Until Tomorrow

Untitled

Note:Thanks to my wonderful betas, coolraven94, Reiver Vicious, Bah Humbug, and Sheleight McCullough.

Warnings: Angst, slash implications (malexmale pairings), and slight lip locking.

Part One
Pentwater, Michigan
June 2007

Chapter 1
Danya Kushenev stared out the window of his limo in disgust at the small lake house he had come to hate so much. Every year, he was forced to live there with his friend Kai, his boyfriend Bryan, and an assortment of Kai’s friends. This year, it was the same, except that Bryan wasn’t with them; he and Danya were in a rough stage of their relationship and they were spending the summer apart in hope that their relationship would survive, but Danya was positive that it was doomed.
“Here we are,” the driver announced in Russian, Danya’s native tongue. The limo stopped on the gravel drive and the passengers got out. Danya exited last, reluctant to walk up the stone walk and enter the relatively small house. Finally, however, he made it to the front door, and had to go in. It was a small square house built in the early nineteenth century and was not very up to date. There was no air conditioning and no dishwasher, though they luckily had servants to do the dishes; Kai and Danya both came from rich Russian families. The floorboards creaked and the garden was overflowing with weeds. An uneven stone path led down to the dock where a rickety dock sat in the water with all the “toys” they owned; jet skis, fishing boats, and other speed boats. Danya hated the water and hated the house. He walked down to the lake by himself later in the day. The others had driven the twenty miles to the nearest town for food and other supplies. Danya opted to stay here. He hated the others; not Kai, but his extremely annoying friends. He didn’t even know their names. Not that he really cared. Sighing softly, Danya slowly started to make his way up to the house to see if he could find anything on. They had TV, several in fact, but only a handful of channels and never anything on. He was just about to go inside when he heard a car door slam from next door. At first, he thought he was hearing things because the house next door had been vacant for years. The owner had died and no one had bought it. It slowly fell into disrepair and no one thought it would ever be lived in.
Well, they were wrong. Thought Danya as he hid behind a large tree, spying on the apparent new occupants of the house. He stared in shock when several more cars pulled up behind the one already parked in the driveway. There was a variety of cars, some towing watercraft, and some even with lumber. The first car was a limo, Danya was surprised to see. The front door opened and a prim chauffer got out. He opened the back door on one side, then went around to the other side. The first person out was an adult. He was tall and thin, but slightly muscular with sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes. He wore loose fitting jeans and a polo shirt. The second person out was also an adult. He was taller than the first and definitely more muscular. He had long cinnamon brown hair and shining emerald green eyes. He wore loose fitting jeans and a tank top that was ripped where the sleeves once were. A younger girl, around seven or eight got out with long chocolate brown hair and round brown eyes. A boy around four or five followed, then an extremely little girl climbed out. She was no more than three years old. There were no kids his age. Slightly disappointed, he turned away, but stopped when something else caught his eye. He turned around just in time to see another boy climb out of the limo. He was Danya’s age, he could tell right away. His mouth hung slightly open as he studied the angel who had just appeared in front of him. He was tall and skinny, but well built. His face was nearly covered by long golden curls but were pushed out of the way just enough so that his eyes were visible; hidden beneath thick eyelashes, and a startling blue color that took Danya’s breath away. He had never seen eyes that blue before. Others were climbing out of the other cars, all adults, and all looking distinctly Arabic. They called out to the blonde-haired man in a strange tongue Danya couldn’t understand and the man answered. They began to unload the other cars. Danya watched the large group with curiosity until they vanished into the house next door. His mind was on the strange blonde-haired boy all afternoon. He hoped that he’d see him again, though he wasn’t sure why. Later, when he went for a walk to the lake, he glanced up at the neighbor’s house. There was a light on in the basement and he could see shadows in the room down there, though he had no idea of what they were doing. He knew that it wasn’t any of his business but for some reason, he was curious about them. He fell asleep that night thinking about the strange blonde-haired boy, which disturbed him greatly.

He woke up the next morning determined to stop thinking about the boy. However, that proved impossible as he took his morning walk down to the lake because the boy was down there with the littlest child. They were on their dock, looking at the fish. Danya, against his better judgment, hid behind a tree close to their property so that he could eavesdrop on their conversation.
“Do you see the fish?” the boy asked. He had a strange accent that was somewhat familiar to Danya for some reason.
“Yeah, I see them! Oh Nick, they’re so pretty!” the little girl answered enthusiastically. The boy laughed softly and for some reason, Danya found himself smiling. They remained on the dock for a long time until one of the men called them back up to the house. Disappointed, Danya went back up to the house for breakfast.

