Kevin's Theory

Kevin's Theory of Romantic Relationships, a "Slice of Life"

Rating: R

Pairing: Brian/Nick/Drew

Disclaimer: The young men who comprise 98 Degrees and the Backstreet Boys are their own people. The author has not met anyone here described, nor does the author mean to suggest that these people act this way in real life. This writing is a work of fiction. I make no money from this venture.

Wherein Nick pouts, sulks, and traces Brian's lineage.

It was hard to get information out of Nick sometimes. He needed to be coaxed and prodded. With anyone else, Drew got irritated and gave up, refusing to waste time prying information out of him. If you wanted to say it, you'd say it. If you didn't say it, it couldn't be important anyway. But Nick, Drew gave in and played Twenty Questions with Nick. For one thing, he always had patience and time for Nick. For another thing, getting Nick to talk was always interesting.

Usually Nick wanted to tell. He just needed to be convinced that Drew (and/or Brian) really wanted to know.

Like right now. Nick was curled protectively around something inside. He was quiet and guarded. It had something to do with Drew, because Nick seemed tempted to go to Brian for further protection. Whenever Nick was worried about Brian's reaction to something, he'd turn to Drew for reassurance.

Drew was in the den, watching TV. Nick kept popping into the room with one flimsy excuse or another, then leaving only to return in minutes. Drew pretended not to notice Nick's ever-so-subtle stares.

During one of Nick's absences, Brian came in to collect kisses. When Drew came up for breath, Nick was in the room, watching. Just watching.

Brian kissed Drew's neck.

Nick turned off the TV and left.

Drew and Brian looked at each other. Something was wrong.

Maybe he was ready to talk. They tracked him down and located him up in the bedroom. He was on his stomach on the bed, pretending to read.

Brian crawled on top of Nick and nuzzled his hair, nuzzled the back of his neck. "Nick."

Nick made an irritated sound accompanied by a half-hearted swat.

"Whatcha readin'?" Brian asked.

"Brothers Who Commit Incest, and the Men Who Love Them."

Drew licked his lower lip. Ouch.

Nick grew tenser, knowing he'd gone too far.

Brian kissed Nick's shoulder to let him know that it was okay. Brian started to hum "That's What She Said." Kept the beat by tapping on the back of Nick's head.

Nick couldn't stay patient long. "What do you want?"

"Kisses." Brian left quick kisses all over Nick's shoulders. "Got any?"

Nick hesitated. "No."

"No?" Brian ran his fingers through Nick's hair. "Not one?"

"No."

"Drew, Nick doesn't have any kisses."

"None?" Drew asked.

"None," Brian said. He sighed. "I guess I'll have to give him some. Roll over."

When Brian raised to give him room, Nick rolled to his back. His eyes were distant, his mouth pouty. He let Brian kiss him, and he was trying to be nonchalant about it, but Drew saw his hands tremble, hovering over Brian's back.

Brian let his mind drift, dismissed worries and concerns, and let his attention go where it wanted to go. Nick's kiss. Nick's mouth. Soft, hot, sweet... He thought about how Nick kissed, how Nick wanted him, what it was like to make love, what might happen if they made love right that very second. How he'd fit against and into Nick's body. How delicious, erotic, hungry, lush, pornographic Nick's sexuality was.

Nick was forgetting to sulk, running his hands down Brian's back, cupping Brian's ass. He let Brian's mouth make love to his tongue, bracing his feet against the bed to gain leverage to thrust up against Brian. Brian pulled aside the collar of Nick's T-shirt, caressing his skin with gentle fingers. Nick turned his head to gasp for air, and Brian's attention turned to his neck. His ear. He groaned, "Brian," and bit his lower lip.

Brian raised his head, looking down into Nick's face.

Nick realized that Brian had stopped, and opened his eyes.

Brian kissed Nick's nose. "I've delivered the kisses, sir." He saluted in the brief space between their foreheads. "Will you be needing anything else this evening, sir?"

"No."

"All right, then."

Drew waited. Brian made no move to leave. Drew waited. Nick scratched Brian's back. Drew waited. Brian rested his head on Nick's chest, as if to take a nap. Drew waited. "Brian," Nick said.

"Hmm," Brian said, eyes closed.

"Kevin's your cousin."

"Has been for a good five years now, yeah. Why? Have you heard rumors otherwise?"

Kevin. Kevin? Drew waited for more.

Nick stroked Brian's back. He was beginning to look...troubled. Depressed and hurt. Drew wanted to help him.

"You were over at Kevin's today, weren't you?" Brian asked. "After we left Nick and Jeff's."

"Yeah."

"How was he?"

Nick attempted a shrug. He was sulking again, hard.

"You were over there for a while," Brian said.

Nick scowled.

