Insatiable
Part Two: Dreams and Nightmares
Disclaimer: Trowa Barton, Midii Une, Episode Zero and Gundam Wing are the property
of Sotsu Agency*Sunrise, etc. This story, like most of my others, is not for children, this
one contains blood and evil! Inspired by a gorgeous piece of vampiric fanart by the
talented Great Saiyagal. Check it out here—
http://www.geocities.com/spysilencer/newmain.html
By Midii Une
When she moved in her sleep the ribbons of hair slid across her throat like
strands of golden silk. Midii struggled restlessly with the twisted sheets, the
morning racket her brothers made calling her from far away, pulling her rudely
from the cloudy gray dream world and the last lingering embrace of night.
Her blood seemed to tingle, as if it buzzed with the effects of some exotic drug.
She had an unusual awareness of it hot and pulsating in the veins close
beneath her skin. Trowa injected himself into her dream as she slid further
beneath the blankets determined to stay with him this time, even in dreams he
was always elusive and enigmatic, downright frustrating. It was different this
time, his face became clearer, different somehow, the lines as perfect as if he
were carved from the purest white marble and those eyes like jewels, but
alive and burning with undisguised lust. Her breath caught in her throat and
she felt trapped in morbid fascination as she stared into the deep green eyes
that seemed like endless wells of turbulent water waiting to drown her.
Someone was calling her name, desperately trying to get her attention but she
hung onto the dream tightly. Long, white fingers reached for her throat, she
could feel a touch as icy as that imagined hand from the grave stroking her
skin. There was sticky liquid trickling down her neck and shoulders and her
thumb started bleeding again from the place she had hurt it in the graveyard,
dark red and seeping beneath the bandage.
"Midiiiiiiiiiii!!! Wake up," a petulant, boyish voice called.
He stepped back as his sister's eyes flew open and she grabbed convulsively
at her throat.
"Oh my God, oh God," she gasped breathlessly as her fingers trailed through
cold sticky fluid that seemed to cling to her skin. Her eyes focused on her
brother as her heartbeat came back under control, the dream adrenaline
fading. The young boy stood looking at her with his shirt buttoned crookedly
and a slopping glass of orange juice in his hand. She smelled the fruity
fragrance everywhere and she could tell he'd spilled it on her when he was
trying to wake her up.
Damn, damn, damn, she thought, getting out of bed and pulling a robe over
her nightgown. She'd dreamed that Trowa was finally looking at her as if he
wanted to eat her up only to be rudely awakened to clean up a sticky mess.
The every day flurry of feeding several younger brothers and getting herself to
work doused the strangely erotic dream of Trowa in a flood of mundane little
details.
It wasn't until lunchtime under Hilde Schbeiker's relentless quest for gossip that
she remembered to look at the bandage on her injured thumb. It had bled
through again. Hilde shrugged off the little wound.
"You must keep opening it when you use your hand," she said, barely glancing
at it as she dug in her purse to find Midii a new bandage.
"That's what Trowa said last night," Midii sighed.
"Trowa?? You saw Trowa last night," Hilde pounced and leaned close to Midii
over the table and whispered persuasively, "tell me everything."
She wrinkled her nose as the other girl's face grew all dreamy.
"You're too much," she said, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "I hate to
tell you this but he really doesn't know you're alive and the way you act like
he's God's gift to women or something doesn't help. You should play hard to
get."
"He gave me a ride home last night," Midii protested, trying to deny the truth in
Hilde's words.
"And then what," Hilde snapped.
Midii chewed her lip. Hilde was right, she was always right. He'd dropped her
off and then nothing.
She was saved from the embarrassing and inevitable confession by the timely
arrival of Duo Maxwell, the self-styled God of Death who in peacetime had
been relegated to filching French fries at lunchtime and generally being a
cheerful playboy Preventer.
He squeezed his chair in between the girls and promptly shoved the last
quarter of Hilde's peanut butter and jelly sandwich in his mouth and mumbled
frantically.
"One more time hot shot," Hilde said, desperately trying to decipher his words.
"Did you say you want to take us out tonight?"
"Yup," Duo winked, sliding an experimental hand along the edge of Midii's skirt
under the table enjoying the blush that crept up in her cheeks. "You girls look
bored and I'm just the guy to put a little excitement in your lives."
"I know," Hilde said, looking at Midii mischievously. "Why don't you invite
Trowa to come along too?"
"Hilde," Midii whispered violently, her blush deepening.
Hilde was instantly sorry she'd brought Trowa up as it turned Duo's thoughts to
her rival for his affections.
"Great idea babe!! He can bring that gorgeous sister of his and she knows the
owner down at the Club Crimson. I'll pick you ladies up at 9 and we'll meet
them down there," Duo said before disappearing with a wink and a toss of his
chestnut braid. They could hear him whistling the intro music to Cathrine's
circus act as he went.
"Damn," Midii and Hilde chorused together, glaring at each other.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cathrine leaned forward slightly as she peered through the rain-streaked
windshield to try to get a better view of the road before her. She hadn't
wanted to go out tonight, she'd been unable to sleep for worry about Trowa.
Duo had called and although that was usually a welcome interruption in her
life she'd just been about to turn him down when Trowa appeared from his
bedroom as suddenly and silently as a ghost. He'd taken the phone right out of
her hand and uncharacteristically accepted Duo's invitation.
That stupid, infatuated little Midii Une was sure to be there. Duo loved being
surrounded by girls and Hilde and Midii trailed in his wake whenever he went
clubbing. If she hadn't been so distracted by Trowa's odd behavior she would
have felt satisfaction that the one Duo really wanted to be with was her but
she had more important things on her mind than flirting with the braided hunk
tonight. She had her sights set on Midii, she vowed to corner her at some point
and find out exactly what she'd been doing in regards to her beloved brother.
Thinking of him, she spared a glance at Trowa. He was staring intently at the
raindrops as they slid with tantalizing slowness down the smooth wet glass. The
brake lights of the cars in front of them turned the drops red as blood as they
oozed along the foggy window. She thought she saw him moisten his pale lips
with his tongue as he looked at the rain before shaking herself and placing her
attention back on the road.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Duo, Hilde and Midii shivered beneath the overhang of the roof outside of
Club Crimson, the cold torrents of rain sweeping beneath the paltry shelter
with every gust of the October wind. Duo put his arms around the girls and
pulled them closer, it looked as if he was trying to keep them warm but the two
slender bodies actually provided him shelter from the cold and wet. Duo
Maxwell, ever the gentleman, grinned to himself as he allowed let his fingers
roam down to pinch Hilde's ass while his other hand accidentally grazed the
exposed round swell that rose from the plunging neckline of Midii's dress.
