Conflicted

[Crouton2292]

This is a tracker for the story between Megsinabox and I.
Please don't post!

Plot:

The couple breaks up. One is really secretive about their job. And always on the clock... it starts to look... shifty. Thus, the relationship ends.

One of them starts a brand new relationship. Everything is fine until things get abusive. When the breaking point is reached, the abusee fights back, killing the abuser! In a panic, they try to fix things and end up calling their ex. The only problem is, the ex works for the company that is partially owned by the abuser. Now the abusee has a hit put on them, and the Assassin has to chose whether to kill or protect the ex!

[Crouton2292]

The night air was warm and humid, heavy with the promise of rain. Still, that didn't stop the heavy trembling the wracked Aynd Britz's slight frame. The ravenette sat on the sidewalk, legs unable to support his weight, with his forehead pressed against his knees. The smell of blood still overwhelmed him and a blood stained glass cigarette tray rested on the ground beside him. The 22-year-old still couldn't believe what had just happened, what he had just done.

Aynd lifted his hands to stare own at his pale hands, dark in the evening light from his boyfriend's blood. He couldn't remember anything from the last ten minutes- just that his boyfriend had come home drunk again. He'd tried to stay out of the way but his boyfriend hadn't let him. Aynd remembered his hair being grabbed, remembered being slammed into the wall then back handed to the floor; the left side of his face was still tender and he could feel it swelling. Then everything went black and suddenly he was standing over his boyfriend with the ash tray clutched tightly in his hands.

Letting out a slow breath, Aynd pulled out his cellphone and shakily dialed the first number that came to mind, his eyes burning with tears. He could only hope the person would pick up despite the late hour of two in the morning. Please pick up... Please, I need you...

[Crouton2292]

Parties weren't really in the top ten of Nickolai's favorite things to do, but it war work-related, thus he was obligated to at least show his face. He had, and due to very unlikely circumstances, he decided to stay for a while. The people were dressed decently, and most of them well educated. There was also the bonus of the get together taking place in a penthouse, so the view was worth any of the mundane chitchat he might have to endure. A soft buzzing noise went unnoticed in the cramped apartment filled with more people than necessary.

It was the vibration that tore Nikolai away from his conversation. Unable to remain attentive through the interruption, Nikolai excused himself from the party. He took a second to exit onto a balcony before pulling his cell from his pocket. The display read 'Aynd' but that didn't make any sense. In fact, a call from God himself would have made more sense than this. It was either very late in the night or early in the morning, depending on how you looked at it. Beside that, Aynd had no reason to call him. All of his things had either been picked up or returned, they had no animals to update each other on. In fact, Aynd had moved on and continued his life, so a call at such an hour was more than strange.

Nikolai debated for a moment. This was definitely not the place to converse with Aynd. There was the option to send it to voicemail and text... Ultimately it was the time of the call, and the fact that Aynd was reaching out that prompted the dark-haired man to slide his finger across the touchscreen and lift the phone to his ear. "Hello." His low, soft voice prompted the conversation.

[Crouton2292]

The sound of Nikolai's voice made Aynd relax somewhat. The ravenette took a deep breath before he spoke, trying to calm down enough so that he would be able to speak. "Nikolai. I'm-I'm sorry for-for calling so late, but-but I--" Aynd's voice hitched as his stomach threatened to force it's contents back up and it was another moment before he could speak, a hand pressed firmly over his mouth. He shut his eyes tightly, forcing the bile that had risen in his throat back down so that he could continue. "I did something really, really bad, Nik." He finally sobbed, clutching his phone so tightly his knuckles were white.

He hoped that the other would be able to come. Aynd knew it was selfish and that he shouldn't get the other involved in his mess. The thought added to the guilt in the ravenette's chest and green eyes shut tightly as he leaned forward to rest his forehead on his knees. "I-I'm sorry it's late but... but I just... I need help." The boy's voice trembled as he spoke and he hugged his knees tighter to his chest. "I... I don't know what to do."

