I ain't nothing but tired, man, I'm just tired and bored with myself

Nick was surprised how time seemed to fly by when having fun. After the incident with the glitches and the runaway animatronics, Andy had been very hands-off, and allowed the two of them to freely explore the park without interference. Once Gina finally, stubbornly, made it to the top of the climbing wall, she was in a much better mood, and began enthusiastically showing Nick all around Andyland to check out more fun things they could do.

If he’d thought she was creative before, he was certain of it now. Gina had all sorts of wacky, crazy ideas that Nick couldn’t help but be impressed by, and he felt all the more confident that, when they finally got away from this show and returned to the real world, she had a real future ahead of her with attainable goals. She just needed to think about what she actually wanted.

He could acknowledge- this was easier said than done. But he still believed in Gina and what she was capable of.

“I know what we should do next!” Gina clapped her hands together. “Let’s go, um…”

Even her creativity had limits. They’d already explored just about everything that she’d come up with on the fly, from the obstacle course made out of oversized building blocks to the bouncy pit filled with stuffed animals instead of rubber balls.

But she had to come up with something else! They couldn’t just end things here, they could, no, no way in hell!

Gina’s eyes landed on Nick, and he saw the flicker of desperation in her gaze. That was when he knew that he needed to take control of the situation and express himself for a change.

“Gina, actually, I’m getting pretty hungry,” he told her. Running all over the park had really been murder on his stomach, and his energy was flagging. “Do you think we could, uh, I don’t know, get a bite to eat or something?”

A look of despair crossed Gina’s face and she averted her eyes. “No, but… …Nick…”

She looked sadly at him, not sure what to say in response. Gina… Gina didn’t want to go eat just yet, even though she was even hungrier than he was.

Because if they got dinner, that meant that their date was almost over. It would be coming to an end before they knew it.

And… Gina didn’t want to end things yet. She was having fun.

Nick could see that she was hesitant, and he suspected that was the case.

“…Is it really okay to just… end it here?” Gina’s shoulders sagged in disappointment. “Aren’t you having fun?”

“Of course I’m having fun,” Nick replied without hesitation. “Gina, today has been great! But… we can’t stay here forever, you know.”

“I know, I’m not an idiot,” Gina pouted. Her eyes flashed into a glare aimed at him. “Obviously we can’t stay here forever… I just… I…”

Gina just didn’t want to end it NOW.

Why would she? After all… everything that she and Nick had done so far… when would they have a chance to do all that stuff again?

Maybe never.

“Gina…” Nick’s heart went out to her, it really did. He’d heard how she expressed herself to him, and he knew the fears that she’d confided in him. None of that was a secret.

But…

“We’ll have other dates in the future,” Nick said, taking her hand in his and giving it a squeeze. “And we’ll enjoy those, too, just as much as we enjoyed today.”

A small smile touched Gina’s lips and her heart lightened slightly. “You… do you really mean that?” She asked, looking hopefully at him.

Nick froze.

…How could she ask him a question like that?

It sounded like she thought he was just trying to mollify her, to make her feel better.

Did… did Gina really believe that this was some flash-in-the-pan thing? That Nick wouldn’t want to spend more time with her like this, on dates?

“…Of course I mean that,” Nick said from the bottom of his heart, giving her hand another squeeze in the hope of reassuring her. “Gina… I like spending time with you! Today was definitely not what I expected, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything! And I’m not just talking about the fun, creative ideas, either, I’m talking about being here with you, Gina, that was the best part of this whole thing! That I got to see your creativity up close and personal, and see how much you enjoyed sharing your creations with me! It was the best!”

Gina had to believe him. She just had to! He didn’t know what else he could say that might convince her of his sincerity!

And, much to his relief, it looked like she did. Her heart wavered for just a moment, but she kept staring at him, her gaze loaded with belief that what he was saying… was the truth.

And that was the sort of expression he wanted from her. He wanted her to believe him, and, hopefully, in the future, she would believe him without him even having to reassure her.

If that happened… then maybe Gina would finally be able to move past her poor self-esteem and start really internalizing that she was deserving of being cherished.

A guy could hope… right?

Gina’s face was a vision of gratitude, and he felt her squeeze his hand back. “…Yeah,” she said finally, giving Nick a slight nod. “You’re right, Nick. I… I should think of something fun we can do next time,” she agreed.

That warmed Nick’s heart to hear.

“Next time.”

Gina… Gina wanted there to be a next time. Even better than that, she was genuinely looking forward to “next time”!

That was what he wanted to hear.

“Yeah,” he said, nodding, and squeezed her hand back. “So, for now… let’s just go and get something to eat, okay?” He rubbed his stomach. “I’m kind of starving, here.”

Gina sputtered out a giggle and nodded in agreement. “Yeah,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “I’m kind of starving, too.”

With that, the two of them looked into each other’s eyes and set out to go figure out how the rest of their evening would go. They would need to get some food, and Nick was happy to cater to Gina’s tastes… so long as it didn’t involve strange ice cream flavors.

If he had his way, he wouldn’t deal with that nonsense again.

