BACK TO SCHOOL !
( The Vacation Saga )
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'
***
The 5 boys and Relena sat themselves at the great table where dinner was being served. As dish after dish started appearing on the beautiful dark-red tablecloth, Heero noticed that there were only about 2 kitchen helpers and he wondered how many chefs there were in the kitchen itself.
[ So it's really kept at a minimal ]
Heero shook the napkin placed on his dish loose and folding it into two, he placed it over his lap and picked up his cutlery, ready to start feasting. Duo stared in an exaggerated surprised way, obviously impressed that Heero knew the basic etiquettes of table manners.
" Wow Heero ! Did Professor J taught you the napkin thing ? "
A cold glare was all Duo received but he was having so much fun teasing Heero to let it go.
" Heero, why don't you offer some portions to Ojou-san as well ? That's basic courtesy. "
Relena hurriedly shook her head as slightly as she could, hoping that Duo would not continue anymore. She was worried about the impending night approaching and she wanted Heero to be kept in a neutral mood as long as possible.
" Why can't you do it ? "
" Well Heero, I just wanted to teach you more moves on table manners. "
[ He probably meant moves on how to impress a girl ]
Trowa thought to himself as he surveyed the ongoing situation before him. He was also not very comfortable with Duo relentlessly aggrevating Heero since the latter wasn't going to be in a good mood at all.
Especially at night.
Especially tonight.
" I don't need any lessons, not from you Duo. "
" Oh ? Hmmm .. then Ojou-san would have to do it, wouldn't you ? "
" Heh ? "
Relena looked surprised as she perked her head up to face the sneaky voice addressed to her. Hoping to end it as soon as possible, she quickly nodded and smiled rather forcefully, hoping to finish the subject. To her relief, Duo smiled rather victoriously back and resumed his attention to the dishes. Heero glared at Duo one last time and clutching his fork, he jabbed it into one of the chicken drumsticks and deftly placed it on his plate. He needed no confirmation of Duo's dismayed face as he knew that was Duo's favourite part of a chicken.
[ Knowing your enemy's weakness is the foremost knowledge one must possess to gain an upperhand ]
Professor J's words returned with a vengeance as he remembered his strict teachings since he was a little kid. If he failed to keep those in mind, he would end up as one of those unidentified bodies lying in the dust after a battle. As he grew older, his priority was slowly amended to carry through his mission to the end, at the expense of his life. It was all or nothing … death was a more honourable cause than betrayal … self-destruct if he couldn't succeed …
Heero's eyes squeezed shut for a while as painful memories jolted through him in an instance. He hated tasting the hidden elixirs of life … the happiness, the freedom, the emotions …
[ They only caused me so much conflictions and my life would have been simpler if I had not experienced them ]
Heero's eyes snapped open again and he started eating without much delay. He was tired of trashing out matters again and he decided everything else could wait. Relena watched silently beside him with a pained expression on her face, knowing that something was troubling Heero again. She wanted so much to ease his worries but she didn't know how. Finally deciding to do something later, she reluctantly resumed eating. Duo caught the looks and smiled inwardly to himself. He didn't mind being the God of Peacemaker or Matchmaker at times …
Trowa gazed at the little red device sitting on the palm of his hand as Quatre handed it over to him.
" This is the J-433 version of the infra-red device Professor J had invented sometime ago and shipped over to Heero some days before our departure. "
" Cleverly disguised like a harmless machine. "
" Indeed … Professor J told me about Heero's plan of bugging Michael's wallet and needing a bug which would supply Heero exact locations of the bugged subject through his laptop. "
" So you debugged Michael ? "
" Yes. I told you to lie to Heero about Relena leaving that voice message and left Heero to figure out how the device system had mysteriously disappeared. It only made things easier since Michael wasn't a total greenhorn in this area. Anyway, now that we have Heero on the guard 24/7 because he has the mindset of Michael on the loose now, that should put Heero with Relena for a long time to come … at least for this whole vacation period … "
" And Michael is walking around unbugged ? "
" Of course not ! I bugged him again with another device Professor J had shipped to me separately and with all of Heero's plans stated in an encrypted material. So all I had to do was to snitch Michael's wallet and then replaced it with mine. Now I have his location supplied to me via my palmtop so I am always assured of his non-involvence. In fact, he should be at his room right now and having a long luxurious bath. "
Trowa merely raised an eyebrow but Quatre could see that he was very impressed.
