He's Too Old for Me
Title: Falling Away with You
Author: 0creativity
Part: 4 of 9
Rating: R, maybe? I wrote it a few days ago and don't really remember.
Summary: Nick and Greg meet back up at school, Nick talks with his mom, and Papa Olaf makes an appearance.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A/N: See my notes at the beginning of chapter one. For this chapter specifically, there's a lot of sap, sorry!
Chapter Four
“You have no idea how much I missed you.”
Greg smiles against Nick’s lips. “Actually, I like to think I have a pretty damn good idea.”
“We should unpack.”
“Probably. But then again, when have we ever listened to logic?”
Greg starts kissing him again and Nick is powerless to stop him. It’s been three months and he needs the physical contact. He needs to know that this is real, that Greg is actually standing right in front of him. He’s been dreaming about it more and more and part of him is afraid that this is yet another dream.
He can feel Greg’s warmth, though, and after nearly fifteen minutes of just kissing and touching and more kissing he’s pretty sure this is real. He pulls himself away and walks to the other side of the room to resist the urge to dive right back in.
“Seriously,” he pants. “We need to unpack. You know if we start something now we’re not going to stop until classes start on Wednesday and then we won’t have any time to put away our stuff.”
Greg pouts and it’s almost enough to break Nick’s resolve because Greg just can’t pout. No matter how hard he tries, he just looks cute. “Why do you have to be so... practical?”
“One of us has to be.”
“Again with the being practical.” Greg grins and again, Nick’s resolve almost crumbles.
“Fuck, I missed you so much.”
“Apparently not enough, or we wouldn’t be fighting about whether or not we should unpack now or later,” Greg teases.
Nick rolls his eyes. “If you help me unpack now, I promise you that we can do anything you want to afterwards, okay?”
“Anything?”
Nick notices the raised eyebrow and wonders what he’s getting himself into. He can’t be bothered to care, though. “Yeah. Anything.”
“Okay, but I’m letting you unpack all your own crap. You bring way too much shit up here.”
~
“Jesus, Nick. It took you four hours to unpack all that stuff. It took me one and a half. Are you planning on staying up here forever or something?”
“I have a lot of stuff. Sue me.”
Nick had taken off his shirt about half an hour into the unpacking adventure. It’s August and apparently they haven’t turned the A/C on yet, or if they have, it isn’t working. He notices Greg eyeing him appreciatively and licking his lips.
“So? What do you want to do?” He tries to stop it from doing so, but his voice gets lower and huskier anyway because it’s still been three months.
Greg fidgets and plays with the hem of his shirt. “Can we.. Do you think we could...?”
“Do I think we could what? I told you we could do anything.”
“Can we just... cuddle?” Nick can barely hear the last word.
Nick’s heart shatters into a million different pieces, but it’s a good thing. He’s never had anyone just want to be with him before. He’s never had anyone who thought just being in his presence was enough.
“I...” is all he can manage to get out.
Greg blushes and still doesn’t meet Nick’s gaze. “Never mind,” he mumbles.
“No, Greg, I... That sounds... perfect.”
“Really?” and there’s a sheepish grin on his face that Nick hardly ever gets to see, but it’s one of his favorites.
“Yeah. Definitely.”
Nick walks up to Greg and pulls him into an embrace, turns him around in his arms, and rests his chin on Greg’s shoulder. Greg leans into Nick’s touch and relaxes completely.
“It’s just been a while, you know? I don’t want our first night back together to be frantic and rushed and... just about getting off.”
Nick nods in understanding and pulls Greg over to his bed. He slowly undoes Greg’s belt buckle and pulls his jeans down, then sets to work removing his shirt. He then takes off his own jeans and tugs Greg down onto the bed with him. He wraps his arms around Greg and pulls him as close as physically possible. It’s hot and uncomfortable, but it’s also Greg and once again he can’t bring himself to care.
Greg shifts and Nick loosens his hold to allow the other man to turn around in his arms. Greg’s staring at him, running one hand up and down Nick’s back and Nick still can’t believe this is actually happening.
Softly, Greg asks the question that’s been bothering him since the beginning. “Is it supposed to be this easy?”
“What?” Nick asks, just as softly.
“Falling in love.”
“I guess it is for us.”
Greg nods, his eyes closing. Nick kisses Greg on the forehead and closes his eyes too, falling into a dreamless sleep.
~
Nick fingers the box in his pocket nervously. He’s no longer sure that this is a good idea. It’s been one year since they stopped being fuck buddies and became something more. They aren’t doing anything special to celebrate the day. ‘Hell,’ Nick thinks, ‘Greg probably isn’t even expecting a gift.’ If Greg wouldn’t have whispered “Happy anniversary” when he first woke up that morning, Nick would probably think he’d forgotten the day.
