Complement, page 11
part #3 of Connectivity Series
“Yes, I’m in Utah,” Nick replied. “I changed my number after we met up for that lunch disaster. I figured it would be better if I just cut ties and then packed everything up and left.”
“How long have you been there? I just got your number last week.”
“I’ve been here over a month, but I didn’t return your call until now because I...” Nick hesitated. There were many reasons he hadn’t returned Cory’s call or tried to get in touch with him over the last month. Ash nudged him again and he sighed.
“What?” Cory asked. “What’s wrong? Are we still dancing around this?”
“It’s not that.” Nick shifted uneasily. “I was in the hospital.”
“What?” Cory shouted. “Why? Your dad didn’t say anything. Are you okay? If you tried to hurt yourself over this thing, we’re going to drive out there right now and talk this out. I knew you were upset when you left the restaurant, but I didn’t think you’d hurt yourself, Nick. Travis and I were both worried about you, though. That’s why we’ve been calling. What happened?”
“It’s nothing like that. I was out hiking and fell.”
“Hiking? Since when do you go hiking? What happened?”
“I dropped my phone from the top of this rock formation thing and tried to dive after it before it went over the edge. Needless to say, I went tumbling down after it.”
Cory laughed but tried to hide it. “Oh my God, I’m sorry. Are you okay? You had to go to the hospital? How long were you there?”
“Six days.”
“What? What happened? It must have been serious if you had to stay that long.”
Ash squeezed his arm with his right hand then wrapped his left around Nick’s waist. Nick shifted the phone to his left hand and wrapped his right arm around Ash in return. Ash snuggled into his side and gave him a squeeze.
“It wasn’t life-threatening or anything, mostly bumps, and bruises. I had to stay that long because… Because I didn’t wake up.”
“You had a concussion? Were you in a coma or something? That sounds pretty serious, Nick.”
“I did have a concussion, but not a coma exactly. When I fell, I didn’t wake up again. I was in the hospital overnight and into the next day and it wasn’t until Ash got there that I finally started to come around again.”
“What? Who’s Ash?” Cory asked.
Nick took a huge breath. It was the moment of truth. “Ash is my Catalyst,” he replied.
The line was completely quiet on the other end. The only thing Nick could hear was the ambient noise from around Ash’s small house.
“Your what?” Cory finally responded, sounding in complete disbelief.
“My Catalyst.”
“Hi, Cory,” Ash chimed in. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Nick, if this is some kind of game you’re playing—” Cory said.
“It’s not a game, CJ. I wouldn’t joke about something like this, especially after what I did to you and Josh at prom,” Nick replied, feeling a lump in his throat.
“Nick…”
“I know. And knowing what I know now, it only makes what I did a million times worse. I’ve only been apart from Ash once and that was so he could show me what would happen if we got separated. Cory, it was the worst. I’ll never forgive myself for what I did to you. I forced you into that feeling. I took you away from Josh and made you both suffer. I’m so, so sorry, Cory.”
“Cory?” Ash said again. “We didn’t mean to call and upset anyone. Pretty much since the first conversation I had with Nick, he’s talked about you, and once I realized what had actually happened between you and Josh, Nick has been beating himself up even more than normal.” Ash gave him a look. “We just wanted to call so Nick could apologize again. He needs some closure on this so he can finally move forward, knowing you’re alright and that your Connection with Josh is as strong as ever. If I’m going to have to compete with you for his headspace, he’ll choose you until he knows that you two will be able to move past this. He’s miserable without your friendship, and as a newly bonded Catalyst, I’d much prefer his attention be focused on me.”
Nick couldn’t help but smile at that remark. He lightly dug his fingers into Ash’s side, causing him to laugh and squirm away. Ash had been able to put into words exactly what Nick had been feeling and it made him feel a thousand times lighter just to have those words out in the open. How Ash knew him so well after only two days was an absolute mystery, but he was beginning to thank his lucky stars for allowing their paths to cross.
