CHANCES ↠ NICK MARA

TWENTY-FOUR

NICK🥰
good morning baby
i hope you have the greatest day
can't wait to hear your new music

hey, are you okay?

please entertain me
i've been watching zion play
fortnite for the last two hours

edwin's thinking about
dying his hair a neon green
please help me stop hin

lex?

are you busy in the studio
right now?

i'm getting really worried here

are we fine?

—

The boys have kept Nick distracted the whole day, and I'm finally here. I'm backstage right now while they're doing soundcheck. I can see each of the boys glancing at me—one at a time. It almost makes me laugh because they're not being so discreet. Slowly, they back up, leaving Nick on stage by himself. They're singing "We Don't Talk Anymore," but instead of it being the normal fivepiece cover they usually do, I pitch in when it comes to my line.

"Who knows how to love you like me," I sing, and I really hope someone is recording right now because Nick's double take really makes my day. He stops singing, and I can see him mouth a small 'no way' to himself. He turns slowly to the sound of my voice, and he breaks into a sprint. "Surprise!" I exclaim, with a little shrug before I'm picked up in his arms.

"What are you doing here?" He questions while he's twirling me around.

I laugh into his neck. "Your Christmas present."

He sets me down, back on the soles of my two feet. His hands are still placed on my hips as he smiles down on me. I can't resist the urge to kiss the smile on his face, so I do just that. However, it's kind of hard because he's smiling too much or we're both smiling too much to be kissing.

"You're my Christmas present?" He asks before he cradles my face in his hand. He touches my hair, and I can't help but feel like I'm blushing quite hard right now. "Best Christmas present ever."

"Do you love it?" I question.

"I love you," he replies immediately. He turns back to look at the boys who are all smiling at us. "Man- You guys knew?"

"Dude, I was going to tell you earlier, but Edwin said it had to be a surprise, and it'd be cute," Zion says, almost with a disgusted tone but he's smiling. "I guess y'all are cute but don't rub it in our faces. Some of us are still single."

Edwin rolls his eyes. "Nick was moping the whole time. I had to do something," he argued like he was annoyed, but he's smiling too.

"Yeah, it was annoying," Brandon agrees with a hint of a smile too.

"Y'all are adorable though," Austin nods. "Let us leave the lovebirds in peace," he says, escorting the rest of the boys away.

"Oh my god," Nick breathes with a disbelieving smile like he still can't wrap his head around the fact that I'm real, like I'm just in his imagination. "I can't believe you're actually here." He picks me up again, and this time, I wrap my legs around his torso and tuck my head into the crook of his neck.