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Author's Chapter Notes:
My condolences to anyone who are involved/knew someone who are affected by the VTech shooting. It's terrible that such a thing had to happen :(

thanks to mare and maria for the muse. Credits and disclaimers right after the fic, to avoid spoilers, lol. And this is unbetaed, as always, so forgive my mistakes.
“How about a story then

 

“How about a story then?”

 

Kevin had grown from being pushy to just trying his luck and it was beginning to aggravate on his nerves. It wasn’t like he didn’t appreciate the company, in fact he was glad he wasn’t alone, but maybe this was karma, maybe this was God’s will, slapping the hands of the joker in his face and said ‘ha, take that Nickolas! Take that’, whatever it was, it wasn’t good on his side of the court because now, right now, all he wanted was some peace and quiet, complete silence so he could rest his eyes and to not just feel, and Kevin wasn’t giving him any of that.

 

“I don’t want a fucking story Kev!”

 

“A song?”

 

“A…what the fuck Kevin,” he sighed, because that was all he could afford to muster right then; anything else might just kill him, like literally.

 

“Hey, I’m trying to help you out here okay?”

 

“Morphine sounds like a great help Kev, get me morphine and I’ll kiss the ground you walk on till I die.”

 

“You sound like a junkie.”

 

“I sound like a dying dude.”

 

“That’s what they call junkies.”

 

If Nick had the energy to roll his eyes, he would. “You’re not helping, at all.”

 

“I offered a story, and a song,” Kevin pointed out, as if that explained everything.

 

“That’s NOT helping Kevin, that’s just…fucking with my brains!”

 

“You’re such a drama queen.”

 

Nick decided not to respond to that. He figured it’d be best to reserve what energy he had left to buy him more time rather than arguing with Kevin, who was annoying and just unhelpful.

 

“Nick?”

 

But apparently Kevin had other ideas. Like, not shutting up for five minutes!

 

“Nicky? Still here?”

 

“Dude, where else would I be if not here?”

 

“Stay with me man.”

 

“I told you I’m not going anywhere,” Nick stressed. “Not like I can go anywhere, anyway.”

 

“Will you look at me?”

 

“I know I told you many times how handsome you are but Kev, seriously, that’s borderline creepy.”

 

“Just humour me Nicky,” Kevin pushed, ignoring Nick’s retorts and sarcasms.

 

“You know,” Nick replied as he blinked open his eyes and realised Kevin was nowhere to be found. “Kevin?”

 

“Right here bud.” Kevin’s voice lingered softly somewhere by his left. He turned his head a little and found the dark silhouette of Kevin, right by his side.

 

“How’s hanging in the dark doing for ya?” Nick muttered.

 

“Very well actually,” Kevin mused. “I’m not the one dying here.”

 

Nick managed what would have been a full-blown laughter if he weren’t too busy making sure he could breathe. “Have anyone ever tell you just how lovely your bedside manner is?”

 

“All the time Nicky.”

 

“You suck.”

 

“Aww, you love me.”

 

He snickered. “I do.”

 

There was silence that was beginning to chill his bones and it unnerved him, to feel this drowned and distant even though Kevin was there, just next to him. He decided silence was overrated after all, yet he couldn’t muster any strength to even clear his throat.

 

“How about that song?”

 

“How about help me out?”

 

“I am helping you out kiddo.”

 

“You want to sing Kevin,” Nick pointed out. “How’s that helping me out?”

 

“I’m keeping you awake,” Kevin reasoned, never leaving the dark. “It’s important that you stay awake.”

 

“They’re going to laugh at me.”

 

“Well,” Kevin sighed. “It does look pretty dumb from where I’m sitting.”

 

“But I followed orders dawg,” Nick reasoned. “I know I did the right thing here man.”

 

“I know Nicky,” Kevin said, and Nick didn’t have to see his face to know that Kevin was smiling. “You did the right thing. It’s just dumb luck you’re still stuck.”

 

“No surprises there. I’m quite the good friend of dumb lucks.”

