The whole family, with the exception of Nick and Brian, had stayed up and watched the rest of Shrek 2. Nick's father had called it a night and went to bed at that point but the others were too hyper and wanted to watch another movie, Prince of Egypt, that was playing on pay per view. So they stayed until 3 or 4 in the morning. Jane was exhausted. Looking over to her left she noticed that Bob was gone and in his place was a note. Picking up the note and reading it she smiled. Bob didn't want to wake her up that morning because he knew how tired she must of been so, instead, he left her a note that told her how much he loved her and that he'd be back home by 6:30 that evening.

"Dad left around 7:30 this morning," Nick said when his mom looked at him. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed he asked, "Could you do that magic you did yesterday to my face, please?"

Jane chuckled which soon turned into a sigh. Looking at her eldest son right now, the bruises seemed to have gotten a bit more darker especially because the yellow shirt seemed to bring them out more on his already pale face. "Sure honey. You going somewhere?" She questioned as she got out of bed and headed into her bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.

"Yah, kinda. I'm gonna pick Justin up at the entrance of central park near 96^th street. He's going to come over," Nick said as he walked over to his mom's make-up dresser and sat down in the chair. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, squinting. Then he reached under the desk and flipped the switch. Soon the light bulbs that surrounded the mirror lit up, he could see better now. Nick grimaced at his reflection. He didn't look all that great, not that he thought he looked good to begin with but now he looked worse.

"That's nice," Jane said as she walked out of the bathroom and headed over to where Nick was seated in her chair. "Your hair really looks good like this." She admired the way Nick gelled his hair up in spikes, not only did it bring out Nick's beautiful facial features, it made him look a bit older, more mature yet young and playful.

Nick smiled as he looked at his mother standing behind him in the mirror.

Jane then began to take out the foundations and powders she'd used the previous day and started working on covering up the bruises on Nick's face. Twenty minutes later, she was done. She pulled back to get a better look at her son's face and made a few adjustments here and there. "All done."

Nick swirled his chair around so that he could see his new face in the mirror. His mom was an amazing person and he loved her very much. "You're awesome mom. Hey, if you wanted to make a little extra cash you could like totally open up your own beauty parlor or spa type place. You'd be famous!"

Jane laughed. "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea. I'll think about that," Jane said before cleaning up and placing everything back. "What time is Justin coming over?"

"Oh, he said he'd give me a call when he leaves his place. I'll leave like ten minutes after that and pick him up and bring him back here." Nick looked back up at his mom and hugged her. "Love you, mom." For some reason he'd been feeling a bit clingy with his mother and he wanted her to know that he loved her.

Jane looked down at her son wondering what was up. Nick had always been a pretty emotional guy, sensitive and physical... in the sense that he's always hugging some one. "You alright Charlie?" Jane questioned.

Nick smiled. His parents had called him Charlie because when he was younger he had a really big head like Charlie Brown from that kids cartoon show. "I don't have a big head anymore," Nick pointed out.

"True, you finally grew into it about a year ago," Jane joked. "But still, it's stuck and I can't help it." Jane bent down and kissed the top of Nick's head.

Nick shrugged as he let go of his mom. "I don't mind. It's just that you haven't called me Charlie in a long time." Just then his cell phone started ringing.

* * * * * * * * * *

Justin stared at the cordless phone in his hand and at the directions he'd written down in his note pad for a few minutes before he bolted up from his seat and ran over to the closet, frantically looking for the perfect outfit to wear. Not that it mattered much because he'd be wearing layers of sweaters on top but still, he wanted to look good.

After picking out a pair of faded denim jeans, a long sleeved white shirt that had the logo of Rolling Stones on the front, and a pair of white boxers, he headed over to the bathroom to get ready.

It wasn't until fifteen minutes later that he finished his shower. Wearing nothing but a towel around his waist he stood in front of his sink, looking at the long curly strands of hair that feel on his face. He had no idea what to do with his hair, he hated his hair! Maybe he, too, should get his mom to cut his hair or something, like Nick did. Sighing, he began to comb out the unruly curls before grabbing the blow dryer to try and dry it quick. When his hair dried he reached for his hair gel and applied a decent amount to keep all the curls in place. He then went about putting his clothes on before heading back in to his room to continue dressing for the weather outside.

