Disclaimer: Based on real events, but some things are made up to help the story. Slight AU. Goes in a different direction.
Chapter 13 - February 10th, 2017
"Tried to run, but I keep on coming back, full circle." - Excerpt from Full Circle, Miley Cyrus
"Remind me again why you're killing yourself each morning."
Nick glanced over at Joe as he wiped sweat away from his brow. "It's not called killing myself. It's called being invincible," Nick corrected proudly. Nobody understood—heck, Nick barely understood himself—but he was still doing it. It had become something almost natural. Every morning now, he planned on going to that gym at six o clock sharp and work away until past seven.
Call it an obsession if that makes you feel better.
Joe rolled his eyes. "Dude, you wore yourself out so much yesterday you didn't even listen to what I had to say about Miley."
Nick scoffed. "I was tired. I'm only human, after all, and after this, I'll be invincible. Besides, why're you here anyway? You're here more than at your place."
Joe shrugged. "Just keeping my brother in check—you know how it is. Besides, your house is comfortable. Especially these couches." The couches? Joe had to be joking because if he wasn't... he must be from another planet. "Anyway, if you still want to hear about Miley, I'd gladly tell you—but you have to go down on your knees and beg for basically forgetting my existence last night."
"What existence?"
Joe shot him a hurt look. "Fine. Then I won't tell you."
"Fine, then I'll just ask Demi."
"Fine."
"Fine."
"Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine," they said simultaneously, each word louder than the previous.
Then, Nick burst out laughing. It hurt his ribs to laugh. He must've trained harder than he did yesterday... or maybe it was because he hurt so much already yesterday and just powered through the pain today. Joe began laughing, too, and when Nick could finally stop laughing, a silly grin was curled on his lips. Nick grinned, his mouth stretching to impossible lengths. "God, I know what Miley would say if she was here—"
"'Well, Jackson and Miley, can you please finish your mimic fight?'" Nick and Joe said together before laughing again.
Nick's smile faded, replaced by a slight frown. It was small, but Joe noticed it and sighed deeply. Nick narrowed his dark gaze. "Just..." Nick trailed off awkwardly. "What about..?" Nick's frown deepened as he fought to find the right words. "You saw Miley yesterday?" Nick finally settled on. Joe nodded once. "Did she, um, say anything?" Nick finally said, feeling his face heat up.
"Not to me," Joe said with a shrug. "I was hanging with Liam." That did not make Nick feel better. "He lost a bet to me." That actually did make Nick feel better. "Demi was the one talking with Miley. Demi said a little something about telling Miley what she thought about Miley with Liam and Miley with you... And she also said something about Miley saying 'I love Liam' at least five times."
Nick quirked an eyebrow. "Five?"
"Fine, three, but still."
Nick's stomach plummeted to his feet, and he scratched the back of his neck. "It's like whenever I talk to Miley, I make a fool out of myself. And it's like whenever I try to do a big gesture, I completely fail and just make things harder for her." Nick stared at Joe, despaired. "Joe..? What would you do if you were in my predicament? If you wanted someone and just couldn't have them..."
Joe sighed a little. "I don't know, man. I guess you could try to mend your friendship with Miley first. None of that romantic crap or anything. Just hang out. Get that friendship steady first."
Nick stared. "And then what?"
Joe looked slightly freaked out, and he sighed again. "How am I supposed to know? I have a life, you know?"
Nick laughed. "What life?" Joe looked extremely offended. "And how are you and Dem?"
"I don't know," Joe said, sighing.
"Do you have a crush on me, too?" Nick said, staring at Joe.
Joe looked flabbergasted. "Self-conceited much?"
"No," Nick defended himself. Nick faltered slightly. "Miley sighed a lot before she said she liked me..."
Joe stared. Then, he burst out laughing. "I'm your brother, not Miley. If I had a crush on you, you would know by now... Plus, that's just creepy. Don't say stuff like that."
"It was a joke," Nick scoffed.
Joe scoffed. "I knew that."
"Yeah, alright." Nick tilted his head to look at the ceiling. "So how are you and Demi?"
"Dem and I—we're alright. I guess..." Joe sighed again, and Nick knew how much this was troubling his brother. Joe never sighed a lot about something unless he was dead-serious. And Joe was hardly ever dead-serious. "I've been giving her time to open up to me... but it's hard. She has so much power over me, and I'm not sure if she even knows it."
"Oh, she definitely knows it."
