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It was the kind of night that tested the patience of the living and the sanity of the tired. Nico sat hunched over his desk in his dimly lit apartment, the glow from his laptop screen casting shadows on his tired face. He adjusted his glasses for the umpteenth time, but the pages before him blurred as his focus wavered. The sketch of his upcoming series’ cover page was almost complete, but he couldn’t bring himself to finish it. His mind wasn’t on his art.
It was on the incessant noise coming from the parking lot, well aware that it would be moved next door and won’t stop soon.
Thrum, thrum, thrum.
A motorcycle engine roared to life, followed by the unmistakable sound of gears shifting tires screeching against the pavement. The unmistakable rumble of Lewis’ bike echoed through the thin walls. Nico flinched, fingers tightening around his brush, turning his knuckles almost white, his frustration building like a pressure cooker.
There it was again. Another screeching rev, a burst of laughter. No one in the building understood the concept of quiet hours, it seemed. And no one had been more determined to test Nico’s patience than Lewis.
Nico had tried it all. He’d knocked on the door, asked politely (and then not so politely) for the noise to stop. But Lewis? Well, Lewis had that way about him. A certain charm that made people forget how rude his behaviour or could be. Nico couldn’t ignore it anymore. The man loved his rock music too much and loved his loud, grungy life too much, and it was eating away at Nico's sanity.
Lewis was always out late, coming back at ridiculous hours. He’d ride his motorcycle back and forth in the parking lot below Nico's apartment. The sound of his loud exhaust felt like it was cracking through Nico’s skull. By the time the noise died down, it was usually well past midnight. Nico's sleep had been steadily slipping away from him, stolen by Lewis’s careless abandon.
But tonight? Tonight was different. There was no music blaring from Lewis’s apartment, no thunderous rev of a motorcycle engine. For the first time in what felt like forever, the building was quiet.
Nico couldn’t decide if he should be relieved or worried.
He leaned back in his chair, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was late. Past one in the morning. Lewis must have been out, or something was finally going right. Maybe. Nico couldn’t resist a cautious peek out of his window, trying to see if the familiar rumble of a motorcycle could be heard in the distance. But all was still.
That’s when he saw it.
On his doormat, there was a single envelope.
Unmarked. Plain. Simple.
His heart skipped a beat as he moved toward it. With shaking hands, he bent down to grab it. He glanced left and right as if expecting someone to jump out from the shadows.
The envelope was unnaturally cold against his fingers, as if it had been sitting in the freezer. He flipped it over, searching for any sign of who might have sent it, but there was nothing. No return address. No name. Nothing except a neatly written message on the front in black ink:
“You’re not the only one suffering.”
His fingers trembled as he pulled the letter from the envelope. Inside was a single line, written in tight, cursive handwriting:
“If you want peace, you must first silence the storm.”
A chill ran down Nico’s spine. He didn’t know what it meant, but something about it gnawed at him. He looked up and down the hallway, his heart pounding. Could it be… Was it possible that someone else was being disturbed by Lewis too?
Nico couldn’t help but wonder if someone in the building was fed up with the noise. Maybe this was their way of getting back at the loud, grungy neighbour who didn’t seem to care about anyone else. Maybe it was a warning. Even a threat.
Whatever it was, it sent a strange shiver through Nico.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the building, Lewis leaned back against his motorcycle, tapping the helmet on his knee. He could feel the weight of the world bearing down on him as he stared at the letter in his hand. It had been waiting for him on his doorstep when he returned after his ride, and now it felt like it was burning a hole through his palm.
He opened it with a mix of curiosity and annoyance. It wasn’t like Lewis to get bent out of shape by something as trivial as a letter, but there was something about this one—its simplicity, its eeriness—that set him on edge.
The message inside was short and direct:
“Stop the noise, or you’ll regret it.”
He scoffed aloud, shaking his head. Who the hell was this? Was someone really that bothered by his music? It wasn’t like he played it that loud. Well, okay, maybe he did, but come on. Everyone knew what he was about. He didn’t hide it.
