Our Little Secret

[Fluffy]

Nicoli let Sasha lean in to have her nuzzling, a hand even leaving the wheel to deliver affectionate scratching to her scalp. The process was gentle of course, not knowing how sensitive her head was from the burn damage. Nonetheless, he was fine with doting on her during the drive, all the while going over the term 'alpha wolf.' That did well to make the man smirk, out of humor and cockiness. Very much so, he thought of himself the same way. For his beloved Angel to think the same, that satisfied his ego quite a bit.

"You can get comfortable, okay? I'll see what we have in the ways of tea." Like a typical gentleman, he opened the car door for her and closed it when she got out. The girl was ushered towards the stairs, strongly implying she do as he suggested unless she wanted more yelling to take place.

As if the Italian stereotype couldn't get worse with him, coffee was more Nicoli's speed. Tea wasn't a beverage he consumed often, but it was one he had an appreciation for. There was a variety in one of his cupboards, each expensive and a special kind from a different country. Nicoli liked to dine on finer foods and drinks, that much was obvious. After some careful consideration, and some time translating the different languages on the packages, he selected a tea he remembered trying in Korea that had a unique combination of flavors you could differentiate from one another.

That got brewing, and then he got started cooking. With rolled up sleeves and an intense look of concentration, he started throwing ingredients together. Chicken was cut into strips so it could be breaded and cooked to a nice crispiness. It would go well with the seasoned potato wedges and buttered string beans he had going. His own take on a chicken strip meal, only it was better for you. Nicoli liked healthy food and comfort food, so he tried to cook in ways that made both categories stand out.

"Tea is ready!" The call was spoken with a spine chilling strength he didn't have a lot of control over. Anytime Nicoli raised his voice, it always came out like thunder that demanded your attention and respect. In this case, it was merely him informing her that there was a fruity flavored warmth here to help soothe the ache in her throat.

As a matter of fact, whenever she arrived, she could expect him to swoop in with a kiss to place over her neck, as if to wish the discomfort away with his love alone. Just soon enough to intercept her and her tea. Nico was proud of the accomplishments she made today and she deserved to be rewarded for it in a number of ways. Nobody else made her feel good about herself or appreciated, so dammit he was going to.

 

[Hydronine]

Sasha enjoyed the tender responses she got from Nico. Just this was enough reward for all the bullshit that today had brought. Love was certainly a weird thing. It was still new to her- but she was more than welcoming to this change.

His words were answered with a voiceless nod and genuine smile- she was quick to get within the warmth and comfort of what had become home for her. As he cooked and worked on tea, she was stripping herself out of her current clothes and quickly snuggled into one of Nico's shirts with a smugness that only she could own.

As soon as that was done, she heard him call out and was quick to rejoin him, happy to receive more of these little acts of affection from the man. His move was returned in kind, her lips laid on his neck, lingering for a moment before she claimed her prize of the tea.

"Thank you." She murmured quietly, voice heavy with gratitude and love as she smiled calmly.

A few minutes went by as she sipped at the tea, resolving the ache in her throat. With some measure of comfort back in her vocal chords, she was able to utter a few more important words for the day.

"This is very good..." She started, remarking on the drink, "so, I guess soon I'll be able to pay you back that ten thousand." She stated warmly, a look on her face that only spoke of how smug and sure she was of her plan- something that was only proven by what she said next. "I will return the kindness you've shown me- if only to prove two things: That I can, and that my little operation will be what is talked about in my profession for a long time to come. I have planned for every possibility. This is all I know how to do... I want to have my name back." Sasha spoke, her voice nearly a whisper at that point.

She paused to sip at the tea again before continuing, regaining her composure. "I want to be of as much use to you as possible. I respect you. I want to be beside you anywhere we go. While I like your scars- I will not condone you getting another." She smiled after that, reaching out to touch his arm, her fingertips just barely grazing him before she withdrew them, her grin only growing. "I'd only feel inclined to repay that violence." It was a boast of confidence that wasn't backed up by skill, yet. Oh, she had the inclination for rage and anger needed to drive that sort of response to possibly seeing a loved one hurt- but at this point she'd still consider herself a liability to him.

"I want to be just as steeped in blood as you are." She admitted, her tone still fairly positive and no hesitation to her words, even given the subject matter. "I want to be by your side. I don't care what happens to me. You're home to me..... and you're important because I like your cooking." With that said, she lapsed back into silence while she drank her tea.

 

[Fluffy]

Nicoli grunted a response to her gratitude before leaving her to enjoy the tea, his attention back to the food. It was divided with Sasha, of course, so he wouldn't miss whatever she wanted to talk about. It was a reasonable way to strengthen his multi-tasking. Seldom did he allow himself to be bothered while cooking. That included phone calls and other business related alarms.

