Table of Contents

Everything You Need: Chapter 9

Wednesday Day 9

Despite being up half the night, alternating between making love and raw, animalistic sex, Nick was up relatively early. He wanted fish. He loved going to the store, looking at all the different types of exotic fish and sea creatures that the stores had and then creating his own underwater world. There were always rules that you had to follow, which fish you could get if the water was a certain temperature and which you couldn't, which fish you could put with other fish and which would just end up eating them, and then you had the fun task of finding decorations for the tank. It truly was an art, which was why Nick had arranged to buy one of the biggest tanks he could find. If he could have a tank big enough, he would have loved to hold every single type of fish he could and spend all day just swimming with them and exploring. Sometimes he wondered why he got into acting and not marine biology, which was what truly had interested him in high school. Before getting his first role,
 Nick was certain that he was going to go to university and study to be a marine biologist. He wanted any sort of job where he could work at or with the ocean and it's inhabitants. But then he'd gone to that one audition that you dreamed about, the one where they just looked at you and knew that you were what they wanted without you having to say a word and any thoughts of him going to school was finished. He'd completed his high school diploma on the road and always vowed that he would go and get a college or university degree when he was ready, but the time had never presented itself. At least not yet. He'd sat in on a few courses here and there, just getting the feel of college life and loved it. But for now, he was doing something else he loved which made him just as happy had he gone to college.

Nick turned over to see Justin snoring softly. It was only eight in the morning and Nick didn't foresee the store opening until between nine and ten. He'd led the younger man sleep a little longer before waking him up. Armed with four pieces of pizza and a frosty mug of coke, Nick sat down on the floor and looked at the selection of DVDs that Justin had. There weren't many, but one caught his eye and he put it in the player. Deciding he was comfortable on the floor, Nick sat back and started to watch the movie.

The sound of the softly playing television woke Justin up and he felt across the bed to make sure it was Nick in the living room, not guests. His hand came into contact with cool sheets indicating that he was indeed alone in the bedroom. With a groan, and aching muscles he stood up and stretched. They had spent most of the night in awkward positions, celebrating their anniversary repeatedly and now Justin was surely paying for it. He saw the folder that Alex and Joey had given him the day before on the dresser and realized that amidst all of the excitement, he'd forgotten to tell Nick about it.

"Now, is that a healthy breakfast?" Justin teased, joining Nick in the living room. He placed a kiss to the top of his lover's head before curling up on the couch. His body was demanding more rest.

"Yes, actually it is. It has the four major food groups here you know. Meat - pepperoni and sausage, fruits and vegetables - tomato sauce, onions, mushrooms, grains and cereal - the dough, and dairy - the cheese." Nick smiled proudly at Justin before taking another bite. Justin merely laughed.

"How long have you been rehearsing that speech Nickolas?" Justin cocked an eyebrow, challenging Nick to lie. He knew he'd won when a faint blush crept up on Nick's cheeks and he grinned sheepishly.

"Since I was six and would eat the leftover pizza for breakfast. Mom would always come in and freak out, but it was always healthier than those sugar cereals that I demanded her to buy." Both men broke out into laughter as Nick finished his coke and headed into the kitchen for another glass. "So what time you wanna leave?"

Justin checked the clock and yawned. "How about nine? Gives me a half an hour to shower and get ready."

"Good, you go and then I'll go."

Half an hour later both men were ready to go. It wasn't until they were in the Navigator, Nick following Justin's directions before the younger man brought up his job offer from yesterday. "So. I have a job eh."

Nick's head turned in surprise, his face a mask of shock. "Already? How? What? Where?" He focused his attention back onto the road, but turned down the music so he could better hear Justin. "Why didn't you tell me sooner babe?"

"Well, it came up yesterday and I haven't had much of an opportunity to tell you. Before the movie we got a little ...carried away. Then the movie and last night was all about you, then there was the presents and what came next..." Nick's grin mirrored that of his own and Justin gently squeezed his thigh. "When I woke up this morning I saw the folder on my dresser and realized I'd forgotten."

"So that's great right? Are you happy?"

It was just like Nick to make sure he was happy with things before really needing to know anything else. He looked out the window and took a deep breath before answering. "Yes, it's great and I'm very happy. It's actually ... you're going to laugh at this."

Nick darted his eyes to Justin and flashed him a weird look. "It's not the hotel is it?" Nick didn't really want Justin going back to the Four Seasons, as good as they were to him, they treated him equally as bad.

