|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 5:42 pm
Whisler had come back from his wonder after almost a day, he was so tired and so hungry, but was quite sure…or at least quite hopeful that the coast would be clear now, so it would be safe to leave. He had gone home, eaten a big meal and then gone right back out, being careful to stay in the shadows and away from any prying Negaverse eyes. He stayed out of his powered form for as long as he could, powering up only to hop up onto the rooftop that he had last spoken to Arias on, and powering down as soon as he was comfortable up there, pulling out his cell phone.
He sent a quick text to his boyfriend, a text that he hoped was apologetic enough. Hey, come meet me on the roof that we last talked on. I’m up here waiting on you, please don’t leave me hanging. I love you and I want to talk to you. Nick read and reread the messages about three times before hitting send, and finally just laying on his back, eyes fixed on the stars above.
God he hoped Arias would come.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 5:58 pm
Everything in Arias' gut told him that he shouldn't go. Whisler's threat had not been lost on him, and he'd spent the time since their last talk watching his every step. He'd become overly cautious, and paranoid—determined not to be caught unawares and forcibly corrupted.
All of his safe-guarding against being caught, alone, by Whisler, went through his head when he read the text. A dozen times. Two.
He thought about ignoring it—it was an obvious trap, wasn’t it? I love you, let's talk. And then he'd be all Negaverse and jump him, or something.
But then, for some reason, Arias powered up.
He didn't know what he was doing but tried to justify that meeting up with Whisler was fair. That it was the right thing. He deserved a chance.
…And even though he was scared, he wanted to see him, and to know he was okay.
Carefully, Newgrange made his way to the rooftop, waiting for Chaos signatures to overwhelm him. Butterflies flitted through his stomach. "—Nick?" he asked, almost breathless.
Because it was him.
Not some Negaverse Agent. There weren't any Chaos signatures.
Just Nick.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 6:16 pm
Nick sat up, unable to keep a smile from crossing his face when Newgrange came up. “Hey honey. It’s me. Come over here and lay down with me…the stars are so beautiful tonight. So beautiful.” He held a hand out to the squire and his purple eyes were half pleading, and half just full of love. “Also, please power down…I kind of um. Might have a bounty on my head right now. I don’t want anyone to find you or me.”
His eyes flickered back up to the sky and he sighed. “I um. Almost got corrupted last night…it was really…scary, honestly. I was terrified. More so than I thought I would ever be…I didn’t realize it was even possible to be that scared…and I was on my wonder for a long time until I was pretty sure the General King and Ashanite had gone…”
The blonde’s voice faltered when he mentioned the Generals name, and it felt as though his throat was suddenly too tight. “So…yeah…please just be my Arias, and let’s stargaze…for real this time.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 11:51 pm
That was definitely something to say if you were planning a trap—power down, make yourself as helpless as possible so I—we?—can jump you.
…But Nick's smile seemed so genuine, and Arias was just so hopeful. Nothing seemed evil about him—and if he'd corrupted…wouldn’t he have forgotten something?
A surge of hope flooded through Arias, who nodded dumbly and powered down after a second. He gave Nick an odd look, obviously curious about the way he'd stumbled over the General's name.
But still, he powered down and reached over to take Nick's hand. He watched his movement, and the movement of all the shadows around them—just in case. Carefully, he sat down next to the blonde. "You…didn't corrupt?" he asked hesitantly, trying not to sound too excited. He was curious though—he had to know. His heart was pounding so quickly that he felt dizzy. "How…did you get away? What happened?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 6:38 pm
Nick squeezed Arias’s hand for a moment and brought it to his lips, laying a gentle kiss upon the back of it. “No. I didn’t corrupt…something else happened, and I’m not sure what, to be perfectly honest. I’ve seen it before…and I had dreamed about myself having it…I uh. Started getting some glowing bits. Snowflakes. Some on my hands, and I saw some on my face too, on my cheek. I don’t know. But how I escaped was heading back to my Wonder. To Whisler. The place…not me. It’s lovely up there, Arias. You’ll love it. We’ll go up there sometime and spend the weekend. I’ll have to bring some stuff to make sure we can stay for more than a few days…but I love it there…”
He drew in a breath and wrapped his arm around the brunette, pulling him closer. “I love you, and I’m so sorry for what I did. I don’t…I don’t think I was myself. I don’t know what was wrong with me…but I am feeling much better…I feel stronger and more sure of everything…and so…I don’t know. Peaceful. I thought of you…when the General King had his hand in my chest…I thought of you and how much I loved you…and it helped me resist, I think. You helped to save me…so…thank you.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 6:56 pm
Arias found himself nodding, though wasn't entirely sure that he understood why. It was just good to hear Nick talking—to see life in his eyes.