Joe glared, but the glare faltered. "I'm being serious."
"I know you are—that's what so funny," Nick said. Then, he punched his brother lightly on the shoulder. "Hey, you'll do fine. Demi's not seeing anyone, and you two will get together someday. If you want to talk about problems..." Nick sighed as he thought of the blue-eyed brunette that was usually on his mind. "I don't know what to do about Miley. Maybe I should take it slow with her."
"You tried that," Joe reminded him. "You tried hanging out with her—and look how that turned out."
"It was your advice," Nick protested, exasperated.
"You're overthinking it. Miley's chill—avoid talking if you're going to turn into an emotional sap."
Nick stopped. "You know what, Joe? You might be onto something over there." He grinned. "You're awesome."
"I know."
Still In Love Somehow
"Miley..."'
Miley looked up to see Liam smiling softly at her. A soft smile tugged at Miley's lips, and she glided over to him, embracing him swiftly. His arms wrapped around her, and she felt so warm and safe and protected in his arms. She looked up at him, and he leaned down to kiss her. He ran his fingers through her hair, letting the smooth tendrils run over his fingers.
Miley smiled against his lips before quickly pressing a kiss to his cheek. His eyes glowed with affection, and Miley felt herself heat up under his gaze. He wrapped his warm arms around her slim waist, closing the gap between them. She stroked his cheek, and he shivered. Miley laughed lightly before leaning up to kiss him. His lips felt warm against hers.
Then, Liam stepped back and picked up a brush. He began brushing Emu. He met her gaze warmly. "What? You looked just like a perfect angel—I couldn't resist."
Miley laughed and stroked the dog. "Angel? I don't think so."
"Well, I do," Liam murmured.
Miley's heart burst out in warm flutters at his words. He was always the perfect gentleman. She brushed her hand against his, and he groaned good-naturedly. "You have no idea what you're doing to me," he mumbled grumpily, and Miley grinned, delighted to have such an effect on him. Then, he lifted Emu's brush towards her. With a small shriek, Miley leapt back. "Come back here!" he called teasingly.
Miley laughed as she scrambled to her feet. She raced around the house with Liam following. She was fast, no doubt, but his tall figure gave him the advantage. So Miley went over couches and dove under tables to evade him. She was lithe and swift on her feet, but he ended up cornering her. He pressed her against the wall, his hands pinning her wrists to the wall. "You forgot your brush," Miley told him, grinning.
"I don't need it," Liam answered, leaning forward. His lips were inches away from hers, and—
"Get a room!"
Miley and Liam whirled around to see Demi entering the room. "Worst. Timing. Ever," Liam groaned, and delight crossed Demi's features.
"God, do you have the key to this house or something?" Miley groaned good-humoredly.
"Yes," Demi answered playfully, holding up a gold key.
Miley raised an eyebrow. "How..?"
"I kind of, um, took it," Demi said sheepishly.
"How do you kind of take something?" Miley said, crossing her arms in mock-rage.
"Um," Demi said, trailing off. Then, a smile took up her face. "I love you?"
Miley groaned exasperatedly but rushed to embrace Demi. She could never stay mad at Demi—plus, it was a joke, and Miley took it good-humoredly—and Demi knew that... and, unfortunately for Miley, tried as many things as she could to exasperate Miley. Miley enjoyed Demi's attempts—which she called futile—but sometimes wondered how Demi came up with all of them.
Liam grinned. "Hey, I'm the only one who gets to say that."
Demi batted at him. "She's my best friend—of course I get to tell her I love her." Demi shuddered. "Though I'll leave the romantic stuff for you."
"Thanks," Liam said breezily.
"So, Miles," Demi said, linking arms with Miley, "I was wondering if you'd like to hang out with me—me being your best friend—tonight. Or, well, today. We'll shop for hours—actually, nah, I don't want people stalking us—but we'll go binge-watch a crappy old sappy romance thing, and you can spend the night at my house." There was something unreadable in Demi's eyes.
Miley grinned. "That would be great."
"Getting tired of your fiance's company already?" Demi teased. "I thought you would last a few more months."
Miley laughed. "As if! Waking up with him is amazing. The sun's always out, and it's just magical."
"Woah now, let's not talk about where you sleep," Demi said with a smirk.
Liam chuckled. "You want me to pack your stuff?"
