Collaboration

Collaboration 50

*NOTE* I do not claim to know the celebrities mentioned below or their sexual preferences. This fictional story was written solely for entertainment purposes only and does NOT imply the sexual preferences of said celebrities or anything about their personal lives. Enjoy!

Both Nelly and T.I. stole a few kisses from each other on the ride to the art gallery but neither seemed to mind or complain about it. They were just enjoying each other's company and finally doing something other than staying in the palace they were renting. This was the first real event they've attended since their vacation started and although the younger rapper had no problems with just staying at home and cuddling with his man, it was also good to get out and do different things. They could mess around any time they wanted because they were free and had all the time in the world to enjoy each other in the most intimate of ways. The St. Lunatic rapper heard on the news program that many socialites and Saint-Tropez royalty were going to be in attendance and wasn't disappointed when they pulled up and the place was packed. One thing was different though. There were hardly any photographers. There were a few but they were more interested in taking photos of the architecture of the building and the paintings inside to even notice anyone. This was great because neither rapper wanted their pictures to be taken for they didn't want it getting back to the States and tabloids. The two excited men exited their limo and walked directly into the beautiful gallery.

They met a warm woman who was checking a list to make sure no uninvited people crashed the party and taking coats. T.I. was the first to meet with her and handed her his overcoat as he told her his name; Clifford Harris. It was easier to just use his real name because it would not only arouse less suspicion but he didn't feel like explaining why his name was only two letters if he decided to use his rap personas. Plus, he didn't want anyone there knowing who either of them was so this way was the safest. She quickly went down the list with a pen and stopped almost instantly toward the bottom. She smiled as the tip of the pen touched the paper and she unclipped the velvet rope to allow him access into the magnificent structure that was before them. Nelly was next and the woman found his name faster than she did the younger rapper's, almost as if she knew him. It was possible but he figured she would've asked for an autograph if she did recognize who he was. Once again, the velvet rope clicked open and allowed yet another person into the entrance of one of the most exclusive parties the French Riviera had ever seen. Both men made sure to keep their distance from each other and kept their hands, and most importantly, lips to themselves because someone was watching. Someone was always watching.

The lobby of the art museum was grand to say the very least. There was a beautiful fresco of a savannah with numerous flowers and animals painted across the entire ceiling of the lobby. An ancient Persian rug with a fierce wooly mammoth adorned one of the walls and a sparkling glass table was in the center of the room with the rarest black orchids sitting on top of it in a Ming vase, similar, decoration wise, to one of the vases that they discovered in the house they were staying at. T.I. honestly couldn't see anything else being more exquisite than the room they were currently in but they still had the entire museum to discover. His insides lit up like an excited child on Christmas morning as he caught Nelly looking at him and smiling. He gave him a sexy look until they were disrupted by another woman's voice. She was one of the curators of the new museum and informed the whole group of her name and a little history of how the museum got to where it was right now. Everyone paid close attention to what was being said to them because they were genuinely interested in how the art museum came to be. After the rather lengthy introduction, the mayor of the city of Saint-Tropez walked up from the crowd to say a few words himself before the tour finally began.

It felt weird, but good, not knowing anyone at the gala as the two sophisticated rappers roamed around only having each other to talk to. After the head curator gave her introduction speech and the mayor was finished with his words, a few more curators came out and the large group was broken into a few smaller ones. Nelly and T.I. were in the same group with two middle-aged couples, a man in his twenties, two ladies in their early twenties who looked to be best friends, and an elderly man that looked like he had seen war in his lifetime. Everyone seemed as interested in the art and the museum in general as much as the younger rapper was and he was glad because he thought that they would offer more insight to some of the pieces they were about to see. Once their new curator was done with a little introductory speech of his own, it came as a little surprise to both rappers that he was a black man who looked to be in his mid twenties, they all proceeded to leave the lobby and got the tour under way. He explained some of the works and the inspiration behind the mural on the ceiling as they were walking; causing everyone to look up once more to see what he was talking about. He spoke with great detail and fact about the pieces of art that the caramel colored rapper couldn't help but linger on his every word.

There were several different rooms, the curator explained to the group, which were inspired by either different great artists of all time or different periods of art themselves. The first room they visited, like the lobby, had another rug of a wooly mammoth but it wasn't the same. This one had light brown fur and tusks that seemed to go on forever. After a warning not to touch anything from the guide, the group was let into the ancient room. It seemed to T.I. that this was a mixture of an art gallery as well as a museum as he walked around looking at all the different pieces, Nelly not to far behind him admiring the art as well. There were authentic and very well preserved art pieces by cavemen that looked to be drawn from stone and sticks and other sharp objects that could make a dent in the stone. Many drew themselves, with very little detail of course, while some others opted to draw landscapes and even animals; the most popular being snakes. It was truly amazing to see these pieces that had survived thousands of years by eluding time, erosion, and every other natural disaster to be where they are now. The caramel colored rapper wanted to touch some of the pieces, to get a sense of what they felt like, but he restrained himself.

After they passed the caveman stage of the evolution of art, that's what the director kept referring to the tour as, they came upon pilgrim art. The first thing the group noticed upon entering this new room was all the paintings of the various kings and queens that ruled in that time period. There was even a very well depicted painting, oil on canvas, of Christopher Columbus before he embarked on his journey to discover new land with his ships; the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria. T.I. studied the painting carefully because the artist did an exceptional job of capturing the mood and time when it was painted and it had a lot of emotion behind it. There were also scale models of each of the ships, as well as a few more important ones of that time. They were slightly bigger than normal toy boats but he was sure they cost millions of dollars to build. The detail put into them alone was extraordinary. Hanging on the wall was what most believed to be one of the first known maps made of the world, where many accepted that it was flat rather than round. After the curator, whose name was Donovan, explained what was fact and fiction with Christopher Columbus and his journey as well as many other things in the room, they continued their tour and Nelly and T.I. were walking closer to each other than ever before.

The St. Lunatic rapper didn't think he was going to have this much fun at this opening. The gallery was simply breathtaking and all the employees were friendly and so knowledgeable about art and life in general that the time was getting away from them. He could tell the younger rapper was into it as well because of how he would listen to what Donovan had to say and ask intelligent questions that kept their guide on his toes. The next room they became introduced to was the medieval century one. There was an exaggerated suit of armor that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages. It would've lost its value, of course, if it were cleaned as T.I. gazed at it, noticing the many rust stains as well as numerous scratches, from sword strikes and battles no doubt. The feathers that adorned the helmet were dried out completely and looked like they would break if anyone so much as breathed a little harder than normal while close to them. This room's theme was mainly weapons. Many different and traditional weapons laid on the walls and glass covered displays from normal swords to sais to lances. Donovan explained the whole sport, and sometimes competition to the death, of jousting to the group as T.I. looked at one very pointy and deadly lance that was hanging on the wall.

"This is a full scale replica of King Arthur and his legendary knights of the round table," he explained as the group huddled around the infamous table and its patrons. "It is said to be one of the most accurate pieces in the world that portrays this time period."

"It's exquisite," one of the older ladies said as her husband was holding her hand. She leaned a little closer to look at it in greater detail. "Absolutely exquisite."

"I wish I was back in that time period," T.I. whispered to Nelly as Donovan kept talking.

"Why?"

"Just to see what it was like. To see a real joust. Everything."

"Yea. I would've loved to see you in a suit of armor baby. It would've been fun taking it off and playing with your sword."

"You crazy yo. And horny huh?"

"Maybe. You having a good time?"

"Hell yea! This stuff is so interesting. You think I'm a nerd now huh?"

"Naw. Just someone with substance that cares about more things than just making money and looking cute. I love that about you. And I'm enjoying myself a lot too. I mean this is a frikin' replica of the Knights of the Round Table! How much more serious can you get than that?"

"Not much. It's so cool."

"Middle names were a big deal in these times," Donovan continued. "Many believed that the middle name you were given was what your character meant and what you would be. Now my middle name is Donovan and that means dark warrior by Irish terminology. In medieval times, many would consider me dangerous simply because of that. There was no facts to prove this of course, more hearsay, but many of the people during this time did believe it and thus acted accordingly when they learned of someone's middle name. Why don't some of you tell me your middle names and I'll see if I can tell you if you were to be feared or not," he mused.

Many of the group informed him that they didn't have any middle names. "Belle," one of the younger girls spoke up.

"You would've had all the knights going crazy over you. It means beautiful." She gleefully smiled at this response.

"Khalil," the war torn older man said in a raspy voice.

"Friend or friendly," came Donovan's response. "That's Arabic isn't it?"

"Yes. So no one would've feared me back then huh?" he laughed.

"No sir. Anyone else care to know what their personality would've been perceived as solely by their middle name alone?"

"Joseph," T.I. said as he kept staring at King Arthur visage.

"Its origin is in Hebrew. From what I know it means `God shall add' or something along those lines. As you may also know, Joseph was the father of Jesus and the husband of Mary in the Bible. It has a strong biblical roots and spiritual meaning so you would be seen as a holy figure or someone that was pure in those times."

T.I. smiled faintly as he finished looking at the sculpture of King Arthur and looked at Nelly. "Tell him yours," he said to the man he loved.

Nelly stared at Donovan for a short while before speaking up. "Iral," he said in his strong, masculine voice.

"Say it again."

"Iral."

"Spelled I-R-A-L?"

"Yea."

"I`ve never heard that name before. I honestly don't know what it means man. I'll have to look it up."

"It's aight man."

"Do you know what it means?"

"Actually no. I never thought to ask my parents. I was named after my dad."

"Interesting," the curator said as he studied the rapper. "Sorry I couldn't be more help sir."

"It's no problem. And you don't have to call me sir."

"Sorry. Habit."

The group laughed at the response Donovan gave and left the medieval inspired room and continued on the tour. He informed the crowd that the rest of the tour was pretty much going to be art from some of the most renowned artists of all time. There were specific rooms that were dedicated to the likes of Vincent Van Gough, Pablo Picasso, and Leonardo Da Vinci. These rooms displayed all of their most prominent pieces of art as well as offered a detailed look into their often disturbing and traumatic lives. It was awe inspiring as the group passed through time and history once more and listened carefully to everything that was being said to them. Nelly was a bit disappointed in himself that he never even bothered to ask either of his parents what his own middle name meant but he knew he liked it. He always liked it and it did make him feel good to know that someone as knowledgeable in history as Donovan was hadn't heard of the name before. It made him feel unique also because he never met anyone with that name in his life so far. The tour moved on to the last room, which was a collage of paintings from many different artists utilizing numerous different techniques of painting. Donovan thanked and informed everyone that champagne and hors d'oeuvres were being served at their grand ballroom.

The entire group followed their leader to the ballroom which was in the very back of the building. There were a pair of huge oak-finished doors that guarded the entrance to the ballroom and as Donovan opened it, the cluster of people stared at the beautiful sight before them. Three magnificent chandeliers lit the overly large room and created a comfortable and smooth feel to it. As they all entered, they noticed that some of the other groups were already there mingling with each other, laughing, sipping champagne, and just having a good time. Nelly walked closely behind his man as they walked up to the table and each grabbed a glass of the drink. They also noticed that the other table had hors d'oeuvres they recognized like caviar on crackers to shrimp with marinara sauce as well as things neither had ever seen before. The St. Lunatic rapper dipped a few shrimp in the marinara sauce before popping them into his mouth. There was a great buzz in the room and more and more people entered and made their way to the drinks. It was plain to see that the opening was a huge success because everyone looked like they enjoyed the art, the architecture of the building, and the free drinks most of all. The mayor got up on stage and gave his closing remarks before exiting.

The two sophisticated rappers stayed and mingled with people, mostly from their own group, as the crowd started to thin as time went on. When Nelly checked his Rolex watch, he saw that it was a couple minutes past twelve and he was getting tired. Most of the people from their group had since left and T.I. came up to him and wanted to leave because he was also tired. They saw Donovan talking to his fellow curators on their way out and went to thank him for the wonderful show he put on. Again he apologized to the St. Lunatic rapper for not knowing what his name meant, neither of the other curators knew what it meant either, and they left out of the grand ballroom and walked back through the gallery alone until the came upon the lobby. Many people had already left and there were now no photographers when they exited the building and saw their limo waiting for them. They hopped into their long black ride and the driver sped off back to the mansion which they called home for the time they were here. The caramel colored rapper tossed his overcoat on the chair next to him, rested his head back on the seat, and immediately began loosening his bow tie. Once it was loose enough for this throat to breathe again he looked at Nelly, who was doing the same thing in a very sexy way.

"What'd you think?" he questioned the older man.

"It was great. I enjoyed myself. What about you?" he asked as he got closer to the slim body that belonged to him.

"It was cool. Our tour guide was really smart. I liked that."

"Donovan right? He was. Nice guy."

"We have to get some of that champagne for ourselves. It was good."

"Did you get the name?"

"No."

"Me either. It was good though. Are you glad you came baby?"

"Yea."

"See? It was easily worth the price of putting on one bow tie for a couple of hours wasn't it?"

He laughed. "Yea. It was. I'm tired," he said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Aww my poor baby," Nelly said as he wrapped his arms around his skinny prince and T.I., in turn, rested his head on the older rapper's shoulder. "You had too much fun huh?"

"Couldn't help it."

"How `bout I give you a little present?"

He looked up at his boyfriend and smiled wickedly. "Come here my mysterious little Iral," he said seductively before Nelly lowered his head and their lips caught in a kiss.

"I'm your Iral huh?"

"Oh yea. Every part of you."

"Well then Joseph, which is really cute for you baby, why don't you come and mark me as your own so the world would know. Can I call you Joe?" he asked as he laughed a little.

"No! You're lucky I'm letting you call me Joseph. I hate Joe!"

"Okay okay. No Joe. Now how about my kiss?"

"Can't. We're home."

"Damn!"

They pair broke apart and gathered up their things as the driver pulled into the long driveway that led up to the house. He disappeared after a generous tip and the two rappers made their way into the dark house. There was a coat rack on the corner of the foyer as they entered and T.I. went and hung his coat on one of the pegs with Nelly following suit not to long after. The older rapper immediately went upstairs as T.I. found his way to the kitchen and got himself a glass of water to drink. He looked outside from the kitchen window to see the black water beating on the sand and the half moon's light trying it's best to illuminate everything it possibly could. After gulping the water down, he turned off the lights and the house became dark again as he walked up the lonely stairs and to his bedroom. He saw the St. Lunatic rapper in his boxers walking into the bathroom to brush his teeth as he sat on the edge of the bed and slowly began taking off his shoes. He really was tired and was getting a slight headache. The shoes gradually came off and then the shirt and tie and belt. The exhausted rapper got up and draped everything on a nearby chair so they wouldn't catch wrinkles and because he was a neat freak before returning to the bed and pulling the covers over his almost naked body.

"Thank you for planning this. I really had a great time," he said softly when he felt Nelly climb into the bed next to him.

"Your welcome baby. Let's get some sleep."

"Yea. I love you."

"I love you," Nelly said back and innocently pecked his man on the cheek.

It was another lazy day as the two relaxed rappers sat out on the patio on the swing and just stared out at the ocean. The sun was hot but not overly so as they talked to each other and drank orange juice from their glasses. After they finished officially discovering the house and all the goodies it had to offer, they found out that it also came with an indoor basketball court and T.I. challenged his man on the court sometime. The older rapper, being the highly competitive person he was, didn't refuse and even told his man that he could and would take him anytime he decided. The caramel colored rapper knew he was a bit on the shorter side, not by much, but if there was one thing he knew, it was basketball. It was one of the main things that kept him out of trouble as a youth growing up in Atlanta and he had every intention of wiping the floor with his smirking rapper boyfriend. He was a little worried because he hadn't seen the St. Lunatic rapper play before but he heard how good he was through various charity games he played in his career so far. But as far as he could tell, he was more into football and baseball than basketball and he knew that little piece of information was going to give him the edge he needed to shut the older man up once and for all.

Since he went to the gallery opening, Nelly has been concerned because he really had no idea what his middle name meant and it bothered him to no end. He wasn't going to call his mother; he was going to save that as a last resort because he didn't tell her where he was but rather that he was going to be very busy. He hated lying to her but he wanted to avoid the conversation of why he was going on vacation because that would raise more questions and she would eventually put two and two together to figure everything out about why he was really here. He was comfortable enough with his sexuality now, after struggling with it since he first met T.I., but he just physically couldn't bring himself to tell his mother that he was in love with another man. Something always stopped him. He tried looking up the meaning online and was surprised when his search came up empty. He didn't know the origin of the name, what it meant, or anything. The caramel colored rapper tried one afternoon as well but also came up with nothing. He did love hearing the young rapper call him by it though because it just sounded so sweet coming from his lips. The older rapper decided to talk to his mom about it when he got back to the States because he really wanted to know now.

