Dangerous Minds

© Sweet Kisses™

~*~

It was just past two in the morning when the music began. It was loud, it was preaching, it was waking everybody up, and it was annoying. That is, annoying everybody but the perpetrator of this crime.

The perpetrator?

Someone sitting in a circle of white burning candles, chanting a prayer with the music.

Nick and Kevin both woke up at the same time to A.J screaming his head off.

"What the hell is that?" Nick asked when he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

Kevin yawned. "I don't know, but I guess we should go put a stop to it before Dr Sheffield has a coronary." Nick laughed just as Kevin grabbed his arm. "Not a word, okay? Do you promise?"

Nick frowned. "Yeah, I promise. Now let's go!"

They found A.J pacing the floor around Brian's set-up of candles, music and his bible. "If you don't fucking shut that up...!"

Howie groaned and covered his head with a pillow. "Make it stop! Make it stop! I'm just laying here, with my eyes closed, trying to get some goddamn sleep around this place!"

Brian shook his head. "I can't stop. God doesn't want me to stop. God wants me to pray all the time. All day..."

A.J threw himself down on his bed as Kevin knelt in front of Brian. "Brian, go to sleep. If you don't turn the music off, Dr Sheffield will come storming in here and she'll make all our lives more of a misery than they already are."

Brian refused to listen. "No..."

Kevin tried another tactic. "Brian, God wouldn't want you to keep people awake. You remember that quote from the bible, don't you? The one about allowing people peaceful resting?"

Brian nodded. "Yes..."

"Well, you also know that - "

"What is going on in here and who is making all that noise?"

They all stood up immediately, guilty looks on their faces. It was amazing how five grown men could be intimidated by one single woman and suddenly reduced to nothing. It amazed them all. She definitely held power over them. It was quite remarkable.

Howie eyed her devilishly. "Ooh! Sexy jammies, Doc!"

Dr Sheffield ignored this comment. "Someone had better answer my question or else ALL of you will be put in solitary confinement for twenty-four hours! Who was responsible for all the noise in here?"

A.J pointed to Brian. "Him! It was him! I did nothing, I had nothing to do with it! It was all him, I did - "

"Shut up!" three males voices yelled at him. He gave them all puppy dog eyes.

Dr Sheffield surveyed them all coolly. "Thank you gentlemen, but that wasn't necessary. I can handle this by myself." She stepped closer to Brian and spoke to him in a flat and low voice, which scared the life out of him. "In future, Mr Littrell, you will be more considerate to those around you, or the consequences will have a finality so extreme that you can't even begin to imagine."

All their eyes widened.

"As for the rest of you," she continued, "party's over. This isn't a tour, this isn't one long sleep-over. I suggest you all grow up and face facts: you're all in my care so I advise that you start conforming to my rules. Do not waste my time."

They all felt beaten to the ground, they felt like nothing. She still stared at them with cold and condescending eyes. They all felt like little boys, as though their mother was reprimanding them for being too loud at a slumber party.

"Now, I'm going back to bed. I suggest you all do the same." She spun on her heel and walked to the door. She stopped and turned around. "Oh, and Mr Littrell? Either stop the music and chanting or I'll be forced to confiscate the bible. It's your choice."

With that, she slammed the door behind them.

"Nice one, Brian!" Nick yelled.

"What did I do?" Brian asked in a hushed voice.

"Fuck all that I'm-so-hardly-done-by-and-I'm-a-puritan shit!" A.J yelled from his bed. "This is all your fault!"

"Leave me alone," Brian whispered and laid back down in bed and pulled the covers over his face.

"Make us take the blame for it," Howie murmured before laying down, too.

"All right guys," Kevin said, heading for the door. "Take it easy."

"'Night, Kevin!" they all chorused.

"Man, I'm gonna kill you one day, Brian," A.J murmured before he fell asleep.

Nick chuckled and shut the door behind them. When they got back to their own room, Kevin and Nick looked at each other, both a little nervous and a little scared. They just nodded and looked away.

"Thanks for not saying anything." Kevin said.

Nick nodded. "Yeah, no problem."

Kevin gestured over his shoulder to his bed. "So...umm...yeah, I think I need sleep. Badly."

"Can I join you?" Nick asked quickly, before he lost his nerve.

Kevin shrugged and laid down in his bed. "I don't care. Either you do or you don't, I don't mind."

