-make it alright-
-prologue-

Light streamed through the sheer white curtains. Nick awakened to the gentle California breeze kissing the naked skin of his shoulder. Noting his surroundings, a contented smile teased the corners of his lips upwards.

He lay amidst a queen-size bed, partially covered by a white, cotton-knit sheet. He breathed in the scent of California sunshine of which the sheet had been dried in. The sliding doors which lead to the balcony had been left open. Floor-to-ceiling curtains billowed in the subtle morning breeze. They were all that separated the room from its waterfront view.

It was a picturesque morning in the small bungalow. Ocean air filled the room with a refreshing scent. In the distance, Nick could hear the faint sound of waves. Something in the air hinted that the overhead fan would have to be turned on before the afternoon approached.

The smile on Nick�s face grew larger as the girl in his arms shifted slightly. Sweet Melissa, Nick thought. Never in a million years would he have pictured himself in this situation, with her small body carefully spooned against his own. Yet there he was, more content then he�d been in quite awhile. Nick unwrapped one of his arms from around her waist. It had been resting on the bare skin where her white camisole and blue-gingham boxers failed to meet. He trailed his fingertips up her sun-bronzed arm. Reaching her neck, he carefully brushed the mass of auburn curls away.

He moved his body closer to her own. Sweetly, he first kissed her collarbone. Then he began a trail of kisses leading up her neck. Each kiss grew more sensual then the previous. His final kiss, on the back of her neck bone, caused her skin to quiver. A slight moan escaped her lips.

�You awake, Lissie-Liss?� He asked. His pitch was soft, so as not to disturb her.

�Mmm-hmm�,� She replied sleepily. �I�ve been awake since you let go of my waist. I always wake up when you let go of me.�

�Aww, baby girl. I�m sorry.� He cooed. �Let me do something to take care of that.�

Carefully, he rolled her over to face him. It was a position they�d grown accustomed to over the past months. It was such a regular occurrence, their bodies moved into the position before they really had time to think. Their legs were intertwined, her left leg sandwiched between his, her right leg resting atop his left. His arms were wrapped all the way around her body, hands slid underneath her camisole, massaging circles into small of her back.

Once comfortably situated, she placed her hands on Nick�s hipbones, pulling her body closer to his. Everything about their current situation was just as it should be, nothing needed to be changed. It was perfect. Sensing the contentment in their current state, the couple sighed collectively. Then giggling, Mel leaned in to kiss the tip of Nick�s nose. �Aww, sugar, you�re so cute. I just want everything to stay this way. Forever and ever.�

Nick nodded, as he nuzzled his head into the nape of her neck. He inhaled sharply. She smelled of pineapple body lotion. A familiar and comforting scent. He pressed his lips into Mel�s neck, feeling her pulse reverberate into his body through his mouth. He spoke softly, not moving from his position, �I agree. Let�s stay in bed all day.�

�But sugar, that�s all we did yesterday.� Melissa said sensibly. Knowing that she had plans in a shortly, Mel was trying to remain strong against Nick�s persistence. But it was hard with Nick�s body entangled in her own. How could she resist Nick rubbing her back and mumbling sexily into her neck? It took all the courage she had not to buckle underneath his touch.

�So what?� Nick asked. Melissa was more then tempted to agree with him. But Mel had a job she was responsible for; friends she hadn�t spoken to in God knows how long. As much as she would have loved to stay in bed with Nick, she couldn�t. Grunting unhappily, Mel pushed Nick away from herself. She attempted to get up. It didn�t work.

Aggressively, Nick attacked her. He jumped on her, his legs straddling her hips. His arms pinning down her elbows. �Oh no you don�t. You�re staying right here with me. We�re going to do nothing all day, and have a great time doing it.�

�Ugh, okay. Fine. I give up, you got me. Kiss?� She asked, closing her eyes and puckering up. He relented, and leaned down to kiss her lips softly. But before their lips could meet, she took the opportunity to kick him lightly in the crotch. He reacted just as she had hoped, by jumping backwards. Feigning pain, he collapsed against the bed in the fetal position.

