Tommy was being a coward, and he knew it.

Tommy was putting off the wrong idea to Nikki, and he knew it.

Tommy was dying inside and he sure as hell hoped Nikki knew it.

Class with Nikki had been hell the past two days. He ignored him completely, not even answering when he took attendance. Tommy always knew he was in class, though, and marked him present.

Tommy had gotten home just a few minutes ago. He changed into some more comfortable clothes and started to set up the apartment for his parents. He had about three hours until they showed up. He could feel his anxiety prickling in his veins already.

Cleaning up the apartment and making the best spaghetti he possibly could. Two hours until they arrived.

Finding all his best plates and utensils and getting them ready, putting them out and pretending he was rich and used them all the time because his parents didn't know his actual salary right now. One and a half hours until they arrived.

Wallowing in misery on the couch over the loss of Nikki in his life. One hour.

"I can't do this anymore." Tommy groaned, talking to himself more than anyone else. He dragged himself to his bedroom, sitting down heavily on his bed. He grabbed the phone, fingers trembling as he picked it up and dialed Nikki's number.

It rang four times before his boyfriend picked up.

"N-Nikki?"

"What do you want, Tommy? For me to wish you luck tonight?" Nikki snarled, making Tommy feel small and afraid.

"N-Nik, I.. Come over. You're having dinner with us and you're going to meet them." Tommy said firmly, fixing his shaky voice.

"No, I'm not. Because there's some big reason I can't meet your parents. Right?"

Tommy sighed softly, regretting every word he had said during the fight.

"They're homophobic, Nikki. I'm afraid they're going to hate you. Hate me. Try to make us not be together. I'm afraid for you, Nikki. I'm afraid for us. I don't ever want to lose you." Tommy confessed, closing his eyes as he blew out a heavy breath.

Nikki was silent. Tommy was sure he could hear his heart pounding in his throat.

"I could always just pretend to be your friend."

Tommy thought for a minute.

"I don't know. I don't want to lie."

"Well, you sure didn't have a problem with lying a few days ago." Nikki sneered. Tommy groaned.

"Baby, I'm sorry. Come over now, I want to talk to you face-to-face."

"Fine. I'd better get a lot of kisses."

"Always."

Nikki hung up after that, wrenching himself off his bed and properly redressing himself in a pair of jeans and a Boston shirt. He applied a new layer of makeup to his eyes, grabbing his key for the house and hightailing it out the door before his parents could ask where he was going. He hadn't told them about what had happened with Tommy, but he knew they assumed they had broken up. They knew Nikki would talk when he was ready.

He did, however, catch his mother's call of, 'Stay safe!', as he closed the door behind him.

Excitement pricked his fingertips as he shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to walk slowly so it didn't seem like he had a place to be. He kept reminding himself that he was supposed to be angry at Tommy, but the prospect of seeing his boyfriend again as his boyfriend lifted his spirits too much.

He basically jogged to Tommy's apartment.

Nikki barely knocked on the door once before it flung open and he was pulled inside by the waist. Tommy's lips immediately connected with his own and he was met with a crushingly deep kiss as Tommy practically swept him off his feet. Nikki felt his boyfriend's hands on his lower back shifting to his thighs, then his legs were wrapped around Tommy's hips and he was off the ground. He giggled into the kiss, Tommy waddling them over until he could press Nikki's back against the wall and continue.

After a few minutes of making out, bodies pressed flush against each other, Nikki broke it off with a gasp, hands loosely connected behind Tommy's neck.

"Holy fuck, that's enough kisses for now." He giggled, allowing Tommy to steal one more anyway.

"Fuck, baby, I'm so sorry. I've been dying without you these past days. I'll never lie to you again, I swear. I've never once been ashamed of you or of our relationship. I'm in love with you, Nikki, and I want the whole fucking world to know it." Tommy spoke sincerely, voice never wavering once. Nikki felt his eyes starting to tear up again.

"I'm in love with you, too, Tommy."

He shifted, knowing that Tommy was probably getting tired holding him up against the wall.

"I honestly wish we could make love right now," Tommy laughed, glancing at the clock. "But they'll be here in about ten minutes."

"Am I presenting myself as your..?"

"Boyfriend? Yeah." Tommy smiled softly, kissing him once more. He nearly dropped Nikki when the phone suddenly rang, practically leaping out of his skin. He gently put Nikki back on his feet and rushed to answer it, knowing that it was probably his parents on that new cellphone they'd gotten, because they can afford crazy things like that.

Indeed, it was his mother.

"Tommy! So good to hear from you. Are you ready? What apartment number are you?" She questioned. Although it was rather friendly, Tommy could feel his heart clenching with worry.

"I-it's great to hear from you, too, Mom - I'm ready, yes. Apartment 3 dash 89, room number 89 on floor 3. I also have someone here I'd like to you to meet. Uh.. they'll.. be dining with us."

"A girl? What's her name?"

"Nikki." Tommy gulped.

"She sounds wonderful. So glad you grew out of that gay phase. We'll see you in about ten minutes, honey!" She hung up, leaving Tommy sweating with anxiety. He put the phone back on the hook.

"Baby, I'm so scared." Tommy whispered, pulling Nikki into his arms. His smaller boyfriend's nose pressed into his neck just like always, a comforting nuzzle that he had sorely missed.

"It'll be okay." Nikki whispered softly, pressing a soft kiss to his lover's jawline. Tommy whimpered.

They stayed there in each other's arms, slowly dancing around the room to a song playing in their heads, Nikki's head tucked under Tommy's chin.

Tommy's hands tangled through Nikki's hair, twirling it around his fingers and rubbing at his head gently. Nikki moved his head to lock gazes with his boyfriend, chocolatey eyes meeting soft mint.

"It will be okay."

They shared one last kiss just as someone knocked on the door.