Hello there everyone! It's been a while since the last Envy Problems update. It's been quite the productive weekend for me this weekend. I've managed launch one of my original projects alongside this Hunie chapter. Thank you for being so patent while I got around to it.
One last thing. Would you be interested in getting regular updates on my writing projects? Why not head over to DeviantArt? You can find me in the Huniepop-Fan section. Not just that, but there's an awesome illustration of Tiffany and Mike I had commissioned a few weeks back.
Now then, let's begin! This chapter goes out to all the Nikki fans!
Reunited
There were plenty of ways to describe this moment – a fledgling instant of beauty that brought some comfort to a world otherwise too harsh, too cold. Every kiss, every touch, each delicate movement of the fingertips made this beautiful exchange all the while.
'Talk', Nikki said – 'discuss Mike's problem' she'd insisted during the cab ride home. Well, with every pass of his lips against the nape of her neck, the heart surging through his veins, rising and crackling across the walls of the room in a storm of perfect blue, Mike was sure about one thing.
Nikki was beyond simple talking – like a spider to her web; he'd been drawn in, the usually conservative girl gamer having set an inescapable trap. A shroud of blackness surrounded everything, the warmth of the room undeniable as his fingers deftly popped the buttons of her baggy pyjama short – a squeal of delight swinning through Mike's head in an almost intoxicating melody of approval.
The blue-haired beauty trembled, red faced, fingertips latching onto his cheek, eyes narrowed in sensual hunger. "Can I ask you something? I wouldn't usually bother with something so trivial but… it's been bugging me."
That expression, desperate, inquisitive and thirsty in equal measure – Mike knew it all too well. The mark of unrequited feelings and pent up frustrations.
"Go ahead," pausing for a moment as Nikki's fingers crawled across the fabric of his shirt, clumsily fumbling with the buttons until his bare chest lay exposed, the ever-increasing temperature of their clammy surroundings sizzling his skin.
"You really went out of your way to reach out… the alias… the mask. Talk to me…. I'm here to –"
The words fell silent in his mouth – the dampness of Nikki's tongue, a lustful eel freed from the confines of her mouth, lashed up the glistened expanse of his chest. Easing back, she giggled, dirty and uncharacteristically in control of the situation – yanking her all too suave captive close.
Blue sapphires sparked against a pair of emerald eyes as the burn of desire took hold, Mike's breaths becoming short, stiff, and amazingly difficult to keep steady. An 'uphill battle' was the kindest way to describe his rouge coloured thoughts, the desire and adrenaline burning through his veins as Nikki again, came close.
Droplets of sweat pattering across his skin, she exhaled longingly – the unmistakable feeling of her hand, those adventurous fingers of hers, teasing the fabric of his checked blue boxers.
"My Huniebee…. I've looked at your profile so many times…. All your biggest secrets sat there, right in front of me, and you know what I always wondered?"
Guiding Nikki's hand around the troublesome buttons of his undergarments, Mike cracked an all too dangerous smile. "Indulge me…. I'm sure I could… relieve your curiosity….."
Nikki nervously adjusted her glasses, using her free hand to hold Mike's shoulder for support. There she stayed – unwilling to move as strained rasps of breath echoed within his ear.
"How come your heart meter on my phone never dropped too far? It's been months since I last had you over like this… and it's always jumped between three, four, sometimes five hearts…. I don't wanna disappoint myself but-"
Oh no – seeing that inquisitive look, the way in which she furrowed her brows, even in the midst of passion and heartfelt sentiment, brought a tinge of worry to flare in Mike's stomach. If anything, the last month or so had proven something.
'When Nikki Ann-Marie goes full blown detective… there's no stopping her. The glint in her eyes looks so damn hopeful…. I care about her but… I don't want to let her down….'
A finger upon her lips, another smooth, playboy smile, and Mike brought silence to the room – Nikki's features easing into those of a girl awash with enjoyment – thank goodness. He had to be honest with her, let the truth out in his own way.
