BACK TO SCHOOL !
Author's Notes
Note that I don't own ANY of the characters throughout the fanfic. * sob *
Don't flame me for any pairings and there's no yaoi for you people out there ! 0_0'
***
Author's Ramblings :
It's unusual for me to start sprouting nonsense at the beginning of my chapter BUT I can't help but gush !! I've been so hooked onto Final Fantasy X's characters, music, magic & all other odds and sorts !! As I start writing my fic towards some of FFX's beautiful music, hopefully this chapter will turn out fine ! READ + REVIEW yeah ?
Relena quickly breathed into her hands as she stepped out from the cinema onto the eerily quiet streets. The 5 boys had accompanied her to catch a midnight movie and now they were making their way home.
" Wow, I reek of cigarette smoke everywhere ! "
Duo hurriedly sniffed at his shirt and his jacket as he stumbled out with the rest of the ex-pilots. He had been sitting in front of a chain smoker who had puffed endlessly throughout the show, despite the No-Smoking sign.
" Are you all right ? "
Quatre peeked at a tired-looking Trowa whose eyes looked as though they were about to shut there and then. Trowa managed a rather weak smile but it was obvious that he was exhausted. Relena immediately felt another pang of guilt as she realised that her decision to come to the cinema had affected them because they were obliged to be where she was after school hours.
" Quatre, I'll hail a cab so you guys can reach home in the fastest time possible. Trowa indeed looked unwell. "
Trowa shook his head slowly, hoping to discourage Relena from doing so.
" Relena-san, I'm really fine. It's just that I had not enough sleep … "
" I suppose you must be worried about some matters ? "
Relena had waltzed up to Trowa's side, gently man-handling him to the main road. As she popped the question to him alone, Trowa looked up at her with such surprise that his look reminded her exactly of a deer caught in the middle of a road. Surpressing the urge to giggle, Relena tried to come up with an understanding smile instead.
" Was … was it obvious ? "
" No Trowa, but I am a girl and well … erm … girls have a special gift in such areas. "
" … really … ? "
" It's a subjective thing of course. Look ! There's a cab !! "
Relena quickly flung her remaining arm out and the cab started to signal.
" Are you coming with us ? "
" No Wufei, although we're not too far away but the Girls' Dormitory is not exactly accessible by vehicle. The adjourning roads from the Guys' Dormitory are only footwalks and it will be too expensive to get the cab to route another way. "
" Then who is going to … ?! Aaahhh ! "
Duo's violet eyes sparkled as another idea had obviously popped into his head. Heero fought the urge to strangle him. He knew EXACTLY what he was thinking about. As the cab railed to a stop, Duo hurriedly shoved the guys in … except Heero …
" So Yuy ! YOU can send Ojou-san home for US ! I can't think of a better candidate. Erm … Wufei's pissed … Trowa's tired … I am smelly … Quatre needs to send us home … so Heero's the only one left really. "
" WHO's pissed ?! "
" Oh Wufei, you don't have to be embarrassed. I know you can't hold your liquor … err … I mean … popcorn well. "
" What silly excuse is that ? And you being smelly ?? "
" Shut up Wufei ! Now, Ojou-san and Yuy-kun, we'll be fine … jya naaaaa ! "
Duo's voice trailed off as he slammed the door shut and the cab started to leave the walkway. Some moments of silence passed before Relena digested what had happened. As she meekly shot a sideway glance at Heero, he was looking rather forlorned as well.
[ Oh well, at least he's not angry … ]
Relena decided to walk and then come up with plans of what to do for the remaining 15 to 20 mins' walking journey. She could hear Heero's footsteps following her. The quietness that the 2 am early morning brought was refreshing but chilling. As she breathed into her hands again, she heard Heero shuffling for something. Feeling a little awkward to look back at him, she thought it was better to remain walking and look ahead instead. Suddenly, she could feel a body strapped closer to her and she couldn't help but gawk in surprise as Heero extended a pair of gloves to her.
" H … Heero ? "
The teenager didn't say anything but silently offered the warm materials to her. A grateful and genuine smile broke through her system as she couldn't think of anything else to thank him. Heero felt a little taken aback, having seen Relena smile so warmly for the first time. She was always either frowning or deep in thoughts when he used to see her when they were 15 or 16. A determined look was plastered on her expression as she was adamant that people should take her words seriously … and they did. Heero had a sudden realisation that he could have been living in the same way as she did.
[ Have I ever smiled like this before ? ]
The answer was a resounding NO as his mind shot back angrily, almost against his will. Heero continued to look at her as she whispered her thanks and then very gently took over the gloves, taking care not to brush against his fingers. Very smoothly, she pulled them over her delicate hands and flexed her fingers. They were slightly too big for her but she looked totally contented.
" Are they yours ? "
Heero nodded and caught himself staring too long at Relena again. He mentally smacked himself and snapped his head away. He had no idea why he seemed to consider so many issues that were never of importance to him nowadays and that the origin of them was HER.
[ So are these beneficial or harmful ? Am I wasting too much of my time on these irrelevant stuffs ? ]
" Heero, I'm apologetic that you're always put into trouble because of me. "
Relena had not resumed walking back as she remained at the spot after putting on Heero's gloves. Her eyes had lost the rare spark which was seen earlier and she was just staring into her hands.
" Don't be sorry for everything. If you don't continue walking, you'll freeze. "
" I know … but … I don't know, Heero ! I actually don't know anything ! "
The sudden outburst from her caused Heero some alarm as her blue eyes started to water. At a loss for something appropriate to respond for such a situation, he could only watch her as her tears had now travelled down her cheeks.
