"Nikki your mobile is ringing" Harry called out to Nikki who was pottering around in the bathroom getting ready for them to go out. His fiancé walked out of the bathroom with a frown on her face and Harry just stared at her, trying to get his brain back in gear. She was wearing a thigh length baby blue dress, her hair was once again completely straight and loose, running down her back. Nikki had tried to explain the science of her hair to him, it depended on how she slept and whether or not her hair was damp or wet when she went to bed, whether or not it was straight or slightly curly. Harry had just stared at her like she was mad and raised an eyebrow, making Nikki giggle loudly.
"Hello?"
Harry continued to gaze at her as she answered the phone, wanting nothing more to pull her into him and take her back to bed for yet another passionate round of love making. However he knew they couldn't, they were on holiday of course and had planned days out, there was time for making love later that evening. Harry's eyes made their way down her perfect figure, running over her slightly exposed breasts and down to her flat stomach. With a jolt, Harry remembered his dream from the night before, and how gorgeous and perfect she had looked when she was pregnant. He wondered if there was a baby growing inside her already, but resisted the urge to reach over and place his hand on her stomach. He flicked his eyes down to her legs, they seemed to go on forever and he found himself licking his lips, his trousers getting slightly tighter.
"No dad, I told you no"
Nikki's snapped response to whatever Victor had said brought Harry out of his musings. He saw a distressed look on his fiancé's face and frowned, holding out his hand. Nikki took it and threw him a small smile before going back to her conversation.
"No and that is final. Has she even..." she paused and glanced at Harry, turning away from him slightly and making him frown. "has she even had it yet?" she whispered so Harry wouldn't hear, but he did and his frown deepened. "No, then why are you asking me again? Take care of your own problems for once in your life"
She then hung up quickly and threw the phone onto the bed, sighing in frustration and taking her hand from Harry's, running it through her hair and turning away from him, shaking her head as she did so. Nikki then walked quickly out onto the balcony, Harry following her, leaning heavily on the railings and lowering her head to glare at the floor.
"What's wrong Nikki?" Harry whispered, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her closer and pressing his lips to her exposed shoulder. "Is it the same argument as before?"
Nikki nodded and sniffed quietly, reaching up to wipe her face free of tears as she turned in Harry's arms and gave him a watery smile.
"It doesn't matter"
"Yes it does" Harry nodded, gently pressing his fingers to her chin and lifting her head so he had eye contact with her. "It upset you before and it's upset you now. What is it? You can tell me" he told her softly and Nikki let out a loud sob and took a deep breath, blinking away tears. "It's not that bad is it?"
Nikki shook her head and wiped her face, averting her eyes from Harry's as she lied to him.
"No" she whispered and Harry nodded, he didn't believe her at all, but was willing to pretend to believe her just so they didn't get into an argument. "Just dad being dad"
"Okay" Harry nodded again, leaning down and pressing his lips to her forehead. If she hadn't caved and told him by the time they got home, he would sit her down and get it out of her before it ate her away. "Are you ready?"
"Nearly"
Harry rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'women', making Nikki giggle and push him back into the room. Following quickly and closing the doors behind her.
"I have to have time to get ready"
"You're a woman, it's only natural" Harry chuckled "Ow" he moaned when Nikki hit him on the arm on her way past him. "You're mean to me"
"You like it" Nikki smirked cheekily at him and Harry grinned back at her.
"You're not going to cry are you?"
"Sorry?" Nikki frowned as she turned to her lover who was smirking at her. They were standing in the Coliseum, Nikki gazing in awe at the size of it. Harry loved the look of amazement on her face, it made her look even more gorgeous than she already was. He too was enthralled by the Coliseum, a perfect piece of architecture built using just Men's blood sweat and tears.
"Well I know how you get when you watch Gladiator" Harry shrugged and Nikki rolled her eyes "Do you want a tissue"
"Bugger off" Nikki hissed, however a smile spread over her face as she nudged him in the side. "I do not cry at that film"
"I beg to differ" Harry chuckled, placing his hand on the small of her back and guiding her carefully down a set of stone steps.
"Can you believe that people came here to watch other people die?" Nikki murmured as they looked down into the large arena below them. "I can't imagine doing that"
"Things were different back then" Harry shrugged, rubbing her back absentmindedly as he spoke. "They did things like that"
"I suppose. It just seems so horrible now, knowing that they came here for entertainment"
"No worse than you and your CSI reruns" Harry muttered and Nikki giggled, reaching over to slap his arm. "Ouch, must you always abuse me?"
"Yes. And my CSI reruns are good"
Harry gave her an incredulous look which Nikki returned, making them both burst out laughing. Still chucking, Harry leant down and kissed Nikki on the forehead, taking her hand and then walking even further down into the Coliseum.
"I wonder what they were thinking when they walked out there" Nikki stated and pointed to one of the gates covering the doors into the main arena. "Knowing that they would probably die, and if they didn't they would be put in the next challenge"
"That is very deep Nikki" Harry replied seriously, but the corners of his mouth twitched as Nikki rolled her eyes at him. "They were probably used to it, it was a way of life for them. It's like boxing but without the rules and end point"
"Hmm" was all Nikki replied as she shrugged and flicked her hair over her shoulder. She spotted a small family, a woman, a man and a young child and her mind instantly flew to the little brother or sister that her father had told her about. It seemed surreal at her age, but it had finally sunk in that her father had got some woman pregnant, it had taken a bit longer to realise that it was her little brother or sister. On top of that, her father wanted her and Harry to raise the baby, just because the mother didn't want it and her father didn't either. Nikki felt sorry for the baby, he or she wasn't born yet and they weren't even wanted.
"Nikki are you listening?"
"Sorry?" Nikki enquired, breaking away from her thoughts and turning to look at her fiancé who was rolling his eyes at her.
"Do you want to get into the shade" Harry repeated "It's getting hot and you know how you burn"
"Yeah" Nikki replied quietly, smiling slightly as Harry took her hand and led her over to a shady spot by the stairs, her mind still full of thoughts about her father and the baby.
This fic is 71 chapters in total, so there's a way to go yet. and yes it's strayed off the path a lot but my muse wouldn't shut up :D.
xxx
