Hello all! I'm back again! And, again, I don't have much to say. Some of you may have heard, but Joey Fatone is engaged! I wish him and Kelly (his long time girlfriend and mother of his little girl) a life filled with happiness and love.
This is the second chapter centered around the New York stay, and, hopefully, will be filled with more laughter.
Disclaimer: I have no knowledge of NSYNC, anyone affiliated with them, or any other celebrities that may appear here. This is a work of fiction, so any mention of sexual orientations/habits or personalities are made up by me! If you are offended by stories about relationships between men, or are too young to legally read such things, please leave.
A Light in the Tunnel
Chapter 24
As Burke's eyes fluttered open, his first sight was a blur of reds, pinks, yellows, and whites. Quickly rubbing his face, his vision cleared and he saw the forest of roses cluttering the room. Their aroma perfumed the air, a sweet scent soaking every breath. In those brief moments, his eyes roamed. The candles, as thick as the flowers, had become short stubs, finally burning themselves out sometime during the night. He smiled at the memory of the dancing light as he and Josh had crawled into bed. Something would have to be saved so he would always remember that night, a few roses carefully pressed and one or two candles. With a content sigh, he realized that he would have a permanent reminder, looking at the gold ring on his finger. No, Josh hadn't proposed, but his promise was just as good. "Nothing and no one," Burke murmured as he relaxed, falling back against the man who had made all his dreams come true. Everything was perfect. Even his mind was at ease, no tumult in his thoughts. His body languished in the waves of love cascading like a gentle waterfall over and through him. There was peace in Josh's drowsy embrace.
The alarm would ring in a few minutes, but Burke didn't want to face the day, only desiring to lay like that forever. His free hand smacked at the clock, flipping the switch. Josh rolled to his back, so he rolled too, laying his head atop the firm muscles of his chest. Though he knew it might disturb Josh's sleep, his fingers inched over the slight ridges of his relaxed abdomen. The singer's skin felt like warm silk under his touch. Nature, too soon, refused to be ignored, and Burke had to pull away, getting up and heading for the bathroom. Coming out, he was greeted with open blue eyes. With a smile, he returned to bed and the arms he relished. "Good morning," Josh whispered, nuzzling his neck.
"Good morning to you too." Wrapped around each other, their lips sought the day's first kiss.
"You cheated," Josh smirked. "You've already brushed your teeth." The threat of morning breath did not deter them from kissing again. "I suppose I ought to get up, but I'd rather stay right here."
"Me too, but I don't think Lance will let you off for the day. You could pretend to be sick, but then they won't let me stay and take care of you."
"Why not?"
"I'm not sure dad would believe that you were resting if I was here."
"Good point. I wonder how long until Lance comes knocking." On cue, a light tapping sounded at the door. Josh groaned. "Too soon!"
"Come on, Romeo, time to get up." After another prolonged kiss, Burke dragged him from the bed. "You shower and I'll let everyone know we're up."
His hair still damp from a quick shower, Burke strode into the suite next door. His friends looked up, smiles on their faces. One by one, the teen made his way to them, giving each a strong hug. "You all are too much. Thanks." "No problem, little man. Did you all have a good night?" "The best." There were other things he wanted to say, but figured the bright smile on his face said enough. Lance was going over the day's schedule while they ate. It was another full day, and everyone was excited. Burke, not feeling like getting up and walking to the breakfast cart, reached across the coffee table and snatched a piece of bacon from Justin's plate. "Hey!" he whined. "Oh my--" "Just, do you have to be so loud this early?" "Right now I do!" He grabbed Burke's hand and brought it to his face. The light, streaming in through tall windows, gleamed off the thin band. Justin's eyes darted to his best friend's hand, then back to Burke. "This is so awesome!" Without explaining to the others, he jumped up, pulling the boy into a tight embrace. "What's going on?" Joey asked, lost to the sudden excitement. Justin, on the other hand, was oblivious to his band mates. "Have you all made any plans yet? How did he ask you? Oh my God!" "Justin! Settle down!" The curly haired young man stopped his raving, his mouth dropping open as he stared at Josh. "It's not that kind of ring, so stop it." The other's quickly caught up on the developments of the previous night. Lance dabbed at his eyes with a napkin during the story, and Chris beamed proudly. "It's just a promise between the two of us. Nothing is going to come up that we won't talk about. This past week we were miserable because we weren't talking about things bothering us, and if we hadn't gotten it out in the open, it would have eaten us from the inside. Things are going to come up in the future, but