For my friend B's birthday she requested New Girl, so here is my first attempt at Nick and Jess. It started as one thing and moved onto being something else. Happy super belated birthday Brooke (brookemopolitan) thanks for being amazing, hugs and love to you. Also thanks to Em (Tadpole24) for being my sounding board and beta when I was worried that this was crazy!
Don't Forget the Cheese
Light streamed in through the gap in the curtains, Nick blinked as the sunshine hit him right in the eyes. For a moment he was confused; this wasn't his room and it wasn't Jess'. This room had white walls, a kitchen and limited furniture. He blinked again as yesterday flashed back: Cece and Shivrang's almost wedding. The wedding didn't happen, Shivrang had run off with Elaine, a blonde-journal writing girl who looked like she would love to sing about her feelings, and Cece, well Cece had admitted that she still loved Schmidt and his reaction had been to run.
In between his crisis of confidence and between calling his relationship with Jess on and off he'd caught sight of Schmidt confronted by both Cece and Elizabeth. He'd wondered what his friend was thinking and what he would do now that he had two women fighting for his affections. Nick's first expectation was for Schmidt to react with his usual excitable flair, women fighting over him was sure to be something he'd put on his bucket list to achieve.
But Nick watched his friend panic and then run and he hadn't been heard from since then. Nick had attempted to call him many times but each time there had been no answer. He sighed, Schmidt was Schmidt, he'd always managed to get himself into trouble but Nick knew he'd eventually get himself out of it.
He turned his attention to the sleeping brunette next to him, after they'd driven off into the distance they'd realised that eventually they would need a destination for their travels, even if just for a night. It was Nick who remembered this motel that he had stayed at with his father once. They (meaning Walt) had tried to pull a con and it had gone sideways, leaving both father and son stuck with no-where to stay but here.
Jess smiled in her sleep and Nick couldn't help but smile back at her, her hair was spread all over the pillow beside her like a curly halo, he carefully reached out and wound one of the curls around his index finger. Her hair was always incredibly smooth and soft, it made him wonder that perhaps the myriad of bathroom products she owned were all worthwhile. He curled another ringlet around his middle finger before Jess began to stir.
"Miller," she mumbled sleepily, "are you really playing with my hair?" she questioned as her blue doe eyes fluttered open.
Nick smiled, "Just wondering if you were going to spend all day sleeping Day." He replied as he leant down to kiss her softly. It still felt strange to be able to kiss her whenever he wanted to and while there was no one else around but them he fully intended to take advantage of this ability.
Jess laughed, as she pulled herself into a sitting position, "I have to say that this isn't the classiest of locations. I feel I should be worried about the germ level on these sheets." She explained as she reached towards her glasses, "I didn't expect to be brought here when we left the wedding."
"What can I say Jess, you've run away with a man of impeccable taste!"
"Does the impeccable taste stretch to coffee?" Jess questioned, "Is there even a breakfast menu?"
Nick nodded, "There is even a breakfast room."
"A whole room devoted to breakfast?" Jess questioned, "I'm there." She stated not waiting for an answer as she began to climb out of the bed. She then paused and stared back at Nick, "Is a sari too much for breakfast?"
Nick smiled, "I'll get the breakfast."
"Don't forget the cheese." Jess called as Nick stepped out into the parking lot right outside the motel room door. Wow Miller, he thought to himself, way to go on the trying to impress the lady stakes. He pulled his suit jacket around himself, he's glad he left the room and didn't send Jess, anyone could be hiding around out here. He begins to move faster towards where last night he caught sight of the breakfast room, before a hand grabs him from behind and slams him back against a car.
A familiar car.
"I don't have any money." This isn't a lie, money is not something Nick Miller ever has much of.
"I don't want money." A familiar voice answers, "Money I have, advice is what I need."
Nick feels his heart begin to calm, this isn't a stranger who has accosted him, it's Schmidt.
"You want advice from me?" Nick questions, his voice rising at least half an octave in shock.
Schmidt looks down at his shoes; he's almost mortified that it has come to this, him asking Nick again for advice in the matters of the heart. "Yes Nick. I need your help."
"I feel I should do something to mark this moment." Nick answers almost gloatingly. Before realising he needs to ask Schmidt an essential question. "Schmidt," he begins cautiously, "how did you know where I was?"
