𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚂𝚔𝚒𝚙:
𝙸𝚜𝚊𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚊 𝚃𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚜: 𝟷𝟷 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚕𝚍.
"Nic, for goodness' sake!" Isabella growled, pulling the thirteen year old boy by the collar inside of her house in annoyance.
Imagine her surprise when she was out sitting in front of the lake, enjoying the book that Nicolai recommended for her the other day when Nicolai, who came out of nowhere, came barreling towards her like a provoked bull!
And that hurts. It's a miracle how they didn't dive into the lake right there and then Isabella would have hurt him severely.
She was even more surprised to see his usual beautiful face covered in bruises!
Isabella doesn't go to school, she preferred being homeschooled but Nicolai goes to school and she doesn't know how the boy gets his face all messed up.
How did the scaredy cat Nicolai become like this?
Isabella doesn't know.
"Let go of me!" Nicolai shouted, gently pulling himself out of Isabella's hold. "I'm fine!"
"No luches conmigo." Isabella warned, glaring dangerously at Nicolai. She didn't even noticed that she spoke in a different language because she was too busy assessing the bruises on her friend's face and the mess of his usual beautiful wavy raven hair. "You're obviously not fine."
(Don't fight me.)
Nicolai grumbled, avoiding her gaze. He crossed his arms stubbornly.
"Who hurt you?" Isabella asks, trying to calm herself. She brushed the strands of hair that was slightly hiding Nicolai's eyes. His hair was getting long but he wanted it long so Isabella usually brushes his hair out of his eyes, or sometimes, she combs his hair using her hand.
"Leave me alone." Nicolai said softly this time, glancing at her. "It's none of your business."
Isabella was annoyed at his answer and slapped the back of his head, causing him to whine in annoyance. Isabella smiled at him while holding his shoulder in a death grip. "You came here just to tell me that, huh? Is this what it is?"
He suddenly looked guilty and Isabella rolled her eyes. He should feel guilty.
You're my friend, right?" She asks after she let that guilt sizzle in his gut, making him all squirmy and looking like a child who wants to apologize but don't know how to.
Nicolai was confused by her question but he nodded slowly.
"And you love me, right?"
"Of course I do." Nicolai answered without any doubt in his words but he was still confused by where this was going.
Jeez. Isabella would have smiled at his answer if she wasn't annoyed at the boy. She really can't stay mad at Nicolai even if she wanted to.
"And, you know I love you, right?" Isabella smiled softly this time, still brushing some strands of hair off of his bruised face.
He nodded solemnly, looking a little guilty at his sudden outburst. He shouldn't be acting like a little kid in front of someone who's actually younger than him and someone who doesn't have any business as to why he's got some bruised face.
"Then of course I'd want to know why you gave me a mini heart attack when I saw your pretty face all bruised up." She exclaimed like her words were the most obvious thing before flicking his forehead.
"Don't call me pretty." He hissed at her, nursing his forehead.
"Uh-huh. You'll always be some damsel in distress for me." She teased before patting his cheek, earning a pained hiss from him. "Now, tell me why you're all ugly this time, princess."
Nicolai rolled his eyes at the ugly nickname. He knows that she's just teasing him. She always called him a damsel or a princess, but he also knows that Isabella wants to be the knight in shining armor for everyone.
And it's not that she's being idiotically heroic, she's just being protective. And sometimes, he wished she wasn't because she gets herself in danger for it.
"It's stupid..." He muttered as Isabella kindly ordered a maid to get some ice pack for his face.
"As if you'll do something stupid enough to get that face." She commented casually. It was as if she's just talking about the weather.
Nicolai sighed. He hates that casual tone of hers. It's annoying because it makes him feel like he's the one acting childish.
The maid brought some ice pack, bandaids, some clean cloth and an adorable small basin filled with clean water. Isabella thanked her brightly, earning a coo from the maid.
"Do you want some cookies and milk, Little Miss Bella?" The maid asks enthusiastically, looking at Nicolai a bit worriedly before looking back at the little girl.
