Always…
Chapter Six
Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi or any of its characters and never will **cry**
The line had started at six that morning and soon stretched around the block. No less than one thousand fans had shown up to meet the mysterious Nicole Stacey.
The author, it was rumored, was so disfigured she refused to have her picture published on the back of her books. Nick had laughed when he heard the first whisper of gossip that morning and his amusement only grew as curious fans approached the table, only to discover the stunning beauty sitting behind it was in the infamous author. He was gracious to every person, sitting with a smile and patiently listening to what seemed at times to be their entire life stories. Every time this happened, Miaka's assistant, Tanya, tried to hurry the line along but Nick would have none of it. Now that it appeared that his fears of being discovered were in vain, he was comfortable with his new image and was having too much fun to rush through the signing.
He had never realized just how many people loved the stories he wrote. It thrilled him to no end to see the huge turnout and he was happy to hear whatever comments his fans had for him.
The only damper on the moment was Miaka's failure to remain at his side. After a quick, somewhat strained hello, she had quickly shown him where he was set up and then rushed off to attend to other matters- matters he knew her assistant could have easily handled alone. He understood and accepted her reasons for avoiding him, even though it caused his day to be overshadowed with sadness. The last thing he wanted was to alienate her, but when the opportunity arose, he simply couldn't deny himself the pleasure of touching her. He could still feel the softness of her lips on his fingers and he had to forcibly turn his thoughts back to the task at hand.
As an elderly woman walked up to the table and immediately began giving him a lecture on what she felt was the excessive amount of sex in his novels, he unsuccessfully tried to stop his thoughts from wandering back to his editor and how soft her lips were. He sighed heavily. He had to work this it out with her or they wouldn't be able to continue working together. Since he had been the one to step over the line, he would have to be the one who made things right.
"Are you listening to me, young lady?" The old woman asked him impatiently.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Nick smiled. "Yes, ma'am, too much sex and not enough morality. I understand, I'll try to do better next time."
"See that you do!" The woman replied, in a self righteous tone. "I don't know what it is with you young people today. All you think about is sex."
Nick smothered his laughter with a discreet cough and at that point Tanya stepped in. Thankfully the woman was satisfied that she had had her say and moved along without protest, allowing the next person in line to approach the table. As the shy teenage girl blushingly accepted an autograph and hurriedly left the table, Nick caught sight of the woman that had been haunting his thoughts all morning striding purposely across the store.
Miaka glanced over at Nick and saw him looking back at her. Their eyes met and held, and her gait slowed until she stood completely still. Her heart picked up speed as she stared into their depths, mesmerized by the intense violet eyes until she saw Nick rise from his chair. She told her feet to move, for this was no place for a confrontation that she now knew was inevitable, but they refused to obey. Time seemed to stand still and the buzz of conversations around her ceased to exist. Her only thought and care was the man that was so close, yet so very far out of her reach. Last night had been a mistake, a momentary lapse in judgment. Today was a brand new day and she was determined to keep her distance from now on. It was the best thing to do-for both their sakes.
Mustering all her willpower, she was finally able to pull her gaze away from his she threw a weak smile in his general direction and once more disappeared into the crowd. Her heart ached as she glanced back to see regret evident in his every gesture.
"Are you all right Ms. Casey?" Another teenage girl, who had introduced herself as Emily, looked at him with concern.
"What?" Starting slightly, Nick pasted a smile on his face. "Oh yes, I'm fine. I'm so sorry, I must have zoned out for a minute."
"That's okay." Emily smiled brightly. "Now where was I?"
As the young girl resumed her one-sided conversation, Nick hurriedly wrote something on a piece of paper. Folding it into a small square he waited until the girl was done then handed it to Miaka's assistant.
"Would you give this to Miaka please? It's very important."
"Sure thing, Nicole." Tanya winked at him and left. Nick watched as she scanned the crowd, smiling as she spotted the brunette she was seeking standing across the room. He waited with baited breath as Tanya hurried over and whispered something in Miaka's ear and then handed her the small piece of paper.
Miaka frowned as she unfolded the note, but her frown slowly melted into a smile as she read the words printed there.
Help! Do I use the men's or ladies room? Nicky
A small giggle built up in her chest and she glanced over at the grinning figure across the room. Seeing his expression caused the giggle to escape her lips as she shook her head in amusement.
