Millennium Love Scott Chapter 32
Millennium Love Scott Chapter 32
Other Stories by Me!
(All under boy-bands)
Fates Reason
Ice Storm
Set You Free
Ten Guys, One Night
Forgive me father for I have sinned. It's been six weeks.... since my last posting?!?!? I must issue another HUGE apology for the lateness of this chapter. I've hit a very large wall with this story. I'm working through it brick by brick but it takes time. So if after you read this chapter you ask yourself 'what the hell was that?' I apologize. I had to jump over some time to get to where I wanted to be, and this was the best I could do.
Thank You to those who've taken the time to write and ask if there is more coming. The answer is a definite YES! Special Thanks to Chris and Neo for letting me procrastinate by chatting with me!!
And I don't want you to think I haven't been writing during these six weeks. I've almost completed my next story, Blissful Tears. I want to get it completely written before I start to post so I don't have the same problems and make everyone wait for the next chapter!
Disclaimer: Well, I'd hope by now everyone knows it, but just in case:
1. If you shouldn't be here, don't tell me and don't get caught!
2. I don't know any of the people mentioned in the story...it's fiction folks!
If you have any comments about this story...i.e. is it getting boring? Please email me at kenitra_canada@hotmail.com I try to respond to every single email I get!
Thank you for reading!
Kenitra:-)
Where we left off...
The group is in the midst of a European tour. Scott has been travelling with the 'Boys' and spending time with each member in order to create a new, unique web site for each 'Boy'. They have just spent a week at home, Scott in Ontario, and Brian in Lexington and Orlando, before flying back to Europe to finish the tour.
Chapter 32
We flew back to Europe, France actually, for the last two weeks of the European Tour. There was only France and Spain left to play, seven concerts in all. The first stop was Paris. The plane landed very early Monday morning. After catching a few hours of sleep, Nick and I took off for the afternoon. The group had rehearsal planned for the evening, with concerts the following two nights.
Nick had booked a car for us and I wasn't surprised when we pulled up to the Louve. I had already started to realize just how much art meant to Nick and I could understand him wanting to see some of the best and most famous paintings in the world. We chatted as we walked through the incredible gallery. I was pleased when Nick confided in me about a comic book he was working on; a Backstreet Boys comic book. He promised to show me some of his sketches when we got back to the hotel.
Most of us were planning on spending a quiet night in the hotel after rehearsal. But Nick had other ideas. He'd been practicing his basketball skills during the week we were off. Brian could normally beat Nick at one-on-one so was more than willing to take the bet Nick made. If Brian won, Nick would forfeit his next day with me, so Brian and I could be together. If Nick won, Brian had to climb the Eiffel Tower with the rest of us. So once we arrived back at the hotel, Nick and Brian headed down to the hotel's gym. The rest of us followed to cheer on one or the other.
Howie agreed to referee and judge any disputed calls being the least biased of us. The game was close, with the score bouncing back and forth. It finally reached 20-20 and the next point would win it all.
Nick had possession of the ball and he deked Brian, running to the net. To everyone's surprise, Nick jumped up and managed to slam the ball home - a maneuver he'd never been able to do before. Brian stood there stunned. My eyes never left him as I watched him register that he had to go up the tower. I knew he never really thought he'd lose. I walked over to my lover and put my arms around him from behind.
"You okay Love?" I whispered as I bent down to softly kiss his ear. I could feel him shudder slightly in my embrace. He turned around to look at me and I could see real fear in his face.
"I have to go up the Eiffel Tower," he said in disbelief.
The others walked over to us, laughing and joking. They stopped when they saw Brian's expression. Nick walked over and put his hand on Brian's shoulder.
"Frick?" Brian's eyes flickered to Nick. "Bri, forget about the bet okay? You don't have to go up the tower. We all know how much you hate heights," Nick said sincerely, giving Brian a way out.
Brian moved his eyes back to me and reached out to grasp my hands. "Will you be with me?" he asked softly.
