Maze of Moments

Disclaimer, Warnings, et al:

Do I know Lance Bass? Hell no! This story is fiction. That's all. Fiction. It's not meant to imply anything about the sexuality of Lance Bass, or anything regarding the other members of N'Sync. The locations portrayed in "The Maze of Moments" are real, but all other characters are purely fictional.

No, you can't reproduce or use this story in any way without my permission!

Thanks to all who have written in and gave their opinions on the emerging "Kevin and Lance" universe! Be one of the many! Send feedback to: KandLStories@aol.com

Took me a little longer to get this one over...my apologies! Part 8 will be up soon, and part 9 is being worked on as we speak...as we read...as you read...oh, hell, never mind.

Thanks for waiting, and now, on with the show!

--Tony

The Maze of Moments - A Kevin and Lance Story

Chapter Seven - The Rest of A (Kinda) Lazy Sunday

"I always love to begin a journey on Sundays..."

--Jonathan Swift

At around ten o'clock, Lance came walking down the stairs of the townhouse shared by Eric Hagen and Kevin Douglas. He and Kevin had napped for about an hour or so following their first experience together in a sexual way, and had decided that it was time to get up. Lance borrowed a shirt, which was about a size too big, and a pair of shorts, before going downstairs, while Kevin was using the bathroom and putting on some clothing as well.

Eric was seated at the kitchen table, reading the morning paper and drinking coffee. Looking up, he smiled at the young man who was apparently on his way to becoming the boyfriend of his roommate.

"Morning. I don't have to worry about you flashing me again, do I?" Eric was referring to the incident earlier in the morning, where he and Lance ran into each other on the way to the bathroom, and noticed the morning erection poking out of the fly of Lance's boxers.

Lance blushed and groaned. "Good morning, and no, I'm all tucked away, safe and sound."

"Good. Once is enough for me. Coffee?"

"Not right now. Soon as Kev comes downstairs, I'm making breakfast." Lance sat down next to Eric, and took the front section of the paper. He read the headline and glanced at the lead article, then put it down in amazement. "Can you believe this? Some nut burned down a church last night. Unbelievable."

"Yeah, especially in this day and age. You'd think we would have gotten past all of the bigotry, but I guess not." Sighing, Eric folded the section of the paper he was reading and looked over at Lance with a grin. "So. Did we have fun last night?"

"Yeah, we did. It was hardly your typical first date, but we had a good time."

Lance then went into detail about the previous night: the dinner, running into Kris Anderson and his wife, and their impromptu performance together. The only things he left out were the more intimate moments of last night and earlier that morning.

"Sounds like you had a good time. I'm glad, Lance, I really am. Kevin deserves someone special, and I know you do, too. I think you two are meant for each other."

"Thanks. Well, so far, so good, anyway. Speaking of Kevin, what the hell is taking him so long? I thought all he was going to do was go to the bathroom...."

As if on cue, Kevin appeared at the bottom of the stairs, wearing a shirt and shorts, and apparently disoriented. He stumbled over to the couch, and held himself up on it. Even though they were in the other room, Eric and Lance could hear him breathing heavily, and could see the sweat pouring off of his body.

"Oh my God...what's wrong with him?" Lance asked as he got up from his seat.

Eric had already gotten up and was walking quickly towards his friend. "What time did you eat last night Lance?" he asked calmly.

"Sometime between eight and nine." Lance, very worried now, was also in the living room. Kevin was pulling his shirt away from his torso, as if to cool himself and help his breathing. Eric was standing next to him, one hand on his roommate's back, helping to steady him.

"Did you drink any last night?"

"I head a couple of beers...Kevin only had coffee...no, wait, he had wine with his dinner. Eric, what's wrong?" Lance's voice had a tone of panic to it.

Eric simply nodded and turned back to Kevin, who was in obvious discomfort.

"Kevin...did you forget to take your meds yesterday?"

