Our Little Secret

[Fluffy]

mature content

Sasha's moans and pleas were like commands his hips were more than happy to obey. There wasn't an ounce of stress left in him as he pounded away, satisfying her with every inch. He was like a machine with the consistent speed he maintained.

Registering her heartfelt words proved to be a challenge. Most of what he heard was his own breathing and heartbeat, both of which were incredibly loud. Nicoli managed to form a breathing pattern that would make it easier to listen. Most of what he caught was a morbid confession as to how far she'd go in the name of their love. Considering that killing people could be a turn on for him, this was a truly meaningful notion. The devil had nothing on Sasha. Inwardly, he smirked, finding her choice of words amusing too. Humorous and loving, a winning combination. It warmed his heart like nothing else.

"You are my one and only," he told her huskily, certain of this now. She was so lovely, so unique. A white rose who stuck out in a bouquet of red. Nicoli smiled upon her, though it was short lived. He resumed focus to the power of his thrusts, his hips coming close with hers each time he came forward.

Watching her twitch and squirm on his desk was a beautiful sight. Now if he could complete the fantasy by bringing her to climax. His grip fierce as ever, he worked at the quickest he could achieve, unleashing an excited growl as the heights of pleasure suddenly escalated. Anything she held back, he was hellbent on releasing.

 

[Hydronine]

Mature Content

She was trembling nearly constantly at this point, her eyes shut tight as she moaned in earnest, her breathing growing erratic as she tried desperately to hold off for a little longer. Honestly she was reaching her limit, but she wanted to make sure Nico was feeling more than his share of pleasure as well.

At his words, she opened her eyes. A soft smile was on her lips as she looked up at him. The curve to his lips didn't go unseen, either. Anytime that carefully managed mask of a face that Nico seemed to have broke down, she was curious to see more. Obviously when he was in a passionate mood, that accent of his broke through a bit, and when he was shy, his words slowed and he would make some nervous gestures- smiles never seemed to be really common for him. Smirking was, but smiles were different. Honestly the man was intriguing to her.

Probably a guy you could bring home to your parents- provided they never found out about what he did after the workday was done... good thing Sasha really didn't have a family to bring him home to. Weird to be happy about that at this point, but at least it was better than having a pity party over that whole mess of shit. At the very least, she had found a home with Nico- instead of being forced to deal with the mess that was that shitty apartment, or more or less living in the perpetual haze of a club.

Truthfully, the man had done more for her than she could ever ask for at this point. All of this had started with a kidnapping, and somehow, it had become so much more. Who could have guessed this would be the outcome? Weirdly enough, he was exactly what she needed. So he had a bit of a past... er... present.... probably future in the seedier part of what most people didn't want to acknowledge happened around them. He had saved her... twice. He cared for her. The times she had offered up herself for use or some kind of punishment, he had gone so far as to sort of chastise her for it- that was definitely new in her book.

Somehow this was honestly freeing for her- she was with someone who didn't give a shit about her past. Didn't shrink away from the scars or the stories. No weird looks at her odd phrases and behaviors, or her morbid humor.

Long story short- she wasn't keen on loosing the guy, which felt odd, considering she had never formed any bond like this before.

Let's be honest, Sasha wasn't able to think this much in depth for long when he was pounding into her.

"Nico.... N... Ni.... don... don't stop... I... I..." She was barely capable of speech at this point, her body doing everything in it's power to keep the momentum. If he kept up like this, she was going to come undone rather quickly, judging by how much her body was trembling. She was lost to his movements. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was crying out with every thrust. She only hoped he was just as damned excited as she was.

 

[Fluffy]

mature content

Not that he cared, but somewhere there was sure to be a person or two who could hear Sasha's excited shouting. Every so often, he would moan with her just as loudly, demonstrating that slim amount of control he maintained. He could be far rougher, but relished the idea of revealing this during another time. Nicoli would be pleased to see how she'd react. The thought alone gave more inspiration to his body as it pounded against hers over and over again.

The sun was mostly gone, leaving the glow of the sunset that peeked through the one tall, narrow window he uncovered. His bare form glistened with perspiration that got worked up so much, his hair was soaked. What had all of his attention though, of course, was the woman below. She was continually taking his breath away with how beautiful she was inside and out. Far prettier than any of the expensive paintings he owned.

Nicoli expressed a seductive purr while grinding his hips against hers, his head tilting back while he savored the sensations. Only seconds after did he resume his thrusting, keeping his grip firm so neither of them would fall out of place. He was building up his climax now, inevitably. Holding on any longer just seemed impossible.

He erupted with a passionate roar, his hips giving no sign of slowing down. Not until they completed this. Every exhale carried a deep growl, each one becoming slightly louder than the last. He was more beast than man now, acting on savage instincts that told him to finish her properly.

 

[Hydronine]

Mature Content

Sasha was fighting the twitches in her thighs, the tightening in her core, that warmth spreading. She was practically having to choose between moaning and breathing, and considering how loud she was getting, it was pretty obvious what the choice was.

She opened her eyes fully, looking up at Nico, and noting how he'd gotten worked up in quite a sweat. Honestly it had her smirking a bit, if anything it only served to arouse her more as she bit her lip. The man could probably add that to his accolades- not only had he been able to shut her up in the past, but now he was quieting her from her near constant moaning just by getting an eyeful of him. The sweat and scars did not detract from that at all, honestly.

If there was any question on her attraction to him based on physical appearance, this was definitely an answer.

As he was grinding against her, she was mewling and whimpering softly, her eyes starting to close again and her head falling back again, completely overtaken with what she was feeling. That sound that he had made only served to add kindling to the fire that was roaring in her chest. Then he was back at it and nearly right after he resumed was when she finally let go.

His moans and growls were in chorus with her own as she arched her back and her hips and thighs trembled, a stuttering gasp coming out of her as her climax crashed over her suddenly and with such force that nothing else was known to her for a few moments. Her chest was heaving as her hips worked against him passionately, milking him for all he had. She couldn't even imagine feeling this damned good with anyone else. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears and she fought to breathe as her body slowly shook off the remaining aftershocks of the climax.

"F-fuck...." She managed to whimper out, then after a few moments: "I... I think... we... should get home... now..." Her breathing was still taking a while to acclimate back to a peaceful state. She was wrong about feeling it tomorrow- she was feeling that ache starting up already. Not that she really cared, honestly she was beyond pleasantly sated sexually, and all she could do was to look up at the man and smile as she raised herself back up from the desk, her feet touching the ground for the first time in a while. Without missing a beat, she wolf-whistled at him and the smile turned to a shit-eating grin. "Damn... You're handsome..." She commented, her eyes unabashedly giving him a once-over. There were other adjectives floating around in her head as well- but they were much more crude.

