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They heard it before they saw it. The comet had a way of sounding its voice faster than anything else. It almost reached Earth's defenses, but Clark caught it in his right hand like a baseball.
One would have thought this was where the episode ended, but to Nicole’s eternal suffering it seemed that this wasn’t the case. No, because it turned out the comet itself was inhabited by aliens with guns?
Nicole didn’t know why they possessed guns if they were aliens, and upon questioning Jecka about it the answer she got was something about them being a very intelligent race. Further questioning led to only answers such as “Shushss” or total ignorance.
So Nicole didn’t chime in about how if Superman wanted to be bullet proof he could simply hold a fish tank, or a pizza in a warming bag over his body, instead of the whole unrealistic idea of him being indestructible.
But Jecka didn’t seem to appreciate her Mythbusters facts as much now as she did when they were bored in class, so Nicole kept her doubts and criticisms to herself.
Afterall she wouldn’t be happy either if Jecka would keep commenting on the idiocy of the experiments performed by Adam and Jamie. She endured the natural smirk or tease but goddammit she’d kick her ass if that ho wouldn’t sit quiet when a new episode came out.
Nicole supposed that at least Jecka was better than Ari when it came to that stuff. Her ex-girlfriend used to sit quietly and watch whatever Nicole would put on in such focus that Nicole would forget the other girl was even there.
Jecka on the other hand would make herself present every other moment. Geez, her comments and acts for attention were more frequent than the ads themselves!
Not that Nicole minded much, for somehow after the episode would end Jecka who wasted most of it on distracting Nicole in one way or another, would somehow get Nicole to explain the whole episodes as if she didn’t just sabotage her own ability to understand them on her own without having to listen to Nicole’s long explanations.
Stretching out further on the couch Nicole wished she hadn’t spent all her money on the perfectly medium-well popcorn and instead got herself enough of Benadryl’s to half-sleep throughout the Smallville. At least Jecka seemed to be enjoying herself.
That was proved by the slight prod of Nicole’s foot against Jecka’s thigh which resulted in complete zero response from the other girl.
Glancing at the clock on the wall Nicole tried then to determine how much time was left until MythBusters came on, but her eyes were caught instead by the calendar hanging on the clock's side.
Shit. It’s the first of April already? Nicole realized. That meant that today was April fools. She could cure her boredom by pulling some prank on Jecka.
But what would it be about? Nicole scrunched her face and stared into the blank space, until a random thought appeared which she impulsively spoke out without a second thought.
“Jecka, I’m in love with you.” She declared, voice normal but with an earnest tone that appeared to not require off her much to fake, “Like, in the lesbian way, and all that shit.”
She watched the other girl go rigid in her seat at the other end of the small couch, before slowly turning her head around until she was facing Nicole.
The utter blank shock on her face was beautifully painted by widely open eyes, a hanging open mouth in a lack of any idea of a response, plus her perfect brows making lines appear on her forehead.
Nicole hadn’t seen her this shocked since like, last month when Nicole revealed she was dating Ari. She had now to hold her laughter and pray not to make a sound as she held her nonchalant face in tact.
“Are you kidding me Nicole?!” Jecka half shouted, flinging herself forward to sit face-to-face with Nicole. Nicole immediately pulled herself up and sat somehow straighter in a sudden mix of confusion and worry.
Nicole felt that maybe this was where the joke was to end, but something in her felt just too curious. “Uhm… no?” She replied instead.
Jecka looked at her closely now, one brow slightly furrowed and the other raised in question. She stared at Nicole like that in silence for a short moment, before her brows fell and a blush overtook her face.
“Uh.. what the hell..” Nicole muttered under her breath, feeling hot on her face as well now.
Jecka simply stared at her, and then to Nicole’s surprise leaned in closer. The world somehow slowed down, as if Nicole wasn’t fully sober.
She could feel Jecka’s breath against her face, and a hand appearing very lightly on her shoulder.
She looked up and down, noticing that she wasn’t the only one to be glancing. It was only them and the silent buzz of the tv in the background and then-
“HOLY SHIT, they’re about to kiss wait-“ Jecka shouted, pushing Nicole suddenly away and hitting her face with her mane of golden hair as her head quickly turned back to the tv.
