Begun on May 8, 2004 Completed on May 9, 2004

When plot bunnies make berth in your brain... Yaoi because my attempts to not make this HieadxZero were sadly thwarted by my fangirl nature. Zero POV

"Mother's Day" By Kitsune

"Did you know that today's Mother's Day?"
The offhand comment at the next table over caught me off guard.
Mother's Day...
I left my mother on the colony. I didn't want to leave but...
I have to become a pilot.
So there was no other choice.
No other choice...
"What's Mother's Day?" I asked Kizna softly.
Kizna blinked, stopping in mid-bite to turn to me. "Uh... It's one of those old holidays," she said with a casual wave of her spoon. "I think everyone would give their mothers gifts and the like. I'm not really sure..."
"It was a day to honor mothers," Clay interjected, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Cards, flowers, gifts... These were given as symbols of love and appreciation. It was a day for mothers to relax and be pampered..." Clay trailed off, eyeing me strangely.
I blinked. "What?"
Clay leaned in, eyes boring into me. "Why are you so interested, hm? You actually listened to everything I just said without zoning out!"
"Like that's so weird?" I scoffed, glaring at him.
"Yeah, kind of," Saki said with a snort.
I turned my glare to her, then returned to scarfing down my dinner. After finishing, I stood up abruptly. "I'm going now."
A chorus of goodbyes and a wave of hands met my declaration.
I gathered up my tray and started my retreat from the dining hall.

I entered my room with a tired sigh, listening to the familiar whir as the door closed behind me.
"You're back early..."
I rolled my eyes, flopping down onto my bed. "I just couldn't resist the pleasure of your company any longer."
"..."
I buried my head into my pillow, trying to clear my mind.
A day to honor mothers...
I tried to picture my mother, remember the sound of her voice.
My grip tightened on my pillow.
Why couldn't I remember my mother's face?
There was something wrong here, it just wasn't right, why couldn't I remember my mother?
I tried to place the fragments together, but it was all like a blurry dream.
It was then that I felt a flick at the back of my neck.
"Ow!" I snapped, turning to glare at him.
Hiead was hovering over my bed, scowling at me.
"What'd you do that for?" I snapped.
"You were annoying me," Hiead said with a shrug, returning to sit on his own bed.
"How the hell was I annoying you?! I wasn't doing anything."
"I guess it's just your mere presence that agitates me," Hiead said, shrugging again.
Now I was on my feet attempting to stare Hiead down.
Unfortunately, he was ignoring me as he thumbed through a book.
"Pay attention to me!" I finally yelled when I realized he wasn't going to look up.
"Why?"
"Because that's what you're supposed to do!"
"I have to tell you, I honestly don't give a shit."
"Bastard..." I muttered.
Hiead tossed the book aside and grabbed my arm, dragging me down beside him. "Takes one to know one."
I slid my arms around his waist, nipping at his ear. "Oh?"
"Don't bite," Hiead growled, flicking me again.
I responded by biting on his ear as hard as I could.
"You little-"
I quickly pacified him by soothing the bite with a few swift licks.
Hiead growled again, refusing to accept my peace offering and set about to mercilessly sucking on my neck.
"Mm..." I was comfortably reveling in the sensation when something occurred to me. "Cut it out, you're gonna leave a mark."
"Too late," Hiead said, sitting up and looking rather pleased with himself.
"Jerk..." I said with a scowl, rubbing at the soreness on my neck. "Everyone's going to see it."
"Good."
We had a bit of a glare-off, then resumed the smooching and groping.
I was running my hands through Hiead's hair and feeling rather content when a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Turning my mouth away from his, I murmured, "Did you know it's Mother's Day?"
Hiead halted in his ministrations and glared at me.
"It is, you know."
"And why would I care about something like that?"
I shrugged. "I dunno, doesn't it make you think about your mom?"
I was presently shoved off of the bed and landed on the floor in an unceremonious heap.
"WHAT was that for?" I yelled, stumbling to my feet.
"You're worthless, you know that?"
I attempted to suppress my anger. I tried counting backwards. I tried taking deep breaths. It didn't work in the least.
"Yeah, I'll show you worthless..."
And then we were fighting again, the usual hitting and pushing and rolling and general mass destruction.
It was Mother's Day.
It didn't seem right to be fighting on Mother's Day. I don't think that my mother would have liked it. She wouldn't have, would she?
I couldn't remember...
Our fight suddenly ceased as the two of us sat at opposite sides of the room, breathing heavily.
"I can't remember my mother's face."
Hiead stared at me, still trying to catch his breath.
"How do you know she exists, then?"
I blinked, trying to shoot down his inquiry. But the words wouldn't come. How did I know that she existed?
His eyes met mine and they surprisingly softened a bit. "You have no mother..."
I shook my head, trying to understand what he was saying. "No, that's not..."
His eyes hardened a little. "Didn't you know? You're like me, Zero. You have no mother."
I tried to process his words, but they just didn't make sense to me. Of course I had a mother. I just couldn't remember her at the moment. "You're wrong."
"And how do you know?"
I tried to muddle through my memories, tried to picture her face. Finally, I just shook my head. "I know because I know." I touched a hand to my heart. "She's real."
Hiead shook his head with disgust. "You're a fool."
"Whatever..." I muttered, and the conversation was over.
We both returned to our respective beds and began to do our work. Clay returned, and then it was time for lights out.
As I lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, the conversation began to drift from my memories. Everything began muddling together again and I passed into a heavy sleep.
My mother and her missing face, they were all fading away.
And I seemed to forget about it just like everything else.
It was almost as though someone didn't want me to remember.
The next morning I awoke, ready for another day of pilot training.

Comments/Criticism (of the constructive sort) welcome. I guess. ::runs away::