�You�re such a sucker, Nicky.� Mel said, as she leapt to her feet. Tugging on the bottom of her camisole, she made her way to the bedroom door. �You coming?�

�It depends, you making breakfast?� He asked, looking up from his curled-up position. Melissa couldn�t help but smile. He had such a childlike presence. If there hadn�t been so much of him, she would have sworn he was just a little boy.

�My mother�s special French Toast?� Melissa offered. She knew Nick would have to be out of his mind to resist her secret family recipe. Nick clutched his tummy and groaned. �You�re mother�s special French Toast�mmm. I haven�t had that in years!�

Melissa threw her hands in the air, �Well? What are you waiting for? There�s a loaf of bread downstairs with your name on it!�

Nick crawled across the bed on his hands and knees, towards Melissa and the bedroom door. Thinking back on her last comment, Nick had to smile. She always said- and did- the nerdiest things. But then again, so did he. Maybe that�s why they always got along so well.

Reaching the end of the bed, Nick hopped off. As he slowly rose to his feet, his arm instinctively reached out for Melissa, interlacing her fingers in his own. Mel�s eyes grazed up and down his body. Feeling her give him the once-over, Nick threw his arms around his body comically, in a poor attempt to cover himself. �What�chu lookin� at, girl?�

�Are you planning on putting on any clothes?� Mel asked as she eyed his wardrobe- a ratty pair of boxer-briefs. She was definitely seeing a side of Nick Carter the average Backstreet fan hadn�t. Nick received a lot of flack about his weight, causing him to grow self-conscious in the public eye. True, he can�t compare to a member of 98* as far as buffness goes. But he certainly isn�t fat, Melissa thought. Just big-boned. Besides, its his imperfections that make him so perfect. And anyway, Jeff Timmons� pecs are so big, they look like boobs.

�Are you?� Nick retorted, eyeing Melissa�s naked midriff and short shorts. She had a small, pear-shaped body, which never seemed to gain or loose an ounce. Melissa could easily out-eat Nick, yet still manage to fit into a swimsuit from Gap Kids.

�Nope,� Melissa said, with a shake of her head. She could already feel the midmorning heat begin to intensify, as the sun radiated in from the sliding doors.

�Then me either,� Said Nick. He once again reached out for Melissa�s hand. �Let�s go make some grub!�

Leading Nick by the hand, she exited the bedroom. Because of its location on the Venice Beach canals, her small house was over priced. But Melissa loved the bungalow to death, and couldn�t imagine living anywhere else.

The top floor had three mid-sized bedrooms and a small bathroom, all meeting in a common hallway. A short flight of stairs led to the first floor, which consisted of a living room, a small dining room and the kitchen.

Melissa had never been much of a cook before moving to LA. But after settling into the �canal house� (as she and her roommates had dubbed it), Mel had fallen in love with her kitchen. It was small, but cozy. Most people would find its 70�s-style, brown-and-orange tiles hideously ugly. But Melissa couldn�t get enough of the room. She�d willingly spend hours at the sink washing dishes just to have the opportunity to gaze out the window at the canals.

Upon entering the kitchen that morning, Melissa quickly shook Nick�s body off her own. She set to work, opening the refrigerator. Peering inside, Melissa took an inventory of the frig�s contents, making sure she had the necessary ingredients.

�Aww, baby girl! Why�d you have to go and diss me like that?� Nick asked. He was obviously a little upset to have been discarded so quickly. Nick stood behind Melissa, wrapping his arms around her waist. She was nearly a foot shorter then him. He had to bend his knees and lean down in order to rest his head on her shoulder.