Later, he went back down out of boredom and saw the boy named Nick standing alone on his own dock, watching the boats and jet skis go by. The old rickety dock rocked back and forth and threatened to buckle with each passing wave.
It’s dangerous for him to be out there! Danya thought. That old dock could give out at any moment. He blinked, not knowing why he cared so much. Then he gasped aloud; a huge wave swept over the dock and it finally gave, sending Nick plunging into the churning water. His head appeared momentarily and he screamed loudly before he vanished again. Danya realized with a jolt of horror that he couldn’t swim. Hardly knowing what he was doing or why, he sprinted to the edge of his dock, and, knowing that it was deep enough, dove off the end. He was a strong swimmer and quickly made it to the last place he had seen Nick. He sucked in a deep breath and plunged down. It was a strange green color underneath the water. He saw Nick’s limp body slowly sinking down and swam after him. There was a steep drop off there and he didn’t want to think about what would happen if he didn’t get Nick before he slid off the edge of it. Thankfully, he made it to the blonde-haired boy. He grabbed him around the waist and dragged him to the surface. His lungs were starting to empty and he wasn’t sure if he’d make it in time. The surface finally came closer and closer until he raised his head and took in several deep breaths. Then, weighed down with his wet clothes and Nick’s, he slid under the water. He struggled to find the bottom where he could touch. His feet found it and he stood up. Then, he put his arms around Nick and lifted him up bridal style. Coughing and spitting water out of his mouth, he sloshed to shore, soaked from head to foot and not enjoying any second of it. His red hair stuck to his face, making it nearly impossible to see. He gently laid the unmoving boy on the ground, pushed his soggy bangs out of his green eyes, climbed up on shore, and knelt down by Nick’s side.
“Hey. Wake up,” he murmured, shaking Nick’s chest. There was no response. “Come on. Wake up!” The boy didn’t move an inch. Danya ripped the boy’s drenched shirt and placed his head on his chest, listening. He didn’t appear to be breathing. Cursing softly, he took Nick’s wrist and felt for a pulse. Nothing. “Damn it!” He forced Nick’s lips apart, hesitated slightly, then leaned down and pressed his lips to the other boy’s. He pinched his nose, then he inhaled and exhaled several times. Nick’s chest rose and fell with each breath, but nothing happened. Danya pulled away and started chest compressions.
“Come on,” he muttered softly. He alternated between breathing and chest compressions. “Come on. Please. Don’t do this.” He pumped harder. He took one more deep breath and exhaled. Nick’s eyes finally flew open and Danya pulled away. Nick coughed loudly, choking and spitting water from his mouth. Danya heard running footsteps and Kai and his friends came running.
“Danya!” one of the friends, whose name he couldn’t remember at the moment cried
“Are you okay?” another one asked. Danya nodded silently.
“What happened?” Kai asked.
Danya frowned, trying to put together the proper words in English, a language he still didn’t totally understand. “I was…walking down here to the lake and…he was out on his dock. He lives next door now. Huge wake…dock really old…rocking…collapsed…he fell in…came up once then didn’t come up again….knew he couldn’t swim…went in…got up and got him to shore, but he wasn’t breathing…couldn’t find a pulse…did CPR…finally revived him.” Kai nodded and turned to Nick, who was sitting up now.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly. Nick silently nodded, his teeth chattering. Danya, who was used to the hard Russian winters, wasn’t bothered by the cold like he was. Kai removed the light jacket he was wearing and draped it over Nick’s shoulders. “Better?”
“Y…yeah. T…thanks.”
“Are your parents home?”
Nick shook his head. “T…they went into town this morning.”
“Well then, we’ll take you inside and get you dried off. And we’ll fix that shirt of yours as well.”
“Oh…n…no thanks. It’s not necessary. I…I’ll be o…okay.”
“I insist.” Kai bent down and swiftly gathered Nick in his arms. Before he could protest, Kai was already swiftly walking towards the house. Danya slowly rose and followed with the others. He immediately went into his room and changed into dry clothes. He pulled his red hair back into a ponytail that hung at the nape of his neck, something he rarely did. When he went back down to the living room, Nick was seated in an armchair in front of the fireplace, which was roaring loudly with a fire that one of the servants had undoubtedly built, wrapped in a thick blanket.
“I appreciate all this even though you didn’t have to go through all this trouble,” he insisted as a servant handed him a cup of tea.
“It is our pleasure,” the servant smiled before he vanished. Kai returned from wherever it was he had vanished off to.
“How are you doing?” he asked Nick.
“I’m just fine, thank you,” Nick answered politely. Kai sat on the couch next to the armchair and motioned for Danya to join him. The Russian boy hesitated before sitting.
“So…we were never properly introduced. My name is Kai Arbatov and this is my friend Danya.”
“I’m Nick. You both have interesting names,” Nick smiled.
“Thank you.”
“Are you from Russia?”
Kai stared at him. “How did you know that?”
“I could tell by your accent. It’s got a Russian accent to it.”
“Yes, we’re from Russia, though I’ve lived here for about three years. Danya still lives in Russia, though I’m trying to convince him to move here permanently.”
“Do you live here year-round?”
“No. I love down south outside of Ann Arbor.”
“Hey, I live in that same area. Me and my family are just up here for the summer.”
“Oh yeah? What’s your family like?”
“It’s my dad and me and my little sister, Ruth, who’s three. My dad’s friend Jake and his kids live with us too. There’s Amee, who’s thirteen, and Blake, who’s eight.”
“And how old are you?”
“Fourteen. I’m starting high school this fall.”
“Danya is the same age.”
“Cool. Maybe we’ll see each other in high school, if we go to the same one, that is.”
“Maybe,” Danya interjected, crossing his arms, which caused him to receive a glare from Kai.
“I’m going to check to see if your clothes are mended and dried.” Kai suddenly rose and departed from the room. An awkward silence fell on the two boys who were left.
“I never said thank you,” Nick finally said in a soft voice.
“For what?” Danya asked, surprised.
“For saving my life.”
“Oh. It was nothing,” Danya blushed.
“No it wasn’t,” Nick said in a serious tone. “I would have died if you hadn’t pulled me out.” Danya shivered as Nick’s blue eyes locked on his. He didn’t know why, but Nick’s gaze electrified him.
“Your clothes are done!” Kai announced, his arms laden down with what appeared to be Nick’s clothes. “Why don’t you go and put them on and I’ll walk you home.” Nick nodded, set the empty teacup on the coffee table in front of him, and rose. Danya noticed for the first time as the blanket moved that Nick was not wearing anything underneath and blushingly turned away. He did not dare to look back at him because he would only make himself blush even more. He didn’t like that there was heat rising in his cheeks. He didn’t like it one bit.

