A/N: I don't know if anyone's even reading this BUT I really like writing this and the 4/5 couple so I'm gonna continue no matter what xD

Btw guys, I realised I actually have no idea where I'm going with this. There was a plot at first but it's like...kind of turned out to be a set of one-shots instead ;( The 'main'/side? plot will come soon, I swear! I just like slow burn romance rather than quick, falling in love at first sight stuff anyways and then I'll add even more drama in.

Thanks to Nari-nee-chan for supporting this story by reviewing even though it's been so long since I last updated. It really does mean a lot! I'm surprised you actually find this entertaining though – I thought I wasn't really making much sense haha, but thank you!

I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

Disclaimer: I do not own KND sadly :(

Chapter 12: Operation S.E.C.R.E.T.S

The next day, the gang was lounging about the treehouse; Hoagie was reading a 2x4 weapon manual, Wally was flipping through a Monster Truck magazine and Kuki was watching something on the television, singing along to whatever cartoon she was into at the moment.

Though, from time to time, Wally could feel the penetrating gaze of the little chubby boy sitting next to him. He had a good idea to why he was staring at him, too.

Wally grumbled under his breath.

Stupid Numbuh 2 and his stupid teasin', he thought bitterly.

It was bad enough that Kuki was acting weird afterwards for some reason, now Hoagie was too. Even though he tried to focus his eyes on the magazine in front of him, he couldn't help but glance up at the other two members who were seated further away.

Abby and Nigel sat together, discussing some information regarding their last mission. It was pretty late but Nigel was dead set on staying up late like the last time, to fix some defence mechanism for the treehouse.

Abby, on the other hand, wasn't too keen on him ruining his sleep and health over something that could be easily fixed.

"Numbuh 5 thinks you should get some sleep."

"I can't do that, Numbuh 5. Not until I've fixed this, and believe me, I will."

"I know you will, Numbuh 1, but it ain't the time! You can do this tomorrow mornin', can't you?"

"Well, I can. But I can't sleep peacefully knowing that it's still faulty. What if we're attacked in the middle of the night?" Nigel asked, his baggy, red eyes blinking up at her slowly.

Abby warily observed his exhausted face; he looked so tired that he didn't even bother fixing his glasses that had fallen to the tip of his nose.

"That only happens in TV shows and cartoons. None of that stuff is gonna happen, especially since we're all awake."

Nigel hummed in agreement. A silence settled in between them when all of a sudden he stopped working. He turned his head, his eyes sliding over to Abby.

"Uh, can I ask you a question, Numbuh 5?"

Abby raised an eyebrow. "Well, of course. What's up, baby?"

Nigel took off his glasses and rubbed at his face over and over as if mustering up the courage to say something.

"Have you ever liked someone?"

"No? Why," she peered into his guilt-stricken eyes, "do ya like someone other than Lizzie?"

"What, of course not! I like Lizzie...a lot," said Nigel, hastily putting his glasses back on, trying to hide the pink on his cheeks.

He turned back to the defence-a-ray and fumbled with the controls. "I was just asking out of curiosity."

Abby narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You do know that your question and what we were doing are unrelated."

"So?"

"So, Numbuh 5 finds that suspicious."

Nigel looked at her all innocent, any trace of exhaustion now gone. "Suspicious? What is, Numbuh 5?"

"Don't act stupid, boy! I know you ain't just askin' out of curiosity. Now, tell Numbuh 5 the truth."

He sighed before leaning in close to Abby, licking his lips in nervous tension. The two kids were unaware that a certain blonde was closely watching their interaction, hands fisting the magazine that was long forgotten.

"Uh...you okay, Numbuh 4?"

"Yup. I'm doin' just foine," Wally hissed, mouth twisted into a snarl.

Hoagie's eyes roved over his shorter friend's slightly pink tinged face; he didn't really look fine, but he didn't want to say anything. They were good buddies and he knew the extent to which Wally's anger could reach to.

He looked like he was about to tear someone's limbs off one by one.

Hoagie wasn't dumb, either. He had been picking up that things were changing and kinda awkward, too. He had just been teasing Wally about having a crush on Abby, but now, watching him watch Nigel and Abby whisper with a scowl was confirming his suspicions.

"Hmm," he hummed aloud, eyes narrowed.

Wally ignored him and watched as Abby's eyes widened from under her cap.

"WHAT?!" she shrieked, capturing the attention of all the members, though the blonds' was already on them. "Numbuh 1, ho-"

"Shh, Numbuh 5! You have to be quiet! I don't want the others to find out about this. It's already quite embarrassing as it is," he mumbled, sourly.

"Too late," Wally yelled from behind them, not even trying to hide the bitterness in his voice. "We heard everythin'!"

