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Nick pulled one hand out of his pocket and pressed the button for the crosswalk. The cold immediately stung his skin, and he silently cursed AJ for convincing him that they didn’t need to take a cab.

“Shit, it’s cold!” AJ’s breath came out in tiny puffs that curled upwards towards his face as he spoke. “Why did you let me talk us out of taking a cab?”

Nick simply narrowed his eyes. He was too cold to come up with a decent comeback.

“Why can’t we be on the cruise right now?” AJ continued to grumble as the light finally changed and the two of them began to make their way across the street. “What’s the point of going on a cruise in May when it’s already warm? You’re supposed to go on a cruise to get away from the cold.”

“If the cruise were any earlier, Lauren could decide to have the baby while I’m drifting along in the middle of the ocean.” Nick shot back. “What the fuck would I do then? Jump off of the boat and swim back to America?!”

It was AJ’s turn to grin. “I don’t think that Lauren actually gets to decide when the baby comes. The timing is all up to your son.”

Nick’s heart skipped a beat. He was going to be a father, a daddy, a caretaker for a teeny tiny human. The thought was both thrilling and terrifying all at the same time. What if he messed up? What if he wasn’t cut out to be a dad? Lord knows that his own father hadn’t exactly been the best role model.

“I should be spending more time with her.” Nick suddenly felt guilty. “Do you think that I’m trying to do too much?”

AJ shrugged. “Yeah, but that’s just who you are. Lauren understands that. She wouldn’t have married you if she wasn’t okay with you being gone all of the time. It’s probably better that you’re getting some of our recording and the majority of your solo tour out of the way before the baby arrives. What will really matter to Lauren is that you’re there for her when she’s struggling to deal with a screaming newborn who refuses to sleep.”

“The baby’s not gonna sleep?” Nick zeroed in on the last part of AJ’s statement. “Like ever?!”

AJ laughed. “All babies sleep eventually.” He paused. “If you’re lucky.”

“Fuuuuuuuuck!” Nick cursed. “I probably should have thought this whole baby thing through a bit more before I agreed to pull the goalie.”

“It’s too late now!” AJ laughed. He pulled one gloved hand out of his pocket and patted Nick roughly on the back. “That baby is coming whether you’re ready for him or not.”

Nick rolled his eyes. He should have known better than to try and have a proper conversation with AJ. Regardless of the situation, AJ seemed to have a knack for making things worse; for making Nick feel even more anxious than he already was. He should have just talked to Howie. Talking to Howie always made him feel better.

“Is this it?” AJ stopped short. He peered upwards at a non-descript brownstone building. “I think this is it.”

Nick struggled to maintain his balance as he attempted to turn around, his sneakers slipping on the thin layer of snow that had already coated the sidewalk. “Are you sure?”

The snow had started coming down less than an hour ago, but it was already beginning to accumulate. The thick, heavy flakes were supposed to continue to fall for the next couple of days. Record-breaking accumulation totals were being predicted for New York and the surrounding states, but even the possibility of being snowed-in hadn’t stopped Kevin from booking studio time in New York City.

The older man had dismissed the potential severity of the approaching winter storm with a quick-witted, yet sternly worded email. Nick had been tempted to challenge the decision, but he knew Kevin well enough to realize that it wasn’t worth the fight. Kevin had arranged for the group to record in New York to make things easier for Brian, and there was no way that Kevin would ever inconvenience his cousin in favour of Nick.

“Yeah.” AJ squinted at the number painted above the door. He quickly pulled out his phone and used his free hand to shield the screen from the falling snow as he called up his email account. “154 East 2nd Street.” AJ looked back at the building to confirm. “This is it; unit 4A.”

“Thank God!” Nick waited as AJ shoved his phone back into his pocket and pulled open the door. “I can’t feel my fucking toes.”

“Maybe you should have worn appropriate footwear.” AJ smirked. He flipped down the fur-rimmed hood of his massive winter jacket and brushed a handful of wayward snowflakes onto the dark hardwood floor of the studio’s front entrance.

Nick glanced down at the soaking wet, and likely brand-new, Kicks that adorned AJ’s feet. “You’re one to talk.”

“I don’t have sensitive tootsies.” AJ grinned at Nick before turning towards the petite blonde co-ed who was seated behind the reception desk. “We’re here for …”

“I know.” The woman interrupted. She smacked her gum and glanced half-heartedly at her computer. “Backstreet, Studio C.” She waved her hand in the direction of the hallway. “You’re going all the way to the back.”

