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Fic: Your Angel Undercover

Fandom: Nikita

Pairing: Ari Tasarov x Nikita Mears (Nikari)

Rating: PG13

Spoilers: Set during season 2, canon divergent.

Summary: Distractions nearly prove disastrous for Ari and Nikita during a mission.

Author’s note: Inspired by @rubyloops recent, lovely Nikari drawings. This was possibly one of the fastest turnarounds I’ve had for a piece, but the muses demanded my attention until it was finished. As such it’s relatively short and sweet.

On AO3

Your Angel Undercover

Nikita Mears drummed her fingers impatiently against the bar’s wooden surface: tapping out a beat with her nails as she observed her partner’s behavior across the room.

She was a professional, dammit. Jealousy was beneath her.

Her heart dropped when she noticed the warm smile on Ari Tasarov’s face as he charmed the young woman who was their target on this particular mission.

Envy coursed through her veins and the beautiful former assassin frowned.

It didn’t help matters that she was uncertain how to define her relationship with the handsome operative who had betrayed his organization to stay by her side. They started out as rivals, and then slowly but surely developed a trust and friendship, and now she couldn’t imagine getting through her day-to-day without him.

At some point – she had gone and done the stupid thing and fallen in love.

The admittedly pretty mark laughed loud enough at something her companion had said, prompting Nikita to clutch more tightly at the glass she held in her opposite hand.

As if sensing her distress, Ari glanced in her direction.

She flushed in embarrassment and turned away, taking a long swig of champagne in order to force her feelings back.

She peeked over her shoulder to see that the conversation had ended, and he was making his way to where she was standing.

She inhaled deeply, goosebumps prickling at her bare arms due to the cool air, regretting her decision not to bring along a sweater to place over her strapless black dress.

“You’re shivering,” a familiar, resonant baritone murmured, and she heard fabric rustle right before the warmth of his coat covered her shoulders.

“Did you get the flash drive?” she inquired, peering over at him.

He really did look debonaire in his tuxedo, even without the jacket. The crisp white shirt clung attractively to his torso, accentuating the toned definition she knew he possessed beneath, as on more than one occasion she had seen him in little more than a towel.

She chewed at her lip, unable to keep from staring when he gracefully leaned back against the bar. Part of her wanted to drag him off and forget about their goals entirely, but Alex would be furious if things didn’t go according to her plan.

“Check the left pocket,” he gestured.

She did, smiling when her fingers brushed over tiny, sleek plastic. “Perfect. We can head out then.”

“What’s the hurry?” he eyed her. “I thought…”

She twisted closer to him, curious as to why he had trailed off. “You thought what?”

“I thought that maybe you’d like to dance.” He extended out his hand, a hopeful expression crossing his angular features.

Nikita’s heart skipped, and wordlessly, she accepted.

Their fingers tangled together as he escorted her out onto the ballroom floor. The hired orchestra was playing a romantic cover of a pop song that she recognized, and her pulse thrummed when Ari effortlessly swung her into a simple waltz.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, tipping her head back to look up at him, instantly swept into the vast sea of stunning blue that was his eyes.

His grip on her waist tightened slightly so he could tug her closer, the pair swaying together to the music.

“I saw the way you were looking at me earlier,” he murmured, breaking the spell between them. “You seemed out of sorts.”

“I was just worried that you’d scare off that girl,” the lie fell smoothly enough, but she could tell that he didn’t believe her.

“Were you? Or were you envious of her having my attention?”

She scoffed, tossing her long hair over her shoulder in the process. “Me? Jealous of a child? You must be joking!”

“Nikita…” and there it was: the quiet, sensual manner in which he uttered her name, instantly making her knees go weak. “Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not,” she protested. “Ari, this really isn’t the place –

He cut her off, his mouth sealing over hers in an all-too-brief kiss.

Her breath hitched, lips parting in an attempt to respond to the sudden affection, only to find that her words had also been stolen.

A self-satisfied expression crossed his face, as if his suspicion had been correct all along.