Still, it was unsettling to be threatened like this, even in such a cryptic way. Lewis turned the letter over in his hand. There was no signature, no clue as to who had sent it. And what the hell was with that “regret it” part? Was someone out to get him?
He let out a low breath, trying to shake the feeling of discomfort that had settled in his chest. “What a coward for being anonymous,” he thought. “Can’t even face me properly.” It wasn’t like he had a lot of friends, and there were only a few people in this building who could even care about him. Maybe it was just someone messing with him.
But just as he was about to throw the letter away, his mind went to Nico. That quiet guy who lived next door. Nico had been giving him glares for weeks now, every time their paths crossed. Nico didn’t seem like the type to send an anonymous warning, but the idea of the two of them being in the same room, in the same mess of noise and frustration, seemed to fuel something in Lewis.
What if Nico was behind it? Could it be?
He glanced down at his motorcycle. His mind wandered back to their last argument—one of many—that had ended with Nico telling him, in no uncertain terms, to “keep it down” or he would “lose his mind.”
Suddenly, the pieces fell into place.
Nico. The noise. The late nights. The warning. It all pointed back to one person. But what was he supposed to do now? He didn’t know how to fix this. But somehow, he had to.
Although he wanted peace with his neighbour, he was irrationally upset. Knowing he couldn’t think clearly at that moment, he decided to pour himself a drink first, relax a bit, and then see if it would be too late to have this talk tonight—technically today—or in the morning.
Whisky, neat, with a single big ice cube in the middle of the glass. His favourite. Still not strong enough for him, though. As he was having trouble calming down, he heard a loud thud from next door. Knowing Nico was awake, Lewis snapped. He grabbed his keys on a whim and found himself banging on his door.
Poor Nico was just trying his best not to cry as he had dropped half of the bookshelf onto his foot. He was curled up on the floor, holding his hurting foot while someone was about to break his front door. He was in pain, furious, and absolutely was not about to hide it. Still cradling his foot, he tries to steady himself, but it’s clear he’s on edge—each bang on the door adding a pulse of irritation, he’s been pushed too far. His head throbs, his foot is throbbing, and now this.
He struggles to get up, hobbling toward the door with an angry grimace. As he unlocks the door, his hands shake—whether from pain or the anticipation of the fight, it’s hard to tell. The moment the door opens, he’s met with Lewis standing there, his posture tense, his expression a mixture of frustration and something else. Nico is so close to exploding.
“What the hell is it that you want, Lewis?” Nico finally snaps, his voice getting dangerously low, almost like a growl. As Lewis gets on his nerves, he tries standing tall, eventually hurting his foot more. He holds on to the doorframe, hoping he can fake his body and look intimidating instead. “Is that what you want? To push me until I snap?”
Lewis found himself slightly taken aback, even confused, but still angry, not willing to back down. “You’ve been threatening it for weeks, man. Figured now’s the time you finally crack.” He was annoyed, but there was a flicker of frustration in his eyes that went way beyond just noise complaints. It was more personal.
Nico’s chest heaves as he glances at Lewis, both men standing too close for comfort. The air between them feels thick, heavy with all the things they’ve never said—resentment, longing, irritation, and something else simmering beneath the surface.
“I’m not some damn punching bag for your fucking noise. You think that you can just do whatever you want and make everyone around you miserable.” Nico spat, gritting his teeth.
“I’ve never asked you to be happy with it.” His voice was slightly raised and audibly filled with frustration. “You think I don’t know how loud it gets? It’s not like I’m deliberately trying to ruin your life.” He ran his hand through his hair; his frustration was turning into something almost defenceless.
There was the silence. A long pause where neither of them seemed to know what to say next. It was like the argument, the tension, had both of them in a deadlock.
Then, out of nowhere, Nico took a deep breath; anger was still present in his voice but quieter. “I don’t even want to do this anymore. I just... I just want peace. Is that so much to ask?”
