Pretty Hate Machine
Author's notes: Just read it, that's all I can say. And, this is a public apology to all of my readers who always are so excited to see Relena bashing. Well, this is not one of those stories. I am opening up my one-tracked mind to see what it's like to write 1xR. But let it be known, that I will be puking every couple of minutes or so. And, this story will span in chapters. 3 to be exact. =)
Rating: PG
And, I would like to introduce my muse, Northstar. She gave me some pretty good ideas for this story…
Northstar: I want sap! Sap, sap, sappy!
Black Crowe: Alright ALRIGHT! If sap is what ya want, then sap is what you'll get!
Northstar: And, throw in some angst at the end, that's always nice.
Black Crowe: Fine…Sap and angst. Anything else?!
Northstar: I'm so NOT proud of you! Writing a 1xR story…I shall burn in hell for this.
Black Crowe: Eh, it's not so bad. You'll see.
~*~*~
"Roses?! For me?!" Relena gasped, and took them from her butler's hand. She flushed with excitement! Who could have sent her roses? Most likely one of her many fans. She ripped open the card, and nearly fainted. That name…the name of the one person she loved. The name of the person she will always love: Heero Yuy.
Meanwhile, at a safe house, Heero was busy typing away. He was sending an email to Relena, and for the first time in his life, he felt like he was doing something good. Something right. He smiled to himself, and could hardly wait to see her for their date that afternoon.
Duo marched into the room, and his jaw hit the floor.
"Wait, wait a minute! What the…wait, whoah, what the hell is going on?!" Duo asked, stumbling over every word in the sentence. His eyes bugged out when he saw the email Heero was writing, and Heero shoved him back.
"Get out." Heero ordered, still typing.
"I thought you hated her! Wait… 'Affectionately Yours Heero'??! Why the hell are you putting that at the end of the email?!" Duo asked, his voice high and shrilly.
"Because I'm tired of not having any emotions. I'm tired of not having someone. And, Relena has always been there. I feel that I owe her something." Heero replied.
"Hate. You know that hate is an emotion right?" Duo asked, feeling dazed from Heero's confession.
"But it's not the right emotion. I want to know what it's like to love someone." Heero whispered quietly.
"You love Wing! Shouldn't that be enough?!" Duo asked.
Heero shook his head. "You wouldn't understand. Could you go now? I have to get ready."
Duo had a dumbfounded and sad look on his face, but he nodded, and did as Heero asked.
'He loves Relena? How could that be?' Duo thought, as he walked down the hallway to where the other pilots were sitting.
'Why am I so upset? This really shouldn't bother me, because I don't like Heero that way. Do I?'
In his saddened state, Duo ran into the wall. That brought forth manic laughter from Wufei, but Quatre and Trowa looked worried. Duo looked like he was ran over by a truck, kicked in the groin, and then some.
"What's the matter Duo?" Quatre asked. Suddenly, the door bell rang.
"That's the matter!" Duo accused, and stormed to answer the door. He about ripped it off the hinges.
"Oh hi Duo. Is Heero ready?" Relena asked sweetly. Duo suddenly felt sick. Relena saw Quatre and Trowa, and smiled at them also. Duo also noticed that she was wearing a long beige flowy-looking skirt, and a navy blue hunt coat.
'What the hell is she wearing? And hey! How does Relena know where we are? Don't tell me that Heero told her!?! Shit!'
Duo suddenly pushed Relena outside, and followed her quickly, slamming the door.
"Why are you here?!" Duo asked, his voice deadly enough even to scare Wufei. But not Relena. She just smiled, happy as ever. But, her voice would suggest otherwise.
"Get over it Duo! I know you like him, and you're just jealous!" Relena accused.
"Wait a minute! You and I both know I don't swing that way, and why would I be jealous of you!? I'm just here to inform you that we Pilots, we have jobs. You do know that right? They're called missions?" Duo said, not finished yet, but found himself interrupted by Relena.
"I know what a mission is!" She snapped. "And I know this is you're safe house. But, Heero trusts me. Heero loves me, and you can't do anything to change that!" She said, and raised her chin in triumph. Duo suddenly turned green.
Heero walked out the door a few minutes later, in beige breeches and a black hunt coat.
"Ready…honey?" Heero asked, and gave a look of disdain toward Duo.
"Of course dear." Relena replied, and linked arms with Heero.
"Just where do you think you two are going?!" Duo asked.
"Horseback riding in the park." Relena called over her shoulder.
"Heero! You do know that you are jeopardizing the mission?!"
