Page 26 of Nico

I nearly dropped the coffees. My wolf, traitorous creature that he was, looked positively delighted by the question.

“I…” I couldn’t seem to formulate a proper response. Heat crept up my neck, which was annoying.

Nico blinked. "Oh my God. I was joking.”

I set the drinks down on the desk. "I underestimated you."

His expression softened slightly.

"When we first met, I assumed Cooper should have assigned Tony,” I said.

"Fair."

"I was wrong." The words felt more significant than they should have. "Your work speaks for itself."

Nico stared at me, then he smiled. I noted that it was not quite the excited grin he gave Logan, or the teasing smile he aimed at me whenever he caught me being too serious. Instead it was something softer.

"It's okay,” Nico finally said.

I frowned. "What is?"

"The first impression thing." Nico unwrapped his sandwich. "My first impression of you wasn't exactly amazing either."

"Oh?" I asked, intrigued by his answer.

He took a bite of his sandwich before answering. “I thought you were unbearably gruff and stuffy, and intimidating. But now I know you're secretly a softie."

I almost choked on my coffee. "I am not."

"You absolutely are."

"I've known you for a little more than a week and you've already brought me food twice,” Nico pointed out.

"You forget to eat,” I pointed out.

Somehow, impossibly, we ended up eating together in the trailer. I wasn't entirely sure how it happened, or why I lingered.

There were patrol routes I could review, security reports waiting for my attention. A dozen things I should probably have been doing.

Instead I found myself sitting across from Nico while he explained increasingly obscure pieces of Shadowfall lore with far too much enthusiasm.

Apparently, fans had been debating for years whether Commander Vale survived the ending of the third game. The debate had gotten so serious that people had actually written essays about it.

"...and that's why the silver wolf symbol probably represents rebirth rather than sacrifice."

I blinked. "People argue about this?"

"Passionately."

I shook my head, and Nico laughed. The sound settled somewhere warm inside my chest. He paused suddenly.

"What is it?” I asked.

"You listen."

I frowned. "I'm listening now."

"No, I mean really listen." He shifted slightly in his seat. "Most people kind of zone out when I start rambling."