The afternoon was upon them and they hadn't done much of anything all day. The sun was still bright, refusing to be replaced by the moon, as both men were still on the patio relaxing on the swing. A cool gust of air blew their way and it felt good kissing their skin. They talked the whole day about nothing and Nelly swore that every time his young love called him Iral he lost a piece of his mind. T.I. knew the effect his calling the older rapper by his middle name had on him by his simple body language and he kept doing it because he loved driving his man crazy with lust and passion. The St. Lunatic rapper managed to cut him off a couple of times from saying it again by forcing their lips together but, in all honesty, he really couldn't keep up with his skinny prince. It developed into a mini game that he lost in a heartbeat. T.I. was too good for him; the man had skills that went far beyond rapping. He decided to give the worn out rapper a break for a while and started calling him the traditional Cornell once more. After a thank you kiss to seal their deal, they continued to relax themselves and counting the many birds that flew by; they were up to fifty collectively. T.I. got bored because there wasn't really anything to do and he wanted to be active now. He had to run or jump or something.

"How `bout that game now Iral---oops I mean Cornell?" he innocently said.

"How about I just take you right here nigga? Just for calling me that."

"Naw man! The only kind of taking you gonna be doing is taking me to the court and tryin' to beat me."

"Aww come on! I like the other kind of taking way better. More pleasure involved."

"You said I could challenge you anytime I wanted. What you chickening out punk?"

"You know who you talking to kid? I didn't want to embarrass you but if you want to get your ass killed on the court then let's go."

"It's gonna be fun when you lose," T.I. mocked.

"Yea? I'll help you pick up the pieces after I crush you baby."

"I'm so sure shawty. I'm so sure."

They both got up and made their way up to their bedroom because neither was wearing the proper attire to play basketball. T.I. was the first to slip out of his jean shorts and replace them with a baby blue pair of basketball ones. He put on a black tank top and went into the closet to fetch himself a pair of Nikes for the competition. Nelly found a pair of his black basketball shorts as well and he also put on a black tank top before going to find a pair of shoes appropriate enough to step on the court with. When he returned, the caramel colored rapper was busy lacing up and tying his shoes to even bother with him. How did he manage to always look so damn sexy? The St. Lunatic rapper snapped himself out of his daydream and sat on the opposite end of the bed and began putting on his shoes as well. He had to seriously concentrate on this game because he didn't know how good the caramel colored rapper was and he was not going to underestimate him because that could cost him the game and more importantly, bragging rights. They finished dressing in silence and eagerly walked down to the basketball court. Something had to be proven to someone. A score had to be settled and neither man was backing down or going to give up on their chance to outshine the other.

The court was immaculate and looked like it hadn't been used before as both rappers stepped onto it. T.I. drank from a bottle of Evian water as he sized the man in front of him up and down. A doubt or two flickered through his mind as he did this but he dismissed it because he was not going to lose here. He caught Nelly looking at him, a mocking smile plastered across his face, and he walked up to him and punched his arm. The St. Lunatic rapper laughed as he grabbed him and hugged him tightly, lifting him off the ground on several occasions. He kissed everywhere on his neck and cheeks and T.I. was uninterested because of his cocky attitude and how he automatically thought he had this match won even before it started. The caramel colored rapper wriggled free and dropped down to his feet as he put his game face on. It was time to teach his arrogant boyfriend a lesson or two about basketball because he deserved it. The game was set. The first person to reach twenty-one points would be the winner and they decided to play half court in the interest of time and seeing as this would offer a more intimate game a full court one wouldn't. With the rules in play, both men stared at each other hard before Nelly went to fetch the ball and officially begin the game.

"I'll give you the first ball Tip."

"Naw nigga. I got a coin right here. We gonna play this shit right," T.I. said as he pulled out a quarter from the pocket of his pants. "You gonna call it?"

"Heads," he replied as the young rapper flipped the coin high into the air. It dropped to the floor with a clank and they both looked at it.

"I believe that's tails sir."

"See? God knew you needed all the help you could get so he gave you first ball."

"Just shut up and let's play!"

The men got into their opposing positions and stared deeply at each other, competition fierce within both of their eyes and faces. He began dribbling the ball, not sure of what his first play was going to be yet or what he was truly up against in his opponent. He had to use his size to his advantage and he instantly got an idea that he would utilize when, and if, he needed it. Nelly had his arms out slightly in the defensive position as T.I. made his first play of the game. He quickly faced his back to the other rapper and began dribbling the ball down toward the hoop. Nelly followed him closely, their bodies coming into contact with each other's on many occasions. The caramel colored rapper wasn't going to let that bother him as he made his way under the hoop and shot the ball up. Out of nowhere though the St. Lunatic rapper jumped into the air and hit the ball away, causing it to go out of bounds. He had the advantage of height and was definitely using it. The young rapper wasn't bothered by this because it was just the first play and he expected it to be blocked because he was still getting a feel for how his man played the sport. He went to retrieve the ball and tossed it to his man as they switched positions and he could tell that Nelly was concentrating hard on this game.

The older rapper dribbled the ball right through his man's defenses and scored the first basket of the game. He tossed the ball back to him and instead of running down the court; the caramel colored rapper opted to take a three point shot. Nelly didn't think he was going to do this and didn't see it coming until well after the other rapper's feet was securely behind the three-point-line and then his body became suspended in air, letting the ball go at the critical point of his jump. The orange basketball swooshed around the metal rim for a full three rotations before finally falling through and gently caressing the net. That pumped him up even more as he went to get the ball and tossed it to the stunned man in front of him. Taking a page out of the younger rapper's book, Nelly decided to try a three point shot of his own. He kept dribbling the ball and waiting for the right moment to score. He took too long, however, and T.I. swiped the ball away from his once firm grasp and ran it down to court and to score yet another basket. The St. Lunatic rapper had a look on his face before getting into the defensive position to try and ward another one of his man's attempt to score. He attempted to steal the ball for himself but T.I. ran a circle around him and managed to score once again.

The extremely heated game between the two talented rappers was taken to a new level of game-play and competition as each man fought hard to win the match. The score was twelve to ten T.I. because he managed to score another three point throw as well as a sweet lay-up over his man's head. Both were now sweating profusely and it almost began to bother the caramel colored rapper when his man took off his tank top and tossed it aside; sweat glistening down his chiseled body from his chest to his abs and disappearing once they hit his basketball shorts. He honestly didn't know if the St. Lunatic rapper did this because he was truly hot of in an attempt to throw him off his game. Whatever the reason though, he was not going to let it get to him, even though Nelly did look so damn good all sweaty with his heart beating fast in his chest and him breathing hard. Concentrate; he had to concentrate. The older rapper managed to score the next two baskets in a row and grinned widely because he was finally in the lead. It was his ball once again as T.I. tossed it to him, the ball now being in play, and he just dribbled it, not knowing what to do as of yet. The two stared at each other, the sound of the basketball hitting the floor becoming a figment of their imagination.

Each man held the other's gaze for an eternity before Nelly let the ball slip out of his hand and it crashed against the wall and became motionless. He rushed up to his man and took his lips by surprise as he passionately kissed him and roamed his hands all over his slim body. T.I. was completely staggered by this but his brain suddenly started to register pleasure as one of the emotions going through his body and he didn't care anymore. He grabbed on to the St. Lunatic rapper's body and began kissing him back in a frenzy of bliss. He felt the back of his head hit the cool floor of the basketball court and the older rapper's weight on top of him, their lips never once being apart from each other. He laid on the floor with one knee up, both eyes closed, and both hands running along his man's sweaty spine as Nelly was on top of him, tasting a bit of salt from their kisses because of how much they were both sweating. His tongue flickered into the caramel colored rapper's mouth and gently began playing with the one it found there, the competitive basketball game they were once playing a distant memory to both. It was sinful how they were sprawled out on the basketball court with their hands running everywhere they could reach and their bodies struggling for air.

The game kept with it postponed status as the two men lying on the basketball court continued to become more and more vulnerable to the other. Nelly kissed him so softly and sweetly that he got lost in everything and wasn't even aware when the older rapper began pulling at his tank top in an attempt to get them off. His impulsiveness got the better of him though as he ripped the caramel colored rapper's tank top in half and tore it off his body. T.I. still didn't know what was going on until his wet back touched against the cold floor and he winced a little. He opened his eyes to find himself without a shirt on and its remains tossed aside like garbage, which it now was. One of his hands cupped the back of the older rapper's head as he felt his now hard dick thrashing and flailing against his boxers and shorts to be released and pleasured. He didn't know how far this was going to go and was not going to question it either because the strange sensation of having his man's sweaty body, with his heavy breathing and rapidly beating heart, pressed so intimately against his was making him hot. Extremely hot! The younger rapper arched his back; his chest came in direct contact with Nelly's because of this, before attempting to swallow his man's tongue and lips. Breathing was optional.

T.I.'s lips were a pinkish-red hue after the unexpected assault they received and his lover stopped it to begin exploring other avenues on his body. The first stop was his neck, where he touched with his lips and once again tasted salt because of sweat. He didn't care because he loved kissing the man under him anywhere on his body that he physically could. Soft moans escaped his lips as both his hands grabbed onto Nelly's head, encouraging him to do more and go faster, which he obliged. After the neck region was conquered, he moved on to the caramel colored rapper's nipples and started pleasing them with his equally eager tongue. They became even more erect upon contact as he licked one with his tongue and teased the other with the ball of his thumb. T.I. had a noticeable bulge in his basketball shorts as the St. Lunatic rapper continued down his trail of pleasure by kissing the man's well worked stomach, teasing each ab with his hot mouth. One of his hands gripped the younger rapper's shorts as if he were about to pull them down but it just stayed there; motionless. He waited for the right time before he slowly started sliding down T.I.'s shorts with his once frozen hand and placed kisses on the newly exposed pieces of his flesh. He was getting dangerously close to the younger man's prize.

"Uh! What about, fuck, fuck, fuck!" He tried to finish his sentence but failed miserably.

"Feels good huh?" Nelly responded, almost out of breath.

"The, oh, the game!" T.I. caught himself and tried to relax despite the shockwaves of pleasure his body was experiencing and his straining dick still fighting with his shorts. "What about the game?"

"What game baby boy?"

"Fuck! Why'd you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Kiss me. And in the middle of a basketball game too."

"Are you mad at me?" he asked as he stopped pulling the down younger rapper's shorts and instead moved back up to his neck and jaw. He started sucking on the skin.

"Uh uh," he weakly said as he raised his neck higher to grant his man better access to his skin.

"How `bout we ditch this game and go do something else more fun? You know you wanna."

"Naw kid. We gonna finish this shit. This part of your plan?"

"What plan?"

"Making me hot so I can't concentrate on the game and shit."

"What? You think I'm that sneaky? And I think I'm winning man. What fourteen to twelve?"

"Well that won't last for long. Get off me and let's play."

"Come on Tip," Nelly made one last ditch effort to get the man he loved to come to his side and play the game he really wanted to play. "I'm horny!"

"And now thanks to you so am I."

"You were looking so good. I just had to kiss you."

"Come on nigga. Let's play."

"Fine! If you wanna get yo ass kicked so damn bad then we'll play. How `bout if I win you give me some tonight?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh no. We ain't betting on this game."

"Why? You scared you gonna lose?"

"Naw. I just don't wanna bet. You don't got anything I want shawty."

"Oh that fucked up Tip! Aight nigga. We'll see where your mouth is when I beat you. Let's play."

"About time."

Nelly was the first to get up off the floor and extended a hand, which T.I. grabbed and got back on his feet. He ran over to the ball and got it and they decided to do another coin toss because both forgot who's ball it was due to their sidetracking moment that felt so good. Once in the air, Nelly called heads once more and the result came out the very same as it did last time, much to the delight of the young rapper. He dribbled the ball as they got into position; the St. Lunatic was upset, he could tell by looking into his eyes, because he didn't get what he was hoping to from their little timeout from the game. The sexual energy was brought to an all-time high now as the ball was in play. The caramel colored rapper shot another three pointer right off the bat and the ball was touched by nothing but the net before slamming down on the floor and hugging the wall once more. He retrieved and tossed it to his opponent and he could tell that the older man was running a play through his mind. T.I. stepped in front of him in a defensive position as his man began dribbling down the court, shooting it up as both were under the basket. He managed to smack it away and it ended up out of bounds. They resumed their positions as the ball went into play once more.

Nelly had a great jump shot. He jumped up from the three-point-line and used his height advantage over his opponent to sink the orange globe into the hoop high in the sky. The ball bounced off the backboard and the rim twice before actually going in. Back in the defensive position, he fumbled guarding the younger rapper and he managed to score. He used his stealth, slim body, and natural quickness to score as well as make another lay-up on the St. Lunatic rapper. He smiled faintly as he tossed the ball back T.I., who had a chance to take the game right here because the score was now nineteen to seventeen in his favor. He had to concentrate. He had to win this game. Adrenaline pumped throughout his body and he could feel his heart doing back flips in his chest because of all the adrenaline that was constantly pumping in and out of the vital organ. Opting that it was too risky to shoot another three pointer, he ran the ball and jumped up in the air once he felt he was close enough to the hoop before releasing it. Nelly's built frame suddenly appeared in front of him and he not only managed to grab the ball into his grasp but also accidentally knock his young love out of the air. He crashed on his butt hard on the floor and needed a minute to catch his breath. His muscles were tense.

Nelly walked over to him. "You gonna call a foul baby?"

"Nah. Your ball," he said as he energetically hopped up to his feet and went on the defensive.

He took the ball to the hoop but T.I. managed to knock it out of his hands before he could even attempt his shot. Nelly had to give the man his props. He was not willing to give up and was determined as ever to win this game. He was this little, skinny guy with all this energy and he did play a mean game of basketball. He was good. It was the St. Lunatic rapper's ball since it was knocked out of bounds as he made another attempt to get a basket but came up short. The caramel colored rapper tried for a lay-up but it was incomplete as the older rapper knocked it out of his hands. It was down to the wire now and each man brought their best game because neither of them wanted to lose. Their defensive skills were sharpened as neither managed to score any points the last few plays but both were getting tired. T.I.'s muscles were sore, especially because of the fall and Nelly's arms and legs were on fire. He honestly didn't think the younger rapper would put up as good a match as he was. When his defense was weakened, the older rapper managed to capitalize and score, brining him one step closer to victory. It was T.I.'s ball and he shot a three and missed. Nelly fetched the ball and shot a three pointer himself and sank it. The game was over with an official score of twenty-two to nineteen.

The ball bounced to a corner of the court where it met with the sides of two walls and remained still. T.I. fell to the ground and sprawled his entire body out on the wooden surface as he looked up at the ceiling for a while before closing his eyes. He was exhausted from head to toe because that was one of the most intense games of basketball he ever played. Beads of sweat from his naked upper torso dripped onto the wooden floor as he took time to absorb everything that just happened. He lost. He came so close and lost. It was disappointing but he knew he tried his hardest and played a damn good game of basketball. Nelly had to give him that. His head was spinning a little but he did feel it when the older rapper came and sat beside him because he felt a cool air brush against his upper body, making his nipples hard because they were cold. Neither said a word, mainly because they were catching their breaths, and the St. Lunatic rapper decided to lie down next to his man. Slowly but surely their heart beats returned to normal, their pulses stopped racing, and the endless fountain of adrenaline that once mingled with their blood was now short in supply. Nelly was watching the ceiling at first until he shifted his body to face his skinny prince, who still had his eyes shut.

"Damn baby. You were on fire!" he said as he continued to stare at the side of his man's face. "I had no idea you were that good."

His head finally stopped spinning and calmed down. He opened his eyes and shifted his body to face Nelly's. "I told you I was good. But you're better. I'll give it to you. Come on. Let me have it."

"Naw Tip. I'm not like that. I won yea but I ain't gonna rub it in your face and shit."

"Whatever you say man."

"It's not good sportsmanship plus I don't want you getting mad at me. You know how you be doing when you get mad at me."

"No. What you talking `bout?"

"Don't wanna give a brotha any yo."

"Oh Cornell. You and sex. It's your best friend huh?"

"Nope. That'd be you baby."

"Who knew you'd be so hooked on having sex with a nigga. Wonder what your fans would think?" T.I. said as evilness blanketed his tone.

"They won't know because ain't no one gonna tell them! And how quickly you seem to forget that you also have fans T.I."

"Oh I never forget that I got fans."

"And what would they think if they found out their beloved rapper gets down with a nigga?"

"Dunno. Can I ask you something?"

"Yea baby. What?"

"Did you feel shame or anything when you told Murphy about how you really felt?"

