So, apparently Cay, hadn’t left him after all.
His heart picked up – a mixture of realising said fact, and knowing that the blonde had caught him playing out a song that he wasn’t even sure would ever make the light of day. He didn’t mind sharing the stuff he’d worked on for hours, days, weeks, months even…, the stuff he knew was good, because he’d given it his own personal stamp of approval, but this was unnerving. Thankfully, the blonde hadn’t seemed too interested in the guitar or the tune he’d been developing out of it, his focus back on the sheets that they’d both just finished making a mess out of. It was funny though, because he hadn’t wanted Cay to comment about the song, but now that he’d done just that he kind of wished he had. “Uh, yeah no problem… don’t worry I’ve got this.”
Only apparently he didn’t, because after he’d placed the guitar back onto the bed beside him, stood up and made a step towards the door, his head had made up its mind it wanted to be a carousel. Reaching out to grab the closest thing to hold onto; Cay as it would turn out, Nik let out a breath, “so yeah, you might have to take me to the couch.” It was pretty embarrassing to tell the truth. Here he was; a full grown man (kind of), needing help from another man, to help him walk over to a couch. If he wasn’t so utterly helpless right now, he probably would have attempted another shot at it.
With a little hesitation on his end, Nik wrapped his arm around his friend’s waist and let out a sigh, as he felt his strength triple. “Your skin – it feels, nice.” He leaned closer, as Cay helped him out of his room and over towards the couch in the living room/kitchen area of the apartment. Another bare and lifeless room… he really needed to teach this guy about the art of Feng Shui, “dude, where is all your stuff…?” Maybe, it was still in storage or something? “This whole room is depressing…” He could have blamed it on the fever tomorrow for being so blunt, but he knew Cay, knew him well enough by now to sense that he’d have said it to him anyway. Feverish or not. Sides’ Nik didn’t care what he thought anyway. The guy just really needed a Ficus Fern.
“Ow!” He grimaced as he laid back down on the couch, his skin missing Cay’s more than he thought it would. He could feel the exhaustion now, but his fever kept him from succumbing to it, as he waited for Cay to get back and help him back to the bed. It was weird to think he was about to sleep in a man’s bed he’d only met a few days ago – and had also attacked his girlfriend, but then again his relationship with Cay, was weird. There was just something about the blonde that had, Nik feeling like he’d known him a lot longer than just a week. It was probably the artist in him getting romantic about their friendship, but he couldn’t help it – the whole thing just seemed bigger.
After, he’d got Cay to give him a shirt (he didn’t want blood getting on the new set of sheets, Nik grabbed the quilt and tried to get it as far away from him as possible – too hot. “Hey, I know this is going to sound really weird, and you totally don’t have to do it, but you think you’d be okay, with staying here tonight – you know, next to me? Your skin is just really cold and I’m sick of feeling like I’m going to catch on fire…” Plus, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was still a little scared that whoever had shot him tonight was going to find him again and finish the job. At least with, Cay here, he knew he’d be fine and that nothing was going to happen to him. Why? Well, he’d promised him that. Hadn’t he?
He didn't intend for Nik to attempt getting up on his own, and Cayden was in the process of reaching for him when he seemed to lose balance. At lest now he was forced to rely on Cayden for support and maybe that would help him realize he needed to be less stubborn about this situation. As he helped him into the living area and onto the couch, Cayden could feel how hot Nik's body was becoming. If his fever was climbing, they would need to do something to regulate his temperature before it got too high.
Being told his skin felt nice would have made Cayden flush if he could, but thankfully, his embarrassment was always well hidden. Maybe the second best thing about being a vampire if he was being optimistic. "I don't really have much stuff." Cayden replied as he glanced around his bare walls and lack of furnishings. He had a tv, a gaming system and some movies, but that was about it. Other than the small bookshelf in the corner with medical texts and a handful of novels, Cayden's belongings hardly offering the large space anything lively. "I don't usually stay in one place very long, Nik. Trouble has a way of fining me." Trouble in the form of one very vengeful hunter who would stop at nothing to eliminate Cayden. Nik would be at risk of that too if Cayden wasn't careful
Cayden withdrew back to the bedroom, stripping his light comforter and sheets, glad to see the towels and tops of his blankets kept blood from seeping down onto his mattress. He changed everything out fairly quickly and then returned for Nik, this time not even giving him the option of standing up on his own. He could fuss about being carried bridal style later, but Cayden wasn't going to risk him hurting himself further, especially when his body was struggling enough as is. Without asking, or giving Nik a chance to refuse him, Cayden slid his arms under him and lifted him up easily, taking him from the couch back to the bedroom so he could ease him back into bed.
Cayden was about to point out he hadn't planned on leaving Nik's side anyway, but when he heard it was a little bit more than his company that was needed, he blinked in surprise. He always saw his cold body as something revolting, something people avoided touching. He'd been taken aback by Quinn when she'd healed him, showing him a tenderness he hadn't known while she did so, and now here was Nik requesting he stayed close enough to touch. It was just to be used a sort of ice pack, nothing more--at least that's what Cayden was telling himself. "Yeah, of course."
Cayden slipped off his shirt and exchanged it with a thin tank top, then took his place on the bed alongside Nik, settling in close enough to him that their sides touched. He could feel Nik's heat seeping through his clothes, and it translated to a warmth stirring in his chest that he needed to distract himself from. He reached for his guitar and pulled it into his lap, thumb experimenting with a few chords until he was able to somewhat mimic what Nik had been playing when he walked in. "I've always liked listening to you play." Cayden admitted. "Definitely helped me get through the busier nights. Many bars I worked at stuck to jukeboxes or karaoke nights and it had a way of ruining my night." He glanced at Nik, looking where the stitched wound was hidden under the shirt he'd given him. Cayden placed a hand over the still abnormal twist of healing skin on his shoulder. His own wound was nearly healed, and would likely be back to normal in a day or two, but this reminded him all too well of the pain he'd gone through, and he wondered if this town was even more dangerous than those he'd run from.
"Your uh...girlfriend know about all this?" He wasn't sure where the question had come from, maybe more of a reminder that Nik did have a girlfriend, and it had a good way of eliminating a lot of what he was feeling, if only for a moment.