#the quarry nick

[starbandit]

Summer Nights (Nick Furcillo)

Preview:  Another tap. And another. You raised a shaky hand to peel the blinds apart, just enough for you to peek out. 

Contains: making out, obvious crushing

word count- 2.3k/unedited

This summer was going to be the best summer of your life. There was no way anything was going to ruin it. You had managed to snag the dream job of anyone your age who was begging for a little bit of freedom from home. A camp counselor. 

That’s right. Your summer was gonna be spent chasing sweaty pre-teens, fixing bee stings and splinters, and putting aloe on sunburns. But on top of that you were going to get to hike, and kayak around an island, and spend nights singing campfire songs. All while away from the real world, away from the stress of friends, of family, of school. 

Your main stressors were the middle school arguments you had to be the mediator for. Emma was little to no help with it, instead instigating said fights by helping spread rumors for a little bit of ‘entertainment’. You could almost hear her voice, “I can’t wait to tell the boys about this”, while you were busy consoling campers over their week-long relationship. 

 You threw your tray down on the table, another night of soggy meat and limp veggies. Camp food was never good, almost always big pots of some kind of slop and frozen vegetables. Nutritionally balanced was a goddamn lie. Emma sat down next to you, giggling and smiling at Jacob who took the bench across from her. 

“Oh, Jacob,” She laughed, covering her mouth. “You are hilarious!” 

You rolled your eyes. Even if they wanted to deny their relationship, say they were friends or hate each other, there was no doubting that something was happening. Of course, you knew, with the amount of times she woke you up to sneak out to the docks with him, there would be no way you didn’t know. 

Their conversation turned into background noise as your eyes caught someone walking towards your table. It was like something out of a movie, things moving in slow motion. Tight jeans hugged long, slender legs, a skinny waist hidden by a baggy t-shirt. Puppy dog eyes shining. 

Nick smiled and greeted you as he sat down with his food. Dylan, Kaitlyn, and Ryan sat down soon after, all beginning to chat with each other as they choked down the ‘food’. You joined in the conversation, listening to Dylan spit out some pretty good one-liners, and caught the way Ryan looked at him while he did. You listened as they made the plans for a campfire, something fun for the end of the week. The plan was for everyone to meet by the lakeside for the bonfire on the beach and roast marshmallows and make smores with the campers. Maybe someone would bring a guitar or some spooky stories. 

Soon dinner came to an end. Nick grabbed your tray before you even had a chance to react. “I’m on cleaning duty this evening.” He smiled. “I’ll still see you at the campfire tonight though, right?” 

“Oh!” You smiled back, hoping the flush of your face wasn’t horribly obvious. “Of course, I-I will definitely see you tonight.” You nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. 

Emma had already begun collecting the campers when you made your way to the table. She was helping the campers stack plates and trying to rush them to get to the showers as fast as possible. 

You and Emma led the campers back to the cabin to grab shower caddies and made your way to the bathroom. Emma groaned as you guys walked into the bathroom. It reeked of bleach and mildew, and a mild stink of wet dog for some unknown reason. The floor was stained with years of mud and perpetually wet. The lights flickered and some of the shower curtains on the stalls were beginning to turn black on the bottom from all the moisture. 

“All right campers! Each of you have… 6 minutes to shower!” Emma announced. “Save the hot water for everyone, please. I cannot take another ice bath tonight.” She rolled her eyes. You both made quick work of turning on the showers and assigning campers to each one to try and minimize the amount of time wasted. 

“So, you excited for the bonfire tonight?” Emma questioned as she picked at her nails. “Gonna flirt with your boy toy?” She whispered, nudging you slightly. 

“He’s not my boy toy!” You shook your head. Sure, you had a slight crush on Nick. He made your heart flutter, your cheeks get hot, your hands clammy. But it was only a slight crush… Right? 

Emma hummed. “That’s right. You won’t make a move.” She laughed. “Can’t be yours if you won’t stake the claim.” 

You rolled your eyes. “I’ll do it when I’m good and ready. We don’t even know if he likes me back.” You watched as two of the girls began trading body washes and combing each other's hair in the dirt stained mirrors. 

When it was your turn to shower, you found yourself thinking about what Emma had said. Did she know something you didn’t? You let the cold water run over your skin for a little bit longer, washing any leftover soap off. You sighed as you turned the shower off and quickly got dressed, pulling pajamas over your still wet skin. 

You trudged back to the cabin with the campers, listening to them chatter about how excited they were for the bonfire and to see ‘Counselor Dylannnnn’. You had a good giggle with Emma about the crushes the campers had on the counselors while everyone cleaned up their bunks and finished getting ready. 

After a while, you guys finally left the cabin and began the short hike to the beach. The campers squealed and ran off the second they saw the glow of the fire and joined their friends on the blankets set up on the beach. Jacob and Ryan were throwing more kindling on the fire while Nick was helping a younger camper zip their jacket. Your heart ached at the sight. 

“Good with kids.” Emma teased as she pushed by you. “We’re here!” She called out. 

Nick looked up at the call and smiled when he spotted you. The kid he was helping ran off as soon as his jacket was zipped. “Y/N!” He waved. “Come sit.” 

