“All of us,” he answers.
Suspicious as fuck, he rips the tissue paper off, pulling out a familiar purple and black jersey. What the fuck are they playing at?
“Turn it around,” Jason instructs.
No less suspicious, he drops the gift bag then turns the jersey around, four letters embroidered across the back.King.
“You’re one of us,” Jason explains, as if that wasn’t obvious with the jersey. Nicholas almost wishes he could play stupid because there’s a strange tightness in his chest, and his eyes are dangerously close to leaking. Fucking Kings and their fucking feelings.
“Are you going to cry, Nicholas?” Eden asks.
“Fuck you.”
“Awww,” Eden grins. “He’s emotional.”
“Fuck off,” Nicholas grunts, swiping at his eyes.
“I think he loves us,” Charlie says, moving into Nicholas's personal space. The space that is reserved for one man and one man alone, and it isn’t fucking Charlie.
“Don’t even think about hugging me,” Nicholas tells him, holding his hand out just to be sure he doesn’t come any closer.
“One day you’re going to ask me for a hug,” Charlie announces. “I’m manifesting it.”
“Not fucking likely,” Nicholas replies. “Time to go home, Charlie.”
“Can’t I stay and watch you propose?”
“No.”
“I wanna watch him propose,” Alec echoes.
“No.”
“But—” Charlie starts.
“All of you out. Now.”
“He’s nervous,” Charlie tells the others in a stage whisper.
“I’m not fucking nervous,” Nicholas snaps. “Stop saying that.”
“He’s testy too,” Charlie says, ignoring Nicholas’s outburst.
“Out,” Nicholas growls.
“We’re leaving,” Jason says, swinging an arm around Emerson’s shoulder to guide him towards their car at the same time Alec takes a running leap to jump on Theo’s back.
“You want a piggyback ride too, Eden?” Charlie asks.
Eden’s response is two middle fingers.
“Bye, Nicholas. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I didn’t invite you over tomorrow,” Nicholas points out, but Charlie just dismisses him with a wave.
Right as they’re all finally driving away, he gets a text from Amanda.
Amanda
