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AJ sat in the empty hotel café eating a slice of toast and downing a cup of black coffee. He enjoyed these quite times where he was not being pulled in five hundred directions. Since beginning to tour he felt like he couldn't catch a quiet moment alone to breathe. It seemed like during every long hiatus they took before touring again was just long enough for him to forget how hard it was to get back in the swing of things, but here they were beginning to start another world tour. Even though they left him exhausted and on the road for months on end he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. He thanked the waiter as he filled his coffee cup for the third time. He would definitely need the caffeine today. He had managed to get roughly an hour sleep before he had to be back up and ready to go again for their telephone interview. He hated early morning interviews. After he had called in and did his part of the interview he decided to get some coffee and something to eat.

He sat his coffee cup down on the table just as Nick slide into the chair across from him. Nick reached over and grabbed one of the remaining slices of toast off of AJ's plate and happily munched away, pleased with himself for grabbing it before AJ slapped him.

"No Nick, I wasn't eating that." AJ barked sarcastically rolling his eyes.

"You look like shit J," Nick said wiping the crumbs of toast off of his shirt and lap.

"Thanks Captain Obvious," AJ said uncomfortably shifting in his seat. "I didn't sleep so well last night."

Nick studied him for a long moment before continuing. "Everything alright J?"

"Yes Nick. I'm fine. No I'm not drinking and No I don't want to talk about it." AJ mouthed off angrily before he could help himself.

Nick slunk back in his seat, hurt. He lowered his eyes to study a stain on the floor and tried not to focus on AJ's hurtful words. He wasn't trying to be a pain, honest, he was just concerned. He hated seeing AJ so defeated. He looked so, so broken and alone.

AJ sighed loudly. "I'm sorry Nick. I'm just a little on edge is all. I didn't mean to take it all out on you. None of it is your fault."

Nick sat in silence for a moment before nodding his head, accepting AJ's apology. The two men sat quietly eating their toast. Before long they were joined by the other two remaining members of the group. Brian sat next to Nick, ignoring AJ completely. AJ watched him for a moment and then shifted his attention to the story that Howie was trying to tell him. AJ tried to ignore the quickening of his heart as Brian at down. He shouldn't be scared of Brian, he shouldn't feel the things he did, but he also couldn't help it.

Brian focused on messing with Nick, trying to annoy him by poking him in the side. He knew that drove Nick crazy. He did everything he could think of to keep from focusing on AJ. He felt like shit for what had happened the night before. His actions were seared into his memory. He could not believe that he allowed himself to behave that way, and at the same time he felt like it was a little bit of AJ's fault as well. He never told him no until the very end and by that time Brian had managed to convince himself that AJ really didn't mean it, that it would be like all the other times.

Maybe this was something that he should tell Leighanne; get it out in the open. Maybe then he wouldn't feel so horribly about himself. But he couldn't do that. One word of it from his mouth and he knew Leighanne would be gone and he didn't want that. He loved her. He knew he didn't portray that to the other guys that much, and but he loved her with every fiber of his being and he would do everything in his power to make her happy. It broke his heart that she had cancelled on him at the last minute and he had just snapped. He drunk way more than he should have and AJ had paid the consequences for everyone's actions, but still he couldn't make himself feel badly enough to apologize to the younger man.

Brian's cell phone rand amidst his trying to torment Nick. He quickly dug in his pocket trying to find it before it stopped ringing.

AJ watched Brian's face out of the corner of his eye. He knew exactly who it was. He tried hard to listen to Howie go on and on about his newest real estate endeavor but he just couldn't seem to focus on a word that Howie was saying. He stared at his poor friend's face and watched his lips move but not processing the words that he was saying.

Brian jumped up from the table almost knocking Nick's coffee over in his rush to the lobby. Leighanne's phone call had sparked a new interest in Brian. He couldn't believe she was really coming! He was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He had missed her so much. He couldn't wait until she was back in his arms again, where she was supposed to be. She had hopped onto a plane and would be arriving at the hotel in a matter of minutes. He didn't even bother to try to think of what had happened to make her change her mind; he was simply thrilled that she had decided to come visit after all. He was so excited he could barely contain himself. He had missed her so terribly. They had been apart for the entire two weeks that the boys had been in rehearsals, preparing for their new tour. He wondered however how long she would stay.

He waited impatiently for a few moments, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, not being able to stand still. He heard the doors whoosh open and a loud uproar. He tried to see but didn't want to come out from behind his bodyguard until he knew for sure it was Leigh. The fans were not allowed into the hotel lobby but he was still scared that they would try to rush the doors. He could see them all lined up outside and was thankful that they would not be leaving until later that evening.

His smile grew as he say Leighanne make her way towards him. He rushed towards her and swooped her up in his arms holding her close. He breathed in her scent and relished in the fact that he had made it this long without her. God how he missed her. She allowed him to hug her for a moment longer before shrugging him off of her and handing him her bags.

"Lets' not cause a scene dear, "She said fluffing her hair out.

Brian looked at her hurt for a moment before nodding. He handed her bags to his bodyguard and instructed him to place them in his hotel room. He quietly took her hand and led her back to the table where the other guys were still eating breakfast.

Nick looked up and smiled at them as Brian and Leighanne came back to the table. Nick looked back over at AJ as they sat down, fully prepared to ask this time for another slice of toast. He had learned his lesson. He would never take without asking again. He was taken aback by the death glare that AJ was sending in his general direction. He looked around the table before realizing the others were oblivious to AJ's dirty looks. He pondered for a moment almost hurt before he noticed that the looks were not directed at him but at Brian and Leighanne. Nick thought for a moment, trying to understand the anger that AJ was directing at them. Nick racked his brain trying to figure out if AJ and Brian had gotten into an argument recently. He could not think of anything but made a mental note of it so he could figure it out later. He continued to study AJ as he nervously pushed his coffee cup back and forth on the table.

AJ never spoke but continued to keep his gaze fixed on the coffee cup. He tried not to focus on the happy couple sitting in front of him. He tried to ignore the pain he felt by his love, his lover sitting there hanging all over his wife. He knew being jealous and hurt was his own fault but he just couldn't stop the emotions from grabbing hold. His heart was breaking all over again.

He glanced up and caught Nick's curious gaze. He swallowed hard and shifted in his seat so he wouldn't have to look at Nick either. This breakfast was beginning to get a little old. He would have to be more careful around the other guys or they would start to suspect something was going on, something more than some petty little argument. If he didn't watch himself then they might start to figure out that AJ's feelings weren't exactly all that friendly. He downed what was left of his coffee and stood up, pushing himself away from the table.

"See you guys later," He said. "I'm going to go take a nap before we have to leave again." He stretched for good measure and walked quickly away towards the elevators.

Nick waited until he was sure that AJ was gone before he spoke. "What's going on with J, Rok?" Nick asked seriously.

"How should I know?" Brian mumbled before going back to his conversation with Leighanne.

Howie glanced at Brian curiously. He had noticed AJ's desperate attitude and was glad Nick had picked up on it too. "Well you two have been attached at the hip for quite some time Bri," Howie said gently. Nick looked at Brian carefully and tried to push back the nagging feeling that Brian was lying right to their faces. He wasn't sure what was going on with his two friends but whatever it was Nick had a sinking feeling that it was something serious. Whatever it was he was determined to find out what was going on.