Forty-Six

Coming to Terms

      “Oops...” Sam said, cutting a chunk out of Trowa’s bangs.
      Despite my annoyance, that was funny. I fought my urge to grin.
      Seeing this in my eyes, Sam grinned slightly.
      Wufei looked good...if only he weren’t a chauvinist and if Heero didn’t exist... Well, no. It was Wufei. He was not a steady boyfriend type, he was a good lay every now and then. That added to my amusement and I started laughing.
      Heero stepped behind me after a moment, wrapping his arms around my waist.
      I settled back against him as Sam cut Trowa’s hair.
      “There we go, all done...” she told Trowa in her ‘cute child’ voice.
      I grinned.
      “Hey, Duo, ready for a guy’s haircut yet?” she asked.
      He rolled his eyes, “No thanks, Baby...”
      She bit her lip a second, studying him, “Heero...Wufei...” she started, looking to the two, “Want to do me a favor...”
      Heero nodded very slightly, amused, but not moving.
      “I don’t think so...” Duo cried, not noticing they weren’t moving, starting for the door.
      Sam grinned at him, “Don’t worry, Duo. I was only kidding. I know better.”
      He stood on edge. If anyone moved, he would have bolted.
      “Okay, Heero, your turn...” Wufei’s voice had an edge of ice.
      “They like my hair, Buddy. I think not.” Heero replied, studying his comrade.
      I still hadn’t told him what I’d done...though he’d asked...and I had no intention of doing so. I felt kind of bad about it now, it had gotten a bit out of hand...at least Sam hadn’t gone through with the plan...he would probably have left if we had.
      “So, Lover, you game?” Sam asked Quatre, then got an idea, “Wait. No.” she put the scissors down, “Come here.”
      Quatre wrinkled his brow but did as told. Sitting in the chair.
      Sam lifted the gel bottle.
      “Sticky stuff...” I noted happily, gaining a few grins.
      Quatre’s eyes went wide and a slight blush lit his cheeks...
      It reminded me of that guy who’d brought me the water in the hangar.
      “He brought her ‘sticky stuff’...” Heero reminded me in a whisper.
      I grinned at Quatre as Sam began to style his hair.
      “Sticky stuff is fun.” I told him and the blush deepened a little.
      “’specially grape...” Duo commented naughtily.
      I turned quickly and met his eyes. He was grinning.
      Heero’s arms tightened slightly.
      “I want to try grape...” Quatre commented, he’d recovered now. He too, was grinning at me.
      Only Sam was moving for a moment. So, they had found the grape Duo had bought for me when I’d refused to buy it myself...that had been fun...we’d only used a quarter or so of the bottle...I wasn’t really surprised about that...that they’d found it. I wondered what Heero thought about it.
      “I don’t remember...” I started, turning back to the Arabian, “Sam, do you like grape?”
      “Ih...but boys like it...” she paused thoughtfully, “This sticky stuff isn’t that fun, really. But I get to help wash it out later...”
      Sam and I grinned at each other and Quatre blushed again.
      There was a tap on the door, “It’s open.” Sam called.
      Surprised, we all turned to the door.
      “Hey guys, what’s going on?”
      Smiles lit everyone’s face as Sally entered, shutting the door behind herself.
      “Wow, nice bracelet!” Kat cried, immediately spotting, and pulling the woman’s wrist up to study the gorgeous jade band.
      I noticed Wufei was actually smiling, his eyes happy.
      Sally smiled at the seventeen year old, “Isn’t it lovely?”
      Kat nodded enthusiastically, “Where’d ya get it?”
      Sally winked, “That would be telling.” she met my eyes for the briefest of moments.
      “Sally!” Kat complained.
      Sally chuckled deep in her throat, looking covertly at Wufei.
      Vaguely, I noticed him shake his head once, very slightly.
      I decided to have a chat with Dear Wufei...curiosity killed the cat after all.
      Looking around, I realized how much we’d all changed and my eyes fell on Quatre and Sam, something was different about them. I stared at them a minute until it dawned on me that Sam was in love.
      The shock of it took a moment to register. Feeling my change, Heero nuzzled me again, “What’s the matter, Love?” he whispered.