Kevin could only manage to nod in the affirmative. His eyes were closed, and his hands gripped the back of the sofa so tightly, his knuckles were white.

"Okay buddy...hang on a second, alright?" Then, he turned to Lance. "He might get a little freaky, but don't sweat it." Then, walking quickly, yet calmly, returned to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, where he took out a carton of orange juice. Pouring juice into a glass, he explained the situation to Lance.

"Kevin is diabetic. He can keep it pretty well under control, but if he forgets to take his medicine, or gets stressed out, he's prone to attacks like this one. His blood sugar goes a little haywire."

Lance went over to Kevin. "You okay..."

The rest of his words were cut off as Kevin used a powerful right arm to swipe at Lance, pushing him away. "Leave me alone....get the fuck away..." he muttered through clenched teeth.

"It's okay, Lance, he doesn't mean it. Come on, Kev, lets sit down." Eric returned with the glass of juice, and gently, yet firmly, pulled Kevin over to the recliner, sitting him down in it. Then, crouching down in front of his friend, held out the glass to him.

"Here you go Kev...drink up."

"No." Kevin was still breathing hard and sweating, and was now looking down at the floor.

"Come on Kev...you know if you don't, you're just gonna get sick. Now come on...drink the juice."

With shaking hands, Kevin took the glass and held it up to his mouth, and began to drink from it quickly.

"There ya go. That's better." Eric reached up to stroke Kevin's back. "Lance, could you get us another glass, please?"

"Sure, yeah." Lance went into the kitchen.

Kevin, meanwhile, finished off the first glass, and was gasping from the rapidity with which he drank down the juice. He looked back down at the floor, and was slowly beginning to calm down.

"God, I'm so stupid..." he managed to say.

"No, you're not. You had a busy day and forgot to take your medicine, that's all. It's okay, no big deal."

Lance walked back in and crouched down next to Eric. "Here, Kev, drink some more."

Kevin looked up at Lance, and saw the worried expression on his face. Then, what he had done only moments before registered. His eyes widened and a tear rolled down his sweaty face as the realization hit him.

"Oh Lance...I'm so sorry...."

"Hey, it's alright....don't worry about it. Drink the rest of this, okay? You're gonna be okay now."

Nodding, he took the glass and began to drink from it, although not as quickly as he had done the first one. His friends waited for a few minutes, watching over him. Eric nudged Lance and they stood up.

"Feeling better now?" he asked.

Kevin nodded, wiping his mouth with his arm.

"You wanna be left alone for awhile?"

Kevin nodded again.

"Okay. Lance and I are gonna go out on the deck if you need us. We'll be back in a little bit."

Eric led Lance outside, leaving Kevin, who had his head between his knees in an attempt to control his breathing.

"Well. That was certainly interesting."

Eric nodded. "Yeah. He's pretty careful, but like I said, things happen sometimes. Usually the O.J. does the trick, sometimes candy. Just a piece of advice, he likes to be left alone after it happens. He feels pretty bad about it."

"Not like it's his fault or anything," Lance replied.

"Yeah, I know. You try and tell him that though. Although you and I know differently, Kev sometimes thinks he's Superman."

Lance exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess we never got around to talking about our medical conditions. Maybe we should have first, so I could have been prepared to see that."

Eric tilted his head. "What are you talking about Lancelot?"

"I have a heart condition," Lance sighed. "It's nothing major, just a slight murmur. I have to take medicine also to help keep it in check. Maybe Kev and I should trade notes on where the best pharmacy is."

Eric laughed, noticing that Lance was also starting to calm down a little. The sight of Kevin's attack had shaken him up apparently. The door behind them opened, and Kevin walked out slowly, looking disheveled and a little pale. Still, he was obviously improved from just a few minutes before. He looked at Eric and gave a weak smile. "Thanks," he said quietly.

"You're welcome."

Then, Kevin walked right over to Lance and embraced him, wrapping his strong arms around him tightly.

"I am so sorry Lance. I didn't mean that in there."

