Author's note: Hey! Hope you all are enjoying this beautiful spring. I can't believe that summer is around the corner. I hope you all have a great time!
Disclaimer: I do not know the BSB. The following is a work of fiction. All under 18 are advised not to continue reading as this story contains content of an adult nature.
Hell******
Nickolas' soul wiped the invisible tears that formed from his eyes. The memories of the past were too painful, too vivid. Brian's marriage to the duke's daughter had torn him in two.
The ice cold bed was starting to chill his soul as he shivered endlessly. He wondered when Deth would come back and scold him.
He couldn't concentrate at all. All he could think about was Brian. He wondered whether the modern-day Brian would notice his absence. The tears began to fall one by one.
"You only weep in silence for there is no one but me to see you cry!" Deth's voice echoed through the room.
Nick immediately stopped his sobs.
Deth floated to where Nick lay, tied to the bed. He gently placed a hand on Nick's fragile figure. "But I don't want to see you cry."
Nick remained silent.
Deth continued stroking his light-colored hair. "Have you not felt a single love for me throughout those years that we've been together? Have you not accepted that I do love you? What is it that Brian has that I lack?"
Nick gazed at Deth regretfully. "I know your love for me is genuine. But . . . . Brian was my first love, maybe too idealistic in my mind. I can't forget!"
"You ran away, not because you didn't like the way I treated you. You ran away because you wanted to find Brian!" Deth's voice became harsher, more accusatory.
Nick didn't reply. Deth angrily grabbed his chin and forced him to look at him.
"Was I that bad?" Deth shouted.
"You said that you loved me," Nick whispered. "Please don't scold me over this issue. I'm not going to leave anymore."
Deth stared furiously at Nick. "No. Your hearts not here at all."
Nick gazed at Deth. "But my soul is here."
Deth held back his spite. "Yes, you are!" With that he climbed on top of Nick and began his assault. Nick would pay for running away, day by day. It will only get worse from now on, now that he had the boy straggled to his bedchambers. He would not yield. He would not show mercy. Nick had wounded him deeply and he would make the boy pay for it all.
The night passed slowly for Nick. When all was quiet again, Nick turned around and looked at Deth's figure, laying next to him, eyeing him like a hawk.
"What are you staring at?" Deth accused.
Nick turned away. "Nothing."
Deth quickly hit Nick square on the face. "Don't you dare give me that attitude!"
Nick gazed absentmindedly at Deth. It was always like that! Deth had his mood swings that occurred so frequently that Nick didn't even care anymore. At times, he would be the gentlest of souls, but then, there would be periods where he actually thought that Nick was plotting to kill him!
"Sorry," Nick replied, only to be hit once again.
"What are you sorry for?" Deth gritted his teeth. "You've said that word so many times I'm sick of it!"
Nick tried to feel his cheek, but Deth simply pulled his arm back. "Are you getting stupid thoughts in that stupid mind of yours again?"
Nick stared at Deth intently. It was a mistake, owing that debt of servitude. But then again, he did it for Brian's sake. If he had not offered his servitude, Brian would be the one confined to Hell. No, Nick didn't care, as long as Brian was safe, away from Deth's grasp.
Suddenly Deth smirked. "I know what you're thinking! I can read your mind. You think that Brian is saved, don't you? You like him that much?" Deth gripped Nick's jaw with force. "You will never be near him again!"
Nick continued to gaze at Deth. "I never thought of that," Nick replied quietly.
Deth suddenly smiled. He quickly turned to the gates of his bedchamber and called for his servants. "Guards! Bring in the mirror of reality!"
Nick closed his eyes. Not again. Deth was going to make him see images of Brian, tempt his heart and then torture his soul. Why? Why did Deth choose to hurt him so much? Had he really deserved all of this? Nick finally opened his eyes when he heard the sound of the mirror being placed right before the bed.
The straps were tightening around his wrists as he gazed at the mirror. His soul was worn out, but he tried not to show his weakness. He looked on as Deth called forth to the mirror for Brian. Nick gazed longingly as the mirror showed a mist of fog and then a room . . . his hotel room that he shared with Brian. Nick's heart leaped. The pain was starting again! It was a never ending cycle. He would be punished till the end of time . . .
Mirror of Reality***** (Note: this can be confusing! Nick's soul is actually in Hell, but he watches as his body on Earth, which is now possessed by Frank's soul, interacts with Brian. Sigh. I tried to make it as clear as I could, but it was a little difficult).
Brian was walking towards what Nick's soul presumed to be his own bed, had he still been on Earth. Nick's heart sank as he saw Brian walking towards his body, which by now, belonged to Frank.