Greg’s staring at him now, though, obviously amused at Nick’s nervousness. Nick decides that he’s come this far so he might as well go all the way. He pulls out the box and puts it in Greg’s hand, not daring to meet his eyes.
He hears a small gasp. “Nicky, what...?”
“Just open it,” he mumbles in reply.
Greg follows the instructions and there’s another, louder gasp. Inside the box are two simple silver rings. One has a small “N” engraved into it, the other a “G”.
Nick finally chances a glance at Greg’s face. “They’re promise rings,” he says in reply to the questioning look. “You don’t... “ He takes a deep breath. “You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to. I just thought you should have one. I mean, I know it’s kind of girly and everything, but I got you a couple of CDs too, to kind of make up for that.”
Greg’s not even listening to Nick ramble. He’s too busy taking the ring with the “N” on it and slipping it on his finger. He interrupts Nick with a breathless “It fits perfectly.”
“So... you’re okay with it?”
Greg nods and Nick breathes a sigh of relief. “Good. I feel a lot better now.”
They just stare at each other for a few minutes until Nick finally closes the space between them. He takes the other ring and places it on his finger, then grabs Greg’s ringed hand with his. “I know we don’t need something like this to show how we feel for each other, but I kind of want other people to know that I’m taken.”
Greg laughs quietly. “I didn’t get you anything.”
Nick bites back a reply about how Greg is all he needs.
~
“Stokes residence, this is Jillian speaking.” Her voice is cold and formal.
“Hey Mom.”
“Oh. Nicholas.” She sounds disappointed.
“Yeah.”
“Is something the matter?”
“No.”
“Nick?” Her voice is softer around the edges now. For a minute he thinks she might actually be concerned.
“Greg wants me to go home with him over Thanksgiving break.”
“You’re still together, then?”
“Yeah, Mom. Does that surprise you?”
She sighs and speaks in a resigned tone. “No, not really.”
“Does that bother you?”
“That you’re still together or that it doesn’t surprise me?”
“Both, I guess.”
“No. You two talked on the phone almost everyday over the summer so I figured it was serious.”
“It is.”
There’s an uncomfortable silence that Nick feels the need to fill.
“Do you hate me?” He doesn’t even realize what he’s saying until he hears the stunned silence on the other end of the line. He’s not sure he wants to know the answer.
“What?”
“Am I just a big disappointment to you?” He’s starting to tear up and has to fight to make his voice sound normal.
“Nick, you know you aren’t-”
“It’s just that ever since I came out to you, you haven’t been able to look me in the eyes and you and dad make all these snide remarks like you think I sleep with any guy who looks at me.”
“Nick, I-”
“I’m still me, Mom. Straight Nick wouldn’t do that and neither would Gay Nick.”
“Nick, we’ve just...”
“I don’t want to disappoint you, Mom. But I can’t change this.”
“You’re not a disappointment, Nick. Your dad and I... we’ve just never had to deal with something like this before.”
“I just want you to love me. I want you to be able to stand to be around me.”
“We do love you, Nick. This just... it scares me.”
“Why?”
“Because the world isn’t ready for people like you.”
Nick laughs bitterly. “Yeah. Tell me about it.”
“I don’t just mean gay people, Nick. I mean good people too. It’s almost easier for the world to accept that two guys are just screwing around for fun. They don’t want to believe that two men can love each other just as easily as a man and a woman can, though. They’re afraid.”
“I do love him.” He wipes some tears from his eyes and stares up at the ceiling.
“I know you do. When you first told us... I knew you’d go for love. You always do, Nick. It isn’t in you to take anything as big as a relationship lightly. And it scared me because I knew the world wouldn’t be kind to you for it. So I... I tried to distance myself from you. I thought if I didn’t have to see the pain in your eyes, then it didn’t exist. Out of sight out of mind, right?”
“We tried.”
“Tried what?”
“To just mess around at first. I couldn’t do it, though. I fell for him.”
“What I did was stupid, Nick. I know it was, but I didn’t know what else to do. I just... I couldn’t bare to see the hurt in your eyes that I knew would be there sooner or later. Now I realize that I put it there and I hate myself for it.” She dabs at her eyes with a Kleenex.
“You’re sure you’re not disappointed in me?”
“Completely sure, Nick. I’m actually prouder of you than you’ll ever know. It takes a lot of courage to be different.”
“I love you Mom.” He tries to choke back a sob but she hears it anyway.
“I love you too, Nick. Even though I haven’t been acting like it, I do. I really, really do.” She’s not even trying to hide the fact that she’s crying.
There’s silence once again as they both try to recollect themselves.
“I think I might go home with him. For Thanksgiving.”
“As long as he comes for Christmas.”
“You-” he can’t finish because he’s trying not to cry again.
“I’m sure, Nick. It’ll just be you two, your dad, and me. All the other kids will be all over the country doing who knows what. And if any of them do happen to show up, I’ll make sure they understand.”
