Twenty-four

Another Short

      Relena giggled too much.
      It was really annoying...and if it wasn’t the giggle, then it was the Tinkerbell laugh...
      The upside was that Nikki had come to the other end of the bar and was sitting with Sam, drinking...a lot. A lot more than normal...like when I’d really hurt her. That’s what I’d intended. She could not be a bitch to me and expect me to ignore it when she decided things were better.
      She didn’t look as upset as I’d thought she’d be though...but the drinking...
      I continued to murmur into Relena’s ear...this was just wrong.
      Nikki would have been doing something while she listened to me...something interesting, and Relena seemed really naive...hence the giggling.
      After a while I noticed Wufei look up quickly and turned to see Sam throw her drink in Nikki’s face, “You bitch!”
      Nikki gasped, looking more pissed than she ever had...I started for her.
      “You fucking bitch!”
      “What are you doing?” Relena asked.
      I looked at her and shook my head, refocusing as Nikki slapped Sam hard...
      They started yelling at each other...this was worse than any fight they’d ever had... suddenly Sam slapped Nikki...
      I flinched inwardly, guilt washing through me.
      The gash on her cheek...the one I had made while attacking blindly...had started bleeding.
      Nikki threw her drink at Sam...then they were moving at each other
      I grabbed Nikki as Wufei grabbed Sam, pulling them apart...she fought me the entire way into the hall, yelling things at the other...I had to focus completely to keep her from getting away as Wufei had a similar struggle.
      Quatre led the way and Kris followed Sam out, shutting the door as Duo did the same on our side.
      Nikki finally broke free, starting down the hall again...I was so shocked that she’d actually gotten away that I paused a second...she was still yelling and so was Sam...but Wufei had let her go...
      Nikki was about five feet away when I caught her again...she elbowed me in the chest with all her might, but stopped struggling...and yelling...as Sam did too. I turned her to me, pulling out my handkerchief and dabbing at the gash as she kept pulling away, trying to turn to her friend.
      “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice worried... “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to...Stop it!” the last was for me and she glared at me for a split second, smacking at my hand.
      “You are a bitch.” Sam informed her, spitting blood to the side, “What the hell was that?”
      “Let me go, Asshole.” Nikki ordered, pushing my hand away again, her voice firm and cold.
      I let her go, hurt...I’d only been trying to...
      “I hope you two are happy.” Kris’ voice was anything but...
      “You caused your scene.” Duo added, just as pissed.
      I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, realizing what they’d done, “What the fuck did you think you were doing?” I demanded, throwing the handkerchief at her.
      Nikki gave me a contemptuous look, putting it against her cheek, “Go back to your bitch. She’s in heat and she might find entertainment elsewhere if you’re gone too long.”
      “Nicole Kaze...” Quatre’s voice was thin ice, “That was not...”
      Nikki turned to him and I wished he hadn’t spoken up, right now was not the time to lecture her...
      “Fun? Entertaining? A relief from the dull tedium of the party? Quatre-dear, we just added a little spice...”
      Quatre turned and paced away.
      “I can’t believe you slapped me that hard...” Sam muttered, spitting again.
      I looked at her...realizing why I hadn’t noticed it was a fake fight, Nikki had originally been serious.
      Nikki frowned, “I’m sorry...it’s just...I...you...” she sighed, “Will someone please go get some water?”
      “Why the fuck did you two decide to do that?” I demanded.
      Nikki ignored me, looking at Wufei and Duo pointedly.
      “We were bored,” Sam replied, then looked at Nikki, “Did I really bother you that much?”
      Nikki focused on her, “Well...yes and no...it was the timing...”
      Sam rolled her eyes, spitting again.
      “Go get some fucking water!” Nikki yelled, turning to me.
      “No.”
      Her eyes opened wide and she turned to Duo and Wufei, they had similar looks.
      She didn’t even bother looking to Kris, instead, she focused on Quatre, “Please?” her voice was hard.
      Quatre, however, had already started away.
      She watched him go, then turned to me, “Why are you still here?”
