Fic: Breakfast In Bed (Veritas, Cal/Nikko, PG)
You know, I had this whole emo post typed up about the changes going on in my life and how sad I am to be growing apart from some people and moving on to things that aren't of interest to anyone here, but you know what? Fuck it. For the first time in my life I have put a lot of effort into relationships with people I care about, and I'm not going to feel guilty or like I've failed somehow just because those efforts are rebuffed. I'm way too old to be insecure about things I can't do anything about. I am too old for mixed signals, and I am far too old for feelings of inadequacy.
So instead of worrying about it I am going to entertain myself with fic. Veritas fic, specifically. It's short and it's probably kind of silly, but it's been rattling around in my head for awhile, so what the hell. Most of this was inspired by that one scene in Sangraal from which this icon was taken, but there are a couple vague spoilers for the last episode in the series. Nikko/Calvin, PG, fluff. 2240 words.
The first time he caught Cal reading his Mad magazine stash they were holed up in a hotel in Greenland, waiting out a sudden storm that blew in out of nowhere and held up their quest to recover another lost artifact before Dorna got a hold of it. Nobody was talking about it, but Nikko knew they were all thinking the same thing: they were hoping this artifact was another piece of the puzzle, just like the Wheel of Dharma. Hoping kept them all on pins and needles, and the best way to work off that kind of tension was in the hotel gym.
When he'd come back to the room he was sharing with Calvin and caught him with the magazines, Nikko couldn't help teasing him about reading 'comic books'. Calvin had just scowled and claimed that it was either that or die of boredom before the storm let up, since the weather had knocked out the cable.
It was tempting to suggest the other ways they could occupy themselves, but Nikko kept his mouth shut.
The second time he caught Cal with his magazines they were stuck in Poland, and no matter how much Nikko pestered his father, Solomon refused to let him out of the hotel to check out the night life. Like he was still some high school kid that his dad could push around. But that was the whole problem, as Calvin was glad to point out, because while Nikko was finally eighteen, his father was his boss now, and Nikko still had to do what Solomon said.
So the local night life was out, because they'd spent the weekend being shot at - again - and there was really only one thing left to do. He bullied Calvin into going with him that time, and even though Cal complained the entire time, Nikko was pretty sure the workout did them both good. And he got to see the wiry muscles Calvin usually kept hidden under those ugly clothes of his, so that was something.
After that Nikko spent a lot of time trying to think up ways to get Calvin out of his clothes. He didn't come right out and ask, because while it might be worth it just to see the look on Cal's face, Nikko was pretty sure it wouldn't end the way he wanted it to. Not that he thought about it that much, because he wasn't desperate or anything. But Calvin was a good-looking guy once you got past the geek factor. Plus, he was around all the time, and there weren't a lot of people any of them could say that about in their line of work.
Still, the fact that they tolerated each other didn't mean Calvin actually liked him, and anyway, even if Nikko said "I want you", Cal would probably just think Nikko was trying to embarrass him. He had good reason, since embarrassing Calvin was on Nikko's top five list of ways to kill time. But it wasn't like it was his fault; Calvin made it so easy.
Anyway, he didn't have to hit on Calvin to get his out of his Dork Uniform, because after that first time in the hotel Calvin actually started working out with him. Nikko knew he was in decent shape - they kind of had to be, considering the number of times in a normal month somebody tried to kill them - but it wasn't until Cal showed up in the gym in a wifebeater and a pair of sweats for the first time that Nikko realized just how strong he was.
It made him second-guess all the times he'd insisted he could kick Cal's ass. Then, of course, he spent an hour trying not to think about Cal's ass. And it just went to show that all those meditation techniques Vincent had drilled into him didn't work, but there was no way Nikko was going to tell Vincent that. He couldn't, not without admitting what he'd been trying not to focus on, and he'd sooner step in front of the next gun one of Dorna's goons aimed in his direction than give Vincent something like that to hold over his head.
But even with the distraction he kind of liked working out with Cal, because yeah, they still teased each other and it was still fun to push Cal's buttons, but it was the only time they really talked outside of the job. Granted, they mostly talked about the job, but every once in awhile Calvin forgot who he was hanging out with long enough to admit something personal.
Like the time he almost quit the team.
