Belonging
Heero: Choices
Part four
A Gundam Wing Fan fiction by Louise Tjandrasjahan
It was an old hangar, which had been abandoned a long time ago in favour of the
newer one just a few metres away. The place was huge, but it was also
unbelievably empty. It lacked the liveliness that the newer hangar possessed -
musty smell filled her lungs as she inhaled the air around her, and her voice
echoed against the steel wall everytime she spoke to Heero.
Relena followed Heero cautiously, stumbling forward as her arms flailed for
support. She blinked her eyes, naturally adjusting them to the dim light in the
chamber, the main reason of her trouble. She exhaled in relief as Heero's hand
grasped hers and guided her in certain strides. A small smile appeared on her
lips as she overheard Heero mumbled apologetically as he commented on how long
he hadn't been able to clean his 'place'. He practically asked her to 'forgive'
the mustiness.
As her eyes adjusted in the dark, she could outline a few things in the old
hangar. An old model of a battle mobile suit - possibly was not active anymore,
a set of desk and its swivelling chair, complete with its desk lamp, and a bunk.
All were in pretty good condition, except for the mobile suit. However, it was
also pretty clear someone was working on the mobile suit, possibly Heero. Who
else? He was the one who had announced the place was his, anyway.
"I'll turn on the lights." Heero offered mildly as he strode pass the shivering
Relena and flicked the main light control lightly. Relena had to squint her eyes
as a flood of light brightened the chamber in a second, blinding her temporarily
with its intensity. When she finally managed to pop one eye open, her vision was
once again obscured, this time by a large towel that Heero casually dropped on
top of her head.
"Dry yourself," It was an order, not a request. She was staring at him in
exasperation as he calmly dabbed his own towel on his face, the bunk squeaked
beneath his weight as he perched his bottom on the edge. The whole episode was
entirely very Heero. His arrogance, his pride, everything. Sighing her
frustration away, she started by rubbing her hair with the towel roughly,
pouring her annoyance onto the innocent golden hair.
Heero hid his smile behind the towel as he gazed intently at the sight before
him. The woman did as he bid much to his satisfaction, carefully wiping all wet
traces on her skin, although she kept her vigilance and eyed him warily. He
didn't care. As long as she didn't say something that grated on his nerves, she
could stare at him until the end of the world.
Hopping onto his feet, he began rummaging a wooden trunk beside the bunk,
drawing out a black sweatshirt, a navy blue woollen garb and two pairs of jeans
in the process. Laying them neatly on the bunk, he eyed Relena and the soaked
fabric that had almost become her second skin alternately.
The material, Heero noted, had clung seductively on her well-shaped figure. As
much as she attempted to stay modest and obscured her ample breasts by crossing
her arms in front of them, he couldn't help but marvel at the beauty presented
before his very eyes. Shaking his head warily, he chided himself inwardly and
discarded his wild imagination. He had never lost control of himself, but his
mind was always in jeopardy when it came to Relena.
However, his logic ruled and he killed his emotions instantly. His mind started
to work properly when he noticed Relena was shivering from the cold.
"Try these," Heero extended the black sweatshirt and one of the jeans pairs to
her, his eyes darting to the left and right in search of his electronic heater.
He didn't want Relena to catch pneumonia on his account. "Certainly too big for
you, but enough to warm your body."
His eyes brightened when he finally found the heater, and as soon as Relena took
the materials from his hands, he was busy with the task of setting up the
heater. He seldom used it, being resistant against the cold air, but he was
lucky the rusty heater still worked properly. Wiping imaginary dust on his damp
trousers, he got up to his feet with a satisfied smile as the reflection of the
heater's small fire danced in his eyes.
Relena hesitantly fingered the soft and rough materials and clutched it to her
chest, but she kept eyeing Heero as if expecting him to do something.
"What?" the young man prompted as he proceeded to slide off his own uniform and
hopped casually into his own jeans. Slipping his arms into the navy blue garb,
he didn't bother tying the sash, innocently revealing his well-toned chest and
abdomen.
Eyeing him perplexingly, apparently for his lack of tact, Relena was frowning as
she pointed out, "I couldn't change my outfit if you're looking."
A healthy tinge of red stole its way onto his face, and Heero, almost gaping at
his own indiscretion, turned around to avoid further embarrassing situation.
This was one of the situations that made him uncomfortable whenever Relena was
with him. He actually couldn't control what would happen.
