I don't own Glee. The song used is "Breakeven" by The Script.

Now we get to see a little background of them. Keep in mind that the background is from a few years ago-most likely, they don't remember it.

LAST TIME ON WAIT FOR ME:

Nick saw in horror that David was jumping on something where Jeff must have been, and Nick hoped with his entire being that it wasn't Jeff's head.

Point is that Nick would have saved anyone. But it was because he really, really felt bad for the blonde that he jumped out of the (still moving) car to run and punch David in the face.

David stumbled back, glaring at the brunette. "Shit!"

"Get the fuck away, Duval." Wes took a step forward and raised his fist. "This is our business."

"It wasn't your business until you made it your business, Montgomery." Nick took a step forward, looking down to make sure he wasn't stepping on Jeff.

Jeff was a few feet away, covered in blood and scratches, and his hand was bent at an angle that it should not have been. From what Nick could see, the blonde was barely breathing (or, Nick thought in horror, not breathing at all).

"Nick!" Kurt hissed, running from behind. "What the fuck-"

"KILL HIM!"

"Wes, get him-"

"David, c'mon-"

"Get away from Jeff, Montgomery-"

Everyone was yelling and talking at once until Nick tuned it all out because of one voice.

"Nick, get out of here-"

Nick ducked Wes's flying fist and ran towards Jeff, never taking his eyes off of the blonde.

"Jeff, what the fuck-"

"Nick, get out-away-"

"No, come on-I'm taking you to the hospital-"

"He's coming, Nick! What the fuck do you not understand about-"

"Who? Who's coming, Jeff?"

"He-my dad-"

Everyone froze when they heard glass crack against the pavement. "Well well well. What do we have here?"

Please don't be his dad, please don't be his dad, oh God-I-don't-believe-in please don't let me die, I'm not ready to die,please, I have so much to live for! Nick chanted mentally, attempting to pull Jeff up.

Jeff, meanwhile, had a song running in his head. Still alive but I'm barely breathing-just praying to a god that I don't believe in.

"The fag convention, I suppose?" Mr. Sterling said, still coming down from his angry-drunk and easing into dangerous/murderous-drunk.

"No way in hell, man!" Wes said, shoving Kurt away. "We aren't fags."

"Good," Mr. Sterling said quietly. "Then it's only those two," he said, dragging his eyes across the boys to Nick and Jeff.

Said two were arguing silently with their eyes as the brunette still tried to pull the blonde up.

"Jeff, get up!"

"Nick…Nick, I'm so tired…"

"Of course you're tired, fag."

Nick glared at Jeff's father. "Leave him alone."

"No."

Nick glanced at Kurt. "Kurt, can we go?"

Kurt hesitated before shaking his head. "Find your own way home…I'm not helping a-I won't help a fag."

His best days will be some of my worst.

Jeff, through his haze, saw Nick's face fall before hardening. "Fine, be that way. Jeff, come on, can you stand?" Nick looked at Jeff, who struggled to stand.

"I don't-"

"Here."

Jeff's stomach lurched as Nick picked him up, bridal style.

"Get him out of here and keep him out. DON'T EVER LET HIM COME BACK!" Mr. Sterling screamed, throwing another beer bottle.

Nick just started walking, Jeff (somewhat) safe in his arms, and didn't look back.

Blaine was sitting on his bed, nearly asleep, when his phone buzzed.

Two new messages: Kitty-Kurt & Mommafucka

Why's Kurt texting me? Blaine wondered sleepily. And my mom?

Kitty-Kurt: Sterling jumped out the window of his house, Duval is having a panic attack-HELP ME CAN'T HANDLE IT ON MY OWN D:

Kurt's was twenty-five minutes ago, and his mom had just texted.

Mommafucka: Hon, your friend Nick and a blonde boy are downstairs in the living room asking for you.

Nick? And a blonde kid?

Jeff. Blaine knew immediately that it was Jeff with Nick downstairs. Nick had been smitten with Jeff since the blonde first walked into the school two years ago in Freshman year. And the first day they met Jeff was the first day Nick earned the reputation of "fucking badass homophobe".

Back then, before that day, Nick was the most popular guy because he was nice, not feared. And Blaine had been the right hand man.