"Nick?" Brian called out softly. "Wake up."
"Hmmmmm?" was the reply Brian got. Even the tone of voice was not as innocent as it used to be.
"I wanna talk!" Brian said seriously.
Nick's body stirred. "Why?"
Brian bit his lip. "Well, I want to know why you're being so rotten these past few months! You're always going out and getting drunk. I mean, who knows what those men did to you when you were drunk! I'm worried." Brian's cheeks flushed with a little anger. Nick's soul couldn't believe it. What was Frank's soul doing to his body? Why was Frank trying to break Brian's heart?
The impostor Nick immediately jumped off the bed. "It's none of your business what I do with myself!"
Brian sighed. "But you're not yourself. You've changed into someone I hardly know anymore. We used to always have the greatest times and now . . . " Brian didn't know how much more to add.
"Deal with it!" the fake Nick replied angrily.
Nick's soul shook his head. He couldn't believe what was happening.
"I used to even love you!!!!!" Brian blurted out.
Nick's soul cried out in anguish. Nooooo! That could not be him!
The fake Nick paused as if he were shocked that Brian even bothered to confess.
Brian felt the remorse and kneeled down towards the boy he thought he knew. "Look, Nick, I'm so sorry. I . . . I just don't want to see you like this. I mean what if those . . . what if those sex-crazed guys . . . well you know."
Brian looked at the blond's face. Those eyes looked so empty.
Brian sighed and continued. "You're still innocent, right?"
The fake Nick looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Brian gazed nervously at the boy. "You . . . you haven't let them . . . you haven't shared a bed with them, have you?"
The fake Nick remained silent.
"Why?" Brian asked. "You used to be so sweet. What happened?"
******* Back to Hell **********
Nick's soul couldn't bear to see what was happening anymore. It was obvious! Frank had used his body and went out and let others devalue it! Nick couldn't believe how Frank could be so cruel!
Deth eyed Nick's soul warily. "You're losing Brian's love. Or rather, Frank is losing Brian's love for you!"
Nick's soul felt more tears brimming. "You can rest now, knowing that there's no more place for me back on Earth."
Deth quickly floated to Nick's soul and grabbed him harshly. "That's because your place is here!"
Nick's soul stared at Deth intently. Without another word, he closed his eyes and turned the other way. He didn't care anymore what Deth wanted to do with him. He had died the day that he was taken from Brian.
So the days passsed one by one. Nick continued to serve Deth, each day, he felt less at ease. His soul was dying. He knew it. He had lost his golden aura. His movements became slower. He was growing weaker than ever. The endless nights were taking their toll on him. He was starting to feel cold from within. But never once did he tell Deth. He much preferred to just be found gone one day rather than suffer all the trials that Deth would put him through to bring his soul back to life.
Finally, the day came when Nick's soul was too weak to even speak. Deth barged into the room, excited! "Nick! Do you know what day it is today?"
Nick remained quiet. He felt so cold and lifeless. Deth floated to where Nick lay. "Come on, Nick! It's our five hundred year anniversary."
Nick nodded weakly and managed a smile.
Deth continued. "Let's celebrate. Ummmmmmm . . . you won't run away if I take the shackles off, will you?" Deth asked honestly.
Nick shook his head, using all the energy that he could muster.
Satisfied, Deth removed the shackles. It was strangely rejuvenating as Nick felt a burst of energy. He pulled himself up to sit on the cold icy bed, but his arms collapsed from under him. His soul felt so heavy now. It was as if he couldn't move anything anymore.
Deth had rushed to the door to bring in some ambrosia. "See what I found? Some food for you! You'll love this. I had to search very far to find it."
Nick nodded. The ambrosia did look very appealing and appetizing. Deth quickly placed himself next to Nick and started feeding him the ambrosia. All Nick could do was try to part his lips. The ambrosia seeped into his soul like nothing he ever felt before. It felt so good, so reviving! He drank and drank until his soul started to feel warm again.
Deth gazed at him, satisfied. He quickly kissed Nick on the lips and told the guards to secure the ambrosia in a safe place. "You've been good. I won't place the shackles back on, but you have to behave yourself.
Nick nodded.
Deth looked at Nick, concerned. "Are you still angry?"
Nick smiled weakly. "What is there to be angry about? Everything that has happened had already happened."
Deth looked at Nick uncertainly. "You know, Brian is actually going out with your body . . . you know, the one that Frank now controls. They're officially dating!"
Nick looked away. He had known that Frank, through his own body, had captured Brian's heart. They had gone out for quite a while. "Yeah," Nick's soul whispered softly. "They're both happy."
Deth nudged Nick's chin gently. "We can be that way, too."
