First Date

A/N: The aftermath that occurs a week after the first short, where Nick and Niamh go on an actual date instead of just randomly screwing around. Also, it goes without saying that Niamh's mentioned mother and best friend are of my own creation. More will come out about them as the shorts go on. And, Niamh's outfit for their date was the outfit that her actress (my favourite actress!), Natalie Dormer wore to the Cleopatra Press Night in May 2011.

Timeline: Mid-September 2011

In his and Niamh's room, Nick sat, going over a brief alone, as Niamh was at court. He tried his hardest to concentrate, but, his mind soon began to wander-a less-than-rare occurrence that week.

'What did we do?' He asked himself, though, he knew the answer. Much to his chagrin, he remembered it all-the initial kiss, her consent, the look of lust in her eyes and their obvious, shared passion. 'It couldn't have been a simple one-night stand…if it was, I wouldn't be thinking about it so hard…And we wouldn't be avoiding it…' He sat back, thinking it over for what seemed liked the thousandth time in that week. Finally, he stopped and sat up. 'We cannot avoid it for much longer…Everyone is beginning to get suspicious…I have to do something…I must speak with her!'

Meanwhile, Niamh, who had just finished her trial, sat on a bench in the courtroom with her head against the wall, thinking of the same thing. 'I'm sick of dancing around it…but…I have no idea what I'm supposed to do! Why can't I just brush it off? It's not complicated, not like with Clive…I only urged him on so he couldn't do anything against me…But Nick is…Ugh…' She sighed, deciding that they needed to speak immediately. She then forced herself up and gathered her things before heading out.

She returned to chambers shortly before lunch, pushing through those in her way at the same moment Nick exited their room.

"Niamh!" He called.

Niamh looked up just as he grabbed her arm.

"I have to…"

"Speak with you," They finished together.

Niamh blushed slightly as they both stepped back, taking a second to recover from the awkward silence. Then, Nick grabbed her arm again.

"Come with me," He said, quickly ushering her outside.

They stood, leaning on the rail in an awkward silence for a few minutes before they both turned to speak.

"You first," Nick insisted.

"I've…been thinking about…that night and…" Niamh stopped, unsure of how to continue.

"To be honest…I've been thinking…a little too much."

"Why is this so complicated? Why can it not be as simple as saying we had sex and moving on?" Niamh asked.

Nick shrugged. "I…I don't know…Maybe because…It's not simple. If it was nothing more than a one-night stand we wouldn't be thinking about it so much."

"Does that mean…?"

"I don't know…Maybe?"

They stopped, standing in silence for another minute before Nick suddenly spoke.

"Let's go on a date."

"What?" Niamh asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We could go out for a while. See if…Maybe it could work?"

"See if what could work?"

"You…Me…Us. And, if nothing happens…If it's uncomfortable or just not working, then we think nothing of that night. We'll simply acknowledge it as a one-night stand and be done."

"So, you want to go on a date with me and try out a relationship?" Niamh asked, making sure she was hearing him correctly.

"I…I guess."

"And if either of us doesn't think it's working, we'll leave it alone?"

"Yes."

"Alright, then. I'm in. When's our first date?"

"I was thinking tonight. If you're not too busy that is," Nick said, fumbling through his words a bit.

"That depends, what did you have in mind?"

"Oh…Um…" Nick stuttered. 'Why didn't I think this through? It has to be something nice…but not too fancy…Not that I can afford much anyway…' Finally, he said, "We could go see a film…Or how about dinner?"

"How about both?" Niamh suggested. "I should be free by seven."

"Um…Alright."

"I'll be by your flat before then." With that, Niamh turned and headed back inside, leaving a slightly confused Nick behind.

'Did she just invite herself over?' He thought as he headed back in, quickly realizing that he had quite a bit of preparing to do. He spent the rest of the day concentrating on briefs and watching as Niamh did the same until she decided that she was going to leave.

"I guess I will see you later," She said in a slightly nervous tone.

"Yeah…later…" Nick muttered.

After a second of hesitation Niamh turned and left, nearly running over Martha in her path.

"Sorry," She muttered.