Schmidt looks to the left and then to the right and doesn't answer, Nick takes this as his moment to attack with another question. "Did you follow us from the wedding?" Schmidt shakes his head. "How did you know I was here?"
"Internet banking." Schmidt answers sheepishly, he knows how bad that sounds, how crazy it sounds.
Nick's face crinkles; Schmidt can access his credit card online, why doesn't he know how to do that for himself? Wait, Schmidt accessed his card and that's how he knew he was here? Suddenly he's angry. "Too far Schmidt. Too far. You crossed a line."
"You crossed a line." Schmidt retorts, "You crossed the no nail line around Jessica Day."
"You're bringing this up now?" Nick questions, his voice rising as he begins to walk away.
"Why shouldn't I bring it up now?" Schmidt retorts loudly as he follows Nick back to where he assumes Jess is.
"Schmidt," Nick begins, trying to take a calming breath, he can feel the anger building but it tries to calm himself down. "You found me here because you tracked my credit card, I think we've established that you are the one who has been crossing lines."
"Nick," Schmidt replies with a sigh, "I only did that because I need your help. I have to decide between Cece and Elizabeth and I don't know how to choose. Or even who to choose." Nick turns back to look at him, "Please Nick I need your help."
Nick shakes his head, he knew that this was coming he knew that one of his oldest friends would have ended up in a muddle over Cece, he just hadn't expected this result.
Jess watches Nick leave, reminding him to get cheese, she really feels like cheese this morning, she can't put her finger on why but she just feels like cheese. She lays back on the semi-fluffy pillows and sighs. Her best friend didn't get married yesterday, her boyfriend (is Nick her boyfriend? Maybe that's a conversation for later on today) and her roommates tried to disrupt the wedding, there was a badger involved, falling from the roof and then there was Elaine. Then the wedding didn't happen and she and Nick ran away to this lovely motel.
Suddenly she hears Nick yelling and decides that she needs to investigate, throwing the covers off the bed and jumping onto the carpet. There is one problem though the only clothes she has here is a sari. Just as she is going to try and attempt to get back into the sari she spots the bathrobe hanging on the back of the door. Jess squares her shoulders and not thinking about the amount of germs and dead skin cells the robe might contain she throws the robe around her body and half sprints to the motel door. As the door swings open she sees Schmidt and Nick arguing in the middle of the parking lot and then all of a sudden Nick is on the ground screaming just as he did when she accidentally injured him on the football field.
In one second he's arguing with Schmidt and all of his limbs are working perfectly without pain and the next he's falling over a large upturned chunk of concrete and then he's on cold cement and his right leg is sticking out at an angle that doesn't seem normal and then there is pain, oh so much pain. And Jess is there, and she's cradling his head and asking him how he is feeling and he doesn't quite know the answer to that.
The next few hours are a blur, there's an ambulance ride and some very painful x-rays, then there is talk of an operation. He remembers protesting he didn't need one of those, mainly because of cost. Finally the doctor settles on a cast for now. Three weeks with a full ankle to thigh and then there will be a review appointment to see how the bone is healing. Nick falls asleep after the cast is on, this wasn't how he had wanted to spend his summer.
When he wakes after a few hours Jess is still there, she smiles at him as he begins to stir. "Hey." She whispers softly as she takes a nibble of something from his hospital tray. He laughs when he realises what it is, it's cheese, cheese and crackers. "I hope you don't mind," she tells him, "I did after all send you out for cheese Miller."
"This isn't what you expected though is it?" he questions as he tries to get comfortable, a task he believes will be next to impossible for the next three weeks.
Jess shrugs, "Since when has my life been anything but expected Nick." She tells him as she reaches out to hold his hand with one of hers, the other offering him the last cheese and cracker combination.
Nick shakes his head, who is he to deny Jess the cheese she's had to wait hours for, "I think you turned out alright," he tells her as he watches her face light up, from her eyes to her mouth she smiles and it is in that moment that he knows even with the broken leg he will be alright too, just as long as he has Jessica Day to watch smile and steal his cheese.
So B, that was that. I hope it made you smile, next year I promise to have your fic on time!