BEAUTIFUL DANGEROUS, TINKS | NICO

[MIA KINGSLEY]

There was a pile of dresses on her bed. It was a pile that had been growing for the past hour and a half, ever since she’d gotten out of the shower. Was it a girly thing to decide on what to wear and change your mind at the last minute? She’d been all set to head out in a cute little floral print dress, make up done and accessories matching, before she’d decided it wasn’t a floral print sort of night. That cute little floral print dress was now at the bottom of the pile, and Mia was clad in a tight black lacy number, a leather jacket and freshly reapplied makeup. That felt more natural…more Mia. She grinned a trademark feral little grin aimed at the mirror on her dresser and set about tidying up the mess she’d made of her room, putting all the dresses back in her wardrobe before checking herself in the mirror once again, just to make sure.

Satisfied, Mia took another swig out of the Southern Comfort bottle by her bed before she made her way out of the door, bag in hand.

The club was one of their usual haunts; a muggy, overwhelming place with a floor she’d found herself falling onto a few times and had made it her mission in life to avoid repeating the mistake. But the drinks were cheap and the occupants were generally acceptable looking, and those were the two things Mia tended to look for in a club - cheap booze and good looking people. She could hear the blare of Innerpartysystem’s Don’t Stop even before she got through the doors and gave a nod of recognition to the dark-haired bouncer standing guard there, and when she descended down the steps and into the club she was hit by a haze of heat and the smell of alcohol, too familiar. Running a hand through her hair she strode through the crowd that was beginning to gather on the dancefloor and headed for the bar.

It didn’t usually take long for guys to start showing interest in her when she turned up at a club, and they didn’t let her down tonight. Too soon, it seemed, because she’d barely had time to order her drink and lean on the bar before someone else was claiming it on their tab and she had two tall, dark and handsome friends with biceps bigger than her head and big, drunken smiles. Smiling, she finished her drink and followed them out onto the floor after a beat, weaving her way between the people in the club to dance along with her new friends in the middle of the dancefloor, and loving, just for a little while, the way this allowed her to feel dark and sexy and dangerous, all this leather, the personality she put on every time she had to face the rest of the world; it felt cliché, but that didn’t make it any less true - hell, everybody did it to some extent, didn’t they? Went around wearing a grin on a day they didn’t feel like smiling. For a while she lost herself in the music and the close proximity of the men on each side, grinding to the beat.

They’d only been dancing together for a couple of songs before the curvy blonde removed herself from the dancefloor, excusing herself to get another drink as the music changed. As money changed hands and the drink met her lips, the tang of Southern Comfort and lemonade all too familiar by now, Mia glanced around to see if her friends had arrived, molten gold eyes flickering as she gazed through the crowds, and found her gaze settling on a familiar group; taking another drink, she let her lips curve upwards into an infectious smile, her blonde waves bouncing as she crossed the distance and wove between people to get to her friends; most notably Nico, who she’d spotted first, and who she either fought with or fell in love with every time they drank together. “Hey.” she murmured as she paused beside the group, her smile twisting wider. Her neck prickled with the gaze of her two new friends on the dancefloor, but she focused on Nico. She’d pre-drunk; she was already tipsy. Bad idea. “Don’t worry. I brought the party with me.”

[NICOLAS JAMES]

 

IT'S TRUE, I CRAVE YOU ”Where the hell do you think you're going, hm?” Nicolas' eyes met his father's and immediately he wished he'd gone out the back way. That was his usual escape plan whenever his father was camped out in the living room, it was usually how Nico got away from even talking to his father, but not this time. This time his father had been in the kitchen so the easier route had seemed to be the front door, but unfortunately for Nico, his father had been waiting for him. Standing near the door, he stopped as his father walked into the middle of the room, getting closer to Nico with each step. ”I said, where the hell do you think you're going?” Shaking his head, Nico's confident facade was broken down with each word that was uttered from his father. ”Just out with my friends...” Seeing his father's lips curl into a grin, he stepped back, only stopping when his back hit the door of the house. Gripping his keys in his hand, he averted his gaze from his fathers, dropping his eyes to the ground. ”Friends? Who are these friends, Nicolas? I've told you before not to lie to me. Your mother was a liar.” His eyes shot back up to his father's once he mentioned his mother. Frowning at him, she gripped his keys a little tighter before gritting his teeth together. ”Don't talk about her! She wasn't a liar!” Hearing his own tone, he gritted his teeth together once more before it looked as though his father was about to leave, but instead turned and threw the bottle that had been in his hand. Bringing his arms up and over his head to protect himself, Nicolas ducked as the bottle hit the door and smashed around him. Quickly grabbing the door handle, he twisted and pushed the door open, running from the house as his father shouted after him. He'd run straight to Jarryd and Emerson's house after that, and thankfully they hadn't asked him why he seemed so shaken or why he seemed so out of breath. It had just made sense to tell them that he needed a drink and that was that. And they were able to provide, and it was enough to calm Nicolas down a little bit. The night was going to be a good one, there wasn't going to be any mention of his father or of what happened in his house whenever people weren't there. Not that it was going to be hard, after all none of his friends knew what went on behind closed doors. Mia knew, she knew exactly what went on with his father but no one else had an idea, no one had a clue. To everyone else, Nico was just some poor guy who's mother walked out on him and his dad, and yeah, the kid had his problems, just like everyone else but he never let anyone else in on them. It was true that Nicolas had his own way of coping with everything, and that way of coping usually came down to drinking a bottle dry whenever he could. And hell, tonight was no different. He had already had a few beers with the guys and had even started on a whiskey bottle he had left at Jarryd and Emerson's only a few days before. By the time they were all ready to get out of the apartment, well, Nico was well along just like the other boys. They were meeting the girls at the club so there was really no need to rush, and therefore the boys took their time getting to the club. Nico almost had to hold himself up when it came to showing the doorman his I.D, but thankfully he had enough practise with that and the doorman waved him by. Getting to the bar, Nico ordered his beer and paid the barman his money before taking a swig. Watching Jarryd stare off after the strawberry blonde he lusted after had Nico rolling his eyes. What was the point in wasting your time pining after someone who barely noticed you? It didn't make sense. Walking over to the group of his friends, he stopped before taking a sip from the bottle, Aylin spotting someone just walking up to them as he put the bottle down. ”Goldilocks, incoming.” Craning his neck a little, Nico's eyes landed on the familiar blonde as a grin curled his lips at either side. ”Hey.” Nico could barely hide the glint in his eyes as Mia finally paused beside the group of friends. ”Don't worry. I brought the party with me.” Taking a swig of his beer, he sidled up beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her to his side. ”Looks like it.” Grinning down at her, he raised his eyebrows a little before giving her a cheeky little smile. Leaning down so that his lips were just at her ear, he pulled her ever so tighter to him. ”I've got a half bottle of whiskey hid just outside...” Pulling back, he quirked an eyebrow at her before looking out toward the dancefloor, catching the eye of two guys who seemed to only have eyes for Mia. Looking back to his blonde friend with a look, he tilted his head with a frown on his brow. ”Looks like you brought some nice friends with you too.” FOR WARPED / MIA

[MIA KINGSLEY]

There’d been a span of time wherein this hadn’t been a part of her routine, a time when she hadn’t gone out with her friends and gone to clubs or bars or been able to hang out at all, really. It had been a long time, maybe three and a half years back when she’d been with him, but in truth, Mia almost felt like she should have seen the signs sooner and before it had escalated to that point. Before it had escalated to him keeping her in the house, pushing her around, bullying her and abusing her mentally and physically. She’d never felt so isolated, nor so alone. He’d hated her having friends and she’d run out of excuses for blowing people off when he got possessive or started throwing his weight around; she just gave up organising most things. She hadn’t disappeared off the map completely, but it was still a strange feeling to return to having a social life when she’d broken up with him. Three months on and having a social life, going out to a bar or just hanging out with her friends outside of work was now becoming more of a regular thing for her, and it had more of a place in her life. It didn’t always end well, but staying in at his behest had never been so much fun either. Honestly, Mia preferred getting drunk and all the mistakes that came with it.

