So Close and Still So Far
Title: So Close and Still So Far
Pairing(s): Joe Jonas/Nick Jonas
Rating: PG-13
Genre: RPS
Disclaimer: The real-life characters do not belong to me, and the story is fictional.
Summary: It’s Kevin’s wedding day, and Joe has planned a surprise of his own for Nick.
Author's Note: The title of this ficlet is from the song "So Close" by Jon McLaughlin on the Enchanted soundtrack.
Joe laughs pleasantly when someone twirls Demi out of his arms. Demi throws him an apologetic smile but he just waves a hand and lets her go, and the two friends part ways on the dance floor. Joe steps out of the crowd and watches the guests sway to the band underneath the strings of white outdoor lights. At the center are the stars of the evening, Kevin in his smart white tux and Danielle in her flowing dress, whispering sweet nothings to each other like there’s no one else around them.
A wistful look on his face, Joe turns and heads to one of the round tables where Nick is sitting, along the edge of the area covered by the tent. He is much too concentrated on the floral arrangement in front of him, and Joe can tell he’s distracted, not one note of the music reaching his ears.
“Why aren’t you dancing?” Joe asks as he takes a seat in the chair next to his brother’s.
Nick ignores him and instead speaks what’s been on his mind. “Kevin’s married,” he states like Joe isn’t aware. “He found a nice girl that we all liked and the wedding is exactly how Mom pictured it... But Joe, that means we have to do the same, doesn’t it? Follow his example?”
There’s pain in his chocolate brown eyes and Joe understands that Nick’s words actually have nothing to do with facing the responsibility of marriage. He’s talking about them and what would happen to their relationship if they were to obey their family’s rules.
Joe fidgets a bit with the end of his tie, his suit jacket draped over some other chair in the room. When he glances up, his eyes meet Nick’s right away. “If everyone else insisted that we act like Kev,” he begins. “Nicky, do you think you could? I won’t be able to leave you for someone else. No matter what.”
He reaches over and covers Nick’s hand with his palm. Like always, Joe is warm and Nick sighs at the contact, fully aware that he’s helpless under Joe’s touch. “Did you tell Demi thanks?”
“Of course,” Joe says, still holding onto his brother. Demi has known about him and Nick since they filmed Camp Rock together - more specifically since she walked in on them in the dressing room - but she’s been supportive whereas even Kevin has no idea. Joe had asked her to accompany him to Long Island so the attention of the press would be deflected, and she’d agreed wholeheartedly.
“How many ‘rumored to be dating’ articles are there now?” Nick says, the question not entirely devoid of bitterness although Joe strategically planted the story in the first place.
“Probably one per blog, magazine, tabloid, whatever,” Joe muses. “I’m guessing it’s the same as the number of people joking about Kevin getting the green light after twenty-two years.”
Nick opens his mouth to respond but Kevin approaches their table, grinning from ear to ear and his face blissful and glowing. The sight stirs a pang of jealousy within Nick, but he swallows the ache, and lets Kevin lead him and Joe back to the stage to perform “Lovebug” together as a surprise for his new sister-in-law.
+
After bidding good night to Kevin and Danielle and then his parents, Nick heads to the hotel room he’s sharing with Joe. He slides the key into its slot and notices the dim entryway when he steps inside.
“Joe, you here?” he calls.
“Yeah, come in.”
Nick fumbles for the wall as his eyes adjust to the black. His fingertips run across the textured wallpaper and he takes a single step at a time not to trip over anything. “Why aren’t any of the lights... on...?” He pauses when he finally finds Joe.
There are softly lit glass-filled candles on every hard surface, casting off a golden radiance in the otherwise dark space. Joe is standing by the bed, still wearing his white dress shirt and bistre vest from the wedding, rumpled but somehow perfect against his handsome face.
After recovering from his speechlessness, Nick manages to ask, “What’s all this?”
Joe doesn’t answer but lets his right hand fall into his pant pocket, and Nick’s breath hitches in his throat when Joe reveals what he’d kept tucked away - a tiny velvet box, which in his mind signifies one thing given the events of the day. Nick realizes he’s trembling when Joe comes closer and opens the case, partially in disbelief at what Joe has dared to imitate.
