In this alternate universe, 21year-old Nathan Prescott is the son of a prestige business man and boyfriend of the renown 35 year-old photographer, Mark Jefferson. He is now living in Seattle for college. Nathan has been battling with mental illness his entire life as a result of an abusive childhood and now an abusive relationship. He tells himself that he deserves it all.. That is until 20-year old Warren Graham, Nathan's high school sweetheart, comes into town to transfer to the same university. (Warnings: rape, abuse, sex, self harm, intrusive thoughts, and whole lot of beautiful gay goodness.) Pairings: Warren/Nathan(duh), slight Jefferson/Nathan, Chloe/Max, Victoria/Kate, Rachel/Frank. If you don't like the pairings and only came for Grahamscott, then just hold on to that and ignore the other stuff. It is okay for people to have different opinions on ships.

Anyway, Enjoy!

-Robstar13

Nathan's P.O.V.

"Wake up, Nathan. You've slept passed your alarm."

Hands shake me awake and I reluctantly comply while swatting them away. My eyes finally open and though blurry, I could see that the person rudely waking me from my slumber is my boyfriend, Mark Jefferson. I groan inwardly as I could tell he was waiting for me to get up, like opening my eyes wasn't enough. I sit up with a stretch and give him a cold glare, which only elicited a smirk from the taller man.

Mark himself was only wearing a button up shirt and a pair of boxers. The sight might've been hot if I wasn't so damn tired. I stayed up all night writing an essay that had to be perfect, and it is. It better be, anyway.

I finally shift my weight around the bed, my feet touching the cold floor. I sigh as I stand up and walk to my closet. I get dressed lazily, but my outfit wasn't anything of the sort. I had the most expensive clothes so they looked as such. I slide the closet shut and look into the wide full body mirror that's mounted outside of it.

Long, hairy arms wrap around my waist, a stubbly chin resting on my head. His grip around me tightened and I tried my best to hold in a wince as he was pressing against the bruises that were scattered across my sides. I don't even want to think about the pain of two nights ago, when Mark was drunk and I got on his nerves way too much with an anxiety attack. He doesn't remember anyway, or he just hasn't brought it up. I certainly don't want to be the one to do it.

"After you do your hair we can go get breakfast and I'll drop you off at the campus myself, how does that sound?" Mark asked as he watched my expression through the mirror. I couldn't help but smile and lean into his chest.

"I'd like that."

...

I'm full and satisfied and for the first time since two days ago, I'm at ease. Sure, I may be in denial when it comes to my relationship, but that's a thought for another day. Plus, I really don't want to have an anxiety attack on campus. Taking my medication like I'm supposed to before I head out also helps.

Just like in Arcadia Bay, I quickly became popular, which was mostly because my family is rich as fuck. Which means-judging by my bank account-I'm rich too. My parents are trying to run this place now that I'm here, just like with Blackwell Academy. No one says no to money, even high ranking universities, I've come to learn.

And though I don't run a club anymore like the Vortex Club back at Blackwell, I still throw most of the parties here. I buy the drugs and the alcohol, and the rest of the people here don't bother me because of it. I don't partake in the drugs or the drinking as much as I used to though.

But they are still lit as fuck.

I immediately shake my head at the thought. Mark would hate it if he heard me talking like that. I sigh inwardly as I walk through the long hallways of the university, satchel over my shoulder, dreading turning in my essay even though I'm pretty sure I did pretty well on it. I did stay up all night to do it, after all.. But a sleep deprived human trying to form intelligent, complete sentences? There's a possibility that it's shit.. I did read over it in the car with Mark, though, and even he said that it's well written.

The topic was literally about homophobia in America; a topic I know all too well.

So there's no reason for me to dwell on the thought, but that didn't stop my heart from racing when I actually did hand it to my professor. He took it with disinterest and I was able to calmly make it to my seat at the back of the class.

I don't know how I ended up zoning out most of the lecture and still had most of it written down, but was able to clearly hear him say one name that I had thought-hoped-I'd never hear again.

Though the professor seemed rather annoyed that his lecture was interrupted by a woman from the main office, he reluctantly greeted the boy that followed behind her.