      I shook my head slightly, he would know in good time. In the mean time, Sam wouldn’t appreciate my commentary.
      Heero accepted that. He seemed to do that more and more often these days. Not like I’d ever had to twist his arm...
      Kris was also gone. Duo had managed to claim her, finally...he’d been in love with her for so long...The looks of calm happiness she occasionally directed at him did nothing but confirm it.
      Kat had been gone for a long time now. But now Trowa knew it too, and she was no longer a virgin...it was cute to see how considerate of her he was...
      Looking to Sally, I realized that Wufei was hers, not vice versa. Vaguely I hoped Wufei wouldn’t get hurt by this...I may have been a bitch to him, but he was really nice...once you got past the chauvinistic exterior...his walls...his protection.
      And now...now...I was completely Heero’s.
      Utterly and completely his.


      Never once had I felt threatened by Wufei. Not once since we’d met...not like this...until now.
      I’d always harbored the fear that he would take her away from me...that she’d fall for him like all the other...girls...that I’d introduced him to.
      And as I figured, he had some sort of plan in mind for her, I could tell by the way he was watching her...
      So much had happened in that month he’d stayed...Nikki had been so pissed at me...and even worse when she realized I was...avoiding her...
      Duo’d been acting strange after Brendon had called, but other than the fact that Nikki’d went to him for comfort, there was no reason for it...of course, he’d been having issues with Sam at that time too...they’d been on the verge of breaking up, but it hadn’t happened until around when Wufei left.
      Duo’d been annoyed with me for treating Nikki like that...
      I still couldn’t remember my girlfriends name...but she’d came running into my apartment one morning, balling because she was breaking up with me...telling me she’d been with Wufei...He and I had exchanged a look, but said nothing. She’d left crying, even harder than when she’d entered, when she had realized there was nothing lasting with Wufei.
      I’d been getting ready to break up with her anyway, but the fact Wufei had...helped that along, had made me change my mind about him and Nikki...It had occured to me then that he’d do his damndest to seduce her. He’d been too interested in her after he had noticed her cell number a lot on my caller I.D...both house and cell...it had only been about every day, three or four times...per machine...
      He’d been amused and asked how many girls I had...and, of course, if I’d share again...
      I’d been tempted to punch him, but had settled on walking out and going to Nikki’s...I’d wanted to go off right there, but Sam and Kris were sleeping, so I’d taken her back to my apartment and went off there. He’d went off to make his rounds after I’d left. He had laughed at me a lot for ‘keeping her to myself’ as he put it...the next day when he’d come in to see us sleeping together on my bed.
      He’d assumed we’d fucked.
      He’d also liked her perfume...she always had a bottle at my place...she then proceeded to come-on to him, then say she didn’t like guys who fucked their friends over.
      Wufei later told me that he would fuck her some day...only, instead of it pissing me off, which I assumed was his intent, it’d made me laugh.
      I watched him a second, wondering if he still planned on that. It was possible. I continued watching him until he glanced at me. I grinned at him and he rolled his eyes.
      Nikki’s plan had obviously worked, Wufei’s hair was shorter, not much...not as much as I expected when she said they were gonna cut his hair...but cut.
      Now, though, she was being too considerate about the entire thing.
      How had she pulled it off? She might be able to sweet talk me with a few soft words, a kiss, and a soft caress for good measure...but Wufei? Of course...or she did more than caress. Not an exciting prospect...and with the way he was watching her...
      He didn’t realize I’d noticed...or Duo’d noticed.
      Duo gave me a raised eyebrow look, then looked away. He was keeping out of it.
      I shook my head slightly, my eyes falling on the earrings I’d found for her.
      She loved them. I’d hoped she would, and she did.
      Now her eyes were considerate, caring even, but not focused on me.
      Lately I could tell when she was thinking of me. But now, with that gentle, beautiful expression on her face, she wasn’t even aware I was here...even though I was holding her...
      I followed her gaze to where it rested on Sam and Quatre.
      Sam was in love with Quatre...I felt like my jaw should drop.
      Sam, of course, wouldn’t appreciate our knowledge, because, that was indeed what Nikki’d reacted to earlier...
