Um... I'm back?

Jeff slides into his seat next to Trent mere moments before Mr Rowling steps into the room. Trent raises his eyebrows, then looks down, scribbling a note on his notepad and carefully tearing it out

I thought your mum didn't let you stay on Sunday nights during term time for this exact reason?

Jeff glances up at the front of the class, waiting until Mr Rowling has his back turned before writing a reply.

I was at Nick's. Lots to tell!

Trent grins excitedly at Jeff.

Spill!

Jeff smiles to himself.

We got to like, third base I think.

You think?

I don't know the bases. Blow jobs!

"Trent and Jeff, you two seem to be having your very own discussion on symbolism in sonnets. At least, I hope that's what you're passing notes about because you know the rules. Hand it over."

Jeff stares at Mr Rowling's outstretched hand in horror. He can't give him that note. There's no way. Oh god, Jeff thinks. This is it. This is how he dies. Of Embarrassment. Right now.

"Yes, Sir." Trent says, reaching for the note, knocking his hand against his bottle of water and upsetting it all over the table. And the note. And Jeff's pants.

Both Trent and Jeff leap up.

"Trent!" Jeff yelps, looking down at the wet patch on the crotch of his pants. "Dude!"

"I'm so sorry, Sir, I didn't mean to do that!" Trent looks up at Mr Rowling, then glances at Jeff, pulling a handkerchief from his top blazer pocket and dabbing at the water.

"Leave it, just go and sit over there." Mr Rowling sighs, gesturing to an empty desk before moving back up to the front of the room.

Jeff glances at Trent as they gather up their books.

"Thanks." He whispers.

Trent just smiles and leads the way over to their new table.

After class, Jeff follows Trent up to Trent's room. Jeff flops face first onto the bed while Trent unpacks his bag and puts his books neatly away in his desk drawers.

"So, blow jobs?" Trent grins, settling into his desk chair.

"Kind of you to offer, but I'm taken..."

"Oh, ha ha." Trent rolls his eyes, "Tell me everything."

Jeff sits up, smiling.

"Well, I went over after my mom dropped me off... and one thing lead to another and suddenly, blow jobs."

"Jeff!" Trent whines. "How am I meant to live vicariously if you don't give me the details?"

"Fine, fine!" Jeff wriggles, getting himself comfy. "He basically... I was barely through the door the first time, he –"

"Wait, the first time? How many times did you do it?" Trent raises his eyebrows.

"Only twice! I thought you wanted to hear this story..." Jeff laughs.

"Apologies, do continue."

"So, um, the first time he just kinda... he had me up against the wall... and then... he gave me a blow job..." Jeff goes pink. Maybe sharing all is not the best idea when he can't even get the words out without feeling like a schoolboy. Which, he thinks, he is.

"Just like that?" Trent asks, leaning forward.

"Uh, yeah... I had a new shirt on... he said he really liked it... and then..." Jeff shrugs, smiling to himself. He's going to wear that top more often.

"And the second time?" Trent says eagerly.

"Was in bed, and was much more... Nick said he wanted it to be more romantic... because my first one was so... not romantic." Jeff shrugs again.

"You are so lucky." Trent sighs wistfully, leaning back in his chair. "Romantic blowjobs. I don't have romantic anything."

"Poor Trent..." Jeff laughs.

Trent sticks his tongue out, smiling. Jeff hesitates for a second, then shifts forward on the bed.

"Trent, can I ask you something? A... gay thing..."

"I'm not sure where this is going, but okay..."

"Do you... um... when Nick was... the second time... he... we were more naked, and he..."

"You are going somewhere with this, right?"

"Do you finger yourself?" Jeff blurts out, his cheeks heating up. He can't even look at Trent.

"Uh... What?" Trent blinks, his ears as red as Jeff's cheeks.

"Nick... I think he wanted to do that... with... to me, the second time..."

"Right..."

"And... he... I've never done that... so... you're gay... have you?" Jeff glances up at Trent. "Done that?"

Trent has his hands over his face.

"I'm not helping you learn to do that! Buy some lube and go online... or ask Nick! Why don't you ask Nick!" Trent mumbles behind his hands.

"I'll uh... I'll just... okay..." Jeff stands, grabbing his bag.

"Bye!" Trent says, still behind his hands.

"Bye!"

Jeff leaves as fast as he can.

To Nick:
Warbler practice today and tomorrow. Won't see you til weds :( x

From Nick:
I'll be away on Wednesday, can I call or are you being naughty and texting in class? X

To Nick:
You can call! X

Jeff watches his phone, hitting answer the moment Nick's face pops up on the screen.

"Hi!"

"Hello, Jeff."

"So I'm not gonna see you on Wednesday?" Jeff asks sadly.