we'll deal with those so our love doesn't suffer in silence." "So, one of these days you're actually planning on proposing?" Justin was barely sitting on the edge of his chair, his knees bouncing up and down. "One of these days, Curly, but not yet. For starters, Burke isn't even eighteen yet." Not really listening to his friend, Justin launched into another barrage of questions regarding a ceremony no one had even thought of yet. "Of course," he continued, following Burke out of the room, "you have to have things arranged evenly. Josh is my best friend, so I'll be on his side. You can have Chris, since he's your dad and everything, and Joey. Lance will be with me and Jayce. But then there's Heather and Tyler." His nose wrinkled cutely at the small problem. "Well, you and Tyler get along so well, so you can have him, and we'll take Heather, except that she's be the only girl in the whole thing. Nevermind, we'll think of something later. Mom and Phyllis will fight about who gets to give you away. You aren't going to wear a dress, are you? I mean, you can if you want, but I'm thinking matching tuxes, Versace or something. Maybe Prada. Josh will want blue ties and everything, but I'm not sure you can find blue flowers. Would red be ok? Because lots of things come in red. Besides, blue flowers aren't really blue, they're purple, and that's not the same thing at all. You'll have to convince Josh that red is better. Or white. White is good too. That way you can get Calla lilies. Do you like those? But I guess it all depends on the time of year. If it were me, I'd get married in the summer since you have so many options. Outside, inside. What about at the beach? That would be cool and you could use seashells and stuff to decorate. No, that's been done to death. You need a place that's half original. I'll think about it some more, and get back to you." Burke rolled his eyes, trying not to be overwhelmed by something that wasn't really happening. "I'm glad you have this all planned out, Justin. That way I don't have to worry about a thing." "That's ok. You don't need to stress out since there are a bunch of us that will help as much as we can. Lance is good at pulling a bunch of things together, so he'd be the best bet when it comes to getting everything set up at specific times. And Joe knows all the best restaurants, and he can tell you which will cater and stuff. Chris--well, Chris can make sure you're where you need to be when something needs done. It might be a good idea to have the wedding somewhere back home, that way you can be at your house, and Josh can come to mine, 'cause you know it's bad luck for you to see each other beforehand." "Justin," Lance giggled, laying his arm across the young man's shoulders, "breathe." "Huh? Oh, ok." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After a quick lunch, they group split up, some going to one place, and the rest to another. Burke decided to tag along with Lance and Joey since he knew he'd be a distraction while Josh was trying to work. So, you all get everything worked out last night?" "At least the big stuff. There are still some little things we need to talk about, but last night we were totally drained and needed to relax." "Just as long as you listen to each other when you discuss what you need to, and be honest about what you need." "Don't worry, Joe. If there's anything that Josh is good at, it's communicating. He's not in Justin's league, but-" They all cackled, easily remembering his earlier, chaotic display. "I hate to tell you this, little man, but *no* one is in Justin's league. Brit is the same way when she gets going. I swear those two must have been separated at birth!" "So, where exactly are we going?" "We're going to a small recording studio. A website wants to make a trivia game, and we're part of that. They'll ask us questions about the group, and we'll give the answers. People playing the game will try to guess the answers, then hear our responses. It should be fun." Burke looked at his friend skeptically. "Hey, don't give me that look. You could have gone with the others!" "Yeah, but Justin would have continued his discussion of my future wedding, and I would have been a distraction. Dad would have gotten fed up and made me sit in the corner." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On Sunday afternoon, Burke stood in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection as the tailor adjusted the shoulders of his jacket. Chris had taken him to pick up his tuxedo, and they were making sure it fit properly. It had a more contemporary cut, Burke's shoulders not wide enough to carry the classic shapings. He turned to his father for approval, feeling uncomfortable being dressed up while no one else was. Chris grinned and nodded. "What do you think?" Burke fidgeted with the narrow lapels. "It's alright, I guess. I'm not used to stuff like this." "I know, and thank you for humoring me. What kind of accessories do you want? The basic black?" "Whatever you think is best. You're the clothing guy after all." Chris carried over a thin tie of shimmering silver silk, and deftly tied it around his son's neck. "I like this. You'll need button stud and cuff links