Disclaimer: Based on real events, but some things are made up to help the story. Slight AU. Goes in a different direction.
Chapter 4 - February 1st, 2017
"Don't give up, keep on taking chances. Put in time, till you get it right. Winding up, swinging for the fences, won't go down without a fight." - Excerpt from Cloud 9, Luke Benward ft. Dove Cameron
Ah yes, the start of a new month—how irrevocably horrible.
For a celebrity, Nick Jonas had always managed well. The worst days of the month were the first ones because he had so much stuff to do and plan out. He was always usually grumpy for about the first week. He basically had to plan out exactly what he had to do for every single day of the month (or, at least, the main events), but yes, his music and the people in his life made it all worth it.
Well, sometimes. Other times they were utter douche bags.
Nick was sorting through his gazillion emails from various people and sighed. The headlines were still racing from what he'd done at the party—hello, didn't people have any better stuff to report than his life?—and Nick was getting sick of it. He had stayed inside his house for yet another day because he didn't want any stalkers on his tail. They were still outside his door and would probably leave after another day.
Too bad, because on February 3rd, they'd all be back—whether Nick's plans were successful or not.
Nick bit his lip subconsciously as he noticed the few dozen emails from his manager, Phil. With a sigh, Nick tapped the first one and skimmed it:
Nick,
Your concert has been sold out! Your ticket—since the party—has been hotter than a Hannah Montana ticket back in the day! I heard a lot of Niley shippers have been resurfacing—you might not want to check out any social media. I swear, they have the most interesting protests in the world. I'll have a link to a few—you should keep up with your fans.
We're thinking about a whole concert: fireworks, smoke, the whole she-bang. You should have your electric guitar—but I guess if you want your acoustic, you can have some of that in the end. I don't know what you did, kid, but Miley Cyrus contacted me to say that she and Liam would be there. We have a personalized balcony for them.
I hope you're excited. Demi Lovato volunteered to open up for you.
~Phil
Nick smiled a little at the thought of Demi. He couldn't wait—he definitely wanted her to perform at his concert. His smile faltered as he saw the links his manager provided for him. With a hefty sigh, Nick clicked on one of them and waited patiently for it to load. Were people still Niley shippers? He hadn't known. Everything about Miley Cyrus's love life seemed centered around Liam nowadays.
NILEY ALERT
Ever since Nick Jonas's performance at an A-List party, the world has been erupting at his songs and his confession! Nick says that he is still in love with Miley Cyrus (yes, you heard me: Miley Cyrus) and wants her to choose him instead of Australian hunk Liam Hemsworth. Let's see what our fans have to say about this. I doubt Liam's very happy about this!
Angie Sage: Niley forever! Miam's cute, but Niley's forever!
nileylover2008: Do I need to be more obvious? Look at my user people.
HMfanXoXo: Miley better choose Nick. Liam's hot and all, but he's a jerk.
JoBroLuver: Not a fan of Niley. But I gotta say they have more chemistry than Miam.
Daisy Verricker: Hoping Niley will end up together! I might support Miam, but Niley is ENDGAME.
That is a lot the Niley fandom has to say about all the news! Liam, reports say, is furious with Jonas and wants Cyrus to cut the cords with the "Jealous" singer for good. The former Disney star apparently refused and allegedly told Hemsworth that she wanted a guy who trusted her. Hemsworth apparently apologized for his vulgar behavior, but all three of them have been silent on social media about this—except for the one video of Nick's performance by Miley on Instagram, where she captained "OMG." OMG can mean anything, right? But that was it for social media.
Looks like the fans want Miley and Nick back together! Who do you want? Vote below in the poll!
Nick winced. He hoped Liam and Miley were taking this okay. Sure, a lot of fans still supported them... but wow... the amount of Niley lovers was incredible. Nick smiled. Hopefully, a good number of those fans would be at his concert. And though Nick tried to ignore it, he was secretly pleased that so many people were rooting for him and Miley.
Hopefully, that wouldn't put too much pressure on Miley.
Nick flushed and hastily typed up a message for his manager:
Phil,
Thanks for the AMAZING news. Looking forward to that concert. I wanted to go acoustic for most of it, but the end's fine, too. Good call on the balcony thing for Miley & Liam. Can't believe it's sold out already! Tickets only went up yesterday! ;) I bet this is just because Smiley's going to be... Does anyone know that she's going to be there? The press? Etc.
Thanks,
Nick
Nick knew that he could've done a better job with the message and reread it as he waited for a return message. He flushed as he realized he had written 'Smiley.' God, he had to stop the nicknames. Not that no one knew that he wasn't in love with Miley... but it was still a bit embarrassing how he couldn't let go of the nicknames even after all of the years.
