Preference #1 - He is slightly annoyed with you
Nick: Today was the big day. After months of secrecy, hiding from fans, paparazzi and even some close friends, Nick had finally received approval from management. You two would finally be going public and you couldn't be happier.
It had all been planned out. Today, the boys would appear on TRL again, to perform and promote their new single and upcoming album. During the interview part, the usual questions would be asked, including the one which was all about what "kind" of girls they liked, what they would do on the first date and if they had girlfriends. Now, usually, Nick would be forced to say no, even though you had been holding special spots in each other's lives for months. You knew the secrecy was part of the contract and partly caused by the whole media attention around them. Management was also worried about losing half their fan base. You knew the reasons very well, yet you couldn't help but feel disappointed and offended by it all. No matter how well you knew that some of the fans could get extremely protective over the boys, you did not like hiding your relationship with Nick. It made you feel as if you were not regarded as a serious match for him by anyone, not even the other Pretty Much members.
But it would all change today.
Nick had left early this morning to run a couple of things by management, to train, practice and spend time with his band. You were used to it by now and knew how to be independent, so you went on to doing your own thing. You were busy with your studies and there was an essay due in about a week, so you were spending most of the day gathering evidence and building up a certain structure. In reality, though, you were busier counting down the hours until the live broadcast on MTV would begin.
You were incredibly anxious about the replies you would receive, but that feeling was overshadowed by the pure joy of finally being "official" and "management approved". It felt like a big step in your relationship, as if this was an extended version of meeting his family.
The hours passed by. By the time you moved over from your desk to the couch, the file which contained your essay was left largely untouched. You sighed deeply and turned on the TV. This was it. You but your nails nervously, but smiled a little seeing how cute Nick looked. You barely heard the words of the interviewer, about their albums and tours. You just wanted to hear the words... Yes I have a girlfriend... You longed for those words to come out of Nick's mouth and finally be released from the secrecy. After about 5 minutes, the question finally arose.
"So, girlfriends..." The interviewer smirked. "Nick, let's start with you today. Do you have a special girl in your life?"
Nick smiled at the camera, looked away, then gulped. He was taking longer than you had expected. "A special girl... I mean, other than my family members?" He chuckled nervously. "I'm afraid not..."
At first, you couldn't even begin to understand what your boyfriend was saying. It barely got through to you. Yet again, your entire existence was being denied. You felt all sorts of emotions at once. Anger, because he had promised they would break the news today. Sadness, because you felt disposable. Like you meant nothing to him. The way he had said it, chuckling, with a little smile, had shattered your heart in a million pieces. You quickly turned off the TV and started crying. At this point, you were wondering what was wrong with you. Why were you not good enough for Nick to go public with? Did Nick not love you as much as you loved him? The emotions were overwhelming. You wanted to run away, far away, from Nick and the harm he had caused today, but you couldn't get yourself to move. Instead, you lied down on your side, facing away from the TV. You allowed yourself to cry a little more, but then forced yourself to pull yourself together. You prepared for a heavy conversation with Nick for the rest of the afternoon, playing scenarios in your head over and over again.
About 5 hours later, you heard the front door. You hadn't moved from your spot on the couch. You had been too busy worrying, grieving over what felt like a battle lost. You sat up slowly, hearing his footsteps in the hallway.
"Y/N?" He said softly, as he opened the door. "Are you sleeping?"
"No," you said as he walked in, facing him now. You could feel the tension in the air. He opened his mouth to say something a couple of times, but the words wouldn't come out.
"I don't know anymore, Nick," you sighed. "That was perhaps the most painful thing ever. No one special." You said, mockingly. "Why would you do that! I don't understand. We went over this like 500 times. Am I not good enough or what?"
"What do you mean?" He shook his head. "Of course you are the best, don't say things like that..."
"Yeah? Funny you can say that to me, but not to anyone else."
"I understand you're upset, Y/N," he pouted now.
"Aren't you?" You started getting angry, raising your voice. "I guess not. Because you don't love me as much as I love you. I never wanted to hide you. But you want to hide me from the world, so I must shut up. Because that's how we do things in this relationship apparently."
"What?!" Your anger started annoying Nick. You could tell. "You're being completely unreasonable here. It's such a childish thing of you to say. You know I don't even have a say in the content of the interviews, right?"
"We went over this!" You repeated, "You went over this with your management, even!"
Nick slowly walked over to you, shaking his head as he sat down next to you on the couch. "Y/N. What can I do? There was some bad press the past week. They didn't think it was the right time."
"Not the right time? We've been waiting for months, Nick! Months!"
"I know," he sighed, grabbing your hand. "But it's unfair of you to get angry at me for this. I don't have much of a say in this, babe."
"You should've just said it. To hell with your stupid guidelines," you sulked.
"You're being childish," Nick groaned in annoyance. "I can't just do that. I could get a huge fine, for starters, and God knows what else."
"Next interview you have to say it!" You yelled in frustration. "I feel like you don't care at all!"
"No, Y/N." He shook his head once more, looking at you. "I won't."
"So you don't care," you huffed. "Okay, cool. Good to know."
"Stop!" He let go of your hand, frowning. "Why the fuck do you care so much about the publicity all of a sudden?"
You blinked, surprised by his sudden outburst. "Publicity?"
"Yes, the publicity," he punched the couch in frustration. "Why can't you, for once, just one time, understand that I love you. And I don't fucking care who knows about us and who doesn't. In the end, I'm sure of my feelings for you. Quite frankly, I'm beginning to doubt whether you're in it for me or for the fame. Considering your eagerness to be out in the open!"
You blinked a couple of times, then frowned. "What are you talking about? You know that's not true!"
"That's how it feels to me right now, Y/N! But guess what. The publicity has to wait. Because we're not telling the fans yet. And if you can't deal with that, you know where to find the exit." He looked away, noticeable annoyed, close to upset. This time, you took his hand, slowly realising how your emotions and your actions had appeared to him. The way he said it, made you consider things differently. In the end, the truth was that you just wanted to be with him. Everything else could wait. The idea of losing him over something like this made your heart drop to your stomach. The threat had never fealt realer, as you realised he wasn't joking.
"I'm sorry," you blurted out after a large moment of silence. "I love you for who you are, you're right. I know it was a lot to ask and I'm sorry I attacked you over something that is not your fault..."
"Even if it was, Y/N," he stroked your hand with his thumb. "Even if it was, I don't understand why just being together isn't enough. Why do you need people to know? You'll get hate. You'll be followed everywhere you go. I don't understand how you want that..."
"Well, I don't want that, necessarily. It just feels like I'm illegitimate sometimes. Like some mistress you need to hide from your wife." You shrugged. He laughed at the comparisons.
"But you're not. I love you a lot. That's all you need to know. That I love you and that I want this. The time will come that we break the news publicly, but until that, let's just enjoy what we have. Please. Please let's not ruin what we have because of this," he pouted, pulling you into his lap.
"You're right. I'm sorry. I love being with you," you put your head on his chest. "I'm a little needy and annoying sometimes, am I not," you sighed.
"Sometimes, a little," he chuckled, cupping your face. "But even that, I love about you..."
You smiled and couldn't help but think that you truly had the best boyfriend in the world.
"I love that we talk things through," you said, smiling shyly. "I love you," you sighed happily and leaned into what would turn out to become a very passionate kiss.
theartofmadeline
kaledo-art
dailybridgerton
discoholicmusic
areudirty
kianamaiart