He grimaced at the stove as she brought up paying him back the money he'd be letting her have. While he did appreciate her wanting to follow the business code like others, he didn't see any reason for her to. She shouldn't need him to tell her how little ten thousand dollars meant to him. Even then, he'd spend as much as he wanted without the expectation of being paid back.

Food was arranged neatly on two plates with a uniform arrangement. An even amount of potato wedges piled beside portions of chicken strips that were exact as well. Green beans were spooned into little bowls so the buttery sauce wouldn't leak into the other foods. Nico was nitpicky that way. A glance was made to her as she touched his arm, a corner of his mouth twitching upward in an effort to return the smile. Slowly he turned his head away so he could get the pots and pans set aside to be dealt with later, but he did begin to talk too: "I understand where you are coming from, love." He meant it, too. Sasha spoke things that made sense to him, even in confusing cases that involved emotion and other subjects he was a stranger to. Easily he could imagine how she'd feel with him doing the dangerous work he did, and wanting involvement.

Feeling an intense thirst, he poured a glass of ice water to have with dinner. As well he gestured to the fridge for her to look through it and have her pick of a beverage, if wanted. "Being at my side at all times comes with as many risks as it does benefits. It's the safest place to be, yet the most dangerous as well. I have enemies who would not hesitate to use you to get to me." Though grim, he talked with a small amount of warmth that indicated he wasn't shooting down her ideas. Merely, he was bringing caution to some very important points needed to be made. Distributing the plates amongst them, he took a sip of his water and sighed with content before continuing: "So know that I will not let you be hurt, even if that means I get hurt in place of you." His gaze had a strictness to it backed up by a spark of passion. No matter what, he would protect her. There would be no arguing that. Nicoli was not against the use of force when it came to the life of this woman.

"Nonetheless, my side is where you belong. I will see to it that you're a threat instead of a target." The man shared in her confidence, prideful of her bravery and devotion. He was attracted to the thought that she could hold her own, perhaps even save his ass once or twice when the going really gets tough. Except for Arturo, he didn't have a close ally he could depend on for such reasons.

 

[Hydronine]

Sasha watched Nico cook while she sipped at her tea, fascinated with how he worked in the kitchen.

For a moment she was reminded of just how different their backgrounds were. And beside that, there was a difference in age to account for. Hell, she didn't even know how much older he was than her. Did she care? No. She pondered over that thought for a bit. Belatedly, she realized Nico was talking again and she shook herself of the distracting thoughts so she could listen to him.

"I wouldn't mind getting hurt if it saved you from any trouble, either." She admitted, looking up at him with a warm smile. "I'd rather get my index finger and middle finger on my right hand marred beyond repair than to see you in pain." She continued, looking at her hand for a moment. "That would put me out of commission for my job, but... weirdly... I really mean that..." She thought on that for a moment as she moved her fingers around in no particular way or motion. "Hell, I'd even give up the thumb." She added, clenching that hand for moment.

"I've never felt this way about someone before. It's... weird." She explained. She took another sip of tea and looked to him before flashing another wide grin. "I like it, though. It's better than going through life with an undertone of anger and frustration... I don't have to act around you, it's refreshing." She continued and then stopped to watch the man carefully before going to the food and digging in quickly, unable to think of anything else than to eat for a moment.

"So besides Ro....Ri...Ramirez?" Her continued lack of remembering the name of the man who's underlings kidnapped her segued into, "Who else do you deal with? Are there a lot of other groups vying for power?" She asked after getting enough food to think on something besides hunger. She sipped at the last vestiges of tea remaining in her cup before eating more. Strangely, talking about Nico's other work seemed just as appropriate to her to talk about at a dinner table as it did to talk of hers or his "day job".

The night went on for a while longer before finally Sasha was out like a light again.

***********************


Another day, another wig- well, at least her hair wasn't growing back patchy- just wasn't long enough to work with yet. She was still protective of her her short-haired dome, not wanting anyone to see her without something over her head- hell, she wore beanies to sleep, anything to cover the sheen of fuzz. She did her make-up according to what color she was into now. Eventually it would be easy to see what color her hair really was- once she was able to style it, she'd be forthcoming with people actually knowing what her real hair color looked like.

She was still somewhat groggy, but she had dragged herself out of bed and done all this due to the all-consuming curiosity for what Nico had in store. What the hell could he possibly be planning? Where the hell were they going? Took her mind off of the bullshit from yesterday, that was certain. At the same time, she was still beyond happy with how she finally had the green light from her mentor to start her own business.

