Looking for Love in all the Right Places - Chapter 5

Looking for Love in all the Right Places
By Dream Howler

Standard Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is not intended to imply anything about the true sexuality of the celebrities mentioned or with any personal knowledge about their private lives.

Author's Note: As with the last several chapters, you may recognize some of this from the original version of the story.

The restaurant is based off a real place in Atlanta. I have never eaten there, but I have heard good things. To view the room in question in the story, you can go to the following url and click on party space: http://www.buckheadrestaurants.com/vvv.html

Dream Howler Contact & Story Information:

Cast Pictures: Click Here. Link also has pictures of cast vehicles, tattoos, and eventually pictures and floor plans of houses.

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E-mail: dreamy@rqarchive.com

Chapter 4 – Recap

Both groups, accompanied by Aidan, Drew, and Kent, went to Underground Atlanta. When the groups started splitting apart for shopping, Drew finally told both groups who he really was, and told them that they put on a great concert.

Justin did his typical, "I can't believe I never get the hot guys" routine and stomped off in a pout. Justin still hasn't caught on that he really should leave Aidan alone. He is still trying to get Aidan's attention, and even is getting upset that Kent now seems to be taken as well.

Aidan pulls Howie aside and tells him about Josh, which caused Howie to be upset. However, Howie couldn't blame Aidan for wanting to be with someone that he had known for over a year.

Josh and Aidan go out on a date to Veni Vidi Vinci, and Josh meets the owners, who are fans of the group. He decides to give his two new fans concert tickets for the next time they are in Atlanta. Aidan is very pleased with that.

Chapter 5

Veni Vidi Vici

Josh smiled at Aidan from across the table after Tino left, his eyes taking in the room for the first time with interest. The large dining room that could easily sit over twenty people was decorated in a typical Italian style, but it had a bit of flair that most restaurants didn't have. The room was painted with a light tan base, and was beautifully decorated with a large mural that spanned two walls. They both had lovely country scenes that appeared to the eye like you were standing on the balcony of an Italian Villa looking out into the countryside. The other two walls were filled with giant arched windows, with crisp white shutters. The arches were set into the wall, creating a large buffet table at its base on either end. Josh was sure that these two ledges came in handy with large parties. It was tastefully done, and even though the room was large, he could see a romantic flair about the room if the couple in question were alone.

After assessing the room he cleared his throat, and feeling suddenly awkward, he asked, "So, tell me about your childhood?"

Aidan thought for a moment, and spoke, "Well, not many really know my true background, actually. In fact, if they did know my background, they would wonder how I ended up in computer classes at Georgia Tech, instead of finishing up classes at Julliard."

Josh looked at Aidan shocked, "Julliard? Really? You got into Julliard and you're studying computers?"

Aidan nodded, "I took classes all day Saturday for most of the school year while I was growing up. In fact, I fit in pretty well, since I had been writing songs and playing the guitar since I was around eight, and piano since I was seven. My parents insisted that I learn an instrument, and they tell me I was quite talented. Each member of the family had to choose one at one time or another, and I was no different."

Josh sat there stunned, "Wow, I don't think I've known anyone that went to Julliard. Tell me more about it?"

Aidan continued, "I was lucky to have talent in more than one instrument. Playing the guitar was more of my passion than playing the piano, but I was given lessons in both. After spending five years in classes, I realized that I loved the guitar much more than the piano, but they told me that all the guitar classes for the college were filled. I think they were trying to get me to continue taking piano. I fooled them all by applying to Georgia Tech. They were pretty upset, I think." Aidan laughed softly before looking down at his plate.

Josh nodded, "Well, why don't you tell anyone? Wait... How did you get into Julliard? Isn't it expensive? I mean I know you have that big expensive car, but..." Josh looked at Aidan, confused.

Aidan chuckled softly, "Um, well... that's something else I have been meaning to tell you." Aidan cleared his throat and looked up into Josh's eyes. "My family is quite well off. My father established a very sizable trust fund for me. That's not counting the money dad pays for me to go to school, and everything else."

Josh blinked, "Really? What does your family do?" Josh looked at Aidan with a stunned expression on his face. Josh had intended to ask Aidan if he wanted a job on the tour, but if he was rich, would he really want to go with him?

Aidan nodded, "Yeah, I don't normally tell too many people, it's one of the reasons why I have two cars. I think its okay with you; you have your own money after all, so it's not as if you'd really care about mine. I would rather be liked for me, not because my parents have money. My dad owns several businesses, but the main company is Derikson Enterprises, Inc. He buys companies that have promise, gives them better management, and resells them. He started it with family money. We've had it for a long time, and every generation adds to it."

Josh blinked again, "Wow, but you don't seem... well... forgive me for saying so, but you don't seem spoiled. The few people I have met over the years with a lot of family money are quite spoiled, and think only of themselves."

Aidan laughed, "Nope, spent too much of my time growing up either working for my dad as a runner, or practicing piano or guitar. Who had time to be spoiled? Heck, Kent is rich, too; his grandfather invented a bunch of stuff. I forget what it was, now. Do you think he's spoiled?"

Josh laughed for the first time since the conversation had started, "No, though he sure does voice his opinions loudly. He seems like a genuinely nice person. I think Lance really likes him." Josh thought for a moment before continuing, "You know, I've been wondering about Lance for awhile. I think he's gay and just hasn't told us, yet. I don't know why he hasn't, though; he has always been a little on the quiet side about things like that."

Aidan nodded, "If anyone can get someone out of the closet, it's Stone. Especially if he's interested in dating that someone. Knowing him as well as I do, Kent likes Lance a lot."

Josh made a humming sound. "You think so? Lance is kind of a sensitive person. I hope Kent won't hurt him."