“Thanks Mom”
“I love you, Nick. I know I don’t say it often enough, but I do. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
“Tell Greg I say hi.”
Nick smiles. “I will.”
~
“Gregory! So good to see you again! Oh, and you must be Nick, right?”
Nick surveys the couple standing in the doorway and nods.
“Oooo, Greg has told us so much about you!”
“Have you been smoking crack, woman? I haven’t told you anything about him.”
She glares at Greg and his father clears his throat. “Why don’t we let them come inside, Sam?”
Greg takes their bags up to his room while Nick follows Greg’s parents into the living room. He sits down and an awkward silence hangs in the air.
“Uhm... lovely home you have here, ma’am.” He knows it’s a stupid thing to say because he hasn’t even had a chance to look around, but the silence is killing him.
She grins. “Oh, thank you. We just repainted this room a couple of months ago. It was this awful burgundy color before.”
“You didn’t think it was such a horrible color last year when you picked it out,” Greg’s dad grumbles. She ignores him.
“So how did you and Greg meet?” She’s just a little too cheery, Nick thinks.
“Well, we um, lived on the same floor our Freshman year and kept running into each other so we just decided to hang out together and became friends.”
“We had no idea Greg liked boys,” she says simply. Nick wonders if she’s even keeping track of the conversation.
“Well, uh, to be fair to him, I don’t think he did either.”
Thankfully, Greg descends the stairs and sits down by Nick, taking his hand.
“Mom. Dad. We can make this real easy on the both of you. This is Nick Stokes. He’s from Texas. His dad is a State Supreme Court judge and his mother is a defense attorney. He has five sisters and one brother; he’s the youngest of the bunch. His major is criminal justice and he wants to be a cop. If you have any other questions, please ask them now instead of bringing them up at inappropriate times.”
Samantha smiles and turns to look at her husband. “No, I think that about does it,” he growls.
Greg stands up and pulls Nick to his feet. “Come on, I’ll show you the rest of the house.”
Nick gets up and follows Greg as he leads him to the stairs. “The kitchen’s that way, the bathroom’s through that door right there, and up here is where we’re staying.”
“We’re staying in the same room?”
Greg laughs. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t we?”
“Aren’t they afraid that we’ll... you know...?”
Greg leans in and whispers in Nick’s ear. “I’m pretty sure they already know.” He straightens back up and grins at Nick’s blush. “Come on, our room’s at the end of the hallway.”
As they pass the second room on the left, Nick sees a slightly plump old man with white hair asleep in a recliner. He’s muttering in his sleep and Nick stops to try and make out the words.
“The chicken, admiral! The chicken! It can play the piano!”
“Greg, what the fu-”
“Shhh. Papa Olaf gets really upset if you wake him from his afternoon nap.”
~
Papa Olaf didn’t come down for dinner and Nick thinks he knows why. Greg’s mother isn’t much of a cook. He pushes his food around his plate and eats as much as he can stomach, but after clearing about half his plate, he can’t handle anymore. ‘No wonder Greg’s so skinny,’ he thinks.
Greg and his parents are making small talk about random things. Nick has no clue as to what they’re talking about. In fact, he hasn’t said much of anything since dinner started. He’s starting to feel like a third wheel.
“Greg.”
Greg looks at him and swallows his mouthful of food. “Yeah?”
“I’m pretty tired from the drive. I think I’m just going to head up and take a nap. Is that okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, that’s fine, Nicky. If you want to take a shower, there’s already clean towels in the bathroom. You remember where it is, don’t you?”
Nick nods and leans over to give Greg a quick kiss on his cheek before he heads for the stairs. “I’ll be up in a little bit!” Greg yells after him.
Nick nods dully as he starts up the stairs. He’s halfway down the hallway when he hears a grunt. He stops, thinking maybe Papa Olaf is talking in his sleep again.
“Come here, boy.”
Nick just stands there, not sure what to do. He doesn’t know if the old man is still sleeping or if he really wants him to go into the room.
“You deaf, boy? I said to come in here!”
Nick looks around again, hoping that Greg has appeared and is about to tell him what to do. He sighs when he hears Greg’s laughter downstairs. He slowly steps forward until he’s standing in the doorway.
“What’s your name, boy?”
Nick clears his throat. “Uh... Nick. Nick Stokes.”
“That short for somethin’?”
“Uh... Nicholas.”
The old man’s voice is rough, but not unfriendly.
“So you must be the great guy my grandson’s so in love with, huh?”
“I sure hope so, because if I’m not, I think you’ve just let cat out of the bag, sir.”
Papa Olaf laughs. “Good sense of humor... I can already tell why he likes you so much. Come in here and sit down.”
Nick does as he’s told and sits on the edge of the bed.
“You hungry?”
“I just ate.”
He laughs again. “You’ll still be hungry, then. Samantha certainly didn’t get her mother’s cooking skills, that’s for sure.”
