Beta Squad Advent Calendar 2024

Day 5 [relative's visit]

Prompt fill: Relative's visit
romantic pairing
Niko x AJ
Hurt/Comfort

"I don't understand." Aj's brow furrowed. "What does your cousin visiting have to do with our relationship?"

Niko closed his eyes for a second. "It's just for the second advent weekend Aj, come on. We'll survive that long, won't we?"

"Nikolas, that's not what I mean! You're asking me to put our relationship on- on hold, just so your family doesn't find out you're gay?" Aj stood up from where he was seated on the couch next to his boyfriend.

"What's so fucking wrong about it, huh? In case you've forgotten, I'm gay as well." He was gesturing around wildly, desperately hoping that he misunderstood Niko. "You said you told your family already, Nikolas. What, did you lie?"

Niko sat rigid on the couch, looking out of place, while he fidgeted with a pillow in his lap. "No- I- I wanted to, but -" he stopped, not knowing how to explain his irrational fear.

"Are ashamed of me?" Aj asked in a small voice. Niko's head shot up, "No! I was just- I-"

"Then what, Niko? Explain to me why you aren't ashamed of being with me and instead have a good reason to basically break up with me and play straight for the next couple of days!"

"I wasn't breaking up with you, Aj, please- I-" Niko scrubbed over his face in frustration at seeing tears form in his boyfriend's eyes. He hadn't meant to hurt him, he just, "I was scared. I- You were so ready to just tell the world-"

"Scared. Right. And instead of talking to me, you think this was the best choice? Lying to me and not caring once how I feel? Like you don't know you're the most important person in my life, like I don't exits just for you and love you more than myself?" Slowly but steadily, Aj lost the fight against his tears and they began rolling down his cheeks.

"Damn you, Niko, I was fucking scared as well!" Aj wiped his face with his shirt sleeve as resignation gave way for anger. "But I thought we'd do it like we do fucking everything else! Together!"

Niko reached his hands out, but Aj took a step back. "I didn't mean it like that, Aj, come on. Please, baby, we'll figure it out. Like you said, together. Think about it?"

Aj stared. Bit his trembling lower lip and crossed his arms over his chest, hugging himself.

"I don't have to. I'm staying with Chunkz until you've got your shit together, Nikolas."

____________

The house is quiet without Aj. Niko had sometimes wondered what his life would have looked like if he and Aj hadn't gotten their heads out of their asses.

The feeling in his stomach when he thinks about Aj not being here is an ugly little thing, turning every breath into stones that sit heavily right on top of his heart.

After Niko's proposed question, after he had said all the wrong things and the fear of hurting Aj made his throat close up so tight he couldn't answer. After Aj stared at him like he didn't know the person sitting on the couch, after he stormed out and the door fell closed behind him with a bang so loud Niko flinched where he was sitting two rooms over-

After Aj left, the house was quiet.

Niko hates it.

Hates the silence and the painfully clear absence of the love of his life. Hates the words he said and the words he didn't say even more. Hates himself for calling Aj when he didn't even know what to say and hates himself for only trying once when it went to the answerphone.

But most of all, Niko hates the silence.

It leaves room for the loneliness, the regret, and the guilt.

When Chunkz picks up his phone on the fifth ring and tells him Aj doesn't want to talk to him while Niko can hear his love crying in the background, he almost listens to Chunkz underlying warning to stay away.

Except he's not.

He's not because Niko loves Aj more than the sun, more than the moon and all the stars, loves him forever and ever and one more day. Loves him completely and unconditionally and damn him if he loses Aj to his own stupid mistakes.

For Aj, he would do everything.

So he will fight for him and continue to do so, never stop making up for what he said.

Relationships mean work, and sometimes tears and fights. But this right now is Niko's fault, and he'll own up to it, and beg and plead and apologise, and there's only one thing he won't do.

Give up.

Because Aj is his entire universe. There's no one more important than Aj in his life, and he will never let him go.

____________

Aj cries a bit when Niko tells him this, after driving to Chunkz's and waiting three hours in the cold before Aj finally opened the door for him. Smiles wobbly and collapses in his boyfriend's arms.

"There is nothing I wouldn't face for you, Aj. I'm sorry I lied, and I'm sorry I even thought about pressing pause on us. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Please don't ever leave. No matter who visits us. I want to introduce you as the love of my life to all of them."

Niko's face is suspiciously wet when he's finished, and Aj traces over his cheekbone softly.

When their eyes meet, Aj smiles gently and tips his head up. There's so much hope shining in his eyes, but it's still no match for the love in them.

Niko leans down and connects their lips, holding Aj close. Behind them, Chunkz smiles fondly, dapping at his eyes and ending the recording he made for blackmail purposes.

[Was in my feelings today, oops. Also just realised that the relative doesn't even visit. Oh well. Hope the happy ending is happy enough for u.<3 oh and I wrote longer, yey.]