Darkness, My Beloved
IV. Truth and Hate
The room was lit with the natural light of a warm sun, whose brilliant rays drove all darkness away and replaced it with a mellow, blithe breath of air.

Her fingers gingerly brought the teacup to her lips, and the steamy liquid inside soothed her senses. The feeling of utter warmth had not greeted her for a while, for such solace she rarely found.

Une looked up once, and only once, to catch a glimpse of the man sitting across from her. How she resented him now, more than anything. Just the other day, she had felt the dull apathy, and now it had all been converted into pure abhorrence. It was a hate so beautiful…so genuine. Hallucinations of his gore splattered across her hands filled her mind. He needed to feel her pain. He needed to suffer. There was no justification as to why her pain was so great while that wretched man sat with his legs crossed elegantly and his eyes closed so gracefully. Why?

"You're tensing, Une", he muttered, his raspy voice tearing into her thoughts.

Setting the teacup down as carefully as she had lifted it, the woman sighed and shifted her eyes down. "You are a shrewd man of good nature, Milliardo", she commented lightly. "Is there a reason for me not to be?" The sour, almost chaffing tone in her voice flowed with ease across the table, and the man's lips curved into a slight smile. The ill resentment towards him grew.

"I see", he returned simply. "I see"

"Where's Noin?"

"Elsewhere"

"Oh? And why not…here?"

Zechs looked up at her with an expressionless face. "She has her obligations as you have yours. Remember that the rest of the world still has duties."

"Hm", the woman sighed with an amused smile. How bitter he was. "I thank you, for the advice of such a man with good will is always to be taken with great care."

The man raised a napkin to his lips to hide his derisive chuckle. "You realize this. Hm, I am glad, for a lady with such fine judgement is scarce."

Calmly, Une rose from the table, slipping a few coins onto the surface. Her fierce, dark eyes hardened upon the man, disdaining him. "I see no relevance in a conversation with a man like you", she mumbled with frank animosity. "I…"

"Thank you", was the raspy response that interrupted her words. "Dare say that I am a coward who drinks blood
~
The morning sun's glory poured through the cracks of the soft clouds. They danced with the leaves, and cast themselves upon the lonely streets.

"I see no relevance in a walk with a woman like you" Milliardo looked down to meet the bleak eyes of a woman he had been silently mocking all this time. And now, all his callous words dared to leak through his lips. The woman worshipped a man of strength, failing to see he was exactly human and that his strength was much less than her own. Was there nothing to mock?

"A woman like me", she repeated, barely audibly. Each step she walked along side of him fed to the flames of enmity planted deep within her. She had grown to learn that a man's eyes were windows to his soul, and his were no different. "You are translucent, Mr. Peacecraft. I can see right through you", she added hotly.
The man smiled, and coolly swept the hair away from his frosty colored eyes. "Someone's birthday is nearing", he spoke up, ignoring her comments. "I believe it was…oh. His Excellency Treize, was it?"

Gritting her teeth suddenly, Une struck the man hard across his face. His streaks of blond hair flew out as his head snapped to the side in one hard movement. "Am I right, Annalore", he murmured lowly, his head still tilted away.

Breathing hard, she rose her hand to slap him once again, but was caught her by the wrist. Zechs turned his head, and his frigid eyes met hers. "Let go!", she cried, violently struggling from his grasp.

"Make me a promise", he whispered calmly. "Be more lady-like the next time we meet" Then, releasing her wrist, he slid past her and down the lonely streets once again, leaving Une to fall limply to the concrete.

"Treize", she sobbed, clinging to the light post for support. "Oh god….Treize…"