Moving On Up

“Ok Charlene, you can do this. You love Mark, not Nick so what’s the issue? You didn’t mean to kiss Nick or kiss him back when he kissed you. You were confused and tired, that’s all.”

No more kissing Nick!

I took a deep breath and ran my fingers through my hair as I stood outside the door to the kitchen, mentally preparing myself for seeing Nick again for the first time since last night. I could hear him and Mark talking and laughing as I pushed open the door before it fell silent.

“The princess has finally woken.” Mark chuckled, walking around the counter towards me. He leant down and pressed his lips to mine before embracing me in a hug. I looked over his shoulder to see Nick in his boxers and wearing a large blue hoodie, leaning on the counter and staring at me over the top of his coffee mug. He slowly lowered the mug but kept his gaze on me, a message in his eyes I couldn’t read. I frowned slightly, trying to analyse his confused features. His eyes softened and a soft, closed lip smile graced his face before he turned and poured the rest of his coffee down the sink.

“Did you sleep well?” Mark asked, stroking my face. I nodded and gave him another cuddle before walking around him towards the fridge to get a redbull.

“So Nick, what are your plans for today?” Mark asked as he perched on one of the bar stools whereas Nick and I remained standing.

“Well practice is on this afternoon so I’m just going to trek my way through the snow somehow and pray the other guys can get there.”

“It’d be a miracle if every single player can get there in these conditions.” Mark agreed. “Babe, have you got a lecture today?”

“No, I checked my blackberry just now and my lecturer can’t get in today so I’m just going to stay home in the warmth.” I grinned as Mark smiled lovingly at me like he always did.

“Ok, well I’m going to have to go shortly to get a head start on all this nightmare traffic. Nick, did you need a lift anywhere or are you just going to brave the cold?”

“Brave the cold.” Nick laughed, a sound I had missed sorely. He pushed himself off the counter and walked upstairs to have a shower, leaving me and Mark alone. I walked over to him and cuddled into his side once he’d stood up.

“I want to spend the day with you today.” I pouted, drawing shapes on his chest.

“I know baby, but I have 4 meetings on today. I’m going to hopefully get home earlier tonight though if the traffic has cleared.”

“I just miss our quality time since you’re always working.”

“I know.” He whispered, resting his forehead on mine. “You’re all I think about during those boring meetings. I want nothing more than to be back here with you.” He sighed and rolled his forehead against mine. “I’m thinking of hiring an assistant so I can get more time off to be with you.”

“That’d be nice.” I smiled, pressing a kiss to his Adam’s apple and snuggling into him again with my head snug underneath his chin.

“You are my number one priority and work has just got a little crazy recently, but I promise to make more time for you.”

“I guess I just need to get used to sharing you with the world.” I chuckled, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I’m a selfish girl and I want you all to myself.” I grinned, settling my lips on his. He groaned deep in his throat and pulled me close, deepening the kiss. Just as the kiss was getting hot and steamy we were interrupted by a certain Jonas.

“Oh, sorry…” Nick said awkwardly as he stopped at the door. Mark pulled away and cursed under his breath before smiling down at me and kissing my lips one last time.

“It’s fine. I was just off now anyway.” Mark said, wrapping his hand in mine. “Have a good day and tell me how practice goes.”

“Will do, enjoy your fun meetings.” Nick laughed as me and Mark walked towards the front door.

“Have a good day, I’ll miss you.” I said, pressing a kiss to his nose.

“You too. Make sure you get your studying done.” He chuckled, kissing my nose back. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” I wrapped a scarf around his neck and smiled at how handsome he looked. I kissed him once more before leaning on the door and watching him walk towards his car, being careful in the snow to avoid slipping. He slowly reversed out of the icy drive way before blowing me a kiss and driving away. A deep breath escaped my lips and I slowly turned and walked back to the kitchen where I knew Nick would be. Nick looked up from the breakfast he was making, turned around and picked up my redbull and held it out for me. Taking the drink from his hand, I sat down at the counter opposite him and began flicking through a magazine.

“Did you want some?” He asked. I leant forward and saw he was making a full English breakfast…heaven.

“Will you have enough for the both of us?”

He simply smiled and began dishing the breakfast onto two plates. “I’m getting good at this cooking stuff.” He placed a plate in front of me and climbed onto the stool next to me, bringing with him a scent of amazing cologne.

I took a bite and fought back a moan at how good it tasted. “Nick, this is amazing.”

“Thanks.” He grinned and took a bite of bacon. “After tasting this, I realised I was being modest before, I’m not ‘getting good’ at cooking; I am a freaking genius in the kitchen!”

I laughed and nodded, agreeing with his statement. “This puts my cooking to shame.”

“Nah, I haven’t tasted your cooking really since I’ve been here. A cook off is well over due.” He smiled, taking a bite of his egg.

“Do you cook for lots of people?”

“No, not really. I get home late and am alone quite a lot so I just cook for myself. I like hogging my amazing food to myself.” He chuckled.

“Well you’ll have to cook some more for us. I know Mark would definitely appreciate your cooking.”

