Best friends
Chapter 3

Author's notes: I forgot to say that this story is dedicated to HedgieX because she is amazing a LOVE'S Tom and Nicki just as much as I do (Maybe even more) I also encourage you to read her story called Bleeding love and Never-Clip-My-Wings-x 's story called Somethings Burning they are both brilliant and inspiring . Enjoy :D xxx

He couldn't avoid her anymore, he had to see her...he needed to see her. He had to admit he was embarrassed for what he had tried to do, but surely she would forgive him. They were friends after all.

It was lunchtime now and the corridors and stairwells were desserted. (It was like a ghost town) All the kids were either downstairs in the canteen eating their lunch or outside in the playground. He put his freshly made cup of tea down and made his way over to the wall to check her timetable. "Nicki...Friday...Period 4...Right, she's in her own classroom." He said to himself running his finger over her timetable. He walked back to the counter, picked his tea up and made his way out.

He made his way down the desserted corridors. Without all the kids shouting and screaming, the corridors looked quite creepy but as he got closer to Nicki's room, he could hear the sound of faint crying. He peeked in and he saw something that would shock him forever, Nicki Boston wiping a river of tears that made there way down her face. Nicki was strong, she had restrained a knife carrying well known druggie and also was punched by Kyle stack and didn't retaliate. So what was it that made her hurt so bad...what was it that made Nicki Boston, a strong and fearless ex-army officer cry.

He gently tapped the door and opened it slightly "Nicki." he called in a soft voice trying not to scare her. "It's me, Tom. What's wrong." She noticed him coming in the door and wiped away the rest of her tears, she didn't want him to know why she was crying but she needed someone to hold her to tell her everything will be ok, she needed her own hero...Mabye Tom was hers. "Nothing...Nothing, it's fine." Her voice cracked, the tears spilling down her face and Tom noticed this. He came in and closed the door behind him, he then walked over to where Nicki was sitting. "Nicki, please tell me what's wrong." Her face was in her hands and she was sobbing uncontrollably. "Hey come here." he said as he took one of her hands of her face, and gently pulled her up from the seat behind the desk. The seat where she felt most comfortable, where she felt in control...but today it felt like everything was crumbling down around her like she was losing everything.

He looked into those sea blue eyes, the eyes he loved so much, the eyes he could not get out of his head when he was dreaming. He loved her more than friends but he couldn't tell her when she was like this...It would compromise their whole friendship. He flicked back a piece of hair that fell onto her face and lifted a hand and gently wiped away the tears that were slowly and silently making there way down her cheeks. She smiled, she really wanted to be in his arms right now with the feeling that someone understands her, Tom may not know her situation but at least he was there for her. She wanted him to protect her from the world she hated so much. He then done what anybody else in his situation would do he took her in his arms and told her everything will be ok. Nicki was so happy, Tom loved her and was there for her and she loved him too but would they ever be together? While her head was resting on his shoulder he placed gentle kisses on her head, he could smell her shampoo...her favourite shampoo and the shampoo he loved as well.

She pulled away "Thank you, I needed that." She said with a soft smile on her face. ""No problem." He said while stroking her cheek. He then placed a gentle, feather type kiss on her lips. The kind of kiss that didn't need to be finished with aggression but the kind of kiss that told her silently he would be there to take care of her. She was shocked when he kissed her on the lips but she didn't show it, she didn't know their friendship had come this far but she enjoyed having a friend there to help her through the tough times. This is what she needed, a stable and honest friend.

"Will you be OK?" Tom asked her, he didn't want to leave her alone if she wasn't going to be OK. "Yeah, thank you." She said while rubbing his arm. He kissed her on her head and walked to the door but as he got there he remebered something. "Come see me at the end of the day, I just want to make sure you're all right." "I will...thank you." She replied. He took the last few remaining steps and closed the door behind him. With Tom now away she sunk back into her chair took a deep breath and sighed. She didn't want Tom to see her like this but she couldn't turn back time so she sat there and went over in her head what had happened, Tom being there for her, understanding her, protecting her and kissing her. She smiled the last one made her feel or warm and fuzzy inside, she never really had a boyfriend who understood her. All her other boyfriends saw her as used goods or depressed, she didn't want to be know for that...she wanted to be know for the kind and caring person she was but only Tom saw that. Tom was one person who saw alot of things none of her other boyfriends did but none of her other boyfriend stuck around to see the real her. Tom did and she loved him for that but could they be more than friends?