And at that moment, her hunger made itself known with a growling stomach. "Hungry." She stated, an acknowledgement more than anything else.

 

[Fluffy]

Nicoli had to spend a good five or ten minutes sitting in his chair once they were finished. He regularly put his body through workouts to help him achieve high stamina, but none of his regimens were quite like this. The man actually felt like he needed to take a power nap right where he sat. Sasha was right, though. They needed to get home. "Right, just--" He paused to take a deep breath, his head falling back to rest on the chair. "--a minute." In that short amount of time, he was replaying the event in his mind. This was so stress relieving. Most of all, it was... Beautiful, in its own unique was. The sounds she made, the compliments she gave--they were tiny pieces of his life he wouldn't soon forget.

Once he was dressed and ready, he led them out of his office. He made sure the doors were locked and soon, they were at his parking space. A couple of security members they bypassed on the way down seemed puzzled to see the big boss here as late as he was. Not often did he stick around this long.

Food was then on his mind. During the drive home, he pondered on the possibilities for dinner. His head was still stuffy from putting forth so much energy in their hardcore love making. The busy day was a drain on him, too. A normal person might suggest he order in, but Nicoli would disagree on that being a decent idea. He didn't like strangers at his doorstep. Also, cooking was more therapeutic than it was hard work.

"You can help yourself to the kitchen. I'm not making food until I clean up first," he told her before getting out of the seat. Once his car was secured in the garage, he brought them to the top floor where they could get settled down for the night.

Lights were flicked on and the time was checked, then he vanished to his room. The clothes he wore were set aside to be properly cleaned later. Nicoli was quick to get into a hot shower that wouldn't take too long. It only took the man about ten minutes to scrub himself down, then another few more to get dried and dressed in something.

A towel was rubbed over his short hair, giving it an amusing spiky look he couldn't be bothered to correct right now. The getup he had on was lazy at its finest; just a pair of boxers and a plain white t-shirt. There was an ache in his legs from earlier, but he liked it. In fact, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself on the way to his kitchen.

 

[Hydronine]

Sasha watched Nico, as he dressed, quick to get her clothes on as well- no care given to if the concealer covering her scars was fading- the scarf was wrapped around her more loosely to cover anything. That done, she was following behind him to the parking lot where she followed him into his car. Figured it was safe enough to leave the junker here. Why not?

Maybe she'd come back with him tomorrow. Hell, she had nothing to do until she met with those people... and got the money for that space... Sheesh, that was going to take a while to ask Nico about... On the bright side, if she came back with him, she maybe could help him get caught up. It definitely would make her feel better.

She smiled a bit at him as he offered up the kitchen for use... which... kinda, again made her question her lack of useful cooking skills for the forth time in this week.

As soon as he departed, she was raiding the kitchen, nibbling here and there. She was hungry before the sex. Now she was ravenous. Thinking back on it, honestly she had never felt so comfortable around someone before. Here she was, happy enough to nestle herself onto a counter top, waiting for Nico to return. The second she spotted him, she looked at him, surprised and then approving. "I like you like this."

 

[Fluffy]

An eyebrow rose at her comment. Briefly, he looked over himself, trying to understand the appeal. He supposed it had to do with seeing him in relaxing attire. It made him look more... Normal. Not quite the intimidating business man you saw throughout a regular day. In fact, few people have seen him in anything but his suits.

Then, attention went to the kitchen. Sasha helped herself without hesitation, he noticed. That was just a bit of a surprise; he half expected her to feel too uncomfortable with the idea. Clearly, she considered this a safe zone. The thought of this made a corner of his mouth twitch in a quick smile. It said a lot when the man put these simple memories ahead of his OCD. For once, he wasn't getting annoyed with what items were out of place.

Their meal should be quick, but filling. The necessary tools and ingredients were taken out for a cheesesteak sandwich recipe Nicoli knew of. There were bread rolls they could use, all the vegetable trimmings, and even some potatoes he could turn to fries. Not often did his deep fryer get used, for his own health. It was bad enough he was at risk for hypertension, there was no need to add junk food addiction to that. Just this time though, he craved some fried potatoes.

Thin steak was chopped and thrown in a pan to cook with some onions and green peppers. Meanwhile, potatoes were getting sliced to french fry length, and bread was getting toasted. "Want to get the provolone from the fridge for me? Bottom left drawer." he decided to ask of Sasha, to include her in the process at least a little. And truth be told, he wanted to get used to her company more. Which involved... Talking.

 

[Hydronine]

Sasha watched Nico work silently, not unlike how people complained about their dogs watching them when they cooked, her eyes focused on his hands and the items he was working with.

Honestly, she had tried to put everything back where she found it, but there were probably some mistakes, but it would probably take a while to get where everything went. She had to admit, though. Even though she didn't know where things were and Nico's place was big enough that it made her uncomfortable to be in it alone, she felt at home when he was there.

She was happy enough just to be there, perched on the counter near the fridge when he asked for her to retrieve some cheese from the fridge. Somehow that kinda got a reaction out of her, a wide smile as she hopped off of the counter and got into the fridge to get the requested item.

Wasn't there something she was wanting to ask him earlier?... What was it...

"Here." She stated as she handed it to him and then tried to think a little on what it was she was trying to remember. Then again, it was always really hard for her to think when she was hungry. And then it came up. Both questions, actually. One of which seemed best to tackle now. Probably would be best while he was cooking. She needed a 'carrot' to work for, anyways, keep her eye on the prize.

"H... Hey Nic..." She was tongue-tied suddenly and seemed very perplexed about it. She was still getting used to being so affected by someone else's presence, mixed with that aversion to asking for help. Ok, Come on, this was Nico. He pulled glass out of her thigh and saved her ass twice. "U... Um... I... Fuck." Great. Yep, that's totally how you ask for help. Ok. Breathe.

"Ifoundaspacethatwouldbeperfectformyownplace." The garbled mess came out of her mouth and she was kinda standing there, mouth open and frozen while her mouth kinda twitched into an awkward sheepish smile before she rubbed at her face, cursing under her breath. Try that again. "I... place..." Wow, great, that was a wonderful sentence.

"Fuck this. Hold on." She muttered, pulling out her phone. This was never going to get anywhere if she didn't try some other tactic. Her fingers were fast over text prompt and then she held up the phone so Nico could read it.

"I got workers, a damned good idea of what I want to do, and I have a space located. Old boss lost a card game to me a few years ago when he was drunk, I got him into a legally binding contract with a witness present. Receptionist used to be a lawyer, helped me out. He and his employees work for me if I open my own place. I have half the money I know I'll need for the price of the place and renovations I need to do it for what I have planned. I really don't like asking for help, not used to it, at all. Help, please?"

