singing you the right blues [emma/nick] [part 2]
Title: Singing You The Right Blues: Part Two [Nick/Emma] [Glee/HIMYM/Disney RPF/Easy Academy AU (of an AU)]
Pairing/Character: Nick/Emma, but more of an ensemble fic.
Word Count: ~19,000
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Nick never saw himself joining Glee.
Author's Notes: Contains references across the board to ...everything? It takes place in a someone crossverse of McKinley High, mixed with Easy Academy teachers, mixed with Disney students, and HIMYM parents. Yeeeeah. I don't know either.
Takes place in the spectrum of Season 5 of HIMYM, Season 1 of Glee (loosely), and the endless cycle of Disney relationships.
Part One
Glee becomes a regular part of Nick's life routine. He's required to attend rehearsals twice a week for when they practice the acoustic bits, but Nick finds himself hanging out there on most other afternoons, just because. He's settled into these afternoons, lounging on top of the desk, watching rehearsals with Emma.
Emma likes him, Nick thinks. He's not sure if it's a you're-a-student-but-you're-worth-ignoring-that-fact kind of like, but he knows that she enjoys his company. They talk a lot, in quiet undertones mostly, as not to disturb the rehearsals. He tells her about his crazy parents, their crazy friends, his crazy brother, and even though a lot of the stories are stupid anecdotes, Nick finds himself telling her more than he thought he would. He talks about the time that his mom decided to take a break from her dad before they got married, to move from San Fransisco, about how it really freaks him out to imagine them not together. He tells her about how David's one of the best guys he knows, and how he and Sel are practically the same person, in different bodies. He talks about Joe too, but not in the "man-you-have-to-hear-what-Joe-did" way, but about how much he'll miss him when he goes to college next year. He catches himself a few times, has moments where he looks at his watch and realizes that he's been talking for thirty minutes straight. He never does this with just anyone; it's not that he's shy or anything, it's just he doesn't have a lot to say, usually. There's something about Emma though, the way she looks at him while he's talking, like he's the greatest thing, like she could listen for half an hour more, well, it makes him feel so good.
She talks too, though. She talks about college and how her first roommate was a gigantic slob and she ended out switching suites within three hours, about how her first love was Patrick Swayze a la Dirty Dancing (Nick wiggles his eyebrows at that and she giggles a little), but mostly, their conversations end up with music. He hears about how in to it she was as a kid through high school, and how she thought that's where she'd end up in life, being a musician (rock star, obviously, she says with a serious face on and Nick feels his heart tighten.) Emma talks about piano like it's something she gets lost in, or used to at least, because she keeps using past tense. She gets sad when she starts talking about her mom, Nick notices, as her voice gets higher and her words begin to accelerate.
"She loves me, I know, but she never understood why I like everything neat. She never really understood at all."
Nick's noticed Emma's OCD. He's never really heard her call it that or talk about it in general, but he knows that's what it is and that she knows it too. Honestly though, it doesn't bother him. Everyone has their quirks he figures, and Emma's is just more noticeable. Hell, Nick freaks out if his socks drawer is unorganized so it's not like he has any right to talk.
"How'd she deal with it?," he asks, as she hands him half of a lettuce and tomato sandwich, cut in triangles, crust off. She's begun to bring him food, in addition to hers, in a tupperware box, as if it's natural.
It's not until their knees bump that Nick realizes how close they're sitting. Their legs have turned towards each other, and Emma is resting her chin on her hand and she's close to his body, to his face, and his whole body feels like it's wired.
He doesn't really have any reason for his body to be acting like this, because this well, crush (which he's had to force himself to admit exists) is Not Going to Happen, like the N.G.H's his mom uses when talking about road trips with Uncle Barney. She's a freaking part of the faculty here. There's probably about twenty different laws against him even liking Emma, not to mention kissing her.
"She thought I'd get better if she took away all the things that I get ...overinvested in. She walked in on me getting ready to practice one afternoon and I was cleaning the keys to start playing---" Emma pauses, blushing slightly. "---keyboards are so unsanitary though---"
"They are," Nick shrugs.
"---and she took away piano. I went to college pretty much undeclared and took up counseling because, well," she backtracks. "I like it though. I'm not the only one with problems and it's nice to know I can help figure out the kids' issues even if I can't sort out my own."
They sit quietly for a second, and Nick puts his hand on her knee. He's pretty sure he's breaking about ten real rules and another five unspoken boundaries that they've established, but what the hell, he thinks. She's wearing tights and the nylon feeling is almost slippery for a second, but he keeps it there anyway, for a moment. Nick doesn't look at her because that'll make it a little too real and instead pretends to watch Kurt and Rachel battle out solo parts like the rest of the group is, Kurt's incredible falsetto rising above Rachel's. He's pretty hyperaware of Emma at the moment. She looks like she's tensing up and Nick feels like a rollercoaster's going through his stomach just knowing that he has that effect--or some kind of effect on her. Shue turns around to smile something at Emma (and still, he doesn't know what's going on there and it's so, so frustrating) and glances down at Nick's hand. He moves it away pretty quickly, which probably makes the gesture a lot worse than it looked and Emma shifts her knees away like she's been shocked. They spend the rest of rehearsal silent, watching Rachel beat out Kurt and watching Kurt walk away, disapointed.
****
Some days, Nick eats lunch on campus with Demi, Joe, and Chloe, this new girl at school that Dem says is great. It's mid-March and it's really nice out, the kind of California spring that makes Nick want to just play baseball for days, or something. They eat on the front lawn of school,where the kids that stay on campus hang out during lunch. Nick's been pretty apprehensive about going off campus after the Prince incident, and he's found himself eating with the girls more. Chloe doesn't have a car and Dem and her are getting pretty close and Joe, well Joe usually just follows Demi around, so.
Nick drops his bookbag in the grass, on a spot near Joe, who immediately makes a lunge for the brown paper bag for his bookbag.
"Gross, Joe!" Demi says exasperated, as Joe shoves half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in his mouth.
"Sorry, Nicky," Joe grins, half-apolegetically, his words sticking together.
"Whatever," Nick says, rolling his eyes, pulling out another sandwich for himself from the side pocket of his bag. Nick's completely given up on Joe regularly remembering to get his lunch from the kitchen table, which their dad make for them every morning. Nick kind of just figured out it's better for him to carry the lunches in the family. Aaaand the wallet, but that was more of Joe's decision than his own.
"Nick, I was just telling Chloe about the ridiculous ideas student council's coming with for Prom. Under the Sea, Nick! Under. The. Sea!" Joe waves his arms around, for better articulation.
Demi rolls her eyes and Nick grins.
"It's fine though, because I'm going to have the best costume no matter how lame the theme. I figured it out." He pauses for dramatic effect, which Nick swears he inherited from Uncle Barney.
"I'm going to dress up as King Tritan. I'll just go shirtless and carry around a spear or something. You can be Ariel," Joe says to Demi, wiggling his eyebrows.
Chloe laughs like she thinks Joe's joking, but Nick's kind of sure he's not. Chloe's new; she'll catch on pretty soon. Demi smiles and punches Joe in the stomach.
"Eew, you dork. She's his daughter! That's incest!"
Joe catches Demi's hand mid-punch and before he knows it, the two of them are rolling around in the grass, wrestling.
Nick laughs and turns to Chloe.
"Sorry about this. The rest of us are pretty immune to the disease that is Joe and Demi, but it's got to be pretty rough for you to get used to and all. You'll figure out how to ignore it, though."
"Nah," Chloe says, smiling, and Nick notices that she has a really great smile. "They're cute. Disgusting, but cute."
They sit for a little and laugh at Joe and Demi rolling around before Chloe turns to him.
"So are you going to Prom? I mean, yeah, Under the Sea is kind of ridiculous but it can't be thaaat bad. Rite of Passage, necessary parent photo-op, you know, duty to society kind of thing."
Nick laughs. Chloe's actually really funny and he writes himself a mental post-it to make sure she gets invited when the group hangs out and stuff. Her hair's really pretty too and the way she's looking at him, it's like maybe she's talking about prom for a reason, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Honestly he hasn't been thinking about girls these days, besides Emma, which, Nick thinks in retrospect, is almost worse than not thinking about girls at all. He should make an effort.
"I don't know if I'm going or not. I mean, if Joe goes, I'll probably end up having to but we'll see. Are you?"
Chloe looks at him carefully. "I mean, I'd go if someone I liked asked me. Is there anyone you want to take?'
