SNAP: Chapter 2
Title: SNAP
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Push
Pairing: Nick/Cassie; Nick/Kira
Rating: R
Word Count: 1,633
Previous Chapters
SNAP
Chapter 2
-Melbourne, Australia-
Nick stood up from the bench, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans as Kira exited the small boutique. He flashed her a warm smile as she approached and stepped back as an elderly couple walked past.
“Hungry?” she asked as she approached, discreetly tucking the roll of bills into her purse. She ducked her head, her dark hair shining in the afternoon sunlight.
“Famished,” he agreed, teasing. He reached for her hand, pulling her along with him. “Everything go OK?”
“Sure,” Kira said easily, slanting her eyes over at him. “Why wouldn’t it?”
He shrugged. “Just wonderin’.”
Since they had moved to Australia three years earlier, Kira had been selling jewelry she made. About eighteen months ago a shop in Melbourne requested exclusive pieces, and that had quickly turned into a nice money making deal for them. Kira only traveled once a month to Melbourne from their home in Bells Beach and brought the new pieces to the store.
Nick glanced at her, taking note of how quiet she was. He slowed them to a stop. “What’s up?”
Kira blinked up at him, frowning. “What?”
He smiled again, gently. “You’re acting weird. Have been since I got home this morning. What’s going on?”
She shrugged, looking down the street. “Nothing, really. Cassie called.”
His eyes widened and he reached in his pocket for his cell phone. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?” He opened his phone and checked for messages.
“I talked to her for a little while,” Kira explained dismissively.
He looked up at her, his blue eyes dazzling in the bright light. “Yeah? How’d she sound?” A small smile played on his lips, and Kira instantly recognized it as the smile he got when he talked about Cassie.
Cassie Holmes.
Nick had only known the girl, then barely thirteen years old, for a matter of months, but he still felt every bit as protective of her as he had when they first met. He hadn’t had much of a family growing up. His mom split when he was a baby, and Carver had killed his father when he was eleven… After that he had perfected his human impersonation of a pinball, bouncing from one foster family to the next until he landed out on his ass at age eighteen.
Cassie had brought out something in him he didn’t realize he had buried, something he didn’t realize he had wanted. The petite girl had driven him crazy one minute and brought out every big brother instinct possible the next. She provided that sense of family he had been craving.
Kira rubbed her forehead, trying to mask her annoyance as Nick scrolled through his phone’s call history. She sighed, watching as he frowned, knowing he would be pissed.
“She called over six hours ago,” he said sharply, his gaze flicking up to meet hers.
“I said I forgot,” Kira retorted, defensive. She crossed her arms under her chest and shook her bangs out of her eyes.
“Yeah, but six hours? Why didn’t you tell me when I got-”
“I forgot!” she snapped, her eyes flashing. “Jesus, Nick. It wasn’t that big of a deal.”
His expression hardened. “Did she say it wasn’t a big deal?”
“Yeah,” Kira muttered. “Something about she’s living in New York now, and she just wanted to say hi.”
His face smoothed out, and that smile slowly started to play on his lips again. “New York, huh? She setting up another house?”
Kira shrugged. “Didn’t say.”
“You didn’t ask?”
“Nick,” Kira started, her tone level and cool, “Cassie and I have never been best buddies. She called to talk to you. Not me.”
“I should call her back,” Nick said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully.
“It’s nearly two in the morning in New York,” Kira pointed out, adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder. She wiped her palms on her faded jeans. “You’d just wake her up.”
He nodded, but he wasn’t happy as he slid his cell phone back into his pocket. “I guess you’re right.”
“Call her later,” Kira urged with a nonchalant shrug.
“Yeah, I will,” he replied, but his look was still distant. A muscle worked in his jaw, the same one that always jumped when he was deep in thought.
She sighed again, quietly. “What is it now?”
Nick looked over at her, suddenly smiling once more. “Coney Island’s in New York.”
Kira stiffened, seeing where this was going. “Last time I checked it still was.”
“And we haven’t been to the states in over eight years,” he added for good measure. “Why not take a trip back home?”
“Bells Beach is home,” she replied softly, uneasy.
