A/N: Disclaimer: Refer back to Chapter 1.
WARNING: SEMI-AU, OOC, LANGUAGE, WAFF, FLUFF, ANGST
Chapter 4: Like a Headless Chicken
He ignored the chilly prick of the air on his skin as he walked briskly along the streets of Muladhara. Again, it had been raining but he didn't care. He was still having his cold but he didn't care. Sera was still upset with him but he didn't care.
Yes.
She hadn't spoken to him in almost two whole days. She had still come to him though in those days…She continued to watch over him and care for him…making him his meals…and spoon-feeding him whenever he would need it…
But during those times, not a word would leave her lips.
He knew that she was still vexed by what he had told her. He narrowed his eyes as he remembered her words.
"Heat…I'm not the only one denying here…"
He wasn't denying anything damn it!
'You're a poor liar…Even to your own self…' his inner self told him pathetically. Heat gritted his teeth, 'I'm not denying anything. I'm in love?! I'm not in love! I just want her…That's all.' he thought haughtily.
It was then that a disturbing thought crawled from the darkest cranny of his mind and situated itself upon the forefront of his thoughts.
He narrowed his already narrowed eyes still and there he frowned darkly. She refused him because he wasn't good enough for her. She refused him and pushed him away because he lacked the characteristics that she deemed to be attractive.
That was the reason, wasn't it?
He wanted to hurt someone at that moment. He had done everything that he could to demonstrate to her that he was a good choice…
But it would seem that it wasn't enough.
'No…It's this whole cold crap.' he told himself, 'If I didn't get ill…she would've…Argh! Damn bitch!' he mentally cursed uncouthly.
If it weren't for this cold, she wouldn't think so low of him. Well, she did say that it wasn't like that…That she merely wanted to take care of him…
He shook his head; no. That wasn't it and he knew it.
She had probably liked being above him. That was probably the reason why she "took care" of him in the first place.
He scoffed at that.
'Typical female…'
He groaned as he sniffed; he was having a slight throbbing on the head but paid it no heed. Actually, he had been having that headache for the last two days now, but he always paid it no attention. And when Sera would ask, he would always say in that gruff fashion that he was fine.
He was! He really was!
Granted he was also having quite the chilly feeling with burning hot eyes…but heck, it wouldn't kill him!
Nope!
'Besides, whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger!' he thought stupidly, completely uncomprehending the real meaning of the wise saying.
What the hell was a headache, chills and burning eyes in comparison to a life and death situation in the battlefield?! Absolutely nothing but a pile of shit.
He shook his head and resumed his walk; he didn't have any time to be thinking of headaches or whatnot.
He blinked then; he didn't even realize that he had stopped for two whole minutes, apparently talking to himself as he realized that people were beginning to stare at his direction.
He suppressed the strong come-on of a blush and growled and glared at the aforesaid people instead.
He was heading to the strategy room to report back. He was well enough he believed and well…that wasn't the only reason.
Sera's presence in his room while she refused to speak to him was just irritating him to no end. That was why he decided to report back on duty that day. He had had enough of this whole "sick leave" thing. The whole damn day-off idea didn't work damn it!
'It's just a way to pacify weaklings and their damn weak bodies!' he huffed impatiently, stomping his feet every here and there.
He had slipped past Sera's guard that day and had woken up bright and early to train. He had done the entire military drills that day and she hadn't even gotten a hold of him. Not like he cared. He did what he wanted whenever he wanted!
He didn't need her permission anyway!
Who was she to him anyway?!
'She's not my damn mother!' he thought angrily. Besides, if she were…it would be a very, very disturbing thought. Heat's eyes widened as he imagined Sera as an older woman, having wrinkles…
"Come here sonny…" she beckoned softly, her voice hoarse and coarse from old age, her index finger motioning in a "come-hither" fashion.
His skin crawled at that.
'Ugh…that's…that's disgusting!' he thought to himself, feeling his blood run cold.
He shook his head. He was meandering too damn much!
Now; where was he again? Oh yea! He had had enough of playing "sick" and being a "patient". He needed the battlefield now more than ever. He hadn't lost sight of his goal…
No. Never.
