Over the next few weeks, things got worse. Phoebe refused to speak to Stefan, and that drew a line between the friends. Stefan tried repeatedly to talk to Phoebe and she not only slammed the door in his face but didn’t answer his calls. The pain was unbearable and Stefan finally asked his fathers if he could leave.

“What?” Heath was shocked.

“I can’t stay here anymore. It’s causing rifts through all the friendships.”

“Stefan —” Caleb started before Stefan interrupted.

“I’m leaving, Dad. Please, don’t try to stop me.”

“I’m going too, then,” Nico announced.

“Nico.” Caleb turned to him.

“I told you a long time ago I wanted to leave for boarding school. Well, now it will be college instead.”

“You’re both leaving me?” Lily started crying and Stefan took her in his arms.

“I’ll call you every day.”

“And talk to me online with a webcam?” Lily sniffled.

“Every day.” Stefan smiled.

“Why now, Nico?” Caleb asked.

Nico took his dad into the kitchen. “Look, the other day Tanner got invited to a theme park and he said no. You know why? Because he wanted to spend time with me. He needs to be with kids his own age, having fun.”

Caleb sighed and rubbed his face. “I’m going to miss you.”

“We’ll come home for summers and holidays.”

When the news reached Tanner that Nico was leaving, he made it to his uncles’ house in record time. He found Nico out front with Stefan.

“You’re leaving?” Tanner demanded.

“I’ll just go,” Stefan murmured, edging away.

Nico waited for Stefan to go inside and he turned to Tanner, who was visibly upset.

“Yes, Tanner. I’m leaving.”

“Why? Did I do something?”

Nico could tell Tanner was on the verge of tears. “Of course not! You didn’t do anything.”

“Then, why are you leaving?”

“It’s time, Tanner. You need to spend more time with kids your own age.”

“But I want to be with you. Don’t you love me?”

The urge to kiss Tanner hit Nico so hard. “Of course I love you.”

“Please, don’t go,” Tanner whispered.

Nico’s heart was aching and he felt Tanner shaking in his arms. “I’ll see you on summer vacations and holidays, I promise.”

“I don’t want you to go!” Tanner howled.

Nico took Tanner’s face in his hands. “I’ll always be here for you. I’m just a phone call away.”

“It’s not the same!”

Nico brushed his tears away with his thumb and caressed his cheek; he kissed Tanner’s cheek softly.

“I have to go.”

“Nico, please don’t do this.” Tanner watched him walking back toward the house.

“I’ll always be here for you, Tanner.” Nico got inside the house and leaned up against the door with his eyes closed; this hurt more than anything he’d been through. And that was saying a lot.

“You can change your mind.”

“No, let’s get out of here.” Nico shook his head. “If I don’t go now, I never will.”

“You’re in love with him,” Stefan said softly.

“From the minute I held him.”

Tanner was inconsolable and Damon ended up in bed with him. The twin bond was so strong, Damon didn’t even have the energy to eat. Tyler was growing more and more concerned.

“This isn’t good, babe.”

Damon ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what to do.”

They called Stefan and Jordan to the house and both crawled into bed with their grandsons. Tanner buried himself in Stefan’s neck and Stefan held him tightly as he looked at Jordan with Damon. They both shook their heads and held onto their grandsons. Tyler watched his boys suffering and he started crying. Damon took his husband in his arms and held him.

“We’ll fix this, Tyler.”

“God, I hope soon.”

Nico was in pain from the moment he had left Tanner; his heart ached every day and it was as if he could feel Tanner’s devastation. He had wanted some separation time not only for himself but for Tanner as well, but as the weeks went on he couldn’t not talk to him. He was about to call when his Uncle Tyler called him first.

Now he was waiting for someone to answer the phone at Tanner’s house.

“Hello?”

“Tanner?” Nico was in shock. It didn’t even sound like him.

“Nico? Is that you?”

“Yes, Tanner, it’s me. How are you?”

“I miss you so much.” Tanner couldn’t stop himself from crying.

“I miss you too.” Nico tried to compose himself. “Look, your dad tells me you’re not eating or sleeping, Tanner.”

“I can’t. It hurts.” Tanner tried to stop crying.

“I know, baby. I’m hurting too. I’ll come visit really soon, I promise.”

Tanner sniffed. “You called me ‘baby’.”

“I did?” Nico sat back in shock. Shit.

“Yes, you did.” Tanner smiled into the phone.

“Look, promise me you’ll start eating and getting a good night’s sleep, okay?”

“Okay, I promise.”

The line got quiet and Nico panicked. “Tanner?”

“I’m here.” Tanner had been jumping around his room, covering his mouth to keep from screaming because he was so happy.

