Can't Fight These Feelings

A/N: Here's the second part of "The New Guy." I hope you guys like it. I had a really fun time writing this chapter. It also contained some scenes that I had been planning for quite some time. So it's nice to get them into the story.

Chapter 7 – The New Guy – Part 2

August, 2011

On Wednesday afternoon Sebastian invited Jeff to study with him, which, though it seemed somewhat plausible to Nick, still didn't completely make sense. For instance Nick couldn't figure out what they were studying since it was so early in the year. The fact that they didn't have any classes together also struck Nick as a bit odd.

Imaginary studying or not, Jeff's absence left Nick feeling decidedly lonely and annoyed. To add insult to injury Sebastian had ignored Nick all day in the classes they shared, choosing to sit as far away from Nick as he could. Despite the distance, Sebastian seemed to have some kind of sixth sense when it came to knowing when someone was watching him. Every time Nick had glanced at him he had received a cocky smirk from the boy. It was so infuriating that Nick was beginning to think that in addition to making moves on Jeff, at least part of Sebastian's game must have been to mess with Nick's head. This suspicion was further cemented given the fact that at lunch or in between classes, when the three of them were all together, Sebastian would act like he and Nick were best buddies, making Nick appear to be the one who was moody and distant.

Nick groaned and shut his English book, unable to focus on what he was reading. He knew it was stupid, that Jeff loved him and trusted him, but his paranoia was starting to get the better of him. He couldn't help thinking that Sebastian might be trying to poison Jeff against him.

What are they doing alone together – without me?

A nervous, unhappy feeling settled in Nick's stomach as he realized that there were quite a few options that they might have been exploring that had nothing to do with plotting against him. Mental images flashed in Nick's head that made him feel queasy. Sebastian and Jeff kissing. Sebastian and Jeff shirtless on Sebastian's bed making out. Sebastian and Jeff naked on Sebastian's bed fu...

Nick shivered and clenched his fists as he thought about Sebastian's smirking face looking down at a sweaty and pleading Jeff. Rage coursed through him at the idea of Sebastian using Jeff like that. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but it was no use. All he could see was that damn arrogant smirk.

He looks like a fucking meerkat!

Before he even realized what he was doing Nick had jumped off his bed and stormed out of the room. As Nick was barreling down the hallway to Sebastian's room it dawned on him that he wasn't exactly behaving rationally. Just as he raised his fist to pound on Sebastian's door the rest of his rage dissipated, replaced by stinging sadness. Not only did Nick feel jealous and excluded, he felt disappointed in himself and confused. Why was he acting this way? This wasn't the kind of person he was.

Nick started to turn away and head back to his room, but then he stopped and eyed the door speculatively. It was awfully quiet in that room. He had half expected to hear moaning and grunting. He couldn't hear the sounds of a movie, game, or music either. Were they already done with the moaning portion of the evening and cuddling or taking a nap? More jealousy washed over Nick as he thought about Jeff cuddling with another guy, with Sebastian.

Nick cautiously leaned the side of his head against the door, his ear grazing over the thick wood. Stupid fancy doors! If they had lived in a regular crappy dorm the doors and walls would have been paper thin and he could have heard everything. Nick held his breath and stained his ears as he pressed his whole body against the door, trying to detect any sound.

"Would you and my door like to be alone?"

Nick gasped and whirled around, coming face-to-face with – who else? A smirking Sebastian. Does he even have another facial expression? To Nick's dismay Jeff was standing next to him regarding Nick with a mixture of surprise, confusion, and most painfully to Nick, disappointment.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Nick asked, rubbing the back of his neck and leaning dramatically against the door in a misguided attempt to appear casual.

"I think it's your behavior that requires an explanation," Sebastian countered, crossing his arms. "Do I need to sweep my room for bugs later?"

Nick furrowed his brows. "I think Dalton has an exterminator that comes by and...oh you meant like listening devices, huh?"

Sebastian sighed wearily and turned to Jeff. "Jeff, why don't you take 'Jason Bourne Yesterday' here back to your room? I'm going to have a shower." Sebastian stopped and glared at Nick. "Any hidden cameras I should know about?"