It's got to be the worst timing in the world or Nick just has bad luck (or probably both, actually) but at that exact moment, Nick catches Emma walk by the courtyard and stop in the sidewalk in front of him, immaculately clean lunch bag in hand, to talk to the football coach. She glances around the courtyard and catches Nick's eye and Nick feels his face flush red. She gives him this small wave and Nick grins.
It's so so stupid because it's just Emma waving and there's no reason for him to react like this and he tries to focus on Chloe but it's already too late because it's like his feelings are written on his face, and her eyes follow the direction his were staring.
"Oh man, Nick, the guidance counselor?"
"W-what?" He's got to try to play it off because it's just a stupid crush on a teacher, nothing big, nothing big, nothing---
"You have a thing for the guidance counselor!" Chloe shouts, almost triumphantly. Nick's got a feeling that the fact that she's just totally okay with this because Emma's faculty which kind of equates to 'not a chance in hell,' but man, she doesn't have to shout it.
"Iiiii don't know what you're talking---"
"Hey Joe?!" Chloe calls, over her shoulder. "Did you know Nick is into the guidance counselor?"
Joe immediately stops wrestling, so Demi's being held in the air, mid-airplane.
"What, Nicky? Are you serious?"
"Noooo way," Nick tries to say because it's so much better for the crush to stay in his head, like it'll disappear faster or something, but there's seriously no hope for that, the way his face feels like it's on fire.
"Yeah, he is," Chloe grins. "Look how bad he's blushing!"
Joe and Demi maneuver to him, somehow still wrestling and leaning over Nick, Demi's hair falling over his shoulder.
"Get it Nicky!" Joe says, his breath warm on Nick's ear. Nick tries squirming away but Joe just gets a little closer, leaning on his back. "Go faculty or go home, like I always say," Joe winks obnoxiously, and Demi swats the back of his head.
"Ouch! Watch it Demetria!"
"What's her name, Chlo?" Demi asks, ignoring Joe's injured whines.
"It's Emma," Chloe grins. "She helped me with all the new student stuff. She's cute, Nick!"
Nick rolls his eyes. "Thanks, Chloe. I don't really think I'm looking for approval or anything. It's not even like I know her or anything, she's just kind of cute. In a teacher way. Or whatever."
He's pretty sure Chloe and Joe could probably talk about it for the rest of lunch or something, but he can see Demi watch him be defensive about it. Demi cuts in --and thank God for Demi, he thinks---before Joe can ask if Nick can trade sexual favors and get a few detentions redacted on his behalf.
"That's enough, you two," Demi says, at Chloe and Joe.
Joe grins, "I like Chloe, Dem. Keep her around."
Demi rolls her eyes. "Anything for you, Joe. Can we figure out what we're doing this Saturday though? Dallas is throwing a party and I do not want to be home to nurse her random drunken friends."
The conversation flows and even though Chloe's not sitting as close to him as before, the rest of the lunch strays away from Nick's love life. Nick still notices when Emma walks away, though, Coach Tanaka standing there like he just got rejected or something. When Joe asks why he's smiling, Nick says it's nothing.
****
"Ooh, you came again today!" Emma says, on Friday after school, when she walks in to the room to see Nick on the desk watching Finn and Rachel do solo warmups.
"Yep," he smiles, and Nick can hear it in his voice--this ridiculous affection for her. It's only been about a month and a half of Glee, but him and Emma have become this...this thing. Not a dating-kind of thing, but a, well, another constant part of his life, is the best way of explaining it, he guesses. A nice kind of constant.
"I have to play at the end of rehearsal, but I'm all yours for the first half."
She hands him his sandwich, tomato and cheese (she's vegetarian), and smiles.
"Good. I have to organize my office for a little, so we can go do that now, if you like."
She looks at him expectantly, and Nick loves the way she says 'we' without even asking if he plans on coming, like they're some sort of item or something. They walks together down the hallway, close enough for him to lean over and bump her shoulder when she says something funny, but not too close for it to be weird. They're still at school.
They walk into her office and Emma immediately begins alphebetizing her pamphlets. Nick grabs one about 'So you think you have AIDS' and collapses into Emma's swively chair. He almost puts his feet on the desk, but sees the way she's eyeing the chair like she already wants to Clorox it so, he figures he's done enough damage. He takes a bite of his sandwich (delicious) and watches the way Emma organizes. It's really cute, he thinks, the way she falls into this world of messy anarchy and cleans it up and straightens it out. She looks so comfortable like this, being herself. It's nice.
He doesn't think he's staring until Emma meets his gaze, looking a little flustered. She finishes up the pamphlets and walks over to her desk. In this prim fashion, that's just so Emma she hops on the desk and faces Nick, her legs pleasantly knocking against his knees.
"I'm glad you're here today. It gives me something to do, when you come to rehearsal," she says, tucking her hair behind her ears.
He feels himself smile and lean in towards her a little. "Oh, really? So you're using me, huh?"
Emma laughs and shakes her head. "Yeeees, you got me. That's all you're good for Nick, wasting my time."
She leans in and whispers kind of conspiratorially, "But really, I'd be so bored at rehearsals without you! Will never really lets me do anything."
She leans back and her voice gets a little louder. "I go on the trips and stuff, but I don't really do much besides watch rehearsals."
"Wait, seriously?"
Nick has a hard time getting this because Emma is just so awesome with the kids. He's pretty sure that all of them at one point or another have gone to talk to her, and in her quiet way, has probably reassured them. He's seen Quinn run up to her hysterically crying about somethingsomethingbabyPucksomethingCheerios before, and the way Emma mollifed her was really, well, really something. Not that Nick should find it attractive the way Emma talks to students because, um, hello, she probably keeps him under the same category of hysterical Quinn or whiney Artie, honestly. At least that's the idea Nick tries to re-enforce this idea to himself on a regular basis though, because the way Emma talks to him, like he's really something else, it's just a little much to actually process.
"Yeah," she says, a little sadly. Her body loses its posture for a minute, and she slumps a little, staring at her hands. Nick's knows its not a good idea, knows that physical contact won't make his feelings go away, but he places his hands over hers, feeling how their kind of shaking, but warm, under his.
She squeezes his hand gently, and her hands are so soft that Nick barely feels it but even that slight friction makes him feel every tendon and bone in his hand, like they're on edge.
"I mentioned piano to him, how I used to play it and when he asked me to be assistant coach I thought--well," she shrugs. "He's pretty busy, anyways, with that crazy lunatic wife of his and their baby, so."
Nick's probably biased against Shue at this point because it's getting kind of obvious how Emma feels about him, but he feels ridiculously angry at what she just told him. It's just so ridiculously frustrating how Emma seems to think that Shue is the only guy out there for her.
"Y-you know you don't have to wait around for him, Emma," he says, and it comes out harsher than he meant it. His body is still wound up from her confession and his voice sounds a little strangled.
Nick can see Emma's body immediately tense up and go rigid. He knows he crossed the line, but God, they're friends, right? Nick wants her to be happy and in a completely neutral way, he knows Emma can do better than a married oblivious man. Honest.
"You don't have any right to say that to me, Nick. No right at all. My choices are my choices."
Emma glares at him, her huge eyes filling with this mixture of hurt and anger and something Nick can't even place and it really hurts to see her look at him like that. He didn't want to be the person to make her feel that way. He doesn't and but the way she's defending the way she feels and making this whole situation like it's his fault just makes him even more frustrated.
"Yeah, it is your choice, Emma. But he doesn't deserve you. He doesn't treat you the way that ---well, you deserve! Loving a guy that doesn't pay attention to you is a waste of your time."
His breath is coming out in gasps which is embarrassing but Nick can't even begin to address that with the way Emma is glaring.
Her eyes are hard and she looks at him for what feels like forever without saying anything.
"I'd like you to leave please, Nick." She doesn't meet his gaze anymore and Nick feels himself almost panicking.
"Listen, Emma-"
"I have a lot of pining to do. You know, since I'm too busy being desperate or whatever you think I am."
"Emma, you know I don't think you're d-"
"Leave please, Nick." Her voice is cold and there isn't any room for negotiating there. Nick's heart is going out of control, like he's about to have a heart attack that is going on forever and all he wants to do is tell her that Khe'd make time for her and he'd be better for her but he can't.
Nick doesn't know what else he can do, but he really can't stay, with Emma looking at him like that, like he broke her trust. So he gets up and leaves, tripping over his feet a little in the process of rushing to the door.
