Ceilings- AJxNiko

Part 33

The next morning, Niko walks downstairs to find everyone in the kitchen. They were all discussing some sort of nonsense as Chunkz and Kenny sat on one side of the sofa. He feels his blood boil when he sees Sharky and Aj cuddled in the corner part beside them. He could tell Aj and Sharky had gotten closer since he left, but he didn't realise how close. Silence falls amongst the room as he walks in, Sharky whispering something in Aj's ear causing him to giggle. Niko walks to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water before going to sit on the opposite side of the sofa. He stares at Sharky and Aj, sending daggers towards their direction. 

"Do you want to get your hands off my boyfriend," Niko spits as he places his arm against the back of the sofa, turning towards them.

Sharky and AJ look at each other, before Aj spits back, "Do you want to not leave your boyfriend for a year, and the come back as if nothing." 

"That's not fair Aj. You know why I had to leave." emphasing the had. He didn't blame Aj for leaving, he could never. He was the one who willingly left.

"No, actually I know why you left, I don't know why you didn't bother to come back." 

"So I leave for a little bit and you cheat on me with our best friend, cold." 

AJ is about to get  up and charge at the man, but Sharky grips his waist, as much as Niko deserved a punch or two, he wouldn't want it to be because of him. 

"Firstly, you didn't leave 'for a bit', unless 8 months was a little for you. Secondly, do you really think I'd cheat on you? Fucks sake, here I was having faith in you, when everyone else had lost it, and you're coming at me? Am I not allowed to have friends now?" 

"I Had to leave. I couldn't come back." Niko shouts back. He was starting to get pissed off. Why was Sharky touching his man like that.

"Well then, now you have graced us with your presence, tell us. Why didn't you come back." 

Chunkz looks at Niko, who sat in silence, clearly ignoring Aj. "Come on man, you can't just disappear off the face of the Earth for 8 months, and expect us to be fine with it. No one blames you for the first few months, but leaving a fucking note? Not knowing if you were ok, if you were even alive. You know Aj nearly went crazy. Sorry Aje. But he did. He sat in your office at the window for 50 days straight. 50 DAYS! Waiting for your arse to show up. and you never did. We nearly lost him again, Niko. Sharky, nearly went to hospital from fatigue. He didn't sleep for weeks just incase you came home whilst he was asleep and no one was there to open the door. we didn't see Kenny for weeks because he was boxing from 5  am- 9pm every day. So, If you don't have a fucking good reason for not being here, I swear to God." 

Chunkz was finally letting out all the ager he'd repressed over the year of Niko's absence. He watched all his friends spiral down an endless hole, whilst Niko was living his life. 

"Do you know where I fucking was? DO YOU WANNA KNOW THAT BADLY?!" Niko yells out. The boys were taken back, Niko never swore. Ever. "I was forced to do some unthinkable shit, that I don't even want to relive. Do you know what it's like to be part of the problem? Be the reason so many innocent people got hurt. I couldn't face you guys afterwards. After a month of being away, I couldn't handle it anymore. You know that day I called Aj, I almost killed myself. I was standing on the edge of  a bridge, contemplating whether to jump or not. If Aj hadn't picked up the phone, I would've done it. I realised I couldn't do that to you. I promised you I'd come back. So I put myself into a rehab therapy. I was gone, because I was in flipping therapy! So I could come back to you guys, to see my boyfriend, in the right mindset. Clearly, no one cared about that. So yeah, I did leave, I didn't come back, because my life was ruined. But I'm back now, isn't that enough."