Under Pressure

Disclaimer: I make no money from these fics and recognise the sole rights of the original creators to do so.

Summary: Even bad days can have a silver lining. Wheeler & Linka one-shot told from Linka's perspective.

He is gorgeous.

As I watch the way the muscles of his arms move beneath his t-shirt as he unloads the supplies, I am imagining how they would feel around me and mentally storing the images for thorough exploration later. Gi would tease me if she were here because she never misses anything, but fortunately Gaia sent her and the other boys to another facility, it is just Wheeler and I this morning.

He catches me watching and raises an eyebrow "See something you like?"

I snort and tell him not to be ridiculous, and then feel immediately guilty as a flash of disappointment registers in his eyes. Why do I do that?

Gi says that he is all too aware of his own charms, but she is only partially correct. He certainly knows that he is physically attractive, it is hard to miss, and he gets more than enough attention from Planeteer fangirls to justify his ego. When it comes to real worth however, he seems to be in doubt that he deserves to be valued.

I blame his father. He has not said much about his childhood but when he has, I have been left wanting to confront the people who raised him... I have a temper.

Someone should have come to meet us by now...

Some children run past and one trips on the boxes we have been putting out as if they had not seen it. I put down the one I am carrying but Wheeler is already there, helping them up, comforting them and making them laugh.

He is gorgeous on the inside too.

As the child runs off he looks around and sees me watching him again. There must be something of what I am thinking on my face although he does not recognise it, "What?"

I smile and feel my cheeks grow warm, but I answer anyway, "Just seeing something I like."

He was not expecting that, I have caught him off guard for once and he does not have a quick reply. Instead he laughs and shakes his head and goes back to the task at hand. I know he is pleased though and when I go to pick up another box, accidently brushing against him, he just gives me a warm smile instead of one of his usual suggestive comments.

We work together comfortably after that. It does not matter that we are talking about work, there is a feeling that we understand each other, that we are partners.

I like days like this.

I hate days like this!

Our contact did not have a clue who we were bringing supplies from, what else was expected or how they were to be distributed. His supervisor was more interested in telling us what a good job she herself was doing although from what I could see, all she did was make random suggestions that everyone ignored.

I understand this is a difficult time for them as well, but as I told Wheeler, "They have been given a responsibility, it is not just a job to be done no matter the outcome, it is about making sure people have what they need to help themselves."

"Babe, chill." I see him look over to make sure we are not overheard. He is rubbing the sides of my crossed arms reassuringly. The contact is more soothing than I care to admit. "We've got this. You know what needs to be done, right?"

I shrug, "It is obvious."

I am very analytical, it is easy for me to sort data. I see the patterns and re-arrange them to work better… and I sometimes get frustrated when others do not see things as clearly as I do.

Wheeler on the other hand is a people person. He grins, "Tell me what you need."

He is very patient, both with them and with me. He somehow convinced them that it was their idea to put me in charge of the operation... took the heat from me when I was forced to explain things in terms a child could understand - but apparently full grown adults could not - and kept everyone (including me,) in a good mood.

We make a good team, and though we are both exhausted, everyone got what they needed... today. We are headed home now and I cannot help worrying what will happen tomorrow.

Wheeler surprises me by reaching over from the pilot's seat and taking my hand. "You can't fix everything Babe, you did a good job today, and you taught them a lot. Trust them to take that forward."

How well he knows me! But… "We did a good job," I correct him, squeezing his hand in return. "They would not have listened without you."

"Bull. You can do what I did, you care about people."

I shake my head, "I care but... it makes me angry. We did not have time for niceties, but you get on with people naturally, it is not an effort for you."

He looks over at me curiously, "Is it an effort for you?"

"Have you not noticed?" I ask with a touch of irony.

Wheeler shakes his head, "You're always friendly."

"When everyone is friendly da. When there is nothing to frustrate or anger me, when people who should know better are not being stupid..." Laughing, he lifts my hand to his lips. I ignore it, not knowing how to react, and continue. "Everyone just likes you, you make them happy, give them confidence. You acted like it was not so bad and it would all get sorted out, and they believed you."

