Jeff was walking about the grounds of Dalton, trying to get his head wrapped around everything that's happened recently. He didn't know how to feel, on one hand Nick is his best friend and he should be supportive and happy for him that he's got a date. But on the other hand, he's just so hurt and upset; he doesn't want to be happy for him, he just wants to be with him.
When did everything get so messed up?
As Jeff walked around aimlessly, he contemplated on going to back to their dorm room to apologise to Nick; he was being selfish after all. But he decided against it as he had every right to be. The boy he's so in love with, is on a date with someone else and it's killing him inside as he can slowly feel Nick slipping away.
"That's it," Jeff whispered, scoffing bitterly. "I can't do this anymore, I just can't." He said out aloud, as he felt a lump beginning to form in his throat. He has to know, he thought.
Once he reached the door, he hesitated slightly, nerves bubbling up within him. He stood there, frozen, staring so hard at the door as if it was speaking to him. Come on Jeff, he thought. You can do this. He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath; before slowly taking grasp of the handle and turning it.
Jeff slowly stepped inside the room but found no one there, where was Nick? He thought, as he walked further into the room. "Has he left already...?" He whispered, asking no one in particular. Sulking, Jeff walked over to his bed and slumped down.
Suddenly, the sound of the toilet flushing broke him out of his reverie. He looked up as he saw the bathroom door open.
Nick...
...
They stared at each other for a while, neither knowing what to say to the other. Nick was frozen to the spot as he didn't expect Jeff to be there, especially after their heated argument earlier. It was then that Jeff noticed the clothes Nick was wearing. He wore a dark brown shirt along with black jeans that were nicely fitted. He looks really good, Jeff thought. But what really caught Jeff's attention, besides from the fact that he looked positively stunning, was the shirt Nick was wearing.
I bought that for him.
Of all the shirts you could wear...he thought...you just had to go and chose that one didn't you?
A minute of silence had passed, reluctantly; Jeff spoke up as the awkward silence was becoming too unbearable for him.
"You look nice." Jeff said quietly, smiling as he told him.
Nick glanced at himself before smiling gratefully. "Thanks" he whispered.
Jeff simply nodded in response. And before they knew it, the painfully awkward silence had returned.
What was I thinking, I can't do this, he thought. I need to get out of here. Quick. Jeff suddenly stood up and made his way to the door. Meanwhile, Nick was staring into space, trying to think of something to say to Jeff without getting into another argument. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he saw Jeff get up abruptly and make his way out of the room. Nick didn't know what to do, he didn't want to scare him off but at the same time he really didn't want him to leave.
"Wait!" Nick called out, gently grabbing Jeff's wrist before he could leave.
The blonde paused in his tracks as he felt Nick's hold on him.
"Please look at me..." Nick begged.
Jeff closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath, before opening his eyes again and turning around. His breath hitched slightly as he didn't realise just how close Nick was.
Nick fixed his gaze onto Jeff's eyes, "Why are you so against this?" He whispered.
Jeff furrowed his eyebrows in confusion; Nick quickly noticed this and decided to elaborate.
"What I meant to say was," Nick said, as he took a deep breath. "...is it Tyler that's bugging you...or is it something else?"
...
"Jeff..." Nick whispered, pleading with him.
"I-I just think...you deserve to be with someone better." Jeff said, finally speaking up.
Nick searched Jeff's eyes, as he moved closer to the blonde slightly. "Like who..." He whispered.
Jeff felt the brunette get closer, this is the best opening I'm ever going to get, he thought. I should just tell him...right? Jeff ducked his head down and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt the fingers around his wrist loosen and gently clasp his hand - squeezing it softly. Jeff's eyes fluttered open, but as they did, the first thing they caught was Nick's shirt again.
Jeff looked back up at Nick again but this time staring straight into his eyes. He stared at him for what seemed like eternity, before finally speaking.
"If I asked you to stay...would you?" He asked Nick in a hushed voice.
The brunette's eyes widened in surprise; he opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it again. When Jeff saw Nick's hesitation, his heart sank. Nodding to himself gently, the blonde spoke up again.
"...Have fun tonight." Jeff whispered, as he pulled his hand away from Nick's grasp and walked out.
Both Tyler and Nick stood outside the cinema, trying to look for a decent film to watch but they were failing miserably.
"Come on dude, you said you were picking."
