Madison "Mads" Pierce (shesamaineiac) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-11-30 21:04:00 |
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Entry tags: | #november 2017, nick |
Who: Madison and Nick
When: Sunday, Nov 19th, morning
Where: Madison's trailer.
Status: Complete.
Nick wasn't beholden to anyone else's schedule, naturally, but he usually tried to keep one for himself that included a morning run. If not outside -- and those days were coming to an end, the weather was determining -- then on the treadmills at the gym. Sundays were the exception. He liked to sleep in later than usual, have a leisurely breakfast of some kind, read the news on his phone. Sometimes he even read the paper like the old man he was. It was nice.
Not this Sunday though. Nick's eyes popped open early, his heart already beating hard. It wasn’t from ghosts in the room this time, it was a carryover from the dream he'd been having. Mads had been the focus of it, and Nick could still practically feel the weight of her body against him. Usually wet dreams -- or dreams that were headed that way, anyway, Nick obviously hadn't stayed asleep long enough -- faded out of his consciousness quick and easy, but the impulse to see Mads stayed strong even as he got up and used the bathroom.
It was still early, after dawn but not too far from it, and Nick paced around his room at Juniper a few times before he snatched his phone up. He could text her, right? Cops kept early hours ... sometimes? Maybe she would be awake. Maybe she would want to have breakfast, or come over and go back to bed with him, or something. Nick just couldn't resist that intense pushing in his chest to see her. He managed not to call even though his thumb hovered over the button on the screen, aware she might have worked overnight. He didn’t want to piss her off. Morning ... you awake? There. Casual and simple and god, he just hoped she wouldn’t take a long time to reply.
Surprisingly enough, Mads had actually gone to bed at a reasonable time. Well, as reasonable a time as a person that took to long nights could anyway. Work hadn’t kept her late for once and she was hoping for a nice long sleep into the morning. Unfortunately for her, her body wasn’t quite sure how to handle this change in routine so instead of that long sleep she had hoped for, she woke to the darkness of early morning.
"Fuck me," she mumbled when she spied the time on her alarm clock. Damn body not letting her sleep more the four hours. She curled into her covers as she continued to grumble, closing her as in an attempt to force herself back to sleep. It almost started to work until the familiar ping of her phone sounded. A text message. Mads looked over at her cell phone with slitted eyes, silently debating whether she should give a shit about it or not. If it was important it would have been a phone call.
She eventually decided to ignore it, rolling over so her back was toward it and closing her eyes. After several minutes of failed sleep, she sighed and grabbed the phone. Swiping a thumb over the screen, she found that the message had come from Nick. She couldn’t help a bit of a smile despite her irritation at being awake so early. Maybe her body forcing her to wake wasn’t such a bad thing after all. Unfortunately. What’s up?
It wasn’t very long before Mads’s answer came through, but it felt like half of forever to Nick. His heart gave a happy jump when his phone went off in his hand, and Nick grinned when he read her answer. She was awake. Or at least, she was awake now. He hoped that his text hadn’t been what woke her, and that ‘unfortunately’ wasn’t directed at him. He licked his lips and perched at the edge of his bed, mulling over what to say and way overthinking it. Are you working? Can I bring you breakfast? Can’t sleep. Nick re-read the text at least four or five times before he hit send, weirdly unsure if that sounded overeager or not. He just really wanted to see Mads.
Another ping, another message. Breakfast? Mads mulled over the idea, weighing the pros and cons. There weren’t many cons to having Nick come over with food aside from the whole not being able to go back to sleep because she’d be hosting him thing - which, honestly, she probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep anyway so why turn down food and good company? Not working. Breakfast would be great. I’ll start coffee. See you soon?
Hitting send, she forced herself out of bed and went to use the bathroom. With that out of the way, she brushed her teeth (bed breath was not becoming at all) and moved a hand through her hair to tame the messy mass (no brush - a little bit of bedhead wasn’t so bad) before heading out to the kitchen. She went about getting the coffee pot set up, briefly wondering if perhaps she should throw a pair of pants on before Nick arrived. While she didn’t really care if Nick saw her in panties and a tank top (he had seen her in far less) it seemed like the right thing to do, if only to save her neighbors the sight when she opened the door.
