I was gonna make this a more emotional one-shot, but I promised a rom-com for Almost Happy and instead it was super painful, so here's your rom-com, I refuse to let them be anything but happy in this.

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NICKY'S NOSE WAS RED. He huffed, watching his breath dissipate in front of him as he and Sam made their way to the train station, trekking through the fallen snow, and despite the freezing temperatures, Nicky could only feel warm, Sam holding him close as the two made their way over towards the nearest entrance.

"I've missed you," Nicky said through chattering teeth as they made their way down, the snow disappearing as they descended the stairs and into the station.

"I missed you too, Princess," Sam whispered, tugging Nicky away from the crowd to kiss him briefly.

Nicky didn't realize he had missed this until he was leaning much too close, he and Sam nearly tumbling onto the ground if not for the latter steadying both of them at the last second, and they couldn't help but laugh, clinging onto each other, ignoring the looks from tourists, instead just stumbling over towards their stop.

"You know," Sam said, hugging Nicky from behind, mumbling into the crook of his neck, "I nearly forgot what you sounded like. I don't know, I always think your voice is higher than it actually is, maybe 'cause you're a baby."

"I'm not a baby," he whined, turning around to look at the man who wasn't even an inch taller than him, "You're not that much older than me and you're not even taller than me."

Sam gave him a wide, gap toothed smile, shaking his head as he motioned towards him. "See? That's the voice I imagine, but that's 'cause you just whine all the time, I don't think I ever hear you talk regularly."

Nicky didn't justify that statement with a response, and Sam laughed, knowing fully well that it was because the younger man wasn't sure if he would be able to speak normally, or if his voice was going to be higher like it had been just moments before.

"You know I love you," Sam cooed, and Nicky felt his face heat up, burying his face in Sam's jacket and mumbling incoherently in response, a shriek building in his chest. 

It had been some time since he had seen Sam last, what with him and Steve going off with Natasha to do who knows what to help who knows who, and while he did make some tech to help conceal them, Sam had made him promise not to insert himself anymore and especially not to track them, so, learning from the shady dealings that Diana had done when she had inserted a tracker into Peter, Nicky decided to keep to himself and trust his boyfriend.

But that didn't mean he had to like it, and he couldn't help himself from clinging onto him even when their train arrived, Sam having to walk them over, Nicky hardly pulling away, even when the man told him that it was a hazard for them to be walking like that.

"What's going on?" Sam asked, the two sitting down, their car just empty enough to let them sit, "You've been acting weird all day."

"Actually, I think I've been acting the same," Nicky mumbled, leaning against Sam's side, nuzzling against his neck, "I've just missed you, 's all. You've been gone forever, and you're never around that long. Jen's gotten a new person working for her now."

"Yeah, I know," Sam said, nodding as he remembered the conversation he had with the woman who told him to take care of himself last they spoke, "And I missed you too, princess. But we're slowing down now, we'll be around longer, I promise."

Nicky sighed, moving to rest his head in Sam's lap, closing his eyes when the man began to play with his hair, Nicky relaxing almost immediately, reaching out to hold his other hand.

"I don't believe you."

º º º

The two got out some time later, Nicky yawning as he woke, Sam holding him close as they made their way down the street, trying to move past despite all the snow, and Nicky knew his nose was red and cheeks flushed, and he shivered underneath his warm coat.

The two made their way over to Rockefeller Center, looking around at all the stores around them, Sam smiling and pointing out certain things in the windows to make him smile, Nicky mentioning that Rhett got Steve a present from one of the more scandalous stores, causing Sam to blanch and beg to never be told anything about the two blonds' sex lives ever again.

The two turned right, pausing in front of a jewelry store window, the glimmer of diamonds catching Nicky's eye, and Sam moved slightly behind him, the two peering in as they looked at the rings and necklaces in the display.

"I should get you one of those," Sam mumbled against Nicky's temple, "Something pretty. You don't wear a watch, maybe I can get you one of those."

"You don't have to," Nicky said, ushering him along, and while Sam didn't fight back, it was clear the thought had burrowed itself in his mind.

Hoping that he would soon forget, Nicky grabbed Sam's hand and tugged him towards the ice rink where people were already lined up for their round. People were only allowed to skate for 90-minute intervals every two hours, and the two had timed their trip perfectly so they could get to one of the later ones—they weren't doing the starlight skate because that was a little too much on the emotional side for their taste.

It was a funny thing to say, that something was too emotional for Nicky and Sam, but the two were empaths and a cacophony of emotions in one day was too draining, especially when Sam had just returned home.

So they tried not to think as they made their way into the line to get their skates and punch into the 90-minute interval skating time, though they weren't necessarily sure if they were going to stay for the full time.