"I know you didn't, it's okay." Lance was stroking his friends back.

"Um...excuse me. I know this is a touching moment and all, but I believe someone promised to make breakfast? And I think it might be a good idea to get some food into one of us."

Laughing, the two young men broke their hug and looked over at Eric, who was standing with his arms folded in front of him.

"Trying to tell us something, E?" Kevin asked.

"Yes. I'm hungry. Food. Now." Turning, Eric walked back inside.

"Well, I guess that's my cue to get to work," Lance said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I guess so. Come on."

Upon returning inside the apartment, Kevin went upstairs to take his pills. His condition was not severe enough that he required insulin injections, but he kept it under control with exercise, a fairly decent diet, and medication that he took on a daily basis. When he came back downstairs, Lance was in the kitchen, busily putting together what apparently was going to be a rather large order of pancakes, and Eric was reading the sports section of the paper on the couch.

"Thanks again, bro. I'm sorry if I worried you."

"Forget it. It's Lancelot who was more worried than me," Eric replied without looking up from his reading.

Walking into the kitchen, Kevin came up behind Lance who was stirring up batter in a large bowl. He wrapped his arms around him as he worked, and planted a kiss on his neck.

"I'm sorry I scared you. I'm even more sorry for the way I acted."

"Kev, it's okay, I understand. You weren't yourself. Rule number...what are we on now, I forgot?"

"Um....five or six I think," Kevin said smiling as he nuzzled the back of Lance's neck.

"Well, whatever number it is, you can't help having a medical condition. Like mine."

Kevin let go of Lance and stood back. "Yours?"

Sighing, Lance put down the bowl and turned around. "Yeah, mine. I have a problem with my heart. It's not very serious, but I still have to take medication to keep it in check. It's a slight murmur, that's all."

"Wow. So, you aren't like....um..."

"Dying?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Nope, not by a long shot. It may get worse when I'm older, though. At least that's what they think anyway. Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have pancakes to whip up." Smiling, Lance turned back around and went back to work.

Kevin returned to the living room and plopped down on the couch next to Eric.

"You see this?" Eric held up the front section of the paper.

"Whoa. Aren't we supposed to be past all this shit? Anyone hurt?" Kevin took the paper from his roommate.

"No, but the church was destroyed. The congregation doesn't know if they'll have enough insurance money to rebuild it."

"That's terrible. Maybe I should send them some money. It's not like I don't have enough."

"Yeah, true. It'd be great if the whole community could pitch in somehow, you know? Hold some kind of benefit for them."

"Yeah, like a concert or something. That's not a bad idea."

Then, Kevin and Eric looked at each other, and smiles began to appear on their faces. Slowly, they turned to the kitchen and looked at Lance, who was pouring batter onto a hot frying pan. Lance was not aware of the two staring at him for a couple of minutes, until he noticed how quiet it had become. Looking into the living room, he saw the roommates grinning at him.

"What?"

"Lance, we have an idea...."

Sitting at the kitchen table, eating pancakes and sausages, the two roommates began to put together a plan. Lance listened, thought about it for a minute or two, and then spoke up.

"Let me see if I have this straight. You want me to get N'Sync to come to...where did it happen again?"

"Just outside of your neck of the woods, near Jackson," Eric said.

"Okay, basically to my hometown to put on a benefit concert." He was quiet again for another minute or so. "Well, it sounds like a nice thing to do guys, but I'm not sure if I can pull it off."

"Why not?" Kevin wanted to know.

"Well, this may sound selfish, but we are on vacation. I'm not sure where all the other guys are right now. I know Justin is in Memphis, so he wouldn't be too much trouble to round up, and I think JC is in Florida. I'm guessing Joey and Chris are in their hometowns, or traveling. Maybe."

"Yeah, but you could track them down, right?" Eric asked.

"That wouldn't be a problem, it's all of the other details that would cause roadblocks. Staging, sound systems, a band to back us up. As good as we sound, I don't think the other guys would want to sing a whole show a capella."