" You have to take your hat off Professor J … not at me … "
" Meaning ? "
" He was the one who single-handedly came up with this entire get-together thing. In fact, Dorothy told me that it was him that gave her the idea of taking a vacation. She didn't know it was part of his masterplan and only thought of it as a good idea … "
" He is such a crafty man … sometimes I don't know whether we should trust him or not. "
" Well, if we were drawn back almost 3 years ago .. I'm sure none of us could .. "
Both became silent as the memories flooded back again and Quatre quickly changed the subject.
" So try to keep this a secret from Heero neh ? "
Trowa nodded and handed the bug device back to Quatre. As both of them bade good night to each other, Quatre was glad that Trowa wasn't as uptight and shut-off as he used to be. He smiled a little more often now and although it was always a very small smile, it seemed to lighten up his eyes. Quatre was glad that his friend was finally opening up.
[ Peace could do so much to one person ]
The one who initiated peace was having a hard time pacifying her roommate. Heero had snatched a pillow and thrown it onto the floor, determined to sleep on it until the very last day. Relena swore that she really wouldn't be so bothered if Heero had at least a single layer of bedding to sleep on. The floor wasn't a great place to sleep on, especially at night. It was freezing and not in the least inviting. The bed was ridiculously big and Heero had to make her feel worse by his stubborn-ness.
" Stop acting like a child, Heero ! "
" I am not. "
" Then what is wrong with you ? Are you dying to make me feel bad for the rest of my precious vacation ? Can't you let me be selfish and allow me to enjoy my vacation without a hinge ? "
" I'm showing you some respect here. "
" For goodness sake ! Stop being a priss ! URGH ~ "
Relena sat down onto the bed with an exasperated groan and massaged her temples. Honestly, she wished she was just as cold-blooded as Heero … being compassionate sure wasn't easy on herself.
" Fine ! Sleep on the floor ! I'll occupy the damn bed myself. I'll stop being such a kind soul and make my life so miserable. "
Relena huffed and crossed her arms. She was very hurt inside and the words were apparently painful for her to speak as it was. Heero gazed at her, speechless and unsure of what to do. With some resentment, he had started to regret his choice because for some strange reason, he had started to dislike making the girl angry … but he couldn't possibly jump into the same bed with her. It was … it was just so wrong …
[ Relena will blame herself if I follow through my words ]
She had walked into the bathroom, holding her night clothes in her hand. Heero was left with some solitary moments to himself and he pondered on how to salvage the situation. Honestly, he wished he had not developed these new emotions. They were really a burden to have.
[ When in a thousand years did I actually tried to accommodate a girl's feelings ?? ]
The door opened and Heero looked up from his thoughts to see that Relena had changed into a modest grey nightgown down to her knees. She had worn slippers and had her hair down after a long day. Picking up a hairbrush, she started to run it through her long crown at the full-length mirror silently. As she flickered her eyes to see Heero looking at her via the mirror, he quickly turned away as soon as they had eye contact. Chuckling inwardly to herself, she continued brushing soundlessly.
" Does it really bother you ? "
Relena had jumped a little from the sudden question thrown at her. She just hated it when Heero spoke so suddenly.
[ Just when I was liking the silence ]
" It does … to some extent. I don't like to see my friends suffer unnecessarily. "
" So you tried to stop me the other time. "
Relena was amazed at herself for immediately linking the words to the unforgettable moment of gentleness coming from Heero. She nodded wordlessly as she continued brushing, trying to pretend that it was just ' one of those things '.
" Why ? "
[ Such a simple query but demanding such a difficult answer ]
Relena placed her hairbrush down, realising that Heero was serious. She turned around to face him again and sighed to herself.
" Why ? For many reasons I suppose, both politically and personally. "
As Heero continued staring at her, she knew Heero wasn't easily swayed by such a vague answer.
