Carrie hastily watched the bags go through the conveyor belt, impatiently waiting for hers to appear. She let out a loud sigh as she glanced at her watch. It was almost three in the afternoon. She was over an hour late from her original landing time. Nervously biting her lip, she grabbed her three black bags that had finally rolled in front of her. Carrie jumped when she felt two arms wrap around her waist. She quickly whirled around, her brown eyes meeting his icy blues. It was Nick. A smile crept across her lips as her heart fluttered.

“Baby,” she said softly in relief.

“Took you long enough to get here,” he teased as he held her tighter. “Come here,” he continued as he leaned in for a kiss.

Carrie drew in a breath and linked her arms around his neck. “Mmm, I’ve missed you,” she mumbled.

“I’ve missed you too,” he purred in her ear as he hugged her tight. “We’ve got a car waiting,” he stated as he took her big bag and pulled up the handle.

“Great,” she replied as she swung her carry on over her shoulder.

Nick placed his hand on the small of her back and led her out the door, following close behind, Josh, his bodyguard. Carrie sucked in a sharp breath as the crisp, cold European air blew into her face. She shivered lightly as she quickly handed Nick her bag and got into the car. She tightened her scarf tighter around her neck as she held her arms close to her body. Nick noisily shivered as he got into the car.

“Good, god, it’s freezing!” he exclaimed as he scooted closer to her.

“I know,” Carrie said as she leaned against him. “Warm me up.”

Nick grinned as he put his arms around her, vigorously rubbing her arms to provide more heat. Carrie smiled as she settled herself in his arms. She was glad to have finally gotten off that plane. After being in school for the past six months, she was ready to enjoy a much needed vacation. Nick had flown her in from L.A. to join him on their promo tour in Europe. Carrie was filled with excitement to be in Europe for the first time in her life. She couldn’t help but stare out the window as he held her close. The familiar scent of his cologne crept under nose and she sighed dizzily. She realized how much she’d missed him since he left. Nick softly kissed the top of her head and rested his cheek against hers. Carrie closed her eyes and entwined her fingers with his.

“You’re quiet,” he said softly as he played with the ring on her thumb.

“I’m a little jet lagged,” she admitted as she yawned.

“Well, you can sleep when we get to the hotel. The bed is killer,” he stated mater of factly.

Carrie chuckled and kissed his hand. “Maybe, we’ll see. I’m not sure if I’m ready to sleep yet.”

“Hmm,” Nick said as softly tickled her neck with the tip of his nose.

“Nickolas,” Carrie said as she squealed. “Your nose is cold.”

He laughed and planted kisses across her cheek. “So, warm it up,” he said into her ear.

Carrie’s stomach twisted in knots as his breath lingered on her cheek. It was becoming very difficult to resist his charm. She cleared her throat and sat up straight. Nick snickered as he rubbed his hand on her thigh, sliding it gently across the rough, brushy material of her black panty hose. Carrie glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Nick smirked and rested his hand on her inner thigh. She placed her hand on top of his and shook her head.

“What?” he said innocently.

“Don’t act like you’re not doing anything. You know exactly what you’re doing.”

“I can’t love on my girl?” he said with a grin.

Carrie playfully smacked his leg. “You’re such a perv.”

“I can’t believe you wore a skirt,” he said as he tickled her thigh with his fingers.

“And I can’t believe how impatient you’re being,” she stated, pretending to be annoyed.

“Mmm, don’t even act like that,” he said as he gripped her thigh more aggressively.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said as she looked away from him.

“Now look who’s playing innocent,” he said then kissed her cheek.

Carrie smiled and cupped her hand under his chin as she pressed her lips hard against his. Nick let out a low groan as she slid her tongue across his bottom lip. She felt him move his hand a little further up her thigh and caught his hand before he could go any higher.

“Damn,” he muttered.

Carrie snickered and kissed him. “Later,” she said with wide eyes.

“Promise?”

“I promise,” she replied then gave him a quick peck on the lips. “How long are we in Stockholm?”

“Three days,” he said as he looked out the window. “And we’re here.”

Carrie buttoned up her coat and followed him out of the car. She grabbed her bags while Nick stopped to pose for pictures and sign autographs. Without a second thought, she walked into the lobby of the hotel while Nick visited with his fans. Carrie put down her bags and began digging through her purse for her lip gloss when she heard a familiar voice.

“Who is this sexy woman standing all alone in the hotel lobby?” said a raspy, male voice.

Carrie grinned as she looked up to see A.J. standing in front of her. He was sporting his white beanie cap, tight fitted jeans, black shoes, and a long sleeved black shirt. He grinned widely as she hugged him.

“How are you, Alex?”

“Can’t complain,” he said as he stepped back. “You look good.”

“Thanks,” she said as she looked around the hotel lobby. “I can’t believe I’m finally in Europe.”

“How long you staying?”

“For the rest of the tour,” Carrie said as she applied her lip gloss. “It’ll be fun.”

“For sure,” A.J. said as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Where’s Nick?”

Carrie nodded her head toward the door. “With the fans.”

“That’s where I’m headed,” he said with a smile. “I’ll catch you later.”

“Have fun,” she said with a chuckle.

“Always do,” he replied with a grin then made his way outside.

Carrie shoved her lip gloss back in her purse when she saw Nick come into the lobby. He smiled as he walked over to her.

“Sorry, baby,” he said as he picked up her bags.

“It’s okay,” she replied as she linked her arm with his. “We ready to up to the room?”

“In a hurry?” he said with a smirk.

“Nickolas,” Carrie replied with a snicker.

“Hmm,” Nick said as he walked to the elevator and pressed the button.