Kevin took three more pancakes and put them on his plate as he thought about the situation. "Well," he began, "how hard would it be to get all of those things together?"

"I guess it wouldn't be too hard to find a location in Jackson. And I could always rent the equipment we need in the name of FreeLance...speakers, stuff like that. The hardest part would be getting other musicians. I'd rather not bug our own band members...they spend so little time with their families as it is."

They pondered the situation as they ate. Kevin finished off his stack, and reached over to grab a couple more, causing his roommate and Lance to look at him in amazement.

"What? I'm hungry."

Lance laughed and shook his head, while Eric finished what he had on his plate. Suddenly, Kevin sat up straight with another idea.

"I've got it!"

"What?" the other two said in unison.

"We could be your band. Sing back up, maybe even open the show for you guys!"

"We? Who, exactly, is we?" Eric asked.

"Us...you and me. Well, I mean we'd have to find some others to handle drums and all, but we know plenty of people who play. What do you say man?"

"I dunno Kev. I've never been really comfortable singing in public like you. Shit, all I play is the piano, remember?"

"So? You play it really well, too. And you could handle keyboards, right?"

"I guess....but..."

"You know, Eric, that would make things a lot easier. I could use the connections I have to get everything else we need, and then it would only be a matter of talking to the guys. With you all on board, it just might work." Lance was becoming a little more enthusiastic about the prospect now.

"Let me think about this one for awhile, okay?"

"Dude, we can do this. Come on man, it'll be great." Kevin was pleading with his friend now.

"Okay, okay. What the hell. What could possibly happen, right?" Eric laughed.

"We're agreed then. Soon as I leave later today, I'll start making some phone calls, and we'll see what happens." Lance added with a smile. He then put out his hand, and Eric and Kevin put out theirs, in the classic "Three Musketeers" symbol of agreement.

Kevin was quiet for a moment, and looked behind Lance, over at the counter.

"What's wrong?" his new love wanted to know.

"Are there any more pancakes?"

After eating, Kevin and Eric did the dishes and cleaned up in the kitchen, in spite of Lance's protest. Having completed that task, Eric went upstairs to take a shower and get dressed, and Kevin was putting on his shoes.

"Where ya goin?" Lance was now sitting on the couch.

"I just wanna run up to the store for a few minutes, get a couple of things. I need to get myself some Diet Coke for one thing. You know, my little problem and all. You gonna be okay until I get back?"

"Yeah, I'll flip through the channels or something."

"Cool." Kevin walked over and smiled, then leaned down to kiss Lance.

"I'll be right back." Putting on his sunglasses and a baseball cap on his head backwards, he walked out the door.

Lance got up off the couch and stretched, then decided to walk out on the deck once more. Closing the door behind him, he took a deep breath and smiled, absorbing the events of the past couple of days.

"I'm really lucky," he said to himself. "Here I thought this was going to be another run of the mill weekend in Mississippi...and I stumble into a relationship with a great guy. Damn, Bass, you're almost giddy."

Laughing under his breath, he walked back to the door that led inside, and tried to open it. It wouldn't work. Jiggling it, pulling at it...nothing made it open.

It had locked behind him.

"Oh shit."

Looking up towards the second floor, Lance wondered if he could attract Eric's attention somehow, but realized that it was Kevin's room that faced the back, not his roommates. Then, he looked over the side of the rail and wondered if he could climb down and run back around to the front of the house. Seeing that the drop was still long enough to cause an injury if he fell, he decided against it.

Leaning with his back on the rail, he sighed, and ran his hands through his hair. "Why doesn't this stuff ever happen to JC or Chris. Oh, no, it always has to be me. I flash complete strangers, get locked out of houses. This couldn't possibly get any worse."

Hearing a door open, Lance turned to his left and saw Gina Dawson step out of the townhouse next door and onto her own deck. He was about to crouch down and try to hide, when Gina turned and saw him standing there.