Why so you can pose for them?

"Come on, Nick," Jeff said as he grabbed Nick's arm and hurriedly led him away.

Nick couldn't figure out if he felt more happy that Jeff was touching him or more embarrassed about what had just happened. As they walked back into their room and he could practically feel the anger rolling off of Jeff, he decided to go with embarrassed. He knew that Jeff must have been mortified by his behavior in front of Sebastian, especially if Jeff felt the way Nick suspected he did about Sebastian.

"So how was your evening?" Nick asked as nonchalantly as possible. He sat down on his bed and crossed his legs, his knee promptly beginning to fidget.

Jeff closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, and Nick knew that he was trying to cool down. It was a new experience having Jeff this angry at him. Nick frowned and uncrossed his legs, planting his feet on the ground and hanging his head as he waited for Jeff's judgment. Nick found that he felt like an eight-year-old who had broken his mom's favorite cup. He wondered if Jeff would accept a misshapen ceramic vessel from summer camp as an apology.

"What were you doing, Nick?" Jeff asked in a calm, reasonable voice a little while later as he pulled the chair out from Nick's desk and sank into it. Nick cautiously looked up, relieved that Jeff seemed to want to give him a chance to explain.

"I thought you were in Sebastian's room," Nick answered quietly.

"So you were trying to spy on me?" Jeff frowned and folded his arms.

"I was...worried about you."

Jeff's face softened slightly. "Why would you worry? I was with Sebastian."

Dude, if you're gonna answer your own question...

"I have a phone you know," Jeff continued, still annoyed. "You could have just called or texted me. Or you know, actually knocked on Sebastian's door and joined us."

"I thought...well maybe that you might be...you know, doing stuff you wouldn't want to be interrupted while doing."

Jeff's eyes widened and he gaped slightly. "So you wanted to listen while we did it?! And what the hell, Nick? You think I'm going to just sleep with Sebastian after knowing him for like three days?"

"Well..." Nick exhaled sharply, unsure of how to phrase things without further offending Jeff. "Like you said, you've only known him for three days. What if he...you know tried to make you do stuff?"

"So you think Sebastian might secretly be a rapist?" Jeff asked sarcastically, an incredulous expression briefly displacing his anger and frustration.

"I wanna like Sebastian. Really I do," Nick insisted running a hand through his dark bangs. "He's just..."

"Just what?" Jeff pressed, looking hard at Nick. "Because I really want to know. What is this problem you seem to have with Seb? It doesn't make sense."

"He's just...confusing I guess." Nick wasn't sure 'confusing' was the most precise adjective, but it seemed like the most charitable.

"Because he's openly gay?" Jeff guessed, a worried look forming on his face.

"Oh seriously, Jeff. Do you really think I have a problem with that?" Nick folded his arms and glared back at Jeff, offended by the implication.

"Well then what is it? He's nice, smart, fun to be around, generous, he's got lots of interesting stories, and he's..." Jeff blushed and hesitated but eventually continued. "And he's really good looking. I don't understand why you're so...hot and cold with him."

Nick's eyes bulged. Jeff thought he was the one being hot and cold. It also didn't escape Nick's attention that Jeff's voice had taken on a slightly dreamy, infatuated tone as he had listed Sebastian's positive attributes.

"Will you please just try to make an effort to like him?" Jeff asked, his ire now completely replaced by pleading. "Please? For me, Nicky?"

"Of course," Nick answered right away as his attention snapped back to Jeff's face and he briefly lost himself in Jeff's large, insistent brown eyes. Puppies didn't have anything on Jeff.

"Thanks," Jeff said, giving Nick his first smile of the night. "Because I need to tell you something."

Nick swallowed, but gave his roommate an encouraging nod. "Okay, what's up?"

"Sebastian asked me to go out with him Friday. I said yes," he answered, looking a cross between anxious and worried, and bursting-at-the-seams excited. Nick suspected if he gave the word Jeff would light up like a Christmas tree, and despite the jealousy and disappointment coursing through his body, that was too alluring a prospect to ignore. Jeff deserved to be happy.

