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Sept 17, 2019 4:43:32 GMT
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Post by Trix on Jul 19, 2017 16:04:04 GMT
The Boy Next Door On a day off, Nick often didn't know what to do with himself. He'd try to find things to take up his time like sports, working out and catching up on tv shows that he was super behind on. They were distractions to keep his mind busy and away from the things he dealt with at work which were much harder to think about than to live through. When he was in work mode, he was focused and intent on not letting any of the cases get to him on an emotional level. He'd found this button inside of him that allowed him to be objective and calculative. The only time he didn't allow himself to be so cold during work was when he dealt with victims or families of victims. Nobody wanted an unsympathetic asshole when they'd just experienced a trauma. Some of the cases hit close to home with Nick and those were the ones he often tried his hardest to ignore when he was just trying to live his life.
Coming back from a jog, Nicholas found himself unsurprised by the woman standing outside his doorway, yet he was exhausted by the very sight of her. Emma was his best friend, his technical aunt, but definitely more like a sister to him. He'd watched her grow up from the time she was born and he'd always found that his overprotective nature stemmed from looking out for her. She didn't need protecting from anyone because she knew how to take care of herself. Her fierceness had only heightened when she became a mom. It frightened him how much she was aware of the people she cared about, she always seemed to note the smallest changes. And here he stood, purple-colored cheekbone and busted lip. He could only imagine what she was going to say, so he tried his hardest to beat her to a subject.
"Emma!" He jogged up the stairs to his apartment door and scooped his best friend into a hug. "What's up ya little nerd? Where's my favorite cousin/niece/whatever because our family is complicated?" Nick snorted out a laugh and pulled back, tapping her nose. "You're welcome for sharing the sweat, by the way," Because he was absolutely drenched, hair dripping and shirt clinging to his chest. What was family for besides sharing in the disgustingness? # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Jul 29, 2017 6:02:51 GMT
Sometimes it was easier calling him little one but he was older than her so that usually never made sense. It sure was fun calling him that though.
She was at his door, about to text him when she was lifted off her feet. A squeal and a laugh later, she touched ground and punched Nick in the arm playfully. "Ugh, now I need another shower. What did you do, run through a waterfall?" She asked, reaching out to grab his keys from his pocket to open the door.
Tossing the key into the keybowl near the door and dropping her bag on the floor, Emma splayed across the armchair and sighed. "You need new furniture, little one. This one's lumpy." She called out.
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Post by Trix on Aug 24, 2017 1:18:57 GMT
The Boy Next Door A waterfall would have been welcomed in the state that he was in. Cool, refreshing and not nearly as smelly as the sweat that dripped from him instead. "You want me to continue letting you think that it's water?" He winked at her and followed her through the door. Nick knew he needed a shower, but he also wasn't in any hurry. Emma had seen him like this all throughout their lives together. Be it when he was young and running from kids that liked to bully him or later in life when he took up sports and grew into the beast he was. A little sweat never hurt nobody.
He hesitated for a moment on a continuation once they were in the house, but she wasn't as awkward as him and didn't pause. His furniture was the least of his problems, but he'd heard about it from more than just Emma. He cleared back the bile that rose to his throat and rolled his eyes back into his head, "Why d'you call me thaaaat?!" He groaned and huffed before cracking a small smile. They both knew he was older, bigger and definitely not the little one between the two. And yet their strange familial relation somehow made her the 'older' one. Aunt, sister, cousin, it made no difference to him.
Nicholas let her be for the moment and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. It gave him a moment to think while she couldn't look at him. Maybe she hadn't noticed, he tipped the glass back and winced as the ice touched his open wound. He breathed deeply and then turned back around, "You never did answer me before. Where's my little nugget at?" # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Sept 2, 2017 18:31:03 GMT
"You're disgusting." Emma retorted with an eye roll, which seemed to end that part of their conversation naturally.
Emma reached out behind her to where the remote was and switched on the TV. At this point in their relationship, everything else was background noise to them. His protest at her nickname brought a snort and an affectionate grin to her face and she blew a kiss in Nick's direction. It was then that she saw the bruise on his face and her bright disposition seemed to cloud over almost immediately.
"Tell me a perp resisted arrest and gave you that shiner." She asked, her voice flat. His question was ignored once more.
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Post by Trix on Sept 3, 2017 20:20:12 GMT
The Boy Next Door Nick's body tensed, his grip on the glass firm, but his hand trembled the slightest bit. Well, at least she gave him an out. He'd just agree that he caught an elbow to the face while arresting someone. His reflexes weren't as good as they once had been, that sounded about right. And yet when he opened his mouth, the words caught in his throat. Blatantly lying to Emma had always been one of the hardest things in his life, and more often than not, he caved and told her the truth. Nick wasn't dense enough to think Emma wouldn't figure it out on her own another way and he also wasn't dense enough to know she'd make damn sure that the one who had given him the bruises and busted lip would get an equal if not more severe repercussion.
