(yes, I know that it's utter fluff and does very little to advance the plot, but I was in a shippy mood when I wrote it… The next chapter will actually have a plot)
Chapter 3 -- Bedtime Story
"Here you go, Nigel..." Sydney said, handing him a cup of chamomile tea and sitting down next to him.
"Thanks, Syd." He smiled at her. "So, what do you think?"
She shook her head. "No idea, Nigel. This whole thing is just too much like a bizarre dream..."
Nigel nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "I think that the first question that we need to ask ourselves is whether or not we accept this situation at face-value."
She sighed. "I just don't know, Nigel."
"Yeah, neither do I." He shook his head. "This has definitely been a strange month, Syd."
"Hey, you're the one who started it with that whole raising of the dead..." Sydney pointed out, grinning at him and nudging him with her shoulder.
Nigel smiled shyly and shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time, Syd. I really didn't want to have to find a new job." He winked at her.
Sydney laughed. "See, Nigel, this is what you get for hanging out with gods..." she teased in a stern voice.
"Yeah, throw that back in my face..." Nigel laughed. "God, I don't even feel comfortable taking a shower any more. 'We've been watching you since before you were born...' Now that is paranoia-inducing..."
"She told you that?" Sydney laughed. "Poor Nigel..." She slid an arm around him and shook her head.
Nigel sighed. "You know, Syd, once you've accepted the existence of gods in human form, maybe it isn't such a stretch to accept that this is, in fact, Avalon..." he suggested tentatively.
She nodded and shrugged noncommittally. "You could have something there, Nigel."
"You know... if this is really Avalon, and that Audra woman is a priestess, maybe she can get us in touch with Bridgit."
Sydney grinned at him. "Pays to have friends in high places. Nigel, I take back what I said about the gods being nothing but trouble. You feel free to hang out with them anytime."
He smiled and shook his head. He looked at her thoughtfully and his smile faded slightly as it occurred to him that, if he and Sydney were meant to be together, then everything that had happened to them in the past month might well have been orchestrated by Bridgit and the others simply to bring them together. It made him wonder if either of them had ever really had any choice in the matter.
"Something wrong, Nigel?" Sydney asked with concern.
Nigel shook his head and smiled at her. "Just a twinge in my foot." He wanted to be with her, had for some time. Could anything else really matter? "Well, Syd, I'd suggest that we go out and catch a movie, but somehow I don't think that's going to happen."
"No, I don't think so either." Sydney shook her head and sighed thoughtfully. "You look tired, Nigel..." she said gently.
"So do you, Syd."
She sighed. "I guess that makes it bedtime."
"I honestly don't think I'll be able to sleep, Syd."
She nodded. "Yeah, me neither." She sighed and shook her head. "So what should we do?"
"We could... cuddle or something..." Nigel suggested tentatively, feeling like an idiot.
Sydney smiled, amused by the fact that his tone of voice made him sound like he expected her to slap him for making the suggestion. "Yeah, Nigel. I like that idea."
"You do?" Nigel stared at her, wide-eyed and smiling.
Sydney laughed and nodded. "Sure, why not." She walked over to the other bed and picked up the nightshirt that had been laid there. "I'm just going to go change."
Nigel swallowed hard and nodded, suddenly feeling more than a little nervous. "Okay, Syd. And I'll just... change as well."
Sydney smiled and walked into the other room to change. "Poor Nigel..." she muttered to herself as she changed out of her clothes and shrugged on the knee-length, white nightshirt. "You decent?" she called before returning to the main room.
"Yeah, Syd..." Nigel replied.
Sydney picked up her clothes and carried them back into the main room, dropping them onto the other bed. She walked over and sat down next to Nigel, grinning at his obvious nervousness.
"Hey, relax..." she suggested gently. "I don't bite." She paused. "Hard."
A half-smile crossed Nigel's face.
Sydney grinned. "That's better."
He shrugged helplessly. "Sorry, Syd. It's just this is a really awkward situation."
"Yeah, it is. But it's not like we haven't curled up together on the couch more than once."
"That's the couch, Syd. This is a bed. You know, where we each go alone after an evening curled up on the couch..."
"That why you're so freaked out?" Sydney asked gently.
He nodded and shrugged. "That and... well other things." He made an all-encompassing gesture with both hands.
Sydney grinned and nodded. "Guess we should have gone to Barbados with Karen."
Nigel smiled and nodded. "I'm sorry, Syd. I know I can be a bit of a wet blanket at times..."
"Actually, I've always looked at it as keeping my feet on the ground."
Nigel grinned at her. "Ah, but I've yet to be able to succeed in that respect, Syd..." he pointed out slyly.
Sydney laughed and pulled him into her arms, curling up against him. "What am I going to do with you, Nigel?" she muttered, shaking her head.
"Oh, I have a few suggestions..."
Sydney laughed. "Don't push your luck."
"Wouldn't dream of it, Syd." Nigel smiled and pulled her a little closer, sighing happily. "Interesting, isn't it?"
"What, Nigel?" Sydney asked, smiling.
