What Happens on the Cruise

4. Jump Right In

Tim emerged from bathroom and saw Austin laying across his bed, a hand flung over his eyes. "You asleep?" he asked quietly.

"I wish," Austin murmured. "How are you not hung over?"

"Oh, my head and stomach have seen better days," Tim answered, sitting down on the bed. "But I'm also heavier than you, and I suspect I've had a bit more experience drinking. Right?"

Austin nodded, then moaned. "I guess I'm a lightweight."

"You could have tried matching, oh, say, Rob instead of me," Tim pointed out. "He stopped after four drinks."

"A much wiser man than me."

"Or me," Tim said with a smile. "What's your schedule like today?"

"Hair and makeup at 5:00 for a 7:00 dinner show," Austin answered. "If I live that long."

"Oh, you'll live. But we probably better get you up and hydrated."

"I just want to sleep more," Austin whined.

"You'll recover quicker if you rehydrate and get some carbs down."

"Yuck."

"Come on. Doesn't have to be heavy. Juice and some toast will do wonders."

"I think I hate you," Austin pouted.

"Not what you said last night," Tim countered.

"Oh God, I don't think I want to know."

"We'll talk about that later. Up now."

"I need a shower."

Tim got up and picked up Austin's clothes from the night before and held them away from him, wrinkling his nose. "Your shirt smells like a distillery. You're going to want something clean." His eyes swept down the other man's slender frame, pushing away memories of Austin on top of him, his hands sliding down Austin's back, while the tenor plundered his mouth. "I don't think I have anything that's not going to just hang on you."

"Well, I'll need to go to my cabin to brush my teeth anyway."

"True," Tim answered. "Where is your cabin, anyway? Adam and I couldn't get a straight answer out of you."

"A-fifty-five," Austin answered.

"And your key card?"

Austin sat up, groaning. "Hand me my belt."

"Your belt?"

Austin made grabbing motions. "My belt, my belt."

Tim dropped Austin's jeans with the belt still attached next to the tenor. Austin picked them up, wrinkled his nose at the smell, then slid a finger behind the belt buckle till there was a click. The front popped open, revealing a hidden compartment with a couple of folded bills, a condom, and a key card.

"That's convenient. Looks like you're prepared."

"Oh that? It's been there for, like, two years. I wouldn't trust it." He tossed it in the direction of a trash can, put the money back into the compartment, and set his key card aside. "You wanna come with, shower in my cabin?

Tim hesitated a moment, then shrugged. "Sure. Let me pull on some clothes."

***

"We're here," Austin said.

Tim blinked at the number plate on the door, which read A55. "Ass," he said with a chuckle.

"What?" Austin asked, sliding the key card.

"Your cabin number."

"Oh, yeah. We got a real kick out of that," Austin answered, opening the door. "Oh. Hey, Dan. Wasn't expecting you here."

"Austin, where have you been?" a man's voice demanded. "I was about to call out a search."

"Sorry. Got a little drunk and spent the night with Tim. Tim, this is my roommate and castmate, Dan. Dan, this is Tim, the bass with Home Free." While he was talking, Austin was headed for the bathroom, kicking off shoes, pulling off the tee shirt Tim had lent him, and reaching for his belt. The painkiller had obviously started kicking in. "I desperately need a shower to wash the puke out of my hair." He disappeared through the doorway, leaving the other two to stand blinking at each other awkwardly.

"Um. Hi," Tim said, taking in the other man, sitting at a desk with a laptop open. He had dark brown skin, black hair arranged into neat cornrows, and shockingly blue eyes. Tim would guess he was around Austin's age.

"Is Home Free that a cappella group?" Dan asked. He had a pleasant baritone voice with a hint of a Southern accent.

"Yeah," Tim answered.

Dan nodded with a knowing look on his face. "Austin's a big a cappella nut."

"So I've heard."

Austin stuck his head through the bathroom doorway, pulling the toothbrush out of his mouth. "Tim, you coming?"

"What?"

"Shower," Austin said, motioning behind him.

"Oh. Ummm. Right." Tim looked at Dan, who was shifting uncomfortably.

"I'm just going to go... do that thing," Dan said, standing awkwardly and shutting the laptop. "See you at five."

"See ya," Austin answered, leaning back into the bathroom to spit.

Tim headed to the bathroom while Dan slipped out into the hallway. "You know he thinks we're going to have sex," Tim said.

Austin blinked. "Not this morning, we're not."

"But he still thinks--"

"Do you care?" Austin asked, then stopped and looked at Tim's reflection in the mirror. "You do care."

"I'm just... used to a little more... privacy when it comes to my sex life."

"You don't want people to think you're gay."

"I'm not gay," Tim protested.

Austin shrugged. "I'm not either. Who cares what other people think?"

"Wait. What? You're not gay?"

"Bi," Austin answered, "same as you."

"Oh. Sorry. I just assumed..."

Austin turned, his eyes sweeping down Tim's body. "You gonna get naked or are we showering separately?"

"This is... going a little fast for me," Tim admitted.

Austin shook his head. "I promise to be good. I want to be feeling halfway human."

"Okay," Tim nodded, reaching for his shirt hem. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten swept up into Hurricane Austin, but he was beginning to think he'd better just hang on and enjoy the ride.