He stands up and walks to the corner of the room where Nick notices there’s a mini fridge. He digs around in it for a little bit before finally pulling out a couple of sandwiches from a local deli. Nick takes the one being offered to him.
“You want somethin’ to drink?”
Nick swallows his bite of sandwich and nods. “What do you have?”
“Coke. That okay?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
Papa Olaf tosses Nick a cold Coke and returns to his recliner.
“So what was for dinner tonight?”
“Honestly? I have no clue.”
Papa Olaf nearly spits out his soda. “Well what color was it?”
“Kind of a grayish green?”
“That’s never good.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“I told her when I first moved in here, ‘Samantha, there’s no way in hell I can repay you for putting up with me like this, but there’s also no way in hell I’m eatin’ anything that you cook.’ She told me not to worry about it cause Greg does most of the cookin’.”
Now it’s Nick’s turn to choke on his soda. “Greg can cook?”
“Yeah.” Papa Olaf raises one eyebrow. “He’s a mighty fine cook. Mighty fine. Mixin’ stuff together to make somethin’ else, that’s what he’s good at.”
Nick shrugs. “I didn’t know. We usually just grab some fast food or go to the dining hall. It’s quicker that way.”
“You’ll have to get him to make you somethin’ some time. Maybe a nice romantic dinner or somethin’.”
Nick blushes and looks down at his soda bottle.
“Hey. Bein’ in love? That ain’t nothin’ to be ashamed of.”
Nick nods but doesn’t stop studying the soda can. “Yeah. I know.” Nick stands up and offers the older man his hand. “I’m really tired, so I should be heading to bed. It was nice to meet you though, sir.”
Papa Olaf shakes his hand. “Call me Papa Olaf. Everyone worth knowin’ does.”
~
“Hey, Papa. I’m heading to bed, just wanted to say goodnight.”
“Greg, come here for a minute.”
Greg walks into the room and sits in the same place Nick had been earlier. “What’s up?”
“That boy, Nick. He seems nice.”
“Yeah, he is, Papa.”
“You done good.”
Greg gets up and gives Papa Olaf a hug. “I wouldn’t have done anything if it wasn’t for you.”
“I’m sure you would’ve gotten around to it sooner or later.” He’s staring at Greg’s hand. “That’s a nice ring.”
Greg smiles proudly. “Nick gave it to me last month.”
“Is it like...?”
“An engagement ring? No, not really. Just... a promise. A promise that we’re going to try our hardest to make this work, I guess.”
Papa Olaf nods knowingly. “Just don’t work so hard that you miss out on all the fun.”
Greg gives him another hug and says “We won’t.” He turns to leave and gets as far as the door before Papa Olaf speaks up again.
“Oh, and Greg? Never go to bed angry.”
Greg laughs. “Where the hell did that come from, old man?”
“Nowhere. Spoutin’ off random bits of advice? That’s what I do.”
~
“He likes you, you know.” They’re laying in bed and Greg’s rubbing Nick’s chest.
“Yeah, I know.”
“This is big. He doesn’t let too many people call him Papa Olaf. Hell, it took until I was seven before he’d let me say it.” His hands are playing their way down Nick’s stomach now.
Nick laughs. “I still can’t believe he told your mom that her cooking sucks.”
Greg winces and his hand stops moving. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about that. It totally slipped my mind.”
Nick turns on his side so he can stare into Greg’s beautiful brown eyes. He moves his head and joins their lips together for a quick but passionate kiss. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”
Greg’s hand starts moving again and dips below the waistband of Nick’s boxers. “You sure you don’t need me to make it up to you?”
Nick lets out a little groan before answering. “I could probably be persuaded.”
~
Nick rushes down the stairs with the last of their bags. They’ve already told everyone goodbye, so he’s surprised when he bumps into Papa Olaf at the foot of the stairs.
“Oh. Hey, sir. I mean, Papa Olaf.”
“Gonna leave without sayin’ goodbye to me, were ya?”
“Well, I wanted to, but I thought you’d be taking your nap right about now.”
They’ve made their way to the front door. “I decided to postpone it for an hour or so.”
Nick sets the bag down on the porch and holds out his hand. “Well, I guess this is goodbye, then.”
“For now.”
“For now,” Nick repeats and grins.
“Nick?”
“Yes?”
“Take good care of Greg for me.”
“I will. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Make him cook for you, too.” Papa Olaf winks and heads back into the house.
Nick walks back to the car and throws the bag in the backseat and then gets into the driver’s seat.
“Ready?”
“Yup. I saw you flirting with my grandfather, you know.”
“What?!”
“Oh yeah, I saw it. The smiles, the wink. I saw it all,” Greg teases. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay here with him?”
“Well,” Nick starts, “I am pretty sure I found the source of the mythical ‘Patented Sanders’ Charm’, but I don’t think I want to go running off with him anytime soon. He’s just a little too old for me.”