Midii pulled away, as if Duo's playful touch offended her. She stepped out into
the rain with almost mechanical steps as if pulled by an unseen force. She
stood in the full force of the storm, the wind tearing her shiny red vinyl raincoat
open and blowing it back so it framed her figure swathed in clinging black
velvet beneath. She threw her arms wide and tilted her face to the rain, the
moisture instantly causing her black mascara to pool in sooty puddles beneath
her eyes, making her look sad and tragic.
A white face containing burning emerald eyes stared at her from across the
street, he could see her heart beating and the throbbing pulse at the side of
her neck despite the distance. His eyes narrowed as Duo and Hilde pulled her
back beneath the roofline, the murmur of their scolding voices like the irritating
buzzing of insignificant bugs.
"Ugh, it's cold," Midii said dazedly, blinking her eyes slowly and shuddering.
"No shit when you go out in the rain like that," Duo muttered, shaking his head
and brushing the water from her drenched coat off himself.
He forgot Midii's "blonde moment" and his violet eyes lit with childish glee, as
Trowa and Cathrine appeared beside them.
"Cathy-babe," he chortled happily, letting his gaze linger on her voluptuous
figure. "You're looking good tonight! Gonna pull some strings and get your pal
Duo in out of the rain?"
He cocked an eyebrow at his friend, grimacing before he spoke.
"You look like shit Trowa man," he said, possessively taking Cathrine's arm and
pulling her close. "Pardon my saying so but you look like death warmed over.
Maybe you really are sick today, maybe you shoulda stayed home."
Midii missed Cathrine's glare and stared in lovestruck awe at the object of her
desire. How could Duo say he looked bad, she wondered. Maybe a little pale,
but that was probably because of the cold. The weather that had been so
lovely last night had turned ferocious. His eyes were on her as well, the gaze
like that of the man in her dream and she caught her breath as he seemed
about to take her hand. Instead Hilde sighed loudly in annoyance and
dragged her bemused friend in out of the rain before they got left behind.
"Hey Hilde," several male voices chorused as soon as the small, dark-haired
young woman stepped into the maelstrom of flashing red lights and throbbing
sound. She grinned, it was a table full of former comrades from her OZ days,
they were waving frantically for her to come and join them. There was no way
she was going to sit with Duo if he was going to ogle Cathrine Bloom all night.
No use letting the night become a total waste and it would be a great
opportunity for Midii to start showing Trowa he wasn't the only man alive.
"Let's tell Duo we're ditching his party," Hilde whispered to Midii, leaning in
close to be heard over the pulsating rhythm. "I've had it with him."
Midii nodded half-heartedly and they squeezed their way to the table where
Duo sat next to Cathrine his arm resting on the back of her chair and his fingers
toying with her bouncy auburn curls.
Hilde opened her mouth to give Duo a piece of her mind but Trowa beat her to
the punch, rising from his chair with his usual elegance of movement that
seemed somehow eerily enhanced. Midii looked like she was about to melt
into a puddle and even Hilde had to admit to herself that he did seem more
interested than usual.
The thirst he had seemed to feel since waking up in the cemetery that morning
seemed to intensify as she walked up to the table, the flashing red lights that
gave Club Crimson it's rather obvious name caressed her milky skin and cast
enticing shadows around her throat. He wanted to see all of her and it didn't
matter that they were surrounded by people, she was the only one in the room
for him.
He stepped toward her and slowly eased the bright scarlet raincoat off, letting
it drop to the floor. The tight black velvet dress that molded to her body like a
glove and blood-red lipstick made her parted lips look like an opening rose.
An ebony cross rested on the soft pale skin between her small breasts. The
smear of black mascara beneath her eyes made them look deep and endless
but he ignored all these things to let his eyes trace a pale violet vein that
pulsed gently beneath her skin.
Midii felt her heart skip a beat, he was touching her face with his fingertips and
staring at her so hard, as if he'd never really seen her before. She made a soft
little sound and leaned forward as his hand traveled along the side of her neck
and stroked the skin that stretched tautly over her collarbone.
She would taste so good beneath his lips, sweet and warm, her body pressed
so close, he could feel how it would be her heart pounding so fast, then slow,
then stopping . . .
"He's going to kiss me," she thought, a shiver of delight coursing over her body
as she shut her eyes. His other hand was exploring her face now and she
made a soft sound of ecstasy, oblivious to the show they were putting on for
the others in their group. Midii felt his grip tighten on the little chain that held
the ebony cross she wore and she swallowed, he was so gentle but she knew
that he was so powerful beneath the façade as if their were restrained
violence and passion hidden behind the mask he wore. She gasped and
opened her eyes as she felt a sharp tug and her throat burned with quick
searing pain.
He had stepped away from her and was looking at her in the same old way, as
if she were glass and he could see right through her at something more
interesting. He opened his hand and the little black ebony cross was nothing
but powder. It spilled to the floor like so much sparkling dust.
"You shouldn't wear crosses, they carry bad memories," he said, turning away
from her, his hands shaking. He had seen it there as he peered through his
lashes at her skin so close beneath his lips. It was so black against the
whiteness of her skin and it brought back memories in a rushing, unstoppable
tide of alien emotion.
But he'd lied. The memories weren't bad and they were more like feelings.
She was someone he never wanted to hurt yet he could have ripped into her
in front of all those people, torn her throat out and . . .
"Excuse me," he muttered, making a pretense of going to the bar and ordering
a drink.
"What a jerk," Hilde sputtered, staring from him to Midii, whose face showed
shock and confusion. Several rubies of bright red blood beaded on her neck
where Trowa had ripped her necklace off.
"Pretty weird," Duo agreed. "Even for Trowa."
Hilde rounded on him, her blue eyes sparking fire. "You're a jerk too! Come on
Midii let's go to the girls' room and check that scratch."
She took hold of the other girl's hand and dropped it. Blood had leaked from
the small gash on her thumb and streaked her palm like crimson tears. She was
starting to think Midii should have gotten stitches in that stupid cut; it kept
bleeding all the time.
"Oh my God, I'm so embarrassed. I just want to go home Hilde. He hates me,
he'll always hate me. What was I thinking," Midii said, staring at herself in the
mirror as Hilde dabbed at the blood on her neck with a wet tissue.
"Just because Trowa and Duo are jerks doesn't mean we can't have a good
time," Hilde said stubbornly as Midii tried to repair her eye makeup. "A bunch of
my old friends are here, guys who used to be OZ cadets that work for
Preventers now. Come on, it'll be fun. Still, I can't believe how Trowa acted
and to think I used to have a crush on him! We're through with those guys
Midii, we'll find a new crowd."
"I'm a stupid fool," Midii continued ranting, glaring at herself in the mirror with
self-hatred. "I made a wish yesterday, an impossible wish. All I ever wanted is
for Trowa to love me, to need me like I need him. I should have known it could
never happen. Why couldn't I see?"
