Forbidden | BxB

04

Nicholas woke up to complete darkness. It took him a few minutes to remember where he was. Nick could hear Brayden's light snores from beside him but he couldn't see him.

He turned to his right and looked at Brayden's alarm clock, seeing that it was almost two-thirty in the morning. He grabbed his phone off of the bedside table and he began to sit up.

"Where are you going?" Brayden asked groggily. Nick turned on his phone and used the flash to see the door.

"I'm thirsty," he told him, "My throat is dry." Nick heard Brayden laugh quietly.

"You're thirsty?"

"Shut up," Nick said, remembering their encounter from a few hours ago. "Do you want water?"

Brayden nodded but then realized that Nicholas couldn't see him. "Yeah," he told him.

Nick got up and carefully walked to the bedroom door. Once he walked down the hallway, he could see where he was going without the flash. The lights in the hallway were dim, but they were on.

He slowly shuffled down the stairs and into the kitchen. He knew Brayden's house like he knew his own. He grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with cold water. He took a few sips and then emptied it. He filled it once more and trudged back up the stairs.

When he walked back into the bedroom, the little lamp on the dresser was turned on. He handed Brayden the water and Brayden thanked him. He began to drink it.

"Does your head hurt at all?" Nicholas asked. Brayden shook his head no.

"My stomach feels like shi –" Brayden's eyes widened and his hand cupped over his mouth.

He stood up quickly and ran to the bathroom. Nicholas followed behind him. Brayden lifted the toilet seat and got down on his knees. He started to rid himself of the contents that were forcing themselves up. Nicholas patted his back as he threw up.

"You shouldn't have drank so much," Nick scolded Brayden. Brayden sighed and flushed the toilet.

"Help me up, Asshole," he grumbled. Nicholas rolled his eyes but helped his friend up. Brayden walked over to the sink and took out his toothbrush. He began to brush his teeth as Nick sprayed the bathroom with air fresheners. Once Brayden was finished, he quickly gargled mouth wash and spat it out.

He walked out of the bathroom and back into his room. Brayden climbed into his bed and watched as Nick came in. Nicholas scratched the back of his head and sighed.

"I think I'm gonna go home," Nick said. He looked up and met Brayden's eyes.

"Why? I want you here," he told him, "It's like three in the morning -- you'll get into an accident or pulled over. Please stay."

Nick blew out a short breath and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I'll stay if you tell me what the hell happened at that party," Nick told him. "I'm tired of always being the odd man out, Bray."

Brayden let out a small groan and sat up. He rubbed his eyes and looked at Nicholas. "Sometimes it's better being the odd man out."

"You wouldn't know what it feels like," Nicholas chuckled sarcastically. "Because you're never it. And...and that's all I am with you! I'm always out of the loop. With everything. I'm always the last to know things, but I'm sure as shit the first person to be called when you need help."

Brayden furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. "Why are you being such a dick?"

"I'm just telling you the truth. I'm not trying to be a dick," Nicholas huffed. He paused when Brayden looked down at his hands in defeat. "Please tell me what happened to you at the party."

Brayden sighed and shook his head. His thumbs twitched anxiously. "I arrived at the party and everything was cool... until Shelby and I went upstairs to...you know."

Nick looked at him and felt his heart sink a little. "Oh," he said, trying his best to make it sound like it didn't affect him. 

"We didn't though," Brayden told him, as if making that clear would prove something. "I just..." He stopped talking and looked down at the floor.

His eyes became watery and when Nick noticed Brayden looked away. 

"Brayden," Nicholas said calmly, "You know you can tell me anything." Brayden nodded and a tear fell from his eyes. Brayden used his shoulder to wipe it off of his cheek.

"Shelby and I were fucking around," he said, "Kissing. And we were in her room..." Nick nodded, listening to his best friend attentively.

"But I didn't feel... I just wasn't..." Brayden paused, looking for the right words. "I wasn't turned on... not when she got undressed. I didn't get hard when she got naked, I didn't get hard when she touched me... I just... Is there something wrong? With me?" 

"What? No, of course there's nothing wrong—"

"But that isn't normal, Nick."

"Well I mean, it's Shelby. I wouldn't be–"

"Nick."

"It's completely normal, Dude--"

"Nick, I need a favor," Brayden breathed out desperately. "Please?"

"Yeah, anything, what?"

"Could you please just... kiss me... and touch me. Please?" he said, his voice cracking. "I need to know..."

"Wait, what? Bray, I don't think–"

"Please Nick, please?" Brayden pleaded. "You know I wouldn't be asking you to do this if I wasn't so confused."