~*~*~ Eye of the Midnight Storm ~*~*~

By: Rogue Angel Barton

Hey! How's everything going? Someone, tell mw now, have I been spelling Jupiter's name right?!?! IS it MAKATO OR MAKOTO?! HAVE I BEEN SPELLING IT WRONG AND AM I A COMPLETE IDIOT?!?!? Well, I don't own Gundam.

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Heero's eyes were blank as he pumped the iron. Bench-presses... normally his favorite but not today. The school's gym wasn't as prepared as the one at home. But then again, they never thought anyone would be lifting beyond 300 pounds.

Heero's face was blank as he reached one hundred. For the past three days, Hotaru has been ignoring him. Usually, Heero wouldn't care about something like a girl mad at him, but this Hotaru Tsukino was different. Heero cursed himself as he allowed her to enter his mind. He stopped and walked to another machine.

One...two...

The way Hotaru smelled, always of roses and lavender.

Three...four

They way her silky ravenish back hair fell perfectly to her shoulders and how they framed her petite and beautiful face.

....five...six...

Her beautiful and breath-taking violet eyes...

....seven....eight...

.... that seemed to pull him in...

....nine....ten....

...that made him freeze in time as all other thought escaped him....

....eleven...twelve...

.....and the eyes that made him think of nothing but her.

....thirteen...fourteen...

DAMN HER! Damn her for making him feel weak.

....fifteen....sixteen....

For making him spend every waking second thinking about her.

.....seventeen.....eighteen....

Damn her for making him turn into a fool whenever she was around.

...nineteen... twenty...

Damn her for making him care about her.

...twenty-one...twenty-two...

Damn her for making him feel this way...

......twenty-three.... twenty-four...twenty-five.

Damn her for making him feel.

In a savage attempt, Heero ripped the bars off the machine and tossed it to the other side of the huge gym. Heero stood still, panting as silence surrounded him. His mind raced as the answers never came. Why, why him? He had been fine being emotionless and all that until she came along.

He walked into class the first day, head held up high and proud. He was Heero Yuy, THE Heero Yuy. Nothing could get through him, not a single emotion. But then, second period, all that changed.

~*~*~ Flashback ~*~*~

Heero smirked inwardly as the teacher seemed satisfied with his answer. He leaned back in his chair, his face blank without any emotion. He watched with interest as the girl... Hotaru... he think... raised her hand.

"I disagree with him."

Heero snapped forward as he heard those words. No one... in the history of his being... had ever disagreed with him. But then again.. every few people had the capabilities to challenge him on an intellectual basis's.

Heero was amazed as the girl not only countered his idea, but made it sound like the most foolish thing in the world. She was smart, and that caught Heero's attention. Damn her. He hated people that rivaled with him.

~*~*~END!~*~*~

Heero sighed as he slowly walked to another machine. He slumped against it as the battle within his mind continued to rage on.

.

Hotaru walked out of her last class. It was strange, Heero Yuy hadn't been in class that day. Not that she minded, she just wanted a worthy opponent to debate with. Hotaru sighed as her mind began to wonder. Heero Yuy, she hated him. He shut her down at debate, what she did best.

Hotaru stuffed her books into her messenger bag.

How she hated him. She used to be the smartest... until he came around. With his head held high and confidence radiating off of him. H was unlike the other boys, all players and jocks. He was smart, smooth, and a loner. Heero was the classic bad boy... so to speak. Except he didn't come with the skull rings or the Metallica T-shirts... just cold Prussian eyes and a heart of ice.

He swept into the classrooms and turned her already hectic world upside down. First he intrigues her with his dark aura, then with his intelligence... then he does something no one... not even a vampire could do. He makes her fear... him.

Hotaru started walking towards the gym on the other side of campus. Heero Yuy scared her. It was just something in his eyes... those god damn Prussian eyes. They held such a hate and anger that Hotaru felt her heart stop. How could anyone hold so much hate in them? It seemed to have built up through time. But the only thing was... she wanted to help.

