Pairing: Karolina Dean, Nico Minoru
TV Show: Marvel's Runaways (Hulu series)
Rating/Warnings: T ~ M, no smut, femslash, slightly A/U, mentions of canon (TV show and comics, Issues 1 to 18 at least, mentions of MCU Superheroes)
Summary: In which Karolina Dean, Nico Minoru and their friends continue their journey after running away from their parents. Occurs after season 1 finale, mentions of TV show and comics canon, slightly A/U.
A/N: Because no show has been this exciting, this exhilarating since at least Buffy and season 2 is still too far away. Comics used thus for reference. Comments not unwelcome.
Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing gained, only prose is mine.
Chapter 1
Karolina and Nico just become this thing that Gert, Chase and Molly accept as easily as anything else in this journey: Discovering your parents are murderous super villains, hot, gorgeous, glowing aliens and their nefarious, creepy dads, plots that involve world domination and destroying the world and genetically engineered dinosaurs named "Old Lace".
Gert and Chase have known about Karolina and Nico much longer than the others, of course. Gert because she's perceptive like that, except when it involves herself. There was always something in the way Karolina looked at Nico - a mix of longing and sadness and pain that she had recognized as her own, because she'd felt it every time she sees Chase, or when she sees Chase coming on to other girls, especially Karolina, knowing full well she can never have Chase the way Karolina or any of the others could so easily have him. But Karolina doesn't fall all over Chase like the other girls in their school, she seems so uninterested, so blasé about Chase's interest in her – and that should have tipped Gert early on.
Chase, for his part, takes a longer time to realize that the reason Karolina never kissed him back at the rooftop wasn't just because she didn't like him but because she didn't like guys in general and only had eyes for one girl in particular.
Molly had figured out the first night they spent in the van when they rescued Karolina from her evil parents, when people started pairing off and she saw Nico beside Karolina putting a blanket on her and smiling and giggling like a schoolgirl. Molly had seen how genuinely happy Karolina was, for the first time in her life - even if she had been living the most clichéd telenovela Molly had ever seen: when she'd found out that the father she'd known her whole life wasn't really her father and that her real father had been a Dr. Doom kind of creepy villain who was willing to hurt even his own daughter to get what he wanted. It felt like Molly's life was a walk in the park compared to Karolina's. People might think she was too young to figure these things out but she's only three years younger than most of them and she understands everyone should enjoy whatever happiness they find wherever they find it. Life, afterall, is short. The only thing she demanded of everyone that first night in the van was one rule: "No sex in the van or anywhere else within a ten-mile radius of a minor, i.e. me" which is met by amused, surreptitious exchange of shy glances between Karolina and Nico – it took them forever to get together, it would probably take them another infinity to get to the next level, plus there is still their murderous, villainous parents looking for them, with the whole police force backing them so Molly didn't have to worry about that. Gert and Chase though, annoyed at the rule, don't accept this rule nearly as whole-heartedly and grudgingly agree to keeping everything strictly PG for Molly's sake.
Nico had smirked at that and says, "Keep it in your pants, Stein and let the sexual frustration begin."
Chase smirks back. "Like you're gonna last long without getting..."
Gert hits him on the shoulder before he can finish his sentence, indicating Molly.
"Dudes, I know what sex is," Molly tells them patiently. "Although for my money, I think Karolina and Nico probably have a better chance of keeping it in their pants,Chase, than you two hormonal teenagers."
Chase and Gert blush, both knowing that at the dance they actually had sex the first chance they could be alone together. Karolina and Nico blush as well, but only because they hadn't thought that far along yet. They hadn't even actually had "the talk" yet about what their kisses actually mean and what they are to each. It's not that they don't want to talk about it, but up to that day they rescued Karolina, too many things have been going on, and though Karolina had been thrilled at knowing that not only was Nico the one who initiated her rescue, but that she might also like her back, as evidenced by their kiss by the van, she doesn't want to talk Nico about it just yet, in case Nico freaks out and runs away. She knows how Nico is and she doesn't want to drive Nico away the way Alex had. But Karolina blushes also because she has thought of Nico in that way, in the most intimate of ways, head thrown back and body on fire, calling out Karolina's name over and over again.
Which brings them to Alex.
Pretty much everyone but Alex already knows what is going on. But nobody seems to want to tell Alex, especially since Alex had been very clear right from the start that he likes Nico.
So nobody tells him.
