Belongings
Heero: Choices
Part two
A Gundam Wing Fan fiction by Louise Tjandrasjahan
Relena stopped in the middle of her track and turned around only
to find Heero standing before her, one hand clutching his stack of
documents in an awkward position and the other in front of his face,
clearly protecting it from the expected impact with the wooden door.
Her face was crimson red as she eyed him back anxiously. Guttural
grunts escaped from the back of her throat as she struggled for apology,
but failed as she couldn't find her voice, much too surprised by Heero's
sudden appearance in front of her office. However, her angry features
softened at his sight, and as she closed the door behind her, she managed
a formal greeting, "How are you, Heero?"
"Fine." Heero simply answered, yet he couldn't resist the urge to
frown upon the stiff greeting. Relena, regardless the formality of their
surroundings, had always managed to act caring and friendly toward
him. He realised then he had taken all those traits for granted.
Irritation lingered as the sudden changes registered in his mind,
making him wondering quietly what had actually happened to her in the
past few days. Oh yes, he had snatched sights of Relena between his
work, and uptight was not the right word to describe her. Furious was
more an appropriate word, and it wiped all trace of calm and ease she
usually displayed even in the most desperate situation.
And somehow, amidst the awkwardness, Relena was trying to
avoid him. Her eyes were anywhere but him, and her body language
screamed relentless. She had always had time for him before, even in the
busiest situation when they could only manage a simple greeting.
Of course, Heero was never one to beg for attention, although he
started to feel the uncomfortable twinge of being somehow ignored. So
he lifted one eyebrow in his own way to say good day to Relena, and
proceeded to walk to his own office at the other end of the corridor,
bouncing the document stack a little bit as he balanced it on his hip.
He could see Relena walking to the opposite direction as the sound
of Relena's high heels clipping against the marble floor became fainter
and fainter. And when the tinkling sound of the elevator reached his ears,
he knew Relena was well off his eyesight, probably going to her favourite
brooding spot. Something beyond mere annoyance must have
happened to her. As if he ever cared.
And yet you are curious, no, care.
A small voice at the back of his head whispered, and he winced,
reprimanding himself to keep his mind straight and out of Relena.
However, his eyes kept wandering back to the spot where Relena almost
crushed his nose, and remembered how much desperation he noticed in
her hollow aquamarine eyes – their pale colour pleading for him to look
further behind her strong exterior of total confidence.
He reached the corridor with glass windows lining on one side of the
wall, and he halted in the middle of his step as his sensitive ears caught
the sound of drizzles transmitted through the clear windowpane. Tilting his
head to one side, he observed the rain absent-mindedly as his index finger
traced the path of rolling water beads the rain left on the glass absent-
mindedly. His mind was again engrossed back in the questioning of
Relena's earlier sad, puppy-eyed expression, yet he also didn't possess the
means or understanding to answer them.
Oh, the rain is getting a bit heavier.
Relena had not wear any sufficient clothing for her protection, let
alone taking an umbrella with her. Where was she? He usually could care
less, but just for the moment the thought of Relena catching even the
slightest cold disturbed his mind. Unfortunately, it also wasn't his right to
pry into Relena's private life.
He had learnt from his past experience to keep away from her in
order to maintain the focus of his mind. She was the source of his
vulnerability, exposing his innermost self. Her mere tears proved to be his
undoing, whether he wanted to admit it or not. She made his stomach
flipped over only by looking at her figure. He had hated the whole
experience so far.
Blinking twice, he saw a figure emerged, casually striding toward
the rose bush Relena had so insistently asked to plant and care for. He was
unable to see the face since he was standing on the third floor of the
building, but he didn't need visual assurance to confirm that she was
Relena.
It was her rose bush, anyway. She had been taking care of it
without assistance, spending chilly morning air and scorching afternoon
sun, helping the roses to fully bloom into the glorious crown of petals.
Noone cared good enough to plant rose bush in a military headquarters
except her, although she had been adamant about the activity being
her only means of escaping stress and keeping her sanity in line more than
once.
He slid the windowpane open as he kept his eyes fixed on Relena.
His eyes were devoid of all emotions as he watched her crouch before the
rose bush and started to stab the hard ground with her small spade, her
latex-gloved hand expertly yanking the disturbing weeds.
He was concentrating too much on the vision before him that he
didn't even hear someone approaching from behind and tap his shoulder
lightly to attract his attention. Whirling around, his hand searched
instinctively for the non-existent gun usually resided on the spot near his
waist, and frowned when he finally remembered he had left the gun in
one of his desk drawers. He couldn't help feeling miffed about himself. He
relaxed visibly, though, when he noticed the person who had disturbed his
little moment of rumination.