The phone was shaking, she was shaking. How often was it that she was this fucking nervous?

She opened her mouth to say something and shut it slowly, rubbing at her face again with her other hand. Why couldn't she just say something. Try at least. "Err...." The sound croaked out of her mouth and she was hanging her head. Least she wasn't shaking like a leaf in the wind anymore.

 

[Fluffy]

This wasn't the first time Nicoli dealt with social awkwardness. Plenty of people who sat across his desk behaved the exact same way, so it didn't phase him when she tripped over her words. His eyes stayed on the meals he was assembling, but his ears were focused on Sasha's voice. Bits of meat were being neatly piled into the bread rolls that were good and toasty. Pretty soon, there would be peppers, cheese, onions, and some seasoning to bring it all together.

Nicoli clapped his hands together to get off crumbs, then wiped his fingers onto a nearby hand towel. Shortly after, he was staring into the face of her cellphone. It took only a few seconds for him to read the message before he looked to the woman with a quizzical expression. Why was she shaking? People didn't shake in his presence unless they were intimidated by him. So what was her reason? Those questions were best saved for later, he decided. They could probably be answered through observation alone, rather than straight up asking her.

The man then scoffed, a smirk coming into play that showed how cocky he felt about this. Not long ago, he made her an offer to help her with opening a business. Hell, he'd throw in lessons with a business instructor if she wanted. Now here she was, scared as ever, asking for that favor to be renewed. On top of that, she had trustworthy connections. Hopefully they really were trustworthy and he wouldn't find himself beating someone into the dirt for betraying her in some way. "Let's not talk business during dinner, hm?" he suggested, gesturing to the plates, each with a big delicious sandwich and some fries.

"I'm glad you came to me, though." The smile he showed her was quick, but meaningful. You could say that Nicoli was proud of her for trying so hard to ask for help, something that was clearly difficult for her. He could understand that. His pride often got in the way of logic when it came down to it. "Think through what it is, exactly, you'll need from me. And if you don't know, I'll help you figure it out. Don't be afraid to come to me with your needs and desires, Sasha. I won't think negatively of you for it, not ever." Nico briefly cupped her chin, his thumb giving it a quick stroke before letting it go. Her trembling had come to a stop; he was glad to see this. Before too long, she would find food delicately placed onto her palms so she could join him for dinner.

 

[Hydronine]

Sasha chewed on her lip slightly as she watched Nico's face as he read her phone, nearly swallowing her tongue along with the lump in her throat as his face took on that expression akin to confusion. What the hell was he even thinking right now? His body language still was something she was picking up on. It didn't help that she was dealing with a man that she had never had to read before to this extent. When she was merely his hairstylist, all she needed to know was enough to make sure he was comfortable around her enough to keep coming back.

Also didn't help that she never liked showing her tender spots to people. How many times had that worked out for her? Hell, it was a wonder that she had even gone over what she had with him that first night. Aside from her fondness for him, and the knowledge that she trusted him, she had nothing to really go on. Really, going off of what thy had talked about, if this ever went sour, he could easily ruin her. Meanwhile, aside from emotional damages, she had nothing on him. Come to think of it.... she really didn't much about him... Was she being naive? It had been a long time since she had made a careless mistake... But she felt safe here. She felt comfortable around him, and that was something to go off of- honestly. Something as simple as that was important.

When was the last time she had looked at someone and not seen a potential threat or someone to be guarded around?

Then he was talking and her expression was unreadable for a few moments before he smiled. It was infectious and she found herself answering it with a smile of her own. Then he was talking again, and she was almost kicking herself for being stressed over something so simple as asking for some help. His words had soothed that small corner of apprehension in her mind and she was smiling slightly as he had had shown that small little act of affection. She felt giddy. Ok, let that subject drop there. He was right... the meal came first.

Then was was food! His words and actions had made her entirely forget about the meal he was cooking for a bit. She was quick to sit down, and tried to eat politely, slower than her instincts wanted. It was still something she struggled with, just simple things like sustenance were a clear way to see just how fucked up her life had gotten over the years. Sure, affording things was one reason, but it was mostly in part due to her own damned fault of pride. Food was the simplest way to get her to fold to a demand. She didn't want to go and do what Mark wanted? Awesome, that meant she wasn't eating for a good while and she was dealing with being watched carefully so she couldn't sneak anything either. Hell, there was no resistance last time unless it was to who she had been with- and her appetite had declined so thoroughly due to stress that his plans of withholding food from her hadn't worked like it usually did. Another reason why she was painted in concealer.

Her brows furrowed as she tried to shake the thoughts and focus on the meal. Then that one thought came into her head again- and so had the other question. Eat first. Slowly... er... slower than a victim of famine. Like every other thing else the man cooked, it was damned good and that only added to the struggle of trying not to abandon civil manners and just shove food in her mouth without a care. It didn't take long for her to be done with her meal, licking her lips and smiling contently.

So.... now came socializing. She wanted to talk his ear off but at the same time she needed something else.

"Still surprised by how well you cook." She commented to start off with, another small smile coming her to lips. Her voice was about to get a strange twang to it, a bit of a guard coming down as she spoke quickly at first. "Ok... I have somethin' I need from you, Nicoli... Aside from the business shit... I..." Her sentence came to an end as she took a breath, trying to figure out how to word this next part, "I understand that this might be a bit of a reach, but I feel like I kinda need to know- No loaded question coming, I promise." She clarified quickly, that odd trace of a southern accent gone with that exclamation, wanting to make sure he wasn't misunderstanding her intentions. She straightened up in her seat and then looked up him in earnest. "I don't know that much about you. I understand if there's not much you want to explain, you have a right to that, of course." Her speech was steady and slow, wording deliberate. She didn't want him to feel forced to talk, but at the same time... "You have seen quite a few of my secrets and skeletons in my closet... You have plenty of leverage over me already." She nailed the point down softly, her gaze drifting down to the table, her hands in her lap, cracking her knuckles as she spoke. This was her being diplomatically shy.