"And where are you going so early?" Martha asked, glancing at her watch.

"I have a date tonight," Niamh explained as she quickly moved on.

"Who with?"

"Oh…Just someone I met at the pub."

Martha gave her one last glance and moved on, though she was a bit curious, she knew it was best to leave it be. She moved on, stopping again when Nick crossed her path.

"Is there a reason you're leaving early too?"

"What?" Nick asked.

"I just passed Niamh, who was in as much of a hurry as you are. She said she had a date."

"I don't know anything about that. I…I promised my sister I'd take her out," He lied.

"Alright. Have fun, then," Martha said, quickly moving on. Her intuition told her that something was clearly afoot, but she ignored it for the moment, deciding to wait until she looked into it more.

Nick stepped outside with a sigh of relief and turned to go home, but, soon found himself at a florist instead.

"Can I help you sir?" The saleswoman asked after watching him walk about lost for ten minutes.

"Yes…uh…Those roses, how much for a dozen?"

"Thirty-five pounds."

Nick cringed. That much for a few flowers? "How about one?" He asked at the same moment Niamh stepped into her flat. She quickly kicked her shoes off and sat on the sofa with an exhausted sigh. She wanted nothing more than to curl up with a hot cup of tea, instead, she forced herself up and went into her room to select an outfit for her date.

'If we're going to the cinema it has to be something casual…I'm not sure where we'll have dinner, but knowing Nick it will not be anywhere too fancy.' She thought as she rummaged through her wardrobe, quickly turning her neat, clean bedroom into a mess. 'Why is this so difficult? It's just Nick! We've gone out plenty of times…Though, those were all chambers outings.' Niamh sighed and threw aside the dress she had in hand before going through her wardrobe again, putting it away as she did so and soon smiling when she found something she deemed suitable.

After a quick glance at the time, she threw the outfit on her bed and rushed into the bathroom for a quick shower. Though she would have preferred a bath, she knew there was little time and much to do. This wasn't an ordinary date-she knew. Not only were they colleagues, but friends, friends who had slept together before evening thinking of a date. She still couldn't believe they had done so, but was starting to accept it, as was Nick, who was desperately trying to put his own outfit together.

'Why don't I have anything decent?' He asked himself as he rifled through his wardrobe, only to give up and settle on a simple, casual ensemble of jeans and one of his good shirts-minus the tie and jacket. He then stood in the mirror, studying his appearance for a good five minutes before finally deciding to leave the first two buttons of the shirt open, his eyes happening upon a similar garment hanging over his chair in the background. It was the shirt Niamh had ripped during their night together. He had meant to give it to his sister for mending, but never got around to it due to his work. He then briefly wondered if Niamh had actually kept the nightgown she had been wearing.

Though she had considering throwing it out, Niamh had kept the garment, thinking it cute, even as she threw it aside to dress. It was mixed in with a pile of clothes that still sat on the bed. After giving them a quick glance, Niamh shoved them to the floor, intending to pick them up later, and quickly dressed. She then headed back into the bathroom to do her makeup and returned to transfer her belongings from one purse to another. Finally, after one last glance in the mirror, she headed out.

Still nervous about the night, Nick sat watching television in an attempt to deter his thoughts. It worked for awhile, until a knock came at the door. He then suddenly sat up, contemplating whether he would truly answer for a second before he took in a breath and made himself get up. He quickly grabbed a flower from the coffee table, and, holding it behind his back, he opened the door, nearly tripping backwards at the sight of her. It was rare for him to not see Niamh dressed up, and he liked it, thinking that she looked…cute. Her outfit was rather simple, and consisted of a pair of dark jeans, a white jacket with a low, v-cut that revealed a black, tank-top and a pair of black, peep-toe heels that showed off her scarlet toenails. The outfit was completed with a simple, gold bracelet, a small, diamond ring and a red, over-the-shoulder handbag. Her makeup was light, with just a bit of eye shadow and mascara to bring out her eyes and a light-red lipstick. Her hair was left down and curled, her fringe cleverly pushed behind her ears to show off diamond earrings that matched her ring.

