Here's chapter 5! I hope you like it, because it's probably a big chapter in the development. And the longest one on word count so far. Let me know what you think!
Don't forget where it's coming from, we still need a Brittany in our little rp. marrythenightgleerp. Come find us on tumblr. :P
Also, I've got up to chapter 14 written up, and then there's more after that, but not in doc form yet, because we have different time lines with things, and need to finish one before I have the next. If I fail to upload in a few days, just let me know, and I will put up the next one. :P
Chapter 5
Jeff fell asleep, and only woke up once or twice in the night to roll over or something. He could have sworn he saw Nick awake, but just fell back asleep instead.
Nick had managed to get a couple of hours sleep during the night. It was hard to concentrate on anything with Jeff right there As the sun began to rise, Nick looked over at Nick asleep in the other bed. It was kind of adorable, really. And then he realized how creepy he was being and rubbed his eyes, sighing softly.
Jeff's phone had woke him up, and he groaned. He was most definitely not a morning person. At least it was Tuesday, and he mostly had the day off. He only had one class, but it had to be at 8 in the morning.
Nick looked up when Jeff's phone went off, blinking a few times, and smiled softly, "Good morning sunshine." He laughed softly.
Jeff looked at him, and sat up. He was positive he had crazy bed head.
"You're the only person that can do that and not make me terribly angry," Jeff said, and stood up. He didn't need a shower, so he just stretched and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and get dressed.
Nick grinned, just a little bit proud of himself for getting away with it. He watched as Jeff went into the other room, snickering at the look of his hair first thing in the morning. He called out to him as he left the room, "That's a good look for you. You should try it more often."
Jeff chuckled in the bathroom. He looked in the mirror, and noticed his hair was completely crazy. As if he was destined to be a fail in front of the guy he liked. After cleaning up, he went out to get one of his uniforms.
"I'll be back around 9:30 ish. Do you have classes today? Tuesday is actually the whole school's lazy day," Jeff replied, pulling on his tie.
Nick shook his head, laying back in his bed with his legs crossed, "I think I have one right at the end of the day, but that's it." He shrugged, smiling brightly at Jeff as he watched him pull on his tie. "Have fun with your morning lesson, though. You will be sorely missed."
"Doubt it. I do have the first Warbler meeting of the year later too though. Forgot about that," Jeff said. "Breakfast when I get back?" he had asked while grabbing his bag, and blazer on his way out.
"You'll have to tell me about the Warblers. I've heard things but I don't really know anything about it." Nick shrugged. It might be good to find something interesting around the place, and Jeff seemed to like it. "Sounds perfect." He grinned, watching Jeff leave, "I'll be waiting."
"Yeah! I will! I mean, if I start now, I'd be late for my class, so it'll have to be over breakfast. See you later! Maybe you can explore some of the grounds while I'm gone," Jeff suggested.
He had smiled and said his goodbye, and had left for class. It would be boring. Hopefully it would go by quickly.
"Of course," he replied. Nick wanted to go for a little walk, anyway. Needed to clear his thoughts. There was so much to think about and he'd only been in town for a short time. How did things get so complicated so quickly?
Nick watched as Jeff left, biting his lip to stop himself from smiling too much before reluctantly getting to his feet. Maybe a shower would help to clear his thoughts.
Jeff went to his class. He tried to pay attention, but he couldn't get his mind off of Nick. It was just crazy. He wouldn't except anything other than he was dreaming. The bell rang, and scared him. He jumped up and gather his things.
He had breakfast to go to. That thought had kept him at least somewhat conscious during the class.
Nick only walked a small way around the school, not wanting to get too lost. He was aiming to clear his thoughts, but he was stuck on that blonde. The blonde with the perfect brown eyes, and he really wished he could just concentrate on something else for a smile. He was in way over his head.
When he heard the bell go, Nick headed back to the room, knowing he'd need to meet Jeff there if he didn't want to get lost.
Jeff tried not to hurry back to the dorm to make it look like he was rushing, but he did noticed the brown haired boy walking. He decided to sneak up on him, considering this was an all boys high school. Pranks happened all the time.
He came up behind him slowly and grabbed his waist.
"RAWR!" he yelled out.
Nick wasn't really paying attention to the things around him, so he wasn't expecting anyone to grab him. Instincts kicked in and Nick quickly turned, pressing Jeff against a nearby wall. He let out a shaky breath when he realized who it was. "God, Jeff.." He probably just freaked Jeff out much more than he would've liked. After a moment, he let go, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "You scared me."
Jeff probably would have yelled out, but he had the wind knocked out of him, and he stood pinned to the wall, even after Nick had let go. That was not what Jeff had expected.