Nick watched as she weaved through the crowd taking note of the graceful way she walked. When she reached the table, she set her hands on the surface and leaned down so she could whisper an answer in his ear. His eyes closed as he inhaled the scent of her perfume and had to force himself to concentrate on what she was saying. Visions of holding her in his arms as he kissed the side of neck filled his mind and his eyes snapped open. Seeing how very close Miaka was to him, he instinctively jerked back from her.
"Something wrong?" She asked, confusion filling her eyes.
"N-No, I'm…I'm fine." Forcing a smile he got to his feet and apologized to the next person in line. "If you'll excuse me for just a moment, I think I need a small break."
The middle-aged woman nodded mutely and watched as the two very attractive women made their way to the back of the store. A bewildered frown marred the woman's brow as she noticed the smaller of the two inconspicuously slip her hand into the taller woman's hand. The raven-haired woman looked down and smiled at the brunette, their shoulders touching ever so slightly as they walked.
The woman's eyes widened in comprehension, and then narrowed as she clucked her tongue in displeasure. Abandoning her place in line and the book she had intended to purchase, the woman stalked away, lips pressed firmly together in disapproval.
Tamahome was had also spotted the two women, but from his distant vantage point had not seen the touching of hands. He surmised the woman walking with his girlfriend must be the new client of which she spoke so highly. As he watched the retreating figures, a sense of déjà vu sent a small chill down his spine and he frowned. Something about that female writer was very familiar to him but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Intrigued, he began to make his way through the crowd, apologizing profusely as he bumped into a young woman.
"You should watch where you're going." She snapped in irritation.
Tamahome once again felt the small chill as he looked down at her. "Do…do I know you?" He asked.
"Not very likely. I think I'd remember meeting someone who looked like you." The woman's face split into a smile and she held out her hand. "I'm Kat, Nikki's sister."
As he took the small hand into his he couldn't help but return her smiled. "Nikki?"
"Nicole Stacey." She replied, tilting her head towards the beginning of the seemingly endless line. "The author who is signing here today."
"You must know Miaka then. I'm Tamahome."
Kat's mouth formed a small, silent oh. She gently extracted her hand from his and stuck it and its mate in her pockets. "Nice to meet you."
Tamahome could feel the difference in her attitude and confusion filled his face. "Did I say something wrong?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, why do you ask?"
"As soon as I said my name, you pulled away like I was a leper."
"I just think it's a shame that a guy like you is already taken…that's all." The corner of her mouth lifted up in a small smile as she winked and turned to walk the other way.
He could feel an answering smile start to form and he quickly suppressed it. It had been a long time since a woman had blatantly flirted with him and he could feel a rush of excitement through his body. For some reason he was drawn to the small, petite woman, but of course he had Miaka so…
Remembering his initial destination, Tamahome tore his gaze from Kat's retreating back and continued to push his way through the crowd. A different kind of excitement filled him and he suddenly couldn't wait to see Miaka. She would be so surprised to see him!
---------------------
"Go ahead, I'll stand guard." Miaka said, a small smile on her face.
Nick eyed the men's room door and looked at her skeptically. "I thought you said to stay away from the men's room?"
Casting a quick look around she shrugged. "No one's around so I don't see how it makes a difference."
"But-."
"Just go, Nick!" She said, laughingly pushing him towards the door.
After he had shut and locked the door behind him, Miaka breathed a sigh of relief that things appeared to be back to normal between them. Letting Nick walk away from her the night before had been the hardest thing she had ever done. She had longed to call out for him but knew it was useless and unwise to do so. Nevertheless, she spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, wondering if she had made a mistake.
Lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice the tall figure slowly approaching her.
"Miaka?"
Startled, Miaka brought a hand to her chest and whirled around, blinking in disbelief when she saw who it was.
"T-Tamahome….wh-what….what are you d-doing here?"
"I wanted to surprise you. I felt bad about our last conversation so I decided to apologize in person."
She gaped at him. "You…came all the way from Japan just to apologize to me?"
He looked down modestly and shuffled his feet. "Well…yeah. Look, I know things have been…different between us lately. We need to talk and I didn't want to do that over the phone." He looked up and gave her a smile as he took her arm. "Come on, I'll buy you lunch."
She hesitated, looking over her shoulder at the wooden door behind her. "But I have to…"
Her voice trailed off in a gasp as Tamahome ignored her protest and pulled her along with him through the crowd.
Inside the men's room, Nick dried his hands with the paper towels and stared at his reflection in the mirror and had to admit to himself that his sister was a pro with makeup; he didn't even recognize his own face! He turned his head back and forth, looking at his profile from different angles and then laughed, as the realization struck him that he was acting just like a woman primping in front of the mirror.