Cathrine stood just inside the door, her head reeling with Midii's words. What
had that girl's desperation led her to? She had always considered her
obsession with her brother harmless but something was wrong, horribly wrong.
He'd slept the day away, as silent and still as a corpse and he hadn't eaten for
hours. The gypsy tales of her childhood about the power of wishes and curses
spun in her head as she stared at the oblivious blonde girl.
Midii and Hilde turned, hearing the soft sound of dismay from the doorway.
Midii flushed bright red, her face burning hot, wishing she could sink through
the floor. Now Cathrine knew about her foolish, desperate wish. A wish that
would never come true. She'd be sure to tell Trowa and he'd think even less
of her than he did now.
Cathrine grabbed for Midii's arm as Hilde pulled her out the door, trying to
convince her all she needed was a stiff drink.
"Midii! It's important, we need to talk. What did you do? What did you do to
my brother," Cathrine hissed, grabbing Midii's arm and digging her brightly
painted nails into the other girl's soft skin.
"Back off, Trowa's the one that hurt her, not the other way around," Hilde said,
part of her anger due to the fact that Cathrine had distracted Duo from her
tonight.
Duo squirmed uncomfortably as Cathrine glared daggers at Midii and Hilde as
they parted at the ladies room door. He liked Hilde, he really did, but could he
help it if he preferred Cathy? She was just so damn sexy. Why couldn't they all
have a good time together just because he preferred one girl over the other?
And Trowa hadn't helped by buttering up Midii then slamming the door in her
face. That had been really cold.
Finally the other Gundam pilot returned from the bar. He held a glass of Merlot
that he obviously hadn't tasted a sip since the red liquid swayed dangerously
back and forth near to overflowing. Trowa had natural grace however and
only a few drops of the wine spilled on the white tablecloth. He saw again the
drops of blood on Midii's throat, the hurt in her eyes, his hand gripped the
fragile glass tightly until it shattered, spraying the wine over the table along
with shards of crystal.
"Oh Trowa! Are you okay," Cathrine cried, jumping up and prying his hand
open. She gasped, he was perfectly fine, not a scratch on his hand although
Duo was yelping as he pricked his finger after trying to brush up the mess.
Trowa stared at him as he popped a bloody finger in his mouth and sucked on
the wound.
"What's up with you tonight, Tro," Duo asked as Cathrine hurried to the bar to
get a rag to clean up with. "Do you like Midii or not? It wouldn't take much
effort for you to get laid here pal. She really likes you. Hilde told me all about it.
Still there's no call to be nasty to the girl if you don't like her. You could do
worse, I've given her a try and she's really sweet. Tasty dish, y'know?"
Trowa ignored Duo, whose finger had stopped bleeding, and let his eyes
follow Midii's movements. He stared at her wanting her to look at him but she
only spared him a glance before turning away and lifting her chin haughtily.
Hilde pulled her out on the dance floor with her and it wasn't long before the
two of them had attracted partners from the table where Hilde's old friends
sat.
Duo sighed.
"I really don't get you man, you're staring at her like she's the best thing on the
dessert tray but you're not making your move."
Trowa glared and Duo turned away first although he'd stared down the best
death glare he'd ever come up against in Heero Yuy. Tonight Trowa was
downright scary. He got up with a muttered excuse and tracked down
Cathrine came back and he took her out to dance, sitting next to Trowa was
giving him the creeps.
With Cathrine in his arms Duo quickly forgot his misgivings about Trowa's bizarre
behavior. She was holding on tight and the way her body moved when she
danced was more intoxicating than wine. He tightened his arms around her
tentatively, grinning with satisfaction as she clung tighter to him in return and
he felt her molded against him, the softness of her crushed suggestively against
him and her breath warm against his ear.
"Oh Duo, you have to help me," she whispered urgently. "I'm so worried
about Trowa."
"Forget about him tonight," Duo said, anxious for to take advantage of
Cathrine's odd compliancy. She was usually so feisty and something of a
tease. Tonight she didn't seem to mind his inappropriate advances.
She shivered and he stroked her cheek comfortingly, landing a kiss right behind
the tender touch and following it up with another.
"Mmmmmmmmm," Duo groaned as her mouth opened tentatively beneath his,
the movement of her soft lips encouraging him further.
"I'm going to need your help in this Duo," Cathrine thought as she lost herself in
his strong, warm embrace. There was going to be a battle ahead. A battle for
her brother's very soul and she needed an ally. But there was something else
too, the easy attraction she felt for the fun-loving Gundam pilot was becoming
something more serious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trowa swirled his finger through the spilled wine, he didn't want to eat or drink.
Duo had discarded a basket of chicken wings and nachos but the food
seemed as unappealing as the water Cathrine had given him to drink this
morning. He felt like he was dying inside and Midii was the cure. His feelings
for her had taken on an urgency that ripped through his soul and seemed like
they would tear him apart.
Did what he felt for her have a name, was it one of the emotions that Duo and
Cathy and other people felt and expressed so easily? Midii was a riddle from
the moment he saw her. She was someone he was supposed to kill, someone
he was trained to kill, an intruder, a spy, a traitor but his heart refused to obey
common sense and asserted itself as it never had before. There was a person
inside him, the soldier's alter ego, that had always wanted to protect her from
that very first moment.
That person was still there and he realized that what he felt did have a name.
Love.
"Too late," he thought. "What were you waiting for? Did you expect her just to
exist in a void without emotion like you until you came to your senses?"
Too late, too late because now he had changed, something had altered in him
since the accident in the graveyard and she had become mixed up in it. Duo's
phone call earlier that evening had shaken him out of a dream of blood and
death so real that he had almost screamed with the horror of it.
She and Hilde moved with easy grace, their skin flushed with the heat and
energy of dancing. A man he recognized from headquarters handed Midii a
drink before circling around her and pulling her back against him, his face
pressed against the softness of her hair, the tip of his nose nuzzling the fragile
skin of her throat. Trowa's vision seemed to zoom in, he could see each black
eyelash as she closed her eyes and rested back against her partner. He saw in
perfect detail the dark stain beneath her eyes from the mascara that had run
in the rain, the parted lips of her red mouth and the man's lips taking
advantage of the smooth flesh so close. She was so trusting, sweet, Duo said.
Was that how she would taste? He could imagine the softness of her skin
beneath his own lips, his teeth grazing at that delicate pale flesh until blood ran
down in crimson rivulets. He knew the taste, hot and distinctive, she had
gotten her blood on his face before the accident. He would close his mouth
over the wound, he could hear her make a sound of pained surprise then her
thudding heartbeat in his ears, fast and frightened then slow and sluggish.
