"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Nick Nelson couldn't help but sigh as he heard Tao Xu exclaim that phase once again, his face inches away from where the elevator had tapped out suddenly and left them stranded in the dark and mystery of the Parisian hotel they were staying in on their school trip.
Look, it wasn't that he and Tao were friends by any means. It's not like he wanted to try, for Charlie's sake as Tao was his best friend along with Elle, but it seems the more he tried, the more antagonistic Tao became towards him in private. In public, they were able to act civil around everyone in their friend group, it was easy to get along with someone knowing you wouldn't see them again for a while at least, but still, it sucked knowing Tao still thought of him as some usurper coming to take Charlie away.
Now, the tension between them could be cut with a knife and the elevator carpet wasn't absorbing it like anything else that came into contact with it. A truce obviously could only last so long and it seemed that suddenly, their truce from that night at the bowling alley was up.
The day started off fine. They woke up, came downstairs and after having breakfast that morning in a rather tense stare-off thanks to what happened in the bathroom earlier (that they wouldn't speak about), then, they had been heading back up to their room to get their belongings for the day ahead when they suddenly stopped dead in the middle of floors and now, the cab stayed still as a post even as Tao yelled and banged on the walls, desperately attempting to somehow phase himself out of the cab like one of the many superheroes he admired, despite already having been doing that for almost an hour.
An hour of Nick's life that he wished he could somehow get back as his head throbbed. He seriously didn't know if it could take another round at the moment, so when it seemed like the Asian was going in for another attempt at making noise, he grabbed his wrist quickly. "Jesus Christ, Tao, please stop. You are going to hurt yourself, mate."
"Nelson, right now, I'm not exactly on the best terms with you." Tao seethed, but made no attempt to move back towards the wall at least. "So you'd better let go of me or otherwise, these fists are going straight into you."
Nick's brain, instead of reacting to that threat like he normally would (which would mostly have been to let go and move away), but given the circumstances and inability to escape, he really had to ask "Why do you hate me?" startling them both it seemed by the look on Tao's face. It was still a valid question though and Nick decided instead of leaving it to jump right out, speaking again. "Lemme rephrase that, why do you seemingly think that I'm just suddenly going to take Charlie away from you lately? Because that's how you've been acting since the moment we've come to Paris and it's starting to become bullshit."
Tao scoffs, glaring at him for a moment before his eyes left him, shaking his head. "You just don't get it, Nelson. Your head's too full of rugby facts."
Nick hated that. The dismissal. It was just so typically Tao, just to brush him off whenever something came up. At least with the others and even Imogen, he was included in the conversation. Grimacing, he almost took the bait and walked away to leave the boy alone (as it was clear he wanted to be left alone), but then, that bubble of frustration finally burst.
"Then try and help me get it, Tao!" Nick exclaimed, exasperated as Tao stared at him once again, the other watching hima s he clenched his fists. "Look, if this is about what happened and you're going to hold it over me for the rest of time, I'm sorry I gave Charlie a hickey this morning, but-"
"No, Nicholas." Tao levelled at him, hissing, getting in his face like he was getting ready to fight him. Nick really almost thought he might be for a second. "You did not just "give Charlie a hickey", no, no, you gave one of my best friends since I was a child a hickey on a school trip, in full view of everyone who took the piss out of him last year and left him almost suicidal and barely able to get up every day. You also managed to give it to him on the one night everyone's going to be within breathing space of us thanks to the party Tara's planning for Darcy. That is a different kind of action for me than it is for you and if you can't grasp the concept of all of that, then there is no point in me explaining anything to you."
With that, the other boy went back over to the elevator panel he'd been trying to mentally will back into life, leaving Nick against the other wall literally only 2 metres between them confused and quite ready to scream, still unable to see what Tao was talking about and running back over his words for the longest time.
Only then, then did his brain boot back up and hear something that twisted his stomach and made his heart drop as well.
'-you gave one of my best friends since I was a child a hickey on a school trip, in full view of everyone who took the piss out of him last year-'
Oh god, he was right. He /had/ done that and he didn't even think about tonight either.
Darcy's secret birthday was happening tonight, there was going to be a lot of talk. There already had been at breakfast obviously (fucking Harry being loud as hell about the hickey didn't make it any better) and knowingly given Truham and Higgs students were like baby birds needing to be drip-fed gossip, there would be more than enough theories and speculation to keep the train going throughout the day trip and well into that night from others who didn't know him and Charlie were together.
There was also the rumour that someone had brought alcohol for the occasion and given the possibility of loose lips was thoroughly increased with alcohol involved (or so he'd been told), that meant he and Charlie were possibly screwed.
That and the teachers would kill them of course, should they find out about a lot of that.
"Oh fucking hell." Nick, with the weight of realization that hadn't hit him well enough that morning when he'd laid eyes on the purple bruise patterning the side of Charlie's neck, fell to the ground with a dull thud, backing himself up against the wall with his head in his hands, muttering obscenities to himself.
Why hadn't Charlie just told him off for it instead of just saying he liked it and that it was okay? It clearly wasn't and he should have seen that! He should have thought about it more, his thoughts shouldn't have been how good Charlie looked and how amazing it would be just to be there alone and he didn't even think that- god, he's such a shitty boyfriend. He's fucked the both of them now and of course, Tao is the one who makes him realize it of all people.