"I know it may not seem like much, but my past's not something I like for people to know, for obvious reasons. There's a reason why I kept my hair dyed crazy colors, Nic. Obviously that didn't work, but I had my hopes." She explained, then took another deep breath. "I still have a few big secrets left, mind you, but..." That lump in her throat was back, and Sasha took an extra moment to try and calm down further. "You've got some major information on me. Allies.... lovers... friends or not, that is... concerning. I've been in way too many situations to know it's better to keep the system even. I'm not even talking about secrets at this point, it's that I know your name, where you live... what you do... a... minuscule fraction of your history, some likes and dislikes... a minor amount of anecdotal information here and there..." She rattled off slowly, then her hazel eyes flicked up to him. "I would like to know.... not just because of... that, but because I genuinely want to know more about you. You're interesting to me." She managed a small shrug and a crooked smile. "Also..." The smile stayed as her posture shifted to a more relaxed to stance, "I was wondering if you needed some help at your office tomorrow... I have nothing of importance right now, and... I would like to be of assistance to you if you need it..." She offered up to him, then quirked up a grin, "I promise I won't be a distraction unless you'd need one." She spoke cheekily, then turned quiet, trying to keep a positive, encouraging attitude. "Either way... I do believe I am not wrong in... thinking we need to... figure out more on each other? I'll answer anything you ask of me, within reason, of course."

 

[Fluffy]

Dinner conversation in his home was still something he had to adapt to. The moment her voice broke the silence, aside from the faint sounds of them chewing away at their meals, his eyes dropped to his food. For the first minute, at least. It showed that he was more interested in satisfying his hunger, but he was willingly listening to her at the same time. Nicoli had to ease into this rather than force himself into what he considered an uncomfortable situation.

When his plate was cleaned, he set it aside, then wondered how was it she could finish so quickly. Did that not upset her stomach? Nicoli stopped questioning it, though. Unsurprisingly, Sasha had more to say. Like he'd always been fearing, she wanted to know more about him. At that proposal, he let out an anxious sigh. The man was giving her the eye contact she deserved, all the while wondering what in the world she would want to know about him. She really found him interesting? What was so interesting about him? Truth be told, every woman he's had relations with has complained about how boring he was. Then again, they didn't get as close to him as Sasha did.

Sasha was correct, though. They needed to know more about each other in order for this romance to be successful and continuous. That's mostly what he was thinking about now, making it difficult to pay attention when she brought up helping him at the office. "Just one thing at a time," he suggested, stressing that all she'd dumped on him was already quite a lot. Even the slightest addition might make his head explode!

Nicoli studied the woman with his harsh stare, which she likely wouldn't notice at this point. He didn't look at her with the same glare as he did everyone else. It was like having a particular smile you make around a special someone, except it was Nicoli instead of a normal person. He observed that she was genuine in all she said. And although that was a lot of information to process, he did appreciate her ability to tell him this much without much struggle. She maintained a positive attitude through it all, which he discovered to be an attractive quality.

"I would love your help, Sasha." Nicoli stared with, since that was an easy answer to give. The extra set of hands would be useful tomorrow. He might even be able to get all caught up with his work. "I would very much like to tell you more about uh...me." He showed an awkward frown, his hands making a clap before his fingers all laced together while he leaned forward, sitting at the edge of the chair. "I'll keep your secrets, of course. And you'll keep mine. Because we both know I'll just kill you and hide your body if I don't." Though that was a serious fact, he spoke it with a light heartedness that related to the ongoing joke about her dead body.

"Let's talk personal tonight, business tomorrow, eh?" The offer came with a fairly comical shrug with hand gestures, something Arturo loved to make racist jokes about. He was hopeful she'd agree with him. After all, his office was the perfect place to discuss her ideas. All the tools they needed would be at their fingertips. "We'll clean up and we can talk someplace more...comfortable." The final word carried the purr of his Italian accent heavily, however he was mostly teasing. Nicoli felt like his hips needed a rest, and he was curious about the idea of sitting with her while simply...talking. Oddly, not an activity he was familiar with.

Well, no, it's actually not that odd.

 

[Hydronine]

Sasha watched Nicoli curiously as he responded to her lengthy suggestions, and brightened up as he responded to her offer for help at his work. Then he spoke a bit more- ok, good, this wasn't going to be like pulling teeth. This was... new. Then again her only history to compare to was... well...

His joke made her smile, though it was bitter. "I'd much prefer to die to a loved one than to other instances I've faced. I'd hope that you'd at least keep one trace of me around for memory at least." She spoke, then shrugged. "Just no guns." She clarified quickly. "Knives maybe, but no guns. Please... I'd prefer anything else." She stated plainly, and she recognized that this wasn't just some joke, she very well may be playing with fire, but if she could at least control the ramifications of the threat, she still felt fine with it. Someone else might have blanched with how she had reacted, but Sasha's flirty and upbeat personality hid more than a few years of abuse, only following... Either way, in her years she had learned how to handle threats, compartmentalize them. His words and actions were easy enough to figure out that for now it was just some humor. When you stripped away her positive attitude, it would be easy to see just how much of her over-all being depended on that mask.

Personal tonight- that was understandable. Gave her time on thinking about what she needed exactly, anyways. His suggestion and the way he spoke made her nod slightly in agreement. Her own body still ached from earlier, So at the very most she was hoping he was merely suggesting getting comfortable in a way that was restful. "I'm up for that." She responded at length, her lips quirking into a grin again. "I guess I should get out of this get-up, anyways." She shrugged slightly before stretching. In reality, Sasha really preferred comfort over style- though with her job, she dressed the part. Oh, she'd wear the frilly, fluffy, stylish things that were in for the season, but the second she was off the clock, it was off with that shit and into a tank top and some comfy panties. Maybe some pants. If the stars aligned right. Actually it was a wonder that when Nicoli first had to save her that she was even wearing shorts.

She couldn't help it, she was chuckling at that. Would anything had changed? Actually the ramifications of that thought had her thinking. That could have gone worse.... right? She raised herself from the chair and then stretched again, twisting this way and that before a series of pops came from her spine. "I think I'll take that as my cue to hop in a shower and get all of this damned concealer off of myself. Won't be long, I promise. Sit pretty- no peeking or I might be cross." She assured with a slight joke and then took off towards the bathroom without another word- even though some time had passed, it still carried the scent and warmth of the shower he had taken.

She was quick to get out of her clothes, and then began the process of taking off the wig. A week's worth of stubble was underneath and she was quick to get into the shower and clean herself. She couldn't even really bring herself to look at her reflection without the wig on- not for vanity's sake at all, merely a token from her history- she didn't want anyone to see her like that either. Her slightly fuzzed dome was not to be witnessed. The concealer came off easily, exposing all the scars that dotted her skin, something she didn't mind at all. Hell, she liked them in a weird way. She just didn't want other people to see them- question her on what had happened. Besides, who wanted to get out of this life a pristine palate of untouched skin. Why not show that you had lived?

After being properly cleaned and drying herself off well enough, it was back on with the wig, and off to hang up the clothes. She changed into the aforementioned tank top and boyshorts before wandering back to to Nico. "So, where exactly do we start this... "20 questions" type stuff? I mean..." Suddenly thinking on it was was... interesting. "I think I might be right, but correct me if I'm wrong- I don't think we'd even be sitting here like this if it wasn't for... extremely odd circumstances that led to you saving my ass twice. I wouldn't have realized you were..." Some might have thought she was aiming for "My type", but instead: "Single." She shrugged.

