Shattered Minds [[For Zombie and Myself, 18+]]

[Time_Keeper]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name:Nicholas Luke Duran

 

Age: 26

 

Gender: Male

 

Orientation: Gay

 

Profession: Model

 

Personality: Charming would be an understatement when trying to describe this boy. Nicholas, or simply Nico as friends call him, is blessed with a affectionate nature that anyone would be glad to stumble onto. He's kind and friendly, always looking towards the brighter aspects in what could have been an otherwise murky day. He's goofy and likes to have fun. Despite that, he knows when it's time to be serious and he takes his job very seriously. If he's not on the job, he's all mischief, fun and games. When it's time to work though, he gives it a hundred and twelve percent of his attention.

 

Bio: Nicholas grew up as the middle child in a cluster of 5 kids. Life was rather simple and his family was always rather stable in the financial side. However, at the age of 18, Nicholas's appetite began to fade slowly but surely. By 20, he barely ate anything at all and soon he was diagnosed with anorexia. Nicholas has never thought of his lack of appetite as a serious problem. It's become the norm for him and no matter what people around him say, he doesn't let their opinions sway him. In his mind, keeping his body fit and on the lean side works wonders for his job as a model. Besides, his condition doesn't really interfere with his day to day life, so it's not an issue to him.

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

"And that's a wrap for today!" the call of their photographer for the day had a heavy, relieved sigh escaping the lips of an attractive brunette. Letting his body relax from the stiff pose he had been holding for the last few moments, Nicholas dragged a tired hand through his gravity defying hair as he calmly stepped off the set of the photo shoot.

 

"About damn time" a rumbling, good natured voice on his left had the model turning his honey colored eyes in the direction of one of his professional friends.

 

"Something wrong, Carlos? Don't tell me this little shoot has brought aches and burns onto those old, brittle bones of yours" Nicholas asked, a chuckle escaping with his words as he eyed the blonde beside him with mischief dancing in his expression.

 

"Oh come off it, young blood. Some of us aren't as young and......full of energy as you are. I have a right to be tired after today" the blue eyed blonde exhaled nosily with a smile twitching up the corners of his perfectly shaped lips.

 

Honestly, Nicholas couldn't blame the older man for being tired. The photo shoot today had been particularly draining. They had been working from dawn and the breaks between each shoot weren't that long. Heck, Nicholas himself was rather sore today, an oddity for the younger man. Then again, the tight suits they had been wearing for the second half of the shoot had not helped matters in the least when it came to terms of comfort. At the very least they were done now.

 

"You have any plans for later, kiddo? Wanna come out for the bit with the rest of us?" Carlos asked after a moments pause, eyeing the other model curiously as the brunette calmly shook his head.

 

"Not tonight, I'm probably gonna meet up with a friend. He'd kill me if I canceled on him" Nicholas replied, pulling his cellphone off of a nearby table to check for any messages. He usually meet up with his friend after most work days. In fact, he had exchanged messages with the other man a bit earlier today so he assumed that they were still on for tonight.

 

"Same kid as usual?" Carlos asked, he didn't even have to see Nicholas bob his head in affirmation before he was smiling and shrugging as he walked away "Well if anything changes, just give me a call and I'll tell you where we'll be".

 

"Gotcha, thanks!" Nicholas called out towards the departing blonde as he scrolled through his phone's messages for a moment. He hoped his friend was close already. Usually they'd meet up inside the set of the photo shoot and his friend would follow him as he changed back to his regular cloths. He wasn't sure about tonight, he'd have to wait and see.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

 

 

 

Name: Michael "Mike" Ash

 

Age: 24

 

Gender: Male/Neutral

 

Orientation: Pansexual

 

Profession: Barista at a local coffee shop

 

Personality: Calm, collected, without any idea how to say 'no' to anything. He can be rather emotional, but sadness is something he refrains from showing, especially to his friends. His friends only get to know the cheerful him. While he likes spending time out with friends, which he only has a few, being out for too long certainly makes him nervous and tired. He's introverted, but finds it easy to talk to new people, however when two people can be together in silence, he considers it to be the best kind of relationship. He hates letting people down and often puts others before himself. He tends to dream big, however most of his dreams only stay as dreams.