Plus there was the fact that her mentor didn't seem to hate her boyfriend... sure she needed to warm up to him a little more, but she didn't dislike him. That was a start.

"What are we doing today, hun?" She asked as she started looking through her clothes, trying to figure out what the hell to even pack in the first place. He told her to pack up... good thing she still didn't have that much to her name.

 

[Fluffy]

Nicoli had many advantages, such as calling in favors no matter how last minute they were. He had connections with all sorts of people, ones you wouldn't expect too. Among these was a woman named Nadia, who helped him plan trips, vacations, and other sorts of adventures that were purely for pleasure. Of course, she did this because she owed him, like several of the others.

Nadia helped Nicoli plan a cruise to the tropics for he and Sasha to enjoy. All over the phone, with the exact details he requested. He would not accept anything less. The perky travel agent was more than happy to oblige.

He'd just walked back into the bedroom with two papers in hand. Each sheet had a ticket printed on it, valid for use once they arrived at the written location. It would be a bit of a drive, but it would be worth it. The tickets were set down on the dresser for now so he could change out of the boxer shorts, flashing a quick smile to his beloved on the way to his closet. "We're going for a drive," he said with a hint of cheekiness for giving such an unspecific response.

They were going on a relaxing vacation, so of course he would be dressed more casually for it. Until then, he would be in his usual attire of a suit and tie. The charcoal coat matched with the pants as always, however he was slightly more bold with his choice of tie. Rather than a solid color, he chose one that was a striped pattern of navy blue and gold. Right after, he went to neatly folding some clothes, toiletries, and other essentials into his plain black suitcase. "Pack for three days worth of being in hot temperatures," Nicoli spoke up from his large closet space, so that she wouldn't have to yell at him for not warning her of the weather. Nicoli was clueless about many things when it came to relationships and girls, but this was one he was familiar with.

Hopefully she would like the cruise. It wouldn't be horribly crowded, which appealed to him of course. This was way more on the expensive side, so the couples and families there would be fairly civil and pleasant. That sounded better than hundreds of children running around screaming. The dining, bars, activities, and on board suite would be magnificent, too. Even though they'd have tons of restaurants to choose from, there would be a stocked kitchen in their room too so he could cook for her whenever she wanted.

"And pack your sexiest swim suit." Upon exiting the closet he offered an impish smile, touching the index finger knuckle to his stubble covered chin. "Or...I could buy one for you? Hmm?" The teasing suggestion ended with the finger leaving his chin, all five digits now pointing outward as the shoulder rose for a half shrug. He knew she didn't have a whole lot of clothes and such, so he was more than happy to pick one out for her at a store along the way.

 

[Hydronine]

Sasha gave Nicoli a bit of a look for his answer. A drive? Right... She looked through what she had and tried to figure out what to do. Then she caught sight of him all dressed up and had to crack a smile. The man was definitely being a shit right now- the cheeky bastard... but damn if he didn't make a pressing argument for not speaking out on his mischief. How could she even think of getting even slightly irked at his aloofness?

Then came the next little tidbit of information he explained and she raised a brow, looking to her things before rubbing at her neck. It wasn't like she didn't have clothes for that- but...

The third portion was where a twitch started under her eye. Swimsuit?

Ok... Think. This was a perfectly reasonable request- but this was Sasha.

Sasha who looked the part for her history now and days, complete with quite a few scars that would possibly scare others, or at the very least, lead to some odd questions- and did she really want to waste a lot of time trying to come up for cover stories for the scars from cigarette burns and other tools? She already was going to be dealing with that enough from her co-workers. Britney was bound to be full of questions eventually.

His offer had the tenseness dropping away from her mind. It wasn't like he'd judge, and if she was with him, she probably wouldn't have to worry too much on being bothered for the odd ways her skin looked in certain areas. She had to chuckle at him.

So much had changed between them in so little time, and she wouldn't change it for anything. It was still surprising though, that this is what her once mysterious client was like.

An uncomfortable amount of silence had been allowed to accumulate- she needed to fix that.

"Well, I guess we're playing dress-up then. The last swimsuit I had got...." What had happened to that swimsuit. Then that memory came up and she sighed. "I... lost it." Onto better subject, now. "I'd be happy to wear whatever pleased you, Nic... within reason, of course. I don't think nudity is allowed in most social circles." She spoke warmly and softly, her eyes sizing up Nico for a moment before moving on to her things, going into the bathroom and packing up her toiletries and any products that might be useful. The bare essentials were packed for makeup- given that the bare essentials took up enough space on there own. Ok... Narrow that down further. Pack simple.

