Turning around, his faze moving through the couples dancing on the floor and landing on a familiar pair. AJ and Amanda had been rocking the floor of the last couple of hours. It didn't stop to amaze him the familiarity with which the two of them moved along the other. Even though they've been going out for two years already, they looked just as in love with the other as the first time they announced they were dating -- maybe even more.

He shook his head. Nick didn't want to interrupt them right now. Besides, he was almost sure they wouldn't have seen anything apart from the other.

Continuing his search around the place, Nick found himself turning his eyes over to the other side of the room. A small bar had been installed in the corner of his living room and the kitchen. It was big enough for its purpose, but not taking too much place.

Howie was leaning against the oak stool, hitting on a blue eyed, long legged, blond for the last hour or so. Seeing Howie saying something and the girl giggling in response, Nick was sure the older man had scored for the night.

Nick continued walking as he reached the very back of his once full of furniture living room. On the side were Brian and Leighanne, leaning against the wall, talking quietly with each other. Deciding he might as well take his chance, he went over to his best friend.

"Hey Bri!" Nick called out as he approached the couple.

Brian's left hand was around Leighanne's slim waist, clenching tightly the edge of his wife's silk black dress. Their shoulders were touching, bumping onto each other as Brian leaned even closer to her. Leighanne's own right arm was around Brian's waist, her fingers holding his brown leather belt in that personal, this is so my boy sort of way. Each of them were holding half filled champagne glasses.

Brian turned around enough for his gaze to meet Nick's baby blue eyes. "Nick, my man! Finally able to drink, huh?"

Not even bothering with an answer, Nick rolled his eyes. That was the exact same thing he had been getting all night long. And all day long, to top that. Sure, he was pleased with turning twenty one, but that didn't mean much of a change. At least not a change that wasn't legally.

Nick shrugged. "Yep. Still, I haven't had a drink so far."

Brian looked wide eye at his friend, gasping softly. "Not a drink? Nickolas! That's so... so... so not right!"

Leighanne, hearing her husband loosing the ability of speech as the night rolled by and the drinks came through, only giggled. "Brian, he's got every right not to drink."

Nick smiled brightly at her. "And this is why I think you're amazing." He sighed dramatically. "I still don't understand what you ever saw in him. You could have done so much better."

Leighanne chuckled as Brian gasped. "That's so sweet of you Nick. You fully know I didn't marry Brian ought to his brains."

Brain turned around, glaring at his wife. "What is that suppose to mean?"

"Oh, sweetie," she leaned over, kissing him deeply. "You know I love you."

"And your money and your popularity." Nick finished mockingly. When Brian turned around to glare at him, Nick only laughed. "I'm joking!"

"Yeah, well, I'll get you for this Carter. Remember that tour starts back the day after tomorrow."

Nick sighed. "Sucks man. I was hoping for some more time off." Even though the tour had already started about a week before, it had only been five concerts and that wasn't so bad.

"We had the last month off," Brian said as he took another drink of his glass.

"No we didn't! We had practice, that's not time off."

Brian chuckled. "Yeah, well, still..."

Nick rolled his eyes at him, sighing softly. Brian was like that. He could be talking about one thing and then loose track of what he was trying to say.

Suddenly, the blond remembered the reason he had approached his friend. Not that he could actually forget. It was, after all, the ever expected moment of every birthday. Nope, there was no way in hell he'd ever forget.

"Hey, I was wondering, have you seen Kevin tonight? After the Super Bowl, I mean."

"No, not really." The younger Kentucky cousin shrugged. "After we left the stadium, I kinda lost track of him." Brian tilted his head and looked at the young blond. "Shouldn't you have opened him the door?" After their performance in the Super Bowl, and watching it in first row, they had each gone their different ways agreeing on meeting back at Nick's place for his birthday party. When both him and Leighanne had arrived, it had been Nick who had let them in.

"No, not necessarily." Nick shook his head. "Too many people have been arriving lately. I've seen Howie opening the door and I've heard the doorbell ringing and I haven't opened those times either."

"Why are you looking for him, anyway?"

