Bad Day (Mötley Crüe)

Dark Days

Tommy gently knocked on Nikki's bedroom door. He hadn't seen Nikki since they went out to dinner, three days ago.

"Nikki?" He called through the door. He slowly opened it, making it creak quietly. "Nikki?" He called again.

"Go away..." Nikki rasped out, his voice being no louder than a whisper.

"Oh, uhm... okay, I will come back later" Tommy said. He closed the door behind him and spun around, to be met by Vince. "Ahh, Vinnie, don't scare me"

"What's goin on? You okay?" Vince asked.

"I am, but I do not think Nikki is, have not seen him since dinner that night" Tommy said. "I mean, I just saw him, he is in there" he said, gesturing to Nikki's bedroom. "But he has not come out of it since then"

Ever since Tommy and Vince asked Nikki and Mick to move into another, bigger, apartment with them, they've been held up in their rooms more often than usual, looking for places to hide, and still skittish as ever.

"Is Mick home?" Vince asked.

"I... do not know. Have not seen him either" Tommy said. He looked at Nikki's door sadly.

"S'okay man, I'll see if I can find out anything" Vince said.

Tommy nodded sadly and went across the apartment into his room.

Vince walked up to Mick's door and gently knocked on it. He heard a small muttered 'come in'. He gently pushed the door open to see Mick sat up at the head of his bed with a book in his lap.

"Am I bothering you?" Vince asked quietly.

"Course not," Mick said, putting his book down. "C'm'ere" he patted the space next to him"

Vince closed the door and joined Mick on the bed, curling up into his open arms. He smiled when Mick kissed him on the head.

"How ya doin?" Mick asked.

"I'm okay... Tommy's upset though..." Vince said. "He went to talk to Nikki cuz apparently he hasn't left his room in a few days... he's worried about him" he said quietly.

"I'll check on him soon, I don't think he meant to make Tommy upset, where's Tommy now?" Mick asked. He rubbed Vince's back gently.

"In his room I think" Vince said.

"Do you think he'll let me talk to him?" Mick asked.

"Course, he likes you" Vince said. He sat up a little. "He thinks you're a little weird" he giggled, tapping Mick on the nose. "But he likes you anyways"

"Good" Mick said. He bumped his nose against Vince's, prompting a kiss. "Lemme go talk to him, you can stay here if you want" he ruffled Vince's hair.

"Mmmk, I'll stay here" Vince said, a dopey smile on his face as he nestled further into Mick's blankets, closing his eyes.

Mick smiled and caressed Vince's face before getting off the bed. He carefully and quietly slipped out of his room, and wandered over to Tommy's. He quietly knocked on the door.

"Come in, Vinny" Tommy muttered from the other side of the door.

"It's not Vince, uhm, it's Mick" he said, opening the door carefully.

"Oh Mickey! Come in!" Tommy said.

Normally, Mick would've hated someone calling him that. But he'll let Tommy get away with it.

"Hey bud... Vince said you were a little upset, what's goin on?" Mick said. He sat down next to Tommy.

"I am just... worried, about Nikki, you know? I knocked on his door, but he told me to go away" Tommy said sadly. "Is he okay?"

"He's not mad at you, he's just... in a dark place" Mick said quietly. "He told me about your guys' dinner, he said it was really nice"

"It was very nice. I want to invite him out to dinner again, I... like him a lot, I want him to feel... uhm, starts with an A? Appre...hensive?" Tommy looked at Mick.

"Appreciated?"

"I dunno" Tommy laughed. "I do not know what I am saying most of the time"

"Appreciated is to like... make them feel wanted and important" Mick said.

"Ah yes! That is the word then. What was the other word?" Tommy asked curiously.

"Apprehensive? Uhm... anxious about something, like you're unsure about what will happen" Mick said.

"Oooh. See, you are very smart" Tommy said confidently. "Vinny and me, not so much" he chuckled. "Like have you seen the way Vinny holds these?" He asked. He picked up a nearby pen and held it in a fist. "Like this, and I do not know why, and he does not like the red ones" he giggled. "He said it's from school people writing... letters? On paper? I do not get it, but maybe he can tell you. But uhm... yeah, I want Nikki to feel appreciated"

"I'll talk to him, I promise, he doesn't mean to make you upset. He's not used to someone else caring about him... it's always been the two of us since we met." Mick said honestly.

"How did you meet?" Tommy asked.

Mick thought for a moment.

"I left home one day, after my ex-wife hit me" Mick said.

"You we're married?" Tommy asked. Mick didn't mind the questions. Tommy was a curious boy.

"Mhm, for six months. I took off my ring, left the house, and didn't want to go back. I didn't have anywhere to go, so I kept walking until I found an alleyway." Mick said. He looked over at Tommy.

"Alleyway?" Tommy cocked his head to the side.

"It's like a... small road or path between two buildings" Mick explained.

"Oh! So like behind here?" Tommy questioned. He gestured out his window that was to the back of the apartments.

"Just like that. The alley I walked down, I figured I could sleep there. I found Nikki under some newspapers, shaking because he was so cold. I couldn't just... leave him there like that" Mick said. "So I took my jacket off and laid it over him. He was just a kid, y'know? Fourteen" he looked down at his hands. "I brought him something hot to drink and he thought it was poisoned. Took a while for him to trust me, but as soon as he did, we've never been apart" he said.

"So... do you think if take my time like you did, he will trust me more?" Tommy asked.

"For sure. He likes you too, but I'll talk to him. You're a good kid, Tom, real good"

"Really?" Tommy asked, a sweet glimmer in his eyes.

"Course, kiddo, I think you and Nikki complete each other too" Mick said.