Aidan smiled, "Nahh, I have never known Kent to hurt anyone, really. His nickname has nothing to do with his last name, and nothing to do with being heartless. Stone has this way of letting people down without them feeling hurt. It's the most amazing thing I have ever seen. It's great to watch, sometimes. He's nicknamed Stone mainly because he is a rock for his friends. He's always there for them. It was just a coincidence that it was his last name. We thought it would be silly to call him Rock Stone; it sounds like a porn name," Aidan said with a laugh.

Josh hmmed again, "Sounds like someone we should all get to know. Too bad we have that court battle this coming month, and we still have an album to put out before the next leg of the tour. Maybe Kent can fly to Orlando and hang out with us: keep Lance company."

Aidan looked puzzled, "Court battle?"

"Yep, with our management for the money they owe us."

"Oh, that's right. Well, you know, I am sure that Kent has probably thought about coming to Orlando. If he hasn't... we can always suggest it, right? I am sure that a certain someone might want me to fly out too, and I am not talking about Justin." Aidan said with a laugh.

Josh grinned, "Right. I think I am going to have to tell him to keep his hands to himself. I think he wanted to eat you and Kent up. I am surprised he wasn't making eyes at Drew, but perhaps he realized it wasn't smart to mess with our new management."

Aidan smiled, a warm feeling running through him as he heard Josh's comment about him. "Yeah, hopefully he is smart enough not to mess with Drew if he doesn't like him first. I have a feeling that Drew likes Brian actually, which is sort of odd, in a way."

Josh chuckled softly, "Well, that is interesting news. Brian could use someone in his life. However, if he's gay or even bisexual, it will be a struggle for him, considering his background. His parent's are extremely religious: fanatical at times, from what I understand. Brian even grew up singing in the church choir. It won't be easy for Drew to get him to open up."

"Yeah, but if Drew makes up his mind that Brian is the one, he'll do his best to make it work. Anyway, Brian has been watching Drew quite a bit. It's kind of obvious that Brian likes him, too."

"Really? I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention to notice the signs. It is nice that Drew is that determined. I think he is going to need it."

"Yeah, he's determined. He has to be, in his business. If he wasn't, then Wolf Sound would be a speck of dust on the music scene."

"That's very true. Anyway, let's talk about something more interesting: mainly us," Josh said with a chuckle.

"Sounds like a plan. What else would you like to know?" asked Aidan, with quiet laughter.

"Oh, just about everything, which will take more than one date," replied Josh, joining in the laughter... "And hopefully a lot more to come."

With perfect timing, their salad course arrived. As they ate quietly, they chatted once in awhile, and just sat enjoying each other's company. The second course was brought, which Aidan had ordered ahead of time. Salsiccia e Peperonata, and some assorted Italian meats. Josh hummed appreciatively as he picked up a sausage from the plate and began eating.

"Mm, you sure know how to pick good food; I couldn't have done better myself. If the main course is as good as this, I will definitely not want to eat for awhile." Josh laughed softly.

Aidan grinned, "It is. What would you like for the next course? The Fettuccini is really good, and so is the Tortellini. Of course all of its good, but those are my favorites."

Josh hmmed, "Well, I like both, too. How about we get both and just share?"

Aidan grinned, "Sounds like a plan to me. I was just about to suggest that myself." Aidan winked at Josh. "Great minds and all that, huh?"

Josh chuckled, "Yeah, great minds."

Tino came back and took their orders for their final two courses, Pollo for Josh, which was a chicken dish, and Scallopine Al Funghi for Aidan, which was a veal dish with mushrooms. Overall, when they were done, they were so stuffed that they just couldn't eat another bite.

"Are you enjoying your meal?" asked Raimondo, popping briefly into the dining room.

"It's great," replied Josh. "Really amazing."

Raimondo smiled. "I have an excellent Chef. He has been with me a good number of years. I shall let him know you are pleased." Raimondo departed, and Tino came back shortly with their check and hugged both of them.

"Thanks again for the tickets! I can't wait to go. You call us any time you want this room, okay? We will make sure you're not disturbed." Tino's grin was so wide that Aidan wondered if it was beginning to hurt.

"Thanks, we will." Josh smiled and winked at Tino, causing him to blush.

Aidan took the check, looked at it, nodded, and pulled out his wallet. He scribbled something on the ticket and handed it and his card to Tino, who disappeared to run the card. Josh started to say something, but Aidan held up his hand. "You can buy next time, okay?"

Josh nodded, "All right. It must have been a lot, huh?"

Aidan shook his head. "Oh, it's much less than it normally is. Apparently the wine was on the house, so that saved some money. I usually come with a group of friends, or bring Stone with me. We each pay our own way, of course."

Tino came back and gave Aidan another hug, "Thanks, Aidan. You two have a great evening."

Aidan grinned, "Thanks! You too."

Aidan stood, and grinned. "Come on, let's go." Aidan put his card in his wallet and pocketed it, then waited at the door for Josh. They quickly walked outside, finding Aidan's Mercedes waiting for them.

"You had Tino call for your car, didn't you?" Josh laughed. "I was beginning to wonder what you wrote down and why it took so long for him to come back."

Aidan winked, "Yeah. Couldn't have my man mobbed, right?"

Josh grinned, "You know, I like the way you say that."

On the Way back to the Hotel

Josh and Aidan climbed into the car and began to make their way back to Josh's hotel. Suddenly Aidan had an idea, and pulled up to the curb of a small store. Getting out, Aidan grinned at Josh, "Be right back."

Aidan went inside and got some cheese cake and two pints of ice cream. He was happy to find some Mint Chocolate Chip for Josh and Butter Pecan for himself. Once back inside the car, they quickly sped off to the hotel. Aidan was surprised to find no screaming girls outside.

"Guess the other guys already left, huh?" Aidan asked.

Josh nodded, "Yeah, they left about an hour or so ago. Which is good, `cause no one knows I am here. Let's get inside just in case, though."

