Twenty-two

Apology

      Relena was wide eyed, “If Quatre wasn’t already trying for you, I would offer you a job.”
      Nikki’s smile was borderline tolerating.
      I met Duo’s eyes and shared his shock. Then met Sam’s eyes, which were surprised, but not shocked, and somewhat amused.
      Hmm...Nikki was up to something.
      Zechs gave Quatre a mischievous grin, “You should do it anyway...”
      “Competition...” Quatre grinned, “Nikki-dear, Angel, you wouldn’t be trying to get me to offer you more money, would you?”
      Nikki’s eyebrow quirked, “There has been nothing said about money, Sweetling...”
      That was annoying, “Would you two stop with the pet names?” I demanded before I thought about it and before she could go on.
      “Beware the green-eyed monster...” Sally muttered good-naturedly, her voice barely loud enough for everyone to hear.
      “I’m not jealous.” I replied darkly.
      “Then what’s the problem, Heero-ai?” Nikki’s eyes were naughty. She focused on me. Last night flashed through my mind again and her comment that we’d go back to normal...it wasn’t happening.
      I thought about it a second, realizing I was jealous...actually, that wasn’t surprising. I was also annoyed. The last pet name she’d called me had been ‘Omaesan’ in a snide tone...last night...and adding ‘love’ to my name didn’t seem as...intimate as a near constant ‘Angel’ or ‘Sweetling’. I closed my eyes, calming my nerves, if she had something going on with him... “Never mind. Go on...”
      Suddenly she was in front of me, her hand running through my hair. “Thank you...” it trailed to down my ear.
      My eyes flew open, she was definitely up to something...not that I minded. If she kept this up I’d just...
      “Hmm...” Sam’s voice was amused, “Nikki, for shame. We’re trying to be serious. Let the games wait.”
      Nikki grinned down at me and turned to look at Sam, “The games are distracting, aren’t they...”
      Sam nodded, “Very. And you should probably let someone else have a go. You’ve had your turn three times over.” her heavy lidded eyes were sparkling, “Heero seems bound and determined not to let you play tonight anyway, and with the amount of times you called him Asshole last night, its the least you could do...”
      I decided it best not to say anything to that.
      “Which reminds me...” Krystal broke in, “I’ve noticed something...Have you been letting your games get out of hand?”
      Nikki laughed, “I thought about it, does that count?”
      How had she...Nikki wouldn’t have...
      It was Kris...
      “Ih...” Kris shook her head.
      “Oh...” Nikki sounded slightly crest fallen and they laughed.
      Nikki however, had already got me before they’d spoken.
      Noticing, Kris grinned, “But your current score’s one of five...” she looked at Zechs, “Six, I mean.”
      Everyone grinned at me.
      I took a deep breath and looked them over darkly. Relena did not look happy...pissed seemed more like it...a sentiment shared by Noin, and seeing as Zechs had been added to the play list, that made sense...she really didn’t approve of Zechs’ new found curiosity. Sally grinned at me and winked when I met her eyes she was watching all this with the removed aire of someone who knows.
      Duo was slightly distracted, and no wonder, with Kris sitting there...relaxing against him. A lot like Nikki had been earlier...but still, he was amused.
      He had seen something he wasn’t supposed to in the room...I wondered what exactly that had been...Nikki hadn’t went into detail.
      Trowa was grinning slightly. Quatre was just grinning. Wufei was probably smug and annoyed. He seemed to have a bit too much of an interest in Nikki...still...
      Nikki moved around and sat behind me again. Kris was smiling at me in a very Krystal fashion. Kat had both eyebrows raised and was highly amused. Sam wouldn’t look at me.
      “Can we focus please?” Noin asked, “I know you all enjoy these games. But we do have more pressing business at hand...”
      We managed not to smile too obviously at her choice of words...
      Things got boring after that. We all sighed and got serious. Nothing of true interest happened, except we decided we’d eventually need to go deal with the dolls at the Lunar base.
      “I’m tired.” Nikki commented suddenly.
      “I looked to my watch, “Well, it’s nearly midnight...and we were...up...” I decided not to finish that because we’d been up more than they’d thought.
      Duo was hiding his grin.
      “Go relax in someone’s room?” Quatre offered, standing.
