Chasing our Fate

Without even thinking, he simply stepped out of the door, tapped Blake on the shoulder and before the bitter man could figure out what was going on, Nick’s clenched fist made contact with his nose, causing a definite crack to ring out.

“Nicholas!” Stevvie scream out over Blake yelling in agony. He stumbled back, holding his voice and groaning from the blow he had just received. “Why the hell did you just do that?”
Before she could even get out the rest of her rant, Blake decided to fight back. He sloppily flung punches towards Nick’s face, missing the first could of times. Nick swiftly reacted to his movements, but made mistakes because of his lack of experience. After all, this was his first fight. Blake clipped his chin with his left hook and came back with a powerful right blow to Nick’s eye. Stevvie tried to intervene, but was only blocked by Nick’s left arm. He gently moved her back, telling her to get in the apartment. Of course, she decided against the idea. Nick felt a rush of adrenalin as Blake started to talk, making him angrier.

He pushed Blake against the wall; in an attempt to shut him up, he sent punch after punch into his stomach. Instead of quieting him, Blake cursed at him, laughing bitterly and sputtering blood that gushed from his obviously broken nose everywhere. Once he found the window of opportunity, Blake did the exact same thing Nick did to him, but on the opposite wall. Nick cringed at each punch to his ribcage, a weak spot Blake found.

“…you’re real pathetic you know that Jonas…” Blake spat, sending droplets of blood onto Nick’s face, “Just to let you know…Stevvie will never do the things she did in bed with me to you…and the second time…I tried to get her pregnant, just so you couldn’t have her.”

Nick was more than enraged at this point, he grunted to try to remove himself, but failing. Blake was strong; his elbow jabbed into his neck, crushing his trachea. Both men were strong and agile, even through Nick had the disadvantage of having diabetes. Nick was stronger, but Blake was faster. To beat him, he’d just have to be smarter. He smirked, ignoring Blake’s vulgar ranting, and spit in his face to distract him. This one loss of focus allowed him to break free, and Blake to let of a spew of curses towards him.

Nick stepped back a few feet and finally caught his proper footing. Just as Blake was about to come in for another punch, he reacted first with a smooth, clean, sharp uppercut to the jaw and another swift, strong blow to his eye. He stumbled back, losing his balance and falling when Nick gave one final blow to the stomach. He fell to the ground, bruised, bloodied, and defeated. Nick stood above him, kicking him over to look into his eyes. He simply wiped blood from his mouth and ended with one final statement.

“You’re right…I’ll never be you…a sad, sick person, who can’t let go,” Nick spat, “Get out of my face, and don’t you ever go near me or my girlfriend ever again.”

With his final words said, Nick turned around and walked away from Blake for the last time. With the Adrenaline still rushing through his veins, his thoughts immediately focused on Stevvie. She was huddled in the corned of the hallway, wide-eyed with blackened tears following the trails previously made from tears already shed. His face was partially covered in blood from his nose and mouth, eyebrows stiffly clenched and knuckles still stark white from holding them in the same way from so long. Stevvie couldn’t grasp that the fight that only lasted less than five minutes had actually happened...she couldn't believe that it was the same Nick standing in front of her. His lugubrious, hardened expression slightly frightened Stevvie. It was the pain of her scared, gutted expression that hurt Nick more than his physical injuries. Neither of them said a thing as Nick stiffly tried to kneel down next to her, only collapsing and leaning back against the wall. Stevvie awoke from her daze, gasping at the severity of his face. Nick gazed at her reddened, blue eyes, only wanting to drown in them and for her to take him into the bedroom and cuddle. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about what happened. They didn’t even bother to take notice as Blake stumbled out, finally regaining some strength. He didn’t bother to look back. Nick hoped that that would be that last time he’d see him.

“Nick I-“ Stevvie studdered out.

Nick shushed her, and closed his eyes, preparing for the pain he was going to experience once the adrenaline wore off. He also let his brain regain his proper mindset; this was so unlike him. He was even astonished.
<->

Nick groaned in pain as he heavily leaned on me as we hobbled into the house. He continued to complain that the pain on his rib was too much and I rolled my eyes, upset that it even happened. If I knew that the day would end with a fight between my boyfriend and my ex, I would have opted out of it. Blake wasn’t a violent person and neither was Nick, which was why both of them ended up hurt. I could tell Blake was worse off than Nick, unlike them, I have actually gotten into fights and I knew how to avoid injuries they suffered.

I slowly helped Nick on to the couch and rushed to get ice and my first aid kit. On the way, I hurriedly dialed for the rest of the gang. I knew they would be the only ones to be able to talk to Blake if he decided to do something irrational. He was usually all talk and no action, but I had no idea anymore. Nick moaned and groaned, holding his ribcage. I sighed and ripped open his already ripped white v-neck, exposing his sweaty, bruised torso. I felt a migraine coming on once I caught sight of the fist-sized bruise forming at the center of his pain.

“I’m going to need a drink,” I groaned as I began to try to touch it without him screaming out in pain. “Babe, you have to sit still of it’s going to swell even worse and I’m going to make you go to the ER…”

One I was finally able to get him to hold an icepack to his ribs, I worked on his bloody nose and mouth, I cursed at Blake when I noticed the small cuts on his face from the rings his must have been wearing. Nick’s right eye was already a light purple tint and I knew that was only the beginning.

