“I still don’ see what’s wrong with my shirt. Bloody or not.” Markus said with a shrug, eyes lingering on Nikolas with a fond and soft look before he finally took the sweatshirt. He looked down at the hoodie, looking it over before pulling it over his head. “Unlike e’ry single gal ever, imma get this back t’ ya soon as. Probably t’night, since I think I got a spare shirt in my locker at work. If I forget, you’re welcome t’ steal somethin’ o’ mine.”
"Keep it, I completely forgot about its existence anyway." Nikolas shrugged after taking a moment to scan Markus. He was so used to seeing him in ill-fitting clothes. Seeing him in something that fit at least decently was strange but not unwelcome—especially when it was something of his. He finally looked up at Markus' eyes and smirked, zipping up the duffle bag and stashing the first aid kit into the trunk, then shutting it with a solid thunk. "We should get going. You staring at me isn't going to bring us any closer to your precious food, and I gotta drop you off at your work—wherever that is."
It felt strange. Wearing something of someone else’s, especially something that wasn’t four sizes too big or small, covered in holes and tears and occasional stains. It was nice, too though. And the hoodie smelled faintly of Nikolas, which was a plus. “I can jus’ look at ya in the car, y’know. Then we kill two birds with one stone.” He said, shooting Nikolas a cheeky smile as he folded the sleeves over his hands, moving around the car to climb back into the passenger seat.
Nikolas sighed and shook his head with a smile, going to the other side of the car and sliding into the seat. "Of course. How could I not figure that?" he drawled, looking over at Markus with a playfully disappointed look. Then he smiled, unable to keep up the act. "Where do you want to eat? I'm paying, since I was the one to initially delay your food intake." He used the silence after while he waited for Markus to study him, eyes finding things he hasn't noticed before due to not really paying attention.
Markus tilted his head, looking off out the windshield as he thought. "Not sure. I know a couple'a tiny diners, most of 'em I've never gotten t' eat at though. They kinda remind me o' Texas. The good parts o' livin' there, at least." He said, shrugging a shoulder and turning to look at Nikolas. He blinked, surprised to find him already watching him. "Ya don' gotta pay, y'know. This turned out t' be a great delay."
Nikolas quirked a lip up in amusement. "I'm paying," he said flatly, still looking amused. He drummed his fingers on the wheel as he thought, then decided now was a prime time to open up to Markus a bit. He had hinted at it earlier, and now was a good time to discuss it while he started the car and backed out. "Just direct me to the closest one," he said, pulling out onto the road and going towards town. After a stretch of silent thinking, he said, "When my family moved to America, we settled in Texas. I remember it pretty well. Really hot. My sister would go to the neighbors to learn how to ride, even if she didn't know English fully."
"Means we were pro'lly in Texas near the same time." Markus mused, shifting in his seat to watch Nikolas. He wasn't going to let him pay. He'd do absolutely everything he could to pay first. "My 'rents sold the farmhouse a little after I was born, an' they headed straight for Austin. Didn' become musicians like my pops planned. Few years later, I was in foster care." He said, tapping his collarbone rhythmically. "What part were y'all in?"
Nikolas tipped his head to the side and hummed. "Well, I moved there when I was ten, so about… 2006ish. And where? Uhhhh…" He chewed his lip as he thought, still paying attention to the road but his gaze was somewhat distant. "Progreso. That's it. We weren't exactly a rich family to begin with, and moving from Greece to America wasn't very cheep." He looked a little sad, however, when he ran a hand through his hair and added, "Didn't get to stay long, though."
"Definitely overlapped, then. Woulda been seven at that point. Can ya believe we woulda been a five hour drive from each other?" Markus asked, huffing slightly. He watched Nikolas as the boy continued speaking, hesitantly reaching out to put his hand on his knee. "Mind me askin' why? Ya ain't gotta answer, just lemme know if ya don' wanna talk about it."
Nikolas glanced down at the hand on his knee, smiling softly at the touch and the reassurance that he didn't have to talk about it. "Nah, I'm an open book for the moment. Besides, it's not something particularly scarring, at least compared to a bunch of other shit," he said. He let go of the steering wheel with one hand so he could place it over Markus' hand, fingers slightly curling in around the sides of the boy's hand. "Like I said, we weren't very fortunate in the money compartment, and moving took more out of my parents than they had predicted. They couldn't afford anything more than minimal food and housing when we first moved in, so we weren't exactly… legal. We were there for a few months, then someone tipped off ICE, and my sister and I were thrown into the system while my parents were deported back to Greece."