Nick lifted one shoulder up and let it drop in a noncommittal shrug. Better not to say anything. He wasn't lying, but he wasn't agreeing either.
He tried once more to direct the subject away from him, "Ya know I was thinking that we should drive around the old apartment complex Mom and Patch lived in for a while, show Leah where we grew up, take her around the cool hangouts. Er, the park anyway." Nick took another long drink, attempting to compose himself and prepare for her rebuttal that was sure to come from such a lackluster answer. Emma was not one to back away if she thought something was wrong, and it was written all over his face that something was off. # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Sept 10, 2017 8:52:44 GMT
Emma took a deep breath, her eyes closing as she composed herself. Her fists clenched and unclenched, letting go of all the murderous thoughts in her head pertaining to Nicky's bruised face.
The shrug she received from Nicky did nothing to calm her down and she was already standing up to go to him when he tried to change the subject. "Leah is not going to follow you around with that on your face." Emma said, reaching out to his face to look at it carefully.
"Don't make me give you another one, Nicholas Brody Adams." She threatened him, looking straight in his eyes.
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Post by Trix on Sept 10, 2017 19:22:40 GMT
The Boy Next Door Nick bit the inside of his cheek and nodded. Leah didn't need to see him bruised and battered, but then, neither did Emma. He hadn't meant for her to see him this way either. Her hand touched his face and he closed his eyes briefly because he knew what was coming and he couldn't quite look at her if he was going to say it out loud. Her hand touched a tender spot and he winced, which seemingly only added to her threat. Looking into her eyes, he knew there was no escaping this one. No subject change was going to help him. Not even a tornado would probably move her.
He reached up and took her hand from his face, holding it tightly in his own as his eyes followed. He was ashamed of what he'd let become his life, but at the same time, he couldn't quite see it happening any other way. He loved Liz, and he'd do anything for her, even if that meant taking a beating every once in a while. He knew what made her mad, and he should have thought before acting. Emma wouldn't understand.
"Okay, so it wasn't an arrest going wrong. Someone...someone else did it," Nick stopped and squeezed her fingers, just willing for her to let him drop it. If she knew, Patch knew. If Patch knew, his mother knew. And if Layla found out...she already had so much on her plate. As if she needed more reason to worry about him than she already did. She'd spent her whole life worrying about him. They all did. "Emma please..."
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Post by Nu on Sept 10, 2017 21:25:45 GMT
Emma had always looked up to Nick. Her entire life, being with the quiet boy who turned into a strong young man taught her to look for traits like that in all men. He was like Patch in that sense. She supposed he did fashion himself to be just like Emma's big brother growing up.
Seeing him now was breaking her heart. He looked like that young, quiet boy she knew. It made her maternal instincts go on overdrive. It was strange how much Nicky and Emma mirror Patch and Layla in so many ways despite not being related at all.
She squeezed his hand just as he squeezed hers and her eyes softened. Even as he explained that it was someone else, she tried not to fly off the handle. "Don't do this. Don't keep things from me, Nicky." She said softly before cupping his face to make him look at her. Their eyes connected and she gave him a gentle smile. "Eh? Did you get into a fight with your cop buddies?"
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Post by Trix on Sept 11, 2017 4:19:59 GMT
The Boy Next Door She made him look at her and as he did, he saw Leah and he saw what a disappointment he was turning out to be as a role model for anyone to look up to. If she found out that he'd let himself be bullied into loving someone, she'd think that it was normal and okay too. Or Emma. If the roles were reversed and he found out that Emma let some guy push her around for doing something he didn't like, he'd be livid. He might actually kill someone. Yet here he was, allowing the same thing. How could anyone think him strong when he was being beaten by a girl who was supposed to love him?
Nick couldn't return the smile, he couldn't even muster up an expression. He rested his head against her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her and he felt himself shaking. Maybe it was a panic attack, maybe he was cold from the damp clothes he was still wearing. Gulping back the lies he so wished he could tell, he shook his head. Once he pulled back, he disengaged himself from her and stepped away. He didn't want to do it, but he had to. Emma was going to lose it. Maybe not on him, but on something.
"I-it was L-Liz, Em..."
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Post by Nu on Sept 11, 2017 4:47:52 GMT
There was something in Nicky's eyes and just the way he held himself that hurt Emma's heart. She could feel it quickening as the back of her eyes prickled. He looked defeated and the moment his head dropped to her shoulder, nothing else mattered in that moment except for her to hold him.
