slow burn; sapnap

twenty two

"please pick up, please pick up." nick muttered as he listened to his phone ring. he immediately called hadden as soon as she texted him.

"hey." a quiet voice sounded as the ringing stopped.

"hey, i'm so relieved to hear your voice. a-are you okay?" he said with a sigh of relief.

hadden looked around her room, feeling like a little kid who was on the phone too late. she didn't want her dad to by chance hear through her door, she wouldn't forgive herself if he thought he was being a burden on her. she pulled her blanket over her head, creating a world where only she and nick existed.

"not really," she whispered.

"whats going on?"

as hadden created a safe spot under her blanket, nick sat up out of his bed, concern covering him. he didn't know what he would do but he was ready to do anything to be there for his hadden.

hadden unpacked all of the details that had her world come crashing down in the last week. how somehow after years of a seemingly successful marriage, it was no longer sustainable for her parents. how divorce had become their only option. how she felt stupid for being so oblivious during this months long process that had been happening right in front of her. she told him how her dad moved in with her. that he was doing his best to put on a brave face, but hadden could still hear him cry at night when she passed her living room where he was staying.

"oh hadden," nick's heart broke. "i'm so sorry."

"i feel like everything i've ever known is falling apart. i don't know how to function. it makes no sense to me how my parents were so in love and now just suddenly aren't."

silence lingered for a moment. neither of them knew what to say. nick didn't know how to help and hadden didn't know if he could help.

her mind began doubting any hopes she had buried deep down that there was potentially a future between her and nick. even if there was potential, would it just end the same way that her parents did? their love was perfect in her eyes, and if it couldn't last then how could anything?

"i'm coming to you."

"what?" hadden was consumed in her thoughts to the point that she wasn't sure if she heard him correctly.

"i'm gonna come to you. if you're using all of your energy in being there for and taking care of your parents then someone needs to come be there for you. let me see when the soonest flight is." hadden could hear the shuffling of nick walking to his desk and typing on his keyboard.

"no nick, stop. you don't have to do that. i'll be alright and-"

"i know i don't have to, but i care too much to watch you struggle from a distance. i can get on a flight that leaves orlando at 9 tonight and its like two and a half hours long. could you pick me up?"

"yeah, i can do that."

hadden was so taken aback. besides when her and corpse had been there to take care of each other, she had never had someone so quick to drop everything to be there for her.

"okay, i'm gonna go ahead and pack a few things then. you gonna be okay?"

"yeah, why are you doing this, though?"

hadden couldn't see it, but a smile spread across nick's face.

"you mean everything to me. i'm gonna make sure you're taken care of. i'll send you the flight information and let you know when i leave."

hadden quietly said her goodbyes before she was left alone in her room, smiling like an idiot to herself. she had almost completely forgotten that her dad was still there, if it weren't for the knock on her door to remind her.

"come in!" hadden called.

"hey sweetpea, you okay?"

as he sat on the edge of her bed, hadden's heart broke. her dad had one of the most gentle and loving spirits, and she could see its brokenness.

"yeah, i actually have a friend thats coming in tonight thats gonna stay with us a few days."

"oh, is it your friend with the funny name?"

"no, its not corpse. its my friend nick. i'll go pick him up later tonight, so i'll introduce you in the morning."

they exchanged a few more pleasantries before saying goodnight, leaving hadden alone to process the fact that she would be back with nick in only a few short hours. she quickly began to clean her room and bathroom out of stress and also necessity. after a week of feeling like her world was falling apart, her room became a clear representation of her mental state.

although she had only left florida a week ago, her heart was missing nick in a way that seemed as though she hadn't seen him in months. excitement filled her mind as she realized she would soon be back in his presence.

after only a few short hours of cleaning and preparing for her guest, hadden left to go to the airport. she wondered if nick felt this same way preparing for her visit to orlando. did he feel the same happy nerves and find himself giddy for her arrival?

the moments between arriving at the airport and finding the baggage claim area all melted together in her mind, and nothing felt special and monumental until she saw a black balenciaga hat in the crowd of people making their way to her.

"hey-" nick started before being immediately interrupted.

"why didn't you kiss me?" hadden blurted out, not even realizing the words coming out of her mouth. "i-i'm sorry."

hadden instantly felt embarrassed.

"no, you're right. i thought the same thing."

with saying that, nick adjusted to where he held his bags with one hand, allowing his free hand to cup her cheek. the space between them became nonexistent as his lips pressed every so sweetly to hers.