IT HAD BEEN A WHILE SINCE NICKY JUMPED ON THE COUCH. A usually excitable man, his most common first impression given to people was him in his generally happy disposition, always smiling, talking fast and often doing things most people his age would raise an eyebrow at, wondering just how childish he really was. He had many habits and little quirks, most of which would disappear when he grew serious, something that had become a staple over the past few months, but they were now back with a vengeance and he couldn't say he was unhappy with their return.
Thus, the bouncing.
"I can't tell if you're happy or not," Peter said, laughing as he flipped in the air, all of them jumping on the couch which Nicky had tricked out to expand into a bed, a feature he had added when Diana began sleeping over more often.
"Oh, I'm terrified," Nicky replied, jumping and moving parallel to the ground, his back hitting the cushions before he was bouncing back up, landing up on his feet, continuing to jump.
"But I can't do anything, so I might as well relax," he groaned, falling back again and staying down, smiling as the others continued to jump, "Rhett, what should be make for dinner?"
"We can get takeout," the man said, pausing just a few inches from the man's head, arms pinwheeling as he tried to balance himself, "That's what we usually do when Steve comes over and we haven't cooked."
The younger man scoffed. "That sounds like a cheap and awful idea, it's fine is it's just Steve, but Sam's coming, c'mon, I think I still have time to cook steak or something."
"Steak?" Diana parroted, perking up, "Can Bugs and I stay over, I wanna have some steak."
Nicky sighed and stood, eyes darting between the two teenagers. "If you help me cook, I'll think about convincing the people in charge to let you stay, okay?"
"Sweet, let's go!" Diana cheered, jumping down from the couch, her socks slipping on the hardwood floor, nearly sending her into the coffee table if not for Peter's arm shooting out and grabbing her shirt, tugging her back.
As the blonde walked towards the kitchen with the man, her socks sliding across the hardwood floor, Nicky reached out and lightly grabbed her arm, whispering softly, "Are you doing okay? I know it sounds bad, but you're a lot more...upbeat than usual."
She just smiled and him before making her way to the fridge, rummaging around for nothing in particular. He sighed and made a mental note to call her later than night to check in, as they hadn't had a proper session since before Christmas.
"You mentioned Sam when you first gave me my wings, I didn't realize you liked him so much," Diana said, pushing herself up onto the counter to watch Nicky get to work, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Peter, referencing her short bout with a few weapons that Nicky had reluctantly made for her a few months before that were no longer in any real use.
Nicky hummed, shrugging. "It's...complicated."
"When is not with you?" Diana asked, her smile much more calm, much more genuine, "When Harry first referred me to you, he knew you weren't just a psychologist, but no one really knows what you do."
He snorted, shaking his head. "I don't even know." Because he didn't. That never bothered him before, so it wouldn't bother him now.
º º º
"I like the maroon tie better."
"But it doesn't go with that shirt."
"The tie's too much, try the maroon shirt without the tie."
Nicky groaned and threw down the polka dot shirt in his hands, turning around to give an unimpressed look to the three people sprawled about on his bed, peering into his closet and critiquing all of his life choices.
"It's not like I'm going on a date," he pointed out, nevertheless rehanging the shirt and searching for the maroon one that Rhett had pointed out.
"Then why are you bringing out the good wine?" Diana asked, though she wrinkled her nose at the mention of the alcoholic beverage, "And you're making steak. That Bugs and I can't eat."
"You're eating out at the fancy restaurant with your family, doc, you can get steak there," Peter pointed out, Nicky gesturing grandly towards him, though his action only went noticed by Rhett, the two teenagers too engrossed in each other to pay much attention.
"But I wanna meet Nicky's boyfriend," Diana pouted, and Peter kissed her while Nicky loudly protested the description she gave for Sam.
"He is not my boyfriend, he doesn't even remember me, don't," he said, not too serious for her to pay him much mind beyond laughing, though stopping nevertheless.
"Well, I'd like to meet him. After all, Bugs did beat him during their fight in Germany," Diana said proudly, and Peter could only duck his head and smile.
Nicky glanced over to Rhett and the two shared a smile. These two kids were important to them, they've all been through a lot together, and they were never tired of seeing them being happy together, being as much of normal teenagers as they could be. God knows that Nicky and Rhett didn't get that luxury either.
"Well, if this goes well, maybe he'll drop by again and you can talk to him all you want," Nicky said, and Diana paused for a moment, tilting her head in silent question and he just smiled back, not having an answer.
"Okay, how's this?" Nicky asked, pulling out the maroon shirt and picking up the jeans Diana had plucked from the row.
"Roll up the sleeves," Peter said, "Harry always looks really good when he rolls up his sleeves."
Diana made a sound from the back of her throat and turned to look at him with wide, questioning eyes and he just shook his head, cheeks a light pink as he reached over to kiss her temple idly, hoping that was enough to appease her for now.
