If I Lay Here

Sophie laughed as Joe picked her up from behind, her small hand gripping her drink tighter while he twirled her around. He let out a chuckle and nuzzled his face against her cheek, getting her to laugh and squirm from the way his stubble felt.

“What are you doing all by yourself?” he mumbled with a smile, gently setting her back onto her feet. She heaved a sigh and shrugged, her smile still present.

“Danielle went to go check on her kids again.”

“Ah,” Joe nodded. He licked his lips and took another sip from his can. Sophie glanced behind his shoulder, her eyes scanning over the men on the couch, but she didn’t see that head of curls.

“Where’s Nick?” The question seemed odd coming out of her mouth and Sophie thought it was none of her business, her curiosity spoke before she could think it through. Joe seemed unfazed by her question however, and he furrowed his eyebrows before responding.

“Probably checking on Isabelle.” He seemed disappointed by the accusation, and he was. He wished he could relive the times that Nick would sit down for the whole game with that face that said “don’t interrupt me.” Joe wished Nick would get into one of his word fights with Greg. Joe wished that Nick would be his brother again. Sophie noticed Joe’s blank stare and she bit her lip, dying to ask her question.

“I know it’s none of my business, but a friend that I work with is kind of interested in meeting your brother…” Sophie felt uncomfortable again as her words trailed off, but she noticed the way Joe’s wide eyes suddenly lit up.

“Really? You mean like a date?”

Sophie nodded. “She knows how happy I am with you and we kind of talked about a double date… if he’s interested-”

“He’ll be interested,” Joe cut her off, his grin only widening. “But I’ll bring it up subtly. You can’t rope Nick into things; he’s too observant.” Sophie smiled and nodded in agreement, reaching out her hand to clasp with Joe’s. He gave it a light squeeze and kissed her temple, his glance quickly settling on the back door as it slid open.

Nick entered the cool house slowly, a hint of a smile on his lips while he slid the door closed behind him. His diet coke was held tightly in his hand while he stepped forward, only glancing up once to spot both Sophie and Joe, but his eyes seemed to lock on her. He didn’t know why she smiled at him, but he almost began to panic. Was he supposed to smile back? Was he supposed to say hello? He didn’t know why he was so worried about it. He glanced down quickly, squeezing the can tighter once Joe called his name, the tone holding want. Nick knew Joe and he knew when he wanted something. He just didn’t know what.

“Nick, we were just talking about you,” Joe grinned, focusing on Nick’s face. He thought that maybe if he stared long and hard enough Nick would cave and agree to anything. He didn’t know that Nick knew this trick, and that it did the opposite. Nick watched his brother with suspicion, cautiously taking a sip of his drink.

“Oh?” he inquired, raising his brow to act as if he were interested. Being talked about didn’t faze or interest him anymore.

“Well, actually… it wasn’t all about you,” Sophie stressed. She wanted to get Nick to agree to this date with Jenna… or she thought she did.

Nick snapped his gaze to her, a wave of nerves washing over him. It hadn’t occurred to him that Joe was talking to Sophie. He could only wonder what deep secrets and personal stories he had shared with the strange girl. He held his breath.

“We were talking about my friend Jenna. I work with her at the coffee shop.” Sophie gave a warm smile to the tense man in front of her before glancing over at Joe who was trying so hard to contain himself from bursting into a fit of pleading. “She’s interested in meeting up with you.”

Nick stared at Sophie blankly for a moment as he curled his fingers around the damp can. Did he know a girl named Jenna? One that worked at a coffee shop? He couldn’t recall. “Do I… know her?” he asked warily, lifting his free hand up to play with the curls that rested on his forehead. Sophie’s eyes seemed to follow his actions, her words suddenly gone. She didn’t understand why his simple action was… well, doing whatever it was that was happening to her. It was just hair… hair that she found to be strangely intriguing. She had the sudden urge to touch it just by watching him.

