This chapter has a bit of a different writing style because I'm trying to make the chapters longer so I hope you guys like it!!
- Jocelyn xx
Nova knew this day was not going to be one of his favorites while being on tour with Julian. Waking up in Julian's arms was the only plus for him that day.
Having to follow around your boyfriend while he acted like a couple with someone else right in front of you didn't help Nova feel much better about their own relationship. Though he knew Julian hated doing this to him, he knew there was no other way around it.
"Okay where to next?" Layla asked looking over the map she held in front of her.
Julian peered over her shoulder, looking at all the typical tourist places they could go and tried deciding on one. He didn't want to go to the Eiffel Tower first thing. He wanted to wait for that sight.
"What about the Notre-Dame?" Julian suggested looking at Layla and then Nova for confirmation.
Nova simply shrugged his shoulders giving them a soft smile. "I'm basically just following you guys around today, so I don't really have a say."
Julian frowned at this statement and Layla did as well. "Nova, you do have a say, this your outing too you know?" Layla said shaking her head.
Nova rolled his eyes playfully at their frowns but relented. "Okay, how about after the Notre-Dame I pick the next place we go."
Julian smiled happily and looked around before leaning in and kissing him quickly on the cheek, making Nova's face turn red instantly.
Layla cooed softly, "you two are so cute." "Here let me see your camera and I'll get a picture." She said holding her hands out for the camera.
Nova bit on his bottom lip, he was a bit hesitant on handing over his camera. He didn't even really let Julian touch his camera that much.
Layla saw his hesitation and said gently. "I promise to give it right back afterwards. I'll be very careful." She said reassuringly.
Nova took the camera from around his neck, slowly and reluctantly, handing it over to her.
Layla gave him a smile and then said, "okay, get closer you two."
Julian chuckled softly and wrapped his arm around Nova's waist, squishing him against his side. "Say cheese Nova." He said grinning widely.
Nova laughed lightly to himself at how childish Julian was, but he loved him that way. "You're such a dork Julian." He said but looked at the camera giving a genuine smile towards it.
After Layla took the picture she did as promised and gave the camera right back to Nova, who took it gratefully. "Thank you Layla." He said softly giving her a shy smile.
Layla smiled widely at him and just waved his thanks off. "No problem!" She chirped. "Now come on, we got a ton of more sights to see."
Nova wanted to think of Layla as a bad person, but he really couldn't. She was incredibly sweet to him and seemed to feel genuinely bad whenever her and Julian had to act like a couple together.
Even now as she took Julian's hand in her own she threw Nova an apologetic glance over her shoulder as they started to walk towards their next destination.
So Nova couldn't really say anything negative about her.
"Wow this place is really pretty." Layla said in slight awe as they stopped in front of the church.
Nova took a picture of her expression, liking the sparkle of her eyes. He then looked at the pair curiously, "we're going in right?"
Julian nodded his head chuckling. "Of course we are Nova, we didn't walk all the way here just to see the outside of it." He said amused.
Nova pushed him playfully and grumbled. "Oh shut up."
Layla smiled as she watched the two of them banter back and forth as the group walked up to the church. She was extremely happy that her friend had found someone to make him happy after so long.
Layla had remembered when they first met each other.
"Do I really have to do this?" Layla said looking at her agent.
"Yes Layla, you need the publicity. Who could give you more than one of the fastest upcoming stars in the music business right now?" Gia said tapping away on her phone as they both sat in the little cafe.
They were waiting for Julian and Mark to arrive so they could talk about the supposed relationship for her and Julian to be in.
Layla had been told the terms by her manager and knew why this was being done in the first place. Julian needed higher record sales and she needed the publicity to further her career.
Layla looked up when Gia said, "here they come." She watched the door open and two people walk in, the younger guy wearing sunglasses and some sort of disguise. Layla guessed he would have too with how much fame he had gotten all of the sudden.
"Hello Mark." Gia said with a polite smile coming onto her lips as the two sat down across from them. "Thank you for meeting with us."
Mark just shook his head. "No need to thank me, we both agreed to this." He looked at Julian who just slouched in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest, looking like he really didn't wanna be here. "Julian, say hello." Mark said like he was a little kid.
Julian sighed softly and sat up a little. "Hello," he said giving them both a little wave. Looks like he was just as unhappy about their arrangement as she was.
"Hi." Layla said smiling sheepishly at him. She didn't really know how to make conversation first thing with someone who didn't really look interested in talking.
"We're going to give you two sometime to get to know each other while we work out all the details." Mark said standing up with Gia.
"Wait you didn't say we had to be alone." Julian said straightening up completely with a panicked tone in his voice.