"Yeah...but I didn't expect them to be all shit," Nick sighed in annoyance.
"Look, how about we just go and get some food instead, I don't really fancy wasting money and time sitting in a cinema, watching a film we will both end up hating." Tyler stated.
"Yeah you're right," said Nick.
"All right cool, the restaurant is just up ahead, it's this cool little Italian restaurant that my parents took me to when I first came here."
"Really?" Nick asked as they began to walk, "...what's it called?"
"Bella Notte"
Nick chuckled out aloud, "Oh my God, no way!"
"What...?" Tyler asked, totally confused.
"That's Jeff's uncle's restaurant, we go there all the time!" Nick said enthusiastically. "The food is totally awesome!"
"Yeah..." Tyler said quietly, "...it is." He said, suddenely not feeling so great about the restaurant anymore.
Once they were both seated, a waiter came to their table to take their order. The man glanced over in the direction where Tyler was seated. "Good evening gentlemen, I'm Thomas and I'll be your wai-" his eyes then looked over towards where Nick was sitting and he paused. "...Nick?" he suddenly said.
Nick looked up as he heard someone call his name; his eyes widened. "Tommy!" Nick called out, grinning as he got up and hugged the newcomer. Whilst Tyler just sat there and watched their interaction.
"What are you doing here?" The waiter asked.
"Urm..." Nick hesitated as he scratched the back of his neck. "...I'm on date." He said, motioning towards where Tyler was sitting.
This caught the waiter off-guard as he gave Nick a confused look. "You...are?" He asked in disbelief.
"Yeah..." Nick admitted. "Tommy, this is Tyler, Tyler this is Tommy, Jeff's cousin."
Am I hearing correctly? Tommy asked himself. Nick's on a date...with a guy...and it's not Jeff?
"...Tommy, are you okay?"
"Huh? ... Yeah I'm fine. Urm, is it okay if I borrow Nick for a second?" He said to Tyler.
"Urm...yeah sure. I'm going to head to the bathroom anyway."
Thomas stood there watching Tyler until he left, before quickly grabbing Nick's arm and pulling him outside. "...owww dude! What are you doing?"
"Okay, I'm gonna make this quick cos if my dad sees me outside and not working, I'm not gonna get paid, and God knows I need the money."
"Urm...o-okay?" Nick drawled out, completely baffled.
"Ok dude, seriously, what are you playing at?"
"Sorry?"
"You're on a date with another guy!"
"Huh?" Nick furrowed his eyebrows, now even more confused than before. "Yeah...and...?"
"...and it's not with Jeff! What the hell dude, you two are crazily perfect for each other! What's going on?"
"...what are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you and Jeff, and don't try to deny it! You guys come in here nearly every week and I've seen the way he is around you. He's different - happier. And the same with you, the way you look at him when you think noone's watching..."
Nick was taken aback; he couldn't believe what he was hearing. First Wes...and now Thomas...were my feelings for Jeff obvious to everyone except me? Suddenly, Nick felt his knees going weak, so he crouched down and leant against the glass window.
"You're wrong...about Jeff that is." He whispered, looking up at Thomas as he continued, "...he likes someone else, he told me so himself."
"...wh-what?" Thomas hissed in disbelief. "That can't be true."
"Well it is okay! Why do you think I'm on a date with someone else? I'm so desperately trying to forget about it all. It just hurts too much, Tommy." He whispered.
"Nick..."
Nick suddenly stood up and looked inside the restaurant; he noticed Tyler back in his seat already. "I've tried Thomas, believe me. But he's in love with some random guy that he won't even tell me about. No one else stands a chance. It's as simple as that. "
Thomas shook his head, "...this doesn't sound right."
"Yeah...well, it's the truth... Anyway, I've got to go, Tyler's waiting for me." He said, as he patted the waiter's shoulder, before going back inside the restaurant.
"What was that about?" Tyler asked, just as Nick sat back down. "Nothing," Nick replied, "...just a misunderstanding." Tyler nodded, not entirely convinced but went along with it nevertheless.
Just as their food arrived, Tyler spoke up. "You look really good by the way." He told Nick, flashing him a cheeky grin. "That shirt really brings out your eyes."
Nick ducked his head slightly, as he felt a blush rising on his cheeks. "That's what Jeff said..." Nick said quietly, trailing off.
"Huh?" Tyler asked, confused as to what Jeff has to do with it, and slightly irritated that his name has managed to come up, yet again.
