Title: Moving
Rating: PG
Characters are not mine I am just borrowing.
Crossover AU starring characters from Gundam Wing, Utena, X/1999, with characters mentioned from Vandread, and Cowboy Bebop.

Jared Nichol had left work just in time to swing by and help a friend of a friend move. Looking at the time he had figured most of the work would have been done, but as he walked up the street after parking his car he noted the lack of work actually being accomplished. With a shrug he rounded the large moving truck parked in the driveway and watched as a very large box moved towards him, presumably carried by person. He rocked onto his toes and noticed a tuft of violet hair. He grinned, almost manically.

"Hey, short stuff, need help?" He called and watched as petite fingers dug into the box, short fingernails painted black and chipping wishing to pierce the cardboard at the very sound of his voice.

The box and the petite person carrying it turned slightly revealing a young woman with violet hair and a priceless scowl that only Nichol himself could match in brilliance and severity. She inched up to the edge of the truck and set the box down, giving it an extra push to slide it further into the truck. She whipped around and looked at him, arching an eyebrow and then stepping over to slug Nichol in the arm. He rubbed his arm in mock pain.

"It's about time you got here," she said. "Maybe you can convince the others to get moving on her royal highness's other boxes." She rolled her eyes and added, exasperated, "We only just got the big furniture into the truck and now Jura is regaling the masses with a tale about how Relena met Mr. Wonderful."

"But you aren't bitter," Nichol said with a grin.

The young woman stepped away from him and leaned into the truck. "Of course I'm bitter, but it's not like I didn't see this coming. Besides with Dorothy around lately there's enough biting sarcasm and bitterness to fill the house." She shut her eyes and then said, "Oh, and get this… Juri wants to rent the empty room."

He nodded and then said, "Well, kiddo, it could be worse."

"Do not," she said sharply, "call me kiddo."

"Fine, Shiori. But I'm serious it could be worse."

"How?"

"Your ex-wife could have taken your kids to Texas while the court allowed it and increased the amount of child support you have to pay. Meanwhile, because you have to work so much you can't really ever take any time off to go visit your own children." He watched the expression on her face and then narrowed his eyes. "I made one mistake in my life. Why do I have to keep paying for it?"

Shiori grimaced. "I'm sorry. Kanae really took you through the wringer on that."

"Right," he said, his mood now unabashedly gloomy. "Let's get to work."

****

Somehow, between the epic recounting of tales past and the arguments about which way to stack to the boxes in the truck Relena's things were all finally ready to be taken off to their new destination. Nichol remained in a dour mood and Shiori found herself feeling terrible for even trying to make her life sound horrible.

It was only a few years ago when Nichol had made the mistake of running to someone's defense who apparently didn't need it. He should have been called a hero. Instead he was sued into the depths of bankruptcy, and at the same time found himself in the middle of the most one sided divorce proceeding known to mankind. Kanae and her very rich mother worked very hard to see Nichol deeper in debt and as miserable as possible. Now she was marrying some suave businessman, and Nichol was working as many construction jobs as he could to keep up with his child support payments.

Terrible things happen to people who don't deserve it, Shiori thought, but then what do any of us really deserve.

She surveyed the empty rooms of the house as the rest of the party got into their cars to help Relena move into her new place. She took in a deep breath and then sighed. Juri moving in would help. Shiori was certain that she was going to end up killing the woman at some point, but help with the rent was always a good idea. Her other roommate had moved out a few weeks prior. He had decided to be bold and propose, so now he and his fiancé were living together in pre-married bliss.

She stalked back to her room and sat on her bed, wondering vaguely if Juri had a couch. She laid back and then sat up when she heard a knock at the door. She opened it and saw Nichol grinning sadly at her.

"I thought," he said softly, "you might want to get some dinner."

"I thought you were going to help Relena?"

He shrugged. "I think she has enough slave labor helping her out."

Shiori chuckled and nodded. "Let me get my keys."

****

The restaurant specialized in hamburgers and various southwestern fare. Nichol and Shiori sat in the bar to avoid the wait list and the dinner crowd. They had a small and very high table. The chairs were uncomfortable for Shiori whose legs dangled like a child's barely even touching the bar meant to serve as a footrest, but the discomfort was displaced by the very large margarita she was enjoying. Nichol was certain that the glass was just about as big as her head.

"I don't suppose you want to talk about it," Nichol said softly.

Shiori dipped three fries into a ramekin of ranch dressing and then popped them into her mouth. She wiped her hands along her black jeans and then sighed. "It's not like we were actually dating."

He nodded.

"And it's not like we made any promises or had anything…" She paused and then took a sip from her drink. "It was just sex. That's it, and why should I be bitter about it? I've know her since forever. It's how she works."

Nichol nodded again. "What about Dorothy?"

"What about her?"

"She seems to feel your pain."

Shiori chuckled. "She does, but she is far more bitter than I am. You and she should hang out more often. You'd like her. I can see you two attending parties together and mocking everyone."

"But then what would you do?" He asked and looked over Shiori's shoulder where the bartender seemed to be watching them closely. "You may have an admirer." He said then.

"What?" She glanced over her shoulder at the female bartender standing with her arms crossed and a red straw daggling out the corner of her mouth. Shiori shook her head. "What makes you think she's interested in me? It could be you."

Nichol shook his head. "She may want to hurt me, but she's definitely interested in you. I can tell."

"How?"

"Because I get that same look from Shin whenever I'm hanging around Juri." He smiled slightly. "It's a sort of what-does-that-bastard-have-that-I-don't expression."

Shiori chuckled. "If they only knew."

"If only."

****

They stood outside of the house, Nichol doing his best to be a comfort to Shiori, while she made a concerted effort to try and keep him from slipping into a bitter diatribe about his ex-wife. Shiori paused in her speech about a new Goth Metal band she was really into and looked at Nichol in way that made him take a step back.

"What was that?" He asked.

"I…" She half-smiled and jumped up to kiss his cheek. "You're a good man, Nicky."

He blinked and ignored the completely inappropriate nickname.

"I mean it," Shiori said. "You're a good guy and you have a lot to offer. And despite the crap you're going through, despite it all, you're a good guy." She reached up and stroked his cheek. "You're better than your ex and you're better than her mother, so do me a favor and start looking for someone as good as you are."

"I don't even-"

A red Corvette pulled into the empty driveway. Nichol and Shiori watched as the woman driving got out of the car and smiled at them.

"Playing nice," she asked and sauntered up to them.

"Yes," Shiori said and then added, "I thought you were going to help today, Kanoe?"

"I am."

"But we've already done the moving," Nichol said with questioning emphasis.

Kanoe nodded and then turned to retrieve something from her car. She faced them again with a very expensive looking bottle of tequila in her hand and grinned wolfishly. "I know you two. The help you need after a day like this is right here."

Nichol watched as Shiori bounded over to the older woman's side. He crossed his arms over his chest at the play of gratitude and unsuppressed adoration. The two women pulled ahead of him to enter into the house. He stepped back and shut the door to the Corvette gently and followed behind them. He wondered when Shiori would follow her own advice, and he wondered if it would kill him to accept that she was right about him.

He took a deep breath and stepped into the house. A shot of something, even tequila, sounded like a good idea.

End.