Nick turned around to look at Leighanne. What was it with girls knowing to ask the same thing you didn't want to be asked? Nick tilted his head, rubbing his left eyebrow exactly. Ok, so that last thought hadn't actually made much sense, but it was his birthday and already close to midnight, so he had every right not to make sense at the moment.

"I just haven't seen him, that's all." Nick shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, I promised myself I'd drink my very first legal drink in his face. Kinda like a payback for all those times he didn't let me drink just coz I was a minor." It was amazing the easiness with which he could lie to his best friend and best friend's wife.

Brian chuckled at Nick's line of thought. "Well, that's a good one Nick."

Before Leighanne could continue asking things Nick wasn't even ready to think about, he smiled at them. "I better mingle. There still are tons of people I don't know. See ya around guys." With that, he turned around and left the couple.

Moving around the crowd, Nick tried to think of any other way to find the eldest of them all. He checked his watch once again, hoping that for once time was ticking back and not forward. Groaning softly, Nick shook his head. Still another half an hour before midnight -- before the end of his birthday -- and still no signs of Kevin. His eyes moving around, they landed on Howie once again. The blond he was talking to laugh again, then smiled at him and left for a moment. Probably to the bathroom, was Nick's first thought.

Still, that gave him enough of an opening to go and ask D this time. Pushing his way through, he reached the older man. "D, bro! Having fun?"

Howie's face turned into a smile as he watched Nick walking over him. He stood up from his stool and clasped Nick loudly on the bad in greeting. "Nick! Finally legal, right?"

Nick only chuckled at the already heard comment. "Yeah. So, how you doing?"

Jerking his head in the way the girl had left, Howie couldn't help but grin. "Oh, man, you have got to see the girl I just met. She's amazing."

"I kinda caught a glimpse of her. She's very pretty?"

Howie's eyes widen and his eyebrows shot up. "Pretty? She's fucking beautiful Nick. That and she actually has a personality, that's needed too, you know?"

Nick only shrugged. He didn't care much about the blond. He didn't care much about any girl at the party at the moment. His only thoughts were on a dark haired green eyed man that seemed to keep eluding him for the night.

"Hey, have ya seen Kev? He seems to have lost himself in all this people."

Scratching his chin, Howie contemplated the last time he had seen the older Kentucky cousin, then shrugged. "I really don't remember. I think I saw him earlier today."

Nick sighed. "Not on the Super Bowl Howie. Now, tonight, at my party."

Nodding, Howie continued. "Of course that at your party, you moron. We all saw him at the Super Bowl. I mean I saw him earlier tonight."

Now that was the kind of information Nick was looking for. "You did? When exactly?"

"I'm not really sure." Howie shrugged nonchalantly. "A couple of hours ago, why?"

It's was Nick's turn to shrug, pretending it wasn't really important. "Nah, I was just wondering."

Seeing the blond girl Howie had been flirting with coming back, Nick smiled at the older man. "I'm gonna leave you to your girl," Nick said jerking his head in the way she was coming. "See ya around." With that, he turned around and continued walking.

His fingers started fidgeting with each other, his palm suddenly sweaty. Nick knew he was probably freaking out for nothing, but he just couldn't help but worry. He only had thirty minutes left and counting. Unconsciously, his left hand moved over to his right wrist, his fingers brushing the cold surface of the metal. Nick knew each edge and round shape, each incision and cut. He knew were the silver drops fit the circular emptiness. He had to find Kevin. Nick knew he had to find him.

As the song that was playing ended, Nick was able to see AJ and Amanda leaving the dance floor. Seeing his chance to ask them, Nick walked over to intercept them. "Hey, guys!"

Amanda was the one who actually heard him, turning around. When her brown eyes found him, she placed her hand on AJ's shoulder, stopping him on his tracks and pulled him over to where Nick was. "Nick!" She said happily, hugging the blond. Nick chuckled as Amanda pulled away at arms length. Watching him over, she grinned. "You look like such an adult Nicky. It's amazing you're a man already."

Blushing slightly, Nick's attention moved over to AJ as he heard his friend snorting loudly. "A man?" AJ questioned, his eyebrow shooting up. "Please 'manda, you know perfectly fine he's been a man for quite some time now, haven't ya Nicky boy?"

