A brief history through the eyes of Nicholas Hemmick…

      – Eric. Hey, don't go… – the swarthy brown–haired man pulls, looking at his boyfriend with puppy eyes.       – I'm sorry, darling, but I have to go to work. I promise, I won't stay longer than necessary, – the blonde gently calms his lover, carefully lifting him from the floor, on which he was sprawled trying to cling to the other's pant leg.       – You said the same thing yesterday, – the brown–eyed man pulls resentfully, shaking his soft curls.       – I'm sorry, Nicky , but then I really couldn't do anything but stay… – Eric apologizes and sits his partner on the sofa. – Everything will be fine. I'll see you tonight, – he promises, waving his hand at the last…       – I'm so glad that I'm here with you now… – Nicky  smiles softly and a little sadly, while his smile slowly fades…       Very soon his time here will end, and he will have to return to his parents… He doesn't want to go to that stuffy, pretentiously cozy house, which feels like a cage… And he's a bird in it…       ***       He smiles at his lover, who accompanies him to the plane…       As soon as he is in his seat, a heavy lump squeezes his throat, and his eyes fill with tears… He looks at the phone screen, taking the last warm message from his beloved…       "I will wait for your call. I love you, Eric."       Nicky sobs with anguish that squeezes his heart… He's already pining madly…       ***       Of course his parents found out about Eric and their relationship…       A whole month in a strict Christian camp, where there is nothing else besides prayers and occupational therapy…       He's just devastated by the loneliness he's experiencing there… It's lucky that no one really notices him… Getting extra hours of work as a punishment for habitual talkativeness and soft laughter is already very unpleasant…       When he finally gets his phone back, there are dozens of messages from Eric on it… Every day at least one…       2.06 "I hope you're doing well. Be careful in this camp, okay? Love, Eric."       3.06 "How's your day? Everything was surprisingly quiet for me… I love you, Eric."       4.06 "You're not looking for trouble, are you? I know it's hard for you, but be patient a little… I'm sorry to write such words, but I'm very restless… I love you, Eric."       5.06 "Are you eating well? Don't starve, okay? I love you, Eric."       6.06 "Don't you get tired? I had a hard day today, barely managed to send a message on time… love, Eric."       7.06 "I will continue the past. There were so many problems that I don't even know where to start… … Although, the most important thing is that Mom is fine, she was just scared to death. I love you, Eric."       8.06 " Today, on the contrary, it's kind of quiet… The only thing that comes to mind is a sandwich that was taken away from me for lunch… You're getting enough sleep, aren't you? Take care of yourself. I love you, Eric."       9.06 "How are you, my joy? I wish I could get a single word from you… I miss you, I love you, Eric. "       10.06 "You probably haven't heard yet, but the brand that you liked so much has released a new line. I even managed to buy something, but it's a secret. I'll give it to you when we meet, so wait. I love you, Eric."       11.06 "I'm sorry, I'm really tired. Love, Eric."       12.06 "Love, Eric."       13.06 "Love, Eric."       14.06 "Sorry, several shifts in a row. I barely reached the bed, and my head didn't work at all. I just came to my senses a little. Are you all right? Did anything bad happen? In fact, I was worried about you yesterday… I love you, Eric."       15.06 "How's your day? Mom said I should learn housework, so now I'm going to cook all the breakfasts… I hope I won't burn anything… are you a good cook? I've never tasted your cooking… I love it, Eric."       16.06 "Fish in wine is on the menu today. I don't know why Mom suddenly decided to make me cook for such a complicated recipe, but it didn't turn out so bad. At least no one spat… I love you, Eric."       17.06 "I burned an omelet… I just boasted about a complicated recipe and managed to forget about the frying pan on the fire… Now my father is swearing at the smell of smoke, and my mother is laughing, repeating something about pancakes. I don't think I understand what she's talking about… Maybe you know? I love you, Eric."       18.06 "I'm so worried about you… Please don't run into punishments and don't listen to other people's evil words. They're not worth you. I love you, Eric."       19.06 "Are you already asleep? It's pretty late, but your time is different, so it must be six o'clock now… I'm already falling asleep on the move, but it was worth it. The boss promised a promotion. Love, Eric."       20.06 "Love, Eric."       21.06 "Love, Eric."       22.06 "Sorry, overtime again. But the promotion is definitely mine. And they even promised a bonus… I miss you so much… You