'Til Sun Beams Find You [COMPLETED]

Fifteen (Part 2)

Nico wanted them to head back to her apartment but Carter wanted them to head back to his, because he preferred the comfortability of his own bed. She protested that she didn't have any of her toiletries with her, and she wasn't trying to sleep in a full face of makeup. His solution was of course to head to the Walmart near his home as it was past midnight, as it was the only place still open.

"I don't think I've ever been to Walmart this time of night... or ever..."

"You fuck with Target more?" Carter asked as he rounded the front of the car, waiting for her to join him.

"Well.. yeah. Doesn't everybody?" Nico asked, hearing the car alarm chirp and looking around at the mostly empty lot. There were a few cars parked alongside the entrance for the people that popped in and out.

"Walmart builds character.. especially this time of night. Never know who or what's lurking in the dark," he said and then laughed when she grabbed his arm tighter as they walked towards the entrance.

Nico's heels clicked as they walked. "Listen.. I'm not about to pretend I'm something that I'm not. I'm from the suburbs. I went to catholic school. I'm not built for a 1 A.M. Walmart run. I wait until the sun rises."

The words made him turn to look at her. "You went to catholic school?"

"Yeah, all the way up until high school. Don't ask me about no Bible verses though.."

The bright fluorescent lights greeted them once the automatic front doors opened and Nico squinted for a second until her eyes adjusted from the darkly lit restaurant they'd been in all evening.

"Do you still consider yourself religious?"

"Um... I don't think I ever did," Nico answered as she read at all the signs, looking for the Health & Beauty section. The aisles were mostly empty and only employees were walking by with a few people trickled in. "I believe in God, but I don't know if I abide by the rules of the Church like that to consider myself Catholic."

Carter nodded.

"Are you?" She asked, her eyes glancing at the silver cross he always wore around his neck, that was now peeking through beneath the collar of his button down.

They turned into the health aisle.

"Nah. I wear this as a reminder that God exists, but I've been trying to be more..."

He was trying to find the right word.

"Christianly?" She finished for him as they passed by the 'family planning" portion of the store.

"Spiritual," he corrected as he grabbed a pack of the condoms off the shelf. "In terms of sinning.. feel like that weighs on the soul."

Nico raised a brow. "You know premarital sex is a sin."

Carter looked at the box of condoms in his hand and laughed. "I said I'm trying."

"Don't try too hard.." she said and delivered a look his way that he laughed at.

Nico grabbed a toothbrush, some cotton pads, makeup remover, a cleanser, and handled the items for Carter to hold as he trailed behind her, then they leisurely walked through the aisles wondering if there was anything else she may need in the morning.

They paused at the shaving aisle and Carter rubbed at the hair on his face as he looked at the different razors. The hair was too short to shave again with his old razors, and he didn't like the in between phase of hair growth.

Nico stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso. She kissed the back of his neck. "I like the stubble," she spoke into his skin as she watched him rub the short hairs.