Nicole, who just got pushed down deep into the couch couldn’t do anything else than in shock stare at the girl above her, and then blink at the tv screen.
“Oh, nevermind, they baited us again, the episode ended.” Jecka spoke up after a moment when the end titles started to roll. Nicole narrowed her eyes.
Jecka turned her head back to face Nicole apologetically, “So, like… You wanna-“
‘MYTHBUSTERS’ The tv rang.
“OH MY GOD,” Nicole jumped up on the couch, completely forgetting her friend, “MYTHBUSTERS! Finally!”
Upon noticing Jecka swiftly moving away back to her side of the couch, only to cross her legs and arms sourly with a big grimace on her face, Nicole stressed. “What the fuck?! You just did the same thing!!”
“I’ve been waiting FIVE SEASONS for them to KISS. Of COURSE I had to do that!” Jecka argued, spreading her arms widely, “You watch MythBusters daily! It doesn’t matter if you miss an episode!”
“Well! But then I would not know if-“ Nicole glanced back at the tv, “if swallowing mentos and cola at once would make my stomach explode!… well never mind I already tried that on Jeffery.”
Jecka’s brows rose as she blinked a few times, “Wait, when did that happen?”
“Oh,” Nicole waved dismissively, “That was that time you got sick and forgot to tell me to skip, and I got stuck with him as my lab partner. I told him that drinking a whole bottle of soda and then popping mentos was attractive and he did it.”
“Holy shit.” Jecka replied, fully losing her tense posture.
“Yeah, I know. Imagine how hard it was for me to spend that class with him.”
“Did he actually explode?” Jecka asked, sitting up cross legged on the couch to face her better.
“Obviously no? Like, he wouldn’t be fucking alive if he did, would he?”
“I don’t know,” Jecka shrugged, “I mean they could’ve stitched him up or something. The health care is pretty much based and made for men mostly.”
Nicole scoffed. “What isn’t?”
Jecka stared off thoughtfully at the wall, “Menstrual products?” She tried.
“We pay for them.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
They sat in a moment of silence.
“But then I made him eat a few bananas and he ended up puking from his nose.” Nicole added with a smirk.
“Ugh, Nicoleeee~” Jecka whined.
“What? If you wanted to see it you should’ve told me to skip. Then I probably would’ve done it another day. Or maybe never, who the fuck knows, butterfly effect shit. So just be glad it happened.”
Jecka furrowed her brows and smiled, “Nicole, are you telling me to be grateful that you haven’t started a butterfly effect that would’ve prevented you from making Jeffery puke in class?”
“Well, yeah, duh.” Nicole scoffed, “Stay grateful and humble, or whatever the fuck your mom would tattoo.”
“Well, that’s hardly romantic.” Jecka deadpanned.
“The butterfly effect, or me mentioning your mother?” Nicole asked.
“Both.”
“Well, then the fuck you’d like me to do?” Nicole questioned, “Make up a whole new butterfly effect that would prevent you from getting sick so you could have witnessed Jeffery puke fountain?”
“Yeah, I guess” Jecka shrugged with a wide smile plastered on her face, “Or you could just make him do it again next Monday.”
Nicole sighed and rolled her eyes, kicking Jecka, “Should’ve just said so. Geez. Then it’s a date.” She joked, before realizing how it sounded.
The whole room went quiet again, and for the life of her Nicole couldn’t focus on the tv as the tension from before arose.
“Since when?” Jecka suddenly asked, scooting back over to sit right next to Nicol.
“The fuck you mean since when?” Nicole responded, trying to ignore how there was nearly basically no space in between them left.
Jecka eyerolled, and then stared intently into Nicole’s eyes. “Since when have you liked me?”
“…Uhm, why?” Nicole tensed under the golden brown stare.
“Well, I want to know how long we’ve been together internally.”
“What…?”
“Just reply first!”
“Okay, okay. Well…” Nicole broke the stare and looked over into the blank space thoughtfully, “I remember when like, I first met you and…”
Jecka broke out into laughter.