"Wait, wait, I'm reading the vibrations. They're very faint, but I think, I think, yes, I think that you are upset," Brian said. "Did Kevin say something? Do you want Drew to go beat him up for you?"

"He didn't say anything to me," Nick said. "Not like that."

"Mmm," Brian said.

"He was fighting with AJ."

"Kung fu?" Brian asked.

"Yelling," Nick said.

What could Kevin and AJ argue about that affected Nick's relationship with Drew? The mystery continued.

"What were they yelling about?" Brian asked. Nick stroked his hair.

"Nothing. Sex. Love."

"Sex and love are not nothing," Brian said.

"AJ was saying that opposites attract. People who have a lot of differences are interested in the differences. Kevin said that a relationship wouldn't last unless the people had a lot in common. Too many differences and the relationship wasn't real, wouldn't last. AJ said that he was with Lance, and he and Lance were different. Kevin said that didn't prove anything, it wasn't a lasting commitment, they'd only been together during a tour and hadn't even seen each other. It was a sex-based fling. Kevin said that you and I, we have a lot in common, and look at us. And you and Drew, you have a lot in common. AJ said what about me and Drew, we're real different. And Kevin said yeah, but Drew and I were only together for sex, it's not a real relationship."

"Nick," Brian said.

"He said that AJ and Lance are a sex-based fling. And Drew and I..."

"Nick, Kevin's wrong. He's wrong and he was fighting with AJ. You and Drew are in a real relationship, you love each other, you share... It isn't a sex-based fling. It isn't any kind of fling." Brian was looking into Nick's eyes.

"Sex-based fling," Nick repeated.

"Who do you think knows more about this relationship? Kevin or me? Who knows you better, and Drew better? Kevin or me?"

"You," Nick said. "But-"

"I do," Brian agreed. "I know you, I know Drew, and I know our relationship. I know the relationship that the two of you have together, privately. Nick, it isn't a fling. It isn't based on sex. It's based on love and trust and growth."

"Growth?"

"You and Drew needed each other to grow. You helped each other to grow, you gave each other new experiences and new-"

"It is based on sex, it's sex-based, it's-"

"It is not," Brian said. "It is not. There's sex, you want each other and desire each other and express your love through sex. There's so much more between you and Drew that you can't say it's sex-based. There's a lot that isn't about sex, that's about more than sex. It isn't about body parts and orgasms. It's about love." He kissed Nick's cheek.

"Kevin-"

"Kevin is wrong. He only said it to try to prove his point."

"Kevin knows me, he-"

"Kevin has not seen you with Drew the way I've seen you with Drew. He hasn't sat up with you talking about Drew, listening to you talk about Drew. He hasn't held you at night missing Drew. He hasn't made love to you and heard you call Drew's name."

Drew's eyes widened.

"Nick, I love you. I love Drew. I respect you, and I respect Drew. If you were being used for sex, if someone didn't love you the way you deserve, I'd do something about it. If that were happening to Drew, I'd do something about it. I know how much you're worth, and I won't let someone treat you as anything less than that. Drew loves you. You know that you love Drew."

"He's cute," Nick said.

"He's very cute," Brian said.

"Kevin meant what he said."

"He sounded like he meant what he said," Brian said.

Nick hesitated. "He was mad."

"Why would he be mad?"

"He was mad at AJ. He was really yelling."

"You know it isn't about you."

Nick met Brian's eyes. His lips twitched into a half-frown, half-smile. "Yeah."

Drew had followed everything until this point. Why would Kevin be mad? Why yell at AJ?

"It isn't about you," Brian said again.

Nick nodded.

"I'm a big expert on Drew, a lot more than Kevin is. And I'm the world's resident expert on you. Making love with you, making love with Drew, it's amazing. But sex itself isn't everything."

"Kevin said that you need to be understood. Be with someone who understands you. Someone different won't understand you."

"That isn't true," Brian said. "You don't have to be exactly the same to understand someone. You only have to learn that person, learn the differences."

"If you and I have a lot in common, and you and Drew have a lot in common, why don't Drew and I have a lot in common?"

"You do have a lot in common," Brian said. "You both love me." He rolled off of Nick, onto his back. "Right, Drew?"

Drew crawled onto Brian for a kiss. "If I wanted a fling, I would have a fun affair. I wouldn't fall desperately in love with someone and then not see him and spend months, years, wishing to see him again. A fling is a few dates, a whirlwind romance, back in time for tea."

"But you," Brian said to Nick, getting cosy, "are the grand romance of Drew's life. His true love. His now and forever. That isn't sex-based. That's soul-based."

"Soul-based," Drew said, testing the word, seeing how it felt.

"Soul-based," Brian repeated, and cupped Drew's chin in one hand, offering him to Nick for a kiss.

matthew@matthewtime.com
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