 

Bio: He grew up as a single child in a rather wealthy family. His mother worked as a surgeon while his father was a professor at a university. He always got what he wanted, yet he managed to not get spoiled. Perhaps it was in his blood, but he always liked helping people out - even in kindergarten he shared his toys and even food with the kids who didn't have the things that he did. When he was a teenager he began experimenting with his gender and sexuality - deciding that gender norms are, well, stupid, he began wearing skirts and dresses here and there, thankfully, with both of his parents supporting him and his decisions. He was lucky, at least with his family. The same couldn't be said about his relationships. People wanted to use him, too often to like. His most recent, still on-going relationship is the worst he'd ever been in, but his partner makes it seem like it's Michael's fault. Abuse comes in physical and psychological form, and yet Michael can't seem to have the heart to leave his boyfriend.

 

---

He was knocked down onto the ground. His blue eyes watering, Michael looked up, his lower lip trembling slightly. He'd always been sensitive. How could one not be in this sort of situation? He was terrified. His boyfriend was a little bit drunk, and while usually he just passed out, this time he seemed very dissatisfied with something. That is, until he realized he'd actually pushed Michael down.

 

"Oh, baby-... I'm sorry..." Brad slurred, getting down on his knees, slowly covering Michael's lips with his own. He gave into the kiss, moving his hands around the other's neck, squeezing his eyes tightly. "You know how I can get..." Brad murmured, sloppily kissing down his throat, impatiently tugging down his shirt to kiss and bite at his collarbone.

 

"Brad, please, I need to go." Michael said, quietly, while slowly combing his fingers through Brad's dark locks. "I'm gonna be late." He added, gently pulling Brad's head away to look into his eyes, a small smile stretching across his face. "I'll be back by midnight, I promise." He whispered softly before giving into another messy, possessive kiss.

 

"You better." Brad groaned after the kiss ended, roughly biting into his neck, leaving another bright bruise. As if his neck hadn't been covered in them already. Struggling to his feet, the drunk male slowly got to the bed, dropping down on it. Soon enough loud snoring filled the room. Only then did Michael stand up, carefully, trying to figure out whether there would be more bruises on his body. Probably... But Brad didn't mean to do that. So it was okay.

 

Changing into a pastel blue button-up and green skinny jeans, Michael tossed a scarf around his neck to hide most of his hickeys, put on his white vans, grabbed his wallet, keys and phone and left through the door. He should still make it to meet Nico. He really hoped he wouldn't be late.

 

Michael was there by the time Nicholas' photo shoot ended. Flashing a wide grin, the blond walked up to the other, sticking his hands into his pockets. "Well, don't you look all fancy?" He laughed quietly. "Where do you feel like going today? I promised I'd be back by midnight." Michael added with a smile lingering on his face. He'd told Nico about his relationship, except the abuse, of course. Although the bruises on his body were hard to miss, he always brushed them off, saying that Brad was just... Just passionate. And that he was.

[Time_Keeper]

Looking up from his phone the moment he heard the familiar voice of Micheal, Nicholas found his lips twitching up to a smile at the man's words. "Hey now. You know I didn't freely choose to put this one. Not my fault that I look smoking good in a suit and tie" he teased lightly, winking playfully at his friend as he began to walk towards the hallways connected to the large room that they had been doing the shoot in. "Come with me. I just gotta get out of these cloths before we do anything" Nicholas called over his shoulder.

 

"As for where we go, your wish is my command. I had nothing in mind, so it's your choice. Whatever fits around your tight scheduale, kiddo" he added after a moment, pocketing his phone into his pants for the time being. Peering back at Micheal over his shoulder, Nicholas raised a perfectly arched brow while asking "By the way, you doing alright, Micheal? Nothing crazy to report about that 'passionate' relationship of yours....You know you can talk to me if you want".