Aidan nodded, and they hurried up to Josh's room for some time alone.

Josh's Hotel Room

Aidan and Josh walked over to the elevators, pushed the button, and waited. After a few moments the doors parted, and they walked inside. Josh pushed the button for the fifteenth floor, and they quietly rode to the top. Half way up, Josh got an impulse to grab Aidan's hand and squeeze it gently while smiling at him, but at the last minute realized there might be a camera in the elevator, and suppressed the impulse quickly. Arriving at the correct floor, they wandered down the corridor, Josh grinning to himself at the prospect of his favorite feature of the suite he had booked for the night; the two person Jacuzzi and all the possibilities it contained.

Entering the rooms, Aidan looked around and smiled. "Nice, for a hotel..." He walked over to the refrigerator, placed the two small pints of ice cream in the freezer, and placed the rest in the refrigerator. "It's always nice when they have a real fridge. Otherwise my surprise would probably go to waste... unless we ate it now." Aidan chuckled and winked.

Josh looked at Aidan and grinned. "What did you buy, anyway? I saw you put something in your bag, too..."

Aidan grinned. "Later, hon. How about we get comfortable and freshen up a bit? Then we can see my surprise."

Josh laughed and grinned, slowly pulling his shirt over his head; he pulled off his pants, but began to feel self-conscious and left his boxer briefs on. Aidan watched Josh for a moment, and then began disrobing himself. He wasn't the least bit self-conscious of his body; however, he could tell that Josh must have been, because he was blushing ever so slightly, especially when Aidan pulled off his boxer briefs. Josh let out a small gasp and Aidan looked down.

"Is something wrong?" Aidan asked.

Josh shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. Aidan was just perfect - at least to Josh. While Josh was looking him over, Aidan's dick gave a twitch, causing Josh to gasp again.

Aidan chuckled softly, and shrugged. "Sorry; he likes to perform for an audience." Aidan winked at Josh, causing him to blush even brighter. Aidan walked over to Josh and pulled him gently closer, nibbling at his bottom lip softly before kissing him. Josh hummed softly and wrapped his arms around Aidan's shoulders, clutching him close. Kissing was like a drug to Aidan. He could tell in just one kiss how someone felt about him, and Josh was sending out all the right signals. By the time they parted again, they both were breathless, softly gasping for breath.

Josh pulled away slightly. "Let me go set everything up. I'll be right back, stud..."

Josh blushed again. He hadn't meant to call Aidan that, but somehow it fit just right. He walked over to the radio, turned it to a station, and `Seasons Change' by Exposé came on. Smiling, Josh headed into the bathroom, filling the tub with water. Aidan leant against the doorjamb to the bathroom, casually watching Josh as he lit several candles, which cast a romantic glow over the room, while waiting for the water to fill the tub.

"Hey, where did all this stuff come from?" Aidan asked impressed. "When did you have the time to sort this out?"

"Oh - when I called to make my reservation for tonight, I spoke to Lance, who set it up for me before he left," Josh explained, avoiding looking at Aidan, hoping he liked it.

"It's amazing, and beautiful. I didn't know you were so romantic." Aidan grinned, seeing Josh blush again.

"Thanks. I hoped you would like it." Josh moved over to the knob, turned off the water, and turned on the jets, which whirled to life. Josh had yet to remove his boxers when Aidan moved closer, nuzzling the back of his neck, causing him to shiver slightly before wrapping his arms around him.

"Relax, hon. We will go as slow as you want, okay?" Aidan said softly in his ear.

Josh nodded, and smiled. "Let's get in, yes?" Aidan let Josh go, walked around him to get into the tub, and held out his hand to help Josh in. Josh looked down at his shorts and smiled at Aidan, blushing again.

"You can leave them on, if you want. I don't mind... though they will be very uncomfortable when you get out of the tub." Aidan tried reassuring Josh again, hoping that he believed him.

Josh nodded, taking Aidan's hand, and stepped into the tub, feeling the water swirling around his legs as he moved to sit down in front of Aidan. Instinctively, Aidan pulled his arms around Josh and cuddled him close, causing Josh to sigh softly as he nestled back into the hard body behind him. He could already feel the briefs clinging to his body, and briefly thought that he might as well be naked for all the discomfort that he was feeling.

Aidan nuzzled Josh's neck again, inhaling his scent and said, "Josh, tell me the truth - you haven't been with a lot of guys, have you?" Aidan felt Josh freeze up slightly and he cursed at himself mentally. "Sorry, babe, it's okay. You don't have to tell me. I was only wondering why you were so nervous. Relax, okay?"

Josh nodded slightly. "I'm sorry. It's just been a long time since I've really been with anyone. It's hard when you're moving from town to town every day or so."

Aidan nodded. "It's okay. I said we will go slowly, and I mean it. Okay?"

Just then, the radio switched to `Will You Be There in the Morning' by Heart, and Aidan started singing softly to the music. Josh nodded and snuggled back into Aidan's arms, sighing contentedly while listening to him sing. When the song was finished, he smiled.

"You have a very nice voice, Aidan; you seem to have a lot of talents," said Josh, glancing over his shoulder to see Aidan blushing slightly. Josh scooted up higher, twisting slightly in his seat, and kissed Aidan gently, running his tongue over Aidan's lips. Josh definitely wasn't a slacker in the kissing department. In fact, if Aidan were to rate the kiss on a scale of one to ten, he would have given it a twelve.

It was soon after that they both decided to get out of the tub before they turned into prunes. Josh was definitely more relaxed after being in the path of the jets for a while, and Aidan was feeling pretty good, too. Josh grabbed one of the towels and started to dry himself off, when the towel was taken out of his hands.

