Title : Terrible Confessions
Series : Gundam Wing
Rating : R
Author : Zeal-chan
Warnings : Relena Bashing, TWT, possible shounen ai in the future (very little)
Genre : Suspense
Pairings : R+1, ???

Note : This has little or no connection with the plotline of the actual series. It maintains the same charactersbut that's about it. ^_^; Gundam Wing doesn't belong to me (that's a disclaimer.)


Chapter One

Duo gazed with deep intensity at the clock, posted to the wall, tope-colored to his disgust. The atmosphere was far too bland for imagination. On either side, his peers were writing, effortlessly it seemed-the essay would be the highlight of his grade. With such irony resting on his shoulders, he could hardly contain himself. Uneasily, he swallowed once. Twice. Then there was nothing left to deposit through his parched throat. It wasn't difficult for most students. The topic was straightforward, addressed such that most regular human beings could elaborate without trouble.

ESSAY TOPIC: What is the consequence of jealousy, regret, and anger? Relate to experience.

Philosophy was a fairly easy class. It was interesting as well, improving a sort of intellectual wit Duo seemed to acquire. It only came forth at most spontaneous times, giving him the demeanor of a wise-ass, nothing more. Yet, he had another terrible trait that constantly seemed to ruin his life. He was realizing it once again, in this sort of situation. Duo could not lie.

Thus, he broke out into a cold sweat, watching the time tick by and he debated on what to write on the virtually blank sheet of notebook paper. (His heading on the paper was all he lacked from a bare manuscript.) The more he regret his actions, the more they consumed his mind; ached to be revealed. Perhaps this was his chance. He could confess. Trowa may never forgive him. But, he simply couldn't make something up. And his grade depended on this

Suddenly, with little acknowledgement, he began to write.

---

Worse than any hypothetical emotion is that of jealousy. It's abstract by itself. Just a word. However, it may be the backbone of all hate, revenge, and most definitely has dreadful consequences.

Three years ago, a few friends of mine and I were playing cards in a restaurant. In high school, the impressive thing to do was hang out at this little coffee shop. It was the central rendezvou point for all sorts of cliques. We were joking-a tad roughly-about the one who was absent from the scene. Heero Yuy was my best friend, always clung to by the royal annoyance herself, Relena Peacecraft. We felt incredibly bad for him. So, it came up. Delirious or not, we made the decision right there. We were going to eliminate Relena from Heero's life all together

--

Relena glanced, grinning, to the porch of the beach house from the den. The house was spotless, a small but cozy little shack which would soon be consumed by five high school guys and herself. It didn't matter to her. She just wanted to see Heero. She would do anything to be within his reach for this month of summer vacation, before she was escorted back to the private school she had been enrolled to, secondary to the boring walls secluded for her in the Sanq Kingdom. It was a dreadful thing, being away from all her friends. They pressed that it was what her father would've wanted for her, that public schools simply weren't good enough for her highness. She knew the only way to lure him in was by taking the entire crew of Gundam pilots.

When the truck pulled up into the gravel drive, she rushed to the door to greet them. Clad in a yellow sundress, she wanted to look exquisite. Nothing could draw his attention away from her. But, when the three boys stepped from the car, grumbling and glaring, the only greeting she got was passive and disinterested. Duo was the worst, lips pinched together so tight they were hardly visible on his face, which was as red as a tomato. Trowa was quiet, soft-spoken as always, but there was a hollow look in his eyes and Quatre was on the brim of tears. Two people were missing from the scene: Wufei and her beloved Heero. Her radiant smile faded.

Where is he? she demanded to Duo as he shuffled a large suitcase through the doorway. He grunted, unhappily, but didn't stop.
He broke his leg, Quatre stated, softly, And tried to pop it back into place. It was pretty bad. He didn't want to get medical attention because it's so far away out here, but it was so mangled, we didn't want him to lose the leg entirely.

He wouldn't lose the leg, Q! Duo yelled from inside the house.

Relena gave Quatre a look of horror, then stomped inside the house. The other two followed with luggage. She crossed her arms and sat worriedly on the couch; a sort of stiff disposition that often annoyed Duo and reminded him of the typical princess she was.

