There is no one else can take your place, in my life alone I hide my face

Nick was about to get the perfect opportunity to prove he wasn’t just a doormat who got pushed around by the women in his life, but someone who could take charge and actually get what he wanted out of the situation.

Now, would he be able to properly take advantage of that opportunity?

That was another story.

“Here you are!” Ella was wearing a smile brighter than most Nick had seen from her as she set the omelet down in front of him. It smelled delicious and looked delicious, but his attention was captured by the beaming grin on her face. She looked so happy… after such a difficult start to their date and all the stress Ella had been going through since he met her, he was relieved to see her look so relaxed and at ease for once.

“It’s my special omelet,” Ella informed him, looking at Nick with an expectant gleam in her eye. “Please enjoy! Buen provecho!”

Nick nodded, shaken from his stupor, and dug his fork in. He cut off a piece and popped it into his lips, amazed. “This tastes great!” He managed to keep down his praise until after he swallowed, which was no easy feat.

Ella looked relieved and overjoyed to her that. “I’m so glad you like it,” she gushed as he took another bite. “After last night I thought you wouldn’t like the peppers, so I was kind of worried.”

Staring at the sheepish smile on Ella’s face, Nick stopped chewing as her words sank in. And as he did, something else began to sink in as well. A particular flavor- or more accurately, a sensation- that was quickly making its presence known.

“Ah!” He gasped as he felt the inside of his mouth flair up again. He managed to swallow it down, and fumbled for a glass of milk that Ella had dutifully provided for him. As he tried to wash away the burning sensation in his throat, Ella watched from the side with a gleeful expression on her face.

“Ehehehe… yeah… it’s a little hot…” Ella mumbled, fidgeting with her fingers as she gave him a look that was one part joy and the other part shame. Like she was taking a perverse pleasure in seeing him eat the omelet, while knowing that it was wrong.

Thankfully the heat wasn’t as intense as her meal last night. Nick’s reaction was mainly because he hadn’t expected such a kick so early in the morning.

“I think you did a very good job,” Mary said more objectively, taking a testing bite. Deep in the center of the omelet was where Ella hid her little surprise, and while Mary wasn’t fond of spicy food she was a very good judge of quality.

Ella’s face lit up as she turned to the redhead, addressing her for the first time. “Do… do you really think so?!”

Mary wiped her lips with a napkin and nodded. “The omelet was cooked evenly so the cheese was able to melt in a uniform fashion,” she complemented. “It’s clear that you have a lot of experience.”

Ella bobbed her head up and down. “Heh… I’m glad… I was really nervous…” Her fingers trailed to her wrist while her face glowed red, and she snapped her rubber-band.

“THWAP!”

The loud snap of Ella’s rubber-band brought Nick back to his senses. He winced, but tried to hide his concern. He’d hoped that, after their date yesterday where Ella voluntarily surrendered control to Cinder, that she wouldn’t need to keep using her rubber-band. But it seemed that the issues that the young latina had couldn’t be resolved with just one good date. An unfortunate fact, but one Nick decided not to dwell on.

He was just glad that Ella seemed to be in such a good mood.

“I’m… really glad you liked it,” Ella said, turning to look at Nick. She scratched her cheek and snapped her rubber-band again. “I’m sorry… I made it spicy as a surprise…”

“It’s fine,” he assured her, not wanting to give her any reason to worry. “I don’t have an issue with spicy food. It just caught me off-guard, that’s all.”

Ella sighed in relief. “I knew I shouldn’t have,” she confessed. “I wanted to just make you an omelet… …But all morning while I was doing my prep work, I just kept thinking about your reaction yesterday, and I thought that it was so cute seeing you like…”

Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened as if she was just now realizing what she was saying. Shaking her head swiftly she grabbed her rubber-band and gave it three good snaps in a row. “Thwap! Thwap! THWAP!”

“J-j-juh-just f-forget about that!” Ella stammered frantically, waving her hands at him as her face burned hotter than her omelets did. “I-I was just talking to myself!”

