Four

Diversionary Tactics

      I walked to the shuttle terminal quietly, Nikki’s outburst bothering me.
      She, of course, had every right to know what was going on, and I hadn’t told her. I was also bothered slightly by jealousy. She’d been too nice to Quatre...I had a feeling that my worries about Wufei were well founded, as well, he hadn’t stopped before...even with...
      That thought was better left buried. He hadn’t messed with her last time.
      I let my mind wander...of course, it ended up with the feeling of her hand running through my hair and to the nape of my neck again...I couldn’t put that out of my mind. I needed to stop thinking of things like that...of her and...I wasn’t going to dwell on the past.
      I reached the terminal and leaned against the wall. Why had Nikki actually listened to me? I’d expected her to protest more at my choice of wording...
      I switched focus to Relena. She would be here soon. It would be nice to have her near again. I hadn’t spoken to her in person since after I’d recovered...I hadn’t seen her since the press conference...
      Quatre and Duo had arranged for the Gundams to be sent to Earth and left to her keeping. We all knew she’d take good care of them.
      Having Relena here would make it much easier to protect her.
      There was a bustle in the hall and I could hear Quatre objecting to something.
      There was a murmured reply.
      Realization. “Nikki...” I started, slightly annoyed.
      She turned the corner followed by Quatre, “I couldn’t wait in there.” her tone was matter-of-fact.
      Quatre gave me an apologetic look, he had tried to stop her. I nodded to him.
      Without a word, he turned and walked away.
      Nikki sat back against the wall opposite me without saying anything. She watched me curiously.
      I just stood there and watched her...trying not to think about her...her long dark hair...that caress...Stop...those nights we’d...Now! Her kiss...
      There was nothing to say...at first, “If I tell you to do something, you need to listen. What we’re doing is more important than your pride.” Dealing with her being upset...well pissed, was easier than watching those eyes...
      It was a distraction.
      She tilted her head slightly, a thousand replies flashing in her eyes, “Why’d you leave?”
      I sighed, “I needed some time alone, not to mention that they all know now that I did...” I reached over and brushed her cheek under the gash . Thinking about it opened the pit again...she had to forgive me... “I didn’t mean to attack you.”
      She nodded, “I know, but you did. The fact that I still trust you is beyond me. But I do, with my life. I didn’t mean to tell them like that.”
      I knew that she understood, but I wanted forgiveness, not understanding.
      “Why did you tell them?”
      Her bearing became uncomfortable and she looked away. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t realize I was speaking out loud...I mean...Quatre had offered me a job...” she shook her head, “Milliardo...We’re in L-4...” she looked at me to see if I understood.
      At that instant part of my mind was on her words...the other...her long dark hair...that look in her eyes...memories of those nights...it’d been so long since we last...I wished it had been last night...I wouldn’t have attacked her if...
      Suddenly Trowa turned the corner, followed by Sam, Kat, and Kris. They were watching us curiously.
      “Duo’s here.” Trowa said and walked passed without stopping or even seeming to care we were there...
      I waited for Quatre and Wufei to walk past. Then stepped to the middle of the hall, Nikki met me there and leaned against me as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, grabbing her right hand with my own.
      Her ring flashed as we walked and I studied it, forgetting everything that plagued me for a while. Duo was here, and Relena, Zechs, Noin, and Sally would be shortly. My friends surrounded me, and the person I could count on no matter what, or when, understood me and returned my trust.
      The ‘crisis’ at hand seemed less important.
      “Hey, Guys, what’s goin’ on?” Duo sounded as cheerful as normal, “Sorry I’m late...had a little trouble with our,” he looked to Quatre, making air quotes, “Agreed upon names.”
      Quatre smiled, “Sorry ‘bout that...” he shrugged slightly, “Welcome.”
      Duo smiled past him to the girls, who were converging on him with hugs and kisses, “Save me any?” he asked me over their heads.
      I grinned, “Thought about it...but you were running late, so...” I shrugged, “There’s only so much a man can do with willing...”
