Damn Love
Chapter Eleven
"Hand me some caviar, Heero?"
I'd been dutifully standing by the side of Noin for the last hour. She'd said she'd needed to speak with me, and urgently. However, due to the large amount of time I've spent handing her food and meeting new people, I'd say it wasn't really all that urgent.
Relena was in the middle of the room, laughing with Duo. I wished I could be there. I also wished I could shove some caviar down his throat. Considering all the tangents I go off onto, I have to say that I am extremely restrained. Perhaps that is the true reason why I just can't go up to Relena and scream the truth. I'm just too suppressed.
"Thank you, Mr. Zampese. I'll be sure to tell Milliardo." I have to say that I have a much greater understanding of Noin's life. I mean, if must be pretty hard to suck up to every single person that comes her way. If people weren't so dense, I'm sure they'd see that the second they left, her face twisted into a look of pain. But that's how you stay in business in this town. Make people think you actually like them. No easy feat.
"Could you excuse me for a moment? I hope you enjoy the party." Said Noin to the group of people we were surrounded by. She signaled for me to follow, and I did. I wondered where she could possibly be going now. We'd shook hands, smiled, and looked entirely fake in front of nearly every person who'd walked through the door. Everyone but Relena, the only person I wanted to be with. Don't you just love fate's little ironies?
"Look at me." Okay, appearances are deceiving. "Stop vying for Relena."
"I don't vie."
"Then stop looking at her for thirty seconds, okay? I haven't had a night of peace with Milliardo for nearly three days. You know why? Because he's too worried about you and Relena."
Some people might feel bad for Noin, and don't get me wrong, I felt some sort of strange twinge. But I was much more into the fact that Milliardo hadn't gotten sleep in the last few days. Never tempt a desperate man, I was always told.
I didn't really have much time to think about it, though. Because Pagan was ringing this little bell that signified that dinner was ready. I felt like some sort of sheep following the master to get food.
I rushed out of that corner as fast as I could, even if I disliked the way in which I was being called to sustenance. Anything to get away from all these crazy people. I mean it. Even the people I thought were sane were just falling to the madness side of the spectrum. I had this creepy ominous feeling that I'd be next. Not an unfounded prediction, as it turns out.
Once seated, Relena began her little speech, "I would just like to thank all the people that came here tonight. Especially Heero. He's been such a great sport and I know that he'll make an amazing ambassador." She said, looking at me for the first time since the party had started. So she had been thinking about me. It's nice to be thought about.
"So, bon appétit!" she exclaimed and immediately servers came around to ask whether we preferred beef or chicken. I just want to know what all the vegetarians out there are eating tonight. Maybe there were none. But isn't that considered one of the seven sins of hospitality? I'm serious, people actually make rules. They should just make it like they do in the army. Gruel and bread. Now that's what I call gourmet.
The second that the plate was placed on the table in front of the guy sitting beside me, he was deep into the dish. Ms. Manners would have died. I realize that its good to serve food on new white tablecloths and all, but if I knew that this guy was coming to my party, there's no way that I would set out the nice ones. Come to think of it, I probably just wouldn't invite him to my party.
So there was no real surprise when this guy started to cough while scarfing down his food. However, after a while, he stopped eating and stopped coughing. Actually, he stopped doing everything.
The dear, observant love of mine, Relena, was the first to notice this. I think she even gave me a bit of a look of reprove because I wasn't in the slightest concerned about him. She set down her fork, and raced as fast as standard feminine protocol allowed to the man's side. I guess he was kind of important since the whole table turned to stare.
I'm not much of a guy for the limelight, as you may have noticed, so I felt like ducking out back until all this stuff was done. But when Relena cried my name, all that "knight-in-shining-armor" stuff wouldn't let me leave without helping her first. I really wish I wasn't such a easy target.
"Heero! Heero he needs medical help!" I guess she was right, since the guy wasn't really breathing and all. People automatically assume that because I'm perfect, that I know everything. Well, sorry to burst their bubble, but sometimes a few things slip my mind. That doesn't mean I can't find out where you live and blow you up, though.
"Is he dead?"
"I don't think so."
"Can't help."
"And why not?!"
"I'm not good with live people."
She didn't really take my excuse, because she sighed in frustration and did the most of unlikely things ever. She rolled the guy off the chair, yelping at the surprise of a three-hundred something pounded guy flopping onto the floor.
Relena must have been a nurse in another life, because she went right to work, rolling him onto his back, then undoing his tie and opening his shirt.
