Jeff made the drive from Lima to Westerville at Guinness World Record speeds. He was convinced that cops didn’t pull him over because he was going so fast they couldn’t see him. Had he driven any faster, he would have gone back in time. Once or twice, he thought his engine might actually implode. If Nick had been with him, he would have put a hand on Jeff’s shoulder and told him to slow down in that calm, understated way of his, even though he would have been scared out of his wits.

Say that to any of the other guys, and they would have laughed and driven faster.

But Jeff would have slowed down because Nick had asked him.

He would do anything for Nick.

Nick wasn’t one for fast driving, which was why he didn’t race, but he loved riding in Jeff’s 300ZX with him. The passenger seat of Jeff’s car was reserved mostly for Nick.

Jeff parked his car in the student lot and leapt out, almost forgetting his keys in the ignition. He raced over to the dorms. It was well after dark and Jeff hoped that Nick hadn't gone to sleep yet. He sped through the corridors, peeking into the senior commons along the way just in case, but Nick wasn't there. When he got to their dorm room, Jeff couldn't hear any music (which Nick usually kept on in the background for white noise) and he didn’t see any light underneath the door.

"Shit!" Jeff muttered beneath his breath. He was all wound up. A million and one thoughts raced through his mind and he didn't think he would be able to wait until tomorrow to get them out. As it was, he had no idea how, exactly, he was supposed to tell his best friend of twelve years that he was in love with him.

Jeff sighed, opening the door slowly so he wouldn't wake his roommate, but to Jeff's surprise, he saw the desk lamp on. As Jeff pushed further into the room, he saw Nick sitting on the edge of his bed, iPhone in his hand, his eyes puffy and red as if he had been crying.

Jeff closed the door behind him and rushed into the room at the sight of his upset friend.

"Nicky?" Jeff kneeled at Nick's feet, gazing up into his face.

"Where were you, Jeff?" Nick asked, not looking at him.

"I went to Lima," Jeff said. Nick’s lips tightened.

“You…you weren’t answering your phone.”

"I left it in the glove box,” Jeff admitted, cursing himself for not keeping it on him. “I needed to go see Kurt." Jeff felt Nick stiffen. He put his iPhone down on the desk. "I needed to, uh, ask him a question."

"A question?" Nick looked out the window, not wanting to meet Jeff’s eyes. "What kind of question is so important you have to drive nearly two hours away to ask? Why couldn't you pick up a damn phone?"

"Well, I..." Jeff dropped his gaze to where his hands rested on Nick's knees. "I needed some help with my car, so we fixed it. Together."

"Hummel then, huh?" Nick shifted, knocking Jeff's hands off his knees as he got up to walk to the closet on the other side of the room. He grabbed his duffel bag and started tossing clothes inside. Jeff watched with wide eyes.

"Nicky?" Jeff stood, questioning him quietly. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Hummel," Nick continued, his voice thick as he went to his dresser and stuffed toiletries and socks in the duffel next. "What the hell is it with Hummel? Blaine, Sebastian, you? What, are his pants made of fucking gold that everyone wants in them so badly?"

Even though Nick darted around the room, purposefully avoiding Jeff's eyes, Jeff could tell that he had started crying.

"Nick...where are you going?" Jeff put his hands gently on Nick's shoulders, but Nick shrugged them away. He glared back at Jeff, hazel eyes brimming with a fire Jeff had never seen before.

"I'm going to stay in Trent's room for a while," Nick murmured. "I don't know what's going on anymore, but I'm confused...and I need a break..."

"A break?" Jeff chased after Nick as he headed for the door, blocking his way. "A break from what?"

Jeff tried to catch Nick’s gaze, but Nick wouldn't look at him.

He couldn’t.

"Nothing, I guess." Nick reached past Jeff for the doorknob.

Jeff started to panic.

"Please," Jeff pleaded, putting his hands up in surrender, trying to carefully move Nick back into the room. "Please, don't go. Be mad at me if you want to, but please, don't leave."

Nick shook his head.

"No, Jeff. I can't…I can’t stay."

Nick’s cheeks were damp with old and new tears, and his nose red from running. Jeff's heart twisted seeing him this way. This poor boy, the one Jeff had fallen hard for, looked so broken – and he had a part in that. None of the words Jeff had practiced were helping either. They stayed muddled and mixed up inside his head, making absolutely no sense. He wanted to open his mouth and say something smart, something incredible that would convince Nick to stay, but he couldn't pin anything down.

Jeff started to step aside. Nick's face fell even more once he realized that Jeff had stopped fighting. He straightened his back and reached for the doorknob again.

Jeff’s brain couldn’t come up with a plan, so his body acted for him. He surged forward, grabbed Nick's face in his hands, and kissed him. Nick froze, shocked that his best friend would kiss him like this. It was the one thing he had been dreaming of since they had started going to Dalton Academy - longer even. He didn’t know if he should let Jeff kiss him. He was mad at Jeff, but above all that, absolutely and most definitely, Nick was in love with him.

Love was the last conscious thought Nick managed to register because the moment Jeff's tongue swept into his mouth and he felt the hard metal ball of Jeff's piercing run along his own tongue, Nick's mind went blank and his knees buckled. He dropped his duffel bag to loop his arms around Jeff's neck. Jeff had already wrapped his arms around Nick's torso, holding him up. Jeff leaned into the kiss, bending Nick back, one hand snaking up to reach into Nick's dark hair, grabbing and pulling slightly.

When Jeff pulled away, he dared a glance into Nick's face, expecting him to be furious. But Nick was far from that. He was breathless and ecstatic, with a dreamy grin on his face. Jeff sighed, relieved. He bit his lip, his own smile goofy, and Nick chuckled.

"Please tell me I didn't just fuck everything up," Jeff pleaded, though he was far from worried.

Nick shook his head.

"You didn't,” Nick assured him. “But I don't understand. If you’re not into Kurt, what did you go to Lima to ask him?"

Jeff blushed, darting his eyes away.

"I went there for advice on the best way to ask you to be my boyfriend."

Nick closed his eyes and shook his head.

"And that kiss is what you came up with?"

"No." Jeff brushed a stray hair out of Nick's face. "That's what I did to keep you from leaving."

Nick chewed on the inside of his cheek while he thought.

"If I threaten to leave again, will you kiss me again?"

Jeff smiled. He brushed his lips against Nick's forehead. He felt a shiver ripple down Nick's back, and suddenly, his entire body came alive.

"You could always ask me," Jeff whispered as he kissed Nick's face gently.

"Jeff...would you kiss me again?"

Jeff rubbed his nose against Nick's. He reached behind his back and locked their door.

"Nick," Jeff said, lips ghosting close to his, "it would be my pleasure."