At seven o' clock Nick Valentine stubbed out the last of his cigarette with the toe of his shoe, gathered his carefully practiced charisma around him like a second coat and walked through the front door of the bar Nora had chosen.
He hadn't seen her enter in the half hour he'd stood outside chain-smoking and letting his fingers go numb, so he figured she was the type of woman to run late rather than early. Which was fair, lawyers had a time consuming job after all.
Except as he scanned the crowd for an empty seat he spotted her. A drink at her elbow and a notepad in front of her on the bar that she seemed to be making corrections to as the other patrons crowded the space by her shoulders in an effort to better relay their drink orders.
So she ran early, earlier than him. That was a first.
"Haven't they given you a desk where you can do all that vital paperwork for the justice system?" He chuckled next to her ear, causing her to jump slightly and turn to him with a sheepish curve of her lips, as if she'd been caught doing something embarrassing. "Things must really be grim if office furniture is being rationed now"
"I can't drink at my desk" she raised her glass in a mock toast as if to prove her point. "You have to be a little higher up on the totem poll to get away with that at my workplace"
"Mine too" Nick responded. "The chief has a fully stocked bar at the bottom of his filing cabinet, complete with olives and tiny umbrellas"
She laughed at that, light and carefree and washing over him like a balm, soothing the tension he'd accumulated during the day. In the back of his mind he made it his mission to tease that sound out of her again before the night was over.
With the ice broken and Nora's notes packed away Nick lead her to an empty table away from the bar and its' jostling customers.
By eight o' clock Nick had succeeded in his mission to make the enchanting Miss Nora Fitzsimons laugh again, several times over in fact … he just hadn't anticipated that it would be at his own expense.
Nick had been a resident and dedicated public servant of Boston for roughly a year now, and in that time he'd built up a reputation amongst his fellow police officers, or rather they'd built him a reputation.
He supposed it was a unique form of friendly ribbing, or a way of making him feel welcome, perhaps? It seemed no matter what Nick accomplished the retelling of the act would steadily be blown up to comical and ridiculous proportions as the stories made their way through the gossip circles … and apparently his gossip circles overlapped with Nora's.
He'd just finished deflating a whopper involving twelve armed thugs, a cabaret performer and a trained attack dog to its' bare and far less exciting truth when she brought up the inevitable…
"So exactly how many of the cities single women haven't found themselves in your bed? Besides me, of course"
Her tone and expression were both teasing, just like with the other stories, but there was a hint of something else under there. She seemed far more eager to hear this answer more than any of the others, but what did that mean for the rapport they were steadily building? Nick didn't have a fucking clue, so as he'd done for all the other tall-tales he defaulted to the far less interesting facts of the matter.
"I haven't lived here long, but I reckon even if I was a born native I wouldn't have had the time to get through that many dames. A guy would have to be more machine than man" He punctuated his answer with a throaty laugh, hopefully masking how awkward he felt. He offered a silent prayer to a God he'd never paid much heed to that she'd drop it now.
No such luck…
"So, how many?"
He turned his head, unconsciously attempting to hide in the collar of his coat and raised his index finger, as if saying it out loud would cause him to spontaneously combust from sheer embarrassment.
Damn it, he didn't even know why he was embarrassed. A single woman in the one year following his abrupt transplant from Chicago to Boston was perfectly acceptable, wasn't it? It was certainly a lot better than what the rumors made him out to be; some legendary Casanova who apparently never slept.
That was it.
Nick didn't want her to be charmed by those laughable legends. She was definitely sharp enough to see through them at face value, but what if she was still disappointed by what he'd so far revealed? He didn't want her to be attracted to a larger-than-life caricature of Nick Valentine, but at the same time he worried that the truth was too underwhelming for such a unique, beautiful creature.
He must have been vacationing in his own head for a little too long because Nora brushed her fingers across the back of his hand, sending delicious sparks of electricity skittering up his arm. She was looking at him with the same apologetic frown he'd seen earlier on the top of the courthouse stairs.
"Sorry… I didn't mean to make things awkward" She worried her lower lip with her teeth, and Nick couldn't help staring. "I like all the stories I've heard about you. But they make you seem so… I dunno. Unapproachable?"
He didn't know what to say to that. He didn't know what to think of that. Except that he was pretty damn sure that no other woman had ever thought of him as unapproachable before. It made his heart lurch in that strange, unfamiliar way again.
"No, it's not that" Nick said quickly, nervously carding his fingers through his hair. "It's just… I was raised Catholic, and I guess some of the dogma must've stuck because whenever someone brings up, relations… and the like, I get a little jumbled up. Ridiculous, eh?"