"No. It's ... it's at Fatone's. I'm going to work with Alex and Joe. They need a third person to help take care of the place, and so they asked if I wanted to get in on the restaurant with them."

Nick's face broke into a wide grin and he nodded. "You want to hear something funny? I wanted to say something to you about that but didn't feel it was my place. I've been noticing how many hours that Alex puts in there, and I can only imagine that the other owner puts the exact same in." Justin nodded to confirm Nick's beliefs. "And I was going to suggest they get someone else, but it's not my place to do so and I wasn't sure that they weren't happy with how things are. Wow J, that's great."

The remainder of the drive to the pet store was spent with Justin relaying the details of the meeting with Joey and Alex to Nick. He told them everything that had been said and what future plans they'd discussed. Justin watched Nick's facial expression to determine how he was really feeling about what Justin was saying. Even though they had discussed everything over and over again, and they had come to an agreement of how the next few months were going to be spent, he didn't want it to come across that he was moving on without him. He needed Nick to know that no matter what happened, no matter how happy he was and how many good things came his way, he would miss the blonde. That Nick was his life, his true centre of happiness and everything else was secondary. Although his life had existed before Nick, it was completely different now that he had him in it. Thankfully, Justin watched as Nick's eyes lit up, a genuine smile crossed his lips and Nick reached across the arm rest to clasp
 his hand affectionately.

"I'm really happy for you Justin. I mean that, not only did you get a job, but it's with your best friends and doing something I think you'll be great at. You never know, this could open the doors for something bigger in the long run."

Justin nodded, deep in thought. It was the same thing he'd been thinking, that this could lead into something more. "I know. Right now I'm just going to take it easy. I go in on Monday and just learn the routine. We're going to see how it goes for the first few weeks and take it from there. But I'm excited. I've been there since inception, I mean I saw the restaurant when it was still an empty building and then sat by while Joe and Alex designed and organized everything. I never thought that I'd be in this position, actually becoming a part of it."

"Well congratulations J, I'm proud of you." Nick put the car in park and turned to face his lover, winking at him. They headed into the store, Nick rushing in with Justin hot on his heels. It was an hour and a half later that they emerged, grinning wildly. Their fish would be delivered later on that afternoon as there were too many for Nick and Justin to transport with them personally, not to mention the safety of the fish. So the pet store had arranged to take them from the store to their condo in a specialized van, which was equipped to carry fragile and sensitive cargo. Justin and Nick would have to go straight home and begin filling their tank, making sure that the water was appropriately warmed and prepared for the fish to live in. Certain chemicals and ingredients were necessary, as well as the placement of the stones, houses and seaweed.

They arrived back at the building with enough time for Nick to assist in starting the tank preparations. The representative from the store had provided them with a booklet with instructions, all they needed to do was follow them to the letter and their tank would be ready. "You need anything babe?" Justin asked as Nick changed into a pair of dress pants and a dress shirt. He had a half an hour to be down at the press conference and Chris had already phoned to say that he was on his way to the condo to get him.

"No, I'm okay. I'll see you later tonight? I should be done by six thirty-seven o'clock."

Justin nodded and kissed Nick passionately. "Give me a call when you're on your way, I'll be waiting for you."

Nick said one last good-bye before heading down to the lobby to wait for Chris to arrive, knowing that he wouldn't be too far off. Justin finished preparing the tank for the fish and checked the time. They had arranged for the pet store to make the delivery between three and five, the driver would phone just as he was coming. It was just after lunch so Justin decided to go upstairs to see what was happening at Josh's place. When he got to their door, he tried the knob only to find it open. "Just anyone can walk in, you do realize that right?"

"Just anyone did walk in. Good thing it was open then huh!" A female voice called, causing Justin to stop in his tracks. He checked the number on the door to make sure he was in the right place. It was their condo, but he didn't exactly recognize the raspy, feminine voice.

"Uhhh..." Before he could ask who was talking a head with a pile of dark hair on the top popped up.

"Well if it isn't Mrs. Carter."

Justin narrowed his eyes and scowled, pushing the person's feet off of the couch. "Who let you in here anyways?"

She just grinned, leaning up to lick at Justin's jaw playfully. "That would be YOUR best friend. The one you so kindly sent me running to last night."

Justin held his gaze with Christina's, the two of them staring intensely at one another. "And this is how you repay me?" He watched her look down at his groin and then back up again.