"It just got worse," he said to himself.

Gina's eyes grew wide with amazement at the sight of an international pop star standing on the deck next to her own. "Oh my God...you're....you're...."

"Um....hi. I got locked out of the apartment here...."

"...you're....you're...."

To say that Gina was at a loss for words was, perhaps, an understatement. Still, Lance continued on, trying to enlist her help.

"Right. So, anyway...could you, uh, call Eric or go next door and ring the doorbell or something, and let him know I'm out here?"

"You're Lance Bass!!"

Lance gave a crooked smile. "Heh. Yeah, that's me. Um. So, like, could you go get Eric?"

"What are you doing at Eric and Kevin's place??"

"Well, that's kind of a long story, and you know, I'd love to tell you....really, I would...but, could you please get Eric?"

"Oh! Oh, sure! Hang on, let me run next door!" In a flash, she was back inside her apartment.

Sighing, Lance put his face in his hands and groaned. "Never happens to the other guys, oh no. Only me."

After a couple of more minutes, the door opened, and Gina practically ran out on the deck, Eric right behind her. The two men exchanged looks which essentially said, 'What can you do?' as the young blond tried to put together a coherent sentence.

"HowdoyouknowEricandKevinohmyGodthisissocoolhowoftendoyoucometoOxford???"

Eric gently took Gina by the arm and pulled her aside. "Miss Gina...calm down sweetie, okay? Lance is...uh...a friend of ours here, and he just stopped by to visit for a couple of days. No big deal."

With a huge grin on her face, Gina turned back to Lance, who didn't quite know if he should run back into the house, or take his chances by jumping over the rail of the deck after all. Then, looking at his apparel, turned back to Eric with a confused look on her face.

"Isn't that Kevin's shirt? I thought I saw him wear that last weekend when we grilled together."

"Uh...." Eric couldn't quite figure out how to explain this one. Fortunately for him, Kevin had arrived back at the apartment and was walking outside, a bottle of diet soda in his hand.

"Hey, why are you guys....oh, hey Gina. Um. Gina?"

"You never told me you knew Lance Bass!"

"Well. Um...you know...like I said last night. I...uh...like to keep secrets and all..."

Then, realization dawned on Gina, who, after all, knew about Kevin's sexuality (she was one of a select few), and her eyes grew wide once again. Then, in a much lower voice, asked, "Are you dating Lance?!"

Lance, who once again turned red, was trying to come up with a new way of escape. 'Well,' he thought to himself, 'if I distract them by saying Halley's Comet is overhead, maybe I can run into the house....'

Eric looked at Lance, then at Gina, then at Kevin, and then at all three again in succession. "You know, I really think I need to start studying for my...um...Constitutional Law final. Yeah. So, I'm gonna go inside now, 'kay?" Quickly, he retreated to the safety of the apartment.

The three watched as Eric went back inside, and rather quickly.

"Well? Kevin...are you and Lance....dating?"

Sighing, Kevin looked at Lance for approval, and when he nodded his head "yes," walked over and took his hand.

"Yes, Gina. Lance and I are...dating."

"That is SO cool! Wow! OH! By the way, my name is Gina, Gina Dawson."

Reaching out, Lance took her hand and shook it gently. "Nice to meet you Gina. I just wish we didn't quite have to meet like this, but, hey, whatever, right?"

"Gina, listen. You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone about this, okay? Not Sarah, not anybody. This is really important to us. Please?"

"Kevin, you know I won't tell anyone. I never did tell anyone about you being...well, anyway, don't worry about it. This is awesome! Wow. I never pegged you as being gay, Lance."

"Yeah, well, I......you didn't?"

"Hell no! A guy as sexy as you...Lord." Sighing, Gina shook her head. "It just figures. All the really good looking ones are either taken or gay."

"Hey!" Kevin acted offended, but laughed just the same.

"You two probably want to be alone, huh?"