Hotaru paused outside the gym as she heard a loud crash.

Nothing would change because of Heero Yuy, she hated him. Seriously she did, he was just so annoying thinking he was so smart.

Hotaru opened the door to see Heero Yuy leaning against one of the weight machines. A bar belonging to another one was missing and Hotaru found it on the other side of the room.

Hotaru snorted and pulled off her sweater. Now, only in an exercise bra, she jumped onto the treadmill and began running.

Heero growled under his breath. Speak of the devil. He watched as she ignored him and walked to the treadmill. He sat down and began pumping the iron again. After five minutes of silence, Heero casually looked at Hotaru. He watched as her muscles contracted and then expanded as she ran at high speeds.

"Damn her."

Hotaru's sensitive hearing picked up on what Heero said. She snapped around and sent a death glare his way. She growled, but he seemed unfazed.

^^^^

Although he seemed unfazed, Heero was surprised at her skill. She had heard him, across the room. Maybe she was more than she appeared to be...

Suddenly the door opened. Both of them turned to the door. Their teacher... Ms. Krafter walked in. She smiled at the two of them.

"Heero, Hotaru..."

Heero stood up and walked to the teacher, his black tank top that fitted him perfectly was soaked through. Hotaru stopped the treadmill and walked to Ms. Krafter as well, her gray sports bra soaked from running at high speed.

"Heero... you weren't in History today."

"Sorry ma'am, I had... business to take care of."

Hotaru watched as his eyes darkened to an uncertain purple. She also found herself staring at his strong muscular arms.

"Hotaru... you're one of my best students."

Heero watched as Hotaru nodded impassively. But he could see the slight embarrassment in her eyes. She was also very proud of it, he could see it clearly.

"You two are very capable students. So therefore, I'm assigning you two to do a project together. You are interested in the supernatural... so I've heard. So I want you two, to study the man behind the Dracula myth. To study the myth of Dracula and the books written about him. I want a full report on my desk before Christmas break, in a weak. Well, see you two around."

Ms Krafter turned and walked out, leaving two stone statues behind her. Heero and Hotaru stood there, motionless as their faces showed no expression. But they were thinking the same thing...

'Oh... my... god... THIS. IS. NOT. GOOD.'

Hotaru stepped out from the shower at the campus. She quickly dried herself off and changed into some fresh clothes. A pair of baggy dark blue cargoes, small and tight blacks T-shirt, yellow Timberland boots and a small black leather jacket.

She walked out the bathroom and headed for the huge fountain in front of the school. She and Heero had agreed to meet there in half an hour there. After ten minutes of silence and not moving, the shock finally washed over them and they realized what just happened. There was nothing they could do except accept what has happened. The two glared at each other for a full five minutes before Heero relented. He said that they had no choice ad they might as well work together.

Hotaru sighed as she walked down the empty and silence corridor. It was already five o'clock, and so the sun was setting soon. Hotaru walked out the main doors and gasped. The sight was beautiful. The fountain sprayed huge jets of water into the air. The fountain was white marble that shined in the colors of the setting sun.

The sunset was beautiful. The sky was filed with colors of purple, shades of red, impressions of yellow, and the different orange. There sat Heero Yuy, looking like a god. His was dressed simply in a sleeveless black shirt and baggy dark gray parachutes. He smiled slightly when he saw her. Hotaru quickly ran over.

"Been waiting long?"

Heero shook his head no. Hotaru sat down next to Heero as her messenger bag fell to her feet. Heero looked down at his book bag as he was silent.

"So... what do we do?"

Heero shrugged. Hotaru sighed and ran her hand through her short hair. She grabbed her notebook from her messenger bag and a pen. Heero watched her with interest.

"What are you doing?"

Hotaru ripped part of it off. She gave him the paper. Scribbled on it was an address. He raised a brow at her.

"This is an address."

"No duh Hotaru! Where is it? Your house?"

"No perv."

Hotaru smacked Heero hard on the back of his head. Heero smiled slightly. Hotaru smiled as well.

