A/N Okay! New story. Whoop! About time I started uploading story is based on the Shinedown album, Adrenaline. It's not really a songfic, but it follows the storyline of the album. Maybe not perfectly, but it's what inspired this story. Possibly angst in other chapters.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or the characters involved in this story! That is the property of Ryan Murphy and the amazing creators of Glee! I also do not own the Shinedown album or anything affiliated with Shinedown! If I did... Well that'd be great! But I don't so...
Adrenaline
Heights. They terrify Nick Duval. Yet here he is, standing at the edge of a cliff with his best friend. Is he really going to do this? Am I really going to do this? No. He can't do it. It's too horrifying. They could die doing this! "Jeffy, wait!" He yells as Jeff Sterling tugs on his hand to pull him closer to the edge. Jeff looks at him, confused. "I can't do this. I'm too scared."
Jeff chuckles at his best friends shaken appearance. "Okay, Nick. We don't have to." He sits down and Nick sits with him.
"Really?"
"Of course!" Jeff sits back on his elbows, sun beating down on his naked torso. "I was doing this for you. To help you get over your fears."
"But you love cliff jumping." Nick says.
"I do. It's such a thrill! The adrenaline of it all…" He frowns at Nick. "What are you so scared of Nicky?"
"Dying." He says, chewing on his lower lip.
Jeff laughs again. "We wouldn't die. It's not that high up. And we'd land right in the center of all that water." He looks down. Nick tries to look down, but begins to get dizzy and shuts his eyes tightly. Jeff sighs. "Okay, Nick. If you don't want to, that's fine. We can just climb back down the mountain and get into the lake."
Nick opens his eyes and takes a shaky breath. He slowly looks down at the lake. It's not too bad. Nick tells himself. They'd be fine. Jeff's been cliff jumping since he was little. It'll be fine. Nick sighs. "Let's do it."
Jeff grins. "Really?" Nick nods slowly. Both boys stand up. Jeff offers his hand to Nick. Nick grabs it and holds on for dear life. Jeff looks into Nick's eyes. "It's okay, Nicky. We'll be fine." He smiles at the shorter boy, who tries to smile back but just ends up looking more scared than he already did. "Relax."
Jeff pulls Nick to the edge. Nick gulps for air. "Shut your eyes, Nick." Nick does as he's told. "On the count of three. Ready? One… Two… Three!" Nick steps off the cliff.
Suddenly, he feels nothing but the air and Jeff's hand on his. The wind rushes through his hair. He opens his eyes. Everything is rushing past him in a blur. He's never been so scared in his life. And he loves it!
SPLASH!
Nick pops up out of the water and takes a deep breath. He looks over to where Jeff landed and grins at him. "That was awesome!" Nick yells.
The blonde laughs for a third time. "I knew you could do it."
They stare at each other for a minute or two, grinning. Then Nick realizes he's still gripping Jeff's hand. He quickly pulls away and looks down. Jeff does the same. They climb out of the lake and sit next to each other. "Can we do that again?" Nick finally asks.
"You really liked it, huh?"
The brunette smiles. "I did. Like you said, it's the adrenaline that drives you. And even though it's scary as hell-"
"You love it all the same." Jeff finishes with a grin. "Maybe tomorrow, alright?"
Nick begins to pout. "But Jeffy!"
"The guys are probably looking for us. We're on a camping trip with the Warblers. If it were just us, I'd take you as many times as you want." Nick grins. Jeff rolls his eyes at his friends dirty mind. "Oh shut up! Let's just go."
Jeff stands up and drags Nick up with him. They walk back to the campsite where the rest of the boys are waiting for them. "Where've you guys been?" Kurt asks, suspiciously.
"Wait." Blaine, Nick and Jeff's other best friend, says. He grins at Jeff. "Did you finally get Duval to go jumping with you?"
The rest of the guys start murmuring to each other.
Jeff smiles. "I did. And he loved it."
"God, you guys!" Nick exclaims. "It's amazing!"
The guys laugh. "We told you it is!" Thad says.
"Warbler Nick has finally been initiated into The Jumping!" Sebastian yells. The rest of the guys cheer with him.
"Shut up!" Nick shouts, beaming.
At around two in the morning, Nick steals out of his and Jeff's tent. He has to try it again. He has to feel that rush! Just one more time at least. And he can't wait until the morning. Jeff would never approve of jumping this late. Especially not alone. But he wants this. He needs this. He'll be fine, right? Jeff said so himself.
Nick climbs to the top of the cliff and stands at the edge. He squints down at the water. He can't see a foot in front of him. Why's it so dark? He should've brought a flashlight. Maybe he should wait until morning… Until Jeff can jump with him. Nick starts to turn around.
No! It has to be now. He's itching for the rush. He can feel the jump calling to him. He takes a deep breath and jumps.
Once again he feels the wind! He can feel gravity pulling him fast to the water. The only thing missing that would make everything better is Jeff's hand in his…
SPLASH!
Nick hits the water. But he didn't jump at the right spot and he feels his head crack against the side of the lake before everything goes black.
Jeff rolls over in his sleep. After a minute or so, Jeff's half-awake mind registers something is wrong. There should be a Nick where his arm is. He sits up, fully awake, and looks around his tent. Confused as to where Nick is, he goes over to Blaine and Kurt's tent.
