Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Frabbles on Moments ❯ Behind A Man ( Chapter 4 )

Behind a Man

 

Um, hey. It's me again. I am writing this under the influence of oxygen so if I begin to make sense I'm sorry…

 

On another note, I love those people who read an reviewed the other parts in the Moments series. I would kiss you all but you're over there and I'm over here and I have commitment issues. ^^;;

 

I do not own Gundam Wing. I do, however, own every little detail of this cross between a drabble and a fic…a frabble.

 

 

People take watching TV for granted, they really do. I mean, how many times do people these days pick up the remote, flick through all 150 channels and say `Uh, there's never anything good on!'

 

Yet despite this they just end up watching it anyway from sheer boredom/ laziness/ excuse not to do the dishes.

 

But to those who were deprived of the opportunity to be bored/ lazy/ unable to find any other reason not to do the dishes, the wonderful contraption that is television is a God send, the everyday person's version of a Caribbean cruise.

 

Relena was one of the deprived. From an outside world she was pretty, smart, popular, rich, an international traveller, loved talented, royalty…and the list goes on to several hundreds of pages.

 

From the inside she's tired, distressed, coffee addicted, lacking leisure time, overworked, angry at times, PMSing for what seems like forever, and actually having to scrape every minute together to find even half an hour of `Relena/Heero time'.

 

Yes. Heero too was a victim of modern politics. Being a bodyguard he was subjected to the exact same schedule as Relena herself. Every time either one of them glanced at the small timetable with crammed miniscule handwriting filling every available space, they would give a long audible sigh wondering what it was like to work 12 hour days.

 

So this very special night, this night where they actually had an entire evening to do exactly as they wished was indeed like finding the holy grail. `And it will go perfectly!'

 

Sure she could have arranged to go to the Ritz and they could have wined and dined under candlelight all evening…'with absolutely no opportunity to even so much as touch each other on the cheek without being made a public scandal'. Or she could have bought a fabulous new dress and departed that night with her beau for the opera house…'only to be so cramped by the time we get home from holding all my bobbly bits in for the cameras we have no energy to have…intimate relations for the first time in weeks afterwards.'

 

So, that night, they were going to change into any clothes they seemed comfortable, `NOT what the press deems fashionably worthy of a diplomat', get out the ice cream and they were going to watch TV!

 

Relena gave a triumphant `hmph' as she observed her work. The three-piece room set had been pushed to the back of the spacious living room and she had positioned carefully, accounting for uncomfortable pressure points and Heero's current breakout of Sciatica, with several satin and silk cushions an a large patchwork blanket that would come in useful for the `aftermath' as she liked to call it.

 

She walked to the other side of the room and turned down the lights so only a small, candle-like glow illuminated the small bar in the corner of the room. The bright oranges, reds and purples of her various cushions dimmed and only looked like a faint shimmer of each colour among several mounds of brown. At this she gave an exotic sigh. This was already making her feel relaxed.

 

At that point, Heero came through the archway on the opposite side of the room. Relena had pictured his entrance to be a lot more…graceful.

 

He hunched his back and let his arms fly in all directions as he staggered over to the couch area, only when finding no couch simply dropped onto the floor face first.

 

Relena looked befuzzled. Sure, she had seem him completely shattered infinite times, but this time he looked just plain…well, zombie like.

 

Feeling a short pang of sorrow for her lover she lay down beside him and wrapped an arm around his chest from behind, resting her head comfortably on his shoulder. After a few seconds of thinking he was dead, Heero shifted his head as if its joint was rusty to look at the hand she had place on his chest.

 

Sighing, he took the handing in his and intertwined their fingers so he could bring it gently to his lips. There was definite fatigue in his movement, a kind of shaking in the muscle and he did so.

 

Relena knew that she should have felt more respectable of his obvious stress and fatigue, but this night had been imprinted firmly into her mind for a long time and somehow that outweighed Heero's needs.