 

“Well, if it makes you feel better, I doubt they’ll be laughing their heads off when they find you,” Kevin whispered; Nick almost didn’t hear him. “Maybe when things are all right again, they might though.”

 

“I won’t put it past them that that will happen.” Nick agreed. “You know Kev, next time, I’m going to bring a groundhog everywhere I go.”

 

“You’re going to bring a what where now?”

 

“A groundhog,” Nick repeated and hoped Kevin had heard him this time, because his tongue was getting heavy and talking was beginning to feel like a chore. “So it’ll tell me about the weather so I can be prepared so I don’t have to be stuck in my hotel room all by myself when an earthquake happens and so I don’t have to hide under the bed and then the roof collapsing on me and dropping on said bed and pinning me waist down on this fucking ground and now I can’t get up and I don’t know where the guys are and I’m really worried about them and it’s February Kev, it’s friggin’ cold and you’re right here and you want to sing!”

 

“Nick…Nicky, I don’t think I catch all that buddy,” Kevin said. He sounded cautious to Nick, which puzzled him to no end. “And I think and 8 ball would do the trick, groundhog’s stretching it a bit don’t you think?”

 

“Just tell me the friggin’ story Kev.”

 

“You don’t want me to sing?”

 

“I want a story.”

 

“Will you fall asleep on me?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Promise?”

 

“Cross my heart and hope to die.”

 

“You’re so not funny.”

 

“Just tell me the story.” Nick said as he blinked the dark spots away. He was never really good at keeping promises cause he always find a way to fuck it all up. But the important things in his life, the important promises he had ever made to his friends and family, he always tried twice as hard to keep them. He tried not to disappoint, and looking at how things were going for him right then, keeping this one promise to Kevin might just be the last thing that he do.

 

There was a huge gap where the ceiling once was. He could see part of the room above him. The smashed plasma TV hanging by a thin wire, the sparks of fire and electricity running through the broken cables. Something was creaking, like a huge table being dragged lazily across the floor. It was kind of scary.

 

“This is the story of a duck,” Kevin began. “Happy he was on his own.”

 

Nick snickered. “Awww he’s an independent duck then.”

 

“I guess you can say that,” Kevin replied and then continued. “Every day, he would jump frogs, thinking of going to Hong Kong.”

 

“Huh.”

 

“He liked to play a bongo, rock and roll, salsa and hip hop. Elephants would sing along.”

 

“What kind of story is this?”

 

“The good kind, now shut up.” Nick just blink in response, the gap on the ceiling looked as if it was shrinking for some reason. “Every ant he got to know, minus dumn Pete who-”

 

“Is this some sort of animal with names story slash song? Cause you’re singing this story if you don’t already notice.”

 

“You’re really ruining this story slash song Nick.”

 

“Sorry but-”

 

“Whoever say ‘sorry’ and then have a but afterwards?”

 

“I think it’s relevant in this case Kev,” Nick argued. “You’re singing about bloody animals and some random dumb Pete and it’s not helping the pain man.”

 

“You’re still awake, that’s a whole lot of help if you ask me.”

 

Nick wanted to say that he didn’t, in fact, asked. But since Kevin was being very anal about keeping him awake for some reason, he decided to keep that retort to himself.

 

“Fine, continue with your animal song if you have to.”

 

“Minus dumb Pete who always…”

 

There was a sudden bright light that hurt his eyes, caught him unaware. He heard voices but couldn’t understand a single thing that was being said. He recalled that they were in Japan and weren’t they supposed to have a concert the next day? He wasn’t quite sure about that one. Could be a promotional visit only, the facts were getting hazy.

 

He looked around for Kevin, straining to listen to that familiar voice, singing that random, animal with names song, finding that one source he knew would calm him down, would make sense to him.

 

“Kev?”

 

“Right here buddy.”

 

“Kev.”

 

“You’ll be all right Nick.”

 

“Kevin.”

 

…was cool and full-grown…rapping with the raccoon T…

 

“Nick, hey Nicky, can you hear me kiddo?”