Nick slid in next to Kevin and after a few moments of counting sheep, he felt Kevin's arms slip around his waist and then he quickly drifted off to sleep.

~**~

A.J stumbled into the kitchen, with leopard-skin slippers on his feet. "Coffee, coffee, coffee...hello coffee!"

 Howie and Nick were sitting at the counter and they laughed, both sipping steaming hot cups of coffee.

"Nice slippers, A.J," Nick commented with a smile as A.J placed his head down on the counter.

"Screwed, huh?" Howie asked and raised his mug.

A.J didn't take his head off the counter. "Fucking Brian and his fucking music and his fucking chanting..." he murmured.

Howie nodded. "I've had enough of it. I say we kick him out and let him have a room to himself."

"Even if you have to scrub it clean first," Nick contributed.

A.J lifted his head up. "Not a bad idea. Not a bad idea, at all." He smiled sleepily, his eyes half-open. "Nice thinking fellas."

"Uh-oh, here comes Dr Sheffield," Howie announced.

"Dun dun dun dun," Nick sang softly.

Dr Sheffield strolled in, once again adorned in her usual type of business suit, immaculate and poised. "Good morning, gentlemen. I trust you slept well after this morning's antics."

"Hey, I did nothing!" A.J exclaimed. "It was all Brian's fault."

Howie nodded. "I think he should have a room to himself. Whaddya say, Doc?" he asked with a lecherous grin.

The doctor glared at him. "Do not address me so informally, Mr Dorough. Have enough decency to use courtesy when one bestows it on you."

A.J made a whipping noise. "Shut down, D!" he exclaimed, much to Nick's laughter.

Howie scowled. "I'll shut you down!"

"Where is Mr Littrell and Mr Richardson?" she interrupted with a frown. "Are they still asleep?"

Nick shrugged, his mind going back to the night before. "Yeah, I guess."

"Well, I guess you better go wake them up then, hadn't you?" she asked. "We have a session after breakfast. Hopefully this one will go a lot smoother than last night," she mused.

Howie jumped off his chair. "Come on, guys, you heard the woman," he said, throwing her a smile. "Let's go get the boys outta bed!"

"Whoopee," Nick murmured.

A.J and Nick followed him out of the kitchen.

~***~

A.J threw open the door to Kevin and Nick's room. The curtains were drawn, there was no sunlight streaming through, and Kevin was curled up in the blanket, holding onto his pillow for dear life. It made them all chuckle, then A.J jumped on the bed.

"Rise and shine, buddy ol' pal!" he screamed in Kevin's ear.

Kevin sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes. "Shit, A.J! I'm already half deaf."

"Maybe you should scream in his other ear, just for good measure," Howie offered.

Nick sat down on the bed. "Come on, guys, be nice."

A.J rumpled Kevin's already tousled hair. "Not to worry, buddy. I was just fuckin' with ya."

Kevin gave him a suspicious look and jumped out of bed. He grabbed a towel and flung it over his shoulder. He pointed to the door. "If you fellas don't mind, I'd like to shower and dress in private."

They all looked unfazed.

"Alone," Kevin emphasised.

"Oh, yeah, of course," A.J said, slapping his forehead.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Howie replied.

Nick grabbed them both by their arms and gave Kevin a smile. "We'll be out of your way now. See ya at breakfast," he called before shutting the door.

Kevin shook his head. "And I'm the one who's apparently high all the time," he murmured before wandering into the bathroom.

Meanwhile, A.J jumped on Brian's bed and sat down cross-legged and put his hands together in a prayer mode. He leaned closer to Brian, who was fast asleep. He began to whisper into his ear. "Brian, this is God. I'm here to rescue you, to save you. It's the end of the world! Everyone's going to die!"

Brian jumped up with a scream, and they all burst out laughing. Brian frowned. "That was mean," he whispered sleepily. "God wouldn't want you to make a mockery of him."

Howie laughed. "But it's so much fun!"

Nick stepped forward. "Come on, scaredy cat, get up. Dr Sheffield's gonna have a fit if you're not up in ten seconds." He narrowed his eyes. "God doesn't like it when you sleep in. God hates tardiness. He frowns upon it. He's gonna send you to hell! Hell, I tell ya!"

Brian jumped out of bed, tears forming in his eyes. "You're...so MEAN!" he screamed and ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. They all burst out laughing

"Think we scared him?" Howie asked, wiping away a tear.

"To the shit-house and back again," A.J replied with a smile.