 

Though maybe it wasn't his place, Nicholas worried for Micheal quite a bit. He didn't like the boyfriend the young man had. Not because he was being petty, but because the man just wasn't what Micheal needed. Even if his friend refused to admit where the bruises Nicholas had seen time and time again had come from, the model was not blind nor stupid. Marks like those didn't come from a passionate relationship only. There was much more to it and it was frusterating for Micheal to not see it himself.

 

Turning his gaze forward once more as he entered the hallway, Nicholas wasted no time in entering the third door to the right of the hall. He was tired of wearing these stiff cloths, at the moment, he wanted nothing more to go back to his comfortable T- shirt, jacket and slightly baggy jeans. At least with those cloths on, he wouldn't feel as suffocated as he was now.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Michael laughed, the gleeful expression staying on his face even though guilt was eating him alive. Brad often lashed out because he was so sure there was something going on between Michael and Nicholas. Most of his bruises came from the little arguments or even fights about Nico. Michael always denied any kind of relationship between them, while Brad would scream about how he wasn't loved anymore. He threatened to kill himself so many times if Michael left him...

 

"Why don't we go see a movie then? Some comedy." He offered, running a hand over his curly hair. Brad started complaining about that, too. He should probably straighten it out... He'd look more masculine, at least that was what he was told. Brad controlled his life, even if he refused to admit it yet. "There's nothing to talk about, I've told you that a million times..." Michael trailed off, leaning against the wall once they were in Nico's dressing room. "He just gets jealous, there's nothing wrong with that. I get jealous too. It's normal." It was almost pathetic how hard he tried to explain his boyfriend's abuse. He ran as far away as possible from the truth.

 

"Have you eaten today? I mean, proper food." Michael asked suddenly, looking up at his friend. Now something he was worried about was Nicholas, and his mental health. He knew he had anorexia, and he saw the toll it had on him. It was upsetting, but he tried his best to make him eat as much as possible. He just hoped the taller man didn't puke it all out once Michael couldn't see. Rubbing his eye, Michael finally sat down on a chair, crossing his legs as he took a glance at the mirror and fixed his scarf to hide the bright bruises which didn't look like hickeys anymore. There were a few that looked like fingerprints, like Michael was choked at some point, with the intention of making him suffocate.

[Time_Keeper]

"Sure comedy sounds good to me" Nicholas replied with a light shrug. He didn't really mind what they did. The man was always rather laid back and easy going so as long as his friends had a good time, he usually went with whatever they came up with. It was just simply the way he was. That was no different with Micheal. Heck, Nicholas figured that the poor man had it hard enough dealing with his boyfriend. Whatever small comfort Nicholas could offer him, he was game. He couldn't force Micheal to open his eyes and see the toxic relationship he had run himself into. But he could at least offer him a safe haven from the storm when things got too heavy.

 

"There's a difference between being jealous and being obsessed in a possessive manner, my friend. As I've told you millions of times. There's something not right in that guy's head. It worries me and I don't like what it does to you......But I'm not gonna argue that point tonight. It's been a long day. As long as you play it safe and take care of yourself, that's all I ask" Nicholas sighed he unbuttoned the suit and shrugged it off his shoulders. Turning his attention to the white dress shirt beneath it the moment he had laid the jacket and vest of the three-piece suit on a nearby chair, Nicholas began to unbuttoned that as well. Though it was truly frusterating to see the state Micheal often was in, if the boy didn't want help, Nicholas couldn't force his assistance on him either.

 

"I ate something earlier today and by my standards, it was proper enough" Nicholas lied easily, slipping the white shirt off his body and letting join the neat pile on the chair. It was easy to lie when it came to food and just how much he ate. He usually got asked the same question a dozen times a day by several people. He knew that telling them that he was simply not hungry wouldn't cut it, so he told them what they wanted to hear. It worked in his favor and it usually got people off his back. Besides, in his mind, he was a grown ass man. He didn't need people fussing over his eating routine or lack there of. He ate when he was hungry and even if the amount was pitifully small and rarely stayed in his stomach for long, he at least kept himself alive.

