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True to his word, Michael took care of Lazurium. He wouldn't say how, but Derek felt the passing of his old enemy. Michael also proved to be an asset, possessing encyclopedic information on the spirit worlds, but more than that, he was well liked. In only one month, everyone in the house was turning to him, confiding in him. He and Nick had grown particularly close. They often went out on the town. It was after one of those nights that they had settled in on the couch, watching a movie.
"Nick, I need to talk to you." "What is it?" Nick asked, concerned with the tone in Michael's voice.
"We're friends, right? Would anything change that?"
"No. Why? Is something wrong?"
"No. I think everything is right."
Mihael leaned in, gently placing his lips on Nick's. He wound up being knocked to the floor. Michael just stared, confused at the reaction.
"What are doing?" Nick questioned, standing up.
"I-I thought you knew how I felt about you....I love you, Nick."
"No, no, no, no...." Nick mumbled grabbing his coat.
"Nick, please sit down. Just talk to me. Look, I'm sorry. It was a mistake, but please, talk to me. I'll stay on the other side of the room."
"No, no. I've gotta get outta here."
"Nick, please..." Michael begged, walking towards Nick.
"NO! Stay away from me! Just stay away!" Nick yelled, running out the door. The commotion had woken Rachel. She rushed to see what had happened. Her sight was greeted with Michael tears running down his face. He had gathered his most personal belongings, leaving the clothes and food.
"Michael, what happened? I thought I heard--*"
"I'm sorry. It was a mistake. It's all my fault. I'm sorry."
Michael wouldn't say anymore. He ran out the door, not listening to Rachel trying to calm him. Rachel stood there, not understanding a thing. She was soon joined by Derek and Alex, as they sat down in the living room. Rachel made some tea while they tried to figure out what had transpired.
"You were the first down here, Rachel. What did you see?"
"All I know is I was sleeping. I thought I heard Nick yelling. When I came down, Michael had gathered some of his things. He was crying and saying he was sorry and it was a mistake. He ran out before I could find anything else out."
"Derek, what is it?" Alex asked, knowing that look.
"I'm not at liberty to discuss the matter."
"But Derek, if something happened to Nick..."
"Nick's fine. He's probably out cooling off."
"Derek..." Alex protested, but knew that was all she was going to learn. They waited for a couple of hours, and Nick showed up. He turned red, realizing he'd been the one to wake everybody up.
"Well, maybe we can finally find out what happened," Rachel stated, her weariness coming through.
"Where's Michael?"
"We were hoping you could tell us. I heard yelling, and when I came down, Michael was crying. He just grabbed a few of his things and left, mumbling he was sorry."
"Oh G-d....I really screwed up. Michael....kissed me...It's not how I was raised, and I didn't know how to react. I went out to blow off steam. I really should have handled that better. We'd better go find him."
"You won't. He's gone, Nick," Derek stated.
"What are you talking about?"
"He left in a hurry, not intending to come back. You can't find him, unless he wants to be found."
"Oh man...I really didn't mean for that to happen. He just caught me offguard. Can't Sloan find him. If I could just talk to him..."
"I don't think that would be wise, Nick," Derek replied, "You hurt him. I really don't think he'd want to see you."
"But, Derek. You can't be serious..." Rachel began protesting.
"Rachel, Nick, the damage is done. Let him be. Now, if we can, we really should try to get some sleep."
"Michael's hurt, Derek. I thought you were his friend. How can you just...*"
"Rachel, may I see you in the other room, in private?" Derek cut her off. They walked into the control room, leaving Nick, feeling horrible, and Alex, confused. Once inside, Derek sat down with a sigh.
"What I'm about to tell you is never to be repeated Rachel, for Nick's sake. He'd never forgive himself, if he knew the real reason he can't see Michael."
Rachel didn't like the sound of this one bit. She knew Derek well enough to know he was very upset by tonight's events, despite his calm composure. "Michael may not be alive much longer."
"What?! How can that be? He's an immortal. I don't--*"
"When his people fall in love with a mortal, it is very dangerous for them. If they are rejected, it can kill them. You see, while they are strong in body and magic, their emotions are their weakness. Rejection causes great physical damage. Now, they know they can not be together forever. Mortals eventually die, but they can handle that. Rejection, however....Hopefully, since Michael is strong, he'll survive. It won't hit him for a couple of days, so he'll probably seek out others of his kind for help, but he still might die. Now, you see why Nick can't go after him and why we can't tell him. Nick would never forgive himself, if he knew the truth. I'll check with William in a few days, see if Michael's going to live. We can't do anything, so the best thing is try to go back to our normal routine."
Rachel nodded, wiping the tears of fear from her eyes. She and Derek went into the other room together, urging Alex and Nick to bed, but no one got much sleep that night.
Nick was began torn apart be guilt and the loss of someone he now realized was his best friend. Alex was worried about Nick and Michael and felt the loss of knowing a friend had left, probably never wanting to see this house again. She was a little angry at Nick for handling the situation like that, but she knew he didn't mean to overact. That was just Nick. Derek and Rachel felt the same as Alex, but they also worried about Michael and prayed he would survive.