      I smiled, burying my face into her neck again.
      After all this time, all the games...Sam was in love...I chuckled very slightly, my face still buried in her neck.
      “Shh...” her voice was soft and for my ears only as she ran a hand through my hair and along my neck.
      Feeling relieved, I pulled her closer to me, holding her even tighter.
      I loved being able to do that. Loved having her relax against me. Loved her loving me...
      I still needed to give her that necklace...it’d been the last stop in the mall while the others were getting lunch. I’d used my own card to buy it for her...it wasn’t as showy as most of her jewelry. It was a small amethyst in a silver setting. No one else knew about it...other than Duo, of course. Sometimes I swore he knew everything...
      I wasn’t sure why I was so nervous about giving it to her...she’d accept it...she would...she loved me, didn’t she? I loved her...
      I had thought it over as we shopped. I had been shocked to realize that I’d loved her for years.
      Not from first sight. That would be too story bookish, but after that first year and a half, it had started.
      Her games had started long before that though, long before the night I’d nearly shot her...but they’d been different before that night...
      That night...
      We still hadn’t discussed it. Neither of us really understood it. We had been alone in her apartment and I’d decided to kill myself.
      How had she known? Minutes after...no, seconds after I’d decided...she was crying...Really crying...for me...
      Things had went a little insane then, nothing really making sense, all the confusion...so I’d fallen back on the one thing I knew. My training. My mission was to kill myself.
      She had become an obstacle, and I had to remove all obstacles.
      Sub-consciously, I had aimed a hair off and managed to miss her. Had she flinched...
      Had she flinched, we’d both be dead. I shook my head slightly again, remembering her flinching every time I moved...when I’d punched the door...when I’d thrown the brush...
      I sighed.
      A gun aimed at her, and she didn’t flinch...Now that was trust. I could still see her flinching as I threw her brush...flicked a hand at her...I closed my eyes, hating it...she hadn’t flinched that night.
      She had sat there, completely shocked. I’d stepped forward and pulled her up, then hugged her, returning to a rational human being...sort of.
      At some point, the hugs and apologies turned to kisses, and it hadn’t stopped there.
      After that, her games were shameless and more confusing. Before that she’d made it a bit obvious...
      “Hey, Heero!” Duo called.
      Blinking, I refocused on the present. Realizing someone’d asked me something...
      “What?” I knew it hadn’t been Nikki...
      They all laughed, even Nikki.
      “Nothing. Never mind.” Duo shook his head, “Only dinner plans...”
      “Dinner? Umm...” I thought it over briefly, “Burritos. I’m not really that hungry...”
      “Good call, Nikki...” Kris said, smiling.
      “What?” Maybe I should have paid attention...
      Nikki laughed, “I...”
      “She said you’d want burritos.” Sam smiled.
      “She knows you well...” Duo laughed, “Is that really a good thing...?”


      “Wufei!” Nikki’s voice came to us in the hall.
      I turned, not wanting to face her yet...I hadn’t decided what to do.
      “I’ll see you later, Wufei.” Sally murmured.
      An open invitation.
      I grinned at her as she walked away, then turned to face the dark haired storm approaching me.
      She was walking backwards, gesturing down the hall to Heero, shooing him away.
      He was protesting quietly, but heading in that direction, also walking backwards, and occasionally looking up to me.
      He knew.
      “No, I’m not going to play games...” I heard her mutter, “Don’t worry...” he said something I couldn’t hear, “Heero....just shoo...I’ll come in a minute...” more murmuring. She rolled her eyes, “Be serious...”
      God...if he knew, then why was he listening to her?
      She turned to me, succeeding in making him leave.
      She met my eyes a moment, then dropped them as she approached.
      “What, Onna?”
      She tensed and looked back up to me, a thousand replies flashing in her eyes, then shook her head, “Wufei....”
      “Can we make this quick, Nikki? You really are not the person I want to see at the moment.”
      What did she want?
      She glared at me, a second, then shook her head, her stance relaxing.
      Slowly it dawned on me what was happening. She was studying me, biting one lip. She felt bad...