"No, it's the address at a library near my house. Be there at noon."

Heero nodded. Hotaru stood up and started to walk away. She had been somewhat nice to him, so he couldn't ruin it. Heero quickly caught up with her.

"Hotaru."

Hotaru kept walking.

"Why don't I give you a lift home?"

"No thank you."

"Come on Hotaru, you can show me the library."

"It's easy to find."

"Come on, a lift home?"

"It's fine."

"Hotaru..."

Hotaru turned around and watched as he used his puppy eyes. She sighed. Nothing worse than a grown man with puppy eyes. Bad for his self esteem............. and bad for the walls she had built.

"Fine."

Heero jumped slightly for joy. His cold Prussian eyes seemed to shine for a minute. Hotaru smiled at his childish glee and crossed her arms. She went back to her normal cold self and frowned.

"Come on then, we better start walking."

Hotaru started walking away but she felt a hand on his wrist. Hotaru stiffened, afraid to repeat what happened three days ago. Heero's touch became gentle and he turned her around.

Hotaru winced, afraid to see the anger and hate there. She slowly opened her eyes. All she saw were concern gently shining in his beautiful eyes. He smiled slightly.

"Come on, this way."

He started to walk away. Hotaru was confused by caught up to him.

"My house is that way."

"Okay, but my bike is this way. You thought I didn't have a ride?"

Hotaru blushed slightly. She thought he didn't seem he seemed so young. They walked to the street across and Heero walked up to a motorcycle. Hotaru gasped. She thought it was beautiful. It was a deep blue color, almost a midnight blue. The front and the middle were covered with gray flames that almost touched the end of the bike. It was simple in design, and yet beautiful.

"Nice ride."

"Thanks."

Heero got on the bike and put on a back helmet with dark gray flames like the bike. He tossed her a black helmet with dark purple ghost flames.

"Nice helmet."

"Thanks. Where's your house?"

"Go down this block, make a right and follow the street for ten blocks. Then turn right and go down two blocks. You'll see my house, it's the huge mansion."

"The huge Kaoih mansion?"

"Yup."

"Hold on."

Hotaru put her arms tightly around Heero's waist. She could feel his muscular stomach under his thin shirt. She blushed. Heero blushed as well.

"Here we go!"

Heero started the engine and sped away at top speed. Hotaru smiled underneath the helmet. He was fast, a thing for speed. But it felt so good!

A few minutes later, they stopped before the huge white mansion. Heero whistled as he took off his helmet.

"Nice house."

"Thanks."

Hotaru reluctantly pulled her hand away. She felt a missing warmth as she got off the bike. She pulled off her helmet and Heero put it in the back of the bike. He smiled at her.


"See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, thanks for the ride."

"Welcome."

He put on the helmet and waved goodbye before he sped off. Hotaru waved to his disappearing back as she smiled sadly. She missed the warmth he provided. She sighed and turned around.

She paused when she saw her friends on the porch. Minako, Makoto, Rei, and Michiru whistled. The rest of them only smiled at the blushing girl. Haruka growled.

"Keep away from him."

Hotaru walked onto the porch. She smiled as she paused by Haruka.

"I can't."

Steam began pouring from Haruka's ears.

"WHY NOT?!?!"

Hotaru paused before she walked into the house.

"I have to do a project with him for the rest of the week."

With that Hotaru walked inside. She leaned against the door. Through the thick oak door, she could hear her friends laughing, and Haruka cursing.

Finished! Did you guys like it? I'm loosing reviews... ::sniff sniff:: I'm not getting as much as I am before. So... guys, please give me 5 reviews so I can continue. JUST 5!!! It's not too much to ask for. Please!!!!!!!!!! I just want 5, to know that some people are reading this fic. I know I might sound greedy or something, but I need some sign here. Just say hi and I'll be happy. Well, bye! And remember...

FIVE REVIEWS FOR NEXT CHAPTER!!! FIVE IS ALL I'M SAKING FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!