My very first GW/SM fic. Romance. Can you tell I'm not too fond of Mamo-baka?
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Flame and Ice
Usagi set the small slip of paper down on her coffee table, her hand trembling slightly as she did. Tiny tears appeared at the corners of her eyes when she considered the impact of what the note had said, but she dashed the wetness away impatiently. Ami looked at her suspiciously, but continued getting into her lab coat, "I've had a page from the hospital, they just brought a kid in who's been abused. He's got two broken ribs and a sprained wrist. This could take a while, don't wait up for me." Usagi assured her that she would be fine, and shooed her away impatiently when Ami told her to call her if she needed anything, "Yes, yes, yes, now go! There's a kid with severe injuries with your name on him!" Ami grinned and left, shutting the door quietly behind her.
Slowly Usagi stood up from her rather cramped position on the couch and walked over to the phone, picked it up, and dialed the number from memory. A masculine voice answered, "Yes?" "Mamorou?" she said. "Oh, what is it Usako?" he asked impatiently, "You, know this really isn't a good time to ta-"
"You are going to listen to what I have to say for once, Mamo-baka. First of all, you don't respect me, even though I have made it clear to you that I don't want to be treated as a trophy, you continue to act as though I never have a thought in my head," the man on the other end of the line was shocked into a stunned silence, "Secondly," she continued curtly, "you cheat on me constantly, and don't even bother to deny it. I'm taking control of this relationship, now and I've decided that your not going to boss me around anymore. In fact, this isn't even something I would term a relationship. So, as of now, it isn't one. Goodbye."
The blonde had started to hang up when she heard her boy--ex-boyfriend-say in a low and threatening growl, as though he was grinding his teeth as he said the words, "I don't care what you say, you are mine-remember that." The other line went dead and the girl put the phone down angrily, and then slammed a fist into the wall as though it was the bakayaro ex-boyfriend. She was surprised to see that her blow had left a dent in the wall, and a few paint chips fell onto the floor.
The girl looked at her hand and noticed that it was shaking badly. She took a deep breath to calm her self and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. She yanked open the door of the freezer and was delighted to find it well stocked with ice cream. Ami must've gone to the store, she thought absently, before grabbing a few pints. She sat in front of the television to watch a movie with plenty of senseless violence. She went to bed late and dreamed of guys with short kilts chopping the heads off of lobsters and eating sushi. (A.N. Why is it that whenever Usa dreams it's a premonition? All of my dreams are insane.)
She awoke to the sun slanting through her curtains and falling on her face. Groaning a little she reached for some clothes while silently thanking Ami for not waking her up at her usual un-godly hour. Dressed in a black tank and jeans she went into the kitchen to get something to eat. After pouring some Lucky Charms and milk into an old cracked mixing bowl she went into the living room to find someone sitting on her couch petting Lune, her cat, who was purring happily, Stupid cat, she thought disgustedly.
"Finally, I thought you would never show up," the stranger had stood up, dislodging the black cat who yowled in protest. (A.N. in my fic, Luna is Lune and can't talk. That cat annoyed me anyway.) Feeling justifiably pissed off she asked him why he was in her house and why he had been waiting for her.
The man sighed; obviously he had been hoping for a more hospitable reaction, and explained that his name was Hiiro, he was in her advanced programming course at college and they had been assigned a project together. Since she hadn't been in class that day (she had been ill with a 24-hour virus of some sort. She had lain on the couch while Ami poured soup, ginger ale, and vitamin supplements down her throat and muttering things like, "I told you you should have taken more vitamin C.") he had looked up her name in the college lists and had been trying to call her all morning, but there had been no answer. He had finally given up and come over, after finding her address in the lists, and he wanted to know when she could find time to work on the project.
"Oh," she said when he had finished, "I'm sorry I was so rude, it's been a weird couple of days. Let's see: I have work everyday until 6 after class, but I could meet you after that, or on Sundays. I'm not a big church goer." She grinned sheepishly, a look he did not return. She realized his voice hadn't changed the entire time he was talking to her, and his face had a fake looking polite half-smile painted on. It looked painful. She began to feel afraid of this man, with eyes that held so many secrets, and tried to back away surreptitiously. He noticed, but didn't say anything. After they worked out a time that was good for both of them he said apologetically, "I'm afraid I must run, it was nice talking to you. Ja." He left and closed the door quietly.
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The man in the shadows watched her as she made her way to Makoto's flat; her face alit with anticipation of her friend's cooking. She threaded her way through the throngs of tourists and people returning from shopping, and never saw the dark shadow following her along the packed sidewalks. She eventually reached her destination and headed up into the tall building without hesitation. Once the elevator opened onto her friend's floor the familiar scents of Mako-chan's cooking drifted in to her: garlic, rosemary, olive oil. By the time she got to the door her mouth was watering.
She started to knock confidently, and grinned when Hotaru, Haruka and Michiru's little girl, who could barely reach the doorknob, opened the door as if she had known that Usagi was coming. The composed little child gestured towards the kitchen and said clearly, "Minna-san are in there." She went into the kitchen to find all of her friends helping out with dinner, in different ways. Makoto was checking on her pizzas, Rei and Ami were chopping vegetables for a salad and Minako was pouring wine. Haruka and Michiru were standing to the side; surveying the domestic scene with interest, "It's times like these when I wish I knew my way around a kitchen," Haruka was whispering to the green-haired woman beside her, who nodded in agreement.
When Usagi entered the room everyone looked up and smiled at her. "Late again, odango atama," Rei teased her gently, "maybe if we cut these buns off you'll be on time once in a while." Usagi squealed and implored of her blonde friend, "Mina-chan, she's crazy, isn't this your area of expertise? How would you treat a megalomanical pyromaniac with destructive tendencies?" Rei scowled at her.
"Before Rei kills me, Mako-chan, here's my contribution to the meal. I picked up a loaf of sourdough at your favorite bakery," the blonde handed her friend the bread. "Thanks," Makoto answered, "Alright everyone, out. I need to get everything set up, and I can't while you're in here. Now get!" Everyone scurried out of the kitchen, and they sat in Mako-chan's living room while she set the table.
Usagi told her friends about what had happened with Mamorou and about the man who had visited her, Hiiro. Minako's first question was, of course, was he cute? Everybody was delighted to hear that she had dumped Mamorou-"Finally! I never really liked him anyway..." "He was a loser you deserve better..." "Way to go! Our koneko has got claws, after all..."-she grinned and agreed with them.
"Alright everyone, dig in!" Makoto voice rang out from the kitchen and everyone ran to the table where six pizzas were waiting. All of the girls-especially Usa-dug in with enthusiasm. When they had finished Usagi said that they should do something in honor of Makoto's new catering business. Ami suggested they all play a rousing game of Scrabble and Minako said they should go to a strip club. Everyone voted for the latter, but Haruka and Michiru said they had to take Hotaru home, and that strip clubs weren't their sort of thing anyway. The rest of the girls headed out to find themselves some entertainment.
The club they found themselves in was known as the Ladies' Club; an upscale strip joint, if that's possible. They sat down at a table and ordered drinks, and watched the first act, a bishounen guy who was dressed like a cowboy. All of the girls in the small group proceeded to get blind drunk, except for Ami--who was paged soon after they got there--and before long had lost all their inhibitions along with their sobriety. An few hours later, right after another act finished-a fireman-everyone started to talk about their fantasies.
"So, Mako-chan, you've been quiet, what is your fantasy?" asked Rei, the words coming out a little slurred. "Well," her tall, pony-tailed friend responded, "I always loved those firemen...so brave and shiny..."Makoto trailed off, her eyes glazed. She retired to the bathroom soon afterwords, ostensibly to powder her nose. While she was away Setsuna, usually the sober one of the group, laughingly suggested they get the fireman to hit on Mako-chan as a joke. Everybody agreed and formulated a plan, so that when Makoto emerged from the ladies' room she came face to face with a scantily clad fireman who looked strangely familiar...
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"Duo? Is that really you? What are you doing here? You look great how have you been?" Makoto peered at Duo, who looked as though he were a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming semi, while asking questions relentlessly. "Hey guys, come over here...there is a guy I want you to meet!" Minako needed no further persuasion, and Usagi looked interested, the rest followed the two blondes. "What, Mako-chan, does he look like your ex-boyfriend?" Usagi teased.
