Steal Your Heart (Nicky Harper x Reader)

*Rendezvous in Boulder*

After eating the treats and packing up his basket, Nicky and (Y/N) went straight home. Once Nicky got back to his room, he was surprised to see his siblings there waiting for him.

"Where were you?" Dawn demanded.

"Were you with (Y/N)?" Ricky asked.

"We need answers!" Dicky exclaimed. "And food. We got really hungry."

Nicky rolled his eyes at his siblings. "Calm down. I just...went to the park."

"By yourself?" Dawn gasped.

The boy nodded slowly and walked past them, heading to the bathroom. "Yeah. I was just alone."

"Nicky, don't lie to us!" Ricky shouted. "Why were you out for over two hours at the park?"

"What, I can't have alone time to myself?"

"No, you can't," Dicky replied. "That's literally what being a quad is about."

The brunette boy glared at them. "Well, I needed it. So deal with it. You guys don't need to know where I am all the time."

~~~

Little white lies like that lasted about a month.

A full month for Nicky and (Y/N) to sneak secret glances at each other while they were with the other three, hold hands under the table when they were with friends, pass notes in the hallways whenever they saw each other. Notes that said she looked pretty today, he did well in his presentation, her voice was like a songbird's, the meal he cooked was so delicious. And sometimes, at the end of the day when time let them, the two would spend 30 minutes at most on the balcony together, just to talk and gaze at the stars. Any longer and the other three would grow suspicious.

The parents knew about them and tried to buy them time. They let them have their fun. But no matter what the two did, it was rare for them to be alone. They wanted to keep their relationship a secret for as long as they could, but they didn't know how long they could last.

All they knew was that they still haven't experienced being in a real relationship yet. They haven't gone on an actual date (even though there were limited date options for 13-year olds). They knew they haven't had a chance to feel like a boyfriend and girlfriend yet. And they desperately wanted to know what it was like without telling Ricky, Dicky, Dawn, and pretty much everyone else.

Exactly 30 days after their picnic under the tree, Nicky was with (Y/N) again on the balcony. The two sat beside each other on the beach chairs, a single table in front of them. He brought her a special (favorite cake) cake to celebrate, with the words 'Happy 1st monthsary' on it in icing. They happily shared it as they gazed up at the stars. "This is nice," (Y/N) sighed dreamily.

Nicky reached out to grasp her hand in his. "It'd be nicer if we had more time."

The girl smiled sadly. "Yeah."

Falling in love for the first time - and with your best friend, to boot - was definitely new to the two. They thought they knew what they were doing. But so far everything they've done - minus the hand-holding - was just what they've always done as best friends. Nicky flirted with her before, but he didn't actually know what he was doing. And even after a month has passed, he still didn't know how to act like a boyfriend. He even struggled to say something now.

"Do you like the cake though?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course! Everything you make is amazing."

"You always say that!"

"Well, I mean it."

Nicky chuckled and squeezed her hand more. "If I could, I'd make a whole meal for you, and we'd just eat it together."