“I’ll have to do that.” He looked at me for a long while before scratching the back of his neck and leaving us in silence for the rest of the meal.

…

Nick POV

“Did you want to come and play outside?” I asked Charlene who had been studying for 3 hours straight. Practice as expected had been cancelled meaning I was spending the entire day with Charlene…until Mark got back.

“Play?”

“Yeah, like make a snowman or something.” I shrugged.

She laughed and continued to write her essay. “Nick, you’re 22 years old and you want to ‘play’?”

“I just have the balls to say it, unlike you.” I grinned.

“Excuse me?”

“You blatantly want to be outside having a snowball fight rather than being stuck inside writing an essay about some old English writer.”

“Jane Austen?”

“Yeah, that chick.”

“Well maybe I enjoy writing essays.”

“Well maybe you’re a big fat liar.”

She stood from her chair and walked over to me, trying to appear intimidating, despite me towering over her.

“You’re going to pay for that with a huge snowball to the face.” She smirked, pushing me aside and walking to the back door, throwing on some boots and a jacket before walking outside. I scooped up a huge snowball and waited for her to turn before launching it at her.

“You little shit!” She screamed after the snowball had blasted her face and scattered snow all in her hair. I laughed as she began pelting snowballs at me, constantly missing. My laughter died down when I turned and she was no where to be seen.

“Charlene? Charlene, where are you?”

I slowly walked around the edge of the huge garden, knowing she was around here somewhere.

“Char - ompf.” A massive snowball collided with my face, followed by loud laughter. I shook my head and opened my eyes to see Charlene running from me.

“That’s it Mrs!” I yelled, chasing after her and smiling at her unstoppable laughter. She suddenly came to a stop and turned to face me, giving me no time to slow down and resulting in me colliding into her and sending us flying to the ground.

“Oww!” She punched my arm and laughed, throwing her head back into the snow. “I’m guessing tackling is one of your specialities in American Football?”

I looked down at her, my body covering hers, my arms keeping me up to prevent squashing her.

“Urm Charlene, you’ve got a little bit of snow in your hair.” I grinned at the mass load she had.

“Oh really? I never would have guessed.” She said sarcastically and laughed, brushing some snow from my hair.

“So…wish you were inside writing an essay?” I bit down on my bottom lip, smiling down at the love of my life.

“No, I guess you were right; play time is much more fun. You know, lying out here in the freezing cold snow is kind of…relaxing. Does that make me a freak?” She crinkled her nose; the cutest sight I have ever seen.

“Yes.” She rolled her eyes, making me laugh. “I don’t want you catching a cold, do you want to go in?”

“I’m not cold; your body is keeping me nice and warm.”

Her eyes were looking past my head at the sky and all the snow trickling down on us. I stared down at her, my heart swelling with love. I felt like I needed to pinch myself to check it wasn’t a dream that I was this close to her again. She was all I had ever wanted; all I would ever want. No one could ever make me feel the way she does. She could never understand how much she means to me.

“You ok?” She asked quietly, holding her hand to my forehead to check I wasn’t getting a temperature. “Nick?” She looked deep into my eyes for a long time before whispering my name once more, “Nick?”

I slowly moved my arms so I was resting on my forearms rather than my hands, my face much closer to her. I ran a hand down her cheek softly, softly whispering her name.

“I love you Charlene.”

“Nick; please don’t.” She whispered, but her eyes were telling a different story. Her eyes were full of love and longing…for me. Her eyes told me what she really wanted but would never admit.

I lowered my face even more and pressed my lips softly to hers before pulling back. Her eyes opened and she looked up at me, her eyes full of emotion. I leant down once more and kissed her for slightly longer before pulling back again.

“Nick.” She whispered. “We can’t.”

“I’ll stop when you honestly tell me you don’t want me to do this.” I kissed her again.

“I don’t want you to do that.” She said so quietly it was hard to make out her words. Her eyes called her a liar.

“Charlene, I never would have picked you as a liar. You forget how well I know you.”

“I’m a different person now.” Again, so quiet.

“You may think so, but you are still the Charlene I know and love.”

She let out a weak breath and brought her hands up to cup my face. “Nicky.”

I froze and simply stared in awe down at her, her thumbs brushing my cheeks. Regardless of how much we had both changed, I was still her Nicky. I’d grown to hate who I was but right then and there, hope sparked within my soul. I let my body fall softly onto hers; still ensuring my weight didn’t crush her. I brushed my nose against hers which was freezing but I didn’t care.

“It’s still me.” I whispered, visibly seeing my breath because of how cold it was.

“I’ve never doubted that you’re still my Nicky.”

My lips brushed hers and for the first time she kissed back. My hands cupped her face and my body covered hers to keep her warm and protected from the snow that was now falling heavily. Our lips moved softly together, transmitting heat between us. She brought her hands up and wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her hands in my curls to keep her fingers warm. Caressing her lips with mine was a feeling I had gone far too long without. I didn’t ever want to be apart from her again. Right here was where I wanted to be. Right here, right now, with her.