"No, he is my ex-boyfriend!" the brunette exclaimed excitedly. The girls just stared.
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The group walked unsteadily towards Makoto's building, singing 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' in off-key tones. Makoto clutched a piece of paper with Duo's number scribbled on it, he had told her to call him so they could give it another shot, he said. Usagi clutched a bag, which contained a heavy crystal shot glass with the words 'So many boys, so little time' scrawled across it in dark blue lettering.
They separated when they got to the tall, light green building where Makoto lived, dispersing with promises to see each other later on that week. Usagi left for her apartment, heading south. "And I said what about 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' she said I think I remember the film and if I recall I think we both kinda liked it..." Usagi sang as she wandered along the quiet street. The moon was only a sliver and shed no light, the only illumination came from the streetlights, whose light glowed in small yellow pools on the deserted sidewalk. She was still singing when she was grabbed and yanked into a small alley. Surprised, she bit her captor's arm, and cursed when they let go and she landed painfully on her bum[1]. She got up slowly, and was met with a punch in the face, as well as a kick to her stomach. She screamed, then doubled over, gasping while blood dripped down her face and trickled from her mouth.
She stood up angrily and something seemed to posses her body. Her forehead glowed and for a moment a golden crescent moon appeared, then faded quickly. She punched the man swathed in shadows, sending him flying backwards into a pile of garbage. He stood up quickly, with banana peels and lettuce clinging to his dark clothing and black hair. Black hair? she wondered for a moment, but quickly forgot about that when the man charged her. She hit him with the glass she was holding, and she saw him wince when it connected with his skull. He snatched the bag out of her hands and threw it against the wall; she heard the glass shatter when it hit the brick. She screamed once more when he hit her, knocking her to the ground, then pinned her. She struggled valiantly, but he was larger than she was and she could feel the air being pushed out of her lungs as he sat on top of her.
Everything was beginning to go black when she felt the weight on top of her being lifted off and air rushed into her deflated lungs. She heard a growl that came from somewhere above her and then her assailant was once again airborne, hitting the wall with a sickening thud. He stood up and blood collected in a pool near his feet. The new arrival rushed towards him, but her attacker ran off into the night, seemingly disappearing into the fog. Her defender stood with his back to her watching the spot where the other had disappeared. "Are you alright?" he asked, without turning to look at her.
"I...I'll be fine, I think," just then a wave of nausea passed through her and she ran behind the dumpster, retching and heaving. Cool hands held the hair from her face and gripped one arm, helping her to keep her balance. "Thanks," she managed to say when she was finished. She looked into the person's face and gasped when she saw who had come her rescue.
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Flame and Ice
Chapter III
"So why were you near there?" Usagi questioned Hiiro, while sitting on her couch. She took another sip of hot chocolate as he said, "My apartment was only a few blocks away; I was heading home when I heard you scream. I got there when he had you pinned," obviously not accustomed to talking so much he fell silent, gazing at his shoes. Her hand trembled slightly and some hot chocolate splashed onto her shirt and the blanket she had wrapped around herself. She looked down and noticed her dirty, torn and blood stained clothing. Blushing, she stood up and, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself, she set the cup carefully on the coffee table. "I'm going to go change," she told him briskly.
"Maybe I should leave," he said, standing up.
"No," she said, quickly, "please don't." She looked at him and he could see the fear that still lurked in her eyes. "Please?" she pleaded, looking up at him through bright blue eyes. He sat back down.
Usagi emerged from her room some time later wearing a white t-shirt and black pajama bottoms. Her hair was down for the night; she had brushed it out and let it hang almost to her knees. The golden strands glowed in the soft lamplight; she had washed all of the blood and dirt from her face and arms. He frowned slightly when she exited her room; the bruises on her face and arms were coming in vividly. His heart gave a twinge when he thought about her being hurt, but he ignored it.
Usagi noticed the frown, and asked him if anything was the matter. He didn't answer, only turned the television on to the local news station. "...And in other news today the three mega-corporations: Peacecraft Foundations, Kushrinada Industries, and OZ Technologies announced that they would be merging to form the new conglomerate TriCom Tech." Hiiro gripped the arm of the couch hard, his knuckles slowly turning white. His brow furrowed in anger and he growled softly when the image of two men and a blonde woman shaking hands and smiling at the camera flashed across the screen. The anchor switched to another story and Hiiro shut the T.V. off angrily.
"Why do you hate them?" Usagi stood in the doorway holding two bowls of ice cream. He didn't answer, only sat looking straight ahead.
"Here." She handed him one of the bowls and sat down next to him. His hand was clenched into a fist and his mouth was set in a hard line, looking as though he was thinking hard. She waved a hand in front of his face and he turned his head to look at her; what she saw in his eyes frightened her, it was as though he had laid open his soul and she could see all of his thoughts. She saw the anger, the fear and the hatred that he held for those people. Then he blinked, and everything was masked once again.
She smiled shakily and said, "I never really thanked you for saving me tonight, I might have died, thank you."
"It was nothing." She fell silent again.
She finished her ice cream in silence and put in a movie from her collection, a romantic comedy that was her favorite. She never finished the movie, however, she ended up falling asleep on Hiiro's shoulder halfway through it.
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She awoke the next morning with her head pillowed on a hard object covered by cloth. When she opened her eyes all she could see was green, and when she tried to sit up she found that she was pinned by what seemed to be a steel band. When she realized the green cloth under her head was actually Hiiro's shirt she was content to lie where she was for the moment. He must have felt her move in his sleep, though, because his arm tightened, as though he was unwilling to let his 'blanket' leave. Suddenly he rolled over so that he was on top of her, his head now rested on hers and she could hear that he was making small kittenish noises in the back of his throat. She found herself studying his face, in sleep he seemed to lose the brave front he usually wore and seemed almost vulnerable. His hair was in disarray and she had an almost uncontrollable urge to run her hand through the spiky brown tangle. She didn't, but it took quite a lot of her self-control not to.
She was loath to wake him from his peaceful slumber, but she had begun to feel the effects of the large amount of alcohol she had consumed the previous evening and she wanted to take a shower.
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In his dreams Hiiro felt the warmth he was embracing move and try to leave him. He held the heat closer; it couldn't leave, he needed it too badly. He rolled over to pin the warmth to him and it quieted again. Satisfied, he attempted to go back to oblivion, when a voice penetrated his dreams and he heard someone say softly, "It's not that I'm not enjoying this, Hiiro, but I have to go to the bathroom." His eyes flew open and he saw that he was lying on top of Usagi, who, for her part, was grinning widely, managing to look both evil and cute at the same time, somehow. The fear from last night had been completely banished from her eyes, and he was amazed at how clear they were. She wore her heart on her sleeve for the entire world to see.
It would be so easy to fall in love with her, one only has to look in her eyes and she could wrap you around her little finger, with her not even realizing she was doing it. It must be quite simple to manipulate her; she treats everyone nicely and expects the world to return the favor.
He shook his head, having realized that he was staring at her, and got off of her quickly; she smiled at him and withdrew to the bathroom. When she came out Hiiro was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. She smiled lopsidedly and offered him some breakfast. "No, thank you, we should get to the library. Seeing as its already 8." She grinned.
"Lead the way."
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"Alright, where do you think we should start?" she asked, once they were positioned at a small quiet table in a corner of the library. "I don't know, maybe-"
"Who is he, Usako?" Usagi stiffened; only one person called her that. "Well? I asked you a question! Who is he?" Mamorou stood behind her, his eyes glinting coldly. Hiiro's eyes narrowed, a bruise was just visible on the man's cheek, exactly on the place where he had punched Usagi's attacker last night.
Hiiro saw how Usagi seemed to shrink away from this man and his anger that created an almost visible dark aura around his body. He decided to get rid of this 'Mamorou'; he grabbed Usagi by the shoulders, forcing her to face him and looked deep into her eyes, Play along his eyes ordered. He pulled her head to his own and kissed her passionately, she was so surprised she gasped and he used the opportunity to slip his tongue between her lips. Her eyes widened in shock, but understanding dawned on her when she saw her ex-boyfriend seething. She relaxed, savoring the feel of his lips pulling at hers, feeling her body melt into his for a sweet moment that seemed to last forever. She knew that by now Mamorou must be seeing red.
