swallow the sea [open!]

[NIKKOS MIGUEL SANCHEZ]

[Song title from "Swallow the Sea" by Matthew Perryman Jones. Link here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3qjd7T8Zrg&feature=related ]

Nikkos watched a few children playing in the yard of the Dragonfly Inn, as he sat on a swing on the verandah. He found the atmosphere of this late afternoon that was turning into early evening relaxing and peaceful; it was the end of another beautiful day of hard work. A smile appeared on his lips, something that wasn't rare for recently returned native of Cresting Grove.

He had spent the entirety of that day working at his place of work, finishing up the remodeling on the building. It would officially open tomorrow as a doctor's office. Nikkos figured it would probably do very well because the next closest doctor's office was nearly thirty miles away since Dr Winston had passed away last year, and Dr Winston's office had been nearly ten miles away from the center of Cresting Grove.

There had been doubts in his mind when he first decided to move back to his hometown, but in the last two weeks he had been here, he knew it had been the right decision. Nikkos had been living in southern California for the last several years, having gone to college there to become a doctor, and staying there after he graduated with his now fiancee, Nora Thomas. Another smile came to his face at the thought of Nora, and he took a another bite of his mint chocolate chip ice cream She really was the kindest and sweetest woman he knew.

The smile lessened as the biggest doubt he had had about moving back to Cresting Grove came to the forefront of his mind. He had been 20 years old and very much in love with a girl not named Nora. Nikkos had been ready to give up his dreams of being a doctor so that he could stay with her...and then she had broken his heart. He had worried that in such a small town, he would eventually run into her...but he hadn't seen her at all. Nikkos wondered if she had moved, but no one in his family would talk about her.

His gaze moved to the children in the yard again as they tossed a Frisbee amoung themselves. The oldest couldn't be older than 10 or 11. He chuckled at their expressions, bright and excited. There was a sort of innocent and naivety about them that most, if not all, of them would lose in a few years, but for now, they were free in their ignorance.

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

outfit
Hope always had a hard time coping with the fact she was actually back in Cresting Grove. Yeah she had moved back for over a year but it was the little things that still hit her. Like the fact that Mr. Jonas still gave free pie to students on Fridays for the heck of it. Or that from 9 to 12 every day there was this silence that fell over the streets because either people were in school, working, shopping but walking around like church mice. It was the little things that made Hope sigh as she stared out the large pane windows of her store.

She held a ceramic mug in her hands filled with coffee and the stain of her lipstick on the brim. Hope watched people walk by her store as she thought of the years when she was just another passerby. When she didn't have to worry about the bills or if her grandparents were going to drop dead at any given moment. Instead she worried about getting in trouble with whoever she could. It was the best years of her life without family on her back holding her down. Or maybe the worst because she didn't care about the things that now made her life so much more beautiful.

High school was as fun as she could make it for the first two years because frankly by that point she was done with Cresting Grove. Before high school she was enjoying the quaint life of CG because everyone knew everyone. The entire town was supporting her as she bravely left NYC to come join her grandparents on her own. But by high school she was getting sick of how small the town actually was. Every person in town knew her name and her business...so why not give them something to talk about? By junior year she was pretty much doing whatever she wanted while managing to to keep up her grades, a feet she would tell her kids about. Of course when telling her tales she would have to include an integral character of her story. Nikko Sanchez.

It was more like the Nikko Sanchez from the things they did. Nikko had been her best friend for what it seemed like since birth but in actuality it was only from middle school on. Along with her grandparents he bought her a new backbone she never had before. Throughout the years of their friendship he was always constant and they both spoke over the phone regardless of their current location. It was magic when they were together and finally after years they were in the same state, same town once again. That was why she closed the shop early to make her way to the location of his new practice. She could only imagine the nerves building themselves up like Lego's in his stomach. He had much more on his back than she did when she took over the bookstore. He had to think about his fiance, how well his practice would do, the future of his children, and so many other things she hadn't even begun to think of.

Hope left the shop as she made her way on foot to the Dragonfly Inn. The town, thankfully, was small enough that everything was in walking distance. She was in that mood that made her avoid eye contact with anyone. That mood that made her simply want to leave town once and for all because every face she passed was one she recognized. She hated it. And yet next week she would probably appreciate it.

