Chimera of Life

Story Six: Wisdom's Harmony

Chapter Seven

By Heartfire

~*~

Trowa snapped his head up so fast, he was surprised he didn't get a whiplash, and then stared at her, not understanding the barrage of emotions he was feeling inside… but he knew one of them… he was definitely in… shock.

The water overflowed from the test tube, spilled on his jeans, right where the zipper that hid his manhood was… uh…

Water trickled down his leg and to his sock and shoes while some splattered on the earth-

'I. Did. Not. Hear her say that… I must have fallen asleep… but even so, why would I dream this situation up…?'

"Tristan!"

Even her shout didn't bring him back.

Onie quickly snatched some clean rags in the drawer. She grabbed the beaker and test tube in one quick sweep then she started to apply pressure on the soaked portion on Trowa's-

That took him back and he stared at Onie, patting his… Trowa gulped as he felt himself respond. Dear Lord! Why was he just sitting here and not doing anything?! As reality seeped through his numb mind, he reacted without thinking- he slapped her hand away… Hard.

"Ow!"

"What… What do you think you are doing?!" His awed voice came out in a half gasp and…  he knew his voice came out in that squeaky way when teenagers go through puberty! He gulped, trying to find where his voice went, and to wet his suddenly dry throat.

"I…" Onie massaged her hand, a bit red from Tristan's slap. "I was just trying to help. Did I do something wrong?"

She looked up at him, her eyes so innocently clear that… Trowa knew she didn't know what she did. Dear Lord! Did she do something wrong?- she asked! Aside from the fact that she had just suggested that he make love to her and that she started touching him… and that he was… He looked down, and sure enough, he wished he had an apron to hide himself. Instead, he could only groan. He pushed his hand through his hair and pulled at a handful just to make sure he was awake. "You should not say or do things like… well… what you said and did."

Onie frowned and titled her head, thankfully, that arousing innocent look was gone, replaced by a very clear look of confusion. "I… shouldn't?"

Trowa quickly shook his head. "No." He couldn't believe he was giving her a lecture about this! Him! If Duo ever hears about this… What would Cathy say? At least he was pretty sure Quatre would smile. "You shouldn't say that you want to…" Dear God! His voice changed again! He swallowed then continued. "To make love with…" Him? "Anybody."

Her frown deepened. "I didn't say anybody… I said I wanted to make love with you." Onie emphasized on the last word, just to make sure he understood her.

Why did he kept on hearing those words from her?! The ringing in his ears must be affecting him. He couldn't have heard what he just heard… even if that was the second time he did hear it! "No! You don't." Dear Lord! He was sweating cold beads of water!

"I don't?" Onie stood up from her seat and took a step closer, her curiosity becoming a drive to… well… learn more. "I know what I feel. I know what I want. I want to feel it. I want you to-"

"Don't!" Trowa's panicked voice cried out as he grabbed her shoulders, his eyes wild with fear. "Don't say it!" He was yelling at her! Astonished with his current behavior, he stared at her as if he'd never seen her before. When some sort of heat and a tingling sensation started to creep up his fingers from the touch of her skin, he quickly took his hands away from her as though burned.

"But I want to say it." Onie whispered, unable to comprehend why he was acting so… strangely. "I do not understand why it is so hard. You did it already with her." She looked away, suddenly embarrassed and a bit angry. "It isn't as if I'm asking you to… kiss me…"

He was having trouble breathing. Kissing… His eyes strayed to her angrily pouted lips and he suddenly wondered why they seemed so tempting right that moment… Hormones! His hormones were wrecking havoc in him! Is this what midlife crisis truly is? But, he's not even in his thirties! Maybe he finally cracked. That's it! He's gone! By God! She doesn't want him to kiss her, but she wants to go straight to-  "Onie, you do not know what you're asking me to do." Trowa stopped his train of thought as he staggered backward, intending to put some space between them.

She sighed, feeling rather frustrated. In even tones, she tried to explain to this suddenly irrational man. "Why do you keep on saying that? Tristan. I am not asking you to salivate and strip naked with me. I am not ready for kissing. I am only asking you for one inconsequential act- for you to make love with me."

