By Kuroi Tenshi
Part 10
Three days. She only had three days left before she leaves the academy and go back to CHA. Relena sighed and looked outside her window as she pushed the heavy draperies aside. There were some boys playing soccer on the field below. She was going to miss looking outside her window and spying various activities the people at the field thought no one saw. She was going to miss talking to her friends during meals and free time. She was going to miss the basketball practices and the hikes. She was going to miss Heero.
Nothing happened after Heero kissed her three days ago. She was torn between being disappointed and relieved. Part of her was wishing more of that happened but another part of her was thankful that it hadn't gone beyond kissing. She could have been found out!
But after she was confined to her room, her friends made sure she had the best treatment right after. Even Wufei had stopped pestering her to take Advanced Algebra with him next sem, which she never would've had the chance to do so, had she agreed, since she would be back to CHA by then. And best of all, Heero had put a stop on their hiking. Instead, they busied their afternoons with quiet nature walks.
She leaned against the glass window and closed her eyes. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to simply disappear from everyone this coming Saturday. She could always leave a note but it didn't sit well with her she wouldn't even have the chance to say a proper goodbye to her friends. To Him.
Someone knocked on her door and she straightened. "Yes?" she called out. She crossed the distance from the window to the door and waited for a response.
"Open the door, Dorian."
She felt herself smiling wearily. After all that they've been through, the kisses they've shared, it was still Dorian for him. She opened the door and rolled her eyes at him. "You're late, Yuy. We were supposed to go for the walk ten minutes ago. What's your excuse?"
"I have no excuse. I have a reason," he replied, glaring at his impish smile. He resisted the urge to grab him and kiss him breathless right at the hallway and raised the picnic basket he held in his right hand instead.
Relena beamed. "You're excused!"
"Hn. I knew I would be," he said flatly though she saw the slight lifting of his lips.
She couldn't help the smile slowly making its way on her face. She locked her door then linked her arms with his and half-dragged him down the stairs. "Well, let's not waste the picnic you prepared and head straight for the clearing!" She glanced at her side and saw him barely suppressing a smile of his own.
Then her mood made a sudden crash landing. Would you still smile like that once you find out the truth about me? Would you either hate Reynald or Relena? Or hate Reynald and Relena?
~*~*~*~
He cornered her as she was leaving her dorm building to meet Heero at the foothill.
Glaring daggers and willing James to explode right before his eyes, Relena didn't do so much as blink, even when the afternoon sun caught reflection on the dorm's unfashionable reflective glass windows, which nearly blinded her. Shoulders sagging mentally, she sighed. It would've been nice had she been Carrie. She could deal with the pig's blood if she could somehow inflict bodily damage on the arrogant beast merely with her mind. Ah, well. "What do you want?"
"I heard Yuy's been keeping you company a lot," he lazily drawled.
"I fail to grasp how it would matter to you," she retorted, turning to walk away. But he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him.
With a cry of surprise mingled with outrage, Relena maneuvered a move she was forced to learn (and master) since meeting James Reyes. Without any trace of hesitancy, she successfully delivered a clean, swift, well-deserved knee onto his groin, effectively turning his genitals into mush.
She watched in satisfaction as he doubled over with pain. Smiling to herself and feeling immensely proud of herself, she continued on her merry way, ignoring the litany of curses, threats of life and general howls of pain thrown her direction.
Two days left and she was given a gift from above on how to settle the score with her gay admirer. Hmm. Who would've thought? Divine justice existed after all.
As she rounded a corner, Heero stepped from behind a tree and grinned. "Didn't think you had it in you, Dorian."
Feeling tremendously proud of herself, she sent him a smug smile as she fell into step next to him. She briefly took notice of how it enhanced Heero's look when the sun's rays fell on his brown hair and tanned skin. "Just giving him what was long overdue," she replied. As the gods are giving me what's mine. Looking elsewhere but at him, she boldly brushed her fingers with his and linked it after a second, looking straight ahead.
~*~*~*~
The dinning hall was filled with the usual noise. People chattered and talked about various topics under the sun ranging from sports to the coming classes less than a month away. Relena smiled at her friends at the table and took a deep breath. She had been thinking about it for a while now. She would leave in two days and she wanted to at least bid her friends goodbye, even though it meant fabricating yet another tale.
"You okay?" Duo asked, emptying his glass' contents in one gulp. "You've been acting a bit weird since you know," he whispered, "I told you it's okay."
Her cheeks colored slightly at the memory of Duo still thinking of her as a cross dresser but she shook her head. "That's not it," she replied. Now or never. "Guys, I was thinking it's a bit hot the past few days, isn't it? What do you say we take a swim tonight?"
