The Atlas Of Love

- seventeen -

The four of us sat inside my room, the silence around us almost deafening.

Nick couldn't bring himself to look me in the eye and he couldn't even talk to Kara.

His appearance told us that he'd been crying this whole time too.

"Nick. Please come out, I need to talk to you in private." I said, calling him out.

He was almost shaking as he followed me outside. "Where have you been?" I asked gently.

He opened his mouth to answer my question but then closed it again, not being able to speak at all.

"Nick, I'm not going to scold you. I just want to know where you've been." I stepped closer to him, putting my hands on his shoulder.

He flinched, his eyes still not able to meet mine.

I sighed.

"I, I've been out on the streets. Thinking." He muttered.

"Okay. What have you been thinking?"

"About us, Kara and me. The baby."

"Nick, sit down." I sat down on the cold floor, gesturing him to sit beside me.

He obeyed me without protest, sitting down.

"What do you think, will you raise the baby with her?" I asked, turning to look at him.

"I want to. I'll never let Kara do that alone." He said, staring up at the sky.

"Why'd you leave then?"

"I didn't leave. I just went out to think and clear my head. I've not graduated yet and my career is not stable. What the fuck am I supposed to feed my family then? I can't live off my parent's money my whole life." He stared down at his feet this time.

I sighed in relief.

"Nick. You could've just sit down and talk it out with Kara." I said.

He chuckled. "Yeah right. You know Kara better than anyone else. If I told her about that, she'd leave herself telling me that she won't want to weigh me down and stuff."

I chuckled at this too.

"Yeah well, that's our Kara."

He nodded.

"I don't have anything figured out but I'm not going to leave. Am I scared?Yes. But I won't ever let Kara go through this alone." He managed to let out a wide smile.

"Thank you Nick." I hugged him from the side, resting my head on his shoulder.

"You're gonna be a great dad. And don't worry, Xander and I will be here for you guys always."

"Thanks J."

With that, the two of us walked back inside, both feeling much better. Although I couldn't say the same about Kara. She had no idea about whatever was going through Nick's head.

"Kara, I'm sorry." He choked, his voice almost breaking.

"Nick, it's okay if you want to le--" he shushed her with his finger on her lips.

"I will never leave you alone." He held her shoulders firmly, staring straight into her eyes.

"We're gonna go through this together, and we're gonna make it." He said, resting his forehead on hers.

Xander too, held out his hand for me to take, hugging me from the side.

"Our babies are growing up J." He said, smiling.

"Not ours. Mine." I shot him a glare.

"Shush." He flicked my forehead with his free hand.

I winced in pain, rubbing my forehead.

Kara and Nick laughed at us and I showed them an unamused look.

"Thanks for everything you guys. I think we'll head back home now." Nick said, smiling down at Kara.

"Thanks guys." Kara finally seemed happy again.

I nodded. "Take care alright? I'll be here if you need me." I hugged Kara tightly.

"I will." She nodded, pulling away.

"Nick, take care of her and please don't disappear like that ever again." I warned, a smirk playing on my face.

"Will do ma'am." He saluted me, laughing.

After they left, Xander and I decided to hang out in the balcony for some time.

"Hey, did Kara tell you about whatever she was going to say earlier?" I asked.

"Yup." He nodded, smiling at me.

"What did she ask?"

"I can't tell you." He smirked this time.

"Oh come on Xander! Just tell me." I raised my hands in defeat, too curious to know what Kara had been up to.

"I'm coming with you." He said, leaning closer.

"What? To bed? No thank you." I shoved him down.

He laughed, sitting back up.

"No you idiot, to Paris."

I choked on my saliva for almost a minute when I heard this.

Xander rubbed my back, pulling my ear.

"Owww! What was that for?" I covered my ear.

"You said it yourself that when someone is choking, pulling their ears helps. And see? You're okay now."

I grunted remembering my grandmother's words.

"Wait. What do you mean you're coming to Paris with me? How do you even know about that?" I looked at him in disbelief.

"Well Kara said she can't go to Paris with you and asked me to come with you. You know, for safety." He raised an eyebrow, the smirk still plastered on his face.

"I can go alone alright!" I protested, not even wanting to imagine travelling with Xander.

"Oh really now?"

"Yes, really."