"I'm afraid not... I actually have to go home until Friday morning. Home to my parents' house I mean."

Jeff gets up from where he's sprawled on the bed and starts to amble aimlessly around his room.

"You do?"

"Yeah, it's my mom's birthday in a couple of weeks and we're trying to organise a family get together."

"That sounds fun!" Jeff smiles and tugs his tie loose, undoing his top button. He looks at himself in his mirror, turning his head this way and that. Maybe he should get a haircut soon, he thinks.

"Uh huh, it should be good... Us Cummingses know how to have a good time. I was wondering, actually, um, if you'd come?"

Jeff stops turning his head back and forth, staring himself in the eyes.

"Come to your family get together?"

"I'd really like you to come, meet everyone. If it's... if it's too early for you, I completely understand."

"When... would it be?"

"We're planning it for not this weekend or the weekend after, but the one after that."

Jeff picks at the label on the tub of hair wax he keeps by his mirror. "Are you sure your family won't mind me coming?"

"They don't actually know about you yet... but I'm going to tell them this week. Besides, all my sisters will be bringing their partners so – Oh, hang on a sec..." In the background, Jeff hears the shop door open and close, and a far away 'Hello, I was wondering if you could help me?' "I'll call you back!" Nick says, and then the line goes dead.

Meet Nick's family, Jeff thinks. Meet Nick's whole big family. He swallows nervously. It wouldn't be fair to have Nick meet his parents and then not meet Nick's family, Jeff thinks. He can do this. He can go and be Nick's plus one. His partner. Jeff smiles. He likes being Nick's partner. His boyfriend. His other half. Maybe not other half, that seems a little serious for a couple that's not been dating long but... they're a couple. Jeff can do this. His phone buzzes in his hand.

"Okay," Jeff says, "I'll come."

"You will?"

"I will."

"That's great! I can't wait for you to meet my family." Nick says excitedly.

"And I can't wait to meet them!" Jeff says back, mostly truthfully. He glances at his bedside clock. "I have to go... I'll see you Friday? If that's when you're back?"

"Friday evening I'm having some friends over for... it's not a party, more a... gathering with wine."

"Oh, okay, well, I can come on Saturday then?"

"Oh, no, Jeff, I wasn't saying not to come! I was just... they're coming at seven, come and meet them... Kurt and Blaine will be there, and me, obviously. It won't all be people you don't know."

"Oh!" Jeff smiles to himself. "Yeah, I'll come... seven on Friday, yeah?"

"That's the one."

"See you then, then."

"See you then. Bye, Jeff."

"Bye, Nick."

Jeff lets Nick hang up, and then pushes his phone into his pocket. Friends. Nick's friends. And Nick's family. He takes a deep breath. He can do it. Nick wants him to meet them, so he can do it. He smiles at himself in the mirror and then heads off to Warbler practice.

To Nick:
Hope you got to your parents' house okay x

Jeff shoves his phone into his pocket and gathers up his things. Tonight, Jeff decides, is the night.

Jeff locks his door and pads over to look down at the paper bag on his bed. He reaches out and upends it, letting the receipt and the small tube tumble out onto his sheets. Jeff gazes at it for a moment before glancing over at his door. Definitely locked.

Jeff strips his shirt off and wriggles out of his uniform slacks. He's kinda nervous. He pushes his boxers down and off and settles onto the bed. His hand brushes the tube of lube and he draws it back sharply. Fuck. How is he meant to lie, Jeff wonders? He carefully pushes the tube and the paper bag to the edge of his bed and rolls over onto his stomach. Jeff shifts, pushing his ass up a little, stretching his arm back to see if he can reach. His dry fingers brush over his hole and Jeff jolts a little. He's uncomfortable. His face is squished and his arm already aches.

Jeff pulls his arm back and rolls over onto his back instead, spreading his legs. He's acutely aware that if someone were to somehow walk in right now, the first things they would see would be him spread eagled and halfway to having his fingers up his ass. He feels so exposed. He barely ever even jerks off in bed, he usually does it in the shower. Oh, shit. Jeff pushes back up and goes to the bathroom naked, hurrying back with a towel and spreading it out over his bed.

He lies back down. The towel is warm from the heater in his bathroom and it actually helps relax him a little. Jeff closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. It's stupid to be nervous, he tells himself. Even if this... experiment were to completely fail, no one ever needs to know about it. On his bedside table, his phone buzzes. Jeff grabs for it, a little too grateful for the distraction.

From Nick:
Got to my parents' safe. Would rather be at home with you though x

Jeff smiles and sends back a kiss. He puts his phone down and wriggles on the bed, getting comfortable again. He reaches down and palms himself gently, curling his hand loosely around his cock. Jeff closes his eyes, his imagination providing him with images of Nick on his knees between Jeff's legs. He remembers how Nick's tongue had felt on his cock as he starts to stroke himself a little more firmly.

