Manhattan, New York: September, 2002

Watching Nick, Melissa couldn’t help but smile. He was different onstage then he was at any other time. Its like the moment he stepped out under those lights, the little boy inside him was awoken. The little boy that millions of screaming Backstreet fans didn’t know. The little boy that Mandy and all of Nick’s other flings had never met. The little boy known only to his best friend.

Melissa had been backstage when the Boys were called onstage, still wiping off the pounds of make-up from her performance with Britney earlier in the evening. Sure, she’d missed a larger portion of the awards show. But it was MTV, and the event would be rebroadcast to death until next year rolled around. Besides, being in the audience was an unnerving experience for Melissa. With cameras all around, Melissa could finally understand why Nick let so few people know the “real” him. The publicity was invading. There was no way Melissa could feel “herself” in front of all those strangers.

That’s what made this experience so important to Melissa. As much as his fans knew about him, Nick never liked to get too personal with the public. You couldn’t, if you wanted to maintain any sort of private life. In the past, Nick had always denied being in a serious relationship, even if that was a lie. Now, not only was he admitted to a committed relationship, his was publicly proclaiming his love in front of millions. Nick’s privacy was one of the aspects of his life he most cherished. The act of letting his guard down, for the sole purpose of pleasing Melissa, meant more to her then anything.

She had no idea how he kept it a secret. Years of scouring the Internet for dirt on Nick clued Melissa into every aspect of the Boys most private career moves. She herself had seen him onstage, rehearsing “Help Me,” as advertised. But plans had been changed. Nick now sat on a stool center stage, alongside Melissa’s favorite singer, Tony Lucca, performing a song unknown to most of the MTV audience. From the wings Melissa watched as Nick strummed along on his guitar, sweating blonde locks shielding his eyes from the harsh stage lights. It wasn’t as if this were the best song in the world, or Nick the best singer. And everyone knew he certainly wasn’t the best guitar player. But none of that seemed to matter. Because everyone watching the solo pop star onstage that Nick possessed an ability more admired then any amount of talent: passion. The viewing audience all could see that Nick was singing from the heart. A heart that finally, after far too many years, belonged to the right woman. A woman standing offstage, silently wiping a lone tear from her eye.

Her whole life had centered around this weird relationship she’s had with Nick. Every move she made was motivated by some means by this boy. When he wanted her, she didn’t want him. When he had moved on, she desperately wanted him back. Then, because of their own silly stubbornness, they both wanted one another, but refused to admit it. Always so close, yet so far apart.

But now the boy she’d fretted over for so many years was onstage. With her favorite singer. Singing a song dedicated for her. They’d finally reached the utopia they’d longed for all these years. And that’s what scared Melissa. Things were perfect, and she’d learned from experience that things don’t stay that way for long. How long before the honeymoon period was over with? And after spending her whole life journeying towards this one, perfect moment, what would she do with herself after it ended?

They hadn’t even been together very long, and here Melissa was, already doubting the future. She was too pessimistic, always seeing a half-full glass. This wasn’t the end of her life. She and Nick were only twenty-two years old. True, one period in their life was over with. The waiting and wanting. But that didn’t mean that everything else had to die out, too. In fact, it was just the opposite. They had completed a full circle, and this night, onstage with childhood idols, was a new beginning. Together.

Melissa was hardly the type to pass up an opportunity to talk to one of her childhood stars. Everyone stepped offstage looking expectantly at Melissa. They wanted to gage her reaction. But she practically ignored Howie, Brian, Kevin and AJ, and hardly noticed Tony Lucca. The act of not greeting Tony meant that whatever was on her mind was of the utmost importance. Her eyes were on one person, and one person alone. And from the look on her face, they all, Nick included, knew she was more then pleased.

She ravaged him the second he got offstage. He barely had enough time to set down his guitar before she came barreling at him. Her muscular, dancer legs were strong enough to hold herself up around Nick’s waist after she pounced upon him. After a brief moment of situating himself, Nick’s arms wrapped around Melissa, creating a seat for her bottom. Her hands were everywhere: on his cheeks, in his hair, lightly touching his eyelids. But her lips were focused on a more solitary place: Nick’s mouth. She bit lightly on his bottom lip, while tantalizingly using her tongue to caress the flesh.

The mellow performance hadn’t taken too much out of Nick. But it was the backstage performance that was the real work-out. He could feel sweat beads forming at his hairline. He backed Melissa up against the wall, for better leverage. God, that girl does crazy things to me.

“Maybe we should leave them alone.” Nick knew the other Boys’ voices like he knew his own. But at that moment, for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out who was speaking. Melissa was stunting his brain from working properly. But whoever spoke, the other Boys followed, leaving the couple with some bit of privacy.

“Baby girl, we’re in public. Maybe we shouldn’t do this right now.” Nick said into Melissa’s mouth. It was just one aspect of their relationship that never ceased to amaze him. The two had mastered the ability to carry on a conversation while making out.

“I don’t care,” Melissa responded. Normally she wasn’t into public displays of affection. Especially when press was around. But Nick had just opened himself up in front of millions, all for her. She wanted to return the favor.

And as great as kissing and conversing could be, there was one relationship characteristic that was far greater. Being able to communicate, without saying anything at all. It was that sort of situation which lead Nick and Melissa to mutually put an end to their exhibition of affection. Nick set Melissa back down on the ground, helping her find her feet. She collapsed into his chest, her arms around his neck, his around her waist.

“I’m surprised Kevin let you do that.” She spoke so softly, only Nick could hear. The couple was in their own world. A world few outsiders would dare impede on.

“Do what?” Nick questioned, as he pushed Melissa’s loopy auburn curls off her face. Her ear and neck were exposed for Nick to lean down and bury his head into.

“Bring a guest artist onstage. Sing a song that’s not even going to be on your solo album.” Her palm was placed flat on his chest, monitoring his heart rate.

Nick shrugged, pulling Melissa tighter into his grasp. “Kev’s been different lately. Calmer. Almost as if that stick that has been up his ass all these years has…”

“Come unstuck?” Melissa suggested. She looked up at Nick, a smug smile across her face.

“Whoa, there. Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Nick shook his head incessantly. “That stick is still up there. But maybe it’s working its way out.”

“Nick! Get your dirty mitts off of Melissa and get a move on it! You’re needed in the press room!” Kevin commanded. He was one of the few that would impede on the situation

“See what I mean?” Nick said to Melissa, trying to emphasize his point.

Before Melissa could nod in agreement, Kevin spoke up. “Why do I get the feeling that you all were talking shit about me?”

“It wasn’t shit,” Melissa swore up and down. “In fact, we were both noticing how you’ve changed, for the better, recently.”

“Maybe its because you all finally wise’ned up and got together,” Kevin noted.

“You don’t know all the trouble you two have caused the rest of the world by not being together.”

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