Lewis watched him, the words hitting him harder than he expected. His anger faltered, replaced with something that almost seems like guilt, but then it quickly morphed into something raw and intense.
“You think I’m not tired of it too, Nico? I’m not the only one suffering here.” His voice was tinged with emotion, almost cracking. Lewis stepped in closer, along with the intense look in his eyes.
For a moment, Nico didn’t know what to do with himself. The anger was still there, but something else, something far more complicated, was starting to take over.
They were standing too close. So close that Nico could feel the heat radiating off of Lewis’s body, the air between them crackling with something else entirely. Nico’s heart was beating in his throat. His chest feels tight.
“You don’t get it, do you?” Nico asked softly, almost to himself.
And that was when it happened.
Lewis, without thinking, took a step forward. His hand finds Nico’s arm, grabbing it with a force that’s both urgent and desperate. Nico gasped, startled, his foot still sore, but his anger suddenly mixed with something else. Something darker.
Without thinking, Nico pulled away, but only for a second. It was a mere reflex. Then, the two of them were face-to-face. It was that electric moment when everything in the world felt like it was boiling over. They didn’t speak; their breaths were shallow. The frustration, the tension—it all gave way to something more primal.
And in that heated moment, their lips crashed together.
The kiss was messy at first, like they both needed it too much. Lewis’s grip on Nico’s arm tightened, and Nico didn’t pull away. It was a collision, an explosion of heat and raw emotion. The anger they’ve been harbouring turned into something unfamiliar, something both bitter and sweet.
For a split second, it felt like everything else had faded away. The noise, the pain, the building tension—all of it vanishes. They were just two people caught in a moment of need, a need neither of them really understood.
Nico could taste the alcohol in Lewis’s mouth. Wishing it was not just a simple drunken mistake, he pulled Lewis closer to himself, inviting him in. He managed to close the door, reaching behind him without losing his grip on him. He was holding onto him hard. The pain he felt before was almost nonexistent. As their kiss grew deeper, Nico could feel Lewis pinning him against the wall while pushing his knee in between his legs, pressing himself on him. Nico sucked his bottom lip, letting out a soft moan, not knowing how much he needed this.
They kept moving into the house, entering the living room where Nico occasionally works. Obviously Lewis didn’t know about the broken bookshelf and the stuff spread on the floor. Nico, on the other hand, was lost in the moment and, since he was walking backwards, completely forgot about it. He felt something touching his heels as he tripped and fell over to his unfinished sketch, pulling Lewis with him to the ground. He always found a change of work environment inspiring, so he would move into his living room from his office whenever he got art block. Being a father of 3 cats, he knew well enough to spread a huge plastic sheet under his work in case one of them knocked over his paints. He loved working on the floor. Now it was Lewis who spilled ink all over his living room.
“Don’t worry about it,” Nico said while desperately gasping for air, “this thing is waterproof.”
Lewis was relieved he didn’t ruin his floor, but nonetheless felt bad for his work and the glass dip pen he broke alongside. He was rubbing himself against Nico uncontrollably, his hands running under his shirt. He felt Nico’s back soaking wet from the ink, so he decided to get rid of it for him. As Lewis intended to unbutton his shirt, he felt a pair of hands pulling his belt along with the seam of his boxers.
“I see that someone would like to get spanked.” He commented on his grip as he proceeded to get closer to Nico’s now-naked upper half. “Oh, try me.” Nico whimpered. Lewis let Nico unbuckle him and pulled out the belt with a single movement, whipping his bum once over his jeans before throwing it over the couch where he could reach it if needed. Then he flipped Nico facing down, putting both of his wrists together and holding them with a single hand over his back, kissing his neck as he immobilized him. Even though he wanted to test Nico’s limits, he let out him after possibly giving him a hickey since he didn’t want to force him. But Nico wanted more, except all he could do was to let go of a moan, feeling his legs losing strength since Lewis was basically sitting on top of him, and grab the belt from the couch and hand it to Lewis desperately, asking for it.