He had told her before that he was the strongest in the whole of the Junkyard. Nothing would change that. He narrowed his eyes into slits, "I would be the strongest Sera. And then…when you realize that…"
She would love him.
She would accept him. She would finally see who he really was and when it was all over, she would acknowledge his strength…No more of that "I already know you're strong" crappy sentences. This time, when she saw him, she would behold him in awe…
He grinned as he imagined it, "Sera…"
xxxxx
Sera watched with widened eyes as she saw Heat walk into the strategy room.
She hadn't spoken to him and with good reason…but she knew as well as he that wasn't well yet. True that his ailment wasn't pressing…but it was true that it could develop complications. That was why she had filed for the sick leave in the first place.
She knew Heat inside and out.
She knew that he would push his body up to the limit even if he was ill…That would lead his "common cold" to be more serious. The weather wouldn't help either. They had just entered the monsoon season and the air would be chilly with the rains being unrelenting.
'He…could get a fever! Or worse! Pneumonia!' she mentally screamed as she walked over to him.
"Heat! What are you doing here?" she asked in worry and trepidation. He didn't look at her and merely shrugged his shoulders, muttering a reply, "I'm better. I'm not sick." He walked passed her when she grabbed onto his arm, "But the rain is pouring outside! You could get some-"
He glared at her and there her words died in her mouth. She shrunk back down and backed away from him.
She pouted at his back.
'If…if he wants to find out from the hard way…t-then he could…he could do just that!' she screamed mentally, narrowing her eyes.
She calmed down as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Argilla smiling at her, "Having man problems Sera?" she asked with a caring smile.
Sera cast her face down as she met the other woman's face, blushing, "Um…no…Of course not…"
She then heard a giggle. She forced her eyes to meet the older woman's, "What's so funny…?"
Argilla blinked, ceasing her merry laugh, "Oh nothing…" she trailed off wistfully, "I was just going to say that guys are all the same…"
Sera blinked, "Huh? W-what do you mean?"
Argilla smiled, shutting her eyes, "Well, I didn't mean that in a prejudicial way…It's just that 'manly' guys just like being macho. You know? You shouldn't be too hard on Heat…"
Sera couldn't believe what she was hearing! There she was practically slaving for Heat making him his meals, watching over him and taking his crap and…Argilla still said not to be too hard on him!?
Sometimes…Sera just thought that her sister-figure just might be a bit crazy…
Argilla sweat-dropped as she read the younger woman's facial expression. Here, she grinned and scratched his head, "Heheh…I suppose he is that difficult huh?"
Sera slumped her shoulders and sighed, saying nothing.
Argilla thought for a while, "Hm…Maybe he is a bit worse than Serph."
Sera blinked and blushed; she really couldn't care to know about her twin brother's love affairs…Even if it involved her sister-figure. Sera shook her head at that though; Heat had been worse than…
Hey!
Serph had been like that too…!?
"Yup." nodded the pink-haired woman, "He was. But then, he realized that he didn't need to do all that just so that I would notice him! I mean, come on! Boasting your strength for a chance to get a date is…lame. Don't you think Sera?" she asked, smiling cheerfully.
Sera, who had thus far had her eyes transfixed on the older woman nodded slowly, "Yeah…But…do they know that it's lame…?"
Argilla chuckled, "No. That's why guys are boneheads! You gotta make them realize that they don't need to do all that!"
"…"
Argilla stopped laughing and gazed at Sera's hopeful yet distressed silver eyes, "You just have to let him know…that you don't need his protection. You have to let him know…that his strength is enough; that he needn't prove a point."
Sera cast her face once more. Argilla sighed but chuckled, "I'm beginning to think that this is a one-way conversation…"
Sera snapped her head alert at that, "Oh! I'm sorry if I'm making you feel that way Argilla…It's just that…Heat doesn't know what I…feel about him."
Here, Argilla laughed, "He doesn't!? Oh! Hahah I see! And here I was thinking that you told him!"
Sera blushed and intertwined her fingers at her back, "Erm…I just can't blurt it out…"
"True." she concurred. Here, Argilla frowned, "I'm not telling you to woo him Sera. I'm just telling you…to trust him."
"Eh…?"