He stood up so fast that the stool he'd been sitting on crashed to the floor. With
a swirl of his coat he seemed to disappear into the darkness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hilde's plan wasn't working, Midii thought as she danced mindlessly, playing
the fiasco with Trowa over and over in her mind. It seemed for a moment as if
he'd been watching her but then he had left. She remembered the previous
evening in the graveyard and closed her eyes. She had wished that he loved
her, wished that he needed her. So much for wishes, it seemed like every
hope of being with him was futile. She had known it as a child but the final
realization was finally sinking in. He couldn't love her or anyone it seemed. His
emotions were a casualty of war, used up by the overwhelming sorrow of an
abandoned child. She let Hilde's friend Willem Van Zehn spin her expertly,
she'd seen him at the office, blonde hair, blue eyes, wholesome good looks
and no mystery that he was definitely attracted to her. She rested her head on
his shoulder sighing, she was so tired, tired of being alone, tired of struggling for
Trowa to notice her.
"He doesn't know you're alive," Hilde had said.
Her stubborn hope still resisted surrender. There had been something different
tonight and there was one other thing that Midii knew was true. She had
shared kisses and touches with other men, Duo sometimes after one drink too
many, and even Van Zehn tonight. If Trowa's emotions were a casualty of war
then that meant for her as well that a life with love in it was not in the cards.
From the very first moment it had only been him for her and there could be no
substitute.
"Thank you but I think I'm going to call it a night," Midii told her partner, putting
distance between herself and the tall blonde man.
She looked around for Hilde but she was very occupied with a man she'd told
Midii had been her unit chief on L2 back when she first met Duo during the
war. He was a nice-looking man with wavy brown hair who always wore a
serious expression and he seemed to think the world of Hilde. It seemed after
Duo's latest hijinks with Cathrine that Hilde was regaining her interest in her
former commanding officer.
"How are you going to get home," Van Zehn asked. He could see Midii
scanning the dance floor for her friends and he thought that if she didn't want
to dance anymore there was no reason their evening should end. He'd seen
her around the halls at work; she was an ex-Alliance spy whose talents were
being wasted in the word processing department because she insisted on
being stationed at the French bureau here in Paris. He didn't think she would
be averse to getting to know him a little better. It was a cold night out and if
he took her home there'd be plenty of opportunity for a cuddle or even more.
Midii read the thoughts in his eyes easily.
"I'll get home fine on my own," she assured him. He leaned in close and she let
him kiss her goodnight, testing her theory. She felt nothing as he kissed her
expertly, just the right mixture of firmness and softness in his lips, mouth slightly
open but no tongue on the first try. There wouldn't be a second. After tonight
she felt dead inside, barely feeling the cold as she walked out alone to find the
nearest Metro station to take her home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The young man's breath misted around him, it was after midnight and cold.
He'd ended up alone the night wasted on a girl that however pretty had
turned out to be as cold as the weather. Sad really, but it seemed like since
the war more and more people turned out like her, people who merely moved
through the world instead of living. He'd been watching her awhile and
thought she'd been different.
Van Zehn tightened his jacket around himself, watching his buddy Jamie Hunter
walk off down the street with Hilde. He wished them luck, Hunter had been
mooning over Hilde since the war and she was a girl who looked like she still
knew how to live. If only Midii, the girl he'd danced with tonight, was more
like her. It was as if something had come over her out on the dance floor and
suddenly her heart wasn't in the evening anymore. He could still smell the
scent of her on his clothes and a few strands of long blonde hair clung to his
dark jacket and he wished things could have turned out differently.
He turned suddenly, startled. It felt like someone was watching him from the
shadows but when he turned to look no one was there. There was no telltale
mist of breath in the frigid night to show that anyone had been. His heart
thudded in panic as he turned back to walk away only to come face to face
with a tall, forbidding figure. Van Zehn flushed and stuttered a terse greeting.
It was embarrassing to be caught by surprise like this by a superior officer.
It was the former Gundam pilot with the piercing green eyes, the one who
always completed every mission as efficiently and emotionlessly as a robot.
"Where's Midii," Barton asked and Van Zehn had a flash of memory. Earlier
that night he'd seen Midii with him. Remembered how odd it was that he just
dropped her coat on the dirty floor and she had just stood there, totally
entranced.
"She went home," Van Zehn said, taking a step back. Barton was
uncomfortably close and seemed to be trying to stare a hole through him.
Maybe he'd read Midii wrong after all. Maybe she and this guy were involved
and tonight had been some little lovers' spat. God he hoped not, he'd hate to
be on a Gundam pilot's wrong side.
"Good, she'll be safe at home," Trowa said softly, so softly that Van Zehn had to
strain to hear him. He wanted to run, he had to fight the urge his body was
planting in him to flee. A base instinct formed when some ancient ancestor
had faced a wildly dangerous carnivore and just as appropriate at this
moment although Van Zehn didn't realize it until it was too late.
Trowa's eyes slid to the man's throat, he saw Midii before him, saw her as she
had looked when his hands slid her coat off and touched the velvet dress and
her even softer skin. The soft female fragrance rising from her hair and her skin
and the fluttering pulse beating in her neck, slow and steady. The pulse in the
man's neck was fast and frightened, it beat harder and faster as he sunk his
teeth into the tender skin and drew out the blood in voracious, insatiable gulps,
the scent of Midii filling his head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Midii rushed along the strangely quiet and deserted halls of the Preventer
Headquarters in the ///district. She took a discreet sip of her coffee as she
headed for her cubicle. Was she really that late, she wondered. Sleep, when
it had finally come, had been full of disturbingly erotic dreams and the scratch
on her throat from her broken necklace stung painfully as she walked.
People were staring at her as she slipped into her chair and her vidcom was
beeping insistently. She pushed the button and found herself staring at a pale,
wild-eyed Hilde.
"Oh Midii, I'm so relieved to see you. Did you hear what happened last night.
It's so horrible," Hilde said, speaking quickly, her words a jumble.
"I was late I didn't turn on the news this morning," Midii said. "What
happened?"
"That guy you were dancing with last night was murdered right outside the
club! I'm so glad you got home alright, they're saying it must have happened
right after you left him," Hilde said. "It was awful, his throat was ripped out as if
he was attacked by an animal and he bled to death."
Midii gasped and put her hand to her own throat, shaking her head in disbelief.
Duo hesitated in the doorway. Midii was the last one who'd positively seen
that dead guy last night. He wished like hell that Heero and Wufei weren't
posted to space headquarters right now. He didn't want to play the bad guy.
He liked her, but he couldn't let it stop him from finding out what had
happened last night.
He took a deep breath and stepped inside, his violet eyes sober and serious.
