Nick opened his eyes that morning, blinking them really fast and then saw Kelsey laying there beside him. She looked so peaceful asleep that he didn’t want to bother her. He smiled as he moved his hand over, brushing a strand of hair out of her face and she started to move a little.

“Morning.”

“You finally woke up.”

“Me?” Nick asked as he started to laugh, “I was awake before you.”

“I woke up a little while ago, I guess I fell back asleep.” Kelsey said as she smiled a little, “You were still asleep.”

“Oh, didn’t know.”

“Yeah.” Kelsey said as she looked over at the clock, “It’s almost 10.”

“I haven’t moved my head to look at the clock.” Nick said, “Think Rachel’s awake?”

“Probably.”

“Gotta work today?”

“Yeah.” Kelsey said, “Always work work work.”

“You should take some time off.” Nick said as Kelsey lifted her head up a little, looking at him, “Go home and spend some time with your mom.”

“I am for Christmas.”

“Good. I want you to do that.”

“And I am.” Kelsey said, “So since we’re friends now, do I have to buy you a Christmas present?”

“But of course.” Nick said as he looked up at the ceiling with a smirk.

“Wanna go out tonight?” Kelsey asked as Nick looked back over at her, “Just me and you?”

“Just as friends though right?” Nick asked, questioning her as she started to laugh a little, “Oh no it’s too early for the giggle.”

“Yes, just as friends.” Kelsey said.

“It would be my pleasure.” Nick, “Maybe I can get another kiss out of the deal.”

“Maybe, never know.” Kelsey said as she smiled over at him and he smiled back.

“Sleeping together?” Brian asked in shock as him, Kevin, and Howie stood there looking at AJ in Kevin’s room.

“Swear to God yo.” AJ said as he put his hand on his chest, “David let me in and I went to peek in and there they were. Nick had his arm wrapped around her.”

“Well I’ll be damned.” Kevin said as he shook his head.

“So we gonna be taking bets on how long it will be until they so far up each other’s ass they won’t see straight?” AJ asked as Howie looked over at him.

“You’re gonna be tall your damn money away AJ.” Howie said as AJ waved his hand at him.

“I bet 2 months.” Kevin said.

“I say by the end of Feburary.” Brian said as AJ looked over at Howie.

“End of January.”

“And I say by New Years’ Eve.” AJ said as Brian looked at Howie shaking his head.

“We should be out of the studio by 8:30 or 9.” Rachel said as David clapped his hands together, sitting down in the chair in the living room of the suite, “Plans?”

“Yeah, AJ and I were going to go out. He was going to show me some bar here.” David said as Rachel looked over at him, “Nah he ain’t drinking. He was just going to take me there.”

“Oh, okay.” Rachel said, “So yeah, we should be done by then. Wonder what time Nick left.”

“Didn’t.”

“Huh?” Rachel asked as Kelsey’s door opened and Nick walked out of it and Rachel turned around to look at him, “Oh good god.”

“Good morning to you too. I know I’m a God.” Nick said as he fixed his t-shirt that he had just put on.

“You slept.. in there?” Rachel asked as Nick looked around and back at her.

“Yeah.”

“Oh.” Rachel said as she turned around and looked over at David who nodded his head no.

“Why?” Nick asked as he walked over, sitting down in another chair, “Problem with that?”

“No.” Rachel said as Kelsey walked out, pulling her hair back in a ponytail.

“There’s sleeping beauty.” David said as Kelsey rolled her eyes over at him.

“Shut up David.” Kelsey said as she hopped over the sofa and sat down beside Rachel, “What time do we have to leave?”

“Noon.”

“Okay.” Kelsey said as she looked over at Nick who shook his head a little at her, motioning towards Rachel and Rachel noticed him, “Rachel.”

“What?” Rachel asked as she looked at Nick and back at Kelsey.

“Nick and I are going to go out tonight.” Kelsey said as David cleared his throat.

“David’s got the night off.” Rachel said.

“I can protect her.” Nick said as David started to laugh, “We’re just going to the movies. That’s it.”

“The movies?” Kelsey asked, “I don’t like going to the movies.”

“We’ll go get pizza then.” Nick said as Kelsey smiled, “You like pizza.”

“Oh so very much.” Kelsey said as Nick started to laugh while Rachel looked over at David.

“You approve David?” Rachel asked as David threw his hands up in the air.

“As long as I don’t have to work and I don’t have to see this whole gushing over each other shit.” David said as Nick and Kelsey looked at him.

“Gushing?” Kelsey asked, “Please.”

“Please.” David said mocking her.

“I’m not gushing.” Kelsey said as she looked over at Rachel, “So I’m going out tonight.”

“Okay.” Rachel said as she looked over at her and then at Nick. Nick looked from Rachel over at David and then back at Kelsey.

“Okay.” Kelsey said as she looked over at Nick, “I can go out.”

“Sweet. I’m gonna go to my room now. I’ll come over when we get back tonight and you’re back.” Nick said.

“Okay.” Kelsey said, “Bye.”

“Bye.” Nick said as he stood up, “See you two other non-gushing people later.”

