Dereck's Pov:

The first week of school was.... Crazy. We literally found every hidden nook and cranny in school. We snuck kisses in empty halls and janitors closets. We held hands under the tables.

Vin was worried that we'd lose the way we were. We haven't. We still joke and horseplay in the halls and throw paper balls and spit wads at each other. Only now the paper balls have little messages.

The thrill of the getting caught was really fun but I'm starting to want to be open about us. I just want to make sure we're totally in this. 110 % so when the drama starts it won't cause problems with the two of us.

I know Vin wanted to tell the whole school the day it happened but I just want some time for just us. Settle into us as a couple first. I'm not deluding myself with thinking it'll be smooth sailing once we come out. There will always be bigots that will think of us differently because we prefer poles to holes. I just really hope we don't lose our friends. It would hurt worse if our friends turned away then random whoevers hating.

Vin think's I'm worried about guys picking fights with me but I'm not. I think people have more common sense then that but if they do try and bully the homo, I hope I'll be the bigger person and walk away. It wouldn't be very nice to put someone in the hospital because they're ignorant and intolerant of people that are different.

What worried me is even though I know Vin can handle himself just as well as I can, heads will roll if someone tried that homophobic crap with him. I may be able to turn the other cheek in regards to myself but I wont with him. A sure fire way to find a very pissed off, very violent man is to f*ck with my Vin. Always has been, it's just worse now.

The bell rang dismissing us to our next class and we headed out. Vin slung his arm over my shoulder and I had to fight back the blush. Every time we touch now I feel that spark. The heat washes through my body and I struggle to keep my reactions 'friendly' in public. That's the down side of hiding the new turn our relationship took. It's getting old fast.

"I wanna see that spazzy happy dance you mentioned the other day." Vin said as he grabbed his work out uniform from his gym locker.

"Dude I'm in my boxers in a locker room full of jocks. So not gonna happen." I replied.

He shrugged. "Do it in your boxers, hell do it naked for all I care... Scratch that. I definitely care. Do it naked" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Then squatted down to tie his shoes.

"While you're down there" I trailed off and wiggled my eyebrows like he had moments ago. He grinned his up to no good grin and leaned forward and kissed me through my jersey shorts. I yelped and sprang back.

Tripping on the bench and landing flat on my back. Ouch

"Ughh that was hard" I whined as I tried lifting myself off the concrete ground.

Vin helped me up. "That's what she said" He quipped.

I punched his arm. "Not funny Jerk"

I let go of him and my ankle screamed in pain. I grit my teeth and tried leveling out my weight. Vin wrapped his arm around my waist and took the pressure off my hurt ankle.

I rolled my eyes. "I swear you look for any excuse to touch me." I jokingly accussed.

"You know it babe" He said as he towed me out into the gym.

"Since when are you so clumsy?" He asked leading me to the rafters.

"Oh I don't know.. Since you openly molested me in front of half the school's jock population" I quipped back. He set me down and propped my leg up.

"No one was in there but us. You worry to much weirdo" He complained.

"No I just didn't feel like having our entire team see me sporting a stiffy from one little kiss." I hissed back quietly so no one could hear. He tossed his head back laughing at my stupid confession.

The coach walked up. "Why aren't you two working out?" He questioned.

"I twisted my ankle and Vin helped me out here just now."

"Did you see the nurse yet?"

"Not yet coach, I'm catching my breath from basically carrying him here. You wouldn't believe how heavy his ass is" Vin fake panted and wiped imaginary sweat off his brow.

Coach rolled his eyes. "Vin get him to the nurse and have it looked at. I need my players in top shape for our season."

Vin set me on the exam table in the nurses office and plopped down on her roller chair. After about 5 minutes the nurse came in and checked me out. My ankle was indeed sprained so she gave me a crutch and told me to go home for the day and stay off it.

The school already knew the home situation and since Vin was my ride he was excused too. I think they just still feel sorry for me. So they let us kind of do whatever.

We got home and I slowly made my way up our driveway with the crutch. Next thing I knew Vin had lifted me up and threw me over his shoulder and carried me inside.

"Seriously set me down. I'm not a girl dammit and I can walk just fine thank you very much." I gripped at him.

