Pairing(s): Nick/Kevin Chapters: 1 Completed: Yes Originally Published:9/16/2021 **Direct sequel to 014. Green - Glimpses of Green**
Navy
a dark grayish purplish blue
a fleet of ships.
Kevin tried hard to focus on what the lighting technician was telling him but his gaze and attention kept slipping to the blonde banging around on the drums in the center of the stage. Nick's hair kept falling into his eyes as he banged and thrashed his head to the beat of the music he was tapping out and Kevin's fingers itched to brush it back from his forehead. He wondered if the golden strands would feel as soft as he was imagining if he rolled them through his fingertips. If his eyes were as deeply navy blue as he had always imagined when he was turned on. Kevin felt himself stir and knew he had to change his line of thinking quickly. He blinked a couple of times and then forced his attention back to the matter at hand. The broken stage light.
"Can a replacement bulb be ordered?" he felt himself ask.
All the lighting was their own, traveling with them from venue to venue. They had discovered quite a long time ago that they couldn't trust venues to carry everything they needed, so they had invested in their own equipment. A worthwhile investment for sure. But now there was a broken light and from what Larry, the technician was telling him, it would be days before they could get the necessary part to fix it.
"Can you take one of the lights from the back or the side of the show and rotate them so it's not so obvious that we are one light down?" Kevin asked, his eyes trailing again.
This time Nick had cracked open a bottle of water and was drinking from it greedily. Kevin would give anything to know what it felt like to have those ruby red lips wrapped around him. He groaned slightly and realized he'd made the noise out loud, blushed and made sure to move his attention back to Larry.
"Sorry, I'm not feeling well. My stomach is a mess." Kevin mumbled, hoping his explanation was good enough to ease the suspicious look the older man was giving him.
Larry nodded and went back to explaining the best course of action for the lights. Kevin listened as intently as he could and made sure to nod in all the right places. A few minutes later the conversation was done and Kevin found himself standing alone on the side of the stage. From this angle, he could watch Nick all he wanted and not have to worry at all about the other man seeing.
Nick was really getting into it now. Working the drums and the cymbals. He was playing a beat that Kevin had never heard before but he found it intriguing. He loved the way it made Nick's face light up as he played and really loved the enthusiasm he showed for the piece. Nick excelled anytime there was music involved and Kevin loved to see him in action.
There hadn't been any major fallout from the photo incident. Nick had never said anything and until he brought it up, Kevin had no intention of saying anything. AJ nor Howie had said anything either. Kevin was vaguely suspicious of that, but chose not to look a gift horse in the mouth and decided he would deal with the issue if it ever came up. Brian however, seemed to hoover quite a bit more, always watching him to see if he would do anything or show his feelings in any other way. While he had tried to pin Kevin down to talk a few times, Kevin was always quick to find a reason why he couldn't listen or have time to talk. So far, his dodging method has worked and he hadn't had to have the difficult conversation with his cousin.
He was broken out of his thoughts when a tiny version of himself huddled himself across the stage yelling "Uncle Nick!". Kevin was ready to step out onto the stage and intervene, but to his surprise, Nick threw down his drumsticks and folded to his knees beside the drum set, scooping Mason up into his arms and giving him a giant bear hug. Kevin felt like his heart might burst watching the man he was desperately in love with, love on his son.
Mason was taking a mile a minute, that much Kevin could gather from where he stood just outside the stage area. Nick didn't seem to mind one bit and continued the conversation. Nick got to his feet and took Mason by the hand, leading him off of the stage and towards the backstage area.
Kevin made a move to follow when he felt a hand grab him by the upper arm. Turning he smiled as Kristin came into view behind him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close against him. "Hey Kev." she said softly.
He kissed the top of her head and gave her a squeeze. "Thank you for bringing him to me."
She nodded as they pulled away. "I promised you we would make this work. I'll ride with you to the next city and then you can keep him for a couple of weeks and then I'll fly in to get him. I know Denise is around to help out. She and I have already talked about it."
Kevin smiled and took her hand as he led her backstage. This was the first time he would really have Mason on the road with him, and he was nervous and very excited to have some quality time with his son. If nothing else, hopefully it would ease his longing for the blonde.
"You doing okay?" she asked quietly, stopping her pace and pulling him back slightly before they reached the others.
He nodded. "As good as I can be. Just taking it day by day."
She squeezed his hand and offered up a soft smile. "It was something to see them together huh?"
Kevin felt his face flush. "You have no idea."
Indigo
a deep reddish blue
Finding Nick and Mason backstage ended up being a treat for the eyes as well as the soul. In the short amount of time Nick had alone with Mason, he'd managed to give him a giant bowl of strawberry ice cream and most of it was now matted in his blond hair and running down his ruddy cheeks. Nick thought this was absolutely hilarious and kept allowing Mason to try to shove mouthfuls of the sticky sweet treat into his own mouth. The sight made Kevin physically ache for what might be if only things were different. Both boys were cackling and having the time of their lives as they managed to get even messier.