"Sorry," Jeff finally said. He realized Nick moved really fast. Like, too fast. He could understand the strong, but he moved too quickly. That's why Jeff didn't even have time to yell out, or really process what happened. He stepped away from the wall, and picked up his bag from the ground.
"You're really fast," Jeff said quietly, "I guess I won't scare you anymore."
Nick ran a hand through his hair. He'd just revealed far more than he'd wanted to about himself. He just hoped Jeff wouldn't pick up on it. He didn't think, he just acted. He was sure Jeff would still be coming from his lesson.
Nick's gaze fell to the floor as Jeff said he was fast. He'd hoped he wouldn't notice. Or maybe would think it just seemed fast. The last thing he wanted was to scare Jeff away. Nick let out a nervous chuckle, looking back up at Jeff, "I'm not that fast. A-And I'm sorry. I just…wasn't expecting that."
Jeff shook his head and wiped at his eyes, "No, it's okay. I was dumb to scare you. Let's just, go, or something," he suggested. He was like, in some weird state of shock, and spend far too much time thinking about what just happened.
"So what do you want for breakfast then? We can just go right to the dining hall and have Dalton food, it's not that bad," Jeff said, trying to forget about it. It wasn't working very well though.
Nick just kept staring into Jeff's eyes for a moment. He couldn't help himself. There was something about being that close to Jeff. It just seemed to draw him in even more. After a moment, Nick stepped closer hesitantly. "Okay." His hand brushed against Jeff's cheek. He couldn't help himself, "It never happened." He knew he had to stop looking into Jeff's eyes soon. It was getting to be too much, but it was like Jeff had him in a trance.
Nick wasn't really sure what to do. He hadn't ever found himself quite in a situation like this one. He'd barely known Jeff, but he felt like Jeff knew everything about him. Everything important to him, anyway. Maybe Jeff didn't know that big secrets, but they weren't what mattered to Nick. The way Jeff made him feel did.
Jeff wanted so badly to kiss him. It was too soon though. They had just met, and now he had a slight feeling of creepy coming from Nick.
It's like his brain was having a serious fight over whether to lean in the brush his lips against the soft looking ones in front of him.
He decided to go for it.
When Nick noticed Jeff leaning forward, his first instinct was to do the same, closing the gap between them in a gentle kiss.
Nick's lips were cold, like his hands, and Jeff hadn't expected that. He just thought he had cold holds. Nick's hands had woven around his waist, so he reached up and gently put his hand on the boys cheek. It was marvelous. Pure joy, as if Nick was his soul mate. Destiny had drawn them together, and Jeff wasn't about to screw this up.
Nick leaned closer as Jeff's hand moved to his cheek. Jeff was so warm in comparison to him, and his lips were so soft. Nick was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that this was Jeff. A human. And he was kissing him. He knew he shouldn't have gotten this close, especially this quickly, but Jeff just kept pulling him in, Nick couldn't help himself. This felt so right.
All Jeff wanted was to be closer, but he couldn't. He had to pull away sooner or later.
"This is happening too quickly," Jeff said breathlessly. They were just standing in the small room. Jeff had wrapped his arms around Nick's neck and kept them there.
Nick let out a soft sigh as Jeff pulled away, staring into his eyes. He knew he was right. This was moving much faster than Nick thought it would. There was just something about Jeff. Something kept drawing him in.
Nick's hands rested on Jeff's hips, taking a moment to figure out what to say, "See, I keep thinking that, too. But then I look at you, and I just want to kiss you." He decided that was probably the wrong thing to say, but it was honest, and it was out there now. He couldn't take it back.
"Right? I just wanted to jump your bones when we first met," Jeff said with a chuckle, completely bring up the mood, but was slightly embarrassed for actually admitting that.
"I think we should wait though. We can go out a few more times, and see if it works," Jeff suggested, "I honestly don't know why I'm so drawn to you. It's like you fill a hole I didn't know was there."
Nick was more than willing to agree to wait. A long time. A very, very long time. He knew if they went too far, he wouldn't be able to control himself, and then he really would hurt Jeff. It had never been so important to keep a human safe for him before.
"I'm more than okay with taking things slow." Nick smiled reassuringly, "I just didn't really expect any of this to happen." He chuckled nervously, "You're the last thing I was expecting when I came here."
"You're telling me. I came here, hoping for just another year at school, and now it's just, bleh. Wow, found myself a boyfriend," Jeff rambled, "Wait, well, maybe find myself a boyfriend," Jeff corrected himself. They still had their arms around each other, so he laid his head on Nick's shoulder to hide his blush.
