[flashfic] Runaways
Fandom: Runaways
Characters: Nico Minoru, Karolina Dean
Words: 740
Notes: Nemi says: "Okay that was fluff. You wrote...like 99.5% fluff." She's mostly right. =D
“What’s that smile for?”
Nico shrugged but felt her smile widen as she watched Karolina coast in for a landing, feet stretched towards the desert earth, arms spread wide, and light billowing off her in waves-or something like that. Nico could never quite find the words to describe Karolina. The blonde had always been a pretty girl, tall and lean, but the rainbow sheen of her skin, the brightness of her glow, sometimes took Nico’s breath away.
Sometimes Nico was a little jealous of her friend.
The erstwhile leader made a vague gesture toward the alien. “Just the expression on your face, K.”
“Me?” Karolina asked, sincere surprise in her voice. But Karolina couldn’t see herself, couldn’t see the silly grin that stretched her lips when she swooped and dipped effortlessly through the sky or the way her eyes went slightly half-lidded when she turned her face towards the sun.
“Yeah, you look so happy when you’re up there.” Nico pointed up at the sky.
Karolina followed her finger and her grin softened into a deeper, introspective smile. “Yeah, it feels great to just get out and fly. There’s not a lot of space to fly back at the hideout and forget about trying to fly around L.A. without someone seeing me.” She spread her arms as if she could embrace the horizon and the sun and the clouds. “Coming out to the desert was a great idea, Nico.” She turned her smile on Nico. “Thanks.”
Nico smiled back. “No problem.”
They fell silent. Nico folded her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. “You didn’t ask Xavin to come with us?”
Karolina didn’t reply immediately, her gaze continuing to scan the sky. Then she shook her head slightly. “It’s alright. We’ve spent so much time together since meeting each other that…” she turned her head to catch Nico’s eye, “it feels kind of good to just get out and stretch my legs, y’know? Without having to worry about anything, I mean.”
“Yeah. Yeah, totally.” Nico smiled to hide the sudden pang of jealousy she felt. When Karolina left, she never imagined that her friend might be happy with her out-of-nowhere fiancé. But Karolina seemed happy. Most of the time.
And Nico was totally not jealous of the fact that Karolina had someone and she didn’t. Not really. Maybe. She wasn’t sure what she and Victor were, yet. If they were anything at all.
“What’s it like? Flying?” Nico asked to cover up her awkwardness.
Karolina held her hands up to study the light show patterns playing across her skin. “Like… like everything you imagine it would be like when you’re a kid. Just… amazing.” Her hands clenched into fists. “Sometimes I think that if it weren’t for being able to fly, I… back then…” but she couldn’t finish. Nico got to her feet and went to her friend then, putting a comforting hand on one arm. Karolina started and then smiled back with the same eyes that had always put Nico at ease, quietly boosting her confidence.
“You know,” Nico said, pressing one hand over her heart, “sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I could fly. Maybe I should....”
Karolina’s expression changed, blanking for a moment before breaking out into a wide smile. Suddenly she was behind Nico, her arms slipping familiarly around Nico and lifting her up into the air.
“Hey…!” Nico began, startled.
Karolina’s laughter answered her. “Save that spell for another day-like when we need it!” Then, lower, “You should have said something sooner, Nico. I wouldn’t have left you grounded like that.”
Nico tried to turn her head to look at Karolina, but her hair whipped into her face. After a moment, she settled for covering one of Karolina’s hands with her own.
“I know you wouldn’t, K.”
Then she looked down and gasped, glimpsing the desert spread out before her, quiet and still, so unlike the city, lightening under the gentle radiance of the setting sun-and quickly becoming smaller and smaller beneath her. Karolina was taking her higher than she ever had before.
“It’s okay, Nico,” Karolina murmured in her ear, “I’ve got you.”
Nico closed her eyes for a dizzying moment and then opened her eyes again, gazing up at the clouds. She slowly spread her arms and smiled into the wind, weightless, carefree.
Flying.