too." "Silver?" "It makes your eyes come out. Do you want something else?" "Maybe dark blue?" The older man snickered. "You've got it bad, don't you? Alright, dark blue it is. The need to please your boyfriend beats the opinion of a profession." He quickly replaced the tie with another, then led Burke to the case of jewelry. "They have sapphires and lapis. Which one do you like better?" Burke's eyes bulged as he looked at the stones. He knew what a complete set in sapphires would cost, so he quickly said lapis. The button studs and cuff links were added to the tuxedo. "Looking good, son!" "If you say so. I look like I'm going to a fancy funeral!" "We'll see what everyone says tonight." "What's tonight? I figured we'd stay in since you all had a show last night and one tomorrow. This is our third day here, and we've had something to do every night so far." "We've been given tickets to tonight's ballet at the ABC. They're doing Romeo and Juliet. I know how much you like the play and movie, so I figured you'd like to see the ballet." Burke grinned, obviously pleased. "Do we get box seats?" "Of course! You may have to spend most of the performance explaining the finer points to Joe. You know how hopeless he is!" The limousine stopped and they spilled out of the car, everyone adjusting their coats. "How in the world did you all talk me into going to a ballet?" Joey groaned as they made their way inside. They were escorted to their seats, and waited for the curtain to go up. Josh spent most of the first half watching the rapt look on Burke's face. In the dim light of the theatre, he looked angelic, an aura of happiness surrounding him. Sure no one other than his friends would see, he slipped his hand into Burke's squeezing softly. The boy's eyes turned to him, the gray orbs flashing, making his heart flutter. It had been bad enough when Burke had emerged from the bathroom, looking very dashing in his new tuxedo, but the joy radiating from him now made Josh's knees weak. Pretending to reach for something on the floor, he bent over and kissed the back of Burke's hand. He had never doubted his love for the young man, but, watching him watch the unfolding scene below them, he was more positive than ever. By the end of the performance, everyone of their feet as the stars took their bows, Josh had run the gamut of emotions. Yes, he enjoyed the ballet, but the better show was the one that had played upon Burke's face. When the star-crossed lovers had met and courted, the boy glowed with anticipation, and made him wonder if he had looked the same way when his feelings for Burke were first blossoming. Josh felt exquisite bliss when he saw the wistful expression in his boyfriend's eyes as he watched Romeo and Juliet fall into each other's arms. His anger flared as tears ran down Burke's cheeks, the characters torn apart. And deepest sorrow when Burke closed his eyes, the boy remembering his own brush with death. As they climbed into their waiting limo, Josh cuddled Burke to his chest, not knowing how the rampant feelings had affected to him. No one lingered in their good nights, disappearing into their rooms soon after they reached the hotel. As Burke hung up his coat, carefully brushing it flat with his hand, Josh ached to be the one to put him to bed. That yearning could not be controlled, and he crossed the room, stepping up behind him and wrapping his arms around Burke's slim waist. Burke sighed and let his head fall back to rest in the hollow of Josh's shoulder. With nimble fingers, the singer slipped the button studs out of their holes, delicately dropping them in the velvet covered box they came in. Burke offered no resistance as Josh slid the white shirt from his shoulders, lolling under the ministrations. They didn't speak as the rest of their clothing was taken off and put away. Their eyes were locked together as they stood in the middle of the room. Neither wanted anything more than to behold the utter beauty of the other. "Josh," Burke whimpered. He put his finger to his lips. "Don't worry. Tonight is not the night. I just want to hold you in my arms." They crawled beneath the cool sheets of the bed, their arms and legs intertwining. "I love you so much, Burke," Josh whispered, his forehead pressed against his boyfriend's. "I love you too, Josh, more than I can ever tell you." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sunday had been their day off, Monday bringing a return to hectic dashing. They did an early interview with Katie Couric, then sped to do an interview and two numbers with Regis, the guys filling in for the once again pregnant Kelly Ripa. Burke, much to everyone's glee, completely charmed everyone they met. The Today Show people desperately tried to convince him to due an impromptu segment, or at least be interviewed for one of the primetime shows. Regis instantly began doting on him, then was surprised when Burke beat the computer version of his game show, the teen promising that he had never played it before. Chris argued vehemently when his son tried to claim, bashfully, that it was good luck. The rest of their morning, and part of the afternoon, was spent at David Letterman's studio, taping their segments for