You made your way over, taking in the smell of the fire before sitting on the log next to Nick. You could hear giggles of the campers just a few feet away on the shore, a few of them dipping their toes in which landed them a scolding from Ryan. 

You guys sat in silence for a while, watching as everyone chilled out and played around as the sun went down. You kept your eyes on the fire, the flames warming your face. It was almost perfect. That was, until Dylan and Kaitlyn approached. 

“We have S’MORES!” Dylan shouted, holding up some bags. The campers cheered and raced over, trying to grab at the ingredients to make the sweets. “Woah, woah, one at a time, ya little goblins!” He laughed. 

“We need a line!” Kaitlyn called out. “And for you guys to be safe, and smart, about the marshmallows and fire!” 

You helped the kids place the marshmallows on the ends of (mostly clean) sticks and showed them how to roast the perfect marshmallow. Kaitlyn was trying to avoid burns at all costs, even if that meant physically pulling kids back from the fire. Jacob and Emma had disappeared, no doubt off into the bushes somewhere to make out and baby talk to each other. 

Once all the kids had their fill of s’mores, the counselors decided to make a few of their own. You had a weak spot for the gooey goodness of a charred marshmallow and melted chocolate. You ate your treat while Ryan began the scary campfire stories to the kids. 

“Hey,” a voice sounded in your ear. You turned your head and came face to face with Nick. “You got a little, uh…” He motioned to his own cheek. You felt your face heat up in embarrassment. Food on your face? What were you? 4? “Let me.” 

He lifted a hand to your face, gently rubbing the chocolate off the corner of your mouth with his thumb. “Beautiful.” He smiled before popping the thumb in his mouth and sucking the chocolate off. “And tasty.” 

You were praying that only you could hear the pounding in your ears. And that the fire could be to blame on how hot and red your face was. You could hear the teasing from Emma already. 

“T-thanks.” You weren’t sure if you should thank him. He had just indirectly licked chocolate off your face. Kaitlyn winked at you from her spot next to Ryan when you looked back over. What was happening? 

The rest of the bonfire went by like a blur. Your mind was too focused on Nick to even somewhat focus on the story Ryan was telling. Something about a hag of the campsite? Who even knows. 

Now here you are, in your uncomfortable cabin bed, with your hands crossed over your tummy as you stared up at the ceiling. Your mind was racing, thinking about anything and everything. Did Nick like you? Was this some long con joke from everyone? You wanted to scream into your pillow but couldn’t risk waking any of the campers. 

A tap on your window nearly made you risk that. You whipped your head to the side and stared at the window, crappy plastic blinds were the only thing keeping whatever the hell that was from seeing you. Another tap. And another. You raised a shaky hand to peel the blinds apart, just enough for you to peek out. 

And there he was. Nick. Dressed in a pair of pajamas and with messy bed head, looking as cute as ever. He smiled at you, his flashlight pointed down. He motioned for you to join him. You rolled out of bed and trudged over to Emma, poking her until she acknowledged you. 

“Nick, I know.” She groaned. “Go, I got this.” She waved you off. 

You nodded even though she couldn’t see you in the almost pitch black darkness of the cabin. You slipped on your shoes and quietly left the cabin, the door creaking shut. You took a deep breath and walked down the steps to meet Nick. 

“Hey,” He greeted. “I hope I didn’t wake you.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “Thinking about it now, maybe coming to ask you to go for a walk with me in the middle of the night wasn’t the best idea.” 

You giggled. “It’s okay, I couldn’t fall asleep anyway.” The two of you began walking out of the campsite and onto one of the trails. Conversation flowed naturally, ranging from home life to the possibility of aliens invading the planet. 

You two came to a clearing, the open night sky glimmering above you. Thousands of bright stars littered the sky and you sighed at the serenity of it. You and Nick sat on a fallen log, both admiring the sky. Crickets sounded in the grass around you. 

“It’s beautiful.” Nick whispered. 

You hummed in agreement. A cool breeze tickled your skin and you shivered, goosebumps raising on your arms. You wrapped your arms around yourself, rubbing your hands up and down in an attempt to create some sort of warmth.

“Oh,” Nick noticed. “Here,” He slid his jacket off and helped you into it. The warmth instantly sent butterflies to your stomach. The scent of Nick filled your nose and that alone made your cheeks hot. “Is that better?” 

“Yes, thank you.” You curled into the jacket, letting the warmth hug you. You both sat in a comfortable silence for a while before you noticed Nick had gotten closer to you. His thigh brushed yours, causing you to look over. 

“Is this okay?” 

You smiled and nodded. “Yeah, this is okay.” You scooched a little closer, your legs now pressed together. You had begun to feel a little more brave and decided to rest your head on his shoulder, staring out at the view. You could hear Nick’s heart beat through the crickets, the sound pounding against your ear. “Hey, Nick?” You questioned softly. 

“Yeah?” He responded, resting his head on yours for a second. 

You stayed silent for a few seconds, enjoying the moment. You wanted to soak this up before you possibly ruined the entire friendship. “How do you feel about me?” 

Nick gently shifted, adjusting to sit somewhat facing you. “How do you think I feel about you?” 