" Well … I care for my friends and my family. I care for those who have them too so that is why I know how hard it is for these soldiers who go into battle, leaving their friends and family members behind. We ALL suffer during a war, whether we belonged to Side A or Side B. Some of us are exceptions of course, like ambition-driven humans or cold-blooded people … "
Heero turned away, his eyes narrowing in response.
" I don't mean anyone in particular … Heero … are you thinking of yourself when I said that ? "
Heero remained quiet, not knowing how to answer.
" You don't have to worry about that, for you were a soldier driven by circumstances … just like everyone else in a battle. Trowa, Wufei, Duo and Quatre … all of them were just victims of fate … so am I … those ambition-driven and cold-blooded people I listed ? They changed in the end … just like Marimeya … not all of them are totally a lost cause. "
" You don't understand. "
" Of course I won't, I'm not you. I'm just trying to tell you that if you keep wallowing in the past, you'll never go forward. It is time to move on, Heero. It's time for you to embark on a different journey … to find your true self … it IS difficult but I'm sure you can .. for you're Heero Yuy. "
The shaken boy looked up in a dazed state of mind, absorbing her words like a dried sponge to water. Professor J had spoken to him in a similar way before, but he had never ever reacted so powerfully to it. Relena's eyes had a faraway expression as she gazed into some distance away, smiling dreamily. Soon, she averted her eyes back to him again and smiled more genuinely at him this time.
" Let's get some sleep, I'm sure you're tired. "
Relena yawned as she yanked the big covers and then slithered onto the sheets smoothly. She loved the warmness of the duvet and she knew she was going to have a good night's rest. Heero silently stood up from the bed and looked torned between emotions and principals. Finally, he decided to wait until Relena was sound asleep before joining her.
[ That should solve everything ]
Duo gave a casual glance towards his electronic clock and was shocked that it was already past 1 in the morning.
[ How time flies ! ]
He quickly shut down his laptop and pulled off his hairband which held his braid together. As brown strands slowly loosened and un-entwined against each other, he quickly changed into his PJs and checked the radiator temperature one last time before settling into bed.
[ Hilde would be here soon ]
He smiled at the idea of his favourite companion arriving and closed his eyes in blissful contentment.
[ I sure hope this lifestyle will never end ]
Duo's eyes snapped open again as he forgot something important … REALLY important. Scrambling out of bed, he hurriedly dialled Quatre's number.
" Hello ? "
A sleepy voice greeted him and Duo felt a little guilty for disturbing the poor boy.
" Hey, it's me. "
" Oh Duo, what's wrong ? "
" Nothing, I just wanted to ask whether you installed any viewing device in Heero's room. "
" Huh .. ? What for ? "
" Nothing, I was just asking. "
" Professor J explicitly stated that we should leave them alone … Duo ! You aren't supposed to be cooking up such ideas ! "
" I was just curious … "
" Don't you DARE disturb them ! We can only guess but it's really up to them to make things work. We do the preparations and they will handle the rest … themselves … "
" I got your meaning already Quatre ! Don't be so uptight ! Goodnight then … "
" Goodnight, no pranks from you. "
" Yes ! Yes ! Sheesh … "
Duo replaced the receiver and felt a little sore for getting a reprimand from Quatre. It was true that Heero and Relena should have a little privacy after all these schemings but curiousity was certainly human's nature. Fighting off the urge, Duo decided that sleeping was the best way to knock himself unconscious voluntarily.
[ Hmm, but to have something naughty between Sub-zero Yuy and Ojou-san on permanent tape is something worth owning in a million years' time to come. Furthermore, a little blackmailing is ALWAYS fun ]
Duo did not realise that he had fallen asleep with a wide smile on his face, dreaming of Heero's expression as he reminded him of his 'special tape series' one fine day when they were wrinkly old men caught in one of their many arguments.
Wufei was in a meditative state and sitting in a lotus position on the bed when loud rings interrupted his training. Cursing to himself, he felt his relaxed state of mind flaring up considerably fast and realised that he had not acquired the basics with a full grasp yet. Wondering why he was unable to do so, he pressed the 'call' button and had great difficulty trying to surpress the anger in his voice.
