Unexpected Romance
By: Steve Jester
Notes Disclaimers and bullshit: Ok, I return to the MK fandom with a very interesting fic, hope you like. I have yet to obtain any copyrights so I have no ownership in Megami Kouhosei. (Although that may change as I am writing a novel, but me owning Megami Kouhosei? Never!)
Zero walked around the corridors of GOA solemnly and alone. He did this once and a while, to think about life. The topic of tonight's stroll was love.
Why can't I stop think about her?
Zero asked himself. I mean, there are a lot of girls here at GOA, why do I all of a sudden feel attracted to her? Every time she's even close to Hiead I want to protect her, I want to hold her and tell her it will be ok. I know that Kizna tells her that, but I want her to hear that from me. Ikhny deserves better than that slime ball. One time I thought I saw a bruise on her cheek, I knew Hiead gave it to her. She covered it up though, there was enough makeup on her face so no one noticed. No one, but me. Kizna didn't even notice until I told her, and she's supposed to be her best friend! She noticed that I pay a lot of attention to Ikhny. I told her it was nothing but she gave me that grin of hers, like she knew. I'm going to have to talk to someone, even Kizna at this point! I don't want to risk her telling Ikhny, but I think I have no choice; keeping this inside is starting to affect my performance. Zero finally found himself back in front of his dormitory door. I'll talk to Kizna in the morning, when I'm actually awake! He thought before heading inside and going to sleep.The next morning the repairers woke up around 7:30, no classes being scheduled for the day. Ikhny was the first to get up. She looked around to see if anyone else was awake. Finding that everyone else was still asleep she head for the shower. Ahh, that feels good. She thought as the warm beads of water splashed onto her skin. She looked at her arm, another bruise was forming. Why does Hiead have to be so cold? I think he does it to beat the love out of me. Does he actually think I love him? If he does he needs a few days in the infirmary. Ah well, I need to make sure no one sees this. Good thing my uniform covers my entire arm. Wait! There's no classes today! Do I have any long-sleeved T-shirts? Ah wait, there's one in my drawer. I wonder if Zero and Kizna are going to the relaxation room today? They seem to get along quite well. They say that they're just friends but I still can't help but be a little jealous. Kizna has the partner I dreamed of, nice, funny, good looking. I have Hiead. The most arrogant, abusive son of a bitch living on GOA. I just whish Zero would notice me more! Ikhny finished her shower and went back to get dressed. After a while the other girls started to wake up. Kizna was the first to wake up out of the rest of them. She looked over to Ikhny who was sliding a long-sleeved T-shirt over herself. Before the shirt fully covered Ikhny's body Kizna noticed a large bruise on her back. Ikhny turned around and saw Kizna, "Ah! Kizna! I didn't know you were awake!"
"Ikhny, let me get dressed," Kizna said sounding very annoyed, "Then you and I need to have a long chat."
Ikhny gulped, Did she just see my back? Oh man! Kizna hurriedly got dressed in her T-shirt and shorts. "I'm sure you don't want Saki to hear this," Kizna said.
"If it's about my back I got that…"
"And what about the bruise on your cheek?" Kizna hissed, "Trust me Ikhny, you don't want anyone but you and me hearing some of the conversation you and I are about to have."
Ikhny sighed, "Ok, where to?"
"Relaxation room," Kizna said, "there's not a lot of people there at this time of day."
The two repairers sat under a tree in the Relaxation Room. Kizna looked over to her friend, a unhappy look spread over the cat-eared repairer. "Ikhny, who gave you the bruise?"
Ikhny sighed, she knew Kizna wasn't going to like what she was about to hear, "Hiead." Ikhny looked away from her peeved friend.
"Ikhny look at me," Kizna said making Ikhny look at her, "I thought you said you were going to stand up to…"
"An do you think it's that easy?!" Ikhny yelled, "It's easy for you to say that because you have a partner that actually listens to you! I have Hiead! Hiead's nothing like Zero! Zero would understand me!" Ikhny, having yelled herself horse, ran out of the Relaxation Room like a bat out of hell.
"Ikhny!" Kizna called after her friend with no avail. She decided to head back to the dorm to see if Saki was awake.
Zero and the other pilot candidates woke up around 8:00 and went for breakfast. As Zero sat down with his tray of food the girls minus Ikhny sat down at their table, "Hey, where's Ikhny?" Zero asked.
Kizna looked off into the distance, "I said something I shouldn't have."
Saki put her arm around the cat-eared repairer, "It's ok girl. If it was me or Wrecka or Tukasa we probably would have said something along those lines."
"What exactly did you say Kizna?" Clay asked politely, yet with the air of a trained psychologist.
Kizna sighed, "When I woke up this morning Ikhny was getting dressed. As she was putting on her shirt I noticed a huge bruise on her back. I took her to the Relaxation Room and asked her about it. Then she went off on me! Saying that Hiead would never listen like you would Zero. That you would understand."
Zero's eyes flared with anger, "Where's the bastard?" Zero said, "I ought to kill him!"
Clay pulled him back to his seat, "Zero, not on our day off!"
