![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rsadelleMaster Post - Part 1 - Part 2
"No, hey." Kevin pushes past Big Rob. "I'll get it." He peers through the peephole to be sure, and then opens the door grinning.
Mike grins back at him, and steps inside before he catches Kevin up in a hug. He's also kind of looking past Kevin at Big Rob and Frankie, so Kevin takes the initiative and presses his lips to Mike's in a quick kiss. He'd do more, but Big Rob and Frankie are watching them with interest, so he just slides his hand down Mike's arm until he can hold Mike's hand.
"You've met Big Rob, and I think you kind of met Frankie. This is Mike."
Frankie rolls his eyes. "Like you don't talk about him all the time."
Kevin's not sure what made him think Frankie would be any less trouble than Nick and Joe.
"Can we go now?"
"In a minute," Kevin says. He turns to Mike and lowers his voice. "I know bringing Frankie was mostly a joke, but then he wanted to come, and Mom and Dad said we had to take Big Rob too." He squeezes Mike's hand. "I'm sorry it can't be just us."
Mike squeezes back. "It's okay." He pulls something out of one of his pockets. "I brought you something."
It's a CD. Kevin takes it and turns it so he can read what Mike's written on it in thick Sharpie: Shit for Kevin.
Kevin grins. "Thanks. I can't wait to listen to it." He lets go of Mike's hand to go put the CD with his laptop.
"Can we go now?" Frankie asks.
"Hey, Frankie," Mike says, "why don't you go hit the button for the elevator, and we'll be there in a minute."
Frankie points at him. "I know you're just trying to get rid of me."
"Frankie," Kevin says, exasperated, "don't be rude."
"Come on, Frank." Big Rob jerks his head toward the door. "Let's go." He pins Kevin with a stare that doesn't intimidate him anymore; he knows what a softy Big Rob really is. "One minute."
Kevin nods.
The moment the door closes behind Rob and Frankie, Mike pulls Kevin in and kisses him, a real kiss this time, the kind that leaves Kevin breathless and clinging to the back of Mike's jacket.
Mike looks a little flustered, too. "We should probably-" He gestures at the door but doesn't let go.
"Yeah," Kevin says, still dazed. He shakes it off. "Or Frankie'll come back, and he has a key."
Now Mike does let go, but he takes Kevin's hand again, which makes it kind of okay, and opens the door for Kevin.
"Finally," Frankie says when they get to the elevators. "We had to let the elevator pass us by three times already."
Kevin ruffles Frankie's hair. "The musuem will still be there in ten minutes." When he looks over, Mike's smiling at both of them.
*
Traveling with Kevin's entourage, even the mini version, is weird. They go out through the parking garage in an SUV with tinted windows. Even Frankie has shades to wear for the drive, although Mike can't see what good they'll actually do any of them.
Mike is perfectly happy to have Frankie along, though, because Frankie sits up front with Big Rob and leaves Mike and Kevin alone in the back seat. Kevin's totally unconsciously resting his hand on the seat between them while he tells Frankie something about Cleveland, so Mike takes it in his. Kevin flashes him a quick smile and squeezes his hand.
Mike's been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before, with his band, but it's totally different this time. Frankie's just a kid, so even though he's been traveling all over the world with his brothers, he still has this wide-eyed wonder about him. Kevin, for all that he's an adult, matches that with his own total enthusiasm for everything they see.
Frankie keeps dragging Kevin from exhibit to exhibit, but they're both having fun and Mike's seen it before, so none of them care that they're not seeing anything in depth. Well, Big Rob might care, but Big Rob is really big and kind of intimidating, so Mike's not about to ask him.
Kevin and Frankie don't seem to find Big Rob intimidating at all, and Frankie even goes so far as to get Big Rob to pick him up when he wants to see something better.
"Frankie," Kevin says when he does it again at the Queen exhibit, "don't lean so-"
He's too late, because some kind of alarm goes off. Frankie jerks back and turns in Big Rob's arms to clutch at his shoulders. Kevin just looks chagrined.
"Sorry," Big Rob says to the passing security guard who comes over to see what's going on. "We've got it under control."
It's like there's some kind of psychic bond between security guys, because the guard takes Big Rob's word for it and wanders away.
"I didn't mean to," Frankie says in a small voice.
"I know you didn't," Kevin says.
Mike's trying not to laugh, because the littlest Jonas nearly getting them in trouble with security is pretty much the funniest thing ever, and it's going to make a good story to tell his band, but he doesn't think Frankie will appreciate it.
"We could take a break for lunch," he suggests.
Frankie peers out from his place against Big Rob. "Can we eat at the place here?"
Mike glances at Kevin, who nods.
"Sure," Mike says. "Do you know where it is?"
"No."
Mike tugs the museum map out of his back pocket. "Let's see if we can figure it out."
Frankie makes Big Rob put him down, and Mike crouches down to his level so they can look at the map together. Once Frankie figures out where they are and where they're going, he takes the map and he and Big Rob lead the way.
Kevin brushes his fingers against Mike's wrist as they follow. "Thanks," he says. "That was a good distraction."
Mike bumps his shoulder against Kevin's. "Food always works on my band."
*
Kevin wasn't really sure about bringing Frankie and Big Rob along on what was essentially a date, but it works out much better than he expected. The presence of Frankie and Big Rob keep him from dragging Mike off to a bathroom stall to make out (although not from thinking about it), and while Mike still seems wary of Big Rob, he does really well with Frankie.
Kevin's keeping an eye on the time and on Frankie because he knows how late Frankie was awake last night, and he expects a meltdown around three. At two-thirty, he starts subtly herding them toward the exit.
"You got somewhere else to be?" Mike asks it so quietly that Frankie and Big Rob probably don't hear him.
"We were up late. Frankie's not going to last the whole afternoon," Kevin murmurs back.
Maybe he should have said something earlier, because Mike helps steer them through exhibits that will take them out of the museum.
Frankie, without even seeming to realize he's being directed, asks, "Can we go to the gift shop?"
"Yes," Kevin says. "But you can't buy everything in there. We don't have that much space."
Frankie seems inclined to ignore him, but Mike puts a hand on his shoulder. "I'll make you a deal," he says. "You don't give your brother a hard time, and I'll buy you one thing."
Frankie looks from Mike to Kevin and must decide it's worth it. "Deal!" He rushes ahead of them into the gift shop.
Mike bumps his shoulder against Kevin's. "If you're good, I might buy you one thing too." He's smiling at Kevin, like they're the adults in on this together, and he tangles their fingers together for a brief moment. Kevin wishes they could've held hands all day, but he gets that there are things they can't do in public.
Frankie spends a good forty-five minutes scrutinizing everything the gift shop has to offer. It's longer than Kevin thought he would last, and since Big Rob trails Frankie around, it leaves Kevin free to hang out with Mike.
Mike keeps trying to find something for Kevin, and when he holds a tie up against Kevin's shirt, Kevin says for what seems like the millionth time, "Really, you don't have to buy me anything from the gift shop."
"I know I don't have to." Mike's hand skims along Kevin's waist under the guise of leaning in to put the tie back. "I want to."
Kevin can feel himself blushing and fights the urge to lean into Mike's touch and kiss him.
"I want this." Frankie's interruption breaks the moment. He holds something up to them, and Kevin has to blink away the daze brought on by Mike being so close to see what it is. Frankie has actually not gone overboard; Kevin was worried by some of the things in the gift shop. What he's ended up with is a cup with 50s rock and roll designs on it and a crazy twisty plastic straw that matches the color of the lid.
Mike takes it from him and turns it in his hands. "Good choice," he proclaims. He grins. "Show me where you got it." He turns to Kevin. "I'm totally getting one for Bill. He'll either love it or pretend to be mad and end up giving it to Genevieve."
They follow Frankie on a winding path through the store to the cups. Frankie chose the one with the red lid and straw; Mike chooses the blue.
"Who's Genevieve?" Frankie asks as they make their way to the cash register.
Mike stops and pulls something off a rack - Kevin doesn't see what - before he answers. "She's Bill's daughter." Mike pays for the cups and whatever else he bought, and they start to leave.
Mike stops him outside the gift shop, bag still hooked over his wrist, and carefully pins something to Kevin's shirt.
When he looks down, he finds it's a red guitar pin with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame logo on it, and Mike's pinned it directly over his heart.
"I told you I was going to get you something."
Kevin squeezes Mike's hand tight, not even caring who might be watching, and says, "Thank you."
*
"Come watch a movie with us," Kevin says when they get back to the hotel.
Frankie turns a look on them. "You're not going to be all gross, are you?"
Kevin's pretty cute when he's embarrassed. "No," he answers for them. "Coming?" he asks Mike.
Mike avoids the obvious joke and says, "Sure. What are we watching?"
Frankie leans against Kevin in the elevator, and Mike watches the easily affectionate way Kevin puts his arm around Frankie's shoulders.
"Something PG," Frankie says.
"Nice try." Kevin sounds serious, but Frankie's not looking at him and Mike is, and Mike can see him smiling. "Just because Mike is here doesn't mean we get to break all the rules."
Watching Kevin with Frankie, Mike has the sudden and uncomfortable thought that maybe Bill's method of having kids to make the in-laws like him isn't such a bad idea.
When they get to Frankie and Kevin's floor, Frankie runs ahead to their door while Big Rob walks with Kevin and Mike. "Call me if you're going anywhere," Big Rob says before he lets them go into the room.
Kevin nods and high-fives him, which seems like a strange thing to do with Big Rob, but Kevin has a different relationship with him than Mike does. Big Rob isn't exactly glaring at him, but he's clearly less trusting of Mike than he is of Kevin.
In the room, Frankie drops the bag with his cup in it on the bed farthest from the TV and clambers up onto the other one.
"Shoes," Kevin says mildly, and Frankie kicks them off, then, when Kevin looks at him, lines them up neatly next to the closet. Mike's torn between laughing and being impressed.
Mike wasn't really thinking logistics when he agreed to hang out with them, but now that he's there, he's not sure where he's supposed to sit. Kevin solves the problem for him by sitting down on the same bed Frankie's spread out over. He leans against the headboard and pats the space next to him.
Mike takes his boots off and lines them up next to Kevin and Frankie's shoes before he joins them. He sits with Kevin, shoulders, hips, and outstretched legs pressed together, while Frankie stays spread out on the other end of the bed.
Kevin lets Frankie pick the movie, and he ends up on something on the Disney Channel, which Mike only knows because of the logo in the corner of the screen.
"Can't escape, huh?" Mike keeps his voice low so he doesn't disturb Frankie.
Kevin looks sheepish. "It's wholesome for kids."
"Sure thing," Mike teases.
Frankie turns his head. "Shhh!" he hisses at them, complete with finger pressed against his lips.
Mike presses his lips tightly together so he doesn't laugh. When he turns his head, he can see Kevin doing the same thing. It only makes him want to laugh even more. Kevin isn't much better off, his eyes sparkling with it, and he buries his head in Mike's shoulder, and Mike can feel his silent laughter shaking them both.
Mike feels a lot less like laughing with Kevin pressed against him like this. He keeps an eye on Frankie, who seems completely absorbed by the movie, and puts his arms around Kevin.
Kevin stops laughing and lifts his head. He's still smiling, softer now, and Mike's pretty much given up on fighting or denying the way Kevin looking at him makes him want to give him everything.
