Nikki gathered her books after handing in the excruciating history exam – what had possessed her to double major in history and music? Rubbing her forehead as she walked out of the classroom narrowly avoiding several other students by turning sharply into the stairwell so sharply that if the hand hadn't darted out pulling her to a cool, marble-like body her she'd have slipped on the wet floor and fallen down the stairs. "What the hell?" her words were sharp as several of the stack of books she was carrying toppled to the floor.
Assuring himself that Nikki wasn't going to fall during the three seconds it was going to take him to pick up the book Felix chuckled, looking at the subjects, "Well that explains your vanishing act," he said stacking the music theory folder and book on top of the history book and her biology textbook. "Have you slept since the last time I saw you?" he asked keeping the books hostage seeing under the careful makeup the dark circles under her eyes.
Nikki's face finally showed recognition. "I've slept a little last night. I'll catch up on my sleep tomorrow afternoon after my biology test."
Felix shook his head, "When's your biology test tomorrow?" he asked as he took her hand practically dragging her out of the building and toward the car he'd borrowed from the Cullens.
Tomorrow around 10:30 in the morning why? And where are you taking me Felix?" she asked trying to get herself loose from his grip.
"Somewhere I can get food in you before you make yourself sick," He said gesturing at the energy bar and the opened twenty ounce soda sticking out of her bag, "About the last thing you need to do is get yourself sick from not taking care of yourself. You don't need a boyfriend you need a caretaker." He fumed quietly enough that only Nikki could hear as they arrived at the car and he put her in the front seat dumping the books in the back before getting into the driver's seat and starting the vehicle.
"You do realize this could get you in a pile of shit kidnapping and all."
"Bite me," he retorted watching her yawn as the burst of adrenaline drained her energy reserves, "I mean it damn you – you need food and by God you need to sleep." He fumed again watching as she glared at him.
She fell silent shaking her head slightly her temper not helping what little energy she had left. She finally got her temper under control enough moments later to speak. "Look I'm grateful that you want me to get some rest but Felix I will rest when I'm done. I've done this for three semesters already and trust me I know what I'm doing." she answered trying to stifle the yawn and failing.
The expression was dubious, and for a moment he ranted to himself in liquid Italian shaking his head before glancing at her again paused by the red light, "I trust you to drive yourself into the ground, this semester's not like the last three." He retorted finally still bristling at the fact that he could still see the discoloration under her eyes hidden by the careful makeup.
Nikki began to say something then snapped her jaws shut biting back the smart-ass remark her brain was screaming to say, "So no offense why are you so worried about me. I usually get this kind of treatment from Carlisle and Esme when they see me after all my tests for midterms are done?" she asked curiosity getting the better of her as she finally realized she was hostage and there was no getting out of it.
"Who do you think called me?" he asked pulling into the parking lot of one of the grocery stores turning the car off to be able to focus on one thing at a time, his eyes still more reddish than the gold she was more used to, "I'm not saying I'm buying entirely Carlisle's idea of feasting on animals, but I told you already a couple months ago I don't like feeling like a monster. Which brings me back to you." He glared at her, "You look like hell." And I don't like it! He finished silently folding his arms over his chest.
Nikki glared at him, "Glad to see you're coming along with the Cullen's but that still doesn't explain why the hell you are nosing your way into my sleep patterns or eating habits." She snapped returning his glare.
"Glad to see your attitude still works when your common sense took a vacation." He shot back angrily growling deeply the sound startling her with the range of emotion he expressed with the singular guttural sound. "Or did you forget our discussion a few weeks back?" he snapped gripping the wheel to keep them on something he was reasonably sure he wasn't going to break by touching it.
Nikki looked a little shocked before recovering herself, "I remember the damn conversation but come on Felix you couldn't be serious at the time, right?" Her voice faded into silence as she touched his arm her thoughts more in turmoil now than they were then.
The expression on his face was nearly the exact one that matched her rolling thoughts and it clicked in her head that he hadn't been using her as a convenient excuse to avoid the waitress at the bar his grinding his teeth a moment as he wrestled back the comment that fought its way up his throat, "What purpose would have a lie have made?"
Nikki lowered her eyes, "I know that there wouldn't have been a purpose but really I.." she fell silent putting her hand on his arm fully this time.
"Now you know why I did what I did in there," he answered tightly giving her a silent glare, "And why I am putting up with you biting my damn head off every two minutes. What do you want me to pick up for you to eat before you do take that nap at least?" he asked his tone serious.
"I'm not sure been surviving on mostly energy bars." Nikki answered thinking before reaching behind her to grab a sheet of paper and a pen. In less than ten minutes she had a small list of food in her hand. "Okay I'm going with you to get this." she added getting out of the car.
"Sit down," Felix insisted as he carried in the bulk fo the bags but had to relent on letting her get her textbooks from the car. "Now what exactly it is you wanted to eat before you sleep." He asked forcing himself to be patient knowing that Nikki was overtired and testy.
