Chapter Text
It’s a sick game they’re playing in Warren’s car. The two are sitting, facing forward, not daring to turn towards each other or even glance in the other’s direction.
The worst part about having a hard conversation is that someone has to start it. Someone has to decide to stop putting it off and ignoring the elephant in the room and say, “Hey, there’s a huge ass elephant in this room. Should we address it?”, but maybe they might just look crazy for being the only one to talk about the elephant. What if there isn’t an elephant at all, or if the elephant just looks big to you but is actually super small according to whoever else is in the room?
Nathan’s long and dirty nails dig into his knees the best they can through his jeans. Technically, he was the one who said they should talk, so he’s the one who should say something first, but it feels impossible. They both have had so long to think about what happened, how does he figure out where to begin?
“I’m sorry,” the first voice says. It’s not Nathan’s, but Warren’s.
The blond jerks his head in Warren’s direction, meeting his sad eyes. “For what?!” he says, almost too aggressively.
“Wh- I-” Warren stammers for a minute, clearly caught off guard by the question, even though the answer seemed a complete mystery to Nathan. “...I left you. At the party, I mean. You were drunk a-and upset, and I know how you get-”
“Stop,” Nathan said flatly, cutting off the other boy’s impending spiral before it could continue. “You didn’t leave me. I forced you to leave. There’s a difference.” He takes in a slow breath, thinking carefully through his words. “You did the right thing. I think if you’d stayed… it would have just gotten worse.” He chooses the word ‘think’, but they both know it’s the plain truth. “Just please don’t feel bad about that, Graham.”
“You got in an accident! That wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for me leaving!” Warren quickly retorts, abandoning the introspective moment of quiet he held for a few seconds.
“I’m the one who put my keys in the ignition, I’m the one who hit the gas pedal, and I’m the one who hit the fuckin’-” Nathan’s body twitches in a gross almost-gag, stopping him in his tracks. His eyes go blurry for a short instant before refocusing on a concerned-looking Warren.
“Are you okay?” he says quietly, putting a hand on Nathan’s arm extremely lightly as if worried to break him. He’s always so sweet. He’s always so good. Even now.
“Yeah. Thanks,” Nathan clears his throat, adjusting his position in the seat slightly. “B-But… It’s my responsibility. I want you to let me own up to it, alright? Let me do this,” he says, his voice set in a way that even he knows is rare for him.
Warren waits a moment, his eyes looking down. Eventually, he nods. “Alright. That… makes sense.” By the tone, he’s at least mostly convinced by Nathan’s pleading, which is good. Before long, he continues. “I don’t want to upset you.”
Nathan’s eyebrows pulse, a subtle ‘What?’ before he realizes what the boy means. “Oh… You won’t,” he shrugs. “I know what I did, at least somewhat. Let me have it.” He fully expected Warren to absolutely unleash on him, laying into him and pointing out how he’s a piece of shit for everything he’s done; it’s what Nathan would have done in his place after all. But what he doesn’t expect is what actually happens.
“You said a lot of really mean things to me,” Warren says, drawing in a shaky breath before speaking again. “I know some of it isn’t true, since you’re sitting here talking to me and you’ve shown through your actions that you care about me…”
Nathan bites his lip. The disappointment schtick that reeks of his mother hurts so much more than the run-of-the-mill wrath of his father that he’d come to expect. He doesn’t speak to his mom much anymore.
“But I… I just w-wanna know,” he takes another shaky breath, however this time he has to close his eyes and take in another before he can force the next words out. “Do you really think I’m stupid? For that time when I didn’t…?” He doesn’t say the words- Nathan imagines it’s to keep himself from breaking further- but he knows what he’s talking about.
You know, for someone who prides himself on being so smart, you’re pretty fucking stupid. I mean, someone can only forget to eat for a whole week so many times before you can deduce that some of the screws are loose.
Nathan wanted to punch himself in the face. That’s right, he had said that. Right to Warren’s face. He paused, hurt and regret evident across his face as he surveyed Warren. His fists clenched, his eyes just barely noticeably wet. “Ah…” Now it was his turn for a shaky breath. “I can’t make excuses for anything I’ve done- for how I’ve hurt you. But I didn’t mean that. I could never… mean that.” Nathan took grasp of Warren’s quivering hand, which took him by so much surprise that he even let out a small noise. The blond looked him in the eyes, making sure Warren’s met his before he spoke again. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I said it. I know I fucked up. And I know I’m probably gonna fuck up again,” he chuckled for a moment, but regained his composure quickly. “But I never want to be the reason you’re hurt again. Y-You’re my friend, godammit, nothing's gonna change that.”
