Okay, here's another non-canon pairing. I had an idea. I am willing to expand on one of these stories. I'll do so on the one with the most reviews.
By the way, this does NOT take place in the same universe as the other two, just an FYI.
"Please go fishing with me!" Nicholas pleaded with Herb
"For the last time NO! I don't care how much you want me to come. Last time it was boring, as was the time before that and the time before that! I'm through!"
Yumi and Ulrich watched as Herb stormed off, leaving Nicholas looking put out.
"Gee, you almost feel bad for him," Yumi said.
"Not me," Ulrich snorted. "All the trouble their gang has brought us."
Yumi shrugged. "Not him though. It's usually Sissi and Herb trying to mess you and me up."
"And Aelita and Jeremie and Odd. It's not just us they mess with."
Yumi sighed. "Must you be so insensitive?" She muttered, thinking about 'us' as a couple and not the Lyoko Warrior group.
Ulrich frowned. "I'm not being insensitive; I just don't feel bad for him."
Yumi looked over as Nicholas slowly began repacking his tackle box. He had been acting out a fishing expedition of his, trying to convince Herb to come.
"Ulrich Stern!" Mrs. Hertz's voice rang out.
"I'd better go," he sighed, standing up from the bench they had been sitting on.
Yumi watched him walk off.
"Hey, Yumi," Nicholas asked, "you wouldn't want to go fishing with me? I bought a new tackle box and a new fishing rod for Herb, only I guess he isn't coming anymore." Yumi looked at him, a stab of pity going through her. She didn't really have anything to do tonight. It would be the nice thing to do…
"Fine," she sighed. She knew she'd regret this later.
.
That evening Yumi reentered the school to find Nicholas holding to fishing rods over his shoulder and holding his new tackle box in the other hand. With his fishing hat on and all his gear, he looked so funny and out of place at a school, that Yumi couldn't hold in a laughed.
He grinned at her outburst, and offered a fishing line to her. "You ready for the time of your life?"
"Let's just get this over with," she said, with a resigned smile.
Nicholas set off down the road. "I've got a perfect spot. It's a little out of the way, down by this old ramshackle factory thing, but the water's not polluted, like you'd think it'd be. It's actually perfect for fishing, lots of big, interesting fish there."
As they made their way to the lake around the factory Yumi kept making sure she didn't lead. She wasn't supposed to know where he was taking her.
They arrived at the factory and Nicholas began setting up the lines.
"Ever been fishing before?"
She shrugged. "Like once or twice when my family went camping."
"Do you need help firmly attaching your bait?"
Yumi made a few attempts before accepting Nicholas's help, blushing. She wasn't used to getting help from people, him of all people. She was usually pretty independent.
"They just keep falling off."
He smiled. "That's why you need to firmly attach it. If it won't stay on on its own, then it won't stay on when the fish bight."
He helped her throw her line in, showing her where to throw so that it wouldn't be so deep that the fish don't stray to the surface, but not too shallow that all you get are little two inchers.
Yumi tried to imitate him. "So if I throw it like- OUCH!" She whipped her hand back and yanked instinctively at the barb imbedded in her finger.
"Great! I didn't even want to come, and now my finger just got impaled!" She hissed.
Nicholas grabbed her arm. "Jeesh you got it in deep. Don't worry, I can get it out."
Yumi growled insults as he worked the barb out of her finger.
"I had it under control! I was gonna get it out myself," she snapped as the hook was finally out of her finger.
Nicholas smirked. "That's why you were yanking at it. Fishhooks are design to not come out when you yank. Now let me see your finger."
"I'm fine."
"Maybe, but you still want to clean and bandage your finger, and I have the first aid kit."
As he bandaged her finger, Yumi began to regret yelling. It had been her fault, and he had been only trying to help.
"Hey, Nicholas," she said when he finished.
He looked up.
"Thanks," she said.
"I suppose you'll want to go home now?"
She smiled. "Hike all the way out here with tons of equipment and nearly lose my finger for nothing? I think not," she said shaking her head. "You might as well show me what it is you get so excited about."
