Once the tears were done with and everyone was settling in, Kevin ordered up room service so that they could eat and catch up on things. It made AJ smile when he realized that no one had ordered anything to drink with their meal but water. He wasn’t sure how he would react being around others drinking yet, but he knew that it would be something he would have to come to terms with. He couldn’t force them to stop drinking simply because he had a problem. Yet, maybe that was something better left for another day. For the moment he wanted to just enjoy being with his friends.
As AJ helped himself to a bottle of water from the fridge, Brian came up behind him to take some back over to the guys. He bent down beside AJ, whispering “You did well there, baby. I’m proud of you too.”
AJ smiled at him as they straightened, wanting to say so much but knowing that he couldn’t. Not right now. The two of them handed out the waters and took their seats again. AJ and Brian sat on the couch with Nick, deliberately keeping him between them. They were thinking identical thoughts; that it would be easier not to touch and not to act like a couple with their friend as a buffer.
“Um, can I ask a question, AJ?” Kevin suddenly asked. To hear Kevin speak so hesitantly threw AJ for a moment. He had never heard Kevin talk like that before. He was always serious and sure of his words. “Yeah, Kev. What’s up?”
“Well, it just seems to me that Brian is like, well, an AA sponsor for you, almost.”
Looking over at Brian for a second, AJ shrugged. He hadn’t thought of it like that, but... “Yeah, I guess you could say that. He helps keep me sane and sober.”
“Well, the other guys and me will be here for you, but I think that since Brian’s gone through all this with you maybe you’ll do better with him helping out the most, so to speak. What I’m getting at is, if you want to switch rooms, I’ll take the single and you can room in here with him. If you think it would help. I can even make sure the room arrangements stay that way for a while.”
AJ and Brian sat in shocked silence for a moment. It was AJ who found his voice first, managing to stutter out “Uh, yeah, that’d be great, I mean, I’d like that.”
Out of nowhere Nick started to laugh. He couldn’t help it. Watching Kevin offer to do that for them, thinking he was helping AJ control his addiction, and not even realizing how much more he was helping them with. The idea was hilarious to Nick. On the other side of him Brian was smothering a grin against his cup. AJ felt laughter tickling his throat but he worked up a scowl for his friend and his lover. “Shut up, Carter.”
“What on earth is so funny about this?” Howie asked Nick. His tone wasn’t rude, but it was obvious that he didn’t understand why discussing AJ’s recovery had sparked this hilarity in Nick. That just made Nick laugh all the harder. He held his stomach, doubling over as he tried to control the laughter.
AJ kept his scowl in place and punched Nick’s arm. “I said shut up, you ass.”
“I c-can’t help it!” Nick gasped out. His good humor was infectious. Both Kevin and Howie were smiling even without knowing why, and Brian was full on grinning now. It took everything AJ had to keep his scowl from turning to a grin. “You better help it!” he demanded.
“I can’t…it’s just…holy God! He…and then you…and the…oh man!”
The gibberish wasn’t understandable to anyone but AJ and Brian, but they caught the gist of it. AJ found his smile coming out against his will. It was funny, if you looked at it with all the facts and with a sense of humor like Nick’s.
Attempting to bring normalcy back to the conversation, AJ ignored the freak beside him and focused his look at Kevin. “I would really appreciate that, Kev. It would help, a lot.”
For a second it looked as if Kevin was going to ask something. But then he shook his head, shot Nick one last grin, and said “Ok, Age. No problem. I’ll get my stuff moved on over here shortly.”
After that, and once Nick had calmed down, conversation turned to what the others had done during their break, and the up and coming shows. Yet AJ couldn’t focus on it at all. All he could think of was that he was going to be able to share a room with Brian. Suddenly, knowing that they’d be able to be together, things didn’t seem as bad as they had before. With Brian by his side he knew that he could handle anything that was thrown at him.
A small part of him felt guilty though. Here Kevin was, offering them this option so that AJ could stay clean and sober, wanting to help a friend that he saw in need, and AJ was unashamedly taking advantage of it so that he could be around his boyfriend. That didn’t seem right. It ate at him in the back of his mind all afternoon.
When the others left to go find something for lunch and he and Kevin had already switched their stuff around, AJ threw himself on one of the beds and sighed.
