Char&Nicky

Nothing bad ever happens in this town

TW: violence & SA
If you are uncomfortable with this kind of content, skip to the next chapter. It's not detailed, but you should still take care <3
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Charlie's POV:

What. The hell. Was that? Did Nick just try to... kiss me? Nononono. Hell no. I must be delusional again. He probably needed something to lean on. He did say he was more sober than me, but it's not like that's hard.
Then again, it felt so real. For a brief moment I felt like he really did want to kiss me. It's like he hesitates to do so for some reason.

But who knows, it's probably just my foolish heart beating on the last drum of hope. It doesn't even realise that it hurts me more than it keeps me happy.
The only thing I know for certain is that I needed to get away before my hopes got too high, or before I did something stupid that I would regret. Like ruining my friendship with Nick. That's why I'm on my way to a kitchen the size of my whole house. I needed an excuse, give me a break! I decided to buy myself more time to process what had just happened by wandering around the house. I soon realized what an awful idea it was. All I could see are marble walls and dark floors with ceiling reaching out to the sky. So many rooms full of a bunch of drunk teenagers. Nick and I are some of them, I should probably get back to him. While looking at the columns made of marble (what else would they be made of) I think about what my future home will look like... My lulled image of a warm home with a lot of natural light was interrupted by a sharp pull on my elbow. I was consumed by darkness and a faint smell of cigarettes. Wall that was pressing against my back is the only thing that assured me I wasn't dead. A cold sudden breath caresses my cheek: "Hey Charlie."

My bones turn to ice. Beneath his breath I am frozen. How did he, of all people, find me? Alcohol and headache blurred my vision and my common sense. He's never seen me like this, disoriented and barely standing on my two feet. In my attempt to look as sober as possible, I stand up straight: "Ben."

"What, after all this time I don't get a 'Hello'?"

His hissing became slower and closer with each word. I refuse to fumble.

"You don't deserve one after what you did."

"Oh, Charlie, don't be so harsh", his hand slid trough my hair, "I thought we had something special."

I move my head to the side to get his hand and poison out of it: "Nothing special about you assaulting me."

Ben takes a step back, shook by my words. My vision might be blurry, but I know every state of him by heart, which is now racing with anticipation.

"Is that what you call it? Assault?", his eyes darkened, one step followed by a hand pressed against the wall framing my head. I look to the side, pressure of his gaze is too much for me to handle.

Slowly, very slowly his whispers inject in my veins: "How pathetic."

Slight shaking takes over my body. As if racing of my heart and closeness of his body over mine isn't already too much, Ben makes his way with his cold fingers trough my hair and down my waist. I use my palms to separate us, but it seems like that makes it hotter for him so he grabs my ass and pulls me in.

What he doesn't know is how impulsive I get when I'm drunk.

I push him off me with all the strength I have in my upper body. Like an earthquake, my voice shakes in it's strength: "FUCK OFF, BEN!"

He stands there, his gaze wide, panting. I look at him relentlessly as if threatening to kill him if he dares to come any closer. The tension is so delicate, one word could tear it apart. Few moments pass between us when he readjusts himself, vicious half-smile spreading across his face. His gaze turns psychotic, his voice becomes manic: "You really like to make this hard for me, don't you?"

In a blink of a second he comes after me. Hard pressure of his hand sends a sting of pain trough my wrist.

When I thought everything was over, something flashes before me, removing Ben out of sight.

Alcohol and anticipation blurred my judgement. In a few moments, I saw what it was. Heavy breathing, strong back, pure power and a sight of light, Nick stands between Ben and I.

"You just don't give up, do you?", Nick breathes flames.

"I guess not", Ben says, amused more than ever.

"Then let me make it harder for you", Nick takes dangerous steps towards Ben, "if you touch him ever again, you'll have me to deal with, do you understand me?"

"Like dealing with you will be a problem."

"You'll have a problem all right."

"Well, I don't see any", Ben smirks, "and I've already touched your little pet. Now, spare his feelings and leave him to me, okay Blondie?"

I've never seen Nick in this state. I don't know if it's the alcohol or something else, but pure danger starts draping his voice: "You say another word..."

"Oh, don't worry", Ben widens his gaze and smiles provokingly in Nick's face, "I didn't do anything too bad."

Nick's breath stops, his attention switches back to me, not breaking eye contact with Ben: "Charlie, what did he do to you?"

Panic rises in my chest, not sure if I should tell him what happened. Not only is Ben's gaze pressuring but I'm also scared of what Nick might do next.

"Go ahead Charlie", Ben squints, "feel free to tell him exactly what I did."

Panic flips my gaze between Nick and Ben, not sure what to do next. The same thing that paralizes me lets words slip my mouth: "He... grabbed my ass..."

Nick smiles, his gaze suspiciously calm. He didn't do anything, just stood there smiling calmly. Too calmly. Part of me was glad, until Ben opened his mouth:

"See, I knew you couldn-"

Sharp punch threw Ben on the ground, leaving him to hold his jaw in place. He turned his petrified gaze up at the man towering him. What I thought was enough didn't seem to satisfy Nick. He threw himself on Ben and punched until I couldn't hear Ben's snake pleads anymore. That's when I intervened. I ran to Nick and pulled him by his shoulders in order to get him off Ben. After some struggle I managed to get him up, but he continued to try to strike him. I press my hands on his chest to keep him away from doing something he'll later regret. I try to calm him down, but it's like he has tunnel vision. His eyes are filled with rage and muscles pulsate with danger and all of his focus is on hurting Ben, ignoring all possible consequences this might have. His breath is heavy but even in his blind rage, he responds to my pleads: "NICK!"

He then darts his gaze towards me and as he does so, his gaze softens. In his eyes I can se him starting to remember who he is and who he's doing this for. He backs up, takes a few deep breaths and calms down. Truly this time. By the look in Ben's eyes, it seems like he won't have to deal with him anymore.

Nick's eyes turn to those of a scared lamb. With each word sliced trough with a guilty breath, his voice softens as if he'll break me: "Charlie, I-"

No words can suffice what I feel right now. I throw myself in his arms and we stand there engulfing in comfort of our touch. A hug is worth a thousand words, and when I was left with none, it's what felt the most right to do.

"Nick, we really need to get out of here", I backed away from his arms already missing him.

"Yeah... yeah you're right", Nick looks to the ground a bit disoriented, "What about him?"

I look over to see Ben curled up into a ball. Even when he's on the ground he manages to be an ass.

"You know who my friends are", he coughs up in pain, " By the end of the night you'll be in a worse state than I am now."

He may be bluffing but I wouldn't call it, and it seems Nick wouldn't either:

"Charlie."

"Yes?"

"Run. Now."