Dog Tags

Chapter 38

Quinn's POV

I wake up the next morning feeling like I died and someone forget to bury me, but the events of last night are still fresh in my mind as I slowly open my eyes and let them adjust to the sunlight that fills the room. I sit up running my hands through my tangled and messy hair as I look over to the other side of the bed to see Nick laying on his stomach still sleeping, and I sigh and smile feeling that bond between Nick and I getting stronger the more we are around each other. I slowly place my hand on his back and start tracing the three triangles overlapping each other tattoo on his shoulder blade. Nick's back muscles contract under my touch for a second but quickly relax as Nick lets out a groan,

"Keep that up and I will fall back to sleep." Nick says in his morning voice as he turns over to face me, "Morning." He places his arm behind his head getting tome to smile because I have never seen Nick this happy or more down to earth."Morning." I scoot closer to him placing my head on his side, "How are you feeling?"He asks running his hand through the birds nest I call my hair, "I feel horrible, but nothing that I can't handle, but I do want to thank you for staying with me last night and taking such good care of me." Nick lets out a dramatic breath and playfully rolls his eyes, "A thank you is all I get after dealing with all the drama last night." He jokes which actually gets me to laugh along with him,

"I also wanted to talk about the subject that I brought up last night." Nick scratches his stomach and stretches, "You mean about us being friends?" I nod my head as we look at each other, "I don't think us hanging out together is best Quinn, I know how your friends feel about me and I don't want you to have to choose between me and your friends." I hate the fact that my friends only see the side of Nick that 99 percent of everyone else sees, but I know there is another side to him, "We are always running into each other anyways, this is my life and I choose who I want to hang out with, and I want to hang out with you." Nick gets out of bed and grabs his pinstriped jacket putting it on,

"You say that now Quinn, but I don't want us to become friends only for me to make a simple mistake and you never forgive me for it." I sit up in the bed wondering where all this is coming from because I thought Nick would be all for us becoming friends, "Friends get mad at each other Nick, but true friends always find a way to forgive each other." Nick sits on the edge of the bed as I make my way over to him, "You and I have something in common but when it comes to lifestyle that is where you and I are complete opposites, and if you haven't noticed Quinn over the last month or so, you and I are like a cat and dog." I know that is true, but I know that Nick and I could be friends but the only problem I have is my willingness to maybe one day accidentally cross that line. 

"I think that has more to deal with both our stubborn streaks than anything else."I place my arms around his shoulders and put my face in his neck. The bedroom door opens and Chaz walks in looking at Nick and I with a shocked but amusing expression on his face, "What is going on in here?" I let go of Nick before moving over to my side of the bed, "Nothing Chaz, get your mind of gutter."Nick snaps at him glaring at him, "Breakfast is ready down in the kitchen." I give Chaz a weak smile nodding my head but I can see the gears turning in his head as he starts coming up with his own ideas of what was going on before he walked in, "Thanks Chaz, we will be down in a second." I say but Chaz doesn't move as he turns his attention to Nick,

"Didn't you hear her? GET LOST!" Nick yells shooting up of the bed and Chaz quickly leaves the room and shuts the door. "Prefect example of what I am talking about Quinn, you and I can't be friends without people casting judgement on us, and I fine with what people think of me because I don't care but I won't let anyone think less of you." In his own strange way, Nick is trying to protect me, but I am my own person and can make my own choices. "What if there was a way for us to hang out without having to worry about what your friends or anyone else think." Nick looks at me not understanding where I am going with this, "That is impossible Quinn." I get out of bed and walk up to him, 

"Not impossible, we just wouldn't tell anyone that we are hanging out, we would hangout in secret." Nick runs his hand through his hair and from the look on his face I can tell he thinks this is a bad idea, "You would be okay with lying about hanging out with me." I nod my head knowing that since I can't have much of a romantic relationship with Nick I can at least have a friendship with him."I will feel awful about lying, but I really want to try being friends, and this seems like the only way." Nick lets out a huge sigh looking at in my eyes,

"If this what you really want, then I guess we could try to be friends." I smile at him giving him a kiss on cheek, "I am happy you saw it my way, but as for right now I need to get dressed and packed up." Nick nods his head and opens the bedroom door, "What about your shirt?" I ask getting Nick to turn around, "Keep it, it will go great with my hoodie." He laughs walking out of the room. I sigh already regretting wanting to be friends with him, but something is telling me that this right and I am just going with it.