"Well, I was confident that you'd sort it out." He shrugs making me laugh, he is still holding my hand, and I am not taking it back... not until we get home anyway.

Despite having put in almost a full day's work, it is still only early afternoon on Hope Island when we get back and there is a message waiting for me from Mishka. Normally I am happy to hear from my brother but I have a feeling I know what it is about and the conversation is not likely to go smoothly.

"Linka, it is good to see you," he begins as soon as he appears on the Planet-vision, "it has been so long! You do not call home often enough."

I smile, hoping my expression is loving and not tense, "We have had a busy few weeks, in fact we just came back from a relief mission."

He nods but I cannot help wonder if he is actually listening. "Grandmuska saw the doctor about her knees, you did not ask but I assume you care about the outcome?"

You did not give me the chance to ask! I think irritably but only get to mumble 'of course' before he goes into detail about it. For quarter of an hour there is no break as he goes from one thing to another, presumably trying to make up for all the conversations we have not had over the past month. It is a bit much all at once to be honest.

I do care, and I know it would be easier if we could talk more often, and this way just makes us both a little irritable, but... "Mishka, I really have just got back from a mission... I have not even had a chance to clean up yet. Was there something specific you called for?"

I can tell that he is not happy but my head feels like it is going to explode, I just need some peace and quiet... preferably in the shower.

"You promised to set up a new e-mail account for me, it is important for my new business, the current one keeps running out of space."

I want to tell him that he could do it himself, but that really will cause an argument... the sort that ends in a list of all the ways I am a bad grandaughter. He says he is proud of me for being a Planeteer, but he wants me to be his little sister at the same time. I think he resents having to look after Grandmuska on his own as well... he does not say so of course but there is something in his voice.

I finally make it back to the door of my room, only to see Wheeler coming out of his. He at least made it into clean clothes... in fact his hair is still wet from his ablutions and he is pulling a t-shirt on over washboard abs... I feel a protest rise to my lips at his covering up but stop myself before it escapes... I really must be tired.

"Hey Babe, how's things back in 'Mother Russia'?" His attempts to mimic my accent annoy me at the best of times, and this definitely does not qualify as a good time.

"Fine." I answer coldly and step into my cabin, but he does not get the message and follows me, stopping just inside the door.

He leans there, looking just as cute as he thinks he does, but unintentionally fuelling my anger because I have been caught off guard enough to acknowledge that I am attracted to him… again. "When you get a minute, my computer..."

"I am not your tech support!" I yell, closing the door on him but secretly glad he scrambled out of the way before it hit him.

I hear him swear and then, "Whatever problem you have with your brother, you don't need to take it out on the rest of us!"

I blink away the tears in my eyes and head resolutely for the shower.

By the time I am dressed again I am feeling a little guilty about the way I spoke to Wheeler, and it does not help that I know he will not hold it against me.

I look regretfully at my keyboard. It has been days since I have had an opportunity to play, let alone compose and I know that is adding to my shortness of temper. I cannot explain it exactly, but it is like music is so much a part of me that in some indefinable way I need it in order to maintain my balance… but as I cannot explain it, it often has to take a backseat to more tangible priorities.

Sighing, I leave my cabin and head over to the Yankee's. I will not be able to get rid of the hollow feeling in my stomach until I fix things with him, and I can do nothing feeling like that. The thought occurs to me that he has somehow become even more necessary to me than the music but I push it away quickly, unable to deal with it at present.

There is no answer to my knock but I enter anyway, not sure whether I am disappointed or relieved that he is not there.

It takes me over an hour to work out what Wheeler has done to his computer and fix it, and a little longer to set up Mishka's e-mail account, weed out the spam from my own and then answer the one's that require a response.

I also check the Planeteer's social media accounts, dealing with the many contacts we receive. We have some wonderful followers, showing how much they care about the environment by sharing their projects with us but it is the other ones that stay with me. I mean the accounts of violence, animal abuse, natural and unnatural disasters… not to mention legislation being put forward by people who should know better but are acting just like Plunder or Greedly.

