Birds In Your Garden: Chapter 5
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Hug Mikey. Definitely hug Mikey. Hug everyone. Because that's what everyone needed. A hug, and it's all good. S'all good. Hangover cured, people adored him and even Nick wasn't annoying piss out of him. Miracle drug, this Ecstasy. This 'X'. Or, to be hip, 'E'. He was hip. He was at the MTV awards wearing a dress. Who was hipper than he was? Whoever it was, they needed a hug. He was sure they needed a hug.

The usual nervousness of being in front of a crowd was swayed a bit, part of it being that he knew they weren't all there to see them, but everything just seemed to be a bit more easier to deal with. He could think fairly clearly, and didn't feel completely out of it - but he definitely didn't feel like he normally did. Somehow the world had been dipped in happiness. He could carry on a conversation and respond perfectly fine, but all the edges were coated in rubber. Like…bumper cars...or something like that.

At least, it was until that stupid fucking asshole MC offered AJ fucking champagne as a goddamned joke before they headed off stage. Swear to God if he didn't feel like hugging the world, he would have just floored the fuck on the spot - cameras be damned. How fucking dare he? How fucking dare he? AJ had made such strides in his recovery and there was no end to the pride he felt for him, but shit like that just wasn't cool. He could see Nick sitting in the seat in front of him in the van on the way to the venue with the camera crew on him, fuming and defending AJ's honor. That shit just don't fly, dawg. Don't be pickin' on the A-meister. He kept reaching out to squeeze AJ's shoulder quietly, although he knew he probably wasn't in the best frame of mind to be supportive of AJ at the moment when the world was still coated in happiness. Somehow this stupid shit had penetrated that coating, though. Don't fuck with AJ. Just don't.

~

Just as Mikey had promised, the Ecstasy had worn more or less off by the time they reached the stage and the adrenaline of thousands of screaming fans leapt up to take its place. He tried not to be too disappointed when they found out they lost the award - fuckin' N*Sync. Where the hell would N*Sync be without them? They made it possible for N-Fucking-Sync to have a career. Bastards. And if Nick didn't get off that goddamned phone, he was going to toss it out the fucking window. Why…he just wanted to know why Nick couldn't just sit still and be quiet for five fucking minutes without being asleep! He would have loved to call Jana and just hear her voice, just to know that she was there… Obviously she was there. He just saw her twenty minutes ago on stage, but she avoided him again pre-show and disappeared on the dancers van as soon as they were hustled out of the venue before the mob scene.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the van window with a sigh. Mikey would have to entertain himself tonight, and that's all there was to it. He had too much to do to be Mikey's buddy. It would be nice to play hooky for a few days and pretend none of this mattered, nice to just go off and act irresponsibly and get drunk for a while and pretend he didn't have a strict schedule to adhere to. But he did and that was infinitely more important than the world having bumpers or roaming through it in a drunken state. Especially if he was going to feel this worn out afterwards. Too much needed to be done, and that's all there was to it. Mikey would have to either find another friend, or go home to his wife and just deal with his life. It's what Kevin had to do. Deal with his life. Like, figure out someway to let Kristin know he wasn't interested in carrying on with his marriage and let Jana know that he was interested in trying his life with her at his side again.

He hadn't made it all up. He was sure of that. He had actually liked being with her back then - and even more now. Back then she'd been cute and she'd listened to him talk. Now, she seemed more in tune with what his life had become and stepped back, too easily actually, to let him get on with what he needed to do. But, maybe she was right to step back because he did need to do what was expected of him without distraction.

Only she didn't have to do much to distract him. He loved the opening sequence. He loved appearing to stand in front of that crowd every night to screams and applause, pumping his adrenaline and hearing AJ in his headset mumble comments trying to make them laugh, but when he turned at that one spot in 'Larger Than Life' , he loved seeing her behind him, moving in perfect sync to the dance steps. She moved in perfect sync with him, on and off the stage. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to step without her when all this was over…

"Kev?" He lifted his head from the window and blinked. "We're back." Brian was bending over, standing up from the seat and waiting for him to get out.

"Tell Mikey you can't go out and play tonight," AJ said, and although he had that tease in his voice, there was something there that said he was serious.

