The next morning, Jeff woke to hear a few voices in the room. Two nurses were currently unhooking Nick from his IV and heart monitor. Nick smiled over at him and he couldn't help but smile back. It had been so long since he had seen a genuine smile from Nick. He slowly got off of the cot and folded it up so that the nurses could take it back to storage. He went over to Nick to give him a quick kiss before going into the bathroom to get ready for school.

"When will Mary be here?" Mary was Nick's mom's personal assistant and was going to bring him home to get settled since Jeff couldn't.

"I think in about an hour. You know, she probably wouldn't mind dropping you off at school."

"I'd be late though, babe." Nick gave him a look and he smirked. "So I guess I'm riding with you!"

They both laughed and Jeff went to get ready. Twenty minutes later, Nick was sitting up in his bed, wincing slightly when he moved too quickly. Jeff blushed when he noticed he was mostly naked except for his boxers.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were changing. I can wait in the hall."

Nick laughed at Jeff's blush. "Actually, I kind of need help. You don't mind do you? The nurses went to get a wheelchair and all of my papers."

Jeff just nodded and walked over to where Nick's pants were on the bed. He picked them up and then helped Nick stand up slowly. Nick groaned and Jeff immediately stopped what he was doing.

"Does it hurt?"

Nick bit his lip and held back tears. "Of course it hurts, Jeff. But I can't just leave in boxers, so let's just try to do it quickly."

Jeff helped him pull his pants on and started on the button down shirt that had a ridiculous amount of buttons. Jeff buttoned it slowly. Nick noticed his hands shaking and smirked. He grabbed Jeff's hands and Jeff looked him in the eyes, blushing even more than before.

"I love you. I never properly thanked you for staying with me through all of this. I know it couldn't have been easy to spend the first week of our relationship with me in a hospital. I owe you so much." He leant down and kissed Jeff as passionately as possible until he heard a throat clear in the doorway. Jeff jumped away from him and looked down at his feet. Nick noticed one of the nurses at the door and he smirked. She smirked back at him and winked. Nick finished buttoning his shirt after taking a seat on the bed. His legs had started hurting way too much and Jeff was no longer there to lean on. The nurse handed Jeff the papers and asked him to grab all of the stuff that belonged to them and meet them downstairs in the lobby.

Jeff collected the bags, trying not to focus on the groans of pain Nick was making as they helped him into the wheelchair. When he had everything, he turned to see Nick smiling in the wheelchair and he couldn't help but walk over and kiss him.

"I'll see you downstairs, babe." Jeff left and the nurses checked the room for anything that may have been left behind one final time before rolling Nick into the hall. He asked them to stop for a moment at the nurse's station. "Could I borrow a pen and a piece of paper please?"

The nurse behind the desk handed him what he asked for and he started to write a brief note to Dr. Avers. When he finished, he gave it to the nurse. "Could you make sure he gets this when he gets back from his vacation?"

"Of course, honey." She smiled at him and they continued to the elevator at the end of the hall. Nick had always disliked elevators. There was no need for them most of the time, but now he couldn't be more grateful. He couldn't imagine trying to take the stairs in his condition.

Once they reached the ground floor, the doors opened to reveal an impatient looking Jeff pacing across the floor. At the ding, he turned to look and smiled at Nick. Nick smiled back, but then noticed Mary standing off to the side, texting away on her phone. Mary had been great to him until he came out. In fact, his first memory was playing on his swingset when he was four with Mary laughing and pushing him. Now, he was lucky to get a greeting from her when he saw her. Jeff noticed his sudden discomfort and bent down to his level.