“What? What?!” Nicole asked, pushing her slightly away, “The fuck is so funny about this?”
Jecka swiped away a tear from her eye, “You sound so fucking sappy I can’t, come on, be honest! I know you don’t believe in ‘love at first sight’ shit.”
Nicole crossed her arms. “Well, what if it happened anyway?”
Jecka swiped her hair away from her shoulder, “Then I’d be so much honored to be your chosen one, but let’s be honest, most people would fall for me at first sight so that’s nothing new. And you thought I was preppy at first, so it doesn’t match up.” She explained easily.
“Fine okay,” Nicole sighed, and tried to concentrate. This was probably the time to tell Jecka it was a prank, but somehow Nicole didn’t want this- whatever Jecka was looking at her with- to end. So she stared off into space again, concentrating properly, and trying to remember a moment in their friendship that could’ve been ‘it’.
It came as easily to her as the idea itself of the prank did, and Nicole had actually no issue with recalling it with vivid detail in her head.
“It was when we had that math substitute teacher that one time, and you were all moaning about not having smoked even once that day. So we snuck out and went onto the rooftop as soon as he took attendance.” Nicole began.
“I don’t remember that.” Jecka said, furrowing her brows, “And what’s romantic about that even? We smoke together daily.”
“If you shut up maybe you’ll find out.” Nicole scoffed, “So then we sat there and we talked about what type of car crash we would like to die in. Like which would leave us most ‘happy’ or ‘satisfied’. And you said that the best way to go would be to drive off in your parents car, live away in another state for fifty or so years, and then one day just hit a stop sign on the way to Walmart and die.”
“I’m sorry, but how the fuck did my minimalistically-suicidal plan of living came to make you fall in love with me bitch?” Jecka interrupted her, now actually eyeing her as if Nicole had taken something without sharing.
“It’s what you said after!” Nicole argued, feeling herself growing defensive. It was so obvious, wasn’t it? Why was she even trying to prove anything?
“I laughed at you-“
“Go figure,” Jecka rolled her eyes.
“-and asked you what was fun about dying like that.” Nicole kept going, sitting all properly now, “And then you told me ‘Alright then, we can drive off a cliff then instead on our way to Walmart, but I’m choosing the playlist.’”
Jecka looked lost. “Nicole, I really don’t see how this makes any sense-“
“You- goddammit Jecka, you told me that your ‘happiest’ way of dying would be in fifty years with me in your car hanging out together.” Nicole explained animatedly, “You just assumed we would be together at that moment even though every scenario I’ve given you had been about me rolling in the car alone. And even then you kept including me in every scenario that you made up about your ‘idealistic’ departure. Like fuck me if that isn’t…”
At that moment Nicole realized she was breathing kinda quickly. Too fucking quickly. She got all worked up about a stupid made up reason. Blinking, she also realized she was half way standing up, and so with great embarrassment, she sat down.
Jecka was staring at her with wide open eyes, and mouth slightly open.
“The fuck did you need to know that for, anyway” Nicole managed, trying to get a grasp on the weirdly not that amusing now prank.
“Oh!” Jecka jumped in her seat, her hands flying up to smooth over her hair. “I was just trying to check how long we’ve been officially dating internally.”
Nicole’s brows furrowed. “Dating internally- the fuck you mean?”
“Like- like how long we’ve both had a crush on each other this whole time before we confessed.” Jecka explained half nervously, half fake casually, “You know, to count the months of liking each other!”
Nicole stared now with a shock. How long have both of them been crushing on each other? As in plural?? As in-
“So how long?” Nicole asked simply.
“Uhm, like, six months I suppose. Since I’ve liked you a bit before-“
“Bit before?!” Nicole repeated astoundingly.
Jecka shrugged, but averted her gaze. “Well, like since March.”
Nicole blinked, thinking about it. “Wait, what the fuck, but that would mean you’ve liked me for-“
“Eight months.” Jecka eyerolled.
“That’s a ‘bit’?!” Nicole asked in disbelief, but before she could express anymore of her shock she got hit in the face by a pillow. “Hey?!”
