"Hey." Sara smiled as she opened the door of her apartment to Nick.
"Hey." He grinned at her and leaned over and gave her a quick kiss as he came inside.
"Are you hungry?" She looked at him knowing full well that the man seemed to always be able to eat.
He chuckled. "Do you even have to ask?"
She smirked. "I thought so." She gestured for him to follow her into the kitchen. "I'm making French toast."
He came up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder as she continued with her preparations. "So Catherine invited us to a barbecue on the Fourth of July."
Sara couldn't help her smile. "So we're an 'us' now."
Nick felt a nervous sensation in the pit of his stomach. "Well I told her we were going to go watch the fireworks together. She suggested that we come over first. I mean if you want to."
Sara was quiet for a moment.
Apparently it was too long, because Nick started to fumble with his words. "I mean if you don't want to go, we don't have to."
"Are you asking my permission?" She turned her head slightly to look at him. Her expression was full of amusement.
"Uh, no. I mean, yes. I mean, I didn't want to give her an answer until I talked to you." He looked a little sheepish.
Sara giggled. "We can do whatever you want." She anticipated the expression on his face as she turned her attention back to making the French toast. "Except that."
"I'm not sure what you're talking about." Nick feigned innocence.
She just rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she began placing the bread dipped in the egg mixture into the frying pan.
Nick just watched her for a moment, his chin still resting on her shoulder. "Uh, I know we haven't really talked about this, but I was thinking." He took a deep breath and continued. "We've been on one date and we're going out again on Sunday, and technically this isn't a date, but we're both here together alone."
Sara giggled. "Nick, what are you trying to say?" There was part of her that knew where the conversation was going, but she wanted to hear him say it.
"I'm not sure how to say this without sounding like a teenager." He let out a soft chuckle. "I don't want to just take you on dates, Sara. I want to date you."
She turned her head towards him and smiled. "Ok." She watched as a grin spread across his face before he leaned in and kissed her.
They stood like that for a moment, Sara's neck awkwardly craned as they shared a sweet kiss until the smoke alarm in her kitchen went off and the two of them sprung apart wide eyed at the realization that the French toast was burning.
Sara quickly pulled it off the burner and Nick grabbed an oven mitt and began to wave it underneath the smoke alarm in an attempt to get it to shut off. Once they'd dumped the charred remains of the French toast into the trash and got the smoke to clear, Sara started over.
"Maybe you should stand over there until I finish making this." Sara gave Nick a stern look in spite of the smile that was forming on her face.
He looked smug. "Just because you can't do two things at once, I get punished."
She tried to glare at him and ended up laughing instead. "Nick, over there." She pointed to the other side of the counter.
He grinned at her. "Ok, so no kissing while you're cooking. I got it."
A short time later they sat side by side on Sara's couch, their shoulders leaning against each other as they ate platefuls of French toast.
Nick grinned at her. "This is really good."
"I should hope so, since that's your second helping." She teased him as she put another forkful into her mouth.
"I was hungry." He nudged her with his arm. "And at least I'm not having thirds."
Sara protested. "Hey, I'm eating them one slice at a time. You've still had twice as much as I have."
He popped another bite into his mouth.
"So how did Catherine manage to get the Fourth of July off anyway?" Sara looked at Nick curiously.
"She got Eliot from Days to cover." Nick answered, popping another bite in his mouth.
"Who?" Sara didn't think she'd heard the name.
"New guy just moved here from Michigan. I think he'd like to transfer to our shift." Nick chuckled. "He's probably figured out who the better boss to have is."
"I don't know anyone on Days that really likes working for Ecklie, with the exception of Burns." Sara added.
Nick laughed. "Yeah, he's just like him." He looked over at her and nudged her arm. "So you didn't say whether or not you wanted to go to Catherine's barbecue."
She smiled. "Yeah, I do. I think it'll be fun."
"Good." He grinned and leaned over to kiss her.
"Nick." Her tone stopped him cold as she looked him in the eye with an eyebrow raised.
He looked at her with confusion on his face. "What?"
"The plates." She gestured towards the syrup laden dishes in both of their hands.
He grinned at her and took the plate out of her hand and set it on her coffee table, placing his own on top of it. "Better?"
She just smirked. "I wasn't done."
He raised an eyebrow. "I don't think you'll starve. That's your third helping."
She swatted at him, a smile spreading across her face as his face neared. "You still ate more than I did."
He paused a fraction of an inch from her lips. "And proud of it." He leaned in and kissed her, his arms snaking their way around her waist as he pulled her closer to him.