Previously...
Brian pulled Nick into an embrace and kissed him lightly on the lips and on the forehead. "Now what say we get back to looking for that boyfriend of yours eh?" ****************************************************** [Flashback]
"Thanks!" Nick and Brandon kissed softly. "I promise, I won't be long." Nick scurried after the Backstreet Boys after one last kiss.
end of part 7 ------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimers: This is merely a work of fiction and should not be taken otherwise. The story is constructed in a PG-13 type of environment, so please sit back and enjoy the story. -------------------------------------------------------
Hearts Assunder Part 8 Family
[Flashback] Nick's house.
"Keep your eyes closed now." Nick beamed with excitement. "No peeking, Brandon." Nick's heart was palpitating with joy at his success of planning this night so well. He had just picked Brandon up for their date. Nick had worked so hard during the afternoon cooking and cleaning and setting everything up for this night.
"C'mon Nick, what's the surprise." Brandon smiled underneath the bandana that had completely covered his face.
"You'll see." Nick fixed the bandana and gently laid a kiss on Brandon's lips. "Now c'mon follow me." Nick pulled Brandon quickly behind him, leading him by the hand up the walkway to the door.
Brandon welcomed Nick's soft lips lovingly, still amazed at how happy he was ever since Nick became a part of his life. Having lived in group homes and with his foster family, this type of love was one thing that Brandon had long since dropped all hope for. It was 7:00 p.m. when Nick finally came to pick him up. His mother had hated him running off with his friends again when he could've stayed home and cleaned the house or got a job.
"Okay, you can take the bandana off now." Nick opened his front door and welcomed his lover for the first time to his lovely, but until now, lonely home.
Brandon lifted the bandana and squinted at first at the light but soon adjusted to the light. The room was beautifully furnished. The soft lush carpeting caved beneath his shoes as though he was walking on clouds. The walls were of light colour making the room seem brighter, even in the candle light that illuminated the house. Candelabras stood illuminating the beautiful home with ceiling to floor windows cascading with velvet drapes. The candles' soft warm light brought a certain homey and cozy feeling to Brandon that he could not help but want to wrap it around him and Nick forever. Brandon was speechless at the beautiful set up of the room.
"I thought to have the place all readied for us. Since being out on a date is really out of the question. C'mon, this way." Nick gently intertwined his gentle fingers with Brandon's and led him into the dinning room. "I even cooked for us tonight. I hope you like it." Nick giggled, pulling Brandon behind him to the table.
Brandon had been overcomed by the beauty of the living room from which he entered. But the sight of the candles, the rose petals, and the soft romantic music playing on the sound system stunned him in its elegance and beauty.
"I hope it's not too corny...hehe I think I did get carried away with the rose petals..." Nick playfully picked up a petal and put it in the front pocket of Brandon's flannel shirt.
"Nick it's...it's beautiful..." Brandon gazed deeply into Nick's eyes pulling the other into a deeper kiss.
Brandon knew now that he had nothing to be ashamed of nor to doubt, Nick was everything to him. He knew now how deeply he adored Nick. His passion drove him even more to a depression knowing that there really wasn't anything he could offer Nick. "But...but I don't deserve all this." Brandon whispered grievously gesturing to everything around him. "I have nothing this grand to offer you."
"Being here with me is more than enough, my love." Nick shushed his beloved with a kiss. "Now let's eat." Nick winked at Brandon and kissed away the other's tears. ********************************************
"That was a magnificent dinner, Nick." Brandon smiled across the table at Nick. "This is by far the most wonderful thing that anyone has ever done for me in my entire life..." Brandon sighed at a loss for words trapped in the deep clear pools of Nick's beautiful pale blue eyes.
"I kinda burned the duck though." Nick giggled, blushing under the weight of Brandon's admiration.
"Burned it? I thought the dinner was perfect...like you." Brandon smiled back at Nick.
Nick slowly got up from his seat and walked beside Brandon where he gracefully fell to his knees. "Brandon, I have never felt this way about anyone in my entire life. For the last few weeks you have made me the happiest man alive." Nick gazed deep into Brandon's eyes and started to sing...
I never thought that I would lose my mind That I could control this, Never thought that I'd be left behind That I was stronger than you, baby if only I knew what I've done You know, so why don't you tell me And I, I would bring down the moon and the sun To show how much I care
Don't wanna lose you now Baby, I know we can win this Don't wanna lose you now No no, or ever again
I've got this feeling you're not gonna stay It's burning within me The fear of losing Of slipping away It just keeps getting closer, baby Whatever reason to leave that I've had My place was always beside you And I wish that I didn't need you so bad Your face just won't go away
Don't wanna lose you now Baby, I know we can win this Don't wanna lose you now No no, or ever again
I never thought that I would lose my mind That I could control this Never thought that I'd be left behind
That I was stronger than you Don't want to lose to loneliness I know we can win Don't want to lose to emptiness, oh no Never again
Don't wanna lose you now Baby, I know we can win this Don't wanna lose you now No no, or ever again
Brandon was driven to tears by the time the song was done. Through which, their eyes never dared stray away from the other.