From where he knelt by his open suitcase, Brian looked up and over at his lover. “What was that for?” he asked.
“What?” AJ lifted his head to look at Brian, quirking an eyebrow in confusion.
“That dramatic sigh. What was that for?”
AJ scowled at him. “Dramatic? I’m not dramatic.”
“Right, J. Nice evasion, by the way. Didn’t work, though.” Rising from his crouch, Brian moved over to the bed and sat on the edge of it, one hand coming up to stroke lightly over AJ’s forehead. “Talk to me. What’s up?”
Looking into Brian’s eyes made it impossible to be anything but honest. He couldn’t even manage a decent evasion. So, instead of fighting it, he sighed again and closed his eyes. “One bad thing about sobriety is it lets you have a conscience.” He complained.
Without looking AJ knew that Brian was smiling. It was there in his voice as he said “What’s eating at your conscience, baby?”
“Kev gave us this room together so that you could help me stay sober. Because he sees us being really good friends and thinks that you’re here with me because I need you to be clean and sober.” AJ trailed off, trying to sort through his thoughts. Brian just waited patiently until he started back up. “It’s true an all, but, I don’t know. It just doesn’t sit right with me. I wasn’t thinking of my sobriety when I said yes. All I could think of was that I get to spend every night in your arms.”
“I thought the same thing too, Alex. It’s like a dream come true.”
“Exactly. But, it doesn’t feel right. In a sense, we’re lying to him. We’re letting him think he’s helping me stay sober and clean when in reality what we want is to be together. But they don’t know that we’re a couple. It makes me feel sneaky and underhanded. I don’t like being dishonest with them, sweetheart. It’s bothering the hell out of me.”
This time it was Brian who sighed. “I know what you mean. It was funny at first, and kind of ironic. But it’s been bothering me too. I just didn’t want to say anything to you cause I thought it sounded a little silly and kind of goofy. Like I’m a little stuck up for thinking that way, you know?”
Sliding his arms back, AJ propped himself up on his elbows so that he could better look at Brian’s face. “You’re not stuck up, baby. If you are, then I guess I am too. We can’t lie to them like this, can we?”
“I don’t think we can.” Brian admitted slowly. They looked at one another, both thinking what they had to do, and both feeling little tremors of fear over it. News like theirs could break the group apart. There was so much that could change with just one conversation. It scared the hell out of them both.
AJ shook his head to try and dispel the thoughts for a while. He sat up in bed, sliding back to the headboard. “We don’t have to say anything today, but I think we need to do it soon. We’re just too nice, Bri. We don’t have it in us to keep deliberately lie to others. We shouldn’t have to anyways. I just want to be with you without having to worry about everyone and anyone finding out. We deserve to be open about our relationship anyways. We love one another. That’s what counts, right?”
“Right.” Brian leaned in and gave him a kiss. When he pulled back he was smiling. It was a smile that AJ recognized and loved. He watched with amusement as Brian looked around the room, then over to the clock. That smile grew bigger. AJ couldn’t help but smile back when Brian stood up and pulled his shirt over his head. There was no denying what was on Brian’s mind. Suddenly it was what was on AJ’s mind as well. He felt his body come to life like the flick of a switch.
After tossing his shirt on the floor, Brian flashed that grin at AJ. “We have a little bit of time.” He said in a calm voice. “I do believe I want to make the most of it.”
“How much time we got before they get back?” AJ asked him. He was already sitting up to remove his shirt as well. He felt his body start to harden even more as Brian undid his pants and slid both them and boxers straight to the floor. Sweet God, Brian was already hard. The sight of his erection springing free from his clothes had AJ’s mouth watering.
Climbing onto the bed, Brian moved his hands to AJ’s belt buckle to start undoing his jeans. “I’d say we got about a half hour tops. Think you’re up to it, lover boy?” With one jerk he yanked AJ’s jeans and shorts down over his hips, letting his cock spring free to slap against his stomach. AJ could only respond with a moan. That moan grew louder when, once all the clothes were on the floor, Brian bent down and wasted no time in taking AJ into his mouth. “Jesus, Bri!”