      I laughed emptily, “Because I was foolish enough to believe that damned charade in there...and I know you. What do I tell people?” I smiled, thinking about it, “Yeah, they’re just being bitches and got bored? I don’t think so. Give me a story, Baita, then I’ll leave.”
      She was surprised a second, but got over it as everyone stared at me in wide eyed horror.
      I had actually intended to say ‘Bitch’, but it didn’t matter, they both meant the same thing and my slip...she knew it was a slip...just proved how pissed I was at her.
      She laughed then...it was completely sincere...her eyes looking us all over, lingering on Wufei, “Tell them we both wanted the same guy...”
      “And who would that be?”
      She smiled at me, meeting my eyes and holding them...it was the look that made me want to look away... “Wufei.”
      He rose his eyebrows and glanced at Sam.
      Sam laughed, “Yeah, we want Wufei but we both can’t have him...and they’ll believe it because they all saw us dancing with him...”
      She and Nikki exchanged a glance, then Nikki turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him soundly.
      There was nothing I could do.
      Nikki pulled back, a coy smile on her face, “Shall we, then? You need to get something out of this...”
      Wufei’s eyes flicked to me, his look completely triumphant...
      “Ooh...” Sam got an idea, “later we should have him show up with me...in like an hour or something...”
      Wufei laughed, looking at her, “Why me?”
      Sam and Nikki’s smiles were all too happy, “Because you’re not an asshole.” they said nearly in unison.
      I watched as Nikki and Wufei retreated down the hall, wanting very much to just go kick his ass...but that would ruin my plans.
      I didn’t need to be jumped by everyone...because that would be what happened.
      Everyone was watching me.
      I gave them all a dark look, ignoring Sam’s smirk as Quatre reappeared holding two cups and watching Nikki and Wufei in a confused way.
      He handed the cups to Sam, then turned to me, “What’s going on?”
      “It’s not only my bitch who’s in heat.” I replied, turning and storming back into the party.
      Relena was sitting at a table, a disconsolate expression on her face until she saw me, then she smiled. I smiled in return, trying to put that entire episode to the back of my mind...until I remembered their story...as much as I didn’t want to think about it, the consequences would be much worse if I didn’t encourage it.
      There was nothing worse than Nikki and Sam being utterly pissed at me. They could really fuck me over...I normally knew better, but I’d learned the hard way. Besides, these games were fun...the high society public mind was so easy to fuck with...no matter how pissed I was.
      “What was that all about?” Relena looked concerned.
      I needed to spread it around so Sam could make her grand entrance...
      I smiled slightly, “They both want Wufei.” I was sure to say it loud enough for the people around us to hear...and Trowa, who was coming toward me with concerned look.
      Hearing me, he stopped and looked the room over, thinking.
      “They can’t agree on who gets him and he’s content to have both.”
      Realizing what was going on, Trowa shook his head with a disgusted look, then walked away...I noticed him replying to questions and wondered what he was saying...if he knew...
      Time passed and the story spread.
      After some time, Duo came in...he was absolutely pissed at me...shortly thereafter Kris also came in, they were being asked what had happened...and explaining in some detail...just what was going on.
      A little later, Quatre escorted Sam back in...she was doing a fine job of pouting.
      When things had sort of calmed back down, Duo came up behind me, I could see him in the mirror.
      He smacked me upside the head, hard. I turned to glare at him, but he didn’t care. He walked off.
      Relena was utterly shocked, “What was that all about? Where’s Nikki?”
      I shook my head, “It’s a Duo thing. Nikki’s with Wufei.”
      The rest of the night was a blur of my friends coming up to me angrily and telling me Nikki was right...then dancing with Relena...a lot...not even the fun type of dancing... she refused to even try it once...and the simpering courtesans getting the story straight in a more blunt fashion than the peacocks...
      During the course of it, I realized that Trowa had the general gist of it. He knew them better than I’d thought.
      Finally, I was ready to go, and so was she. She whispered her request in my ear as we danced. Before we could make it to the door, though, some of the peacocks were talking to her.