“With this ring, I thee wed,” Joe murmurs, repeating Kevin’s vows from the ceremony. “With my body, I thee worship. All my love, I do thee give.”
He takes out the ring, a stunning square diamond set in a platinum band, and motions for Nick to put out his hand. Nick sees that Joe already has the same ring on his fourth finger, and he can’t help but blush, ducking his head toward his chest. “This is insane,” he breathes, chuckling quietly. “I mean it - this isn’t real.”
“People can call it whatever they want,” Joe counters, slipping the band smoothly on Nick’s finger. “But it’s the truth for me, and I hope it is for you too, Nick.”
Nick levels his gaze with his brother. “You’re out of your mind, Joe. This is preposterous and deranged and it doesn’t make any sense.” Joe only smiles. “I love you.”
The amber eyes are shining and Nick is tugged into an embrace, lean but strong arms wrapping around him. It’s the very shield that protects him, whether the adversary is disappointment or anger or frustration. Joe carries him.
“I love you.” The words, thick with emotion, brush against his ear and Nick feels the tears start to sting at his eyes, moved by his own amazement at what he was blessed with. What matters in this moment is not that Joe’s his brother, but that he is his soul mate.
Joe cups Nick’s face in his hands and kisses him, using his lips to caress Nick’s like they could shatter if he weren’t careful. The kiss deepens when Nick parts his lips to let Joe in, and they both gasp and clutch at each other as if letting go would make the other disappear. They tumble over together when Joe leans forward and Nick’s back hits the plush mattress with barely a sound.
“Do you, Nicholas” - Joe whispers against Nick’s ivory skin - “take me, Joseph, to be yours? Until I’m old and possibly not as pretty as I am now?”
He pulls back with a laugh and their eyes lock, two shades of brown. Nick runs his fingers through Joe’s hair, not as long as before but still silky soft. It hits Nick then that they have followed Kevin’s footsteps after all - both he and Joe found the love of their lives.
So he smiles and replies, “I do.”
Fin.
Pairing(s): Joe Jonas/Nick Jonas
Rating: PG-13
Genre: RPS
Disclaimer: The real-life characters do not belong to me, and the story is fictional.
Summary: It’s Kevin’s wedding day, and Joe has planned a surprise of his own for Nick.
Author's Note: The title of this ficlet is from the song "So Close" by Jon McLaughlin on the Enchanted soundtrack.
Joe laughs pleasantly when someone twirls Demi out of his arms. Demi throws him an apologetic smile but he just waves a hand and lets her go, and the two friends part ways on the dance floor. Joe steps out of the crowd and watches the guests sway to the band underneath the strings of white outdoor lights. At the center are the stars of the evening, Kevin in his smart white tux and Danielle in her flowing dress, whispering sweet nothings to each other like there’s no one else around them.
A wistful look on his face, Joe turns and heads to one of the round tables where Nick is sitting, along the edge of the area covered by the tent. He is much too concentrated on the floral arrangement in front of him, and Joe can tell he’s distracted, not one note of the music reaching his ears.
“Why aren’t you dancing?” Joe asks as he takes a seat in the chair next to his brother’s.
Nick ignores him and instead speaks what’s been on his mind. “Kevin’s married,” he states like Joe isn’t aware. “He found a nice girl that we all liked and the wedding is exactly how Mom pictured it... But Joe, that means we have to do the same, doesn’t it? Follow his example?”
There’s pain in his chocolate brown eyes and Joe understands that Nick’s words actually have nothing to do with facing the responsibility of marriage. He’s talking about them and what would happen to their relationship if they were to obey their family’s rules.
Joe fidgets a bit with the end of his tie, his suit jacket draped over some other chair in the room. When he glances up, his eyes meet Nick’s right away. “If everyone else insisted that we act like Kev,” he begins. “Nicky, do you think you could? I won’t be able to leave you for someone else. No matter what.”
He reaches over and covers Nick’s hand with his palm. Like always, Joe is warm and Nick sighs at the contact, fully aware that he’s helpless under Joe’s touch. “Did you tell Demi thanks?”