The only answer Nick seemed to have at hand was glaring at his older friend. AJ, of course, didn't care much about his glare and laughed it off. Amanda hit AJ's arm playfully. "You know perfectly fine what I'm talking about Alex. But, how are you Nicky? Having fun, I'm sure. The party is awesome."

"Yeah, the party seems great." Not that he had had much to say about it, either. It had been mostly Brian and Kevin who had organized it. Usually, it was only Kevin, but Brian had felt bad leaving all the things up to Kevin, so he had decided to help Kevin as well. If Nick had had anything to say about it, he would have asked for Kevin to organize it himself.

"So what are your plans for tonight Nick?" AJ placed his arm protectively around her shoulders, his eyes, even though hid his trademark sunglasses, looking right into Nick's blue ones. "Planning on getting tanked? I could help you, you know. I've got a couple of very good drinks in mind."

Running his fingers through his half disheveled hair, Nick only chuckled. "I don't know. I was thinking beer should be fine."

Nick didn't actually need to see AJ's eyes to know they had widened in surprise -- especially after hearing him gasping loudly. "Are you fucking insane? Beer? On your twenty first birthday? No way man! You're drinking like the best of them. You gotta have shots. And some Whiskey. Whiskey is always good. Yep, Whiskey is always good. Maybe even a couple of cocktails. You could try a Bloody Mary. It isn't really my cup of tea, but who knows? You could actually end up liking it. Now Vodka is also good, you know? It's really great when you have it with soda. I rather have it straight, but don't hold your alcohol so well. Then again, we're here to have you totally plastered, aren't we?"

It was amazing the way AJ could babble. Both him and Howie had been talking about ten different ways to have him drunk in less than an hour. Nick didn't really want to drink that much. Sure, a couple of beers and some shoots wouldn't kill anybody, but not that plastered. Not when he hadn't even seen Kevin yet.

"J," Better ask now before AJ started talking about liquor stores and the hell of a hangover Nick'd end up having, "have ya seen Kevin? He's tall and everything, but I still can't seem to find him in all this people."

AJ turned around to look at Amanda, tilting his head to the side. "I think I saw him, what about Panda?"

She squinted her eyes, biting the left corner of her mouth, before answering. "Yeah, actually we did. Maybe an hour ago, maybe even less." Amanda turned to look at Nick. "I think I saw him leaving though. At least I remember seeing him leaving."

Nick's heart seemed to fall down fifty feet onto the middle of the street and the cold pavement. They had to be wrong. He just couldn't leave. Nick knew Kevin couldn't have left just like that. "Are you sure?" His voice was a lot calmer than he was feeling at the moment, for which he was grateful.

AJ nodded, his hand moving over to Amanda's waist. "Now that she says it, I remember seeing him heading for the door. I was sure he had let you know he was leaving. I mean, I know it's still early, but I had the feeling that with everything of the tour, he wanted to have an early start tomorrow."

Forcing a smile on his lips, Nick hoped his shoulders weren't slumping too visibly. "Hmm..." he stuttered. To say that he was surprised about Kevin leaving was an underestimation. He was down right stunned by it. And hurt. Deeply hurt.

"Sorry kiddo," AJ patted Nick's shoulder amicably. "I thought he had said goodbye."

Nick shrugged it off. "It's ok. You're right, he's gotta take care of the stuff of the tour and everything." He started rubbing his left eyebrow. He wanted to get out of there. Right now. "Hmm... I'm gonna be around, k? I wanna see who else is here." Nick waited long enough for them to nod before taking off to the side of the room.

It was down right unbelievable that Kevin had left just like that. It was the older man's habit to let someone know he was leaving. He would usually make sure the rest of the guys were safe and sound in their rooms or at least in their cars. He wouldn't leave without hugging Nick and wishing him happy birthday. But most important of all, Kevin would never leave without giving Nick his present.

It had started like a simple thing. Nick's first birthday with the group had been when he turned fourteen. They had been together for a couple of months now, and presents were in order. Brian gave him a game, Howie a sweater, AJ some glasses and Kevin a book. Even now, Nick could remember tearing away the paper, dyeing to see the present held inside. He could also remember the laugher from the guys and the soft smile on Kevin's lips. That night had been great. Cake and coke in his and Brian's crappy hotel room, watching TV and just hanging out. Around eleven, when Nick had walked out of the room to get some more coke, Kevin had caught up with him right before getting back in the room.