Rhett grinned at the two of them, mumbling something about young love that made Diana scoff and tap him on the cheek lightly, the band on her left ring finger glistening under the lights of Nicky's room, an arm slung around Peter's neck, and Nicky could do nothing but stare.
Nicky had always wanted a family, one that he had been told so many times he deserved, but never had, and he couldn't help but look at these three and realize that this was the family he deserved, and it was even more shocking to realize that there were others that he counted that weren't in his room. How he got so lucky, he would never know.
His eclectic little family comprised of the people who suffered so much, yet smiled nonetheless. Who saw the good in people despite the world never being good to them, who found others who struggled more, pointed to them and said, "I want to help them so they never feel what I do." The kind of people he was, and how could he ever frown when they were around.
"Why're you looking at us like that?" Diana asked, catching sight of his smile, so different than the ones she had seen.
He shook his head and motioned for them to leave, as he was going to change, and it occurred to him that, in that moment, he wasn't afraid that they'd just leave him alone once they exited the room.
That was a feeling he didn't have often and he clung onto it with all he had, because he wouldn't feel it again tomorrow.
º º º
"It's cute how much you love the kids," Rhett commented as they began to set out the food, their guests already on their way from Steve's apartment, meaning it wouldn't be long before Nicky would have to revert back to extroverted mode and try to keep himself from breaking early.
"What can I say, Diana's taught me what it means to be a father, it's not worth it," he said, grinning as Rhett laughed, the two setting the table and rearranging placemats.
"Yeah, well, don't let her get to Sam too early, she might tell him about the wings," Rhett said, and Nicky tried not to react to that statement beyond a nod and a smile, because not even Rhett remembered anymore.
Time does that, it seems. Makes people forget. Unfortunately for Nicky, he didn't get that luxury.
His musings were interrupted by a knock on the door that nearly had him hitting a dish right off the table. Rhett held out his arms, near touching him, the two sharing a shaky laugh as they adjusted their clothes, the blond making his way to the door to open it.
"Hey!" he greeted brightly, letting in the two men, hugging Steve who apologized, saying that he didn't want to be rude and use his key since Sam with was him, and Rhett waving it off, reaching out to shake Sam's hand, the man smiling and complimenting their place.
"Nicky?" he asked, turning his attention to the youngest man in the room, and Nicky immediately went into a default, grinning and shaking his hand, greeting him and hoping he wasn't coming off too strong.
"Yeah, that's me, Sam Wilson, right?" he asked, though he already knew, and Sam knew that he knew.
"At least one of us knows names," Sam joked, and it was as if all the tension had dissipated and left nothing but an easiness that had Nicky grinning like a madman.
"How's it going, Nick?" Steve asked, walking away from Rhett to greet him, hugging Nicky where he thought there would be a handshake; seems like the day was full of pleasant surprises.
"It's going, how are you?" Nicky asked, laughing off the concerned expression that flashed over the man's face, though it only eased it so much, "I'm good, Steve, seriously."
While he didn't fully believe him, Steve didn't say anything, instead just smiling and moving back towards Rhett who motioned everyone towards the table, the two guests' practically drooling at the sight of the steak and other dishes Nicky prepared, because he was the kind of person to worry that they might want variety when they were expecting takeout.
"So what do you do, Nick?" Sam asked, taking a bite of his steak, looking up from where he was sitting across from him.
"I'm a clinical psychologist?" he replied, and he wished it hadn't come out as a question, because then Sam was raising an eyebrow and glancing over to Steve who coughed around his sip of wine while Rhett sighed.
"Is that not what you do?" Sam asked, and Nicky shook his head frantically, trying to swallow.
"No, it is what I do, I have three PhD's, the whole thing," he said quickly, "I don't know why it came out like that. Guess it just sounds weird 'cause I'm only twenty-six and most people my age still don't know what they're doing with their lives and are probably struggling to pay rent."
Sam raised his eyebrows, shocked. "You have three PhD's? At twenty-six?"
Nicky shrugged. "It's a long story, not counting the fact that I was accelerated a few grades. Barely even counting, really, the acceleration just meant that I didn't get any dates in high school."
He forced himself to say it with as much nonchalance as he could, shrugging and taking a sip of wine, only watching Sam's reaction out of his peripheral vision. He caught onto the small furrow of his brow and tilt of his head, desperately trying to place Nicky to see if he was who he thought he was.
"Where are you from?" Sam asked carefully, taking another bite of his steak, so focused on Nicky that he didn't notice the look Steve gave to the floor.
"Harlem," Nicky said, staring him dead in the eye.
He reveled in the sight before him, watching as recognition washed over Sam, his eyes flickering as memories flooded back, filling his mind and his vision as Nicky's own features shifted to accommodate memory, Sam finally "seeing" him for the first time since the past two days.
But Sam didn't say anything. He just went back to eating, but not before giving Nicky a look that told him they'd be talking later. Instead, they just descended back into relative silence, Steve and Rhett chatting softly about how his night at the bar was and if he had the night off or not.