"What do you think?" She asked. "Too casual?"

"No," Nick said, nervously shaking his head. "You look…nice. Beautiful actually…Uh…Here," He stuttered, quickly presenting her with a single, red rose.

Niamh gave a soft laugh and carefully took it, saying, "A single rose? Isn't that a bit cliché?"

"I…I thought it suited you. I wanted to get something more but…"

"But, it's cliché for a reason" She said as she stepped passed him into the flat. "You have scissors, right?"

"On the…counter…why?" Nick asked, slowly turning and watching as she stepped into the kitchen, picked up the scissors, and, without a second though, snipped over half of the rose's stem. It almost hurt him, until he saw her place it in her hair.

"How does it look?"

"Fine…It suits you and the outfit."

"I thought so. Come on," She said, linking her arm with his. "Are we going to eat or are we going to the cinema first?"

"If it's okay with you, I'd prefer to eat first."

"Works for me," Niamh said, gently leaning her head on his arm, feeling more comfortable with him than any of her past dates due to their closeness.

'Vanilla…' He thought, tensing a bit as he caught her scent, the same scent she had when he woke and found her in his bed. "Vanilla…" He said aloud.

"What?"

"Nothing…Just…Your perfume."

"I'm not wearing perfume. It's conditioner," Niamh clarified.

"Oh…"

Niamh couldn't help but give a soft chuckle as she resumed her position as he led her downstairs and up the street.

He hadn't given any thought to where they'd eat, but did not want to see unprepared and nervous, so, he made an impulse decision and led her to his favorite, local pub. It was a small, private place with a friendly atmosphere that he fully enjoyed.

Once they entered, Nick quickly sought out a table and ordered Niamh to sit. "Wait here," He said. "I'll get the food."

"I haven't even looked at the menu!" Niamh argued.

"You don't have to. I know what I'm doing." At that, he walked off and headed to the counter.

Niamh sighed and pulled a compact from her purse to check her hair and makeup. When she closed it, she found a man in front of her. "Yes?" She asked.

"I don't think it right for a pretty young girl to be alone in a pub," He said with a rather creepy smile.

"I'm on a date," Niamh replied. "And I would appreciate it if you left me alone."

"You don't mean that do you?"

The glare Niamh gave in return thoroughly scared him and he quickly backed off, as if he knew that continuing would get him hurt. The only thing he didn't know was that it would've been done legally rather than physically. Minutes later, Nick returned with a rather large sandwich, a basket of chips and two glasses of beer.

"What is this?" Niamh laughed.

"A chicken club," Nick replied. "I thought we could split it."

Niamh gave him a curious, unsure look and glanced at the meal again.

"You act as if you've never gone to a pub before."

"I go when I have time, usually with my best friend, but we've never eaten anything like this."

"You'll like it, trust me."

Niamh gave him a quick glance and carefully reached for her chosen half of the sandwich. After a brief moment of contemplation, she finally bit into it.

Nick smiled as her eyes widened in surprise. "Told you." He said.

Niamh rolled her eyes and picked up her glass. After a brief silence, she spoke again, saying, "So, tell me about your family."

"My family?"

"Yes. I'm curious as to where you come from."

"Well, my dad writes for a newspaper and my mum works in a clothing shop. She's a tailor."

"Is that where your sister gets it from?"

"What?" Nick asked, stopping in the middle of reaching for his own glass.

"You said she was in school for fashion, remember?"

"Oh…right. What about you? I know your father's a judge, but, what about your mum?"

"Catering."

"Catering?"

Niamh nodded. "She works as a chef for a catering service. It's where I get my cooking skill from."

"You cook?"

"Frequently. I'll have to have you over for a meal sometime. My best friend says I make the best traditional breakfast she's ever had."

"Are you sure she's not just flattering you?"

Niamh narrowed her eyes and threw a chip at him. "No!" She said. "Besides, you can't do any better!"

"I'm a decent cook."

"What can you make then, besides pasta and frozen waffles?"

"Cereal."