“I asked first.” 

Nick stared at you for a second before lifting a hand and brushing your hair back. His hand came to rest under your chin. “I think that you are one of the most beautiful things here… And in the short time we have known each other I find my heart pounding and hands sweaty whenever you’re around. Is that gross?” He questioned. “Y/N, I feel like I have a middle school crush when I’m around you.” 

You smiled and leaned in, catching Nick in a sudden kiss. He tensed up at first and then soon melted into the kiss, hands reaching around to your back to pull you closer to his body. His hands sprawled across your back, fingers digging into the soft fabric of the jacket. He deepened the kiss, tongue poking your bottom lip. 

You smiled against his mouth and opened up, allowing him to pull you in. Your hands came to rest on his chest, feeling the muscle under the thin shirt he had on. You kissed each other slowly, exploring each other's mouths and testing the waters with what the other person liked. 

After a bit, you both pulled away. Nick’s lips were shiny, pink, and slightly swollen. He looked even more kissable than before. He had an almost drunken smile on his face. He leaned forward again, this time resting your foreheads together. 

“After camp, after summer is over, I’d love to take you on a real date. Restaurant, flowers, everything. What do you say?” He whispered. 

“I’d be stupid to say no.” 

[rickylovesnick]

YIIPPEEE

some doodles I just did...n nick...

[sargeantsarmy]

Gift for @noyoucantpinmedown !!!! Thought I’d give you some hurt/comfort furblyg :)

(W/o rain under the cut)

(Also @ing @kitkat-tat just bc they’re the mastermind behind the gift exchange lol)

[evilvvithin]

THE QUARRY

[bongwaterbunny]

i love how i made a post about hating nick and people hated it so much that i got added to a the quarry server and now i just spam the server with rants about hating nick and everyones like "yep thats mia, she hates nick, we've tried to help shes just doomed to hate him forever"

[justsierrasart]

Experimenting with a different art style I came up with just for them!!! Here’s some more sketches of the gang, but it’s not all of them, I’m still working on some :p

[diva-calderu]

Nicholas "Nick" Furcillo

'I mean, not everyone knows what they're capable of... you know?'

[denkicide]

everlong is their song fr

[circusclownsam]

something something nick is so hot when he’s infected something something.

not to be dramatic or anything, but he’s just so scrumptious

[radlyradar]

Have more mediocre art

[01rocketboy01]

When The Sun Rises (Nick Furcillo x GN!Reader)

Summary: After the most terrifying night of your life, the sun finally rises. In the light of dawn, the werewolf curse lifts, and you are finally reunited with Nick.

This story kinda assumes some sort of pre established relationship between reader and Nick.

Warnings: Blood, Language, Death (fear of others death), basically anything cannon typical

You were up a tree, having quickly climbed up it to escape from one of the werewolves that had been terrorizing you and your friends, and had resigned yourself to stay there until morning. Luckily, you hadn’t had to wait long, though it had felt like an eternity.

As the sky finally began to glow with the light of morning, you allowed yourself to breathe a sigh of relief. You had made it. You were alive. Thank god.

Victory, however, was short lived as a wave of anxiety crashed over you. While you knew you were safe in the light of day, you had no idea how many of your friends had survived. Fuck, you could be the only one left for all you knew.

Your clothes felt like they were plastered against your body, slick with sweat and blood. Although you were sure you hadn’t been injured much, aside from some scrapes, cuts, and bruises that were sure to hurt like a bitch, you knew you were covered in an alarming amount of blood.

Nick.

You had seen him turn into one of those things. Now that the sun was up, he should be back to normal, right? The other monsters wouldn’t have attacked him if he was one of them?

But the Hacketts. And Laura. What if he had been mistaken for Chris, like Kaylee had? What if someone had no choice, them or him?

“Worst case scenario.” Is what Laura had said when she gave Abigail the silver bullet. You hoped it hadn’t come to that.

Grabbing onto the trunk for balance, you carefully slid down the tree, feet landing firmly on the ground. The sun’s rays were spreading across the ground, bathing the world in a gentle orange light. It was comforting, the warmth, and god you were exhausted. You briefly considered just laying down on the ground and letting the sun wash over you, falling asleep in the mud and leaves. No. You shook the thought away and started walking towards where you thought the lodge was. You couldn’t have run that far.

Walking through the woods, you unconsciously scanned your surroundings, all of your senses working together to take in as much as they could. You felt like you were on high alert. You supposed a night being a monster’s quarry did that to a person.

From off in the woods, you heard the crunching of leaves and the snap of a twig. Someone was out here with you.

“Hello?” You called out. “Who’s there?”

The noise paused, and for a moment you thought it had just been an animal. Then you heard a voice.

“Y/N? Is that you?” His voice sounded tired, but the accent was unmistakable. Nick.

“Nick! Keep talking, I’m coming to you!” You turned in the direction you had first heard the sound, walking quickly through the brush.

“I’m over here!” He called. You broke through the line of trees and saw him. His clothing was torn and hanging off of him, and his hair was messy. That wasn’t what was most concerning, though. Nick was absolutely drenched in blood, every part of him practically saturated with it. His eyes were wide when they met yours, and he was trembling slightly.