Kevin and Kristin watched from the sidelines with smiles on both of their faces. Kristin turned to Kevin with a smirk and said. "Have fun dealing with this mess. I'm going to go back to the hotel and have a nice hot shower before the concert."
Kevin looked at her, eyes wide. "You're leaving me here to deal with this alone?"
She laughed. "This is what your life is going to be like for the next few weeks dad. Better get used to it now." she gave him a grin and sauntered off towards the front of the arena to catch a cab.
Kevin watched her go, realization beginning to sink in on how difficult this could actually be. Mason shrieked and Kevin focused again, taking in the sight of Nick wiping ice cream off his cheek. Ice cream Mason had undoubtedly put it there. Apparently it was time to step in. He moved closer to the table and cleared his throat loudly, making his presence known to the two. Mason yelled when he laid eyes on Kevin and made a move to get up from the table.
"Hold it right there. No moving or touching anything else until we get you cleaned up." Kevin said sternly, holding up a finger.
Nick and Mason looked at each other before laughing. "Told you he would be mad." Mason grumbled.
Kevin smiled. "I'm not mad, you're just not touching me with sticky fingers. Let me get some paper towels and we'll get you cleaned up."
"What about me?" Nick said with a pout as he batted his long eyelashes up at Kevin. His cheeks were rosy and Kevin wanted to lick the remnants of ice cream from his cheeks and mouth.
"I'll uh… get some towels for you too." Kevin said, stumbling over his words.
He managed to make it over to the sink and grabbed several paper towels off the counter before turning on the taps and running warm water over them. Once he thought he had enough to clean up the mess he grabbed a few dry ones and walked back over to the two boys covered in ice cream. He laid the supplies on the table and set to work cleaning the ice cream from Mason's hair and face. Once the boy was clean, Kevin leaned down and hugged him tightly, relishing in the feeling of having his son back in his arms. It had been far too long since they'd been together and he vowed to make the most of their time. Releasing him, he dropped a kiss on Mason's forehead before turning his attention back to Nick.
He laughed as he realized the other man had made no move to clean the ice cream mess off himself. "You want me to clean you up too?" Kevin asked coyly, making Mason laugh.
Nick flashed him a grin. "I thought that's what the point of all this was."
Kevin moved closer and picked up one of the wet paper towels. He gripped Nick by the chin and began wiping the strawberry goo from his cheeks. Once he was clean on one side, he moved to the other, being gentle in his movements so he didn't scratch Nick's cheeks with the tough paper towels. Nick watched him intently as he worked and Kevin was struck by the indigo eyes peering back up at him from the seated chair. He swallowed hard and wondered what Nick was thinking while he worked. Once both cheeks and chin were clean he stood back and gave Mason a smile.
"What do you think? Is Uncle Nick all clean?" Kevin asked.
Mason stood and inspected him, pretending to think hard about his answer. Nick and Kevin both laughed as Mason finally nodded, deeming Nick clean enough to leave the table.
"Where's Kristin?" Nick asked softly, his eyes darting around the small room.
"She went back to the hotel." Kevin said absent-mindedly as he picked up the discarded paper towels and threw them in the nearby trash can.
"I get to stay with daddy!" Mason declared as he threw his arm around Kevin's waist.
Kevin ruffled his hair. "Yep, just you and me bub."
Nick gave him a weird look. "Kris isn't staying?"
Kevin bit the inside of his cheek. He knew this conversation would come up with Mason being on the road with him. He had hoped to have a little more time to come up with the best way to respond before he was put on the spot, but that didn't look like it was going to be the case.
He shook his head slowly. "No Nick. Kristin and I aren't together anymore. We got divorced about a year ago." he said carefully.
He watched as Nick's eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. "What?" he asked incredulously.
Kevin nodded. "Yeah, things weren't working out and we decided we were better off as friends. So Mason is going to hang out with me on the road for the next couple of weeks and then will go back to Kentucky with Kristin."
Nick seemed unable to speak for several moments and continued to stare at him. "I don't really know what to say, Kev." Nick said slowly. "I had no idea."
Kevin nodded. "No one does, except Brian. It was never the right time. We've not had much time together yet and I really didn't want to get into all of this in the limited amount of time we do have."
Kevin watched as many different emotions fluttered across Nick's face. Sighing, he gave Nick a soft smile. Whatever he wanted to say was interrupted by Mason bouncing in the chair beside him.
"Come on daddy! Let's go play!"
Kevin turned his attention back to his son and grinned. There were a thousand things he wanted to say to Nick, but he knew none of them would be able to be said today. He turned back and gave Nick a small wave. The younger man barely registered the movement, his eyes focused on a point in the distance. Kevin sighed again and took Mason by the hand. He couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, he'd messed things up between them, even though there wasn't even anything to mess up.