Nick walked over to the door and opened it. "Mission accomplished."

~****~

"Man, the coffee really sucks in this joint," Kevin complained as they walked into the living room for the continuation of the session from the night before. "I swear to God - "

"Please!" Brian pleaded. "Don't take the Lord's name in vain!"

A.J laughed. "Speaking of joints...?" he asked, giving Kevin a questioning look.

Kevin shook his head and sat down. "Don't smoke pot. Bad for the lungs."

Nick laughed. "So I guess snorting coke is a hell of a lot better, huh?"

Kevin thought about this. "Actually, I think it is."

Howie rolled his eyes as Dr Sheffield came streaming through the room, her blonde hair tied up neatly, her heels clicking on the floor as she walked in. She didn't look at any of them, she simply sat down on her chair and pulled out her clipboard.

"Somebody has their panties in a twist," Howie murmured with a smile.

Kevin gave him a nudge in the ribs. "D, shut up!" he exclaimed softly.

Dr Sheffield looked up with cold eyes. "Gentlemen, your display of utter immaturity since you've been here has left me no choice. You're making no progress as far as I can tell, and none of you are taking this seriously. As of tomorrow, you will all be locked in different rooms, by yourselves, for five hours each day."

"No way!" A.J gasped. Then, he smiled. "Can we take our coloring books?"

Nick rolled his eyes. "Damn, A.J, you're so immature!"

"During this time," she continued with a stern look, "you will document everything you think, feel, see, want and need."

Howie leaned forward. "I know what I need, and it's sitting right in front of me," he said.

Kevin hit him. "Goddamn control yourself. Shit!"

Howie gave him a scathing look. Then he gasped. "Guess what guys? Daddy's back from the dead!"

Kevin grabbed him by the shirt. "I swear to God - !"

Brian covered his ears. "No!"

Dr Sheffield sat back and crossed her arms, not interrupting them while they all fought with each other. She wanted to see first hand how the biggest boy band in the world got on each other's nerves. It took all of her not to laugh. Unusual for her.

"I'm going to kill you!" Kevin screamed at Howie.

Howie jumped out of his chair and ran out of the room squealing, with Kevin close behind him.

A.J. pointed an accusing finger at Brian. "You started all this!"

Brian looked confused. "Huh?"

Nick scowled at Brian. "This is all your fault!"

"Let's get him!" A.J yelled and Brian ran out of the room in the same fashion as Howie, with Nick and A.J running after him.

Dr Sheffield sighed. Even a crazy house never got as crazy as this.

~*****~

A.J and Kevin were sitting in A.J's room, with the door locked, while one was getting high and the other was getting drunk. They were both pissed off and angry, so they decided to share their misfortunes in the company of each other. And, of course, their other little friends that were making a guest appearance.

Kevin sniffed and sat up. His head began to spin. "I fucking hate everyone in this place!"

A.J took a swig of vodka. He nodded after bringing the bottle down. "You don't say. If it's not Brian preaching all that shit, it's Howie drooling in his seat over Miss Priss. I swear to Christ, I'm gonna go insane!"

Kevin sniggered. "And you aren't already?" he asked, rubbing the side of his head.

A.J shrugged just before his eyes caught Kevin's drug supply. He raised his eyebrows. "Can I have a try?"

Kevin snatched the bag away quickly and shook his head. "No! I would never let my friends do that to themselves."

A.J scowled. "But it's perfectly all right for you to get high whenever you want?"

Kevin took a deep breath. "A.J, sometimes people get too involved with it all. Like me. I don't want that to happen to you. To any of you."

A.J nodded. "You know, for someone that's spaced out twenty-four-seven, you've still got that nice heart of yours."

"How do you like the idea of being locked in a room all by yourself for five hours every day?" Kevin asked, quickly changing the subject.

A.J took several long swallows before answering. "Not good. I think it'll be the end of us. I want out of this place, before we're all committed to a real nut-house."

Kevin began to sway, and his eyes clouded over. "What do you mean?" he whispered, not really thinking about what A.J said, but what he was feeling. Those leprechauns appeared in front of him again. He reached out and tried to touch them, with a bizarre smile on his face.

A.J stared at him with his eyes wide. "Man, I might be on my way to being plastered, but you're trippin'!"

Kevin waved his hands out of in front of him. "Hit me, A.J!"

"Huh?"

Kevin looked panicky. "Please, just hit me!"

A.J's heart began to race. 'And you're sure you won't hit me back?"

