Part 56
Pizzas were ordered not long after the third plate of nachos disappeared and the guys went in to watch a baseball game while the girls got the kitchen cleaned…AGAIN. They finished just in time for the pizzas to arrive and it was like feeding time at the zoo. The guys made pigs of themselves, each taking at least half a pizza for themselves, grabbing a beer and heading back to watch the game. Sarah, Ali, and Becca just watched in amazement and when the guys were done, they got their pizzas.
Sarah settled in on the floor in front of Howie and looked up at him. He grinned and held the pizza so that she could take a bit. Nick was watching and made gagging sounds.
"Oh, god! Would you two PLEASE cut out all this mushy crap!"
"What’s wrong, Nicky?" taunted Sarah. "Becca cut you off until AFTER the wedding?"
"No! You two are just too much. It’s like you two were joined at the lips or something."
"I know how I want to be joined with her and it’s not the lips," mumbled Howie.
"I heard that," said Nick.
"Good! I was wondering if your hearing was going bad," said Howie.
The teasing continued through lunch and Nick regretted starting it. AJ, Sarah, Howie, and Kevin ganged up on him embarrassing him completely. When everyone was done, the guys cleaned up. That was when Becca decided that she wasn’t all that interested in the ball game and went to her computer to check her email.
Ali was asleep with her head on AJ’s lap and Sarah was sitting between Howie’s legs as he played with her hair. She was getting thirsty so she asked, "Does anyone want something to drink?"
No one did, so Sarah went to get herself something to drink, stopping on the way to peer over Becca's shoulder. "Oh. My. God." Sarah's eyes widened, gasping as the words leapt out from the monitor.
"Shh!" Becca said.
"What, Bec?" Nick asked, barely looking away from the baseball game they were all watching.
"Oh, ummm … nothing. Never mind." Becca turned the monitor away so that the contents were not readily visible to the inhabitants of her family room.
"God," Sarah whispered, "Becky posted a new vizzy to the list. A good one, huh?" She grinned, looking closer.
"Umm … yeah, so far …." Becca was intent on finishing what she was reading before Nick became curious.
"Jesus, Bec, this one is Nick and-"
"Howie. Good grief …." Her voice trailed away as they became engrossed in the story.
"Sarah, what are you two doing over there?" Howie called.
"Reading Becca's email," she replied, laughing.
"Uh oh," Howie smirked.
"Whaddaya mean, 'uh oh'?" Nick asked. "Bec, what are you reading?"
"Um, nothing, I'll be there in a minute." She moved to turn off her email program, but Sarah stopped her and began to read aloud.
"Sarah! What are you DOING?" she whispered trying to regain control of the mouse.
"Having a little fun with the guys. Come on, help me out? Please?"
"You're twisted!"
"No, the chicks that WRITE this stuff are twisted. Besides, haven't you ever read this stuff to Nick?"
"No way! Are you nuts?"
The two continued to bicker as Howie shook his head and smirked at Nick.
"I don’t get it," Nick said.
"Fan fiction," Howie replied.
"Oh no, they're not reading –"
"Backstreet fic?" AJ laughed. "That stuff is classic!"
"Bone, don't tell me," Kevin said, "You read this shit, too?"
"Its not all bad, Kev," Howie said.
"No? YOU'VE never been paired up with Nick."
Sarah laughed heartily. "He has now!"
Howie groaned.
"Becca, that stuff is trash," Nick said.
"Yeah…" she said, her eyes taking on a glassy appearance.
"Nick, don't discourage her, you'd be amazed at the benefits I get from letting Sarah read fanfic."
"Especially right before bedtime, D?" AJ cackled.
"Backstreet Benefits, Bone, they're the best!" Sarah laughed, turning back to the computer. "Oh, this is good. Bec, print this out for me."
"I will not!"
"C'mon, don't be a prude. At least forward it to me?" Grabbing the mouse away from Becca, she clicked on the *forward* icon and sent it on its way. "This is a good one, D., listen!" To Becca's mortification, she began to read aloud.
Nick was leaning against the side rail when he felt Howie's hand cover his and squeeze gently. "Howie?" he asked.
"I just wanted to say thanks. It really means a lot that you'd give up your free time to come do this for me. How can I ever thank you?"
"Kiss me." It just came out. He didn't mean to say it, he couldn't stop it, it just happened, and before he could take it back, Howie was in his arms.
Nick choked on his drink.
"It gets better, Nicky!"
Howie sat back and watched it all unfold. He knew what this stuff did to Sarah, and wasn't sure they could both wait till they got home later to take full advantage of it. Apparently it was having the same effect on Becca, and Nick was about to become initiated into an exclusive club. He nudged Nick with his elbow and whispered, "Watch this."
Sarah continued to read aloud, throwing herself dramatically into the performance. Soon, Becca was caught up as well and to everyone's shock, began to read Nick's parts.
"Our cabin, now." Howie said as he pulled away, never once looking back as he led the way to the cabin they'd shared since leaving port. Once inside he dimmed the lights and tossed his jacket on a chair. "Are you sure about this, Nick?"
"Damn sure." His chest was heaving with the effort to breathe and as Howie began to laugh he began to panic.
Sarah was surprised to feel a hand pulling her out of the way as Howie came to stand behind her. Leaning close to the screen, he continued to read his own part.
Howie saw the look on Nick's face and just shook his head. "Your shirt, Nick. I just noticed what it said."
Becca read on, Nick smirked as he looked down at his own chest. There, in big letters, it said 'FCUK'. "You don’t like my shirt?" he grinned.
"I love your shirt, but dude, you can't spell worth a damn." Howie was motioning for Nick to come over, and Becca was so engrossed that she never knew he was there until he began to read, too.
"Maybe not, but I can fcuk." He pulled his shirt over his head and off, tossing it on top of Howie's jacket. Nick was beet red and Becca had begun to perspire.
Sarah had her arm around Howie, who shifted to adjust his shorts and was beginning to breathe erratically.
"Yeah?" Howie whispered. "Prove it." Howie swore under his breath and looked over at Nick.
Sarah suddenly became the narrator: Nick dropped his pants to the floor, too, revealing what Howie had long suspected. He was massive. And tonight he was all his. His hands moved to the buttons on his dress shirt, but Nick stopped him.
Nick choked out the next line, "Let me," he whispered. And then his voice cracked. He looked down at Becca. The expression on her face was one he'd never ever seen outside the privacy of their bedroom and it was all he could take. "Bec?" he whispered.
"What?" she groaned.
"Let's go." He pulled her to her feet and up the stairs to her bedroom, as AJ rolled on the floor, laughing hysterically as Becca's bedroom door was slammed shut.
Kevin smirked at the scenario, but the smirk was wiped away as Howie and Sarah followed them, racing up the stairs and slamming the spare bedroom door as well. "Damn, I think I need to join an email list …."
"I'm sayin'," laughed AJ.
Just then Brian and Sonja strolled through the front door, looked at the two in confusion and Brian asked, "What's up?"
AJ howled, as Kevin drawled, "Nick and Howie."
Just then a shriek was heard from upstairs, and the hysterics began again.