"It's only for an hour Julian, it won't kill you to get to know the girl your going to be with." Mark said rolling his eyes. "Just calm down and be nice." He said with a stern look on his face then followed Gia out.
Layla and Julian sat there awkwardly for a couple minutes, not knowing what to say to each other.
"Do you want some coffee?" Julian said to finally break the silence.
"Oh, sure." Layla said with a smile. "Here," she reached into her pocket to get out her wallet and Julian stopped her shaking his head with a laugh.
"Don't worry I got it, just tell me what you want." Julian said finally smiling genuinely at her for the first time.
"But you don't need too, I got plenty of money." Layla said with a pout of her lips.
Julian stuck his tongue out at her. "So do I, so what do you want missy?"
Layla giggled softly and shook her head. "Just a peppermint frappuccino." She said finally.
Julian raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "So weird." He mumbled to himself as he walked towards the counter to get their orders.
After a few minutes he returned and handed her the drink, sitting down across from her and picking up some sugar to add to his own coffee.
Julian took a sip than sighed, taking off his sunglasses to reveal his dark blue eyes. "Look, I'm going to assume you don't wanna do this as much as I don't." Layla nodded her head and he continued. "What were you told about why I was doing it?" Julian asked curiously as he looked at her and sipped his coffee casually.
Layla was confused, not thinking there was anything else he could get out of this other than higher record sales. "That you needed higher sales."
Julian snorted softly shaking his head and huffing softly. "Of course he wouldn't really talk about why I'm doing this," he mumbled softly to himself.
Layla heard him though. "Huh?" She said even more confused than before. "Why else would you need a fake relationship?" Layla asked with a small laugh.
Julian gave her a smile and tilted his head. "Hmm, you seem like a pretty smart person, I'm sure you can put it together pretty quick." "Beautiful model gets with singer who has never really dated in the public eye before."
Layla still didn't really know what he meant by it. It was until a few minutes later that it clicked in her head. "Oh." She said startled and looked at him. "You're gay?" Layla said softly.
Julian laughed at her soft tone and nodded his head. "Yep, I don't see it as a big deal, but apparently my industry does." "So, the higher ups got the brilliant idea to make me seem as straight as possible and pair me up with a very beautiful girl such as yourself, so there would be no rumors of me being possibly gay."
Layla felt really bad for having to do this now. "I'm really sorry you have to fake who you are." She said reaching across and resting her hand comfortingly on his. "It must be awful to have to act like you're a completely different person than you really are."
Julian looked at her surprised with how much she felt sorry for him, but then gave her a warm smile. "I think we're going to get along better than I thought."
Layla returned his smile with one of her own.
"I think we will too."
"Layla."
Layla snapped out of her memories and looked up to see Julian and Nova waiting for her in the entrance.
"Are you coming?" Julian asked tilting his head and holding out his hand to her.
Layla walked up to him and took his hand in hers giving a small laugh. "Of course, lets go."
The group all walked into the church and immediately hushed up, it was just the atmosphere of being inside the place. It was silent enough that a pen could be dropped and heard.
Nova turned off his flash so he wouldn't disturb anyone as he took some pictures of the stained glass windows. He always found that sort of stuff very beautiful. Nova knew how much time and effort went into the process of making each pane so he had great respect for people who made them.
"Why don't you two walk up to the altar and I'll take your picture." Nova said very softly to Julian, but still loud enough so he would be able to hear him.
Julian nodded his head and walked with Layla up the aisle towards the altar, both of them admiring its beauty.
Nova followed behind them slowly and stopped a few feet away from them so he wouldn't be taking the picture to close. He lifted his camera and took a picture of the 'couple' holding hands and standing with their back to him looking at the altar.
He the walked up so he was next to the pair, wanting a better look at the beautifully lit area. There were a line of candles, there flames swaying gently in the light draft in the air.
"It's really beautiful in here." Julian said softly as he let his eyes scan over the altar. He'd never really been in a church before, his parents had never forced religion on him since they were never religious themselves. So Julian had pretty much grown up agnostic.
Nova agreed with him. "Yeah it is."
"Come on, we should get going. I think a mass is about to start." Layla said to the two as more people started piling into the pews.
The three nodded and quickly walked down the aisle, Nova turning back to take one last picture of the altar before they walked out the entrance and back outside.
Julian turned to Nova once they were outside and gave him a big grin as Layla dug the map out of her bag. "Where too good sir."
Nova laughed and then walked over to Layla looking over the map. He chewed on his bottom lip which Julian found adorable. "Uhm," Nova said looking at all the places to go.
Julian saw his eyes lit up and he felt his heart flutter at the sight of it. He smiled and hummed. "Choose something?"