"I could repay you in other ways, but you're not into that sort of thing, so teasing you is the next best thing babe. Consider yourself lucky, most people aren't worth the bother." With that, Christina kissed him full on the mouth, allowing for her tongue to slide past Justin's teeth as his jaw dropped in surprise. When he didn't react, she pulled away and pretended to pout. "You're no fun."

"You're no man, I guess that makes us even then," Justin said, winking at her. He put his feet up on the coffee table and relaxed into the couch pulling her legs onto his lap and massaging her feet. "So where is my so called best friend?"

"He had to go to work. I wasn't ready to leave and he said to stay and hang out as long as I wanted. I'm not done hanging out yet. What are you doing here? And where is Mrs. Timberlake?"

Justin burst out into laughter, playfully punching Christina on the arm. "Oh, so it's not just me that you're making fun of. I wish I had have known that earlier before I got all offended."

"I'm an equal opportunist insulter. You'll get used to me."

"God I hope not," Justin joked as he ducked a punch coming his way. They stared at one another, neither speaking. It was a few minutes before Christina broke the silence.

"I know we don't know each other all too well, but I just want you to know how happy I am that you and Nick met each other. When I was at your party a year ago, the one after Nick and Lance's movie Mandy had filled me in on what was going on with you two. I'll admit, I didn't think it was going to last. I could see how hot you two were for each other, and for him to pretty much come out at the party afterwards in front of everyone, said something to me, but I expected it to be a short lived thing."

Justin nodded, finding it difficult to swallow. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard before, and it wasn't anything he hadn't felt himself, but the honesty in her revelation shook him. "You're not the only one."

"I'm glad I was wrong. I'm glad that you two proved me wrong. I've known Nick a long time and as much as we fight, as often as we don't get along, I care for him deeply. He's been a huge part of my life through Mandy and you have to believe that I've seen a change in him this past year. You've allowed for him to come out of his shell and realize what he was missing before. And although I didn't know you before, and I don't know you too well now, I think he's done the same for you. You two compliment each other and it just feels right. So I want to tell you that I'm happy for you both."

Justin took Christina's hand in his own and squeezed it. "Thank you for saying that. It means a lot to me." They sat together watching TV for a little longer until Christina's phone rang. It was her publicist informing her that she would have to leave soon if she wanted to catch her flight back to Los Angeles. She headed into the shower, leaving Justin alone in his friends' living room. As Christina emerged and gathered her few belongings, Justin walked her to the elevator. He stopped at his floor bidding her a good bye as she continued to the ground. "So what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to go to the hotel and pack first. Then I might stop up to say good bye to Alex before leaving. Then I'm back home for a few weeks."

"Well, have a great flight. I'll tell Nick you said good bye." Minutes later Justin was standing at his door. With one step inside, the phone began to ring, the delivery men for the fish letting him know that they were only fifteen minutes away.

Justin took one last look at the tank, pleased with the job that he'd done. The temperature was the proper degree, the water was crisp and clean and the filter was humming happily. All it needed was the fish and it would be complete. Once the men arrived, the fish were safely transported from the tanks in the truck to that in Justin and Nick's condo. Justin was given a few last pointers and instructions and the men were on their way, leaving him with a tank full of beautiful and exotic fish.

The time alone gave Justin ample opportunity to think. It felt as though so much had been happening in the past few days, even the last few months and he hadn't taken time to just step back and look at things. He prepared himself a pot of peppermint tea, cut up a few wedges of lemon and curled up in the corner of the couch. His favourite CD was playing on the player and Justin simply laid back, enjoying the silence that engulfed him.

Nick's life was like nothing he'd ever known or even imagined. Justin was used to anonymity, being able to go to the grocery store without being approached or having people whispering and talking about him behind their hands. He had never been the centre of so much chaos before and at first it had been surreal to him. Where he was always conscious of people watching and lurking behind every tree, Nick would function without a second thought. The actor had gotten so used to having that type of reaction that it barely registered with him any more. Justin wasn't so lucky and there were countless times that he questioned his decision to be with Nick. To subject his life to complete upheaval.

The time that Nick was gone to New York, shooting the very movie that had premiered at the festival the day before, was used by Justin to get a grip on himself. It had been wonderful having the month with Nick in Toronto immediately after the festival and developing a quasi routine between the two of them. When they had finally found themselves on the same page regarding their feelings and hopes for the near future, they were able to assess their relationship. And by the time Nick had boarded the plane for New York, they were both ready for a break. It was placed at the most convenient time for both of them because while still in the honeymoon stage, it was imperative that they have at least a little time to remember life before they were attached at the mouth.