"I don't think you were yourself either," he said slowly, but it was hard to tell if he was only saying it to make Nick feel better of if he actually meant it. Despite being a little worried still, he found himself resting against the blonde next to him. A small smile had found its way onto his face and he laughed softly. "You thought of me when someone else was fondling you? …I suppose I should be flattered. But the truth is, I'm just grateful. I don't know what I would do if I lost you. I was preparing for it, you know. Trying to figure out what I was supposed to do if you were gone. I didn't want to lose you. I don't ever want to lose you. If we break up—that's one thing! I won't resent you for that! …But if you went back to the Negaverse."
He swallowed, and his grip around Nick's hand tightened. "…If you turned into someone else, someone evil…I don't know what I do. But I'm happy that I don't have to think about that."
Ever, he hoped.
He wanted things to be perfect—exhilarating, but calm, and sweet, like this. When things were like this, it was easy to forget the coldness, the fear, the hostility. Nick seemed himself—better than he had been, in at least a month.
And Arias' heart beat twice as fast for him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 6:09 pm
“It…it wasn’t really fondling me…it was more like. Oh Arias, you goose.” Nick leaned close and placed a quick kiss on the other males cheek, laughing softly. “I’m not leaving you. Not breaking up with you. I need you…and I love you, and I want to stay with you, quite possibly forever, if you’d want that. I mean…I love having you by my side…I really do. Maybe even more than I’ve liked anyone by my side…”
He paused, thinking. “Though…and don’t hate me for this…but I’m pretty sure I fall in love pretty easily, and I’m sorry for that…but you hold a very large piece of my heart, larger than I’ve given anyone, I think…so…even if I fall in love with someone else…you’ll always…be there?”
Nicks lips pursed. This was not how he had wanted his words to come out…but there wasn’t really any easy way of saying that Arias wasn’t the only one who held his heart. Because…he really wasn’t.
Even though he had the largest part, at least he was pretty sure he did.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 6:42 pm
Arias watched—and waited, patiently for Nicolae to speak. Except, the conversation started with him feeling elated, and ended with him feeling confused. He didn't quite seem to know what to make of whatever it was he'd just been told, except he knew that something about what Nicolae had said felt incredibly off.
A soft smile hovered on his face for a moment, but it slowly grew to look less convincing.
"…Do you mean," he asked after a moment, "That if you fall in love with someone else—if we do break up, we'll stay friends? Because—yeah." His brows were furrowed; he didn't like the idea of breaking up, but he couldn't imagine not having Nick as a friend, at least. And if he truly hadn't been happy—or would have been happier with someone else—Arias would support him. It would hurt, but…
He'd rather stay friends than nothing at all.
He just wasn't quite sure he understood what Nick was saying, though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 8:51 pm
“Well…no. I guess…I guess I don’t know what I mean. I mean, I don’t want to break up with you, I can’t imagine that, and the very thought almost makes me want to cry…but…” He sighed and flopped back down, looking up at the sky. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just the kind of guy who…wants more than one relationship. And I wanted to bring it up with you before I…you know. Did anything. I guess. I don’t know. Maybe I’m still just reeling from everything that happened. Maybe I’m just talking nonsense.”
He fell silent and sighed, closing his eyes. “I love you. I know I love you, and I want to stay with you. That’s not the issue here.”
The issue was that he loved other people too…and didn’t want them to feel left out. He was selfish, and he knew it…but if things were going to get as serious with Arias as he wanted them to get…well. Arias had to know these things, that was all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 9:03 pm
Arias fell quiet now, and he stayed that way for a long moment. He stayed sitting up, staring across at the horizon across from them before he finally, slowly laid down so he was looking up at the sky with Nick.
"…I don't understand," he said after another moment of silence. He hadn't drawn away from Nick but he wasn't relaxed at all. "…Is it me?" he chanced after a moment. "Am I not interesting enough, or…am I doing something wrong? —I've never done this before," he said, and sounded apologetic. "I've never really dated anyone, not before you. A few girls on dates, but you know about that. I can fix it," he insisted. "If you tell me what I'm missing, I can do it better. I don't want you to be in an unfulfilling relationship."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 10:43 pm
“No, no it’s nothing you did or didn’t do…it’s just me. I think it’s always been me. You’re wonderful…and I don’t think I’ve ever loved anyone enough to even talk about this really. I mean…I just…I’m sorry that I’m selfish. But it’s not you. I love you…and I want to be with you, maybe forever. I don’t know. I just…want to be honest with you. That’s all this is. And I’m sorry if my honesty upsets you or something…but I want to be open with my feelings. Even if they’re for other people…I’m sorry.”