The elevator door opened and Nick lightly tapped Carrie on the ass as she stepped into the elevator. She turned around and poked him in the stomach. Nick imitated the Pilsbury Doughboy and she couldn’t help but laugh at him. It was the typical reaction from him. He always knew how to make her laugh. Nick pressed the button to their floor then kissed her.

“You going to sleep when we get to the room?”

Carrie shrugged. “I dunno about sleep, but I would like to lie down for a bit.”

Nick raised his eyebrows and slowly nodded. “Just lie down?”

“Take a cold shower, Carter,” Carrie said the elevator door opened.

“You’re cranky.”

“You’re horny,” she said as she took the key from him and looked at the room number.

“That’s nothing new,” Nick said as he stole the key back from her. “This way,” he continued as he guided down the hall.

Nick opened the door to the room and let her in first. Carrie put her purse down on the dresser and plopped onto the bed, her body halfway hanging off the bed. She watched Nick put down her bags and quickly leapt onto the bed. She giggled as they both lightly bounced against the mattress. Nick scooped her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers. Carrie ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him back. Nick studied her face as he smoothed back her long, brown hair. He smiled and rested his hand on her side.

“What?” she said softly, tracing the outline of his chin with her index finger.

“Nothing,” he replied as he slowly blinked.

“Hmm,” Carrie said as she rolled over on her back and yawned.

Nick sat up and removed her shoes and pulled her legs onto the bed. He laid back beside her propped himself up on his elbow, his hand resting against his head. Carrie looked at him and snuggled closer. Nick leaned down and kissed her cheek and rubbed her side.

“Sleep,” he said softly.

“I don’t have to,” she mumbled with her eyes closed.

“Sleep,” he repeated and laid his hand down on the pillow.

He pulled her close to him and held her tight. Carrie buried her head in his chest and softly sighed. She struggled to keep her eyes open as Nick caressed her back. He kissed the top of her head and she fell asleep in his embrace.

Carrie sighed to herself as she smoothly ran the charcoal colored pencil across the thick paper of her sketchbook. She glanced out at the skyline of Stockholm from her position in the easy chair. Her eyes slowly diverted back her sketch and she pursed her lips in frustration. She was less than satisfied with the final product of her sketch. Her first thought was to crumple up the drawing and toss it into the trash. Instead, she put the sketchbook on the bed and pulled her throw blanket up to her waist. She continued to stare out at the skyline as she grabbed her coffee cup and took a sip. Carrie cupped her hands around the warm, ceramic mug and slowly sipped her coffee as she glanced at the clock. It was almost six. Nick would be back any minute. Sitting alone in the hotel room wasn’t exactly her idea of a vacation, but it felt nice to sit back and relax without any disturbances of people around her. It was the first time she’d had quiet time since she’d finished her last final in school. She knew she had no reason to complain.

She found herself falling into a daydream about her and Nick. He seemed to be the center of her thoughts lately. She couldn’t get enough of him. Her heart fluttered a little as she pictured him talking to the press. He had a boyish charm that no one could seem to resist. A smile crept across her lips as she continued to think about him and where their future might be headed. Nick wasn’t the type to believe in marriage, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he was the one. After being together for over a year, she had no reason to doubt that their relationship would not go on to the next step. She wondered what Nick’s intentions were by flying her in to see him. He didn’t throw his money away easily, so an all expense trip to Europe was more than a big deal.

Carrie snapped out of her daze when she heard the sound of Nick turning the doorknob. She smiled as he stepped into the room with A.J. close behind. Nick beamed when he caught sight of her sitting in the chair.

“Hey, you,” he said as he made his way around the bed and sat down. “Whatcha doing?”

“Just sitting here enjoying the scenery,” she said as she put down her mug. “How was the promo meeting?”

“The usual,” Nick said with a shrug.

“Same old people, same old questions,” A.J. piped in as he reached into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes.

“So, are you done for the day, or what?”

“We’re done and we’re all starving. Wanna come to dinner with us?” Nick asked as he brushed a stray hair from her cheek.

“Definitely,” she said with a smile. “I’m famished.”

“Good, get freshened up. We’re leaving in a few minutes.”

“Okay, I’ll just change my clothes,” Carrie said as she removed her blanket.

“You coming too, Jizz?” Nick asked while checking the text message on his phone.

Carrie snickered at Nick’s shortened version of A.J.’s nickname. “That sounded so wrong,” she added as she pulled out a sweater from her suitcase.

A.J. laughed along with her. “In more ways than one,” he said while still laughing.

“Ya’ll have got your minds in the gutter,” Nick said while shaking his head.

“You said it, not me,” Carried stated.

“Hush, you,” Nick replied, not looking up from his phone.

“I’m going down to the lobby. I’ll meet you down there.”

“Okay,” Carrie said as she began brushing her hair. “Well be there shortly.”

“Peace,” A.J. said as he left the room.

Carrie pulled off her T-shirt and noticed Nick staring at her from the reflection in the mirror. “Yes?”

“Nothing,” he said with a smirk.

“Uh huh,” she said as she pulled off her sweatpants.

“Come here,” Nick said softly.

“What do you want?” Carrie said playfully, slowly walking toward him.

Nick stared at her straight faced and rubbed his hands on her sides. “I just wanna hold you for a few minutes,” he said while kissing her stomach.

“You know if I let you do that you’ll suck me into staying in here with you.”

“You make that sound like a bad thing,” he replied in a low tone. “Come here,” he said as he pulled her down on his lap.

Carrie faced him and linked her arms around his neck. “Only for a couple of minutes and then I have to get ready.”

“Okay,” Nick said as he kissed her neck.

“Nickolas,” she said while giggling. “Stop.”

