Cassie (Holmes) Banner-Romanoff (crappyartist) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2016-12-25 00:02:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !complete, !completed gdoc, !log, ~2016 december, ~~cassie holmes (crappyartist), ~~nick gant (doubtthetruth) |
WHO Cassie Holmes & Nick Gant
WHAT Reuniting!
WHEN Christmas morning
WHERE Nick's place
WARNINGS not really
STATUS Closed | Completed GDoc
Cassie was doing better at Bruce and Natasha's. She was on top of her schoolwork again and she'd even started taking some of those self defense classes she'd been tempted with from the start. There had been a couple times that she'd gone drinking since staying with them too, but she hadn't gotten as drunk as she had the first time. It was finally starting to settle in for her that she was allowed to have a good, stable place to live. She'd woken up that morning with the realization that she never was going to have what she'd gotten with Bruce and Natasha if she'd been with Nick.
And she missed him. She wrote a note and stuck it on the fridge so they wouldn't worry since it was stupid early when she left for the apartment. It wasn't her's anymore. Since it was so early, she didn't knock on the door. Cassie just sat down in front of the door and pulled out her sketchpad and pencils to pass the time. She did a doodle of a Christmas tree with a bunch of presents underneath it, and then drew figures of her and Nick together off to the side. That was what she'd wanted, but it had been asking too much of both of them.
Once it was a reasonable hour, she packed up her stuff and knocked on the door. It was then that she actually got nervous about whether or not he'd want to even see her. Or if Bobbi was there. She really hoped the blonde wasn't anywhere near the apartment on Christmas morning.
***
No, Bobbi wasn’t there. Nick had made plans to get together with Bobbi later that day. Christmas wasn’t something he was used to celebrating. Not a lot of Christmas cheer on the streets of the Far East. Not to mention he never had anyone to give presents to so there’d been no point to even trying. This time was different yet not. Here he could have Christmas, but with the fight going on between himself and Cassie he really wasn’t feeling it. Having Bobbi in his life helped, but since Cassie blatantly hated her that was a source of inner conflict for him as well. Nothing was ever easy for Nick Gant. He should know that by now.
He had just gotten up and was shuffling toward the kitchen to make some coffee when the knock came at the door. Still suffering from sleep fuzzied brain he changed course to see what the hell was going on. (And if it were those stupid carolers again he was shoving them all down the stairs with his telekinesis.) A yawn all but cracked his jaw as he pulled open the door.
“Wha’.” Then he blinked and stood there staring wearing nothing but a pair of flannel pajama bottoms decorated with patterned mistletoe. “Cassie,” was all he could say.
***
Clearly he'd just woken up. Cassie felt a little bad about that, but not too bad because it looked like the apartment was mostly empty. At least from what she could see.
"Hi." This was a terrible idea. He probably hated her face. She took a deep breath to fortify herself and offered him a tentative smile. Cassie had come to realize that this was partly her fault, since she'd been the one to force him into being a guardian.
"Merry Christmas?" She wanted a hug but she didn't know how receptive he'd be so she just hugged her sketch pad to her chest.
***
No, he didn’t hate her. Nick was just stunned. He hadn’t expected to see her and there was too much blood in his caffeine system. The well wishing snapped him out of it, however and he gave her a small smile. “Oh. Right. It’s Christmas.” He stepped back to hold the door open more. “Want to come in?”
He didn’t expect her to. He was expecting this to be the talk about her leaving him for good...for cooler, nicer people who were better at parenting than he was. Maybe he’d skip right to spiked eggnog today.
***
Cassie was a little surprised that he was inviting her in and it showed. "Sure." God, this was awkward. Their whole relationship had gotten completely fucked up and it was all because of the stupid guardianship thing. She'd wanted it to be them against the world - or Madison Valley in this case - and he'd gone and settled in. That hadn't been fair at all, in her mind.
She stepped inside and gestured toward the kitchen. "Coffee? Sorry, I thought you'd have had at least half a cup by now." Judging by the way he was looking at her, Cassie could tell that she'd misjudged. She wasn't going to leave and come back though, so she could wait.