"You mean a lot to me Nikki…. Shit's been crazy with this whole video thing… but that doesn't mean I ever took for granted the time we spent together. It's why I'm here now… because you didn't give up on me."
As Mike brought his finger away – returning her freedom to speak, the bespectacled beauty edged back just the slightest bit on her knees, moving from his boxers and instead, wriggling out of her pyjama top – scrunching it into an uncaring ball and throwing it into the darkness all around them.
A simple black bra, its straps a little too lose, was the last line of defence, Mike reached out, a supercharged wisp of blue talent pulsing from his hands.
"I'm," Nikki stammered – struggling with the compliment, the flush upon her cheeks so clearly one of embarrassment as well as longing. "I'm glad…. Most people out there don't give a shit about me… but not you…. You're different... misunderstood but… different."
Allowing him access, her clammy hands gripping his bare shoulders and pulling away the fabric of his shirt, Nikki's smile lit up the room – honest, sentiment, if not just the slightest bit scared. After their time apart, he'd not forgotten the way she showed her affection, so often through clumsy gestures and painfully self-loathing comments.
'Nikki reminds me too much of my younger self… but then again, maybe that's why I'm drawn to her.'
Relinquishing the hold upon her bra strap, Mike allowed Nikki to slide his shirt away – watching with an invigorated thump within his chest, a second burn of feeling as she cast it aside like a leaf in the wind.
Freed from the confines of his top, Nikki's clammy palms returning to paw and squeeze at his skin, the musician smiled.
Nikki's dedication, despite the shyness, really was something to be admired.
"Remember when Tiffany caught you under my bed?"
Those words right there prompted a flash of white – sharp and intense. Within the confines of his thoughts, the whole thing returned, every nerve-wracking moment, Mike wholly unable to hold back the faint frown from creasing his features.
"Not my most grand moment," he answered – fighting hard to hold back the tinge of discomfort, the quiet frustration welling in his stomach. "Sure she was only looking out for you but… I can't help but feel like a-"
"Shhh," Nikki's finger brought with it the quiet his thoughts needed – his indignant flare cooling, and melting away. Ironic, it was her turn to flip the situation around.
The look upon her face – an attempt at a laid-back smirk: it didn't suit her, but there was no denying how it filled Mike's heart with a cushiony softness. She looked so cute trying to mirror the suave.
"This time around there's no one to get in the way…."
Snatching up his hands within her own, Nikki guided Mike back to the clasps of her bra, holding his thumbs in place – applying just enough pressure, an all too knowing smile curving her lips. It took but a moment – a fleeting instant.
As the black garment fell away, Nikki's smile intensified – eyes narrowing as she let up the pressure. "I know they're not the biggest," she wilted, a flower in the rain, the glow upon her cheeks threatening to illuminate the room.
"But… if you want to… you can- Crap… I'm not very good at this… sorry…."
Again, the stilness swept over swept over, Mike's heart thundering even harder – dizzied – hot and cold drifting across the surface of his skin, prickling like needles. He had to do something to break Nikki from her shell – otherwise they wouldn't get anywhere.
Flashing the playboy smile, an assured scoff sliding out – he reached back. It was time to level the playing field – for both of their sakes. A snap of the fingers – the flash of a light, low and gentle, cut through the lack of clarity.
"How about a little music? You'd be surprised how many songs you can fit on the Huniebee's SD card."
In an instant he swept up the magical phone, a flash of talent burning through his hands in the instant he made contact – fingertips glowing blue against the screen. A handful of swipes, a few flicks, a tactile tap against the yellow 'Tunes' folder beside the message box.
A second snap of the fingers, this one sharper, and in an instant, after flipping the phone on its front, the atmosphere in the room, one of nervousness, fizzled away. Bass thumped gently, low-fi goodness, a buttery voice serenading. Its sharp vocals only served to reward the singer with a burst of invigoration
"Friend of mine commissioned me for Hip Hop track…. Not my usual jam but fuck it…. Pretty chill, don't you think?"