"But... even if those events hadn't happened, would I be correct in the fact that I probably wouldn't have found out about... Your life?" She asked gently, prodding on his less-than-civilian-friendly work, then continued on. "I know I wouldn't have let you find out about my sitch if that hadn't happened... and..." Ohhh this was not a good train of thought. "I wouldn't be alive. If this had happened another way, I would probably be dead. We probably would have had one innocent date and the same thing would have happened- I would be snatched up, but..." She shrugged again. "It's hard to know where to start after those things, and then having sex twice." There was no anger or irritation in her voice, it didn't bother her. Confused as to where to start on learning about each other but... obviously as she had just outlined, their relationship might not even have occurred without those events.

"Sooo, do we just talk about our crazy families and first jobs and first loves and sappy stuff?" She asked honestly, confusion fully coming to a head on her face, a brow raised as she considered everything, a hand coming up to rub at her neck.

 

[Fluffy]

Truth be told, Nicoli never played Twenty Questions before. He'd watched some of his men play it as a pass-time, and he could remember dismissing Arturo every time he suggested it in their childhood. In typical Nico fashion, he over-analyzed the concept of playing this game with Sasha, even if she wasn't really meaning to initiate it. While she was still in the middle of talking, though, he willed himself to throw the thought away. That was unimportant.

He grunted as he sank back into the plush sofa, giving he words some consideration. She was always bringing up the past. It was understandable; the whole lineup of events was crazy! Perhaps it was harder for her to process than it was for him. His life was always full of surprises and twists. Their love story, so to speak, was no different. "You're very much correct." he commented, to answer her question. That was all he felt he needed to say. It was obvious that he didn't share his secrets with just anybody. Her finding out what he did for a living was all a huge accident. Had it not been for that, she'd still be a clueless hairdresser he saw just every so often.

The way he sat was comfortable, with room for her to cuddle up to him if she wanted. He wasn't the most touchy feely man. Not until she came around, at least. He found himself always looking forward to holding he at the end of the day. Simple little pleasures like that were rare before now.

Where to begin... That was a million dollar question. Family didn't seem like too bad of a place to start. Discussing jobs would be...unusual; that was his best guess. "I don't know," Nicoli mumbled. This was difficult for him too. Like with anything else though, he assumed the dominant role and focused on actually making progress. "I believe I've mentioned my family once. I could talk about my extended family in Italy; most of which despise me. Or I could talk about my dead parents and Arturo. Whatever you want, really." The options were listed casually with no detectable sadness or sarcasm. These were sensitive topics years ago, but not anymore. "And you can talk about yours. Feel free to mention any past boyfriends who might try to follow us." The last bit was actually half serious. That would be some convenient information to have.

 

[Hydronine]

Sasha made a face when the questions seemed to turn to her, there was reluctance in her pose. It was ironic how she didn't like getting asked questions. It would only be fair to answer some things, obviously. Probably should do so.

"I... Don't like talking about my family." She gave a bitter chuckle shortly after that, swallowing a lump that was quickly forming in her throat, then sighed before launching into the quickest explanation she could come up with: "As far as I can tell, I'm a bastard child from an affair, I think my father fucked his ex-wife- would explain why my mom detests me... Birth records confirm it. My father was a crooked cop, didn't want me to know but... it was kinda obvious... I think it was because normal family money wasn't to be spent on me. My brother's an ass... To be honest, I'm not surprised that his calls have stopped... I thought he had started to care more... but..." She took a breath, exhaled slowly. "As I said I didn't have many friends throughout my life. I kinda left home as quickly as possible. Thought it would help things.... I graduated highschool early- I had started enrollment at a college while I was a senior. While I finished up there... I got... discovered by my mentor... Lot of shit happened that year, but after that- I moved into her place while I finished up college, learned the finer knowledge about how to chop locks..." She shrugged, then continued on, "I got into that fashion show I talked about.... because I... met some people via... I snuck into a garden party. Almost was discovered but some asshole probably chasing tail claimed I was his date. Found out he was related to some of the people I was actually looking to meet. Got introduced... got offered a part in that show... then I found a job at that salon I mentioned." She paused for a moment.

"I made good cash. Sent my parents to Paris for their anniversary that year, thought it would help relations but... The effort was accepted but made no difference... I made connections for myself, everything was going well. I finished up getting taught by my mentor -I'll skip the parts of my first kidnapping I already told you- For five years I spent time unlearning how to be talkative, sarcastic.... witty... had to choose flight over fight because I wasn't strong enough to really defend myself- attempts were laughable at best and usually caused me more trouble... I would have fought back more despite that, but my actions from the start had caused a death. By the third year, I was kept around more as a lackey and a set of extra hands. I got angry, tried to get out, I... got caught. Arrested. While I was involved with that group, I did a lot of stupid stuff, robbed a bank, sold drugs... mugged people... It got turned on me in a big way." She rubbed at her face for a moment. "I was in prison for a few months, had nowhere else to go when I got out... went back to Mark because I was an idiot. He and I weren't a thing anymore but he still felt like he had... a claim on me. So when his friend slept with me, he got killed and I got a trip to the hospital. Then there was Halloween- fucked up, got too drunk, slept with some dude, forgot for a moment that I get stalked all the fucking time. Ended up covered in someone else's blood for the third time. Blood and brain matter does not... wash out easily." She explained slowly, then looked up at Nico. "Sasha's kinda my middle name... I... really prefer not to use my full name for anything- too recognizable. Five years ago when I got kidnapped and then rediscovered- it was on the news. That's why no one wants me. I wasn't just a fuck-up, I was a public fuck-up. "WOMAN RANSOMS PARENTS THEN GOES ON CRIME SPREE." That headline with my face plastered all over the fucking papers and tabloids... Yeah, I'd wanna hire me too." Sasha rolled her eyes then rubbed her face again.