      That was the only problem with fine ladies; You had to share them.
      I was used to that, though, it always happened with the girls.
      I decided I really wanted to leave now. I didn’t want to give Wufei the chance to tell me what happened when he came in...and I knew he would.
      Finally, we made it to her room...and I stalled.
      Relena hid her confusion rather well, and didn’t try to persuade me to stay.
      Something occurred to me as I walked toward my room...I couldn’t go back there tonight.
      I pulled out my cell-phone and called Duo.
      “Yeah?” he was at the party still, and sounded confused.
      “Hey, let’s go to a night club.”
      “I thought you were fucking Relena?”
      “I was going to, but I’m being distracted.”
      He chuckled darkly, “Alright, let’s go. The garage as fast as you can. I’ll beat your ass there.”
      He hung up.
      I beat him there, and he smiled at me a moment before reminding me he was pissed.
      I heard about it the entire way to the bar...how I was hurting Nikki for no reason...how it was disgusting of me to say she was in heat...he left out the fact that she’d said the same about Relena...but when I pointed that out Duo full-heartidly agreed with her...
      “You’re a fucking nag.” I informed him as we parked.
      He gave me a level look.
      “I should have just left you at home.”
      “Yeah right.” he laughed, “You’d have no fun without me...”
      I turned and looked at him, “Duo, Nikki’s fucking Wufei. Do you think I’m trying to have fun?”
      He frowned, “She won’t fuck him.”
      I looked away, “She’s pretty fucking convincing...”
      “Heero,” I looked back to him, “The more convincing she is, the better.”
      I looked away again, then back again, “So you don’t think she’ll fuck him?”
      When we finally got in, something was at the edge of my awareness...until I pinned it down...
      Sam was smiling at me in a very victorious fashion as she and Kris approached.
      I suddenly had a pit in my stomach and turned to Duo, who was giving them a level look...I’d thought for an instant that he’d told them...seeing as they were both pissed at me, and hearing this would make Nikki’s day...but with that expression...he hadn’t.
      “What are you two doing out here?” he demanded when they reached us.
      “I could ask you the same thing.” Sam replied, looking me over speculatively, “I thought you were with your bitch?”
      “Don’t call her that.” I snapped.
      “What are you two doing out here without a guard?” Duo demanded, standing.
      Sam laughed as she sat on the stool Duo had vacated, studying her nails in such a way...
      “You have no protection...” he went on.
      It suddenly clicked...Krystal had been a body-guard...
      “Duo...” I started.
      But it was too late.
      She knocked him forward and pinned him to the floor with her knee in his back.
      Sam shifted and he looked up to her, “What were you saying, again, Duo-dear?”
      He watched her, then looked up to me, then over his shoulder to Kris, “Want to dance?”
      After that I collapsed against the counter, depressed. Kris spent her time doing her very best to make Duo puke without actually drinking anything herself...and dancing...a lot of dancing...laughter...God I wished Nikki were here...she’d get me drunk off my ass...
      Sam sat with me the entire time, happy to throw the fact that I’d fucked up in my face...and that I’d hurt Nikki so it would be interesting when we saw each other again... she was more than happy to order drinks for me.
      I didn’t want to drink, however...each drink I refused, she ended up drinking.
      It was obvious that she had been trying to help me like Kris was helping Duo, but it ended up I got her drunk.
      She finally asked me what was the matter and I stopped caring. I told her everything. Everything that had been going on between us for the last few days...
      She was, oddly, not shocked...at all.
      After a time we both lapsed into silence.
      Finally I looked at my watch, bored, four-thirty.
      “Come on. We’re going home.”
      I stood and helped her up as Duo approached with Kris.
      Kris drove Sam and they met with us back in the house.
      A sort of calm had come over me. When Nikki realized what I’d done, she’d explode in my face...I’d have to keep this calm so as not to react, because that would bother her...she hated it when I didn’t react to her shit.
      Sam knocked on the door.

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Kyeian