"Just hit me!"

A.J took a deep breath, shut his eyes tightly, a let his arm fling in Kevin's direction. He could feel his fist connecting with Kevin's face. He opened his eyes to find Kevin lying on the bed. He breathed a sigh of relief. He was all right.

"Damn, that was wicked," Kevin said softly.

"You're crazy," A.J said and took a few more swigs of vodka.

~******~

"They call me latin lover...!"

Howie sang to himself as he made his way into the main bathroom, a prized possession of his hidden in his jacket. He smiled as he shut the bathroom door behind him and locked it securely. He couldn't chance anyone catching him.

He'd been holding much pent-up frustration, of the Dr Sheffield variety, in the past twenty-four hours and he needed relief. And soon.

The bathroom had ten stalls and five showers, the toilet stalls at the front in a row and the showers at the side, in a row. He thought this place must be pretty ancient. Spider's webs were hanging from the ceiling, but all in all, it was still an impressive and large chrome bathroom.

He walked into a stall and locked the door behind him. He took the magazine out and placed them on the toilet seat. He stared at the cover for a while, in pure awe and lust of the girl on the cover. He slowly opened it up to a random page.

After staring at the page for a few moments, he closed his eyes and let out a shaky sigh, leaning back against the door. He could almost smell his last conquest's scent on him. Her arms around him. Her lips on his. Her tongue...

"Oh god!" he cried, his voice echoing in bathroom, and quickly unzipped his pants to commit the one act that made him feel like he was the true master of his domain, not some woman. His breathing came in short, stagnant gasps and he could feel himself building up to that one moment.

Moments later, he let out one last moan of pure ecstasy and relief. Trying to breathe deeply, he tried to regain composure and put himself back together. Sighing with satisfaction, he placed the magazine underneath his jacket and threw open the toilet door.

There, standing in front of him with a pale face and his mouth dropped to the floor, was Brian.

Brian covered his eyes. "NOOOOOOO!"

Howie was perplexed. "How...h-h-h-how did you g-g-get in here?"

Brian uncovered his eyes. "I was in here when you walked in. I was in the stall when you...you...I'm telling the others!"

Howie lunged forward to grab Brian, but Brian was too quick. "No! Please...!"

Brian quickly unlocked the door and ran out.

"Shit," Howie said and raced after him.

~*******~

"Dr Sheffield walked into the large and airy room on the fourth floor that she had made her office for the week. She had chosen the fourth floor because it was the top floor in the house and no one would even bother to make the long and tiresome trip up. But what they didn't know was that there was an elevator, a fairly ancient one, that only she knew of.

She shut the door behind her and walked over to the mahogany desk that held her lap-top and other useful office possessions. She set her briefcase down on the desk and pulled out two video tapes, all that she could steal so far. What they also didn't know was that she had them on surveillance.

They simply weren't helping her enough, and they were giving her next to nothing to work with - this was her last resort: surveillance. She'd find out how to help them by seeing how they acted and responded to this unusual set-up behind closed doors.

She sat down and began to watch. The first one was of Kevin, alone in his room. She frowned as she watched him leaning over the bed, and then reaching out for something. She raised her eyebrows when he reached out and said the word, "Dad."

She picked up her pen. "Issue: lack of father-figure. Distraught, grieving, alone," she murmured, scribbling away. She could help him there.

Then she watched with suspicion as Kevin and Nick began talking, rather closely. She held her breath as Kevin lifted up his arm. She scribbled down some more, and looked up at precisely the right moment as Nick got into bed with Kevin.

"Can you...put your arms around me?" she heard Nick ask.

Dr Sheffield sat back and let out her breath. "This is certainly a twist," she said to herself. "Issue: Mr Carter and Mr Richardson sleeping together." She came to a conclusion. "Fear of surroundings. Possibly for comfort."

She then moved onto the next tape. She watched as A.J sat down on the carpet in his room with a tall bottle in his hand. She inspected him closely as he downed the contents of the bottle with an alarming rate, and then lighting up a cigarette. She heard him murmur something, but someone banging on the door muffled his voice.

She knew it was Brian. There was a distinct reference to God.

Dr Sheffield sighed and stopped the tape. She crossed her arms and peered out the window to a cloudy and murky cold day. "I sincerely hope I can help these gentlemen."

~********~

Nick sat down on the toilet seat in his bathroom, holding his wrist out with his knife in hand, ready to do some serious damage. He'd had enough of this place, and he'd most certainly had enough of Miss Snappy-Happy and her invading questions.

