Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Beautiful Dawn ❯ Chapter 02 ( Chapter 2 )

Beautiful Dawn

Part Two

Four hours later, Heero had successfully found his classes and arranged a suitable timetable: one which allowed him the flexibility of working and studying. He'd purchased all his textbooks as well -- an activity that had confirmed many times over the impossibility of this entire experience if not for his scholarships. Of course, he had anticipated that the costs would be considerable, but nevertheless, the prices had been staggering. Some of the books alone cost more than he made per week at the local deli. It was yet another reminder of his severely limited resources. A thought that led to several moments of mentally deconstructing and reconstructing his weekly budget. Perhaps he had been too extravagant in his previous expenditures.... There was always the possibility that J would need another nurse. Heero would need to establish a cache for that as well as for other unseen expenditures that might arise.

If there was one lesson that life had taught him, it was to be prepared: Never let your guard down. To lose control was to court disaster.

Now, comfortably ensconced in a remote corner of the library, he regarded the pile of textbooks before him. It was essential that he keep abreast of his classes. Losing his scholarship was not an option. So thinking, Heero set himself to the task of studying. He pulled the first book from the pile: Systems Analysis and Design.

Hn. Seemed simple enough…

*

The tall blonde ran a frustrated hand through his hair. How hard should it be to find a copy of the oldest epic poem known to English literature?* It should be as common as flies on a bloated carcass even in a relatively small library such as this. Zechs glanced at his watch.

Damn, he was late. Treize was not going to be happy.

When precious minutes of searching yet another bookshelf proved utterly fruitless, the expletive he uttered was both colorful and crude. A fit of giggling erupted near his elbow, and Zechs turned to find a table of curious, blushing freshmen regarding him intently.

"My apologies for interrupting your studies, ladies," he said, bowing smoothly. "I'm afraid I've let my frustration get the better of me."

This of course, produced another fit of blushing, giggling and shameless ogling. But with his thoughts on his waiting friend, Zechs swiftly excused himself, and made his way over to a cluster of bookshelves in the far corner. This time he vowed, the first shelf he came upon would be the last he searched.

And there, in the niche between the first two bookshelves, stumbled upon … sleeping beauty. Really, there was no other word for the delicious youth, sprawled peacefully over the open books under his arm.

"My, my, what do we have here?"

Search completely forgotten, Zechs ambled over to the slumbering youth, feeling just as Puck must have, discovering the lovers sleeping in the forest. Except he hoped fervently that this boy had no lover. He would love to see this dark beauty sprawled against his sheets.

The thought of Treize waiting for him flitted through his mind, and he breezily dismissed it. This was a situation which warranted considerable dalliance. Everything about this boy demanded a second look.

His position allowed Zechs a view of only of his profile. But what a perfect profile it was indeed. The thick, dark sweep of his lashes almost incongruous against the masculine prominence of his cheekbones, the saucy, almost impertinent upward tilt of his nose and the small, surprisingly lush fullness of his mouth, pursed in sleep. And that hair. It was enough to have him groaning at the mental images it provoked. He doubted that any of the innumerable authors who had described "that just rolled out of bed look" had known what they were describing, for they had most assuredly never seen this young man. Rich chocolate, sexily mussed and gleaming with hidden highlights, his hair beckoned his caress. Zechs wanted nothing more than to sink his fingers deep into the silken mass to massage the tender scalp beneath.

His gaze fell to the fine dusting of dark hairs on the boy's forearm and the supple skin beneath. He wondered if he was that smooth golden tan all over. It was something he would definitely like to find out for himself, he thought, smirking. The stark whiteness of the shirt the sleeping boy wore contrasted perfectly with his dark coloring. He wondered if the choice had been intentional, then decided that no, it wasn't. There was a careless, almost indifferent air about this boy, even in sleep. The clean, nondescript sneakers on his feet confirmed his opinion. This was no preening prima donna. It appeared to be a case of simple, good taste -- and * that* was something even rarer than this youth's sensual beauty.

Further intrigued, Zechs peered at the open text the boy was resting upon, and the others stacked neatly beside him. The precise arrangement of the books according to size, and the neat placement of the pencils beside them, suggested that this was no irresponsible joker. He nodded to himself.

Mm hmm. Definite perfectionist tendencies.

He must have been terribly exhausted then, to fall asleep like this. It seemed he was a freshman as well. Not only did he look little more than seventeen, but in a small town like this, Zechs was positive he would have spottted such a gem before this.

Studying on the first day of the semester? He shook his head in wonder. Not even Treize's little lover was such a glutton for self-punishment.

Unconsciously he bent closer to the boy's face. He really was very lovely. Zechs looked at the smooth, closed lids, and tried to guess at his eye color. With that coloring, most probably a rich, warm brown, or perhaps even swirling hazel.

And so the very last thing Zechs was expecting was the sudden fluttering of the boy's eyelids and the startling Prussian gaze that pinned him in place.

A/N *Beowulf

Part Three