Don't do that, he growled, curling her legs in to make room for him. There were three other chairs in the room, but he indulged in taking away from her share.

Do what? she inquired, eyes clouding with tears.

THAT. I HATE that. He'll be back by tomorrow, and even if he gets his LEG amputated, he'll be fine. And you know it. You just like to make a worse deal of it than- he ranted, abruptly cut off.

That's not true. I worry about him. He needs that leg to be a Gundam pilot. She curled into fetal position, long dirty blonde hair draped over the side of the couch. Everything was dramatic for her.

Duo sighed, glancing at Trowa. He nodded.

We were in the airport, Relena. Duo pushed Heero onto the baggage claim conveyor belt and hestopped from hitting it with his leg. The metal scissored onto his pants and basically tore into it, Quatre explained.

I didn't push him on purpose! It was an accident. Just an accident.

Relena covered her mouth as if she had swallowed a large unidentified flying insect.

Trowa said, That shouldn't have broken his leg. It was the fact that after it had been cut up, he still walked on it. A lot. And, it had already been sprained because of the odd position it was in while he was caught in the belt.

Duo didn't want Heero to go to a hospital. Mostly because he knew it was his fault and he thought maybe he wouldn't be blamed if the wound could be ignored or aided with a bag of ice. Frankly, Heero wouldn't last on that leg. His conscious told him so. Inwardly, he knew that even if he were to blame, serious medical attention would be the best thing. But, he had seen Heero pull amazing stunts. He saw him set his leg once, and figured it would work in this situation all the same. It didn't. It dawned on him that he had done a terrible thing. A friendly push.

--

Around evening, Relena pushed that dinner would be eaten at the lobster house, a secluded restaurant hanging from the shore. It was miles away from the beach house, and most likely the most expensive place she could possibly choose. Dress tasteful, she ordered the boys. Duo couldn't be more aggravated by her. Like siblings, they bickered for hours at a time. Worst, it seemed she followed him. She was behind the shower curtain now, a paranoid sense to he who was taking the shower, and she was primping. He could hear her, humming, every little thing she did bothered him. He squirted a handful of shampoo into an empty hand and plopped it on the mass of deep brown hair.

Stop singing, he pleaded, loudly.

she said, If you took a quicker shower, you wouldn't have to listen. Outside the shower, she was propped on a stool, touching up makeup and curling hair.

There's another bathroom here. Downstairs. Connected to YOUR ROOM. Why do you insist on getting in my way? He closed his eyes and submerged his head under the faucet.

You have an electrical outlet here. I have to curl my hair, was her reason.

Duo rolled his eyes, snatching a small towel to dry his hair with from outside the shower. He switched the water to the bath faucet, stood back, and turned it to its steamiest temperatures.

It won't work. The curl will hold. I know all your little tricks, and my defense is hairspray.

You'll have to have a more powerful defense than that with me.

--

They're at it again, Quatre stated, somewhat concerned. It was beginning to drive the entire house insane. The only neutralizer would be Heero. Or would it? Quatre buttoned up a shirt and collapsed onto his designated bed, scrambling the sheets. worried. I've been thinking. A lot. About a few weeks ago.

What happened a few weeks ago? Trowa asked, tying shoes, combing hair. He avoided Quatre's eyes.

Nothing, really. He became silent after that, awkwardly. And then, minutes later, he spoke again, But if you remember, I want to talk to you about it.

Trowa shook his head and left the room.

--

After dinner, Duo refused to ride back home, insisting that he wanted to walk. Trowa followed, leaving only Quatre to accompany Relena in the vehicle. Duo carried his shoes, burrowing his toes into the sand, letting the tide roll in and soak the bottoms of his pants. Quatre remembers that conversation, Duo said, And he's starting to make the connection.

You could tell? Trowa didn't look that surprised. Quatre's actions were becoming obvious. He was so nervous around Relena that he was having a hard time agreeing to take her home. He knows at the edge of his mind, but he's too scared to say anything. He doesn't want to be drawn in because he'd be playing both sides.

I'm not worried about him. Unless he sees the crime being committed, he won't say anything. Otherwise, I think he'll have a hard time keeping it a secret.