"That would be nice, Gina, yeah. Lance has to go back home later on, so I'd like to spend some time with him."

"Cool. Well, it was great meeting you Lance. I hope we can all get together soon. And I promise I won't act like a teenager the next time we do." Laughing, she and Lance shook hands again. Then, Gina went up and kissed Kevin on the cheek, while whispering in his ear, "Lucky bastard." Turning around, she went back inside, and let herself out.

"Whooo. I'm sorry about that Lance. How did you all wind up out here anyway?"

"Long story. Come on, I'll tell you inside."

As they walked over to the door, Lance leaned over and said, "She said I was sexy. Nyah."

"Oh, shut up!" Kevin laughed as he playfully mussed up Lance's hair.

"So, what's the plan?"

Kevin and Lance were back inside, sitting on the couch. It was Kevin who had asked the question, while Lance held his hand, and was stroking his fingertips over his palm.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I have finals this week, but they're over on Wednesday for me. Someone's birthday is on Thursday. So, like I said, what's the plan?"

"Well, I don't want to distract you while you're taking your tests, and I'm going to wind up spending part of this week dealing with business. And putting together a benefit concert apparently. I guess I could come back down on Thursday and we can celebrate my birthday that evening. I'm sure my folks and my sister will want to do something with me during that day."

"How does it feel to be turning twenty-one in 2000?"

Lance shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Birthdays suck."

Kevin tilted his head. "No they don't, what are you talking about?"

"Well, the last few years it seems like I've always had to work on my birthday. You know, being on tour or something. The guys and management have been nice when it rolls around, but it was still kinda rushed and all, you know? There were always other things that had to be done. I guess I haven't had a good birthday in awhile."

"Well, we're going to change that this year."

"So I turn twenty-one this year, big whoop. What's so special about that?"

"You'll have me to help you celebrate this year, that's what."

Lance smiled, then leaned over and kissed Kevin. They playfully made out, but not as intensely as they had done last night or earlier that morning. Eric came down the stairs to get something to drink, and when he saw the couple making out on his couch, turned right around and went back to his room, never breaking his stride.

"I'm going to miss you this week," Lance said after a couple of minutes.

"I'll miss you too. But we'll call each other and stuff, don't worry about it."

Lance snuggled up next to Kevin. "Okay."

"Lance...what are we going to do when your vacation is over?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're going back on tour, right?"

Lance was quiet for a moment. "I never thought of that," he said in a small voice. "I don't really know."

"Well, let's not think about it right now. I'm sure we'll come up with something."

"Okay."

Still, the question had been asked, and the uncertainty of what lay beyond, once his time off was over, troubled Lance. He became quiet, and looked down at his hands.

"Hey....what's wrong?" Kevin asked, while rubbing his hand over Lance's back.

"I just.....I don't know."

"Listen, we have, what, two more weeks? It'll be alright, Lance, we'll figure something out."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Look, let's not think about it right now, okay? Come here." With that, Kevin pulled Lance over and held him in his arms. Lance rested his head against Kevin's shoulder and sighed, closing his eyes. A smile slowly started to return to his face, as an idea crept into his head.

"Did you take a shower yet?"

"Well, I kinda washed my face before I came downstairs and had my little incident, but that's it. Why?"

"I think I just came up with another rule...."

Eric was seated at his desk, looking over notes for an upcoming final, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kevin appear on the landing of the stairs, followed by Lance, who once again had a gym bag with him. They went into Kevin's room for a moment, where they took off their shirts, and then went into the bathroom.

"I'm not even gonna ask." Eric never looked up from his work.

The door closed behind them, Kevin turned on the overhead fan, as Lance started water running in the shower. Turning around, he saw that Kevin had already dropped his shorts, and he did the same. Parting the curtain, they stepped inside the tub.

"I'm gonna guess that you've never taken a shower with someone before," Kevin said as he let the water run over him. Lance simply shook his head "no."

"Okay, switch."