"Brandon, will you come with the Backstreet Boys...with me on tour? I don't think that I can ever live without you by my side." Nick took Brandon's hand and laid his face gently against it.
"Nick...I...I don't..." Brandon thought about what his mother would think about him leaving the family for a few months, and thought about the abuse. "Yes. I will only be too happy to be with you." Nick jumped to his feet and wrapped his arms around Brandon. Brandon gasped at the sudden prodding that came with the embrace.
"I'm sorry." Nick blushed again and quickly turned away from Brandon.
Brandon laughed. "I see that we're very happy about my answer." Brandon pulled Nick around and kissed him. "Nick, don't be sorry. I know how you feel." Brandon pulled Nick's body closer to his. "I know what I've said in the last couple of weeks about this, Nick. But I haven't been sure if I was ready...until now." After another loving kiss, Brandon proceeded to lift Nick up in his arms and carried him infront of the blazing fireplace where they finally allowed their passion to take physical shape. Throughout the night, their passion fueled a far greater fire that the logs in the fireplace could ever deign imagine. ******************************************************* Somewhere else....
"Hello? Mrs. Carter? I got some news about your son Nick."
"What? Who is this?" Nick's mom felt panic in her heart for her famous son.
"It doesn't matter who this is. My suggestion is, go to your son's house. I think he needs you right now." click ******************************************************* Somewhere in a hotel lobby
"This is for your own good, Nick...." The mysterious man hung the phone up and ran to the parking lot and disappeared.
[End of Flashback] ******************************************************* Back at Brian's hotel room.
Both Nick and Brian have been working feverishly over the computer monitors and the phone, trying vehemently to find Nick's lost love.
"Damn he sure is hard to find." Brian threw his arm over Nick's shoulder squeezing him reasuringly against his own smaller but more muscular body.
"Brian, where is he?" Nick desperately scanned through the results on the monitor.
"It's alright, Nick. I asked AJ and Kevin to have some of their friends look around for Brandon or Scott in the area. We'll find them. I promise. Now, you go get some rest, we have a big concert to get ready for tonight."
"Okay." Nick sighed and trodded back to his room to rest up before they head out to the arena for last minute rehearsals.
Brian turned back to the monitors and resumed his vigilant watch for any sign of either Scott or Brandon on the US People Search.
Minutes after Nick had left for his room, Brian's phone suddenly sprang to life. Almost making Brian jump out of his shorts.
'Sheesh!' He whispered before picking up the phone. "Hello?"
"Mr. Littrel, there's a Scott on the phone for you. He says you know him. Wouldn't give a last name though. Do you want to accept?" The voice on the other end of the line inquired.
"Yes, yes!" Brian felt the rush of adrenaline as his excitement went up ten folds; their search was finally paying off.
"Hello?" Scott's voice came through at first with a little static.
"Hello? Scott? That you man? Brandon's brother?" Brian couldn't contain himself anymore.
However, there was suddenly a slight pause on the other end. Something suddenly made Brian feel a bit uneasy. "Yeah..yes this is the same. What do you want? I hear you've been looking for me?" He sounded bitter.
'Rightfully so,' Brian thought to himself. "Scott, listen. I know we had some disagreements before, but I am really sorry. Listen, is your brother there?"
Again another hesitation. "I'm here, that's all that matters. What do you want?" Scott's voice sounded choked up on the other end, but Brian dropped it thinking that it was due to the connection.
"Um, I don't know how to say this but...um..." Finally getting past his initial adrenaline rush, Brian finally realised that he had no clue what to say to the other man.
"Spit it out, Brian. Unlike you, I don't make millions without even really having to do anything." Scott was definitely upset to say the least.
"Listen man, I know what I did was wrong. But that's why I want to make it up now. I'm sorrier than you will ever know, but please Nick really needs Brandon in his life. Nothing has been the same since..since...that night."
"Yeah. So after all this time, after all that all of you did to Brandon, you come crawling back to him." Scott scoffed after another hesitation at the mention of his beloved little brother.
"Listen, we can fight about this all we want, but right now I am fairly sure that the two people that are very special to each of us are hurting even as we speak."
"Ha!" Scott scoffed again followed by another ackward silence.
"Hello? You still there?" Brian was now getting heated up also.
"Where do you want to meet me first?"
"Brandon gonna be there?"
"No." Scott abruptly interjected. "Just me and you and whoever, except Nick. That way we can plan the surprise together." There was something in the way he said surprise, Brian just couldn't finger it.
"Fine, but where do you want to meet me then?" Brian gave a mental sigh, hoping that he can finally make ammends to the thing that he regrets the most in his life: ruining Nick's.
"You have a concert tonight," Scott said matter-of-factly.
"Yeah?"
"Make sure they know I'm coming. Tell them, whoever runs the damned place, that you will be expecting someone. Don't try to seat me in the front. You'll find me easy enough in the crowd without having to do that."
"What will you be wearing? Will you be bringing any signs with you?"
"No. As I said, you will see me easily enough without anything else. Until tonight then." click
Brian looked at the humming receiver and his heart began to flutter in realisation that everything will soon be okay. He just hoped that Brandon can forgive him for what he did in the past.
End of Part 8 *******************************************************