She could go to hell.

He took a few deep breaths. There was something wrong with him. There'd have to be. Why else would he be seeking solace from his best friend, who was also male? Why else would he be wanting to sleep in Kevin's bed ever since they got here? Though he knew this was crazy, he never wanted to sleep alone again.

Tears of frustration formed in his eyes. "I've gotta be crazy," he whispered.

But he was thankful that Kevin hadn't objected so far. That was nice of him. He felt so comfortable in his arms, with his arms wrapped securely around him. He felt so...no, he couldn't admit that. That would be wrong.

He felt loved.

A tear trickled down his face. "I'm fucked in the head," he whispered, his voice quivering with emotion. "Just get it over and done with."

But he couldn't.

"Just do it already!"

He held the knife down to his wrist and felt the coolness of the blade touch his skin. He closed his eyes and held in his breath. He pressed down on it. He gasped softly when the incision was made. All his troubles seemed to disappear with that one little cut. Washed away like the blood flowing from his wrist.

He jumped up and grabbed a bandage that was waiting on the sink. He unravelled it and wrapped it tightly around his wrist. He smiled at himself in the mirror as he washed the blade with freezing cold water. Now he just needed something to cover that bandage.

He heard Howie yelling at Brian in the next room. He opened the door to the bathroom and found Kevin waiting at the door, with his arms folded.

He raised his eyebrows. "Nick, what're you doing to yourself?"

Nick sailed past him and sat down on the bed. "What's going on in there?" he asked, more yelling coming through the walls.

Kevin chuckled. "Apparently, Brian caught Howie jerking off in the bathroom. Glad it wasn't me."

Nick sighed as Kevin sat down next to him. "I'm not doing anything you're not doing! You're getting high all the time. A.J's constantly in a drunken stupor. Howie's forever making passes at the Doc, and Brian...!"

Kevin nodded and held Nick's arm in his hand. "Why do you keep doing this to yourself? It must hurt really bad."

Finally, the commotion next door stopped with the slam of the door. "It doesn't hurt that much," Nick replied and watched with confusion as Kevin gently rubbed his wrist with the tips of his fingers.

Kevin's eyes met Nick's after a few moments, and they simply stared at each other. Then, Nick's lower lip quivered and he burst into tears. Kevin slung an arm around him and held him close to his chest. "What's the matter?" he asked softly.

"I don't...want to d-d-do this anym-m-more!" he sobbed.

Nick cried for a few more moments, with Kevin patting his back consolingly. He stopped when he felt Kevin shift him around so that Nick's back was against his chest. Nick's heart began to race when he felt Kevin massaging his shoulders.

Nick closed his eyes. His touch was so comforting, and he wanted to stay like that forever. He opened his eyes in surprise when he thought he felt Kevin's lips on the back of his neck. He had to be imagining it. He just had to be.

Suddenly, Kevin stopped and let him go. He cleared his throat. "You'll be all right?"

Nick nodded quickly. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Once again, they stared at each other.

~*********~

"I tell you what," A.J announced as they walked into the living room for yet another night-time session with the doctor, "I don't know how anybody has the nerve to give us that slop they call food!"

"Food?" Howie asked. "Ha!"

"Shut up, jerk," A.J emphasised with a frown.

Brian covered his ears. "God is good, God is great...!" he sang over their voices.

Howie rolled his eyes as he sat down. He looked over at Nick and Kevin, who seemed to be suspiciously quiet. "Something the matter, boys? Lover's tiff, huh?"

They both looked up at the same time, with almost guilty looks on their faces. "That wasn't funny," Kevin said in a low voice and Nick looked away.

Howie gave them a suspicious look. "Just a joke. Relax," he said.

"Nice joke, jerk-boy," A.J murmured as Dr Sheffield walked into the room and sat down with a sigh.

"Gentlemen," she said, "I believe we're all wasting our time here. You all have to start helping me to help you. If you continue to act this way, stubborn and insolent, I have no other option but to separate all of you and confine you to separate wings of this house, where you'll have no human interaction. To be alone with your thoughts."

Nick looked up with a desperate expression. "No! You can't do that!"

Dr Sheffield crossed her arms. "If you don't start helping me, I'll have to do so." She looked at A.J. "Mr McLean, if you'd like to kick off the session...?"