"There's only one problem," Nick's soul responded, almost too quietly.
Deth quickly looked at Nick, startled.
Nick's soul continued. "I'm sorry." With those last words, Nick's soul started to turn to ice. There, he had waited long enough. He knew that his soul would crumble. The ambrosia did nothing for him but hold onto his soul for a longer period of time. He didn't belong in the depths of hell. His soul was too fragile. It wasn't made of a substance that could withstand the cold, especially without a will to live.
Deth quickly grapsed Nick's now petrified figure. His soul had become pure, translucent ice. "Noooooo!!!!!" Deth screamed for his guards.
He quickly grabbed Nick's iced figure and rushed out of the bedchambers towards the borders of the Ethereal kingdom. His own spirit yearning for hope! He could not lose Nick, not at this moment. He had known that Nick's soul was hurting and that was why he brought the ambrosia back! But to Deth's dismay, that had done nothing. Why? Why did the ambrosia not revive Nick's soul?
So consumed with those thoughts was he that he tripped as he ran over the brink of eternity. Nick's lifeless soul tumbled into the river of forgetfulness!
Deth stood there, shocked. What should he do? Curse his stupidity! If he jumped in, he too would lose his memory. And then . . . what then? Without a second thought, he jumped into the river. Losing Nick was too much to bear.
Deth swam and swam until he started forgetting what he was swimming for. And then, he saw Nick's iced soul drifting closer and closer to him. By now, he was starting to forget why he was chasing after such a beautiful soul. He quickly latched onto it. It had started to thaw, but Nick too was losing the memories.
The two drifted onto sturdy ground, their minds nearly wiped of memories. Deth still clung to Nick, but now, did not realize that they were on the borders of Earth and Hell. One more step, and they could tumble down to Earth!
Deth tripped once more and the two fell into an endless abyss. Nick's soul was completely thawed by now. The two clung to each other, each a stranger to the other as they drifted into a peaceful sleep and landed gently on Earth, their souls being wrapped with flesh that mirrored their souls. Soon, both lay naked on a sandy beach in the state of Florida, oblivious to all. Their bodies were entwined, like lovers going through the mating ritual, but neither realized it.
Deth was the first to wake up. He didn't know where he was, nor did he know who was the beautiful person that his arms were tightly encircled around. The blond in his arms soon woke up as well.
The two simply stared at each other, confused. "Who are you?" The blond asked Deth.
"Who are you?" Deth returned the question.
The blond boy gazed at Deth curiously. "I think . . . uh . . . Nick?"
"How do you know?" Deth asked curiously.
"I don't know. I think I remember something, but that's all I remember. I don't . . . . I don't really know anything else!" Nick responded, confused.
The two quickly pulled apart and gazed at each other once more. It wasn't until they heard a child scream at their nudity that they turned to see a bunch of angry people heading their way. They did the only thing they could think of. They ran for their lives!
******Brian's hotel room
"Hey Nick!" Brian called out from the bathroom.
A blond head popped into the bathroom. Frank had come to terms with their new roles. In fact, he actually thought that Brian wasn't too bad. Brian wasn't Nick, but he was different. Not that he could replace Nick. But Frank found some solace in the fact that Brian had truly loved the blond body which Frank now owns. He started directing his attention towards Brian and the two had gone out for about a year now.
There was some happiness after all. Frank started to become more subdued. He was getting more comfortable with Nick's body. At times, he would still stare at the mirror for hours at a time, just marveling the body. It made him a little happier to feel Nick's flesh. But he still missed the boy so badly.
Not that Brian wasn't great in bed . . . but . . . it wasn't the same.
Frank was brought back to reality by Brian's voice. "Get me a towel, will you?"
The blond head disappeared behind the door. Brian too was in a world of his own. He sighed. Nick just wasn't the same. He was starting to feel more comfortable with the boy. In fact, they had already taken the next step in the relationship and had already slept together. The boy was amazing in bed! But there was something lacking. They don't joke as they used to. Nick had lost much of his youth. His eyes told a story of aging and unhappiness.
Finally, Brian felt a towel hit his face. He sighed. At least, Nick still did have a little humor left. He quickly dressed and ran out of the room, chasing his now new boyfriend. The two wrestled frantically on the bed when they heard a knock on the door.
Brian quickly broke the little squirmish and answered. "Kevin? What are you doing here?"
Kevin barged into the room. "Have you guys heard?" Kevin paced about frantically.
"Heard what?" Brian asked, curious.
"They found two men on a beach in Florida, naked!" Kevin's words raced.
Brian and Nick laughed. "What's so wrong about that?"