“I can’t believe you actually did that…” I began,” I mean, it was sweet that you won and all but…Nicholas…you have to be kidding me! What would possess you do something so…stupid? Do you know how lucky you are that I have no neighbors? What if he goes to the police? You could get arrested for assault.”

“The end justifies the means,” Nick simply whispered as he closed his eyes.

I tapped his face to look him in the eyes and he groaned.

“Stephanie! My head is pounding!”

I smirked as I began to wrap his cut knuckles. “Does that pain justify the end?”

“I just love how you’re choosing to pick on me after I got into a fight to defend you,” Nick replied sarcastically.

<->

She sighed, using alcohol wipes on the cuts on my cheek, “Well, did I ask you to defend
me? For what? He wasn’t going to do anything and I told you that time after time.”

Nick shook his head and scoffed. “That’s why this whole time he was trying to steal you from me…I told you he wasn’t good. Stephanie, you have to trust me. I know he would have tried something and I wasn’t about to let anything happen to you.”

“I’m not some damsel in distress and you know that,” Stevvie quickly replied.

“This could have just been avoided if you came completely clean with me. I’m upset at the fact that he had to force you to tell me something so…so…minuscule.”

Stevvie’s eyes dropped to the floor, ashamed because she knew he was right. “You…you thought it was minuscule?”

Nick struggled to sit up, grunting because of his side. “Yes, Stephanie, yes…I mean…no…something like that isn’t minuscule, but why have to make it so dramatic? You’ve kept worse things from me…I’m tired of having to go through so much drama, so I’m just going to forget this ever happened. I don’t care what you’ve done, I love you. I’m going to accept you no matter what, you’re stuck with me. So, please…can finally be %100 honest with each other.”
Stevvie was too shocked to verbally agree so a slow nod sufficed. Nick didn’t get mad, he didn’t break up with her, he didn’t even yell. It was more than a dream come true. Either he was that in love, or he’d received some brain damage from being punched in the face. All she knew was that she wasn’t about to let go of him anytime soon.

“So…when did they happen?” Nick asked softly.

Stevvie sighed, finishing up wrapped his ribcage with padding and gauze. “The first one happened when I had just turned sixteen..I conceived, but at 8 weeks I miscarried…and the other one happened about a week after I met you…a few weeks after Bake and I broke up..I never conceived though...I just thought I was, but I luckily wasn't. Don’t worry, the gang and my parents know. They weren’t exactly happy…but I’m just ashamed that…I made the same mistake my parents did…twice. It’s not something that is easy to admit. They gang is really protective of the subject because they care, so don’t get upset with them because they didn’t tell you.”
Nick sighed, licking where his lip was busted and took Stevvie’s hand. “I’m just glad that you didn’t get pregnant…we wouldn’t have been together if you did.”

“Yeah...” Stevvie sighed, “That’s the door…it’s the gang. Go get some clothes on okay baby?”

Nick nodded his head and gave her a quick, tight hug. He watched her walk out of her room and sighed. Sometimes you have to keep things a secret to protect someone and that was what Nick decided he would do.

That second “pregnancy scare” was no scare…it was an intentional attempt of Blake to keep her and it luckily failed. He couldn’t believe someone would actually do something so…selfish and not have a guilt in the world. Nick knew that if he told her, she would be crushed…and that was the last thing he wanted to happen.

<->

Storm walked into the room, where the rest of the gang sat anxiously waiting for news about Blake.

“So…I talked to Blake…well, actually I talked to the nurse who was attending him.”

“The nurse?” an astonished Nick blurted.

“Slow down, Nick J…after he left here, he apparently went to a bar and got into another fight…I’m guessing he lost that one too and it made his injuries worse,” he explained, “ he got arrested and they dropped him off at the hospital…want to hear the damage?”

“No,” Nick decided, of course majority ruled.

“One broken nose, two fractured ribs, a dislocated jaw and plenty of cuts and bruises…the good news is that he’s still very very bitter about the whole situation though!” Storm announced, “they called his dad…I have a feeling that’ll be the last you guys see of him for a long time.”

Stevvie’s eyes widened. “Oh Gosh, they called Sam? He’s going to be dead!”

“Right,” Eric agreed as he applied Chap Stick, “Blake’s old man is psycho when it comes to
him getting in trouble with the law.”

“Hey, have you told your family? Or are you going to keep it on the down low?” Jackie asked Nick.

Nick sighed, tapping his black eye. “Well…I can’t exactly leave here until this goes down…plus I’m going to have to finish recording so…I’ll tell them when I get back to L.A.”

“What do you think they’re going to say about it?” Stevvie asked, “I’ll take the blame for it.”

Nick shook his head. “I don’t know…either way, it’s not going to go well…and no babe, I started the fight remember? Look, guys can we just forget the fact that I beat up some scumbag in order to nobly defend my girlfriend and focus on something else?”

“Don’t try to sound modest,” Stevvie smirked as she rubbed her fingers through his curls,

“Fine then…you guys remember that Nick’s birthday is in less than a week…”

The gang whooped and hollered, knowing that it meant one thing for all of them: California.

“Guys...Stevvie…you’d better remember when I said no parties.”