Chapter 2
Nick was having a good day until he met Danya. It wasn’t Danya himself that made it bad, it was the fact that he was incredibly good-looking and he saved Nick’s life. Nick’s face felt warm every time he thought about it later. It was completely stupid; he had been standing on the dock watching the boats and jet skis going by and a big wave made the dock give way--it wasn’t that sturdy in the first place and he fell in. He didn’t know how to swim and so nearly drowned. He was thankful that Danya had been there and saved his life and yet he was mortified at the same time. Danya had kissed him-okay not really; he had administered CPR, which had been the thing that had saved his life, but he wasn’t complaining. He had wanted nothing more than to slink off to his own home and curl up in a ball, but Kai had insisted that he be taken to his house and his clothes dried and repaired; Danya had ripped his shirt open to save his life. He hated being fussed over by a complete stranger. To make matters worse, Kai had insisted that he walk him home and ended up meeting his parents. It was hard to keep the accident a secret from them so now, after Kai had left, they were fussing over him.
“I’m fine,” he kept saying. They finally let him go up to bed where he curled up in his warmest pajamas and covered himself up. There was a knock on the door, but he ignored it. A few seconds later, it opened and there were quiet footsteps.
“Nick?” he heard his father Jake ask, but he didn’t answer. There were more footsteps. “Nick, I know you. You’re not sleeping.” Nick sighed softly and rolled on his back. “Are you okay?”
“I’m…” he couldn’t say the word fine.
“Do you want to tell me what’s on your mind?”
Nick sighed softly. “It’s just that…I looked like a real idiot today. It seems like I’m always messing everything up in one way or another.”
“That isn’t true. You just have a…certain knack for finding trouble…or, I should say that trouble has a certain knack for finding you?” Nick smiled one of his rare smiles. “Now get some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow.” Jake gently kissed his forehead and left. Nick closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

