Sabrina turned the corner to see Nick standing in the arch way of the Demonic possession classroom. She smiled when he gave her a head tilt and a small smile.
She gave him a large grin back and walked over to him, "How are you doing after the winter solstice?" She asked him.
Nick shrugged and move to start walking down the hall, "I was visiting family… so miserable." He said, "And how was your solstice?"
Sabrina shrugged back and tucked her new silver hair behind her ear, "It was pretty good actually… we had a slight issue with the yule log going out, but we managed." She said soflty.
Nick looked down at her with a frown as he pushed the front door open, "Everything ok now?"
She gave a small smile, "Yes we managed to get rid of the children and stop a demon, so over all pretty good." She said started walking way, "Hay." She said turning back to him, "Want to come over and help me study for a test?" She bit her lip, "I am afraid that I am lost in this new class. And I do not want Father Blackwood to know and pull me from it…. he is finally giving me more interesting classes."
Nick tilted his head, "Do you really want to study? Or something else?" He said with a grin.
Sabrina gave a light floating laugh that made Nick's heart skip a beat, "Just study…. This test really is worrying me. Plus I have mortal classes I have to study for." She said with a sigh.
Nick gave her a smile, "Yes I will help you study, I got an A in that class." He held out a hand, "Come on, you newbie … you have a lot of studying to do so you pass."
She slid her hand into his and tugged him down the road, "I am a quick study." She said with a grin. "So nothing good happened to you over Solstice?" She asked sliding her hand from his to grab her bag that was sliding off her shoulder.
Nick shrugged and frowned, "My family…. They are … well they are not like your family." He said giving her a small smile. "The best part of the solstice was when it ended."
Sabrina frowned, "I'm sorry." She said giving him a small bump with her shoulder.
Nick gave her a smile, "What are you sorry for?"
She shrugged, "Because even though I am missing my mom and dad, at least I have my aunts and cousin. They are pretty great." She said looking down the path.
Nick smiled softly, "Never be sorry for having family that cares about you…. Especially as a witch. For us….. our kind, a good family is hard to come by…its always about power and greed." He finished bitterly.
Sabrina stopped and grabbed his hand, "Nick…. I am not sure what your family is like or who you can trust or count on… but I want you to know that I will always be here for you… you have helped me and shown me that I can trust you. So I want you to know that have that in me to."
Nick paused and shook his head at her, "You really mean that, don't you?" he said with a small smile, "You would never betray me, not even to get ahead?" His heart clenched at the way her innocent expression showed confusion.
Sabrina gave a frown, "No… you don't do that to friends and family." She tugged his hand and gave him another smile, "Besides, you seem to be a good warlock to have on my side…. I mean you are going to help me get an A on this test." She said pulling him back down the path.
Nickolas gave a loud laugh, "I said I can help you pass…... I didn't say anything about an A." He said following her. "So, did anything else happen over the solstice."
Sabrina paused and gave a watery smile, "I saw my mom." She whispered.
Nick paused and waited for her to continue, "I conjured her to me…. To ask so many questions…. But in the end…... I didn't remember most of them because I just wanted to see her." He watched as a tear slid down her cheek…. "Have you ever had something that was the best and worst thing ever happen?" She whispered.
Nick paused and looked down at her, "Yes I think so." He whispered back, realizing that he had finally felt that thing a warlock should never feel…. That burning in his chest that made him want to protect someone other then himself, to put her first above everyone. "I think I have." Because he knew that while he felt that thing that he never thought he would, she didn't feel the same way. "So what did she say?" He asked knowing that despite the ache in his chest of wanting more, he would stay and be anything to her, even just a friend.
Sabrina shrugged her silver hair glinting in the sun light, "Honestly I don't even remember it all… I just kind of stared at her and I was so happy to see her but also missing her so much…..." She paused as more tears rolled down her cheeks, "I just wanted to hug her, and I couldn't even touch her Nickolas…" She covered her face with her hands and he pulled her into his arms, "I couldn't even hug her." She said into his chest.
Nickolas felt his own eyes burn, "Oh illuminatio mea, I am so sorry." He whispered, and his hands slid up and down her back, "I have you."
Sabrina slid her arms around his waist to clench at the back of his jacket, "I just feel kind of selfish because I got to see her, and I got to talk to her…. Mortals do not even get that chance." She said into his neck, her breath brushing under his chin making his heart skip a beat, He tightened his arms around her. "I just wanted to give her a hug Nick, I have never been able to give her a hug." She said her voice catching.
Nick tightened his arms around her, "It is not selfish to want more …. To crave more." He said knowing he was talking about himself in that moment. "it is in both human and warlock nature to crave more…. Yes, it was great that you got to talk to her, but I understand what you were craving. The physical touch that brings comfort and love…. And you missed that with her." He whispered as he rubbed his hands down her back.
