Mine

Use the following dialogue, in any order, in a short story / oneshot

"I'm not in a 'save the day' kind of mood."

"When I grow up, I want to be like (insert your own star / character here)."

"If I had a dollar for every time you said that!"

"Would I lie to you?"

"I love that colour on you."

There were only two things in the world that made Nick genuinely terrified and one of them was his mother with her hands on her hips, lips pursed, because that was when he knew that shit was going to go down. She wasn't usually strict with them which was why, on the rare occasion that she was, the whole family would walk on eggshells around her. But, considering he was four hours away right now, having just sat through one of Professor Piff's lectures on macroeconomics which had somehow turned onto the topic of her small vegetable garden, he wasn't afraid of her.

Instead, he was looking at his crazy ex of a boyfriend.

"Well, shit," he said because there was no way Max hadn't spotted him, considering he might've dropped all his lecture notes in surprise. And he couldn't exactly walk out of the coffee shop when he'd just stepped inside.

"Here, let me help you."

Hands gathered up his sheets, stacking them neatly, and Nick looked up, recognising the guy who always sat near the door, usually wearing headphones while he worked on his laptop. He was cute, Nick had definitely noticed that, and he wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to get away from an awkward conversation with Max.

"So," Nick said quickly, before he changed his mind about asking, "how keen are you on helping me out?"

The guy seemed more intrigued than anything else, leaning forward, "Yeah?"

"My ex boyfriend's the douchebag with the popped collar standing at the counter and I would really appreciate not having to talk to him today because I had to wake up at eight to make my lecture and I kind of look a mess."

"I don't know," he said lightly, "the blue hoodie works well, I love that colour on you."

He smiled, feeling slightly better, "Thanks."

"Come and sit with me," he said, kicking out a chair for him, "we can get out of the way of the door and, then, you have a reason not to go up to the counter just yet."

He took a seat, if only to distract himself from the fact Max's stare was burning a hole in his head, and started sorting through his papers, getting some semblance of order before he threw them into his bag.

"My name's Scotty, you're Nick, right?"

"Yeah, how'd you know that?"

"The barista calls your name when your coffee's ready."

Oh, that was a stupid question.

Scotty grinned goodnaturedly, "Don't worry about it, it took me a while to notice and that was only really because I thought you were ridiculously attractive."

If Nick had been drinking his coffee now, he would've choked on it, "What?"

Scotty blinked at him, all innocence, "What?"

"Did you just call me attractive? Like, you honestly think this," and he gestured to himself with his sleep-rumpled hair and stupid prescription glasses, "is maybe attractive?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"Well, I hardly know you."

"Yet, not two minutes ago, you were about to use me as a fake boyfriend to scare away your ex."

Nick licked his lips, "I might still be down with that."

Scotty grinned, "Well, personally, I'm not too sure, I'm not in a 'save the day' kind of mood."

"I could pay you in kisses."

The teasing lilt to Scotty's lips was gone in an instant and then he was leaning across the table, grabbing the front of Nick's hoodie and pulling him in. It was a gentle kiss for all of his roughness, Scotty nibbling at his bottom lip until he let him in, tongue swiping against his, the sweet taste of a caramel mocha making it all the better.

"I don't put out on the first date," Nick said softly, "you should at least buy me coffee before you think about getting anywhere near my ass."

He laughed, breath warm against his face, "Okay, looks like the counter's clear now anyway."

Scotty bought him a drink and a brownie, which was cute, and they exchanged numbers because any guy that gave him a brownie after a nine am lecture was good in his books and maybe those lax standards were why he had to hide from Max but he had a feeling that Scotty would be different. He was an English student for one while Max had been a failed Medicine applicant with a chip on his shoulder-which wasn't attractive at all. But everyone made mistakes and Nick was at least able to recognise that he'd made a big one with him.

"Like, the biggest mistake of my entire life."

"If I had a dollar for every time you said that."

"You know it's true," Nick said, because this was the kind of thing that had to be reiterated all the time, "he was crazily possessive and I was just lonely after moving to university and finding that coming out did not immediately result in a boyfriend."

"Well, think of the positive side," Scotty said, "everyone has to make a last big mistake before they meet the one."

His relationship with Scotty was still new, their three month anniversary coming up on the Monday, and he wasn't sure exactly where they stood. They'd danced around each other for a while after they first spoke at the coffee shop before their friends had got them drunk and locked them in a cupboard but, other than that, there'd been no real steps forward in their relationship. So, talking about being each other's one, that was new and unexpected.

"Damn it," Scotty said, grimacing, "I always move too fast. Can we scratch that and go back to two seconds ago where I didn't completely embarrass myself?"

"No," he said, smiling, "we're keeping that on the record. Because I like you, Scotty, even if you do move too fast."

He laughed, relieved and jokingly placing a hand on his heart, "Thank God someone likes that."

"Speaking of," Nick said, waiting until Scotty had grabbed another slice of pizza and bitten into it, "I told my parents you'd be coming home with me for Easter break."

Scotty choked, flapping his hands before grabbing his glass and downing it in one, "I'm doing what?"

"Well, you did say I'm the one so we might as well get this out of the way while we can. Oh, and word of warning, they didn't really like Max so be on your best behaviour."

He groaned, "You're going to be the death of me."

"Yeah, la petite mort."

Nick wasn't even surprised when he choked that time.

"It'll be fun," he assured him, "my niece and nephews will be there and my dad always hosts a Easter egg hunt for them."

"Great, please remind me some more of how you're the youngest child and your father absolutely dotes on children."

"He'll love you," he assured him.

Truthfully, though, Nick hadn't been too sure because, by virtue of being the youngest, he had three overprotective siblings and a mother who was equal parts overbearing and fretful. She had never been fully on board with the idea of him studying so far away and he hadn't come home for Christmas so he already knew that Easter was going to be an overwhelming experience, even without Scotty there.

His father had lived up to expectations by spending the first day and a half grilling Scotty over his intentions and Nick would've been mortified if he didn't think that he could handle it because it was Scotty, after all, and he was just about as perfect a specimen of a man that Nick would ever get. And dad might've whined and dragged his feet but, the fact was, Scotty was still there, making little gingerbread men and icing on their buttons. And that meant he'd passed the test.

"Your dad likes him," mum said, "and the kids think he's great."

"What do you think?" he asked.

"He seems sweet on you," she said, which was somewhat of an understatement, "and I like him, too, because he doesn't look at you like a possession but, rather, as an equal."

"He looks at you like you're a Disney princess!" Annabel, all of five years old, said, bouncing up to meet them. "And he looks like a Disney prince."

Nick laughed, "Yeah, you think so?"

"He does, he does!"

"And do you think I should keep him around?"

"No, you should give him to me instead and then he can get me a horse and we can play with my dolls together."

"That's the dream, huh?"

She nodded keenly. "When I grow up, I want to be like you and have my own prince."

"You will," he promised her, "because you're the most beautiful princess I've ever seen."

A few years down the line, he wouldn't be able to say that anymore because he'd have another two nieces to take under his wing but Annabel was still just as beautiful and she still had the most adorable of crushes on his boyfriend.

He'd ask her one day, a while later, if she wanted to be a flower girl for their wedding and she'd say yes because she was twelve and now interested in high school boys. For the occasion, Nick would be dressed in a dark blue suit that would look oddly reminiscent to an old hoodie that Scotty had borrowed and never given back. It wouldn't be a perfect day, his mother would take too many photos and Scotty would stumble over his vows, tonguetied and terrified, but it was theirs and he wouldn't change it for a second.

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