But at the bus depot, when they were trying to get tickets, Alex notices that right after they see their faces all over news for the alleged kidnapping of Molly and murder of Destiny Gonzalez, Alex notices that Nico's first instinct was to grab Karolina and get away from there.
Then, in the van, freshly painted to hide the giant Church of Gibborum on its side, new stolen plates to replace the old ones, while they sped through the streets of L.A., Nico had sat beside Karolina. Maybe too close beside Karolina.
When they get somewhere in Bronson Canyon, Chase's "lair" for when the inevitable apocalypse comes ("You watch too much sci-fi,man," Alex comments and Chase says, "What, you don't?") Alex notices other things, too. Like Nico seems to always just "be" with Karolina.
In the cave, dank, cold, dark, an inexplicable number of rooms reveal themselves, and Gert and Chase are more than happy to hunt for their own room, to Molly's consternation ("Fine, then I'm staying with Old Lace," Molly mutters, taking the dinosaur with her in search of a large enough room for both of them. "Don't coming running to me to help you guys because you were too busy sucking each other's face. Gross."). Nico had hesitantly said, "Um, I guess I have to look for a room, too."
"Want some company?" Alex asks.
Nico raises an eyebrow and smirks. "Sure." She turns to Karolina and asks, "You wanna come?"
Karolina shrugs,nonchalant. "Uh, sure."
Alex stands there, all alone, not knowing what to say or do and feeling, not for the first time, how totally and completely alone he is.
It doesn't help that the first night in the cave, Nico's attention just seems to be on everyone else but Alex, actively ignoring him, her attention particularly focused on Karolina. Whatever food they had scrounged together and laid out on the makeshift table hastily dragged to the middle of the room and divided equally amongst themselves, Nico would share with Karolina. He had also noticed how Nico seemed to be sitting too close to Karolina, touching her thigh, or her blond hair or offering her food or drinking from the same bottle, all the while whispering and giggling like they have their own little world, oblivious to the others in the room. Chase and Gert who are also sitting close together are every bit the new couple they are, content to just leave Karolina and Nico alone, as if everything is just normal, as if Alex isn't falling apart, as if his world isn't disintegrating right now.
And Molly, Molly is every bit as accepting, like Karolina and Nico suddenly being extremely good friends is normal. She is content just hanging out with the dinosaur and talking about how they're like superheroes now.
"Maybe we should come up with superhero names huh?" Molly excitedly suggests.
"Superhero names?" Gert asks.
"C'mon, Steve Rogers has Captain America, Natasha Romanov has Black Widow, Steve Banner has Incredible Hulk," Molly says. "I say we get rid of our slave names and get new ones. Gert is now Arsenic, Chase is Talkback, Nico could be Sister Grimm, Karolina could be...I don't know..."
"Lucy in the Sky...? Like the song?" Nico ventures.
"Codenames? Seriously?" Gert asks. "And why do I get to be Arsenic?"
"Kid has a point. We're on the run now, we need code names, guys," Chase says.
"What, for all the saving we're gonna be doing?" Nico asks.
"Sure, saving the world from our parents," Gert says.
"C'mon, look at us," Nico says. "We're barely Earth's Mightiest Heroes. And we're up against a criminal organization cult whatever that's out to do something bad run by our parents. There's no way we're going to win..."
This is met by silence.
Everyone is reminded again of the stakes. Of how much danger they are in. The weight of what they know, the weight of what they have to do, the weight of having to choose between their parents, parents who, for all their faults, they still cared for, and the world, weights heavy on their minds.
The silence stretches on for what seems like forever, before Karolina gently steers them to a safer topic, of how Chase even found this cave in the first place.
As Chase excitedly explains how he found the cave, Alex just sits there, sensing again how alone he feels, how left out, especially when everyone starts talking about their powers: Karolina excitedly shows them how she can now make just her hand or finger glow and shoot energy blasts from said finger or how Chase, that dumb jock, is showing off his stupid Fistigon to the girls, telling them he's figured out how he can make his Fistigon form shapes now, explaining in surprising non-jock detail how the idea got to him and how long he had been working on it - their whole high school life apparently, and pretty much most of middle school, too.
"...And this from a guy who's flunking everything, including Spanish and Science," Gert had commented dryly, but impressed nonetheless at Chase's work.
Chase shrugs. "School is boring. Fuck that. I prefer practical applications."
"So you're like a street smart Tony Stark," Molly says, admiration in her voice.
