Between Love and Hate
Chapter fourteen: Unforeseen emotions
The foreboding darkness smothered her, as dark eyes stared down at her mysteriously; daring her to do something, say something.
"I don't understand," she muttered, her voice warped with confusion as the hand was pulled away from her mouth, "What are you doing in here?"
"Waiting for you." He stated plainly, as dark eyes trained onto hers through the heavy darkness.
"But- but how did you know that I was here?" She stammered, "And why wait in here… in the dark?" She shook her head confusedly, and his hand fell quickly off her shoulder, where it had been resting, to drop back to his side, somewhat sadly. Relena shuffled uncomfortably.
"I overheard some talking, and as for the dark… well, all the better to eat you, my dear." He grinned maliciously as he said this and Relena's face twisted in disgust.
"Ew, I think that concussion has left you with severely bad mental deformities." She replied.
"You think so?" Trowa's eyes flashed with amusement, and Relena could make out the small smirk that tugged at his lips, "I don't know… maybe it has. I felt like I was in a dream, a tiresome, forlorn dream. It was eccentric… maybe that had some effect to my mental state."
"What do you mean?" Relena raised an eyebrow, glad that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, allowing her to seek out Trowa's tall form from amidst it. "And what has that got to do with you wanting to eat me?"
"It was a joke, Relena-" Trowa started.
"A joke? From you?" Relena asked, feigning astonishment.
"-And that story, I don't know, I think I've always liked it. It was sort of cool." He finished, his tone light and informal.
"You're quoting 'Little red riding hood'?" Relena asked, disbelievingly, "We should get you to a doctor-"
"… You were in my dream, you said something… interesting." He smirked, knowingly, as he leaned casually against a wall, crossing his long arms across his broad muscular chest and his eyes gleaming with an untamed passion.
"- ask him to just inspect your head once again – hold on what? What did I say?"
"I can only remember parts of it. It was strange, I felt as though I were floating through it, and there were these voices..." He continued on, ignoring Relena's comment, "Your voice. I remember yours the most distinctly." His eyes flickered to the ground and back up to hers again, "You were crying. For me."
Relena's heart started to thump wildly in her chest, and she could feel her face heat up as she remembered her last few moments with Trowa. Was it possible, that in his state of mind, he could still make out what was being said? "I was?"
"Yeah," in the dark, she could slightly make out his frown, his eyebrows deeply furrowed and his pensive eyes boring into her, "You told me that…" He turned his eyes away from her, shaking his head, his long bangs falling down to completely cover his mesmerising eyes, "Are you okay?"
"Huh? What do you mean? What did I say, Trowa?" Relena asked curiously, unperturbed by his question.
"Why are you here? Relena, what happened?" His voice was no longer chilled and relaxed; it was anxious and almost panicked.
"Nothing really, Trowa tell me…" She begged, desperate to know whether he had heard her or not.
"Are you hurt? It was Matthew, wasn't it?" He quickly grabbed her shoulders, shaking gently, as if trying to pry the answer from her.
"I'm not hurt; not really, I just… hit my head… I think." Trowa's frown grew deeper.
"What do you mean by 'you think'?" He asked looking agitated.
"Well, that's what they told me, look listen-" she started quickly, but his deep husky voice cut her off.
"No, you listen to me, Relena; did Matthew have a part in this?"
Relena shook her head lightly, staring to the dark ground, which she reckoned was somewhere below her, 'unless you call haunting my dreams every night, hurting me.'
"No, he didn't. I was just foolish. I must have blacked out when I was swimming or something… Trowa, what did I say in your dream? You said that it was… interesting." Relena squirmed slightly as Trowa moved closer, pushing his muscular form gently against hers. Relena swallowed, hard as he pushed her hair away from her face.
"We should both get out of here soon," he whispered, his hot breath tickling her ear, "Before they realize that we've gone."
"But what did you-" she asked, ignoring the intensifying butterfly feeling that was building up in her stomach.
However, she was silenced as a pair of strong lips captured hers in their own. Her eyes snapped wide open, shocked towards what was happening. Nevertheless, as soon as it had started, he had pulled away, leaving the kiss chaste and innocent. He raised an elegant eyebrow, grinning slightly as he saw her stunned expression.
She stumbled back as she was released from his hold, her feet tripping on the scattered objects scattered along the floor. Her heart was beating madly in her chest, threatening to explode as she tried to recompose herself and analyse her thoughts.
"I heard you." Trowa assured her, as if he had been reading her thoughts. "Now go, quickly, I'll see you later." And with that, Relena found herself back in the bright corridor, the sterile smell of antiseptics and cleaning substances reaching her nose, causing it to scrunch up in revulsion.
She rubbed her eyes, regulating to the brightness after the stark contrast from the closet, and stared at the painted white, wooden door, unsure of what to do.