“Again…” was all he could say. “So you want more?” said Lewis while grinning. Then he bent Nico over, spanking him over his jeans first, later lowering them, revealing his underwear, getting closer to his skin until he couldn’t take it anymore. “In…” he said, “I want you closer.”
Nico tried facing Lewis but collapsed and buried his head on the floor as he felt a finger sliding in him. When Nico relaxed a bit and started pressing into him, he knew it was time that he should add another and slid his middle finger right next to his index finger. He wrapped his other arm around Nico, making him stand up on his knees, and pressed his lips against his neck for a second time. “Oh, Lewis, don’t make it stop!” Lewis liked how he was squirming beneath him, his own thoughts getting blurry with every noise coming from the blonde.
“So you like it rough, huh?” he said before adding the third finger and pinning him on the floor, getting on top of him, and going faster and harder. He was so focused on the sounds Nico was making, unaware of his moans and heavy breathing. “Hmm…” He was enjoying the wet sound, the sound their contact was making. The feeling of him, his skin, his warmth—the sensation of Nico’s tight hole loosening. He was preparing him for himself. He wanted Nico. He wanted him so badly. He needed him.
Lewis pulled out his fingers, making the blonde whine. “Turn around,” he commanded as he was busy making a loop out of his belt. Nico obeyed his words and was pleased with what he saw. Lewis grabbed his hands, tying his wrists together. Then he got rid of his own clothes, exposing himself fully.
He leaned over him, putting his hands on his sides, caging him. He was about to go for it, giving his cock a couple strokes before aligning himself with Nico, as he heard him whimper. They might be a bit freaky, but he cared deeply for Nico and put one of his elbows down, stroking his hair. He realized he got some ink on himself but didn’t care. He had a soft look in his eyes; it was more than lust. He had his lids half closed, and Lewis took a moment to adore him before leaning in for a kiss. It was deep and passionate. Neither of them dared to break it. He wound up his fingers through his long hair; it was even softer than it seemed. Then he thrust deep into him. Having a single romantic moment didn’t mean he wasn’t going to fuck him hard.
Nico cried out loud with the sudden and unexpected move while Lewis moaned into his mouth. He was doing it fast, rough, and hard. A total cardio session with extra pleasure and occasional hair-pulling. He could see Nico enjoying it, trying to hide his smile by biting and pressing his lips together. He was pounding on him, and seeing Nico tied up, unable to touch or intervene, made all the effort worth it. “Fucking me like you hate me, eh?” said Nico, making Lewis laugh. Both of them were gasping for air, yet they still kissed. They were covered in ink, sweat, and a fair amount of tears and saliva.
“Oh, fuck!” Nico exclaimed, “Fuck, Lewis!” He was getting closer with every thrust. He wanted to be able to move, to touch himself, but knew that there was no way Lewis would let him do that. “Hmm… Wouldn’t you like to see me touching myself?” he asked nicely, thinking he was sly enough. “Aren’t you so smart?” replied Lewis, “Acting as innocent while begging to me like a whore.” Nico was annoyed but couldn’t really care. “Whoever deceives shall be punished.”
Lewis pulled out of Nico, still not allowing him to move properly. He repositioned himself, bringing his cock near his face, slapping him with it. “But since you’ve been a good boy tonight, why don’t you give it a little suck?” Then he shoved it into his mouth, not even giving him a chance to respond. He was forcing it down his throat, almost choking him but not completely. He kept going for a while and pulled out when Nico turned completely red and ran out of breath. “It’s okay,” he reassured, “You will learn how to behave.” Then grabbed him by his chin, opened his mouth by putting his fingers in, and made him suck his balls. Feeling his tongue sent shivers down his spine.
