Take Me From This Pain, Brian's story
folder
Angst › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
39
Views:
8,700
Reviews:
80
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Angst › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
39
Views:
8,700
Reviews:
80
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
The backstory on Niko and Manny
"Are you sure it's okay for me to stay here?" Niko asked Trent for the third time since they got back from his old boyfriend's apartment. "I don't wish to intrude."
"How can you intrude?" Trent laughed good-naturedly. "You're always trying to blend into the background."
The small boy flashed him a shy smile and went back to unpacking his meager possessions. They'd all gone to Manny's together earlier that day, expecting the worst. Luckily, the angry man wasn't home, and Niko knew where the spare key was hidden, on top of the doorframe. Stupid place for it, Trent thought, but then Manny didn't exactly sound like a rocket scientist.
Trent watched sadly as the boy now removed a couple of shirts and a pair of pants from the cardboard box they'd taken with them when they'd left earlier. He'd already taken his two books, written in Greek, out of the box and he was wearing his only pair of shoes.
"Niko, didn't you take more when you first moved here?"
"I had a few more clothes," the boy replied sadly. "But not many more. My family is very poor and that's why they encouraged me to go to America. To find a job and perhaps go to school."
"You're old enough for college?" Trent was surprised. The kid looked too young to him.
"I was eighteen last month," Niko replied. "Not that Manny noticed. But since I haven't gone to school since I left, I doubt a college would take me."
"And now you're going home," Trent pointed out stoically.
"Yes," the Greek boy sighed. "I guess I am."
A glimmer of hope sparked in Trent as he took in Niko's regretful demeanor.
"Don't you want to go home?"
Niko looked up sharply as if Trent's presence suddenly startled him.
"I do want to see my family again," he said softly. "It had been a year since I'd spoken to them. They were so happy to hear from me, too. They feared the worst when I stopped calling."
"Damned Manny," Trent muttered darkly.
"Yes," Niko replied with a rueful smile. "One of my brothers echoed that sentiment exactly when I spoke to him. I didn't want to cause Matt such a large phone bill, but Brian is very stubborn."
"You noticed that, huh?" Trent grinned.
"I did. He would not let me get off the phone until he was sure I'd spoken to every one of my siblings and both parents."
"He understands the importance of family."
"I got that sense, yes."
"Niko?"
"Yes?"
"You don't have to answer my questions if you don't want to."
"But . . .?" Niko nodded.
"But how did you get mixed up with such an asshole?"
Niko sighed and sat down on the couch studying the carpet carefully. Trent could see he was embarrassed, but he wanted to know why Niko trusted such a bastard. And the kid hadn't said he didn't want to answer . . . not yet, anyway.
"I had nothing to offer anyone back in my village," the foreign boy finally started, though he refused to meet Trent's eyes. "A couple of years ago, there was this girl I was friendly with, Kolina. She was very pretty and I was too shy to tell her that I wanted to be more. But it wasn't to be." Niko finally looked up at Trent. "In my village, the families try to get a better life for their daughters. Kolina's father had promised her to a rich boy from the mainland, and one day she was just . . . gone."
"Oh, Niko," Trent sighed.
"She was my only real friend, so I was alone after that," the small boy sniffled. "My brothers tried to console me, but there wasn't anything they could do." He wiped a tear away. "When I met Manny, I had just started working at the local hotel as a, how do you call it? Luggage carrier?"
"Bell boy," Trent smiled sadly.
"Ah, bell boy," Niko's face pinched. "Odd title. We did not wear bells."
Trent smiled at him again.
"Anyway," the boy went on. "He was one of my first assignments. I carried his suitcase to his room and showed him the balcony. When I turned to leave he stuffed some money into my hand and told me to come see him when my work was done for the day."
Trent felt a twinge of foreboding rush through him but he remained silent.
"I didn't want to go back up there," the small boy looked down again. "But that was a lot of money he had given me. I had slipped off to go home for my lunch break and gave it to my father. He was very happy that he could buy a lot of food for the family with it, and told me I should listen to the man and see him again. So I did." Niko sighed. "He did not touch me that night, but he gave me some more money. He said that he would like to take me back to America with him so that I could go to school and get a better paying job. He said he would let me stay with him so that I could send as much money home to my family as I could."
"Niko, you don't have to tell me anything more if you don't want to."
"But I do want to, Trent," the small boy replied as he brushed his dark bangs out of his face with his hand. "I'm hoping to make friends with you while I'm living here. And I don't want there to be any secrets. Manny would love it if I were to keep secrets. It would give him power over me."
"And you don't want him to have that anymore," Trent finished for him with a smirk.
"No, I don't," Niko said emphatically. "He deserves none."
"Exactly."
"So," Niko went on. "I told my father what Manny said and he encouraged me to take the chance. He said he wished he could send all of his sons to America. The daughters could be married off, you see."
"Progressive thinking," Trent said dryly.