He settles for a kiss, soft and quiet so they don't disturb Frankie. Kevin kisses back, keeping it light, and then he pulls away with a smile that looks as contented as Mike feels. He turns in Mike's arms so he's a warm weight against Mike's chest. If it weren't for Frankie, Mike would be tempted to slip his hands under Kevin's shirt to rest directly on his skin, but he keeps them on the outside, lightly curved over Kevin's stomach.
Mike tries watching the movie, but he finds his attention mostly on Kevin, the rhythm of his breathing, the weight of his body, the way he fits in Mike's arms.
Mike is never, ever going to say any of that to his band.
*
Ten-year-old chaperone or no, this is the best date Kevin's ever been on. Mike helped keep Frankie from melting down, they got to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and now he has Mike's arms around him to distract him from the fact that he's already seen Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie half a dozen times.
At least he doesn't have to watch it long; it takes less than half an hour before Frankie's body relaxes into the particular boneless sprawl of sleep.
Kevin leans forward out of Mike's arms and carefully eases the remote out of Frankie's hand so he can turn off the TV. Then he climbs off the bed and tugs at Mike's hand.
"He's a pretty sound sleeper," he says softly as he pulls Mike over to the other bed.
"Yeah?" Mike sits back down the way he was before, back against the headboard and legs outstretched. "How long will he be out?"
Kevin shrugs. "Half an hour, at least. Maybe more." He stands next to the bed and looks at Mike. He's not exactly sure what he's supposed to do now, other than get close to Mike. The prospect of it is enough to make his skin feel too tight.
"C'mere." Mike tugs at his hand and pulls him down onto the bed, and farther so he's straddling Mike and their faces are almost at the same level. "C'mere," Mike says again, and he slides his arms around Kevin's waist, tugs him closer.
Kevin takes the hint. He means for it to be just a kiss, like earlier when they were kissing hello, but it quickly turns out to be like the other kiss where Kevin ended up breathless and clinging.
Mike's clinging just as much, though, so Kevin doesn't feel silly about it.
Kevin has to pull away to breathe, and somehow when they were kissing Mike slid them down so he's lying totally on the bed with Kevin lying on top of him. Kevin can feel the heat flushing his cheeks when he realizes what they must look like.
"Don't stop," Mike murmurs, and he puts his hand into Kevin's hair, cupping the back of his head, and his eyes are half-closed and sleepy.
Kevin doesn't want to stop, so much so that his skin feels hot all over. He kisses Mike again, and he means for it to be gentle, but it's not, and he's embarrassed all over agian when he hears the needy little noises that are spilling out of his own mouth.
"Kevin," Mike protests when Kevin pulls himself away.
Kevin rests his forehead against Mike's. "This is moving kind of fast."
Mike laughs, a little too loud, and they both freeze and then look over to make sure Frankie's still asleep.
"Kevin," Mike murmurs, "this is the slowest relationship I've ever been in."
Kevin can't even take that in because he's totally stuck on the part where Mike said they're in a relationship. Sure, he told Joe and Nick that they're dating, but him saying it to his brothers is something totally different from talking about it with Mike.
Kevin brushes his fingers through the long strands of Mike's hair, letting them fall against his skin. "This is the most important relationship I've ever been in," he says, and then quietly freaks out because he maybe didn't mean to tell Mike that much.
Mike just looks at him for what feels like a really long time, and then he pulls Kevin down without even trying to kiss him again. It's nice, to just lie there with Mike's arms around him and no expectations. "I think," Mike says, slowly like he doesn't want to give away too much either, "that I've never liked anyone I've been with as much as I like you."
Kevin smiles against Mike's neck, helplessly happy. He presses his lips against Mike's skin in a quick kiss, and then rests his head on Mike's shoulder.
Mike's chest moves with his breath in an even, steady rhythm. Kevin wonders if it's something he could work into a song. Maybe not a Jonas Brothers pop song, but maybe something more adult, which Nick wants to do anyway.
Kevin loses himself in the rhythm, in how comfortable and right it feels to be pressed against Mike's warmth.
"Hey," Mike says, breaking the silence, "are you falling asleep on me?"
Kevin opens his eyes. He doesn't remember closing them. "No."
Mike laughs softly, changing the rhythm of his breath beneath Kevin's cheek. "You were up late last night too, weren't you?" His hands stroke soothingly up and down Kevin's back.
Kevin arches into the touch. "Yeah, but I'm awake." He ruins it by yawning.
"Sure you are," Mike says. He ducks his head a little to kiss Kevin's temple. "I can go if you want to take a nap."
Kevin clutches at Mike. "No. You're not here for very long." He struggles to push himself up enough to look at Mike. "I don't want to sleep through it."
Mike smiles and kisses him. "Maybe you should take a nap now so you're awake for dinner."
Kevin yawns again. "Do we have plans for dinner?"
"Yep." Mike's fingers are gentle against Kevin's cheek. Then he rolls them over in one swift motion. "You get some sleep." He kisses Kevin's cheek where he was just touching. "I'll come get you at six-thirty." He gets off the bed despite Kevin holding onto him and leans back down for one more kiss. "Wear something nice."
*
Mike hasn't been this nervous about a date since his high school prom, if then. Sure, things are going well, but this is a real date, nice clothes and expensive restaurant, and both of them knowing they're dating. Mike hates it when he has to admit his band was right.
He hates it a little less when Kevin opens the door to his knock and his eyes widen as he very obviously checks Mike out and likes what he sees.
"I'm leaving," Kevin calls back towards the rest of the room, and at least two of his brothers say something that Mike doesn't have time to hear because Kevin is pulling the door shut behind him and stepping right up against Mike. "Hi," he breathes.
"Hi." Mike barely has to lean because Kevin is meeting his kiss almost before he moves.
Kevin pulls away first. "You look amazing." He rakes his eyes up and down Mike's body again.
Mike doesn't get dressed up very often and never quite feels comfortable in slacks and a button-down, but the way Kevin's looking at him is going a long way toward making him like it more. He presses his thumb to Kevin's lip, just to touch him.
"You always look good."
There's a muffled laugh, and Mike jerks his hand away while Kevin rolls his eyes.
"Stop eavesdropping," Kevin calls toward the door. He takes Mike's hand. "I hope we're going somewhere other than the hallway." They start toward the elevators. "I really don't need my brothers watching this whole date."
Mike, based on his experiences with his band and what he knows of Kevin's brothers, wholeheartedly agrees. "No chaperone?"
"I am to leave my phone on at all times," Kevin says, in a tone that says he's repeating what he's been told, "and call Big Rob if I need rescuing." He smiles at Mike, looking at him sideways in a way that makes Mike's heart skip a beat. "I won't need rescuing."
"No. We're going somewhere very safe." Mike squeezes Kevin's hand.
Kevin squeezes back. "I trust you."
It's a lot. Kevin is about a million times more famous than him, and in a segment of the industry not known for its gay overtones. Kevin has a lot more to lose.
They stop holding hands when the elevator reaches the lobby. They go out a side door and walk around the corner before they catch a cab. They don't hold hands in the cab either.
Mike chose the restaurant early enough to get reservations, which was a good idea because two groups of people get turned away before he and Kevin even get from the door to the podium.
The maitre d' says, "Right this way, Mr. Carden," after Mike gives his name, and he can hear Kevin giggle behind him. He turns his head to look at Kevin and almost starts laughing himself.
They hold it together until the maitre d' seats them and starts to walk away, and then they both burst into laughter. They're in a curved booth with high sides, and they're both close to the center of it, so their laughter is contained, and the matire d' doesn't even glance back at them.
"I don't think anyone's called me Mr. Carden since teachers in high school when I was late to class."
"I never get called Mr. Jonas," Kevin says through his giggles. "There are always at least three of us around."
Mike shudders, mostly for show. "I love my brother and my dad, but I don't think I could take being around them that much."
"Yeah, but you're around your band all the time."
Mike doesn't know exactly what the look on his face is, but it makes Kevin laugh.
"Sometimes," Mike grumbles, "I don't want to be around them that much either."
Kevin stops laughing. "Is this," he waves a hand between them, "causing problems with your band?"
Mike shakes his head and thinks back to Bill saying "It's going to be tougher on him than on you." "No. They've actually been pretty good about it. Kind of dicks about it, but not any more than they would be about anyone else's relationship."
That's the second time today he's called it a relationship. He should be freaked out about it, or something. He's not exactly a relationship kind of guy. But he's not freaked out at all, and he figures that's probably because he's had time to get used to it; his band has been talking about him dating Kevin since the first time they got dinner. Or maybe it's just that he actually likes the idea of being in a relationship with Kevin.
"That's good," Kevin says. He fidgets with the menu. "Nick and Joe are cool with it. And Frankie, I guess."
Mike hears what he's not saying, that his parents still aren't.
*
Kevin is a terrible date. He didn't mean to bring it up, but there it is, and he's pretty sure Mike knows it too.
"So what is it?" Mike asks. "They not down with homosexuality or what?"
Kevin shrugs. That's probably part of it, the part they aren't going to talk about because if there's anything his parents believe in it's loving their children no matter what. "You're older. You drink and smoke and swear." Kevin shrugs again, and looks sideways at Mike. "You have sex."
Maybe he shouldn't have said that.
Mike puts his menu down on the table and tugs Kevin's out of his hands. Kevin doesn't want to let it go, but Mike is pretty insistent.
"Not since I met you," he says, and Kevin thinks that's actually the hint of a blush across his cheeks. "I, um. People have hit on me. People who were my type."
Kevin feels a surprisingly sharp stab of jealousy.
"But I didn't." Mike makes a hand gesture that Kevin figures is supposed to stand in for "have sex with them." Mike shrugs a little, and that's definitely a blush staining his cheeks. "I, um, have you, so."
Kevin fidgets, twisting his ring on his finger. He knows Mike knows it's there, but they haven't talked about it. He hasn't told Mike what it means to him or what it means to his parents or anything. He thinks it's a pretty big thing not to have talked about, but they're rarely ever in the same place anyway, and he wasn't even totally sure they were dating.
He wishes suddenly for a waiter to interrupt them, but the staff is well trained enough to leave them alone.
"I haven't wanted to have sex with anyone as much I want to with you." Kevin looks at the table as he says it. "This means something, though." He holds up his hand so the ring is between them.
"Okay," Mike says slowly. "I knew that."
"You can't," Kevin says. His stomach is churning and his face feels hot. This is the most uncomfortable he's ever been with Mike, and for as awkward as he's felt about all of this, that's saying something. "I don't even know what it means anymore." He didn't mean to say that. It's something he's only barely admitted to himself.
Mike looks about as lost as Kevin feels. "Um."
Kevin pastes on a smile that feels completely fake. "Forget it. Let's just eat." He reaches for his menu, but Mike puts his hand over it and doesn't let him take it.
"Kevin," he says, and he looks like he doesn't know what else to say.
Kevin sighs and looks down at his hands instead of at Mike. "It was something our parents wanted us to do, and now it's become this whole thing and I don't know if I believe in waiting for marriage. Not that I could marry you anyway, except maybe in Iowa, and I don't even know if we're that serious or anything; I mean we've only known each other for a couple of months." It all comes out in a rush, all the things he's been trying not to think about.