Aidan rubbed Josh's shoulders dry working his way down over his pectoral muscles to the edge of the waistband on his briefs, then moved around to his back to gently mop up the remaining moisture, resisting the urge to lick the path the towel was taking.

The gasps and groans of pleasure nearly pushed Aidan's self control over the edge.

"Like that, huh?" he commented to a now blushing Josh. Moving swiftly away, he grabbed another towel and started drying himself, not even really looking up. Josh stilled Aidan's hands and took the towel from him. "Aidan? Is something wrong?"

Aidan looked up and shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong. I just didn't want you to panic when you saw how hot that just made me."

Josh looked down and gasped softly. Aidan was fully erect and very big, at least eight inches by Josh's calculation. It was slightly longer than his own and Josh couldn't be more pleased. Aidan was getting more impressive as the night wore on, and it made him grin.

Josh looked up at Aidan and winked. "Here, let me dry you off before you catch a cold." Josh moved behind Aidan and began to dry him off gently, just as Aidan had done for him. This definitely was an interesting situation. He couldn't remember ever drying anyone else off after a bath before, and he was finding it surprisingly stimulating. Josh walked around to Aidan's front and started running the towel down Aidan's smooth chest. Aidan had his eyes closed, just enjoying Josh's ministrations.

"Mmmmm, that feels nice..." Aidan whispered.

"Yeah, you must work out a lot, huh? You're... so... hot..." Josh whispered back.

Aidan looked at Josh and grinned. "Thanks, babe. You are, too."

Josh knelt down to dry off Aidan's legs, and watched as Aidan's dick twitched right in front of his eyes. Josh glanced up at Aidan's face, feeling his own heat up as he blushed a fiery red.

_Thank goodness his eyes are closed,_Josh thought to himself as he struggled to get his blush under control. Fortunately, he managed to do so by the time Aidan opened his eyes and reached for him. Leaning towards Josh, Aidan instigated a soft kiss, and then taking Josh's hand walked them toward the bedroom. Aidan grabbed his bag and pulled on a clean pair of blue boxer briefs. Josh walked over to his suitcase and pulled out a pair of black boxers briefs. Looking over at Aidan, he noticed that he didn't put on a shirt, so he decided not to put one on either.

"Just, um, excuse me a minute," Josh mumbled retreating to the bathroom to get changed. Looking into the mirror, he gave himself a mental shake. Come on, get it together. He's hot, and he likes you. Just enjoy. Shaking off the image that formed in the front of his mind of Aidan waiting on his bed, Josh turned and, taking a deep, calming breath, walked back out.

Going over to the radio, Josh turned it off and hit the remote. When he turned, he saw Aidan grabbing some stuff out of the fridge. Aidan got out the plates he had bought and put the cheese cake on them, then brought out a couple of spoons and walked over to the bed.

"Surprise," Aidan said with a grin, and settled down on the bed.

Joining Aidan on the bed, Josh was surprised to see his favorite type of ice cream. "Wow, you remembered! I told you that, like, six months ago." Josh grinned, leaning over to kiss Aidan's cheek.

"Well, it was one of the few things you would tell me about you before we met, so I wrote it down." Aidan smiled.

Josh blushed. "I'm sorry; I didn't trust you enough to tell you more about myself, then. I wanted to so much, but I kept thinking, `what if you really were some crazed fan or something', and you were just pretending to not know who we were? I mean, so many people lie about themselves online! I didn't know what to do. When you told me before the concert you hadn't even listened to us before your cousin asked you to go to the concert, I felt really bad about withholding information from you." Josh took a bite of the cheese cake and mmmmed. "This is good - interesting combination." Josh took a bite of the ice cream and looked up at Aidan, who leaned down and licked some cream filling off Josh's nose. Looking a little startled, Josh chuckled.

Aidan grinned. "I couldn't resist, since it looked so yummy."

Josh grinned, blushing slightly. "Uhh... yeah..." Josh was quiet for a moment. "Oh, I got a couple of movies we could watch. I don't know if you've seen them or not." Josh put down his ice cream, walked over to the TV, and grabbed a couple of tapes off the table. "Let's see... we have `Hope Floats' and `Godzilla'."

Aidan grinned as he watched Josh. Josh had an incredible ass; all that dancing sure paid off. As he heard the selection of movies, he laughed softly. "Now those are two movies that are at the far ends of the spectrum. Hmm... let's watch `Hope Floats'. I haven't seen it yet. `Godzilla' put me to sleep the one time I rented it. It took me two times to watch it all the way through," Aidan said as he laughed softly and grinned. Josh nodded and put it in the recorder.

Turning to walk back to the bed, he looked down at the remainder of the food, commenting, "You know, I am kinda full. Let's put this up and save it for later, okay?"

Crawling off the bed, Aidan nodded. "Yeah, okay. Me too," and began to gather the food to put away, cleaning off the bed. Josh picked up the phone juggling the ice cream carton and phone in one hand, while picking up the TV remote in the other.

"Ah, gods, cold." Josh gasped as the ice cream slipped and he caught it against his chest, "Oh, sorry, no; not you. Just wanted to put in a call for a wake-up at five am. Yes. Yes, that's right. Thanks."

"All done?" Aidan asked, as he grabbed a pair of pillows off the bed, putting them up against the headboard, and laid down. Aidan smiled up at Josh and grinned, as Josh lay down next to him. Aidan reached over and pulled him close, wrapping his arms around Josh and nuzzling the top of his head before he turned his head to watch the movie.

After an hour or so, Aidan decided to get more comfortable and stood, took off his briefs, and crawled into the bed under the covers. Josh watched with interest, and shyly took off his while Aidan's back was turned, and quickly got under the covers. He actually thought he got away with it before Aidan had noticed, but by the expression on his face, Josh was certain that he had sneaked a peak, which caused him to blush again. He was getting tired of blushing all the time, but it couldn't be helped.

