IMPORTANT – Please read these authors notes before continuing!

It's been a couple of weeks since my last Hunie update, hasn't it? Well, I've been busy in a few gaming tournaments. I'm back, though, and I've brought this lovely chapter of Envy Problems with me.

Now, let's talk pairings for this story, shall we? Long story short, the competition for pairings in this story has been fierce. So fierce, in fact, that I'm going to be putting the poll back up on my profile for a little while longer. Which Hunie would you like to see Mike end up with? Cast your vote and let me know!

Without any further delay, let's get started!

Unmasked

A cloudless sky and a powerful, glowing moon that held itself with beauty and pride. There'd been a breakthrough, it seemed. Yet as Mike waited, tapping his heel against the underlying concrete, he couldn't help but wonder. This whole situation was more than a little farfetched.

"Most people would think I've lost it if they could see me right now. Dressed to the nines in my best shirt and pants, waiting for a girl in a fox mask and a trench coat to turn up. Sounds like something out of one of those cheesy detective flicks."

Still, there weren't many options left aside from this one. The truth was painfully simple, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. There weren't any other leads. No kidding. Whoever did this had been so careful that they hadn't left a breadcrumb to the naked eye.

Holding onto the railings as he gazed out toward the sea of lights that was Glenberry, he let out a quiet, thoughtful sigh. "Is there any wonder I'm sceptical? I mean… sure, I'm far from perfect myself, but… I'd never treat somebody the way I've been treated recently."

The soft thump of sneakers against the hardened ground jolted his senses awake. They came closer by the second, until finally, the gentle sensation of a hand against his shoulder arrived. It was so warm, so unthreatening that it was hard not to let the guard down a few notches.

"Maybe you should start trusting people a little more. A guy I knew showed me the same thing…."

That voice – quiet, reserved, and perhaps the slightest bit nervous.

Turning on his heels, Mike found himself greeted by the sight of that well-crafted Japanese-style fox mask and that long, expensive looking leather coat. It seemed his quirky informant had arrived.

"Sorry I'm a little late," the fox girl uttered, taking her place at his side. "It took me a few more minutes than I thought to climb the hill."

"You're fine. It's not like you kept me waiting long." Mike gave a careful smile – still choosing above all else to remain in guard mode until he'd seen what Miss Sapphire had to offer.

"Anyway."

Reaching into the pocket of her coat, fishing around for a moment, it seemed, the short lady brought out her Huniebee, giving the screen many a lithe tap of the fingers. "I used the data packets from your website and did what I could to trace then back. Heck… I'm not a pro or anything… but…."

It was interesting to hear her voice change the moment that tech was mentioned. It was as though she'd changed from a mouse to a lion. Before Mike even realized it, she tippered and tapped like a woman possessed, finally bringing the screen up to meet his line of sight a couple of minutes later.

Well, this was strange. What was he looking at here? Some kind of online blog or diary? All he could see were countless posts about cheerleading practice, snapshots of going to bars and roadside eateries with friends, and one rather long journal entry titled, 'Totally stressing over the content for Miss Yumi's next test.'

Unsure of how this was helpful, Mike tilted his head in thought. No matter how much he squeezed his brain, nothing came to his aid. Taking a step back, bringing his hands to rest at his sides, the singer levelled a stare Sapphire's way.

"I've seen that blog a million times before. It's Tiffany's Maye's school diary. You're telling me you spent all this time messing around with my website to bring me something like this?"

Adjusting her collar, Sapphire let out a shallow groan, moving to close the gap before scrolling further up the page.

"You're not getting it," she shot back, dry and somewhat irritated in her delivery. "I traced back the I.P of one of those comments. Specifically, the one asking people if your band should break up… and it leads back to this page right here."

In a crackle of thought, Mike finally made the connection. Slow on the uptake as usual, he leaned up against the railings, snapping his fingers in a smooth musical melody. There was no better a way to prompt his thoughts, turning them into words.

"I get what you're saying…. Tiffany's involved somehow. She started the poll after the video went live. Still… I dunno…."

Something didn't feel right about this whole thing. Tiffany was a kind girl at heart. He'd known her well enough in their time together. If anything, revenge or trying to make people hurt didn't seem like the things she'd take enjoyment from. In fact, it was the reverse. She was compassionate and supportive even when it went against her.