"That's great, Jeffy! Congrats!" Nick said, coming so close to sincerity he doubted Jeff would know the difference. Sure enough a huge grin broke out across his face and the blond bounded to his feet.

"Thanks! I can't wait! But – oh my god! I'm so nervous!" Jeff tossed himself down on Nick's bed and wrapped his arms around him, their conflict apparently resolved as far as Jeff was concerned. "I'm so relieved you're okay with this."

"Of course," Nick answered, his voice breaking slightly as he caught a whiff of Jeff's hair and leaned his head against Jeff's.

"Are you okay?" Jeff asked, pulling back and looking at Nick.

"Yeah, I'm just a little horse," Nick fibbed, determined not to spoil Jeff's mood again.

Jeff smiled at him and grabbed his hand, giving it a small squeeze as he said, "You're better than a pony any day, Nicky."

Nick tilted his head and looked at Jeff sideways, trying to make sense of the statement. Eventually he just shrugged and smiled back as he leaned against Jeff's shoulder, and rubbed his thumb over Jeff's knuckles.

For a few moments Nick felt like his whole world was coming apart and he cursed himself for not telling Jeff about his feelings sooner. Then a thought crossed Nick's mind and he realized that Sebastian didn't seem like a long-term kind of guy. Nick wasn't sure if he felt relieved or only more worried about Jeff as he pondered that assessment.

-000-

The next day after classes were over, instead of going back to his dorm room, Nick detoured to Sebastian's room.

"Hello Nick, what can I do for you?" Sebastian inquired after answering the door.

"Can I come inside?" Nick asked, not wanting to have this discussion out in the hallway.

"Well, it's lower risk if you don't," Sebastian answered enigmatically with a wink as he stepped aside for Nick to pass, "But also typically not as much fun."

"I'm sorry I was being weird last night," Nick said as he took a seat on the vacant bed in Sebastian's room. He had decided that opening with an apology might make Sebastian more receptive to the rest of the conversation.

"I see," Sebastian answered smugly before cocking an eyebrow and continuing, "And how do you feel about your weirdness on other nights?"

"Look, Seb, I don't know what you're up to," Nick stated raising his hands palm up in a gesture of surrender. He found it frustrating that he could never seem to simply have an honest, straightforward conversation with Sebastian. "I don't know why you keep sending me all these mixed signals – being nice one minute and then turning around and being sarcastic or distant the next. I don't know if you're trying to mess with my head or if you're like bipedal or something, but-"

"I am indeed bipedal," Sebastian confirmed with a snigger. "It runs in my family...even my distant relatives are all bipedal."

"Oh wow! Yeah, I hear it can be genetic," Nick answered with a sympathetic nod. It was great that Sebastian was confiding in him, and it certainly answered a lot of questions regarding his behavior. "I'm here for you if you ever need to talk about, man."

"No need. I'm actually quite well adapted to bipedalism, but thanks."

"Anyway, I'm here because I'm worried about Jeff," Nick continued.

"I think he has it down too."

"I just don't want him to get hurt."

"I'll make sure he lies down then," Sebastian answered, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Don't!" Nick snapped, angry that Sebastian wasn't taking the situation seriously. He took a deep breath and tried again. "Please, I mean it. He's not just some guy you can randomly hook up with. He's more than that. He's..." Nick trailed off, unsure of what else to say without revealing his own feelings for Jeff.

"A virgin?" Sebastian guessed. "Yes, I assumed so. Don't worry, Nick, he won't be my first virgin. I know how to-"

Nick silenced Sebastian as he jumped to his feet and glared down at the cocky boy. He was seething with rage and it was all he could do to keep from hitting him. Sebastian quickly stood as well and glowered back at Nick.

"You. Can't. Have. Sex. With. Him," Nick stated very slowly and very clearly, maintaining constant, unblinking eye contact with Sebastian as he spoke.

As Nick watched, Sebastian's tense, hostile face gradually relaxed and his mouth spread into his trademark smug grin.

"Why not? You're not having sex with him and a piece of ass that hot needs to be broken in."