"Have you ever been here?" Nicky asked, glancing over to Sam who shook his head, giving him a small smile.

"It's strange, I'd always ask my parents to take me, but every year we never got around to it. After they died, I just decided not to...it didn't feel right," Sam explained, rubbing the back of his neck, and Nicky immediately regretted asking; he didn't mean to bring up bad memories.

But Sam knew how to bounce back, immediately tapping the back of Nicky's hand—one of his many ways of letting the man know not to push too far into it—asking, "Have you ever been here?"

Nicky nodded as they continued up the line, looking around at the decorations and people around them. "Yeah, a few times. Terran took me on the first winter that we spent together. Then all the others, sometimes more than once, he'd take some of the other complex members on most days, but sometimes he'd just take me. Rhett and I used to go, but then we just stopped wanting to. So it's been a while."

Sam smiled when he heard about Terran. He had been wary about the man when he first arrived back into Nicky's life, but it didn't take long for him to remember how crucial Terran was in keeping Nicky safe and shaping him into who he was, and that one, albeit very long, story about why he had disappeared in the first place had everything fitting perfectly into place.

So hearing about Terran just let Sam know that Nicky was going to be fine. The man sometimes joined them on their excursions, hoping maybe he could find the complex, which constantly proved futile, but Sam knew he checked up on Nicky occasionally, especially when he was gone.

"You're thinking very loudly," Nicky commented, turning around to look at him, and Sam laughed, pressing a kiss on the younger man's nose, a smug smile gracing his lips when Nicky turned a bright red.

The two arrived at the front of the line, and Nicky asked for their skate sizes without a hitch, and it was one of those instances where Sam had to remind himself that Nicky knew how to talk to people incredibly well; he just tended to get flustered whenever he had to talk to Sam.

They were given their skates and Nicky tugged Sam along, the two searching for an open bench to sit down and switch out their shoes for skates, and Sam just let Nicky take the lead, because he had absolutely no idea what to do and, frankly, was still a little too out of it to even register what was happening.

He was genuinely surprised when he found himself on the ice, and couldn't for the life of him remember how he had gotten there; the last thing he remembered was Nicky sitting him down on the bench and placing a hand on his shoulder so he could balance.

"That was some major disassociation, man, I was worried for a minute there," Nicky joked, and it was strange to hear a psychologist joke about something like that, but it was clear he was going to pry an explanation out from him later so Sam just went with it.

As soon as Sam tried to start moving, he slipped, falling on his backside, and he would've tried to brush it off or cursed, but then Nicky was erupting into a flurry of giggles and he couldn't do anything but try to stand, only to fall on his stomach a moment later, and that was only partly on accident, but then Nicky was nearly falling over from how hard he was laughing, so Sam counted it more than a win.

When he finally got himself back on his feet—with no help from Nicky, thank you very much—the younger man decided to have pity on his boyfriend—"you're sad and old, it's my moral obligation as a youth of today"—and help him try to learn how to ice skate.

"Okay, so what you do is you sort of glide, it's kind of like waddling, but smoother, you know?" Nicky tried, walking alongside Sam who had to hold onto the side like a little kid, and the older man realized then and there that there was a reason there was only one teacher living in their loft.

He said as much to Nicky who shushed him, his lower lip jutting out in a pout as he stood in front of Sam, his legs shoulder width apart and arms crossed, not even struggling to stand perfectly still. "You're just upset because you're a bad student and you don't want to admit it because of your deep seated insecurities."

Sam tilted his head, narrowing his eyes as he looked at him. "You're the kid who slept all throughout psych class."

"I got out with a hundred and four percent in a class and a four point five GPA," Nicky announced, and, to rub it in, he started to skate backwards, doing a small dance before spinning on one foot.

If Sam was being honest, he loved seeing Nicky like this. Relaxed and proud of himself, so secure that he was willing to mock him and, granted, Nicky mocked him a lot, but never for something like this. Usually for things like making grilled cheese or his taste in music, sometimes how he held Nicky when he decided to sleep over, but never about things like this.

He must have had a ridiculous smile on his face, because when Nicky finally looked back towards him, he just paused, tilting his head with a small smile, the kind that he had whenever Rhett and Steve did something in public, or when Harry called to tell him that he could sit in during the drug talks in class without needing to leave.

It was the kind of smile that he had when he thought no one was looking, the kind that was directed towards things that made him more than happy.

Sam never thought he'd see that smile directed towards him, but once he did, he didn't think he could go back to living the way he used to.

Then he was on the ground again and Nicky was doubled over laughing, skating back to help him, and Sam would have fallen on the ground for the rest of his life if it meant being able to hear Nicky laugh like that all the time.