And hanging out with the people she did, drunken mistakes were a consistent occurrence in her life. They were a close-knit group, but a fractured one, and that was inevitable with so many relationships within the bunch. Jarryd was in love with Aylin. Aylin and Grayson tended to fight like cat and dog sometimes. And Nico? Nico had more problems than just those with his friends; Mia tried to be there for him when she could but it was Nico she fell into drunken arguments with more often than not, because of something she’d said or he’d done - he was far too much like his dad when he drank, but who was she to tell him he should stop? Alcohol had helped her escape for a while, back when she was in the same situation. She’d be a hypocrite to tell him his coping mechanism was partially responsible for the way they fought, and in truth she could never say it was all him. She was just as bad; a loud, obnoxious, sledgehammer-blunt drunk with a penchant for taking what she wanted - especially if what she wanted was attention.

But maybe tonight would be different. The curvy blonde sipped her drink and felt her lips tease a hint of a smile when her friend sidled up beside her, his arm seeming to automatically find its way around her waist. She leaned into him almost out of habit, taking another drink as she looked up to see the cheeky grin on his face. He looked pleased with himself, but that was standard for semi-drunk Nico. Mia let her own arm wind loosely around her friend, hand resting on his hip at their close proximity, which by now was almost a given whenever they were out together - and hell, semi-drunk as she was, she was floating on the warmth of tipsiness anyway, so it didn’t matter either way. The shell of her ear tingled a little at the closeness of his lips, and her molten gold eyes flickered to meet his once again at the suggestion in the words. “Whiskey? Might have to help you recover that.” she took another drink and shifted her weight between hips, following her friend’s gaze back out to the dancefloor where the guys she’d been dancing with before seemed to be still waiting for her to come back. Grinning wolfishly, she shook her head, worrying casually at her glossy lower lip as she turned to look back at her friend. “They were easy on the eyes, although not so subtle about the staring down my rack.” Mia downed her drink and leaned past him to put the empty glass on a table, sidling again so she was facing her friend and could rest her hands lightly on his arms, leaning up to give him another feral smile. “Gonna come dance?”

[NICOLAS JAMES]

 

IT'S TRUE, I CRAVE YOU Being out with his friends was a way of escape for Nico, it was a way to forget what was waiting for him at home. His dad would wait up, he had no reason to go to bed early anymore, he hadn't had a reason in years. It was nearly always better to go home drunk nowadays instead of completely and utterly sober. At least if he was drunk then he wouldn't remember things in the morning, he'd only feel the pain of whatever hit his father had laid on him this time. He wouldn't remember the reasoning for the fight and if his father wanted to continue it the next day then he'd be able to play dumb, except maybe not play it as much as actually be dumb. If he didn't know why they had argued then there would be no reason to continue on Nico's side. The arguments with his father had been going on since he was too young to remember. The relationship with his father had always been strained, it had never been good, he'd never been a father to him and that was the truth as far as Nico was concerned. He didn't really have a father, he had someone who liked to use him as a punching bag whenever he wasn't in a good mood and that was more often than not. Unfortunately for Nico, he was used to it by now and wasn't making any moves to get out while he could. Of course the young twenty three year old had gone looking at places to move into once before, but things had been put on hold when his father was in a car crash and needed someone to look after him when he was released from hospital. So there was Nico, looking after the one person who hurt him more than anyone and now? Well, he still couldn't leave, so going out with the group was an escapism, something he looked forward to whenever he could. The one thing he despised about going out with the group was not knowing what sort of night it was going to turn out to be. It would go one of two ways whenever Nico and Mia were around, that was for sure. If the pair were in good spirits then the group were sure to have a good time, but if they were out for a fight then... well, it was curtains for any sort of good time they were all meant to have. It wasn't like they meant for whatever happened to happen, but whenever they drank... well, Nico's nice guy attitude went out the window and someone else took over entirely so maybe it wasn't just down to Mia or the group itself, but maybe, just maybe, Nico should have shouldered a lot of the blame whenever it came to their arguments. It just so happened that he had a jealous streak, something he would never ever admit to, but it was the truth nonetheless. Whatever he had with Mia when they were out.... well, it was just a representation of what he actually possibly wanted with her. Truth was, he was pretty much a little crazy about the girl and loved seeing her blonde head appear on a night out. There was just a part of him that was hoping that tonight was one of their good nights, and the way she leaned against him as his arm wrapped around her indicated that maybe, just maybe, it was going to be a very good night and it was exactly what Nico needed after the almost run in he'd had with his dad earlier that evening. He made a little mental note to talk it out with Mia if he had the chance later. Feeling her arm snake around his middle, the grin on his face pulled into an actual smile as her hand rested at his hip. Spotting one of the others rolling their eyes, his smile turned into a smirk as he took a quick swig from his bottle of beer. Grinning at Aylin and Gray as they ended up in another argument, he rolled his eyes and brought hs attention back to the blonde who was currently looking up into his own eyes. ”Whiskey? Might have to help you recover that.” Grinning like a drunken idiot, he nodded his head a little as she shifted her weight between either hip. Running his hand down her side, he rested his own hand at her hip before tilting his head, leaning down a little so she could hear him over the sound of the music. ”It might take a while to find it...” Giving her a cheeky little grin once again, he pulled back as she glanced out toward the dancefloor, back to the two guys who seemed to only have eyes for Mia. Taking another swig from his bottle while his eyes remained glued to the two guys, he scoffed a little before reverting his gaze back to his friend. ”Yeah, they don't seem all that subtle. You tell them you had a better offer for the night?” Pulling her a little closer to his own body, he gave her a little look with his eyebrows raised as she leaned around him to put her glass down on the table. Nodding his head at her question, he quickly downed the contents of his bottle before placing it back on the table beside her empty glass. Taking Mia by the hand, he nodded a goodbye to the group as they began laughing and making comments about which way the night was about to go. Getting to the dancefloor, he stopped them both before sliding his hands down her sides, stopping just at her hips before pulling her flush against his body. His eyes darted to the two guys who seemed to be staring, even still. ”Do they have a problem or something?” Turning back to face his friend, he gave her a cheeky smile before leaning down as though about to say something in her ear again, but instead brushed his lips just against her earlobe, just below her hollow of her ear and then finally took a nip at her neck before brushing his lips against the very same spot. Bringing his lips back up to her ear, he smirked a little, his right hand moving to the small of her back to pull her against him again. ”Wanna give them something to look at?” FOR WARPED / MIA

[MIA KINGSLEY]

Sometimes it shocked Mia that she was the only one in their group of friends who really knew what was going on with Nico, and consequentially the only one who really knew how badly his father treated him. She couldn’t remember when they’d reached that point in their friendship where he’d started telling her the truth of it - but maybe she’d recognised it all along; after all, it wasn’t difficult to recognise the symptoms of abuse when you knew them first hand, and maybe she’d made some offhand comment about it and he’d realised she knew. All Mia remembered was that, even knowing Nico’s own problematic home life, she herself had always been unwilling to reveal hers to him; she’d kept up the façade of being absolutely a-okay for so long that it seemed easier to try and keep people believing it, though she’d never thought she’d end up believing it herself. Getting out of that relationship had been one of the hardest things she’d ever gone through, and three months later it still felt like she was recuperating - was that normal? Was she supposed to be over it by now? Probably not. He’d had a huge and negative impact on her life, but things were better now. She understood why it was so difficult for Nico to contemplate leaving his dad behind forever. When you loved someone - or thought you did - leaving them was the scariest thing in the world. Mia could stand testament to that; she’d spent four hours cleaning up her wrecked flat after she’d broken up with her ex-boyfriend. She’d always been scared of being alone.

But even when she’d been with her ex she’d found herself seeking out Nico.

