Just Keep Moving Forward.

Author's note: I love sicfics, don't get me wrong but I wanted to switch things up a bit and be a bit steamy. So the beginning of this chapter is basically for my enjoyment haha. If you really want to you could probably skip it, but…why would you want to?

Keith had many fantasies about Damian, MANY fantasies about Damian. His favorite was the one that was almost believable except for one small detail….

It was years in the future. Keith and Damian shared a mansion somewhere warm and sunny. There were palm trees surrounding the property and a giant, crystal clear pool in the front yard. It was perfect. Keith checked himself in the mirror. He had come to terms with being in his thirties, it wasn't that hard of an adjustment when he looked this good. He stopped dying his hair blonde but with all the time he spends outside and in water it naturally lightened to a golden honey color. It was getting awfully long, about an inch past shoulder length. This was the first time he had been clean shaven in months and he was still adjusting to it. He may have looked a little tired at the moment, but that was because he had just finished his 6th solo album and months of rehearsing with Celtic Thunder, he never could leave the group. But, that was why he was going to enjoy these two weeks with Damian and after he was scheduled to perform on some late night talk show. Damian had left Glee long ago and had 3 successful solo albums out. He hadn't completely left acting behind. He had just completed filming the first season of a soap opera. Life was good. Keith had buffed up slightly and he was quite proud of the small black music note tattoo that had his initials on one side and Damian's initials on the other in gold ink in between his right thumb and pointer finger. Admittedly, it took him a little while to get used to it, but now he loved it. His two loves right there, music and Damian. He grabbed a towel and headed downstairs and out to the pool.

He saw the blur of Damian under the crystal blue water, his heart pounded and his yellow swimming trunks got ever so slightly tighter. When Damian came up for air he saw Keith standing there. He grinned and climbed out of the pool. His mid-twenties have been oh so kind to him. His lean frame had filled out. He had muscle bulges on his arms and legs and his stomach had formed a nice rock solid look. He hadn't managed a six pack yet, but he would. His matching tattoo glistened on his shoulder as he approached Keith. Damain's face had lost almost the entire baby-look but there was some left. The stubble on his face almost completely covered it up. Keith loved the way Damian looked in every single way. Damian's blue eyes sparkled as he pushed his long brown hair out of his face. It wasn't quite shoulder length yet but since it was wet it was ever so close to touching his shoulders. He tucked it behind his ears and said

"Well are you going to join me or just stand there and stare at me all day because if you are going to look at me you should at least let me strike a sexy pose first."

"Anything you do is sexy" Damian smiled. He pulled a black band off his wrist and tied his hair back. Keith loved the sexy little ponytail Damian had taken to wearing lately. A few strands hung on each side of his face.

"Come on let's go swimming" Keith tossed his towel on one of the lounge chairs next to Damian's. Damian walked to the edge of the pool and smiled. He looked back at Keith.

"You coming?" Keith smiled. He ran straight towards the pool and past Damian. As he ran past Damian he gave a quick tug on Damian's shorts. He jumped into the pool splashing Damian. When he surfaced he was laughing. Damian was standing there with his shorts down. He had really become more confident over the years. He struck a Hercules pose and laughed. He pulled his shorts up and jumped in the pool. " That was very sneaky." He said.

"I know"

"If you wanted to see me out of my shorts all you had to do was ask." Damian kissed Keith and they swam together for hours. Eventually Damian managed to get revenge on Keith by dunking him repeatedly and giving a nice tug on his shorts as well. They climbed out of the pool soaking and happy. Keith grabbed his towel and handed Damian his. They sat in lawn chairs. Damian ran his fingertips along Keith's arm.

"I love you"

"I love you too Damo."

"After all these years you still call me Damo."

"Of course" Damian continued to gently trail his fingers up and down Keith's arm.

"Remember when we were younger and we used to play all kinds of cat and mouse games and we would eventually wind up in each other's arms."

"Of course, good times." Keith grinned.

"Well screw that. I want you Harkin, I want you now." Damian moved on top of Keith. Lips crashed together like waves, hair was tousled, and sweat mixed with pool water to run down each heaving body. ….

If you wanted to skip the fluff you can start reading now…

But this time Keith's fantasy about Damian was much simpler. All he wanted was to hold Damian, hug him, and tell him he loved him.

"Harkin!" Keith's head snapped up. A giant mountain of a man was walking towards him.

"That's me." Keith breathed.

"You are scheduled for an appointment with the surgeon before breakfast."

"T-the surgeon? Why?"

"Remove those stitches and check up.'

"Oh okay" He started to get off the bed but before he could get up he felt his arms being hooked to his body and his feet being chained together.

"Get up" That was much easier said than done. With some struggling Keith managed to get up. "Move it" The mountain said and pushed Keith forward.

"W-where am I going?"

"Just keep moving forward."