Nick sat in the room backstage for what felt like an eternity. He knew it had to have been at least a half hour since Kevin and Mason had left the room. He couldn't process the words Kevin had spoken. Divorced. The man Nick had been in love with for years, the object of every fantasy and desire, was now free for the taking. Or at the very least, free to flirt with. His brain couldn't keep up with how fast his mind was moving. He felt like he was running on clouds, unable to stay upright for long.
Divorced for a whole year and no one had any idea. How in the world had Brian kept this from him? True, Brian didn't know the true nature of Nick's feelings, but still. It seemed like basic information you gave to another person.
He finally realized he was sitting alone in the room and wondered briefly where Kevin and Mason had gone. He pushed himself away from the table and headed back to the stage. They weren't there and Nick wondered why he was looking for them in the first place. He couldn't explain it, but the desire to find the older man was almost too great to ignore. He started moving quicker, tearing through each of the rooms backstage, ducking in and out of the rooms as he cleared each of them. Coming up empty handed again, he finally decided to check the busses. They were parked at the back of the lot, and Nick knew the area was guarded and secure. If Kevin would be anywhere besides the venue it had to be the buses.
Nick wasn't even sure what he was going to do or say once he found them, but he couldn't handle not being close to the other man. He rounded the corner and rant smack dab into Howie. The force of their collision sent the smaller man skittering to the floor.
"Holy shit D. I'm so sorry." Nick said quickly as he offered up his hand to help the other man off the floor.
Howie looked up at him amused but took the offered hand and got to his feet. "Where's the fire, Nicky?" he joked as he surveyed the younger man.
Nick blushed. "I.. Uh.. I'm not sure what you mean."
Howie crossed his arms over his chest and looked at him curiously. "Cut the crap Nick. What's going on? Why are you running around here like a bat out of hell?"
Nick hesitated, he didn't feel comfortable telling Kevin's secrets, but he also knew Howie was intrigued enough not to let him go without an explanation. "Okay, if I tell you, you can't tell anyone and have to act surprised when you eventually are told."
Howie narrowed his eyes but nodded his agreement. "Okay, what's got you so worked up?"
Nick bit his lip and before he could stop himself he blurted out, "Kevin's divorced and I feel like I have to tell him how I feel before I miss the one chance I might ever have. Mason is visiting him in the road for two weeks and he made a comment about being with daddy and I asked about Kristin and he fucking told me they were divorced."
Howie's eyes went wide. "Are you serious?"
Nick nodded trying hard to keep the grin off his face. "Yeah, and now I need to find him and tell him everything."
Howie's features darkened and he placed his hand on Nick's upper arm. "I don't think that's such a good idea Nick," he said slowly.
Nick's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? Weren't you the one two weeks ago telling me you wanted me to talk to him and now that I want to you're telling me no? What gives D?"
Howie sighed. "Look Nick, I think this is a conversation you need to have with him, but I think it needs to wait until Mason has gone back home. Kevin's mind is going to be focused on his son and it's not fair to either of them to bring all this up right now. Kevin's not going anywhere. Let him have time with Mason and then you two can talk."
What Howie said made a lot of sense even if it wasn't what Nick wanted to hear. He shuffled his feet and sighed. "Fine. But I'm not happy about it."
Howie laughed. "I didn't imagine you would be. I'm not saying you can't spend time with him, just don't tell him any of this until Mason goes back home."
Howie left Nick alone in the hallway and he sighed heavily before slapping his hand against the wall. It wasn't what he wanted to hear, but he knew how Kevin reacted to things and he wouldn't be able to focus on anything else until they worked out whatever it was that Kevin felt once Nick spilt his guts and it wasn't fair to Mason.
He continued on his trek outside and blinked harshly as the sunlight beat down on him. The azure sky was brighter than it had been that morning and Nick wondered if it had always been that way or if he had just begun taking notice of it. He heard laughing from the back door of the venue and took off two steps at a time in that direction.
Sapphire
a gem variety of corundum in transparent or translucent crystals of a color other than red
especially : one of a transparent rich blue
a deep purplish-blue color
Nick heard the giggles before he saw where they were coming from. A sapphire blur went past his line of vision and he had to blink a couple of times to completely understand what he was looking at. Mason was decked out in a brilliant blue hoodie and was quickly gaining ground on the older man as he chased his father back and forth on the pavement. Nick felt the corners of his mouth tug into a grin as he watched the father and son play.
Kevin faked right while Mason went left and the high pitched shriek could be heard for yards ripping through the breeze as Kevin grabbed his child by the middle and flung him over his shoulder. Nick felt his heart expand as he longed to join the duo. He bit his lip and allowed himself to step backward and fade from their view. There would be time later for him to talk to Kevin. For now, he would just sneak al the glances he could as he bided his time.