"Nice to meet you, Warren Graham. This is your first day so I'll let you slide this one time for disrupting my class. Now, go pick a seat and let someone help you with the notes."

My heart rate quickened again as I saw him, my cheeks and ears burning. He almost looks just like he did in high school. His hair is still long and brown, his face still looks as soft, even though it has matured slightly. He even dresses the same too. Blue jeans and a tee shirt that always had some type of a cute image or meme reference, with a long sleeve shirt underneath.

So childish,

So Warren.

I tried to hide my face so he couldn't see me. I had to had been the only one he knew in the class, so I hid behind my hand and kept my eyes down on my papers.

"Nathan?"

Shit.

I had no choice to look up at the boy, who looked down at me with a raised eyebrow. My fists clench and unclench below the desk, still unable to respond to him.

"Were you hiding from me?" Warren asked in a whisper, sitting down next to me even though he clearly didn't ask for permission. Like I'd say no anyway.

"Whatthefuckever." I muttered as I handed him my notes. He smiled as he took out a piece of paper from his binder so he could copy them down.

"After all these years you're still Nathan Prescott." Warren said under his breath, flashing his eyes up at me only for a moment before looking back down at his paper. I bite my lip to refrain from cussing him out. This isn't that shit hole town Arcadia Bay, no one is just used to me tormenting people. This is a new city-a new start. I can't revert. I won't.

Don't freak out. Breathe.

"I'm nothing like I used to be." I had to defend myself because the statement is true. I've been seeing a therapist that I actually picked myself and it has helped with my aggression tremendously. But I guess my therapist and I haven't covered the section on how to react when your high school crush pops up out of nowhere.

When Warren didn't respond I found myself becoming upset. He has no reason to believe that I've changed. Out of all the people I've hurt in my life, I hurt him most of all. I don't even know why he seems so calm right now sitting beside me.

I look down at the floor when I realized I had been staring at him. It was at this point when my medication just wasn't helping anymore. Thoughts begin to swirl in my head as I'm reminded how much of a fuck up I am.

"Hey, it's okay." Warren noticed my upcoming panic attack, because of course he did, and a simple hand on my shoulder instantly calmed me. Oh, how I wish it didn't. Only because it shows how much I still care about the dude when I know I was the one who fucked him over.

"There's no hard feelings, bro." Warren reassured quietly, but even he a had tint of pink in his cheeks as he remembered what we used to be. He gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning away and giving his full attention to the lecture.

I spent the rest of the time doing breathing exercises and not looking at him because if I did I would have been mesmerized by the way his long hair frames his face and how his brown eyes still dance with excitement when he learns about new things in different subjects and I just don't have time for that.

"Do you want to go get some coffee and catch up after our classes?" He asked as our current class ended, and I was more surprised by how short I am compared to him now. He looked down at me with a small chuckle, obviously enjoying this fact. Though I've never been taller than him, he's never towered over me like this before and it's insanely attractive.

Stop, dumb ass. You have a boyfriend.

"I.. I don't know if that's a good idea." I rub the back of my neck while looking down at the science joke on his shirt, a small smile creeping up the corners of my lips.

"Come on, please."

Looking up at him I instantly gave in and agreed. His eyes were shining with hope and he poked his lips out in a pout. So adorable and he knows it too.

...

"So, what have you been up to?" I found myself asking as we settled into a booth in the campus café. He toyed with the cup in his hands, looking down at the black liquid.

"Not much, really. I transferred universities because.. Reasons, and that's really it." Warren paused for a moment, pursing his lips before finally looking up at me from across the table. I could tell that there must of been a pretty good reason for him to make such a decision, but he wasn't ready to talk about it just yet, and I was not about to pester the dude after years of not speaking

"You still best friends with Victoria? She still with Kate?" He asked while taking a small sip of the still scorching liquid. I tried to stifle a chuckle at how he grimaced at the pain so I could answer his question.

"Oh, yes." I pause for a moment to take a sip of my own coffee, welcoming the burning pain in my throat, as it was helping me wake up, because I was still so exhausted. "We don't talk as much as we used to because she lives in Los Angeles and goes to a university there with Kate, so they're going on strong. But, yeah, she's still my one and only best friend."

