*Day Eighteen*

 

*Sixteen Days Until Tour Starts Back Up*

 

 

Ever since his conversation with Nick that afternoon, Brian had started a campaign. He didn’t try, yet, to seduce AJ. Not when his mind told him that AJ wouldn’t welcome his advances yet. Instead he set about helping AJ bring his self-esteem back up.

 

 

As a way to release stress the two men started to hit the gym daily. They’d lift weights and practice their moves for tour and hit the pool. Not only did it help AJ bring his body back to normal, but Brian found himself getting in better shape as well. He also bought a shaver and put it in the bathroom amongst their stuff, not wanting to press the hair issue but knowing that it bothered AJ.

 

 

One afternoon after his shower, AJ came out and his hair was buzzed short. Brian had made a point to whistle at him when he saw. AJ had flushed, but a hint of his old grin had come back.

 

 

The cravings seemed to go further and further away as did the shaking and the other symptoms. More and more he was finding himself again, and becoming like the old AJ. It made Brian’s heart swell. He was eating again, and starting to laugh with them a little. The mood swings were still there, but not as frequent as before.

 

 

It had been AJ who suggested that they go downstairs to have dinner. He wanted to start testing himself in a real environment. After that went so well, the three of them had a blast, they decided to take random trips out and about to go shopping. That served a dual purpose. While they were out, Brian helped AJ get a new wardrobe. One that fit him for the time being.

 

 

Only after all this had been done did Brian start to think about bringing things to the next level with his partner. He talked with Nick beforehand and warned him that he had plans for the night. Nick had just laughed and said his TV could get pretty loud, and if all else failed he had his headphones. It still left Brian feeling amazed every time Nick showed how easy going he was about their relationship. It made him love his friend, his brother, all the more.

 

 

So that night when AJ was in the shower, Brian set up their bedroom. He had planned the night as carefully as possible, wanting to make the biggest impact that he could. If he was going to break their almost two month celibacy than he wanted to do it right. He wanted there to be no doubt in AJ’s mind. With that in mind he set candles up all over the room, lighting each one of them until the entire room seemed to flicker with the small flames. It gave it a very romantic feel.

 

 

He wanted this night to be perfect. While he’d been trying to help AJ feel better and get back into shape as well as find himself again, something else had happened. Brian had found his own self again. This time had almost been like when they’d been at AJ’s house before. Yes, Nick was there, but that was ok. Brian found his stress starting to slide away. As it did he realized that AJ had been partially right. He had been angry with AJ still, even if just a little. He’d also been afraid that AJ would slip and he would lose him.

 

 

Brian had come to see that so long as he held on to those thoughts and denied them then neither of them was ever going to heal. Not all their problems were because of AJ. Some were his own making. Realizing that, and accepting them, had helped him to heal and to move forward. Now, he felt himself again. The time felt right to do this.

 

 

When AJ stepped out of the bathroom Brian was waiting for him, dressed only in his plaid pajama pants, standing in the middle of the room. Surprise crossed AJ’s features, followed by a flash of desire. It was the desire that gave Brian the courage to smile at him. “Hey.” He whispered.

 

 

“Hey.” AJ replied, lips curving. “What’s with all this?”

 

 

“Has it been that long that you don’t recognize when your own boyfriend is trying to seduce you?” Brian teased him. Just like he’d wanted that comment made AJ’s smile grow. Still wearing just a towel, AJ stepped closer to him. “I guess it has been.”

 

 

“Well, we’ll have to start correcting that.” Deliberately Brian let his passion leak into his voice, thickening his accent. He knew how much that turned AJ on. Sure enough he saw his lover shiver slightly. Looking at him, Brian realized he had no reason to be nervous. This was the same AJ. He was the same Brian. So there had been problems between them lately? Here, like this, they had always been compatible.

 

 

So he stopped stressing about things and just let himself feel. He walked the short distance to where AJ stood, stopping when their bodies were only inches apart. Then he let his eyes travel down over AJ’s body, admiring where he had started to fill back out, looking at that oh so familiar body. When he brought his eyes back to AJ’s face all he could see was love and desire looking back at him.

