A/N. Popped into my head while listening to the song and browsing one of my favorite ships on... Tumblr... I started writing this to be what happened to them the morning after the night during my story "A Sanctuary Parent Trap Crossover" and I think it ended up where I wanted, leaving out the whole pregnancy thing, so far. Enjoy.

Not mine; not the song, nor the characters, none of it. I'm just borrowing both of them, sadly.

DISTANCE- CHRISTINA PERRI

The sun is filling up the room
And I can hear you dreaming
Do you feel the way I do right now?

Nikola woke to the sound of someone murmuring. Sleepily, he stretched out, or tried to before he realized that his body was weighed down by something... somebody else. He opened his eyes, but the sun blinded him and he shut them quickly.

"Nikola," the body mumbled.

He looked down and saw a dark head of curls resting on his chest. He recognized that head, it had haunted him for more than a century.

"Helen?" he asked quietly, so if she wasn't awake she wouldn't be disturbed. She didn't stir, except to whisper his name again.

She was asleep. She was dreaming... of him.

Warmth spread through his body, making him feel light. He felt like he could do anything right now. He could take on the world and come out on top. The warmth made him feel invincible.

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled into the embrace and sighed, seeming completely at ease for the first time in a long time. She was here willingly. She was in his arms and was content to be there, happy to be there. Or so he thought.

Suddenly she tensed; Nikola could feel it throughout her entire body.

I wish we would just give up
Cause the best part is falling
Call it anything but love

"Nikola," she squeaked and almost fell out of bed as she tried to escape from his warm embrace.

"Whoa, Helen," he said in a soothing voice, but it had the opposite effect. Her eyes widened and she pulled up the sheet higher to cover her body.

What had happened? She hadn't even drunk that much last night. It was just enough to get her a little buzzed, that's it. It definitely was not enough to get her to sleep with her best friend.

'Maybe you wanted to sleep with him," that voice in the back of her mind suggested, "Maybe you finally gave up on holding out, on fighting the feelings. Maybe you finally admitted that you lov-" She cut the inner voice off, so not wanting to go there when she was naked.

And I will make sure to keep my distance
Say "I love you" when you're not listening
How long can we keep this up, up, up?

He slowly moved forward, trying not to scare her any further, not noticing how far away she was.

"I love you," Nikola said as he placed his hand on hers. She jerked it back, out of his reach and stared at him, not understanding what was going on. Then it sunk in. She stood up, pulling the sheet with her.

"Helen, did you hear me? I love you," he said, trying to breakthrough to her. He was trying to make her see what this was to him.

And please don't stand so close to me
I'm having trouble breathing
I'm afraid of what you'll see right now
I give you everything I am
All my broken heart beats
Until I know you understand

She started taking in small, panicked breaths trying to calm herself down, but she was just working herself up further.

Nikola took a step towards Helen, who backed away and stared at the floor to keep him from seeing the battle raging in mind displayed in her eyes.

He loved her? He couldn't love this broken, damaged person who had rejected him again and again. She turned to face the desk and saw two pictures on it. The photo's from last night.

He reached out to her again, hoping that she would see how he felt shown so clearly in his eyes, but she wouldn't look up from the desk and she pulled her shoulder out of his grasp.

And I will make sure to keep my distance
Say "I love you" when you're not listening
How long can we keep this up, up, up?

He started backpedaling, trying to take it back. Nikola pulled out his defences and tried to make this into another one of his attempts to 'seduce' her. They could pretend it didn't mean anything like they always did.

And I keep waiting
For you to take me

She turned and looked at Nikola with the photo clutched tightly to her chest, wanting him to take her into his arms and hold her like he had before she had woken up and ruined it all. She waited for him to wrap those arms around her, but it never happened. He was looking so cold, so empty and unfeeling.

You keep waiting
To save what we have

He was trying to save their friendship, afraid to love her because he thought she didn't. She could see it in his eyes. He was trying to save the only thing he thought he could have with her. Their friendship.

So I'll make sure to keep my distance
Say "I love you" when you're not listening
How long can we keep this up, up, up?

"This was a mistake, Helen, one we won't repeat," he smirked at her, but even his highly fortified defences couldn't hide the pain in his eyes as he said that.

She wanted to stop this; it had gotten out of control so fast.

"Nikola, I-" she started, but he cut her off.

Make sure to keep my distance
Say "I love you" when you're not listening
How long 'til we call this love, love, love?

"It's okay, Helen, I'm gone. I'm leaving," he got dressed quickly, seeming to forget that this was his room. He pulled on his shoes and walked out the door, leaving Helen alone, still dressed in only a sheets, holding the one thing that held so much meaning for her now, but it wouldn't change what had happened. Their relationship was irrevocably changed and not for the better.

She collapsed into a chair and looked down at the picture in her hands as the tears fell freely. "I love you," she whispered to the closed door, knowing that he was too far to hear her now.

A/N. First songfic. Don't know how I feel about it, but give me your opinion, maybe? It's late and I don't know how well this turned out, I might like it, but I'm a little biased. Review, if you would be so kind:)

P.S. Keep in mind that they are on a boat, so he isn't going anywhere... except away from her.