I was surprised. He was actually thinking about doing it!
I stared into his beautiful blue eyes. "Right beside you every step of the way," I promised. If he really wanted to do it, I would be there for moral support.
He smiled weakly. "Okay." He turned around to look at the others. "Okay. I guess we're ALL going up the Eiffel Tower tomorrow," he announced.
I almost laughed as four jaws practically hit the floor.
Brian was quiet that night. I knew he was trying to psych himself up for the next day. I didn't know what I could do for him aside from keeping him company. We went to bed early and just held each other. I wanted him to know that I was there for him and I always would be.
We took two cabs to the base of the Eiffel the next day. We all stood there and looked up - way up. I could feel Brian beside me trembling slightly.
As promised, the entire way up, at least one of us held Brian's hand. I wanted to be with him the entire time, but everyone agreed it was better if we all rotated.
The first concert went flawlessly later that night. The boys were pumped and it showed. The next day we couldn't go sight seeing because a press conference was scheduled in the afternoon before the concert.
"Come on guys, we're going to be late," Kevin hollered down the hall of the hotel floor.
I took one last look in the mirror as I stood beside Brian.
"Ready?" he said with a smile. I nodded. He grabbed my hand and we left the room, joining Kev and D in the hall.
As we walked down to the elevator Nick came running out of his room. "Wait for me," he whined, followed closely by AJ.
I turned to Brian. "Dear? Were you going to leave without the children?" I asked him, trying to hide a grin.
Brian sighed. "We could only hope!"
Nicky ran up and jumped on my back, sticking his tongue out at Brian. I carried him into the elevator. I wasn't about to carry him all the way down, though. I stood up straight, then leaned back forcing him off. "Down boy!" I scolded as though I were talking to a puppy.
He tried to jump on again but I leaned back against the side of the elevator. Everyone was hyper. The European tour was almost over and everyone was getting tired of buses and hotels. We were on our way to another press conference. I say we, when its actually just the guys. I simply tag along so I can watch my love.
As we rode down, AJ cleared his throat. "Um, guys?" Everybody turned to look at him. "What city are we in again?" he asked sheepishly, as he turned a beautiful shade of red.
Kevin just shook his head. "Paris, AJ, Paris!" he muttered.
I leaned towards AJ. "Late night phone call?" I asked, knowing that Drew was going to call him last night and they probably talked for hours. AJ just hung his head and blushed deeper. I grinned as I looked at Brian. We both knew what it was like.
The elevator stopped and we dashed through the hotel lobby to the waiting limo. The initial hyperness quickly faded during the twenty minute car ride. It was just another in a long series of press conferences as they traveled from city to city and country to country.
The press conference proceeded as usual. What were their favorite songs, their influences, and so on. I stood at the back of the room watching the five guys at the table and the hoard of media ranging from newspaper reporters to television personalities from a number of different countries.
I waited for the inevitable question and wasn't disappointed.
"So are any of you dating or in serious relationships?" a female reporter asked.
The guys went down the table.
"I'm in a serious relationship," Brian immediately responded.
"So am I," Howie said.
"I am dating someone at the moment," Kevin said, leaning towards the microphone. I was happy to hear that he acknowledged my sister.
"Me too!" AJ added.
"I am one hundred percent single at the moment!" Nick said loudly and proudly, garnering some laughs from the media.
"AJ, is the person you're seeing Brian?" one reporter suddenly called out. The room fell silent and I'm sure my heart stopped. No one had seen that coming.
Fortunately, AJ maintained his cool. "Excuse me?" he asked.
The reporter stood up. "You were spotted at the Eiffel Tower yesterday holding Brian's hand. Are you going to deny it?" The reporter was gloating and I clenched my fists.
AJ began to laugh and quickly the others joined in. The reporter looked shocked.
"You didn't happen to get any pictures, did you?" Kevin asked, laughing. The reporter shook his head. "Too bad!"
