.
“I didn’t have time to grab the rest of my kit. I’ll keep the compress between him and my hand, miss, but I need to get in there and see what the damage is.” The medic said. He practically had to shout to be heard.
AJ took a shaky breath. He knew what he had to do here, ethically. But there was no way to keep it silent enough to guarantee that no one would hear him. Just to make sure the medic would hear him he would have to speak up over the screams of the girls. He could hope that no one would hear him but there would be no guarantees. But he couldn’t not tell the man. It broke Brian’s heart to see the look on AJ’s face and to know the decision he was being forced to make. He hated that AJ had to be put in this position to begin with.
Swallowing, AJ looked over at the man’s eyes. His voice was flat, sounding emotionless to anyone who could hear him. “You can’t touch me without gloves if you have an open sore on your hand. I’m HIV positive.”
So much for hoping no one would hear him. The crowd around them seemed to grow instantly quiet. The medic froze, his hands inches from AJ’s skin, eyes going wide as he looked up at him. It seemed that everyone around them was holding their breath for a single, long minute.