Nick ran from the office crying. His father was being so unreasonable and he just couldn't take it anymore. He had to find a way to change his very stubborn father's mind.
Nick kept running until he got to his room, which he shared with his best friend, Jeff. He burst through the door, ran to his bed, and screamed into his pillow. He didn't care that Jeff was probably sitting on his bed looking at him questioningly. He also didn't care that his father would probably be back the next day to help him pack his things. He felt someone sit on the bed, and then a hand on his back. He looked over his shoulder to make sure it was Jeff and then put his face back in his pillow and started to cry.
"It's going to be alright, Nicky." Nick cried harder when he heard Jeff's voice. There was no way he could leave Jeff. He would do anything to stay with him. "Would you like to tell me what happened?" Jeff was trying to stay calm, but he had never seen Nick cry, especially not like this. In all honesty, he was scared for his closest friend.
Nick sat up slowly, but refused to look at Jeff. He just sat on his bed, still letting the tears fall, but not being able to make any noise other than an occasional whimper. Jeff didn't know what came over him, but he suddenly pulled Nick into his side, Nick letting his head fall onto Jeff's shoulder and hugging him close. Nick pretended not to notice Jeff's heart flutter when they touched, mostly because his did the same thing.
"Can you just…hold me…for right now?" Jeff's heart broke at those words. He pulled Nick even closer and laid his head on Nick's.
"Of course I can, Nicky. Talk when you're ready." Jeff felt the urge to kiss Nick's head, but refused to let that happen. Now was not the time to even think about his possible feelings for his very straight best friend.
After a few minutes, Nick started to take deep breaths to calm down. He had to tell Jeff. There was no way around it. "Jeff, I have to tell you something." Jeff took a deep breath. He hadn't let Nick call him Jeff since they first met. It was too formal for their kind of friendship. "My father has decided that we no longer need to live in Westerville. We're moving back to Los Angeles." He took a deep breath, but felt the tears start to come again. He looked up to Jeff and saw that Jeff looked panicked. "Jeffy?"
"He'll let you finish the year though, right?" Jeff started to get tears in his eyes and felt it getting harder to breathe. When Nick didn't answer immediately, he started to let the tears fall. "You can't leave Nicky! I love you!" Nick's head shot up and he smirked. He got up and Jeff let his eyes fall to the floor. "I shouldn't have said that." Nick took Jeff's hand and pulled his face up to meet his.
"I love you too." Nick leaned in and kissed Jeff passionately. He didn't want to stop, but Jeff eventually pulled away. Nick frowned and looked down at his shoes. "I'm sorry. I just assumed you wanted that." He started to leave, but Jeff pulled him close again. He started to cry again because none of this should have happened this way.
Jeff should have said something sooner. He should have admitted his feelings much earlier on and they could have enjoyed months together, instead of days. "I don't want you to leave, Nicky." He felt Nick's arms wrap around him tighter as he cried into Jeff's chest.
He was trying so hard to be strong, but he couldn't possibly face life without Nick. He had helped him through so much. When Jeff was bullied at his old school, his parents sent him to Dalton in hopes that he would be more widely accepted. Nick had become his closest friend within a few days. They would stay up late watching movies, talking, eating, sometimes even singing, just to spend time together. He had feelings for Nick since pretty much day one, but refused to admit it to anyone, even himself.
"I don't want to leave either. I just want to stay here with you. I'm happy here with you." Jeff led them back to sit on the bed. Neither of them could stand anymore; They were too upset. Jeff immediately laid down and pulled Nick as close as possible so that his head was on his chest. They cried for hours, holding each other as close as possible, and savoring the only time they had left together. Around midnight, Jeff heard a small snore and he had to hold back a laugh. He had known that Nick snored sometimes, but only when he was sick or had a headache. Jeff gently massaged his head, hoping it would help him in some way. He eventually fell asleep, holding tightly to the one boy who had changed his life.