It was during that time that they both realized that a long distance relationship was going to be virtually impossible. They both knew that there would be times when it wasn't to be helped, Justin was not always going to be able to accompany Nick when he was filming, but the thoughts of Justin living in Toronto and Nick living in LA didn't sit well with either man. That was when they had made a collective decision to take time off and figure out what they were going to do. Justin had quit his job at the hotel, giving his two weeks notice and Nick had informed both Chris and his management people that he wasn't looking at new scripts for a while. The time frame was yet to be determined, but it was going to be at least six months. If anyone had a script they wanted him to look at, it would have to wait the six month period.

One director waited. Well, if Nick was honest there were quite a few that had waited, but only one that really had caught his eye. One that, at the end of the six months, made him decide to actually go right back to work rather than prolong his vacation. But for those six months, Nick showed Justin how the other half lived. He swept him up off of his feet and took him down to Hollywood, introducing him to the life which he was accustomed to. Or at least was supposed to be accustomed to. Nick still didn't understand why he needed a three million dollar mansion with eight bedrooms, six and a half baths and not only an indoor pool, but an outdoor pool as well. That didn't include the basketball court he had, the multi car garage, and the guest house, which was probably bigger than Justin's parents house. He couldn't figure out why he needed it when it was just him living there. Of course Brian was there quite a lot of the time. And Lance couldn't seem to stay away if he tried. But as
 Justin walked through his house, mouth gaping and eyes bulging, Nick admittedly felt a little embarrassed at the luxury with which he was provided.

Justin's first words upon seeing Nick's house was 'where do you keep the map?' Nick hadn't understood so Justin felt the need to explain. "Well, you know when you go to a mall, they have the map. The layout of the stores and exits and the 'you are here' sign. Do you have one?"

Nick had chuckled and shook his head. "Not exactly."

"Then I'm going to need a fuck load of bread crumbs because I'm never going to be able to find where I'm going or where I've come from."

It took Justin about three days to learn the layout of the house, and stop opening doors to closets when he was looking for the bathroom. One day Justin had nearly taken to pissing in a decorative plant because he'd waited too long to go to the bathroom and hadn't factored in not being able to find it in the first four tries. Finally Nick had laughed and led him towards what Justin thought might have been the ONLY door in the house he hadn't opened. Justin was almost ready to put signs on the doors, telling him which door led to which room.

Another thing that had taken a lot of getting used to was the multitude of cars that Nick had. Justin had been lucky to be able to drive his parents car, but looking at Nick's garage, he saw that his lover had one car for each day of the week. He'd known Nick was well paid, but hadn't realized how well paid. "You see J, I made some sound business investments," which meant that he had Lance's stock broker working for him as well, finding the best payoffs and knowing when to buy and when to sell. "It's all legal though babe, no worries about that. You can't call me Martha."

Despite Justin's chuckle, he did sigh with relief. It was just so hard to tell sometimes.

Although they had only planned a short trip away, the days turned into weeks which turned into six months. Justin had been aware that Josh had been up to visit Lance two or three times during that time, but it was always either when he and Nick had been away for a few days, or the one time he'd gotten sicker than he could ever remember being. Each time his friend was in town, Josh would leave Justin a care package from home containing love from those who missed him in Toronto. They always left Justin feeling elated and saddened at the same time, knowing that he was having a great time with his lover in a new place doing new and exciting things, but at the same time wishing he were back home where it was safe and comfortable for him. If nothing, Nick had brought endless excitement and drama into his life.

Justin could feel his eye lids drooping and the mug of tea getting heavier in his hand. The sound of the fish tank and bubbling water was lulling him into a sedated, serene frame of mind and he was starting to drift. The last thing he wanted to do was get up and move to the bedroom, because odds were it would only jostle him back into a fully conscious state and sleep wouldn't be so close in his grasp. So instead he placed the mug on the coffee table and curled up on the couch, his mind drifting back to Nick and memories of the past year. Although he didn't fall into a deep sleep, Justin coasted in the blissful half conscious state. It wasn't until he heard the phone ringing that he opened his eyes and stretched. The first thing he saw was the fish tank and Justin felt butterflies in his stomach. Nick was going to love it. As pretty as it was in the store it was ten times prettier now because it was theirs, in their house.

