Chapter Text
“Do you think we’ll ever get out of here?” John asked without meeting Nick’s eyes. Instead, he stared off into the street at nothing in particular. To the untrained eye, it would probably look like John was calm, asking the question without an answer already in his mind. But Nick’s eyes were trained quite well to John’s mannerisms by now, and the way he stood perfectly still was anything but relaxed.
But knowing that the question was loaded in some way didn’t bring Nick any closer to an answer. Nor did it help him figure out what John really meant. These jobs? This town? Something else entirely. He gave himself another drag on his cigarette to ponder the answer but as the familiar burn in his chest gave way and the smoke passed through his lips he found he was no closer to an answer and his breath sounded more like a sigh. “Do you want to?”
Something in John’s posture relaxed just a tiny bit and he allowed himself to lean just slightly more comfortably against the wall he was propped up on. He shrugged, once again trying and failing to look nonchalant. “Wouldn’t mind being at a beach instead.” He turned to Nick now and gave him what seemed to be a genuine smile. “Especially if you were there. Think there’s any nude beaches nearby?”
Nick barked out a laugh and shook his head. “Not that I know of.” In truth, this was the best that Nick’s life had been in a long time now. There had been a time not too long ago that he had thought even this was out of his reach. The idea that he could be standing here with a… friend, or whatever it is John was to him, feeling somewhat normal would have seemed impossible. But if the impossible had happened once, he supposed there was no reason it couldn’t happen again.
Nick paused for a moment and then held out his hand to John and John, puzzled at first, soon caught on and passed his joint over. Nick took a drag on it and John couldn’t stop the surprise on his face. When Nick handed it back he was smiling. “But let me know if you find one. I could use a vacation.”
John was quiet for a moment, just watching him and smiling. His eyes seemed only half focused, as though he was more lost in thought than smiling at Nick intentionally. When he got out of his own head again he laughed and took a hit himself. “Just a vacation? Fuck, let’s take a damn sabatical or maybe win the lottery and buy an island. Then every beach could be a nude beach.” His smile twisted up in one corner and his posture relaxed fully now.
Nick snuffed out his cigarette and moved closer to John so they could more easily pass the joint back and forth. He knew he shouldn’t be encouraging this behavior. They were both on the clock and while smoking cigarettes was still grudgingly allowed, what they were doing now was still decidedly against mall policy. Then again, even owning the stuff would’ve been illegal just a few years ago.
Still, for his own sanity, he muttered a quick “This stays between us,” before taking his next hit.
John nodded, though Nick knew he would never tell anyone. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. There was a rather large chance that Deacon and RJ would know as soon as the three of them next met up. He was also fairly sure he didn’t have to worry about them telling anyone. And, he realized, that even the idea of getting a talking to from management seemed less important than seeing that weight and stress lift from John’s body. He looked… better somehow when he was happy.
Nick quickly looked away, blinking more rapidly as he tried not to follow that thought too far. It made sense to want a friend to be happy. Even if that friend was really just a work acquaintance who caused too much trouble in what were, admittedly, sometimes comical ways. He let a passive frown settle on his face, for some reason worried that his thoughts would show somehow.
John frowned himself and his eyebrows pulled together as he surveyed Nick before turning away and finishing off the joint before dropping it to the ground and snuffing it out. “Guess I’ll have to win the lottery before looking at any islands though, huh? Think they got Zillow for that sorta thing?”
Nick checked his watch and then straightened out his shirt. “I doubt it.” He hesitated for a second. They should have been back inside minutes ago. “Pick that up so no one finds it,” he said, nodding to the ground. “There’s only so much I can cover for you.” He made it to the door before something in him made him turn back and add, “And for what it’s worth, yeah, I do think you’ll get outta here one day. Lottery or not.”
Something in him knew that John had the potential for more than this. He could do great things if he wanted to. Maybe even change the world. He just really hoped that he wouldn’t forget Nick. He wasn’t sure he could stand to feel so alone again anymore.
John didn’t answer, once again lost in thought, and Nick didn’t wait for an answer. The door clicked shut behind him and with one last sigh he let go of the conversation and threw himself back into his work.
“This is Nick, checking back in.”
As soon as he let go on the button on the radio a response came back, nearly unintelligible with the amount of static. “Thank god. Some girl’s making a scene in Forever 21 and I need back up.”
As he had to do many times each day, Nick counted his blessings as he prepared to face the rest of what was certain to be a very long day.