AJ raised his hands. "Hold on, hold on! Let's answer the question guys!" he said. The five men tried to regain their composure. I was happy to see Brian had laughed about it too, although I could also see his fear behind his smile.
"Well, if you saw us at the Eiffel Tower yesterday, then you must have seen that at one point or another, all of us, and one of our friends, were holding Brian's hands. As any TRUE Backstreet fan knows, Brian has a serious fear of heights. Brian and Nick bet on a one-on-one basketball game and Brian lost. For losing, he had to go up the tower. We all agreed to help him by staying beside him and holding his hands to help keep him calm," AJ explained bluntly.
It worked and the reporter sank into his seat.
The inane questions resumed and continued for nearly an hour. It was only at the end that the questions turned again. None of the singers were expecting it, and I could see that their PR people were surprised too.
"What do you think about sex before the marriage?" a German reporter asked.
Everyone laughed, and Brian tried to shrug the question off. "Now what does that have to do with music?" he asked.
The room fell silent as the reporters waited for someone to answer. None of the guys wanted to, which meant that Kevin would have to take it.
"As far as sex before marriage," Kevin began, "I was brought up that you should wait and be with the one you love before sex. But...but I don't...I don't stress that we're perfect or that we always follow these rules but that's what I taught."
He did an admirable job answering the question without explicitly saying whether he'd had sex or not.
I thought that was the worst of it...but it wasn't. The next question was even worse.
"Is there someone in the group who is a little bit 'fairy' or something?" a French reporter called out.
I could see Brian getting very uncomfortable as the question was asked. I glanced around the room, trying to gauge the reactions of the other reporters and people in attendance. Returning my attention to the table at the front, I could see AJ was handling the question better than Brian was.
"Fairy?" Howie commented.
Then Brian reacted to the question. He tried to make a joke by standing up. "Well, thanks for coming today, ladies and gentlemen," he said lightly, pretending to leave.
The media laughed and the atmosphere eased. Thankfully, it actually was the end of the conference, so the local TV personality thanked the group and the press. The guys were escorted to another private room, where they could wait for the crowd to leave.
I waited in the main room for a few minutes, watching the press. Finally, I slipped out the back and around to the side door. Marcus was standing guard and quickly opened the door, letting me in. At first I thought the five singers were huddled together, but then I realized they were huddled around Brian.
I quickly walked over, touching Howie's shoulder. He moved back, allowing me into the circle. Brian was sitting on a chair, tears running down his face. The sight of him like that made my heart clench. I squatted down in front of him and took his hands in mine.
"Brian?" I said quietly.
He raised his tear-streaked face to look at me. "They know, don't they? Why else would they ask?" he whispered.
I reached up and wiped the tears away with my thumbs. "Love, you know they ask that question about every male group that comes along. And the more popular the group, the more they ask," I told him gently.
Brian sniffled. "I guess my reaction didn't help, huh?"
I smiled tenderly. "I thought it was perfect. You showed him that it was a silly question and beneath you to answer it."
"I agree Brian," Kevin said quietly from behind me. "I couldn't have handled it better."
I turned and smiled gratefully at Kevin. The others quickly voiced their agreement.
"They're right Frick," Nick said, stepping closer to Brian and squatting down beside me. "You done good!" Brian finally smiled and so did the others.
"That was a good save by you too AJ," Kevin said as he turned to face AJ.
AJ shrugged. "Well what can I say? I had to save my rep!" He grinned. "Mister boy-next-door just ain't my type!" he added.
Brian jumped to his feet. "Hey!" he protested. We all laughed and I could feel some of the tension leave the room.
I pulled Brian to me and hugged him tightly. He relaxed into my arms. "I love you Brian Littrell," I whispered into his ear.
"Love you too, Scott, my Angel," he whispered back.
We separated as we heard the door open. Jeff, the tour manager and one of the PR girls walked in. I moved to stand behind Brian with my arms snugly around his waist.
