Jake had the hardest time in the world prying his tired body off his bed that first morning back to school since Christmas vacation began. He spent nearly every day of those two weeks with Drew and he never wanted it to end. He didn't want to have to go back to real life.

Was that unhealthy? If it was, Jake didn't care. He was happy whenever he was with Drew and that's all that mattered. There was never any drama between them, no tension, no awkward moments.

It was a nice change of pace from his past relationships and from what he's used to during any other moment of his life lately.

To make the first morning back even harder was the realization that the next couple weeks would be grueling; Drew would be working longer shifts and Jake would undoubtedly be swamped with post-holiday work at school and helping out his dad.

It wouldn't be very long until they'd have some alone time and get back to seeing each other on a regular basis and that was more than enough to keep them going through their separation.

"Hey, cutie!" Jake heard as he headed to his truck after school. He whirled around to see Drew with the biggest smile on his face.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" Jake beamed as they both snagged each other in a tight hug. Neither of them really caring who was watching at that point.

"I got off work early and I'm working normal shifts again, so I thought I'd come see you and maybe convince you to come to my place tonight?"

"You know you don't have to do anything to convince me!" Jake went in for another hug. "I missed you so much." He confessed in hushed tones.

"I missed you too, babe." Drew whispered back.

Both of them tried to keep the contact as platonic as possible. They weren't ready for the world to know about their relationship just yet.

"What's going on here?" Katie asked as she approached them, arms folded and eyes narrowed.

They released each other from the embrace to acknowledge Katie's presence. Marisol was right next to her, the usual look of disdain adorned on her face.

"So, Jake, you're buddies with Drew now? Hmm. Interesting." Katie noted sardonically, her glare shifting between the two of them.

Marisol scoffed, "I guess now we know where Jake learned how to be a deadbeat boyfriend."

"Fuck you, Marisol." Drew spat. He wasn't about to let her or anyone else ruin his and Jake's moment.

"Don't talk to Marisol like that!" Katie interjected.

"Then don't let her call Jake a deadbeat!" Drew stepped forward and raised his voice.

Jake extended his arm to stop Drew and prevent things from escalating.

"Katie, what is your problem? We've been broken up for a month now. Why do you have to keep starting shit with me?" Jake tried to remain as calm as possible, but even he was losing his patience with Katie's passive aggressive antics.

"Oh, I don't have a problem at all," She smiled, "I'm just admiring the fact that both of my ex-boyfriends are besties now. It makes sense since you both have a fear of commitment and you're so fond of being irresponsible jerks."

Jake rolled his eyes as Katie continued to ramble. He learned a long time ago that Katie hardly ever offers an opportunity to reason with her, so he doesn't even bother anymore.

"Oh, but, Drew here isn't commitment challenged when it comes to Bianca at least, not even when he's not actually in a relationship with her! How is Bianca doing anyway?" Katie cocks her head to the side mockingly.

"Actually, Bianca and I aren't together anymore."

Katie and Marisol laugh condescendingly.

"Wow, big shock!" Marisol shouted obnoxiously, "What happened? Find someone else who's even easier th-"

"Hey, at least he can get someone." Jake interrupted, "Once Mo gets tired of your shit, you won't find anyone else who'll put up with you. I guarantee it."

Marisol's face twists into an ugly scowl while Drew chuckles in the background.

"And Katie?" Jake turned to her and looked her straight in the eyes, "Maybe if you spent less time obsessing over what Drew or I do, you'd actually find someone else and get a life of your own." His tone was deadly serious and to the point.

Katie looked like she was trying to think of a crusher of a comeback, but failed miserably. Marisol was coming up short herself. Drew stood behind Jake and stifled a fit of laughter from erupting.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Jake turned and walked away from the two girls, who still looked kind of stunned.

Marisol had to usher Katie away. Obviously Jake struck a nerve with her.

"Think I did Fiona proud with that one?" Jake asked jokingly. Drew chuckled, "Oh, I know you did Fiona proud there. Maybe now Katie and her minion will get off our back."