“No,” Joe shook his head, “but that’s the beauty of it!” His wide smile never faded and his eyes only seemed to sparkle with hope, but Sophie could tell by the blank look on Nick’s face that he wasn’t going for whatever his brother had planned. When Nick didn’t respond, Joe continued, his hopes still high. “See, you meet this girl and you may end up liking her. We could double.” He gave Sophie’s shoulder a squeeze to prove that they’d be going, but Nick wasn’t having it. He shook his head furiously, the curls he just pushed back now flopping with his quick movements.

“No. I’m sorry, but no. I don’t feel... comfortable in situations like that.” He had to keep calm and try to think of a better excuse than just “because.” Sophie was right there and although he didn’t know her much at all, it felt as if he owed her an explanation. He just didn’t have one.

“Oh, come on Nick!” Joe encouraged. He practically pushed Sophie out of the way with his large hand gestures. She held back her laugh at the way Nick was looking between the two. “You’ll never know unless you try.”

“I’m not good with strangers Joe, you know that,” he tried calmly, but it was almost impossible with Joe’s hyperactive ways.

“She wouldn’t be a stranger if you met her!” Nick bit his lip and sucked in a deep breath, trying to focus his gaze on something other than Joe. His eyes landed on Sophie. She stared at him with her wide green eyes and smiled again, not quite understanding that it was almost breaking Nick down. He wanted to be happy like that; he yearned for what Sophie did for Joe and what Joe did for Sophie.

He let his breath out slowly and turned his gaze back onto his brother, shifting his weight. “Meeting her is one thing, but going on a date with her the same night…” he trailed off, shaking his head slowly. Sophie glanced over at Joe and pressed her lips together, silently telling him to do something. Joe smiled.

“That’s what a blind date is, bro. People do it all the time and they have fun.” Nick sent him the death glare; Joe chuckled. “They have fun most of the time, anyway. And we’ll be there-” he motioned between him and Sophie, “so you have nothing to worry about.”

Nick kept his face straight though a battle ensued his mind. Nick knew that Joe would never let this go and he knew Sophie would side with him - it was only natural considering their status together. Nick wasn’t exactly ready to share his sob story with her anyway; he was unaware she already knew. Nick also knew that Joe was right, as hard as it was to admit. No harm could come from this… date.

“Fine,” he breathed, the sole word seeming to weigh tons as it fell from his lips. Joe stared at him for a moment, shock overtaking his features as the word sunk in. Fine. Nick had never given up so easily before. He and Sophie exchanged confused looks, both of them hoping that, by some miracle, Nick wanted to do something about his loneliness. Nick on the other hand knew that he was only agreeing because it was only fair to his brother, not because he actually wanted to.

He was putting other people first again.

“Fine?” Joe asked carefully, his smile fading while his eyes narrowed with suspicion. Nick opened his mouth to speak, to announce his death sentence, but he stopped suddenly and remembered his first priority.

“Isabelle-”

“You can have Mr. Neel watch her, right?” Joe quickly interrupted. He wasn’t about to let something like this go. Nick had already agreed and Sophie was a witness. Nick sighed.

“I can’t just ask him whenever I want to go somewhere,” Nick tried, but the mention of Mr. Neel suddenly brought back their earlier conversation. He wasn’t sure how he felt about inviting Sophie out, especially since she was siding with his brother. He was conflicted all around.

“But you never go anywhere!” Joe tried, deciding to pull out his whine. Sophie bit her lip to keep from laughing at her boyfriend’s childish ways and though Nick was slightly amused, he was irritated with what he was about to do.

“Okay fine, but no more.”

“What if you like her?” Sophie piped up, her smile only growing as he shifted his tired gaze towards her. His face lit up suddenly and she swore she could see a fire in his eyes, but it was gone before she could comprehend what it was or what it was for.

Nick tried to rule out the possibility of liking this girl named Jenna, but he didn’t know how he would feel. He knew the greater chance was that of him enjoying the company rather than the girl herself, but he didn’t speak of that.

