Sean spent the first half hour of the flight trying to keep his eyes focused on the magazine he was holding and away from the nearly perfect profile of the young man sitting beside him. When he’d gotten to the airport, his cousin had joked that since he was flying first class, he’s probably end up sitting with celebrities on the trip back to New York from LA, but neither took the comment seriously.

            As the flight boarded, Sean took his window seat and thumbed through The New Yorker, hoping he wouldn’t be stuck next to some talkative salesman, or worse, a screaming kid. His heart nearly stopped for good when he looked up at the young man taking the seat next to him. His first impression was that the most beautiful man he had ever seen was going to be inches from him for the next few hours. Once his heart started up again, Sean realized that he recognized the teenage Adonis. He’d cut his hair since the last picture Sean had seen, but that was definitely Taylor stowing a backpack in the overhead, just as surely as that was Isaac and Zac sitting across the isle. Taylor looked over at him, and Sean considered introducing himself, but thought better of it. A smile in greeting, and a nod of the head was all he offered the singer before going back to his reading. 

            “I’m sure the last thing he wants to do is make small talk with a fan right now.” Sean thought, assuring himself that his fan-lust could take a backseat to the young man’s comfort. Sean had to deal with his own, albeit bizarre, celebrity status often enough to appreciate the moments when he could just enjoy some quiet moments away from the public eye.

            After the fasten seatbelts lights went off, Sean noticed the Hanson boys all standing up to retrieve texts and notebooks from the overhead compartments. He assumed the younger children sitting in front of them were also related, as they did the same. Sean was a fan of Hanson’s music, and certainly of the boys themselves, but didn’t follow them enough to identify the whole family.

            Sean secretly watched Taylor’s torso and arms as he fumbled in his bag in the overhead, admiring the way his t-shirt clung to his developing pecs and biceps, before quickly hiding his gaze as the teen sat down again, a book in hand. Elementary French, Sean noted, again considering talking to Taylor, this time in French. Having spent some time in Brussels, he’d picked up enough French to impress a first year student of the language, but again, he thought better of interrupting the young man. “Let him study” Sean thought, “He probably has no time for stuff like that on the road.”

            For a half hour, Sean debated with himself. One half eager to strike up a conversation with the gorgeous young man, the other, currently winning, half certain that any conversation would just be an inconvenience to Taylor. Finally, an opportunity presented itself that Sean found himself unable to resist. Taylor was flipping around his textbook looking for something, and becoming obviously frustrated.

            “Something wrong?” Sean asked nonchalantly. Just a normal, friendly, question, he assured himself mentally.

            “Hmm?” Taylor looked up at him confused. “Oh&ldots; yeah&ldots; it’s just this French. I’m supposed to come up with four ways to ask directions for the train station, and I can’t figure it out. It’s nothing.” Taylor smiled briefly before flipping through the book once more and again Sean thought his heart wasn’t going to start up again.

            “Uh&ldots;” Sean’s mind raced, “Ou est la gare? Je cherche la gare. Est-ce que vous voudrais me dire comment aller a la gare? And&ldots; Ou se trouve la gare? It’s been a while since I had to use French, so they may not be perfect, but that’s probably the general idea.”

            “Wow. Thanks!” Taylor beamed at him, then turned to his book, trying to jot down the sentences. “What were they again?” Sean repeated his suggestions, translating where Taylor needed the help, as he tried to drink in the fullness of the boy’s beauty. From the subtly sensuous lips and cheekbones to the definitely masculine cleft chin, Sean tried to burn the image into his mind. And of course, the eyes! Those blue, blue eyes, alertly scanning the paper in front of them. Sean was, quite simply, awestruck, as much by Taylor’s beauty as by his own ability to be so taken in by this young man. Sean was, as a rule, not easily shaken. Thousands of lives depended on that solidity every day, and yet, somehow, this seventeen year old had shaken him like never before.

            Taylor looked up after closing his book. “Well, that made things easier.” He grinned at Sean. “Thanks a lot.”

            “No problem. Not often that French comes in useful.” Sean grinned back, hoping he was looking calmer on the outside than he was on the inside.

            “I’m Taylor, by the way. Nice to meet you.” Taylor held a strong yet slender hand out.

            “I’m Sean. Nice to meet you too.” Sean shook his hand, releasing it too fast to even register how Taylor’s hand felt in his. He didn’t want to risk forgetting to let it go at all.

            “Take French in high school?” Taylor asked.

            “Nah, Spanish in high school. I spent a semester in Brussels in college and picked it up there, then took another semester last year. I need it for my Masters.”

            “Cool. What are you getting your Masters in?” Taylor seemed surprised when Sean said he was working on his Masters. He didn’t look like he was old enough to be a grad student.

            “English Education, to teach high school, actually.” Sean replied. “I’m a glutton for punishment.” That was his standard joke, corny and not particularly clever.

            Taylor gave a short laugh. “Well, nothing could be worse than having to teach my whole family. I don’t know how my mother puts up with all of us.”

            Sean grinned. He’d heard that the Hanson boys were home schooled, but still pretended not to know whom Taylor really was. “Well, she’s your mother, she has to put up with you. It’s a Federal Statute.”

            “Good point.” Taylor stood up and put his books away, giving Sean a fleeting glimpse of his flat stomach and navel. “Well, enough work for now.” Taylor sat back down, shifting in his chair to face Sean slightly. “So what brings you to New York?”

            “Home. I live out on Long Island. I was in LA visiting family.” Sean answered.