Something flickered behind Warren’s eyes and, for a second, he didn’t move, which petrified Nathan before, thank god, he opened his mouth. “...Thank you,” he said, before a tear spilled from his eye as he let out a laugh. “Th-Thank you… so much. That- That’s all I wanted.” He wiped the tears, smiling wide and genuinely. It felt like the temperature in the car actually warmed, the air becoming thinner as the thick blanket of tension that covered them dissipated. “I was so worried about you-” The words spilled out of Warren in a clearly unintentional way as his innocent laughter became sobs, his body crumpling into Nathan’s arms as much as the car could allow him to.
Nathan had hardly any time to adjust from the joy of forgiveness to the harsh reality of all the two had been through recently. Not knowing how to comfort, he gingerly placed a hand on the space where the back of Warren’s neck met with his shoulders. “I know. I know, man,” he replied in a low voice, tears clouding his own vision. It was vindicating, in a strange way, to see someone cry for him instead of having to do all the work himself while the world moved on carelessly. “I was pretty fuckin’ scared too.”
Warren looked up, wiping his tears and the small bit of snot caused from him crying on his sleeve, which made Nathan grimace. “Sorry. Sorry! I’ve just been really pent up, you know? It was hard going through all that without even being to see you.”
Tell him you love him. Tell him you never want to leave his side again, a small voice inside of Nathan whispers, though he knows he can’t. It would ruin everything that just barely scraped by without being ruined before. The undeniable yearning he feels makes him sick, it makes him want to throw up again.
Truthfully, he’s still not over the shock of realizing that he’s gay. He’s tried to come to terms with it, but maybe it’s just meant to be a struggle for the rest of his life. But as he looks at Warren, he can’t help but wonder if it would be easier if he just lived it. Maybe if he could just exist as a man with a boyfriend, even for a short time, he could accept this reality. But just as he wonders about that, his father’s face flashes in his mind. He’d have to choose one day, he knows this. He can’t ride the rails of success while also being his true, authentic self. But what’s more important to him?
“Yeah, it’s been hard being all alone in that dirty ass hospital,” he mumbles, scratching at the side of his face. “Bet I look like total shit, huh?”
Judging by Warren’s reaction, he’s hit the nail on the head. His eyes widen, and he watches as his eyes quickly dart around Nathan’s face. “What? No! For someone who survived a car crash, you look good,” Warren says with a smirk. “What did Victoria say?”
Nathan’s eyes slowly grow in size as the words reach him. “...Shit.”
“You haven’t seen her?! When did you get out?! Did you even call her?!” Warren blabs out his list of questions, which fly past Nathan’s mind instantly.
“I- I- No, I- I wanted to get some food from the Two Whales and-”
Warren’s mouth opens at that, but he doesn’t speak. Clearly, he’s just figured out that this is the first thing Nathan’s doing since he’s been discharged, which is humiliating to have revealed.
“Can you drive me to the dorms?” he asks, realizing now just how bad he wants to see her. As great as Warren was, as of right now, she was all that could make everything better.
“No!” Warren retorts quickly, which catches Nathan wildly off guard. “You can’t leave without eating first; let’s go back in and I’ll put your food in a box, alright? You need to eat a good and full meal.”
What a loser. He’s so perfect. Nathan hopes he knows that.
ooo
He’s absolutely tearing into a waffle the size of his head as Warren’s shitbox of a car manages to hit every pothole on the way to Blackwell. “Fuck, Graham!” Nathan says through a mouthful of food. “I think I preferred it when you drove like someone’s grandma.”
“Listen, it’s not my fault the roads are so bad here! I think it’s because of some weather thing with the water being so close or… something,” Warren responded, moving his hands to ten and two to be more cautious, ironically punctuating it with another hit of a bump in the road.
“Dude! Easy!” Nathan cursed, shoving another bite of heaven between his lips. Holy fucking shit, this food is amazing. Maybe it’s just because of his stay in the hospital, or maybe Joyce put some extra love into this. Probably the latter, Nathan assumes as he swiftly wipes syrup from his lips, eagerly licking them afterwards so as to not waste a single drop that wasn’t caught by the napkin.