Melissa stuck her butt out, grinding it into Nick�s body. �Go away. You�re too big for this little kitchen. Why don�t you go relax for a few minutes?�

Nick moved his hands from around her waist, to her hips. �Actually, I was kinda hoping I could stay here for awhile, bumping-and-grinding with you.�

Melissa instantly stopped gyrating her hips. She whipped around to face Nick. She tried to maintain a stern look on her face, but it was impossible in Nick�s presence. He mimicked Melissa by impersonating a Ricky Martin booty-shake. On stage, the move caused all the little girls to scream. But in the tiny kitchen, he looked plain silly prancing around in his underwear. There was no way Melissa could keep a straight face while Nick looked so ridiculous. She laughed, �Sugar, you�re impossible!�

Nick stopped dancing. He looked at Melissa with a cheeky smile. �But that�s why you love me, ain�t it?�

She threw her hands up in the air, clearly frustrated. �Why do I put up with you? Ugh! Get out or here, or no breakfast for you!�

Pouting, Nick turned to leave. He headed toward the Dutch doors which lead to the porch. Melissa turned back to the refrigerator to carefully gathering the eggs and milk in her arms. Before leaving the room, Nick mumbled something under his breath.

�What was that, sugar?�

�I called you a soup nazi,� Nick admitted sheepishly.

Setting the eggs on the brown-and-orange tiled counter, Melissa laughed. �Like on �Seinfeld,� huh? Pretty funny. I loved that episode�.ooh! Hey, sugar? Can you grab me some chopsticks?�

�Where are they?� Nick asked, looking around himself.

�In the utensil drawer, top right.� Said Melissa, pointing.

Nick quickly located the drawer in question. Removing a pair of hand-painted chopsticks, he said, �Here- catch!�

Nick watched as the chopsticks flew through the air, just missing Melissa�s grasp. Despite the warning, she wasn�t prepared on time. It brought a smile to Nick�s face as he recalled Melissa�s lack of hand/eye coordination.

Melissa scrambled to catch the chopsticks before they rolled underneath the stove. Nick momentarily paused, reflecting on recent events. �Lissie-Liss? Why the hell do you need chopsticks? You�re making French Toast, for God�s sake!�

�For this!� Melissa explained. She twisted her hair half-hazardly into a bun. Then she stuck the chopsticks into her mess of auburn curls. The bun was then secured to her head.

�Gross!� Nick exclaimed. �Those are chopsticks! I may eat with them someday! I don�t want them in your nappy, greasy hair!�

Melissa rolled her eyes. �Like you know how to eat with chopsticks, Nicky.�

She had a point.

�Besides, my hair isn�t greasy! We showered last night, remember?� Melissa said, winking. She tossed Nick a sly look and a cocky smile.

�Girl, you are too much!� Said Nick, as he finally exited the room. He left the claustrophobic kitchen in favor of the front porch. Melissa and her roommates spent most of their at-home time on the veranda. For just that reason, it was a second home to Nick. He had to admit, it was a pretty nice porch. It stretched all the way across the front of the house, lining the living room and part of the kitchen. Compared to the compactness of the house, the roommates felt as if it were the only breathable place on the property.

The porch was overrun with Melissa�s unique sense of style. The house stuck out like a sore thumb in comparison to the classy design of the neighboring homes. The furniture consisted of mismatched pieces Mel had picked up at various flea markets and swap meets: partially broken wicker club chairs, love seats and coffee tables. Each had cow-print cushions and pillows designed and made by Melissa. A Weber barbecue was tucked into a corner of the porch. Japanese lanterns hung from the ceiling.

Nick situated himself lying on the hammock, which hung at one end of the porch. Though he�d grown comfortable with Melissa�s neighbors, he still felt exposed. He partially covered the bottom-half of his body with one of her handmade blankets.

Nick surveyed the land in front of him. Instead of a fence lining the property, the grass was neatly trimmed in alternating pink plastic flamingoes and tiki torches. A ceramic campfire oven was placed to the side of the porch, ready for late-night bonfires.

Melissa�s house was located on one of the �dead end� canals; away from the main walkways and tourists. Nick smiled as he remembered her saying, �We had to purchase a home in the far-away, ghetto area. Where no one else wanted to live. That�s the only way we could afford it.� Resting in the water directly in front of the house were the roommates� canoe and paddleboat, perfect for a midnight cruise around the canals.