Hearing his former best friend's name hurt a little. "No. I felt ashamed because I was lying to him. I've never been ashamed of you or what my feelings for you are."

"Oh."

"I mean I was confused for a long time about why I felt for you the way I did but you know I couldn't fight it. I couldn't be apart from you without starting to think about you. How you looked. The things you say. The things you did. That's how I knew what I felt was love because you were always on my mind. I'm not embarrassed or regret loving you for one moment because it's been so rewarding that I could never stop now. I'm hooked on you Cliff. Always have been."

"Yea."

"Why'd you ask me that?"

"I dunno. It just popped into my mind."

"Do you think I'm embarrassed about us?" he seriously asked as he stared into the man's hazel eyes.

"No. No! It wasn't that."

"Are you okay?"

"Yea. Yea. I was just wondering."

"You ashamed of us?"

"You kidding me? I was confused too but when you told me you loved me in Miami, you don't know what that did to me. I thought it was a dream at first then I thought that you weren't talking to me. But when I finally got it, I was so gone on you that I didn't care if what we had was right or wrong anymore. All I cared about was you. And I still do."

"You think what we have is wrong?"

"No! Yes! I dunno!"

The St. Lunatic rapper stared at him in pure disbelief. "Where is all this coming from?"

"I meant to say no baby."

"Honestly?"

"Yes. No lie."

"So why does it feel like you're lying to me then?"

"I'm not! I'm not Cornell. I know what we have is different but I know in my heart that its love. I never questioned that. It's just that relationships like ours aren't generally accepted by the masses of people."

"Fuck them! Don't let that bother you Tip. You're never going to do something that pleases everyone. You'll kill yourself trying and still won't accomplish anything. I know what I feel for you and that's good enough for me," he said in a slightly angry tone as he reached for T.I.'s hand and placed it over his own chest. "You feel that? That beats for you baby. My hearts beats for you. For your love. Don't ever question that."

"I know. I know."

"I know they won't ever accept us. That it'll always be an uphill battle but I've accepted that because you're more than worth it and I won't lose you over some stupid shit like other people's ignorance and selfishness!"

"I won't. This relationship is worth it to me. You're worth it to me Cornell baby and those close-minded people will not ruin what I've found with you. Something that I haven't managed to find with anyone else ever. I love you so much and I never once doubted your love for me. I never will."

"Good! Don't scare my like that baby."

"Sorry."

"I know it's hard and that we're going against everything that we once knew, but you gotta be strong Tip. We gotta be strong for each other when things get out of control because if we let shit get to us like I used to then we could seriously fuck up this relationship."

"You're one very smart man Cornell."

"And sexy durrty. Don't forget sexy!"

T.I. moved closer and closer to him. "Oh yes. Sexy too. Very sexy!" Their lips locked shortly after that.

"You're welcome," Nelly said out of nowhere when they broke apart.

"What?"

"That felt like a thank you kiss to me."

"Maybe it was."

"You gonna crush my dreams like that?"

"Just be happy you got a kiss nigga!"

"Oh I am. Definitely!"

"Aight then. I need a shower and that comfy bed. My body is sore."

"Yea. I'm pretty sore myself. That bed sounds so good right about now."

"Let's go hit the showers. I'll give you your reward for winning the game," T.I. said as he hopped up to his feet. He helped the older rapper up.

"Really? Let's go then! I'm following you sexy boy!" Nelly said as he smacked the caramel colored rapper on the butt and wrapped his arms around him, their sweaty bodies touching each other's.

"Ay! Can't wait until we get in the shower?"

"You know I can't help it. You got a sexy booty baby!"

A few days had passed since the well-played basketball game between the two gentlemen and the younger rapper was still a little upset at himself that he didn't win. He wondered over and over in his mind if he should challenge Nelly to another game but he didn't want to have do deal with it if he lost to him once again. In the end, he just sucked up his wounded pride and gave his man the props he deserved because he was not going to be a sore loser or a bad sport about it. Winning really mattered to him though. He really, really wanted it but finally managed to let it go and move on. More of the lazy days they had become so used to ensued on their dream vacation as they lounged around the luxurious house not doing much of anything but talking and messing with each other. They went out to one of the hottest clubs Saint-Tropez had to offer but neither liked it because the music was weak and the bartender didn't seem to mix the drinks to where they could enjoy them. They were either horribly diluted or packed to the brim with ice which eventually made it watery and not tasty. They stayed a while but were glad when they came home, still very much sober, and took a shower together, causing a love hangover shortly after their shower concluded.

The vacation had reached its three week mark and both rappers were so relaxed and free that they completely forgot about their alternate lives back in the States. It was all about them and what they wanted to do, which was not much because that's what vacations were made for. The St. Lunatic rapper promised his man that they would go out to the ocean that was practically in their backyard to swim because they hadn't done so the entire time they were there so far. The day passed like if it was any other, Nelly cooked them a marvelous lunch of shrimp and pasta, and they were cuddled on the sofa in the living room watching a movie. The moment was cute, to say the least, as they watched an action thriller than neither had seen before. T.I.'s manager called him earlier to let him know that his album had be certified triple platinum and the older rapper gave him one of the sweetest kisses for that. His head rested on the caramel colored rapper's broad shoulder as they watched the TV. The grandfather clock on the wall made the time of ten o' clock known to everyone in hearing distance of its bells and chimes as T.I. stared at it just to make sure it wasn't lying to him. He wanted to go swimming and, as fate would have it, the movie had wrapped moments after his mind began to wander.

"I wanna go swimming," he cutely said like a little boy.

"Now baby?" Nelly asked as he got up from the sofa and went to take the DVD from the player and put it back in the case. "You like the movie?"

"It was aight. I wanna go swimming though."

"Aight aight. You crazy yo."

"Why?"

"Cuz you wanna go swimming this late."

"Come on. It'll be fun."

"Anything is fun when you're around."

"So you gonna do it?" he asked hopefully as he too got up and walked behind him brushing his index finger along the older rapper's back in the process.

"Yea," he responded in an almost defeated voice.

"At least we're sure there'll be no paparazzi."

"That's true."

Nelly grabbed the now occupied DVD case and they walked back to the library to replace it before heading upstairs to find some swimming trunks for their late night swim. As time went by, the St. Lunatic rapper became more and more interested in what was going to happen out in the water because he never went swimming in the ocean so late before. He'd done it at his house in the past with a couple of his old girlfriends but they were in his pool but he did like it. It was somehow relaxing on many levels and he hoped he would get the same effect from the ocean. T.I. quickly slipped on a black and silver pair of swimming trunks over his boxers and tossed the shirt he was just wearing on his side of the bed as he scratched his head because he had an itch. Nelly took a little longer to get ready and they grabbed one large beach towel and two smaller ones before making their way to the back of the house and out into the night. The air was cool and crisp as it hit their exposed upper bodies while they walked out onto the sand and made their way toward the ocean. The moon was full and tried its absolute hardest to light every inch of the water but came up short as the older rapper spread the beach towel on the cold sand and stared out at the black and silver water mingling together.

T.I. came onto the towel and sat next to his man, his body a little cold because of the breeze that was blowing, but it did feel so good where they were. He just needed a little body heat to warm him up before jumping into the water that he swore in his mind was calling and talking to him. Nelly put one arm around his shoulder and held him close while they both stared out at the water, neither saying anything because they had nothing to say. They relaxed themselves a good half an hour on the beach towel before finally giving in to the subtle calls of the waves. T.I. was the first to jump into the water, running up to it like an excited little child before disappearing behind an overtly large wave. The St. Lunatic rapper followed his suit and before he knew it, both their bodies were dripping with saltwater, which was surprisingly warm and felt so good caressing their bare skin. It was innocent at first with the two rappers swimming around to get a feel of their new environment but a splash came out of no where and a major water fight started between the pair. It lasted a good while until their hands were too tired to go on so they called a truce for the time being and found a better use for their arms, wrapping them around the other man's craving body.

The caramel colored rapper walked through the water to get to where his man was before he hugged him, holding on tightly to his body because the moon did its job in setting an aura that neither could ignore or fight. His hands rested on the man's waist as Nelly's encircled his slim body and went straight for those two dimples at the small of his sexy back. Their lips instantly caught the other's in a kiss sent straight from heaven as their hands continued to rest in their chosen position for now. The moment created was raw and everything the younger rapper was hoping it would be. This was not his plan when he told the man he was kissing that he wanted to go swimming but he knew sooner or later that it would happen because, although he was a strong individual, he could never resist Nelly no matter how hard he tried. His own feelings were stronger than him and always seemed to grow even more powerful every time the St. Lunatic rapper would kiss him or touch him or even reprimand him sometimes. The moment the older rapper's hands touched him, blood started rushing to his dick and made it uncomfortable in his swimming trunks. He could feel the other man's hardening organ because he started grinding his hips against T.I.'s, which just felt so damn good.

Tongues erotically danced and beat against one another's in the game of love and passion as each man became oblivious to everything surrounding them. The cool air was only a distant memory, the moon's pale light forgotten in bliss, and even the ocean had to force itself to conform and accept the love and the saga that was known and Nelly and T.I. It was a beautiful scene that could not be made any more perfect in any way. The caramel colored rapper was his nectar. His very own sweet, couldn't ever get enough of nectar. Their bodies pressed against each others in their moment of passion, dependant on the other for support, as their crucial kiss kept with its steady rhythm, perfect pace, and idyllic disposition. T.I.'s lips teased his lover's over and over in an attempt to throw his tongue off its game and have him submit but the St. Lunatic rapper was far too experienced in the ways of the younger rapper to fall for his little tricks. His concentration was solely on making his skinny prince as happy as he was right now and no dirty trick of the other man's was going to break him down or make him waiver in his effort. Time had stopped when their lips were fit together so harmoniously but it came to an end when each man pulled away, finally able to breathe properly after forever.

"Isn't this nice?" T.I. asked as he rested his head on his man's broad chest, hearing his pounding heart in his ear.

"Yea. I'm glad you talked me into it."

"I know you baby. I knew you'd like it."

"Yes you do know me. Intimately."

"How many people can say that?"

"Not very many. You know me the best of course but I'd say a few of my ex-girlfriends know me pretty well too. You ain't got nothing to worry about though. No competition baby."

"I wasn't worried about that anyway. You mine now and you ain't going nowhere."

"Oh. Control me Tip. Control your man."

"I already do. Got you eating from the palm of my hand."

"You sure about that?"

"No doubts in my mind."

"Well you're wron---aww who the hell am I kidding? You do got it like that kid."

"Got you wrapped shawty."

"Never denied it."

"Just checking. Baby?"

"Hm?"

"Are you ever going to tell your mom about us? About your feelings?"

The question came out of nowhere and hit Nelly hard. He didn't have a response. He didn't know how to. "Uh."

"I---"

"Why'd you just ask me that?"

"I dunno. It was on my mind I guess."

"Are you mad at me for not telling her about us already?" he seriously wanted to know.

"No. Nothing like that. I was just wondering if you were gonna tell her or not."

"It's hard for me Tip. I've wanted to tell her so many times before but I'm scared that---"

"She'll act like Murphy did?"

"Yea. No. Yea. Something like that. It's all so confusing."

"I know baby. I'm not putting any pressure on you or anything. I just wanted to know if you planned on telling her."

"Should I?"

"I can't tell you that Cornell. You have to do what you feel is right for you. It's not about me."

"Okay let me phrase it in a different way. And answer me honestly baby," he said as he stared at T.I. in the moonlight.

"Okay."

"Do you want me to tell her?"

"Cornell. I can't bab---"

"Please. Just give me a straight answer. Put that always caring and giving person I know and love aside for a second and be selfish baby. Tell me. Please."

"The way I see, like I know our relationship is solid and everything but it would feel so much better if your mom approved of it and me. It'd be like the relationship is really valid and legit then. You get what I'm saying? It sounds stupid I know."

"No. I see what you're saying."

"You asked me to give you a straight answer and that's it. Yes I would like you to tell your mom about us but please, please don't do it because of me," he begged the older rapper as he gazed into his eyes. "I'm serious Cornell. If you don't wanna do it because you're not comfortable or you just can't then don't. I don't want you doing this for me. This has to be for you and only you. Something you want."

The rapper was deep in thought. "I dunno if I can. I couldn't take her disappointment in me. And what if she does act like Murphy and turn her back on me? How could I deal with that?" he said as his voice started to shake a little.

"Baby," T.I. said as he clasped on to his man's body as tightly as he could. "I believe that she will be disappointed at first but she will understand because she loves you. She raised you to be the wonderful and understanding man that you are now so she must have those qualities in herself too."

"I dunno. What if she doesn't understand? What if she doesn't approve? What if she asks me to leave you? What wil---"

"Relax. Relax baby. Calm down okay."

"I can't Tip. I can't lose you but I also can't choose between you and her. The right thing of course is to choose her because she brought me into this world but how can I sacrifice love for that? I just can't do it."

"Calm down Cornell. You're thinking of worse case scenario here. All you're doing is speculating. She won't make you do that. I haven't met her but if you're anything like her then she won't ask you to give up your happiness."

"I'm just like her," he managed to weakly say.

"That's a good thing. We'll get through anything remember? I support you in whatever you decide baby."

"I know. Thank you baby. Your support means everything to me. You mean everything to me."

"I love you Cornell. And no matter what happens I will never stop. My feelings for you are too strong for me to control."

The caramel colored rapper could tell that Nelly was shaken up from the conversation they just had in the water as they got out and went straight for their dry towels. He regret bringing it up because he brought a perfectly well evening to a screeching halt. The St. Lunatic rapper was drying his lower torso when he walked up to him and innocently kissed him on his lips. They embraced, wrapping their towels around each other's body for extra warmth, before gathering up the beach towel and making their way back to the house. The walk back was quiet and the young rapper was startled when he heard Nelly ask him if he wanted a piggyback ride. A grin adorned his face as the older rapper lowered himself slightly and hooked both of T.I.'s legs with his hands as he felt his love wrap his arms around his neck for that last latch of support. His swimming trunks were wet against his back as they slowly walked back toward the house and ultimately, the shower. T.I. slowly started kissing his man's neck before sucking on the skin in his most tender spot and leaving a huge crimson stain of his love there. He hopped down when they were on the concrete floor of the patio and they walked together into the house, hand in hand, and up to the shower they both now desperately needed.

The conversation the two men had a few days ago in the ocean was still weighing heavily on the St. Lunatic rapper's mind. It bothered him to no end that T.I. felt like their relationship wasn't a legitimate one and, deep down, he wondered if he had insecurities about them being together. Every time he would try to approach the subject to talk about, he would chicken out or the words would get lost in his throat because it hurt to even think that that caramel colored rapper wasn't safe and secure in their relationship. But as much as Nelly hated to admit it, he did have a point about telling his mother. He knew that the older rapper was extremely close to the woman who gave him life and felt like their relationship would be made even more real and serious if she knew what was going on in her son's love life. T.I. didn't let it bother him as much because he was happy with this man and he spoke the truth about supporting him in whatever he decided to do. The key thing was that he made the decision and the caramel colored rapper was not going to say or do anything to influence that decision in any manner. The conversation was light over the next couple of days as they went to enjoy the ocean while the sun was out and also swam in the pool. They had a race, which Nelly took all the glory of winning.

"I had a daydream about this once," Nelly remembered as both rappers sat on the stone steps of the pool, the water coming up just below their collarbones.

"About what?"

"Swimming together in a pool. It was when we were on tour and was performing at the Astrodome in Houston."

`Really? What were we doing?"

"Pretty much what we just did. A couple of races and just hung out. It was raining."

"That can't be it."

"You made a move on me. You kissed me and I let myself fall for it."

"I knew it. Who has daydreams where they're just chillin'? You desired me back then huh?"

"Yep! And I still do now. I thought that once I had you that my craving would eventually go away because I had you and could have you anytime I want you know."

"But they don't huh?"

"No. They just get stronger. I dunno how but I think I want you more now than I did back when we were on the tour."

"I know what you mean. The passion is gonna last forever in our relationship I think. I still want you just as much now as I did back then. No I take that back. More baby. Much more."

"Can't help that. I'm a catch durrty."

"I knew you were gonna say something cocky like that. Ugh!"

"Come on, you know you love it."

"Love you more," the slender rapper said before kissing him. "So what else happened in this daydream of yours?"

"I told you to get out of the water because it was raining and, just like in real life, your ass didn't listen to me."

"Ay!"

"It's true. But we raced and I won. Then I threw you a match because you got all upset. You know I like it when you get all pouty with me though right? So damn sexy!"

"Yea yea."

"Then you cornered me after the races and we started playing a real game."

"You liked that didn't you?"