His easy grin slipped back over his face. "Okay then!"
He showed her how to grip the hook so you don't get it caught in your finger.
"You still wanna be careful. Even the most experienced fisher gets a caught finger every now and then."
A few seconds later, they were sitting side-by-side, legs dangling over the edge of the bridge.
Yumi felt her rope being pulled at. "I got one!" She said, uncharacteristically excited. She began yanking on the line as Nicholas helped her reel it back in.
He examined the fish, which was nearly have a meter long.
"Nice one!" He said. "Looks like an Alosa Fallax."
"A what?"
"It's the name of the fish. You can call it a Twaite shad if you want."
She looked at the fish flopping as she held it at arms length. "I like Alosa Fallax better. It's… picturesque. It brings to mind something prettier than a fish."
"You don't find fish pretty?" Nicholas asked, grinning.
"You do?"
He shrugged. "Well yeah. But not Alosa Fallaxes. Mandarinfish and Juvenile Emperor Angels."
Yumi smiled. "You make them sound so special. It's funny to think of these ugly fish as having important names."
"Everything has a name. Every bird, every plant, every flower." He smiled at Yumi, and she caught herself smiling back.
"Now stand up and let me get a picture of you and that sucker."
Yumi held the fish out, grinning, and Nicholas snapped a picture on his phone.
"What was the biggest fish you ever caught?" Yumi asked, after throwing her fish back in.
"Ctenopharyngodon idella, 110 cm."
"A hundred and ten! No way! When was this?"
"A few years back. It was half as big as me!"
They spent the evening sitting on the edge of the bridge. Yumi felt it very peaceful, the quiet. It was much different then the fast-paced activities she normally did, but it was a good difference. Whenever either caught a fish, Nicholas would treat her to one of his stories. Yumi found it interesting, how he could make even a fishing tale sound fascinating.
"So, is fishing really interesting, or are you just good at making it sound that way?"
"Well, it depends on your perspective. I find it interesting, which is why I tell it like I do. Either I'm a good story teller, or you find it interesting too."
She frowned, thinking. "I think I do like fishing. I never though I would, but I do. It's calm and peaceful and gives me the ability to think. I like the cool air and the tranquil setting. I like watching the bobbers float in the water and the excitement of watching them get yanked under." She paused, watching Nicholas's expression. "Sorry, it's probably stupid."
He laughed. "I don't think so. You've named exactly why I go. I love it too." He sighed. "But, it's hard getting people to come, and it's so much more fun when they do."
"It's hard when people don't even give you a chance. I'm sorry about never doing so; this is the most fun I've had in a while."
She meant it too. Though she had a blast with her friends, she couldn't really sit and talk to them about her problems. Odd was too goofy, Jeremie too busy. Aelita tried to be considerate, but she was becoming increasingly wrapped up in her family, or looking for remnants of it. Ulrich had become increasingly wrapped up in his parent troubles.
Yumi sighed. "Don't you ever wish that you had someone you could just talk to?"
Nicholas laughed. "Nope, I've got Herb and Sissi."
It took Yumi a minute before she realized he was being sarcastic. "Why do you hang out with them then? Whenever you're alone your much nicer."
He shrugged. "No one likes me, I guess it's because I'm hardly a genius. Being with them gives me the title of 'one of Sissi's friends'. It doesn't give me respect, but it gives me acknowledgement."
They sat in silence for a while. Yumi glanced at Nicholas. He glanced back. They smiled at each other for a second, before a loud tune blasted out of Yumi's phone.
"Ack, that's Odd." She quickly hung up the phone, embarrassed.
"It's late," he said, noting her phone. "We should be heading back."
The two stood up and began packing up.
"You know, Nicholas, this was actually really fun. Maybe I could come with you again."
"I'd like that. I've never had anyone ask to come again."
Yumi frowned. "Why? Do they think it's boring?"
"Probably."
They stood for a minute, staring at each other in the moonlight. Then both picked up a line and set back, hand in hand.
No kiss, I couldn't justfy either doing something like that after a few hours of conversation. Anyway, like I said, please review!