lily-greenwood:
It had seemed that Lily’s whole world had taken a sudden turn in a matter of hours. She’d been wandering around the facility as she always did, feeling a little more awake today for she’d been able to actually get some sleep the previous night with Tony holding her and helping her feel safe, when she heard a familiar voice. That fast-speaking, insane voice that she hadn’t heard in months. Aslo. She had been so happy to see him, his return would certainly help turn Alice’s frown upside down, and she had missed her crazy friend who called her Lilypad and ran circles around her never stopping to take a breath as he spoke and spoke and spoke. But with Aslo back, something clicked in her mind and it was this that had turned things around-was Nick back too? It had been confirmed that he was, and when Lily had heard where the two of them had been all these months she was close to trembling with anger. They’d hurt them again?! The prick in charge of Bayview really was a sick bastard if he kept sending them away to places like this.
Lily hadn’t ever really forgotten about Nick when he’d left. In fact, she’d been angry and confused and upset when he had, she’d even found herself crying a few times and she couldn’t figure out why. All they’d done was yell at each other, but she couldn’t help but care for him-she couldn’t stop either. Eventually she’d begun to accept the fact he was probably never coming back, and Tony had helped her with moving on. But now Lily was incredibly confused because she cared for Tony and Nick and it wasn’t like she was with either of them, but she still felt like by getting close to Tony like she had that she’d screwed something up with Nick.
Either way, she needed to see Nick. She couldn’t explain it, she just needed to. Aslo had Alice and Lily to help him recover and feel safe again, but Nick was all alone with cruel guards watching over him. Who was there to help him feel safe? And so while Aslo distracted the guards with his rambles, Lily picked the lock to Nick’s room, sneaking in and closing the door behind her. She paused for a moment, leaning against the door, almost scared to move. Not for fear of being caught, but for fear of coming face to face with Nick again-she hadn’t prepared for this. Lily closed her eyes for a moment, gulping back the lump in her throat before moving over to his bed where she could see the shadow of him sleeping. As she came closer, Lily saw bruises and scars and fresh blood all over his tan skin, illuminated in the small shed of moonlight that shone in through the barred window of the room. She felt tears spring to her eyes, blurring her vision a little. He looked weaker than she’d ever seen him look, rings of exhaustion were visible underneath his closed eyes, and even though he looked slightly peaceful as he slept, his brow was still furrowed a little as if he was having a nightmare or he’d fallen to sleep stressed. It hurt Lily to see him like this.
She wanted to let him sleep, god knows he probably hadn’t been able to in a while, but she also wanted to speak to him. “Nick…” Lily whispered, choking back the tears in her voice, tears from confusion and pain and also anger for what had been done to him. She lifted up her hand hesitantly and gently wiped some blood off his forehead, stroking it softly. “Nick.” She whispered a little louder this time.
Nick was dreaming as he always did- well, they were usually nightmares, but from time to time, he had something that resembled a dream- an image of Lily. It was usually like a slide show- with little clips of her smile, her laugh and the way she ran her hands through her hair, flipping it completely to one side. He always liked that. But his dream would fall short from a dream in the way that he couldn’t reach her. He’d find himself running and tripping, his legs moving as fast as they could, but he didn’t move an inch. He’d claw at the ground and do everything he could, but she’d stay the same distance away from him- just out of reach. It pained him, but he settled for it- enjoying it when it popped up amongst the horrible nightmares filled with guards, guns, handcuffs, tasers and needles that put him to sleep, for it was the only thing that made him happy. It was never enough, though. Never enough to calm him or satisfy his hunger for her. So he stayed angry.
Again, he was having that same dream, but this time, Lily was closer than ever. He reached out and gently touched her, but like that, she moved away. Darkness fell around him and anger suddenly boiled inside of him. He found himself running again, trying to reach her when her voice fell from the heavens. He stopped, dead cold. Was he just imagining things? No, her loud voice confirmed it. It was her- and like that, Nick woke with a jolt. His eyes snapped open and due to what he’s been through, he sat up in alarm even at the sight of Lily. But he didn’t yell, shout or even move in the way he usually would if a guard woke him up. He was frozen, his hands still pulled behind him due to handcuffs and a heavy industrial lock. He stared at her in disbelief. It can’t be… Nick narrowed his eyes trying to figure out if it was just some drug or his own imagination that caused him to conjure her up in front of him, but… her touch felt so real.
With a hoarse, tired voice that had been strained one too many times, Nick slowly leaned forward, his eyes searching hers for any confirmation that she was real before whispering, “Lily…?” He sounded cracked and broken- his voice tainted with just a tinge of hope. It had to be the real Lily. It just had to. She was there- he could see her, he could smell her, he could feel her and yet the throbbing on the side of his head told him to be wary. “Is that… really you?” At those words, Nick coughed- a horrid, coarse cough that erupted like firecrackers from his chest. The result was blood, which he spat off the side of his bed, not even caring where it landed. He knew someone would have to clean it up eventually. Turning his face away, Nick lowered his head in slight shame. If it was the real Lily he didn’t want her to see him in that shape- maybe for the fact that he didn’t want to seem weak in front of her, but it was too late for that. He just didn’t want her to see him when he was barely there, but now there was no helping it.
(Source: mr-nickthomas)