Markus flipped his hand over carefully, lacing his fingers with Nikolas' and giving his hand a small squeeze. "That…answers that." He wanted to ask what had become of his sister, if Nikolas had managed to stick with her, or if they'd been separated like so many families had been. He didn't, though, knowing just learning this was a huge step forward. Pushing it right now might not be a good idea. "Texas sure is big on deportin' families. One o' the good things 'bout gettin' the fuck outta a state like that." He said, thumb running small circles on Nikolas' hand. "Did ya ever figure out who ratted?"
Nikolas sighed in frustration, resting his free elbow against the wheel as he leaned forward. "No, and I'd love nothing more than to figure it out. But I got shipped off to New York, where I met Tess, and Kaiti was taken to South Dakota, where she was adopted." He worked his jaw as he started to get on a more touchy subject, but he didn't completely close himself off. It's good, talking to someone about this besides Tess. "Bounced states and homes like nobody's business, usually ended back up in New York—for better or for worse. And then I ended up here, where I aged out but stayed for Tess' sake."
“She reminded ya of your sister.” Markus said quietly, continuing his gentle caressing of Nikolas’ hand. “Er-uh, I’m guessin’. It’s good that ya found someone who made ya want t’ stay somewhere, though. This is the one place I’ve ever felt that.” He said, eyes dropping to Nikolas’ hand as he said that. While Lily and Tess, his best friend and his sister, made him want to stay, Nikolas was probably the main reason. At least now.
Nikolas lightly squeezed Markus' hand, though he didn't look at him as he murmured, "They're all too alike." He sucked in a breath and rubbed his free hand over his stinging eyes, leaning back and properly holding onto the wheel again. "I've got a family here, surprisingly. It might not be my biological family, but it's a found family that I'd fight to stay with." Nikolas looked down at their intertwined hands, at that thumb running surprisingly soothing circles over his skin. "You, too."
"For kids like us, found family's usually the only type we get." Markus said with a shrug, the corner of his lip quirking up slightly as his cheeks colored. "Ya got a family with me, and Tess. An' I'm sure Lily'd love ya too." His other hand came up as well, tapping Nikolas' cheek, before sliding to cup it gently. To keep from distracting him too long, he lowered it, but kept holding Nikolas' hand. "D'ya…think you'll ever see her again?"
That hand on his cheek was more comforting than Markus could ever imagine, however brief. Nikolas barely noticed it when he squeezed Markus' hand even more at that last question. He didn't blame him for prodding a touchy subject, he didn't know. Don't cry don't cry don't cry. He couldn't form words, just let out a slow and obviously controlled breath as he shook his head. No, he'd never see Kaiti again. After a stretch of silent struggle, he swallowed the lump in his throat and said calmly, "She was adopted, then diagnosed with leukemia. I, uh… I… managed… to get myself put into the hospital when I was twelve. Found her there and refused to leave, even after I was discharged. Her adoptive father had me removed…" He trailed off and just shook his head again, refusing to let Markus see his face. Leave it to me to make a good moment depressing.
Nikolas didn't need to keep going for Markus to infer what all had happened. His eyes widened slightly, and part of him wished the vehicle was stationary so he could offer more than just hand holding. Maybe not a hug, since he wasn't too great at those, but something. "Oh. Ya a'ight, darlin'?" He asked, tilting his head slightly as his voice lowered with concern. "D' we need t' pull over'n give ya a minute, hon?"
Nikolas shook his head and smiled over at Markus, lifting their intertwined hands to kiss the back of Markus' hand. "I'm fine, promise," he murmured against the boy's skin. "It's been years, I've shed enough tears." Nikolas smiled once more at him, then went back to focusing on the road. He took a deep breath, then tapped the steering wheel at a random rhythm. "Well, I've made that depressing enough," he huffed with a semi-forced laugh.
Markus studied him quietly for a bit, eyes narrowed in disbelief. He figured, though, that he could do one of two things. The first was very unlikely of happening, the second better. The sound of honking drew him out of his thoughts, and he glanced in front of them at the source of the angry noise.
A line of traffic at a complete standstill, and somewhere up ahead, the sounds of construction. Maybe he could do both.
Markus released Nikolas' hand carefully, only to reach down and click the buckle of the other boy's seatbelt. "C'mere. Traffic here is slower'n a tortoise in molasses. I'm givin' ya a hug."
Nikolas stopped the car with a bewildered look over at Markus, adjusting his arms to the sudden loss of his seatbelt. "Markus…" he started with a sigh, eyeing the road. They wouldn't be moving for some time. So he sighed again and parked the car. Then he grumbled to himself as he unbuckled Markus as well and reluctantly moved over to sit with him. Nikolas didn't see the need for this, but any excuse to cuddle with Markus was fine by him. He settled down with his back to Markus' chest, head tipped back onto his shoulder and his eyes closed. "There," he mumbled.