She could so very easily have killed that guy for making a wrong move, she
looked fragile and helpless but that wasn't necessarily true. She'd fought in the
war just like the rest of them and her record showed she could be just as
deadly when provoked.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next—Insatiable Part 3: Life and Death
Part Two: Dreams and Nightmares
Disclaimer: Trowa Barton, Midii Une, Episode Zero and Gundam Wing are the property
of Sotsu Agency*Sunrise, etc. This story, like most of my others, is not for children, this
one contains blood and evil! Inspired by a gorgeous piece of vampiric fanart by the
talented Great Saiyagal. Check it out here—
http://www.geocities.com/spysilencer/newmain.html
By Midii Une
When she moved in her sleep the ribbons of hair slid across her throat like
strands of golden silk. Midii struggled restlessly with the twisted sheets, the
morning racket her brothers made calling her from far away, pulling her rudely
from the cloudy gray dream world and the last lingering embrace of night.
Her blood seemed to tingle, as if it buzzed with the effects of some exotic drug.
She had an unusual awareness of it hot and pulsating in the veins close
beneath her skin. Trowa injected himself into her dream as she slid further
beneath the blankets determined to stay with him this time, even in dreams he
was always elusive and enigmatic, downright frustrating. It was different this
time, his face became clearer, different somehow, the lines as perfect as if he
were carved from the purest white marble and those eyes like jewels, but
alive and burning with undisguised lust. Her breath caught in her throat and
she felt trapped in morbid fascination as she stared into the deep green eyes
that seemed like endless wells of turbulent water waiting to drown her.
Someone was calling her name, desperately trying to get her attention but she
hung onto the dream tightly. Long, white fingers reached for her throat, she
could feel a touch as icy as that imagined hand from the grave stroking her
skin. There was sticky liquid trickling down her neck and shoulders and her
thumb started bleeding again from the place she had hurt it in the graveyard,
dark red and seeping beneath the bandage.
"Midiiiiiiiiiii!!! Wake up," a petulant, boyish voice called.
He stepped back as his sister's eyes flew open and she grabbed convulsively
at her throat.
"Oh my God, oh God," she gasped breathlessly as her fingers trailed through
cold sticky fluid that seemed to cling to her skin. Her eyes focused on her
brother as her heartbeat came back under control, the dream adrenaline
fading. The young boy stood looking at her with his shirt buttoned crookedly
and a slopping glass of orange juice in his hand. She smelled the fruity
fragrance everywhere and she could tell he'd spilled it on her when he was
trying to wake her up.
Damn, damn, damn, she thought, getting out of bed and pulling a robe over
her nightgown. She'd dreamed that Trowa was finally looking at her as if he
wanted to eat her up only to be rudely awakened to clean up a sticky mess.
The every day flurry of feeding several younger brothers and getting herself to
work doused the strangely erotic dream of Trowa in a flood of mundane little
details.
It wasn't until lunchtime under Hilde Schbeiker's relentless quest for gossip that
she remembered to look at the bandage on her injured thumb. It had bled
through again. Hilde shrugged off the little wound.
"You must keep opening it when you use your hand," she said, barely glancing
at it as she dug in her purse to find Midii a new bandage.
"That's what Trowa said last night," Midii sighed.
"Trowa?? You saw Trowa last night," Hilde pounced and leaned close to Midii
over the table and whispered persuasively, "tell me everything."
She wrinkled her nose as the other girl's face grew all dreamy.
"You're too much," she said, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "I hate to
tell you this but he really doesn't know you're alive and the way you act like
he's God's gift to women or something doesn't help. You should play hard to
get."
"He gave me a ride home last night," Midii protested, trying to deny the truth in
Hilde's words.
"And then what," Hilde snapped.
Midii chewed her lip. Hilde was right, she was always right. He'd dropped her
off and then nothing.
She was saved from the embarrassing and inevitable confession by the timely
arrival of Duo Maxwell, the self-styled God of Death who in peacetime had
been relegated to filching French fries at lunchtime and generally being a
cheerful playboy Preventer.
He squeezed his chair in between the girls and promptly shoved the last
quarter of Hilde's peanut butter and jelly sandwich in his mouth and mumbled
frantically.
"One more time hot shot," Hilde said, desperately trying to decipher his words.
"Did you say you want to take us out tonight?"
"Yup," Duo winked, sliding an experimental hand along the edge of Midii's skirt
under the table enjoying the blush that crept up in her cheeks. "You girls look
bored and I'm just the guy to put a little excitement in your lives."
"I know," Hilde said, looking at Midii mischievously. "Why don't you invite
Trowa to come along too?"
"Hilde," Midii whispered violently, her blush deepening.
Hilde was instantly sorry she'd brought Trowa up as it turned Duo's thoughts to
her rival for his affections.
"Great idea babe!! He can bring that gorgeous sister of his and she knows the
owner down at the Club Crimson. I'll pick you ladies up at 9 and we'll meet
them down there," Duo said before disappearing with a wink and a toss of his
chestnut braid. They could hear him whistling the intro music to Cathrine's
circus act as he went.
"Damn," Midii and Hilde chorused together, glaring at each other.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cathrine leaned forward slightly as she peered through the rain-streaked
windshield to try to get a better view of the road before her. She hadn't
wanted to go out tonight, she'd been unable to sleep for worry about Trowa.
Duo had called and although that was usually a welcome interruption in her
life she'd just been about to turn him down when Trowa appeared from his
bedroom as suddenly and silently as a ghost. He'd taken the phone right out of
her hand and uncharacteristically accepted Duo's invitation.
That stupid, infatuated little Midii Une was sure to be there. Duo loved being
surrounded by girls and Hilde and Midii trailed in his wake whenever he went
clubbing. If she hadn't been so distracted by Trowa's odd behavior she would
have felt satisfaction that the one Duo really wanted to be with was her but
she had more important things on her mind than flirting with the braided hunk
tonight. She had her sights set on Midii, she vowed to corner her at some point
and find out exactly what she'd been doing in regards to her beloved brother.
Thinking of him, she spared a glance at Trowa. He was staring intently at the
raindrops as they slid with tantalizing slowness down the smooth wet glass. The
brake lights of the cars in front of them turned the drops red as blood as they
oozed along the foggy window. She thought she saw him moisten his pale lips
with his tongue as he looked at the rain before shaking herself and placing her
attention back on the road.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Duo, Hilde and Midii shivered beneath the overhang of the roof outside of
Club Crimson, the cold torrents of rain sweeping beneath the paltry shelter
with every gust of the October wind. Duo put his arms around the girls and
pulled them closer, it looked as if he was trying to keep them warm but the two
slender bodies actually provided him shelter from the cold and wet. Duo
Maxwell, ever the gentleman, grinned to himself as he allowed let his fingers
roam down to pinch Hilde's ass while his other hand accidentally grazed the
exposed round swell that rose from the plunging neckline of Midii's dress.
