NICHOLAS THOMPSON

One of the last things Gabrielle would’ve ever anticipated was to be in quarantine. Nothing had ever required her to really forcibly stay in one place for a long time. Except for that one time there was a torrential storm and she had to stay in a NYC library for a few hours, but that was nothing in comparison to this situation. At least it hadn’t been challenging for her to find something to do in the library. Or… someone, rather. Ha. And that someone just so happened to now be her husband. Astonishing how life works, huh? Gabby was grateful to be isolated with Nick. If it’d been anyone else (besides maybe her best friend), she’d probably lose her mind and wind up pulling her hair out after a couple of days. She couldn’t possibly imagine being quarantined with her siblings or her parents–regardless of the love she has for them. There are only certain people that can be dealt with for a long period of time. And well, she was already used to Nick, they saw each other on a day-to-day basis and lived together. Sure, there were those few things that grinded her gears every now and then, but she could confidently call him her favorite person in the world.

Gabrielle’s past battle with cancer had put her in a tough place. She was immunocompromised. It’s not something she liked talking about regularly, not even with Nick. That was her past, not her future, but the fact of the matter is that she had to be a little more vigilant than many. Her immune system was shot and catching anything could put her in danger. So, because of that, the pair fled from their home in Brooklyn to a less busy area in New York–Nick’s family cabin. Gabby had never been there before, but there was a first time for everything, and she was excited to see what the hype was all about. At first, Gabby didn’t think it was all too crucial to relocate, because it wouldn’t have been so hard to self-quarantine in their home, but Nick’s suggestion sounded inviting, and it was better to be safe than sorry. Perhaps the married couple could use this time to their advantage.

With all the commotion going on in the world, it was hard to tell when anyone would feel any sense of normalcy again. It was challenging for them both; Gabby having to close her cafe and Nick having to transition to online teaching only, with a few months left in the school year. It was a big adjustment, but it was attainable. This would give Gabby the opportunity to work on some writing, and maybe focus on some self-improvement simultaneously. Monetarily, she wasn’t concerned. Business had been thriving at the cafe before having to temporarily shut down, and Nick was wealthy. It’s not that she relied on Nick financially, and she never did for as long as she’s known him, seeing as how it was never something she focused on–however, they tended to have joint finances, and money never felt like an issue.

It’d been about three weeks since they’d formally started their quarantine adventure. This cabin was starting to feel like a third home (their home being #1, her cafe #2). It was beautiful, spacious, and cozy, which she considered idyllic. Though the two spent a lot of time together, they also spent some time on opposite sides of the same room or even in separate rooms in the cabin. Gabrielle very much so enjoyed seeing Nicholas in his element, speaking so fluently about history. He was so well-informed… and that was unquestionably sexy. Sometimes she’d sit on the couch and make faces at him whilst he was on Zoom, having to hold back her giggles so his students wouldn’t hear her. She couldn’t help herself; it was just the goofiness in her.

On a few occasions thus far, Gabby had thought that Nick’s knowledge and passion for his subject was tremendously hot, and when he was free from his teaching responsibilities, she’d have to take him all for herself and pull him away from his laptop for a little something… sometimes even midday. They had a very… healthy sex life. Now, even more so, since they had quite a bit more time with one another than they did before. On the couch, on the floor, in the kitchen, in the laundry room–needless to say, they always had a good time expanding their horizons.

“Babe,” Gabby cooed to her husband, a grin on her face upon hearing Nick end his Zoom session. “What would you like for dinner?” She said, glancing up from her laptop, which she then placed aside, on the arm of the couch. “Spicy basil chicken with rice and veggies, or homemade buffalo chicken pizza?” For a cafe owner and someone who adored cooking, these may not have sounded super extravagant, but her unique touch in the kitchen would greatly enhance these recipes. // @nicholasthompson​ 

“Chicken,” Nick answered from the couch, macbook resting on his lap and his feet propped on the coffee table in front of him. The man looked completely comfortable - a nice pullover on and a pair of sweatpants with some cozy socks. Nick thoroughly enjoyed his new uniform, sometime so much he would forego the pants, but that was one of the only things he could say he enjoyed about having to work from the confines of the Thompson family cabin. He couldn’t believe it, but he actually missed his hormone and drama filled teenagers. Over just the past year and a half he’d grown to care for them immensely, forming a tight-knit bond with his little high school family.