“What…what happened? Why am I covered with blood?” He blinked a few times, as if taking you in as well. “Why are you splattered with blood? Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine.” You felt a sense of relief. He was here, he was alive, and he didn’t seem injured despite the alarming amount of blood.

“What happened?” Nick repeated himself. He hadn’t moved towards you, as if he didn’t trust himself. He seemed a little out of it, but Christ, who wouldn’t be? And how were you supposed to explain what happened? Oh yeah, sorry, you just turned into a werewolf and the rest of us spend the night running for our lives from you and the Hacketts, who are also werewolves by the way! There’s no way he’d believe you. But then again, after all that’s happened tonight…

“How much do you remember?” You asked him, stepping cautiously closer.

“I remember…that animal. The thing that attacked me in the woods. My leg…” He reached down, touching it gingerly. He blinked, looking down at it. “I thought….didn’t it bite me?” Where there had been a vicious bite mark hours earlier, the skin was smooth and unbroken.

“You were bitten.” You nodded. “It…it must’ve healed.”

“Healed?” Nick looked more and more confounded. “What happened to me?”

You took a deep breath. “The animal that attacked you in the woods? It was a werewolf. It bit you and you turned. When the sun rose, you turned back.” Nick looked at you, incredulous. “I know it sounds insane, but believe me. It happened.” You were close enough to touch him now, looking into his eyes.

He seemed to consider what you were saying, the look on your face making him pause. He scoured your expression, looking for any sign of a strange prank or odd joke.

“You’re telling the truth.” He concluded. It was an observation, not a question. “I….I turned? Into a werewolf?”

“It’s not as cool as it sounds. It was terrifying.”

“I’m sorry.” He apologized. He was still trembling, though he sounded exhausted. You reached out, taking one of his hands in yours. His muscles were tense, but seemed to relax slightly when you held him.

“It’s not your fault.” You assured him. “Are you hurt?”

“No, no, I’m fine. I mean…I’m covered in blood…but I don’t feel any pain. I’m just….fuck I’m so tired.” He admitted, a heavy sigh escaping him. “I feel like I’ve run a mile.”

“It’s over now.” You reassured him. If he was cured. You pushed the thought down. That was a conversation for another time, when Nick was feeling better.

“Can I….can I have a hug?” He asked sheepishly. “You don’t have to, I know I’m sort of disgusting right now-“ You cut him off, wrapping your arms around him tightly. The stress seemed to melt from both of you bodies and he hugged you back, his body warming your chilled skin.

“You’re freezing.” He breathed quietly, holding you tighter. He buried his face into your shoulder, and you ran your fingers through his hair, trying to provide as much comfort as you could. He pulled his head up, meeting your eyes. “When I was turned….I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

You shook your head. “No, you didn’t hurt me.”

“Thank god.”

“I had a close call with one of the other werewolves though.”

His hand came up and cupped the side of your face. The concern was evident in his eyes. “I-I didn’t even think to ask, shit, I’m sorry. I don’t remember, but you…..you’ve had a hellish night, haven’t you?”

Your silence was all the answer he needed. He bumped his forehead gently against yours. “I’m here if you need to talk about it.”

“Nick?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

He smiled and gave you a gentle kiss on the lips. “Anytime.”

“Let’s get back to the lodge. We should be able to find you some new clothes and get you cleaned up.” You really didn’t want to leave the warmth of the hug, but knew you had make sure the others knew you two were alive. And make sure they were alive, too.

Nick nodded and pulled back, keeping your hand as he intertwined his fingers with yours. “Lead the way.”

[rickylovesnick]

this was my favourite part of the quarry..( ・∇・)

[sargeantsarmy]

PT TWO teehee

[kidrunaway]

I think about this gif daily

[overheard-at-hacketts-quarry]

Nick: One of these days, I’m going to say fight me to the wrong person and they’re really just going to deck me.

Jacob: Oh, that day is closer than you think.

[saintsstranger]

Wild Child | N.F. (The Quarry) - Chapter Nine

Chapter Summary: Would you be selfish once more or let your dad dictate what he wanted you to be?

Nick Furcillo x Female!Reader (no use of y/n) Warnings: Bugs, Insects, and Cursing (I'm not great at tagging). Reader is an entomologist expert of camp.

Chapters: Prologue, Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven, Chapter Eight, Chapter Nine

Summers were supposed to be spent halfway across countries. Lounging in beach chairs, eating different cuisines every day, and living the nightlife until you could see the morning sun. Rinse and Repeat. Summer was supposed to be your escape. A small time away from your real life.

Now this year’s summer was spent in Northkill, New York. Somewhere secluded, somewhere where you thought a 5-star hotel would be located. Somewhere you thought you would just be able to laze around, lounge in a sauna, or poolside. Explore the gardens, party in the evening, or just simply get away from your father. An escape. 

And yet you are here in Hackett’s Quarry Summer Camp.

