Hey y'all. Here's the next part of Dreams of an Angel. Kinda long is it? I know. But then, I'm kinda in the mood to write, so bear with me okay :) Hope you don't fall asleep reading. Hope you all enjoy it! Any comments or suggestions, well, you know how to contact me. My Yahoo ID is Goldenknightuk if you wish to send me an instant message. Sorry for any bad grammars boys and girl. C'mon! Nobody's perfect!! :)
Before the show, onwards to the boring part! Legal matters! Hehehe. You can press 'fast-forward' now.
Well, first of all, this story, as you will certainly find out soon, is TOTALLY fictional. So! If any of you truly believe in it... dude, I'm worried about you. Secondly! None of the guys in the Backstreet Boys are gay! (No matter how hard I wished it :P). But nobody say we couldn't dream it, heh heh. Thirdly, Warren Worthington is actually a character from Marvel Comics, X-men known as Angel or recently Archangel. Okay fine, I admit it. I'm bored and I am making a pathetic attempt to make life a lil' bit interesting. Its not like I'm gonna publish it or something. What else to talk about hmm? Oh, there may be some adult gay scenes in this story. Unlike my brother, I don't mind writing naughty stuff ;) so! If you're underage, naughty, naughty! I can only ask you to go away, but I cannot do anything else to stop you from reading on anyway. Hell! I've been sneaking into the internet to watch gay porns since I was 13! So, if your parents or whoever responsible for you catch you, don't say I didn't warned you. However, if you're homophobic... well maybe I can seduce you enough to turn you around heh heh. I do so love a challenge ;)
Anyway, enough talk. Any comments or boos or suggestion or whatever, just sent it to the same address as in NNTs, goldenknightuk@yahoo.co.uk . Yeah, we shared the same address. Don't ask. Long story.
Okay then! On to the show. Now, don't be shy now. If you got any comments or suggestions, just drop me a note. You do the request, and I'll do the show.
Andy
Part 46: 'Candlelight Dinner, Moonlight Walk... & Sad Memories'
"You're late."
Lance stood at the front door of his house, arm crossed and glaring at Nick smugly as Nick got out from his car.
"And I love you too. You're all set?" said Nick.
"For the last 40 minutes." Lance replied before smiling. "How do I look?"
"Fab-u-lous." Nick winked as Lance got into the passenger seat. "You're planning to hook up with someone tonight?"
"Hey. We're celebrities. Jus' doin' what comes naturally, mon ami." Lance slurred arrogantly before smirking when Nick laughed.
"You've been taking lessons from Remy, Lancey-boy?" said Nick.
"Just a little bit. I'm sure you noticed how girls and guys alike swoon at him everywhere he goes. If I'm to compete with Justin, I need all the help and guidance I can get. Desperate times demand desperate actions." Lance laughed at last.
"Woo-hoo! Look out Justin. The beast is out and it ain't goin' back in!" Nick said cheerfully as he drove out into the road.
"We'll see who has de last laugh, non?" Lance spoke suavely, trying hard to mimic Remy's voice and accent, causing both of them to laugh again.
"So where are we going?" said Nick as he stopped before a traffic light.
"The place is called 'La Petite Crevette'. JC told me the foods there are superb. So I decided to try it out tonight and see it for myself." Lance smiled.
"La Petite-whatever it is, then." Nick grinned, as the light turns green. "Point the way, Spiky!"
"Now don't you start." Lance glares at him.
About thirty minutes later...
"Any news about AJ and Howie?" Asked Lance right after they ordered their meals.
Nick shook his head quietly as he fiddles with the tip of the napkin on the table. The soft music from the nearby piano floats gently by, giving the whole scene a peaceful and pleasant feeling. Murmurs arise here and there from the various conversations between the other patrons of the restaurant. Despite the emotions floating here and there, none of it is intense enough that he couldn't handle it.
"You heard, huh?" said Nick.
"Johnny filled me in." said Lance.
"Who could have taken them?" Nick asked softly. "And why?"
"Heavens knows." Lance replied just as softly. He remained quiet for a while before lifting his eyes to look at Nick hesitantly. "Do you think mutants are involve in this?"
"Geez, Lance. Why do you say that?" Nick replied in an annoyed tone. "Everytime something bad happen, people always blame mutants. Whenever there're some terrorist attack somewhere, blame the mutants. Everytime there's a murder, blame the mutants. Kidnapping, robbery, even tragedies like train wrecks, plane crashes or even bad storms... blame the mutants. Give it a break, Lance."