Trowa Barton.
The other man smiled ever so slightly and acknowledged him with a
nod, which he returned with a similar curt nod and a crisp salute as well.
"I saw Relena in the garden, alone." Trowa started casually, his
stance relaxed as he slowly buried his hands into the pockets of his
Preventer uniform.
"And I've been watching you spying on her for the past few
minutes, but you've been so absorbed you didn't even sense my
existence. So much for your sensitive basic instinct."
The comment bordered on insult, but the ever-quiet Trowa
somehow managed to make it sound like a light form of joke. There was a
hint of amusement in his voice, but of course, being Trowa, he refused to
provoke things further without strong evidences.
Being caught in an embarrassing situation, Heero did nothing but
shrugging off the comment, pretending the whole earlier episode never
happened. He didn't respond to what Trowa had remarked, reluctant to
start a confrontation with his tall comrade. Besides, he simply didn't know
how to respond.
With Duo, he might have chased him around with a gun or snarled
at the mischievous young priest, but he would always took Trowa seriously,
even if the other was joking unexpectedly. Even beneath his hidden joke,
Trowa had always had something to say about life – his own life, their lives,
and the nature around them.
"I'll deliver the documents to your office. If you want to." Trowa's
gentle offer caused Heero to snap his head up in repressed surprise.
Gesturing with his chin to the window's direction, he then remarked, "You
follow her."
"That's unnecessary," Heero flatly turned down the offer, his eyes
avoiding Trowa's emerald ones as he turned on his heels, ready to leave
for his office, "Do you want me to kill her? May be I should remind you,
Trowa Barton…"
"You have to do it." Trowa quickly insisted. His face was an
uncharacteristic mask as he took over the documents from Heero's grip
placidly, and his eyes shining with a serene sense of camaraderie, "Talk to
her."
Opening his mouth to refuse Trowa's implied order, he wisely
clamped his mouth at the end. He challenged Trowa's depth of emerald
eyes unwaveringly, but finally nodded when he witnessed something
suspiciously like a plea reflected in the depths. Spinning on his heels, he left
to fetch a wide umbrella.
Heero: Choices
Part two
A Gundam Wing Fan fiction by Louise Tjandrasjahan
Relena stopped in the middle of her track and turned around only
to find Heero standing before her, one hand clutching his stack of
documents in an awkward position and the other in front of his face,
clearly protecting it from the expected impact with the wooden door.
Her face was crimson red as she eyed him back anxiously. Guttural
grunts escaped from the back of her throat as she struggled for apology,
but failed as she couldn't find her voice, much too surprised by Heero's
sudden appearance in front of her office. However, her angry features
softened at his sight, and as she closed the door behind her, she managed
a formal greeting, "How are you, Heero?"
"Fine." Heero simply answered, yet he couldn't resist the urge to
frown upon the stiff greeting. Relena, regardless the formality of their
surroundings, had always managed to act caring and friendly toward
him. He realised then he had taken all those traits for granted.
Irritation lingered as the sudden changes registered in his mind,
making him wondering quietly what had actually happened to her in the
past few days. Oh yes, he had snatched sights of Relena between his
work, and uptight was not the right word to describe her. Furious was
more an appropriate word, and it wiped all trace of calm and ease she
usually displayed even in the most desperate situation.
And somehow, amidst the awkwardness, Relena was trying to
avoid him. Her eyes were anywhere but him, and her body language
screamed relentless. She had always had time for him before, even in the
busiest situation when they could only manage a simple greeting.
Of course, Heero was never one to beg for attention, although he
started to feel the uncomfortable twinge of being somehow ignored. So
he lifted one eyebrow in his own way to say good day to Relena, and
proceeded to walk to his own office at the other end of the corridor,
bouncing the document stack a little bit as he balanced it on his hip.
He could see Relena walking to the opposite direction as the sound
of Relena's high heels clipping against the marble floor became fainter
and fainter. And when the tinkling sound of the elevator reached his ears,
he knew Relena was well off his eyesight, probably going to her favourite
brooding spot. Something beyond mere annoyance must have
happened to her. As if he ever cared.
And yet you are curious, no, care.
A small voice at the back of his head whispered, and he winced,
reprimanding himself to keep his mind straight and out of Relena.
