Nick, Tara and Darcy were all outside eating lunch together on the grass area cut away from the field by a fence as a hang out area, Milo promised to join them a few minutes later saying something about swapping study notes with Tao first.
"Oh my god, we found another two." Darcy joked out with a grin at Nick explaining, assuming though that Milo was also queer too, her gaydar or more so queerdar was never wrong.
"You can't tell anyone." Tara lightly scolds Darcy before turning to Nick reassuring him "She won't tell anyone."
"Yeah, I, um..." Nick started to speak but trailed off as all three looked behind them at the commotion past the fence.
"Not having lunch with your boyfriend today?" Harry joked out as he saw Tao and Milo walk past, cutting them off from talking about the notes in both their hands.
"No, I'm waiting for your mom, actually." Tao retorted back, causing Harry's friends to laugh, one pointing out it was a classic comeback.
"Harry, show me how far you can chuck the ball across the field." Milo requested catching Harry's attention and said teen grabbed the rugby ball chucking it pretty far. Milo had only done this to cut off whatever Harry and Tao were going to get into.
Harry turned to look at Milo with a half smug, half proud smile while his friends made impressed noises. Milo flashes a quick nod in a silent agreement that it was 'impressive' which was enough for Harry who then went back to talking with his friends.
"Uh, what was that supposed to be?" Tao asked offended that Milo had just interacted with Harry outside of rugby practice.
"Uh, making sure one of my best friends doesn't get in a fight." Milo mocks the 'uh' attitude part Tao had spoken to him beforehand but gave Tao a cute smile.
"You're lucky you're adorable and it's practically my day job to make sure you're not about to walk into things." Tao responds letting go of the Harry interaction and proving his point as he grabs Milo's shoulder pulling him to the left narrowingly avoiding Milo walking into a pole.
"Huh, you're right about the walking into stuff thing."
"I'm always right, Milo."
When everyone was out of sight Nick finally turned to face Tara and Darcy again to explain a bit more about the situation he was in at the moment.
"I'm not really... out yet, or anything."
"Do you want to be?" Darcy simply asked in response, curious on where Nick stood on the topic.
"I don't know. I mean, I don't even know what my sexuality even is." Nick replied truthfully, still very much confused about many things.
"That's okay. Tara didn't know she was a lesbian until we kissed, like, six times." Darcy reassures Nick while giving an example.
"It was two times." Tara chimed in, putting it out for the record, causing the three to laugh.
"Oh my god, do you know what we need to do? Double dates. Us and Charlie, tomorrow night before the concert, milkshakes."
"And Milo." Nick added on, causing both girls' heads to whip away from looking at each other to Nick.
"And Milo?" Tara asked with a big grin.
"So like... you, Charlie... and Milo?" Darcy asked with her own grin forming. Nick looks down bashfully before nodding silently causing Darcy to let out a weird held back squeal.
"Nick Nelson collecting all the adorable guys. So Us, Charlie and Milo, tomorrow night before the concert, milkshakes." Darcy teased before rewording her suggestion to include Milo in it.
"I like milkshakes." Nick agreed, causing the other two to cheer.
"I can't read Tao's handwriting so that was a waste of time." Milo groaned out with a pout plopping down between Tara and Nick where there was a space left for him.
"Milo, what's your thoughts on sweet drinks?" Tara asked with a hidden meaning only the other two knew, causing Milo to look over at her with a shrug and the natural smile he usually had.
"Hm, it's sweet, a liquid, drinkable and... did I say sweet already?"
• • • • • • •
The four were walking back towards the gym at the end of lunch, Nick and Milo offering to walk them back.
"Don't feel like you have to come out to anyone before you're ready." Tara advised and reassured Nick as they walked back near the gym entrance, Milo silently nodding agreeing with Tara's words.
"Oh. Yeah." Nick simply responded, hands tucked away in his jacket pockets.
"Being out is hard. A lot of people will see you in a different way, and it is a lot to deal with." Tara continued though Milo, not wanting Nick to take her caution words the wrong way, also added in from where he walked on the other side of Nick.
"Exactly, and if you do come out, you know already Tara, Darcy, Charlie and I are there for you every step of the way." Milo's reassuring words helping.
"Can I ask you something?" Nick asked Tara when they finally got to the gym doors. Tara nodded, giving him the go ahead with a causal yeah.
"Are you, like, definitely gay? Or like do you think your bi, or... I mean when we were thirteen, I think I did like you. I mean, I think I have liked girls before, so I wondered if you felt the same." Nick rambled to see if Tara had thought the same way he had at one stage.
