Chapter 3

Nick froze momentarily when he saw Tom and Daisy approach his home in the new car. The color was now a dull, uniform, black with no customization visible. Tom seemed to be very content with the new car but Daisy had a face of slight dissatisfaction. They both saw Nick stumble onto his driveway from the hedge and Daisy waved in delight. Nick stopped to let them come with the car and when they were in hearing distance he greeted them.

"Hello." Daisy popped out of the car, and ran to Nick. She embraced him in a familiar hug and squealed.

"Why, hello Nick. How are you? They finally released you from the hospital…I'm so sorry I couldn't visit." She offered no excuse and instead fell silent. Nick stared at her powdered face and filled the void between them.

"It's all right. I was at Gatsby's resting." Both Daisy and Tom lurched when Nick said his name. Tom glared straight at Nick, daring him to say another word about him but Nick ignored the heated gaze to turn his well wanted attention to the shivering woman in his arms. Daisy clenched her hands in nervous fear and pursed her full lips.

"I-…Is he all right? How is he doing?" Nick had the urge to smirk but stopped himself just in time. Naively, he continued, completely ignoring the heavy atmosphere.

"What? Gatsby?" Tom's glare grew. "Why, he's fine I suppose. As fine as the last time you saw him." Nick nodded to Gatsby's house. "You want to go visit him. I'm sure he would be happy." Daisy started and stilled as if frozen in time. After a while, she finally let go to Nick's, now wrinkled, shirt and backed off a little ways but not too far as to get close to an angry Tom.

"No, no…it's quite alright Nick. I'll go visit him some other time." She peeked out from her long eyelashes to view the large house. Suddenly, Tom pushed past her and grabbed Nick's shoulder in a possessive hold.

"There's no point in staring at some tacky old house. Serve us some tea!" He dragged Nick into the house, leaving Daisy to stand alone or follow. Daisy stayed, knowing that Tom was angry at her for some reason. The thought that he knew she had killed the woman never crossing her mind. She stared forlornly at Gatsby's manor and waited, as if he would come down from the very skies to forgive everything about her and whisk her away to paradise. Unexpectedly, Gatsby's bright orange form appeared from behind the bush to walk gracefully to Nick's driveway. She stared after him in forbidden longing but her face soon turned polite when he faced her in realization of her presence. They faced each other for an eternal second.

"Hello." Gatsby smiled in acceptance. Daisy despaired for he had not even uttered her name. She had long since convinced herself that he loathed her yet…

"Hello, Gatsby." With that one phrase Daisy conjured an eternal smile from Gatsby's face, one that Nick had seen time and time again. Yet to her this smile was something new and with its warm welcome all her shackles were blown away. Tears blossomed in her eyes as she deftly ran to Gatsby and embraced him in longing.

Finally realizing his dream and re-achieving his green light, Gatsby held Daisy close. They shared a moment together, finding comfort in the others presence.

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Tom had almost lift Nick into the house to leave Daisy alone in her suffering. Angered yet again by his immature actions Nick struggled out of Tom's strong grip and stood away from him, panting slightly with his small exercise.

"You need more exercise." Tom stared at Nicks calming back.

"Why did you do that? You know that she has no clue that you found out right?" Tom grumbled animalistically in his anger. Nick pivoted on his feet to glower at Tom. "She doesn't know that the person she hit was your mistress." Tom rose to fight back.

"So what! She killed my girl! Whether she knows or not doesn't make a difference!" Tom had begun to hunch his shoulders, instinctively making himself look larger than he really was. Nick rose his arms in futile frustration. He fumbled for the right words to convince Tom to treat Daisy more rightly but found none and instead chose to drop the subject.

"Daisy should still be waiting out there. I'll go get her." He headed to the door but Tom reached out to grab his arm to hold him back. When he felt the jolt of the grip, Nick twisted his arm out of it and rushed to the door. Nick had just gotten to the front door when Tom caught up to him and pulled him back. Nick let out a feminine yell as he tumbled into Tom's arms just as soon as he swung open the door revealing Gatsby and Daisy in an intimate embrace.