Nick lunged forward and shoved Sebastian as hard as he could. However, Sebastian had clearly anticipated the action and as Nick's palms connected with his chest he grabbed Nick's upper arms and fluidly turned with the impact, toppling them both and agilely landing on top of Nick on the plush carpeted floor.

Plush or not, Nick still grunted and winced as the back of his head connected with the ground and various other parts of his body were crushed between the floor and Sebastian. Before he had time to react Sebastian had pinned his arms to his sides.

"You want me to break in your ass too, Nick?" Sebastian whispered, his face inches from Nick's. To emphasize his point he bucked his hips against Nick's body.

Nick's eyes went wide with shock and he opened his mouth to scream. He barely had a chance to make a sound before Sebastian released his left arm and clamped a hand tightly over his mouth.

"I'm kidding. God, you're so stupid." Sebastian hopped off of Nick and stood, extending a hand to help Nick up.

Nick looked at the proffered palm suspiciously, but finally accepted the gesture and allowed Sebastian to haul him to his feet. Everything had happened so quickly that he still wasn't sure how to react. A deep frown creased his face as he remembered Sebastian's remark about Jeff.

"Since there seems to be some confusion on the matter, for the record I'm not a rapist," Sebastian stated derisively. "If Jeff doesn't want to have sex, we won't have sex. If he does want to have sex, well let's just say it'll make him glad to be alive and we can leave it at that since I'm a gentleman." Nick snorted incredulously but Sebastian continued. "Either way, it's absolutely none of your business. So unless you want to join us for a threeway – which hey, I'm down for if Jeff's game – you can just shut up and get out."

Nick sighed heavily and started to walk to the door, but then he stopped and turned around. He had to make one more appeal to Sebastian's better nature.

"Seb, please don't do this. You know it isn't right. Jeff isn't ready. If you really care about him, if you're really my friend, you'll leave him alone and not pressure him into anything."

Sebastian shoved past Nick and opened the door, then turned and gave him a pointed look. "I like Jeff just fine, but I don't 'really care' about him," Sebastian said, making air quotes and smirking. "And as for the two of us, you need to get this through your thick, naïve head: we're not friends, and your feelings are completely and utterly irrelevant to me. Now get out."

-000-

The next day, the day of the date, Nick had planned to make himself scare after Warbler practice was over; however, Jeff wasn't making that easy.

"Where are you going?" Jeff asked in a tense voice as Nick veered away from their residence hall.

"I was going to go swim a few laps. You know, stay out of your way for...eh, the reason," Nick finished vaguely as he caught Jeff worriedly glancing at the other guys who were walking near them.

"Thanks, but actually could you not please?" Jeff answered with a tight smile before continuing in a whisper. "I'm really nervous and I was hoping you could help me get ready and...well generally keep me from freaking out and jumping out of the window in fear."

Nick slung a comforting arm around Jeff's shoulders. "Don't worry, it's going to be fine. You've spent time with Seb already. Just pretend this is like those other times." You know, just like those other times - without sex, or kissing, or inappropriate touching.

Jeff leaned into Nick and gave him an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Nicky. Hmm, maybe Maggie was right after all," Jeff said with a chuckle as they entered their residence hall.

"What did she say?" Nick inquired, wondering what his sister had to do with any of this.

"I called her to tell her about the date and get her advice on what to wear...she suggested you."

"She thought I would know what you should wear?" Nick asked incredulously. He pondered this revelation as he pressed the button for the elevator; Maggie had never expressed much enthusiasm for his wardrobe choices before.

"No, she suggested I wear you," Jeff clarified with another laugh as they stepped into the elevator. Jeff seemed to relax now that they had more privacy. "She actually said you were the perfect accessory for the date. And to think, I was simply considering a cute belt or something...Maggie's really smart, but it sort of seems like she doesn't fully grasp how dates are supposed to work."

"Well if you do want me to come along, I don't mind!" Nick offered eagerly, as he made a mental note to thank Maggie later.

"Huh!" Jeff declared in an exaggerated tone. "I guess it runs in the family."

"Well I just mean...You know, if you'd be more comfortable with me there or something."

"Nick, I love you and I would be more comfortable with you there. But don't you think that might defeat the purpose?"

