The next few weeks were almost a honeymoon period for the couple. Now that their friends knew they no longer had to hide things when it was just them. Yeah, they still had to hide in public, but they could handle that. In the hotel, though, and around their friends they didn’t have to be anything but themselves. It was a heady feeling.

 

 

There was another break coming up, between the end of the South and Latin America leg and the second part of the North American leg. It was only a two and a half week break, but Brian and AJ made plans to go and talk to his parents over that break. To come out to them with the truth. Kevin had offered to go with them, which they gladly took him up on. It would be nice to have a friend there on their side.

 

 

In the meantime, AJ was building a plan in his head. There was one important thing he wanted to do before this trip and he was trying his hardest to plan it all out. This would be the single most important thing he would ever do in his life. A huge decision and one that he didn’t make lightly but he knew was right.

 

 

The only thing was, to plan out what he wanted he first needed to get away from Brian for a few hours. So he enlisted Howie’s help, texting him on his cell phone so that Brian wouldn’t catch on. He begged Howie to come say that he wanted AJ to go shopping with him, needing help on a gift for a friend or something, anything that would get him out for a few hours. He didn’t say to Howie what it was he needed to be out for. But, true to their friendship, Howie showed up five minutes later dressed to go out.

 

 

“Hey, D.” Brian smiled as he answered the door.

 

 

“Hey, Bri. Is J around? I was hoping to steal him for a few hours. I need to get this gift for my mom and I swear, there’s no one better to take gift shopping than this freak here.”

 

 

Laughter echoed into the room. “No kidding. He’s got a knack for it. Age! D’s here for you.”

 

 

Within no time at all the two were on their way out of the hotel. Brian hadn’t even protested or anything, which didn’t really surprise AJ. Out of the two of them, Brian was the least clingy. He was comfortable entertaining himself for a few hours while AJ went to do something. But AJ had wanted to make sure that Brian wouldn’t worry, thinking he was out alone. That was another reason he’d enlisted Howie’s help.

 

 

Howie waited until they were in the back of the limo, AJ having spoken with the driver and told him what he needed, before he decided to speak up. “So, you gonna tell me what this is about or do I just get to guess?”

 

 

“I need your help shopping for something.” AJ’s face was lit up like a Christmas tree and he knew it. This idea had been growing for a while and he was so ready to put his plans into action. He just needed one last piece of the puzzle. “I’m going to ask Bri to marry me and I want your help getting a ring.”

 

 

Shock crossed Howie’s face followed quickly by a radiant pleasure. “Oh, congratulations! I forgot that Cali does civil unions and such like that, don’t they?”

 

 

“Yeah. I’ve been thinking about this a lot and it’s what I want. I want to bind myself to him in every way possible. I love him, and this is what I want to do. But I’m nervous, so I wanted to get your help picking out rings, cause you got good taste. Then I need to figure out how to set the right scene since we can’t exactly go anywhere but the hotel without being seen.”

 

 

The rest of the way to the jewelers Howie and him discussed different ways to set up the hotel room to make a moment. “Let all of us give you a hand, Age.” Howie insisted as the limo pulled into the parking lot. “I’ll talk with Kev and Nick. Between all of us we can distract Brian when you want to do this and help set things up. We’ll help make the right scene and everything. It can be our little contribution.”

 

 

“I’d love that.” AJ said with a silly grin.

 

 

The two men got out of the limo and headed into the jewelers store. This was going to be the difficult part. Buying the rings without having everyone in the world know that it was for Brian. On that side he had let himself be seen in the limo and had brought Howie with him. Everyone knew that there was a girl Howie was seriously seeing lately so they would make the assumption that AJ went with him for Howie to buy an engagement ring.

 

 

How on earth he would buy two men’s rings without the clerk knowing and telling on them to the press was another matter altogether.

 

 

It was their luck that the store was pretty dead when they went inside. There was only one clerk, a man close to Howie’s age who actually looked kind of dashing in his dress slacks and nice red silk shirt that perfectly offset his caramelized skin. He wore a wide smile that just made them feel at ease.

 

 

As they walked along the one case on the opposite side of the room from the clerk, AJ leaned in close to Howie and whispered “Gay.” Howie’s eyes slanted up to him, full of humor. “Yes you are, J. Your point?”

 

 

“Shut up, asshole.” AJ grumbled, chuckling as he bumped Howie’s shoulder with his. “I meant the clerk. He’s gay.”

 

 

Discreetly Howie looked over their shoulder to glance at the man who was slowly coming their way. “How on earth can you know that by one look?” he whispered back quickly. AJ gave him a smug look, his eyes sparkling.  “You mean aside from the great fashion sense, or the gay pride ring he’s wearing? Just a sense.”

 

 

Right about then the gentleman stepped up to them with a wide smile. “Hello, gentlemen. I am Luiz. Is there anything I might help you find today?”

