Ring Around the City

Mikhail and Nathan get into a bit of trouble while strolling the streets of the inner city.

                Laughing as we walked down the darkened streets, I shoved my hands into the pockets of my ripped black jeans. There was a warm breeze blowing, thick with impending night rain. Nathan was walking just ahead of me, mostly next to me, giving just enough room so I could stare at his a*s. And, having downed a couple drinks over the past few hours with him while we chilled at his sister’s apartment, I was more than happy to stare away.

 

                “Enjoying the view?” he asked, looking back at me. I grinned stupidly and he laughed at me, freezing just long enough for me to step up to him. He threw his arm around my shoulders and we continued, enjoying the night in the inner city.

 

                We were spending the weekend with his sister, because both my parents were at home, and his mother was home this weekend, taking some time off from work to relax. And considering that Nathan’s sister was the only person, aside of myself, that knew his secret interest in men, he’d asked her oh-so casually if he and his boyfriend might stay the weekend with her, to get some time in together, and so I’d get to meet her and he’d get to see her a bit.

 

                I’d blushed pure fire truck red when he called me his boyfriend.

 

                And so, here we were on a Saturday night, walking down the streets of the inner city, trying to get some air and walk off the alcohol streaming through our systems. Nathan’s sister was a beautiful 23-year-old, fresh out of school and into the working world. But she definitely still remembered how to have a good time, even if it just meant sitting in her house with her teenage brother and his boyfriend.

 

                We’d spent the evening and part of the night drinking and playing Left 4 Dead 2 on her Xbox, something I did not expect her to be interested in, let alone own when I first saw her. With her pretty light brown curls and classy clothes, she had seemed so professional…at first.

 

                I grinned and felt Nathan tug on my hair.

 

                “Whatcha smilin’ about?” he asked, and I didn’t say anything. He got this almost serious look in his eyes as he said, “Are you daydreaming about my sister you perv?” What gave him away was that twinkle in his baby blue eyes. I laughed and stumbled a little, having to lean against a lamp post to get my footing.

 

                Nathan stood laughing at me, holding his sides, almost doubled over. I laughed back at him, my bangs falling into my eyes. I brushed them away, and in that instant, Nathan pounced on me. My back pressed against the pole as his body pressed into mine, and his mouth found mine. We kissed, a little clumsy at it in our drunken humor, and his fingers hooked in the belt loops of my pants. I smiled; reached up and gripped at his shirt between his shoulder blades, content to stay like this until my mind found a new distraction.

 

                That distraction, however, came sooner than I wanted. A loud, unattractive snort, and the sounds of heavy boots. Nathan turned his head and I peered over his shoulder, meeting a set of stone cold eyes.

 

                “Whadda we got here?” The guy asked, a cigarette dangling from his thin lips. His jeans were tucked into heavy, dirty combat boots, and he stared at us from beneath a dark blue beanie that looked like it had been dropped in one too many mud puddles. He had a guy on each side, the one to his right very large. I wondered if he was secretly a bull, and had to stifle a laugh when I noticed his septum ring.

 

                “Looks like a couple f**s to me,” the guy on his left said. Thin and lanky, he looked like he had lost half of himself to the man on the right. Nathan turned fully around, partially blocking me, and again I had to peer over his shoulder.

 

                “Hmm,” the, I assume, main guy said, taking his cigarette from his lips. “You know, we don’t like your kind here,” he said, dropping it the ground and cracking his knuckles. “Not one bit.”

 

                All I could think of then was The Dark Knight, and the Joker telling the story of how he got his scars. I covered my mouth and giggled, but was obviously not heard as Nathan took a step forward, his feet planted firmly on the sidewalk.

 

                “Last I checked no one had signed the world over to you,” Nathan said, glaring cold at the center man. “But please, if someone has, correct me so I may…gravel at your precious feet.” He spat the last word, and my giggle fit died in my throat when I saw the look on the guy’s face. His lip curled a little, and he lifted his hand and flexed his fingers towards us.

