“Nothing! I’m just putting the idea out into the universe, y’know?” He shoved his hands into his pockets, unable to make eye contact just yet. “I’d- really like to take you out.”

He could feel Nick’s mix-matched eyes staring into him- like he was trying to read him, his body language- gauging if Leo’s request was a serious one. “Hm,” Nick’s hum broke the moment of silence, “and here I thought all these flowers you were buying were for a significant other I didn’t know about.”

Leo couldn’t help but smirk- just a small one- and scoff. “No, I actually haven’t dated in quite some time. The flowers were uh- well…a good excuse to come see you. I can’t visit you at home- I’m terrified of your father.”

Nick laughed, shaking his head. “He’s more afraid of you as a Nightingale than you are of him. Trust me.” He shifted his weight from one leg to another, tilting his head to the side. “You really wanna take me out? I eat like I’ve never seen food in my life- I’ll run your wallet dry.”

Leo wished he could thank Nick a thousand times for making this easier on him- the light-hearted banter was exactly what he needed. He had definitely noticed Nick’s own anxiety just moments earlier in the backroom, but it was almost like he was able to completely override the feelings he felt to make room for Leo’s own worries. It was something he’d noticed of the redhead some time ago, and it quickly became one of the traits he felt most drawn to.

“It’d be worth it,” Leo replied, regaining some confidence in the conversation, “I’d like to see you try. You’d be surprised how much someone in my position within Nightingale makes.”

“You tryna reel me in with money talk?” Nick asked, a hand moving to his hip. The pose reminded Leo of Meg, right before she was about to go on one of her lectures. “If I wasn’t already going to say yes, it wouldn’t work. Money isn’t a problem for me. But yes, I’ll go. I’m not gonna expect you to roll out the red carpet on the first date, but I do expect a five-star restaurant somewhere down the line.”

“For you,” Leo finally locked eyes with Nick, “I’d buy the whole venue.”

Nick’s laugh was a quiet huff as he rolled his eyes. “Don't say corny shit like that, I already said yes!”

“So I’ll come by around seven to pick you up?” Leo asked, his body language telling Nick he was about to make his exit. “I have a few things to finish up at work.”

“Sure, that’ll work.”

They shared one more flirtatious smile with each other, and Leo showed himself out, waving to Meg as he passed her by. Meg quickly finished up with her customer, excited to speak to Nick and get any details out of him she could. 

“Thought you didn’t like him?”

Nick looked at her- he tried to make his expression one of annoyance, but a smile scooched it’s way in instead, throwing his credibility out the window. “Can it. What did you say to him?”

“Oh, you know,” Meg placed her hands innocently behind her back, twirling her skirt with a grin, “just reminded him of that little black book I keep- I’m not the only one who can use it.”

“So blackmail.” Nick nodded to himself, of course she’d resort to that. “Should have guessed.”

“It’s an extremely valid and fruitful tactic, and there’s nothing ethically wrong with using it on your friends.” Meg spun on her heel. “Back to work! I’m not paying you to daydream, Morello.”

Nick huffed as he grabbed a broom, heading to the backroom to clean up the mess he’d left from his project. Despite Meg’s quip, daydreaming is exactly what Nick found himself doing to pass the next few hours of his shift. He mindlessly stocked shelves and watered the plants in the greenhouse, his mind wandering to the date he’d promised Leo. 

The pros and cons of starting a relationship ran through Nick’s mind as he meticulously sorted each reason within its appropriate label. Getting the pros out of the way first was easy- he would be happy, he would feel loved, he’d have someone to lean on that wasn’t his brother. 

But,

He thought about the cons- moving back to Drand later in the year, his past, his family’s history- those weighed on him heavily, and the anxiety came creeping up his spine. His arms felt heavy as he wiped down his work station- it was suddenly 6:43 pm, and he was wondering if it was worth dragging Leo in his messy life just to move out of the country six months later.

Maybe they could make long distance work? Nick thought about those implications, and what image it would give his family back home in Drand. He wasn't allowed to think on it much longer before Meg popped in, her purse slung around her shoulder, keys in hand.

“I’m heading out!” she announced, chipper as always. “You’ll be careful, yeah? I know you’ll have Leo with you, but the signa around here have been a lot more active recently.”

“Pff.” Nick smirked at her, taking his apron off. “Nothing I can’t handle. Grandpa didn’t train me for nothing.”

“Right, the sword training.” Meg rolled her eyes, but she smiled, her head tilted to the side. “Do you carry a sword with you everywhere you go?”

Nick innocently looked away, thinking. “I could.,”

Meg adjusted her purse strap and gave him a final smile. “Be careful. Have fun! Make sure he treats you like a prince.”

“I don’t need anyone else for that, but sure.” Nick leaned against the workbench as Meg made her exit. He sighed, looking around, then moved to the front of the store, turning the neon open sign off. As he turned around, he heard a crash from the backroom- his body became tense as he froze, waiting for another sound to give him a hint as to what had made the initial thud. Some shuffling could be heard, so he grabbed a gardening tool from one of the walls, slowly approaching the room he’d just left moments before. 

What could possibly be back there that he didn’t see?

As he turned the corner and peered in, a large mass was shambling in the room- a signa. He eyed it, making quick work to guess its level- it couldn’t be more than a two, or a brute as they would call it. He noticed the door to the greenhouse was busted- that must have been the crash.

Nick watched as the signa nosed around the bloody sweater he’d discarded earlier- that must have been what dragged the beast to the shop.

