Takes place in my imagination, where Kurt didn't leave Dalton and Sebastian went there even though Wes and the other seniors hadn't left yet.

Trigger warning: bullying.

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, or any of the songs, or movies you recognize.

The Anniversary

I can hear voices from down the corridor. They are singing in the choir room. It's popular song, one of those you hear almost every day on the radio. The lead singer is telling the world how lovely his special girl is. Even though the song is catchy, the lyrics make me irritated. How come they always end up together in the end? How likely is that?

Sometimes, I wish I was a better songwriter. Then I would see to it, that at least some of the popular songs break hearts.

With a last note the non-heartbreaking song is over and I walk into the choir room.

The singer, Blaine (of course), beams at his delighted audience and sits down beside Kurt, who kisses him lightly on the cheek and whispers something to him. I'm 100 percent sure it's something along the lines 'you were awesome, baby'. I try to repress the urge to gag at the sweetness and sit down in my usual spot in the back. Jeff meets my gaze from across the room where he's getting ready to perform, and he smiles knowingly as he notices my discomfort.

Something flutters in my chest.

Wes' sharp voice suddenly interrupts my thoughts. "And now warbler Jeff has a song for us."

I have a feeling I know what's coming, since Jeff's not the kind of guy who stands in front of everyone and sings whatever is on his mind. It's probably not just a mere coincidence that he decided to sing on the two years anniversary of our friendship.

Jeff walks into the middle of the room and then looks at me with a smirk. "I dedicate this song to my best friend Nick, since I know how much he likes cheesy love songs."

I roll my eyes and send him a glare to let him know how much I appreciate his kindness.

The warblers snicker and send me thumbs up. Obviously they still think Niff is the real deal. Not that it's their fault, they kind of have this need to ship every living thing at Dalton with someone else and Jeff and I with our touchy-feely relationship make it easy for them.

Sometimes too easy, I think with a sigh as Jeff blows me a kiss. But when he starts singing, it's impossible for me to be angry with him. His voice is the one thing I will never get tired of hearing.

"Do you hear me, I'm talking to you," while singing, Jeff walks over to where I'm sitting and takes my hand.
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying"

He pulls me up on my feet and nods at me to sing the next part. Well, two people can play this game. I take his hand in both of mine and look him steadily in the eye as I sing.

"Boy, I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard"

He fans himself with his free hand as though he's overwhelmed by my singing, and bats his eyelashes at me. I roll my eyes but there's nothing I can do to stop the small smile that appears. Which he, of course, notices and beams just as happily at me. Smiling like idiots, we sing the chorus together.

"Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again"

As we stand there, holding hands, eye-flirting and singing about our love for each other, I guess it's no wonder the warblers think we're dating.

"They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you, I promise you, I will"

Jeff sways his hips with the music and tries, in vain, to make me dance with him. He pouts when I refuse to move, but even his cute puppy eye look will not make me waltz with him. That would be way too embarrassing.

"Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday"

I let go of his hand and he sings the next part by himself.

"And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair"

As I start singing again I find myself wishing that Jeff and I could perform this at out next show choir competition, although I know it's hopeless. With Klaine in the warblers, no one else will get a duet.

"Though the breezes through the trees
Move so pretty you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning round
You hold me right here right now"

As we sing the last chorus, all the warblers join in and I have a feeling that even the students on the first floor must be able to hear us.

"Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
I'm lucky we're in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday"

The moment we're finished I slump back into my seat and watch Jeff enjoy himself, being the center of everyone's attention.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," my stupid best friend says with a goofy grin on his face and bows at the warblers' applause. "Nick and I are very happy that you all decided to hear us out this fine morning, which is our anniversary."

At that the warblers cheer way to happily for my taste. "Are you seriously believing a word he's saying?" I mutter.

Jeff punches me lightly on the arm. "It is actually two years since we met, Nick. So we kind of have an anniversary today. But of course you didn't remember that."

I take his hand and pull him down into the seat beside me before he embarrasses himself further. "I do remember it. But it's quite mean of you to let the warblers get their hopes up. They're obviously still thinking Niff's canon."

Jeff waggles his eyebrows at me. "Aw, Nicky. Are you afraid they will sing to us how happy they are about our undying love?"

I can't help but shudder at the thought. It reminds me of when Blaine and the warblers thought it would be a good idea to sing to Jeremiah.

Finally Wes cuts in and shuts everyone up. "Order. We have to go on with this meeting. Trent? You had something to say."

I zone out and try to rest a little bit with my head on Jeff's shoulder, and his head on top of mine. His blazer smells like hot chocolate and teenage boy, and his bony, muscular arm is a surprisingly soft pillow. If it wasn't for the fact that Wes would kill me with the gavel if I did, I would easily fall asleep.