Passing by a flower shop she stopped in to buy a balloon that simply read, 'Congratulations'. She knew he would find it amusing because it was the most random 'gift' she could get him without spending too much money. That was kind of her thing since they're first holiday as friends. She liked buying two gifts for him; one that made him laugh and the other he would keep forever. This one was simply to make him smile if he was having a hard time. Hopefully he wasn't but she liked to prep for the worst. Hope was often the one to worry too much about Nikko to the point of him having to shake her and tell her he was alright.

Hope finally saw the sign for the inn up ahead after she took a left on Dayton Drive. A smile spread across her lips as she noticed Nikko watch the children play in the park. She knew he always wanted children and she thought he would be the best father but did she really want to loose him to yet another person? His fiance had already taken so much of his time that she literally had to close the shop early to see him. At least she got to see him. "Nix," she called out to him as she walked nearer. Hope walked up to the verandah and sat down next to him. "You know...if I didn't know you I would call you a perv for watching little kids while eating mint chip ice cream," she told him with a laugh. Hope leaned over and kissed him on the cheek as a hello before placing her bag next to her, leaning back into her seat. "How are you doing?" she asked him, her green-blue orbs scanning over his face.

STATUS # doneee
FEATURING # nikko sanchez
WORD COUNT # NINE-TWENTY-ONE
NOTES # yaaay friends
CREDIT # IRONICALLIZE_IT @ CAUTION 2.0

[NIKKOS MIGUEL SANCHEZ]

Nikkos watched the children with a relaxed, contented expression. He closed his eyes and smiled, listening to their shouts and cheers. He could imagine that, one day, he would have several children, and they would spend their spring evenings just like these children were. A little girl, maybe, with his dark hair and Nora's button nose. A boy with his charm and charisma, but with his mother's enduring kindness and compassion in all things. Maybe another girl with his intelligence and Nora's piercing blue eyes. Any child with Nora's eyes could ask him for the world, and he would have to find some way to get it for her. He knew this because it was the same thing with the would-be daughter's mother, Nora.

His eyes opened, and he let out a small chuckle. Nikkos was sure that any children he had with Nora would be just as much individuals as they would be similar to himself. For example, they would probably detest mint chocolate chip and coconut ice cream (Nikkos' and Nora's favorites) and instead like something totally different. His lips turned upwards in an amused smirk at the thought of the different types of ice cream he would have to stock in the fridge.

His thoughts were interrupted by a feminine voice calling him by the name 'Nix', and he turned his attention to the woman who had been his best friend for many, many years. Nikkos let out a loud guffaw as she accused him of being a pervert and gave him a kiss on the cheek; he replied by giving her a tight side hug and giving her a kiss on her temple. "If I'm a pervert by watching children, what does that make you since you were watching me watch children?" he inquired, wiggling his dark eyebrows playfully.

He kept his arm on the back of the swing, his attention successfully diverted from the children playing to his friend. At her question, he smiled wistfully. "I'm doing alright, all things considered. This place has a lot of memories....," Nikkos answered, an unbidden image of Lily coming forefront to his mind. The pain Lily had left him with had lessened over the years, but it had never truly gone away. Absent-mindedly, his hazel eyes shifted to where the tattoo of the lily flower was on his upper arm. He hadn't told Nora about his first great love; he couldn't even remember what he had told her about the tattoo, but it certainly hadn't involved Lily.

Quickly, he looked back to Hope, "How are things going for you?" he asked softly, knowing about her grandfather's death and her grandmother's health problems.

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

"Hey hey hey, don't try and drag me into your new perv hobbies," she told him with a nudge of the elbow. She was glad she ended up walking over to see him. It was exactly what she needed. The days had been getting longer it seemed as work piled up and all she wanted to do was call someone to help her. But the stubborn side of her said she could do it all on her own. So she tried and tried but eventually she called someone. Now she had to watch over them and then put them into a play slot. Owning a store was becoming harder with each passing day.

She could only imagine how Nikko was dealing with the happenings of trying to open up his practice. Hope had no doubt in her mind he would figure it out and work through it. He had always been hard working and unyielding. Except when it came to women. When a love got in he way he was ready to drop anything; a good and bad thing in his world. When it came to Lucy, someone she wasn't very fond of, he was prepared to throw everything away for her. And then she broke his heart.

"I haven't seen her around you know...I would tell you if I did," she told him as she continued to watch the kids. "She's long gone I think. And if she ever comes back she's not even worth your time," she assured him, now looking at him. He was right when he said that their home had a lot of memories. Mostly good on her side but there were moments like this morning that made her want to run away again.

