Nick's sandy blonde hair was being tussled a little by the cooling ocean breeze as he and Jesus sat on the sand and looked toward the now setting sun. Jesus was sitting behind him and running his fingers through Nick's hair while the back of Nick's head rested against his chest. Jesus was content just being with Nick, regardless of what they were doing.

"Jesus?" Nick spoke.

"Yeah?" Jesus answered as he continued to play with Nick's hair.

"Why are you so nice to me?"

"What? Why wouldn't I be nice to you?"

"Well, I'm not gonna bring up everything that happened in the past, because I know you say you're over that, but why are you so nice to me?"

"I don't know what you mean. Am I nicer to you than the average friend?"

"It's not necessarily what you do that's so nice; it's how you do the things you do to me."

"I'm so confused by what you're saying," Jesus admitted.

"Well, like, how you're playing with my hair right now, I can feel how gentle you're being, making sure you don't pull a tangle and softly massaging my scalp every now and then. I almost fell asleep a minute ago."

Jesus' face started to involuntarily turn red. He knew that everything Nick was saying was true.

"I don't know, Nick. You make me feel...I don't even know. It's like every day up until I met you was just a regular day, and every day after I met you had a purpose. Even with everything we went through together, I still felt...different before we met."

"How come you never told me?" Nick inquired.

"Even though I'm sure I subconsciously knew I felt different, I couldn't understand why back then."

"You know, you make me feel different too."

"In what way?"

"You make me feel like I matter. I was never depressed or anything, or maybe I was, considering my past actions, but never really felt like I mattered. I knew my dad loved me, but, well, you know my dad, and he doesn't show it, and it wasn't just my dad. I just never really felt like anyone cared about me in the way that I thought at least one person would, but you, and the way you've been treating me since we reconnected, really makes me feel...significant, and I've never felt that way before."

"Good, because that's exactly the way I want you to feel."

"I just don't get it. I really don't deserve it. I don't deserve all the affection you give me. Sometimes, after we've been hanging out and I go home, I lay in my bed and cry, because I've never been treated this way by anyone and that's the only way I can process it, because I know that the only time I'll feel that way is when we're together and I'll probably never feel it again if you stop hanging out with me."

Jesus turned Nick around so that Nick was sitting on his lap and facing him. Jesus grabbed both sides of Nick's head and lifted it up so that their eyes met. He could see the tears that had formed in Nick's eyes. The sounds of the waves crashing in the background acted as foreshadowing.

"I love you. I love you, okay, and I will never stop wanted to be near you. I love you so fucking much that just being next to you is enough for me to have a good day. You're beautiful, and perfect, and amazing, and I love you so goddamn much."

"I don't know if Mariana ever truly loved me or not, but, if she did, look where that got her," Nick uttered while looking down, his head still in Jesus' hands.

"I don't give a fuck. Whatever you think is 'wrong' with you or whatever is such an insignificant thing when compared to how much you mean to me."

The tears finally fell from Nick's eyes and he looked up at Jesus again.

"I'm so fucked up. You love me and I'm so fucked. You made me fall in love with you and I know you deserve better. I'm such a shitty person for letting you even start to love me."

"I've never loved anyone more than I love you and I think you're the most perfect person I've ever met."