Nick bit his lip, trying to stop himself from grinning. That was a word he hadn't heard in a long, long time. As Jeff rested his head on his shoulder, Nick ran a hand along his back and slowly threaded his fingers into his hair. Having Jeff so close like this told him that this was right. Nothing had felt quite this right before. Nick smiled fondly, murmuring softly in Jeff's ear, "Is that what you want?"
Jeff shivered at the hand and the whisper, "Yeah. I do, but it's so fast. I feel like I hardly know anything about you still. I want to know the real you when I'm your boyfriend. Well I mean, if," Jeff said. He hadn't expected Nick to be so close. He hadn't expected anyone to be this close actually.
Nick nodded, sighing softly. He knew it was soon. Really soon. He hadn't expected any of this to happen so quickly. These things usually took much longer than this. slowly brushing his fingers through Jeff's hair, he kissed the top of his head, "Well, then I guess you better get to know me a little better."
Jeff smiled and pulled his head back, "Should we lay down?" he asked, hoping to just lie in Nick's arms all day. It was a nice thought, but he eventually would have to get up and eat something and go to Warblers orientation. He was already hungry, but he couldn't think of anything else he wanted to do.
Nick smiled softly, "I'd like that." He kept his arm around Jeff as he walked him over to his bed, laying down and pulling Jeff into his arms. It was simple. He didn't think anything could be quite this simple, and easy, but it was really all he wanted in that moment. Nothing else really mattered to him.
"I'm not really sure the way we should use to really get to know each other," Jeff mumbled. He just really liked the warmth in the bed, and the safety in Nick's arms. He gave off a vibe that said 'I'll protect you with my life'. "I mean, the twenty questions thing was kind of a fail," he explained.
Nick sighed softly, looking into Jeff's eyes. He couldn't tell him. He needed to. He knew he needed to, but the moment he did, this would all disappear, and Nick didn't want to risk that. Maybe he'd been starved of attention for too long, but this meant too much to him. "There's not much to know about me." Nick spoke softly, "I grew up in a so what town in Louisiana called Lafayette. I had to do what I could to help pay my way, you know. And my parents were always working, so I didn't see them much." He brushed a hand gently along Jeff's arm. He hadn't been this honest in a long time, "And one day…one day, my parents died. It was a long time ago now, but since then, I've been travelling a lot. That's…that's basically my life story."
"Wow. You must have been lonely. What brought you to Westerville?" Jeff asked. He was excited to finally hear more about the guy that can't seem to leave his mind for the past day and a half. It was so very weird.
"I guess I was lonely. I try not to think about it." Nick shrugged, thinking for a moment. Why did he come there? There were many reasons. There were more demons there. He wasn't completely alone. But there was more to it than that, "I…I've been to so many places, and it's always so busy. I wanted to go somewhere quiet. Just a small town that isn't so built up and chaotic. I like it here. It's simple."
"I get what you're saying. Tell me about all the places you've been," Jeff asked, hoping to hear cool stories of mountains and beaches and exotic places.
"Where do you want me to start?" Nick chuckled, "I've been everywhere. I like the simple places. Like…I went to Wales once. A long time ago, and they have these really beautiful fields. You can just sit under the stars." He brushed Jeff's bangs from his eyes, smiling fondly at him, "Places like New York, they're too busy for me. I like things slowed down. I mean, it's nice to travel and see those places, but the quiet places with beautiful scenery will always be my favourites."
"That sounds like fun. I've always wanted to go to New York. I think I'm the opposite from you though. I love crazy places. I do love to go hiking though, so that would be considered quiet," Jeff said. He had loved hiking up some of the mountains in northern North Carolina when he had gone with his family. He really just loved to be outside actually.
"The quiet is better when you have someone with you." Nick smiled softly, continuing to brush his fingers along Jeff's arm. He reached his hand and carefully threaded their fingers together. "The crazy places are nice, too. There's so much to see. I just like slowing down. Like this. This is nice." He hadn't expected to want to be this close to someone, but he just fit so well with him. It made sense to Nick.
"Maybe you'll have to bring me to your favorite quiet place sometime," Jeff said, and smiled, scooting in just that little bit closer. "Well as for me, I grew up here. I only go out of state for the Warblers, or sports, or a family vacation. I honestly don't even know what more to say, because I just can't think of anything. We'd just have to ask each other, but even then it's going to be a fail again," he said, and chuckled.
"That would be really nice." Nick grinned, brushing his thumb gently along Jeff's hand. Having Jeff in his arms like that was surprisingly nice. He hadn't felt like he really fit anywhere in such a long time, but this felt so right, he wasn't about to pass it up.
Nick looked away for a moment, sighing softly before he looked back into Jeff's eyes, "You know more about me than anyone. I've never really gotten close enough to someone to tell them about me before. But I'm glad you're the person I told."