He doesn't realize the other he's sharing the elevator with has settled next to him until a hand is on his shoulder and he flinches a little from the contact, heartbeat racing before it starts to calm down as Tao is staring at him in what seems to be pity and maybe, a little bit of guilt on his part. Besides that, he doesn't look sorry at all for giving Nick a new crisis to mull over in the current one.
In fact, he looked slightly off than he had been upstairs, so maybe the whole thing with Elle was still bothering him and this was just his own way of getting his own back on him and Charlie for being so forward. If that was the case, it was just plain mean.
Still, despite his embarrassment and internal beating up, Nick knew he had to continue talking to him as he literally has no choice. He had to do something other than beat himself up after all, despite his only response being "Hopefully, we'll get out of here soon. I'm sure Mr Farouk or Mr Ajayi or someone else is calling someone to come and get us out."
"Hopefully, Nelson. Hopefully." Tao looked suddenly exhausted, shoulders that were tight before slumping down, but nodded anyway to Nick's very limited words, his arms wrapped around himself and keeping him in a ball-like shape as they both stared at the doors in front of them quietly, like they'll open any moment. They equally hope they do.
They sit beside eachother for a while after that (well, sit being the tentative word for how Tao keeps fidgeting here and there), silent until finally, the other boy speaks again, this time more solemnly than his desperation earlier. "Look, I'm sorry about calling you out on the hickey. Charlie said you didn't mean it when I asked him about it at breakfast earlier while you were still getting your food. I couldn't help it. I just…don't like this. I don't like small spaces. Only Elle, Charlie and Issac know, so if you tell anyone, you die. Got it?"
"...Got it, yeah." Nick's voice came out a little more strangled than he wanted it to, but at least it explained some of Tao's antagonistic behaviour. Thankfully it wasn't all related to trying to hate him. He knew that being afraid of small spaces was a thing - of the rugby boys, Otis, had the same fear when they were younger and he'd seen it take over full force when they were playing Under 13's, Otis ending up trying to tackle another player and ending up sliding under some bleachers nearby.
He, of course, started freaking out, convinced that he was trapped and would die in the mud and darkness despite there being a gap big enough for him to crawl out of. It took Mrs Singh a full 2 hours to make him realize otherwise and the game had to be called off in the meantime, making him quite unpopular for about a week. Still, remembering how Otis had been, Nick had to admire Tao for being so brave despite everything.
Well, brave as in not completely freaking out. That could have been earlier when he was really trying to escape. Then again, he could be so terrified that he couldn't freak out the way Nick was now picturing he might have. Charlie said that was a thing with some people, where they were scared they become too calm, given he was one of them. Ugh, he didn't know.
The point was, he now got it. Ish.
The silence stretched on between them again after that brief conversation, the half darkness inside the cab now making it feel like hours had passed since they got stuck. Of course, it most likely hadn't been hours, but they didn't really know as both their phones had no reception which meant the clock had been stuck on the time they'd got in since they left the breakfast hall and hadn't moved and that kept them both in a state of readiness for when the doors would open and release them.
Peering at Tao every so often, Nick could see the fear he'd acknowledged to him earlier eating away at him. It was like a slow, painful cover that was starting to envelop him completely and obviously, Tao wasn't handling it well, his expression neutral while his eyes were screaming for help, darting back and forth before going back to rest on his knees where he'd pulled them back up to his face again in that ball shape he'd been in before.
God, Nick hated to see that, even if he didn't really like him. He couldn't just sit there.
Hesitantly, Nick reached out and placed his hand on Tao's knee, over one of his own, hoping that this wouldn't be a scenario where everything would become too awkward. Tao could easily push him away or worse, try to tear his arm from its socket. He just wanted to comfort someone he'd thought could become his friend someday.
Surprisingly, Tao flinched a little, but then carefully hooked their fingers together, neither person saying a word to eachother and finally sitting still (for real this time), Nick's arm the only olive branch between them right now other than of course, Charlie, though Tao came before him and he knew that well. That's where Charlie had got his hand holding practice in, so he had said one night when they were messing around back at home in the UK. Nick couldn't help but chuckle to himself a little at the memory and when Tao looked up, he shrugged. "Charlie complimented your hand-holding skills once. It's a privilege to see them in action, but I'd give it a solid 7.3."
Tao spluttered, eyes bugging out of his head. "Why you redheaded-"
Before he could even finish the sentence, there was a rumble and the lights spluttered back on, both boys jumping away from eachother at the noise before the door opened and they were greeted with dozens of panicked teenage faces staring back at them, Mr Ajayi breathing the biggest sigh of relief Nick thinks he's ever seen and muttering something towards the ceiling, the sign of the cross following. Mr Farouk as well as other teachers with them on the trip are nowhere to be seen, but he supposes that's typical procedure when students end up trapped in an elevator to suddenly scramble for help.
Doesn't matter now though. Quick to get to his feet, he's standing by the time he's crash tackled by Charlie, who is all sorts of panicked. Understandbly. Over his shoulder, he can see Tao being held very publicly in the arms of Elle, his head buried in her shoulder while his own shake noticeably to everyone else but Nick.
When he looks up after a moment and they lock eyes, Nick nods in his direction and thankfully, Tao nods back, though it's still with a glare attached to it,a munich softer one than the ones he's been getting, but a glare all the same. The latter just sighs.
It's some sort of progress with them at least.