"What's wrong?" Sapphire asked her question with a flare of concern. "You don't sound convinced. I can understand why you'd feel that way. My sources tell me Tiffany's a good person. Still… I happen to know a little more than that. Did you really think I'd bring you here on something so paper thin?"

She sounded so confident, almost arrogantly so. Slipping the phone back into her pocket, Sapphire propped herself against the railings and stared outward to the vibrant town below. It was almost a little unnerving how at ease with this whole situation she was.

"Nope. Mike. I'm of the same opinion as you here. I don't think it's Tiffany. I showed you that to prove she's not the one we're interested in."

Those words brought a cooling wave of tension to the all too terrible unease Mister Winters felt over the whole situation. "Go on," he spoke quietly, bringing his attention back toward the lights and the buildings off in the distance.

"Simple. Very simple, actually."

Sapphire paused, tippy-tapping her fingers against the protective metal of the rails with a dull 'clink'. Was it her way of getting her thoughts together, maybe?

"I know somebody… a girl that's really close to Tiffany. I checked things over with her before I came here tonight. It turns out that Miss Maye's phone went missing a few weeks ago…. Think about that for a sec."

For once, Mike was on the ball – even his poor skills of guesswork able to connect the dots and begin painting the picture. The timescale matched up too well.

"Her phone went missing a few weeks back, you said, right? That's about the same time my 'wonderful' video sprang up on the website. So…. Hold on!"

The alarm bells rang out again. If anything, this new revelation made Tiffany look even guiltier, not less so. "How in the ever-loving fuck does this prove she isn't involved?"

"That part's even simpler," Sapphire chuckled, smug and assured. "I also backtracked the I.P address of your phone against the video uploaded. It doesn't match Tiffany's. That means whoever did this-"

A clap of the hands and Mikey returned to form. "Whoever's responsible is using other people to cover their tracks. Speaking of that, you checked which phone the video was uploaded from, right?"

"Of course I did, Winters. Give me some credit. I'm too good to not do something so basic. What I found was even more confusing. That's why I called you here, because there's no way you would've believed me if I told you over call."

Mike braced himself – something about her sudden change in tone, from powerful to quietly troubled, brought an uneasy knot in his stomach. "Go ahead…. I'm listening…."

Bringing the Huniebee out again, this time keeping the screen firmly hidden from sight, the girl in the fox mask set to work with yet another foray of screen taps and swipes, eventually putting a screenshot on show of the band's website and a bunch of computer script and codes.

"The phone that uploaded the video was definitely yours. It's been used to log-in to the website plenty of times. After going back a little ways using the data packets, I found websites for local recording studios, too... a ticket site for a classical music show… and some interesting adult video choices."

Silenced and red faced, Mike shrank away, fighting with little success to hide the growing warmth in his cheeks. "Could we move on to the important shit, please? I'd rather we didn't discuss this."

Yet Sapphire wouldn't have it. She let out a low, teasing chuckle, one that felt almost jarring compared to her usually reserved and quiet personality.

"Gamer girl webcam shows, Mike? I had no idea a guy like you was into girl gamers…."

"That was…."

His tongue tripped in a sputtering attempt at speech. Finally, after taking a deep breath and centring himself, the singer was determined to get his back out of the corner. "There was a girl, a while back, okay? She was important to me…. Guess those feelings didn't go away entirely cuz I still miss her from time to time."

Silence – sudden and abrupt. The female information broker remained like a statue, but Mikey was pretty sure that out of the corner of his eye he saw her long, pale fingers slip free from the railings and squeeze tight into a knot.

"It sounds," Sapphire's voice came across as strained – almost a little sad. "….like she meant a lot to you."

Flashbacks – photographs both grayed and faded of a time when things were a lot kinder. Their friendship was a secret, and their feelings were hidden from the outside word. Her friends didn't approve, by any stretch of the imagination. If anything, though, Mike couldn't hold those small, fractured feelings at bay.

Nikki Ann-Marie still meant something, alright. In a small but precious way, he still held fond memories and couldn't help but quietly wonder how things might've turned out if he'd answered her text message to meet him at the arcade on that cool autumn night.

"She did. We didn't know one another for all that long, but…. We were two people, both lost and misunderstood. I just know that… if she were here right now I wouldn't be in this whole mess. She'd say something smart to get me thinking… then she'd turn back to the television and rush through another level to beat the boss…."

