(I Need You Now) More Than Ever

Bob's POV

We woke up the next morning, content in each other's arms. The sun was streaming through the window, the sound of traffic muffled and somehow comforting. The only other sound was our breathing and, with my head against Ray's bare chest, the gentle thud of his heartbeat. I looked up to his beautiful face to be met with the loveliest of smiles. It took my breath away every time I saw it. I couldn't think it possible to wake up to anything better, the fact that he was happy. In this moment in time, I also couldn't be happier.

I don't know how long we just lay there, could have been minutes or hours but it didn't matter. Finally though I remembered that there was one room he hadn't seen.
“Er, Ray?”
“Yeah darling, are you ok?”
“I'm fine. Just thinking. I should probably go for a shower...”
“Oh ok, I suppose I should too. You can go in first though, it's your house.”
“Well, I was thinking, er, doyouwannajoinmeintheshower?”
I was a little nervous about this, I think it showed.
Worried about what he would think I wasn't sure if I wanted to look to his face. But something urged me to do it, and to my surprise I found a coy smile playing around his features.
Without a word he embraced me, half lifting so that I was sitting. We stayed like that for a minute before he took me gently by the hand and lead me out of the door. Then he seemed to realise that he didn't know where he was going.

“Ok, where's the bathroom?”
“Not just any bathroom...Close your eyes for a moment...”
I lead Ray down a corridor into another part of the apartment, towards a black wood door with a silver handle. Through the door was my bathroom.

Black slate dominated the surfaces and the floor, which was warm to the feet thanks to under-floor heating. In one corner of the room was a tub, big enough for 3 men, but it was more than just a tub. It was a tub with jets! The outside was jet black marble with a chrome finish on the rim, chrome taps and a seat around the edge of the inside. Opposite my giant jacuzzi was the shower. I had spent a lot of time and money on all of my apartment, but the bathroom had been the recipient of the most effort, (maybe not counting my media suite – my baby) This was my place of relaxation, reflection and escape. It had to be the best.

The shower I have to admit was a bit of a pretentious affair, black marble dominating the view. There was not just one shower, but 3 in a row along one wall, and one at the end, each with a large square head above it. Everything about it was angular and sharp, modern and sleek, classic and timeless.

A small gasp escaped Ray's lips. “Wow”
I turned to look Ray in the eye, presenting him with a choice.
“Now, would you like to try the tub, or the shower first?”
From the way his mouthed had dropped first at the tub, this would have been my guess. It turned out to be correct as Ray drifted as if in a daze towards the massive structure. I reached to turn the water on when a much more agreeable sight than running water met my eyes. As I looked round, the erotic sight of my love slowly undressing caught my attention. I followed suit and soon we were both fully bare to the world, and each other. I took in the contours of his body with my unworthy eyes, to which he responded by doing the same. I gasped in amazement at how lucky I was. Surely I had not done anything to deserve this?

A playful smile crossed Ray's angelic face, his hands reaching towards me. Together we stepped into the tub, the hot water steaming in swirls around us.
“You take my breath away.” Was softly whispered into my ear, our hands touching, the back of his fingers grazing along my cheek. We softly kissed, the mood causing warm fire to spread through our veins. I reached over to the controls, turning the jets on so a gentle stream of bubbles flowed throughout the tub. With a lighter I lit several black candles around us, an orange glow bathing us with light. The scent of jasmine filled the room as bath crystals dissolved in the undulating water. I could not tell you how long we spent soaking up each other in that tub, nor could I tell you exactly how it made me feel. Any words of love, astonishment, amazement would be an understatement. To say I felt completely content in those long moments, another sentence not worthy of explaining my feelings accurately enough.

For the rest of that day, we glorified in each others' presence, saying nothing for our eyes said it all. Days passed in this manner, always in the dreamlike state of soft focus and never quite believing that it was real. We both wanted it to be real so much we were the only thing we concentrated on, and before we knew it new year's eve had arrived. We had been creating in my studio, only to take a break to watch some TV for the first time since Christmas day, when we realised we had been disconnected from the world for 6 days. Neither of us had thought of, or felt the need to turn our phones on. When we did, a flurry of text messages and voicemails came through. The other guys asking us how it was going, what exactly was going on. We decided it best to invite them down to my place, there was room for them now that it was established that Ray did not need a room of his own. They agreed, not knowing this fact yet although all would be revealed in good time. We together wanted the guys to find out first, a feeling of excitement and anxiety coursing through us. For the first time in 8 days I went shopping for food, realising that we would need more than the bare minimum with the others arriving, especially with Frank's appetite!