“I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay.” Tanner sat back down on the bed.

“And Tanner?”

“Yes.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” Tanner smiled.

Nico hung up the phone and turned Stefan. “God, I can’t take this.”

“You wanted to leave.”

“I know, but this is killing me being away from him. It physically hurts me, Stefan.”

“Trust me.” Stefan gave him a sad smile. “I know exactly what you mean.”

Although Damon had been out more than once with friends, Tanner’s grief was still hitting him hard. It was getting better since Tanner had talked to Nico on the phone but Damon was still in a funk he just couldn’t seem to bring himself out of. He was lying in bed on his side when he heard his bedroom door open.

“I’m not hungry, Dad.”

“It’s me.” Lily stood at the door. “Your dad said it was okay to come back.”

“What are you doing here?” Damon sat up.

“I miss you, Damon. We don’t hang out anymore.” Lily sat on the end of the bed.

“That could be because you hardly talk to me anymore.” Damon lay back down. Lily took her shoes off and crawled into bed with him; Damon rolled over, facing her. “What are you doing?”

“I told you. I miss you.” Lily snuggled into him and Damon put his arms around her.

“I miss you too.” Damon kissed her forehead.

Damon’s strong arms wrapped around her and she closed her eyes. She had feelings for him. She had always known that, but Damon was Damon and Lily just couldn’t trust him with her heart.

“Everyone is worried about you.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“I’m worried about you.” Lily kissed his cheek. The urge to kiss his lips was strong and she found herself looking into very blue eyes.

 

Damon couldn’t stop staring at her; his eyes fell to her lips. He wanted to kiss her; they were inches apart and Damon closed his eyes. The next thing he knew, Lily was kissing him.

God, the feel of Lily’s lips on his! He pulled her closer; her arms went around his neck and then she was on top of him. The kisses were so light that Damon was in a daze. Lily let out a whimper when Damon’s hand went into her hair and he kissed her neck. Damon pulled away and looked at her flushed face.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to —” Damon realized quickly he had a hard-on and blushed. “I think I need to go to the bathroom.”

Lily got off him and sat on the bed. “Okay.”

Damon went in the bathroom and heard his cell phone ringing. “Can you get that please?”

“Sure.” Lily picked up and before she could say anything, Britt’s voice came over the line.

“Hey, sexy! Are you thinking about me naked yet?”

“No.” Lily wanted to scream.

“Lily? Why are you answering Damon’s phone?”

“I’ll tell him you called.” Lily hung up the phone and sighed, she got out of the bed and put her shoes on.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Home. Britt called; you should call her back.”

“I don’t want to talk to her.” Damon took her hand. “I want to talk to you.”

“It’s okay, Damon. Just call her back.” Lily left as fast as she could and ran home. The tears wouldn’t stop coming and she went straight to her room. “God! I am so stupid. He’s never going to change.”

Damon sat on his bed and wondered what the hell just happened. He dropped back and stared blankly at the ceiling.

“Hey.”

Damon looked up to see Tanner. “What’s up?”

“You tell me.” Tanner sat on the edge of the bed.

“I don’t know anymore.” Damon rolled over and Tanner got in bed with him.

“I’m here.” Tanner held him.

“You always are.” Damon closed his eyes.

Tanner tried to function the next week; now Damon’s funk was affecting him and he couldn’t concentrate. He was sitting on the dock watching the ducks when someone dropped down next to him.

“You promised me you would eat and sleep.”

“Nico!” Tanner nearly knocked him over when he grabbed him and Nico held him tight.

“Oh, God, Tanner.” Nico breathed in his scent, reveling in holding him close.

“I missed you so much!” Tanner held on tight.

“I can’t stay long.”

Tanner’s face fell.

“You made a promise to me.” Nico reminded him.

“I know.”

“I can’t concentrate at school if I know you’re like this.” Nico caressed his cheek.

“I’ll try to be better.”

“I miss you so much.” Nico took him in his arms again.

Tanner buried his face in Nico’s neck. “I miss you too. I love you, Nico.”

“I love you too.” Nico sighed. He did love Tanner. He would never love anyone else.

They spent the day together and then Nico had to catch a flight out. He fought back the tears he knew were coming as he held Tanner.

“Will you call me?”

“Every night.” Nico knew he shouldn’t. He just couldn’t stop himself.

“I promise I’ll eat and sleep.”

“Good.” Nico got in the limo, still holding Tanner’s hand. He just couldn’t let go. He would always be his.

“Bye.” Tanner slipped his hand from Nico’s.

“Bye.” Nico watched the house get further and further away and the pain in his heart had already come back.