"Way ahead of you," Kevin managed to say, slipping from the van to an eruption of screams and people calling his name. He didn't need a mother, he thought as he headed over to one of the fans to scribble his name. He needed Jana at whatever cost.

~

"Hey, Carlos," Jana said as the elevator doors opened. He smiled and stuck his key in, bringing them back up to the boys' floor. "Late night for you again, huh?"

"Not half as tiring as last night was," he chuckled. "Too wild."

"Apparently. Sounds like a typical Mikey visit," she sighed.

"He's pretty out of control, yeah." The doors opened and Carlos motioned for her to step out first. "You'll make your way home okay?"

"Yes, dear," she said, patting his shoulder. "Go catch up on your sleep."

"Oh it's going to take a lot longer than I have to do that."

He disappeared down the hallway, and she went to Kevin's door, knocking lightly. Moments later, it opened slightly and Kevin peered around the corner. "I've been summoned?"

"Hey, darlin," he said quietly, letting her in.

"Feeling better?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Just tired," he said, taking her hand and drawing her close for a quick kiss hello. "I haven't seen you all day to apologize."

"Mikey," she said casually, following him into the suite room.

"What about him?" Kevin asked, dropping heavily onto the couch and rubbing his eyes.

She sat on the opposite side of the couch and turned to look at him, resting her head in her hand with her elbow on the back of the couch. "He hasn't changed since we knew him in high school either. Stoned, drunk, and cheating. You used to be such an idiot when you hung out with him."

"Oh, now," he groaned lightly, "we were just bein' boys."

"Stupid," she clarified with a tease. "Why aren't you sleeping? You look wiped out."

"I wanted to see you," he answered and stretched his arm out for her with a half smile. She moved closer and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her to lean against him as he stroked her hair slowly.

"Has Shannon talked to you at all?" she asked, snuggling closer to him as she draped an arm around his waist.

"'Bout what?"

"That she's going to flirt with you and be a little friendlier with you to call off some of the gossip mongers from us," she asked, tilting her head back to look at him. His eyes were closed and his head rested on the arm of the couch. "She knows something is happening between us."

"Shannon's okay," he said.

"So you don't mind that she knows?" He shook his head lightly. "Did you tell her something was happening between us, or did she really just come to me out of kindness?"

He opened his eyes and smiled lightly. "She probably came to you to be nice," he answered, kissing her forehead. "She's like that. She's okay. Really."

"Okay," she replied, resting her head back. "Why don't we go in and get some sleep?"

"You'll stay awhile?"

"Yeah," she answered, pulling back from him so they could get up. "You won't be awake for much longer, but I'll stay awhile." He shuffled into the bedroom and dropped stomach down onto the mattress as she laughed. "That was graceful."

"It's so nice to be laying down and not having it shift beneath me," he mumbled into the pillow. "Between the bus, alcohol, and just over tired, I kinda feel like I need to catch it when it's lined up in my plane." He turned onto his side and stretched his hand out to her. "Quick, while it's still lined up."

"My axis doesn't shift that much," she chuckled, climbing onto the bed and lying beside him.

"I know," he said softly. "If your axis shifted as much as mine, I might have found you again sooner."

"If you told me where you were going, I may have come looking for you. Ever think of that?" she asked playfully, poking him in the stomach.

"No challenge in that," he answered dryly, one eye opening to look at her with a slow grin. "You take away all the mystery then."

"Yeah, nice plan, Kevy," she grumbled, poking him harder.

"Hey, it all worked out," he said easily, grabbing hold of her wrist. "You're here, right? Don't be makin' fun of my plan."

"It leaves a lot to be desired," she chided.

"I didn't say it was perfect," he conceded. "I just said it sorta worked."

"Admit it, Kevy," she sing-songed, "you are utterly clueless when it comes to love. It's all a wish and a prayer."

"Song and a prayer," he corrected with a wink.

"That too."

"Didn't we come in here for me to sleep? Let me sleep, jabber-jaw," he teased, tickling her waist. "You talk more than Nick does…blah, blah, blah…" She squirmed, kicking her feet against him as he kept tickling her. "Shh," he taunted, "you're too loud. How do you expect me to sleep with you squealing like that?"