Author: 0creativity
Part: 4 of 9
Rating: R, maybe? I wrote it a few days ago and don't really remember.
Summary: Nick and Greg meet back up at school, Nick talks with his mom, and Papa Olaf makes an appearance.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A/N: See my notes at the beginning of chapter one. For this chapter specifically, there's a lot of sap, sorry!
Chapter Four
“You have no idea how much I missed you.”
Greg smiles against Nick’s lips. “Actually, I like to think I have a pretty damn good idea.”
“We should unpack.”
“Probably. But then again, when have we ever listened to logic?”
Greg starts kissing him again and Nick is powerless to stop him. It’s been three months and he needs the physical contact. He needs to know that this is real, that Greg is actually standing right in front of him. He’s been dreaming about it more and more and part of him is afraid that this is yet another dream.
He can feel Greg’s warmth, though, and after nearly fifteen minutes of just kissing and touching and more kissing he’s pretty sure this is real. He pulls himself away and walks to the other side of the room to resist the urge to dive right back in.
“Seriously,” he pants. “We need to unpack. You know if we start something now we’re not going to stop until classes start on Wednesday and then we won’t have any time to put away our stuff.”
Greg pouts and it’s almost enough to break Nick’s resolve because Greg just can’t pout. No matter how hard he tries, he just looks cute. “Why do you have to be so... practical?”
“One of us has to be.”
“Again with the being practical.” Greg grins and again, Nick’s resolve almost crumbles.
“Fuck, I missed you so much.”
“Apparently not enough, or we wouldn’t be fighting about whether or not we should unpack now or later,” Greg teases.
Nick rolls his eyes. “If you help me unpack now, I promise you that we can do anything you want to afterwards, okay?”
“Anything?”
Nick notices the raised eyebrow and wonders what he’s getting himself into. He can’t be bothered to care, though. “Yeah. Anything.”
“Okay, but I’m letting you unpack all your own crap. You bring way too much shit up here.”
~
“Jesus, Nick. It took you four hours to unpack all that stuff. It took me one and a half. Are you planning on staying up here forever or something?”
“I have a lot of stuff. Sue me.”
Nick had taken off his shirt about half an hour into the unpacking adventure. It’s August and apparently they haven’t turned the A/C on yet, or if they have, it isn’t working. He notices Greg eyeing him appreciatively and licking his lips.
“So? What do you want to do?” He tries to stop it from doing so, but his voice gets lower and huskier anyway because it’s still been three months.
Greg fidgets and plays with the hem of his shirt. “Can we.. Do you think we could...?”
“Do I think we could what? I told you we could do anything.”
“Can we just... cuddle?” Nick can barely hear the last word.
Nick’s heart shatters into a million different pieces, but it’s a good thing. He’s never had anyone just want to be with him before. He’s never had anyone who thought just being in his presence was enough.
“I...” is all he can manage to get out.
Greg blushes and still doesn’t meet Nick’s gaze. “Never mind,” he mumbles.
“No, Greg, I... That sounds... perfect.”
“Really?” and there’s a sheepish grin on his face that Nick hardly ever gets to see, but it’s one of his favorites.
“Yeah. Definitely.”
Nick walks up to Greg and pulls him into an embrace, turns him around in his arms, and rests his chin on Greg’s shoulder. Greg leans into Nick’s touch and relaxes completely.
“It’s just been a while, you know? I don’t want our first night back together to be frantic and rushed and... just about getting off.”
Nick nods in understanding and pulls Greg over to his bed. He slowly undoes Greg’s belt buckle and pulls his jeans down, then sets to work removing his shirt. He then takes off his own jeans and tugs Greg down onto the bed with him. He wraps his arms around Greg and pulls him as close as physically possible. It’s hot and uncomfortable, but it’s also Greg and once again he can’t bring himself to care.
Greg shifts and Nick loosens his hold to allow the other man to turn around in his arms. Greg’s staring at him, running one hand up and down Nick’s back and Nick still can’t believe this is actually happening.
Softly, Greg asks the question that’s been bothering him since the beginning. “Is it supposed to be this easy?”
“What?” Nick asks, just as softly.
“Falling in love.”
“I guess it is for us.”
Greg nods, his eyes closing. Nick kisses Greg on the forehead and closes his eyes too, falling into a dreamless sleep.
~
Nick fingers the box in his pocket nervously. He’s no longer sure that this is a good idea. It’s been one year since they stopped being fuck buddies and became something more. They aren’t doing anything special to celebrate the day. ‘Hell,’ Nick thinks, ‘Greg probably isn’t even expecting a gift.’ If Greg wouldn’t have whispered “Happy anniversary” when he first woke up that morning, Nick would probably think he’d forgotten the day.
Greg’s staring at him now, though, obviously amused at Nick’s nervousness. Nick decides that he’s come this far so he might as well go all the way. He pulls out the box and puts it in Greg’s hand, not daring to meet his eyes.