 

 

Smirking, Brian reached a hand out and took hold of AJ’s towel, pulling lightly at it until it slid down to the floor. “God.” He hummed lightly in the back of his throat. “You are the sexiest man I have ever seen.” It was the truth. AJ had always been a lean framed individual, with muscles layered over that. The weight lifting they’d done lately had only made that more defined. Brian couldn’t help but notice that just his gaze alone had AJ’s body responding.

 

 

“I don’t see how.” AJ told him. By the look on his face after he said it, Brian didn’t think that he’d intended for that to be out loud. So, Nick had been right on that one too. Dead right. AJ saw himself as undesirable at the moment, even after Brian had tried to help him get back into shape.

 

 

Well, he was just going to have to show him. “Baby, you’ve always been sexy to me.” He told him in a husky voice. Bringing one hand up, Brian let his fingers trail lightly down AJ’s neck, over his chest, and down to his stomach. Everywhere his fingers touched, AJ shivered. “Just looking at you, even before we got together, has always made me want you. Even before I was ready to admit it to myself.”

 

 

“I always felt the same way, too.” AJ rasped back. He lifted his hands and laid them on Brian’s shoulders, sliding down over his arms and back up again. “Your arms always got me, though.”

 

 

“My arms?” Brian asked in surprise. He had never heard that before.

 

 

Nodding, AJ kept tracing the skin. “You have very well defined arms. I loved when you’d pick me up when you were playing around. I loved to feel that strength holding me. I still do. It always makes me feel, I don’t know, safe. Protected. You hold me as if I’m something to be cherished, even when I don’t deserve it.”

 

 

“You are something to be cherished for me, and you always deserve it. I love you, Alex.”

 

 

“Even…”

 

 

Brian didn’t let him get that thought out. “Yes, even after this. We’re stronger now than we were before. We went through crap and came out on the other side. I think it made our bond stronger than it was before.” Here he knew he had to be truthful. If he wasn’t, they would never get past any of this. “I was mad at you for a while, I’ll admit that.”

 

 

Sadness lurked in AJ’s eyes. “You have every right to be.”

 

 

“I said was, Alex.” Brian stressed the word was. He caught AJ’s chin in his hand so that he was forced to look at him. “Even when you came back I still felt mad. Maybe a little resentful. Hurt. I felt like I wasn’t enough to hold you here. Part of me worried that you’d choose that stuff over me again. I didn’t give you your due. Yes, you fucked up. But I shouldn’t have held it against you. You’ve done so well and come so far since then. Eighteen days sober and clean, Alex.”

 

 

“I did fuck up, Bri. I was so scared all the time that you would get tired of helping me. Sometimes I still am. I’m afraid I’ll do one thing too many and you’ll just have enough and leave. If you did I would understand. It would break me, but I would understand.”

 

 

“I realized that you’re not the only one that messed up, Alex. I did too. No, hear me out.” He pulled his thumb up to cover AJ’s lips when it looked like he was going to speak. “I did. I should have made you get help. I shouldn’t have given up on us so easily. But I won’t make that mistake again. No matter what I’m going to be here, fighting for you. I love you, and nothing in the world is going to change. You’re stuck with me, Alex. Forever.”

 

 

Some of the pain in AJ’s eyes faded away a little at the sincerity of Brian’s words. “Forever.” He whispered against Brian’s thumb. “I like the sound of that.”

 

 

Now was the right time to step forward, to wrap his arms around AJ and kiss him. Brian deepened that kiss, his tongue coming out to trace at AJ’s lips, then dip inside when they parted. His hands slid down to cup the ass that he so loved. No matter what any said to the contrary, AJ had one hell of a nice ass. God, it was like heaven to be touching him again.

 

 

AJ’s hands had moved from his arms, down to the waistband of his pants. There was a slight tug and then Brian felt his pants dropping to the ground. He didn’t pause in his kiss, just stepped out of them. Then he did the one thing AJ had just said he loved. He picked AJ up in his arms and held him close as he carried him over to the bed. After laying him down he simply stood there and admired.

 

 

That familiar sexual grin was on AJ’s face. “You just going to stand there or you going to bring that fine body down here?” His husky rasp sent a shiver down Brian’s spine.