"W-wow." Sapphire's voice cracked – wrought with emotion and so very shaky. The contrast was quite the shock. "You were lucky to have her around…."

"Yeah…" Mike nodded, a dull ache gripping his chest. "Real lucky…."

Fighting hard, using everything he had, the disgraced musician pushed his feelings down to the pit of his stomach. Now wasn't the time to be bogged down with memories of those lovely blue eyes and Nikki's soft spoken personality.

"Anyway," bringing the conversation back on track, he looked to his informant again, arms folded in defence. "You said the video was uploaded directly from my phone, right? That's impossible…."

Sapphire was all too quiet, apparently lost in some kind of daydream. Even behind the safety of her mask, her body language told a story all of its own. "H-how so?"

"Because… that'd mean whoever uploaded the video literally took my phone from me and uploaded it. I can tell you for fact, my regular phone never leaves my hands…."

"Check this out." Sapphire gave a tap of the Huniebee screen – a padlock covering the LED readout in a glittery rain of pink sparkles. "Okay. Take my Huniebee and try to open it."

What a strange suggestion. At first, Mister Winters stepped back, running the idea through a while longer. What kind of point was the mysterious girl trying to prove?

"Go on," she urged again, this time a much more impassioned plea than the last. "Try and get through the lock."

A slow, reserved nod. Reaching out, Mike received the magical phone. Holding it in his palms, eyes of green focused hard, he slowly brought an outstretched finger closer, giving the screen a gentle flick.

A fairy popped up next to the padlock, her curvy, shapely form squeezed tightly into a black frock with golden French ringlet hair and platform shoes. There she remained on wide, artsy translucent wings of a swirly circular patterning, hovering with a teasing 'better luck next time' smirk.

"Nope. Nice try there, dude. But this one doesn't belong to you. Yours ain't the right kinda Talent. Now… how about you pass me back to the boss lady?"

In the whole year since receiving a Huniebee, the singer couldn't help but let out his first genuine scoff of surprise at such a new and surprising feature. Unusual wasn't the word for this one.

"Let me explain," Sapphire chuckled, leaning across to take back her phone from a dumbfounded peroxide blond. "Seems like each Huniebee phone's hardwired to its user. I can't test it for sure, but I think it's got something to do with our own unique personalities. Magic, I mean."

"I get it," Mikey spoke slowly, face scrunched in throught as he brought his own otherworldly phone from its resting place within the pants pocket. There, he stared at the blank screen, intrigued.

"But what does our phones being locked to us prove in this fucked up game of Guess Who we're playing?"

"It means in order to put up your video they would've had to use your other phone… especially since there's no way for anyone but you to access your Hunie model."

Proof – through and through, but it was so utterly mind blowing! Letting out an annoyed sigh, half-defeated and half-defiant, Mikey slid his phone away, hands balling into fists.

"It was uploaded to the website at ten in the morning. I didn't wake up until one in the afternoon that day. What you're suggesting is out and out crazy!"

Sapphire held up a pair of defensive hands – stepping closer in what seemed to be a bid to break through.

Every time it felt as though an answer was on the horizon, it created another question.

"Calm down," she spoke softly, reaching out to place a hand upon the annoyed vocalist's shoulder. "Maybe the girl you slept with did it?"

Finally cooling, feeling at least the slightest hint of comfort from Sapphire's hand against his skin, Mike exhaled deeply, looking to the gravelly concrete below. The implications here were disturbing to say the very least.

"Think about it, Sapphire. Charlotte would've needed the passcode for my phone, and my username and passwords for the site. That's impossible. It's literally impossible… because I don't recall giving anything like that to her."

Sighing for what felt like the fifteenth time tonight – tired of being led around in seemingly endless circles, he finally edged back. This whole situation was fast becoming a puzzle without a solution.

The girl behind the mask tried to stop him, reaching out again to grip at the fabric of his shirt.

"Then…."

Disheartened in her tone of voice, Sapphire held Mike's sleeve just that little bit harder, apparently more than desperate to keep him in place. "That makes Tiffany's missing phone our only lead. You'll have to talk to her. I know it sounds farfetched… but maybe if you can find out more..."

Mike was back on the same page again. "There might be a chance to find out who's behind it all. Sure beats guess work. Speaking of that…. How does your 'friend' know Tiffany?"

