He was shaking.
Nicky turned, and took a step towards him, reaching a hand out. "Rod, are you okay?"
But Rod jerked back from him. Rod was....... afraid of him.
"Rod.... that...... that's..... That's not who I am...." Nicky tried to explain. "Rod..... I'm not that person! Not really!"
He whimpered. "You..... you were going to... you were ready to...."
"They deserved it!" Nicky exclaimed. "No one is allowed to hurt you Rod! No one! Ever!"
"Nicky..."
Nicky grimaced and looked away. "Rod..... I'm sorry... I......" He sighed. "I know how your glasses got broken.... I found your subway ticket....... so..... I know what happened...."
Rod frowned.
"Rod..... that place.... the 'Back District'..... its..... where I grew up..."
Rod gasped. "You.... in that awful place...?"
"Yeah...."
"So.... you're.... you're like..... like them......"
"No!" Nicky turned back to his friend, pleading with his green eyes. "No! I'm not like them!! I'm not like that, Rod! I'm not!!" He looked at him for a few moments before looking away, hurt. "Rod...... my dad.... he runs that neighbourhood. Him and my brother...."
"You have..... a brother?"
"Yeah..." Nicky sighed. "They're that kind of person..... and.... they tried to raise me that way too, but.... I guess I took after mom more than Jason did..."
"But..... you..... you seemed so..... so different...."
"Only because they tried to hurt you!!" Nicky's voice was starting to get desperate. "Rod, please, believe me..... that's.... not who I want to be! That's not the kind of man I want to be!! I don't want to have people afraid of me ...I don't WANT to be Nick Verte-Mikehal!! I just..... I just want to be... Nicky."
He brought his green eyes up, and locked them with Rod's blue. Slowly, he crept towards him. "Rod.... I can't lie to you.... I never have been able to.... that's.... that's why I never told you.... anything about me.... because I.... I didn't....." He drew in a deep breath, but when he spoke, it was a quiet whisper. "...I didn't want you to be afraid of me... I didn't.... didn't want..... you to hate me..."
Before Nicky knew what was happening, Rod suddenly had his thin arms wrapped around him, holding him close.
"I don't hate you....." He whispered. "I could never."
"Rod.... I..." He was shaking.
"It's okay, Nicky....." Rod pulled back, smiling. "It's okay..."
Nicky smiled a little. "I'm.... just glad.... they ran away...." He admitted. "Without.... without my brother here..... they could have beaten the crap out of us..."
Rod chuckled. "Well, you have spent the last few years as a couch potato."
"Hey, life on the straight and narrow, you know?"
Rod smiled at him. "Let's go. The others are waiting."
Nicky smiled back. "Yeah."
Nicky reached out and took Rod's hand, leading him towards the restaurant. He wanted.....needed..... to make sure he was still there. He couldn't..... couldn't lose Rod again... he just couldn't.
Rod blushed darkly, and smiled at Nicky's back. Even if..... it wasn't exactly what he had been longing for, all these years.... he felt.... strangely.... complete. He wouldn't press Nicky, even though he knew how he felt now... now that he knew, he felt a great weight come off his shoulders. He was.... happy.
Rod didn't let go of Nicky's hand until they reached the restaurant... when his grazed hand finally stopped shaking.
End.