      Nikki turned and smacked me on the arm before I could finish and I laughed.
      Trowa grinned, “He does share, though...”
      Nikki turned and smacked him too, causing Duo to laugh.
      “We’ll need a secure room.” I said when they’d finally calmed down. They liked Duo...a lot...they always said he was fun and when he showed up it wouldn’t get boring...
      It tended to get a bit boring for the rest of us, but the girls were happy so we dealt. Now, he was surrounded by laughing happy faces, asking questions that verged on lewd for their amusement.
      Quatre nodded and led us down the hall and back to his study, and I grabbed Nikki’s hand. “This is a secure room. That’s why I brought you here in the first place.” he looked around the room, then at Nikki.
      She nodded and started to walk away, when I didn’t let go immediately, she stopped and turned to me with a look of curiosity. Also daggers, but that was only because I knew her well enough to see it in her eyes.
      I let go, knowing that they all recognized the look.
      As she walked away, Wufei went to the chair he’d been in earlier.
      “Please, have a seat...” Quatre offered to everyone else, eyeing the Chinese man with a pointed look.
      I managed not to smile.
      Trowa didn’t, but no one noticed other than me. He, Kat, Krystal, Samantha, and Duo sat on the couch. Quatre and I followed Nikki to the console.
      She was typing fast on the keyboard. She looked up and smiled slightly at me then looked back to the screen.
      Quatre walked around until he was behind her and watched as she worked, “Maybe B-4...” he said with a chuckle.
      “Bingo...” she muttered back with a smile, “What’s the prize?”
      Quatre smiled largely and was about to reply.
      “Sorry, Kiddies.” I interrupted, “We’re not playing games here. This is much more important.”
      She gave me a look that said she’d tolerate that.
      “Don’t look at me like that, Omaesan.” I said sarcastically, not realizing I’d used the familiar term.
      She blinked, “What?”
      “It’s a familiar term of ‘you’.” Wufei informed her, seeming unemotional.
      “I meant to say ‘Dear’.” I informed him, wondering if he’d termed it that way on purpose. That caused a few looks to be exchanged.
      Brushing them off, I looked back at Nikki. As she went back to what she was doing, I noticed her raise one eyebrow briefly to her friends.
      They returned the look, Samantha in particular...she looked...smug? Krystal was amused and gave Sam a ‘You were right’ type of look...Kat seemed...numb...and not noticing much...well, she was noticing Trowa...
      “What’s she doing?” Kat whispered to Duo in a tone only he was supposed to hear.
      Duo started to shrug.
      “Checking to make sure this room is secure.” Quatre said without looking up from the screen, “What’s that?” he muttered, pointing.
      As Nikki and he muttered back and forth, Sam and Kris looked to Kat.
      “How’d he hear me?” she muttered, embarrassed slightly.
      “I know for a fact that we can all hear you, except maybe Nikki...but I think she can.” Duo whispered back.
      “I can hear them just fine.” Nikki said loud enough for Quatre and I to hear. She went back to her conversation with Quatre.
      Wufei sighed finally, and stood, starting to cross the room to us with an expression of boredome clearly written on his face.
      I looked around the rest of the room, then looked to Nikki, “We should share a room.” I muttered quickly as the idea hit me, hoping only she could hear me.
      She nodded slightly as Wufei stopped near us, snorting slightly. I was irritated to realize he’d heard, as well, but not as irritated as Nikki.
      She gave him a cold look, “What is your problem?” she demanded, stepping toward him, around the console and Quatre.
      He regarded her blankly, “I have no problem, Onna.”
      “Onna?”
      “Woman.”
      She flicked her long dark hair back, a gesture which meant she didn’t believe him. The others shifted slightly.
      “Nicole...” I warned so she wouldn’t take this too far, my voice for her ears only.
      She flicked her hair slightly again to let me know she understood.
      “You have a problem.” she informed him, stepping close, entirely focused on the Chinese man before her as Duo stood and stepped forward.
