Cooking Lessons (Nick)

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam watched him as she got out bowls. He was obviously experienced in electronics, and she was impressed. The only reason she knew how to work her TV was because she'd spent a couple weeks learning it, purely by trial and error.

"I've got..." She paused, searching through her freezer, "...vanilla and mint chocolate chip. Any preference? Or a bit of both?" She put a scoop of both in a bowl for herself as she waited for his answer, and looked up to find him watching her. She grinned and stuck her tongue out at him. She felt like a completely different person from the girl who sat at the table trying not to cry only a few moments ago. Her usual optimistic self was back, and she quietly resolved not to lose it again.

After getting a bowl ready for Nick, she'd sit back down on the couch next to him, curling up next to the armrest and grabbing the remote so she could start the movie.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick watched her scoop both flavours into her bowl, after she mocked him for catching him watching her.

"I guess I'll have both, too."

Sam sat down next to him, but more towards the armrest of the couch, and she grabbed the remote and started to play the movie. He took his ice cream and stared at the vanilla/mint chocolate chip combo.

At least Sam was herself again, and Nick would enjoy watching a movie with her. He just didn't know if they would wind up watching the movie all the way through without any glaces, or if something else would unfold.

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam settled herself in for some good movie time. The theme song started playing, and she grinned. Wow, it'd been how long since she'd seen this movie? She giggled.

"Man, I had the biggest crush on Marty McFly when I was younger. I just thought he was the greatest thing..." She looked over at Nick, and noticed that he was mostly just staring into his ice cream. She paused, watching him. Ignoring the movie for the moment, she readjusted herself so her legs were on her other side, and she was leaning more in Nick's direction rather than towards the armrest.

"Hey, there... you ok?" She gave him a little grin, hoping to cheer him up.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick cocked his head up to look from his ice cream to Sam.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine!" Nick smiled widely.

He wasn't fine. Nick didn't know how to let Sam know how he felt about her, or how to tell her that he rather kiss her then eat what was in his bowl. So he scooped up a giant spoonful of ice cream and stuck it in his mouth, grinning while he did so. Then the look on his face was that of mirth and pain.

"MMMMMMM!!!" Nick squealed, the spoon hanging out of his mouth, hands waving in the air.

Nick pulled the spoon out and put it in the bowl.

"Brain Freeze!" He yelled.

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam raised an eyebrow at him. She wasn't sure if he was really fine, or if he was just saying he was to hide what he was really thinking. God knew she'd done that plenty of times; who's to say that Nick wasn't pulling the same stunt? She didn't know him well enough to be able to figure out if she should push it or just leave him be. She chewed her lip, thinking, but she never had to make a decision, because all of a sudden Nick had shoved a gigantic spoonful of ice cream in his mouth and began squealing about a brain freeze, dissolving Sam into helpless giggles.

"Oh, God, are you ok?" She managed to gasp out. There was no way she could help him; he'd just have to wait until it subsided, but she thought she might as well ask anyway.

[Nicolas Constantine]

His head was bursting in a hot-cold blizzard. Then it subsided just like that; thus was the way of the accursed brain freeze.

"Gah. Yeah, I'm cool." He smiled at his pun, "Thanks. Not much you could have done though. My stupidity."

Nick blushed and turned away from facing her, back towards the movie, pretending like he was watching it.

God that was stupid of me...

Nick thought of how much of a fool he looked like now. There wasn't much impressing Sam now. Brain freeze; what a way to go out.

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam waved a dismissive hand at him. "Nah, it's not stupid," she said, smiling reassuringly at him. "I do it all the time."

Being a cuddly sort of person, Sam wanted to lean up against him, but something told her it might make things awkward. She was comfortable enough with him that it would be all right for her, but with the slightly awkward moments they'd had earlier, it was enough for Sam to understand that he was attracted to her. And that was a subject she didn't want to approach yet. Sure, she was attracted to him, too. But she didn't really know how yet. He was a wonderful person, and Sam loved spending time with him. He was somehow able to take her guard down much faster than anyone else ever had been able to, which, she supposed, was why she'd found herself telling him all these things about her personal life that she didn't think she'd be comfortable telling anyone, at least not for a long, long time.

