Disclaimer: not mine and I'll give them back when I'm done. Wouldn't want Kristen anyway. So there...
All the Wrong Things
"Old, Derek's not old." Nick shoots a hateful look toward the blonde in the seat beside him.
Kristen laughed and shook her head. "He's old enough to be your father and mine, why do you defend him so?"
"He's not old."
Kristen considered her words carefully before stating her mind. "Why is it you always ask him to come with us?"
"What?"
Kristen scooted a little closer. "I said, why do you always ask him to come, anytime we head out somewhere? He's an old fogie and we're young and wild."
Nick's face grew solem and he held tightly to the wheel of his Mustang. "He doesn't get out much any more, that's all."
"So what, you're not his keeper." She met Nick's eyes. "Are you?"
"No, he just..."
"I know, he doesn't get out much. So, let's head up the coast and forget about him." She slips her hand into Nick's lap, unprepared for his reaction.
Nick slides the car to a halt. "Listen, you and I,we don't have a chance in hell, of having a relationship. So don't even try."
"He must have you on a pretty tight leash, if he doesn't let you date."
"Derek doesn't say who I can and can not date. I don't like you. Maybe I ask him to go, cause I want someone inteligent to talk to."
"Are you saying I'm stupid Nick Boyle? Cause I'll have you know."
"I know you're not stupid. I've read your resume' and it doesn't impress me. It takes a lot more than field hockey and chess to make a person intresting."
Kristen considers punching him, but...
"Fine, I'll leave." With that she slams the car door.
"Fine." Nick peels out back onto the road and spins the car. He speeds past her and heads back toward the island.
**************************************************************
Derek hears his car from his office and pokes his head out into the hall. Nick rushes past him and into his room, slamming the door so hard that it jars back open. Derek gently pushes it and peeks inside. Nick is mumbling and pacing around the small room.
"Nick, is everything alright? I thought you and Kristen were heading to the mainland." Nick stops and turns to Derek.
"We were, we got into a fight."
"Where is she?" The concern in Derek's voice makes Nick more aggitated.
"Does it matter, she doesn't belong here anyway."
"What's this about Nick?"
Nick's hands are in his pockets for a moment and he pulls out his key ring. "It's about us."
"Us?"
Nick meets his eyes now. "Yeah, you and me."
Derek steps into the room and pushes the door closed. "I thought, we'd agreed not to discuss this anymore."
Nick's bottom lip quivers a moment then his hands become busy on his keyring. He takes off the small gold box and tosses it at Derek.
Derek catchs it and stares at it for a long moment. "Why did you do that?"
"Why not? It didn't mean anything." Derek's felt his heart in his throat and he swallowed hard. This was not the way he wanted to have this conversation, not now. Not with their seperation being so new. He needed time to get over Nick, perhaps years.
"It meant something to me, when I gave it to you." He sits the small gold, measuring tape on Nick's dresser, stepping close to him. "Still does."
A single tear escapes Nick's lashes and tumbles down his cheek. "You pushed me away Derek."
"I explained why."
"Did you? Cause all I remember hearing is, I think we shouldn't see each other anymore. That didn't explain anything to me." Other tears join the first and Nick sniffs hard.
"You know how I feel."
"NO! I don't. You pushed me toward this girl. I don't even like her Derek."
"Of course you do, I've seen it in your eyes." Nick shakes his head and wipes his face. "You're both young and have your whole lives ahead of you. I only want what's best for you." Nick pushes Derek a few steps back, anger gracing his handsome features.
"You pushed me toward her, away from you. Why? Did you think it would be a problem if she found out you were gay?" Derek sighed.
"No, I thought it would be a problem for 'you', if she found out you enjoyed the company of men, as well as women. I just couldn't see you get hurt." Derek takes his arms. "I think you two would be very good for each other."
/Outside Nick's door, Kristen is listening and planning./
"I don't want her Derek, isn't that obvious?" After a few moments of silence, Derek slides his arms away and walks to the door.
"Why did you stop loving me Derek?"
Derek stops but doesn't turn around."I didn't."
"You won't even have dinner with me. Anytime I ask to talk with you or anything, you turn me away. I think I deserve to know why."
Derek nods. "You deserve answers, but I'm not prepared to give you any."
"Derek, please. For God's sake, you even moved into another room. What did I do that..." Derek's heart began to ache as Nick's words came in harsh gasps. "What did I do, that was so wrong?"
"You fell in love...with me." Derek pulls the door open and closes it behind him, he can hear Nick's screams, as he tosses things at the closed door. They quickly turn into sobs and then muffled cries. He hurries down the stairs and leaves Nick to his sorrow.
Kristen is standing at the bottom of the stairs and watches the older man decend the steps. "Why did you hurt him?" His eyes widen at her question.
"What do you mean?"
"You and Nick, you were lovers right?" There is little fight left in his soul and he gently nods. At that moment something hurdles past them, landing on the floor, near the door. Kristen picks it up and looks it over. 2-14-97 is imprinted on the side of the small tape measure. She tries to pull out he tape, but it doesn't budge. "Must have broken in the fall." Derek reaches out and takes the keyring.
"No, it wasn't suppose to work. You can't measure my love." The tears sting his eyes and and he gasps. "Excuse me." He clamps the charm in his fists and hurries from the room.
"Looks like you guys have a lot of explaining to do."
Kristen heads into the living room and picks up the phone. She skims the numbers in the index and punches in the number. "Yes, I'm calling in regards to the San Fransisco Legacy House, I was wondering who is taking over for William Sloane. (pause) I see, could I speak with him please, it's a matter of some urgency."
Kristen smiles to herself. Paybacks are hell.
continued in part 2
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