"Can you please always be my pillow?"

Jeff chuckles softly. "If you don't accuse me of snoring again."

"I don't accuse you, just state facts."

"Then this lovely pillow will never be yours."

Of course Sebastian chooses that moment to interrupt us. "Could you two seriously even sound as if you weren't fucking?"

To my dismay Jeff straightens up and my head fall off his shoulder. "Well, could you even sound as if you weren't an asshole?"

"Does that mean that since I'm an asshole you're fucking?"

Jeff quiets and I can see by the concentrated look on his face that he's reflecting over what he said. "I guess I walked myself into that one," he shrugs. "But seriously, why are you so interested in me and Nick?"

Seb grins widely. "I just wanna know if I'll have any competition."

That catches my attention. Sebastian's interested in Jeff? Of all the people in the world who I don't want to see with Jeff, Sebastian is the first in line. "He's not available," I say and meet Jeff's gaze to see that he follows.

"And don't touch Nicky, 'cause he's mine," Jeff fills in and smirks at me.

Sebastian's sigh sounds way too happy for someone who've just been turned down. "And you say Niff isn't canon."

"Nah. That was just Nicky, he doesn't like to admit how smitten he is."

"You're one to talk."

Jeff bumps his shoulder with mine and whisper in my ear. "I admit it."

I can feel a shudder going through me, at his proximity, at his breath on my skin, at the sound of his voice and most importantly; at his words.

Was it a joke? Or did Jeff Sterling just admit that he's in love with me?

Before I can ask Jeff what he meant, Wes meets my gaze with a hard stare. "If warbler Nick finds it too hard to listen, then maybe he should take a break."

Although it sounds like a question, I know better. Wes is pissed at my lack of respect and he wants to keep the discipline that is the warblers trademark. "Yeah, I should," I mutter and make my way out of the choir room without looking at anyone. Although I can feel the weight of Jeff's eyes on my back the entire time.

I find myself walking back to my dorm in some sort of daze. As I close the door to the room I'm currently sharing with Thad, I realize that I have no memory of deciding to go here. I was too caught up in my own thoughts to care about what I was doing.

Over and over again, I hear Jeff's words in my head. I'm still not sure what he meant but I've at least come up with three options. Either he was joking; this is a possibility since there's no reason for him to think that I would take his words seriously. Or he was teasing Sebastian. Or he actually likes me. Like like likes me.

But he hasn't given me any reason to believe that was the case. If you don't count all the millions of times we tease the warblers through pretending to be together, or just behave like normal teenage friends never would. But I've always thought that was just the way our friendship was.

We've never wanted to be normal, and we've never treated each other in a normal we're-just-friends way.

If I feel like holding Jeff's hand 'cause it's soft and I want to tease the warblers, I do, and if he feels like hugging me 'cause he's so happy to see me, he does. We have boundaries, of course, and we don't do anything that isn't completely platonic, but still. We know that it's not normal teenage boy behavior.

What he whispered in my ear wasn't too far away from what we usually say when the warblers are contemplating over what Niff is and isn't. It doesn't have to mean that he likes me.

I sit down on my bed and stare at my hands. The question is; how am I going to find out what he meant?

With I quick look at my watch, I see that the warbler meeting in the choir room should be over in a couple of minutes. Which means I can ask Jeff what he meant.

The walk to Jeff's room takes only thirty seconds, if you hurry up a bit. And I'm quite anxious so when I get there and knock on his door, he's not there yet.

With his spare key, which I've had since he got this room in the beginning of the semester, I let myself in.

Our rooms have the same furniture; two beds, a wardrobe and a desk with a chair. The only difference is that while I left all my things at home, Jeff has brought a bunch of personal stuff with him. His old bass guitar, some video games, posters of his favorite bands, and lot of other things.

I sit down in the chair and stretch out my legs in front of me. These days, I'm stiff and aching all the time. It's because of all the dancing practice Wes has forced the warblers to do. He's completely obsessed with the thought of beating the New directions at Regionals, and he obviously thinks they can dance better than us.

I think he haven't seen them dance.

I check my watch again, Jeff should be here soon.

As I wait, I try to come up with something to say that won't make the conversation, or our entire friendship awkward.

Should I ask him straightforward? Or hide the true meaning of my words under a bunch of bullshit, so that we can pretend I didn't say anything if this doesn't turn out right?

Before I can figure it out, I hear Jeff's voice outside the door.

"How did you know you were in love with Kurt?"

He's talking to Blaine. Of course I shouldn't have expected for him to be alone. He really is the opposite of a lone wolf.

