Leaving Ohio

A week after leaving Dalton, Nick and Jeff said goodbye to Ohio. Jeff's idea as to where they could go for their gap year had paid off. He knew that his Uncle Alan in Chicago had been employing a college student to work in his coffee shop, and that the guy in question had been due to graduate that year. A quick telephone call had confirmed that this was the case, and that as a result, his uncle was short of staff. Jeff had worked for him before, and knew his way around a coffee machine. He was sure that Nick could be taught the basics quickly and his polite, easy going manner would be a hit with his uncle's customers. And two was always better than one… His uncle had just laughed and told them they could have a job. So it was that less than a fortnight after moving into his grandparents spare room, Nick Duval was packing his bags again, only this time in a far more organised fashion. The real plus with the job was that it came with a bonus - a two room apartment above the coffee shop.

They said their goodbyes in the driveway of his grandparents house. The only one of their friends that wasn't leaving in days was Trent; Sebastian was flying off to London in three days, and Blaine and Kurt had stopped off on their way to New York, Blaine's life packed in the back of the car that Kurt had hired. Wes, Thad and David were still in town, and had come along to wish them well. There were hugs, tears and a lot of fooling around. Jeff had already said goodbye to his parents - Nick had already done all of his family goodbyes inside, but that didn't stop his grandmother running out of the house with boxes of cookies for them all to take - and for one last hug. "You will always have a home here, Nick. That room will be yours now, and no-one will change that," she said as she held him close, then loosened her grip to pull Jeff in too.

They shared the driving and arrived in Chicago earlier than they had expected. They collected the keys from the Jeff's uncle and then went to stand at the door of their new home. "I still can't really believe that this is happening," said Jeff. "Three weeks ago, you were still my straight best friend, my future college roommate. Now, you're my boyfriend and we are moving into our first apartment together."

Nick laughed. "Yep, a whole lot has changed. But whatever life throws at us from now on, there is one thing that will never change. My feelings for you. This is going to be our first home together, but it won't be the last. I am never leaving you. You are mine, and I am yours. Forever. The only thing I'm not going to do is carry you over the threshold. At least, not until we are married…"

Jeff's face at that was priceless. Nick smiled happily. He was as shocked as Jeff that he had just said that. Yes, he thought, one day I want to marry you. Let the world know just how much I love you.

The apartment was small, but that didn't matter to them. There was a tiny bedroom, barely big enough to hold the queen sized bed, and a lounge with a kitchen area. The décor was slightly dated, and it had a slight aroma of coffee pervading it from the shop below. The bathroom was a surprise - given the size of the rest of the place, they had expected to find a tiny shower cubicle, but instead got a claw footed bath with a shower over. The main thing was that every inch of the space was theirs and theirs alone. No parents to come and disturb them in the middle of anything. Admittedly, also no-one to clean up after them, and after the first week of living together, they had to admit that they needed a cleaning rota or nothing would get done. Nick had quickly picked up the art of the barista, and Jeff had been slightly miffed when his uncle had turned round and said that he was better than him. His anger had evaporated in seconds - he was far too proud of his beautiful boyfriend to remain annoyed for long.

It wasn't just the art of the barista that Jeff was training Nick in. Every night after the shop was closed, and after they had eaten something, they would retire to bed and practice. The nightclothes of home had been abandoned from the very first night and they had taken time to learn each other's body. They had seen glimpses of them before, but they couldn't exactly get hands on in the locker room at Dalton. There was always something new to learn, another thing to explore. Sometimes, Nick shocked Jeff with just how quickly he was willing to go. There were many firsts in those early weeks - and by early August they had gone so far as to establish that whilst Nick preferred to top, he was just as happy being the bottom every so often. As Jeff was the exact opposite, they were both happy.

Life in Chicago was suiting them. They had support from Jeff's Uncle Alan, Nick's Aunt Helen and his cousin Callum - the latter took them to a few bars with the help of the fake ID that Sebastian had made for them when he dragged them to Scandals so long ago. Thinking back to that night, Nick realised that even back then, when he had dragged Jeff away from the guy that wouldn't say no, it wasn't just the need to protect his friend that was at play - he had been jealous. Even then, his soul had known that Jeff was the one - it was just his mind, filled with the prejudice of his father, that had held him back. He never thought of his parents now. He kept in touch with his grandparents and with Grace, but his mom and dad he didn't spare a thought for.

