Feline Attraction
>^.^<
When he thought about it long enough, it really was unfair. He was A.J.'s angel, but what was A.J.? A.J. was one of those difficult lovers you could find no satisfactory nickname for.
A.J. thought up angel with reason behind it, because he claimed Howie reminded him of an angel. But A.J. wasn't really angelic. He was sweeter than anything, but he never openly expressed it the way Howie seemed to do.
So what could Howie call A.J.? He began calling A.J. Aje years ago, before the others did, but soon they caught on and followed Howie's example. Now Aje was everyone's nickname for him. And while he didn't mind all that much, Howie was admittedly a little annoyed. After all, who thought it up? He did. Who got to use it? Everyone on God's green earth if they wished!
Normally Howie would never have the time to ponder such things, the group was far too busy. But it was during times like these when the sun had abandoned the sky to the moon and the stars and A.J. was tightly pressed in Howie's embrace that Howie had the time. It was nearing four in the morning and Howie knew he would get a lecture from Kevin about staying up so late in the morning, but at that moment he could have given a rat's tail.
A.J.'s chest drifted up and down against Howie's stomach, his head buried in Howie's chest. One hand clutched Howie's; the other was wrapped tightly around his angel's waist. Howie nestled his chin into A.J.'s hair. He shut his eyes and allowed the scent from A.J.'s hair to drug his mind. A.J., feeling Howie's hot breath on his scalp, twisted in his arms, sleepily laying a kiss on Howie's collarbone.
"Love you," murmured Howie, nuzzling his lips into A.J.'s hair.
"Mmm," responded A.J., yawning. "'ve you too, angel." He listened to Howie' s heartbeat, his ear tight to Howie's ribs.
"Time is it?" he mumbled.
Howie grinned. "Ummm..."
A.J. cracked an eye open and glanced up at him. "Umm what?" He looked out the window and groaned. "Please don't tell me it's near six..."
Howie considered. "It's not near six," he said with a smile.
A.J. gave him a caustic look.
"Ha. Ha. Hahaha." He buried his face in Howie' s shoulder with a yawn. "I don't wanna get up," he whined.
"You don't and Kevin'll drag you out," Howie warned.
"Have I ever told you how much I hate him?"
Howie laughed.
"No, really, he's mean." He paused. "I sounded like Nick just now didn't I?"
"...Well..."
A.J. groaned again. "I need sleep!" He mock sobbed into Howie's chest. "I only got two hours of slee-e-ep!"
Howie rolled his eyes. "You constantly need sleep, you realize that, right?" he asked.
A.J. pouted. "I resent that. I don't need sleep _constantly_... Just...more than normal people." He shrugged impatiently. "Don't question the sleep-deprived."
"Sorry," apologized Howie, rolling his eyes.
"I don't wanna get up," A.J. murmured. "I'm comfy." Just to prove this statement, he nuzzled his face into Howie's neck, curling in Howie's embrace. He yawned again.
Before either of them had time to let sleep sink in, an hour and a half had arrived and left, bringing with it the rising of the sun. Just as the gentle rays of early morning pierced the curtains, several claps of thunder erupted at the far side of the room.
A.J. slammed his fist into the pillow. "Damn you, Richardson!" he yelled.
Howie sighed. "Looks like we have to get up." He started to move when A.J.'s arms tightened around him. "Aje," he said with a smile, "c'mon. Lemme go."
"Nuh uh, I'm comf't'ble," he mumbled. He smiled impishly into Howie's neck.
BANGBANGBANG. "Dorough, McLean! C'mon, get up!"
A.J. sent a lethal scowl at the door. "Make me, Dad!" he snarled.
"I'm not arguing with you, Alex, just get up. Howie, you awake?"
Howie sighed and raised himself onto his elbow. "Yes, Father," he called out sarcastically.
"Very funny. I want to see you two up and dressed and in the lobby in a half an hour. Can you do that without me swooping down on you two like a bat out of Hell?"
A.J. rolled his eyes. "You're a riot, Train. Go bother Nickolas."
"I plan to."
Silence followed.
Howie grinned. "Nick's screwed."
A.J. nodded. "Most likely." He sat up and smirked. "Five, four, three, two..."
BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG. "CARTER!"
"WHAA!" THUMP. "What the fuck, Kevin!?"
Howie snickered. "That'd be a great way to wake up," he said wryly.
A.J. kissed him sweetly. "Morning," he smiled.
Howie smiled. "Morning."
~*~
While they walked to their individual busses, A.J. hung an arm around Howie's neck and leaned heavily against him. They all knew he had his eyes closed even though his sunglasses hid them.
He walked in a beeline. If Howie hadn't had a guiding arm around his waist, he would have walked into a pole.
"How long did you sleep last night, Alex?" asked Kevin suspiciously.