But the feelings she'd been getting around him hadn't progressed far beyond physical attraction. The feelings she'd been getting primarily were screaming Best Guy Friend. And since she didn't know exactly what she felt, and she didn't know for sure what kind of attraction Nick was heading for, either, she really just hoped they could avoid the topic altogether. So she sat, near but not touching, slowly eating her ice cream and trying hard to focus on Doc Brown and the flux capacitor.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick loved this movie. But what he loved more was spending time with Sam, no matter how awkward the teasing was. He felt something toward her, but he didn't know what it was. Was it just close friendship, or was it more than that? Was it something that could go off right away, or was it a relationship that would advance over time?

Nick knew there was only one way to tell. He turned away from the movie to Sam and asked her.

"Sam, could you... help me with something?"

If she said yes, he would go in for the kiss to tell what kind of a relationship would unfold. It would be rather passionate, but that was the only way that Nick could be sure of what to do in the future and lay that part of his conscience to rest. He would look into her eyes after for traces of sparks and wait to see what her reaction was.

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam looked at him with concern. "Of course... what's the matter?" Something about the way he spoke made her believe something was wrong, but she only had a moment to wonder what he was thinking, and then -

He kissed her. There was a few seconds of passion, but Sam realized that something was wrong. There were no real sparks, just... the physicality of it. There was no chemistry.

She broke the kiss and backed away, blushing. He looked at her, and she looked back, eyes wide. "Nick, I..." What could she say? "I'm sorry. I'm sorry..."

So much for not approaching the topic of attraction. Though, she had come to a definite conclusion - attractive as Nick may be, he was definitely Best Guy Friend material for her, nothing more. She only hoped he saw things that way, too.

[Nicolas Constantine]

The kiss was... how could Nick put in it good terms... 'Not what he expected'.

That was it. There wasn't really anything there. At least not at this stage in their friendship. Nick sighed.

"Sorry 'bout that. I-I just needed to know if there was anything more... You know what I'm saying?"

Nick couldn't really explain it in a way that wouldn't seem rude. He figured out what he needed to know through the kiss and that was it. There was a spark of hope, and then the fire died out. He smiled his embarrassed grin.

"Let's finish watching the movie, alright? I'll even let you cuddle with me. As friends." he emphasized.

The awkwardness had lifted for him at least and now he wasn't afraid to be his flirty self, knowing that it had little impact on their relationship.

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam felt the tension in the room suddenly dissipate, and she took a deep breath in relief. She nodded. "Of course. I understand. It actually cleared some things up for me, too, so... thanks." She smiled at him. She was really glad she didn't have to give him any kind of "I like you a lot, but not like that" speech. This just made things much better for the both of them, and she was glad they were both on the same page now.

"Well, if you insist, then of course I'll cuddle with you," she joked, moving back over and curling up next to him, and looking back at the screen just in time to see Marty McFly crash land into a farmhouse in 1955. She was content. She had some good ice cream, a good classic movie... and a good friend. What a great way to spend an evening.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick enjoyed her cuddling with him, watching Back to the Future on her couch in her apartment. It was just two friends of opposite sex alone, in the dark, having a good time. Purely platonic. Nick smiled as she lay upon him, drifting away from the movie and thinking how their relationship could turn out. Would they remain close friends or would it become something more?

Nick snapped back to the movie. What did it matter? He was enjoying the movie and the company for now, and that's the way he liked it. And he'd be seeing her often at school and if she decided to take him up on those guitar lessons. Nick decided he would just take it as it came with this one.

God... I'm as awkward as Doc...

After the movie, Nick left Sam's house, proud of himself. Proud for having the courage to follow through and proud for not going over the edge with his flirting. He gave her a giant bear-hug.

"Call me sometime in the near future. For music lessons or, you know, just to hang out." he smiled his wonderfully hypnotizing smile.

After she gave him an answer, he would say good-bye and walk home for the night.