"Bastard!" she called out, finally breaking free and pulling the pillow out from under his head to beat him with it. He covered his face with his arms and curled his legs up in defense. "Yeah, that's right, Kevy, duck and cover! Duck and cover!"

"Oh, now," he peered between his arms, "y'all don't want me to retaliate, do you?"

She lowered the pillow and blinked at him for less than a second. "Oh, shit."

"Yeah, oh, shit is right," he agreed with a nod, grabbing the second pillow and swinging as she leapt from the bed.

"It's all fun and games till someone loses an eye!" she chanted after him in laughter as he climbed across the bed on his knees and swung at her. She turned quickly and tried to swing back, but he caught the pillow and pulled her onto the bed and climbed over her, holding the pillow over her head briefly.

He lowered his head as he lifted the pillow with a chuckle. "I win."

"You know, Mr. Richardson, I'm beginning to think that you might have lured me in here under false pretenses."

"No," he shook his head slowly in innocence, "I'm trying to sleep like a good boy, but you keep pokin' at me and teasin' me. I'm just defending my honor."

"You're full of crap," she giggled under him, pulling the pillow under her head and resting her hands on his thighs.

"I'm past being tired," he offered as a suggestion. "Got my second wind?"

"Um, hum," she lifted an eyebrow to him doubtfully. "And tomorrow when you're over-tired and grumpy, you know who they're going to blame for not letting you get your beauty rest, right?"

"Nick?" he implied with a smile. "I always blame everything on the little punk-ass."

"Stop picking on the poor guy!" she reprimanded.

"Hey, no one ever stuck up for me when I was getting the crap beat outta me by my big brothers!"

"So then, you should know better!" She wagged at finger at him. "Leave the little flirt alone. He's cute."

"So was I! Never stopped…"

"Not that cute!" she interrupted, shaking her head side to side with wide eyes. "Trust me, I'd know."

"You know, my entire day is spent listening to everyone freak out about Nick and how cute he is. I don't need it in my bedroom," he said.

"We could go back into the suite room if you're not tired, and I could fuss about him in there?" she chirped playfully, batting her eyelashes to him.

"How about you fuss about me?" he asked, his voice deepening slightly.

"I got it," she said, cocking her head to the side with a smile. "How about you fuss about me and we forget about your ego and Nick's cute flirtiness all together?"

"My ego?"

"Your ego," she agreed with a nod.

"I don't have an ego!" he protested.

"Oh, baby, you most certainly do!" she laughed, placing her hand on his chest. "I'm not saying you're egotistical. It's a healthy ego. Competition is good. Remember football? Although you usually did just go in there to hit people."

"And now I've got Nick to hit," he grinned broadly, "no difference." She poked him in the stomach and groaned, attempting to move away, but he wasn't letting her up. He sat and looked down at her, slowly shaking his head in amusement.

"You won't think it's so amusing when you're singing soprano in the morning," she said, reaching her hand out and grabbing him between the legs, grinning all on her own.

"Okay," he lifted his hands up slowly, not making any sudden movements. "Give the boys back, and I'll just…"

"Oh, now, see, I'm kinda likin' the power trip here," she said with a nod, biting her lower lip in thought. "It's been a very long time since I've had a guy by the balls."

"Yes, well, darlin', you have me there anyway, in spite of actually having a grip on them," he explained, running his hand along her wrist gently. "Please, dear? Le'go."

"Oh, but the other night, you seemed to really enjoy when I had a hold of them," she said.

"Well, that would be a different kind of hold," he chuckled, trying not to laugh. "It wasn't as…uh, threatening as this one."

"Hmm," she considered, cocking her head to the other side. "No, see, I'm gonna have to go with the power trip."

"Jana?"

"Kevin?"

"Please?"

"Please, what, dear?"

He sunk down over her, placing his lips against hers in a long, lingering kiss. "Why don't we play a little nicer with the boys?"

Birds In Your Garden: Chapter 5
Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19 | Page 20

Birds In Your Garden Disclaimer | Email Coriander

Read the companion story:
Oreos for Breakfast (Nick Fanfic)
by The Pumpkin Coach & Paperbag Princess

c. 2001, 2002 by Coriander
Some content not suitable for children. You have been warned.