Lucas

If I knew I'd be feeling this blissfully happy, during all twenty four hours of the day, every single day, after finally speaking up and acting on my emotions regarding Nicole Meyers, I would have confessed my true feelings for her the night she showed up at Gems of the Heath. 

It didn't work out that way but I wouldn't complain, considering the fact that I truly cherished all the flirting and all the small moments with her as friends before we crossed that line. It brought us to where we are now. And right here, right now is exactly where I love to be. 

Her naked body was half on top of mine, half on top of the mattress and her comforter was covering us both from our cold skin as the sweat from our morning session of love making slowly started to dry.

She nuzzled her face in between my shoulder and my neck while she traced her delicate fingers through the outline of my torso, my arms, my face - she loved to do that and I didn't complain.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

It's been a couple of weeks since we had the much needed talk between the two of us to set the record straight and nothing between us changed ever since. I trusted her more and more each day and the overwhelming feeling of joy that I carried around like an appendix was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. 

"Where in the world would you like to live?"

"Are we playing twenty one questions now?"

"Uh..." She squinted her eyes in the most adorable way while I could see the wheels turning in her head only for her to open them wide after. "Yes! Yes, we are. Where?"

"Um... I don't know. Anywhere you are would be perfect." I could sense some discomfort from her as her eyes met mine and although in the back of mind I knew why, I chose to ignore it and let the moment pass, choosing not to worry about something we shouldn't be worrying about at this stage. 

Her frown turned upside down into a smile and she kissed my lips passionately. "Good answer." 

"My turn now - what's your idea of a perfect date?"

"Oh, this is a good one. Ready?" I nodded. "Santa Monica pier - to go on the rides, to eat cotton candy and hot dogs. My date could get me a teddy bear at one of those water gun games, and then we could go on the photo booth and get a bunch of silly pictures taken."

She smiled broadly as she spoke, her mind was flying freely and unfiltered and I loved seeing her like this.

"Don't laugh, it's been my idea of a perfect date since I was twelve." She said before giggling, hiding her face in the crook of my neck.

"I wasn't going to. It sounds pretty cool, though. Has anyone ever taken you out on that date?"

"Nope. Lived in Malibu for years, only moved out when I went to college but still, no one in high school took me out on my perfect date."

"That's such a shame." I said while my hands traveled her body, memorizing every curve, every inch, every imperfection. "Alright I've got one - when can I read a chapter from your book?"

She rolled her eyes at me as she groaned and I couldn't help but smile at her antics. Sharing our passion isn't always easy but that didn't stop me from sharing mine with hers and looking back now, I don't regret it one bit. 

"You know, I would much rather have you read it once it's finished."

"No way." I offered her a no way out and she let go of my embrace to make her way to the living room and may I add, naked. Fully naked. She came back with a stack of paper and handed a few pages.

"Chapter one? Can't I at least choose the chapter I'm reading?"

"Why would you want to read any other chapter? That's the first one." 

"I want to read chapter number..." I dragged the last letter as I thought about a random number. "Twelve."

"Whatever." She shrugged and rolled her eyes at me again while her fingers ran through the pages, searching for the requested chapter to give me. "Don't come and tell me you don't understand anything after."

"That's the point. I don't necessarily want to understand anything now, I'm saving all my understanding for when the whole book is done and I read it from start to finish."

Rachel felt a little tingling feeling on the tip of her fingers as the man standing in front of her looked through her photographs. Picture after picture and the same neutral, tight expression in his face that gave nothing away. 

 After a few minutes of deliberation that felt like hours to Rachel, he finally spoke. 

"These are good."

"Really?" She couldn't contain the smile that slowly crept on her face.

 * * * 

She had seen him around before. Every photographer knows what spots are the best in every city and although in London there were a lot of them, their paths have crossed once or twice and their eyes have met. His green eyes were a such a vivid color there was no way she'd seen him around before and not notice him. 

She just didn't know Brain owned a freaking gallery.

"Let me guess, Rachel and Brian are gonna end up together?" I gave her a questioning look, arching my eyebrow. I felt her giggle against my skin, noticing that she'd returned to her previous position.

"It is a love story." I nodded and kissed her forehead. "What did you think?" She asked, her voice barely audible, almost as if she was scared to ask the question she knew I'd provide an answer for. 

"I loved it. I love the way you write, you... have a way with words."

"Really?"

"Yes!" I said with a little more conviction before I tossed the pages to the ground and turned in my place to face her.  "You're talented. And you're gonna do great, I know it. You're gonna get your dream." A comfortable silence fell between the two of us. "You're so beautiful. Really, you are. I can't stop looking at you."

She smiled at my confession and kissed my lips. "You're handsome. And I love your eyes." I smiled shyly at her words while her chocolate orbits pierced into mine. "I wish I could stare at them forever."

"Have you ever been in love? And how was it like?" I frowned at her whispered words, finding myself actually confused with what to answer. "I have the right to ask you two questions since you asked me two before."

I chuckled at her rush of words towards the end and let my fingers tangle themselves with her hair, gently applying some pressure on her scalp, causing her to whimper, while I thought about what to answer. 

"You know, I don't... exactly know if I've been in love before. I mean, I guess at the time I thought I was in love when I proposed to Sarah. I wouldn't ask her to marry me if I thought I wasn't in love with her."

She nodded, her lips slightly brushing against my skin, causing shivers to run down my spine. 

"How was it like? To be in love with her?"

"I... I don't really know how to answer that because, looking back now, I don't think I really was. But at the time I felt great, I was on the clouds." I looked down at Nicole, her blank expression gave nothing away which made this conversation a lot harder. "Have you been in love in the past?"

"God, no."

"Wow, you're pretty positive about that one." I let the words fly out of my mouth before thinking twice. She didn't take it the wrong way, thankfully and she draped one arm around my neck before snuggling in closer.

