Nick and Dave

"If you tell anyone, I'll kill you!"

“Listen, Nick…”

“Don’t patronize me, Dave.”

“Nick, I’m not, ok? I’m just saying you gotta tell Sean.”

“I’m not telling him. Not right now. Not yet. I’m not telling anyone and if you say anything, I swear to god, Dave…” Nick’s stance spoke not so much of violence but of desperation. Dave didn’t understand it, but then Dave was one of those sweet quiet types that went through the world with rose-colored-glasses. His friends, of which he had many, called him things like "beautifully naïve" and "totally unjaded".

“Well it’s not my place to tell anybody, Nick, but..”

“Damn right. The only reason I’m telling you is… well, you know.” Nick paced away, it was easier not to meet eyes with Dave looking at him like he was.

Dave sank onto a hard kitchen chair. It creaked slightly as he leaned back in it. “Jesus Christ, Nick.” But Dave knew he’d been living dangerously that night, letting Nick go without. The risk and the danger were part of the turn on, like a roulette wheel. He’d trusted Nick. That had been a mistake, but the mistake was his own.

“I’m sorry, Dave… I…”

Dave held a hand up to stop Nick talking. “I’ll be fine.”

“..maybe.”

“You don’t think so?” Dave gave Nick an angry-hurt look.

“Well, there’s a good possibility that you could…”

“Ok, lets stop this. I know what I have to do, ok? You know what you have to do. Whether or not you do it is your business, but… dammit Nick!”

Nick shifted his weight. He wasn’t good with words. Everything he needed to say was much more clearly expressed with his body. That’s just how he was. He reached for Dave, to give him a hug, or squeeze his shoulder, or something.

“Get out.” Dave shook his head and moved away from Nick’s touch. His whole life was narrowing down to one pivotal night, and one very bad decision. He didn’t want to talk, he wanted to scream.

“Yeah.” Nick nodded and headed for the door.