Here you are spending your time teaching about insects, giving out guides on what type of species the insects are. Here you are spending your day, looking for different types of butterflies for your collection. Here you are having fun winning in a team-building activity. Here you are tolerating the children you previously called ‘devil spawns’. Here you are stuck eating the simple dishes Nick had prepared for the camp. Here you are having the time of your life in an environment you are not accustomed to. Here you are enjoying the morning view of the lake had given. Here you are having fun with people who you thought wouldn’t be your friends in this lifetime. Here you are, more like the real ‘you’.

And now you stood in the middle of the kitchen wiping your ugly tears. That at first, is a place you’d hate ‘cause it stereotyped women belonging in the kitchen. Now you have grown to appreciate and see it in a better light. Now it is your safe space.

Here you have shown all your faults and flaws, here you have split yourself open, ready to bare it all to the person you knew who wouldn’t judge you. To someone who would listen to you talk for hours, smiling with every word uttered. To someone who made you enjoy the simplest things in life.

Simple things like:

Preparing simple dishes with Nick and washing the dishes together.

Sharing thoughts with Max about what movies would be best for movie marathon day.

Having fun listening to Ryan’s campfire stories and always getting scared shitless of course.

Kaitlyn sings the obnoxious Summer Camp Song that she likes to annoy you with whenever you wake up late.

Being competitive with Jacob whenever there is a sports competition and winning against him sometimes.

Talking with Emma about fashion, and the ‘Fancy Dress’ schedule you share together.

Looking in awe whenever Abi is painting the insects you had provided for her to draw.

Playing pranks on each other with Dylan, and even teaming up to do it to other counselors.

Shared schedules with Laura and her insightful knowledge about animals. Also, the gossip you share together, hidden behind hush whispers.

The silence and calmness of the morning air in Hackett’s Quarry, whenever you wake up early to look at the stillness of the lake. 

There you realized that your weird hobbies of adding different insects to your collection weren’t hobbies at all. Those meaningless activities you do in your free time (that’s what your father had called them) are something now you have grown to love. The small act of collecting and taking care of it just like your mother had done, had been a great influence on you. And how those summers you spent with your mother affected what you wanted to be when you grew up. Especially now you got your acceptance letter, you wanted to pursue it even more. This is what you had been dreaming of, your future to become the real you. Something your father had not tainted. 

When you calmed down, you stayed in his arms. Unmoving until you wiped your tears with the back of your hands. Rubbing your eyes roughly to prevent yourself from breaking into pieces once more. You laughed.

You laughed at how pathetic and ridiculous you looked. Not realizing you were still in Nick’s embrace; he rubbed your back in small circles.

“There are probably snot and tears there, you might want to change.” You joked, not looking at Nick directly but just pointing at the tear stains on his shirt.

“It’s fine.” He smiled at you. Not even prying about why you suddenly cried in front of him, he was just there comforting you in silence. Giving you something to hold onto, he took the pain away with his soothing hug.

And you felt your heart melt and your stomach flipped on itself. Nick understood what was going on, and he didn’t pressure you to talk. You see Nick didn’t just make you realize to stop and just enjoy even the simplest of things. 

So now it’s best in memory — To him taking the onion for you so you wouldn’t cry, giving you a glass of water when you didn’t notice it, cutting fruits whenever your campers get tired, handing you cleaned jars for your insect collection, teaching you how to cook, giving you his shirt when you were half-naked, cooking you dinner even when you both had stayed in the kitchen hours late; and even when you hated doing the dishes, it became tolerable with Nick.

You had found someone you could lean into, something you haven’t done in a long time.

With one last inhale, you faked a smile and tried to wipe traces of your breakdown. There are tears still evident on your cheeks, your eyes were puffy and the tips of your nose as well. You probably resemble a tomato.

“There. Do I look pretty?” You asked him, lifting your eyes to meet him. With an expression you couldn’t read; he looked at you. You felt his hand hovering over your cheeks, wiping faint traces of mascara that lay at the corners of your eyes.

You feel the warmth of his hands, and you almost have leaned yourself to them. But you forced yourself to stay still, to not hurt yourself furthermore. If you had gone in with your desires, the temptation to be held once again, you wouldn’t know what would happen next. You wouldn’t know what you do.

“You always look beautiful.”

You paused. Nick had been looking at you directly. Staring with a certain look in his eyes, unlike the first time that you had met. It almost looked like he was challenging you to it, to look at him the same.

It was you who had looked away from his honey-molten eyes, only that his intense gaze left a make its way to the pit in your stomach.

Was the room too hot?

You were the first to yield only for it to land on his lips.

There were no words, no witty remarks, no sharp wits, or an ounce of confidence. Your heart was thumping wildly on your chest. 

This was different. This is uncharted waters, something you haven’t traversed yourself in. You feel yourself swimming in a pool of fire, your mind becomes a jumbled mess, your face overheating and the only distance between you and him are mere inches.

“I—I…” You were stuttering. Tongue-tied with how soft and sincere he had said it.

Slowly he placed his hands back to his sides, and the warmth was gone. You stared at the dishes like it was the most interesting thing you had seen, immediately you submerged your hands in water, ready to splash it in your face as well. Your heart was still pounding, and you couldn’t calm down, you had to walk out of this room. Get another breath of fresh air, somewhere away from Nick.

You washed it quickly and in silence, ready to bolt out once again. You were nervous, almost dropping a plate or three, and Nick was always ready to help you.