      “Nikki, why?”
      She didn’t have to use that method...hell, if she’d given me one of those looks she gave Heero...he might be able to resist them sometimes...but I wouldn’t have been able...
      “I’m sorry, Wufei.” This time she was sincere. She shook her head slightly, her hand hesitating as she gestured as if to touch my chest. “I really am sorry. I know I shouldn’t have...but...” she met my eyes again.
      She was beautiful, annoyingly beautiful.
      What originally attracted me to her? It was her attitude to Heero...sweet and loving, but they hadn’t been a couple then...even though I could tell she was his...But they weren’t a couple...so if she acted like that to him....then maybe she’d be like that with me...and if we were a couple...
      Then Sally had come and I’d regained my senses...sort of, only to be lost again the next time Nikki’d played with me. It had been like that ever since.
      I continued studying her, beautiful...and at times, caring: yes. But Sally was always caring. Sally would never play elaborate games just to cut my hair.
      Sally was beautiful. Much more so than Nikki. Her smile...or the sound of her voice...would clear the doubts that Nikki caused.
      I grinned very slightly, the grass was always greener on the other side, and I’d hopped the fence...a couple times.
      Nikki had hurt my pride. She’d resisted all attempts for her I’d made. I remembered a book I’d once read, “What you can’t have, you can’t resist.” it had said.
      Well, I could never have her, so there would always be that part of me that would want her, that part of me that would respond to her...no matter how annoying it was. But what I had was better. Much better.
      “Wufei?” Nikki was unsure, waiting for my response.
      Sally was waiting for me.
      I winked, “Better run along, Nikki, before I get ideas...we are alone...” I grinned, stepping closer and kissing her.
      She pulled away and expelled an exasperated breath, meeting my eyes.
      “Without Heero here I might have a little fun...” I added, trying to find the hem of her shirt.
      She stared at me, momentarily shocked and pissed, then grinned.
      “Maybe we should try it sometime...” she replied suggestively as I ran my hand across her stomach. She took a breath as I raised it a little higher...Her eyes were sparkling as she stepped a little closer to me...I had no idea how she’d managed that, and kissed me again. Her look was coy as she resettled on her feet.
      I grinned, moving my hand up a bit more, “You got time?” I started messing with the clasp of her bra.
      “Sally’s waiting for you.” she whispered in my ear, after a second, then detached herself and backed away, still looking coy.
      I started to turn, then hesitated, “Uh, Nikki?” I turned back to her.
      She had also turned and started away, she was now partially facing me, “Yeah?”
      I looked her up and down, “Thanks. I needed a hair-cut.”
      She smiled.
      I smiled, “I’ll have to return the favor sometime.”
      Her eyebrows rose into a skeptical arch.
      I nodded, “Sometime when we’ve both got the time and...necessities.” I patted my back pocket, meaning a condom and knowing she understood. Heero’d used the gesture and told me that if I needed one to do it and she would supply...if she could.
      She shook her head, biting her lip and hesitating. She licked her lips suggestively and threw something at me with a languid flip of her wrist.
      I caught it without thinking, looking her over.
      She smiled and started walking away. Her stride was a little self-conscious until she slowed, turning to me again. “Wufei, Make it good.” she grinned.
      I looked to see what it was she’d thrown.
      A condom.
      I looked up to her, shocked, she gave me a very flirtatious look, then turned and jogged down the hall.
      Feeling immensely better, turned and started for Sally’s room again, putting the condom in my pocket.
      Heero would be upset with me...if he found out about my promise. If.
      I didn’t know about Nikki, but I had no intentions of telling him.
      We would have some fun now...I would play this game to its limit because I could. I was still a bit annoyed with her...sometime in the future I would gain my revenge...and I would make it good...Maybe. Something about the situation changed it to where that wasn’t a must.
      Maybe it was because I could now do things that I’d always wanted to, but could never really get away with...I could, but it wasn’t very nice...but now I could. I could and it would be accepted...probably ignored too, by Heero anyway. Sort of like how he ignored Quatre’s messing around before...
      Sally...
      But now, Sally was waiting for me...and Sally could get very impatient...

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Kyeian