"Jeff bought me this shirt last christmas." He told Tyler, as he took a bite out of his spaghetti bolognese.
Tyler nodded in understanding, "I see..." He said quielty. "You're favourite shirt, I'm guessing?"
"Yeah...yeah it is. How did you know?" Nick asked.
"...lucky guess." He said, feigning a laugh as he shrugged his shoulders.
The two boys had been at the restaurant for about an hour now, talking about random things and getting to know each other better. Tyler waited until Nick finished his food before bringing up what was on his mind throughout the entire evening.
"Nick..."
"Yeah," he replied, looking up at Tyler.
"Can I ask you a question, and please be honest with me."
Nick looked at Tyler warily, wondering what he could be talking about. "Urm...yeah sure."
"Do you remember earlier today, when we were in the library?" "Yeah..." Nick said. "...and you said that you liked someone else...were you talking about Jeff?"
Nick's eyes widened slightly, before turning his head to the side. "Does it matter?" He whispered.
"Of course it does! Nick, if it was anyone else it wouldn't bother me but... It's Jeff!"
"What does that mean?" Nick asked
Tyler sighed, "It's so obvious that he has feelings for you."
"Oh my God, not you as well!" He sighed in frustration as he ran his hand through his hair. "I'm getting so sick of this, Jeff likes someone else okay! I think I would know if he liked me; he is my best friend afterall."
"Really? Well then how do you explain him coming up to me today, eyes red and puffy, telling me 'congratulations, you've won'? ...Moments later I get a text from you agreeing to this." He said, motioning towards the space between the two of them.
"W-What?" He whispered, staring at Tyler.
"Look, I really like you and I'd never thought I'd do this but you should go tell him how you feel." He told Nick. "I've seen the way you are with him and the relationship you have with him...I can't fight with that." He whispered.
Nick took Tyler's hand from across the table and squeezed it. "I'm really sorry." He whispered as he felt immensely guilty.
"Don't worry about it," he said smiling. "...I should have known that someone as amazing as you was already taken."
Nick looked into Tyler's eyes and saw the hurt in them. He didn't know what to do.
"...go."
Huh? He looked at Tyler and saw him nod and smile.
Smiling gratefully, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a 50 from his wallet, he then put the money on the table, looked back at him and smiled. "Thank you." He whispered before getting up and leaving.
"Where's Nick off to?"
Tyler turned around as he realised that the waiter from before was talking to him.
"Dalton." He simply said.
"Something to do with Jeff?" The waiter asked.
"Naturally..."
The boy then sat down in front of him, "That was really big of you."
"Yep, that's me. Always putting everyone else first."
"Hey, don't worry about it," The waiter said, reassuring him. "...a good looking guy like you, you're day will come soon."
"Thank you," Tyler said quietly.
"Don't mention it dude." The waiter said, smiling up at him.
Suddenly he heard the boy opposite him chuckle slightly. "W-What's so funny?" he said.
"...You think I'm good-looking?" Tyler asked with a slight smirk on his face.
The waiter simply scoffed, "As if! I was just trying to make you feel better."
"Right..." Tyler drawled out, "of course, of course."
Thomas simply shook his head in disbelief, "So...are you going to go home now or..."
"You tryna get rid of me now eh?"
The waiter chuckled, "What! No, I'm just asking."
Tyler simply smiled, "I might just hang here for a bit."
"Well, I'm on my break right now, I c-could join you?" he asked nervously. "I mean, if you want." He added.
"...I'd like that."
Nick practically ran to his dorm-room. Just as he opened the door, his eyes widened as he didn't anticipate what he saw next.
"J-Jeff...what are you doing?" He asked the blonde who was currently putting his clothes in a small suitcase.
Jeff jumped; he quickly turned around, not expecting Nick to be there. "I'm going back home for a couple of days." He told him as he turned back around and resumed packing his suitcase.
"What! Why?"
"Cos I miss my parents..." he lied.
"That's bullshit Jeff and you know it, you saw them last week!" He exclaimed, "...so what's the real reason?"
"BECAUSE HOME IS THE ONLY PLACE I WANT TO BE RIGHT NOW!" He shouted, losing his cool.
Nick walked up to him, took hold of his hands and pulled Jeff closer to him. "Jeff..." he whispered, "...I am begging you. Please...just be honest with me."