He reaches for the lube, fumbling one-handed with the plastic seal before giving up and sitting up to undo it. Jeff tosses the plastic off the bed and squirts a little lube into his palm, spreading it over his fingers. Jeff wriggles back down onto his back and reaches between his legs. He trails his fingers over his hole gently, squirming a little at the coolness of the lube. He rubs the pads of his fingers back and forth, moving in time with the hand now back around his cock. Jeff closes his eyes, trying to relax, to think of Nick, of Nick kissing him on his bed, trying to convince himself that it's Nick's hand between his legs. Jeff presses his index finger against his hole and breathes out. The tip of his finger moves in slowly, up to the first knuckle. Jeff stops there, trying to get used to the feeling of having something in his ass. He doesn't think he likes it all that much.

He jerks his cock a couple of times, and then pushes his finger in a little deeper. It feels weird. His ass feels weird and his finger feels weird. He wriggles his finger a little. It makes him shiver, but he's not entirely sure if it's a pleasurable shiver. Jeff opens his eyes and looks up at the ceiling. He's never felt less sexy than he does right now.

Jeff eases his finger out and sprawls out on the bed. He doesn't even really want to finish jerking off. Jeff sighs. He puts the lube on his bedside table and gets up, gathering up the towel from his bed and going to the bathroom. Fingering, Jeff thinks as he turns on the shower, waiting for the water to run hot, is not his thing. He's not sure how he's going to tell Nick. He'll cross that bridge when he gets to it.

It's been a long day, Jeff thinks, tugging his leather jacket closer around him. Wes and David had announced that not only were warbler practices going to be after classes every day, they were now going to be before class began as well. Jeff rubs his eyes and checks the time on his phone. 7:30pm. He's been up 14 hours already.

Jeff knocks on the door of the shop. He hopes that there are snacks or something of this party of Nick's. He hasn't had dinner. Jeff smiles as Nick comes toward him, waving through the glass.

"Hi!" Nick says, opening the door and pulling Jeff in for a hug. "I missed you. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

"It's been like five days." Jeff laughs, hugging Nick back.

"Well, still..." Nick smiles, cupping Jeff's cheek and kissing him.

Jeff leans into the kiss, his hands resting on Nick's chest. He'd missed Nick too. Nick pulls away after a moment, slipping his hand into Jeff's.

"Come on, let's get you a drink." Nick leads Jeff through to the living room. "What do you fancy? Coke? We've got lemonade? There's some cherry soda somewhere too? Or Juice? Water?"

Jeff laughs "Coke's fine, Nick."

"Grab a seat, I'll fetch you one."

Jeff goes over to the sofa, shrugging his jacket off and laying it over the arm before sitting down. There's a blonde woman at the other end of the sofa talking animatedly to an Asian woman perched in the armchair opposite. The Asian woman raises her eyebrows and smiles at Jeff when he sits down. The blonde girl turns and smiles too.

"Quinn." She says, holding her hand out. Jeff shakes it, doing his best not to look nervous.

"Jeff."

"I'm Tina." The other girl chips in, and shakes Jeff's hand too.

There's a pause. A slightly awkward one.

"So, uh, how do you know Nick?" Jeff asks.

"They run an LGBT bookshop." Nick interrupts, holding a glass of coke out to Jeff.

Jeff takes it, smiling. "Oh?" He looks over at Tina and Quinn.

"Been open a year now." Tina says.

"What's it called?"

"Giovanni's Room." Quinn answers, taking a sip of her wine.

Jeff glances at Nick for help. He's pretty sure he should get the reference. Unless it isn't a reference. But Jeff's certain it is.

"It's a book." Tina explains. "A queer classic."

"Two bisexual men in Paris. It's wonderful." Quinn adds, "Nick's probably got a well thumbed copy somewhere around here." Quinn grins, winking at Nick.

Jeff blinks, a little bewildered. There's knocking from out in the shop, suddenly, and Nick presses a kiss to Jeff's cheek before stepping away to answer it.

"So, how do you know Nick?" Tina asks.

"Um, I'm his boyfriend..." Jeff says slowly.

"You're that Jeff?"

Jeff nods.

"You're blonder than we thought you'd be. When Nick said blond, we thought like... blond. Not blond."

Jeff laughs, relief washing through him.

"How did you meet Nick?" Jeff asks.

"We met in a gay bar!" Tina laughs. "He was wearing this dumb t-shirt... oh shit, what did it say?"

"No, I was wearing the t-shirt!" Quinn interrupts, "It's great, it says 'Wingaydium Lesbiosa.'"

Jeff laughs. "It sounds cool."