"I just... It was an illusion and worse than being an illusion, I let myself believe in that. And I let myself believe I was happy with him. We were engaged for minutes, maybe an hour? I'm just glad I ended things before it was too late and I was stuck with him forever."

How could anyone, ever, let someone like her, go? 

The question popped in my head instantly but there was no answer in sight.

I feel insanely lucky to have her in my arms right now, how could someone who was engaged to her - who was promised to live the rest of their life with this incredible woman - let her go? And not even fight for her, at least?

"I'm sorry." Was all I managed to say, after putting aside all the thoughts of frustration and confusion.

"That's okay. It led me to London. It led me to find you." Her bright smile was enough to put my wandering mind at ease.

How this woman found her way to see the silver lining at the end of every difficult situation amazes me on a daily basis. 

I would never say it out loud for the slight chance of her thinking I'm selfish, but as mad as I am that he didn't do everything in his power to have her, I am still glad he didn't and that I'm the guy who gets to hold her. 

"Are you okay?"

"I will be."

I bent down a little to peck her lips in a quick yet passionate kiss that probably told her everything I needed to tell her but verbally couldn't.

Our routine had become much more... fun and light, ever since that night at my place. We touched each other whenever we wanted, we kissed without thinking twice, we starred at each other's faces like we were two hipsters at an art gallery, we held hands in public without thinking twice and we always made plans for two. All of that like it was second nature to us.

Sundays had become a special day of sorts to us - I didn't have work and she had a no writing policy on the last day of the week unless she felt inspired. It constituted the perfect day to just stay in and enjoy one another, to do the most random and insignificant stuff around the house such as watching movies or TV shows or maybe even go out for a walk around the park.

These were lazy Sundays, just like I liked them (and Nicole, too!). And just like the lazy Sunday that today was, I felt her hand reaching for my member and next thing I know her nipple was on my mouth while my tongue teased her. Long story short, I was pushing in and pulling out of her slowly, lazily until my grunts and her moans were the only thing we could hear in the silence of the autumn morning.

After spending a little more time in bed with the most wonderful woman I had ever met, soaking each other's warmth, we eventually got up, showered, got dressed and went out for brunch at Magic Beans. 

"Lexi told me the other day that you can make Mickey shaped pancakes. Is that true?" She asked as she devoured her plate full of blueberry pancakes. 

"I'm a man of many talents." I took a sip of my black coffee.

"I hope you know you're gonna have to make those for me one day."

There is nothing more that I would love to do.

But I went with "Deal." 

And just like that, we kicked off another Sunday, before another manic Monday arrived.

 * * *

"She's asleep?"

"Yes, like a rock. Pajamas are on too."

"You are a blessing in my life, you know? You and Lexi." 

My sister took off her coat and tossed it to the armchair in the corner of the living room before sitting down next to me on the couch. 

"What did you do today?"

"After picking her up we went back to the store. It was kinda crazy today, so Nicole helped her with her homework then we went to the park to feed the squirrels." I smiled at the thought. 

"So are things... serious, between you and Nicole?"

My sister and I were close, we told each other everything - maybe not when we should and only after we screw up and run to the other to ask for help - but, we never spoke much about Nicole. She knew we were friends and she knew I had feelings for her and that was it.

"What gave it away?"

"Um, okay, let's see - I have eyes, you know? And a little bird named Lexi told me she saw you two kissing on the lips. Which by the way she thought was yucky. I explained it to her that that's what you do when you love someone."

Woah.

Fun fact: I don't even know how things are between us. We're not keeping track, we're just letting things flow.

"I think... things may be serious. We're trying to take it a day at a time, you know." I shrugged. "Want some tea?" She nodded in acceptance and I went to the kitchen to bring her a cup of steaming black tea.

"I like her. She is so nice and she's so sweet. And anyone can tell she really likes you, that's all that matters."

"Well, the feeling's mutual."

"Anyone can tell that too." Melanie added. "See, I knew my brother would not close himself on love. When I said you deserved better, I didn't exactly know who would be the person who'd come along and make you realize that, but I am glad you found her." 

"You're... right. Like always. I hate to admit it but you are." She gave me a knowing look and smirk and I chuckled.  "I truly love being with her. And I wasn't expecting to ever catch feelings this hard."

"Lucas, hear me out, this is the best life lesson you'll ever learn: the best things in life are unexpected. Lexi was more than unexpected, you know that. And she's the best thing that's ever happened to me." 

I smiled at my sister, knowing all too well everything that she had been through before Lexi showed up and how much she's changed for the better ever since she had her.

"How was the date?"

"Good. I just... I'm feeling nervous about introducing a man in Lexi's life. I don't know if I want to, but at the same time, it's not fair on him to exclude him out of the most important part of my life. Lexi needs me." 

She took a sip of the hot drink, probably to avoid tears from spilling from her eyes. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm, comfortingly. 

"You'll figure it out. You always do. And you know, if it's meant to be, it'll be." 

She nodded as she put down the tea mug on the coffee table.

"You should start actually believing what you say."

"I should, shouldn't I?" 

We chuckled lightly before we looked at the time - it was nearing midnight and we said our goodbyes before we carried a sleeping Lexi to the car and I waved at them from the doorstep. 

 * * * 

Author's Note: 

Hey loves, how are you?

What did you guys think? I personally just love writing fluff for Nicole and Lucas 💗 And they keep mentioning her engagement (if you can even call it that) but the pieces of the puzzle aren't all put together yet! 

So sorry for the delay on the new chapter but your girl Mars went to London last week!

Don't forget to turn the little star below, orange, by voting on this chapter and don't forget to let me know what you're thinking of this story so far. I appreciate you all! 🙏

Xoxo, Mars