“Yeah, babe, eating with a fork sounds pretty good tonight.” Funny how that was a deciding factor in meals now. Last week he’d preferred foods that could be specifically eaten out of bowls, and the week before it was anything fast and easy. Quarantine was just boring, making Nicholas think and function in new ways that had him beginning to question his sanity. “I don’t know about spice tonight either. I’m not mentally prepared for heartburn.”

Gabby was the main perk of being in quarantine. It wasn’t as though they didn’t already see each other every day. They’d been living together for a while even before they were married. Nick thought it over, closing his laptop and setting it to the side. If this happened a little over 2 years ago he’d be stuck in his house alone - with the exception of his dog, Gus - and that would have been utterly miserable. So yes, Gabby was absolutely the main perk of being quarantined. He could spend as much time as he wanted with her, stay up with her, sleep in with her, cook, eat, shower, and a few other unmentionables with her.

Sex was easily their favorite passtime. Okay, they did do other activities. Nick was working on his green thumb and reviving a garden out back, Gabby was writing, he was grading of course, and they spent a lot of time outside. They were both grateful for the space outside of the cabin. It was the main reason Nick suggested they stay there instead of Brooklyn. They had more space for fresh air and to stretch their legs here. But the sex? Yeah, that was the most fun.

“How’s the writing coming along?” Nick asked from the couch, gazing over at his wife. Damn, was he lucky to be married to her. She was beautiful, talented, kind, everything good wrapped into one package. “How’d I get lucky enough to have a wife like you, huh?” He grinned and moved from his seat, traveling the space of the living room to nestle himself beside Gabby. He asked her that every day knowing he’d get the same adorable reaction out of her. “I’ll take you for dinner too, if that’s an option. You look pretty scrumptious.”

           "I’m glad we can agree on that,” the dark-haired girl piped in, a grin taking over her mouth, especially once he made it so clear that touching ‘nasty, cold, leftover shower water’ would be way too gross for him. A playful roll of her eyes ensued and she had to laugh, nodding her head up and down slowly as if she understood where he was coming from. “You mean your nasty, cold, leftover shower water? Or my nasty, cold, leftover shower water? I never would’ve put it that way.” It was funny, but hey, it was a quirk or something, and like any other quirk of Nick’s, it was cute. Imagine anything involving Nicholas Jesse Thompson not being cute. Simply impossible. The woman had made substantial progress even within the last fifteen minutes, fitting things within her suitcase in a rather organized manner—her packing cubes, a couple of shoe bags, toiletry bags, flat iron and hair curler, etc. Her luggage was large, with more than enough room for all of the necessities. They each would have a checked bag and a carry-on, in addition to a personal item. With Gabrielle in charge, they needed all those bags… at least according to her extensive list.

           With an excited scrunch of her nose (a signature Gabby move or whatever), Gabby smiled wide at her fiancé. “I was hoping you’d say wedding planning, you know,” her tone matter-of-fact. How could they pass up such a wonderful opportunity? Hours to just sit down and set some details in stone, time they didn’t typically have very often at home unless worked into Gabrielle’s planner. Why, of course, she’s a planner person. In what world would she not be? Back in middle school, her first planner changed her world, and ever since, they’ve been a staple each year; a true game-changer. She even had cute stickers to use—even at the age of thirty. All for the visual, really. “Maybe I can even try to address some save-the-dates!!” The excitement was evident in her tone. That would mean packing the essentials for that task, but she was sure she’d have the room for some envelopes, a couple calligraphy pens, her little address book, some stamps, the save-the-dates themselves… because if they were being addressed, she could technically just send them from a post-office in New Orleans, right? Right. Knowing her, she’d get the job done with no problem. Maybe that was more of a late-night job. She’d figure it out, and she’d have the materials with her just in case. “We can look at potential cakes, schedule our cake tastings, schedule a time to look at flowers, begin planning our honeymoon, make sure we haven’t missed booking anything…” Some of the things they could do on the plane, anyway. With their busy schedules, it was hard to find time to do everything on the usual wedding planning schedule, but they were managing just fine.