'Baby girl… I'm a samurai… katana in my hand rollin' cold as ice – a fire in my heart cuz my foes gotta to go… slice slice. A warrior of fate walking through the autumn rain, halfback back where I started… almost whole again.'
Nikki chuckled – moving closer to slink her arms around Mike's middle – the heat of her body almost stifling. Yet at the same time, she was smiling, those eyes of hers focused anew behind the reflection of spectacles. Inward she snuggled – her feminine assets so wonderfully delicate pressing against the playboy's skin.
"You should know it doesn't take pickup lines and music to win me over… I'm above that shit… but you're cute for trying. I've wanted this for a while, Mike…. I'm just nervous… that's all."
Everything twisted, the spin of gravity swishing through Mike's head as he breathed hard. The ceiling, its patterned outline, started at him through fuzzy vision – and into his view there came the loving glint of ocean blue.
Nikki held him in place – eyes locked, bare legs, dampened with heat and passion sliding around his hips. Again, lithe and empowered, her fingers slid downward, desperately pulling aside the simple black fabric of her undergarments.
"But if I'm going to do this… I'm doing it my way."
It was almost impossible not to look – eyes stained red with desire, marvelling at the supposedly shy gamer girl's most special place. That same glint of before, of fear, radiated from Miss Ann-Marie – and even through the burn – Mike struggled, a painful ache in his heart bringing him to an abrupt stop.
With a stern hand, he took a hold of Nikki's wrist, eying her carefully, cautiously, his emeralds pooling with not desire, but something else entirely. "Don't rush…. Nikki… if you don't feel right about this then… I can't…. I'd never live it down."
She paused at his words – easing downward, their skin touching again as the blue-haired girl laid upon his chest, the fragility of a kiss serving to caress the fear. "….You could tell? Of course you could…."
Another kiss, and another, the membranes of her lips stroking against the nape of his neck, clumsily working their way up and down until finally, she let out a gentle sigh, strands of fiar pouring over Mike's shoulder.
"Touch me," a commanding whisper – one laced with the unmistakable intent of a woman so heartily intent on finding release. "Maybe I'm not ready just yet… but you can touch me, right? Like the first time you stayed over…."
Pristine clarity in the form of another white flash – a photograph brought back to life from the depths of the mind. Another unforgettable moment thawed from the ice by such a passionate request.
A request a true gentleman couldn't refuse – especially from a girl with such an intimate curiosity. Bringing a hand upward, exploring with attentive fingertips, slipping against delicate curves – free now of unease, Mike nodded. Through her own honestly, Nikki had placed herself exactly where Mike wanted her.
"That much… I can do," he spoke slowly, taking every single second with care and dedication, that deadly playboy flare burning across his entirety. "But I dunno…."
Coming to a sudden stop, the tips of his fingers ever so lightly touching, teasing against her, slick with wanton desire – the lady-killer scoffed. "I thought you said earlier I was sleeping on the floor tonight…. Why oh why, are you pinning me against your sheets, hmmm?"
A whine bounced across the walls – the slender young lady letting out an achy, desperate exhale of breath. "Asshole…. Don't tease me…."
Nikki's features turned, glowing outward. Blue streams oozed from her body – the powerful waves of talent surging from her every pore, her every inch. Mike's senses crackled, his connection to the world blurring in a soundless cry. Her eyes drew him in – a trance of talented power holding his every ailing breath to ransom as she looked on with such urgency.
"Please…. Please?"
The strength of her most inspired trait, so clearly conveyed in its fullness – the walls and floor alight with sapphire wisps, overwhelmed everything the singer could muster. Nodding, devoid of air – unable to win in this battle of sorts, his fingers continued their adventure.