 

 

AJ looked at Luiz thoughtfully for a moment. There was no one else in the store at the moment so there was no worry about ears overhearing them.  It would be so much easier to shop and buy if they were just honest with the guy. Knowing his best friend well, Howie smiled and waited for what he knew was coming. Sure enough AJ suddenly gave Luiz a grin. “Ok, Luiz, here’s the thing. I’m one of the singers in a music group that just came through. We perform tonight for our show. So what I say in here I really, really need it to be quiet. Do you understand?”

 

 

“Of course, Mr. Mclean. I knew who you were when you came in.” Luiz said with a grin. He folded his hands on the counter. “I understand the need for discretion.”

 

 

“I think that, out of any clerk we could have got, you would be the one to understand.” AJ told him bluntly. A look of real understanding crossed Luiz’s face, followed by surprise. Grinning now, AJ nodded. “You see what I mean. Is there really no one else here?”

 

 

“We are empty, Mr. Mclean.”

 

 

“Call me AJ. After all you’re about the only person aside from friends and family that’s going to know I’m gay right now, and that I plan to propose to Brian. Soon, if I have my say. I happen to live in an area we actually can manage the marriage. Luckily. This is Howie with me. Best friends are a Godsend, and he has really good taste in jewelry.”

 

 

From there the three men were fast friends. Luiz actually went and turned the sign to closed and locked the door so that they could all search for the right rings in privacy. Everything they looked at was nice, but AJ was having a hard time finding one. It was Luiz who finally came across the one that fit them perfectly.

 

 

“I think I know what you need. I’d almost forgotten about these.” Luiz said as he pulled out a little tray and set it on the counter before them. The instant they saw the rings the two knew they were right. The rings were yellow gold bands that had infinity symbols surrounding the finger in an endless circle with two gems in each symbol. “Inside each side of the infinity circle you can put gemstones. Like your birthstone and his.”

 

 

AJ felt his smile get bigger and bigger. “This is exactly what I want. Luiz, you are a God among mortals.” He insisted. “How long would it take to get these in the sizes I need? We’ll be in Panama on the 16th and San Juan on the 19th and 20th. But I’d like to do this before we go back home an this leg of the tour ends after the show on the 20th.”

 

 

“We do most of the work here, so if you stop by tomorrow before you leave I will work tonight to make sure it is ready for you. Which stones do you want in there?”

 

 

“Garnet for January and Amethyst for February. Mine and his.”

 

 

“Those are easy enough. It will be done.”

 

 

AJ thanked the man profusely for the amount of work he was going to be doing for them. He gave Luiz the sizes and paid ahead of time in cash. When he and Howie finally left he was thrilled with how things had gone. “I really appreciate your help, D.”

 

 

“No prob.” Howie insisted as they shut the door to the limo. Once they were moving down the road, Howie pulled his cell phone out and dialed Kevin’s number. “Let’s call Kev and get this ball rolling.”

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

When they got back to the hotel everything was set in motion for everyone to help AJ make a romantic night. They only had a few days to do what they wanted to do but it was plenty enough time for them all to get together and take care of it all.

 

 

AJ couldn’t stop grinning as he rode the elevator up with Howie. His face was bright enough that Howie finally had to poke at him. “Wipe that grin off a little before we get there or he’s going to know something’s up.”

 

 

He couldn’t help but laugh at Howie. “Shit, D, he’s going to know something’s up no matter what. He knows me way to well for me to hide anything from him completely. I’m just content with the fact that he’ll never guess my plans in a million years. I’ll just let him stew and wonder about what the hell I’ve got up my sleeve.”

 

 

“You’re an evil man, Age.” Howie told him with a shake of his head as the elevator doors opened. AJ flashed him a wide grin. “Your point?”

 

 

The two walked straight to Kevin’s room, knowing that it was where they would find their three friends at. AJ was practically bouncing down the hall, unable to completely contain his excitement. On top of that, he had been gone from his baby for an entire afternoon for the first time since they had got back together. The thought of being back in Brian’s arms was enough to make him hyper.

 

 

Because of that, he practically burst through the door, grinning the whole time. “Honey! I’m home!” he called, striking a dramatic pose.

 

 

Howie stood back and watched as everything about Brian lit up. He turned and smiled at AJ and, though his tone was teasing, his face was full of love. “Oh, you’re finally home! How was work, darling?” Brian teased. Not missing a beat, AJ skipped forward and plopped down on Brian’s lap, flinging his arms around Brian’s neck. “Excruciating. It’s hard work, you know. I just feel like I’m wasting away to nothing.”

 

 

“Well, we can’t have that, now can we?” Brian demurred politely. From where they sat on the couch both Nick and Kevin were laughing. They couldn’t seem to stop. Howie chuckled at his friends too, happy to see them happy. To see AJ so happy and content with his life.

 

 

As his two friends gave up their playing to kiss one another, Howie exchanged a smile with Kevin. Yes, it was definitely good to see the two men happy together.