Derek of course informed Sloan about what had happened the next day. He went about business as usual, but he and Rachel were eagerly awaiting the return call. It came a few days later. William informed Derek that Michael had survived and was staying with his people in New York. He was going to be very weak for a while. Both Derek and Rachel breathed easier at the news.
Two months had passed, and Nick had become more and more irritable everyday. He snapped at his friends constantly and made sarcastic comments. For those that knew him, it was obvious. He was in love and didn't want to admit it, to himself or anyone. Eventually, his behavior became so intolerable that Rachel started yelling at him.
"That's it, Nick! That is it! I can't stand this anymore! Why don't you just admit it?! You're in love!"
"What?! With who?"
"Michael!"
"That's not possible. I'm straight! It just isn't possible."
"Really? Are you so sure? Look me in the eye and tell me that." Nick tried to, but he wound up growling and turning away. Derek intercepted him, before he could get out the door. Nick tried to get past, but it was obvious Derek wasn't letting him go, until he said his piece.
"Why is it so impossible, Nick? Just tell me why and you can go."
"It's not how I was raised! It's not right! It's a sin!"
"Really, Nick. I thought so much better of you. I would have thought that you would understand things like this after being in the Legacy. Love in any form can never be evil, therefore it can't be a sin."
"But--*"
"What if I'd asked you out? What, then?"
"What? Derek, please....you can't be serious," but Nick saw Derek was indeed serious.
"You?! But, Derek...I-I've seen you with women...I..."
"That doesn't mean I'm not attracted to men, Nick. You need to stop lying to yourself. Until you resove this matter, you are banned from working on any Legacy projects. Right now, you are hindering more than helping."
Nick just stared in shock for a moment before running out the door. He had a lot of things to work out, a lot of things to think about, and these were problems he had to solve on his own.
A week later, after talking repeatedly with Phillip, Derek, Alex, and Rachel, Nick made a descision. They were right. He was in love. It wasn't easy to admit, but they made their support clear. Even Phillip, the one person Nick expected to condemn his feelings, was offering support. Priest or not, Phillip knew the church didn't get everything right. Nick went to find Derek to get Michael's address.
"Derek...this isn't easy for me, but you know that. I need to see Michael, and you and Sloan are the only ones who would know where he is."
"Are you sure, Nick? I can't give you his location, unless you are sincere in your intentions. If you think you might not be able to do this, I can't have you go there. It would just make things worse."
"I'm sure."
Derek placed the call to William that very day. It took a lot of arguing and arm twisting, but he eventually wormed the address out of the Legacy's head. Nick was out on a plane the next morning.
Nick checked into a hotel quickly and took a cab. The sun was setting already. He arrived at the address and was shocked to see what had to be the most expensive apartments in the city. Nick walked in and was stopped by a guard.
"Excuse me, sir, but you're not a resident. All guests have to be announced." Nick sighed and gave the man his name. This wasn't what he wanted. Michael might refuse to see him. If he could just talk to him, even through a door, he'd have a better chance. The man was on the phone several minutes. It was clear there was some sort of arguement on the other end, but eventually a decision had been reached. Nick was walked to the elevator and the operator was told which floor. Nick soon realized why he hadn't been given an apartment number, the entire floor was the apartment. Well, it was actually all the apartments on the floor, just converted into a monster apartment, easily bigger than a comfortable house.
He stepped out of the lift and a fist connected with his face. Nick was roughly pulled to his feet and thrown onto a couch.
"Maxwell! Stop it!"
"But he's the bastard that nearly killed Michael! Why shouldn't I kill him?!"
"Go take a walk...cool off! That is not a request!"
Nick finally got a good look at the other two people in the room as his attacker left. The one who attacked him was called Maxwell if he'd heard correctly, not sure, being a little stunned, looked to be in his thirties, short red hair and green eyes. He was dressed in a business suit and had an obviously gymnist physique. The other one was female, long blonde hair, sea blue eyes and about eighteen or so by human appearance. With Maxwell gone, she sat down on the couch with him. "I'm sorry for Maxwell. We're both very protective of Michael. I'm Elizabeth, by the way."
"I noticed....but what did he mean....how did I almost kill him?" Nick asked in obvious confusion.
"You really don't know, do you? I didn't think so, otherwise I would have let Maxwell tear you apart. When we fall in love with a mortal, if we are rejected, it can literally kill us. That is our great weakness...we are not capable of handling rejection like humans. It quite literally is life threatening. Luckily, it takes us a couple of days to feel the full effect. That gave Michael enough time to get here, so we could help nurse him back to health, as he would soon be very ill."
Nick just stared at her, not knowing what to say, as she continued. "When it hit him, Michael nearly died. Thankfully, he was old enough and strong enough to survive it. We had to force feed him for days. He was bedridden for a month. Finally, he's now able to walk with a cane. He's getting his strength back, but it's a slow process."