Gatsby looked up when he heard Nick's uncharacteristic yell only to see his friend fall into the arms of the man who stole his dream from him. When Daisy felt Gatsby's embrace slacken she looked up to see his attention directed elsewhere. She followed his line of sight to come upon Tom's large form hugging Nick. Every persons eyes widened in alarm and surprise and stillness descended upon the area.

Tom was the first to recover from his shock. He hugged Nick closer when he saw Gatsby with Daisy and began to pull him back into the house but Gatsby straightened from his slightly bent position over Daisy to help Nick.

"Stop." Gatsby stepped forward menacingly to help Nick bodily if it came to that but Daisy grabbed his shirt while looking fearfully at Tom who was glaring fiercely at her. Shaking from either fear or sorrow Daisy gripped Gatsby's flashy orange suit more tightly.

"Stay…" Gatsby glanced back at her and turned back to stare at Nick who was struggling in Tom's monstrous grip. Tom smiled sinisterly as he dragged Nick into the house and closed the door, leaving Daisy and Gatsby outside alone once more. Once inside, Tom released Nick and threw him to the couch. When he landed, Nick glared furiously at Tom.

"Why did you do that!" Tom stared at Nick, who was lying on the couch in all his infuriated glory. Abruptly, he marched forward and leaned to hover over him, using his mass to dominate like he always did. Nick stilled. "If you leave her like that then Daisy really will run to Gatsby. And leave you behind." Tom scoffed lightly.

"She will always come back to me. It's just a little ling for her." Tom shrugged off the couch to lounge at the wall. Nick rose to go to the kitchen and make tea.

Outside, Gatsby was staring in to the living room where he had a clear view from the window. Surprisingly, he felt a deep anger at Tom for hovering possessively over HIS friend, Nick. Daisy squirmed in his arms, bringing his attention back to her. She was walking to his house with tears glistening in her eyes.

"I…I can't stand anymore, Gatsby." Her frail form brought love and pity to his eyes and a smile to his lips. He reached out his hand, which she took, and led her beyond the hedge to his house.

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A few days later, Gatsby came to visit Nick early in the morning. The sun was just barely over the horizon when the bell rang, awakening the slumbering Nick. Groggily, Nick rose from his bed and went to the door. Gatsby stood there nervously, waiting for the sleepy Nick to open the door. Immediately after the door was opened Gatsby rushed in and marched to the living room only to begin pacing. Soon enough, Gatsby stopped his pacing and faced Nick, who was still groggy, directly.

"Are you alright, old sport?" Nick stilled at the familiar address but smiled when he finally wok up to realize that Gatsby had come to visit him.

"I'm all right." Gatsby looked over Nick once and found the answer satisfactory.

"Alright." Gatsby moved away and began pacing yet again in his anxiety. Nick stared at Gatsby and suddenly began laughing. Hearing Nick's laugh Gatsby stopped and turned to him with a questioning gaze.

"I'm sorry. I remembered when you first met Dai-…" The conversation died. Trying to fill the void Nick said, "How's Daisy?" Gatsby fell silent and still but then said,

"She's all right, I guess. She's not stressing about the crash anymore." Gatsby stared at Nick with a closed expression.

"Is she going to live with you now?" Nick sat down on the couch remembering briefly about his moment with Tom but ignored his memories. Gatsby saw Nick flinch with the uncomfortable memory, speaking quickly he moved subtly closer to Nick.

"Yes. She has decided to finally leave Tom and live with me."Nick felt tired suddenly and nearly drooped in his couch but resisted the urge. Trying to distract Gatsby from his strange behavior he continued.

"I see. Has Tom agreed?" Gatsby stared straight at Nick and saw his tension.

"No, he hasn't been told. Daisy' just gone home to pack up her things and will come here as soon as she's done." A rattle was heard at the door and both men advanced upon it, expecting the very woman they were talking about. Speak of the devil.

When they both got to the door and opened it they were shocked to find Tom standing in the doorway. He was rocking back on his heels in complete relaxation with Daisy stand just slightly behind him to the left. Daisy was trembling behind him in an instinctual fear, knowing that something was wrong, which it surely was because by now after finding out that his wife was ditching him he should have been furious, yet… He was a happy as a five year old on Christmas. As soon as she saw Gatsby advance in some sort of alarm she rushed into his arms and embraced him. Gatsby was stunned, with her public display of affection but unlike Nick, he didn't see that as she was hugging him her eyes were staring directly at Tom just waiting for a reaction of some sort. Sadly, Tom was merely staring straight ahead with a small smile on his face. Nick saw the disappointment in Daisy's eyes and felt his own emotions stir with anger, she was just using Gatsby.

