AN: Hello! Here's a Rollaro one-shot to tide you over until the next Rollaro scene (if we ever get one again). It's fun, light-hearted, and a little fluffy; but Nick's hard ass personality and Amanda's sass still shine through. I hope you like it so please read, enjoy, and don't forget to leave a review.
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
This whole thing was a terrible and cruel idea right from the start. He shook his head as she tailed him down the concrete halls. She was like a persistent puppy with her pleading eyes and wrinkling nose; it was adorable but also a testament to her sheer stubbornness. He paid for their beers and turned to find her looking at him with those bright pools so captivating, so manipulating. "No, Amanda," he said with finality.
All this was about an ostensibly innocent bet on a baseball game between two teams having a sloppy year. People bet on sports all the time. It was a multi-million dollar industry that his present company was quite familiar with at one point in her life. People were embroiled in these sorts of bets all the time. But it wasn't highly recommended to place bets with a recovering gambling addict.
The Atlanta Braves were playing his team at Yankees Stadium. It was their day off, so they drove up from Nick's house. She was dressed in her Markakis jersey and a red Braves ballcap; and he donned his Yankees blues and insisted on the backwards baseball cap look. She teased him about it, but she honestly thought it brought out more of his boyish features. She nudged him and waggled her eyebrows as they stood at the entrance of their section.
"No, we are not betting on this game."
"Oh come on, Saint Nick," she used that teasing nickname that made him strangely bemused and irritated at the same time. "It's not like we have money on the line."
"Exactly," he replied, "so what's the point of the bet?"
She groaned as she followed him down the steps to find their seats. They were close to left field, a little far from the diamond, but with a good view of Derek Jeter. In Jeter's final year with the Yankees, Nick made sure he would treasure these final ball games with the captain.
Once they found their seats, Amanda continued to badger on about the bet. "What if we put something on the line?"
Nick shook his head and mouthed an 'N-O'. She pressed her lips into a slight frown. Sometimes, he talked to her like his daughter and she called him out for being infantilizing, even if she sometimes deserved it with her antics. "You're no fun."
"Didn't seem like it last night," he cheekily replied, chugging a mouthful of his beer. She thumped his chest with the back of her hand. Nick swallowed the beer that had forced itself down his throat. He glared at her briefly before his eyes softened. "Hey, Manda," he lowered his voice, "I can't partake in something that might be a trigger for you; and you shouldn't be talking about it either."
Amanda sighed. She knew his intentions and approach were right. This was stuff covered in G.A. in night one, and while Nick was no sponsor, anyone with a half a mind could figure out that addicts should stay away from triggers. Still, she was stubborn. And as much as she loved the game and her Braves, baseball felt too drawn out unless she had something riding on it.
At the bottom of the second inning, Nick noticed her tapping her feet and playing with her hair. "You hungry? I could go get us a hotdog or something?" he offered. Amanda shook her head, "nah, I had some of the leftover takeout before we left." She shrugged her shoulders and looked at him with feigned innocence, "I might have wolfed down all your pork chow mein." Nick chuckled before he noticed her scratch the side of her neck. That was when Nick sensed her agitation.
"Are you still thinking about that bet?"
She waved her hand to dismiss him, but the look in her face told a different story.
Nick sighed in defeat. He didn't know if he could last another seven innings with Amanda being foolish and not speaking to him. Sometimes, talking to her felt like he was negotiating with his twelve-year-old.
"What if we didn't call it a bet?"
Her eyes sparkled, "a wager?"
"Nah," the corner of his eyes crinkled, "that's the same thing. Ok, forget the name. What did you have in mind when you said we put something besides money on the line?"
"Sexual favors."
Amanda said it with such nonchalance that Nick lurched forward. He stammered as he attempted a response, "wh- wh- what?"
She lifted her finger to his chin so he could close his gaping mouth. Her blonde hair fell across his face as she leaned in to whisper to his ear. "if the Yankees win, you get to do me however you want me; and if the Braves win, then I get to have my way with you."
She retreated back against her seat and winked at him. Flustered, Nick scratched the back of his head and furrowed his brow. "So there are no losers?"
"Yeah, which is why it isn't really gambling," she replied as if it were so obvious. At that moment, the pinch hitter for the Braves scored a double, which allowed two runners to score. Amanda got off her seat and cheered boisterously as the runners stepped on home plate. The crowd around her booed in displeasure at the lone Braves fan in their section. "Boo! Go back to Atlanta!"
Amanda whipped around and faced the Yankee fan, "Buddy, is that the best you got?" She tried to raise her arms up and lean towards the guy, but Nick was pulling her down. "Hey, hey!" he called out to her, "easy, easy." He placed his arm around her shoulder and squeezed the tension out of her body. Amanda only tensed some more, feeling her competitive spirit surge through her veins. Nick squeezed one more time before he released her shoulder. Once she was in the zone, it was hard bringing her back down. She'd yell at the TV and swear like a sailor – things he didn't particularly look for in women he was dating – but he found it oddly endearing in Amanda.
