Still looking to his left, at the wall adjacent to the closet, were another set of plexiglassed shelves that looked to contain a whole bunch of more reading books, board games, DVD's, video games, and CD's. Ever so often and occasional picture frame would sit between the stacks on the shelves. Next to that was Nick's bed, which again is made out of plexiglass. "You really like plexiglass don't ya?" Justin questioned with a chuckle in which Nick just joined in but didn't say anything. The bed spread, sheets, pillow covers all matched the thick blue curtains. On either side of the bed were similar plexiglass night stand tables that supported very interesting and artistically shaped lamps. The silverish white metal type lamp was structured in a spiral about five feet long. Every curved edge had a pod like leaf that enclosed a blub. There were at least maybe twenty or so blubs on this one lamp stand.

Nick took that opportunity to turn the lights on and the semi-dark room was now lighted giving it a mystical aura. Justin was impressed.

On the other side of the bed there was a white dresser and then a door and since he the door was slightly ajar Justin could tell that it was the bathroom. But what baffled Justin was the big rectangular silverish black frame that hung right above Nick's head board of the bed. "That's an interesting piece of art..." Justin said not knowing what else to call it as he pointed it out.

Nick chuckled as he walked over to his bed and clicked some sort of button or switch, Justin couldn't quiet figure out, and all of a sudden the 'art' started to bubble. "It's not art, per se," Nick said. Justin gasped.

The frame was actually a really thin but big rectangular cube that's made out of glass and contained water. When turned on bubbles form from the bottom and rise to the top. "That is soo wicked!" Justin exclaimed. "Looking at it ... I kinda feel like I'm looking out into the ocean, as in like," he paused trying to figure just what he was trying to say. "Like this room is underwater and that is a window looking out in the ocean..." The wall colors of blue to green only adding more to the effect.

Nick nodded his head as he said, "That was the idea, yah. But when it's really quiet, mostly at night and when I can't sleep, I turn it on and it makes the bubbling noise... it's really relaxing and soothing."

"Wow," was all Justin could say and chuckled. "I want this room!" And then added under his breath as he looked up at the ceiling, "I wonder what it would be like at night while sleeping."

Even though Justin had whispered the last bit Nick had still heard it causing for him to blush. He was about to tell Justin that he could sleep over but then Nick really thought about it and he wasn't sure he was quite comfortable with that idea yet.

"What's that door for?" Justin questioned pointing over to the door by the angled corner.

"Oh," Nick said as he stood up and walked over to it and opening the door and turning the lights on. "It used to be a walk-in closet but my dad and I remodeled it with sound proof walls and turned it into my own 'jam room,'" he said making air quotes around 'jam room.'

Justin furrowed his brows and walked into the room and then he understood. In the back corner of the room was a big percussion drum set arranged while another corner had two guitars set on it's stands. One an acoustic while the other one was an electric. The opposite side had a yamaha keyboard, a DJing system, and something that looked like a recording machine. "Damn, ya'll are rich aren't you?" He questioned with a whistle.

Nick chuckled as he shook his head. "Nah, but we have rich relatives and friends who really like us," he said and then laughed along with Justin.

"Well, I love this room," Justin said not really knowing why he felt the need to say that. "You know, Aaron looked EXACTLY like you except he's got brown eyes..." Justin trailed off feeling like an idiot because Nick probably already knew that.

"Uh huh," Nick agreed. "Except he's 8, cuter, and a little brat."

Justin wanted to argue and say that yes, Aaron was cute but he was no comparison to Nick, he was hot and hotter than Aaron would ever be. Instead he settled for a, "Okay then that would make you the big older brat, am I right?"

Nick narrowed his eyes and tackled Justin causing them to topple on the bed with a 'oof', Nick on top and Justin on his back on the bed laughing at how Nick was tickling him. "Who's the big older brat, huh?" Nick questioned, laughing as he continued to tickle Justin.

Justin was laughing so hard that his whole face had turned red and he tried so hard to escape Nick but with the way Nick was straddling his waist and tickling Justin couldn't quite do that. That was... until he gathered up the strength and jerked his hips up causing for Nick to fall over next to him on the bed, laughing and gasping for air. Justin didn't waste any time before he got up and started tickling Nick. "HA, how do YOU like being tickled like that?" He questioned as he tickled Nick the way Nick had tickled him.