Isabella smiled at the maid and shook her head. "Maybe later, ma'am." She refused kindly.
The maid nodded before bowing her head briefly. She left afterwards, leaving the two alone again.
"Jeez, look at you being all charming." Nicolai said which earned him a soft but cold and painful slap of the ice pack.
"Oi! Ow, ow, ow—— I-Izzy, it hurts... Huuuurts..." He couldn't help but hiss at the sudden coldness that caressed his skin.
"Of course it hurts." Isabella said, snorting. She grabbed the clean cloth and gently washed it with the clean water. "And you clean your cuts with this so that we can smear it with ointment or something, okay? Look at your hands, it's filled with it! Did you just fall down or something?"
"He pushed me." Nicolai muttered, glaring murderously at his hands. "I will kill that son of a——."
Get in line, Nico." She rolled her eyes, scolding him. She grabbed his hands and began cleaning the cuts. Nicolai winced but he decided to let Isabella have her way with it. "First Eli, then Tony and let's not forget about Luci. Luci likes you so much even though he tries not to be too obvious. Then me, and then you can break whatever's left, okay?"
Nicolai grinned at that before he chuckled.
Isabella beamed at that.
Nicolai's eyes were light and sparkling when he looked at her. "I can't with you, Iz."
"Nobody can." She snorted, ruffling his hair. "But, seriously, who is it, Nico? You know that you can't hide forever."
"I could if I wanna." He mumbled, looking away from her.
"But you don't wanna." She stated, the truth was like a knife that split Nicolai in half because it's the truth and like she always tells him: 'the truth always hurts.' Isabella's always so caring, so protective that it hurts him because he can't be like that.
He can't be like her.
Nicolai sniffled, his strong facade breaking fast and Isabella knew that the boy in front of her was just the boy she met under that tree in that playground, the boy who clutched his precious teared-up book.
Nicolai scooted closer and Isabella automatically opened her arms for him. They've been doing it for years now—opening their arms without a word for the other to scoot closer for a hug. There were no need for comforting words because each other's presence were enough comfort for the both of them.
Nicolai immediately placed the ice patch in the basin and gently laid his forehead on her shoulder and Isabella hugged her friend, rubbing his back soothingly.
There was no judgement, no teasing laughter, no comment about how immediate he was to desperately hug his friend. And Nicolai enjoyed that. He loved that he could just lay down with Isabella without nobody judging them. He loves how Isabella would immediately be his knight in shining armor whenever he needed her to be. He loved their friendship because there was nobody teasing them about how they look so good together like how his classmates teases him whenever some random girl sits close to him.
And he loves Isabella.
He loves Isabella because she won't tease him about something like that, she loves him because she can say confess her feelings with no bad intentions, unlike how some girls are at his school, and he loves that she will just immediately know what he needs without him saying it.
"He was jealous." Nicolai muttered, nuzzling closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her and Isabella could feel the wet tears on her shirt. He desperately needs his best friend. "S' valentine's today and he's effing jealous of the chocolates I received. I don't even like chocolates." He mumbled bitterly.
"But you like chocolate chip cookies." Isabella noted and he grumbled, pinching her sides, earning a giggle from the little girl. He couldn't help but smile at that.
"Okay, no teasing. Got it." Isabella said in amusement, briefly ruffling his hair.
"I like it because I eat it with you——with everyone." He mumbled begrudgingly. "It also tastes good with milk." He confessed for honesty sake.
Isabella knew that. She also knows that the cookies that they eat isn't as sweet as chocolate. Nicolai can't stand chocolate. He absolutely hates it and that's why he hates valentine's because his school allows children to give chocolates to each other and stuff. The only chocolate that he'd eat is the cookies that Isabella absolutely loves to eat.
"I know that." Isabella said softly, running her hand through his wavy hair. His hair was getting longer, she noted silently.
"So, he was jealous because you've got more chocolates than him?" Isabella asks for confirmation.
