Forbidden | BxB

23

Brayden walked out of the school with blood still dripping from his lip. He looked around, trying to spot Nicholas's car, but there were just too many vehicles.

Alex walked out of the school after him and he turned to look at her. She had a stern look plastered on her features. "Look, I know that I should've been there sooner, okay? I know, Alex."

She shook her head with narrowed eyes. "You honestly think that I came out here to say that? Brayden, who the fuck do you think I am?" She asked. "You couldn't have stopped that from happening, okay? No one could. Daniel's just a miserable fucking bastard."

Brayden sighed and shook his head. "Nick must be so scared," He said while biting his bottom lip worriedly. He continued to glance around the parking lot. "Everyone knows about him. Everyone fucking knows."

"What do we do?" Alex questioned. "What can we do?"

"I'm going to go find him and you're going to go back to class," He told her, "Because unlike me, you're not suspended for a week."

"No, I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not."

Alex huffed. "He's my friend too, you know? I've been there for him more times than you have ever been in your whole life," She said with a hard glare, pointing at him. "So why shouldn't I be there for him now?"

Brayden looked at her with cold eyes. "You live in a fantasy world where you and Nicholas are always going to be together and that you'd do anything you can to make sure of it. You treat him as if you own him. But he's a fucking person. It's time to join the rest of us in the real world and learn to grow the fuck up, Alex. He's not yours, nor is he your problem all the time."

"You're such a fucking hypocrite!"

"How in hell am I a hypocrite?"

"I'm not the only one living in a fucking fantasy, Brayden, and you know it."

"You don't know what you're talking about Alex."

"I don't know what I'm talking about?" She sneered. "Oh, I'm pretty sure that I do. You act as if you and Nicholas could have a happy little life together. But how about you take a step into reality and look at the big picture. You're father is a drunk who would kill you if he ever found out about you two. You have Nicholas crying every other night because your problems are slowly becoming his. You're poison to him. You're relationship is fucking toxic!"

Her eyes were glossed over in tears and a few escaped from his.

Connor opened the doors of the school and looked between the two. His eyes settled on the blonde. "The deputy wants to see the both of us."

Alex walked into the school without a word. Connor gave him an apologetic look before following her back inside. When the doors closed, Brayden walked own the front steps and walked to his truck.

Her words started to sink in. Brayden felt his stomach churn and he punched his steering wheel. "Fuck!" He yelled and rubbed his face. After a few minutes of sitting there, thinking about what Alex had said, he turned his truck on.

As he started to drive out of the school's parking lot he saw a figure standing near the outskirts of the woods. Brayden pulled over and jumped out of the vehicle.

He ran towards the figure and as he got closer he heard quiet sobs. His heart sunk to the pit of his stomach as he saw Nicholas crying.

Brayden stepped on a branch and it snapped. Nicholas looked up at him with red eyes and tearstained cheeks. He opened his mouth to speak but Brayden beat him. "I'm not going to leave you alone so don't waste your breath," He told him.

Nicholas buried his face in his hands and contained his cries as best as he could. Brayden got down on his knees and hugged the sobbing boy from behind. He wrapped his arms around him and brushed his nose against the nape of his neck.

"You can cry as loud as you want, Nicholas, I'm not going to judge you," Brayden whispered and placed a soft kiss to the back of his neck. "You've always been there for me and now it's my turn to be there for you."

Nicholas nodded and quickly turned so that they were chest against chest. Nick pressed his face against Brayden's neck as he cried and Brayden rubbed his back soothingly.

"Everyone hates me," He wept. Brayden shook his head.

"No one hates you, Nick," He said soothingly. Brayden's deep voice was soft and sincere. "But even if they did, why would it matter? You've never cared about what those mouth breather's thought before." He paused and Nicholas let out a small hiccup. "Alex loves you, Connor loves you. Fuck, even Tasia loves you. And I love you, so, so fucking much."

Nicholas wound his arms around the older boy's abdomen and hugged him as tight as he could. Brayden did the same thing in return and kissed his boyfriend's head as he continued to let his tears out.

—

The doorbell rang and Mr. Holland walked over to the door. He stuffed a few chips into his mouth before opening it. Brayden stood in the doorway with Nick in his arms. Mr. Holland's eyes widened.

"He's okay. Nick just fell asleep in the car," Brayden reassured him.

"Why aren't you two in school?" Mrs. Holland asked as she walked down the hallway. Once she saw her son she stopped in her tracks.

"I think it would be best if he told you himself," Brayden said quietly. "Can I bring him up to his room?"

Kirsten and Justin nodded, letting the boy walk past them and up the stairs. Brayden gripped onto Nicholas tighter as he trudged up the stairs. Nick moved slightly in his arms and his eyes opened slowly.

"Where are we?" He asked, his voice groggy and almost incoherent.

Brayden smiled softly down at him and moved the hair out of his eyes. "I brought you home," He replied and opened the door to Nick's bedroom. He gently kicked it shut behind them and laid Nicholas down on the bed.

"I know it seems like everything is shit right now but it's not, Nick. Feel better, okay?" Brayden said, placing a kiss on his forehead.

"How would you know?" Nicholas asked, "This has never happened to you."

Brayden sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Nicholas, c'mon, I don't want to fight. We already do that enough as it is."

Nick emitted a breath, seeming to be more awake. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"No, stay."

Brayden smirked faintly. He crawled into the bed next to Nick and Nicholas wrapped his arms around him. He buried his face into his shirt and they held each other close.