Justin was in the middle of putting on his sweatshirt when there was a knock at his door.

"Honey, can I come in?" came Lynne's voice.

"Yea, come in," Justin said, his response muffled by the sweater that was in the process of being put on.

Lynne stuck her head in and then fully entered. "Where ya going?" She questioned as she took a seat on the foot end of Justin's bed and watched him adjust the sweater.

Justin groaned. "I'm so sorry, I forgot to tell you. Nick called and asked if we could hang out today, at his place." Justin blushed and rolled his eyes when his mom gave him a look. "I told him I was gay," Justin mumbled. Lynne, however, heard what Justin said clearly.

"Oh, you did? And..." Lynne asked anxiously. Ever since the first day she'd met Nick she'd liked him. Jane and her had talked a few times since meeting her Tuesday night, instantly forming a bond. It would have been a shame if Nick wasn't open to the idea of homosexuality.

"And, well, he called me to hang out today didn't he?" Justin countered with a huge smile on his face. "He didn't say if he was but he didn't say he wasn't."

"Well how did all this happen, how did you tell him? What about that girlfriend of his? Georgia or something like that, right?" Lynne questioned.

Justin took a seat beside his mother on the bed and began telling her all the events that transpired from Friday morning till a few minutes ago with the phone call from Nick. When he was done telling her everything Lynne looked at Justin in awe.

"Paris," Justin said correcting his mom as he rubbed a frustrated hand on his face. "I totally forgot about her but I don't know."

"He might be bi if not gay," Lynne said as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before pulling him into a hug. "Well, it's a good thing that he wants to know what our reactions were to you coming out. Maybe he's thinking about something like that and just needs to figure everything out?" Lynne reasoned.

"Maybe, either that or he's just a curious kinda guy!" Justin shrugged. Looking at the time he noticed that it was almost one. "I should finish getting ready, though."

"You're not going to eat lunch?" Lynne questioned.

Justin shook his head. "I'm not really hungry and even if I was I don't think I can hold anything down right now," Justin admitted.

Lynne smiled. "There's nothing to be nervous about, honey."

"I know," Justin said, sighing, as he cut his mom off. "But I really, REALLY, like him mom."

"Really? I didn't know that," Lynne said sarcastically before laughing when Justin stuck his tongue out at her. "Well, okay. Give me a call when you get there just so I know you got there safely, okay?"

Justin nodded his head and finished getting dressed. It was 1:13 in the afternoon when he picked up his cell phone and speed dialed Nick's number. Yes, Nick was already on speed dial, number 4. One was his voicemail, two was his mom, three was his dad, and four... well, four was Nick. Closing the door behind him he listened in as the phone started ringing.

"Hello?" Nick said into the phone.

"Hey Nick, It's Justin." Justin greeted.

Nick laughed. "I know. You ready to leave?"

"Yah, I'm waiting for the elevator right now so I should be there in like fifteen minutes," Justin said.

"Okay, awesome," Nick stated. "I'll meet you at the entrance then."

"Okay, see ya then." Justin flipped his phone shut and put it in the pocket of his jacket.

Nick flipped his phone shut and looked at his mom who just finished putting away the make-up. "I'm gonna go in like ten minutes, do I look alright?" Nick questioned pointing to his face.

Jane nodded her head and smiled at her son. "Perfect! I'm going to take a really quick shower and then head down to make you boys some lunch, okay honey?" Jane said. "It's pretty cold outside, so, bundle up." She kissed him on the forehead and walked into her bathroom grabbing a few of her clothes to change into.