He woke up the next morning when Blake jumped on his bed.
“Wake up Nick!” he cried. Nick groaned softly and opened his eyes.
“What’s going on?” he asked groggily.
“Papa says it’s time to get up! We have stuff to do today!”
“All right. All right. I’m up.” But Blake would not leave until Nick was out of bed. Yawning slightly, he pulled on his clothes and went into the kitchen. It was already alive with movement.
“Glad to see you’re awake,” his father, Kalil said. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” Nick said uncomfortably, turning away. He busied himself with making breakfast and somehow found room at the crowded table.
“All right, here’s the plan for today,” Jake said once the dishes had all been cleared away. “We’re going to start remodeling the basement. Amee, you and Nick are in charge of Blake and Ruth. Make sure they’re occupied, all right?” Amee and Nick nodded silently. The adults left for the basement.
“So what do you guys want to do today?” Amee asked Blake and Ruth.
“Swim!” Both of them answered at once.
“Well…I suppose that’s all right,” Amee said slowly. “As long as we’re careful…and stay off the dock. Let me make sure dad’s okay with it first.” And without further ado, she vanished into the basement. She returned several minutes later. “Yeah, it’s all right as long as we don’t go out on the dock.” Blake and Ruth cheered. “Why don’t you guys go and put your suits on while Nick and I get some stuff to bring with us?” Blake and Ruth nodded and rushed off. Amee turned to Nick. “I’d better and go help Ruth put on her bathing suit.” She rolled her eyes and set off after the little girl. Chuckling softly, Nick went to his own room, but not to put his bathing suit on. After what had happened yesterday, he had no intention of going anywhere near the water. Instead, he grabbed one of the many thick books he had brought with him and headed out with every intention to finish reading it. However, when he got down to the lakefront with the others, he saw the boy Danya standing out on his dock, staring moodily at the water.
He doesn’t look very happy. Nick thought as he sank down on the broken down bench near the waterfront. He watched Amee get into the water with Blake and Ruth and then his gaze turned back to Danya. He shook his head in annoyance and buried himself in his book. He quickly found it incredibly difficult for him to concentrate and occasionally looked up at Danya. The redheaded boy looked at him from time to time, which made him blush and return to his book. He felt as though there were eyes on him and looked up again. He caught Danya’s gaze on him and found himself blushing. He returned to his book, though it was incredibly hard for him to do so. Finally, he heard his parents calling them up for lunch and Amee herded Blake and Ruth back up to the house. Nick was about to join them when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He whirled around and came face to face with Danya.
“Would you like to take a ride on our jet ski with me later?” he asked.
“Uh…I don’t know. If I fell off…” Nick hesitated.
Danya smiled. “Don’t worry. I have a lot of experience with these things. I’ve never fallen off. And even if you happen to fall off, you’ll be wearing a life vest, so you won’t drown.”
“Oh. Okay. I’ll go. We’ve got some jet skis, but we’re not going to be able to put them in for a while because of the dock.”
“Yeah. I’ll see you after lunch.”
“Okay. Bye.”
“Bye.” Blushing furiously, Nick went up to the house for lunch. He didn’t eat very much and when lunch was finally over with, he told his parents where he was going and went to get dressed. He couldn’t help feeling nervous as he made his way down the uneven path towards the water. Danya was waiting for him by the shore in his swimsuit. Nick felt himself blushing as Danya’s eyes briefly swept over him. He silently handed Nick a life jacket, which he donned immediately. Danya put his on and then went into the water to fetch the jet ski. Nick noticed that his red hair had been pulled back into a short ponytail and that there was a pair of sunglasses perched on top of his head. He expertly navigated the jet ski close to where Nick stood on the shore.
“Come on. I’ll show you how to get on,” he said. Nick nodded silently and waded in the water. It was rather chilly, but as he waded out to where Danya waited, it seemed to get warmer and warmer. Danya held the jet ski steady for him.
