Nick Doesn't Know

Chapter Twelve: Bacon And Eggs

• hey guys, hope u enjoy this chapter :) •

Chapter Twelve: Bacon And Eggs:

Nick could hear shouting from downstairs. Usually shouting was foreign in arguments between Mrs and Mr Babbage but tonight was an exception. The shouting finally stopped anf Veronica's head popped around Nick's door shortly after.

"Dinners ready." His mum smiled.

***

Dinner had passed in silence; no one dared to make a single sound. After Nick ate he excused himself and went back to his room. He felt like crying. Nick had never had a good relationship between his father, but tonight was just terrible and he wondered if it would always be like this.

And then there was the date to worry about. What had Nick done? What Nick and Leo had wasn't right—two guys kissing was not acceptable. Nick had never felt any resentment for gay people or ever thought that it was wrong but he knew it was. He had heard his father say it many times. "It's not normal," he explained to a four year old Nick. But Nick didn't see why it was so wrong.

But still, it couldn't go on. I'll tell him that whatever we're doing will have to stop after the date, Nick thought.

***

Leo woke up with a smile on his face. He was going on a date with Nick tonight and he couldn't be more excited. He'd been on a couple of dates with girls in the past before he'd came out but never with a guy. Leo had never even had feelings for a guy before—she he was attracted to some (especially the hot primark male models) but nothing more than that.

Leo could smell breakfast cooking from downstairs—an unusual smell in the Lightwood household. Leo threw on his school uniform which was sprawled out on his desk chair and went downstairs.

When he got there, Levi—his mums newest boyfriend—was by the stove frying bacon and eggs. Levi was one of the better ones of Leo's mums boyfriends, but Leo hated him all the same. He would eventually leave and his mum would cry about it for a day while Leo comforted her and the next day she'd be bringing a new fella home. That's how it went.

Levi looked like one of those guys who probably did kinder egg adverts as a little kid, with his blonde hair and sun kissed skin along with his perfect straight teeth. Levi was only twenty seven which wasn't such a huge age gap between his mother since she was thirty three as she'd had Leo at the age of eighteen.

"Good morning, sport."

Leo frowned deeply at the nickname. Levi was always doing that—giving Leo weird nicknames.

"My name's not sport, it's Leo."

Levi chuckled and shrugged in an uncaring matter. "Call Soph down for me, breakfast will be ready soon."

Leo sighed but ran back upstairs to get his mother up anyway. There would be no point calling her name from downstairs, she was most probably still sleeping and wouldn't hear him anyway.

He opened his mother bedroom door and slipped in. Sophie was curled up on the bed a duvet covering her slim body. Leo shook her gently. "Mum, wake up. Levi made breakfast."

His mum grumbled something under her breath before sitting up. "Right," She mumbled without looking at Leo, "Be there in a sec."

Good morning to you too, Leo thought drily before closing his mums door shut behind him.

When Leo returned back downstairs there was three plates of bacon and eggs on the table. Leo sat down at his usual seat and started munching on a piece of bacon. He loaned inwardly. That was the one good thing about Levi, he could cook. Levi was training to be a Chef at some restaurant and often tried dishes at home for their dinner. Leo had to admit that Levi was different from his mothers other boyfriends.

Usually they were bikers or the tough kind who went to a bar every night and wore sunglasses and a bandana, but Levi didn't like bars—he claimed the smell of all the alcohol made his stomach turn— and Levi usually wore brighter colours with a sweater of some sort. He wasn't that bad at all really.

***

School went smoothly for Nick and before he knew it school had ended and in an hour he'd have a date with Leo. Leo and Nick had agreed that they'd both go home and get changed and Leo would come pick Nick up.

As soon as Nick opened the door he was met with his mothers smiling face—which was odd. Usually she was always in the kitchen cooking something when he'd come back from school.

"Hi, Mum. Everything okay?"

"Everything's Fine, darling. How about you go get changed and don't bother saying good bye after, just go straight out. You deserve a fun night." Even though Mrs Babbage's smiling face didn't waver, Nick knew something was up.

"Mum, is this about dad—"

"Sssshhhh, don't worry about him." His mum smiled reassuringly, "I'll deal with your father."

Nick nodded his head still a little unsure but made his way up to his room non the less.

***

Not again, Nick thought bitterly.

Just like the night of the fair Nick was met with a dilemma; what to wear.

He wanted to look cool once again but he couldn't wear the same thing he did for the fair. Leo would notice and he would surely think Nick was weird. His mum came in shortly after.

"Everything okay, Nicklaus?" His mother asked from behind him.

"I don't know what to wear."

His mother purses her lips before sighing. "Nicklaus, I know how you are and that you feel you need to impress everyone and live up to everyone's expectations—but you don't. Wear what you want. Wear what you like. Wear what you'll feel comfortable in. And as long as your happy with your decision then nothing else matters." His mother out gently.

Nick smiled and hugged his mother. "Thank you."

Now Nick knew exactly what to wear. As his mother left the room Nick pulled out his cotton washed out yellow shirt with a dark blue sweater along with his dark blue jeans. He personally loved this outfit especially since the sweater was so soft.

Maybe Nick was starting to understand that it was okay to be himself.

• i decided against showing Ella and Oran in this chapter and instead decided to focus on the boys family life a bit more

what do u guys think of levi? •