that night's show. The towering Late Night host immediately offered to take Burke to a baseball game if he had the time to go. Though he politely declined, not being a fan of the Yankees or Mets, he did accept an autographed picture Dave agreed to pose for. "You know," Joey teased, "I don't know if I can claim you anymore. Not a Yankees fan? Are you insane?" "If they were playing the Cardinals, I would have went in a heartbeat!" Justin was not going to let an opportunity pass. "Who cares about baseball! All I know is that Josh better keep a better eye on you!" Burke blushed, knowing perfectly well what his brother was about to say. "We were busy doing our interview, and I saw you over there yakking it up with Matt Lauer!" Josh dug his fingers into Burke's ribs. "Should I worry that you're going to leave me for a journalist?" He tried to quell his giggles long enough to put a tone of disdain on the last word. "Don't be silly. If I was going to leave you for someone, it would be Kevin Richardson!" "But he's straight!" Chris shrieked. "And married!" Lance added. "I know, that's why Josh doesn't have to worry about me going anywhere. I'm not about to waste my time chasing after him, and I've got too much of a conscience to break up a happy home." He smiled at his boyfriend. "Good boy!" Josh grinned, and kissed his cheek. "Eew, get a room!" Josh did it again, then turned to Justin. "If we were going back to the hotel, Justin, we could do that. But since we aren't, you'll just have to put up with it!" Television things finished for the day, they went directly to the arena for sound checks, rehearsals, and the other things that came with every concert. Burke, since he had begged to be allowed to go to the different TV studios, spent several hours with his teacher, making up some of the lessons he had missed that day and the previous Friday. Burke was surprised at the number of special guests who made their way backstage after the show. He always made himself scarce during the times the guys had to entertain fans, so he helped the band pack up their instruments. The staff members joked with him easily, forgetting that he wasn't one of their regular crew. As he was taking down one of the standing microphones, Burke stopped, looking out into the empty arena. His eyes glazed over, picturing himself doing a concert in front of thousands of people, his voice ringing out over their cheers. "Hey Neil," someone's voice rang out, breaking his daydreaming, "turn on Mic Four." Burke turned around to see Kevin hooking his keyboard up to it's amp. "We've all heard about your amazing singing, Burke, so let's hear it for real." "I can't." "Why not?" "Because this is where the guys are playing. I'm out here to help you all, not mess around." "That's a load of bull if I've ever heard it! Your mic is ready, someone is up at the boards, and I'm here for music. What are you gonna sing for us?" Burke looked around, his mind suddenly blank. "Here, try this." Kevin cracked his knuckles and started playing one of NSYNC's ballads. A spotlight fell on Burke as the music rose to a crescendo. Slowly, he grabbed the microphone and pulled it closer to his mouth. His eyes slid shut as he pictured the words to the song. Soft at first, Burke soon began to sing in earnest, his voice wrapping around the melody coming from the speakers around him. As the last notes faded into silence, he opened his eyes to see the cleaning crew gathered at the front of the stage. He blushed as they began to applaud. Their clapping was quickly eclipsed by the staff's. None of them, however, made as much noise as the five men standing off to one side. "Stop it!" he growled shyly as they ran over and tackled him to the ground. "In all this time, I've never heard you really sing. That was absolutely beautiful, Burkey boy!" Lance pulled him to his feet, then into a hug. "When we get finished with this tour, I'm going to get you into a studio." "I don't think so!" "You just wait! I'll pester you until you give in!" "That was awesome, bro!" Justin screeched as he pushed Lance away. "Not compared to you, Just, but thanks." "Hell," Joey laughed, grabbing Burke from behind and swinging him around, "I'd trade Justin for you any day of the week! Smooth, little man, real smooth!" A little dizzy, Burke stumbled into Josh's arms, feeling himself instantly steadied. He looked up into Josh's amazing blue eyes, waiting to hear the final verdict. No words came, but his opinion was clear as his mouth came crashing over the boy's. Though neither of them heard it, shrill whistles echoed through the building. Panting as they broke apart, Burke giggled. "I guess you liked?" "I liked a lot! I think I'm more in love with you now than I was ten minutes ago!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That's all for this one! I know it's a lot shorter than usual, but I have big plans for the next chapter, and this was a good place to leave off. I hope you all liked it! Here's your teaser for next time: We learn why JC shouldn't have alcohol, Burke hits his first club, a provocative delivery is made. I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions. You can reach me at cameronwriter@hotmail.com Always, Cameron