Nick swung back and forth in the hammock. Across the canal, a man jogged by with his dog. Feeling full of content, Nick let loose a happy sigh. Normally, being on tour hiatus left Nick lazy, bored and a little depressed. But spending this break with Melissa was entertaining, relaxing and peaceful. �Sit up, sugar!� Melissa called. Nick turned his head to see her immerge from the kitchen, tray in hand. She walked carefully, as if balancing a book on her head. Melissa had a tendency to be quite klutzy when she wasn�t paying attention.

Having reached Nick and the hammock, Melissa set the tray on a nearby wicker coffee table. Nick eyed the food, hungrily. Four slices of butter-and-syrup-drenched French Toast inhabited the middle of the plate. A small bowl of fruit salad occupied the tray. Nick pointed to a tall glass of an unknown mixture. He had a confused look on his face. �What�s that?�

�A smoothie,� Melissa said. She picked up the glass and held it to his lips. �Here, try.�

Nick sipped the smoothie cautiously. Due to bad past experiences he didn�t always trust Melissa�s creations. He wasn�t sure of what to expect from her odd-looking drink. After swallowing the mixture, he smiled. It was a pleasant surprise. �Hey, that�s not too bad. Almost as good as a Jamba Juice. When did you get to be so good?�

Melissa laughed. �Well, considering French Toast and smoothies are the only things I can make without a package��

Nick laughed at her comment. Melissa was the queen of Top Ramen and Kraft Macaroni-and-Cheese.

��plus, the ingredients are cheap, and they don�t take a lot of time to prepare,� Melissa continued. �So without my mama here to cook for me, I�ve perfected these two dishes.�

�Ya done good, girl,� Nick said. He smacked his lips for extra approval. Melissa took the edges of her blue gingham boxers between her fingers. Politely, she curtsied. �Thank you, Monsieur.�

�My, my, my�� Nick said, shaking his head. �Aren�t you a dignified young lady.�

Melissa rolled her eyes. �See what all these years of ballet have done to me? My mind has been corrupted!�

She nudged Nick with the side of her hip. �Scootch over.�

Nick shifted his weight to the far side of the hammock. Melissa climbed in next to him. She was lying partially on top of him. The other half of her body hung off the hammock, as she reached out for the food. Nick almost had to laugh at how ridiculous she looked. But he held back his laughter and instead asked, �And how am I supposed to eat, with you lying all over me?�

�Like this!� Melissa explained. She stabbed a piece of French Toast with her fork and held it up to his mouth. �We�ll feed each other.�

Nick took the food in his mouth. He closed his eyes, savoring the taste. �Mmm�God, I don�t know what it is about your recipe, but its incredible. I�ve had French Toast from all over the world, and it all tastes like soggy bread in comparison to this.�

�It�s all in my mama�s secret recipe.� Melissa explained, while spooning herself some fruit salad.

�Turn on some music.� She continued. With her mouth full of food, she didn�t sound very articulate. Then again, she never sounded articulate to begin with.

�Not with those manners!� Nick kidded. Melissa rolled her eyes as she gestured with her head. She motioned to a small radio resting on the porch railing. Leaning over, Nick turned it on. James Taylor�s melodic voice filled the air.

The couple was quiet, as they swayed back and forth in the gentle breeze. Overhead, a seagull sailed by, en route to the beach. Melissa watched Nick�s face as she fed him his breakfast. It was in no way perfect. He had his share of pimples just like everyone else. But he had such charm, such charisma. Just looking at him made Melissa want to swoon. Watching Nick, spread out in nothing but Walmart-brand underwear, was heaven-sent.

Nick too was in awe of their relationship. He was a natural entertainer, constantly seeking to fill dead air with something amusing. So the fact that he could spend so much time with Melissa, doing absolutely nothing at all, and be content, was amazing. He wasn�t possessed with a desire to impress Melissa. He felt free to be his smelly, messy-haired self.

