You Complete Me - 11. Chapter 11 - Flaming Amy's

Still processing the end of his relationship, Jake didn’t speak to Ellie for the rest of the night. She had managed to order pizza, which was waiting for him when he finally emerged from his extended shower, but he just grabbed a box and wordlessly returned to his room. Ellie didn’t try to stop him, but she was waiting for him by the kitchen island the next morning.

Jake jumped when he saw her, having fully expected her to be knocked out or hugging a toilet - indeed, she certainly looked like she didn’t want to be awake. All the blinds were drawn in the room, and she had her head on her hands, a steaming cup of coffee in front of her.

“You look like shit,” Jake said coolly on his way to the fridge.

Ellie peered at him with bloodshot eyes between her fingers. “Thanks.” She placed her hands flat on the table. “I think we should talk.” Her voice was ragged; Jake figured she’d thrown up a few more times throughout the night. Served her right.

Jake emerged from the fridge with the milk and slammed it closed harder than he needed to, childishly satisfied when Ellie winced at the noise. “I don’t know what else needs to be said. You fucked up.”

“I know. That’s why I’m moving back in.”

Jake left the milk on the counter and dropped into the chair nearest to her, sensing that this was going to be a long conversation. “What?”

“Dad’s been gone way too long and you’ve been practically raising yourself for weeks -”

“I’m not a kid, El - ”

“The house is a mess,” she went on, gesturing around them.

Jake didn’t bother looking. He knew the place was cluttered, and Meg didn’t hesitate to remind him every time she visited. Which she never would again. He pushed her out of his mind and glared at his sister. “You have some nerve, judging how I live after I saved you from drowning yesterday. I don’t get it; you were fine last week.”

Ellie shook her head. “I wasn’t fine. I wanted to drink every day that I was sober, but I was hanging on for a while. Until a few days ago.”

“What happened then?”

“I saw Stella.”

“That’s all it took?”

“More or less,” Ellie said, looking sheepish. Jake sensed there was a lot more to the story, but she hurried forward before he could ask any more questions. “We didn’t talk or anything, but just seeing her made something snap and next thing I know I’m throwing up in someone’s flowerbed four days later.”

Jake smiled a little despite himself. “You remember that?”

“Unfortunately.” She reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “That’s the real reason I’m moving back in. Dad’s a pain, but you’ve always looked out for me, even when you shouldn’t have to. It’s time I returned the favor...You give me purpose, hermanito.”

Blushing, Jake put his hand over hers and a gave it a squeeze. “That’s sweet...even though you’re totally manipulating me into not telling Dad that you relapsed.”

“Is it working?”

“A little.”

“We’ll play it by ear, okay? I realize that I can’t do this alone, so I’m giving you permission to be annoying. Give me a curfew, test all my drinks, swallow the liquor cabinet key, I don’t care. If I slip, then I'll check myself in.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “I get to be your jailer at the expense of my own freedom - sounds like a fair trade.” He was relenting, though. He hadn’t been looking forward to telling Samwell the news, and Ellie was giving him an out. “I’ll think about it. I guess it’s better than letting you die in a ditch somewhere.”

His darkest inner thoughts just slipped out casually and colder than he intended; the words settled heavily in the air between them. Ellie’s face fell and she took her hand back. Jake stood up and went back to making a bowl of cereal for breakfast, not wanting to dwell on it. It was simply the truth.

The awkward silence only lasted a moment before Ellie noticed the time. “Aren’t you late for school?”

“Not going today,” Jake grunted, between mouthfuls of cereal. He’d made it almost a month into the new semester without skipping - a new record – and had decided that self-preservation was as good an excuse as any to break the streak.

“Why?”

“I broke up with Meg last night.”

“So...you’re staying home to celebrate?”

Jake chuckled. “No, I’m just letting the dust settle.”

“You’re hiding.”

“Yup, I’m a coward, but you’re still a drunk.” He playfully mussed with her hair to take the sting out of his jibe. “Besides, if you’re moving back in, I should stay and help you get your stuff and your car from your old place. Where was it?”

Ellie blanched and looked away. “Yeah...about that...”

Just when he thought the worst of the last forty-eight hours were over. “Ellie...where’s El Duende?” Jake asked slowly.