"Geez, Nicky. No need to bite my head off. I was only asking. I'm not accusing anyone." Lance smiled as he raised his hands as if to ward away an impending doom. "The Great Lance bow humbly to mutant-empath Nick Carter."
Nick smiled and shook his head.
"Sorry, buddy." He spoke tiredly. "I'm just... worried about AJ... and Howie, even if he is a mutant-hater."
He sighed and fiddles with the napkin again.
"I don't know if mutants are involved or not, Lance. I hope not... but then... Howie is a strong supporter of The Right. That makes him a target of any mutants. AJ usually hangs around Howie and... I'm just worried that somehow AJ got caught in the middle of something."
They fell silent after that for a couple of minutes.
"The police'll figure out what happened, Nick." Said Lance at last after a while. He looks up carefully at Nick before continuing. "If not... perhaps your... friends... can help in locating his whereabouts...?"
Nick nodded silently.
"I've already talked to Warren before I left the house." Said Nick. "He said he'll talk about it with Scott and they'll see what they can do. But at the moment, the team is on a mission in Genosha and there's no telling when they'll get back."
"Did you say Genosha?" Lance asked quietly with a flash of worry in his eyes.
"Yeah, why?" asked Nick.
"It's on the news this evening. That guy, Magneto and his followers are wreaking havoc there. Hundreds have died so far." Lance replied softly.
Nick looked at his worried frown quietly before patting his hand.
"You're worried about Bobby."
Lance sighed wearily as he leaned forward and rests his elbow on the table.
"I haven't been able to get him out of my head ever since I left Westchester." Lance spoke softly.
"Which is why you ask me out for dinner tonight - to distract you into thinking of something else." Nick commented. It was then he notices the wave of weariness emanating from Lance's mind. "You haven't been sleeping well too."
Lance glances at him and finally realized how Nick knew about it.
"Get out of my head, Nicky boy." He smiled.
"I'm trying to." Said Nick. "But you mind is... too open for me to notice anything else. Your weariness is so strong, it's making me weary as well."
Closing his eyes tiredly, Lance sighed.
"What else do you sense?" he asked wearily.
"You've fallen hard for him." Nick answered immediately. He has to be dumb and blind if he cannot detect that feeling.
Staring bleakly at the neatly folded napkin before him, Lance nodded.
"Is it wrong to fall in love again so soon, Nick?" He spoke after a while. "Am I doing the right thing?"
"Define 'right thing'." Nick answers gently. "Is falling in love a 'right thing'? If it is, then does it matter whether it is too soon or later?"
Lance merely looks at him in silence, still unconvinced.
"A broken heart always heals, Lance." Nick answers gently. "Sometimes it takes a while. Sometimes, when a new love is born, it heals quickly. Love heals everything, right?"
"I don't want to get hurt again, Nick." Lance murmured softly. "It's... unpleasant."
"It's up to you to decide." Nick replied. "I can be there for you. But I cannot make your decision for you. Just remember, taking risk is part of life. What really matters is whether you have the courage to take it or not."
They looked up when the waiters came over to their place with the foods. Murmuring grateful thanks, they settle down to eat. The food really is good here.
"Let's talk about something else, shall we?" Lance smiled at last.
"You're the boss." Nick grins, doing a small salute as he did. "Mmm-mmm. This food is great! How did you find this place again?"
"JC took his date here a couple of months ago." Lance spoke cheerfully as he sprinkle some peppers onto his dish. "He couldn't stop talking about this place ever since."
"Way to go, JC." Nick smiled appreciatively as he chew.
"So spill it, Nick." Said Lance. "Tell me about the harrowing recent experience you had while coming out to your family."
"Oh Gosh, I don't even know where to begin!" Nick smiled widely as his eyes lit up from the memories.
"Hmm... now that could be a problem." Lance spoke seriously. "What about the beginning?"
"Very funny, Spiky." Nick replied, kicking Lance on the leg as the guy laughed.
The next half an hour or so was spent with Nick relating everything that happened the night before and Lance listening intently to every word, laughing at the part when Nick muttered 'Cannibalism' to Warren. Nick could detect a wave of awe and envy when he told Lance about how Warren stepped forward to reveal himself to face the heat first, just to push Nick forward to make the final step. His envy grew as he listened to how Warren stayed beside him all the time, giving all the support and courage Nick needed...
"Lance..." Nick stopped uncertainly. "Lance, you okay?"
Lance glance up at him in surprise.
"Huh? Yeah. Why do you ask?"