"I saw a lot of people naked in the soldiers' barrack. Yours alone wouldn't
affect me." He lied as he tried to calm his pounding heart, the heat scorching
his face as he tried to dismiss the image of Relena's shapely body.
Unfortunately, the image always marched back gleefully into the territory of his
poor mind. He had no time to ponder on his actions, but he didn't suppose to
think of her that way. She was one of his comrades at war, and that would be
all. Apart of the little fact, Relena was an obvious distraction for the peace
of his mind.
"I know, I know..." he heard her saying, but from her giggles, he knew she took
pleasure from his embarrassment. He never understood the creature completely.
One moment she was sad and angry about Quatre's marriage proposal, but give her
a minute, and she would laugh her head off at something he would often find
silly.
Heero sighed in relief subconsciously when Relena finally called out, informing
him that he could turn around. The sweatshirt and the jeans were definitely too
big for her, and she looked like a sweet little angel in her daddy's outfit.
Heero smiled at the analogy. The oversized material had hidden her figure well,
in spite of the fact that it was of his smallest size right after his sudden
growing spurt as he passed sixteen. Smothering laughter behind his palm, he
couldn't help commenting, "You look like a sack."
Rolling her eyes heavenward in exasperation, Relena merely shrugged and smirked
daintily as she walked towards him, hands tucked behind her back. "But it still
serves its purpose," she responded mildly. Spotting the heater, she changed her
course and extended her arms before the device, warming her freezing skin.
Stretching languidly like a cat, Relena concentrated on the heat before her,
although something else attracted her easily divided attention.
Spying Heero from the corners of her eyes, she noticed him staring openly at
her. His mouth was a thin grim line, although his eyes were sparkling with
something she didn't quite fathom. Was that amusement? No, there was more. There
was the kind of intensity rarely found in his gaze, which made her wonder why it
was there in the first place, but fascinated her at the same time. The flickers
were not as lively as others', but his eyes were certainly full of vigour,
alive.
At the moment, Relena realised something - a knowledge she should have
understood years ago.
Heero's emotions were always radiated from his cobalt blue eyes. His eyes were
his expressions.
And people couldn't understand him because they couldn't read the flickering
emotions within those blue ultramarine pools.
He was turning away from her, perhaps tired of seeing her rigid and serious
posture. She wished she could do something to keep those blue eyes of his upon
her. On the other hand, she was also aware of her often not-too-graceful and
tactless approaches when dealing with Heero.
She was good at dealing with the matters of politics, but clueless at figuring
out the solution to her love life. Once she attempted to express her feelings,
and it was a disaster. Who was an idiot enough to invite the person she loved to
kill her? If Heero thought she was weird and didn't deserve his attention, it
would be entirely her fault.
And then there was the matter of Quatre. The problem refused to leave her mind,
even if she hid it safely behind her mask. It wasn't what concerned her most,
however. It was how she couldn't refuse Quatre, no matter how clear her feelings
toward the man are.
In Quatre's case, her real feelings didn't really matter, she supposed, since
she had to think of what was the best for her people. If she married Quatre, his
oil company would finance her peace and environmental campaigns, helping people
to regain their future after the war. They were still in the stage of
rebuilding, even after the war ended a few years ago. She was unable to abandon
her people in favour of her personal interests. What's more, Quatre was a good
man and her best friend. The only problem was that she wasn't drawn to him the
way she was drawn to Heero.
Heero - her love, the only man that managed to keep her interested after all the
commotions he put her through. The only man who kept shattering her sanity and
threatened to kill her on spot. She knew she sounded crazy, but she did love
him.
She had thought of this over and over, asking herself whether this was only
teenage temporary fascination, but in the end she gave up after three years
trying to wrestling with it. Even after she realised how she had to give him
freedom in order to spread his wings and be truly happy, she was unable to
forget those deep blue penetrating eyes that had already haunted her mind
forever like a living ghost. No, an angel, as Duo put it, the exact opposite to
his own epithet 'God of Death'. An angel of death, however.
An angel and a beautiful man, he was indeed. Gloriously taller at six feet and
three inches than he was four years ago, he was ever striking with his cobalt
blue eyes and long regal nose. His young face had been similar to the teenage
one, except that his features had grown firmer and bolder, more elongated as he
lost the trace of his boyhood. And instead of the unruly dark brown mane he
usually wore, he had parted and combed his hair to one side in a more
sophisticated style that supposed to compliment his mature look, although she
noticed he wasn't quite successful in taming his bangs.
