Just One Kiss

“First music video without Kevin,” AJ muttered, looking around the dock they were sitting on. Nick nodded, knowing how AJ was feeling right now. It was weird not having Kevin on set with them, but he made his choice, and they were supporting him no matter what.

“Where’s Stace?” Brian asked Nick, looking around.

“Down on the beach,” Nick replied, looking over the railing and spotting her wading in the water. She looked up at him and smiled, waving her hand. She didn’t notice the wave coming in, and stumbled at the force the wave hit her with. Nick smiled and turned back to his band mates, who was watching him with smiles on their own faces.

“I never seen you so happy Nick,” Howie commented.

“I’ve only felt this happy once in my life, and that was when we first started as the Backstreet Boys,” Nick admitted. “When our sounds started getting recognized.”

“Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?” Brian asked, seeing the twinkle in Nick’s eye. He knew the look because it was how he looked at his own wife, and how Howie and Kevin looked at their wives.

“It’s still a little too early to be thinking like that Bri,” Nick muttered, staring down at the dock. He had been thinking along those lines though, even just briefly, and he knew Brian was right. To him, it’s like Stacy was the one Nick had been searching for all his life. He couldn’t imagine a life without her.

After shooting that day, Nick took Stacy back to their hotel room. The sun had kissed her skin, giving her a natural glow.

“Have fun?” Nick asked her as she laid down in one of the beds. Stacy smiled and nodded, leaning on her elbow to watch him gather clothes for a shower.

“I thought I was supposed to be expecting crazy screaming fan girls at every corner!” Stacy called out to him. Nick walked back into the room, his shirt removed from his body. Stacy couldn’t help but look him up and down.

“We’re just working on a music video,” he pointed out. “Just wait for the concerts and special appearances we’ll have to make later on.” He winked and walked back into the bathroom, where Stacy heard the shower turn on.

Laying her head back, she started to drift off when her cell phone rang. Sighing, she walked to the desk where she left it and answered without looking at the caller ID.

“Hey Stace,” John’s voice came from the other end.

“Hey Johnny,” she replied as Nick walked out of the bathroom.

“Man I got sand everywhere from that damn scene,” he grumbled, taking his dirty clothes to the balcony.

“What’s up John?” Stacy asked, laughing silently at Nick.

“Just wanted to see how things are going, sounds like it’s not so well for Nicky over there.”

“They did a video shoot for a music video today. Nick had to lay on a beach towel in the sand and now he’s shaking the sand out of his clothes.”

“Fun,” John mumbled, causing Stacy to laugh again.

“It’s going good John. No crazy obsessive fans yet. Just riding in the bus and watching them do their video.”

“Okay, just stay safe sis. Same goes for the rest of them.”

“I’ll pass the message.” After they hung up, Stacy walked out to the balcony with Nick, who was leaning against the railing and watching the sun set over the ocean.

“Overprotective brother duty again?” Nick asked with a small smile.

“He means well, he just hasn’t learned boundaries yet,” Stacy shrugged, wrapping her arm around one of Nick’s. He smiled at the flutter he felt in his heart from the small connection.

“So I think tonight is a movie kind of night.” Nick said after they were silent for a long moment. “We have to be up to finish the video tomorrow.”

“Sounds good to me, as long as it’s not another chick flick. I can live without those every time we watch a movie.”

“What do you want to watch then?” Nick asked, grabbing up the remote. He flipped through the guide and Stacy noticed Resident Evil: Afterlife was coming on. She grabbed the remote and turned it onto that.

“Okay with you?” She asked, handing the remote back to Nick.

“Hell yeah,” he said, laying back against the pillows and drawing Stacy to him. It got halfway into the movie when Nick noticed Stacy was really still. He looked down, and noticed she was already asleep. He shook his head and went back to watching the movie. After tomorrow the true test of if Stacy could handle his life would begin, but he knew she would pass with flying colors.

~***~

“To you, to you!” Nick sang. “Baby Imma tell you every time you leave I’m inconsolable!” He looked up and into Stacy’s eyes. “I’m inconsolable…”

“And that’s a wrap!” The director called out.

“He’s more passionate now,” Brian commented to Howie as Nick went straight to Stacy.

“He’s in love, more than I’ve ever seen him,” Howie agreed. “I got to be honest with you though Brian, I think he’s getting in a little over his head here.”

“Why?”

“All he thinks about is Stacy, all he talks about is her. It’s almost like he’s forgetting he has his own life.”

“Howie, you were the exact same way with Leigh, and I was the same way with Leighanne. Their relationship is still young, in the honeymoon phase. Give it time, and they’ll slow down.”

“That’s just it, he’s this way now, how will he be if they do slow down and Stacy decides she doesn’t want Nick anymore? I don’t want him to be crushed or anything.”

“Neither do I,” Brian pointed out. “But if it happens, then it happens, and we’ll just have to be there for him if it does.”

“I don’t see it happening though,” AJ spoke up behind them. “I talked to Lia a couple days ago, and she told me that Stacy is the happiest she’s ever seen her. She was really smitten over Orton, and it nearly killed her when he broke things off. If that was how she was after two years, I would have hated to have seen her when the break up actually happened.”

“Seriously,” Howie muttered, watching the couple talking with each other.

“So, ready for the actual tour?” Nick asked as they made their way to the van that would take everyone back to the hotel.

“You bet I am.”

“Crazy fan girls and all?”

“Nick, I’m on tour with my boyfriend, his best friends, and one of my favorite bands. Bring on those crazy girls.” Nick laughed as he stood back to let her enter the van first. Brian looked toward AJ and Howie before following them into the van.

“Let’s do this,” AJ shouted, jumping up and down and bouncing the van. Stacy laughed as she fell sideways into Brian.

“Whoa, go the other way,” he laughed, pushing her back towards Nick.

“Where are we going first?” Howie asked AJ, causing the other man to stop bouncing, which Stacy was grateful for. The rest of the ride to the hotel was filled with AJ and Howie talking about the tour schedule. Stacy leaned her head back against the seat and let her eyes close, not realizing she dozed off until Nick gently shook her awake.

“We’re here,” he told her as Brian followed AJ out of the van. She followed Brian up to their floor, and Nick led her to the hotel room they were staying the night in.

“So, this is kind of nice, having you here after a long day of filming.” Nick sighed, drawing her closer to him and wrapping his arms around her. He left his hand drift on her arm, sending tingles up and down her entire body.

“Are you purring?” Nick asked suddenly.

“Almost,” Stacy smiled, snuggling into Nick’s side more.

“Well, get some sleep. We have a lot of traveling tomorrow.” Nick kissed her head, and soon, he felt her breathing even out.