“If he likes her then he’ll go on another date,” Joe stated obviously, interrupting their nonexistent conversation. Their eye contact broke and both of them settled on Joe. Sophie smiled, but the wave of unknown feelings washed over her and she wasn’t quite sure that Jenna was right for Nick. Her thoughts were absurd, she knew, but that didn’t explain why she felt almost protective of Nick. Jenna wouldn’t hurt him, if he ended up wanting to see her again, she thought. Nick frowned on the other hand, his own thoughts disagreeing with Joe. He didn’t protest though.

“So how about Tuesday?” Sophie cleared her throat, glancing between Nick and Joe with a smile. Neither of them worked on Tuesday; it was perfect and close. Jenna would be excited.

“Yeah, how about Tuesday?” Joe grinned, pulling Sophie towards his chest. She smiled and closed her eyes, resting her head underneath Joe’s chin. She could feel those chocolate orbs burning into her back.

“Tuesday,” Nick repeated dryly, still trying to find some way out of this. He knew it was hopeless.

“So don’t make any other plans, okay Nick?” Joe asked with his voice a little softer. Even though Sophie wasn’t facing him she knew Nick nodded. She decided to twist in his embrace, placing her hands on top of his as they rested on her stomach.

“It’ll be fun,” she smiled warmly, reaching over to grab the drink that she had set down next to Joe’s. Nick still held his coke tightly.

“Hey! Why don’t we go in there and watch the game like everyone else?” he suggested, his wide smile covering his lips once again. Sophie nodded in agreement and took a glance at Nick, wondering if he’d agree. He sighed.

The three headed into Kevin’s living room, the sound of the many voices and laughs filling their ears. Joe had introduced Sophie to everyone already; Greg, Jack, John, Ryan, using their nicknames to create a feel of familiarity. She couldn’t exactly remember who was who, but she had a pretty good idea.

The man with the shaggy brown hair turned around suddenly, a charming smile overtaking his features as he eyed the three figures.

“Hey guys, come squeeze in here,” he called over the loud volume of both the guys and the TV. He motioned them forward quickly and slid over, forcing more room on the large couch. Sophie smiled.

Joe pranced over eagerly, pulling Sophie by the hand, and plopped himself down by the arm of the couch. There was a spot next to Sophie that the shaggy-haired man was determined to fill.

“Come on, Nicky! A game’s not a game without your curly head over here.” Sophie glanced over her shoulder as Joe pulled her tighter into his side, the hand that hung over her shoulder twisted with hers. She could see Nick sigh with defeat before trudging over, politely gliding in front of her and Joe. Before he could sit himself down the shaggy-haired man gripped his bare bicep and pulled, forcing him to plop down with a bounce.

He knitted his eyebrows together, though he was still void of any emotion, and allowed his back to hit the soft leather, trying not to press his muscular arm against Sophie. She could feel his warmth from the inch that sat between them, and his scent suddenly surrounded her, almost overpowering Joe’s. She breathed deeply without even thinking.

“Here-” the man mumbled, prying the coke can out of his hand. Sophie was surprised it didn’t spill when he was pulled down. “Relax.” He handed Nick a beer can and smiled, patting his back in a friendly gesture. Nick stared at the can and sighed again, shaking his head.

“I’m not drinking anything.”

“You’re not gonna’ get drunk off of one beer. You haven’t touched the stuff since Bells was born,” he tried to reason. Nick bit his lip. He hadn’t liked beer too much, but it was always something the guys used to do. He found it stereotypical, but it was one of the true things he had come to find; gatherings weren’t gatherings without some kind of alcohol.

“You know, I should probably get going. You drink it, Garbo,” Nick smiled half-heartedly, shoving the beer back at the one known as Garbo. He didn’t protest Nick’s sudden urge to leave; they were all used to it. But Joe didn’t want his brother to go.

“Why?” he asked quickly, craning his neck to see past Sophie, who was also staring at Nick.

“Isabelle isn’t used to playing for so long. She needs her nap.” He stood slowly and brushed his hands over his pants, ready to squeeze past the two.

“What about when Izzy starts school, Nick?” Joe tried, his tone almost betrayed. He stared at his brother with a new look, his smile now gone and his soft eyes a little darker. He knew his brother was trying to hide again.