           "You’ll have some pretty interesting stories to tell your students when you get back,“ Gabby noted aloud, fingertips subconsciously grazing over the back of Nick’s neck. She’d already been hanging onto every word he spoke (as per usual), but when he mentioned his parents, she made sure to listen extra hard. It was always a sensitive topic, though the tone of his voice was light, upbeat, and it made her happy to hear that. "I absolutely understand. You’re such a good son. I’m sure they would be incredibly happy you’re taking this trip. We’ll have to eat some more food and have a few extra drinks in their honor, yeah?” She said, teeth showing in a sweet grin. She, obviously, had never met his parents. But if they raised their son to be anything like them, well, they must’ve been some amazing people. And anything that ever meant so much to Nicholas, meant a lot to Gabrielle, one-hundred-percent.

           "Mm,“ she responded, eyebrows furrowing in response as she watched his face, cheeks flushing a tad bit. Leave it to Nicholas to get her going even whilst packing their luggage. Then again, he could surely get her going anywhere, at any time of any day. "Shame on you is right,” Gabby hissed, words nothing but playful seconds before he kissed her lips. One hand moved to his cheek as she returned the sweet little kiss. And when he walked away, she just had to watch him for a couple of seconds. How could one person make her so breathless, and without even doing all too much at that moment? Must’ve simply been his existence. The woman cleared her throat and turned around to continue the task at hand. “Oh yeah? I think I’m almost there too. We’ll be on the road in no time!” And by on the road, she meant everything completely packed, in the car, with a few hours to relax and sleep before they had to leave for the airport.

                                                          —

           "Boarding group C,“ reverberated through the large room, an excited Gabby shooting up from her seat. C, because both Gabrielle and Nicholas’ last names started with letters towards the end of the alphabet. Soon, however, her last name wouldn’t start with a W anymore—but they’d still be in the same boarding group. "You ready, babe?” She asked her handsome man, unable to hide her excitement. It’s not like she was jumping up and down in the terminal, but if people wouldn’t glare at her with judgmental expressions, she probably would. Not only did they deserve the fuck out of this trip, but doing this together, sharing some quality time, well, it was much, much needed. Less than ten minutes later, the pair had loaded their carry-on’s into the overhead, personal items at their feet. With a little nudge in the shoulder, Gabby looked at Nick, eyes gleaming, “It’s happening, we’re going to New Orleans,” she whispered, as she buckled herself in.

Even though Nick hadn’t been in an airport in a while he was still a natural at them, and the man was perfectly comfortable in them as well. Surely enough, Gabby packed away their save the dates in her personal bag so they could both work on them while they sat at their gate, waiting for the plane that would take them away on their first official vacation together to arrive. He caught himself gazing at her while she focused on her perfect penmanship - yet another thing that astounded Nicholas when it came to Gabby. Did she have any flaws? No, didn’t look like it. He left the writing to her, and he became rather proficient at putting the cards into their rightful envelopes and sealing them shut to be mailed later on. How could would it be to mail them off from New Orleans? Just a special touch, he thought.

When their boarding group was called Nick stood up and stretched, a yawn leaving his mouth before he extended the handle of his carryon and started to roll it towards the way of the line. “Hell yeah I’m ready,” he laughed, reaching to give Gabby’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. It was fun, seeing her so excited, and seeing her carrying her things reminded him of just the year before when they’d made their road trip to her parents’ house in Virginia, the place he’d first told this woman he loved her. Her excitement was apparent all the way through the cabin of the plane, while she put her bag in the overhead compartment, and while Nick finally got the time to take his seat next to her. He was thankful they’d managed to find seats next to each other - he didn’t know if any stranger would be able to muster up the same excitement Gabby displayed for going on this trip.

