all things must pass » the beatles, queen and the backstreet boys

19- Howie Dorough

When I opened the bedroom door, I bit back a laugh at the sight in front of me.

"What in the name of God are you doing?" I half-asked, half-chortled while leaning against the frame.

"Reading," he replied simply as he leafed through another page.

"You and I both know you don't read, Howie," I snorted, "That's as likely as me wearing a red dress. Yuck," I shuddered at the very thought---red had never been, never is, and never will be my color.

He looked up with a smile, "Yeah, well, just like that one AMA ceremony when you had to wear a red tube dress, desperate times call for desperate measures."

I walked up to him as he scrunched his nose at the book once again.

"What's the desperate time, exactly?" I put air quotations at the phrase, flopping down beside him on the bed.

"Time to learn Español," he plucked the book up, showing me the colorful cover which had a picture of two kids hand in hand.

I patted his shoulder gently, "Hate to break this to you babe, but you're kind of 20 years late."

He sent me a murderous glare---though it wasn't too threatening with his doe eyes twinkling adorably, "Better late than never."

Kissing his cheek so as to put an end to my teasing session, I stroked his chin softly, "I know. Is there a particular reason why you want to?"

Momentarily setting down the book, Howie gave me a shrug.

"Come on, you don't just learn a language for fun. You'd rather sleep," I gave him a pointed look, my hand still fluttering all over his bare skin.

"Well," he scratched his neck awkwardly, "I never fitted in, cause I didn't speak enough Spanish."

"You mean you were bullied by other kids? Just cause you couldn't speak one language?" I incredulously asked.

"Not exactly," he sighed, subconsciously beginning to brush my hair back with a butterfly-like touch, "It was more of the fact that I was half Puerto-Rican that made me stick out for not knowing Spanish," he shook his head with a slightly bitter laugh, "The first words I'd learnt were 'No hablo Español' actually."

"You do realize you've got nothing to prove now, right?" I looked him straight in the eyes with my fingers touching his jaw, "You're literally one fifth of the biggest band in the world right now."

"I think that's my main motive," Howie admitted as his eyes flitted back to mine, "Learning Spanish now would show everyone that I've really changed."

A grin broke out on my face, "Not really though. You're still sweet as hell, aren't you D?"

He groaned, burying his head in my neck, as I chuckled.

"Not that fucking name again."

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