"They go back a long way," Lady Sapphire was all too quick to answer – almost frightfully so. "Knew one another in school… I mean… I think... and I met Marie through a gaming community on the internet. She talks about Tiffany a lot…."

Something about this seemed very familiar. Ticking over, the hands of his clock stalling just before midnight, Mike stayed stuck to the spot, thinking through her words with a second wind of concentration.

'Marie…. It can't be the same as…. No… I must be imagining things….'

Just who was this girl underneath her mask? How was she so insanely talented when it came to computers, and how did she also have a friend so close to Tiffany of all people? Her answers all felt just that little bit too convenient.

"Okay," Mike spoke up, this time much wilier and smoother in his tone, setting the charm to maximum. "I'll go along with your idea and speak to Tiffany, Sapphire… but first… before I take the time to call her… I need you to do something for me."

"W-what?"

A stammer from the kitsune – one that caused her to retreat just the slightest bit. "What can I do for you? Just name it and I'll do what I can. Anything… within reason."

Perfect. Smiling with strength and devilish flare, more than certain he had this whole situation under control, Mikey flexed his fingers outward, bringing the index of his right hand up in a sharp stabbing point.

"Take off your mask. Let me see your face. Fuck, you have me running around with you on this wild goose chase. But… if you want me to trust you then I'd like to think you could at least tell me who you are."

"Mike… I," Sapphire tripped over her words in an elongated stutter. "I can't do that…. I'm sorry… but I can't. You… erm…. I just can't."

So, her face was that precious a commodity, eh? Winters turned his back, turning up the heat in the best way he could. What sense was there in trusting this girl any longer if she couldn't do something small to show a willingness to play fair?

"Fine," he let out a low chuckle, throwing his hand out in a mocking salute before he began to make an exit. "I've got a cab coming for me in another twenty minutes… and you know what, Sapphire? I've noticed something during our little talk tonight…."

Taking to the steep sloping sidewalk, the singer began on his way. Would this work? He didn't know, but regardless, he'd try.

"You seem very determined to keep me here tonight, keep me wrapped up in conversation I mean. So… you can't blame me for feeling a little suspicious, can you? I'll be taking my leave now…."

Just like that, empowered in his own arrogant way, Mike began the long downward running trek. It wouldn't take much more than a simple call for his cabbie to change the meetup point.

"S-stop!" Sapphire boomed – loud and anything but her usual self. "Alright… I'll…."

"I'll take off the mask… but on one condition. Come over here… and you have to close your eyes until I tell you, alright?"

It was better than nothing – a fair deal of sorts. Turning back, smiling at his small victory, Mike made his return, legs stained just the slightest fraction over the hefty incline.

Feet crunching through the gravel, he paused just short of the smaller, masked stranger, waiting expectantly. Darkness swam across his vision, eyelids acting as a veil to the truth.

"Alright," Winters spoke patiently. "I'm waiting…."

"O-okay. No peeking until I say."

Sapphire's breathing picked up, heavy and robust above its usual faint pattern. Relying on sound, his sense of rhythm acting as an aid in this time of ocular silence, Mike pieced together the faint rustles of straps, like Velcro coming undone alongside the brief tapping of fingertips against wood. Soon, the identity of his quirky assistant would be out in the open.

"Stay still for just a moment, alright? Don't be an ass or I'll turn around and leave."

That voice – unmuffled by a masked echo, sounded so homely and familiar, like it'd rang out in his ears a million times before. It couldn't be who he thought it was, could i-

Warmth – undeniable and indescribable, the kind so heartfelt and precious it brought the heart to a jump. Sapphire's arms squeezed around his middle, clinging on with such strength, while her dried, chapped lips came crashing in.

Winters was unable to move – so utterly blindsided and surprised that he simply could not react. His senses burning in overdrive, heart thumping beyond the likes of recognition, he simply drank up the comfort. It'd been so long since he'd felt such genuine closeness, a far different embrace to the kind of teasing passion offered by Lillian.

Indeed, it made Sapphire's lips impossible to refuse, stranger or n-

A spark, another memory, one that was truly unforgettable. No, it was more than that. A scent, one so wonderfully special that it held a place within his heart. Chocolate. This girl, she smelled like chocolate.

