Monster - House of Wax fic - R

[tigriswolf]

Title: Monster
Fandom: House of Wax
Disclaimer: not my characters.  just for fun.
Warnings: spoilers for movie; slash
Pairings: see above and think hard
Rating: R
Wordcount: 1400
Point of view: third
Notes: companion to "Awakening" I think both can stand alone, but you'd be well served to read that one first.

The first time Nick sees him, it’s a year to the day. He doesn’t say or do anything—just watches Nick. Almost studies him.

And then he smiles. That’s when Nick wakes up.

He gasps and gulps down air, jerks up in the bed, mutters and snarls. He presses a hand to his chest; his heart is beating like it hasn’t since Ambrose. Since he almost died. Since Carly almost died.

It’s been a year. They’ve moved on, put those days behind them. Carly took the internship and Nick’s a bartender; they live together in harmony.

It took almost losing each other to realize how much they need each other, but they learned the lesson.

Carly never mentions Wade. She talks about Paige, but never mentions Wade. Nick tells her all about Dalton, about what really happened with the car. Mentions that he thinks he might be bi, but he’s not really sure.

They cling to each other some nights, unable to sleep alone. Vincent and Bo loom on the dreamscape, terrible and terrifying; Carly whimpers and Nick does his best, but they are killed every time.

Nick wakes shuddering and Carly crying, and they go about the day.

-

A year on and they are almost happy. Nick is on the straight and narrow; Carly is on the path to success. Ambrose is a distant memory, ignored beneath the sun and hated beneath the moon.

But now Wade haunts Nick’s dreams and he doesn’t know why. He doesn’t tell Carly—she never mentions the man she loved. Never speaks of him. So Nick can’t start that conversation.

At first, Wade only watches whatever Nick is dreaming. A silent spectator, he never moves or speaks. But slowly, it changes. Slowly, Wade starts molding the events.

It takes months, but finally Wade’s specter rules Nick’s dreams, weaves them.

Nick wonders but he never speaks. He wakes unhappy and lost, snaps at Carly for no reason, is short with every person he meets. After a few weeks, Carly confronts him. Demands to know what’s going on.

All he has to offer as an excuse is “Your boyfriend won’t leave me alone.” So, he can’t say that. He can’t say anything.

She sends him to a shrink and they talk about Ambrose, his dreams for the future. They talk about everything except what they need to and Nick still can’t sleep. But he learns to cope and finally he’s nearly fine again.

But then, on the second anniversary of everything, Wade’s specter kisses him on the lips.

Nick wakes yelling and hard, and Carly hurries in. He’s gasping like he’s run a marathon and Carly demands, “What’s going on?”

He doesn’t have the words or an explanation. He never thought of Wade like that. Never. Not once.

Well, maybe once. Or twice. Every time he looked at his little sister’s boyfriend. Damn it all to hell.

Nick can’t meet Carly’s eyes, so he looks past her. And there in the corner stands Wade.

Nick closes his eyes and sinks back into the bed. Carly huffs and storms out.

Wade waits for him in the dreamscape and finally Nick speaks.

“What do you want?” he asks softly, and Wade smiles. Reaches out to gently touch Nick’s cheek.

“I’m hungry,” he whispers, pulling Nick close and pressing his lips to Nick’s neck. “I’m so hungry and nothing sates me.”

“And I can do something about that?” Nick gasps out, leaning into Wade.

“No,” Wade answers, pulling back and looking into Nick’s eyes. “But you’re so pretty…” His smile is wicked and Nick wakes wondering what the hell is wrong with his subconscious.

-

It’s a month later. A month of those dreams and that man and Nick is ready to kill someone, it’s so damn frustrating.

Not to mention wrong.

Wade was Carly’s boyfriend. And now he’s dead.

But, a part of Nick argues, did they ever find a body? They found Paige’s, Dalton’s, Blake’s—but not Wade’s.

When Nick goes to work, he’s not expecting Wade to be sitting at the bar, nursing a full glass of water.

He stops Molly, one of the older waitresses, and asks her, “Do you see that guy?”

She follows his gaze and nods. “Been there a few hours. That’s still his first glass.”

Nick thanks her and slips behind the bar.

Hours pass. Wade never orders anything else. He talks to a few people, smiles at a few others, doesn’t cause any trouble.