Hiiro stopped the kiss and looked straight into the eyes of the older man, "I'm her boyfriend," he said shortly. Mamorou growled and grabbed Hiiro by the front of his shirt, hauling him up roughly, said: "No one takes what's mine by right away from me! You're going to pay for that!"
So saying he drove his fist directly into Hiiro's face and let him go at the same time so that Hiiro fell to the floor, bleeding from his split lip. He stood up, slowly, wiping blood away with distaste. "Well, that wasn't very nice. Apparently your mother never bothered to teach you manners. I guess I'm going to have to do the honors, then." He kneed Mamorou in a *very* sensitive area, following that up with a punch in the gut and another to the right eye. He grabbed the black haired man's arm and twisted it behind his back, and whispered in his ear so that Usagi couldn't hear, "And if you *ever* try something like what you did to her last night again, I'll kill you." He said it simply and without feeling; it wasn't a threat, just a plain statement of a fact, and he fully meant to carry it out if need be. The other man's eyes widened, but he had the sense remained silent. Hiiro released his hold and Mamorou stalked away, fuming and rubbing his arm. Hiiro sighed, "Ready to get to work?" he asked. She nodded.
He walked her to her apartment a few hours later, surprised, although he didn't show it of course, by how much work they had been able to get done. She's actually very intelligent, once she was focused we moved pretty fast, faster than I would have expected actually. When they reached the door to her flat[1] she reached up and kissed him lightly on the lips, and when she pulled away she was grinning mischievously. "What was that for?" he demanded. "Well, you did say you were my boyfriend." She winked and went into her apartment and shut the door softly.
He yanked the door open and said heatedly, "Meet me at The Metro at seven." He slammed the door shut again.
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A girl stood before a large window, waiting for her companion to arrive. She heard the door open and said, "Operative Chiba is not accomplishing as much as we had hoped." A deep voice answered her, "I expected as much...shall we dispatch him then?" "Not as of now, he may yet surprise us." "Perhaps."
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"This is *not* a date. I needed to bring you to a public place so that no one gets suspicious. You're being followed, and what happened last night was a botched kidnapping. Obviously they did not expect you to put up as much of a fight as you did, or they would have sent more people. I believe the person who attacked you last night is still following you, and I think he is that man we saw in the library today. Who was that?" Usagi looked away, her eyes frightened, "My ex-boyfriend, Chiba Mamorou," she whispered.
Later on, after Usagi had eaten her way through several plates of food and even she was beginning to slow, Hiiro asked her why she was so afraid of him. "Well," she began, "I met him when I was fourteen, and he was eighteen. It all seemed like a fairy tale at first, like he was my prince or something like that; then he...changed. Once, I was late for a date, and later that evening he hit me, and said that if I wasn't on time next time it would be worse. I told everyone I had walked into a cabinet in the dark, I'm always doing things like that." She stopped for a moment, but something in his eyes made her want to tell him everything, "He began to drink heavily, and my friends told me I should leave him, but I kept telling them that he still loved me, and I believed it too, at first. I've seen him with other women, older than me, and when I asked him about them he would laugh and tell me I was just a child, what would I know. He never bothered to deny it; it was as though he didn't even care that I knew, and that's when I began to see how little I meant to him." She took a shuddering breath, eyes clouded as she gazed past Hiiro at some vague point just beyond his head, reliving everything as she told him about it.
"Then, when I was seventeen, he raped me. He invited me over, and, being the naïve girl that I was, I was ecstatic. He was drunk when he answered the door, and he pulled me into his apartment. He kept raving incoherently and calling me things like tease and prudy bitch. I didn't understand until he knocked me to the floor; as I was lying there he kicked me and told me to get up again. He broke one of my ribs, and when I was nearly unconscious he slapped me to bring me around again. He said he wanted me awake, then picked me up off the floor and carried me to his room, grinning madly. I tried to fight him, but he was stronger than me and I was defenseless. When it was all over he left, he just put his pants back on and left, leaving me crying on the bed, covered in blood and bruises. I'd never felt more alone than I did then, I felt abandoned by a God I thought I knew and a man who had already let me down so may times...I never told my friends about what he had done to me, and for some reason I blamed myself, I thought that I brought it on myself and I shouldn't complain to anyone, I guess. I went back to him, you know, and he apologized, citing his drunkenness as the reason for his behavior, and he was even nice to me for a while afterwords. Maybe he was even really sorry, but I doubt that." some unknown emotion flashed in her dark companion's eyes, scaring her until she realized it wasn't directed at her, but rather at Mamorou.
"Look, I really shouldn't have told you all of this," she got up to leave and he rose as well, "how much do I owe for dinner?"
"No, it was my treat." She thanked him and extended a hand for him to shake, tears standing in her eyes. He took it and pulled her to him, putting his arms around her and rocking her back and forth as she let the tears flow onto his warm shoulder. He held her tightly and whispered words of endearment she couldn't hear while she cried, unmindful of the spectacle they made.
"Shhh...its ok. You know you were too good for him, you're so beautiful and strong and kind; you were wasted on that creep. It's alright, I'll keep you safe now..." She didn't hear him, her sobs were too loud in her own ears, but she was comforted by the feel of his warm arms around her and she felt safe.
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He carried her to his apartment that night, kissing away the tears that still lingered on her face and feeling overwhelmed by this strange new emotion. He set her down on his sofa, and laughed when Usagi threw a barrage of pillows at him and then danced away when he threw them back. He picked up and pillow and hit her with it, gently, and barely ducked a cushion that flew at his head in return. She picked up her own pillow and attacked him with it mercilessly, only stopping when he managed to pin her on the living room rug by sitting on her, one hand holding her wrists above her hand and the other tickling her until she was laughing so hard she could hardly breathe. "Oh...stop, Hiiro, I can't take it!" she managed to gasp out.
"I don't see why I should, you seem to be enjoying yourself," he teased, smiling when she squirmed frantically.
He stopped, finally, and let his hand wander to the top of her head, gently undoing the twin buns that she habitually wore her hair in and allowed the shimmering golden strands to pool around her head. He brushed a couple of strands of hair away from her face gently and placed his free hand on the floor next to her head, lowering his body until he was leaning over her, his lips inches from hers. He was breathing in short breaths, and his eyes were lit with an inner fire. He lowered his face to hers and caught her lips passionately, his weight pressing her into the soft carpet as he released her arms, and she looped them around his neck. He pulled away and smiled at the soft noise of protest she made when he did, begging him to kiss her again. He complied, capturing her lips more softly this time, drinking in the taste of her soft honeyed lips and the scent that was all her own, a mixture of chocolate and roses. He looked into her face and noted that her eyes were shut; he stopped the kiss and tipped her chin up so that she would have to look him in the eye. The depth of emotion therein both frightened and warmed her, not knowing that her own eyes reflected the same passion.
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She met him in the shadowy realm of her dreams, his form at one moment clear and focused and the next melding with the mist that obscured him. Rei could sense the purity and innocence that emanated from his soul and at the same time the guilt and sorrow he carried with him. The figure slowly came into view, and Rei gasped as his face was suddenly illuminated by a source less light. "Qua...Quatre? But, you've been gone for twenty years! We thought you were dead, Mina-chan said that you had been killed right in front of her."
"I was, or so she thought. Those who kidnapped me modified her memories so that she no longer remembered me being kidnapped, but rather me screaming for mercy as they stabbed me to death."
Rei began to cry, remembering how they had taken turns watching Minako to make sure she wouldn't attempt to take her own life. She and her brother had been very close, almost inseparable and impossible to tell apart as children, when her hair had been shorter. She didn't tell him how much she had cried herself, thinking that the boy she was crazy about was dead. The man came up behind her and put his arms around her tentatively, and whispered soothing words to her. Presently her sobs subsided and she stepped away from the blonde's comforting embrace.
"Where have you been? I mean, obviously you're not dead, so why haven't you looked for Minako? I assume your memories weren't modified as well." The raven haired woman questioned the blonde in front of her, her eyes betraying all of her true feelings, though she did not realize it. He sighed softly and she looked around her confused, the mist had seemed to solidify and created walls, a fire. The room resembled that of a temple; it was bare, except for a braided mat in the center before the fire. The room seemed familiar and comfortable to her. She decided this would be a good look for her shop.
