Day 02
A cool spring breeze blows in through the balcony of his hotel room, high above the crowded streets of Monticello, New York. Pulling out his best suit, he slides on the eggshell white slacks and a cornflower blue button down silk shirt before slipping on a matching eggshell white jacket. Looking in the mirror, a smooth hand runs across a layer of morning stubble before the other reaches down to turn on the hot water in the sink. Razor in hand, the face is shortly baby bottom smooth once more. A light film of gel is spread across his hands before running his fingers through his hair. Nick looks into the mirror, his grey eyes shining brightly. "Show time" he says with a grin before turning off the light and heading down towards the casino a block away.
The man in his mid-thirties basks in the sunlight, walking the busy street in a casual stride. Several of the younger females look his way, a glimmer of desire in their eyes. His hand gently slides along their hips and effortlessly picks the contents of their jean pockets. The feel of their curves wasn't near as satisfying as the feel of their warm cash in his fingers as he slipped the easily gained money into his jacket's inner pocket. A smile spread across his face as he continued down the road, relieving beautiful women of their possessions with no hassle. Like candy from a baby, a much older, much lusciously beautiful baby.
A large crowd is gathered around the Craps table. They're all clustered around the man in the white suit. His golden rings shimmering in the casino lights. A woman with honeyed skin hangs on either side of him, their hands playing with his ears and shoulders. Their chestnut locks curl down and sweep across their dark forest green cocktail dresses. The material of the dresses ripple in the light and the faint image of a handsome southern man begins to fade into view before disappearing just as quickly. A smile still stretches across the perfect features of Nick's face as he places his bets and rolls the dice. "Snake eyes!" the dealer calls out just as the women on either side of him fall backwards. Their eyes are empty, bullet holes creating a tunnel of blood all the way through their heads. Heads that look more masculine in the faded light of the now decayed casino.
The sound of the helicopter flies over head and Nick finds himself in the intersection of Times Square. All around, the electronic billboards flicker on, images of the country in flames as men in black hazmat suits steadily walk across fields with jets of flame arcing before them. The face of the man from before replaces the images of flame, his plump lips now cracked and dry next to sunken in cheeks. His green eyes faded into a lifeless stare. Nick twirls around, the face staring down at him where ever he looks as his heart races in his chest. A strained guttural howl fills the air just as Nick is slammed across the street by something hard in his back. He's shoved through the thick wall of a building, his body broken and bloodied before crashing out of the other side and back into the street.
Broken and battered, pain sears through his body as Nick takes to stand. Looking around him again, he finds himself in Atlanta, Georgia. The sky is covered in clouds of smoke as fires rage around him. Bodies litter the pavement, forming a road of corpses leading to a building that stretches towards the Heavens. The flames lick across the bodies behind him, a cacophony of screams pierce into his mind as the fires spread from body to body towards him. As he turns towards the towering building he trips over one of the corpses. Looking down he sees the familiar face of a young Caucasian woman, her dark brunette hair lying in a pool of blood that pours from her torn chest. He stands, a look of horror upon his face as he runs once more towards the building, leaving the stilled body of Zoey for the fires to consume.
Slamming through the doors, he continues to follow the trail of bodies. Flames rage along the walls, routing him towards the stairs that he quickly rushes up, taking two steps at a time. As he approaches the fifth floor a glint of light draws his attention towards an open fire exit. Shambling out, an inked man in a black leather riding vest stares at Nick with an emptiness before a rage fills the pupils and he charges. Moving to the left, Nick grabs Francis and hurls him over the stairway banister. An audible crack is heard as the man's head is forced back when he slams into the banister of the floor below before continuing to tumble into the sea of flames along the ground. Nick shakes himself free of the sight and continues to rush up the stairs.