That took Nikko by surprise, but he didn't push it, because he didn't want to give Calvin a reason to start thinking about it again. He kept thinking about it for a long time afterwards, though, wondering what it would be like without Cal and if Solomon would have hired somebody new to replace him. Some other genius with bad fashion sense and a truly frightening caffeine addiction, maybe, but without Cal's sarcastic charm. Or his truly fantastic ass.
After that Nikko didn't antagonize Cal quite as much. He didn't say anything the next time he caught Cal with his latest copy of Mad - on the jet this time, twelve hours into a sixteen hour flight - and he didn't even point out that he hadn't read it yet. Instead he flipped through an older issue, watching Cal over the top of the magazine when Nikko was sure he wasn't looking. And if Calvin caught him a couple times he didn't say anything; he just let out this little laugh and shook his head, then went right back to reading.
Nikko wasn't sure what that meant, but he decided to take it as a good sign. He took it as permission to keep looking, too, and Calvin didn't say anything about that either. He didn't say much to Nikko for that entire mission, but every time Nikko looked at him Cal was looking right back, a cute, confused expression on his face and yeah, that was definitely a good sign.
Nobody died that mission, but they came pretty close - as usual - and they were all pretty glad to see New York again. If the trip home was a little quieter than usual Nikko just chalked it up to stress over yet another narrow escape, and he spent most of the flight asleep with his headphones on.
But Calvin was still quiet after they got back, and even though he showed up for their workouts, he didn't say much. Nikko told himself it didn't matter, that he didn't really care what Cal thought of him. He didn't; he was just amusing himself by flirting with Cal, because they'd been busy playing catch-up with the whole End of Days thing and flirting with Juliet had gotten old over a year ago.
That didn't explain the way his stomach twisted whenever Calvin walked into a room and didn't look at him, though, and by the time he finally admitted that he did care, he wasn't sure what to do about it. Because he was acting like he always did and Cal had clammed right up, and if he wasn't going to respond to Nikko's usual jabs then Nikko wasn't sure what to do.
Cornering Cal hadn't really been part of the plan. Not that Nikko had a plan, really, but it had been a couple weeks and he was starting to get a little desperate. So he didn't really think before he followed Cal back to his room after a particularly quiet workout, and he didn't think before he reached out and closed his hand around the doorknob when Cal tried to open his door.
"What are you doing?" Calvin asked, voice low and he wasn't turning around but Nikko didn't have to see him to know this was probably a bad idea.
"I just want to know what your problem is," Nikko said, trying hard not to sound like he was accusing Cal of anything. He knew Calvin still thought of him as Solomon's bratty kid, but he'd grown up a lot in the last couple years and it was time somebody gave him some credit for it. "I thought we were friends."
There went that laugh again, the same one he'd heard on the plane when Calvin had first caught him staring. And he didn't know what it meant, but when Cal finally turned around to look at him Nikko decided it couldn't be good.
"You're my problem," Calvin said, and okay, that hurt. "For awhile I thought you were starting to be an actual human, but I guess the joke's on me. I should have known you couldn't resist."
"Resist what?" Nikko asked, still leaning into Cal's personal space but he didn't care anymore. He was being accused of….well, something, and as far as he knew he didn't deserve it. Because okay, maybe Calvin didn't swing that way, but he didn't have to be a jerk about it. "What the hell did I do? You're the one who's been acting like a total jerk."
"Newsflash, okay? You're not as irresistible as you think you are. Just because you've managed to stay alive this long and your father signs my paychecks doesn't mean I'm just going to roll over."
And that he wasn't expecting, because he'd figured they'd gotten past the whole 'my dad's your boss' thing awhile ago. Especially since Solomon was Nikko's boss too, and if anybody was going to get in trouble over this, it was Nikko.
But he didn't say that. Instead he said, "Jesus, give me some credit," and then, "I'm not going to try to get you fired just because you're not interested. Even if I was that lame, we both know it wouldn't work."
He let go of the doorknob and straightened up, backing out of Calvin's personal space and, he figured, any part of his life that wasn't strictly professional. Which sucked, but he'd bounce back. Because Cal was pretty hot, but he wasn't Nikko's only prospect.
