Nick doesn't believe in fate. But then he saves the life of a beautiful blonde prostitute and everything changes. He doesn't know what to think anymore as slowly, day by day, he falls more and more in love with Jeff - and he begins to wonder if maybe he saved him for a reason.

Obvious Niff, which has somewhat surpassed my love of Klaine (gasp!). Rated M for language, sexual references/themes, some violence, etc. No actual sex - I don't write smut.

What made me think of this? I have no idea. But I'm loving it so far ;P And I hope you all do too! I know I shouldn't be starting anything else, but I couldn't help myself ;P

Nick had never believed in fate.

When people told stories of how they'd met the person of their dreams in odd circumstances, being in the right place at the right time, Nick didn't believe them. It was never like that. At least, not in his experience. It didn't matter where he was; it was never the right place. He was sure so many opportunities had passed him by because he hadn't been where he'd needed to be, hadn't made it there on time. He was always late. Always early. Always in the wrong place.

But all it took was one moment to change everything.

"Guys, shut up!" Nick called from the front, unable to stop a snort of laughter from escaping when Thad stuck his head out of the window and yelled something unintelligible at the top of his lungs. David and Cameron were too drunk to do anything about their friend but laugh hysterically, the latter taking another swig from the nearly-empty beer bottle in his hand.

"Thad, get your head in the car before it gets knocked off, you freak," Nick said, reaching back with one hand and dragging his friend back inside the car by his shirt. The car wobbled dangerously on the road but Nick comforted himself with the fact that there weren't any other cars around and that if they crashed, the most likely casualties would only be the people in the car. Which wasn't that comforting, now that he thought about it.

"If you can't sit still, I'll leave you here."

David made a sarcastic noise of fear before giggling and trying to steal Cameron's drink. Thad, back in the car, gasped and shouted drunkenly at David, "You mock us, sir! You mock us!" He promptly attempted to wrestle his friend into submission, all three in the back laughing themselves stupid.

Nick sighed with a small smile. They'd just gone out of Thad's bachelor party and the alcohol had been flowing in an endless stream (as had the strippers). Now it was two in the morning and Nick, designated driver as always, was trying to get the hammered guys back to Thad's place where they could crash until some reasonable time – preferably with daylight. He tried to concentrate on the road but it was difficult with three rowdy, drunk guys in the back – and it didn't help that they were now driving through a particularly dodgy part of town. Cameron whistled to some girls on a street corner, one of whom gave him the finger and screamed at him to fuck himself. Nick rolled his eyes and almost banged his forehead on the steering wheel, but figured that wasn't such a good idea.

He wasn't sure what it was that attracted his attention. Maybe it was the sudden flash of movement in the corner of his eye. Maybe it was the glimpse of a guy on his hands and knees surrounded by two others.

No, it was probably the shout of pain that made him slam on the brakes.

Leaving the three idiots in the back, Nick slid out of the driver's seat to see what was going on. He had no illusions that he was going to run in there and save whoever was hurt – he was a good guy, but he wasn't a hero and he wasn't stupid. But if he could help, he would. His gaze rested on the three men on the pavement a little way behind where he'd stopped the car. One was on the ground, on his back now, while the other two stood over him.

Nick knew he should just get back in the car and drive away. He couldn't help this kid – and from the look of him, that's all he was, despite the clothes he wore clearly indicating his profession. But he saw the blood matting the blonde hair at his temple. He saw the shovel in the hands of one of the two standing. He saw the murderous intent in their eyes as they screamed abuse at the kid. They were going to beat the boy to death and Nick couldn't let them do that. He ducked back into the car and grabbed the beer bottle from Cameron's hands, ignoring his protests, before telling them to keep their stupid asses in the car and walking towards the scene.

"Hey!" he yelled, gripping the neck of the bottle tightly. He really didn't want to have to hurt anyone, even if the punks were beating the shit of the blonde on the ground. The two turned to him, the one with the shovel shooting him a dark look.

"What the fuck you want?" the other shouted.

Shovel-Guy raised the weapon higher and said threateningly, "This ain't your business. Just piss off."

"Touch him again," Nick said, wondering where the hell this was coming from "And I'll fucking split your face open."

Shovel-Guy took a step towards him, bringing the tool back over his shoulder like a bat to swing at him. But it seemed that the blonde boy on the ground wasn't as badly hurt as Nick had first thought. He reached out and grabbed Shovel-Guy's ankles, sending him face first to the pavement. Nick quickly grabbed the weapon from his hands and jerked it in the other punk's direction in what he hoped was a menacing way.

"Get out of here."

The man paused for only a second, glancing between Nick and the hooker he'd been about to beat up before taking off and letting his friend scramble to his feet and follow after him without a second thought. Once they were gone, Nick dropped the shovel and knelt down by the boy's side. The blonde pushed him away and tried to sit up.

"I'm fine," he said, shaking off Nick's attempts to help.

"No, you're not," the brunette replied, seeing the blood continue to flow from the large, wide gash on the side of the other's head "You're still bleeding and it could be bad."

"Of course it's fucking bad, I just got hit in the head with a shovel," the boy snapped "But I'll be fine. I've had worse."