"Hey, Blaine!"

Blaine smiled and practically skipped to Nick where the he was leaning against the formers locker. "Nick! GUESS. WHAT."

"What?"

"I got a new neighbor," the curly haired brunette said in a sing-song voice. "And he's really, really cute," he said in a quieter voice. No one knew the two brunettes were gay (or, in Blaine's case, bisexual). A new school-a time to start over.

"Name?" Nick moved his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

"Kurt. Kurt Hummel."

"Nice."

Nick started walking backwards down the hall, smirking at Blaine. "So, you gonna talk to him?"

"I already did." Blaine rolled his eyes and shoved Nick, who stumbled over his own feet on to a boy that Blaine didn't recognize.

"Oof!"

"Sorry!" Nick stood up and helped the boy up, apologizing the entire time. "Sorry, my friend is an absolute nimwad-"

"It's okay!" the blonde said, laughing, yet eyes shifting cautiously. "It's fine!"

Nick bit his lip, shrugging, before apologizing one more time. "Sorry, regardless."

"It's okay…"

"Nick. And the nimwad is Blaine."

Blaine glared at Nick as the blonde replied, a bit nervously, "I'm Jeff."

Nick stood there, smiling like an idiot, until Blaine hit him upside the head. "Nice to meet you," Blaine said, offering a hand.

Jeff shook it firmly, obviously more relaxed right now. "You too…is he okay?" he asked, gesturing to Nick.

"He's never okay-"

"Yeah, I'm fine!"

Nick popped out of his stupor, shaking his unruly hair and smiling. "Sorry, it's just…your hair looks…really soft."

Blaine looked at his friend, officially worried for his mental health. Why the hell-

"Thank you?" Jeff laughed a bit bitterly. "I guess." His face, though, grew hard.

"It does!"

"So, are you one of them?"

"One of who?"

"The stupid Senior jocks sent over here to make me feel welcome then throw me in a dumpster."

"Why would we-" Nick started. However, the calmer of the brunettes cut him off.

"We're Freshman, don't worry," Blaine said reassuringly.

Nick's jaw clenched. "Why would they do that?"

Jeff laughed bitterly. "Cause I'm gay, and they know it."

Blaine saw the exact moment that Nick's world shifted. His angry face relaxed into one of shock, and his hands unclenched. His shoulders drooped, his chest physically tightened, and his usually bright eyes lost all of their spark. Jeff was gay, but he was treated like that? Dumpsters, fake welcome wagons, the butt of jokes? Yeah, there was no way that Nick was going to let them come out now. They'd been through it once, no need to go through it again.

"I-"

"I should go."

"Jeff-"

Nick reached for the blonde. "It's-it's okay. You aren't alone."

Wait, what?

Nick looked around before lowering his voice and pulling a very surprised Jeff to him. "You aren't alone," he repeated. "Blaine and I…well, Blaine's bi. But I'm gay, too."

Blaine glared at Nick. "What the hell?"

Nick sighed and looked at Blaine. "Look, after last time, I know. But obviously, he needs someone."

Jeff smiled. "Thanks, Nick. And Blaine-"

"It's not that I have a problem with coming out, but I wanted to tell Jeff myself."

Nick threw his arms around Blaine. "You're the best!"

"I know!" Blaine smiled at Jeff over Nick's shoulder.

"Oh, lookie here, boys-it's the fairy convention!"

Nick shoved Blaine away and spun around. Jeff's face turned white as a sheet. Blaine, however, just looked at the boy who had spoken.

He wasn't very much taller that Nick, but to Blaine (who was practically a midget) he was a giant. He had a Mohawk and cold, nearly black eyes. There was a Latino girl in a cheer uniform hanging off of his arm like a horny slut.

"Nice one, Puck!" Many of the football boys behind him laughed and a few thumped him on the back.

"Shove off," Nick said bravely.

"So you aren't a homo?"

"I am," Jeff said quickly. "And I'm proud of it!"

Nick opened his mouth to tell "Puck" that yes, he was gay and so fucking proud of it and exactly where Puck could go, but the Mohawked boy decided to take Jeff's declaration as an invitation.

Puck shoved-no, threw-Jeff against the lockers and Blaine took a step back, away from the fight.

