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Kevin opened his eyes and smiled softly at the mop of blonde hair covering his chest and falling into his face. He pulled his lover closer in his arms and just took a moment to relish the quiet and weight of him. He'd never experienced anything like this before. His feelings for Nick far surpassed any emotion he'd ever had and what stuck him the most was regardless of how much he'd been in love with Nick before, now after almost seven months together, those feelings were stronger, deeper than he'd ever imagined.


They had shared so much of their lives and themselves with each other the last few months that Kevin couldn't believe it was even possible for two totally different people to grow as close as they had, especially two people who had known each other for so long. He was still learning new things about Nick everyday. He hoped it was the same for the other man.


Nick mumbled something in his sleep, his lips brushing the skin on Kevin's chest and causing a ripple of desire to rush through him. Even in his sleep, Nick had the ability to make him extremely aroused. Of course right now it wouldn't take much for Kevin to be harder than hell and ready to go. They had barely any time alone together the past week and a half and the distance between them was starting to get to him. He needed time with Nick, he needed to feel him physically and emotionally.


It had started with a house full of kids. The last weekend he'd had Mason and Maxwell had erupted into a fight of epic proportions when Maxwell and Odin had broken a Lego set that Mason had worked on for weeks. The whole thing had been an accident, but the older boy hadn't seen it that way at first. Nick and Kevin had been playing downstairs with Saoirse when the screaming started. But by the time they'd made it up the stairs the older boys’ bedroom, the room had exploded with Legos and there were three different boys crying. Each boy needing individual affection and attention from their fathers and refusing to be in the same room with each other.


It had been especially hard for Kevin because both of his own boys were now at war with each other and he found it difficult to give them both the attention they needed without making the other one angry. Kevin finally had to make a cot for Maxwell in Odin's room to keep his boys from killing each other the rest of their stay. Instead of doing things as a family, he'd had to bounce back and forth between his two boys trying to keep the peace and make them understand each other. The whole situation had been so exhausting that admittedly he was relieved when it was time to switch back with Kristin.


The next week, Kevin had been fully expecting a relaxing week with Nick and the kids as they tried to get back into the swing of things after their difficult week before. The first night without the boys, Saoirse started teething and was up the whole night screaming. She would wake every hour and a half and scream so loud the entire house would be awake and on edge. They'd tried everything. Frozen teethers, alternating pain medication, warm baths and snuggles. Nothing worked and out of desperation they'd finally called the pediatrician only to be told that some babies just cried all the way through it and it should end when the tooth broke through the surface. Kevin had never been more exhausted. The more Saoirse cried, the more on edge Odin became and began acting out in his own ways to get attention. He’d started throwing toys, hitting his sister and overall being a clingy mess. They had ended up with both kids in bed with them more times than Kevin cared to admit over the last few days.


The screaming had settled sometime after five that morning and as Kevin shifted to be able to catch a glimpse of the alarm clock he found it was just after eight. The kids would both be up at any time. He wouldn't move, wouldn't budge an inch until they awoke. He wanted desperately to hold on to any moment like this with Nick he could. He ran his fingertips up and down the smooth skin on Nick's back and rested his hand at the cleft of Nick's ass. He wanted so badly to roll him over and have his way with him, but he knew Nick was even more exhausted than he let on.


They were waiting to hear from the lawyer on the next steps and the fear and anxiety from the anticipation of the call was putting even more pressure on the younger man. Kevin was worried if the outcome wasn't what they were wanting that he would crack under the weight of it. Kevin kept telling himself that no matter what happened, they were strong enough to deal with it together. He just had to convince himself of that.


Nick shifted against his chest and Kevin felt the arms around his waist increase their pressure. He smiled to himself and breathed in the scent of his lover. He could barely remember what his life had been before, before Nick had brought him so much happiness and love. Looking back it was insane to think of how many years he had pinned over that other man and how long it had taken them to get here to this place. It would never matter though, as long as they got here and Kevin could hold this man in his arms then everything else was worth it. He leaned down and kissed the soft golden hair letting the smell of the younger man fill his senses. He felt himself grow even harder. If he didn't get to touch, get to feel his touch soon he would surely lose it. Most nights they could barely pull themselves into bed before they collapsed, let alone do anything else, but this had to happen, and soon.