�What are you going to do with yourself today, sugar?� Asked Melissa. The couple had quickly devoured their breakfast, and Melissa now lay wrapped in Nick�s arms. She ran her right index finger up and down his chest in a line.

�Be with you,� Nick stated simply. He reached up and pulled the chopsticks out of her hair. Auburn curls cascaded down her shoulders.

�But you can�t, Nicky.� Melissa said. She stared intently at her long fingernail, as it raked across his chest. �I have a life. I�ve got a full day of dance practice.�

�Are you trying to imply that I don�t have a life?� Asked Nick, feigning shock.

�You know that�s not what I meant, Nicky. But you�re on break and I�m not. My whole world can�t be put on hold just because you want to be with me.�

�I know that, silly. I was just teasing ya.� Nick chuckled lightly as he ruffled Melissa�s hair. Then he sighed. �Well, I guess since I�m in town and all, I should try and go see my sisters.�

�Sounds like a good plan,� Melissa patted his chest approvingly.

�Hey, I�ve got an idea!� Said Nick suddenly, as though a light bulb had gone off in his head. �How �bout I pick you up after you�re done dancing? Its been a long time since you�ve seen my family, and I�m sure they�d love to have you over for dinner.�

�Sounds like an even better plan.� Melissa agreed. She rested her head on Nick�s chest. Mel knew she�d have to get up soon, but she enjoyed delaying the inevitable.

A voice cut through the mid-morning calm. It was loud and piercing; a stark contrast to the mellow bird chirps. It sang the chorus of an unforgettable song, �Come on over�come on over, baby!�

Melissa and Nick looked up, searching for the voice�s owner. It belonged to a distinguished-looking gentleman in his mid-twenties. He walked towards the canal house, wearing a grey v-neck stretch shirt and black leather pants.

�I don�t think you should be hitting on your roommate, Phillip.� Nick called out. �It creates too much sexual tension in your household.�

�I wasn�t singing to Melissa,� Phillip said. He climbed the porch stairs. �I was singing to you, baby. Boy, you�re looking fine today.�

Nick blushed. He attempted to cover himself more fully with the blanket, but it wasn�t working. Melissa�s lived with two gay men. Mel described Phillip as �flamboyant,� but Nick preferred the term �flaming queen.� Phillip�s greatest joy in life was causing Nick to squirm.

�Come here, sugar daddy!� Melissa cooed to her roommate. She hopped off the hammock, and extended her arms to Phillip. Pulling him into a hug she said, �What on Earth possessed you to wear leather pants on a day like this?�

�Wait!� Nick interrupted. �Why does Phillip get to be called �sugar daddy,� when I�m just plain �sugar�?�

�Because, baby. I�ve got back, and you don�t!� Phillip turned around, wiggling his rear end. �Don�t you think my ass looks hot in these pants? That�s why I wore them today. But you�re right. Its too hot. I came home to change.�

Laughing, Melissa smacked Phillip�s leather-clad butt. �Yes, you�re ass does look especially good. But Nicky�s hiding a pretty good package of his own.�

�Oh I know that. Nick knows I�m just joshing with him�don�t ya, Nick?� Phillip winked at the now insecure popstar. �He knows he�s got the second finest ass on MTV. He�s right after J-Lo.�

�That�s my boy!� Melissa said proudly.

�Okay, can we stop talking about my ass now? Nick asked. His face was red with embarrassment. Nick got to his feet, being careful to keep the Holstein-style blanket covering as much of his body as possible.

