Fixing Nico [boyxboy / yaoi]

Ch 12 - It's too Easy to Kill A Person

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A GRAPHIC FLASHBACK... please, don't read this if you think it may be a trigger, okay? <3

 ~NICO~

I felt weak. And not just in the physical sense of the word - although my laboured breaths rattled from my lips as pain throbbed across my stomach. I clutched my abdomen, but refused to let groan of agony escape from my lips… No.

Chase was right, wasn't he? … I was just too… too…

Needy.

I whimpered slightly as Christian encased his strong arms around me, his eyebrows furrowed as concerned, bright-blue eyes gaped down at me, residues of anger still glistening in his gaze. His mouth was set in a hard line, but it wobbled slightly, almost as if he were going to cry.

'Nico…' he murmured. He'd been repeating my name as if it were some kind of mantra, like a healing spell that would suddenly make everything okay if he kept saying it. But it wasn't… it was just a name.

Just my name.

'Yes?' This was this first time since Chase's fist landed in my stomach that I'd actually answered him.

Christian blinked, obviously shocked that I was responding: 'Are… are you okay?' he whispered.

I nodded weakly, attempting to offer Christian a reassuring smile that probably wasn't very reassuring. 'I'm okay.'

'You sure?'

I nodded again, but paused slightly, considering… 'You know what would make me feel better?' I teased.

'What?' Christian asked, suddenly eager.

'If you kissed me,' I replied as I felt my cheeks flush a deep crimson and my head ducked in a reflexive embarrassed gesture. I cleared my throat awkwardly. 'Um, but, you know, if you don't want to -'

I was cut off by a pair of lips crashing against mine - I grinned into his kiss, his sweet, soft mouth warm against mine as I wrapped my arms around his neck and he held my body tighter to his chest.

Suddenly he pulled away, his face, his azure eyes, were serious. 'Nico. I - I'm sorry.'

I blinked. 'What for?'

'I'll never let anyone else hurt you, ever again,' Christian said through a clenched jaw. 

I smiled sadly up at Christian's determined expression. 'You can't promise me that,' I whispered.

'But -'

'No,' I interrupted, furrowing my eyebrows now, 'you can't promise that you'll always be there, and that you'll always protect me… we don't know what will happen in the future. We can't control it, either. Please, don't make promises you can't really keep, and don't make promises that'll bind us forever…'

'But -' Christian protested once more, but I place one steady finger on his lip, stopping him mid sentence.

'No buts,' I said sternly. 'If you want to promise me something, promise me this: that you'll be here for me now. Right now. In this moment… because my tummy hurts, and I want you to stay with me all afternoon, and carry me to bed, and hold me until I fall asleep…' I trailed off, a small, embarrassed blush adorning my cheeks. 'Okay?'

Christian's worried, expression, his concerned eyes, metled into a sunny beam as he looked down at me, rose to his feet and hoisted me up into his arms before carrying me through the hallways and towards my room. I grinned back at him, butterflies going hyper in my stomach as though they were in serious need of some Ritalin.