'What just happened?' She asked herself silently whilst running trembling hands through her tangled blonde locks.
"Relena!" A recognisable voice called out to her, but she couldn't place the owner, she turned sharply upon hearing heels clipping down the long hall and let her eyes fall upon the tall, tanned women in front of her. "Hi, I'm so glad I found you. How are you?" She smiled pleasantly as she stopped in front of her, her dark brown eyes gazing cheerily into hers.
Relena forced a smile upon her face, "I'm better thanks. Why are you here?"
Nikki frowned slightly, as if wondering why she was there, "I couldn't find your ward. Oh, and I needed to talk to Heero." Relena noted the way that her English was strongly clipped with a Spanish accent, and wondered briefly, how her English was so accurate. "So, will you take me to him? Please?"
Relena sighed inwardly and nodded her head, agreeing to the girl's request, thinking that they may as well be civil towards each other. Or try to be, since it was so out of character for her to feel so coldly towards another.
'That's what jealously does to you,' a voice inside her head beckoned to her, and she frowned, shaking her head as if to rid herself of the thoughts and persuade herself that they were, in fact, not true.
"So, I was thinking," Nikki started, and Relena bit back a bitchy comment about not knowing that models had the ability to think, "That this holiday hasn't exactly been, well, fun. In fact, it hasn't been fun at all." She concluded.
"Don't let Quatre hear you saying that, he's sensitive about things like that." Relena warned her.
"Oh no," Nikki replied, looking genuinely remorseful for her comment, "I didn't mean it that way, I mean, Quatre's a sweet guy. He really is. But I just thought that we should spice it up a lit-" She was interrupted by a buzzing sound, registering from the bottom of her 'Kate Spade' bag. Relena grimaced; did this girl only own designer clothes and accessories?
"Sorry, I've got to take this," she muttered distractedly, still fishing around in her bag.
"Okay, well my room's just here anyway. You may want to take that outside; they don't appreciate people using phones in hospitals." Relena stepped away from her, making her way towards her room and it was only when she had nearly entered her room that she heard the hurried and frantic voice of the Spanish girl, growing distant as she made her way out of the ward.
-------------------------------------
"Zechs, leave him alone. You know, too well, that he didn't do anything to her. In fact, he saved her life. You should be at least thankful for that!"
"Noin, stay out of this please." Zechs demanded pushing his way past his wife, who hastily grabbed his shoulder, reluctant to let him go.
"No, I will not stay out of this. It is as much my business as it is yours. Just leave him alone, he may seem unemotional, but he's still human, believe it or not, he still has feelings just like the rest of us." Noin replied, as Zechs swung around to stare at her.
"Please, Lucrezia," Noin faltered, knowing that he only called her by her first name whenever he was seriously angry, "I don't want to argue right now."
"Well, we don't have to, so long as you promise me that you will leave him be." Noin declared, adamant to not let him go until she received his word.
"I don't like him, Lucrezia, and you know that. He's a cold, brutal, arrogant-"
"Remind you of anybody?" Noin asked calmly, massaging her fingers into her husband's shoulders, in hope that it would calm his frazzled nerves. "Whether you like it or not, Heero and yourself are both very alike. Maybe this is what clashes within you two; you're both too damned stubborn to back down."
Zechs visibly relaxed as he sunk into one of the sitting chairs in Relena's vacant room, his back slouched against the cushion and his head sinking into his hands, causing his hair to fall forwards, covering his face with a silvery curtain of silk. Noin ran her hand peacefully along his back.
"Zechs? Please?" she half begged.
"What?" He asked, pulling his head away from his hands to gaze at her with unknowing blue eyes.
"Promise me that you'll be civil. For me? And Relena?"
"Fine. Whatever you want," Zechs started, the anger of giving in clearly evident from his voice and facial expressions, "but I think that Relena should know-"
"I should know what?" She asked, standing casually at the doorway, using it for support and leaning heavily upon its sturdiness. For some unknown reason, she was tired and wanted to sleep for what seemed like forever, but she knew she couldn't, for he would haunt her. As always. She didn't know how he did it, whether he knew he did it, or whatever, but what she did know, was that she could not give in to the nightmares. She would stay awake for as long as she could, she would fight. She would show him, that his little princess could be strong.
"Relena!" Noin jumped up off her chair and walked quickly towards her, enveloping her sister-in-law with a friendly and comforting embrace. "We were so worried about you!"
Zechs growled and Relena snapped her eyes back open to stare at him.
"Nice to see you too, Milliardo." She replied sardonically, flicking her hair out of her eyes.
"Where were you?" He asked, "I was worried sick, what you did was foolish, and thoughtless…"
"Yeah, yeah, Milliardo, I'm fine, see?" she gestured her small hands down her body, "All in one piece."
"I'm glad to see that, but what were you thinking? Why were you out there in the middle of the night?" Zechs asked, rapidly, his questions spilling out in his foul temper.
