Oneshot Lirael/Nick (cause I think this couple is friggin' adorable) set after The Creature in the Case. Nick has come to Belisaere with Lirael after the incident with the Hrule. Mostly Lirael's thoughts about Nick and her feelings about him with unabashed fluff thrown in at the end for good measure. Enjoy!

P.S. Don't own the characters.

His presence had been weighing on her mind ever since they'd both come back to Belisare, an awkward affair to be sure, considering his crossing of the wall had been difficult and his and Lirael's journey to Belisare had been filled with a quiet apprehension. When they did talk, Lirael found she enjoyed the conversation. He was intelligent, that much was obvious, and had an inquisitive mind, and it made her sad to think how such a delightful thing in a person had been taken advantage of and twisted when Orranis had used him.

He was sweet. He was kind. It was obvious he'd grown up in a family of privilege. That his life had been mostly happy, if not somewhat jaded as he grew older and learned more of the politicians he was related to. Lirael found herself fascinated by how happy his young life had seemed. She knew hers could have been worse, but she also knew she hadn't had the happiest of youths. Mostly, she was fascinated by the way he spoke of his family, like an outsider, the hint of loneliness in his tone not lost to Lirael's ears. She was reminded of how for so many years she'd been surrounded by numerous cousins and yet detached, lonely, different.

His dazzling smile had startled her with its brilliance. To her it gleamed like the rising sun of a new day, a stark contrast to the small, shy smile she'd given him, the smile she was used to giving, a pale fading star that barely shown in twilight by comparison. It would be like the Day loving the Night, she thought, if he loved her, a stiff shell of someone who'd kept to herself so long. It was a thought she was surprised to find herself thinking after she'd spent a few short weeks feeling extra pangs of self-consciousness around him, particularly when she noticed his eyes on her.

So when he'd followed her out the hall after the messenger had come to tell her of urgent business she or Sabriel was needed for, she was oddly delighted and yet again, oddly apprehensive, awkward, shy.

"Lirael," he called, half jogging to catch up, for he'd delayed just a moment, and Lirael had taken off at a brisk pace. "Lirael," he said again reaching her and putting a hand to her arm, gently pulling her back.

She looked down at her arm, and, as if embarrassed, Nick relinquished his gentle grip at once. "Yes?" she asked still looking down at her arm, uncertain of looking up at him.

"Are you...?" She chanced a glance up at him and she felt it was fateful, at once she felt she should, and yet couldn't look away, and she felt her cheeks turning red. "Are you... well.."

"Yes?"

"Well, you're returning, aren't you? I mean to say, when this is all over, you'll be back, in Belisaere, won't you?" he seemed at once to be in a hurry to say the words and yet reluctant to say them.

She paused a moment. "I think so. That is to say, I have a lot to learn from Sabriel yet so it is likely. Though when one day, hopefully a day long from now, I am the Abhorsen the Abhorsen's House in the Ratterlin will be my true home."

"Oh..." the color rising to his cheeks seemed to steal his words for a moment. "I... well, what I mean to say is, well... good." He finished lamely.

"Good?"

He smiled his cheeks red as ever. To Lirael, he looked like a glorious summer afternoon, the light sprinkling of freckles across his face like rays of sunshine peaking through a few clouds on an otherwise clear day. A day as clear and clean and crisp and blue as his sharp eyes. "Um... Well, yes. Good that you're coming back I mean."

"Oh." Lirael smiled and blushed again, she could feel the red rushing even more fervently to her cheeks. "Um... good then."

For a moment, that seemed to be it, so Lirael prepared herself for saying goodbye, but he cut across her again, again taking her arm, this time drawing her closer to him. "This... this, disturbance. It's.. it's dangerous, isn't it?"

Lirael paused again and replied, "All Abhorsen work is. But Sabriel said it would be something I could handle on my own, its one of the Lesser Dead. But she is coming as well, as a precaution. So I think it should be alright, despite the danger."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yes well... what I mean to say, well - " he seemed to have given up on words and thrown any hesitance to the wind and his sentence ended with his impulsive kiss. It was clumsy at first, neither kisser being particularly well practiced, Lirael being too shocked at first to respond, was the lesser experienced of the two. But the imperfection of it still took Lirael's breath away, she could feel in it his concern for her safety and the feelings he couldn't yet put into words.

They broke apart, both with a look of apprehensive shock on their faces. Nick spoke first. "Well - please do be careful. And I look forward to - I mean -" he ran a hand through his hair, seemingly frustrated with his lack of eloquence. "I mean, I should.. I should be very glad to see you again."

"Yes," Lirael whispered clumsily, meaning she would be glad to see him again too but she only had composure enough for the one syllable response. It was enough. They flew at one another again, their lips clumsy, hearts pounding for one last kiss before a parting of an uncertain amount of time, but one that would end with the promise of more to come.

Review please!