 

                “Teach ‘em a lesson,” he said, “show ‘em that at night, I rule these streets. And I won’t take s**t like that from some c**k sucker.”

 

                The two lunged, and before I could move the thin one was throwing himself at Nathan. The dirty blonde pulled his fist back and let it crash into the guy’s shoulder, just as he moved to keep the thug’s arms from wrapping around him and dragging him down to the ground. Just as he side stepped, the bigger one was there, his fist swinging heavily towards Nathan’s head. He dropped down just in time, and rolled to the side, hopping to his feet.

 

                “Misha, run!” he yelled back at me, and for a minute, I just stood there, staring, unbelieving. Once my alcohol slowed mind processed that this in fact was happening, I bolted over to Nathan and pulled him fully up, just as the big man’s fist swing by him again. We took off down the alley we were right in front off, running without looking back, knowing we could hear heavy footsteps as they ran to catch up.

 

                “What do we do?” I asked, seeing the next street over ahead.

 

                “I dunno!” Nathan yelled back, taking my hand and swinging us to the left once we hit the sidewalk. “If we can lose ‘em long enough to get a good distance between us, we can get back to my sister’s.”

 

                “Alright,” I said, taking a deep breath as we rounded another corner. I followed just behind Nathan, having no experience with the inner city like he did. He’d come to stay with his sister before, he said he had other family around here, so he was used to the streets and the layout. I was like a bat with ear plugs in.

 

                We ran across the street just as the thugs were rounding the corner, and sprinted into an alley, where I followed Nathan around a sharp turn into another one. He grabbed my hand and we ducked down next to the dumpster, mostly hidden by a few large cardboard boxes that had been left out. We waited, holding our breath, hearing footsteps getting closer. When they were just yards away, we heard voices.

 

                “I dunno where they went, Boss,” came a slithery voice, like a snake. I thought it was the skinny guy. A smack was heard, and then whimpers.

 

                “He’s right.” This time a deep voice. “They could have gone in any direction. We can get them another night Boss, they didn’t do much.”

 

                I heard the clank of a metal lighter, and there was a pause before another, calmer voice spoke up.

 

                “Fine then, let’s get outta here.”

 

                We waited a moment, then I heard Nathan breathe a sigh of relief.

 

                “That was too close,” he said, beginning to stand up. I reached for him, to beg him to stay quiet another moment, but it was too late.

 

                A big fist hit him in the side of his jaw, and threw him off balance. Thin arms reached out grabbed him, steadying him for another hit.

 

                “Stupid f****r,” Boss said, leaning over and looking at Nathan’s swelling jaw. “Did you think I’d let you insult me and then just run free? You and your little c**k lover are in for one hell of a night.”

 

                “I think not!” I yelled, having hoisted myself up the dumpster, my feet on the very edge. I threw myself off and toppled the Boss to the ground, smashing his face into it. I grabbed his head and pulled it back, smacking it in again, then leapt off as the two cronies approached, cooing over their fallen leader. I grabbed Nathan by the hand and we took off without looking back, with barely looking forward. Through the streets, across the roads, we kept running until we got to his sister’s apartment complex. Finally, we collapsed on the concrete stairs outside, gasping for breath.

 

                “How’s your face?” I asked and Nathan laughed, running a hand back through his hair.

 

                “Just dandy,” he said, leaning back. “I think I should start calling you Batman after that little stunt. You just need a cap and a mask.”

 

                I grinned and shoved him.

 

                “Just doing my civic duty,” I said, deepening my voice and thrusting my torso out. Nathan laughed and reached over, messing up my hair.

 

                “Let’s get inside before they find us.” I stood up nodding, feeling the world spin a little bit. Yeah, despite all that, I was still just a little bit tipsy.

Reviews

[Rhapsody's Child]

I really like your Misha and Nathan stories. They're well written and they make a cute couple. I hope you'll continue to write some more of this pairing.