It hadn’t been intentional, to begin with. It had just happened; a case of dancing a little too close and Mia’s heart swelling at the sight of Nico smiling - genuinely smiling. She didn’t see him smile like that often. And Mia’d kissed him first. In retrospect, she realised that whenever she’d escaped for nights out with their friends despite his iron grip on her, she’d been so relieved to be free that she’d almost gotten drunk on the freedom and the relief combined, and she’d felt that thrill of intoxication the first time she’d gone a little too far and kissed Nico. But it didn’t matter, because whatever had happened between them in the beginning wasn’t anything she’d ever considered a mistake. Hell, it had been almost innocent at the very start - drunken (and sometimes sober) kisses and cuddling up to each other when they were out together because they couldn’t go back to her place for obvious reasons, and neither of them wanted to risk the wrath of his dad. But their interactions had been bipolar even then - good nights and bad nights; they’d either get along or fight like cat and dog. The bombshell blonde remembered that at that point she’d barely gone out with the group anyway, because more often than not she’d been under house arrest. Nowadays she was different; she’d choose to go on a night out at the slightest notice, and in truth she was spending more time with Nico than ever. There was yet to be a general consensus reached within the group as to whether this was a good or bad thing, but at least tonight was looking to be a good night.

Her friend’s drunken smile brought out a grin on Mia’s own face, her hand staying lightly where it had fallen to rest on his hip; around them, an argument broke out between two familiar voices, and Mia glanced at her flatmate and said flatmate’s boyfriend as they argued yet again, making a mental reminder to put her earplugs in tonight. The blonde’s gaze turned to Nico once again at the warmth of his hand moving down her side to her hip, leaning up on the balls of her feet and turning her head so he could her him. “It might take a while to find it…” That drew a smile from the curvy blonde, her eyes flashing with humour. “I’ve got time.” she murmured with a laugh. Still smiling, Mia felt her friend move back a little when she turned to look at the dancefloor, Nico having pointed out that the two guys she’d entertained herself with earlier, but only moments later he was pulling her closer again and she found herself leaning into him willingly, raising a brow at his question. “Didn’t tell them anything, ‘cause my business is none of theirs.” she grinned a little, watching Nico down his drink and the way the club’s unabashedly shitty lighting framed his face before he took her hand to lead her out to the dancefloor, and Mia linked their fingers along the way. Smirking, she glanced at the group at the laughter that followed their sudden departure; surely nobody was surprised by this any more?

She swayed her hips to the music even as they were walking out, moving among the mass of bodies to press closer to her friend at the same time as he seemed to pull her closer, too. Humming to the music, Mia lifted her hands above her head and danced closer to Nico, still swaying her hips to the beat - even while she turned to look at her ‘friends’, still staring. “Think they might be jealous?” she quipped, lips reflexively twitching up into a grin at the smile that crossed his. Even though they’d already been in close proximity, she could feel the yammer of her heart when her friend’s lips sought her earlobe, leaving a trail of fire down her neck - where he nipped. Mia’s hands found his shoulders and wrapped around them, humming quiet approval; mischief flashed in her eyes at the suggestion. “Sure do.” Mia pulled Nico closer, pressing her lips to the hollow of his throat, kissing upwards, kissing the pulse point just beneath his ear and planting butterfly kisses along his jaw. If she’d been paying attention to the guys they were putting on a show for, she’d have seen they were making their way through the crowds by now - frowning. Since she wasn’t, she pressed her body tighter against his, still grinding her hips to the music, and a grin flickered across her face as she leaned up yet again, resting her forehead against Nico’s and holding his gaze as she ghosted her lips against his, teasing, pulling back minutely - before she kissed him deeply, her grip tightening around his shoulders.

[NICOLAS JAMES]

 

IT'S TRUE, I CRAVE YOU There weren't many people in Nico's life who he cared about, not even his own family but then again there weren't many family members in his life apart from his father. Even when it came to his friends, he didn't care so much about them in any sense of the word. Jarryd was clueless when it came to the Aylin situation and in some way, Nico cared about him and wanted to make sure he wasn't going to get himself hurt or even worse, get himself beaten by Gray. In a way it was sad and pathetic, but in some other ways Nico envied Jarryd for being so open with his feelings. Nico had never been that way in his life. The only person he had ever said 'I love you' to was his mother and hell, she'd walked out of his life when he was only six years old so in a way he was more terrified about saying I love you to someone else in case it all happened again. And who was to say that it wouldn't happen again? He'd had relationships before in the past but they'd never lasted all that long due to the girls complaining that he couldn't and wouldn't commit to them and that they never knew how he really felt about them in the long run. He was closed off to any and everyone who came across him and that was just how he'd been brought up to be. Never knowing anything different just had Nico accepting who he was and accepting his life for what it was, and it was just as simple as that. His friends even accepted who he was and how he acted, they'd even accepted the drinking in some ways. If Nico was drinking then it was better to just stay out of his way and not butt heads. Everyone knew that. So why oh why did Mia, a petite little blonde, stand up to him in the way she had? She had been endearing, she'd been stand-offish and she'd been... well, amazing. She had captured his eye straight away, right from the moment he'd laid eyes on her. And how could she not? Mia was stunning, anyone with half a brain could see that. But it seemed as though, back when she was with her ex, it didn't seem as though she knew that. And why someone like Mia didn't see how beautiful she was, or how strong she was, was completely and utterly beyond Nico. Despite being this petite little blonde who seemed as though she needed looking after, Nico could see through it. Deep down she was a strong little thing, someone who could snap back at a moment's notice and Nico had it first hand. Not much took him by surprise when it came to Mia but the moment she kissed him, the moment she took him by surprise and actually grabbed him and kissed him, well he'd been speechless. It had been fun at first, just stealing her for a few moments here and there whenever they were out with the group, but it had been a thrill as well. The thrill of almost getting caught by their friends or even by someone in the club who might know them or know her boyfriend, it was all so exciting. But to Nico it became more than that, far more than just stealing little moments in the back of a dimly lit club. After a while he realised that without Mia, the nights out were nothing more than a reason to get drunk and stumble back to his house for a fight with his dad, or even stumble back and attempt to sneak in so that his dad didn't hear him. But with Mia there, the nights out became far more than just that, they became something to look forward to, something to think about whenever his dad had him beaten into a corner. In a way, Mia was kinda like his anchor. ”I've got time.” Mia words brought him back to here and now as he smirked down at the tiny blonde. Just the glint in Mia's eyes was enough to have his heart pumping and his stomach flipping. There was something about Mia Kingsley that floored Nico every single time. There was just a look in her eyes that made him smirk every single time without fail. ”Didn't tell them anything, 'cause my business is none of theirs.” Laughing a little as his lips turned up into a smirk once more, he tilted his head to the side and grinned down at her. ”I love when you take charge like that.” Smirking with a half crooked smile, he let her link their fingers together as they made their way to the dancefloor. There was something about letting Mia take charge on the best of nights that had Nico buzzing with excitement. His hands dropped to her hips as they swayed in time with the music and yet his eyes never left hers whenever she glanced around at him. Nico wasn't much of a dancer but Mia was the leader whenever they were on the dancefloor and he was happy to let her take control. Pulling him to her by her hips, he swayed his own in time with hers and grinned almost animalistically at his blonde friend before laughing a little at the thought of the others being jealous. ”Well, I wouldn't wonder why if they were.” Locking his gaze onto hers as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, he leaned his head back a little as her lips came in contact with the hollow of his throat. Closing his eyes with a sigh, he brought his head back down to her level as she began kissing along his jaw. Letting his eyelids drift open, he tilted his head as she pressed her body against his, his heart pounding in his chest as she leaned up, resting her forehead against his and finally giving him exactly what he wanted as their lips collided hungrily. Wrapping one arm around her, his hand found the small of her back as he pressed against her. Bringing his other hand to cup the side of her face, he kissed her back deeply before feeling someone nudge him in the back. Pushing forward, he pulled back from the kiss and turned his head with a frown to meet one of the guys Mia had been dancing with before. ”Sharing is caring, man. We had her first.” Letting go of Mia, Nico turned and looked at the guy with an intense frown, his eyes flaring a little. ”She's not a fucking toy to be passed around, man. Why don't you fuck off?” Stumbling back a little as the guy in question shoved him, Nico shook his head, his eyes still flaring with anger at the thought of being interrupted and the thought of them insulting Mia. Pulling back, he punched the guy square on the jaw sending him stumbling backwards. ”I told you to fuck off, it's not that fucking hard of a concept to grasp!” Turning back to Mia, he reached out to take her hand. ”Come on, you don't have to take this.” FOR WARPED / MIA