Relena had to admit painfully she longed for the old messy look making him look
ever youthful. The grim line of his mouth would always be there, Relena mused
silently as her gaze travelled downward in appreciation, although his sulking
habit had gone over the years as he matured. His shoulders had blessfully
broadened, and as the lines travelled to his waist, his torso had also slimmed,
granting him a body of a swimmer. She wondered if he swam a lot. He must have
been an excellent swimmer.
"Careful, you're drooling, Relena," an amused and very male voice travelled into
her ears, robbing her of her reverie in a snap. Her face burnt as she avoided
Heero's shining eyes and focused her mind on disentangling her hair, drying it
with the towel Heero had provided her earlier. And a little sense of humour, she
added inwardly. Not in the most convenient situation anyway, although she
appreciated the change from the totally brooding Heero.
She heard a pat on the bunk, then a heavy voice travelled across the room, "Come
here."
Although she was still annoyed by his remark earlier, it was impossible to
ignore the rough timbre that had managed to captivate her heart years ago. Heero
challenged her eyes, his expression calm although she could see trace of
amusement in his eyes. He knew he still had the same effect on her, that
chauvinist jerk.
Patting the spot beside him, Heero silently ordered her to sit down, expecting
her to obey. Sniffing indignantly, Relena pursed her lips as she silently
complained about the bossy manner he displayed. In the end though, she obliged,
sinking her bottom on the bunk while kicking off her soaked shoes. Relena then
turned around and waited for him to say something as she chewed her lower lips
nervously.
Heero forced her back to face him silently, slowly raking his fingers through
the knots of her tresses and smoothing her hair before finally drying it with
his own towel. He was firm yet gentle, and he did it as if he was afraid of
hurting her, as if he was afraid he would tug on the fine strands and snap them.
"Would you like chocolate bar?" he offered politely, still rubbing Relena's
hair. His voice was calm, and there is a hint of friendliness in its the depth.
It took the rumbles in her stomach to remind her she actually hadn't had her
breakfast. And lunch. She would be a fool to refuse Heero's good intention.
"Yes, please." came Relena's meek answer.
Ceasing his activity for a second, Heero stretched out his hand to fish a
chocolate bar out of the jar on the desk across the bunk, thrusting it gently
into Relena's waiting hand. Smiling gratefully, Relena peeled off the wrapper
and took an earnest bite, droopily closing her eyes in appreciation. The simple
act didn't escape Heero's ever-vigilant eyes, and he permitted himself a small
smile as he went back to drying her hair.
"What about you?" Relena queried between mouthfuls, chewing slowly on the sticky
sweet caramel. She moaned her pleasure softly as the tip of her pink tongue
licked the sticky remaining off her upper lip. The thing was surely very good.
She had to ask her secretary to buy her the particular brand and added it to the
supply in her office. She didn't know Heero shared her passion for chocolate.
"Not hungry?"
She careened her neck in an attempt to look at Heero's face, and pouted when
Heero's hands forcefully turned her head back to its initial position so he
could finish his task properly. Could it be that he thought drying her hair
properly was his mission? Relena mused, a smile playing on her lips.
How funny.
The Heero she knew wouldn't care to do things as silly as drying a woman's hair.
And the more she thought about it, the more she was confused by her own
speculations. For now, however, she was content with being spoiled. She had to
admit she enjoyed this undivided attention.
Once again she tried offering the half-eaten chocolate bar silently to Heero,
but the latter turned it down and pushed her hand away.
"Not hungry." He finally stated flatly, flinging the already damp towel aside as
he sauntered and once again crouched before the wooden trunk. His eyes shone
triumphantly as he pulled out a soft hairbrush, although his face was as
impassive as ever. With the object in his hand, he hurried back and began
carefully brushed the stubborn knots into smooth tresses, golden and shining
under the lamp's dim light.
Giving up for the moment, Relena held the chocolate bar between her teeth as she
took over the brush from Heero's grip and set it aside casually, gathering the
thick shimmering hair in her hairs and braided it carefully. She thought she saw
a flash of disappointment in Heero's eyes, but dismissed it as merely her
imagination.
Frowning, she seized the end of her braid with two fingers, realising the fact
that she didn't have a ribbon or a clip to secure her hair. She finally
surrendered to the situation and shrugged off the braid carelessly. It fell free
on her back, the length reaching her bottom.
