All by chance (A Robert Downey Jr story)

Chapter 13: Nicknames

Nicole zipped into the hospital parking lot, tears still streaming down her face. She had a mix of disgust and sadness. The fact that her boyfriend basically gave her a one night stand made her sick. She sprinted into the hospital, only to find the bed made and empty and Robert's things missing.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Nicole yelled at the nurse outside of the abandoned room, tears still coming.

"I don't know what you are talk-"

"THE PATIENT THAT WAS STAYING HERE! WHERE IS HE?!"

"Ma'am he checked out a few hours ago. Are you ok?" The nurse said seeing Nicole's tears.

Without saying another word Nicole took off for her car. When she got outside she was so determined that she didn't even notice that it was hailing. She just needed to think. Needed to talk. Needed Robbie.

The drive seemed to last for hours and hours. She didn't want to turn the radio on, just to sit in silence. The drive was cut in half due to Nicole's speeding. When she arrived at Jason's house she pulled up so fast it looked like she would go right through the house. Nicole ran through the unlocked door.

"Hey Charms, haven't seen you since that first day in the hospital. How you been?" Jason was laying on the couch watching TV. "Ok then nice talking to you!" Jason yelled sarcastically as Nicole ran by him without saying a word. She had been to their house many times to hang out with Robert and even sometimes to be with Jason.

Nicole ran up the stairs and down the hallway, until she got to the final door and barged in. She looked up to see Robert shirtless in a sling with his broken ribs taped from the hospital, using his one good hand to try to scratch his back with a hanger.

"Hey Nicole whats up?" Robert said with a big smile. Without a word Nicole ran up and wrapped her arms around Robert. Nuzzling her head into the nook of his neck. He was warm, it made Nicole feel a little bit better because she was wet and cold from the hailstorm she ran through at the hospital. "Hey its ok, it will be alright." Robert said stroking Nicole's head. "Can you tell me what happened?" Nicole began to speak but she was crying so hard and talking so fast Robert couldn't understand her. "Hey. Hey!" Robert said taking Nicole's head out from the nook of his neck. "Breathe Nicole. Ok, just breathe." Robert led Nicole to his bed and sat down with her.

"Otis and I were going to lunch together... He took me to his house for lunch. And... and..." "Nicole. Did he hurt you?" Robert cringed at the thought of anyone touching Nicole.

"No. it was really nice and sweet. He set up the date we were supposed to have for Valentines day. He cooked everything. Then when we finished, well we..."

"Ya I get it no need for details. So why are you so upset?"

"Because after we, ya know, he couldn't even look at me." Nicole was crying more than ever before. "It sounds stupid but-"

"No Nicole its not stupid at all. I understand. Come here." Nicole scooted over on the bed put her shoulder on him.

"You do?"

"Yes I understand. After all this time of being away from each other and now Otis can't look at you after that." Robert choked at the though of Nicole being with that douche. Out of everyone in the world, the last person he deserved was Nicole. "You feel like he doesn't care about you anymore, at least a little bit."

"Ya. Thats exactly why i'm so upset." But it wasn't. He didn't know the half of it.

"Hey its ok Nicole, i'll stay with you until you feel better." Robert wanted to punch Otis. He loved Nicole so much, the fact that he had to sit back and play caring friend while the girl he loved was dating someone that wasn't even worth half of what he acts like he is, killed him. But if this was the only way he was going to be in Nicole's life, he'll take it.

"Thanks Robbie." Nicole said with a smile, he could tell she struggled to push that out but he knew it was still genuine.

"So why don't you tell me about the story behind Nichole?" Robert wanted Nicole to try to forget about Otis.

"Okay. So it was the summer before sophomore year of high school. It was a week before volleyball season started. And our coach owned this huge volleyball facility and the week before tryouts he would hold this week long clinic called Gold Medal Squared. It was one of those unspoken mandatory things. So one day the whole team was bonding and I told them that I hate when people spell my name N-i-c-H-o-l-e. So they just started calling me Nichole as a joke and it just stuck. Eventually everyone started calling me Nichole and Caroline calls me, as you know, Cholie."

"Well thats not fair."

"What is?"

"How everyone has a nickname for you and i'm here calling you Nicole."

"I wouldn't say everyone..."

"Even Jason has a nickname for you! Charms!" Robert said with a laugh. "Why does he call you charms anyways?"

"I think its because whenever he came over I always gave him a box of Lucky Charms cause I knew how much he loves them. But you never know with him"

"Ya that sounds like Jason." They both laughed. "So about your nickname..."

"How about Cholie."

"No thats boring." Nicole unwrapped herself from Roberts arm, pretending to be offended. "Well hey now do you have a better idea?"

"How about... Lil Nic" Robert smirked.

"Why the lil at the beginning?" Nicole asked suspiciously.

"Well you know, cause you are short."

"Hey i'm average for a girl what does that say about you my tiny 5'9" Robbie." Nicole smiled, proud of the comeback she just thought of.

"I'm just compact."

"Okay Robert. Tell yourself that." Nicole said as she patted his shoulder

"Hey! Can you spare me my dignity?"

"For you Robbie, sure" Nicole smiled, and so did Robert. He knew that just for this moment, she forgot her problems, and focused on him.

"Hey. You alright?" Robert said looking at Nicole in the eyes. He seemed to get lost for a moment. But quickly jumped back into reality when she started to speak.

"Ya. I'm good."  Nicole said pulling her hair behind her ear and looking down at Robert's bed. If it was December Robert wouldn't have second guessed her. But two months in she couldn't get away with virtually anything.

"Nicole. Look at me." Nicole looked up into Robert's soft brown eyes.

"Are you ok?"

Nicole figured that she couldn't keep up the hiding anymore now that he knows her too well. "No. No i'm not." Nicole leaned into Roberts arms and they layed down on the bed together. Robert stroked Nicole's head softly, he learned that it calms her down the best. They fell asleep in each others arms.