Mike's hand creeps into his field of vision, and Kevin watches as it wraps around one of his. "Not yet," he says, "but maybe someday." His thumb rubs across the back of Kevin's hand. "Christine's family is really religious. They hated her dating Bill. I talked to Bill about it." Mike started out sounding totally calm and together, but now that edge of nervousness is back. "And it worked out for them in the end."
Kevin wonders exactly what talking to Bill means, but he's not sure he can ask. "What if it doesn't?"
"Fuck," Mike exhales. "Then it doesn't."
Kevin's head jerks up, and he looks at Mike.
"That doesn't mean-" Mike runs the hand not holding Kevin's through his hair. "That doesn't mean it's not worth it." He tugs Kevin a little closer. "I think it's worth it."
"Even," Kevin says, holding up his hand with the ring, "with this?"
"Even with that." Mike shrugs and ducks his head a little. "If you weren't wearing it, we'd be in my room instead of here."
Kevin can feel the blush that spreads across his cheeks.
*
Oh, fuck, sex. Mike has been really, really good about that because of Kevin's ring, even though he wants to suck Kevin off, fuck him, rub up against him until they both come in their pants like teenagers.
Their booth is private, but not quite private enough that he can pull Kevin in and kiss him. He settles for twisting their hands together and brushing his thumb over the inside of Kevin's wrist.
Kevin's blush only gets deeper.
"Oh," he says. "Really?
"Fuck, Kevin," Mike answers. "Fuck yes." He's sorry, now, that they didn't just stay in and have room service anyway. Frankie could have played video games or something and Mike could kiss him. "I want you." He touches the ring on Kevin's finger. "Whatever you're ready to give me."
"I really want to kiss you right now," Kevin blurts out.
There's a waiter keeping an eye on them without seeming to watch them, and a couple of tables of people who are at the right angle to see them even if they're not directly looking right now.
"Me too," Mike rasps back. He settles for squeezing Kevin's hand, which isn't nearly enough but will have to do until later.
Kevin squeezes back, and then he says, "I don't know what I'm ready for now, and I don't know when I will know or what I'll be ready for, and I might not want to have sex until I get married even if that has to be in Iowa."
Mike hasn't been in a relationship this long without sex since his sophomore year of high school. The fact that he's here is probably a sign that he's matured.
"I really want to have sex with you," he says to Kevin, and he didn't think Kevin could get any redder, but he does. "It's okay if you're not ready for it yet."
Kevin looks hugely relieved, which, seriously, Mike has been really good and he isn't a complete asshole. It's entirely possible that they will actually have to provide grandchildren before Kevin's parents like him, and while Genevieve is cute and all, Mike's not any readier to be a father than Kevin is to have sex with him.
"I really like you," Kevin says, and Mike's pretty sure no one has ever told him that and meant it the way Kevin does. "You're awesome."
"That's good," Mike says, and he bumps his shoulder against Kevin's, "because I really like you too." This is another one of those things he will never ever tell his band about. He's already dreading what they're going to have to say when he gets back from this trip.
"I didn't mean to," Kevin waves a hand around, "derail our date."
"I think dating is supposed to be about getting to know each other." Mike squeezes Kevin's hand. "We're cool."
Kevin smiles and squeezes back. "Cool."
*
The rest of their date goes better, Kevin thinks, although even that awkwardness seems to have served its purpose; he feels more settled about being with Mike. Plus, once he's talked to Mike about sex, even a little bit, it doesn't seem like there's anything else he can't talk to Mike about.
Mike orders wine, which Kevin doesn't care about, and he probably would have taken Mike up on his offer of a sip to try it if they weren't somewhere that people might have cell phone cameras. He probably won't mention that part of the evening to his parents.
They have dessert, and this time they share, which is even better than watching Mike eat his own dessert. It's more intimate. It makes Kevin feel more like they belong together.
He probably won't tell his family that either.
Mike pays for dinner. Kevin tries to tell him he doesn't have to even if they're closer to his hometown than Kevin's, but Mike just looks at him and says, "I want to."
It maybe makes Kevin's heart melt even more.
He likes it when Mike holds the door of the cab for him, too, and then when Mike puts his hand on the small of his back, for just a moment, as they go back into the hotel. He likes it even more when they get into the elevator alone and Mike holds his hand.
"Wanna come to my room and hang out?" Mike asks before Kevin can push a button, and just like that they're back into awkward territory.
Kevin would like nothing more than to go hang out with Mike in his room.
"I can't," he says, and he can feel the way his mouth is twisting into annoyance. He hates that. He'd rather be smiling. "I want to." He pushes the button for his floor before he can let Mike tempt him any more than he already has.
Mike tugs on his hand, and then Mike's arms are around him and he's pressing his face into Mike's shoulder, and that's okay. He could stay like this for a while.
The elevator gets to his floor too soon, and he pulls himself away enough to walk down the hall. They stop in front of his door, and he reaches for Mike's other hand too.
"Thank you," Kevin says. "I had a good time."
Mike's just kind of smiling at him. "Me too." He leans in to press a too brief kiss to Kevin's lips. Kevin wants more than just that.
"Frankie's probably sleeping," he says. "Come in and you can kiss me if you're quiet."
Mike nods, and waits patiently while Kevin swipes his keycard. Frankie is asleep, the room mostly dark with one lamp still on so Kevin can see his way to bed. He'll use the light for that purpose later, but now he uses it to see his way to Mike.
Mike waits for him, back against the wall and hands loose at his sides, leaving Kevin to press their mouths together. It's soft for a moment, and then Mike parts his lips and they're kissing deeply. Kevin puts his hands just above the curve of Mike's hips. The kissing makes him dizzy, and his breath sounds too loud every time they part.
If they'd gone up to Mike's room- Kevin doesn't let himself go very far down that road. They didn't, and they won't. This is what they have, this kissing that he wants to do forever, and staying quiet so they don't wake Frankie up. In a way, he likes it. It feels like he's getting away with something even though he's totally not. Even his parents can't get too upset about this. He hopes.
Mike stops kissing him, and Kevin doesn't understand why he would do that. He can feel Mike's hands shaking where they curve over Kevin's shoulders.
*
Mike trembles with the need to drag Kevin up to his room and just take him. He wants to throw Kevin down on a bed and kiss him until he forgets everything and just lets Mike do whatever he wants. He wants to slide to his knees and make Kevin come right here.
He said he wouldn't, though. He said he would let Kevin figure out what he's ready for, and Mike's not sure he can do much more of this without letting it get the better of him.
He tips his forehead against Kevin's and says, "I should probably go."
Kevin's hands tighten on his hips, which is really not helping with his control here.
"Kevin," he groans, almost too loud.
"I don't want you to." Kevin does a better job of staying quiet.
Mike has to kiss him again, and then he pushes Kevin back a step because he might not be able to leave if they don't stop touching.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Mike says, trying to bring things down to a more ordinary level.
Kevin's hands flutter like he doesn't know what to do with them now. "You're going to have brunch with us, right?" He sounds nervous.
Mike wants to reach for him, but he doesn't, even though the mention of brunch - which is supposed to include Kevin's whole family and God only knows how many members of his band and entourage - is having about the same effect as a bucket of cold water on Mike's libido.
"Yeah," he says. "What time?"
Kevin looks relieved. "Ten. Downstairs." He smiles, not quite as wide as Mike would like, and adds, "Just look for the giant table full of people."
Mike does touch him then, cupping Kevin's cheek in his hand. "It'll be okay," he says. He presses his lips to Kevin's lightly. "And next time you're in Chicago, you can meet my family." He didn't think before saying it, but he doesn't take it back. Kevin already met his band; he might as well meet his family. Of course, he's pretty sure his family is going to like Kevin more than Kevin's family likes him.
Kevin nods and presses in against Mike. Mike puts his arms around Kevin automatically, and Kevin burrows into the hug, clinging tightly to him. Mike has another one of those moments where he never wants to let go, so it's just as well that Kevin lets go first.
"Goodnight," Kevin says.
Mike presses his lips against Kevin's one more time. "See you in the morning." He pulls the door open and slips out of it before he can't stop himself from reaching for Kevin again.
*
The chair next to Kevin is empty, and he's fidgeting worse than Frankie. It's not ten yet, but his family likes to be early, especially when there's food involved. Nick's already sipping orange juice, and Frankie's asking Mom if he can get something with whipped cream.
He feels like he's staring at the entrance to the hotel restaurant, but he must not be because Mike is already halfway to them before Kevin sees him.
He's dressed casually again, in jeans and a plain black t-shirt. He still makes Kevin's heart pound. Kevin smiles at him, and he smiles back, coming around the table to take the chair next to Kevin, just like he belongs there.
He takes Kevin's hand under the table, and Kevin hangs on a little desperately. He wants his family to like Mike, and it's making him nervous.
Frankie and Nick are still occupying Mom and Dad, so Kevin introduces Mike to the rest of the band. They're all very polite, so they shake Mike's hand, and Garbo even talks to him about music, and Kevin relaxes. A little bit, anyway, and then everyone's there and he can hide behind his menu while they all take time deciding what to eat. Not that there's that much to decide; everyone being together means Kevin's stuck with the slightly healthier things, even if Mom's finally giving in and saying Frankie can have whipped cream on his hot chocolate.
Mike orders his pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream and murmurs, "I'll share" into Kevin's ear. Kevin tries to stifle his grin but doesn't have much luck.
After the waitress takes their menus away, Mom says, "It's been a while since we last saw you, Mike. How have you been?"
Kevin tenses because this is where it could all go horribly wrong.
"Good," Mike says. He stopped holding Kevin's hand when they were looking at their menus, but now he puts it on Kevin's thigh. "We went on tour, and we're working on music. Bill has this plan for an EP instead of a full-length."
Nick narrows his eyes at Mike. "Why an EP?"
Mike shrugs. "Less pressure, and it lets us get some music out faster. We're doing a limited CD release, mostly selling it on iTunes."
"Have you done anything like this before?" Nick asks. Kevin's used to his intense focus on business, but it can be kind of scary if you don't know him. He hopes this isn't too much for Mike.
"Nope. Trying something new." Mike's hand on Kevin's thigh is still totally relaxed.
"We can't wait to hear it," Joe says.
Mike turns to Kevin. "I'll have to send you a copy when we're done with it." He looks at Joe again. "You can share."
*
Kevin's family and band is a lot of people, but they're not particularly intimidating. They're all very polite, at least, which is more than he can say for his band. If he didn't know that Kevin's parents aren't particularly fond of him, he wouldn't be able to figure it out from the way they act toward him.
It probably helps that Frankie has the cup Mike bought him yesterday and refuses to drink out of anything else. Parents love that kind of kid stuff.
There are also enough people here that there's a lot of conversation that doesn't rely on interrogating him.
The weird part is when their food comes, and everyone waits, which Mike knows polite people do, and then everyone bows their heads while Kevin's dad says a prayer. Mike's family might say grace at Christmas and Easter, and sometimes on Thanksgiving, but it's never been a thing with them, so this is totally unfamiliar territory.
Mike sneaks a look at Kevin while he's probably supposed to have his eyes closed to better commune with Jesus or whatever it is they do. Kevin has his eyes closed and his hands folded in front of him, and he looks like this is the kind of thing he does every day, which, Mike supposes, he does.
It's weird, and Mike feels more out of depth with this than with anything else about Kevin. He wants nothing more than to call up Bill and ask if this is what Christine's family is like and what he does about it.
