"Wake up, Nicole."

Nicole stirred a bit with her eyes still closed.

"Come on, open your eyes. We just took off a little while ago."

Nicole finally recognized the voice and opened her eyes at 30,000 feet with a quiet, long yawn.

"I missed the take-off? How did that happen? Why did you let me fall asleep?" she accused him as she sat up in her seat.

"Let you? It was more like I put our bags in the overhead compartment and when I sat down you were out like a light."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. And you talk in your sleep too," he added.

"I do not!" she elevated her voice as she rejected that idea.

"Yes, you do."

"What did I say then?" she urged him to tell her right that second.

"It was hard to make out. It was mostly "OH, XANDER..." and then a lot of mumbling and moaning," he said rather straight-faced until he couldn't withhold his crafty little grin from creeping out spontaneously.

"That's not funny," she scolded him by smacking him across the arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm just messing with you, Nicole."

"You better be," she said rubbing the back of her neck with one hand.

"Are you uncomfortable? he asked with a concerned face.

"It's not that, " she answered.

"Oh, did you get a crick in your neck from sleeping in that seat?"

"Yeah, I think so," she said continuing to rub her neck. "Unless it was from some other extracurricular activity," she said as she raised a sly accusatory eyebrow at him.

"Turn around, let me rub that out for you."

(Yawning) "You don't have to."

"I want to, especially if I'm somehow to blame. Now face the other way, please, " he directed her as he began to massage her neck.

"Mmm, that feels so much better when you do it."

He leaned up closer to her from behind. "It's supposed to," he said softly to her.

"I'm just so sluggish this morning and out of sorts," she said closing her eyes as he worked his hands into her sore neck.

"I guess 'someone' didn't get a lot of sleep last night," he suggested while he massaged.

"Hmm, I wonder why that is? I seem to recall some guy keeping me up till the wee hours."

"I can't say that I blame him. Smart guy, that one. I bet he's very good-looking too, huh?" he said as Nicole pulled his hand off her neck and turned her body back around in her seat to see him flashing a sexy smile in her direction.

"You know, as a matter of fact, you'd love him. He's kind of full of himself," she teased back.

"Is he now?" he perked up sensing the little game of wits they liked to play was just beginning.

"But he is really, Really, REALLY easy on the eyes, so I can forgive him for that one incy wincy flaw," she said trying to hide her sneaky grin.

"A flaw, you say?" he said as he abruptly leaned over his seat towards Nicole. "Do you know what I think?" he whispered in her ear and then began to nibble on it with his tongue.

"Xander," she said looking around to see if they had an audience, "You're really gonna do this here and now?" she said as she exhaled deeply biting down on her lip and definitely not pushing him away.

"I think you like this, Nicole," he continued on, which then caused her to begin to wiggle around in her seat.

"Just admit it," he urged her on some more, blowing in her ear.

"Well, it doesn't suck," she said in the midst of his biting down gently on her lobe.

Xander suddenly released her and moved back over in his seat, leaving Nicole completely breathless.

"I think I won that round," he said with a satisfied wink, and Nicole could only smirk back at him with a job-well-done congratulatory nod.

Nicole wasn't sure what the proper etiquette was for the morning after a night like that, whether to play it cool or not, but it seemed like their sexual attraction for each other was entirely intact and going strong, which was the easy part. They hadn't yet discussed fully where they stood or what last night meant or what was going to happen when they got back to Salem and back to the real world filled with those pesky people that would love to cause them problems. What happened between them was wonderful and unexpected, but what now? Do they keep seeing each other casually but keep it on the down-low or are they exclusive now and do they go public and say to hell with everyone? Were they just going to jump into a serious relationship or were they just going to date and take it slow? All good questions that needed to be answered very soon, but Nicole did not want to be the one to broach such a serious subject this early in the morning without her first cup of coffee to clear her head, so she just shook it off and changed the subject.

"Have you talked to Philip this morning? Is he in a good mood?" Nicole asked.

"I did talk to him. He wants us to meet him at the office first thing when we get back this afternoon. There's some major developments happening apparently and he needs us there immediately, but he wouldn't tell me over the phone."

"Hmm, that kind of doesn't tell us anything, does it?" Nicole said rolling her eyes. "I wonder if it's bad news."

"Well, we'll just have to see when we get there. No use trying to figure it out now."

