'Cause I'll be laughing at all your silly little jokes, and we'll be laughing about how we used to smoke

“Ah chinga!” Cinder’s jaw dropped in surprise as she craned her head upwards. “It’s neck! What the fuck!? It’s so long!”

Nick appreciated the raw surprise on Cinder’s face. It was exactly the reaction he’d been hoping to elicit from her; shock and amazement at the sight of an animal that she’d only ever seen in a picture book before.

“Pretty impressive, huh?” Nick said, trying to smoothly integrate himself into Cinder’s surprised reaction. “I’ve never seen a giraffe before, myself. It’s totally different seeing them in person.” That wasn’t quite a lie from Nick. He was surprised. His perception of the animal was colored far more by media than he thought; when he pictured a giraffe he imagined a stubby animal with a towering neck that jutted up and out of its body like some kind of pole. But upon seeing the real thing, he immediately realized how stupid that image was; they had long necks, sure, but not in such a cartoonish proportion. Everything about the animal was long, its legs, its torso, its neck (which was angled outwards and thick, as it needed to be to support the animal’s head) as if someone had taken a horse and stretched it from top to bottom.

And they were imposing, too. Nick was glad that they were calmly grazing on leaves.

There were two giraffes in the enclosure that Nick could see. It wasn’t quite as big as the lion pit, but it didn’t really have to be. Notably though the giraffes were far more active than the lions were, and the pair of them were walking among the tall trees, perfectly content.

He hoped Cinder appreciated the view as much as he was.

“Fucking hell,” Cinder said, a laugh escaping from her lips. She shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m actually seeing this! Those things are fucking huge!” She turned towards Nick and smirked, her amber eyes flashing mirthfully. It was the happiest Nick could ever remember seeing her.

…And unfortunately it lasted for all of two seconds. That was approximately how long it took for Cinder to realize that she was actually smiling in Nick’s direction, and her positive emotions withered up like dried grass.

“…Whatever,” she muttered, turning back to the giraffes. “They’re okay, I guess.”

Nick frowned. He opened his mouth to reply, but then stopped himself.

…What would even be the point? Cinder had been enjoying herself, no matter what she said. And if she was going to **** herself not to have a good time just to spite him, then anything he said would just make things worse.

This isn’t much of a date. I guess I should just be happy that Cinder is having a good time, even if she’s not willing to share that good time with me.

“Okay!? They’re more than just okay!”

Nick may have been willing to leave Cinder alone, but he wasn’t the only one here. Nola jumped up in front of them, startling the latina, who had to fight her impulse to punch the scowling little leprechaun in the teeth.

“You-! Where did you come from?!” Cinder demanded, flustered. Her face turned bright red (to be clear, she had NOT been blushing when she saw Nick looking at her, and if he thought she was, that had to be a mistake!) and she narrowed her eyes in a stern glare.

“I’ve been here the whole time,” Nola declared, resting her hands on her hips. “Did you forget? I’m your tour guide, Cinder! I’m here to give you all kinds of interesting facts about the animals you’re seeing, and lead you to them!”

Her smile returned, and she gave Cinder a playful wink.

But Cinder wasn’t feeling very playful.

“So fucking what?” She griped, rolling her eyes. “You think you’re something special? That was Ella who wanted you to lead the way, but I couldn’t care less! It’s not like it matters if I see a specific animal or not, anyway!”

“You sure?” Nola scratched her chin. “But what if you wander into the dragon caves by mistake and get roasted up?”

So much for her lie about there not being any dragons. Not that Nick had bought that. He remained silent and looked to Cinder for her response.

But Cinder wasn’t so easily intimidated. “So there are fucking dragons here, big fucking deal,” she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking her hip to the side. “Your boss isn’t going to let anything happen to us.”

Good point. No way Dakota would let a dragon burn us to… cinders. A pun that now remained stuck in Nick’s brain now that it had popped into his head.

Nola smirked when she heard Cinder’s counter. “…I suppose I can’t argue with that,” she conceded with a dramatic sigh. “Very well… since you’re so eager to get some alone time with your special guy, I suppose I can leave you two lovebirds to your own devices. Enjoy the zoo!”

