The Reluctant Ranger Chapter 27 - Calm

Nicole stretched out, her joints popping as she did.  Despite the soreness, she felt amazing, both physically and mentally.  She usually wasn’t one to take an afternoon nap, but her classes had been tedious, and she stayed up far too late with Grace the night before.  Not that she was complaining about it, but that didn’t change how stiff she felt after the nap.  She’d probably end up doing it again too. 

Pity that Grace’s mysterious roommate was out having their own escapades.  Yes, truly a tragedy that Nicole didn’t get to meet her last night.  At least they weren’t interrupted by any fires that needed to be put out.  Carlos added her and Grace to a group chat for the fire team to reach them if they needed the help, and that chat was blissfully silent of any alerts. 

There was also mention of setting up an account that she could use to bring funds she earned as a Ranger into her civilian life if she didn’t want to properly hire on, but Nicole wasn’t eager to jump on that option.  She was genuinely interested in the work as a potential career, but as it stood she had a payment from the city waiting regardless of what she decided.

She couldn’t help the grin that came to her face as she recalled the rest of the evening, even despite how tired she had been going into it.  Nicole had barely been able to focus on classes all day, floating in a pleasant haze.  She was also very appreciative of the Ranger powers, like her faster healing, otherwise she would probably be covered in very suggestive bruises all along her neck and jaw. 

Again, not complaining, just an observation. 

The couch in her dorm wasn’t the most comfortable, but she hadn’t planned on the nap either.  Nicole just laid down to relax with some streaming in an attempt to unwind after her last class of the day.  She would be meeting back up with Grace for supper, so there was no need to stress over things.  She still had another hour to get ready for the meal.

“Hey sleepyhead,” Becca said.  “Nice nap?” 

“Yeah,” Nicole said, sitting up with a groan.  She ran a hand through her hair, attempting to tame it back into something she might be able to braid.  Then again, she was going to shower before long, which would render that idea moot.  “How was your day?” 

“It was alright,” Becca said with a teasing smile.  “Not as good as your night, though.” 

Nicole snorted, even as her cheeks heated to the point they no doubt matched her hair. 

“Sorry, not kissing and telling.” 

Becca’s grin widened.  “I didn’t expect you to.”

That was a filthy lie and bait of the highest order.  There was no way that Rebecca wasn’t going to poke and prod for all the dirt that she could dig up about her evening.  She’d seen her do it with others before, feign disinterest, then watch as the target spilled all the information she wanted and more. 

The problem was, it was working. 

She wanted to talk about things, to gush about how amazing Grace was, and Becca knew it.  She would just sit there and wait for Nicole to crack, sipping at whatever was in her cup at the moment.  Probably something calming, much as she teased Becca, the girl wasn’t one for drinking on school nights. 

“Get me some damn chai and I’ll spill,” Nicole grumbled. 

Becca grinned wider and passed her a still steaming mug of tea.  Nicole glared at her smug friend, but accepted the cup anyway.  Becca knew her far too well.  She took a long sip of the soothing liquid, savoring how it felt on her dry throat.  That was always a risk with naps, you either woke up feeling amazing, or wondering what century it was and if you had succumbed to a zombie virus.  Nicole was somewhere in between, which probably had something to do with her status as a Ranger. 

“So, what happened after I caught you two on the couch,” Becca prompted, scooting forward and crossing her legs in the recliner.  It was clear she was doing that to prevent herself from practically vibrating with barely restrained excitement.  “You were both gone by the time I finished up, so I’m assuming you ended up back at her place?” 

“Something like that,” Nicole said, intent on making her work for her gossip.  Plus, she didn’t want to kiss and tell too much, even with her best friend.  “Grace’s roomie was out for the night, so it seemed the better place to go once I realized you weren’t at Colin’s.” 

“Sensible,” Becca said with a nod as she set her empty cup down.  “So, what happened once you got there?” 

“What do you think?” Nicole asked with a smirk. 

Rebecca squealed, kicking her legs out from under her even as she clapped her hands in a moment of genuine joy.  It was infectious, and Nicole found herself having to resist joining in on the jubilation. 

“I’m so happy for you!” Becca exclaimed, now flapping her hands excitedly. 

Nicole could only shake her head as she took another sip.  Becca was always so adorable when she got excited, part of why she’d asked her out all those years ago.  Though, now that they both had someone in their lives, she was glad things worked out the way they did.  She could finally stop feeling jealous of Colin for winning Becca’s heart. 

“I’m going to meet her for dinner in a little bit,” Nicole said once her friend had started to calm down.  “Figure we may as well try to do the whole dating thing right, even if we’ve done a few steps out of order.” 

“Nah, you’ve been doing things fairly normal when it comes to queer dating,” Becca said dismissively.  “Colin and I had like five dates before either of us realized that’s what they were.” 

Nicole rolled her eyes, remembering that chaotic time.  Becca had been a whirlwind of excitement, finding out that Colin was not only trans like her, but they both were fanfic authors in the same fandom and had read each other’s stuff.  Those two became inseparable for weeks until her parents asked how long they had been dating over dinner one night and it clicked for poor, dense, fools that they’d been a couple for what amounted to months at that point. 

