Sex is Not Dating
Title: Sex is Not Dating
Pairing: Demi/Selena
Rating: PG13 - R (for implied...stuff)
Chapter: 1/1
Word Count: 2464
Summary: Nick and Joe find out that according to Demi and Selena, sex is not dating. (Might have been a prompt somewhere.)
Author's Note: Since my last fic as a 19 year old was kind of depressing, I felt like my first fic as a 20 year old should be at least a little less depressing. :)
Sex is Not Dating
When Nick and Selena end things for a second time, it’s with a promise to remain friends.
Nick’s not sure that promise will ever get fulfilled until Selena calls him, several months after their mutual parting. After the suggestion of hanging out, he starts to tune her out, mentally panicking at the thought that it’s too soon and the frightening level of awkwardness that’s sure to occur. Somehow he clears the panic, finds the calm confidence he channels in interviews, to respond.
“Okay,” he says quietly, idly wishing his cell had a cord to twist around, something mindless he could do as Selena excitedly gave him details.
He suggests the Jonas household for the marathon, he’s not too clear on what they’re watching from the little of the conversation he tuned into, Gleek or Glee, he figures he’ll find out eventually, but he’s totally not going in alone. At least at his place he’ll have a brother around to act as a buffer while they watch.
After she hangs up, he stares blankly at the phone in his hand, repeating the mantra that preserving the friendship is top priority, always has been, even if it will be awkward. Finding a girl to date has never really been a problem. He knows he’s choosy, but it’s not a problem. Friends, though, ones he can trust and rely on, they’re harder to come by, especially in the business, and Selena’s one of the select few.
He winds up inviting Joe to watch Glee, he looks it up to make sure that's what they're watching, with them, even if Selena’s never been particularly fond of Joe, it’s better than being alone with nothing but an awkward silence. If there’s one thing Joe can be counted on to do, it’s to break the ice.
Another thing you can count on him being is tactless, i.e. a certain twenty-seven second break phone call to Taylor Swift or inviting Demi, who he recently broke up with to a get together with him and her ex-best friend. Nick figures Joe thinks things couldn’t get anymore awkward, so, really, what was one more ex. He also figures, Joe is an idiot, a huge, tactless, idiot.
…………………
When he answers the door he’s struck dumb, like he usually is, because it’s Selena and she’s lovely. There’s really no other adjective he can ever think of to describe her and he doesn’t just mean physically. She’s lovely in general, looks, personality, everything. In that first initial glimpse, he’s struck by the impulse to lean forward, and, like, kiss her cheek or something equally affectionate, but he beats that impulse down. No matter what his instincts say, they are not dating anymore. Nick settles for pulling her into a friendly half hug as he leads her through the door.
“So,” he starts, trying to decide if he should be more worried about their post-breakup proximity or breaking the news that Joe and Demi will be joining them. “I hope you don’t mind, but Joe’s going to be watching with us.” Selena raises an inquisitive brow as they make their way through the foyer and he takes a cautious step away from her. “I felt bad that he was such a loser all his friends canceled on him,” he quips with a nervous grin. Her responding laughter echoes in the hallway and he has the urge to slump against the wall as they pass one hurtle of the evening.
Then he watches her stiffen as they enter the living room and just like that she’s caught sight of Demi. “And, Joe invited Demi,” he finishes quickly, throwing his arm out in some sort of misplaced tada motion.
Luckily, or unluckily, he’s really not sure at this point; she doesn’t see it, because her eyes lock with Demi’s across the room. Slowly a smile stretches across her lips and he watches a matching one form on Demi’s. “Hey, Demi,” Selena murmurs in this weirdly low tone he’s never heard. “Joe,” she adds thoughtfully as she all but struts to the loveseat to sit beside her supposed former best friend.
He’s so confused and as Joe tilts his head back on the couch to meet Nick’s eyes, thick eyebrows drawn together, he knows he’s not the only one. Nick shrugs in answer to Joe’s silent question, stepping further into the room to take the DVD Selena had absently set on the coffee table as her eyes never left Demi’s.
Even if the way they’re making eyes at each other is incredibly unnerving, that’s one less awkward relationship to worry about, so whatever weird thing they’re doing is totally not his business. It doesn’t stop Nick from shooting them mildly freaked out glances over his shoulder as he pops in the first DVD. They don’t even notice as he takes a seat by an equally freaked out Joe and the show starts.