“What about pizza?” Gina asked as they navigated the black stone paths. “Everybody loves pizza, and the pizza bar is one of the best features of Andyland!”

“Sure thing,” Nick agreed. “I could go for some pizza!”

Gina’s eyes sparkled with delight. “You won’t regret it,” she vowed, shaking her head. “The pizza they got here? It’s delicious! Believe me! And you can put anything you want on top of it! Olives, bacon, sausage, pineapple, even pickles or cucumbers! Doesn’t that sound amazing!?”

Pickles on a pizza? Yeah, Nick definitely wasn’t getting that. But he went along with the rest of Gina’s idea, and they headed to the pizza place.

Gina was just as creative as he imagined. When picking out toppings, she selected some stuff that Nick had never even heard of, and was half-convinced that she’d just made up on the spot. But it was real enough to put on a pizza, at least.

In comparison, he had a far more modest order and stuck to tradition. Barbecue chicken pizza, with mushrooms, olives, and red onions. He’d refrained from getting the pineapple, in spite of Gina’s consistent pressure.

“I’m telling you, Nick, you really should have gotten the seared corn on your pizza,” Gina said, taking a bite of her first slice. Tiny little yellow corn pellets trickled off of it like raindrops with each bite. “I know it sounds weird, but trust me, the sweetness of the corn is just great!”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Nick said, enjoying his far more normal pizza in comparison. It wasn’t that he had an issue with Gina’s tastebuds, but he wanted to get something that he knew he was going to enjoy, and he definitely did.

“Maybe I could ask Mary to show me how to make a pizza,” Gina considered thoughtfully. “It could add it to my repertoire. And maybe, someday, I could open my own pizza place! I mean, I’m Italian or whatever, so that’s, like, 90% of the work, right?”

“…Sure, I guess you could say that,” Nick evenly replied, not sure how else to respond to her proposal. “As long as you find something you like, I’m not going to object.”

“Of course you won’t,” Gina said, half-pouting. “You’re too nice to do something like that, Nick!”

He wasn’t really sure how he was supposed to respond to that statement. He just looked at her uneasily, and forced a smile to his lips. “Well… okay, then…”

“Sorry, did that sound bitchy?” Gina sighed and hung her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like a bitch to you, Nick. It’s just… sometimes, positivity is a good thing, right? But I need some harsh truths, too!”

It was unusual for Gina to ask for something like that. Nick wasn’t really sure what he was supposed to make of it. He just looked at her curiously as she reasoned out her feelings, all the while chowing down on her pizza.

“If you just tell me ‘Yes, Gina, you can do that!’ then I’m never going to get an actionable advice,” Gina said. “It’s like when adults say ‘You can be anything you want to be!’ they don’t really mean that. I mean, come on, Nick, do you think I could be an astronaut if I wanted to?”

Gina was an adult now. She needed some grounding. Nick opened his mouth to reply, but words didn’t pass his lips.

“Well…”

“Oh, come on!” Gina rolled her eyes and groaned in exasperation. She almost smiled. “You’re not serious!” She shook her head. “Come on, Nick.”

“…Okay, you’re right,” Nick conceded. “You can’t be ANYTHING. I think an astronaut would probably be pushing it a bit.”

He just didn’t want to discourage Gina. But… maybe that was the problem. Maybe Gina wanted him to tell her “NO” once in a while.

…Actually, judging by her behavior when they were in bed sometimes, it was possible that she liked being told “NO” by Nick.

…

Yeah, he wasn’t going to think about things in that context, given the situation. This wasn’t some fetish stuff, this was about Gina’s self-esteem and her future.

“…You’re right, maybe I went a little too far the other way,” Nick conceded, looking Gina in the eye. “I didn’t mean to, well…”

How could he describe it?

“Toxic positivity?”

No, that didn’t seem correct…

“…I just want to be treated like an adult, Nick,” Gina said quietly. “…Well, provisionally, anyway.” She was well aware that she had a lot of maturing left to do. “I just mean, uh… …I don’t want you to coddle me, like I’m some brat who needs to be given a participation trophy!”

Gina knew that she’d made a serious mess of her life, and that she’d dug herself into a pit that she might not be able to dig herself out of until her forties.

She didn’t need someone filling her head with false hope. She needed to actually handle things and move forward.

“…I really love your mom,” she admitted. “Err, I mean, you stepmom. Amelia. You know. Her.”

“Really?” Nick had been surprised by how close Gina and Amelia had gotten, given how things had started off. He’d expected Gina to be hesitant about her presence as an authority, but the two of them seemed to get along fairly well.

“She tells it like it is, just like me,” Gina said, flashing him a toothy smile.

“Oh, yeah, you’re practically the same person.” Nick didn’t mean to be so sarcastic like that. It had just kind of slipped out. His face burned and he quickly averted his eyes. “Sorry, I, uh, didn’t mean-”

“No, it’s fine,” Gina said, shaking her head. She looked at him with an amused grin on her face. “Trust me, Nick, there’s no need to get all worried about stuff that doesn’t even matter.”

She took her hand back from his and stretched both arms over her head. “I just want to be able to stand on my own two feet, you know? And not have my hand held like a child.”