So yeah, Nicole’s own experience wasn’t that far off from what others had gone through, at least from her limited sample set.  It certainly didn’t line up with any of the romance novels she read, but then again, most of those just followed the same cookie cutter template that all titles that made it to shelves seemed to use these days. 

There was a reason she stuck to reading fanfic, and it had nothing to do with Becca introducing her to it and the wonderful world of shipping.  There was something comfy about reading fanfic set in worlds she knew, with characters she already adored.  To top it off, they tended to fix the obvious tension and actually ship the characters with someone they had chemistry with! 

And don’t even get her started on various series that build up all this tension and chemistry with another girl, only to throw her at the blandest man possible just to keep the Hets happy.  Thank fuck for fanfiction indeed.

Right, getting side tracked
and she was out of tea. 

“I should probably start getting ready for that date,” Nicole said, getting to her feet.  “Unfortunately, Grace’s roomie is going to be there tonight, so I don’t think we’re going to get up to much in the way of gossip worthy shenanigans.” 

“You never know,” Becca said, chuckling to herself.  “She has a car, you can always find a vacant lot or something.” 

“And give the cops a free show when they find us?” Nicole asked with an arched eyebrow.  “No thank you.” 

Becca laughed as Nicole hurried off to the shower, a middle finger extended behind her as she shut herself into the bathroom.  Nicole had a date to get ready for, and she certainly didn’t want to be late for it. 

*** 

Nicole sat red-faced in the passenger seat of Grace’s car.  She was trying so damn hard to not think about the prior night, and failing rather spectacularly at it.  Becca’s teasing only got worse following the shower when she caught sight of a hickey that hadn’t quite healed in a rather unfortunate spot. 

Stupid Ranger powers working on some things but not others
 

At least Grace wasn’t quite aware of the reason she was embarrassed, though she knew something was up, especially if that smirk was anything to go off of.  It helped that they had a pleasant evening planned, a casual dinner followed by an evening stroll through the neighborhood.  The idea was novel, especially since they wouldn’t need to fear predatory assholes anymore. 

Another thing that the Ranger abilities were quite useful for, she didn’t have to be afraid just walking down the street ever again.  Sure, Nicole wasn’t weak even before coming into the Power, but that didn’t mean much when someone pulled a knife or a gun and didn’t offer a choice in the matter. 

“Are you sure the diner is alright?” Grace asked, eyes flicking over to her for a moment before returning to the road.  “It feels rather basic for a date spot.” 

Nicole grasped that thread of conversation like a lifeline.  “It’s perfectly fine.  Not every date needs to be an elaborate production.” 

Grace smiled, but she still anxiously bit at her own lip.  Nicole couldn’t help but think about how cute Grace was, how she was trying so hard to do things just for her.  She’d never had anyone in her life who went out of their way like that for her, even when her parents were alive she spent more time with Becca’s parents than her own.

She was so grateful that they had taken her in for the few months after her parents died, especially when they didn’t have to.  Getting to room with Becca at college was very much a mutual agreement without a hint of compromise.  Becca didn’t have to deal with a potentially transphobic roommate, and Nicole didn’t have to put up with a stranger. 

It was very much an all around win in her book, even if she now wished to room with Grace, but that wasn’t in the cards.  Colin had his own apartment, but it was a fair distance from the college which made the logistics there difficult on school nights.  Becca would often visit, but not stay beyond the evening.

The sky was overcast, but to Nicole it was bright and full of promise, all because she had Grace at her side.  They could tackle anything, so long as they were together.  At least, that was how she felt when she was around her girlfriend.  The thought of that had her stomach in knots, the butterflies dancing furiously, not to mention the memories. 

Well, it was a good thing she was already as red as she could get. 

Pulling into the diner, Nicole undid her seat belt, only to have Grace grab her before she could open the door.  Her girlfriend leaned over and pecked a quick kiss on her cheek, and smirked when she pulled away. 

“Sit tight for a sec,” Grace said, hopping out of the car and circling around, just to open the door for Nicole.  “M’lady.” 

She couldn’t help but giggle, and held her hand out for Grace to take.  She was pulled up and out of the car, not that the Ranger needed the help, and promptly wrapped Grace in a hug. 

“You are just adorkable,” Nicole whispered, then kissed her on the nose. 

Making Grace flustered was quickly becoming one of Nicole’s favorite hobbies, as it wasn’t often she got to turn the tables on the older woman.  Granted, Grace was only two years older, but that was also something Nicole could tease her about. 

They walked hand in hand into the diner where Gertie greeted them enthusiastically even as Sam grumbled from behind the counter.  Things weren’t completely crowded yet, but he was hard at work keeping ahead of the current influx that they were going to add to.

“Have a seat where ya like sweeties,” Gertie said.  “Be right with ya’ll.” 

Sitting down in what was quickly becoming their booth, Nicole grabbed a menu, but her focus was all too easily taken by the gorgeous woman across from her.  She was so focused on that, she almost missed it when the waitress came over for their order. 