He cast his eyes down, half mortified and half guilt-wracked. It wasn't a lie, but it was a piss-poor substitute for what he really wanted to say; that she was the most wonderfully unapproachable woman he'd ever encountered, but he'd chased her through those courtroom halls anyway because she seemed to have some sort of gravity-themed superpower that drew him in like a moth to a flame.
It was a bit heavy-handed for a first date. Was this a date? Christ, what was wrong with him?
Nora grinned and leaned towards him, bringing a hand towards the side of her mouth conspiratorially. "Me too" she whispered. "But I was a very bad Catholic. The nuns at my school swore I was sent by the lord as a test of their patience"
He chuckled at the thought of this angelic woman giving a group of poor nuns a hard time as a youth … and tried his hardest not to dwell on the low and utterly sinful tone she'd used when she described herself as 'a very bad Catholic'.
When nine o' clock rolled around Nick was dismayed to see Nora fidgeting in her seat and trying to hide a glance at her small silver wristwatch.
They'd been having a wonderful time thus far. After a few early stumbles their conversation had become easy and exuberant as they discovered all that they had in common, exchanging stories and jokes as if they'd known each other all their lives … and Nick keenly regretted that he'd never crossed paths with her much earlier in life.
Had the connection been one-sided on his part?
Nick looked down at his own gold watch; confirming that it was, unfortunately, nine on the dot. Time to let her go.
"Well… you've given me back my two hours" He couldn't completely keep the disappointment out of his tone. "Did you need a ride home?" He couldn't completely keep the hope out of his tone either.
"No!" She barked suddenly, eyes wide, then she quickly composed herself before continuing. "I mean- a ride would be great but… I don't have to be anywhere and- I mean I sort of do, but…"
She glanced down shyly, twisting her fingers together on the surface of the table before admitting in a tiny voice, as if she was ashamed to voice it:
"There's a special hour-long broadcast of The Silver Shroud tonight"
Nicks' jaw dropped slightly.
He'd completely forgotten about the broadcast. The hour-long special that he'd waited all damned week for!
They shared the same guilty pleasure. What were the odds?
"My car has a radio" His mouth supplied before his brain could properly catch up with the situation.
Nora gave him an ear-to-ear grin as she simultaneously scrambled to her feet and threw her satchel over her shoulder.
They gained a few curious looks from the other bar patrons as Nick practically dragged her by the hand out the door and down the street to where he'd parked his early model Corvega.
At ten o' clock Nick was no longer paying attention to the plight of the Silver Shroud as he agonized over whether the Mistress of Mystery had betrayed him or not … his thoughts were occupied by the woman sitting next to him.
Even in the harsh glow of a nearby construction lamp, with powdered sugar stuck to her cheek, she was absolutely stunning.
Once clear of the bar they'd jumped into his car and tuned to the appropriate station just in time to catch the announcement that their beloved radio serial had been pushed back to nine-thirty in favor of a special news broadcast, about what he hadn't heard, Nick was already mentally planning what he was going to do with those precious thirty minutes.
After stopping at an all night Slocum's Joe for a box of jelly donuts, two takeout cups of decaf and a few wise-acre remarks from Nora about what a tragic cliche he was, Nick took a shortcut out of the crowded avenues of the city and came to a stop in a temporary car park set up on the outskirts of a large construction site, another future Vault location, if he remembered correctly.
It was far from the most romantic of venues, but the area was completely deserted at this time of night, and far enough away from the dense urban sprawl that the sound of the radio wouldn't have to compete with the din of traffic and pedestrians.
Nora was far from the first woman he'd found attractive, but she was definitely the first who only seemed to become more beautiful the more he learned about her. Almost as if the facets of her personality reflected the radiant light of her soul from within.
Good grief, this girl was turning him to mush. She was definitely the first to accomplish that.
He'd gotten the bare bones of her life story back in the bar...
She'd been raised in a single parent household after the death of her mother and infant brother. Reeling from the loss she became a difficult child to handle, prompting her exodus to a Catholic all-girls boarding school, a decision she'd reacted to about as gracefully as a cat would react to a cold bath.
She'd glossed over the more scandalous details of her rebellious youth, but Nick got the distinct impression that it had come to a head quite dramatically, prompting a swift attitude adjustment and long nights of study in order to get into law school, like her father had always wanted for her.
After graduation she went on to became a model college student and daughter, spending her Friday nights reviewing her assignments with the aid of her name-partner dad … and her weekends shadowing him around his firm, to get a lay of the land, she'd said.