Chase doesn't answer, embarassed, ducking his head but secretly smiling. Hardly anyone ever praises him for his brains. Girls are usually into him for his looks or his body or family's wealth, privilege and influence, his coach, team mates and the whole school praise him for his natural athletic ability, but never because of his brains. The only ones clearly unimpressed with him were Nico and Karolina and up until recently, Gert. Nico he kind of understands - he'd thought she'd been into Alex when this whole time there'd been somebody else. And Karolina's lack of interest in him had been a frustration and a puzzle - he'd been so used to girls just fawning over him and melting at his smile or a mere look, but Karolina was different. Karolina had been uninterested and unimpressed, unmoved and unresponsive to his advances. Though he was one of the first she confided in about her abilities she'd pulled away after that - actively avoiding him or ignoring him when he asks her to go out for coffee with him. Since then he'd wondered about Karolina. Seeing her with Nico that night at the dance had made him realize something - something had clicked then, and he had realized that Karolina would never have, not in a million years, be interested in him. After that, he'd noticed how Nico and Karolina were with each other - how Nico was the one who refused to leave Karolina's side the night they confronted Jonah and the rest of Pride, even though everyone knew they could have all died. It was Nico who was freaking out at the thought of what could have happened to Karolina, Nico who insisted on going on a rescue mission for Karolina ( a mission Chase had dubbed a "suicide mission") despite Karolina's insistence that they go without her, Nico who refused to leave Karolina's side after that. Any fool could see something has changed between Nico and Karolina - something powerful, potent, a force of nature and nobody could get in the way of that. Not even Alex. That is why not even Chase has the heart to tell him the truth.
That first night in the cave, they talk all through the night, coming up with plans, shooting down each one, the fear and uncertainty dawning, the realization that they are in grave danger a reality.
"We should head to Canada..." Molly says,matter-of-factly. When everybody stares at her, she says, "What? It's makes sense - everybody who's trying to escape always heads to Canada."
"Except that's probably what the parents would think we'd do," Gert says. "Plus what are the odds that a super secret and evil society would be able to go as far as Canada? Plus, you know, they have Jonah..."
"That guy creeps me out big time, he's like all of my worst nightmares multiplied to a million," Chase says, before he realizes what he's said, turns to Karolina and mutters, "Sorry."
Karolina shrugs. "My dad's a creepy, evil villain. No need to apologize."
"So what now?" Molly asks. "We can't go back and we can't go anywhere...We're stuck."
"I say we split up,"Gert suggests. "That way we're less conspicuous. They're looking for six teenagers and a dinosaur." Gert looks at Chase. "Chase and I can go together...Nico and Karolina can go together..."
Everyone thinks about this for a moment,before Molly makes a face and speaks up.
"Oh, and what, leave the minor with the dinosaur? You're going to leave me so you can get laid? You're being an ass, Gert...and not being a good sister..."
Gert smiles sheepishly and laughs nervously. "Did I say Chase and I would go together? I meant Chase and Alex."
Chase and Alex make a face at the same time and look away.
"'Course Alex could just go with Nico but don't think Nico would be interested, I think she hates your guts," Molly says with a little impish grin.
"Guys, why don't we sleep on this for now?" Nico volunteers, interrupting them. "I mean, we're all tired and frankly, this is still all a lot of process. Maybe tomorrow we'll be able to figure out what to do?"
Karolina nods. "I'm with her."
Nico looks at her and smiles, resting a hand on her thigh.
"Yeah, I'm with Nico on this one, too," Gert says.
"Okay, cool,"Molly says as everyone starts to get up.
"Alright," Nico says, standing up and yawning. "I'm beat. Who's gonna do first watch? I vote Molly. She's the strongest."
When they turn to Molly, she's already fallen asleep on the makeshift bed she's made, Old Lace beside her.
Alex sighs. Sometimes, he thinks he's surrounded by idiots. "I'll do it."
Everyone seems to just accept this and go to their respective rooms.
Nico and Karolina don't sleep though.
Or rather, Nico couldn't sleep, tossing and turning beside Karolina in their bed of blankets and foam so Karolina gets up and says, "C'mon, I'll show you something."
Karolina shows her a secret passageway in their room - a small tunnel both crawl into, the tunnel emerging into a ledge outside, giving them both a good view of California at night.