I know Wheeler is worried about what is going on in America at the moment, it worries me too, especially the rumours about my country. We do not talk about it... I would not know what to say and it is not as if either of us knows the truth of it. All I do know is that we cannot let it all come between us, so I just keep reminding myself that we are both from Hope Island now and we need to fight injustice as a team, no matter where it comes from.

To be honest, it seems that very little has changed during our time as Planeteers and I fear we are fighting a losing battle. It is depressing and I am beginning to find even the act of replying to pleas for help draining.

It is dark when I finish going through everything and though it is Kwame and Ma-Ti's turn to make dinner - so that I still have time to myself – I feel too mentally drained and ill at ease to even think of trying to play my keyboard. I put my headphones on, intending to listen to some of my favourite tracks in the hope that it will help me relax, and pick up a book.

The music did help but not as much as I would have liked. I obey the summons to go to dinner but would much rather be left alone with my own thoughts a while longer.

"You have to help me pick out a present for my cousin," Gi says as she takes her place next to me at the table. Wheeler is on my other side but he is carrying on a lively conversation with Ma-Ti and I have not had the courage to meet his gaze. "She's turning sixteen so I want it to be something special but I can't afford any decent jewellery and I have no idea what else she likes."

"Make-up?" I suggest, knowing that my friend will never accept one of my suggestions because she likes to pick things out herself, the point of this being that she likes discussing it almost as much as actually going shopping. I do my best to share her enthusiasm but I would really prefer to have the conversation once, when we might actually reach a resolution, instead of this pointless planning.

Gi continues from one subject to another all through dinner, occasionally drawing the others in and not noticing that my responses have become monosyllabic. Wheeler has noticed though, I can feel his eyes on me, but I am still unable to look at him… he perceives too much where I am concerned.

"Oh don't read!" Gi exclaims as I settle myself in the corner of the sofa and pick up my book, "Let's watch a movie, what are you in the mood for?"

I am in the mood for reading, but I smile and shrug, accepting that I am not going to get any peace... but I have underestimated my Yankee. He suggests playing a board game instead and when Gi would have insisted I join them says, "Let her read, it's better with an even number and I fully intend to wipe the floor with you guys!"

They take up his challenge, issuing their own and become immediately absorbed in their preparations. I am watching them rather than picking up my book again but before I have the chance to feel left out, Wheeler turns his head to wink at me and I realise that he has yet again come to my rescue.

The others go to bed one by one and though I know I should as well, I am perversely reluctant to return to the solitude of my cabin. Wheeler finishes putting the game away and I assume he will also say goodnight, but instead he comes over and sits at the opposite end of the sofa.

"You can put a film on if you like?" I suggest, hoping he means to stay a while.

He shrugs, "Don't know what I'm in the mood for, I just don't feel like sleeping yet."

I nod and force my eyes back to my book, but I cannot make sense of the words.

"Sorry…" I look up slightly confused, but he explains, "about earlier. I don't expect you to do anything with my PC, I mean it wasn't like a demand or anything…"

"I know." I assure him quickly, "I am sorry for over-reacting, I just feel like it is one thing after another lately and it is never enough."

He grimaces, "Yeah."

"I fixed it anyway." I say with a wry smile, which widens at his surprise.

Wheeler laughs, "Thanks Babe."

"You are welcome," I feel the remaining tension ease from my body, "are you going to put anything on the television?"

"Nah, think I'll just do a couple of these," He picks a puzzle book up off the side table. "If you don't mind the company?"

I smile warmly at him, and as I sometimes do, take the cushion from behind me and place it in his lap so that I can lay my head there. I know he will not object, he never does. I think both of us need this closeness at times, though neither of us ever admits it outright.

"Thank you." I say quietly, after a while, "for everything today."

"You're welcome." I can hear the smile in his voice but he chooses not to tease me.

I sit up again and release my pony tail, before getting comfortable once more and returning to my book. Wheeler takes my action as permission to play idly with my hair as he contemplates his puzzles, which of course it was. I started the day admiring his strength, but his gentleness is just as attractive.

Days like this happen more and more often, and in general I do hate them... but I love having someone to share them with.

The End