There was a comfortable lull of silence, which was extremely meaningful to Nathan. No tension, no unspoken words. Even in the hospital he was subjected to uneasy silence, as almost any nurse that watched over him acted as if they were too scared to talk to him. He could finally just exist in a peaceful quiet, as opposed to the alternative he had grown insanely weary of, eating his favorite food, sun reflecting off of him as he sat in Warren’s horrible car.
Maybe this would be alright.
Maybe a good friend is all he needs from Warren. At least, that’s how he feels until he sneaks a look at the way the rays of sun turn his hair from brown to a beautiful golden honey just as Nathan’s memorized it does to his eyes. He’s strange, how he’s smiling slightly at all times. Even now when he’s doing nothing but driving, the corners of his mouth are perked up just slightly. Nathan can’t remember if it was always like that and he’s just paying more attention to his lips now or if this is new, but it doesn’t matter; all that matters is that he absolutely loves it.
No, this wouldn’t be alright.
He’s completely sure of it now, this isn’t something that he can just feel deep within him forever. He can’t just be his friend- at least not yet. These feelings are already eating away at him, so sweet that they rot his insides with cavities.
All he wants now is to kiss him. His skin is soft, he’s sure of that. If he forgot everything from Halloween, he still wouldn’t be able to forget the moment when they danced. The moment, albeit brief, where nothing but them mattered. No jerks at school, no jerks at home, no jerks in his own mind. Just Nathan, the boy he had fallen in love with, and music that both poured from both the speakers and his heart, a tune he was privy to only in these little moments when he wasn’t even aware he was listening. It was like a speck in his eye, disappearing the second he recognized it and made an effort to sense it. He begged to hear that melody always, to never be able to forget it. To him, Warren’s heart was the catchiest song ever.
“No, really, this is the catchiest song ever!” Warren repeated himself, turning the radio up and scatting along with the song. “Buh. Buh buh. BLAOW!!!” He strummed his hand right on beat as if he was playing or conducting the music himself.
Nathan stirred from his thoughts as he swallowed the last bit of waffely goodness, tuning into the song. The music itself was good, but whoever this vocalist is was terrible. His voice was whiny and nasally, which made Nathan actively repulse. “Goddamn, this guy is-”
“I know, it’s so terrible!” Warren laughed. “Oooh, babyyyy,” he sang, mocking the voice as he grabbed Nathan’s hand, making exaggerated faces, pumping his gripping hand with each beat. “You make me c-r-azyyyyy!!!” He let go of Nathan’s hand, going back to tapping along with the song on the steering wheel. “The lyrics are pretty corny, but the instruments and stuff are so great that I can’t stop listening!”
Nathan bit his lip, trying to will the blood to drain from his cheeks as his hand returned from being clutched with his mind. “Definitely. How did he get the vocalist position out of anyone else in this band?”
“Uh, the same way any person gets to be the vocalist. You’re the one friend who can’t play an instrument,” Warren replied with a smirk. The sweet sound of shared laughter filled the warm air of the shitty little car, and Nathan found something he hadn’t lost, just misplaced.
Quickly, the road changed from the regular bumps to smoother, fresher pavement, thanks of course to his father’s donations, a sign they were edging closer to Blackwell. The trees that lined the road were a vibrant orange, having not yet completely fallen to the ground. If Arcadia Bay, or even Oregon as a whole, had anything going for it it was a beautiful autumn. Nathan was extremely thankful for the vibrant foliage that surrounded Blackwell; it was one of the only things that made living here bearable. Well, that and essentially being Victoria’s neighbor. He can’t remember the last time they’d been able to see each other this much since before school. Summers were hard without her.
The car ride came to an end as Warren slid into a familiar parking spot. Nathan climbed out, making sure not to slam the door; it might actually fall apart. “Thanks for the ride. It was nice to see you,” Nathan mumbled, going to slide his hands in his pockets, but missing completely. “Ah-”
“OH!” Warren’s eyes widened, and he scurried around the rear of the car to the back seat on the passenger side. “That’s why you look so weird!”
“Listen, asshole-”
“Da-na-na-naaaaa!” Warren sang, and he unfurled Nathan’s favorite jacket, holding it out beside him. “I kept it in my car after the party- for when you got back,” he laughed sheepishly. “That’s not weird, is it?”