“Um...currently totaled in a lot somewhere.”

“What!?”

She flinched at his shriek. “I...might have hit a pole a few nights ago,” she admitted. “In a parking lot. No one was around and I was fine. But Duende wouldn’t start afterwards, so I just had him towed to a mechanic until I could figure out what to do with him.”

“You didn’t have them run a diagnostic? Or call me?” Jake found himself much more distressed about the loss of Ellie’s acid-green Mustang than anything else. Samwell had paid for both of their cars on their sixteenth birthdays, but while Jake had a passion for fixer-uppers like Bond, Ellie’s car had been almost-new with a custom paint job. He hadn’t been a huge fan of the color, but he had nonetheless admired that car every day for almost two years.

“I didn’t want Dad to find out and grill me over it.”

“We’re getting him right now,” Jake said firmly.

Within the hour - Ellie was reluctant to see the sun right away - they drove out to Ellie’s car, which was also unfortunately located at the other end of town. Jake haggled unsuccessfully with the mechanic over his quote for repairs, so Ellie had poor Duende towed back home. Now that her hangover had begun to wane, she picked up the Older Sister mantle and made Jake promise not to touch the car until after his exams were over. They both knew he could easily spend an entire afternoon tinkering with it.

All things considered, it was a relatively peaceful day, since Ellie seemed to be trying to pretend yesterday had never happened. She even convinced Jake to pick up a shift at Flaming Amy’s that evening – provided she text him every hour, of course. Jake eventually agreed to the conditions, though he still made sure to take the keys to the liquor cabinet with him.

***  

Meanwhile, as Jake was clocking into work several blocks away, Nic was pacing in front of an offensively colorful ice cream parlor and second-guessing everything. He regretted his makeup choice, which he had spent at least forty-five painstaking minutes deciding on and executing. He regretted agreeing to go out in the first place even after Shiv had bailed last minute. And for once, he was starting to regret his perpetually complex sex life, which kept putting him in awkward situations like hanging out with his ex-fling and his boyfriend alone for the first time.

Earlier that day, Nic had made the mistake of letting Shiv know that he’d been finally paid for a piece he sold last week. He tried to pay her back for the jumpsuit, but she had insisted that they should all go out for dinner that evening instead: “they” being the two of them, Luke, Arnie, and his boyfriend Harry. Nic had already been reluctant, especially after Shiv canceled last minute and Luke ended up getting tied up with schoolwork, but his mother had all but kicked him out of the house to force him to get some social time.

He recognized Arnie’s matte-black pickup truck chugging slowly down the narrow downtown road in front of him, its driver searching for parking. A hand waved emphatically at him from the passenger’s side, which Nic didn’t respond to before the car had already gone by. It was officially too late to back out now that he’d been spotted.

A few minutes and several more circuits around the block later, a shock of bubblegum-pink hair rounded the corner nearest to him as Harry strode into the scene. Harry waved at Nic again and hurried over, appearing genuinely excited to see him. Nic still wasn’t used to that, but Harry was just one of those people that loved everyone, and the more standoffish you were the more he loved you. He must have hit the goldmine with Arnie.

Harry stopped in front of him and Nic braced himself for an unwanted bear hug, but after the first few meetings, Harry seemed to know better. He rubbed Nic's shoulder instead, beaming. “You look delicious. That shade really brings out your eyes – and I didn’t know you had a piercing!”

Nic felt the beginnings of a blush as he self-consciously fingered his nose ring. “Thanks...I don’t wear it often.” He didn’t see what all the fuss was about. He was still wearing the same drab outfit he’d worn to school that day, just with some extra bracelets and ankle boots with a short heel. He had agonized over the makeup, though – wiped it off and reapplied it several times before he pretended that Shiv was there barking at him to grow a pair and just do it. It was just sparkly green eyeshadow, after all.

“Um, you look good, too,” Nic continued, remembering that compliments were generally reciprocated.

“Doesn’t he?” Arnie drawled, coming up behind his boyfriend and snaking a long arm around his shoulders to give him an affectionate squeeze. Together they made a mismatched, yet complementary couple: Arnie was tall and willowy while Harry was shorter and broad, on the edge of portly but he carried it well. Arnie, like Nic, was allergic to colors, but Harry embraced them, wearing pink pants the same obnoxious shade as his hair, a white t-shirt with an abstract purple design on it, and a black leather jacket.