She took a seat on the floor and he did the same, and while she was getting herself settled he began his emotional story: "Twenty years ago my sister and I were playing outside, when a man and a woman approached us, ostensibly inquiring as to whether our parents were home. My sister, trusting as always, jumped up and ran into the house calling for our parents, while the two strangers asked me a few questions. Then, before I knew what was happening one of them injected me with some clear liquid and carried me away. Before I fell unconscious I saw the interior of a car and I heard someone say 'Drive!' I woke up in a stark white room that resembled a prison cell; I could hear voices outside, and after I listened for a moment I realized they were talking about my sister. I recognized one of the voices as the woman who had kidnapped me, but the other was unfamiliar. The woman was telling the other about how they had brainwashed my sister and made her believe that I had been murdered by a short, spiky-haired man in spandex."
"I remember that," Rei interjected, "there was a trial, and Mina-chan testified, but without evidence or a murder weapon the case was dismissed. The man came to court in black and blue fighting gi, and wore the same thing every day. He looked as though he was going to kill everyone, simply for the crime of breathing, even his lawyer."
Quartre smiled, shakily, and continued, "They came into the room, the woman and the other, and I pretended to sleep. The unknown one--his name was Dimando, I found out later-shook me awake, roughly, and the woman peered at my face asked sweetly, too sweetly, how I was. I didn't cry; I didn't want to show them how scared I was. She brought me some food, and some water, both of which I refused. They didn't notice; they just led me to a large, circular room with mirrors all around. The room was bare except for a metal tube, twice as tall as I am now, which was where they put me. The thing had no windows and no doors it just...absorbed me. Once I was inside I felt some sort of energy pass through me, slowly at first and then quicker and more powerfully, until it felt as though I were filled with evil energy.
"My mind became blank, and it seemed as though everything anyone said echoed inside my head, but never actually registered. I don't fully remember everything that happened, but I do know they trained me to be the perfect assassin, as well as injecting me with carefully regulated amounts of steroids. There was always this voice in the back of my mind, though, that seemed to be saying that this wasn't right; that this mindless killing machine wasn't truly me. It was like there was someone huddled in the dark recesses of my mind, crying at this life that was no life at all and attempting to break free of the energy that commanded me.
"One day, about 5 years I suppose, after they had brought me to The Place-I never knew where I was, I always called it 'The Place'-Lady Une, who was in charge of me, led me to a small room smelling strongly of death. Blood stained the stone walls, the floor and even the ceiling. It was bare except for a lone boy chained to the wall furthest from me. The boy's was hanging; I couldn't see either of his eyes, all I could see was a shock of straight brown hair. Une kicked him and he looked up at her stoically, his eyes, or eye rather you could only see one of his eyes because his long bangs covered the other, accusing. Une's voice echoed in my head, saying over and over that this boy was a threat to the organization, that I must eliminate his threat in order to preserve peace and for the good of my world, the good of my world...and then, suddenly there was a fight in my head as that presence in my head fought the dark energy that pulsed through me. I screamed and raised the gun at the boy who looked at me in surprise. Behind me I could almost feel Lady Une smirk as I pointed the gun towards the prisoner.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: should I end it there? It would be evil of me, wouldn't it? So, I'm going to give you guys the rest of what was originally scribbled down in an old notebook during French ~.^. Enjoy!!
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Flame and Ice
Part B
"Lady Une's gloating visage changed to one of anger as I shot the chains off of the boy's hands, and shock when I turned and pointed the gun straight at her head. I shot her twice, and, if the boy hadn't grabbed me arm, I would have shot her more. I wanted her to pay for what she subjected me to, as well as all the pain she had put my family through. Together the boy and I ran through the maze of hallways: right, left, right, left, left, right, the bright lights and white hallways blurring as we flew through them.
"White coated lab workers streamed out from the doors we passed, and then, finally, I saw a patch of light not cast by electric lamps and I knew we were at the exit. We burst out into the light, the sun's rays momentarily blinding us. Turning quickly I led him down the street, across another and into an alley between two run-down apartment buildings. We heard the security guards move past, but miraculously none looked into the tiny alley where we were hiding; it was as though no one saw it but us. An hour after dawn, when the footsteps had stopped, we made our way into the city. We split up when we reached the main commercial street, since people would not believe that children would separate themselves from a group even if it were safer to be alone and would therefore they would make a search for both of us, not a single child. It began to rain and I started to regret coming into the city because every time a car passed me I was drenched with cold water. I wandered in and out of stores all morning, without a clear plan besides a vague idea of attaching myself to a childless couple. As I was crossing a street I was forced to jump out of the way of an oncoming car and I slipped on the wet pavement and hit my head on the curb.
"I awoke sometime later with a pounding headache and to the unknown sensation of being completely warm and lying on a soft surface. A woman was bending over me, her eyes worried. When she saw I was awake she smiled and asked if I was hungry. Later I found out that she and her husband, Mr. Winner, had found me lying in the street with a concussion. I stayed with them until I was 16, or what they guessed to be sixteen; I had lost all of my memories of my life before the Winners rescued me. I only got them back when I saw you in your shop." Throughout his narrative his head had been bowed, as though he was afraid to look her in the eye, afraid to see the accusation or loathing he feared was there.
"Why did you tell me all of this? And how are you in my dream?"
His shoulders drooped, his fears realized, "I-I don't know, I fell asleep and you were here. As to why I told you this..." I can't tell her I love her she'll hate me even more. "I hoped you would understand, and-it was you who brought my memories back. I guess-I don't know." He stood and turned away, while sobs racked his body. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tell you this..."
"Shhhhhh..." She came up behind him and wound her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. He turned and held her close tears streaming from his eyes as he buried his face in her shoulder. Finally his sobs ceased, and he pulled away from her a little to look into her face. Their eyes locked, violet clashed with blue-green as, almost unknowingly, his face inched closer to hers until their lips were almost meeting.
"Rei...I," he swallowed hard.
"Shut up," she whispered fiercely, and pulled his face to hers. Flavors exploded in his mouth; she was warm...no hot, but her heat was soothing, instead of making him afraid it made him feel...secure, comforted.
The kiss; it wasn't as she had expected, it seemed as though something had taken over his body. She did not know that almost every night his dreams had been of her, a faceless figure at first, then her own beautiful self. His hands pressed upwards though the soft dark waterfall of her hair to cradle the curves of her head...and then she was moving away from him, disappearing into the mist leaving him standing alone holding nothing but hundreds of cherry blossoms.
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Quatre awoke, sweating heavily in his dark room. He carefully reached into his mouth and from between his lips he pulled a cherry blossom petal. "I will find you, my fire dragon," he whispered to himself.
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Usagi sighed and toyed with her pencil, trying to make it seem like she was paying attention to the projects being presented while stifling a yawn. She glanced at Hiiro surreptitiously as the last group finished; he was sitting erect in his chair and was staring straight ahead, although she could tell he wasn't listening either. Finally the group wound up their report and the professor dismissed the class, and Usagi hung back to talk with her about the work she had missed while she had been sick. Smiling she left the classroom, assured
Hiiro was waiting for her when she emerged. Falling into step beside her he began to talk as though picking up a conversation. "So come over to my apartment at 8, I want to show you something." He handed her a slip of paper with an address scribbled on it. He strode away, leaving her standing in the middle of the hall staring after him. Shaking her head she headed towards her car; she was nearly late for work.
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*Author's note. O.K., sorry if you don't like the pairings, but let me EXPLAIN before you start on me with flames. And, because no one ever listens to me, I'll get Quatre-kun in here to tell all about my reasons for this pairing.
Quatre: *Looks around nervously* The author would like me to tell you that she believes myself and Minako look too much alike to date. In her own words 'icky-POO'. And, she is tired of the same old pairings in GW/SM fics. She decided to take some creative liscense. So there. Don't flame her, it was all my fault!!! I'm so sorry, please forgive me!! *Quatre breaks down and cries in a huddled mass on the floor. Trowa comes in and picks Quatre up off of the floor, hugging him and telling him it's going to be all right. They exit right*
I-san again: Well, that was...interesting, remind me to get HIIRO to do this next time, or maybe Wufei...anyway, please review, and email me as well!! Fen_shui@hotmail.com
Ja ne!