Putting them in a tent together was probably not the smartest idea in retrospect…
He shakes the tent. "Blaine! Kurt!" He hisses.
Blaine opens the tent, half asleep. "Wha?" He blinks. "Jeff? What's wrong?"
"I don't know where Nick is." Jeff says, obviously worried.
Blaine sighs and gets out of the tent. "Did you ask the other guys yet? Maybe he's with one of them."
Why would Nick leave our tent just to go to one of the other guys'? That doesn't make any sense…
"Maybe he's with Thad." Kurt offers up, yawning and getting out of the tent.
"Maybe…" Jeff, Blaine, and Kurt go around to the other guys' tents, looking for Nick. When they can't find him, Jeff starts to get really anxious. "Where could he be?"
"Calm down, Jeff." Sebastian says in his ear.
Jeff puts his head in his hands. "I can't! I just don't know where he could-" Jeff's head snaps up as he realizes where Nick is. "Oh no." He whispers.
"What?" David asks. "Jeff?"
Jeff runs through the woods to find his best friend, the rest of the guys close behind.
"Nick!" Jeff yells, searching the edges of the lake for the missing brunette.
"Oh God…" Blaine says, realizing what Jeff thinks happened. "Search everywhere guys! He's got to be here!"
Jeff pulls his knees up to his chest and begins to sob. What are you doing, Sterling? Man up and find Nick! Jeff stands up and quickly throws his shirt off.
Thad sees what he's doing. "Jeff! What are you-?"
Jeff dives into the water. At first, he can't see anything. It's all a blurry mess and all he sees is darkness. He spins around in circles looking for anything. Anything at all. But all he sees is that stupid shadow that keeps popping up in his vision to his left.
Wait! Shadow? Nick!
He swims over to the shadow and latches onto it. He hauls his lifeless best friend out of the lake. "Help!" He yells. All the warblers run over and help Jeff pull Nick completely out of the water. Jeff looks down at Nick. Nicky… please be alright… He puts his ear next to Nicks mouth. Nothing. "He's not breathing!" Jeff quickly places his lips on Nicks and breathes air into his unmoving body. He continues to give his friend CPR. He's close to giving up when Nick suddenly coughs out a bunch of water. "Oh thank God!" Jeff exclaims, gathering the shorter boy in his lap. Don't cry, Sterling. He thought to himself.
Once everyone makes sure Nick is okay, they all head back to the campsite. Jeff and Nick sit in their tent, completely silent. Nick is wrapped up in a blanket and slightly shivering. Jeff just stares at him, and Nick stares right back. Finally, Jeff's tenacity and stubbornness to not cry break. He curls in on himself and begins to cry. Nick is shocked. He has no clue what to say to make his best friend feel better. So he simply moves next to him and wraps his arms around the blonde boy, under the blanket.
"Shh. It's okay, Jeffy." Nick whispers.
Jeff hides his face in Nick's neck. "What the hell were you thinking, Nick?"
"I-" He stops. Don't tell Jeff! It'll just make him worry. Nick sighs. "I don't know."
Jeff pulls back to look into Nick's eyes. "Liar." He says, his voice stone cold.
"What?" Nick says, surprised at Jeff's tone towards him.
"That's a fucking lie, Nick! And we both know it!" Jeff cries. He takes a deep breath and puts his forehead on the brunette's. "Just tell me, Nicky."
Nick takes a deep breath and says with a trembling voice "I wanted to feel again."
Jeff's brow creases in confusion. "What?"
"I feel so… numb. All the time." He swallows. "And when I'm not feeling numb, all I feel is pain. And fear."
Jeff rubs his shoulder. "What are you afraid of?"
"I-" He shakes his head. "I can't, Jeff… I want to tell you, but I can't…" Jeff nods, not wanting to push, but worrying about what it could be. "But when you showed me jumping…" Nick smiles. "I felt amazing! Like nothing could hurt me."
"But that's what ended up hurting you, Nick!"
"Not as much as something else could…" Nick mumbles, almost inaudible. "And the only other time besides jumping that I ever felt that good is with you. Whenever I'm with you." Nick looks down.
Jeff hugs him close. "Well that feeling is here to stay. And if you want to go jumping again, don't you dare go without me."
Nick grins at him. "Okay."
"And don't you dare ever scare me like that again." He pulls back from Nick. "I mean, my lips were on yours dude. Talk about weird." He grins. Nick feels his stomach sink… "Get some sleep. You almost died tonight!" Jeff lies down on his sleeping bag. Soon, Jeff falls asleep. And Nick is left alone in the dark, wide awake, and wondering what's wrong with him.
My lips were on yours, dude! Talk about weird.
Why should what Jeff say bother him? He knows why it bothers him. But he'd never voice it to Jeff. The fact that he's in love with his best friend is what almost terrifies him the most. The fact that if he tells Jeff he could lose him forever is what scares him more than anything else in the world.
And he hates himself for it…
A/N Thanks for reading guys! Should be finishing chapter 2 soon! Please review! Please please please! Love you guys! Mwah! :*
~DylanNicole
xoxo
