Fixing Nico [boyxboy / yaoi]

Ch 17 - When Love Sucks and Vampires are not to Blame

~ANDY~

The huge raindrops were free falling rapidly from the purple-black sky as I dragged my feet painfully along the perfectly-set, now almost flooded, concrete of the grey sidewalks on Nico's street, biting my lip absently. Fat, heavy droplets of rain splattered frantically against my face and clothes… not that it mattered anyways. The spots of water instantly materialised on the soaked, black fabric that adorned my body, and as for my face… Well, there isn't much you can do to make it look worse, huh?

I heaved a weary sigh. Nico's house was a mere ten meters down the street - I could clearly see his door from where I stood, his fogged-up windows and the still, dark shadows of heavy curtains drawn between the harsh outdoors and the dim inside of his room - but as I pouted up at the two-storey, boxy, ultra-modern house that loomed approximately ten steps before me, I could barely bring myself to move my legs to cover the distance. It just seemed so far away… 

I was an expert in the field of Procrastination. In fact, I once wrote a book entitled Procrastination 101: Andy's Ultimate Guide for Procrastinators Worldwide. It's yet to be published… anyway, as I absently twirled my lip ring around with my tongue, I was all too aware that the reason I'd halted precariously in the middle of the sidewalk was because of just that: I was dreading seeing Nico.

Which was completely ridiculous… right? I always wanted to see Nico - in school I'd stare mindlessly out of the window, wondering what Nico was learning about in his smart-school as I sat in my own dump-of-a-school, admits graffitied desks and juvenile delinquents. At night, I'd fall asleep picturing Nico's little, hesitant smile - a smile I worked tirelessly to see gracing his lips every time we met. I'd plan my weekends around Nico - what would Nico like to do this Saturday? Has he ever been to Kiribillli? Does he like fish and chip? Pfft - c'mon, Andy, who doesn't like fish and chips? 

For the past ten months, my entire life had revolved around Nico. Every day was spent worrying about his delicate, pale wrists; the weary, sleepless shadows growing darker under his eyes; how painfully skinny he'd get when I hadn't seen him for a week…

I cared about Nico.

I loved Nico.

That's right… I was in love with Nico… 

And now? 

I felt my nails digging sharply into my palms as my fists clenched and I fought the scowl off my dripping face. Now, Nico suddenly decided to get back together with that asshole?

I kicked a pebbled off the sidewalk with an angry growl - stomping and splashing up to Nico's house as I slammed my hand over the doorbell and glared unseeingly in front of me - suddenly, the door opened with a click that made me jolt. Sophie had suddenly appeared in the gaping doorway, a smile lifting her lips as recognition flashed through her almost-black eyes, then fading again as she beheld my appearance with a look of sheer horror.

'My God, Andy!' she cried, 'you're soaking wet! It's pouring out there! Get inside - now!'

Without bothering to wait for a response, Sophie clasped my arm and dragged my through her wooden-floored house so fast I had to jog to keep up, my footsteps leaving miniature lakes on the floors. Sophie pulled me through her hallways and into a bathroom, where she instructed my to sit on the edge of the bathtub and take off my shoes.

'You are literally dripping wet,' she muttered disapprovingly as she yanked a white towel from the hamper and systematically began rumpling my hair with it, rubbing the fowl furiously over my head before she set it on my shoulders and wrapped me in it like a little kid. The towel was fuzzy, soft, even warm despite the chilliness of the day… Sophie began kneading the towel across my shoulders as I yanked off my Doc Martens and tipped them over - a little waterfall streamed from my boots, and my socks were saturated with rainwater.