Chapter Two Chapter Three
He talked to Miley and must have been a better liar than he’d thought because she seemed to believe him when he said everything was okay and the party was a blast. He ignored the weird looks Kevin, Garbo and the other guys kept giving him and noticed Joe was ignoring them, too, whenever they were cast in his direction. Unable to take it any longer, he pulled his oldest brother and their bassist into the hallway and said “What’s up? Why do you keep looking at me like I’m gonna explode or something?”
Garbo just shrugged nervously and Kevin coughed, looking around to make sure no one was watching them. Finally, the oldest member of the Jonas Brothers spoke, voice low just in case. “So…everything’s okay? I mean, with you and Miley?”
“Yeah,” Nick said calmly, “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Oh,” Kev said nervously. “No reason…”
“What happened to you and Joe last night? You guys gave us the slip…we were all really worried about you two.” Garbo piped in curiously.
Nick blushed and said, “I don’t really know,” which wasn’t a total lie. “We got a room at some motel and slept it all off. So do either of you two know why neither Joe or I remember anything that happened last night after the first few drinks?”
Kevin shrugged and looked away, but not like he knew. Garbo jumped and said “Why would I know that? I mean, seriously,” and he said it all really fast. Nick lifted one eyebrow as if demanding an answer and he said, “Okay, okay! You broke me down. I slipped something in your drinks.”
Joe chose that moment to come over to them and slung an arm over Nick’s shoulders who tried and failed to push him away as usual. “Hey guys,” he said, reading the rage on his little brother’s face. “What’s up?”
“Garbo slipped something into our drinks,” Nick told him through gritted teeth and Joe’s eyes widened.
“So that’s why we can’t remember anything!” Nick nodded and Garbo looked away. “Dude…next time you give us something, make it not so strong so we can remember the fun the next day, okay?”
Nick gaped at him and said, “No, there isn’t gonna be a next time for that sort of thing! Don’t be ridiculous, Joseph.” Joe just shrugged and wiggled his eyebrows in Nick’s direction who blushed, remembering what they’d done that morning…and the night before.
“Mmm Nicky,” he squeezed the musician’s shoulders and Nick leaned into it a little. “Whatever you say.”
“There are still parts of last night I don’t remember,” Kevin said. “I’m pretty sure that’s just from alcohol, though.” Garbo looked away but Nick just let it be. “I know we left the Marriott for a little while around seven-thirty (they’d started drinking at three, when happy hour had started) and did some bar hopping, and…” he trailed off, looking at Joe’s arm around Nick’s shoulders. Nick moved his own arm reflexively around Joe’s waist and Kevin blushed. “And then we went to the park,” Kevin finished quickly, “Things get fuzzy after that.”
“Not for me,” Garbo said quietly. “I stayed sober so I could watch out for you guys, and we went back to the hotel. I made sure you two were in your rooms but when I got up this morning, you three and Jack were nowhere in sight.”
Kevin’s eyes widened and he said “I remember that part! I left my phone here and Jack’s died while we were out, you two tossed yours into the fountain…” Joe made an ‘ah-ha!’ face and Nick closed his eyes, trying to remember but totally unable to. He didn’t remember any of it. “And then we went to another bar and it’s really a blur after that, but I remember a chapel.” Nick watched Kevin, frowning and trying to figure it out and wondered if they’d gone to the venue he and Joe were getting married later. “I also remember waking up with Jack in a Taxi at like five AM when it pulled in front of this hotel. So Jack and I made it back alive, at least, he’s probably still sleeping. Then we all worried about you two this morning.”
Nick got a flash of stained glass in his mind, but it didn’t remind him of any of the windows in the church they were going to later. Maybe they’d tried sleeping it off in there? Joe’s hand squeezed his arm and Nick relaxed under that touch, head falling to rest on the older man’s muscular shoulder. “Let’s try retracing our steps…” Nick finally suggested and moved away from Joe a bit reluctantly.
“And maybe we should go get new phones,” Joe supplied helpfully. Nick nodded and Garbo seemed happier now that he would be able to help a little since he remembered where they’d gone before they’d gotten back to the hotel.
Kevin checked his watch and said “We have about three and a half hours before the concert starts…so let’s move fast. We’ll meet in the lobby in five minutes.” The oldest Jonas was obviously getting into ‘secret mission mode.’
Joe just rolled his eyes and grabbed Kevin roughly by the arm, dragging him in the direction of the hotel’s bar. “Nah, let’s just go back to where it all started last night,” the middle brother said simply, and Nick couldn’t help but smile at how direct Joe could be.
~*~*~
Half an hour later they were at the park. Nick sat down on the swing and Joe moved behind him, pushing him slowly. “You uh…did that last night,” Garbo said thickly, not meeting Nick’s eyes.
“I know, maybe we’ll remember more if we do it again,” Joe said simply.
Garbo blushed and said “Okay…” He left them alone and went over to the monkey bars.
Joe stopped the swing, lips pressing a secret kiss to the side of Nick’s neck and the younger man gasped, head tilting to the side to give his brother better access. Wet, hot slickness trailed along his skin as Joe tasted him and he let out a small whimper, cock twitching as another memory hit him.
Joe was sitting on the swing and Nick was in his lap, legs spread wide around the tambourine player’s hips. Tanned fingers clutched the metal chain on each side of the swing, muscles bunching in those strong shoulders and biceps as Joe kept them moving. Paler, toned arms locked around Joe’s neck even as their lips were latched together in a passionate kiss while they swung gently back and forth. He licked into that warm mouth, tasting alcohol and, underneath, the taste of Joe. A muffled moan was swallowed by his mouth as Joe sucked on his tongue, hips bucking hard against that tan, muscled stomach covered in a simple blue button-down.