As she chewed on her chocolate bar vigorously, she lifted up her eyebrows, and
muffled contentedly, "No hair band." And instead of fussing over her hair, she
once again tried to persuade Heero to eat the chocolate. Persistent and
persuasive have always been in her traits. If not, how could she become a
diplomat or a minister?
"Don't want some? You'll be sorry,"
Instead of answering her directly, Heero contented himself by asking, "How's the
chocolate?" Leaning on one of his elbows, his eyes never left Relena's full and
cherry red lips. Relena nodded and smiled pleasantly, answering Heero's question
with a question of her own without hesitation, "Can I have some more?" Heero
merely lifted both eyebrows in response. This time he rose to his feet to fetch
more chocolate bars, tossing them one by one at Relena.
Relena caught them expertly with both hands, rewarding Heero with a sweet little
smile before settling down with the chocolate bars. Being ever stubborn, she
lifted an eyebrow and insisted,
"Eat."
Although he seemed to be annoyed by Relena's ever-persistent nature, Heero
didn't turn down the offer this time. He took the chocolate bar from Relena's
hand gingerly and had a bit. However, once he chewed on the caramel, pleasure
clearly took over his mind as he savoured the bittersweet taste of the chocolate
coat.
They ate the chocolate bars in silence, saved for only occasional glances,
content themselves with the presence of the other. Soon after, the growing
silence grated on Relena's nerves as she squirmed in discomfort, struggling to
find a safe topic to discuss. Finally, when she could stand it no more, she
grabbed the damp towel that Heero used to dry her hair earlier and threw it to
Heero's direction. It was a miss, of course.
"Say something." Relena demanded thickly, her eyes radiating her annoyance.
Lifting a dark eyebrow, the young man whirled his head to face her, his eyes
bright with open amusement. Tossing the empty wrapper of the chocolate bar
aside, he felt it was time for a few words of admonishment, "I'm a man of very,
very few words."
A gentle smile that surprised even himself tugged on his lips as Relena's
accusing glare settled on him. Her lips thinned as she folded her arms in front
of her chest and fumed, "Oh yeah, but I'm not in the mood of silence." Sighing,
she grumbled, mostly directed to herself, "This is getting us nowhere."
Heero: Choices
Part four
A Gundam Wing Fan fiction by Louise Tjandrasjahan
It was an old hangar, which had been abandoned a long time ago in favour of the
newer one just a few metres away. The place was huge, but it was also
unbelievably empty. It lacked the liveliness that the newer hangar possessed -
musty smell filled her lungs as she inhaled the air around her, and her voice
echoed against the steel wall everytime she spoke to Heero.
Relena followed Heero cautiously, stumbling forward as her arms flailed for
support. She blinked her eyes, naturally adjusting them to the dim light in the
chamber, the main reason of her trouble. She exhaled in relief as Heero's hand
grasped hers and guided her in certain strides. A small smile appeared on her
lips as she overheard Heero mumbled apologetically as he commented on how long
he hadn't been able to clean his 'place'. He practically asked her to 'forgive'
the mustiness.
As her eyes adjusted in the dark, she could outline a few things in the old
hangar. An old model of a battle mobile suit - possibly was not active anymore,
a set of desk and its swivelling chair, complete with its desk lamp, and a bunk.
All were in pretty good condition, except for the mobile suit. However, it was
also pretty clear someone was working on the mobile suit, possibly Heero. Who
else? He was the one who had announced the place was his, anyway.
"I'll turn on the lights." Heero offered mildly as he strode pass the shivering
Relena and flicked the main light control lightly. Relena had to squint her eyes
as a flood of light brightened the chamber in a second, blinding her temporarily
with its intensity. When she finally managed to pop one eye open, her vision was
once again obscured, this time by a large towel that Heero casually dropped on
top of her head.
"Dry yourself," It was an order, not a request. She was staring at him in
exasperation as he calmly dabbed his own towel on his face, the bunk squeaked
beneath his weight as he perched his bottom on the edge. The whole episode was
entirely very Heero. His arrogance, his pride, everything. Sighing her
frustration away, she started by rubbing her hair with the towel roughly,
pouring her annoyance onto the innocent golden hair.
Heero hid his smile behind the towel as he gazed intently at the sight before
him. The woman did as he bid much to his satisfaction, carefully wiping all wet
traces on her skin, although she kept her vigilance and eyed him warily. He
didn't care. As long as she didn't say something that grated on his nerves, she
could stare at him until the end of the world.