He manages to have his head bowed when Kevin's dad comes to the end of the prayer, so at least he looks like he fits in, and then conversation picks up right where it left off, with the addition of a lot of "pass the syrup" and chewing.
Kevin's looking away, talking to Nick and Joe about what they're going to wear to soundcheck - and who plans that, anyway? - when Mike transfers a couple of bites of pancake with strawberry and whipped cream on them onto his plate.
Kevin doesn't seem to notice until he's already eating it, and then he turns that amazing, happy smile on Mike.
Of course, that gets Nick's attention, and he looks pointedly at Kevin's plate and then at Mike, but apparently Nick is on their side, because he doesn't do anything to bring more attention to it.
Kevin misses the whole exchange because Joe is saying something to him about penguins. At least Mike thinks it's about penguins. He's hungry enough that he just wants to eat, and the members of Kevin's band on his other side are talking about Jesus like he's some guy they know. This whole brunch is one of the weirder experiences of his life, and he's been on tour with Cobra Starship, so that's saying something.
*
Brunch goes well. Kevin's family and the band are all nice to Mike, and Mike. Well, Kevin's just happy to have Mike there, and the way Mike slips him strawberries and whipped cream right under Nick's nose is awesome.
"We have press to do all day," Kevin says to Mike when everyone's taking last sips of their coffee and gathering up their things to leave. "It's not very interesting, but you can come with us if you want." He bites his lip. "Unless you want to just hang out or have something else to do."
Mike touches his hand, briefly. "I want to spend time with you," he says softly enough that probably no one else will hear him.
Kevin knows he's turning bright red, which will totally give away what kind of conversation they're having. He glances around quickly, but people are looking in their direction, so he can't hold Mike's hand. He settles for bumping his shoulder against Mike's.
So that's how Mike gets herded along with the rest of them into cars and off to radio stations and interview suites.
It's awesome to be able to look over, or come out of a radio booth, and see Mike listening to and watching him.
It's one of the last interviewers who does a double-take when she sees Mike. She's just professional enough that she settles in to ask them the same questions everyone asks them. It's only at the end that she turns off her tape recorder, caps her pen, and turns to Mike.
"So what's a member of The Academy Is... doing with the Jonas Brothers?" she asks, and Kevin watches Mike stay absolutely still. "You don't seem like likely collaborators."
Mike's eyes flicker to Kevin before he shrugs one shoulder and says, "Bill wrote a song with Demi Lovato."
Kevin doesn't think letting her think they're working together is really the best strategy. He's still trying to figure out what to say when Nick steps in. Kevin had almost forgotten he was there, but of course Nick knows what to do.
"Mike's just a friend," he says to the reporter in that way he has that means you'd better accept his answer or else. "He was in the area and decided to hang out with us for a while."
The reporter looks between them like she doesn't believe Nick's story.
"You're based in Chicago," she says to Mike. "What brought you to Cleveland?"
Mike does the same one-shouldered shrug again and says, "Hadn't been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a while."
Dad steps in then and says, "I'm sorry to have to do this, but we have other interviews scheduled."
The interviewer glances back at them as she leaves, and Kevin really hopes that doesn't show up in her article.
*
"Two more interviews," Kevin's dad says, "and then soundcheck." He doesn't sound particularly happy with them, and Mike really wants to go to Kevin and tell him it'll be okay, but of course the next interviewer is already coming in and he can't.
He does hang back more for the last two, trying to blend in with the rest of Kevin's entourage, even though he doesn't look anything like them. At least neither of those interviewers notice him.
And then the interviews are done and they're all being hustled off to cars again.
Mike ends up squished between Kevin and Joe in the back seat of a car, and he doesn't at all mind the way Kevin's pressed all along his side.
Nick turns around in the front seat to stare at Mike. "You know," he says, "just because you don't care about your relationship with the press doesn't mean we don't care about ours."
Kevin goes suddenly tense next to him, and Mike puts his hand on Kevin's thigh, trying to tell him it's okay. Mike has fought with Bill over music and band matters for years; he can handle Nick Jonas yelling at him.
"Nick," Joe says, but Nick ignores him.
"You didn't have to answer her, but you could have at least resisted the urge to be a smart alec."
He's very earnest. Mike can't help but think that Bill would have laughed about it, probably will laugh when Mike tells him about it.
"I didn't want her asking me questions any more than you did," Mike says, keeping in mind that Nick is very much not Bill and he can't yell back.
"People are going to ask," Kevin says.
Mike looks at him, but Kevin's looking at Nick, not him. It takes Nick's attention away from him too.
Nick's lips are pressed tightly together. He parts them to say, "I was hoping they wouldn't ask for a while longer."
*
It's Joe who says, "That's obviously not going to work."
Kevin reaches for Mike's hand and grips it too tightly. He doesn't want to have this conversation with both his brothers and Mike - he's not sure he wants to have it at all - but maybe it's better if they do it now, with just them, and present it as a complete plan later.
Kevin takes a deep breath and says, "You don't want anyone to know we're dating."
Nick stops looking angry and looks guilty instead, which isn't a look Kevin sees on his face very often.
Mike tugs on Kevin's hand and asks, "What do you want?"
The first thing he thinks is that he wants Mike, which, given their conversation last night, makes him fight down a blush. He wants his family to like Mike. He wants to play music.
"That reporter's not going to be the only person to notice," Joe says. "We can just not deny."
Kevin doesn't want to tell lies about his life.
"My band isn't going to care," Mike says. He leans more against Kevin's shoulder. It's very comforting.
"I don't want to lie," Kevin says, because he's pretty sure about that one. As much as other people think they have a say in things, Nick really runs the show, so Kevin asks him, "What if we just don't deny it?"
"We can do that," Nick says slowly. "It'll mean a lot of talk and speculation that will only take away from our music."
"You could just tell people," Joe says, "or make the PR people do it. That would at least get it all over with."
Nick doesn't look very happy about that either. "Things are going to be tough either way." Then he asks Mike, "Are you going to bail if the press and our fans are hounding you all the time?"
"No." Mike sounds sure, and he squeezes Kevin's hand. "And you're not going to scare me away either, if you were going to try that."
"I wasn't!" Nick protests.
Joe snickers, but Joe is like that. Joe is also sometimes helpful, because he says, "We could do both. Tell PR to work on a statement, and use that when people start asking questions."
Kevin likes the way that means he doesn't have to lie and doesn't have to do anything about it yet. Things seem a lot more serious now that they've talked about sex, but Kevin still doesn't know if this is going to work out.
"Is that okay with you?" he asks Mike.
"Yeah." Mike squeezes his hand again. "Whatever works for you."
*
Mike didn't really pay attention during soundcheck. It's not like he wasn't trying, but Kevin was dressed like a penguin and Joe was wearing a polar bear costume, and they were both teasing Nick about not putting on the seal costume, and none of that was particularly conducive to actually watching them play.
So standing side stage and watching their show is basically the first time he's really seen them perform. Their crowd is a little high-pitched for his taste, and the music isn't quite his thing, but they put on a good show. The crowd loves it anyway, and they know how to use the stage.
Mike thinks about all of this because if he just looks at Kevin, he's going to have to stop watching in favor of finding somewhere he can be alone.
Kevin has a stage presence Mike had no clue about. They all do, really, when he can manage to tear his eyes away from Kevin and look at them, but it's Kevin's that has his heart racing and his breath coming faster.
Kevin leans back as he plays sometimes, and it just pushes his hips out and has his whole body arching up in a way that puts pictures in Mike's mind of Kevin arching up off a bed like that.
Even from the side of the stage Mike can see the way the lights gleam off of the sweat that runs down his neck.
All in all, it's pretty much the hottest thing Mike has ever seen.
Kevin is less like the sex god of Mike's dreams between songs, and more like the same cheerfully friendly guy Mike first met in the pizza parlor.
And then their set is done, and Kevin comes off stage grinning and sweaty and headed straight for Mike.
"What did you think?" he asks.
Mike makes an abortive movement toward Kevin before he remembers there are people around who don't know, and he can't. "Come with me," he says instead.
"We have an encore," Kevin protests.
"Just for a minute," Mike says. He turns away to keep from jumping Kevin right there, damn their audience, and there's an only minimally hidden corner that Kevin follows him to. Mike lets him go first, and Kevin leans against the wall, his eyes still sparkling with the high that comes from being on stage.
Mike has to kiss him, can't not when he looks like that. He doesn't care that Kevin's sweaty and messy, likes it even, and he presses himself against Kevin and pushes his hands into Kevin's hair as they kiss.
Kevin makes a noise that's swallowed up in the intensity of their kiss, and then Mike makes himself pull away. Kevin looks even more like sex with his lips just a little more red and his hair just a little more messy.
"Kevin," Nick calls, impatient.
Kevin stares at Mike, and Mike steps back to let him out of the corner. "Go," he says. "I'll wait." Oh, fuck, he means more than the encore. He means everything. He's not sure that makes it across to Kevin, because he just brushes his lips across Mike's cheek on his way back to the stage.
There's a disapproving twist on Kevin's dad's face, and his mom isn't too busy paying attention to Frankie to frown a little.
Mike makes his way back to his spot at the side of the stage, and Kevin turns when he gets back out there to smile back at him.
Mike smiles back and thinks about Bill saying, "If you love him, it's worth it if you can tough it out." Disapproving parents and media scrutiny are nothing. Mike can totally tough this out.
Master Post - Soundtrack
"No, hey." Kevin pushes past Big Rob. "I'll get it." He peers through the peephole to be sure, and then opens the door grinning.
Mike grins back at him, and steps inside before he catches Kevin up in a hug. He's also kind of looking past Kevin at Big Rob and Frankie, so Kevin takes the initiative and presses his lips to Mike's in a quick kiss. He'd do more, but Big Rob and Frankie are watching them with interest, so he just slides his hand down Mike's arm until he can hold Mike's hand.
"You've met Big Rob, and I think you kind of met Frankie. This is Mike."
Frankie rolls his eyes. "Like you don't talk about him all the time."
Kevin's not sure what made him think Frankie would be any less trouble than Nick and Joe.
"Can we go now?"
"In a minute," Kevin says. He turns to Mike and lowers his voice. "I know bringing Frankie was mostly a joke, but then he wanted to come, and Mom and Dad said we had to take Big Rob too." He squeezes Mike's hand. "I'm sorry it can't be just us."
Mike squeezes back. "It's okay." He pulls something out of one of his pockets. "I brought you something."
It's a CD. Kevin takes it and turns it so he can read what Mike's written on it in thick Sharpie: Shit for Kevin.
Kevin grins. "Thanks. I can't wait to listen to it." He lets go of Mike's hand to go put the CD with his laptop.
"Can we go now?" Frankie asks.
"Hey, Frankie," Mike says, "why don't you go hit the button for the elevator, and we'll be there in a minute."
Frankie points at him. "I know you're just trying to get rid of me."
"Frankie," Kevin says, exasperated, "don't be rude."
"Come on, Frank." Big Rob jerks his head toward the door. "Let's go." He pins Kevin with a stare that doesn't intimidate him anymore; he knows what a softy Big Rob really is. "One minute."
Kevin nods.
The moment the door closes behind Rob and Frankie, Mike pulls Kevin in and kisses him, a real kiss this time, the kind that leaves Kevin breathless and clinging to the back of Mike's jacket.