Abruptly Tom stepped forward, covering a large area, pulled Nick into the house. Daisy and Gatsby who were left on the porch were both stunned; after all, Tom had chosen to leave his wife with another man. Nick was stunned as well but watching Tom's calm, almost happy, face turned his surprise into suspicion. The porch was visible from the living room window and Tom stood there, gazing out in childlike delight. Nick moved to see and saw that Daisy was nearly dragging Gatsby to his mansion, both were slightly uncomfortable with the situation.

"Tom, what are you doing?" Tom turned his attention away from the two outside to Nick. His eyes smoldered for a moment before he put on a calm demeanor, both the smile and the child like happiness were gone.

"I'm just making them both realize that their presumptuous little flirtation is over." Nick knew then that back before Myrtle died, Daisy had permanently chosen Tom but was only with Gatsby now to make Tom jealous and react out, to prove that he loves her, in a sense. Anger welled up from the bottom of his stomach at the thought that Daisy was only using Gatsby and that Tom already knew this but did nothing to stop it from happening. Unable to contain it any longer, Nick lashed out in blind fury.

"You know! You realize that Daisy is only just using Gatsby and you let it just happen. Do you understand how hurt Gatsby will be when this is all over? You have no consideration for others! Can't you realize that other people matter just as much as you? My good …." A moment of speechless anger washes over him. "You don't give a damn about anyone other than your selves. Get out." Tom rises from where he took a seat on the sofa and advances to Nick. Holding him by the arms he opens his mouth to say something but Nick, still furious at everyone's' actions interjects. "I said, Get out." Angry now as well Tom stands his ground firmly and retorts.

"I do care about people other than myself." Nick glares up in impatience. Knowing that he wont listen, Tom does the only thing his meager mind could conjure.

He kisses Nick. Nick recoils in surprise but finds that he can break away due to Tom's large hand behind his head. A muffled yell is heard before Nick trips back on the couch with Tom landing on top of him. Nick overcame his moment of surprise and began to struggle, kicking and shoving. Tom ignored his struggles and continued to kiss him, eventually finding a way to get this thick tongue in Nick's mouth. When he felt the tongue run over his teeth, Nick tried to bite down but Tom's hand had wound its way around his head to hold his jaw open. Suddenly, Tom was ripped off from on top of Nick; the place where their lips were intertwined was a string of saliva.

Gatsby stood, where Tom's form had been with a frown deeply etched into his normally calm face. With the same force with which he pulled Tom away, Gatsby reached forward and pulled up Nick, briefly taking time to examine his kiss battered lips. Nick was huffing in his exertion and his lack of air and had a dreamy look in his eyes, the clouded gaze pulled on Gatsby's heart but he ignored it and dragged Nick out before Tom could recover. Once outside, Gatsby continued to pull Nick through the hedge and to his house not uttering a single sound. Confused and relieved, Nick followed in stumbling silence until they reached Gatsby's house and entered one of the guest rooms. Gatsby tossed Nick on the bed and turned to speak to one of the servant who had followed them up there. Daisy's voice was heard down the hall, triggering Nick mind into action. He got up to leave but as soon as he made it to the door, Gatsby grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Nick!" Nick turned. "What are you doing?" Nick tried to speak but his lips felt too tired so he closed his mouth for a few moments and tried again.

"I'm going home. I don't want to be a bother to you and Daisy." Gatsby reached out and pulled Nick to him. They stood flush up against each other for a while before Gatsby spoke up.

"Don't go back. Tom is still there, waiting for you." They way he said that made it seem as though Tom was an animal. Nick turned his gaze away to look out the window and found that his house was visible from the room. The thought that Tom was still at his house made him tremble an emotion close to disgust.

"I guess I'll stay here then…" Gatsby smiled slowly and delightedly, making Nick blush ever so slightly.

"That's good."