 

Catching the reflection of Micheal fixing his scarf, Nicholas sighed as he made an effort to ignore his own reflection. Tugging a plain black T-shirt over his head, the man forgot about taking the pants off for a moment as he turned and walked over to Micheal. Leaning down a bit but keeping a personal distance from the male, he raised a hand and hooked it on the top on the man's scarf. Pulling it down gently, a frown turned the corners of his usually smiling lips down when he caught sight of the finger prints. "You really should consider my words, kid. There's no way you can brush these off as nothing" he murmured softly.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Truly, having the small amount of control did feel calming to Michael. Even being heard was good enough for him. Sometimes when talking to Brad, he wasn't even sure if his words, let alone feelings were considered important anymore. Honestly, he began thinking about ending the relationship. He just didn't know how, and he was genuinely scared of Brad's reaction - and the threat to kill himself. Michael couldn't live with himself if he knew he was responsible for someone's death that could've been avoided simply by him shutting up and suffering through the worse parts. They had their nice moments, too... Though those became rarer and rarer.

 

"Everything is right in Brad's head. Stop saying things like that. I love him and he loves me, and that's all that matters." Michael replied, rather firmly at that, too. Nicholas really liked speaking badly about Brad... Hah, if only Brad knew about that. Michael would probably be forbidden to ever see Nico again.

 

"Okay, so we're going to have dinner first." Michael said sternly, looking back at his friend. "You're the one who should be taking care of yourself. Anorexia isn't something light. One time you're going to end up in a hospital." He spoke quietly, worry evident in his eyes. Sure, Nicholas took care of his body, that was for sure - he didn't look like he had anorexia, but someday something would just crack and everything would go downhill from there. The same could be said about Michael's situation, though. One time Brad would go too far and either Michael would end up dead or Brad would go to prison... Or both.

 

When Nico came closer and tugged down his scarf, Michael looked down at his hands placed on his lap. "It is nothing, though." He muttered back, lightly pushing Nicholas' hand away to tug his scarf back up. "I'm not about to start explaining you about my sex life." He added, hoping to lighten up the mood as a small smile stretched across his face. Although those bruises were not given during sex, it was easy to pretend they did. Some people were into choking, after all. In reality, Brad seemed set on killing him at one point, when he got back home later than he was supposed to. Thankfully he didn't get any bones broken, yet there were some big bruises on his abdomen, his chest and back - ones that he absolutely refused to let Nicholas see. After all, the incident happened only a few days ago. They were still more than visible.

[Time_Keeper]

"I'm only seeing things as they are....but alright. I'll play nice if that's what you want" Nicholas answered rather dismissingly. He was used to Micheal defending Brad, but that didn't make it any less annoying. When it came to Brad, it was like trying to talk to a brick wall. Micheal never seemed to run out of making excuses for the man, no matter how bad the marks on his body looked. As a friend and someone that cared, Nicholas worried and despaired for his friend but there was nothing he could really do. If he tried to force his opinion on Micheal, the chances were that his friend would refuse to spend any more time with him and that wasn't exactly what he wanted. It would probably just cause Micheal to bury himself deeper into the mess that was Brad.

 

Feeling a twitch of annoyance run through him at the words Micheal said about his "condition", words that he had heard time and time again, Nicholas ran a hand through his hair as he prayed for patience. He wasn't angry at Micheal per say, but he hated when people in general tried to force him to eat. Sure, they wanted the best for him, but forcing him wasn't going to accomplish anything. Nicholas ate when he wanted to. That was all. Besides, he was a model. It was his job to stay thin and in shape, people that weren't models seemed to have a hard time realizing that.

