The two men talked for hours after that, exchanging stories about the early days, showing things from each perspective. Laughing at their past foolishness. When finally exhaustion tugged at them, they were curled together on the couch. Physically, mentally, emotionally tired, the two men didn’t bother heading to their bunks. Instead, they passed out where they were.
Somewhere along that long bus trip they built a connection deeper than they had shared before. Having this moment out in the open had freed them from what had been holding them back. By the time they arrived at the hotel the two men were practically bouncing with their good humor. But as soon as they arrived and unloaded there, they were shuffled to the arena for a rehearsal and such before the show.
Brian felt so lighthearted; so free. The one thing that had been between them was now gone. Now they were free to move forward from this point. Where it was they would go, he had no idea. But he was done trying to analyze every little part of this. He was done beating himself up for caring about, and sleeping with, another man. What was the point? AJ made him feel things he had never known were possible. What would be the point of denying it?
Riding that high, Brian practically bounced all over the stage as they did their warm ups. All around them things were busy being set up. People were working here and there and everywhere. The seats were still empty, and would be for hours yet. Usually they weren’t here this early to rehearse, but after so long on the bus, Kevin had wanted them to be able to stretch out and loosen up before the show. He was soon regretting that. It didn’t take long for Nick to catch on to Brian’s hilarious mood, and to join in.
Someone pushed a cart out for them on the side of the stage that had water bottles and a bowl of fruit. The guys gathered around, taking their water and drinking it down. So caught up in trying to watch AJ without others knowing, Brian almost missed it when Nick threw an orange at him, followed by another one. But he had just enough time to hold his water bottle with his mouth before he had to catch the two.
Everyone laughed at how close a call it was. Brian just winked at them and started to juggle the two. He gave Nick a look that his friend knew, and soon two more oranges were added, plus one apple. Brian backed away from them all a little, keeping the fruit going in a continuous circle.
A body came up behind him, one that he immediately recognized as AJ. Then a hand was reaching carefully around his shoulder, taking the water bottle from his mouth. Once it was gone, Brian grinned. “Thanks, J!” he called behind him. Then he looked back at his friends. “Anyone want a particular fruit?” He asked cheekily.
Well used to his cousin’s routine, Kevin raised a hand. “Orange, please!”
Angling himself just right, Brian turned and popped an orange out of the bottom of the loop, sending it flying into Kevin’s hand. He passed an orange to everyone else before tossing the apple up, catching it on his shoulder and rolling it down to his hand. He brought it up and took a big bite before bowing to everyone’s applause.
As they all started to eat their snack and enjoy their break, Brian saw AJ disappear backstage. A small smile curved Brian’s lips. He took advantage of the crew coming on stage to take a break as well and slipped out among the group of people, no one seeing him leave.
He turned down one of the hallways, keeping his eye out for AJ. Just as he rounded a corner, AJ came out the door from the bathrooms. The two looked at one another, both of them smiling as their eyes connected. Hit by inspiration, Brian looked to his left and saw a storage closet. He shot AJ a quick look before he opened the door and went into the dark room. Not even a moment later AJ came in. The instant he was in the door, Brian quickly shut and locked it.
In the dark room he reached out, finding AJ’s shirt and grabbing it in a fist. He pushed him up against the far wall, thankful that they didn’t trip over anything. In the moment of light that he’d had with the door open, Brian had seen a clear space against the back wall, and that was where he pushed AJ now. Their bodies were pressed together and Brian easily found AJ’s lips, capturing them in a kiss that was both heated and intense.
AJ didn’t ask questions or try to say a word. He brought his hands up, fisting them in Brian’s hair, opening his mouth to the kiss. Tongues met, teasing and tasting. Brian felt the press of AJ’s lip stud against his chin and shivered slightly. God, he loved when AJ had his piercings in. Half the time management made him keep them out in front of the press.
Passion filled Brian, overwhelming anything else. He broke the kiss to lean in and bite at AJ’s ear. “I want you. Watching you dance out there turned me on so much, AJ. I need you. Here, now.” The strength of their passion sometimes still surprised Brian. He had never felt anything so intense in his whole life.
Instead of being shocked by the idea of having sex in a closet backstage, where anyone could walk past and find them, AJ was turned on by it. He ground his hips against Brian’s. “Then what’re you waiting for?” he rasped out. His hands dropped from Brian’s hair down to his pants, fingers working frantically at the button to undo it.