"Hn. Ill see you when I get back." Heero said, and Duo watched them leave.
With a heavy sigh, Duo went back in the safe house.
"Injustice?! Was that Relena Peacecraft I just saw?!" Wufei demanded.
"Yes…now what was she doing here?" Quatre asked.
In his best mocking voice of Relena, Duo replied: "'They're going horseback riding. Together. In 'the' park.'"
"Ugh." Trowa replied, shaking his head and grimacing.
"What has gotten into Heero?" Quatre asked.
Duo shrugged. "Im not sure, but Im going to get to the bottom of it!"
~*~*~
Meanwhile, Heero and Relena were at a local riding stable, where they got to choose their mounts.
Relena chose an older dapple gray gelding, who had plenty of miles under him. He was very calm and reliable, and Relena led him off to a groom who would saddle the horse.
Heero, on the other hand, chose a lively buckskin mare who tried to take his arm off as he pet her.
"Oh no Heero! That wont do! You need a kind horse!" Relena said, obviously disapproving of the mare. Heero just shrugged.
"I like her spirit. I'll ride her." Heero said, then led the mare out of the stall.
"Ok Heero. Whatever you want is fine with me." Relena said, smiling. Heero just nodded. He began to saddle the mare, and Relena shrieked.
"What is it?" Heero asked.
"You cannot saddle that horse! That is what grooms are for!" Relena said, completely horrified that Heero was saddling the mare himself.
"Relena, it's good not to depend on other people. Besides, I would rather depend on myself than some hired help." Heero said, and quickly mounted. Relena gasped, then ran over to her horse. She required help, since she was riding side saddle. Heero sighed, and urged the mare to walk towards Relena and her horse.
After Relena was mounted and had the reins in a firm grip, the two rode off towards the park.
"Im so glad that you love me." Relena said, smiling with glee at Heero.
"Hn. So am I." He replied, and tightened his hold on the reins. He urged his mount into a canter, and the mare tossed her head, but quickly obliged and moved at a faster gait.
Heero loved the feel of the wind against his face, and the feel of his mounts black mane getting tangled in his fingers. He slowly turned his head to look back, and saw that Relena was having difficulty with her horse. The supposed 'reliable' one. The old gelding was rather temperamental, and kept bucking every time Relena tried to get him to canter.
"Heeeeeeerrrrrrroooooooo!" Relena shrieked, as the gelding finally complied and took off at full speed. Heero laughed, then got a look of determination on his handsome face. He wheeled his mare around, who reared slightly, then took off after Relena and her horse. His mount needed no urging, and she sped up on her own accord.
Heero and his mount began to inch up on Relena and her runaway horse, and Heero noticed that she let go of the reins in her state of panic. Relena was screaming and waving her hands wildly in the air, and Heero began to laugh again.
He suddenly urged his mount faster, and the little mare found more speed within her weary legs and surged past the screaming Relena. Heero quickly stopped his mount in the oncoming path of Relena's horse, and the horse did exactly what Heero hoped. Stop.
But, Heero did fail to realize that Relena would go flying. Which she did. She landed in a heap of grass and dead leaves, and finally skidded to a stop near a tree. Heero tried to not to laugh, and instead, focused his attention on the gray gelding, who was lifting his front leg in discomfort.
Heero quickly dismounted, and noticed the gelding lost his shoe. They would have to walk the horse back to the stables so they wouldn't tear up the tender hoof. Relena managed to get up on her own, and quickly took the reins of her horse and began to walk away.
"Relena? Are you alright?" Heero called after her, and took the reins of his mount and ran after her.
"Just fine! No thanks to you!" Relena spat, and continued to walk.
"Im sorry…but your horse was hurt! I think the welfare of an animal is a little more important. They cant tell us what is wrong with them." Heero said, a look of hurt on his face.
Relena suddenly felt terrible.
"Oh Heero! Im so sorry!" She threw her arms around his neck, and held him.
"Not only are you handsome and you love me, but you care about animals too!" Relena cried, and hugged him again.
Heero just nodded, and he pulled away from her. He pushed a few wild strands of hair away from her face and behind her ear.
"You look so pretty today." Heero said softly, and cupped her cheek with his hand and kissed her tenderly.
Relena began to cry again, and she took Heero's hand.
"Come on," She said between sobs, "We have dinner reservations that we cannot miss."
~*~*~
-Black Crowe
Oh Lord, strike me dead right now! I cannot believe I just wrote all that! But I would continue to read this story if I were you. Trust me, I won't disappoint.