He rolled his eyes and looked up at the sky. “I know, Kira, but it’d be fun to go back to the States. We can go to Coney Island again … We could use a vacation.”
She snorted, but couldn’t help grinning at him. “Every day is a vacation for you, surfer boy.” She reached up and ruffled the sun bleached hair on top of his head.
He grinned at her unabashedly. “Yeah, but it could be fun to see what Cassie’s doing with the kids stateside. I mean, from what she’s told me, it’s a big deal.”
Kira blinked once and then shrugged with one shoulder. “OK.”
His teeth flashed in the sun, even and white. “Really?”
“Sure. Why not?” She smiled back at him, indulgent.
Nick grabbed her by the waist, pulling her flush against his body. He pressed a kiss into the side of her neck, his fingers skimming the bronzed skin he found beneath the hem of her white cotton peasant top. He leaned back and looked down at her. “I’ll call and make the arrangements today.”
Kira laughed, throwing her head back. “OK. I just need to a run a few errands. Meet you at the diner down the street in an hour?”
“I can come with you…”
She laid a hand gently on his shoulder, stepping out of his embrace. “No, it’s fine. Just some girl stuff errands. I’ll meet you in a bit.”
“OK,” he agreed easily, kissing her quickly on the lips before turning to head down the street. The sun catching the blond highlights in his hair as he went.
Kira sighed, watching him go. Maybe a trip to New York was what they both needed.
-New York City, New York-
“Move!” Cassie ordered, shouldering her way between two teenage girls as she raced down the hallway. They complied, eyes wide and wondering as she hurried by them. She hit the steps at a run, her feet slapping down on each one as she went.
She rounded the corner, slamming into a hard body.
Kane reached out, steadying her. “Whoa, Cass. What’s wrong?”
She tried to step around him, annoyed when he stayed in front of her. “Move, Kane, I have to stop-”
The wall exploded behind them in a shower of plaster and dry wall fragments as a television was hurled through it. Kane instinctively shoved Cassie back against the wall, shielding her body with his. They both started coughing as the dust cloud flared up and then began to settle around them.
Kane turned, looking dumbstruck at the gaping hole in the second-floor wall. “What the hell was that?”
Cassie sighed, rubbing her forehead. “I was trying to stop that.”
Brayden, a third generation Mover that Kane had found last week, emerged from the hole. His emerald eyes were wide behind the wire-rimmed glasses shoved high on the bridge of his nose, his curly auburn hair sticking up in various directions. He looked at Cassie and Kane, his cheeks stained crimson.
“I am so sorry,” he started weakly.
Cassie shook her head as Kane approached the fifteen-year-old. She leaned against the opposite wall, watching as other kids in the house came from all directions to see what the commotion was about. She brushed some debris from the shoulder of her purple t-shirt.
“What happened?” Kane kept his voice calm and even as he surveyed the damage.
Brayden ducked his head. “I was just practicing. You know, the way you told me I should? To help control my power?”
“I’m pretty sure I never mentioned throwing a TV through the wall,” Kane said mildly, lifting a large piece of drywall from the floor. Several others laughed at his statement.
Cassie watched, a smile playing on her lips as Kane interacted with Brayden. Kane was good with the younger kids, patient and understanding. He was a first generation Reader-a telepath. His ability to read the minds of the kids around them led to an understanding of them by default.
“I’m so sorry, Kane. It was an accident. I misjudged the weight of the TV and-”
“Just … fix the hole,” Kane said, turning away so Brayden wouldn’t see him smiling.
“Fix the hole?” Brayden repeated slowly, his gaze wide and owlish behind his glasses.
Kane glanced over his shoulder at the boy, his blue eyes shining. “Yeah. Unless you want to live in a room with a big hole in the side of it. Your choice.”
Cassie smiled broadly as Kane approached. “I saw what he was going to do and tried to stop it.”
Kane nodded. “Yeah, well, he’s a kid. Mistakes happen.” His expression sobered and he reached out, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
“How’s your head?”
“Still hurts,” Cassie admitted, rubbing her temples.
He lowered his hand to her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Go get some more sleep. I can hold down the fort.”
She smiled, grateful, and nodded with a yawn. She covered her mouth with a hand, embarrassed. “I think I will. Thanks, Kane.”
