I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, it has finally come! No, I did not die. ^_^ I have, however, finally emerged from beneath the rock under which I have been hiding. It's been a long time since I have written anything other than history papers, so we will see how this goes. I make no guarantees. =P
HEALING PEACE
For once, Heero's sleep was dreamless. The haunting presence of his attacker that normally haunted his sleep was absent. It was if the visit from a certain golden-haired angel had chased away his demons. Yes, she really was like an angel. Heero would never admit it to himself, and much less to her, but he definitely had feelings for the quiet, brave young woman who constantly went out of her way to help others. It had been a long time since he had let himself acknowledge the fact that he cared for another, and it was not an easy thing to do.
Heero awoke slowly from his sleep. Sunlight was pouring in through the window; he had been asleep for a while. Easing himself from the bed, he made his way to the adjourning bathroom. After splashing his face with cold water, he spent a while gazing at his reflection. He hardly recognized himself. His face still bore the bruises from the beating that he had endured, and there was the long cut on his temple. He knew that other marks marred his body as well. He shuddered, and then pushed any thoughts of his injuries away. As long as he did not dwell on them, he could keep the monster that lurked in the shadows at bay.
Heero headed down the hallway till he reached the living room. The room was brightly lit as the sunlight seeped in through the windows. Inwardly, he cursed. There was no computer in the cottage, and he had no idea where his laptop was. It was probably back at the safe house, where he had left it before he left for the failed mission. He needed that laptop so he could figure out where he was going to go from here. Surprisingly, Heero felt a twinge of regret when he thought about leaving. The cottage was nice and peaceful, and then there was Relena. The young woman's kindness left him with a strange, warm feeling. She had called him her friend. It had been a long time since anyone, well, besides Duo, had called him that. He really had become weak. Heero pushed away thoughts of Relena. She would only distract him.
The sound of the front door opening brought Heero out of his thoughts. Sally entered, carrying her medical bag.
"Ah, Heero, you're up," Sally greeted him cheerfully.
Heero grunted. He hated the sight of that medical bag. It reminded him of the pain and the shame that he had endured.
"Let's just get this over with." Heero turned and walked back down the hallway to the bedroom. Sally sighed, and followed.
Half an hour later, Sally sat back and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Heero lay on the bed, breathing heavily. He was sweating again. Sally used a towel to gently dry him off.
"Can I get you anything, Heero?" she asked gently.
"No," he answered shortly. "Just, can you leave?" He wasn't facing Sally, but she could hear the pain in his voice.
"Okay. I'll be back this evening, though. Try to rest today." With that, Sally stood and walked out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her.
Heero lay on the bed, trying to regain control over his breathing. His body ached. Pain was something that he had been trained to endure. But this pain, coupled with the humiliation of allowing himself to be violated, was almost unbearable. He could feel the unshed tears burning in his eyes. With what little strength he had left, he punched his pillow, and let out a cry that was something between a furious battle cry and a choked sob.
Relena walked down the path to the cottage where Heero was staying. She carried a couple of bags containing various food items. She knocked on the door, and when there was no answer, she let herself in. She went into the kitchen, where she sat down the bags and set about making sandwiches. She set them on the table, and went to find Heero. The door to the bedroom was shut, so she knocked tentatively. Once again, there was no answer. Relena cracked the door cautiously. "Heero?"
The form that was laying on the bed stirred, and Heero turned to look at her. Relena almost staggered backwards at the look of immense pain and suffering that was on his face. Relena hurried into the room and knelt by the bed. "Heero, what can I do?" she asked, gently stroking the sweat- soaked hair off of the young man's brow. Heero didn't answer; he only started and tried to stand. Doing so caused him to pull one of his many wounds, and he flinched.
What Relena really wanted to do was embrace the injured boy and tell him that everything was going to be okay. But she could just imagine how Heero would react to that. Instead, she gently helped him put his shirt back on. "I've made sandwiches," she stated. "Shall we?" She held out her hand to help Heero up.