"Well, that was interesting," Jeff commented, trying to read the expressions in the room. We all laughed slightly. "Everyone okay?" he asked, looking directly at Brian.
Kevin stepped forward. "Yeah, we're all good Jeff. Thanks." Kev turned to look at the rest of us for a few seconds then looked back at Jeff. "Jeff, would you let everyone know we're canceling rehearsal this afternoon? We'll be there for warm-ups and costumes at six, okay?"
I saw the PR woman frown. "Are you sure that's a good idea Kevin? It gives the media something else to talk about and more rumors might crop up," she said.
Kevin shook his head. "I don't care. We are all really stressed and tense right now. Rehearsing would just be a disaster and someone could get injured. We'll go back to the hotel and relax with each other. Trust me, this is the best idea," he said.
I noticed none of the other guys said a word. They all knew each other so well that Kev had read them easily and made the decision.
The PR nodded. "Okay, its your call."
"Alright guys, I'll see you tonight," Jeff said. "Take it easy," he added and again looked at Brian. Brian nodded and the two left.
"Let's get out of here," Howie said quietly.
We walked to the back door I had come through. Howie spoke to Marcus and less than a minute later the door opened, with the limo right outside. The six of us climbed in and the car sped off back to the hotel.
It was a genuinely relaxing afternoon. Kevin called room service and ordered some munchies. The six of us crashed onto the comfortable furniture and watched a couple of movies. We talked and joked during the boring parts but overall we simply vegged.
Brian finished up in the shower while I checked my email. It was just after five and we were getting ready to go to the venue.
"Hey Scott!" Brian called from the bathroom.
I walked over and stood in the doorway looking at his reflection as he shaved, something he did before every concert. "You called?" I asked as I leaned against the doorframe.
"I have an idea. What are your parents doing for Easter?" he asked.
Whoah! That came out of the blue. "Um, not sure. Probably just a family thing, like Thanksgiving I guess," I replied. "Why?"
Brian put down his electric razor and turned to me, leaning against the counter. "Mom was asking about your family when I was home. We're not having a big family thing and I just thought, what if we got the two families together?" he suggested.
I smiled. Whatever my love wants! "I'll call my Mom and Dad when we get back from the concert tonight," I promised.
Brian's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked hopefully.
I grinned. "Of course! It sounds like a good idea." I walked over to him and started to button up his shirt. "And this way, we won't have to be apart for the five days we have off. Once the Asian part of the tour starts we'll be apart a little more while I work with some of my clients revising their sites. I want to spend every minute I can with you!" I kissed his nose and he laughed softly.
"Let me know how many are coming and I'll call my Mom! I love you angel," Brian said happily giving me another quick kiss, which was interrupted by a knocking on the door. "We'll be right there Kev!" Brian called and I laughed. I have never seen anyone with Kevin's timing!
The Paris concerts were great and the entire Backstreet crew moved on to Lyon then Marseilles. Nick and I spent our second day together there. He wanted to go scuba diving. I went out on the boat with him and a guide, but remained above water while the two men checked out the floor of the sea. I can swim, but I prefer to be at the surface, not 100 feet below. Nick had a good time though, and I got some excellent pictures for his web page.
I called home after the first Paris concert, as I'd promised Brian. It was decided that my parents and Sheri would be the only ones going to Kentucky for Easter. My Aunts and Uncles all had other offers, while my brother was going to visit my older sister in Quebec. Brian and I were both looking forward to the holiday with family.
>From France, the tour moved on to Spain. Concert dates in Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon wrapped up the European leg of the Millennium tour. Howie and I spent our second day in Barcelona, touring the historic sites of the Spanish city.
Everyone flew home for the five day long weekend over Easter before moving on to Asia. Brian and I were able to spend one night out at our little cabin. It was heaven. I'd really missed being alone with Brian. Sure, we'd been alone in our hotel rooms, but there was always the threat of someone (like Kevin!) knocking and interrupting us. At the cabin, we were completely isolated and spent the entire time in each other's arms. Things were perfect between us.
