nickngreg | April challenge, chapter two (Reply)

"Contemplating Eternity"
Rating: PG
Summary: Nick returns to his family home and faces some painful truths about his life with Greg

Chapter Two: “Abandon Ship”

As much as Nick searched for them, the answers proved hard to find. He did, however find more questions. Why hadn’t Greg suggested moving in together? Why didn’t he seem interested in coming to Texas with Nick? Did Greg love him as much as he claimed too? Was Nick in love with Greg, or was it just the undeniable physical attraction that kept them together? So many questions. He dreaded the conversations he would have to have with Greg when he returned. He didn’t know how to even broach the subject with him.

With the new day came more relatives, and more questions about Greg. Nick knew he’d blow up at the next person who asked where Greg was, so he went in search of a quiet part of the house to hole up. With that many Stokes’ in one place, privacy was at a premium, but his father’s study was an oasis of calm. Nick closed the door on the clamor beyond and sighed. Finally, a place to marshal his thoughts.

“Running away already?” Nick jumped. His hopes for privacy dashed, Nick manfully faced his most dreaded foe. “You hid first, Auntie.” Tit for tat.

Surprisingly, that drew a chuckle from the old biddy. “So I did. So I did.” She reached for the lamp switch, pushing back the darkness where she sat. “Too many rambunctious children. In my day, we’d be whipped for less.” She seemed disappointed in the change. “Given any more thought to our discussion from yesterday?” Like he’d done any thing else at all.

“Not really.” Maybe he was getting better at lying. Greg would be able to tell, but then Greg wasn’t here. “Things have been a little busy.”

“You are a terrible liar. Better stay away from the poker tables, boy. You’ll lose your shirt.” She seemed highly amused. Nick was less so.

“So they tell me.” Safety probably lie with sticking to the short, truthful answers he’d tried for yesterday. “I’m going to find a quiet place to take a nap.” Nick turned to go.

“Haven’t you at least wondered why he won’t move in with you?” The old ladies words stopped Nick in his tracks. The pause betrayed his misgivings on that very subject. “I don’t know the boy, and I could tell you why. Not that you’d listen. Take after your mother that way. Stubborn.” She sniffed. “I warned William, told him not to be sniffing around the Smith girls. Uppity, yes I said uppity. You can just turn that growl off, Nicholas Stokes,” she sniffed again, at once both formal and crude. “I know what I’m saying. You’d do well to listen.”

“I’m pretty sure I could do without your advice, Aunt Tassie. You’ve insulted mom, and assumed to know Greg when you’ve never even met him. I think I’ll make due on my own.” Nick was sorry now he hadn’t just left as soon as he’d found the room occupied.

“Your mother and I have made our peace long before you were a gleam in your daddy’s eye. I give her my best advice and she ignores it.” She found that statement extremely funny, her rusty laugh something of a surprise to Nick. “You can ignore my advice, too if you choose. But you’ll get it either way.” She patted the sofa next to her. “Humor an old lady, Nicholas. Sit yourself down.” She patted the seat again.

Good manners won out over the desire to escape. Nick crossed over to sit down next to his aunt. “I don’t bite, boy. Don’t act as though you were on your way to your execution!” The seldom-used laugh made a brief reappearance. “You want to know why he’s holding back or not?”

“Not really.” Nick was pretty sure that wouldn’t stop her. He was right.

“Good.” She straightened her skirts with a twitch of a hand. “Nothing there is his.”

“That’s it?” Nick was incredulous. “That’s your big revelation? Of course none of it is his! He keeps his stuff at his place!” Honestly, was she finally succumbing to the effects of time? “I could have figured that one out on my own.” Nick started to rise.

“Sit yourself down,” she snapped at him. “You young people have not a wit of patience in you! Hear me out before you decide I’m demented!” Wow, did she read minds? Nick settled back onto the cushion.

“You hear, but you don’t listen,” she heaved a put-upon sigh. “You keep to yourself. You’re private, you don’t share yourself with others. Not even him.” She looked carefully at Nick, judging whether her words were sinking in. “He asks you, doesn’t he? What’s wrong? What’s going on? Are you angry? So many times you get angry.” She softened her tone, seeing Nick beginning to really pay attention. “How warm am I?” Too damn warm.

“There may be some truth in that. But that doesn’t explain why he won’t move in.” The triumphant look Tassie gave him made his stomach lurch.

“So he won’t, won’t he? Knew it!” Damn, damn. “Yes, well you’re a genius. I’m sure you and that information will be very happy.” Again, Nick started to rise.

“Oh, don’t get your panties in a bunch!” She patted his arm, an apology of sorts. “He doesn’t think you want him too. That should be clear to you. Not as smart as you think you are. That’s a problem with young ones today. Full of themselves.”

“Of course I want him there. That’s ridiculous.” Greg knew that. Crazy old lady, why was he even sitting here? Her next words chilled him to the core.

“You really are a bad liar.” She sounded sad, all the triumph drained away. “You don’t want him there. Your precious privacy is far too important. You want, maybe even need, to keep him at a distance.” She reached over to awkwardly pat him again. “You’ll end up driving him away. You’ll tell your self that it’s just as well. And you’ll break his heart, and then your own.” She plucked an embroidered handkerchief from her sleeve. “Save yourself the pain, boy. Just break up with him now, and find yourself a nice compliant girl to give you a few babies while your young enough to enjoy them.”