"No, no, no!" Demi interrupted before Miley could open her mouth to answer. "Miley's got the worst sense of style. I mean, the other day she had this old gray sweater that did not go well with her jeans." Demi shuddered, but her eyes were laughing. Miley nudged her in the ribs, and Demi smirked. "I'll pack her stuff. You can say your goodbyes to her." And Demi strutted off into the house.
Miley laughed and turned to Liam. "I'm going to miss you," he murmured.
"It's just a day," she pointed out.
"True, true," he said, his gaze slightly distant. "I'll feed all the dogs while you ditch me."
"Hey, it's not like I can say no! That would be impolite!"
"Yeah, it's not like you wanted to hang out with Demi or anything."
Miley nudged him in the ribs playfully before pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Besides—"
"Miley, let's move it!"
Miley shot an apologetic look at Liam before hurrying off with Demi.
Demi smirked. "This'll be a night to remember!"
Still In Love Somehow
Liam stared after Miley, wondering if they were drifting apart. He was probably being paranoid, but he felt that they were getting more distant. Demi seemed to always be over, and when Demi wasn't stealing Miley away, Joe was there. And then the whole thing with Nick. Liam didn't like the singer for multiple reasons, but the most relevant reason was his thing with Miley.
Liam was Miley's fiance, for God's sake. Couldn't Nick keep his hands to himself?
But no, Nick just had to ruin everything. Liam and Miley were perfectly happy. They had everything they ever wanted... and then, out of nowhere, Nick had just done this. Liam gave Miley everything she wanted—though she claimed that though she liked it when he showered her in gifts, she didn't need the gifts. She needed him, and he would just melt at her words.
Liam had been tagging into the gossip and checking everything. He always wanted to be with Miley... He did trust her, he really did, but he couldn't help but worry. Despite what Miley told him—and she hadn't even been doing that recently—he knew that Miley had been in love with Nick. Why else all the love songs about the guy? He knew that Nick was special to Miley.
But as Liam thought things through, the more he panicked. Miley used to always tell him she loved him. She'd been saying it less... She didn't even say it before she left with Demi...
...and Liam couldn't help but feel pushed away.
Still In Love Somehow
"That was the best movie ever!"
Miley rolled her eyes at Demi. "But of course you would say that. It was your own movie."
Demi scoffed. "But the movie was successful. I can back up my claim." Demi grabbed a fistful of popcorn and took one and popped it gingerly into her mouth. She swallowed, and Miley could see a mischievous glint in Demi's eyes. Uh oh. Miley knew Demi long enough to know that Demi was up to something. "Anyway," Demi said conversationally, "some guests will be over soon."
"Guests?" Miley quirked an eyebrow.
Demi smiled and patted Miley's arm. "Just keep in mind that you love me."
"Demi," Miley said slowly as she picked up a glass of water and raised it to her lips, "what exactly did you do?"
"Let's just say Joe's coming over," Demi said with a shrug. "Andhe'sbringingNickwithhim." Demi looked up. "Do you want more popcorn?"
If Miley hadn't swallowed her water, she most certainly would've choked on it. "What?!"
Demi shrugged and drank some water. "What movie do you want to watch next?"
"When?" Miley demanded.
"Um..." Demi checked her clock. "They should be here in—"
Knock! Knock!
Demi chuckled. "How utterly cliche. That must be them." She got up to answer the door, but Miley just sat on the couch, utterly bewildered. This seriously couldn't be happening. Oh, Demi was going to pay later. Miley heard the door swing open, and she craned her neck to see. "Joe! Nick!" Demi squealed, hugging each Jonas brother. Demi closed the door behind them.
"Miles!" Joe exclaimed, racing over to hug her.
"Hey, Joey," Miley said with a small grin. She shot Demi a glare.
"Don't give me that look," Demi retorted. "You would've never agreed if you knew I was bringing them."
"That's not true," Miley argued. Demi raised an eyebrow that said, Isn't it? Miley sighed. "I just would've appreciated a warning."
"Well, sorry about that," Demi said, sounding genuine.
"Hey... Miley..." Nick said in a slow voice, as if he had trouble putting the words out there. Awkward. Miley watched him. His dark eyes locked onto her vibrant blue ones, and she saw him shiver. He was wearing a t-shirt that hugged his body... And was it just her, or did he develop more muscles? His curls were an unruly mess, but she was used to his hair not behaving.
Miley cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Hey." She didn't drag each word like he had.
Demi nudged Joe. "Joe, let's go take care of that thing in the, erm, kitchen."
Joe frowned. "What thing?"
