i am SO sorry for how slow my updates have been! i know i haven't updated in a while, but i PROMISE i haven't forgotten about this book! it's not discontinued or anything. i've just been really, really busy and haven't been able to write much. again, a sincere apology to all of you who have been waiting for me to update. whenever i find the chance, i'm going to go through all my requests and write them asap!
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Your P.O.V
Raking a hand through my hair, I made my way out of the Academy of Unseen Arts. What better way to spend a free period than relieving myself of the stuffy academy building and heading to the outside area of the school where I could finally breathe fresh air that didn't stink of sweat and Familiars?
As I walked down the stairs, filling my lungs with the clean, chilly air, I glanced around, grateful that all the others with free periods would rather mess around with spells or kiss the high priest's butt. I frowned when my eyes landed on a short quiff of brown hair, though. Halting in my tracks, I peered over at the wall of the building where someone was seated, back pressed against it with his elbows propped up on his knees, face buried in his hands. I walked toward him slowly, soon recognizing the jacket to be Nick's.
"Hey... are you okay?" I spoke, inching closer to him.
I pretended not to notice the tears that rolled freely down his cheeks that he quickly wiped away at the sight of me. Never in all my years of knowing Nick had I seen him like this. He sat up slightly, looking away briefly to recompose himself I guess, before turning back to face straight ahead, not bothering to look at me.
"Nick?" I repeated, kneeling down to look him in the eye.
"I'm fine, Y/N," he mumbled, voice shaky as he shamefully wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Shouldn't you be in class now anyway?" I rolled my eyes at his attempt to change the subject.
"Free period," I answered as I moved from my kneeling position to a seated one beside him. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong now?" I hated seeing him like this. I wanted to at least know what he was so upset about so I could comfort him somehow.
"Today's the anniversary of my parents' death," he whispered. As the words left his mouth slowly, a fresh set of tears rolled down his cheeks, and this time he didn't bother wiping them away.
I bit my bottom lip, staying silent as I wrapped my arm around his neck, rubbing his arm gently. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Nicholas Scratch, one of my closest friends who I had always known as the cheeky, witty person he usually is, looked so broken. I mean, yeah, I couldn't imagine life without my parents, but I had never seen Nick shed a single tear– not even on the previous anniversaries of his parents' death. I pulled him closer into my side and rested my head on his, encouraging him to let me comfort him.
"I'm so sorry," I finally found the words to say.
With my free hand, I stroked his soft hair and soon his breathing slowed down to a steadier pace with his head still on my shoulder. We were both quiet, the only source of sound being the strong wind that travelled passed us.
"But Nick," I started, my nosiness getting the best of me. "You weren't like this last year or the year before. What changed?"
Slowly, he pulled his head off my shoulder, and when I saw his eyes gloss over with tears, I instantly regretted asking him. He had finally calmed down and I just had to speak.
With his eyes glued to mine, he said, "now Amalia's dead too," and then breaking my heart, he scrunched his face up and looked away as more tears began to fall. "I have no one left, Y/N." Each tear that left his eyes made my heart sink more and more.
"You have me," I reassured, but he paid no attention. I moved from my seated position against the wall and sat directly in front of Nick, lifting his chin up and forcing him to look at me. "You have me, Nick, okay? You'll always have me," I promised.
I wiped his soft cheek with my thumb before pulling him into my embrace. His freely flowing tears soaked my shirt and my legs were aching in the uncomfortable position we were in, but all I cared about was making sure he felt like he wasn't alone. We sat like this for minutes, until his quiet sobs had slowly subsided. I continued to rub his slightly shaking back until he pulled away from my arms.
I wasn't at all expecting what had happened next.
Before I had the chance to say any words of comfort, his lips were suddenly pressed against mine. In complete and utter shock, I pulled away, my eyes wide.
His mouth gaped, and the overall expression on his face showed that he was as taken aback as I was, though his eyes were still pooled with tears, exposing that his sadness had not at all faded. I was too surprised to say or do anything, so I stayed frozen in my position.
"That was really, really dumb," he muttered, shaking his head and looking down at his hands in embarrassment, eyebrows furrowed as though he was angry with himself. "I'm sorry, Y/N."
Though my brain kept telling me that maybe his acts were forced by emotion– that he hadn't even realized what he was doing when he kissed me, my heart kept telling me otherwise. So when he looked back up, with a quickly beating heart, I slowly leaned forward and pressed my lips against his.
"It wasn't dumb," I said quietly, smiling softly as I pulled away.
He returned the smile. It looked genuine but wan simultaneously, but as long as he was smiling, no matter how weak a smile it was, I was thankful. As if in spite of my wishes, his upwardly curved lips that already barely formed a smile started to fade until he looked like he was about to be overcome by tears again. My heart clenched and I pulled him back into a hug, his face buried in my shoulder. I sighed when I felt his body start to wrack with sobs again.
"I love you, Nick," I whispered because I hoped that the words would make him feel better somehow, but also because I truly meant it. I rested my chin on his head, closing my eyes.
I pressed a gentle kiss on his sweat-clad hair, wishing that there was something I could do to make him feel better. To ease his pain and make him forget about all that he's been through. All I could do right now, though, was sit with him and be there for him, no matter how long he needed me to.
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i hope you liked it! the nick ones are always my favorite to write! i feel like season two showed a lot more of how he's actually sweeter and more vulnerable than he normally shows himself to me. i really liked nick this season and i can't wait to write more one-shots about him!
votes and comments are always greatly appreciated! let me know what you think of this chapter!