"Oh yea! It's funny though because Murphy snapped me out of the dream and I had to be careful because it got me hot. Really hot."

T.I. laughed at him. "Even in a dream, the thought of me still managed to get you hard huh?"

"Yea," Nelly said in a now distracted voice.

"What happened?"

"I said Murphy."

"Oh."

"I miss him Tip. I miss all the good times we had together. He really had my back like I had his."

"I know baby. I know. Come here."

The St. Lunatic rapper scooted his wet body over and into his lover's welcoming arms. Their warm bodies felt good pressed against each other's. "Why does this shit still bother me after all this time?"

"Cuz he means that much to you Cornell."

"He'll never accept us or me. You'd think that I'd get the damn point and try to forget about it by now."

"You're being too hard on yourself baby. This isn't your fault."

"I know but it still doesn't hurt any less."

"There's nothing you can do. If he doesn't want to accept you then what can you do?"

"He's so fucking hardheaded. Shit gets me so mad!"

"He looks pretty set in his ways."

"I thought our friendship could survive this."

"I know what it feels like to let go of someone you care about. It's not easy."

Nelly looked at him and knew exactly who he was referring to. "You talking `bout that kid Evan huh?"

"Yea. Sorry. My mind just ran on him."

"Don't be baby. I knew he meant a lot to you."

"Yea. I didn't work out though. Gotta move on I guess."

"You don't sound too convincing."

"Because I'm not convinced this is the right thing." He looked at his man. "Could you still be friends with someone you were in love with even though they couldn't return the feelings?"

"Honestly, no. I see where he's coming from baby. It was hard for him to be around you without saying or doing something that made him look obvious and put his feelings out there. It was too much pressure and stress and he couldn't handle it. I doubt anyone could."

"Funny. That's the exact thing he said to me the last time we talked. The night he kissed me. I still don't get it but I gotta let it, him, go right?"

"I'm not saying this because I'm the jealous boyfriend type or anything but yea, you gotta forget about him. It's the only option left."

"Yea you're right. I haven't told you something."

"What?"

"I had a really weird dream on the plane ride over here."

"About him?"

"Yea."

"What happened?"

"He was so aggressive and hardheaded and arrogant."

"Really? Wow. I mean I don't know him that well but when I met him at the premiere; I could tell that he wasn't any of those things."

"Yea. That's what was really troubled me."

"What did he do?"

"He was so close to me. He kissed me. He told me he loved me."

"So basically what happened that night you two kissed?"

"Well yea and no. He asked me why I loved you so much."

"It was just a dream baby. He doesn't know about us."

"I know but it felt so damn real Cornell."

"I know. I know," he said as he comforted the stressed rapper.

"I don't know why I had a dream like that though."

"I don't either but you gotta stop thinking about it Tip. It's not worth it. I hate seeing you like this."

"He was my friend. How can I just give up on that?"

"Because he asked you to. If the situation were any different then I would've told you to try and work things out with him, even after the kiss because I want to see you happy and I know you care a lot for him. But he thinks this is the best way for him and the best thing to do is just respect that and not make it any harder for him."

"I know. I know you're right. I'm just trippin'."

"Don't worry. He's a strong kid. He'll bounce back with someone else." Nelly had to lighten up the mood. "I mean you ain't all that anyway."

"I agree with you."

His plan backfired. "Come on Tip. You know I didn't mean it like that." He lifted T.I.'s face and held his gaze. "Don't let this get to you. Don't lose your confidence baby. It's one of your sexiest features."

"I'm not confident. I dunno what you see."

"Stop. You are so confident and you're smart. You're sexy and caring and selfless. Modesty works for you too baby. You're a great man and don't let anyone ever tell you that you're not."

"I guess."

"No. You are. Are you gonna take my word for it or do I have to kick your ass until you do?"

"I'll be good."

"Smile for me baby. Please. You gonna make me do it?"

"What?"

"Call you Joe?"

T.I. put everything they were just talking about away deep in his mind. He was being selfish. His smile was sincere and although things were still bothering him, this was the best he could do. "Am I convincing?"

"To a stranger but not me. But I won't push. You'll deal when you're ready. All I can do is be there for you when you need me."

"I love you Cornell. Maybe Iral sounds better. What you think?"

"You can call me whatever you want as long as you're smiling. But be warned, if you start to get mean then I'll have to resort to Joe."

"I'll kill you."

"Okay okay," he laughed. "Joseph it is. You my little saint baby?"

"Tryin' to be."

It felt good to talk to someone about what had been bothering him for a while now. Nelly was caring and understanding, like he usually was and the young rapper really appreciated that. His man was there for him when he needed to talk and made him feel better. He doubt be could repay him for that. They continued to talk in the pool until nightfall; they took a shower and comforted each other because it was simply the right thing to do. The warm water running down their bodies made the rappers forget about their failed friendships and concentrate solely on each other and the love they shared. No one or nothing was going to take that away from them. Ever. There was no intercourse while they were in the shower. It wasn't necessary because T.I. could feel the high he was used to experiencing whenever the St. Lunatic rapper was beside him, touching him, whispering to him, comforting him. It was truly one of the best feelings in the world and he cherished it more than anything, even his career, right now because he desperately needed it. He needed to feel loved and wanted by someone and Nelly was right there to reassure him of all his hopes and dreams while driving away his insecurities and negative thoughts. He was good at that. Great in fact.

Neither man felt hungry after their cozy shower and decided to cuddle up on the bed and watch some TV before they got some sleep. Nelly had his hands encircled around the young rapper's slender body as they shared the covers. T.I.'s head was on a pillow and felt it when his love placed his head next to his; they were now sharing the pillow as he felt the older rapper's warm arms around him under the blanket. It was only around nine in the night when they finally got comfortable and began watching a TV program they didn't know. When the caramel colored rapper turned it to a news program, they were both reminded of the gallery opening they attended a while back because there was a follow-up piece on it. The museum had gotten a new and very exclusive piece of artwork to add to its collection as the manager was interviewed about how he acquired it and how excited he was about it. They kept it on the news station as the St. Lunatic rapper started to nod off because he was exhausted. They worked out together earlier and he found that he was pushing himself harder and harder each time. Most of it was pure willpower because he'd usually want to stop his workout and kiss T.I. or mess around with him. He forced himself to keep up with it though. His phone rang on the nightstand on his side of the bed.

He snapped out of his sleep and answered it; T.I. looking at him keenly. "Hello?"

"Hi baby!" his mother's excited voice came back. "I called you a couple of times. Didn't you get them?"

"Huh? Yea. I'm sorry."

"You been busy?"

"Something like that."

"You sound happy and relaxed."

"I am."

"So things are going great for you and that girl you told me about? When am I gonna get to meet her baby?"

His mind went blank. "Uh."

"What's wrong baby boy? You okay?"

"Yeah. Mom can I call you back in a sec?"

"Uh okay son. I love you."

"Love you."

He clicked his phone closed and rested it on the bed next to him before looking at T.I., who was staring back at him. "That was my mom," he said in an abstracted voice.

"I know. What happened?"

"I have to tell her about us. She still thinks you're a female."

"Oh."

"I know baby. I'm sorry about that."

"Not it's okay. So why did you hang up with her so soon?"

"She doesn't know I'm here. That I'm on vacation or anything like that."

"What? You lied to her?"

"No. I couldn't tell her where I was gonna go."

"Why?"

"Because if I told her I was going on vacation then she would've asked me who I was going with. I didn't want to lie to her or tell her that you were a female. It wouldn't feel right."

"Yea."

"So it was best to just leave her in the dark. I was kinda avoiding her phone calls, I'm a bad son I know, but I guess I can't anymore."

"What are you gonna do baby?"

"Step up and be a man about it. The reason I told her that I'd call her back is because I needed to talk to you."

"About what?"

"This is just an idea, but what would you think if she came out here and I told her everything."

The younger rapper instantly got a sinking feeling in his stomach. "What?"

"I know it's strange but I can't keep this up much longer. And after our talk about this and thinking a lot on it, I've decided to be straight with her."

"I know what this means to you baby."

"Yea. I wanted to talk to you about it because it's not just about me anymore. This is about us and I wouldn't feel right if I invited her here and you didn't want me to or something. The last thing I want you to be is uncomfortable on your vacation."

"Wouldn't it be weird though? I mean having her here while we're here together?"

"I could just ask her to stay like a week or something. But I wanna tell her about us and make her understand how much I love you."

"Are you sure this is the right way to do this?"

"You think we should wait until we go back to the States before I tell her?"

"I thought that's what you were gonna do."

"I was thinking about that but you know how busy we are so we'll hardly have time. I mean we barely spent any time with each other the past few months."

"Yea I know. If this is what you want then okay," T.I. said passively.

"No," he said as he looked at the man next to him. "This has to be what we want. If you don't think it's a good idea then we won't do it baby."

He thought on this for a while before responding. "Yes. This is what I want. It will only make us stronger. Invite her for a week and we'll tell her everything that has been going on in her baby boy's life for the past months."

"Are you sure about this Tip? We're about to tell someone else about us. Is this what you really want?"

"Yes. And this person isn't just anyone, she's your mother and I want her to get to know me like I want to get to know her."

"I love you baby. I love you so much."

"I know. I love you too," he said as Nelly placed a thank you kiss on his lips.

The two rappers embraced each other before Nelly finally searched around the bed for his phone. After a lengthy conversation with his mother, and T.I.'s support behind him, he was finally able to convince her to come to Saint-Tropez to meet up with him. He told her that he was on vacation, she yelled at him for not telling her that he left the country, and she also said that she could be down there a week later because she had some things to take care of in St. Louis. He really couldn't say anything when she was yelling at him because she was right. He felt bad about it but everything would be explained in the near future and that's what he kept telling himself. The caramel colored rapper was there by his side to support him and truthfully, that was all he needed to remind himself that he made the right decision. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach and he didn't think he would be as nervous as he was now even though he still had a week to figure out what he was going to say and do to justify lying to his mother the way he had been. The St. Lunatic rapper's fingers ran circles on T.I.'s flat, hard stomach as they talked about what just happened and what they thought was going to happen one week from now. After an emotionally draining day, Nelly kissed his man before going off to sleep.

T.I. awoke the next day, not getting any kind of sleep, with butterflies deep within his stomach. All the events from the past night came back to him and he seriously started to have doubts and wonder if this was the right step for them to take. No one, with the exception of Evan, knew that he was in a relationship with a man or even for one moment thought that he would be even consider that. He wanted Nelly's mother to know about the huge part he played in her son's life but the thought of her rejecting him crushed down on his stressed out mind. The St. Lunatic rapper was still cutely sleeping next to him, keeping all the covers to himself as usual. He looked at the resting man in his life. He wondered if this was what the older rapper truly wanted or if he was pushed into it because he brought up the subject first. The caramel colored rapper was racked with guilt because he didn't want to force anyone, especially the man next to him, to do something that he didn't want to do and instantly wanted to take all of yesterday back and do it all over again. What if he mother didn't accept him? Them? What would that do to him? T.I. sat on the bed in his boxers and watched his man sleeping. The rapper's back was to him and part of his bicep was exposed from the blanket. He stared, wondered, worried.

He didn't know how long he was up for or how long he was staring at the man that meant so much to him. His thoughts overcame him and he was honestly lost about what he should do or feel about the situation they were now in. Nelly's words managed to reassure him last night but everything seemed to be turned upside down this morning. He watched the movements of the man's body. How his body managed to rise and fall with every subtle breath that entered and exited his muscular, well defined physique. It was spectacular. Magnificent. The caramel colored rapper continued to gaze and was only snapped out of his mild daydream when Nelly's body turned over and his sleeping face was now even closer to T.I.'s troubled one. The St. Lunatic rapper's eyes were closed softly and his lips squinted up into a cute shape as he slept, completely unaware that someone was taking in his every inch. The sun became hotter and brighter outside but neither man noticed this as the younger rapper finally got control of himself and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and shower. He stared at the mirror for a while until only his eyes were in focus to him. He didn't know what to do. The water sped down his naked body as he showered, his mind still preoccupied and deep in thought.

The caramel colored rapper drew the blinds in the kitchen as he searched around for the coffee before putting up a pot on the coffeemaker. The strong scent invaded his nostrils and he took a moment to enjoy it because it smelled so good. He made himself a few slices of toast and mixed a potent cup of coffee before disappearing outside to the swing to eat his breakfast. The waves crashing on the sand was comforting and relaxed him as he bit into the buttered bread and stared out at it. The late night they went swimming in the ocean came back to him. That was when he asked the older rapper about telling his mother about their relationship. Was he wrong in what he said after all? What he felt? He was so confused by everything and didn't know how he would handle it if Nelly's mother rejected him and their relationship. It would just be added stress and hurt to the already hard time they had trying to conceal their relationship from the world they knew wouldn't understand their choice to be with each other. The world that wouldn't understand their love and commitment to one another. It was really up to his mother to either make or break the rest of their days in the tropical paradise of Saint-Tropez. His happiness depended on one woman.

The older rapper awoke and sat up on the bed wondering where his skinny prince was. He was in the bed, in the room, by himself and scratched his head before getting up and walking to the bathroom. The faint smell of coffee trailed through the house and he smelled it as he was brushing his teeth. After finding a regular shirt and some shorts to put on, he made his way downstairs and into the kitchen, hoping to find his man there but slightly disappointed when he once again found himself alone. He fixed himself a cup of the strong coffee and walked to the living room, not finding anyone there. Nelly walked throughout the entire house still not managing to find the slender rapper until his mind told him to look outside. He walked past the glass doors and saw him staring out at the water, his plate on the side and coffee on the floor next to him. The St. Lunatic rapper stared at him for a while, making his presence unknown until he finally walked over to his preoccupied lover and sat next to him on the swing. T.I. looked at him and he smiled lightly. The older man knew it was a front but he didn't want to badger. He would talk when he was ready. They sat in complete silence and both sipped there coffee while staring at the crystal blue water and how the sun bathed down on it.

Nelly's coffee was hot on his tongue as he sipped it. He was remembering last night and the conversation he had with his mother over the phone. It was surreal to him this morning and part of him wanted her to be here already so he could tell her everything but another part was the exact opposite of that. It was hard for him having these conflicting feelings but he believed that he made the right decision in inviting her here to meet the caramel colored rapper and tell her what has been going on in his life for the past months. The thing or person rather, who has made him so damn happy and feel so extremely special. The still sat in silence and swung back and forth, not knowing what to say to each other because the situation was difficult. Many questions clouded their judgment as each man secretly prepared for the worse. T.I. was not going to come between a mother and her son. If she didn't approve of their relationship and told the older rapper to let him go, he was going to make sure that happened because he loved him and he was not going to be the reason that Nelly and his mother were ultimately alienated from one another. How could he put their relationship in front of a mother and her son's? He was lost. It was going to be a long week. The older man stared at him. He looked upset somehow.

"You mad at me?" he asked the skinny rapper sitting next to him.

"No. Why would you think that?" he took a while to respond.

"You look like you're upset baby."

"No. Nothing like that."

"Talk to me."

"And say what?"

"Anything. I don't want it to be like this between us. You mean too much to me for that to happen."

"I'm sorry. I dunno what's bothering me baby."

"You want her to accept you. To accept us."

"Yea. I mean don't you?"

"Of course I do Tip! You're the best thing that ever happened to me."

"You think she'll see that?"

"I know she will."

"Murphy didn't," T.I. said as he turned away.

Nelly looked at him as he stared out at the water. "Is that what's bothering you?"

"I feel like I came between you guys. You were best friends before I cam---"

"Stop baby. It wasn't like that."

"You'd still be friends right now if I wasn't here though right?"

"But yo---"

"Answer me."

The St. Lunatic rapper sighed. "Yes. We'd still be friends right now."

"Aight then."

"But I wouldn't be happy. You're easily the most important aspect of my life right now. Having you to love means so much to me that I can't explain it. If Murphy didn't see that then I don't wanna be friends with him."

"What about your mom? What if she doesn't see it either?"

"It won't happen. She knows me. Once she sees us together she'll know how happy you make her baby boy," he said as he moved closer to the slender body that was his and kissed the younger rapper's neck.

T.I. moved away at this advance. He wasn't in the mood right now. "I've been thinking."

"About what?"

"If she doesn't like me or us together."

"That won---"

"Just listen to me," he said as he turned to face the man he loved.

"Okay." The older rapper fell silent.

"I honestly don't know what's going to happen here. I know what I want to happen but who knows if it will or not."

"Baby don't think so much about it. I---"

"Let me finish Cornell," he said in a serious tone.

"Sorry."

"I have no idea how your mom will react to the idea of us. If she is okay with it then I'd be so happy but if she's not," he said as he trailed off. He needed to think.