She snapped her rubber-band again.

“It’s alright,” Mary coaxed her. “Come on, sit down, have some yourself. You did a really good job on this, you should get to enjoy some too.”

Ella relaxed a little at Mary’s gentle words, much to Nick’s relief. He knew Ella could occasionally say something without thinking, and he was glad that Mary had been able to contain her little freak-out without Cinder popping in to shield her other self from the emotional backlash.

“Y-yeah, that’s what I’ll do…” Ella mumbled, pulling up a chair and sitting down. She kept her eyes focused forward, like she was making a conscious effort not to look at Nick. And all the while her fingers twitched, like she was trying to resist the urge to snap her rubber-band.

Ella kept mumbling as she took a bite of her omelet.

“How is it? Good, right?” Mary said with a smile.

“Yeah… it is…” Ella nodded timidly. She was smiling, a little, trying to accept Mary’s courteous words, but it was clear she thought something was wrong.

“Is everything okay?” Nick asked gingerly, knowing that this was a difficult topic to bring up; navigating Ella’s emotional state was tricky even when she was happy.

Case in point, the way she jumped when he spoke to her and the startled way her eyes snapped over to him like her rubber-band.

“I-! No, it’s fine! Really, I like it!” Ella bit into the omelet again, chewing it furiously. Her stomach rumbled with hunger at her first real taste of food today, and she had to fight back the urge to just rip into it like one of those lions from their date. “It’s just… I thought it would be spicier than this, that’s all…”

Mary and Nick were both surprised to hear that. Given the way Ella had reacted last night, Nick would have thought that she didn’t like spicy food that much herself. But she was disappointed that it was only a little spicy? That was weird…

Then he felt her eyes flicker over to him again.

Wait, is she disappointed because she doesn’t like mild food? Or is it because she was hoping it would be spicier for me? Nick remembered the giddy expression on her face last night when he was practically **** on the dinner she’d made for him. It had really helped her loosen up, and she’d clearly enjoyed herself.

Was there a little bit of a prankster hidden behind the shy girl in front of him? …Well, that was a dumb question, in a lot of ways, there was a whole other woman hidden behind the shy façade of Ella. He wondered if this was Cinder’s influence at work.

Ultimately though, Nick decided it was better to not push the topic, and resolved instead to just enjoy the breakfast for what it was.

“Um… I’ll… I’ll be going, now,” Ella murmured, standing in the doorway. She looked up at Nick with an expression he still couldn’t read; a troubled longing that made his heart ache a little. She clearly wanted to spend more time with him, but she also understood that she couldn’t. He had obligations to other girls, after all, and between Ella and Cinder she’d gotten more than her fair share for this round.

Still… there was a gleam of selfishness in her gaze that he couldn’t help admire a little. He understood where she was coming from, to some degree.

“Thank you, Ella,” Nick said genuinely.

Ella jumped. “Eh? F-for breakfast? No, of course! Mary looked so comfortable sleeping I didn’t want to wake her, and meanwhile I don’t sleep very well myself, so I was already up, and I-I wanted you to try some more of my cooking, so of course I, um, uh…”

She was babbling and she didn’t like it. Her hand fumbled for her rubber-band and she prepared to snap herself back to stability when Nick interjected.

“No, not just for the omelet,” he hastily clarified. “I meant the date! Thank you for going out with me, I really had a lot of fun.”

Ella let out a sigh of relief and relaxed slightly. She gave him a slow nod and a dewy look that he appreciated.

“Yeah, um… yeah…” That was really all she had to say at this point. “It… it was really fun.”

She hoisted up her bag. “And I got… souvenirs for everybody, so… yeah…”

“That is definitely a good thing,” Nick agreed with a nod, laughing awkwardly himself.

They’d been about to part on a lovely note, but now an uncomfortable air hung between them. Not awfully so, of course, just a bit of awkwardness that neither had been anticipating.