Well. Okay, maybe he was the only prospect at the moment, but that was just because Nikko had been busy focusing on the job. As soon as they saved the world he was planning to get right back in the game.
"Wait a second," Calvin said, a hand closing around his arm and suddenly Nikko wasn't going anywhere. He ignored the wave of relief that hit him, told himself it was possible - probable - that Calvin was just stopping him so he could yell some more. "You mean you haven't been making fun of me?"
He was tempted to make a joke out of it, to tell Calvin that it was hard not to make fun of him when he insisted on making it so easy. Especially when he was wearing that shirt. But Calvin was looking at him like whatever Nikko said next was really important, and while he didn't have as much experience as he pretended, he had enough to know what that look meant.
"No," he said instead. "At first I figured you were clueless, then I figured you just weren't interested."
He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say until Calvin grinned - for the first time in a week - and shook his head, suddenly closer than he'd been a second ago and Nikko's stomach did that thing it did every time Calvin walked into the gym. "This is a really bad idea."
And it was, because for one thing, Nikko's dad was their boss. Plus, there was the whole almost getting killed thing, and the fact that they spent almost all their time together. So if things didn't work out…but Nikko had always been an optimist, at least where his love life was concerned. So instead of answering he reached out and grabbed the front of Cal's hideous shirt, making a mental note to burn it as soon as he got Calvin out of it.
Then Calvin kissed him and he decided the sacrificial burning of Cal's entire wardrobe could wait awhile.
~
The fourth time Nikko caught Calvin with his magazine didn't really count, since Calvin was delivering it instead of reading it. Actually, he rolled it up and hit Nikko square in the center of his back with it, but Nikko was a pretty heavy sleeper, so it took a couple tries before he even noticed.
When he did he made a token protest and grabbed the magazine, smoothing it out and grumbling about the sanctity of graphic art and not trashing the latest issue before he'd had a chance to read it. Calvin laughed at him, but Nikko was used to that by now. And he was the one who'd gone out and found a newsstand in the middle of…wherever they were this week that actually carried Mad, then stopped to pick up bagels and coffee on his way back to their hotel room. So it was hard to stay mad, especially when Calvin climbed back into bed with him and kissed him before Nikko had even gotten up to brush his teeth.
It probably wasn't what Solomon had in mind when he'd sent them on a mission together, but there was no rule saying they couldn't enjoy themselves while they were saving the world. Nikko would know, after all. He'd looked.
So instead of worrying about it I am going to entertain myself with fic. Veritas fic, specifically. It's short and it's probably kind of silly, but it's been rattling around in my head for awhile, so what the hell. Most of this was inspired by that one scene in Sangraal from which this icon was taken, but there are a couple vague spoilers for the last episode in the series. Nikko/Calvin, PG, fluff. 2240 words.
The first time he caught Cal reading his Mad magazine stash they were holed up in a hotel in Greenland, waiting out a sudden storm that blew in out of nowhere and held up their quest to recover another lost artifact before Dorna got a hold of it. Nobody was talking about it, but Nikko knew they were all thinking the same thing: they were hoping this artifact was another piece of the puzzle, just like the Wheel of Dharma. Hoping kept them all on pins and needles, and the best way to work off that kind of tension was in the hotel gym.
When he'd come back to the room he was sharing with Calvin and caught him with the magazines, Nikko couldn't help teasing him about reading 'comic books'. Calvin had just scowled and claimed that it was either that or die of boredom before the storm let up, since the weather had knocked out the cable.
It was tempting to suggest the other ways they could occupy themselves, but Nikko kept his mouth shut.
The second time he caught Cal with his magazines they were stuck in Poland, and no matter how much Nikko pestered his father, Solomon refused to let him out of the hotel to check out the night life. Like he was still some high school kid that his dad could push around. But that was the whole problem, as Calvin was glad to point out, because while Nikko was finally eighteen, his father was his boss now, and Nikko still had to do what Solomon said.
So the local night life was out, because they'd spent the weekend being shot at - again - and there was really only one thing left to do. He bullied Calvin into going with him that time, and even though Cal complained the entire time, Nikko was pretty sure the workout did them both good. And he got to see the wiry muscles Calvin usually kept hidden under those ugly clothes of his, so that was something.