However, his eyes kept wandering back to the spot where Relena almost
crushed his nose, and remembered how much desperation he noticed in
her hollow aquamarine eyes – their pale colour pleading for him to look
further behind her strong exterior of total confidence.
He reached the corridor with glass windows lining on one side of the
wall, and he halted in the middle of his step as his sensitive ears caught
the sound of drizzles transmitted through the clear windowpane. Tilting his
head to one side, he observed the rain absent-mindedly as his index finger
traced the path of rolling water beads the rain left on the glass absent-
mindedly. His mind was again engrossed back in the questioning of
Relena's earlier sad, puppy-eyed expression, yet he also didn't possess the
means or understanding to answer them.
Oh, the rain is getting a bit heavier.
Relena had not wear any sufficient clothing for her protection, let
alone taking an umbrella with her. Where was she? He usually could care
less, but just for the moment the thought of Relena catching even the
slightest cold disturbed his mind. Unfortunately, it also wasn't his right to
pry into Relena's private life.
He had learnt from his past experience to keep away from her in
order to maintain the focus of his mind. She was the source of his
vulnerability, exposing his innermost self. Her mere tears proved to be his
undoing, whether he wanted to admit it or not. She made his stomach
flipped over only by looking at her figure. He had hated the whole
experience so far.
Blinking twice, he saw a figure emerged, casually striding toward
the rose bush Relena had so insistently asked to plant and care for. He was
unable to see the face since he was standing on the third floor of the
building, but he didn't need visual assurance to confirm that she was
Relena.
It was her rose bush, anyway. She had been taking care of it
without assistance, spending chilly morning air and scorching afternoon
sun, helping the roses to fully bloom into the glorious crown of petals.
Noone cared good enough to plant rose bush in a military headquarters
except her, although she had been adamant about the activity being
her only means of escaping stress and keeping her sanity in line more than
once.
He slid the windowpane open as he kept his eyes fixed on Relena.
His eyes were devoid of all emotions as he watched her crouch before the
rose bush and started to stab the hard ground with her small spade, her
latex-gloved hand expertly yanking the disturbing weeds.
He was concentrating too much on the vision before him that he
didn't even hear someone approaching from behind and tap his shoulder
lightly to attract his attention. Whirling around, his hand searched
instinctively for the non-existent gun usually resided on the spot near his
waist, and frowned when he finally remembered he had left the gun in
one of his desk drawers. He couldn't help feeling miffed about himself. He
relaxed visibly, though, when he noticed the person who had disturbed his
little moment of rumination.
Trowa Barton.
The other man smiled ever so slightly and acknowledged him with a
nod, which he returned with a similar curt nod and a crisp salute as well.
"I saw Relena in the garden, alone." Trowa started casually, his
stance relaxed as he slowly buried his hands into the pockets of his
Preventer uniform.
"And I've been watching you spying on her for the past few
minutes, but you've been so absorbed you didn't even sense my
existence. So much for your sensitive basic instinct."
The comment bordered on insult, but the ever-quiet Trowa
somehow managed to make it sound like a light form of joke. There was a
hint of amusement in his voice, but of course, being Trowa, he refused to
provoke things further without strong evidences.
Being caught in an embarrassing situation, Heero did nothing but
shrugging off the comment, pretending the whole earlier episode never
happened. He didn't respond to what Trowa had remarked, reluctant to
start a confrontation with his tall comrade. Besides, he simply didn't know
how to respond.
With Duo, he might have chased him around with a gun or snarled
at the mischievous young priest, but he would always took Trowa seriously,
even if the other was joking unexpectedly. Even beneath his hidden joke,
Trowa had always had something to say about life – his own life, their lives,
and the nature around them.
"I'll deliver the documents to your office. If you want to." Trowa's
gentle offer caused Heero to snap his head up in repressed surprise.
Gesturing with his chin to the window's direction, he then remarked, "You
follow her."
"That's unnecessary," Heero flatly turned down the offer, his eyes
avoiding Trowa's emerald ones as he turned on his heels, ready to leave
for his office, "Do you want me to kill her? May be I should remind you,
Trowa Barton…"
"You have to do it." Trowa quickly insisted. His face was an
uncharacteristic mask as he took over the documents from Heero's grip
placidly, and his eyes shining with a serene sense of camaraderie, "Talk to
her."
Opening his mouth to refuse Trowa's implied order, he wisely
clamped his mouth at the end. He challenged Trowa's depth of emerald
eyes unwaveringly, but finally nodded when he witnessed something
suspiciously like a plea reflected in the depths. Spinning on his heels, he left
to fetch a wide umbrella.