“It that true, Nick?” Cory asked, and it sounded like he was smiling.
“Of course it’s true. Ash, apparently, just has a better way with my words than I do.”
Cory laughed. “It’s crazy, right? Josh and I were like that from the very beginning, too. I can’t believe you’re a Complement… It’s so completely unbelievable. I thought it was weird when Travis and Jersey ended up Connected, but this takes the cake. Josh is over here with his jaw still on the floor.” He laughed.
“Look. The last four or five months have been hell for me. You know I’m sorry for what I did, but will we ever be able to move past it? I need you in my life, Cory. You belong with Josh and I belong with Ash, but I’d still be so grateful for your friendship,” Nick said as Ash came over again and sat in his lap. He squeezed Ash’s waist as Ash rested his head against his shoulder.
“We’ll be fine, Nick. We both understand that you were going through some weird emotions and needed to get some things off your chest. The timing of everything was probably the biggest factor for all of us. If we’d been able to talk properly, probably none of this would have happened at all. Obviously now you understand why that wasn’t a possibility, but it’s done. Everything is out in the open and there are no more secrets to keep. It sucked not being able to tell you what was going on, but then I was just mad and that made it easier to deal with. I think we’ll all get along so much better now without all the hiding and school out and everything.”
“God, now I’m the baby of the group,” Ash laughed.
“Ash is only seventeen and just going into senior year,” Nick explained and he could hear both Cory and Josh laugh.
“Good luck with that,” Cory returned and it felt so normal that Nick wanted to cry with relief.
They all talked together for another half hour about school, friends, jobs, and their Connections. By the time they finally hung up, Nick’s smile was a mile wide. He finally felt like he could breathe again. A huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he owed it all to Ash. As they lay there on the bed looking at each other, Nick leaned in and kissed his Catalyst, trying to convey his gratitude and growing affection for the boy who had taken his life by storm.
-VII-
The next morning, Stevie was off from work so they woke up late and she took them out to breakfast. When she’d come home the night before Nick and Ash had been watching The Shining on Netflix. They’d discovered they both had a mutual love for quasi scary movies. They both liked movies that were more psychological thrillers and movies where you got mentally freaked out than all the horror and gore of the slasher movies.
Stevie had sat with them for a little while to decompress but then fixed herself a quick dinner and said she’d talk with them in the morning. Now, as she drove them over to a cute local breakfast eatery, Ash sat in back with Nick and held his hand as they talked about their living arrangements.
“So obviously we have to stay together and Nick and I were thinking he’d just move in with us, Mom.”
“Really?” Stevie asked, sounding surprised. “I thought I’d come home and you’d have your bags packed. I thought for sure you were going to want to move in with Nick at his apartment.”
Ash squeezed Nick’s hand and smiled up at him with a look of gratitude on his face. “Well, I guess we have some other news to share then. Since I can’t work anymore, and I’m so close to having enough money for my top surgery, Nick said he’d leave his apartment to move in with us so he could give me the rest of the eight-hundred dollars I need that he was planning to use for rent.”
“Really?” Stevie asked as they pulled into a turning lane. She looked back at Nick through the rearview mirror with a mix of emotions on her face. “Nick, are you sure? That’s a lot of money. I know how much Ash would appreciate it but it’s your money for rent and probably other expenses.”
Nick nodded. “I know, but we have to be together anyway. So if it’s fine with you that I move in, then the money is his. He can’t work anymore and he’s already waited long enough for the surgery. He’s miserable and I don’t want that for him. I want him to be happy and to finally feel like himself. We’ll both benefit from him getting this done.”
Stevie parked the car and as they climbed out, she immediately came over and hugged him. “Thank you, Nick. I know we made the deal that he had to pay for half himself and he’s been working so hard for it. He was so upset when he realized he couldn’t work anymore.” She turned to Ash and pulled him into a huge hug. “You’re going to get your body back, baby. You’ve waited so long and worked so hard and I know you’ve been unhappy, but it’s finally happening. I promised you we’d do it, so let's grab some breakfast to celebrate and then we’ll call Dr. Nyugen when we get home.”