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Flame and Ice
Usagi set the small slip of paper down on her coffee table, her hand trembling slightly as she did. Tiny tears appeared at the corners of her eyes when she considered the impact of what the note had said, but she dashed the wetness away impatiently. Ami looked at her suspiciously, but continued getting into her lab coat, "I've had a page from the hospital, they just brought a kid in who's been abused. He's got two broken ribs and a sprained wrist. This could take a while, don't wait up for me." Usagi assured her that she would be fine, and shooed her away impatiently when Ami told her to call her if she needed anything, "Yes, yes, yes, now go! There's a kid with severe injuries with your name on him!" Ami grinned and left, shutting the door quietly behind her.
Slowly Usagi stood up from her rather cramped position on the couch and walked over to the phone, picked it up, and dialed the number from memory. A masculine voice answered, "Yes?" "Mamorou?" she said. "Oh, what is it Usako?" he asked impatiently, "You, know this really isn't a good time to ta-"
"You are going to listen to what I have to say for once, Mamo-baka. First of all, you don't respect me, even though I have made it clear to you that I don't want to be treated as a trophy, you continue to act as though I never have a thought in my head," the man on the other end of the line was shocked into a stunned silence, "Secondly," she continued curtly, "you cheat on me constantly, and don't even bother to deny it. I'm taking control of this relationship, now and I've decided that your not going to boss me around anymore. In fact, this isn't even something I would term a relationship. So, as of now, it isn't one. Goodbye."
The blonde had started to hang up when she heard her boy--ex-boyfriend-say in a low and threatening growl, as though he was grinding his teeth as he said the words, "I don't care what you say, you are mine-remember that." The other line went dead and the girl put the phone down angrily, and then slammed a fist into the wall as though it was the bakayaro ex-boyfriend. She was surprised to see that her blow had left a dent in the wall, and a few paint chips fell onto the floor.
The girl looked at her hand and noticed that it was shaking badly. She took a deep breath to calm her self and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. She yanked open the door of the freezer and was delighted to find it well stocked with ice cream. Ami must've gone to the store, she thought absently, before grabbing a few pints. She sat in front of the television to watch a movie with plenty of senseless violence. She went to bed late and dreamed of guys with short kilts chopping the heads off of lobsters and eating sushi. (A.N. Why is it that whenever Usa dreams it's a premonition? All of my dreams are insane.)
She awoke to the sun slanting through her curtains and falling on her face. Groaning a little she reached for some clothes while silently thanking Ami for not waking her up at her usual un-godly hour. Dressed in a black tank and jeans she went into the kitchen to get something to eat. After pouring some Lucky Charms and milk into an old cracked mixing bowl she went into the living room to find someone sitting on her couch petting Lune, her cat, who was purring happily, Stupid cat, she thought disgustedly.
"Finally, I thought you would never show up," the stranger had stood up, dislodging the black cat who yowled in protest. (A.N. in my fic, Luna is Lune and can't talk. That cat annoyed me anyway.) Feeling justifiably pissed off she asked him why he was in her house and why he had been waiting for her.
The man sighed; obviously he had been hoping for a more hospitable reaction, and explained that his name was Hiiro, he was in her advanced programming course at college and they had been assigned a project together. Since she hadn't been in class that day (she had been ill with a 24-hour virus of some sort. She had lain on the couch while Ami poured soup, ginger ale, and vitamin supplements down her throat and muttering things like, "I told you you should have taken more vitamin C.") he had looked up her name in the college lists and had been trying to call her all morning, but there had been no answer. He had finally given up and come over, after finding her address in the lists, and he wanted to know when she could find time to work on the project.
"Oh," she said when he had finished, "I'm sorry I was so rude, it's been a weird couple of days. Let's see: I have work everyday until 6 after class, but I could meet you after that, or on Sundays. I'm not a big church goer." She grinned sheepishly, a look he did not return. She realized his voice hadn't changed the entire time he was talking to her, and his face had a fake looking polite half-smile painted on. It looked painful. She began to feel afraid of this man, with eyes that held so many secrets, and tried to back away surreptitiously. He noticed, but didn't say anything. After they worked out a time that was good for both of them he said apologetically, "I'm afraid I must run, it was nice talking to you. Ja." He left and closed the door quietly.
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The man in the shadows watched her as she made her way to Makoto's flat; her face alit with anticipation of her friend's cooking. She threaded her way through the throngs of tourists and people returning from shopping, and never saw the dark shadow following her along the packed sidewalks. She eventually reached her destination and headed up into the tall building without hesitation. Once the elevator opened onto her friend's floor the familiar scents of Mako-chan's cooking drifted in to her: garlic, rosemary, olive oil. By the time she got to the door her mouth was watering.
She started to knock confidently, and grinned when Hotaru, Haruka and Michiru's little girl, who could barely reach the doorknob, opened the door as if she had known that Usagi was coming. The composed little child gestured towards the kitchen and said clearly, "Minna-san are in there." She went into the kitchen to find all of her friends helping out with dinner, in different ways. Makoto was checking on her pizzas, Rei and Ami were chopping vegetables for a salad and Minako was pouring wine. Haruka and Michiru were standing to the side; surveying the domestic scene with interest, "It's times like these when I wish I knew my way around a kitchen," Haruka was whispering to the green-haired woman beside her, who nodded in agreement.
When Usagi entered the room everyone looked up and smiled at her. "Late again, odango atama," Rei teased her gently, "maybe if we cut these buns off you'll be on time once in a while." Usagi squealed and implored of her blonde friend, "Mina-chan, she's crazy, isn't this your area of expertise? How would you treat a megalomanical pyromaniac with destructive tendencies?" Rei scowled at her.
"Before Rei kills me, Mako-chan, here's my contribution to the meal. I picked up a loaf of sourdough at your favorite bakery," the blonde handed her friend the bread. "Thanks," Makoto answered, "Alright everyone, out. I need to get everything set up, and I can't while you're in here. Now get!" Everyone scurried out of the kitchen, and they sat in Mako-chan's living room while she set the table.
Usagi told her friends about what had happened with Mamorou and about the man who had visited her, Hiiro. Minako's first question was, of course, was he cute? Everybody was delighted to hear that she had dumped Mamorou-"Finally! I never really liked him anyway..." "He was a loser you deserve better..." "Way to go! Our koneko has got claws, after all..."-she grinned and agreed with them.
"Alright everyone, dig in!" Makoto voice rang out from the kitchen and everyone ran to the table where six pizzas were waiting. All of the girls-especially Usa-dug in with enthusiasm. When they had finished Usagi said that they should do something in honor of Makoto's new catering business. Ami suggested they all play a rousing game of Scrabble and Minako said they should go to a strip club. Everyone voted for the latter, but Haruka and Michiru said they had to take Hotaru home, and that strip clubs weren't their sort of thing anyway. The rest of the girls headed out to find themselves some entertainment.
The club they found themselves in was known as the Ladies' Club; an upscale strip joint, if that's possible. They sat down at a table and ordered drinks, and watched the first act, a bishounen guy who was dressed like a cowboy. All of the girls in the small group proceeded to get blind drunk, except for Ami--who was paged soon after they got there--and before long had lost all their inhibitions along with their sobriety. An few hours later, right after another act finished-a fireman-everyone started to talk about their fantasies.
"So, Mako-chan, you've been quiet, what is your fantasy?" asked Rei, the words coming out a little slurred. "Well," her tall, pony-tailed friend responded, "I always loved those firemen...so brave and shiny..."Makoto trailed off, her eyes glazed. She retired to the bathroom soon afterwords, ostensibly to powder her nose. While she was away Setsuna, usually the sober one of the group, laughingly suggested they get the fireman to hit on Mako-chan as a joke. Everybody agreed and formulated a plan, so that when Makoto emerged from the ladies' room she came face to face with a scantily clad fireman who looked strangely familiar...
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"Duo? Is that really you? What are you doing here? You look great how have you been?" Makoto peered at Duo, who looked as though he were a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming semi, while asking questions relentlessly. "Hey guys, come over here...there is a guy I want you to meet!" Minako needed no further persuasion, and Usagi looked interested, the rest followed the two blondes. "What, Mako-chan, does he look like your ex-boyfriend?" Usagi teased.