“Why?” he said as he held her tighter. “You know, we could just blow off dinner and stay here tonight.”

Carrie shook her head and kissed him. “We promised Jizz that we’d meet him in the lobby.”

Nick held onto her waist a little tighter and devilishly grinned. “Why are you worried about that Jizz when you should be worrying about mine?”

Carrie smacked him on the arm with her brush. “Nickolas!”

“Ow! Damn, woman!” he said while laughing.

“You’re disgusting,” she said as she wiggled away from him. “Let me finish getting dressed.”

“Fine,” Nick said with a fake pout.

“Don’t start with me,” she replied with a giggle. “I will not hesitate to use this brush.”

“I know where and how you can use that brush,” he said with cackling at his own joke.

“Nickolas Gene Carter! You are so gross!” she said as she tossed her brush in his direction.

Nick collapsed onto the bed in a fit of laughter. “I’m sorry, I had to say it.”

“Uh huh,” she said as she turned back again began freshening up her make up.

As she was applying her mascara, she could see his reflection in the mirror. He was still lying on his back in his own little world with his Blackberry phone. She snickered as she watched him squint at the screen and type a text message. By the look on his face, she could tell it was from his brother, Aaron. She looked down at her make up bag and pulled out her lip gloss. When she looked back at him in the mirror, he was sitting up and looking at her sketchpad. Before she could even react, he had already picked it up and began observing her work.

“Hey, you drew!” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

“Nick, don’t,” she said as she quickly whirled around.

“These are great!” he exclaimed as he flipped through the sketchpad. “Ooh! I like this one!”

“Give that to me,” she demanded as she attempted to grab it from him.

“Hey, don’t be so grabby,” he said as he held it away from her. “Unless you’re grabbing me then that’s okay.”

“Ugh, you,” Carrie said as she snatched the sketchpad from him and lightly smacked his arm with it.

“Ouch! Damn, you’re violent today,” he said as he rubbed his arm. “Why can’t I look at your sketches.”

“You know why,” she said as she shoved the book into her bag.

“Yeah, because you think you suck.”

“It’s just a hobby, no big deal,” Carrie said as she put a new shirt on.

“You’re too damn hard on yourself,” he stated. “You really are talented. I’m not just saying that.”

“Nick, it’s just something I do to relax. I don’t plan on making a career out of it or anything.”

“I just don’t get why you want to hide them from me. I suck at drawing too, but I still show my work to people.”

Carrie rolled her eyes and slipped on her shoes. “Nick, you designed your own comic book. Don’t even give me that “I suck too” speech.”

Nick shook his head and laughed. “You are getting upset over nothing, but if you don’t want me to look at your sketches, I won’t.”

“Thank you,” she said as she grabbed her coat. “Are you ready?”

“I don’t know, am I?” he replied coyly.

“You are testing my patience tonight,” she said while laughing.

Nick smiled and stood up. “Just let me go pee and we can head down there.”

“Hurry up,” she said as she lightly tapped his ass.

Nick leaned in to kiss her, but slowly backed away. Carrie watched him as his face scrunched up to the obvious sign of an oncoming sneeze. He held up his index finger let out a sneeze.

“Bless you,” Carrie said.

“Thank--thank--,” he said as he prepared for another sneeze.

He sneezed again and blinked back his watery eyes. Carrie observed him as he waited for another sneeze.

“Bless you again,” she said softly.

“Jesus, did you put perfume on?” he said while plugging his nose.

“No,” Carrie said while shaking her head. “You better not be getting sick on me.”

“Nah, I’m fine,” Nick said as he sniffled. “Okay, now I’m going to pee.”

“I’ll wait right here,” she said as she sat on the bed.

She observed herself in the mirror, gently smoothing out her shirt. She pursed her lips as another sneeze from Nick was heard from behind the door. Carrie sighed as she heard him blow his nose and run water in the sink before emerging from the bathroom.

“Damn, I can’t stop sneezing,” he said as he threw away his tissue.

“Are you sure you’re not getting sick?” she said as she eyed him suspiciously.

“I swear I’m not getting sick,” he said as he put on his jacket. “Let’s go eat.”

“Alright,” Carrie said as she followed him out of the room.

She watched him as he continued to sniffle as they waited for the elevator. Nick looked at her and chuckled.

“Stop, I’m fine,” he assured.

“I know how you are, Nick. You never admit when you’re coming down with something.”

“It’s probably dust,” he replied. “Stop worrying so much,” he said then kissed her. “I’m fine.”

“If you say so,” she replied then followed him into the elevator.

Carrie didn’t know what it was, but it was almost like a sixth sense. Her gut instinct was telling her that he was lying. She softly drew out a breath and shook the thought of her head. He was right, there was no sense in her worrying about it. She knew that he’d cave in when the time was right.

Carrie stood under the shower head and softly hummed to herself as she cleansed her body. It was Nick’s night off and they were planning to spend the evening together. She was excited to know what he had planned. For the past two days, Nick had been reminding her of his next night off, but he continued to keep his plans a secret. Curiosity was starting get the better of her, but the night had finally arrived and she couldn’t wait to see what was in store for her. She was rinsing the conditioner out of her hair when she heard the bathroom door open.

“I’m coming in,“ Nick said.

“Okay,“ she replied as she continued to rinse out her hair. “How am I doing on time?“

“You’re fine. We’re still almost an hour ahead of schedule.“

“Good,” Carried said as she turned the water off. “Baby, can you hand me that towel on the counter?”

“Yup,” Nick said softly, clearing his throat as she heard his footsteps approaching the shower.

She expected to see him open the shower curtain, but instead he laid the towel on the curtain rack. Carrie snickered to herself as she pulled the towel down.