--

The darkness that consumed the beach house that night was so powerful that it seemed like the moon was nonexistent. Duo strained to light a candle; lighting matches before the wind flickered and the flame brushed his fingers painfully before disappearing. By the third try, he absent-mindedly scorned Relena for choosing a beach house with almost no electricity and resorted to groping his way through the vacant darkness down the stairway. He felt around, digging his heels into the wooden floors on each individual step to secure his balance. He had done this before.

Trowa slept downstairs, opting that the couch was the necessary bed of his choice. There weren't enough beds in the house to fit all six people, but if Heero had a mauled leg, Trowa assumed he'd want a bed of his own, preferably downstairs and close to someone who could be at his side in moments. Duo crept towards the couch and nudged at the ball of blanket Trowa occupied. He mumbled something in French, oddly enough, and blinked to consciousness.

whispered the brunette boy with circles under his eyes. They weren't visible in the pitch-black darkness, but neither was Duo. He had to make sure it was his accomplice and not Wufei and Heero returning from the hospital. After all, it had been four days now, and there was still no sign of them.

It's me. Duo. He was putting on gloves; the rubber kind you blew up as a kid and found it so hilarious that you could make a balloon of a medical glove. They snapped as they hit his wrist.

Alright. I'm up. Is Quatre asleep? He yawned, broadly, and stretched his legs out. Maybe he would've taken the situation more seriously if it hadn't been for the inability to adjust his eyes to the appalling setting that he and Duo were slowly creating.

Either asleep or in a coma, Duo replied. He was rooming with Quatre, so it was obvious to him that the blonde had submerged into the deepest sleep possible. He didn't snore. He curled into a small ball and buried his face into his pillow. Duo figured the pillow would muffle any ruckus that escaped the scene. To be honest, he couldn't believe Trowa was agreeing to this. It was perfect to his plan. One person could not complete a successful murder, he thought, if he wanted someone to blame in the end. He couldn't blame Trowa at any ordinary time, but if it came down to the life or death situation, he had a backup. It intimidated him a bit that Trowa could be thinking the same thing on the other side, but he continuously told himself his intentions dealt with a grudge he had against Relena something he perhaps never told the others. It was nothing cold-blooded, whereas Duo

Trowa slid on the surgical gloves as well and glanced uneasily about the beach house.

Don't worry. We'll never get caught. Still, both were cautious as ever as they blended in with the darkest of shadows bleeding into Relena's doorway.

--

Heero felt the numbness subside in his leg, yet felt drowsy all over. That had been expected. He hadn't lost the leg but a number of small bones in his ankle had shattered. He wasn't expected to walk well on that leg ever again. Usually he could remain indifferent about these things but instead he was furious. Furious at Duo for letting him fall on the conveyor belt. Secretly, he hadn't thought Duo would actually do it. The threat was done with a smile, as boy seemed to think life was a large joke. He wasn't as transparent as Heero always thought Duo was. He was deceptive, lying, cruel. Nothing like the Duo he used to know. He promised himself not to get the others involved, knowing that his aim was harmful and that blackmail was currently an issue. No matter how much Wufei pried to know what was upsetting him, he kept quiet. Staring at the white walls. Grave as ever.

I wonder how Relena is putting up with them. The apathy he expressed for that girl wasn't entirely truthful. He couldn't hurt her, nor could he let someone else hurt her. When he had first met her, leech-like as she was, he wouldn't have cared if she were killed in the war. At the time, she was just another civilian. But now she had warmed up to him a bit. Indeed, she cared far too much for him. And, maybe it was sympathy. He didn't know whywhy she mattered at all. She was an irritation, always begging for attention, and he could brush her off. It was an act. He feigned the careless emotion; how he ignored her. It should always remain that way.

Wufei stepped into the hospital room, We'll leave tomorrow morning for the beach house.

--

Trowa became hesitant and shaky as they approached Relena, tossing and turning in the sheets of the bed as if having a nightmare. Soon, it will be a nightmare. You'll think it's all a dream, won't you Relena? A pink sundress was swathed along a wicker chair in the corner of her room. She was always wearing those. Pale, eerie moonlight even hang through the window, though Trowa was sure every bit of it was hidden when standing outside her room. Fit for a princess. He grabbed her ankles, holding her down, carefully. He didn't want her to wake up yet.

