After they had—well, right after Nick had returned the papers he had taken off without a word. Ellis found himself messily trying to play catch up.
Being a gentleman Ellis had to help the lady return the papers back where they had been taken from. Then he had to thank her profusely, and then he had to try and catch up with his friend.
Nick hadn't made it very easy. He hadn't made any inkling to where he was heading and Ellis would have sworn it was the ballroom. But once passing it and poking his head in and seeing only groups of mingling people he didn't recognize, Ellis realized he didn't really have any idea where Nick had gone.
So, instead, the mechanic had sprinted off towards the only other place he could think of. It was by chance, really, that he almost ran into the other in a cross-section back towards their room. Nick didn't even look at him when they almost collided. He just kept marching forward with an intense scowl on his face. Ellis was, to say the least, very concerned now.
"Hey, Nick?" Ellis called, shoving himself away from the wall he had flailed and fallen into to avoid the other. The other didn't reply. He continued walking down the hallway, arms stiff at his sides. "Nick? Hey! Come on, man, whas wrong? Did I say somethin' ta piss ya off?" Still no answer. Frustrated Ellis reached out for him but Nick slapped his hand away even before it came close to touching him. Ellis whimpered in pain, rubbing his assaulted hand tenderly, tears in his eyes.
Nick came to a stop at the their door, grabbed the knob and tried it. Of course, it didn't open. He looked angry and surprised anyways. He scowled and looked at the mechanic. "Open it," he snarled.
Ellis fumbled for the key, tears still in his eyes, before doing as asked. Nick didn't even let him get the key out of the lock before he pushed the other aside and shoved the door opened. Ellis juggled with the card and followed clumsily.
"Hey, Nick. Wha' the hell's the matter? Wha'd I do? Nick—HEY!" The older man slammed the bathroom door shut, ending their one-sided conversation instantly. Ellis stood, mouth working, looking extremely frustrated. He refused to be blown off like this! He moved to the door and leaned close. "Nick? Hey? Wha' the hell's the matter with ya?" He pressed his ear against the door—he could hear that the conman was knocking things over inside. What the hell? "Nick? Hey, Nick, open the door up, man—"
On the other side, Nick sucked in a strangled breath, turned towards the door and kicked it hard. He heard Ellis swear loudly as the noise echoed through his ear painfully. For several more minutes he heard Ellis cussing loudly—but it was too muffled for Nick to understand since the mechanic had moved to the safety of the other side of the room. At least the kid had learned his lesson and wasn't eavesdropping anymore.
Finally, he heard Ellis voice more clearly as he moved beside the door again. He sounded hurt and confused, "I'm goin' fer a walk, Nick. I'll be back in like half an hour. An' when I get back, we are talkin'. Got it, man?"
Nick heard the door shut and when he was sure he was alone he let himself break down.
God damn it. God damn it. God fucking damn it!
He slid down the wall, hands coming up to cover his face. His sobs rocked his body violently. Fuck. Why'd he go and have to send Ellis away? The last thing he wanted was to be alone. Shit. Maybe it was because of that dream he had had—that dream that had reminded him that, shit, Ellis had issues he had to deal with too and constantly overwhelming him with his own problems wasn't going to help the kid get over his.
Jesus. Christ. This was a fucking nightmare. He needed to get his emotions in check and do it quick, because he was growing sick and tired of being so god damn lame and emotional. It was the last thing he would ever, ever, ever become a slave to.
Ask him three months ago and he would have sworn he didn't have any feelings harbored in his hallow heart. But, shit, look at him now! All crumpled up, hugging himself and sobbing away like some little bitch at the thought of a family he had abandoned—ABANDONED—was dead, missing and alive.
You looked, man, you looked and that should have been it. That should have been the end of all this emotional shit. It should have been the end of this guilt, of this shame, this worrying, this longing… It should have just been the end of it, god damn it!
One particular sob caught painfully in his throat and it made his eyes sting. Well, Christ. Is that what he had to look forward to for the rest of his life? This bullshit? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Nick banged the back of his head against the wall several times, hoping that the sharp pounding would knock some sense into him. Instead, he found himself with a throbbing headache that only hurt worse with his crying. Well, great job there, Nicholas.
Not ten minutes later he heard the door to their room open and close. A minute later a quick rap on the bathroom door followed.
"Nick? Hey? Are ya still in there? Are ya okay…? Do ya wanna talk…?"
God damn it, Ellis… Nick sighed harshly and shifted his legs out in front of him. He rested his head back against the wall, trying to take in deep even breaths, trying hard to calm himself. But all he could do was shake.
What is it you want, huh? What do you want? The kid's asked you a million times now and you've never answered him. What the fuck do you want?