 

 

He climbed slowly onto the bed, letting his body move against AJ’s as he slid up toward his face. It had the both of them gasping. When Brian finally reached the top AJ was kissing him furiously, all the pent up need boiling over. His hands were instantly on Brian’s skin, sliding down to grab his ass and yank their bodies as close as they could get. The feeling of their erections touching caused them to moan.

 

 

“Bri?” AJ whispered against his lips.

 

 

“Hm?”

 

 

“I know you set this romantic scene and all that, and it’s really nice…” Distracted by the curve of Brian’s jaw, AJ peppered kisses along his skin. It wasn’t until he reached Brian’s ear that he remembered he’d been talking. “Oh yeah. I was wondering about something.”

 

 

“What is it?” Brian gasped, tipping his head so AJ could better nibble on his ear.

 

 

“Well, it’s been a while for us, and I was wondering…with all your candles, are you set on making a romantic night out of this? Or do you mind if I do something just a little, different?”

 

 

Sweet God, Brian could barely thing. AJ’s teeth were pulling on his ear, his hands were running over Brian’s ass, and their bodies were almost melded together. Right then he didn’t care about anything but making love to his boyfriend. “Different? God, Alex, I don’t care. I want you.”

 

 

“Good.” AJ suddenly let go of Brian’s ear and rolled them over in bed. There was a light in his eyes that had been missing for a while now and it had Brian’s heart thumping. Oh how he had missed that look in his boyfriend’s eyes. The look that said he was desirable and loved and so much more. “I need you too, Brian. I don’t think I can be soft and sweet right now.” AJ warned him as he kissed all over Brian’s neck.

 

 

Brian didn’t answer with words. Instead he let his hands drift down AJ’s back, one finger sliding between AJ’s cheeks to press against the entrance he found there. AJ hissed as Brian slid his finger in, and bit down on Brian’s neck when he felt Brian’s finger tap his prostate. Brian gasped when AJ bit him, moaning loudly and started to move his finger.

 

 

Suddenly AJ moved, pulling himself away from Brian’s hand and sitting up. He reached behind him, taking hold of Brian’s cock and rubbing it, spreading the moisture into Brian’s skin. So caught up in sensation, moaning as his body twitched with passion, it took Brian a moment to realize what AJ intended. By then it was too late. AJ was holding Brian’s cock in place and sliding down on top of it.

 

 

Both of them gasped, AJ almost screaming at the feeling of being filled by his lover. Brian had to work to not come then and there. It had been way too long and the feeling of AJ’s tight heat was almost too much. He couldn’t stop his hips from bucking upwards even as AJ was fully sitting atop him.

 

 

“Oh God, Alex. You’re so tight. So good.” Brian gasped to him.

 

 

AJ braced his hands on Brian’s chest and moved, swearing as the pleasure arced inside his body. “Shit, sweetheart. It’s been way too long. I can’t…I just…”

 

 

Without needing another word Brian understood what AJ was saying. He felt the same way. There was no room to think of anything beyond the passion that boiled in the room. With a grin Brian brought his hand up and wrapped it around AJ’s thick cock, stroking it. “Do it, Alex.” He told him.

 

 

With that permission, AJ started to ride, his body bouncing up and down and hips rolling. It was almost too much. Even though they’d barely started Brian could already feel his orgasm wanting to be released. He lifted his hips, thrusting up in time with AJ’s rolling movements. Their moans and gasps filled the hotel room.

 

 

AJ’s movements became faster, jerkier, as Brian’s thrusts became more frenzied. They were riding toward that ultimate point, bodies straining to reach it. His one hand still pumping AJ’s cock, Brian let his other ride up, pinching at AJ’s nipples. He heard AJ’s gasp and felt as his body shot up and down and his orgasm slammed through him.

 

 

Watching AJ’s face sent Brian over the edge. With a loud shout he thrust up and emptied himself deep inside of AJ.

 

 

AJ collapsed down on top of him, panting for air. Brian couldn’t even muster up the strength to bring his arms up and wrap them around AJ. All he could do was lie there. Yeah, this had been the right time, the right night to do this. “I love you, Alex.”

 

 

“I love you too, Brian.”