"Milliardo, I am not in the mood for an interrogation." Relena moaned, sinking back into her bed and indulging in the feel of the comfortable mattress beneath her.
"Mr Peacecraft," A small chirpy woman appeared at the entrance to the room, clad in a white dress that fell to her knees and fit snugly around her small waist, "I need you to fill out a few release forms for me. My Yuy's already filled out the majority of them."
Zechs stood hesitantly, and looking towards Noin, she joined him, as they left the room, "We'll be back soon Relena," Noin called back before disappearing with the petite woman.
Closing her eyes slowly, she allowed herself to drift from consciousness, letting the previous events of the last trying days, gradually slip from her memory.
"So where did you disappear to?" The intense, husky voice roused her from near unconsciousness and Relena groaned in irritation. She glanced up quickly, letting her eyes roam over her visitor. Taking in the muscular form of his strong body as he stood, leaning coolly against the pillar of the door with a teasing yet mysterious smirk playing upon his lips.
"Relena?" He asked, knowingly, his Prussian blue eyes flashing with amusement as he noticed her gaze.
"Huh?" Relena questioned, blushing profusely, "Oh right, umm… no where really, just walking."
A questioning eyebrow was raised as he stared at her, doubtfully, before pushing himself off the pillar in one swift movement and walking towards her; each of his strides captivating and appealing. Intensely dark eyes fastened tightly to hers and Relena found herself swallowing… hard.
Her body temperature rose heatedly as he neared, and she fought a losing battle to attempt to maintain a constant heart pace.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked, sincerity tracing his deep voice and his piercing eyes softening, if only slightly.
Relena nodded lightly, her eyes never faltering from his as he bent down lower, resting his weight upon one knee. Relena inhaled deeply, sensing the entrancing scent of his cologne, and feeling her head spin with an unfound emotion.
'Get a grip, Relena.'
She closed her eyes, trying to recompose herself, but as she felt the rough sensation of callused fingers running gently and somewhat gently across her face, she snapped them open again, staring up at Heero in bewilderment.
His frown grew deeper as he pressed heavily upon her cheekbone, triggering a startled gasp to escape her lips.
"Ow," She complained, without thinking, however, she quickly realised the fault of her words as Heero scowled, pulling himself quickly away from her, as though she had suddenly caught fire.
Ignoring the wounded feeling that was throbbing in her chest and strangling her heart, she rapidly clasped her hand over her face.
"What is that?" Heero growled, his eyes growing steadily colder, regaining their usual piercing callous glare.
Relena remained silent, making it her objective to avoid his eyes by focusing on the bright bunch of daisies, which were occupying a far table, and fixing her eyes scantily upon the white, innocent petals.
"Relena," He barked angrily. Relena continued to ignore him, feeling the tension mount increasingly and thickly within the room, "Answer me, god dammit!" His hand grabbed her jaw with little care, forcing her to meet his gaze and as soon as her eyes had settled upon his, fear overtook her body. He was angry, extremely angry.
"It's just a bruise, Heero," Relena answered defensively, tipping her head away from his grip, "I walked into the edge of my closet." Pretty good if she said so herself, but unfortunately, Heero wasn't buying it. He growled lowly, causing a fluttering feeling to commence inside of her.
"You expect me to believe that?" He snorted, backing away from her.
"Heero, don't-"
"Lena!" Hilde bounded into the room, a fresh bouquet of yellow roses carefully captured in her hand and a small, delicately wrapped box in the other, "Oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting?" Hilde asked, smiling discreetly.
"No-"
"Yes."
"- You're not interrupting anything, Hilde," Relena answered, disregarding Heero's rude remark with a pointed glare at him and smiling warmly at her best friend.
Hilde's eyes glazed over with confusion, her eyebrows digging down to emphasize this and she opened her mouth as if to say something before snapping it shut again.
"Right…" She let out slowly, casting fleetingly curious looks at the two people who stood before her, one looking painstakingly angry and the other extremely embarrassed, "Well I'm sorry anyway."
Heero made a move for the door, but Hilde grabbed his arm, stopping his escape, "No, stay," she insisted, and without turning around, Heero nodded and moved to the back wall, leaning casually against it and letting his piercing glare fall onto Relena once again.
"Where's Duo?" Relena asked, ignoring Heero's intensely scrutinizing gaze and shifting uncomfortably as the heated sun's rays fell in through the open blinds, burning her skin with their golden light and causing a rapid rise in her temperature. And maybe Heero's heated glare had some addition to it too.
"He's with Wufei and Sally, doing… something…" Hilde shrugged and her dark blue hair fell into the sunlight, casting a golden halo around her now shoulder length dark hair. "These are for you, they're from Dorothy and me… but I lost her along the way. Another bicker with Quatre I'm guessing." She placed the bouquet onto the table, causing the foil wrapping to crinkle noisily under her hands as she let go and she pressed the small wrapped box into Relena's small hands.
