This is the expansion of a line I wrote in another fic. Basically we're looking at a whole heap of almost stand alone chapters of varying lengths, looking at the men in Helen's life. (And, at the very end, there will be one about 'her girl' too)
The entire premise for this series is that Gregory Magnus once referred to John, James, Nigel and Nikola as 'her boys.'
So, even though I swore I wouldn't publish anything until I'd finished all my assessment for the week, here I am, and it's only Monday... Ah well, I'm sure it'll be worth it! Who needs to pass?
Enjoy
xx
Nigel:
Nigel was the sweet one. Dirty and inappropriate with the ability to make her blush but sweet none the less. He was warm and friendly. He never judged her, even when she insisted they help John. He hadn't looked at her like she was crazy or pitied her. He'd just nodded at her, eyes silently asking her if she was sure. They'd slept together a few times after that, when they were both drunk and she was lonely. He'd never turned her away. He knew she went to him out of need. She couldn't go to James or Nikola for mindless pleasure, they both wanted more of her than she could give. So they started a very brief, very sloppy affair that ended with him kissing her on the back of the hand in a manner so uncommon that she was rendered speechless for a good few minutes.
She'd come to him that morning to apologize. Apologize for coming to his bed in the middle of the night and for using him to make her feel better. Not that it had worked. He had been so kind about it she was almost tempted to kiss him again. He shushed her, telling her he knew what she was getting at and that she needn't feel so embarrassed about it all.
Of course, that only served to make her more embarrassed but the fact that he'd tried was what was important. Over the years they fell out of touch, Nigel choosing the life he'd led long before joining the Five while Helen tried to act in more altruistic ways. They were fundamentally different but there were times when she missed him more than the rest. Well, maybe just in a different way. Her heart ached for the simple pleasures his friendship brought her. She missed his chuckle. She missed his gentle sparring with all the others. She missed the way he'd joke with her in a way none of the others were comfortable with.
Nigel was the sweet one, proud as punch to be considered one of 'her boys.'