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Niko parked his car on Lee Road. He got out enthusiastically and crossed the road over to Acter Park. It had been months since he last stepped foot in it. He wondered if it still looked the same way it did back then…
He made his way down the alley, entering the park. Turning his head left and right and inspecting the environment, he took a mental note of everything around him. He never got to see this park during the night. He found it eerie but, in an odd way, comforting.
Few lamps spread evenly on the sides of the walk lit up the place. It was just the way Niko liked it: not an excessively bright light.
He almost felt like home, walking slowly in order to meet one familiar face. The water fountain placed in the middle of the park obscured them completely from Niko's sight; it only added to the mystery.
That mystery was only metaphorical, though, as Niko knew exactly who was waiting for him on the other side. Derrick McReary. A man who he had never expected to get so close to, and yet the odds were for them to be together – those same odds that made Niko believe in soulmates actually existing.
It was in this very park that he first saw Derrick after the bank job. High off his mind, half-conscious on a bench, surrounded by tons of trash which had likely gathered over the years. Not a pleasant view in the slightest. However… it was charming. Something about Patrick McReary's oldest brother telling him to get rid of the two men whom he ratted out, which all caused his further troubles, did strange things to Niko. He just could not just shake it out of his brain, he kept thinking about the Irishman old enough to be his father and the way he made those gears inside of him grind in all the right ways.
After doing more jobs for him, Niko could not bear any it longer. He began seeing Derrick casually – very casually.
He never thought he would ever get so close to a man, especially in the purgatory that is the US. Meeting him in the park past midnight only kept proving that; Niko knew the night's meeting was going to be for nothing other than pleasure, it had been months since Derrick's last deed and he was in permanent need of a breather.
He crept around the fountain, passing by a lone woman smoking a cigarette on one of the outer benches. She caught his eye, making him wonder why she would need to smoke in public, all by her own with no one but two unknown men around. She ignored him entirely, puffing a small cloud of smoke right in his direction. He never liked the smell of tobacco.
Derrick was waiting quietly on the other side, only ever turning his head for entertainment and bouncing his knees. He got bored pretty quickly, yet he knew well that his boy would never break a promise.
His eyes widened after finally noticing the person whom he was expecting. Niko smiled gently, walking up to the other man. It was so good to see him after days of only ever hearing each other's voices.
"Hey, boy." Derrick began, patting the free space next to him on the bench, signaling Niko to take a seat, who immediately sat down. He then found Derrick's arm wrapping itself around his shoulders, making them shift closer in their touches.
Niko attempted to muster a 'hey' back, with no success, being blocked by a small knot in his gut. A soft hum was the sound that his mouth could produce without having to think too much.
Derrick has always loved getting the other flustered. "Tell me, how was your day?" he continued.
Now pouting, Niko sighed. "It got boring pretty fast." he managed to blurt out.
"Boring? How so, baby?" Derrick could now read some conflicted emotions on his boyfriend’s face; for a tough guy with a mellow inside like Niko, behaving this way still was pretty out of the ordinary for him.
Niko turned his frown upside down, breaking his awkwardness some more. "I kind of missed you… You could not imagine how excited I got when you told me to come here!"
"You missed me that much? You truly are a sentimental one." Derrick purred back.
They then both fell silent. Niko continued scanning the park; staying still allowed him to better admire the surroundings. Compared to the last time he had been here, the park was now in pristine condition. All the junk littering the area was gone and the pavement was swept and nicely maintained. Even the impressive fountain in the center of the park was now clean and running. The sounds of the water flowing could delight anybody's ears.
Niko reached out one hand behind him to feel the water. Ice cold and invigorating, what else could he even expect from a place so gorgeous? Derrick got up to get a better view, his hand soon joining in.
He then broke their short silence. "It's great to finally see this thing in action."
"Fountains always fascinated me." Niko replied, moving his gaze up to match Derrick's. "I can really see why you spend so much time here, even with all that trash from last year."
Derrick propped himself onto the fountain wall, still running his hand through the chilly water. "Let's just say… the smacked-out mind doesn't really take aesthetics into consideration."
A few moments later, he felt Niko’s hand reach his, that distinct trace of heat being far from fooling him. They did not even require spoken words at this point of their relationship. Derrick smirked back at his gesture.