"I'm definitely gay. Kissing you was actually one of the things that made me realise I don't like kissing guys." Tara answered Nick's long winded question. Nick let out a choked laugh while Milo turned around to face away from them trying to hold back a smile looking at Darcy who waited by the door holding back her own smile at how Tara had worded her answer.
"Uh, okay. Um... happy to help." Nick's response got a few chuckles out of everyone as Milo turned around again.
"See you tomorrow?" Tara double checked with Nick that the plan was still on.
"Yeah." Nick replied but stopped Tara from going into the gym, continuing on "You're kind of the first people I've told about Charlie and Milo." This news not just to the two girls as Milo looked at Nick confused.
"Really?" Tara asked stunned that Nick had felt comfortable enough to tell her and Darcy first.
"Yeah." Nick responds with his usually one worded replies when it comes to saying yes.
"And does it feel good to have told someone?" Tara asked genuinely curious about how Nick felt.
"Yeah. It really does." Nick replied back honestly, smiling which Tara returned before she and Darcy made their way into the gym.
"So... you told them in the few minutes I wasn't there, I wanted to see their reactions." Milo half whined but wasn't actually upset about it, nudging Nick's shoulder playfully causing Nick to grin at him, shrugging.
"Well, I unfortunately have maths." Milo shuddered at the thought before continuing "So I'll see you after school at Charlie's."
"Yeah, See you later Milo." Nick replies as Milo smiles, linking their pinkies briefly before walking off with a wave.
"Bye Nicholas."
• • • • • • •
Charlie's sister, Tori held her laptop in one hand and held her drink in the other entering Charlie's room to chill out for a little while only for Charlie to say she could since Nick and Milo were coming over soon. Tori instantly teases Charlie about Nick and Milo making him come up with the greatest comeback ever, (note the sarcasm) 'Shut up', twice. The conversation ended pretty quick when he rushed off his bed and downstairs when a few knocks came from the front door.
"What?" Nick asked after catching Charlie staring at him.
"What?" Charlie asked right back with an innocent smile, Milo watching the two interact amused while balancing his pen on his lip, having to pout to keep it still, like a pen mustache.
"You're staring." Nick exposed Charlie's staring habit, he'd been staring at Nick and Milo every now and then since they started doing their homework.
"No, I wasn't." Charlie denied, though the smile on his face told the opposite.
"Yeah, you were." Nick retorted right back.
"Well technically in order for you to have caught Charles staring that would mean you were staring at him too Nicholas." Milo spoke, causing his pen to fall down from his upper lip onto the ground.
"And how did you know that? That means you were staring as well." Nick shot back, causing Milo to nod, being fairly caught in the act.
"Do your homework." Charlie threw his pen at Nick, hitting him while Milo grabbed his fallen pen but didn't bother trying to write an answer to the maths homework he had.
"You, know. I, well Milo was there for some of it. But I was talking to Tara at the rehearsal today." Nick sat up properly now since he, like the other two had been laying on his stomach at first.
"Yeah?" Charlie asked rhetorically, wanting Nick to continue.
"You heard she came out, right?" Nick asked Charlie before telling him what he wanted to.
"Yeah, she put it on insta." Charlie answered, he'd seen it recently on his Instagram feed as he'd scrolled through it.
"I told her we're together. You, Milo and I." Nick finally told Charlie what he wanted to say causing Charlie to move closer to Nick asking 'what' surprised at this. Milo, busy frowning down at his maths homework reading the same paragraph question over and over again not seeming to remember the words he was just reading.
"I told her we're going out." Nick doubled down on what he'd said when Charlie had asked him what.
"Oh my god, that's amazing. You're amazing." Charlie crashes into Nick in a big hug, making Nick topple over laying on the ground before Charlie kisses him.
"Wait. Are you sure you wanted to?" Charlie asked, pulling back from the kiss looking down at Nick checking with him.
"Um, yeah." Nick laughed looking back up at Charlie, obviously sure when he'd told Tara.
"You didn't force yourself because I'm out and Milo, well Milo is just Milo and-" Charlie started rambling still smiling while he talked but was cut off by Nick.
"No! I wanted to tell them." Nick repeated trying to make sure Charlie realised that he really did do it because he wanted to. Charlie gave him another kiss, causing Nick to turn them over so he was laying on top as they kissed.
Pulling back with satisfied smiles till Charlie made a noise of realisation.
"What was Milo's reaction?"