"Dunno about that. She might be worse now that she knows we're friends."

"Ha. Think how bad she'd be if she knew we were boyfriends." In a world of no consequence, Drew would love to rub that in Katie's face.

It occurred to Drew that when he's with Jake, they don't really go out on dates or do much of anything out in public like normal couples do. Drew was perfectly fine just spending alone time with Jake and maybe hanging out with Fiona and Imogen as well, but he worried that Jake was growing bored with that routine or that he would eventually start to.

"I got a surprise for you." Drew reached in his back pocket to retrieve his wallet.

"Aw, you're sweet, but you don't have to pay me to be your boyfriend." Jake snarked as he eagerly waited to see what Drew would pull out.

Drew teasingly narrowed his eyes at him, "Very funny, smartass. Here." He handed over a very authentic looking fake ID to Jake.

"Fake ID, huh?" Jake scanned over the details of the card carefully. He snorted at the name he was given. "Marcus Wellington? Well, that's quite the regal name. Let's see.. born August 15th, 1993, 165 lbs.. Where did you get these done?"

"I know a guy," Drew stated cryptically, "Well.. Bianca does, anyway."

Jake pocketed the ID in his own wallet. "Cool. So, uhh, I'm guessing you have plans for us to be using these soon?"

"Yeah, I was thinking we should go out tonight and chill. Have a few beers.. you know.. get into some trouble." Drew winked seductively and slid his hand up Jake's thigh, "We can be ourselves in public for once. No one from school will be there, obviously."

"It would be nice to be able to show off my sexy boyfriend to the world for once." Jake smirked and leaned over to plant a slow, deep kiss on Drew's lips. His fingers lightly brushed against Drew's cheek.

Drew leaned his forehead against Jake's and lazily opened his eyes to stare right into him. "I'll take that as a yes."

Drew pulled a black polo shirt over his head that clung tightly to his torso and emphasized his physique. He checked himself out in the mirror to make sure he looked nice and that he could pass as legal. He wore a new pair of blue jeans, along with a white pair of sneakers and a black belt, which his polo failed to cover up.

He went to work on gelling up his hair to its usual style when Jake walked in. "Wow. You look hot!"

Drew blushed a little. "Hey! Don't you know it's bad luck to see your boyfriend before he's ready to go to the bar?"

"I don't think that's how that one goes." Jake laughed, "Besides, I couldn't wait to see how cute you look all dressed up for clubbin'."

Drew snorted, "'Clubbin'? Didn't think I'd hear you say that!" He glanced at Jake in the mirror and turned to examine him further. "And what about you? You're going all crazy about how hot I look, have you seen yourself?"

Jake's dark brown hair was styled in the somewhat fauxhawk style that Drew thought looked incredibly sexy on him and he was wearing a plaid button shirt that was mostly white and red and had a few blue and green stripes strewn about in the pattern over a dark pair of jeans that fit kind of loosely on Jake's legs and waist.

The thought of grabbing Jake's pants and pulling them down with ease crept into Drew's mind just as quickly as he observed Jake and immediately tantalized him.

Jake scoffed, "C'mon, I don't look that good."

"Tell that to my boner."

The bar Drew had in mind was conveniently far enough away from the neighborhood in which most Degrassi students lived, so there wasn't much chance of them being spotted going in or out.

The place attracted a young enough crowd, but it wasn't exactly a club or anything. It had closer to a small town bar atmosphere, which Jake appreciated.

Drew was a little bit nervous. This was their first real outing as a couple other than a few visits to the movies. There, they had the luxury of secluded seating and being in the dark, so it was much easier to sneak in a few kisses and gropes without being noticed. It would be much harder to hide that sort of thing in a bar. Of course, being clandestine was the exact opposite of the goal tonight.

They walked in casually, earning a few glances from the patrons, trying their best to look like they belonged there instead of attempting to get away with something. They settled at a table neighboring a couple of guys playing pool.

