Page 35 of As I Am
"This is my boyfriend, Ky. He decided to join me on tour this time." Carson bent and kissed Ky's temple.
There were a few groans, but he was surprised when one of the guys in the crowd yelled out, "give him a real kiss."
Carson laughed, but looked at Ky, making sure he was okay with everything. "How about it? Can we give them a real kiss?"
Ky's cheeks turned red, but he nodded. "Yeah."
"Good." Carson wrapped his arms around Ky, bringing him tight against his body as he pressed his lips to his. Ky followed his lead, opening for him, and allowing Carson to deepen the kiss. Carson kissed him for several seconds, unashamed to be showing his feelings for Ky in public. This is what he'd always dreamed of. Having someone special enough in his life not to have to hide them from the world. Someone he could call his own. Ky wasn't some one-night fan. He was so much more, and each day Carson spent with him, he was looking for ways to make sure he stayed with him for a very long time.
When he pulled back, the crowd cheered. Carson smiled at Ky. "Thank you." He gave him one more quick kiss before focusing on the fans again. "Just a few more." He signed another photograph.
Calvin tapped his shoulder. "Two front row seats with backstage passes for tonight. Give it to two people you know are together."
Carson took them and looked at Ky. "You pick." He handed the tickets and passes to him.
"How do I know?" Ky looked over the crowd.
"You'll know the right people when you see them. Go wander up and down the barricade until you see the right ones." He gave Ky a soft kiss and a gentle shove.
He watched Ky walk off and laughed as the fans started screaming for him to give the passes to them. He turned back to the fans asking for autographs, actually enjoying signing things for a change. He didn't know if it was because Ky was with him or because he had a long break, but he wasn't rushing to end it and get inside.
As he interacted with the fans, he kept an eye on Ky,smiling when he saw him walk to the very end of the railings and stop beside a young mother and her son. The kid had to have been maybe ten. Ky knelt and talked to the kid, ignoring all the other fans who were screaming at him. Security stepped in and pushed some of the more aggressive fans back so he could talk to the boy. Carson couldn't hear what was being said, but the boy was smiling and laughing at whatever Ky was saying. Ky reached out and shook the boy's hand before standing back up and handing the mother the tickets and passes.
Carson's heart swelled. There were at least a hundred fans trying to get their attention, but Ky had found the youngest, and from the looks of them, most deserving people that were there. He couldn't wait until he got inside and could find out exactly what Ky had said to them. He was proud of Ky for being so open and willing to join in everything going on around them.
Ky stayed back with Calvin while Carson finished signing a few more autographs. When he'd finally had enough, he gave the crowd a final wave, posed for a few more pictures, then turned to his manager and boyfriend. "Ready to go?"
Ky nodded as he took Carson's hand.
Carson gave Calvin a nod, and security stepped around them, leading them into the large lobby of the hotel. They didn't have to stop to register, but instead, went directly to a waiting elevator, and stepped inside.
Everyone was silent for the ride up to the suites. They'd learned long ago never to talk about anything with the staff of the hotel around.
When they stepped off and Calvin swiped the keycard to the room, Carson quickly led Ky inside. It wasn't until the door was closed that he turned and pulled Ky into his arms. "You were amazing out there."
"There were so many. How do they know you are even staying here or when you arrive?" Ky stepped back.
Calvin cleared his throat. "That is the question, isn't it? We never make the information public, but somehow the hotel seems to always leak the information. It doesn't matter where we go, there is always a crowd waiting."
"Can't you go in the back way?" Ky glanced around the large room.
"We could, but this is a chance to give fans a little interaction. A lot of them can't afford tickets to the concert and wouldn't have a chance to see Carson any other way." Calvin set the keycards on the table by the door. "We have sound check at four. I'll be here at three to make sure you're ready." He gave them a wave as he left the room.
Carson rolled his shoulders. "You okay?"
"Yeah, it wasn't so bad."
"You picked well on who you gave those passes too."
Ky smiled. "He was the only one I saw who seemed to really stand out to me. The rest were just a bunch of screaming fans. Something told me the kid was different. He said he and his mom were fans of your music, but they couldn't afford to get tickets since his dad had died a few months ago. His mom brought him here on her lunch break so he might get to see you. When I asked if they were free to come to the show tonight, she looked so shocked. It was amazing to see how happy the two of them were to get your tickets."
"I look forward to meeting them tonight." Carson pulled Ky back against his body. "I was worried you'd hate the crowds, but you did okay."
"I was with you. It made it easy." Ky wrapped himself around Carson. "I'm not sure I could do it alone."
"You'll never have to." Carson brushed a strand of Ky's hair back from his face. "We have a few hours to relax. Are you hungry?"
"A little. I guess we should eat before you have to go again." Ky stepped back.
"Yeah, I usually have lunch, and then wait until I get back in to eat dinner. That's like eleven or later sometimes. If I eat too close to show time, I feel sluggish." He pulled a room service menu off the table. "We'll eat and relax for a bit, then I need a shower. You can help wash my back if you want."
Ky blushed. "Can I help with your front too?"
Carson laughed. "You may help anywhere you want." He handed the menu to Ky. As he watched him read over the menu, he thought about how good they were together. Having Ky with him really did make being on tour and dealing with everything easier. It was nice having someone with him instead of being in the quiet room all by himself.
One thing was for sure, the two of them kissing would be all over the entertainment news within a day. He wasn't sure what the reaction would be, but he hoped whatever it was, it didn't scare Ky away. Carson didn't want to think what it would be like to lose him now. He didn't want to go back to being alone.