"I guess you're right," she conceded.

"But there is something we probably should talk about, though, Nicole."

"Like what?" she asked, playing dumb.

"Us."

"What about us?"

"Well, since we had no time this morning, I thought we could talk about what happened last night."

"Isn't it obvious?" she teased trying to keep the conversation light.

"Wow, you are quite the sassy one this morning, aren't you, young lady?"

"I don't know, am I?" she asked, proving his point.

"Nicole..."

"Anyway, I thought guys were the last ones that wanted to 'talk' about these things."

"Are we back to putting me in the random guy category?"

"No, we're not. I'm sorry," she apologized.

"What's gotten into you this morning?"

"I haven't had my coffee yet," she answered. "I really need some caffeine ASAP."

"I'll get you some straight away," he said turning to the stewardess across the aisle.

"Excuse me, Miss, can I get a cup of coffee, please, with -"

"Cream and sugar, right?" he turned to confirm that with Nicole.

"Very good. You've been paying attention," Nicole smiled and Xander smiled back at her, ignoring the stewardess briefly.

"Excuse me. Is that all, sir?" the impatient flight attendant interrupted their moment.

"I'm sorry, make it two," he answered her.

"I'd like French Vanilla flavored cream for mine, if you have it," Nicole said politely.

"I have regular and Toasted Hazelnet," the attendant said not so politely.

"So you don't have any French Vanilla at all?" Nicole asked for verification.

"That's what I just said. There could be some floating around here somewhere, but -"

"Well, could you look?" Nicole asked, picking up on the flight attendant's unexplained snotty vibe.

"Just one moment," she said and then turned to Xander.

"Anything else I can get for you, sir? the stewardess smiled widely at Xander trying to make eye contact, which made Nicole uncomfortable.

"No, just the coffee, please," he said barely looking up at the attendant who was staring down on him, so she finally walked off.

"Now I get it," Nicole said shaking her head.

"Get what?" Xander turned to look at her.

"I was wondering why she was so cold to me. It's because she wants to get hot with you."

"Excuse me? Don't be ridiculous," he chuckled.

"She was flirting with you, Xander."

"No, she wasn't. She was just being polite," he said completely oblivious to what she was referring to.

"Don't be coy. You had to see that. She was giving you the green light, and right in front of me too. I wouldn't be surprised if she slipped you her number so she can ask you to 'layover' with her."

"You're adorable when you're jealous, you know that?"

"I'm not jealous! She was just so obvious. And that was just rude. I mean, how does she know we're not married or something?"

"First of all, sweetheart, if we were married, you'd have a flawless 3 carat diamond rock on your finger, that's a given. Second of all, as flattered as I am with this little display of yours, I'm so far removed from any other female right now, I wouldn't notice if that flight attendant slash stewardess woman, whatever the hell the proper term is now, fell into my lap."

"Well, when you put it that way..."

"That's the only way to put it," he assured her.

He turned his body more toward her in the seat and placed his hand on her thigh and kept it there. "Right now all I'm interested in is talking about us right now and where we go from here. Some total stranger getting us coffee who I have no intention of ever seeing again is the last thing on my mind," he said matter of factly while looking deep into her baby blues to drive home the point.

"Are we good now?" he invited her response.

"Mm-hmm," she mumbled.

"So where do we go from here? It's a simple question," he sat there waiting for an answer to it.

"I don't have a crystal ball, Xander. I'm more a live-in-the-moment kind of gal." What am I even saying?

"I just want to know that I'm not in this alone, Nicole. You're not getting cold feet, are you?"

"Here is your coffee, sir," suddenly the flight attendant appeared just in time to interrupt their little discussion and handed Xander his cup of coffee while discreetly slipping him a folded up piece of paper.

"Where is her cup?" Xander said as he unfolded the note to see a phone number written on it and then began to shake his head slightly thinking, You don't have a crystal ball my ass, Nicole.

"Oh, I ran out after I poured yours. I'm having to brew another pot. Sorry about that, Miss," she said in a very non-sorry kind of way while practically gawking at Xander.

Xander picked up on her attitude and immediately handed his coffee to Nicole. "Here you go, darlin'. You can have mine." Then he turned his attention to the stewardess.

"Okay, it's not happening, sweetheart," he said bluntly to the woman, handing her back her number.