Yamagi watched the scene unfolding before him, and something clicked. "Hey Zero," he said very casually, "why you so concerned about Ikhny all of a sudden? She's not your repairer."
Zero's face turned a bit red but he recovered, "She's a friend of Kizna's, so she's my friend too."
Wrecka caught on, "You that you have no feelings for Ikhny what so ever?" Her face curled into a cute smile.
Zero fought to keep his blush under control, "Well, I have a little…"
"Rei 'Zero' Enna don't deny it!" Clay said, "When I woke this morning, you were moaning her name in your sleep!"
Wrecka smiled again, "Zero, I can read your facial expression like an open book. You're head over heels in love with her!"
Zero's blush was at it's peak, "Ok," he said, "I love her all right!"
Kizna threw her arms around her partner, "There, that feel better now that you got it off your chest?"
"Problem Kizna," Tukasa said, "he still has to tell Ikhny."
"If I were Zero I wouldn't worry about it," Roose said as he ate another bite of his breakfast,
"Sound like Ikhny is in the same boat."
Clay nodded in agreement, "If she thinks that Zero would understand her predicament with Hiead better than Kizna, then she has something hidden under that veil of shyness."
Kizna nodded. Zero looked at the friends gathered, and noticed something, "Wait a second, didn't Hiead follow us down here?" He asked Clay.
"Yea, I wonder where Hiead is?" Clay said.
Zero got up, "I'm going to find Ikhny, talk her down."
"Good luck Romeo!" Yamagi called out as Zero left the table.
Ikhny sat in the observatory, staring at Zion. It's beautiful, just like him. She just looked at the celestial orb, until she heard a sound. She turned around tto see a figure cloaked in the darkness of the room, "Who's there?"
She got her answer as the was thrown against the cold glass. The glass was made so it wouldn't shatter but it wasn't heated at all; the full affect of the coldness of space chilling the fragile repairer's shoulders. "Someone saw you!" the cold voice belonging to Hiead hissed, "I've been asked by Hijikata if I've hurt you. I said that I haven't and you better stick to that…"
"Hiead let go of her!" a voice called in the distance. Hiead was immediately tackled to the ground by a blur of brown hair dressed in pants and a T-shirt. "So this is how you treat your repairer! Why do you want to hurt her? Is it because you think she's no good? Is because you think she's inferior?" Zero kept his cool and didn't hit Hiead, just stood over him. Ikhny watched in a stunned silence.
"Candidates!" a commanding voice boomed across the observatory. The Candidates, Hiead having to stand first, snapped to attention as Azuma Hijikata stood in front of them. "What went on here?"
Ikhny stepped forward, "Sir, I was sitting here looking at Zion…"
"Say anything Allecto and you're…"
"Candidate 87! I suggest you keep quiet!" Azuma said shutting the mouth of a pissed Hiead. "Now, Ikhny, as you saying."
"Sir, like I said, I was sitting here looking at Zion when I heard footsteps. I turned and asked who it was. Then I was shoved against the glass. It was Hiead. He told me that you asked if he was abusing me. Told me to say that I wasn't being abused. Then Zero came in and tackled Hiead off of me." Ikhny finished her statement and went back to the small line in front of Hijikata.
Azuma looked over the candidates assembled in front of him, "Is this true?" He asked generally. All the candidates nodded their head. "Ikhny, do you have any bruises caused by your partner, I need to know."
Ikhny stepped forward again, "Yes, but some I will not show…"
"You don't need to show any, I just need to know that thank you." Azuma walked over to Hiead, "Be lucky I'm not expelling you. 15 days solitary confinement, one month kitchen duty, and a formal, written apology to Ikhny. Ikhny, Zero, you're excused."
They didn't need to be told twice as the ran out of the observatory. "Ikhny," Zero said, "you ok?"
"I'm still a little cold," Ikhny said, "the glass…"
She was cut off as Zero wrapped his arms around the fragile repairer. "Better now?"
Ikhny sighed, "Yes." I could get used to this.
I could get used to this. Zero thought. After some time passed Zero looked into the eyes of Ikhny. I've got to tell her. "Ikhny, are you going to the dance club tonight?"
Ikhny smiled, "Yea, Kizna told me about it."
"Well, Kizna told me that you like dancing so I was wondering…"
Please say that I'm not dreaming! Is he asking me on a date?
Ikhny thought."I was wondering if you would be my date?" Zero finished.
"Are you asking me for a date Zero?" Ikhny said a very small smile crept onto her face.
Zero gulped, "Yes." There, I said it. Please say yes!
"Yes!" she said hugging Zero with all of her might, "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear those words!
"Let him breathe Ikhny!" someone said from behind Zero. The new-found couple turned to see that all of the other candidates in the late eighty series except Hiead were watching. "I would like to have my partner back in one piece!"
After a few small chuckles the candidates left them alone, running for their lives before they got the full force of the fireball that they thought would be candidate 88. But it didn't come. Zero just looked into Ikhny's eyes, "I love you."
"I love you too," Ikhny said leaning up as the shared their first, and hopefully not last kiss.
AN: Well, that's it for this chapter, hope you like! I'll make another chapter later! Please Read and Review if you got this far!