A sound nearby startled the small ravenette and he looked up, a panicked expression on his face as he looked around for the source. He only relaxed a little when he saw that it was a cat, curling up in a tighter ball. "I'm uptown." He mumbled softly as his heart rate gradually slowed back down. "At-At that apartment building ab-about a block from that-that cafe where we met..." He let out a shaky breath and glanced down at his blood stained clothes, clenching his fists tightly. What if Nikolai hated him when he found out what Aynd had done? What if he thought that Aynd was a monster?

The thought was too much for him right now and he shut his eyes tightly. "Please don't hate me when... when you see what happened." He whispered, clutching the fabric of his pajama pants tightly. "Please. It... It was an accident. I didn't mean to..." Aynd could feel himself starting to slip away and he fought to keep control, biting down hard on his lower lip.

[Crouton2292]

Aynd's voice was shaky and quite frantic. Apparently he had done something bad... Bad enough to force a sob from his chest. He was apologizing, and asking for help. It wasn't so bizarre for Aynd to need help with something, many times in the course of their relationship Nikolai was the one to straighten things out. Aynd's trembling voice brought Nik out of his head and back to the conversation. He was spurting out directions into the phone. Uptown was about thirty minutes away, if there was no traffic. Considering it was just after two A.M. and a weekend, there wouldn't be room to breathe, never mind get on the highway. He knew what apartment he was at. Unfortunately Nik had a thing for closure, and after revisiting the cafe after the break up, he had seen Aynd. Before he could make the decision to greet him or not, he saw Aynd's new infatuation. That simply put a lid on the box that was their relationship. Nikolai filed it away, and nearly forgot about the whole thing.

After a brief silence, broken only by short shaky breaths and a few small distressed noises, Aynd resumed speaking. Aynd wasn't the type to be super concerned with what others thought of him. He sort of did what he pleased. Now he was trying to make sure Nik wouldn't hate him. Whatever 'accident' happened was obviously worse, in Aynd's mind, than the two splitting. Nikolai left the balcony and made his way through the crowded party, quickly thanked the host and apologized for having to leave so quickly. He hurried to the parking garage, phone still pressed to his face. Aynd wasn't the type to play games, and even though Nikolai had some doubt, he decided seeing the situation would be better than assuming.

The man unlocked his rather flashy car and slipped inside the sleek black machine. It purred to life, masking its power under a dull hum. "I'm on my way." The thought occurred to him that it was really the first thing he'd said during the whole conversation. Nik never really was the comforting type. He was the man you went to when you needed a job done. "I'm about forty-five minutes away." With that he backed out of the garage and drove toward the highway.

[Crouton2292]

Forty-five minutes. Aynd could make it that much longer, right? The reassurance that Nikolai was on his way helped him immensely and he nodded despite the fact that the other man wouldn't be able to see it. It didn't bother him that Nikolai had barely spoken through the conversation- that was just the other man's way. It was one of the things that had first drawn Aynd to the other.

He stayed on the line as Nikolai drove, not wanting to be completely alone there in the dark. And he couldn't just go back and wait inside the building. Aynd let out a trembling sigh, hugging his knees tighter and pushing the building and what lay in it's penthouse out of his thoughts. That was easier said than done, however as bits and pieces of the last few minutes returned to him. He could see in his mind's eye Danny, his now ex-boyfriend, as if he were leaning over Aynd, could still feel the man's hands tight around his throat.

The feeling made Aynd flinch and he automatically raised his hand to rub at the bruised area. It wouldn't have been the first time Danny had done that to him and tonight definitely hadn't been the first night the man had beaten the crap out of him. This was just the first night that Aynd had ever fought back. He honestly wasn't surprised it had taken this long for him to- the ravenette wasn't a violent person. The sight or smell of blood was all it took to make him pass out. And he nearly had after coming back to his senses in the apartment

[Crouton2292]

The young man's sigh filled the air around Nik. "Hey. How's that tv show you were keeping up with? Was the woman cheating, or not?" Daytime tv wasn't a favorite of Nikolai's. He much preferred reading. Aynd, however, had a show or two that he watched. He thought maybe he could get a conversation started to keep the other from falling apart. Nik's own anxiety over the situation fueled him to drive faster.