"Beg your pardon?" she asked slightly embarrassed. "I didn't mean to -"

"Yes, you did," he said cutting her off. "Just apologize to my fiancee' and we'll leave it at that."

"I'm sorry, Miss, I didn't know y'all were engaged."

"Well, you sure as hell knew we were on this plane together and that didn't stop you. I guess there's a shortage of class in First Class," Nicole complained and then turned her nose to her.

"I'm sorry," Xander offered Nicole an apology.

"It's okay. Men are blind, but us girls, we spot other skanky bitches coming from a mile away."

"So where were we?" he said trying to continue their conversation where they left off.

"Huh?" she answered his question with a question.

"Nicole, when you evade the question like that, it makes me think you want to avoid this topic altogether. Is it because you still don't know what you want? Are we going back to that again, even after last night?"

He turned away from her and looked straight ahead as he breathed some of his frustration in and out.

"Xander, it's not that at all. I'd just rather talk about this later when we're not surrounded by people like that" - she motioned over at the stewardess - "and had a chance to think this through, that's all. There are a lot of things to consider, you know? But I'm not trying to -"

"Nicole, we don't know these people and they don't give a damn about our lives."

"Why are you pressing this right now? We just slept together last night. We're not REALLY engaged. We're on a plane back home. Can't you let me breathe for just a second?" Nicole regretted that comment as soon as she made it.

"You're still not ready to trust someone, are you?" he said looking right at her. "After everything that happened, you still don't really trust me, do you?"

"I do trust you. I told you that," she replied.

"But, what, you just want more time? You just want to pretend nothing happened; is that what you want?"

"What? I never said that.''

"Why do you care what anyone thinks at Titan or anywhere else? That's what you're really worried about, isn't it? I care about you, Nicole, I really do. How many more ways can I show you that? Isn't that all that should matter?"

"Hold on a second. Can I get a word in here, please? I'm way past caring about what anyone thinks about me, you know that. I never said I wanted to act like nothing happened. You're putting words into my mouth, so stop it. You're driving me crazy. The way you're acting now is making me think you don't trust me."

"I need some air. I'll be right back," he abruptly stood up.

"Well, how are you going to get air when you're on an airplane, smart guy?" she said purposely being a smart-ass.

Oh, she makes my blood boil. Maybe I'll just jump off this fucking plane and call her bluff.

"Listen, Nicole," he said still standing in the aisle.

"What?" she snapped back at him.

"Just forget it. I'm walking away now before I say something I'll regret." He huffed and puffed as he walked off and Nicole threw her arms together, crossing them over her chest, and then proceeded to pout there in her seat like a child who didn't get her way.

(Ten minutes later in the airplane facilities)

"She's the most goddamn FRUSTRATING, EXASPERATING, MADDENING"– he takes a deep breath in and out to calm down – "beautiful, intoxicating, breathtaking...INFURIATING WOMAN I've ever met," he yelled as he fought with himself in a space the size of a box.

(Knock, knock, knock.)

"It's OCCUPIED," he cried out with a bad attitude.

(Knock, knock, knock)

"I said it's OCCU" - he stopped mid-word when he flung open the door. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?" he snarled, still caught somewhere in the middle of her being the infuriating and intoxicating version of Nicole.

"Can I come in?" she asked calmly.

"In here?" he asked as he scanned the claustrophobic closet-sized bathroom.

"Yes, in there, if that's okay."

"Suit yourself," he said, somewhat taking a step back.

Xander slid back as far as he could as Nicole entered the bathroom and leaned against the small sink in front of him.

"What's so urgent you couldn't wait, Nicole?"

"I think that was our first real fight," she said trying to break some of the tension in an already crowded space.

"Aren't we still fighting?" he asked, leaning against the opposite wall trying to stand his ground.

"Xander, I don't want to fight with you at all," she stated sincerely, which seemed to slightly soften his mood.

"You know I don't want to fight with you either, Nicole," he responded by almost taking a step toward her but stopping himself before he made the move. "That's the last thing I want."

"Then hear me out, please," she pleaded.

"I'm listening."

"Xander, nothing I said in there came out right. It came out all wrong. I'm sorry, okay?"

"So please tell me what you meant."

"I never meant to imply that what happened between us meant nothing or I was ashamed somehow to be with you. It's not like that at all."

"What's it like then?" he asked straightforward and direct, obviously not in the mood to mince words. "Because I've been more than up front with you, haven't I?"