Hopping onto his feet, he began rummaging a wooden trunk beside the bunk,
drawing out a black sweatshirt, a navy blue woollen garb and two pairs of jeans
in the process. Laying them neatly on the bunk, he eyed Relena and the soaked
fabric that had almost become her second skin alternately.
The material, Heero noted, had clung seductively on her well-shaped figure. As
much as she attempted to stay modest and obscured her ample breasts by crossing
her arms in front of them, he couldn't help but marvel at the beauty presented
before his very eyes. Shaking his head warily, he chided himself inwardly and
discarded his wild imagination. He had never lost control of himself, but his
mind was always in jeopardy when it came to Relena.
However, his logic ruled and he killed his emotions instantly. His mind started
to work properly when he noticed Relena was shivering from the cold.
"Try these," Heero extended the black sweatshirt and one of the jeans pairs to
her, his eyes darting to the left and right in search of his electronic heater.
He didn't want Relena to catch pneumonia on his account. "Certainly too big for
you, but enough to warm your body."
His eyes brightened when he finally found the heater, and as soon as Relena took
the materials from his hands, he was busy with the task of setting up the
heater. He seldom used it, being resistant against the cold air, but he was
lucky the rusty heater still worked properly. Wiping imaginary dust on his damp
trousers, he got up to his feet with a satisfied smile as the reflection of the
heater's small fire danced in his eyes.
Relena hesitantly fingered the soft and rough materials and clutched it to her
chest, but she kept eyeing Heero as if expecting him to do something.
"What?" the young man prompted as he proceeded to slide off his own uniform and
hopped casually into his own jeans. Slipping his arms into the navy blue garb,
he didn't bother tying the sash, innocently revealing his well-toned chest and
abdomen.
Eyeing him perplexingly, apparently for his lack of tact, Relena was frowning as
she pointed out, "I couldn't change my outfit if you're looking."
A healthy tinge of red stole its way onto his face, and Heero, almost gaping at
his own indiscretion, turned around to avoid further embarrassing situation.
This was one of the situations that made him uncomfortable whenever Relena was
with him. He actually couldn't control what would happen.
"I saw a lot of people naked in the soldiers' barrack. Yours alone wouldn't
affect me." He lied as he tried to calm his pounding heart, the heat scorching
his face as he tried to dismiss the image of Relena's shapely body.
Unfortunately, the image always marched back gleefully into the territory of his
poor mind. He had no time to ponder on his actions, but he didn't suppose to
think of her that way. She was one of his comrades at war, and that would be
all. Apart of the little fact, Relena was an obvious distraction for the peace
of his mind.
"I know, I know..." he heard her saying, but from her giggles, he knew she took
pleasure from his embarrassment. He never understood the creature completely.
One moment she was sad and angry about Quatre's marriage proposal, but give her
a minute, and she would laugh her head off at something he would often find
silly.
Heero sighed in relief subconsciously when Relena finally called out, informing
him that he could turn around. The sweatshirt and the jeans were definitely too
big for her, and she looked like a sweet little angel in her daddy's outfit.
Heero smiled at the analogy. The oversized material had hidden her figure well,
in spite of the fact that it was of his smallest size right after his sudden
growing spurt as he passed sixteen. Smothering laughter behind his palm, he
couldn't help commenting, "You look like a sack."
Rolling her eyes heavenward in exasperation, Relena merely shrugged and smirked
daintily as she walked towards him, hands tucked behind her back. "But it still
serves its purpose," she responded mildly. Spotting the heater, she changed her
course and extended her arms before the device, warming her freezing skin.
Stretching languidly like a cat, Relena concentrated on the heat before her,
although something else attracted her easily divided attention.
Spying Heero from the corners of her eyes, she noticed him staring openly at
her. His mouth was a thin grim line, although his eyes were sparkling with
something she didn't quite fathom. Was that amusement? No, there was more. There
was the kind of intensity rarely found in his gaze, which made her wonder why it
was there in the first place, but fascinated her at the same time. The flickers
were not as lively as others', but his eyes were certainly full of vigour,
alive.
At the moment, Relena realised something - a knowledge she should have
understood years ago.
Heero's emotions were always radiated from his cobalt blue eyes. His eyes were
his expressions.
And people couldn't understand him because they couldn't read the flickering
emotions within those blue ultramarine pools.
