"What's wrong with ye'?" George asked snapping me back te' reality. I shook my head quickly side te' side, te' see he was talking te' me.
"Nothin' just thinking." I shruged through the lie, nobody could know what I was really thinking especially if what I was thinking about was in the van. I was sitting in the back of the van with Neil on me' left side. Ryan and Emmett were longued across the second row of seats while Keith rode shot gun with George driving.
"Just checkin' to see if ye' were alive. Ye' have been very quiet." His observation made both Neil and Emmett look at me, Ryan was to entice by his phone to notice and Keith seemed te' be sleepin'.The sun had gone down so the world painted in a dark shade making me very tired. "I'm fine." I said turning me' attention back out the window of the van. Time slipped by us, as Neil, Emmett, and George exchanged small talk which eventually caught Ryan's attention, pulling him from his phone, as the same thoughts kept circling around in me' head. Finally we arrived at our hotel.
"Damn, we did ye' have te' pick a studio so far away from where we're staying?" Ryan asked getting out of the van streching his muscles, making several cracks. As a very sleepy Keith was reluctant to get out, but did slowly. Emmett, Neil, and I filed out after Ryan, Emmett chuckling at the sleepy Keith's obvious lack of balance, because he fell as he tried to put enough force into his door to close it.
"Com'on." Emmett helped Keith up from the ground as Neil closed the van door behind me. George rounded the front of the van and closed Keith's door for him.
"It's not me' fault." George barked back te' Ryan as he made his way through our small group. "Got a problem? Take it up with Sharon." The idea scared all of us, so I can't image how Ryan must have felt. Instead of arguing he fell back to walk next te' Neil and I. Emmett and Keith walked in front of us, Keith occasionally bumping into Emmett ,and Emmett had to stablize him. Once we made our way into the lobby of the hotel George dismissed us with a shrug of his shoulder saying: "I will sign us in, get Keith te' bed before he collaspes."
So we quickly made our way to the elevator, and found one empty. As Emmett pressed our floor number Keith leaned back into the back corner as Neil leaned his head against Ryan's shoulder. Emmett and I stood in front of our little group just watching the numbers slowly pass us by, one at a time. The bell dinged te' annouce our arrival te' our floor. Keith just followed Emmett and I ,occasionaly bumping into one of us, as Neil gently laced his and Ryan's hand together. Ryan and Neil had been together for longer then I could remember ,but only when they were alone or in front of us did the ever show affection to each other. Only recently did they get comfrontable being together in front of the rest of the band and our crew emembers.
"Good night, guys." Neil and Ryan said as they got te' their room.
"Night." Emmett and I responded as the disapeared behind their door. I lightly grabbed Keith's selvee and lead him to the room we were suppose to share. "Night, Emmett." I said as he contunied on, te' find his room that he was sharing with George. Keith leaned against the wall as I pulled out the key for the room, trying to unlock it as fast as I could ,causing me te' drop it once. As expected, once we were in the room Keith threw himself on his bed and was out like a light while I stopped te' take me' shoes off then I changed into me' sleeping clothes. Keith rolled over te' lay on his back and tried te' kick off his shoes as I put me' dirty clothes on the pile of things we needed washed. I chuckled and decided te' throw him a bone. I quickly un-tied his converse for him and pulled them off as he fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. I set Kieth's shoes by mine as he took of his button down exposing his baren chest, which could put a grizzly bear to shame easily. Ever since Paul left I had been usually spending nights sharing a room with Keith and most nights all Kieth would wear to bed was his favorite pair of boxers often joking about how his real father was probably a bear ,because of all the hair he had on his head and chest. Also Keith would tease me about how me' idea of sleeping clothes were, a pair of cloth pants and a long selvee shirt to match ,because he said I was a 'good-looking guy and should show ye' self off'. I pulled his shirt off the bed and added it to the pile of clothes as he slowly but surely pulled off his belt and jeans.
"Thanks, Damo." Keith whispered lightly as I threw his belt onto his suitcase and jeans into the pile with his socks. There was a gentle knock on the door ,and I quickly got there before they could knock again not wanting Keith to wake up. I opened the door ,just enough te' see who was there but not enough for them to see inside, to see George standing there with a black piece of leather in his hand.
"Keith forgot this in the van." George handed me Keith's wallet and nodded as he spoke. "Please give it back to him."