The hulking mass was currently unaware of Nick’s eyes as the man contemplated what to do next. Every signa’s appearance could differ- in this case, it appeared more animalistic than most. Signa oftentimes took the form of something more humanoid, as humans were the main -and only- victim of the demon’s possessions. This signa crawled on all fours, working to sniff out the owner of the blood it had tracked.

Nick moved slowly into the room, tool ready, but the sound alerted the brute- he watched it spin to face him, making quick work to lunge for the attack. Nick blocked the powerful jaws with the tool, the force shoving him back as his feet slid across the wooden floor. The tool suddenly snapped, forcing Nick onto his back, the signa swiftly hovering over him.

He kicked out, knocking the monster back enough for him to roll over and attempt an exit, but a strong, clawed hand grabbed his ankle, yanking him back under. Nick rolled over fast enough to block a bite with his arms, sharp teeth sinking into his flesh. A sharp object- protruding from the signa’s back- snaked around to stab him in the shoulder-

Much too close to where his heart would be.

He grit his teeth to suppress a scream of pain, the pike ripping itself out- gearing up to try again. It was then that an arrow scraped by the signa’s face, causing it to jump back in surprise. Teeth ripped out of Nick’s arm and he allowed himself a small cry of pain and shock, looking up to see Leo- who was pulling him from his spot on the floor to his feet. The taller of the two lifted him up over his shoulder, and Nick yelped in surprise as Leo began moving swiftly, leaving the shop.

“W-hey!” Nick yelled from his place on Leo’s shoulder, confused. “What are you doing?!”

“Tactical retreat!”

Nick paused for a moment, taking in the reply, then glared at the back of Leo’s head. “What?!”

“I missed! All I did was piss it off!” The tone in Leo’s voice was that of embarrassment, more than anything. “We have to make distance!”

The signa crashed through the front window of the shop, and Nick's mind worried more about the inconvenience to Meg and her wallet than his own safety. His eyes leave the signa for just a moment to look around, but when he looks back, the monster has disappeared and he squints, confused.

Suddenly it reappears, landing in front of them- the force knocking them both back. The two hit the ground with a hard thud and Nick groans, forcing his arms to push his weight off the ground. Leo does the same- much faster, to see the signa looming above them. It lets out an ear-piercing screech before lunging forward, Leo instinctively putting himself between Nick and the monster. 

What could have been a tragedy had instead turned into a conversation for later as Leo opened his eyes- he hadn’t even realized he’d shut them, bracing for the impact. In front of them was a clear, blue pane- like a shield, protecting them from the signa that bashed repeatedly on the surface, trying to break through.

Leo looked to Nick to see the redhead’s arm extended out- the blood still dripping down, droplets hitting the sidewalk as Nick struggled to stay concentrated. Leo had finally deduced, in his puzzled state, that this shield was coming from Nick- how, he didn’t have time to ask, as his date barked orders at him.

“Leo! You there?!”

The blond shook his head, attempting to regain his composure. “What is that?”

He found himself yelling over the sound of the signa beating on the shield, and Nick’s expression turned from one of pain to one of focus, his brow furrowing in concentration.

“I’m going to drop this,” Nick repeated himself, his left hand coming up to support his right arm, holding it in place, “and you’re gonna take a shot!” He looked to Leo, giving him that same fiery, determined look he remembered from all those years ago. “I can’t hold it much longer, I need your help!”

Leo nodded quickly, pulling out his bow and an arrow from the holster on his back. He hated to admit it- he wasn’t actually good with a bow in the first place, and if he hadn’t missed his shot at the shop, maybe this would have been over sooner. He forced himself to put all of his concentration into his aim, the position of his arms- waiting for Nick’s permission. 

The signa raised its arms for a final time and Nick called the shot, dropping the shield. The arrow flew from Leo’s bow, hitting the signa directly between its eyes, burying itself deep into the beast. 

The monster howled and recoiled, making the decision to retreat as it ran away, leaving the two panting on the ground, thankful that it would end there. Leo stood up, keeping his eye on the direction it fled, then turned to Nick and offered him a hand, which was quickly taken. 

Leo looked him over, taking one of Nick’s hands into his own and assessing the damage. Nick’s eyes were locked onto the direction the signa had run until he spoke, finally breaking the silence.

“Shouldn’t you go after it?”

Leo shook his head, taking Nick’s chin and gently turning his face to check for more wounds. “No, it can wait- I need to get you to a hospital.”

“No, no hospital.” Nick was quick to refuse the help, but neglected to pull away from Leo’s touch. “I need to get back to the shop and call Meg-”

“You need medical attention, Nick.” Leo’s voice was stern. “Look at your arms- your shoulder- it could have killed you-” He paused, remembering the shield. “Wait- what was that? The shield thing?”

Nick looked away now, obviously not willing to answer the question.”Later. I really need to get back to the shop- the entire front end of it is busted, and most likely the greenhouse as well. It’s one thing to have to fix that all up, it’s another to replace anything that might get stolen.”

Leo had to wonder what on Daianha’s green earth Nick thought could be stolen from a gardening store or floral nursery, but he sighed instead, giving his hand a firm squeeze. “Fine, but you’re letting me treat these when we get back- if you pass out from blood loss, I reserve the right to take you to the hospital myself.”

Leo had just barely caught the smile on Nick’s face as he turned around. “I can agree to that- let’s go.”