Chapter 1
Nick Duval and Jeff Sterling met during their freshman year at Dalton Academy. They became friends instantly and bonded over their love of music, video games, musicals and Disney movies. It wasn't long before their friendship turned into something more. Everyone who knew the two knew that it wouldn't be long before they officially became Niff. They just were meant to be together.
In every couple's relationship there comes the time for the official meeting of the family. For Nick and Jeff, these were happening on the same weekend. It was to be dinner at the Duval's house on Friday night followed by brunch at the Sterling's house on Saturday morning.
"Are you really that nervous?" Jeff's roommate, Blaine Anderson, asked as he watched him messing anxiously with his hair.
"Yes! I want to make a good impression," Jeff replied trying to get a piece of hair to stay in place, "What if they don't like me?"
"That is unlikely to happen," Blaine replied rolling his eyes, "Jeff…they have already met you."
"Yeah, but they met me as Nick's best friend. What if I'm not what they pictured for Nick? Well I'm sure I'm not what they pictured for Nick considering I'm a guy…" Jeff replied trailing off and then started to nervously bite at his fingernails.
"I'm sure I'm not what Mr. Hummel pictured for Kurt either, but it didn't change things after Kurt and I started dating," Blaine offered.
"Yeah, but Mr. Hummel is the coolest man I know! And no one can deny the fact that you make Kurt happy. I think Mr. Hummel was relieved when you met him," Jeff replied and then realized, "But that doesn't matter because I'm meeting the Duval family not the Hummel-Hudson family!"
"Right, sorry…I'm sure they will still like you Jeff," Blaine offered sincerely.
"I'm also meeting Nick's brother who he apparently isn't too fond of. Well, at least he doesn't talk about him too much. I think he has only been mentioned once or twice in passing really. What if he doesn't like me?" Jeff asked distressed.
"If Nick isn't too fond of his brother, then why does it matter if he likes you or not?"
Before Jeff had a chance to reply to Blaine's question there was a knock on the dorm room door and then Nick opened it and walked in.
"Are you ready for this?"
"As ready as I will ever be," Jeff replied, walking over to his boyfriend and grabbing his hand for support.
"Good luck you guys, I'm sure things will be fine," Blaine offered as the two walked out of the door hand in hand.
The two were barely two feet down the hallway before they could hear Teenage Dream blasting from Blaine's speakers.
"Why did Kurt have to go back to McKinley? Blaine's brooding and excessive listening to this song is enough to drive all of us crazy!" Jeff stated exasperated.
"Not to mention the fact that all he ever does is talk about Kurt," Nick added.
"That too…I mean I love the guy, but there is only so much a roommate can take before you want to just ship him to Lima!"
"You truly are a saint to put up with that," Nick replied with a wide smile.
Jeff just laughed in reply. He noticed that most of his nerves had disappeared. He was certain that it had everything to do with the boy that was currently holding his hand. The two boys got into Nick's cherry red Mustang and headed out of the parking lot and started their hour and a half drive to Dayton.
When the two boys arrived at the Duval house Jeff felt the butterflies in his stomach multiply. The moment he was dreading was finally here. Nick noticed the change on Jeff's face and grabbed his boyfriend's hand over the center console of the car.
"There is no reason to be nervous, my parents love you Jeff," Nick stated sincerely.
"Yeah as your best friend…I'm now your boyfriend. Things are now drastically different!" Jeff argued.
"They are still going to love you. My parents know that I'm gay. They are just happy that I found someone that makes me as happy as you do," Nick countered.
Jeff just nervously nodded his head in reply. The two got out of their car and headed up to the front door. The Duval house was like most boys houses at Dalton: huge and imposing. Nick fit into the category of boys who came from families with lots of money. Most of the boys, including Nick and Jeff, at Dalton were the sons of the elite in society. There were very few boys that were there on scholarship and most of them were there for protection reasons.
Nick opened the door and led Jeff into the house and called out for his parents. A couple seconds later Mr. and Mrs. Duval appeared in the foyer.
"Oh Nicky I've missed you!" Mrs. Duval yelled and pulled her son into a tight hug and then turned towards Jeff and pulled him into a tight embrace as well, "It is so lovely to see you again Jeff! I'm so happy that Nick finally wised up and admitted his feelings for you!"
"Wait…what? You knew?" Jeff asked shocked.
"Of course we knew!" Mr. Duval replied jumping into the conversation, "You boys made it pretty obvious when you came over during spring break and you are all Nick talks about." Mr. Duval then stuck out his hand for Jeff to shake, "It really is great to see you again Jeff."
Jeff shook Mr. Duval's hand in shocked silence. Jeff looked over and caught Nick's eyes and saw that he was giving him his 'see I told you so' look.
"Come on into the kitchen. We have got some appetizers. Dinner is going to be in an hour because we have to wait for Thomas to get home from school," Mrs. Duval stated, ushering them all into the massive and open kitchen.
"Let me guess he got detention again," Nick stated rolling his eyes.
"Yes, he was a little fresh with one of his teachers," Mr. Duval replied sitting down at one of the stools at the counter.
"How old is your brother?" Jeff asked, feeling that it was an appropriate question. He really didn't know anything about Nick's brother other than that his name is Thomas.
"You haven't told him?" Mrs. Duval asked raising an eyebrow.
"It's not like we talk about him mom…he's my age. He is my twin brother," Nick replied picking up a carrot from the veggie tray that was sitting on the counter, "We are as different as night and day though."
"Why doesn't he go to Dalton with you?" Jeff asked and immediately realized that it was the wrong question to ask when all he got in reply was awkward silence.
"It's…it's a long story," Nick amended and the subject was dropped.
Conversation eventually picked up again and Mr. Duval brought out the picture album.
"Come on dad! You don't need to show Jeff all of my embarrassing baby pictures!" Nick protested actually getting slightly red in the face.
"I'm quite enjoying this thank you very much," Jeff replied laughing at a picture of a 3 year old Nick standing with his hands on his hips and a pout on his face.
"This was part of the cookie saga. We told him that he couldn't have a cookie before dinner and then he proceeded to attempt to sneak one. We caught him and told him that he was going to have to go to time-out. He then put his hands on his hips and that pout on his face and began to tell us that we were unfair and ruining his life. I couldn't help but grab the camera and take a picture of it," Mrs. Duval explained.
Jeff thought that the stories kept getting better and better as they went through the photo album. Nick just got redder and redder in the face as they went along. They were interrupted during the epic story of the birthday cake fiasco by the front door of the house opening. A few seconds later a boy walked in through the door that made Jeff freeze in his place. He knew that boy. He knew that boy far too well.