"Hello?"

"Justin? Did I wake you? It's Chris."

Justin bit back a yawn and closed his eyes again at the sound of the other man's voice. "Yeah, it's me and you only kind of woke me. I wasn't 100 percent sleeping."

"Okay, that's good then. I'd hate to be bothering you. Nick wanted me to give you a call."

At the mention of his lover's name, Justin jolted to attention. "Is everything okay?" Chris had anticipated Justin worrying and he chuckled.

"Yes, everything is fine. He just wanted me to let you know that we're running a little behind tonight and that he would like you to be ready for seven."

Justin wracked his brain trying to figure out what he had to be ready for. Nick hadn't told him that they would be going out anywhere. "Ready for what? What's going on?"

"All I know is that you are to be ready and waiting at seven. Someone will be by to pick you up."

"Where am I going?" Justin asked, looking at the clock. It was just after five thirty. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Chris answered and Justin's eyes narrowed. He didn't believe the other man because Chris always knew everything that was going on with Nick. Nine times out of ten it was Chris who made the arrangements for whatever Nick was doing, so for him to say he didn't know what was going on was a lie. Clearly Nick had sworn him to secrecy and Justin felt goose bumps on his skin just thinking about what he could be walking into that night. You are to wear something nice. Not formal, no suit or tie. Just a pair of nice pants and sweater. And don't have dinner, he hasn't eaten and will be starved."

Despite Justin's attempts to weasel more information out of Chris, the older man was standing firm on his ignorance of what was going on. All he could say was what he'd already divulged, and before any more discussion could be had on the matter, Chris promptly hung up leaving Justin to stare at the phone in disbelief. Before he could even put the receiver down, it rang again.

"Hello?"

"Just do it! Don't ask so many questions babe. God you're such an infant sometimes."

Justin would have been angry had anyone else spoke to him that way, but hearing Nick's voice through the line sent a rush of excitement through his body and left a grin on his lips. "Okay," he replied back softly before saying "I love you too Nick," and hanging up. Justin had an evening out to get ready for.

Had Alex seen him right now he would have laughed his ass off at him. He would have probably taken pictures to further torment him and never let him live it down. Had Josh seen him right now, he probably would be proud of the younger man and offered to scrub his back and/or join him. Platonically of course, but never the less. Justin stretched out as best he could in the bathtub and took a deep, relaxing breath. The scent of green apple filled his nose and he smiled, grabbing a hand full of suds and blowing them all over the water. Bubble baths were one of life's little indulgences that Justin loved but kept secret about. Surprisingly as Justin found out, Nick had never been a bubble bath person. He hadn't been able to understand what was so therapeutic about them and thought they were pretty much things that chicks and 'really gay guys' did. Justin howled with laughter until he couldn't breathe.

"What are you then? I mean, you're really gay..."

Nick had shook his head. "I'm not REALLY gay, just gay."

Justin cocked an eyebrow and refused to listen to any more. Instead, he marched directly into the bathroom and started running a bubble bath. He stripped himself and then Nick and demanded that the older man join him in the bath.

An hour later Nick was partially convinced that maybe bubble baths were a treat. But it wasn't until one particularly weary day that Nick admitted that his week would not be complete without a Sunday evening soak in the tub. He had been run through the ringer on every single level that day and by the time he'd gotten home he was exhausted and ready to burst into tears. Justin simply laid him on the couch and told him he'd be back. Ten minutes later Justin was back to collect him, pulling him upstairs towards the bedroom. Item by item, Justin carefully undressed Nick and instructed him to get into the bathtub and just relax. He then went downstairs and made the older man a snack, bringing it up to the bathroom. And there, Justin sat beside the tub and Nick relaxed in the hot, soothing water with the scent of vanilla lingering in the air. Nick emptied out his mind and soul, explaining to Justin how awful his day had been while Justin listened with a sympathetic ear, feeding Nick
 cheese, crackers and fruit. By the time Nick got out and allowed for Justin to gently dry him, he'd changed his mind forever on the aesthetics of a bubble bath.

Justin took a sip of his wine and checked the time again, making sure that he still had plenty of time. He did. The thing that Justin couldn't figure out was what they were possibly going to do that night. Nick hadn't said anything at all about anything he was wanting to do since he'd been back and Justin thought that after the past few nights, he might want to spend that night just staying in and relaxing. But then again, Nick was used to being out every night, constantly on the go. As much as he complained about how busy he was and how he never had a chance to just sit home and relax, he was always out there making the plans and filling each minute as best he could.