Her intense dedication and complete forfeiture of a social life lead to Nora passing the bar on her first try. She'd then made her father both annoyed and proud at the same time when she turned down a paid position at his firm in favor of an unpaid internship in the district attorneys office … citing that she would not have her career handed to her by daddy dearest, thank you very much.
It was odd to think that the strong, intelligent, determined heroine of that story was sitting next to him right now … staring goggle-eyed at the cars radio display and attempting to stuff half a donut into her mouth in one go, succeeding only at getting more sugar stuck to her cheek.
Nick broke her trance when he accidentally let slip a soft laugh, the image was just too funny, and utterly adorable.
"What's so funny?" she asked with mock offense through half chewed pastry. That, for starters, he refrained from saying.
He gave her his most charming smile and a cocked brow. "You have white stuff all over your face, doll" He then fought down a blush at his own poor choice of words.
"Oh goddammit" Nora muttered to herself as she swiped uselessly at her left cheek, spreading it higher up her face instead.
As Nick filed away the absolutely precious scene before him in the archive of his memories his body betrayed him in the worst way possible … he unconsciously licked the thumb of his right hand and proceeded to run it slowly and gently across the white trail left by her ineffective flailing.
It was only when she locked her wide eyes with his that Nick realized what an intimate gesture it was. And he hadn't dropped his hand yet either, the traitorous appendage seemingly frozen against her delicate face.
Holy hell … he didn't know skin could get that soft.
He was prepared for disgust, for awkwardness, for her to jerk away, any of those plus a few other equally disastrous scenarios. So Nick was completely floored when Nora slowly turned her head and sucked the tip of his thumb into her mouth, tongue darting out to collect the sugar gathered there, her eyes never once leaving his.
Nick swallowed back a groan that threatened to spill forth in response to the lexicon of images that one tiny act had conjured in his head.
His fantasies were then blissfully blown away, his brain turning to warm fog, as Nora quickly leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, as if she was forcing herself to act before the moment was gone forever.
Instead they worked feverishly to stretch the moment out for as long as possible, and Nick could barely remember to breathe through the sensations of her silky hair tangled around his fingers ... her warm hands caressing the back of his neck … and the potent taste of her lips and tongue … strawberry jelly and powdered sugar would forever seem all the sweeter in his mind.
By eleven o' clock Nora was confident that she'd pitched Nick Valentines sexual neurosis right out of the car window … for now at least. She imagined that after he gave her a ride home and a shy goodbye kiss he'd go right back to mentally torturing himself for allowing himself the pleasure of a woman's touch … twice … on the first date no less.
Nick was far less adept at hiding his true feelings than he believed he was … it was so fucking cute.
She allowed herself a tiny besotted grin as she relished the warmth of his body curled around hers from behind, it was the only position that could be described as 'comfortable' stretched out in the back seat of Nicks car, and it wouldn't be long before that ceased to be the case … leather seats and sweaty skin were not an ideal match, after all.
Better make the most of it, an evil voice intoned in the back of Nora's mind, as she reached behind her back to caress the soft skin of his hip. She was pleased when his cock slowly began to harden against her backside again.
"Have dinner with me?" the question came out tired but quickly in a delightful tenor that was uniquely his … and Nora mused that he could read out the warranty for her refrigerator and make it sound exhilarating.
"It's a bit late. I think all the good places are closed at this hour" she quipped, earning a chuckle that rumbled against her back.
"You know what I mean, sweetheart" her heart did a tiny somersault at the endearment. "I was thinking the evening after the sentencing? That way if you change your mind in the meantime you'll have an opportunity to tell me to buzz off before I make an idiot out of myself"
Nora closed her questing hand around his now fully erect member and turned her shoulders in order to pin him with an angry glare. This self-depreciation shit was getting old very fast, and in the back of her mind she made it her mission to fix that battered ego of his if it was the last thing she did.
"I would love to have dinner with you, Nick Valentine" she gritted out angrily, her tone clearly confusing the fuck out of the poor man she had in her grip. "But I will not be telling you to buzz off, on that day or any other, because you're an intelligent, sweet, funny, drop-dead-gorgeous man who likes The Silver Shroud, bought me coffee and donuts, and just gave me two incredible orgasms" Nick's expression was absolutely hilarious at this point but she'd laugh about it later at home. "I don't know what happened to make you this insecure, but damn it I'm going to fix it. Starting right now … sit up!" she barked.
