Pairing: AJ and Kevin
Words: adagio; contradictory; novelty; drowsy


"What the hell is 'adagio'?" AJ asked.

"It's a musical term," Kevin said, rubbing his eyes tiredly.  He
was drowsy.  He was beyond drowsy, into a stage where every blink
was an opportunity for a power nap.  He needed to sleep.  He wanted
desperately to sleep, and if he couldn't sleep, then he wanted to
have AJ shut up.  Wanted AJ to shut up.  Whichever.

"I *know* that."

"Then why did you ask?"  Or maybe killed.  Or tortured a little. 
Nothing wrong with that, was there?

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know.  Maybe Howie will let you look it up on his computer
after the show."

"But after the show, I want to go out," AJ said reasonably.

Strangling would be good.  Wrapping his hands around that scrawny
little neck and twisting... Kevin closed his eyes to picture it,
and then he was gone, off in a pleasant dark haze, and someone was
jabbing him in the arm.  Hard.  "What?  What?  I'm awake."

"You're an old man, is what you are.  Geez, Kev.  You used to be
able to do three shows a day and not be this out of it."

"I didn't get much sleep last night."

"All right!  Score!  So tell me all about it.  Unless it was boring
married sex.  Kristin's not here, is she?"

"No, she's not.  And it wasn't anything you'd be interested in. 
You know, I was going to take a nap on the couch here..."

AJ laughed, and threw out his arms, declaiming dramatically, "Nap? 
We don't need no stinking naps!"

Kevin sighed.  "Apparently not."

"So what were you doing last night, hmm?  Watching porn?  Phone
sex?"

"I know this is going to come as a major surprise to you, but not
everything is about sex."

"Like what?"

Kevin blanked.  That was his only excuse.  That and being so tired
in the first place.  "Um...  Bunnies.  And snowballs.  And
mountains."

"Playboy bunnies.  Snow*balls*.  Tall, *erect* mountains."

Really, the only thing keeping him from killing AJ was knowing that
he'd have to stay up even later explaining to people why he'd done
it.  "AJ..."

"AJ?"  A dark head stuck itself through the doorway.

"Howie D!  My main man!"

"Stop bothering Kevin."  Howie gave him an apologetic smile as he
scolded AJ.

"Why?  It's fun."

"Because the vein on the side of his forehead has started
throbbing."

AJ looked at him.  "So it has.  How'd you know that from out
there?"

"Experience.  C'mon, you can annoy Brian now."

"But that's not as much fun.  Kevin's much more entertaining."

"Do it for the novelty value then.  It's something different."

AJ considered it.  "Nope.  I'm having fun here."

"Okay, then do it because I'm asking you to.  Please, AJ?  Leave
Kevin alone until after the show?"

Contradictory to Kevin's own belief that AJ would never leave him
alone, AJ crossed to Howie and kissed him on the forehead. 
"Anything for you, D.  Anything at all.  Mission
Annoy-The-Living-Fuck-Out-Of-Brian is underway."  He tossed a
cheery salute toward Kevin.  "Until later, Kev!"

Kevin waited until AJ was gone before shaking his head and
collapsing onto the couch to rub his temples.  "Sometimes..."

Howie came and sat next to him.  "You know, he wouldn't do that to
you if he didn't like you."

"What is this, grade school?"

Howie shrugged.  "That's just the way AJ shows affection."

"Yeah, well, someday he's going to go too far, and I'm going to
express my affection for him by punching him in the face."  He
didn't really mean it.  Much.

Howie smiled a little, and put his hand on his back.  "Well, he
won't go too far today.  Not again.  And you've got a little time
left still.  Why don't you lie down here?  I'll make sure you're
left alone."

That sounded wonderful.  "Really?" he asked, trying not to sound
too hopeful.

Howie nodded solemnly.  "Really."

"Oh, that would be..." Howie stood up and motioned him to lie down. 
Kevin swung his legs up and put his head down on the cushion.  
"...just great," he finished, closing his eyes.  Just that, lying
horizontal, was enough to put him half out.  All he needed was a
few moments of peace and quiet, and he'd be gone.

"Yeah, well," he thought he heard Howie say quietly, but he
couldn't have been hearing it; it must have been part of the dreams
that kept coming every time he blinked too long, must have been. 
"That's how I show affection."

Kevin slept.