“Surprised you could get away and not Shiv,” Arnie said to Nic. He knew that Kathy worked long, odd hours and Amos was often mysteriously absent, which meant Nic ended up playing babysitter for Joey quite a bit.

“Mom got off early today and she said I needed to live a little.” She could never be happy. Once she berated him for partying all the time, but now that he rarely went out, it unsettled her.

Arnie snorted. “Did she know that you’d be hanging out with me?”

“Of course not.” Nic gave him a knowing smile, and Arnie laughed. He knew that parents didn’t like him and he wore it like a badge of honor. Kathy caught them making out in Arnie’s car early into their relationship. When she pounded on the window to yell at Nic to go inside, she had been knocked back by a thick cloud of smoke after Arnie rolled it down. She wasn’t the biggest fan of him after that.

Harry was in on the joke without needing to be told, his warm, almond-shaped eyes twinkling in amusement. “My parents think he’s just my weed dealer, and that’s the only way they let me hang out with him.”

“Well, it’s half-true.” Arnie shrugged. “You just pay me in sex.”

Harry cuffed him on the shoulder. “Oh, stop. Not in polite company.”

“Hook is ‘polite’?”

Harry ignored him. “So where are we eating? I need to maintain my figure.”

Nic shrugged. “I’m not a local, you guys pick.” Since Harry lived in the next town over, they both looked to Arnie for suggestions.

Arnie motioned at the ice cream shop behind him. “There’s food here.” When both Harry and Nic protested about eating sweets for dinner, he quickly relented. “Alright, alright, jeez, I was kidding. There’s a pretty good burrito place around the corner. Flaming Amy’s.”

It was as good a suggestion as any, so they headed off in the direction Arnie had indicated. As they walked and chatted, Nic gradually felt himself relax. He didn’t know Harry that well yet, but he liked him more than he liked most new people. Nic and Arnie had agreed that what happened a few weeks ago was a one-time thing, a slip-up, and in a weird way, maybe it needed to happen for them to move forward. That probably wasn’t how it was supposed to work, but Arnie had started talking to Nic like he had before they fell out. Nic liked to tell himself that he didn’t need anyone, but even he could acknowledge that having consistent friendships weren’t so bad; he was finally beginning to appreciate his mother encouraging him to go out.

That appreciation abruptly ended once they reached the restaurant a few minutes later.

Nic stopped in his tracks on the sidewalk. “You know, actually I don’t know if I’m feeling Tex-Mex. How about somewhere else?”

Arnie had Harry had reached the door, not noticing that Nic had stopped until he spoke. Arnie already had one hand on the handle as he turned to give him a quizzical look. “You love Tex-Mex. And it took like ten minutes to walk here.”

“Oh, poor baby, ten minutes? Maybe you need to ease off the blunts.” Nic looked around them. The only other places nearby looked like pubs or nicer restaurants - stuff he absolutely could not afford. Flaming Amy’s was clearly a midgrade type of place, but he had spotted Jake through the lightly-tinted windows right away. He may be hot in a basic way, but he was rapidly becoming more distinctive lately.

Arnie shrugged off the jibe and moved away from the door. “You gonna tell me what’s really going on, Hook?”

He knew Nic too well. Nic sighed and decided on the spot that he wasn’t going to avoid it any longer. “I fucked someone that works here.”

Harry and Arnie exchanged a knowing look that Nic did not like at all. It was a look that Arnie and Shiv sometimes shared, a look that clearly said, Classic Nic. But then Harry turned more sympathetic eyes back on him. “That’s all? Honey, if I avoided every place where someone I hooked up with worked, I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere fun.”

In contrast, Arnie’s face was hard. “Is he being weird? Is he going to be trouble?”

They weren’t going to shame him at least. It made the knot of uncertainty in his stomach loosen a little, but not completely. Nic shifted his weight from foot to foot. “No, I don’t think so. It was just a one-time thing, and I think he gets that.”

Just like that, Arnie’s attractive face lost its edge as it softened into a mischievous smile. “Oh, then it’s no big deal. Are you going to tell us who it is?”

“So you can harass the poor guy at work? Fuck no.”