Midii pulled away, as if Duo's playful touch offended her. She stepped out into
the rain with almost mechanical steps as if pulled by an unseen force. She
stood in the full force of the storm, the wind tearing her shiny red vinyl raincoat
open and blowing it back so it framed her figure swathed in clinging black
velvet beneath. She threw her arms wide and tilted her face to the rain, the
moisture instantly causing her black mascara to pool in sooty puddles beneath
her eyes, making her look sad and tragic.
A white face containing burning emerald eyes stared at her from across the
street, he could see her heart beating and the throbbing pulse at the side of
her neck despite the distance. His eyes narrowed as Duo and Hilde pulled her
back beneath the roofline, the murmur of their scolding voices like the irritating
buzzing of insignificant bugs.
"Ugh, it's cold," Midii said dazedly, blinking her eyes slowly and shuddering.
"No shit when you go out in the rain like that," Duo muttered, shaking his head
and brushing the water from her drenched coat off himself.
He forgot Midii's "blonde moment" and his violet eyes lit with childish glee, as
Trowa and Cathrine appeared beside them.
"Cathy-babe," he chortled happily, letting his gaze linger on her voluptuous
figure. "You're looking good tonight! Gonna pull some strings and get your pal
Duo in out of the rain?"
He cocked an eyebrow at his friend, grimacing before he spoke.
"You look like shit Trowa man," he said, possessively taking Cathrine's arm and
pulling her close. "Pardon my saying so but you look like death warmed over.
Maybe you really are sick today, maybe you shoulda stayed home."
Midii missed Cathrine's glare and stared in lovestruck awe at the object of her
desire. How could Duo say he looked bad, she wondered. Maybe a little pale,
but that was probably because of the cold. The weather that had been so
lovely last night had turned ferocious. His eyes were on her as well, the gaze
like that of the man in her dream and she caught her breath as he seemed
about to take her hand. Instead Hilde sighed loudly in annoyance and
dragged her bemused friend in out of the rain before they got left behind.
"Hey Hilde," several male voices chorused as soon as the small, dark-haired
young woman stepped into the maelstrom of flashing red lights and throbbing
sound. She grinned, it was a table full of former comrades from her OZ days,
they were waving frantically for her to come and join them. There was no way
she was going to sit with Duo if he was going to ogle Cathrine Bloom all night.
No use letting the night become a total waste and it would be a great
opportunity for Midii to start showing Trowa he wasn't the only man alive.
"Let's tell Duo we're ditching his party," Hilde whispered to Midii, leaning in
close to be heard over the pulsating rhythm. "I've had it with him."
Midii nodded half-heartedly and they squeezed their way to the table where
Duo sat next to Cathrine his arm resting on the back of her chair and his fingers
toying with her bouncy auburn curls.
Hilde opened her mouth to give Duo a piece of her mind but Trowa beat her to
the punch, rising from his chair with his usual elegance of movement that
seemed somehow eerily enhanced. Midii looked like she was about to melt
into a puddle and even Hilde had to admit to herself that he did seem more
interested than usual.
The thirst he had seemed to feel since waking up in the cemetery that morning
seemed to intensify as she walked up to the table, the flashing red lights that
gave Club Crimson it's rather obvious name caressed her milky skin and cast
enticing shadows around her throat. He wanted to see all of her and it didn't
matter that they were surrounded by people, she was the only one in the room
for him.
He stepped toward her and slowly eased the bright scarlet raincoat off, letting
it drop to the floor. The tight black velvet dress that molded to her body like a
glove and blood-red lipstick made her parted lips look like an opening rose.
An ebony cross rested on the soft pale skin between her small breasts. The
smear of black mascara beneath her eyes made them look deep and endless
but he ignored all these things to let his eyes trace a pale violet vein that
pulsed gently beneath her skin.
Midii felt her heart skip a beat, he was touching her face with his fingertips and
staring at her so hard, as if he'd never really seen her before. She made a soft
little sound and leaned forward as his hand traveled along the side of her neck
and stroked the skin that stretched tautly over her collarbone.
She would taste so good beneath his lips, sweet and warm, her body pressed
so close, he could feel how it would be her heart pounding so fast, then slow,
then stopping . . .
"He's going to kiss me," she thought, a shiver of delight coursing over her body
as she shut her eyes. His other hand was exploring her face now and she
made a soft sound of ecstasy, oblivious to the show they were putting on for
the others in their group. Midii felt his grip tighten on the little chain that held
the ebony cross she wore and she swallowed, he was so gentle but she knew
that he was so powerful beneath the façade as if their were restrained
violence and passion hidden behind the mask he wore. She gasped and
opened her eyes as she felt a sharp tug and her throat burned with quick
searing pain.
He had stepped away from her and was looking at her in the same old way, as
if she were glass and he could see right through her at something more
interesting. He opened his hand and the little black ebony cross was nothing
but powder. It spilled to the floor like so much sparkling dust.
"You shouldn't wear crosses, they carry bad memories," he said, turning away
from her, his hands shaking. He had seen it there as he peered through his
lashes at her skin so close beneath his lips. It was so black against the
whiteness of her skin and it brought back memories in a rushing, unstoppable
tide of alien emotion.
But he'd lied. The memories weren't bad and they were more like feelings.
She was someone he never wanted to hurt yet he could have ripped into her
in front of all those people, torn her throat out and . . .
"Excuse me," he muttered, making a pretense of going to the bar and ordering
a drink.
"What a jerk," Hilde sputtered, staring from him to Midii, whose face showed
shock and confusion. Several rubies of bright red blood beaded on her neck
where Trowa had ripped her necklace off.
"Pretty weird," Duo agreed. "Even for Trowa."
Hilde rounded on him, her blue eyes sparking fire. "You're a jerk too! Come on
Midii let's go to the girls' room and check that scratch."
She took hold of the other girl's hand and dropped it. Blood had leaked from
the small gash on her thumb and streaked her palm like crimson tears. She was
starting to think Midii should have gotten stitches in that stupid cut; it kept
bleeding all the time.
"Oh my God, I'm so embarrassed. I just want to go home Hilde. He hates me,
he'll always hate me. What was I thinking," Midii said, staring at herself in the
mirror as Hilde dabbed at the blood on her neck with a wet tissue.
"Just because Trowa and Duo are jerks doesn't mean we can't have a good
time," Hilde said stubbornly as Midii tried to repair her eye makeup. "A bunch of
my old friends are here, guys who used to be OZ cadets that work for
Preventers now. Come on, it'll be fun. Still, I can't believe how Trowa acted
and to think I used to have a crush on him! We're through with those guys
Midii, we'll find a new crowd."
"I'm a stupid fool," Midii continued ranting, glaring at herself in the mirror with
self-hatred. "I made a wish yesterday, an impossible wish. All I ever wanted is
for Trowa to love me, to need me like I need him. I should have known it could
never happen. Why couldn't I see?"