Before long they both were laughing so hard that all tickling was forgotten due to concentration on trying to stop laughing and catching their breaths. A few minutes passed when their laughter subsided and they noticed the positions they were in. Nick's hands were resting on Justin's waist while Justin's hands were resting on Nick's chest. Nick's heart was racing and when their eyes connected he could feel himself getting a little turned on.

Justin looked down at Nick and his heart stopped when their eyes connected. He knew that he should get up off of Nick and like run out of the room or something but he couldn't get his body to listen to his brain. He licked his dry lips, not taking his eyes off of Nick, absently as he slowly started to lean down.

Nick's mind was screaming for him to push Justin off of him and run out the door and his heart was just too busy palpitating to say anything and Nick was stuck. He held his breath as Justin leaned down, Nick figured to probably kiss him, and his hands, that seemed to have taken a mind of their own, wrapped themselves around Justin's waist PULLING him down to him. Nick felt like he had no control over his mind and body; he was screwed.

They were mere centimeters apart, both could feel the others' breath caressing their lips, their noses barely touching, before there was a loud knock on the door. Well, it seemed like a really loud knock to them. Justin quickly jumped off of Nick as if he had been burned by the other man and stood near the desk catching his breath while his face turned a deep crimson color.

Nick, too, was on his feet in an instant before taking long strides towards the door and throwing it open. "You scared us nearly to death," he exclaimed trying to calm his heart and regulate his breathing. "One second I'm showing Justin my room, it's all quiet and what not and the next second it's like a bomb exploded or something!"

Jane laughed at her son's dramatics. "Sorry, honey," she apologized. "I just was just wondering if Justin was going to be staying for dinner."

Nick turned around and looked at Justin.

Justin wrinkled his forehead in thought and then took out his cell phone and called his mother. A minute or two later he hung up the phone and said, "If it isn't any trouble my mom said that I could join you but-"

"No trouble at all, honey," Jane said cutting Justin off. "I was just curious as to how much and for how many I should cook for, since I'm starting dinner right now." She paused and gave Nick a quick look before saying. "Dinner should be ready in two hours, at 8:30 or so." With that she walked to the elevator and rode it down to the first floor.

Nick rested his head against the edge of the door and was about to close it when he heard his name being called. "Nicky..." Nick opened the door and looked down the hall and smiled when he saw Aaron climbing up the steps, using his hands as well, dragging his safety blanket along. Walking over to him he picked him up and carried him back to his room.

"Hey Ace," Nick said as he closed the door behind him and walked over to the bed. He looked over at Justin and smiled a small smile and indicated that he have a seat, anywhere. "Whacha doin' up here?"

"I mished you," Aaron said as he let go of his blanket and threw his arms around Nick's neck, hugging him. "You don't play wit me any mo'." He pouted. Just then there was another knock on his door.

"Come in," Nick called out just as Justin took a seat on the chair by the desk.

BJ, Leslie, and Angel, walked into the room, all smiling. Angel was the first to run over and jump on Nick and hug him. Nick laughed as he fell back on the bed, now the twins sitting on top of him. He then gently shifted so that the twins were lying down on their backs and he was on top. He started tickling them and they started to squirm and laugh. Before long all the Carter kids were on Nick's bed tickling whoever they could get their hands on while Justin sat by the desk and laughed at all of them.

"You guys are having a party and you didn't invite moi!?" Brian pouted as he looked at the people on the bed from the door way.

Nick craned his neck to the side and peered between Angel's arm at Brian. "Hey Frick," he greeted and then chuckled when Angel and Leslie got up and ran over to Brian, dragging him back to the bed.

"Oin us, oin us," Angel said.

Leslie looked over at Justin and waved him over, as well. "Yah, why are you sitting all the way over there, alone?" She questioned.

"Awe, you're ticklish aren't you?" BJ teased, actually starting to flirt with Justin causing both Brian and Nick to start laughing and Leslie to frown.

Justin blushed as he scrunched up his face and stuck his tongue out at BJ. He had no intention of joining them because he was in fact ticklish. Really ticklish. And he didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of Nick at the way he knew he'd squeal.

Brian looked over at Nick and then over at Justin. "If that's the case then..." He quickly walked over to Justin and started to tickle him.

Justin didn't have time to prepare himself much less run away before Brian started to tickle him. He yelped and then started laughing as Brian's fingers dug into his sides, tickling him with no mercy. "Oh god... stop. Please?.... Okay. Okay. Dude... Mercy... UNCLE... UNCLE!" By this point Aaron and Angel were helping Brian tickle Justin who was on the floor squirming and trying to get away from them. "Heeeeeelp!"