" What ? "
" Wufei, are you angry ? "
" No, I'm not ! "
" Don't be silly, you are. "
" Why the hell are you calling at 1:30 am anyway ? "
" Because I know you're never asleep at this hour. "
" I need to meditate .. call another time. "
" Don't bother telling me that, you always make up such an excuse. "
Wufei cursed himself now, wishing that he had not made up those lies back then.
" Anyway, the girls and I decided that we could arrive by tomorrow evening. Would you kindly inform the rest ? "
" To … tomorrow ?! "
Wufei could not help but stutter to himself. Much as he felt the fiery urge to see Sally again, he suddenly wanted to escape at the thought that he was really going to see her again.
" What's wrong with you Wufei ? We're not going to harass you. "
" No .. no .. that's not it .. "
" Wufei ? You've been acting strange lately, has school been so traumatic ? "
" It has nothing to do with school. Stop asking so much questions. "
" Well, I'll make sure you talk when I get there. You know how capable I am at cracking tough nuts … like you … "
Wufei wanted to grin at the level of confidence dripping in Sally's voice. He loved challenges and Sally thrilled him at times. Forgetting his temporarily confusion, he scoffed and returned a just-as-arrogant tone to the woman over the other line.
" We'll see about that, Sally Po. "
" Okay, I see that my challenge had been accepted. Oh yes, do you snore ? "
Wufei looked very clueless as she popped such a weird question out of the blue.
" No .. "
" Oh good ! I don't want to have sleepless nights … so I'll see you tomorrow … bye ! "
Wufei stared at his handphone as the line went dead. A few good minutes trickled by before he realised the impact and meaning of Sally's brief sentence.
" Oh. My. Gawd … "
The soft breathing sounds coming from Relena were stable enough for Heero to ensure that she was fast asleep. Gingerly and uncannily quiet, he slipped under the covers and slowly let himself down onto the sheets and the soft pillow he had brought from the floor.
[ Okay, nothing went wrong ]
Relena fidgeted a little and Heero stiffened immediately, muscles tense and ready to bolt the very minute she opened her eyes. There was none as Relena continued snoozing comfortably. Heero continued freezing up until he was very sure that she was deep in sleep again. Soon, there was dead silence as Heero himself slipped into the welcoming hands of sleep.
3 Hours Later
Heero was never in a state of deep slumber before and any slight noises would be enough to arouse him from sleep. He had snapped his eyes open, ready to get into a fight but was very rudely greeted by a hand slapped across his chest carelessly.
[ Relena … ]
He didn't know whether he should be angry or simply be amused by the way Relena was sleeping. She had now turned to face him and one hand was clenched up in a loose fist near her chest while another found itself lying on his body. Her legs had curled up to meet her upper body and she was muttering something softly in her sleep.
[ Is she having a dream ? ]
Heero's first instinct was to lift the hand up and return it over to its original owner's side of the bed so he sat up a little to aid him in his decision. Unfortunately, when he was halfway successful in putting it down near Relena, he met her similarly blue cobalt eyes.
Author's Ramblings :
Oooh, I've just returned home after watching Lord of The Rings movie. Not as good as I had expected since I read the books by Tolkien but after all … you really can't expect the poor director to squeeze everything into a 3 hour movie ! For those who have not read the books, please do ! They're really excellent and I highly recommend you picking up [ The Hobbit ] before proceeding on to [ The Trilogy of LOTR ].
ANYWAY … I will be in Belgium for my vacation during the Christmas week so expect the next chapter to be up only after the 28th of December. Hmm, I know it's really cruel of me to leave everyone hanging in mid-air like THAT but if I continue writing, I'll fall asleep onto my poor keyboard ! Gomen ne ~ 0_o
As usual, reviews are welcomed for this chapter and if you've reviewed before, please feel free to review again ! I have sent out emails to those who requested for new chapter alerts but with the new functions now up and running on FF.net, feel free to let me know if you still want me to continue doing so.
Jya ne ~ Have a good Christimas and a splendid New Year !
19th December 2001