Nick was shaking his head no, desperately not wanting to believe what he was being told.
"It is true, Mr. Boyle. Now, why have you come here?"
"I need to see Michael. We need to talk."
"I'm afraid, if this is just a social call, it would do more damage than good. Michael doesn't know you're here, and if you can't give me a better reason, you may not see him. If this is to patch up a friendship, forget it. It would hurt him too much to see you."
"I...I..." Nick swallowed hard before being able to say the words, "I love him."
It wasn't an easy thing for Nick to admit, let alone to a stranger. She searched his eyes, looking for any decption. Finding none, she sat back. "Do you really think he wants you? After all, you hurt him badly....worse than you ever could have known. What could make you think he'd still want you?"
"I...don't know. I love him. This isn't easy for me. It's not how I was raised. If he doesn't want me, I need him to tell me. I just have to see him. Please."
Elizabeth nodded and led him down the hallway. She pointed at the last door and turned to walk away. Nick braced himself and knocked on the door. There was no turning back now.
"Well, it's about time you two came to check on me--*" Michael stopped, his smile fading as he saw Nick.
Nick gasped as he saw the toll his love had taken on Michael. Michael was much thinner. The face was the same, as well as his hair, skin, and eyes, but the lustre had faded from the color, leaving them dulled. His muscles' defintion was still there, but his frailty was obvious by the way he heavily leaned on a cane. Nick could never have been prepared for this.
"Nick? I wasn't expecting you. Did Maxwell do that? Sorry, he's a bit overprotective."
Nick nodded, knowing full well he had a shiner. "I know. Can I come in....please?"
Michael slowly nodded and opened the door. Michael sat down on the couch and Nick sat down with him.
"Are you sure you want to sit on the same couch? Did you forget what happened last time?" Michael asked, bitterness in his voice, turning away.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Why didn't you tell me?"
"How was I supposed to? Nick, I'm in love with you, and if you reject me, it might literally kill me. C'mon."
"I am sorry, for what it may be worth. I didn't know how to handle it, how to react. I didn't know how to handle what I felt, what I feel."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Michael asked, fear cracking voice.
"I love you."
"No. No. Don't do this Nick. Please, don't do this. If you want my forgiveness, fine. Clean slate. Don't do this."
"I understand that you don't love me....after what happened. I just had to tell you."
Nick began crying, as he began to get up. "Is that what you think?! The problem is I do love you, Nick. I won't survive this a second time. That's why I'm telling you don't pretend to love me to make me feel better. I won't survive it."
"I'm sorry. I am. Michael, this isn't easy for me. I was raised against this. I was in the Navy. Everything in my past says this is wrong. I wouldn't have been able to come it all, if the house hadn't supported me, but I do love you. I tried denying it as long as I could."
Michael looked into his eyes, searching the truth as only his kind could. He began crying, as he saw the love. Nick, despite his own tears, played the role of the shoulder. Michael hesitated a little at first, but then grabbed Nick with as much strength as his weakened state allowed. They cried out their tears, until they could finally look each other in the eye.
Nick casually broke the silence with a small joke. "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted."
"Me too. Do you want to stay here? It's kinda late to go back to whatever hotel you're at."
Nick looked into Michael's beautiful eyes. It was a test, he realized. As much as Nick wanted to take this slow, Michael needed confirmation of the love. Nick wanted to tell him he couldn't, but he could never risk hurting Michael, again....never again. He nodded slowly. "Sure. I'll take the couch."
"No."
"What?"
"I said no. You're a guest. You get the bed. I'll take the couch."
"Michael....you need your rest...I--*"
"If you sleep on the couch, I'm sleeping on the floor. The only way I'll sleep in that bed is if you are in there with me."
"Michael....I'm not....sure...I'm not ready for that....you know..."
"Nick, please! I can't stand without a cane, and you think I have the energy for sex! I just....want you near me."
Nick nodded. They crawled into bed together. Michael layed his head on Nick's chest, feeling the heart beating beneath him, the way he never thought he would. "Nick?"
"Hmmm?"
"What would have happened if we hadn't talked? I'm surprised Maxwell even let you in."
"He didn't. He just hit me. Elizabeth?...she let me in to see you."
"Sorry about that."
"What for? I deserved it."
"I don't know about that. I didn't tell you what would happen. It was my fault, too. So...what would you have done?"
"I'd have to of left the Legacy."
"Why?"
"Because in only a couple of months, I've damn near managed to drive everyone in the house crazy. Without you, they'd have killed me in another week."
"Goodnight, Nick."
"Goodnight....my love."
Michael wanted to desperately to lean up and kiss those perfect lips, but he wasn't sure if Nick was ready. This was something they would have to take slow. He was about to ask if he could, but Nick sensed the question and answered it by pressing his lips to Michael's. It didn't last long, and the kiss was light. It wasn't very passionate, but at the same time, it was the most passionate kiss either had ever had. It would take a long time, but it would be worth it. They just settled back in and went to sleep.
to be cont.
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