What? An update so soon?
Yup.
In this fic I'm making the chapters shorter than some of my previous stories, so that means the possibility for more frequent updates.
Notice I said 'possibility'.
Hehe
Enjoy!
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Chapter 2
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The next day, the concert hall was a buzz with activity. Dozens of reporters were getting the rules explained to them in the back rows of seats by Une. Zechs was going over the positions and protocols to well over 60 men and women dressed in preventer and local police uniforms. And Quatre was going over his introduction speech for Relena on the main stage.
His outing with Duo and Trowa did him a world of good to calm himself and focus on the task at hand. Besides introducing the famous diplomat, and making a PR appearance to boost Relena's viewer turn out, Quatre was serving as the pacifist's bodyguard on stage. He and Relena were going to be completely isolated on the large stage, so he was going to have to be on constant alert while also 'appearing' to be supportive to whatever the woman said.
He was less than thrilled to be forced through another of these mundane repetitive speeches, but it was his job as a pacifist diplomat to fall in step with the crowd. "Even if I find the ringleader incredibly irritating..." he muttered to himself as he carelessly tossed his notes over his shoulder. "I don't need a prewritten speech.. I'll just make something up.."
At that moment Heero moved up the steps of the stage in time to see the papers floating to the ground. He then looked to the blonde that was lightly rubbing at his temples. "Nervous...?" he asked, despite knowing that it was a silly question.
Quatre chuckled wearily and shook his head. "No.. Just eager for this to be over with... I hate these formal rehearsed gatherings... She should just get up here, say what she needs to then answer questions.. Not all this flashy media garbage..." he grumbled.
Heero smirked at that and moved to stand near the Arabian. "I've always preferred handling your public announcements. Simple and to the point. Relena insists on putting on a show and controlling every aspect of it."
Taking note of the hint of venting in Heero's voice, Quatre smiled sympathetically. "That why you two didn't work out? She wanted to control the show?" He knew it was a personal matter, but it wasn't often that Heero instigated a conversation.
Hardly offended, Heero readily nodded. "Yeah. I got tired of it and this. I don't have the patience to indulge her in setting these things up. I'm much happier seeing you up here than myself." he admitted shamelessly.
"Heh, thanks, Heero. Glad to know you enjoy watching me act like I'm paying attention to her long winded speeches." Quatre retorted dryly.
"Hm, joking aside, I'm curious about something..."
Intrigued, Quatre turned to face the Japanese man fully. "About what?"
Heero paused to think of how to word his question. "I know you're not Relena's biggest fan, but why were you so adamant about the security detail for today?"
"Ah... I'm not sure.. It's just the way this building is made unsettles me.. There are too many entry points and blind spots... My sources told me that this new protest group against Relena is quickly gathering force... The way this building is set up just seems like too tempting of a target..." Quatre explained as he looked at all the balconies, and the massive backstage area behind them.
Easily spotting several possible sniper points, Heero had to agree. "I see what you mean... But don't forget that you may be just as big a target as Relena. You've been in the public eye a lot longer than she has. Although I don't recall anyone ever protesting your public addresses." he added now that he attempted to remember them.
Quatre shrugged lightly as if it didn't matter. "There have been a few, but not many.. I think it just annoys people that she insists on bringing religion into everything and how she talks as if everyone should already be following her words to the letter."
Now intrigued, Heero took a step closer. "So you don't approve of Relena's approaches either...?"
"Her methods are childish at best. But it really isn't my place to say. The public loves her for the most part. Plus she has a clean record." Quatre lightly gestured towards the reporters at the back of the concert hall and smirked. "If I had stepped up in her stead my entire blood stained record would be dragged through the mud and beaten to death. That would just cause unnecessary conflict and place more strain on my family." he concluded with a shrug.
"So you're content with a secondary role?"
The blonde easily nodded. "Yeah. I figure I've already taken all my hits. Time for someone else to get their ass handed to them by the public's scrutiny." Quatre quipped with a wink.
That wink made Heero chuckle softly. "Alright. You just keep a look out from your position on the stage. I'll be monitoring things from the top left balcony, Wufei and Duo will be at their posts in front of the stage, and Zechs and Trowa will be in the wings"
"And the points that Zechs was going to neglect...?"
