A/N: Here's an extra long chapter, as thanks for everyone's support! Okay, so I've received a few PMs asking me what it is - and I would like to say that it starts with a 'P' and ends with an 'S'. Alternatively, it also rhymes with sick. Just change the first letter, and there you go. I hope that everyone's enjoying the story so far - just one more chapter, and we'll be about halfway done with Femme Fatale. I was also thinking about doing a Mafia AU for KaruNagi - with a fem! Nagisa as well, but who knows? *shrugs* If I get inspired enough ( or if I get begged enough *cackles* ) I'll post that story. As usual, reviews, favorites and subscriptions are appreciated!
Also - do any of you guys like Deadpool? I've written a story about the movie, since I loved Deadpool and Negasonic Teenage Warhead's interactions so much. It's called FANCY MEETING YOU HERE, and if it isn't too much trouble, I'd love it if you could check it out!
"Isn't it nostalgic?" Mistress asks brightly, trying to diffuse some of the tension that hangs in the air. "I haven't been to a school dance in such a long time!"
The yearly Trinity School back-to-school dance is called the fall "Informal," although it is anything but. The dance is held at the historical headquarters of the American Society, a grand red brick mansion on Park Avenue and Sixty-Eighth Street. The society is an organization dedicated to keeping an archive of early American history, including documents from the first colonies and the Mayflower journey. The second floor houses a wood-paneled library with a barrel-vaulted ceiling as well as several cozy, clubby rooms ideal for dinner and dancing. It's a popular event space, and many brides-to-be shelled out a fortune for the privilege of having their wedding on Park Avenue. But for Trinity students, it's just the place where they have their school dance.
Which leads Nagisa to wonder how a student from such a fancy prep school can be helping to supply illegal drugs to the other students.
"It's a bad idea," Gyaru English cautions Nagisa, discreetly nudging her in the ribs. Tonight, she's chosen to wear a couture confection of thousands of chiffon rosettes hand-stitched together to create an ethereal, cloudlike elegance. The strapless bodice hugs her tiny waist and her lustrous blonde locks spills over her creamy shoulders and toned lower back. A week of rest has clearly done her good; aside from a patch of shiny pink skin on her upper thigh, Gyaru English bears no evidence of her burns. A mischievous smile graces her lips a second later. "But I'm all about bad ideas!"
Forever Flat's sullen mutter of, "I'm not . . ." can be heard by all of them through their earpieces, but Gyaru English decides to ignore her - for now.
"It's Nagisa's choice," Mistress says, with a shrug of her slender shoulders and a serene smile directed at Nagisa. She looks stunning in a gold dress with a tight, strapless corset bodice and a princess skirt with folds and folds of voluminous fabric. "But coming along uninvited isn't exactly . . ."
"Professor Bitch is going to be furious." Stern Lecture doesn't mince her words. Dressed in a slim Costume National black sheath dress, Prada sling backs, and a string of pearls around her swanlike neck, her hair has been taken out of its usual ponytail and has been swept away from her face in a disheveled updo. "She'll shove you into her –" Stern Lecture breaks off with a shudder, her face paling.
"She won't find out if all of you keep quiet," Nagisa says, with a pointed look at Gyaru English, who holds up her hands in what is clearly supposed to be an innocent gesture.
As far as Professor Bitch is concerned, Nagisa is obediently following doctor's orders – a week of bed rest, after that stunt she pulled in the Carlyle hotel - not sneaking along on what is supposed to be an undercover mission. While Nagisa's eyes scan the room, assessing their safety with a blink, she brushes her thighs together, relieved when she feels the reassuring weight of her dagger and pistol.
Gyaru English studies Nagisa with the eye of a photographer. Nagisa has always been startlingly pretty, with a sweet, heart-shaped face; a perfectly upturned nose; soft milky skin and long, slender limbs, but tonight, her friend practically glows. Her hair has been brushed and styled to a skating rink gloss, and frames her face like a sapphire crown. A dark smoky eye shadow brings out the silver flecks in her eyes, and her lips look stained with freshly picked roses.
Nagisa cuts a devastating figure in a fire engine red dress styled for a Grecian goddess. It hangs on one shoulder, cuts diagonally across her cleavage, has ruching to the hip, and then splits at her right thigh, all the way down to her leg. There's no back to speak of, aside from a slender strip of rhinestones that connects one side to the other to keep the front from falling off. Otherwise, her back is bared in a racy V-cut.
Gyaru English whistles crudely at Nagisa under her breath. "Who knew our little Nagisa could look so smoking?"
