Dreaming of This

Dreaming of This

Chapter One

Rating: M

Warnings: slash and angst

Notes: This was originally based off a role-play between a friend and I. Now it’s in the running for some (a lot of) editing before I post any more. (Sorry it’s so horrid right now.)

oXoXOxoxOXoXo

-- Kyle

Kyle rummaged through his room, pulling out seemingly random items: necessities actually. He had finally had enough and now he was leaving. He couldn’t stand it anymore.

People treating him differently just because he had more money than them, not because he acted different.

His son-of-a-bitch father, who couldn’t care less about him.

Stupid girls who dated him just because he had money.

He was sick of it all.

And so he was running away.

Sure he was eighteen so he was a legal adult, but his parents would still have something to say about this. Especially since he had just graduated from high school and didn’t yet have enough education to take over the family business.

He kicked his bed and let out a yell.

To hell with the family business!

When Kyle was small, he had had a best friend: Zac. He had been everything to Kyle: helped Kyle solve all of his problems. He was going to grow up to be a children’s counselor and save the world from whatever ruin it would eventually bring upon itself. Then one day, he had just disappeared. His parents said that it was a freak accident. Kyle’s parents wouldn’t let him go to the funeral.

He still remembered the last thing that they had done together. They were out in the woods playing cowboys and Indians, when Kyle fell when chasing after the older boy. He had lain there, holding back tears, when Zac came back and took him into his arms and carried him back to the house.

Ever since that day, Kyle hadn’t been close to anyone. He had a couple of girlfriends over the years but they had all ended the same.

Occasionally, Kyle couldn’t help but wonder how his life would have turned out if Zac were still alive.

One thing was for certain: Kyle wouldn’t be in this situation right now.

He had just broken up with his most recent girlfriend that morning. Their relationship, like all the others, had been nothing special.

But it had been the final straw. It wasn’t her fault that he was leaving now, but it had just been the thing that had sent him over the edge.

Kyle finished packing the last few things into his suitcase and dragged it down the stairs of the empty mansion to go out to the car with the rest of his belongings. He then went back into the house, into his father’s study, where he opened the case that contained a large portion of his father’s money. His father was so stupid, just leaving the money there. Then again, no one thought that their perfect son would be stealing money from them.

The money coupled with his savings account would last his awhile, but it was inevitable that he get a job. He sighed and quickly scribbled out a note to his mother, not leaving any details. Indeed, he didn’t even know where he was going.

He was just going to let the wind lead him.

With one last sigh he locked the house and went to his car. He left without looking back.

--

The wind blew him to a town about 700 miles from his old house.

It was mid-morning, so, being the almost-insomniac that he was, he decided to go out in search of a job. After wandering the streets for awhile, Kyle found a quaint-looking grocery store that had a ‘Help Wanted’ sign in the window.

As he walked into the store, a bell rang above his head and a cashier looked over at him, asking if there was anything that he could help him with.

“Yes,” Kyle said. “I was wondering if I could speak to the manager. I saw that you were looking for help.”

The boy smiled. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

A few minutes later a kind, but burly old man came out. “So you want a job here?” he asked. Kyle nodded. “Well, you’re in luck. In fact, we are so desperate for help right now, you could start in as soon as two days.”

The boy smiled. “Thank you so much! Um… do I need to fill out an application or anything?”

The man laughed. “Yeah. You just need to fill out a couple of papers. Nothing big. Oh, what was your name?”

“Um… It’s Kyle Johnson.”

“Nice to meet you.” Kyle thanked the man, filled out the application, and walked out of the store, relieved that he was able to find a job on his first day here.

The boy spent the rest of the day meandering about the city looking for an apartment, but to no avail. It seemed as though either there was nothing available or it was way out of even his price range.

Finally, just as the sun was setting, he found an apartment that was a definite possibility. He went inside and knocked on the landlady’s door.

“Hi,” he smiled when she opened the door. “Um… I saw that you had an apartment for rent?”

The lady behind the door frowned but motioned for him to come in. “What’s your name, son?”

“Kyle.”

“Well, Kyle,” she said as she put a hand on his shoulder, “I just gave out that apartment not ten minutes ago.”

Kyle just nodded, crestfallen, and turned to leave.

“But,” he heard her say, “maybe we could work something out. He’s young. Like you.”

And so they sat down and, without even talking to the other boy, decided that he would move into the apartment the next day. Yet again, he had to fill out some papers. It was just one of those kind of days.

Kyle drove his car to a nearby hotel and checked in. He couldn’t sleep that night. The thought of moving in with someone that he had never met before scared him somewhat. Finally, he slipped into a restless sleep.

He woke up the next morning with the sun shining brightly in his eyes. Moaning, he knew that he should get up, but he was just so damn tired. He pulled the comforter over his head, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, so he got up and showered.

Just as he was checking out of the hotel, it started to rain. He couldn’t decide if that was a good omen or a bad omen.

-- Nik

“Hey Nik,” said a girl from behind the counter at the café where he worked. “Do you want to go out sometime?”

He smiled at her, “maybe, okay?”

She nodded and went back to washing off the counter. He felt an elbow poking into his arm. “I heard that you were moving into a new apartment, today.” It was his friend, Zac.

“Yeah, that’s right. I’m excited.”

“Well, I hope it’s okay.”