"You're using knives to run on ice, how is this safe or possible?" Sam demanded as he was helped back up onto his feet, nearly falling down as soon as he was up.

Nicky laughed, pushing Sam back against the wall so that he couldn't fall, moving to let some overzealous kids whiz past them, a smug smile gracing his lips as he glanced towards his incredulous and deeply offended boyfriend.

"How—" he began, only to stop, just sighing as he continued to watch the kids race with each other, weaving in and out of other skaters, "This is bullshit."

"No, it's not," Nicky drawled, taking his hands and tugging him a few inches away from the wall, "Come on, I'll teach you. When Terran first took me, I couldn't skate either. Now look at me, I'm pretty good. Now go on, waddle."

So Sam did. People weren't paying attention to him—in New York, that was standard—so he could waddle all he wanted without any care in the world. Except, of course, for the fact that he was being told to waddle by his younger boyfriend who was trying to teach him how to ice skate.

"You're doing good," Nicky encouraged, and Sam wasn't sure if that kind of encouragement was helpful or just solidified how bad he was at the whole thing.

The two slowly made their way around the rink, Sam holding tightly to Nicky's arm, the psychologist grinning the entire time; he hadn't stopped smiling since they got onto the rink, and it was clear he wasn't going to stop any time soon. 

No matter what Nicky said, he truly did have a jaw made for smiling.

"Sam, we're in public," Nicky chastised as Sam pulled him in for a kiss, holding onto him partly because he was his boyfriend, but also because he didn't want to fall and get at least one of them in the hospital.

"Eh, no one cares," Sam said, stealing one more kiss before pulling away.

While it didn't matter much for Sam, he knew that Nicky really didn't like showing much affection in public. Nicky wasn't ashamed or anything, and he certainly wasn't trying to hide who he was, but he didn't like the idea of grandstanding their relationship or doing anything intimate in the public eye. A man who knew a deeper meaning to surveillance, he liked to keep his secrets.

It just didn't make him all that comfortable, and he always appreciated how understanding Sam was about the entire thing, because Sam was very affectionate. Of course, they held hands and they occasionally kissed while waiting for the train, but if it were up to Sam he'd carry him everywhere or just spin him in the middle of the sidewalk and kiss him, and while that was beyond sweet that he cared about him so much, Nicky much preferred their kisses in the dark corner of Black Tap than a kiss in the middle of the Rockefeller Center skating rink.

"Let's keep going," he said, taking Sam's hand and tugging him along, reminding him to waddle.

Sam said that he wasn't the best teacher and, yes, perhaps he wasn't, but he couldn't be responsible for the teaching methods when it came to ice skating, because he was simply reciting verbatim what Terran had taught him all those years ago when he first took him ice skating.

He had been young and easily flustered, and each fall had given him all the more reason to glare at Terran and call him and the entire excursion stupid. But Terran had known he didn't truly want to leave, so he kept trying to teach him, and now there Nicky was, trying to teach some else, able to skate circles around his student, just like Terran had.

He reminded himself to tell the older man all about it once he got home.

"Look, see, you got it!" Nicky cheered, skating a little ways away from Sam, motioning for him to waddle towards him, and despite the eye rolls and scoffing, Sam did as he was told, and he did it rather well.

"Okay, what do I do next?" Sam asked, still unsteady on his feet, but much steadier than he was when he first stepped on the ice.

"Okay," Nicky said, trying to think back to what Terran had told him, "So it's almost as if you're stepping off one foot and letting it glide before moving to the other foot, so you should push off the wall and start doing the same kind of waddle, but instead of smaller steps, they're larger and more fluid, and you push off."

Sam blinked. "You're a very bad teacher."

"I'm trying my best!" Nicky laughed, moving to skate around him in a circle, before stopping in front of him, his hands on his hips, "Now seriously, Sam, it worked for me, come on. Look, don't think about the words so much, just think logically."

Sam scoffed, making a face at him, but did as he was told, still keeping a hand near the railing, but trying to go without it, save for the initial push forward, and Nicky skated backwards, always in front of him and ready to help if needed.

That was who Nicky was, Sam realized with a start. The kind of person who was always ahead, but would turn his back to his future to make sure the people he cared about were supported and knew how to get to their own.

"What's up with you today?" Nicky laughed as Sam pushed off the wall so he could hug him, knowing that Nicky wouldn't be too happy if he kissed him again, but hugs were always good.

"I just missed you," Sam reasoned, because there was no way he could try to explain his thought process without sounding ridiculous.

Nicky just reveled in the hug for a few moments, sighing and letting his shoulders relax, leaning into his boyfriend who held him so tightly Nicky had to wonder if Sam was planning on letting go, but he toyed with the notion that he wouldn't have minded if he didn't.