“We’re going to New Orleans,” Nicholas repeated, then leaned in to kiss Gabby’s cheek. “You’ve gotta save some of that energy for when we’re there, you know? We’ve got stuff to do, things to see. Food to eat!” He was the most excited about that, and he’d insisted on only snacking at the airport instead of eating a full meal. He wanted to be able to stuff himself once he was there. “Just a couple more hours and then we’ll be worry free in the Big Easy.” Nick moved his arm over his arm rest, taking Gabby’s hand in his. Sure, she’d probably be back to filling out cards the rest of the flight, but just a few moments of closeness between them was enough to hold him over. 

The flight was a good one - long, seeing as it was non-stop, but good. Nick could feel his heart racing when the plane finally touched down, the different atmosphere of New Orleans swallowing them up as it rolled to its rightful gate. The couple let most of the plane exit before them, neither of them fond of fighting people over getting their belongings or having to wait too long for their checked bags once they got off the plane. “I’ve already got us an Uber,” Nick said, looking down at his phone once they stepped into the Louisiana humidity. “Definitely feels different here, doesn’t it? I knew it would be hot, but not like this.” He sighed then smirked, knowing he’d probably ditching any ounce of clothing while he slept at night. And being naked in bed every night with Gabby? That wasn’t something he could complain about. “Hotel Monteleone,” Nick said in his best French accent. “I can’t wait to see if it looks as good in person as it did online.”

One thing that the pair would be able to count on is the fact that they wouldn’t be short of anything on their trip. When it comes to packing… well, Gabby could be an over-packer. Not, like, a crazy over-packer, but she always wanted to make sure she thought of everything, even if they wouldn’t necessarily need to use it. Would they need a lint roller? Probably not. But that small chance was still a chance… so it was in the pile. Would they need three packs of gum for their plane ride? Hell no… but there it was. Would she need ten dresses plus twelve full outfits? More than likely, no. But she always tried to think of all the possibilities. What if she wanted to change into a dress once the sun set? What if she wanted to put on a pair of workout pants and a casual t-shirt to walkaround with her man? There was a method to her madness, whether it seemed that way or not.

As she stood there with her clipboard, she felt this sense of satisfaction. Over the years, she had definitely grown as a leader, figuring out all the twists and turns of being in charge, and, well, kicking ass. And as weird as it may sound, she felt she was also kicking when it came to organizing their vacation essentials, too. “Toiletries are my least favorite part of packing,” she spoke aloud, making a face at the idea. “I used to pack travel sizes of everything and it was such a pain. Now I just opt for full sizes,” she said with a shrug, placing her clipboard down on the bed. “I realized over time that it’s so much easier that way. I wasted so much time…” Laughter bubbles up from the back of her throat at the thought, head shaking back and forth. Ya live and ya learn. She’d begun rolling some blouses to place in her packing cubes, tapping her foot subconsciously to the beat of the song playing. Who packed without music playing in the background? She couldn’t imagine. “You know,” she started to say, amusedly. “There is such a thing as drying off the shampoo bottle…”

When she noticed Nicholas coming to her side of the room, she stopped what she was doing to give him all of her attention, turning to look at him with a sweet smile. “And no one deserves this trip more than you, my love,” Gabby started to say. “I might deserve it a little bit too, but you, well—don’t even get me started on how hardworking you are. I feel so bad we couldn’t take a trip any earlier than this, but it’s finally here. Some much needed quality time…” She paused for a second as she watched his face. “I kinda wish we could too. You know, just transport there with the snap of a finger. But thank goodness we were able to find a nonstop flight. Once we’re on, we’ll be there in a little over three hours. But I can guarantee I won’t be able to fall asleep…"Gabby laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "I’m always too excited or too nervous to sleep on planes. Unless it’s a long ass flight, then maybe that’d be different, but for three hours? Maybe I can get some writing done… or maybe we could play some cards? Listen to some music? Or maybe watch a movie. Ooh ooh, we can wedding plan?” Then she realized she was going on and on, her smile turning slightly sheepish. “Don’t mind me. I just can’t wait."Gabrielle laughed, her arms wrapping around Nicholas’ neck loosely.  