      “Not so much.” Nikki murmured, “I’m not in the mood to be social.”
      He nodded, “Sounds good to me.” looking down, he offered Sam a hand and helped her stand.
      “Night.” Nikki muttered to her friend as Relena, Zechs, Noin, and Sally also stood and headed into the hall.
      “Night.” Sam replied quietly, following the Arabian.
      Krystal stood, “Well...” she stretched, “I’ll see you all in the morning. Night.” she ran her fingers across Duo’s temple and into his hair slightly as she passed, an absent seeming gesture...
      “Come on, Kitty.” Trowa muttered, helping Kat stand.
      Duo met and held my eyes as they left and Nikki muttered good-night to them too.
      Wufei stretched as he headed for the door, “Night. Sleep well...” it seemed directed more at Nikki than Duo or I. That was amusing, after what she’d done...
      “Night. You too.” Nikki replied.
      He grunted non-commitally as he disappeared out the door.
      “So, does she like me or not?” Duo demanded after the door closed.
      I shrugged, “I don’t know, Duo.” I stood.
      “What do you think, Nik?”
      She held her hands up to me so I’d pull her up, “I don’t know, Duo. There’s this problem with making me think at midnight when I’m short on sleep...two plus two equals five...or...” she thought a moment, “Maybe twenty-two...I don’t remember...”
      “That’s helpful.”
      She grinned as I hauled her up, “Isn’t it though.”
      We started for the door and I paused in front of him, offering a hand to help him stand as Nikki waited near the door.
      He pulled himself up, “I’m confused, you know.”
      I nodded, looking at Nikki, “I know how you feel.”
      He grinned as Nikki and I stepped into the hall and she leaned against me.
      “You would, Asshole...” he grinned as I rolled my eyes and Nikki tensed, “Things seem to have been very confusing of late.”
      I nodded, thinking of the way she’d nuzzled me earlier, and last night...and how she’d called me Asshole fifty million times and told me to go fuck my princess...
      So she’d thought about letting the games get out of hand...that had been more than a thought...well...I’d sort of taken the games out of her hands...
      I grinned.
      “So what happened?” he demanded finally, eager.
      “Do you really need to ask?”
      He grinned at me, “So are you together now or what?”
      “Or what.” Nikki replied, sounding half asleep already, leaning a bit heavier on my arm.
      He gave me a ‘You’re stupid.’ look.
      I gave him a look of ‘What can I do.’
      “You probably should have cleaned up before having people in your room.”
      “It’s not like we thought about it...” I was almost annoyed.
      “So did you sleep at all?”
      I gave him a look, “Yes. We were sleeping when Quatre came to check on us...”
      I was still annoyed at him...Why had he been coming to check on us?
      “When Quatre...” Duo’s eyes opened wide, “But I thought...”
      “Thought what?” Nikki asked sedately when he didn’t sound like he’d go on.
      “That it was between when Trowa left and when you were arguing this morning...”
      I shook my head, adjusting to better support the weight Nikki was putting against me, “No, we were sleeping then.”
      He was looking at me, considering, “So why were you arguing when I came and told you to go fuck Relena?”
      I sighed, “Nikki?”
      She also sighed, “Have at it...”
      I shook my head, “You can’t get mad at me.”
      “Yes I can. It will just be my own fault.”
      Duo grinned at me.
      I sighed again, “I woke her up to see...well...” I couldn’t say it...it was too coarse...even after everything I’d said...it wasn’t just us now...
      “He had a condom and I told him to hurry so he could catch the bitch before she got busy.”
      I tensed at her description of Relena and Duo gave me an amused look.
      “Her phrasing was a bit different...” I thought about it, wondering why she’d been that annoyed with me...
      Duo was laughing silently.
      “So what was that when you yelled ‘Again!’?”
      I looked at him and away.
      “And what did you throw?”
      “The brush...”
      “Why?” he was prompting.
      Nikki glanced at him with an almost surprised look, then thought about it, “That’s right...you didn’t...” she trailed off.
      “Didn’t...” he was still prompting.
      “She kept flinching from me...” I said with a sigh, not looking at him.
      “You didn’t hit her, did you?”
      I gave him an outraged look.
      “Sorry...” he raised both hands briefly, “But why else would she...”