"No, he is my ex-boyfriend!" the brunette exclaimed excitedly. The girls just stared.
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The group walked unsteadily towards Makoto's building, singing 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' in off-key tones. Makoto clutched a piece of paper with Duo's number scribbled on it, he had told her to call him so they could give it another shot, he said. Usagi clutched a bag, which contained a heavy crystal shot glass with the words 'So many boys, so little time' scrawled across it in dark blue lettering.
They separated when they got to the tall, light green building where Makoto lived, dispersing with promises to see each other later on that week. Usagi left for her apartment, heading south. "And I said what about 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' she said I think I remember the film and if I recall I think we both kinda liked it..." Usagi sang as she wandered along the quiet street. The moon was only a sliver and shed no light, the only illumination came from the streetlights, whose light glowed in small yellow pools on the deserted sidewalk. She was still singing when she was grabbed and yanked into a small alley. Surprised, she bit her captor's arm, and cursed when they let go and she landed painfully on her bum[1]. She got up slowly, and was met with a punch in the face, as well as a kick to her stomach. She screamed, then doubled over, gasping while blood dripped down her face and trickled from her mouth.
She stood up angrily and something seemed to posses her body. Her forehead glowed and for a moment a golden crescent moon appeared, then faded quickly. She punched the man swathed in shadows, sending him flying backwards into a pile of garbage. He stood up quickly, with banana peels and lettuce clinging to his dark clothing and black hair. Black hair? she wondered for a moment, but quickly forgot about that when the man charged her. She hit him with the glass she was holding, and she saw him wince when it connected with his skull. He snatched the bag out of her hands and threw it against the wall; she heard the glass shatter when it hit the brick. She screamed once more when he hit her, knocking her to the ground, then pinned her. She struggled valiantly, but he was larger than she was and she could feel the air being pushed out of her lungs as he sat on top of her.
Everything was beginning to go black when she felt the weight on top of her being lifted off and air rushed into her deflated lungs. She heard a growl that came from somewhere above her and then her assailant was once again airborne, hitting the wall with a sickening thud. He stood up and blood collected in a pool near his feet. The new arrival rushed towards him, but her attacker ran off into the night, seemingly disappearing into the fog. Her defender stood with his back to her watching the spot where the other had disappeared. "Are you alright?" he asked, without turning to look at her.
"I...I'll be fine, I think," just then a wave of nausea passed through her and she ran behind the dumpster, retching and heaving. Cool hands held the hair from her face and gripped one arm, helping her to keep her balance. "Thanks," she managed to say when she was finished. She looked into the person's face and gasped when she saw who had come her rescue.
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Flame and Ice
Chapter III
"So why were you near there?" Usagi questioned Hiiro, while sitting on her couch. She took another sip of hot chocolate as he said, "My apartment was only a few blocks away; I was heading home when I heard you scream. I got there when he had you pinned," obviously not accustomed to talking so much he fell silent, gazing at his shoes. Her hand trembled slightly and some hot chocolate splashed onto her shirt and the blanket she had wrapped around herself. She looked down and noticed her dirty, torn and blood stained clothing. Blushing, she stood up and, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself, she set the cup carefully on the coffee table. "I'm going to go change," she told him briskly.
"Maybe I should leave," he said, standing up.
"No," she said, quickly, "please don't." She looked at him and he could see the fear that still lurked in her eyes. "Please?" she pleaded, looking up at him through bright blue eyes. He sat back down.
Usagi emerged from her room some time later wearing a white t-shirt and black pajama bottoms. Her hair was down for the night; she had brushed it out and let it hang almost to her knees. The golden strands glowed in the soft lamplight; she had washed all of the blood and dirt from her face and arms. He frowned slightly when she exited her room; the bruises on her face and arms were coming in vividly. His heart gave a twinge when he thought about her being hurt, but he ignored it.
Usagi noticed the frown, and asked him if anything was the matter. He didn't answer, only turned the television on to the local news station. "...And in other news today the three mega-corporations: Peacecraft Foundations, Kushrinada Industries, and OZ Technologies announced that they would be merging to form the new conglomerate TriCom Tech." Hiiro gripped the arm of the couch hard, his knuckles slowly turning white. His brow furrowed in anger and he growled softly when the image of two men and a blonde woman shaking hands and smiling at the camera flashed across the screen. The anchor switched to another story and Hiiro shut the T.V. off angrily.
"Why do you hate them?" Usagi stood in the doorway holding two bowls of ice cream. He didn't answer, only sat looking straight ahead.
"Here." She handed him one of the bowls and sat down next to him. His hand was clenched into a fist and his mouth was set in a hard line, looking as though he was thinking hard. She waved a hand in front of his face and he turned his head to look at her; what she saw in his eyes frightened her, it was as though he had laid open his soul and she could see all of his thoughts. She saw the anger, the fear and the hatred that he held for those people. Then he blinked, and everything was masked once again.
She smiled shakily and said, "I never really thanked you for saving me tonight, I might have died, thank you."
"It was nothing." She fell silent again.
She finished her ice cream in silence and put in a movie from her collection, a romantic comedy that was her favorite. She never finished the movie, however, she ended up falling asleep on Hiiro's shoulder halfway through it.
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She awoke the next morning with her head pillowed on a hard object covered by cloth. When she opened her eyes all she could see was green, and when she tried to sit up she found that she was pinned by what seemed to be a steel band. When she realized the green cloth under her head was actually Hiiro's shirt she was content to lie where she was for the moment. He must have felt her move in his sleep, though, because his arm tightened, as though he was unwilling to let his 'blanket' leave. Suddenly he rolled over so that he was on top of her, his head now rested on hers and she could hear that he was making small kittenish noises in the back of his throat. She found herself studying his face, in sleep he seemed to lose the brave front he usually wore and seemed almost vulnerable. His hair was in disarray and she had an almost uncontrollable urge to run her hand through the spiky brown tangle. She didn't, but it took quite a lot of her self-control not to.
She was loath to wake him from his peaceful slumber, but she had begun to feel the effects of the large amount of alcohol she had consumed the previous evening and she wanted to take a shower.
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In his dreams Hiiro felt the warmth he was embracing move and try to leave him. He held the heat closer; it couldn't leave, he needed it too badly. He rolled over to pin the warmth to him and it quieted again. Satisfied, he attempted to go back to oblivion, when a voice penetrated his dreams and he heard someone say softly, "It's not that I'm not enjoying this, Hiiro, but I have to go to the bathroom." His eyes flew open and he saw that he was lying on top of Usagi, who, for her part, was grinning widely, managing to look both evil and cute at the same time, somehow. The fear from last night had been completely banished from her eyes, and he was amazed at how clear they were. She wore her heart on her sleeve for the entire world to see.
It would be so easy to fall in love with her, one only has to look in her eyes and she could wrap you around her little finger, with her not even realizing she was doing it. It must be quite simple to manipulate her; she treats everyone nicely and expects the world to return the favor.
He shook his head, having realized that he was staring at her, and got off of her quickly; she smiled at him and withdrew to the bathroom. When she came out Hiiro was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. She smiled lopsidedly and offered him some breakfast. "No, thank you, we should get to the library. Seeing as its already 8." She grinned.
"Lead the way."
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"Alright, where do you think we should start?" she asked, once they were positioned at a small quiet table in a corner of the library. "I don't know, maybe-"
"Who is he, Usako?" Usagi stiffened; only one person called her that. "Well? I asked you a question! Who is he?" Mamorou stood behind her, his eyes glinting coldly. Hiiro's eyes narrowed, a bruise was just visible on the man's cheek, exactly on the place where he had punched Usagi's attacker last night.
Hiiro saw how Usagi seemed to shrink away from this man and his anger that created an almost visible dark aura around his body. He decided to get rid of this 'Mamorou'; he grabbed Usagi by the shoulders, forcing her to face him and looked deep into her eyes, Play along his eyes ordered. He pulled her head to his own and kissed her passionately, she was so surprised she gasped and he used the opportunity to slip his tongue between her lips. Her eyes widened in shock, but understanding dawned on her when she saw her ex-boyfriend seething. She relaxed, savoring the feel of his lips pulling at hers, feeling her body melt into his for a sweet moment that seemed to last forever. She knew that by now Mamorou must be seeing red.
