He jumped out of the car as soon as it was parked, running towards her. "How long have you been here?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.
Avalon closed her eyes, luxuriating in the feel of his arms around her. That hug alone was worth risking everything for. "Not that long." she replied.
It wasn't true, she's watched the sun move across the sky, losing hours of her time as she'd waited for him, praying he'd come home soon.
"I'm glad you came back." he whispered, gently tilting her chin up and kissing her sweetly. He felt the same way then, that he had the first time he'd kissed her- an amazing sense of peacefulness- like it was so right for them to be together.
Avalon smiled at him, loving the weak-kneed feeling she got from his kiss. "So am I, I missed you."
Nick took her by the hand, leading her into the house, "You're not going to just take off again are you?"
Avalon carefully considered how to answer his question, "I can't... guarantee that..."
Nick looked obviously disappointed. "I missed you so much.. I couldn't stop thinking about you... I don't want you to leave.. and especially not know if I'll ever see you again."
'AAAHHH!' Avalon was hoping Noelle would hear all this, even though it wasn't the exact answers she needed, but he was proving he obviously felt something for her. "I don't want to.. but I can't answer that right now. And I don't want to worry about it.. I'm here with you now.. so let's just enjoy this, okay?" she said, trying to reassure him with her smile.
Nick nodded. He didn't understand what was going on with her, but didn't feel the need to ask any questions. He had her now, and like she'd said, he wanted to enjoy this time. "Anything you'd like to do?"
"Just be with you." she replied quietly, gazing right into his eyes.
Nick blinked, breaking the eye contact they'd been holding, feeling vulnerable in a way he could never remember having experienced before- like she could see right through him, and read what was written on his heart.
~~~~~~
"Not again!!!" Avalon shrieked as she watched her character die. "I am SO BAD at this!"
Nick laughed, "You're not bad you're just...." He paused to try to think of a nice way to say it, "Okay, yeah, you're pretty bad."
Avalon giggled, "I told you!" She tossed her game controller on the floor and crossed her arms, pretending to pout. She had nothing to be upset about at all, this had been the best day she could have hoped for, despite the nagging thought in the back of her head that she was running out of time.
But the time she'd spent with him, had been worth the trouble she'd had to go to in order to be here. Nick had taken her to his favorite restaurant for a late lunch where they'd talked incessantly. Avalon wondered how long it would take, before Nick realized that he did most of the talking when it came to telling each other about themselves. She knew that because she was still technically an angel, the people in her presence were 'silenced', as they called it in Heaven, made quiet by not having a sense of curiousity about the angel they were with. She didn't know though, if that silence would last, were she given the chance to stay on earth.
After lunch they'd gone back out on the boat, much to Avalon's delight. Nick had shown her how to guide the boat, allowing her to take a turn around the Bay. He'd watched as she'd laughed while steering the boat, completely taken with her smile and the way that he felt with her. He wanted to do whatever he could to make sure she stayed around, he wanted, maybe even needed her to be with him.
They'd returned to his house for a game on the PS2- Nick not realizing what he was getting himself into when he agreed to give her a few lessons on how to play. There was something about it though- him being able to show her things, that he really enjoyed. Jamie had been his equal if not better than him, in most of the things they did together, and he found that he liked being able to share the things he enjoyed with Avalon, and watch her try to figure them out- loving whatever they were doing, even if she wasn't that good at it.
Nick got up and turned off the tv and the PS2, coming back to the couch with Avalon. "We'll have to try that again some other time." he said, smiling.
"Thanks for being so patient with me!" Avalon said, turning herself on the couch to face him. She loved just to look at him, to watch the way he moved or reacted to different things. She knew now how much she, and all the other angels, missed out on, by having a celestial perception of everything- being able to see beauty in ordinary things, but not being able to see the things that were truly beautiful to human eyes.
"No problem... I had fun showing you.." he slipped his arm around her, drawing her closer to him and brushed his lips over her cheek before tenderly kissing her lips.
Avalon gasped in delight at the kiss, opening her mouth just enough and tilting her head to deepen it, allowing Nick's tongue to glide over hers. She felt hot immediately, a warmth creeping over her whole body as she kissed him back. Her hand slid around to the back of his neck, holding him to her as she felt herself being leaned back onto the couch.
Nick carefully rearranged himself, moving to straddle her hips without breaking the kiss. He was relieved, to be feeling the things he was, wanting her like he did. After thinking he'd never feel anything for a girl again, the desire to be with someone was definitely welcome.
Avalon's heart was pounding as Nick's kisses moved from her mouth down to her neck, and he took gentle nips at her skin, causing her to whimper, the new feelings coursing through her body exciting her in a way she didn't understand, but didn't want to stop.