remember me sometimes, don't you? Love, Eric."       23.06 "Parents advised to think about our own house… You wouldn't mind living together, would you? I've already started looking at different options, but so far the nicest thing is an old country house in the wilderness, and the most convenient is an apartment on the outskirts… But I will not rush and will save up for now. Maybe there will be better options. I love you, Eric."       24.06 "Aren't you freezing? I dreamed today that you were just icy in my hands. I know it's stupid, but it was almost a nightmare. It seems like it should be warm there now, but I'm still worried… I love you, Eric."       25.06 "Take care of yourself, my joy… I love you, Eric."       26.06 "Quite a bit, right? You won't have to stay there any longer, will you? I know how bright and kind you are and I can't bear to realize that you are trapped in such a place. Isn't it at least not as bad as they scare in all the TV shows? I love you, Eric."       27.06 "You're fine, right? Did anything bad happen? Did you get sick or hurt yourself? God, I'm so worried that I just can't wait for the end of this month. I love you, Eric."       28.06 "A new recipe in the collection. Now I am quite capable of properly preparing a hearty soup. I'll have to practice a little more. But I am sure that I will succeed. Are you eating well? You're not starving, are you? I love you, Eric."       29.06 "Today I managed to stumble out of the blue… I always believed it was your privilege, but it seems to be contagious… You infected me, my dear. I love you, Eric."       30.06 "I miss you so much… Please call me as soon as you have the opportunity. I promise I'll take it even if it's a night or a job. It's so unbearable without you… I love you, Eric."       1.07 "I love you, Eric."       Tears come to his eyes… He was also madly yearning, but first he needs to go back to his parents' house and go for a walk somewhere far away… Preferably even from the city…       ***       His heart bursting with longing, but… He can't leave his two cousins alone. He has already seen how his father treats Andrew, and he simply will not be able to sleep peacefully if he does not help them…       – I understand, – Eric whispers affectionately into the phone, calming the brown–haired man crying from the continuation of separation. – I promise, everything will be fine. You can handle it. If you need anything, contact me, okay? Maybe I can help with something…       This makes the tears stifle only more…       When he comes out of the toilet with a wide though sad smile. Aaron's cruel words that despises him and his love painfully strike at his heart…       It's okay… Aunt Tilda just brought him up like that… He doesn't really hate Nicky…       The brown-haired man just smiles broadly, teasing his cousin, who rudely responds to all his teasing…       It hurts so much…       ***       He sees in them no less pain that he feels himself… Although he is ashamed to compare his problems with what they were doomed to… He always lived in warmth and prosperity, knowing no worries except the coldness of his parents… It will never compare to the life of twins, but he still continues to be sad…       Without Eric, the world seems to lose its colors, coming to life only when they can still talk a little… It's cheaper to forward messages, but it's still not free, so Nicky hastily gets a job at Paradise Twilight in the summer, hardly hiding his work from his parents. Fortunately, though, he managed to negotiate a cheap lease of an old house to Columbia, very close to the club… The twins still stayed with him, although it was not easy to get custody of them… A little later, they also get a job at the club, getting the opportunity to go inside despite the unsuitable age. They certainly don't drink too much, but sometimes they just need to relax…       He does not want to remember Aaron's drug addiction, still shuddering in horror from his screams in those days when Andrew locked him in the toilet, brutally forcing him to quit…       ***       He definitely likes studying at Palmetto. It's noisy and quiet at the same time. He was lucky that he managed to pass the entrance exams the first time…       He even started playing, hoping to get a sports scholarship… He didn't like Exy too much, but he was much worse at football… As a defender, at least he didn't have to constantly rush all over the field, although it was not easy…       It's good that he succeeded…       Another summer away from Eric was a real torment, but he just couldn't leave his cousins alone…       Not after Andrew landed in the dock because of him and had to take those disgusting pills…       ***       In the new school year, the twins easily enter Palmetto and get places in the team. He had heard something about Andrew and the Ravens, but he just said not to pay attention to it, and Nicky  did not dare to contradict…       