“Thank you,” she said as she dried herself off. “You could’ve opened the curtain, you know.”

“I didn’t want you to get cold,” he replied.

“Of course,” she said with a snicker.

Carrie stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. She smiled as she saw Nick standing in front of the mirror with his shirt wide open, staring intently at himself as he straightened his collar. He glared at his reflection sighed. Carrie watched him as he turned his head from side to side, wrinkling his forehead in frustration.

“Fuck,” he said under his breath.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as she squeezed her way between him and the counter.

“I look like shit,” he replied with a groan.

“Mmm, I think you look sexy,” Carrie said as she wrapped her arms around his waist and began kissing his collar bone.

Nick continued to disregard her comment and began running his fingers through his hair. She looked at him and shook her head.

“You’re worse than me.”

“I knew I should’ve let them cut my hair today. Look at this shit. It looks horrible.”

“Come here,” Carrie said with a smirk.

“What?”

“Come here,” she repeated, coyly crooking her finger for him to come closer.

Nick wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her intently. She breathed in deep as he slithered his tongue against hers. A low groan escaped his lips as slid her hands down his chest.

“We gotta stop,” Nick said with a chuckle.

“Why?”

“Because if we go any further, that towel is coming off and we may never make it to dinner,” he said with a grin.

Carrie laughed and gently pushed him away. “Now that’s the Nickolas I know,” she said as she turned around to face the mirror.

“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?” he asked as he enveloped his arms back around her.

“You know what it means,” she said as she playfully jabbed his stomach with her elbow.

“Yeah, yeah,” Nick said as he let go of her.

“Let me finish getting ready and we can go to dinner.”

“Okay,” Nick said as he left the bathroom. “I’m changing this shirt.”

Carrie laughed as she grabbed another towel and began drying her hair. “You’re pathetic.”

“No, I’m just picky,” he defended as he threw his old shirt into the bathroom.

“Hey, be nice,” Carrie said as she threw it back at him.

Nick came back into the bathroom with a smile on his face. Carrie observed him, shirtless and clean shaven. He was looking sexy and she almost wished they weren’t going out for dinner. She watched him as he put on a powder blue dress shirt and fixed his collar. He softly sniffled as he button his sleeves. Carrie raised her eyebrow at him and placed her hands on her hips.

“Nickolas, I thought you said you weren’t getting sick.”

“I’m not,” he said as he sniffled again. “It’s the weather change; messing with my sinuses,” he said as he began buttoning his shirt.

Carrie continued to watch him; his hands shaking as he buttoned his shirt. She softly sighed as she gently squeezed his arm.

“Dammit!” Nick exclaimed as he struggled with the button on his shirt.

“You’re cranky,” Carrie said as she removed his hands away from the button and began buttoning his shirt for him.

“I am not!” Nick said defensively.

Carrie laughed and shook her head. “Yes, you are.”

“No, I am not I--” Nick said as he stepped back.

Carrie smirked as she watched him cover his mouth and sneeze. She chuckled and handed him a tissue.

“You were saying?” she said while laughing.

Nick rolled his eyes and went back to his chair. Carrie couldn’t help but smile as she watched him plop down and pout.

“Aw, poor baby,” she cooed.

“Shut up,” he muttered as he rubbed his temples. “Just finish getting ready.”

Carrie walked over to him and sat on his lap. She faced him and gently kissed his lips. Nick let out a long, drawn out sigh and stared at the window. Carrie studied his face and realized that he was beginning to look a little pale. She pursed her lips and began unbuttoning his shirt. He looked at her and placed his hands over hers.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re not going anywhere.”

“Uh, yes, we are. I didn’t fly you up here to sit in the hotels all damn day. It’s my night off and we’re going out.”

“Nick, you know how you get if you don’t get your rest.”

“I already told you, I’m not sick!” he said in a louder tone.

“See, you’re cranky,” she said as she pushed his hands away from hers. “We’re staying in.”

“You are impossible,” he muttered. “I fly you all the way out here and you don’t even want to go out with me. That’s fucked up.”

“Nickolas, you’re pushing my buttons.”

“And you’re undoing mine,” he said sarcastically.

“Honey, stop,” Carrie said then kissed the tip of his nose.

“Well, shit, why did you even fly out here if you weren’t going to spend some time with me outside of the hotels.”

“Baby, just for tonight. Admit it, you’re cranky and coming down with something.”

“I’m not admitting to shit,” he muttered.

Carrie undid the last button on his shirt and slid her hands down his chest. Nick cleared his throat and continued to look out the window. Carrie pursed her lips and softly kissed his neck.

“Would you settle for dining in?” she asked. “The hotel has a restaurant in the lobby.”

“Nevermind,” Nick said with a sigh. “Just forget it.”

“Baby, don’t like that. Why are you getting so pissy with me?”

Nick shifted his glance back to her and placed his hands on her hips. He gently kissed her lips and looked into her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said as he fiddled with the end of her towel. “I guess I’m a little tired.”

“Because you’re sick,” Carrie said with a smirk.

Nick playfully glared at her and gripped tighter on her waist. “I am not sick. Sick in the head, maybe, but I’m not sick.”

“I stand corrected,” Carrie said then kissed him. “Stubborn ass.”

“You know it.”

“So, what now? We’re obviously not going anywhere. My hair is all dry and it looks like crap.”

Nick brushed back the frizzy strands of hair away from her cheek. “Hmm,” he said with raised eyebrows.

“Nickolas, is that all you ever think about?”

“Well, you’re the one who’s in a towel.”

“So?”

“So, what else am I supposed to think about?”

“Getting into bed and resting, maybe?”

Nick smiled and shook his head. “I’ll get into bed if you get in with me.”