“Thank you.” You muttered. It was almost like a wisp in the wind when it left your lips, but nonetheless, he hummed in satisfaction. He understood like he always did.

When both of you were done washing the dishes, you almost forgot your troubles. Nick had replaced your anxieties with the tenderness of his embrace and overall, just being him. While you were both in the kitchen, you were more worried about whether you looked ridiculous after your crying fest, not about your father’s call. He had simply wiped away your worries.

God, you were fucked. You have truly, madly, and deeply have fallen. The great and unmovable you had already raised your white flag; you’d admit to the whole world. There was no saving you from the bottomless trenches you had put yourself. This was you in love. Something you never thought you would feel.

After putting the remaining clean dishes in their respective places, you trail behind Nick. Only this time, your co-counselor could see a glimpse of your features, not the dead-man walking earlier. A sliver of you had come back in that short time in the kitchen, it wasn’t no secret that you were blushing or that you looked nervous, not the fear-stricken nervous earlier more like schoolgirl-crush-nervous. They were ready to tease you and bombard you with questions. They knew you would bounce back like you always did, and it wasn’t no secret that Nick was your cure.

“Did you fuck in the kitchen again?” Dylan teased; both of your eyes widened. Your mouth gaping like a fish, the cogs in your brain weren’t working. You haven’t thought of a comeback to his comment when Nick pointed behind Dylan with a disgusted look on his face. 

“Dylan, your camper is eating one of their boogers again, you might want to—” Nick distracted Dylan. Dylan immediately turned around with a horrified look on their face. It did capture the attention of your co-counselors who were more intrigued at how Dylan would handle the situation when the kid accidentally wiped it on him.

Looking at Nick who gave you a small smile and a wink, and you tried to hide your laugh. 

Mr. Hackett suddenly called upon his campers for the next activity. You were standing behind Nick, ready to walk with him. While he distracted your co-counselors from even talking to you.

You weren’t ready to answer their questions. Maybe a little bit more time and then you’ll be back to your old self. You just need a little bit more time to collect yourself once more.

Before you could follow them, Laura had gently dragged you to the back of the pack. Worry was written in her the crease of her forehead, looking at you intently.

“Hey, do you want to talk about it?” She softly said. Nick turned around to look at you once more when he realized that you weren’t by his side. You smiled reassuringly at him ‘Don’t worry I could handle it’

“Oh, I’m now okay.”

“You don’t look fine; I can see you’ve been crying.”

“My father called… it’s about my Cornell’s acceptance letter.”

For a minute of silence, Laura was still processing the details. Suddenly you can see the shift of thinking to excitement. She hugged you tightly, and you accepted it. This was the most affection you had received in a day, and you almost melted once again.

“You did it! I’m so proud of you.” She let go of you, grabbing your shoulders. 

“I did it Laura.” You softly said.

But your friend knew, something was bothering you and that you don’t look too ecstatic. The tone of your voice was your tell-tale that things aren’t fine at all. You were considering not saying it to Laura, but she deserves to know. She had been nothing but supportive of you.

“He doesn’t want you to take it, doesn’t he?” Laura asked and you nodded. Gulping down a large lump in your throat, you had already cried enough, but it still stings. It still hurts to see you get your dreams crushed.

“I’m sorry.” Laura said, not really knowing what to say next. But only she hugged you tightly and exhaled deeply. You have already accepted your fate.

But you smiled, not the one that reaches your ears, a tight-lipped smile, like it was forced out of you. “You don’t have to apologize for anything, I should never been silly and selfish.”

“No, you’re not.”

She looked at you sadly. But before she could continue what she was saying you walked towards the campers, avoiding her stare.

Laura was left watching you go; you weren’t fine at all. You were hiding, running away once more. Trying to hide your pain in smiles, distracting yourself to numb you from the pain. There stood not a person, but a mere reflection of you acting like everything was just okay.

When Nick realized that you had gone to your campers, talking with them in smiles that couldn’t seem right to him. He frowned, not even realizing Laura had situated herself beside him. You were far away from their conversation, too busy trying to distract and occupy yourself with the task at hand to even hear their conversation or see that they were talking together.

“She’s pretending.” Laura whispered, and Nick nodded.

“Did she tell you what the call was about?” Nick asked, looking at the small blonde beside him. Laura shook her head no.

“No, but I could make enough conclusions to know that she wants to go to Cornell.” Laura commented, arms folded across her chest.

“But she couldn’t.” Nick added. “Could we do something?”

“I don’t think we can. We can’t just change a man’s iron will and he is a difficult person, her words not mine. The decision lies with her, whether she wants to go or not.” Laura concluded.

“Maybe we can convince her? It wouldn’t be hard right?” It almost looked like Nick was grasping at straws, and yet he remained positive. Always thinking about the bright side to making you happy, remembering your talk with him.

‘Oh, I hope whatever course you end up in you’d be happy.’

‘I hope so too.’

It was clear as day, you were happy talking about insects and teaching about them. He could see the fire in your eyes, the genuine happiness you felt whenever you got something to add to your collection. Nick isn’t blind, you were happy here. You were content and he could drown himself in the euphoric sound of your voice, talking about something you truly love.

