Take Me From This Pain, Brian's story
folder
Angst › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
39
Views:
8,704
Reviews:
80
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Angst › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
39
Views:
8,704
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.
By the pricking of my thumbs...
Niko finished wiping down the bathroom mirror then turned to the tub. He knew Trent was going to be annoyed with him when he found out he'd spent the day cleaning the apartment but it was a mess and Trent wasn't the neatest person in the world. Besides, Niko wanted to do something for the other boy since he was providing him with shelter until the U.S. government was done with him and sent him home. And the last thing Niko wanted was to owe someone. Not that Trent would be the type to come looking for him to collect on it. At least Brian insisted he wasn't like that.
Niko sighed as he thought about his roommate. Trent really wasn't like Manny at all. Thinking back to the day they'd all gone to Manny's place to pick up some of his things, the small Greek boy smiled as he remembered how ready the bigger boy was to . . . how did Trent put it again? Rearrange Manny's face. That's it. He and Matt both wanted a piece of the man who'd been so cruel to him. Luckily no one was there. Niko didn't want his new friends to get into trouble. Besides, the government agents seemed very interested in taking Manny into custody themselves. Matt had said his father thought a police raid would happen soon.
Still, Niko knew Trent was interested in him. At least he wasn't staring as much as he used to anymore. That was uncomfortable to say the least. It would be logical for the bigger boy to assume he was gay, considering what Manny had been doing with him for the last year. The truth of the matter was, Niko never really thought about his own sexuality much. He'd only ever cared for Kolina. He still did, as a matter of fact. Niko frowned deeply as he scrubbed the tub, lost in thought. He wondered where she was right now, and if her husband was treating her well. Niko knew what the harsh reality of arranged marriages could bring. He'd seen enough of them in his own village. Girls who weren't considered desirable enough by the rich boys were forced to find a husband among their own economic level. And the men their parents arranged the unions with were usually bitter about their lots in life. No doubt about it but Kolina had been one of the lucky ones.
Niko knew that some girls refused their family's orders to marry the rich boys. His own mother had, already in love with his father by the time her family set a lucrative marriage up. They kept trying to force her when she announced one day that she was pregnant and couldn't marry anyone but the baby's father. Her family, thoroughly embarrassed, shunned her for years before finally reconciling. But he knew she'd never regretted her decision. She'd spoken at length about it with all of her children, making it clear that if her daughters wanted to marry a rich boy, it was their choice. Their parents would never force them.
Still, the lure of Manny's money had enticed them into encouraging Niko to go with him. But he always knew he could have refused. His father would never have encouraged him had he known what was going to happen to him. In fact, his father had spent much of their time on the phone apologizing to Niko for prodding him. The small boy had told him not to worry about it. He knew the only one to blame was Manny himself.
Yet, what would he do for the rest of his life now? Niko wondered that, too. He rinsed the bathtub and washed out his scrubbing brush, still deep in thought. He knew he would have to go back to Greece. That was a given. But he also knew he had some options open to him. Matt told him to finish his schooling over there and get the best grades he could so that he could apply for a scholarship over here. The thought was very appealing to him as he hoped to one day have a good job. Perhaps he could go into business for himself, or maybe become an international lawyer. He still wasn't sure, but he knew he had to try to do something to better himself and his family's economic status.
The phone rang shrilly, jarring him out of his thoughts. He looked at it curiously, wondering if he should answer. Trent always assured him it was fine for him to use the phone, and it could be news about Manny. The phone rang again and Niko knew if he didn't pick it up before the next ring, the answering machine would get it. Making a snap decision, he grabbed the receiver and held it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Wow! You sound cute! Maybe I have the wrong number!" a bouncy female voice greeted him.
"Perhaps not," Niko replied. "And who are you?"
"I'm Tanya!" she laughed. "Trent's sister. Who are you?"
"I'm Niko. Trent has kindly allowed me to stay with him for a little while."
"Has he?" she asked in an overly friendly voice,
Niko was getting an off feeling about her, but she was Trent's sister so he knew he would have to be polite. Plus, she hadn't said or done anything offensive. He just chalked it up to his own paranoia, having finally escaped from Manny.
"He didn't mention you before," she went on.
"I just moved in not long ago," he answered. "He's not here right now. Can I ask him to call you back?"
"Sure, that'd be great," she replied. "Tell him I need to talk to him about some of his old friends around here. They're giving me trouble."
"I hope everything turns out all right."
"Oh, I'm sure it will," she sighed. "Anyway, tell him I think I'll come up this weekend and visit him." She paused. "You know what? Scratch that. I want to surprise him. Don't tell him, okay?"
"Should I tell him to call you then?"
"You know what, sweetie?" she said in a saccharinely sweet voice. "Don't tell him anything. I can't wait to meet you! Bye!"
She hung up before Niko could say anything else.
-------------------------------------
Brian cuddled into Matt's side as they watched the late night talk shows, flipping from one to the other when they brought out a guest that was boring.
"Any news on when they'll arrest Manny," Brian sleepily asked. "Not that I want Niko to go, but I think he'd feel a little safer if that ape was off the streets."
"I know," Matt kissed the top of his head. "Dad said the FBI guys were setting up a sting operation for next week. He said they wouldn't tell him much because he's not one of the "˜privileged' participants."
"I'm sure that made him feel good."
"Not really what he likes hearing," Matt laughed as he pulled Brian in closer and rested his chin on the small boy's blonde head. He inhaled a little and noted the fresh piney scent of Brian's shampoo. Uh oh. He'd have to be careful not to ruin the cuddling with a quickly growing, raging hard on.
"Yeah, even from you," Brian joked, oblivious to Matt's sudden discomfort.
"Would you have wanted me to tell him some of the things we get up to?" Matt challenged.
"No!" Brian blushed like a preteen girl with a crush. "I do NOT want you discussing that with your father!"
Matt couldn't believe how adorable his little boyfriend looked when he was affronted. Sometimes he embarrassed Brian on purpose just to see the cute pout that formed on his pixie-like face. But he tried not to call Brian "cute" too much, as he was beginning to get the feeling the boy wasn't fond of it. Still, who could resist an adorable and pouty-looking angel like him?
"Relax, baby," Matt cooed. "I'd never do that to you. Or me. Do you have any idea what kind of conversation that would encourage?" He shuddered.
The phone rang cutting off whatever Brian was going to say. The small boy looked quizzically at Matt, wondering who would be calling at almost midnight. The taller boy shrugged and picked up the phone.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah?" repeated a surly voice. "Is that how you answer the phone?"
"Ryan!" Matt laughed. "Who knew you'd call me at this hour?"
"Did I wake either of you?"
"Nah," Matt smiled as he settled back against the couch and reached for Brian again. "We're just flipping between Leno and Letterman again."
"Ah, I see you take your studies as seriously as ever, huh?" Ryan laughed.
"Actually I do," Matt replied in mock defense. "But I need to spend quality time with my boyfriend."
"Ah."
"Jealous, huh?"
"I used to be," Ryan admitted in a suddenly serious tone.
"Used to be?" Matt frowned in confusion.
Brian looked up at him, silently questioning. Matt shrugged and muted the television.
"What news, Sir Ryan?" Matt asked using a bit they used to play in junior high when they were reading classic literature.
"Oh, plenty," Ryan replied with a grin in his voice. "Boy, do I have news for you two."
Niko sighed as he thought about his roommate. Trent really wasn't like Manny at all. Thinking back to the day they'd all gone to Manny's place to pick up some of his things, the small Greek boy smiled as he remembered how ready the bigger boy was to . . . how did Trent put it again? Rearrange Manny's face. That's it. He and Matt both wanted a piece of the man who'd been so cruel to him. Luckily no one was there. Niko didn't want his new friends to get into trouble. Besides, the government agents seemed very interested in taking Manny into custody themselves. Matt had said his father thought a police raid would happen soon.
Still, Niko knew Trent was interested in him. At least he wasn't staring as much as he used to anymore. That was uncomfortable to say the least. It would be logical for the bigger boy to assume he was gay, considering what Manny had been doing with him for the last year. The truth of the matter was, Niko never really thought about his own sexuality much. He'd only ever cared for Kolina. He still did, as a matter of fact. Niko frowned deeply as he scrubbed the tub, lost in thought. He wondered where she was right now, and if her husband was treating her well. Niko knew what the harsh reality of arranged marriages could bring. He'd seen enough of them in his own village. Girls who weren't considered desirable enough by the rich boys were forced to find a husband among their own economic level. And the men their parents arranged the unions with were usually bitter about their lots in life. No doubt about it but Kolina had been one of the lucky ones.
Niko knew that some girls refused their family's orders to marry the rich boys. His own mother had, already in love with his father by the time her family set a lucrative marriage up. They kept trying to force her when she announced one day that she was pregnant and couldn't marry anyone but the baby's father. Her family, thoroughly embarrassed, shunned her for years before finally reconciling. But he knew she'd never regretted her decision. She'd spoken at length about it with all of her children, making it clear that if her daughters wanted to marry a rich boy, it was their choice. Their parents would never force them.
Still, the lure of Manny's money had enticed them into encouraging Niko to go with him. But he always knew he could have refused. His father would never have encouraged him had he known what was going to happen to him. In fact, his father had spent much of their time on the phone apologizing to Niko for prodding him. The small boy had told him not to worry about it. He knew the only one to blame was Manny himself.
Yet, what would he do for the rest of his life now? Niko wondered that, too. He rinsed the bathtub and washed out his scrubbing brush, still deep in thought. He knew he would have to go back to Greece. That was a given. But he also knew he had some options open to him. Matt told him to finish his schooling over there and get the best grades he could so that he could apply for a scholarship over here. The thought was very appealing to him as he hoped to one day have a good job. Perhaps he could go into business for himself, or maybe become an international lawyer. He still wasn't sure, but he knew he had to try to do something to better himself and his family's economic status.
The phone rang shrilly, jarring him out of his thoughts. He looked at it curiously, wondering if he should answer. Trent always assured him it was fine for him to use the phone, and it could be news about Manny. The phone rang again and Niko knew if he didn't pick it up before the next ring, the answering machine would get it. Making a snap decision, he grabbed the receiver and held it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Wow! You sound cute! Maybe I have the wrong number!" a bouncy female voice greeted him.
"Perhaps not," Niko replied. "And who are you?"
"I'm Tanya!" she laughed. "Trent's sister. Who are you?"
"I'm Niko. Trent has kindly allowed me to stay with him for a little while."
"Has he?" she asked in an overly friendly voice,
Niko was getting an off feeling about her, but she was Trent's sister so he knew he would have to be polite. Plus, she hadn't said or done anything offensive. He just chalked it up to his own paranoia, having finally escaped from Manny.
"He didn't mention you before," she went on.
"I just moved in not long ago," he answered. "He's not here right now. Can I ask him to call you back?"
"Sure, that'd be great," she replied. "Tell him I need to talk to him about some of his old friends around here. They're giving me trouble."
"I hope everything turns out all right."
"Oh, I'm sure it will," she sighed. "Anyway, tell him I think I'll come up this weekend and visit him." She paused. "You know what? Scratch that. I want to surprise him. Don't tell him, okay?"
"Should I tell him to call you then?"
"You know what, sweetie?" she said in a saccharinely sweet voice. "Don't tell him anything. I can't wait to meet you! Bye!"
She hung up before Niko could say anything else.
-------------------------------------
Brian cuddled into Matt's side as they watched the late night talk shows, flipping from one to the other when they brought out a guest that was boring.
"Any news on when they'll arrest Manny," Brian sleepily asked. "Not that I want Niko to go, but I think he'd feel a little safer if that ape was off the streets."
"I know," Matt kissed the top of his head. "Dad said the FBI guys were setting up a sting operation for next week. He said they wouldn't tell him much because he's not one of the "˜privileged' participants."
"I'm sure that made him feel good."
"Not really what he likes hearing," Matt laughed as he pulled Brian in closer and rested his chin on the small boy's blonde head. He inhaled a little and noted the fresh piney scent of Brian's shampoo. Uh oh. He'd have to be careful not to ruin the cuddling with a quickly growing, raging hard on.
"Yeah, even from you," Brian joked, oblivious to Matt's sudden discomfort.
"Would you have wanted me to tell him some of the things we get up to?" Matt challenged.
"No!" Brian blushed like a preteen girl with a crush. "I do NOT want you discussing that with your father!"
Matt couldn't believe how adorable his little boyfriend looked when he was affronted. Sometimes he embarrassed Brian on purpose just to see the cute pout that formed on his pixie-like face. But he tried not to call Brian "cute" too much, as he was beginning to get the feeling the boy wasn't fond of it. Still, who could resist an adorable and pouty-looking angel like him?
"Relax, baby," Matt cooed. "I'd never do that to you. Or me. Do you have any idea what kind of conversation that would encourage?" He shuddered.
The phone rang cutting off whatever Brian was going to say. The small boy looked quizzically at Matt, wondering who would be calling at almost midnight. The taller boy shrugged and picked up the phone.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah?" repeated a surly voice. "Is that how you answer the phone?"
"Ryan!" Matt laughed. "Who knew you'd call me at this hour?"
"Did I wake either of you?"
"Nah," Matt smiled as he settled back against the couch and reached for Brian again. "We're just flipping between Leno and Letterman again."
"Ah, I see you take your studies as seriously as ever, huh?" Ryan laughed.
"Actually I do," Matt replied in mock defense. "But I need to spend quality time with my boyfriend."
"Ah."
"Jealous, huh?"
"I used to be," Ryan admitted in a suddenly serious tone.
"Used to be?" Matt frowned in confusion.
Brian looked up at him, silently questioning. Matt shrugged and muted the television.
"What news, Sir Ryan?" Matt asked using a bit they used to play in junior high when they were reading classic literature.
"Oh, plenty," Ryan replied with a grin in his voice. "Boy, do I have news for you two."