“Dude!” Nathan smiled wide, grabbing his jacket and practically tearing it onto himself. It was warm and cozy, and better yet there was a faint familiar smell in its threads. But among it was also the unmistakable stench of chlorine. “Uh… It’s a little… wet?”
Warren coughed. “Oh, um… Yeah. That’s from when Zachary and Logan threw me in the pool.”
You know that phrase, ‘seeing red’? At that moment, Nathan was the closest you could get to that. “Those bitches did what?! Why?! When?!”
Warren shifted, visibly uncomfortable. Which made sense, as far as he knows Nathan and the two are close friends. Which, of course, currently couldn’t be further from the truth. “After I, uh, after I left you. They cornered me, said some stuff, and threw me in, I-I don’t know why.”
“Those fucking assholes. I’m literally gonna murder them. D-Don’t take it or anything they said to heart. They’re drunks, and even more than that they’re idiots, got it?” Nathan said, his nose scrunching at the smell of chlorine. Unlucky him, getting it cleaned would also remove the smell of Warren from it.
“Of course,” he said with a chuckle, appreciating the levity.
“And thanks. For keeping the jacket. Even if you could’ve gotten it dry cleaned.”
Warren beamed. “You know I can’t afford that! And, uh, no problem. At least you’ll look better when Victoria kills you for not calling her.”
Nathan groaned in response, finally able to shove his hands in his pockets once more. “I’d’ve called, but my phone’s been dead since, ah… the accident.” He shook his head, attempting to forget the feeling of his bloody fingers dialing 911. “Guess it’s time I go see Vic then, eh?”
“I can walk you to the girl’s dorm if you want,” he replied, his hands similarly placed into the pockets of his jeans.
“Nah, it’s cool. Going alone will give me some time to think of what I’m gonna say to her…”
“Got it,” he nodded, grabbing his bag from the back seat before locking the car. “You know where I’ll be.” He laughed, and there was an awkward pause where the two, once again, had to decide who would go first. Thankfully, Warren took the lead in walking off, which left Nathan alone in the parking lot, chewing on his cheek as he considered the viscous scolding he’d be in for from Victoria.
ooo
Knock knock knock.
Deep breaths. Hopefully she wasn’t too angry with him. With luck, he’d be able to explain himself before she laid too harshly into him.
The peephole went dark for a moment, and with a click and a clunk the door swung open. Nathan didn’t have a moment to react before he was swiftly pulled into the room and enveloped in a warm hug, the smell of expensive perfume filling his senses. “Woah-”
“Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?” she said, her voice muffled into Nathan’s shoulder. There was hardly any bite to her tone; it honestly sounded more sad than anything.
She held the hug for so long that Nathan worried he’d never be let go, but eventually she drew back and Nathan spoke. “I-I’m sorry, I-”
“Shut up,” she cut him off with a smile. “I’m just happy you’re safe- You are safe, right?” The blonde tilted her head, tracing her fingers along Nathan’s chin.
“I’m fine, It was mostly the concussion that messed me up,” he shrugged, noticing the worried look in her eyes. “I’ll just have some headaches and shit for a while, but other than that it’s all good.”
“You’re so bruised,” she mumbled to herself, her eyes following her fingers along Nathan’s features. “Nate,” she said in an almost-whimper, going back for another hug. “You had us worried sick. I’m so thankful you’re alright.”
“Us?” he asked, biting his lip and backing off from the embrace.
“Kristine’s been keeping me updated,” she began, “as best as she can with, y’know, everything.”
There it was again, another darkness that seemed to fill the air whenever his father was even hinted at as if he were actually in the room. But knowing that his sister already knew made him feel better, even if Nathan had been cold to her. He should respond to her emails more.
“And, of course, the Vortex Club has been thinking of you,” Victoria continued.
“I bet,” Nathan scoffed. “Those assholes- They’re the whole reason any of this shit happened.”
“What? No, we all agreed to have drinks there. That wasn’t their fault, Natha-”
“That’s not what I-” Nathan snapped, closing his eyes and taking a deep inhale, placing a hand to his head. “That’s not what I’m talking about,” he finished, more calmly.
Victoria stirred, taking a seat on her bed and motioning Nathan to do the same. “Nate… What happened at the party?”
He knew the question would be asked eventually. That didn’t make it any easier to answer. “Um…” he paused. Where does he even begin? “After I danced with Warren we went to the VIP section.” As much as he wished the alcohol made him forget all of this, it was disturbingly clear in his mind. “Logan came up out of nowhere, asking if Warren was my… boyfriend.”