For some reason, this whole thing slowly started making sense to him. How that happened, he wasn't sure but he finally understood. The poor girl got things mixed up! Of course, that doesn't change the fact that he was aroused and that he will not kiss her. "You've got it all wrong." Trowa said, plainly and clearly while he tried to will himself to gather back his wits.

"What do I have wrong, Tristan?" Onie asked, her voice akin to a mother's patient tones.

He still could not believe that he was explaining this one facet of life to her. Him! Of all people! "Kissing is what you do with the lips. Making love is where you strip naked with someone you love."

Onie quickly shook her head. "No. You're the one who got it wrong." No wonder Tristan was acting so strangely! Poor man. The re-programming must have juggled his memory in more ways than one! "It's the other way around."

"No it isn't! That doesn't make sense!" Frustration and anxiety made his voice notch a bit higher and he found himself flailing his arms about while he made his point. "How could you say kissing is when you do something with someone you love when it is making love that has the word love in it?"

Onie breathed in, counted to ten, then breathed out. She was getting angry with him. "I am not going to stay here and argue with you on this." Onie said in an even tone as she raised her chin.

"We. Are. Not. Arguing." Trowa muttered under his breath, his voice dangerously low. Arguing was what Cathy and Keith loved to do best! Loud voices, dishes flying in the air, and crying. There were none of those right now!

"Oh, for heaven's sake." She turned away from him, not feeling at all embarrassed that her request wasn't granted, and letting frustration be her guide to the door. "You only have to say that you don't want to make love with me. Humph… I am leaving you to let your steam out."

"Now hold on there a minute!" Trowa growled as he walked after her, then he stopped. What was he doing? He let the entire event go through his mind, and sure enough, he found that he had behaved quite oddly. Very oddly…

The door swished open and closed, and he was left inside the garden, wondering what devil had possessed him to act so unlike himself… and 'What in the world was this act Onie kept on repeating about his lips… and a girl?'

…

He never thought she would show it, but she did. He was annoyed, true, but he couldn't help but admire this transformed girl in front of him. Transformed by her anger. An anger that he always only saw on the surface but was, right now, turned on in full blast. Of course, she was trying to hide it. He always knew she had this hidden person in her. This life underneath the ever patient facade.

Snip!

She was so angry with him. Though she couldn't pin point why, she didn't mind reveling in this emotion. Yesterday, the disappointment she felt was heart wrenching. But that was all. She knew why. Had analyzed it and understood, so she accepted. But this morning, when she woke up and remembered what happened, she couldn't help the fire that ignited in her chest.

Snip!

How she wished it were his head instead that she was cutting off!

Snip!

Her gardening shears cut off another stem of a white, five-petal flower bush, then without looking at him, she sauntered off to the other direction. He followed her. He had no other choice. The whole base was on red-alert and she was given specific orders by Dr. Blake not to go out- he specifically heard it. Yet, he was surprised when her eyes slanted after she walked out of Blake's office and muttered- 'We'll see about that!'

That was the first time he'd ever seen her go against Blake's order. She basically stomped off to her garden, gathered her tools then walked out of the glass door. Having eavesdropped during one of Dr. Jessie's staff's lunch conversations, he knew that there had been an explosion somewhere near. Later that day, he gathered whatever data he could from Onie's computer. There wasn't much, save that it was a helicopter. Whose? It didn't say, but there could be survivors out there. It was dangerous to venture out. So, the only logical thing to do was to go with her to protect her.

Snip!

He knew she was mad, of course. After all, though she was civil that morning when she came inside the garden, she was giving out ice-cold signals. 'Of course,' he reasoned to himself, 'It is understandable. I mean, what kind of girl wouldn't be mad after she was turned down to be made love to?'

He should be flattered, but he was- mentally, Trowa pinched himself- embarrassed. Very embarrassed… All right… More than very embarrassed! That was why he just kept silent.  When in doubt, keep silent. Yet, his usual plan was not helping him at all. The embarrassment was being coupled with annoyance, and admiration, and… damn tempting images that's been evoked and unleashed since yesterday's event! The hot sun overhead wasn't helping either!