Nicolai nodded. "Can you blame me? I'm handsome." He couldn't help but say it.
Isabella tried to shove the boy away with a disgusted look on her face. "You get that face out of mine. I don't want any of that germs on me, Nico." She hisses but Nicolai held on with a laugh. He hugged her tighter.
"Oh, come on, you know that I am."
She scoffed, wanting to glare at the boy but couldn't since Nicolai wouldn't see the glare because he's hugging her. "If you think that your face will start me from giving you chocolates every valentines day then I swear, I murder you while you're sleeping."
"You're so dramatic." He huffed.
"Well, I wonder who I learned it from." She said sarcastically.
"From your brother?" Nicolai snickered when Isabella froze. Nicolai looks at her face in amusement.
Isabella sighed and then shrugged. "Well, yeah..." She said hesitantly, as if Lucius would pop out of nowhere if she said that.
Nicolai shakes his head and laid his head back down on her shoulder, humming contently.
Silence once again settled between them. Isabella was just holding Nicolai and Nicolai was allowing himself to be held, to be comforted.
It was nice. It was something familiar, something that Nicolai actually loved. Nobody could pull out that comfortable silence when they're with Nicolai. Only Isabella could do it.
Well, sometimes her family but he's mostly with Isabella.
"Nico." Isabella called softly.
"Yes, that's my name."
Isabella rolled her eyes and slapped his back in annoyance. Nicolai just snickered at her.
"He was my friend..." He muttered after a while. "That's why I was hesitating to tell you."
Isabella's heart broke for him. "Oh, Nic..."
Tears were starting to pool up in his eyes and he wanted nothing more than to forget what happened. But he couldn't.
He can't forget the person he once called friend. He can't forget the hate in his eyes when he saw the bundle of chocolates in Nicolai's arms. He can't forget when he called out to him, wanting to know what made his friend upset but had earned him a painful punch in the face. He can't forget how he fought back with anguish burning in his heart because he didn't want to fight back but his friend was hurting him so he had to defend himself.
He can't forget.
Isabella was rubbing his back and it was comforting and if he were talking to anyone about this then he wouldn't let them hug him like Isabella's does, he wouldn't let them comfort him the way Isabella does.
Isabella's important to him after all.
"That..." Isabella doesn't know what to say. "Sucks. That totally sucks."
"I know right?" Nicolai sneered bitterly. "I mean, who would have thought, right? That the friend you've been together with will get angry because you're the one who received more than him. And dang it, Izzy, that's annoying. Heck, we fought because of that? Because of chocolates?"
Isabella could feel the anger rolling off of him in waves and Isabella decided that it was best to stay silent than to open her mouth.
"It's annoying. He's annoying and I wished that nobody gave me something so that we wouldn't fight about it." He's anger deflated slowly once again and he was left with the guilt that was not meant for his to have.
"You don't deserve to feel as if this was your fault. It was your friend's fault. He shouldn't have hurt you and he shouldn't have been jealous. It wasn't right."
Nicolai sniffled. "But he's my friend——"
"You're his friend too." Isabella cuts him off. "If anything, he should be happy that you've got chocolates to share with him."
Nicolai groaned, pinching her side again, causing her to squirm helplessly.
Isabella chuckled and ran her hand through his messy hair again, causing him to sigh contently. "Instead, he should have talked to you about it or something. That's what we always do, right?"
Nicolai scoffed. "We don't fight that often to have that kind of talks, Iz."
"Oh, remember that time when you actually stole the cookie jar and I almost threw you——"
"Forget I said anything!" Nicolai said, earning a beautiful cackle from Isabella.
Isabella laid her chin on top of his head. "You know that I wouldn't do that to you."
As if she read his mind about the fears about Isabella leaving him like that, he flinched and he cursed himself silently.
He whined, burying his head at the crook of her neck. "You should go to school with me." He mumbled lazily.
