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A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes Chapter 35 A.J. entered the common room and paused at the site before him. Erin was comfortably stretched out on the plush couch, fast asleep with a peaceful smile on her lovely face. Across from her was an also sleeping Nick; his long body folded into the armchair, limbs sprawled every which way. A.J. chuckled at his chivalrous friend as he moved to pull a blanket around Erin more securely. "Don�t tell me you two got into a fight too," Brian said in a hushed voice. "No. Erin just wanted to be closer to Kristy," A.J. explained as the older Boy moved into the room. "Then where�s Kristy?" Brian asked, looking around, also laughing at Nick�s sleeping form. "In Nick�s room� at least, that�s where she was last I heard." Erin had filled A.J. in briefly the night before when she went to get a blanket. "Okay. So why isn�t Erin with her?" Brian asked, trying to piece the information together. "�Cause Kevin�s in there," Erin answered, waking up to the guys� discussion. "He�s what?!" Brian�s surprise was echoed by Leighanne�s as she entered the room. "You�re kidding, right?" Brian moved beside Nick and picked up one of his extended arms by the wrist. Erin sat up slightly and looked curiously at Brian. "What is he doing?" she asked, glancing between the faces around her. "Feeling for a pulse," Brian explained, "Since I thought that after last night the only way Nick would let Kevin near Kristy would be over his dead body." Nick groaned as he pulled his arm away from Brian�s grasp. "God, B-Rok � it is too early for your bad jokes!" "So�?" A.J. prompted Erin, taking a seat on the end of the couch. She shook her head. "They didn�t come out all night." Nick slowly stood up, easing his body into working order again. "Think they�re okay?" he asked as he wandered towards the door. He paused as he spotted one of the security team in the hall. "Nelson!" he called out. "Have either Kris or Kev shown their faces yet this morning?" The bodyguard shook his head. "Nope. Marcus filled me in though, and he said it had been quiet for him too." The small group made themselves comfortable while they waited for their friends to emerge. Five anxious faces turned as Howie entered the room. "Oh, it�s just you," Nick sighed as he returned to his pacing. "Gee, thanks. You sure know how to make a guy feel appreciated." Erin and A.J. made room for him on the couch. "We were hoping you�d be Kristy or Kevin," Erin explained. "Kristy I can understand, but I�m surprised any of you want to see Kevin," Howie commented to the group. Erin smiled to herself. These guys had quickly become good friends to both her sister and herself and she valued their friendship. "I�m not saying I forgive him completely, but he had his reasons for what he�s done � granted they weren�t the most logical reasons, but�" She went on to share their conversation and how both she and Nick came to agree that Kevin at least deserved a chance to talk to Kristy. "Of course, it doesn�t mean Kristy will want to listen," A.J. surmised with a laugh. Brian fidgeted before standing and leaving the room. He returned shortly with Nelson. "You�re sure you haven�t heard anything from their room?" Nelson shook his head. "No yelling? No crying?" "Nothing." Nick frowned. "Maybe someone should go check on them� just to make sure they�re okay." "If you were worried that Kristy wouldn�t be okay, why�d you let Kevin be with her?" Leighanne asked, concerned about her friend after the uncharacteristic way Kevin had acted the night before. Nick glanced at Erin and they exchanged a worried look. "Kevin wouldn�t hurt her�" "Though I�m not sure I can say the same for Kristy," Erin chuckled. "Could you blame her?" Howie asked. Everyone in the room shook their heads. Brian glanced around at his bandmates and their friends. "I agree with Nick, someone should probably check on them� I mean if Kristy did kill Kevin, we�re going to have to postpone tonight�s show," he said with a mischievous smile. "I�ll go," Erin volunteered. The roomful of people shook their heads. "Ah� I don�t think that�s such a great idea," A.J. answered for the group. "You�re a little too close to remain objective." "I�ll be fine," Erin argued. "Okay," A.J. started, "What would you do if you walked in to see them fighting?" "I�d wring his neck." Brian and Leighanne giggled as Erin answered without hesitation. "And if they were� uh, �making up�?" "I�d wring HER neck." "Mmhmmm. Case closed." Nick stood. "I�ll do it." Brian burst into laughter. "I don�t think so! You�d do the same thing as Erin." "I would not! I�d wring his neck both times!" Nick answered with a smirk. "Good Lord! All of you sit down. I�ll check on them," Nelson said, shaking his head. He knew if he didn�t, they�d continue to pester him all morning � or however long it took for the couple in question to emerge. Nelson quietly opened the door to the suite Nick had been originally assigned and entered the room. He made his way to the bedroom area where, from a distance, he could see someone in the bed. As he got closer, he realized there were actually two someones. Both were asleep � Kristy lying in the crook of Kevin�s arm, her head and head resting on his chest. Kevin�s arm was wrapped around her, and his other hand covered hers on his chest. Nelson smiled to himself as he made his way back to the group. He chuckled as every pair of eyes in the room turned to him as he entered � including new arrivals Toni and Dennis. "Well�?" "They�re gonna be just fine." * * * * * Kevin awoke, slowly opening his eyes to the mid-morning sun. He looked down at the head resting on his chest and smiled as he saw a pair of blue-green eyes gazing up at him. Kristy had woken up a while earlier and had been appreciating the view from her current position � her chin