They switched places, so that Lance was now under the showerhead. Kevin picked up a bottle of shampoo and poured some into the palm of his hand as Lance wet himself.

"Okay, come towards me a little bit."

Smiling, Lance stepped forward, as Kevin reached up and began to lather up his hair. Showering, to Lance, was just one of those normal, everyday things that was supposed to be done, no big deal about it. This, on the other hand, was something different. True, there was a sexual element about it, evidenced by the fact that both he and Kevin had become somewhat aroused, but there was also something special about the way his hair was being washed. The way Kevin was massaging his scalp, working in the lather, running his strong hands over his head...it was done not only in an effort to get Lance clean, it was also done in a loving way, just like a mother or father would wash a newborn child. The actions were full of tenderness and caring.

"Rinse," Kevin said with a smile. Lance took a step back and tilted his head towards the streaming water, washing the shampoo out of his hair. Meanwhile, Kevin rinsed some of the remaining lather off of his hands, and had turned back around for a bar of soap.

Lance came back towards him again, and Kevin worked the soap over his chest and stomach, moving it around in circular patterns, spreading the bubbles all over. Again, it was done in a gentle and sensual way, as he moved ever so slowly down towards Lance's genitals. He took Lance's penis into his hand, spreading soap over it, and then did the same to the low-hanging sack that held his balls. Crouching down, he washed one leg, all the way down to his foot, and then switched sides, this time working his way back up towards his groin.

"Okay, now turn around."

Lance turned to face the water, rinsing himself off in the process. Bracing himself against the wall of the shower, he leaned forward, allowing for his back to be washed. Then, Kevin began to massage his shoulders, working out any tension left over from a long day of driving yesterday.

"Feel good?"

"It feels great. Keep this up though and I'm gonna start to fall asleep!"

Laughing, Kevin bent to kiss the back of Lance's head. "Okay, my turn."

They switched places once more, and this time it was Lance's turn to do the washing. He had to reach up a little to wash Kevin's hair, but his friend bent his head a little to make it easier. Washing Kevin went pretty much the same, with Lance paying a little more attention to "Big Kevin" than he probably needed to. Nevertheless, he tried to repeat the same actions that were done on him, as he wanted Kevin to feel the same warmth and affection he had felt only moments before. It slowly dawned on Lance that there was more, much more, to being intimate than simply any type of sexual act. It involved a great deal of touch, of gestures that showed concern and love. This realization caused Lance to smile as he was washing Kevin's right leg, and he once again thought to himself how lucky he was to have found someone to show him this whole new world.

Kevin was thinking along those same lines. Much like their experience earlier that morning, it had been quite awhile since he had taken a shower with someone, and had the chance to do what he and Lance had just done. Only two days before, if someone had suggested that he was soon going to be sharing a moment like this, something simple and yet so tender, he would have said that person was crazy. Yet, here in the shower with him was someone who could help him find happiness again, and discover love once more.

Eventually, the hot water turned warm, then lukewarm, and then started to become cold. Turning around, Kevin shut off the shower, and then turned back, pulling Lance's wet body to him. They kissed for a few moments, and then Kevin pulled back the curtain.

"So how did you like your first shower with someone?"

"Let's just say this: I hope it's the first of many."

Kevin grabbed a large towel and began to dry Lance off, rubbing arms and legs, chest and back, and then toweling off his hair. After a couple of minutes, Lance took another towel, and repeated the same actions. Then, wrapping their towels around their waists, opened the bathroom door, allowing a large, billowing cloud of steam to escape. As they walked into Kevin's room, they could hear Eric behind them, still seated at his desk.

"I'm glad I showered earlier. You lovebirds probably used up all of the hot water," he said with a smile.

"Jealous, E?" Kevin asked with a laugh.

"Nah. I get dibs on Lancelot scrubbing my back next time though."

Laughing, Kevin closed the door behind him so that he and Lance could get dressed.