"Don't you get it Nick...I can't!" he exclaimed.
Nick sighed deeply; it was now up to him to make the first move. It's now or never, he thought.
"Fine," he whispered. "...don't say anything then. Let me..."
"What?"
Nick let go of his hands reluctantly before walking over to the far corner of the room and picking up what Jeff realised to be his guitar.
He chuckled lightly, "Blaine's been teaching me for a while now, but I think I've finally got the hang of it. I didn't tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise." He admitted as he put the guitar strap around himself.
Jeff just stood there, completely baffled. He had no idea what was going on and what on earth Nick was talking about.
"J-Just do me one favour Jeff..."
Jeff looked up at him with an even more puzzled face.
"...Listen carefully." Nick whispered, before suddenly he started strumming the chords to a familiar song. W-What...?
I hung up the phone tonight
Something happened for the first time, deep inside
It was a rush, what a rush
'Cause the possibility
That you would ever feel the same way about me
It's just too much, just too much
Why do I keep running from the truth?
All I ever think about is you
You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized
And I've just got to know...
Do you ever think when you're all alone
All that we can be, where this thing can go?
Am I crazy or falling in love?
Is it real or just another crush?
Do you catch a breath when I look at you?
Are you holding back like the way I do?
'Cause I'm trying and trying to walk away
But I know this crush ain't goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Has it ever crossed your mind
When we're hanging, spending time boy, are we just friends?
Is there more, is there more?
See it's a chance we've gotta take
'Cause I believe that we can make this into something that will last
Last forever, forever…
Do you ever think when you're all alone
All that we can be, where this thing can go?
Am I crazy or falling in love?
Is it real or just another crush?
Do you catch a breath when I look at you?
Are you holding back like the way I do?
'Cause I'm trying and trying to walk away
But I know this crush ain't goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Why do I keep running from the truth?
All I ever think about is you
You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized
And I've just got to know…
Do you ever think when you're all alone
All that we can be, where this thing can go?
Am I crazy or falling in love?
Is it real or just another crush?
Do you catch a breath when I look at you?
Are you holding back like the way I do?
'Cause I'm trying and trying to walk away
But I know this crush ain't goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
This crush ain't goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Jeff stood there, silent, a million thoughts running through his head. He didn't know how to feel; angry, sad, happy? This can't be happening, he thought.
"Please say something..." Nick whispered as he finished, putting the guitar on the floor.
Jeff just stared at Nick, blinking trying to figure out what to say or do or how to feel. It was a lot to take in. H-He likes me...?
"Since when...?" Nick suddenly heard the blonde say.
"For a while..." Nick admitted. "...I guess I was just always so used to feeling this way that I didn't really think anything of it." He then walked up to Jeff again and took his hand again. "It wasn't clear to me before...but it is now."
"I can't believe I've been so oblivious this entire time," Nick continued, "...I mean every single time I start to think about you, butterflies start flying in my stomach. And I've seen how miserable I get, whenever you're not there. The signs were always there," he confessed to the blonde. "...like how I can't get this ridiculous smile off my face, every time I see you."
Jeff couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Why didn't you tell me before..." He whispered.
"Because you told me you liked someone else!" he said, hurt clearly evident in his voice.
"Idiot."
"W-What...?" Nick whispered, a hurt look on his face.
Jeff looked torn as he ran a hand through his hair; he looked back at Nick and stared into his eyes. And in that moment, all rational thinking went out of the window. Screw it, he thought, he pulled Nick by the collar of his shirt and kissed him gently. Suddenly Nick felt a pair of lips on his own, what the...he thought. Jeff...is kissing me... he didn't want to know why or what was going on, but all he knew was that Jeff was kissing him and it felt amazing. The brunette then leaned in closer, smiling into the kiss. It was a short kiss on the lips that didn't last for more than two seconds but Nick swore he saw fireworks. After a while, they finally broke apart, Jeff still holding onto his shirt. "That was,""Yeah..." Nick breathed. They both looked at each other, breathless and flushed.
"It always been you Nick...you're the guy I'm in love with..." Jeff whispered.
This caught Nick completely off-guard, he couldn't believe what he was hearing, today was seriously full of surprises. Jeff looked up at his best-friend and saw his motionless state. He couldn't quite make out the look in his eyes; it was almost as if he was experiencing an array of emotions.