When college came around Hope felt like she was very much running away for everything. She was running away from her grandfathers impending sickness and the fact that she was going to lose yet another person in her life. She was running away from being stuck in a town where everyone knew her name. There were so many things she had gotten away from but now she was back. Was it a step back or a step toward recovering?

When he flipped the question back to her she nodded. "Just one of those days I suppose. Trying to find some sort of excitement in this town," she paused and a smirk spread across her face as she remembered that she had actually succeeded just a few nights ago with the resident bad boy. She hoped Nikko didn't notice so he wouldn't probe her about her involuntary expression of contentment with herself. "I got you something," she said remembering the balloon in her hand.

"Congratulations on your practice," she handed it to him. "The perv look is complete now," she commented and gestured to the ice cream, balloon, and general creepiness aforementioned of him watching children. "How is all of that going? I bet you're excited," she asked him, wanting him to again feel safe speaking to her. It was okay with the both of them to feel whatever they wanted to feel. While in NYC she would call him just to get something off her chest because it was a bad idea to bottle things up. She never felt guilt feeling anything with Nikko and that was something she appreciated immensely.

STATUS # doneee
FEATURING # nikko sanchez
WORD COUNT #FIVE SIXTY-ONE
NOTES # yaaay friends
CREDIT # IRONICALLIZE_IT @ CAUTION 2.0

[NIKKOS MIGUEL SANCHEZ]

Nikkos looked at Hope, amused, as she nudged him with her elbow. "You know, I think you're just incredibly jealous of me," he said conversationally, pausing as he dipped his spoon into the ice cream and pulled out a spoonful of it, holding to her before plopping it into his own mouth, "After all, I'm the one with the delicious mint chocolate chip ice cream, here. Who wouldn't be jealous of that?"

He let out a breath, exhaling deeply in his relaxed state. His state about this place having a lot of memories was absolutely true. It wasn't just this inn or even Cresting Grove; it was something about the atmosphere of the place, the people who lived here and who had known him his entire life. It was the both suffocating and comforting aura that permeated everything to do with this place.

It was that old woman who came to his mother's coffee nearly every day and gossip with the customers; Mrs Brightly seemed to know just about everything about everyone. But it was also Mrs Brightly who brought you cookies and soup the entire week you were sick with chicken pox. It was the would-be mayor of the town, who was always arguing with just about everyone he ever met, and if he wasn't, then something bad had happened. It was the wonderful memories of his time with Lily, and it was the bad, yucky feeling he felt in his stomach that he felt, even now, thinking of how it ended.

Hope's thoughts seemed to follow his as she spoke about Lily. He nodded slowly as she spoke, knowing generally what she would say before she said it. The 'she isn't worth your time' sentiment wasn't something new; Hope had never forgiven Lily for breaking his heart. Some guys might have flinched at the use of that phrase but not Nikkos. He had always been something of a romantic, always wearing his heart on his sleeve and never being afraid to fall in love. Even after he and Lily had broken up, he hadn't given up on his idea of love. He'd met Nora, didn't he?

"I know you'd've told me if she had come back," he repeated, a slight frown on his troubled face, "I just....Well, I haven't told my fiancee about Lily. I know I should have," Nikkos added, cutting off any tsking remark she might have had, at least for now, "I just don't know quite how to explain her."

How would he explain Lily to Nora? Nikkos knew he needed to because, inevitably, she would find out otherwise if he didn't. Lily's and Nikkos' breakup was probably the biggest gossip point of that year. The entire town had thought they madly in love, and people had trouble picturing them not together. Nikkos had to admit that he was part of all that.

His eyebrows rose at the smirk that crossed her face at the mention of excitement in town, "What? You didn't do something dirty with Ethan, did you?" he questioned seriously. Just as Hope didn't approve of Lily, neither did Nikkos ever really approve of Ethan. When she gave him the ballon, his face morphed into amused confusion. There could be a million reasons why she was giving him a balloon.

As she explained, he let out a large laugh, causing one of the children to turn around and give him a strange look before continuing on with the game of Frisbee, "Oh, yea, I'm really excited about having my perv look completed. It was my life goal. I guess I'll have to focus on something else now!" he said, shaking his head as he pretended to ponder his options. Nikkos knew that wasn't what she was asking, but he decided to answer it that way instead.