A.J. nestled his cheek against Howie's shoulder. "Not as long as I'd've liked," he mumbled.
Kevin's expression darkened. He glared at Howie questioningly.
Howie smiled sheepishly. When he caught onto what Kevin was insinuating, he rolled his eyes. "We were good," he deadpanned.
Kevin smirked. "Ah huh." He directed his gaze on A.J. again. "Why're you so tired, McLean?" he asked sharply.
"'Cause I am, damn it, leave me the hell alone," A.J. snapped, his face vanishing into Howie's shoulder.
Nick sniggered. "A.J.'s havin' a hissy fit," he smirked.
Brian grinned and continued the joke. "Yeah, A.J., quit being so 'catty'." He giggled mischievously.
A.J. lifted his head and scowled at the pair. He hissed and grinned. "Back off or I'll scratch your eyes out," he cautioned them, swiping the air jokingly with his "claws".
Brian raised an eyebrow. "Howie, your boyfriend is freaking me out," he said, eyeing A.J. suspiciously.
Howie smiled innocently. "Sorry, Brian, I can't take him anywhere." He sighed exaggeratedly.
A.J. pouted at him. "Hmph. I see I'm not wanted _here_." He took his arm from Howie's neck and jumped on Kevin's back. "Heya Kevvy!"
Kevin rolled his eyes and pried A.J. off. "I'm married," he said dryly, shoving the younger man back at his boyfriend.
A.J. shrugged. "Fine. Howie's better looking _anyway_." He stuck his tongue out at Kevin before draping himself against Howie's chest. "Carry me," he yawned.
Howie smirked. "Oh, _now_ you want me?" he joked. He hooked an arm around A.J.'s waist and hauled him in the direction of their bus. "C'mon, sleepy."
"Make him sleep or something," Nick said, shooting a grin at Howie before he disappeared onto his bus. "I don't want a pissy A.J. on my back all day."
And though A.J. claimed to be exhausted beyond all possible reason, he managed to uncurl his middle finger and deliver a salute to his younger band mate. "Go demolish something, klutz," he said, smirking.
Nick's jaw dropped. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded, folding his arms over his chest.
A.J. smiled innocently. "Nothing, Nickolas." He brought both his hands to his mouth and coughed. To all those surrounding him, the words "boat crasher" could be faintly heard through his hacking. He coughed again, patting his throat. "Whew, think I'm comin' down with something," he said wryly, grinning at Nick.
Nick scowled. "It wasn't my fault!" he whined.
"Suuure it wasn't, Nick," returned A.J. sweetly. "We believe you."
"Fuck you, A.J.," Nick snapped. With smoke pouring out of his red ears, Nick slammed the door to his bus behind him.
Howie gave A.J. a patronizing look. "Did you have to do that?" he sighed, clearly exaggerating his tone.
A.J. smiled innocently. "Nope."
~*~
A.J. lasted five more minutes before he collapsed onto the couch in the living area of Howie's bus. Seven minutes after that he was fast asleep. Smiling to himself, Howie slid his sunglasses off before the red imprints of the arms became deeper than they already were into A.J.'s temples. He studied A.J.'s placid face for a few seconds, smiling gently. He kissed his forehead, brushing strands of his naturally brown hair from his eyelids.
At the contact, A.J.'s body coiled into a position only someone as lithe as A.J. could imitate. He yawned, only parting his lips a mere inch. The white gleam of bleached, perfect teeth shone from behind A.J.'s atypically softly curved mouth. He must have sensed Howie's presence, for as soon as Howie's lips touched his skin his hand was lost in Howie's.
Howie knew he had to stay now. A.J. was often plagued with nightmares. He had always been. At the beginning of the Backstreet Boys he would occasionally sheepishly ask Howie to stay with him until he fell asleep. He never asked anybody else.
Nick would have laughed, Brian would have over-worried and Kevin would have taken him too seriously. Howie was his confidant and Howie never laughed at his problems or secrets. Howie listened and doled out counsel. So Howie stayed with him while he slept some nights and made sure no one haunted his best friend's subconscious mind.
Now Howie had to admit that he, too, was exhausted. Without losing his grasp on A.J.'s hand, he maneuvered behind his lover and gathered him into his arms. A.J. allowed all of this without protest or sleep-riddled complaint. That is, until Howie tried to let go of his hand to wrap his arms around his waist. He groaned in his sleep and his grip on Howie's hand tightened.
So Howie didn't let go. Instead he nestled his forehead into A.J.'s downy hair. He drank in the sounds around him. The soft burring of the air conditioner, the hum of the bus's engine, A.J.'s gradual breathing... Everything had a rhythm.
Unconsciously Howie matched his breathing with A.J.'s and in a matter of moments found himself slipping into a rhythmic sleep of his own.
