Twenty-seven

Prize or Pawn

      “...Are you okay? That eye looks like it hurts...”
      He closed his eyes and shook his head, “I’m fine.” he approached the bed, “How about you, that’s not a bruise, is it?” he pushed her chin back to study her throat.
      I closed my eyes, getting over the distrust implied in that question, remembering that I’d given her a hickey...it was funny he thought it was a bruise...I started laughing as he realized what it was and pulled back....I had enlarged it...eventually...
      Nikki was also grinning she looked a bit sheepish.
      He looked at her, me, and Duo, his brow furrowing slightly.
      I laughed a bit harder and crawled out of the bed, noticing her nod to me as I headed into the bathroom.
      “He gave you a hickey?” Quatre sounded confounded, “When?”
      “The other night...when we left the party...”
      “They had sex, too.” Duo informed him, still rubbing his temples.
      There was a bewildered silence, then Nikki protesting and mumbling grumpily to Duo, who didn’t seem to care...he seemed rather indifferent.
      After a second, Quatre appeared in the door behind me as I made a pretense of cleaning the various cuts and bruises he’d given me.
      “So that’s what this is all about. I was starting to wonder...”
      “Yeah...well...” I shrugged, not looking at him.
      “What did you do last night to make her scream like that?”
      “She didn’t scream...” I sighed, “I wasn’t moving from the door...”
      “Why...” his voice was calmly prompting.
      “Because she was going to go fuck Wufei and I didn’t want her to.”
      “Why did she scream?”
      “She didn’t. She yelled. And she was doing it to get you guys in here.”
      “Were you threatening her in any way?”
      I shook my head, “You know me better than that, Quatre.”
      He shook his head, “No I don’t, Heero. I have no idea what went on between you two before. I have no idea how you act together, and I have no idea how far you’d go.”
      I turned and met his eyes.
      He searched mine for a second, then nodded.
      “No idea?” I asked, feeling a bit peevish...surprised I wasn’t pissed. He did know me.
      He shrugged, “Sorry, I had to make sure.”
      I rolled my eyes, then let my mind wander to her expression when I’d said Wufei wasn’t fucking her. “I think she thought I was doing it to fuck her or something...”
      “Really? Were you?”
      “No. I would have fucked her if she’d started it, but...” I shrugged.
      He nodded, thinking, “Now I can understand why you were like that yesterday...the day before, I mean.”
      “I wondered if you would.”
      Nikki was still mumbling to Duo, who had finally started to defend himself.
      Quatre grinned as we quieted to listen to them, “Why don’t you want her to fuck Wufei?”
      That caught me, I turned and looked at him...was he stupid or something? “Do you really need to ask?”
      “Oh...” he nodded in an understanding way, “The dominance struggle. Right. I keep forgetting...”
      “What?”
      He laughed, “Is she the prize or the pawn?”
      “What are you talking about?” I demanded as Nikki came up behind him.
      “What ya talkin’ ‘bout?” she asked, leaning against his back, using that wanna-be innocent tone, putting her chin on his shoulder...I wasn’t sure how she managed that...and wrapping her arms around his waist.
      He glanced at her, “Nothing.”
      She smiled, meeting my eyes, “Oh, sex. Yes, it’s good.”
      I couldn’t help but smile at that, “Depends on the partner. If they know what they want it can be fun...‘specially if you like it too.”
      Quatre shook his head, “I like it when they just do it, no games or twists involved...but you’re right. It depends on the partner...”
      Nikki was still smiling, “It helps if they know you and you know them...that way it can be fun for both of you...”
      “Tcch...” Duo sounded annoyed, “You people! How in the hell did I get mixed up with you?”
      Then he was gone.
      Nikki moved...somehow managing to get in front of Quatre and lean against him...he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin against her head...
      I turned and looked at them levelly, I didn’t appreciate him copying what we did all the time. Nikki smiled in a knowing way and reached back with one hand.
      Quatre stepped back rather quickly, holding her wrist, watching her hands warily.
      She laughed delightedly, “Sorry, Quatre. Couldn’t resist...”
      He gave her this look...it was funny.
      She pulled away and up behind me, ducking under my arm and sitting on the counter in front of me, picking up a wash rag and getting it wet, “Look at me.” she ordered. I rolled my eyes to Quatre and turned back to her.
      “So, what is it?” Quatre asked, picking up our conversation.
      “Neither. This isn’t a game.” I replied, flinching as she touched one of the bruises.
      “Yes it is. You two have been doing it since we met.”
      “Doing what?” Nikki asked, looking past me to him.
      He met her eyes, considering.
      “Nikki...” I protested, she wasn’t paying attention...and it really hurt...not to mention that it would distract her enough so he wouldn’t have to answer.
      “You’re a baby.” she told me.
      “I’m a baby? Who yelled because they didn’t get their way?”
      She didn’t find it all that amusing, “Who said no but wouldn’t explain?”
      “You did.” I replied, then flinched as her gentle touch got an edge. “What?” I pulled away, “You did...”
      She let out a breath, catching my chin and turning me to face her, “Why didn’t you have me clean this last night?” she demanded, starting on the cut.
      “You’re insane.” Quatre informed her, looking astonished.
      She glanced at him, “And a bitch...and a slut...evidently...”
      I frowned at her, “I told you I didn’t mean that.”
      She met my eyes a second, “You weren’t the first to say it last night.”
      That was surprising, “Who else?”
      “Sam.”
      “That’s not a very satisfactory answer.” I informed her when I realized she wasn’t going to go on, “Care to give the reason?”
      “You.”
      “What?”
      She met my eyes again, “Nothing.”
      I rolled my eyes, “Quatre’s right.”
      “Of course he is.”
      He chuckled, “You realize the others are pissed at us?”
      We nodded, “Of course they are.” she said, finishing the cut and moving my face back and forth, looking for anything else, then she focused on my throat.
      “How did I manage that?” Quatre asked, coming up behind and looking at the bruise on my collar-bone.
      “Are you sure you did it?” she asked, another evil grin lighting her face.
      I rolled my eyes, “He did it...” I hissed as she touched a really sore spot on my throat, “Oww...don’t...” She did it again and I pulled back, “Shimatta, Nikki...”
      Oops...I’d intended to say Dammit...no matter, they meant the same thing and she knew it. She understood my minor slips because I’d made them many times before.
      She laughed, “The question is how you managed this...”
      “He’s talented like that.” I said, bracing as she started to wash the area carefully.
      “I could do it to you.” he offered, “But it won’t hurt as much...and I’ll use my mouth...”
      She laughed, looking him over, “Is it a fun process?”
      He grinned and winked, “You’ll just have to wait and find out...”
      “Nikki!” I moved back again, she’d stopped paying attention.
      “Oh...sorry...” she refocused.
      “Quatre, go away...you’re distracting her...” Not to mention that she wasn’t shooting down his come-ons...she was a bit too interested in his offer for my tastes. I didn’t need to point that out, though.
      It was better left unsaid.

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Kyeian