"C'mon, freshies, are you gonna help or what?"

"Why the hell would we help?" Nick demanded.

"He's a fag, that's why you should help. He's a freak of nature."

"C'mon, just one kick!" one of the taller boys encouraged. "And get the other one to do it, too."

Blaine froze and shook his head once he realized they meant him. But by then it was too late.

Puck had grabbed Nick by the collar and shoved him toward the blonde boy on the ground. "Go ahead. Prove you aren't a fag like him."

Jeff looked up at Nick with trapped, hazel eyes.

"Unless he's your boyfriend," Puck whispered tauntingly into Nick's ear. Nick looked to Blaine-who wasn't there. Blaine was running down the hall.

Blaine didn't know what happened next. He'd just run down the hall at the speed of light, trying to get away. Rumor had it that Nick kicked Jeff in the crotch and walked away smiling. Blaine, however, knew that Nick had been crying later.

"Blaine, dear?"

"Coming, Mom!"

Blaine flew down the stairs three at a time. "Honey, how many times have I told you-?"

"!"

"Don't trip!"

Blaine slowed down-not because of his mom (he never listened to her) but because he heard quiet voices from the living room.

"Jeff, can you open your eyes?"

"Nick…Nick, my hand…"

"I know. Jeff, look at me."

"It really hurts-is that my bone?" Jeff's voice rose.

"Shh, Jeff, look at me-not at your hand-"

"SHIT!"

"Jeffie, I'm sorry, look at me, c'mon-"

"Ice?" Blaine offered, stepping in the room.

"Bandages," Nick requested without looking away from the blonde. "We need bandages. Hurry, Blaine. Please." Then he started murmuring to Jeff, calming him.

"I'll get ice too."

"Th-thanks…" Jeff stammered out.

"Shh…Blaine-"

"I'm going."

Blaine turned on his heel, heading for the kitchen, as he heard his phone ring.

"It's alright, alright, tonight, tonight! Going at it to-"

"Kurt, what's up?" Blaine asked, balancing the phone between his shoulder and his ear.

"Blaine, I…I did something really bad. Really, really bad."

"Does it have anything to do with why Sterling is bleeding to death on my couch and Duval is slaving over him?"

"I-what?"

Blaine opened the cabinet, looking for something to put ice in. "Nick came to my house with Jeff and they were pretty beat up. Did you help with that? Did you make ay of those marks? Hm?"

"Blaine, I can explain-"

"Nick is our friend, and he cares about Jeff." Blaine closed the cabinet in anger.

"It was life or death-"

"By Wes and David?" he laughed bitterly.

"No, Mr. Sterling was drunk-"

"Look, I have to go."

"Blaine, please, hear me out-"

"I can listen to Nick."

Blaine slammed his phone down on the counter angrily. Kurt didn't help them? What was he thinking?

"Blaine."

"Nick!" Blaine spun around. "Nick, go sit down, I can get it-"

"I can't be in there right now."

"Nick."

Nick sighed and leaned against the doorframe. "He's so fragile…I can't stand it. It's my fault…if I had gotten there earlier…if I hadn't said that thing about Jeff…"

"Nick, it isn't your fault. They're closed-minded idiots."

"How did we get stuck with them?"

"That wasn't on us, either."

"Yeah."

"Go take care of Jeff, okay? Maybe get some sleep."

"Yeah. Sleep."

"Nick, Jeff will be fine."

"Do you think he forgave me?"

Blaine was about to ask Nick to elaborate, but at the sound of Jeff's strangled call for someone, Nick ran as fast as he could to get to the blonde.

Jeff was in pain, but he couldn't feel it. He just knew he was. Er-was supposed to be. His hand was twisted in a very, very strange position, it was coated in blood, and Nick looked like he was about to pass out.

And he though he saw some bone sticking out. So maybe that was why.

"Ni-Nick," he moaned. "Nicky-"

"I'm here," Nick said, running up to the blonde. "Hey, shh, hey…"

"Nicky-Nicky, it hurts-"

"I know-I'm going to kill those bastards, every last one of them-"

"Nicky, don't talk that way, please…"

Nick sighed and ran a hand across Jeff's cheek. "Okay, I won't. But Jeff, I'm so sorry-"

"For what?" Jeff demanded before collapsing into a coughing fit.