"Baby."

"If she's not then I don't know what I'm gonna do. I don't want to come between you and her."

"You won't be."

"I can't do that to you. You already lost one relationship because of me. This one is more important though."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm not gonna ruin the relationship between you and your mother." He looked hopelessly at Nelly. Into his eyes for a way to make this any easier. He found nothing. "If she doesn't accept us I'm not going to stand in the way of your relationship."

"What does that mean?"

"If she asks you to choose between me and her I want you to choose her."

"What? She'll never ask me to do that."

"Baby please. This is so hard for me. I can't live with it if I'm to blame for you and your mom not having a relationship anymore."

"Don't think like that. You're starting to worry me Tip."

"I have to. I have to prepare for the worst here."

"And what's the worst?"

"Me letting you go."

Nelly stared at him with the most obscure look on his face. "What?"

"I'm gonna let you go if she doesn't approve of us baby. As hard as it'll be, I'm gonna have to do it."

"What? No. I won't let that happen! I won't let you---"

"You think I want to leave you? I'll can't take it if I'm the one who pulls you two apart. I'm going to respect her wishes for her son and leave you alone. If that's what she wants from me."

"And what about my wishes Tip? My feelings? You just gonna leave me like that? Without you?"

"I dun---"

"So everything works out for everyone but me then?" he asked, getting angry.

"It's not like that. I can't come between you two."

"You won't. She'll love you just like I do."

"But what if she doesn't?"

"Stop thinking like that. She will."

"I can't help it. I could lose you. I stayed up all night last night thinking about this shit. I can't lose you. I can't lose you Cornell!" he said, his voice cracking from all the stress he was under.

"You're not gonna lose me. You're stuck with me remember? You and me always," Nelly said as he tried to hug him but the younger rapper moved away once again. He felt like he didn't deserve it.

"I don't wanna lose you."

"Relax baby. Relax. That won't happen. Ever."

"I love you too much for it to happen. But our love might not be enough."

"No! It's enough Tip. It's more than enough. We'll get through this together and that's all I need to know."

The caramel colored rapper was defeated. He was defeated, scared, and broken. "Hold me," he asked the man next to him.

The St. Lunatic rapper moved even closer to him and tightly wrapped his arms around the younger man, who was faintly shaking. "Everything's gonna be okay baby. I promise you. I promise on our love that we will get through this together. You and me."

T.I. looked up at him and stared at his reassuring eyes. "Like always?"

"Like always."

It was somehow understood by both men that this was going to the hardest challenge their relationship would ever face. As Nelly kept his arms encircled around the man he loved, his mind started to play tricks on him. The once confident and fearless words he offered his young love as solace about his mother accepting their relationship was beginning to fade away from his mind and doubts now started trickling in. He had to present a strong front to T.I. because he didn't want him to worry or to add more stress over his head. The conversation they just had was probably the most intense ever in their relationship and for the first time, the St. Lunatic rapper was scared that he would lose the caramel colored rapper. This feeling grew and spread like wildfire throughout every inch of his body, making him lose faith in himself and the relationship that meant everything to him. Time was running out with his mother scheduled to arrive in exactly a week; it was going to be a weird one to say the least. He knew his mother was a rational and caring woman but he honestly didn't know how she would handle him and the relationship he shared with T.I. He had to be strong. Not only for himself but for the both of them. The younger rapper was leaning on him for strength and he wasn't going to fall.

The stayed in the exact same position, not saying anything, as the swing rocked and they were too caught up in their thoughts to even notice gray clouds making their way toward them from above the vast ocean. This upcoming week was going to be hard and extremely painful as they waited for what would ultimately be the fate of their relationship. If Nelly's mother approved of them then that would be wonderful but if she didn't, T.I. would leave him and he honestly couldn't deal with that because he'd become so attached to the man that the thought of them going their separate ways never entered his mind or was conceived as a part of his reality. A combination of fear, guilt, selfishness, and many other complex emotions racked the caramel colored rapper's thought process and he was so consumed by them that he didn't even feel his man's arm around him, or the swing gently moving back and forth. He tried to imagine life without the St. Lunatic rapper there to love him and vice versa but it didn't work. His thoughts were blocked and so obsessed with the older rapper that life after him seemed hopelessly impossible. The now black clouds edged even closer to land as Nelly felt T.I. rest his head on his shoulder and let out a sigh. This was hard for him, for them both.

The caramel colored rapper closed his eyes while his head was supported by his man's strong body and tried to relax himself. He was letting everything defeat him and he had to stop and reevaluate everything that was said and done over the past twenty-four hours of his life. With everything being reevaluated within his clouded mind, the wounds opened themselves up more and he had many more questions than answers than before, if that were even possible. The sky was black for as far as the eye could see and a crack of thunder summoned rain on the beautiful, tropical beach of Saint-Tropez. Neither men took notice to this as they were lost in themselves; Nelly had his head rested back on the swing and his eyes closed because he was tired of having to justify his feelings to other people. He knew his mother was important but she was not on his mind; Murphy was. The intense conversation they had that night came back to him and he remembered every word, every action, and every body movement that resulted from it. It stung the older rapper a lot and he thought he got it out of his system but the truth was that he didn't. He doubted then that he ever would forget that. The rain had since began falling hard and drenched their clothes and bodies before they finally noticed it.

"Shit!" Nelly said as he hopped up from the swing, the rain water hitting his face and dripping down his wet clothes. "I didn't even know it was raining."

T.I. jumped up equally as fast and they raced back into the house, water dripping on the tiles and creating a puddle as they stood still; Nelly holding him because he was cold. "Where'd those clouds come from?" he asked in a shivering tone.

"I dunno. Are you okay baby?"

"It's just rain Cornell."

"No," he said as they broke their embrace and he stared at the hazel eyes. "I mean with everything."

"How can I be?"

"I know."

"I'm sorry. I don't wanna talk about this."

"Okay."

"Let's go take a shower," he said as he stared into his man's eyes. The man he loved. "I want you," he said as he held on to Nelly's hand. "I want you to want me."

"I do want you. I wanted you in the past, I want you right now, and I'm gonna want you tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after."

T.I. managed a slight smile. "I can't lose you."

"I won't let it happen. You gotta believe that Tip."

"I want to so bad."

"Just believe it baby. Just believe in me okay?"

"Okay."

They walked together, hand in hand, throughout the first floor of the house and up the stairs to the bedroom they shared. Nothing was said but holding each other's hand said more than any words could at that precise moment. T.I. desired Nelly. He yearned for him and wanted nothing more than to make him happy. Once they got into the master suite and made their way into the bathroom, the St. Lunatic rapper gently pushed him against the wall and began kissing him sweetly as he used his foot to shut the door. Hands roamed up and down wet mounds of clothing as the caramel colored rapper's hands dug their way under his man's wet shirt and began caressing his back. The kiss they shared slowly became more intimate as he began peeling the older rapper's shirt from his body, his flesh now exposed. Nelly forcefully broke apart and lifted his hands in the air as his man gently navigated the wet shirt off of his damp body. The heavy shirt made a thud as the T.I. dropped it on the floor and Nelly decided to use his time wisely and took off his man's shirt and dropped it right on top of his. Both their nipples were hard because they were cold but also because of the pure pleasure their bodies were now experiencing because of each other. Delirious pleasure filled the bathroom.

Nelly's hands roamed down his man's perfect body, hooking his pants in the process, and dragging them away from the raw flesh that it once covered. T.I.'s hard dick bounced free and was kissed by the cool air of the bathroom as his pants found their way on the rapidly growing pile that was next to them. The St. Lunatic rapper's shorts was the final addition to the bundle of wet clothes that stained the bathroom floor before both men stepped into the overly large shower the bathroom boasted. Once the water was adjusted to the right, warm temperature, the two passionate rappers stepped under it and their bodies were tickled with the lukewarm sensation. Their tongues devilishly played with each other's in a way only the other man could provide and satisfy. Thunder and lightening wreaked its normal havoc on the landscape outside but the two men were too caught up in their own cozy world to take notice or even care. This was right in so many ways that it was mind-blowing. Perfect. Nelly's hands cupped each side of his lover's face as they kept the kiss going. He caressed his cheeks as the caramel colored rapper nestled his hands on the small of his man's back, running small circles with his two index fingers. A soft moan escaped from the older rapper's lips.

T.I. rested his slim body against the cold tiled wall of the shower because he needed the support badly. The older rapper was taking everything from him and he willingly allowed himself to be taken away because of how it made him feel. He needed that right now. He needed to know that Nelly wanted him and needed him and, most importantly, loved him right now. It bothered him a lot that he was letting everything get to him because he thought that he, and their relationship, was more secure than that but he was seriously starting to doubt himself and what he wanted. This was the only way to silence those destructive thoughts in his head as the St. Lunatic rapper broke away from his lips and moved down to his overly eager pole, engulfing it in one motion. The caramel colored rapper sucked on air for a while before he closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of hot and cools on his dick at the same time. The week before his mother showed up to the house was going to be hard on both of them, they already knew it, but this was the only option left. Nelly really did hate lying to his mother the way he was and T.I. sensed this all along. That is why he brought up the topic when they went swimming out in the ocean that one night. He knew it was bothering him and he tried to make it right somehow.

The St. Lunatic rapper licked and sucked every possible inch of his lover's throbbing dick as he forced himself to push the doubts deep in his mind away from him. He couldn't deal with that right now because he wanted all his focus and attention on making the man in front of him happy and extremely satisfied. Maybe he was just overreacting and making a big deal about nothing. His mother would be happy for him because he found love. Love is the most important thing in life and she had to be happy that he found it. No matter the circumstances she had to be happy that he found someone to love and love him back. With great effort, the older rapper managed to push everything out of his mind and uphold his promise to pleasure T.I. to the best of his abilities. His slick tongue ran up and down the caramel colored rapper's blood-filled shaft, silent moans managing to escape his lips and managing to turn on Nelly even more. After a couple more hard sucks, he stopped completely and started kissing his way back up the slender, toned body that belonged to his man. Without as much as a warning, he crashed his lips against the younger man's and he was caught off guard by it before surrendering hopelessly into it. He wanted the older rapper inside him. He had to forget everything, if only for a short while.

He knew what was about to happen next because the look his lover gave him said it all. The caramel colored rapper caught him in a quick kiss one last time before turning around and resting his wet head against the wall. Nelly stood there for a while and studied every visible inch of his immaculate body. There were no flaws or blemishes anywhere as the creamy, light skin he became known for stretched down to the ends of his toes. He licked his lips as one hand crept down his man's back and rested on his sexy booty. He positioned himself directly behind T.I. before leaning over and kissing the back of his neck while he began to slowly invade him. The pain was gone now because they had done this on so many occasions since the beginning of their vacation but the St. Lunatic rapper always liked to go slow because he loved the sensation it feed his throbbing dick. He planted kisses everywhere he could before withdrawing himself and then forcing his dick back in with a little more pressure and force than the last time. T.I.'s head pressed against the wall as he was being taken and started to see bright specs of light in front of his eyes because his prostate was being assaulted. He stopped with the kisses and grabbed on to his lover's hips as he began grinding harder and faster into his warm hole.

"Uh! That's it baby," T.I. managed to moan. "Right there. Just like that!"

"I love you Tip. This is right. It's always been right."

"Ugh! Make me feel good."

"Yea baby! Oh yea."

It didn't take long for the moment of passion the two rappers were entwined in to boil over and overtake them with Nelly's sinful thrusts and him softly whispering words of love into T.I.'s ear. The young rapper shot a thick stream of his liquid without even having to touch his dick and it mingled with the warm water and disappeared down the drain. Every muscle in his body felt like they were going to give way as he closed his eyes and continued to enjoy his man plowing in and out of his now tighter hole. The St. Lunatic rapper tried his best to keep up with his strokes and rhythm but the pressure was too much against him and his body finally gave out too, emptying himself deep into his lover. His last thrust was weak as he rested one hand on the wall for support himself. His rapidly softening member slowly slipped out of the crevasse it was just in as both men closed their eyes and tried hard to catch their breaths. Their heads were only mere inches away from each other because Nelly moved closer to the man he loved; there bodies touching as water still attempted to rejuvenate them. Everything went quiet and even the thunder and lightening from outside bowed down and silenced itself in the presence of the two rapper's post love sensitivity. Nothing else mattered now.

It was there time to enjoy and allow their bodies to absorb everything that just took place. Both felt so relaxed and carefree at the very moment. Nelly didn't feel it at first when the caramel colored rapper came back to life and began kissing him along his sleek jawbone but slowly began to get more into it as his eyes opened and he moved even closer to the other man's body. Although they were only simple kisses, they were powerful enough to make the St. Lunatic rapper lightheaded all over again and when T.I. began sucking on various parts of his skin, he really needed the support the wall offered him. He wrapped his arms around him and they embraced in a hug for a long while before finally getting on with their shower. It was getting late and the thunder and lightening had since started back on their rampage. They got out and dried their skin before going to find boxers to slip on. The younger rapper was watching the lightening dance across the black sky through the balcony doors before he felt a warm presence next to him. It was comforting in every way imaginable. Kisses made themselves known on the bare skin of his back as he allowed himself to be taken away by them, as he just did in the shower only moments ago. Nelly's arms felt secure as they were wrapped around his skinny body.

"You liked that?" the St. Lunatic rapper asked, knowing the answer already.

"I always like it when you kiss me."

"I meant the shower baby."

"Yea. It was relaxing."

"That all?"

The young rapper turned and faced his man. He was so damn cute! "It felt so good. You feel so good baby. I never want to let go sometimes."

Nelly's face lit up with a smile at those words. "It's like that?"

"Don't get all cocky now shawty."

"Oh never that Tip. Never that," he said as he mischievously smiled.

"Right."

"I'm tired."

"Yea me too. Let's go to bed."

"Aight," Nelly said and they both walked to the bed that they had been sharing together ever since they came to Saint-Tropez. "I'm following you sexy boy!"

They both settled into bed and T.I. rested his head on a pillow and looked up at the ceiling before he spoke. "We're gonna be okay, right?"

"When were we not okay?"

"I mean with your mom coming and everything."

Nelly looked at him as he kept staring up. "I want to tell you yes baby. I want to so bad but I'm not sure anymore."

"It's okay."

"No it's not. I told you that everything was going to be okay between us and I'm gonna try my best to make sure it is."

"It's not on you though."

"I know but I'm gonna make her understand everything."

"What if she doesn't? What if you can't?"

"I'll deal with that when it happens Tip."

"I meant what I said before."

"About what?"

"Making the choice easy for you."

"You can't do that baby."

"How do you think that would make me feel if you were forced to choose between me and her and you chose me? She's your mother Cornell. She's way more important than I am."

"She'll always be my mother and I'll always have her. But I want you."

"I don't have a choice," he sadly said.

"So you just decide to make this decision without talking to me?"

"It's the easiest way."

"For who? Not me."

"Don't make it harder than it already is baby."

"I could fucking lose you. It doesn't get any harder than that," Nelly said, a flash of anger in his voice.

"I'm sorry."

"I know it's hard right now Tip but I don't want you to give up."

"I'm trying baby but this shit is too much for me to handle."

"What did you feel just now?"

"When?"

"When we were in the shower together."

"Uh---"

"Tell me everything. Every emotion you felt."

"I was happy. I never wanted it to end. My body felt so much pleasure that I never knew it could all exist and work together like that. I couldn't get enough of you. Everything you do makes me love you even more than I thought I could. The way you kiss me. The things you say to me. How you treat me. Everything about you is perfect."

"And you're just willing to give that up? Listen to your body. To your heart."

"I'm not gonna come between you two."

"Don't think about that. I don't want to hear you talking about leaving me. What you think that does to me?"

"But you know that if I do leave you, it's not because I wanted to right?"

"Even still. I can't survive without you."

T.I. sat up when those words touched his eardrums. He looked at the older rapper. "What'd you say?"

"It's true. You make me a better man. You love me as much as I love you. Nothing is important to me when I'm with you except you and our love. I'm not ready to give you up. Never will be."

"I feel the same way. I love you so much."

"So no more talking about leaving okay?"

"Okay."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Together."

"Okay."

"Do you believe in our love? Do you believe in me?"

"More than anything. Yea. I do."

"Okay. That's all that matters then. Promise you'll never leave me Tip."

T.I. looked at him for a while before he finally spoke. "Cornell I can't---"

"Why not? You said you love me."

"I do love you. But I can't promise that until I know it's a promise I can keep."

"And when will that be?"

"After we talk to you mom. I'm going by her reaction."

"Aight. I will remind you though. I want to hear you make that promise to me one way or another."

"I thought I already did."