He laughed and tossed me down onto my bed.

"I know your not a girl, idiot. Remember I just look for any excuse to touch you. Besides if I'd let you do it on your own, we'd be out there until midnight. Jeez my grandma moves faster than that!" He joked laying beside me.

I snuggled into the bed and closed my eyes. I heard him laugh before I drifted off to sleep.

~DERECK'S DREAM~

The sound of rain was deafening and I squirmed around in the back seat of my parents car. I was irritated with them. I had plans to hang with Vin tonight. Him and his parents had gotten into an awful fight and he needed me. But no, my parents had to swoop in and I was supposed to drop everything to do dinner with them and their snotty clients at some snobby restaurant. Top all that off with the fact that it's poring down and you have a pissed off 17 year old.

Maybe if we were a normal family I wouldn't mind spending time with them when they were trying to impress their rich clients. Don't get me wrong I love mom and dad and when they are around they're great. But since I was about 11 I've pretty much been on my own. They pop in a few days a month and we play happy family.

Ugh they should have just gone without me. Why did I need to come and suck up to rich snobby old people. Mom and Dad were laughing and dad leaned over to kiss mom.

"Seriously gross. Stop trying to make out with mom. I swear I'm gonna need so much therapy when I get older. Traumatized by my inappropriate parents!"

I fake shuddered and gagged. Even though I secretly thought it was awesome that my parents were just as in love today as they were the day the got hitched.

They laughed and Dad shot me a wink, "Sorry son, Have you seen your mama. She's a fox, hard to keep my lips to myself" He joked.

"You two are so weird. Parents aren't supposed to be all mushy."

Mom laughed and patted my knee. "I only hope one day you have what your father and I do. I know we're gone a lot but we love you and only do this to give you the best life we possible could. You're everything to us baby boy" She smiled and gave my knee a little squeeze.

"Ma don't be getting all mushy! See, more things I'm gonna have to discuss with my future therapist." I teased snickering when mom rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at me.

Dad looked back at me. "Yeah love you too smart ass!" He winked showing he knew it was all a joke and that I wasnt really complaining about them being mushy.

"DAD!!! CAR!!" I screamed. He whipped around and jerked the wheel to the right. But because It was raining and the roads were slick he ended up over correcting and the car hydroplaned and flipped.

I heard groaning and it took me a second to realise it was me. I hurt all over, I felt like I could barely move. Everything was pitch black and I was all wet.

I blinked and tried focusing. What the hell was going on? I was hanging from my seat belt and facing the roof of the car which was now under me.

It all came back. "MOM! DAD! I screamed as I struggled to unhook myself. I fell and pain seared me to the spot. I breathed a deep breath and crawled to what was left of the front.

I lightly slapped moms cheek to wake her up. Nothing. I looked at dad and threw up. This cannot be happening. This is all just a bad dream. I'll closed my eyes tight and when I open them again I'll be laying in bed. I cracked open my eyes and the scene stayed the same. Oh god, no.

With shaky hands I checked their pulses. Nothing.

I dug in my pocket for my phone and called for help. Vin was there in a matter of minutes. He'd three way called 911 and kept me on the line. I answered everything the best I could but I just didn't feel like I was making sense.

He pulled me from the car and held me, rocking me like a baby while I sobbed my guts out. The paramedics and police came. I watched as they pulled my parents broken and mangled bodies from the car after using the jaws of life to cut the crushed doors off. All the while holding on to the only thing I had left in this world that meant anything to me. My Vin.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Vincent's Pov:

I thanked the pizza delivery guy and shut the door with my foot. I heard what I heard every night for the last 5 months. Dereck's pain filled whimpers. Ever since the night of the wreck when Dare lost his parents he's been having nightmares. I'm guessing about that night. Not that I blame him, the sight of their contorted bodies will haunt me until the day I die.

He's never said anything about his dreams.

Then again neither have I.

His whimpers tear at my heart and every night I climb in bed and hold him. That seems to be the only thing to stop the night terrors. I tried several times to wake him up but it's like he gets locked in to the horrible scene playing out.