" I wanted to start life anew in College, but something from the past still haunts me. I don't care for any status or wealth or power … all I ever wanted was peace everywhere. And now that it has been done, I just wanted to retreat into my shell and continue my own personal life. Then you guys appeared … BUT to protect me !! It was so wrong … I felt so uneasy … I enjoyed the company of each and everyone of you … but it's not quite the same ! I … I don't know … "
Words trailed off into the silence as Relena gave up on talking. She seemed exasperated and despondent at the same time as she angrily wiped her tears off, using her upper arm's sleeve so that she would not stain Heero's gloves.
" Relena .. "
" Now you find me stupid huh ! I don't even know how to express my feelings properly. Hah ! That's me isn't it ? Ex-Queen Relena .. the Peacemaker of the Century .. The Heroine .. now at a loss of words .. "
Heero noticed her ears turning slightly off-colour and realised that she was really about to freeze if she continued standing in the cold. He was not very affected since he had been under rigorous training before but seeing her suffer was something he was not quite comfortable with.
" Heero !? "
Relena had NO IDEA what had prompted Heero to do so but he had nonchalently grasped her hand and pulled her along so that they continued walking back to the Girls' Dormitory. Her eyes turned wide as she slowly realised that Heero was now holding her hand AND which was wearing his gloves. A sudden closeness and intimacy hit her as she looked up at Heero's back view speechlessly. They remained like this for sometime until Relena found it rather strange that she was being pulled along by this seemingly anxious teen in front of her.
" Heero, I think I can walk by myself now. "
" Are you sure ? "
" Hai. "
Heero released her hand as quick as a flash and Relena felt the familiar pang of loss again.
[ WHY do I keep experiencing it ? ]
As they now walked side-by-side, Relena stuffed her hands into her coat pockets and hummed a tune to herself quietly. Heero remained silent as he kept his eyes peeled in front, wary of any strange figures. At 2 am or so in the morning, there were still some people on the streets AND a handful of couples hanging about.
" Oh John, I LOOOOVE you so much ! "
" Me too Elizabeth … "
As the couple sitting underneath a tree on a road bench started kissing passionately, Heero and Relena couldn't help but look to their direction. As they walked away from them, Relena felt slightly embarrassed by the sight and turned red against her will. Heero caught the blush and felt a little flustered, wondering what was the most appropriate thing to do.
[ I wouldn't even have bothered with this a few years back … so why am I NOW ? ]
As Heero was caught up in his internal conflict, Relena flickered her eyes to catch a glimpse of Heero. She hadn't really seen him for almost 3 years and now that he was in the same school as her, she could hardly contain her happiness at such a fact. However, her ethusiasm was cut short when she realised that he and the others were only there because of a mission.
A command.
An order.
Relena felt anger rise in her again, knowing that her own battle against the world would never end. People stereotyped her as someone who was so weak that she needed someone to protect her. She hated being treated like a small china vase. She wanted to roam the lands freely now that peace dominated them ! But what ? She was now being imprisoned for doing so. She felt stupid in giving up her own freedom for everyone's freedom. She managed to secure freedom for the benefit of the world but not for her own 5 friends who were still being ordered around. As she became lost in her thoughts, she was oblivious to a step from the pavement to the roads and as her heels gave way, so did her entire body …
… right into the supportive arms of Heero.
He had Relena firmly held by her shoulders as her body rested against his chest so that their faces wouldn't be TOO close to each other. It would have been a fight against who would be more redder at the end of the day.
" Th … thank you … "
Heero's mouth almost wanted to respond to Relena's dazed words. She was still trying to make out what had happened to her.
[ Did I wanted to smile ? ]
Heero slowly got her back onto her feet again and she rubbed her shoulder absent-mindedly as she looked back at the offending step.
" I tripped ? "
" Yes. "
" Oh no ! That was so uncalled-for !! "
Relena sighed to herself as Heero merely stared.
[ So what should I say ? ]
" It wasn't your fault. "
Relena looked at him and cocked her head questioningly to one side.
" I mean … you probably didn't want that. "
Her intense view on him was about to make his mind go anywhere but in a logical way.
[ Keep quiet then, you stupid oaf ]
" Thank you Heero, it was really kind of you. "
The gentle rare smile flashed again as her eyes twinkled in glee in the darkness. Before Heero even knew it, he had caught her by her shoulders again but this time with more vigour and purpose. She blinked as she felt herself being pulled closer to this boy and felt his hands enclose around her as she landed onto him.
[ H..E..E..R..O ?! ]
No words could come out from Relena and all she could do was to prevent herself from opening her jaw too long. She didn't know what to feel right now at this moment.
Happiness ? Confusion ? Anger ?
Her hands had gone around Heero's waist before she could even start to reason with herself.
Heero was slightly embarrassed when Relena embraced him back. He didn't know whether he had wanted it but it felt even more right when she did. He wasn't exactly very pleased with what he was doing now as his old self settled back in but he decided that he liked it anyway.
[ Was this what Professor J was always cooing about ? … Love … ? Something which only humans are capable of ? ]
They remained in this posture before Heero decided to bring them back into the present world by gently breaking the embrace. Relena was now staring right into his eyes and they seemed to be daring him to do something else.
" Heero, you … you know what you just did earlier on ? "
" Yes. "
" So why did you .. why did you do what you did ? "
" It … it was an instinct. "
Silence
" How do you … how do you feel … ? I mean … feel towards me ? "
Heero stared at her for the longest time possible as his brain racked for an alternative answer. He knew that the most logical answer was that he had feelings for her but something was holding it back within him.
" Heero ? "
Relena's eyes broke down his defences as he felt his lips quiver.
[ When am I ever so nervous ?! ]
" I … I feel … "