Mike looks a little flustered, too. "We should probably-" He gestures at the door but doesn't let go.
"Yeah," Kevin says, still dazed. He shakes it off. "Or Frankie'll come back, and he has a key."
Now Mike does let go, but he takes Kevin's hand again, which makes it kind of okay, and opens the door for Kevin.
"Finally," Frankie says when they get to the elevators. "We had to let the elevator pass us by three times already."
Kevin ruffles Frankie's hair. "The musuem will still be there in ten minutes." When he looks over, Mike's smiling at both of them.
*
Traveling with Kevin's entourage, even the mini version, is weird. They go out through the parking garage in an SUV with tinted windows. Even Frankie has shades to wear for the drive, although Mike can't see what good they'll actually do any of them.
Mike is perfectly happy to have Frankie along, though, because Frankie sits up front with Big Rob and leaves Mike and Kevin alone in the back seat. Kevin's totally unconsciously resting his hand on the seat between them while he tells Frankie something about Cleveland, so Mike takes it in his. Kevin flashes him a quick smile and squeezes his hand.
Mike's been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before, with his band, but it's totally different this time. Frankie's just a kid, so even though he's been traveling all over the world with his brothers, he still has this wide-eyed wonder about him. Kevin, for all that he's an adult, matches that with his own total enthusiasm for everything they see.
Frankie keeps dragging Kevin from exhibit to exhibit, but they're both having fun and Mike's seen it before, so none of them care that they're not seeing anything in depth. Well, Big Rob might care, but Big Rob is really big and kind of intimidating, so Mike's not about to ask him.
Kevin and Frankie don't seem to find Big Rob intimidating at all, and Frankie even goes so far as to get Big Rob to pick him up when he wants to see something better.
"Frankie," Kevin says when he does it again at the Queen exhibit, "don't lean so-"
He's too late, because some kind of alarm goes off. Frankie jerks back and turns in Big Rob's arms to clutch at his shoulders. Kevin just looks chagrined.
"Sorry," Big Rob says to the passing security guard who comes over to see what's going on. "We've got it under control."
It's like there's some kind of psychic bond between security guys, because the guard takes Big Rob's word for it and wanders away.
"I didn't mean to," Frankie says in a small voice.
"I know you didn't," Kevin says.
Mike's trying not to laugh, because the littlest Jonas nearly getting them in trouble with security is pretty much the funniest thing ever, and it's going to make a good story to tell his band, but he doesn't think Frankie will appreciate it.
"We could take a break for lunch," he suggests.
Frankie peers out from his place against Big Rob. "Can we eat at the place here?"
Mike glances at Kevin, who nods.
"Sure," Mike says. "Do you know where it is?"
"No."
Mike tugs the museum map out of his back pocket. "Let's see if we can figure it out."
Frankie makes Big Rob put him down, and Mike crouches down to his level so they can look at the map together. Once Frankie figures out where they are and where they're going, he takes the map and he and Big Rob lead the way.
Kevin brushes his fingers against Mike's wrist as they follow. "Thanks," he says. "That was a good distraction."
Mike bumps his shoulder against Kevin's. "Food always works on my band."
*
Kevin wasn't really sure about bringing Frankie and Big Rob along on what was essentially a date, but it works out much better than he expected. The presence of Frankie and Big Rob keep him from dragging Mike off to a bathroom stall to make out (although not from thinking about it), and while Mike still seems wary of Big Rob, he does really well with Frankie.
Kevin's keeping an eye on the time and on Frankie because he knows how late Frankie was awake last night, and he expects a meltdown around three. At two-thirty, he starts subtly herding them toward the exit.
"You got somewhere else to be?" Mike asks it so quietly that Frankie and Big Rob probably don't hear him.
"We were up late. Frankie's not going to last the whole afternoon," Kevin murmurs back.
Maybe he should have said something earlier, because Mike helps steer them through exhibits that will take them out of the museum.
Frankie, without even seeming to realize he's being directed, asks, "Can we go to the gift shop?"
"Yes," Kevin says. "But you can't buy everything in there. We don't have that much space."
Frankie seems inclined to ignore him, but Mike puts a hand on his shoulder. "I'll make you a deal," he says. "You don't give your brother a hard time, and I'll buy you one thing."
Frankie looks from Mike to Kevin and must decide it's worth it. "Deal!" He rushes ahead of them into the gift shop.
Mike bumps his shoulder against Kevin's. "If you're good, I might buy you one thing too." He's smiling at Kevin, like they're the adults in on this together, and he tangles their fingers together for a brief moment. Kevin wishes they could've held hands all day, but he gets that there are things they can't do in public.
Frankie spends a good forty-five minutes scrutinizing everything the gift shop has to offer. It's longer than Kevin thought he would last, and since Big Rob trails Frankie around, it leaves Kevin free to hang out with Mike.
Mike keeps trying to find something for Kevin, and when he holds a tie up against Kevin's shirt, Kevin says for what seems like the millionth time, "Really, you don't have to buy me anything from the gift shop."
"I know I don't have to." Mike's hand skims along Kevin's waist under the guise of leaning in to put the tie back. "I want to."
Kevin can feel himself blushing and fights the urge to lean into Mike's touch and kiss him.
"I want this." Frankie's interruption breaks the moment. He holds something up to them, and Kevin has to blink away the daze brought on by Mike being so close to see what it is. Frankie has actually not gone overboard; Kevin was worried by some of the things in the gift shop. What he's ended up with is a cup with 50s rock and roll designs on it and a crazy twisty plastic straw that matches the color of the lid.
Mike takes it from him and turns it in his hands. "Good choice," he proclaims. He grins. "Show me where you got it." He turns to Kevin. "I'm totally getting one for Bill. He'll either love it or pretend to be mad and end up giving it to Genevieve."
They follow Frankie on a winding path through the store to the cups. Frankie chose the one with the red lid and straw; Mike chooses the blue.
"Who's Genevieve?" Frankie asks as they make their way to the cash register.
Mike stops and pulls something off a rack - Kevin doesn't see what - before he answers. "She's Bill's daughter." Mike pays for the cups and whatever else he bought, and they start to leave.
Mike stops him outside the gift shop, bag still hooked over his wrist, and carefully pins something to Kevin's shirt.
When he looks down, he finds it's a red guitar pin with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame logo on it, and Mike's pinned it directly over his heart.
"I told you I was going to get you something."
Kevin squeezes Mike's hand tight, not even caring who might be watching, and says, "Thank you."
*
"Come watch a movie with us," Kevin says when they get back to the hotel.
Frankie turns a look on them. "You're not going to be all gross, are you?"
Kevin's pretty cute when he's embarrassed. "No," he answers for them. "Coming?" he asks Mike.
Mike avoids the obvious joke and says, "Sure. What are we watching?"
Frankie leans against Kevin in the elevator, and Mike watches the easily affectionate way Kevin puts his arm around Frankie's shoulders.
"Something PG," Frankie says.
"Nice try." Kevin sounds serious, but Frankie's not looking at him and Mike is, and Mike can see him smiling. "Just because Mike is here doesn't mean we get to break all the rules."
Watching Kevin with Frankie, Mike has the sudden and uncomfortable thought that maybe Bill's method of having kids to make the in-laws like him isn't such a bad idea.
When they get to Frankie and Kevin's floor, Frankie runs ahead to their door while Big Rob walks with Kevin and Mike. "Call me if you're going anywhere," Big Rob says before he lets them go into the room.
Kevin nods and high-fives him, which seems like a strange thing to do with Big Rob, but Kevin has a different relationship with him than Mike does. Big Rob isn't exactly glaring at him, but he's clearly less trusting of Mike than he is of Kevin.
In the room, Frankie drops the bag with his cup in it on the bed farthest from the TV and clambers up onto the other one.
"Shoes," Kevin says mildly, and Frankie kicks them off, then, when Kevin looks at him, lines them up neatly next to the closet. Mike's torn between laughing and being impressed.
Mike wasn't really thinking logistics when he agreed to hang out with them, but now that he's there, he's not sure where he's supposed to sit. Kevin solves the problem for him by sitting down on the same bed Frankie's spread out over. He leans against the headboard and pats the space next to him.
Mike takes his boots off and lines them up next to Kevin and Frankie's shoes before he joins them. He sits with Kevin, shoulders, hips, and outstretched legs pressed together, while Frankie stays spread out on the other end of the bed.
Kevin lets Frankie pick the movie, and he ends up on something on the Disney Channel, which Mike only knows because of the logo in the corner of the screen.
"Can't escape, huh?" Mike keeps his voice low so he doesn't disturb Frankie.
Kevin looks sheepish. "It's wholesome for kids."
"Sure thing," Mike teases.
Frankie turns his head. "Shhh!" he hisses at them, complete with finger pressed against his lips.
Mike presses his lips tightly together so he doesn't laugh. When he turns his head, he can see Kevin doing the same thing. It only makes him want to laugh even more. Kevin isn't much better off, his eyes sparkling with it, and he buries his head in Mike's shoulder, and Mike can feel his silent laughter shaking them both.
Mike feels a lot less like laughing with Kevin pressed against him like this. He keeps an eye on Frankie, who seems completely absorbed by the movie, and puts his arms around Kevin.
Kevin stops laughing and lifts his head. He's still smiling, softer now, and Mike's pretty much given up on fighting or denying the way Kevin looking at him makes him want to give him everything.
He settles for a kiss, soft and quiet so they don't disturb Frankie. Kevin kisses back, keeping it light, and then he pulls away with a smile that looks as contented as Mike feels. He turns in Mike's arms so he's a warm weight against Mike's chest. If it weren't for Frankie, Mike would be tempted to slip his hands under Kevin's shirt to rest directly on his skin, but he keeps them on the outside, lightly curved over Kevin's stomach.
Mike tries watching the movie, but he finds his attention mostly on Kevin, the rhythm of his breathing, the weight of his body, the way he fits in Mike's arms.
Mike is never, ever going to say any of that to his band.
*
Ten-year-old chaperone or no, this is the best date Kevin's ever been on. Mike helped keep Frankie from melting down, they got to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and now he has Mike's arms around him to distract him from the fact that he's already seen Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie half a dozen times.
At least he doesn't have to watch it long; it takes less than half an hour before Frankie's body relaxes into the particular boneless sprawl of sleep.
Kevin leans forward out of Mike's arms and carefully eases the remote out of Frankie's hand so he can turn off the TV. Then he climbs off the bed and tugs at Mike's hand.
"He's a pretty sound sleeper," he says softly as he pulls Mike over to the other bed.
"Yeah?" Mike sits back down the way he was before, back against the headboard and legs outstretched. "How long will he be out?"
Kevin shrugs. "Half an hour, at least. Maybe more." He stands next to the bed and looks at Mike. He's not exactly sure what he's supposed to do now, other than get close to Mike. The prospect of it is enough to make his skin feel too tight.
"C'mere." Mike tugs at his hand and pulls him down onto the bed, and farther so he's straddling Mike and their faces are almost at the same level. "C'mere," Mike says again, and he slides his arms around Kevin's waist, tugs him closer.
Kevin takes the hint. He means for it to be just a kiss, like earlier when they were kissing hello, but it quickly turns out to be like the other kiss where Kevin ended up breathless and clinging.
Mike's clinging just as much, though, so Kevin doesn't feel silly about it.