            “Cool. Long Island’s nice, lots of beaches.” Taylor went on as Sean tried to listen despite the tempting thought of Taylor in a bathing suit that had jumped into his mind. “You know, I always thought Long Island was like some completely paved extension of Manhattan. I have no idea where I got that idea from, though.” Taylor and Sean both laughed at that.

            “A lot of people say that. Most people don’t realize how big it really is. It’s almost as long as Connecticut. So you figure there are about three million people on the Island, and six million in Manhattan, so it can’t be THAT built up.” Way to spew useless facts, Sean thought to himself.

            Taylor gave a short shake of his head. “Yeah, it shows up on the news, like the weather maps and stuff, so it’s got to be pretty big, I guess. It’s funny how you get an idea like that in your head and you don’t know why.”

            Sean sensed an awkward silence coming up, so quickly moved away from his geography lesson. “So I guess you guys are doing promos and stuff in New York?” Oops, he’d let the secret slip.

            Taylor looked surprised for a second before answering. “Yeah, we’re doing the talk shows and stuff, and giving a concert with some other groups in the city.”

            “How long will you be in town?” Sean hoped that didn’t sound like a pick up line.

            “Two weeks. All the shows booked us early for the sweeps week, so we’ve got a week between the last appearance and the concert. We’ll probably try to see some of the sights, unless it looks like we’re going to get mobbed.” Taylor laughed a little, looking more and more uncomfortable every minute since Sean had made his blunder.

            “Shit!” Sean thought, “Well, I ruined this flight for him. He was probably happy he’d met someone he could talk to just to talk, and now he’s going to be wondering if I’m only being friendly because he’s famous.”

            “I probably shouldn’t have let on that I recognized you, huh?” Sean took a chance. In his own experience, most people either harped on with “It’s an honor to meet you, it’s an honor to meet you” non-stop or avoided mentioning it at all. The second was better, but it always became obvious that there was this taboo topic everyone was ignoring.

            Taylor smiled softly at Sean. “Nah, it’s not big deal. It’s great and all to travel and stuff, but it can be kind of rough. The truth is, we probably won’t even bother to try to see the sights. We’ll just hide in our hotel room working or something. New York is one of those cities that are just too crowded to risk going out in.” Taylor shrugged. “Comes with the territory, I guess. Not a big deal. Good thing I like my brothers.” Taylor chuckled again.

            Sean considered his response carefully. On one hand, he should probably just agree solemnly and say he’s sorry Taylor has to miss out on all that New York has to offer, but something told him that this was a big deal. It sounded more like Taylor was trying to convince himself than just making conversation.

            “Tell you what, if you want, and if you guys are allowed, I can show you around some of the city. I’m in all the time, and have some stuff I need to get done in Manhattan. I might as well do it the week you’re free. I like hanging around the city, and don’t get a chance to often enough. This’ll give me a good excuse.” Sean’s mind raced with plans and schemes. Could he really pull this off? If they were going to be in Manhattan, he would have to worry about his own identity calling attention to them as well as the boys’.

            Taylor looked truly regretful as he opened his mouth, but Sean interrupted him before he could say no. “How about if I personally guarantee that no one will bother you guys at all. Not a single screaming fan, no mobs, no riots, just a normal New York experience. Well, as normal as New York can be.”

            Taylor smirked. “Personal guarantee huh? And how do you plan to pull that off?” Taylor was livening up again.

            Sean assumed a posture of false assurance and said, “Hey, in all the time you’ve known me, have I ever not come through for you when you needed it?”

            Taylor laughed out loud. “Well, considering we met an hour ago, and the only thing I’ve needed was French help, I don’t know how impressed I should be.”

            “Exactly! I have a perfect record so far.” Sean was practically flirting at this point. He decided not to push it too far. He didn’t want to come across as too eager. “Seriously though, it’d be fun. I like showing people around the city. You get to do all the goofy tourist stuff you can’t do if you live there.” Taylor laughed a little more and Sean decided to let it drop. He didn’t really think Taylor was going to agree anyway, but wanted to make the offer, and make sure Taylor knew it was sincere. Sometimes little things like that meant a lot to folks who lives such unusual lives.

            The rest of the flight went quickly. Sean was very impressed at Taylor’s wit and insight. Their conversation covered all kinds of subjects and Taylor proved well educated in nearly everything. Sean quickly found himself truly forgetting he was talking to a breathtaking teen idol, and Taylor started enjoying the trip a lot more once they moved off his celebrity status. It was as if, rather than avoid the issue, it ceased to be an issue at all.

            When the flight crew announced their impending landing, both Sean and Taylor found themselves disappointed that the trip hadn’t lasted longer. After disembarking, Taylor motioned to his family to wait a moment, and extended a hand to Sean.

            “We’ve got someone picking up our bags. It’s usually a good idea for us to get out of airports as fast as possible. It was really great meeting you, Sean” 

            Sean shook Taylor’s hand firmly. “It was good talking to you Taylor. I hope your visit turns out better than you think it’ll be.” Sean smiled sincerely. Taylor’s eyes narrowed in thought slightly in thought at Sean’s words.

            “We’d have your personal guarantee? No mobs? No riots?”

            “Absolutely.” Sean stated with assurance.

            “Well, how about this, I can’t really give you a number, but if you give me yours, I’ll talk to my brothers, and who knows. How much warning would you need?”

            “School’s out for summer, and I’m doing freelance work right now, so I’d just need a day’s notice.” Sean answered and he fished out an old receipt from his pocket and jotted his number down. “Give me a call if you can, if not, it was nice meeting you.” Sean handed him the paper and shook his hand again.

            “Thanks a lot, I’ll give you call either way.” Taylor favored Sean with a truly heart stopping smile before waving and heading off towards his family.