Chapter Four: The Faceless Angel
"There must be something I can do to make him open up to me. I mean, just yesterday, I could have sworn that he smiled at me. Plus, he finally told me his name a few days ago. Heero Yuy..." Just saying the name sent shivers down her spine. A handsome young sculptor with a very mysterious past. What more could a curious teenage girl ever hope to dream of, if not her very own mystery man?
"Heero Yuy..." Relena repeated the name softly to herself, lost in idyllic fantasies. "Maybe he's really a rich prince who's come across some hard times, forcing him to sculpt for a living. Or maybe he's a world-renowned warrior taking a short respite from battle. Gosh, the possibilities are endless. Just who exactly are you, Heero? There's something about you that makes me want to unravel the mystery surrounding you but at the same time, there's a deep pain that makes me want to protect you from the world. An enigma is what you are...a complete puzzle."
Shaking her head in puzzlement, Relena took the basket she had prepared earlier and dashed out the door before Noin could ask where she was going. Not that she had any reason to be worried or anything. After all, things at the Sanq Kingdom had been quiet for the past couple of weeks. Too quiet, according to Duo, but Relena chalked it all up to his overly active imagination. 'Caitlin's body was the last one found. I wonder if that signals an end to the killing spree. God, I hope so. Living in constant fear was really starting to get to me. Duo even had me convinced that the killer was really after me!! Hmmm, I wonder where Duo has been lately? Ever since Rian came to town, those two have been thick as thieves. And knowing the trouble that both can get into, I just hope that everyone is prepared because I doubt Duo will take any prisoners!' Laughing silently at the thought, she continued to walk the already familiar and worn-out path to a small cottage at the edge of the clearing. HIS cottage.
Even before he saw her, he sensed her presence from the soft scent of jasmine that filled the air. Over the past weeks, he had grown fond of the smell of jasmine, a fact that startled and frightened him. Who was she that she could create such havoc within him? Some bewitched creature perhaps, sent from the gods to punish him for the coldness that surrounded his heart? Or maybe his savior, who had finally come to free him from the torment that haunted his nights and darkened his days? Whatever she was, Heero was certain that Relena Peacecraft, the object of so many fantasies and nightmares, was a distraction and a nuisance of the worst kind. She...meddled. That's what she did. Always trying to open him up, to break through the stone exterior and reveal the beauty within. What she didn't know was that there was no beauty inside him, of that he was sure. After all, his parents had tried to find it and look what had happened to them. Now they were nothing more than a block of marble that lay untouched beneath his hands.
Rough, callused hands. The kind of hands that showed only hardness but could be gentle when their master willed it. The kind of hands that could create beauty or destruction. "Such an enigma," she murmured softly. As she drew closer, she noted with some surprise and pleasure that he was wearing the shirt she had given him a few days ago. After badgering and bugging him, Heero had finally agreed to accompany her into town, a fact that had astounded not only her but the entire village. Apparently, in all the time he had been there, he had never once set foot in the village, thus adding to the mystery that shrouded him completely, making him all the more untouchable. But he hadn't been untouchable that day. He had smiled and spoken softly to many of the townspeople, causing them to reassess their initial impression of the young sculptor. And by the end of the day, not only had he changed their minds, he had also won their hearts when he risked his life to save a little girl from being mowed down by a careless driver.
No, Heero Yuy wasn't untouchable, merely untouched. Like an unfinished statue, he still required some work and Relena intended that she be the person to do it. So slowly, bit by bit, she chipped away the rough edges to uncover the masterpiece that lay beneath. And not a day went by that she wasn't thrilled by some new discovery she made while working on "Operation Heero," as she affectionately termed it.
"So, what are you working on today? Are you still finishing up 'Soulmates?'" she asked, referring to the piece she had seen him working on the very first day they'd met. Her question was answered with a soft grunt and she sighed in frustration. "Please don't tell me you're reverting back to Mr. Silent and Mysterious Sculptor again! We were doing so well! Plus, I see that you're wearing the shirt I got you. I knew blue was your color, instead of that ugly green thing you always insist on wearing..."
Her voice trailed off as she got a closer look at his current sculpture. "Oh Heero," she breathed, "She's beautiful."
A delicate angel with fragile wings was beginning to take shape from beneath his talented hands. It was so realistically carved, it seemed as if, at any given moment, the angel would fly off her marble pedestal and into the heavens. But something was missing... "Her face, Heero. What happened to her face?"
Refusing to answer her question, he took a sheet from beside the table and swiftly covered it, successfully hiding it from her prying eyes. Turning around to face the now pouting Relena, he smiled grimly and asked, "So, what brings you here today? Is that food you're carrying?"
"W-what? Oh, you mean this," she said, holding up the basket she had brought with her, "Um, yeah, I thought that since it was such a nice day, we should go outside and have a little picnic. That is, if it's okay with you?" At his affirming nod, they both headed outside towards the park near his house.
***
"Man, that was hilarious! Did you see her face when you 'proposed' to her? Heehee, priceless...that's what it was. Gosh, I wish Lena was here so that she could have seen it too. Hmmm, that reminds me, where is that girl?! It seems like forever since we've seen her."
"Y'know, that's a good question. Since that one dinner with Lena and her family, I haven't seen or heard from her either." Rian shrugged carelessly and said, "Oh well. We can always stop by her house later on and see if she wants to come out and play."
"Sounds like a plan to me. But what do you want to do now?" Duo asked, a mischievious glint entering his vivid blue eyes. "After all, there's still plenty of time to raise a little hell in the Sanq Kingdom."
"How about we go to the park and cause a little mischief among the little lovebirds that reside there? I'm sure that that'll be lots of fun!"
"Let's go!" And with that, two teenage boys ran towards the park where the object of their discussion and her new companion were currently having their picnic.