"Y-You've liked me...this entire time?" Nick whispered in disbelief as a tear managed to fall from his eye.
Jeff simply nodded.
Nick saw this and shook his head, I'm such an idiot, he thought. I need to sit down. This was all too much to take in for him; he moved to sit down on his bed. "I am so sorry Jeff," he whispered, looking up at the blonde. Jeff could see that his eyes were rimmed with red and his cheeks had tears rolling down them; the sheer emotion of it all was slightly killing him inside.
Jeff couldn't take it; he kneeled down in front of him and took his hands into his own, "Nick..." But the soccer star simply shook his head, "all this time..." he whispered, "all this time...and I never knew."
Jeff didn't know what to say, but luckily he didn't have to as Nick started talking again.
"...there I was, stupidly waiting for this big sign to finally tell me I'm in love. And in my mind, I thought it would be when I'm too shy to speak to them, and I'd never dare to look them straight in the eyes or I'll be so insecure about how I look or what I say or do and I'd have to start acting in a different way or dressing differently...But what I never realised was that I was looking for the wrong things." He whispered, "...with you Jeff, I can be myself without being scared of you rejecting me, I don't shy away when I look into you're eyes, in fact, they're so beautiful that I can't help myself not to stare. When I'm with you Jeff, I don't have to be someone else; you take me for who I am. And I know I'm far from perfect, yet you still love me in spite of all my flaws...How can I be so blind?" He hissed, feeling tears building up behind his eyes, but just blinked them back.
"...Life is so funny isn't it," he said laughing bitterly. "You spend so long searching for the right person, but you never even contemplate that you may have already found them. And here he was, right in front of me, this whole time. Took me a while to see Jeff... but it's always been you." Nick said, smiling in content.
Nick suddenly got up and offered his hand to his best friend, who took it hesitantly and curled their fingers together; Jeff squeezed Nick's hand with a small smile. "I'm guessing this is our thing - holding hands." Jeff said, "...you know, for most people it's kissing."
"Well then..."Nick said, wrapping one arm around Jeff's waist, bringing him closer, "...I have no problem making that ours too." he smirked as he rested his forehead against Jeff's.
Nick gazed into Jeff's eyes longingly, he finally has the opportunity to tell Jeff how he feels and to be so close to him and hold him in his arms. Meanwhile, Jeff felt his heart skip a beat as Nick was so close to him. "You're beautiful," he whispered to the blonde. Jeff ducked his head as he flushed the deepest shade of red. Nick grinned to himself as he nuzzled his nose onto Jeff's cheek, secretly loving the effect he had on the boy, and ultimately the effect Jeff had on him.
"I can't help but think how lucky I am to find someone as amazing as you,"
Nick felt his heart go warm as soon as he heard those words leave Jeff's mouth. "...but I'm so scared Nick." Jeff said, this made Nick look up at him, eyes filled with worry. "I don't want to mess this up." He whispered softly.
"I'm scared too; I really don't wanna screw it up either." Nick admitted. "...we're both new at this...but we'll figure it out. All you have to be is yourself."
Jeff still felt uneasy, "Are you sure about this..." he said, "I mean it looked like Tyler really liked you...I just want you to be happy Nick, you deserve the best." He whispered.
"Hey, look at me." Nick said, lifting Jeff's cheek with his finger, "I am happy, you wanna know why? ...Cos I already have the best." He said, smiling fondly at the boy in front of him.
"I love you..." Nick whispered, pressing a kiss on Jeff's forehead. Nick then pulled back slowly and smiled nervously at Jeff. "Can I?" he whispered, Jeff smiled shyly and nodded. Nick then slowly moved in to kiss him as Jeff put his arms around his neck, pulling them even closer. Jeff has dreamt about this day for what seems like eternity and he can honestly say it was completely worth the wait. This kiss was different from before; it was perfect and magical, he wanted it go on for forever.
"I love you too... Nick," Jeff whispered as he pulled away, placing a quick chaste kiss onto Nick's lips before closing his eyes and pulling him into a tight embrace, relishing in the feel of Nick in his arms and his lips on his and ultimately all that is Nick and how he finally is his.
A/N: And there we have it... I just wanna take the time out to thank everyone who followed this story til the end, and those who reviewed, story-alerted and favourited this story. I really didn't think anyone would like this story, but to know that you guys did really makes me happy, I couldn't have done it without you guys so thank you. Once again, you guys really do rock! xD