But all good things must come to an end, and things hardly ever ended cleanly for Nicky. As it seemed, he had leaned too far in to Sam and, unable to catch himself in time, the older man's foot gave way and the two fell into a heap on the ice.

Someone scoffed something as they skated past, and Nicky tried not to let his ears burn as he realized it was probably having something to do with them being a same gender couple, as well as interracial, but he stopped Sam before the man could try to pick a fight, despite not being able to stand on the ice all too well.

"I'm a veteran," Sam spat as Nicky helped him to his feet, the veteran in question holding onto the wall, "Should I mention that? You know, make that ass feel terrible for shit talking a man who served his country? And said man's boyfriend?"

Nicky preened under his words, despite them being rather heated and directed in anger towards another person, and he squeezed Sam's arm. "No, don't, you don't want to draw too much attention to yourself. I know you were granted amnesty and all, but we don't want people asking too many questions or starting to look."

Sam sighed, nodding in understanding. He knew that Nicky was looking out for him and Steve, and he was looking out for himself and Steve as well, but the main reason he let it go was because he didn't want anyone coming after Nicky. The man had more to lose than any of them, and the last thing he wanted was to drag him down with him.

"I like it when you say I'm your boyfriend," Nicky mumbled, holding onto Sam's arm, ducking his head and glancing up at him shyly through his lashes, "I mean, I know I am, but it's nice to hear."

Sam felt his chest constrict and his heart melt at the sound because, if he was honest with himself, he really loved the little garden gnome. It scared him sometimes how much he did, but then Nicky smiled and he couldn't fathom why it would do anything but make him inexplicably happy.

He skated forward to try and reach Nicky, because, and he was already planning the apology in his head, but he had to kiss him, he just had to, but the man skated away, as he would if Sam was actually just trying to skate.

The two came to the same realization at the same time. Sam shook his head slowly at him, his voice coming out in a silent whisper, his heart sinking as Nicky nodded in tandem, his lips pulling into a wide grin.

That was how Sam was tricked into learning how to ice skate. 

"Come on, Nicky, seriously," he called, definitely not whining no matter what Nicky would say later on, "Come on, this counts as reckless endangerment."

"Just catch me, Sam, it's not that hard," Nicky taunted, skating just out of Sam's reach, forcing the man to keep trying to skate to catch up with him.

At first, Sam had to constantly catch himself on the ice and had fallen one or two times, Nicky skating over to help, only to nearly be caught, forcing the younger man to keep his distance. But after a few rounds, Sam started to gain speed, figuring out what to do, not needing to keep a handle on the side so much, but Nicky was still out of his reach at the speed he was going.

Suddenly, Sam was giving Nicky a run for his money, the younger man shrieking with laughter as he raced backwards to keep out of his boyfriend's reach, turning around finally just to skate, not wanting to accidentally hit someone, moving away from the wall to weave in and out of other people skating, cyclical movement a thing of the past, and Sam was actually able to keep up, albeit needing to slow down slightly now that he had nothing to grab in case he fell.

Nicky would have cheered if he wasn't trying to avoid being caught.

But Sam wasn't so easily deterred and, as a veteran and ex-Avenger, he knew more than his fair share when it came to tact, so it came to no surprise that he was able to outsmart Nicky, the younger man unwittingly skating, right into Sam's arms, the man picking him up and trying to spin them, only for them to fall over instantly.

They had landed towards the side, and by that point a good number of people had cleared out and the people who had paid any attention to them had heard Sam shouting about not having seen Nicky in weeks, so it was understandable what was happening.

The older man laughed as he shifted Nicky who had fallen into his lap, the psychologist just holding onto him. "Caught you, princess."

The biggest surprise was when Nicky kissed him. The younger man wasn't usually the one to initiate kisses, so this was a surprise, but Sam certainly wasn't complaining, holding onto him so tightly for fear of letting him go and never getting him back, but he could feel Nicky shaking and he knew that he wasn't running away again any time soon.

"I missed you," Nicky whispered, pressing their foreheads together, not caring that they were in public, not caring that they were just sitting on the ice.

Sam laughed, hugging him tightly. "I missed you too, princess. But I'm home now."

He was right, Nicky thought to himself. He was home now. And he wasn't running away any time soon.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Take a shot every time I refer to one of them as the other one's 'boyfriend' because I do it a lot, but they deserve it, you know? I didn't really do it for Rhett and Steve, but for these idiots, I gladly will.

Also, I initially wanted to have Nicky be the one who didn't know how to ice skate—because that's kind of a Nicky thing—but then I realized Terran would never, and I liked the idea of Nicky being the one in charge because in a lot of other stories, he can hold his own, it's just in Almost Happy we saw him in this other way. Yeah, it's confusing.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!