      “I don’t know.” Nikki replied promptly, ending that particular line of conversation.
      “That bothered me...so I threw the brush...”
      “Which had to of helped with the flinching...”
      I gave him a level look.
      Nikki yawned and we could both feel waves of...discomfort...or something...
      “Are you feeling all right?” Duo asked her finally.
      “I’m tired.” she replied after pulling in the energy.
      Duo snorted, slowing and stopping in front of his door, waiting expectantly.
      Nikki pulled herself off me and hugged him, kissing him lightly on the lips, “Night, Prince.”
      Duo hugged back, “Night.” he mumbled, not looking at me as he did so, then met my eyes when she’d draped herself across my arm again, “Night, I’ll see you in the morning.”
      “Night,” I replied with a nod, allowing Nikki to start pulling me toward our bedrooms.
      “Remember, Heero,” Duo called, and I glanced back to him, “Clean up the mess.” his grin was mischevious as he ducked into his room quickly.
      I snorted.
      Nikki giggled slightly, “Gotta love Duo.”
      “Not by choice.” I replied, grinning at her.
      She rolled her eyes.
      Nikki dropped onto the bed and watched with interest as I changed into my pajama bottoms, I returned the look a moment, then dug her’s out, too, “Here.” I tossed them to her.
      She sat up slowly, then took off her top, “Will you brush my hair?”
      I nodded, turning and walking to the vanity as she finished changing, grabbing her brush and a rubber...well...small hair-band, it wasn’t rubber...
      I studied it as I moved back to the bed, plopping heavilly behind her as she pulled the hair-tie she had in, out, “Sorry.” she muttered.
      Sorry... “What?” I asked.
      “About last night...”
      “Which part?”
      “Well...before you were an asshole...I don’t need to apologize for any of that.”
      I sighed, “I don’t want to think about it. It was too confusing. Let’s just move on.” I started brushing her hair.
      She looked over her shoulder at me a minute, “I’m sorry.” she repeated.
      The way she said it was different this time.
      “For what?”
      “The whole pet name thing...”
      I sighed, “It’s all right....”
      “And the whole meeting bit...”
      “It’s all right.” I repeated firmer.
      “And the head-games with Wufei.”
      “It’s okay. He deserved it...I just wish...” I slowed, not really wanting to go on.
      “Yeah?”
      My aggravation that had built up all day exploded, “I wish you would stop pulling your shit!”
      She was surprised.
      “Why this time?” I went on before I could stop myself.
      “What?”
      “Why did you go through with the game...”
      Now that I’d started...
      “With Wufei?” she was still surprised.
      “Yes, with Wufei.” He wasn’t like the little boys she toyed with at home. He wasn’t intimidated by me like they were, and, though we had a mutual respect for one another, Nikki wasn’t exactly my girlfriend. As if that’d matter...I’d found that one out in the past. Not many girls actually told him no and carried through with it...none played games with him successfully.
      “He pissed me off.”
      “But why?” I demanded.
      “He pissed me off, Heero” she said each word clearly, her own aggravation starting to surface.
      “You went a little far, Omaesan.”
      “No. Not really. I’ve done worse, much worse...”
      “And got into trouble with it. Then Kyle ended up in the hospital.”
      “I didn’t ask you two to beat the shit out of him...”
      “No. You didn’t tell us not to either. But the bastard should’ve known better. That’s beside the point. I suggest you don’t pull your shit on the others anymore...including Zechs.”
      She snorted slightly, “Pull my shit?” A pause, “Even if they want me to?”
      What was this? Her tone implied more than Zechs’ interest.
      She sensed my curiosity.
      “He did, you know. He wanted me to...‘Pull my shit’ as you so graciously put it. He always does.”
      That didn’t really surprise me, didn’t reassure me either. “You shouldn’t have done it.”
      “You shouldn’t have pissed me off.”
      “How the hell did I piss you off? What does that have to do with this?”
      “All that bull-shit with Miss Relena...” her tone was snide and she made no response to the second question.
      “What is your problem with Relena, Nicole? How come she offends you so much?” I’d thought it over and only drew a blank...Relena was fun, and nice...and willing...if I could ever get the chance...
      “Because she’s fake. All her laughter and charm...it’s all a bunch of B.S.”
      “Show her some respect, will you? She’s had a lot happen in her life.”
