Quarantine Hits Different // NICK X TONY

Chapter 2: Coming Out (Nick)

Nick lays on his bed in the dimly-lit room, still crying. His phone rings for so long he's sure that Chase won't answer. He decides he can come out to his friend tomorrow and accepts his fate of being alone for the rest of the night. Then finally, he hears that all-too-familiar sound that means his phone has connected and his best friend's face appears on the screen.

"Hey, buddy. What's up?" Chase answers immediately, "Wait, are you crying?"

Nick sniffles and wipes his nose. With a shaky voice he answers, " Yeah, um...can you come to our room real quick? I need to talk to you about something."

Chase has seen Nick cry before. Truthfully, behind all the lip biting, sex eyes, and tongue technology on TikTok, he was a sensitive guy. Nick was more sensitive than he was sometimes. Even so, Chase hasn't seen his friend this upset in a while and he's getting concerned. He's too worried to get dressed after just being in the shower, so he throws a towel over the important parts and rushes to their room.

Chase opens the door softly and sees Nick curled up on his bed. He approaches the center of the room to find that Nick has stopped crying, but he's clearly still very upset about whatever happened.

"Hey, what's going on? Are you ok?" Chase asks, sitting next to him now.

"Yeah. I feel better now it's just, Tony and I had a fight a few minutes ago." 

"Oh. Well, it was bound to happen at some point, I mean we have been stuck together for the past few weeks." Chase says jokingly

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Nick says looking up now, "Speaking of the past few weeks...Chase, I need to confess something to you. I'm—"

"You're gay, I knew it!" Chase interrupts, grinning widely.

He puts his hands around his friend's shoulders to comfort him.

"No." Nick says as he brushes him off, "It's not like that. I'm not gay it's just..."

Nick sighs. Chase doesn't seem to be taking this very seriously so far and he's not sure if he is really ready to confide in his friend. Chase is gay himself, so he knows he'll understand.  Still, it's hard to come clean after keeping it a secret for so long.

Chase gently pulls Nick's chin toward him so that they are looking into each other's eyes.

"Nickie, look at me. Whatever it is you can tell me."

His friend's kindness causes tears to well back up in Nick's eyes. Taking a deep breath before beginning, he confesses it all.

"Tony and I have been hooking up since the quarantine started. The first time was when we both got drunk at our last party. We kept it going because it's fun and we genuinely care about each other. But now...now I think I'm falling in love with him and I'm not sure he feels the same way."

Admitting this out loud sends Nick over the edge and he begins crying in Chase's arms.

"Wow, Nick, I gotta say I am truly shocked. I mean I can't believe what you're telling me right now." Chase can't stop himself from giggling though he feels bad for the sarcasm.

The younger boy's poorly-timed laughter makes Nick smile and he looks up at him. "Fuck you alright. Tony may be the only guy I've ever felt this way about, but my feelings for him are strong. Especially considering how well I hid them thank you very much."

Chase's laughter finally calms down enough for him to speak.

"Ok ok. But if you're so in love, why did you guys fight?"

Somewhat embarrassed by his oversharing, Nick mumbles, "He wants to fuck me."

"He-he wants to do what? What did you say?" Chase can feel his face becoming red and the laughter threatens to come back full force.

"I said he wants to fuck me! He tries something every time we mess around and he won't leave me alone about it! Happy!?" Nick shouts

He hadn't meant to be so loud but he needed to release his frustrations, sexual or otherwise. It must have been really loud too because Kouvr yells from the living room to check on them.

"You guys okay in there!?"

"All good Kouvr thanks!" Chase replies with his hand over Nick's mouth.

He then playfully smacks his friend's shoulder and says, "Buddy! Your man wants at that sweet ass of yours. Hello? That's a good thing."

"I know, and trust me, I do want him too. But it feels like a huge step and I'm just...nervous." Nick says back shrugging, "I've only ever been with girls before him and I was always in control. I mean, wasn't Noen nervous to bottom before your first time together?"

Chase runs his fingers through his hair before attempting to answer the very personal question, "Well actually..."

Realizing what Chase is insinuating, Nick starts to crack up all over again.

"No!" he says, eyes widening

"Shut up Nick," Chase warns through gritted teeth.

Ignoring him, Nick exclaims, "Don't tell me Chase Hudson a.k.a. "lilhuddy" a.k.a. "king of the e-boys" a.k.a. "TikTok daddy" is a bottom!"

Chase lightly shoves Nick out of embarrassment and the now hysterical boy is laughing so hard he loses his balance and falls off his own bed. He is quite literally rolling on the floor laughing. Though he does feel sorry for his reaction, Nick is genuinely shocked. When he's finally able to take a breath, he apologizes.

"Sorry, buddy I just cannot picture you taking dick. But hey, I'm not bottom shaming, I am one myself. I know someone's gotta do it, just didn't think it'd be you."

And just like that Nick is beside himself again. Tears are streaming down his face and his ribs ache.

"I'm gonna kill you Nick Austin," Chase says, faking anger. In reality, he himself had been surprised his first time with Noen.

The blonde boy gets a hold of himself once again and climbs back into his bed with Chase.

"Alright, I'm sorry. I promise I'm done now.," he says before changing the subject, "Tell me about you and Noen. Whatever happened between you two anyway?"

Chase sighs, remembering their perfect summer together.

"Now that, is a long story," Chase begins.