A/N: If anyone can guess where I got the title from, congrats. It's related to my other favourite couple on Glee, canon wise (GUESS WHICH ONE?) It's not a songfic so here goes. It starts of angsty but ends fluffy (sort of?)
Nicholas Duval was sitting on the edge of his bed. Just moments ago, he just told his family that he was gay and proud. His sister had hugged him and said that they could bond over hot guys while his mum just ruffled his hair and whispered, "I've known since 7th Grade honey." His father stood there, a scowl on his face.
Nick knew his father was very homophobic but what could he do? He really hated the girls he was forced to date and he already had a boyfriend.
Saskia Duval came in and sat on her brother's lap, hugging his middle tightly. She was only 11 yet she could never hate his brother, even if he was 16 and teen siblings were supposed to be fighting during this time of their life.
"Nicky?"
"Yeah, sweetie?"
"Will you leave?"
"If Dad makes me."
"Don't leave."
"But Dad hates me."
"Why?"
"He doesn't like gay people. He doesn't understand how people can be gay."
The little girl sat there with a smirk on his face. Nick noticed this and looked down.
"Saskia, what are you thinking?"
"Oh, nothing…"
"Don't play cute with me."
Saskia sighed before she told her brother her plan.
"I don't know, Kia. He might hate you after that."
"Well, we can runaway together. We can live with Jeffy."
Nick smiled at his sister and kissed her hair.
"Thank you for reminding me," he turned and picked his phone up, pressing 1 and the call button.
...
"Hi baby, anything wrong?"
"How do you – "
"Don't start that honey, I know you better than the back of my hand."
Nick laughed and told Jeff what happened earlier that day at the Duval household.
"Aw, Nick, you know you can live with us. Mum and Dad adore you, hell, they'll pick you over me any day."
"No they won't."
The couple laughed and continued talking, Jeff occasionally talking to Saskia.
"NICHOLAS!" the brunette's father called. He sighed as he talked to Jeff.
"That's my cue, baby."
"Alright. Good luck hun. I love you."
"Love you too."
They hung up and Nick had a smile on his face. So this is what Blaine meant when he said you smile like a mad scientist when your boyfriend says 'I love you' over the phone or on a date.
He sighed and walked down to the living room, his mother was visibly shaken and now Saskia was scared.
...
"Saskia, sit next to your mother."
The little girl shook her head.
"If you're gonna hurt Nicky, you're gonna hurt me too. I love Nicky, and if he dies because of you, I want to go next."
Mr. Duval was taken aback by his daughter's comments. Well shit.
"Saskia," he tried again, crouching to her eye level, "Can you please sit next to mum?"
"No, I'm staying with Nicky. Even if that means leaving the house or getting stabbed by you."
Nick loved his sister but she really shouldn't risk her own life for him. But this was working; his dad was giving up.
"Alright, I'll just get on with it," he said as he got back to Nick's eye level.
"Hit me Dad. It's not going to change me, how I love, who I love and most importantly, it's not going to bring me down."
Okay, the last line was a lie. He was already contemplating suicide since his dad was abusing him so much whenever he said no to a girl, and that was before he came out. What's gonna happen now?
"Shut up, Nicholas."
"No Dad, I'd rather you hurt me in front of your own wife and daughter that you love so much so you know what guilt and sadness feel like. I don't know why I ever considered you as my hero when I was younger."
SLAP. Mr. Duval's hand met Nick's cheek and a red hand mark was planted on it. Saskia screamed in horror while their mother wept.
"You hear that? Hear that dad? This is what guilt sounds like once you realise all of this can disappear in a matter of seconds. We can leave in a blink of an eye."
"You will not leave this house."
"Then keep abusing me, in front of your wife, in front of your daughter, the two most amazing women you've ever loved. Keep doing that but once you realise we're gone, we're never coming back. I'd rather be fatherless than have an abusive one."