 

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Just cause I'm diagnosed with Anorexia doesn't make it a big deal. I'm fine. I don't see the need to worry about me. But by all means, if you're hungry, we can go to a restaurant. You can eat whatever you want and I'll just get a drink or something" the model replied rather nonchalantly. By his tone alone, it was obvious that he wasn't going to be forced to do something he didn't want to do. If there was one thing Nicholas was, above being friendly and playful, it was being stubborn. When he put his foot down on a topic, it took a miracle for anyone to get him to change his mind.

 

"Kid, I don't want to know a thing about your sex life. I'll probably be traumatized for life. I've got enough in my mind than to add that in there" Nicholas chuckled even as he didn't fight it when Micheal pushed his hand away. Exhaling a heavy breath softly, the model straightened to his full height once more and offered Micheal a small, albeit sad sort of smile. "I just wish you'd pull the blindfold from your eyes and see that everything isn't rainbows and sunshine. You worry me, and I can't help but think that you have no idea how much. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt in a way that I can't help you from" Nicholas added quietly after a moment before turning his back on Micheal and walking over to where he had left his jeans.

 

"I just want you to be happy. Really happy, Micheal. In a way that you won't have to lie about it to the one person that can see clearly through the bull that leaves your mouth" he tossed over his shoulder as he slipped out of the dress pants, folded them and pulled on his jeans. Being a model had gotten Nicholas accustomed to having little to no cloths on around people so when it came to change in front of his friend, it didn't bother him one bit.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Michael's lips pursed into a frown. He didn't want for them to fight, yet it seemed like it always happened. The man looked down, deciding to just stay quiet. It was how he avoided most trouble, anyway. With Brad, with Nicholas, with his family... "I'm not really hungry." He muttered out, looking away as the other began changing his clothes. Even if Nico didn't have a problem with doing that, Michael would've felt horrible if he actually watched. He laughed along with his friend, lightly running a hand over his hair.

 

"Well, at least one of us has to stay positive. For all I care, my life is rainbows and sunshine. My life is great, y'know?" Michael smiled, genuinely, at least it seemed to be a genuine smile. "I'm really happy that you care about me so much, but I promise I won't get hurt." He added softly, keeping his gaze away. His smile faded away at Nicholas' next words. He didn't like lying about how he was feeling. He wanted to talk to Nico about his fears, about how it scared him that Brad hit him. His family didn't know about it, and while he never told Nico, it seemed like he actually knew everything. That... That was also a little bit scary. He didn't know what to say as a response, so he just stayed quiet. Why ruin the situation and the mood even more?

 

"Ready?" Michael asked once he was certain that Nicholas had his pants on. He smiled, pushing himself away from the wall. "Let's go. I want to pick out some light movie, maybe we'll have enough time to do a little bit shopping as well. I desperately need some new hats." He said, pushing his hands deep into his pockets. Michael offered the other a wide grin, one that was usually seen on his face, tilting his head to the side the smallest bit. It seemed like there was nothing in the world that could worry him. He was good at hiding his emotions, even if he had so many of them. Even Nicholas didn't get to see the deepest parts of him.

 

"Maybe you have a movie you want to see? I'd be down for things other than comedy if you feel like it, you know?" He smiled, walking out of the dressing room, heading towards the exit. If one looked very closely, they could see that there was the slightest limp in his steps. He was in pain, that he was, but he was so used to it, it almost didn't matter. He could barely feel it. The pain was more like a rock in his shoe - just slightly annoying, but bearable. Hell, if he admitted he felt pain every time he did, he wouldn't go anywhere. He'd just stay home and try to lick his wounds. He knew he couldn't do that. He had to work and he had to make sure his friends didn't get suspicious.

[Time_Keeper]

Words itched to escape his lips at Micheal's reassurance that he wouldn't get hurt. The man was getting hurt already as it was so Nicholas couldn't possibly begin to comprehend what Micheal was thinking, but he didn't want to argue. At least not anymore. His schedule was starting to get more and more busy and he wasn't going to be able to see Micheal as often as they did nowadays, especially not when he knew the kid had Brad breathing down his neck. For now, Nicholas just wanted to enjoy a night out with his friend and hope that everything worked out for the kid in the end. He might worry and be upset about the fact that Micheal refused to see the truth, but he wouldn't be any better than Brad if he forced his will on the younger man. Nicholas honestly didn't have the heart for that. All he could do was watch from a distance and interfere if ever the time came for that. He just hoped it wouldn't be too late and he would be close by when the shit finally hit the fan.

