Animation Source Forums

Bethany felt his hand on her leg now. Goosebumps raised along her arms, her pupils dilating. She felt electricity shoot up her legs, nailing her in the stomach. Her heart rate grew a bit. Why was she reacting this way? Bethany rolled her shoulder back, yawning once more.
"Was war all that bad?" she asked, curious, but now a bit apprehensive of what to ask and how to ask it.

He couldn't notice her reaction, but he knew: she was a teenage girl... And: he knew Bethany. He again moved his hand toward her inner leg, but this time he let his fingertips brush against her soft pale skin. He instantly answered afterwards "For our unit... No... We had very few attacks... But the few we did have, where usually devestating..." He said, forcing a serious tone when it almost came out seductivly.

Bethany's eyes flicked down to Nick's hand, then politely back up to meet his. She wanted to ask about the girl, what happened to her. But she got the feeling that if he'd left it out the first time, he wouldn't want to be pushed into answering. Instead, she calculated her next question, wondering what to say, but her thoughts were scrambled back his fingers on her skin.
"Ah.. And when you got back... I mean, I heard it takes time for people to adjust back into society, was in... hard for you?" She asked, her tone calm.

"It may have been... But I had K- uh... Everyone was real supportive..." He was going to tell her the truth, the only thing that kept him from going mad had been his fiance. Nick had been diagnosed with post tramatic stress disorder, but that sweet girl had stuck by him, even through various sleepless nights. This time he pretended to stretch , moving his hand a little more.

Bethany felt a blush crawl on her face, hardly noticeable, but there. She kind of liked how confident Nick was. With Nate, it was always a question, asking permission. With Nick, well, he was just there. Not questions, just doing his own thing, and Bethany respected it. She then looked at his hand again, but just mentally shrugged, trying to tell herself it was really no big deal or anything.
"Well, that's good. At least everyone was supportive." Bethany had caught the fact that he' almost said the girl's name, but she let it be. She knew he didn't want to tell her, so she didn't push it.

It wasn't that Nick didn't want to tell Beth, he had no problem speaking about her. He had loved that girl he loved hearing her name... Saying it... But it hurt to think about her. When he did it was nice at first, memories of them first meeting, first kiss, his proposal, but it always ended with him remembering her final day... He couldn't handle that. "Heh, some where supportive... They where just glad I was back." He chuckled, not moving his hand this time.

"I honestly have no idea what I'd do if anyone I knew went to war. I'd be so distraught and worried. Like if I knew you when you went. I'd have probably not slept fro weeks." Bethany blurted, unsure of what else to say. So she went ahead and asked about the girl, wadding into dangerous waters.
"You said there was a girl. What happened to her?" She asked flatly, trying to read his emotions. Bethany knew how touchy Nick could get, and sometimes she feared him. She was relieved when his hand didn't moved and farther.

Nick smirked, when she said she probablly wouldn't have slept, he couldn't help but grinned at the fact she clearly would've and probablly would anyway, get worried about him. When she asked him that other question his eyes widened but he then blinked, scratching his chin. "Khalid... That's her name... It was Khalid..." He corrected. "She... Got hurt... We where in a car accident and she passed away because of her injuries..." He said softly. He reached over and opened the little end table's drawer, pulling out a couple of picture's.

One of a dark tan skinned girl, with freckled cheeks, dark blue eyes and dyed red hair, which didn't look bad on her. The second picture was the same girl and Nick, dressed in uniform, kissing.

Bethany took the pictures gingerly in her hands, looking at the girls flawless skin and perfect hair. She looked amazing, and she had kind eyes, the kind she could see a guy like Nick falling in love with. She then turned her attention to the other picture, and couldn't help but smile at the cite factor of the picture.
"I'm so sorry for your lose." She said as she studied the picture of them kissing, their happiness, their perfection. She was an outsider looking in. She didn't belong anywhere.

"It's okay..." Nick sighed, at peace with the matter. "...It's been three years, I'm better now." He looked at Beth, trying to study her as she looked over the picture of himself and Khalid he noticed for the first time in awhile: Khalid was wearing his dog tags in that picture. His eyes however looked to the picture of the girl by herself, smileing a little then looking at his hands.

Bethany gave the picture back to Nick, afraid she might tear up if she kept looking. Bethany was a rather sentimental person, relate-able to the point where she could envision herself in almost everyone's shoes. She looked at the ground, realizing how empty the house was.
"And since then...I'm guessing there haven't been other girls.." She noted, mostly a question.

"You guessed right... Before she passed... She told me to move on... Start over... I just never met anyone though." He shrugged, putting the pictures up. Then looking back at the quiet blonde.

Bethany mulled over the words, unsure of what to make of them. She looked over at him, still thinking. Hey memory flashed back to the lake, when he slammed her against the tree, when he screamed at her at the top of his lungs. The anger in his eyes. At the time she'd thought it was just that, anger. But maybe it was more, yes. Jealousy. Bethany understood now. Her hand moved over his, and she looked down at their hands.
"You like me, huh?" Bethany muttered. She'd always thought she was smart, but had is honestly taken her that long to figure out this love triangle puzzle? Why had it taken her this long to add Nick to the equation? "That day you yelled at me, for being with Nate. You were jealous. But not just jealous, you also felt bad. You felt like you were betraying Khalid, so you reacted by hurting me and telling me to stay away from him. You like me Nick, you've always liked me." She concluded, trailing her fingers over his hand.

Nick didn't answer for a long moment, he then sighed, flinching a bit when her fingers trailed over his hand. "That's... True..." He admitted reluctantly "I first started working for your Dad... Khalid had only been gone a year..." He rubbed his forehead and sighed, unable to finish his thought.

"So you resented the feelings, burned them, buried them. Made sure they were gone. And with time, the want to keep the feelings surpressed eased. Then when Nate came about, the feelings were resurrected, and it took you off guard." Bethany assumed, looking at him with soft, but calculating eyes.