He obeyed, of course, a firm grip around a mans most treasured appendage didn't leave much room for argument after all.
It was awkward in the cramped confines of the car but Nora managed to kiss her way down Nicks chest and take his cock into her mouth in one fluid stroke, humming as it brushed the back of her throat and causing him to hiss through his teeth and gently palm her hair.
"Fuck! Nora..." he moaned as she ran her tongue along his length inside her mouth. She smiled against his short black hairs, it was the first time he'd cursed in front of her.
She held his hips down with firm palms as she set a slow but deliberate rhythm; down slowly, rubbing the tip against the roof of her mouth, running her tongue along the underside of his shaft, then up again, applying extra suction to the sensitive head, then repeating. Nora committed the exact steps to memory as she worked, because after only a few minutes he was beginning to tremble underneath her.
She replaced her mouth with her hand for a moment while she took a look at his face, he'd been awfully quiet since that initial slipped curse. Ah… there's the reason. Nick was biting down hard on a clenched fist, his other hand still occupied with caressing the back of her head.
"There's no one around, Nick" Nora breathed against his straining cock. "You can be as loud as you want, no one's going to hear you" she punctuated the last part with an evil smirk before sucking his tip between her lips and doubling the pressure she'd been using so far.
His entire body spasmed, his grip in her hair tightened and the fist at his mouth flew to grasp the seat leather as he let spill a needy "Fuuuuuck..." Along with a bead of pre-cum.
After that the detective quickly devolved into a babbling, shuddering mess as Nora redoubled her efforts between his legs, she had to use a considerable portion of her strength to keep him from thrusting into the back of her throat.
"Nora! Fuck… stop, I'm gonna- oh God!" he tried to bite out between harsh breaths. She knew, she could feel him pulsating under her tongue. With a final suck of his overstimulated head she was rewarded with a rush of warm, salty fluid coating the inside of her cheeks.
It had been fast, but intense, and she must've managed to get her point across. Because she'd barely finished gulping down his release before Nora was dragged unceremoniously up the length of Nicks sweat-slicked body and being kissed as if his next breath depended on it.
When he finally relinquished his claim on her mouth she giggled softly and pressed her forehead to his.
"Happy Valentines Day, detective" she whispered against his lips.
She then felt, rather than saw, the knitting of his brows.
"Huh?" was all he could manage in his exhaustion.
Nora couldn't stop it, she tried but she failed. She let out a very unladylike snort and burst into peels of laughter, leaning back in his arms in a futile attempt to compose herself.
"Oh my God!" she managed to get out between guffaws. "A yearly holiday … that you share your name with … and you didn't even notice it was today? You're the most unobservant detective I've ever seen"
She worried that maybe she'd said too much and busted his ego again, so Nora was relieved when he smiled and started laughing along with her.
At eleven forty seven, as Nora had predicted, Nick Valentine gave her a shy goodbye kiss in front of the door to her apartment block and reluctantly walked back to his car. Whether he'd mentally torture himself later she could only speculate, but she hoped he'd be too tired to do so.
She stumbled through her front door just in time to answer the phone. It was her father, asking if she'd been working late (Nope), if she'd gotten his earlier message (Nope), and if she'd had a proper dinner (Coffee, donuts and cop jizz counted as dinner, right?). God, wouldn't that be a hilarious way to give him a coronary?
Nora assured him that she was home, safe and properly fed before hanging up the receiver heavily and kicking off her heels, the soles of her feet rejoicing at the freedom. She left a trail of clothes behind her on the way to the bed, she'd pick them up tomorrow when she could muster up a fuck to give.
She drifted off within minutes of hitting the pillow, images of ocean-blue eyes, jet black hair and a charming smile dancing behind her eyelids.
Meanwhile, a short way across the river, Nick climbed the stairs to his modest abode and realized it had been nearly five hours since he'd last had a cigarette. He hadn't even thought about lighting up the whole time he was with Nora.
He smirked at the thought; maybe if she stuck around long enough he wouldn't die of lung cancer after all.
Authors Note: I warned you! Smut in the second chapter. Just a little bit though, the chapter was running a bit long for my liking. Also, spoilers: This isn't the only time Nick will be getting some mouth action from Nora in that car. I've had a really funny idea for a chapter with similar shenanigans since I first decided to write this, so look forward to it in the future.
After this we're going to skip forward in time a bit, not too far, maybe three months at the most. Just enough so that we can see their relationship develop but also get to the key events as quickly as possible. Where's the fun in a Fallout story if it's all set before the bombs drop?
No reviews yet? Damn, that hurts guys.