"I'm sure she's not going to say anything to upset you. I think she really just wants to get it over with." Nick nodded. That's what he hated. He hated knowing that one small fact about a person could change their whole relationship. Jeff kissed his cheek and the nurse wheeled him outside where the car was waiting. After putting the brakes on, the nurse and Jeff helped Nick into the car, while Mary waited in the drivers' seat. Once he was situated, the nurse turned to Jeff.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you boys, but I'd really like to never see you again in this hospital. Nick, you aren't even close to where you were, so don't exert yourself too much. Jeff, keep an eye on him the best that you possibly can." She leaned into Jeff a little more and started to whisper. "I don't think he has anyone else watching him. He needs you now." Jeff nodded in understanding. The nurse waved and brought the wheelchair back inside. Jeff climbed into the backseat with Nick and let Nick rest against his side with his head on his shoulder. Mary didn't speak the whole ride to Dalton, which was either very nice or very bad. Once they arrived, Jeff felt tears spring to his eyes. Nick kissed him.

"It's only two days. We can do this. I'll be back and we can really enjoy ourselves, okay?" Jeff nodded, but he let the tears fall as Nick embraced him as strongly as he could with a seatbelt still on. "I love you so much. Text me when you can and call me tonight."

"I love you too, Nick. Stay out of trouble."

"You know I can't promise anything." Nick winked and Jeff got out of the car, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. He grabbed his bookbag out of the car and looked at Nick. Nick blew him a kiss and winked before Jeff shut the door and started walking towards the main building, where he knew Kurt and Blaine would be waiting for him.

Nick sat in silence while Mary drove them the rest of the way to his house. He looked out the window, wincing when they went over particularly large bumps. When they finally pulled into the driveway, he undid his seatbelt and opened the door, ready to step out of the car by himself, but was stopped by Mary's hand on his chest.

"I'm supposed to be helping you."

Nick couldn't have been more surprised. "I don't need help, thanks." He pulled himself out of the car and closed the door, leaning against it for a moment and preparing for the long walk to the door.

"I'll just grab your bags then, snookums." Nick's head snapped towards hers at the name. She had called him that as a joke since the day she first started looking after him. She hadn't called him that in four years. She blushed when she realized what she had said.

"Sorry. Old habits die hard I guess." She popped the trunk and got all of his things out. He slowly made his way to the door, which was already unlocked. Odd, he thought to himself. Once inside, he felt the urge to just walk out again. If his legs weren't so damn tired, he would have. His home was extravagant, and it always smelled like a hotel room: too clean and elderly. It never smelled like food cooking, or his parents, or anything that someone would actually want to come home to. He missed the way his room at Dalton smelled. At least there it smelled like a combination of Jeff, his Axe soap, and books. It smelled like a home should smell. He sat down on the couch gently, Mary placing his things by the stairs to take to his room later. She walked into the kitchen to grab him a drink and a snack, while he tried to get comfortable on a couch that no one ever sat in for longer than a few minutes at a time. His parents bought furniture to impress visitors, not for comfort.

When Mary came back into the room, he was still trying to find the perfect position. She laughed and he looked up and looked at her confusedly. "Something funny?"

"Just you. I swear you've made that same face since you were two. Every time you get frustrated. Never fails." She looked down at her feet. Eventually she looked up at him again, sitting down on the coffee table (which he used to get in so much trouble for when he was younger). "I hope chips and orange soda is okay. I didn't get to grocery shopping and it's all that's here."

"This works. Thanks." He felt his back pop and he winced.

"Was that normal?" She suddenly looked anxious.

"Yeah. I was just sitting awkwardly in the car I think." Nick thought that this would have been really awkward, but it proved to be very simple. Mary had been his best friend growing up, despite the fact that she was employed by his parents and much older. She nodded and took a deep breath.

"I know this is much too late, but I wanted to apologize for how I've treated you." Nick looked at her in awe. "I only treated you differently because of what your parents might have done if I didn't. I need this job. I hate that it comes down to that, but it's the truth. I have no problem with your sexuality. I honestly think I've known since you were in elementary school." She stopped and stood up. She started to walk out of the room, but he stopped her with a cough.

"Thanks for telling me. I know my parents are ridiculous. I really do understand why you did it. Could we just go back to how things were? My parents aren't here. And to be honest, I miss one of the closest friends I have ever had." He smiled and Mary smiled back. Mary walked to the stairs to unpack his things and he finally found the most comfortable position on the couch.