Duo stared, waiting for approval, and grabbed a pillow from a nearby chair, which he immediately smothered her with. A stifled scream, a yanking of sheets, and kicking feet. Duo dropped the pillow and wrapped his fingers around her neck, meeting her eyes with his own bitter, violet eyes. She gasped, breathlessly, squinting in a state of half-asleep.

Trowa, across the room, watched in unexpected agony. He simply put little thought into this. An inner rage towards Relena caused him to forget that she had made a permanent imprint in his soul and she could not easily be erased. He turned away, though, feeling no need to stop Duo. Soon she'd choke, suffocate, and dwindle away to the lifeless body he suddenly could picture with diminutive imagination.
Relena did fight back. Her eyes grew large, adjusting to room's lighting, and she couldn't see the killer right away. Only Trowa. Trowa. She couldn't speak. She wanted his attention. He'd help her. Couldn't he see her? Frantic, she craned as far as she could downward and sunk her teeth into the assailant's hands.

Duo yelled, a variety of obscenities, and recoiled. He glanced at his hands, bubbling fresh, crimson blood. he cursed, knowing his plans were all but ruined. The bite had obvious pierced the flesh, instant evidence, not to mention she was runningrunning out the door.

Trowa watched Relena pause at him, touch his cheek in realization that he was realand shook her head. He wouldn't help her. He reached for her, recklessly, but her arm slid out of his open hand before he could recognize and act.

--

Relena tripped twice on the stairs, half-crawling. She had gotten some of the blood on her hands from wiping it off of her lips, and was so feverish she could only hear the rapid beating of her heart and her own, irregular breathing. She would awaken Quatre, hoping he hadn't turned on her as well. Oh, no, you didn't think of that. What if he's waiting for you up here? He wouldn't do that, would he? She halted at the top of the stairway and debated whether or not informing Quatre would be the best thing. She couldn't go back down. She was too frightened to look behind her.

Hastily, she fluttered into Quatre's room, started to pat him on the shoulderand decided against it. She didn't want to know, if the case was so, that every one of them had become this terrible enemy. Instead, she dug her nails into the wooden frame of the window, trying to pry it upward. It didn't move easily, but she eventually got enough of it open to squeeze through. The porch was about ten feet away, maybe a little more but she could only rely on the optical illusions. She sobbed, dangling from the window. Duo appeared at the top moments later with a knife.

she whispered, lip trembling in utter panic, Please don't kill me. She strained to keep her grip. He looked like a phantom in the window, Trowa next to him with eyes full of sorrow, which she would later scorn. Why are you doing this to me? Right before her fingers peeled away, Duo sliced into her arm, letting the knife run across her hands and fingers. Her knuckles were chalk white from the edgy grip. Then, she fell. Her alarm lasted for minutes painfully endured like hoursthe glass shattered on top of her. She couldn't scream, she felt as if she were drowning in a freezing abyss. As she hit the porch covering, she closed her eyes, sure she wouldn't get up.

--

we did it, Trowa mumbled, staring at the still body of Relena on the patio covering. He had participated, as little as it was. He held her down. He watched her almost get suffocated. And he searched through the kitchen drawers for a knife to avoid getting blood all over them from Duo' hands, which were now wrapped with the sheets from Relena's bed.

We have to get rid of the body.

Trowa nodded, eyes now fixed on the floor. It was the default location for a stare. It didn't get him in trouble or make him feel guilty. But now he felt dirty. Duo looked nothing like his cheery self. In fact, he hadn't looked the same since he accidentally pushed Heero at the airport. He didn't know Duo's reasons for killing Relena only his own. It made it easier to just do it, without thinking, running away from his regrets.

The silence was broken by a small, attentive voice; What's going on? The two brunettes' spun around to see Quatre in his pajamas. Duo jumped, reflexively hiding the knife behind his back. He stepped towards the window before they could stop him, but the body was gone.

I had this nightmare. Neither of you could sleep? he asked, his features a void that dismissed all that was out of place.

Duo responded, slowly, Relena is missing.

To be continued