      “And I haven’t? You haven’t? Hell, Angel, you were completely trained as a soldier before you were fourteen and you were sent to Earth to gain revenge...” she shook her head, “I show people the respect they earn from me, Heero. She hasn’t earned any yet.”
      Well, no one was getting much sleep tonight...This had the potential to explode...I clenched her hair brush.
      I wanted to finish an argument for once.
      “She has accomplished more in the last five years...”
      “Than you? Than Quatre?” she shook her head, she didn’t seem too hell bent on finishing an argument...she never had...sometimes it seemed like she antagonized me...
      “Nikki...”
      “Heero.”
      I took deep breaths, clenching the brush tighter, “Just explain to me why you don’t like her...”
      “I already have, Angel.”
      I shook my head, “No, that was a...a...”
      “A what, Heero? What was it?” she turned to me.
      “An evasion.” I said coldly, “I know you. I know when you pull shit out of your ass to get around something you don’t want to say. Just fucking tell me the truth.”
      She took a breath, thinking, “Well...” I could tell by the look that she was actually going to do it...
      The phone rang.
      I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding, we looked at each other a moment. She shook her head, looking down...the moment had passed, she wouldn’t tell me now.
      I picked up the receiver, annoyed, “Yeah?”
      “Heero?” Quatre’s tone was surprised.
      “Yeah.” I repeated, harsher.
      “No arguing tonight, all right?”
      I took another deep breath, looking at Nikki.
      “I could hear it starting and decided to head it off.”
      “Thanks, Quatre.” I told him coldly, “I appreciate it.”
      “What?” he was confused.
      “I’ll tell ya in the morning. Good night.” I hung up.
      “What did he say?” Nikki asked me quietly.
      I started to brush her hair again, “No arguing tonight.”
      I could tell she rolled her eyes, “That pissed me off even more last night.” she informed me after a while.
      “What?”
      “Do you think I can be bought or something?”
      “What? No...”
      “Sure as hell sounded like it last night. I don’t care if he is one of the richest most influential guys in the colonies, if I’m fucking him, it’s not for the money, it’s for the sex...and you know it...and as for promises...”
      “I’m sorry...”
      “That really hurt my feelings...you made it sound like...like...”
      “I’m sorry!”
      “And I didn’t do him any favors. The thought never crossed my mind...and I don’t care if it did his...”
      “I’m sorry!”
      “He told me to stop being a bitch to you.”
      “I said I was sorry...I was pissed and trying to get at you any way I could...I’m sorry.”
      She sighed, relaxing...
      We were silent a while as relief filtered through me. Of course Quatre hadn’t tried anything...I felt bad for even suspecting it...
      “Nikki?”
      “Mhmm?” she was really relaxed...I couldn’t resist running my fingers down her back and she shifted to look at me.
      “I’m sorry if I’m acting jealous.”
      I ran my fingers back and forth above her tank top on her spine without thinking about it and she shifted a bit, tilting her head forward some.
      I shook my head, “It’s just...just...things have been reminding me of...of us...and...” I stopped, not sure how to continue, if I wanted to continue, closing my eyes as I hoped I hadn’t said too much.
      There was a long silence. When I opened my eyes, she was watching me. I reached out to caress her face before I realized it, but stopped, my hand in mid-air.
      I didn’t say anything to her, fought the urge to kiss her...last night could have been a one time thing...
      I sighed heavily and lay back, setting her brush on my nightstand.
      Nikki stood and headed for the door.
      I sat up quickly, trying to figure out what she was doing...hoping she wasn’t leaving...
      She turned the lights out.
      I sighed in relief.
      I was still sitting up when she reached the bed, she crawled across it and into my lap, snuggling against my chest.
      I was shocked, did this mean...
      After a while, I lay back, holding her...realizing that was all she wanted...
      “Good night, Angel...” she muttered.
      “Good night, Omaesan...”
      I hated these mixed feelings...I was still pissed at her...how big of a bitch she was...how easily she moved on from that...how callous and calculating she could be with a smile on her face...how in three seconds she could turn from ripping my throat out to...to...other things...this wasn’t the first time shit like this had happened...it’d just went a bit further this time...the emotions were stronger and she wasn’t making sense.

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Kyeian