"Well I kinda said something about it when he was there but not really, he was okay with it and then when I did tell Tara and Darcy he wasn't there. Though when he came back I told him and he whined about not being able to see their reactions." Nick replied, causing Charlie to laugh as that seemed exactly like what Milo would do.
Speaking of the curly haired teen both Charlie and Nick looked over at Milo from where they were laying together to see him scrunching his nose cutely most likely in disgust as he read something on his maths homework.
"Why do I have to know how long the train is going because of the speed and wind? In reality the train ride is always twenty minutes late. There solved." Milo grumbled to himself, ignoring the question to go onto the next one.
Milo was wearing a soft white collar shirt with a big blue jumper and a yellow bumble bee pin over it, mom jeans and white long socks. He'd left his shoes at the front door out of habit. Charlie let out a laugh at Milo's very visible dislike of maths.
Nick gets off Charlie to move over to where Milo laid on his stomach, Nick moving to push his curly fringe away that just ends up flopping down again. Milo looked up at Nick, blinking not having paid attention the whole time, side glancing at where Charlie was still laying on his back looking at him.
"Oh, I wasn't listening... was it important? Um, do you guys know how to solve train maths questions?" Milo asked, looking between the two and Nick chuckled, finding Milo adorable cupping his cheeks and kissing him.
"That was great, let's do more of that guys and less of the maths." Milo suggests after they pulled back, shoving his homework out of the way and moving over to Charlie flopping on top of him and hugging him like a koala.
"Milo that tickles!" Charlie laughed as Milo's fringe tickled his neck where he was nuzzling his face into Charlie's neck causing Milo to laugh giddily.
"Nick now's our chance, get him!" Milo exclaimed happily, hugging Charlie tighter as he wiggled around.
Nick watches fondly with a smile before joining Milo and targeting Charlie, tickling his sides causing him to laugh even louder.
• • • • • • •
Nick and Milo were both leaving now, Milo just slipping into his already double knotted white sneakers while Nick had to tie his vans.
"So, how about the concert tomorrow night?" Nick brought up again as he tied his shoelaces.
"You really don't have to come. It'll be boring." Charlie unsure if Nick should come overthinking a bit about what could happen if he did come, even though it would go normally.
"No, I want to support you." Nick standing his ground wanting to go.
"Milo."
"Milo."
Milo, who'd been watching freezing when the two talked to him, waited for him to speak his opinion on it, causing him to fiddle with his bumble bee pin.
"He wants to support you Charlie, plus I always come." Milo made his decision causing Nick to smile and Charlie to sigh but gave in.
"Okay, but if you change your mind, that's fine."
"And Tara and Darcy want us to go and get milkshakes with them before it starts. Like a double date." Nick adds in, causing Milo to remember Tara asking him what his thoughts on sweet drinks were, that must have been the reason why.
"I've never been on a date before." Charlie made known, a smile still on his face.
"Me neither." Nick in the same boat as Charlie before the two end up looking over at Milo again who was still fiddling with his bumble bee pin with his right hand.
"Does it look like I've been on a date before?" Milo sassily asked rhetorically. Before shaking his head answering their silent question "No I haven't either."
"Want to go on one?" Nick asked Charlie and Milo, causing them to let out small chuckles but they all agreed to the date in the end.
Milo and Nick leave afterward walking down the footpath, Milo smiling thinking about how Charlie was probably bursting with excitement, his own heart beating a bit faster as well at the thought of going on a date tomorrow.
"See you tomorrow Milo." Nick says goodbye to Milo who pulls Nick in for a hug, though Milo's left hand got a bit tangled between Nick's school shoulder bag making him want pull back but didn't, wincing silently over Nick's shoulder but a smile going back onto his face when they pulled back.
• • • • • • •
Darcy:
Tao and Elle should come to our double date.
Sent.
Nick:
Wait, are they dating??
Sent.
Darcy:
Not YET they're not.
Sent.
Charlie:
Do Tao and Elle like each other???
Sent.
Tara:
Yeah Elle definitely likes Tao.
Sent.
Darcy:
And they'd make such a good couple!!!
Sent.
Milo:
^ ^ ^ ^
Sent.
Milo:
Also she always picks the stubborn lanky boys, doesn't she? Hehe.
Sent.
Charlie:
Btw they don't know Nick, Milo and I are together.
Sent.
Tara:
That's okay!! We won't say anything.
Sent.
Nick:
So now it's a triple date?
Sent.
Charlie:
And Tao and Elle don't know it's a date at all...
Sent.
Darcy:
We are such meddling gays and I love it.
Sent.
• • • • • • •
"Okay, but do you ever play film music?" Tao asked at the picnic table they all sat around on their triple date, with one oblivious couple.