“All right, now you get on the back,” he ordered. Nick clambered on. It rocked unsteadily, but Danya held it still. Once Nick was on, he got on in front of him, and the jet ski threatened to tip on its side. Nick grabbed onto Danya. The redheaded boy didn’t seem to care that much. He hooked something to his life vest, put the key in, and started the engine. The jet ski roared to life and Danya, after putting his sunglasses down to shield his eyes, gave it some gas and they were off. Danya was very good at handling the jet ski, Nick had to admit, but he still kept his arms around his waist. They went faster and faster. Danya navigated over several waves and suddenly, they were flying. Nick resisted the urge to scream. He was absolutely terrified. But at the same time, it was incredibly fun. They hit several more waves and flew through the air. He had never felt anything like it before. They turned and Nick got sprayed with water. It was cold because he had been out of the water for so long. They made several laps around the lake. Nick’s teeth were chattering. The wind was really picking up now and dark storm clouds were coming in. Danya slowed down so that the engine was a lot quieter.
“I think we should head in. It looks like a storm is coming up,” he still had to yell to make himself heard.
“All right,” Nick responded. They turned and headed into shore. The wind was blowing hard and the waves were getting larger and larger. Danya went slow, but the water was very rough. He went over a huge wave and the jet ski went on its side, dumping both of them off. Danya groaned softly as his body hit the water; it hurt quite a bit. Water went up his nose and mouth. Coughing and choking, he struggled to the surface.
“Nick? Nick!” he called as loud as he could.
“I’m over here!” He heard Nick answer and breathed a temporary sigh of relief. At least Nick wasn’t drowning. He swam over to the other side of the jet ski, which had thankfully stopped when he had fallen off and found Nick bobbing up and down like a cork with the waves, frantically holding on to the jet ski with both hands.
“Are you all right?” Danya asked.
“Yeah. I’m not hurt,” Nick answered.
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s all right. It’s not your fault. That was one heck of a wave.”
“Yeah, I know. Look, we’re only a couple hundred yards from shore. Do you think you can swim? I don’t think we’ll be able to get back on this thing in this weather.”
“I don’t know how to swim.”
“It’s easy. Here, I’ll show you.” So Nick’s first swimming lesson was during the middle of a storm with Danya, his teacher, somehow pulling the jet ski along with him. They finally made it to shore and Danya got the jet ski tied down. He had just secured the cover when it began to rain.
“Come on. We’d better take shelter,” he said as lightning flashed across the sky, followed closely by a loud boom of thunder that echoed through the trees. Nick grabbed his towel and his sandals and followed Danya up the path. It was raining harder and the path was slippery. Nick could barely run without falling and it seemed like the thunder was getting louder and louder. After a particularly loud one, he stopped in his tracks, frozen with fear. Danya turned to see if Nick was still following, and when he saw that he wasn’t, he turned around and went back.
“Come on! It’s only a little farther. Run!” he hissed. Nick didn’t move. Danya grabbed his hand and pulled him up the path. Nick willingly followed. They didn’t stop until they were safely inside the basement of Danya’s house, dripping wet and (in Nick’s case) shaking with fear.
“Are you all right Master Danya?” one of the servants asked.
“Yes. We’re dripping wet, but we’re not hurt,” Danya answered. “Did the others go to town again?”
“Yes. They left after you did. They said they wouldn’t be back until dark.”
“All right. Can you go and build a fire in the fireplace for us please?”
“Yes, Master Danya. Right away.” The servant bowed and left.
“So you have servants too?” Nick asked quietly.
“Yes,” Danya answered, surprised. “Wait, does that mean that those men…who looked like they were Arabic are servants as well…your servants?”
“Yes, in a way.”
“So are you Arabic?”
Nick laughed. “No, actually.” He shivered slightly.
“Let’s get you into some dry clothes, huh?” Danya asked. Nick nodded. They went into Danya’s bedroom on the second floor that he shared with Kai. He went into his dresser and started pulling clothes out, trying to find something suitable for Nick to put on. He finally settled on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt. Nick gratefully accepted them from him and went into the only bathroom on the floor. When he came back, carrying his dripping swimsuit, Danya had changed into a pair of blue jeans and a grey T-shirt.
“Here, give me your swimsuit. I’ll have the servants dry it for you,” he said.
“All right. Thanks,” Nick smiled. He handed his swimsuit over to Danya. They went back downstairs and Danya gave both his and Nick’s swimsuits to one of the servants to dry. Then, Danya wrapped Nick in a large thick blanket and they sat in front of the roaring fire. Despite being wrapped in a thick blanket and sitting in front of the fire, he was still shivering badly.
“Do you mind if um…I put my arm around you?” Danya asked. “It might help you warm up a bit.” Nick blushed but nodded. Danya smiled and wrapped hi arm around Nick’s thin form. Nick was still blushing madly, but soon relaxed, and even rested his head on Danya’s shoulder. He quickly found himself drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