Sabrina nodded into his chest, taking a deep breath and just held on for a moment. Taking the comfort from Nick's hug. After a few minutes she tightened her arms around him, "Thank you." She whispered. She pulled back to look up at him carefully, "For listening and not judging."
Nick slid one hand up to cup her cheek, "That's what friends are for… right?" He asked with a small smile while his heart cracked as her warmth was taken away from him.
Sabrina narrowed her eyes at him carefully, "Are we friends?" She asked biting her lip.
Nick smiled, "I am anything you want me to be…...A friend… a tutor…. A lover." He said with a grin and then a laugh when she rolled her eyes and smiled. It had the effect he hoped when her eyes brightened, and she laughed.
Sabrina snorted, "I don't do lovers…. If anything, it would have to be a boyfriend." She said pulling away and starting to walk down the road again. She paused to look over her shoulder, "And I don't share…ever. So that will never happen with us." She said with a grin.
Nick walked to catch up with her, "So all I need to do to be with you…. Is not share?" He asked.
Sabrina paused, "You ask that like you actually want to know the answer." She said looking at him carefully.
Nick raised an eyebrow, "Call it research into another world…. You are half mortal and been raised half mortal….. so, I thought that was why you had mortal feelings…. but that is not true is it?" He asked walking down the lane and forcing her to follow.
Sabrina shrugged, "Yes and no… I mean you are partly the way you are because of how you were raised… what is normal and what is not. But I think it is also about what you feel."
Nick gave her a look so she went on, "I mean… when you are with someone, the things that you feel drive you to be ok or not ok with what's going on…. When you were with the sisters… how did you feel?" She asked.
Nick shrugged, "Lust…. Anger … passion." He said gazing down the path.
Sabrina frowned, "What about happiness, and giddiness… or excitement and serenity…. I mean lust and passion are important, but they are just a small part of what makes it so great." She said.
Nick turned to look at her, "Makes what great?" He asked
Sabrina gave a small smile, "A relationship…..love." She whispered.
Nick nodded, knowing that he was starting to feel the things that she was explaining as they walked. After a few moments he looked down at her, "So I am starting to see the different things you are saying but why in sharing….. what is it that mortals say…sharing is caring?" He asked with a grin, genuinely curious.
Sabrina bit her lip trying to think of a way to explain it, "Well do you know when you get something that you have always wanted… something that makes you feel good… happy …. something that is just yours." She said looking up at him, "Then imagine someone touching it… taking that thing that is yours and making it not ALL yours anymore." She shrugged as she kept walking, "I want their attention on me… I want them to look to me for comfort and lust and passion but also for talking and confiding and being there for each other." She shrugged, "Its hard to explain….. love is hard to explain."
Nick paused and took her hand, "So you would never fall in love with me because you don't think that I could ever do those things?" he asked her
Sabrina stopped and looked at him carefully, "The thing is Nick… you don't choose to fall in love with someone…. It just happens." She said examining his face, "The things they do… or don't do….. the way make you feel when they walk in a room…... being excited to see them when they are gone and even when you are mad at them, you want them to be there." She smiled, "there is no one way to fall in love and no one way to stay in love." She turned and started to walk again, "That's probably why you can't make a true love potion…. There is no one way to fall in love or be in love."
Nick looked at her back as she was walking away and realized that she explained it perfectly. When she was gone, he looked for her, when she was away, he wanted to go to her. When he saw her his heart would skip a beat….and while the thought of another touching her another felt like a fire in his belly… the thought of her looking at… of her sharing her smiles with another felt like razors under the skin, like hell fire was consuming his chest.
She turned and smiled at him, making his heart do that thing again where it started and stopped.
"Are you coming?" She called out to him.
Nick nodded at her, "Yes." He whispered, as his eyes took in her large smile and silver hair and glinting eyes. "I would follow you anywhere." He whispered. He walked up next to her and held out an elbow, "So demonic passion?" He asked.
She slid her hand into his elbow and sighed, "Yes demonic possession…I am currently failing it." She said.
"We can fix that." He said looking down at her, "Then you can explain to me what people do when they are jealous."
Sabrina's laugh floated through the air, "You have never felt it before?"
Nick shook his head, "Anger…irritation... frustration…. Annoyance… rage…. Hate… yes to all of those. But never jealousy." He said with a grin.
Sabrina rolled her eyes, "It will feel like a slap in the face when you finally do." She said grinning.
Nick grinned down at her, "I do like a good spanking." He said making her throw her head back, her laughter flittering across the path and onto the clearing to the house. They were both still laughing as they walked into the house. And neither of them saw the mortal who was watching from the street. Neither of them saw his frown or anger and pain…. Or his jealously.
To continue or to be a one stop?