The water began to cool and Justin stood up. It was time to get out before he got all pruney. By seven, he was dressed in a pair of black dress pants and navy blue dress shirt. He was just getting his keys and wallet when the concierge phoned up indicating that his car had arrived. The entire elevator ride down Justin contemplated whether or not Nick would be there with the car. When he slid through the door that was held open for him, he did not find his lover but instead, a single rose with a note.

                 Evening baby. I thought we needed a night away from the rest
                of the world. Just you and me and a little celebration of the best
                year of my life. Sit back and enjoy the ride, you'll find out what's
                going on soon enough. I love you J.
                 Love, Nicky

Justin felt the butterflies in his stomach and smiled as he watched Toronto pass by the window outside.

The moment they drove past Front St. on Bay Justin knew they were going down to the waterfront. They flew past Lakeshore and turned onto Queens Quay and Justin felt a rush of excitement of where they were going. It had been forever since he'd gone on a Toronto Islands tour and considering they were pulling into the Harbour, he figured that's what his surprise was. As the driver opened the door for him, Justin stepped out and still did not see Nick anywhere. He thought for sure that his lover would be waiting for him to let him know what was going on, but Justin was alone. Even the driver had nodded at him and gotten back into his car before driving off.

 

Maybe five minutes had gone by before Justin got restless and started walking towards the water. There was a boat docked, lights on but he couldn't see anyone. Approaching, Justin realized that there was a man relaxing on a bench a few feet away.

"You wanna go for a ride kid?" The man's voice was gruff and it startled Justin enough to cause for him to jump. He shook his head and willed his pulse to return to a normal rate.

"Uhhh, thanks but I don't think so." Justin wasn't sure if this man owned the boat or was just some guy sitting on a bench looking for a good time. He hoped it wasn't the latter but started to move away quickly none the less.

"Are you sure? I've been lead to believe that you might like a ride. On the boat I mean. I'm not some dirty old man." The man grinned at Justin, winking to let Justin know he knew exactly what he was thinking. Justin couldn't help but blush and shake his head anyways.

"I'm meeting someone." Justin looked around, still not seeing Nick anywhere. "At least I think I am."

"Well that's great, because I got someone for you to meet." When Justin didn't move he stood up and approached the boat. "At least come and meet them. You don't even have to stay if you don't want to. You know you want to."

For some reason Justin didn't feel threatened by this man. In fact, it was just the opposite, he was oddly comfortable around him and that was why he found himself boarding the spacious boat. Up close, it was bigger than he had initially thought and Justin followed the man up the stairs to the top deck. Before they'd reached the top the man turned around and looked down at him, amusement dancing in his eyes. "You always follow strange men onto their boats?"

Justin thought about his answer before shrugging. "Not always, no. I don't make it a habit of it, but if this turns out okay then I'd have to rethink that whole angle." Justin could tell that the man wasn't expecting that answer by the way he was silent for a few seconds and then burst into laughter.

"He said you were funny," was all the man said as he continued up the last few stairs. Justin wanted to ask what that meant but he was too fast for him. Seconds later he was on the top deck alone. He hadn't even seen where the man had gone.

"Shit," Justin swore as he noticed the view. The moon was out and looked beautiful over the lake. There was a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye and Justin turned around, he gasped at the sight of Nick standing beside a table set for two. There were two long candles, lit and flickering in the slight breeze, two roses sitting in a long, slender vase and he was standing beside the railing, looking more beautiful than Justin had ever seen him. But then Justin thought that each time he saw Nick. "Nick?"

"Expecting someone else babe?" Nick approached Justin and pulled him into his arms, kissing him passionately. When they pulled away, he focused his attention on something beyond Justin. "We can go now Jack."

"Aye aye captain," Jack laughed, mock saluting the blonde. Justin turned to look at the man, grinning when he winked at him.

"How was your day babe?" Nick asked, leading Justin to the table. He held out his chair for him before sitting in the seat across the table.

"Good. Spent some of the afternoon with Christina after you'd gone. She was at the boys' place and I'd gone down to see what was going on. It was just us until she had to go. She wanted me to tell you good bye and she'll see you next time you're in the same place." Justin grinned as Nick clasped their hands together. "And then the fish came," as he'd expected, Nick's eyes widened and his grin got bigger.

