Anywhere For You
Nick twined the phone cord around his finger, foot kicking at the bottom of his bed. "No, no, I know that." He sighed, frowning a bit. He hadn't realized they even made phones with cords anymore. "I know that everyone's super busy and that it's not on purpose and, besides, you aren't the one who had to listen to AJ explain the exact differences between all the shade of green in the swatches. Taffeta, Howie. AJ was going on and on about taffeta. It's freaky."
"If you expect me to feel bad for you, you are sorely mistaken. I'm the one who had to tell him that no, they could not have live swans roaming around. And then I had to put my foot down hard on the idea of all of us in kilts. Kilts, Nickolas. He wanted us to wear kilts." Howie flipped a page, grabbing a highlighter and frowning a bit as he examined the numbers. Something didn't look quite right but he'd be damned if he could figure out what.
Nick flopped back on the bed, rubbing at his eyes. "Hey, you know you'd look great. And Kevin's got nice knees which is so not fair. Who has nice knees, for God's sake?" He reached over, blindly groping until he found his bottle of water. He leaned up, took a swig, then dropped back down. "I just thought that since I'm out here I'd get to see him more. I think I've seen less of him since I've been here than I did when I was on the other side of the country."
"That's how it is. When it's easy to see someone you never bother to take the time to do it but if you have to plan then you're motivated." Howie yawned, pushing back from his desk and standing, pacing back and forth a bit as he tried to regain some energy. "Take this for example. How many days did we play phone tag this time before I actually got you instead of your voicemail?"
"No, no, I know." Nick sighed, flopping over on his stomach. "I'm busy and you're busy and you know I love Brian, I do, but if I have to hear him read me the comparisons of baby monitors out of Consumer Reports one more time I'll fly out there just to hit him. You know, Leigh actually begged me to come take him away for a few days? And Kevin's off doing, I don't know, important stuff. I just." Nick trailed off. "It's not important."
"Nick," Howie sighed out. "What is it?"
"Nothing, look it's late out there and I know you're really busy and all that so I'll let you go. I'll try to call you tomorrow but I have meetings all day for the video stuff and then we're rehearsing so I might not get a chance but I'll try and," Nick drew in a breath. "Everything's great."
"Pull the other one next time, it has bells on it." Howie drummed his fingers on his desk. "I know you, remember? What's going on in that head of yours?"
"Nothing," Nick said quietly, his voice muffled a bit as he burrowed into the pillow. "I just. It's stupid, okay?"
"I really doubt it's stupid. You'll feel better when you tell me." Howie dropped down on the couch, frowning a bit to himself. It wasn't like Nick to be so evasive, that was one of his most endearing qualities. What he felt he said. For Nick to try to hide, well. Howie tried to push aside the worry. He wasn't going to overreact until he knew what he was overreacting about.
Nick muttered something and Howie leaned forward, straining to hear. "What? You're going to have to speak up, Nick."
"I said I missed everyone, okay?" Nick sat up, twisting around as he realized he was tangled in the phone cord. "Damn it. This is why the invented the cordless phone."
Howie listened, puzzled, as he heard thrashing from the other end, then he suppressed a smile as he figured out what was going on. "You know that would be a horribly embarrassing way for you to die, accidentally strangling yourself with the phone cord. 'Pop Star Found Dead in Bizarre Tryst with Phone - Bandmates Deny Knowledge of Kink."
"Ha ha ha, you're just the funniest person I know." Nick retorted, a bit breathless. "Stupid thing."
"There, there," Howie tried to sound consoling but the laughter destroyed his efforts. "You all untangled?"
"Yeah." Nick flopped back down, grabbing his water again. "I'll live. This time."
"I'm glad to hear it." Howie listened to the sound of Nick drinking for a moment. "I really miss you too. You know that, right?"
"Yeah," came the quiet response. "This being a grown up thing? Sucks. Big time."
"Why do you think we kept telling you to not be in such a hurry to grow up?" Howie rubbed at his forehead. "But we couldn't be prouder of you. I couldn't be prouder of you."