Balling up the sodden towel in his hands he tossed it into the wastebasket and unlocked the door. Swinging it open he opened his mouth to say something only to realize that Miaka was not there. In her place stood two elderly women, looking at him with surprise.
"I think you were in the wrong bathroom, young lady." One said in sympathy, pointing to the sign with the figure of a man. "See?"
"No, Ruth, I've seen people like that on Jerry's show." The other corrected, after a hard look at Nick. She leaned in close to her friend and whispered loud enough for Nick to hear,. "She's one of those…you know…that thinks she's really a man."
Her friend's eyes widened and she pulled Ruth by the arm. "Let's go! My stars, it's just not safe to even leave the house anymore."
"But I'm not…" Nick stopped and shook his head as the two woman quickly walked away from him. He laughed quietly to himself, thinking that Ruth wasn't too far off the mark about him…except for the fact he really was a man!
Shoving his hands in his pockets in an unconsciously masculine gesture, he looked over the crowd, his eyes searching for a glimpse of Miaka's auburn hair. He frowned as he caught sight of her being pulled behind a tall, good-looking man. A hint of recognition caused his brow to furrow and he started in their direction, determined to catch up to them.
"Miaka!" He called, waving when she glanced behind her.
He saw her pull on the arm of her companion to make him stop and said something, motioning in Nick's direction.
Approaching the couple, he immediately noticed two things- the relief shining in Miaka's eyes, and the total disbelief in the man's.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Nick said with a smile, hoping just the opposite. Seeing the possessive hold the man had on Miaka's arm made him intensely jealous, and he had to fight the strong urge to grab her and pull her over to his side.
"No, you're not interrupting. Ni-Nicole….this is…Tamahome." Miaka said, looking quickly back and forth between the two men.
Nick's eyebrow arched and he withdrew a hand from his pocket, holding out to the other man. "Nice to finally meet you."
"N-Nuriko?" Tamahome whispered.
Hearing him repeat the name that Miaka had spoken when they had first met caused a strange chill to travel down Nick's spine. "The name's Nick." He said, suddenly not caring if others overheard.
"Yes….yes of course it is." Tamahome replied, seeming to snap out of a dream. A smile spread across his face and he finally took the offered hand. "Great to meet you. Miaka and I were just about to have lunch so…"
"Yeah sure, I understand."
"Why don't you join us?" The anxious young woman asked quickly.
"I don't want to impose." Nick said his eyes softening as he looked down at her.
"You won't be imposing. Right, Tamahome?"
"What?" Blinking, Tamahome shook his head. "Oh no, not at all. Join us."
"Well…all right."
Miaka informed her assistant of their plans and the trio left the bookstore, heading for a nearby coffee shop. Once settled in a booth in the corner of the small shop, Tamahome slipped his arm around Miaka and held her close, giving Nick an appraising stare. "So you're really a man?" A curious smile pulled at his mouth.
"Yeah, Miaka thought it would be a good idea if I could do book signings and since no one knows I'm a man…" Nick grinned. "Personally I think she just loves to torture me. I feel like my face is melting off with all this makeup on it and this hair extension is heavy as hell."
Miaka giggled. "At least you don't have to wear it every day. Besides, you should just be thankful I didn't force you to wear the bra I bought!"
Tamahome watched Miaka and Nick as they laughed and then fell into a comfortable conversation, feeling totally left out. A frown pulled the corners of his mouth down as he took in their obvious rapport, which immediately caused him to wonder just how close they were. His gray gaze dropped to the table and he couldn't help but notice the way their hands were not quite touching but close enough to brush against the other's every once in a while.
Jealousy clouded his vision for a moment and then he forced himself to calm down. He was imagining things, that was all. He biggest concern right now was why Miaka had failed to tell him that her new client was Nuriko, for there was no doubt in his mind that this man sitting across from him was his violet-haired brother warrior.
"So you're gay, right?" He asked Nick suddenly, as relief washed through him at the realization. Of course he was gay, just as Nuriko had been in his former life. How could he have forgotten that? And his and Miaka's closeness wasn't caused by a secret desire for one another, but by the close friendship they had shared before.
"Actually….no, I'm not." Nick replied, as he shot Miaka a questioning look.
Tamahome grinned. "It's all right, you don't have to pretend with me. Miaka and I are totally accepting of people with alternate lifestyles."