[MIA KINGSLEY]

Nico didn’t know it, but he’d held most of the influence over Mia being able to stand up to him, being able to get her life back together. The times she’d been able to go out with the group, nights out or no, Mia had gravitated to him without really thinking about it - there’d been friendship there before there’d ever been romance, even if it was a close call between the two. She remembered the first time she’d met him they’d all been drunk and he’d been raising hell amongst his friends; she’d strutted in in her six inch heels and shouted him down without even thinking about it. He’d bought her a drink. That had sort of set the standard for their friendship ever since, an up and down rollercoaster of emotions and good times that, in Mia’s opinion, far outweighed the bad. And somewhere in between she’d started to trust Nico implicitly; he’d been quiet and withdrawn when sober to begin with but being around him had become sort of soothing - going back to him after being with Nico and her friends for a while felt like the stinging after you ripped off a band-aid; brief but sharp. Mia got attached to people far too easily - her love was boundless for her friends and family, and Nico had been no exception. And in a way, being around him had reminded her that there was more to life than the way she was living it; whenever she watched him in clubs, drunk or getting there, it was like he was cramming all of his lust for life into those few hours he’d be out of the house and away from his dad, making the most of them - and what was Mia doing? Mostly, to start with, she’d simply sit and worry about what would happen when she got home, and it took her long enough to realise that that, in itself, was wrong. So she’d broken away from the man who’d been holding her back, and it hadn’t been easy.

But what part of life was easy?

Even now, things weren’t easy, and these days she didn’t have an abusive boyfriend breathing down her neck every chance he got. Being around Nico wasn’t always easy, but that was because they both got obnoxious and out for a fight when they were drunk, and Mia knew first hand that while she wasn’t prepared to take any shit from him (she’d kicked him out of her flat on more than one occasion) neither was he prepared to put up with her crap, especially when they were both drunk. It made for an explosive combination, but that wasn’t always a bad thing. Back when she’d been dating him she’d found solace in the time she spent with Nico, stolen moments that never seemed to last long enough before they had to leave and pretend like they’d never happened in the first place - all the times they’d found an empty corner in a club and talked and laughed over the music, sharing small touches that could have seemed almost innocent back then until that time she’d kissed him - and she’d never know why she’d done that; cheating just wasn’t in her nature. But Nico had always exuded quiet strength that Mia had been drawn to like a moth to a flame, and he’d hidden its accompanying vulnerability deep. She’d recognised that straight away, too. Despite his sometimes foul nature, despite the way they sometimes fought, he’d been the one keeping her sane the whole time, and he was still the only person she felt safe with, trusted completely. Maybe she should have recognised those feelings for what they were, but she was still far from that epiphany.

Mia had to grin at the sight of that smirk on Nico’s face; it seemed to be his default expression when she was around - and she wasn’t complaining in the slightest, lifting her head as he laughed at her retort about telling the guys she’d had a better offer for the night. ”I love when you take charge like that.” she heard above the music, and felt her lips curve upwards in a mischievous smile yet again, her fingers squeezing Nico’s as she turned to lead them out onto the floor. “I know you do.” she teased, barely paying attention to the other dancers as she led them out to the floor. She enjoyed the feeling of her heart racing at their closeness as it always did, aware as she was of the way his hands rested on her hips. Warmth spread outwards from the places where his palms rested, and Mia could only grin to see the way he held her gaze, tossing her head to get her hair out of her eyes while she let her hands wander up and down his arms and unable to stop a cheeky grin flashing across her face at his comment. “Got no reason to be, they never had a chance anyway.” she laughed. And they hadn’t, they really hadn’t - the minute she’d spotted Nico in the crowded bustle by the bar they’d never had a hope in hell. Maybe she wasn’t doing good enough of a job to make that point obvious, because as she kissed up his neck, his throat, along his jaw and finally kissed him and felt him kiss back, the guys she’d left behind had been edging ever closer. Her heart was pounding at double time, her cheeks flushed with a combination of the alcohol and warmth when Nico pulled her closer and there was a twisting, nervous sensation in her gut that never seemed to go away when she was around him, but nevertheless intensified when they kissed - but all of a sudden he was pulling away, and Mia only just stopped herself from trying to follow to kiss him again when she realised one of the other guys was behind him. Shit.

She didn’t hear what was said. She didn’t have to. All of a sudden one guy was shoving Nico and the other had circled around her to try and dance with her, and to try and cop a feel - she elbowed him hard in the gut at about the same time his friend got a right hook in the jaw, stumbling away from herself and Nico. Mia’s heart was hammering in her chest and she was nearly shaking with anger by the time Nico turned back to her, but in truth his words were little more than a blur to the tiny blonde, and she just nodded and took his hand, turning to lead them away from the dancefloor - she bit down hard on her lip as she headed for the club’s doors. “You don’t have to defend my honour, y’know…” she mumbled after a beat, glancing at her friend. “But I think I could do with that whiskey now.” Maybe he’d still be angry; it wasn’t unlikely - Nico didn’t simmer down quickly. But for all Mia’s claims that he didn’t have to defend her, being approached like she had been by the men in the club had near enough brought about some unpleasant flashbacks of being treated the very same way by him, like an object, like a possession, so her gratefulness to Nico for his defence stayed unspoken.

[NICOLAS JAMES]

 

IT'S TRUE, I CRAVE YOU There was one thing about Nico that some people didn't get whenever he was with Mia and that was the fact that he wasn't possessive in any which way. Most took him up the wrong way, most saw him in another light whenever he was drinking and in a way he could see why. He was angry most of the time, loud, obnoxious in some ways and pretty much a dickhead if pushed that way. And of course, someone nearly always pushed him over that edge and he ended up snapping and well, that would be that for the night. And that came down to whenever someone said anything to Mia as well. If they pushed Mia then they were pushing Nico as well and while that meant that Nico would snap and probably usher Mia off somewhere else, if the girl wanted to stick around then that would be up to her. You could never control someone else's life and it was something Nico lived by. After all, his own father had tried to control his mother's life in so many different ways that there was no way he could sit back and do that to someone else. His father had pushed his mother away, but in a way it had worked out for the better for his mother and in Nico's opinion that was the main thing. Of course she had left him and had even just handed him over to his father in place of her, but she was still his mother and he wanted her to be happy. That was the responsibility of a son, right? Well, he wasn't really sure if it was to be honest. After all, he didn't have much to go on seeing as his father hadn't been much of a father, and his mother... well, she hadn't stuck around and it wasn't as though his father was an eligible bachelor so there hadn't been another woman in his life. The thing was, despite growing up with a father like the one he had, Nico was trying his best not to turn out the same way. The one thing about Nico and Mia was that their group of friends probably had a better grasp on what they were than Nico and Mia did themselves. Maybe that was due to the fact that their friends had an outside perspective on the whole thing. They could see the way Nico looked at Mia whenever she walked into a room or whenever she was in one of the shows at work. It was obvious to almost every one of the group that Nico felt something for Mia, whether the pair were able to admit it or not. And the thing was, Nico hadn't even admitted that much to himself. Of course he looked out for her, he made sure she was happy and made sure she was safe whenever they were out but it was far more than that. It was more than just wanting to be there for her, it was wanting her to be more than happy, it was wanting her to actally feel safe and feel like she could let her hair down with him. And of course it was wanting her to feel like she could take him on in an argument, not that he would ever let her win because that wasn't his style, not in the slightest. There was a slight part of him that loved the fact that she stood up to him and never let him away with anything. His mother had never been like that. The only strong or brave moment his mother had was when she turned her back on her family. She'd never stood up to her husband, she'd never had the guts to even think about doing something like that. But Mia? Hell, Mia was a firecracker and she was exactly what Nico needed to keep him on the straight and narrow when it came to her. But when it came to their relationship... well, he wasn't sure what kind of relationship they had, but they had something and even if he didn't want to admit it, whatever it was... well, it actually meant something to him and that was saying something. There was a glint in his eye whenever Mia was around and it was no different tonight, in fact, seeing the mischievious smile on her lips had his own curving into a grin. The way she took charge, the way she squeezed his hand and the way she lead him out toward the dancefloor... it was some of the things he loved about her, some of the things he found most attractive in her. Maybe it was her confidence, that animalistic way she smirked at him that had Nico almost chomping at the bit to grab her and make her his for the night. ”I know you do.” Hearing her almost purr those words at him, his eyes locked onto hers and gleamed with excitement. Feeling her petite hands running up and down his arms, his heart began hammering at his chest to escape and his stomach knotted together in the way it normally did whenever Mia was around. It was the usual feeling he got whenever the tiny blonde put her hands on him or hell, even looked in his direction. ”Got no reason to be, they never had a chance anyway.” Laughing a little, he pulled Mia flush against his own body, swaying their hips together in a rhythm that matched the music before leaning down to brush his lips against his ear once again. ”That's what I like to hear.” Pulling back a little, he managed to brush his lips against her own with a smirk before they both got lost in the intensity of the moment, and before they were rudely interrupted. There was a moment where Nico's anger almost took over and he wanted to punch the guy a second time even though the guy was obviously already a little worse for wear after the first punch, but leading Mia away from there was the highest priority. Walking away from the dancefloor and toward the club's doors, he barely heard what Mia was saying before he pulled his hand away from hers with a shrug. ”Defend your honour, Mia?! Are you kidding me? That wasn't some guy calling you a bitch or a slut, those were two guys who wanted nothing more than to take you around the back of the club and have a good fuck!” Sighing heavily, he ran his hand back through his hair in an attempt to cool himself down before gritting his teeth. Turning toward the wall, he ignored Mia's comment about the whiskey and lashed out, his fist colliding with the hard cement wall with a loud thud. ”Fuck!” Immediately recoiling with his hand being cradled by his other, he frowned and turned back toward Mia, his heart beating in his chest so loud he was sure she could almost hear it. ”Those guys are fucking dickheads and I should go back in there and show them that they can't just treat you like that!” Still cradling his now throbbing hand, he took the few short steps toward his petite blonde friend and cupped her face with his good hand, just looking down into her eyes. ”You need to stay away from creeps like that, Mia. You deserve so much fucking better than that! You hear me?” Resting his forehead against hers, he let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes for a second or two before letting his eyelids drift back open. ”I hid the whiskey in the bushes just around the corner. Doorman wouldn't let me in with it. And I think I've fucked up my hand.” Stepping back, he glanced down at knuckles which were now swelling to almost twice their size. Just fantastic. FOR WARPED / MIA