Kevin has to pull away to breathe, and somehow when they were kissing Mike slid them down so he's lying totally on the bed with Kevin lying on top of him. Kevin can feel the heat flushing his cheeks when he realizes what they must look like.
"Don't stop," Mike murmurs, and he puts his hand into Kevin's hair, cupping the back of his head, and his eyes are half-closed and sleepy.
Kevin doesn't want to stop, so much so that his skin feels hot all over. He kisses Mike again, and he means for it to be gentle, but it's not, and he's embarrassed all over agian when he hears the needy little noises that are spilling out of his own mouth.
"Kevin," Mike protests when Kevin pulls himself away.
Kevin rests his forehead against Mike's. "This is moving kind of fast."
Mike laughs, a little too loud, and they both freeze and then look over to make sure Frankie's still asleep.
"Kevin," Mike murmurs, "this is the slowest relationship I've ever been in."
Kevin can't even take that in because he's totally stuck on the part where Mike said they're in a relationship. Sure, he told Joe and Nick that they're dating, but him saying it to his brothers is something totally different from talking about it with Mike.
Kevin brushes his fingers through the long strands of Mike's hair, letting them fall against his skin. "This is the most important relationship I've ever been in," he says, and then quietly freaks out because he maybe didn't mean to tell Mike that much.
Mike just looks at him for what feels like a really long time, and then he pulls Kevin down without even trying to kiss him again. It's nice, to just lie there with Mike's arms around him and no expectations. "I think," Mike says, slowly like he doesn't want to give away too much either, "that I've never liked anyone I've been with as much as I like you."
Kevin smiles against Mike's neck, helplessly happy. He presses his lips against Mike's skin in a quick kiss, and then rests his head on Mike's shoulder.
Mike's chest moves with his breath in an even, steady rhythm. Kevin wonders if it's something he could work into a song. Maybe not a Jonas Brothers pop song, but maybe something more adult, which Nick wants to do anyway.
Kevin loses himself in the rhythm, in how comfortable and right it feels to be pressed against Mike's warmth.
"Hey," Mike says, breaking the silence, "are you falling asleep on me?"
Kevin opens his eyes. He doesn't remember closing them. "No."
Mike laughs softly, changing the rhythm of his breath beneath Kevin's cheek. "You were up late last night too, weren't you?" His hands stroke soothingly up and down Kevin's back.
Kevin arches into the touch. "Yeah, but I'm awake." He ruins it by yawning.
"Sure you are," Mike says. He ducks his head a little to kiss Kevin's temple. "I can go if you want to take a nap."
Kevin clutches at Mike. "No. You're not here for very long." He struggles to push himself up enough to look at Mike. "I don't want to sleep through it."
Mike smiles and kisses him. "Maybe you should take a nap now so you're awake for dinner."
Kevin yawns again. "Do we have plans for dinner?"
"Yep." Mike's fingers are gentle against Kevin's cheek. Then he rolls them over in one swift motion. "You get some sleep." He kisses Kevin's cheek where he was just touching. "I'll come get you at six-thirty." He gets off the bed despite Kevin holding onto him and leans back down for one more kiss. "Wear something nice."
*
Mike hasn't been this nervous about a date since his high school prom, if then. Sure, things are going well, but this is a real date, nice clothes and expensive restaurant, and both of them knowing they're dating. Mike hates it when he has to admit his band was right.
He hates it a little less when Kevin opens the door to his knock and his eyes widen as he very obviously checks Mike out and likes what he sees.
"I'm leaving," Kevin calls back towards the rest of the room, and at least two of his brothers say something that Mike doesn't have time to hear because Kevin is pulling the door shut behind him and stepping right up against Mike. "Hi," he breathes.
"Hi." Mike barely has to lean because Kevin is meeting his kiss almost before he moves.
Kevin pulls away first. "You look amazing." He rakes his eyes up and down Mike's body again.
Mike doesn't get dressed up very often and never quite feels comfortable in slacks and a button-down, but the way Kevin's looking at him is going a long way toward making him like it more. He presses his thumb to Kevin's lip, just to touch him.
"You always look good."
There's a muffled laugh, and Mike jerks his hand away while Kevin rolls his eyes.
"Stop eavesdropping," Kevin calls toward the door. He takes Mike's hand. "I hope we're going somewhere other than the hallway." They start toward the elevators. "I really don't need my brothers watching this whole date."
Mike, based on his experiences with his band and what he knows of Kevin's brothers, wholeheartedly agrees. "No chaperone?"
"I am to leave my phone on at all times," Kevin says, in a tone that says he's repeating what he's been told, "and call Big Rob if I need rescuing." He smiles at Mike, looking at him sideways in a way that makes Mike's heart skip a beat. "I won't need rescuing."
"No. We're going somewhere very safe." Mike squeezes Kevin's hand.
Kevin squeezes back. "I trust you."
It's a lot. Kevin is about a million times more famous than him, and in a segment of the industry not known for its gay overtones. Kevin has a lot more to lose.
They stop holding hands when the elevator reaches the lobby. They go out a side door and walk around the corner before they catch a cab. They don't hold hands in the cab either.
Mike chose the restaurant early enough to get reservations, which was a good idea because two groups of people get turned away before he and Kevin even get from the door to the podium.
The maitre d' says, "Right this way, Mr. Carden," after Mike gives his name, and he can hear Kevin giggle behind him. He turns his head to look at Kevin and almost starts laughing himself.
They hold it together until the maitre d' seats them and starts to walk away, and then they both burst into laughter. They're in a curved booth with high sides, and they're both close to the center of it, so their laughter is contained, and the matire d' doesn't even glance back at them.
"I don't think anyone's called me Mr. Carden since teachers in high school when I was late to class."
"I never get called Mr. Jonas," Kevin says through his giggles. "There are always at least three of us around."
Mike shudders, mostly for show. "I love my brother and my dad, but I don't think I could take being around them that much."
"Yeah, but you're around your band all the time."
Mike doesn't know exactly what the look on his face is, but it makes Kevin laugh.
"Sometimes," Mike grumbles, "I don't want to be around them that much either."
Kevin stops laughing. "Is this," he waves a hand between them, "causing problems with your band?"
Mike shakes his head and thinks back to Bill saying "It's going to be tougher on him than on you." "No. They've actually been pretty good about it. Kind of dicks about it, but not any more than they would be about anyone else's relationship."
That's the second time today he's called it a relationship. He should be freaked out about it, or something. He's not exactly a relationship kind of guy. But he's not freaked out at all, and he figures that's probably because he's had time to get used to it; his band has been talking about him dating Kevin since the first time they got dinner. Or maybe it's just that he actually likes the idea of being in a relationship with Kevin.
"That's good," Kevin says. He fidgets with the menu. "Nick and Joe are cool with it. And Frankie, I guess."
Mike hears what he's not saying, that his parents still aren't.
*
Kevin is a terrible date. He didn't mean to bring it up, but there it is, and he's pretty sure Mike knows it too.
"So what is it?" Mike asks. "They not down with homosexuality or what?"
Kevin shrugs. That's probably part of it, the part they aren't going to talk about because if there's anything his parents believe in it's loving their children no matter what. "You're older. You drink and smoke and swear." Kevin shrugs again, and looks sideways at Mike. "You have sex."
Maybe he shouldn't have said that.
Mike puts his menu down on the table and tugs Kevin's out of his hands. Kevin doesn't want to let it go, but Mike is pretty insistent.
"Not since I met you," he says, and Kevin thinks that's actually the hint of a blush across his cheeks. "I, um. People have hit on me. People who were my type."
Kevin feels a surprisingly sharp stab of jealousy.
"But I didn't." Mike makes a hand gesture that Kevin figures is supposed to stand in for "have sex with them." Mike shrugs a little, and that's definitely a blush staining his cheeks. "I, um, have you, so."
Kevin fidgets, twisting his ring on his finger. He knows Mike knows it's there, but they haven't talked about it. He hasn't told Mike what it means to him or what it means to his parents or anything. He thinks it's a pretty big thing not to have talked about, but they're rarely ever in the same place anyway, and he wasn't even totally sure they were dating.
He wishes suddenly for a waiter to interrupt them, but the staff is well trained enough to leave them alone.
"I haven't wanted to have sex with anyone as much I want to with you." Kevin looks at the table as he says it. "This means something, though." He holds up his hand so the ring is between them.
"Okay," Mike says slowly. "I knew that."
"You can't," Kevin says. His stomach is churning and his face feels hot. This is the most uncomfortable he's ever been with Mike, and for as awkward as he's felt about all of this, that's saying something. "I don't even know what it means anymore." He didn't mean to say that. It's something he's only barely admitted to himself.
Mike looks about as lost as Kevin feels. "Um."
Kevin pastes on a smile that feels completely fake. "Forget it. Let's just eat." He reaches for his menu, but Mike puts his hand over it and doesn't let him take it.
"Kevin," he says, and he looks like he doesn't know what else to say.
Kevin sighs and looks down at his hands instead of at Mike. "It was something our parents wanted us to do, and now it's become this whole thing and I don't know if I believe in waiting for marriage. Not that I could marry you anyway, except maybe in Iowa, and I don't even know if we're that serious or anything; I mean we've only known each other for a couple of months." It all comes out in a rush, all the things he's been trying not to think about.
Mike's hand creeps into his field of vision, and Kevin watches as it wraps around one of his. "Not yet," he says, "but maybe someday." His thumb rubs across the back of Kevin's hand. "Christine's family is really religious. They hated her dating Bill. I talked to Bill about it." Mike started out sounding totally calm and together, but now that edge of nervousness is back. "And it worked out for them in the end."
Kevin wonders exactly what talking to Bill means, but he's not sure he can ask. "What if it doesn't?"
"Fuck," Mike exhales. "Then it doesn't."
Kevin's head jerks up, and he looks at Mike.
"That doesn't mean-" Mike runs the hand not holding Kevin's through his hair. "That doesn't mean it's not worth it." He tugs Kevin a little closer. "I think it's worth it."
"Even," Kevin says, holding up his hand with the ring, "with this?"
"Even with that." Mike shrugs and ducks his head a little. "If you weren't wearing it, we'd be in my room instead of here."
Kevin can feel the blush that spreads across his cheeks.
*
Oh, fuck, sex. Mike has been really, really good about that because of Kevin's ring, even though he wants to suck Kevin off, fuck him, rub up against him until they both come in their pants like teenagers.
Their booth is private, but not quite private enough that he can pull Kevin in and kiss him. He settles for twisting their hands together and brushing his thumb over the inside of Kevin's wrist.
Kevin's blush only gets deeper.
"Oh," he says. "Really?
"Fuck, Kevin," Mike answers. "Fuck yes." He's sorry, now, that they didn't just stay in and have room service anyway. Frankie could have played video games or something and Mike could kiss him. "I want you." He touches the ring on Kevin's finger. "Whatever you're ready to give me."
"I really want to kiss you right now," Kevin blurts out.
There's a waiter keeping an eye on them without seeming to watch them, and a couple of tables of people who are at the right angle to see them even if they're not directly looking right now.
"Me too," Mike rasps back. He settles for squeezing Kevin's hand, which isn't nearly enough but will have to do until later.
Kevin squeezes back, and then he says, "I don't know what I'm ready for now, and I don't know when I will know or what I'll be ready for, and I might not want to have sex until I get married even if that has to be in Iowa."