"It is. Anyway, Nick came over to tell me he liked it, Tina thought he was hitting on me despite the shirt and she was about to ask him to fuck off when he goes –'

"I have one with 'Accio Cock!'" Tina butts in before bursting out laughing, as does Quinn.

"He really said that?" Jeff giggles.

Tina nods helplessly, still laughing.

"Look who's here!" Nick calls, leading Blaine and Kurt into the room.

"And look who we found on the way..." Kurt adds, moving straight over to the table of drinks.

Sebastian follows them in. Jeff tries not to frown. Sebastian isn't Nick's boyfriend after all, he is. Sebastian is nothing to worry about, Jeff tells himself, glaring at Sebastian as he puts his arm around Nick's shoulders, leaning in to say something into his ear. There's no need to be that close, the music isn't even that loud. God.

He glances over at Tina and Quinn, but they're talking to each other again and Jeff doesn't want to interrupt. When he looks back at Nick, Sebastian still has his arm around him. Jeff narrows his eyes. Suddenly, a glass is thrust in front of him and Jeff looks up to see Kurt holding it out.

"You look like you needed something stronger than what you already have. I promise I won't tell if you don't." Jeff smiles shyly and takes the glass, peering at the contents as Kurt sits down next to him and crosses his legs. "Long Island Iced Tea. I was making one for myself so I made one for you."

"Thanks." Jeff takes a careful sip, trying not to crinkle up his nose. It's strong, but it's kinda nice.

"I take it you're not a fan of Sebastian?"

"Um..."

Kurt laughs softly, sipping his drink. "I know the feeling. I like him more than I used to but sometimes... I'd rather he wasn't here." Jeff nods. "Sometimes like now." Kurt finishes, downright glaring over at Sebastian.

Sebastian has his arm around Blaine now, but is still leaning comfortably against Nick. Too comfortably for Jeff's liking. Jeff takes a big swig of his drink.

Jeff cradles his empty glass, watching Nick and Sebastian talking. He sighs softly, glancing over to where Kurt and Blaine, and Tina and Quinn, are gathered around the drinks on the table. He considers going over to join them but he doesn't want to interrupt. Maybe he could just go over there and put his arm around Nick. Say hi to Sebastian. Be a grown up. Or he could just stay here. Jeff tucks his feet under him and leans his head on the back of the sofa.

"I think it's past your boy-scout's bed time..."

"Shut up, Ti."

Jeff blinks awake, looking around him blearily. Oh, fuck.

"Was I asleep?" He asks softy.

"Yeah, but don't worry about it." Nick says, smiling. "It's kinda late anyway."

"Oh..."

"Do you wanna go up to bed?"

"I..." Jeff hesitates, "Yeah. Is that okay?"

Nick nods, taking Jeff's hand and helping him up. Kurt and Blaine both smile at him as he slides past them, following Nick over to the stairs.

"Night, Jeff. Nice to see you again." Kurt calls.

"Night, everyone."

Nick leads the way up to his bedroom, holding the door open for Jeff.

"You're sure you don't mind?" Jeff asks, going over and settling onto the bed.

"I don't." Nick smiles, "It won't be long before I'm joining you, probably." Jeff nods a little. "Sleep. I'll see you soon." Nick comes over to kiss his cheek gently. "G'night."

"Night, Nick."

Nick turns and heads out of the bedroom, and Jeff listens to his footsteps disappear down the stairs. He sighs, rubbing his face. Part of him wants to get back up and follow Nick back to the party. But most of him wants to sleep. Yes, sleep sounds good, thinks Jeff.

The bed shifting wakes Jeff. He squints at the dark shape of Nick sitting on the end of the bed, struggling with his jeans.

"C'mon..." Nick whispers to himself, finally undoing the buttons of his fly and pushing his jeans down and off his feet. He whips his shirt off over his head and turns to crawl up the bed, flopping down with his head on the pillow next to Jeff's.

"Nick?" Jeff asks softly, yawning.

"Oh, shit, did I wake you?" Nick mumbles.

"S'okay. What time is it?"

"Not sure... three maybe?"

Jeff nods, nuzzling his face into the pillow sleepily. "You're cute." Nick whispers, and presses a clumsy kiss to Jeff's lips. He tastes like wine.

"Are you drunk?"

"On you, maybe..."

Jeff rolls his eyes, glad that the dark of the bedroom hides his blush.

"I should write about you..." Nick says, mostly into his pillow. "'bout your eyes... and your face..."

"Shut up..." Jeff whispers.

Nick snores softly.

Jeff smiles and rolls over to go back to sleep.

Okay so I suck. But in the past year I graduated, moved home, got a full time job, did some other stuff. I've been busy.

I promise I'll try and update more regularly, and I will definitely tell you if I do abandon this fic, but for now I don't have plans to do that!

L