The excitement in Nick’s voice warmed Gabby’s heart as she watched his face, corners of her lips turning up yet again in her pretty smile. "So basically, everything,” she chimed in, nose scrunching in excitement of her own. “Oh, you’ll drink all that history stuff up. I look forward to seeing you in your element…” She wouldn’t mind hearing him talk about all the little historical things he liked about the area. Quite honestly, she could listen to him talk about anything and not be bored, even if it wasn’t something she, herself, was passionate about. Hearing someone whom she is totally in love with talk about anything he was passionate about was music to her ears. Hell, he could talk about combing his hair or about doing laundry and she’d sit there with her chin in the palm of her hand. Weird, right? Another wave of laughter escaped her upon his last comment, brows wiggling in response. “Moaning, huh? You have some plans for us?” The dark-haired girl winked in his direction, giving him a squeeze as she peppered his cheek with light kisses. “You know I’m up for it.”

“Full sizes are where it’s at. You don’t have to buy containers that you lose the instant you get home,” Nick complained; he was organized, but travel containers were one of those things that always managed to slip out of his grasps. “You don’t have to waste the time, like you said. And,” he paused for dramatic effect. “You don’t end up running out of whatever you need and having to buy more.” His nose scrunched at her suggestion. "And touch nasty, cold, leftover shower water? No babe, just no.” If that was one pet peeve Nick had, it was the feeling of something cold and slimy - the same reason why dishes were always rinsed or washed completely the second they were ever put in his sink. Why let food get cold and disgusting only to have to touch it later? Maybe it was his own personal preference, maybe it was years of his mother training him to be neat in the kitchen when he was growing up. 

Nick smiled as he listened to Gabby ramble on and on. She had a habit of doing just that, the ability to talk about anything for as long as he would let her - and let her he would. Her voice was still as intoxicating to him as it was when he’d first caught feelings for her, and he could listen to her talk about anything until he fell asleep, from her book, their wedding, to what brand of toilet paper she preferred. If that wasn’t love he didn’t know what was. “I think I pick wedding planning,” Nick piped in, not that it would make their wedding date come any faster at all. It was simply enjoyable to think about. “I can take some of our planners in my bag to make sure you have room in yours. God knows that if you carried them all you’d have to check it too.” That organization, he thought to himself. Was it possible to write one too many memos to one’s self?

Being in his element...it was interesting how in his element Nick had come to be in teaching history. Granted, part of the reason why he’d taken that job specifically was for the coaching position that came along with it, fitting him into the category of social studies teachers who also coach sports. He was good at both, though, and passionate about his students whether they were in the classroom or on the field. Teaching brought a new joy to him that he’d never really felt before, the ability to shape a young person’s life quickly becoming one of the most fulfilling things Nick had ever experienced. “It’s going to be great. My parents and I talked about going there sometime. They would have enjoyed it, I’m sure. Mom would have loved the food. Hell, I’m talking like I’ve already been. I just want to make sure I can do everything they would have wanted to do, you know?” It wasn’t his responsibility by any means to check off things on his parents’ bucket lists, but somehow Nick felt closer to him by attempting to fill their shoes. “The first thing I want to do is get beignets at Cafe du Monde.” He could taste them already, or what he could imagine they tasted like by the beignets he’d tried in the past. He knew they’d be better, though.

“Maybe I have some plans for us, maybe I don’t.” The look on his face and the grip around her waist said otherwise, a familiar glimmer in his eyes when he thought of getting into their hotel bed. “Shame on me,” Nick whispered, then pressed a soft kiss to Gabby’s lips. “Don’t want to distract you with dirty thoughts while you’re packing.” One more kiss was followed by a smirk and Nick walked away, grabbing his completely dried shampoos and other bottles to pack away, zipping them into a plastic pouch just in case they leaked. “I think I might have everything I need,” Nick thought aloud, glancing at the razor by his sink and deciding that not shaving a couple of days would be easier than packing yet another thing. 

           It was still new to her. The idea of being engaged, that is. Which, in a way, is kinda crazy. It’d been almost eight months since Nick proposed to Gabby. Shouldn’t that be enough time to come down from such a high? One would think. But every time she looked down at her hand and saw that beautiful ring, every time she so much as looked in his direction, every time she would get lost in her thoughts—she remembered that she was engaged to the best man she ever could’ve possibly scored. It wasn’t the kind of thing where she got so excited she had to scream it from the rooftops whenever it came to mind (because that’d get annoying real quick), but it was on her mind quite frequently. Often times she just couldn’t wrap her mind around how she got so lucky. 