Cathrine stood just inside the door, her head reeling with Midii's words. What
had that girl's desperation led her to? She had always considered her
obsession with her brother harmless but something was wrong, horribly wrong.
He'd slept the day away, as silent and still as a corpse and he hadn't eaten for
hours. The gypsy tales of her childhood about the power of wishes and curses
spun in her head as she stared at the oblivious blonde girl.
Midii and Hilde turned, hearing the soft sound of dismay from the doorway.
Midii flushed bright red, her face burning hot, wishing she could sink through
the floor. Now Cathrine knew about her foolish, desperate wish. A wish that
would never come true. She'd be sure to tell Trowa and he'd think even less
of her than he did now.
Cathrine grabbed for Midii's arm as Hilde pulled her out the door, trying to
convince her all she needed was a stiff drink.
"Midii! It's important, we need to talk. What did you do? What did you do to
my brother," Cathrine hissed, grabbing Midii's arm and digging her brightly
painted nails into the other girl's soft skin.
"Back off, Trowa's the one that hurt her, not the other way around," Hilde said,
part of her anger due to the fact that Cathrine had distracted Duo from her
tonight.
Duo squirmed uncomfortably as Cathrine glared daggers at Midii and Hilde as
they parted at the ladies room door. He liked Hilde, he really did, but could he
help it if he preferred Cathy? She was just so damn sexy. Why couldn't they all
have a good time together just because he preferred one girl over the other?
And Trowa hadn't helped by buttering up Midii then slamming the door in her
face. That had been really cold.
Finally the other Gundam pilot returned from the bar. He held a glass of Merlot
that he obviously hadn't tasted a sip since the red liquid swayed dangerously
back and forth near to overflowing. Trowa had natural grace however and
only a few drops of the wine spilled on the white tablecloth. He saw again the
drops of blood on Midii's throat, the hurt in her eyes, his hand gripped the
fragile glass tightly until it shattered, spraying the wine over the table along
with shards of crystal.
"Oh Trowa! Are you okay," Cathrine cried, jumping up and prying his hand
open. She gasped, he was perfectly fine, not a scratch on his hand although
Duo was yelping as he pricked his finger after trying to brush up the mess.
Trowa stared at him as he popped a bloody finger in his mouth and sucked on
the wound.
"What's up with you tonight, Tro," Duo asked as Cathrine hurried to the bar to
get a rag to clean up with. "Do you like Midii or not? It wouldn't take much
effort for you to get laid here pal. She really likes you. Hilde told me all about it.
Still there's no call to be nasty to the girl if you don't like her. You could do
worse, I've given her a try and she's really sweet. Tasty dish, y'know?"
Trowa ignored Duo, whose finger had stopped bleeding, and let his eyes
follow Midii's movements. He stared at her wanting her to look at him but she
only spared him a glance before turning away and lifting her chin haughtily.
Hilde pulled her out on the dance floor with her and it wasn't long before the
two of them had attracted partners from the table where Hilde's old friends
sat.
Duo sighed.
"I really don't get you man, you're staring at her like she's the best thing on the
dessert tray but you're not making your move."
Trowa glared and Duo turned away first although he'd stared down the best
death glare he'd ever come up against in Heero Yuy. Tonight Trowa was
downright scary. He got up with a muttered excuse and tracked down
Cathrine came back and he took her out to dance, sitting next to Trowa was
giving him the creeps.
With Cathrine in his arms Duo quickly forgot his misgivings about Trowa's bizarre
behavior. She was holding on tight and the way her body moved when she
danced was more intoxicating than wine. He tightened his arms around her
tentatively, grinning with satisfaction as she clung tighter to him in return and
he felt her molded against him, the softness of her crushed suggestively against
him and her breath warm against his ear.
"Oh Duo, you have to help me," she whispered urgently. "I'm so worried
about Trowa."
"Forget about him tonight," Duo said, anxious for to take advantage of
Cathrine's odd compliancy. She was usually so feisty and something of a
tease. Tonight she didn't seem to mind his inappropriate advances.
She shivered and he stroked her cheek comfortingly, landing a kiss right behind
the tender touch and following it up with another.
"Mmmmmmmmm," Duo groaned as her mouth opened tentatively beneath his,
the movement of her soft lips encouraging him further.
"I'm going to need your help in this Duo," Cathrine thought as she lost herself in
his strong, warm embrace. There was going to be a battle ahead. A battle for
her brother's very soul and she needed an ally. But there was something else
too, the easy attraction she felt for the fun-loving Gundam pilot was becoming
something more serious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trowa swirled his finger through the spilled wine, he didn't want to eat or drink.
Duo had discarded a basket of chicken wings and nachos but the food
seemed as unappealing as the water Cathrine had given him to drink this
morning. He felt like he was dying inside and Midii was the cure. His feelings
for her had taken on an urgency that ripped through his soul and seemed like
they would tear him apart.
Did what he felt for her have a name, was it one of the emotions that Duo and
Cathy and other people felt and expressed so easily? Midii was a riddle from
the moment he saw her. She was someone he was supposed to kill, someone
he was trained to kill, an intruder, a spy, a traitor but his heart refused to obey
common sense and asserted itself as it never had before. There was a person
inside him, the soldier's alter ego, that had always wanted to protect her from
that very first moment.
That person was still there and he realized that what he felt did have a name.
Love.
"Too late," he thought. "What were you waiting for? Did you expect her just to
exist in a void without emotion like you until you came to your senses?"
Too late, too late because now he had changed, something had altered in him
since the accident in the graveyard and she had become mixed up in it. Duo's
phone call earlier that evening had shaken him out of a dream of blood and
death so real that he had almost screamed with the horror of it.
She and Hilde moved with easy grace, their skin flushed with the heat and
energy of dancing. A man he recognized from headquarters handed Midii a
drink before circling around her and pulling her back against him, his face
pressed against the softness of her hair, the tip of his nose nuzzling the fragile
skin of her throat. Trowa's vision seemed to zoom in, he could see each black
eyelash as she closed her eyes and rested back against her partner. He saw in
perfect detail the dark stain beneath her eyes from the mascara that had run
in the rain, the parted lips of her red mouth and the man's lips taking
advantage of the smooth flesh so close. She was so trusting, sweet, Duo said.
Was that how she would taste? He could imagine the softness of her skin
beneath his own lips, his teeth grazing at that delicate pale flesh until blood ran
down in crimson rivulets. He knew the taste, hot and distinctive, she had
gotten her blood on his face before the accident. He would close his mouth
over the wound, he could hear her make a sound of pained surprise then her
thudding heartbeat in his ears, fast and frightened then slow and sluggish.