Harry’s stomach let out a rather impressive growl. “Sorry to interrupt, but are we clear to eat here now?”

Nic still had some reservations about it, but he would have to trust that Jake would just act natural and pray that he didn’t end up waiting their table. His faith in the jock died as soon as they entered the restaurant, for Jake heard the door chime, noticed them, and looked like he had been punched in the stomach. It was a miracle he didn’t drop the tray of drinks he was holding. Luckily, Arnie and Harry didn’t notice the small commotion and Nic quickly averted his eyes.

Though Arnie knew that Nic liked to keep himself busy, he’d never met any of Nic’s flings - at least knowingly. After everything that happened between them, it felt weird to parade that sort of thing in front of him, even if Arnie had no right to feel any way about who Nic slept with. He wasn’t sure how Arnie would react, but openly scoffing seemed on brand for him and Nic knew Jake wouldn’t take that gracefully. Some part of Nic was a little self-conscious about the entire situation, too – he was still on the fence about Jake.

Nic tried to find that relaxed state again once they were seated, but he was only somewhat invested in the conversation. He distracted himself by taking in his surroundings. It was a cozy little restaurant, with a bit of a rustic feel. They sat in wooden high-chairs at tables decorated with colorful mosaics of abstract western themes, and the walls had old black-and-white photographs of rural parts of the southwest. Cactuses (mostly fake) sat on every surface. They seemed to be leaning pretty hard into their gimmick, but the mouthwatering smell of the place more than made up for it. Nic almost expected the waitstaff to be dressed like cowboys, but they simply wore all black. Too bad – Jake would have looked pretty funny in a cowboy hat.

A young waitress came up and took their orders. Nic went with the burrito bowl and felt his stomach clench in anticipation. Jake had apparently recovered from his shock and was doing his usual poor performance of not looking at Nic, but Nic figured that it was probably believable to most people. He was working with the table behind them, which comprised of a Hispanic family. Jake greeted them with an easy smile and a sentence in fluent Spanish that was too rapid for Nic to understand.

“Is it him?” Harry guessed, indicating someone in the opposite direction.

“Nope,” Nic said, without even looking. Jake said something that made the other table roar with laughter, and it was a moment before it quieted enough for him to speak again. He was definitely getting tipped well tonight. “So... has Arnie taken you to one of his gigs yet?”

“No...because someone over here is married to his work.” Harry playfully elbowed Arnie in the side.

“I’ll have you know we’re playing next month.”

Arnie occasionally played guitar for a local grunge rock band called SLIME when he wasn’t working on his apprenticeship, but that seemed to be all he was doing lately. “I’m probably part of the problem,” Nic admitted, patting his healing tattoo.

Arnie waved it off. “It was a favor, Nic. There are plenty of lead guitarists in Glendale, so it’s not like I’m stopping SLIME from playing.”

“You just happen to be their favorite,” Harry told him.

Nic had successfully managed to change the topic. He had absolutely no musical talent himself, but Harry was classically trained in piano, which led him and Arnie into talking about...whatever it was former band geeks talked about. Nic had slowly tuned out of the conversation, occasionally interjecting himself when it felt appropriate until the waitress returned with their food.

It looked about as good as it smelled, and Nic was not disappointed when he dug in. He couldn’t even speak for a long time, shoveling in mouthfuls of rice and beans as if he had never had it before, which was almost true. He’d been eating nothing but leftover pasta and canned fruit for several weeks straight now.

Arnie grinned at him. “Good choice, right?”

Nic nodded vigorously. If this became a weekly thing, he wouldn’t complain. Provided Jake wasn’t working, of course. Abercrombie was scurrying around, getting lost in his work, but it wasn't long before Nic felt the prickle of eyes on him. He looked up and saw Jake watching him from across the room, but instead of quickly looking away as he normally would, he held his gaze for a second. The look was unreadable and might have unsettled Nic if it didn’t turn him on a little.

After a few minutes, Nic had to succumb to his small stomach and tapped out two-thirds of the way through his bowl as Harry and Arnie were polishing off their own meals. While the waitress was off getting Nic a to-go plate and fetching dessert for Harry and Arnie to share, the couple started making eyes at each other. Harry was stroking Arnie’s arm and leaning into him a little, and Arnie’s expression had darkened. Nic suddenly felt as if he was a third wheel on a date and was almost relieved when Arnie suddenly stood up.