Quatre frowned. "But I thought you were afraid of the pool since you almost drowned."
Oh. Yeah. I forgot. I faint at the very sight of pools. "I…I decided that the first step to getting over the fear is facing it," she replied, giving them a smile that she hoped look brave. "Besides, it's been really hot and I think we could all use a swim. And I promise to wear the silver whistle," she said, trying to lighten the mood and change the subject.
Heero looked uncertain. Would he really be all right? "Are you sure can enter the pool area without fainting dead on the spot, Dorian?"
She glared at him. "Yes, I'm sure, Yuy. If I hadn't know better, I'd say you're worried about me," she remarked. Then saw the faint color on his cheeks. She looked down, her own cheeks growing considerably warm. She played with her fork and avoided everyone's eyes, just as Heero was.
Wufei snorted. The two were so obvious. "Who'll be in charge of food?"
Relena surveyed the wicker basket in front of her. All set. It had been agreed she and Duo would be in charge of the food since it was a known fact they both had their abundant stock of soda and chips. The basket was filled to the brim with chips and soda and she even threw in her secret stash of bubble gum.
She sighed loudly. She wondered if she could go through it. She looked around the room and her eyes fell on the closet across the room. Hidden in the closet were her bags, all her clothes packed and even the picture frames neatly boxed. She could have left the very minute with no trouble at all.
But she wanted to say goodbye at least.
Going over her tale for the umpteenth time, she silently nodded in satisfaction. It was a bit bizarre, to say the least, but when you think about it, it made sense. Reynald got a call from his father three days ago, telling him that he wished him back home. The reason he was sent to SKA was so he could get used to what his new school would be, but now that his realized how much he missed his son he wanted him back, probably for home-schooling again. He would promise to write, email and call them so they could still remain friends even if they were no longer in the same school. It seemed simple enough. She was sure they'd buy it. She hoped.
The three precise knocks on her door signaled who was at the other side. Straightening her hair and the dark green shirt she wore, she walked to the door and opened it with a smile on her face. "You're making tardiness a habit, Yuy. Three minutes late?"
She expected him to scowl at her, as he usually did, but he didn't. Instead, a small grin formed on his face. "I didn't think you were that anxious to see me that you kept tabs on the precise minutes."
Her cheeks flamed. Very observant, he noticed. Can the floor please crumble beneath me now? "The basket's at the counter. Where's Duo?"
"Went ahead with the others with his own basket. Told him to give us a minute or two alone."
She froze. Wh—what? She cursed Heero's ability to turn her brain into a pathetic pile of mush in three seconds flat. She felt herself being pulled toward him and she dimly heard the door's lock click but paid it no heed. Intense blue met vibrant indigo. Her heart decelerated before accelerating full speed as his lips met hers.
When they pulled apart, her lips were red and her breathing was uneven. She received a cheeky grin form Heero and she made a face. "Let's go. They'll start wondering what's taking us so long."
Heero shrugged and walked to where the basket was but paused, looking around her room with a small frown. "What happened to your room? It seems a bit…"
"Bare?" she supplied with a smile. "I decided to do some cleaning. I'll take my things out when I'm done," she lied quickly. "The others?" she reminded.
He nodded. "Sure." He grabbed the basket and strode out of the room. Reynald locked the door and smiled at him. "Let's go," he said, walking ahead, sure the other would follow. He wasn't disappointed.
He had been doing a lot of thinking lately. Thinking concerning Reynald and Relena. He was still uncertain how to proceed, who to choose, but he made up his mind that the sooner he decided, the better. He wouldn't want to hurt either one when he picked from them.
To be frank, both were causing him sleepless nights as of late. They were so alike in so many ways that it was almost impossible to distinguish one from the other. He noticed the boy with him fidgeting. "What?"
Relena froze. Then smiled. "What do you mean 'what?'"
"What's causing you to fidget?" He noticed he seemed to pale. He sputtered some gibberish about his overly active imagination then stared straight ahead. Heero remembered his past suspicions regarding Reynald's credibility whenever he talked about himself. What was he hiding?
"Are you sure it's nothing?"
She nodded. Wondering briefly if Heero really did have the ability to read people's minds, she kept her eyes glued to the foliage surrounding them. The school's garden was after the pool. She could hear the faint splash from the pool and an indignant cry seconds after then shouts of laughter.
