AN:  A quick dose of Cat for all those addicted.  Email and feedback would be 
wonderful.  And just a note, some people are this bad in the morning.  Count me 
among them. =)  

inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com



********************* Curiosity Killed... Chapter Fifteen ***********************


Wow, waking up with Kevin Richardson might take some adjustment.  For one, he's cheerful 
in the morning.  For another, I'm definitely not used to sharing my bed with anyone but 
Stephen on a regular basis.  Which might explain the mortifying situation I find myself 
in when morning comes.  

"Catherine, child, wake up..."

I groan and shift, snuggling instinctively closer to the warmth next to me amidst the 
soft sheets, cold like I usually am in the morning, even in my long sleeves and pajama 
pants.  "Goway," I mutter.

"Catherine, Cat!"  The voice sounds semi frantic and I tune is out with ease.  The 
insistent hands gently prying me off my cuddling partner are harder to ignore, and a 
lot more annoying.  

"Sleep," I protest with my usual morning mumble as I stretch my arms out, trying to latch 
onto my warm body more securely.  

"No sleep, no sleep.  Cat, we need to wake up now, especially if you don't to start 
something you don't plan on finishing."  

I wrinkle my brow at the desperate tone and growl, cracking an eye open and expecting to 
find Stephen at my side.  Only, it's not Stephen.  I think about it for a minute, a very 
long minute in which I register a certain body part flush against my clingy thigh and 
barely concealed lust in the green stare that is trying to devour my by sight alone.  

I think, mumble, and think some more.  

"Oh shit!" I snap as I spring off the bed with coiled energy.  Or try to spring.  I get 
half way to springing when my stupid thigh decides to inform me of how sore it is by 
collapsing on me.  

I fall off the bed with the grace of a small mountain and land hard enough on my back to 
knock my breath out of me.  "Shit, ow, shit, ow, shit, ow..." I pant through pain induced 
tears.

Kevin peers over the bed with an expression of mixed amusement, worry, and exasperation.  
"Are you okay?"  

"I hate you!" I wail for no reason in particular as a blush paints my pale cheeks scarlet.  

Amusement wins out as Kevin laughs.

************************************************************************************

"Cold," I whine with the articulation of a two year old as I let Kevin lead my slowly out 
of the hotel, without breakfast no less and dressed in jeans.  New, shiny, unbloody jeans.  
Dressed!  I don't like real clothes.  

"If you would just let me carry you," he growls, ignoring my very valid complaint against 
the weather as he easily carries his bags and my own, despite my one worded protests.  

I miss Texas.  Warm Texas.  

"Cold," I say again, with extra emphasis, before adding, "early," to my list of complaints 
as I draw my thin jacket closer to me and try to ignore my throbbing thigh.  "Cold BAD."

Kevin sighs.  "Are you always like this in the morning?"  

Brian's light chuckle comes from behind us.  "She was yesterday, at least until I got some 
food in her.  Be happy she's not communicating.  Half of what I got yesterday was cussing."

I turn and manage a welcoming smile that dims in the brilliance of the golden haired 
Backstreet Boy's natural grin.  "Nice Brian.  Brian good.  Pet."  I reach out and pat his 
shoulder.  Brian laughs again as Kevin glowers and gently removes my hand.  "Pet," I repeat 
insistently as I reach and touch Brian's cheeks happily.  I mash them like potatoes and 
smile, contented despite the god-awful earliness of the hour.

He simply shakes his head, indulging me.  Good Brian.  "Come on child, on your chariot for 
the day."  

I pause and notice the giant black bus we've stopped in front of.  I frown.  "Bus?" I ask, 
making it a question.  

Brian taps my nose in a motion that mirror's his cousin's.  "We have five buses," he 
explains slowly, "usually we ride them.  The airplane was a special exception because we 
were traveling from Seattle to Bismarck.  The buses drove all this time to catch up to us.  
We decided that you're going to rotate buses every day unless we have too many extra minds 
to witch, then you might get stuck with Kevin for more than a day."  

I look at the two Kentucky boys with faint suspicion.  "Kevin?" I demand of Brian as I look 
at today's bus.

"Not today child.  We thought we'd start you out easy with Nick."  

I glare.  "Icky Nicky."  

A small snort escapes Kevin's lips as Brian's smile lights up even brighter than the sun.  
"That's the spirit.  Go on, he's actually on time today and already onboard.  Try not to 
kill each other on the trip to St. Paul."

"Cold," I add helpfully.  

Brian pats me on the head like a child and pushes me gently towards the open bus doors.  I 
sigh but go obediently enough, pausing though when confronted with the dilemma of the stairs.  
Before I manage to puzzle through though, Kevin's huge hands are encircling my waist and 
lifting me up with dizzying ease to set me up in the bus.  

"I told you, you should have just let me carry you this morning."  His breath brushes my 
ear with disturbing warmth that is too reminiscent of the bed this morning and Kevin's 
lingering heat.  "Although if I had known how grouchy you were in the morning I would have 
simply kept you in bed, and distance be damned."  

"Bad.  Bad Kevin."  Its annoying that he's amused instead of annoyed when he swats at me and 
hops off with lithe grace after depositing my backpack and small suite case in a small booth 
at the front of the bus.  I watch, forlorn despite myself, as he and Brian make their way 
to their separate buses, leaving me alone with Nick.  

I sigh and decide to forgo breakfast as I slowly make my way towards the back after a 
belated greeting to the bus driver, who has obviously been programmed to have no memory
of me and doesn't even acknowledge my hello.  The bus, despite its cramped quarters, is 
decidedly luxurious.  I find Nick sprawled across a sofa in the back, his headphones firmly 
on.  He glares at my entrance and yanks them off for a moment.  

"Let's get a few things straight.  This is my bus.  It is full of my stuff.  Don't touch 
anything.  Don't kill anything, especially me, and don't talk.  Just sit somewhere and be 
quiet and maybe, we'll have sex later.  Kevin thinks it's important we all try to seduce 
you.  But not now."  The headphones are put back on.

I blink for a moment, shrug, and head for a bunk.  Fine by me.  It's too early to be up 
yet anyway.  My watch says five in the morning.  I sincerely hope it's lying to me because 
I haven't been up this early since that small electrical fire in my apartment.  I went back 
so sleep after that too.

There are four bunks to choose from and I pick a bottom one that appears unused.  I crawl 
into it, curl into a ball, pretend to forget about my claustrophobia, and sleep, hating the 
fact that I miss the warmth Kevin provided at my side.