“And you will rest?”

“Sure,” Nick said with a grin and began kissing her neck.

Carrie sucked in a breath as he slid his tongue up to her earlobe and began to nibble. She giggled and pulled away from him. Nick stuck out his bottom lip in a pout.

“Oh, stop it,” Carrie said as she got off his lap. “Come on. Out of those clothes and into bed.”

“Kinky,” he joked as he took off his shirt and tossed it onto the chair.

Carrie snickered as she pulled off her towel. “You are hopeless.”

“Oh, see, now you’re just teasing me. How in the world do you expect me to not be horny when you’re standing there like that?”

“Don’t look at me,” she said while laughing.

“Easier said than done,” he said as he unzipped his pants.

“Try harder,” Carrie replied as she slipped on a baggy T-shirt. “Get into bed.”

“Fine,” Nick said as he stripped down to his boxers and pulled off his socks.

Carrie slipped into bed and Nick snuggled close to her. She turned off the lamp beside the bed and Nick turned on the TV.

“You want to watch a movie?”

“Whatever you want, babe,” she said as she fluffed her pillow.

Nick continued to flip through the channels as Carrie pulled up the blankets. She glanced at the TV screen when he stopped on a channel playing a movie. Nick grinned widely and looked at her.

“Goonies is on!”

“Oh dear God!” she said while laughing. “Can’t you pick something else.”

“But, baby, I’m sick, remember?” he said in a pouty voice.

Carrie laughed even harder and shook her head. “I thought you said you weren’t sick.”

“Maybe I am a little,” he said with an exaggerated cough. “Oh, so sick!”

“Aw, poor baby,” she cooed. “Come here,” she continued as she opened her arms.

Nick leaned against her as she enveloped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. Carrie linked her fingers with his right hand and played with hair with her left hand. Within minutes, she realized that his grip on her hand had loosened. Carrie gently shifted herself and saw that he had fallen asleep. She smiled and carefully took the remote from his hand and turned down the volume of the TV. Nick stirred a little and rolled over on his stomach. Carrie kissed his shoulder and rubbed his back as she continued to watch the movie. Her eyes began to droop after an hour of staring at the screen. Carrie yawned and decided to turn off the TV. She closed her eyes and nearly fell asleep until she felt Nick move. Carrie glanced over at him as he rolled back over on his side and looked at her.

“What is it, baby?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he mumbled as he laid his head on her shoulder.

Carrie rubbed his back and kissed his forehead. She backed away when he felt warm against her lips.

“Honey, you feel warm,” she said as she felt his forehead. “Are you running a fever?”

“No,” he mumbled.

“I think you are,” she said as she felt his forehead again. “Maybe you should take some Tylenol. I have some in my bag.”

“I just wanna sleep,” he whined.

“Alright,” she said with a sigh. “Wake me up if you need me,” she replied softly.

“Mmm hmm,” he mumbled as he softly began to snore.

Carrie listened to him drift off to sleep and continued to rub his back. She was unsure of whether she should sleep or stay awake. She sighed and closed her eyes. Nick was far too stubborn to cave into her concern. She had no choice but to let him wear himself out. Carrie kissed his forehead again then fell asleep with him in her arms.

Chapter 4

Carrie scrunched her nose as she heard the muffled sound of her cell phone ringing inside her purse. She blinked a few times and looked around the room, her mind still cloudy from slumber. A sigh escaped her lips as she heard her phone continue to ring. Carrie rolled her eyes and attempted to slide out from underneath Nick. His body heavily laid on top of her as he softly snored in her ear. She carefully slid to the left and sucked in a breath of annoyance as she felt him grip tighter onto her waist.

“Dammit, Nick,” she whispered as she tried to pry his hand away from her hip.

Nick babyishly whimpered as he pulled her back over to him. Carrie pursed her lips as she was being tugged. The phone continued to ring and Carrie gave up trying as she looked over at Nick who still had his eyes closed. The room fell silent as her phone stopped ringing. She listened for it to go off again, but no sound was heard from her distant purse. She shrugged off her annoyance and settled herself back into Nick’s arms. Carried rolled over to face him and studied him for a moment. He laid beside her, his breathing was steady and his eyelashes rested against his cheek. His hair was tousled against his head, slightly damp from sweating overnight. Her eyes diverted to his kissable lips and softly smiled as she traced his lips with her thumb. Carried cupped her hand over his feverish cheek and slowly moved closer to plant a soft kiss on his forehead. Nick lightly stirred and breathed in deep as he fell back into his slumber. She moved her hand his back as he nuzzled his head against hers. His shirt was sticking to his skin and warm to the touch. Carrie slowly exhaled as she licked her lips and looked up at the ceiling. The room was moderately cool and still dark with the curtains drawn. She tried to relax and go back to sleep, but she was still alert from being woken up by her ringing phone. Nick cleared his throat and jerked awake. Carrie glanced at him and smiled.

“Good morning, Sunshine,” she said as she smoothed out his hair.

“Morning,” he said in a hoarse mumble.

Carrie observed his face as he stared off into space. She kissed his cheek and rubbed his arm.

“How are you feeling?” she softly asked.

“Fine,” Nick said as he sat up and scratched his scruffy chin. “What time is it?” he asked.

Carrie glanced at the clock beside the bed and sat up. “Almost nine.”

“Still kinda early,” he said as he loudly yawned. “We gotta meet the guys for breakfast in an hour.”

“You want the shower? I could stand to wait until we get to our next stop,” she said as she pushed the blankets off herself.

“Yeah,” Nick said then sniffled. “It’s fucking hot in here,” he said as he pulled off his shirt.

“The heat’s on low,” she said reached to check his forehead.

