Author's Note: Inspired by YukiShinoya444, nee Yuki-chan's "Illusion" story, from the infinite playlists of my vast and fertile imagination comes a Nick x Momoko story that's far beyond the norm for me. Let's get into it!
This is a couple I've gotten into ever since my first Ojamajo Doremi story, and it's stuck with me through all of them. I'll try my best to be fluffy here (as I like to be), but with a bit of angst and emotion in it as well.
Disclaimer: As always, I don't own ANYTHING related to Ojamajo Doremi. But, I do own Nick (who is my character). So there.
Smiles
He took a look at her face; sparkling emerald eyes that had lost their luster.
Those beautiful emerald orbs stained with tears that didn't ever belong on such a wonderful face.
Her rosy cheeks had lost that rosiness he'd always adored.
Her golden hair, normally done up in wonderful buns, now a tangled mess of braids.
One look at her distraught face, and he instantly knew who was behind this.
She didn't deserve such inconsiderate assholes.
There was no way she deserved any of them.
One Momoko Asuka was feeling the pain of one too many heartbreaks due to complete idiots that she didn't deserve in the slightest.
This was a pain that Nick Kelly knew all too well.
Nick and Momoko had been best friends for almost all of their lives, but what Momoko hadn't known was that Nick had always had a crush on her.
However, when Momoko had started dating, Nick had kept his feelings locked inside, trying to be considerate for his childhood friend's sake.
Such fruitless labor, all for her sake.
Things quickly went south from there, as heartbreak after heartbreak continued to fly in the direction of the girl Nick had always loved.
Honestly, was every other man in Misora a total bone-head or what?
Momoko was one of the most talented, beautiful, and wonderful girls he'd ever known in his entire life...
...and yet she allowed herself to cling to this web of utter, sordid lies, allowing herself to stay connected to that blissful belief that maybe one of these jerks was the one she'd been looking for.
Now, Nick was normally a very impatient kid at heart, but he continued to support Momoko through these troubled times, hoping that maybe someday he could mend her broken heart and make her see that these bastards who wanted nothing else but to tug viciously at her heartstrings were not worth it in the slightest.
When Nick couldn't stomach seeing his best friend so heartbroken, he'd often storm out of his house, only to end up in the company of another lifelong friend, Onpu Segawa.
Onpu had always known that Nick had loved Momoko, and had constantly convinced him to tell Momoko how he felt, but Nick had insisted against it, saying that he didn't want to ruin what they already had just for him to be a rebound.
Just recently, Momoko had been dating a seemingly nice boy named Hikaru.
At first glance, he'd seemed like the perfect gentleman, and for a short, blissful time, Nick believed that he might be the one Momoko was looking for.
However, after four months of those two dating, Hikaru had stood her up on one date too many, always saying that 'something important had come up'.
Not believing that phony baloney for a second, Nick had done some investigating during one of their dates, when Hikaru had to 'go wash his hands'.
Nick, unknown to his secret love, followed Hikaru on his little excursion, only to find something that completely shocked him...
...that little bastard was making out with a completely different woman!!
She'd even said something about being excited for their child!
For Nick, that was the absolute last straw.
Nick felt that it was time to take Onpu's advice and let the one he'd always loved know how he really felt.
The problem with this?
Not ten minutes after Momoko had returned home, she'd received a rather nasty phone call... from the woman that Hikaru was 'courting'.
She'd said some very hurtful things to the golden-haired angel, and Nick felt Momoko's pain, because he'd heard every last word of the conversation.
The woman had called Momoko out more times than she deserved, even going so far as to call her a blonde, stuck-up bitch who didn't know what love even was.
Once the woman hung up, Momoko had burst out crying until she'd literally fallen asleep in her sadness.
It tore Nick up on the inside seeing his secret love so heartbroken, and after one too many of these incidents, Nick just couldn't take it anymore.
At about three in the morning that night, Nick had snuck out of his house (without his parents knowing) and paid a 'visit' to Hikaru's dwelling, ready as he ever was to beat some sense into this man for breaking the heart of the woman Nick so loved.
Hikaru hadn't even seen it coming until he had been dragged right out of his bed and slammed against the wall by a very pissed off Nick.
Nick warned Hikaru about going anywhere near Momoko ever again, and the man responded to most likely let himself tell her that.