 

“Like what I've done with the place? It's supposed to be Karma. I've even burned sandalwood and frankincense to make us more relaxed. I'm going to get changed, so could you put some food out for the dogs for me? Thanks.”

 

She quickly kissed him on the cheek before sprinting up the stairs to get changed. Heero opened his heavy eyes, having barely comprehended what she had said. He put his hand to the floor and after the count of three took a deep breath as she shakily tried to elevate himself off of the cushions.

 

When his usually tirelessly strong muscles gave out, he collapsed and just stayed there without will to ever get up again.

 

Relena tore open her wardrobe door and dropped onto her knees, pushing with much effort aside all of the clothes on the rail. Underneath her designer wear and many, many shoes she came across something she had been saving for the right occasion, kind of like a cocktail dress for when one gets invited to a party for once.

 

It was a pair of soft cotton hot pants and a male size plain white T-shirt she had collected from a Party In the Dark concert last summer.

 

She quickly stripped herself of her work attire and even her undergarments as if the world was going to end in hours and replaced it with the two fashionable offensive items.

 

She jetted down the spiral staircase, tripping up lightly on the third down and jumping the last six, landing clumsily on her feet.

 

When she entered the front room she threw herself laughing onto the mass of cushions. Two minutes later when hero didn't respond to her obvious enjoyment she stopped and look around at him.

 

Her eyes screwed up in annoyance as she witnessed a very peaceful Heero asleep beside her, still fully clothed in his, for once not immaculate, uniform.

 

Taking a deep breath to calm her upcoming anger she shook him lightly expecting him to wake to her touch. When he did no such this she kicked him slightly in the exposed area of his lower back.

 

He woke immediately, growling in definite pain. He turned around to see his girlfriend for 3 years staring at him, looking positively peeved.

 

“Next time you do that I'll make it harder.”

 

Deep inside herself Relena knew that was harsh. Even, heartless. With Heero's sciatica the pressure she had applied to his back was excruciating for him and had awoken a recently slumbering pain shooting down his leg. And what's more, she didn't even acknowledge his pitiful condition.

 

Heero sat up groggily muttering an apology to her as he ran his fingers lazily through his roughened hair. There were bags under his eyes that showed his blatant lack of sleep. He gave her a weak smile as he stripped off his shirt and trousers, revealing his usually strong body.

 

Relena lay back against him and he caught her with a grunt, simply falling back with her from lack of energy.

 

Relena took the remote from under the patchwork blanket and turned on the TV, giving Heero a small peck on the cheek before watching the latest drama on Living.

 

 

She had settled in fine for the first 5 minutes of the program, until she thought she heard a hissing. `Maybe that tap's running.' She leaped out of Heero's limp arms and went into the kitchen. Not only was there no sign of any water running but also no sign of any dog food being left out on the six bowls on the kitchen floor. She noted that the food that was in there looked as dry and dehydrated as Heero.

 

She bit back an angry screech as she stormed back into the living room. Heero, was again, fast asleep.

 

Not bothering to shake this time she kicked him on the side.

 

“I thought I told you to feed the dogs!”

 

Heero mumbled something incomprehensive and Relena responded in a sharp “What?!” at her confusion.

 

“I said, I forgot. I must have fell asleep…” He gave a slight yawn and rubbed his hands over his sore eyes.

 

“Well, next time you sleep tonight, OUR night, I…you won't be a happy man!”

 

When she repositioned herself in Heero's lap it took her a while to settle back into her TV watching mode but eventually she was silent and immersed in the drama.

 

When she heard the hissing again it was louder and she noticed ws coming form behind her…'Heero!'

 

When she turned he was not asleep, but his head kept lulling on his shoulders before flicking back up again in an attempt to stay awake.

 

She turned back round again, only to snap straight back again at the hissing's continuance.

 

“Will you STOP breathing so loud!? God! You do not NEED to breathe like that!”