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

"You can be such a kid sometimes," she grinned at him. "But I'm glad you aren't a souless drone now that you're so close to getting married. Trust me when I say that once you get married any chance of fun is out the window," she attempted to make him feel even the teeniest bit worried about his new life with Nora. Hope liked his fiance but the childish part that dwelled deep inside of her hated the idea of Nikko being pulled away by yet another thing. Hope herself had a busy enough life that they didn't hang out as often as they did. But that was life and she was going to have to get over it.

Hope should have expected Nikko's response to her comment because she had said it so many times to him. By this point of their friendship NIkko pretty much knew what she was going to say before she said. Hope just wished she wasn't so predictable around him. But the reality was that she really didn't like Lily regardless if she came back and apologized for what happened. Lily was stupid for giving up on someone like her best friend and Hope refused to forgive that. It didn't matter to Hope if someone hurt her because she would get over it but when it came to her friends, it was a different story.

Nikko's next comment worried Hope as he told her that he hadn't told his fiance about his lost love. "If Lily hadn't broken it off, you two would probably still be together. That alone is a reason you need to tell Nora because what if she comes back? It's going to be awkward to explain to your fiance about a girl that the entire town knows about," she scolded Nikko as any true friend would. "How in the hell did you explain that tatto? Which by the way, told you that was a dumb idea," she pursed her lips and looked away from him. When he first went to get the tattoo she tried to beg him to not do it because a few years down the line he would regret it. Of course he got it and now a lily flower was inked permanetely into his skin. A terrible reminder that Hope wouldn't be able to deal with.

Hope knew the look on her face was way to easy for Nikko to read so she listened to his question and shook her head. He was protective of her in the sense that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her if he had a say. But he also knew for the longest time that Hope pretty much did whatever...and whoever she wanted. "You'll be happy to hear it's not Ethan this time," she reassured him but decided to leave out the name of the mystery man in her life. "I'm just exploring the idea of being with someone right now and we're having fun," she continued without pause. "And don't say anything because I know you. Not everyone has their own Nora."

Laughter spilled from her mouth as he went on about how his look was complete. "You're silly," she commented before shaking her head. "You know I mean your medical practice. For someone who's about to own a business I don't feel so confident in you right now," she jokde and patted hie leg lovingly.

STATUS # doneee
FEATURING # nikko sanchez
WORD COUNT #FIVE SIXTY-ONE
NOTES # yaaay friends
CREDIT # IRONICALLIZE_IT @ CAUTION 2.0

[NIKKOS MIGUEL SANCHEZ]

"You can be such a kid sometimes," Hope said, grinning at him, "But I'm glad you aren't a souless drone now that you're so close to getting married. Trust me when I say that once you get married any chance of fun is out the window." Nikkos' eyebrows rose at this statement, amused. He quite doubted her statement. His own parents seemed to be the happiest people in the world when they were together, whether they were watching a movie or making dinner. Of course, they often argued about which movie to watch or what to make for dinner, but they always worked it out. Watching their parents argue over the small things was always amusing to Nikkos and his siblings.

"I'm sure you know all about being married, huh?" he retorted, half smirking.

He could see the worry and slight alarm on Hope's face when he told her that he hadn't told Nora about Lily yet; he let out a sigh as be braced himself for his friend's inevitable scolding, ""If Lily hadn't broken it off, you two would probably still be together. That alone is a reason you need to tell Nora because what if she comes back? It's going to be awkward to explain to your fiance about a girl that the entire town knows about. How in the hell did you explain that tatto? Which by the way, told you that was a dumb idea," she ranted, pursing her lips at the end, as if she had more to say but was holding back, and he was grateful.

"I don't know how to tell her about Lily," he began quietly, shaking his head as he pulled back his sleeve to regard the tattoo on his arm, "I, ah, I told her I got it one night when I was drunk, which was true," Nikkos explained, looking at it for a second longer before looking at Hope.

When she said it wasn't Ethan, a triumphant smile crossed his face. The way he and Hope acted every time either of them became involved with another person, people would think that they had romantic feelings for each other. On the contrary, they viewed each other as siblings, and they were very protective of each other. And, perhaps, they were a little jealous that someone else would be eating up their best friend's time, "Hey, I'm not judging," he said, throwing up his hands. It looked a little ridiculous, since he was holding ice cream in one hand and a balloon in the other, "Who is it?"

"I finished the renovations on the building today. Opening tomorrow morning," he informed her.