Aidan pulled him close; rubbing his hands along Josh's back, soothing the blushing Josh with his gentle movements and soft murmuring. He promised to take it slowly, but that didn't stop him from wanting to feel Josh's body. His little moans and soft sighs from after their bath, made Aidan hot, and he thought he might be able to coax Josh into a bit of mutual pleasure.

Josh cuddled close to Aidan, resting his head on Aidan's shoulder and smiled. I could get used to having Aidan's big strong arms wrapped around me, protecting me from the world, and keeping away all the crazy fans. Suddenly, Josh let out a moan, as Aidan stroked a particularly sensitive part of his body slowly; he jerked forward against Aidan and gasped as his cock brushed against Aidan's thigh.

Aidan slowly turned onto his side, and adjusted Josh's leg, giving Josh easy access to rub against more than his thigh. Josh gasped again as he felt his cock rubbing up against Aidan's. It was so perfect that he almost came within several minutes. After several more minutes of rubbing against Aidan's hard cock, Josh came with a gasp and a loud moan. He promptly buried his head in Aidan's chest, blushing like crazy.

Aidan smiled and cuddled Josh close, after cumming himself with a soft gasp. He started to speak, but after several seconds, he decided that it would be better to just to hold Josh and stroke his back gently. After ten minutes or so, Josh comfortably lying in Aidan's arms, fell asleep. Aidan felt the slight weight change and looked down, smiling as he saw that Josh had fallen asleep curled up against him. Josh had tried so hard to make tonight perfect, and no matter what else had happened, this was what it was all about; Josh curled up in his arms, asleep and complete in his trust in him. Aidan shifted into a slightly more comfortable position, careful not to wake Josh, and proceeded to fall asleep as well, sighing happily.

The next morning, Josh awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. Realizing that he had arms around him, he shifted slightly and smiled at Aidan, who was still sound asleep. Aidan had slept all night cuddling him close, and Josh suddenly knew he could get used to this really fast. Regardless of what he knew, he had a feeling that Aidan was right for him, and he was very glad that he didn't have to share him with Howie.

Josh answered the phone, thanked the caller for waking him up, and then kissed Aidan awake, chuckling quietly as Aidan stretched and curled his arms around him tighter.

The Morning of Nov 26, 1999

Justin's plan was unfolding. He would get Aidan a job on the tour and surprise him. Luckily, he had sneaked a peek at his number on Josh's nightstand before leaving Atlanta yesterday. Justin just knew if he got Aidan a job, he would pay attention to him. He was, after all, the cute one in the group. No one could resist Justin Timberlake, right?

Justin picked up the phone and called Jive, asking for Eric.

"Hello, Eric. It's Justin. Can I talk to you a minute?"

"Sure. What's up, Mister Timberlake?" replied Eric.

"Ummm, is something wrong, Eric? You never called me 'Mister' before," said Justin.

Eric laughed. "Well, what am I supposed to call you? What do you want, Justin? I have lots of work to do."

Justin stuttered slightly. "I... Well... Yeah, `Justin' is better than calling me `Mister Timberlake'. I thought we were friends, Eric?"

Eric laughed again, only harder this time. "You lost the right to call me your friend when you dumped me for a woman, Justin. Anyway, like I said, what do you want?"

Justin sighed. "I have a friend that needs a job, and I thought we could give him one on the next tour. I heard Bernie wasn't coming back as a roadie in February. He wants to spend time with his new kid."

Eric hmmed. That was news to him. "Well, I suppose we could. Is this friend of yours gay, straight, or other?"

"He's gay, so he won't tell anyone about us," replied Justin.

"All right; what's the guy's name?" asked Eric.

"Aidan Derikson," said Justin.

The Afternoon of Nov 26, 1999

Josh spent most of the time on the plane from Atlanta daydreaming about Aidan, but his mind kept coming back to Justin's recent behavior. Despite going over Justin's actions and interactions with the other guys he was no nearer working out what the problem was than when he stepped into the airport, but he realized that he'd rather get a room by himself than share with his so called best friend. Once settled into his new room, he reflected on the conversation that morning. Aidan was coming with him!

FLASHBACK

Josh looked up at his boyfriend, blushing lightly as Aidan kissed him back once awake.

"Hey," Josh greeted Aidan, cringing at his own lack of sophistication, being unused to sleeping through the night with someone.

"Hey, yourself. You sleep okay?"

"Yeah, definitely. I could get used to this."

"Me too," agreed Aidan

"Well, I waswonderingifyouwantedtocomeonthetourwithme?"

"Um, what?"

"I waswonderingifyouwantedtocomeonthetourwithme?" Josh repeated quickly.

"And again, `What?' Slower, this time." Aidan laughed.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come on the tour with me; you know, like as a musician or something," Josh reiterated, getting more and more embarrassed by the second.

Taking pity on him Aidan replied, "Sounds like a plan. You know I have to finish up college, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, afterwards that'd be great. We could spend time together, and I can put off getting a full time position for a bit. It's not like I need to get out there right away."

Josh smirked to himself, remembering the look on Aidan's face as he tackled him in his enthusiasm for accepting the idea, jumping when a voice came through on the phone.

Shrugging, he told the woman who he was, and asked for Eric. Now that the band was changing management companies, he normally brought his concerns to Eric.

Eric picked up the phone. "Hello? Hello, anyone there?"

"Eric! Sorry, miles away. Long time no talk, man. How are things?"

Eric smiled. "Well, hello, JC. I am doing well, thanks for asking. This is a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?"

"I am doing okay, too. Listen, I kinda have a favor to ask you. I was talking to Kevin Antunes, and he told me that he was having problems getting backups for the new tour, and I have the perfect guy."

Eric put down his pen and held the phone closer to his ear. "Really? Do tell? We have been searching for awhile, and either they are homophobes or won't work with a boy band."