After that Nikko spent a lot of time trying to think up ways to get Calvin out of his clothes. He didn't come right out and ask, because while it might be worth it just to see the look on Cal's face, Nikko was pretty sure it wouldn't end the way he wanted it to. Not that he thought about it that much, because he wasn't desperate or anything. But Calvin was a good-looking guy once you got past the geek factor. Plus, he was around all the time, and there weren't a lot of people any of them could say that about in their line of work.
Still, the fact that they tolerated each other didn't mean Calvin actually liked him, and anyway, even if Nikko said "I want you", Cal would probably just think Nikko was trying to embarrass him. He had good reason, since embarrassing Calvin was on Nikko's top five list of ways to kill time. But it wasn't like it was his fault; Calvin made it so easy.
Anyway, he didn't have to hit on Calvin to get his out of his Dork Uniform, because after that first time in the hotel Calvin actually started working out with him. Nikko knew he was in decent shape - they kind of had to be, considering the number of times in a normal month somebody tried to kill them - but it wasn't until Cal showed up in the gym in a wifebeater and a pair of sweats for the first time that Nikko realized just how strong he was.
It made him second-guess all the times he'd insisted he could kick Cal's ass. Then, of course, he spent an hour trying not to think about Cal's ass. And it just went to show that all those meditation techniques Vincent had drilled into him didn't work, but there was no way Nikko was going to tell Vincent that. He couldn't, not without admitting what he'd been trying not to focus on, and he'd sooner step in front of the next gun one of Dorna's goons aimed in his direction than give Vincent something like that to hold over his head.
But even with the distraction he kind of liked working out with Cal, because yeah, they still teased each other and it was still fun to push Cal's buttons, but it was the only time they really talked outside of the job. Granted, they mostly talked about the job, but every once in awhile Calvin forgot who he was hanging out with long enough to admit something personal.
Like the time he almost quit the team.
That took Nikko by surprise, but he didn't push it, because he didn't want to give Calvin a reason to start thinking about it again. He kept thinking about it for a long time afterwards, though, wondering what it would be like without Cal and if Solomon would have hired somebody new to replace him. Some other genius with bad fashion sense and a truly frightening caffeine addiction, maybe, but without Cal's sarcastic charm. Or his truly fantastic ass.
After that Nikko didn't antagonize Cal quite as much. He didn't say anything the next time he caught Cal with his latest copy of Mad - on the jet this time, twelve hours into a sixteen hour flight - and he didn't even point out that he hadn't read it yet. Instead he flipped through an older issue, watching Cal over the top of the magazine when Nikko was sure he wasn't looking. And if Calvin caught him a couple times he didn't say anything; he just let out this little laugh and shook his head, then went right back to reading.
Nikko wasn't sure what that meant, but he decided to take it as a good sign. He took it as permission to keep looking, too, and Calvin didn't say anything about that either. He didn't say much to Nikko for that entire mission, but every time Nikko looked at him Cal was looking right back, a cute, confused expression on his face and yeah, that was definitely a good sign.
Nobody died that mission, but they came pretty close - as usual - and they were all pretty glad to see New York again. If the trip home was a little quieter than usual Nikko just chalked it up to stress over yet another narrow escape, and he spent most of the flight asleep with his headphones on.
But Calvin was still quiet after they got back, and even though he showed up for their workouts, he didn't say much. Nikko told himself it didn't matter, that he didn't really care what Cal thought of him. He didn't; he was just amusing himself by flirting with Cal, because they'd been busy playing catch-up with the whole End of Days thing and flirting with Juliet had gotten old over a year ago.
That didn't explain the way his stomach twisted whenever Calvin walked into a room and didn't look at him, though, and by the time he finally admitted that he did care, he wasn't sure what to do about it. Because he was acting like he always did and Cal had clammed right up, and if he wasn't going to respond to Nikko's usual jabs then Nikko wasn't sure what to do.
Cornering Cal hadn't really been part of the plan. Not that Nikko had a plan, really, but it had been a couple weeks and he was starting to get a little desperate. So he didn't really think before he followed Cal back to his room after a particularly quiet workout, and he didn't think before he reached out and closed his hand around the doorknob when Cal tried to open his door.