Kevin shoved a newspaper into Brian's and Nick's hands. They both gaped when they saw the picture of a blond boy who looked exactly to be . . . Nick!
"What's going on?" Brian's lips quavered as he tried to figure out what was happening.
Frank just gasped. Does that mean that the real Nick is back? But what had ever happened to Nick's soul in the first place? How had it come that his soul actually occupied Nick's body? And if this is really Nick . . .
That was when Frank's soul noticed that Brian and Kevin were staring at him intently. He shrugged and said, "I don't know what this is all about. You're doubting me?"
"No, Nick. It's not that. It's just weird. We have to go down there and find out what's happening!" Brian suddenly blurted.
The blond sighed. Frank too wanted to know what this Nick-look-a-like was. Because if it were truly "the Nick" he had been missing this past year, then . . . Frank's heart skipped a beat . . . it was as though he was falling in love all over again. At last, "the real Nick" was back.
************************(When I say Frank, I mean Frank's soul inside Nick's body. And when I say Nick, that means the 'real' Nick!)
The flight lasted nearly five hours, and the time seemed to just drift slowly. None of the three exchanged any words. Each was consumed in their own thoughts and feelings. Each wondering what would truly happen in Florida. Kevin had managed to convince management to let them go and figure out what was going on! Everyone was curious as to who this blond Nick-look-alike was.
They immediately jumped on the cab and headed straight for the police station once their airplane landed in Florida. Before long, they stood in the police station awaiting to see this blond boy that was found in the nude with another man.
Brian, Kevin and the Nick possessed by Frank's soul stood in the room, waiting, pensive. Finally, the police brought out the nude boy, although by now, he was draped in some decent clothes.
Brian and Kevin gaped. The boy looked exactly like Nick! They had to squint a few times just to make sure. Frank was feeling knots in his stomach now. There was no mistaking it--the eyes, the soft lips--it was Nick!
Brian was the first to recover. "Uhhhhh . . . can you tell us who you are?" Brian urged.
The real Nick looked confused. "I . . . I don't know. I woke up and found myself here . . . I was with another guy."
"Who are you?" Kevin repeated, as if his mind had failed him.
"I know my name is Nick . . . but I don't remember anything else," Nick replied.
It was at this moment that Frank stepped forward and brushed his hand against Nick's soft hair, feeling his fingers brush against Nick's scalp. It felt the same. These feelings . . . he remembered. He remembered that in the past, he had stroked the same hair so many times. It felt so wonderful, so intoxicating. "You're really Nick!" Frank said.
Nick simply stared at the mirror image of himself, confused. He looked at all three faces, but nothing registered. He quickly turned to the police. "I . . . I don't know these people."
Brian gasped. The voice was exactly the right tone. It was exactly the way he remembered Nick! He could feel it in his heart. "Nick? It's me, Brian! I know it's you." Brian ignored the blond that he had gone out with this past year. Instead, he focused on the one that was in chains. Finally, he turned to Kevin. "It's him. I can feel it!"
Kevin looked at both Nicks and realized that Brian was right. The one that was held captive by the police is their 'Nick'.
Brian quickly stepped forward and brushed aside Frank. He placed his hands on Nick's shoulder and looked deeply into those eyes. "Tell me it's you! Please tell me that it's really you."
Nick gazed sadly at Brian. "I'm sorry. You must be mistaken. I . . . honestly don't know you."
Brian looked on in despair. They couldn't have mistaken that tone of voice, that innocence. Nick must have forgotten. Everything was getting too confusing now. Why? Why was it that things had gotten so complicated. In the back of his mind, memories were surfacing, but they seemed suppressed. He knew of something in the past that had to do with all the things that had gone wrong the past year, but he couldn't place those memories. However, he could feel them in the back of his mind.
Something had happened to Nick! Was it that time that they were paddling the boat through the pond in Florida? It had to be. The memories were starting to surface, but still, he could not make sense of anything.
Suddenly, Brian looked to the Nick that he had been dating this past year, the fake Nick! "Who are you?" Brian accused, although his tone was soft. He did develop some feelings for the Nick fraud.
Frank's lips quivered. "You remember that morning you found me. I told you guys, I was Frank!" Frank couldn't keep this a secret anymore! The real Nick had come back. There was nothing more to hide.
Brian and Kevin shook their heads in disbelief. Kevin, most of all, was completely confused. "All right, I think I need some moments to collect myself. What the hell is going on?"
Sorry guys if this chapter was not to par with the usual. I've been suffering from a bout of writer's block and this was as much as I could muster! I'll try again with the next chapter. Hopefully, it won't be as hard to write!
Thanks though for reading.
:)