Miaka's face turned red. " Tamahome, Nick's really not…"
"Crap, I'm late!" He interrupted her, glancing at his watch. "Miaka, Nick…I'm really sorry but I have to go. I 'm picking up your plane tickets this afternoon, Miaka. The agency closes early today so I have to dash." Reaching into his coat pocket Tamahome withdrew a ten-dollar bill and handed it to her, smiling apologetically. "Here, this should take care of lunch. See you tonight? I'll meet you at your place at eight."
"But I don't…"
Ignoring Miaka's feeble protest, Tamahome pecked her cheek and quickly left the table, not bothering to take a final leave of the other man present.
"It was nice meeting you." Nick called after him sarcastically as he stared at Tamahome's retreating back.
"I'm sorry about that." Miaka said quietly, stuffing the bill in her pocket. Refusing to meet his gaze she played with the saltshaker. "Tama's always in a hurry. Seems like there's always an appointment he's late for."
"You don't have to apologize for him."
"Yes, I do. He shouldn't have assumed you were gay. I guess I should have told him about our plans but I didn't really think he'd be interested and besides he was all the way in Japan and…"
"Miaka." Nick said softly, cutting off her words by placing his hand over hers. "Stop it. It's not your fault that your boyfriend is an asshole."
Opening her mouth to protest, Miaka looked up into the laughing eyes of her friend and a small laugh escaped her lips instead. She shook her head. "Seriously, I am sorry he was so rude to you. He's usually not like that…well, at least not to people he's just met anyway."
"Don't worry about it. I'm used to people jumping to conclusions based on my looks. At least Tamahome made the assumption because I was dressed as a woman - that's more than I can say for most people."
Silence fell between them as the waitress came to take their order. Nick's eyes widened slightly at the size of Miaka's order but he quickly regained his composure as the woman left the table.
"Look, Miaka… I want to apologize for last night." He started out. "I was…totally out of line. I know you have a boyfriend." He motioned towards the front door and smiled. "Obviously. And I know better than to make moves on an attached woman."
"It wasn't your fault. Or I should say, it wasn't entirely your fault. I…I wanted it too." Letting out the breath she was holding, Miaka smiled slightly. "You don't have to look at me like that. I think…I should be honest with you." She paused, but the man across from her merely nodded. "I am…more than a little attracted to you. But I can't…let myself feel anything else. The last thing in the world I want to do is hurt you, Nick. I could fall in love with you so easily and that scares me more than you know. I want to continue working with you because as much as I have to fight these feelings I have, I can't imagine not being around you…not seeing your smiling face or hearing your voice…."
Her voice trailed off as tears began to gather in her eyes. Clearing her throat she forced herself to continue. "What I say next is not going to make any sense to you but this whole thing is so hard for me because I already lost you once…a long time ago and in another place. I thought I would die…but I didn't and now here you are. I can't lose you again."
Nick's gaze searched hers until finally he smiled slightly. "It's strange, but that makes perfect sense to me. And I have…absolutely no idea why." Embracing her hand in his he lifted it to his mouth and brushed his lips across the softness of her skin. "I'm not going anywhere and I'm not giving up on you." He said barely above a whisper, his eyes staring into hers intently. "I'm in love with you, Miaka." Even as he blurted out the words he realized they were true and a rush of warmth filled his body at having admitted it at last. "I don't know how, or when, it happened but I am. And I think you love me too."
"Nick, don't…" She said. chokingly.
"Don't what? Tell the truth? Make you doubt your feelings for the man you claim you love? Tell me this…does your pulse speed up when he touches you? When he kisses your skin?" Pressing a small kiss on her wrist, he could feel her pulse racing and he smiled. "When he touches you do you feel like your body is on fire? When his lips press against yours do you forget everything except the texture of his mouth? You see, every time I brush against you, no matter how trivial, I want you. Just seeing you walk across a room makes me want you. I want you now and I'm not afraid to admit that because I can tell by the look in your eyes, you want me too."
"Stop it!" Miaka cried, pulling her hand from his grasp and holding it against her as if burned. "Just…stop."
"Why?" He asked softly.
"Because….because…" Shaking her head, she got to her feet quickly and left the coffee shop, tears blinding her as she pushed open the glass door and disappeared into the passing pedestrians.
"Good one, Nick." The raven-haired man muttered to himself, throwing some money on the table and getting to his feet. He had not meant to tell her all those things but for some reason they had all just spilled out. Now he had messed up what little friendship they had because he couldn't control his hormones.
Silently cursing himself, Nick hailed a cab, not even bothering to return to the bookstore.