Ryan's eyes snapped open. He felt a pressure on his stomach. He thought Neil had fallen asleep on him until Neil said

"Ryan babe what's wrong?" Neil was standing by the foot of the bed. It was dark but it looked like he was holding something. Ryan swallowed hard knowing full well what came next.

"Neil baby…" he heard Neil whisper something and thought he heard his name. Before he could continue Neil was right beside him.

"I'm right here Ryan."

"I…nothing." Ryan rolled on his side, curling into himself praying the queasy feeling would go away. He hated being sick. His sweaty hand gripped the sheet wishing it were a loving hand instead. Neil was sitting on the bed next to him in the blink of an eye.

"What is it baby?" Ryan wanted to tell Neil what was wrong, he wanted to tell him he felt like shit, but he couldn't there was a small voice stopping him.

"I…was wondering…what you are doing awake?"

"Damian was…having some troubles."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's…just…worried, I guess. I'll be right back babe." Neil got off the bed. Ryan's stomach cramped sharply and he let out a long, low moan. His hand squeezed the sheet his eyes squeezed shut. Something cold was on his forehead. His eyes opened, expecting Neil to be there. He saw the outline of someone standing over him. It looked too tall to be Neil.

"N-Nei-il?" Ryan moaned.

"It's me, Damian." Damian's voice sounded like he had a cold. "It's obvious you are sick and since Neil doesn't seem to want to do anything about it I will. I know how much you guys helped me when I was sick." Damian had a harshness in his tone that Ryan didn't like.

"Where did Neil go?"

"He said something about food and walked out of the room."

"But-he just told me he would be right back."

"I don't know, but don't worry about it." Damian sat on the bed across from Ryan and flipped the washcloth over on his head.

"Damian?"

"Yes Ryan?"

"I think I am going to throw up."

"That's okay." Damian stood up, walked around to Ryan's side of the bed. HE pulled Ryan to his feet. "Just keep moving forward."

Keith was scared out of his mind. Once he got to the surgeon he thought he would feel better. But when a group of giant men strapped his ankles and wrists to an operating table he felt worse.

"Ah Harkin, is it?" Keith's eyes widened. This face looked familiar. He felt like he had seen him before, but he couldn't place where. "My name is Dr. Forester, but most people call me Walter. I understand you don't like needles." Keith nodded. "Then, I am afraid you are going to be very afraid for the duration of this procedure." He pulled out a syringe. "For insurance reasons I can't put you to sleep completely. But never fear, your lip will be mostly numb." As the needle approached his lip Keith was reminded of the time his stitches ripped. There was no hand this time, there was no comforting voice, only a needle. "You are going to feel a slight pinch." Keith was fidgeting and fighting as much as possible. "Come now Mr. Harkin, I don't want to hurt you. This is for your own good."

"Keith, calm down." Keith stopped fighting. "It's me Cameron. Baby stop fighting him, it will be okay." Keith squeezed his eyes shut as the needle punctured his lip. He saw Cameron's face. Cameron's kind, sweet, concerned face. "I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I told you to trust your heart."

"I miss you so much Cam." Keith imagined himself saying.

"Come on now don't say that. You have Damian."

"Then why didn't I picture him?"

"I think that's a question you have to ask yourself. Oh and don't let Walter scare you. He may seem rough, but he holds no real power." Cameron smiled a small smile. "Bye Keith."

"No Cam, don't go-" but he was gone. Keith cautiously opened his eyes.

"All done" Walter said. "Now let's take these bandages off your arm and ribs okay?" Keith nodded. In a matter of minutes Keith looked like himself again, but he didn't feel like it.

Neil had to get out of the room. He felt terrible for leaving his friends in such vulnerable states, but he couldn't handle being the rock to both of them for that long. He had muttered something to Damian about Chinese food, but food was the last thing on his mind. Ryan was so sick and Damian was so sad. He knocked on George and Paul's room door. He knew it was late (or early) but he didn't care. The door creaked open. George was standing there, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"Neil? What is it? What's wrong?"

"George-I" How could he put it? He needed to get away from the people he cared about the most? He was a terrible person? "I just needed out of my room. Ryan is sick and Damian is reallyupsetand somehow Imanaged to be the rockforboth of them and I can't do it George I just can't do it it's not like I don't love them bothdearly but it wasjust toomuchfor me." Neil knew he was babbling.

"Come on in Neil." George said.

"I'm sorry to wake you up."

"Nah it's okay. I wasn't getting too much sleep anyway." Paul was snoring softly in one of the beds.

"At least Paul will be well rested…Where's Emmet?"

"On the couch. He refused to share a bed." Neil smiled.

"George?"

"Yes Neil?"

"Will things ever be back to normal?"

"I…don't know."

"What can we do?"

"Just keep moving forward, I guess and hope for the best. "