Chapter 3

Kai and his friends were greeted in the front hall after they had returned from their trip by one of the servants who held his fingers to his lips when he saw them.
“Shh. Be very quiet,” he said softly.
“Why?” Kai asked in a low voice.
“Master Danya and friend…sleeping.”
“Danya?”
“This way please.” The servant led them to the living room. Danya and the boy he had rescued the day before…Nick was his name…were seated together on the couch. Nick was wrapped in a thick blanket and his head rested on Danya’s shoulder. Danya had his arm wrapped protectively around Nick. Both of them were sleeping.
“Is that the cutest thing you have ever seen?” the servant whispered, smiling fondly.
“Yeah,” Kai smiled as well. He turned to the others. “We should leave them alone and let them sleep.” They nodded and quietly went upstairs, a rare thing for them. Kai motioned for the servant to follow. They went into the large kitchen.
“What can I do for you, Master Kai?” The servant asked in Russian.
“How long have they been like that?” Kai asked.
“Oh, for a couple of hours. They came in from the storm dripping wet. I believe they took the jet ski out.”
Kai frowned. “Since when does Danya go in the water? He said more to himself than the servant.
“Master Danya was concerned about his young friend’s health; he was shivering badly even though he was wrapped in a thick blanket and was sitting by the fire.”
“I see. Well, let me know when they wake up, all right?”
“Yes Master Kai,” the servant bowed and left. Kai crossed the kitchen and picked up the phone. He dialed Nick’s house. There was no answer.
“Hello. This is Kai from next door. I just wanted to tell you that Nick is over here and he’s safe. He didn’t get zapped by lightning or drown or anything like that. We’ll bring him home after the storm has passed, unless you need him home earlier. Call if you need anything. The number is (261) 322-4908. Bye.” He hung up and cast an uneasy glance out the kitchen window. Outside, the storm only seemed to be worsening. He went upstairs to join his friends in whatever it was they were doing.

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Danya woke first, slightly confused about his surroundings, but when he saw Nick asleep on his shoulder, he immediately understood. He smiled lightly-Nick was cute when he slept. But then he frowned because something wasn’t quite right. Nick’s whole body was trembling and his face was paler than normal. His breathing was shallow--too fast for Danya’s taste. He brushed the blanket back and took Nick’s wrist. His pulse raced, not a good sign. A servant, the same one as earlier, entered.
“Master Danya, you’re awake!” he said in surprise. “I’ll go and tell Master Kai…”
“Edik, go and tell Kai that Nick is really sick,” Danya snapped, interrupting the rest of the servant’s words. Edik looked surprised, but nodded and left. He returned several minutes later with Kai behind him, both of them looking concerned.
“What’s wrong, Danya?” Kai asked softly.
“His breathing is too shallow and his pulse is too quick. He’s deathly cold but he shouldn’t be,” Danya answered. Kai frowned and took Nick’s wrist. The frown turned to a look of surprise.
“Edik, go and call the paramedics. Hurry!” he snapped. Edik vanished into the kitchen at once. He turned to Danya. “We’re going to have to take him to the hospital. He shouldn’t be like this. Danya nodded silently, unsure of what to say. Edik came back in.
“Master Kai, the phone line is dead. It seems as though the storm has knocked it out,” he reported.
Kai cursed softly. “Tell Ivan that we need him to take us to the hospital right away.”
“Yes Master Kai.” Edik left once more.
“I’m going to go next door and see if Nick’s parents are there so they know what’s going on,” Kai told Danya.
“Be careful out there,” Danya pleaded.
Kai smiled. “I will.” He departed. Right after he left, the power flickered and died. Danya cursed softly. No power meant no water either. He could hear moans of protest coming from upstairs. Danya gritted his teeth; he always hated having no power. Edik came back in with a candle.
“Master Danya, the limo is ready. I’ve put several blankets in the back to keep Nick warm on the journey to the hospital.”
Danya nodded. “Thanks Edik.”
“My pleasure, Master Danya. Uh…where is Master Kai?”
“He went next door to tell Nick’s parents what was going on.”
“Are you going to wait for him to return first?”
“I don’t know. Nick’s condition is getting worse.”
“You should hurry then.”
“All right.” Danya gently moved Nick, who kept his eyes closed, but murmured something in a strange tongue. Danya froze. The language Nick spoke was unfamiliar to him…yet very familiar. Nick gave a loud cough that snapped Danya out of his thoughts. He rose and gathered Nick in his arms, blanket and all, marveling at how light he was. Without saying another word, he carried the unconscious boy out into the storm. The limo was waiting in the driveway and so was its driver, Ivan. He held the door open for Danya who slid in after quietly thanking him. He was quickly joined by Kai and Nick’s parents. Danya had seen them both before when they had first arrived, though he had never spoken to them. The sandy haired man was Kalil and the cinnamon brown haired man was Jake. Nick had said that they were friends, but Danya suspected that they were a little more than friends as they sat across from him. Kai and Nick sat on the same side as Danya. Nick was stretched out over both of their laps, though Danya held his upper half and Kai his lower half. Kalil’s hazel eyes were filled with concern and his hands were trembling as the limo took off down the driveway. Jake’s emerald green eyes were watching and Danya was staring back at him, but he couldn’t read those eyes at all. No one spoke as they drove through the wretched storm. The limo was silentl, punctured only by Nick’s occasional coughs and the sounds of the storms. After an excruciatingly long drive, the city of Pentwater came into view, though it was obscured by the storm. Danya had only been there a couple times so he was unfamiliar with the layout of the town. Ivan however, knew the way well. He expertly navigated through the rain drenched streets until they came to the hospital. They stopped right outside and everyone but Ivan exited into the downpour. Inside, the Waiting Room was extremely full. Nick’s parents went to talk to the receptionist while Danya tried to find a place to sit with Nick. He was finally able to find an empty chair next to a woman holding a young boy. Kai stood next to them. Five minutes later, they were in the Emergency Room. Danya gently laid Nick, whose coughing was getting progressively worse, on a bed in one of the many cubicles, where a nurse indicated. Then, he stepped back and watched as the nurse examined him. She left in a hurry but they could hear her talking to someone a short distance away.
“…doesn’t look good. Oxygen is way too low. Shivering like crazy. Lips are slightly bluish.”
“I’ll come and have a look. Has he been started on an IV yet?
“No.”
“Well, start him on an IV and give him some oxygen. I’ll be around in a second to have a look.”
“All right.” Kalil stifled a sob. Jake gently patted his shoulder. The nurse came back in. Without saying a word, she got to work hooking Nick up to an IV and securing a plastic oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. Then, she left and came back with a clipboard.
“Are you…his parents?” she hesitatingly asked Kalil and Jake.
“Yes,” Kalil answered.
“Can you give me his personal information?”
“Sure.”
“Name?”
Kalil sighed softly. “Nikolych Yvan Alim Rashovitz.”
“Um…can I get a spelling for that?” Kalil patiently and slowly spelled it for her.
“Age?”
“Fourteen.”
“Date of birth?”
“December 25, 1991.”
Danya stopped listening and instead stared at Nick. He was brought back to the present when someone put a hand on his shoulder. He immediately tensed up, but then relaxed when he heard Kai’s voice in his ear.
“Relax, it’s just me,” he whispered. “Why are you so tense tonight?”
“I’m not,” Danya responded, turning around so that he and Kai were face to face.
“Yes you are. You can tell me what’s on your mind and I will not tell the others.”
Danya sighed softly and turned to look back at Nick again. “It’s just…he looks so thin and pale while he’s just lying there. He looks so fragile and delicate.”
“He’ll be all right, Danya.”
“I hope so. I really hope so.”