He hears a small gasp. “Nicky, what...?”
“Just open it,” he mumbles in reply.
Greg follows the instructions and there’s another, louder gasp. Inside the box are two simple silver rings. One has a small “N” engraved into it, the other a “G”.
Nick finally chances a glance at Greg’s face. “They’re promise rings,” he says in reply to the questioning look. “You don’t... “ He takes a deep breath. “You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to. I just thought you should have one. I mean, I know it’s kind of girly and everything, but I got you a couple of CDs too, to kind of make up for that.”
Greg’s not even listening to Nick ramble. He’s too busy taking the ring with the “N” on it and slipping it on his finger. He interrupts Nick with a breathless “It fits perfectly.”
“So... you’re okay with it?”
Greg nods and Nick breathes a sigh of relief. “Good. I feel a lot better now.”
They just stare at each other for a few minutes until Nick finally closes the space between them. He takes the other ring and places it on his finger, then grabs Greg’s ringed hand with his. “I know we don’t need something like this to show how we feel for each other, but I kind of want other people to know that I’m taken.”
Greg laughs quietly. “I didn’t get you anything.”
Nick bites back a reply about how Greg is all he needs.
~
“Stokes residence, this is Jillian speaking.” Her voice is cold and formal.
“Hey Mom.”
“Oh. Nicholas.” She sounds disappointed.
“Yeah.”
“Is something the matter?”
“No.”
“Nick?” Her voice is softer around the edges now. For a minute he thinks she might actually be concerned.
“Greg wants me to go home with him over Thanksgiving break.”
“You’re still together, then?”
“Yeah, Mom. Does that surprise you?”
She sighs and speaks in a resigned tone. “No, not really.”
“Does that bother you?”
“That you’re still together or that it doesn’t surprise me?”
“Both, I guess.”
“No. You two talked on the phone almost everyday over the summer so I figured it was serious.”
“It is.”
There’s an uncomfortable silence that Nick feels the need to fill.
“Do you hate me?” He doesn’t even realize what he’s saying until he hears the stunned silence on the other end of the line. He’s not sure he wants to know the answer.
“What?”
“Am I just a big disappointment to you?” He’s starting to tear up and has to fight to make his voice sound normal.
“Nick, you know you aren’t-”
“It’s just that ever since I came out to you, you haven’t been able to look me in the eyes and you and dad make all these snide remarks like you think I sleep with any guy who looks at me.”
“Nick, I-”
“I’m still me, Mom. Straight Nick wouldn’t do that and neither would Gay Nick.”
“Nick, we’ve just...”
“I don’t want to disappoint you, Mom. But I can’t change this.”
“You’re not a disappointment, Nick. Your dad and I... we’ve just never had to deal with something like this before.”
“I just want you to love me. I want you to be able to stand to be around me.”
“We do love you, Nick. This just... it scares me.”
“Why?”
“Because the world isn’t ready for people like you.”
Nick laughs bitterly. “Yeah. Tell me about it.”
“I don’t just mean gay people, Nick. I mean good people too. It’s almost easier for the world to accept that two guys are just screwing around for fun. They don’t want to believe that two men can love each other just as easily as a man and a woman can, though. They’re afraid.”
“I do love him.” He wipes some tears from his eyes and stares up at the ceiling.
“I know you do. When you first told us... I knew you’d go for love. You always do, Nick. It isn’t in you to take anything as big as a relationship lightly. And it scared me because I knew the world wouldn’t be kind to you for it. So I... I tried to distance myself from you. I thought if I didn’t have to see the pain in your eyes, then it didn’t exist. Out of sight out of mind, right?”
“We tried.”
“Tried what?”
“To just mess around at first. I couldn’t do it, though. I fell for him.”
“What I did was stupid, Nick. I know it was, but I didn’t know what else to do. I just... I couldn’t bare to see the hurt in your eyes that I knew would be there sooner or later. Now I realize that I put it there and I hate myself for it.” She dabs at her eyes with a Kleenex.
“You’re sure you’re not disappointed in me?”
“Completely sure, Nick. I’m actually prouder of you than you’ll ever know. It takes a lot of courage to be different.”
“I love you Mom.” He tries to choke back a sob but she hears it anyway.
“I love you too, Nick. Even though I haven’t been acting like it, I do. I really, really do.” She’s not even trying to hide the fact that she’s crying.
There’s silence once again as they both try to recollect themselves.
“I think I might go home with him. For Thanksgiving.”
“As long as he comes for Christmas.”
“You-” he can’t finish because he’s trying not to cry again.
“I’m sure, Nick. It’ll just be you two, your dad, and me. All the other kids will be all over the country doing who knows what. And if any of them do happen to show up, I’ll make sure they understand.”