Warm and slick – the love of a woman so beautifully drenching his digits – Mike went deeper. Bringing his thumb and forefinger to bare, each and every beat of his heart becoming harder, faster, he moved to put Nikki under a spell of his own.
As she squeezed around him, throbbing, tensing, constricting – his pace quickened, uncaring of the droplets of sweat from her forehead she meowed, piercing and so very heatedly, into his chest.
"Ohhhh god. Go deeper…."
Unchained – unrestrained, truly unstoppable, the blue-haired fox, free of her mask and ensnared by the rush of womanly desire, jerked her hips, moving in mirror of Mike's every movement – matching his rhythm with one of her own. Such a sight – one of precious beauty and unbridled desire, kicked square in the chest.
Again the mind of the singer, sinking deeper and deeper into the hold of entangling allure, faded back in a grainy rerun of recollection. Black hair, tattoos, skin of pale porcelain white - and the rebellious bite of the snake's tongue.
Lillian – the way she sank her teeth into his neck, the sting of such hunger – a kink beyond forgettable. Sharing such a sensation with another – sharing it with Nikki, especially as she sprawled upon his chest, sweaty and gasping for breath, brought a terribly dirty flame, a black ember, to burn inside.
Thrown back into the moment with a sigh from the bespectacled beauty, Mike moved his free hand, brushing aside her strands of blue - inching closer. With vigorous movements the tip of his tongue, slid up and down the left side of her neck in preparation, taking in the salty tinge of her sweat, savouring it as primal drive took hold.
"Fuuuuck," Nikki cried out – her pace quickening with every passing second. "Keep going…. I'm… I'm almost there…."
Showtime – the embodiment of all things suave stood on the pinnacle – now was the time to claim his prize.
The softness of Nikki's skin brought a feeling beyond words – her entire body shuddering as Mike edged downward, nipping the nape of her neck, clamping down: hard.
Blue flooded forth – overtaking the room, a yelp of overpowering delight ripping free from Nikki's lips as she gave one final, heavy jerk of the hips, squeezing unbelievably hard, every thump of the red core within her chest radiating through Mike's body as two became one. A searing warmth, wetness beyond measure, trickled across the fingertips, dripping down the palms, pattering against the sheets - a powerful flood of womanly love splasing from Nikki's flower.
Spent, weak and devoid of breath, she flopped, her arms lolling loosely across the blond musician's neck and shoulders. "Ohhhhhh fuuuuuck…. It's never felt like that before…."
'Kinda like how I've never felt a girl do 'that' before…. Damn!'
Exhaling, Mike slid his clean hand around Nikki's sweat-drenched back – a soft smile bringing his expression into a bright, sunny arrangement. "Glad you had fun. Although I didn't know you could-"
Nikki cut him off – placing a wobbly kiss against his cheek – the loving feeling it left behind all too special in light of the moment they'd just shared. "That's because last time we were only playing around…."
Birds whistling in union with pleasant blow of a breeze left a feeling of carefree bliss – Mike yawning softly; stretching his aching limbs as he slowly flickered back into the world, eyes opening in a blur of sleep. Coffee, its earthy aroma filling his nostrils, brought the last shove he needed to come alive.
A nest of messy spotted bedsheets tangled around his middle, his groan of mild annoyance all too clear. "Damn covers…."
"Morning," yet his grievance with the bed fell to the wayside – a none issue in wake of such a compassionate voice in his right ear. "I didn't wake you – seemed like you needed the sleep."
Scruffy blue hair and groggy, faded sapphires met his cone of vision. Who needed the sleep most? Mike couldn't help but wonder.
"Hey Nikki," with another weighty yawn the musician stabilized himself, reaching out to flick aside a couple of his lady friend's blue locks – her attention halfway fixated upon the bright light of an LED screen – those familiar heart-shaped edges making things all too clear.
The Huniebee – more specifically, Nikki's slightly more up to date version of the notorious fairy love phone. With every pitter pat of her fingers against the screen her concentration deepened, eyes further lost upon blurry lines of text.
