A pounding noise from the hotel room next door startled Brian. As he rolled over in bed, he opened his eyes to get acclimated to his surroundings. Rubbing the sleep from his face as he sat up, he glanced over and saw a lump in the bed, indicating that Nick was still sleeping.

Running a hand through his hair, Brian realized that he had one hell of a dream. It had seemed so real; Nick being Nick again, Kevin seeing Nick acting like himself.

Pinching the bridge of his nose to stop tears that pooled in his eyes, he wished it had been anything but a dream. Then again, AJ isn’t in the room….Nick sleeping…Kevin showing up sooner than expected….that was how his dream had started…..

“It could happen,” Brian softly said to himself as he tossed the covers aside as he made his way to stand and get up to walk to the get ready for the day.

Just as he walked out of the bathroom there was a knock on the door.

Shaking his head as he headed for the door Brian shook his head. .“This is dejavu. If it’s Kevin at the door I seriously will freak out.”

Instead of Kevin on the other side of the door, Brian felt his heart drop when he was met with AJ, holding a Dunkin Donuts bag and a carry out holder with three coffee cups.

“Did you lose your room card again?” Brian asked as he stepped aside to let him in.

“No, just couldn’t get the damn thing to get in sync with holding the coffee and the donuts. I tried like five times. Didn’t you hear me outside swearing?”

Brian grinned as a mental picture flashed in his head of AJ holding the bag with his teeth, juggling the coffee and failing on unlocking the door and cursing after the first attempt. “Nah, I was in the bathroom.”

“Gotcha. So the kid is still sleeping?” AJ asked with a nod of his head in the direction of the bed.

“Yeah.”

“He woke me up with his loud-assed snoring so I decided to go on a donut run. I brought back coffee and donuts.”

“I didn’t hear him snoring,” Brian said as he looked into the bag. “And you realize that you snore too.”

“Not as loud as he does! Besides, you weren’t sleeping next to him. How about we switch beds tonight?” AJ asked as he pulled a cup of coffee from the take out container.

“Kevin will be here tonight.”

AJ dumped four packets of sugar into his coffee and looked up at Brian. “Shit, that’s right. Why is Train dropping everything in California and flying back here?”

Brian shook his head. “I guess since Nicky was having a good day again, Kevin felt that he was missing out and wanted to be with him since he hasn’t seen Nick lucid.”

“I suppose that would make sense, but doesn’t he realize that Nick might not do this again for awhile,” AJ reminded.

“You know it may not ever happen again,” Brian added sadly.

“It will happen again,” AJ rasped as he struggled to keep his composure.

The loud talking woke Nick. Yawning, he stretched before he sat up.

Brian smiled at his younger brother. “Good morning Nick.”

AJ smiled and nodded. “Hey Kaos.”

The older men literally waited on pins and needles to see what ’Nick’ awoke.

“Mornin’,” the blonde said back softly.

“I brought back some coffee and donuts,” AJ remarked as he gestured with a hand toward the dresser top.

“Yuck, coffee?” Nick said as he stuck his tongue out for emphasis.

“You used to love coffee,” Brian replied sadly knowing the old Nick wasn’t there.

“I shudda gotten cocoa,” AJ said shaking his head. “I wasn’t thinking kiddo, I’m sorry.”

Brian gestured toward the bag. “You want a donut?”

Nick shrugged his shoulders. “What kind?”

“I got the basic donuts,” AJ rasped.

Padding over to the donut bag, Nick peered in. “No sprinkle ones?”

“Nope. They’re too messy and sugary,” AJ defended.

The young blonde raced back into the bed, drawing the covers up to his neck.

“You at least have to eat one, AJ brought back a dozen.”

“They don’t have sprinkles on them,” Nick pouted.

“Sprinkles only hide the essence of the true donut,” AJ defended. Ignoring Brian’s eye rolling at his remark, he added, “Try the chocolate one, I bet you’d like that.”

“Does it have frosting on it?”

Reaching into the bag, AJ plucked the donut out. “You’re in luck kid, this one actually has gooey chocolate frosting on it.”

“YIPEE,” Nick whooped as he jumped up and raced over toward AJ.

AJ smirked. “Little things excite the boy.” His face grew serious. “I’m sorry about the coffee, you sure you don’t want to try it? You used to drink a shit load of it back in the day.”

Nick looked at the containers. “I dunno.”

“If you dump a pile of sugar and creamer into one, I’m sure you’d like it.”

“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Brian replied. “How about you go down to the vending machines and see if you can find some type of juice for Nicky.”

AJ turned to face Brian. “Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?”

“Well, for one thing, coffee usually scalding hot.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Little kids don’t drink scalding hot beverages,” Brian continued.

“Nick isn’t a little kid—“

“Mentally he is,” Brian interrupted.

Nick could sense the tension in the air. “Please don’t fight about me! I’ll drink the coffee.”

Brian shook his head. “Nope, we’ll get you some juice to go with the donuts. Besides, if you’re not hooked on coffee, it’s a good thing to leave it that way.”

“But AJ said I used to drink a lot of coffee,” Nick protested.

“Yeah a shit load,” AJ agreed. “With tons of sugar and cream, never black.”

“And this is why Nick doesn’t need to get hooked on it again. He has had a weight issue all of his life. Why get him hooked on something he doesn’t need?”

Ignoring Brian’s comment, Nick looked toward the tattooed rebel. “Can I at least try some?”

AJ shook his head. “Nah, you don’t want to get me in trouble with big, bad Brian now, do you? Let’s go down and see what we can find in the vending machines. Just slip on some of these pajama pants and we can walk down there.”

“Hey, you can’t walk down there like that,” Brian said with a disgusted look on his face. “Nick, here’s a napkin, you have frosting all over face,” Brian said. “Did you get any donut in your mouth?”

“Of course I did. It was good!” Nick sing-songed his reply as he skipped toward the door where AJ stood.

“Shoes Nicky!” Brian called out after him.

“We’re just walking down the hall,” AJ argued.

“Then at least he could put on some socks,” Brian replied as he made his way toward Nick’s suitcase.

“Jesus Bri, when did you go all parental?”

“Someone has to be, I feel like I am taking care of two kids here.”

”I’m taking care of two kids,” AJ mocked causing Nick to snicker.

“C’mon Nick, put these on and you can go follow AJ.”

Tossing an irritated look at Brian, Nick took the white socks and sat on the edge of the bed, tugging them hastily over his feet.

“I’m ready! Let’s go!”

“Hopefully you won’t get lost,” Brian smirked.

“You wanna go with us?” Nick asked.

“Nah, I think you guys can handle it. Besides, Kevin might show up while you’re gone.”

AJ shook his head. “Doubt it…c’mon Nick your juice awaits.”

In a rare minute of being ‘parental-like’, Brian heard AJ yelling, “WALK! DON”T RUN NICK!” He shook his head, wondering if AJ woke up the entire fifth floor of the hotel. Brian could only smile as he picture the scene of the six foot two inch blonde running down the hall and AJ walking as fast as his short legs could carry him.

Nick was just being Nick, Brian decided. He always used to get excited over simple things. His smile faded when his mind drifted over to Nick. He missed his old friend.