With decision made, she went and put on a pair of loose sweats that she had ‘borrowed’ from Fin a while back. Yeah, he was never getting those pants back. Exiting her room, Mads plopped herself down onto the couch and waited for the arrival of deliciousness.
Nick sent her a quick confirmation text that he was on his way, feeling far more excited than made sense that the woman he’d been seeing actually wanted to see him today. He put on comfortable, warm clothes, then set out into the chilly morning. He picked up a couple of egg sandwiches and muffins at Joyland, and was tempted to get some fancy flavored coffee too, but Mads was already making some and he didn’t want to insult her by accident.
It didn’t take him too long to arrive at her place, and Nick felt unduly nervous as he walked up to the door and knocked. Madison was just ... so pretty, and so cool and intelligent and capable and all the things he appreciated in a woman, and for some reason Nick was really feeling it today. He smiled brightly at her when she opened the door -- he’d brushed his teeth too -- and lifted the food bag a little. “I come bearing gifts, sorry it’s so early,” he said.
The sound of a car door slamming alerted her to Nick’s arrival and she opened the door almost immediately after he knocked. His bright smile brought one of her own to her lips. Madison had planned to give him a welcome kiss right then, but the chill of the morning made her rethink that decision. Instead, she opened the door wider and stepped aside so he could enter. “Don’t worry about it,” she assured as she closed the door behind them. “I was pretty much up for the day anyway. Apparently my body thinks anything more than 4 hours sleep is too much.” It was then that she decided to act on her earlier impulse, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a quick kiss on the lips.
“What did you bring me?” She asked, making a show of sniffing the air much like a dog. “Smells like…” Sniff. “Muffins and-” Sniff. “-ohh eggs. I approve.” She gave him one last kiss before releasing him and moving into the kitchen to pour them a freshly brewed pot of coffee. “Table or couch? Your pick.”
Nick slipped his free arm around her waist while she was close and kissed her back as well as he could while he was smiling. He couldn’t help it, that was exactly the kind of welcome he’d been hoping for. And even though he had a jacket on and everything, her body felt so nice against his. Nick found himself hoping Mads would want to get right back into bed as soon as they’d eaten ... but he wouldn’t demand it, he promised himself. He just wanted to tend to her needs today. Anything she wanted, he wanted to give her.
“Good nose,” he said with a laugh. “No wonder you’re a good cop. Um ... let’s do couch.” He stayed near the door to hang up his jacket and toe out of his shoes. Once freed, he followed Mads toward the kitchen, even though he’d said couch, just because he didn’t want to let her out of his sight just yet.
"Any cop will tell you that the best make use of all their senses." Mads winked. Not that she seriously considered herself one of the best; she wasn't that confident but damn if she wouldn't pretend for playfulness' sake.
Mads was just placing the two mugs onto the counter when she heard Nick follow her into the kitchen. She quirked a brow, a little curious why he decided to follow her instead of taking a seat on the couch. "Making sure I get it right?" She teased, pouring the coffee. "Don't worry. I'm a master." Once the mugs were filled and hers properly creamed and sugared, she made her way to the living room without prompting, knowing Nick would follow.
She plopped down onto the couch, making sure both mugs were safely on the table before doing so. "Let's eat." She inched closer toward Nick when he sat down, smiling as leaned over him in an attempt to grab the bag of food. "I'm starving."
Nick had only given a sheepish huff when she noted him coming into the kitchen with her, belatedly realizing he didn’t have a real reason to be there. He just wanted to be in her presence the whole time he was there. It was a weirdly strong feeling, but he wasn’t in the mood to question it right then. Nick did indeed follow Mads back out to the living room, the smell of coffee waking his stomach up some with a rumble.
He grinned a bit when she reached for the bag and held it out of Mads’s reach for a moment, just to tease. He tickled at her ribs with his free hand, then relented and handed her the food. “I am too, honestly,” Nick admitted with a grin. “And it’s way nicer with company, so I’m really glad you were up.” He leaned over to pick up the coffee mug for a testing sip.