The rest of the day moved along slowly and carefree, as most Sundays do. Kevin printed out his paper, which Lance read and gave his seal of approval to, while Eric studied notes from a variety of government and pre-law classes.

Just before five in the afternoon, Lance decided, reluctantly, that it was time for him to go.

"This has been a great weekend," he said while tying his shoes.

"Definitely. So you're gonna come back Thursday, right?" Kevin was standing next to him, leaning up against the wall.

"Yeah, and I'll call you this week and stuff. My days will be tied up, and I know yours will be too, at least for the first part of the week....so I'll call, like, in the evenings or something."

"Okay."

Lance stood up and hugged Kevin, then kissed him softly.

"You have everything?"

"Yeah, I think so. Tell Eric I said bye, okay?"

"Sure will. Be careful, huh? I'll talk to you tomorrow night."

Lance nodded and picked up his bag, then went to open the door. He stopped, and turned back around to give Kevin one last hug, and whispered in his ear, "I love you."

This caught Kevin a little off guard, but he responded anyway. "I love you, too."

They stood like that for a few minutes, embracing each other and rubbing each others backs. Finally, Kevin spoke up. "If we don't stop this, you're never going to get out of here."

Lance looked up and smiled. "Would that be so bad?"

Kevin smiled back and laughed. "No, not at all...but you know what I mean."

Nodding, Lance turned around and opened the door. "Bye," he said softly.

"Bye." Kevin watched as Lance walked over to his truck and got in, then waved as Lance drove off. He closed the door and locked it, and turned around to see Eric standing in the living room, which caused Kevin to jump a bit.

"Sheesh, you're just as bad as he is. Did I tell you he snuck up on me, like three different times?"

"No, but that doesn't surprise me. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, we'll talk to each other and stuff, and I asked him to come back Thursday night for his birthday. That cool?"

"Yeah, that's fine, but that's not why I asked. You look a little....flustered."

Kevin became silent and looked at the floor, as he leaned against the wall once again. "He said he loves me."

"He probably does." After a moment or two, Eric continued. "How do you feel about him?"

"I think I love him too....but...hell, I dunno. This is kinda moving a little fast I guess. I think I'm falling in love with him, but..."

"Kev, you're rambling again. Listen, I told Lance this morning that you two were meant for each other. I really think so. Now, don't ask me why, since I've never been in a relationship with another guy in that way, but I've just got this feeling, ya know?"

Kevin nodded before Eric continued.

"I know all of this is going to take awhile to sink in, but just trust your feelings, okay? And most of all, trust Lance. Don't be afraid."

Kevin simply nodded again, as Eric walked over and put an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Come on, lets figure out what we're gonna do for dinner."

The rest of the evening was spent studying for respective exams and watching a little television. Finally, well past ten, the two young men retreated to their rooms for the rest of the night. Just before midnight, the phone rang. Kevin was laying on his bed reading notes for one of his classes, and could not reach it in time to answer. Eric softly tapped on Kevin's door and opened it slightly.

"It's for you, dude."

Kevin took the cordless phone from his roommate.

"Hello?"

"Hi. I, uh, just wanted to let you know that I got home safe and everything."

Kevin smiled as he heard Lance's voice again.

"I'm glad you did. How was the drive?"

"It was okay. I don't wanna keep you on the phone long....just wanted to wish you luck on your final tomorrow."

"Thanks...I appreciate it."

"Okay...well...I'll talk to you sometime tomorrow then."

"Okay. Good night, Lance."

"Night Kev. And Kevin?"

"Yeah?"

"I....meant what I said before I left."

"I know." Kevin thought for a minute about what Eric had said. Trust your feelings. Go with your instincts. He thought, too, about the last two days, and everything that had happened. How he and Lance met, how they were able to open up to each other so easily, and what they had already shared together in such a short amount of time. Maybe Eric was right....

"Hey, Lance?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you..."

End of Chapter Seven But Kevin and Lance will return soon in Chapter Eight...so stay tuned!