He starts running, and he probably looks, just, so stupid, running down the school hallways like this, but he can't feel anything and his body is numb and what he needs to do, is get the hell out of this school. He has to grab his bookbag though and even though, God, he just needs to get out of her, he needs the key to the car a lot more, so he jogs back to the chorus room, where the club is in the middle of rehearsing a number for sectionals. Mr. Shuester turns around, in the middle of conducting to grin at Nick.
"Sounds great, huh, Nick? You ready to join in, buddy? Your song's up next."
"Y-yeah, sounds it good." Nick's heart is still pounding and he can't even bring himself to meet Mr. Shue's eyes, epecially not after what him and Emma's argument was about. "I actually have to go home for something, though. Family thing," Nick mumbles, already heading towards the door.
He honestly can't be in the same room as Mr. Shuester right now. Because, yeah okay he's nice and whatever, but in this moment, Nick just hates him. He hates him for effortlessly winning over Emma, for not even paying attention to the girl when all Nick wants sometimes, is for Emma to look at him the way she stares at Shue. The worst part is that in the back of Nick's head, he knows that Mr. Shue means well. That everything he does is in good nature, and maybe, if he really wanted to, he can see that Shue just cares for too many things at once to be able to focus on Emma. It's just bad luck, if he's being honest, for the both of them.
But he's not thinking of anything right now except for that Emma kind of hates him at the moment, and it's Mr. Shuester's fault. So no, he is not ready to join in.
He barely hears Shue's response as he picks up his guitar and heads for the door, his car, and out of this damn school.
****
When he gets home after what could probably be counted as reckless driving (he's pretty sure the old lady he honked his horn at started crying..), all he wants to do is be alone. Maybe blow off steam at the batting range or play guitar in his room or---
His mom and dad are standing by the front door with creepishly big grins on their faces, like, the kind they have when they invite random couple over for dinner parties. Except this time it's directed at Nick. Noooow he understands why they don't have any other couple friends.
"Guess where we're going, Nicky!?" Dad's says with crazy eyes with Mom literally nodding away like a bobblehead. Yeaah.
Before Nick can answer laser tag or some other equally mundane activities that they tend to do, he hears Uncle Ted from the couch.
"We're going camping," Uncle Ted says, in the least enthused voice ever, making it preeettty obvious that Mom and Dad dragged their friends into it.
Barney's sitting on the loveseat with Robin (yeah, she threatened physical assault when he tried the whole Aunt thing out) looking equally as thrilled. He's wearing a suit as usual but it's looking like Robin's forced a camo hunting hat on him in an attempt to fit the theme. It's weird.
"You've got to be kidding me," Nick says, groaning. "I have important plans for this weekend, Dad." Which, okay he doesn't, but camping is the last thing he wants to be doing right now.
He always appeals to Dad when it comes to things like this. Dad's kind of a pushover.
"Don't even think about it, slugger," Robin butts in before Dad can start to consider it then with the help of Nick's puppy dog face let him stay home. She's wearing a flannel jacket and a furry vest with with a snow cap and if he didn't know better, he'd say her occupation status was 'professional lumberjack' than 'news anchor.'
"You all need to figure out what it's like to brave the outdoors. Back home---"
"Dear GOD Robin, CANADA IS NOT YOUR HOME," Barney interrupts. "They don't even have a human population--IT'S JUST MOOSE AND OTTERS."
They've all gotten pretty good at ignoring Barney's outbursts about Canada due to the frequency, so without missing a beat, Robin continues.
"Back home, we spent weekends out in the cold, living off of Tim Hortons and canned tuna. I think it'll teach us all something,"
Besides the underhand comment of coughdotheyspeakenglishtherecough via Barney, Nick can tell from all the smiling and nodding that's radiating towards him via Mom and Dad that he's fighting a losing battle.
"At least the rest of the kids are coming, honey! They're in the kitchen packing snacks for the ride!" Mom says, giving him this small pat on the back before heading back to the bedroom to, unfortunately, keep packing.
Nick figures he might as well pick out some good snacks if he's going to be living in freaking Middle Earth for the weekend so he heads into the kitchen. He walks in the swinging doors to see Selena on top of the granite countertop reaching into the liquor cabinet, and David watching her intently, with the hand on the small of her back to make sure she doesn't fall. Or that she doesn't drop the bottles. Joe's slouched against the refrigerator, chugging water, with three more Aquafinas and a bottle of ketchup next to him. Nick clears his throat and waits for them to do this ridiculous scuffle to cover up the bottles behind them, realize it's just him, then go back to what they're doing before he says anything.
"Great, guys. It's called good clean fun. Ever heard of it?" Nick says, palming the back of his neck. His parents were cool with a lot of things, but he knows drinking isn't one of them. Dad practically had a heart attack when he saw Joe sneaking some of his Tantrums up to his room last year for God's sake and those were just energy drinks (Dad always says it's so much more than that or something, but that's besides the point.) He doesn't really ask what Joe's doing. It usually explains itself eventually. Except for the times that it doesn't.
"Nicky, ever heard of fun on a camping trip?" David says, seriously, still keeping one hand on Sel as a spot while he turns his head to talk. "Yeah, neither have I. Which is why we aren't going."
"Waaait, how are you two getting out of this? Our parents are definitely forcing Joe and me into this one."
"Nah," David responds. "None of us are going to go. Joe, tell him The Plan."
"The Plan," Joe says, getting up from his corner but bringing the bottle of water and ketchup with, to Nick to clasp his shoulder, "is this."
"Right when we're getting ready to leave, I'm going to start barfing."
"How---"
Joe puts one finger to Nick's lips. "Listen to the master, Nick." Joe holds up the ketchup bottle.
"This. This is how I'm going to do it. Ketchup," he makes a sick face, "is disgusting and we're lucky I'm not barfing it up right now. Anyways, the throw up will be red and smelly and---"
"God, Joe. I get it. And then?"
Joe grins. "And then, Mom'll be all "Oh no! We have to stay back! My poor baby! My favorite son!---"
"Joe."
"---you get the point. But this is where you and Selena come in. Sel'll be all like "Aunt Lily, you've been looking forward to this so much!" and do that ridiculous cute face that she does."
Selena, as if on cue turns from her spot on the countertop to give Nick a wide doe eyed-look. They've got to be kidding.
"And then, you'll give Dad that old-man thing that you do. Be all, "Dad, don't worry, I'll watch Joe. How about us kids stay back and you guys go have a weekend to yourselves? You should probably go put on that old man cardigan that you have, you know, for extra effect."
Nick rolls his eyes. "I don't know, guys. You might need a little more than that."
"You think that's all we have?" David says, incredulously. "Have you MET us?"
Joe shakes his head all disappointed. "I'm offended, Nick. There's one more part to this."
"And that is...?"
There's two knocks, followed by a series of raps on the door, and before Nick can rush to blockade it, Joe and David ceremoniously voice, "Come in!"
Barney enters, carrying a beer and the camouflage hat that he seemed to have ripped off his head the minute he walked in. "How's the plan going, guys?"
"No. Way." Nick says, not even sure who to glare at this time. "Uncle Barney, you've got to be---"
"It's Barney, kid. I'm not your grandfather. And you better be ready for The Plan, Nick. It's going to be LEGEN---wait for it!"
"DARY!," Joe and David finish off, doing some ridiculous trifecta high-five with Barney.
The three of them grin at each other for a little bit before Nick clears his throat. Again.
Barney snaps out of it. "Aah, yeah. You've told him your part of things, right boys?"
Joe and David nod like little minions. Nick swears that if his parents didn't have a say in it, the pair would just follow Barney around or something. Actually, he's pretty sure 'Barney's School of Hard Knocks' was brought up a few times in college discussions by Joe, so.
"So anyways," Barney continues. "After all of that happens, Lily and Marshall will still be pretty unsure. And Ted, because Ted's not sure of anything. And we all know you're mother," Barney nods to David and Selena, "could care less about this. Aaaaand we don't really count Robin."
Barney breaks into a big grin, and Nick can tell he's missed plotting things like this. His parents go out with their friends a lot more than most, well, older people do, but from the stories Dad tells, it's no where near the level of intense they're used to. Or, as Dad summarizes, "Three words. Wingmen, Tantrum, and Mullets." Yeeaah.
"I don't know..." Nick says, because seriously, after having Joe as their kid for this long, they aren't as gullible as Barney remembers, probably.