Our parents all got along really well. It was funny watching Kevin come up with excuses to visit us...or should I say, visit Sheri. Sheri had decided to keep their relationship a secret from my parents for a while. I knew they still had some reservations about Brian and I. My life had changed pretty drastically since we'd met, and my parents were struggling to deal with my long absences. Sheri didn't want to hear the same concerns voiced about her and Kevin.
After Easter, Brian and Kevin met up with the others in Los Angeles before flying over to Malaysia. I returned home for a week to meet face to face with my clients and ensure everyone was happy with their sites. It was a long week, but I managed to keep myself busy with work and visiting my friends, including Drew. He wanted to hear all the gossip about AJ!
After a week in Canada, I caught a flight to the Philippines and met up with the tour. Tour life resumed as usual.
You know, I didn't even notice at first when things started to change. I know that sounds strange, but its true. Where once it had been six men going out, it became five. Brian and I always had made a point of keeping away from each other in public to prevent any 'accidents' and I had become so comfortable with the other guys, that his absence was barely missed. Whenever we returned to the hotel or bus, he was as attentive as always.
But, eventually I started to notice. Nick and AJ would suggest a movie, but Brian wanted to work on a song, so the three of us would go. A trip to the mall would be planned, but Brian would decide at the last minute to work out in the gym, or go over new dance steps with the dancers. So again I would join the others without him. This pattern went on for almost two months before I realized Brian and I had completely stopped going out in public at the same time.
The Asia/Australia tour was coming to an end and I was relieved. Finally the group was returning to North America to tour the US and Canada. I thought that maybe things would be different after a break, before the tour kicked up again. The group had a week off over the July holiday and Brian had agreed to split the week between my home and his.
We stumbled through the door of my house and dropped our luggage. We had taken an extra day in Australia before catching a flight home. We'd been flying for over twelve hours straight to get from Australia to Toronto by way of Hawaii and Vancouver. I watched Brian walk aimlessly towards the couch.
"Don't do it Love!" I said and he turned to look at me. He was more in a daze than I was. I didn't want him falling asleep on the couch; it was too uncomfortable.
I walked over and grabbed his hand. "Come on!" I pulled him gently down the hall to my bedroom. I stopped him in the middle of the room and undressed him completely before leading him to the bed. He fell onto the mattress and I swung his legs up before covering him with the blanket. I quickly stripped down and crawled in beside him, wrapping my arms around him.
We slept through the night and woke up late the next morning. I could still hear Brian softly snoring beside me so I slipped out of the bed. I grabbed a pair of boxers and crept to the kitchen. After filling the kettle with water I grabbed the carafe for my new coffee maker and filled it with water. I'd bought the machine on one of my trips home. It was sad, but I have to admit I had to ask my mom how to work it! I put a filter in the cylinder and measured out the coffee. By the time the water was streaming through the coffee grounds, my kettle was boiling and I poured the water over a tea bag.
I took my first sip of tea and sighed. It was great to be home. Sure, I'd been back a few times, but Brian hadn't been with me and it hadn't felt right. I guess the saying 'home is where the heart is' is true. And my heart is definitely with Brian.
I wandered out to the living room and stared out over the lake. Boats were all over the place, some fishing, others pulling water-skiers. I could see a couple of sailboats near the far end of the large island across the water from me.
I jumped a little when I felt arms creep around my waist. I hadn't heard Brian stir. He kissed my cheek.
"Morning Angel! I thought I smelled coffee?" he murmured against my skin.
I turned in his arms. "You did, my love," I said with a smile and took his hand as l lead him to the kitchen. His eyes lit up when he saw the small coffee maker.
"Real coffee!" he exclaimed excitedly. He turned back to look at me. "You bought that for me?" he asked.
"No. I bought it so I wouldn't have to listen to Drew complain anymore," I said with a straight face.
