carisi-dreams:

FICTOBER18 DAY 7 PROMPT | “No worries, we still have time.”

fandom: Law and Order: SVU
pairing: Nick Amaro/Diego brotp; motorcycle club AU, HS origin
warnings: none

“We’re getting too old for this,” Nick mumbled in complaint in a lull of silence.

He and Diego were laying on the floor of the old tree house in Diego’s backyard. They were much too big for it now, but they let their heads stick out from under the roof, so that they could look up at that sky above them. Watery blue was giving way to rich indigo and with each passing moment more and more stars twinkled in the fading light.

“Speak for yourself,” Diego responded in contradiction, a laugh in his voice. “I feel young and spry. Besides, I think seventeen is a bit young to talk about being old, eh?”

Nick just sighed in response before propping himself up on an elbow in order to take another swig of the bottle he’d convinced a prospect to buy for him. Convinced was probably a strong word considering that really what he had done was make vague threats about involving Felipe and that had been enough to spur the prospect to action. He got lost in his thoughts again and Diego jostled his arm.

“Mighty heavy thoughts tonight, Nicky. What’s on your mind?” he asked.

“Everything is going to change soon,” Nick muttered. He took another sip from the bottle before passing it to Diego. Diego took it and sat up completely, pushing himself into a seat and slouching slightly so that his head didn’t hit the doorframe.

“Yeah. We’re all going to go off to college, start the next chapter in our lives. But change isn’t always a bad thing. No worries, we still have time,” Diego pointed out with a good natured smile.

Nick returned it weakly. His stomach was churning ever since he thought seriously about what he wanted to do after college. He didn’t think anyone would see it coming and he was nervous about everyone’s reaction.

“I’m not going to college, D,” Nick admitted. He scrubbed a hand over his hair and pushed some errant curls back from his face. Diego gave him a quizzical look, but remained silent. “I…I think I’m going to prospect. Guardianes.”

Diego’s eyebrows rose in the direction of his hairline and he tilted his head a little at his friend. Nick’s expression wasn’t quite covered in the dusk and Diego could tell that he was serious. Clearly it had been something on his mind for awhile.

“Guardianes,” Diego repeated slowly. “I—you can prospect after college. What’s the hurry?”

Nick shook his head. “I just, I don’t want to leave my mom, you know? Even though she’s good and she’s with Felipe…I’ve seen what he’s done for her, what he’s done for our community and I want to do that. I can always take classes at the community college, I’m still thinking about it, but I don’t want to move away.”

Diego clapped a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “That’s okay. There’s no rule that you have to leave. I’ll be coming back for sure, after I graduate, although it sounds like we may be on opposite sides of the law by then,” Diego teased with another eager smile. At Nick’s stricken expression he hastened to tack on, “but nothing will change, hermano. You and me forever, eh? You can’t get ride of me if you tried.”

“I know, I’ve tried,” Nick joked in a dry voice. Diego rolled his eyes and laughed and Nick smiled regretfully. “Prometes?”

“Yo prometo,” Diego replied. “Para siempre.”