"Nicholas, be patient my child," Barney says, shaking his head sadly, as if he doesn't know what to do with Nick.
"If Maaarsh and Liiil," Nick doesn't even bother asking why Barney drags out his parents names like that because it'll bring some stupid twenty minute explanation, "--it's all in the nicknames, kids-- still don't let up, I'll be like, "Lil. Marsh. We never hang out anymore. When we go with your kids, it's just--" Barney's breath catches and his face crumples. He turns away, raising a finger to give him a moment.
David and Joe kind of keep glancing at each other, like they don't know what to say. Because, it's Barney. Getting emotional. Whiiich doesn't happen.
"Sorry," Barney croaks, "It just reminds me of what I don't have yet. Can we just have th--this trip, just us, like it used to be?" He stares up through his lashes at them, leaning on the side of the kitchen table, like he can't support himself.
There's complete silence and Joe sneaks a look at Nick, like he doesn't know what just happened, as if Nick has a clue. Selena looks like she's about to cry, wiping her eyes, mumbling something about kitchen dust from her spot on the countertop, her legs dangling over the edge.
"Man, Uncle B," David says in a hushed tone, "do you really feel that way?"
Barney wipes his eyes and stares into David's for a moment. "Dave, I--I-- NO." He throws his head back in this wild (and unneccesary, as far as Nick's concerned) laugh. Barney's giggling continues, quickly transitioning into him holding his sides in laughter and David and Joe staring at him like he's some sort of God.
It's Selena who clears her throat this time and says, "Guys. We have to do this soon. I'm pretty sure Uncle Marshall's practically waiting in the the car to go at this point."
Nick's quick to agree because, yeah, knowing his dad, he probably is.
The laughing ceases immediately and Barney straightens up to salute the rest of the group.
"It's do or die, boys and girl. It's do or die."
Joe, David, and Sel all solemnly salute back. Joe elbows Nick until Nick feels himself bring his fingers up in a salute. He also feels himself rolling his eyes into oblivion.
It's Game Time.
***
The Plan goes off ridiculously well, surprisingly. Joe throws up right on cue, with added points onto David's luggage (Seriously, man? David says,) and Mom and Dad freak out. One after the other, David, Sel, and then Nick hit their marks, and Nick watches as his parents' faces go from apprehension to glancing out the window to the car. Barney seals the deal, though. His rehearsal was practically nothing compared to the actual performance; things like a single tear dropping off of his face and onto a framed picture of his parents' friends, proceeding to take off his blazer, crying things like "These suits mean nothing without you guys," well. It was a little much for Nick but his parents ate it up. Naive, really.
So that's how, within probably twenty minutes, he, Joe, David, and Selena are sitting in a circle, the bottles of liquor in the center and chasers of cherry mountain dew poured into cups next to them. Joe had texted Demi earlier, but she and Chloe were already halfway up the coast to the pier for a show with some kids from the pair's improv class. Joe calls her quickly, moving to the foyer to talk in sweet undertones with Demi. Nick only catches bits of it, like "call me if you need anything" and "Don't sit next to that douche Sterling" and "love you, Dem." It doesn't surprise him or anything, the way Joe talks to Demi; Malark and Luz, some of Joe's buddies, call it his 'girl-voice' when they're messing around. It's just nice knowing someone like Joe. Someone who doesn't care about hiding any of his feelings.
Joe comes back into the circle and plops down in between Nick and David, with Selena on the other side of Nick.
"The girls aren't going to make it and the rest of the boys are at some stupid wrestling match so it looks like it's just us tonight," Joe grins.
"Who's ready to get waaasted?"
Joe and David whoop and do an obnoxious high-five. Selena just rolls her eyes at them and Nick laughs. He loves Demi and Chloe's awesome, but it's been a while since just the four of them have hung out. Joe and Demi are always being Joe-and-Demi, and Sel's been going on a lot more dates with a few boys at school (David and Nick aren't sure yet whether they approve, but Nick's definitely leaning towards the protective end of things) and with Miley and David's ...flings, well. It'll be nice to just be the four of them for a night. He plans on having enough in him to not think about Emma too much. Or at least something less than All The Time, which is what's happening now.
"Alright, how are we going to do this?"
They end up putting on The Boondock Saints and settle for taking sips every time there's a curse word and shots for 'fuck.' Nick's never seen the movie before, but David assures him that they won't get drunk too quickly and he and Selena settle on the floor of the couch, Nick leaning his back comfortably against Joe's, who's lounged on the couch with David above him.
It's about twenty minutes into the movie, and Nick's pretty sure they're aaaaall feeling it. After the ninth shot, Joe says something about how he doesn't want Selena to throw up or anything and they should probably stop. Even though it's Joe who's looking a little woozy, they agree and pour the rest of their shot into their mountain dews. They've got the volume down a little until the movie becomes background noise and man, Nick feels so light . Selena's super giggly, and is leaned completely into his body, that Nick puts his arm around her, like he can steady her even though he's pretty sure he can't steady himself right now.
David and Joe start messing around a little, and Joe just leaps off of the couch, grabbing David to wrestle.
"C'mon, Dave," Joe slurs, a little. He's a total lightweight, Nick remembers, but before he can even get his mouth to make a crack about it (his tongue feels so heavy, it's like it's fallen asleep,) Joe has thrown David to the floor and they're rolling around like a bunch of little kids.
David flips Joe over and scruffles his hair madly. "Oooooh! Big J, all talk no show!" David growls, pinning Joe on the ground.
"Nickkyyyyy help me!" Joe shouts, muffled in David's armpit. "I don't want to die this way Nick--NOT BY ARMPIT!"
Nick can't stop laughing, laughing and laughing. His sides hurt so bad and his body is tingling and Sel smells like vanilla and Joe and David are pulling at his feet, trying to drag him into their wresting rink, and maybe, sometimes, at times like this, he's doesn't find himself wishing he's a little older, or old enough for her.
It takes another hour, but eventually all of them have calmed down enough to have a mellow buzz. They've settle around in a circle, the carpet scratching at Nick's skin when he flips over on his stomach, using the couch throw for a pillow.
"Soo," Joe says, sighing, into the carpet, with one hand stuck in Nick's curls and the other on Sel's back, drawing circles.
"Mmmmm," David says, into the carpet, louder, and his arm draped comfortably over Selena. Nick feels like he could fall asleep.
"Where do you think we'll be in five years?" Sel says, almost sleepily, like she's practically dreaming right now. "Like, when we're all twenty-five, or something?"
Joe flips on his stomach and his head almost flops over to the side, the buzz still there. "Me and Dem'll be married," he says, and even though his words are still kind of garbled, Nick can't hear any hesitation in his voice. "We'll probably have a little kid. Probably named Jomi. Or Demoe."
Nick hears himself laugh, some kind of drunken giggle that's not really his, leave his body. "Sel, you'll probably be some kind of rockstar or something, the way you play those drums."
Selena looks over at him, and smiles, "Thanks, Nicky. I don't really want to do that though. I mean I liiiike it, but, y'know." She buries her face in the crooks of her arms.
"I guess we'll see. Dave'll probably be some car salesman or something," she grins. "If Ted doesn't force him to be an architect."
David groans. "Ugh, Dad really wants that to happen, Sel. I don't wanna," he pouts, his eyes kind of red and tired and Selena just pouts right back at him and they look ridiculous. Nick just laughs some more and pulls the throw closer. He doesn't really know what he wants, anymore.
"Nick? What about you?"
"I don't know, Sel. I love music and our parents are pretty chill about what we want to do but--- I don't know what I want anymore. With guitar and then Glee and then Emma---" Nick's not really sure why he says Emma's name right there, and clearly he's a lot more tipsy, still, than he thought he was. Thank God David and Joe are the same way, because neither one give any indication of noticing. Selena does though, because girl can hold her liquor like no other and she leans into him a little and rests her head on his shoulder, before looking up at him.
"You're pretty into her, huh Nicky?"
"Yeah," he says, and all of a sudden, Nick feels tired. Tired of nothing really happening with Emma, tired of actually expecting something to happen, just, tired.
"Be careful, Nick. Don't do anything without thinking about it, okay?" Selena looks up at him through her eyelashes and Nick kisses her quickly on the side of her head. He's kind of really lucky to have her in his life, this one.
They sit kind in silence for a little, the tv's white noise fuzzing out, David softly snoring on the couch. The last thing Nick remembers is Joe saying in a hoarse half-asleep voice is "Definitely Demoe."