Nagisa's pale cheeks turn the color of cherry blossoms, and Gyaru English laughs aloud, a tinkling peal that has everyone staring. It's no secret that Nagisa has dressed up for a certain someone, but she can't help but wonder if Nagisa wants to fry his corneas or if she wants to distract him so that she can kill him. Both are equally plausible, but she doesn't ask Nagisa.
"How can you be so sure he's here?" Forever Flat demands, and Nagisa can her the anxious drumming of her fingers on the keyboard of her ultra modern MacBook Air. "You can't just do this on a hunch -"
"He's probably upstairs," Even though Stern Lecture doesn't really approve of Nagisa's covert actions – especially since she's supposed to be resting – she can't deny her friend a chance to settle the score with her 'rival'. "C'mon."
The trio worm their way upstairs through the crowd to the buffet. The rooms have been decorated with white Christmas lights, and in the back, there is an elegant display of hot and cold roast meats, silver plates laden with exquisite hors d'oeuvres and French pastries. Nagisa's mouth starts to water as she looks at the beautiful, decadent treats. Pastries stuffed with cream, cookies dusted with sugar, and chocolate, chocolate, chocolate beckoning to her everywhere. Perhaps she'll swipe a few for Forever Flat before they leave.
In the middle room, a sweaty mix of patrician girls and rich boys gyrate to the beat of a hard rap song with Cirque du Soleil flexibility. The lights are off, and Nagisa can only make out the shadows of their faces. She can see that all the boys from Trinity are carrying little silver Tiffany hip flasks that stick out of their side pants pockets. Occasionally, they will surreptitiously take a swig or pour a bit of alcohol in their date's cups. There are several teachers milling about, but no one seems to notice, or care about the covert tippling.
Nagisa blows out a breath through clenched teeth. "He's not here."
"I wouldn't be so sure~" Gyaru English calls in a sing-song voice. "I have a sighting at three o'clock."
Nagisa whirls around, eyes narrowed to thin, angry slits. Akabane is wearing a custom French cuffed white shirt, with the front tucked in but the shirttails characteristically hanging out, with crisp khaki pants and a carelessly unbuttoned navy blazer. His tie is askew and he looks nothing less than drop-dead gorgeous. He fiddles with the cuff link on his right wrist as he talks to two other brunettes.
Stern Lecture has seen pictures of Akabane Karma, of course, but seeing him in the flesh is completely different. Crimson hair frames a breathtaking face. His bone structure will make a sculptor weep with joy, while a firmly etched mouth, a blade of a nose and intensely golden eyes make him savagely gorgeous. Those eyes narrow slightly when he catches sight of Nagisa, his eyebrows raising ever so slightly, but just as quickly, his usual unruffled mask is slid back on.
She recognizes the boy on his right – Isogai Yuma - a childhood friend of hers. She raises a hand ever so slightly in greeting, and he smiles warmly at her in return. Isogai has cleaned up nicely, sporting dress slacks in casual grey, a well-starched dress shirt and a black blazer, the overall effect being one of careless sophistication. Even though they are from rival agencies, Stern Lecture can't help but think that Isogai hasn't changed at all.
Gyaru English splutters with barely stifled laughter. "What are the chances of this? Two hook ups in one night?"
"It's not a hook-up," Nagisa whispers harshly, her eyes glittering. "I'm going to kill him."
Stern Lecture opens her mouth, but her retort dies on her lips when she sees Akabane grinning devilishly at Isogai, and Stern Lecture winces as Isogai is unceremoniously shoved over. The look in Gyaru English's baby blues rivals the mischievous glint in Akabane's, and Stern Lecture has barely enough time to think that those two are either going to rule the world together or they'll destroy it completely before she and Isogai are both shoved over to the balcony by some unspoken signal of the Devil Duo's. At least they've been given some semblance of privacy, Stern Lecture thinks with a rueful sigh and a razor sharp glare at a giggling Gyaru English. She wishes she can kill the blonde. She seriously considers doing it.
Mistress is the only one seemingly unperturbed by the sudden change in plans, waving at Stern Lecture with a serene smile. "Have fun!"
"Now, it's your turn, Nagisa! Go get 'em, tiger!" Gyaru English whisper-shouts as Nagisa walks through the crowd, jutting out her chin in determination.
Nagisa doesn't hesitate. She walks up to Akabane and tugs on the sleeve of his blazer. He towers a good head or so above her, but their difference in height doesn't deter her in the least. "I'd like to talk to you. Now."
The other brunette is wearing a camel-hair sports coat over a sharp black dress shirt and well-cut wool trousers. Compared to his friends, his face is rather plain – the only thing noticeable about him is his distinctively bowl-cut hairstyle. "Half of Middle Two, that's not fair! Why are you and President Ikemen scoring all the hot chicks?"