�I can�t believe y�all are lying around in your jammies- again.� Phillip said, a twinge of jealousy in his voice. He began leading the way through the house. Nick and Melissa followed behind. �For people with jobs as athletic as yours, y�all sure are lazy!�

�Its all Nick�s fault!� Blamed Melissa. The conversation was leading the trio throughout the house. �Nah�we�re not that lazy. I just have some extra time this morning. I don't have to be at the studio until 11:30.�

Phillip glanced at his flashy platinum wristwatch. �It�s getting kinda late��

�I know,� Melissa nodded her head. �I�m heading upstairs now to change.� The trio began their ascent up the staircase. Suddenly, Melissa remembered something. She hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. �Damn it! The dishes!�

She looked at Nick. Melissa cracked a killer smile, resulting from three years of braces. �Nicky, baby. Would you be a total sweetheart and go round up the dishes?�

Nick groaned, knowing he�d been played. If there was one thing Melissa despised most in the world, it was cleaning up. Sensing Nick�s apprehension, Phillip placed a hand on the pop star�s shoulder. �You can just gather up everything and let it soak in the sink. It�s Jorge�s day to do the dishes anyway.�

�Oh, that�s nice of you!� Nick said sarcastically. �You leave your other roommate with the dirty work!�

Phillip and Melissa snickered evilly. She reached out and pinched Nick�s cheek. �That�s the plan. Thanks for being such a doll, sugar!�

Grudgingly, Nick turned back down the stairs. One way or the other, he didn�t have much of a choice in the matter. Then again, Nick had recently made quite a dent in the roommates� food supply. I guess this is my way of earning my keep.

While humming a song on the radio, Nick gathered up Melissa�s various cooking supplies. He dumped them in the sink, adding plenty of warm water and several drops of liquid soap. Next, he collected the items from the porch, and turned off the radio. He moved through the cleaning motions without really thinking about his actions. His mind was on Melissa, and how soon he could get back to her. He was up the stairs and heading to her bedroom in record time.

When Nick entered the bedroom, Melissa was standing in front of her closet, dressed only in a black sports bra and a pair of pink bikini underwear. Her hands were on her hips, as she drummed her fingers against her sides. She bit her bottom lip in frustration. Mumbling, she repeatedly said, �What to wear�what to wear.�

�Life�s full of difficult decisions, ain�t it? Maybe it�d be easier if you actually cleaned your closed once and awhile.� Nick spoke up. Melissa barely acknowledged him. Where some girls were self-conscious in their underwear, Melissa felt completely at ease. She chalked it up to too many years as a dancer. She grew up having to quickly change backstage in front of a broad range of people.

�That�s it!� Melissa said. She had obviously stumbled across the right clothes amidst the junk in her closet. It looked as if a tornado had blown through the small, walk-in room. Clothes, shoes and hats were piled up knee-high. Nick watched as Mel disappeared into the mess. It looked as if she was sinking into quicksand.

Now left alone in the room, Nick focused his attention on dressing himself. He found his clothes from the night before lying on the floor. Nick held his wife-beater up to his nose. A little smelly, but it�ll have to do. He pulled it over his head. Next, he climbed into a favorite pair of khaki-colored cargo shorts. Finally his feet slid into a new pair of New Balance sneakers, without socks. Now to wait for Melissa.

�Ta da!� Shouted Melissa, as she burst of from her closet. She wore a baby blue warm-up pants and black dansneakers. On top, she wore a shirt partially of her own creation. Originally, it had been an average, kid-sized *NSYNC shirt. But Melissa had cut off the collar and sleeves, creating a sexy crop top.

Nick rolled his eyes, �You�re such a dork, Lissie-Liss. I don�t know why you insist on wearing those shirts. You�re 22-years-old, not twelve!�

�You�re just jealous,� Accused Melissa. She�d moved to her vanity, where she was struggling to tame her wild mass of auburn curls into a somewhat manageable ponytail.

�Jealous? Me? Of what?� Nick asked, intrigued to hear Melissa�s response.

�Because you wish you were as cool as *NSYNC.� Melissa said it as if it were the most logical explanation in the world.

�Please!� Nick exclaimed, his voice rising with anger. �What makes you say that?�

�Because they�re better dancers then you. And they sell more albums then you do. Because Justin was with Britney Spears, and you weren�t. And because you were never on a show as cool as �The Mickey Mouse Club.� � Melissa explained cooly. She was applying gel to her hair.

�It all relates back to �The Mickey Mouse Club� for you, don�t it?� Nick realized.

Melissa turned around to face Nick. �You of all people should know that.�

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