Brian stuck his tongue out at me and walked over to the machine. He poured himself a cup and walked back to sit at the table with me.
"Mmmm, that's good," he said as he took a sip. "Thank you Angel. So what are we going to do today?" he asked.
"I thought we'd go to the city. Its Canada Day so the city will be hopping. Then we'll go to Ontario Place to watch the fireworks display," I suggested. I actually would have been happy staying home, but a part of me wanted to test Brian. I wanted to know why he stopped going out in public with me. Had it just been the stress of the tour, or was it something else.
I watched Brian frown slightly. "You sure that's a good idea Scott?" he asked quietly.
I nodded. "Sure. There will be so many people around no one will notice. It's a sunny day, so you won't look out of place with a hat and glasses on." I could see he was still hesitating. I sighed. "Please Bri? Its not like I'm asking you to ride on a float for the gay pride parade!" I said.
Brian laughed. "True! Can you picture that?" he asked with a grin.
"It would certainly make a whole lot of guys happy!" I said, happy the mood had lightened.
"Okay, Scott." He stood up and took his cup to the sink, before looking back at me. "Want to join me for a shower?" he asked seductively. Like I would refuse? I nodded and followed him to the bathroom.
It was almost two hours later before we headed out the door. We stopped at a small restaurant for lunch then continued on to Toronto. As I had predicted, the city was crowded with tourists. We wandered down Yonge Street and through the Eaton Centre before heading to the lakeshore and Ontario Place.
The lineups were long, but as I had told Brian, no one noticed him. After all, who would expect one of the Backstreet Boys to be wandering around with one other guy in Toronto? Once on the grounds, I convinced Brian to go out in a pedal boat with me. We pedaled through the channels around the park for a couple of hours. I could see him finally starting to relax.
As dusk started to close in, we grabbed some food from one of the small concession stands and wandered around looking for the perfect spot. Brian was the one who found it, on the other side of a hill along one of the pathways. It faced the lake, and no one had staked out the spot, it was only big enough for maybe three people. Brian and I sat down and ate the food as we watched the boats running around the harbor. I knew the fireworks would be incredible. One of the countries participating in the international fireworks competition was putting on the display.
We weren't disappointed. We sat as close as possible without actually holding each other and watched the colored explosions light up the nighttime sky.
Brian sighed. "I had fun today Scott," he said in the car beside me as we drove back to my house.
I glanced over at him and smiled. "Good. So did I."
Brian was quiet for a moment and I could sense something was bothering him. I waited until he spoke again.
"I'm sorry I've been so distant lately," he said quietly.
"What do you mean?" I asked. I knew what I thought, but I wanted to know what he thought.
"Well, I guess the stress of the tour was getting to me and I was...I don't know...anxious, maybe? I know I disappointed you sometimes when I didn't go out with you and the others." He reached over and picked up my free hand. "I'll try to do better, Scott. I hope you know I wasn't trying to hurt you. I wasn't doing it on purpose," he murmured.
I could feel his sadness. I knew he would never do it intentionally. I squeezed his hand. "I know love. Things were getting a little stressed at the end. This break will do everyone good. And I think being back in North America will help too." Brian agreed.
Back at my place, Brian and I each grabbed a cold drink and sat out on the deck overlooking the lake. It was relaxing, listening to the silence, interrupted occasionally by the call of a loon or some seagulls settling onto the water. It was a warm night, but fortunately not humid so the mosquitoes were thankfully few.
I'm not sure what time it was when we finally walked back into the house, hand in hand and slipped into bed.
The next couple of days we relaxed at my place. We went into the nearby town a couple of times and went through the quaint shops. Early Monday morning we flew out of Pearson for Orlando. I don't recommend flying on July fourth to anyone. Both airports were crowded and flights were delayed. Thankfully ours left on time and arrived without incident.
The rest of the guys were already in the city and invited us to go to the Disney World Fourth of July party.