Nova looked at the two with excited eyes but spoke shyly, like he was afraid of being told the place he wanted to go to would be stupid. "Would you mind if we went to The Louvre?"
Layla shook her head and Julian smiled widely at his suggestion. "Of course not Nova, I figured you would wanna go there once you saw it."
"I'm surprised you didn't ask once we landed in Paris to be honest." Julian said chuckling deeply. "It's one of the most famous art museums in the world."
Nova's face turned a light red as he fiddled with his camera as the three started to walked in the direction of The Louvre. "I didn't remember until I saw it on the map okay?"
"You would forget your own head if it wasn't attached to your body." Julian teased him with a playful smirk on his lips.
Nova stuck his tongue out at him. "I would not, hush."
"Innocent until proven guilty Julian." Layla said in a sing-song voice.
"I wouldn't want to wait till his head was gone." Julian said in mock horror.
The group all laughed together and continued towards the museum.
Nova getting more excited with each step.
****
Nova had been sent back to the hotel alone near the end of the night.
Mark had called and said they should probably go to dinner by themselves, as it would seem to awkward if Nova tagged along with them for something so private as a dinner together.
Nova was a bit relieved. He had enough of being out and about today, it had socially drained him a lot. So he was happy that he got to go to his room and relax, but he also wished he just had Julian here with him.
Sighing, Nova slid his key card into the door and opened it, walking inside the room. He took the camera from around his neck as he walked towards the bedroom and crawled into the bed with it in his hands.
Nova scooted to the top of the bed so his back was now leaning against the bed frame as he went through some of the pictures he had taken today. He smiled at some of them.
Layla had insisted on getting photos of them together as well. Most of the pictures they were in together consisted of Julian doing something to make Nova blush in someway for the photo.
Nova shook his head at the one Layla must've taken before giving him the camera back. It was in the Louvre, and Julian and him were standing in front of the Mona Lisa. She had managed to capture Nova's intense and admiring look on his face as he gazed at the painting.
That wasn't what made him really smile at the picture thought.
What made him smile was the look on Julian's face. He was staring at Nova.
Julian was looking at him much in the same way Nova was looking at the painting. With a sort of adoring look on his face, a soft look in his eyes.
Nova bit on his bottom lip as he looked at the photo. He really loved Julian, and hoped one day they could come out publicly with their relationship. Mostly he hoped it would be soon.
There was a knock on the door of the room and Nova looked up from the camera curiously, wondering who it could possibly be.
As Nova got up and headed towards the door he figured it might be Mark coming to get see some of the pictures he took today. He got to the door and opened it then froze at the sight of the person in front of him.
It was Jack.
Nova immediately went to shut the door but Jack stuck his foot between the door to stop it. "Nova, I just want to talk." Jack said gently. "I heard you were back and this the only time you don't have Julian with you. So I figured I could at least try to talk to you."
Nova just stared at him blankly. "I have nothing to talk about with you." He said softly as he gripped onto the door to keep his hand from shaking.
Jack let out a sigh. "Look, give me five minutes. If you don't like what I have to say then I'll leave and I won't talk to you for the rest of my time here."
Nova hesitated, but he had always been a curious person, and this time just like many others, his curiosity got the best of him.
He opened the door fully and stood back from it and Jack gave him a smile, nodding his head. "Thank you." Jack said walking in.
Nova didn't answer him and just walked over to the small living room area, sitting down in the sofa-chair so there would be no way for Jack to sit next to him.
Jack sat down on the couch across from and just watched him for a few minutes before speaking. "I'm not here to cause you harm, you know that right?"
Nova pulled his sleeves over his hands not looking him in the eye as he spoke. "No, I don't know that."
Jack leaned back into the couch and crossed his arms over his chest. "Nova, what happened all those years ago was awful and I really regret what I did to you. I didn't think about how it must have affected you afterwards."
"It did affect me, you ruined me." Nova said taking in a shaky breath. "I can't function without taking some sort of medication to calm me down. Do you know how terrible that is?" He said clutching at the fabric of his shirt tighter in his hands.
Jack watched him, he knew what he did was wrong and it made him an evil person. He hoped Nova would be past all of it by now though. "Yes, I know how terrible it is to have made you resort to taking meds just to feel sane."
"So why are you even here?" Nova asked focusing on Jack's hands. He couldn't look him in eye, no matter what.
"Nova, why are you with Julian?" Jack asked suddenly.
Nova blinked, completely confused in the change of conversation. "I don't think that's any of your business of why I'm with him.
"It's just, I know you. Yes I may have done disgusting things to you during our relationship, but you have to give me that I know you as a person."