[MIA KINGSLEY]

Mia didn’t get possessive of Nico, just like Nico didn’t get possessive of her. But she did get jealous, and she wasn’t all too fond of thinking about what jealousy entailed, about what admitting the way she felt about him to herself would bring. If there was one thing Mia hated it was feeling vulnerable, and she’d learned from experience that being close to people would always mean vulnerability - hadn’t her love for him been the thing that kept her there even while he abused her mentally and physically, hadn’t she still thought she’d loved him when he used to make her feel like dirt? But the difference between Mia and Nico was that Nico was reserved in his affections; Mia knew it because she’d seen the way he kept people at arm’s length (but why not her? She’d never considered that - she’d never considered how he’d just let her into his life right from the start). Mia loved too many people, openly, Mia fell for people fast - friendships and relationships alike, as though her heart was three times too big and she had too much love to feel. In truth Mia would have liked to keep people away, and sometimes she did if she tried hard enough because given enough time with him she’d become a walking trust issue and she’d struggled hard and mostly unsuccessfully to break free of that. But she trusted Nico as much as she trusted anyone; in the same way she’d found her way into his life he’d found his way past her barriers, and maybe she should have taken that step, maybe she should have realised what that level of trust meant; instead, she stuck with drunken nights out and looking forward to spending time with him - no matter what that entailed.

And if there was one thing Mia knew for certain about Nico, it was that his anger didn’t just fizzle out. One punch wouldn’t have been enough; the curvy blonde knew her friend well enough to recognise the fury even in the way he walked when they exited the club, and she’d seen him rage for hours before - whatever happened now, it wouldn’t be the end of it, and she moved to the chillier air outside steeling herself for the worst. And she never thought about why she would have to do that, steel herself like that - however angry Nico was, he would never hurt her and she knew it, she knew her friend would never even dream of it, but years of conditioning were difficult to undo. Years of flinching back and anticipating a punch even just at raised voices were difficult to hide. But Nico didn’t know that about her. Nobody did. Mia’s old torments were held close to her chest, and she still didn’t know why she couldn’t tell him. Wouldn’t tell him. After all, wasn’t it Nico who’d understand what she’d gone through the most? Wasn’t it Nico who trusted her with the truth of what he was going through? Mia didn’t know why she still hadn’t told him; it wasn’t like there hadn’t ever been a good time. Yet she kept her secrets, even from him. And walking outside as he pulled his hand away from hers, she only stopped to look at him when he responded with vehemence, her eyes staying on his face at the outburst.

She hadn’t heard what they’d said to him. Hell, Mia didn’t even know what she was meant to say to what Nico had just said - “those were two guys who wanted nothing more than to take you around the back of the club and have a good fuck!” Mia shook her head. “What the fuck do you want me to say, Nico? ‘Oh no, that’s vile, I’d never do that!’ What?” but she’d barely even finished speaking, barely even finished making another comment about the bottle of whiskey Nico had hidden around here before he’d turned and slammed his fist into the wall, and Mia did exactly what she’d always done, flinching back and away from the painful-sounding thud, the only giveaway the click of her heels on the pavement as she stepped back. She’d long since mastered the fear in her expression, but that didn’t stop it flickering through her eyes for a moment right before her friend turned towards her, cradling his fist this time. It looked painful. Her heart pounded even faster, jumping into her throat, and she met his gaze as he walked towards her again, straightening instead of allowing herself to back away. This was Nico, she reminded herself, Nico wasn’t him, Nico would never hurt her; it didn’t stop the runaway train of her heartbeat and she was only glad he couldn’t hear it. The hammer of her heart was why she said nothing at his next outburst, unwilling to speak in case it gave her away - yet her silence said it all, and she watched him as he approached her again. “You need to stay away from creeps like that, Mia. You deserve so much better than that! You hear me?”

She heard him, loud and clear. It felt like a punch in the gut. Maybe the words were well-intended but Mia recognised aggression in their delivery. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the warmth of his good hand as it slid to cup her cheek, and when she opened them again he was there, forehead resting against hers. She breathed in quietly through her nose, smelling alcohol, and that definitive scent of Nico, familiar and warm, but Mia stepped back anyway to look up at her friend. “Depends whether you’re asking, or demanding.” she told him, tone unusually reserved. He was looking out for her, Mia knew that. She always knew that. But it was the way he’d said it that set her on edge, made an uncomfortable feeling pool in the pit of her stomach, heavy and cold. “What if I were looking for the bad guys? It doesn’t matter what I deserve. They didn’t matter that time, because I was with you. But sometimes I don’t go out looking for someone I’ll like. Sometimes I go out knowing I’ll regret things the morning after, and that’s fucking okay. It’s not just guys that can use people, Nico.” she shook her head, breathing out again. Not angry, just quietly defiant - she’d always been defiant. “I’m not a victim.” the tiny blonde glanced up at her friend once more, her eyes searching his before her gaze moved down once more to the swelling of his hand, his knuckles huge and already seeming, to Mia at least, to be slowly going purple; the whiskey, forgotten. “You want me to ice that?” she offered. “It looks pretty painful. You fucking idiot.” that last sentence said with a half-smile curling the corner of her lips, Mia pondered if it would always be like this - the two of them fucking up together and having to pull it back as best they could. The tiny blonde zipped up her jacket and folded her arms around herself, watching her friend with her eyes flickering between his face and the bruised knuckles he was cradling.

