"Jesus Christ, Nick!" A.J. exclaimed after Brian and Kevin had pulled Nick off of him. "What the fuck?"

Nick, who was relatively unscathed, except for his mussed hair and a torn shirt, stood silent. Kevin took a look at both of them, then motioned to Howie. "Take the kid to his room. We'll do first aid on Boner."

Howie took Nick's arm tentatively, and was shocked when the teen turned around without protest. Brian watched them go, a frown on his face.

Kevin was already sorting through the kit he now kept in his knapsack at all times. Nick had developed a nasty, quick temper that often exploded into violence. He'd gone after Kevin about a dozen times now, with A.J. a close second. He had yet to hit his Frick, the only one who could really deal with him at times like this, but Howie hadn't gone unbruised.

Fortunately, the only damage that wasn't easily covered up was a fat lip. There was a red mark on A.J.'s cheek where Nick had likely given him an open-handed slap, but mainly he'd stuck to body blows, a few scratches and, judging from A.J.'s posture, a knee in the crotch.

"What'd you say to him?" Brian asked bluntly as Kevin dabbed at A.J.'s chest with some ointment.

"Ow! Kev!" A.J. winced. "What makes you think I started it?"

"There's a first time for everything," Brian conceded. "Didn't you?"

"I don't know. Who the fuck knows what sets him off these days? He's bloody touchy."

"You're the bloody one right now," Kevin pointed out. "Tell us what happened. We get on the bus in an hour, I want to know if we get to have a repentant little Nicky on our hands or if I need to sit guard over both of you the whole way to Denmark."

"I don't know." he repeated. "We were talking about leprechauns, and suddenly he smacked me."

"Leprechauns?" Kevin raised an eyebrow.

"I know, I know. We were making fun of Boyzone, and then we started talking about what we'd do if we found a pot of gold."

"What did Nick say?" Brian asked, entertained despite himself.

"He wanted to buy a bus with a pool in it. I told him he was an idiot, and he went for me." A.J. shrugged. "I was only *kidding*. I said it the nice way."

"You know he hates being called dumb," Kevin chided.

"Ok, I didn't actually say "dumb"."

"What did you say?"

"I... I think I called him a silly faggot." He caught the look on Brian's face and began defending himself. "Britishisms, you know? I just picked it up somewhere."

"Oh Nicky." The look of pain on Brian's face confused both of the others. He turned on his heel and left.

Howie was standing outside Nick and Brian's room looking helpless. "He won't talk to me," he informed Brian. "Is A.J. okay?"

"He'll live," was the dry reply. "You go check up on him. I'll talk to Nick." He waited until he saw the door of Kevin and A.J.'s room close behind Howie before he knocked. "Frack? Lemme in."

Nick opened the door, looking subdued. "You should change your shirt," Brian informed him. "People will ask questions otherwise."

Wordlessly, Nick began to pull off his shirt while Brian found him a new one. When he was changed, they sat on the bed together.

"When are you going to tell them?"

Nick played with the seam of his jeans. "Not gonna."

"If you keep hitting people, someone's going to kick your butt."

"Fine."

"They wouldn't say stuff, hell you wouldn't read into stuff so much, if they knew."

Nick sat in stubborn silence, not meeting his friend's gaze. Brian reached out to stroke his floppy hair.

"I know your mamma took it hard, Frack. But not everyone's like her. I'm not, right?"

"I hate him."

This spiteful statement surprised Brian for a second.

"Why?" he finally asked.

"He's got it so made. His voice is so great, he's skinny as fuck all without having to work at it, everybody loves him no matter what he does..." Nick's voice wavered. "He even got the good mom."

"Oh Nicky." Brian hugged him as he fought off tears. "Let it out. It's okay."

"No!" Nick's face was red from the effort. "I won't. I won't let her - him make me. I won the fight."

"She's not worth crying over," Brian agreed with Nick's slip. "But she's doing something worse to you. A.J.'s one of your best friends. He's not me of course..." Nick managed a sort of hiccuping laugh. "Don't let her take away your trust, Nicky. They love you. They'll understand."

"She was supposed to love me, Rok." Unable to keep it in any longer, Nick dissolved. Brian held him tight and murmured nonsensical reassurance while his own tears dripped quietly from his face.

Half an hour later, the five Boys sat in a locked room. Their faces were somber as they waited for Nick to speak.

"Aje?" he began, his voice cracking a little. "I'm sorry. I know you didn't mean it. But um..." He traced patterns in the carpet with his foot. "I really am a silly faggot."

He was almost knocked over with the force of A.J.'s hug.

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