Slaps, punches and kicks were thrown Nick's way. He knew it was coming. Saskia was screaming, pushing their father off of him. Then, one move changed everything.
Mr. Duval punched Saskia in the stomach. Mrs. Duval stood up and cradled their injured daughter. Her husband stood up and looked anxious yet worried. He picked up his keys and ran out the door.
"Saskia," Nick mumbled hoarsely, "Mum, call 911."
xxxxxxxxx
When Nick woke up, he was in a hospital room and his hand was held in Jeff's. The boy of his dreams was humming a familiar tune with his eyes closed.
"Hi," Nick croaked.
Jeff opened his eyes and let out a sigh. He hugged his limp boyfriend.
"You scared me."
"I'm sorry. You can leave me if you want."
Jeff was horrified. He looked at his boyfriend dead in the eye before talking.
"I. Love. You," he punctuated, "I will never leave you; I want to share every first with you. Nick, you are my everything."
"Why did I deserve someone like you?"
The blonde smiled before shrugging lightly, "Dunno, lucky stars?"
Nick smiled back, "Lucky stars."
Saskia and Mrs. Duval came into the room with a police officer. Nick was scared and Jeff could sense it. He leant down and brushed the brunette's forehead.
"I'm right here," Jeff whispered.
"Hello, Mr. Duval. I am Officer Biggart and I am here to ask you a few questions."
Nick nodded before adding, "Can my boyfriend stay with me."
Mrs. Duval let out a silent gasp. She didn't know they were dating.
Officer Biggart looked between the boys and nodded. What harm were they going to do anyway?
"Right, may I start?"
Nick nodded. The cop pulled out a notepad and fired questions, Nick answering them, some quicker or longer than others.
"Thank you Mr. Duval."
"Please, sir. It's Nick."
"Right, Nick. Thank you for your account and we should be able to process this case quickly since both accounts were first hand and the injuries due to this are very obvious."
Nick smiled and shook hands the officer before he left, nodding and thanking his mother on the way.
"So, Nick, care to explain when this happened?" His mother asked, motioning between the two boys. Jeff smiled goofily while Nick rested his head on the blonde's forearm.
"We've been dating for 5 months now."
"Does your family know Jeff?"
"Yes, they do, Mrs. Duval," he added a nod for emphasis.
"Oh Jeff dear, it's Miranda. I'm happy for the both of you. I really am. Now, I must get going. Saskia, say goodbye to Jeff and your brother."
Saskia walked to his brother's bedside, giving him a kiss on the cheek and hug and the same for Jeff. She liked Jeff's hugs; they were warm, just like her brothers.
"Bye," she mumbled under her breath.
"It's not a goodbye sweetie, it's a see you soon," Nick said bluntly. The little girl smiled before she walked out the door.
xxxxxxxxx
It had been 2 months since his father beat up Nick in his house. Things weren't any better in school. Somehow, word spread that Nick was gay and he was taunted regularly by the jocks, calling him names and telling him he didn't deserve to walk in their halls or even live. It was getting to his head.
One day, he was shoved into a wired fence and some loose barb had scarred his forearm. It felt good; the feeling of metal on skin, causing blood to ooze out.
Once he got home that same day, he went up to his room and found a razor blade in his ensuite. He took a deep breath and sliced his left wrist open. God, that felt amazing, every little doubt ran out of his system just like the blood. He did it on his other wrist but neither cuts were deep enough for him to loose consciousness. Nick took some toilet paper and wrapped it around his wrists so the wounds could close quicker and he could go down to dinner without his mother being too suspicious. Luckily, it was nearing the winter months, so there was a reason to wear long sleeved shirts.
The cutting kept going, and Nick found a new place (that could be hidden well) every time he needed a fresh cut but his body started to ache. He was still taunted, but the only reason he got through the day was knowing the fact that his mum, Saskia and Jeff still loved him.