Trowa's eyes couldn't help but follow the path that a small bead of sweat made as it trailed down from Onie's collarbone, down to between her average sized breasts… He swallowed, and quickly reprimanded himself as he looked away and pushed a surprisingly shaky hand through his thick, damp hair. He used to think that her breasts were small, that they weren't that attractive… Right now, though, it was driving him insane!

To keep his mind off her delicious- 'Stop it!' Trowa growled under his breath and didn't notice the questioning look Onie sent his way just as he focused his attention on where they were. His brows drew in together as he noticed how far away they were from the compound. "Onie, I think we should-" he stopped while she held her scissors in midair as a distinctive rustle reached their ears.

There was no wind. It was a very dry day, not a cloud in sight, and the couple looked at each other knowing that they were not alone. Mentally, Onie thanked Trowa for coming with her while Trowa protectively walked to her side and stayed put.

"It could just be an animal…" Onie whispered as she, with Trowa right next to her, walked to where the sound originated. The quick glance she shared with him showed that Trowa doubted that possibility.

Together, they looked behind the tall bush of wild plants and kept on going, their feet light while their minds worked feasibilities. Minutes later, they saw a wooden roof.

"That's the military shed… I think we should turn back, Tristan." Onie whispered. This time, there was a note of panic in her voice.

Trowa shook his head. There was something about this situation that needed probing… He continued, ignoring Onie's stopping hand on his arm. With a sigh of frustration, the young doctor followed him.

Crouched low against a bush and a tree, they peered at the shed. Their view was obstructed but Trowa quickly brushed the leaves away then… his eyes widened. Behind him, Onie gasped in surprise…

"But… this is impossible…!"

The incredulity in Onie's voice echoed that of Trowa's. He, too, found it impossible. How could it be…?

"It… can't…!" Onie looked from the shed to Tristan's face and for the first time in nearly ten years, an actual chill went down her spine…

'Midii…' He didn't know whether to be surprised, angry, or happy- no. Strike that last emotion out. He was anything but happy. He couldn't believe what his very eyes could see! It must be a mirage and yet… that irritating bug hasn't stopped buzzing against his right ear.

He's usually subtle. Very. He prided himself with such a characteristic… although once he struck, subtle would be the last word to describe it. Right now, he knew subtlety wouldn't get the answers he's hoping for.

 'Midii…'

There were questions to be answered… Now. Without another thought, Trowa made his move.

Beside him, Onie reached out to stop him then paused. This was his fight, she could feel it, and there wasn't anything she could do for him but be there for him.

Leaves rustled noisily as they stood up. In front of them, two pairs of closed eyes snapped in attention… then widened…

Crickets chirped in the background and the wind blew around them but it was silent enough to hear the first words uttered in barely a whisper-

"Trowa!" Midii gasped.

Onie frowned, confused as she repeated the unfamiliar name in her mind. 'Trowa?'

"Trowa…?" asked the man whose arms were still around Midii's waist.

Midii started to wriggle out of his embrace- embarrassed and scared with her thoughts in a frantic flutter. "I- I can explain…"

Forest green eyes in slits, Trowa crossed his arms over his chest. "Then start explaining, Midii… because this time, you've got nowhere else to run."

{ Author's note: Hello to everyone. I deeply apologize for the length of time this took me to post. Really really sorry! I moved to another country with this job I got and it took some time for me to get my internet access AND to finally get my bearings adjusted to this society's culture (not to mention getting adjusted to the schedule I have) Then, when I was finally adjusted, my poor laptop broke down on me and had to be repaired… Unfortunately, even though I am in the country where my laptop originated from, this country is so technologically advanced that my 5 year old laptop's parts are hard to find and somewhat near to obsolete-ety.  So, again I apologize and wish you for your patience ^^ AND thank you for your continued attention.

Now that my formal apology is over—LET'S READ ON!!! ^_^ }