Jeff walked into the school and immediately knew the day would drag. Kurt walked up to him within seconds and hugged him.

"He's good?"

Jeff nodded and then Blaine appeared, giving him a hug too. Jeff couldn't help but smile at his closest friends. He knew they would be able to at least help him feel a little better.

As the day wore on, Jeff felt his mood lighten. He relaxed a little, and by lunch time, he was joking around with the Warblers at their usual table. When he felt his phone vibrate, he immediately checked it.

I hope you're day is going well =) I love you so much. Mary and I are playing Jenga and I wish you could be here to see her epic-ness. Xoxoxo

Jeff smirked, but then got confused. He didn't expect Mary to change so quickly, then again, he hardly knew her and he had only heard a few stories from Nick. He typed a reply while the other guys were distracted by something Wes and David were doing.

I love you too, babe. Can't wait to hear about her epic-ness =) I hope you're doing okay. Talk to you later. Xoxoxo

He pocketed his phone and rejoined the conversation quickly. He was smiling and enjoying himself for the first time in a week and it felt great.

By the time he got back to his room after Warbler practice, he was exhausted. He plugged in his phone, stripped his clothes off, and headed into the bathroom to take a shower. He finished up right when he heard his phone start to ring. He threw a towel around his waist and ran to his phone, picking it up breathlessly.

"Hey."

"Well, hello there stranger. Been a while."

"I miss you tons."

"I miss you lots and lots."

Jeff smiled and heard a woman's voice echo through the phone. "Mary still there?"

"Yeah. She's kept me sane."

"So tell me about Jenga."

Nick laughed and started to talk about it. "Mary knows how to do all of these crazy technique things because apparently she doesn't actually work anymore, though she lets my mom think she does. And so she beat me eight times before I finally gave up and she taught me a few that I am definitely going to use when I get back." He took a deep breath because he had said that all in one breath.

Jeff snorted and laughed for a good two minutes before he took a deep breath and replied. "Sounds like a productive day."

"It was. Mary and I figured out how to go back to everything. It's been nice. I told her all about you. She's jealous and wishes you weren't gay. I told her to back off."

Jeff laughed again. "God, I love you."

Nick blushed, thanking God that Jeff couldn't see him. "I love you too. I'll be there soon."

"Never soon enough though." He paused for a moment, remembering that he still wasn't dressed. "I should clean the room for you. It's quite…" He looked around at the garbage and clothes lying everywhere. "Messy."

"I like messy. It will be a nice change from my ridiculously clean house that I am trying my damnedest to leave a mess in."

"I'll tidy it up though." He paused and pulled the towel off. "I have to get dressed. Hold on."

"You're naked? I can be there in thirty minutes."

Jeff laughed while pulling his boxers on. "I just got out of the shower when you called and I was starting to get cold."

"I could come warm you up." Jeff blushed and pulled his pants on.

"As lovely as that sounds, I can wait one more day. It'll make the reunion that much more fun." Jeff blushed even more at the fact that he was actually flirting with someone. He heard Nick take in a breath and he sat down in bed. "It's getting late you know."

"So?"

"So I have to be up by seven."

"Oh yeah. You want to go to bed?"

"I don't think I can sleep honestly."

"Why not?"

"I'm just worried about you."

"No need. I am in good hands and I've taken my pain medication. I feel like a small kitten playing with a ball of yarn right now."

Jeff giggled, actually giggled, and turned off the light, pulling his covers around him and stuffing his head into his pillow. "I'm just going to rest my eyes. Keep talking."

"How about I sing?"

Jeff yawned. "I'd love that, babe."

Nick cleared his throat and started to sing a song that always put Jeff to sleep.

Just close your eyes, the sun is going down.

You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now.

Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound.

He finished the song a few minutes later. "Jeff?" He asked quietly. He heard a snore and smiled. He decided not to hang up though. He just plugged in his phone and stayed on the line until he fell asleep too, listening to the rhythmic sounds of Jeff's breathing.