Victoria’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second. She was trying to hide her reactions, and only doing a sort-of-good job.
“Logan called Warr’ all sorts of shit, even though he was trying to be nice to him. Then Logan, for no fucking reason, slammed him up against the wall, and-” he choked. It was so scary to remember how Warren uselessly clawed against Logan’s forearm, his eyes full of panic and confusion. His eyes looking at Nathan. “S-Some guys pulled him away, he was fine. Just shaken up,” he finished, waving his hand.
She was quiet, which meant she was asking the same question Nathan had been asking himself. Why didn’t you step in? Why didn’t you help him, Nathan? Is it because Logan looked so much like you?
“Victoria, I-” He looked at her, but couldn’t find it in him to look her in the eyes. His gaze fumbled around her face before settling for staring out the window. “I really fucked up that night, okay? I know that now. I knew it then, too. So just… remember that, alright?”
She took a deep breath, her gaze hardening. “Okay. Go on.”
“I just started… yelling at him. Telling him to fuck off, that he wasn’t my boyfriend, to stop following me around like some little kid, that I only went to the party with him because I was out of options. Vic, I-” He wasn’t sure when he had started crying, but he was wiping tears away. “I said some fucked up shit. Like, shit no one else would have even known to insult him for.” His mind is spinning, reliving it all. Fuck. Just… fuck.
“...And then?”
Nathan jolted out of his tears, forgetting the story didn’t stop there. “He.. He ran off. And I stupidly didn’t chase after him. I left and… got into my truck.” He looked up, sniffling, waiting for a response.
“Why didn’t you come find me?” she asked, her voice clearly hurt. “Nathan, you could have died. Why didn’t you come find me?”
He actually hadn’t thought about it until now. Why didn’t he? Victoria would have taken him back to her room, and she definitely would have talked him off the edge. She always knows what to do, especially in response to a petty fight. But then, rather quickly, the realization dawned on him.
“I just… wasn’t thinking about anything other than Warren then.” The voice that says it is shaky and weak, and he can hear the child he truly is speaking. “All I could think of was how majorly I had fucked up. I wanted to run away. I was gonna get in my truck and just… leave. I don’t know, I was drunk.”
Victoria grabbed his hand, her cold fingers lacing together with his. “Well next time you better come to me.” The two looked at each other, and through teary eyes they smiled.
“I will. I promise,” Nathan replied, nodding and crossing his heart with a finger just like they did when they promised to get married one day when they were five. Jesus Christ, how times have changed.
“I’ll deal with Logan. And Zach too, I heard about the pool thing. Can you believe them?” She scoffed, standing. “They’re like two animals. And about as smart as one too. Of course, we can’t directly kick them out without dissolving the entire club, and you know Wells wouldn’t give them more than a slap on the wrist,” she brainstormed aloud, clearly having thought through the possibilities prior.
“Go Bigfoots,” Nathan concurred unenthusiastically.
Victoria snickered. “So just leave it to me, alright? You go back to your room and rest,” with a hand she got him off the bed, which was a little annoying. Hopefully this act of treating him like he was delicate goods would stop sooner rather than later, no matter how true it was. “And don’t worry about your classes. I had your teachers prepare note sheets for you, and you have no work to do.”
“Damn. Thanks Vic, I… Thank you. For everything.” Nathan blinked. She was good at this stuff; planning for other people, getting things in order. Having her as a best friend was all he could’ve asked for right now.
“Oh please, it’s the least I could do,” she said with a smirk. “But it’s still nice to be thanked, of course.”
ooo
He could see it the moment he turned the corner. Jesus. Fucking. Christ. A slew of multicolored balloons, stuck on and around his door at the end of the hallway. Was this some kind of joke? Put a ton of rainbow shit in front of the gaywads door to humiliate him even more once he got back? He practically stormed down the hall, ripping them off his door with wide swings of his arms like a rabid animal. It was only when he held them in his hands, away from the wall, that he caught a glimpse of his slate that his face softened.
‘Get well soon, Nathan!’