[NICOLAS JAMES]

 

IT'S TRUE, I CRAVE YOU Mia was the only one that Nico knew who could actually get under his skin, she was the only one who actually got him, she was the only one who actually knew who Nicolas James was. Of corse he had friends who knew him well enough, but they only knew the surface, barely scraped the surface when it came to Nico. He had so much more going on in his life than he ever wanted to let on and he never wanted to someone from their group to find out. But Mia was different, Mia was someone who he had willingly let into his life and told her about what was going on between himself and his dad. Everyone needed someone in their life who knew almost everything about them, someone they could run to if they needed them in any which way. And that's exactly what Mia was to Nico whenever he needed someone, she was there. It was as simple as that really. Except, it wasn't so simple when he thought about it. She was far more than just someone who he ran to whenever he needed a shoulder to cry on. Mia got under his skin, but in a good way, she was the one person he actually sought out to spend time with. Of course he spent time with his friends and wanted to see them, but on a day to day basis? Well, it was better to just... be on your own or be with someone who wasn't going to ask questions. Hell, that was Mia in a nutshell. She never asked questions, even when he turned up with bruises to beat the band, he was able to just... forget about what happened and be himself. It was one of those relationships that he just... couldn't stand being without. In fact, Mia was someone Nico never wanted to be without seeing as she was almost like a lifeline to him. She was someone he could lean on and depend on, and he hoped that at some stage he was that to her as well. He didn't want to think of her being hurt, or ever being in a situation like he was or had been for most of his life, but if it just so happened that she needed him then he was going to be there. He was the one she'd turned to when she'd had a boyfriend after all, she'd cheated on her boyfriend with him so in a way... that was leaning on him, right? In a not so conventional way. But he was perfectly fine with that, he actually looked forward to each little moment they stole away with one another. There was a point where Nico realised that that was all it was going to be, just mere stolen moments together and nothing more. And did he question that? Did he ask Mia was there any shot for them, any change where they could be something more? Of course not. If that was all she wanted then he would be just that for her and not question it. Maybe that was a little pathetic in some ways but it wasn't like he was holding out for her, it wasn't like he was holding off on other relationships in the hope of being with Mia, but there was a little inkling in the back of his mind that was holding onto something like that. Not that Nico was aware of it in any sense of the word 'aware' but it was there, no matter what. This wasn't how he wanted the night to end, it wasn't how he'd seen the night going, but apparently he had no control over that, just like he had no control over his own temper at times. And hell, one of those times had been tonight. He'd seen the way she'd reacted to his flare, she'd seen how he'd hit the other guy in the club and he hated himself for that. If she was scared of him in any way then there was nothing he could do except clench his jaw and deal with it, or maybe try and make her see that he wasn't going to hurt her. But maybe she knew that much already. ”What the fuck do you want me to say, Nico? 'Oh no, that's vile, I'd never do that!' What?” Running a hand back through his hair in frustration, he clenched his jaw tight and took a breath to try and calm himself down, much to no avail. Shaking his head at her, he frowned intensely as his brows knitted together before shrugging his shoulders. ”You shouldn't have to do that! Mia, you're more than that! More than some fuck around the back of a club, more than some quickie in a toilet stall! Why the fuck can't you see that?!” Shrugging his shoulders once more, he dropped his hands to his sides and immediately regretted it as the pain shot through his hand where he'd hit the wall. Shaking his head at her with the frown still planted firmly at his brow, he turned away from her before turning back with a heavy sigh. Why she couldn't see how amazing she was, well, it was completely beyond him. Completely and utterly. The fact that she was looking for all the wrong guys, putting herself out there for those creeps to take advantage of when all she really needed and deserved was the best... it just didn't make sense. There was a moment where he thought everything was going to be forgotten, but as she stepped back away from him and looked up, any sign of a frown melted from his expression. ”Depends whether you're asking, or demanding.” His eyes drifted to hers as his frown reappeared, shaking his head as he looked down at her. ”Mia... I'm not demanding anything... I'd never tell you what to do, or demand you do something. I'm just... I wanna look out for you, I wanna make sure creeps like that don't take advantage of you, and that's what they're out to do.” Shrugging his shoulders lightly, he dropped his gaze from hers down to his hand while listening to her familiar voice. ”If you wanna use someone then use me. At least you know you're not waking up beside some fucking asshole or axe murderer in the morning. I know I can be a fucking dick sometimes, but I'm not as bad as them.” Bringing his gaze back to meet hers, he frowned a little, this time softer than before. ”Mia, you're one of the strongest people I know, you're definitely not a victim but that doesn't mean you have to deal with fucking idiots like those inside. Why would you want to look for the 'bad' guys? You could have your pick of anyone in there, Mia. Anyone! And they should jump for fucking joy that you'd even look in their direction!” Shaking his head again, he stopped himself as the pain in his hand brought him back to the here and now. Glancing down at his already bruised knuckles, he nodded his head as she mentioned icing it. A smile graced his features as she called him a fucking idiot. ”Yeah. It fucking kills... maybe I've broken something, or... I don't know.” Letting his eyes drift to Mia's chocolate brown orbs, he managed the lightest of smiles before carrying on. ”Wanna head back inside? I think I do actually need some ice... and you look kinda cold.” There was a part of him that wanted to wrap his own arms around her, to make her see that everything was okay, that they could fight and scream at one another but despite that he'd always be there for her. There was a part of him that wanted to just bring her back to his house, or go back to her place... fuck icing his hand. FOR WARPED / MIA

[MIA KINGSLEY]

And Mia - Mia was glad to be that person, the one Nico knew he could run to if ever he needed to, but she wasn’t proud of it. She wasn’t even remotely proud of it, because the only reason he needed someone to run to was because of the way his dad treated him. Mia hated that, knowing that his own dad could even think of treating his son that way, and she hated being the friend he ran to for help, not because he did so but because she always felt completely powerless to do anything about it; she wanted to, more and more every time Nico turned up at her door with a black eye or a bust lip or an assortment of bruises she’d have to help him cover up, but Mia knew what it was like to be in that situation, she knew how awful and shameful it felt, and she never questioned whether Nico wanted her to tell anyone, call the cops, social services, anything. She knew he wouldn’t want her to. If someone, anyone, had found out about her own turbulent relationship with her ex-boyfriend she’d have begged them not to tell anyone even if he’d beaten her black and blue (he had), because she was scared and weak - but most of all ashamed of herself. And just as she’d been the one Nico had gone to, the nine months of Mia’s relationship with him she’d spent cheating with Nico had been the best nine months of the entire relationship; Nico might not have known it, but he’d been her anchor all along. He’d been just about the only thing that kept her sane - he’d been the person she looked forward to seeing every time she escaped the flat, he’d been the person that kept her utterly grounded. The pair of them had fought on and off, they’d always fought, even back then, but she’d be a liar if she ever denied going to him to feel safe in his arms - and she always had. And maybe Mia had never let him know that, because telling Nico she’d always felt safe with him and always looked forward to just being around him might have led to more questions and answers she didn’t want to give - like why she didn’t feel safe with him and never had. And in truth, Mia didn’t know what she’d do without Nico now.

She didn’t even want to think about it.

But three months after breaking off the worst relationship she’d ever been in and Mia was still healing from it and she knew that, deep down. The fact she was still only just getting over it was becoming more evident to her even as she spiralled beyond the realms of self-control - why else was she still falling apart? Seeking strangers in seedy bars and pissing off her friends and worst of all getting Nico all tangled up in her self-destruction? Nico didn’t even know why she was this way, that much was clear to the tiny blonde because she’d never told him what she’d gone through and she’d never sat down long enough to psychoanalyse her own behaviour - to realise that this, all of it, was what happened when you were twenty two years old and had spent the last three years of your life in an abusive relationship, thinking you loved someone who thought no day was complete until he’d given you at least one bruise to deal with and you never told anyone at all because you wanted to pretend you were strong enough on your own even when you were falling apart at the seams. All she knew was that she had to move on, and moving on and into a relationship with someone she genuinely cared about didn’t seem a viable option because he’d been right; who could possibly think she was worth their time? So Mia just staked out seedy bars and continuously didn’t see what was right in front of her: the way she felt for Nico and the way he felt for her.