Nick smiled coyly. She would have nicknames for him, too. Like "Nicky" or "Nate" or maybe something embarrassing. He hated it when people called him 'Nicky.' He really did. But it sounded like a song that could lull him to sleep coming from her lips. She would only say it when she was feeling particularly passionate or fond about him—it was like she knew how much of an effect it had on her.
Maybe she did—most likely she did.
Nick's manager replied quite quickly:
Nick,
No, I don't think so. People just think you'll make a big show of Miley at the concert. Rumors. But you can handle all that, kid. By the way... "Smiley." (Nick grimaced; he'd been hoping Phil didn't notice.) You'll do great at the show, kiddo. You've come a long way since that curly-haired young boy who wanted to be a star. We all have, right?
You have soundcheck tomorrow, and the show starts at night.
~Phil
Nick smiled to himself at Phil's praise. In some ways, Phil was like family to Nick. In other ways... Nick wanted to bury his head in his pillow and think, man, he's crazy. It was kind of like that with Miley, too—except he didn't think of the brunette as family to him. She was so much more than that to him... But they had had fights in the past—real fights involving screaming and fighting and crying.
Lots of crying.
Seeing those crystalline tears streak down Miley's cheeks was one of Nick's worst nightmares. He vowed to never see her cry again—especially caused by him.
But it happened—over and over and over again. And something had snapped inside Nick each time—but the last time was the worst. When they had finally had enough of each other, something really snapped. He had finally realized that they were fighting for nothing (give him a break; he was a little more than kid back then). They had broken up, and that was the darkest day of his life.
He remembered growing frustrated whenever seeing her at a premiere. Frustrated because he couldn't say the words he needed to. Frustrated because she didn't catch his eye.
Frustrated because she seemed (seemed) perfectly fine while his whole world had collapsed.
If he could turn back time, he would show her off whenever they went out. He would make her feel special and tell her she was beautiful every day. He would flaunt her off—because now he knew that she thought that he was ashamed of her. No, that wasn't it. But if there was paparazzi everywhere, how was he to have private time with his Miley?
Not that she was his Miley anymore, strictly speaking.
If Nick could have another chance with Miley, he wouldn't—couldn't—mess that one up.
He loved her so, so much. As a 24-year-old man, he was able to admit that. He remembered when they had kissed—it had been something soft and sweet yet irrevocably powerful. The fleeting moment was incredible, and he missed her so, so much. What he would give to feel his hands run over her body... to feel her lips pressed against his.
He wondered if she would seem new to him. There some physical changes about her, no doubt. But he knew her eyes were the same—long-lashed, warm, and the most stunning blue that held all the infinite colors of the oceans: cerulean, azure, sapphire, aquamarine, cyan... He wondered how it would feel to feel the many tattoos that enhanced and intensified her flesh.
He exalted her, he loved her, he wanted—needed—her.
He wanted to sing with her, he wanted to spend an entire day with her, he wanted all of her. He wanted to know what was new about her: new insecurities, new friends, new ambitions? He wanted to know every part of her, and he wanted to be there to sing her to sleep. Though he didn't know how he would sleep with her around. She was so, so beautiful.
Nick stared at another email, and his heart jolted. He had an interview today? Crap. Where had the time went?
Correction: where had the time went while he was daydreaming about Miley?
Nick quickly changed into a fresh white t-shirt and casual jeans. He then threw on a leather jacket that did good things to his arms before shoving his phone in one of the pockets. He slipped on the first shoes he saw and strode out the back door. He pulled out his phone and called Demi. "Listen, Dem, as good friends, I need you to do me a quick favor..."
Still In Love Somehow
"Thanks for giving me a ride."
Demi grinned at him. "No problem."
"Literally," Nick said, breathing a sigh of relief as Demi's gaze flashed to the road. Her dark eyes narrowed as she drove in a sleek black car. "I owe you one." She smiled in a mischievous way, and Nick laughed a little. Demi's company was utterly addictive. She could just be sitting there, and you could burst out laughing. "You're awesome."
"I've been told that," she shot at him haughtily.
Nick laughed. "Of course you have."
Demi's gaze stared him down, utterly contradictory, as they drove down the road. Soon, she stopped the car. He smiled at her and gave her a one-armed hug, which she returned. Her dark eyes—almost mahogany in the dim of the light—seemed to glow. She smiled gingerly, and he said, "Come on. They aren't expecting you, but they'll get a bonus along with the package."
Demi grinned. "That's so sweet of you to demote yourself as a bonus."
Nick stuck his tongue out at her. "Righttt. Because I totally meant it that way."