He felt for Arias’s hand and curled his own around it. “I’m the issue, Arias. You aren’t. And I’m sorry if it’s sounding that way…you are just…too important to me. You…” Nick exhaled in a rush, seeming flustered. “You’re perfect…you really are, and I love you so much…”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 10:52 pm
Arias still didn't seem to have the answers he was looking for, so answered with a thoughtful, "Hm," as he contemplated. His brows were knit further now, and a solid wrinkle crossed his brow. His lips were pursed tightly and he still couldn't make any sense of the emotions he was having now.
"I don’t get it," he repeated again, hesitantly; Nick was being honest with him and he figured he owed him the same courtesy. "…I'm not sure how that's going to affect our relationship if you're falling in love with other people." His mind was churning over the information, and he felt a little dizzy, a little sick.
"…Does that mean I have to worry about you spending the holidays at someone else's house? Or that I'm going to go on Facebook and see pictures of you making out with someone else? …You're not going to come home with an STD or something, right?" He started to sound a little more miserable and moved his hands to cover his face; he massaged his eyes and just seemed tired. "…Or if I get in trouble or have a bad day, are you going to drop your other boyfriends to come home to me? —Are you going to tell them about me?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 11:03 pm
Nick thought these questions through and was quiet for a long, long moment. “We have time to figure these things out, don’t we? I don’t have the answers right now…I just know…that I want to move on to a more permanent thing with you…so I figured you had to know things like this. It’s not like…there’s anyone now…I mean. I guess there was. But.”
He broke off, squeezing the hand tightly for a moment and sighing. “…you were far more important. You and my wonder.” He sighed heavily and closed his eyes again, rolling towards the male and snuggling up close. “I’ll get you the answers of the questions you’re asking…I just…this isn’t something I’ve ever put into words before…so I don’t have the answers right now. Everything’s happening really fast…but I don’t know. I’m sorry, Arias. This wasn’t supposed to end like this. This was supposed to be a happy night that ended with us going to your place and cuddling in bed. After eating some ice cream, of course…I’m sorry I have such a big mouth.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 11:15 pm
A pang of cold guilt rushed through Arias—like it was his fault that Nick had been with someone else, or had feelings for someone else. Once more, he didn't draw away but just sighed into the hand he had covering his face. He nodded, but it took a few seconds before he realized Nick might not have seen it.
"Okay," he said, and hated how short the word was.
The fact was, he just didn't have much breath in him and was having a hard time formulating words. "Thank you for being honest with me."
For what it was worth, he appreciated knowing. He just didn't like not having enough answers to know what to do about any of it. He couldn't wrap his mind around what Nick had told him, and his heart felt like it had already gone through too many highs and lows this month, so the feeling in it just sort of switched off. He could worry about whatever the future held.
Like when maybe Nick was off at someone else's for some fancy dinner party, or seducing them with a bed full of roses. Sharing sweet nothings and reciting the same poetry to them.
His stomach flopped and Arias felt cold.
But on the bright side, Nick wasn't a Negaverse Agent, so there as a plus.
His mind jut sort of shut off and he sighed, tiredly laying his arm down next to him.
"…I probably have some ice cream at my place," he said; his voice was devoid of enthusiasm and he sounded like he had a lot on his mind. "Could put on a movie and just fall asleep to it. Bed sounds nice. More comfortable than the roof, at least. We can just...talk about this later, I guess. When you figure out those answers."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 11:24 pm
Nick felt as though his heart was breaking. Again. This was far too much for one week. For one year, honestly. First he had lost Ashanite…and now Arias seemed less than enthused with him. What was the point of trying to explain himself if it was just…God. It would have been better if Arias had shouted, or broken up with him or something. Not just…shut himself off. This wasn’t what he wanted to deal with. Couldn’t deal with.
“I um. I don’t know. Maybe we should rain check. I haven’t had much sleep the past few nights, I was up on my wonder and beds really…Well, it’s not much more than a pile of rocks right now so…maybe I should just go home. Next time though. We can bake cookies and eat ice cream…and all that jazz. I’m sure I’ll have all the answers then. Either that or I was just talking out of exhaustion. Who knows.”
He pulled away and stood up, stretching and looking anywhere but at Arias. “I’ll see you soon, okay?” Swiftly, he powered up into Whisler, his eyes roaming over the glowing snowflakes on the backs of his hands and he sighed, still not quite used to them, but happy to see them. It was better than the alternative, right?
Maybe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