Nick bit his lip, a guilty look on his face. Once Jeff stopped coughing, Nick spoke. "I told Wes and David that your outfit looked cute."

"When?"

"The day I was beaten up."

"So?" Jeff whispered.

"That's why David fucking jumped on your hand. They knew it would hurt a fag like me." Nick rolled his eyes.

Jeff frowned weakly. "Don't say that."

"What? They did jump on your hand."

Jeff struggled to sit up, glaring at Nick when he tried to help. "Not that." He started coughing, slapping Nick's hand away. "That word."

"What word?"

"Fa-"

Jeff fell into another intense coughing fit, but Nick knew what he meant.

Fag. The one word he'd called the blonde from day two-because on day one, he was one too. The one word that had been used so many times on a daily basis as almost a joke. How could it be a joke if it hurt people so badly?

"I should ask you that," Jeff whispered hoarsely, making Nick realize he'd voiced the last part aloud. "How is that a joke?"

"Ice and bandages," Blaine announced, saving Nick from certain awkwardness. "Feeling better, Jeff?"

"Eh."

"Here, Nick, you should take some ice too-"

"I'm fine," he said curtly. "Don't worry about me."

Nick stood up and hobbled over to the icemaker, grabbing a cup and filling it with ice and water.

Jeff watched Nick carefully as Blaine muttered about how much of a hypocrite Nick was.

"Says he doesn't want ice, then turns around and starts drinking it-"

"I can hear you, Anderson. I'm right here."

"Yeah yeah yeah…"

Jeff hissed when Blaine tied the bandage around the bone. "Oh, sorry."

"Don't hurt him," Nick whispered, making Jeff look at him again.

"Nicky, can you come here?"

Nick glanced at Jeff in the mirror. "I-sure, I guess…"

When Nick reached the couch, Jeff took Nick's hand in his non-bandaged one. "You need to lie down."

"No."

"Nicky-"

"I'm fine, I'll sit." To make his point, he sat next to Blaine on the floor with his back to Jeff while still holding the blonde's hand so he could hide his grimace.

"Nick…" Jeff cooed quietly. "Nicky, you were so brave out there…"

"Not really."

Neither of them noticed Blaine's quiet retreat or how he left an ice pack next to Nick on the floor, just in case.

"Yeah. You stood up to Montgomery…and Thomson…and Hummel…and then my dad."

"Your father has no right to treat you like that. I refuse to call him a dad because dads actually care."

Jeff looked at the back of Nick's head in curiosity. The way he said that…it seemed like he was speaking from experience. If so, then Nick was braver than Jeff had originally thought.

That day, when Jeff told Nick who actually hurt him. Nick seemed surprised.

But then again, he acted straight on a daily basis. Nick could act, too?

"Cool," he whispered.

"What is?" Nick asked, turning his head. What in that last statement had been cool?

"You can act," Jeff whispered, his voice getting quieter the sleepier he got.

"Says who?"

"Me."

Nick laughed. He actually laughed. Full blown, head thrown back, deep-throating, hearty laughing. Not a quiet chuckle like Jeff was used to. A laugh.

A laugh he had caused.

Jeff could die happy.

Nick finally came down from his high. He didn't know why that had been so funny-it just was, he guessed. It was the situation, maybe.

"Okay, I don't know what gave you that idea," Nick giggled. "But I don't act."

Jeff was silent.

Nick squeezed the blonde's hand. "Jeff?"

Still, nothing. Not even a squeeze.

"Jeff, answer me."

It was silent.

Nick turned himself around and looked at Jeff's sleeping-he hoped-figure. "Jeffie?" he whispered quietly, the word just barely slipping out of his mouth on a breath he didn't know he was letting out.

Jeff's eyelids flickered. "Nicky?" he breathed out hoarsely, his lips barely moving while his hand gripped Nick's hand.

"It's okay, I'm here."

"Wait…let me sleep…don't take me to the hospital-" Jeff paused to cough. "-yet. Don't take me until I wake up…" His eyes flittered shut again.

"I'll wait, Jeffie. Don't worry. I'll wait."