Chapter Eight (Ethan's POV)

Nick. I needed to talk to him. He'd know what was going on. He was sort of in this situation before, right?

Of course, my cell phone was gone now, so I had to walk all the way to Nick's house from Lucas' place. It wasn't that far, but it was far enough to have my face pink from the bitter cold wind. Then again, I was feeling like such a dickhead that the wind was nothing compared to the look on Lucas' face when I left.

We'd worked so hard to actually talk to each other and he finally let me touch him and I had to go and screw it all up. I felt awful. It wasn't just that either. It was the fact that I was about to have sex with him. I couldn't trust myself when it came to sex, especially with someone as fragile as Lucas.

Oh, and there was still the teeny tiny problem that he was a guy.

I was a guy.

That was a problem, whether anyone liked to admit it or not.

But Nick had gone through this. He'd know what to do. I just hoped he'd talk to me. We weren't speaking as much as we used to and last night was the first time I hadn't spent the night at his house- or in jail. I had to spend it at my own home, if you want to call it that.

And my rude awakening was my mother yelling at me about a phone call. At first I thought it was the Coach telling me that I was going to be arrested, but it turned out to be Mr. Patterson- Er, Danny. He wanted me to come over and at first, I was thrilled.

I got to see Lucas again.

But I only expected it to be a talk, not... that.

I shook the thought out of my head as I stepped onto Nick's doorstep, reaching behind the doorframe and taking out the spare key that they had hidden. I got into the house safely, placing the key on the key ring that hung near the door. No one was home, but they never cared that I had come inside.

I didn't raid their fridge, but I stole a piece of bread and headed upstairs to Nick's room to wait for him, flopping on his bed and sighing comfortably at the familiarity.

This place was my home more than any other place in the world.

I spent more of my time here than anywhere else. It was safer, cozier, and people actually liked me here. Not sure if they wanted me here, but I knew they liked me. Nick and I had been friends since we were kids. We were there for each other all the time. Through awful break ups, games, parties, deaths, and birthdays. I trusted Nick with my life and I'm pretty sure he trusted me with his too.

I knew I had done some pretty asshole-ish things in my life, but it was all done by impulse. Which is probably why I kept getting in trouble with the law. I just couldn't help it. I hated it when people ignored me, I hated it when they didn't look at me, or achknowledge me.

I'm right here.

What do I have to do to get someone's attention?

Scream? Break my leg? Break their leg?

And then I met Lucas. He always looked at me. He may not have said anything to me at first, but it took me a while to realize that just because he wasn't talking to me, didn't mean he wasn't listening to me. He was different than everyone else. When he looked at me, he didn't see the quarterback or the jail bait or Nick's tagalong. He saw me.

God, maybe I did love Lucas... I couldn't stop thinking and worrying about him. This had never happened to me before. The only time it ever came close, setting aside Nick of course, was this girl back in my freshman year, but I'd hurt her and regretted everything afterwards. I couldn't do that kind of thing to Lucas.

I'd die if I hurt him.

I heard the sound of the front door slamming shut and Nick's voice carrying up the stairs, talking to his mother. I quickly scarfed down the bread and sat up as Nick came into the room, almost jumping through the roof when he saw me.

"Dude! Holy crap. What're you doing here?" Nick asked in disbelief, then quickly shut his bedroom door. I frowned.

"We need to talk." I stated. Nick raised an eyebrow, returning my frown crookedly.

"About what? Is it about last night?" He asked. I blinked.

"You know about last night?"

"Mostly. Bad part, the whole school knows. Good part, it's probably not the whole story. All that's really known is that someone spiked the punch, mega time. People were fainting at least an hour in and the cops are crawling all over the place to find out who did it."

"What'd you mean who did it? Carter did it!"

"How do you know?"

"He told me! He was trying to get Lucas drugged up so he could pull some B-movie date rape scene. He was gonna frame me for it."

"That's low. Low and dumb."

"Like the asshole who did it. Look, that's sorta what I need to talk to you about. Well, actually, it's mostly about Lucas." I added on under my breath. Nick blinked, then slowly sat on the bed across from me.