She paused, just ten feet from the pool's entrance. Could she do it? She mentally banged her head against a brick wall, pulling her hair vehemently on the process. Now was NOT the time to get cold feet. But now was a good chance for the floor beneath her to give way. The honey blonde-haired teen sighed. Her resolve was faltering. Not good.
Heero stopped next to her. "You okay?"
My heart's doing a commendable job of F-1 racing and is giving Michael Schumacher a run for his money. But other than heart ailment, I can't be any better. "Yeah," she replied, giving him a look that implied he was crazy to have even asked such a question.
Silently praying for the courage to take another step, she flashed what she hoped was a bright smile, enough to convince her sort-of-unofficial-boyfriend-slash-kissing-partner that what she said was true. Having mustered enough strength to go through what she had rehearsed more than a dozen times already, she walked forward.
As she pushed the brown gate in she saw that her friends had already settled in. She glanced at her cotton shirt self-consciously when she saw them all naked from the waist up. She was a bit overdressed. And also… She knew she was attracted to Heero, but that didn't mean she was blind to the beauty of the male physique. Wow. Who would've thought Wufei was an eyeful underneath that biting arrogance and academic disposition?
Her cheeks flamed when Heero placed the basket next to one of the lounge chairs Quatre occupied with Trowa and took his own black sleeveless sweatshirt off. My, it is just me or is it getting a little bit hot in here?
"You ready to swim?" Heero asked, turning to Reynald, who seemed rooted where he stood. "Or do I throw you in, clothes and all?"
She glared at him. "You will be wise to keep your paws to yourself, Yuy. Or I will have to be forced to push you into the water. One step toward my direction and I swear you'll be flying head first into the pool."
"Let me see you try," Heero replied with a devious glint in his eyes.
She backed away, not breaking eye contact. "Don't you dare!"
"Don't I dare what?" Heero continued to advance. Then without another word, he lunged for him, neatly capturing him with both arms around the lithe form. "I distinctly recall you saying something about pushing me into the water if I took a step…" he whispered into his ear.
Relena could feel herself blushing till the roots of her hair. She turned her head and gave him a defiant raise of an eyebrow. "I'll strike when you least expect me to."
"Then I'll be looking forward to that, Dorian. Let me see you try."
His breath was tickling her skin. She stared into his eyes and saw the lips mere inches away. Like a magnet drawn into metal, her own seemed to slowly bridge the distance between them. Her eyes slide close and she felt his arms around her tighten.
"Oh, geez! Get a room, will ya?" Duo exclaimed from the steps, watching them both in amusement.
They both sprung apart and Relena became very aware that they were the focus of four pairs of eyes in rapt attention. She flushed and touched the back of her neck self-consciously, hoping she could cover her face instead. Heero cleared his throat and straightened. He threw the blonde a small smile before walking toward the edge and jumping in.
Wufei emerged from the water, sending their braided friend a few choice words for pushing him into the freezing pool. Spying Reynald sitting at the chair at the near end, he plopped down next to him. He grabbed a can of soda from the basket and spoke without looking at him, "You're good together."
"Eh?"
He rolled his eyes. "Don't pretend not to know what I'm talking about. Heero. Spending time with you is doing him a lot of good. He smiles more."
She looked down at her lap. "I like being with him."
"And it's obvious he likes being with you. He says you're not like the others. You're honest."
The collar of her shirt seemed to smother her. "He…he said that?"
"Do I strike you as the type to lie? I should be insulted."
"Sorry," she replied lowly, gripping the can with both hands. After a moment of silence, she swallowed hard, "Thanks, Wufei. Can you, uh, can you excuse me for a sec? I need to go." With the Chinese youth's curt nod, she stood up and almost tripped over her own feet in an effort to get to the other side of the pool where she could be alone with her thoughts.
She watched from the shadows as Duo splashed water all around while Trowa and Quatre pretty much kept to themselves near Duo and Heero. Wufei still sat by the chairs, munching on the goods they brought. Her brows furrowed. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to jump into the pool and drown all her worries, but she knew she couldn't do that. It would only make things worse when she emerged with long hair and breasts.
Sighing, she sat on the grass, absently pulling on the leaves of the bushes separating the pool from the garden. She gathered her knees to her chest and hugged them close to her. She turned her head against the group fooling around few meters away and tried to block the sounds of laughter and splashing. She needed time to think.
Suddenly her plan of lying to them didn't seem so good anymore. She hated lying. Most of all, she hated lying to Heero and her friends. What would Heero say if he found out she hasn't been completely up front with him and the rest since the beginning? Would he silently shake his head and turn away with disgust or would he glare at her and throw her into the pool?