Nick raised an eyebrow. If the kid had had worse than being beaten around the head with a shovel, he probably didn't want to know. But the wound looked serious and it needed medical attention. He grabbed the blonde's shoulder but was shoved away violently as the other scrambled back until his back was pressed against the wall of a building.

"That's the thanks I get for saving your life?"

"Thanks. Now piss off."

Nick didn't move. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

"I said I'm fine." The boy raised a hand to the cut and winced as he brushed his fingers against it gently, blood staining the skin "And I'm pretty sure your friends are going to get themselves killed if you don't get a move on."

The brunette glanced back at his car, seeing Thad almost climbing out the window again and ear-splitting laughter still bursting forth from all three. He turned his attention back to the kid and folded his arms across his chest pointedly.

"Either you come with me now, or I wait until you pass out and I drag you there. You're going whether you like it or not."

The blonde said nothing, simply staring at Nick like he was insane. He could almost see the boy's brain working, mulling over that thought before finally coming to a conclusion – a reluctant one.

"Can you help me up?" he said quietly.

Nick extended a hand and pulled the blonde to his feet, walking him back to his car. He let him get in the passenger seat as he ducked back around to the driver's side.

"Who's new kid?" Cameron slurred "Pretty boy."

"Shut up Cam," Nick sighed and rolled his eyes, shooting an apologetic look to the 'pretty boy' across from him with one hand to his head. The blonde just shrugged.

"That's kind of the look I go for."

Nick didn't have anything to say to that. He just started up his car and began the drive to the hospital. He figured he'd get this kid there and then get the lunatics in the back home to Thad's. As his thought that over, he realised he couldn't keep calling the kid… well, 'the kid'. Or 'the blonde'. Or 'hooker'. Even if he wasn't going to ever see him again after tonight, he figured it couldn't hurt to know the boy's name.

"What's your name?"

The blonde looked over for a split-second before turning his attention back to the world outside the window. "What's it to you?"

"Just curious. I'm Nick."

"Great for you. Call me whatever you like."

From the way he spoke with drained effort, as if he didn't care anymore, and the way the words sounded so robotic, Nick was pretty sure the boy said it a lot. And he didn't care to think about that.

"You have a name, don't you?"

When the kid looked over again, it was with curiosity and confusion in his eyes. Nick had the feeling this wasn't in any way normal for him – and that was something he also didn't care to think about. The reply, when it came, was soft and quiet, so low Nick almost didn't hear over the boisterous laughter and screeches coming from the backseat – and what the hell were they doing back there?

"Jeff. My name's Jeff."

"Do you mind if I ask something else?" Nick questioned, still incredibly curious about one thing in particular. Jeff shrugged and mumbled something under his breath that Nick assumed was an okay.

"How old are you?"

Jeff stared out of the window as he replied. "How old do you think?"

"Seventeen?"

Jeff chuckled morosely at his answer. "Twenty two."

Nick couldn't hold back his sharp intake of breath at that. Twenty two. They were the same age. But Jeff looked so much younger. He couldn't be twenty two. But under the thick eyeliner, the slight dusting of glitter on his cheekbones and the outlined full lips set in a seemingly permanent seductive pout, Nick knew it was true. Jeff certainly played young well – and the thought that young was what Jeff was going for, what people apparently wanted, made Nick feel just a little uneasy.

It didn't take very long to get to the hospital, despite having three drunken idiots in the back and a hooker bleeding out in the passenger seat. When he'd stopped, Nick told the guys to stay put while he took Jeff in – to which the blonde shook his head.

"You can drop me off here," he said even as Nick was getting out and walking around to his side "You don't need to…"

"Come on." Nick opened his door and waited patiently. After a moment of glaring, Jeff slid out with a sigh and made his way towards the building. Nick followed behind, mostly to make sure Jeff didn't run and disappear as he was probably liable to do, until they got inside and he steered the blonde in the right direction.

"What's the problem?" the young woman at the desk asked without bothering to look up from whatever game she was playing on her iPod. Nick didn't really want to deal with her but said with heavy sarcastic bite, "Uh, he got bashed in the head with a shovel?"

The bluntness of his tone made the woman look up in surprise. When she saw the wound she winced and called for someone to check it. While she was occupied, Jeff pulled Nick aside and said quickly, "Seriously, you can go. You don't have to waste any more of your time here."

"And what are you going to do when I leave?" Nick raised an eyebrow, seeing the guilty look flash across Jeff's face "Were you just going to run the second I turned my back?"

Jeff mumbled quietly, wrapping his arms around his stomach self-consciously, "Why are you even doing this? I'm fine, honestly. I'll patch it up when I get home."

"That's exactly why I'm doing it," Nick replied "Because you need help and you won't admit it. I saved your life and I'm going to see it through."

At that moment a nurse walked up to them and Jeff let her look at the gash. She led him away and Nick contemplated waiting where he was. But then Jeff glanced back, almost as if to see him walk away like he expected him to. The brunette wasn't sure why this upset him so much – seeing the slight confusion in Jeff's dark eyes as he saw his saviour still standing there and not leaving – and reached out to put a hand on Jeff's shoulder, stopping him.

"I'm going to get a taxi for the guys," he said quietly "And then I'll be back."

And if Nick had looked back as he headed out the door, phone in hand, he would have seen the absolute astonishment in Jeff's eyes as he was tugged away again.

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