"No, no, I know. It's just weird you know? Doing all this all by myself and none of you are there and I keep looking around expecting to see you and I know I wanted to do this, but it's weird. I mean, who's going to keep me from making a fool of myself in front of the cameras? You can't honestly think I'm capable of that all on my own." Nick chucked his bottle into the trash. "I might be good but I'm not that good."
"You are going to be perfectly fine. And you know damn well that we all end up coming off as idiots." Howie picked up a pen, tapping it against his foot. "I can't wait to see it."
Nick bolted up. "Why don't you come out? You should come out, you can watch and help and you know keep me from walking into the camera. Yes, you can come out." Nick leaned over the bed, scrabbling around and trying to grab his bag. "I'll bet we can get you out on a flight first thing tomorrow and I'll call the director, we can have you in it and"
Howie held the phone away from his ear when he heard a loud thud followed by an even louder "Fuck!" "Nick," Howie couldn't keep from laughing. "Did you just fall off the bed?"
"No. And fuck you." Nick rubbed at the back of his head. "That hurt."
"I bet it did." Howie stretched out his legs. "And as much as I'd love to I can't. I have a ton of things I have to get done this week and like four lunch meetings, no not all on the same day, and I just. I can't. I'm sorry."
"Like you'd rather do that than come out here. It's warm and sunny and we can go mock AJ in person." Nick bounced a bit. "You know you want to do it."
"It's not a matter of wanting to do it and yes, the thought of mocking AJ to his face is nearly incentive enough, but I can't. Remember, responsible adult? Besides, my mother would strangle me with her bare hands if I made her plan my cousin's birthday party on her own. And do you really want that on your conscience?" Howie bit his lip, staring at the ceiling, sending up a prayer that Nick wouldn't start to whine.
"But Howie," Howie sighed. He should have known better than to even hope that prayer would be answered.
"No. Just. No." Howie pushed up, heading over to his desk, grabbing his calendar and flipping forward a few days.
"C'mon, please, please, please, please. It'll be fun. You won't have to do anything, just stand there and be your gorgeous self and I'll take you somewhere really nice for dinner and and, just." Nick's voice quavered a bit. "Please."
"For pity's sake." Howie slapped a hand over his eyes. "You know what's sad? I can see the look on your face and it's not right that you can give me the puppy dog eyes in my head. It's even worse that they work." Howie spun his Rolodex. "I'm going to call to get tickets now. I'll call you back in like fifteen minutes with when I'm getting in." Howie grinned when he heard Nick's yelp of triumph. "You're just lucky I'm so easy."
"Damn right, baby. Ok, you call, I'll hang up. You'll call right back?" Nick crawled back up onto the bed. "Promise?"
"Yes, I promise. I'll call you right back. And I'll see you very soon. Bye." Howie hung up to the sound of Nick's delighted laughter, shaking his head slightly. Really, he was such a pushoever. It was kind of sad. He thumbed the phone back on, hitting the speeddial for reservations.
Nick craned his neck, trying to see over the milling crowd around him. It took a decided act of will not to look at his watch again. He was getting a bit tired of having people pick on him for looking every thirty seconds. Well, that and having the various label people say "We're sorry, Mr. Carter, we're doing our best to keep things moving." That was just what he need, to be thought impatient at his own shoot. But still. He tipped his head, trying to figure out the numbers on the watch of the gaffer walking past. It wasn't his fault he was antsy. He bounced a bit on his toes, turning his attention back to everything going on around him. It was pretty amazing to realize that all this was for him and him alone. It was great and cool and wonderful and
"And where the hell is he," Nick muttered under his breath.
He turned when he heard someone call his name, loping over to where the trailers were set up. A huge grin crossed his face when he saw Howie give a small wave. He remembered that the cameras were there at the lost possible moment and managed to keep from pinning Howie to the side of the trailer by the narrowest of margins. He babbled out something, he had no idea what, unable to keep from grinning. There Howie was. Live and in the flesh and Nick beamed. Oh yeah. This was more like it. This was how things were supposed to be.
Nick yawned, scrubbing a hand through his hair as Howie trailed him into his bedroom. "I have to admit that was excellent. How the hell do you always know the best places to eat, D?" Nick dropped down on the bed, resting back on his palms, blinking up at Howie.