“Don’t start,” he said as he grabbed her hand. “I’m fine.”

“You are too stubborn for your own good,” Carrie said while shaking her head.

Nick smirked and kissed her cheek. “Will you pack up my bag while I’m in the shower?”

“Of course,” she said with a smile.

“Thanks, Babe,” he said as he slid out of bed.

She watched him as he walked to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Carrie got out of bed and stretched her stuff muscles as she stepped over to the dresser. She picked up her brush and worked through the tangles in her hair. She sat on the edge of the bed and reached for the remote. Carrie flipped through the channels until she found a familiar show to watch. A smile crept across her lips as she watched an old episode of Full House. Carrie swept her hair up in a messy bun and picked up Nick’s bag from the floor. She glanced at the TV as she organized his suitcase, separating his clean clothes from the dirty ones. With a nod of satisfaction, she moved the bag to the side and repeated the process with her own bag. She pulled out a clean pair of powder blue jogging pants and a white sweatshirt. A commercial break came on as she changed out of her pajamas. She had just put on her socks when Nick opened the bathroom door. He loudly coughed and cleared his throat as he stepped out in his towel.

“I left your bag open since I didn’t know what you’d want to wear,” she said as she stood up. “I’m going to brush my teeth while you dress,” she said then kissed him.

“That’s fine,” he said as he returned the kiss.

Carrie looked at him and slid her hands down his bare chest. The scent of his soap reached her nose and she softly exhaled. She was concerned as she gazed at his tired face. Nick stepped back and chuckled.

“You worry too damn much,” he said as he sniffled.

“I didn’t say anything,” she protested.

“You didn’t have to,” he said as he pulled out a pair of jeans from his bags. “Go finish getting ready. I’m starting to get hungry.”

“Fine,” Carrie said as she went into the bathroom.

She swiftly brushed her teeth as she glanced in the mirror, watching Nick as he stepped into the bathroom in his favorite white T-shirt and grey hoodie. He sniffled as he zipped up his hoodie and looked in the mirror. Nick place his hands on her hips and gently moved her to the side as he gathered his toiletry bag from off the counter. He kissed the top of her head and swiftly left the bathroom with his bag under his arm. Carrie spit out her toothpaste and rinsed her mouth as quickly as she could. She wiped her mouth with a towel and gathered her stuff from off the counter.

Nick was zipping up his bag when she walked over to the bed. She dumped her toothpaste and toothbrush into her zip lock bag and sealed it shut. Nick shoved his bag over to the side and plopped down on the bed as she shut her suitcase.

“I’m almost done, babe,” she said as she zipped up the suitcase.

“No make up?” he teased.

“Not when I’m going to be sitting on a plane for hours,” she said then stuck out her tongue.

Nick smirked and grabbed her waist. “You don’t need any of that stuff anyway,” he said as he pulled her down onto his lap.

“Thank you,” she said then kissed him. “You know, you really are warm,” she said with a giggle.

“I’m not sick,” he defended. “It’s just hot in here.”

“Alright, fine. I won’t pester you,” she said as she hugged him. “I’m all ready to go.”

Nick looked at the clocked and drew out a breath. “Yeah, I’m sure they’re already down there waiting on us.”

“Then let’s go,” Carrie said as she stood up.

Carrie grabbed her bags and followed Nick out to the elevator. She straightened her sweatshirt as she patiently waited for the elevator door to open. Nick pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and began texting. Carrie leaned her head against his arm and stared at the shiny elevator door.

“You’re still tired, aren't you?” he said while texting.

“Can you blame me? You were snoring like a giant pig last night.”

Nick laughed and shoved his phone in his pocket. “Sorry, I guess I was a little tired.”

“Uh huh,” Carrie said as the elevator door opened.

Nick let her into the elevator first and followed closely behind. She pressed the button for the first floor and crossed her arms as she watched the numbers go down. Nick loudly cleared his throat and gently stroked her back as he leaned against the wall. The elevator came to a stop and the door opened with a loud ding. Carrie stepped out of the elevator and waited for Nick to lead the way. She followed him to the front desk and watched as he dropped off the room key. He turned around and looked around the lobby.

“We’re meeting the guys up at the hotel restaurant,” he said as he brushed past her.

Carrie followed closely behind Nick as they came to the entrance of the restaurant. The smell of fresh bacon made her mouth water. Her stomach growled as she followed Nick to the table. She smiled as A.J. stood up and took her bags from her.

“Thanks, Alex,” she said as she took a seat beside Nick.

“Any time,” he replied as he sat down. “We’ve already ordered, so you guys go ahead.”

“Man, nobody ever waits on me,” Nick complained as he opened his menu.

“That’s because you’re always late,” Brian joked.

“Shut up,” Nick muttered. “I wasn’t late. Ya’ll were just early.”

“Keep telling yourself that and maybe it’ll be true,” Howie joked from across the table.

Carrie snickered and placed her hand on Nick’s thigh. “What are you getting?”

“The usual,” Nick said as he put the menu down and smiled at her.

“Egg whites, toast, and orange juice?” she replied as she squeezed his thigh.

“You’ve got it,” he said then placed his hand over hers. “What are you getting?”

“I’m thinking pancakes,” she said with wide eyes. “That sounds so good.”

Nick laughed and linked his fingers with hers. “You sure about that?”

Carried shrugged and looked at him. “I’m on vacation. Why not?”

Nick nodded and leaned in closer to her. “I’m just teasing. You can have whatever you want.”

“Good,” Carried replied then kissed him.

“Oh, god, get a room,” A.J. joked. “Nobody wants to see that.”

“Alex, stop being a pest,” Carrie said as she tossed her napkin at him.