Mike hasn't been in a relationship this long without sex since his sophomore year of high school. The fact that he's here is probably a sign that he's matured.
"I really want to have sex with you," he says to Kevin, and he didn't think Kevin could get any redder, but he does. "It's okay if you're not ready for it yet."
Kevin looks hugely relieved, which, seriously, Mike has been really good and he isn't a complete asshole. It's entirely possible that they will actually have to provide grandchildren before Kevin's parents like him, and while Genevieve is cute and all, Mike's not any readier to be a father than Kevin is to have sex with him.
"I really like you," Kevin says, and Mike's pretty sure no one has ever told him that and meant it the way Kevin does. "You're awesome."
"That's good," Mike says, and he bumps his shoulder against Kevin's, "because I really like you too." This is another one of those things he will never ever tell his band about. He's already dreading what they're going to have to say when he gets back from this trip.
"I didn't mean to," Kevin waves a hand around, "derail our date."
"I think dating is supposed to be about getting to know each other." Mike squeezes Kevin's hand. "We're cool."
Kevin smiles and squeezes back. "Cool."
*
The rest of their date goes better, Kevin thinks, although even that awkwardness seems to have served its purpose; he feels more settled about being with Mike. Plus, once he's talked to Mike about sex, even a little bit, it doesn't seem like there's anything else he can't talk to Mike about.
Mike orders wine, which Kevin doesn't care about, and he probably would have taken Mike up on his offer of a sip to try it if they weren't somewhere that people might have cell phone cameras. He probably won't mention that part of the evening to his parents.
They have dessert, and this time they share, which is even better than watching Mike eat his own dessert. It's more intimate. It makes Kevin feel more like they belong together.
He probably won't tell his family that either.
Mike pays for dinner. Kevin tries to tell him he doesn't have to even if they're closer to his hometown than Kevin's, but Mike just looks at him and says, "I want to."
It maybe makes Kevin's heart melt even more.
He likes it when Mike holds the door of the cab for him, too, and then when Mike puts his hand on the small of his back, for just a moment, as they go back into the hotel. He likes it even more when they get into the elevator alone and Mike holds his hand.
"Wanna come to my room and hang out?" Mike asks before Kevin can push a button, and just like that they're back into awkward territory.
Kevin would like nothing more than to go hang out with Mike in his room.
"I can't," he says, and he can feel the way his mouth is twisting into annoyance. He hates that. He'd rather be smiling. "I want to." He pushes the button for his floor before he can let Mike tempt him any more than he already has.
Mike tugs on his hand, and then Mike's arms are around him and he's pressing his face into Mike's shoulder, and that's okay. He could stay like this for a while.
The elevator gets to his floor too soon, and he pulls himself away enough to walk down the hall. They stop in front of his door, and he reaches for Mike's other hand too.
"Thank you," Kevin says. "I had a good time."
Mike's just kind of smiling at him. "Me too." He leans in to press a too brief kiss to Kevin's lips. Kevin wants more than just that.
"Frankie's probably sleeping," he says. "Come in and you can kiss me if you're quiet."
Mike nods, and waits patiently while Kevin swipes his keycard. Frankie is asleep, the room mostly dark with one lamp still on so Kevin can see his way to bed. He'll use the light for that purpose later, but now he uses it to see his way to Mike.
Mike waits for him, back against the wall and hands loose at his sides, leaving Kevin to press their mouths together. It's soft for a moment, and then Mike parts his lips and they're kissing deeply. Kevin puts his hands just above the curve of Mike's hips. The kissing makes him dizzy, and his breath sounds too loud every time they part.
If they'd gone up to Mike's room- Kevin doesn't let himself go very far down that road. They didn't, and they won't. This is what they have, this kissing that he wants to do forever, and staying quiet so they don't wake Frankie up. In a way, he likes it. It feels like he's getting away with something even though he's totally not. Even his parents can't get too upset about this. He hopes.
Mike stops kissing him, and Kevin doesn't understand why he would do that. He can feel Mike's hands shaking where they curve over Kevin's shoulders.
*
Mike trembles with the need to drag Kevin up to his room and just take him. He wants to throw Kevin down on a bed and kiss him until he forgets everything and just lets Mike do whatever he wants. He wants to slide to his knees and make Kevin come right here.
He said he wouldn't, though. He said he would let Kevin figure out what he's ready for, and Mike's not sure he can do much more of this without letting it get the better of him.
He tips his forehead against Kevin's and says, "I should probably go."
Kevin's hands tighten on his hips, which is really not helping with his control here.
"Kevin," he groans, almost too loud.
"I don't want you to." Kevin does a better job of staying quiet.
Mike has to kiss him again, and then he pushes Kevin back a step because he might not be able to leave if they don't stop touching.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Mike says, trying to bring things down to a more ordinary level.
Kevin's hands flutter like he doesn't know what to do with them now. "You're going to have brunch with us, right?" He sounds nervous.
Mike wants to reach for him, but he doesn't, even though the mention of brunch - which is supposed to include Kevin's whole family and God only knows how many members of his band and entourage - is having about the same effect as a bucket of cold water on Mike's libido.
"Yeah," he says. "What time?"
Kevin looks relieved. "Ten. Downstairs." He smiles, not quite as wide as Mike would like, and adds, "Just look for the giant table full of people."
Mike does touch him then, cupping Kevin's cheek in his hand. "It'll be okay," he says. He presses his lips to Kevin's lightly. "And next time you're in Chicago, you can meet my family." He didn't think before saying it, but he doesn't take it back. Kevin already met his band; he might as well meet his family. Of course, he's pretty sure his family is going to like Kevin more than Kevin's family likes him.
Kevin nods and presses in against Mike. Mike puts his arms around Kevin automatically, and Kevin burrows into the hug, clinging tightly to him. Mike has another one of those moments where he never wants to let go, so it's just as well that Kevin lets go first.
"Goodnight," Kevin says.
Mike presses his lips against Kevin's one more time. "See you in the morning." He pulls the door open and slips out of it before he can't stop himself from reaching for Kevin again.
*
The chair next to Kevin is empty, and he's fidgeting worse than Frankie. It's not ten yet, but his family likes to be early, especially when there's food involved. Nick's already sipping orange juice, and Frankie's asking Mom if he can get something with whipped cream.
He feels like he's staring at the entrance to the hotel restaurant, but he must not be because Mike is already halfway to them before Kevin sees him.
He's dressed casually again, in jeans and a plain black t-shirt. He still makes Kevin's heart pound. Kevin smiles at him, and he smiles back, coming around the table to take the chair next to Kevin, just like he belongs there.
He takes Kevin's hand under the table, and Kevin hangs on a little desperately. He wants his family to like Mike, and it's making him nervous.
Frankie and Nick are still occupying Mom and Dad, so Kevin introduces Mike to the rest of the band. They're all very polite, so they shake Mike's hand, and Garbo even talks to him about music, and Kevin relaxes. A little bit, anyway, and then everyone's there and he can hide behind his menu while they all take time deciding what to eat. Not that there's that much to decide; everyone being together means Kevin's stuck with the slightly healthier things, even if Mom's finally giving in and saying Frankie can have whipped cream on his hot chocolate.
Mike orders his pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream and murmurs, "I'll share" into Kevin's ear. Kevin tries to stifle his grin but doesn't have much luck.
After the waitress takes their menus away, Mom says, "It's been a while since we last saw you, Mike. How have you been?"
Kevin tenses because this is where it could all go horribly wrong.
"Good," Mike says. He stopped holding Kevin's hand when they were looking at their menus, but now he puts it on Kevin's thigh. "We went on tour, and we're working on music. Bill has this plan for an EP instead of a full-length."
Nick narrows his eyes at Mike. "Why an EP?"
Mike shrugs. "Less pressure, and it lets us get some music out faster. We're doing a limited CD release, mostly selling it on iTunes."
"Have you done anything like this before?" Nick asks. Kevin's used to his intense focus on business, but it can be kind of scary if you don't know him. He hopes this isn't too much for Mike.
"Nope. Trying something new." Mike's hand on Kevin's thigh is still totally relaxed.
"We can't wait to hear it," Joe says.
Mike turns to Kevin. "I'll have to send you a copy when we're done with it." He looks at Joe again. "You can share."
*
Kevin's family and band is a lot of people, but they're not particularly intimidating. They're all very polite, at least, which is more than he can say for his band. If he didn't know that Kevin's parents aren't particularly fond of him, he wouldn't be able to figure it out from the way they act toward him.
It probably helps that Frankie has the cup Mike bought him yesterday and refuses to drink out of anything else. Parents love that kind of kid stuff.
There are also enough people here that there's a lot of conversation that doesn't rely on interrogating him.
The weird part is when their food comes, and everyone waits, which Mike knows polite people do, and then everyone bows their heads while Kevin's dad says a prayer. Mike's family might say grace at Christmas and Easter, and sometimes on Thanksgiving, but it's never been a thing with them, so this is totally unfamiliar territory.
Mike sneaks a look at Kevin while he's probably supposed to have his eyes closed to better commune with Jesus or whatever it is they do. Kevin has his eyes closed and his hands folded in front of him, and he looks like this is the kind of thing he does every day, which, Mike supposes, he does.
It's weird, and Mike feels more out of depth with this than with anything else about Kevin. He wants nothing more than to call up Bill and ask if this is what Christine's family is like and what he does about it.
He manages to have his head bowed when Kevin's dad comes to the end of the prayer, so at least he looks like he fits in, and then conversation picks up right where it left off, with the addition of a lot of "pass the syrup" and chewing.
Kevin's looking away, talking to Nick and Joe about what they're going to wear to soundcheck - and who plans that, anyway? - when Mike transfers a couple of bites of pancake with strawberry and whipped cream on them onto his plate.
Kevin doesn't seem to notice until he's already eating it, and then he turns that amazing, happy smile on Mike.
Of course, that gets Nick's attention, and he looks pointedly at Kevin's plate and then at Mike, but apparently Nick is on their side, because he doesn't do anything to bring more attention to it.
Kevin misses the whole exchange because Joe is saying something to him about penguins. At least Mike thinks it's about penguins. He's hungry enough that he just wants to eat, and the members of Kevin's band on his other side are talking about Jesus like he's some guy they know. This whole brunch is one of the weirder experiences of his life, and he's been on tour with Cobra Starship, so that's saying something.
*
Brunch goes well. Kevin's family and the band are all nice to Mike, and Mike. Well, Kevin's just happy to have Mike there, and the way Mike slips him strawberries and whipped cream right under Nick's nose is awesome.
"We have press to do all day," Kevin says to Mike when everyone's taking last sips of their coffee and gathering up their things to leave. "It's not very interesting, but you can come with us if you want." He bites his lip. "Unless you want to just hang out or have something else to do."
Mike touches his hand, briefly. "I want to spend time with you," he says softly enough that probably no one else will hear him.
Kevin knows he's turning bright red, which will totally give away what kind of conversation they're having. He glances around quickly, but people are looking in their direction, so he can't hold Mike's hand. He settles for bumping his shoulder against Mike's.
So that's how Mike gets herded along with the rest of them into cars and off to radio stations and interview suites.
It's awesome to be able to look over, or come out of a radio booth, and see Mike listening to and watching him.
