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Brian was frowning at the scene, his hands absently messing gently with Nick's hat. The blonde's head was in his lap, the rest of his body stretched lazily along the couch, his legs draped over Kevin's. It was a position the youth had assumed many times before, whenever something was going wrong in his life. Tucking himself inbetween the two people that meant the most to him, the two people that made him feel safe.
"I wonder what that was all about." Nick broke out of his thoughts at Brian's remark, looking up at the older man as he cocked his head to the side. "What?"
"Howie," The kentuckian drawled. "I wonder why he was so adament about getting AJ out of the room."
"I think Nicky needs to tell us something." Kevin hinted, slapping Nick's legs softly. "Am I right?"
"Aren't you always?" Nick sighed, slightly rolling his eyes.
"Okay but how come AJ and Howie can't know?"
"They already know." Kevin answered, glancing at his cousin briefly.

"I'm lost." Brian finally sighed, shaking his head slowly as he shut his eyes. He was quiet for a moment before his eyes shot open, his body stiffening. "Wait a second, does this have something to do with why you were so quiet when you came home from the doctor's today?"
"Yeah." The youth nodded. "I met with Dr. Peterson today and he...he had some stuff to tell me."
"God Nicky, don't tell me the cancer has spread." Brian breathed, covering his mouth in horror.
"It hasn't." Nick said quickly. "But it hasn't really reduced either."
"I-I don't understand..."
"The chemotherapy isn't working Brian." The eldest explained bitterly, "At least, it's not working enough to make a damn difference."
"Does everyone know about this except for me?" Hurt was seeping into Brian's words as he looked at his best friend and then his cousin. Nick shook his head, "I didn't tell Kev."
"My dad went through the same kind of thing." He raked a hand through his hair, tugging on it slowly. "I'm guessing they want you to increase the chemo?"
"To three or four times a week." The youngest frowned. "Dr. Peterson said it was up to me to decide."
"You told him you would though, right?"
"I told him I'd think about it Frick."

Brian sat up so suddenly that Nick almost went flying to the floor, Kevin grabbing his middle to keep him from tumbling over. "What the hell Bri?"
"You have to tell him you'll do it!"
"Brian I-"
"Nicky, you HAVE to!" Brian's voice was so high he was almost shrieking and Nick actually scooted back a little from the older man when his own eyes met the eyes of his best friend's. The terror that tugged at Nick through Brian's azure gaze was something he had only seen once; when Brian was about to go into heart surgery and it had scared him just as much then. Brian's heart was racing as he stared at Nick, all his emotions racing through him. Flashes of what life would be like without Nick surrounded him and he took in a ragged breath, feeling as though he was suffocating. "You can't not be here Nicky! You can't!"
"Brian! Brian calm down!" Kevin was up and next to his younger cousin in and instant, his hands on Brian's shoulders as he shook him gently. "Just breathe Bri. Calm it down!"
"He's not calming down Kevin..."
"I can see that." Kevin snapped, shaking Brian again. Nick watched the two for a moment before pushing Kevin out of the way, situating himself before his older friend. "Frick," He whispered, pulling Brian into a hug. "I'm here. I'm right here. I told him I'd do the extra treatments. I'm not going anywhere." Nick hugged him tight, trying desperately to shove his own fears away as he comforted Brian. The situation seemed odd to him, the youth so used to having Brian comfort him, not the other way around. A few moments later Nick felt Brian's arms wrap around him, "I'm sorry," Brian breathed into Nick's ear. "I'm sorry. I ju-just...I can't see my life without my Frack."
A smile tugged at Nick's features as he pulled away, "And I think heaven would be pretty boring without my Frick." The younger man chuckled. "So I plan on waiting for you before I get there."

Kevin watched the exchage between the two younger man with a detached smile, his eyes watering as he got to his feet, falling into a chair across from them. This was all getting to be so much for them. As if reading the older man's thoughts, Nick nodded at Kevin slowly. "There's something else too."
"What?"
"Dr. Peterson thinks it would be best if I was admitted to the hospital for a few months, at the very least."
"And why's that?" Kevin questioned, quirking an eyebrow at the suggestion.
"He," Nick sighed. "Feels that with the extra chemo, I'm going to get sicker. So he thinks it would be easier for me to just stay at the hospital."
"Did he ask you or tell you?" Brian pulled Nick closer to him, allowing the younger man to rest his head in his lap again.
"He asked me to consider it." The blonde revealed.
"And have you?"
"I dunno Kev." Nick shrugged his shoulder lightly, moving around a little before tugging a blanket over his thinning frame. "I don't like hospitals and I don't really want to go."
"But?" Brian smiled, tapping gently on the side of Nick's head. "I know there's a but."
"But, I don't think it's fair to you guys for me to not go." The smile fell away from Brian's face, a large frown replacing it. "Baby listen," Kevin started slowly but Nick shook his head.
"No, no. Let me talk." He let loose a long breath. "Look, I know that you guys say I'm not burdening you and everything. And I know we're all in this until the end. Yeah?" Brian was nodding along with Kevin at the statement and Nick simply smiled, "Right. But see, I also know that you have a wife." He gestured to Kevin. "And you Frick, have a wife and a son. And AJ has other things to do and so does Howie. And having you guys live here or be here constantly just isn't fair. Not to you guys or Kris or Leigh or Baylee."

"Baby, they understand you need us." Kevin said slowly, leaning forward in his seat.
"I'm sure they do. But that doesn't mean it's fair."
"Nick, I don't know if I would be comfortable with you by yourself in a hospital." Brian finally put in, looking down at his friend. "I mean, I agree with what you're saying but the idea of you just alone in the hospital..." He trailed off and shook his head. "I mean, Kev? What do you think?"
"I agree on both points." Kevin sighed. "Look, we don't need to decide this now."
"Not now no. But soon."
"I got it!" Brian snapped his finger suddenly, his eyes lighting up. "Nicky, you don't want to really go into the hospital but you also don't think it's fair for us to stay here with you right?"
"Basically, yeah."
"So move into my house." Nick's eyes went wide as he sat up, shaking his head. "I couldn't."
"Nick-"
"Brian, I couldn't do that. I mean, I'd be getting sick all the time...and you have Leigh and Baylee. It wouldn't be fair to either of them."
"Then you can move into my house." Kevin supplied, catching onto Brian's idea. "Nicky, I think the general consensus is that we don't want you in a hospital. So pick a house. One of us is going to be there to take care of you whether you like it or not." Nick simply gaped at Kevin, his eyes darting back and forth from one cousin to the other.

"Now how come we didn't think of that?" AJ was muttering to Howie as he walked back into the living room, wiping his hands on his jeans, his cell phone clipped to his pocket. "I dunno." Howie smiled, taking a seat next to Kevin as AJ plopped back onto the couch. "Sorry, we heard the tail end of the conversation coming back."
"So who's house is it gonna be Frack?"
"I-I don't know..."
"Why don't you stay with me Nicky-boy?" AJ offered. "I mean, if you don't want to bug Brian and his family and Kevin and Kristin, stay with me. I don't have anyone in the house but myself. And since D is busy with his condo shit, and I have no life, we could hang out and what not." Nick glanced at Howie who shrugged and then nodded. "Although I resent the way Jay put it, it's true." The Latino agreed. "And since I only live a few miles from AJ's, it's not like I couldn't visit all the time."
"That goes for all of us."
"So it's settled then Nick?" The youth sighed and then nodded. "I guess so."
"Okay then! You're moving into AJ's." Brian grinned, shaking Nick's shoulders gently as the younger man groaned playfully. "God help me."