“Of course,” Joe says, still holding onto his brother. Demi has known about him and Nick since they filmed Camp Rock together - more specifically since she walked in on them in the dressing room - but she’s been supportive whereas even Kevin has no idea. Joe had asked her to accompany him to Long Island so the attention of the press would be deflected, and she’d agreed wholeheartedly.
“How many ‘rumored to be dating’ articles are there now?” Nick says, the question not entirely devoid of bitterness although Joe strategically planted the story in the first place.
“Probably one per blog, magazine, tabloid, whatever,” Joe muses. “I’m guessing it’s the same as the number of people joking about Kevin getting the green light after twenty-two years.”
Nick opens his mouth to respond but Kevin approaches their table, grinning from ear to ear and his face blissful and glowing. The sight stirs a pang of jealousy within Nick, but he swallows the ache, and lets Kevin lead him and Joe back to the stage to perform “Lovebug” together as a surprise for his new sister-in-law.
+
After bidding good night to Kevin and Danielle and then his parents, Nick heads to the hotel room he’s sharing with Joe. He slides the key into its slot and notices the dim entryway when he steps inside.
“Joe, you here?” he calls.
“Yeah, come in.”
Nick fumbles for the wall as his eyes adjust to the black. His fingertips run across the textured wallpaper and he takes a single step at a time not to trip over anything. “Why aren’t any of the lights... on...?” He pauses when he finally finds Joe.
There are softly lit glass-filled candles on every hard surface, casting off a golden radiance in the otherwise dark space. Joe is standing by the bed, still wearing his white dress shirt and bistre vest from the wedding, rumpled but somehow perfect against his handsome face.
After recovering from his speechlessness, Nick manages to ask, “What’s all this?”
Joe doesn’t answer but lets his right hand fall into his pant pocket, and Nick’s breath hitches in his throat when Joe reveals what he’d kept tucked away - a tiny velvet box, which in his mind signifies one thing given the events of the day. Nick realizes he’s trembling when Joe comes closer and opens the case, partially in disbelief at what Joe has dared to imitate.
“With this ring, I thee wed,” Joe murmurs, repeating Kevin’s vows from the ceremony. “With my body, I thee worship. All my love, I do thee give.”
He takes out the ring, a stunning square diamond set in a platinum band, and motions for Nick to put out his hand. Nick sees that Joe already has the same ring on his fourth finger, and he can’t help but blush, ducking his head toward his chest. “This is insane,” he breathes, chuckling quietly. “I mean it - this isn’t real.”
“People can call it whatever they want,” Joe counters, slipping the band smoothly on Nick’s finger. “But it’s the truth for me, and I hope it is for you too, Nick.”
Nick levels his gaze with his brother. “You’re out of your mind, Joe. This is preposterous and deranged and it doesn’t make any sense.” Joe only smiles. “I love you.”
The amber eyes are shining and Nick is tugged into an embrace, lean but strong arms wrapping around him. It’s the very shield that protects him, whether the adversary is disappointment or anger or frustration. Joe carries him.
“I love you.” The words, thick with emotion, brush against his ear and Nick feels the tears start to sting at his eyes, moved by his own amazement at what he was blessed with. What matters in this moment is not that Joe’s his brother, but that he is his soul mate.
Joe cups Nick’s face in his hands and kisses him, using his lips to caress Nick’s like they could shatter if he weren’t careful. The kiss deepens when Nick parts his lips to let Joe in, and they both gasp and clutch at each other as if letting go would make the other disappear. They tumble over together when Joe leans forward and Nick’s back hits the plush mattress with barely a sound.
“Do you, Nicholas” - Joe whispers against Nick’s ivory skin - “take me, Joseph, to be yours? Until I’m old and possibly not as pretty as I am now?”
He pulls back with a laugh and their eyes lock, two shades of brown. Nick runs his fingers through Joe’s hair, not as long as before but still silky soft. It hits Nick then that they have followed Kevin’s footsteps after all - both he and Joe found the love of their lives.
So he smiles and replies, “I do.”
Fin.