His pace slows as his legs begin to feel as molasses on a cold winter's night. Reaching the fortieth floor, Nick collapses and braces himself against the wall. His breath is labored and pained from the running and from the smoke billowing up from below him. A shrill scream pierces his ears just as Nick see's Coach drive a fireman's axe through Rochelle's forehead. The heavy set man turns to face Nick, his eyes void of any remorse. As Coach takes a step forward, his head swivels down and back up again. His mouth twists in a soundless cry as his body begins to shrink. Looking down, Nick notices his friend is standing in a pool of bubbling green acid. The khaki brown slacks the darker man wears begin to smoke as the acid eats through the cloth. The smell of flesh fills the air as the man's skin begins to melt away. Inch by quick inch the man sinks into the pool, the last visible thing is his hand reaching out for Nick. A hand that is never reached for as Nick sits against the wall, a look of horror covering his face, terror filling his eyes.
"Nick! Hey, Nick!" A familiar voice calls from far away. The southern accent lingering in the air as a panic floods into Nick's heart. Nick leaps across the pool of acid and races up the stairs once more, trying to reach the man he's come to desire. His legs stretch as far as he can muster to scale three steps at a time, his hand gripping the banister for more leverage. Several more flights and Nick reaches the fiftieth floor before bursting out of the door connecting to the roof. His heart stops as he looks before him. Ellis is standing in the center of the roof, a horde of Infected surrounding him. A pale, lifeless version of Zoey clings to his right arm as the younger man turns around to face Nick.
A look of mirth fills Ellis' eyes as he reaches down and latches on to the blood drenched lips of the woman. His face comes back with the crimson liquid smeared across his chin, the red staining those once perfectly white teeth. That charming smile Nick fell for spreads across the young man's face. Even in death, I'd pick her over you. Ellis' voice rings through his mind, even though his lips never move out of that morbidly charming smile. Tossing the corpse of Zoey to the ground, Ellis steps towards Nick. The horde closes in behind him, forcing Nick to stagger backwards towards the edge of the roof. A calloused hand reaches out and rests on Nick's shoulder as Ellis looks into his eyes. I could never love someone as worthless and pathetic as you. The voice stabs daggers into his heart just before Ellis pushes the broken man off of the building.
Nick tumbles down towards the street below, the wind tearing across his face. Tears rip from his eyes as he plummets to his fiery death. As the heat of the flames begin to lick his face, he screams Ellis' name. Darkness takes him and a familiar warmth radiates around him. His arms are bound and he's unable to move. The last image of Ellis with Zoey fades into view and lingers in front of him as he breathes out his final breath.
Snapping his eyes open, Nick thrashes with the covers and thrusts his elbow into the object behind him. A breath of hot air hits the back of his neck followed by a pained groan. "Nick!" a breathless voice calls out to him. "Nick! It's fine! Calm down, I've got you. It'll be fine." The voice tries to soothe.
Looking around him, Nick recognizes the walls of his room upon the cruise ship. Realization dawns on him as his hands feel along the toned arm pinning him against the warm body of Ellis. He sighs in relief, inwardly thanking the stars it was just a dream. He pushes the man's arms off of him and crawls out of the bed, heading for the bathroom. A strong hand grabs his forearm halting his steps, "Nick.. are you ok? Do you want to talk about it?" Ellis' soft tone sounds out, the worry clear in his voice. Nick pulls his arm free and continues towards the bathroom.
"I'm fine! Don't fucking worry about me!" He yells out just before slamming the door behind him. His hands grip the edge of the sink as he stares into the mirror. The images of the dream flash across his vision, vivid now as they were when he first had them. He flicks on the water and splashes his face to help clear his mind. It isn't until he turns the water off again and smothers his face in a cotton towel that he hears a faint knock on the door.
"Nick.. I don't know what happened, but I'm here if you need me." The voice drifts through the wooden door, causing another pain in Nick's chest. When it's replied in silence, he can hear the man's footsteps retreating back towards the bed. He lets out another sigh and crawls into a corner of the bathroom, his legs pressed into his chest as his head rests upon his knees. He lets out a silent shudder as tears fall from his eyes. It was just a dream, he knew that. He knew that every day the possibility of losing the people he now calls friends, no.. family, the people he's risked his life for, was very real. He's dreamed about the death of his companions ever since that fateful night in the swamp when Rochelle was attacked. It was never easy, though it was never as detailed and horrific as tonight. His tears continued to fall, his body shuddering as he tried to relax until he drifted back to sleep.