"I dunno, I just felt..." Nick began but couldn't exactly say the word.
"Jealous? No! No..." Lance laughed softly. "I mean... yeah... I am a little but... who wouldn't? You're a lucky man, Nick, to find someone who is willing to love, support and stand beside you all the way throughout anything..."
He trails off almost immediately.
"It's hard to find people like that these days." He murmurs softly. "Especially within the gay scene where most people confuse lust and love almost all the time."
He smiled again when he looks at Nick.
"Begin your quest to search for love and you'll find an angel waiting for you instead. You're a lucky guy, Nick. Don't ever let him go, d'you hear me? If you do, it'll be the greatest mistake of your life. Oh man, what the hell am I saying? Let him go, Nick. Let him go. Then I'll grab him for myself." Lance grins when Nick glares at him.
"Just stick with your Ice-Toy, Lancey-boy." Nick smirked and laughed when Lance blushes.
"So Aaron freaked out huh?" said Lance.
"Back to changing the subject, hmm?" Nick laughed again when Lance kicks his leg. "Okay, okay. I'll play along."
Sighing happily, he continues on with the story. It really feels great to be yourself with your friend. Feeling Warren through the link, he was immediately greeted with the feelings of extreme boredom and frustration: the type of frustration you'd feel when you're in a boring meeting rather than anything else. He unconsciously reaches out through the link into Warren's mind and laughed slightly when a ripple of surprise appeared, signaling Warren's sudden awareness of his presence in his mind.
"What's so funny?" Lance asked curiously.
"Huh? Oh nothing." Nick smiles absently as he felt the amusement rolling off Warren's mind. "Just messing around Warren's head."
"How does it feels to fly, Nick?" asked Lance.
"It feels glorious." Nick smiled dreamily. "Everytime I look down at the lands below, I feel like a god watching the world from heaven. Everytime we soared further up into the sky, I feel so free I could cry. Sometimes I feel like I could touch the sky or even reach the stars."
Lance merely smiled as he watched the faraway look in Nick's eyes. The only time he went flying with Warren was during the first horrible night when he unceremoniously arrived at the mansion, half-crazed from terror from the whole experience he was forced to endure that night. Even then, he kept his eyes closed most of the time - too frightened to care about anything else.
"When is Warren coming back?" he asked again.
"Hmm... oh the evening after tomorrow. We're having our first dinner date then." Nick winked at Lance's surprised look.
"Your first dinner date?" Said Lance. "After about three weeks being together? What did you do? Pressed the fast-forward button straight to the good stuff?"
"We kinda... forgot about it." Nick grins sheepishly.
Lance laughed at the excuse.
"Talk about rushing through a relationship. So you guys had... you know... did it yet?" He grinned mischievously.
"Geez! Ever heard of the word 'Propriety'? For your information, that is not something people talk about over a dinner table in a public restaurant." Nick blushed. "And if you really have to know, no, we haven't... done... it yet. We fooled around a little bit but never reach that far just yet. Now hush!"
By that time, Lance was shaking from holding his laughter.
"Since when did you become so open by the way? I thought you're supposed to be the shy one." Nick continues on.
"Hey, I'm just trying to loosen up. I'm not that tight all the time." Said Lance after he finally controls himself. "Gee. I wonder who's gonna be the bottom. Those wings are sure gonna get in the way if he wanna lie down on his back. So I guess, it's gonna be you!"
He laughed again when Nick blushed and choked on his drinks.
"Okay, do that again and you'll be wearing that steak and salad by the time we get out of here." Nick grumbles before falling silent.
"Alright, alright. No more sick joke about your bed activity." Lance relented humorously. He watched curiously when he saw Nick frowning in thought. "Krrggkkhh! Hello? Earth Space Center to Space-shuttle Nick. Please respond. Over. Krrggkkhh!"
Nick smiled as he was finally startled out of his deep thought.
"Sorry. Just drifted off for a moment there."
"No kiddin'. What's news from the Delta-Quadrant?" Lance smirked.
"The Borgs attacked a Klingon colony. No survivor." Nick laughed as he played along.
"Okay. You've been watching too many episodes of Star Trek. And oh by the way, there's no Klingons colony in the Delta-Quadrant." Lance smirked again.
"There are now. They migrated there a year ago. They told me themselves. " Said Nick before sticking his tongue out mockingly.
"No they didn't" Lance protested.
"Yes, they did."
"No they didn't."
"Yes, they did."
"No they didn't."
"Yes they did."