"There must be something I can do to make him open up to me. I mean, just yesterday, I could have sworn that he smiled at me. Plus, he finally told me his name a few days ago. Heero Yuy..." Just saying the name sent shivers down her spine. A handsome young sculptor with a very mysterious past. What more could a curious teenage girl ever hope to dream of, if not her very own mystery man?
"Heero Yuy..." Relena repeated the name softly to herself, lost in idyllic fantasies. "Maybe he's really a rich prince who's come across some hard times, forcing him to sculpt for a living. Or maybe he's a world-renowned warrior taking a short respite from battle. Gosh, the possibilities are endless. Just who exactly are you, Heero? There's something about you that makes me want to unravel the mystery surrounding you but at the same time, there's a deep pain that makes me want to protect you from the world. An enigma is what you are...a complete puzzle."
Shaking her head in puzzlement, Relena took the basket she had prepared earlier and dashed out the door before Noin could ask where she was going. Not that she had any reason to be worried or anything. After all, things at the Sanq Kingdom had been quiet for the past couple of weeks. Too quiet, according to Duo, but Relena chalked it all up to his overly active imagination. 'Caitlin's body was the last one found. I wonder if that signals an end to the killing spree. God, I hope so. Living in constant fear was really starting to get to me. Duo even had me convinced that the killer was really after me!! Hmmm, I wonder where Duo has been lately? Ever since Rian came to town, those two have been thick as thieves. And knowing the trouble that both can get into, I just hope that everyone is prepared because I doubt Duo will take any prisoners!' Laughing silently at the thought, she continued to walk the already familiar and worn-out path to a small cottage at the edge of the clearing. HIS cottage.
Even before he saw her, he sensed her presence from the soft scent of jasmine that filled the air. Over the past weeks, he had grown fond of the smell of jasmine, a fact that startled and frightened him. Who was she that she could create such havoc within him? Some bewitched creature perhaps, sent from the gods to punish him for the coldness that surrounded his heart? Or maybe his savior, who had finally come to free him from the torment that haunted his nights and darkened his days? Whatever she was, Heero was certain that Relena Peacecraft, the object of so many fantasies and nightmares, was a distraction and a nuisance of the worst kind. She...meddled. That's what she did. Always trying to open him up, to break through the stone exterior and reveal the beauty within. What she didn't know was that there was no beauty inside him, of that he was sure. After all, his parents had tried to find it and look what had happened to them. Now they were nothing more than a block of marble that lay untouched beneath his hands.
Rough, callused hands. The kind of hands that showed only hardness but could be gentle when their master willed it. The kind of hands that could create beauty or destruction. "Such an enigma," she murmured softly. As she drew closer, she noted with some surprise and pleasure that he was wearing the shirt she had given him a few days ago. After badgering and bugging him, Heero had finally agreed to accompany her into town, a fact that had astounded not only her but the entire village. Apparently, in all the time he had been there, he had never once set foot in the village, thus adding to the mystery that shrouded him completely, making him all the more untouchable. But he hadn't been untouchable that day. He had smiled and spoken softly to many of the townspeople, causing them to reassess their initial impression of the young sculptor. And by the end of the day, not only had he changed their minds, he had also won their hearts when he risked his life to save a little girl from being mowed down by a careless driver.
No, Heero Yuy wasn't untouchable, merely untouched. Like an unfinished statue, he still required some work and Relena intended that she be the person to do it. So slowly, bit by bit, she chipped away the rough edges to uncover the masterpiece that lay beneath. And not a day went by that she wasn't thrilled by some new discovery she made while working on "Operation Heero," as she affectionately termed it.
"So, what are you working on today? Are you still finishing up 'Soulmates?'" she asked, referring to the piece she had seen him working on the very first day they'd met. Her question was answered with a soft grunt and she sighed in frustration. "Please don't tell me you're reverting back to Mr. Silent and Mysterious Sculptor again! We were doing so well! Plus, I see that you're wearing the shirt I got you. I knew blue was your color, instead of that ugly green thing you always insist on wearing..."
Her voice trailed off as she got a closer look at his current sculpture. "Oh Heero," she breathed, "She's beautiful."
A delicate angel with fragile wings was beginning to take shape from beneath his talented hands. It was so realistically carved, it seemed as if, at any given moment, the angel would fly off her marble pedestal and into the heavens. But something was missing... "Her face, Heero. What happened to her face?"
Refusing to answer her question, he took a sheet from beside the table and swiftly covered it, successfully hiding it from her prying eyes. Turning around to face the now pouting Relena, he smiled grimly and asked, "So, what brings you here today? Is that food you're carrying?"
"W-what? Oh, you mean this," she said, holding up the basket she had brought with her, "Um, yeah, I thought that since it was such a nice day, we should go outside and have a little picnic. That is, if it's okay with you?" At his affirming nod, they both headed outside towards the park near his house.
***
"Man, that was hilarious! Did you see her face when you 'proposed' to her? Heehee, priceless...that's what it was. Gosh, I wish Lena was here so that she could have seen it too. Hmmm, that reminds me, where is that girl?! It seems like forever since we've seen her."
"Y'know, that's a good question. Since that one dinner with Lena and her family, I haven't seen or heard from her either." Rian shrugged carelessly and said, "Oh well. We can always stop by her house later on and see if she wants to come out and play."
"Sounds like a plan to me. But what do you want to do now?" Duo asked, a mischievious glint entering his vivid blue eyes. "After all, there's still plenty of time to raise a little hell in the Sanq Kingdom."
"How about we go to the park and cause a little mischief among the little lovebirds that reside there? I'm sure that that'll be lots of fun!"
"Let's go!" And with that, two teenage boys ran towards the park where the object of their discussion and her new companion were currently having their picnic.
