What Happens on the Cruise

7. The Story of My Life

Adam, Tim, and Austin passed breakfast in companionable conversation which Austin dominated, answering Tim's and Adam's questions about his career. Adam checked his phone at least five times, while Austin caught Tim staring at him whenever he looked at the man.

"I was thinking about stopping by my cabin and getting my songwriting stuff. What do you think?" Austin asked as they left the buffet.

"Sure," Tim said distractedly. "Actually, I'll just go on and you can meet me."

"Works for me!" Austin said cheerily, turning left.

"Austin, that's a dead end," Tim said.

The tenor pointed to the last door on the right side of the hallway. "Housekeeping. It's a shortcut."

Tim shook his head. "Maybe you weren't as drunk as we thought you were."

Austin gave him a confused look, then shrugged. "I'll see you in a few."

***

Dan was there when Austin went into his cabin. "Hey, man," Austin greeted. "I'm just stopping to get a change of clothes and my music stuff."

"Spending the night with that bass guy again?" Dan asked.

Austin grinned. "Yeah." Dan shifted uneasily. The grin dropped from Austin's face. "You don't... Does it..." Austin sighed. "Please, tell me you don't have a problem with me being bi."

"I don't! Honestly, I don't. But, I..." Dan looked away from Austin and gave a frustrated groan. "I'm just worried about you."

"Worried? Why?"

"I mean, he gets you drunk and takes advantage of you, and you're spending all your time with him, and now you're sharing your songs with him? Are you even sure he's gay... or bi or whatever? Because he seems awful straight to me."

"That's not how it went," Austin snapped. "And, yes, he's bi, just not very comfortable with it yet."

"I'm just worried because there are men who get off on having sex with other men, but it's just about the sex, not--"

"So what if it is?" Austin interrupted. "Maybe I just want a fuck from a hot guy. What happens on the cruise stays on the cruise, right?"

"Oh, Austin," Dan sighed. "Don't do this to yourself."

Austin angrily pulled drawers out, grabbing some notebooks and a change of clothes, before loudly closing them one after the other.

"I'll see you to--" Dan said before Austin slammed the door behind him.

***

"Hey," Austin greeted him as Tim opened his cabin door. "I grabbed a change of clothes as well as my notebooks."

Tim was staring at him again. "What?" Austin asked. "What's wrong?"

"I, uh, I need to know... Are you interested in joining Home Free?"

Austin smiled. "Yeah. Totally. Why?"

Tim frowned. "And when were you going to tell me that?"

Austin blinked. "I don't... I don't know. It just hadn't come up. I didn't really want to mix business with pleasure, you know?"

"And you aren't... trying to influence your chances by, um..."

Austin's mouth dropped open, a shocked noise emerging. "You think I'm sleeping with you to get a fucking job?!" he asked.

"Well, I mean..." Tim looked down at his feet, away from the death glare Austin was giving him. "Are you?"

Austin's mouth moved silently for a moment before he found his voice. "No! No, I wanted to sleep with you because you're hot and whenever you hit one of those bass notes it makes me want to do unspeakably sexy things to you, but fuck you, Tim! Fuck you for thinking I'm some kind of whore!"

***

Tim looked out at the dispersing audience and frowned.

"Everything okay?" Chris asked.

"He didn't come."

Chris didn't need to ask who 'he' was. "Maybe he decided to hang out with his castmates tonight."

Tim nodded. "Maybe. Hey, do we have any more copies of my CD with us?"

"One or two last I saw."

"I'll be right back," Tim said and headed for the merch table.

***

Dan's eyes widened in surprise as he opened the door to A55 and saw Tim standing in the hallway. "Uh. Yes?"

"Is Austin here?" Tim asked.

Dan frowned. "Isn't he with you?"

"Wh-what? No."

"He's not with you?" Dan repeated.

"No. I haven't seen him all day."

Dan stepped back and motioned for Tim. "You'd better come in. We shouldn't be discussing this in the hallway."

Tim stepped into the cabin, a sinking feeling growing in his gut.

"We had a fight," both men said at the same time.

"Um. You first," Tim said.

Dan sighed. "I was just worried that you were taking advantage of him, and said so. I told him I wasn't even sure you were gay."

"I'm not gay," Tim answered. "I'm... I'm bi. But really new to the male half of that equation. I've never had a man sweep me off my feet like Austin."

Dan nodded. "I'm sorry, man. He was so intense about you I was just worried he was going to get hurt."

Tim covered his eyes with his hand. "And then I accused him of taking advantage of me."

"You what?!"

Tim sat down on the closest bed, setting the CD down beside him. "I just learned he's let it be known he'd like to join Home Free, and I thought maybe he... Maybe he..."

"Oh, totally not cool, dude. Why would you even go there?"

"I don't know. I'm just not used to men... throwing themselves at me."

"Seriously?" Dan asked. "Because I'm totally straight, but I'm not sure but what I wouldn't do you if you asked in that voice you've got."

Tim felt himself blush so hard even his ears got hot.

"And you had this argument this morning?"

Tim nodded.

"Crap!" Dan swore. "He ditched the production tonight. We had to use his understudy. The stage manager said he called and said he wasn't feeling good, but I figured he was with you. But if he's not with you and he's not been here since he stormed out this morning..."

Tim stood, panic beginning to set in. "He wouldn't... He wouldn't do anything to himself, would he?"

"I don't know," Dan answered. "Normally I'd say no, but I've never seen him fall so hard so fast for someone."

"I've got to find him," Tim said, standing.

"No. We've got to find him. You get your guys together. I'm calling in the cast."

Tim nodded, reaching for the bedside phone to call the other guys' cabins. "Hello?" Matt's voice answered the phone.

"Hey, it's Tim. I... I think I've made a big mistake."