AN: All right. No more story ideas for me. I have to damn much going on. At last count I have TEN stories I'm working on for this site alone!! Its okay though, I had to write this, get it started at least so it would leave me alone. And WHY am I hounded by Kevin? I don't understand it! I don't even like him! But, here we are. Anyway, feedback, as always, would be very much appreciated. Thanks for your patience with me, in general. Ya'll rock. inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com ******************** Too Close for Comfort: Chapter One ************************ It wasn't love at first sight. On the contrary, it was something significantly less than love. Less than like. Of course, it didn't help that Nicky kicked Kevin the first time she met him, even if she was only twelve. *************************************************************************************** Nick wasn't overly tall for his tender age of thirteen. He was slender still, gawky even, all limbs and bleached hair. He stood protectively in front of his best friend though. Nicky, Nicole to her mother and her mother alone, was small for her age, slender, dark to Nick's light, with dusky skin that spoke of her mixed Latin heritage and dark brown curls that fell to her waist. She peered around her best friend's arm as he smiled and awkwardly welcomed the last two men who completed the puzzle of Nick's so called singing group. Tonight was a big dinner at the Carter household in order to celebrate the final completion of the Backstreet Boys. She watched their entrance with distrustful eyes. Nicky had met AJ and Howie already and had found them acceptable company, compatible talent for her Nick even. Besides, AJ made her laugh. She wasn't at all sure what to make of these full-grown men who walked into the Carter's Florida home though. She wondered what Aaron and Ash and Les would think of the two new comers. Her dark gaze studied the blonde first. She wanted to like him on sight alone, despite her best intentions. There was an honest naïveté she knew she already lacked in his blue gaze. And he looked kind. Kindness was important. Nick deserved the very best. She hoped that this Brian was the best. She was less sure of the dark haired one. He was nearly twenty-one for one thing. Closer to adult than Nicky was ready to grasp, and tall, as tall as she feared her Nick might grow to be one day. She knew Nick was half afraid of him too. Afraid of this man with his hard green eyes and ready temper. Not that Nick wasn't afraid of a lot, but, it was Nicky's job to protect him. He had better be able to sing as well as Howie swore to her he could. Nicky was perfectly ready to hate Kevin Richardson if Nick needed her too. She always did the things Nick didn't know how to do, whether it was giving Jimmy Henderson a black eye for bullying or making sure that Nick was ready for auditions so Jane wouldn't kill him. Nicky was there for Nick in ever conceivable way. He was her best friend and nothing would change that. Especially some dark haired man who spoke with a slow drawl in his deep voice. She glowered darkly from behind Nick's dubious protection. Jane Carter swept into the entry way, fussing, preening, a whirlwind of forced activity and tension. Nicole's glower darkened. She already half hated Jane for Nick's sake. It wouldn't be a stretch to add another name to the list. Bob entered more hesitantly and Nicky watched as Kevin and Brian both introduced themselves to Nick's father. They started to move into the living room together before Jane seemed to remember Nicole's existence. "Oh, Nick, did you introduce Nicole?" Nick blushed beet red and Nicky frowned fiercely as he stepped slowly away from her. Brian and Kevin studied her for a heart beat before Brian made a brief overture of friendship. He stepped forward and started to kneel more to her height, then seemed to check himself. He offered a hand and a bright smile instead, sunny, like a hot summer day. He was nearly blinding to look at. "Hi, I'm Brian. You're Nicole?" She studied his outstretched hand disdainfully for a moment before taking it in a firm grip. "Nicky," she replied with swift seriousness. "My name is Nicky." She shot a dark glare at Jane who ignored her with easy practice. "All right," Brian agreed easily. "Is everyone else in the living room?" Nicole nodded and dutifully lead the way to the living room. Brian, Nick, and Bob Carter followed her but not before she heard Kevin's comment to Jane. "I thought Lou talked to everyone about not having girlfriends. Its bad for image." "She's not a girlfriend. Just a friend. She had better stay that way. Nick understands." Nicole fumed. She continued to fume through dinner which was a rather loud and noisy affair between the six Carters, AJ, Howie, Brian, Kevin and herself. Not that she wasn't used to loud dinners. She had seven siblings and was nestled smack in the number as number four. She had grown up in noise. She fumed all the way until desert when she finally managed to corner Nick alone