"Ok. So I assume we're going to be dealing with water- chlorine, fresh, or saltwater?" She asked lightly as she went through her things to make sure she was packing the right things but also to pack as lightly as possible. "I need to know- means different products to pack." She went back to her clothes and found what she needed aside from a swimsuit.

"So, I assume this is not a business trip?"She finally joked, coming back to Nicoli's side, moving up to her tiptoes, her lips on his cheek before they moved to his neck before she placed a light kiss on his lips.

With that done, she was looking back through her things, checking everything twice. She had packed well enough due to her style of neatly folding clothing and portioning her toiletries into containers that were fit for only three days of travel, that she had room for plenty in her bag. Whereas most shows and social expectations liked to say that women packed too much- here was Sasha able to have half of her bag open for more items if necessary.

"I think I'm ready." She finally stated.

 

[Fluffy]

The cruise ship was as extravagant as you could imagine. Any and all needs could be met, and they damn well better for the price everyone paid. There was something there for everyone to enjoy, from family fun to peaceful, quiet activities a single person or a couple could enjoy. Nicoli had made a good decision. Perhaps the next vacation could be something that involved less laziness, but for now he was more than happy to indulge.

Neither of them had explored the restaurants, bars, or activities yet, though. Shortly after arriving in the suite that might as well have been a mini home, Sasha jumped his bones. Nicoli, of course, didn't object. Of course, afterwards, she was demanding food. Considering what they'd just done, and that they hadn't eaten since breakfast, it made sense that she built up an appetite. The mafia boss himself had worked one up too.

Since he still needed to get properly acquainted with the stocked kitchen in their room, he decided to venture out to the cruise ship to get some grub. There was a lot to explore, so why not get familiarized with it so he'd know where they were going when they decided to have some fun. Helped, too, that he was provided with a brochure style map that also had schedules listed on the back.

A plate of food was in each hand, each stacked with a variety of goods. Different kinds of meats and cheeses were cut to bite size pieces with toothpicks in them. There were also some fruits, raw vegetables with dip, and a little hill of french fries. Random snacks he grabbed from a buffet table that was regularly tended to so as to avoid constant exchange of germs. Otherwise he would have passed by it with no interest whatsoever, being the clean freak he was.

Nobody bothered to question why his hair was a mess, or why he was dressed only in a white sleeveless shirt, grey pajama bottoms, and a luxurious robe over that. He didn't need to look nice for these people, but also his beloved was hungry so he wasn't about to make prettying himself a priority over that. Despite the plain look he wore, he was feeling quite chipper.

At least, until, a disturbing amount of commotion reached his ears. In the French restaurant he was passing by, he saw people dropping to the ground, cowering as a male in a black jacket threatened with a machine gun in his hands. Nicoli didn't stick around to observe, instead deciding to hurry back to his suite so he could prepare for the worst. It seemed that security allowed a psycho on the ship who wanted to steal as much cash, valuables, and coupons as he possibly could. He was sure he had comrades too, putting fear into other areas of the cruise.

Nicoli locked the door immediately once he got there, looking through the peephole before setting the plates down on the kitchen counter. Wordlessly he was going to his suitcase and prepping himself, laying out his handgun and taking out other pieces of equipment that were safely tucked away. Even on nice vacations, he was always prepared. "Sasha, come here please." Calm and urgent was the demand, his throat drumming with a growl as the volume screams increased in the locations several doors down from them.

 

[Hydronine]

Sasha was drowsing on the bed, slow to move after the little romp she just had with Nico.

Soon enough, though, she had donned a pair of short shorts and one of Nico's shirts- continuing her new-found trend of stealing his tops. She couldn't help it, they were comfy and smelled like him. She tied back the read hair in a ponytail and was exploring the room when Nicoli returned with the requested food, but something was off. His behavior was enough to draw her to his side after grabbing one of the plates from the kitchen counter, nibbling at the food he had brought while watching him.

It wasn't that she didn't understand that apparently something was wrong- no, if something was up, she needed as much food in her system as possible. Tiring out while shit was hitting the fan wasn't something she was aiming for. Finally she had taken enough of her fill and pushed the empty plate aside.

She watched him take out what he thought was necessary, setting her jaw at an angle before sighing quietly. This would probably be better handled in better clothing. She went to change into a sports bra and a black tank top, ditched the daisy dukes for some more covering shorts and then donned shoes that weren't anywhere near the style of "classy", she doubted Nicoli would mind. She could run in them, didn't figure she'd need them but she pretty much her entire shoe collection with her- fact: It was small.

