#custillo

another lil thing i wasn’t planning to post, but it’s here now! i also reread this a million times so if anything is off, i probably lost my sanity trying to find it. post the quarry events. enjoyyy

jacob heard a few rhythmic taps on his bedroom window. he froze for a few seconds before slowly turning toward the window behind him. his heart almost dropped to his ass at the sight of nick behind the glass pane, his innocent smile made him feel at ease immediately after. he pushed himself off his bed, hissing at the jolt of pain in his right ankle, and went to his windowsill. the lock on the window released with a ‘click’ and he clamped the top of the frame to push it upwards. nick giggled at the boy’s face of concentration wither away

“you still wear hats in the house, eh?”

jacob rolled his eyes as he pushed himself off the sill. “nick. what are you doing at my window?”

nick played with the hems of his letterman jacket, looking off to the side as he muttered, “i don’t know, i see it all the time in the movies.”

“what?”

“what…?”

“just—go to the door, nick, please.”

“but what if you hobble to the door and like—trip or something,” nick questioned with a hint of seriousness in his tone.

“and what if you eat shit climbing through my window?”

“i guess you don’t know until you try?”

“yeah. okay. go ahead, loser.”

jacob backed up to sit at the foot of his bed and reached for his television remote, muting the audio. nick easily lifted his right then his left leg over the sill, ducking his head under the upper half of the window to get into the boy’s bedroom.

the taller boy sighed out with content, “skill!”

jacob felt a pang of joy in his chest after hearing the little remark. it was one of the things he himself said whenever he completed something he thought was ‘difficult’, maybe nick picked up on it during camp. he averted his eyes from the other’s figure and focused on the silent tv. “you are such a nerd,” jacob grumbled.

“i know you are, but what am i?” nick teased. he gestured to the window in a ‘should i close it’ way and jacob just waved it off. nick walked over to a desk chair across from the bed and spun it toward his friend to sit in.

“did you come here just to annoy me or do you need something? do your parents even know you’re here?”

“little jakey concerned about me? who would’ve knew?”

“nick.”

“okay okay, no. i wanted to talk about… something. and you’re a really dry texter.”

“you really want to be punched don’t you?”

“no harm, no foul!” nick shrugged as he spun in the seat a couple times, waiting for a response.

jacob did not know what he could possibly want to talk about. does he know too? he didn’t want to derail into a panic before nick even told him the reason why he wants to talk, although he couldn’t stop the guilt eating at him in the back of his mind. he was hunched over with his elbows on his knees and fiddling with his fingers. he inhaled sharply, “what did you come here for?”

the taller boy cleared his throat and stared at the top of jacob’s cap.

“i couldn’t really sleep because erm..no one has really, ya know, talked about what happened before everything. that night.”

jacob sighed out, “i really don’t want to talk about it, please.”

“i just. i just wanted to say i’m sorry. for everything, including you know who. i really—”

a groan left the shorter’s mouth, “that is literally the least of my concerns. i almost died multiple times all because i was crying over some stupid, stupid girl,” his voice faded out.

“we all know how much she meant to you, i swear,” nick chewed his bottom lip anxiously. he also didn’t want to talk about emma and jacob in general, considering how jealous he was of their relationship, but apologizing felt like the only way he could get over that. “you know it was just a game though. it didn’t mean anything. i was buzzed anyway and you… know.” he could tell he was making it awkward, at least he thought, but he heard sniffles and watched the latter hurriedly wipe tears from his eyes.

“i’m sorry i’m bad at this.”

“i swear if you apologize one more time,” jacob laughed weakly, staring into the palms of his hands. “you’re not the one to blame anyway. all that was so stupid compared to what i, we, went through later. no point in apologizing.”

nick felt a pinch in his stomach. he doesn’t remember much about their last night at hackett’s quarry. half of it he was tipsy and the other was…unexplainable at the least. when he was found in the middle of the forest near dawn, he was taken into custody immediately. which was reasonable because he had blood all over him and a lack of wounds. ryan and laura were the only other two that weren’t immediately taken into emergency care. when they were released, they went to the hospital nearby and on the way discussed what the fuck happened with nick—which was extremely baffling to him. so he could never understand what everyone else went through, but at least he could apologize for what he understood. he knows what he did before the night went downhill and anything to reassure jacob, at least a little bit, would make him feel better about himself ever so slightly.

