About ten seconds after he saw the look on AJ’s face, Brian recognized it. AJ could see that recognition light up Brian’s eyes. The need to ask questions warred with desire on Brian’s face.
Shutting the door behind him, AJ also shut the blinds. He didn’t say a word as he pulled his backpack off and dropped it to the floor. All the anger, all the rage, boiled inside of him, turning into that dark passion that he was very familiar with. It ached to be set free.
Brian was still battling between his desire and his curiosity. “How’d you get in here?” he asked.
Taking hold of the hem of his shirt, AJ pulled it up and over his head. “I climbed up.” He growled out. Tossing his shirt to the side he almost missed the shock on Brian’s face that quickly transformed to anger. Brian took a step toward him. “Climbed? You mean, from your patio to mine?”
“From mine to Howie’s to yours, technically.” AJ didn’t feel like wasting any more time with words. What was the point? It was done and over with. Brian yelling wouldn’t change a damn thing. But if the look on Brian’s face was anything to go by, then his lover was fully prepared to start yelling. That left AJ with only one option. Shutting him up.
He closed that last bit of distance between them and didn’t hesitate in grabbing Brian’s shirt and pulling him in for a heated kiss even as Brian had opened his mouth to start to yell or lecture or whatever. He felt Brian struggle to pull back and it only turned him on more. With the mood he was in, AJ wanted a fight. He wanted a struggle.
Brian placed hands on his chest, shoving him backwards. “We’re going to talk about this, AJ!” he hissed at him when he was free. AJ grabbed Brian’s shirt again, pulling it straight down the middle, popping every single button on the way. “Enough talk.” He growled.
The lust in Brian’s eyes grew brighter, but so did some of his temper. “You could have fallen out there and died!” he swore. The words had no effect on AJ. He pushed what was left of Brian’s shirt off of him. When Brian went to push him again, AJ grabbed each one of his wrists and slammed him against the nearest wall, pinning those wrists above his head. “I said enough talk.”
Brian bucked his body, trying to break free from AJ’s grip. All that did was manage to grind his and AJ’s hips together. AJ dropped his head, biting that dip between shoulder and neck, making Brian arch and moan. The protest on Brian’s lips turned into a deep moan. Instead of trying to break free so he could yell, he wanted his hands free so he could touch.
A satisfied smirk curved AJ’s lips as he kept biting and licking and sucking his way along Brian’s neck and collarbone. He let go of Brian’s wrists to reach down to the button on Brian’s jeans. The instant that Brian’s hands were free they were gripping in AJ’s hair, bringing him up for another kiss. That rough edge of violence rode along the passion they shared.
In no time at all the two had stripped one another and were standing naked. AJ shoved his hips against Brian’s, bringing his hands up to grip at Brian’s shoulders. When Brian stepped away from the wall, AJ gave a deep growl and jumped up, locking his legs around Brian’s waist, not wanting to separate from him.
It surprised him when Brian bent, swiping a hand over the table before laying AJ out on it. He turned him over so that he was on his stomach, his legs hanging off the end of the table, allowing him to plant his feet on the floor. Brian wasted no time in dropping his hand down, two fingers pushing at AJ’s entrance.
The pain of being filled had AJ wanting to scream out in pleasure. Brian’s other hand came up, scratching down his back while those other two fingers started to move, to pump in and out. It was sensory overload. AJ gripped the table edge and pushed his hips back, begging for more. Brian got the hint and didn’t keep either of them waiting any longer. His fingers pulled out, and then AJ felt that familiar hardness pressing for entrance.
With one powerful thrust, Brian was buried deep. Their twin moans echoed loudly in the hotel room. AJ didn’t care who heard them. He didn’t care if everyone heard them. He growled and moaned again and rocked his hips. Brian started to move, his thrusts hard and deep, pulling almost all the way out and shoving back in as far as he could go. The force of it was rocking the table that AJ was bent over. It was perfect.
After a moment Brian pulled out. Before AJ could shout at him, he felt hands on his hips, flipping him over onto his back. Then Brian was gripping behind AJ’s knees, bracing his legs in the air, and he was pushing back in. AJ moaned loudly at the sight of Brian standing there, the passion on his face, darkening his eyes.
One thrust hit just the right spot and AJ almost left the table. A sharp grin lit Brian’s face. He hit that spot again, making AJ gasp.