Karolina crawls out first, jumps down and holds up her hands to Nico. Nico carefully scrambles down the tunnel and Karolina holds her. Nico hangs by the edge with one hand, the other hand on Karolina's shoulder. Karolina grips Nico by the waist and carefully sets her down on the ground as Nico lets go of the edge of the tunnel. Nico puts her arms on Karolina's neck and holds has never been more glad of the height difference than now. As Karolina sets her down, Nico feels her hands brush against her back, her hips and finally settle on her waist. A shiver runs through Nico. Nico stares at Karolina, beautiful as always in the moonlight, gentle and caring and here beside her. Nico is always amazed at how oblivious Karolina is to how beautiful she is. A surge of emotion overcomes her, she looks up at Karolina's lips for a second then kisses her.
Neither one speaks for what feels like ages, as they kiss each other under the moonlight, the trees, the mountains, the canyon, their only witness. A slight breeze brushes against their skin, makes their hair and clothes whip against the wind, and Karolina holds Nico closer, shielding her from the cold.
After awhile, Nico reluctantly pulls away, puts a hand on Karolina's cheek and whispers, "I've been wanting to do that since forever."
Karolina smiles back. "Me, too."
Karolina and Nico sit on the ground, not saying anything. They've been sitting by the ledge for a good long while now, just staring at the moon, the stars and the city laid out infront of them. Nico is trying to make out the constellations she remembers from childhood, Karolina is unhelpfully coming up with her own names. ("Pineapple?" Nico asks Karolina. "I'm pretty sure there's no constellation named Pineapple." Karolina shrugs and smiles, "The real ones didn't make sense to me anyway, so I came up with my own. Sometimes, late at night, I'd lay down and watch the stars and wondered what it would be like if I came from another planet – I already felt like I did anyway – so you can imagine how weird it feels to find out I may literally be from another planet…")
Nico is leaning against Karolina, Karolina's arm around her. Neither one speak, enjoying the silence and company of each other for awhile.
"So...what are we?" Nico finally speaks up, looking up at Karolina.
Karolina looks at her. "Hmmm?" She absently rubs at Nico's shoulder.
"What is this?"Nico asks, indicating themselves. "What are we? Are we together now? Are we dating...?"
"Didn't Gert say dating is heternormative?" Karolina reminds her with a smile.
Nico nods, feeling disappointment. Damn Gert and her social justice warrior schtick. "...So, we're not dating..."
Karolina looks at her and smiles again. "Well, do you want us to?" She gently asks the other girl, looking at her so intently with her blue, blue eyes that Nico has to look away.
Nico is silent for a time before she shrugs. "I don't know," she finally says. "This all seems...new to me. And I don't want us moving too fast..."
"Then we'll take it slow," Karolina quickly says, with a smile. "No worries. I can wait..."
"Is...is that what you want?"Nico asks, hesitant.
Karolina moves to kiss her gently on the lips. "It's not just what I want that matters. What you want matters, too."
Nico thinks about this for a moment before a slow smile spreads on her face. "This is already so much better than any of the others I've had so far..."
"Better than Alex?"
Nico is silent, looks away. "Karolina..."
"I'm sorry," Karolina quickly says.
"It's just..."
"I know."
"...Complicated..."
Karolina nods. She feels a lump in her throat, unable to express the sadness she feels. There is so much she wants to tell Nico. So much she wants her to know about what she feels and how Nico makes her feel, but she bites her tongue, afraid Nico will run away. But Nico just holds her even more tightly and kisses her and Karolina holds her closer and kisses her back.
They kiss for a long time before Nico reluctantly pulls away and says, "So when did you know?"
"That I was into you?"
Nico blushes. "Yeah sure, let's make this about me. I mean when did you know that you were gay?"
Karolina laughs.
Nico laughs with her. "Yeah, you're right, stupid question, you're a gorgeous girl who glows rainbow. What's gayer than that? I should've known…"
Karolina grins. "You think I'm gorgeous?"
Nico blushes. "I've always thought you were gorgeous."
"Yeah?"
"Yes."
Karolina leans down and kisses her.
"Right," Nico says, breathless, after Karolina pulls away. "So, this thing? When did you find out?" When Karolina just looks at her, Nico swallows. "I'm thinking maybe we should have…conversations and stuff, too, and not just make out all the time….Because right now, all I wanna do is make out with you all the time, and that can't be healthy…I've never wanted to just make out all the time before."
Karolina raises an eyebrow, but she grins. "Yeah, right, okay…so there was this party...? And..."
In the distance, in the darkness, amidst the trees, Alex stands staring at them in shock and disbelief and hurt and anger, hand gripping the cold steel of the gun in his pocket.