Nick watched as his siblings and Brian went over to Justin and tickled him. He would have gone and joined them but the thoughts of what he and Justin had been doing earlier and what that had almost led to made him think twice about it.

After a few more minutes of everyone torturing him and after tears running down his cheeks, they finally stopped. "Tha..thank... thank you," Justin said as he tried to catch his breath, lying flat on his back on the floor.

Angel giggled as she crawled over the pile of bodies lying on the floor trying to catch their breaths to Justin and made herself comfortable on his stomach, using his bent knees as a back rest. "Ustin Rwed," she said pointing at his face that was flushed and red from all the laughing and tickling.

Nick just shook his head and walked over to Angel. Bending down he picked her up off of Justin with a chuckle. "Come on," he said as he nuzzled his nose with hers. "Let him breath and catch his breath in peace. You all took the life out of him." He laughed and then looked down at Justin who shot him a thankful look. Just then Bob's voice announcing that he was home could be heard all the way up causing Angel to squirm in his arms causing for Nick to put her down. Except for Brian, Nick, and Justin, everyone else left the room and went downstairs to greet their dad.

"I should get going," Brian said pushing himself up off the floor. "I just dropped by to see what was up." He chuckled. He had dropped by to get the scoop of what happened with Justin that day only to be surprised that he would have to wait longer since Justin was still there. "Harold's coming home tonight and so, we're all going out to dinner."

Nick nodded his head and smiled. "Awesome, tell him I said hi and that I'm still holding him to that one-on-one," Nick chuckled as he gave Brian a half hug. "I'll see you tomorrow before church or at church."

"Will do," Brian said and then turned to Justin. "See ya later man, night Nicky." With that said Brian walked out of the room to head back to his apartment.

Nick sighed as he walked over to Justin and held a hand out for him to take. "You alright?"

Justin smiled as he let Nick pull him up. "Yes," he said chuckling a little and then took in a deep breath before letting it out in a relieved sigh. "That was interesting." He didn't know if he was saying about what just happened with Nick's siblings or what had happened with him and Nick earlier. He so desperately wanted to continue what they were doing before being interrupted. He wanted to ask Nick about what had been happening but he was too nervous and scared to do just that. He then realized something; Nick was still holding his hand or maybe he was still holding Nick's hand. Whatever. They were holding hands and Justin was giddy inside.

"I guess," Nick said as he looked down at their hands but really wasn't looking at it. His mind was still on when Justin was straddling his waist and they were about to kiss before it registered on him that they were holding hands. He then watched as his hands gained a mind of their own, as his fingers maneuvered their way so that their hands were clasped. He smiled when he noticed just how good it felt to have Justin's hand fit in his... perfectly. He diverted his gaze up to Justin's face which were watching their hands. His heart was rapidly beating and he stood wondering just why his hand was pulling on Justin's.

Justin bit the inside of his cheek, he too watching their hands and fingers with fascination, that was, until, he felt himself being pulled... towards... Nick. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Justin felt his knees starting to give out especially when he looked up and noticed Nick's gaze directed right at him. Those blue... blue eyes were watching him. Justin felt faint.

Nick reached out as soon as he saw Justin slightly sway before bending at the knees, almost falling... except Nick had caught him in time. "Shit, you alright?"

Justin shook his head and blushed a bright crimson. His stupid knees just had to go and make a fool out of him, didn't they? "Yah, I'm fine. Oh god. This is embarrassing. I'm so sorry," he said trying to get his legs to work properly but exclaiming "shit" when his legs gave out on him, again.

Nick chuckled as he held onto Justin a bit more tighter and closer to his body. He thought what was happening was kind of cute and the way Justin was flustered was adorable. "Don't worry about it," he said. "You sure, you're alright? 'Cause from the look of things, you're legs are saying otherwise."

"Dumb things," Justin mumbled out. "These fuckers are no good when you really need them the most." He shook his head and tried to stand up again; with Nick's help, he did. "Sorry."

Nick shook his head. "Stop apologizing, Timberlake," he said to Justin who was still in his arms, whom he was still holding close to his body. They were just a few inches apart now. Nick absently licked his lips and slightly tilted his head to the side. He really wanted to know just how this would feel.