He was turning away from her, perhaps tired of seeing her rigid and serious
posture. She wished she could do something to keep those blue eyes of his upon
her. On the other hand, she was also aware of her often not-too-graceful and
tactless approaches when dealing with Heero.
She was good at dealing with the matters of politics, but clueless at figuring
out the solution to her love life. Once she attempted to express her feelings,
and it was a disaster. Who was an idiot enough to invite the person she loved to
kill her? If Heero thought she was weird and didn't deserve his attention, it
would be entirely her fault.
And then there was the matter of Quatre. The problem refused to leave her mind,
even if she hid it safely behind her mask. It wasn't what concerned her most,
however. It was how she couldn't refuse Quatre, no matter how clear her feelings
toward the man are.
In Quatre's case, her real feelings didn't really matter, she supposed, since
she had to think of what was the best for her people. If she married Quatre, his
oil company would finance her peace and environmental campaigns, helping people
to regain their future after the war. They were still in the stage of
rebuilding, even after the war ended a few years ago. She was unable to abandon
her people in favour of her personal interests. What's more, Quatre was a good
man and her best friend. The only problem was that she wasn't drawn to him the
way she was drawn to Heero.
Heero - her love, the only man that managed to keep her interested after all the
commotions he put her through. The only man who kept shattering her sanity and
threatened to kill her on spot. She knew she sounded crazy, but she did love
him.
She had thought of this over and over, asking herself whether this was only
teenage temporary fascination, but in the end she gave up after three years
trying to wrestling with it. Even after she realised how she had to give him
freedom in order to spread his wings and be truly happy, she was unable to
forget those deep blue penetrating eyes that had already haunted her mind
forever like a living ghost. No, an angel, as Duo put it, the exact opposite to
his own epithet 'God of Death'. An angel of death, however.
An angel and a beautiful man, he was indeed. Gloriously taller at six feet and
three inches than he was four years ago, he was ever striking with his cobalt
blue eyes and long regal nose. His young face had been similar to the teenage
one, except that his features had grown firmer and bolder, more elongated as he
lost the trace of his boyhood. And instead of the unruly dark brown mane he
usually wore, he had parted and combed his hair to one side in a more
sophisticated style that supposed to compliment his mature look, although she
noticed he wasn't quite successful in taming his bangs.
Relena had to admit painfully she longed for the old messy look making him look
ever youthful. The grim line of his mouth would always be there, Relena mused
silently as her gaze travelled downward in appreciation, although his sulking
habit had gone over the years as he matured. His shoulders had blessfully
broadened, and as the lines travelled to his waist, his torso had also slimmed,
granting him a body of a swimmer. She wondered if he swam a lot. He must have
been an excellent swimmer.
"Careful, you're drooling, Relena," an amused and very male voice travelled into
her ears, robbing her of her reverie in a snap. Her face burnt as she avoided
Heero's shining eyes and focused her mind on disentangling her hair, drying it
with the towel Heero had provided her earlier. And a little sense of humour, she
added inwardly. Not in the most convenient situation anyway, although she
appreciated the change from the totally brooding Heero.
She heard a pat on the bunk, then a heavy voice travelled across the room, "Come
here."
Although she was still annoyed by his remark earlier, it was impossible to
ignore the rough timbre that had managed to captivate her heart years ago. Heero
challenged her eyes, his expression calm although she could see trace of
amusement in his eyes. He knew he still had the same effect on her, that
chauvinist jerk.
Patting the spot beside him, Heero silently ordered her to sit down, expecting
her to obey. Sniffing indignantly, Relena pursed her lips as she silently
complained about the bossy manner he displayed. In the end though, she obliged,
sinking her bottom on the bunk while kicking off her soaked shoes. Relena then
turned around and waited for him to say something as she chewed her lower lips
nervously.
Heero forced her back to face him silently, slowly raking his fingers through
the knots of her tresses and smoothing her hair before finally drying it with
his own towel. He was firm yet gentle, and he did it as if he was afraid of
hurting her, as if he was afraid he would tug on the fine strands and snap them.
"Would you like chocolate bar?" he offered politely, still rubbing Relena's
hair. His voice was calm, and there is a hint of friendliness in its the depth.
It took the rumbles in her stomach to remind her she actually hadn't had her
breakfast. And lunch. She would be a fool to refuse Heero's good intention.
"Yes, please." came Relena's meek answer.