"If you don't quit poking me with that thing." Nick started, completely startling Kevin and he let out a giant laugh.

"I'm sorry baby. I had no idea you were awake. You just feel so good against me and it's been like two weeks and I miss you, he misses you." Kevin pulled Nick even closer and placed another kiss against his hair.


Nick moved quickly and brought his lips up to brush against Kevin's, eliciting a moan from both of them. He shifted his hips until his own erection was felt, full and heavy against Kevin's thigh. He rubbed against him gently, enough to cause a gasp to fall from his chapped lips as his eyes rolled back in his head.


"Now who's poking who?" Kevin said with a smile.


"I don't care. I need you. I need to come." Nick grunted as he reached over and wrapped a hand around Kevin's length as he continued to rub himself against Kevin's leg.


"Need you too." Kevin managed as he reached down and wrapped his hand around the back of Nick's neck and crushed their lips in a bruising kiss. Nick moved his hand up and down the length of his lover, collecting the precum that had leaked out of the tip and used it to speed up his actions as he worked Kevin quickly, trying to bring them both close to the edge before they were interrupted. Kevin's tongue was everywhere, licking and sucking the inside of Nick's mouth as their kiss grew deeper and their movements more frantic. It had been so long and they needed their release so much that it didn't take long and they were both crashing over their edge.

As they came down from the desperately needed release, they clung together, neither wanting to let the other one go. "I love you," Nick mumbled against the warmth of Kevin’s chest where his head rested.


Kevin's head was thrown back against the pillows as he tried hard to catch his breath. "I love you more."


They laid for a moment, just enjoying the feeling of each other. It wasn't long though before the intense scream could be heard from down the hallway. Nick sighed heavily and let out a groan. "I don't know how much more of this I can take." He admitted softly.


Kevin let out a small chuckle. "I get it. It's hard not to lose your patience with her. These past two weeks have definitely been a testing of our parenting abilities."


"I'm done with the test. Just let it be over." Nick laughed, covering his face with his hands.


Kevin sat up in the bed as Nick rolled to the side. "The teeth will break through soon and then maybe we can all start to get some relief."

"I hope so. You take a shower and I'll go deal with her. Maybe she won't wake Odin and he can get some more sleep. Poor kid was up all night with her too." Nick pulled his t-shirt on that he'd tossed on the floor the night before and slipped on his pants. He turned around and caught Kevin's gaze.


"What are you looking at?" he said, unable to keep the smile from his face.


"Just my sexy fiance. Sometimes it's hard to believe how lucky I am." Kevin said gently.


"I'm the lucky one baby." Nick said, throwing Kevin a wink before slipping out the door to get to his screaming daughter.


--
Kevin found Nick an hour later facedown on the living room floor while Odin drove trucks on his back and Saoirse chewed on her rubber blocks. He stood in the doorway watching the sight, wondering what he did to deserve this chance, this family. Odin looked up from where he sat and gave Kevin a grin.


"Wanna play trucks?" he asked, holding up his toy.


Kevin nodded and crossed to the middle of the living room. He laid down beside Nick and turned his face so they could look at each other. Nick gave him a small smile as he settled in. "Hey baby," Kevin mumbled as Odin slammed the truck down on his back. Nick chuckled. "Yeah he does that at first."


"Go easy, okay buddy. Just drive them, don't slam them." Kevin said with a laugh.


Nick reached over and laced his fingers through Kevin's as they laid with the kids on the floor. Once he got the hang of it, Odin was pretty relaxing. He went back and forth between Nick and Kevin as he drove cars on each of them. Saoirse was happy for the first time in days and continued to play with her blocks, letting everyone breathe a sigh of relief that possibly they were on the upswing of the tooth from hell. Kevin was just beginning to drift off when the ringing of Nick's cell phone broke through their bubble. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the display before getting up and leaving the room without a word.