"I don't need to give you anything." Nova said softly.
Jack sighed heavily but continued. "What I'm getting at is, why would you be with a person who can't even hold your hand in public? Someone who doesn't even say I love you unless your in private?" He said raising an eyebrow. "Doesn't that hurt you?"
Nova knew what he was trying to do and stood up pointing to the door. "Get out." He said firmly.
"I'm just trying to look out for you Nova." Jack said standing up as well. "I did hurt you in the past, and I'll own up to it. I was a shitty person." "That doesn't mean I want you to get hurt now. I still care for you Nova. I want you to be happy."
Nova slowly looked up from the ground and finally met Jack's chocolate brown eyes, his heart almost faltering at the sight of concern in them.
"You being in a relationship with someone who will probably never go public with you isn't any healthier for you than your relationship with me was." "It will probably only bring even more pain." Jack said looking at him with an intense look.
"You don't know what you're talking about." Nova said hugging himself around his stomach. "Julian loves me."
"I'm not saying he doesn't. Hell, it's clear to everyone around that the guy loves you." Jack said rolling his eyes. "What I'm saying is, I don't want to see you go through watching your boyfriend be with a girl. Having to kiss her and be with her while you just stand there and take pictures."
Nova flinched slightly at the statement of having to watch Julian and Layla together.
"How long are you willing to wait for him Nova?" Jack said watching him. "Another year? Two?" "At least when I was with you I never hid what we had. I made sure everyone knew you were mine."
Nova looked away from him as he said that, not knowing what to say.
"I'm not gonna tell you to break up with him." Jack said shaking his head. "Telling you to do that right now would just hurt you more than necessary." "Whatever you might think of me, I don't want to see you end up getting hurt." "I don't want Julian to hurt you."
Nova just stood as still as a statue. Jack really cared about him? He thought to himself. He wasn't here to harm him?
"I wanna try and be friends Nova." Jack said when he was silent for a couple minutes. "I want to be back in your life but in a good way. In a way that I hope you'll give me the chance to be." He said watching Nova's expression. Seeing the shock coming onto his face.
Nova snapped his gaze up to his. "Y-You what?" He stuttered out softly.
"I want to be friends with you. That's all I'm asking for, is a friendship okay?" Jack said. He then looked towards the door and back to Nova. "I'll give you time to think about it. I won't pressure you about it alright?" Jack gave him a smile. "Take however long you want." He said reassuringly.
Nova didn't answer him as Jack walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. He didn't know what to do. So he just stood there until his legs shook from standing so long. So Nova walked over towards the bed and crawled back in, getting underneath the covers and curling up into a ball.
He just wanted Julian right now.
Like someone had read his mind not even a minute later the door to the room opened and Julian's voice called out with the familiar happy tone to his voice.
"Novaa." He trilled as he walked over towards the bedroom. Julian saw a lump underneath the covers and chuckled softly. "Come out silly."
Nova felt his anxiety ease at the sound of Julian's voice and moved out from underneath the covers, managing to hide his expression from Julian.
"How was dinner?" Nova asked softly with a light smile.
Julian walked over and plopped down on the bed next to him. "Boring, but fun I guess." He shrugged his shoulders looking up at Nova. "I wish you were able to come." Julian said softly.
Nova smiled warmly and leaned down laying his hand on his cheek and pressing his lips to his gently.
Julian smiled against his lips and slid his hand into Nova's dark hair, tangling his fingers in it gently. He moved their lips gently together and slowly sat up before pulling the kiss deeper. Julian nipped softly at Nova's lower lip smirking a little at the soft gasp that came from the smaller boy's lips.
Slowly pushing his tongue past Nova's lips the kiss became more heated before Julian slowly pulled away. He planted soft kisses down Nova's neck and took great pleasure in the soft moans he let out.
"J-Julian." Nova stuttered out in a moan as he held onto his shirt tightly.
Julian hummed against his skin before biting down lightly and sucked gently, making Nova moan a bit louder. He pushed Nova gently so he was fully on top of him and then kissed back up his neck.
Julian planted a soft kiss to Nova's lips and pulled back before planting kisses all over his face.
Nova laughed and squirmed pushing at Julian's chest lightly. "Juliannn, stop." He said giggling as his lips tickled his face.
"What's the magic words?" Julian said teasingly as he started to tickle Nova's sides.
Nova laughed more and tried to get out from underneath him. "I-I love you!"
Julian stopped immediately with a wide grin on his face at hearing the words. He moved off of him and dropped down next to him, looking at him adoringly. "I love you."
Nova looked at him, thoughts of what Jack said still floating in the back of his mind. He just gave Julian a smile as he said.
"I know."