Nick laughed when Lance finally gave up by throwing his arms up in the air.
"Don't tell me Warren actually enjoyed this!!" said Lance.
"Okay. I won't tell you."
"Geez, it must be true love then, because no sane man or woman would be able to survive more than a week with you!!" said Lance. "I'm on the verge of stabbing myself right now and I've only been with you for less than two hours."
"Of course. That's what makes him special. He laughs at all my jokes. He can withstand me." Nick smiled widely. "Speaking of sanity, you claim to be on the verge of madness being around me and yet you're considering of having a relationship with Bobby the Iceman?"
"Oh yeah..." Lance's smiles turn sickly. "You got me there."
Nick raised his hand to signal the passing waiter and orders another bottle of champagne.
"So, despite the fact that you're with Warren, do you still find women attractive? Or have you decided to switch team permanently?" said Lance as he sipped his drink.
"Oh I do still find women attractive." Nick winked as he smiles. "And so does Warren. You know he nearly slept with Britney a couple of years ago after meeting her at a charity ball? With her still with Justin too."
"Jesus Christ, Justin's gonna howl even louder if he ever hear of that." Lance muttered. "They screamed and shouted loud enough almost everytime they get together of late as it is, its almost drove me nuts. You have no idea how glad we all were when they decided to split."
The waiter came back with a fresh bottle of champagne while they were laughing.
"Cheers." Nick smiled and their glasses clinked softly.
Silence stretches on as they continue on with their meals.
"Lance..." Nick asked hesitantly. "Can I ask you something personal?"
"Ask away." Lance murmured as he sipped his champagne again.
"Have you ever... you know... done it?" Nick asked softly as if afraid people might hear it.
"Done what?" Lance asked curiously before realizing what Nick is referring to. "Oh... that..."
"Yeah... that." Nick blushed slightly.
"And when you say that, which one do you mean... the top or the bottom?" Lance asked softly.
"You've done both?" asked Nick.
"Yeah." Lance answered before leaning forward to touch Nick's shoulder, looking at him understandingly. "Hey. Don't be ashamed about it. You've never done it before so it's perfectly normal to be curious and ask questions about it. Trust me, been there, done that. Ask me anything you want."
"Is it painful?" Nick asked uneasily.
"Well, I'm not gonna lie to you." Lance replied carefully. "It'll be painful if it's your first time or if you haven't had anal sex in a long, long while... like me right now... but only at the beginning. But if you go slow, gently, keep on doing it right, be considerate and use lots and lots and lots of lube, the pain'll go away before you even realize it."
"Will I bleed?" Nick asked nervously.
"Maybe. Most certainly, if your partner is too rough. But as I said, if your partner is considerate and gentle, you won't. Use lots of lubes. And... oh!... have you and Warren had any recent blood test done for STDs? Because if you don't, then use condoms."
"Yeah, Hank tested us both before we left the mansion." Nick murmured. "God, you sound like Hank and my mom."
"These thing is not something to be taken lightly, Nicky-boy." Lance replied seriously. "Once you get it, it'll be as if you've been branded for the rest of your life, new drugs or no new drugs. Believe me, I has a friend back home who got it."
"Yeah." Nick murmured. "I guess you got a point there."
"Hey." Lance smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. From what I saw, Warren cares about you a lot. He will not want to hurt you. Just make sure you're ready when you decide to go through with it. Geez! Listen to me! I'm giving out free gay sex advice to my friend. Okay. My rate from now onwards is gonna be 200 bucks an hour."
"200 bucks? You're mad!" Nick exclaimed as Lance laughed.
"So, any more questions?" said Lance.
"Naah... at least... not at the moment..." Nick murmured.
"If you don't want to do it, just tell him, Nick." Lance spoke softly. "Be honest. Don't do it simply because you have to. Do it because you want to."
Nick shook his head quietly.
"I want to do it, Lance." He answered. "I'm just... nervous about it."
"That's because you're not ready for it yet." Said Lance. "Take your time, Nick. Don't rush headlong into it. When the time comes, it's suppose to be a special moment for both of you. Making love is not just a simple sex... it's something deeper than that."
"Yeah, I know." Nick sighed. "I want it to be special, both for Warren and for me. I... aaarrgghhh... let's change the subject. I don't know what I want."
"You just don't know what to expect." Lance murmured as he drained his glass of champagne. "At the same time, you want it to be perfect - sparks and fireworks and that kinda thing. Believe me, I know how you feel. I've been in your shoe before."