"How in the midst of all this chaos we've still managed to find a bit of calm... Amazing."
She grinned and nodded. "Yeah, it is. Or maybe it really isn't that amazing."
"No, Syd, you're wrong..." Nigel told her softly. "It may not be surprising, but it definitely is amazing."
She laughed softly. "Have I mentioned that dating you has been really good for my ego?"
"More than once, Syd." He sighed again, feeling, in spite of everything that had happened today, quite peaceful. "This is nice."
She smiled and nodded. "What should we talk about?" Sydney asked.
"Nothing. Let's just enjoy this, Syd. With the fire, it's really rather romantic."
She smiled. "I never would have figured you for the romantic type, Nigel."
Nigel grinned and gently ran one hand through her hair. "Oh, I'm full of surprises, Syd."
"Yeah?" Sydney grinned and nestled closer. She reached for the quilt and pulled it over them. "Such as?"
Nigel smiled and shook his head. "Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for you."
"Just going to leave me in suspense?" she asked, laughing gently.
"Hey, anticipation can be so much fun..." He brushed an errant lock of hair from her face. "To say nothing of how wonderful surprises can be, Syd."
Sydney laughed, enjoying Nigel's newfound confidence and playfulness. There had been a time not too long ago when he would not have dreamed of teasing her, especially about the kind of things he had been teasing her about all day today. She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes.
Nigel grinned down at her. "You're going to fall asleep like that if you aren't careful..." he pointed out reluctantly.
"So?" Sydney replied without opening her eyes.
Nigel's smile widened. "Would you at least like a pillow?"
"No, you're comfy."
His grin widened and he blushed. Nigel found her pretty comfortable as well, actually. He had never really been much of a fan of cuddling until his relationship with Sydney had changed. Now he spent the majority of every day anticipating the hour or two that he knew he would spend curled up with Sydney in the evening. Even if they spent the whole time discussing work, it was wonderful to be so close to her. What was more wonderful to Nigel was knowing that she cared about him as anything other than a graduate assistant.
Sydney snuggled closer, resting her hand on his chest and opening her eyes marginally. His face was plastered with that goofy, embarrassed grin that she adored so much. "You comfortable?" she asked, closing her eyes again. "You going to be okay like this all night?"
"All... night?" Nigel repeated quietly, more than a little surprised.
He had never spent more than a few hours curled up with Sydney before going home for the night. The idea of falling asleep with her in his arms was an intriguing one. The idea of spending an entire night that way was almost intoxicating.
Sydney opened her eyes slightly at her tone of voice. Had that been anticipation or nervousness in his tone? It could be hard to tell sometimes. "Only if you want to."
Nigel swallowed hard. "I'd... like that, Syd. I mean, that is, if you..."
"I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise, Nigel. You okay with the idea?"
"Uh, yeah, Syd." Nigel nodded hastily, not wanting her to change her mind.
"Don't want to rush you..." she told him gently.
"It's not really rushing if I want it, Syd..." he whispered.
She smiled up at him. "Okay, Nigel. As long as you're sure."
He grinned self-consciously. "Sleep well, Syd."
"You, too, Nigel."
She closed her eyes again and allowed herself to drift. Considering that he was serving as her pillow, it was not surprising to Sydney when her thoughts turned to Nigel and, more specifically, to her relationship with him. She had always considered Nigel a sweet kid and a good friend, but at some point her estimation of him had subtly changed. Before, she had assumed that the change was in Nigel, that he had become braver, more straightforward, more mature, even, but now she was beginning to wonder if the real change had not been in herself.
What did it take to make the transition from trusting a person with your life to trusting them with your heart? For that matter, even among men she had dated in the past, how many had she ever really trusted with her heart? Sydney was not, by nature, a trusting woman. That had had to change before she could even consider a serious relationship.
Of course, she was still not as trusting as most. Her total trust and confidence in Nigel was the exception rather than the rule, and that had taken time to develop. Nigel had had to prove himself to her first. Maybe that was why it had taken her so long to consider the possibility of anything more between them. Although she never would have admitted it, it was still scary to trust anyone, even Nigel, in a relationship, but she was getting there. It helped that Nigel was... Nigel.
When she finally slept, she was smiling widely.
Nigel was more than content to listen to her breathing until he fell asleep. Of course, he was not comfortable unless his mind was working on some problem or other, so he occupied himself searching for a word to describe their new relationship, finally coming up with a perfect one. Right. His relationship with Sydney was right. It was not, of course, perfect: few things were. But it was right, even familiar in many ways, like it had all happened before.
If he had believed in reincarnation, he might have suspected that they had dated in previous lives, but he was not a believer, so he put it down to their long friendship. His mother had always told him that marriages based on friendship worked best, and he supposed that the rule applied just as well to dating. It certainly could explain why dating Sydney had been such an effortless transition. Nothing had really changed in their interactions or their professional lives. They had merely added a new dimension to their friendship.
Tightening his grip on Sydney, Nigel smiled and sighed happily. When he drifted off to sleep, his dreams were of Sydney.