He stood up so fast that the stool he'd been sitting on crashed to the floor. With
a swirl of his coat he seemed to disappear into the darkness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hilde's plan wasn't working, Midii thought as she danced mindlessly, playing
the fiasco with Trowa over and over in her mind. It seemed for a moment as if
he'd been watching her but then he had left. She remembered the previous
evening in the graveyard and closed her eyes. She had wished that he loved
her, wished that he needed her. So much for wishes, it seemed like every
hope of being with him was futile. She had known it as a child but the final
realization was finally sinking in. He couldn't love her or anyone it seemed. His
emotions were a casualty of war, used up by the overwhelming sorrow of an
abandoned child. She let Hilde's friend Willem Van Zehn spin her expertly,
she'd seen him at the office, blonde hair, blue eyes, wholesome good looks
and no mystery that he was definitely attracted to her. She rested her head on
his shoulder sighing, she was so tired, tired of being alone, tired of struggling for
Trowa to notice her.
"He doesn't know you're alive," Hilde had said.
Her stubborn hope still resisted surrender. There had been something different
tonight and there was one other thing that Midii knew was true. She had
shared kisses and touches with other men, Duo sometimes after one drink too
many, and even Van Zehn tonight. If Trowa's emotions were a casualty of war
then that meant for her as well that a life with love in it was not in the cards.
From the very first moment it had only been him for her and there could be no
substitute.
"Thank you but I think I'm going to call it a night," Midii told her partner, putting
distance between herself and the tall blonde man.
She looked around for Hilde but she was very occupied with a man she'd told
Midii had been her unit chief on L2 back when she first met Duo during the
war. He was a nice-looking man with wavy brown hair who always wore a
serious expression and he seemed to think the world of Hilde. It seemed after
Duo's latest hijinks with Cathrine that Hilde was regaining her interest in her
former commanding officer.
"How are you going to get home," Van Zehn asked. He could see Midii
scanning the dance floor for her friends and he thought that if she didn't want
to dance anymore there was no reason their evening should end. He'd seen
her around the halls at work; she was an ex-Alliance spy whose talents were
being wasted in the word processing department because she insisted on
being stationed at the French bureau here in Paris. He didn't think she would
be averse to getting to know him a little better. It was a cold night out and if
he took her home there'd be plenty of opportunity for a cuddle or even more.
Midii read the thoughts in his eyes easily.
"I'll get home fine on my own," she assured him. He leaned in close and she let
him kiss her goodnight, testing her theory. She felt nothing as he kissed her
expertly, just the right mixture of firmness and softness in his lips, mouth slightly
open but no tongue on the first try. There wouldn't be a second. After tonight
she felt dead inside, barely feeling the cold as she walked out alone to find the
nearest Metro station to take her home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The young man's breath misted around him, it was after midnight and cold.
He'd ended up alone the night wasted on a girl that however pretty had
turned out to be as cold as the weather. Sad really, but it seemed like since
the war more and more people turned out like her, people who merely moved
through the world instead of living. He'd been watching her awhile and
thought she'd been different.
Van Zehn tightened his jacket around himself, watching his buddy Jamie Hunter
walk off down the street with Hilde. He wished them luck, Hunter had been
mooning over Hilde since the war and she was a girl who looked like she still
knew how to live. If only Midii, the girl he'd danced with tonight, was more
like her. It was as if something had come over her out on the dance floor and
suddenly her heart wasn't in the evening anymore. He could still smell the
scent of her on his clothes and a few strands of long blonde hair clung to his
dark jacket and he wished things could have turned out differently.
He turned suddenly, startled. It felt like someone was watching him from the
shadows but when he turned to look no one was there. There was no telltale
mist of breath in the frigid night to show that anyone had been. His heart
thudded in panic as he turned back to walk away only to come face to face
with a tall, forbidding figure. Van Zehn flushed and stuttered a terse greeting.
It was embarrassing to be caught by surprise like this by a superior officer.
It was the former Gundam pilot with the piercing green eyes, the one who
always completed every mission as efficiently and emotionlessly as a robot.
"Where's Midii," Barton asked and Van Zehn had a flash of memory. Earlier
that night he'd seen Midii with him. Remembered how odd it was that he just
dropped her coat on the dirty floor and she had just stood there, totally
entranced.
"She went home," Van Zehn said, taking a step back. Barton was
uncomfortably close and seemed to be trying to stare a hole through him.
Maybe he'd read Midii wrong after all. Maybe she and this guy were involved
and tonight had been some little lovers' spat. God he hoped not, he'd hate to
be on a Gundam pilot's wrong side.
"Good, she'll be safe at home," Trowa said softly, so softly that Van Zehn had to
strain to hear him. He wanted to run, he had to fight the urge his body was
planting in him to flee. A base instinct formed when some ancient ancestor
had faced a wildly dangerous carnivore and just as appropriate at this
moment although Van Zehn didn't realize it until it was too late.
Trowa's eyes slid to the man's throat, he saw Midii before him, saw her as she
had looked when his hands slid her coat off and touched the velvet dress and
her even softer skin. The soft female fragrance rising from her hair and her skin
and the fluttering pulse beating in her neck, slow and steady. The pulse in the
man's neck was fast and frightened, it beat harder and faster as he sunk his
teeth into the tender skin and drew out the blood in voracious, insatiable gulps,
the scent of Midii filling his head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Midii rushed along the strangely quiet and deserted halls of the Preventer
Headquarters in the ///district. She took a discreet sip of her coffee as she
headed for her cubicle. Was she really that late, she wondered. Sleep, when
it had finally come, had been full of disturbingly erotic dreams and the scratch
on her throat from her broken necklace stung painfully as she walked.
People were staring at her as she slipped into her chair and her vidcom was
beeping insistently. She pushed the button and found herself staring at a pale,
wild-eyed Hilde.
"Oh Midii, I'm so relieved to see you. Did you hear what happened last night.
It's so horrible," Hilde said, speaking quickly, her words a jumble.
"I was late I didn't turn on the news this morning," Midii said. "What
happened?"
"That guy you were dancing with last night was murdered right outside the
club! I'm so glad you got home alright, they're saying it must have happened
right after you left him," Hilde said. "It was awful, his throat was ripped out as if
he was attacked by an animal and he bled to death."
Midii gasped and put her hand to her own throat, shaking her head in disbelief.
Duo hesitated in the doorway. Midii was the last one who'd positively seen
that dead guy last night. He wished like hell that Heero and Wufei weren't
posted to space headquarters right now. He didn't want to play the bad guy.
He liked her, but he couldn't let it stop him from finding out what had
happened last night.
He took a deep breath and stepped inside, his violet eyes sober and serious.
She could so very easily have killed that guy for making a wrong move, she
looked fragile and helpless but that wasn't necessarily true. She'd fought in the
war just like the rest of them and her record showed she could be just as
deadly when provoked.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next—Insatiable Part 3: Life and Death