"What are you doing?" Calvin asked, voice low and he wasn't turning around but Nikko didn't have to see him to know this was probably a bad idea.
"I just want to know what your problem is," Nikko said, trying hard not to sound like he was accusing Cal of anything. He knew Calvin still thought of him as Solomon's bratty kid, but he'd grown up a lot in the last couple years and it was time somebody gave him some credit for it. "I thought we were friends."
There went that laugh again, the same one he'd heard on the plane when Calvin had first caught him staring. And he didn't know what it meant, but when Cal finally turned around to look at him Nikko decided it couldn't be good.
"You're my problem," Calvin said, and okay, that hurt. "For awhile I thought you were starting to be an actual human, but I guess the joke's on me. I should have known you couldn't resist."
"Resist what?" Nikko asked, still leaning into Cal's personal space but he didn't care anymore. He was being accused of….well, something, and as far as he knew he didn't deserve it. Because okay, maybe Calvin didn't swing that way, but he didn't have to be a jerk about it. "What the hell did I do? You're the one who's been acting like a total jerk."
"Newsflash, okay? You're not as irresistible as you think you are. Just because you've managed to stay alive this long and your father signs my paychecks doesn't mean I'm just going to roll over."
And that he wasn't expecting, because he'd figured they'd gotten past the whole 'my dad's your boss' thing awhile ago. Especially since Solomon was Nikko's boss too, and if anybody was going to get in trouble over this, it was Nikko.
But he didn't say that. Instead he said, "Jesus, give me some credit," and then, "I'm not going to try to get you fired just because you're not interested. Even if I was that lame, we both know it wouldn't work."
He let go of the doorknob and straightened up, backing out of Calvin's personal space and, he figured, any part of his life that wasn't strictly professional. Which sucked, but he'd bounce back. Because Cal was pretty hot, but he wasn't Nikko's only prospect.
Well. Okay, maybe he was the only prospect at the moment, but that was just because Nikko had been busy focusing on the job. As soon as they saved the world he was planning to get right back in the game.
"Wait a second," Calvin said, a hand closing around his arm and suddenly Nikko wasn't going anywhere. He ignored the wave of relief that hit him, told himself it was possible - probable - that Calvin was just stopping him so he could yell some more. "You mean you haven't been making fun of me?"
He was tempted to make a joke out of it, to tell Calvin that it was hard not to make fun of him when he insisted on making it so easy. Especially when he was wearing that shirt. But Calvin was looking at him like whatever Nikko said next was really important, and while he didn't have as much experience as he pretended, he had enough to know what that look meant.
"No," he said instead. "At first I figured you were clueless, then I figured you just weren't interested."
He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say until Calvin grinned - for the first time in a week - and shook his head, suddenly closer than he'd been a second ago and Nikko's stomach did that thing it did every time Calvin walked into the gym. "This is a really bad idea."
And it was, because for one thing, Nikko's dad was their boss. Plus, there was the whole almost getting killed thing, and the fact that they spent almost all their time together. So if things didn't work out…but Nikko had always been an optimist, at least where his love life was concerned. So instead of answering he reached out and grabbed the front of Cal's hideous shirt, making a mental note to burn it as soon as he got Calvin out of it.
Then Calvin kissed him and he decided the sacrificial burning of Cal's entire wardrobe could wait awhile.
~
The fourth time Nikko caught Calvin with his magazine didn't really count, since Calvin was delivering it instead of reading it. Actually, he rolled it up and hit Nikko square in the center of his back with it, but Nikko was a pretty heavy sleeper, so it took a couple tries before he even noticed.
When he did he made a token protest and grabbed the magazine, smoothing it out and grumbling about the sanctity of graphic art and not trashing the latest issue before he'd had a chance to read it. Calvin laughed at him, but Nikko was used to that by now. And he was the one who'd gone out and found a newsstand in the middle of…wherever they were this week that actually carried Mad, then stopped to pick up bagels and coffee on his way back to their hotel room. So it was hard to stay mad, especially when Calvin climbed back into bed with him and kissed him before Nikko had even gotten up to brush his teeth.
It probably wasn't what Solomon had in mind when he'd sent them on a mission together, but there was no rule saying they couldn't enjoy themselves while they were saving the world. Nikko would know, after all. He'd looked.