This chapter is mirrored in More Than Friends: Chapter 28
"Morning." Lorne heard a whisper and his eyes sprung open to see Nicola right in front of him. Except she was not in front of him, he realised, as he remembered sitting on the couch with her and how they must have fallen asleep. She was not standing in front of him, but lying on him where they had moved during their sleep in an effort to become more comfortable.
"Is it?" he asked, noticing that it did not actually seem light outside.
"I don't think so." She placed her head back down on his chest and his hand involuntarily moved to her shoulder, holding her close to him. In a quiet voice that it hurt him to hear, Nicola said, "It wasn't a dream, was it?"
"No." He shook his head and squeezed her slightly. "No, I don't think it was." On an instinct Lorne was at a loss to understand, he kissed Nicola on top of her head and in response she moved and her eyes met his. There was something in her eyes that he had not seen before and he was thankful at that moment that it was not the pain and sadness he had seen earlier. He opened his mouth to say something when she spoke instead.
"I can't stop the pain I feel. I need to feel something other than this." She did not wait for a response as she kissed him gently and slightly chastely. It lasted only a moment before she pulled back and met his eyes again. "Evan?" she asked and he knew that she was checking with him. Lorne also knew that he should stop her. Nicola was likely still in shock, not thinking straight and anything that now happened would be him taking advantage of her.
"I can't… I can't take advantage of you."
"You're not," she promised him and then her lips found his again. Lorne was powerless to stop her.