Ceasing his activity for a second, Heero stretched out his hand to fish a
chocolate bar out of the jar on the desk across the bunk, thrusting it gently
into Relena's waiting hand. Smiling gratefully, Relena peeled off the wrapper
and took an earnest bite, droopily closing her eyes in appreciation. The simple
act didn't escape Heero's ever-vigilant eyes, and he permitted himself a small
smile as he went back to drying her hair.
"What about you?" Relena queried between mouthfuls, chewing slowly on the sticky
sweet caramel. She moaned her pleasure softly as the tip of her pink tongue
licked the sticky remaining off her upper lip. The thing was surely very good.
She had to ask her secretary to buy her the particular brand and added it to the
supply in her office. She didn't know Heero shared her passion for chocolate.
"Not hungry?"
She careened her neck in an attempt to look at Heero's face, and pouted when
Heero's hands forcefully turned her head back to its initial position so he
could finish his task properly. Could it be that he thought drying her hair
properly was his mission? Relena mused, a smile playing on her lips.
How funny.
The Heero she knew wouldn't care to do things as silly as drying a woman's hair.
And the more she thought about it, the more she was confused by her own
speculations. For now, however, she was content with being spoiled. She had to
admit she enjoyed this undivided attention.
Once again she tried offering the half-eaten chocolate bar silently to Heero,
but the latter turned it down and pushed her hand away.
"Not hungry." He finally stated flatly, flinging the already damp towel aside as
he sauntered and once again crouched before the wooden trunk. His eyes shone
triumphantly as he pulled out a soft hairbrush, although his face was as
impassive as ever. With the object in his hand, he hurried back and began
carefully brushed the stubborn knots into smooth tresses, golden and shining
under the lamp's dim light.
Giving up for the moment, Relena held the chocolate bar between her teeth as she
took over the brush from Heero's grip and set it aside casually, gathering the
thick shimmering hair in her hairs and braided it carefully. She thought she saw
a flash of disappointment in Heero's eyes, but dismissed it as merely her
imagination.
Frowning, she seized the end of her braid with two fingers, realising the fact
that she didn't have a ribbon or a clip to secure her hair. She finally
surrendered to the situation and shrugged off the braid carelessly. It fell free
on her back, the length reaching her bottom.
As she chewed on her chocolate bar vigorously, she lifted up her eyebrows, and
muffled contentedly, "No hair band." And instead of fussing over her hair, she
once again tried to persuade Heero to eat the chocolate. Persistent and
persuasive have always been in her traits. If not, how could she become a
diplomat or a minister?
"Don't want some? You'll be sorry,"
Instead of answering her directly, Heero contented himself by asking, "How's the
chocolate?" Leaning on one of his elbows, his eyes never left Relena's full and
cherry red lips. Relena nodded and smiled pleasantly, answering Heero's question
with a question of her own without hesitation, "Can I have some more?" Heero
merely lifted both eyebrows in response. This time he rose to his feet to fetch
more chocolate bars, tossing them one by one at Relena.
Relena caught them expertly with both hands, rewarding Heero with a sweet little
smile before settling down with the chocolate bars. Being ever stubborn, she
lifted an eyebrow and insisted,
"Eat."
Although he seemed to be annoyed by Relena's ever-persistent nature, Heero
didn't turn down the offer this time. He took the chocolate bar from Relena's
hand gingerly and had a bit. However, once he chewed on the caramel, pleasure
clearly took over his mind as he savoured the bittersweet taste of the chocolate
coat.
They ate the chocolate bars in silence, saved for only occasional glances,
content themselves with the presence of the other. Soon after, the growing
silence grated on Relena's nerves as she squirmed in discomfort, struggling to
find a safe topic to discuss. Finally, when she could stand it no more, she
grabbed the damp towel that Heero used to dry her hair earlier and threw it to
Heero's direction. It was a miss, of course.
"Say something." Relena demanded thickly, her eyes radiating her annoyance.
Lifting a dark eyebrow, the young man whirled his head to face her, his eyes
bright with open amusement. Tossing the empty wrapper of the chocolate bar
aside, he felt it was time for a few words of admonishment, "I'm a man of very,
very few words."
A gentle smile that surprised even himself tugged on his lips as Relena's
accusing glare settled on him. Her lips thinned as she folded her arms in front
of her chest and fumed, "Oh yeah, but I'm not in the mood of silence." Sighing,
she grumbled, mostly directed to herself, "This is getting us nowhere."