resting on Kevin�s sculpted torso, her eyes taking in every feature of her boyfriend�s sleeping face. "Good morning... again," Kristy greeted with a warm smile. Kevin rolled to his side so he could face her more easily. "Wonderful morning," he replied before brushing his lips across hers in a gentle kiss. "Did you sleep well?" Kristy repositioned one of her pillows under her head � now that she wasn�t using Kevin�s chest � so that their faces were mere inches apart. "Never better." Kevin brought his hand to the side of her face and tenderly caressed it. "I actually had the most incredible dream." "Oh?" Kristy saw the sparkle in Kevin�s eyes � a look she hadn�t seen in a long time. "Would you like to share?" Kevin noticed how Kristy�s eyes twinkled too � knowing he�d been the cause of her "lack of twinkle" in the recent past. But everything would change � starting now. "I dreamt I was holding you in my arms and that you told me how much you loved me." Kristy smiled warmly at him. "A part of me knows I don�t truly deserve your forgiveness and love... but I want both." He paused and looked deeply into her eyes. "I�m going to EARN your trust, forgiveness, and love, Kris." Kristy held Kevin�s gaze. For some people those may have been just words, but to Kevin and Kristy, it was a promise. "Sounds like quite a dream." Kevin smiled and moved even closer to her, lowering his voice like he was sharing a special secret. "Well you know what they say � �a dream is a wish your heart makes�." Kevin pulled her to him and claimed her lips with his in a series of soft, sweet kisses. After several short kisses, they became lingering � the passion building between the two of them. Kevin reluctantly pulled away, still holding her in his arms, but wanting to go slow. When they�d first met, the attraction and connection between the two of them was immediate and they�d moved pretty fast. Kevin wanted to reassure Kristy that the love they shared was more than just physical. He knew he was going to do everything in his power to build their love � and regain her trust. Kristy sighed contentedly as Kevin held her close. She did love him � but couldn�t quite bring herself to say the words out loud yet. She�d admit she was still a little scared to open herself to him again. She�d wanted to be with him so much in the beginning that she would have done anything � but she felt like she�d lost some of her independence in the process. This was their second chance. Kevin talked about trust and honesty... and Kristy knew she needed to be honest too. She wanted them to be together, but not at the expense of either of their individual personalities. There had to be a way to have a life together and still have their own lives. Kevin ran his hand over her hair, treasuring its softness. There were so many things about Kristy that were soft � especially her heart. He knew from conversations earlier in their relationship that she felt like she built walls sometimes to protect herself. He suspected she�d rebuilt some of those walls over the last few weeks. He knew he�d have to get past any barriers she�d put up... and he was willing to do whatever it took to get back to her heart. �I�m quoting my own songs now.� Kevin smiled to himself as he recalled an earlier conversation when Kristy and Erin had been riding the bus with them to the Seattle conference. Kristy, Brian, and Nick had been trying to convince the others that there was a Backstreet Boys song lyric for every occasion. He�d just proved her right with his own song. * * * * * The impromptu gathering in the common room continued throughout the morning, becoming somewhat more structured as the group ordered up room service and watched "Urban Legends" on the hotel�s movie service. They had actually gotten so engrossed in the horror flick that they didn�t even notice the two figures quietly enter the room. Kevin and Kristy exchanged looks and he lingered by the door while she tiptoed silently over to the couch where Nick, Erin, and A.J. sat. Just as the suspenseful music was building and the actors on screen were running from the unknown killer, Kevin hit the light switch and Kristy pounced from behind the sofa. Screams filled the room � male and female alike � followed by laughter from the instigating couple. Kevin turned the lights back on and watched as a pale Nick lunged for Kristy who was still giggling. Luckily she saw him move and was able to dart out of his reach. Nick, however, wasn�t willing to let the prank go by unpunished. He continued to pursue Kristy around the room as she scooted around the furniture and back to the entryway where she ducked behind Kevin. "Coward! Come out and face your punishment." Nick ignored the tall man in front of the woman he was chasing. "Uh-uh. Pick on someone your own size!" came the laughing reply from behind Kevin. "Hey, YOU started it! Now I�m going to finish it!" Kevin shook his head as Kristy and Nick continued to bicker through him as if his muscular 6�2" frame didn�t exist. "Give it up, Kaos. Let her have her moment." "Easy for you to say... you didn�t practically have a heart attack at age 20." Nick faked a dismayed look. "And in the height of my sexual prime!" The entire group groaned with Kristy reappearing in time to smack Nick for his reply. "Too much information, Nicky," Kristy giggled. Kevin held Kristy�s hand as they joined the others � an action that was not lost on the others in the room. "You know," Erin started, eyeing her sister�s smiling face, "Kristy wasn�t alone in this little thing � unless she�s suddenly developed telekinesis and was able to flip the light switch at the same time as she jumped out." Everyone looked to Kevin who was smiling guiltily. "So, I assume you guys are partners in crime." Kevin nodded and squeezed Kristy�s hand as he gazed down at her. "More like partners in everything."Next: Chapter 36 |