The show’s actually pretty decent, because, hello, singing and dancing and performing, is sort of a hobby for him or, you know, his entire life. Then there’s drama, not enough to be annoying, but enough to be realistic. Humor and some seriously quirky characters that make him wish he’d gone to public school. An amazing cast and fantastic covers, but his attention is only half there.
Honestly he’s not sure anyone would be able to have their full attention on the screen, even when there’s an amazing performance for Don’t Stop Believing going on, when there’s an entirely different show happening on the loveseat.
A year ago, Nick would think nothing of Demi and Selena being all over each other. It was kind of their trademark. But, last he checked they weren’t even speaking, much less whispering and giggling, legs pressed close, Selena’s hand on Demi’s thigh, and Demi’s hand threaded through Selena’s hair. He’d swear Demi was kissing Selena’s neck she’s so close, but that’s, like, absurd. Or, it is until Selena muffles this pleased sounding noise into her hand and turns her head to cover more of the location of Demi’s lips.
His gaze turns to Joe, who’s totally not watching Glee, like at all, and is blatantly staring at the other show. “What are they doing?” Joe turns a wide-eyed glance at him and he shrugs, because seriously it’s all getting a little too Twilight Zone for him.
Glee gets pushed even further out of his mind when Demi starts typing furiously into her phone and there’s an answering buzz on Selena’s phone. A dark brow rises as Selena reads the message and her lips curl into a grin as she looks at Demi with an expression that he’s never seen on her, before responding. The immediate buzz of Demi’s phone confirms his suspicions. They’re totally texting each other, even though they’re practically on top of one another.
What they’re texting, he doesn’t know, might not even want to know. Not when it causes Selena to bite her lip like that, rolling her head back onto the couch cushions, her hand flexing on Demi’s thigh. Plus, Demi looks entirely too smug about those reactions, smile just a little devilish.
When their eyes meet again and Selena starts shifting uncomfortably in her seat, recognition registers that look in Selena’s eyes, the unfamiliar one, the same look Demi’s giving right back. Unfathomable words like eyesex come to mind and he swallows hard.
……………
“Sex is not dating.”
“If it were, Santana and I would be dating.”
He disagrees with that statement, the ring on his finger is a testament to that, but it’s clear, when Demi laughs and nods, that not everyone is on the same page.
“That is so true,” Selena agrees, nodding right along with Demi.
“What,” Joe exclaims, the word a strangled sound as he sits up to pause the show.
Selena gives Joe this patient look, like he is slow, and, yeah, he sort of is, but Nick’s not following either. “Sex is not dating,” Selena repeats.
“If it were, Selena and I would be dating,” Demi explains smugly.
He splutters and turns to Joe, who looks like he’s waiting for a punch line that isn’t coming. The sound of poorly muffled giggles seems to kick start his brain as he looks over at them. “What about your purity rings?”
Demi rolls her eyes like it’s a stupid question and he has to fight to keep the indignation from his face, the topic would be shuffled to the backburner if he let it and despite what Demi may think, it’s a perfectly sound question. “Selena’s a girl. She doesn’t count,” Demi scoffs until Selena elbows her, and they break out into a serious of hushed whispers. “Okay,” Demi continues, turning back to them. “Selena counts, but like I said she’s a girl. We’ll both still be virgins, technically, when we lose it to a boy.”
It doesn’t make sense, like even remotely, and Nick really doesn’t think purity rings come with loopholes like that, but Selena’s nodding like it’s a perfectly valid explanation right along with Demi.
“Besides,” Selena interjects into the silence. “We have needs, and you guys don’t do such a great job fulfilling said needs.”
His face must say something along the lines of ‘how in the hell are we supposed to fulfill those needs without breaking our vows,’ because Demi sighs, threading her free hand roughly through her hair. “For example, when she sends you a text like, ‘are you thinking of me?’ Don’t respond with something about some new song. She wants you to ask her about, like, what kind of underwear she’s wearing, something hot.”
“Black and lacy,” Selena supplies, like Demi had actually asked the question.
Almost immediately Demi’s eyes light up and she turns to Selena with a smug grin at her lips. “You were thinking of me.”