Nick had to admit- Nola may have been a ditz, but she could be pretty cunning sometimes. More than once Nick had forgotten that the savvy leprechaun had once run her own season of the show.

Cinder looked like she was going to throw up. Her eyes widened and her dark skin turned a few different shades as Nola’s words sank in. “H-hold on a second!” She exclaimed, her eyes widening as her jaw slackened with horror. “You aren’t seriously thinking-?! NO! No fucking way!” She shook her head adamantly and put her foot down.

“Hmm? So you want me to keep doing my job?” Nola cooed.

Cinder looked liable to explode. Which was Nick’s cue to step in. As much as he appreciated Nola using Cinder’s aversion to being alone with him to help their shared goal of Cinder getting the full zoo experience, he didn’t want her to be pushed too far.

“Nola, that’s enough,” he said gently, trying not to set Cinder off himself. “We’re just trying to have a good time today, you don’t need to make her feel uncomfortable. We’d appreciate it if you did your job as a tour guide and just left it at that, right, Cinder?”

Nick looked towards the fuming girl and hoped that he’d handled that well enough to keep her pacified for now.

To his relief, she seemed to calm down. As much as was possible for her, anyway. Cinder still looked grumpy though.

“Whatever, it’s not like I care anyway,” she muttered, refusing to make eye contact with Nick. The absolute last thing Cinder wanted right now was for Nick to think it mattered to her one way or the other if she spent any time alone with him.

That would be evidence that she cared. Which was out of the question.

“Alright then!” Nola was the only real winner here, it seemed. She clapped her hands together cheerfully. “One notable fact about giraffes that I think you’ll both enjoy, is the fact that when they compete for mating privileges, the males will slam their necks against one another to show their dominance! And only the victorious males get to mate with the females! Isn’t that so cool and sexy?” The leprechaun asked with a chortle.

Cinder rolled her eyes and made a noise like she was going to throw up.

“I actually had heard about that already,” Nick said. “That must really hurt! Giraffes must have really muscular necks!”

“Guess there’s another difference between you two,” Cinder said sharply, and Nick felt those amber eyes of hers boring holes into him. “Your neck’s looking pretty scrawny.”

She laughed harshly at her own comment, but Nick didn’t let it faze him.

“Well, I’m also not twenty feet tall,” he pointed out. “Is that the other difference you were alluding to, then?”

Cinder stopped laughing and scrunched up her face. It wasn’t so funny when Nick was in on the joke. “What? Alluding? The fuck does that mean?”

“It’s, uh, a way of subtly referring to something,” Nick clarified, scratching his cheek. “You mentioned ‘another’ so I just thought… well, never mind, it’s not that important I guess.”

Cinder’s scowl deepened and her face actually turned a little red, like she was embarrassed. Though Nick couldn’t imagine why.

“That… that wasn’t what I was talking about,” she muttered sulkily, looking away from him.

Nick blinked, wondering for a moment if he should press the issue or not before deciding to just go for it. “Then what did you mean?”

“W-well-!” Cinder gnashed her teeth together for a second and her eyes dodged away from him again before returning to a glare aimed in his direction. “That pink-haired bitch was talking about how giraffes have to compete against one another for mates, and, well… you don’t, so… that’s the difference, I meant, but… forget it!”

No wonder she was embarrassed. Cinder’s impulse control had led her to put her foot in her mouth, something Nick knew quite a lot about.

Nola wasn’t helping matters by the way she doubled over with laughter.

“Bwahahaha!” The leprechaun howled with glee. “That’s just perfect! Ha! You’re right, Nick doesn’t have to compete with other men for mates, that’s YOUR job, Cinder!”

“What?!” Cinder turned towards Nola, looking more alarmed with her outburst than enraged. “What the fuck are you talking about!?”

“Nola…” Nick was wary of the direction this conversation was headed, particularly in regard to Cinder and her views on “mates” and “mating” in general. There was a pretty good chance that she’d be set off completely like this…

And Nola’s smug laughter wasn’t helping. “It’s how the show works,” the leprechaun reminded Cinder through snickers. “You girls are all competing for the affection of the master! Of course, you aren’t slamming your necks together, but still.”

“It’s not a competition,” Nick groaned, even though he knew that the show was very much a competition. “My feelings aren’t something to be fought over. I have enough room in my heart to care about everyone!”

