The six USA men's team members stopped talking as someone stepped up to them. He looked at them all closely before turning to the one on the far right.

"You must be Austin."

Austin was confused. He didn't think he knew this guy and he never got male groupies unless they were gymnasts too. And this guy didn't look like a gymnast. It took a minute before recognition set in.

"Damon Young." Damon nodded in confirmation. "I can't believe I didn't recognize you. I saw you in Paris when you opened for Green Day. You were amazing."

"Thanks." Damon said with a genuine smile. "That was probably my favorite and least favorite show.

The other five made confused noises but Austin nodded in understanding.

"That was also the night I met Emily Kmetko." Austin said with a smile. "And she talks about you enough that I feel like I already know you."

"I know what you mean." Damon agreed. "If I wasn't so sure that she loves me as much as I love her, I might be jealous."

Austin laughed. "Not that I'm not happy to meet you, but what are you doing here? I thought Emily said you couldn't make it."

"I didn't think I could." Damon took a deep breath as a look of extreme pain crossed his face. "After the whole Kaylie thing I've been practically living in the studio trying to get the album done. I'm not supposed to be done for another three weeks but I finished, and with two more songs than originally planned. My label loved it so much they decided to say thank you by flying me down here."

Austin sighed, his best friend/brotherly instincts kicking in. "I know how it feels to get caught up in a Kaylie mess." He paused, his eyes turning hard. "But I still feel the need to pummel you for hurting my baby sister. You know she spend a week in my bed, crying herself to sleep every night, right?"

Damon nodded stiffly, pain haunting his eyes. "And she says she forgives me but I'm still working on deserving her forgiveness." Austin nodded his approval of these words. "And if I thought she wouldn't get pissed at both of us, I would let you pummel me. But I'm trying to stay in her good graces. I don't know how she's going to take me showing up here."

"Dude, she'll be thrilled." Austin stared at him before a mischievous smile appeared on his face and he shared a conspiratorial smile with Max, the only one of the others that hadn't gone back to their earlier conversation. "So . . . how opposed are you to semi-nudity?"

Damon gave him a look that clearly said 'You're crazy' before asking "Who's getting naked?"

"You, of course." Austin replied as he rummaged around in his bag for the extra paint they had brought.

"I'm okay with that." Damon said, discarding his leather jacket and reaching for the hem of his t-shirt. He paused in pulling it over his head before looking at Austin and saying in a mock-serious voice. "As long as you keep your hands to yourself Tucker. I'm an unavailable man."

Max laughed and spoke for the first time. "You don't have to worry. He's hoping to become unavailable himself very soon." Austin glared at Max before turning away from them. "Oh look! I didn't know the Great Austin Tucker was still able to blush."

Damon was confused for a minute before he took in the carefully drawn number 1 on Austin's chest and the way his eyes lingered on the serious blonde on the floor talking to Emily. Anger rushed through him as he thought about what he knew of Austin's reputation in comparison to the innocence that surrounded the girl he'd grown close to.

But as he opened his mouth to tell Austin to back off he saw something that made him stop. The look in his eyes as he watched Payson warming up her floor routine was extremely familiar. It was in his eyes when he met Emily. It was an odd mix of longing, hope, disappointment, lust, respect, awe, curiosity, reverence, protectiveness and pure infatuation. And it seemed that Payson, like Emily before her, was completely oblivious to it. So instead of threatening he reigned in his instincts and went for a light warning.

"You know all those protective feelings you have towards Emily?" Damon waited for Austin to tear his eyes away from the floor and look at him before he continued. "I have all of those for Payson. I feel the deep seated need to protect her from all the things that she's naïve about because she ignores them to train."

He broke off but Austin had no trouble catching the implication. "Like guys." It wasn't a question. More like an acknowledgement that he knew how innocent she was.

"Especially guys with reputations." The two locked eyes and came to an understanding. Each boy would do his best to protect the others girl from everything, even if it meant protecting them from the other.

"So now that that's taken care of . . . Let's proceed with the nakedness." Max declared loudly, lightening the moment.

Damon and Austin laughed and Austin pulled the last of the paint out of his bag as Damon whipped off his shirt. They still had another hour before the meet would start so they took their time on Damon's body paint. Max was the most artistic so he took the lead.

A large 3 was painted on his abs and Emily was written in large letters across his chest. While Max was doing that Austin was busy painting his arms, sides and face blue.

"You want to say anything to her on your back?" Max asked. Damon looked confused so the five guys he could see turned around to show him their backs. Each one had a different short message to their designated girl. "Rock on Kaylie" "Kelly for Gold" "Stick it Andrea" "The Lauren Sizzle". He looked at Max and had so smile at the one word written in clear letters. "Trust". He knew how much that one word would help her. Damon turned to Austin, the only one who hadn't turned around, and arched an eyebrow. Austin sighed and turned. Damon was surprised to see the words "Beauty AND Brawn" inscribed carefully on his muscled back. He knew Austin hadn't been at The Rock at the time of the fashion show but obviously someone had told him and Damon was glad. Even as focused on Emily as he had been, Damon had noticed how amazing Payson had looked. He felt better knowing Austin saw and enjoyed both sides of Payson.

Austin went back to painting the rest of his chest as he thought. There was only one thing he wanted to tell Emily. "Will you put 'I love you'?"

Max smiled and picked up the paint brush. Emily had told him how much loved hearing Damon say those words and now he was going to tell the world. She was going to be ecstatic.

He finished with the white letters and helped Austin cover the rest of Damon's skin in blue. Austin grabbed a little bottle of red and a small brush. He wrote Team down Damon's right arm and USA down the left. Then he gave him red dashes under his eyes like the black football paint. Max handed him a small American flag that they were all using as bandanas. The guys studied him and declared him ready but they still had almost a half hour to go. They sat and talked, mostly about music, not really paying attention to what was going on down on the floor until Austin visibly stiffened.

Damon and Max looked at him to see what was wrong but he was staring off to the side by the beam, a furious look on his face. They followed his line of vision and immediately knew what was wrong.
Ellen Beals was standing by Payson and Emily wearing a smug bitchy smile while the girls visibly fumed. Payson was clenching and unclenching her fists and Austin would have laughed if he wasn't so enraged. Payson looked like it was taking everything in her to not punch Beals right in the nose.

There was nothing remotely amusing about Emily though. The boys could see her trembling from where they sat and Damon knew she was giving it everything she could not to cry.

That was it for Austin, he'd seen enough.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING THAT YOU RECOGNIZE.

Sorry for the delay in updates but I have no internet access so I'm catching up on my writing and hopefully will get the chance to update soon.