Hell, it was hard not to find anything she did endearing. Even the things that bugged him when they started to work together; they were the same things that drew her to him. The way she always argued with him, even if it seemed like it was only for the sake of arguing. The way she crinkled her nose and squinted her eyes at him when Liv wasn't looking. Then he'd cross his arms over his chest and raise his chin. She hated that and said it made him look more self-righteous, if it was at all possible. But on one drunken evening at the bar across the precinct, Amanda admitted that she found his ego kind of hot.
"Nick, the game's over there," she pointed at the green diamond in front of them. It only bolstered his stalker-like tendency to stare at her. He knew it made her feel uneasy in a completely harmless way. She liked to kid around about him being a bit of a creep, but he knew below the feigned insecurity, Amanda blushed and reveled in the attention. He called her 'beautiful' one night and her response was to gag and turn away from him. But when he hovered over her body and saw that smile on the corner of her mouth, that blush on her cheeks, and the flutter of her lashes – he knew she secretly loved it.
Without warning or reason, he leaned towards her and pressed a kiss on her temple. Nick turned back to the game and saw, from the corner of his eye, Amanda turn curiously towards him. A small smile curled on her lips as she took his hand in hers.
He ran his thumb along the back of her hand as he recalled the day they both figured out they were in a relationship. Like any big decision between them, it began with an argument. Amanda was being cagey and Nick was interfering, as per usual. She didn't tell him enough of what was going on with her, and he was being meddlesome, trying to fix things when he didn't even know what needed fixing. All Nick wanted was for her to talk to him, so he could help her. All Amanda wanted was some space so she could figure out these unforeseen feelings for her co-worker. They slept together and she didn't think it'd be a big deal, like many of her flings and friends-with-benefits situations in the past, but she developed feelings for Nick from the get-go. The moment he kissed her, all bets were off.
16th Precinct NYPD
One day at the squad room, she could barely even look at him after she stormed out of his house. It wasn't fair to Nick. They'd sleep together, talk until 3AM, and everything was fine – blissful, even. But the moment he asked her about where they stood, or anything remotely serious, she bolted. Amanda was scared and Nick could sense that. He tried his best to give her time, but the honest to god truth was he wasn't a casual relationship kind of guy. Nick was falling for her, and he was willing to wait, but only if she saw a future.
He was tired of her turning her head away when their glances crossed. She was wearing that blouse with the silk bow. For Christ's sake, she had that bow wrapped around his wrists last night, and now she was ignoring him? He marched over to her desk and stated firmly, "Rollins, I need to speak with you in private." Amanda's eyes widened. She exchanged a look with Fin, who merely shrugged, but she followed Nick as he walked down the hallway and into the bunks. She closed the door behind her before she turned to Nick.
"So, this is the second time this week that you're giving me the silent treatment?" He raised his brow.
"Congratulations, it's only Wednesday," Amanda added sarcastically.
Nick sighed as he clasped his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. "When are you going to stop running, Amanda?"
"This isn't really the time and place to do this."
"Then when is the right time?" Nick was incensed, "because before or after we have sex is never the right time. Asking you in my bed is not the right place either." He saw the discomfort in her eyes and he almost wished he hadn't brought it up here at work. He could've waited a few more hours before they got off; that was his mistake. But they were here now and the least she could do was say something that wasn't remotely evasive or sarcastic.
"Look, all I want to know is if you see this going somewhere."
Amanda kept her eyes on his and nodded, "We're already past that point." She propped against the cinderblock walls and closed her eyes. It was hard to look at him, but she knew he had to see the honesty in her eyes to make him believe her. "I like you a lot, and I'm scared." Her voice cracked. Nick immediately stepped forward and placed his hands on her hips. He pressed his forehead against hers before he chastely kissed her on the lips. It was fleeting, but she missed the warm contact desperately.
"You're not alone," he said, "I have feelings for you, and it's scary how strong they are, Amanda. I just don't want to put you in the position where you have to pretend it means something to you for my sake—"
"Nick, shut up," she shook her head. He tilted his head and stared back at her. "I said I like you. I have feelings for you. I want to be with you." She pushed off against the wall, causing him to step back. Amanda ran her fingers through her hair before she gripped the metal railing of the bunk bed to her right. "I want to be your girlfriend. There. You happy?"
His eyes widened and he stepped back in utter shock. "This is not how I pictured it going down."
"What? You expected to take me to Central Park, arrange a flash mob, and sweep me off my feet?" Amanda rested her hands on her hip.
"Nah, I just didn't expect the woman I'm sleeping with to say 'you happy?' after telling me she wants to be my girlfriend."
Amanda rolled her eyes. "Well, Detective Amaro?"
"Yeah, yeah," he shrugged, "so we're in a relationship?"