"You really are some lonely kid. I'll change that though, if you'll have me, I can be here all the time," Jeff said. He didn't want to leave the comfort of the bed, but in a few hours he would have to get up and leave him.
Nick frowned. He'd never thought of himself as a lonely kid before. He was lonely though, if he was honest. He never really let himself get close to people since the day of his death. It was so hard to trust people, but he trusted Jeff. He didn't know why. He just did.
"Does tonight make a second date? Can we watch Doctor Who?" Jeff asked.
Nick smiled fondly, squeezing Jeff's hand, "If you want it to be. I would love to watch Doctor Who with you."
"Okay. What time is your class? I'd hate to make you late," Jeff asked. He actually kind of wanted to just get up so he could kiss Nick again. He liked kissing him. Well, even if he'd only done it once, it was amazing. Just like in the movies. It really was. He was amazed, and just in one day, his whole life had been changed.
"I don't have to go 'till two." Nick brushed his hand along Jeff's back, looking into his eyes and just reveling in having him there in his arms. He didn't think anything could feel as good as that did, as having him there. Jeff just fit so perfectly with him. After a moment, he leaned forward, kissing Jeff's cheek, a shy smile on his lips.
"Is it just me, or does it feel like we've been together for like two years? This is a really strange bond we've created. Please tell me you feel it too," Jeff pleaded, and sat up. He turned and sat cross legged in front of Nick, "It's just kind of weird you know. I didn't believe in soul mates or love at first sight, but I just have this weird feeling. It's kind of bad actually, like I should run as fast as I can away from you, but the pull to you is too strong. I can't believe I'm actually admitting this, but oh well, I can't take it back. I'm no Marty Mcfly."
Nick tried to hide his disappointment when Jeff sat up, looking up at the boy in front of him. "No. I feel it, too." He reached out for Jeff's hand, unsure of whether or not he should take it. After a moment, Nick sat up, too, looking into Jeff's eyes. "I feel like I can trust you, and you'd never hurt me, even though I haven't known you long at all." He didn't believe in soul mates, or love at first sight either, but he didn't know what this was. Because he was just so drawn to Jeff.
Nick looked away when Jeff said he felt like he should run. He was scared Jeff would feel that way. It was the last thing he wanted. He felt like he needed Jeff there. Nick hesitantly took Jeff's hands in his, looking into his eyes, "I know I haven't known you long, but I don't know what I'd do if you ran away. I know it's scary, being so drawn to someone. Believe me, I know." He chuckled nervously, "But I would never hurt you. Not intentionally."
"For whatever weird reason, I completely believe you. And I doubt I'd ever run away, even if the thing you're keeping from me is really terrible," Jeff said without thinking. That had been the one moment he truly wanted to go back in time and change what he just said. He didn't even think it through all the way, but in the back of his mind, he knew Nick was hiding something.
Nick stared at Jeff when he realized what he'd said. He knew he was hiding something. Was it really that obvious? He was trying so hard to keep it hidden and usually, it wouldn't be noticed, but Jeff noticed.
"Uh, see? I'm not angry, or pestering you to tell me, which is why I'm okay with it," Jeff said, trying to fix it, "Actually, just pretend I never said that. Maybe I do need that time machine." He sighed and buried his face in his hands.
"I-I…" Nick looked down their hands, almost wanting to reach out to make sure Jeff was looking at him, but afraid of what that might do, "The only thing I'm keeping from you…I'm only keeping it from you because you wouldn't look at me the same. You probably would run away." He bit his lip, closing his eyes, "And now I've said that, you probably will, anyway."
"Nick, keep it hidden until you feel I should know. I'm okay with that, and I really doubt anything would make me go running. You can have some sort of weird disease and I wouldn't care. You can have six toes on one foot, and honestly, I wouldn't care. It's okay though. I'm not about to go crazy about it," Jeff explained, taking Nick's hands into his own. This whole thing had gone from calm and loving to awkward and tense by Jeff just messing up and saying one bad thing. Ugh, he hated when he did that.
Nick brushed his thumbs over Jeff's hands, smiling softly, "I will tell you. I just…I don't know how." He shuffled closer, taking a hand from Jeff and resting it on his cheek, looking into his eyes as he rested their heads together, "Just know that no matter what, you are special to me, and I just want to keep you safe, and happy. I know that sounds stupid, seeing as we only just met, but that's the hold you have over me."
"Okay. I trust you. I've got to get ready though. And eat some lunch, seeing as we missed breakfast," Jeff said, and hopped off the bed, almost tripping too. He put back on his white shirt, that was thrown over the desk chair, and buttoned it up again. He actually doesn't know why he undressed in the first place.