One Shot Wednesdays -The Old Guard, Nicky (Patreon)

Y'all I am obsessed with Netflix's 'The Old Guard' right now. Like I wanted to rewatch it the day after I first watched it last week. That's rare with me to hyperfixate to the point of an almost instant rewatch but here we are. No I didn't rewatch but tomorrow's another day ahahaha

Anyway it inspired me to some speed writing to post for you today. It's not edited or reread for cohesiveness and I used google to translate the Italian even though it should be probably older Italian that Nicky uses but c'est la vie. Here's an OC with the world of 'The Old Guard'! Hope you enjoy!

-Britt xoxo

She awoke, coughing.

The Italian man’s head snapped up in alarm and surprise and soon he was helping her roll onto her side and get the water out of her throat and lungs.

“Incredibile—” he muttered to himself in Italian. He’d tried hard to save her life but she’d been gone. And now...

The young woman looked up into his eyes as she gasped for breath. Was this an angel sent from God to take her? His eyes seemed to pierce through her and yet as she gazed into them longer and her breathing slowed to a more regular rate she realized his eyes were not sharp but kind. They were just an unusual colour... She’d never seen his shade of light blue-grey with a hint of green before. They reminded her of the rocks by the shores of a lake she’d once visited.

“Questo è tutto. Respira e basta,” he spoke softly and soothingly then shook his head, “Sorry. Just breathe,” he told her in English. “You’re safe now.”

“Wh-who are you?” she croaked, “Where am I?”

He took a deep breath in. There would be a lot to explain and perhaps he wasn’t the one to do it. Yet who else would? They weren’t around any of his teammates and he knew it would be irresponsible to let the young woman go off alone without knowing the basics of what he did regarding what just happened. The accident, yes, but how she was back and breathing now. That would take some tact. “I’m Nicolo; Nicky,” he introduced. “There’s a lot to explain. Perhaps you ought to come with me, share a coffee and... learn a bit.”

After learning that she’d been knocked unconscious before her vehicle went into the water and thus drown, Nicky’s new acquaintance was rightfully distraught. But what took the real getting used to was his concern that she was now immortal; like him. And if it was true, they needed to stick together. She wasn’t sure if she could trust him at first: this was crazy wasn’t it? Immortality? She survived because she was now immortal? He was immortal? Don’t be stupid, right?

And yet something in her trusted Nicky inherently and so she spent the week with him mostly so that he could give her a ride to her destination now that her car was in the water.

In that time, she came to find she was developing a crush on the man. He was kind, attractive with those eyes and that hair, soft-spoken and well-spoken at that and had a darling accent. He sometimes muttered in other languages or used older phrases in English and overall it was charming. Plus, he had saved her life by pulling her out of the car. Not that owing your life to someone should make you want to date them but there was a certain respect and esteem you felt towards someone once they’d saved you in such a heroic gesture.

She tried not to let it get to her when on the second day he spoke openly on the phone to “Joe”. Possibly like ‘Jo’ March she thought to herself but on the third day she swore she heard Nicky say “I miss him but that’s what you get for being with someone since The Crusades. It’s like a piece of you isn’t entirely here when they’re gone.”

“Oh that must be nice,” she returned with a gentle smile, “I wouldn’t know but... I can try to imagine yeah.”

He smiled at her.

Nightmares came for her on that fourth night; two days before she’d arrive to meet ‘Joe’ and Nicky held her until she fell asleep. It was hard not to like him after that even though she knew he had someone already.

Upon meeting Joe she was surprised to find that not only was he a man but bearded with curly hair, tan skin and a kind smile. Not at all who she would picture Nicky beside but the way that he introduced himself and really seemed so gentle and moved to meet her made her feel at ease. In the next couple of hours and seeing the way Nicky and Joe were with each other she knew for a fact that the two men were head over heels for one another and that her little crush was a droplet of water in an ocean of feeling that she did not yet understand or experience. It didn’t take long for her feelings of affection for Nicky to calm into a close, mutual friendship between them.

And when it turned out that she was immortal she joined the team the two were on called ‘The Old Guard’. They were a small group of immortals who upon occasion did mercenary work to help out innocent lives. She thought it was very noble and asked if they could train her. She may as well be useful too if she was going to be stuck on this earth unable to die...

She was a fast learner. Andy, their leader, was a harsh teacher but fair and firm. Booker though skilled as a fighter liked to teach her more about technology instead. Joe and Nicky were kind and patient with her and often trained her together. Whenever they’d give a demonstration she was utterly fascinated by how in-sync they were as though they shared one brain. Without having to speak they were often in unison with the other able to anticipate what the other was going to do and how they’d do it. Guess that’s what almost 1000 years together does to you she thought with happy amusement. Both were happy to take the time to go over manoeuvres again and again with her until she got it just right and they never criticized only guided. She liked to train with them best of all. And she felt lucky when Nicky agreed to teach her how to handle a sword. It was an old-school method, he teased, but he still liked it. She was eager and willing as a pupil.

Within a few years though she wasn’t as good as the rest of her team she was good enough not to die as often as she did when Andy first agreed she could accompany them on a mission.

Years passed and jobs came and went and over time the best thing she came to find about this new found gift of immortality was the gift of being with her team; knowing that she had a group of friends that were a solid, life-trusting, tight-knit assembly of people that she could rely on. Though at times they’d split up and she’d often want to go with Joe and Nicky, she would venture off on her own as much as she could to give them space and learn new things for herself separate to what the others could teach her or show her.

But the best feeling was always the hug that Nicky gave her followed by Joe’s every time they reunited.

This time had been no exception.

And now they waited for Andy and Booker to arrive. There was a new mission for an old client...