I climbed into bed and curled around him, rubbing soothing circles on his back and cooing to him. It's kinda weird and I felt like he would flip if he found out about this before but I guess since we're together now, it's allowed to treat him like this.

I stared at his face and flashed back to that night. His voice on the phone when he called me was unnatural, totally lifeless. He answered the 911 operator in monotone one word answers. I've never driven so fast in my life and unbelievably beat the ambulance there.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Their Explorer was flipped and squashed against a tree. The front end looked like it'd been through a trash compacter. I slammed on the brakes and threw the door open barely remembering to throw the truck in park.

I ran across the slick road screaming Dereck's name. He didn't answer and I worried that he was hurt or worse that he'd died in the 10 seconds since I'd hung up. I crawled through the smashed back window ignoring the glass shards that tore me up.

That was my best friend in there. More then that he was the only good thing in my life and had been a constant source of any happiness I had. Hell we basically lived at his house. The only time I went home was only occasionally when his parents were here and that was only to give them some private time.

He was hunched in what was left of the front between the mangled bodies of his mom and dad.

I felt bile rise in my throat. They were good people and I thought of them as more of a parental figure then my own sad set.

"Dereck.... DERECK" He didn't even raise his head just kept staring at nothing.

"Come on Dare we have to get you out of the car. Dare can you answer me? Please Dare" I pleaded tears free falling.

He met my eyes "They're dead Vin" He whispered.

I didn't know how to make this better for him so I just crawled to him and held him tight. "Are you hurt?" I asked and he shrugged. "I don't feel anything, just numb"

I scooped him up and as carefully as I could, got him out of the car. I made sure to keep him from the glass and twisted metal that tore off the car. Then sat down and held him as he cried his eyes out. I felt his pain as if it was my own.

I felt useless and wished more then anything that I could take his pain away. I rocked him and smoothed his hair from his face. Thanking whatever god or angel that spared his life.

The next couple of hours passed in a blur and I didn't leave his side once. I offered all the comfort I could and finally talked enough sense into him to get him to allow the first responders to check him out. Turns out he had a broken arm, collar bone and like 7 broken ribs, not to mention the millions of bruises and cuts he had.

I spent the next few hours in the emergency room with him and would have laughed if it had been any other situation. When he demanded that the doctors check out my bumps and scraps before fixing him.

They gave him a heavy dose of pain meds but I think part of that was so he would sleep after the trauma of the night. He didn't want to go home and I was moving out of mine, so we checked into a hotel.

Before he passed out he grabbed my hand and said "Thanks for coming for me. I love you Vincent"

I smoothed his hair back and said "I'll always be there for you. I love you too Dereck."

He'd sighed and finally fallen asleep.

I remember my heart giving a squeeze during that. I'd laid down and figured it was from the worry and then relief that he was okay. Looking back now, I wonder if my body was trying to tell me something.

I felt that same pressure on my heart only intensified when I'd walked in and heard him saying I love you over the phone the night we kissed. It hurt enough that I was subconsciously rubbing my chest. I couldn't believe how much relief I felt when he said it was just Gigi.

Could it have been possible that I had feelings for him then? I mean I knew I loved him, I've always loved him. But when did those feelings turn into romantic love? Wait... No I don't love him like that. I love him the same as always only now I care about him in a romantic way too. Right? I cant love him yet. We haven't been together that long.

I looked down at him as he cuddled closer to me and realised something totally profound. Every happy memory I have is with him. Even if we were just bumming it around the house. He's been on almost every date with me since we always double. I've always categorized him in his own section, even my other friends and people I consider best friends never went in his group.

It's always been Dare and then everyone else. I've never told anyone else, guy or girl that I love them. But never thought twice about telling him I love you. I've never cared about any chick even a quarter of what I cared about him, and that was before I figured out it wasn't normal best friend love.

Shit I am indeed in love with him and I think I may have always been in love with him. I'm an idiot for not seeing this sooner.

I am so screwed....

He started waking up and this is usually when I would get up and sneak away to avoid freaking him out but not anymore.

I kissed him softy when his eyes opened. "Hey you" I whispered.

He smiled a sleepy smile and my heart leaped. Yep I am definitely in trouble. Big trouble.