"Trust him Sera. He's your friend. He'd understand. You don't have to expect him to return your feelings…but just let them go. This," she said as she grasped the younger woman's arms, her pink eyes peering deeply into her silver ones, "is eating you up. It's not going to give you peace unless you tell him Sera…That's just the way it is…"
Sera smiled and nodded. She was about to speak when a male voice penetrated the cool air, "Good morning ladies."
Sera beamed and turned to see her silver-haired twin.
xxxxx
Sera frowned as she continued to gaze at Heat from the corner of her eyes. She couldn't believe that Serph had sent them out there! Them! Of all people!
She sighed; but orders were orders…
She suddenly snorted at that; orders? No. It wasn't an order! Heat had conveniently and enthusiastically volunteered for this assignment!
What assignment?
She shrugged her shoulders; maintenance work at the communications tower. She sighed; Heat was doing this on purpose!
He was trying to demonstrate to her that he wasn't ill and was fit enough to be outside! In such dreadful weather!
But what made this worse for her and even more annoying was that this wasn't the first assignment that she and Heat had been assigned at. First, after the meeting, Heat had volunteered to do guard duty by the outskirts.
The duty had lasted for five hours. It had lasted for five hours…in the rain. She slumped her shoulders at that.
And then, Heat had volunteered for the weapons' check at the training facility. That had lasted for two hours…But at least, it wasn't out in the rain…
And then, still unsatisfied, Heat and she had participated in war-games that that a platoon had been having…
She made a face. He did that just for kicks, he said.
And the bad part? Yup. It was in the rain…
They had won of course. Heat had not been satisfied though since they had been up against greenhorns anyway…But for him, any activity was better than none. That was why he had participated in the war-games.
Yes. Their morning and afternoon was pretty much occupied. They had been running around like two headless chickens and from the looks of it, her partner had no desire to rest. She had appealed to him time and time again but he openly ignored her.
Now, as they were once more outside, in the downpour, she wouldn't argue anymore. If he didn't believe her, fine.
'Hmph!' she snorted internally.
She hugged herself as she felt a bit chilly. Bad move. They were outside, she and he, fully exposed to the elements, with only their army raincoats for cover. The rain was raging that day…and the lightning crackled.
She shivered at that; they could get electrocuted if they weren't careful!
'Two roasted chickens coming up…' she thought with a groan.
Damn it! Wasn't Heat ready yet!? She had finished her end of the work minutes ago…
Damn! What was taking him so long?!
Her thoughts meandered to what Argilla had told her. Tell him how she felt? She sighed sadly at that, suddenly forgetting the raging downpour.
'If only I could…' she thought.
But she couldn't. Why? Because of the dreams; because of her memories of their past lives. She didn't want Heat's decision to be influenced. She wanted him to love her for real…And right now, he still didn't remember her from their past lives…
So, what then? What now?
Was she just to wait for him…until he did?
'What if he never does!?' she thought with a panic, 'Would that mean that I would never get to tell him?' she thought frantically, horror being etched onto her delicate feminine features.
She was startled though as she heard the crackle of lightning. She blinked, 'Presence of mind!' she screamed at herself.
What the heck was taking him so long!? Wasn't he done yet!?
xxxxx
Heat blinked his red eyes over and over…But nothing changed. His vision was blurry…Everything was slightly spinning. He held the wires in front of his face and stared at them intently.
'Now which wires went where…?' he asked himself, seeing doubles of everything.
He wanted to ram his head on the wall at that moment; what the fuck was going on here!? He couldn't see straight!
'I'm…getting dizzy!' he told himself.
'Don't even think about it fucktard!' he told himself, reminding himself that this was just weakness.
'Focus…!'
He gritted his teeth tighter, his jawbones having additional pressure on his face as the seconds ticked by. He was completely unbothered by the rain. He didn't care if there was a typhoon right behind him! All that he cared about was getting that tower up and running! And that meant fixing those damned wires!
He didn't care that his spinal cord was beginning to feel the onset of fatigue as the cold air seeped from the outside and now invaded his muscles and bones, making them ache…
He didn't care that his head was beginning to spin; a slight throbbing pervading his mind.
xxxxx
Sera growled; she had had enough! The weather was getting worse! She turned back to her partner and noticed that he was slumped forward, towards the circuit breaker, unmoving. Her breathing stopped, "Heat!" she yelled worriedly as she immediately flew to his side.