"No, we didn't, Wally," Kuki said, wide-eyed, her Japanese accent giving her an added innocence. He shot her a look which she didn't pick up on and groaned when Hoagie nodded along with her.

"You're both cruddy dummies," he muttered under his breath before whisper-yelling to them, "I was lyin' so that they could tell us what they were talkin' about!"

"Ohhhhhhh!" Both Hoagie and Kuki said in unison.

"Did ya really hear us?" Abby asked, arms crossed. She had both her eyebrows up in disbelief – she didn't believe Wally for a second, it looked like.

Wally levelled her stare and put down the magazine before crossing his arms. "Maybe we did, maybe we didn't! We still deserve to know what's goin' on, roight, guys?"

"Do we, though?" Kuki asked. Wally resisted the urge to facepalm, the rage bubbling over his head. It was threatening to burst when Hoagie cut in with enthusiasm.

"Right, Numbuh 4!"

He let out a relieved sigh; at least someone was going along with it. Wally met Abby's gaze head-on.

"Did ya really, boy?"

"Course I did!"

She gave him another look and he scowled.

"What, you sayin' I'm lyin' or somethin'?"

"Numbuh 5 didn't say nothing, fool."

His face flushed a dark pink.

"W-well, um-"

"Yes, Numbuh 4?" Nigel pressed, teeth pressing down on his bottom lip in nervousness.

Wally's shoulders drooped. "Foine, ya got me. I didn't hear nothin'."

Nigel nearly hooted in relief, which was definitely way out of his character. He cleared his throat, instead and rubbed his hands together.

"Well, then, where were we?" He turned back to Abby and began to whisper again. Abby didn't even spare Wally a second glance, causing the blond to narrow his eyes in irritation.

Who do they think they are?! Just 'cos they're higher in command than us, pfft, he thought, fists clenching and unclenching.

Hoagie peered into Wally's face carefully.

"Uh, you alright, Numbuh 4?"

"Whaddya think?" he snapped. Hoagie put his arms up beside his head.

"I was just asking, geez!" He snickered at the glare the short blonde was sending him. "You're jealous of Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 5, aren't you?"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

Kuki was seated on the floor and even though the TV was on with her favourite show playing, her mind was elsewhere. She hadn't ever thought that Wally would stop being interested in her.

She didn't understand what went wrong.

Well, a part of her knew.

The misunderstanding between Wally and her caused a distance between their relationship, a distance that she didn't even know was growing until recently. The repercussions of it were plain to see.

No one had bothered to clear everything up except Abby, so she kind of knew why he had grown even closer to her than ever before.

Kuki knew that this was, in a way, her fault. She should have known that Wally would have jumped to conclusions at how close Nigel and she had gotten – they were only ever friends, though. He should have known that he was the only person she seriously liked.

No one else.

She just wanted to lead another mission like the last time, and Nigel had trouble finding another top-secret mission for her to go on. But he did, eventually and they even went on secret missions together with her as the leader when the others were busy.

That was all.

Though now thinking back onto it, she realised how easily anyone could have mistaken that and their relationship. Even she had questioned what she was doing alone with Nigel, sometimes. He was cute and all, but he was no Wally.

But if Wally was able to move on after some time...

Maybe I should too, she thought, the cheery smile on her face now nowhere to be found.

Her eyes glazed over as she watched the Rainbow Monkeys cuddle and sing. The happiness was suddenly sucked out of her and she just wanted to go to her room and cry into her Rainbow Monkey pillows. The decision to neglect Wally during that time was her fault – she didn't even fully know she was doing it, but she had.

Her crush would always only be just a crush.

Once upon a time, she was so sure of Wally's feelings for her that she could even tease him about being hugged or kissed or liked by another girl.

Now, she wasn't so sure.

"What do you think, Num-" Hoagie noticed the grim look on Kuki's face. It was unusual to see that expression on her face. She was always so darn smiley, her eyes even squinting at the joy she practically exuded out of her being. "-uh, Numbuh 3? You alright?"

"Huh?" Kuki looked up and tears shone in the light. Hoagie furrowed his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes at this but she only responded with a bright smile . "Yes, I'm fine, silly! Rainbow Monkeys always make me cry, you know that!"

Hoagie's expression didn't change, now a little frown tugging at his lips. He didn't say anything whereas Wally scoffed.

"Cryin' over a stupid TV show. What a load of junk," he muttered under his breath. Kuki grinned.

His angry muttering was one thing, but he would always watch the show with her anyway. He would endure it for her and that was one of the many things she admired about him.

Kuki didn't want to sit around them as Hoagie teased Wally in the background, though. Even though she hoped this wasn't the case, Wally seemed interested in Abby and that thought alone caused a little frown on her lips.