An embarrassing series of giggles escaped Mads’ lips when he tickled her and she jerked her body away in an attempt to avoid it. Thankfully he didn’t keep up the playful assault for long otherwise there was a good chance a tickle fight might have commenced. In other circumstances she would be all for it because of course she’d want to bend him to her will through tickles, but she wasn’t lying when she said she was starving. Perhaps later if the mood struck them.
She wrinkled up her nose, sticking her tongue out at Nick when he finally relinquished the food. “Much nicer to have company,” she agreed with a smile. “I’m glad you were up too.” She took out one of the sandwiches, handing it to him before taking out the other one for herself and setting the bag onto the small stack of books that took up part of the coffee table. Nothing particularly interesting, mostly photo books that everyone seemed to have in their homes for some reason, though there was a copy of one of Nick’s books about lycanthropy among the group. She had bought it along with a couple other books after speaking with him about the possibility of werewolves in her town. It was hard to believe such a thing, but she would be remiss not to explore every possible option and she told him as much when she spoke to him later about the subject.
But that wasn’t important. Not at the moment. What mattered now was stuffing her face with the sweet taste of bread, egg, and bacon. “Any reason why you couldn’t sleep?” She asked, taking a large bite out of her sandwich. “Or was your body just rebelling against you like mine was?”
The giggles were adorable, and Nick would’ve laid money down to bet that Mads didn’t do enough of that in her daily life. Maybe not have giggles forced out of her by tickling, but laugh in general. He couldn't imagine cops got a ton of opportunities to be jovial in their day to day routine. Nobody liked a funny cop, at least not when they were on duty. But he was just happy he could make his cop giggle like a schoolgirl early in the morning. Because Mads was his, he’d apparently decided.
Grinning to himself, Nick pulled his own breakfast sandwich out. Normally it wouldn't be enough to fill him up -- he was a big guy who never skimped on food -- but this morning his stomach was so full of love and butterflies, he thought it would be enough. “More the latter, I think,” he said as he unwrapped his food and slouched back against the couch cushions. He gave Mads a sideways glance. “I just woke up thinking about you and couldn’t get back to sleep.” As he took a bite of egg and biscuit, his gaze wandered to the stack of books on her coffee table. His own pen name caught his eye, naturally, and an unexpected warmth flooded his chest. She was actually reading his work, taking him seriously.
As hard as she tried, Mads couldn’t hide her surprise completely when he admitted she was the reason for his inability to sleep. It was strange to hear that thoughts of her could keep Nick from sleeping, not so much because the concept was hard to believe, but that he was willing to tell her without a hint of flirtation or obvious desire to use the line to his advantage. He just said it. Her cheeks grew warm and a shy smile crept onto her face. She moved her head in such a way that her hair covered her cheeks should he feel compelled to look over.
“Maybe it was all those thoughts that kept me awake,” she remarked with a chuckle after she was certain the blush had left. “Which means I can blame you instead of the copious amounts of coffee for my sleep problem.” She poked his side with a smirk. Reaching for her coffee, Mads settled back into the couch and, on a whim, cuddled up to her companion. That random desire had nothing to do with his surprisingly sweet words from earlier -- okay, yeah, it had everything to do with that. It had made her heart flutter and she felt, well, loved. It was a good feeling.
Following his gaze, she noted Nick looking at the stack of books. He had obviously noticed one of his books sitting there. She looked up with a quirk brow and a knowing smile. “Tell me. Is it the book of nature photography or the one with architecture that got your attention?”
Nick chuckled, not minding taking the blame over a coffee addiction. “Coffee is completely perfect and blameless, so that works,” he joked. He slipped his arm around Mads’s shoulders as she cuddled up to him, more of that warmth spreading through his chest. It was so strange to feel so strongly all of the sudden, but at the same time he couldn’t think too much about it, not at the moment. There were more important things, like spending every second possible with Madison. It didn’t even occur to him to worry that he’d revealed some of his feelings about her, which should’ve been a red flag all on its own.
He was more than content to hold her and nibble on some food for the moment. Her question got another softly amused sound out of him. “I do love some nature photography,” he said with a lazy grin. “But nah, I’m just surprised you’re reading a Nick Cooke. That guy’s a quack.” Nick gave Mads a little squeeze. “What’d you think of it?” he asked, more seriously ... but not too much. It wasn’t a day for seriousness.