Part Three!
Pairing/Character: Nick/Emma, but more of an ensemble fic.
Word Count: ~19,000
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Nick never saw himself joining Glee.
Author's Notes: Contains references across the board to ...everything? It takes place in a someone crossverse of McKinley High, mixed with Easy Academy teachers, mixed with Disney students, and HIMYM parents. Yeeeeah. I don't know either.
Takes place in the spectrum of Season 5 of HIMYM, Season 1 of Glee (loosely), and the endless cycle of Disney relationships.
Part One
Glee becomes a regular part of Nick's life routine. He's required to attend rehearsals twice a week for when they practice the acoustic bits, but Nick finds himself hanging out there on most other afternoons, just because. He's settled into these afternoons, lounging on top of the desk, watching rehearsals with Emma.
Emma likes him, Nick thinks. He's not sure if it's a you're-a-student-but-you're-worth-ignoring-that-fact kind of like, but he knows that she enjoys his company. They talk a lot, in quiet undertones mostly, as not to disturb the rehearsals. He tells her about his crazy parents, their crazy friends, his crazy brother, and even though a lot of the stories are stupid anecdotes, Nick finds himself telling her more than he thought he would. He talks about the time that his mom decided to take a break from her dad before they got married, to move from San Fransisco, about how it really freaks him out to imagine them not together. He tells her about how David's one of the best guys he knows, and how he and Sel are practically the same person, in different bodies. He talks about Joe too, but not in the "man-you-have-to-hear-what-Joe-did" way, but about how much he'll miss him when he goes to college next year. He catches himself a few times, has moments where he looks at his watch and realizes that he's been talking for thirty minutes straight. He never does this with just anyone; it's not that he's shy or anything, it's just he doesn't have a lot to say, usually. There's something about Emma though, the way she looks at him while he's talking, like he's the greatest thing, like she could listen for half an hour more, well, it makes him feel so good.
She talks too, though. She talks about college and how her first roommate was a gigantic slob and she ended out switching suites within three hours, about how her first love was Patrick Swayze a la Dirty Dancing (Nick wiggles his eyebrows at that and she giggles a little), but mostly, their conversations end up with music. He hears about how in to it she was as a kid through high school, and how she thought that's where she'd end up in life, being a musician (rock star, obviously, she says with a serious face on and Nick feels his heart tighten.) Emma talks about piano like it's something she gets lost in, or used to at least, because she keeps using past tense. She gets sad when she starts talking about her mom, Nick notices, as her voice gets higher and her words begin to accelerate.
"She loves me, I know, but she never understood why I like everything neat. She never really understood at all."
Nick's noticed Emma's OCD. He's never really heard her call it that or talk about it in general, but he knows that's what it is and that she knows it too. Honestly though, it doesn't bother him. Everyone has their quirks he figures, and Emma's is just more noticeable. Hell, Nick freaks out if his socks drawer is unorganized so it's not like he has any right to talk.
"How'd she deal with it?," he asks, as she hands him half of a lettuce and tomato sandwich, cut in triangles, crust off. She's begun to bring him food, in addition to hers, in a tupperware box, as if it's natural.
It's not until their knees bump that Nick realizes how close they're sitting. Their legs have turned towards each other, and Emma is resting her chin on her hand and she's close to his body, to his face, and his whole body feels like it's wired.
He doesn't really have any reason for his body to be acting like this, because this well, crush (which he's had to force himself to admit exists) is Not Going to Happen, like the N.G.H's his mom uses when talking about road trips with Uncle Barney. She's a freaking part of the faculty here. There's probably about twenty different laws against him even liking Emma, not to mention kissing her.
"She thought I'd get better if she took away all the things that I get ...overinvested in. She walked in on me getting ready to practice one afternoon and I was cleaning the keys to start playing---" Emma pauses, blushing slightly. "---keyboards are so unsanitary though---"
"They are," Nick shrugs.
"---and she took away piano. I went to college pretty much undeclared and took up counseling because, well," she backtracks. "I like it though. I'm not the only one with problems and it's nice to know I can help figure out the kids' issues even if I can't sort out my own."
They sit quietly for a second, and Nick puts his hand on her knee. He's pretty sure he's breaking about ten real rules and another five unspoken boundaries that they've established, but what the hell, he thinks. She's wearing tights and the nylon feeling is almost slippery for a second, but he keeps it there anyway, for a moment. Nick doesn't look at her because that'll make it a little too real and instead pretends to watch Kurt and Rachel battle out solo parts like the rest of the group is, Kurt's incredible falsetto rising above Rachel's. He's pretty hyperaware of Emma at the moment. She looks like she's tensing up and Nick feels like a rollercoaster's going through his stomach just knowing that he has that effect--or some kind of effect on her. Shue turns around to smile something at Emma (and still, he doesn't know what's going on there and it's so, so frustrating) and glances down at Nick's hand. He moves it away pretty quickly, which probably makes the gesture a lot worse than it looked and Emma shifts her knees away like she's been shocked. They spend the rest of rehearsal silent, watching Rachel beat out Kurt and watching Kurt walk away, disapointed.
****
Some days, Nick eats lunch on campus with Demi, Joe, and Chloe, this new girl at school that Dem says is great. It's mid-March and it's really nice out, the kind of California spring that makes Nick want to just play baseball for days, or something. They eat on the front lawn of school,where the kids that stay on campus hang out during lunch. Nick's been pretty apprehensive about going off campus after the Prince incident, and he's found himself eating with the girls more. Chloe doesn't have a car and Dem and her are getting pretty close and Joe, well Joe usually just follows Demi around, so.
Nick drops his bookbag in the grass, on a spot near Joe, who immediately makes a lunge for the brown paper bag for his bookbag.
"Gross, Joe!" Demi says exasperated, as Joe shoves half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in his mouth.
"Sorry, Nicky," Joe grins, half-apolegetically, his words sticking together.
"Whatever," Nick says, rolling his eyes, pulling out another sandwich for himself from the side pocket of his bag. Nick's completely given up on Joe regularly remembering to get his lunch from the kitchen table, which their dad make for them every morning. Nick kind of just figured out it's better for him to carry the lunches in the family. Aaaand the wallet, but that was more of Joe's decision than his own.
"Nick, I was just telling Chloe about the ridiculous ideas student council's coming with for Prom. Under the Sea, Nick! Under. The. Sea!" Joe waves his arms around, for better articulation.
Demi rolls her eyes and Nick grins.
"It's fine though, because I'm going to have the best costume no matter how lame the theme. I figured it out." He pauses for dramatic effect, which Nick swears he inherited from Uncle Barney.
"I'm going to dress up as King Tritan. I'll just go shirtless and carry around a spear or something. You can be Ariel," Joe says to Demi, wiggling his eyebrows.
Chloe laughs like she thinks Joe's joking, but Nick's kind of sure he's not. Chloe's new; she'll catch on pretty soon. Demi smiles and punches Joe in the stomach.
"Eew, you dork. She's his daughter! That's incest!"
Joe catches Demi's hand mid-punch and before he knows it, the two of them are rolling around in the grass, wrestling.
Nick laughs and turns to Chloe.
"Sorry about this. The rest of us are pretty immune to the disease that is Joe and Demi, but it's got to be pretty rough for you to get used to and all. You'll figure out how to ignore it, though."
"Nah," Chloe says, smiling, and Nick notices that she has a really great smile. "They're cute. Disgusting, but cute."
They sit for a little and laugh at Joe and Demi rolling around before Chloe turns to him.
"So are you going to Prom? I mean, yeah, Under the Sea is kind of ridiculous but it can't be thaaat bad. Rite of Passage, necessary parent photo-op, you know, duty to society kind of thing."
Nick laughs. Chloe's actually really funny and he writes himself a mental post-it to make sure she gets invited when the group hangs out and stuff. Her hair's really pretty too and the way she's looking at him, it's like maybe she's talking about prom for a reason, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Honestly he hasn't been thinking about girls these days, besides Emma, which, Nick thinks in retrospect, is almost worse than not thinking about girls at all. He should make an effort.
"I don't know if I'm going or not. I mean, if Joe goes, I'll probably end up having to but we'll see. Are you?"
Chloe looks at him carefully. "I mean, I'd go if someone I liked asked me. Is there anyone you want to take?'
