By the time the two made it home after several kiss breaks Nicole was practically floating. It felt like everything was in place, except for maybe the romance she wished accompanied the kisses. Amy seemed un-phased by the displays of affection she had given to Nicole. She quickly rinsed in Nicole's bathroom before starting the elaborate dinner she had been planning for several days. Nicole of course was of no use during this kitchen adventure, but she was allowed to sit and watch Amy cook. Amy's extravagant dish was special, she had made the pasta by hand and had made the marinara sauce on her own. She was making a spinach lasagna, something Nicole wasn't thrilled about since it involved vegetables. But the way Amy got excited when things went right made the fact that she had to eat so many green vegetables worth it.
Amy would occasionally spoon feed Nicole some of the food for tests, but really she just enjoyed the childish praise she received from Nicole. It made her feel loved and special, something she wasn't all that accustomed to. At her house the most she received was an 'okay and' from her mother. It made her feel better to know she was appreciated here. Nicole entered the kitchen and began touching things so Amy could no longer revel in the joy of having people care about her. She attempted to guide Nicole on how to layer the lasagna but it didn't work, she would either layer things too thick or too thin in which case things then wouldn't be properly cooked.
"Nicole, get out of the kitchen and stop disturbing the chef. How's dinner coming along Amy?" Juliana was sipping some tea and sitting at the counter watching Amy work just as Nicole had.
"The food is coming along fine, and it's alright. I like trying to help her."
"Keyword trying, right Amy." Juliana winked at her. "I'm kidding Nicole, just pay more attention to what Amy is saying to you instead of staring at her." Nicole was scowling at her mother and decided to act more childish and whine to Amy.
"She's so mean to me Amy, always thinking I'm incapable." Nicole buried her face in Amy's neck. Though Amy knew Nicole was just kidding it felt odd seeing her complain about her mother when Juliana was nothing but kind. Juliana rolled her eyes and left the room.
"If you need help getting rid of Nicky, get Chris or me, maybe Chris would be better. He's better at negotiating with her." Especially when she's being unreasonable." Amy nodded and started patting Nicole's head.
"You can get off now, your mom is gone. If you're going to stay in the kitchen, do some dishes please. And make sure you're ready to clean a massive mess once the dinner is finished." Nicole groaned but began cleaning the sink out and filling it so she could rinse the dishes. It wasn't hard to load the dishwasher but it meant she couldn't look at Amy as she got in her cooking zone. Nicole finished the dishes fast with her motivation being able to stare at Amy once more. She decided it was best to watch from afar so she wasn't sentenced to any more work. Amy let her stay at the counter and watch something Nicole was completely content with. She sighed everytime Amy would turn, just to draw her attention for a moment.
Juliana watched the way her daughter stared at Amy, already knowing full well what was going on. She couldn't be mad though Amy was a lovely girl and if Nicole liked her that was fine. What bothered her was the way Nicole was trying to hide it, not because she was good at being secretive, but because she was horrible at it. Juliana could only think Amy was the one who would want to keep it a secret, and if she knew how obvious Nicole was being, she'd probably panic. "Nicole! Please come to the living room." Juliana intended on being honest and open with her daughter. Nicole skipped over into the room and lightly jumped onto the couch.
"Do you need something mom?" Nicole was uncharacteristically enthusiastic. Likely because she had been staring at the object of her affection for so long.
"No, if you're going to date your roommate please at least try and keep it a secret. It's obvious Amy doesn't want others to know, but the way you act is very telling."
"But we're not dating."
"Don't try and fool me, I see the way you stare at her and-"
"We're really not dating mom, in fact she says the reason she won't date me is because she's scared of how you'll react. Since you're reacting well it's probably safe for me to tell her."
"You are such a dense child. She obviously has other reasons for wanting to keep it a secret too. For now just respect your partner's boundaries and don't press." Juliana paused before adding a quick after thought. "And be safe." Nicole's face flared up and she hid it in a pillow.
"Mom, we're not doing anything like that. Just leave me alone." Amy came to check what Nicole was doing in the living room. She smiled as she saw Juliana poking Nicole's stomach as she attempted to hide in pillows.
"I can definitely love you." Amy whispered before walking back to the kitchen to cut up some ingredients.