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The rest of the night went like a blur for Danya. The woman and her son who had been sitting next to Danya in the Waiting Room were finally shown into the cubicle across from the one Nick was in. Danya, who had been forced to sit in a char by Kai was now being forced to listen to her complaints. It transpired that her son had a sore throat. She didn’t understand why Nick was being helped first, when she and her son had been waiting much longer than he was. She obviously didn’t understand how serious Nick’s condition was. Her son was at least conscious. Danya was getting very annoyed with all her whining and complaining and was about to go over there and tell her off. It turned out that he didn’t have to though; a nurse did it for him.
“Listen, I’m sorry that you and your son had to wait so long to be seen but it’s really busy here, as you might have been able to tell, and our rules state that we have to take are of the patients who are in the most critical condition first. The boy you’re referring to across the way is not breathing properly and if you had half a brain you would realize that he would have to be cared for first or else he could very well die. You should be grateful that your son is conscious and has just a sore throat.” And with that, she stalked off angrily. Danya watched her in amazement for a few minutes before turning back to Nick. Not really knowing why, he began to softly pray in Russian.

He hadn’t realized that he had fallen asleep until someone gently touched his shoulder. He jerked awake and sleepily blinked up at Kai.
“Come on,” Kai said softly. “The doctor says that there’s nothing more we can do tonight but wait. Ivan is going to take us home so that we can get some sleep. Nick’s parents are going to stay overnight so that they can be with him.”
“Oh. Okay.” Danya was really too tired to protest. He rose and followed Kai out of the hospital and out to the waiting limo. They drove home in silence and quickly parted ways to go to bed. Danya, however, found that he was unable to sleep. Nick kept coming in and out of his dreams and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get rid of him. At dawn, he finally gave up all hope of sleeping and rose. He dressed and made his way downstairs without waking the others. He was the only one up. Relieved, he grabbed something to eat from the kitchen and went to eat it down by the lake.