It's got to be the worst timing in the world or Nick just has bad luck (or probably both, actually) but at that exact moment, Nick catches Emma walk by the courtyard and stop in the sidewalk in front of him, immaculately clean lunch bag in hand, to talk to the football coach. She glances around the courtyard and catches Nick's eye and Nick feels his face flush red. She gives him this small wave and Nick grins.
It's so so stupid because it's just Emma waving and there's no reason for him to react like this and he tries to focus on Chloe but it's already too late because it's like his feelings are written on his face, and her eyes follow the direction his were staring.
"Oh man, Nick, the guidance counselor?"
"W-what?" He's got to try to play it off because it's just a stupid crush on a teacher, nothing big, nothing big, nothing---
"You have a thing for the guidance counselor!" Chloe shouts, almost triumphantly. Nick's got a feeling that the fact that she's just totally okay with this because Emma's faculty which kind of equates to 'not a chance in hell,' but man, she doesn't have to shout it.
"Iiiii don't know what you're talking---"
"Hey Joe?!" Chloe calls, over her shoulder. "Did you know Nick is into the guidance counselor?"
Joe immediately stops wrestling, so Demi's being held in the air, mid-airplane.
"What, Nicky? Are you serious?"
"Noooo way," Nick tries to say because it's so much better for the crush to stay in his head, like it'll disappear faster or something, but there's seriously no hope for that, the way his face feels like it's on fire.
"Yeah, he is," Chloe grins. "Look how bad he's blushing!"
Joe and Demi maneuver to him, somehow still wrestling and leaning over Nick, Demi's hair falling over his shoulder.
"Get it Nicky!" Joe says, his breath warm on Nick's ear. Nick tries squirming away but Joe just gets a little closer, leaning on his back. "Go faculty or go home, like I always say," Joe winks obnoxiously, and Demi swats the back of his head.
"Ouch! Watch it Demetria!"
"What's her name, Chlo?" Demi asks, ignoring Joe's injured whines.
"It's Emma," Chloe grins. "She helped me with all the new student stuff. She's cute, Nick!"
Nick rolls his eyes. "Thanks, Chloe. I don't really think I'm looking for approval or anything. It's not even like I know her or anything, she's just kind of cute. In a teacher way. Or whatever."
He's pretty sure Chloe and Joe could probably talk about it for the rest of lunch or something, but he can see Demi watch him be defensive about it. Demi cuts in --and thank God for Demi, he thinks---before Joe can ask if Nick can trade sexual favors and get a few detentions redacted on his behalf.
"That's enough, you two," Demi says, at Chloe and Joe.
Joe grins, "I like Chloe, Dem. Keep her around."
Demi rolls her eyes. "Anything for you, Joe. Can we figure out what we're doing this Saturday though? Dallas is throwing a party and I do not want to be home to nurse her random drunken friends."
The conversation flows and even though Chloe's not sitting as close to him as before, the rest of the lunch strays away from Nick's love life. Nick still notices when Emma walks away, though, Coach Tanaka standing there like he just got rejected or something. When Joe asks why he's smiling, Nick says it's nothing.
****
"Ooh, you came again today!" Emma says, on Friday after school, when she walks in to the room to see Nick on the desk watching Finn and Rachel do solo warmups.
"Yep," he smiles, and Nick can hear it in his voice--this ridiculous affection for her. It's only been about a month and a half of Glee, but him and Emma have become this...this thing. Not a dating-kind of thing, but a, well, another constant part of his life, is the best way of explaining it, he guesses. A nice kind of constant.
"I have to play at the end of rehearsal, but I'm all yours for the first half."
She hands him his sandwich, tomato and cheese (she's vegetarian), and smiles.
"Good. I have to organize my office for a little, so we can go do that now, if you like."
She looks at him expectantly, and Nick loves the way she says 'we' without even asking if he plans on coming, like they're some sort of item or something. They walks together down the hallway, close enough for him to lean over and bump her shoulder when she says something funny, but not too close for it to be weird. They're still at school.
They walk into her office and Emma immediately begins alphebetizing her pamphlets. Nick grabs one about 'So you think you have AIDS' and collapses into Emma's swively chair. He almost puts his feet on the desk, but sees the way she's eyeing the chair like she already wants to Clorox it so, he figures he's done enough damage. He takes a bite of his sandwich (delicious) and watches the way Emma organizes. It's really cute, he thinks, the way she falls into this world of messy anarchy and cleans it up and straightens it out. She looks so comfortable like this, being herself. It's nice.
He doesn't think he's staring until Emma meets his gaze, looking a little flustered. She finishes up the pamphlets and walks over to her desk. In this prim fashion, that's just so Emma she hops on the desk and faces Nick, her legs pleasantly knocking against his knees.
"I'm glad you're here today. It gives me something to do, when you come to rehearsal," she says, tucking her hair behind her ears.
He feels himself smile and lean in towards her a little. "Oh, really? So you're using me, huh?"
Emma laughs and shakes her head. "Yeeees, you got me. That's all you're good for Nick, wasting my time."
She leans in and whispers kind of conspiratorially, "But really, I'd be so bored at rehearsals without you! Will never really lets me do anything."
She leans back and her voice gets a little louder. "I go on the trips and stuff, but I don't really do much besides watch rehearsals."
"Wait, seriously?"
Nick has a hard time getting this because Emma is just so awesome with the kids. He's pretty sure that all of them at one point or another have gone to talk to her, and in her quiet way, has probably reassured them. He's seen Quinn run up to her hysterically crying about somethingsomethingbabyPucksomethingCheerios before, and the way Emma mollifed her was really, well, really something. Not that Nick should find it attractive the way Emma talks to students because, um, hello, she probably keeps him under the same category of hysterical Quinn or whiney Artie, honestly. At least that's the idea Nick tries to re-enforce this idea to himself on a regular basis though, because the way Emma talks to him, like he's really something else, it's just a little much to actually process.
"Yeah," she says, a little sadly. Her body loses its posture for a minute, and she slumps a little, staring at her hands. Nick's knows its not a good idea, knows that physical contact won't make his feelings go away, but he places his hands over hers, feeling how their kind of shaking, but warm, under his.
She squeezes his hand gently, and her hands are so soft that Nick barely feels it but even that slight friction makes him feel every tendon and bone in his hand, like they're on edge.
"I mentioned piano to him, how I used to play it and when he asked me to be assistant coach I thought--well," she shrugs. "He's pretty busy, anyways, with that crazy lunatic wife of his and their baby, so."
Nick's probably biased against Shue at this point because it's getting kind of obvious how Emma feels about him, but he feels ridiculously angry at what she just told him. It's just so ridiculously frustrating how Emma seems to think that Shue is the only guy out there for her.
"Y-you know you don't have to wait around for him, Emma," he says, and it comes out harsher than he meant it. His body is still wound up from her confession and his voice sounds a little strangled.
Nick can see Emma's body immediately tense up and go rigid. He knows he crossed the line, but God, they're friends, right? Nick wants her to be happy and in a completely neutral way, he knows Emma can do better than a married oblivious man. Honest.
"You don't have any right to say that to me, Nick. No right at all. My choices are my choices."
Emma glares at him, her huge eyes filling with this mixture of hurt and anger and something Nick can't even place and it really hurts to see her look at him like that. He didn't want to be the person to make her feel that way. He doesn't and but the way she's defending the way she feels and making this whole situation like it's his fault just makes him even more frustrated.
"Yeah, it is your choice, Emma. But he doesn't deserve you. He doesn't treat you the way that ---well, you deserve! Loving a guy that doesn't pay attention to you is a waste of your time."
His breath is coming out in gasps which is embarrassing but Nick can't even begin to address that with the way Emma is glaring.
Her eyes are hard and she looks at him for what feels like forever without saying anything.
"I'd like you to leave please, Nick." She doesn't meet his gaze anymore and Nick feels himself almost panicking.
"Listen, Emma-"
"I have a lot of pining to do. You know, since I'm too busy being desperate or whatever you think I am."
"Emma, you know I don't think you're d-"
"Leave please, Nick." Her voice is cold and there isn't any room for negotiating there. Nick's heart is going out of control, like he's about to have a heart attack that is going on forever and all he wants to do is tell her that Khe'd make time for her and he'd be better for her but he can't.
Nick doesn't know what else he can do, but he really can't stay, with Emma looking at him like that, like he broke her trust. So he gets up and leaves, tripping over his feet a little in the process of rushing to the door.