"Baby, no." She whispered when he pulled away. The words that came out of his mouth next sent a cold shiver through her whole body.
Her body's reaction to the news triggered her abilities. It was subtle at first, just the kettle on the stove vibrating once. She took a deep breath to center herself. "Liz...did this to you?" She asked through gritted teeth.
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Post by Trix on Sept 11, 2017 5:04:00 GMT
The Boy Next Door He was comforted by the way she held him, but he knew it would be short lived. Emma was everything to him as much as he was everything to her and he knew that his reaction to the news if it was her would be volatile, Emma's was about to be much much worse. He didn't want to back away, but it was better for both of them if she could react without worrying about him being nearby. Nick closed his eyes while he waited for the eruption that was coming.
Her gritted teeth and the kettle vibrating showed that he was correct about her reaction. Once he felt it was safer, he reached out to her, still remaining at an arm's-length away. "Emma, it's okay. I'm okay..." Which was a lie, but he didn't want her losing it. He didn't want her to hunt down his girlfriend and kill her, nor did he want her to rip his face off. "Or I will be, ya know. Eventually."
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Post by Nu on Sept 11, 2017 7:11:00 GMT
She wasn't about to make this about herself so Emma concentrated with every cell of her body to reign in her ability, which caused her nose to bleed slightly. She pictured Leah laughing and using Nicky as an airplane and slowly the rage dissipated. Her eyes fluttered shut and she shook her head to compose herself, wiping the blood away from her nose and looking at Nick with an incredulous look.
"This is okay?" She gestured to his face. "What the fuck was she thinking laying a hand on you like this?" Emma asked, maintaining a cool voice. "What did she think you did?"
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Post by Trix on Sept 11, 2017 15:37:12 GMT
The Boy Next Door Nicholas could tell that she was trying to rein it in. And he knew she cared enough about him to try and focus on the current predicament. She gestured to his face and he flinched unintentionally. Emma was not someone who would hit him in a serious manner, he knew that. They both jabbed and poked at each other, shoving and messing around. But they would never fight the way he and Liz did. The way that Liz did. Still, he had grown so used to being hit, he couldn't keep himself from reacting as though he was about to be again.
He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged, "I moved her stuff around when I was cleaning the other day and she couldn't find her brush or something. She told me I shouldn't move her things, or even touch them and I did. I knew better, but I did it anyway." At this point he was just repeating the words that she had said to him, yelled rather. It was definitely a brush because he remembered her throwing it at him, but he wasn't about to fess up that information to Emma who was already seething.
Nick stepped closer to Emma and hugged her, he didn't like when she was mad. He tightened his arms around her waist and rested his cheek on her shoulder, "Please don't be mad, Em. I can't take it." # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Sept 11, 2017 19:19:51 GMT
His reaction to her gave her pause and she immediately felt guilty. How long would it have had to happen for him to react this way? She didn't know anyone who was a victim of domestic abuse, and here she knew one intimately and didn't even know it. How could she have missed the signs?
And then, of course, he was apologising for the monster's behaviour and Emma couldn't handle it. She could see several utensils behind Nick starting to hover. She had to take several deep breaths and close her eyes.
She felt his arms moving around her and she softened. The utensils dropped gently into their place as she pulled him close, no longer caring that he was sweaty. "I'm not mad at you, Nicky. You know that. I could never be." She gently reassured him, stroking his hair. She wanted him to stop hurting but she knew she didn't have the tools to.
"How long has this been happening?" She asked after a long pause. She immediately regretted asking it because she didn't want to know the answer.
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Post by Trix on Sept 11, 2017 23:51:26 GMT
The Boy Next Door Nicholas was not surprised to hear the thuds of the utensils behind him as she hugged him back. He breathed slowly, trying to remain calm in the surroundings so that she would remain calm. His eyes closed while she ran her fingers through his hair and he squeezed her waist, "I don't want you to be mad at all. I didn't mean to upset you." His voice was muffled against her shoulder. And then they both went quiet.
When she finally spoke again, he let out a heavy sigh. They both knew how unlikely it was that she wanted the answer. And frankly, Nick couldn't remember when the first time way anymore. He just remembered it was over something small, as it usually was. He cleared his throat and pulled away, "Long enough to become a habit." It was the only answer he could offer her that wasn't going to dive into more grueling details. Nick knew that Emma would be thinking of the signs that she missed and he wanted to ease her mind, but he just didn't know how. "What do you want me to say, Em?" # | @ | notes ulla |
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