"Lucas?" He asked hesitantly. I nodded and explained basically everything that happend last night, and the day before with Carter in the locker rooms. I led all the way up to just an hour ago when I had left the Patterson house to come here.

The entire time, Nick was staring at me. I couldn't quite tell what his expression meant, but I was glad he was listening to me. I hadn't talked to him in so long, it felt great to just sort of spill everything out.

"Holy shit, Ethan." Nick breathed at last once I finished. I grimaced.

"I did something wrong, didn't I?" I asked. Nick stared at me like a fish out of water for a second, then shook his head quickly.

"No. I mean, yes. Sort of. Not totally. Dude, you Lucas likes you! That's why he doesn't mind the whole talking and touching thing. But he obviously likes you more than he likes Oliver, in a totally not family kind of way."

"Get to the point. I'm not an A-student."

"He loves you, dumbass. He just doesn't know it yet." Nick snorted. I stared at him.

No way. He doesn't love me. He liked me, sure, but love was way too far of a jump for us... Right?

"No way." I stated. Nick rolled his eyes and punched me in the shoulder, but not hard.

"Don't be stupid. What's the problem? Of you guys like each other so much, just do it already. Lucas seems to trust you enough."

"Nick. Remember that girl in our freshman year?"

"Uh... Which one?"

"The only one I actually fucked." I snapped, feeling my face catch fire at openly admitting that. It's not that I was bad at sex or anything, I just couldn't find someone who turned me on enough to actually wanna screw 'em.

"You mean Monica? The skinny little redhead who always wore the ugliest jeans? And she had this beauty mark right under her left eye?"

"Yea, her."

"... Ethan, Lucas is completely different than her. She was a bitch, and come on. She was a girl. Lucas is a guy. He can handle you far better than a girl could."

"Says you. All I did was pinch his nipple and he was about ready to explode."

"I didn't need to know that. Thanks, now I can never look at him again."

"Nick."

"Right, right," Nick cleared his throat, his cheeks burning as he avoided eye contact with me now, "So what? He's sensitive. Get him used to it. Damn, Ethan. Don't underestimate him. If he loves you enough, he'll take it."

"I don't want to hurt him."

"You won't."

"Nick, he's a virgin."

"... That bad. You won't hurt him that bad. Jesus, this is the worse conversation I've had since my mom took me with her while she was bra shopping. Look, just buy some things that'll make it... Uh, less painful? Hell if I know."

"I'm gonna regret asking this, but... What did you use with Oliver?" I asked tightly. Nick turned red and shifted uncomfortably.

"Do we really have to talk about this? Isn't there a website? Why don't you watch some porn to get the feel of it?"

"Are you kidding me? I'll end up jacking off and forgetting everything. Goddamn it, Nick, just say it really fast."

"... This is the worst day of my life," He groaned, burying his face in his hands before peeking at me before grunting, "Nothing, it was just the usual foreplay, then we just sorta wung it and I ended up using lotion and that's pretty much it, this is the worst conversation of my entire life, let's forget it every happened."

"Fine." I deadpanned. I got what I really needed to know anyway. I just didn't like the idea of using cold lotion. I shuddered, then ran a hand through my hair, biting into my lip.

"So, what now? Do I just go back over there and...?"

"Not now. You just fucked up. You have to wait until Monday."

"What?! Are you kidding me? What am I supposed to do until Monday?"

"Uh, rob a bank, kill an orphan, hijack a car."

"Funny, Cooper. Funny. Seriously, what am I supposed to do? I'm gonna go crazy if I don't see him and this is all just so weird."

"It's called love. It is weird and always will be. And I never said you couldn't hang out with him, just don't have sex."

"Easy for you to say."

"I have an idea. I'm going to Oliver's to take him out. How about you and Lucas come with us?"

"Oh boy, a double date with my best friend. Four guys hanging out isn't gay at all."

"We are gay."

"I am not! I'm just... Only interested in Lucas."