She knew that look to him. How many times had she witnessed Mark like that? At least she didn't have to worry about Nico lashing out at her... then again, she was quiet and trying to allow him time to figure things out before jumping in and asking questions. Sasha dug through her things quietly- while Nico had packed for the offensive, she had packed for being a klutz, which meant she had a pocket-sized med kit in her things, and once found, it was tucked into her back pocket.

If he was grabbing guns, there was a threat. At this point she was fully hearing the commotion down a few doors and frowned slightly, but there was amusement to her look as well. Sure, his behavior was unsettling, but she trusted him in some of her worst situations before and it had paid off. Fear wouldn't do her any good.

"Ok... obviously our little get away has some excitement..." She started, approaching him slowly. "What's the plan?" She asked- knowing that she didn't need to ask what was really going on, Nico would probably fill her in. "Are those for self-defense, or are you going after an idiot or two who stepped out of line?" An unneeded question on his gun and other things, but she was curious.

 

[Fluffy]

In his mind, Nicoli was repeatedly cursing this vacation for turning into a disaster as quickly as it did. Of all the cruise ships, it had to be this one!? Needless to say, the interruption of relaxation, good food, and quality time with his sexy girlfriend put him in a foul mood. Much as he enjoyed a fight, this wasn't the time for one. Good thing he was prepared, though. Hardly ever did he travel anywhere without some firearms, knives, and other things he considered essential.

For clothing he quickly put on a pair of slacks and a dress shirt with none of the buttons done up, deciding that would do for now. No time to complete the suit and tie appearance when they had limited time to plan something. Weapons were put in the holsters of his belt, then he offered one of his personal handguns to Sasha right as she walked up to him, while also answering her question: "Both." There were idiots who would need to be taken down, but also they'd need to protect themselves. Whether or not someone would get shot to death was up to the criminals. Nicoli would gladly let them surrender if they made the wise decision to not cause harm to him, or his woman.

"I saw two of them. Not sure if there are more. They have heavy guns, but I'm willing to bet they're more for intimidation than for use. I could tell by the way the moron in the black jacket was holding his rifle." A scoff punctuated the words. Typical that someone who barely knew how to use their own weapon would come aboard this ship, expecting everything to go according to plan. He was more than happy to stab their plot straight in the gut. How many passengers here were likely to be as prepared as him? "Also, you're wearing this." A bulletproof vest was unburied from the folded clothing in one of his suitcases, sending many of the garments to the floor in the process. She wasn't allowed to protest as he got the thing strapped onto her, making sure it was fitted properly and secure. Then he rushed over to one of the kitchen pantries, where yet another vest was stashed inside. Being rich came with perks, such as requesting weird accommodations that no one was allowed to question...

With them both properly guarded, they could more confidently go out there to take down the villains. Nicoli didn't give two shits about any of the passengers, he just wanted to make sure his Angel would be safe and sound. Looked like he would owe her yet another trip in the near future. "The plan is to stay close to me at all times while we make our way to that French restaurant we passed by on our short tour of the ship," he began to explain, inwardly smirking as he remembered how they just couldn't wait to get to the suite, so they cut the tour short. "We're going to try to intimidate these idiotas until they lower their guns and forfeit... If they don't comply, they're going to get shot. It's going to get ugly out there, sweetheart."

 

[Hydronine]

Sasha, for her part, seemed only amused by the situation. And why shouldn't she be? This was Nicoli, the man who had become her saving grace in all of the bullshit she had gone through. She trusted him. She was by his side and if shit hit the fan, she knew she was in good hands.

There were no protests to the vest, but she did crinkle her nose up at how it felt- kinda awkward and bulky. And it squished the breasts a bit much. At least this made sure that she wouldn't feel sore in the chest if they ran.

His directions seemed simple and easy enough. They had a destination and were probably ten times better outfitted than other guests on this cruise.

Her eyes focused on him as he stated the last part, then she moved to get on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. "I can't wait. I want to watch my alpha wolf tear out their throats." She giggled slightly.

It might have concerned some with how happy she was right now. She was giddy. That... wasn't normal, was it?

Why the hell would she care?

She was still trying to get used to the feeling of the gun in her hands. It felt just as heavy as Mark's did that night. That made her slightly less excited. She didn't really like guns, but in this situation, there wasn't much choice.

"Really not used to... this kind of reaction. In previous situations, there wasn't... options like these. Probably right about now, I'd be breaking one of the chair legs in this room, use that as a weapon. Or that floor lamp over there- The base is heavy. Get enough momentum behind it and it can get ugly." She explained, chuckling a little, slightly embarrassed of the past she came from. "I trust you." She finished, looking to him to lead them to where they needed to go.