He was already on the highway, having skimmed a few minutes off his travel. Aynd wasn't himself. Granted break-ups generally change people, Aynd wasn't the type to keep his lips together this long. He always had an opinion or idea worth sharing, and his odd silence felt almost deafening. Nikolai pressed down harder on the accelerator, determined to push his beast of a car well over 80 mph.

[Crouton2292]

The mention of his show brought Aynd back down, though it took him a moment to figure out what Nikolai was talking about. "My...? Oh. Uhm, y-yeah, she was..." He mumbled, clutching the fabric covering his knees as he swallowed hard. "She, uhm. She got-got pregnant with his kid and that's how her husband found out." The ravenette swallowed and sat up straight once again. He knew what Nikolai was trying to do and he appreciated it. It was even working a little bit.

"I... I'm really sorry again for calling you so suddenly." He mumbled suddenly, combing his free hand through his hair. "Especially since it's been so long." The ravenette hadn't stopped to consider that Nikolai might be in the middle of something when he had called. Or that the other might have been with someone. Well, it was too late to feel bad about that right now. Nikolai was already on the way. Still, guilt bubbled in the raventte's stomach and he bit his lower lip lightly.

[Crouton2292]

"Huh. That was unexpected." Nikolai sped past the other drivers sharing the highway with him. "Don't worry about calling, it's alright." It had been a while. Quite a while. Nik was almost positive the two would never talk again. Whatever the reason, Nik was sure the call was important. "Stop chewing on your lip." The silence on the other end of the phone clued him in to the location of Aynd's lower lip. It was a habit that almost always occurred when Aynd wasn't speaking. Nik's mind wandered slightly at the thought of his ex's lips. Quickly, he snapped back to attention.

"So the husband found out. Is she keeping the baby? She doesn't seem the type to be too worried about getting rid of it. Her husband on the other hand, she would definitely fight to keep all that money." The car ate the miles between them hungrily. At this rate, Nik would arrive just under thirty minutes from the time he left. He pressed on, the urgency pressing him to go faster.

[Crouton2292]

Aynd stopped biting his lip immediately, used to the command from when he and Nik had dated previously. It was a nervous habit he had and one he had never really gotten around to breaking. The fact that Nikolai was still able to tell when he was doing it was a statement to how often the ravenette had done it while they were together. "Sorry." He mumbled automatically, this response a result from all the times that his ex had yelled at him for doing it. "But... yeah. She, uhm. She said she's keeping it. To spite him. Or something." His gaze flicked down for a moment, tugging lightly on the lock of hair between his fingers. "Then he pushed her down the stairs."

He hadn't been expecting that part, honestly. They had ended the episode right after that and he told Nikolai so. Talking about the show was helping him calm down greatly. His hands still shook and sounds nearby still had him practically jumping out of his skin, but at least the scenes playing in his mind had faded away. Aynd was grateful for that if for nothing else.

[Crouton2292]

"You don't have to apologize." The sound of the apology almost made Nik laugh, and the smirk was evident in his voice. Nikolai constantly chastised Aynd for chewing on his lip during their relationship. It seemed that would be the one normalcy they would carry over in their new relationship, as friends? The car was quick to exit the highway and in no time he was down the street from the cafe. "She would keep it to spite him, sounds like her. But for him to push her, that's quite unexpected. Not that he can't cover it up."

With the end of the sentence he slowed the vehicle, having arrived on the proper street. The interior clock indicated he had arrived in only twenty seven minutes, much sooner than he had anticipated, or should have arrived in for that matter. He cut off the engine and exited the sports car. "Aynd, what happened?" He could clearly see the young man was in pajamas, and filthy from head to toe. In that moment, they were quite opposite, Aynd looking messy and disheveled in his soiled pajamas, and Nikolai in his black dress pants, pressed shirt, and shiny black shoes.

The tangy smell of old blood reached Nik's nostrils and immediately put him on alert. "Blood? Aynd, is it yours?" The smell wasn't unusual, but the combination of blood and Aynd was more than strange. This was the same man he had coddled and cleaned paper cuts for because they made him woozy.

[Crouton2292]

Aynd managed a small, very half-hearted smile at Nik's comment, nodding his head in agreement. "Yeah." He mumbled, rubbing his arm lightly. "I hope the baby's okay..."