There was a short pause before they both laughed. The meal continued with both of them chatting happily about whatever came to mind, which turned out to be mostly family secrets in their attempts to know each other more. Afterwards, Nick offered to pay the bill and they made their way to a nearby cinema, arms linked as before with Niamh's head resting on Nick's arm.

'I still can't believe I'm on a date with Niamh of all people! I never thought of her as more than a colleague…but now…' He thought, soon being dragged from his mind by Niamh's voice.

"What do you want to see?" She asked.

"Huh?"

"What film are we going to see?"

"Oh…Um…" Nick stuttered, not having thought about it. After a quick glance at the promotional posters he motioned to one that he remembered his sister talking about. "What about that one?"

"Do you honestly want to see a chick flick?"

"Don't you?"

Niamh shook her head. "They're guilty pleasures that I prefer to watch at home. How about…that one?" She pointed to another poster.

"How about…not…" Nick replied rather nervously.

"Not a horror fan, Nick?" Niamh asked with a smile.

"Not really…"

"Alright then…How about this one?"

"I heard that was rubbish."

"Exactly."

"What?"

"Just…Come on," Niamh grabbed his arm and dragged him with her, paying for their tickets since he paid for dinner. Though the film was meant to be comedy, it wasn't well done and they spent the whole time poking fun at it, in whispered tones of course, as not to disturb those around them. For Nick, it was quickly becoming the best date he'd ever been on. Being with Niamh was…comfortable. He wasn't under any pressure to make an impression because they already knew each other and he found her to be great company.

Though she was a bit unsure at first, Niamh had easily warmed to the idea of the date as the night went on. She was beginning to see him as more than a colleague-if he would allow it, of course.

They were laughing as they left the cinema, repeating some of their jokes and critiquing the film.

"They were all so…flat! None of the cast could act," Niamh said.

"And none of the lines felt real. It seemed too forced," Nick said as they walked on, a silence falling over them for a bit. "What gave you the idea to do that?"

"Do what?"

"See a bad film?"

"About once a month or so, my best friend Felicia and I pick out the film with the worst reviews and see it, simply to make fun of it. It's been a tradition since we were fifteen. It's dropped off a bit, with my being called to the Barr and her studying photography, but it's still a great outing. It's great fun, is it not?"

Nick nodded, smiling at the fact that she was sharing one of her own traditions with him. For some reason, it made him…happy.

"What about you? Any strange traditions you're willing to share?" She asked.

"Well…I don't have much with my friends, but my sister and I have some strange ones. When I was ten, she made me this hat, and every Christmas she sews something new onto it. Last year it was a pink fuzzy ball. Then, she makes me wear it in to take a photo...Which she puts on a blog. It has all sorts or obnoxious decorations, buttons, candy canes…that sort of thing."

Though she tried to keep a straight face Niamh couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry…"

"No need to apologize. It is quite funny. I'll have to show you the hat sometime. It's at her flat so that I cannot get rid of it."

Niamh smiled at that and they walked on, chatting along the way and eventually stopping in front of his block of flats. He stopped outside the entrance and said, "Wait."

"Hm?" Niamh looked up at him.

"I know this is only out first date…and…well…Would you think I was going too fast if I asked to kiss you?"

After a brief moment of shock, Niamh replied, rather shyly, "Would you think I was going too fast if I said no?"

They both glanced at each other nervously for a moment before their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss. Niamh wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer as they allowed it to deepen a bit.

When they finally broke apart, they smiled at each other, and Niamh said, "I should leave. I must get home before it's too late."

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you back to your flat?"

"I'm sure."

"In that case…" He quickly pulled out his wallet. "Take a cab on me."

"You don't have to do that…I…"

"Half then. I insist."

"Alright," She said, hesitantly taking the money he offered. "Thank you. I had a wonderful time tonight." At that, she turned up the street, only to be stopped by Nick's voice a moment later.

"Can I take you out again?" He asked.

"I'd like that," Niamh replied. "But only if you pick the outing."

"So, we have a date then?"

"Yes…I believe we do." At that, she turned away again, quickly hailing a cab while Nick watched. 'God, she's beautiful…Cute too…Is it possible that we could actually make something of this?' He thought, turning into the building only when she was gone.