Kevin had a sinking feeling wash over him and tried to keep from reacting. Something had happened, he felt it in his bones. Odin was peering at him curiously and Kevin realized he'd sat up, effectively taking away Odin's play surface, but at the moment he couldn't calm himself down enough to get back on the floor. Odin waited for a moment to see if he would lay back down before he shrugged and went back to the toy box to find something else to play with. Saoirse took interest in his movements and got up on shaky legs to follow him. Kevin watched the two of them pull toy after toy out of the box and toss it onto the floor. He didn't have the energy to make them stop.


It felt like hours before Nick rejoined him in the room, but Kevin figured it had to be only several minutes. He felt his heart plummet as he looked up and saw Nick standing in the doorway. His face was ashen and his eyes were shining with unshed tears. Kevin swallowed hard and tried not to panic. No matter how bad this was, he had to be the one to keep it together. Nick needed him to keep it together, to be the strong one.


"Kev," he managed to get out, his voice trembling.


"Nicky," Kevin responded in a hushed tone.


Before he knew what had happened, Nick had propelled himself across the room and then he was in Kevin's arms, shoulders shaking with sobs as he buried his face against the side of Kevin's neck. Kevin's arms were around him in an instant and he stretched his legs out in front of him to keep them both upright. Nick clung to him, never once breaking the connection as Kevin manipulated their arms and legs to make the embrace more stable and comfortable for both of them. Once Nick's legs were wrapped securely around Kevin's waist and both arms wrapped around his middle Kevin squeezed as hard as he could, hoping the touch would be enough to bring the younger man some semblance of comfort. He still had no idea what was going on, but he could feel Nick struggling to get closer to him and knew that the blonde needed the touch and comfort of their embrace more than anything else at the moment.


Kevin glanced at the kids and was relieved to see them both still digging out toys and paying the two men no attention. Nick's sobs grew louder, the shaking more intense and Kevin was scrambling to come up with a way to ease his tears. He'd never been like this before and Kevin had no idea what to do. Deciding he had to try something, Kevin tucked his head beside Nick's and began to softly start singing in his ear as he began to rock the man in his arms.


Like you weren't surprised, you opened up the door
And made me question everything I believed before
And I'll admit it if you admit it on the count of three
Let's say it together
Can this be forever?
Put my hope in all the wrong places
It made me see the things I wanted
Guess I made all the right mistakes
'Cause look what we found
Now I've stumbled

Kevin whisper sang the words Nick had written him for Christmas, the lyrics of the song that Kevin had been working on mixing and recording for the past several weeks, needing the song to be perfect before Nick listened to it. He kept singing as he rubbed his hands up and down the younger man's back, kneading and squeezing the soft flesh as he went. The crying began to ease, but Nick's grip around his neck only increased as he held onto Kevin. They kept this up for several minutes until the cries quieted completely and Kevin was able to loosen the hold he had on him. He placed a kiss against Nick's forehead and pulled back slightly. Nick's blue eyes, still filled with tears peeked up at him from the crook of Kevin's neck. The sight left Kevin breathless. Nick looked so much like the frightened child of a lifetime ago that Kevin physically ached for the man.


"What's going on baby," he asked, his voice laced with fear and emotion.


Nick's eyes slammed closed again and he blinked back the tears. "I don't know how to tell you." he admitted softly.


Kevin was surprised, not sure how to take Nick's statement. "What do you mean baby. You can tell me anything, you know that. I love you and I'll be right here for you no matter what."


"You promise?" Nick whispered, unable to meet his eyes.


"Of course." Kevin answered honestly.


Nick took a deep breath and gazed into Kevin's eyes before he spoke. He pulled Kevin closer if that was even possible, needing to feel as much of the other man as possible. "The judge ruled against giving me sole emergency custody. I have to allow her to have the kids, at least two days and two nights a week until the official custody hearing when they will ultimately decide what happens. So my lawyer says the best way to help us get custody is that I have to take the kids back to Las Vegas and allow her to have them on the days she's allotted."