"And? How are they? Are they beautiful?"

"They are baby. It looks so great in the living room, so relaxing to just sit there and watch them swimming around and listen to the water bubbling. And the lights from the tank reflect beautifully off of the Swarovsky underwater wonderland. I can't wait for you to see it."

"Me too. Then what?"

"Well, I took a nap, then Chris phoned and wouldn't tell me what was going on. So I got up and ended up taking a bubble bath. Then the car came and I'm here. How about you babe? How did everything go?"

Nick let out a deep sigh, causing for Justin to worry slightly. He wasn't sure how the day was going to go for Nick especially after the reviews that the movie had garnered the night before. For as much as people loved the movie, there were those who did not. It amazed Justin that morning as he read the paper and watched the morning news how many ignorant people there were in the world. How they would never understand anything outside of their narrow little boxes and in the end, he simply pitied them. Justin had offered Nick to go with him that day, be there as he battled interviews not just about the movie itself, but his own sexual orientation and practices. When he'd originally come out, Nick had done what he could to avoid the issue of his and Justin's relationship. They had tried very diligently to crack his cool demeanor and get him to spill the details, but Nick was a master at keeping what he wanted a secret and no amount of pleading and trickery could get him to say more
 than he intended. But with the main theme of this movie being that of homosexuality and stereotypes, Nick was forced to talk about it.

It was just as painful as he knew it was going to be, nothing could prepare him for the onslaught of questions and assumptions that was thrown at him. But at the same time, it was liberating because he could finally tell his story about something that for the past year, people were just supplying on their own. Nick was just glad it was over and he was with Justin. He would have much rather been on HIS boat that was currently at his parents' Florida house, but seeing Justin in his element, back on his own turf where things were more comfortable more than made up for the longing to be back home. The one thing he'd realized over the past year that home wasn't a place, it was a feeling, and wherever he was, as long as he was with this young man, his reason for existing, then he was home.

"It went. We knew the type of questions they were going to ask, we understood what me doing this movie would do and the can of worms it would open. It's not like I went in blindly, I guess I was just naive to think that maybe the media had cooled down and allowed people to live their lives the way they live them. Of course this is the real world and it's not like that, but it was a nice thought while it lasted."

Justin let out a soft laugh and squeezed Nick's hand. "I'm proud of you Nick. So damn proud of you."

"Thank you."

"Any time babe."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, just staring deeply into each others' eyes. Justin had a million questions he wanted to ask, but knew that Nick was tired of answering questions. He just needed to unwind and let the pressures of the day lift off of him. Little by little he watched as Nick relaxed his shoulders and neck, followed by the rest of his body. The transformation was beautiful and Justin's gaze didn't wander once. The mood was broken as they were joined at their table by a woman who was smiling fondly at them.

"Mr. Carter, Mr. Timberlake. Are we ready for appetizers?"

"Yes Louisa, thank you." Nick turned to Justin and smiled. "You hungry?"

"I can always eat."

"Good, because I'm starved."

The appetizers came out minutes later, a mixture of different foods only to prepare them for the next course which was steak, potatoes and vegetables. They made small talk over their meal, enjoying the cool breeze that licked at their skin and the beautiful view of the city, all lit up contrasted by the dark night. In one particularly long lull in conversation, Justin perked his ear up to hear music softly playing in the background, only completing the romantic atmosphere.

"What is this all for baby?" He finally asked. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful or appreciative of Nick's efforts, it was just a surprise.

"You. Us. I just wanted to do this for you. For me too I guess, so I wanted to do this for us. It's been so long since we've just done something romantic like this. And I've always wanted to take a night tour around the islands, so I thought it would be fun. I had Chris make a few phone calls today and he got in touch with Jack. And here we are.

For desert they had tirimisu as well as gellato, both equally as delicious and something that neither man had tried before. Nick had requested a special meal for them to have, telling Jack that money was not an option. To Nick's surprise, Jack's wife was a big fan of his and insisted that just knowing that her husband was playing captain to such a talented young actor was payment enough. It didn't stop Chris from slipping the man an envelope with a cheque in it, insisting that he accept at least some payment for the evening. Once the old man had agreed that he would cash the cheque, no matter what the amount was for, he opened it up to find a much larger amount than had he quoted him a price. Jack left the exchange praising today's youth and stating that not all kids were as bad as the media portrayed them to be. Nick had been rather pleased to see the man's eyes light up and his hands tremble. That was one of the reasons he loved doing what he did, for the sheer pleasure of making
 other people happy with such little effort.