"You know that I don't wanna." Isabella answered him with a grin but Nicolai could just imagine the grim look plastered on her face which hides in her bright and beautiful grin. "Besides, you know that I'll beat you when it comes to who's the prettier one in the relationship."
"Oh, shut up. That isn't a competition." He rolled his eyes, shoving her shoulder playfully.
She winked at him. "You're right. It isn't. I'd easily win if it were."
"You sound like Romeo." He said, looking at her. "He's rubbing off on you."
Isabella snorted but then she looked serious again and she placed her hand on his cheek. "You okay now?"
His friend's thumb that caressed his cheek was comforting. He knows that the reason why Isabella jokes around so much is because Nicolai can't handle the pressure of saying thing off of his chest so she usually adds some teasings here and there, some casual tone so that it isn't too serious and she just hugs him because Isabella knows that he gets touch-starved when he's upset.
Nicolai nodded, leaning closer to her hand. The warmth wafting out of it was purely comforting.
"Good, because I wanted to tell you that Tony and the others have been watching me hug you and Luci is already wanting to kill you. Or me because he's been glaring at me and I swear, it would kill me if he continues it." She said, pointing behind them.
And true to her words, they were there.
Anthony and Elois was looking at Nicolai in worry while Lucius was glaring at Isabella with his arms crossed.
"What the hell happened to your face, dude?" Elois was the first one to talk. He immediately moved towards them. "I mean, I'm glad you punched back and stuff 'cause I'd totally kill 'im, but shit, little vice president——"
"Mind that language, Els." Anthony warned but the man ignored him.
"Did he really have to punch your beautiful face?" Elois finished, holding his chin gently to assess the bruises. "He could have just slapped you like a bitch."
"He's a man now." Lucius scoffed, moving towards Isabella. "But, I do hope you don't get yourself in that kind of trouble, Bells."
Isabella rolled her eyes at her brother's words. "With my brothers always near me, I don't think I'd need to punch somebody any time soon."
Anthony chuckled in amusement. "Well, knowing you, sweetheart, I know that you'd still try."
"Damn right she will! She's our little miss president." Elois said before grabbing the already melting ice pack. "Jeez, but your poor face, Nicolai."
Nicolai rolled his eyes. "I'm fine."
"As if you're fine." Anthony said. "You were crying to Isabella about losing a friend."
Nicolai blushed red in embarrassment and glared at them. "I wasn't crying."
"Uh-huh." Lucius said, ruffling Isabella's hair without saying anything, causing her to slap his hand away. "Sure. Your eyes are red so I wonder how that happened, hmm? So you just magically have red eyes that looked like you were sobbing like a baby."
Nicolai grumbled, glaring at Lucius. "I'm not a baby."
"You are, kid. You definitely are." Lucius just smirked at him smugly.
"Augh, you guys are the worst." Nicolai exclaimed.
"Oh, you love us, vice president." Elois laughed, placing the ice pack gently on his face.
"If you were Pinocchio, your nose would have grown." Lucius added, snickering.
Anthony shakes his head before looking at his one and only sister. "Do you want to help me get cookies and some milk?"
Isabella nodded happily and hopped off of the couch.
Lucius sighed loudly. "What's the use of maids if you're just going to get things by yourself?"
"Of course you'd say that." Anthony looks at him blankly. "Getting cookies and milk isn't a heavy thing to do but knowing you, everything is a chore."
Lucius glared at his brother before grumbling, knowing that he can't argue with the eldest.
Nicolai, Isabella and Elois just snickered at him.
Lucius rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up, guys."
Nicolai felt a little better knowing that there would be cookies and milk for his aching heart.
_________
Do you have a best friend or just a friend that would just comfort you like Bella does with Nico?
They're the cutest and they are FRIENDS. ;)
Okay, I hope you liked it! Bella and Nico are so cute XDXD
IT'S CHAPTER THIRTY!! TIME SKIP! IM SO HAPPY I REACHED THIS FAR 👏👏✨✨