Sometimes it just got mixed up in her mistakes and the arguments they had that followed them (Mia was positive she was always the one that made the mistakes) like tonight, when she’d mistaken two douchebag guys for people who she might have enjoyed spending time with and well - that had ended up in Nico punching someone in a face and attacking a wall, which hadn’t ended up well for the other guy, the wall, or Nico. She could see the tension in his stance as they stood outside arguing once more, the clench of his jaw, and she lifted her gaze to meet Nico’s, hearing the way he breathed a low breath to calm himself down - though even Mia could see it wasn’t working. But what she wasn’t prepared for was his retort, a barrage of words that even said in anger resounded as compliments, resounded as Nico trying to tell her she was better than that. Mia breathed out slowly too, trying to take it in, trying to understand, but comprehension failed her and she just looked at him, brow puckered in confusion. “Because I’m not.” she looked away, but not before seeing the expression on his face twist as he dropped his hands to his sides, and the petite blonde worried at her lip, watching him with concern in those golden-brown eyes as Nico turned away from her and back again, seeming annoyed by something she couldn’t comprehend - hadn’t yet comprehended. “You think I’m something that I’m not…” she murmured after a pause, still confused. “Your idea of me is better than the person I really am.” she wanted to be that person, she wanted so much to live up to those expectations and that pedestal it seemed he had her on, but ‘bettering herself’ seemed an idea a little too far out of Mia’s reach; she couldn’t even live up to her own standards, never mind Nico’s.

But the frown disappeared from his brow at her quiet comment, and Mia looked up at her friend, his face framed with soft light from the stuttering, fading lamppost nearby, watching him as he spoke and wanting more than anything to pull him into a hug the minute he paused and looked down at his swollen hand. “Mia... I'm not demanding anything... I'd never tell you what to do, or demand you do something. I'm just... I wanna look out for you, I wanna make sure creeps like that don't take advantage of you, and that's what they're out to do.” something twisted inside of her at that, to know he cared that much, and she blinked, looking at the floor. “I’m grateful you wanna look out for me, I really am.” but he spoke again, and her gaze snapped back to him at the suggestion he came up with, her eyes widening a little in shock, a little in a sudden sense of sadness. She brought her hand up to cup his face, brushing her thumb down the line of his cheekbone. “Nico… I’d never use you. You mean more to me than I can put into words, because I’m shit with words. You’re the most amazing person I know. And I know it must fucking seem like it but I…I don’t go home with the guys I meet here, y’know.” if she hadn’t been disinclined to anyway, the constant nightmares and the mornings she’d wake up in a cold sweat or at the beginning of a panic attack would have put a stop to that, she was sure. She kept her hand on his cheek when he spoke again, studying his face and the way his frown became less severe, though her own eyes blew wide in confusion yet again. “You could have your pick of anyone in there, Mia. Anyone! And they should jump for fucking joy that you'd even look in their direction!” the blonde gave Nico a half-smile, shaking her head. “You have no idea how wrong you are…” she let her hand drop away from his face in one fluid motion when she saw the pain making his expression tighten, Mia’s gaze moving to the swollen knuckles too, though she glanced up in time to see him smile and it warmed her inside out to see it. “We could get a cab to hospital, get it checked out?” she suggested at the mention of it being broken, chewing on her lip in thought at his next words. “Or we could get a cab back to my place and we can ice it there? I don’t…really wanna go back in there.” Honestly, she just wanted to make sure he was okay.

[NICOLAS JAMES]

 

IT'S TRUE, I CRAVE YOU There was only so much someone could take in their lives, only so much they could actually withstand before something broke within you. But thanks to Mia, Nico had held on for a lot longer than most had been expecting him to. After all, he wasn't the strongest out of them all, or maybe he was and he just didn't realise it. He had stuck it out with his dad since he was six years old after all, and he'd been fine til now. Not that he was fine with it all, but in a way he was used to it, he was able to tell when his dad was in a bad mood, he was able to tell whenever he was about to take whatever was on his mind out on Nico in whatever way. Of course there were also the rules he had to abide by because he lived in his house. For one, he was required to pay rent and pay for bills, which was something he didn't really mind, he liked helping out around the house seeing as he was old enough to pay his way, but the thing was that Nico had to pay far more than his own father. Just something that Nico had accepted over time. It was something that Nico was now used to and it was something that he never questioned his father over. How could he? If he wanted to get a slap in the face then yeah, that would be the perfect way to do it. But after the last eighteen years, ever since he was six, ever since his mother had left... well, there really was only so much Nico could take. And lately? It seemed as though his father was getting worse. There he was, night after night, drinking himself stupid until he could barely even function. Oh but he could function enough to teach his son a lesson for being out too late the night before, or for having his music on in his room, or for having Mia over, or hell... for not coming home at all. But how could he blame him for not wanting to go home? Not with everything that happened when he was there. His sanctuary was Mia's house, and his anchor was Mia. If it wasn't for her... well, he'd have lost it a long time ago. To be honest, he didn't even care about the fact that most of their time was spent with the pair of them arguing and screaming at one another. It was worth all of that if he could just be around her, just spend time with her and be there for her. He didn't care if the arguments were his fault or her fault, it just didn't matter to him in the long run. The only thing that mattered was that she was there after each argument, even if he was the one apologizing for her, even if it wasn't his place to apologize. If it meant he was able to keep Mia around, then he would do anything that made that happen. She was one of the best things that had happened to him in years and he'd be damned if he was losing that, or losing her. How could he? She was the one thing in his life that he'd actually done right in the last few years and if he could keep going on that path, then maybe he'd be able to deal with everything else in his life. The truth of the matter was that Mia was definitely his anchor to keep him sane with everything else that was going on. If she hadn't been around when things got bad then he wasn't sure he would have been able to deal with it all. Not that he'd ever really told her that or anyone else for that matter, it just so happened that Nico liked to keep that air of mystery about himself and things that went on at home. Why would he ever tell his friends that his dad was the reason he locked himself up in his room sometimes, or that his dad was the one who'd given him that black eye and not some dickhead in a bar. Or what about the time when he was in his teens and he'd broken his arm and told the school and the nurses that he'd been stupid enough to jump from his roof? Yeah, that had also been his dad and he hadn't told a single person, except for Mia, and that's how he wanted to keep it. Mia was his confidant, the one person he actually opened up to and he wanted to keep it that way, even if she shouted and screamed at him just as much as he did her. It was moments like this one that had Nico wondering what the hell had happened to Mia to make her think so little of herself. The only explanation was that something must have happened to her, but Nico wasn't sure what exactly. How she thought that she wasn't worth every single good thing in the world was beyond him. In Nico's eyes Mia was the brightest and best thing to ever have graced his presence and she deserved to be told that every single day, and she deserved to have anything she ever wanted. Just so happened that Nico was ready and willing to be that person for her if she wanted him to be, and if she didn't? Well, he knew when to back off and that was that. ”Because I'm not.” His eyes surveyed hers for a few moments, just trying to find the reasoning for why she'd even think to say something like that. Shaking his head in disbelief, he tried to find the right words to tell her she was wrong, that she was so much better than every other person in that bar and that no other guy in there deserved her, but he was stopped in his tracks when she began again. ”You think I'm something that I'm not... Your idea of me is better than the person I really am.” About to reach out to cup her face, he stopped himself and shoved his good hand into his jeans pocket while the other hung at his side, throbbing ever so slightly. ”Mia... you don't get that your idea of yourself is all wrong. I mean, you look in the mirror and you see something that no one else sees, and I've no idea why that is but... it shouldn't be that way.” Shaking his head, his eyes darted to hers, almost pleading with his words to get her to believe him. ”I know who you are, better than you know yourself, and I know your worth.” His brows knitted together into a tight frown as she looked down at the floor. In that singular moment she seemed so delicate, so utterly helpless and the one thing he wanted more than anything was to pull her into his arms and let her know that he was there for her, that he wasn't going anywhere and that was that. ”I wanna do more than just look out for you, Mia.” At the touch of her hand, he leaned into it ever so slightly, an almost sad sort of grin pulling at his lips in the corners. There was nothing more that he wanted in that moment that to stay there, just like that and do nothing else, just know that she wanted to be there with him and that they needed one another, because in truth... they did, more than they would ever know. His eyes lifted to hers once again, searching them for something as she continued. ”You don't go home with them? Just... you don't have to even deal with any of them. They're not even worth your time. I'm not saying I'm worth your time, I just... Mia, you're the most amazing thing in my life right now. Is it so bad that I want to make sure you don't get fucked over?” Letting out a heavy, almost defeated sigh, he shook his head once more, his eyes once again searching hers. ”No, Mia, you have no idea how wrong you are, and about yourself of all things. I really wish I could just show you how much you mean to me, how fantastic you are, how... you've gotten me through so much, no one else could do that.” As the conversation turned to his hand once more, he glanced down at the swelling and back up to his blonde friend at the mention of her place. ”Yeah. I'd prefer your place.” Reaching out with his good hand, he cupped the side of her face, his thumb stroking her cheek ever so gently as he stared down at her. ”I'm not like any of those other guys in there. I'm not gonna up and leave at any point unless you tell me to fuck off. I'd never hurt you, I'd never put you in any danger, I'd never make you feel anything less than what you are. Just... believe me in that, okay?” Resting his forehead against hers, he finally gave her the tiniest of grins before pulling back. ”Ready to go?” FOR WARPED / MIA