“i know i’ll never understand,”

jacob cut him off with a harsh tone, “stop. please. i’ve heard that everyday since we left.” “i’m sorry,” nick’s voice faltered. when could he not mess up?

silence followed by soft sobs were coming from the boy in front of him, to which he stood from the desk chair and rushed to jacob’s side. he sat to the right of jacob and instinctively placed his hand on the other’s back to console him. the urge to embrace him was strong, but maybe jacob didn’t want to be hugged right now. their sides and knees were touching at least, to show that he is there. but nick had no idea what to say, he was horrible with verbal comfort.

the air was thick with silence, the only distraction being the overly cheery cartoon flashing on their profiles. nick felt the mattress dip and a head against his shoulder. he looked to his left and noticed jacob’s cries died back down to occasional stifles.

the boy’s hand came to a stop and rested on jacob’s upper arm, that he gave a hopeful squeeze. the circumstance was unfortunate, but the moment of vulnerability was refreshing—especially with someone he wants to get closer to, even after everything. he never wanted to let go, until he did. they were both alarmed by the door being swung open by jacob’s mother. jacob jolted upward and whipped his head to the door, hitting nick in the forehead with the brim of his hat. there was a quick exchange of ouches and sorry’s before returning their attention to the woman in the door way.

his mother glanced between the two then to the open window behind them and furrowed her eyebrows. “you weren’t going to tell me we had a guest?” she folded her arms across her chest, staring at jacob with a curious look in her eyes that softened at the sight of the dried tears along his face.

“i’m sorry miss custos,” nick tried to stand but the shorter gently yanked the back of his jacket sleeve to sit back down.

“we just wanted to talk for a bit and i didn’t want to bother you or anything,” jacob stood up instead and walked over to his mom. she gestured she needed a moment alone with her son and closed the door behind them. nick sat patiently, drumming the pads of his fingers against his thighs as he trailed his eyes around the room. there weren’t many decorations up other than a deteriorating poster and art-pieces from kids he counseled in which nick assumed were previous years or else jacob is indeed terrible at arts and crafts. his attention was turned towards the door as he heard it creak open. jacob was clearly flustered as he walked in and shut the door behind him, leaning his body against it. “moms are so embarrassing,” he hinted at their conversation in the hallway. nick was unsure if he should crack a joke so he asked whether or not he should leave and if he was okay.

“if you try to leave through the front door, i think my mom will interrogate you.”

“she seems like a lady i wouldn’t want to mess with.”

“you don’t know the half of it.”

they sheepishly smiled at each other.

“thank you,” jacob said in a hushed manner, staring at the hardwood floor beneath him. “thanks for coming out here even though you didn’t have to.” he pushed himself off his bedroom door and sat beside nick, a little farther this time.

“it’s the least i could do.” which wasn’t a lie. originally he wanted to go after jacob when him and abi went separate ways into the woods, but his friends suggested otherwise. emma didn’t seem all that happy being told to go after jacob instead either.

in all honesty, he probably would’ve told him a secret he’d been holding on to a majority of the two months they’d spent together as counselors. it was supposed to be their last day at the camp anyway. if he were rejected he would never have to see jacob again, but that chance has been gone.

“you’re painfully nice, i hope you know that. other than you throwing my phone to me from, like, 50 feet above.”

“no way. at least you caught it! and it was like barely 10 feet over your head.” nick taunted, playfully nudging his shoulder into jacob’s.

“10, 50, it’s all the same.”

“someone failed 3rd grade math.”

“okay, hold on—”