Again with the "I do not owns" that people like to call disclaimers…I like to call them pains in the ass…anyway, I don't own Mystic force, but here's chapter 3 as everyone requested…I never expected this story to blow up like this, but thank you anyways. :

Chapter 3I Get Tired & I Get Weak

It wasn't like it was supposed to turn out this way. It's not like Xander wanted to make him cry. But to Nick, it's all he wanted…he guessed. He could say he didn't want to confess to someone that he hated himself. He could say that he was straight, that he didn't know what to think of his confusion. He could say that all he said before was a lie…but he could not lie…at least not proficiently.

The sobs were non-existent, the tears just came. They weren't huge, swelled up tears, and they weren't tears that could revive someone that had died. They were just Nick's tears of anguish. And that made Xander feel horrible.

All too soon, Nick recalled what he was doing. Hugging another male, in the middle of the store he worked in, his face teary. He had to stop, had to think of something quick to regain his composure.

He pulled back and whipped his face, "Sorry…" he mumbled.

"It's okay to cry Nick, stop trying to be so macho," Xander lectured.

"I'm not trying to be macho, I'm whipping my face."

"Because crying is a flaw right?" Xander asked sarcastically.

"I'm not too concerned about flaws. If I were so worried about that I would have done something about this," he said self-conscientiously as he pointed to his nose.

"Oh boo, you'll get over it. Our imperfections are what make us seem perfect to others," Xander stated with a philosophical air.

Nick looked at him for a few moments. What was Xander trying to do?

"What are you doing?" Nick asked bluntly.

"Um…I don't know, talking to you?" Xander guessed.

"No, I mean, why did you…" he paused, time to call it what it was "Why did you hold me…a few minutes ago?" Nick asked carefully.

Xander looked perplexed, "Um…Nick, you do know that you hugged me, right?" Xander questioned.

Silent for a moment, Nick finally responded, "Yeah…I know…but why did you let me? How come you didn't push me away?"

"Well, because you were a friend in need, why would I have pushed you? What kind of friend does that?"

"I Wouldn't really know, haven't had enough to tell…"

The two were silent for a while, looking around the shop mostly before meeting glances.

"So…" Xander said.

"What?"

"Are you feeling better?" Xander asked.

"Not really."

"Why?"

"Well, why was I supposed to feel better?"

"Don't you feel like you got something off your chest?"

He thought a moment, then he replied, "I guess."

"Mmmhmm…" Xander said as though observing.

"What?'

"Well…we've tackled the orientation problem, I think we should move on to the self-loathing thing."

Nick groaned, "Do you ever just give up?"

"Not on people I care about, no," Xander said.

Their eyes met intensely and Xander added quickly, "So we might as well get started.

Nick leaned back in a chair, though his body looked relaxed, his muscles were tensed, awaiting the problem.

"Right," Nick said casually.

"Okay…so explain in depth why it is you're homophobic."

"Well…um…I've always just been that way…and when things started to happen, I got scared. I didn't want to be like that, it was always looked down upon. I'd never known much about how my family reacted to…homosexuality…but I found out that day."

"And what happened for them to find out?" Xander interrogated.

"Brice told his parents…"

"Told his parents what?"

"That…that I kissed him…"

"And you're ashamed of that?"

"Hell yes. I always think back to that day and if I'd been able to control my perverted mind I wouldn't be here right now."

"You wouldn't be a ranger."

Nick was quiet. He never thought of it that way.

"Look Nick. Sometimes, bad things happen, and they appear to be the worse things ever. But then, a while later, not always three years, but a while later, something good comes of it, it's in the balance of nature. It's really not that hard of a concept," Xander explained.

"Again with the philosophy?" groaned the red ranger.

"Okay, okay. But honestly, you can't expect to beat yourself up forever. It was a childhood error that resulted in greater things. I was lucky enough to have a great group of friends and a wonderful family to fall back on when I realized it, but now you've got us. No one will care."

"How would you know? They know you, you're their friend."

"And so are you."

"But you don't trust me."

"No, I didn't, that doesn't mean you can't be my friend. Do you really think I'd trust Chip with a scalpel?" Xander asked wryly.

Nick let out a sharp laugh.

"Exactly. I would talk to you, I'll laugh with you, there's just certain things you have to have a degree of trust for, and then, you didn't have it."

"So I do now?" Nick asked curiously.

"Depends on if you can come to terms with yourself."

For two whole minutes, Nick sat in silence as he thought. The only sounds that surrounded them were the few cars that whizzed by on the chilly Thursday night.

"Okay…I get it now…" Nick said quietly.

"And?" Xander anxiously asked.

"I figure I don't really have to be something I don't want to be as long as I don't have to answer to anyone, and I don't. My cousins aren't gonna get involved in this, and if they do, I'll be old enough to be on my own soon."

"So what are you saying."

Nick took a deep breath, "I'm gay."

The sentence seemed to echo through the empty store, but its sound didn't have the effect on Nick that he thought it would. It simply verified what he'd been denying for years.

"And how do you feel now?"

"Like an idiot," Nick laughed.

"But a trusted idiot," Xander said as he stood to stand near Nick by the desk.

"You trust me now?" Nick asked, his eyes flashing with hope.

"Enough to do this," Xander replied with a small, subtle kiss.

Woot woot, go me, third chapter in less than 2 full days. I don't know what I can do with this now, I mean, I'm sure I could continue, see what I can come up with, but I'll need to see this weekend's episode. Stay tuned, promise the next chap will be up by Sunday. Leave me a nice review :----later days