"You know—that thing," Demi said, glaring daggers at Joe before dragging him away—
—which left Miley alone with Nick. Oh, there would be hell to pay for Demi later.
"So subtle, Demi," Miley muttered under her breath. She turned to Nick, who sat next to her.
"Hi," he said shyly, and Miley was immediately drawn to how he was. He was almost exactly like the 13-year-old Nick: awkward, nervous, shy, and a million other things. Of course, the boyish cuteness to his face was no longer cute but a cross between hot and sexy. His muscles were more defined, but underneath it all, he was still the same Nick.
"Hey," Miley murmured back, feeling herself redden. She hoped Nick wouldn't notice.
"I'm sorry about the whole... everything," Nick said a bit awkwardly, but his voice was genuine enough. "I just... I missed having you in my life, Mi." She looked up sharply at the use of her old nickname. He gulped, but Miley met his gaze to show that she wasn't angry, just slightly surprised. He smiled a little awkwardly, and she smiled back. "And I really do want to be your friend again."
An easy smile relaxed on Miley's face. "Yeah, I'd like that."
"So... are we good now?" he asked, face burning.
Miley's smile broadened. "Yeah, we're good. Anyway—"
"OWWW! Joe, you clumsy idiot!"
Miley spun around to see Joe and Demi sprawled on the ground in a very awkward position. Joe appeared to have tripped over Demi's foot or the other way around, but they had both tumbled to the ground. Miley headed over cheerfully to them. "You guys don't make very good spies, do you know? Do you not know the meaning of 'sneaky and stealthy'?"
Demi scowled, getting up and brushing herself off. "I know what it means. Mr. I-Want-To-Fall-On-My-Face-And-Drag-Others-Down-With-Me doesn't."
"Let's just watch a movie, guys," Nick said quickly. He fished out a random movie and turned crimson. "What about The Last Song?"
Miley blushed, and Demi shot Nick a sharp look. Joe shrugged and said, "I'm game. Let's do it."
The movie started, and Joe and Demi sat together on one side of the couch, hands not quite entwined but fingers only about an inch apart. Nick and Miley sat at the other end, and Miley swore Demi did this on purpose. After all, Demi had grabbed Joe's hand and pulled him next to her after scooting to the very edge of the couch, which left Nick with Miley.
About thirty minutes in the movie, Demi asked, "Do you guys want drinks?"
Joe shrugged. "I'll help you get them."
As the two left, Nick turned to Miley and leaned closer to whisper in her ear. She was unnerved by their new proximity. If there was any space between them before, that gap was nonexistent now. "It's nice to see Demi and Joe working together instead of grabbing at each other's throats," he murmured, his voice a low and husky whisper.
"It is," Miley agreed, blushing again.
"Miley..."
Miley looked at him. There had to be less than an inch between them. His gaze burned into hers, but he moved away slightly, creating more space between them. Miley couldn't decide whether she was disappointed or relieved or a mix of both. "Miley," he said slowly, as if he had rehearsed the lines before, "I don't want to put any pressure on you..."
"Funny, because it looks like you're doing just that," Miley said with a smirk.
Nick shook his head a little, and Miley's smirk faded. He was serious. "I just... I'm done chasing... Well, not really. What I'm trying to say is you can stay with Liam. I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that. I guess I was just missing an old friend." Nick smiled, and it seemed genuine. "You're good with Liam. You two make each other really happy."
Miley's smile relaxed on her face. "That would be awesome," Miley said weakly. "To be friends with you and still have Liam."
A weird look crossed his features. "When's the wedding?" he asked in a low voice.
"Not sure," Miley said truthfully, feeling herself blush.
Something flashed across Nick's features for a heartbeat, but when Miley turned to get a closer look, he still had a small smile on his face. She wondered if she had imagined it. Then, Nick reached his hand forward and tucked some stray locks of her hair behind an ear. She felt a smile spread across her lips, and a shyer smile glowed on his face. Before Miley could say anything, he reached down and laced her fingers with his.
It felt like the most natural thing in the world.
QotD: What's your favorite Miley Cyrus album?
#I love them all, but I'm currently 'obsessed' with her 'Can't Be Tamed' album. See what I did there?
A/N: Hey, it's Darky! I loved writing that Niley moment! Personally, I think it was long overdue! I had a hard time deciding what to write, but after I wrote that, I knew that was it. Sorry for any mistakes because basically, I wrote it and read it once before posting it. Sorry, but at this point, my head will explode if I revise it anymore.
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