           And well, this was her first vacation as an engaged woman. Gabby usually tried to take a few trips throughout the year, but even since shortly after meeting Nick, her life had gotten a lot busier. With the cafe picking up and Nick getting a teaching slash coaching job, trips weren’t their first priority. Technically, this was their first official vacation as a couple, besides the few trips they’d taken to her visit her family. They were going to New Orleans—the home of delicious cuisine, beautiful music, and wonderful culture. Neither of them had ever been there, so it seemed fitting, different. Everything at the cafe was covered, and Nick had been working diligently to get ready for the upcoming school year. And they were more than looking forward to this two-week vacation.

           It’s no surprise that Gabrielle is a planner and an organized one at that. She’d created a packing checklist for them to go by, consisting of everything they’d need from undergarments and toothbrushes to IDs and plane tickets. A clipboard in hand and a pen tapping away at it, eyes scanned down the list, taking note of the checkmarks along the way. “Socks, underwear, dresses, swimsuits, vitamins, chargers…” She mumbled under her breath, taking a little glance over at their bed, which was filled with countless items. Her stuff on one side, Nick’s on the other, just so it was easier to make sure they had what they needed. “Babe, how you doing over there?” Gabby asked, brows raised with a cute grin. “12 hours ‘til our flight, 10 ‘til we get to the airport.” She reminded excitedly, as she’d been doing throughout the day, just to keep a countdown. ////////// @nicholasthompson

Gabby Welch could never cease to amaze Nick, the man walking into their shared bedroom in his Brooklyn home to find what he could only assume what was everything they could possibly need - maybe even more - spread on the bed and waiting to be packed away into luggage that they’d see again when they arrived in New Orleans. Nick always wanted to go there but never quite found the time while he was in control of the Thompson family marketing firm. The constant phone calls, conferences, and office hours kept him tied down to New York, and even though he’d slowly been letting go of his key responsibilities over the company for the past few years he’d always felt too unhappy to get himself to get on a plain and travel somewhere new. He didn’t deserve it, he thought to himself time and time again. Work was his life, a punishment for whatever he’d done to the universe to make it hate him.

All that changed with Gabby, with a little help from his new job as a teacher too. Nick was still the reigning president of his father’s company; he could never fully let it go, and he would always be the last in line for vital decision making. Still, since he got engaged he managed to loosen the reigns and give some of his most trusted team members more freedom to in turn give himself the same thing. That, and his new teaching job left summers wide open to take time to relax and enjoy time off. A lot of it, too. The end of his first summer vacation since college was drawing near, but he and his fiancee had been planning on ending it with a big bang. New Orleans was the biggest bang they could come up with. 

“I’m uh...you know, I think you’re handling it all pretty well.” Nick had already dropped Gus off with a close friend of the couple to keep him for the days to come, and had just walked through the door before making his way back to the bedroom where Gabby was packing. “I just have to pack my toiletries. You know how much I hate packing a wet shampoo bottle.” He stuck his tongue out and went into the bathroom where he’d left his shower essentials to dry overnight. He’d throw them in a checked bag rather than a carry on. Who wanted to waste time dumping soaps and gels into travel bottles when there was so much else to be done?

“I wish we could fast forward having to wait. I’m beyond ready for this trip.” He’d barely slept the night before, staring at the ceiling the majority of the night while he listened to Gabby sleeping next to him. Anxious jitters, he’d thought to himself. A good anxious, of course. “I wouldn’t mind fast forwarding through the flight too, but we can’t have everything we want, can we?” He gravitated to Gabby’s side of the room, sliding his arms around her waist once the gap between them was closed. “I’m ready for beignets,” He started, giving her a small squeeze. “I’m ready for the night life.” Another squeeze, then a kiss on the cheek. “The history!” That certainly excited him, getting to tour the historic buildings of the French Quarter. “Convincing our hotel neighbors that their rooms are haunted when they hear moaning coming from next door...” His smile morphed into a devious smirk, laughter residing in his throat.