He starts running, and he probably looks, just, so stupid, running down the school hallways like this, but he can't feel anything and his body is numb and what he needs to do, is get the hell out of this school. He has to grab his bookbag though and even though, God, he just needs to get out of her, he needs the key to the car a lot more, so he jogs back to the chorus room, where the club is in the middle of rehearsing a number for sectionals. Mr. Shuester turns around, in the middle of conducting to grin at Nick.
"Sounds great, huh, Nick? You ready to join in, buddy? Your song's up next."
"Y-yeah, sounds it good." Nick's heart is still pounding and he can't even bring himself to meet Mr. Shue's eyes, epecially not after what him and Emma's argument was about. "I actually have to go home for something, though. Family thing," Nick mumbles, already heading towards the door.
He honestly can't be in the same room as Mr. Shuester right now. Because, yeah okay he's nice and whatever, but in this moment, Nick just hates him. He hates him for effortlessly winning over Emma, for not even paying attention to the girl when all Nick wants sometimes, is for Emma to look at him the way she stares at Shue. The worst part is that in the back of Nick's head, he knows that Mr. Shue means well. That everything he does is in good nature, and maybe, if he really wanted to, he can see that Shue just cares for too many things at once to be able to focus on Emma. It's just bad luck, if he's being honest, for the both of them.
But he's not thinking of anything right now except for that Emma kind of hates him at the moment, and it's Mr. Shuester's fault. So no, he is not ready to join in.
He barely hears Shue's response as he picks up his guitar and heads for the door, his car, and out of this damn school.
****
When he gets home after what could probably be counted as reckless driving (he's pretty sure the old lady he honked his horn at started crying..), all he wants to do is be alone. Maybe blow off steam at the batting range or play guitar in his room or---
His mom and dad are standing by the front door with creepishly big grins on their faces, like, the kind they have when they invite random couple over for dinner parties. Except this time it's directed at Nick. Noooow he understands why they don't have any other couple friends.
"Guess where we're going, Nicky!?" Dad's says with crazy eyes with Mom literally nodding away like a bobblehead. Yeaah.
Before Nick can answer laser tag or some other equally mundane activities that they tend to do, he hears Uncle Ted from the couch.
"We're going camping," Uncle Ted says, in the least enthused voice ever, making it preeettty obvious that Mom and Dad dragged their friends into it.
Barney's sitting on the loveseat with Robin (yeah, she threatened physical assault when he tried the whole Aunt thing out) looking equally as thrilled. He's wearing a suit as usual but it's looking like Robin's forced a camo hunting hat on him in an attempt to fit the theme. It's weird.
"You've got to be kidding me," Nick says, groaning. "I have important plans for this weekend, Dad." Which, okay he doesn't, but camping is the last thing he wants to be doing right now.
He always appeals to Dad when it comes to things like this. Dad's kind of a pushover.
"Don't even think about it, slugger," Robin butts in before Dad can start to consider it then with the help of Nick's puppy dog face let him stay home. She's wearing a flannel jacket and a furry vest with with a snow cap and if he didn't know better, he'd say her occupation status was 'professional lumberjack' than 'news anchor.'
"You all need to figure out what it's like to brave the outdoors. Back home---"
"Dear GOD Robin, CANADA IS NOT YOUR HOME," Barney interrupts. "They don't even have a human population--IT'S JUST MOOSE AND OTTERS."
They've all gotten pretty good at ignoring Barney's outbursts about Canada due to the frequency, so without missing a beat, Robin continues.
"Back home, we spent weekends out in the cold, living off of Tim Hortons and canned tuna. I think it'll teach us all something,"
Besides the underhand comment of coughdotheyspeakenglishtherecough via Barney, Nick can tell from all the smiling and nodding that's radiating towards him via Mom and Dad that he's fighting a losing battle.
"At least the rest of the kids are coming, honey! They're in the kitchen packing snacks for the ride!" Mom says, giving him this small pat on the back before heading back to the bedroom to, unfortunately, keep packing.
Nick figures he might as well pick out some good snacks if he's going to be living in freaking Middle Earth for the weekend so he heads into the kitchen. He walks in the swinging doors to see Selena on top of the granite countertop reaching into the liquor cabinet, and David watching her intently, with the hand on the small of her back to make sure she doesn't fall. Or that she doesn't drop the bottles. Joe's slouched against the refrigerator, chugging water, with three more Aquafinas and a bottle of ketchup next to him. Nick clears his throat and waits for them to do this ridiculous scuffle to cover up the bottles behind them, realize it's just him, then go back to what they're doing before he says anything.
"Great, guys. It's called good clean fun. Ever heard of it?" Nick says, palming the back of his neck. His parents were cool with a lot of things, but he knows drinking isn't one of them. Dad practically had a heart attack when he saw Joe sneaking some of his Tantrums up to his room last year for God's sake and those were just energy drinks (Dad always says it's so much more than that or something, but that's besides the point.) He doesn't really ask what Joe's doing. It usually explains itself eventually. Except for the times that it doesn't.
"Nicky, ever heard of fun on a camping trip?" David says, seriously, still keeping one hand on Sel as a spot while he turns his head to talk. "Yeah, neither have I. Which is why we aren't going."
"Waaait, how are you two getting out of this? Our parents are definitely forcing Joe and me into this one."
"Nah," David responds. "None of us are going to go. Joe, tell him The Plan."
"The Plan," Joe says, getting up from his corner but bringing the bottle of water and ketchup with, to Nick to clasp his shoulder, "is this."
"Right when we're getting ready to leave, I'm going to start barfing."
"How---"
Joe puts one finger to Nick's lips. "Listen to the master, Nick." Joe holds up the ketchup bottle.
"This. This is how I'm going to do it. Ketchup," he makes a sick face, "is disgusting and we're lucky I'm not barfing it up right now. Anyways, the throw up will be red and smelly and---"
"God, Joe. I get it. And then?"
Joe grins. "And then, Mom'll be all "Oh no! We have to stay back! My poor baby! My favorite son!---"
"Joe."
"---you get the point. But this is where you and Selena come in. Sel'll be all like "Aunt Lily, you've been looking forward to this so much!" and do that ridiculous cute face that she does."
Selena, as if on cue turns from her spot on the countertop to give Nick a wide doe eyed-look. They've got to be kidding.
"And then, you'll give Dad that old-man thing that you do. Be all, "Dad, don't worry, I'll watch Joe. How about us kids stay back and you guys go have a weekend to yourselves? You should probably go put on that old man cardigan that you have, you know, for extra effect."
Nick rolls his eyes. "I don't know, guys. You might need a little more than that."
"You think that's all we have?" David says, incredulously. "Have you MET us?"
Joe shakes his head all disappointed. "I'm offended, Nick. There's one more part to this."
"And that is...?"
There's two knocks, followed by a series of raps on the door, and before Nick can rush to blockade it, Joe and David ceremoniously voice, "Come in!"
Barney enters, carrying a beer and the camouflage hat that he seemed to have ripped off his head the minute he walked in. "How's the plan going, guys?"
"No. Way." Nick says, not even sure who to glare at this time. "Uncle Barney, you've got to be---"
"It's Barney, kid. I'm not your grandfather. And you better be ready for The Plan, Nick. It's going to be LEGEN---wait for it!"
"DARY!," Joe and David finish off, doing some ridiculous trifecta high-five with Barney.
The three of them grin at each other for a little bit before Nick clears his throat. Again.
Barney snaps out of it. "Aah, yeah. You've told him your part of things, right boys?"
Joe and David nod like little minions. Nick swears that if his parents didn't have a say in it, the pair would just follow Barney around or something. Actually, he's pretty sure 'Barney's School of Hard Knocks' was brought up a few times in college discussions by Joe, so.
"So anyways," Barney continues. "After all of that happens, Lily and Marshall will still be pretty unsure. And Ted, because Ted's not sure of anything. And we all know you're mother," Barney nods to David and Selena, "could care less about this. Aaaaand we don't really count Robin."
Barney breaks into a big grin, and Nick can tell he's missed plotting things like this. His parents go out with their friends a lot more than most, well, older people do, but from the stories Dad tells, it's no where near the level of intense they're used to. Or, as Dad summarizes, "Three words. Wingmen, Tantrum, and Mullets." Yeeaah.
"I don't know..." Nick says, because seriously, after having Joe as their kid for this long, they aren't as gullible as Barney remembers, probably.
"Nicholas, be patient my child," Barney says, shaking his head sadly, as if he doesn't know what to do with Nick.