"No. Plus I want to hear the words. You're a man of your word so I'll be waiting for that."

"Deal. Tell me you love me."

Nelly sweetly kissed his lips and lingered there for a moment. "I love you Joseph. So much it amazes me. I just hope I can be able to express how much I love you one day because you don't know. You've only hit the tip of the iceberg that's my love for you baby."

"That's so sweet."

"So you gonna say it back?"

"You wanna hear it?"

Nelly pouted. "It would be nice."

"I love you more than I do my career. I've fought for so hard all those years to get where I am now but when I'm with you; I don't care about that shit. I honestly think I could live off of your love alone baby. That's how much you mean to me. You'll always have my heart."

"Most valuable thing I own."

"Glad you feel that way."

"I want to kiss you. Can I?"

"You've never had to ask for permission before."

"Just felt like being formal. So can I or not?"

"Yea. You can kiss me anywhere you like anytime you like."

"I love that deal."

"I love you," T.I. innocently said.

"Not as much as I love you baby."

It was nice to hear those words from the St. Lunatic rapper. It was always nice when he told the younger rapper that he loved him and T.I. treasured every time he did so. They were both comforted on some level but knew that the next few weeks were going to be rough. Even if Nelly's mother did accept them, it would be awkward living in the same house with her when they had clearly became so used to having it all to themselves. That was the least of the two rapper's worries though. The caramel colored rapper tried to take the solace he so needed from his man and it was working to an extent. He rested his head back on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling as his man shifted his body and turned off the light that illuminated the room. His skin shivered slightly when he felt Nelly reach over and rest his hand on his stomach; he was looking at him in the dark. T.I. knew this but he didn't look back until he felt soft, wet kisses begin to line his neck and jaw. It was easy to succumb to them and his hand began stroking his man's firm chest. Only cuddling tonight. Sometimes, it made them feel more pleasure than sex ever could. It let them know how much the other cared and that was the most important feeling in the world. A kiss on the lips guaranteed a good night's sleep and the sweetest of dreams.

The next week was going by painfully slow for the two overanxious men. As hard as they tried to relax themselves, their thoughts swallowed them up and they managed to find themselves fighting more than they ever thought they would be. It was nothing major, just petty stuff, but it always worked itself out a short while later and they would become stronger than before. They figured that the added stress about everything that was happening to them was making them both a little less patient and grumpier. Nelly would always kiss him to say that he was sorry though and it was like nothing ever happened. His kisses were that damn good. As the week drew to a close, the rappers were extremely nervous. The St. Lunatic rapper's mother would be there with them tomorrow and he still didn't know what he was going to say to her to try and make her understand his decision. T.I. was there to comfort him when he just thought about giving up and Nelly knew that there was no way he could ever repay him for that. They were intimate one last time the night before she was scheduled to arrive and it was, as always, amazing. The two uneasy rappers fell asleep within each other's arms, trying their absolute to push tomorrow out of their minds and get some of the rest that they so needed. It was going to be a long day.

The sun invaded past the balcony doors and into the master bedroom of the villa where the two rappers were sound asleep. It didn't register to either of them as Nelly was holding his man's slender body next to his, the warmth of being pressed against T.I. managing to keep them so comfortable and sound asleep. His mother was scheduled to appear around midmorning and it was almost ten when the St. Lunatic rapper removed his hand from around his man's body and sat up on the bed. His eyes tried their best to adjust to the new light as he yawned and rubbed the muscles on his shoulder because they were tense. Every single emotion he felt for the past week, since he spoke to his mother and invited her to France, rushed through his blood and he honestly felt like it was about to overload and start flowing over. He looked at the caramel colored rapper, whose face and body were partly obscured by the blanket, and wondered if they would make it past this. As hard as it was, he couldn't doubt himself now because this was what he wanted; T.I. was what he wanted and he never going to let go of it. The bathroom light flicked on and the older rapper looked at himself in the mirror for a long time before brushing his teeth and taking his usual morning shower.

It was around twelve when the two men heard a car pull up to the front of the house they shared; they were in the kitchen eating breakfast. It was now or never; there was no turning back from this point. A nervous feeling blanket T.I. as he sipped his orange juice; Nelly had gotten up and looked at him before walking out of the kitchen and made his way to the front of the house. He was frozen in his seat. His body couldn't move because he didn't know how the next couple hours of his life were going to play out. Trying his best to just relax and accept the situation for what it was, he finished eating his toast and stared out the window that was closest to him. At the door, the St. Lunatic rapper opened it to see his mother getting out of a cab and tipping the driver. He walked down the long driveway and gave her a hug as the driver began taking all her stuff from the trunk and walked it into the house. His mother kissed him sweetly on the cheek as the driver sped off back to his job. The older rapper's stomach looped itself is as many knots as it could as they mutually broke the embrace. Seeing his mother's smiling face made him feel so guilty for what he was about to do but he already had this discussion with himself many times before. It had to be done. She could tell that something was wrong with her son.

"What's wrong Cornell?"

"Mom I invited you here for more than just a vacation. We have to talk."

"Okay. It sounds serious," she replied as they made their way into the house.

"Mom it is."

She looked at her son with a worried and somewhat scared look on her face. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'll explain everything in a minute. Let's go to the kitchen. There's someone I want you to meet."

"Who?"

"A friend."

They walked silently to the kitchen and his mother's eyes instantly ran over T.I. as they entered. They held each other's gaze. "What's going on here baby?" she faced her son and asked him.

"Mom, this is Cliff."

"Hi," T.I. shyly said as he walked up to her and stuck out his hand.

"Baby come here and give me a hug," she said as she grabbed the caramel colored rapper into a hug and smiled. They broke apart. "I recognize your face."

"You do?"

"You're a rapper too aren't you?"

He laughed a little. He honestly didn't know how he had the courage to speak or relax himself right now. He was standing in front of Nelly's mother. They were about to tell her everything. "Yea. I go by T.I. or Tip."

"That's who you are. I've seen a couple of your videos. You're really good baby."

He blushed profusely. "Thanks."

"You're so cute too," she said as she sweetly pinched his cheek.

"Mom stop. You're embarrassing him."

"Hey. I'm just giving him a compliment. He's got so much talent." His mom pulled the younger rapper aside but still in hearing distance of her son's ears. "I think my son's just jealous because I never compliment him on his work. I think you rap better than he does anyway," she playfully said as she winked at him.

"Mom!" Nelly pouted.

"Oh lighten up Cornell! You know I'm only messing with you sweetheart. You're my number one rapper of all time," she said as she walked up to her son and hugged him.

"Sure mom. You're crazy."

"So when did you and my son become friends Cliff? Do you mind if I call you that?" she asked, completely ignoring Nelly's last statement.

"No. Not at all. It's actually short for Clifford. But not many people call me that."

"Really? I like that name. It suits you somehow."

"Thanks. But we went on tour together last year and started talking. We've become pretty good friends since then."

"That's great. Oh Cornell, what were you talking about when we came into the house? What's so serious?"

The two men looked at each other. T.I.'s reassuring look gave Nelly the strength he so desperately needed to do what he was about to do. "There's something I need to tell you."

T.I. wasn't sure if he should be there for this. It did involve him of course but he wanted to give the older rapper and his mother some privacy to talk through it. "I'll leave you two alone to talk."

The St. Lunatic rapper looked at him. "Naw Tip. Stay," he said in an almost commanding tone.

"Okay," he said as he sat in the nook across from his mother, with Nelly at her side.

"You want something to eat or some coffee mom?"

"No. What's going on? I'm starting to get worried."

T.I. stayed silent. He wasn't going to say anything unless he was asked. This was his man's time to be straight with his mom. "Mom I haven't been honest with you lately."

"You've been lying to me Cornell?" she asked, a slight flare in her voice.

"Yes," he confessed.

She was going to hold her composure. "About what?"

"My feelings. I've only just learned to accept my real feelings a short while back."

"Real feelings? What are you talking about? Is this about that girl you told me about?"

"There was never any girl mom."

"There wasn't?" she asked, getting confused. "But when you came to see me you said that you were having problems with a girl."

"No. You said that. Or you assumed."

"I'm lost. Can you just tell me what's bothering you baby."

"Mom it's hard."

"What's hard? What are you talking about?"

Nelly felt like he was rambling and about to chicken out. His stomach felt queasy. "I dunno."

"Baby come on. You were always so comfortable talking to me. Remember when you were a little boy; you would always want to tell me every single thing you did when I came home from work?"

"Yea."

"What happened to that little boy who used to tell me everything that was going on in his life?"

"It's still me. It's just that things have changed. Really changed."

"How? Why?"

"Mom I didn't lie when I said I found love."

"You didn't? Then that's great honey."

"It is," he said. This had gone far enough. "I found love with him mom," he said as he looked at T.I. "I love Tip. I love him."

His mom looked at them both, one at a time. "What the hell is this? What did you just say?"

Nelly closed his eyes. He wanted to be anywhere but here right now. He could only imagine how the younger rapper was feeling. "Tip and I love each other."

She looked at her son for a second before getting up from the nook and slapping him hard across his face. "This is what you brought me halfway across the world to tell me? That you're gay?"

"I had to tell you. I couldn't lie to you anymore. You deserve to know the truth."

"So when you came home that one time, it was him you were talking about?"

"Yea. I cheated on him with some female. Mom I love him?"

"Do you? Do you even know what that is Cornell?"

"I do. We do. I want your support mom. You mean everything to me."

"So why did you lie to me?"

"Because I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want you to be ashamed or embarrassed of me."

She almost instantly got a pounding headache. "I need some rest."

"Okay. Let me walk you upstairs," he offered.

"I'm fine."

Without giving either man a second glance, Nelly's mother made her way out of the kitchen and to find the stairs that led to the second floor and a bedroom. She took her carryon from the foyer and walked up the stairs, settling on the first room she found. She really was tired but hearing her son come out to her took everything out of her. She felt guilty because she thought that maybe she did something wrong or that it was somehow her fault that her son made this decision. The feeling overwhelmed her as she laid on the bed and tried to process everything that was said. Her son was gay. Her little boy had a boyfriend. It took every ounce of self control she had in her body not to slap him again or walk out and go back home. It hurt. Not only the fact that he loved a man but that he lied to her. That he lied about it because he thought that was what she wanted to hear. The day outside was clear and beautiful as she looked out the window and tried to make sense of everything that just happened. She couldn't help but cry a little because she never wanted this for her son. He never showed any sign of it when he was growing up and to hear it so bluntly said just now hit her hard. She didn't want to hit him. Something came over her. She closed her eyes and tried to relax herself, falling asleep eventually.

"I'm sorry baby," T.I. said, trying to comfort his man.

"For what? I did this on my own. I felt like it was the right thing to do so I did it."

"Are you okay?" he asked, rubbing the part of his face that his mother slapped.

"No. I want her to support me. To support us."

"I know. Give her time."

"I dunno. She's mad. The last time she hit me was when I was a kid."

"It surprised her. Just let her think about what happened."

Nelly looked into his man's eyes. "I can't lose you. I'm not going to."

"She'll understand."

"I hope so."

"Me too."

"Do you mind baby? I wanna be by myself for a minute."

"Yea sure."

Nelly kissed his lips one time before disappearing in the house. He didn't know where he was going but he needed to think. Things didn't turn out exactly how he expected and wanted them to and he needed to think about another way to approach the situation. His mother did mean everything to him and he wanted more than anything right now for her to be okay with his relationship with T.I. His mind wandered away from him and he wondered what was going to happen next. What was going to happen when his mother woke up? He would have to face her again and it seemed like the second time was rapidly shaping up to be worst than the first one. With the house behind him, he walked out to the sand and sat there, just watching the waves. He instantly remembered spending the first real day of his vacation out here because of selfish he was when the caramel colored rapper told him that he and Evan kissed. The circumstances were much graver this time though as he watched the ocean's waves move back and forth. Leaving T.I. the way he did was hard for him to do but he really had to think about what was happening. He needed everything to be okay and had to try and come up with some sort of plan to ensure their relationship would remain intact.

It was around six when the younger rapper made his way outside and sat on the swing, rocking himself back and forth. He noticed his man sitting out on the sand and staring off into the distance but he didn't want to bother him because he respected that he needed time to himself. He couldn't stop watching him though. T.I. wondered what was going through his mind. What he was thinking about. What he was going to do about his mom. The afternoon breeze felt good against his skin as he too became lost in the waves of the ocean. The talk he had with Nelly about choosing his mother over him popped into his mind. As much as he didn't want it to go down like that, he now had to consider it a serious possibility because it was. It could happen and sooner than either thought or expected. Being in this waiting position was killing the rapper. Nothing was solid or even resolved and it made him feel sick inside. The vacation was slowly taking a turn for the worse and he all of a sudden became selfish and wanted things to go back to how they were before his mother joined them. He wasn't even aware when she found her way outside and stared at her son sitting on the sand. She looked over at the slender rapper and sat next to him on the swing a short while later.

"You haven't said anything," she said, breaking his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, I didn't notice when you came out here."

"You were looking at him."

"Yea. Sometimes I do it and I don't even know why."

"Do you love him? Do you love my son?"

He looked at her. "Yes. Very much."

"I'm trying to understand this. How did it happen?"

"Um," he said, a little uncomfortable.

"It's okay. Just start at the beginning."

"Okay. Well I've seen him at many things before. Like parties or award shows and stuff. We'd never really hung out of anything but he always seemed like a cool guy to me."

"He's a special man. He's my special little boy."

"You love him a lot don't you?"

"I do. I always wanted the best for him. Only the best. But you were saying."

"Yea. I was recording late one night in L.A. and we ran into each other. Then we ran into each other again the next night. He was listening to some of my new stuff. He wanted to read my lyrics book but I told him no. He gave it back but then changed his mind and tackled me on the couch. I saw him move in and close his eyes so I did the same." He felt extremely uncomfortable now.

"You two kissed there in the studio?"

"Yea."

"Did you like it?"

"I didn't know what to think at first. I always thought of myself as straight before he did that. It got me confused."

"So you've never had a relationship with another man before you met my son?"

"No. Only women."

"Has he? Has he told you how long he's felt like this?" she asked as she stared directly at him.

"He's just like me. It was only girls before we met each other. I think the kiss threw him off as much as it did me and he didn't know what to believe anymore."

"He told you that?"

"Yes. He was confused and scared of what he felt for me for a long time. We both were."

"I can see how. When did you find out that he loved you?"

"We were on tour together, like I told you. We were in Miami when he told me."

"Do you remember what he said?"

"That it was hard to be around me and not fall in love with me. His exact words."

"Really?"

"Yea. I wasn't expecting it."

"Did you say it back?"

"Yea. Because I felt it. He described to me what he was feeling and I realized that I was feeling the same things too."

"So he's been lying to me all this time then."

"Not because he wanted to. That was never it. He always told me how guilty he felt that he was keeping it from you."

"So why didn't he just tell me?"

"Because he didn't know how to. Or how you would react. He strayed from the idea more after the whole Murphy thing happened."

"Murphy? What does he have to do with this?"

"Cornell told him."

"You call him Cornell?"

"Yea. I never call him Nelly."

"Oh. What happened with Murphy?"

"While we were on the tour, he got on Cornell's case because they weren't spending a lot of time together."

"Because he was spending all his time with you?"

"Yes. They kept fighting about it until he finally decided to tell him. He told him and they got into an even bigger fight and he left. They haven't been friends or even spoken in a long time."

"What? They've been best friends ever since I can remember. My son loves him. They're like brothers."

"It hurt him a lot. He still thinks about him."

"Were you there for him?"

"I tried the best I could. I didn't want to take Murphy place. I never wanted that."

"So they're no longer friends?"

"No. Only in the public eye. For videos and appearances but they don't talk anymore."

"Oh! My baby boy. I didn't know this."

"No one did except for us three."

"So he knows you two are together? Is he going to go to the press with it?"

"Well, all he knows is that Cornell's in a relationship with another man. He didn't tell him that it was me. He felt that it wasn't his place. They did talk once and he did say that he wouldn't go to the media with it."

"Oh thank God. My baby could be ruined. You too."

"Yea."

"So shouldn't that be enough of a reason for you two to stop what you're doing?"

"No. I never thought anything would mean more to me than my career but you son does. I love him so much that I can't explain it sometimes. He means everything to me."

"How can you love another man?"

"I don't know but I do. I believe that."

"So this was the whole purpose of my trip out here? To accept you?"

"No. It was for him to be straight with you and for you to hopefully accept him and not turn your back on him like Murphy did."

"I could never turn my back on him. He is my son. I love him more than life itself. This is just hard for me to accept."

"I understand. It was hard for us to accept it at first but we couldn't fight what we felt for each other in the end. I'm drawn to him in so many ways."