Wade is fucking dead. Nick would have bet his soul. But here he sits.

He never, Nick notices, takes a single sip of his water.

Finally, Wade stands. A pretty little thing, maybe twenty or twenty-one, blond hair and blue eyes, walks with him out of the bar. She’s a little bigger than Carly, just as loud, and Wade towers over her.

He holds the door for her and glances back, meets Nick’s eyes. And smiles.

-

Four days later, Nick’s flipping channels. He’s gotta be at work in thirty minutes, but he doesn’t feel so good. He’s thinking of calling in sick. Or quitting.

He’s just so damned tired. He’s been tired since Ambrose.

He pauses on the news. Some girl named Marie Adamson is missing. Twenty-one years old. Blond hair, blue eyes, five four and a half. Last seen at Ronin’s, where Nick works.

“We live in interesting times, don’t we?” a dark voice asks, laughter threading through the words.

It’s been over two years since he actually heard that voice. But he recognizes it instantly.

“What the fuck’s going on?” Nick roars, lunging to his feet.

Before Ambrose, even at his most intimidating, Nick could never equal Wade. He’s reminded sharply of that now, and it pisses him off.

Wade’s wearing black jeans, old boots, a dark green T-shirt, and a wicked smile. He seems bigger than Nick remembers.

“I’m hungry,” Wade tells him, stepping closer. “So hungry. Nothing ever fills me for along.” His eyes glint and Nick swallows.

Wade licks his lips and says, “I won’t eat you, Nicky. You don’t have to worry. I just wanted to see you.”

“What are you?” Nick whispers. “You died.”

Wade laughs. “I know, Nick. I was dead. And now I’m not.” He moves too quickly for Nick to follow, and has him pressed against the wall. “But you know the best part?”

A moment of quiet and Nick notices. He can’t feel Wade’s chest rise or fall, can’t hear or feel his breath.

“You’re not breathing.”

-

Marie Adamson is never found. Nick wonders how many others are missing.

Wade still haunts his dreams and Nick sees him sometimes. He never tells Carly.

A year to the day in the bar, Wade visits him again. Slips down beside him on the couch.

“You smell like blood,” Nick says conversationally.

“Do I?” Wade asks. “Huh.”

“What are you?” Nick’s voice is soft, hesitant. He’s not sure he wants to know.

“Something wrong,” Wade answers.

“Are you gonna take me, too, now?” Nick turns off the TV and faces Wade.

“No,” Wade responds and meets his eyes.

Nick sees the kiss coming and doesn’t turn aside.

He wonders when it’ll all go to Hell, but then thinks it’s already there.

-

Four years after Ambrose, Nick wakes and wonders when it all went wrong.

Carly hasn’t spoken to him in months, he can’t remember when he was happy, and he sleeps next to a monster every night.

He still doesn’t know what Wade is. His skin isn’t cold but he doesn’t breathe. He’s told Nick he doesn’t thirst, he doesn’t tire, and he can’t taste anything but blood.

“I’m not evil,” Wade said. “I just don’t care.”

He took Nick on two hunts. “Pedophiles,” Wade whispered in his ear.

Nick doesn’t know if it’s true, but he’s willing to believe it.

Watching Wade, Nick knows he’s completely fucked. Seeing men torn apart, eaten alive—should not be so hot.

But it is, and Wade smirks when he meets Nick’s eyes.

When Wade kisses him, Nick can taste blood. All he tastes is blood.

Nick hasn’t been happy in years. He can’t remember how it felt.

The sun rises and he sleeps next to a monster.

Wade reaches over and cups his face, whispers, “No second thoughts, Nicky.”

“No,” Nick murmurs and closes his eyes.

Comments

[graceandfire.livejournal.com]

So I don't like horror movies. But apparently I like slashy stories about cute guys who survive horror movies. It's good to learn new things about oneself :)

[tigriswolf]

Yay! Learning new things is fun. *nods sagely*

Thank you for reading!

[alznthlay.livejournal.com]

...yep, still stalking your past stories.

HoW fic -- i have no idea what to say!

I know I keep repeating myself but god, I loved this so much.

[tigriswolf]

Thanks!

[charlie-jae.livejournal.com]

Oye... as dark as that was it was freakin hot.

[tigriswolf]

Thank you! If you click the 'undead wade' tag, there's one more story...

*is not hinting*

*honest*