“Can we just skip breakfast and go call him now?” Ash asked with a bounce in his step.
“One more hour won’t kill you, and besides, you need to eat. This is worth celebrating, Ash. I know how big of a deal finding your Complement is and that’s worth celebrating too, but we’re talking about top surgery. The one thing you’ve wanted and talked about since you first learned it existed. This is huge and all because of Nick. Because of your Connection. It’s still so amazing to me that you found each other. Your dad didn't find me until I was thirty-one. You’re only seventeen.”
“We talked to Nick’s friends last night, Cory and Josh, and Josh was seventeen when he found Cory. And he has another friend, Travis, who’s nineteen and he just found his Complement. They’re both already married and everything. They only knew each other like six weeks or something. It’s so crazy to think about,” Ash said as they finally entered the restaurant.
“Well, I know it’s a little early to be going there yet, but you guys will have to wait until February if you plan to get married,” Stevie said and held up three fingers to the hostess.
Nick looked down at Ash with wide eyes and Ash’s huge eyes and red cheeks looked back at him. Ash giggled then buried his face in Nick’s chest. He wrapped his arm around Ash’s shoulders and smiled at Stevie. She smiled back with a knowing grin and they all turned to follow the hostess to their table.
~
Breakfast was wonderful as they all got to know each other better and Ash and Stevie prepared him for what to expect regarding Ash’s surgery and where they’d have to go. Dr. Nyugen was located in Salt Lake City and was usually booked out a month or two.
They discussed complications as well as where Nick would be during the surgery, how they would manage school and Nick’s classes, and what the recovery time would be like. There was so much to consider and when they made it home, Ash pulled out a binder and notebook that he used to keep important information in and they jotted down a few of the ideas they’d come up with. Ash explained all about the different referral letters he’d had to get and why he’d needed them to schedule the surgery. There was even a newspaper clipping of the announcement that he’d had to post in order to get his name changed legally.
“So, you really think you’ll be well enough that I’ll only have to miss a week of school?” Nick asked as they found the doctor’s phone number and walked back out to the kitchen.
“Well, I know I’ll probably be kind of miserable and won’t be able to do much, but I’ll be able to walk to your classes and just sit there. The first week is supposed to be super limited activity and I’ll be released the same day of the procedure, but after a week, we’ll go back to get the bandages removed, and I should be able to do a little more. As long as we take it easy, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Dr. Nyugen prefers double incisions and I’m fine with that. I know it’s a little longer recovery time, but as long as the incisions are symmetrical and the tissue is removed, I’ll be happy.”
“Did you find the number and all your letters, Ash?” Stevie asked as they propped themselves up against the counter.
“Yeah, I got everything. I’m nervous to call and so, so excited. I can hardly believe it’s actually going to happen,” Ash exclaimed as he lifted one hand to his mouth.
“Okay, let me make the call,” Stevie said and began the process of talking to the doctor's office.
Nick leaned his butt against the counter and Ash leaned back against him. It was a such an emotional time for Ash that Nick asked if he could rest his hands on Ash’s shoulders, just to provide a bit more comfort and Ash nodded and reached up to lace their fingers together. As Stevie waited on hold then spoke with whomever, Nick could practically feel the energy radiating from Ash’s excitement. He’d never really had anyone in his life that he’d cared about more than himself, but in those moments, being with Ash and feeling everything he was feeling, Nick realized what it meant to put others first. To make someone happy beyond his own personal interests, was not something he’d ever really put value to. But it had slowly started to sink in that Ash’s happiness meant more to him than most of the “things” he’d ever spent money on in the past. Objects were fleeting and commercialized but the happiness he felt at seeing Ash so happy, was worth more to him than any monetary purchase he’d ever made.