Nick woke up with someone's hand wrapped in his hair and said someone's other hand on his waist. He looked up just enough to see who it was. Jeff. Everything came back to him in a blur and he felt tears rush to his eyes. Jeff must have felt his sharp intake of breath because he immediately pulled him in closer and whispered, "I love you." Nick smiled and squeezed Jeff a little where his arm rested on his waist. "I love you too." They didn't go down to the cafeteria for breakfast. They just held each other for hours until finally, there was the knock on the door that Nick had been dreading. Jeff stopped him when he went to get up and kissed him passionately until there was a second knock.
"Coming!" Nick tried to hold back the tears, but they just kept falling. He wondered if it was possible to actually run out of tears because he had to be getting to that point soon. He walked to the door while Jeff went into the bathroom to give Nick some privacy. He sat with his back against the closed door so that he could hear everything.
"Son, why haven't you packed anything? I told you to be ready to load the car as soon as I got here. Was I not clear on the time?" His dad walked around the room while Nick hung his head by the door. He looked up briefly to see Jeff's shadow under the bathroom door and looked to his father.
"I'm not going." Nick stood straight so that he was taller than his father, and he made sure to make eye contact and not appear nervous. If he was going to win, he needed to be confident.
"Excuse me?" His dad came up to him quickly, getting very close to his face. "I told you yesterday, you have no option. You come with me now or you don't ever come to me again." Nick swallowed loudly and heard Jeff sigh on the other side of the door. His dad must have heard it too because he turned to the door and tried to open it. "Who's in there?" He yelled much louder than necessary. He saw Jeff's shadow move and the door opened.
Jeff walked out in only his Dalton sweatpants that he went to gym in and Nick's jaw dropped. He had seen Jeff shirtless a few times, but never really paid that much attention. Jeff held his hand out towards Nick's father and introduced himself. "I'm Jeff, Nick's roommate. It's nice to meet you." He smiled a friendly smile, but Nick could see past it easily. There was quite a bit of hatred in his eyes that his father wasn't clever enough to catch. Jeff caught his eye and smirked. Nick's dad shook Jeff's hand and smiled a small smile. "I am Nicholas Duval. Pleasure to meet you."
Nick's dad turned back to Nick while Jeff started putting together some things. Nick couldn't help but focus on him instead of what his dad was saying.
"Nick! Answer me!" Nick looked to his father and frowned.
"What?" He went back to look at Jeff packing some luggage.
"I said get your things together now before I leave you for good."
"Is that a promise?" Nick hadn't meant for the words to be spoken, but they had slipped. Jeff turned quickly to stare at Nick. He couldn't believe he had heard it.
"What did you just say to me?" Nick's father got in his face, scaring Nick into backing against the wall. He saw Jeff out of the corner of his eye ball his hands into fists.
"You heard me. I don't want to go with you. I love it here. I'm not moving." Nick hoped his voice didn't sound as shaky as he felt. Suddenly, a fist made contact with his eye and a knee made a blow to his stomach. He collapsed, trying to catch air, but heard Jeff pulling his father out of the door. Within a few seconds, he heard the door lock and Jeff came to help him up.
"Oh God, Nicky, are you alright? I should've stopped him before he even hit you, I'm so sor…" Nick pulled Jeff down and kissed him.
"Stop, okay? You didn't know he would do anything. It's not your fault." Nick kissed him again and then sat up. Jeff still looked upset, but helped Nick stand and walked over to the bed. Nick looked at where Jeff's luggage was sitting on his bed, ready to go. "What were you doing with that?" Jeff turned to look.
"I was going to follow you wherever you went. I just needed clothes really. Everything else could be bought along the way. I just need to be with you." He looked down, blushing. Nick pulled him into his arms.
"I can't believe you would do that for me. Thank you. I love you so much." Nick held Jeff for a few minutes until he decided that they both needed to call security to come get his dad. "Lie down. I'll be right back." Nick went to get his cell phone on the desk and took care of everything. When everything was done, he joined Jeff in bed and they cuddled up close.
"Can every day be like this?" Jeff sighed.
"As long as you want them to be like this, I'll make sure they are." Nick squeezed Jeff's hand and kissed his forehead.
"I love you, Nicky. I don't ever want you to leave."
"I love you too, Jeffy. I don't plan on ever leaving."