-x-x-
Nick awoke with a pain in his neck. As he pulls himself off the floor, he realizes he fell over in his sleep and was lying with his head crooked against the side of the tub. He's not entirely sure how long he was out this time, but he does feel a little better. Standing on trembling legs, he heads back towards the bedroom. When he opens the door, he's greeted by Ellis sitting at the foot of the bed, staring at him.
"I was wondering how long you were going to be in there.. It's been a couple of hours.." Ellis sighed, his voice almost a whisper. "I'm glad to see you up again." A sadness seeps into his voice, but a faint smile twitches at the corner of his lips.
"I.. yah.." Nick's voice is groggy, dry. He reaches up and rubs at the kink in his neck. "What the hell are you doing anyhow? I told you not to worry about me. Why are you even still here?" His stance becomes more rigid, his voice more defiant. He still can't let go of the image he saw, of Ellis choosing Zoey's lifeless body over him.
Ellis stared at the older man for a moment. He knew something was wrong, but he also knew Nick wasn't one to really share his weaker moments with the group. The man didn't have to act this way though, not when Ellis was genuinely trying to help. Sighing, "I brought you breakfast" he mutters while pointing over towards a side table. "It might be a little cold, it's been there for probably half an hour."
"You really are turning into a woman today, hillbilly. First you worry over nothing and then bring me breakfast? You're pathetic." Nick snaps back, though guilt quickly flushes through him. He hates having to act so rough all the time, but after years of being required to.. he's really not sure he can do nice and lovey these days. Quietly sitting at the table, he picks at the food with a fork. After taking a small bite of the still slightly warm French toast, he utters a small "thank you" before continuing to slowly eat.
It wasn't until he finished his last bite that he felt a set of strong hands upon his shoulders. Hands rub along his bared flesh as warm breath moves across the nape of his neck. "Are you feeling better now?" A whisper brushes against his ear, sending shivers down his spine. He only nods in reply. Ellis places a soft kiss upon his crown before returning to his right ear. "Good, the others were worried about you when you didn't show up for breakfast. Even Zoey and Francis were worried." Ellis didn't have time to say more before Nick's body froze beneath his hands and the man jumped out of the chair.
Nick didn't have enough time to retreat to the bathroom this time. Ellis launched himself at the man and tackled him to the bed. After a struggle, the two fell off the edge of the bed and Nick landed hard against the floor. "What the fuck are you doing Ellis? Get off of me, now!" His grey eyes darkened in anger as he struggled for release. Ellis didn't move though, he remained tensed and kept Nick's wrists pinned to the floor. He stared down into those grey eyes, eyes he could lose himself in no matter how angry the other man seemed to be.
"You will tell me what is wrong, Nick. This is your last chance before I make you." Ellis' words were cold and demanding. He was tired of Nick running and hiding away from him any time something happened. Out there, the group shrugged it off, he was an ass anyhow. But here, in the safety and privacy of their shared room, he wasn't going to let the man run anymore. "Is it something to do with Francis?" He offered a name, any name, just to get the man talking. A silent stare and a defiantly closed set of lips responded. After listing off Coach and Rochelle and only getting the same, he stared down at Nick, "Zoey then." It was no longer a question, merely a statement. The grey eyes stared back only a moment before they visibly lost their edge and Nick looked off towards the side.
Leaning down, Ellis placed a gentle kiss along the corner of Nick's eye, a smile spreading across his lips before he breaks the connection. "Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Releasing his hold on one of the man's wrists, he cups his far cheek with a delicate caress and pulls Nick's gaze back to look at him. "I really wish you'd talk to me.. I know something is wrong Nick. I could tell you were having a nightmare this morning. I called out to you.. to try and wake you up but you didn't respond for a while. Just before you woke up though, you called out my name. You called for me, Nick. You called and I'm here now, just let me help you…" His voice trails off into a whisper, trying to show Nick some gentleness after being so rough with the man. If this were Keith, he'd already have the information he wanted after slamming him to the floor. But, this isn't Keith, he reminded himself.