in his room when he went back to change shirts after spilling ketchup on his white shirt. "I don't like him," she hissed. Nick jumped and cursed using several words he wasn't supposed to know. Nicole had taught him most of them. "Which one?" he asked as he changed, unfazed by Nicole's presence and well used to her temper. As small as her stature was, Nicky had a very explosive temper. "The old one!" she exclaimed, his name temporarily escaping her as she threw herself on top of the mess that was Nick's bed. He grinned with twinkling blue eyes. "Which one is that?" She growled at him and rolled her eyes, dark curls falling in her face. "The Kevin one, stupid." "Stupid?" Nick demanded with false outrage. Nicole's eyes widened. "Oh Nick, no, don't!" The rest of her pleas were lost as Nick launched himself at her and proceeded to tickle. It was her secret weakness and the one thing she hated most. Nick tickled her mercilessly. Fortunately, he was almost as ticklish as she was. They were both out of breath, crying, and rumpled when someone rapped on the open door. The two best friends paused their assaults and looked up to find a rather less than amused Kevin Richardson standing there, doing his best to look commanding and intimidating. By Nick's tenseness, he succeeded only in half of his goal. Nicky was far from fazed. "Am I interrupting anything? Your mother sent me back to get you Nick and...?" "Nicky," Nicole supplied flatly. "Its not hard. Remarkably like Nick even. Shouldn't be hard to remember." "If you're around long enough I'll bother to remember it." Nicole said something foul and started off the bed with murder in her eyes but Nick restrained her with practiced ease that wasn't lost on Kevin. "Kevin, Nicky is going to be around for a long time, forever. She's my best friend. Always has been. Always will be. End of story." Kevin's disapproving face softened for a moment and he sighed. "Look kids, I know this sounds awful now but things change. People change. Most people have a dozen best friends in a lifetime..." Nicole snorted and jumped off the bed, past angry. "See why I don't like him?" she demanded Nick in English before trailing off in incoherent and visibly enraged Spanish. Nick was fervently glad that AJ or Howie wasn't there to translate. He had been around Nicky long enough to recognize a few of the words and was quite happy to remain ignorant of the rest. She stomped past Kevin, stopping long enough to kick him soundly in the shins, before striding off. Nick started to race after her but Kevin's hand on his shoulder paused him. Nick wanted to brush him off with Nicole's easy rage but didn't quite dare. "Nick, just how famous do you think we're going to be?" Nick stared up at him with guileless blue eyes. "I..." he wet his lips. "I want us to be as famous as Lou promises my mom. I know... I know we're going to be that famous." Kevin nodded encouragingly. "Sometimes, you rarely stay close to the same people when you get famous Nick. It just doesn't work that way." Nick frowned as his blue eyes dimmed. "Well, then me and Nicky just don't work THAT way. We're together forever." Kevin's hand tightened on his shoulder. "A girl is bad for our images. Lou says..." Nick finally shrugged him off defiantly, his thin boy shoulders set straight. "Nicky isn't a girl Kevin. She's my best friend and I'm not leaving her, ever." It was his turn to stride away. Kevin sighed, ran a hand through dark hair and silently prayed. This group, their group, had to work. Had to. He reached down and rubbed his smarting shin. That little wisp of a girl really packed a wallop. ************************************************************************************** Nick found Nicky perched high in the orange tree in his spacious backyard. It took him a minute to maneuver up the thin branches Nicole climbed so fearlessly and gracefully. When he reached her it was nearly dark. It'd take twice as long to climb down. He sat gingerly next to her and tried to gauge her mood. "I'm not your girlfriend Nick. That's stupid. I'm you friend..." "My sister," he finished softly, relieved to heard most of the anger gone from her usually soft voice. "You already have sisters," she responded but with a smile. He shrugged with the grace of youth. "You can always have one more." Nick fumbled in his jean pockets for a moment before taking out his Swiss Army Knife. "Wanna be related for real?" He felt Nicky's dark eyes on him and she surprised him by the suddenly swift hug she gave him. He was almost immune to her displays of affection and endured the embrace for a full minute before squirming. They didn't speak as he carefully drew the knife over the fleshy part of his palm with a hiss. Nicole mirrored his action and, without hesitation, they shook hands, binding themselves together. "No one's gonna take me away from you," he said in the darkness, one arm protectively wrapped around the slight slip of his friend. He felt more than heard her sigh and the very timid but heartfelt, "Thank you," that followed.