Who: Nick and Mia What: date night When: Dec. 15th Where: Winterlude Rating: low
Going on dates was easier for Mia than it had been when they first dated. She no longer cared what other people might think when they were out in public and she knew she only had to be herself around Nick. Occasionally she still thought about how it had been when she had been a werewolf. She was thankful for the experience - she now really understood how painful Changing was - but she also remember feeling a connectedness that wasn’t the exact same as it was as a human. For a while after, Mia had struggled with balancing the need to see him with being too clingy. She was not someone who felt like she needed someone else, but now she wasn’t sure she would be the same if Nick left. The thought of how much she had changed kind of scared her, but she didn’t want to admit it.
Dressed in a jacket and gloves, she was looking at one of the ice sculptures at the entrance of the festival while she waited for Nick. Someone had carved Artemis. She knew the legend. She also knew there had been someone who went by Artemis and had betrayed her dad. Still, the sculpture was really well done - it was a skill Mia could admit she didn’t have.
--
Nick made his way to where he and Mia planned to meet. He couldn’t believe how much more comfortable she seemed with dates than the beginning. Granted, Nick realized he changed as well. While he half considered a serious relationship if he met the right person back home, here he had no doubts about Mia.
Did he miss the week where they’d both been wolves? Unequivocally yes. Hell yes. But, the fundamentals of who Mia was hadn’t changed and he still loved her.
He had thrown on a sweater, a jacket and a scarf. He might be a bit warm later, but he still did get slightly cold at times.
When he saw Mia, his heart leapt. “Hey beautiful.” And then he noticed the ice sculptures and whistled. “Man, I wish I possessed this kind of talent.”
***
What Mia hadn’t really admitted to anyone yet was that she still felt possessiveness a little more sharply than before. It was nothing like it had been when she had been a werewolf and being so helped her understand not just Nick, but all of them. Maybe even Clay most of all.
She turned at his voice and smiled. “Want to make sculptures do you?” She couldn’t really picture either of them doing something artsy, but weirder things had happened. Mia closed the distance and gave him a kiss before pulling away just enough to be comfortable. “Got to admit this is my first whatever this festival is. Star City in my time isn’t exactly a place meant for this and they didn’t have this last year here.”
-- Nick knew how he felt about Mia, but he managed to not call her his ‘mate’. Her independence meant a lot to her and he definitely loved that about her. He’d never felt about another the way Clay felt about Elena or Karl felt about Hope.
He returned the kiss and smiled at Mia. “Nah. I don’t think I want to make them, so much as wish I could if that makes sense?” With Elena and the twins in their lives, the Pack actually made Christmas a priority these days.
“Well, the fact I get to experience this with you makes me happy. What do you want to do?” He certainly wanted to try a beaver tail or five. Nick’s arm wrapped around Mia’s waist.
***
She did get it. She kind of wished she was someone who wanted to create something in general. Her mom was more of the creator in the family, but it wasn’t so much art as it was science, something she was sure Felicity Smoak would argue was a form of art… or something.
“Have you ever skated?” Mia looked at him, her eyes a bit playful.
– Nick raised an eyebrow at the question. “A couple times when the twins wanted to go and I took them. I suck, but I’m happy to skate with you if you want.” Although, he didn’t think this particular werewolf should wear skates.
“But, can we grab a snack before we skate?” He’d made sure to eat a large meal before their date, but he was never one to turn down delicious food.
***
Mia knew how to skate, but not because she had wanted to for fun. It had been part of her training growing up. Nessa had said that learning to skate was a good way to learn balance and speed in an entirely different way and she hadn’t been wrong. Mia got good at it mostly begrudgingly as a kid. She hadn’t really done it for leisure ever.
“We don’t have to. I heard there’s some demonstrations on Inuit games too that might be cool. Maybe we can even win a prize.” She smiled at him before nodding - not surprised or bothered by the question of food. “Something sweet or savoury?” She had her eyes on the beavertails too.
–
To Nick, skating wasn’t a way to train, but something to do as a winter activity with the kids. He didn’t have issues with balance, not with his werewolf genes.
“Well, let’s grab a couple beaver tails and then go skate? We can try something savoury before we hit up the Inuit games?” Some of those games looked interesting to Nick, and he loved the idea of learning about other cultures, especially in the Dome.
“Or should we do savoury first?”
***
“Beavertails first. We can use the sugar to burn off the energy.” She grinned. She liked burning off energy with Nick, though in other more intimate ways, usually.
As they headed toward the food, Mia let her mind wonder. “What are we doing for Christmas.” She should have probably asked this sooner. “Like, does the Pack do a big thing? My mom is Jewish so we always had a weird mix of Hanukkah and Christmas, but I haven’t really celebrated either in a long time.” Much to the dismay of both her mom and dad, she was sure.
– Nick grinned and wrapped an arm around Mia’s shoulder as they walked to the beavertail stand. “I don’t know what kind you’re ordering, but I want the cinnamon sugar one with lemon. And maybe one with chocolate.” His stomach agreed on his decision to buy two.
He hadn’t thought about Christmas. “I generally spend it with the Pack. This would be the first year I have a girlfriend important enough to have around for Christmas. We didn’t celebrate really, until Elena came into our lives. But now? I can’t imagine my not spending at least some of the day with my family. What would you like to do?” Nick didn’t really know what the rules were, since significant others generally spent their holidays with the Pack members. Except for Hope, most of them didn’t exactly have family or relationships outside the Pack.
***
“I don’t know.” This was the truth. “I know some time with my dad. I don’t think he’ll be comfortable around the whole Pack yet.” And she’d never force him to be. It took her a long time to get used to going to events and even now she still felt like she had to watch what she said, but this was generally because she was bad at making connections with people. She was getting better thanks to Nick. “Do you think it makes sense to do the morning with you and have a father-daughter dinner?” It wasn’t like she was a kid so there was no expectation to wake up and open up Santa’s gifts under a tree or anything.
–
“I think it makes perfect sense,” Nick responded with a quick kiss to her temple. “I wouldn’t mind some family time later in the day and this way we can wake up together on Christmas.” They rarely woke up apart from each other these days, but he wasn’t ready for the move in talk quite yet, especially when it would inevitably mean his being further from the Pack.
“I’m sure your dad will be happy to have the evening with you. We could always have a drink with him on Christmas Eve, so it doesn’t feel like we’re only seeing my family on Christmas.”
***
“I like that.” A drink on Christmas Eve would make him feel included, but not have to do any sort of socializing he might not be ready for. While she knew her dad was capable of it, she was still kind of walking on eggshells with him occasionally. She also got the sense her dad was seeing someone, but wouldn’t tell her who. This annoyed her to no end.
“If you asked me if I was ever going to have this kind of conversation with someone, ever, before I met you I’d have thought you were crazy.” She’d have probably thought it was some weird way to hit on her too. “... but I guess you’re worth it.” She smirked at Nick as they ended up in front of the Beavertails stand.
– If Mia’s dad started seeing someone, Nick wanted no part in any drama which might ensue. Of course, he realized he might not have a choice, but still. He also realized Mia probably wanted her mom to show up, regardless of whether she ended up with her dad or not.
“Honestly, same.” He returned the smirk and ordered beavertails for the both of them, along with coffee. “You’re worth it too.” His hand squeezed her a little closer to him. **