"You're in denial."

"You're stupid."

"You suck at comebacks, now come on. I told him I'd be there by eight and it's already seven." Nick said, getting up and gesturing for me to follow him. I rolled my eyes and reluctantly followed him out to his mom's car.

"So, where are we going? I don't have that much cash on me." I said as I settled in the passenger's seat, Nick getting behind the wheel.

"It's on me. We're eating at that fancy restaurant just outside of Jensen." Nick replied as he started the car and pulled out of the driveway. I blinked, glancing at him as we headed down the road.

"Jensen? That's like a bazillion miles away." I snorted. Nick shrugged.

"Is not. Besides, it'll give you a chance to get to know Lucas more."

"I do know him."

"Yea? When's his birthday?"

"Uh... Sometime this year."

"You're such an ass."

"Objection!"

"Overruled."

"Douche." I finished, then plugged my ears and la-la-la-ed him half the way to Oliver's house and as soon as we pulled up, my stomach started to churn as I dropped my hands to my sides. I hesitated getting out of the car.

What if Lucas was mad at me for leaving? Would he talk to me again? Then again, I did deserve the silent treatment...

Ah, jeez.

"Hey, grandma, gonna get outta the car sometime this decade?" Nick demanded from outside the door, making me jump. I glared at him, then climbed out, shoving my hands into the pockets of my letter jacket.

"What if he hates me for ditching him like that? I was kind of an ass." I admitted with a grimace. Nick smacked me on the back, leading me up the steps with him.

"And that's why he likes you, E. Don't worry about it. Come on, put on your natural charm."

"Natural charm? I don't want Rick to be the one to answer the door." I grumbled and we both shuddered.

It was obvious that Rick was Satan incarnate.

Sure, I knew he was doing all his douche-baggy-ness to protect his kids, and his nephew apparently, but he was so harsh about it and sometimes I wondered if he ever had therapy or anger management. If not, he needed it.

Nick knocked on the door and we both held our breathes.

Please don't be Rick. Please don't be Rick. Please don't be Rick.

"About time." Oliver appeared in the doorway, cocking his brow and giving us both this smug as hell look. He was the cockiest, brattiest kid I'd ever met, but I didn't entirely hate him. Obviously not if I had gone to jail for him, and Nick.

Oliver wasn't ugly, though. Just... different. His naturally bleach blonde hair was swept across his forehead, just above his sea green eyes. He was wearing a pair of plain faded jeans with a black v-neck sweater that snugly fit his slender frame.

"What's he doing here?" Oliver asked, raking me with a suspicious glare. I glared back at him, trying not to throw any insults in his face. Nick smiled brightly anyway, peeking into the house quickly to make sure the coast was clear before he draped an arm around Oliver's waist, giving him a kiss of greeting on the cheek.

"Double date. Where's Lucas?" He asked. Oliver blinked, suddenly relaxing.

"Oh. Uhm, he's upstairs, probably reading. I'll go ask him."

"Don't ask, command." I responded. Oliver gave me a dirty look before heading up the stairs. Nick watched him go, his eyes lingering way too long on Oliver's backside before he turned to scowl at me.

"At least pretend you like Oliver."

"I do like him."

"Then what's with the douche canoe attitude?"

"It's my natural defense against brats, sorry."

"My fist is gonna be my natural defense if you don't play it cool, E."

"My bad. Next time, I'll greet him the way you greet him."

"So either way I lose."

"Pretty much."

"Asshole." Nick grumbled, looking into the house.

"Dickface." I coughed into my fist, then flashed him a grin as he rolled his eyes. We only waited a few minutes before Oliver came back down, gesturing for us to come in. Nick and I shared quick looks before coming inside and shutting the door behind us. I relished in the warm air inside, huffing on my hands as Oliver leaned on the post at the bottom of the stairs, giving me one of his smug, suspicious looks.

"He'll be down in a minute... You know, he looked really excited when I said your name. What did you two do this morning?" He asked me.

