Amid the final deafening pyrotechnics, which he sort of wishes he could see from the audience perspective once or twice, Nick is rushed away from the stage and towards the buses. Brian is doing a sort of cross between skip-to-my-lou and a tango with Leighanne, Kevin is bouncing, and somewhere behind him AJ is ragging on Howie for nearly dropping his mic into the crowd tonight. Nick catches up to Kevin just before he hits the steps of his bus, and plants a sloppy wet kiss on his cheek. "'Night Kev!"

Kevin just laughs at him before disappearing into his bus. Nick homes in on Brian now, but Leighanne sees him coming "Keep your sweat to yourself, Nick!" she warns, a little breathless.

"Aww Leigh," he pouts. "I was just gonna say good night."

"Good night, Nickolas." Brian chirps. "We on for lunch tomorrow?"

"You, me and the shrimp." Nick confirms. Leighanne needs a shopping break now and again and it's nice to have time with Baylee.

"Alll-righty then!" Brian pushes his wife up the stairs, and Nick has an idea that Leighanne's going to end up sweaty anyway.

AJ and Howie are still bantering back and forth. Nick weighs the fun of teasing Howie against getting the first shower. AJ looks up, reads his mind and goes dashing off, yelling "DIBS! First shower is MINE, bay-bee!"

"Dammit, McLean, get back here!" Nick takes off after him. "'Night D!"

They're both in touring shape and Nick is *finally* over his cold, so it's almost a draw to AJ's bus. AJ is lighter and had a headstart, so he manages to make it up the steps just ahead of Nick. He cackles when Nick grabs him from behind and picks him up. "Rules is rules, Nicky-boy! I win."

Nick gets distracted by the scent of post-show AJ, and licks his neck instead of complaining. AJ makes one of his favourite growling noises in response and for a moment Nick considers delaying both showers. Then the bus door groans shut and AJ is back to laughing again. They break apart. Nick heads to the kitchen for more water while AJ bustles around grabbing up enough stuff for an hour-long session in the shower. Nick has never figured out how he manages to use all his various hair and skin things and still get out in ten minutes.

When it's just Nick, the sound of running water and the bus rumbling beneath him, he can finally take a moment to breathe. Post-show adrenaline is fading away already, and he'll need that shower soon before he crashes. Silence always does this to him. If he was on his own bus, he'd probably just fall asleep sweaty and gross.

It's Howie who insists on five buses, even if Nick spends less than two weeks all told on a bus all by himself. Kevin grumbles about the expense, but Nick just doesn't understand why he should have to spend hours alone in a big old bus with nobody for company. What was the point in being in a group if he didn't have someone else around when he needed them?

A wet towel in the face snaps him back to reality. "All yours." Nick nods and hands AJ a can of iced tea along with his towel.

His own shower is never long. Bus showers are for the basics - get the sweat off, quick shampoo of the hair, and out again. Barely enough time to get wet, really. He heads to the back of the bus, towelling off his hair.

AJ is settled into bed reading, but the book goes away as soon as Nick enters the doorway. The look on AJ's face makes Nick blush. It's not hungry, or dirty, just...welcoming.

Nick crawls over him for a kiss. Soft and gentle, just "hello, nice to see you". AJ hooks one hand around the back of Nick's neck, and Nick feels the other sliding down his side to undo his towel. Nick breaks off the kiss to breathe when AJ begins to stroke his ass. He touches his forehead to AJ's for a moment before rolling them onto their sides and kicking the wet towel away.

Like this, he can pull AJ as close as possible, feel him touching every part of Nick's body. They fit. AJ smiles at him and Nick feels warm down to his toes even before they start another long, slow kiss, AJ's tongue mapping his mouth this time.

There was a time where it was all about sex. Hot, hard, messy, down-and-dirty fast sex. When it seemed like there was nothing left between them but frantic one night stands while Nick was on the road alone. But things got better, the group got back together and the sex stopped. Then Nick had yet another relationship that chewed him up and spit him out again, and AJ was there to pick up the pieces.

Now it has almost nothing to do with sex. It's all about the connection. AJ's hands tell him he's special, tell him he's safe, tell him he's forgiven, and always, always ask him to stay. Nick knows that to make everything just right, he's going to have to say the words one day. He's working his way up to it. In the meantime they have this, and Nick tries to tell AJ with his body. "I missed you," he says. "I'm sorry." "Thank-you," and most importantly. "Not letting you go again."

Nick's always connected best with the fellas. It only makes sense that if he was going to find this, it would be with one of them.

BACK