“How could I not, you spent half the morning telling me what you were doing to yourself while thinking of the last time we were together?” He watches with horrified fascination as the hand laid casually on Selena’s shoulder moves, dipping beneath the neck of Selena’s blouse, hears the snap of a bra as Demi leans close, no doubt whispering wicked things into the other girl’s ear if the flush that flows steadily across Selena’s face is anything to go by.
“Hey Nick, might if we head to your room?” Demi looks innocent, but she’s also an actress and Nick’s positive anything they do in his room is going to be far from innocent. “I want to play Selena a new song on your guitar.”
He’s pretty sure that’s code for ‘I want to defile my not-girlfriend on your bed,’ because Selena’s sliding her hand further up Demi’s thigh and Demi’s grin is getting wider the closer Selena’s hand gets to the highest it can go. Unfortunately, she must take his silence as a yes, since she stands, before Selena’s hand can go any further and then they’re both taking off, giggling, arms low on hips, and lips finding jaws and other bared skin.
“What just happened?” Joe’s voice sounds even worse and Nick fears the bewildered, wide-eyed look Joe’s sporting might become permanent if his face stays that way much longer.
Turning over the question in his head, he replays everything back in his head, the jibe at them being horrible boyfriends, the texting, their exit to his bedroom, and drops his head into his hands. “Well, I think they spent a majority of the marathon sending each other dirty text messages.”
“Sexting,” Joe supplies absently.
“We’re apparently horrible boyfriends when it comes to fulfilling our girlfriends’ needs,” he mumbles, flushing shamefully and tugging at his hair.
“I kind of blame the purity rings. It’s easier to keep the promise by not torturing ourselves with loopholes like that,” Joe mutters, turning the ring around his own finger, like he was reaffirming his own promise.
Before, he can continue, a pleased sound groan reaches his ears and Joe stiffens beside him as the sound repeats itself with a slightly different voice. The sounds are startlingly similar, much like the girls’ laughter, especially when they’re together, and he’s not even surprised at this point.
“Moving on,” he continues, crossing his legs as the sounds and thoughts of what was going on in his room began to take their toll. “Apparently, Demi’s dragged Selena off to my room to show her a new song.”
“They’re totally having sex.”
“Yup,” and as if to reaffirm this fact, the squeaking of the floorboards begin to accompany the groans echoing in the house.
“Good luck sleeping in your bed.”
“Yeah, that’s not happening, but I think I’m going to head to the shower and stay there until they’re done.”
“Cold,” Joe questions, standing with cheeks heated and red.
“Freezing, actually,” he winces at the problem that’s arisen, since that first sound. “How about you?”
“Same,” he agrees.
……………
When Demi and Selena finally stumble out of his bedroom, their clothes are rumpled and sticking to their skin. They’re still all over each other and he can make out dark bruises along Selena’s neck and collar. He spots one on Demi, barely hidden by the top of her dress, and he doubts it’s the only one. Neither of them must notice him watching, because Demi’s suddenly pinned against a wall and Selena’s cupping her cheeks and kissing the other girl, like she never did him. It is equal parts tender and passionate and out of nowhere they’re moving together, back in the direction they came from.
“Dude, I think we’re going to wind up with hypothermia or at least seriously sick if we hit the showers again,” Joe mutters, slinging an arm around his shoulder. It feels like they’re in the doghouse or some other equivalent, but he’s less upset than he should be.
“You think they’ll figure it out?”
“What,” Joe inquires absently.
“That sex is dating and in their case, they’re practically married,” Nick says quietly.
Joe sighs, long and drawn-out, like just the thought of the complexities of their relationship is exhausting and it is. “In a few years, after a couple more of the wrong guys, yeah. I think they will.”
Nodding, he exhales harshly as those sounds, the ones that are burn him as they reach his ears, start up again. “I’m thinking of changing rooms. You think Frankie will switch with me?”
“If you bribe him,” Joe replies, pursing his lips thoughtfully. “We should probably be heading out, though, before they get louder.”
“Yeah,” he agrees quietly. As they turn away, he takes one look back, and wishes right then that it will work out for them. Girls come and go, but friends are irreplaceable and so much easier to get along with when they’re happy, and those two are only happy when they’re together.