"I can pretend to be a belt?" Nick offered with a shrug a silly face. I'll even wrap myself around your waist if it keeps Sebastian away from it.

"You're awesome!" Jeff declared as he bumped their shoulders together and stepped out of the elevator. "I feel less nervous already. Thanks, Nick!"

Nick spent the next twenty-five minutes stealing covert glances at Jeff as the blond tried on outfit after outfit in an attempt to make his selection. When Jeff had first started taking off his clothes Nick decided to make a deal with himself: if he got hard watching Jeff, he would declare his feelings and ask him not to go out with Sebastian. It was dramatic sure – and maybe borderline pervy – but it seemed like a justifiable course of action. Jeff had only known Sebastian for five days, whereas he and Nick had been best friends for two years. Nick could live with himself for coming between his roommate and the new student given the vastly different depths of feeling in the equation. Unfortunately as Jeff buttoned up what must have been the ninth shirt of the afternoon, the only thing that was hard was watching Jeff make himself even more of a sexual target for Sebastian.

"Don't you have anything looser?" Nick eyed the blue Snuggie bunched up on the foot of his bed. It had been a gift from a Warbler 'Secret Santa' the previous Christmas. It seemed like the ideal clothing choice for Jeff's date – as long as he wore some baggy sweats underneath.

"Looser?" Jeff asked, his face falling in anguish as he examined himself in the mirror. "Do I look fat? Oh my god, am I fat?! Am I fat on my first date?!" Jeff was waving his arms around frantically and darting glances between Nick, the mirror, and his own stomach. "Crap! How could I have let this happen? I'm gonna cancel."

"Jeff, no, you look great!" Nick insisted as he jumped off the bed and rushed over to the boy. He pulled his arms down to his sides and gave him a hug. A little while later he released him and looked him in the eye as he spoke. "You're really slim, dude, and you've built some amazing definition in the last few months. You're like wicked hot, I mean it. That's actually why I said that. You look so sexy I was thinking we didn't want Sebastian to get the wrong idea."

Please be the wrong idea. Please be the wrong idea.

"You think I look sexy?" Jeff asked, averting his gaze as a blush crept up his cheeks.

"Absolutely," Nick declared, running a hand down Jeff's chest and stomach. His friend really did have an amazing body. What was wrong with Nick?

"Well if this looks...okay, I'll wear this," Jeff decided.

"But you look good in that," Nick whined before he caught himself.

"I'm kinda going for that," Jeff answered, his forehead furrowing as he gave Nick a curious look.

"But Sebastian'll like it," Nick protested. He figured if he was already whining anyway he'd might as well get it all out.

"...I hope so," Jeff said, moving away from Nick and back to the mirror so that he could start on his hair.

"NO!" Nick snapped, surprising himself and getting a startled look from Jeff. This was it: he couldn't hold his tongue about this awful idea any longer. "I don't want him looking at you like that. Or touching you. You...You can't go out with him."

Jeff was silent for several seconds before answering, "Nick, I get that you're being protective, and I appreciate it, I really do. But what I need is for you to be supportive okay?" Jeff dropped his voice and continued in a barely audible whisper. "I'm already really scared, but I need to do this, and you're the only person I can talk to about-"

"NO!" Nick shouted, actually stomping his foot and crossing his arms petulantly. "You can't go out with him. So just put on something comfy and we'll watch a movie. I'm gonna go tell him you can't go."

Nick nodded expansively, settling the matter as far as he was concerned and turning to leave the room.

"Excuse me?!" Jeff yelled, stopping him in his tracks and making him turn around.

"I said you can't go. Discussion closed," Nick reiterated with another decisive nod.

"You're...You're fucking acting like my father right now. You're even being an asshole like him. You-"

"Jeff, just listen," Nick interrupted, raising his voice over Jeff's.

"No! You just listen. I don't know where this is coming from, but so not cool, Nick." Jeff was trembling and clenching his jaw in a way that Nick couldn't interpret. It might have meant he was close to crying, or it might have meant he was trying not to loose a tirade the likes of which he usually reserved only for video game villains.