"I agree. It's unfair for both sides, but then life is rarely fair, is it?"
Trent shrugged but inside, he knew the boy was right.
"Anyway, when I told Manny I would go with him, he was very happy. Perhaps he was too happy. He still didn't, how do you say this, make movings?"
"Make a move on you?" Trent supplied helpfully.
"Yes, make a move on me," Niko smiled sadly. "I'm still working on my English."
"Well, you speak it very well."
"Thank you," Niko smiled brightly, and Trent's stomach danced with butterflies. The kid was cute, even if he seemed to be straight.
"He waited until we got over here to make a move on me," the small boy winced. "And when I tried to push him off, he . . . well, I guess it's clear that he doesn't take rejection well. A few nights and lots of bruises later, I finally just gave in and let him do what he wanted. He beat me less when he got his way. I was hoping to find a way to go back home when he grabbed my passport one night."
"He just took it?"
"He was drunk and began to slap me, and I blurted out that I wanted to go home. He didn't like it, so he took my passport from my drawer and put it into an empty metal trash bin. I started to struggle but he punched and kicked me until I couldn't get up. Then he put the trash bin on the fire escape and poured some lighter fuel on it. He lit a match and set the passport on fire then closed the window and made me watch as my only way home went up in flames."
"Shit!"
"Yes," Niko agreed quietly. "I tried to get out to go to the Greek consulate a few times, but he always caught me and beat me. Then he would . . . well, be very rough with me. After a while, I stopped fighting him so much, preferring to get beaten as little as possible. When Brian saw me in the store, I had finally had enough and didn't care what happened. That was the first time in two months he had taken me outside. He usually kept me tied up and gagged in a chair when he went out, which he only did when he needed food or something."
"Where did he get his money?"
"On the contraption," Niko shrugged. "The computer," he clarified when he saw Trent's confusion. "He was a . . . how do you say it? At-home trader?"
"A day-trader?"
"That's it. He was a day-trader. He didn't have to leave the house for almost anything. Sometimes he would even have the food delivered because he didn't want to go out. Sometimes he left me tied to the bed while he went to pay for whatever food he ordered. He didn't let me eat much, though. I think he was afraid I would get strong and beat him back."
"The sick bastard!" Trent growled. "He shouldn't get away with that!"
"He won't," Niko smiled. "Matt's father has already been in touch with the FBI on my behalf and they're planning on getting into his apartment to collect evidence, which I didn't take all of my clothes. I have agreed to testify against him, too."
"You're very brave," Trent said with admiration.
"No, I was very naïve," the small boy shook his head. "But I intend to make sure he doesn't do that to another before I leave here."
Trent smiled at him again.
"How can you intrude?" Trent laughed good-naturedly. "You're always trying to blend into the background."
The small boy flashed him a shy smile and went back to unpacking his meager possessions. They'd all gone to Manny's together earlier that day, expecting the worst. Luckily, the angry man wasn't home, and Niko knew where the spare key was hidden, on top of the doorframe. Stupid place for it, Trent thought, but then Manny didn't exactly sound like a rocket scientist.
Trent watched sadly as the boy now removed a couple of shirts and a pair of pants from the cardboard box they'd taken with them when they'd left earlier. He'd already taken his two books, written in Greek, out of the box and he was wearing his only pair of shoes.
"Niko, didn't you take more when you first moved here?"
"I had a few more clothes," the boy replied sadly. "But not many more. My family is very poor and that's why they encouraged me to go to America. To find a job and perhaps go to school."
"You're old enough for college?" Trent was surprised. The kid looked too young to him.
"I was eighteen last month," Niko replied. "Not that Manny noticed. But since I haven't gone to school since I left, I doubt a college would take me."
"And now you're going home," Trent pointed out stoically.
"Yes," the Greek boy sighed. "I guess I am."
A glimmer of hope sparked in Trent as he took in Niko's regretful demeanor.
"Don't you want to go home?"
Niko looked up sharply as if Trent's presence suddenly startled him.
"I do want to see my family again," he said softly. "It had been a year since I'd spoken to them. They were so happy to hear from me, too. They feared the worst when I stopped calling."
"Damned Manny," Trent muttered darkly.
"Yes," Niko replied with a rueful smile. "One of my brothers echoed that sentiment exactly when I spoke to him. I didn't want to cause Matt such a large phone bill, but Brian is very stubborn."
"You noticed that, huh?" Trent grinned.
"I did. He would not let me get off the phone until he was sure I'd spoken to every one of my siblings and both parents."
"He understands the importance of family."
"I got that sense, yes."
"Niko?"
"Yes?"
"You don't have to answer my questions if you don't want to."
"But . . .?" Niko nodded.
"But how did you get mixed up with such an asshole?"
Niko sighed and sat down on the couch studying the carpet carefully. Trent could see he was embarrassed, but he wanted to know why Niko trusted such a bastard. And the kid hadn't said he didn't want to answer . . . not yet, anyway.