"I.. it was just a bad dream, Ellis." Nick tried to pull away from those green eyes, eyes that begged him to open his world to them, but Ellis' grip on his cheek became more resistant. "I've been having them for a while now, it's nothing.. really." He tries to fake a smile, but Ellis wasn't falling for it. The man was good at lying, Ellis knew he was good at fooling people, he practically bragged about several of his con jobs when the group was getting to know each other. It might have just been a way to keep everyone distant from him, no one really knew, but they all knew he was better at lying than telling the truth.
"Please?" Another word Ellis wasn't used to while having a man pinned underneath him. Green eyes bore into grey, the look of genuine concern shining like a beacon.
Sighing in defeat, Nick offered what he felt would be sufficient. "Everyone was dead. Coach, Rochelle.. you.." His voice quivered as he let out the last word, a touch of sadness echoing from it.
"It was just a dream.. There has to be more though Nick, tell me. It's just you and me right now. Just us.."
"Is it?" His eyes regained some of their fire as he shot a glare at Ellis. "What about Zoey? How soon after I tell you are you going to run to your little whore and tell her everything?" An anger filled his words, replacing any sign of the sadness or pain he was about to share.
"I… What?" Ellis leaned back in shock. His body pressing it's full weight down on Nick's crotch unintentionally.
Nick's mind swam with desire as Ellis' body pressed into him. It only fueled his rage even more as Ellis was obviously just toying with him, to make him feel even more pathetic. "Your whore was dead, Ellis! She was dead and you still wanted her. You're a sick bastard.. choosing a corpse over me and I highly doubt it'd be any different if it really happened! The way you look at her, the way you touch her.. Is that what you wanted to hear? Now get the fuck off of me and go find your whore!"
His words dug daggers into Ellis' chest, a look of shock visible on his face. He knew Nick had felt something for him, but he never figured this. This jealousy that raged in the man under him was new, no one had ever been this way with him. At least, they were never openly jealous. Not knowing what to say or do, Ellis just sat there upon Nick's lap and stared at the far wall. Nick hadn't bothered to move either, a pang of guilt and embarrassment for his outburst flooded through him. He knew he had just ruined any chances of being with the man he desired, there was no turning back now so he might as well finish it. "I said to…"
"Nick." Ellis' voice cuts him off, sounding far away, yet inside him at the same time. He leaned forward again, resting his forehead against the older man's. His eyelashes brushed against skin as he closed his eyes and placed a gentle kiss upon the other's lips. "I'm not going anywhere." Another kiss lingers between them before Nick breaks away.
"What about Zoey..? I've seen how you look at her; I remember how you wanted her in Georgia." Nick's voice is quiet, defeated. He's not even sure if he really spoke the words, as quiet as his voice came out.
"Shhh. There is no Zoey. There is only us. There will only ever be us." His lips brush against Nick's between each utterance. His hand reaches up and combs through Nick's hair as he continues to play with the lips of the man under him. A smile spreads across his lips as Nick's arms slide up along his sides, crooking under his arms as his hands grab at his shoulders. Pulling him down against him, Nick holds Ellis in a tight embrace. A soft sigh leaving him, his eyes watering from the words, he holds Ellis against his body.
"There's only us.." He repeats softly, as Ellis' lips caress his neck.
-x-x-
A/N: I don't own any characters in this story. Valve, etc.
My apologies for this chapter taking so long to write. Ellis wasn't happy with how it was originally going to end and he demanded I rethink it. It's hard to resist his pouty face..
Thank you everyone for the reviews so far. If you guys ever have any suggestions, just let me know.. I'll try to work them in if I like them.
Lots of love! See you next time!