Color rushes into Nagisa's face at being called a 'hot chick'. For someone who has blended in the crowd all her life, being the center of attention is a breath of fresh air.
Akabane chuckles as he moves away and Nagisa can hear the amusement in his voice. "You could try hitting on that black-haired girl."
"I'll send Mistress my condolences," She mutters, reluctantly allowing herself to be led onto the dance floor.
Akabane laughs again, sounding like an angel playing the harp on top of a rainbow. He sets his hand on the bare skin of Nagisa's lower back and a shock of awareness moves through her. "Mushroom Director isn't all that bad. It's Womanizing Bastard and End of Perversion that you've got to look out for."
"'Mushroom director'?" Nagisa mimics the exact same words he'd first uttered during their first meeting. "'Womanizing Bastard'? Who comes up with your code names, anyway, Half of Middle Two?"
Akabane's lips curve into a slow, heart-stopping smile. "Would you believe me if I told you that we did a draw, Gender Blender?"
"I would, actually," Nagisa replies coolly. "How do you think we got our own code-names? It certainly wasn't by choice."
He draws her closer, until there is only a whisper separating them. The room is thrumming to the sexy, hypnotic beat of Sofia Karlberg's "Crazy in Love". Got me looking so crazy right now . . . Your love's got me looking so crazy right now . . . She slithers her body next to his, feeling beads of sweat and perspiration on his shirt that the heat between the two of them generates. Nagisa doesn't even feel like she is in a room full of crowded, sweaty teenagers. They move with the same rhythm, their bodies perfectly in tune with each other. Akabane expertly keeps her body close to his, leaning down to breathe lightly on her neck.
"So . . ." Akabane's voice is overly casual, and Nagisa resists the urge to step away, sure that he is up to no good. ". . . You really didn't travel to Thailand or Morocco to have it removed?"
"Akabane, for the last time - I'm a girl!" Something in his tone rubs Nagisa the wrong way. "And you don't have to travel so far to get that removed – I can do it for you, if you'd like."
He arches an eyebrow, looking amused instead of cowering in fear like she'd hoped he'd be doing. "Fiesty much?"
Nagisa wishes she'd dealt more damage to him during their last encounter. Akabane had gotten off pretty lightly in her opinion – with merely a dose of humiliation from having his manly parts kicked. The straining of fresh sutures on her chest reminds her of what she's come here to do – to tell Akabane to back off. Not engage in playful banter with the rude prick. Shaking her head to clear it, Nagisa brings her perfectly glossed mouth close to his ear, where she can whisper her request without being overheard.
"I don't know why you're following me, but I suggest you stop." She twines her arms around his neck, forcing Akabane to stay with her.
"Or else?" Akabane challenges, his eyes running up and down her lazily, like the stroking paws of a cat.
The prick doesn't even look perturbed. Nagisa feels a surge of vindication when he makes a muffled sound of surprise when her lips claim his. It is at first almost as if he doesn't want to kiss her: His mouth is hard on hers, unyielding; then he puts both arms around her and pulls her against him, ever closer, ever nearer. His lips soften. Akabane sighs and her tongue dips inside, tasting him in long leisurely licks. Nagisa can feel the rapid beat of his heart, taste mint and her own cherry lip-gloss on his mouth. Her own heart is hammering, pressed full-body against him, achingly aware of every hot, hard inch of him. And for the first time in her life, Nagisa is glad that Professor Bitch taught them the art of seduction. She'd originally baulked at the thought of seducing a man ( but at least she hadn't fainted like Poison Specs ), but she'd eventually taken to it like a duck to water, second to only Scrunchies and Boobs in their shared class.
"Gender Blender," Nagisa dimly registers Forever Flat's hushed, quivering voice crackling to life in her earpiece. "Gyaru English has all the evidence we need. They're waiting for you outside."
Nagisa's eyes fly open.
Akabane never sees it coming. With a quick flourish, Nagisa yanks her dagger out from her thigh sheath, plunging it into his abdomen. And when the pain finally hits him, when the crowd finally realizes that someone has been stabbed, Nagisa is already gone, weaving her way through the throng of teenagers, dashing down the red-carpeted staircase as fast as she can possibly go.
"So . . ." Gyaru English says, once the four of them are safely in the black Town car, speeding to their safe house on Broadway. "What happened to 'It's not a hook-up' and 'I'm gonna kill him'?"
The only thing that comes out of Nagisa's mouth is a pained groan.