Kevin felt like the floor had been pulled out from underneath him. While they knew this was always a distinct possibility, Kevin had hoped, and prayed, that the judge would side in their favor awarding Nick custody to keep the kids in Kentucky until the official decree has been finalized. Nick was talking a mile a minute now. The tears were back and Nick was coughing trying to keep going while the tears clouded his eyes and his throat. It was time for him to be the rock Nick had always needed, he could fall apart later.


"Shhh baby. Stop. Stop crying, it's going to be okay. You're going to make yourself sick baby. Take some deep breaths for me." he soothed as he kissed the top of Nick's head, his forehead and then the tip of his nose as he started to ease the cries.


Nick hiccupped a couple of times as he tried to catch his breath. Kevin’s heart broke, not only for himself but for his lover and their kids. He knew there were a million things running through Nick's mind at the moment and he had to do his best to soothe each and every fear in a way that would help Nick be able to cope with it.


"It's gonna be okay baby. I know right now it doesn't feel like it, and it feels like everything is falling down around you, but I'm right here. You don't have to do any of this alone. I've got you, I've got them. We're going to be okay. You're going to be okay. " he said quietly as he started rocking the man once again in his arms. No matter how old they both got, this would always be a position that was second nature to them. Kevin had comforted Nick in this same way so many times over the last twenty-eight years it didn't even seem possible it had been that long.


"But I'm going to have to leave, I'll have to go back to Vegas, at least for a couple of months until the trial date. I don't want to leave you, I can't handle being without you." Nick said, burying his head further to Kevin's chest.


Kevin nodded, kissing the top of Nick's head as they rocked. "A couple of months isn't so bad baby, we've done a lot worse than that before. And on the weeks when the boys are with Kristin then I'll fly to you and that will cut the time in half."


"You will?" Nick asked, his voice small and childlike from against Kevin's chest.


"Of course I will baby, unless the boys need me for something here then I will come to you. I can't let you be away from me for two whole months, silly," Kevin said as he kissed each of Nick's eyelids before brushing his lips in a soft, sweet kiss. "How could you think I wouldn't move heaven and hell to be with you?"


Nick shrugged, "You don't seem as upset as I am I guess."


"Oh baby," Kevin said softly. "Believe me, I'm dying here. The thought of falling asleep without you for any length of time is almost more than I can handle. I also know that this is something we have to do, not just for us but for our family and once it's all over then we never have to be apart again and so it's worth it to me.


"You promise?" Nick asked again.


"Promise what? That we won't have to be part again?" Kevin questioned.


Nick nodded, his long blonde hair falling down into his eyes. "Yeah, that. Promise me we won't have to feel pain like this again. Promise me when this is over and done and I'm officially divorced that I won't spend another day or night without you with me."


"I swear it Nicky. We get through this and we're free to get married, to move on with our lives together and most of all, we'll never spend a day apart." Kevin swore.


Nick nodded and settled down in Kevin's arms. "I don't want to do this. She doesn't deserve it and they sure as hell don't deserve to have to leave their home to go somewhere new just because she wants to be a bitch." Nick huffed. "And I really don't want to leave you. What if you decide all of this isn't worth the trouble while we're gone. What if you like it better when your life goes back to normal with just you and the boys."


Kevin let out a small laugh. "Baby, I don't have a life that doesn't include you. You are it baby. I'm going to miss you like crazy, but it will only be a week at a time and we'll talk every day. We're going to make it through this and we'll be stronger for it. Just think about what we get out of the deal. We get to plan a wedding or run away and get married. We get to spend every day for the rest of our lives together. It's a pretty good trade off to me."


"I love you Kevin, so much. You're it for me too. I spent my whole life wanting you, wanting you to want me and love me. It's all I've ever wanted." Nick told him honestly.


"Right. Which let's me know we're going to be just fine. When do you have to leave?" Kevin asked bracing himself for more tears.


"She gets her first visitation next week. So I'll have to find an apartment or something this week and we'll have to leave by Sunday so we can drive. I don't want to take them on a plane with everything going on and having to leave you. We won't be able to handle it." Nick pushed his face deeper into the warmth of Kevin's arms and hoped he could pull enough strength from the older man, knowing he would need it in droves if he was ever going to survive this.