"Heero you've got to help me! I don't know what to do!"
"Neither do I."
"You must know something!"
Usually people just ask if there's a doctor in the house, but no, she had to rely totally on me.
"Just…check for a pulse." I finally said.
She smiled at me and put her hand on his neck. Then her smile dropped.
"I don't know…I can't feel anything."
"Try rescue breathing."
"What's that?"
"You put your mouth on his mouth. Breathe."
"I can't do that!"
And she thought I could? Relena, as much as I love you, if you think I would do something like that, then you obviously don't know me. Not that I didn't want to help the guy. I can't stand the sight of saliva. I can do blood and guts and gore. Just not saliva.
"I can't!"
"You can do anything!"
People always make this critical error. My areas of specialty range over anything where spit is not included. That and dresses. I don't do dresses either.
"No he can't."
Then my savior walked through the door. I can't believe I hadn't noticed that Zechs wasn't at the party. But he finally showed up. And with him, he brought the thing that would save my life, and my love. Oh, and that fat guy's life, too.
I guess I kind of have a respect for him. He didn't stop to say hello or greet anyone like some people do. He went straight to the man and turned to his redheaded assistant who was following right behind him, chewing her gum with the force of a SR-71 Blackbird.
"Man down. Call an ambulance." I think that girl was almost happy to get on her cell phone. Typical.
I guess in the heat of the situation, I hadn't been thinking very straight. Because I'm sure that I would have thought of slapping the guy on the back. Needless to say, it was a very strong slap on the back. I personally think he must have restarted the guy's heart or something. He just woke up. It was very strange.
When the ambulance arrived, most of the guests left. Can't really blame them. When a high political figure is almost killed at a party, I wouldn't really want to hang around. I almost didn't, either. But the sorrowful look on Relena's face said I shouldn't. I was feeling pretty guilty right about then.
"I…I just wanted this…to be a party for you…a good one…" she said. She is so good at the whole guilt thing.
I decided that if Zechs saw his little half-sister crying at my expense, the consequences wouldn't be good ones. So I steered her into the salon that I remember sitting in with that weird cat. The cat wasn't there, though. I was actually hoping to have a rematch. But Relena was way more important than a little vendetta with the feline.
"I had…a…good time."
"No you didn't. You're just saying that to make me feel better."
"I don't lie."
"Heero…lately…I don't know…" she said, looking down at her hands, which she was wringing together nervously. "I thought that maybe we might…have a chance. But I don't know if I think so anymore."
I couldn't believe she was giving up on us. I couldn't believe she was just going to end it over something as stupid as a chicken bone stuck down some guy's throat. If it hadn't gotten stuck here, I'm sure I would have shoved it down. But I wasn't thinking about that. I was thinking about all the times we'd almost given up. I was thinking of all those years we'd spent together – all that time. About four years of our lives. And I was going to let them let them go? I was going to let Relena go? Never.
So, I grabbed her shoulders and kissed her. I don't know how it felt, so don't ask me. I don't know the exact number of seconds I spent in a state of paralysis. But I do know that afterwards, I was happy. (I was also cowering inwardly from the amount of saliva we'd exchanged, but I wouldn't delve too deeply into that.)
"Hey guys! C'mon! Wufei's already had two beers! The party's started without you!" You can only guess that was Duo. I can honestly say that at that moment, I didn't want to decapitate him. I may have wanted to shut him up, but I didn't want to hurt him. That lasted about a minute.
"Heero?" she asked softly. I didn't quite know what to do. So I turned around like I was going to walk away. But my better self got hold of me.
"Wufei's had two beers." Yes, the art of unspoken words.
She smiled and I tried to. It was the closest I'd ever come – to smiling, and to her. And even though I was pretty content, my mind was still screaming in its suppressed way. I'd done the impossible, and yet I still hadn't attained what I wanted. I wanted more, but wasn't willing to take it. There are only two words to describe my predicament. Damn Love.
A/N-this chapter took like FOREVER! I just wrote a seven page paper on Emil Gilels and I'm still none the wiser. I think if I have to listen to Rachmaninov concerto one more time, I will die. I had a bit of fun with this chapter, though. I'm glad Heero finally got over his feelings of suppression and just let them out. sigh I'm a sucker for weird romance. Well, hope you liked!
How is it? Something I should change? A suggestion perhaps? Then please send me a review and let me know!
PS- I've actually posted another story, which, some of you more romantic people will like. It's very dramatic, and the writing style is a tad different, but I really love it. So if you would please check it out, I would be much appreciative!