"We were able to cut them down to twelve. The rest Sally and Noin are going to be constantly patrolling, so we should be good. We'll give you an ear piece so you can hear us communicating throughout the event."
Visible relief was apparent on his pale face as Quatre let out a long sigh. "Well.. That eases some of my tension. However I'll feel a great deal better when this is all over with." he added on a chuckle.
"I think we all will..." Heero paused for a moment like he was trying to think of something before he met that steady aqua gaze. "Mind if I tag along with you tonight when you go to the bar? After all this an obscene amount of alcohol sounds pretty good."
The request was surprising, but a cheerful smile instantly pulled over Quatre's face as he nodded. "If you can put up with Duo singing out of key show tunes then sure. We were going to meet up in the parking lot and go over the night's plans there. You can join us out there."
Heero's lips twitched up slightly as he nodded. "Sounds good. I better go check out the security points for Relena's arrival. I'll meet up with you later." He didn't wait for a reply before he turned and walked off stage.
Quatre watched him move up the aisles of seats towards the lobby, and suddenly felt his mood brighten considerably. Since the war he and Heero had a purely working relationship. Neither really saying anything more to one another than was really necessary. 'But now it seems like he's wanting to be my friend... Heh, that only took seven years.' he thought in amusement.
As he turned his attention to picking up the notes off the black stage top, he was fully aware of a pair of eyes watching him from the wings.
Zechs clenched his fists tightly at what he just witnessed, and felt that anger begin to flare up again. 'Now Heero's falling for that damn replicated smile... He's just a cheap copy...' He was about to go into another anger fueled mental tangent, but when Quatre suddenly sat down on the stage he felt his mind go blank. 'Wha... What is he doing...?'
Running his hands through his pale hair, Quatre took a deep shuddering breath and let it out slowly. "What do you want, Zechs...?" he asked in a tired voice.
Unnerved that Quatre knew he was there, Zechs's anger spiked up slightly. He slowly walked out from the wings and glared at the figure on the floor. "How did you know I was there...?"
"I could feel you glaring at me. You do it so often I can pick it out of anywhere." Quatre admitted on a weak laugh. He was expecting the faint growl that followed his words, then lifted his head to meet the cold gaze fixed on him. "What did I do this time...? Did I say something wrong? Did I walk in an offensive manner? Just tell me now so you can go ahead an yell at me. Call me a freak of nature, or a lab rat, or whatever else you think I am... I don't feel like arguing with you anymore.." the Arabian whispered as he bowed his head and awaited the abuse.
When that blonde head bowed in resignation Zechs felt his heart clench tightly. 'No.. No, this isn't supposed to happen... He's supposed to fight!' he thought almost desperately.
Quatre was quietly awaiting the hatred filled words, but was startled when a strong pair of hands gripped at the lapels of his uniform jacket and roughly dragged him to his feet. He then found himself staring into almost wild ice blue eyes. "Zechs?! What are you doing?!" he yelped.
Zechs didn't respond, but began roughly pulling the Arabian into the wings out of sight from everyone in the concert hall. When he was certain that no one would be able to see them, Zechs threw Quatre to the floor hard. His heart pounded in his chest when Quatre cringed away and began scooting back on the floor with those aqua eyes wide in fear. "Dammit, don't look at me like that! Fight, damn you!" he hissed savagely.
"Fight...?" Quatre repeated in confusion. "Zechs, what the hell do you want from me...? What have I done? I don't understand why you're doing this..." he called out on a shaking voice. The fury he saw in the older blonde's eyes made his chest feel like it was going to explode. He clutched slightly at the black shirt he wore under his preventers jacket when it was suddenly harder to breathe. "W-why are you doing this to me...?"
Why indeed? Quatre had never bothered to ask him so point blank in all the years they had been at odds with one another. Zechs couldn't force himself to answer. All he could do was stare down at the Arabian on the floor looking at him with that hurt and wary expression on the pale face. 'Why does he have to look like her...? That's the same look she gave him... It's happening all over again.. Why won't he fight me?!'