"Yeah, sometimes." Tara responds to Tao's question.
"Well, then it's not boring." Tao finally says now okay with going to the concert, Milo beside him watching amused.
"Why'd you agree to come then if you thought it would be boring?" Charlie jumped in asking from the other side of Milo, moving his head slightly forward to look at Tao past Milo.
"Because I'm a very nice and supportive friend, obviously." Tao dramatically spoke, deciding to go that route.
"Actually no, he came for the milkshakes and the milkshakes only." Elle dropped the secret causing everyone's mouths to drop including Milo's who'd been sipping the last bit of his strawberry milkshake, straw popping out of his mouth.
"I said that to you in total confidence!" Tao replied smiling knowing it was all just jokes as he pretended to be offended.
"So how did you two become friends?" Darcy asked Tao and Elle curiously.
"I was friends with Charlie first, before meeting my son Milo and then Tao came along as a package deal." Elle's words caused some sort of offended squawking sound to come out of Tao's mouth, though everyone else was laughing at her words.
"Rude! You're lucky to have me." Tao butts in with a goofy grin.
"I thought I was Tao's son?" Milo mumbled confused causing Tao to drape an arm across Milo's shoulder and the other patted his head of curls saying back "You are. Don't let Elle's words confuse you son." Milo only blinked at Tao's words.
"You make a cute little pair." Darcy suddenly blurted out to Elle and Tao who both didn't reply to the comment, finishing off their milkshakes.
"So, we're ordering a second round, right?" Tao asked the group to change the subject, causing others around the table to agree.
Nick offers for him, Charlie and Milo to grab the milkshakes for the others. The three got up after being told what everyone wanted going over to the van where the milkshakes were being made.
"Oh my god, no, that is a crime!" Charlie points out Nick's milkshake.
"I cannot believe you're disrespecting the bubblegum flavour in front of me." Nick pressed slightly very set on bubblegum being the best milkshake. The worker also sets down Charlie and Milo's milkshakes next to his.
"Right. Let me try yours." Nick grabbed Charlie's milkshake, taking a sip as both Charlie and Milo watched, curious to his reaction.
"Wow." Was all Nick could say as he realised Charlie's milkshake was great.
"See, I make good choices." Charlie proudly states before Milo's head popped into view with an adorable smile as he pointed at his excitedly "Try mine guys!"
"Milo yours is just vanilla and plain." Charlie laughed at the plain looking milkshake causing Milo to pout grabbing his milkshake with his right hand holding it close but not enough to ruin his clothes.
"It's not just vanilla..." Milo mumbles to himself.
"We should swap." Nick suggests to Charlie, who quickly denies the idea "No, you made your choice."
"Well then we can share, we are on a date." Nick decides, grabbing two more straws and putting them in each drink so there are two straws in both their drinks. Milo watches while playing with the straw in his own milkshake.
"Is that the official rule of dating? Sharing drinks?" Charlie asked Nick who gave a quick cheerful "Yeah."
"We should go on a date, Just you, Milo and I. I mean if you want to. It's alright if you don't want to. Actually, no sorry that was stupid." Charlie suggested but started rambling when he over-thought about it.
"We should. I'd like that." Nick replied, the two smiling sweetly before Nick realised turning to Milo who watched still playing with his straw.
"Milo? You want to?" Nick made sure Milo also wanted to go on a date.
"Yeah." Milo only gives them a small smile at this, letting go of his straw. Charlie's smile grew at this, relieved they all wanted to go on a date.
The three called out for Tao to come over to help them bring the milkshakes over to the table which he agreed to quickly getting up to walk over.
"Yeah but bubblegum is more interesting." Nick argued with Charlie over the milkshakes still as Milo held onto two Milkshakes silently wishing Tao would hurry up to them as he already could feel his left hand trembling with the weight.
"Ahem, I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Tao finally there, fake clearing his throat.
"No, we were just chatting." Charlie explained briefly.
"Okay then... Milo, did you finally decide on getting the vanilla marshmallow milkshake you wanted to try?" Tao awkwardly responded to Charlie's words before his eyes drifted over to Milo's hands seeing what he was holding, a smile forming on his face.
"Yeah, but apparently it's boring." Milo pouted, adding on "I'm going to sit down again, Elle's probably waiting for her banana milkshake." Honestly just wanting to set the milkshake down because of his wrist but didn't want to say anything about that, moving to walk away.