Impatiently, she quickly nodded her head and took one more, dangerously close step towards him. At this point, if anyone walked in, their cover was blown.
"Amanda—"
"Shut up, Nick," she said before grabbing the back of his head and pulling him down for a heated kiss.
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
It was the top of the ninth with two outs. The Braves were still up by two from their runs in the second inning. The sheer lack of offensive performance was burning out Yankee fans; but Amanda was eating it up. The batter stepped up to the plate and the pitcher threw a fastball dead center. The wood made contact and the ball flew up, and down left field close to the wall. It bounced off the wall, and rolled along the grass before it was caught and thrown to second. Amanda cheered at the double while Yankees fans booed around her. She pumped her fists in the air as the runner stole third, and the next batter drove in a single to score another one for the Braves.
Amanda pumped her fists in the air as Nick watched in amusement. It looked to be an upsetting defeat for his team, but watching his girlfriend get passionate over the game made him excited for what she had in store for him in terms of the bet. Either way, he was going to be a happy man.
"Hey, buddy, would ya tell your trailer trash slut to shut her dirty, little mouth."
Nick and Amanda whipped around to face the Yankee fan that had been yelling at her earlier. Amanda was about to say something biting about his own Staten Island accent, when Nick cut her off. "I would sit down and shut up if I were you."
The man raised an eyebrow as he eyed Nick, "not scared of no pretty boy."
"Really?" Nick said unblinking, "because I'm sure I can bust you right now and find that you're carrying more than 25mg of marijuana, and charge you for distribution." He flashed the badge in his jacket.
"Narc," he sneered, but he raised his arms up in defeat and leaned back against his chair.
"Now go apologize to my girl."
He looked back at Nick in disbelief. He twisted his mouth before he spoke, "I'm sorry, miss."
Amanda was too baffled by what had happened that it didn't even register that the man had apologized for calling her a trailer trash slut. Normally, she didn't stand for guys defending her honor; she could take care of herself. But Nick coming to her aid by diffusing the situation? The fact that her boyfriend didn't resort to using his fists showed that he had been working on his personal growth, too. She was rather proud of him.
Now, at the bottom of the ninth inning and the Braves were up 3-0. Yankees fans were getting frustrated, and Amanda was itching with excitement. It wasn't the most action-packed game, but their non-bet was giving her all sorts of dirty ideas to try on her boyfriend. Nick sank back in his chair as the first batter for the Yankees struck out. Fans began leaving, unable to watch as their beloved team fell further into their slump.
The second batter stepped up to the plate and made a single to right field. Nick cheered with the rest of the fans. Finally, there was something to be excited about after eight scoreless innings. Amanda tapped her fingers against her thigh as the next batter went up to the plate. The pitcher threw the ball dead in the center, but the batter was late on his swing and it flew behind him as a foul ball. Amanda clapped her hands and cheered, sensing the aggravation of the fans around her. Maybe she was rubbing it in a little too hard.
The batter struck out leaving one last out before the game was called. But things were starting to take a turn. The next two batters had scored singles and now the bases were full at the last inning, with two outs. The Yankees' only hope now rested with the shortstop, Derek Jeter.
Nick sat on the edge of his seat, gripping the armrest until his knuckles were white. As much as Amanda wanted the Braves to sweep this game, she couldn't help but feel excited for Nick. He was like a little boy the way he talked about Jeter, running his stats, and basically detailing how he came up with the Yankees. It was a respect and admiration he had passed down to his son, Gil. Zara, on the other hand, only accompanied her dad to baseball games if he bribed her with popcorn. She was thinking about her boyfriend and his kids, and it was making her heart flutter in her chest again. 'I really need to get that checked by a doctor', she inwardly told herself.
Jeter was down on the count with two strikes and it looked to be in the bag for the Braves. The fans were leaving their seats, but Nick still held onto hope and he still gripped on that chair for dear life. The leather ball hit the wood and sent it flying high across the field, up over the rafters. It was a home run! Jeter scored a home run! Four runners hit home plate, and the Yankees won the game in an epic 4-3 comeback. Nick leapt off his seat and cheered, sharing high-fives with the fans around him. Amanda turned around to see the guy who had been giving her a hard time and he was celebrating and pumping his fists in the air. "Good game," she conceded as she smirked.
Nick stopped his celebrations and just stared slack-jawed at the field. "Man, I can't believe that just happened."
Amanda gave him a half-smile and shrugged her shoulders, "guess you win, babe."
He smiled brightly, one that reached the corners of his eyes. Nick wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in against his chest. He pressed his nose into her hair and breathed the scent of her jasmine-scented shampoo. It was a great day. His team won, he had his girl at his side, and the night was still young. Amanda looked up at him and pouted her lips. Nick leaned down and captured them in a lazy kiss, he parted his lips briefly before dragging it across her jaw and towards her ear. He lightly sucked on her earlobe before he whispered, "trust me. Tonight, you'll be thanking Jeter I won the bet."