“She isn’t in school yet, is she Joe?” Nick snapped, feeling his blood pump a little faster. His levels were already off; he didn’t need this to make things worse. “I’ll deal with it when it happens.” He took a step forward but Joe stood, leaving Sophie with wide eyes to watch.

“I don’t think you will,” he murmured, keeping his hands at his sides. “Every time something good happens, you have to ruin it.” Nick’s eyes widened at his brother’s words and he scoffed, his own eyes hardening.

“I’m sorry that I ruin your fun, Joseph, but did it ever occur to you that maybe there are bigger things in life than just fun?” His words weren’t harsh, but his tone made Joe feel a sting. He wasn’t used to his usually calm brother speaking to him like this, and he didn’t like it.

“Maybe so…” he swallowed, immediately going back to his earlier tone. “But when does the other stuff stop for you?” By this time the others were watching, turning down the game to listen to the brothers argue. It was so rare and neither of them knew what to do, and Sophie was right there with them. They wondered where Kevin was.

Nick didn’t answer. He breathed deeply instead, focusing his gaze on the seriousness of Joe’s face.

“Nick, you run away from all normality to hide in some weird, anti-social hole. I’m worried about you.” To Sophie, the fact that Joe was worried about his brother was normal. But those four words hadn’t been spoken to Nick in months because the fear of upsetting him, of making him realize that he was nothing more than a robot these days, was too great.

“I have to go,” Nick mumbled quickly, his voice low and detached. He didn’t’ turn around or say goodbye, instead he slid past Joe and made his way towards the back door, disappearing into the kitchen. Joe stood still, a look of regret replacing his frustration, and he heaved a sigh. Everything was almost silent, though the TV let out low rumbles as the game continued, but nobody spoke.

Sophie reached for Joe’s hand and offered a sympathetic smile, though she felt for Nick too, and pulled him back down to her slowly. She pressed her lips to his cheek, gently pecking his skin until she reached his lips. He kissed back easily, but she could tell he was lost in thought.

One of the guys had turned the TV back up and they resumed their conversations, including Joe frequently. Unlike Nick, he was eager to talk, even if he was upset. It had been over ten minutes and Sophie was still thinking about Nick. She didn’t understand why he had gotten upset so easily, but she knew Joe should have just let him leave. She sighed. The sound of feet took over her attention and she glanced over her shoulder, smiling lightly as Kevin and Danielle came into view, two younger kids. The girl looked to be a year older than Eve, and she was, standing at age 6, and the boy looked older at the age of 8.

“Sophie,” Danielle smiled, nodding her forward as she held onto the girl’s hand. She smiled brightly at Sophie as she mumbled something to Joe and stood, quickly making her way towards the four of them. “Kevin and I wanted to introduce you to our children,” she smiled again, admiring her kids. Sophie smiled.

“This is Matt,” Kevin introduced, placing his hand on the kid’s shoulder. He smiled kindly, his dark shaggy hair falling into his face. He had Kevin’s hazel eyes and small mouth, but his skin was tanner like Danielle’s. He seemed taller for his age. “And this is Linny,” Kevin smiled again, smoothing his hand over the cute little girl's chubby cheek. They held a rosy color and her brown eyes sparkled, his lighter hair curled loosely at the bottom. Sophie found herself comparing them to Isabelle’s thicker curls.

“Caroline, but its Linny to everyone,” Danielle laughed lightly, giving the girl’s hand a light squeeze.

“It’s nice to meet both of you,” Sophie chuckled, clasping her hands together awkwardly. Sophie glanced up as the door slid open again, Nick’s figure now in view. Sophie furrowed her eyebrows; she thought he had left ten minutes ago. But there he stood… his little Isabelle curled up against his chest. She was asleep… just like he had thought she would be. Sophie found her eyes trailing over the little girl in his arms before they met his own chocolate orbs, the wide innocent look taking over his features. He looked at her for a second before adverting his gaze to the floor, almost ashamed that she had seen the earlier argument. He didn’t care though, that’s what he tried to tell himself. She wasn’t anything to him, nothing besides his brother’s girlfriend. He didn’t know why his cheeks were suddenly burning or why he picked up his pace towards the door, still trying not to wake his daughter up. Sophie thought she had stood there with minutes passing, just watching him move so easily, but it had only been seconds before he disappeared out the door.