Hiiro stopped the kiss and looked straight into the eyes of the older man, "I'm her boyfriend," he said shortly. Mamorou growled and grabbed Hiiro by the front of his shirt, hauling him up roughly, said: "No one takes what's mine by right away from me! You're going to pay for that!"
So saying he drove his fist directly into Hiiro's face and let him go at the same time so that Hiiro fell to the floor, bleeding from his split lip. He stood up, slowly, wiping blood away with distaste. "Well, that wasn't very nice. Apparently your mother never bothered to teach you manners. I guess I'm going to have to do the honors, then." He kneed Mamorou in a *very* sensitive area, following that up with a punch in the gut and another to the right eye. He grabbed the black haired man's arm and twisted it behind his back, and whispered in his ear so that Usagi couldn't hear, "And if you *ever* try something like what you did to her last night again, I'll kill you." He said it simply and without feeling; it wasn't a threat, just a plain statement of a fact, and he fully meant to carry it out if need be. The other man's eyes widened, but he had the sense remained silent. Hiiro released his hold and Mamorou stalked away, fuming and rubbing his arm. Hiiro sighed, "Ready to get to work?" he asked. She nodded.
He walked her to her apartment a few hours later, surprised, although he didn't show it of course, by how much work they had been able to get done. She's actually very intelligent, once she was focused we moved pretty fast, faster than I would have expected actually. When they reached the door to her flat[1] she reached up and kissed him lightly on the lips, and when she pulled away she was grinning mischievously. "What was that for?" he demanded. "Well, you did say you were my boyfriend." She winked and went into her apartment and shut the door softly.
He yanked the door open and said heatedly, "Meet me at The Metro at seven." He slammed the door shut again.
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A girl stood before a large window, waiting for her companion to arrive. She heard the door open and said, "Operative Chiba is not accomplishing as much as we had hoped." A deep voice answered her, "I expected as much...shall we dispatch him then?" "Not as of now, he may yet surprise us." "Perhaps."
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"This is *not* a date. I needed to bring you to a public place so that no one gets suspicious. You're being followed, and what happened last night was a botched kidnapping. Obviously they did not expect you to put up as much of a fight as you did, or they would have sent more people. I believe the person who attacked you last night is still following you, and I think he is that man we saw in the library today. Who was that?" Usagi looked away, her eyes frightened, "My ex-boyfriend, Chiba Mamorou," she whispered.
Later on, after Usagi had eaten her way through several plates of food and even she was beginning to slow, Hiiro asked her why she was so afraid of him. "Well," she began, "I met him when I was fourteen, and he was eighteen. It all seemed like a fairy tale at first, like he was my prince or something like that; then he...changed. Once, I was late for a date, and later that evening he hit me, and said that if I wasn't on time next time it would be worse. I told everyone I had walked into a cabinet in the dark, I'm always doing things like that." She stopped for a moment, but something in his eyes made her want to tell him everything, "He began to drink heavily, and my friends told me I should leave him, but I kept telling them that he still loved me, and I believed it too, at first. I've seen him with other women, older than me, and when I asked him about them he would laugh and tell me I was just a child, what would I know. He never bothered to deny it; it was as though he didn't even care that I knew, and that's when I began to see how little I meant to him." She took a shuddering breath, eyes clouded as she gazed past Hiiro at some vague point just beyond his head, reliving everything as she told him about it.
"Then, when I was seventeen, he raped me. He invited me over, and, being the naïve girl that I was, I was ecstatic. He was drunk when he answered the door, and he pulled me into his apartment. He kept raving incoherently and calling me things like tease and prudy bitch. I didn't understand until he knocked me to the floor; as I was lying there he kicked me and told me to get up again. He broke one of my ribs, and when I was nearly unconscious he slapped me to bring me around again. He said he wanted me awake, then picked me up off the floor and carried me to his room, grinning madly. I tried to fight him, but he was stronger than me and I was defenseless. When it was all over he left, he just put his pants back on and left, leaving me crying on the bed, covered in blood and bruises. I'd never felt more alone than I did then, I felt abandoned by a God I thought I knew and a man who had already let me down so may times...I never told my friends about what he had done to me, and for some reason I blamed myself, I thought that I brought it on myself and I shouldn't complain to anyone, I guess. I went back to him, you know, and he apologized, citing his drunkenness as the reason for his behavior, and he was even nice to me for a while afterwords. Maybe he was even really sorry, but I doubt that." some unknown emotion flashed in her dark companion's eyes, scaring her until she realized it wasn't directed at her, but rather at Mamorou.
"Look, I really shouldn't have told you all of this," she got up to leave and he rose as well, "how much do I owe for dinner?"
"No, it was my treat." She thanked him and extended a hand for him to shake, tears standing in her eyes. He took it and pulled her to him, putting his arms around her and rocking her back and forth as she let the tears flow onto his warm shoulder. He held her tightly and whispered words of endearment she couldn't hear while she cried, unmindful of the spectacle they made.
"Shhh...its ok. You know you were too good for him, you're so beautiful and strong and kind; you were wasted on that creep. It's alright, I'll keep you safe now..." She didn't hear him, her sobs were too loud in her own ears, but she was comforted by the feel of his warm arms around her and she felt safe.
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He carried her to his apartment that night, kissing away the tears that still lingered on her face and feeling overwhelmed by this strange new emotion. He set her down on his sofa, and laughed when Usagi threw a barrage of pillows at him and then danced away when he threw them back. He picked up and pillow and hit her with it, gently, and barely ducked a cushion that flew at his head in return. She picked up her own pillow and attacked him with it mercilessly, only stopping when he managed to pin her on the living room rug by sitting on her, one hand holding her wrists above her hand and the other tickling her until she was laughing so hard she could hardly breathe. "Oh...stop, Hiiro, I can't take it!" she managed to gasp out.
"I don't see why I should, you seem to be enjoying yourself," he teased, smiling when she squirmed frantically.
He stopped, finally, and let his hand wander to the top of her head, gently undoing the twin buns that she habitually wore her hair in and allowed the shimmering golden strands to pool around her head. He brushed a couple of strands of hair away from her face gently and placed his free hand on the floor next to her head, lowering his body until he was leaning over her, his lips inches from hers. He was breathing in short breaths, and his eyes were lit with an inner fire. He lowered his face to hers and caught her lips passionately, his weight pressing her into the soft carpet as he released her arms, and she looped them around his neck. He pulled away and smiled at the soft noise of protest she made when he did, begging him to kiss her again. He complied, capturing her lips more softly this time, drinking in the taste of her soft honeyed lips and the scent that was all her own, a mixture of chocolate and roses. He looked into her face and noted that her eyes were shut; he stopped the kiss and tipped her chin up so that she would have to look him in the eye. The depth of emotion therein both frightened and warmed her, not knowing that her own eyes reflected the same passion.
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She met him in the shadowy realm of her dreams, his form at one moment clear and focused and the next melding with the mist that obscured him. Rei could sense the purity and innocence that emanated from his soul and at the same time the guilt and sorrow he carried with him. The figure slowly came into view, and Rei gasped as his face was suddenly illuminated by a source less light. "Qua...Quatre? But, you've been gone for twenty years! We thought you were dead, Mina-chan said that you had been killed right in front of her."
"I was, or so she thought. Those who kidnapped me modified her memories so that she no longer remembered me being kidnapped, but rather me screaming for mercy as they stabbed me to death."
Rei began to cry, remembering how they had taken turns watching Minako to make sure she wouldn't attempt to take her own life. She and her brother had been very close, almost inseparable and impossible to tell apart as children, when her hair had been shorter. She didn't tell him how much she had cried herself, thinking that the boy she was crazy about was dead. The man came up behind her and put his arms around her tentatively, and whispered soothing words to her. Presently her sobs subsided and she stepped away from the blonde's comforting embrace.
"Where have you been? I mean, obviously you're not dead, so why haven't you looked for Minako? I assume your memories weren't modified as well." The raven haired woman questioned the blonde in front of her, her eyes betraying all of her true feelings, though she did not realize it. He sighed softly and she looked around her confused, the mist had seemed to solidify and created walls, a fire. The room resembled that of a temple; it was bare, except for a braided mat in the center before the fire. The room seemed familiar and comfortable to her. She decided this would be a good look for her shop.