“Hey now. I happen to like that quack and I won’t have you saying anything bad about him,” she playfully admonished, nudging him gently. Mads took a sip of her coffee, making a small sound of consideration when he posed his question. “I liked it,” she answered. “A lot of information but it was presented in such a way that is easily accessible. I was especially fond of the various case analyses you did. You outlined your theories well.”
Leaning forward, she set her coffee onto the table and picked up the book in question. A number of slits of colored paper were sticking up of the top and, if one were to venture into its pages, they would see several passages highlighted. She set it into her lap, free hand moving along the cover. “I don’t know if I can honestly say it’s turned me into a believer but… It’s given me a lot to think about. Helping me form a tentative plan for the next full moon at least.” Because that’s what all of this research was about - finding a way to stop whatever beast or beasts were terrorizing the town.
Mads chomped down on her sandwich and gave a little shrug, setting the book aside. “But that’s not for a while yet. We’ve got time.” As tempted as she was to turn their little breakfast into a planning session - their talks were always so productive and, god, such a turn on - she restrained herself. This was supposed to be a relaxed work-free day.
One of Nick’s eyebrows lifted as he saw that Mads had not only read his book, she’d made bookmarks and notations and actually studied it. Completely selfishly, he liked the feeling he got when she caressed the cover like that. He’d been with plenty of groupie type women who had devoured his work and claimed to want to discuss it with him -- in Nick’s experience, most of them just wanted to bang the most handsome author this genre had to offer -- but this was the first time he’d really spent a lot of romantic time with a skeptic.
Of course, given the obvious presence of werewolves in this town, and the ghosts who obviously weren’t shy about showing up to say hello, Mads was edging out of skeptic territory. Today, with whatever was going on with him, that just made Nick want to tuck her away somewhere safe and watch over her. There was so much dangerous shit out there, and she was just starting to accept part of the whole picture. “What kind of plan are you thinking about?” he asked in a low rumble, giving her a sidelong glance. That sounded kind of worrisome to him.
Well there went thoughts of a relaxed work-free day. Mads caught his gaze, a slight gleam in her eye, seemingly unaware of any worry that his look might have held. “Like I said, it’s tentative,” she reiterated, grabbing the book she had discarded and setting it back into her lap. There was a pause and she chuckled some, looking slightly embarrassed. “Okay, less of a plan and more a series of ideas that have no semblance of order. I wanted to wait until I could discuss with you before solidifying anything. One sec.”
She unceremoniously shoved the rest of her sandwich into her mouth, cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk’s as she chewed before finally washing it down with her coffee. “So basically, we need to focus on the areas we know the attacks have been and find a way to bait the creature. If we can find a way to get it into a cage on its own that would be fantastic, but I have a feeling that is wishful thinking. Tranquilizers are going to need to be used no matter what the outcome. All pretty standard practice for a rabid creature. More or less.” She opened the book, flipping through the pages. “But if your theory is right, things get a lot more complicated. More precautions need to be taken but we also have the benefit of exploiting weaknesses that wouldn’t be found in a typical rabid animal.”
She glanced up at him, trying to get a read on his thoughts without asking outright. “That’s where I'll need your help. I have a general idea of what the strengths and weaknesses are but I'm not completely sure how to incorporate that knowledge to get the best outcome.”
They were good ideas, of course, because they were the ones Nick knew were effective. His employers wouldn’t use them if they weren’t. For a moment he was overwhelmed with pride that his lover was so smart and brave and good, and Nick had to lean over and kiss her cheek. “You’re so amazing,” he murmured. She was a hero, even if she was just now learning about the truth of the world. Hunting werewolves was a dangerous business, however, and he knew she didn’t have the resources that his employer did. He just wasn’t sure how to break it to her that she probably wouldn’t pull this off before the next full moon. ... and that he was already doing prep-work himself and had a lead on the werewolf’s identity. One of them, at least.