"Of course." I responded as I looked over the fine black leather. We exchange good night's and he was off. I closed the door quietly and shut out the light so I could get some sleep, but before I made me' move from the door I heard something drop by me' foot. I didn't want to turn on the main light so I pulled me' phone out of me' pocket and used the light on that te' see what I dropped. At first I couldn't tell what it was, I could tell it was thin and seemed to be foil, then as I put the light closer to it I realized it was blue and upon further inspection had a little white helmet on it. It had to have fallen from Keith's wallet I thought in my head as my cheeks flushed in the dark. I quickly put it back in his wallet as the thought hit me, he carries one with him at all times? This idea for some reason stuck on me' head as I put Keith's wallet on his suitcase and crawl into me' bed. Luckily I was exhausted so I fell asleep quickly into a deep sleep, dreamless and empty.
The sun peeked through the window and straight onto me' eyes forcing to wake up. I quietly got up from the bed and quickly looked at me' phone to check the time, 8:31 AM, perfect! I quickly got changed into me' running clothes (a pair of blue nylon shorts and a grey t-shirt) ,put on me' running shoes and left Keith te' sleep in peace. As I was hoping Ryan was waiting (also in running clothes) by his room door.
"Hey, I didn't think ye' were coming." Ryan looked up from his phone. I rolled me' eyes because I normaly would try te' get up earlier so I could run with Ryan around whatever town we were in. "You look like you slept well." I commented as we headed for the elevator. Ryan seemed preticularly...chip.
"I did and I did some stuff I needed te' get done before I left." A smile played across his lips as we got into the elevator.
"Stuff? Or Neil?" I ask as I press the ground floor button.
"Neil, but I just tryin' to embaress ye', little Damo." Ryan said with a laugh as he spoke me' name with a childish voice. "Do ye' remember when you first found out about Neil and I?"
"How could I forget? I said as I leaned against the side of the elevator. "It was me' fifteenith birthday. Neil gave me some hot chocolate that had cooled down, so I took a big drink."
"Then I came up and kissed his neck and you coated Paul in hot chocolate. Funniest thing I ever seen." We laughed in harmony at the memory that was a great time. "Hey, Ryan...?" I felt a little awkward asking this ,but...
"Yeah." The floor bell dinged and we began our walk te' the door of the hotel.
"How did ye' know, ye' were gay?" I didn't want te' offend him ,but I had been wondering. Ryan didn't seem te'take offence as we made our way outside and began our jog.
"That's what ye' were thinking about yesterday?" He asked as he began to chuckled. I nodded as we turned a corner keeping ourselves on the sidewalks. "Well, for me it was Neil. Before him I was in a dark place ,because I just wasn't attracted te' girls at all so every family reunion when me' parents were asking me wheather I had found a girl or not, I felt like such a dissapointment. So I took up drinking...a lot te' keep me' mind off of it. I manage to clean up a little bit before joining Celtic Thunder,enough to pass as decent , but I was still in a very dark place. Then he was just there. I became friends with him ,nothing romantic, then one day he came to me' room when George had went out ,and caught me drinking and surronded by a cases of empty bottles. I won't bore ye' with the details, but he told me I was above drinking ,and that I mattered te' him. He stood up te' leave ,and for some reason I grabbed his wrist and kinda force-kissed him. At first I was just drunk but from that day on I knew I wasn't attracted to anybody else ,but Neil ,and for some reason he decided to actualy care about a loser like me." He smiled as he painted the memories for me. "See, I don't like te' think of me'self as gay. I just like te' think that Neil is the only person in the world that truely gets me , makes me happy, and looks amazing soaking wet in a towel." Ryan laughed as the point of his little speech made it's way into me' head. we made our way down the third blockwhen he asked: "Can I ask who it is?" "What?" I was kinda confused. "The guy that's making you question? Who is it?" Ryan kept his eyes forward but was glancing te' look at me every so often.
"Can I figure this out for me'self first?" I almost tripped as I spoke. We passed a woman carrying a shopping bag full of stuff.
"Sure..." We contuined down the sidewalk in silence the thoughts running over and over in me' head. Then suddenly Ryan stopped.
"Hello?" Ryan asked I stopped jogging to see if he ws talking to me. "Yeah what's up babe?" Ryan was speaking into the reciever of his phone "Okay I'll make sure. Talk te' ya' later babe, Love ya'." Ryan hung up and turned to face me.
"Neil call?" I rested my hands in my pockets while sweat trickled down my shirt.
"Yeah, everybody is going te' get lunch so I think we should go back and join them ,because I'm starting to get hungry." I agree'd and we ran back in silence having a silent race , I ended up winning. As we walked into the hotel Ryan and I saw that Neil, Emmett, and George were waiting in the lobby for us.
"Have a nice run?" Neil asked as he looked up from his book he was reading.