She took a seat on the floor and he did the same, and while she was getting herself settled he began his emotional story: "Twenty years ago my sister and I were playing outside, when a man and a woman approached us, ostensibly inquiring as to whether our parents were home. My sister, trusting as always, jumped up and ran into the house calling for our parents, while the two strangers asked me a few questions. Then, before I knew what was happening one of them injected me with some clear liquid and carried me away. Before I fell unconscious I saw the interior of a car and I heard someone say 'Drive!' I woke up in a stark white room that resembled a prison cell; I could hear voices outside, and after I listened for a moment I realized they were talking about my sister. I recognized one of the voices as the woman who had kidnapped me, but the other was unfamiliar. The woman was telling the other about how they had brainwashed my sister and made her believe that I had been murdered by a short, spiky-haired man in spandex."
"I remember that," Rei interjected, "there was a trial, and Mina-chan testified, but without evidence or a murder weapon the case was dismissed. The man came to court in black and blue fighting gi, and wore the same thing every day. He looked as though he was going to kill everyone, simply for the crime of breathing, even his lawyer."
Quartre smiled, shakily, and continued, "They came into the room, the woman and the other, and I pretended to sleep. The unknown one--his name was Dimando, I found out later-shook me awake, roughly, and the woman peered at my face asked sweetly, too sweetly, how I was. I didn't cry; I didn't want to show them how scared I was. She brought me some food, and some water, both of which I refused. They didn't notice; they just led me to a large, circular room with mirrors all around. The room was bare except for a metal tube, twice as tall as I am now, which was where they put me. The thing had no windows and no doors it just...absorbed me. Once I was inside I felt some sort of energy pass through me, slowly at first and then quicker and more powerfully, until it felt as though I were filled with evil energy.
"My mind became blank, and it seemed as though everything anyone said echoed inside my head, but never actually registered. I don't fully remember everything that happened, but I do know they trained me to be the perfect assassin, as well as injecting me with carefully regulated amounts of steroids. There was always this voice in the back of my mind, though, that seemed to be saying that this wasn't right; that this mindless killing machine wasn't truly me. It was like there was someone huddled in the dark recesses of my mind, crying at this life that was no life at all and attempting to break free of the energy that commanded me.
"One day, about 5 years I suppose, after they had brought me to The Place-I never knew where I was, I always called it 'The Place'-Lady Une, who was in charge of me, led me to a small room smelling strongly of death. Blood stained the stone walls, the floor and even the ceiling. It was bare except for a lone boy chained to the wall furthest from me. The boy's was hanging; I couldn't see either of his eyes, all I could see was a shock of straight brown hair. Une kicked him and he looked up at her stoically, his eyes, or eye rather you could only see one of his eyes because his long bangs covered the other, accusing. Une's voice echoed in my head, saying over and over that this boy was a threat to the organization, that I must eliminate his threat in order to preserve peace and for the good of my world, the good of my world...and then, suddenly there was a fight in my head as that presence in my head fought the dark energy that pulsed through me. I screamed and raised the gun at the boy who looked at me in surprise. Behind me I could almost feel Lady Une smirk as I pointed the gun towards the prisoner.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: should I end it there? It would be evil of me, wouldn't it? So, I'm going to give you guys the rest of what was originally scribbled down in an old notebook during French ~.^. Enjoy!!
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Flame and Ice
Part B
"Lady Une's gloating visage changed to one of anger as I shot the chains off of the boy's hands, and shock when I turned and pointed the gun straight at her head. I shot her twice, and, if the boy hadn't grabbed me arm, I would have shot her more. I wanted her to pay for what she subjected me to, as well as all the pain she had put my family through. Together the boy and I ran through the maze of hallways: right, left, right, left, left, right, the bright lights and white hallways blurring as we flew through them.
"White coated lab workers streamed out from the doors we passed, and then, finally, I saw a patch of light not cast by electric lamps and I knew we were at the exit. We burst out into the light, the sun's rays momentarily blinding us. Turning quickly I led him down the street, across another and into an alley between two run-down apartment buildings. We heard the security guards move past, but miraculously none looked into the tiny alley where we were hiding; it was as though no one saw it but us. An hour after dawn, when the footsteps had stopped, we made our way into the city. We split up when we reached the main commercial street, since people would not believe that children would separate themselves from a group even if it were safer to be alone and would therefore they would make a search for both of us, not a single child. It began to rain and I started to regret coming into the city because every time a car passed me I was drenched with cold water. I wandered in and out of stores all morning, without a clear plan besides a vague idea of attaching myself to a childless couple. As I was crossing a street I was forced to jump out of the way of an oncoming car and I slipped on the wet pavement and hit my head on the curb.
"I awoke sometime later with a pounding headache and to the unknown sensation of being completely warm and lying on a soft surface. A woman was bending over me, her eyes worried. When she saw I was awake she smiled and asked if I was hungry. Later I found out that she and her husband, Mr. Winner, had found me lying in the street with a concussion. I stayed with them until I was 16, or what they guessed to be sixteen; I had lost all of my memories of my life before the Winners rescued me. I only got them back when I saw you in your shop." Throughout his narrative his head had been bowed, as though he was afraid to look her in the eye, afraid to see the accusation or loathing he feared was there.
"Why did you tell me all of this? And how are you in my dream?"
His shoulders drooped, his fears realized, "I-I don't know, I fell asleep and you were here. As to why I told you this..." I can't tell her I love her she'll hate me even more. "I hoped you would understand, and-it was you who brought my memories back. I guess-I don't know." He stood and turned away, while sobs racked his body. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tell you this..."
"Shhhhhh..." She came up behind him and wound her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. He turned and held her close tears streaming from his eyes as he buried his face in her shoulder. Finally his sobs ceased, and he pulled away from her a little to look into her face. Their eyes locked, violet clashed with blue-green as, almost unknowingly, his face inched closer to hers until their lips were almost meeting.
"Rei...I," he swallowed hard.
"Shut up," she whispered fiercely, and pulled his face to hers. Flavors exploded in his mouth; she was warm...no hot, but her heat was soothing, instead of making him afraid it made him feel...secure, comforted.
The kiss; it wasn't as she had expected, it seemed as though something had taken over his body. She did not know that almost every night his dreams had been of her, a faceless figure at first, then her own beautiful self. His hands pressed upwards though the soft dark waterfall of her hair to cradle the curves of her head...and then she was moving away from him, disappearing into the mist leaving him standing alone holding nothing but hundreds of cherry blossoms.
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Quatre awoke, sweating heavily in his dark room. He carefully reached into his mouth and from between his lips he pulled a cherry blossom petal. "I will find you, my fire dragon," he whispered to himself.
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Usagi sighed and toyed with her pencil, trying to make it seem like she was paying attention to the projects being presented while stifling a yawn. She glanced at Hiiro surreptitiously as the last group finished; he was sitting erect in his chair and was staring straight ahead, although she could tell he wasn't listening either. Finally the group wound up their report and the professor dismissed the class, and Usagi hung back to talk with her about the work she had missed while she had been sick. Smiling she left the classroom, assured
Hiiro was waiting for her when she emerged. Falling into step beside her he began to talk as though picking up a conversation. "So come over to my apartment at 8, I want to show you something." He handed her a slip of paper with an address scribbled on it. He strode away, leaving her standing in the middle of the hall staring after him. Shaking her head she headed towards her car; she was nearly late for work.
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*Author's note. O.K., sorry if you don't like the pairings, but let me EXPLAIN before you start on me with flames. And, because no one ever listens to me, I'll get Quatre-kun in here to tell all about my reasons for this pairing.
Quatre: *Looks around nervously* The author would like me to tell you that she believes myself and Minako look too much alike to date. In her own words 'icky-POO'. And, she is tired of the same old pairings in GW/SM fics. She decided to take some creative liscense. So there. Don't flame her, it was all my fault!!! I'm so sorry, please forgive me!! *Quatre breaks down and cries in a huddled mass on the floor. Trowa comes in and picks Quatre up off of the floor, hugging him and telling him it's going to be all right. They exit right*
I-san again: Well, that was...interesting, remind me to get HIIRO to do this next time, or maybe Wufei...anyway, please review, and email me as well!! Fen_shui@hotmail.com
Ja ne!