“You’re on the right track,” he told her with a little nod. “And I’m actually already making some preparations for someone ... I was approached by a relative of a man who was recently turned. He wants the help. We just gotta get the equipment together and put somewhere safe. I’m working on having a cage delivered that’s strong enough to withstand them.” Nick knew that news would come as a surprise, so he nibbled on the inside of his cheek and watched Mads react, suddenly worried that she might be upset with him for not telling her sooner.
His sweet kiss and soft murmur brought pink back to her cheeks and her eyes widened with surprise. Yet another unexpected comment that had her heart swelling with love and affection. It was strange; an old sensation she hadn't expected to feel again for a long time, if at all, and yet here it was. “You're not so bad yourself,” she murmured back, snuggling closer and giving him a kiss on the cheek in return. She wasn't exactly sure what to think about this sudden flood of feelings. It was best to concentrate on the topic at hand and not think about it.
Madison pulled back somewhat, looking up at him with brow furrowed. “Wait, you've already made preparations?” Not only that, but he also had a person that could possibly be linked to several cases – belief in werewolves or not - and he never told her? How much information and planning had been kept from her? She thought they were working together on this case. The hurt she felt was evident in her eyes. “I've been trying to collect data and you have all this additional information and didn't tell me? I thought we were working on this case together.”
Ordinarily, Nick was pretty good at bypassing the feelings of others. He’d rolled along in his life single and fancy-free for so long, he wasn’t used to giving a shit what the people around him were feeling. He wasn’t an asshole on purpose (usually), he just did his thing and expected other people to do theirs. That included casual girlfriends. But when Mads looked at him like that, with her eyes full of injury, Nick felt a literal pain in his chest. He’d hurt her, and today that was Very Bad.
“I’m sorry,” he said immediately, shifting a bit so he could look at her more directly. “Shit, I’m so sorry. I just ... I didn’t want to throw him under the bus, legally speaking. I haven’t even met the guy yet, his cousin just came asking me for help, so I started looking for some equipment for them. Like I said before, I think there’s more than one wolf out there, so there’s no way to tell who actually killed that lady. I wasn’t thinking, I guess. I’m so sorry.” Nick looked as apologetic as he could, genuinely worried that she would be angry at him now. “I’m a writer, so protecting my sources is just second nature, it wasn’t intentional.”
Madison stared at him, startled and a bit at a loss for words. His quick apology and rambling explanation for his actions were uncharacteristic; she wasn't exactly sure what to make of it. Actually, she wasn't sure what to make of a lot of the things Nick had done since he arrived. He was more open with his feelings towards her, more affectionate, and now he was greatly concerned he had upset her. It wasn't like he didn't display these things at all normally, but they were far more controlled and muted. What was it about today that had him telling her she was amazing and scrambling to make amends when he hurt her?
“It's okay,” she said with a reassuring smile. How strange that she was so quick to want to comfort him when only a moment ago she was angry. Maybe because he honestly seemed torn up about what he had done and, with it being so uncharacteristic for him, she wanted to remedy it. She didn't like seeing him upset; it was unsettling and made her chest tighten with guilt. “I understand why you didn't tell me. Confidentiality is important.” Keeping information and sources confidential were part of her job after all. “I just, I was surprised you didn't tell me sooner.” Because he was going to eventually tell her, otherwise he wouldn't have mentioned it now. She lifted her hand and pushed back some of his hair behind his ear. “The more we share, the better chance of getting this figured out and solved quickly, right?”
Nick’s shoulders literally sagged with relief when she forgave him. He wasn’t sure why it was so important that Mads not think badly of him in any way, it just was. She was so good and beautiful and he had apparently fallen intensely in love with her, so he had to make sure she stayed happy. He nodded eagerly that confidentiality was important. If he told his cop-girlfriend about Rylee’s cousin and his predicament, that could drive them away from taking Nick’s help, and he really was the one in the best position to help them.
“Considering the recent death, I wasn’t sure if I should,” Nick said, his tone still apologetic. “But if he really doesn’t want to be a danger any longer, and cooperates with what needs to be done, that takes care of at least part of our problem. I’m more worried about finding the other wolf.” There had to be at least two, in Nick’s opinion. Rylee’s cousin might have been the one to kill Ms. Gaines, there was no way to tell, but the one who had turned him was still out there. And Nick was doubtful that they were looking for a cage to keep themselves safe.