 

"Just know that I'm here if you ever need me. You know I won't turn my back on you" Nicholad murmured softly as he finished changing out of his modeling cloths and passed a hand lightly through his hair. It had been a long day and he wanted to just relax for now, tomorrow would be filled with photo shoots again and to much to do to think of anything else. So for tonight, he planned on having a bit of fun.

 

Not fighting the light smile that twitched up onto his lips at Micheal and his comment of shopping, Nicholas chuckled and shook his head. "We could go shopping if you want but be prepared to be bought more than just hats. You might want to invest your money in head gear but I'm more pro buying you stuff that will make you look better than you already do. You gotta exploit those good looks before they get saggy and old, my good man. Believe me, you're talking to a model after all" he stated playfully as he walked out behind Micheal. In retrospect, he knew that making Micheal look too good in a variety of cloths would probably lead to Brad getting annoyed for whatever ridiculous reasons went through that man's mind. However, that didn't mean that he couldn't upgrade his friend's woredrobe just a little bit.

 

"You know, I would suggest a horror movie but we can't have you wetting your adorable self. I might get in trouble over that" Nicholas teased gently even as a frown momentarily flickered onto his features at the limp he could see in Micheal. It was subtle and if he hadn't known what to look for, he probably wouldn't have seen it. But considering that he was a model and it was his job to locate and fix imperfections, it was glaringly obvious to him. Again it brought dark thoughts to his mind but for the sake of Micheal and this night, he pushed what he wanted to say down for now.

 

"I'm cool with whatever you want, kid. You know I'm not picky most of the time. Your wish is my command" he added after a moment before asking "We going in your car or mine?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

A quiet sigh left Michael's lips. "I know." He replied softly. Nicholas would probably be here for him even if he fell into a deep loom of depression and drug addictions - though he doubted that was ever going to happen. He wasn't really the kind of guy for drugs, he barely even drank, though that was mostly because of his boyfriend. Brad didn't like him drinking, and it was for a good cause, so... He just didn't drink.

 

Laughing quietly at Nico's words about shopping, the man shook his head slightly. "Well, I guess since I'm with an expert, I could bear to renew my wardrobe a bit." He agreed with a chuckle. "Hats are still top priority, though." The man added with a light smile on his face. Brad wouldn't get annoyed with new clothes as long as he didn't know that Nicholas had any part in it. Some other guy daring to look at his boyfriend would probably drive him mad. Quite frankly, Michael wasn't sure if he would even be allowed to hang out with him anymore after something like that.

 

"Hey! Rude." Michael scoffed in response to Nico's words. "You know what? Let's go see a horror movie." He huffed angrily, though he'd probably end up regretting it later - he very genuinely despised horror movies. "It'll be your pick, so, you better have something good in mind." He grumbled softly, his hands snugly in his pockets. At the question, Michael blinked, looking over at his friend. "Oh, I didn't come here by car. I took the bus." He replied with slight confusion. "I... Don't really drive by myself that much? I don't like it, honestly." He explained, the smile lingering on his face. This was true, however. Driving was lonely and a bit nerve-wrecking. There was too much that could go wrong.

 

"So... If you could drive me home later, too, that'd be great." Michael mentioned with a somewhat guilty expression on his face. "I can pay you for the gas." He said immediately, while walking towards his friend's car. He hated feeling in debt for people, especially Nico. That man had been so good for him already, asking for any more favors seemed to be unfair. Especially since Michael himself couldn't really do shit. "Okay, now tell me what kinda clothes are you even thinking would fit me. Clearly, I have no idea. Surprise me." Michael spoke curiously, looking at the other while lightly biting his lip.