Josh laughed. "Well, in fact he's my new boyfriend. His name is Aidan Derikson. He studied at Julliard. He plays piano and guitar, though he prefers guitar."

Eric blinked. What was going on? "Actually, I gave him a job this morning, though not as a musician, but as a roadie."

"Say what? Who called you about a job for him? He's my boyfriend! Why would anyone else be calling for him?"

"Well, Justin called me earlier this morning, saying that he had this friend that needed a job, that he was gay, and that we didn't have to worry about the confidentiality stuff that normal employees go through for your two groups."

"Son of a bitch! What is Justin trying to pull on me?" Josh exclaimed furiously.

"JC, calm down. Look, how about you offer this Aidan guy both? He won't be needed all the time unless something unforeseen happens to one of the band members," Eric replied.

"Yeah, I will. Thanks. I just want to know what Justin is trying to pull. He's different, Eric. He used to be my best friend, and now I don't know anymore."

Eric hmmed. "He doesn't happen to have a secret crush on you, does he?"

Josh blinked. "I... I... have no idea. I never thought about it like that, although I don't think so. Eric, he's been after every cute guy that comes in his general area lately. If he isn't careful, he is going to out himself and the rest of us to the world."

Eric hmmed. "Well, I could have a talk with him if you want me to, but I would rather not, given our past history. It was hard enough talking to him this morning."

"No, he will get an earful from me, trust me. If he keeps this up, he won't have a best friend anymore. I just can't believe he went behind my back to get Aidan a job. He's been after Aidan since he first laid eyes on him, and Aidan hasn't given him the time of day. "

Eric hmmed again. "Well, that is interesting. You just make sure no one gets hurt, huh? I hope that once Justin realizes you are really together with Aidan, he will leave him alone. If not, he was never your friend to begin with. Oh, and congrats on your new boyfriend."

Josh smiled. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, by the way. I think I needed to hear that. You're right. If he doesn't leave my boyfriend alone, then our friendship never mattered. Thanks for the job for him. I will talk to you soon, Eric."

"No problem, JC, and don't be a stranger. You know you can call me any time to talk," Eric replied.

"Thanks, buddy. I might just do that soon. Oh, wait... How is the case going?"

Eric blinked. He couldn't tell Josh about the possible new changes yet. "Going good. I think you will win."

Josh breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Eric, I'm glad to hear that. We need to get back the money he owes us. It's sad what we let him do to us."

"Yeah, I agree. Good luck with everything, and have a nice break if you can," said Eric.

"Thanks. Have a great Christmas if I don't talk to you before then," replied Josh.

"Thanks. You too, JC," Eric replied.

Josh put down his cell, fuming. He was going to have it out with Justin as soon as he got to the hotel!

The Fight

As Josh settled in his room and he recalled the earlier conversation, he began to fume again. What was Justin trying to pull, anyway? Josh got up, opened the door, and stormed across the hall to Justin's room and banged on the door. "Open up, Justin! I want to talk to you!" Josh yelled.

Justin pulled on a shirt and walked over to the door. It was weird not sharing his room with Josh, but when Josh arrived, he'd asked the hotel for his own room, and Justin had no idea why. At first, he assumed that Aidan might be with him, but Justin had been watching and never saw him arrive. Pulling open the door, he found a very angry Josh staring at him as if he had just committed murder.

"Hey, Josh, what's up? You look mad..." Justin looked Josh over for a moment; doubting that Josh had even changed clothes yet.

Josh pushed through the door and turned around. "That is the understatement of the century! Close the door, Justin!"

Justin gulped. He knew that tone. Had he found out about Aidan being offered a job on the new tour?

"Justin! What's the big idea calling Jive behind my back - telling them that Aidan needed a job and you were trying to help him out? What are you trying to pull on my boyfriend? Are you trying to take him away from me? I thought we were friends!"

Justin stuttered, "I... I... Boyfriend?"

"Come on, Curly! We're supposed to be best friends! What has gotten into you? How could you try to break us up when I have known him for close to a year? I mean, come on, I talked about him all the time. How could you miss that?"

Justin shrugged and began to whine. "I didn't know he was that Wolf. Why do you always get the hot guys?"

Josh blinked. "Always get the hot guys? Justin, I have never dated a guy before. The girls I dated were all a long time ago. You know that as well as I do!" Justin shrugged again and turned away to look out the window.

Josh shook his head. "You're hopeless, Justin. I really thought you were my best friend. If Aidan agrees to come on the tour, he'll be with me, not you. Understand? When you come to your senses and realize that you're my friend, you can try and talk to me, though I don't suggest trying for at least a couple of weeks." Josh turned, opened the door and stormed out, slamming it behind him.

Justin stood there in shock and sighed. "What's the matter with me? I can't control myself anymore around cute guys." Justin flopped down on the bed and sighed again, crying softly.

The Morning of Nov 29, 1999

"Aidan! Aidan, guess what?" A voice bellowed from the phone a sleeping Aidan picked up.

"Tyler, what's up?"

"I've been hired by *NSync," Ty squealed in happiness, "as their tailor!"

"Well, yeah, what else would it be as? Wow, good for you! That's a fantastic opportunity for you."

"Yep, I thought so. Oh, Aidan, sorry I should have asked you: how's it been without Josh? You alright?"

"Okay, just about. It's been a hard couple of days since he got on that plane to leave. He's called every day, though. He and Justin aren't speaking at all, which is hard on him. I understand some of it. You know I feel for them both after such a long friendship, but I am definitely glad that Justin is backing off from stalking me, now." Aidan sighed deeply. "What I don't get is what kind of friend tries to steal someone that their best friend actually likes, let alone is going out with. Do you understand that?"

