Okay, so like... Literally what I want to write for this chapter could be done in two sentences, which means crap is going to have to get EMOTIONAL, thank you, and... okay. Let's just see how it goes...

Nick had always been really good at running. It wasn't just natural talent, either; he was willing to do whatever his track coach told him to keep it up. He was always on some kind of crazy runner diet, always buying some weird new kind of knee-sock for compression's sake, and always training for a longer, harder distance or faster time. Nicked liked running, and being good at it was always useful.

Because the Warbler's practice room was on the complete opposite side of the school from his dorm. And Nick really didn't want anyone to see him cry.

Marble floors and mahogany furniture blew past him, and Nick had never been more happy to be a looser because no one tried to stop and talk to him in the hall. He mounted the steps up to his unfortunately fourth floor dorm. He had just pushed the ridiculously heavy staircase door open when he heard loud knocking on someone's room.

"Come on, Jeff! Open up!"

That was Sebastian's voice. Nick felt his entire body still, and he paused for a second, not sure if he wanted to go out into the hallway if Sebastian was... well, whatever he was doing, Nick didn't know if he should intrude. In the end, he slowly pressed open the door and stepped out to see the mess that was going down on the fourth floor. Sebastian was standing outside of his and Jeff's dorm, naturally, a spare blazer and tie in his hand, and it didn't take a genius to figure out whose they were. Sebastian looked angry, and Nick didn't know whether to be worried or proud.

He chose worried.

"Seriously, Jeff, just open the door! Don't be like this!" the other boy said angrily, and Nick bit his lip. If Jeff was upset, this was a terrible way of dealing with him. He squirmed where he stood, and Sebastian seemed to take notice of him. "Yo. Nate -or whatever your name is- you share a room with Jeff, right?" Nick wanted to kill him. "Can you let me in?" What, so you can not listen to Jeff some more and yell at him until you go finish whatever the hell this is in your dorm? Moments like these made Nick wish he was better at talking, so then maybe he could finally put Sebastian in his place.

"I don't think that would be for the best," Nick replied, instead, cursing how quiet he sounded. Sebastian glared at him and resumed knocking on the door to his dorm, and Nick pushed past, turning his key in the lock, and attempting to just slip in, but Sebastian trampled him to get in. Sebastian immediately sought out Jeff, who had his knees curled up to his chest and was sitting on Nick's bed, oddly. A weird, scared expression took over Sebastian's face, and Nick realized that whatever happen had been really bad.

"Look, Jeff, I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that; you're right to be mad. But I..." And that's all it took for Jeff to nod his forgiveness. Sebastian smiled wide and kissed Jeff roughly on the lips -too hungry to be a make-up kiss- and let his hands run clumsily through Jeff's hair, completely ignoring the tears staining his boyfriend's cheeks. "Awesome. You won't regret this babe," he spoke against Jeff's mouth, the blonde still beneath him. "Here's your stuff," Sebastian said, tossing the extra blazer and tie on Jeff's bared chest -his dress-shirt unbuttoned- and standing up. "Later."

Sebastian left and Jeff choked on a sob. Nick stood in the middle of the room awkwardly because Jeff hadn't moved except for one shake of the head to take Sebastian back, and he didn't exactly know how to handle him. Tears were still streaming down Jeff's face, and Nick moved over to his dresser to pull out an unopened pack of pink tissues because pink was Jeff's favorite color. Nick wondered if Sebastian knew that, too... Probably not. Nick was Jeff's best friend and roommate, and he hadn't even known his name. He looked uncertainty at Jeff for a second before gathering up enough courage to dry the blonde's eyes for him, swiping hastily at his own because Jeff's tears had reminded him that he had been crying, too. "I'm really sorry, buddy." The smallest of smirks crept up on Jeff's face.

"It seems like you had a pretty bad day, too." His voice was small and broken, and Nick's heart wrenched. He tentatively took hold of Jeff's hand and couldn't fight a smile at the touch.

"Yeah, well... you know." And Jeff nodded because he did know. He always knew just what Nick meant, even if it was in as few words as possible. Nick wondered it would be like to date him, if they were already so in sync like this. He was silent for a while, and so was Jeff. "Do... Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked cautiously because Jeff hated being asked questions that made it hard for him to defend Sebastian.

"No, Nick."

"Jeff-"

"No." Nick bit his lip because he couldn't disagree with Jeff not talking to him about this more. Jeff rolled over and tears started falling down his face faster. Once, in and episode of Doctor Who, the Doctor said that "children cry because they want attention, but when they cry silently, it's because they just can't stop." Jeff couldn't seem to stop. Nick laid down next to him, still hand and hand, and stared up at the ceiling.

"I'm trying really hard to support you guys, you know," he said absently, and Jeff didn't respond. He kept going. "It's just... you cry all the time now, Jeffie. I don't... I don't get why you think that this is a good thing, and I know," Nick took a breath and closed his eyes, "that I don't know him like you do, but... He just doesn't treat you right, Jeff. You always seem so uncomfortable when you're with him, and that's just not how things are supposed to be. And then I come back here to see Sebastian begging for your forgiveness because he did something wrong, and... how am I supposed to be happy for you guys when you're not even happy?" Jeff bit back a sob, and Nick rolled over, wrapping an arm around his waist and curling into his side.

"Who else would love me, Nick? I'm... I'm nothing. I'm not smart, or thin, or good-looking, and maybe that's not manly to admit or whatever, but I've never been manly, which is probably just another thing to count bad for me... Who- Who w-would love m-m-m-" Jeff couldn't finish because he was crying too hard, and Nick just held him tighter. I would.

"Someone better than Sebastian. I... Jeff, you're more than you think, okay?" Jeff continued to cry.

"Everything felt so good this afternoon, too! I... He's supposed to love me, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong." And Nick had so many things to say. He wanted to tell Jeff he was perfect, and he wanted to show him that he wasn't the wrong one, and he wanted to share everything he's ever thought about him and for him to see that none of it was bad, and maybe he could be the one who wanted Jeff, because he was so much better for him than Sebastian ever could be, but the words were caught in his throat, and sometimes being quiet sucked.

"It's not your fault, Jeff. Sebastian just doesn't know what he has." Jeff's chest rose and fell violently beneath Nick's head, which had somehow managed to find it's way onto his roommate. Whatever. His was his bed. Jeff would just have to get used to the cuddling or go to his own.

"Yes, he does," Jeff sobbed. "And that's why he does it."

And that's when Nick noticed the red hand-print on Jeff's cheek.

Every time I write a chapter, I just get so overwhelmed at how much this story sucks. Like... whatever. I'm working on it. I think it's improving...