Even if Nick is afraid of spiders, he would face his fears just to hear you ramble about them. He could tolerate being surrounded by bugs if it meant being close to you. He would be fine with scrolling through hundreds of cookbooks just to teach you every meal and recipe if it meant spending every second with you. He would be okay tasting your cooked meals (they weren’t good, but he would never say that to you out loud) if it means he would be here for those sweet moments. He would be fine walking in the dark towards your respective cabins if it meant you’d be beside him. Hell, he was more than okay washing the dishes as long as it is with you, whether you work in chatter or in silence. He likes it. He loves it. It was those moments, those sweet and intimate moments that are worth loving you for.

At first, he didn’t realize the kind of hold your father had in your life, you had played it with vague sentences and downplaying it all the time. But when you cried in his arms earlier, then Nick truly understood it finally. The weight on your shoulders, the responsibility that you had to carry and live up to your name, and how much it is burdening you. How you wanted to take control of your life, only for it to be snatched away. Nick had heard how heartbroken you sounded, and how hard you tried to put your broken pieces back together.

“I mean… it wouldn’t hurt to try….” Laura pondered “She listens to you Nick, try it and we’ll see.”

With Laura’s advice, Nick was left with one thing in his mind. He would try his damn best to change your mind, to make you realize you can take a hold of your life once again.

He knew you were a tough person to crack, a closed book hidden with chains and locks. He’d talk to you, stare at your eyes like he had done earlier, make you listen. And if it meant to see you smile, one that makes your eyes crinkle in delight, he would crawl to the end just for him to see it again.

You, unknowingly standing there chatting with Jacob, oblivious with the talk your two close friends had in the span of minutes you were gone. You had only seen a split second of their serious talk, but decided to preoccupy yourself elsewhere after all the best medicine for your pain is distraction. 

The kids were a good distraction, they didn’t notice the red puffy eyes you had or that you had spent yourself playing with them. It was a sorrowful experience to see the childlike innocence that gathered in their eyes, and you were once a child, you had dreams. 

Dreams where your mother was well and alive.

Dreams that consisted of staying together with your mother, not with your father. 

Dreams where you spent your afternoon together catching butterflies in her garden, drinking the same iced cold juice she likes to make.

Dreams of graduating with her beside you, smiling proudly. 

But you had to grow up, this is real life and most of the time, real life hurts a little too much. Too much you couldn’t handle and hold it in your small fragile hands, hands that were once a child. 

“Are you listening?” Emma waved a hand over your face, a worried knot on her eyebrows. You hummed for her to repeat the questions.

“You look so out of it? Are you okay? Did Dylan hand you one of his joints again?” Plastering a smile, you shook your head no.

“Honestly, I’m just so tired.” Exhaling deeply, you didn’t even realize the underlying meaning of your words. Emma frowned, worried that you might be sick again. 

“Maybe you can sit this one out, I’ll distract them, after all I’m great at being the center of attention around here.” She reassured you with a pat, and you shook your head no. You couldn’t deal being left alone with your thoughts; you were scared. 

“I think I’ll be fine. Thanks.” This time when you walked away, in the corner of your eye, you had seen Emma frowning and crossing her arms across her chest. Clearly, she had seen your act, of course, the theater girl would know what is acting and is genuine.

This time, you tried your best to avoid Nick, Laura, and Emma’s worried glances, if Kaitlyn or Abi noticed your behavior you’d be doomed. With Abi, being too kind, she’d try her best to cheer you up and Kaitlyn’s strong intuition would let you just take the rest of the day off. You didn’t want them to question you anymore, so you approached one counselor who’d probably distract their eyes off of you with their loudmouth.

Dylan wouldn’t notice, right? And besides, you could deflect him easily if he caught a whiff that something is up. Right? 

“How are you, booger counselor?” You teased, and he immediately turned around to meet you with a horrified look on his face. Recalling a certain event earlier.

“Just because you have a nice nickname, doesn’t mean you get to call me ugly ones.” He pointed out. “But I’m fine since you asked nicely, I’m clean, Ryan helped me.”

“I’m sure he did.” You teased, trying to avoid the glance from your worried friends halfway across the camp, which Dylan didn’t fail to notice by the way. You were side-stepping to place yourself directly in front of him, avoiding the glances of Nick and Laura.

“Are you up to something, ‘cause if you are I am so not ready to face your dragon that guards your castle.” Dylan raised an eyebrow. You almost choked on your own spit, were you really that obvious?

“No… I just like the shade here. Nicely placed shade. Also, what do you mean by a dragon? Who the fuck is the dragon?” Trying to distract him from questioning you.

“Hmmm, I’m sure you do.” He repeated your tone earlier. “Your dragon, the one who had buried Jacob 6-feet on the ground earlier during tug-of-war.”

You were confused, dragon… and tug-of-war, did he mean Nick?

“You mean Nick?”

“Yeah, your boyfriend.”

“We’re not together.”

“And I’m not the best-looking counselor here. Stop spitting lies, didn’t Nick ask you out already? He said he’d do it by lunch earlier.” With a roll of his eyes, you both stood there for a second. Processing his words.

“What?”