"Awesome," Nick said before walking out of the room and back to his own so that he could dress up in his winter gear, doing just what his mom said and bundled up. About ten minutes later he was all dressed up and was out the door, noticing that the time was 1:20. Walking over to the elevator he waited for it come before getting inside and taking it to the first floor. He walked down the elevator hall and into the seating area. He stopped to talk with the security guard for a few seconds before walking out of the first exit door. He then greeted the door man and made small talk before excusing himself so that he wouldn't be late in picking Justin up. Nick shook his head when the door man got up to open the main door for him. Nick didn't feel it right that the door man get up and do that for him even though that was his job. He smiled a thanks and braced himself as he opened the door. The frigid cold air immediately hitting his face. He slowly walked the half block it took to get to the corner of 96th street before he crossed the street to walk the block it took to get to the 96th East entrance of central park.

Nick let out a sigh as he sat down on one of the benches that lined up the inner 96th street pathway through central park, right by the entrance so that he wouldn't miss Justin. He looked around at his surroundings and smiled. The day was bright and clear. If this was a picture one would not be able to tell that the temperature was well in the single digits. But the only dead give away in regards to the weather is the fact that everyone was dressed as eskimos to the umpth degree. Literally. Nick couldn't make out any of the faces of the people that walked about due to scarves and fur hoods that covered their faces. Nick pulled the scarf that was around his neck up so that it could also cover his nose and mouth when he felt the wind pick up and the temperature drop a few more degrees. He looked down the path and noticed a few people walking, some the other direction and the others in his direction.

* * * * * * * * * *

Justin stuffed his glove covered hands in to the pockets of his coat and fought the wind that seemed to be blowing against him as he walked through the park. He sighed as he realized that he wasn't even half way through central park because he couldn't see just where the exit was. "Think of something warm," Justin said out loud to himself, cherishing the fact that his breath seemed to warm the scarf that was wrapped around his nose and mouth. He started talking to himself, happy that there were not many people around him not that it mattered because no one would have been able to hear him anyways because of the howling wind.

What would normally be a good 10-15 minute stroll through the park turned out to be a painfully cold 35 minute walk. It was a little after two when Justin finally walked to the exit and peered through his hood to look for Nick. He frowned when his head turned but his hood still remained unmoving. Fucker.

Justin felt someone tap his shoulder and he fully turned his body around and immediately recognized the deep blue color of Nick's eyes. Well, that was the only thing he could recognize. He smiled not that Nick could see anything and he nodded his head not that it was visible.

Nick chuckled and put his arm around Justin's shoulder in a half hug type of way before grabbing his arm and started them walking back to his building. Five minutes later both Nick and Justin sighed with relief as Nick's door man opened the door for them. They both said their thanks before walking over to the elevators and going up to Nick's floor.

"This is a really nice building," Justin said as he looked at the mirror decorated interior of the elevator and the plush red and mustard yellow designed carpet.

Nick removed his scarf, his gloves, and then he pulled back his hood and sighed. "Yah, it is. My parents bought this apartment, I think, a year before I was born, right when they got married."

"Oh, that's really cool. Just what is it that your parents do?" Justin questioned, as he too, began to loosen his winter gear. Just then the elevator 'dinged' and they stepped out into a richly decorated hall. "Ooh."

Nick laughed at how big Justin's eyes were as he looked around the hallway, at all the paintings that hung on the wall. "It's this way," Nick said nodding his head to the left.

"How many apartments are on this floor?" Justin questioned following Nick down the hall before making a left turn around the corner, stopping at the door.

Nick tried the knob and smiled when it turned in his hands. "Only two, Brian lives on the other end." Nick opened the door and let Justin walk in before closing the door behind him. "Mom, we're here," Nick called out as he opened the closet and started to place his winter gear inside.

"That's so cool to have your best friend living right across from you," Justin said as he followed Nick's lead and started to take his coat, gloves, scarf, and other winter things off and handing them to Nick who hung them in the closet.

"Hello boys," Jane greeted as she walked out of the kitchen and looked and Nick and Justin in the hall. "Are you ready to have some warm lunch? I know Nick here hadn't had breakfast or lunch, how about you Justin?"

Justin blushed as he shook his head. "No ma'am, I haven't had anything to eat either."

Jane smiled softly at Justin. "You can call me Jane, honey. Get settled at the table and I'll be right with you," Jane said as she walked back into the kitchen to finish up their lunches.