Nik waved to everyone as he finally got away from work. As he stepped outside the door, he noticed that rain had begun to fall. Smiling, he stepped out into it, letting it drench him, washing everything away: including his doubts about living by himself in an apartment.

He started spinning and dancing in tiny circles and looking up to the sky.

Nik loved the rain more than anything: it reminded him of his mom. Warm kisses on his cheek when he was small and afraid. Close hugs when he cried.

The boy laughed as he remembered this. He smiled and spun around again, shrugging off his trip down memory lane.

He finally arrived at the address of his new apartment. His suitcases and everything else that he owned waited inside his grungy, ancient car.

He strolled up to the front of the apartment complex and a pretty, middle-aged lady greeted him. Her face brightened when she saw him up close. “You’re soaked.”

He smiled. “Obviously.”

“Come in,” she motioned. Once Nik was safely inside, she said, “My name’s Anne. I’m the landlady that you talked to over the phone and I am assuming that you must be Nik.”

“Yeah, I’m Nik. It’s okay if I start moving my things in, right?”

She frowned. “Yeah… about that…”

Nik’s face fell. “Damn it.”

Anne looked a little taken aback. “You aren’t getting kicked out, Nik. Mind your language.”

“Then what is it?”

“You have a roommate.”

“A roommate!?” he yelled and punched his hands into the air. “What the FUCK?!”

“Good Lord, Nik. The boy needed a place to stay and all the other apartments in town were unavailable. Quit acting like a two-year-old. And plus, you are the one that checked off that you would be willing to have a roommate.”

"I did?" He vaguely remembered checking off some boxes without actually reading them. Never do that again, Nik.

“How long?” he pouted.

“Who knows.”

“Can I have my key now?”

Nik grumbled, as he usually did when he was pissed, and dragged his biggest suitcase up the stairs to his second story apartment.

Which he now shared.

Against his will.

So it was like forced sharing.

Damn it.

He stood before the door (the door so his doom, his mind thought) and turned the knob, entering what would soon be hell.

It was nice: a big room, with a large window in the left corner facing the alley, a nice kitchen, and a huge TV with a sofa.

It also had one bed.

As his eyes were taking in the room, they stopped there.

One bed.

Fuck. He would have to deal with that later.

He took a step further into the room and sighed. It seemed as though the other guy wasn’t there. Good. He could vent in privacy. Nik sat down on the corner of the bed and ran a hand through his wispy brunette locks. Had his hair been its natural color, it would have been blonde, but he had dyed it brown, because he obviously liked brown more. And he hated the stereotypes that came with being a blonde. His eyes were the color of those old Coke bottles that are so hard to get your hands on in this day in age, almost clear. He wore a grey shirt with a fading star on the back. His pants were ripped at the knees (faded from time, not for fashion). He had a thin silver necklace on, a keepsake from his departed mother, and he had just removed his obviously overused black and ancient Vans.

“It’s not fair,” he grumbled and punched the bed beside him. He was usually a chipper guy -bouncy and friendly- but he didn’t like being stuck in a situation that he had no say in. It made him uncomfortable.

And this guy: what was he like?

Just then he heard the sound of the door opening. His eyes shot up, the look of thought drifting away and being replaced with irritation. He squinted at the intruder. Who was this guy to think that he could just waltz in here and break up his pity part?!

-- Kyle

As Kyle walked in the door, he felt his heart skip a beat. The boy sitting in front of him was beautiful. It was almost scary.

Then the boy said, “Glad to see you have no manners. Ever hear of knocking.”

Wait, Nik’s mind stopped for a second.

Roommate.

His eyes quickly darted over the defined figure: the raven hair and a blue shirt that fit his small, pretty body perfectly. But what caught Nik the most was his eyes. Those piercing blue eyes that at first seemed to fiery and angry seemed to lighten and soften a bit. So much so that Nik wondered if he had just imagined that burning gaze.

“Now,” said Kyle in a playful voice, “is that any way to greet your new roommate?”

Nik crossed his arms and sighed, exasperated. “Sorry,” he mumbled and stood, offering his hand to his new roommate. Cell mate is more like it, he thought. “The name’s Nikolas Cage, Nik by my friends, which I guess is what you are going to have to be if we are going to survive each other. “ He tried a smile and added, “I’m nineteen. How about yourself? You’re not some weird old dude with some disease that makes you look young, are you?”

Kyle smiled and gratefully took Nik’s hand. He liked Nik’s voice. A lot. “Name’s Kyle, Kyle Johnson to be exact. Or if you want to be really specific, it’s Kyle James Johnson III.” He smirked as he made a fool of himself. “Just kidding. Call me Kyle.” He pulled his hand away. “I’m eighteen and as far as I know, that’s actually my age.”

--Nik

Nik couldn’t help but realize that Kyle was really adorable. And attractive: his face, his body… his personality. He was charming: charmingly adorable.

He chuckled and stuck his freed hand into his pocket, "Kyle hmm? Nice name," he glanced around and then it really hit him, everything, tiredness, hunger, unpacking, and freedom...and the fact there was only one bed and no food.

"So…" he looked at the bed, nervous, he had a feeling that was going to start some kinda problem. He couldn't tell it it was a bad feeling or not. All he knew was that he had a feeling about that bed.

His stomach growled, "Wanna go get some food?" he asked, the bed could wait, it was evening, he was hungry, and he felt friendly...the spunk was back!