"Well, it's a lot of small things," Blaine answers.

"Like what?"

"I always wanted to see him. And when I stood a room full of warblers, he was the one I noticed. When he said something, it always surprised me and made me think in a different way. And he's so beautiful."

I can hear Jeff's soft chuckle. "Alright, thanks. That's enough, I think."

"Well, you'll fall in love yourself, and then you won't tease me for being so cheesy."

"Actually I don't mind the adorableness of your feelings. It's just that I have to find Nick."

"Of course. You're going to celebrate your anniversary? "

"Well, first we're going to decide what to do. But yeah."

"I guess I'll go find Kurt. See you later!"

Jeff opens the door and slips into the room. "Hi Nick," he says smiling.

"You don't look very surprised to see me here."

"Well, if you wanted to surprise me, you should've locked the door."

"Oh. Forgot about that."

Jeff smirks. "Of course you did."

I open my mouth to say the very question, that's been on my mind for a while. I just have to ask him what he meant. But in the last moment, I can feel my courage leaving me like the air in a punctuated balloon. "What was that about celebrating our anniversary?" I ask instead.

"Sneaking into other boys' room and eavesdropping! Seriously Nick, what are we going to do with you?"

"I couldn't help that you talked so loud."

"Of course you couldn't."

I roll my eyes. "So how about our anniversary? What are we going to do?"

"Movie marathon?"

"Sounds great. But I will not sit through one of your suck-y comedies again."

"They don't suck!"

"Obviously you think so. But lets watch something we both like, alright?"

Jeff shrugs and sends me a small glare. "Fine, asshole. What do you wanna watch?"

"How about those old Japanese horror movies with the creepy girl?"

"Which ones?"

"Anyone you'd like to see. I wanna get scared, I don't really care of what."

"Alright. We can watch a couple of them, if I get to choose a comedy too!"

"Fine."

Jeff beams and hugs me. "Thank you, Nicky," he says, squealing like a teenage girl.

"Calm down, dude," I roll my eyes at his eagerness. "So what happened after I left?"

"About that, I have something to tell you."

I suddenly feel out of breath. Is he going to say something about what he told me? "What is it?"

"I'll tell you later, it's going to be an anniversary surprise," he answers with a smug smile.

I send him a glare and pout. "That's not nice."

"Of course you think so."

"Well, since you're not going to tell me something, should we go to the canteen?"

"Yeah. I'm starving."

"Of course you are."

"Hey! Don't steal my lines!"

We sit down at our usual table, with our friends. Jeff immediately starts talking to Blaine about some dance move he's been practicing. He illustrates the move with his hands but when Blaine still doesn't understand what he means, he gets up on his feet and dances.

I laugh out loud at Wes' shocked face and clap my hands as Jeff bows before he sits down again.

"Discipline warbler Jeff!" Wes hisses and looks at David for back-up.

His friend nods. "Yeah. Don't behave like a little kid, Jeff. Although it was a smooth move."

Jeff grins. "Why, thank you."

"David!" Wes exclaims and glares daggers.

I decide to interrupt before the two friends start arguing like they have done a lot these days. "Hey guys, have you decided who're going to perform at Regionals?"

Wes and David frown at Jeff. "Didn't you tell him?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise for tonight, hush!"

Disappointment fills me as I realize that he wasn't going to say anything about his weird words earlier, but I refuse to let it show. Obviously he was just joking when he admitted to be smitten, so I'm not going to let him know what I think about it. That will only complicate things and make him uncomfortable. So I put on a cheerful face as I turn to Jeff. "Did you get a solo?"

He gives me a look that says we'll have an important talk later, but about what I don't understand. "No. I didn't."

I raise my eyebrows. "Then what's the surprise?"

Wes grins at me. "You two got the duet."

"It's going to be so adorable!" Kurt cuts in with a dreamy smile on his face. I swear that boy ships Niff harder than all the other warblers.

I just stare at them. "You're kidding."

Blaine shakes his head. "Nope. Half the warblers wanted you two to sing it, and the other half wanted it to be me and Kurt."

"Then why did we get it?"

David smirks. "Because Kurt and Sebastian said that your chemistry is going to beat Finchel."

"Sebastian?" Jeff exclaims surprised.

Right on cue, the very person emerges, even though I didn't see him only a couple of seconds ago. He's worse than a freaking ninja. "Talking about moi?" Seb smirks and sits down beside me.

"How come you ship Niff all of sudden? Weren't you hitting on Jeff before I left the choir room?" I ask dumbfounded.

Sebastian rolls his eyes. "I was just kidding. Calm down Nick. You two are way too cute to break up."