The only person I can talk to about my personal affairs.

"How's Max?" I ask as I remember the small girl. Warren actually had a small crush on her when they first met, but he was shot down when it became apparent she was, in fact, in love with her childhood friend, Chloe Price.

"Is she still dating Chloe?" I ask while taking another gulp. Warren and I hung out with completely different groups of people in high school, obviously. I being the popular one, I hung out with other rich kids, the jocks, the cheerleaders-but that was mostly because of the Vortex Club. Most of them were assholes.

Warren on the other hand hung out with the nerds, the weirdos, and the outsiders. And most of them were actually nice. But that didn't stop my crowd from bullying them without mercy.

The only mutual friend we had at that point was Rachel Amber. She's the type of person to hangout with people who she thought were cool to chill with, not what society dictates as 'cool.' She was actually the one that introduced Warren and I in the first place. I blush at the memory.

I remember how much of an asshole I was to him. It was later that he found out it was only because I was attracted to his nerdy self, and I wasn't ready to accept the fact that I was.. Am gay. So the only way I could respond to him was with aggression. I wanted him to hate me so I wouldn't have to keep feeling that way, so I could hide in the closet in peace.

Obviously, that didn't work.

"She's doing well. And yes, she is still dating Chloe. They share an apartment now in San Francisco."

So Chloe finally got her wish. If there was one thing I could remember about my time spent with Warren and his group is that Chloe wanted out of Arcadia Bay. After weeks of her and I hating each other because I'm a Prescott and because she was just so damn open and confident about her own sexuality that I was envious, we actually started getting along.

"I'm glad." I say with a small smile. Warren looked down at his drink again, his calm demeanor from earlier suddenly depleting. I began to panic because I didn't know what to do, I didn't want him to go, but I had no idea how to continue the conversation. After a few minutes of either staring at each other or our coffees, it was him who broke the silence.

"How are you, Nathan?" The sound of my name through his lips sounded a lot different from earlier and it made goose bumps cover my skin. He looked into my eyes as soon as he asked, his usually soft features were now full of seriousness. I was not in a good place back then, and it's only natural for someone like Warren to care about such a person like me, even after all I put him through.

"I'm a lot better than.. Than before." I couldn't look at him as I gently brushed the subject, not wanting to go into full detail about before when he already knows full well how I used to be.

"..I have a boyfriend now. Things are great." There was no shame in my voice as I continued and when I finally looked up at him he had a ghost of a smile across his lips.

"I'm proud of you."

His words caused my breath to get caught in my throat. Tears filled my eyes when I realized that I was longing to hear those words from him. When we last spoke he was so disappointed in me, and I know it hurt but I hadn't known how bad it really did sting until this very moment when I was feeling it all over again.

"Warren, I-" There was so much I wanted to say, so much that needed to be said, but the ringing of my cell phone let me know that this wasn't the time. I gave him an apologetic glance when I answered, pressing the phone against my ear. Warren only nodded and leaned against the booth, finally taking another sip of his coffee.

"Hello?" I was just a little agitated that I had been interrupted, and you could tell by the tone of my voice, even though I didn't think to see who was calling before I copped an attitude.

"That's no way to talk to your master." Mark let out in a playfully sinister tone of voice.

My cheeks turn a fiery red at the words coming from the man on the phone. I place my hand across my face to hide it, but to no avail. Warren still gave a small grin. After a minute or so without answering, Mark chuckled, a deep sound that echoed through the phone.

"I'm just calling you to let you know that I'm here to pick you up. You didn't answer my texts, so naturally I was worried." Mark's voice turned sweet suddenly, making me exhale a sigh of relief.

"I was busy, sorry about that. I'll be on the way to you soon." We hung up shortly after that and with a deep breath I look up at Warren who was just staring attentively and quietly.

"I have to go." I hated hearing the regret just seeping through my voice as I spoke. Warren only nodded with a smile that just looked too sad for him of all people.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" It came out as more of a question than a statement, but I was elated this time when he responded again with another nod. I finally got up from the booth to walk my way to the exit. Never in a million years would I have guessed Warren would grab my wrist to stop me.

"It was really nice seeing you again, Nate."

...