…Well isn’t he some kind of asshole. The message was complete with names of all the guys who lived on his floor as well as some others, some of which he didn’t even recognize. With a roll of his eyes, Nathan licked his thumb and rubbed off Zachary and Logan’s name. Fuck them. But as he erased their names, he noticed Warren’s, unmistakably the same handwriting as the ‘Get well soon’. So it was him who left it. The realization made his heart beat just a bit faster, which was insanely embarrassing. Nathan had truly never felt like this before. This stupid crush stuff was completely novel to him. He knew this was how people felt, judging by how they talked about crushes, but he just assumed his brain was broken because girls just didn’t make him all flustered like that. But with Warren it was completely different. Just the thought of him looking in his direction made his brain go numb and left him unable to speak. Warren made him feel warm like basking in the sun. Nathan never wanted to leave that warmth.
Nathan made his way into his room, letting go of the strings and letting the balloons hang limp in the stale air of his room. He grumbled, forcing open his window to try and liven up the place, though the rush of cold air from the outside just made him shiver.
His bed was made, thankfully, which made it feel better to collapse upon. God, did it feel good to lie in his own bed as opposed to that dumbass hospital mattress. He lied across it horizontally, his legs draped over one end and his head hanging upside-down over the other. His eyes once again rested on the balloons, which made him audibly sigh and rub his hands over his face.
“Shit, man,” he grumbled aloud to himself. “What am I gonna do?”
Honestly, it was a blessing in disguise that his father had already emotionally disowned him. All that was left was the paperwork, which would of course be coming once he actually came out as gay, which he’d also have to do one day.
Or maybe he didn’t?
Why did he have to tell everyone? Who says he has to go to the roof of Blackwell with a megaphone and announce to everyone that he wants to kiss guys? In a perfect world, he could just start dating Warren and that would be that; a person dating a person because people love other people and who really gives a fuck?
Of course, that meant Gayram would actually need to be, well, Gayram. And Nathan knew that wasn’t the case. He had told him about his failed crush on that Max girl, which was all the confirmation he needed, especially judging by how he spoke about it. One thousand percent straight. Which just meant his pining would stay just that- pining. It’s not like he could just drop him, definitely not after everything they’d gone through now. He’d just have to cope with not being able to be with Warren.
But how he longed to be with Warren. Just by the moments they spent close together he knew that was where he belonged. It took his entire being to fight off embracing him tightly, wrapping him in his arms like he could merge their heartbeats until they joined at the core, seeming as if they were never once separate.
He’s never kissed a guy, but he wanted Warren Graham to be his first. His lips looked so soft and inviting, taunting him to just go in for the kiss. He almost did- at the party when they danced together. He doesn’t know what stopped him, but he’s glad he didn’t. Surely Warren would have run off just as he did later in the night, except there may have been no recovering from it. Besides all that, they were in public. Nathan didn’t know if he could ever do public displays of affection with another man. That would be a whole other hurdle for life.
But when it comes down to it, he’s running out of time. By the end of the month Warren will be turning eighteen, and then it’s just a few short months until they both graduate. Who knows where life will take them after. If he wanted to make a move, to make a plan for his future that involved Warren… he’d have to make it soon.
But that would involve overcoming his worst fears- fears Nathan didn’t even know he had. Could he really manage that? Was it possible to speed through years of progress and growth to become someone actually good enough for Warren? Or would he do it all just for it to be worthless, and he’d leave him just to be seen in the occasional Facebook post and high school reunion?
There was simply a sliver, a minute chance of all of this working out perfectly. But what more could he do than hold onto that chance? Hold it close to his chest, nurturing it with the little bits of warmth his body could provide, praying that it could one day sprout. He can have a happy ending. Nathan wants to believe that. He just needs something, or someone, to show him that. To prove everything he’s ever believed in wrong and finally wake him up to what he’s been missing out on. Warren’s already proved so much of what Nathan’s known to be true incorrect. He’s knocked down walls he’s spent his entire life building. In his eyes, Graham was the most spectacular, amazing person he’s ever met. If anyone could give Nathan that happy ending, it’s him.
With a movement of his right foot, he pressed a button on the music player on his bedside table. A sweet yet sorrowful melody filled the empty space of the room, a sense of peaceful- and just barely noticeably melancholic- thoughtfulness coursing through Nathan’s veins. He sat up and adjusted his position, bringing an annoyingly bright cerulean blue balloon to drift just a few inches above him as he closed his eyes and took a deep sigh of relief. All that mattered right now was that he was a boy with a crush on his friend who was desperately in overdue for a long nap in his own bed.