Nick groaned and found Joe’s lips with his own and the two kissed despite the awkward angle. He felt one of Joe’s hands slide down his chest toward his crotch and opened his eyes, jerking away as he realized they were in broad daylight and little kids were around. “Not here…” he whispered, cheeks burning as he blushed furiously at how he’d lost control like that, pants now uncomfortably tight.
Garbo and Kevin were both staring at them. The former had an almost pained expression on his face and the latter was blushing just as much as Nick was. The bassist walked over to them and said in a low voice “And that is exactly why I decided we needed to call it a night before you two did anything stupid. Let’s go.” Nick got up slowly and put his hands in his pockets, adjusting himself so his erection wouldn’t be so noticeable and blushed again as Joe did the same before they followed Garbo back to the car in silence, Kevin bringing up the rear.
He groaned as he realized he still didn’t know much more than he had when they’d left the hotel, and what he did know he didn’t want to think about because it wouldn’t help his current predicament get any better.
They headed for the nearest Verizon store, each getting the new Droid using a buy one get one free deal. It wouldn’t be the first time they had the same phone and the manager even offered to mail the rebate in for them, throwing in free chargers and cases. He’d have to wait to connect the phone to his laptop before his contact list would be restored, but whatever. Their next destination was back to the hotel to get Jack and see if he remembered anything.
The drummer was found sprawled on top of his bed, passed out. Joe had managed to sweet-talk the lady with the cleaning cart into letting him into ‘his’ room to get something, having forgotten ‘his’ key in the room. Nick watched as Kevin shook Jack hard and the light-colored dreads moved, and a yelp could be heard as the man fell off the bed.
“Whad’ya want?” he slurred from his new position on the floor, a hand coming up to cover his mouth as he yawned.
Joe chuckled and Nick just said “You have five minutes to get showered and dressed, and then you need to help us. Dress for the concert, we won’t have time to change later.” And then he headed for his own room to change into the suit he was going to wear. He didn’t look back, but he was pretty sure Joe left after he did to do the same.
When he met the others a few minutes later, Jack was dressed in his own nice pants and button-down. “So does anyone want to tell me what’s going on?” Nick and Joe exchanged a glance and the drummer added, “I mean, if we’re not gonna have any more fun like last night then I wanna go back to sleep.”
“What do you mean?” Nick asked at the same time Joe said, “Please tell me you remember what happened last night…”
Jack looked at both of them and took a sip from the water bottle he was carrying. “Not really, but I assume we had fun because I don’t remember much…it’s better than the alternative.” Nick sighed, Garbo chuckled and Jack asked, “But now that that’s taken care of can I go back to sleep?”
Nick shrugged and said “If you want, or you can come with us and help us find out…” Jack looked dubious, but he gave a long-suffering sigh and finished the water, tossing it into the trash can before closing the door to his room.
“I’m already up…” he relented and started walking toward the elevator.
They said a few quick good-bye’s and Nick nodded when their mom yelled to make sure they weren’t late, and then they were all piled into Kevin’s red convertible, the one he’d bought out of nostalgia after their show ended and was going to drive them to the airport in for their honeymoons.
Jack was in front with Kevin, since he claimed that was how it had been the night before, and Nick was too keyed up with anticipation to argue. There was something else, another emotion he didn’t want to name, and it was fear. He sort of dreaded finding out the truth, but he had to know. Part of him hated the quest for the truth he seemed to have been born with and couldn’t quench, and as they drove past a big warehouse Jack said, “Turn left…I remember this.”
His stomach flipped and Nick felt a little sick. Joe put an arm around his shoulders for like the umpteenth time and he leaned into it, knowing he should probably push the older man away. Joe was in the middle seat with Garbo on his other side who was looking at both of them a little awkwardly. Kevin pulled over in front of a nice-looking, nondescript club that had a purple awning and the word ‘Rain’ on it.
“Cheerful looking place…” Joe quipped and Nick chuckled. The middle brother grinned proudly, like making Nick laugh was his sole ambition in life, which only made the younger man shake his head in mock-sadness and smile, which ruined the cheerless façade.
“I’m sure it looked more inviting last night,” Nick said dryly once his face was its usual blank slate, hiding his emotions. Only Joe seemed able to break him of that shell, something Nick knew bothered Miley but neither of them talked about it.
“It’s a gay bar,” Kevin said from the driver’s seat, fiddling with his phone. Joe coughed and his arm left Nick’s shoulders, hand coming up to cover his mouth as Nick felt suddenly nauseas. What if someone had seen them? “I Googled the place,” Kev said and showed Nick the phone. There were pictures of the interior and he got another flash of memory.
The strobe light flashed, painting Joe in various colors as he moved in ridiculous, jerky motions he called dancing. Nick smiled as the older man took his hand and tugged on it gently, pulling him closer and turning around so his back was pressed against Nick’s front. He shivered when Joe started dancing again, backing up even more so there wasn’t any space between them. “We might be seen…” he whispered, but Joe just looked back at him and smirked before rubbing his ass against Nick’s groin. He let slip a low, guttural groan which just made Joe do it again and his cock responded to the friction, swelling so fast it was a little embarrassing.
He was pulled back to the present and blushed at how hard he was. Joe noticed, of course, just like Joe noticed everything about him and he wondered how he hadn’t noticed that his brother might have been in love with him sooner. Nick’s blush only deepened when Joe swept a hand up his thigh and the muscle quivered slightly. “So how the fuck did we end up in Atlantic City?” Joe finally asked, looking at the others.
Chapter Four