Nose wrinkling, eyes dancing and lips twitching on a tender smile, Kevin had leaned over and kissed Nick's nose softly. "Happy Birthday Nicky." He had said as he pulled away. Taking another look at the blond, Kevin had entered the room once again.

It had been like that ever since. Every birthday, Kevin could catch Nick alone just before midnight would strike, indicating the end of his birthday, and give him the next droplet. It was a tradition for them already. Always the same. Kevin's hand going over to his pocket, going out in a fist. Nick looking at it expectantly, gasping slightly as it opened and revealed yet another small piece of silver. Kevin taking Nick's hand in his, placing the round shape. And, at the end, Kevin would always kiss Nick's nose softly.

Nick shook his head slightly, his right hand moving over to his sight. He had seven indents already filled with the silver pieces. Seven already. There was only one small hole empty now, waiting for it to be filled in his twenty first birthday. It had been a tradition going on already for six years, Kevin wouldn't break it now, and Nick knew that. Kevin would never break it.

He knew Kevin was there, in the party, somewhere. They had always gone though the ritual alone, just the two of them. Kevin had to be there.

Nick looked at his watch again. A quarter to twelve. "Where are you?" Nick muttered softly under his breath.

His eyes started darting all over the place at once. Looking from one side of the room to the other, Nick tried again to find the older man. He was about to sigh in despair when his eyes moved over to the balcony doors. By the side of the dance floor, totally forgotten, stood the French doors that led over to the back yard.

Nick walked over there with a quick pace. If Kevin wasn't outside, then Nick sure had no idea where he could be. He opened the doors, the hard wind coming from the ocean hitting him full force on the face. The so-called back yard, or actually balcony, was about ten feet long, twenty-five feet wide. Looking over to his private beach, the small space was calming and enchanting. The railing securely place at the edge of the same, could give you an opportunity to just lean over and watch.

As his eyes moved to the corner of the area, Nick was able to see a figure hunching over the railing, barely lighted by the moon. Dark hair was blowing against the breeze, arms crossed and resting on the edge, Kevin was looking over to the endless water.

Nick's breath seemed to catch in his throat. Even though he had been looking for the older man through the whole night, now that he was looking at him, Nick had no idea how he should feel. Their seven-year old tradition was about to end tonight. Something to very private and dear to him was about to finish and Nick had no idea how to feel. The only thing that seemed constant in his heart was the knowledge that somewhere along the way, Nick had fallen in love with this man. At some point through the years of friendship and brotherhood, through pain and bliss, Nick had found the other half of his soul in the one who had taken care of him. And now, seeing him under the moonlight, Nick had no idea what to do.

Sensing someone else in the small space, Kevin turned around. His hands moved over to the railing once again, resting his weight on them. A small smile made its way over to his lips, his green dark eyes shinning brightly. "Nick," Kevin whispered softly, his southern drawl thick as he spoke.

Shivering unconsciously, Nick walked over to where Kevin was standing, closing the space between them. When he was standing right in front of Kevin, Nick looked right into the green eyes of the older man. "I thought you had left." Somehow, Nick felt the need to give Kevin that piece of information.

Kevin shook his head slowly. "I would never leave."

Once again, Nick could see the ever-present pattern in his birthday starting to take place. Kevin straighten himself, his right hand moving to his black dress pants' pocket. Pulling it out, his hand was clench tightly in a fist. Kevin's eyes lowered to his own hand placed in between them. Gazing at the clasp hand, Nick waited for the older man to open it. And even after all this years of their personal tradition, Nick couldn't help but gasp softly as Kevin opened his hand and revealed the last droplet of silver on the middle of his palm.

Nick, eyes still fixed in the piece of silver, saw Kevin's left hand moving over to pick it up. Kevin's right hand took a hold of Nick's own, the thin long sleeves shirt lowering slightly as he lifted it. The bracelet was visible under the dim light, the empty holder standing proudly. Kevin proceeded to place the last silver ball in its place, ending a seven-year tradition.