"If I accept him then don't I have to accept you as well?"

"No. No one's going to force you to do anything. I've already thought about that."

"If I don't accept you and my son together?"

"Yea. I told him that I was not going to let him choose between us. That the relationship between you two is more important than anything we had together," T.I. said honestly.

"What did he say?"

"That he would find a way to hold on to us both. But if you're not comfortable with your son and I being together then I told him that I would just step aside and let him go."

Nelly's mother looked at the man with astonishment. He was rare. "You love him that much?"

"Yes. But I don't want him growing apart from you, and especially because of me. You're the strongest person in his life and he needs you. He always has."

"I don't know what to say." She was shocked to see this man willing to give up the relationship that meant everything to him just so she and her son wouldn't become distant.

"I love him. I don't know what else to say."

"I believe you," she said as she looked at him. He looked back and their eyes locked. "I believe everything you just told me."

"Sorry he lied to you about us."

"You don't need to apologize for that. Come here," she said as he opened up her arms.

The rapper slid over and got closer to her body as she held him. She hugged him tightly for a long while, neither saying anything, before they broke apart. She kissed him sweetly on his cheek. "Are you okay with us?" he had to know.

"It's gonna take some getting used to but yea. I'll be okay with you."

"Thank you."

"No. Thank you Clifford. I've always wanted my son to meet someone like you. It may not have been what I was expecting but I can see how much you love him."

"Can I ask you why you changed your mind about us?"

"My mind wasn't really made up but when you said that you would step aside so as not to put a strain on my relationship with him, I knew you were something special then."

"Thanks."

"Promise me that you'll always take care of my baby boy. I want someone positive and caring like you to be in his life always. You have my support and I want you two to be happy. That's all I've ever wanted for him and now you."

"I'll try my best."

"I know you will," she said as she looked out at her son, who was still lost in the waves. "Go get him. I want to talk to him"

"Okay."

Nelly's mother kissed him on the cheek one more time before he got up and slowly made his way onto the sand and walked toward the man he could now be with for the rest of his life if he wanted to. She watched his every move as he navigated through the sand towards her son. He sat next to the St. Lunatic rapper, who looked back at him with no emotion on his face. He honestly didn't know how to feel and wasn't even aware that his mother was sitting on the swing on the veranda watching them. T.I. rested his head on his shoulder and enjoyed the moment for what it was worth, which was a whole lot. He didn't say anything but rather listen to Nelly try his best to convey all his conflicting feelings and emotions into words. It was hard for him. After he couldn't take any more of his man's heartache, he stopped him by placing a simple kiss on his shoulder. The older rapper looked at him as T.I. began to talk about what just happened between him and his mother, making sure not to miss a single important detail. He was confused by it all at first but the slender rapper made him understand everything that was said. Nelly's mother continued to watch them sitting out on the sand, now knowing deep inside that she made the right decision in accepting her son and the relationship he had with the man beside him.

Even though Nelly now knew that he had his mother's support with his relationship with the younger rapper, he was still scared and nervous to go and speak to her. They both stayed on the sand sitting next to each other for a long while, not saying anything. The St. Lunatic rapper had his hand around his man's shoulder while T.I. still had his head against his strong bicep. It was dark now. The sun had completely disappeared under the horizon and many stars blanketed the pitch black sky. The air was cool as it hit their faces and skin and the caramel colored rapper finally spoke, comforting his man by telling him that the worst part was over and that he needed to talk to his mother. He was right of course. The worst part of this whole ordeal was done but Nelly had to hear the words for himself. He had to hear what his mother wanted to say to him. They hopped up from the sand and began walking back toward the house. His mother had left and went into the living room because she didn't want to seem like she was intruding on their moment alone. The needed it and she understood and respected that. They walked into the house to see her sitting on the couch. T.I. knew that Nelly needed to be with his mother alone right now. He let go of his hand and walked out of the room.

"Hi mommy," he said a little nervously as he sat next to her on the couch.

"You haven't called me mommy since you were a little boy," his mom responded, sadness evident in her voice.

"Yea."

"I'm sorry baby boy. I didn't mean to slap you."

"I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was going on with me sooner. I didn't want you to be disappointed in me. Or feel that you did something wrong in raising me."

"Funny. That's exactly what I thought. That I made a mistake somehow."

"You didn't mom. You didn't. You did the best job raising me."

"I was wrong. I see that now. You're a wonderful man."

"Thanks to you."

"I need time to understand your choice Cornell. But I want you to know that I will support you in anything you decide to do. I just want you to be happy. That's the only thing I've ever wanted for you."

"I am. He makes me happy."

"Is this what you really want?"

"Yes."

"What about your career? What if someone finds out and tells the world?"

"That's a chance we're gonna take. He means everything to me mom. I can't give him up."

"He feels the same."

"I know."

"I love him for making you so happy. He's such a great man."

"He really is."

"If this is what you want then I'm going to support you two in it. I see what he does to you."

"Thank you mommy," he sweetly said as his mom hugged him tightly.

"He told me about you and Murphy. What are you gonna do?"

"What can I do? He's not talking to me. He's never gonna accept me."

"Don't give up on him Cornell."

"It's been like this for the past few months. I told him and he flipped out on me. I can't force him to change his mind."

"I didn't say that baby. But you two have been best friends ever since grade school. Was he that mad?"

"Yea. He went crazy. He wasn't trying to hear it. And after a while, I just gave up because I tried to get him back but he wasn't willing so. I had to move on."

"That was hard for you huh?"

"Yea. I still think about him. I miss him."

"I know Cornell. I know."

"Mom are you sure you're okay with me and Tip?" Nelly asked. He needed to know the truth.

"It's going to take some getting used to but yea baby. I'd like you to stay with him because he's so understanding and sweet. He's a wonderful guy."

"That's why I love him so much. I knew you would too once you met him."

"I'm starting to. Why didn't he stay?"

"Because he thought we needed this time alone to work everything out."

"He's always thinking about you isn't he?"

"Just like I'm always thinking about him."

His mom got serious for a moment. "I understand that it was hard for you to tell me what was going on with you but I don't want you ever lying to me again okay? I didn't raise you like that."

"Yes mom."

"Good. I'm going to be okay with this."

"I love you."

"I love you to my sweet little boy."

"I'll always be your little boy."

"Yes you will. You always will. So how long have you two been here?"

"Going on a month now. He just finished wrapping a movie and needed a break and I was working with some new artists and needed one too."

"You guys having fun?"

"Yea. Just relaxing and not having to worry about anything. It's the best feeling in the world."

"I won't get in your way then."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll leave so you two can finish your vacation."

"No. No. Stay. Relax yourself too. You've never been here."

"I know but I'll feel like I was intruding. You two need your space."

"Mom, Tip and I talked about this before you came. We said that no matter what happened that you could stay for as long as you wanted. It would've been awkward if you didn't accept us but since you did, we don't have to worry about that now. Stay. Please."

"Are you sure honey?"

"Yea. We want you to."

"You're speaking for him Cornell."

"I know he wouldn't mind."

She got up. "I'd like to hear it from him myself."

"Okay. Let's go find him then."

Nelly got up and they walked together into the kitchen, where the younger rapper was busy writing lyrics in his notebook. "I want you to be honest with me," his mother said as she walked into the kitchen and sat next to him in the nook.

"Huh? Okay."

"Would you be upset if I stayed for a little while? Cornell says that you thought it was okay but I need to hear it from you."

"No. I don't mind at all. I would like it if you did. It would give us a chance to get to know each other more."

"You're not just saying that?"

"No. Really. I want you to. Someone has to help me put up with your son and who better than his own mother?" T.I. said as he laughed.

"I'm liking you more every minute Clifford!" she said to the younger rapper as she laughed.

"Ganging up on me already?" Nelly said, frowning.

"Aww come here baby boy," she said as Nelly sat next to her. She put her arms around him and then around T.I. "My two little boys. I want you two to always be happy."

It was going to be an interesting experience having Nelly's mother around for the week. Although both men prepared themselves for it before she came, it was a whole different experience once she was actually there. They were severely limited in the things they used to be ale to do freely before It was nice having her around though because she did offer them great advice on life and love and not to mention that she cooked all their meals, which were good in their own right. He let his mom take his American Express Black card with her when she went shopping a few times because she was in a new, exotic place and many things caught her eye. She would usually come back with clothes or trinkets. The St. Lunatic rapper was happy to see that she was happy but more importantly, he was relieved because he knew that she genuinely accepted his and T.I.'s relationship. Sometimes he would see her and the caramel colored rapper talking and it made him feel good inside because they were getting along. They would also gang up on him on many occasions but just end up laughing about it all in the end. They had a blast together and truly enjoyed her company because she was a strong, special woman and T.I. could see after that why Nelly had such a close relationship with her. It was hard not to.

The two rappers hadn't been intimate in a while, since Nelly's mother had been staying with them. She was slated to leave in two days and although both men were happy to have her stay, they also needed their privacy. They were extra careful not to kiss, hug, or even hold hands for the past week because they didn't want to seem disrespectful to her. It was easier said than done. It was Saturday and her flight was to go out early on Monday. Although she loved it here, she wanted to go home because she had many things to see about and take care of. She took spending time with her son any way she got it though because of his busy lifestyle. T.I.'s manager called him on several occasions because he wanted him back in the States and ready to work already. He was honestly having too much fun and didn't want to go back but at Nelly's encouragement, he called his team back to hear what they had to say, though it was eminent. The black sky glittered with numerous shining spots as the caramel colored rapper walked around the house to turn off any lights that was still on. The St. Lunatic rapper's mother went to bed only a few minutes before and he was glad because he was tired. After that, he entered his room and got into bed next to his man, who was reading a book he found downstairs earlier.

"Tired baby?" Nelly asked as he looked up from his book. He closed it shortly after that and put it on the nightstand beside him.

The younger rapper's head hit the pillow and he stared up at the ceiling. "Yea. It was a long day. Your mom went to bed a few minutes before I did."

"Yea. She came in and kissed me good night."

"She really loves you."

"I know. She loves you a lot too you know."

"Really?"

"She told me. She said that she loves that you make me happy. That you're a good man. Basically she sees all the things I see in you."

"I dunno what to say."

"It's okay baby," he said as he held on to his man's soft hand. "I told you it was hard to be around you and not fall in love with you. How you think you got me?"

"Cuz I got skills. Mad skills. Don't even deny it."

"Aight aight. You got mad skills Tip."

"I'm glad she came and you two worked everything out and all---"

"But you can't wait until she leaves?"

"Yea," he said a hint of guilt evident in his voice. "Is that wrong?"

"No. I feel the same. Things have been different since she's been staying here. I hate not being able to touch you whenever I want."

"Yea. She'll be gone soon and everything should be back to normal."

"You know," Nelly said as he inched closer to his skinny prince. "She's probably sleeping now."

"Probably," T.I. responded, completely unaware that the comment his man just made had an alternate meaning.

"I've really missed you."

The caramel colored rapper looked at him. He now knew what was going on in his mind. "Come on Cornell. You're mom's here. We can't."

"Please?"

"What if she catches us?"

"She won't. And I'll just have to kiss you in places that don't show. Promise."

"Uh," he grunted as he felt Nelly's finger run along his neck.

"You know you wanna."

"No baby. Not while she's here. It wouldn't feel right."

He sighed hopelessly. "You're right. The last thing I wanna do is force you. How `bout an innocent good night kiss then?"

"Since when have any of our kisses been innocent?"

"Come on," he whined. "You're gonna make me go to sleep without the taste of your lips?"

The young rapper moved closer to his man's lips and pecked them for a brief moment. "Good enough?"

"I'll have to make it do for now. But mark my words, when she's gone I won't be settling for good enough. You'll be mine kid."

"Always have been."

"True. Very true."

"Get some sleep."

"I can't after that kiss."

"Then go take a cold shower."

"Don't have to be so mean about it," he pouted.

"Baby I'm tired. Let's just get some rest."

"Okay," he said as they both turned off the lights that were near them. Everything went silent for a while. "I love you Tip."

T.I. turned around and faced his man in the dark. The moon's light outlined everything he needed to see. He kissed the older rapper's full lips, not wanting to stop. "I love you Cornell."

It was still dark outside when Nelly awoke T.I. Monday morning so they could say goodbye to his mother. She was sipping some coffee in the kitchen when both men entered, after brushing their teeth and changing their clothes upstairs. The caramel colored rapper went to fix the two of them coffee while his man sat across his mother in the nook and began to talk to her. As much as she didn't think she would accept her son being gay, she did and most importantly, found peace with it. The decision was made easy for her because she would silently notice from time to time the way T.I. would look at him or how they would confide in each other or the little things they did to make each other happy. She saw genuine love between the pair and was not going to object to it in any way. The slender rapper made her son happier than she'd even seen him. That was all she ever wanted for her precious baby boy. He sat next to the St. Lunatic rapper and they all talked for a short time before a horn sounded outside, signifying that her cab was here. At the front door, she told them to always be careful and to always be there and look out for the other. She hugged and kissed the younger rapper sweetly on the forehead and did the same to her son before leaving.

Both rappers spent the rest of that morning giving into the pleasure their bodies were denied for the past week. Nelly practically carried his man up to their bedroom and almost ripped his clothes off in a moment of lust. Feeling the older rapper's skin touch his and his fingers roaming all over his anticipating body made him want it even more. His breaths were short and needy and he felt that his insides were on fire because this man was touching him so intimately right now. Their kisses were long and hands explored every conceivable inch of skin in a game the two had come to know so well and crave like the air they breathe. T.I. was on a high like never before because he not only had his sexy boyfriend kissing on him and making him happy, but he now knew everything was right in his world because the St. Lunatic rapper's mother accepted them. She accepted this. There was no need to worry about it anymore because the most important person in Nelly's life knew about the secret relationship he had and there were no secrets left to guard that prevented either of them from enjoying their happiness. The day around them became nonexistent as they were enveloped in their own world of passion and emotion to care about anything else. Everything was right. They fit together perfectly.

As much as they both wanted to stay longer, they knew they couldn't because they had been away for so long. Nelly needed to work on the new artists he signed to his label and he was sure that the film roles were pouring for the caramel colored rapper because of his great performance in ATL. This was their paradise and neither rapper wanted to leave. The slow days were spent lounging around, swimming and playing basketball; T.I. finally managed to win a couple matches against his better half. The St. Lunatic rapper was not surprised by this because he knew his man was good and would be able to beat him one day. It also didn't hurt that he was an excellent ball player. They were slated to stay about another two more weeks in the southern French Riviera before making their way back to the States and resuming their lives as the infamous rappers they were. It was nice to get away from that public image and just be themselves but all good things must come to an end. T.I. was anxious to see what kind of movie roles were offered to him and he knew deep down that some small part of his man wanted to get back to work. He may have stated otherwise but the younger rapper knew too well to believe that. The vacation served its purpose and more to the two lovers.

T.I. swam around the pool in a pair of navy blue swimming trunks as the older rapper disappeared into the house to find them something to drink. The sun hung low on the horizon as the moon made itself known. The clouds looked bright orange as he swam a couple laps around the pool. It had been nearly a week since the St. Lunatic rapper's mother left and true to his word, Nelly made the slender rapper his many times since that period. They had nothing to worry about now because they knew they could keep their relationship a secret for as long as they wanted to; they didn't have the need to lie and keep his mother in the dark anymore because she accepted them, and most importantly, they were happy. They were in love and that emotion alone was enough to keep each man faithful and trusting of the other. The caramel colored rapper sat on the steps and was running his index finger through the water when his man came back and handed him a glass bottle. It looked like beer but Nelly told him that it was a normal drink in this part of the world and to try it. The effervescence tickled his throat on the way down but it did taste good. He relaxed himself and felt waves hit his face and chest because the older rapper jumped in to the water from the other side. He swan up and sat next to him.

They talked and relaxed themselves as the sun disappeared under the horizon and the moon's light began to take its place. Something about swimming in the night always appealed to the skinny rapper ever since he was a little boy. He just liked it. He rested the bottle on the edge of the ground by the steps and submerged himself under the water for a second. He propelled his body under the water and traveled for a while before emerging for air. Nelly was still sitting on the steps so he made his way back, swimming above the water this time. Once he was a close enough distance to him, the St. Lunatic rapper sat up and positioned his hands in front of him. T.I. stopped and his entire upper body was almost immediately assaulted with water. He tried to dodge his man's attacks but he was too good, throwing wave after wave of water at him. The caramel colored rapper gave up on running and started fighting back. A water war began between the two lovers as they tried their best to conquer the other in battle. Nelly was moving in dangerously close to his opponent and when the timing was right, he pounced on the smaller rapper and grabbed him into a tight bear hug. The water around them went still as the war was left behind and pleasure was before them.

