Julian & Nico - After the Fight

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Nico decides to stop waiting, and things go unexpectedly well



Nico was waiting outside of Julian's door for a while now. A good while. Actually, almost since the boy had left, and the lack of news was starting to get her. She knew he would be alright -she just knew it-, and she knew there was someone older and better trained than him there as well, but still... She couldn't help but feel incredibly useless.

Still drying off his hair, and shaking bits of rubble from it, Julian opened the door to head downstairs for food. It was strange how hungry he got after working out- which the fight had certainly qualified as- and wondered for a moment if he should have Doctor McCoy look into it. It was both surprising and not to see Nico waiting outside and he tossed the towel back inside while mussing his shaggy- much in need of a trim- top. "Hey, Nico," he started, pausing when he spotted signs of distress on her face. "Dude, if this is about earlier...."

Nico didn't talk, she just punched -well, tried- him in the chest, half concerned and half pissed. "You look like crap!" Another punch, although frail and more out of anger than anything. "I told you to stay! But no, you have me here worrying to death like an idiot while you go and play hero. Idiot!" Another weak punch, and another, and another.

Suddenly glad that Nico wasn't as strong as Angelica, Julian took her by the wrists and stopped the rain of blows abruptly. "What the hell?"

"I love you!" She cried it at him at once, tears rolling down. "That's why, Julian; I act like a fool around you, I can't think straight, and I keep worrying about you. Don't ask me why, but since we met again I haven't seen the same guy I knew." Lowering her head, Nico started to sob, hands still being held by Julian. "Go on, laugh at me. Let's get over with this already."

Speechless, Julian looked down into her brilliant eyes. "Oooookay, um..." what was he supposed to say to that? "Nico," he began, "you hardly even know me. Hell for most the time we've been acquainted you've wanted to egg me or worse. Now today you ask me to coffee and then ask me if I hate you and then kiss me and now you love me? What's going on?"

"Sure, ask me; it has been months since I felt an ounce of attraction towards anyone, alright?" Looking back up, the girl managed to free on of her arms, and wiped the tears off her face. "I just...well, I don't know; maybe I liked you all the way, you know? Maybe it has taken me all this time to actually understand." She shrugged, considering things couldn't go worst for her. "I don't know what I was expecting here...if it doesn't make sense that I like you, you liking me is..."

"I like you fine, Nico! I just don't know if I love you. I mean, you're fun, smart and even sexy in your own gothy sort of way...you're not even a mutant and I still...yeah, okay, I find myself attracted to you, but that doesn't mean I love you." He brushed a stray lock out of her hair, "But that doesn't mean I don't want to find out."

Nico's tilted her head to a side, then to the other, as if pondering Julian's answer. "Maybe love is a pretty strong word..." The contact of his fingers with her skin, even if it was his fingers, had an effect; could she be so crazy for someone? What she was sure was that now she felt more in control, as if knowing that Julian wasn't completely uninterested meant had a chance; she didn't want more actually, since she wasn't expecting anything remotely close to that. Closing the distance between them, Nico placed her forehead on Julian's chest, eyes closed.

"Maybe I just need someone that I know will catch me if I fall again..."

"Anyone around here will be there for you if things go bad, including me," he smiled, hugging her to himself. After a moment of pause Julian's mouth quirked into a wry expression, "You're such a dork, ya know that?" he bantered playfully.

Nico smiled, her face still against his chest. She punched him on the ribs though, this time with a little more power, but also with care, if that was even possible. "Shut up, I'm never like this with anyone...well, not anymore I guess." Lifting her face, a small smirk crossed her lips. "So, alright, maybe I'm clingy and dorky...you are going to need to set the limits so I don't make a fool of myself...even more."

"Wait a minute..." he looked down at her, "does this mean we're dating?"

Nico's face drew a little closer, her eyes big as she stated into his. "You tell me; I'm the one making a fuss here, so I'm not really in the position of saying anything." She didn't want to say anything, but that wasn't the point, right? "So, are we?"

Julian chuckled, "I guess so." Taking her hand he nodded toward the stairs, "Come on, I'll make you some cocoa."

Inclining towards him, Nico planted one short kiss on his lips. "Cocoa, hmm...you really want to finish that fateful date no matter what." She could have insisted -part of her wanted to-, but she left Julian guide her though, knowing that all things happened when they were meant to. "But, no offense, you look like crap, so I'll be the one doing the cocoa."