A.J walked into the centre of the circle and dug his hands into his pockets. "Well, I'm a raging alcoholic." He looked at their faces. "Which is yet to be proven!" he said quickly. "Basically, I turn to the drink when, well, all the time really. It's great stuff. I recommend it."

Dr Sheffield held a pen in her hand. "Thank you for that fine recommendation, Mr McLean," she said dryly.

"Nice joke, alco-boy," Howie retorted with a glare.

"Fuck you!" A.J exclaimed, ready to go to war.

"Gentlemen!" the doctor interrupted. She sighed. "Mr McLean, take a seat." She scribbled furiously before looking at Brian. "Mr Littrell, if you will...?"

Brian gave her a look before strolling into the centre of the circle. "I am God's son."

"More like God's bitch," Nick murmured, which made Kevin chuckle softly.

"Why do you think that, Mr Littrell?" the doctor asked.

Brian's patrician features were clenched. "Because he put me on this Earth to save everyone from evil. Everyone in this house is evil. Evil!"

They all laughed.

Dr Sheffield sighed. "Sit down, Mr Littrell," she said. She stood up and smoothed down her skirt. "Gentlemen, if things don't improve after you being alone for five hours tomorrow, I'll not hesitate in separating you and discussing your problems individually."

They all looked at each other, fearing the impossible.

She looked at them all. "Goodnight, gentlemen, and I'll see you in the morning."

~**********~

While Brian was busy in the shower, A.J was fluffing his pillow and Howie was reading Brian's precious bible. A perfect opportunity.

"You know, the bible is bloodier and lustier than any porno mag," he mused to himself. "Amazing."

A.J sniggered. "And you'd know," he replied.

Howie put the bible down and sighed. "Are you ever gonna let me live that down?"

A.J thought about this with his arms behind his head. "All right, I'll let it go. Just as long as you don't bust me about drinkin'. Deal"?

"Deal," Howie replied and shook A.J's hand. "You know," he continued and placed the bible back on Brian's bed, "I noticed something funny between Nick and Kevin."

A.J sat up and rubbed his hands. "I love a bit of goss!" he exclaimed. "What dirt have you got for me?"

Howie laughed. "It's just something I noticed. When I made that crack about the lover's tiff, they both looked extremely guilty."

A.J shook his head. "What are you saying?"

Howie shrugged. "It's probably just my overreacting imagination. You know how it can be."

A.J looked knowingly. "Yeah, I believe I do."

The water in the bathroom stopped running.

A.J rolled his eyes and laid back. "Get ready for tonight's midnight mass."

Howie sighed. "Please!"

~**********~

"I didn't mean to do that before..." Kevin began softly, in his usual spaced-out voice.

Nick nodded. "It's all right, I understand."

Kevin cleared his throat. "She's going to make us being apart if we don't start acting like we want her help." He narrowed his eyes. "Do you want her help?"

Nick shrugged. Then he nodded after a moment's thought. "Yeah, I think I do."

Kevin ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't want to be confined by myself for five hours until the day we leave. It's going to kill me!"

Nick scanned the room with his eyes, trying not to focus too much on Kevin. "Yeah, I don't like it either. I don't want to be shut-up in a room for hours on end, but if that's what it takes."

"You're willing?" Kevin asked and sat down on the bed.

Nick bit his lower lip before answering. "Yeah, I think I am," he answered slowly. "I need help, and that's why I'm here. I want to stop all this shit. We're continually acting like five year olds, always getting on each others nerves..."

"You've got a point there."

Nick sighed deeply. The time had come to face the night alone. But he didn't want to face it by himself. He wanted that comfort. "Well, I better get to sleep. Big day tomorrow."

Kevin nodded. "Yeah."

Nick walked over to turn off the light. Just as he was about to, he thought he heard Kevin murmur his name. He turned around to find Kevin drifting off to sleep. He pouted for a brief moment and switched off the light.

Making his way to his bed in the darkness, he laid down and clutched his blanket in his fists. He simply couldn't sleep. This was unbearable. More unbearable than thinking about things that he shouldn't.

"Kevin?"

"Hmm?"

"Umm..."

Kevin sat up in the darkness. "Let me guess, you want to sleep in my bed, huh?"

Nick didn't need to be told twice. He threw off the covers and laid down next to Kevin. He shifted a little to get comfortable, and placed his head down on the pillow. Before he even had to ask, he felt Kevin's arms wrap securely around him.

Nick closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

~******~