Ray decided that he wanted to stay at my place, said he had a few things to work on. As I left the apartment block, I sighed with contentment. I felt whole and the cool breeze washed over me, taking any fatigue and apprehension about telling the guys directly away from me into the distance. I walked with my heart in the clouds, alone as the streets were empty. It dawned on me that any normal person would be inside preparing for tonight. Why go out in the day time when they had all night? Walmart was as usual, I walked around not paying much attention to anything, the sky outside seemed more beautiful than usual and none of the food caught my eye any more than necessary. Although I did make sure to buy enough skittles. The girl at the checkout greeted me with the clone like corporate smile of welcome and I paid for my groceries. While I was out I remembered to go to my favourite coffee shop. As I had missed the last few days of the world preferring instead to bathe in bliss, I engaged in my ritual of buying a grande mocha with cream and picked up a national paper to read. Turns out my life had been much more interesting than everyone else's and I was anxious to return home.

As I entered my apartment the scent and sight of roses met my eyes. For a second I questioned if I had got the right home, but then I saw the only thing that could confirm that this was in fact my home. Ray stood grinning at me, holding two glasses of champagne. The occasion I still don't know, not to say that we needed one to indulge in each other. Hours passed putting up decorations and cooking the food for later until the rest of the guys were to arrive at the airport. We met them in my car, careful not to give anything away. Our plan was to tell them after midnight, start the new year with good news. Our hands never met once, we felt the tension and hoped that the others wouldn't, only exchanging chaste smiles when we were sure that they wouldn't see. On our way back to my apartment we heard of their Christmases and families. When asked what we had been up to, a lot of guitar hero had been played and we had spent the best part of the week messing about with my studio which the others hadn't seen yet. In fact since I had moved to this apartment, none of them had been there. I thought I saw Gerard give me a few odd looks now and again but shrugged it off. He must just be tired. Frank was his usual hyper self, and had brought his guitar so he was happy. Mikey was on his sidekick every five minutes, checking that Alicia was fine.

When we got home, the madness ensued. I did the compulsory tour of the apartment, watching everyone's faces in amazement when they saw my studio. I could tell that this would be where we could find Gerard if he was nowhere else. As I had expected, Frank found the skittles and was madly jumping around listening to Smashing Pumpkins on my stereo.

As midnight approached, the beer flowed (coke in Gerard's case) and the music got louder. We could hear people outside having their fun, but we didn't feel the need to join in. I once again owned at guitar hero, beating Frank at our own song. To this he exclaimed “You must have cheated, nobody beats the Frankster!” and jumped on my back from the sofa. It was getting harder and harder to keep my eyes, never mind my hands, off Ray. By the looks of it, he felt the same. As it neared midnight we turned on the TV to watch the parties elsewhere. We thought back to this time last year, playing on top of a building in New York. The thrill of that brought back our ideas of creating a lot of new material.

Before we knew it, there was the countdown. We were ten seconds away from the new year and it couldn't come fast enough.
10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1!

“HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!” we all shouted together, before something we hadn't planned happened. In the time honoured couple's tradition, we kissed the new year in. For a second it appeared that no-one noticed. After two, it became obvious that they had. Oh dear.

Surprisingly, after the initial shock, glee spread across our friends' faces.
“All right, if nobody else is going to say it, I will. Finally!” exclaimed Gerard, a grin taking over his features.
“Thank god you guys,” agreed Frank, “how long did it have to take?”
Confusion swept over Ray and me, not quite sure of what had just happened.

“Come on, you can't say that you didn't think we'd noticed something.” said Mikey.
“Er...how did you notice something, we only found out like a week ago that we both liked each other.” Ray asked, just as confused as I was.

“Hmm...ok here's the thing.” Gerard explained, with nods and mutters of agreement from the others that they had noticed things that neither of us had. Not just for the past few weeks, but months. Apparently it had been obvious to everyone but us.

“You can't believe how happy we are for you two guys.”
“Yh we've been wanting this to happen for ages, you two deserve each other.”
“You're such great guys, you'll be awesome for each other.”

Well, this was unexpected. “All these past few days, we've been wondering how to tell you that we got together, and you knew we would?!”
As soon as I said this, they all fell about laughing. I can only imagine how priceless my face must have looked, judging by the look on Ray's face!
“Well we didn't knowbut it was pretty obvious that you two liked each other.” Frank's face lit up with joy. It was easy to see how much they cared for us.
“ We are so lucky to have you lot. Thank you.” Ray said, expressing my thoughts exactly.
The rest of the night passed as the best new year's ever. We collapsed where we were, Ray and I sharing the big couch as it was the only one he could lie down on, Frank in the armchair and Gerard and Mikey being the cutest brothers ever sharing my other couch.

I could tell this year was gonna be good.