"No, I don't have the night off, sorry," Steve said, giving Rhett that apologetic apple pie smile that had him and Nicky swooning, but Sam rolling his eyes and scoffing.
"Does he do that often?" Sam asked, gesturing to the smile, and the two nodded. The man groaned, shoving Steve slightly. "Stop using them like that, man—Listen, he is a little shit, don't trust him at all."
"Do you trust him?" Rhett asked, taking a sip of wine.
"Of course, he's my best friend, but that's besides the point," Sam said, waving his hand as he got ready to rant, ignoring the way Steve opened his mouth to protest, "Don't even try, pal, ever since we went into hiding I haven't been able to talk to Rhodey, you have no idea how difficult it's been not being able to talk to him."
"Rhodey as in Tony's friend?" Nicky interrupted, wishing he didn't sound so suspicious, Rhett nudging him under the table.
If Sam caught on—which he most likely did—he didn't make notice of it. "Yeah, we used to meet up and talk about how much these guys drive us crazy. But we love 'em, so we stick around."
"But he's the worst," he continued before Steve could comment, "Actually. Did he tell you about D.C.? And all the other times we've ever worked out together?"
Rhett and Nicky leaned forward in their seats with rapt focus. "Tell me everything."
º º º
"So I didn't actually get to ask, since I was passed out on New Year's, what do you do now?" Nicky asked, he and Sam sitting together on one of the couches an hour later.
After Sam had finished his exhaustive list of stories having to do with him and Steve, the conversation began to dwindle down slightly, he and Rhett speaking briefly before the blond went to his boyfriend, leaving Sam to talk with Nicky, which the younger man was still conflicted about.
"I'm a secretary, I work for Jennifer Walters, she's an up-and-coming attorney from Los Angeles," he explained, still cradling his glass of wine, "She doesn't ask many questions and neither do I, it's a good set up."
"Nice," Nicky said, nodding, "Are you happy with that?"
Sam laughed softly, taking a sip of his drink. "I was a counselor in D.C., Nicky, don't think I don't know what you're doing."
The younger man felt his cheeks grow warm in shame and he glanced away. "I'm sorry."
Sam just hummed, taking another sip of his wine before reaching over and setting it on the coffee table. "Okay, I just need a yes or no answer, do I know you? From high school, I mean. Because I feel like I do, but you're not the guy I remember."
Nicky laughed softly as he took a long sip of his wine, trying to keep himself from spitting out all the thoughts that were swirling in his brain that was slowly losing its focus; he was on his fifth glass of wine.
"Of course you don't remember me, I smile now," was what he ended up saying, which was one of the thoughts he had wanted to suppress, but out of all of them, it wasn't the worst.
Sam laughed, but cut himself short, just staring at Nicky for a moment. "I remember seeing you around all the time, but I can't remember where."
"We were in show choir together," he said, much too fast to be socially acceptable, but it was too late now and, besides, he was drinking, "You were also the star quarterback and junior class president. You basically had a foot in everything and I had my foot in some things, but it was show choir."
Sam didn't seem to really notice his ramblings or how he had managed to remember every aspect of him in high school, and was instead just looking at him with a pensive look that had Nicky fidgeting, staring into his glass instead of looking at him.
Finally, Sam said, "Well, this was a pleasant surprise, looks like I didn't miss my chance at a reunion just yet."
Nicky winced as he remembered the high school reunion he had been invited to. Sam had most likely been invited as well, but he probably didn't make it either. He decided not to make a comment, instead just tilting his head back, wishing he could smile.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked, continuing to look at him.
The younger man shook his head. "I'm never okay."
Sam didn't ask, at least not yet. He wasn't the kind of person to ask, not when the man in front of him was drunk, instead storing the information for later when he could ask the man, sober. Of course, later on, he would wish he asked then instead of putting it off, because something he would quickly learn about Nicky Green is that he never admitted to anything being wrong with himself, so long as it didn't affect anyone else.
Instead he said, "I know how that feels," because he did, and Nicky knew that he did, not that he knew.
"'s good to see you again, Sam," Nicky mumbled as he began to fall asleep, head still tilted back towards the ceiling.
Sam closed his eyes and began to doze as well. "It's good to see you too, Nicky. Maybe this time around we can actually be friends."
Nicky could only hope.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
"This is gonna be a romcom," I said, pretending like I'm not gonna be writing super sad stuff about Sam and Nicky. Honestly, I should have known I couldn't write a full out romcom the moment I titled this story "Almost Happy" and gave Nicky the terrible backstory and made this about Sam Wilson, what was I thinking, the poor man has been on two tours of Afghanistan and lost his best friend, he's seen hell.
Yeah, so...this still wasn't what I had in mind for Sam and Nicky reuniting, but honestly, this was the best I could do, and I think it was alright considering who they are as people, they're both perceptive and they're both empaths, but they also have a lot of fun. I can just see them doing this, I don't know, they're'll be more to it next chapter.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
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