"That's for me to know, and you to never find out." I responded. Nick elbowed me and I huffed indigenously as Oliver rolled his eyes, waving a hand idly in his face as if to brush off my comment.

"Kay, fine. I won't stick my nose up your ass like my dad does, but I'll have you know that I'll be watching you guys like a hawk." He warned me. I looked at Nick helplessly. I wanted to punch this kid so badly, but the glare Nick gave me kept me under control as we just milled around for a bit.

"What's taking him so long? He's like my sister when we go to the mall." Nick groaned. Oliver frowned.

"Honestly, I have no clue. He only has one type of clothing. Sweatshirts, sweatshirts, and more sweatshirts." He replied.

"No, he doesn't." We looked up to see Danny coming into the hallway, wearing snug jeans and a matching plaid t-shirt with only half the buttons done.

"He doesn't?" Oliver asked. Danny shrugged, leaning on the wall with his arms folded over his chest.

"Blake and I bought him tons of clothes. Why do you think we were evicted? He has more than sweatshirts, but the sweatshirts are things he picked out. And borrowed without permission from Blake's closet." He answered, glancing up at the sound of a door opening and closing.

Lucas was coming down the stairs, shoving something into his pocket and glanced up.

Holy Jesus.

He wasn't wearing a sweatshirt.

Lucas Patterson wasn't hiding in an over-sized sweatshirt.

Instead, he wore a black and blue checkered button up shirt under a hooded gray vest to match the jeans that fit him snugly, making my mouth seriously water.

"About time," Oliver exclaimed, looking as surprised as Nick and I, giving Lucas a quick once over, "What were you doing?" Lucas cocked his head at him silently, just lifting a brow as if sending him a telepathic message. Oliver looked back at him for a moment, then shrugged and went down the stairs, grabbing his coat off the hook. Lucas came over and stood next to me, his arm touching mine and he wasn't freaking out.

Who was this kid and what did he do with Lucas?

"What time are you guys coming back? It better not be like three in the morning." Danny warned us as he pushed off the wall. Oliver rolled his eyes and Nick just smiled his parental winning smile.

"Not that late. We're going to a restaurant in Jensen, so it's a ways away, but we should be back by midnight if that's okay." He added. Danny thought for a moment, glanced at Lucas, who was hardly paying any attention to him and seemed to be finding the floor far more entertaining, then shrugged.

"That should be fine. Keep your cell phones on. Call me if anything happens. Actually, since you're in Jensen, could you do me a favor and stop by my dad's place? He has a box of old things I need that I might sell for some cash." He said.

"Sure thing." Nick agreed, then we quickly left the house before Rick could make his presence. Lucas and I climbed into the backseat of the car while Oliver and Nick took the front. The car ride was silent for a while, save for the radio that Nick decided to turn on rather loudly.

It was some cheesy 80's song that I didn't recognize, so I ignored it and glanced at Lucas, who was shifting a bit uncomfortably. He was nibbling on the end of his sleeve like he was nervous. I reached out and brushed his hand away. He glanced at me past his hair, then set his hand down by his side.

"I'm sorry about earlier." I said at last. Lucas blinked and looked up at me curiously for a moment, then shook his head and pointed to himself, indicating that he thought he was at fault. I shook my head quickly, daring for a second to take his hand in mine. He didn't pull away or gasp, just kept watching me with those dark blue eyes of his.

"I was an idiot. I tossed everything at you at once. I was just afraid of, uh, hurting you. You trust me and I don't want to lose that." I answered quietly. I was surprised to see Lucas slowly smile faintly, tilting his head against the back of the seat. He was watching me again.

And this time, he didn't look upset.

He looked pleased.

It made me smile back.

"Hey, keep it PG-13. This is my mom's car." Nick said from the front seat. I twitched and flashed him an embarrassed glare, my cheeks pink. Lucas just looked away out the window again, but he didn't let go of my hand.

I savored the feel of his soft, little hands. They were practically engulfed in mine. He had the smooth, gentle fingers of someone who was used to easier, less laborous work. I, on the other hand, was always doing something with my hands. Be it catching the football, lifting weights, punching someone in the face, or trying to get into my own house.