"No, not really. Doesn't sound like a good friend, that's for sure. When will you see Josh next?" Ty asked, hoping to distract Aidan from his morose thoughts and help cheer him up.

"No idea. I have exams coming up, so I can't go join him right now. We do get to chat on line still and on the phone, but it's not the same," Aidan replied, totally missing the sigh from Tyler when he realized he wasn't helping at all.

Tyler changed the subject again, and went on to tell him of the job offer that he was given for a couple of weeks. Aidan envied him. Aidan still had exams to study for, so he couldn't leave with Josh. Tyler was so excited about putting his skills to work for the band.

The Morning of Dec 10th, 1999

Josh had been gone for almost two weeks now, and even though Josh had told him of his plans to come back to Atlanta to be with him after the tour, he asked him not to. The problem was that he knew he wouldn't get any studying done if he was around. The sacrifices he made to complete his education early were just as important to him as the new life and job on the tour he had been offered after graduation. Sadly, for him, Aidan had really begun to miss Josh. Josh spent the last weeks of the tour calling Aidan whenever he was free. In all of his interviews, in fact, when someone asked him if he was seeing anyone special, he would say no comment, and wouldn't provide any more information to them. This, of course, made the interviewers curious, which due to a lack of concrete information meant they really couldn't do much but speculate, and speculate they did.

On the last day of his tour in Tampa, on December 2nd, Josh called Aidan again.

"Hey babe, how you doing?" Josh asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay. What's up? Did something happen?" Aidan replied, wondering why Josh was calling again so soon after their chat that morning.

"Nothing's wrong; just wanted to talk to you. Look, can you come to the concert tonight? It's not a long flight," Josh reasoned. "It's just a day out; you can be back by tomorrow?"

"I really can't. Much as I'd love to be with you, I really do have to study for my test tomorrow morning. I can't do that if I'm with you, and I would end up missing the test. You're far too much of a distraction," Aidan replied, with a tired sigh. "I miss you, and I'd love to be with you, to support you, and just hold you; you know that."

"Yeah... Yes, I do."

"But I really want to finish up school, as well. I've done so much extra work to finish early; I owe it to myself to do this. Please try to understand." Aidan begged. "Don't make this harder than it already is, please."

"I know, babe. I know," Josh assured him as he tried to hold back the sadness in his voice, "You do what you have to do, right? We'll be together in Orlando soon enough. I can't wait until I can see you again. I need your arms around me." He gulped. "I'll call tomorrow after the concert. Yeah?"

"Yes, `til tomorrow." Aidan hung up the phone quickly, knowing the temptation to go was getting almost too strong to resist.

Josh hung up his phone, feeling a bit better for having spoken to Aiden, but still a little sad that he hadn't been able to spend any time with him since their romantic hotel experience. After only one night, he'd missed having Aidan's strong arms wrapped around him. Josh also really wanted Aidan to be there with him in Orlando, since both bands were in a major lawsuit with their former management, and he really could use help forgetting about it for a while. He knew, however, that Aidan was studying hard for his final exams in between packing all his stuff he wanted to keep before moving to Orlando. Comforting himself, he recalled a conversation they'd had earlier in the week.

FLASHBACK

"Josh, hi! I have great news," Aidan exclaimed into the phone as soon as Josh picked up the receiver.

"What news? And, hi, yourself," he answered, laughing.

"My parents have bought me a house! I saw it last summer when we were there on vacation. They've bought it as a graduation present," he enthused. "They knew how much I love Orlando. It's near my old apartment; the one I told you about. I still can't believe they've done this. It's amazing of them! Just great!"

"Yes, I remember. So what's it like?" Josh asked.

"It's a beautiful four-bedroom, four-bath with a kind of modern look, but old style feel. I've only seen pictures since I first saw it last year, but I loved the pool area then. It's enclosed and surrounded by beautiful gardens, giving it lots of privacy. The main master suite had a large balcony that opens up into the back yard, and a huge master bath with a nice, large, two-person tub," Aidan described with a grin echoing wickedly in his voice. "It also has a second master bedroom, as well as two extra large guest rooms, though one is used as an office. What do you think?"

"I think it sounds perfect for you. You'll have plenty of room to invite friends over for parties and such."

"Yeah, I thought so too. There are a couple of areas in the floor plan that I don't quite like, though. I'll need to see the place again before I decide what to do. I can always hire a contractor if there's anything I need to fix up when I get to Orlando."

Josh loved how excited Aidan seemed. Just talking to him like this made Josh feel warm inside, but made him miss Aidan even more. Rapidly making his mind up, Josh asked, "Um, Aidan," Josh started to ask.

"I've already shipped out my Mercedes and my Camero from Kent's house. My motorcycle's being collected soon, so it'll be there when I arrive. I've packed a lot of stuff up and shipped it to a storage facility in Orlando. I figure I can go shopping to get the rest of what I need when I get there," Aidan babbled on.

"Aidan," Josh almost yelled to get his attention. "Aidan, I um, well I was wondering can I maybe rent a room from you?"

"Uh..."

Not hearing anything, Josh started to panic a little. "It's just that I've spent the last year or so living with Justin, and I need to get out of that situation as soon as I can. I'm staying with Lance right now, but I'm beginning to feel a bit like a third wheel. Kent is starting to wear down Lance's shields. It's great, really. Kent is good for him, and I'm really pleased for them, but it's awkward."

"Yes, I know; Kent said you were there. They don't mind, you know." Aidan tried to comfort Josh.

"I know they don't. Lance finally confessed to me that he's gay. I explained that I already knew, well mostly, and that the rest of the group knew as well. He took it really well. Better than I thought he would, actually," Josh replied.

"And?" Aidan asked.

"And what?" Josh asked puzzled.

"And what's the real reason you want to move in? It's not just that you want to get away from Justin is it, or Lance?" Aidan asked, holding his breath as he realized how important this answer was going to be for him.