 

Brian! Brian and a lot of Japanese looking people hovering above him. Brian with blood running down his forehead, fear in his eyes and black soot and dust smudging his face. Brian looked like a soldier in the middle of a battlefield.

 

“Brian.”

 

“Hey,” Brian said, and for the first time, he was smiling and it made Nick smile. “You’re going to be fine okay buddy? These people are gonna help you get out of here all right?”

 

For some reason, Nick was expecting Brian to sing out ‘all right!’ and that made him smile again.

 

“You’re smiling, that’s great,” Brian smiled and nodded his head vigorously, as if the very action was needed to convince him of the very thing he was saying.

 

He felt the pressure that had trapped him under the bed slowly being lifted. Then the burning pain started to escalate, spreading to the rest of his body and he couldn’t help the whimper that escaped his lips.

 

…was his name, by the way…

 

“I know it hurts but you gotta hang on okay?” Brian said. Nick wanted to ask if Brian was crying because he sounded like he was but Nick couldn’t really tell for sure because he couldn’t really see Brian, everything was getting quite blurry for him.

 

“Kevin, Kevin…”

 

Nick?

 

“Right here bud.”

 

“Don’t stop.”

 

Nicky?

 

“I never stop singing Nicky, you know that.”

 

“You should…help Brian…he’s bleeding…”

 

Nicky, come on baby, look at me, please.

 

“You know I’m not really here little man.”

 

“You’re not?”

 

“Nope. I’m in LA remember, chilling with my wife? That’s what an ex-Backstreet Boy do these days.”

 

“You’ll always be a Backstreet Boy Kev.”

 

Great. You’re talking to my not here cousin.

 

“You gotta listen to Brian now okay? You need to stay awake and I promise you they’ll hook you up with all the morphine you want.”

 

“You’ll still sing though right?”

 

“Always.”

 

“Thanks Kev.”

 

“Anytime kiddo.”

 

…keep that in mind…

 

Brian came back into focus and he reached out to touch his face. Blood immediately stained his fingers. The touch though, seemed to help Brian, because he closed his eyes momentarily and then grabbed Nick’s hand in his and smiled.

 

“You’re back with me right?”

 

“Kevin said…I should…listen to you.”

 

“Smart guy my cousin.”

 

“Mmhmmm…he was…singing.”

 

“Bet he missed being on the road with us huh?”

 

“…bet…”

 

“What was he singing about?”

 

“mmm…ducks…”

 

Brian laughed and Nick felt good. “Brian…where’s…”

 

“AJ and Howie are okay Nicky. They’re hurt too but they’re gonna make it, I promise. I was with them when it happened and they’re taking them to the hospital but I need to find you…I need to…”

 

Brian was crying, he could see that now, and he felt that it was his duty to make him stop. “You found me, it’s okay.”

 

If Brian had said anything after that, he couldn’t tell. Someone had placed an oxygen mask on his face and he felt himself being lifted and strapped down and carried away. Everything felt and looked confusing so he closed his eyes and drowned out everything, shut every dizzying image that came to pass as he was carried out of the partly damaged hotel.

 

He tried to recall the song Kevin was singing…he remembered a duck…what was he jumping on again?

 

Ah yes.

 

This is the story of a duck, happy he was on his own…

 

He heard Kevin singing again and this time, he sang along.

 

Credit/Disclaimers:: This story is a result of a chat with mare, which turned out to be one where Mare taught Mersey all there was to know about Phil the groundhog and his day, followed by a poem by Maria that was meant to amuse us. I think my muse love you both too much, so thank you!

 

This is the story of a duck

Happy he was on his own,

Every day he would jump frogs

Thinking of going to Hong Kong.

He liked to play a bongo,

Rock and roll, salsa and hip hop,

Elephants would sing along.

Every ant he got to know,

Minus dumb Pete who always frown,

Said he was cool and full-grown

Rapping with the raccoon Tom

Or when he juggled four bowls.

Cluck was his name, by the way

Keep that in mind, my dear friend.