***
As surprised as she was that he invited her in Nick was surprised she accepted. He was relieved though. He wanted things to be right between them. He did care about her, and more than anything else he felt he’d let her down. All of that came rushing to his sleep fogged mind waking him better than coffee ever could, and one corner of his lips twitched as he shut the door.
“I’m off work so I slept in,” he explained as he gestured toward the kitchen. “But I figured out how to work the automatic timer on the coffee pot so it’s there waiting.”
Rubbing at his hair again, a sure sign of nerves from Nick, he walked toward the kitchen expecting she’d follow. He had no idea how this was going to go, what Cassie wanted or wanted to hear. Nick wouldn’t lie to her. Not only would she know the truth anyway but he didn’t lie to the people he cared about.
***
"You're not so hopeless after all," she joked, but it was a little more tentative than she ever would've been before. Cassie stayed quiet as she walked into the kitchen, although she did take her usual seat without prompting.
"How is the shelter? You haven't adopted any strays have you?" Cassie was mostly just talking about the animals he looked after, but there was a very small part of her that wondered if he had found another kid to look after. Or worse, was expecting a kid with Bobbi. Seeing that had inspired one hell of a hangover.
***
This was nice and tense. Merry Awkward Christmas. Why should there be any other kind? Nick busied himself with pouring out coffee for both of them then put a mug on the table in front of Cassie. “No,” he said with a small smile. “Do you really think I should be trusted with anything more complicated than a goldfish?”
Suggestion? Hint? Hell, yes. Nick may be wearing his slightly tired version of his dipshit smirk, but he knew he fucked this up. Worse, he didn’t know how nor how to fix it. All this time since she’d left he’d been working it over in his head and he was no closer to an answer than that day.
***
"Thanks," she replied with a small smile. She hadn't had any coffee yet, so a fresh cup was much appreciated. "I guess I proved that, huh?" There wasn't any bitterness there, at least not toward him. Cassie could admit that she'd asked for too much from him and that it hadn't been fair.
"So...we kind of suck at this." Cassie took a sip of her coffee and used the opportunity to look at him over the rim of the mug. "I suck at this."
***
“Yeah,” he sighed as he sank into a chair across from her. “Give us homicidal Asian rivals of Division and we’re good. That’s got to stand for something.” Other than the fact that none of that was here. Running for their lives and trying to stay one step ahead of Watchers and Pushers were not part of the Madison Valley package.
“But I have a leg up on you,” he said as he lifted his coffee. “I’m older. Got more experience adapting.” He hid his smirk behind a drink.
***
"Clearly we just need our lives threatened somehow." Cassie smirked as she said it, but it only lasted a few moments. "More like you're ok with normal." She was jealous of that, and jealous that he'd found peers to talk to or hang out with. She knew people, but her friends were all way older than her. Like three times her age old.
"It's better if I stay with Bruce and Natasha." Cassie deliberately looked into her coffee mug at that because she was afraid he'd be mad at her -or worse, disappointed.
***
He was disappointed because he cared about Cassie and it sucked that he couldn’t do right by her. Nick too looked into his coffee cup as he answered. “I know,” he muttered. The mug was turned in idle circles between his hands. “They’re good people. I trust them.” And better them than Coulson where Cassie would spend most of her time at the casino.
“Cassie look.” Nick sighed as he rubbed at his hair again. If he had one tell about his state of nerves it was that gesture right there. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be what you need. I wanted to. Hell, I still do, but I just kept screwing it up...keep screwing it up. I want you to be happy. And if that means you’re living with other people then that’s what it takes.”
***
She was surprised when he said he trusted Bruce and Natasha, but it wasn't until he started to apologize that she looked up at him. "I'm not going to be normal," Cassie replied with a shrug. "And I dumped myself on your lap twice. Some friend I am, huh?" She still had a lot to learn, but she could at least admit to screwing up and asking too much of him.
"Sorry for being such a handful. I don't like it here, and I'm probably never going to like it here, but it's easier to deal with over there." Cassie took a sip of her coffee and then offered him a small smile. "Don't worry, I like you better than your boring face twin," she promised. Which reminded her that she hadn't told him about meeting not!Emily. "Suit tried to get me to stay with them, but they were crazy."