~*~
For the second time in one day, Howie found himself gazing down at A.J.'s innocent, oblivious face, smiling warmly. Somewhere during the two hours they had been asleep together, A.J. had sinuously turned in Howie's arms so his face was deeply buried in his angel's neck. Now Howie was awake, hearing his breaths and feeling the balmy air caress his throat.
Howie searched his mind for a nickname. Idly, he ran fingers through A.J.'s hair while he thought. Had A.J. done this exact thing? Wonder while Howie slept unawares in his arms? A.J.'s eyes fluttered in response to a dream, his eyelashes trembling against Howie's skin. Howie pulled back enough to see A.J. 's frown melt into a docile expression. His eyes were so strange. When shut they seemed to form an almost Egyptian line, twisting down to the top of his cheekbone.
Grinning, Howie pressed his lips against A.J.'s. He was so endearing in his sleep. So innocent... He was worshipped from all corners of the globe and yet no one knew this side of A.J. "Bone" McLean. This was Alex. This supple, brown-eyed love was all Alex. A.J. was the one that rebelled against Kevin's warnings not to twine his fingers with Howie's in front of all attending their concerts. A.J. was the one who yearned to kiss his angel in front of MTV cameras, to tell those who wanted to bring them down that he loved Howie and to Hell with all of them.
Alex, though, Alex was special. Alex slept in his lover's arms, simply happy to have that sort of leisure when Brian and Kevin and their wives were often separated. Alex was content just to seek Howie's hand underneath a press conference table and squeeze his fingers gently. A.J. and Alex were so different yet merged into one body, one mind.
However, A.J. was stronger so Alex very rarely showed up besides sleep.
A.J. was worshipped. Like the Egyptians worshipped their gods and goddesses. A.J. was a god in the eyes of so many. But what of Alex, the sweetheart who lay so peacefully and contentedly in Howie's arms? Was he worshipped as well, or was it A.J.'s show and A.J.'s alone?
Howie ran a fingertip along A.J.'s eyelid. He really did look slightly Egyptian if he turned his head a certain way. And he _was_ a sarcastic thing when he wanted to be... Howie grinned.
They were pulling into a McDonald's for lunch. Probably Nick's suggestion, Howie guessed. Nick annoyed his band mates frequently but he always tried to make up for it. And while teenyboppers across the globe worshipped A.J., A.J. worshipped McDonald's.
He knew a nickname now and was eager to try it out. He kissed A.J.'s forehead softly but compellingly, ruffling his longish hair. He was glad A.J. was growing it out. Before when he shaved his head before he went into rehab, Howie had had nothing to weave his fingers through but peach fuzz. Now, though, A.J.'s hair was wild and brazen, the way it always should have been.
A.J.'s eyes slowly opened and his languid gaze focused dimly on his angel. He smiled wearily. "Hey angel," he whispered, yawning lazily.
Howie's eyes sparkled. "My kitten," he said, kissing A.J.'s lips tenderly.
A.J. frowned. "Wha'd you call me?" he murmured.
Howie smiled brightly. "I want a nickname for you, babe. You have one for me."
He watched A.J.'s catlike eyes drift completely open, studying his lover painstakingly. Howie's smile widened. "And you're so adorable. If you could only see yourself sleep..."
A.J. grinned slowly. "You saying I look like a kitten?" he chuckled. He propped himself up onto his elbows, his chest rising and falling still in contact with Howie's.
Howie nodded. "Identical. Think about it. The eyes, the sleep, the lovability..." He kissed A.J.'s forehead. "I'm your angel, you're my kitt." He grinned.
"You're so cute," laughed A.J. He kissed Howie's nose. "I love you, angel. Never think that isn't for real." He frowned. "I'll always love you, no matter what happens. You know, right?"
Howie smiled. "I love you, kitt." He leaned into A.J. and the both of them sank back to the mattress. A.J. held Howie and Howie ran fingers through A.J.' s hair, their empathy for each other blatant in the silence they shared. " What do you think of the nickname kitt?" Howie asked musingly.
A.J. yawned and pulled Howie deeper into his arms. "Kitten's tired, kitten wants to sleep, kitten gets what kitten wants." He grinned and kissed the top of Howie's head. "And kitten loves angel."
Howie smiled. "You like it then?"
"Yup." He nuzzled his face into Howie's neck and began to drift off to sleep when Howie started to laugh. "What is it?" he mumbled.
"You sound like you're purring," laughed Howie.
A.J. grinned. "For you, angel, I'd chase yarn." He waited for Howie's laughter to subside before speaking again. "Now go to sleep. I'll claw your wings when we wake up, deal?"
Howie rolled his eyes. "I'm getting you declawed," he snorted.
"Fine, I'm getting your wings clipped."
"...I love you?"
A.J. laughed. "I love you too, now sleep."
"Mmkay... A.J.?"
"..."
Howie smiled. "Sleep well, kitten of mine."
The End
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