“It’s not my fault it’s taken you so long to appreciate my existence. Really, Nicole, even Kyler wouldn’t think twice- well, I suppose he never does so that’s a bad example- but you know what I mean. Honestly are you just sure you shouldn’t attend some of those special classes with Emily again? I think I’m starting to see why you’d benefit from those- hey!!”
Jecka’s monologue was cut short by the pillow hitting her back strongly.
“Oh just shut up.” Nicole mumbled, “I was busy at that time thinking of…” what had she been thinking of? How meaningless is life? About dying? How to get high quickly enough to get through PE with their pedo teacher?
“About what?” Jecka prodded with a sniff, “And it better not be fucking Mrs’s Lynn’s figure.”
“I never stop thinking about that.” Nicole shrugged. “You can’t blame me. I doubt anyone ever could.”
“Yeah yeah, whatever.” Jecka complained, pushing slightly away. But Nicole didn’t miss the smile on her lips.
There was another moment of silence then. A shorter one because Nicole suddenly thought of something.
“So when did you start to like me?” She asked, throwing Jecka visibly off guard with how she quickly turned to look at Nicole again.
“Oh, well. I guess when you told me to go kill myself when I ate the last fries.” She replied dryly.
Nicole kicked Jecka with some force, “Hey now! I’ve just told you mine, why are you pivoting. Also I got you popcorn today.”
Jecka eyerolled but didn't push her leg away. Instead she laid a hand over it lightly. “oh, thank you Nicole. I simply have no idea how I would’ve survived without you as my alpha provider. I bow and kiss your feet for your grand romantic gestures.”
“You’re talking as if I don’t bring us weekly addy’s to counseling. Plus I am romantic since I’ve yet to mention your mother.” Nicole argued, ignoring how Jecka picked at her pants’s loose thread.
“You just did.”
“Semantically, I didn't.”
“So you did learn something in that special class.”
Nicole kicked her again, and this time Jecka pushed her shoulder.
“Okay, okay.” She sighed. “So I guess it was when we had a whole week off school and we held a sleepover, and you told me that if you could do anything that it would be to just sleep next to me for that whole week, I guess.”
Jecka was blushing now, and Nicole was the one left staring blankly.
“Damn, I never realized I actually was romantic.” Nicole muttered after a while, which got her a disapproving look from Jecka.
“No, but I guess that makes sense yeah. I mean I was serious.” Nicole shrugged honestly, “I just somehow always sleep better next to you.”
A silence befell them again. This time it was long enough for confusion to finally overtake Nicole to a greater degree. What was she exactly doing again? This had gotten somehow out of hand, as it usually does, but this time for some reason she was not only pranking Jecka, but also herself? Or at least that’s what had to be happening since it felt so real. How the fuck did she trick herself into this? Why does her chest feel so light and happy about this? Why does being with Jecka right now and talking about this feel so- so-
So what?
“You’re romantic in the worst way possible.” Groaned Jecka with her head in her hands, snapping Nicole out of her thinking.
“What, would you rather have me serenade you under a full moon?” Nicole asked jokingly.
“That’s actually preferable.” Jecka swiftly agreed, “Why don’t you write me a song and play it on your guitar?”
“Jecka what the fuck, no!” Nicole cringed, now feeling embarrassed to death. “That’s ugh. The worst idea ever.”
Jecka shrugged, “Sure, it’s you who is taking me out for a date, so whatever you’ll plan is up to you. But for my birthday I want a song.” She conceded.
“A date?”
“Well, yeah, duh” Jecka went back to snacking on her popcorn, “I’m high maintenance.”
“You- fine.” Nicole sighed. It was too late somehow to go back. Was it even still an April fools prank if they’d go on a date tomorrow? Or does it still count if it’s a prolonged one? Shit, what wouldn’t she give to Google right now. Did it even matter if it wasn’t a prank anymore? It’s not like she really lied about the stuff she said earlier, Nicole realized. They did mean a lot to her, way more than anything else.
A life with Jecka somehow sounded bearable. Not just surviving, but nice. Jecka was nice. That was nothing new, but somehow in Nicole’s head that realization appeared very, very late. Jecka was nice. More than nice. Somehow it was obvious in her body that she’d spend the rest of her life alongside the other girl if she had to live, but for whatever reason she had never given that much thought to it.