She loved Abby like her older sister and if she had to give up Wally to anyone, she'd rather it be to someone as wise and as loyal as Abby. However, the thought was so unlikely to her. If she knew Wally as much as she thought she would, Abby was the last person he would like because they had a friendly relationship.

It was very platonic.

Or, that's what Kuki had thought.

She let out a tiny sigh. Things have changed too much...so maybe their relationship has, too. she thought, her teeth digging into her pouty pink lips.

Thinking so hard was making her brain hurt; she just wanted to sing along with her favourite TV show, but here she was, acting like a teenager for the first time ever.

So, to distract herself, she forced herself to skip over to the other two in the corner. Overhearing their conversation about sleep deprivation, she jumped right in.

####

Abby looked up just in time to see Kuki's bright smile in view. But it slowly dimmed as she glanced at Nigel's dull face.

"Numbuh 5's right, Numbuh 1." She gasped at him. "You look horrible!"

Nigel shot her a look. "Thanks, Numbuh 3."

Kuki let out a giggle, though it sounded a little forced. Abby resisted the urge to question her and ask if she was alright.

She didn't want to put her on the spot or nothin', so she remained quiet.

"I didn't mean it like that, silly!"

"I know what you meant, Numbuh 3."

"Numbuh 3's right, though," Abby pitched in. "You look horrible, boy; getting some sleep should fix that, right Numbuh 3?"

"That's right!"

Both Abby and Kuki shot a look at the bald kid who hung back his head in a groan.

"Alright, alright, fine. Geez, I'll go get some sleep if it means you two will get off my back." As he dragged himself to his room, mumbling, he turned back around. "Happy, now?"

"Not until ya get in bed and doze off, baby." Abby crossed her arms as he rolled his eyes.

"Fine." As he reached his door, he stopped and turned around. "And don't forget about the plan, Numbuh 5. It is very important."

Abby rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah I won't. Now get some sleep."

Nigel nodded his head and shut his door. Kuki's eyes widened, looking slightly offended.

"Ooh, what plan, Numbuh 5?! Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"No can do, Numbuh 3. Numbuh 1 wants this to be top secret."

"Awwww, but I wanna know!"

"We'll tell you afterwards."

"Don't bother, Kuki!" a thick Australian accented boy spat from across the couch. Abby's eyes shifted to where the two boys were seated. Wally looked downright grumpy with his arms crossed. His mouth twisted back into a snarl, his lips pulled tight over the wall of his teeth. "They're lyin' to ya, ya know! They won't tell ya!"

"Numbuh 5 said they will after the top secret mission."

"Numbuh 5's just sayin' that to get you off 'er back!"

Abby stared at him, trying not to snicker at the expression he had on. Even though he looked serious and tense, was partly amused. He was so immature sometimes and acted rashly before even thinking through things. This attitude was what got him in trouble sometimes, and it meant that she was the one that had to save him.

It was strange how different they were and yet, she was still drawn to him.

She had fallen for the childish person ever.

Gurl, get yo mind outta the gutter, she scolded herself. She wanted to slap herself at the thought, but she knew it wasn't like she had a choice.

The heart wanted what it wanted, but it wasn't like it could ever get it. That thought alone was enough to bring down Abby's whole mood.

Trying to not let it get to her, she turned to Kuki who suddenly looked like she was about to cry.

"Look, Numbuh 3, don't listen to Mr Grouchy Pants over there. He ain't nothin' but a fool."

"Oi!"

Both girls ignored the red-faced boy. Kuki giggled as she continued. "Trust Numbuh 5 when she says that you'll be the first to know 'bout this mission."

"Yay!" Kuki exclaimed, pulling her into a tight hug. Abby smiled to herself happily and hugged her back.

As they pulled away, Abby glanced over her shoulder afterwards to see that Wally was staring at her; she assumed it was her, anyway, she couldn't really see his eyes because it was hidden underneath a curtain of sunny hair.

Then, her eyes drifted to the person standing near her. She was humming to herself as she skipped back to the couch when all of a sudden, it clicked.

Wally wasn't staring at her. He was staring at Kuki.

Of course he' starin' at her, ya fool, she thought to herself, wanting to facepalm. He likes her! The whole of KND knows this!

Even though she was one of the smartest in Sector V, she sure had her dumb moments, too.

However, the discomfort in her chest never ceased. It was unlike anything she had ever felt in her life, too. It throbbed furiously and painfully as if someone had reached in and was squeezing her heart, refusing to let go.

She wanted it to stop.

Abby turned away with a sigh, wishing for Nigel to wake up soon so she had something to take her mind off how miserable she really was.