Their lips touched and kissed each other passionately while their bodies held on to the other for an added intimate feeling. Nelly's tongue managed to sneak past his man's defenses and got into his mouth as T.I.'s hands rested on his shoulders and fingers caressed his upper back. The bear hug was released but their bodies were still close together as the older rapper's hands rested on his man's waist; their kiss became more passionate and full of pleasure. There was a strange buzzing sound that broke the men apart, knowing what it was. They shot each other weird looks because it was the doorbell. Nelly hopped out of the water and went to grab a towel before walking back into the house. T.I. wanted to go too but stayed back at his request. He wondered who it was. No one knew they were here. He slowly swam back to the steps of the pool and sat there, looking at the entrance to the house. A long while had passed before shivers began running down his body; he was cold so he got out and made his way for his towel. Where was Nelly? Why was he taking so long? The towel dragged along his cold body as he quickly dried himself, still looking at the door leading into the house, hoping that the older rapper would come back. He made his way to the front door and a conversation started assaulting his ears.

"My mom told you I was here?" he heard his man talking.

"Yea. She wanted me to come and talk to you. And him," the stranger said.

"She told you who he was?"

"Yea I know. T.I. Why didn't you tell me it was him Cornell?"

The caramel colored rapper finally recognized the voice. It was Murphy. He got closer to hear what they were saying better. "I couldn't do him like that. It wouldn't have made a difference anyway."

"You don't trust me?"

"It's not that. I just did---"

"How long have we known each other? I'll never understand that."

"Why did you come here man? You already said all this to me before?" He then realized that his mom wanted them to make up and that's why she told Murphy where he and T.I. were.

"Where is this nigga?" he asked, completely ignoring the question.

"Probably still swimming. You didn't answer me."

"Can I talk to him alone Cornell?"

"Why? What do you have to say to him?"

"A lot. I want to talk to him before I talk to you."

"Aight."

T.I. raced into the kitchen so he wouldn't get caught and wondered why Murphy bothered to come all the way out here to talk. Had he accepted Nelly? Did he want them to be friends again? From the tone of his voice, the caramel colored rapper could tell that he was not angry anymore and almost sounded remorseful. It was a nice idea but he was not going to allow himself to be taken by it because anything could happen at this moment. He figured they were still talking in the foyer as his mind wondered on what Murphy Lee possibly wanted to talk to him about. Did he hate him? Was he going to ask him to leave the St. Lunatic rapper? He didn't know what to think as he wiped his face with his damp towel and went into the fridge to find something to drink. The cool air chilled his body to the bones even more than it already was and he suddenly wanted to be in a hot shower because all the muscles in his body were tense. He couldn't remember the last time he was this nervous nor worried about what was going to happen in the very near future with the exception of the older rapper's mother coming to visit them. He was sitting in the nook drinking a Gatorade when the two men entered and felt it when his man was looking at him. The moment was tense until Murphy finally broke everything.

"Wuz up nigga?" he said to T.I.

"Chillin'," he said as he looked at Nelly. He had no explanation for him.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Yea. What's going on?"

"He wants to talk to you alone. I'll be upstairs taking a shower," Nelly said, never breaking the stare he shared with his lover.

"Aight," the both said unintentionally.

Murphy sat across the caramel colored rapper and stared at him for a while before saying anything. "You like it here?" he tried to make conversation.

"It's cool."

"How long you guys been here?"

"Little more than a month," T.I. responded. The kitchen was tense.

"That's a long time---"

"What do you want man? Why did you come here?"

"I was that easy to see through huh?" Murphy asked as he smiled a little.

"Yea. Why'd you come here?"

"Because I was stupid. I was only thinking of myself."

"Why are you telling me this? You should be telling him."

"I will. I just wanted to tell you that I was sorry for acting the way I did."

"When he first told you?"

"Yea. I flipped out and said some stupid shit that I wish I could take back."

"I know."

Cornell's my boy. I love him like a brother. He is my brother."

"So why'd you wanna talk to me then?"

"Because I know how much you mean to him and I had to come and tell you sorry for all that stupid shit I did in the past."

"You really hurt him you know. He didn't know what to do."

"Did he ever tell you if he still wanted to be my friend?"

"Yea. Plenty of times. He couldn't let you go. I think he tried to convince himself that he did because you weren't coming back but I know him better than that. He loves your friendship. Just because he's involved with me shouldn't change that."

"Funny. That's the exact same thing his mom said. I guess I needed to hear it twice."

"She told you to come here?"

"Yea. She called me after so got back to the States and told me everything. She also said that she accepted you two and that I should do the same because Cornell is really happy. The both of you are."

"Do you?"

"I'm trying. But no, just give me a little time. I'll be over this."

"Do you mean it?"

"Yea. I miss him. We had fun on the tour didn't we? The whole crew."

"Yea."

"I'm not that much of a bad guy."

"Honestly, I never thought of you that way. He wanted to give up so many times but I kept telling him not to because you meant that much to him and he would regret it if he did."

"You did that for me?"

"Yea. I know the kind of person you are man. You made a mistake and I didn't want you two to lose the relationship you had for so long over it. I guess you needed time away from the situation for a while."

"Damn! Are you real nigga?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"His mom told me about the conversation you two had when she was over here."

"Which one?"

"The one about you putting your feelings aside if she didn't accept you two."

"Yea. I was gonna let him go."

"Because you didn't want him to have a bad relationship with his mom."

"Yea."

"I honestly didn't believe it but now that I'm sitting here talking to you, I see that it's true."

"What's true?"

"That you really do love him."

"Yea. I do."

"That's rare."

"It was hard for us to accept it at first too. I mean we tried everything to not make it real. But we kept giving in to what we felt and sooner or later, we both knew it was right and there was no more fighting it. We couldn't."

"I get you. You think he'll want me back as a friend?"

"I know he will. I want you around him because he trusts you and in this business, that's hard to find."

"Yea. I miss him like crazy. Of course we can't go picking up women anymore," he said with a smirk.

T.I. laughed. "Crazy boy!"

"Ay so when did this start?"

"Even before the tour. We met in a recording studio in L.A. and it just went from there."

"So when he and I went to the club and picked up those females you two were together?"

The young rapper felt a little sting in his heart. "Yea."

"So he---"

"Yea. But that's in the past now."

"Fuck. You found that shit out because of me right?"

"Yea I did."

"Oh man. I'm sorry boy. Didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"Don't worry about it man."

"Was he planning on telling you?"

"Yea. He's an honest guy. You just beat him to it."

"So you guys worked through it? Everything's solid?"

"It is now. The last part was getting you two to become friends again."

"That selfish Murphy didn't deserve any friends. He changed his attitude though."

"I'm glad."

"So you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive man. You made a mistake. We all do."

"His mom was right; you are something special."

He blushed a little. "She said that?"

"Many times. I think she loves you as much as she loves her son."

"That's a good thing."

"A great thing."

They both got up and hugged each other for a brief minute before they heard someone clearing their throat. "What's a great thing?" Nelly asked the two men.

"Nothing. I'm gonna go take a shower."

"What happened?" the St. Lunatic rapper asked as they walked into the living room, sitting on the sofa once they got there.

"Nothing. Look Cornell, how long have we been friends?"

"I dunno. Too long to remember."

"You know you my boy right?"

"I used to. Not anymore."

"Okay I deserved that one."

"Why'd you come here fo' real?"

"Because I want to be your best friend again. I want you to forgive me for the stupid way I acted."

"That shit hurt man."

"I know. That was my fault."

"It was."

"Tip tells me that he talked you out of hating me."

"I could never hate you man. You're my brother. He kept telling me to give you time."

"You should hate me after all the shit I said to you that night. I'm really sorry about that Cornell. You are my brother. I want to look out for you again. I want you to look out for me. I want things to go back to how they were before that night happened."

"I do too."

"So we're tight again?"

"What brought on this change?" Nelly had to know.

"Well besides your mom threatening to kick my ass, it was time I stop being so selfish. This is important to you and I want to be happy for you. I want you to be my best friend again. I want to be yours."

"He's really important to me Lee."

"I should've seen it sooner. Maybe I did and I just didn't want to accept it."

"I think it's the second one."

"Most likely. I've only talked to him like this once and I can already tell how much he loves you. That's saying something. I won't get in the way of that. You're too important to me to be acting stupid like that."

"Man I keep thinking that you're not here right now."

"Naw. I am. Trust me."

"I want---"

Murphy interrupted him. "Answer me something first."

"Yea?"

"This is what you want right? I man I'm not challenging what you feel or anything but I want you to be sure that this is really what you want in the end cuz you know it's gonna be hard."

"Oh yea. Hell yea. No doubt. He takes care of me and looks out for me and everything. I love him so much man."

"Damn! He got you sprung then huh?" he said as he laughed.

"Shut up! But honestly, yea. He's been had me like that since we first met. I just never knew it. Or maybe I didn't want to admit it either."

"Shit's serious then?"

"Yes."

"You say this is what you want and I believe you. I'm happy for you man. Sorry I haven't always been there or accepted this. That was my mistake."

"You're here now and that's all that counts to me."

"Why aren't you yelling at me? Or hitting me? I came over here expecting that."

"For what man?"

"Cuz of what I fucking said. I was a complete jackass that night."

"No argument here. But it was a mistake. I understand that. I made a big one too so I should know."

"He told me. Why'd you let that happen?"

"Because I was stupid and didn't know what I wanted. I was confused and then trying to hide it from you and shit. Everything just got to me."

"I see that."

"I knew how bad I wanted him to forgive me and I'm glad he did. You're in that same position now and I know how much I hated it so I'm not gonna do you like that. I do forgive you. Shit happens. That doesn't mean I'm gonna hold it over your head forever."

"He's lucky to have you."

"Naw. I'm lucky to have him. You just don't know how much I love this nigga."

"I think I'm starting to see it."

"Good."

"No matter what you my brother Cornell. I love you man. Well not like that."

"Shut up nigga!" Nelly laughed. "I don't love your ass like that either."

"Better not!"

"Just give me a hug. You and your slick ass mouth."

The two men hugged for a short while. "This place is nice."

"Can you stay?"

"Naw man. I need a vacation but I'm still working on the album."

"Haven't really been helping you with that the last couple of months have I?" he asked, feeling a little guilty now.

"It's cool. You had good reason."

"You leaving now then?"

"Tomorrow like at ten. Gotta get back to the States."

"Sure you can't stay man?"

"Nah. When you guys coming back?"

"Next few days. We've been here for over a month now."

"Yea he told me."

Nelly got serious for a moment. "I needed to hear those things from you."

"I know. You deserved at least that much and it's about time I put someone else's feelings before my own."

"You should never do that. It's just that---"

"It's cool man. You're not just anybody anyway. You my boy so it's all good. Sorry Cornell. For all that shit."

"I know."

Murphy flying all the way out to the French Riviera to finally accept his best friend and the relationship he was in meant the world to Nelly. He honestly couldn't describe how happy he was because the two most important people in his life now knew the truth and consented to it. The three men stayed up throughout the rest of the night talking about everything that came to them. T.I. could see why his man and Murphy were so close because they thought alike in many instances and liked to joke around a lot. It was a comforting thought to him to know that the St. Lunatic rapper got his best friend back and didn't have to sacrifice their love for it. No one and nothing important was standing in their way of being together now. Time went by quickly and before any of them knew it, they were saying goodbye to Murphy because he had to get to the airport. He compassionately hugged both Nelly and T.I., telling them to always be there and trust each other, before he got into the cab and sped off towards the airport. They watched the yellow cab disappear into the streets before returning to the final days of their vacation together. He sweetly kissed the caramel colored rapper once the grand doors were closed behind them. It was a thank you kiss for always believing in Murphy and him.

The last days of the vacation went by quickly but the two rappers enjoyed their last moments of free time with each other. The caramel colored rapper T.I. knew he had a stack of work waiting for him upon his return and he was going to welcome it because the vacation reenergized and revitalized him to no end. He was ready to take on any and everything his manager and label was going to throw at him. He would miss Nelly always being there to talk to or hug or kiss though. He'd become addicted to having the St. Lunatic rapper right there next to him, seeing as he'd had it like that for almost two months now, and he honestly didn't know how he was going to adjust back to how things were before they came here. Being able to kiss his man whenever he wanted was too good a feeling for him to give up but he knew he would have to. He was set to go back to Atlanta tomorrow while the older rapper was going to New York to work on Murphy's album as well as the artists he signed before coming to Saint-Tropez. Their time together was over and although both didn't want it to be, they understood because it had to be this way. They couldn't stay there forever. The full moon's light illuminated the sky and ocean as the two lovers sat out in the sand and watched the water move.

"Thank you baby," T.I. heard himself say under the moonlight.

"For what Tip?"

"Planning this trip. These past weeks have been some of the best for me."

"For me too. I'm glad you had fun."

"I had too much fun. All because you were with me though."

"Wouldn't have had fun without you here with me either."

"Back to the real world tomorrow."

"Yea. I think it's about time though."

"No doubt. Need to start making that money again."

"Yep. Your birthday is coming up and I gotta get you something," the St. Lunatic rapper said as he smiled.

"Yours too. What you want?"

"Surprise me."

"I'm good at that."

"You are. You liked it here baby?"

"Yea. It was worth it because we were here together."

"No regrets?"

"No. Why?"

"Just asking."

"Oh."

Nelly looked at the young rapper sitting next to him in the dark. He looked so innocent and adorable. "I want you to always be happy Tip. I want you to always smile and always know that wherever we are in the world, you'll always have my heart. I'll always be thinking of you."

"It's gonna be hard isn't it?"

"A little at first but we'll get used to it. We always do."

"Yea. I trust you Cornell. I love you and I trust you. Our relationship is stable. You'll have my heart with you wherever you go always."

"I love you too baby. I don't think you'll ever know how much."

"I got the rest of my life to try and figure it out right?"

"Oh yea. You stuck with me lil' sexy boy. For good."

"I like being stuck with you."

"Since you said `thank you' I guess it's my turn."

"What for?"

"Telling me over and over to not give up on Murphy. You were right all along. I don't know how to thank you for that baby."

"You don't have to. I knew he wanted to be your friend just as much as you wanted to be his. You two meant too much to each other to let anything come in between that."

"You had faith in him. And me."

"I've always had faith in you baby. You know how much I believe in you."

"I don't know what I did in this world to deserve you. You're my angel Clifford. I know it sounds corny but its how I feel. I want to always make you happy. Make you smile. I cherish you baby."

"Trust me; I didn't do bad for myself at all. Only you know how I feel for you. That's not going to change tomorrow or the day after or ten years from now. When I told you that you were in my blood, I meant it. I constantly think about you. I'm always gonna love you. You're made for me baby."

"I feel the same way. I knew I tried to deny it for a long time but I couldn't anymore. The little things you would do just got me hooked. I couldn't deny what I felt for long when it came to you."

The two rappers shared an innocent kiss as the waves crashed onto the sand, close to their toes. "Damn. Never get tired of that."

"I know what you mean. You ready to go back tomorrow?"

"Yea and no."

"You gonna miss me huh?"

"Like you ain't gonna miss me."

"Never said that durrty."

"So why ask questions you already know the answers to? Think you slick Nelly?"

"Nelly huh? I'm not your baby anymore?"

"You'll always be my baby. No question in my mind `bout that."

"Just wanted to make sure."

"Tryin' to run game shawty?"

"Naw nigga. Don't play games remember? You love me?"

T.I. contemplated him for a moment. "Yes sir," he said cutely.

"Like I love you."

Even though it was morning, the mansion where the two rappers T.I. and Nelly shared for close to two months of their life was dark and seemed barren. All the windows were closed, not allowing any light in, and every foreign item that was brought into the house was packed into suitcases and left on the foyer. There was no trace of people ever staying in the luxurious mansion. Everything went perfect in ever conceivable way. The vacation more than met the St. Lunatic rapper's expectations and it was time to get back to work and being the rapper Nelly. He had promises to keep and things to do if he wanted his record label to be successful. In a slight way, he was looking forward to getting back to work but T.I.'s taste would always be on his lips. That's all he could taste. The States were calling them though and they would have to settle for meeting up whenever their schedules would allow it and also when it was a low risk of them getting caught. It was hard but it had to be this way. There was no doubt in the older rapper's mind or heart as to who he wanted. All the denial and confusion was a thing of the past now and the only thing he was looking forward to was the future. His bright future with his lover and best friend. The two lovers left the French Riviera the same way the came there, on separate planes, back to the rapper facades they could no longer run from.

The End

If you have any questions or comments you can e-mail me at jc71883@hotmail.com or hit me up on AIM ~ Dragon93085.