They didn’t hear from Nick’s family for several days, during which time Danya spent many long, boring hours staring at the walls. They finally learned that Nick was going to be okay. He battled a serious case of pneumonia but was going to pull through. He did not come for another full week and then was kept indoors. Danya continued to have nightmares about him and couldn’t stop thinking about him. He spent a long time thinking and trying to come up for a reason why he felt like this. Finally, it hit him. He had fallen in love with the boy. When it finally dawned on him, he instantly fell into a state of despair.
He’s straight. He thought. I’m almost certain that he’s straight. No angel like that could be attracted to boys. For all I know, he already has a girlfriend. I’m never going to see him again after this summer. I’m going to go back to Russia where I belong with Bryan. In his heart, he didn’t want to be with Bryan, but it seemed like that was his destiny. He kept his distance from the neighboring home and it seemed like Nick was trying to keep his distance as well. The dreams, however, only got worse. Finally, Danya could take no more of it. He knew that he had to leave. One night, he approached Kai when he was away from the others.
“Kai…can I talk to you?” Danya asked.
“Sure,” Kai answered in a surprised tone.
“Kai…I want to go home,” Danya let out a long breath.
“To Russia?”
“Yes. Permanently.”
“I thought you were going to move here to the United States with me.”
“I changed my mind.”
“What changed your mind so rapidly?” Danya didn’t answer at once. “Come on. You can tell me.”
Danya hesitated. “Nick.” There was a long pause, then Kai said softly, “You fell in love with him, didn’t you?” Danya nodded. “Well what’s wrong with that?”
“Bryan,” Danya muttered.
“Break up with him.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“You know him. He’ll start a third world war.” Kai rolled his eyes. “I just…don’t belong here. Please, just let me go home.”
“I’m not going to argue with you or force you to stay here. But I will say that I wish you would wait before making a decision like this.”
“I know what I’m doing.”
“And what about Nick?”
“I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to tell him or not.”
“I think he should know the truth.”
“I don’t know, Kai. I don’t want to hurt him any more than I have to.”
“It’ll hurt him even more if you don’t tell him the truth.”
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, I think that’s what you need to do.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then it’s as simple as you not going back to Russia.” Danya scowled but agreed to Kai’s condition.

His several last days in America were spent packing and waiting. He put off telling Nick until the very last day. He bravely knocked on the door and waited. The blonde-haired boy was the one who answered the door and was surprised to see Danya standing there.
“Can I come in for a minute?” Danya asked softly. Nick seemed to sense that there was something wrong, but didn’t say anything. He nodded and let Danya in.
“I have the house to myself,” he murmured, leading Danya upstairs. Danya’s eyes widened in shock at hearing his own language.
“You know…you know how to speak Russian?” he finally managed to ask.
“Oh, quite fluently,” Nick smiled at the expression on Danya’s face.
“How?” Nick only smiled mysteriously. Danya left his shoes by the door and glanced down the stairs to his right. It seemed to be under construction. Nick caught him looking.
“We’re remodeling the house,” he explained in perfect Russian. “We’re doing the basement first while we live upstairs and then we’re going to remodel the upstairs while we live in the basement.”
“I see.”
“So why did you come? I have a feeling that you didn’t come to just chat.”
Danya winced at the harsh tone Nick used, but nodded. “I came to say goodbye. I’m leaving to go back to Russia tomorrow morning and I’m never coming back.” Nick took it well. His face never lost its calm expression.
“Why?” he asked.
“I…” Danya hesitated, trying to find the words to say. “I fell in love with you and I can’t…I can’t live like this.”
Nick’s calm expression never faltered. “I fell in love with you too, but our relationship will never work between us, will it?”
“No. I…I have a boyfriend back in Russia named Bryan. I…I should have told you.”
“No, it’s all right. You never expected to fall in love with me and it never came up.” Nick’s words were like ice. “It’s fine. It would never have worked between us. We’re just too different.” Danya had the feeling that there was something that Nick wasn’t telling him.
“Why are we different?” he pressed.
“Does it really matter anymore?” Nick asked, turning away.
“I guess I should go.”
“Wait…” Nick turned back around. “Will you kiss me once? Just once?”
“All right.” Danya stepped forward and pressed his lips to Nick’s. He moved closer. They kissed for a while before finally breaking apart.
“Bye,” Nick whispered.
“Bye,” Danya responded mechanically. He left in a hurry. He was glad to leave the next morning and go back to Russia and Bryan. It was where he belonged.

End Part One