When Zechs made no move to explain or back off Quatre felt himself growing frustrated. "If you're not going to answer me then just leave me alone... We both have more important things to do..." He slowly got back to his feet and dusted off his clothes. "If you want to settle this in a fight so badly then I'm sorry... I have no desire for any further conflict with you, Zechs..." He looked into the churning pale eyes fixed on him and frowned deeply. "I don't want to fight you, Zechs... Please stop trying to provoke me... You've been doing this ever since the battle at Libra... Singling me out, cornering me and forcing me to lash out at you..."
Surprised that Quatre had figured that out, Zechs felt his pulse rate increase slightly. "I.."
"Save it, Zechs..." Quatre shook his head and turned to walk towards the dressing rooms back stage so he could get ready for the speech. "I'm not doing this anymore, Zechs... I'm not going to give in and let this resort to mindless violence... I refuse to hurt you."
His eyes snapping wide open at that last comment, Zechs reached out and snatched at Quatre's wrist before the Arabian could retreat further. "What the hell are you talking about?!" he growled sharply.
It took all of Quatre's control to keep his face calm as he glanced back over his shoulder. "Don't try acting like you don't know... I saw it in your eyes yesterday.. You wanted me to hit you... You wanted me to blow up and become violent..." He jerked his wrist away from the grip that suddenly loosened and frowned when he saw the alarm in the normally stoic gaze. "And just now you were trying to corner me again.."
Quatre took a few cautious steps back as his frown deepened. He had been mulling over this the entire night, and now he was going to get this issue dealt with one way or another. "I have no idea why, but you're acting like you want me to hurt you... I can see it in your eyes... When I said I wasn't going to argue with you, you nearly panicked." He easily picked up that flash of panic in the pale eyes again as he continued. "You have this strange need to force me into becoming hostile towards you, but I'm letting you know now that I'm not going to cater to this any further. Either you tell me what the hell is going through your head, or I'm going to put forth every effort to ignore you completely."
"Ignore me...?" Zechs repeated on a snort.
"Yes, and I'll let you know now that I can pretend that you don't even exists... I won't even attempt to avoid you... You'll be nothing but something taking up space to me..." Quatre looked away and walked towards the dressing rooms again. "I don't want to resort to that, but if you give me no other choice I'll literally never acknowledge you ever again... And if you really have a need for me to harm you, then it will affect you far more than it will me... Think about that for now.. I've got an assignment to prepare for..." he muttered as he disappeared behind a dark blue curtain.
Alone on stage, Zechs was trying to regain his composure. He never expected Quatre to peg him so precisely. He was right. Everything he said was the truth. Zechs did want Quatre to hurt him. But now that his game was called Zechs found himself facing an unexpected turn. 'Could he really ignore me...? Act like I don't exist...?' The thought of never being able to see that defiance and the fury behind the kind face made a hollow ache form in his chest.
That's what he needed. He needed to experience that anger.
In the back of his mind he knew he was forcing himself through a twisted obsession that had grown more dangerous as time passed. When Quatre finally hit him he felt a sudden rush as things became clearer. He couldn't stop at just provoking and watching Quatre's anger, he had to feel it. Let himself become a victim to it. He had to get the Arabian to hate him with an all out passion.
'But how can I do that now...? He's threatening to ignore me... I can't let him... I have to figure out a way to get him to fight me... There's got to be a way...' He found himself wandering back towards center stage, and lifted his head in time to see Wufei and Trowa walking down the aisle towards the stage. 'But if I go too far it will only rally the others against me... Une has already threatened me with probation if I continue using taboo slander against test tube children... Plus it seems to have lost its affect on him... I need to find another weak point... One that isn't as blunt...'
-"Zechs? Relena's transport will be arriving soon."- Noin's voice called out from his wrist communicator.
Broken from his thoughts, Zechs grumbled slightly and raised his wrist up so he could press the all channels button. "All security teams report to your posts immediately. Switch to headset communications, and report any suspicious activity immediately. Do not attempt to handle any disturbances without relaying the situation first." He waited for the confirmation from all ten teams before he pulled out his own head set from his jacket pocket. Once he had it on he made his way to the back entrance that Relena would be entering from.
"I can agree with Quatre on one thing.. I'm ready for this day to be over with..."
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TBC
How strange...
Later!