Even as he said that, though, he couldn’t help but remember how much he’d dropped the ball recently in regards to spending time with several of the women in his harem. And by “recently” he really meant “since practically the beginning of the show” as his conversation with Kim yesterday had helped him realize.

Cinder bit her lip and sulked, but remained silent. Nick could feel her staring at him, like somehow this was HIS fault, even though he’d been trying to stand up for her.

Or maybe she just liked being mad at him, even when somebody else was at fault. Honestly, he could believe it.

“Well, if it WAS a competition, then I don’t think Cinder would be placing very highly,” Nola pointed out, frustrating Nick even more. “I mean, she’s not even trying to have a good time!”

“Nola!” Nick exclaimed. What was she doing?! “Cut it out! Cinder and I, well…”

…He didn’t know how to finish that sentence. He looked helplessly over at Cinder for a moment, realizing that whatever he said, it could be the wrong thing.

Not that Cinder seemed to really know what the “right” thing was, either. She was chewing on her lip and her expression was complicated.

Finally, she spoke. In a voice far colder than he was used to from the hotheaded latina.

“So what if I’m not?” She muttered through gritted teeth, glaring daggers at Nola now, instead of at Nick.

Nola blinked. “Mm?”

“I’m no good on a date, fine, I admit it!” Cinder snarled. “So what? I’m trying my best here! …Mostly! It’s not like this was even my fucking idea in the first place! I’m only supposed to be here for Ella’s sake, so why-?!”

She still couldn’t understand what her alter had been thinking. Cinder was trying, she really was. She’d taken over control of her body when Ella vanished somewhere in the back of their mind, and now she was **** to take part in a date she didn’t even want to go on in the first place!

The only reason she was trying so hard was because if she didn’t, all of Ella’s planning and preparation would all be for nothing.

It just wasn’t fair! Why was Cinder stuck in this crappy situation, anyway!? Why couldn’t Ella have just had a nice day with Nick!?

…Why did she have to show up and ruin everything?

Nick could see the trembling fury on Cinder’s face. The way her balled-up fists were shaking, it was clear she was just about at the end of her rope. Nola pointing out how bad of a job she was doing only served to agitate her.

Why is she so upset? That’s what he didn’t understand. Cinder kept talking- loudly- about how little she cared about this date, and had willfully ignored Nick when he tried to connect with her. She must have known that this wasn’t exactly the greatest date of all time, so why did it bother her so much when Nola pointed that out?

…Unless…

“Nola, leave Cinder alone,” Nick said, surprising both girls. They turned their wide eyes towards him, their mouths open.

“Oh?” Nola blinked. “Coming to her rescue? Aww, that’s so sweet!”

“Nobody asked you to butt in!” Cinder snapped, taking it the exact opposite way.

Did Nick care about that? No.

“Nola, Cinder’s trying her best,” he said firmly. “And that’s what’s important. This may not be our first date together, but acting like she should be doing everything perfectly is ridiculous! And besides, who are you to say if she’s failing or not?”

“Eh, well, I mean, her attitude…”

“This is my date,” Nick reminded her. “Well… our date. Ella planned this whole thing out to have a good time, and that’s what I’m trying to do here. So as long as Cinder’s happy with it, then I don’t care if she compares me to a giraffe and laughs at my expense a little.”

“Aww, you’re standing up for her?” Nola giggled. “That’s so sweet!”

“No one asked you to say those grody things, either!” Cinder fumed. Her face was burning red and she locked her teeth together in a tight scowl. “I can stand up for myself, you know! And I know damn well you’re just patronizing me! Pretending like you’re having a good time, when it’s Ella who should have been here, not you!”

“Is that why you’re upset?” Nick asked, turning to look at her.

She flinched at the seriousness of his gaze.

“Wh-what do you mean?” She stammered, taking a step back unconsciously. Nick didn’t miss the fact that he’d gotten her to yield, even if just by one step.

He didn’t push his advantage though, at least not physically. If Cinder needed her space, then Nick would give it to her if he could.

But when it came to his words, well, that was another matter entirely.