Howie shrugged, "I just know the right people to ask." He reached out, trailing the back of his fingers down Nick's cheek. "You were incredible today. God, you looked so happy."
Nick turned into the touch, lips grazing the inside of Howie's wrist. "I was. I am. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming." He reached up, pulling on Howie's arm, falling back and dragging Howie down on top of him. "Thank you." He buried his face in Howie's neck, hands roaming over Howie's back, inhaling deeply. "I've missed you so damn much."
"I know," Howie leaned up, kissing Nick's forehead. "I know, I have too, it's not right."
"No, it's not." Nick shifted on the bed, trying to squirm back a bit more. Howie grinned down at him and Nick wrinkled his nose. "What? I'm just trying to get comfortable."
"Right. Comfortable." Howie bent down, nipping at Nick's neck. "That's what you're trying to get. Uh huh."
"Well," Nick pushed up at Howie's shirt, fingers hot against the small of his back. "Fine. I'm trying to get laid. I just thought maybe you might want to be a bit more comfortable while getting there."
Howie rolled off Nick, kicking off his shoes as he did so. "And people think you aren't romantic."
"Yeah, yeah," Nick's voice was muffled as he pulled his shirt over his head. "I'll buy you flowers later. Right now I just want to get you naked." He waggled his eyebrows, leering down at Howie.
Howie laughed, reaching up and pulling Nick's belt off. "You sweet talker you. No wonder I flew all the way out here to see you. You say the most beautiful things." He tossed Nick's belt aside then reached back over, working the buttons of his jeans free. "You could help here, you know."
"Well," Nick shivered as Howie's fingers brushed against his erection. "I could but you're doing such a nice job, I don't want to," he gasped as Howie slipped a hand inside his open fly. "Distract you. Shit."
"You did miss me." Howie stroked Nick lightly, then tapped at his thigh. "And as delightful as this is, I can't get naked with you on top of me like that."
Nick tipped over, shoving his jeans and boxers down hastily. "And that's a bad thing."
"That's a very, very bad thing." Howie worked his pants off, then rolled over on top of Nick, sighing happily. "Oh this is much better."
"Yeah, it is." Nick's hand skimmed down Howie's back, finally creeping down to cup his ass as he began to rock against him. "Missed you, baby."
"Missed you too." Howie cupped Nick's face, bending down to kiss him slowly. "God, I missed you."
Nick moaned slightly, mouth opening as Howie licked across his lips, his legs falling a bit further apart to settle Howie more snugly against him.
Howie closed his eyes, losing himself in the feel of Nick's skin sliding against his, the heat of their bodies moving together, the sharp tinge when Nick pulled back and bit at his throat. It was all so good and so familiar and it'd been so long.
Nick's hands tightened on his ass, his voice rising a bit "God, Howie, gonna, oh shit, shit."
Howie thrust harder against Nick, fingers buried in Nick's hair. "I know, baby, too long, too close, c'mon, c'mon."
Nick let his head drop back and Howie licked at his neck. "That's it. That's it." Nick moaned out Howie's name as he came. Howie thrust against Nick's hip a few more times, then dropped his head to Nick's shoulder, panting harshly as his own orgasm hit. Howie drifted for a few minutes, content, as Nick slowly stroked his back.
"You know, great as this is, it'll be better if we aren't all sticky." Nick kissed Howie's cheek and Howie laughed.
"You're right. You're right." He reluctantly peeled himself off Nick's chest, standing, staggering a bit, then holding out his hand. "Shower?"
Nick smiled. "Thought you'd never ask." He took Howie's hand, pulling himself up then tugging Howie into a tight hug. "God, thank you, thank you for coming out here, I know it was a bigger deal than you want to say and just." Nick kissed Howie's neck. "Thank you."
Howie grinned to himself. "It's not that big a deal." He pulled away, taking Nick's hand and leading him to the shower. "Besides," Howie looked back over his shoulder. "You know I'd go anywhere for you."
The loud smack of Nick's hand on Howie's ass was quickly drowned out by the sound of Nick's laughter, loud and free and clear.