“Bitch.” Nick swore under his breath as he pulled back his own hood and began to follow AJ down the narrow hallway towards ‘Studio C’. “What crawled up her ass?”

AJ snorted. “You’re just upset that she didn’t throw herself at you. You gotta face it, Nicky. You’re an old man now. You’re gonna be a daddy. Nobody gives two shits about you anymore.”

Nick frowned. “Our fans still love me.”

“Well that chick is clearly not a fan.” AJ stated the obvious. “Her mom might think you’re hot though.”

“I’d bang a hot mom.” Nick grinned. “Lauren’s gonna be a MILF.”

“Jesus, Nick! I can’t think about her like that when she’s all pregnant and stuff.” AJ shook his head as he pulled open the door to the recording area. “I mean, you’re totally right, but that doesn’t mean that I need to hear about it.”

“What don’t you need to hear about?” Kevin pulled his attention away from his phone as Nick and AJ stepped into the studio. He could tell by the smirk on AJ’s face that the answer was going to be inappropriate. “Actually, I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to know.”

“Nick was just informing me that Lauren is gonna be a hot mom.” AJ answered the question despite Kevin’s retraction. “He thinks that they’re still gonna get freaky all the time after the baby is born.”

Kevin snorted and flipped his eyes towards Nick. The blonde was busy peeling off his jacket and glaring at AJ; silently begging him to stop talking. Kevin could see a tinge of pink creeping up Nick’s neck, and he had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. The poor kid had no idea just how much his life was about to change. His cluelessness was endearing and pitiful all at the same time.

“You ain’t gonna be gettin’ anywhere near Lauren’s lady bits for months after the baby is born.” Brian swivelled in his chair so that he was facing Nick and plunked his sneaker-clad feet on top of the edge of the sound board. He crossed his legs at the ankles and leaned back as far as the chair would allow. “It doesn’t matter if you think that she’s the hottest mom in the world. She’s gonna beat your ass if you even so much as think about cuppin’ a feel.”

“That!” AJ gestured wildly in Brian’s direction. “That is exactly what’s going to happen!”

Nick frowned. He could feel his face getting hot. Why did everyone always have to act like he was completely clueless? Did the guys really believe that he was that stupid? But, seriously, was Lauren really not going to want to have sex just because she had had a baby? That couldn’t be true. AJ and Brian were just being assholes.

It never failed. Just when Nick was starting to think that their relationship was on the mend, Brian had to go and say something stupid. He hated Brian for making him doubt the future of his relationship with Lauren, and he hated AJ even more for adding fuel to the fire. It was time for AJ to pick a side when it came to him and Brian; no more flipping his loyalty back and forth whenever it suited him.

“Guys!” Kevin held up his hands to silence AJ and Brian’s laughter. He was still struggling to hold back a grin. “Let’s not scare Nick too much, okay? I mean, it’s not like he’s gonna be celibate forever. Eventually, Lauren will take pity on him and give him a half-assed blowjob.”

“You’re right.” Brian nodded, his face still stretched into a massive, condescending smile. “He’ll just have to wait like three months.”

“More like six!” AJ interjected. He turned to Nick. “Take it from someone who knows, bro. You’re gonna be waiting for a while.”

“Ya’ll don’t know what’s gonna happen.” Nick flopped down into the empty chair next to Kevin and glared at each of his band-mates in turn. “Can we just lay down this track, please?”

“Not until Howie shows up.” Kevin immediately switched back into business-mode and checked his watch. “I can’t believe he’s late. Howie is never late.”

“He’s probably trapped under a mountain of snow.” Nick mumbled. “I bet he would have been on time if we were recording in sunny California.”

“I offered to fly to L.A. for the recording sessions.” Brian held up both of his hands in self-defense. He could hear the animosity behind Nick’s words. “Nobody forced you to come here.”

“Whatever.” Nick spun absently around in his chair in order to avoid having to look directly at Brian. He had already seen the flash of pain in the older man’s eyes, and he felt bad for hurting his feelings.

“Did you text Howie?” AJ could practically feel the tension building in the room. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Do you want me to try calling him?”

“If you want to.” Kevin shrugged. He discreetly widened his eyes in AJ’s direction to let him know that he, too, could sense the tension between Nick and Brian. “He didn’t answer any of my texts.”

“Maybe I’ll get lucky.” AJ quickly called up Howie’s contact information and raised his phone to his ear. “After all, he likes me better than you!”