Markus grinned as Nikolas settled against him, wrapping his arms happily around the other boy. He plopped his chin onto Nikolas' shoulder, tugging him closer and flush against him. "Thanks, darlin'. Makes this a lot easier." He murmured, before pressing a light kiss to Nikolas' neck. That was followed by another kiss, then another, each painstakingly light and dragged along the skin.
Nikolas thought nothing of being pulled closer, just let himself snuggle up against Markus while he had the chance and use it to decompress. But then those lips were on his neck, over and over again, light as cam be and dragging across his skin. His eyes flew open and he sucked in a breath, slightly squirming but not too much nor attempting to pull away. "Oh… I hate you so much," he mumbled arily, tipping his head further back and squeezing his eyes shut.
"Mmm, d'you really?" Markus asked, his voice a low and honey-smooth drawl as he continued to tease Nikolas' neck. A few kisses in had already accomplished his goal of distraction, apparently. That was why Nik loved doing it to him, wasn't it? "Or d'ya just say that when I do somethin' ya don' wanna admit ya like?" He teased, letting his teeth scrape Nikolas' neck lightly. He didn't have a tongue piercing, so that would do.
"You're smart," Nikolas murmured, his hands sliding down Markus' arms until he was holding onto him. Oh, how he wanted to just curl up and take a nap against Markus. He was so confortable and warm and Nikolas—secretly—loved behind held by him or being in his lap like this. Made him feel safe and wanted. "You can figure it out," he finally finished, too distracted by his thoughts and those damn kisses to remember what he was saying—that he as saying anything at all.
Markus huffed a laugh, warm breath fanning out against Nikolas' skin. "I think tha' answers my question for me." He drawled, pausing his kisses just to breathe in the scent of coffee and vanilla, so much warmer and nicer than the stench of cheap soap he was sure clung to him. Elise's love of not spending any money on her foster children was strong. Then he was continuing, the kisses lazy and mildly teasing, but but his focus more on the hug.
Nikolas reached up with one hand to cup the side of Markus' face, turning both of their heads so he could hesitantly place a quick but meaningful kiss to the corner of his lips. "Thank you, Markus. I needed this, even if I claim differently." He loved the kisses as well, however annoying his reaction was, but it was the hug and the meaning behind this attention that was more important to him. Markus cared, genuinely cared, and Nikolas was so grateful for that. As if to express that, he turned his head some more and started to kiss Markus, neck as well, though he refrained from using his tongue and instead nuzzled into him while he kissed him. Markus was just so cozy, Nikolas couldn't not snuggle up to him.
Markus tilted his head to the side, keeping his chin planted on Nikolas' shoulder and giving him better access to his neck. "I figured. Ya deserve the best o' comfort, Niky. I can' give ya that, but I'm doin' my best to." He said quietly, voice just a bit gravelly the lower and softer it got as he gently traces more shapes into Nikolas' skin with his fingers while holding him. He wanted to give him the best. And though he couldn't, he really was going to try as hard as he could to give him at least some of what he deserved.
Nikolas frowned and adjusted himself, sinking further into Markus and grabbing onto his arm more firmly, even if his touch on his cheek stayed soft. He used the extra access Markus gave him to his neck to stop kissing him and instead just lean his head into him, eyes closed once again, but this time out of comfort. "I wouldn't ask for anything different, Markus. If I could get the best hugger in the world to come and comfort me, I'd still pick you," Nikolas murmured into Markus' skin, "It's not about the 'quality' of the hug, or whatever you think you don't have, but the intent behind it." He smiled and kissed his neck again. "Plus, you're comfy."
"Am I? I didn't think comfy was somethin' I'd ever be called." Markus said, an undertone of amusement clinging to his voice as he spoke. Nikolas' words left him feeling warm and hopeful, a particular sort of feeling for someone who wasn't used to their comfort actually being comforting to others. Markus, all his life, had been taught to hide and shove aside his emotions. A certain 'boys don't cry' mixed with 'boys don't comfort others'. But here Nikolas was, letting him hold him, and never once judging him for anything he'd shown. Hell, Nikolas had nearly been crying. And even if he hadn't wanted to show those tears, Markus guessed it wasn't entirely due to the reasons he himself had been taught. "Maybe I should learn t' hug better."
Nikolas just smiled almost sleepily and left one last kiss to Markus' jaw, then moved a bit so he could use the boy's chest as a pillow as he stared out the windshield. The lime hasn't moved a bit, and he was secretly glad for it, even if he heard all the blaring horns. His hand dropped down and he snuck his fingers into Markus' grasp to hold onto him some way. Just this was enough to keep him happy and content, the bad thoughts floating in his head long melted away by Markus' touch. He spoke true, he would never ask for anything else if Markus was an option. Something about his presence was comforting and put Nikolas at ease. "You're doing just fine," he eventually murmured, nestling his head into Markus' shoulder.