Drabbles

Title: Drabbles

Author: Mia

Pairing: several, including a couple of crossovers.

Rating: PG to PG-13 I guess

Warning: Some of these drabbles contain elements of slash, meaning m/m relations.

Disclaimer: This is not real, it never happened.

Note: Drabbles are short vignettes consisting of exactly 100 words. They are completely unrelated, except for the ones enclosed by the ****s.

Drabbles
by Mia

Nick Drabbles

Brian tried not to laugh. He just couldn't help it. It was funny. Going by the expression on his face, Nick didn't think so.

Nick pouted.

Brian laughed.

Nick pouted even more.

Brian laughed harder.

After a minute, Nick started laughing. "Brian, shut up, dork. Go get them for me." He pointed at the brightly colored swim trunks that had washed onto the shore.

"You want me to get them for you and you're calling me names?"

Nick pouted again. "Come on. It's not like I can go."

"Why not?"

Nick looked around at the crowded beach.

"Fine, I'll go."

###

Brian was laughing at Nick's antics. He was going around giving everyone a noogie. He laughed even harder at the look on Kevin's face when Nick surprised him with one. Kevin scowled, but there was a twinkle in his eye that hadn't been there before.

Brian started backing away when he saw Nick coming in his direction. Nick had already managed to give the other guys a noogie, but Brian was determined to escape. He took off running down the hall laughing loudly, with Nick on his heels, calling out "Brian, you can run, but you can't hide," giggling madly.

###

Nick was curled up in Lance's arms. It was an uncomfortable position, especially since Nick hadn't moved for hours. Lance had talked to him about his day in a quiet rumble, trying to soothe him to sleep. Unsuccessful, he'd softly sung a gospel song. He smoothed his free hand up Nick's back, through his hair and back again while the other held Nick close. When he ran out of gospel songs, he sang old country standbys. Nick lay, unmoving, tears slowly slipping down his cheeks. Nick always needed Lance to comfort him when he returned from visiting AJ in rehab.

###

****
Nick tried to swallow. He tried again. "Brian, I'm really happy for you. She's going to love the ring. It's pretty."

"Pretty? Pretty? Man, I'll have you know it took me a month to find it!"

"She'll love it."

Uncertainly, "You really think so?"

"I know so. Now go tell the other guys."

Nick watched as Brian left his hotel room with a huge grin on his face.

With a heavy sigh, he sat down on his bed. He couldn't let Brian know how much it hurt to see him with someone else. He'd always hoped Brian would love *him*.

###

Nick hesitated at the door to Kevin's room. He could hear the guys laughing and congratulating Brian. He knew he had to join in to allay any suspicions. He took a deep breath, put on a bright smile, and stepped into the room.

"You know we have to paaartaay. Because once Brian's married, the ball and chain won't let him out!" Everyone laughed at AJ's antics, including Nick. He knew all the other guys, except Brian, could tell his heart wasn't in it. AJ was covering for him. Nick appreciated the effort.

Nick kept laughing, with tears in his eyes.

###

Nick had been sitting there for a while, remembering.

Scenes from the last six months had been cascading through his mind. He had noticed most of his memories involved Howie. After Brian announced his engagement, the guys had gathered around him, trying to help. They had known of his feelings for Brian.

He'd turned to Howie the most. He'd been the easiest to spend time with. Howie'd been able to help him cope with the pain.

Nick finally realized he missed Brian, but he didn't hurt any more. Thanks to the man sitting next to him, quietly watching him think.

###

Nick started looking at Howie. And he noticed that Howie was looking back. Howie started flirting with him, giving him slow, sweet smiles, glancing up at him through his lashes.

By unspoken agreement, they'd decided to take things slow. They didn't touch any more than they had before, though they'd started holding hands. They were spending all of their free time together. But they never really did anything.

Till tonight. Nick had pressed a kiss against Howie's neck during a hug. He'd pulled back, pressed another to Howie's cheek, then to his mouth.

Howie had smiled and kissed him back.

###

Howie was standing in the doorway, watching his lover dance. Nick had cranked up the stereo and was dancing all over the living-room. His movements were fluid and graceful. He was moving with such abandon, thinking himself alone.

Nick had really taken the criticisms about his appearance to heart, so Howie knew how rare it was to see Nick being so unselfconscious. Nick was carnal, beautiful, and sexy. Howie loved watching him be so free.

Howie noticed Nick watching him in the mirror. Nick gave him a smirk and a wink, curling a finger at him, inviting him to come closer.

###

"Why do you do that?"

Howie looked up confused. "Do what, Nick?"

"For 9 years, I've been wondering why you always do that."

"You've wanted to know for *9* years and you haven't asked me? I didn't think there was *any*thing you hadn't asked me."

"Shut up. Why won't you sit at the corner of a table? You always move."

After thinking for a minute, Howie started laughing. "When I was really little, Mama told me if I sat there, I'd never get married."

Pulling Nick into his arms, "I might not. Not unless I can do it with you."

###

Brian knew he had no right to feel the way he did. He just couldn't help it. Nick had always been Frack to his Frick. They'd passed so many years joined at the hip. After he'd met Leighanne, he hadn't noticed the gradual separation. Now it was all he saw.

Nick wasn't his best friend any more. He was Howie's. Howie was the one who helped Nick plan and execute his practical jokes on the rest of them. Now, it was Nick&Howie, not Frick&Frack. Though he hadn't known how close they were till he found them kissing on the bus.
****

###

Nick was feeling a little sad. He'd spent the day talking with Aaron about when the Backstreet Boys had toured Europe for the first time. He'd told him about traveling in an old beat-up bus, living in each other's pocket, with no privacy. After a while, he'd looked forward to getting away from the constant togetherness. They all had.

Now everyone was so busy living their own lives, scattered across the country, they only saw each other occasionally. He was looking forward to being back in the studio so they could see each other daily. He'd really missed his brothers.

###

"Howie, you coming up to New York this weekend, right?" Howie was still half-asleep when he'd answered the phone, so he was confused for a minute.
"Nick?"
"Yeah. Are you still coming to New York?"
He paused for a minute to remember if it was this weekend he was going. "Yeah, I have a meeting Monday. I'm coming up on Saturday to do some sightseeing."
"I need you to help me do something. Will you meet me at my hotel?"
"Will 10 work?"
"AM? Damn, Howie, that's early."
"I know, but it's the time I'm coming in."
"Yeah, yeah, okay."

###

"Hey, I was calling to congratulate you on the album sales."

"Over 400,000 ain't so bad, huh?"

"Baby, it's great and you know it. You were worried for nothing. I told you it was good and that everyone was going to love it."

"Yeah, Lance, but you're my boyfriend. You're *supposed* to say stuff to make me feel better."

"And you know I do. But you know I also don't lie to *you*.

"Just everybody else?"

Laughing, Lance said, "You know me too well."

"Well, after 2 years, I'd better. I gotta go to an interview. Bye, babe."

"Bye, Nick."



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