"For once, I actually agree with you," Kurt says with a smile, although I notice the tension in his grip of Blaine's hand. I guess he still thinks Seb will try to steal his boyfriend and I do understand why. Seb is the kind of guy who could get anyone he wants, he's beautiful, funny, charming when he wants to and surprisingly kind to the people closest to him. If it wasn't for the fact that every time he looks at Jeff, I'm afraid he will try to take him from me, I think we could be good friends.

"We all agreed that you and Jeff would do great at Regionals, although you will sing something more original than 'Lucky'," Wes says, interrupting my thoughts.

I meet Jeff's gaze and feel a smile forming on my lips. "I have a feeling this is just because they want us to get together."

Jeff frowns at me and shakes his head disapprovingly.

Maybe he thinks I've gone too far with the Niff-jokes. Why don't I shut my big mouth? I look away to avoid his gaze and stare down at my untouched food.

I can hear the conversation all the time but I can't get my head into it. If Jeff's disappointed in me, then I don't really care where Kurt bought his new clothes or where everyone's going after high school.

"What do you think Nick?" Jeff suddenly asks me.

"About what?" I steal a quick look at him and he looks his normal, happy self again.

"We were talking about cars. Ferrari or Lamborghini? Which one's the best?"

I smirk. "Ferrari, of course."

We high-five and after that I try harder to listen to what they're saying. The topic shifts from cars to music and we discuss the appropriate song for Regionals.

"'A thousand years'," Jeff suggests and winks at me.

"I like 'A thousand years' too," I pipe in, earning a happy smile from Jeff.

"Of course you do, since it was Jeff's idea," Wes sighs.

Blaine shakes his head. "How about 'Thinking about you' maybe?"

"No way. That isn't a Niff song at all," Sebastian mutters. "More something like 'Set fire to the rain'. It has more depth which suits them better."

"But it's so sad," Kurt says. "Shouldn't they sing a happy song? Like 'You were meant for me'? Singing in the Rain? Seriously guys, you need to watch more musicals."

"But that song is so short," Sebastian says. "And it's not a duet."

"'Set fire to the rain' isn't a duet either."

"But it works to sing as one, anyway."

Kurt glares, clearly irritated, at Sebastian who sneers back.

"Alright guys, calm down," Wes interrupts before Kurt can snap something. "The council will think about your suggestions."

Jeff meets my gaze from across the table and I nod. The next second we get up from the table, making our friends frown at us. "You guys are so in sync, it's scary," David jokes.

Jeff chuckles. "You should see yourself and Wes, that's scary. I swear you guys have found a way to use telepathy."

"Come on Jeffie. I wanna go see the movies now," I say and try to stop my voice from sounding too whiny.

The others exchange glances and smirk as they catch me looking.

"What?"

"Niff wants some alone time," Sebastian says and winks at me.

I feel my face heat up when I understand what they mean. Warblers and their innuendos.

Jeff takes my hand, seeming totally unaffected by Seb's comment. "Come on, Nicky. I wanna see the movies too."

When we're back in Jeff's room, we sit down on his bed and start with the creepy, Japanese movie where the girl crawls out of the screen. When the main character, whose name I never remember, watches the movie out in the cabin, Jeff grabs my hand and holds it in a tight grip.

I forget about the movie and watch him instead. His hazel eyes stare widely at the screen and he's unconsciously biting his lip. I smile and pat his hand comfortingly.

He gives me a shaky smile. "Why do they always do the things that will get them killed in the end?"

"Because otherwise it wouldn't be a horror movie."

"But why can't they just once avoid looking at the creepy movie that everyone who watches dies?"

I shrug. "Well, if Wes, for example, gave us a book, and said that everyone who ever read it died, would you believe him?"

"You've got a point. I wouldn't. But that depends on the person telling you too. If you begged me not to read it because you didn't want me to die, then I would trust you."

"So you don't trust Wes?" I tease him.

He chuckles. "Not that much, no. Trying to scare us like that, sounds like something he would do. But you wouldn't give me the book if you wasn't totally sure it wouldn't hurt me."

I feel warm and nervous and all of sudden, I'm aware that Jeff and I are still holding hands. And have we sat this close to each other the entire time? It seems like I'm practically, almost on his lap. "You trust me that much?"

I look up and meet his earnest gaze. "Yeah," he says.

He's not scared anymore, having completely forgotten about the movie, but he seems to be as nervous as I am.

"I trust you too," I say, and I'm only a breath away from saying three other famous words.

But he turns back to the movie, and the moment is ruined.

Heavy with disappointment I sink back on the bed and let my head rest on Jeff's shoulder. This time I'm not having the threat of Wes and his gavel over my head, and I fall asleep before the movie is halfway over.