"I'll go get us some drinks." Drew announced as Jake sat down. "Beer?"

Jake nodded. He might've been more daring with his drink of choice if he wasn't feeling nervous himself. His gaze shifted from watching his boyfriend getting the drinks to the billiards match going on a few feet away.

Drew clenched his teeth while the bartender retrieved a couple of beers, hoping he wouldn't complicate things by asking him for ID. When it was evident their adventure wouldn't be short-lived, he sighed in relief.

"Didn't give you any trouble, I see." Jake noted as he was handed his beer and Drew sat across from him. "Nope. Guess I'm easy to pass off for being 19."

They clanked their bottles together as a cheers and downed the beverage. Jake rested his hand on Drew's from across the table. "I really missed you."

"I missed you too. Can't wait until you're out of school. No more conflicting schedules. We can see each other whenever we want."

"Yeah, it'll be even better once we get our own place. Maybe somewhere far away."

"I wouldn't mind that." Drew raised his eyebrows in wholehearted agreement and took another big drink from his bottle.

After the first beer, the next few went down fast and easy. Jake questioned, out of guilt, if Drew could afford him drinking himself silly, but Drew insisted on him having as much as he wanted, that it was his treat. Even still, Drew managed to climb a few beers ahead of him.

"Come on." Jake stood up from his chair and held out a hand, giving him a devilish and tipsy grin.

"Where are we going?" Drew took his hand, wondering what Jake had in mind.

"Dance with me!"

Drew looked a little apprehensive and puzzled at first, glancing around the bar. He noticed the place wasn't too big and a few other couples were dancing.

"We came out here to just be ourselves, right?" Jake asked, arm still outstretched, hand still waiting to be clasped by Drew's.

Drew grinned widely before grabbing Jake's hand and being led out a ways from their table into the open. Had either of them been any less inebriated, they probably wouldn't have the nerve to do this.

All either of them could see was each other. The people around them ceased to be anything more than scenery. Extended gawking went totally unnoticed. Even the slow music faded out.

Drew gazed dreamily up into Jake's eyes, grinning ear to ear while his arms hung around his neck. "This is so crazy."

"I know. If it wasn't crazy, I wouldn't be doing it." Jake glanced down at their feet to make sure he didn't accidentally step on Drew's and ruin the moment. "I'm trying to make the mot of tonight. How am I doing?"

"Perfect as always. Y'know, I'm so glad you're here, Jakey. I wouldn't do this with anybody else!"

"I sure hope you wouldn't! You're my boyfriend, after all... Drewey?"

They both burst into drunken glgging, nearly stumbling off course with their dancing.

"Well, I'm glad you're my boyfriend."

"Me too."

Their lips meet briefly as the song ends and they stop dancing. Jake takes a moment to admire how soothing Drew's eyes look, especially under the lights in the bar.

"What is it?"

"Just me realizing again how handsome you are. I never get tired of it." Even while drunk and slightly slurred, Jake managed to string along the sweetest things Drew's ever heard.

Meanwhile, the guys at the pool table talk amongst themselves and make comments about them that still go unnoticed.

Jake grimaces comically, "Hate to ruin a moment, but I really gotta go take a piss. Be right back." Drew chuckles as he watches him take off towards the restroom. He leans against the bar, sipping the last bit of beer he had. Just as he was about to feel relief that no one had harrassed him all night, one of the guys from the pool table approaches him.

"Hey man, looks like you were having fun out there." Drew could tell by the tone of this guy's voice that he was a smart ass.

"What are you talking about?" He squinted at him, trying to see a little clearer and also to convey that he was already annoyed with him.

"You know, the cute little dance you and your fruity boy toy were just doing."

"Excuse me?" With that remark, he knew non-confrontational Drew was out for the night and ass kicking Drew had just checked in.

"You guys gonna go back home and have some butt sex? Spread around that good ol' AIDS shit even more?" A few guys back at the pool table began to cackle, which made Drew's blood boil even more.

"Dude, fuck off!" He stood up and got in his face. "And don't fucking talk about my boyfriend like that."