Sadie Gaines’ death. It had been in the back of Madison’s mind ever since she heard the news and was the reason she was working so hard to get to the bottom of these full moon incidents. She didn't want anyone else to suffer the same fate. Hearing Nick mention it, and then admitting he almost didn't tell her his additional information because of it, had her slightly perturbed. She understood his reluctance - if the man really was looking for help in controlling his lycanthropy, Nick turning around and telling a cop would probably cause the man to lose trust in him. With trust lost, he was less likely to be willing to take the steps necessary to insure the safety of himself and everyone else - she wasn't thrilled that he thought to hide vital information from her because of what she interpreted as lack of trust.
“You shouldn't be reluctant to talk to me about these things.” Her eyes moved to the book on her lap for a moment before picking it up and setting it onto the table. “I mean, I understand why you would be. I'm a cop, a relatively skeptical one too or at least I was, and getting someone like that involved with all of their rules and duties could complicate things. But we – I - adapt. Rules and methods change to fit the circumstances. I have no plans to hunt down this man and drag him to the station as a potential suspect – it wouldn't be beneficial to anyone. So you shouldn't worry about that. I just want to help and to do that I need you to trust me. I trust you and your judgment. Please trust me and mine.” She took a sip of her coffee, allowing her words to settle before giving him a bit of a smile. “I won't make you regret it. Scout's honor.”
Seeing as how they’d only been casually dating until now, Nick hadn’t been sure that Mads wouldn’t go all Police Officer on the situation and try to arrest the werewolf. He didn’t think they could actually make any charges stick to the guy, seeing as how the death had been ruled an animal attack, and he didn’t know how much the sheriff knew about werewolves ... but still. That was trouble he didn’t want to be responsible for bringing down on Rylee and her cousin. Nick understood the need for justice for a death, but he also understood how lycanthropy worked, and that the guy wasn’t actually to blame for it. It was the curse, not him.
Right then though, he felt a hollow ache in his chest that Madison was disappointed in him. She didn’t say as much, but Nick could hear it in her tone. “I’m sorry,” he said, looking ashamed of himself. “I don’t know what I was thinking, I do trust you, I ...” He caught himself just on the edge of saying he loved her, and gave his head a helpless little shake. “I’m sorry. I’ll keep you more up to date, I promise.”
Her smile grew. “Thank you. That’s all I ask,” she replied, touching his cheek gently and giving him a sweet kiss on the lips. Mads wanted to be done with the conversation. While she appreciated the apologies and was glad he would make it a point to update her in the future, she couldn’t stand the look of shame etched on his face. This wasn’t how she wanted to spend her time with him. Planning could wait until another day, one when he wasn’t so uncharacteristically vulnerable.
She pulled away from the kiss and smiled up at him, her hand still on his cheek and thumb gliding along the scruff of his beard. “Let’s put this aside, hm? Like I said, we have time.” She gave him another quick kiss hoping it would encourage him to do as she suggested. “Do you have any plans for today?”
Once again, Nick felt a surge of relief when Mads forgave him. The kisses and face-touching helped too, and he was smiling slightly himself by the time she pulled back. On some other day he might have brushed her frustration aside, or at least not felt it was that big of a deal, but he was feeling weird today, and he didn’t have much of a choice except to follow his impulses. In any case, Nick was more than happy to put all the supernatural stuff aside in favor of spending more enjoyable time with Mads. “Not a single plan,” he told her, the corners of his mouth twitching up even higher. “Do you? Can we spend the day together?” He made a half-assed attempted not to look as eager as he felt, and failed miserably. Nick’s smile turned a bit wicked and he arched a brow at her. “I can make it worth your while,” he added.
The eagerness was unexpected but not unwelcome. In fact, she quite liked seeing him so hopeful to spend time with little ol' her even if it was a bit out of character. Yet another thing he had done that morning that had her feeling all warm inside. “Oh can you?” Mads lift a brow, her own smile turning a bit wicked. She reached toward the table to discard her mug before slipping both arms over his shoulders. “Show me.”