Frustration bubbled up, and she yanked at his sleeve to get him to follow her so they could continue their discussion in private.

The elevator door slid shut and Nikita roughly passed Ari’s coat back to him. “What the hell was that?”

“It’s what commonly referred to as a kiss,” he shrugged the garment back on, ensuring that the flash drive was still tucked into the pocket.

“That isn’t what I meant.”

“I know it isn’t what you meant,” an aggravated look was aimed her way. “I was just getting tired of this continual dodging.”

“What do you mean, we aren’t –

Long, elegant fingers curled around her arm. “Yes. We are. We’ve been avoiding the elephant in the room long enough. I love you, Nikita.”

“You what?” she blinked, incredulous.

“I said: I love you. I’ve loved you since the moment that we met,” the beautiful, clear gaze that she so easily lost herself in was sincere. “And I think those feelings are reciprocated, otherwise you wouldn’t have looked at that other woman as though you wanted to claw off her face.”

“Ari…” she swallowed, nerves swirling in her stomach at the intensity that was being directed solely at her. “What exactly do you want me to say? That I fell in love with you and can’t stand the sight of another woman at your side? That’s the truth: I’m hopelessly, desperately in love with you and I have no idea what to do about it.”

He didn’t answer in the traditional sense. Instead, with an abrupt, deft motion, he dragged her into his arms and captured her lips in a far more passionate kiss.

The sudden action startled a gasp out of her, heat pooling directly at her core when he shoved her against the wall and effortlessly lifted her so she could wrap her legs around him as the embrace deepened further.

All that mattered now was how he enveloped her with warmth, his taller, solid body pressing as close as possible, alerting her to just how much she affected him.

She clutched at his shirt with one hand and brought the other up to weave through his hair, upsetting it from the neat style he kept it in.

He caught her lower lip between his teeth, nipping deliberately to coax open her mouth.

She granted him entry, which allowed him to explore with precision, her hands busying themselves with undoing his bow tie.

There was a ping of sound when the elevator reached its destination.

Without breaking their kiss, Ari carried Nikita out into the hallway.

She wasn’t certain how he managed it, but the next thing she knew he was holding her up against the door to their room.

Her head tipped back when his lips eventually strayed to dart firefly kisses across the slender column of her throat. “Key?”

“Other pocket.”

She fished around in his jacket to locate the cardkey, handing it to him so they could continue somewhere more comfortable.

The second they were on the opposite side of the door, her hands went to task, first pushing his tuxedo coat onto the floor while he guided them to the bed.

She cast the satin still dangling around his neck to the floor and attacked the buttons to his shirt next, toppling onto the sheets with him as their attentions grew more lustful.

“Oh my god, can you not?!” a female voice shrieked in alarm.

They froze.

Nikita pulled away first, a horrified expression on her lovely face as she slowly looked to the side to see Alexandra Udinov sitting in a chair in the corner of the room.

“Er. We uh…we thought the room was empty.” She addressed her one-time protégé.

Alex crossed her arms and glared at them. “Did you at least get the flash drive?”

“It’s in my coat,” Ari finally spoke up.

Nikita peered down at her paramour, noting that he appeared more annoyed than anything else.

Alex stood, picking up the discarded jacket and searching till she found the object that she was looking for. “I’m leaving. We are never to discuss what happened here. Go about your business.”

Without another word, their fellow agent left.

Nikita released a breath that she had been holding and exchanged a glance with Ari. “That was…mortifying.”

He inched one hand up her thigh and smirked. “Agreed, but if she had stalled my plans to make love to you for the rest of the afternoon, I would have never forgiven her.”

“Just the afternoon?” she grinned, parting the fabric over his chest.

“As well as the evening, plus tomorrow morning,” he tugged his arms free from the sleeves and then twisted so he could pin her under him. “And the foreseeable future.”

“Promises, promises,” she murmured, and then drew him to her for an ardent kiss that ended the discussion.

The End