Everything in AJ seemed to catch on fire. To spark and ignite all at once. He gripped the table edges as his orgasm slammed into him like a semi. A guttural moan tore its way out of his throat to echo around the room as his hips arched up and every muscle in his body clenched tight before slowly melting. Dimly he heard Brian’s scream, felt him thrust and quiver and eventually pull out.
At first AJ could do nothing but lie there, limbs trembling, breathing heavily. He stayed like that even as Brian picked him up and carried him over to the bed. The two of them lay down and Brian pulled the covers up over them.
When AJ regained the ability to speak, he asked “You wanna yell at me now?”
“Not particularly.” Brian said with a yawn. “Too tired now. But don’t think I’ll forget by tomorrow.”
“Mm. Fair is fair.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning Brian ood in his room near the patio door, watching the sun come up. He couldn’t help but smile to himself. Looking over at the bed, he watched as AJ shifted in his sleep, reaching toward the empty spot where Brian had been laying. How could he not smile as he watched his lover mewl lightly in his sleep at finding the empty spot? Moments like these were what he had come to cherish.
He loved that rough side to AJ. The passion between them was amazing, too. Never before in his life had Brian ever felt anything so all-consuming as the passion and the love that he felt for AJ. Nothing before had gripped him so tightly and refused to let go. Nothing had ever brought out this side in him. It still amazed him sometimes that there could be so much anger between them at times, yet it only seemed to fuel their passion even higher. The aches in his body this morning were testament to that, and to the rough night they’d had.
But it worked for them. They were both free to be as angry, or as happy as they wanted with one another. For the first time Brian was free to express every emotion that came to him without fear that he would be criticized for it. AJ didn’t care how angry Brian got; he got just as angry back. When Brian was overflowing with love and happiness, AJ was too. They complemented one another perfectly.
Who would have ever thought that they would match together so perfectly? That their one time hatred would morph into something so different and yet so strong. At one point in time Brian had hated having to be forced into AJ’s company. Now he felt bereft if he was without him. Now AJ was his whole world and he couldn’t picture life without him in it. He was determined to do anything at all to keep AJ in his life. Nothing that management or Jeff pulled was going to keep them apart.
There wasn’t just the passion and the anger, though. If that was all it was they would never have lasted. They would have split at the first sign of stress. No, there was so much more. There was a deep love underneath it all and a trust beyond what either had ever felt. There was a softness, too, though no one else but them saw it. Like now, when AJ was still shifting and feeling around, trying to find Brian even as he was still asleep. AJ was such a cuddling type of person.
Just as Brian moved to head over to the bed and slide in beside his lover, a sound ripped through the air. Glass shattered, something whizzed past Brian’s face, and there was a thud to the other side of him. Shock had Brian’s body freezing in place, wondering what the hell was going on but knowing that it wasn’t good.
Not so for AJ. He was up in the bed in an instant, looking to Brian and making a huge leap across the empty space. His full on leap caught Brian right in the chest and knocked him straight to the ground. Even as he hit, Brian felt AJ wrapping around him like a monkey and rolling them sideways, toward the bathroom door. Once there, AJ let go and shoved Brian inside the bathroom while he took up a defensive crouch in the doorway. Somehow it should have looked silly, with AJ wearing only his boxers. But it didn’t.
Brian found that his hands were shaking and he could barely force his eyes to blink. What the hell was going on? He looked around AJ, looking to the hotel room. The first thing his eyes latched on to was the patio door. There was a hole there, with the glass around it cracked in little spider web patterns. The next thing he noticed was a hole in the hotel room wall.
It felt as if barely a minute had passed but Brian suddenly heard noise at the front door. The doorknob rattled first before a loud bang could be heard of someone hitting it. A second later the door flew open and all five security guards spilled in. Brian could vaguely hear the voices of his band mates in the hallway, and someone telling them that they had to wait outside.
Marcus spotted them first. He hurried to them, asking “Is anyone hurt?”
“No.” AJ and Brian answered together. Sitting up, Brian ran a shaking hand over his face. “I…it uh, it went…I mean.” He had to stop and a take a deep breath to stop his stuttering. “I felt it go right past my face.”
Hearing that had AJ growling low in his throat. Now that security was here he didn’t bother with standing guard anymore. He turned away from them all and shut the bathroom door right in their faces. Then he moved to drop down beside Brian. Without saying a word he took Brian into his arms and held him close. Not just to comfort, Brian realized, but also as his own comfort. A reassurance that Brian really was ok. That worked for him. Feeling AJ’s arms around him reminded him that he was ok, and that AJ was ok too.