A.J. laughed as he lifted up his glass. “Nick, what’s with you, man? Did you wake up on the cranky side of the bed this morning?”

“He’s sick and doesn’t want to admit it.”

“I am not,” Nick said as he leaned back in his chair.

“Stubborn,” Carrie whispered loudly.

“Well, you look like shit,” A.J. commented.

“Thank you, Dr. McLean,” Nick snapped. “Where the fuck is our waiter? I’d like to eat some time this century.”

“Stop bickering and chill,” Carrie said. “Have some patience.”

“Meh, screw patience. I’m not in the mood.”

“Nick!”

“Don’t start,” Nick muttered as he signaled the waiter. “I just wanna eat and go to the airport.”

Carrie let go of his hand and sat back in her chair. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as Nick ordered their food. She glanced at A.J. from across the table and he was chuckling at Nick’s behavior. Carrie closed her eyes and looked the opposite direction. It was obvious that it was going to be a very long day.

Chapter 5

The clanking sound of the lunch cart rolling down the aisle woke Carrie out of a light slumber. She opened her eyes and remembered that she was still on the plane to Germany. Carrie slowly sat up straight and glanced over at Nick who was curled up in his seat, fast asleep. She watched him for a moment, unsure if she should wake him or let him sleep. In her moment of thought, the squeaking sound of the wheels on the cart caused Nick to jolt awake. He looked around in confusion and glanced over at Carrie.

“What time is it,” he asked softly as he rubbed his forehead.

“It’s around noon. We still have another four hours before we land,” Carrie said as she put down her dinner tray.

“Oh,” Nick said as he slumped down in his seat.

“You should eat, Nick,” Carrie suggested.

Nick slightly sniffled as he straightened the green beanie hat on his head. “Not really that hungry,” he said as he leaned his head back on the headrest.

“Just eat a little something, please.”

“Fine,” Nick said as he put down his dinner tray.

The stewardess came by and handed both of them a tray with a bowl of cream of broccoli soup, served with sliced apples and a ham sandwich. Nick blankly stared at his tray and Carrie placed her hand over his.

“Just eat a little of it.”

“I will,” Nick said as he stirred up the soup while sniffing.

Carrie quietly ate her lunch while observing Nick. He was picking at his food more than he was eating it. She’d never seen him eat with such a struggle before. She watched him as he put his spoon down and rubbed his throat. He was almost wincing in pain as he swallowed. Carrie sighed and put down her sandwich.

“Nick, seriously, are you okay?”

“I don’t know,” Nick said as he looked back down at his tray. “I do know that I don’t want any more of this food.”

“Okay,” Carrie said as she wiped her mouth with her napkin. “You don’t have to eat any more.”

“Good,” Nick replied as he slumped back down in his seat, resting his head against his hand.

Carrie polished down the last of her sandwich and signaled for the stewardess. She cleared their trays away from them and Carrie drew her attention back at Nick. He creased his forehead as he swallowed. Carrie linked her fingers with his and rubbed her thumb over his. Nick glanced over at her and sighed.

“Babe?” he said in a meek tone.

“Yes?”

“I think I’m sick,” he surrendered.

Carrie softly chuckled and squeezed his hand. “It’s about time you admitted to it.”

“Shut up,” he whined as he laid his head on her shoulder.

“Poor baby,” Carrie said as she laid her head against his. “You should sleep for a bit. There’s plenty of time.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not,” Carrie asked then kissed the top of his head.

“This chair is so not comfortable.”

“If I let you your head on my lap, will you sleep?” Carrie suggested.

“Yes, but…um….one thing,” he answered hoarsely.

“What is it?”

“Can we switch seats?”

“Why?”

“Just because I like the aisle seat better,” he said as he looked at her.

“Okay,” Carried replied slowly as she got out of her seat.

Nick scooted over and she made herself comfortable in Nick’s original seat. She closed the blind on the window while Nick grabbed a pillow and blanket from the overhead compartment. Carrie took the pillow from him and placed it on her lap. She invitingly patted the pillow as she glanced up at him. Nick covered his mouth as he harshly coughed. Carrie took the blanket from him and unfolded it as he sat in the seat.

“Lay down,” she ordered as continued to unfold the blanket.

Nick obediently laid his head on the pillow and rolled over on his side. Carrie gently rubbed his arm as he continued to cough. Nick took off his beanie hat and handed it to Carrie.

“Too hot for that now,” he said as he cleared his throat.

“Babe, you sound horrible,” she said as she caressed his cheek. “You’re burning up.”

“I told you I was sick,” Nick said softly.

Carrie gently ran her fingers through his hair as he closed his eyes. Nick shifted his position and pulled his IPod out of his pocket. He opened his eyes and handed it to her.

“Damn thing was poking me. Will you hold on to it?”

“I can do better than that,” she said with a smirk as she put the earphones in her ears.

Nick smiled and kissed the palm of her hand. Carrie turned on his IPod and went back to caressing his tousled hair. Nick nuzzled his head against the pillow and slowly fell asleep in her lap. She smiled at Nick’s selection of 80’s music in his IPod and flipped through the menu for something to listen to. Carrie was in the middle of looking at a possible Duran Duran song when she felt something soft bounce off her head. She looked up and A.J. was laughing at her from above her seat. Carrie put the song on pause and picked up the Nerf ball that had landed in Nick’s seat.

“Sorry,” he said while taking the ball from her.

“Could you be more careful, please? You’ll wake up Nick.”

“He’ll get over it,” A.J. teased.

“Don’t be a jerk,” Carrie said while rolling her eyes.

“Aw, come on, he’s just a big baby.”

“Alex, sit down and shut up,” Carrie said while rolling her eyes.