Through Kurt and Blaine, they also had another person in Chicago to hang out with. Although his hectic schedule at school kept him busy, Mike Chang always seemed to be able to make time for them when they needed to get away from family. He introduced them to a few of his friends, and one night, when they might all have had a little to drink, he promised to teach them a few dance moves. In the sober light of morning, both boys were still keen, and so once a week at least, Mike would come over and tutor them in a few steps. Both of them loved to dance, but being able to do it properly and together was a plus. When Mike suggested they might try something different one time, they had agreed, and that was how they started to tap.

They also kept their promise to stay in touch with the guys. They talked to Sebastian at least once a week, and one night, to wind him up, they had answered his Skype call shirtless and with ruffled hair. His face was priceless, before he said "Did I interrupt something?" with his trademark smirk. Trent they talked to almost every day, and he came to stay with them for a few nights, where he pointedly produced ear plugs before he settled down on the couch to sleep. That was early August, and he was there when they found out. The chat with Kurt and Blaine on Skype had been planned for a while but in the last few weeks they had sensed that something was going on in New York that they were not aware of. They switched on the camera that night expecting just the usual catch up. The smiles on their faces when they saw Trent sitting with Nick and Jeff were huge. The three boys in Chicago looked at each other, then back at their two friends in New York.

"Guys, we need the three of you to clear your diaries for the 20th and 21st of September.." said Blaine. "We want you to come to New York to see us."

"I'll be in Washington by then," said Trent, "so it shouldn't be a problem…"

"If we ask I'm sure we could get that weekend off," said Jeff, "and it would be nice to see you guys. So yeah, count us in."

"Why?" said Nick. "What's so important about those two days?"

Blaine turned to Kurt, who looked as if he was about to burst. "Together?" Kurt nodded, they counted sown from three, and shouted together "We're getting married!"

To say that Nick and Jeff were happy for their friends was a given - but they were still shocked at how quickly things had taken place. They had been aware of the situation in New York - Nick had come upstairs one evening to find Jeff in tears, having just read the news of the ban on the internet - but it was still so fast. Needless to say, it would have taken the apocalypse to keep them from being in New York that weekend to help celebrate the 'official unification of Klaine', as Jeff put it. They spoke to Jeff's uncle and easily secured the time off - he told them to take the entire weekend and see some of the sights of the big apple before they went to Columbia. To their surprise, he offered to pay for them to travel to the wedding - on the train. "Sure it takes longer than a flight, but I've booked you a private sleeper cabin…" he had said, giving them a wink at the same time. Not to be outdone, Nick's aunt had paid for their hotel room. The hotel in question was the same one that Trent was to be staying in - and as it turned out, Wes, Thad and David would be staying there too. Nick felt sorry for the hotel staff that had to clean up after six Warblers…

The day before they left for the wedding, Nick had some free time and headed into the centre of Chicago, finding himself on North Michigan Avenue. He was busy thinking about the commitment that his two friends were about to make; about how happy they had both been the day that they had become an engaged couple at Dalton. He almost bumped into someone hurrying the other way - and found himself standing outside a jewellers. With a display of engagement rings featured in the window. He imagined the look of delight on Jeff's face if he got down on one knee… He was lucky in that he and Jeff had identically sized hands. He was able to chose a ring and try it on his own finger and know that it would fit. He went home that night with a feeling of satisfaction that he had never known before. He had done the right thing - now he just needed to find the right moment. He didn't want to upstage Kurt and Blaine on their big day, but if he could find a moment then it would be perfect with all of their friends being there to witness it.

The ring burnt a hole in Nick's pocket from that moment onwards. As he watched Jeff talking to Kurt in an animated fashion in the Spotlight Diner on the night before the wedding, he knew he had made the right decision. He loved Jeff so much, and he wanted the world to know. "Penny for your thoughts" said a voice - and he turned to find Wes standing behind him. "Just thinking how happy Kurt and Blaine look tonight and wondering how happy Jeff will be when I propose to him," he replied. Wes just smiled and with a grin, said "No doubt as happy as those two." Nick looked around the room at all the happy faces - well apart from Brittany, who for some reason looked so sad. Tonight wasn't the right time to make his proposal, but after the wedding tomorrow - that was the time. He would propose tomorrow….