"Wanna rest?" he asked in his deep tone of voice.
Niko could somehow figure that his partner had certain plans in mind. He was always known as an 'old romantic', because of that you could never predict his next action during a date.
And what a date… parks at midnight were indeed pretty damn intimate. This old romantic had great taste.
Derrick received a rather cheerful nod: exactly the answer he was looking for. He swiftly returned onto the bench, being watched carefully. Although this time he made Niko sit right on his lap, which truly caught him by surprise.
The two were now clearly in the middle of a romantic affair, anybody could easily disturb their heated moment. In the wake of realization, Niko suddenly remembered the woman in the other corner of the park; she could spot them.
"There's someone in the park… keep quiet." he whispered, holding Derrick tightly. The hold on Niko's waist got stronger at that, making him gasp softly.
Derrick whispered back, "I will… I still got a crumb of decency left in me." And with that, he gave Niko a hearty kiss on the mouth. He could not resist those lips, especially seeing how nicely the dim lighting accentuated them.
Niko groaned in his mouth, not wanting to pull away. The lack of kisses at the beginning of the date made sense now…
Their kiss soon turned passionate, both of them only ever splitting apart in order to breathe. They did not have any make out sessions in a long time, so they had to get to it eventually. Groaning into the mouths of one another and tasting all there was to them, all of it felt incredibly dirty, they just could not get enough of it.
Some time later, Niko shifted in place, making himself straddle Derrick. Very indecent of them; people usually do not like watching couples devour each other like that in plain sight. Frankly, in the case of the two criminals in love, they had the inappropriate time to their advantage. That lonely smoker, the only other person in the park, seemed to not care at all about whatever the other two visitors might be doing. Still though, they tried to keep it as quiet as possible.
Time felt like an eternity whenever they got intimate. At this rate they began forgetting the place they were doing all this in; they could not focus on anything else but themselves. The sounds of the fountain could still be heard though, they were as calming as ever.
All good things must come to an end eventually. Their amorous moment began to be too much to handle in public, a break was seriously needed. Cupping Derrick's face in his hands, Niko pulled off and stopped the kiss. He looked into the other's eyes, seeing the slight frown forming on his blushing face. It was disappointing, but it was still great while it lasted.
Derrick's grip on his lover loosened and with it Niko returned to his original spot on the bench. The two pecked their lips together one last time before separating their lips entirely. Their gazes were still fixed on each other's eyes, some tension still being present there, only being diverted by the two noses brushing together.
Niko chuckled, observing the way the lamplight poured onto Derrick's face. How was he able to get such a handsome man, all to himself? His boyfriend must have been thinking the exact same thing.
"Have you got any other plans for our date?" murmured Niko, clearly expecting something more.
"Not here. What do you think of the park now?" Derrick asked keeping his voice low.
"It's so pretty now… perfect for two lovebirds like us." The Serb's remark made the both of them laugh.
It might have gotten late, but their date was far from being over. While they were at it, the couple wanted to see more of the city at this hour, without any of the added crimes of the night. The streetlights deserved more love, and so did the lighting in a familiar studio…
Derrick and Niko got up and checked to see if the lady was still with them. She was not, she must have left without them knowing. The park now became all theirs.
Seeing that the area was clear, the two men slowly headed out of the park. They held hands and stuck close to one another, admiring everything in the way, in their own privacy. Just like them, the city never fell asleep, as there were still cars driving down the Avenue. Neither of the lovers cared about anyone seeing them, especially not any complete strangers passing by with great speed. Driving regulations became even more unheard of during the night.
This proved no challenge for Niko, fortunately. Him and Derrick walked up to the former's car, with him theatrically opening the door for the passenger. He then closed the door for him and got into his own seat, behind the driving wheel.
Once Niko turned the engine on, he felt Derrick place his hand on top of his on the gearshift. Barely a few minutes have passed since they stopped being intimate, and Derrick still wanted something more; he was bound to earn it. Niko turned his head slightly towards him and smiled genuinely.
The two drove off shortly after, watching the streets unfold and the lights carry on ahead. The renovated park proved to be romantic, and now the streets were too. Everything was romantic for Niko and Derrick.
Each time they spent the time together, Alderney, and by extension Liberty City too, no longer felt so grim.