"I miss you."

Aidan sat down to study his school books, but he couldn't seem to turn off from thinking about the future, and found his mind wandering. He was still unsure about Josh moving in with him. Though, Josh didn't exactly mention romance when he asked to move in with him. He actually asked if he could be his roommate, so that was technically different than a boyfriend moving in.

Although they had known each other for over a year, most of that year was not exactly an honest and open situation, due to Josh trying to hide his career, and he'd only really known him on an personal level for a couple of weeks. Although he was finding out more and more about Josh every day, he still felt as though he had barely scratched the surface of his personality: that he barely knew him.

However, something was telling him to go ahead and do it. Being roommates would probably make it much easier to find out if they were compatible in most circumstances. Aidan knew the house had at least three bedrooms, so there wouldn't be that much difference. He could stay in the master, and Josh could either stay down the hall or down stairs. If he recalled correctly, there was a nice sized outlying building on the property. If it was useable, after some fixing up, Josh could live out there until they felt more comfortable with each other and their relationship.

He knew Josh had even gotten him a job on the tour as a backup musician so that they could be together as much as possible, though apparently Justin got him a job as a roadie. Aidan luckily wasn't a stranger to hard work, so the idea of being a roadie on a big tour was very interesting to him, lifting heavy equipment would help him stay in shape, as well as giving him experiences he could use later.

The thing that seemed to bother Aidan the most now was that Josh and Justin were fighting. Josh really didn't give him many details, but Aidan was sure that they were fighting about him. From the first minute Justin had laid eyes on him, he seemed to want Aidan, however, he didn't think that Justin was used to being turned down by anyone, and Justin's recent behavior made him feel distinctly uneasy.

He recalled the contract he had signed, and shook his head in disbelief, still unsure about the backup musician part. He had never really played with a group of people like this before. Piano and guitar recitals were very different than playing in a band.

The musical director, Kevin Antunes, told him that he would have until February to learn all the songs for both bands and get accustomed to playing with a group. As he listened to both group's songs, he was pretty sure that he could at least do the piano parts, if not the guitar too, so at least he was okay, though he was, of course, nervous.

Aidan shrugged and went back to his reading and studying - only a few more days, and then he and Josh would be together again.

Aidan's Big Move - Dec 13, 1999

As he waited for a cab to take him to the airport Aidan's phone rang. Checking the caller ID, Aidan saw it was Tyler, and picked up the call.

"Hi, Ty," he said.

"Hey, you about ready to go?" Tyler asked.

"Yes, all packed. Just waiting for the cab, now. I am so looking forward to moving into my new house," Aidan replied.

"Yeah, and to seeing Josh again..." teased Tyler gently.

"Yeah, well," came the embarrassed reply, before Aidan quickly bounced back, too excited to stay down for long, "and going furniture shopping, preferably with Josh, and having a great house warming party once it's all done, of course."

"I hear you and Josh are going to give living together a try," Tyler commented.

"Yes, Josh's optimism is infectious. It makes it very hard to say no to him. He asked to be my roommate, so we will see how it goes. It's not like I don't have enough bedrooms. Hopefully it will work out okay. He keeps talking animatedly about going shopping with me, asking what styles I like, color schemes, and everything else under the sun. We haven't even seen the inside of the house, yet! Well, I have, once, a long time ago." Aidan laughed. "Did you know that the guys in both bands have actually gotten involved and decided that they are going to have a huge decorating party to get the house ready for Christmas? It's a great idea. They are being so supportive of our relationship. I wasn't expecting that."

Tyler laughed along with him. "I know. I heard Nick say that last night. I'll let you go; just wanted to say good luck. I might not get to see you for a few days after you arrive. I've been asked to take on both groups. The tailor who usually works for Backstreet has dropped out, and kind of left them in the lurch. It's going to be a bit manic for a while," Tyler explained

"Okay. Thanks for calling me. I appreciate it. Call me when you're free, yes?" Aidan answered him as the doorbell rang. "Got to go; that's the cab. See you soon, Ty."

"Yes, have a good trip. `Bye." Tyler rang off, as Aidan went to open the door and start the journey to the next stage of his life.

On the flight to Orlando, Aidan reflected on the strange turn of events where Tyler seemed to have hooked up with Nick once he got on tour. From what Josh said, they were rather cute together, which made Aidan laugh. Apparently Nick had this nice meal and romantic evening prepared for Tyler when he got off the plane. Tyler had called several times to fill Aidan in on his life. It was great to hear that Tyler was so happy for a change.

Aidan later found out that the idea for the romantic evening was actually Kevin's, but it was the thought that counted, and Nick did do all the planning.

Author Notes: Well, there is another chapter. Yes, I have changed a few things in the scheme of things. Aidan and Josh are going to be in separate bedrooms this time around. It was suggested that even if they have known each other for a year before moving in together, that Josh wasn't telling Aidan everything and that they need to build trust and needed time to date. I thought about giving Josh an apartment or condo nearby, but I would have had to re-write the next chapter more, and I didn't want to do that.

I am sure you noticed the changes in parings. I really sat down and thought about compatibility as far as personalities in my story and realized that there was some unevenness in the balance. Some parings are the same like: Joey/Jennifer, AJ/Jeremy, Chris/Jayden, Lance/Kent, and Justin/Brandon (Chaz). Otherwise, expect changes in the rest of the parings. I am sure you have noticed that Nick/Tyler have hooked up, and Drew is after Brian. So there are two less parings to wonder about. I have also given you a hint about Howie's future partner, have you guessed yet?

Anyway, as always feedback is extremely welcome.

Other Notes: In case you are curious: Scallopine AI Funghi is veal cutlet, porcini mushrooms braised with tomatoes and parsley "trifolati" - I have never had veal, but I have heard that it's good.

Published: 3/10/10