"Yea', Damo almost outran me here." Ryan laughed and pressed a quick kiss on Neil's forehead. Neil gave him a bit of a surprised look ,because Ryan never usualy kissed him in public, but Ryan just gave him a sweet smile.
"Well, both of you hurry up and go get ye'r selves cleaned up. I'm starving." Emmett said as George was talking te' an and I nodded in agreement and made our way te' the stairs ,because neither of us wanted te' share an elevator ride after we just ran. I made me' way to me' room and slowly opened the door, not real sure if Keith was awake or not. I was greeted by the sight of seeing Keith looking through his suitcase trying te' find something, a pair of me' clothes were already laid out by the bathroom door.
"Hey, Damo, I got into ye'r suitcase and left some clothes by the bathroom for ye'." Keith pulled on a pair of light tan shorts and a light blue button-down.
"Thanks Keith." I thanked him as I made sure he left everything I needed by the door. I took a shower as fast as I could because I could feel me' hunger starting to enter me' mind. Once I got out I quickly got ready putting on the jean shorts and t-shirt Keith got out for me along with me' socks and shoes before somebody pounded on me' door.
"Damo, hurry up!" I was shocked te' hear Ryan's voice. I opened the door and made sure I had me' key te' the room and me' phone.
"Let's go." I closed the door and made sure it was locked then we started towards the elevator. Once we were in the lobby we found that everybody was waiting, Emmett was drumming his fingers along his chair as everyone else seemed to keep calm, but you could see the hunger starting te' sink in..
"I was thinking that we could try the pizza place we saw near the beach when we first got here. Every allright with that?" George began te' lead our little convoy out of the hotel, Emmett only click of his heels away from him. We all nodded and agree'd.
Once we got to the restuarant Emmett was completely silent and boiling over in a hunger rage. So we asked the server te' give us a table so we could see the beach and requested that they brought a small plate of breadsticks or else Emmett might go on a killing spree.
"Hello. My name's Cameron I will be your server today." He set down the plate of bread in front of Emmett and he started eating immediatly. I sat against the wall with Ryan on me' left side, and next to Ryan was Emmett while Keith was against the wall on the opposite side next to Neil then with George across from Emmett. Our server had blonde hair that was styled very perticularly with thick frame glasses. "What would like to drink?"
"He's cute." Ryan whispered into my ear after Cameron was done talking. I shook my head and lightly shove him off as he began to laugh quietly to himself I could feel my cheeks flush a little.
"shut up."I growled back as I ordered me' drink. After Cameron took all our orders he left our table and my eyes fell onto to Keith who was sitting across from me."What?" I asked as his crystal eyes seemed te' follow mine. I was never able te' quite find one color te' call his eyes, but the best word I had was beautiful.
"Nothing." Keith deflected as he turned his attention te' the table.
"Hey ,Damo, Look at this." Neil pulled me from watching Keith te' something by the beach. Lunch past quickly and without anything really eventfull.
"Let's go simming at beach." Ryan said as we left the restaurant the sun was still high in the sky.
"Okay." Neil, Keith and I agree'd happily as we got into the van. Once we got to the hotel George decided to speak up his disagreement:
"I'm not going so, Ryan, you can drive." He tossed the keys to Ryan as Emmett nodded in agreement. Ryan caught them with ease and was seemingly bouncing with excitement. Ryan and Neil dissapeared into their room to change as George and Emmett waited in the lobby. Keith followed me te' our room with a smile on his face, he was excited te' get back in the water ,because the sea was most of his life if not I shifted through me' things Keith pulled out to options for his swim suit and asked:
"Green trunks or blue speedo." I turned faster then a dime to see if he was actualy serious and lo' an' behold he was. Thoughts and idea's flodded me' mind. What would Keith look like it a speedo? Severaly very dirty images popped it me' head. The biggest reason why I hated being a eighteen year old, was because me' hormonoes were always crazy. I grabbed me' swim trunks and quickly got into the bathroom before Keith noticed the sudden tightness of me' shorts.
"Trunks." I responded as I closed the door. I laid me' head on the back of the door as me' back slid down it till I was sitting on the floor. I hated this. I hated being a hormonal teenager espically when I was sharing me' room with the hottest guy on Earth. I was in love with Keith, had been since I joined Celtic Thunder ,but It wasn't until Paul left that I noticed I actualy really loved him. I sat there a minute waiting for the arching hardness in me' shorts to go away then I was greeted by a bang on the door.
"Ye' coming?" His voice was almost like velvet with the perfect amount of roughness to be heard.
"Yeah, one minute." Could I really spend the rest of the day seeing Keith soaking wet and not give me' secret away? I didn't know ,and was kinda scared to find out.