"I don't think Scott and I will go," Brian said. We were sitting in the living room of Brian, Kevin and Howie's apartment talking to Kevin and Nick. I glanced at Brian, but before I could say anything, he spoke again. "We already have plans," he said.
"We do?" I asked in confusion. It was news to me.
"You do," Nick said secretively. Hmmm, Nick was in on it, whatever Brian was planning.
I looked at Kevin and shrugged. "I guess we're not going," I said, making him grin.
Nick and Kevin left a short time later to meet up with Howie and AJ. I turned to look at Brian and raised my eyebrows.
"What?" he asked innocently, trying unsuccessfully to hide a smirk. He stood up and offered me a hand, pulling me to my feet.
I leaned down and kissed him softly. "What are you planning love?" I whispered.
Brian smiled and pulled me in for a more passionate kiss. When we separated I could only stare at him with open lust. I just wanted to go to his bedroom and make love. But that wasn't to be.
"Go shower Angel, I'll use Kevin's bathroom, okay?" he said, avoiding my question.
I decided to go along with his plans and walked down the hall. I wasn't worried, but more curious about what he was planning. Brian had become edgy again. I thought we'd worked out the problem when we had talked after our visit to Ontario Place. Things had seemed better the next morning, but the entire flight to Orlando Brian had been more withdrawn than usual.
I sighed and stepped into the shower. I quickly washed and shaved since I hadn't shaved that morning. Returning to the bedroom, I wasn't sure what to wear so I went with the standby of cargo pants and a button-up shirt.
I returned to the living room and found all the lights but one lamp, turned off. The furniture had been pushed back and Brian had spread a large comforter on the floor in front of the window. Brian was sitting crossed leg on the blanket, looking at me, a bottle of champagne sitting in a bucket of ice beside him.
I smiled and shook my head. "You are really intent on spoiling me aren't you love?" I said softly.
Brian just grinned and patted the spot beside him. I quickly sat down and gazed into his sparkling eyes. I could clearly read his love for me in those pools of blue. I felt in awe that such a wonderful incredible man could feel the same way for me, as I did for him. But he did.
"Scott, my Angel, can you believe its been almost nine months since we met?" he asked softly, never breaking eye contact with me. He reached out and grasped my hands in his. "I remember I told you my life was rather crazy with the touring and recording. And also having to keep my private life a complete secret from the public." I nodded but remained silent, letting him finish. "At first I wondered how long you would stay with me before deciding you'd had enough of the chaos. But as each day passed, I began to realize how much you truly love me, and how much I completely love and adore you." Brian glanced away and I saw that he was blinking back tears. "Now I can't imagine my life without your love." His gaze returned, more intently than before. "I know this phenomenon called Backstreet only has a few more years. After that, who knows what I'll do? The only thing I do know is that I want and need you to be a part of my new life...to be a part of my life forever." I sat there quietly absorbing everything Brian was saying. I wasn't sure where the conversation was going, but I had an idea.
"Scott, I know we can't legally marry or even acknowledge our relationship right now. But someday, I would like nothing more than to legally become your partner...your husband." Brian released one of my hands and reached behind his back, returning with a small jewel box.
I could feel tears starting to trickle down my face. Brian was promising me...promising both of us that we would have a ceremony someday to publicly and spiritually recognize our relationship. I had never even dreamed that we could be husbands.
He opened the box and took out the simple gold band. He took my left hand in his right and slid the ring on to my ring finger. "Scott, this ring is a promise that our futures, will be one future. A future filled with love and joy, together," he whispered.
Both of us were crying then. I pulled Brian into my arms and hugged him tightly, covering his face with tiny kisses as I whispered my love to him. Many minutes later we calmed down and relaxed in each other's embrace. I popped the cork on the champagne so we could toast to our love and watch the fireworks light up the skies over Orlando. Both of us were happier than we'd ever been before.
To be continued... (hopefully sooner than six weeks!!)
Kenitra:-)