"When was your first time? Not a one night stand with some nameless stranger, I hope." Nick smiled.
"Good God, no." Lance answered hastily. "It was during the following summer after I came out to my family. I was with someone for almost a year already. It was really because of him that I came out."
"Judging from that dreamy smile on your face, you must really loved this nameless him" Nick snickered.
"Oh yeah. I do. And I still love him even now." Lance smiled dreamily. "His name's Tristan, but everyone at my place calls him Wolf. I don't really know why..."
"Wolf?" Nick smiled.
"Yeah. He's a total motorcycle maniac, just like his dad and brother. We went to highschool together, but he was a year my senior. But we got along fine. More than fine." Lance suddenly laughed softly to himself. "He's kind of a loner at school but nobody dares to bully him. He seems to have this... 'rugged, dangerous look' you see - you know, long hair, torn jeans, leather jackets... that kinda stuff... Plus that his dad is someone whom you don't wanna mess around with... I think it got something to do with his dad used to being part of one of those motorbike fanatic groups, so mess with one and you'll be messing with all of them. Anyway, the jocks at my school called him Lone Wolf, while the cheerleaders, when they are not sighing and fantasizing about him, called him 'The Rebel Without A Cause'... but me? I called him 'The Rebel Without A Clue'."
Nick laughed at that and Lance smiled again.
"Why is that?" said Nick.
Lance shrugged.
"Because he is totally clueless about everything else around him except his damn motorbike." Lance replied as he laughed softly. "But despite his serious looks, he's really a sweet person on the inside. I don't think I'll ever forget the time after he finally finished highschool and he decided to take me out to his dad's cabin in Colorado on his bike for the weekend. We had our first sex there then. It really was a special magical moment for both of us, with him being all gentle and loving and I could only stare into his eyes as we make love in front of the fireplace..."
He suddenly fumbled through his pockets and drew out his wallet. Taking out a somewhat worn out photograph, he handed it to Nick.
"That was us while we're on our way to his dad's cabin. One of the tourists took that photograph when we were at a rest stop."
Nick stares curiously at the man in the photograph, sitting on a bike with the laughing Lance in his arms.
"I didn't know you're into rugged looking guys, Lance." Nick laughed softly as he noted the leather jackets and pants and shoulder-length black hair. "Geez, I've never seen this part of you before."
"Well, its not like I broadcast it all over the place." Lance smiled back. "Anyway, he's really not as dangerous as he looks. He's really sweet and romantic inside. And sensitive too. He really makes me feel special."
"Sounds deep." Nick remarked as he smiled. "What happened to him then?"
"He died." Lance sighed sadly as he put the photograph back into his wallet. "Three days before Christmas that very same year. He and his family were on their way to their grandparent house. They encountered a truck driven by a drunken truck driver and his dad lost control of the car. Plus, the road they were on was slippery. The police found their car at the bottom of the ravine, mangled and burned... no one survived."
Lance face only show mild sadness but Nick winced at the pure grief and bitterness that emanates from Lance's mind, smashing against his mental shielding like waves against a cliff.
"I'm sorry." Nick touches Lance's hand gently. "I don't mean to bring up painful memories."
Lance smiled as he accepted Nick's touch gratefully.
"It's okay." He answered steadily. "It was a long, long time ago. It was pure hell at first... but I got over it at last. I know in my heart that he never stops loving me right to the very end... and I will always love him too. Not even death gonna change that. I visit his grave every Christmas. I light a candle for him every Sunday at church. And everywhere I go, everytime I go to bed, everytime I perform on the stage, I always felt him standing there beside me. We'll be together again one day. Till then, we both just have to wait patiently."
They fell silence at last, Lance ruminating a little in his old grief, while Nick sitting quietly, not quite knowing what to say. Unconsciously, Nick's thought began to turn towards Warren... on how he and the rest of the X-men always go off on dangerous missions and fight powerful and dangerous foes... How would he handle it if something happen to Warren in one of these missions?
"You wanna go out for a walk? I'm full." Nick asked at last. "We'll find something to get our mind off stuff for an hour or two."
Lance smiled and nodded.
"The beach? It's a nice night."
"Good idea. Hold on, let me pay first." Said Nick as he signals the waiter for the bills.
Half an hour later...
"So." Lance grins as they strolled slowly along the deserted beach, just above the rippling waves creeping up again and again from the sea. They carry their shoes lazily in their hands, relishing against the gentle caress of the night breeze even as they listen to the peaceful sounds of the crashing of the waves. "Are you part of these X-men now? Am I to see you running around fighting crimes in one of those sexy skintight costume anytime soon?"
