Keep Quiet // Josh Dun (completed)

chapter føurteen :: face kisses and I like yøu's

"Hey," Josh elbowed Nicole at lunch. Nicole looked up at him. "I like you"

She smiled and pecked his lips.

"Ew you guys are gross" Tyler said from across the table.

"And how many time have I caught you and Jenna? And oh - in my room?" Josh sassed. Nicole laughed, grabbing her boyfriends hand.

"You guys are cute. I mean, the whole 'I like you' thing? It's your own personal I love you. I wish Ty and I did that." Jenna said.

|-/

The holidays were quickly approaching. Both Josh and Nicole had downsides to this.

Nicole despised her sister. She doesn't even like saying her name. Let alone actually talking to her.

And Josh, well Josh had seasonal depression. Which meant it was going to creep up on him any day now.

And he was going to feel it even more if it happened when Nicole was gone for the three or four days in Chicago.

It was the Sunday before Christmas and Nicole was dreading going back home as the holiday quickly approached. So she picked up her phone and dialed Josh's number.

"Hey Nic" Josh picked up.

"Josh" she whined, holding out the o.

"What's wrong babe?"

"Can you come and cuddle with me?"

"You want me to come over just to cuddle?" Josh asked.

"Well now it sounds ridiculous" Nicole said.

"No it's not. It's just cute."

"My dad is working overtime so we have more time together" she explained.

"But it's snowing" Josh only did this because he loved her whiny, clingy voice.

"Babe"

"I'm on my way" He snickered.

"Just let yourself in"

"I like you"

"I like you too" Nicole huffed. She wasn't in the best mood and Josh could tell. He hung up when he got in his car.

In just a few short minutes, Josh was at Nicole's.

He entered her room to find Nicole sprawled out on her bed, staring at the the ceiling.

"Hey babe" Josh said. Nicole scooted over, giving him room.

"Hey" Nicole covered her face. Josh put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

"You okay?" Josh asked quietly. They were so close that their noses where almost touching.

Nicole shrugged.

"Hey come on you can tell me" Josh tried to make her feel comfortable.

"Hey..." He said in a soft tone as he sat up on his elbow.

Josh started kissing her all over her face. Just showing little pecks all over her face, maybe twenty or thirty, making over-dramatic sounds in hopes to cheer her up.

Nicole eventually couldn't resist and she cracked a smile.

"There it is" Josh said. His girlfriend was happy and so was he.

Well, almost, Josh thought.

Josh couldn't help but to think that this week was going to be the week his depression kicked in. And who is going to be gone for part of that week?

Nicole.

The girl that motivated him to get through lunch, no matter how crowded and small the lunch room feels because she didn't want to see him have an anxiety attack.

The girl that motivated him to make the deal with his mom about the band and college.

The girl that came to his side at one of his lowest points in the treehouse.

The three or four days in deep depression were gonna be so much harder without her than any other few days without her. Josh wasn't thinking of her as someone he had to depend on to keep going but she definitely impacted him in a way nobody else has.

But he wasn't going to tell Nicole about his seasonal depression. She was already going through a hard time with her sister and he didn't want to stress her out more.

Nicole flipped so she was laying on her stomach.

"Nikki" Josh whined. The reason Nicole wasn't a big fan of the nickname was because she always gave in when Josh called her that.

"I have to go see my sister. Who I hate. She got the pretty name a-and the pretty hair and lots of friends and an amazing personality. And I'm just... I'm just me." Nicole vented.

Josh stroked her long black hair in comfort.

"You're hair is beautiful. And your name is amazing"

"Really? How is it compared to Sterling?" Nicole finally said her sisters name.

"It's nothing" Josh said. "And if all the things you listed are apparently better, then I don't want better" he said. Josh lifted up the bottom of her shirt to about halfway up her back. He started tracing random lines slowly on the small of her warm, soft back.

Nicole loved this feeling. It practically sent shivers up her spine. She could sit there and let him touch her all day - not in that way.

"Well why do you hate her?" Josh asked. He knew she wasn't just jealous about her looks. Nicole was one of those girls that not many people though her to be pretty. But Josh thought she was prettier then anybody he's ever seen.

"She's uh... She's just not nice." Nicole simply said.

"Okay, what makes her so... unnice?"

"She's greedy and rude and she even tried to take my check multiple times."

"Check?" Josh gave her a look.

"After what happened with my mom, each of us - Dad, Sterling, and I - get a check every month. It's usually around $1,500 for just one. It's just from social security and since Mom was a nurse, she made a lot. Basically, Sterling got her checks right away because she was twenty when it happened. I was barely sixteen so a parent or guardian had to handle it. And she tried to twist and around and say that since she had to babysit me a few times when I was only like eleven, that she would be considered a guardian. So she took it and cashed them until my dad found out and he kicked her out for a little bit until she came crawling back. She eventually found a place before we moved here but I just don't trust her. The only thing good about the Christmas parties is my aunt Evelyn and my older cousin, Dean" Nicole explained.

"Like from supernatural" Josh said. Nicole didn't say a word. Josh kept tracing the lines on her back. He could tell this comforted Nicole because she relaxed her back when he did it. She also grew quiet about her current situation.

Nicole closed her eyes because what Josh was doing was so relaxing for her.

Josh eventually wrote something with her fingertips before he put his hand flat on her back.

I Like You.

This hurt me because it's cute to see them care so much for each other.