“Thanks Mom”
“I love you, Nick. I know I don’t say it often enough, but I do. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
“Tell Greg I say hi.”
Nick smiles. “I will.”
~
“Gregory! So good to see you again! Oh, and you must be Nick, right?”
Nick surveys the couple standing in the doorway and nods.
“Oooo, Greg has told us so much about you!”
“Have you been smoking crack, woman? I haven’t told you anything about him.”
She glares at Greg and his father clears his throat. “Why don’t we let them come inside, Sam?”
Greg takes their bags up to his room while Nick follows Greg’s parents into the living room. He sits down and an awkward silence hangs in the air.
“Uhm... lovely home you have here, ma’am.” He knows it’s a stupid thing to say because he hasn’t even had a chance to look around, but the silence is killing him.
She grins. “Oh, thank you. We just repainted this room a couple of months ago. It was this awful burgundy color before.”
“You didn’t think it was such a horrible color last year when you picked it out,” Greg’s dad grumbles. She ignores him.
“So how did you and Greg meet?” She’s just a little too cheery, Nick thinks.
“Well, we um, lived on the same floor our Freshman year and kept running into each other so we just decided to hang out together and became friends.”
“We had no idea Greg liked boys,” she says simply. Nick wonders if she’s even keeping track of the conversation.
“Well, uh, to be fair to him, I don’t think he did either.”
Thankfully, Greg descends the stairs and sits down by Nick, taking his hand.
“Mom. Dad. We can make this real easy on the both of you. This is Nick Stokes. He’s from Texas. His dad is a State Supreme Court judge and his mother is a defense attorney. He has five sisters and one brother; he’s the youngest of the bunch. His major is criminal justice and he wants to be a cop. If you have any other questions, please ask them now instead of bringing them up at inappropriate times.”
Samantha smiles and turns to look at her husband. “No, I think that about does it,” he growls.
Greg stands up and pulls Nick to his feet. “Come on, I’ll show you the rest of the house.”
Nick gets up and follows Greg as he leads him to the stairs. “The kitchen’s that way, the bathroom’s through that door right there, and up here is where we’re staying.”
“We’re staying in the same room?”
Greg laughs. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t we?”
“Aren’t they afraid that we’ll... you know...?”
Greg leans in and whispers in Nick’s ear. “I’m pretty sure they already know.” He straightens back up and grins at Nick’s blush. “Come on, our room’s at the end of the hallway.”
As they pass the second room on the left, Nick sees a slightly plump old man with white hair asleep in a recliner. He’s muttering in his sleep and Nick stops to try and make out the words.
“The chicken, admiral! The chicken! It can play the piano!”
“Greg, what the fu-”
“Shhh. Papa Olaf gets really upset if you wake him from his afternoon nap.”
~
Papa Olaf didn’t come down for dinner and Nick thinks he knows why. Greg’s mother isn’t much of a cook. He pushes his food around his plate and eats as much as he can stomach, but after clearing about half his plate, he can’t handle anymore. ‘No wonder Greg’s so skinny,’ he thinks.
Greg and his parents are making small talk about random things. Nick has no clue as to what they’re talking about. In fact, he hasn’t said much of anything since dinner started. He’s starting to feel like a third wheel.
“Greg.”
Greg looks at him and swallows his mouthful of food. “Yeah?”
“I’m pretty tired from the drive. I think I’m just going to head up and take a nap. Is that okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, that’s fine, Nicky. If you want to take a shower, there’s already clean towels in the bathroom. You remember where it is, don’t you?”
Nick nods and leans over to give Greg a quick kiss on his cheek before he heads for the stairs. “I’ll be up in a little bit!” Greg yells after him.
Nick nods dully as he starts up the stairs. He’s halfway down the hallway when he hears a grunt. He stops, thinking maybe Papa Olaf is talking in his sleep again.
“Come here, boy.”
Nick just stands there, not sure what to do. He doesn’t know if the old man is still sleeping or if he really wants him to go into the room.
“You deaf, boy? I said to come in here!”
Nick looks around again, hoping that Greg has appeared and is about to tell him what to do. He sighs when he hears Greg’s laughter downstairs. He slowly steps forward until he’s standing in the doorway.
“What’s your name, boy?”
Nick clears his throat. “Uh... Nick. Nick Stokes.”
“That short for somethin’?”
“Uh... Nicholas.”
The old man’s voice is rough, but not unfriendly.
“So you must be the great guy my grandson’s so in love with, huh?”
“I sure hope so, because if I’m not, I think you’ve just let cat out of the bag, sir.”
Papa Olaf laughs. “Good sense of humor... I can already tell why he likes you so much. Come in here and sit down.”
Nick does as he’s told and sits on the edge of the bed.
“You hungry?”
“I just ate.”
He laughs again. “You’ll still be hungry, then. Samantha certainly didn’t get her mother’s cooking skills, that’s for sure.”