What was she doing exactly? That look of steely focus – one Winters had seen so many times before, was almost a little jarring. Was there anybody else out there with an attention span like Ann-Marie?
A shake of the head, probably not. "You see something interesting there?"
Empty coffee cups sat upon the bedside, many a ring of condensation stained hard brown into the wooden top. Pausing, a short breath, a near inaudible sigh, Nikki pulled away from the phone – for a second or two at least.
"We found it," reaching out for the nearest mug, fingers wrapping around the porcelain handle of the pop-culture laden drinking implement, cat meme on show in all of its glory, she took a hit of caffeine, a second; a third.
Seemingly refreshed, a rasp of relief echoing across the expanse of the quiet bedroom, Nikki continued. "Tiffany called me before you woke up. The missing phone's accounted for."
That right there was news, all right. A flash of intrigue fluttering in his stomach, Mike reached over, resting a hand upon Nikki's shoulder. "Where was it? Cell phone's don't just vanish like magic."
Well, they did if your phone was a Huniebee – but regular, non-magical phones without the ability to provide song, dance, and an in depth profile of beautiful girls at the touch of a button? Nope. Not a chance in hell.
"She found it at the bottom of her bag after going to Lusties… but there was something weird when she checked it over. The GPS function had coordinates saved in the history for a hotel miles out of town."
A frightful shudder crawled up Mike's back – his thoughts hurrying in overtime – uncomfortable flashes of his rude awakening on that ill-fated morning brining a miserable weight to sit within his uneasy stomach.
"Now you have my attention," he began cautiously – a hint of fear previously stuck in his throat escaping into the open. "What kind of hotel are we talking here?"
Mike met with the screen of Nikki's Huniebee – taking in the sight of a beat up building, faded neon sign, cracked windows and washed out parking lines scored across the concrete – a complete shithole, no denying that. Yet such a sight, one so desolate, shook his skull – a pain shooting across the back of his head.
A girl, heaving, drenched in sweat, her perfectly rounded, ample behind slapping against him in a musical union of delightful cries – the image was hazy, difficult to recall, the finer details faded under mental struggle, but it was there.
"The 'Pine Motel' out in Oakridge. It's in the middle of nowhere. Why somebody would want to go so far away from civilization's raises plenty of questions. The internet coverage out there's total shit… even the cell coverage is patchy."
A bemused giggle – soft in its volume, smashed through the utter chaos raging within. Mike snapped back, breathing out, forcing the air inside his tightened lungs. "Oakridge! That's where Charlotte took me! FUCK! I remember now!"
"Charlotte?" Nikki questioned his heightened volume with wide eyes, reaching for another sip of coffee. "Who's-"
Did her significance need explaining? Apparently so. Rolling his eyes, equally agonized by the need for an explanation on top of the soreness such a revelation brought, Mike groaned.
"The girl I fucked…. Oakridge is where I went with Charlotte before all of this shit went down. We were drinking… listening to music…. I had a few glasses of liquor… started peeling off her clothes… after that."
Blackness – a dull throb crunched through Mike's head – brining him to fall quiet. "After that it's all hazy…. I think the fact Tiffany's phone ended up all the way out there makes things clear."
"No shit," Nikki snapped her fingers – eyes alive with deepest blue fury. "Whoever took her phone definitely has something to do with this. Now if we can just find out who was there on the night this all happened."
On the ball again, fingers ablaze in a flurry of tapping and swipes, Nikki grabbed for Mike with her spare hand. A sleek logo stared him in the face. As the page scrolled down the confusion faded as to what he was looking at.
"The band's website."
"Yep," Nikki confirmed with a sharp nod, "According to the timestamp on the main page… it says here the video was uploaded on November eighteenth. So if we can find some way to figure out who was checked into Pine Motel the night before…."