Nick got REAL angry by that point, warning Hikaru that, despite his non-violent ways, if he saw him go anywhere near her again, he'd break every last bone in his body.
That was enough to get Hikaru to back off and submit.
Nick walked out, a big smile on his face. He'd shown that little bastard what for.
Now, hopefully, he could help Momoko out.
But, when he'd stopped by Momoko's home, she wasn't there anymore. Confused beyond belief, Nick scoured the house until he noticed a note that was lying at the foot of her parent's bed.
He nearly went into shock upon absorbing the contents of said note:
I'm sorry, mom and dad, but I can't take this heartbreak anymore. By the time you read this note, I won't be of this world anymore. I'm so sorry it had to end like this.
- Momoko
Nick looked around frantically; there still had to be some hope left. This note had only been written about fifteen minutes ago.
Desperate to find his angel before she did the unthinkable, Nick raced out of the Asuka household, not realizing that he'd woken up the girl's parents.
Not wasting any time, Nick raced up and down the hilly town he'd grown up in, searching for any possible sign of Momoko, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't too late.
After about an hour of fruitless searching, Nick had found himself at the bridge that led out of Misora.
There was no mistaking the figure teetering precariously at the edge of the bridge, as if to tease the arms of oblivion that she was about to jump into.
Nick called out to Momoko, but to no avail. She muttered something inaudible, and then tipped herself over the edge.
Not letting it end there, Nick raced over to where Momoko had jumped, thrusting his hands towards the falling girl and hoping that this would work.
Time seemed to slow to an infinite, everlasting crawl as Nick chanted a few choice words, and his hands began to glow with an otherworldly light.
Within the space of two seconds, the falling Momoko was enveloped in the same eerie green light and lifted back up to the exact spot she'd jumped.
Once she was on solid ground, Nick rushed over and locked his arms around the girl he'd always loved, hoping to prevent any more atrocities from occurring.
Momoko looked over at Nick with eyes filled with many things: sadness, anger, and confusion, for the most part.
"Why'd you save me?" she wondered, angry that someone had ruined her suicide attempt, but somewhat relieved that it was her childhood friend who had done the saving. "I can't take this anymore. I just want to die in peace!!"
"Don't say things like that, Momoko!!" Nick shot back. "I don't want you to kill yourself!!"
"What's the point of living if you can't have somebody to love?! There's no one in this world who even wants me around anymore!!" Momoko wailed, her voice becoming hoarse from all the crying she'd done that night.
"That's not true, Momoko!! I love you!!" Nick exclaimed. And just like that, the truth was out.
Momoko stared at him for a few seconds, a little confused. "What?"
"I love you, Momoko," Nick repeated. "I ALWAYS have."
Momoko turned away for a few seconds. "You could be like all the other jerks..."
"Would those jerks have tried to stop you from killing yourself?" Nick interjected.
Momoko stopped her train of thought there. Nick was absolutely right...
"I've always admired your unbreakable spirit, Momoko. It's one of the many reasons that it tears me up to see you so heartbroken. I just want you to know that you're worth so much more than what these jerks think you are. All I've ever wanted is to see that you're happy, Momoko. And those hopeless bastards don't deserve a girl like you. I just want you to be with someone who DOES deserve you..."
Momoko felt like crying. Nick had always had a way with words. "I... I don't know what to say, Nick..."
"Just tell me that you're happy," Nick responded. "I watched you get your heart broken for the last time, and I couldn't take any more of it. I just want you to be happy."
Momoko looked down for a couple seconds, but when she looked up, she was smiling brightly, a smile Nick hadn't seen for two years now.
"And that just made every bit of this worth it," Nick stated. "I love you, Momoko, from the depths of my heart. I've always..."
Momoko just nodded. "Shut up, Nick. I love you, too. I'm so glad someone's out there for me..."
Nick leaned forward, hardly believing that he'd finally come upon this opportunity.
After a few seconds that felt like a few hours to both of them, their lips finally met and stayed together for a good two straight minutes.
Momoko smiled brightly, and rested her head in Nick's chest as he pulled her close.
"Will you stay with me for a while, Nick?" Momoko asked. "I really don't want to be alone right now."
"Of course, Momoko," Nick answered, glad that Momoko had finally snapped out of her depression.
Their lips met once again, and that was all they needed to know.
As soon as Momoko felt that tingly sensation where she was being kissed, she knew one thing...
...she knew that things would be so much better from now on.