"Angel.... Angel Natasha Grace." She managed to mutter after a while, the name rolled off her tongue with disdain. "The red-head in the news five years ago. That was me. That's why I color my hair and wear crazy-ass makeup. Don't exactly want to be recognized for shit I was forced to do. Then again with how the prosecutor spun things... I looked like a right criminal. Didn't matter that I was under threat if I didn't do those things. Didn't matter that I did it to survive. Never had a chance to defend myself... I managed to finally get away when I finally got Mark to realize he didn't give a shit. Promised I wouldn't fuck anyone, I just wanted to get the hell out of there. Got that apartment, found myself a job..." She trailed off and shook her head. "I used to be one of those quiet kids in class. I know it sounds trite, but I didn't imagine my life taking this turn." Sasha shrugged once more, stretched. "I mean, I'm happy I found you. I mean, found out more about you. Honestly." She spoke softly, looking up to him. "I just wanted to be a hairstylist- ended up being a robber.. a drug dealer, drug mule, and a criminal... Least I have some fun party tricks from that." She grinned slyly, then drew closer to Nico, leaning against him. "Twenty-four fucking years old and this is what I have to show for it... Hell, you were a hell of a birthday present." She commented absent-mindedly. "Didn't realize it until a week later, got kidnapped on my birthday." She stopped talking for a bit, merely resting against Nico, just peaceful and calm for a few moments, her hand searching for his, lacing her fingers through his and locking onto his loosely. "I guess that's all you need to know about me... Mark's the only real guy you would have had to worry about... and I killed him." She chuckled softly. "So what about you? Aside from some things, I pretty much just... told you everything I can think of."

 

[Fluffy]

The story was long, as he expected. Nicoli wished he'd thought to make some coffee before all this, to help with keeping him alert. There was so much urge to let his mind go lazy, especially with how comfortable his couch was. The man was rich and loved to live luxuriously. This was a shameless fact.

For Sasha, though, he was willing to put forth more effort than he normally would. He followed her voice like the good man he wanted to be for her, making mere acknowledgements here and there for the emotions her story spurred. Though no evident on his face, he felt quite the mix of things. Things he did not like, let alone recognize. Nicoli wasn't exactly a compassionate person, so it felt like a germ that was infecting his body.

She made a series of bad decisions, however it all related to her survival. Cowardice was weak, but it could still put you above the rest if you knew what you were doing. Even Nico believed that.

Nicoli expressed a grunt of confusion as she mentioned herself being on the news. He couldn't recall hearing about this. Which wasn't surprising. He didn't pay attention to business that wasn't connected to his own. She explained plenty to him, though. Just enough for him to nod with understanding. Changing her image made se--wait... Angel?

During the last bit of her story, he sorted through the freshest of his thoughts and realized she'd just revealed her full, true name to him. He was so busy trying to follow and analyze the events of her past that he nearly missed out on that detail. Nico swallowed quietly, now feeling the quicker pulse of his heart. He'd been touched. That much was certain.

Still processing, his body worked on auto-pilot in order to adjust to the cuddling position she was bringing on. The movements came naturally, as if they'd done this a bunch of times already. "That's good," he commented on the boyfriend info, clearing his throat after. His embrace went tighter around her for just a moment; that helped him feel better. Hopefully her, too. "I didn't know it was your birthday. I'll make it up to you." The promise was noticeable in the way he talked. He didn't know how to throw birthday parties, but he did know how to buy gifts. Perhaps a combination of useful things, and girly things. Sasha could use a weapon, but she could also use some jewels and dresses.

Those ideas were best saved for later, though. They had a more serious topic they were discussing. "Thank you for telling me all of...that." is what he decided to start with. Was he supposed to say something else? Or just move on to his own history? He'd just go with his gut, he supposed. Holding her still, he turned his head in an effort to make eye contact. "Know that you're safe here, and your home is here. You finally have someone who gives a fuck. I'll always protect you, and I'll show you how to protect yourself. You won't have to worry about getting hurt." Emotion grew heavy in his voice, causing the man to tighten his jaw and turn his head away. His expression hardened, naturally.

"The family business moved here on my say so..." His tone got softer, absent of much feeling. When he closed his eyes, he could see the youthful version of himself running through a lineup of memories. "My family's been in Bergamo, Italy for years. The Italian Mafia was run by my father, his father, and so on. That's all that mattered in life. Organize crime, expand the business, gain wealth, birth sons to take your place, repeat. Like my father, I was bred and raised to be the perfect mafia boss." Explaining this out loud sounded so ridiculous. And boy did he make himself sound arrogant. The truth was out there, though. "He was an abusive son of a bitch. Hit me, cut me, burned me--did whatever he could to prepare me for the future. Told me I had to be ready for the times I might get kidnapped and tortured. I hated him for it, though. He became an angry alcoholic after mother died of cancer. His work became sloppy. He took his anger out on me. I was the only outlet because I was the only one strong enough to take his punishment." His voice was turning into a fierce whisper to hide the surfacing anger. The way his heart beat gave way to how much his blood was boiling.

"My mother was a kind, gentle woman. Probably the one good, pure thing we ever had in our lives. Her death changed both of us. Aside from you, she was the only woman to show me any form of...love." The word didn't roll of the tongue so well, but he was happy to verbally acknowledge that he once again in his life had someone who cared about him. Besides Arturo, of course. Speaking of which: "You met Arturo. The guy is like a brother to me. He hardly left my side after father got killed. Just a teenager, I was, when I reached the top rank in his gang. I wasn't ready. My inexperience cost the lives of many, and got me into many near-death situations. I had to keep making mistakes until I finally figured out how to be the man I was expected to be. All that time, Arturo stayed by me, no matter how much I changed. That's why he doesn't have to wear suits. That's why his family is under my protection. There's so much I do for him, because of how much he's done for me."

It was obvious that Nicoli loved Arturo. He wasn't going to ever say that outright, of course. After a sigh, he tilted his head back to rest on the section of couch he was leaning on. "My extended family hates me because I'm the reason some of their sons and daughters are dead. Others hate me because it's convenient. They hated my father, but he died before they could have revenge, so they target me instead. Who remains just don't like what I do; I give the family a bad name. So I thought, I might as well move. I didn't want to be in Bergamo any longer. Once in a while, I visit them just to say 'fuck you.' I took my family fortune for myself and used it to build a life here. Arturo and many of the gangsters followed me."

Nicoli left it at that. There was so much more to tell, but that was just it. They had to take this slowly or else they'd make each others brains explode.

 

[Hydronine]

Sasha was quiet as he responded to her long... long explanation, and she gave a genuine smile with how he was reacting. Honestly, that was enough to make her relax more around him. As for his reaction for her birthday, she shook her head slightly. "I'm not dead, you got me out of two bad situations- that's enough of a present." She murmured softly, then he was talking again and she was silent for a few moments- not out of anything other than surprise. She bit her lip and tried to blink back tears. Getting so happy over a few words was silly... right?... no... no, it wasn't, there were tons of movies and stupid interactions with people she had met to prove that it wasn't... It sure as hell felt weird, though.

"Thank you." The words were heavy with gratitude, and she watched him break eye contact and turn his head.

Suddenly, he was talking again, but it... was different. She listened quietly, unsure of whether or not she should be making some kind of comforting gesture or if that would merely annoy him... And then he was on the topic of how his father raise him- and she had to do something, right? What could she even....