 

“I can't help it,” Heero mumble tiredly, “I can barely breathe…”

 

“Oh, don't give me excuses! Are you TRYING to ruin this night for me?! I worked so hard to get us a little alone time and you're ruining it! I can't stand you sometimes! You're so incredible unromantic and…”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

“Don't interrupt me! I have spent an hour doing all this for us and you fall asleep?!?! I wont have it! You're sleeping on the couch until you make this up to m…”

 

Heero had drifted asleep again, only this time when she kicked him he didn't wake up.

 

She kicked a little harder. He didn't move.

 

It was only when she knelt down and slapped his face did her conscience, long since buried in her stress, grip her heart in a painfully tight hold.

 

He had a fever.

 

 

The doctors had said he would be back to normal in a week. Apparently he had Vacuum Fever, a fever that was caused by bacteria that only survived in vacuum conditions.

 

While Heero was asleep on the hospital bed, she had time to think about it. For him to catch such a fever, he must have been in outer space. But, as far as he'd told her, he hadn't been in outer space for over a month.

 

After contemplating all the logical explanations for her beloved catching the fever, she had nothing to do then let her conscience increase its hardening grip ion her heart. Every time she thought about what she had said to him, her lack of regard for his condition, the way she had kicked him…she felt sick and filthy and absolutely vile. She had been so heartless.

 

She had let her pure ambition to have a night alone with Heero possess her, and as a result she had ruined it. It was a cruel irony that she wished would just stop repeating inside her head.

 

She immediately kissed Heero as she saw him coming to. Softly, though. `I've used enough force for one lifetime. Oh, my poor Heero, I'm so sorry!'

 

He looked around at her smiling slightly, letting his still limp hand caress the fingers entwined with his.

 

“I'm sorry I ruined your night…”

 

Relena shushed him and put a finger gently to his pale, dry lips. He looked so weak and so child-like and so, so…in pain. She let a tear escape her eye. She had never felt so guilty and utterly horrible.

 

“You didn't ruin it, I did. I wanted some us time so bad that I lost sight of what really matters.”

 

Heero smiled at her and closed his eyes, happy now things had smoothed over between them.

 

“But there's something that bothers me. Heero, how on Earth, or space in this case, did you manage to get Vacuum fever? You haven't been into space in a month.”

 

Heero lost his smile. “I…I don't really want to…”

 

“Tell me. Heero, you can't know how horrid I feel right now, please tell me.”

 

Heero sighed. “I took on a mission from Lady Une a week back. It was a space mission. A solo mission.”

 

“Why couldn't you tell me about it?”

 

“I….needed the money.”

 

“What kind of mission, Heero?”

 

“It…it was just recovering an old flight recorder. Nothing big…”

 

“Liar. If it wasn't big Lady Une wouldn't have sent you. Please. You can tell me anything.

 

“I…fine. I was sent to destroy a building terrorist organisation from the inside…”

 

“Heero, no! You could have gotten killed!” The look on her face mirrored the anguish she felt. Her guilt was growing worse by the second. She should have known, tried to stop him.

 

“Heero, I have money. You don't need it, because you're with me. You didn't have to…”

 

“I DID have to do it. Can you look in my right hand pocked and get out what's inside. please?”

 

She did as he asked in a second, pulling out a small velvet box.

 

“Open it.” Inside was a white gold ring, with a hearty `I love you' engraved on the front. He heart broke and her eyes emptied hundreds of tears.

 

“You… you risked you life…for this…for me and I…I…” Relena's sobbing was full of pain. Her chest mimicked what she felt in her heart, her newly reborn conscience constricting her of her breath.

 

“Shhhh. I love you, ok? You didn't know any better, you were stressed out from work and I know how that feels. If you stop crying, we can arrange for some time off together. Maybe away for a weekend. Would you like that?”

 

Relena wiped her tears on her sleeve and nodded. “Only if I get to pay.”

 

 

 

And, the End. This fic is a reminder to women everywhere that men aren't as pig headed and self-centred as they seem. Not all of them at least.

 

Please review! ^^