Nick sheepishly returned his hand to his lap. “S-sorry,” he mumbled out, his face reddening. “I didn’t mean to… well… …You know…”

“No, no, Nick, it’s fine,” Gina assured him. She shook her head. “Really! It’s fine. I’m not saying you were doing that, or anything. Just, well… in the future, you know? …I don’t like that sort of stuff,” she explained.

Gina didn’t want to be babied. And while that wasn’t what Nick was doing, she was afraid it could lead down that route.

“I can’t be an astronaut, or a physicist, or a professional athlete, or any of that crap, and I don’t want to, either.” Gina’s expression turned serious. “So, you don’t have to encourage every crazy idea I have, alright?”

“You’re right, and I’ll try not to do that anymore,” Nick agreed. He’d been trying to spare her feelings with his support, but if she didn’t want that, he’d stop. “…But maybe you could make it as a pizza chef, Gina. If you keep up the good work you’re doing with Mary, I mean.”

A lopsided grin stretched up Gina’s face. “You really think so?” She asked. “You’re not just saying that, Nick?”

He shook his head. “I’m not just saying that,” he assured her.

This time, Gina believed him. “…Well, alright, then,” she nodded. “I mean, it was just a passing thought, anyway, I probably won’t do something like that, but hey- just knowing you believe in my cooking is good enough!”

“Your pasta tasted delicious,” Nick was happy to inform her. “I’m sure Mary told you the same thing. Keep this up, and-”

“-And I’ll be as good a cook as her?” Gina finished for him. A shadow crossed over her face. “Nick…”

“That wasn’t what I was going to say,” Nick quickly replied, shaking his head. “I just meant…”

“It’s fine. That isn’t my ambition, anyway.” Gina’s voice took a sorrowful turn, and Nick winced.

“Gina…”

“I’m glad you like my cooking, Nick,” she said, her face brightening. “It’s something that I can do that isn’t… making a mess out of everything.”

Except when she and Dani butted heads. But even then…

“…Gina, can I be honest with you?” Nick asked.

She hesitated, but only for a moment. This was what she wanted, right? For Nick to be honest with her, to not coddle her for her own good?

Gina nodded. “Yeah… go ahead,” she said quietly.

“I think… that you have a really huge drive to create,” Nick told her, leaning forward and looking into her stunned eyes. “I know that sounds crazy to you, probably, but just look at this place. And look at that pizza you made for yourself,” he added, gesturing to the slice of pizza covered with more toppings than he could identify. “Gina, it’s obvious that you love making things. I’m surprised I didn’t see it before, if I’m honest.”

“It’s, uh… not… not something I’ve really had much of a chance to explore,” Gina stammered out. She hadn’t even realized herself until Nick said it out loud, but…

He was right. There was something about making things, and expressing herself through the things she made, that just… spoke to Gina in a way that she couldn’t describe.

“…Do you think it’s… my previous interest in music, maybe?” Gina asked. “Like, maybe I’m trying to fill a hole that music left in me, with cooking, and designing amusement parks?”

Nick thought it was more complicated than that, but hey- he wasn’t going to say she was wrong. “It could be,” he shrugged. “I don’t know, if I’m being honest.”

Gina sighed. “Yeah, I guess that figures,” she murmured, nodding mournfully to him. “But hey, thanks for putting all this stuff into context, Nick, it really means a lot!”

She’d never thought about going into a creative field. But, now that the idea had been put out there… maybe she should.

“…Problem is, I make such a huge mess out of everything I touch,” she pointed out with a sigh, shaking her head. “Oh, well…”

“But maybe that’s part of the reason you’re so motivated,” Nick considered. “I mean, think about it. You’ve got stuff that’s important to you, Gina, and it’s obvious. But, those feelings… They aren’t the easiest things to explore, are they?”

Gina bit her lip and shook her head. “No, I guess they’re not,” she admitted.

Nick was glad she was being open and honest with him. It really meant a lot. “Gina, I think that you’ve… well…”

This next part was hard for him to say, but he had to get it out. “…You’ve destroyed things a lot in your past, haven’t you?” He quietly asked her, already knowing what the answer to his question would be.

The pained look that stretched across her face was answer enough, as well.

“…Yeah,” she mumbled out, nodding solemnly. “I have…”

It hurt to see her in pain like that. But Nick had to push through it, for both of their sakes. “Well, that’s the issue, then,” he said softly. “Maybe the reason that you’re trying to create is to make up for all that. Now that you’re finally in a position where you actually CAN create without having to worry about destroying things.”

Gina finally had a safety net in Nick and the other girls in Nick’s harem. It wasn’t much, and sometimes she butted heads with them, but it was still a safety net, and one that she was well aware of.

“I… maybe you’re right,” she said finally, nodding. She looked at Nick with renewed interest, like she’d never thought about his position before. “…Thanks, Nick. That… that really might be it…”

There were still a lot of things that Gina needed to consider and explore about herself. But they would keep. Right now, she was just happy that Nick was here, with her, and she wanted to show him just how happy she was.

So, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips before he could say anything. Nick just stared at her in wide-eyed surprise.