Well Nickolas Gene Carter, it's wonderful. YOU are wonderful. You couldn't have planned a more beautiful night."

"Well I did call up the weather man and told him that there wasn't to be a cloud in the sky. I wanted a clear night so that the moon is perfectly visible and the air is crisp but not cold." The two men looked at each other and broke into laughter. Justin rolled his eyes and pushed Nick away.

"You're such a nerd. That's not what I meant."

Nick stood up and pulled Justin to his feet as well, leading them closer to the railing. When they were where Nick wanted them to be, he gave Justin's hand a tug and pulled him into his arms. "It's perfect because it's for you, and you deserve nothing less than perfection. And it's beautiful because I'm standing here staring at you." He watched Justin blush and look away, a tiny grin gracing his lips. "I'm serious Justin. You bring this side out of me. I've never been like this with anyone else I've been with." Using his fingers, Nick moved Justin's face so that he was staring at him, looking deep into his eyes. "I've never really made the effort before, not to this degree. It's all you baby."

Justin's whole body filled with an overwhelming love that shook him inside out. There was so much he wanted to say but for fear of crying he kept silent. Thankfully Nick understood, he smiled and kissed Justin's lips softly.

"I can see how emotional you are right now. I feel the same way."

Justin wrapped his arms around Nick's neck and buried his face in his shoulder. His fingers toyed with the hair at the nape of Nick's neck and he could faintly feel Nick's heartbeat racing against his chest, going as fast as his own. "I.. love you Nick." When Justin looked up there were tears glistening on his eye lids, a sign of how overwhelmed he was at that moment.

Nick swiped his thumb over Justin's cheek and cupped the back of his head firmly. "I love you too. Always."

No more words were said as none were needed. They couldn't possibly express what they were feeling or thinking at that moment, so instead they let their bodies talk for them. Nick's arms tightened around Justin's waist, pulling them as close to one another as they could get without being uncomfortable. The volume of the music raised just enough so that they could hear it better, rather than it being background noise, and slowly their bodies began to sway to the music.

Three hours after they set off from the docks, Nick and Justin watched as they returned, the beautiful city scape coming closer and closer into view. "I really do love Toronto," Nick admitted.

Justin looked at him skeptically. "You don't have to say that you know."

"I know I don't have to say it, but I do. I'd always enjoyed having to be here for filming or appearances or whatever. But then I met you and it only made me like the city better."

Justin thought about something, wondering how he could phrase it without having it blow up in his face and ruin the evening. "Nick? If I asked... I mean..." he took a deep breath and started again. "If I asked you to move here full time, like when you're not filming. What would you say?"

Nick's eyes opened wide and he stopped in his tracks. He could see the car waiting for them in the parking lot, Justin a few steps closer than him. The question had come out of nowhere, yet at the same time he had been expecting it, eventually. He thought that Justin would have brought it up after he'd been back from filming this movie and they'd been here together at least a few months, not this soon. Nick thought about his home in LA, his family and everything he'd done for his whole life. But then he looked at his lover, the man who had taught him what real love was, the man who changed his life and the man he didn't want to live a single day without. He gave his head a single nod and approached Justin, who looked as though he were terrified.

"Yes."

Justin hadn't been expecting that answer. Not at all. He wasn't so sure he was expecting any answer, and that would have been fine with him. He'd just been curious, but there was Nick saying that he would uproot his life and move to Toronto, away from all of his family and friends to be with him. "Really?" he asked softly.

"Really." Nick stroked Justin's face tenderly and brought their foreheads together. "Would you do it for me? Would you move to LA if I asked you to?"

Justin started deep into Nick's eyes and everything else was lost. Nothing else mattered, only him and Nick and the love between them. If he lived in LA full time he could always come back to visit any time he wanted, he could bring them down to visit him. It was just a matter of geography. "Yes."

"Good. Thank you." Nick kissed Justin's lips softly and pulled away, steering them towards the car waiting.

It wasn't that either would ask the other to make such a big sacrifice, knowing that they both had such strong ties to their families and friends. It was more of the principle that if they'd asked the other to, they would. That their love was stronger than anything else that existed, that as long as they were together, that was all that mattered.

Chapter 10

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