The two entered the building, and the lady that was interviewing him (Katy Alves) was talking—actually, 'yelling' was more of the accurate term—to some camera man. Her gaze flashed to him—a green-blue gaze that seemed to almost switch from blue to green to aqua to blue-green—and a grin broadened on her face. "Nick, Nick, how nice of you to join us." Demi cleared her throat. Katy's eyes widened. "My, my, Demi Lovato, girl, you look fantastic!"
"Thank you!" Demi said with some emphasize as if she had been waiting her entire life for this sole compliment.
Nick chuckled and murmured, "Drama queen."
Demi stuck her tongue out at him. "What does that make you, then? Drama princess?"
"Cute!" Katy chirped.
One of the camera men yelled, "Can we just finish this interview before we start Jonas'?"
Nick frowned. "Sorry. We'll just wait it out."
Katy shrugged and sat back down in her chair, looking all snug and comfortable. A false smile lit up her face, and Nick grimaced. He remembered seeing that smile on Miley's face so many times. "And ladies and gentlemen, though we've all been talking about her—heck, I talked about her for 99% of this interview—please give a warm welcome to our very own Miley Cyrus!"
Time. Froze.
Miley entered the room from behind a curtain, a huge smile plastered on her face. Her eyes were bright but calculating and slightly wary. She was wearing a Happy Hippie sweater and shorts that showcased her long, tanned legs. Nick froze. A ring—engagement ring—shone on Miley's ring finger, and Nick grimaced but was unable to tear his gaze away from her.
"Thank you, thank you, Katy," Miley said, smiling. "It's a pleasure."
"Everyone has been buzzing about you and Nick Jonas!" Katy said, smirking slightly. "Can you tell us anything about it?"
"I think it's blatant," Miley said coolly, causing the hostess to flush a little. "But I have a lot of respect for Nick."
Katy smirked openly, and a slightly confused look crossed Miley's features. "Ladies and gents—please welcome Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato!"
Nick froze, and Demi shot him a sharp look. She propelled the both of them to the stage, and they both took seats next to Miley on the couch. There was almost no space between Nick and Miley, and he could barely breathe with her so close. Miley schooled her face into a relaxed smile, but it was clear to Nick that she was anything but. "Demi, Nick," Miley greeted them.
"S'good to see you, Miles," Demi said cheerfully while giving Nick a sharp prod to the ribs.
"Yeah," Nick mumbled, unable to meet Miley's unnervingly disconcerting stare. "Good to see you," he echoed.
Katy's smirk, if possible, widened. "Well, isn't this a cozy scene!"
A soft smile settled on Miley's perfect lips. "Cozy. My thoughts exactly," she added in a low, almost indecipherable voice. Nick was sure Katy didn't hear. In a louder voice, Miley added, "Well, I should be going now. I would love to stay, but work's never done!" Miley flashed the camera a winning smile and got up from her seat. Demi got up to embrace Miley, and Nick found himself getting to his feet, too. Miley's eyes were unreadable, but she hugged him as well, much to his surprise.
The interview took about a half hour, and Demi drove Nick home afterward. She stayed for a game of chess (he won, and she fumed for five minutes before demanding a retry), and they caught up on things. As Demi strode over to the door, she grinned at him. "It was good to see you again, Nick. You've been trapped in this excuse for a house for days!"
"I know right," Nick joked.
Demi smiled as she left. "I'm definitely going to be sore after that chess beat down."
And as for Nick? He felt the warmth of Miley's embrace linger for the rest of the day.
QotD: Do you play a musical instrument?
#Guitar
A/N: Hey, it's Darky! Before I start this A/N, lemme just say that the "news article things" aren't real. The names are made up, too, so if they resemble anything in real life (which they may or may not, I don't know; I don't have an Instagram), know that no copyright is intended. I made these names up from the top of my mind, and they are only used to help the story. Also, any interview people I use will be OCs. I honestly don't have the time or energy to search some reporter up or anything. xP Thanks.
I really loved writing the playful banter between Nick and Demi. I don't ship them, not in the romantic sense, but I look at them in a sort of brother/sister way. That's what I'm trying to convey in the story (though I'm pretty sure real life brothers and sisters don't get along that well). I think Demi's really witty and fiery, and I just love her personality, so be sure to expect more of her for this story.
This story will mostly be seen through Nick's eyes, but if I feel like it, I might add some parts through Miley's eyes. I actually have a few scenes that are going to be through Miley's eyes.
Some trivia: This story was originally planned as a one-shot, but ideas spread through my overactive brain, so here we are.
Check out my Niley one-shot: "Snow."
Review your answer to the QotD! Tell me your thoughts? I appreciate it though you don't need to. But who doesn't love reviews? ;)
- Darky