      I shifted my weight enough to catch his eye, he blinked in surprise as I shook my head.
      Nikki would only turn on him too...he knew that...
      Wufei noticed as well. His entire being shifted slightly. “I do have a problem.” he agreed with a slight smile.
      Nikki watched him, waiting expectently, I could feel the aggravation radiating from her.
      Wufei was now entirely focused on her as if the room was empty except the two of them, his arms were crossed over his chest, his voice was cold. “Woman are weak.”
      Nikki’s arm swung out fast, like a striking snake. I couldn’t help but smile, she had caught me off guard many times like that...or maybe I’d just let her catch me...
      Before her hand could connect to his face, however, his hand reached out and caught hers. His head jerked back slightly.
      I concealed my amusement, moving his head proved he wasn’t expecting her to actually try to slap him...his reflexes were a hair faster than my own...but I hadn’t worked on them in...well...too long.
      Quatre’s weight shifted and I threw one hand back to stop him as well. At this point, to interrupt her would just piss her off...I’d hear about it forever, at any rate, and only God knew what Wufei would do then...there was a good idea...make it look like I controlled her so he’d have a challenge...
      I met Quatre’s eyes, I had no intention of letting this go too far. I would stop it at her limit...and face the consequences.
      Quatre looked away finally, understanding but not liking it.
      Trowa was staring at me. I returned his gaze with equal understanding. He nodded, barely moving his head.
      Nikki wrenched her hand from Wufei’s grasp. A slight smile playing across her lips as she leaned a little too close to his mouth, “Like you would know.” she breathed, lips brushing his ear. It almost looked like she was about to kiss him...her lips barley avoiding his as she pulled back to meet his eyes. I grinned, not being able to hide it, she liked playing games with him...‘specially this one.
      Wufei glared down at her, taken aback, “They are. They’re weak and willful, I feel sorry for any fool who takes it upon himself to protect one.” an obvious dig at me. Trowa, Duo, and Quatre, however, reacted on that with anger. They remained silent, but their shifts were enough to warn Wufei he was treading on thin ice.
      Nikki gave him a low look, pulling back slightly, “Of course, if the woman can protect herself, then I also feel sorry for the fool.”
      “Regardless.” Wufei’s eyes scanned the group almost challengingly, “Woman are weak.”
      “So is a man who can’t cope with defeat.” Nikki’s tone was calm and serene, not half as bitchy as the statement itself or the complete shift back, away from him...implying loss of interest...a blow to his ego.
      Maybe I shouldn’t have told her that story...
      The statement hung there.
      Wufei stared at Nikki for a moment, thinking about what she’d said. “And what makes you think I can’t cope?” his tone was a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.
      Nikki regarded him with heavy lidded amused eyes, shaking her head slightly, “I never said that.”
      “Only implied it.” his voice was almost as challenging as his look.
      I realized Nikki had not looked away from Wufei’s cold, flat stare. I was amused that he was trying to dominate her. I myself had tried it a few times out of boredom...it didn’t work.
      The statement hung heavily in the air, Nikki neither affirming nor refusing it, just giving him an innocent look...
      Slowly, Wufei’s bearing changed as he realized he couldn’t stare her down. He looked to me, his eyes showing respect.
      I realized why, she would look away from me sometimes. I hadn’t noticed because she would do it smoothly...probably didn’t notice herself...but...I did that too.
      As Wufei and I stared at each other, the tension drained from the room.
      “Can you finish securing the room, Omaesan?” I asked, not thinking about it.
      She met my eyes and Wufei snorted slightly again. Nikki grinned at me without letting him see it. Then she turned her head away and refused to meet my eyes.
      I noticed she was watching me from the corner of her eyes, seeing if I’d play along. I stared down at her a moment, then bent to try to meet her eyes.
      She avoided my eyes.
      “Nikki?” I asked softly...if I hadn’t thought about it...I’d forgotten how good of an actress she could be...

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Kyeian