Heero stared up at her for a moment, and then slowly accepted her offered hand. "Relena. Thank you."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, it has finally come! No, I did not die. ^_^ I have, however, finally emerged from beneath the rock under which I have been hiding. It's been a long time since I have written anything other than history papers, so we will see how this goes. I make no guarantees. =P
HEALING PEACE
For once, Heero's sleep was dreamless. The haunting presence of his attacker that normally haunted his sleep was absent. It was if the visit from a certain golden-haired angel had chased away his demons. Yes, she really was like an angel. Heero would never admit it to himself, and much less to her, but he definitely had feelings for the quiet, brave young woman who constantly went out of her way to help others. It had been a long time since he had let himself acknowledge the fact that he cared for another, and it was not an easy thing to do.
Heero awoke slowly from his sleep. Sunlight was pouring in through the window; he had been asleep for a while. Easing himself from the bed, he made his way to the adjourning bathroom. After splashing his face with cold water, he spent a while gazing at his reflection. He hardly recognized himself. His face still bore the bruises from the beating that he had endured, and there was the long cut on his temple. He knew that other marks marred his body as well. He shuddered, and then pushed any thoughts of his injuries away. As long as he did not dwell on them, he could keep the monster that lurked in the shadows at bay.
Heero headed down the hallway till he reached the living room. The room was brightly lit as the sunlight seeped in through the windows. Inwardly, he cursed. There was no computer in the cottage, and he had no idea where his laptop was. It was probably back at the safe house, where he had left it before he left for the failed mission. He needed that laptop so he could figure out where he was going to go from here. Surprisingly, Heero felt a twinge of regret when he thought about leaving. The cottage was nice and peaceful, and then there was Relena. The young woman's kindness left him with a strange, warm feeling. She had called him her friend. It had been a long time since anyone, well, besides Duo, had called him that. He really had become weak. Heero pushed away thoughts of Relena. She would only distract him.
The sound of the front door opening brought Heero out of his thoughts. Sally entered, carrying her medical bag.
"Ah, Heero, you're up," Sally greeted him cheerfully.
Heero grunted. He hated the sight of that medical bag. It reminded him of the pain and the shame that he had endured.
"Let's just get this over with." Heero turned and walked back down the hallway to the bedroom. Sally sighed, and followed.
Half an hour later, Sally sat back and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Heero lay on the bed, breathing heavily. He was sweating again. Sally used a towel to gently dry him off.
"Can I get you anything, Heero?" she asked gently.
"No," he answered shortly. "Just, can you leave?" He wasn't facing Sally, but she could hear the pain in his voice.
"Okay. I'll be back this evening, though. Try to rest today." With that, Sally stood and walked out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her.
Heero lay on the bed, trying to regain control over his breathing. His body ached. Pain was something that he had been trained to endure. But this pain, coupled with the humiliation of allowing himself to be violated, was almost unbearable. He could feel the unshed tears burning in his eyes. With what little strength he had left, he punched his pillow, and let out a cry that was something between a furious battle cry and a choked sob.
Relena walked down the path to the cottage where Heero was staying. She carried a couple of bags containing various food items. She knocked on the door, and when there was no answer, she let herself in. She went into the kitchen, where she sat down the bags and set about making sandwiches. She set them on the table, and went to find Heero. The door to the bedroom was shut, so she knocked tentatively. Once again, there was no answer. Relena cracked the door cautiously. "Heero?"
The form that was laying on the bed stirred, and Heero turned to look at her. Relena almost staggered backwards at the look of immense pain and suffering that was on his face. Relena hurried into the room and knelt by the bed. "Heero, what can I do?" she asked, gently stroking the sweat- soaked hair off of the young man's brow. Heero didn't answer; he only started and tried to stand. Doing so caused him to pull one of his many wounds, and he flinched.
What Relena really wanted to do was embrace the injured boy and tell him that everything was going to be okay. But she could just imagine how Heero would react to that. Instead, she gently helped him put his shirt back on. "I've made sandwiches," she stated. "Shall we?" She held out her hand to help Heero up.
Heero stared up at her for a moment, and then slowly accepted her offered hand. "Relena. Thank you."