After a moment of admiring the bracelet finally completed, both Kevin and Nick lifted their gazes and looked at each other. Dazzling blue met piercing green. Nick, his hand still clasped tightly in Kevin's grab, could feel the older man's thumb caressing the inside of his wrist, just were his hand met his arm and the bracelet jingled.

Nick knew perfectly fine that he was holding his breath. It was this part of the tradition that he had been looking forward for the past couple of years, hoping that instead of a kiss on the nose, this time Kevin's lips would land on his own.

Kevin leaned over slowly, taking his sweet time as the soft and cold ocean breeze touched Nick's cheeks. The blond could feel Kevin's breath against his nose and for a moment he feared that this time, just like the last seven years, Kevin would kiss him on the nose.

Pausing a moment, it seemed like Kevin was debating wherever to proceed with the tradition as it had gone so far or change the culmination of the same. The pause lasted only a split of a second before Nick's lips were captured by Kevin's in a sweet, tender and lovingly kiss.

It wasn't passionate or hunger, but innocent and pure. It was an opening for both. It was the crossing of the same boundary the two of them had seemed to be taunting for the past years. It was, as Nick had predicted, the culmination of an Era. But then again, as Nick could feel the sweet taste of Kevin's tongue on his lips and parting them to give Kevin entrance, he realized that this was, actually, the start of another Era of their own.

When Kevin pulled away, Nick could feel himself still in dancing in between clouds. He opened his eyes slowly and he had to bit his lower lip to keep the stupid grin from his lips. He didn't want to celebrate something that just only might have been another sign of affection from Kevin.

However, the minute his eyes landed on Kevin's own, he knew it wasn't. Nick knew this was something totally different. The very same thing he had been hoping for. Kevin was grinning brightly, his nose wrinkling and his eyes dancing. His lips were reddish from the kiss and there was a soft blush creeping Kevin's cheeks. And it was all because of the kiss. It was all Nick's doing.

Kevin opened his mouth to say something, his eyes locked with Nick's, but was cut short by Brian's voice rezoning through the place.

"Nick! Nick! Where are you man! You gotta come here and cut the cake!" It was obvious Brian was talking on a mic and laugher could be heard from the guest.

Nick shook his head slightly, sighing as he did so. Perfect. Just unbe-fucking-lievable perfect. Brian sure as hell had one hell of timing. "I--"

Kevin nodded slowly, giving him a lopsided smile. He jerked his head on the way of the French door that led to the house. "Go. They are waiting for you."

Biting his lower lip, wanting nothing more than to stay right where he was and finish what they had started unknowingly seven years ago in a dim hallway of a crappy hotel room, Nick was only bale to nod. "Yeah. They are waiting." And he wouldn't have minded leaving them waiting a century if that was needed for him to kiss Kevin again, but he also knew that if he didn't go to Brian, he would most certainly send AJ searching for him -- and that was the last thing he wanted at the moment.

Nick turned around and walked over to the French doors. Brian, seeing him from the inside, smiled at Nick and waved him in. Nick nodded again, opening them and entering the living room. Laughter and cheers were heard from the crowd as Nick walked over to the place that had been cleared in the middle of the room.

"And here is the birthday boy!" Brian patted Nick on the shoulder, smiling at him. "Now..."

AJ and Howie appeared from the side holding a large chocolate cake covered in fudge, wide whipped cream letters written Happy 21st Birthday Nicky! on the top. There was a row of lighted candles, which Nick hoped were twenty-one candles, at the edge of the same. Suddenly the lights went out and the only illumination was provided by the cake.

Brian, AJ and Howie gave the voice as they started singing Happy Birthday rather off key, the rest of the crowd following them.

Nick smiled embarrassed, blushing slightly at the attention drawn to him.

"You gotta make a wish!"

Nick turned to look at Brian, then at AJ and Howie who were still singing, then his gaze moved over to the partly opened French doors. Kevin was leaning against them, half inside and half outside, clapping softly, his lips moving along the old song. He was smiling from ear to ear, even being as far away from Nick as he was, his green eyes were shinning under the candlelight.