“Anytime.”
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Push
Pairing: Nick/Cassie; Nick/Kira
Rating: R
Word Count: 1,633
Previous Chapters
SNAP
Chapter 2
-Melbourne, Australia-
Nick stood up from the bench, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans as Kira exited the small boutique. He flashed her a warm smile as she approached and stepped back as an elderly couple walked past.
“Hungry?” she asked as she approached, discreetly tucking the roll of bills into her purse. She ducked her head, her dark hair shining in the afternoon sunlight.
“Famished,” he agreed, teasing. He reached for her hand, pulling her along with him. “Everything go OK?”
“Sure,” Kira said easily, slanting her eyes over at him. “Why wouldn’t it?”
He shrugged. “Just wonderin’.”
Since they had moved to Australia three years earlier, Kira had been selling jewelry she made. About eighteen months ago a shop in Melbourne requested exclusive pieces, and that had quickly turned into a nice money making deal for them. Kira only traveled once a month to Melbourne from their home in Bells Beach and brought the new pieces to the store.
Nick glanced at her, taking note of how quiet she was. He slowed them to a stop. “What’s up?”
Kira blinked up at him, frowning. “What?”
He smiled again, gently. “You’re acting weird. Have been since I got home this morning. What’s going on?”
She shrugged, looking down the street. “Nothing, really. Cassie called.”
His eyes widened and he reached in his pocket for his cell phone. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?” He opened his phone and checked for messages.
“I talked to her for a little while,” Kira explained dismissively.
He looked up at her, his blue eyes dazzling in the bright light. “Yeah? How’d she sound?” A small smile played on his lips, and Kira instantly recognized it as the smile he got when he talked about Cassie.
Cassie Holmes.
Nick had only known the girl, then barely thirteen years old, for a matter of months, but he still felt every bit as protective of her as he had when they first met. He hadn’t had much of a family growing up. His mom split when he was a baby, and Carver had killed his father when he was eleven… After that he had perfected his human impersonation of a pinball, bouncing from one foster family to the next until he landed out on his ass at age eighteen.
Cassie had brought out something in him he didn’t realize he had buried, something he didn’t realize he had wanted. The petite girl had driven him crazy one minute and brought out every big brother instinct possible the next. She provided that sense of family he had been craving.
Kira rubbed her forehead, trying to mask her annoyance as Nick scrolled through his phone’s call history. She sighed, watching as he frowned, knowing he would be pissed.
“She called over six hours ago,” he said sharply, his gaze flicking up to meet hers.
“I said I forgot,” Kira retorted, defensive. She crossed her arms under her chest and shook her bangs out of her eyes.
“Yeah, but six hours? Why didn’t you tell me when I got-”
“I forgot!” she snapped, her eyes flashing. “Jesus, Nick. It wasn’t that big of a deal.”
His expression hardened. “Did she say it wasn’t a big deal?”
“Yeah,” Kira muttered. “Something about she’s living in New York now, and she just wanted to say hi.”
His face smoothed out, and that smile slowly started to play on his lips again. “New York, huh? She setting up another house?”
Kira shrugged. “Didn’t say.”
“You didn’t ask?”
“Nick,” Kira started, her tone level and cool, “Cassie and I have never been best buddies. She called to talk to you. Not me.”
“I should call her back,” Nick said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully.
“It’s nearly two in the morning in New York,” Kira pointed out, adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder. She wiped her palms on her faded jeans. “You’d just wake her up.”
He nodded, but he wasn’t happy as he slid his cell phone back into his pocket. “I guess you’re right.”
“Call her later,” Kira urged with a nonchalant shrug.
“Yeah, I will,” he replied, but his look was still distant. A muscle worked in his jaw, the same one that always jumped when he was deep in thought.
She sighed again, quietly. “What is it now?”
Nick looked over at her, suddenly smiling once more. “Coney Island’s in New York.”
Kira stiffened, seeing where this was going. “Last time I checked it still was.”
“And we haven’t been to the states in over eight years,” he added for good measure. “Why not take a trip back home?”
“Bells Beach is home,” she replied softly, uneasy.
He rolled his eyes and looked up at the sky. “I know, Kira, but it’d be fun to go back to the States. We can go to Coney Island again … We could use a vacation.”
