BOYS OF THE NIGHT - #8


Brian and Nick finally spoke when they reached the bus.
"So... be honest, Nick. Why do you take off every time we finish a show? You scare me half to death," Brian said, turning to his friend as they approached the steps.
Nick, who was sick of the lectures he got, looked at Brian, annoyed. "I dunno. Why do you care? I'd think you'd be used to it by now."
"I care because you're my best friend. You are so impossible sometimes. Stop being so closed. You're gonna get ulcers, man," Brian replied.
"Cut the fatherly bullshit, Bri. You're my best friend... NOT Kevin..."
Brian turned and glared at him nastily.
Ignoring him, Nick smiled. "Brian, if you get scared half to death twice, do you really die?"
"That was stupid, Nick. Very stupid," he said, not being able to contain the smile that was spreading across his face from his friend's attempts at lightening the air between them. He reached into his pocket, digging for his keys in case the bus was locked up. Unfortnately, the action seemed very suggestive to the onlooker.
"Brian Thomas Littrell! Not in public! My God! You pervert!" Nick screamed with laughter.
"Shut up, asswipe!" Brian yelled back at the blonde who was stumbling around, holding a hand over his eyes as if he'd been blinded.
"My virgin eyes! Oh, Lord! Cleanse my eyes!" he cried, still laughing hysterically and stumbling around, a hand over his face.
Brian shook his head, letting laughter roll out from deep within his throat. He pulled out his keys with much effort and tossed them at his friend. They hit Nick in the leg, then clanged to the ground.
Brian suddenly stopped laughing and touched his chest, a look of concern wiping away his smile. Nick, too, stopped laughing. He looked at Brian oddly.
"Bri? Dude, what's wrong, man? Are you okay?" he asked, walking towards him.
"I dunno," he answered softly. He cringed in pain and fell to his knees. Nick ran to his side, crouching down next to him.
"What's wrong?! Is it your heart?! Come on, man! Tell me!" he cried.
Brian gasped as another shot of pain thundered through his chest. He curled up, his eyes shut tightly as his face twisted in agony. Nick could only stare, his body and mind freezing in fear.
Eventually, the pain stopped and he opened his eyes. Slowly and carefully, he pushed himself onto his feet. Nick stood too, watching his friend with caution. Brian collapsed, and Nick grabbed his arm, holding him up. "And you're worried about me...," Nick mumbled, helping him get up to the stairs. "Come on. Let's go inside."

Nick saw that the door was slightly ajar. He pushed it open, fearfully, and peered in, Brian still holding onto him for support. There was no sign of AJ.
"Where's Bone?" he asked, looking to Brian. B-Rok reached out and held onto the door frame, holding himself up. He leaned inside, searching for the Gangrel.
"I'm not sure. He was here when I took off."
"HEY BOYS!!!" AJ yelled behind them. He wrapped his arms around their shoulders and laughed, scaring them both. Nick shrugged off his hand roughly. AJ backed up, taken by surprise. Brian stood panting, he had been terrified. His heart skipped again.
"Dammit! What the hell is wrong with you?!! He's sick, you fag!" Nick yelled. AJ backed up even farther. He stared at Brian apologetically.
"I didn't... I didn't know. I'm sorry. Are you okay, man?" he asked, touching the Nosferatu's shoulder. Brian whipped around.
"I'm fine! Why does everyone tiptoe around me? Huh? Cuz I'm the weak one? Cuz I'm the sickly one? 'Oh, poor Brian. We have to be extra nice to him. He's special! His heart SUCKS!'," he growled, his eyes green with ferocity. "I'm so damn sick of your pity!!" Brian stormed into the bus, slamming off the lights as he walked through.
Nick and AJ looked at each other, confused. Brian was touchy about his heart problems - he hated being treated different. They followed him inside.

In a silent agreement, Nick went into the bunk to talk to Brian. He stepped inside the little extension room, quietly shutting the door behind him.
"Bri?" he asked. He could see Brian's eyes glowing green in the darkness. "Are you okay now?"
Brian didn't answer, but switched the subject, his firey eyes dying down to their normal blue color. "Tell me about the girl, Nick. The one you met tonight."
Used to his sixth sense, Nick sat down on a bunk bed opposite his friend. He knew Brian could feel things, even if he wasn't present to see them. "She's beautiful."
"I know. I also know what you want to do to her... don't."
"Wh- I... why not?"
"Because Kevin will kill you, and your not ready to even live on your own - you can't raise another vampire. Just... don't, okay?"
"What? Are you gonna stop me? Or - or are you gonna tell Kevin on me?" Nick snarled back, his eyes now turning red with fury.
"No. I won't need to. Kevin will know. And then he'll kick both our asses. And then he'll kill me cuz I let you do it," Brian replied, matter-of-factly.
"Well, what Bri? Am I supposed to just forget I met my soul mate, or something?"
"Look, Nick, just cuz you think some human is kindred souls with you-"
"She's not just 'some human!' She's the one for me. I know it. Dude, I'm not joshing you. This is for real," he sighed, frustrated, holding his head in his hands.
Brian, at a loss for words, fell silent - Nick was being serious about something for once. He breathed heavily, as if he was thinking hard. Eventually, he spoke up. "And exactly what do you plan to do when Kevin wants to kick both our asses?"
Nick smiled in the darkness, pleased that his friend saw things his way. He laid down in the bunk, closing the curtain, letting his tired body rest. "Run away?" he said finally in a small voice. He could hear Brian chortle in the bunk across from him. They were quiet for a while.
"You're a big asshole. You know that? You drag me into your stupid ideas, and I always get blamed. But I guess it's my fault. Afterall, I'm the one who goes alone with all this shit."
Nick smiled again, seeing the first rays of sunlight streaming through the closed window. "Hey Bri?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
Brian was silent for a few seconds. He laughed.
"Man, Kevin is SOOOOOO gonna kill you..."
But beneath all of their joking, Brian knew that Nick wasn't going to able to handle this situation, and that it could quickly escalate into something too large for any of them, even Kevin, to deal with. His senses were telling him of the impending trouble that lay ahead of the group.