Sometimes, he was a little jealous of Andrew that he was on the gate, but Aaron also became a defender, and this gave him a feeling of warmth…       ***       – Sunny, I miss you so much… – Nicky pulls wistfully, rubbing his cheek on the phone. So stupid, but he just can't help himself. He really wants to be near his beloved…       Don't listen to the venomous chuckles of Seth and his henchmen. Do not look away shyly, trying to pretend to be happy and carefree… Not to swallow tears at night, desperately not wanting to disturb the already poorly sleeping cousins…       Sometimes he thinks Eric will leave him too… They haven't seen each other for over a year… He is always working, and Nicky  is spinning like a squirrel in a wheel, trying to take care of his cousins, not to quarrel once again with his parents and at the same time provide them with at least a relatively normal life…       Then he is so pleased to look at the columns of messages that his lover sends every day … And this is the same: "Love you, Eric"… He also writes, but his own long messages seem awkward and unnecessary to anyone… Although his lover always reads them and answers all questions…       ***       The sudden addition of the famous Kevin Day to the team does not seem so terrible, but new training turns into hell… There is almost no strength left to study, and he still requires more…       The new guy in the team, Neil Josten, really liked by Nicky . He would really like to be friends with him. But the guy, as if deliberately hiding his beauty, stubbornly pushes away all the comic tackles and taunts of brown-haired…       A trip to Colombia becomes a breath of fresh air, and after drinking too much, Nicky sticks to Neil, kissing him on the dance floor… He then feels incredibly ashamed, but he can't come up and apologize in any way… And it also turned out that Andrew had deceived him, and Neil had to hitchhike to Palmetto…       He wants to be mad at his cousin, but… Andrew is his family… And Nicky  will never be able to betray any of them…       It's unpleasant to admit, but he's a little jealous that Neil eventually manages to find an approach to Andrew…       ***       Game by game, slowly moving higher and higher in the table…                 Now Foxes are feared… Seth's death hits everyone, but he can't help but admit that it's even better in the end… He supplicates his thoughts in front of a tiny icon from his backpack, ashamed that he is more glad than upset…       And again a crazy cycle of events…       He doesn't want to remember about winter and those events at all…       ***       The attempt to reconcile with the parents again turns into a disaster. Nicky  is in a panic from what he has learned and that he has become to some extent the cause of the pain of his precious cousins… Hysteria covers the wave, threatening to completely drown under it, but he is silent and smiles brightly, continuing awkward jokes that no one needs…       The longing for Eric becomes even stronger, and he just can't wait for the summer, when he promised himself at least for a short time to go to his beloved…       ***       The last game with the Ravens seems impossible, but the finale becomes deafening…       He celebrates with everyone. Laughing with everyone…       And then suddenly realizes that… He's free…       He really can just go to Eric's without worrying about cousins…       Aaron is going to study hard this summer, and Andrew and Neil are likely to spend all their time together… Kevin might also be nearby…       He just doesn't believe it when his cousins suddenly agree to take him to the airport, escorting him to the plane…       Does not perceive the smooth surface of the ocean, partially hidden under clouds…       As if in a trance, he picks up his luggage and goes to the meeting place…       – Nicholas! – a voice dear to his heart is heard, and he finally wakes up…       – Eric… – Nicky almost whispers, while his boyfriend gently hugs and briefly kisses him on the cheek, leading him away…       They get in the car and drive home… Eric bought a small cozy apartment on the outskirts of the city… It's so beautiful and peaceful here… So quiet…       As soon as he is seated at the table with a warm mug of tea, tears break through this strange stupor…       – Eric… Oh, my God, Eric… – the brown-haired man can only utter, burying his face in the firm reliable shoulder of his beloved…       He is almost hysterical, although he is still ashamed of this breakdown… Eric has experienced no less…       – I love you so much… – Nicholas Hemmick admits quite sincerely, snuggling up to Eric's strong, trained body, that he deliberately tried to keep in shape, saying that he simply could not give in to Nicky, that was almost professionally engaged in exi…       – I love you too, my joy… – is heard in response, and Nicky smiles through the newly emerging tears…       He's such a crybaby…