I'm sorry. I love you. Please don't be mad, Nick thought. He said, "Christ, Jeff, you're being night Eve! Sebastian just wants to fuck you."

"Well it's none of your damn business if he does!" Jeff yelled in Nick's face. "I don't need your permission, Nick."

"The hell you don't!" Nick barked. "Who do you think's gonna clean up the mess when he breaks your heart? Who's gonna hold you and tell you you're-"

"Well whoever it'll be, it won't fucking be YOU!" Jeff stepped around Nick and grabbed his wallet and phone off his desk.

"Stop. You can't leave."

Jeff glared at Nick and then stormed to the door, wrenched it open, strode through it, and slammed it shut behind him.

-000-

"And then he just walked out and slammed the door." Nick finished his story with a desperate sigh and wiped the tears out of his eyes with the tissue he was holding.

"Dear brother?" Maggie's voice came through the phone warm and supportive.

"Yeah?" Nick sniffled a few times and blew his nose.

"You're an idiot!"

"I know," Nick agreed. "I messed up really bad."

"Um YEAH! You basically just dared him to go screw Sebastian."

"I didn't mean to," Nick said in a feeble voice.

"Well obviously," Maggie answered in a sarcastic tone. "Did you at least call and apologize?"

"He won't pick up. Or respond to any of my texts."

"There's a shocker."

"He's never been this mad at me before," Nick said in a broken voice, a fresh round of tears stinging his eyes.

"Well you never-" Maggie abruptly stopped her harsh sentence and when she spoke again the sympathy was back in her voice. "I'm going to call him. I'll call you back."

A twinge of hope tugged at Nick. Maybe she could fix this. "Thank you, Maggie. You're superfluous."

"You're redundant too, dear brother, but I love you." Maggie sighed and hung up.

Nick spent the next two minutes staring at his phone and trying to stop crying. Even though he had been willing the device to ring, he was dismayed when it did, because it seemed like too soon for Jeff and Maggie to have already had a good conversation.

"Hello," Nick said softly.

"He didn't answer my calls either, or my text," Maggie stated.

"Oh no! But he still likes you! Why didn't he answer?" Nick demanded.

"He still likes you too, Nick. He's just mad. And I guess he doesn't want to talk to me right now either. Besides he is on a date."

"But he shouldn't be!" Nick whined.

"But he is!" Maggie whined back. "Maybe if you-" Maggie cut herself off again. "-Give him a little time, he'll come around."

Nick doubted that was what she had originally planned to say, but he appreciated the effort. "Yeah, I guess."

"You want me to keep you company on the phone?" Maggie offered.

"Nah, no point. I'd just depress you."

"I don't mind."

"Thanks, but I'm just gonna go sit in the shower and cry."

"Nick!" Maggie chided in a worried tone.

"It's okay. I'll talk to you later, Mag."

After Nick hung up he proceeded to execute his watery pity-party as planned. However, forty minutes and two very sore eyes later he decided to get out and go sprawl out on his bed and stare at the phone instead.

Nick was briefly elated when he saw that he had a missed call and a voicemail, but to his disappointment it turned out to be from his mom rather than his roommate. Nick groaned and decided that he'd might as well call her back. His night couldn't get any worse anyway. He rang her back without bothering to check the voicemail.

"Nick!" Sandra answered sounding surprised and enthusiastic to hear from him.

Nick felt guilty for an instant since he knew her reaction was because he had been avoiding her for the last two months, ever since he had found out about the reason for hers and his dad's divorce. He shrugged off the feeling. He was sorry for hurting her, but as he saw it she had done a really selfish thing and caused him, Maggie, and their dad a lot of pain.

"Hi mom," Nick said tentatively.

"It's so good to hear from you, baby," his mom said sweetly. "Thanks for calling me back."

Thanks for the guilt trip, mom.

"Sure," Nick responded brusquely.

"How are your classes? Do you like your schedule this year?" His mom was being irritatingly chipper, especially considering how shitty Nick felt.

"Fine. It's fine." Nick bit his tongue to keep from inquiring about her life. He knew he was being petty, but he was still angry at her. Listening to her try so hard to make up with him also made him feel like he had some control over something, and other than this he felt powerless over his life right now.