Talk about being an idiot. Worse, talk about not seeing the truth when it dangled in front of him like a thread. All this time Winters had wondered, pondered and otherwise strained himself trying to figure out the mystery of 'Sapphire', and it was all so simple!

All he could do was throw his heart into the moment, kissing her back with as much passion as his frantically beating red organ could muster. Though she shuddered in his arms, delicate as a leaf in the wind, he wouldn't let go.

"Mmmmmm….."

Sapphire moaned loudly, her entire body quaking as their damp, emotional kiss deepened, becoming quite the messy, heartfelt exchange. Finally, in a mighty, heaving breath, she tore herself away, slumped and exhausted against his chest, panting in the kind of desperation his ears had never heard from a lady before.

Opening his eyes at long last, Mikey felt his heart kick even harder, quietly overoyed by the most wonderful sight that graced his bright emerald eyes.

Messy, short blue hair, and soft compassionate expression – her lips curved into a loving smile similar to that of utter bliss.

"How did I never notice it was you? Nikki…. All this time and you were waiting right in front of me…."

She let out a low, awkward chuckle, snuggling close for warmth amidst the nip of cooler night air. "I was worried you wouldn't want to see me again if I called you…. Using my gaming alias worked…. Sapphire's much braver than me…."

He couldn't help but chuckle at that – holding her even tighter, a showing of honest warmth that was far from refused. "Only you would think of doing something so crazy…."

"Worked though, didn't it?" Anne-Marie gazed into him, her pale cheeks aflame so bright they illuminated the surrounding darkness. "So… I guess that means you can trust me now, right?"

"Yeah… 'course it does. Speaking of that…."

Overwhelmed by his emotions – the raging seas within threatening to overflow, Winters brought his lips against Nikki's clammy forehead, looking to her with true, honest sentiment.

"How about we go back to your place, order a pizza, and you tell me the rest of what you know. I see it in your eyes now that you're not hiding behind the mask…. There's stuff you haven't mentioned yet…."

"P-pizza," Nikki froze – nervous but loving in her own shy, geeky way. Fingers outstretched, she clung on all the while. "Don't think I can't see the way you're looking at me too, Mike…. Pizza, hmm? Double meaning, much?"

She was on to him – of course. There was no getting anything past Nikki unnoticed.

"Pizza can mean whatever you want, Nikki…. That and there's so much I want to talk about. You ever think I've missed having you around as my friend, too? How could I possibly be mad at you when I was the one that screwed up?"

"At least you admit it..." Blushing, red as a rose on this moonlit evening, the girl gamer hid her face within Mike's chest, letting out a dampened, foggy laugh. "Still... you better stop acting smooth…. You're such a dick when you do that..."

"Then what's with that goofy smile you have there?"

"Because…."

Nikki paused, giving him a sharp jab of the fingertip against the solar plexus. "You're not the only one that's missed the company….. Now quit being an ass already."

Backing away for the moment and bending to pick up her discarded mask from the floor, she relented with a sheepish nod of the head. "Okay... maybe I'm being a little mean here, force of habbit. Pizza's good…. B-but…. You're sleeping on the floor…. Don't think I'm not still salty about you standing me up…."

That was fine – especially after everything that'd happened.

"I can deal with that, Nikki…. Or should I call you 'Sapphire' now?"

That much earned him a sharp, grumpy slap. "Don't push your luck…."

"Sorry..."

"You better be… because if you're not I'm going to make you play that quirky match three game again."

The one where the player character sleeps with all those hot chicks? Mikey rolled his eyes. "This is payback for before, isn't it?"

"Yep," she gave a short, teasing chuckle. "All I need is my video game collection to get even with you, Mike Winters…."

Somewhere deep down, Mike was beginning to wish he hadn't taken away the mask. After all, no matter how shy, kind and compassionate Nikki was on the surface, when it came to video games, she was an unstoppable force of nature.

What better way to strike fear into the heart of a mere mortal than to break their soul with Mario platforming? Everyone knew the Italian plumber, for better or worse. Not to mention that look in Nikki's eyes. She was serious, very serious.

To be continued….

Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter through until the end. Did you enjoy it? Is there anything you'd like to see in future? You're more than welcome to leave me some feedback and let me know. I'm always happy to listen to my readers.

As always, keep on supporting Huniepop and Huniecam studio and I'll see you in the next part!