“Going to take a leak,” he announced pointedly, striding off in a way that looked suspiciously like he was adjusting himself.

Harry and Nic made eye contact and the older boy rolled his eyes. “You know how he is.”

Nic smirked. “A little too well. You need a condom?” He was already starting to reach for his wallet for one.

Harry waved him to put it away, looking alarmed. “Oh God no, not in a bathroom. It’ll be quick, though, I promise.” He gave Nic a wink.

Nic shrugged. Nothing wrong with a clean bathroom, but that was Harry’s loss. “I call dibs on your fried ice cream if you’re not back in time,” he warned as Harry hurried after his boyfriend. “Amateur,” he muttered, once he was gone.

Right on cue, Jake materialized behind him with the extravagant fried sundae, effectively scaring the shit out of Nic. Ignoring the reaction, Jake carefully placed it on the center of the table. “Someone asked for dessert?”

Nic knew that his friends would be a while, but that didn’t stop him from looking furtively around him. “What are you doing?” he hissed.

“My job.” Jake kept his face blank but a twinkle in his eye gave away his amusement. “Your waitress got tied up, so I’m just taking over for a minute. Can I get you anything else?” He even took out a little notepad.

Now it was Nic that was suddenly having a hard time playing it cool. “I-I think we’re good, thanks.”

But Jake didn’t leave right away. He reached across Nic to grab his half-empty glass of water, leaning in much closer than what was typically socially acceptable. Nic was inches away from his broad chest, felt the heat coming off it and smelled his cologne, and for a moment he couldn’t think of anything else but what that chest looked like without the black polo covering it. Jake pulled back and gathered the other glasses on a tray he held in his other hand. “They had tea, right?”

“Yeah,” said Nic automatically, without really recalling what they had.

Jake nodded, then paused before removing the drinks. “You look really nice tonight, by the way.” The compliment came out a little shyly, with him not quite meeting Nic’s eyes as he said it.

That cleared Nic’s mind enough for him to remember how to snark. “That sounded pretty gay, Ferguson.”

Normally that would have made Jake blush furiously or at least piss him off enough to snap back into the “I’m ignoring you” act, but this time he almost smiled. Something was different about him tonight. “Cute. You free at lunch tomorrow?” He looked at Nic directly then, and the intense heat in his dark eyes momentarily made Nic’s tongue stick to the roof of his mouth.

He had half-heartedly suggested hooking up again, but he didn’t expect Jake to actually take him up on it. Nic blinked a few times, trying and failing to come up with something witty. “Yeah, I think I can get away for a bit.”

“Cool.” Lowering his voice, he added, “I can bring a condom this time.”

Break it off, said a rational part of Nic at the same time that his dick stirred. As usual, his dick won the brief moral struggle. “Sounds good,” he said, just as quietly.

Jake gave Nic that stupid dimpled grin of his that was starting to have an effect on him and finally left him alone. Nic immediately grabbed a spoon and took a giant mouthful of the sundae to cool himself down. Harry and Arnie returned then, with Arnie looking particularly upbeat. Harry shoed Nic away from their dessert as they took their seats.

“You guys had tea, right?” Nic asked.

Harry nodded around a spoonful of ice cream. His lips were noticeably swollen. Arnie reached over and wiped a smear of chocolate sauce off the corner of Harry’s mouth and stuffed it into his own. Nic had to look away as he felt a strong pang of jealously: they were disgustingly cute together.

Jake came back with the checks and final drinks, acting distantly polite and without sparing a second glance at Nic. He was getting better at this. Harry stared after him as he walked away and gave an appreciative nod.

“He fills out those slacks like a glove,” he said casually.

He certainly did, but Nic didn’t like anyone else acknowledging it. Harry already had Arnie. “He’s straight,” he said bluntly. Arnie gave him a look, so he added, “He goes to my school. He’s kind of a douche.”

Arnie seemed to accept that. He turned to Harry. “Since when did you have a thing for tools?”

“Just yours, babe. At least for now.”

They gently ribbed each other, Nic saved room to help them polish off the fried ice cream, and dinner finally ended without any more interruptions from a certain jock – though Nic was constantly aware of him.