They clung to one another, neither wanting to let go. “God, AJ.” Brian finally gasped out. He felt as if his whole body was trembling. “Was that what I think it was?”
AJ’s voice was hoarse when he whispered “Someone shot at you. Close enough for you to feel the bullet zip past, apparently.” His own words seemed to scare AJ more because his grip tightened. He sat on the ground against the wall, Brian between his legs, cradled to his chest. “Sweet Jesus, Bri. I was so fucking scared when I woke up and heard that. I recognized the sound instantly.”
It amazed Brian, though he didn’t know why it did, to realize that AJ’s hands were trembling against him. That seemed to make it all the more real to Brian. To know that this was such a serious situation that even AJ was scared. AJ, the guy who could put off his hardass persona no matter what was happening.
The bathroom door cracked open and Marcus poked his head in. “I hate to ask, guys, but AJ I need you out here for just two minutes. I just need you to tell me where everyone was standing when it happened. Then you can come back, ok?”
For anyone else AJ would have probably said hell no. But for Marcus he sighed and nodded. Kissing the top of Brian’s head, AJ pulled back and moved to a crouch. “I’ll be back as quick as a flash, ok baby?” he whispered to him. The gentleness in his words stole Brian’s voice. All he could do was nod. He didn’t want AJ to leave, but he knew that he had to. It would only be a minute, he reminded himself. But he wanted AJ’s arms around him, keeping him, stopping him from wondering who the hell would shoot at him.
AJ must have sensed this because he leaned in and gave Brian a soul shattering, emotional kiss. “I love you, Brian Littrell. I’ll be right back.”
When AJ was gone, Brian found that he could only sit there, wrapping his arms around his knees. Half of him still felt in shock, but the other half was terrified. What on earth was going on? Why had someone shot at him? Shot! Was it some crazy fan? Or someone he had pissed off somewhere along the road? Or…the thought crept in to the back of Brian’s mind, refusing to leave. Was this management’s plan? Had they decided that they’d rather lose a member than have that member’s sexuality exposed to the world? Oh God.
Almost as if thinking about management and such had summoned him, Jeff came sliding into the bathroom. He gently closed the door behind him. “Are you ok, Mr. Littrell?” he asked in a voice so thick with sweetness it was like syrup. Brian couldn’t bring himself to answer.
Jeff put on a look of fake sympathy. “I can’t imagine how terrifying that was for you. To be shot at like that. Not only shot at, but to have it come so close to your face!”
A part of Brian’s brain kicked on at that sentence. How did Jeff know how close to his face the shot had come? Wide eyed, Brian stared up at him. The look that was in Jeff’s eyes told him more than any words did. Jeff may not have been behind the trigger, but he had set it up at management’s request. Of this, Brian was suddenly sure. Jeff’s next words only confirmed it.
“It would be a shame if something were to happen to you, Mr. Littrell. I promise you, I’ll up the amount of security you have. Your safety is my job. We’ll have to be very careful from now on. The next time, the ugy might not miss, you know what I mean?” The intense look that Jeff gave him left Brian with no doubts about the warning behind the words.
Gulping down the lump in his throat, Brian nodded. “I understand.” He croaked out.
Jeff looked satisfied. “I thought you might.”
The bathroom door burst open just then, slapping into the wall. AJ stood there, staring from one to the other. “I thought I saw you come in here. What the hell do you want?” AJ demanded. He moved close to Brian, putting himself between Brian and Jeff.
“Just talking with my charge, Mr. Mclean.” Jeff said in that sickly sweet voice. “Discussing security. I believe I’ve said all I need to.”
Before Jeff had fully left the bathroom, AJ was dropping down beside Brian, cupping his face with frantic hands. “Did he do anything to you? Did he hurt you?” There was honest panic in AJ’s voice. It brought Brian back to the present moment. The shock he was under had him speaking without thinking. “He threatened me.”
“What?”
AJ’s voice had dropped down to a low, deadly sound. It was a sound that Brian had never heard from him before, but it sent shivers down his spine. Looking into AJ’s eyes which suddenly seemed to burn with an inner fire, Brian couldn’t do anything but answer him. “He made comments about how it would be a shame if something were to happen to me. That he was going to up my security. How, the next time, the guy might not miss. It wasn’t his words, but his tone. And he knew how close the shot came to my face.”