He stands up and walks to the corner of the room where Nick notices there’s a mini fridge. He digs around in it for a little bit before finally pulling out a couple of sandwiches from a local deli. Nick takes the one being offered to him.
“You want somethin’ to drink?”
Nick swallows his bite of sandwich and nods. “What do you have?”
“Coke. That okay?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
Papa Olaf tosses Nick a cold Coke and returns to his recliner.
“So what was for dinner tonight?”
“Honestly? I have no clue.”
Papa Olaf nearly spits out his soda. “Well what color was it?”
“Kind of a grayish green?”
“That’s never good.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“I told her when I first moved in here, ‘Samantha, there’s no way in hell I can repay you for putting up with me like this, but there’s also no way in hell I’m eatin’ anything that you cook.’ She told me not to worry about it cause Greg does most of the cookin’.”
Now it’s Nick’s turn to choke on his soda. “Greg can cook?”
“Yeah.” Papa Olaf raises one eyebrow. “He’s a mighty fine cook. Mighty fine. Mixin’ stuff together to make somethin’ else, that’s what he’s good at.”
Nick shrugs. “I didn’t know. We usually just grab some fast food or go to the dining hall. It’s quicker that way.”
“You’ll have to get him to make you somethin’ some time. Maybe a nice romantic dinner or somethin’.”
Nick blushes and looks down at his soda bottle.
“Hey. Bein’ in love? That ain’t nothin’ to be ashamed of.”
Nick nods but doesn’t stop studying the soda can. “Yeah. I know.” Nick stands up and offers the older man his hand. “I’m really tired, so I should be heading to bed. It was nice to meet you though, sir.”
Papa Olaf shakes his hand. “Call me Papa Olaf. Everyone worth knowin’ does.”
~
“Hey, Papa. I’m heading to bed, just wanted to say goodnight.”
“Greg, come here for a minute.”
Greg walks into the room and sits in the same place Nick had been earlier. “What’s up?”
“That boy, Nick. He seems nice.”
“Yeah, he is, Papa.”
“You done good.”
Greg gets up and gives Papa Olaf a hug. “I wouldn’t have done anything if it wasn’t for you.”
“I’m sure you would’ve gotten around to it sooner or later.” He’s staring at Greg’s hand. “That’s a nice ring.”
Greg smiles proudly. “Nick gave it to me last month.”
“Is it like...?”
“An engagement ring? No, not really. Just... a promise. A promise that we’re going to try our hardest to make this work, I guess.”
Papa Olaf nods knowingly. “Just don’t work so hard that you miss out on all the fun.”
Greg gives him another hug and says “We won’t.” He turns to leave and gets as far as the door before Papa Olaf speaks up again.
“Oh, and Greg? Never go to bed angry.”
Greg laughs. “Where the hell did that come from, old man?”
“Nowhere. Spoutin’ off random bits of advice? That’s what I do.”
~
“He likes you, you know.” They’re laying in bed and Greg’s rubbing Nick’s chest.
“Yeah, I know.”
“This is big. He doesn’t let too many people call him Papa Olaf. Hell, it took until I was seven before he’d let me say it.” His hands are playing their way down Nick’s stomach now.
Nick laughs. “I still can’t believe he told your mom that her cooking sucks.”
Greg winces and his hand stops moving. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about that. It totally slipped my mind.”
Nick turns on his side so he can stare into Greg’s beautiful brown eyes. He moves his head and joins their lips together for a quick but passionate kiss. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”
Greg’s hand starts moving again and dips below the waistband of Nick’s boxers. “You sure you don’t need me to make it up to you?”
Nick lets out a little groan before answering. “I could probably be persuaded.”
~
Nick rushes down the stairs with the last of their bags. They’ve already told everyone goodbye, so he’s surprised when he bumps into Papa Olaf at the foot of the stairs.
“Oh. Hey, sir. I mean, Papa Olaf.”
“Gonna leave without sayin’ goodbye to me, were ya?”
“Well, I wanted to, but I thought you’d be taking your nap right about now.”
They’ve made their way to the front door. “I decided to postpone it for an hour or so.”
Nick sets the bag down on the porch and holds out his hand. “Well, I guess this is goodbye, then.”
“For now.”
“For now,” Nick repeats and grins.
“Nick?”
“Yes?”
“Take good care of Greg for me.”
“I will. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Make him cook for you, too.” Papa Olaf winks and heads back into the house.
Nick walks back to the car and throws the bag in the backseat and then gets into the driver’s seat.
“Ready?”
“Yup. I saw you flirting with my grandfather, you know.”
“What?!”
“Oh yeah, I saw it. The smiles, the wink. I saw it all,” Greg teases. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay here with him?”
“Well,” Nick starts, “I am pretty sure I found the source of the mythical ‘Patented Sanders’ Charm’, but I don’t think I want to go running off with him anytime soon. He’s just a little too old for me.”