"I had nothing to offer anyone back in my village," the foreign boy finally started, though he refused to meet Trent's eyes. "A couple of years ago, there was this girl I was friendly with, Kolina. She was very pretty and I was too shy to tell her that I wanted to be more. But it wasn't to be." Niko finally looked up at Trent. "In my village, the families try to get a better life for their daughters. Kolina's father had promised her to a rich boy from the mainland, and one day she was just . . . gone."
"Oh, Niko," Trent sighed.
"She was my only real friend, so I was alone after that," the small boy sniffled. "My brothers tried to console me, but there wasn't anything they could do." He wiped a tear away. "When I met Manny, I had just started working at the local hotel as a, how do you call it? Luggage carrier?"
"Bell boy," Trent smiled sadly.
"Ah, bell boy," Niko's face pinched. "Odd title. We did not wear bells."
Trent smiled at him again.
"Anyway," the boy went on. "He was one of my first assignments. I carried his suitcase to his room and showed him the balcony. When I turned to leave he stuffed some money into my hand and told me to come see him when my work was done for the day."
Trent felt a twinge of foreboding rush through him but he remained silent.
"I didn't want to go back up there," the small boy looked down again. "But that was a lot of money he had given me. I had slipped off to go home for my lunch break and gave it to my father. He was very happy that he could buy a lot of food for the family with it, and told me I should listen to the man and see him again. So I did." Niko sighed. "He did not touch me that night, but he gave me some more money. He said that he would like to take me back to America with him so that I could go to school and get a better paying job. He said he would let me stay with him so that I could send as much money home to my family as I could."
"Niko, you don't have to tell me anything more if you don't want to."
"But I do want to, Trent," the small boy replied as he brushed his dark bangs out of his face with his hand. "I'm hoping to make friends with you while I'm living here. And I don't want there to be any secrets. Manny would love it if I were to keep secrets. It would give him power over me."
"And you don't want him to have that anymore," Trent finished for him with a smirk.
"No, I don't," Niko said emphatically. "He deserves none."
"Exactly."
"So," Niko went on. "I told my father what Manny said and he encouraged me to take the chance. He said he wished he could send all of his sons to America. The daughters could be married off, you see."
"Progressive thinking," Trent said dryly.
"I agree. It's unfair for both sides, but then life is rarely fair, is it?"
Trent shrugged but inside, he knew the boy was right.
"Anyway, when I told Manny I would go with him, he was very happy. Perhaps he was too happy. He still didn't, how do you say this, make movings?"
"Make a move on you?" Trent supplied helpfully.
"Yes, make a move on me," Niko smiled sadly. "I'm still working on my English."
"Well, you speak it very well."
"Thank you," Niko smiled brightly, and Trent's stomach danced with butterflies. The kid was cute, even if he seemed to be straight.
"He waited until we got over here to make a move on me," the small boy winced. "And when I tried to push him off, he . . . well, I guess it's clear that he doesn't take rejection well. A few nights and lots of bruises later, I finally just gave in and let him do what he wanted. He beat me less when he got his way. I was hoping to find a way to go back home when he grabbed my passport one night."
"He just took it?"
"He was drunk and began to slap me, and I blurted out that I wanted to go home. He didn't like it, so he took my passport from my drawer and put it into an empty metal trash bin. I started to struggle but he punched and kicked me until I couldn't get up. Then he put the trash bin on the fire escape and poured some lighter fuel on it. He lit a match and set the passport on fire then closed the window and made me watch as my only way home went up in flames."
"Shit!"
"Yes," Niko agreed quietly. "I tried to get out to go to the Greek consulate a few times, but he always caught me and beat me. Then he would . . . well, be very rough with me. After a while, I stopped fighting him so much, preferring to get beaten as little as possible. When Brian saw me in the store, I had finally had enough and didn't care what happened. That was the first time in two months he had taken me outside. He usually kept me tied up and gagged in a chair when he went out, which he only did when he needed food or something."
"Where did he get his money?"
"On the contraption," Niko shrugged. "The computer," he clarified when he saw Trent's confusion. "He was a . . . how do you say it? At-home trader?"
"A day-trader?"
"That's it. He was a day-trader. He didn't have to leave the house for almost anything. Sometimes he would even have the food delivered because he didn't want to go out. Sometimes he left me tied to the bed while he went to pay for whatever food he ordered. He didn't let me eat much, though. I think he was afraid I would get strong and beat him back."
"The sick bastard!" Trent growled. "He shouldn't get away with that!"
"He won't," Niko smiled. "Matt's father has already been in touch with the FBI on my behalf and they're planning on getting into his apartment to collect evidence, which I didn't take all of my clothes. I have agreed to testify against him, too."
"You're very brave," Trent said with admiration.
"No, I was very naïve," the small boy shook his head. "But I intend to make sure he doesn't do that to another before I leave here."
Trent smiled at him again.