Ellis slid against the wall beside the door, sitting himself stubbornly beside it. "Nick, I ain't goin' no where 'til ya come out an' talk ta me… Besides…" The mechanic twirled a pack of unopened cigarettes in his hands. The wrap around it crinkled loudly, almost teasingly. The young man twisted the corners between his thumbs, making it spin. "I got a present fer ya, Nick. If ya come out ya can have it."
Lure me out with a present? Nick laughed out loud."What am I five, Ellis?" he called back, unable to hide his amusement despite his tears. He heard Ellis laugh and Nick couldn't help but snort and smirk.
"Ya sure are actin' it righ' now," came the muffled reply. There was a pause. "I mean, the not tellin' me whas wrong. If ya gatta cry, ya gatta cry. There ain't no shame in tha'. But pushin' me away is only gonna make me worry more. 'Kay? Now get out here so I can give ya this."
Nick found himself obeying. He opened the door and looked down to his left to see the mechanic sitting there, twirling a pack of cigarettes very nonchalantly in his hands. Nick let out a rumbling laugh.
"What the fuck, Overalls. Are you serious?"
Ellis grinned slowly up at him then lifted the pack up for him. "I 'member ya sayin' ya smoked an' how much ya missed it."
"Where the fuck did you find this?" Nick asked, taking it. He didn't even care it wasn't his normal brand. Right now he could just use a hit of nicotine, fuck the name behind it. He tore off the wrapping and flicked open the box.
"I get 'round," Ellis replied mysteriously. He watched as the other move across the room to the nightstand between their beds. The older man opened the first drawer—nothing, then the second, nothing again. Nick frowned. "Light?" Ellis guessed.
"Yeah."
Ellis whistled and Nick finally turned around. The mechanic tossed him a half-used pack of matches. Nick caught it by default—it smacked him in the chest and he happened to react instantly, pinning it to his body. Ellis chuckled at him.
Smirking slightly, Nick pulled a cigarette out and placed it between his lips, but just before he lit the match he looked to the smiling southerner. "Do you care if I smoke in here?"
"Hmm?" Ellis replied in non-comment.
"If I smoke in the room. Do you care?"
"If ya gatta smoke, ya gatta smoke."
"God damn it, Ellis. Don't be such a girl and answer. Do you care if I smoke in here or not?"
Ellis shrugged, but when his lips twitched slightly into a frown it gave him away. Nick moved forward and reached down for the other. Before Ellis even knew what was going on, Nick had pulled him to his feet.
"All right, kid. Let's go for a walk."
"Ah, okay—sure." Ellis was not even the least bit concerned that Nick held his hand so firmly as he marched them down the residential halls towards the open deck.
Nick nibbled on the tip of the unlit cigarette as they moved and when he talked he pushed it to the corner of his lips. "So, kid, do you think I can make these cigarettes last long enough to see the sunset? It's gatta be—what, a little past four?"
"Uh—" Ellis quickened his pace considerably to avoid being dragged by the older man. "Somethin' like tha'…" He hesitated. "Nick?" he ventured softly.
"Yeah?"
"Ya gonna tell me whas wrong?"
Again, Nick chewed nervously at the cigarette in his mouth. "Let me smoke a few cigarettes first."
"Tha' a promise, Nick?"
The conman looked back at the other and their eyes met. Nick grinned slightly and with the cigarette pinned between his teeth Ellis found himself finding the other extremely endearing. Ellis flushed intensely.
"Sure, kid. That's a promise."
A/N: I think I'm starting to get Nick back into his personality more, but he's still got some work—considering all the shit he's been through. I'm trying to work it back in without losing all the progress he's had with opening up… if that makes sense? (Nick's just a swear-er..ererer. Cusser? Whatever he is. And, I like to cuss too so it comes naturally to me –cough-... and I'm assuming no one's particularly offended by this… Sorry if you are…)
I'm really not sure how much longer this story will be. I can see myself ending it in a few chapters, but at the same time I'm not sure if I'm willing to let it go yet. I think I can make it work by making it much longer—considering, I originally was going to end this back on Chapter 4 with Nick throttling the life out of Ellis (lol c_c) but for some reason just kept writing. I'm sort of okay with it since, for now, the progression of this story is still coming relatively easy for me. I promise to try and not drag this out and make this meaningless/repetitive themes to read, but, as I said, I'm not sure if I'm willing to let it go yet and so it may continue for x amount of chapters. =/
Does not help that my chapters are so, so very short. Painfully short. I feel embarrassed posting them. D':
NOTE: for some reason the site is being ridiculous and not showing chapters 10+11 exist when you follow the links/open the story. I haven't the faintest idea why and I realize writing this isn't helping since no one can read it...-frustrated-