Then Ella burst out laughing. It was a high-pitched, tinny laugh that made Nick’s heart wriggle in surprise.

“Sorry… I can’t even end a date properly,” she fussed, playing with her bangs as she lowered her head bashfully. “I really had a good time, but… now it’s all messed up…”

She peered up at him hopefully, almost like she was pleading with him to say otherwise, to tell her that nothing had been messed up.

“I think this is the perfect note to end on, actually,” Nick said, much to the flustered girl’s surprise.

Ella’s eyes widened. “You… you do?” She asked hesitantly. “…Why?”

“Well, our date was full of awkward moments and uncomfortable pauses,” Nick pointed out. “And we still had fun regardless, right? So maybe that’s the secret, embracing that things are going to be awkward between us sometimes, and not letting that bother us?”

It was tenuous logic, sure, but he felt like anything else he said would just validate one of her issues. If he said it wasn’t awkward, she’d guess he was lying, and if he said he didn’t mind the awkwardness, she’d still suspect he wasn’t being honest.

By acknowledging it and making it a joke, he hoped to remove the weight behind the notion of “awkwardness” altogether.

And judging by her flustered, confused, and slightly pleased reaction, he had succeeded.

“Um… okay then,” Ella said after a momentary pause, nodding slowly. “I’ll be going, then…”

She turned to go before looking back at him, and bit her lip. Clearly wanting to say something else she reached down, and snapped her rubber-band. “Thwap!”

“I-! I hope… I hope our next date is fun, too,” Ella said. Internally, she could practically hear Cinder’s voice cursing her for being a coward. She should have just said what she really wanted to say! But it was too late now. She was already scurrying off to the safety of the elevator, where she could finally unwind after a long and stressful-

Ella jumped when she saw Nick step onto the elevator with her. She recoiled from him, her mouth falling open and her eyes bulging behind her bangs as she stared questioningly at him.

“What!? Nick, wh-what!?” Ella spun her head around, looking from him to the doorway of the Master’s Suite, where Mary was waving. “Why are you-?!”

Nick blushed. “Sorry, uh… I know we just said goodbye, but I actually have business of my own downstairs, so…”

Ella fumed at him. He could see a bit of Cinder in her glare, though it was a uniquely Ella expression in her pouting cuteness.

“So if you knew you were coming down with me, why did you make me say all that stuff?!” She demanded. “I thought-! …Never mind…”

Too exhausted and self-conscious to press him, Ella just slumped her shoulders and let out a resigned sigh.

“Sorry,” Nick apologized, seeing that his little joke hadn’t gone over the way he hoped. “I was just trying to get you back. You know, for sneaking peppers into that omelet?”

So much for a playful, teasing relationship.

“I was just having some fun,” Ella continued to sulk, uncrossing and recrossing her arms over her chest as she struggled to get comfortable. “You didn’t have to get me back.”

Well, that didn’t exactly sound fair. But Nick held off on commenting, deciding instead that it was better to just embrace Ella as she was.

“I’ll keep that in mind next time,” he promised.

That got her to soften her expression. “W-well…” Ella started fidgeting with her rubber-band again. “It’s not like… it’s not like it’s that big of a deal,” she mumbled. The last thing she wanted was for Nick to feel like he couldn’t relax or be comfortable around her. She knew how bad that could feel.

Nick was just grateful to see her taking it in stride. The elevator dinged, opening up to the lounge. Ella stepped forward, but she paused in the doorway and looked back at him expectantly.

“Aren’t you… getting off?” She questioned. It wasn’t like Nick was headed to the Banquet Hall or something, he’d already gotten his breakfast. And Ella knew he couldn’t still be hungry, because they’d eaten the same amount of food, and for once she wasn’t hungry! So no way Nick could be!

Nick shook his head. “I’m not going to someone’s room,” he said, answering the question Ella had been too shy to ask. “I have business in another part of the hotel, actually.”