“Later gusher!” David said as Nick shook his head, walking out of the door.

“God damn, embarrass me please just a little bit more.” Kelsey said, “I’m not gushing.”

“You’re gushing.” Rachel said as Kelsey rolled her eyes.

“Well.” Kelsey said in a sassy tone of voice, “If you were kissed the way I was last night, you’d be gushing too.” as Rachel and David both looked over at her and Kelsey sighed, “But since I’m too gushing, I’m going to go in my room and get dressed.” Kelsey stood up and walked around the sofa, going back into her room as Rachel looked over at David.

“How the fuck was she kissed?” Rachel asked as David shrugged his shoulders.

“I checked in this morning. They were both on the bed asleep, with their heads at the foot of the bed. Nick was shirtless and had his arm around Kelsey and they were facing each other.” David said as Rachel raised an eyebrow at him, “Nothing happened.”

“Hmmm interesting.” Rachel said as she looked back at Kelsey’s door and back over at David.

“Carter!” Kevin said as Nick was about to walk into his room and he looked down to see Kevin walking towards him.

“Damn.”

“Where ya been buddy?” Kevin asked as he walked up to him and Nick opened his door.

“Kelsey’s suite.” Nick said as he looked over at him and walked into his room.

“Oh really?”

“Yeah. I stayed over last night and no, nothing like that. We watched a movie, then fell asleep.” Nick said as Kevin walked in and shut the door.

“Have a good time?”

“Yeah, a great time. We’re gonna go out tonight to get pizza or something after she gets back and we get back and everything.” Nick said, “Why?”

“You like her?”

“More than like her.”

“Huh?”

“Go away Kev.” Nick said as he took off his shirt and walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

“Nope.” Kevin said as he sat down on the little sofa in the room, “Not going anywhere.”

“You’re not getting one of those little mushy heart to heart talks out of me.” Nick yelled from the bathroom as Kevin started to laugh.

“What did ya mean you more than like her?” Kevin asked as he heard Nick laugh, “Tell me.”

“I don’t just like her. I like her a hell of a lot. Ya know, aloooooot.” Nick said as he stuck his head out of the door, “I like her alot.”

“Alot?”

“Alot.”

“Going out tonight huh? Is this going to become a ordinary thing?” Kevin asked as Nick looked around and smiled.

“I hope so.” Nick said as he went back into the bathroom, shutting the door as Kevin sat there laughing at himself.

“You are like Mary fucking sunshine today.” Rachel said as she looked across at Kelsey as they were eating some McDonald’s in the back of the studio late that afternoon. Kelsey just took a bite of her double cheeseburger and rolled her eyes at Rachel, “What the hell did Nick do to you last night?”

“Nothing.” Kelsey said, “We just talked and kissed a little.”

“A little?”

“A few times.”

“Little kisses?”

“Some.”

“Big drawn out kisses?”

“Two.”

“Two?”

“Yeah.”

“Hot damn.”

“You’re telling me. I’m the one he kissed.” Kelsey said as Rachel almost spit out her drink, “I just got so lost in it. Damn I need to write down these ideas. I’ve had ideas for songs all fucking day.” as she reached over, grabbing a napkin out of her McDonald’s bag and reached for a pen, writing something down.

“Oh god, maybe you should get kisses like that more often.” Rachel said as Kelsey looked up at her.

“I um, okay whatever.” Kelsey said as Rachel started laughing and Kelsey went back to chewing on her fries.

“Nervous about tonight?”

“What’s to be nervous about?”

“Well you two are going out.” Rachel said as Kelsey looked at her.

“It’s not THAT kinda date. God. Just going out to get away from everybody and not be locked up in a hotel room. I mean it gets boring after a while. There’s only 4 walls, a bed, and nothing on TV.” Kelsey said as Rachel stopped eating and looked at her, “And no I’m not occupying my time with him by doing THAT.”

“Well like you said there’s 4 walls and a bed and nothing on TV.” Rachel said as Kelsey rolled her eyes.

“No.”

“Why not?” Rachel said, “If you two keep going like you are, ya know, eventually…”

“Not yet. Damn Rachel. Plan the wedding why don’t ya. I’m not thinking that far ahead. I’m just having fun.” Kelsey said as she took a sip of her drink, “I think you’re like pushing me to like date him.”

“Technically that’s what you’re already doing.”

“I am not.”

“Yeah you are.”

“No I’m not.”

“Yeah you are.” Rachel said, “Come on, you make out with him last night. You spend the night together in the same bed I might add and then you’re going out tonight. You’re dating.”

“We’re just hanging out.”

“Hanging out plus kisses that Kelsey gets lost in equals dating.” Rachel said, “I know you.”

“You’ve never even seen me around a guy like that. I haven’t dated anybody really since high school.” Kelsey said looking over at Rachel

“Nope, but it’s about damn time you’ve got yourself a man because -” Rachel started to say as she stopped and looked around, “Whoa did I just call Nick a man?”

“You’re crazy.” Kelsey said, “You’ve completely lost it.”

“Have not.”