Knowing Heero, it would be the former. Relena shut her eyes. That wasn't comforting at all. She would rather if Heero threw her into the pool then release his anger on her then be over with it. That way, he'd be able to get it out. Then he wouldn't be angry with her anymore. Maybe then she could explain.
But would he listen? Would he believe?
Relena's eyes opened with surprise when she felt an arm snaking around her shoulders and pulling her close to the warm body of its owner. Heero gave her one of his rare smiles and ran his hands over her hair.
"I noticed you weren't with us. You okay?"
She stared into his blue eyes, eyes filled with warmth and a tinge of concern. She decided then. She would tell him. "Heero, there's something I need to tell you—" His finger on her lips silenced her.
"Shh. I have something to tell you as well," he whispered, his arm around her tightening. "We haven't know each other that long. But whenever I'm with you, I always feel like time doesn't matter. I tried ignoring it first, denying it existed, but from the past few days, I realized it wasn't working. I wasn't being honest to myself.
"But you…you've been honest to me and everyone else since the first time we met. You're refreshing. You say what's on your mind and you're not afraid to show your feelings. I admire that in you. You're always so honest."
Relena's eyes widened. No! Heero, please don't say that… She shook her head and pulled away. She sat across him and looked straight into his eyes. "No, Heero, I have something to tell you. Please don't get mad but—"
"I'll never get mad at you," he cut in, cupping her face with his hands. "Remember the times I got angry before? I was trying to cover the attraction I had for you then," he chuckled. "But I don't want to keep it from you any longer."
"Heero, the truth is I'm not…"
"I like you a lot, Reynald."
Relena stopped, staring at him. The first time. It was the first time he called her by that name. Her eyes softened and she closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. "Oh, Heero, if you only knew…"
He pulled her into his arms and she leaned against him, marveling at how perfectly she fit into his arms. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke, "There's something I have to tell you."
"I already know." She tensed. "You like me too."
The politician's daughter smiled despite herself. "Other than that, you egotistic beast," she replied, lightly hitting his arm. "Heero," she said, liking the sound of his name on her lips, "I haven't been completely honest with you like you believe. Do you remember Relena?"
It was his turn to tense now. What about her? What did she have to do with them together? He thought he would forget about her now that he chose Reynald. "What about Relena?"
"Please don't be mad, but the thing is I'm—" She paused. What was that?
Duo threw the empty can into the trash bag they brought. He and the others were watching the romance unfold between Reynald and Heero. They all decided it was high time for the two to hook up. He frowned. He knew that sound…
She stood up form where she was cozily snuggling with Heero underneath the tree and walked near the pool, squinting at the far left where the garden was.
The bag of potato chips fell of his hands when he heard another shout of laughter from the other side of the hedges. He heard rumors that the principal was due to arrive from her vacation in Paris anytime that week but he wasn't expecting her to be making her rounds in the middle of the night at the school garden.
Wufei stared at the rustling bushes with growing disgust. What was the principal thinking? A tryst at the garden in the dead of night?
Relena frowned. That laugh sounded very familiar… From behind her, the bushes rustled, making Heero jump away and into Relena's direction. "I think it's Principal Noin," Heero whispered from where he stood, three feet away form her.
But why was it coming from both sides? Another movement from the other side of the pool. She could feel her heart hammering inside her chest, could feel sweat covering her body. A cat maybe?
"LU!" Suddenly someone leaped out of the bushed behind the couple and Relena jumped back from surprise, right into the cool water.
With an involuntary scream escaping her mouth, Relena felt herself plunging to oblivion before meeting chilly liquid, which swallowed the rest of her scream. Gliding with ease in the water, she resurfaced, her hair clinging to her in a wet tangle and breathing heavily as she swallowed some of the chlorine and hydrogen mixture.
She gaped in horror as Heero fished the floating hairpiece out of the water and threw her a glare. She then felt herself being pulled out of the pool by strong powerful hands. She tried to avoid Heero's eyes by looking at who helped her out of the water and almost fainted when she saw who had kept her from drowning, as she didn't have the willpower to merely keep herself afloat.
Standing across her with a look that depicted the word fury in every sense was her older brother who she knew should have been in Switzerland with her parents. "Milli?"
Tbc
Disclaimers: Not mine, no money, don't sue
NOTES: It's nearly over! I'm still not sure how many more parts exactly are on the way but it won't be any more than five. ::sigh:: It took me a year to reach this far. It feels…weird that the fic is near its end. ::sniffsniff:: I'm gonna miss this 1+R baby! I hope you guys like. ^_^