The guy was probably a few years older than himself, but Drew was considerably taller and more built. He knew he could take him if things got ugly, but the guy also had reinforcements.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Did I offend you? I better be careful what I say. Wouldn't wanna get my ass kicked!" The guy's mocking was more irritating than offensive, but it still made Drew clench his fists. If he kept it up, Drew wouldn't have any qualms over beating the shit out of him. Drew figured this guy must also be drunk if he thinks someone as scrawny as himself could take on a six-foot-tall former athlete who was very quickly losing his patience.

"The fuck's your problem anyway? Lemme guess. You're mad because you're probably some frat reject who can't get any action, so you're taking it out on anyone who does? Am I right, asshole?"

The guy snarled, which made Drew smirk with even more pride knowing that he must've hit the nail in the coffin.

"No one wants to see you waving your gay pride flag here, alright? That shit's disgusting. Keep it at home and no one will have a problem. Alright, fag?" His sarcastic tone was gone and now he was just trying to be hurtful.

Drew grabbed the guy by the shirt, nearly tearing it and lifting him off his feet. His eyes widen as he's suddenly very up close and personal with Drew. "You wanna repeat that for me, prick?"

He wipes the expression of shock off his face to deliver another snide remark, "Yeah, I call you a fag!"

Drew's about to break his face when Jake rushes in just in time. "Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" He grabs Drew's fist and gets in between them.

"Drew, come on, man, just chill out. There's no need for you to hit him."

The man snickers obnoxiously behind Jake, obviously feeling a little bold now that Jake barricaded Drew from him. "Yeah, listen to the gay boy. You'll just end up getting hurt anyway!"

Jake spun on his heel and sent his fist into the guy's face with a loud crack before anyone had a chance to process it. The force of Jake's blow sent him crashing into a few tables and chairs. A few people gasped and leapt out of the way.

"That's my job." Jake growled as he stared down at the fallen man who didn't appear to even be conscious. A good amount of blood trickled down his smug face.

A split second later, the shock of what just happened slammed into Jake. His entire body vibrated and a searing pain surged through his hand. His heart thudded in his chest and sweat began to pour from the rush of adrenaline and rage.

However, he soon snapped back to reality and realized this wasn't the time or place to process this. They were about to either be beaten down by the douchebag's friends or be hauled off to jail.

"Time to go!" Jake grabbed Drew's wrist with his left hand and yanked him out the door.

The boys ran out of the bar and made a bee-line for Drew's parking spot until Jake suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Wait, dude, we're wasted! Neither of us can drive back! Your car will be fine here, let's take a taxi or bus or something."

Drew shrugged and glanced at his car, reluctant to let it stay there. "..Fine!" Drew groaned and left his car behind and followed Jake down the street in search of an available taxi cab or a bus station, whichever came first.

Drew had a bit more to drink than Jake, so he took his time rather than try to keep up to avoid taking a spill on the icy sidewalk.

"Drew, come on! I found us a cab!"

"Coming!" Drew squinted through the haze of the booze and the city lights to find Jake.

"After you, sir." Jake politely led Drew into the cab, careful that he didn't bump his head.

Drew bowed, "Why, thank you!" They climbed in and breathed out a simultaneous sigh of relief.

No sirens. That was a good sign. And none of the guys from the bar bothered to follow them out, which was another good thing. Drew was praying they didn't see him go to his car. He really didn't want to imagine what they'd do to it while it was left unattended.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ah..!" Jake flinched as Drew pressed an ice pack against his bruised knuckles. Drew eased up on the pressure and held it on his hand lighter. "Sorry."

"S'fine. Didn't think I hit him that hard." Jake grit his teeth as the pain started to dull and relief began to set in.

"Yeah, you pack quite a punch." Drew remarked in amazement. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

Jake flashes the usual smirk that he seems to only have for Drew. "Don't think that'll be a problem."

He returns the smile, but his demeanor returns to a serious one once he glances back down at the ice pack. "Your parents are gonna wonder why your hand is a lovely shade of purple."