'We can put together a list… narrow down the list of potential people. That… seems like a tall order. How could you find a list of guests for a motel out in the middle of nowhere? That sounds a lot like protected information t- No… wait!'
"Nikki," Mike reached out – hurried and shaky. "I need you to run a search on Pine Motel. I'm sure there's a chain of those nasty little shithouses."
A community college campus – small, leafy, simple and green – a place detached from the bustle of Glenberry but far busier than a dead town like Oakridge. The chime of musical instruments, floodlights and the lifting 'thump' of bass and drums. Fond memories, promises made, and many happy tears to shed. The place Third Betrayal was born.
"Greenville Community College…."
If there was one time Mike was thankful for the gift of a photographic memory, the piercing clarity it sometimes brought at random moments through sometimes-inexplicable triggers, it was now.
"Please," without so much as thinking he placed both hands upon Ann-Marie's shoulders, uncaring of the confused furrow of her brows. "Run a search on the hotel chain. I need to know who owns them."
"Alright… alright," she sighed, the slightest bit irritated, clearly – the way she brushed aside his hold to maintain something of a personal space bubble making it all too clear. "Doing it now. Calm down… shit."
"Bingo," with a 'ping' of celebration, the Huniebee shined pink against the low light shining through the slats in the blinds. "There we go. I've got it."
Holding out the phone her open palm, Nikki offered up the Wiki page. "It says it's owned by-"
"YES! YES! OH GOD! Fucking beautiful!"
Awash with hope at long last – a surge of happiness crashing over all of his internal barriers – Mike surrendered to his feelings, a cheer erupting across the room he pumped his fist tight, basking in the rush of sweet, sweet victory.
Nikki yelped – Mike uncaring of her protest as he flung his arms around her – his lips colliding with hers. She shook like a leaf as Hurricane Winters swept through.
Eventually, as the internal buzz died, the sudden blast of endorphins relaxing, Mike sighed, giving a shake of the head, to an all too baffled gamer girl as she sat there adjusting her lopsided glasses.
"Sorry," he spoke up – desperate to break through her silence. "Got a little carried away… but on a more serious note."
Mike smiled wide. "You're great… I want you to know that. You're absolutely fucking amazing."
"What's gotten into you?" Nikki piped up at long last, grabbing her coffee cup with jittery hands. "Why's the hotel's owner so important?"
That was something that he should've explained before erupting into invigorated cheering, true. Regardless, the singer exhaled, placing the phone into his lady friend's lap and pointing toward the screen. "It's because of the owners we might have a chance at fixing this fucking mess."
Fully caffeinated, head knocked back as she took in every last drop, Nikki's eyes honed in with interest as she put the cup back down. "You seem awfully about that."
"Oh I am, Nikki," Mike chuckled, pointing with an extended fingertip, toward the 'Ownership' tab at the side of the screen – damn near glowing with invisible radiance beside the bluish corporate insignia. A bold lion roaring in the backdrop of a setting sun.
"Kane Industries…."
A suave smile overtook everything – the bliss from moments before sweeping back in a flash flood. "Oh yeah. Whoever did this better watch out. They've fucked with the wrong guy."
Without so much as another word, Mike sprang across the bed, eying his clothes, sweeping up the mass of crumpled fabric – discarding his socks and jacket, and moving instead to sift through the pockets of his pressed trousers.
Never before had the Huniebee been such a welcomed sight – the little fairy helper sitting quietly in the middle of the screen feeling more like a gatekeeper of sorts. Brushing his finger across the touchscreen, scrolling through the call directory, Mike set to work.
'Dialling Markus Kane.'
The dial tone only served to heighten his mood all over again – cranking everything to eleven.
"Showtime…."
To be continued….
So, there you have it – another chapter finished! Did you enjoy it? Is there anything you'd like to see in future chapters? Feel free to leave some feedback and share your thoughts. I'm grateful for all of the support from my readers.
As always, keep on supporting Huniepop and Huniecam Studio! I'll see you in the next chapter!