"Do you think you can manage the stir-fry?" she asked preparing to get out of the seat she had just taken at the kitchen bar.
His brow quirked at her, "I know in this country women still have this asinine opinion that they cook, in Italy a man can cook too. I can read, Nikki." He said smiling a bit trying to diffuse her temper, "And while I do you can tell me why you go from skittish mare to a wild mustang in ten seconds or less when I even consider trying to get closer." He said gathering the supplies beginning to cook.
Nikki retook her seat watching for a while trying to decide just how much she should tell him, "I believe men cook in America but usually they make a mess." she smiled trying hard to contemplate just what to tell him about her past relationship.
Felix set about the preparation work to it standing across the bar from her patiently – he had all the time she wanted, "Why not start with what ended it – wouldn't want to make his mistake myself." He suggested.
Nikki sighed, "Tommy is just as stubborn as I am but after a while he got where he was controlling everything I was doing. I couldn't handle it and when we got into an intense argument over me going to my Uncle's then going to Seattle to study he blew up accusing me of seeing someone else. Honestly there wasn't anyone else but he wouldn't believe me. I then found out the reason for his sudden attitude change was he was talking to his first girlfriend again and using me as an excuse to his not owning up he really wanted her. So I removed myself from the picture and the last I heard he's moved on now and dumped both of us for some girl he fell for when he went to MIT." Nikki revealed lowering her head on the bar trying to calm the sudden rush of emotions running through her tired body.
Felix frowned stopping the preparations to use a fingertip to lift her chin lightly tilting his head slight to one side, "You do realize that him being an ass wasn't your fault – he dug that hole all by himself." He said calmly even if that meant stifling the compulsion to take a drive to settle a score himself, "And I can tell you myself having other people puppeteering you sucks."
Nikki looked him the tears bright in her eyes, "It still doesn't stop the fact I've never let a male that close since. I can't get my emotions to understand it's okay to be cautious but not push away every male. I'm just now rebuilding my relationship with my Uncles and well I still get hand shy around the boys and Carlisle even if a hug is meant as a brotherly or fatherly hug. You might say I'm ruined I guess." she answered keeping her eyes down.
Does this fool have any concept of what his childish stupidity has done? Felix fumed to himself slicing several of the carrots and set them aside watching her partly as he worked speaking quietly over the din of the slicing knife, "I wouldn't say ruined, wounded and distrustful maybe." He turned his attention to the stove giving Nikki a few moments to watch him move comfortably.
For a long time the only sounds were Felix's cooking and preparations leaving her the time to think and try to settle her nerves. His dragging her off campus was reminiscent of some of Tommy's more childish behaviors but they hadn't ended with her sitting in her own kitchen watching someone else prepare a meal they had no intention of touching when it was complete. "Then why are you doing this?" she asked when he set the arranged plate before her – and it smelled not only edible but almost top quality out of the store-bought supplies.
Turning he chuckled finding the glasses exactly where he'd expected them out of a left-handed woman and pulled one down to fill it with ice water, "Now that is an obvious question don't you think?" he countered moving the other stool to sit across from tilting his head.
"Indulge me," she retorted around a mouthful of food blinking as his gaze flattened a bit at her words.
She's going to try every inch of my patience and a few I didn't realize Aro hadn't snapped already, Felix fumed to himself giving her an even look, "I already told you why I am doing this," he answered levelly, "And you need a keeper to make sure you're not whittling yourself away to nothing –which if you do I'm going to drive Carlisle up a wall till he drops your happy ass in the hospital until you are close to normal again." He warned his tone brooking no argument with him. "Now that I understand what kind of idiot your ex was I do in some ways get why you're as hand-shy as you are."
For the next few minutes there was silence and he left the cleanup for when she was sleeping again – and by God she was going to sleep if he had to knock her over the head with a brick to knock sense into Nikki again.
There was a momentary tug of war over control when he decided that her bedroom was one zone he wasn't ready – and she was definitely not ready for him to intrude on and pointed at the couch, "That's where you need to curl up and tell the biology exam to bugger off a few hours before you either drive yourself into the ground – or I'll call your sister." He warned making a silent bet with himself he could track down the strange redhead fairly easily.
Nikki's eyes widened, "You wouldn't – you don't have her number."
"No but I know a few people who probably know how to get in touch with her." He countered glaring at her, "Couch, madam or else." He warned turning to reach for the nearby cordless phone.
"Hrrumphh!" Nikki growled flopping onto the couch laying down realizing that Felix wasn't jerking her chain when he began searching through the phone memory for a particular number. "You play dirty pool."
Leaning to cover her with the throw blanket he chuckled, "that's the only kind of pool to play with a loaded weapon with a lit fuse. Sleep, and then you can study or we can talk." He said sitting in one of the chairs adjacent her picking up one of the books from the coffee table to wait out the time until she would wake up again guessing it would be an hour or two before then.