She touched his shoulders and saw that his eyes were closed. She hissed as she made him lean back against her, while her hands inspected him.
'He's burning up!' she internally shouted.
She gritted her teeth, "Heat…"
Her poor special guy. He was out cold…
xxxxx
She clasped her hands together, in deep thought as she waited outside his room. Right after the incident, she had wasted no time and called the medics.
They had taken him to the infirmary post haste. And now, no matter how helpless she was, there was nothing else she could do.
Except wait.
She leaned forward as she rested her elbows atop her legs, and in turn resting her chin on her palms, "I hope he's okay…"
'What do you mean you hope he's okay?! Of course he is! This is Heat we're talking about!' her inner voice said with conviction. Sera smiled at that. The voice was right. This was Heat after all.
Her musings were interrupted as she heard her name being called. She bit her lip, "Doctor? Is he going to be alright…?"
xxxxx
She walked over to him and sat down. He was still asleep. The doctor had said that it had been due to extreme fatigue. That, and his interrupted recovery. Heat had simply pushed his body to the limit whilst abandoning his recuperating agents; hence, the breakdown.
She pouted at him, 'I told you so.'
She sweat-dropped. That was something that she'd never tell him though although she knew that she was just itching to!
She looked at him and giggled. She put a palm over her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. No. No matter how dire or funny things were, she would never ever laugh at him.
That was just wrong.
'But still…' she thought, being tempted once more.
She let her silver eyes travel all over what skin he had exposed and there, stifled another feminine laugh.
'Okay that's enough! It's just…wrong!'
Her thoughts once more meandered to his definition of the word "strength". She scowled at that. Well, it was because of that that he had landed in that hospital bed!
However, telling him an 'I told you so' statement wasn't the most pressing issue. Not really. What really was funny at the moment, and she would say that it was funny, was that he had not merely fainted due to a fever or fatigue…
It was because…
She blinked as she heard him groan. Was he alright now? She immediately drew herself closer to him, "Heat…?" she whispered.
He slowly opened his eyes, "S-Sera…?" he whispered back, slightly groggy, "Is that you…?"
She smiled and nodded, "Mn…"
He blinked, "Where am I?"
She smiled tightly, "You're in the infirmary."
He suddenly narrowed his eyes, "Why?"
Sera bit her lip. She considered telling him…but a part of her was afraid. He might not take it too well…
He was in a fragile state and she wouldn't want anything to worsen that…She didn't want him to feel any discomfort now most especially when she was sure that he would feel them later on…
'Most probably today…or tomorrow…' she told herself.
Heat was getting vexed at her lack of response. And so, wanting to shake her away from her mental fantasy land, he gripped her wrist tightly. She gasped.
Well, that got her attention.
He narrowed his eyes into slits as their eyes met, "What's going on?" he asked in a low tone.
Sera sighed; she really didn't have any choice. He needed to know.
She smiled tightly, "You're going to be fine Heat. The doctors said that you…collapsed because of fatigue. And that you have a fever."
Fatigue and fever!? Who the hell cares?!
Heat frowned, "If that's all then why did you bother to take me here?" he growled disapprovingly.
Sera wanted to tell him in his face at that moment; did he just appreciate anything that she had thus far done for him!? Lousy son-of-a…
"Heat," she began, "it's not just fatigue and a fever…"
Heat's heart stopped. It wasn't just…fatigue or the fever!? Then what was it?! He could see how uncomfortable she was with his question. He was beginning to feel his anger and impatience mount steadily as the second ticked painfully by.
She was keeping him in suspense damn it!
"Just spill it woman!" he bellowed.
Silver met red.
'Alright you asked for it…'
"Heat, you're having chickenpox." she deadpanned.
Heat's eyes dilated at an extreme fashion. Nothing was exchanged. No words left their lips. Not a sound was heard…
Nothing passed through the room except for the faint noise of the circulated air from the air vents…
It had been calm…
It had been eerily calm…
Like the calm before the storm…
And then…
Suddenly…
Like lightning crackling, his voice bellowed, "What!?"
xxxxx