Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in so long, bad writer's block plus a lot of family stuff plus the holidays, but here's Chapter 4 and I have started on Chapter 5 as well! Please read and review, because it really makes me want to write more when I now people are actually reading this story. Thanks!


Cassie sat heavily on her bed, contemplating the bag Nick had handed her. He'd said it was time to celebrate, and she agreed; she'd never seen him look so light, and she knew he must be as relieved as she (secretly) was that he'd confronted the situation with Kira, but she wondered what had happened to make things change.

She slowly opened the bag, peering inside at its contents, and laughed as she drew out a hot pink dress with bits of electric blue and neon green spattered on it. Nick really did know her so well.


During a trans-continental flight, Nick had asked about Cassie's love of color. She'd looked at him a long moment, an adult staring at him from the body of a 14-year-old, and answered simply. "It brightens the dark."

Nick was the only person who could understand the depth of that statement.


Cassie left her bedroom and walked toward the living room, absurdly pleased with her new dress. It fit perfectly and fell like a layer cake down to her knees, a burst of color that matched her happiness and swung around her as she walked. Yes, Nick really did know her so well. He was leaning against the wall, flipping through a magazine, and her heart clenched at the sight of him and how…gorgeous he was, wearing loose-fitting cargo pants and a black undershirt with a white button-up over it. She paused, and he looked up at her, meeting her gaze and returning her smile.

"So, where are we going?" she asked.


Nick used to think that being alone was better than the alternative. He might not like it, but at least he knew exactly who he could count on. With Cassie's entrance into his life, he knew he could count on her, but… all of a sudden, seeing her in that dress with matching glossy heels, he didn't know if he could count on himself anymore.


Nick and Cassie walked the short distance to the local Indian restaurant, shared some curry, and then made their way to a club. She'd never seen Nick so carefree before, and Cassie wondered how he could have kept himself so tamped down for the past six years. Nick wondered the same thing. And when the club finally closed at 2:00 a.m., they made their way back to the brownstone building, one of Cassie's arms looped through Nick's and the other holding her shoes, laughing the whole way home.

They finally staggered up the stairs, still laughing, and in an almost predictable moment, Cassie tripped and Nick caught her. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her. For a moment, he knew he would. But then he noticed the door to their apartment, open when it had been closed, and the carefree aura fell from them both.


"The course of true love never did run smooth…" Lysander, A Midsummer Night's Dream


Nick Moved the guns he always carried now to hover in front of him as he silently pushed the door open, Cassie close behind him, eyes wide in fear. He motioned for her to stay, but she shook her head stubbornly, insisting on following him. He rolled his eyes and continued toward the sounds he could hear coming from the back of the apartment, drawers slamming and papers rustling, and then heard a distinctly feminine voice cursing unintelligibly.

Kira.

He stopped abruptly, shoulders slumping, and Moved the guns back into the waist band of his pants. She was nothing if not persistent.


When Nick was young and lifting wallets from the good citizens of New York City with his powers, he'd met Kira, Pushing on the docks of Coney Island. It had been easy, carefree, and fun, the first time he'd ever been in love. It had been easy to turn a blind eye to her vicious streak.


"Kira," he called out, almost resignedly, only to take several steps back in surprise as a veritable hurricane of force exited Cassie's bedroom, storming towards him and stabbing him in the chest, forcing him back into the couch.

"So, Nick," she spat, thrusting Cassie's drawing into his hands, throwing a strip of gold foil packets at his face, "Are you fucking her? A little young for you, isn't she?" Nick could only stare at Kira in shock, mouth hanging open. Cassie stood a few feet to the side, watching the exchange silently.

"I don't really know what you mean," Nick said tiredly when he'd recovered from the shock of her fury.

"Really? And what does that look like?" she ground out venomously, pointing at the picture in his hand. Nick looked down, mouth gaping as he realized it was really what he thought it was. He shook his head silently in denial. "Condoms in your drawer, that little drawing of hers? Oh, and I think I almost forgot, she's legal now, isn't she? Always thought you were screwing around with that little girl when you couldn't have me," she finished.

Nick's head shot up at this last part, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Get out. Now," he said between clenched teeth.

Kira smiled at him coolly in triumph. "Hit a nerve, did I?" she asked smugly. "Just proves my point."

"Now," he ground out. And, still smiling victoriously, she sailed out the front door, her final call of "you know where to find me" ringing in their ears as Kira shut the door.

Neither of them moved for a minute, until Nick silently bent to pick up the condoms Kira had thrown at him and walked to his bedroom. He never looked at Cassie even once.