"And how's Jeff?" Sandra prodded in a tireless, perky voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Nick asked defensively, frowning on his end of the phone. "Did Maggie call you?"

"Oh baby, what happened?" his mom asked with immediate concern. "And no, I haven't spoken to Maggie today. Did you and Jeff get in an argument?"

"Yeah," Nick said in a clipped voice.

"I'm so sorry, dear. Tell me about it."

Nick opened his mouth to say he didn't want to talk about it, but then a sob escaped and the next thing he knew the floodgate had reopened and he was crying into the phone. His mom spoke softly and whispered words of encouragement and support until he could regain his composure.

"He's out with a- wi- with a..." Nick dissolved into more sobs.

"With another guy?" Sandra guessed.

"Yeah!" Nick declared, throwing himself backward against his pillow at the inhumanity of situation.

"Have you told him how you feel?"

"I tried, but this other guy kept getting in the way...and mom, I don't think his pretensions are honorable."

"Intentions, dear," Sandra corrected gently.

"You haven't met him," Nick muttered.

"Well Jeff isn't the kind of boy to be taken in by phony people. I'm sure he'll figure it out for himself."

"But what if it's too late?! What if Sebastian takes his v-card?"

Sandra snickered once before responding in a serious tone. "I'm sure Jeff won't give that away to just anyone."

Nick finished filling his mom in on the argument with Jeff as well as everything that had happened with Sebastian. Much to his ever-lasting embarrassment, when he recounted the incident she even explained to him what Sebastian's comment to his 'can I come inside?' inquiry had meant. Then she started talking to Nick about safe sex and he rapidly decided the conversation had gone on long enough.

"Mom, I think I better go. I'm really drained." Nick cringed at his unfortunate word choice.

"Honey, knowing about this stuff is important and-"

"Mom!" Nick cut in, "I'm in the middle of a huge fight with Jeff, and I don't have any interest in anyone else. Trust me, I'm not about to have sex."

"Well I'm sending you some... um a care package nevertheless, for when you and Jeff do make up," Sandra said before evidently changing her mind and being more blunt. "Oh I'll just say it – condoms! I'm sending you a bunch of condoms."

"I really don't need condoms, mom."

"Everyone needs condoms," Sandra insisted. "Even lesbians can use them as dental dams."

"I'm hanging up now, mom. Good night."

"Good night, Nick. I love you."

"I love you too," Nick said as he hung up. He had to admit that apart from the crippling embarrassment, the chat with his mom had cheered him up. It felt like a burden had been lifted off of his shoulders now that they had essentially reconciled.

Nick sighed longingly as he looked at the background of his phone, a picture of him and Jeff with their arms around each other, heads pressed together. Nick had taken it, one-handed, the summer before last while they were at the beach in Florida. Nick thought about the fact that he had had to take the picture himself, because Jeff hadn't even wanted his parents to see him touching another guy the way he was in the picture. It hurt knowing that Jeff was almost certainly right; his parents wouldn't have just calmly snapped a picture. Hell, for all Nick knew, Jeff's crazy father might have tried to snap their necks instead.

Nick wanted to kick himself for yelling at Jeff earlier, for reminding him of his father. He couldn't believe he had let things get so out of control. Nick buried his head in his pillow and began to cry some more.

Four hours later as Nick was lying in the dark staring at the ceiling and worrying, he heard a sudden thud in the hallway right outside their room. He quickly jumped out of bed, ran to the door, and flung it open. Nick barely had a chance to register what was happening before his alcohol-scented best friend was collapsing into his arms, weeping and slurring incoherently.

All Nick was able to to decipher as he held Jeff's head to his chest and rubbed his back were the words 'date,' 'disaster,' 'Sebastian,' and 'oh god it hurts.'

-000-

End Note: Sorry about the evil cliffhanger. I can't resist them sometimes. My hands have been a bit better lately, so I'm thinking/hoping I'll be able to get the next chapter out soon. Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/favorited/PM-d/thought nice things about this story so far. I really appreciate it!