Jake scoffed. "Let 'em wonder." He sighed and glanced out the window at the street below.

Drew hesitates for a moment. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

Thinking about exactly why he did it stirs up emotions inside of him. "I know. I just refuse to sit back and watch someone hurt or push around anyone I care about."

Drew senses the tension building up in Jake and attempts to lighten the mood a bit. "I never would've guessed you could be such a hothead. It's kinda sexy, actually."

Jake's eyes light up. "You're so cute." He leaned in and kissed the side of Drew's forehead. The scent of booze apparent in his breath.

Maybe it was the amount of alcohol currently flowing through his blood or maybe it was because it had been so long since he got to spend time with Jake, but something made Drew feel bold enough to bare his soul to him right then.

"I feel so safe when I'm around you." Drew whispered, unable to look at Jake when he made his raw confession. Jake turned to him, feeling almost shocked at hearing this coming from him. It was his tone more than anything.

He rested his hand on Drew's and sat closer to him.

"You have every reason to." Jake caressed his hand gently. Drew faced him. The air felt thick between them. "There's no way I'll ever let anyone hurt you."

"I've never felt like this before." Drew admitted, his words slow and slurred. He stared into Jake's eyes like he was in a trance. Jake was always very attractive to Drew, but right now he seemed even more undeniably immaculate. Jake was everything that was right with the world.

"Felt like what?" Jake calmly traced the patterns of Drew's face with his fingertips. Along his lips, eyebrows, jawline and the rest of his bone structure.

"Safe.. protected. Everyone expects me to be the strong, fearless guy because I'm a jock. No one wants to see me being weak and scared. But the truth is, that's what I am. I couldn't ever ask someone else to protect me."

"You're not weak, Drew. Not by a long shot." Jake laughed a little. "You're one of the strongest people I know."

"You're just saying that."

Jake furrowed his brows. "Are you being serious right now?" He continued running his fingers over Drew's face soothingly. "The shit you've been through in the past year.. I dunno how you managed to get through that. I know I wouldn't have been able to without losing my mind, but you did."

Drew frowned internally. He wouldn't exactly say he came out a survivor or at least unscathed. Nearly being killed by that gang, fearing for his life every moment of every day until Vince was caught and not to mention worrying about the lives of those who could potentially end up in the crossfire.

Jake stopped for a second and cupped Drew's face in his hands. "Listen, you are brave and strong. You're nothing remotely even close to being weak. Don't sell yourself short, okay?"

Drew took a moment, but then smiled. "If you say so." He couldn't resist agreeing with Jake when he looked at him. Those eyes of his just shined a certain way that was hypnotic and he knew that whenever he says something that Jake wants to hear, he'd be rewarded with seeing that flawless smile of his.

Jake returned the smile. "I do say so and I mean every word of it, Drew." His voice was low and thickening with exhaustion. It was getting pretty late.

"Sorry this night didn't turn out as planned." Drew said disappointedly, "I really wanted to make it special."

"Don't worry about it. It was special - I had fun with you tonight. And the fact that you wanted to take me out and show me a good time was pretty damn sweet." He raised up his ice pack-clad hand. "I even got to lay out a guy for being an ass to you. I'd say it's been a complete night. We even had a dance."

"Yeah, considering we won't be able to have a dance at the prom." Drew let out a small chuckle and closed his eyes as he clutched tightly onto Jake. "Man, I gotta get my car tomorrow."

"Don't worry about that right now," Jake kissed him on the forehead, "Just get some sleep. You're exhausted and you should sleep off that beer."

"Mm.." Drew's breathing began to slow down and even out.

"Good night, Drew."

A few seconds passed before he got a slurred response.

"Nigh.. Jake."

Hope you guys aren't too upset that this chapter is so long overdue. Lack of inspiration and free time are the contributing factors to that, but you can expect the wait for the next chapter to be a lot shorter as I have a clear idea of where I want to go with the story. As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! :)