Lewis felt that he was getting closer as he punished and teased Nico, so he stopped him and got off of him, sat down on the floor, and pulled him over his lap—helping him find his balance since he had his hands tied up. He let the blonde sink over him and ride him for a while as an act of amends until it got unbearably painful for both of them. Lewis helped Nico to stay on top of him by holding him by the hips as he thrust and fucked him. “Oh, Lewis!” Nico shouted, “I’m so close! Keep going, please!” He was lowkey hesitating that Lewis wouldn’t let him finish and edge him for hours, but he kept his pace steady and made Nico cum over the plastic cover. “Such a good boy,” he whispered in his ear, “for making a mess like this.” Nico couldn’t process what was being told to him as he was coming out of his high. “Such a shame that I couldn’t finish yet. I will keep fucking you until I do.” Nico wanted to collapse on the ground; he was tired and confused but wasn’t ready to be separated from Lewis, so he let him use him until he came too. And when he did, to his surprise, he didn’t let the blonde go, and the two of them lay down on their mess until they got their breaths and pulses under control.
By the time Lewis felt ready to get up, he realized that Nico was almost asleep. He ran his hand through his hair and thought, “Fuck!” Nico had 3 cats and a pool of ink in his living room. “Nico,” he whispered, “Where are your cats?” Nico let out a sigh. “How the fuck am I supposed to know?” Then Lewis realized he hadn’t seen any of them that night and assumed they hadn’t come out of the other rooms. “They must be somewhere inside.” Lewis thought out loud. Nico was only able to let go of a slight “Hmm…” He was exhausted. Lewis looked around for the last time. It was total chaos. “Let’s get you out of here,” he said before picking up Nico and carrying him into the bathtub, closing the living room’s door as they left.
“What a mess…” he thought as the water hit Nico’s skin, making the ink bleed out and spread all over his bathroom walls. Nico couldn’t move a finger as Lewis helped him clean up. He was sitting, silent but content. He was watching his every move, embracing even the slightest touch. “Would you care to join?” he asked when he realized the water started looking clear enough. Unlike Nico, who was covered in it, Lewis mostly had ink over his arms and legs. The tub looked nice, though, with the ink-stained water filling it up. With Lewis in it, feeling his arms wrapped around his chest, hugging him tightly, as he let the water shower over them.
He felt extremely comfortable as they were, but Nico wanted to return the favour. He was glad to see that Lewis had closed his eyes when we broke their contact and got on his knees, facing him. “What’s up?” Lewis asked without opening his eyes. “Nothing.” Nico mumbled, reaching for the body wash. Hearing the plastic bottles rattle, Lewis opened one of his eyes. He watched Nico wetting the loofah, pouring some of the body wash on it, lathering in, and finally giving him a peck on the lips before scrubbing. “Doesn’t it feel nice to be taken care of?” Nico cooed. Lewis felt an instant sense of sadness and emptiness accompanied by a sudden but mild stomachache. It was obvious that things didn’t go the way they anticipated, and neither of them expected it to turn out like this.
“I’m sorry, I was really harsh on you,” he confessed, hoping that he hadn’t hurt him inadvertently. “No, believe me! I really needed that,” he reassured, laughing at his words. “Oh, you have no clue.” A mischievous smile appeared on his face. “Happy to hear that,” said Lewis, hugging him once more.
Nico scrubbed, bathed, and rinsed them out. Then he instructed Lewis to stay in, “I don’t want you to get my floor wet.” He grabbed and wore his bathrobe and found Lewis a towel from the drawer under the sink and handed it to him. Lewis felt awkward since he unintentionally invited himself in, had sex with the neighbour he thought he hated his guts, destroyed his living room, had a shower with him, and now found himself not wanting to leave. “Oh god,” he thought, “What have I done! What a horrible person I am!”
“Nico, I-“ he tried to gather his words, only to be interrupted by Nico. “Don’t say a word,” he shushed him and held his hand. Lewis decided to follow his lead, letting Nico drag him wherever he was heading, which happened to be his bedroom. “I don’t want you to go,” the blonde confessed. “At least not tonight.” He was standing right in front of Lewis, not letting go of his hand, staring right into his eyes. “Stay with me.”