“Rawr,” A.J. said with a laugh. “Lighten up, Carrie.”

“Alex, I’m in no mood,” she pressed.

“Fine,” he said as he went back to his seat.

Carrie sighed and went back to listening to her music and looked out the window. She gently rubbed Nick’s arm as she closed her eyes and relaxed. The music boomed in her ears as felt her body fall limp and sleep snuck up on her. Less than two hours had passed and she was awoken by the sound of the “seatbelt on” light coming on. She hazily rubbed her eyes and looked at Nick, who was already sitting in his seat, ready for landing. Carrie removed her earphones and handed the IPod to Nick. Without a word, he took it from her and slipped it into his pocket. Carrie put on her seatbelt and held his hand as she watched him sniffle and groggily looked ahead of him. She reached over and tickled his cheek with her index finger. Nick glanced in her direction and sighed as he kissed her hand.

“What is the plan when we get to the hotel?” she asked.

“Sleep,” he said while nodding.

“No meetings or anything.”

Nick shook his head as he coughed into his hand. “No, not until tomorrow.”

“Good,” Carrie replied.

The plane landed smoothly and Carrie immediate went into protective mode. She wasn’t letting Nick out of her sight. She stood behind him as he wobbly got off the plane and headed over to the baggage claim.

“Nick, let Josh get the big bag,” Carrie ordered.

“I’m not crippled,” he stubbornly answered as he pulled the first bag off the conveyor belt.

“Nick, stop trying to be macho and let him carry it.”

Nick clenched his jaw and shook his head. “Don’t start with your bossing me around crap. I’m not in the mood,” he continued as he gathered the rest of the bags.

“Don’t snap at me,” Carrie said as she grabbed her duffle bag from him.

“Sorry,” he muttered as he turned around. “I just want to get in bed.”

“And you will,” Carrie said then kissed his cheek. “Let’s head over to the van. Josh is waiting on us.”

The two of them hustled over in Josh’s direction and he led them into the van. The rest of the guys had already taken their seats inside the van. Nick plopped down in his seat and covered his mouth as he coughed.

“You should lay off the smokes,” A.J. teased.

“Fuck off,” Nick replied between coughs.

Carrie reached over and smacked A.J. as hard as she could.

“Ow!” he shouted while rubbing his arm. “What the hell?”

“Be nice,” Carrie warned.

Nick put his face in his hands and groaned. “I’m gonna die.”

“Should we notify the coroner?” Brian said with a laugh.

“Brian, you’re not helping either,” Carrie hissed. “He’s younger than all of you and ya’ll are acting like you’re five. Knock it off!”

“Sorry, Carrie,” A.J. replied. “We didn’t mean it. We’re used to picking on him.”

“Well, knock it off,” Carrie muttered as she rubbed Nick’s back.

Carrie held back her annoyance as they rode to the hotel. It wasn’t long before they arrived at the entrance. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that only a small group of fans lingered outside the doors. Carrie watched as the other guys got out and greeted the girls. Nick still sat in his seat with his head in his hands. Carrie placed her hand on back and sighed.

“Nick, let’s head on up to the room. Someone else can take care of the bags.

“I don’t wanna move,” he mumbled.

“Babe, you’ll feel better in bed.”

“Okay,” Nick said as he slowly undid his seatbelt and got out of the van. Carrie followed closely behind and rolled her eyes in frustration as she watched him stop and sign a couple of autographs. She wandered into the lobby and waited for him to meet up with her. A.J. came over to her with a room key in his hand. He smiled as he looked at her with her arms crossed.

“He’s too nice,” Carrie said between clenched teeth.

“And he’ll never learn,” A.J. said with as he handed her the room key. “Don’t worry about the bags, we’ve got it taken care of.”

“Thanks, Alex,” Carrie said as she placed her hands on her hips.

Nick slowly walked in and sheepishly smiled at her. “I’m sorry, baby. You know I gotta say hi to the fans.”

“Never mind that. Let’s just get up upstairs,”

Nick obediently followed her to the elevator and they rode to their floor in silence. She stared at the key as she waited for the doors to open. As soon as the elevator stopped, she hastily got out and looked for their room. Carrie let out a sigh of relief when she saw their bags were already waiting at their door, which made it easy to find. She moved the biggest bag out of the way and opened the door, letting Nick in first.

“You, bed, now,” she ordered.

“I can help you with—“

“No, in bed,” she said as she propped the door open with one of his bags.

Carrie drug all the bags into the room and caught her breath as she stood up straight. Nick had already stripped down and crawled into bed. He stared up at the ceiling and rubbed his head as he coughed. Carrie removed her shoes and crawled onto the bed, laying beside him. He looked at her and wrinkled his brow in misery.

“You look like death,” she said bluntly.

“Thanks, I love you too,”’ he replied with a smirk.

Carrie smile and kissed his cheek. “Don’t move. You are taking some Tylenol before you drift off,” she said as she went for her purse. “What time is your meeting tomorrow?”

“Not until one in the afternoon,” he said as he sat up.

“Good, then you can sleep. I don’t want you out of this bed until then,” she said as she reached into the mini refrigerator for a bottled water.

“Not even to pee?” he joked.

“You know what I meant,” she said as she handed him two tablets. “Take these and lay down.”

“Yes, Mommy,” he said as he put them in his mouth.

Carrie watched as he obediently took the tablets and laid back down on his back. She wandered over to her suitcase and changed into her pajamas. She walked back over to the bed and Nick was already starting to drift off. He jumped a little as she crawled under the covers. Nick looked at her and moved closer as she opened her arms to him. He laid his head on her chest and she gently rubbed his back.

“Just sleep,” she whispered. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Nick mumbled and surrendered to his fatigue.