Nick and Charlie share a look, realising they'd totally cut off Milo before he could even explain his milkshake and assumed it was just a vanilla shake. Tao caught their attention as he scratched his jaw confused.
"Was it something I said?" Before shaking his head looking at the milkshakes being made and saying "You take those back, I'll wait for the last two."
"Are you sure?" Charlie checked but was already looking at Milo who was half way back to the table, Tao giving a quick yes was enough for him to rush back to get to Milo before they'd sit back down, Nick hot on his trail.
"Miloooo, wait up." Charlie says cutting Milo off by stepping in front of him to see the curly teen was still pouty.
"What Charles?" Milo asked, wanting to not being holding the milkshakes for any longer than he had too.
"... Sorry for not letting you talk about your milkshake." Charlie apologised just as Nick got over to them. Milo's pout fading away, nose scrunching for a split second as he thought before smiling amused.
"It's just a milkshake Charlie, you don't have to apologise about that. It's okay no problem, but I'm not letting you guys try it now." Charlie's shoulders relaxed at Milo's words, realising Milo wasn't actually upset with them.
"You're hand is shaking Milo." Nick pointed out, not sure if he should be worried or not, causing the three to look down at his left hand where Milo's hand was indeed shaking, making Elle's milkshake shake slightly with it. Milo clears his throat in mild panic but doesn't let his smile leave his face.
"That's because it's heavy Nicholas, frail wrists?" Milo joked out playfully causing the other two to laugh before they started walking back over. Milo glad they dropped it and technically he hadn't been lying about his wrist being frail, right?
"Are you seriously not gonna let us try it?" Nick asked as they walked, causing Milo to give a cheeky shrug without giving them a proper reply.
Setting the Milkshakes down Milo lets out a quiet sigh of relief when he sets Elle's milkshake down in front of her, the weight of the milkshake gone now from his hand. Before sitting down again but this time between Nick and Elle.
"Is this some secret girl conversation." Charlie asked jokingly as they all sat down.
"Did you all know this too? The me and Tao thing?" Elle asked, causing Charlie only to let out a um noise causing Elle to turn and give Milo a stern look.
"Yeah we did." Milo immediately with a sheepish smile answered Elle's question at the look he was being given.
"So this whole thing was just a set up?" Elle asked a little disheartened, causing Milo's smile to disappear and guilt fill his stomach, making his stomach tense.
"Well, we thought it would be fun to go on a triple date." Nick addressed hoping this new topic would brighten up her mood.
"A triple date?" Elle questions out wanting to know more.
"Yeah. You and Tao, Tara and Darcy, and..." Nick pointed out the couples though couldn't finish as Elle cut in.
"You and Charlie?, or Charlie and Milo?, or You and Milo or..." Elle was confused on what the last couple was exactly, eyes flickering over Milo wondering what had happened since their last conversation in his room.
"Yeah to all three? Charlie, Milo and I are on the date together." Nick admitted causing Elle to smile while looking between the three.
"You three are together?" Elle asks, needing the confirmation at least one more time which she gets from Charlie saying yes while Milo nods, a smile forming on his face again and stomach not tensing anymore.
Elle immediately getting excited telling Charlie and Milo how happy she was for them, adding in she was happy for Nick too but says she'd a little more happy for the other two since Charlie and Milo had been pining for each other and Nick for ages, Charlie and Milo embarrassed, Milo's face flushing red at this, sipping on his milkshake to cool down.
Elle asks if Isaac and Tao know yet about the three of them being together. Charlie explains they think Isaac found out straight away and that they hadn't told Tao yet since they hadn't found the right time yet, Milo adding in he really wanted to tell Tao soon.
Just then Tao arrives with the last milkshakes setting them down informing them "Um, just so you know the concert starts in fifteen minutes." Causing everyone to try drinking their milkshakes fast.
Of course Milo let's Nick and Charlie taste his milkshake before he drinks it, always planning on letting them try it if they wanted too even with the teasing of saying he wouldn't. Satisfied when they both liked it.
• • • • • • •
Question of the day = You're favourite restaurant? What type of food? If it's a really specific restaurant, doesn't matter I wanna know all the details about bub. :)
Okay so sorry for the longish wait for this chapter, I made the chapter longer again to make up for the wait :) anyway hope you enjoyed and are ready for the next few chapter that will come. Milo is really pushing it with his folks, I wonder if that'll bite him in the ass soon... hehe I love foreshadowing... or is it?
Votes and comments are always appreciated and help motivate me to continue writing and posting. Have a great day and don't forget to make sure you're doing okay and take some time to yourselves. A mental health day is okay to take <3
Meme time: