BOYS OF THE NIGHT - #19




Nick didn't answer. He nodded, his eyes lowered, hands in lap. They fumbled nervously with a Nintendo controller that was connected to a system under his TV. He suddenly dropped it with a clank to the hard wood floor. Kevin put his head in his hands and sighed, the week's frustration and agitation finally wearing him down. It had been very stressful to him and he hadn't eaten in the past few days - his stomach was starting to cave in, the muscles crying out for nourishment. Every human he'd passed lately, on the street, in the store, at the club, looked like an inviting meal. Even Nick's damned human pet was starting to make him salivate with hunger.
"So," AJ started, watching his tired partner. "What are we gonna do?"
"'We,' AJ?" Kevin asked sharply. "'We?'"
The Gangrel was silent for a moment. "Yeah, I thought... well... you know..."
"No. You don't know. This is no concern of yours."
AJ looked taken aback by the answer he got. He took off his sunglasses. "Ya know, I thought you fucking changed. I guess not, huh? Stop playing your stupid control-freak games. We're all in this one, Kev. Regardless of what ever the hell you say." AJ's brown eyes clashed with Kevin's green. They stared each other down, building back up the emotional wall they thought they'd destroyed.
"Guys, please?" Nick asked, stepping between them. "Just stop. We don't need this anymore. There are more important things right now. Like my mistake, alright? Save it for later."
"He's right. Come on. You guys were getting along fine a while ago," Howie added. Brian nodded, agreeing with both of his friend's opinions, but not caring to throw in his own two cents.
"Yeah, a while ago. Try 20 years," AJ growled.
"Oh fuck you!" Kevin yelled back.
"Sure, pal. Lemme just bend over," AJ smiled sarcastically, his rough voice husky with mock desire. A snarl rumbled deep in Kevin's throat, and his long fangs were prominently displayed for AJ to see. The angered Gangrel across from him began to take off his button-up shirt, letting it fall from his broad shoulders to the floor. He stood in his wifebeater, his muscles tense and ready. "Come on then, get the hell up and fight!" he roared to Kevin who was beginning to stand. The elder eased his clenched hands and felt his nails grow to long white claws. He was going to slash AJ open - if only Nick would get out of the way.
"Move, Nick," his voice was low with rage. The Toreador pushed him back down so he was sitting on the bed. Kevin looked surprised that Nick had so much strength in him. His fangs and claws retracted, and his anger was forgotten, as was AJ, when Nick got in his face.
"STOP!!!" he cried out. The room grew silent. They all watched as the tall blonde was pushed over the edge. "WHY CAN'T YOU EVER JUST STOP?!"
AJ backed up, giving him room. "Dude, it's okay. We probably wouldn't have even taken a shot at each other. We fight like this all-"
"SHUT UP!!! DO YOU KNOW WHEN TO BE QUIET?! DO YOU KNOW THAT YOUR OPINION DOESN'T MATTER TO ME?" Nick screamed. AJ stared blankly at him, and stammered in shock.
"IT NEVER ENDS WITH YOU TWO, DOES IT?"
Kevin, who was still afraid to move, tensed as Nick whipped his glare from AJ to him. "Nick, listen to me-"
"NO! I'M SICK OF LISTENING TO YOU! DO YOU GET THAT?? I'VE LISTENED TO YOU FROM DAY ONE, AND I'M NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO YOU ANYMORE! YOU'RE WRONG! AND SO ARE YOU!" he yelled, turning to AJ. Bone looked away, knowing he was right. They never stopped fighting. They were always at one another's throats about everything. And even though Kevin tried to believe he was right no matter what, he couldn't deny this.
Nick's chest heaved with exhaustion. "It is not anyone's fault that you can't get along. And it's not my fault that you have a stick up your ass," he said calmly, directing his last comment more towards Kevin, who was looking at the floor.
Nick's gaze softened as it was turned to Barb, asleep on his bed.
"I want to keep her. Please let me keep her."
"Nick, she's not a pet-" Kevin began softly.
"I know that. But I can't let her go, Kev. It'll hurt too bad. Please," he asked, his stony eyes turned to orbs of blue water, choppy and unsettled, like the ocean he so loved. A shiver shot through Kevin as he realized that Nick wasn't kidding - it would hurt him, just like it had nearly killed him when AJ lay bleeding and near death in his arms in the club's parking lot nights before.
Kevin sighed again, not sure of how to start, what to say. "Nick, I-"
But before he could continue, Nick walked out of the room, not wanting the others to see his apparent pain. He pushed past Brian who held up a hand to stop him.
"Hey... bud, come on," B-Rok said gently. It was to no avail - Nick trudged downstairs, rebuffing Brian's attempt at comfort.
"You don't understand. You never will," he growled and then looked up at their expectant eyes, his own welling with icy tears. "None of you understand."
The rest of the remaining guys turned to Kevin accordingly. He'd always come through for them in tough situations, but this time was different. This time, the situation wasn't a fight over who's clean boxers those were, it wasn't about money, and it didn't involve AJ and someone else fighting over a girl. It concerned one of their own... in a much deeper way. And though Kevin had been alive much longer than any of them, his experiences in the past had never hit this hard. He watched them all, hoping one of them had a suggestion. But they didn't. Because they relied on HIM, and not vice versa. Finally gathering the courage to make an action, Kevin stood up and walked out the doorway after his youngest son, praying that he could fix his own pain and that of his child's.