Hearing the passion in AJ’s voice, feeling how much he was turned on by this, only sent Brian’s passion higher. He brought his lips back to AJ’s even as he dropped his hands to try and undo AJ’s pants as well. Both their jeans hit the ground. AJ stepped out of his, kicking them to the side, and the surprised Brian by dropping down into a squat. In the dark he couldn’t see him, but he could feel him.
AJ’s mouth closed over the throbbing head of Brian’s cock, making him gasp and thrust his hips forward a little. He put his hands on the wall, bracing his body as AJ took him in. God, he was in heaven. AJ’s mouth should be illegal. His lover started to bob slightly, taking him in and back out again. It had Brian’s head spinning. But just as suddenly as he’d gone down, AJ was releasing him and sliding back up.
It didn’t take much to realize what AJ had done. They had no lube with them here, so AJ had provided his own. Hands gripped Brian’s shoulders tightly as their lips met again. Never breaking the kiss, Brian gripped AJ’s hips and helped lift him up. This wasn’t the first time they’d used this position, so they both knew their parts. It was easy to position themselves, AJ’s legs wrapped around his waist, and then Brian was sinking into him, wrapped tightly in that heat. He moaned against AJ’s lips.
The thrill of this, the chance of getting caught, had the two of them already close to that edge. Brian kept a tight grip on AJ and began to thrust. Slowly their eyes were adjusting to the dark, allowing them to see each other just barely. They pulled back, AJ’s head leaning back to rest against the wall as Brian pounded in to him. “Fuck.” AJ cursed lightly, chewing at his lip. Brian’s hands were like iron on AJ’s hips, keeping him in place, adjusting him until Brian found that one position, that one thrust that had AJ shivering in his hands.
“Touch yourself.” Brian gasped out. He loved to watch AJ jerk himself when they were like this. AJ knew it, and didn’t say a word as he let go with one hand from Brian’s shoulder and brought that hand down to wrap around himself. He jerked himself off roughly, matching it to Brian’s thrusts.
They did everything they could to try and keep quiet. But the passion had built to that pleasure/pain level. Brian dug his nails purposely into AJ as he made his thrusts harder and deeper. With the dim light from under the door Brian could see AJ’s eyes squeeze shut, see the way he bit his lip, as his body stiffened and arched and he flew over that edge, not quite managing to stifle his groan all the way.
Brian moaned at the feel of AJ’s muscles clenching around him. It was too much. He had just enough presence of mind to turn his head to AJ’s hand, letting his lover cover his mouth, biting down in that little space where finger met thumb. AJ didn’t flinch, keeping him muffled until the last of Brian’s orgasm had drained away from him.
The two men were gasping as they tried to regain their breath. AJ dropped his legs down weakly, stumbling for a second before gaining his balance. Then they chuckled weakly. “Hey, AJ.” Brian said softly, smiling.
“Hey, baby.” AJ answered with a weak chuckle. “Fancy meeting you here.”
Brian smirked a little as he pulled his cell phone out and pressed a button, turning the backlight on. It blinded them for a moment until their eyes adjusted. Then he set it on a box and they used it to look at themselves. One look at AJ had Brian smothering a laugh. Giving Brian a weird look, AJ looked down at himself. His eyes grew wide before his face turned annoyed. “Damn it, Littrell.” He hissed out, pulling his shirt away from his stomach and staring at the moisture there. “How the hell am I supposed to go back out there with fucking cum all over my shirt?”
Even though he knew he shouldn’t, Brian felt himself shaking with the effort of not laughing. “We could go wash it out, tell people I ran into you and spilled your soda on your shirt.” He offered.
AJ grunted at him. “That’ll work. If we can get to the bathroom before anyone sees us.”
Tongue in cheek, Brian pulled his pants back up and buttoned them, promising himself that he’d wash once he got into the bathroom. He waited until AJ had cleaned his hand off, taken his shirt off, and had his pants done up before shutting the light on his phone off and moving to listen at the door. After a second of hearing nothing, Brian opened it and peeked out. The coast was clear.
The two men hurried over to the bathroom, darting inside before anyone could come. Thankfully the bathroom was empty.
While AJ started to rinse his shirt in the sink, Brian wet down a paper towel and went into a stall to clean himself up. He came back out a moment later, throwing the paper towel away, to find AJ scrubbing at his shirt. For a moment Brian watched him. Then he chuckled and walked up, nudging him away. “You’ll just rub it in like that.” He scolded, taking over.