Her attention was brought back when Kevin sighed and Sophie realized that Danielle had ushered her children into the living room, leaving her in the presence of Kevin. She rubbed her arm awkwardly when she met his soft gaze, offering a shy smile.

“Nick’s just…” he tried, quickly shaking his head. “Do you maybe know what happened? He was fine when he came out to check on her…” Sophie bit her lip and wondered if it was her place to inform Kevin of the minor spat between Nick and Joe. He did ask, she thought, though she didn’t know why she was so interested still.

“He and Joe had a bit of an argument.” She didn’t need to say anything more; Kevin understood. He shook his head with disappointment, allowing a sigh to follow.

“Well hey, thanks for coming. It’s good to see Joe with someone like you,” he smiled, taking a step to the side. “You can come over whenever you want. I know Danielle really enjoys your company.

Sophie smiled in response and thanked him quietly before he left, leaving her in the kitchen alone again. Sophie wasn’t like Nick. Though she liked her quiet time, she needed someone to be in the room with her at least. She wanted to blame it on her mother, suddenly remembering how she had lost her in the department store so many years back, but she knew that was silly. Sophie wasn’t a real people-person, but she didn’t like to be alone and she didn’t know how Nick could do it.

“Wanna’ head out of here?” Joe mumbled as he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist firmly. She smiled as he kissed her cheek and nodded, turning herself around to peck his lips.

She was comfortable with Joe.

● ● ● ●

Sophie shuffled around the apartment quickly, looking everywhere she could in hopes to find her hat. It was 9am and she had to work the early shift - needless to say, she was grumpy. She pushed her bangs back in frustration and threw the pillows off the couch, hoping her hat had been smashed between the cushions. It was nowhere to be seen. Sophie didn’t seem to care that Jason wasn’t at the apartment when Joe dropped her off. She had found a note that said he was going out with Braden. It was 9 in the morning and he still wasn’t home.

“Come on!” she growled to herself, pulling out her phone to see the time. She was close to being late if she didn’t get a move on now.

The door opened suddenly and she jumped, glancing through her bangs to see Jason’s smiling face. She scowled.

“No hello from my little sister?” he pouted, his tone sarcastic as he shut the door behind him and flung the keys onto the table. She rolled her eyes and rushed towards the bathroom, quickly peeking inside. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for my hat,” she mumbled quickly, turning around to face him.

“You didn’t bring it home,” he stated simply, and then she remembered that she had left the hat at work with her apron… she sighed with relief, but it didn’t change the fact that she was almost late.

“Where were you last night?”

“With Braden. Didn’t you get my note?” he asked as he shrugged out of his jacket, making his way towards the kitchenette. She stayed in her spot but turned her head to watch him grab a bowl and the cereal, proceeding to get the milk out of the fridge.

“Doing what until 9 in the morning the next day?” She placed her hands on her hips for the full demanding look. Jason glanced up and chuckled, turning away to grab a spoon.

“I’m sorry, mother. Maybe you should call me the next time your date flops.”

“It wasn’t an actual date and it didn’t flop,” she snorted, crossing her arms instead. “We watched a game at his brother’s house.”

“The one with the kid?” he mumbled through his crunching, taking a seat on the barstool on the other side of the counter. She furrowed her eyebrows, irritated suddenly.

“His name is Nick, and no. It was Kevin’s house.” Jason didn’t seem bothered by her change of tone.

“So how’d that work out for ya?” More crunching.

“It was… okay,” she decided, holding back the bits about the unpleasant encounters. She had fun with Joe and that’s what mattered.

“Mhm,” he nodded, rolling his eyes as he swallowed. She sighed before he could say anything else and announced her departure, quickly slipping into her jacket before heading for the door. She was eager to get to work and tell Jenna about the good news about the date. And suddenly Tuesday night was all she could think about.