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Author's Chapter Notes:
Beta readers and helping hands and minds: Cole, Linda and Bryan.
Linda and Cole thanks for the suggestions for this chapter. They've been a big help.
Happy Birthday Linda :)

Thanks to all the readers at absolutechaos.net who've given us such awesome feedback!
Robert watched his son get into his car and leave. As always when he saw his beautiful son he wished things had turned out differently in their lives.

-x-

Nick turned up the volume on Coldplay's song Green Eyes as he drove towards Corey's parents house. He still couldn't believe that Corey was going to get married soon. If anyone deserved a calm and happy life after the tug of war that his childhood had been it was Corey.

-x-

Blonde hair pushed out from under a white comforter when a loud wailing sound rang through the room. Nick groaned and pushed himself up a little so that he could reach his bedside table. He rubbed his cheek on the soft pillow happy it was there so that he could knock his clock off the table while resting.

He frowned when his hand didn't encounter the clock as expected. Whimpering he slowly turned his head and looked at the table where sure enough his clock wasn't there. Remembering how he'd kept the clock and his cell out of arm's reach so that he wouldn't be able to break them into silence he looked at the desk in his room and sighed. By now he'd already expected to see his phone vibrating along the table while Corey's voice laughed and yelled at him to wake up. He wondered for the millionth time if it had been a good idea to urge Corey to record that for him.

"At least I wake up with it. Lord knows how many classes I'd have missed otherwise," he thought with a sigh while lazily hauling himself out of bed.

Turning the alarm off he tossed the phone back on the couch without checking any of his messages and shuffled into the bathroom for a shower.

Twenty minutes later Nick turned off the shower while thinking about the previous day. Breakfast with Corey hadn't gone perfectly but it hadn't been a disaster either. He felt guilty for not having thought about how crazy Corey's parents must have been driving him. Corey had been putting up a good front ever since his parents began introducing him to men they thought would be a good match for him. Nick himself hadn't pressed him too much to know how upset he had been when Matt and he had been newly engaged.

He vowed to do whatever he could to run interference with Corey's parents, both sets of them so that at least they'd spare the poor guy the agony of having to please his parents and step parents while trying to enjoy his wedding.


-x-

Matt rang the doorbell to Corey's apartment. While waiting for the door to be opened he glanced at his watch knowing that he was early. He turned his attention back in front of him when he heard the door being opened.

"Morning," Corey said softly while stepping back to let him enter.

"Good morning," Matt said while entering.

He smiled and slowly slid his arm around Corey's waist before lowering his head to brush his lips against his fiance's. Corey sighed and pressed his forehead against Matt's.

"What time will Kyle be here?" Matt asked while carding his fingers through Corey's hair.

"In a half hour or so. You're early," he said.

"I got you some breakfast," Matt said.

Corey smiled, "Is your mother still trying to fatten me up?"

Matt chuckled, "That she is my love. She insists you've lost weight and need to eat good food."

Corey shook his head as they walked towards the kitchen. Matt set down the bag he was carrying and grabbed some plates while Corey began making coffee.

"There's no need for that. I have coffee too," Matt said and held out a cup of coffee to Corey.

"You've thought of everything huh," Corey said.

"Yup. Now you just sit there and eat," Matt said while gently pushing Corey to sit and sliding three plates into the microwave.

Corey's eyes widened when he saw what was on the plates Matt set in front of him.

"Are you crazy? I can't eat all this Matt!"

"Of course you can. You just open your mouth and chew it," Matt said.

Corey started to stand up when he heard the doorbell but Matt stopped him.

"You just sit there, I'll get the door," he said while walking away.

Corey shook his head while frowning at the food in front of him.

Matt opened the door and smiled at the man standing in front of him. "Good morning Nickolas."

Nick smiled, "Good morning Matthew."

Both shook their heads before Matt stepped back so that Nick could enter.

"Where's Core?" Nick asked.

"Kitchen," Matt said while following Nick.

Nick entered the kitchen to see Corey frowning at the goodies on the table. "Whoa, yum! Who do I have to thank for all this?"

Nick asked while bending down to kiss Corey's cheek. He wrapped his arms around Corey's neck from behind and rested his chin on Corey's shoulder.

"That would be my mother," Matt said while sitting down across from Corey and Nick. "Now if Corey would just eat some of it I'd be a happy man."

"I can't!" Corey said.

Nick broke off a small piece of cinnamon roll and pressed it against Corey's lips, "Eat."

Corey reluctantly opened his mouth and ate it. Nick turned his head and whispered in Corey's ear, "You aren't going to look bad on your wedding day Core. Trust me. Your parents don't know what the hell they're talking about. If anything you need to gain some weight cause you look all skin and bones right now."

Corey looked at Nick and saw the truth in his eyes that he was seeing everyday in the mirror and nodded his head. Nick
brushed his lips against Corey's and took a seat between Matt and him.

Nick smiled, "So what's on the agenda with the planner today?"

Matt took Nick's cue, "We have to go over menu plans and finalize the seating arrangement and other minor details. We can try to get you as caught up on the plans as possible until the planner gets here."

Corey licked his lips to catch any stray cinnamon power that was stuck on his lips, "He doesn't need to be caught up."

Matt looked at Corey with a frown, "He's your best man, he should at least know the basics of what's going to happen as a run up to the ceremony and during and after it."

Corey smiled, "He already knows everything Matt."

Matt looked between Corey and Nick in surprise.

Corey laughed, "He's my best friend Matt. I've been telling him everything that's been discussed about the wedding from day one."

Nick had by then pulled out a red book with gold lettering. Matt could clearly see the words 'Matthew and Corey's wedding' across the front cover.

Matt looked at Nick with a new air of respect, "Where do you find the time Nick?"

Nick shrugged and smiled, "I find time for the important things in life."

After coaxing Corey into eating until they were satisfied Matt and Nick moved out of the kitchen while Corey went to answer the doorbell. Matt and Nick stood up when they saw Corey walk towards them with Kyle Simmons their wedding planner.

"Morning Kyle," Matt said while shaking Kyle's hand.

Kyle smiled, "Morning Matt."

Matt smiled and put his hand on Nick's back, "Allow me to introduce Nick Carter, Corey's best friend."

Kyle's eyes widened, "Nick! Nice to finally meet you in person."

Nick laughed and shook Kyle's hand, "Likewise Kyle. I see your cough is better. Your voice is almost back to normal."

Matt blinked and looked from Kyle to Nick to Corey.

Corey grinned, "They've been in touch since we decided to go with Kyle's as our planner for the wedding."

Matt shook his head with a chuckle.

-x-

After an hour Corey sat back with a happy sigh, glad that the decisions were flowing quickly. He looked at two of his favorite people in the world as they sat with their heads together looking through pictures of cakes. With a smile he joined them when they started pointing out certain ones that they liked to him.