He half expected AJ to launch up from where he was and head right out after Jeff. But AJ surprised him. He seemed to lock down, going hard and cold. “Come on, baby. We’re getting you to Kev’s room.” AJ said softly. Gently he bundled Brian to his feet.
Somehow Brian found himself bundled inside of a robe and being half helped, half carried out of the room and down the hall. There were more voices around him but he couldn’t seem to focus on them. Where were they going again?
Suddenly there were other hands there. Brian found himself being sat down on something soft. A bed? How had they got to a bed? Hadn’t they been in the bathroom?
“He’s in shock.” AJ’s voice said to someone nearby. “What he needs is a moment to breathe and a stiff drink. You guys watch him for me. Don’t let him leave, and don’t let him be in view of the windows. I have something I need to do.”
Nothing else could have snapped Brian out the way that those words did. Everything around him came into focus in one startling instant. Just as AJ was letting go, Brian grabbed hold of his hand, forcing him to stay. “What are you going to do?” he demanded in a voice steadier than before.
“Just going to get some facts, Bri.” AJ spoke in a gentle voice to him, but there was steel underneath it.
“Facts? AJ, let this alone. Please. Let’s talk about this and figure it out together. We’ll get the guys to help us. But don’t go doing anything stupid.”
Kevin stepped forward, looking from one to the other. “Figure what out? What do you two know that we don’t?” he asked them. He had on his firmest fatherly voice and stance.
Without breaking eye contact, Brian told them “Jeff basically warned me that this was management behind this shot. That it was an intentional miss, but next time there won’t be a miss.” He said it not to scare them, but in hopes that they would grasp why he was trying to keep AJ in the room. Where shock had sat before, Brian’s mind was totally clear now. He didn’t want AJ leaving the room. He didn’t want him to go down and try to kill Jeff.
AJ ignored the gasps and cursing around him. His eyes were locked on to Brian’s. “I will not go down there and physically or verbally assault anyone.” His tone was serious. “You have my word on that. I only want to look at a few things. To see some of it for myself first hand.”
When Brian let go of him and started to relax, he knew AJ was as good as his word, he froze up again at the intensity that suddenly came into AJ’s eyes.
One of AJ’s hands came up, stroking down Brian’s cheek for a second. “We’ve tried this your way, love.” He said in that soft voice he only used for Brian. “We tried to get around this, we tried your tactics, and we tried straight belligerence. Legal means won’t work; they have our hands tied there. Now it’s my turn.”
“What are you going to do?” Brian asked.
“Whatever is necessary. I’m not going to walk away from you, love. I’m not my father.” The scorn in those words broke Brian’s heart a little. It made him bleed to see that little boy inside of AJ peek through; the one that was always afraid he was just like his dad. “I protect my own, Brian Littrell, and you’re mine. Nothing and no one is going to get to you. I let this ride, and I let you do things your way. But they changed the game when they almost killed you. This is my world they’re stepping in now. They wanted to mess with a street rat? Bring up my gang past? I’ll show them what they’re messing with.”
AJ turned to leave and Brian felt his heart leap into his throat. “AJ! There’s got to be another way!” he cried out. But AJ just kept walking out the door. It shut behind him with an audible click.
Panicked, Brian looked around at his friends. “Why didn’t any of you stop him? Why didn’t you help me argue with him? “
Howie was the one who spoke up. In his voice was fear and pain, but also determination. “He’s right, Bri. Legally we have nothing we can do. Avoidance hasn’t worked. Tricks haven’t worked. There’s not many options left to us.”
A warm hand rested on Brian’s shoulder. He looked up into Kevin’s serious eyes. “By shooting at you, and by threatening you with it again if you don’t comply, they changed everything.” His cousin said seriously. “They show they aren’t playing by normal rules. None of us know what to do here. This isn’t a world we’re familiar with.”
“But AJ is.” Nick added in. He stood nearby, his thumbs hooked into his pockets. “Like he said, this is his world they’re stepping into. We won’t deny him that right to do what he feels is necessary. We also trust him to make the right decisions. Do you?”
When they phrased it like that, how could he answer any other way? “Of course I do.” But it didn’t mean that he couldn’t be afraid.
In the warmth of the hotel room, wrapped in a robe and surrounded by friends, Brian shivered with a cold that had settled around his heart. Things had just got very, very serious.