deep love | 1

popcorn

Nick's pov 

I step out of the shower, drying myself and throwing on some clothes. I pause on my way out to draw on the mirror that's steamed up. I quickly check the clock on the wall. 9 p.m. It's way too early to go to bed, but there isn't anywhere to go at this hour. I walk downstairs to find J and Leia sitting on the sofa, huddled over Leia's phone. They look up when they hear me coming down the steps. "Hey Nick," they both smile as they greet me. "Joe went to buy popcorn, he wants to watch a movie later." Leia says as I sit down on the sofa next to J. "Cool, what are we watching?" I ask. They shrug. "We'll see when he gets back, I guess," J says. 

"What were you guys looking at?" I ask casually, trying not to sound too interested. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, I'm leaving for Australia tomorrow night for work, and I won't be back for a pretty long time," Leia replies, looking up from her phone. I feel my heart sink. "We were looking at her departure details, do you want to go with us to the airport tomorrow?" J asks. "Yeah, sure," I say, trying my best not to show my disappointment. I take a shaky breath as I stand up from the sofa. "I'll come down when Joe's back, okay?" I say as I hurry upstairs, lost in my own thoughts. 

J's pov 

Once Nick leaves, I turn to Leia. "I'm gonna go up and see what he thinks, I'll come down and let you know soon." Leia grins eagerly as she nods. "I think it's going pretty well!" I nod as I take the stairs 2 at a time. I find Nick in his room, slumped on his bed as he stares blankly at his phone. He looks up as I sit down on his bed. "I don't even know if she likes me, and she's leaving soon! And I probably won't see her anytime soon!" He grumbles, sitting up next to me. "And she's going to get a new phone number, isn't she?" I nod, secretly happy that he already knows that. "What do I do?" He sighs sadly, running his hands through his hair. 

"You like her a lot, so just tell her before she leaves!" I rub his back comfortingly, hoping he'll agree. "Yeah, and get rejected?" I laugh. "Nick, I've seen the way she looks at you. Just do it, you'll be fine..." Nick looks up at me. "You sure? But what if she was just acting? What if she doesn't like me at all?" 

"Well... you won't have her phone number and if you don't ask, you're never gonna know. Ever. Maybe by the time she gets back, she'll already have a boyfriend!" I tease a little.

 Nick gives me a death glare, but I know the plan is working. Just then, we hear the front door opening. Nick stands up, and we both walk downstairs to watch the movie. 

Joe's pov 

I grab the first bag of microwavable popcorn I see and throw it in my cart, along with 4 cans of coke. Sure, I'm going to get popcorn, but everyone except Nick knows that the real reason I'm out is because I need to buy more cameras to put in the entire house. 

As I walk out of Target, food and drinks in hand and ready to drive to the electronics shop, I'm greeted by flashing camera lights. 

"Joseph! Any plans to get engaged?" "You're taking so long to propose to J!" "He's right, how long are you gonna keep her waiting?" 

I ignore the paparazzi, but I realise that they're right- it's been a pretty long time since J and I became girlfriend and boyfriend. 

I don't stop for any pictures because I don't want to keep J, Leia and Nick waiting, and I still need to get the cameras. I get into the car and drive off, careful not to bang into any annoying paparazzi that's crowding around my car. 

I shiver a little as I park and get out of my car. The chilly wind ruffles my hair a little, and I rush into the shop before anyone sees me. I end up buying 5 cameras- one for each room in my house. Leia already has 2, which we're using for my 2 bathrooms, and I found 3 more in my bedroom drawer which we're putting in the living room and hallways of the first and second floor. 

After a short drive, I get home, putting the small cameras in my pockets so that Nick can't see them. "I'm home!" I call as I unlock the front door, holding the popcorn and coke. Leia smiles when she sees me, and I can hear footsteps upstairs. "How's the plan going?" I whisper to her before J and Nick get downstairs. She shrugs. "I don't know, but we already told Nick I'm going overseas tomorrow. J was talking to him before you got here so later she'll tell us." 

"Okay," I say as I hand her a can of coke. 

Leia's pov 

"Thank you" Joe hands me a can of coke, and he goes to microwave the popcorn. I stand up to  turn on the TV, then realise we haven't picked a movie. I'm about to go into the kitchen to find Joe, but J and Nick come down the stairs at the same time. "Where's Joe?" J asks as she opens one of the cans of coke and takes a sip. I point towards the kitchen, and Nick sits down on the sofa. I sit down next to him, and there's an awkward moment of silence. "So... you're going to Australia? When are you gonna be back?" I try not to smile. "I'm not very sure, maybe in 3 months? That's February 2020." I see his mouth droop a little. "So you'll miss Christmas and New Year with us." 

"With you guys?" I say, genuinely surprised. "I'm not anyone's girlfriend or anything, I don't think I'd celebrate with you guys." Nick runs a hand through his hair, and I can't help but think how good he looks. "I mean... your sister is Joe's girl." He says, but he avoids eye contact. "Yeah, but your parents don't really know me, and I've never joined you guys before..." I'm trying my best to get the point across that I'm most likely not going to see him again. It's mean, but if that's what it takes, then I'll do it. 

J's pov 

I go to the kitchen, leaving Leia and Nick together. "Hey babe," I walk over to Joe, who stops what he's doing and gives me a side hug. He rests his head on my shoulder for a second, then turns a little to press a kiss to my cheek. The microwave dings, and with his hand still around my waist, he takes the popcorn out of the microwave. "So, how's the plan going?" He asks as he tries one. Before I can answer, he takes another piece and throws it into the air, and then catches it with his mouth. "I'm SO talented," He jokes, throwing one to me. I catch it in my mouth and say, "I'll tell you and Leia later. When Nick's sleeping."