“Shh.” Brian whispered before taking AJ back into his mouth. He bobbed his head a few times, sucking and running his tongue around AJ’s cock as he did. It was all AJ could do to hold his moans to a quiet level. When Brian got in moods like this it always left AJ with a mind like mush. He couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but go along for the ride.
He couldn’t stop himself from moaning when Brian pulled back. “Ah, ah, just be patient, baby.” Brian whispered huskily to him. Then he was kneeling on either side of AJ’s hips, reaching back and positioning AJ at his entrance. While AJ pushed up Brian let his hips sink down on a groan. He took a second to adjust once he was fully on him. It took everything AJ had to hold still and not cum right there from that first, tight feeling of being inside of him. “Oh, fuck.” He moaned out.
“I planned on it.” Brian put action to words and started to raise and lower his hips. He rested his hands on his thighs to balance himself as he started to move up and down, driving them both a little mad. AJ slid his hands over Brian’s thighs and up to wrap around his cock, stroking him as he watched his lover ride him. There was nothing on earth more beautiful than Brian’s face, especially when it was bright with passion. Everything else slipped from their minds for this instant. They were together, and that was what mattered.
~~~~~~~~~~
Nick chuckled as they rode the elevator up to their floor. He found both Kevin and Howie’s questions amusing. They had been quizzing him almost all lunch long about how AJ’s sobering up had been. They wanted all sorts of details, and it amused Nick to give some but not give the whole story. Like telling them that Brian had been good at distracting AJ from a craving, but not telling them that it usually involed a kiss that would leave AJ with a dazed look in his eyes.
When the doors opened and they started for their rooms, Kevin reached into his pocket for his room key and came out holding two. “Oh, damn. I forgot to give J the key. I better go drop that off before I forget.” He said as he turned toward Brian and AJ’s room.
For a second Nick didn’t think anything of it. Then he realized that AJ and Brian had been alone for the past half hour. Generally when they were alone he knew what they inevitably ended up doing. Quickly he set off after Kevin, trying to act as casual as possible. “I need to pop in and ask Bri something about a game. Why don’t you let me give him the key?” he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral. It must not have worked because Kevin and Howie both gave him a funny look.
“I think I got it, Nick. Thanks.”
Shit, shit! Nick kept by Kevin’s side, trying to think as fast as possible. “No, really, it’s no big deal. I don’t mind at all, Train. I was on my way there anyways, you know?”
Howie joined them, giving Nick a strange look. “Is everything ok, Nick?”
“Ok?” He squeaked out. “Fine, everything’s fine. I was just trying to be helpful.”
“Well, you’re being weird. Knock it off.” Kevin said absently as he stepped up to the door. Part of Nick hoped that Kevin would knock first and give the two a chance to put clothes on, if that was what they were doing. Which they most likely were. Nick had learned over the past few weeks that it may have been AJ that everyone assumed was the sex fiend, but Brian was just as bad. Once they’d started their sex life back up, the two had gone at it like rabbits, any time of the day or night.
But no one heard Nick’s prayers. Kevin stuck the key in the door and before Nick could think of any way to stop him, popped open the door and walked inside. Nick covered his face and waited for the worst. Please, please, let them be dressed he thought to himself. Let those two be talking, or something, or anything, but not…
The thought was cut off by a loud roar. Howie darted into the room, Nick stepping slowly in behind them. He knew what he would find now. He peeked around Kevin and Howie, both of whom were frozen in place, in just enough time to see a naked Brian scrambling off the bed and grabbing a hold of his pants while AJ jerked the blankets over himself. If the situation hadn’t sucked so much, Nick would have laughed at the terrified and shocked expressions that AJ and Brian were wearing, or how Brian was trying so hard to yank on pants that weren’t even his. He got them on but thy were longer than his and a little tight.
“Kev…” Brian said, holding a hand out.
Kevin took a step back and glared at them all. “What the fuck is going on here!”
It was AJ who answered, a sheepish look on his face. “Um…we’re gay?” he answered slowly. Everyone turned their eyes to him for a moment and the entire room went silent. To the surprise of everyone there, Brian bent double and started laughing. He laughed so hard that he had to put a hand against the wall to hold him up.
Nick just shook his head. Oh yeah, those two were fucking lunatics. Totally insane.