“What can I get to quench ya thirst?” 

Nicole bit her tongue before she could say Grace’s name and embarrass herself further.  “Lemonade, please.” 

“That actually sounds really good,” Grace said.  “Also, a starter order of mild boneless barbecue wings.” 

“Comin’ right up,” their waitress said with a wide smile.  “Enjoy your date, ladies.” 

Nicole looked away, unable to hide how flustered she was, even as she felt a thrill at having people know they were on a date and happy for them.  She poked at the menu, not quite sure what she wanted to eat, especially with her stomach still doing little flips and twirls.  Something light would be best, pasta or a salad perhaps? 

“She knows,” Grace said with a smirk, then her expression dropped.  “Never would have been able to do this back where I grew up.  Half the town would have tried to lynch us before we even got our appetizer.” 

And like that, the mood turned somber and Nicole reached out, taking Grace by the hand.  “Hey, you’re here, and you’re safe.  If any jackass tries to make a big deal out of it, just roll the dice and show them what happens when someone nat-one’s their perception check.” 

Grace snorted, covering her mouth, then quickly reached for a napkin.  Nicole couldn’t help but laugh, catching sight of the snot that had shot from her nose.  She wouldn’t say anything, of course, but Grace gave a half-hearted glare as she wiped it up. 

“Laugh it up, I’ll get you back later,” Grace said. 

Nicole grinned wide.  “Looking forward to it.” 

“Yeah yeah,” Grace said, rolling her eyes.  “Figures I’d end up falling for a big old nerd.” 

Gasping, Nicole clutched a hand to her chest in mock outrage.  “Excuse me, I am a jock if anything.  How dare you lump me in with the nerds.” 

“Says the awkwardly adorable girl that commissioned a pair of fantasy knives for her rogue cosplay.” 

Nicole could only answer that by sticking out her tongue, which was timed perfectly for the arrival of their appetizer. 

“Figured out what you want to eat tonight?” the waitress asked, eyeing the both of them with mirth filled eyes.  “You know, besides each other.” 

Gertie grinned as the pair struggled to form words, sputtering incoherently.  It was nice being accepted so openly, but holy crap was it embarrassing when people teased her like that. 

***

Thankfully, the sky hadn’t decided to open up, and the breeze was pleasantly warm for early fall.  Anoka was alive with people out and about, enjoying the evening, and they were right there in the thick of it with them.  Grace’s comment about being accepted weighed on her mind, taking in how practically every other business they walked past seemed to be showing some sort of pride flag even months after June was behind them.

Nicole had grown up with all of that as normal, so she couldn’t fully understand where Grace was coming from, and she was thankful for that.  Minneapolis was a great city to live in, and Nicole loved it.  Despite the fact that the entire planet was under siege, even if that war had taken her parents from her. 

A quick stop off at a popular ice cream chain had Nicole with a strawberry confection while Grace had chosen an abomination of mint and chocolate chip.  With a glint of mischievousness to her eyes, Grace prepared a spoonful and held it out for Nicole to sample.

“I told you, it’s like eating toothpaste,” Nicole whined as she ducked away from the spoonful.  Cute as it was to feed one another their desert, she wasn’t about to subject herself to such torture as consuming the sin against nature.

Grace put upon the most offended pout that she could.  “Oh come on, I tried yours.  Fair is fair.” 

The spoon darted forward but Nicole ducked out of the way.  Grace angled her strike to compensate, but Nicole once again managed to avoid it.  So they danced, moving just a bit too smoothly for normal people, but they were both too engrossed in the game to care about their surroundings.  The pair stared at one another, attempting to anticipate their next moves.  It wasn’t until a child laughed that the moment broke, both girls blushing as they realized they had gathered a bit of a crowd.

The sight of phones out sent a mortifying chill through Nicole’s whole body that had nothing to do with the fall weather.  She turned on her heel, hurrying down the road with an equally embarrassed Grace in tow.  It took a moment, especially after ducking down a side street to get away from their audience before Nicole slowed back down. 

“That was,” Nicole stammered. 

Grace nodded, letting out a shaking breath.  “Fun, but mortifying?” 

“About sums it up,” Nicole agreed, her eyes looking about to make sure that there weren’t more people recording their near super human antics.  Instead, her eyes fell upon a distant building that she hadn’t seen before.

It was a tattoo parlor of little note, save for the rainbow flag displayed proudly in the window.  Nicole couldn’t help the idea that flitted into her mind even as she pushed down the memories of getting her last, and only, tattoo.  She pulled on Grace’s arm, bringing her attention back to the moment.  Nicole gestured to the shop with the hopes that she could have a happier memory associated with ink and needles. 

“We should totally get some tattoos,” Nicole said, grinning up at her girlfriend. 

Grace paused, eyes flicking between the shop and Nicole before a grin spread across her face.  “That would be so damn gay of us.  Let’s do it!” 

As they walked inside, Nicole could only grin at her fortune for having such an amazing woman in her life.  Things might be dark on the horizon, and her past full of pain, but her present was looking so damn bright.  She bumped her hip into her girlfriend’s as she did, smiling like the dorks they were.