“What?”

With the look of confusion on your face and you not saying anything back, Dylan then concluded that Nick hadn’t done it yet.

“Oops?” He looked horrified. Darting his eyes between you and Nick. Then he ran away, leaving you alone with your thoughts. Only this time it wasn’t with negative connotations. Even a mile away, everyone could see your face light up bright red, not in anger but flustered.

Now that 78% chance that Nick likes you back just jumped to a hundred. Another positive thing happening in your day. Your day turned a complete 180 degrees with Dylan’s revelation.

In the distance, Nick had been watching you, worried that your mood would turn sour, but in the back of his mind a gnawing thought had been bugging him. Something along the lines of Dylan, not so great secret keeper, and you. When you ran away, Nick had followed you.

Nick had called your name, and you turned around quickly stopping right in front of him. Your face was flushed red as you looked anywhere but at him. Nick’s heart was jumping out of his chest, with Laura’s advice earlier he felt like he could persuade you. Seeing you happy was the top of his priorities and if Cornell was the university made for you then so be it. He’d convince you if it is the last thing he’d do.

“I need to say something…” Both of you said at the same time. 

“You go first.” You told him.

With a deep breath, the next words he blurted you didn’t expect. “Fuck your dad’s expectation.”

“Fuck him, you were happy with Cornell so take it. I’ve never seen someone as passionate as you talkabout insects, and those weren’t meaningless activities. Go for it, I know first-hand how hard it is to find something you’d excel at but you… this is your calling. This is you. I don’t want to see you waste your life from something that is never going to make you happy, don’t tolerate it please. I know how hard-headed you are sometimes, and how you go to these intense rambling when you find another insect for your collection. You are happy with taking entomology, that’s why you took an entrance exam because you knew you could do it. This is your calling, so take it please.”

“And I know I’m rambling when I say this, but you deserve it—” 

You caught him off with a press of your lips against his. You held his face with both of your hands, kissing him passionately. At first, Nick was blinking, too shocked but when you felt his shoulders relax, he reciprocated and kissed you back as intently as well. 

“I do deserve it.” You smiled against his lips, leaning your forehead against each other. You didn’t mind that your confession wasn’t as romantic as you planned, or that you were surrounded by nature or possibly the bees that followed you to the lake, it felt right. It felt perfect, so simple, so right. 

“I do deserve to be selfish sometimes, and let me be selfish with you.” You whispered to him. With your hands still holding his face, he gently held your wrist and kissed it softly, looking at you with his brown eyes filled with desire. Sighing everything felt at peace.

“So that’s what has been bugging me. Did Dylan expose my secrets to you?”

“I guess you can say that”

“Nick, I wouldn’t kiss you like this if I hated you. At first, I thought you didn’t like me. I mean, you were always generous. So I wondered if you were interested in me as a girl or something.”

“I’ve been interested in you from the beginning, but I would not lie to your face when I tell you that you scared me a little bit.”

“I don’t bite, but if that’s what you want, I can adapt.”

You teased him as his face went red from the tips of his nose to his ears, he buried his face at the crook of your neck while you laughed. 

With his face buried on your neck to inhale your scent: “Did I ever tell you, I liked the way you smell?”

“No, it's probably the pheromones.” You smiled as he embraced you tightly, feeling he was weaving himself to your body with the way he clings towards you. His hands were making small circles of comfort on your waist, touching where your shirt and jeans meet. You felt feverish with his touch, too drunk with everything about him.

“You smell like home to me.” He uttered as he looked at you intently.

“Why'd you say that?”

“We have Philadelphus planted near our yard…”

“You're the only person to get it right.” You kissed him once more, smiling as you felt at peace around him. “Let’s get out of here.” You whispered and felt him drag you in excitement as well.

— EXTRA —

It was morning the next day when you walked inside the lodge looking as bright as the sun. It seemed like all of your worries were forgotten.

“What are you wearing?” Laura asked.

“A hoodie.” You plainly said.

“It's 90 degrees outside and it's summer, aren't you hot.” Laura was suspicious, too suspicious.

“I have colds.” “No, you don’t, no signs of fever.”

“And you look glowing, not sick. Did you fuck in the kitchen?” She exclaimed, her jaw slack with the revelation when you smiled.

“Why is she wearing a hood?” Jacob asked, grabbing a banana right off its basket.

“Oh ‘cause our favorite counselor just got bit by a large insect we liked to call Nicky!” Dylan's voice boomed. The only sound that could be heard was the large smack of a flying object straight at Dylan’s head.

What an eventful summer indeed. a/n: after 6 months wild child is finally finished..... that was quite a long fic. now i have other duties such as ghost waltz and now im back in univ, but let me tell you i had the longest writer's block (ehem not like the first one where it was 2 years before i had written something). i know it feels like it was rushed but wild child was always supposed to end at chapter nine. i never plan on writing until the events of the game because i feel like it would be repetitive to tell the story once more. but am i happy with this ending, yes i am.

the moral lesson is its okay to put yourself first and that i liked the smell of mock oranges. but if you were curious as to what would happen, our dear reader gets bit first. ready to be the sacrificial lamb, with them being unathletic they’d be the first one down.