[MIA KINGSLEY]

They talked about Nico’s dad, sometimes; they were never easy conversations to have and Mia knew how difficult it was for Nico to talk about what his dad did to him - how vulnerable it must have made him feel. And coming from a place where she knew exactly what it felt like to be hurt by someone who was supposed to love her, Mia hated Nico’s dad. Loathed him, actually, and she was sure that Nico knew that by now. She’d gotten into the habit of slipping out of Nico’s house in the early hours of the morning whenever she stayed over at his place, knowing what would happen to him if his dad caught them together and hating that she couldn’t stop it from happening. Nowadays, though, the two of them usually just stayed at Mia’s place when they were spending time together; it was an escape from his dad, at least, and god knew Mia was happy to be able to provide that. He’d unknowingly provided an escape for her back when she’d been in her own abusive relationship, after all. But even without it being an act of returning a similar favour, she’d have done it anyway - Nico was the person she trusted above all else, the person she was closest to in the world. And seeing him being hurt day in and day out by his dad made Mia angrier than anything else - at least she’d been able to get out of the abusive relationship she’d been stuck in, with a distinct effort and a trashed place to show for it she’d cut him out of her life, but Nico? It wasn’t a relationship so much as a family bond keeping him with his dad, but his dad seemed to care so little about that that it astounded Mia. And so she hated him, for what he was doing to Nico, for what he was doing to the man she…adored. She probably always would hate him.

With Nico himself, things weren’t that cut and dry. They had their good nights and they had their bad nights, and when things were good they were great - just as when things were bad they tended towards being awful. Mia didn’t know why it was they spent much of their time screaming at one another, although she suspected it was down mostly to the alcohol and Nico’s brashness and her own bluntness, but she definitely preferred the time they spent laughing instead of shouting, dancing or kissing instead of glaring standoffishly. But when it came down to it, Mia could get through all that and more, all the fighting, all the arguments, because spending time with Nico was the thing she looked forward to most in life, he was the person she truly relied on - he’d never let her down, not once. And she’d liked to have thought that she hadn’t let him down either. Because for all that they fought, they’d always made up, and Mia was glad for that because she was more afraid than anything of losing him. She’d learned to take the good with the bad over the years - hell, her previous relationship was a prime example of Mia’s patience with people, that subtle, mostly-hidden naïveté that had her seeing the good in everyone even if there was only the faintest spark of it, and she’d clung on to that relationship at first out of hope and desperation because she’d loved him, she honestly had, and then because she couldn’t get away. Being trapped like that had found her seeking out the tiniest pieces of good she could in the relationship she had - but being around Nico was nothing like that, and the good had always outweighed the bad. On particularly bad days, right after Mia had broken up with him, she’d found herself feeling better just being around Nico, and not long after that she’d realised that most nights he stayed over she avoided the panic attacks, like his presence alone soothed her.

If she was his anchor, there was no doubt he was hers.

She watched him in silence as they stood there outside the club, just wondering what was going through his mind - because tonight had been a good night, tonight it seemed like they’d magnetised on the spot, but that had all been ruined by the two guys she’d danced with beforehand - guys who, by all rights, should have known when to back the hell off. Now Nico had fucked up his hand after punching first one of the guys and secondly a wall, but they weren’t arguing any more - was it progress, that the fighting had stopped almost instantly? Instead they’d moved on to arguing about her, a subject Mia liked talking about a hell of a lot less. There’d been a time, definitely, where she’d been confident in herself, but the sort of slow, painful destruction of her confidence that he’d inflicted on her was not something easily undone. She almost felt bad for Nico - he was standing there trying so hard to fix a problem he didn’t know the root of, and it was a hard enough battle for Mia even knowing what the cause of the problem was. The slim blonde saw the way he stopped himself reaching out for her when she spoke again, and it was tempting to finish the motion for him, tempting to lean up into the soothing warmth of his hand. But she didn’t, watching him with those grey-gold eyes as he spoke once more, his hand moving back to his pocket, the injured one falling to his side. She worried on her bottom lip, studying the soft glow of light that highlighted her friend’s fine features, shaking her head at his words. “Nico…” she started, then paused, catching the expression on his face as their eyes met. “I know who you are, better than you know yourself, and I know your worth.” Mia breathed out, looked at the floor, looked anywhere but at him. “I know you know me better than anyone. And I…I appreciate what you’re saying - but I can’t just change the way I see myself, it’s never that simple. It’s not that easy, you know?”

She reached up, cupping his face with one hand, feeling him lean into it as she studied his gaze once again. “I wanna do more than just look out for you, Mia.” Mia studied her friend’s features again, the sad smile that tugged at the corners of his lips, not quite there, not quite invisible. “What do you want?” she murmured, a half smile of her own flickering onto her features as fast as the solemnity disappeared. Her thumb brushed lightly down his cheek and she watched Nico in relative silence, holding his gaze when his eyes moved to hers when he spoke next. This time the petite blonde couldn’t help but crack the tiniest of smiles when he spoke, looking up at him from under her eyelashes as she shook her head before speaking again. “No…no it’s not.” she conceded quietly. “But you’re so wrong about you not being worth my time - I have no idea where you get that impression from. Have you met you?” the blonde shook her head, curls shifting as she smiled at her friend; huffing out a sigh as he spoke again. “Nico, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I know how much I mean to you, honestly…” she stroked his cheek again with the pad of her thumb and nibbled on her lower lip, dipping her head as Nico affirmed he’d rather go to her place than the hospital. “Okay.” she reached with her free hand to get her phone to dial a cab, glancing up only when she felt the warmth of his hand on her face - meeting his dark gaze again. ”I'm not like any of those other guys in there. I'm not gonna up and leave at any point unless you tell me to fuck off. I'd never hurt you, I'd never put you in any danger, I'd never make you feel anything less than what you are. Just... believe me in that, okay?” Mia breathed out, leaning up as Nico rested his forehead against hers. “I do.” she mumbled. “I believe that.” he pulled back with the smallest of grins in her direction, with a casual question, and Mia leaned up again as he pulled away, standing on tiptoe, her hand staying on his face as she wrapped her free arm around his shoulders and pressed their lips together to kiss him gently, softer than they usually kissed (and maybe that was mostly because they kissed in clubs or in the heat of the moment, not like this) and with her heart racing again in her chest. After a moment she ghosted her thumb across his cheek once more and pulled back, giving him a crooked half-smile and a nod. “Let’s go.”

A cab ride later and she leaned over the seats to pay the fare, scooting out of the back of the cab before flashing Nico a smile and heading up the stairs of the complex to the girls’ shared apartment. Since everyone else was still out in the club they’d left the place was empty, and Mia flicked the lights on before kicking off the heels she’d been wearing and heading over to the freezer. “Bag of peas or actual ice in a towel?” she enquired, glancing over her shoulder at her friend and flashing him a grin.