The sudden sound of a vehicle approaching made Aynd straighten, green eyes widening in fear for a moment until Nikolai stepped out of the car. He could tell that his call must have pulled the other away from something from the way that Nikolai was dressed. It would have made Aynd feel worse if the situation wasn't what it was. Seeing Nikolai there brought back the fear that the other man would hate him after finding out what he had done and Aynd found himself clutching the front of his shirt tightly in his hands.

He shook his head when Nik asked if the blood was his, glancing down to the ashtray that still sat on the sidewalk beside him. "No." He answered, his voice hoarse. "No, it isn't mine. It-It's Danny's. I..." Aynd pressed his lips together, suddenly overwhelmed once more by what he had done not even an hour ago. He buried his face in his hands, a soft sob pulling itself from his throat. "I killed him, Nikolai." He whispered, his words strained. His throat felt raw and stung, as if it were about to close up.

The ravenette curled in on himself, raising his hands to cross them over his head. "I didn't mean to...! I just... I just wanted to get a-away from-from him and-and I couldn't breathe and--" Aynd's words came out in a rush all at once, the act of talking about what had just happened nearly making the younger man hyperventilate. A choked sob cut him off before he could however and he was silent for several moments, trying to keep from breaking down completely in the street.

[Crouton2292]

The young man was unraveling before him. Words spewed out, bouncing around and not making much sense. Nikolai's brow furrowed, the intensity of his brain's working's evident on his face. "Aynd..." Nik's hazel eyes scanned his ex's thin frame. "You... you killed Danny?" That just didn't add up. Nik had seen Danny. Hell, you couldn't miss Danny. He was a pretty big guy.

The story continued on, with Aynd expressing his need to get away from Danny. He stood there, spluttering and murmuring, seeming very much on the verge of a breakdown. The blood, the story, the reaction, it added up. If it looked, smelled, and quacked like a duck, it simply was. "Alright. I'm assuming all this..." Nikolai motioned toward Aynd. "Happened here?" The man looked at the tall building. "Let's go in and assess the damage."

[Crouton2292]

Aynd paled at the idea of going back inside but he nodded reluctantly and rose unsteadily to his feet. He held the ash tray tightly to his chest and briefly glanced up towards his companion. "It's... It's on the top floor." He stated softly, swallowing before turning to lead the other man inside. It was unusually quiet in the building but Aynd figure that it was something that he should have been grateful for. This way no one but Nikolai would see him looking like this. He pushed the up button for the elevator, glancing back at Nikolai. "The elevator will take us straight up into the apartment."

That was probably why he got as far as he did unseen. The elevator dinged it's arrival and Aynd lead Nikolai inside, pushing the button for the penthouse then typing in the approval code. The ride itself was quick and Aynd stayed pressed into a corner of the elevator, trying to make himself somehow smaller, until they reached the very top. the smell of blood was the first thing to hit the smaller man and he immediately felt woozy, one hand releasing it's iron grip on the ash tray to hold onto the rail inside of the elevator.

He remembered now that he had been trying to run to the elevator when Danny had knocked him down to the floor. The other had crawled on top of him, had wrapped his hands around Aynd's throat, and Ayn had smacked him with the first thing he could reach. The ash tray. Then it was as if a flip had been switched in his head. Remembering that made the man's knees feel weak and he nearly fell back onto the floor.

[Crouton2292]

Nikolai followed Aynd into the elevator. "Mhm." He remained quiet, feeling slightly odd at being in such close proximity to his former partner. He kept his gaze of the familiar face from his past and waited for the elevator to arrive at their destination. The sharp metallic twang of blood assaulted Nik's nostrils. The entrance to the penthouse apartment was trashed. There were obvious signs of a fight, most of all the corpse and congealed blood in front of the pair.

"Well. This is..." Nikolai pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Of all the crazy things he had encountered in his twenty-eight years, this was the cake topper. He was speechless, which was very much not like him. A soft sigh escaped him. "Alright. A few things, was anybody coming over? I'm also gonna need a change of clothing." The man cracked his knuckles, deciding how exactly to dispose of the body.