Wow, should have remembered that a lot quicker given how it had been the first thing she had noticed about the man when she had done his hair. One of her hands traveled up to the back of his head, gently massaging that area. She couldn't think of what else to do, but, surely that was enough of a reaction for now.

For the rest of his story, she reacted quietly, noting the emphasis he had put on his mother. Wait... she was the first person besides... that was unexpected. To think she had seriously figured him for just some rich guy at an office... married... and getting a secretary on the side- clearly was NOT the case. And the poor guy had a hell of a time saying that four letter word- which wasn't an issue to her, he was clearly capable of showing it, even if he couldn't say it. And then he was talking about Arturo and she nodded slightly. Her hand was still working at his head gently, almost absent-mindedly, it just seemed natural to do this while he was talking.

She liked that guy, in either case. He definitely was more personable than she expected... And she had been so amused to watch the interaction between him and Nico.

His explanation on the rest of his family had her nodding her head slightly again. He had dealt with quite a lot in his years, but it had led him to this point...

She didn't know what to say after all of that, it was a lot to take in. Honestly, she was still getting over the fact that all this had happened.

"Thank you for telling me about yourself as well..." She started, and then nestled up closer to him, resting her head on his chest, just enjoying the act of being so close to him, able to feel to beat of his heart and the movements of breathing. She really did feel tiny compared to him. She knew she felt safe here, especially after how he had taken to all that news she had thrown at him, that was obvious.

What else could she say? After all that, she had no idea what to do next... all she knew to do was keep massaging and running her hands through his hair. His words had struck her deeply, in more than one way. Trust was being formed on much more than just surface value at this point, and she was stuck just trying to process the fact that the relationship had gotten this involved so quickly. Or was it really that quick?

For a few more moments, she was content to just snuggle up to him quietly, completely at ease next to him- and then a thought came to her.

"Hey Nic?" She asked softly while she raised herself up, her hand coming away from his head as she stretched slightly. "I promise I won't ever judge or question your motives with your work- both of them.... but... aside from me getting kidnapped, I really don't know much about it- I mean, you just told me quite a bit, but...." She was having trouble getting to the point. Even with her background in a small-time gathering of assholes that attempted to be some sort of gang.... seemed pretty small compared to Nico.

"I don't want to be a liability." She offered up as a new starting point, hopefully this attempt would work better. "If I'm going to be this close to you... it kinda seems like an "All or nothing" situation." Ok, where to go from here?... Come on, there has to be a way to successfully put this into words. She was scratching the back of her neck at this point, her jaw set at an angle. "I want to get more involved. I'll stay out of the way. But... I'm more than just your hairdresser now... I... think I need to learn... and learn quick... I mean, Mark was deplorable, but... Not creative..." Insulting her abuser's skills in torture, great. "I have a high pain-tolerance, but I'd really prefer to not have to put that to the test- And I don't want to be used against you as a hostage again, as you saw in our first... er... meeting, I don't take to being a hostage well, and..." Yeah, that was fun, insult everyone in a ten mile radius, talk about how useless you are as a hostage, make baseless threats and then say you're going to sue everyone. Sasha's way probably wasn't going to work on anything, really.

"So..." She trailed off, looking to him with a shrug. "I need to learn more. I'm not going to get grossed out or stop you because of some moral compass- I trust your judgement, and as long as I'm beside you, I feel safe. I won't get in the way, and I have no qualms with getting my hands dirty." She spoke quietly.

"As a hairdresser I wasn't worth more than ten thousand, right?... I really don't feel like learning what someone would ask of you if they knew I was closer." She added.

 

[Fluffy]

Belatedly, Nicoli registered just how useful the head massaging was. He was able to speak quite clearly, with only a tiny bit of nervousness on his mind. Him not being the nervous type helped in the first place, but Sasha made it even easier with her tender affection. Here and there, he was sure she caught him almost dozing off with a partial smile on his lips. Much like how he'd look in the chair at the hair salon.

Nico had his head tilted back now, with his arm draped over the lovely lady who was resting her head on his chest. He half expected their conversation to go into a peaceful silence. Good thing he was only half expecting, though. Sasha had more to add, causing a light groan to rumble in his throat. The man was open with his grouchiness, however there was a playfulness in the way he quietly complained. Feeling her eyes on him, he straightened his neck and then brought one of his large hands down to lay it on her face. The most thoughtfulness he put into that was keeping her nose between two fingers so she could breathe better. He was smirking, even though the tone of his words was more heartfelt: "If you're ever kidnapped again, you'll be freed via bloodbath. Because to me, that's what you're worth. You're worth every last drop of blood that once flowed through the veins of our enemies, my Angel." Whether or not she liked that name, he as a matter of fact did. Because to him, she was his beautiful angel.

Chuckling, he leaned forward to peck the tip of her nose. Her face was promptly released from his grasp, then he went back to slumping on the couch with his head laying back. "There is plenty for you to learn. You're right about that. We can discuss it more in my office tomorrow, and I'll bring you with me to the next 'transaction' so you can have hands-on experience, too." After pausing, he made a yawn. Sleepiness really was settling in. The day had been so long. "We mostly loan money. Occasionally we'll deal drugs and weapons. Whatever it takes to keep the crimes going and the money flowing. On the positive side, any rival gangs get muscled out pretty quick. This is my city, after all." His father always emphasized that no matter where you were, your goal should be to reign as king.

"I'm willing to tell you what you need to know. You have a place in my top ranks, y'know." Her hip was given a ginger pat. That was another attempt at sweet talk. Some women might think it romantic, becoming the significant other of a mafia boss who was willing to teach her the ropes. Once she had those ropes in her grasp, she could start controlling them. The gangsters would going to immediately start respecting her as a superior.

 

[Hydronine]

Sasha raised a brow at the use of her real name while his hand lay on her face, as well as a bit of a snort and chuckle- somehow, coming from his mouth, her name didn't sound so bad. Shit, his hand was huge.... or was it just that she was small? Probably some combination. She had made no effort to resist or shrug away from his actions or words, though, and there might have been a twinkle of amusement in her eyes from what he was doing and saying.

So he could stand to draw blood over her, eh? A knight in shining armor... though Nico didn't seem like the kinda good guy that was likely to usually save the damsel now that she knew him a little better.... was she even really ever even in a position to say she was a damsel in distress?... ok, maybe the most recent kidnapping, but... Damn.

She giggled at the kiss to her nose, she couldn't help it, all of this was still so new to her and he was just... This was all just... more than she had expected. While he slumped back and continued to talk, she went back to cuddling up on his chest, she had nodded slightly to his words and she echoed his yawn with one of her own, eyes closing slightly as he went on to explain a bit. Another nod was given as well as a shrug. "Drugs, I know. I have hands-on experience with that in a multitude of ways. So there's something I don't need remedial lessons in." She offered, yawning again, shifting around so she was more comfortably cuddled up to him. His next comment was regarded with another raise of her brow.