"Ack!! No!!" Nick answered, his eyes widened at the image. "You'll not get me into one of those. Nu-uh!!"
He glares at Lance as the other guy laughed.
"Naah. I'm not part of the X-men." Nick smiled at last. "Well, not exactly... I mean... well, Xavier did offered me, but..."
"But what?" Lance asked curiously, slipping his hand into his pocket lazily as he did.
"I've already lead a life that I love, Lance." Nick answered softly. "I got a great job that I love, I have a loving family, I have good friends... I worked really hard to forge it all... I can't just... throw it all away just like that. I mean... don't mistake me... I am grateful that they were willing to help me with this empathy thingy. Believe me, Lance... when I realized I'm a mutant... I freaked out big time. I thought my life is over. But Warren and the rest helped me pull myself together. They helped me a lot in supporting me to get use to the whole thing."
"But... I cannot throw away my life that I worked so hard to achieve just like that. I may be a mutant... but that doesn't mean I cannot lead a normal life. I'm still the same guy like you and the rest. I don't have blue skin or wings or fur or red-on-black eyes... or even dangerous uncontrollable powers like Rogue... Unlike most mutants, I still have a chance to lead a normal life. I cannot waste this chance. Even Xavier and Scott agreed with me. Most mutants would kill to have a chance like mine."
"So you turn down their offer?" said Lance.
"Not quite." Nick smiled. "I agreed to be some sort of an unofficial member. If they need me, I'll go over and help. I'll also keep a close watch for anything unusual that goes on outside the mansion and report it to them... that sort of thing. No sexy skin-tight costume, no codename, nothin'. Just a regular, cute, blue eyed and ever friendly boyband singer everyone loved and adored everywhere he goes, as usual."
Lance snickered softly at that.
"We need to get back on that last bit later." He laughed as Nick slaps his shoulder lightly.
"You're jealous, Lancey-boy and you know it." Nick grins as they strolled on. "But I'm serious. I mean, c'mon. Can you imagine me running around and fight and whatever? I can barely handle the usual mob of girls who chased us around the mall trying to tear our clothes to pieces!!"
"But you always succeeded in driving everyone mad with your pranks." Lance remarked cheerfully.
"Hey, hey, hey! You be careful when you say that. Those are not mere pranks. Those are considered unique arts, an acquired talent. As Remy would say it: Such skills require 'finesse'." Nick replied smugly. "Not much use against the likes of Magneto. But enough to give Bobby a pink hair for a couple of weeks. So don't be surprise when you seem him again before this month is out."
"You didn't!!" Lance laughed.
"It is unwise to make an enemy out of Nick Carter, Lancey-boy." Nick smiled evilly. "Revenge may be slow in coming, but it'll get there eventually.
They laughed for a while before strolling on.
"So, did he called you anytime recently?" Nick asked.
"Bobby? Naah. I called his mobile but he didn't answer. I assume he's still away on his mission and didn't take his phone." Lance answered before remained quiet in thought for a while. "Nick, do you think he'll... love me back if I tell him what I feel?"
"You want a straight answer, buddy?" Nick smiled as he gazed into Lance's eyes.
"You're an empath. I'm sure you have some ideas on how he'll react." Said Lance.
"I think he'll love you back, Lance, but he'll not make the first move." Nick answered simply. "Well... at least... that's the feeling I got from him. He loves Scott yeah. That's so strong in his mind, I have to be dumb and blind if I don't see that. And I doubt that love'll go away. I still wonder how he managed to hide that feeling from Xavier, Jean and me all these time. But when reading his... emotional patterns towards you... well... he does fancies you... but I also felt a great deal of... hesitation... something like that... you know, the feeling you got when you wanted to do something but not sure if it is the right thing to do for fear of a possible bad consequences. I think he values your friendship very much and he doesn't want that to be affected. Aaaah... I'm talking rubbish, am I?"
"No..." Lance answered thoughtfully before smiling slightly. "No... you explained it just fine..."
They strolled on slowly in the moonlight.
"You know," Lance spoke suddenly. "Having a empath as a friend is not bad at all."
"What about a mutant as a boyfriend?" Nick smiled.
"Hmm... now that's gonna be interesting. Tristan was right. I always go for the rarest and weirdest guys of all." Lance smiled back as he gaze at the stars above. "He is probably laughing his head off right now in heaven, saying 'I told you so'."
Next Tuesday, Part 47: 'Songs of Sorrow'