Then one day, one of the jocks came up to him and shoved him into a locker. He then picked the brunette up and slammed him on the ground and the rest of the team started kicking him. The only reason they stopped was when teachers came and told them to do so.
Nick had enough. He thought about transferring to Dalton, for a number of reasons. First, it had a zero-tolerance policy, meaning no bullying, and second, he could be closer to Jeff.
xxxxxxxxx
Nick transferred over the winter break, but that didn't stop him from cutting. When the old scars were gone, he went back to square one. No one, not even Jeff, had any idea this was happening. It wasn't as intense as it had been the past few months but it still happened.
"Nick?" his boyfriend asked from the locked door.
"Yeah babe?"
"You've been in there for ages, what's up?"
"Nothing, I was just about to come out."
Nick breathed and covered his recent scar on his right bicep. He looked at his reflection and sighed. Should he tell Jeff? No, then he'll tell his mum or Saskia. Well, it'll just have to be a personal secret.
He walked out of the bathroom in Jeff's dorm (he boarded when his parents left for business trips, Harris would be at Nick's place so he and Saskia could carpool) and sat on the bed.
"What's wrong?"
"Can you promise me one thing? Just one thing."
Jeff worried his lower lip before he nodded.
Nick sighed before he lifted his shirt and pulled down his jeans. The taller boy gasped, seeing the scars mark the scared boy in every place possible.
"Nick," he breathed.
"This," he pointed to his bicep, "Is what I did in there," pointing to the ensuite.
"Oh, Nick."
"I'm sorry, it's just…"
"Sshhh," Jeff cooed and pulled both of them down, laying on the bed. Nick became the small spoon instantly, curling up in his boyfriend's embrace.
...
"J-Jeff…"
"Yeah, baby?"
"I've thought about suicide."
Jeff gasped and held the broken boy tighter.
"No, Nick, no please don't. I don't want to loose you. You are my everything. Nick, please don't."
"It's just… it's too much Jeff," he sobbed.
"I know, but it gets better. I promise you it does. I love you."
"Jeff…"
"Sshhh, no. Suicide will not do any good. I will be broken; Saskia is going to cry non-stop and your mum will be blaming me."
"The world doesn't understand."
"Why are you worried about the world when the only person you need to impress is yourself?"
Nick stopped and gripped his boyfriend tighter. His words rang in his ears loud and clear. The only person I need to impress is myself.
"What do you mean?" he croaked. Jeff sighed and kissed his forehead.
"I mean, the world doesn't care, that's true, but you don't need to care about them. You need to care about yourself, you need to believe in yourself and you just have to make your life as happy as it can be."
"How?"
"Stop cutting, stop thinking about suicide, look at things through a happy lens, and think positive. If you need a little bit of happiness, think about our dates, when you sing on stage or you serenading me, our little kisses in Warblers practice, the many kisses we shared, even those that are cliché yet romantic. There is a little bit of happiness in your life. Find it, channel it and that's all you need to get through your life."
Nick stopped and thought about everything Jeff mentioned. He smiled at all the mental images he was conjuring. It was really a beautiful thing to see and he couldn't have it any other way.
"How are you so smart?"
"I've always wanted to be a philosopher."
"What did I do in my past life to deserve someone as amazing as you?"
"Lucky stars?"
The couple giggled and shared a chaste kiss. It wasn't rushed, it wasn't forced; it was sweet and simple, so full of raw emotion.
"Oh Nick."
"Hm?"
"If you feel like you're nothing, remember that you are perfect to me."
A/N: So that turned out differently than I expected. I just reread the whole thing and realised that I suck at writing non-songfics (or maybe that's just me being pessimistic, as per usual) :/
Has anyone guessed the song that inspired this piece of fanfic? I was planning to use another Glee pairing with the same song but I wanted to try an angst to fluff Niff fic :)
It's pretty short, but hey, best I could do in between all the crap I'm shuffling though in RL.
R/R guys :D