"Whatever you say, but all I know is grunt work... I'll take to what you want me to. My life is yours as you wish it." She replied softly, Her hand reaching out for his, grabbing onto it. "I'm just happy to be alive and to have found you, everything else is...." She seemed to pause, thinking for a moment or two, then looked back up to him, a serious look on her face. "Secondary." She settled on, then lowered her head back down, yawning. Within moments, she was deep asleep before she could realize what was happening. On the bright side, she was lightweight and easy to carry.

 

[Fluffy]

Nicoli followed a strict routine every morning. He woke up at the same time, got out of bed at the same side, made his bed after, went to make breakfast--so on and so forth. Breakfast involved ham and spinach omelets with a side of toast and grapefruit. Then he got dressed in his usual business attire, made note of what chores to do later, and went off to work with Sasha in tow.

She was allowed to dress however she wanted. Sasha was his significant other, his queen. There were few rules she was expected to follow. Formal events might be the only time he'd suggest dressing the same level as him, but that was something to discuss later down the line. For now, there was work to catch up on.

The two went to his office and were quick to get to work. There was a pot of coffee waiting for him already, which he went to immediately. The black beverage was carried carefully to his desk, where neat stacks of papers were waiting for him. He took a look at the top sheet after turning his computer on, knowing it would need a few minutes to warm up. Sooner or later, he'd need to ask one of the tech guys to replace this for him. Nico knew little about the latest and greatest machinery, so he would be putting a lot of faith in them.

"This is a stack of overdues," he said with a frown. Compared to the other, it was significantly shorter. However, he was still displeased with this. This meant his clients were increasingly flaky as of late. Something would have to be done about that... "Ah, these are just updated records. You can help with these." Nico set down his mug and offered about half the papers to Sasha. He then pointed to a filing cabinet that was to the left, against the wall: "Each three drawers have the names organized alphabetically. Top drawer is big business--which would be company names, middle is individual business--organized by last names, bottom is political business--also last names. Make sense?" The paperwork would make it easy. All she had to do was read the top right corner to see what the client name was. This was very private information. Lots of people did business with Nicoli. The police force, political figures far and wide, small time business owners--almost anything you could imagine. Simply put: he had a lot of trust in her.

"Thanks, by the way, for helping me out." He flashed a quick smile before taking a seat, tending to the papers of those he might have to use drastic measures on.

 

[Hydronine]

Sasha was quickly learning Nicoli's routine, and managed to keep in step with him fairly well.

She might have entertained the thought of dressing casually, though, jeans really almost seemed to feel offensive. She was in a appropriate dress, just a simple slate grey sheath dress, a necklace, some stupid bangles and heels that she could probably use as weapons in desperate situation. There was no doubt that she was slightly... ok, more than slightly, sensitive about her height. Heels made up more than half her collection of shoes. She wasn't as enthusiastic about being in this kind of attire, but she wanted to put forth an effort.

She'd probably loose it if she ever saw him in anything even remotely close to what someone might wear on a "Casual Friday" type-thing.

She followed him quietly to his office and as he explained his filing system, she nodded quietly and grinned slightly at his thanks. "Hey, I used to do sorting and filing like this at one of my old jobs. I don't mind it. Doesn't seem complicated." She spoke softly as she looked through the pile indiscriminately, then to the cabinet. "Trying to fix your bad hair day is more trouble than this... but I can see why it would take a while." She offered up, then she was silent, shuffling through papers and starting in on the pile. Straightforward, easy, not that hard at all to her. If only cleaning, cooking, and fashion that didn't have to do with hair was this obvious. She was quick to pause, grab some earphones and plug them into her phone and don them quickly, listening to music while helping out. Her tastes were eclectic, and she was nodding her head in time with a beat here and there as she worked.

She wasn't putting importance to names or businesses- honestly, at this point she didn't seem all that surprised until she got to the police force and she considered it for a moment, then filed it away. Well, he did say he couldn't be caged. She took a few more moments to get into a rhythm, silently working, though she enjoyed it.

Sasha couldn't stop glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, thinking over what happened the other day. There were things other than those activities that her mind turned to- like the office they were in. Beyond Nico and Aurturo, she didn't know much about the people here- and Nico didn't exactly seem like a boss who wanted to get cozy with his underlings, going off of what she had seen of him and context clues from how he had talked of his life. It would be interesting to find out more.

That mental distraction cost her a papercut- she yelped slightly, then bit her lip. "How the hell does paper hurt worse than when I accidentally nick myself with my shears?" She muttered softly to herself as she was quick to keep the offending finger away from papers, least it.... and there it was, blood. She was quick to dig through her purse with her uninjured hand, digging out a small package of band-aids, opening it and quickly going through the process of slapping one over the cut before continuing. Obviously, small injuries weren't a big thing to her, though the fact that she carried band-aids either spoke of her clumsiness, or of time before, when much more than papercuts was to be taken care of. Probably a combination of the two.

She was quick to get back to filing after making sure that there was no risk of dirtying the papers with any sort of smudge of blood.

As she finished up with her stack, she gave thought to his words from the night before- What exactly all DID she need specifically from him? She had her fair share of contacts, she knew who she needed to call in for decorations and fixtures... painting... she could handle a bit of DYI projects... a backroom would probably be a good idea... Aside from that, all she really wanted was just a place to call her own. Though it wasn't like she wanted to be the person entirely in charge of everything- that could be thought on later. She'd probably need to hire more people, especially for all the varied jobs and ideas... She'd have to interview people. Great. Maybe she'd just have someone else do it for her. She just wanted to cut hair.

"Son of a-" She snapped, gripping another finger. Paper 2, Sasha 0. She grunted and slapped another band-aid on. "I'd say switch to computers, but that can be too easily copied to an external... hard-drive..." She suddenly gave that thought. "I'm sure there would be a way to fortify it, though. Though I might just be saying that because..." She glanced at the offending paper, "One of the small businesses attacked my finger." She muttered. "How many chances do people and businesses get before the over-dues have to be followed-up on?" She asked absent-mindedly, still off-put from the papercuts.

Ok, so she was her usual talkative self, she couldn't help it- she was curious. She HAD been quiet for some damned time, anyways. She was filing again, slowly, at this point, trying to focus so she wouldn't get papercut number...

She didn't even make a noise this time, merely just grabbed up the box of bandaids and got another. Paper 3, Sasha 0.

Ok, so she could file things, it just might be a good idea to give her gloves to do so in.