Ella’s eyes widened and she looked curiously at him. But it wasn’t in her nature to pry so she just hugged her bag to her chest and nodded slowly. “Well… okay…”

Another tense silence filled the air as Ella stood for an eternity halfway inside the elevator, keeping the doors from separating them.

This is my chance… yeah… my chance… to say it… right? Ella swallowed, fumbling with her rubber-band. But she couldn’t snap it properly with her bag full of plushies in her arms.

She had to say what she’d chickened out of say before. She needed to tell him…

“Nick!” She blurted out, making Nick jump. He’d been waiting for her to say something (why else would she have just been standing there?) but he hadn’t expected it to be so… forceful.

The look in her eyes was firm with conviction, a look he’d seen many times on Cinder’s face but was glad to be seeing from Ella.

“You… you have to… you have to keep your promise!” Ella said firmly.

For a second, Nick wasn’t sure what she was talking about, and his expression said as much. So she clarified.

“Your promise about Cinder,” she reminded him. “About how you’re going… going to… um…”

She chewed on her lip and gave him a pleading stare, hoping he wouldn’t make her say it. Then, to her relief, she saw his eyes widen and his face turn red.

That was enough confirmation for her. He got it.

“Right, uh… yeah,” Nick nodded, remembering the passionate kiss (or more like series of kisses) he’d received from the overstimulated girl back the zoo. He’d promised them both that whatever he did with one side of her, he’d do with the other, and Ella was clearly holding him to that.

It would be a little stressful though, trying to get a kiss from Cinder. He imagined she might put up a bit of a fight, so he had that to expect…

“I’ll be… looking forward to it,” Ella said meaningfully, giving him another deep look. There was a flash of playfulness in her eyes and Nick realized she was enjoying the thought of Cinder getting all hot and bothered at him from the kiss.

Yeah, there was definitely more to Ella than what he saw on the surface, and that wasn’t even accounting for Cinder.

Nick couldn’t help but smile at the insinuation in her gaze, and he nodded. “I’ll do my best,” he assured her, hoping that would be enough.

Satisfied, Ella nodded, and took a step back. She didn’t take her eyes off of him right up until the elevator doors closed, savoring every moment she had to look at him.

When he was finally gone, and all she had to look at was the numbers counting down above her as Nick got further and further away from her, she let out a sigh of relief and tightened her grip on the bag.

“It’s over,” she mumbled to herself, finally letting herself relax… or at least trying to. “I made it through…”

She turned and headed back to her room, wishing she could fall asleep with how mentally exhausted she was.

In the back of her mind, she wondered what Nick’s special business was, and why he was heading out so early. Most of the others probably hadn’t even gotten up to get breakfast yet!

Ella wasn’t wrong, most of the women in the hotel were still asleep in their beds, having not gotten their day started yet. But there was a certain someone who almost always started her day off nice and early, and she was waiting for Nick.

“Hey! You actually showed up!” Dani said with a grin, standing at the entrance to the Gym to greet Nick as he stepped out of the elevator.

Nick scratched his head sheepishly. “Well… I promised, didn’t I? That I’d start taking this whole working out thing more seriously?”

Dani nodded to him. “Well, I’m glad to hear it,” she said, smiling. “How was your date, by the way? Cinder and Ella didn’t give you too much trouble, did they? …Did she?” Dani still wasn’t sure how best to refer to the emotionally-fragmented girl.

Nick shook his head. He wasn’t about to get into the specifics of the date, but he was able to inform her that, at least, it had gone well.

“We had fun,” he murmured wistfully. “I’m glad I took the time to get to know her.”

Dani nodded in approval. “That’s what I like to hear!” She crowed, slapping him on the back. “Now, let’s get to it! We gotta hurry if we want to get you ready for your next date in time!”

Nick nodded as Morgana’s face flashed through his mind. Yeah, he had a lot of work to do today. It was tough, making sure he took care of everything in the short time he had.