"Thank you, Hilde," Relena commented, tugging at a silken ribbon and undoing the coverings. The paper fell open to reveal a small, delicate box of rich German chocolates; Relena smiled warmly, once again shifting in her bed in her efforts to avoid the excruciating heat.
"They're my favourites. I reckoned that you would like them too," Hilde replied as she sank comfortably into the visitors chair that Zechs had earlier occupied.
"You gave them to her without me?" Dorothy cried, appalled as she flew in the door, frowning deeply at Hilde before turning to Relena with a pleasant, graceful smile, "Relena, darling, I'm so glad to see that you're okay."
"I'm fine thanks, Dorothy, and thanks for the chocolates and flowers. Where did you disappear to anyway?" Relena asked curiously, staring at the girl in front of her, whose hair was slightly ruffled and misshapen.
Dorothy blushed deeply, looking quickly to the sparkling flooring. "I met Quatre in the hallways, and he just wanted to talk… he was umm… very excited."
Hilde chuckled lightly, and at that, Dorothy cast a questioning look towards her, before realising the double meaning of her words.
"Hilde, don't be so uncouth! He was mentioning something about being ecstatic that Trowa is finally being released."
Relena immediately sat up straight in her bed, she had been beginning to think that her close encounter with her bodyguard had been all but her imagination… a dream; however, upon hearing this, she was assured that the sweet kiss earlier, has actually been genuine.
Heero noticed this subtle movement and examined her even more curiously, a new light cast into his darkened eyes.
"Really? Released?" Relena asked, cocking her head inquisitively to the side.
"Yes, but can you believe he made it out of that coma? Although, I guess we can't put it past one of those guys to escape death once again." Dorothy pursued, making her way towards the table holding the flowers, and stroking the delicate petals with gentle fingers, "I'll go see if I can find a nurse who can put these in some water."
"I'll go with you, I need to find my beloved clown, anyway," Hilde added, throwing Relena a meaningful look and an insinuating wink before following Dorothy, massaging her swollen bump with her palm, unknowingly.
Relena watched her two friends leave, wanting the scream and shout for them to come back. How dare they leave her with Heero? Not now anyway, after he had found out about her secret, not now that she knew he was going to drill the answers that he wanted out of her. She wondered, briefly, how he would react when he found out and she sighed deeply.
The strong tension was suddenly back, invading her personal space and suffocating the air around her. She breathed in deeply, and thrust the covers of her body, sinking back into the mattress, a light sweat breaking out across her pale, thin body.
She felt a cool shadow envelope her body and with it, came the shuttering sound of the blinds being forced closed.
"Thank you," she rasped out in a croaky voice, which didn't sound anything like hers.
Opening her eyes, she stared at the face hovering centimetres above hers and started from the shock. How could he move so silently?
"Trowa, hn?" Heero's hot breath was released upon her already burning cheek and she unintentionally let out a shaky sigh.
"What?" She asked, mystification adorning her face and pale eyes.
"I never would have guessed that this would happen." Relena's brow creased in confusion as his eyes darkened dangerously.
"Heero- what?"
"Seems that we have many things piling up that we need to talk about. I'm starting to think that all these interruptions are intentional." He stood straight again and slowly tore his eyes away from hers, inhaling deeply.
"I don't under-"
However, Heero was already at the door, on feet as silent as death; he paused at the doorframe and shook his head lightly, "I'll talk to you later. Go to sleep," he demanded monotonously before disappearing from her view. A force too strong for Relena's control tugged at her heartstrings and she found herself becoming lost in the heavy heartbeat emerging harshly from her chest.
Apprehension dawned upon Relena in that one subtle shake of his head, he seemed almost disappointed… but why? He didn't have any valid reasons to be.
"Don't do this to me, not now…"
His unfathomable blue eyes were cutting into her soul like sharpened blades.
A sudden involuntary shudder captured her body and she let her mind collapse into its dream-like state, giving into the overwhelming exhaustion.
Heero peered down at her and a slow smile appeared on his face.
"I thought I'd lost you there… Thank god."
Relena unbound a confused, choked sob as she fell into a deep… dark slumber…
Hello Princess… Trust me, there's no escape this time.
'Love: a temporary insanity,' -- Anonymous
A/N – I'm terribly sorry for the delay. All I can say is that 'school sucks' as does writer's block. My writing skills have been very dilapidated lately, and I have to relentlessly apologize for that, and for the fact that I may not be meeting yours or my own highest standards.
If this cursed thing continues, and if you think that I am getting much, much worse, I will put this on hiatus until I can get a hold of what's happening. So guys… tell me, because the short term fate of BLaH lies in your hands.
Love y'all
Allura