"So, what does this restaurant serve?" I asked at last, despising the silence as I gently ran my thumb over Lucas' knuckles. He peeked at me out the corner of his eye shyly and I swore it made my cock jump. I mentally cursed myself as Nick shrugged.

"Oliver's the one who wanted to go." Nick answered. Oliver huffed.

"It's a good restaurant. My grandpa took me there before with my sisters. It's mostly Italian food, but if you like greasy fatty stuff, then-"

"Italian is fine." I deadpanned. Oliver shrugged, waving me off. I met Nick's eye in the rearview mirror, raising an eyebrow at him. He just sighed and glanced at Oliver, who said nothing in response. The rest of the car ride was mostly silent, except for Nick's occasional attempt at conversation.

I know he wanted me to like Oliver, and vice versa, but it was hard for both of us.

One, I wasn't too big a fan of Oliver. Maybe it was because Oliver changed Nick, or Oliver was just way too sarcastic for my tastes. Oliver didn't like me because I hunted him down before he and Nick officially started dating. I could deal with that, he didn't have to like me, but apparently Nick thought otherwise.

We arrived at the restaurant sometime around nine. It was fancy, but enough so that I didn't look like a complete idiot in my baggy jeans and jacket. Oliver and Lucas seemed to be the only ones who looked more at home here as we sat down at one of the booths in the furthest corner.

The place was decorated with cheesy Italian decorations, the heavy smell of tomato sauce and bread carrying through the air. It was actually kind of cozy there. Lucas sat beside me, his eyes drifting across his menu. I glanced at mine and winced inwardly.

Fantastic. Time to show off my awful reading skills.

I picked up the menu, slumping in the corner of the booth as I scanned the totally ridiculous names that I could barely pronounce. What the hell was Tortellini? Maybe they had pizza... Well, if they did, it definitely wasn't named pizza.

"Hello, can I get you all something to drink to start off with? Maybe an appetizer or two?" The waitress asked with a friendly smile. Her eyes were locked on Nick, who wasn't even paying any attention to her.

"Just a coke." Nick said absent-mindedly. The waitress paused, looking disappointed in the lack of attention before she wrote it down and went on to write down the rest of our orders and the strange appetizers that Oliver picked out for us.

"What're you having?" I asked Lucas while Oliver and Nick were distracted by the waitress and menus. Lucas glanced up, then understanding came across his face and he scooted closer to me, completely ignoring the strange look he received from the waitress.

He pointed to something called Carbonara. Holy crap, that was expensive.

"What's this?" I asked, pointing to something called Lesso e pearà. Lucas hesitated for a second.

"Uh... It's like boiled meat with pepper sauce." He replied quietly, ignoring the curious looks he got from Nick and Oliver. I frowned.

"Sounds weird."

"Try Calzone."

"Hey, that's the stuff they serve at Pizza Hut."

"Only better."

"I'm goin' for this." I declared, my stomach growling at the thought of sinking my teeth into a thick slice of that. I couldn't tell if it was the food or Lucas, though. He was leaning closer to me, our shoulders practically pressed together. He had plenty of space to scoot over, but he obviously didn't want to.

For some reason, that made me happy.

"So, you two are awfully cuddly." Oliver openly stated. Nick smacked his forehead, resting his elbow on the table. Lucas stared at Oliver blankly, cocking his head in such an innocent manner. I just scowled as Oliver shrugged.

"Just saying so." He responded.

"Yea, well, that's what you do when you're dating."

Shit, why did I say that?

Everyone stared at me now. What was I supposed to say?! Were Lucas and I dating? We hadn't said anything, but maybe it was obvious?

We were almost always together now and I did save him last night... And he saved me in a weird sort of way too. I didn't feel abandoned anymore or lonely. It felt right to have him right next to me. And let's not forget the fact that we almost had sex earlier, which had to count for something.

So were we dating or not?!

How did it work with guys?!

Jeez, this was gonna be a long night.