***
“Hey.” Nick looked solidly at Cassie maybe for the first time since he answered the door. “You are my friend. The first time? Back home? Yeah, maybe you owe me for that because seriously. Injecting myself with soy sauce? Not cool.”
He reached across the table to put his hand over hers. “But here? You do what you have to. This isn’t about me.” His brows lifted as he met her eyes. “Understand?”
Then he smirked a little. “As for my boring face twin...can you call him that publicly because that would be awesome.”
***
"Didn't hurt you or anything," she countered easily, slipping into their old banter without a second thought. Cassie sobered up pretty quick though when he put his hand over her's. "Yea, okay. I understand." And she did, too. Nick just wanted what was best for her and if she thought Bruce and Natasha were it, then he'd respect that. That meant a lot to her, so she turned her hand over underneath his and gave it a squeeze.
"I kinda called him that to his face," Cassie admitted sheepishly. "But yea, I can call him that on the network." It'd be after Christmas, too, so she wouldn't completely ruin his day or some shit. Not that she cared, but she was probably going to see him later or something. Those people did every holiday together all the time.
"So. Is it too early for beer and movies with explosions? That's how we make up and stuff, right?" Because for as much as she felt okay staying with the other couple, she did miss just hanging out with Nick. Plus, she had the added bonus of knowing that Bobbi wasn't around at all right now. She'd just skedaddle before the blonde bimbo showed up.
***
Nick chuckled. “Well,” he said as he got up from the table. “It might be too early for beer.” Movies with explosions? Die Hard was a Christmas movie, right? He went to retrieve a bottle of whisky from a cabinet then brought it back pouring some into Cassie’s mug. “But not Irish coffee and pancakes.” He smirked at her with a wink, but his smile was caring. “And maybe the presents I got for you that are under the tree.”
There were wrapped gifts under his tree, and two of them were tagged for Cassie. If he hadn’t seen her today he had planned on contacting Bucky to get them to her since that guy seemed to know where she was. There was something decidedly spooky about that guy, but he seemed to genuinely care about a few people. Cassie was on that list apparently since he’d come to tell Nick where she was.
***
Cassie smirked right back, and things honestly felt more normal and settled. This was the sort of relationship she wanted to have with Nick, not the argumentative, explosive one they'd had before. She had a present for him, too. It just wasn't with her because she hadn't wanted to risk it if their reunion didn't go well. All she'd been able to See was wrapping paper littering the floor and crushed boxes, but maybe that hadn't been done in anger.
"Pancakes too? Guess I should have come back sooner." It was a tentative joke, her way of testing the waters. "Your present is still at Bruce and Natasha's. I can drop it off later or something," she offered, although she did sort of figure that it might have to be the following day depending on who else was coming over. "Thanks for not puking up the North Pole in here. I think I might still be traumatized."
***
“Pancakes too,” Nick assured her then chuckled as he went to get out the mix for said breakfast goodness. Hesitant joke successful. They were getting along. If that mean she lived with Bruce and Nat that was fine with Nick. Whatever made her happy and them back to the way they were.
“Whenever,” he said. “Just let me know so I can be sure to be home.” And not have Bobbi here was what was left unsaid. He didn’t want to spoil this. “Or I could stop by. I want to talk to Bruce and Nat anyway.” He was still getting money for being her guardian. He wanted to contribute or have things officially changed.
***
"And that's why you're my favorite." He really was and being separated from him had been really shitty. "Yea ok, if you wanted." Cassie was nervous about it, but she could play it cool. Given how things were going with Bruce and Natasha, she figured she'd keep getting invited to all their stupid big parties and having an ally would be good at those. Nick just needed to get along with most of them for a couple hours.
She took a sip of her now spiked coffee and let her legs swing absently as she watched him make pancakes. Not a bad way to spend Christmas at all.
***
Nick had definitely had worse Christmases. Pretty much every single one leading up to this one. He couldn’t remember ever getting presents. The best gift he ever got was evading Division for another day. He was glad that Cassie had it better than he did when he was her age.
Not the best cook in the world Nick had the pancake mix ready in moments and began pouring them into the pan, and attempted to make stupid shapes like Christmas trees and reindeer. All the while he chatted and made jokes with Cassie, told her stories about things that happened at the animal shelter in an effort to get her to mock him and/or laugh.