“Well I wouldn’t have had this problem if it wasn’t for a certain someone over here.”
“You liked it, don’t deny it.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Brian saw AJ grin. “I did.” He said happily. “I’m slowly corrupting you, my little Saint Littrell.” The old taunt was said with such affection now that Brian couldn’t help but smile. He pulled AJ’s shirt up, checking where the stain had been and seeing that he had finally got it out. “Corrupt away, Age. I’m enjoying every second of it.”
AJ stepped up to help him wring the water out of the shirt. “I can tell you are. You little freak.”
“Hey! It aint just me, bucko.”
“Psh, no kidding? How could I corrupt you if I wasn’t a freak myself?”
Laughing, Brian moved over to one of the hand dryers and pressed the button so that the air shot out. He held the shirt underneath it, hoping to get it to start drying. AJ rolled his eyes and took the shirt away from him. “You won’t get it to dry, Rok. I’ll just get wardrobe to give me another one for now.”
“You sure?”
Rolling his eyes, AJ pushed his way out the bathroom door, Brian on his heels. “You’re such a nerd, Rok. Of course I’m sure. I wouldn’t have said it otherwise.”
“Oh, shut up, Age.” Brian taunted him back. Realizing that they were out where others could hear them again, Brian gave AJ an evil wink before saying “I didn’t mean to run into you.”
AJ didn’t even ms a beat, easily switching into the story they had agreed to play out. “Maybe you should watch where the hell you’re going, then. If you ruined my damn shirt I swear to God you’ll be buying me a new one.”
The two emerged back onto the stage where everyone was still hanging out. They received funny looks from the ones who noticed them. Brian, smirking as he walked beside a shirtless AJ; and AJ walking, scowling, a damp shirt in his hands.
“Oh no! Buy you a whole new shirt?” Brian deliberately thickened his accent for a moment. “Oh Lawdy be, not that!”
AJ stifled a chuckle and shoved Brian’s arm. “Fuck off, Littrell.”
Almost everyone around them seemed shocked at this joking display between the two. Only Howie was smiling. He filled the silence by calling out “Why is Brian buying you a new shirt, J?”
Giving his friend a sorrowful look, AJ pouted. “He ran into me an knocked my juice into my fucking shirt. I had to go rinse it and shit.” He looked around at the crew members who were now smiling at him. “One of y’all know where I can get an extra shirt for a while? Shits fucking cold in here.”
Someone came up, taking AJ’s shirt from him and promising to be back soon. While they waited, AJ and Brian joined their friends. AJ was still pouting and Brian wasn’t even bothering to cover up his grin anymore. “It was an accident, J.”
“Accident my fucking ass!”
His choice of words had Brian stopping in mid-sentence. He looked over at AJ, saw it sink in at the same time, and then he couldn’t help it. He bent over and started to laugh. It took him a few moments to regain his breath and be able to straighten back up again. His friends were looking at him funny, which made him chuckle a little more, but Nick just shook his head and turned to AJ. He started to say something but stopped, his eyes going wide. “Holy shit, J!”
“What?” AJ asked him, eyebrows furrowing down.
Everyone turned to look from Nick to AJ and back again, wondering what was going on. Nick ignored them all and moved forward. To the surprise of all, he dropped down into a squat by AJ’s side. Then Brian saw what it was that Nick saw. Well, shit. Shit, shit, and double shit.
Nick pulled on the edge of AJ’s jeans, sliding them just enough down his hip to show the bruise that was settling in there. “What the hell happened? Are you ok?” Nick asked in concern.
While everyone was looking at his hip, AJ flashed his eyes up to Brian. The look in them clearly said ‘Help!’ even as he told his friends “You all know I bruise easy.”
“Yeah, J, but what bruised you like that?” Kevin asked him in concern.
It was Howie who caught on, and who saved their asses. He rolled his eyes at his two friends before drawing attention to himself. “Calm down, guys. It was my fault.” He said, humor laced through his words. “I was goofing off with him at the hotel when we dropped our bags off and tickling him and shit and he tried to get away, so I grabbed his hips to pull him back. He wasn’t kidding when he said he bruises easy. He always has.” Here Howie flicked his eyes to Brian. “Gotta keep that in mind when playing with him.”
One of the crew members came out then, bringing a shirt over to AJ, and their choreographer arrived. There was no more time for conversation. The guys hit the stage and had to get back to work. But Brian couldn’t help but smile to himself the entire time.