Nico made Lewis feel things he didn’t know were humanly possible before in less than a day. He agreed to stay with him since he had nowhere to be, and that was also what he wanted. He had a good night’s sleep cuddling with Nico, except when one of his cats—whose name he didn’t know yet—tried to sit on his face, waking him up.
He was surprised to see Nico still fast asleep right next to him. He always assumed Nico would be a morning person, as he complained about the noise a lot. He turned to his side without disturbing him, gently stroking his hair, trying not to wake him up, and adoring him from afar. Then he recalled the letter he found on his doorstep, which made him chuckle, waking Nico up. “What a badass…” he thought.
“Morning.” Nico mumbled as he rubbed his eyes. Fast and tiny steps were heard, realizing his owner has woken up, Rocky jumped on Nico with a loud purr. Yawning and stretching, he made Nico sympathetically yawn as well. He grabbed Rocky under his arms and pulled him close to his chest, not letting him run away as he turned to his side, facing Lewis. He started scratching under its chin and smiled shyly at Lewis. He leaned over to give Nico a kiss, unintentionally squeezing the cat in between. Rocky didn’t like not being the centre of attention and hissed at his new enemy, which made them both laugh.
“Are you staying for breakfast?” Nico asked. It was not a workday for Lewis, so he replied with, “If you let me.” Nico let Rocky go as he wanted to get up and get dressed, and Rocky ended up sprinting to the hallway only to lick himself aggressively. He quickly put a t-shirt on and said, “I might ask you to run by the market to get some ingredients,” while searching for an underwear in his closet. “Sure. Will do if you promise to let me back in.” Lewis joked, which offended Nico, and he threw a t-shirt at him. “I was about to do it myself, but I don’t think I would be able to walk properly, at least for a couple of days.” Lewis decided to stay quiet and wore the t-shirt thrown at him, as he was still intimidated by Nico. “I will make you a list,” he said on his way to the bathroom.
Lewis headed to the living room to find the rest of his clothes. He grinned sheepishly as he got flashbacks of last night. He wanted to help Nico out after getting dressed, so he started picking up the sharp pieces spread around since he didn’t want either of them stepping on those. “Oh, Lewis, you’re gonna cut yourself!” Nico chimed in, dropping a piece of paper over the dining table. “Be careful.”
“Be careful yourself.” Nico was barefoot. “Don’t step on them.” He placed the pieces he collected on the coffee table. “I will vacuum here in a bit. Go get ready.” He kissed Lewis before sending him to the bathroom.
He stared at the plastic wrap. The ink seemed to be dried up. He touched some to see if it would stain his fingertips. It looked perfect to his eyes. “Such an artwork,” he thought. It was their painting. He was eager to keep it. He carefully folded the wrap, and put it in a box where he kept his most recent works.
Lewis came back from the bathroom to see Nico cleaning. He asked if he needed help with anything, and Nico responded with a simple no. “The shelf was already broken even before you came. You wouldn’t know where to put the stuff anyway.” He was carrying them to his office. It would be a temporary solution until he fixed his bookshelf. “I’m done with vacuuming, so it would be perfect if you could go to the market so I can start preparing the breakfast.” He stopped by Lewis to give him a kiss. “The list is on the table.”
Lewis smiled and got the list. He was happy to run some errands for Nico, especially if it meant they could spend more quality time. He said bye to Nico and a shy cat who was watching him from afar, which he didn’t remember seeing last night. The cat stared at him with wide eyes for a moment and ran away after Lewis waved his hand at it. He chuckled at its reaction and put his shoes on.
When he opened the door, he saw an envelope identical to the one he found last night. It was on Nico’s doorstep but had his name on it, so he grabbed it and closed the door behind him before reading it.
“Wow, Nico… That was not what I meant by you must first silence the storm. Anyway, I’m glad you took the bait, Lewis. You can thank me later for my matchmaking skills. Love, Seb”