"If Maaarsh and Liiil," Nick doesn't even bother asking why Barney drags out his parents names like that because it'll bring some stupid twenty minute explanation, "--it's all in the nicknames, kids-- still don't let up, I'll be like, "Lil. Marsh. We never hang out anymore. When we go with your kids, it's just--" Barney's breath catches and his face crumples. He turns away, raising a finger to give him a moment.
David and Joe kind of keep glancing at each other, like they don't know what to say. Because, it's Barney. Getting emotional. Whiiich doesn't happen.
"Sorry," Barney croaks, "It just reminds me of what I don't have yet. Can we just have th--this trip, just us, like it used to be?" He stares up through his lashes at them, leaning on the side of the kitchen table, like he can't support himself.
There's complete silence and Joe sneaks a look at Nick, like he doesn't know what just happened, as if Nick has a clue. Selena looks like she's about to cry, wiping her eyes, mumbling something about kitchen dust from her spot on the countertop, her legs dangling over the edge.
"Man, Uncle B," David says in a hushed tone, "do you really feel that way?"
Barney wipes his eyes and stares into David's for a moment. "Dave, I--I-- NO." He throws his head back in this wild (and unneccesary, as far as Nick's concerned) laugh. Barney's giggling continues, quickly transitioning into him holding his sides in laughter and David and Joe staring at him like he's some sort of God.
It's Selena who clears her throat this time and says, "Guys. We have to do this soon. I'm pretty sure Uncle Marshall's practically waiting in the the car to go at this point."
Nick's quick to agree because, yeah, knowing his dad, he probably is.
The laughing ceases immediately and Barney straightens up to salute the rest of the group.
"It's do or die, boys and girl. It's do or die."
Joe, David, and Sel all solemnly salute back. Joe elbows Nick until Nick feels himself bring his fingers up in a salute. He also feels himself rolling his eyes into oblivion.
It's Game Time.
***
The Plan goes off ridiculously well, surprisingly. Joe throws up right on cue, with added points onto David's luggage (Seriously, man? David says,) and Mom and Dad freak out. One after the other, David, Sel, and then Nick hit their marks, and Nick watches as his parents' faces go from apprehension to glancing out the window to the car. Barney seals the deal, though. His rehearsal was practically nothing compared to the actual performance; things like a single tear dropping off of his face and onto a framed picture of his parents' friends, proceeding to take off his blazer, crying things like "These suits mean nothing without you guys," well. It was a little much for Nick but his parents ate it up. Naive, really.
So that's how, within probably twenty minutes, he, Joe, David, and Selena are sitting in a circle, the bottles of liquor in the center and chasers of cherry mountain dew poured into cups next to them. Joe had texted Demi earlier, but she and Chloe were already halfway up the coast to the pier for a show with some kids from the pair's improv class. Joe calls her quickly, moving to the foyer to talk in sweet undertones with Demi. Nick only catches bits of it, like "call me if you need anything" and "Don't sit next to that douche Sterling" and "love you, Dem." It doesn't surprise him or anything, the way Joe talks to Demi; Malark and Luz, some of Joe's buddies, call it his 'girl-voice' when they're messing around. It's just nice knowing someone like Joe. Someone who doesn't care about hiding any of his feelings.
Joe comes back into the circle and plops down in between Nick and David, with Selena on the other side of Nick.
"The girls aren't going to make it and the rest of the boys are at some stupid wrestling match so it looks like it's just us tonight," Joe grins.
"Who's ready to get waaasted?"
Joe and David whoop and do an obnoxious high-five. Selena just rolls her eyes at them and Nick laughs. He loves Demi and Chloe's awesome, but it's been a while since just the four of them have hung out. Joe and Demi are always being Joe-and-Demi, and Sel's been going on a lot more dates with a few boys at school (David and Nick aren't sure yet whether they approve, but Nick's definitely leaning towards the protective end of things) and with Miley and David's ...flings, well. It'll be nice to just be the four of them for a night. He plans on having enough in him to not think about Emma too much. Or at least something less than All The Time, which is what's happening now.
"Alright, how are we going to do this?"
They end up putting on The Boondock Saints and settle for taking sips every time there's a curse word and shots for 'fuck.' Nick's never seen the movie before, but David assures him that they won't get drunk too quickly and he and Selena settle on the floor of the couch, Nick leaning his back comfortably against Joe's, who's lounged on the couch with David above him.
It's about twenty minutes into the movie, and Nick's pretty sure they're aaaaall feeling it. After the ninth shot, Joe says something about how he doesn't want Selena to throw up or anything and they should probably stop. Even though it's Joe who's looking a little woozy, they agree and pour the rest of their shot into their mountain dews. They've got the volume down a little until the movie becomes background noise and man, Nick feels so light . Selena's super giggly, and is leaned completely into his body, that Nick puts his arm around her, like he can steady her even though he's pretty sure he can't steady himself right now.
David and Joe start messing around a little, and Joe just leaps off of the couch, grabbing David to wrestle.
"C'mon, Dave," Joe slurs, a little. He's a total lightweight, Nick remembers, but before he can even get his mouth to make a crack about it (his tongue feels so heavy, it's like it's fallen asleep,) Joe has thrown David to the floor and they're rolling around like a bunch of little kids.
David flips Joe over and scruffles his hair madly. "Oooooh! Big J, all talk no show!" David growls, pinning Joe on the ground.
"Nickkyyyyy help me!" Joe shouts, muffled in David's armpit. "I don't want to die this way Nick--NOT BY ARMPIT!"
Nick can't stop laughing, laughing and laughing. His sides hurt so bad and his body is tingling and Sel smells like vanilla and Joe and David are pulling at his feet, trying to drag him into their wresting rink, and maybe, sometimes, at times like this, he's doesn't find himself wishing he's a little older, or old enough for her.
It takes another hour, but eventually all of them have calmed down enough to have a mellow buzz. They've settle around in a circle, the carpet scratching at Nick's skin when he flips over on his stomach, using the couch throw for a pillow.
"Soo," Joe says, sighing, into the carpet, with one hand stuck in Nick's curls and the other on Sel's back, drawing circles.
"Mmmmm," David says, into the carpet, louder, and his arm draped comfortably over Selena. Nick feels like he could fall asleep.
"Where do you think we'll be in five years?" Sel says, almost sleepily, like she's practically dreaming right now. "Like, when we're all twenty-five, or something?"
Joe flips on his stomach and his head almost flops over to the side, the buzz still there. "Me and Dem'll be married," he says, and even though his words are still kind of garbled, Nick can't hear any hesitation in his voice. "We'll probably have a little kid. Probably named Jomi. Or Demoe."
Nick hears himself laugh, some kind of drunken giggle that's not really his, leave his body. "Sel, you'll probably be some kind of rockstar or something, the way you play those drums."
Selena looks over at him, and smiles, "Thanks, Nicky. I don't really want to do that though. I mean I liiiike it, but, y'know." She buries her face in the crooks of her arms.
"I guess we'll see. Dave'll probably be some car salesman or something," she grins. "If Ted doesn't force him to be an architect."
David groans. "Ugh, Dad really wants that to happen, Sel. I don't wanna," he pouts, his eyes kind of red and tired and Selena just pouts right back at him and they look ridiculous. Nick just laughs some more and pulls the throw closer. He doesn't really know what he wants, anymore.
"Nick? What about you?"
"I don't know, Sel. I love music and our parents are pretty chill about what we want to do but--- I don't know what I want anymore. With guitar and then Glee and then Emma---" Nick's not really sure why he says Emma's name right there, and clearly he's a lot more tipsy, still, than he thought he was. Thank God David and Joe are the same way, because neither one give any indication of noticing. Selena does though, because girl can hold her liquor like no other and she leans into him a little and rests her head on his shoulder, before looking up at him.
"You're pretty into her, huh Nicky?"
"Yeah," he says, and all of a sudden, Nick feels tired. Tired of nothing really happening with Emma, tired of actually expecting something to happen, just, tired.
"Be careful, Nick. Don't do anything without thinking about it, okay?" Selena looks up at him through her eyelashes and Nick kisses her quickly on the side of her head. He's kind of really lucky to have her in his life, this one.
They sit kind in silence for a little, the tv's white noise fuzzing out, David softly snoring on the couch. The last thing Nick remembers is Joe saying in a hoarse half-asleep voice is "Definitely Demoe."
Part Three!