Karolina had her. It would be okay.
Characters: Nico Minoru, Karolina Dean
Words: 740
Notes: Nemi says: "Okay that was fluff. You wrote...like 99.5% fluff." She's mostly right. =D
“What’s that smile for?”
Nico shrugged but felt her smile widen as she watched Karolina coast in for a landing, feet stretched towards the desert earth, arms spread wide, and light billowing off her in waves-or something like that. Nico could never quite find the words to describe Karolina. The blonde had always been a pretty girl, tall and lean, but the rainbow sheen of her skin, the brightness of her glow, sometimes took Nico’s breath away.
Sometimes Nico was a little jealous of her friend.
The erstwhile leader made a vague gesture toward the alien. “Just the expression on your face, K.”
“Me?” Karolina asked, sincere surprise in her voice. But Karolina couldn’t see herself, couldn’t see the silly grin that stretched her lips when she swooped and dipped effortlessly through the sky or the way her eyes went slightly half-lidded when she turned her face towards the sun.
“Yeah, you look so happy when you’re up there.” Nico pointed up at the sky.
Karolina followed her finger and her grin softened into a deeper, introspective smile. “Yeah, it feels great to just get out and fly. There’s not a lot of space to fly back at the hideout and forget about trying to fly around L.A. without someone seeing me.” She spread her arms as if she could embrace the horizon and the sun and the clouds. “Coming out to the desert was a great idea, Nico.” She turned her smile on Nico. “Thanks.”
Nico smiled back. “No problem.”
They fell silent. Nico folded her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. “You didn’t ask Xavin to come with us?”
Karolina didn’t reply immediately, her gaze continuing to scan the sky. Then she shook her head slightly. “It’s alright. We’ve spent so much time together since meeting each other that…” she turned her head to catch Nico’s eye, “it feels kind of good to just get out and stretch my legs, y’know? Without having to worry about anything, I mean.”
“Yeah. Yeah, totally.” Nico smiled to hide the sudden pang of jealousy she felt. When Karolina left, she never imagined that her friend might be happy with her out-of-nowhere fiancé. But Karolina seemed happy. Most of the time.
And Nico was totally not jealous of the fact that Karolina had someone and she didn’t. Not really. Maybe. She wasn’t sure what she and Victor were, yet. If they were anything at all.
“What’s it like? Flying?” Nico asked to cover up her awkwardness.
Karolina held her hands up to study the light show patterns playing across her skin. “Like… like everything you imagine it would be like when you’re a kid. Just… amazing.” Her hands clenched into fists. “Sometimes I think that if it weren’t for being able to fly, I… back then…” but she couldn’t finish. Nico got to her feet and went to her friend then, putting a comforting hand on one arm. Karolina started and then smiled back with the same eyes that had always put Nico at ease, quietly boosting her confidence.
“You know,” Nico said, pressing one hand over her heart, “sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I could fly. Maybe I should....”
Karolina’s expression changed, blanking for a moment before breaking out into a wide smile. Suddenly she was behind Nico, her arms slipping familiarly around Nico and lifting her up into the air.
“Hey…!” Nico began, startled.
Karolina’s laughter answered her. “Save that spell for another day-like when we need it!” Then, lower, “You should have said something sooner, Nico. I wouldn’t have left you grounded like that.”
Nico tried to turn her head to look at Karolina, but her hair whipped into her face. After a moment, she settled for covering one of Karolina’s hands with her own.
“I know you wouldn’t, K.”
Then she looked down and gasped, glimpsing the desert spread out before her, quiet and still, so unlike the city, lightening under the gentle radiance of the setting sun-and quickly becoming smaller and smaller beneath her. Karolina was taking her higher than she ever had before.
“It’s okay, Nico,” Karolina murmured in her ear, “I’ve got you.”
Nico closed her eyes for a dizzying moment and then opened her eyes again, gazing up at the clouds. She slowly spread her arms and smiled into the wind, weightless, carefree.
Flying.
Karolina had her. It would be okay.