She snorted, but couldn’t help grinning at him. “Every day is a vacation for you, surfer boy.” She reached up and ruffled the sun bleached hair on top of his head.
He grinned at her unabashedly. “Yeah, but it could be fun to see what Cassie’s doing with the kids stateside. I mean, from what she’s told me, it’s a big deal.”
Kira blinked once and then shrugged with one shoulder. “OK.”
His teeth flashed in the sun, even and white. “Really?”
“Sure. Why not?” She smiled back at him, indulgent.
Nick grabbed her by the waist, pulling her flush against his body. He pressed a kiss into the side of her neck, his fingers skimming the bronzed skin he found beneath the hem of her white cotton peasant top. He leaned back and looked down at her. “I’ll call and make the arrangements today.”
Kira laughed, throwing her head back. “OK. I just need to a run a few errands. Meet you at the diner down the street in an hour?”
“I can come with you…”
She laid a hand gently on his shoulder, stepping out of his embrace. “No, it’s fine. Just some girl stuff errands. I’ll meet you in a bit.”
“OK,” he agreed easily, kissing her quickly on the lips before turning to head down the street. The sun catching the blond highlights in his hair as he went.
Kira sighed, watching him go. Maybe a trip to New York was what they both needed.
-New York City, New York-
“Move!” Cassie ordered, shouldering her way between two teenage girls as she raced down the hallway. They complied, eyes wide and wondering as she hurried by them. She hit the steps at a run, her feet slapping down on each one as she went.
She rounded the corner, slamming into a hard body.
Kane reached out, steadying her. “Whoa, Cass. What’s wrong?”
She tried to step around him, annoyed when he stayed in front of her. “Move, Kane, I have to stop-”
The wall exploded behind them in a shower of plaster and dry wall fragments as a television was hurled through it. Kane instinctively shoved Cassie back against the wall, shielding her body with his. They both started coughing as the dust cloud flared up and then began to settle around them.
Kane turned, looking dumbstruck at the gaping hole in the second-floor wall. “What the hell was that?”
Cassie sighed, rubbing her forehead. “I was trying to stop that.”
Brayden, a third generation Mover that Kane had found last week, emerged from the hole. His emerald eyes were wide behind the wire-rimmed glasses shoved high on the bridge of his nose, his curly auburn hair sticking up in various directions. He looked at Cassie and Kane, his cheeks stained crimson.
“I am so sorry,” he started weakly.
Cassie shook her head as Kane approached the fifteen-year-old. She leaned against the opposite wall, watching as other kids in the house came from all directions to see what the commotion was about. She brushed some debris from the shoulder of her purple t-shirt.
“What happened?” Kane kept his voice calm and even as he surveyed the damage.
Brayden ducked his head. “I was just practicing. You know, the way you told me I should? To help control my power?”
“I’m pretty sure I never mentioned throwing a TV through the wall,” Kane said mildly, lifting a large piece of drywall from the floor. Several others laughed at his statement.
Cassie watched, a smile playing on her lips as Kane interacted with Brayden. Kane was good with the younger kids, patient and understanding. He was a first generation Reader-a telepath. His ability to read the minds of the kids around them led to an understanding of them by default.
“I’m so sorry, Kane. It was an accident. I misjudged the weight of the TV and-”
“Just … fix the hole,” Kane said, turning away so Brayden wouldn’t see him smiling.
“Fix the hole?” Brayden repeated slowly, his gaze wide and owlish behind his glasses.
Kane glanced over his shoulder at the boy, his blue eyes shining. “Yeah. Unless you want to live in a room with a big hole in the side of it. Your choice.”
Cassie smiled broadly as Kane approached. “I saw what he was going to do and tried to stop it.”
Kane nodded. “Yeah, well, he’s a kid. Mistakes happen.” His expression sobered and he reached out, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
“How’s your head?”
“Still hurts,” Cassie admitted, rubbing her temples.
He lowered his hand to her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Go get some more sleep. I can hold down the fort.”
She smiled, grateful, and nodded with a yawn. She covered her mouth with a hand, embarrassed. “I think I will. Thanks, Kane.”
“Anytime.”