"You have been and I appreciate that more than you know. I'm just still a little gunshy when it comes to things like this, but I am trying here, I promise you," she explained.

He took a deep breath in and relaxed a bit. "So what did you come in here to tell me?"

"I meant to say, although I did an extremely bad job articulating it, that I do want to try this, whatever this is, with you."

Xander stood up taller, listening more intently. "Try, meaning?" he urged her for a more clear and precise explanation.

"You're really gonna make me spell it out, aren't you?" she said quietly holding her head down.

Xander decided to break the distance barrier and stretched his hand out to her and lifted up her chin slightly so he could look her in the eye.

"Please tell me what you want, Nicole."

"I want you to stay like you are, like you've been with me since you've been back. I don't want you to change like all the others have and eventually walk out that door and leave me. I don't want you to realize one day I'm not worth it anymore."

"Nicole..." he said trying to touch her face but she threw her hand up to stop him.

"Please let me get this out or I never will."

"I'm sorry, go ahead," he said allowing her the space she needed.

"You make me feel things in a certain way I haven't felt before," she said raising her head back up to look right at him. "I trust you, Xander, and it's so hard for me to trust any man. But most of all" - she paused briefly -"I feel safe with you and nobody ever makes me feel safe."

She turned her head to the side away from him feeling like she had revealed more than she wanted to about her insecurities from years of being abused and treated badly.

His guilt suddenly got the better of him after he realized he treated her unfairly. He tried reaching out for her face again as he asked her tenderly, "Nicole, can you look at me, please?"

"Don't, okay?" she said, throwing her hands up as her her chin fell to her chest. "I'm so fucked up."

"Nicole," he grabbed her face this time and held it in his hands. "You are not fucked up. DO YOU HEAR ME?"

"I am. I never can make relationships work. I end up screwing everything up."

"Listen to me. You've never had me before. I don't frighten easily, not with my past. You've been mistreated and wronged by a bunch of fuckhead assholes for far too long. Your perception is just a little fucked up, not you."

"Oh, is that all?" she tried making light of it.

"If we're just honest and open with each other, we can just make this up as we go along. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

She slowly nodded her head at him.

"Good. I just don't want you to be afraid. There's no reason to be. I won't hurt you."

Tears began to fill up her eyes.

"Oh, no, don't do that. Come here. Come here," he said as he kissed her gently on her forehead and pulled her into his chest and held her tight.

"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions before. Forgive me, please?" he asked her very sincerely.

She got out a good cry and then let go of him and looked up at him. She put her hands behind her back and placed them down on the small counter.

"There's nothing to forgive," she smiled up at him for a few seconds. "I want this...you and me," she indicated by motioning her finger back and forth between the two of them.

"You do, you want this?" he asked wanting to verify her response.

"I do. I want to be with you, Xander. I haven't thought about anyone but you for the last 48 hours."

"I thought you'd never see it my way," he smiled with relief.

"You've kind of made it impossible for me not to. I can't get you out of my head."

"I can't get you out of mine either," he said breathlessly while leaning in to kiss her mouth.

"Wait, hold on. I have one condition," she said stopping him mid lean.

"What's the condition?" he frowned slightly.

"That we have no conditions," she said with a sweet smile.

Xander needed no further explanation and moved exactly the one step it took to get to her. He lifted her up onto the small sink/counter and kissed her mouth as be began to unbutton her shirt.

"I guess that's a yes," she said breathlessly as she reciprocated by doing the same with his shirt.

"It's a yes, that I'm going to have my way with you right here on this counter right now."

Xander put his hand under Nicole's skirt, trying to reach for her panties but in the tight space it was deemed almost impossible. She improvised by hiking up her skirt as far as it would go and then placing her long legs on the wall behind Xander for leverage as she scooted forward trying to give him the access he needed to get the job done. He was more than happy to take it from there as he reached between her legs, pulled her panties to the side while Nicole in turn unzipped his pants and grabbed onto him, leaving him the task of leaning forward into her so he could slide right on in.

"Oh, fuck!" she called out as she felt every inch of him fill her up inside because of the tight position they were in.

"Is that what you wanted?" he moaned heavily in her ear as he drove himself into her.

"Oh, God, yes..."

Nicole Walker and Xander Cook, both members of the Mile High Club.

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