“Shit.” Nicole muttered, feeling her head suddenly drown in too many realizations.
“It doesn’t have to be anything fancy Nicole, I was joking.” Jecka laughed and looked at her with so much warmth in her brown eyes. “We could go to McDonald’s and stargaze or something, I liked it when we did it last time. This time let’s not forget to bring a lighter though.”
“No, no it’s not that.” Nicole replied, shaking her head.
Jecka tilted her head questioningly, “Then what is it?”
“I’m like, in love with you.” Nicole replied solemnly.
Jecka laughed lightly, “I’ve heard for the first time.” But despite her smug tone, a blush reappeared.
“No, like, Jecka.” Nicole sat straight up and grabbed the other girl’s shoulders, “I’m like legit in love with you. Like I don’t mind going to PE with you. I wouldn’t mind marrying you, I’d actually want that I suppose.”
Jecka’s face kept turning redder, her expression lost and blank.
“Or living with you. Or whatever you’d want I guess. What I mean is that I really, really like you.” Nicole kept explaining, and added, “I like living when I’m with you.”
“Oh.” Jecka responded, blinking slowly and searching Nicole’s face. “Oh!” She repeated, before covering her face with her hands.
She inhaled deeply, and against her better judgment Nicole kept her hands on Jecka’s shoulder. Just in case of a hurricane or an earthquake.
When Jecka looked up at her, she was still blushing but had a more settled look in her eyes. Still intense, and so so warm that it made Nicole’s stomach turn weirdly, but now also determined.
“I like being alive with you too, Nicole.” She replied softly, “I wouldn’t want to do so without you.” She admitted.
And shit. Nicole knew. She knew it probably wasn’t good, it wasn’t smart or healthy. But how could she care? How could she even speak against it if she knew she had felt the same for ages now?
Nicole didn’t know what they were to do about it, or about this or anything else in life, but she knew what she wanted to do in the present moment.
But before she could, Jecka did it already before her, and by grabbing Nicole’s face softly she closed the distance and kissed her.
When they stopped, they just comfortably sat there, looking at each other in this new found relationship.
“So, like, what day is it tomorrow anyway?” Nicole asked after a long pause, trying to figure out what places were open on the weekend that they could go to on their first ‘date’.
Jecka thought about it, “It’s the seventh of May tomorrow so I guess it’s like Sunday?” She replied.
“Seventh of May?” Nicole repeated slowly.
“Uhm, yeah.” Jecka checked the news channel real quick with a few clicks on the tv remote, “So Sunday. But we don’t have homework for Monday.”
“I thought it was April…?” Nicole asked, her eyes wandering to the calendar on the wall.
Jecka’s gaze followed hers, landing on it. “Oh, nah, that’s like old.” She waved dismissively, leaning away a bit only to sit closer and to lean comfortably against Nicole’s shoulder, “My father doesn’t bother changing it really. But like, geez, Nicole. You’re so out of it. April, pfh.”
“Ohhh.” Nicole responded. “Okay.”
“Why?”
“… there’s a MythBusters marathon soon.”
“You and your fucking MythBusters bitch.”
“I did ignore this episode for you, didn’t I?” Nicole leaned away a bit to look at the other girl.
“Mmm” Jecka hummed, “I guess you did. Fair. But we can watch it only if we pop some pills.”
Nicole turned back to stare at the tv. “You won’t hear me complaining about that.” She replied, even though she would probably make sure she wouldn't get too high in order to actually enjoy the marathon. She could take the extras later to get a nice sleep, she supposed.
Anyway, Nicole’s life happened to gain a whole new distraction from her suffering, which somehow surpassed MythBusters- lord forbid Jecka to ever find out she’s comparing her to that- but if that was true, then maybe Nicole could bother and stay around for a bit longer. A whole ‘bit’ maybe.
“So what did Clark do this time to not get laid?” Nicole asked, and felt the blonde sit up with a new glint to her eyes, “Oh Nicole! If you only have seen what he said to Lois! So it all started when they heard the comet…”