It's one of the last interviewers who does a double-take when she sees Mike. She's just professional enough that she settles in to ask them the same questions everyone asks them. It's only at the end that she turns off her tape recorder, caps her pen, and turns to Mike.
"So what's a member of The Academy Is... doing with the Jonas Brothers?" she asks, and Kevin watches Mike stay absolutely still. "You don't seem like likely collaborators."
Mike's eyes flicker to Kevin before he shrugs one shoulder and says, "Bill wrote a song with Demi Lovato."
Kevin doesn't think letting her think they're working together is really the best strategy. He's still trying to figure out what to say when Nick steps in. Kevin had almost forgotten he was there, but of course Nick knows what to do.
"Mike's just a friend," he says to the reporter in that way he has that means you'd better accept his answer or else. "He was in the area and decided to hang out with us for a while."
The reporter looks between them like she doesn't believe Nick's story.
"You're based in Chicago," she says to Mike. "What brought you to Cleveland?"
Mike does the same one-shouldered shrug again and says, "Hadn't been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a while."
Dad steps in then and says, "I'm sorry to have to do this, but we have other interviews scheduled."
The interviewer glances back at them as she leaves, and Kevin really hopes that doesn't show up in her article.
*
"Two more interviews," Kevin's dad says, "and then soundcheck." He doesn't sound particularly happy with them, and Mike really wants to go to Kevin and tell him it'll be okay, but of course the next interviewer is already coming in and he can't.
He does hang back more for the last two, trying to blend in with the rest of Kevin's entourage, even though he doesn't look anything like them. At least neither of those interviewers notice him.
And then the interviews are done and they're all being hustled off to cars again.
Mike ends up squished between Kevin and Joe in the back seat of a car, and he doesn't at all mind the way Kevin's pressed all along his side.
Nick turns around in the front seat to stare at Mike. "You know," he says, "just because you don't care about your relationship with the press doesn't mean we don't care about ours."
Kevin goes suddenly tense next to him, and Mike puts his hand on Kevin's thigh, trying to tell him it's okay. Mike has fought with Bill over music and band matters for years; he can handle Nick Jonas yelling at him.
"Nick," Joe says, but Nick ignores him.
"You didn't have to answer her, but you could have at least resisted the urge to be a smart alec."
He's very earnest. Mike can't help but think that Bill would have laughed about it, probably will laugh when Mike tells him about it.
"I didn't want her asking me questions any more than you did," Mike says, keeping in mind that Nick is very much not Bill and he can't yell back.
"People are going to ask," Kevin says.
Mike looks at him, but Kevin's looking at Nick, not him. It takes Nick's attention away from him too.
Nick's lips are pressed tightly together. He parts them to say, "I was hoping they wouldn't ask for a while longer."
*
It's Joe who says, "That's obviously not going to work."
Kevin reaches for Mike's hand and grips it too tightly. He doesn't want to have this conversation with both his brothers and Mike - he's not sure he wants to have it at all - but maybe it's better if they do it now, with just them, and present it as a complete plan later.
Kevin takes a deep breath and says, "You don't want anyone to know we're dating."
Nick stops looking angry and looks guilty instead, which isn't a look Kevin sees on his face very often.
Mike tugs on Kevin's hand and asks, "What do you want?"
The first thing he thinks is that he wants Mike, which, given their conversation last night, makes him fight down a blush. He wants his family to like Mike. He wants to play music.
"That reporter's not going to be the only person to notice," Joe says. "We can just not deny."
Kevin doesn't want to tell lies about his life.
"My band isn't going to care," Mike says. He leans more against Kevin's shoulder. It's very comforting.
"I don't want to lie," Kevin says, because he's pretty sure about that one. As much as other people think they have a say in things, Nick really runs the show, so Kevin asks him, "What if we just don't deny it?"
"We can do that," Nick says slowly. "It'll mean a lot of talk and speculation that will only take away from our music."
"You could just tell people," Joe says, "or make the PR people do it. That would at least get it all over with."
Nick doesn't look very happy about that either. "Things are going to be tough either way." Then he asks Mike, "Are you going to bail if the press and our fans are hounding you all the time?"
"No." Mike sounds sure, and he squeezes Kevin's hand. "And you're not going to scare me away either, if you were going to try that."
"I wasn't!" Nick protests.
Joe snickers, but Joe is like that. Joe is also sometimes helpful, because he says, "We could do both. Tell PR to work on a statement, and use that when people start asking questions."
Kevin likes the way that means he doesn't have to lie and doesn't have to do anything about it yet. Things seem a lot more serious now that they've talked about sex, but Kevin still doesn't know if this is going to work out.
"Is that okay with you?" he asks Mike.
"Yeah." Mike squeezes his hand again. "Whatever works for you."
*
Mike didn't really pay attention during soundcheck. It's not like he wasn't trying, but Kevin was dressed like a penguin and Joe was wearing a polar bear costume, and they were both teasing Nick about not putting on the seal costume, and none of that was particularly conducive to actually watching them play.
So standing side stage and watching their show is basically the first time he's really seen them perform. Their crowd is a little high-pitched for his taste, and the music isn't quite his thing, but they put on a good show. The crowd loves it anyway, and they know how to use the stage.
Mike thinks about all of this because if he just looks at Kevin, he's going to have to stop watching in favor of finding somewhere he can be alone.
Kevin has a stage presence Mike had no clue about. They all do, really, when he can manage to tear his eyes away from Kevin and look at them, but it's Kevin's that has his heart racing and his breath coming faster.
Kevin leans back as he plays sometimes, and it just pushes his hips out and has his whole body arching up in a way that puts pictures in Mike's mind of Kevin arching up off a bed like that.
Even from the side of the stage Mike can see the way the lights gleam off of the sweat that runs down his neck.
All in all, it's pretty much the hottest thing Mike has ever seen.
Kevin is less like the sex god of Mike's dreams between songs, and more like the same cheerfully friendly guy Mike first met in the pizza parlor.
And then their set is done, and Kevin comes off stage grinning and sweaty and headed straight for Mike.
"What did you think?" he asks.
Mike makes an abortive movement toward Kevin before he remembers there are people around who don't know, and he can't. "Come with me," he says instead.
"We have an encore," Kevin protests.
"Just for a minute," Mike says. He turns away to keep from jumping Kevin right there, damn their audience, and there's an only minimally hidden corner that Kevin follows him to. Mike lets him go first, and Kevin leans against the wall, his eyes still sparkling with the high that comes from being on stage.
Mike has to kiss him, can't not when he looks like that. He doesn't care that Kevin's sweaty and messy, likes it even, and he presses himself against Kevin and pushes his hands into Kevin's hair as they kiss.
Kevin makes a noise that's swallowed up in the intensity of their kiss, and then Mike makes himself pull away. Kevin looks even more like sex with his lips just a little more red and his hair just a little more messy.
"Kevin," Nick calls, impatient.
Kevin stares at Mike, and Mike steps back to let him out of the corner. "Go," he says. "I'll wait." Oh, fuck, he means more than the encore. He means everything. He's not sure that makes it across to Kevin, because he just brushes his lips across Mike's cheek on his way back to the stage.
There's a disapproving twist on Kevin's dad's face, and his mom isn't too busy paying attention to Frankie to frown a little.
Mike makes his way back to his spot at the side of the stage, and Kevin turns when he gets back out there to smile back at him.
Mike smiles back and thinks about Bill saying, "If you love him, it's worth it if you can tough it out." Disapproving parents and media scrutiny are nothing. Mike can totally tough this out.
Master Post - Soundtrack
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 04:29 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 05:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 10:23 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 05:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 10:33 am (UTC)I loved this so much. The parallels between Bill-Christine & Mike/Kevin were awesome.
So good.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 05:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-31 12:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-31 02:53 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-31 02:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-31 05:36 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-01 02:42 am (UTC)Kevin doesn't really know how these things happen to him. It's possible he was a disobedient lemur in a past life and this is how the universe is letting him make amends. Or maybe there's like, some kind of quota for number of crazy things a person has to do in his life, and fate's just helping him along. But probably, probably it's just Joe's fault.
Disobedient lemur, bwhahahaha!
Mike does not find things cute. Well, puppies, but everyone finds puppies cute. And it's a long way from puppies to a Jonas Brother.
Mike, even you cannot resist the charm of KJ :)
"Don't let Nick know you were eating diner food," Joe warns.
I love it when people include Nick and his probably scary ways. And how he won't call Kevin an idiot but will explain the reasons he is being one.
"Just to clarify," The Butcher asks, "are you or are you not phone dating a Jonas brother?"
PHONE DATING!
"I'd be a pretty sorry excuse for a man if I couldn't outshop Joe."
Heee, poor Joe.
You're coming to see me, not them." Mike practically growls the last bit, and Kevin shivers. Slightly drunk Mike is definitely the best thing in the world.
I agree. This is such a cute conversation between the guys.
Fuck, Mike hates having to take someone else's feelings into account, especially when he's not getting laid out of the deal. "It's not going to cause problems with your parents?"
Spot on Mike voice here.
"I'm proud of you," Bill finally says, serious and affectionate. "I think dating someone you actually like is good for you."
This makes me feel so sad for Mike that he was dating people he didn't really like. But now he has Kevin :)
This whole brunch is one of the weirder experiences of his life, and he's been on tour with Cobra Starship, so that's saying something.
I heartily enjoyed this and would have gladly read 30,000 more words but I am glad you gave us what you had. Thank you!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-03 04:06 pm (UTC)Thank you so much!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-01 05:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-03 04:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-02 12:45 am (UTC)I love ALLLLLLL of your characters. Mike and Kevin are extremely relatable and interesting, and I'm cheering for them to make it as a couple. And, BTW, thank you for having the "Mike is a guy" revelation and the "Hey, we're dating" realization happen with minimum drama. I have a killer embarrassment squick, and I was concerned for those moments. But instead of making me flinch, they made me grin! Lovely!
Kevin's family is great, and I really appreciate your treatment of his parents. It's so easy to make them straw man villains, but in this they read like real parents. Parents I disagree with, but ones I can still respect and understand. Likewise, TAI is awesome, blending dickishness and supportive affection.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
I love this so much. Thank you for sharing it, even if it didn't feel like a completed story to you.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-03 04:07 pm (UTC)♥
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-07 08:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-07 11:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-07 09:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-07 11:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-07 11:55 pm (UTC)I do hope that someday you get the urge to write that 30,000 missing words, but this was wonderful as-is, and I had a fantastic time reading it. <3
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-08 03:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-09 07:46 pm (UTC)CAN WE HAVE MORE PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE?!?!?!
Now that I've gotten that off my chest. This story was truly wonderful, and so real. Mike's fantasies must have frustrated the hell out of him, but it also went to show how truly devoted to Kevin he was, because even without the sex he stayed.
And Kevin's trepidation was also so honest, since he admittedly had never felt for anyone the way he felt for Mike.
I could honestly live in this 'verse forever.
And as my final act of shameless begging, if you ever were inclined to write about the time in their future when they decide they are ready for sex I would LOVE to read it. I think their first time would be amazing-awkward-special-funny-touching all at the same time.
I'll stop now, but AMAZING JOB!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-10 09:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-04 02:03 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-04 05:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-19 03:36 pm (UTC)(Day late and a dollar short, but still -- ♥)
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-20 04:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-10-05 10:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-10-05 03:46 pm (UTC)