“It’s obvious that you think Ella would be better company on this date,” Nick said gently. “And that’s why you’re so angry, isn’t it? Because instead of Ella having a good time, you’re the one who’s stuck with me.”

“She… she’s the one who cares about this sappy romantic stuff, not me!” Cinder snapped. “For whatever reason, she’s fixated on you! And I’m just trying to support her! That… that’s why I agreed to play along with this farce to begin with, but it’s not WORKING!”

Cinder didn’t like dates. She didn’t like anything she wasn’t good at. The whole point of today was for Ella to have fun and get to spend more time with Nick; so they could get to know each other better and be happy together! But it was all going wrong. Cinder… Cinder wasn’t able to do what Ella wanted. She couldn’t endear herself to this guy! Everything Ella had planned was going to waste, and it was all her fault!”

No wonder she was so angry. Nick would be angry too if he was stuck in this situation.

Cinder wasn’t angry at him, or Nola, right now, she was most angry at herself.

“I can have fun on a date with you, too, Cinder,” he said, taking that step closer to her now. She let him, too stunned by his words to even notice. “Before, when you were smiling at the giraffes, I’d never seen you like that. It was like I was getting a glance at a softer side of you.”

“I don’t have a softer side,” Cinder spat at him. But as much as she tried to deny it, Nick knew it was true. She did.

“Ella is your softer side, but she’s also you,” Nick pointed out. “If Ella can be soft and sweet and cheerful, then you can be too, right? Come on, you’re an alternate personality of hers, you don’t have to be constantly angry all the time. You’re two parts of the same person.”

Cinder clenched her teeth and a sound escaped her lips, like a frustrated groan.

“…But it’s better if it’s her…” Cinder’s words were barely above a whisper. She leered down at the ground, shoulders slumped, looking softer and more fragile than Nick had ever seen her before. “That’s the point of her… she’s the one worth caring about… not me…”

Nick winced. “…You don’t believe that,” he said, taking another step closer. Close enough to touch her now. He reached out and placed his hand on her cheek, expecting it to be wet with tears. It wasn’t, but it was soft and warm.

Cinder was tenderer than he’d ever imagined. He tilted her face up and her eyes followed it, looking at him with a gaze that she would have called pathetic if she could see it.

“This isn’t me…” Cinder whimpered out. “I’m not like this… I’m not like Ella. Ella’s the one you should be on a date with, not me. She should have seen the giraffes with you, not me. That’s not what I’m here for… it’s what… it’s what Ella’s for…”

“Well, Ella’s not here right now,” Nick replied. “You are. And I’m not going to just wait around for her to come out again. I had fun with Ella, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun with you, Cinder. You’re the same person. I want to get to know both of you. Can’t you just let me try?”

“…And what, then?” Cinder pulled away from him, and this time he was sure he saw the glitter of tears in her eyes. Even if only briefly. “You expect me to be all sweetness and smiles?” The venom slowly returned to her voice. “Because that’s not fucking me. If you get to know me, you’ll hate me, because I’m not someone who people can like.”

“Rose seems to like you,” Nick pointed out. “And Rose doesn’t like most people.”

“Rose is touched in the head,” Cinder spat.

“…Well, I can’t really argue with that,” he conceded. “But it still doesn’t mean that I can’t have a good time with you, does it? Maybe that’s even what Ella wanted, maybe that’s why she had you take over. So the two of us could have a good time together.”

It was just a hypothesis. Because if Cinder only took over when Ella was stressed out, it didn’t make sense for her to switch while Ella was petting the lion; she’d enjoyed it.

Right now, Cinder seemed like she was just being difficult for the sake of being difficult. And Nick wasn’t sure how to help her through that. It was obvious she didn’t feel like she deserved to go on a date with him- apparently, that was something only Ella was worthy of doing.

Nick still had trouble understanding the complicated feelings Cinder had for him. But he was trying his best. He just had to hope that there was a part of her that could be reached; a part of her that wanted to be reached. He was certain he could see it, in the faint glimmer of her eyes. He just had to draw it out of her.

He knew he could do it if he tried.

And Cinder herself… she seemed completely stunned by his words. As if the possibility had never occurred to her that Ella had actually wanted her to be in control on their date.

It seemed like an affront to everything Cinder held to be true.