As Stevie was wrapping up, Nick spoke softly into Ash’s ear. “Whatever the news is, I’m right here. I can’t tell you what it means to me to be able to experience this with you. I know you said you’d never have wanted me to see you this way and maybe that’s still true, but for me to be able to be a part of this with you is truly incredible. You’re so amazing and brave and strong and you know exactly what you want, and I’m humbled to be by your side.”
Ash looked up at him from over his shoulder. “Nick… That’s such a sweet thing to say. I don’t really feel like any of those things. I feel like I’m just trying to get through the day most of the time. I know I said I’d rather you never saw me this way, but without you, none of this would be happening—”
“Oh, I have no doubt that you would have made it happen sometime. You’re a little powerhouse. You knew what the deal was and you were making it happen. I can promise you, no other high school junior that I know is working two jobs and saving up thousands of dollars to pay for their own surgery that will change their life and give them the freedom they’ve been waiting years to get. You are a force to be reckoned with, Ash.”
Ash turned quickly and placed both his hands on Nick’s chest then pressed up to drop a quick kiss to his lips. “Thank you. Despite what I said, I’m really glad you’re here with me. Your support in this means so much to me. I couldn’t have hoped for a better Complement than you and I’ll always be grateful to you for making this happen for me.”
Nick smiled and ran the backs of his fingers down Ash’s cheek, and though he kept his upper body from pressing into Nick’s, Ash leaned into the touch and Nick found that even though their physical relationship was pretty much on ice, the level of trust and vulnerability they’d each shared had their emotional and mental relationship growing stronger with each passing day. And that was an amazing feeling to have. Nick had valued the level of “friend” intimacy he’d had with Cory, but it was on another level to have that feeling with Ash. Knowing they’d get to the physical when they were both in a good place, left Nick feeling completely satisfied that when they got there, they’d be even stronger for putting the time and energy into their emotional connection before their physical.
“Alright, you guys,” Stevie said and they both looked over. “We’ll get a call in a few days, letting us know the date. Since we already had the paperwork in order and photos on file, all we have to do is wait for the call. They’re about six weeks out with scheduling, so possibly sometime before October.”
“Oh my God,” Ash squealed and in a moment of pure unguarded happiness, he hugged Nick around his neck and Nick held him close and spun him around in a circle, causing him to laugh and giggle. He hopped out of Nick’s arms and hugged his mother for a long time. The emotions of the last several years had to be so strong between them, that they just held each other and seemed to revel in the other’s support and embrace.
When they finally separated they both had tears in their eyes. “I’m so proud of you, Ash. I know your dad would be so thrilled to see you becoming the person you were born to be. You’ve been so strong through all this and it makes me so happy to see you happy. I know you’re so ready for your surgery, but until that day comes, you’ve got the incredible opportunity to get to know Nick and let your relationship blossom. I have no doubt in my mind that you two were supposed to meet exactly when you did and that fate knows exactly what she’s doing with the two of you. Going through this together will only make you stronger in the end and deepen your Connection that much more.” Stevie gathered them both into a hug and then sent them on their way to go spend some time together.
“So?” Nick asked as they plopped down on Ash’s bed. “Excited? Nervous? Terrified?”
Ash laughed. “More excited than terrified for sure. I’m not really nervous since I don't even have a date yet, but I’m sure I will be as the day comes closer and it all becomes more real. Right now, it still seems like a pipe dream. Something that I’ll still be waiting years for. I’m so glad that it’s finally happening, though!” Ash yelled into his pillow. Nick laughed and grabbed Ash’s other pillow to stuff under his head. They lay there looking at each other for a few moments until Ash scooted closer and snuggled right up against Nick’s chest, pulling his arms in and resting his head against Nick’s collarbone. “Thank you,” he sighed and Nick pressed a kiss to the top of his head then rested his left hand on Ash’s hip.
