Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Storm Clouds ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.

Recap: Heero and Duo spend a whole day at the amusement park two days before leaving for their mission. Duo finds out about Heero's arachnophobia and attempts to blackmail him into submission - it doesn't work... aaaannnndddd... oh and Heero finds out he's sexually attracted to Duo after a daydream gone awry and Duo catches Heero with an erection thus coming to the conclusion that he must be fantasizing about someone.

Warning: Somewhat offensive language (nothing you haven't seen before). and RELENA!! Run for cover!

Now on with the story,

Chapter 7: Revelations

I tried not to sigh when Relena threw herself into my arms and started crying. I am not her babysitter! I am a Preventeer Agent sent to protect the `Queen of the World' until she reaches Earth and instead of checking the perimeter or reviewing the security I am sitting on her pink bed holding her pinkness while she cries herself sick.

This was not in the job description!

And isn't she supposed to be angry with me? Isn't that what we had agreed on? She'll stay pissed at me because I refused her offer to live with her and hence she will not cling to me.

And yet…

“Stop crying Relena.” I said trying to sound softer but it still came out somewhat monotonous. At least it was not harsh.

“I'm so… so….” She sobbed and then sniffled again, “I'm so glad that you're here…” Then she grabbed a pink tissue from her pink bag and blew into it rather loudly.

“I was so scared.” She said now seeming more in control. Duo had remained silent through this whole scene and was standing in the corner of the room smiling by himself.

“What is he doing here?” She said rather venomously jerking her head towards Duo. I glanced at Duo and his smile seemed to evolve into a dangerous smirk.

Relena had never really cared for Duo. But when I refused to live with her because Duo had asked me first she started really started to dislike him.

And Duo refused to treat her like a princess so that dislike quickly turned into mutual hate.

Now I don't believe either of them would like the other killed or anything… but there is a high chance that left alone, slapping and insulting would ensue.

“I have been specially requested to save the pretty behind of a spoiled princess while she makes her way from pretty pink bedroom one to pretty pink bedroom two.” He said without losing his smirk but his eyes held a hateful gleam. “As it turns out her pretty in pink bodyguards are dead coz someone finally grew a brain and decided to kill the pretty pink princess and I am that pretty pink princess' last hope for life.”

“Duo…” I tried to interrupt, but Duo started to glide menacingly towards the bed ignoring me.

“So if that pretty,” He bent over the bed shoving his face into hers, “pink,” he spat each word out, “princess wants to have her behind saved she will have to stay out of my way.” He said with the self satisfied smirk never leaving his face.

I gulped quietly. Duo could be frightening at times.

Relena whimpered and tightened her grip around my chest, causing me to swear. Mentally of course.

“Duo!” I barked at him and Duo snapped his head to look at me, his eyes instantly softening. “Firstly, they are MIA not dead. Secondly, you are to protect her from distance so I suggest you start reviewing the security systems and familiarizing yourself with them.”

I glared at Duo and he glared back. Eventually he sighed and started moving towards the door.

“Please tell me it's not her.” He asked suddenly, turning in the doorway with a desperate look on his face

It took me a moment to figure out what he's talking about. My face flamed and I forced myself to look into Duo's pleading violet eyes.

“No.” I whispered but I know Duo heard me. “It's not her.”

He gave me a soft smile and left.

Relena gave me a confused glance and then seemed to remember that she had just been threatened by one of her own bodyguards and burst into tears all over again, burying her face in my shoulder and trying to burrow beneath my skin, or at least my jacket.

Damn you Duo.

“What is wrong with you?” I exclaimed when I found Duo after Relena had finally cried herself to sleep.

“Whatever do you mean Hee-chan?” He said his eyes blank and staring straight ahead.

He was sitting in the kitchen, empty because all the officers had resumed their duties, drinking coffee.

“Duo.” I was worried now. Duo looked so blank. Did something happen? I know that face. I know when he's trying to convince himself that something is not important.

I pulled a chair near Duo and sat down facing him.

“Duo? What is it?” I pulled closer until my shoulder was brushing his letting his warmth seep into me. I know that Duo likes physical reassurance so I had learned to sometimes allow him to breach my personal space if it would make him feel better. However, recently I have realised that my personal space didn't exist around Duo anyway, so it probably was not as large a concession as I had previously led myself to believe.

He turned slowly and wrapped his arms around my shoulders pulling me into an uncomfortable hug, him breathing on my neck making my face flame again.

I awkwardly patted his back. Why do I have to console so many people today?

“Heero?” He whispered, his breath ghosting against my neck. He then moved his face upward so that his mouth was at my ear and said, “You are very bad at hugging.” His breathe tickling my ear.

That line sent cold waves over my body and made me push him away and stand up.

It was a bitter reminder that I am not good at human interactions and I am sure that he didn't mean it that way but it still hurt.

Mind you, I am not angry with him. I'm angry at myself at not being able to even hug properly. If I can't even hug… I can never even be with another human being can I? I'll probably suck at kissing too…

Duo deserves better than me…

Duo seemed to have sensed that something he'd said had bothered me so he sat up straight again.

I cleared my throat and that made Duo look up at me.

“Please don't threaten Relena again. She is the Queen and she can destroy your life without lifting a finger.” I looked up at him and my eyes met his. He searched my eyes and I searched his.

“And she might not understand it… but we need you, okay?” I said to him.

“Do you know why I hate her so much?” He asked me instead. I realised that he had not promised me anything and I filed that away to talk about again later.

I shook my head. I knew why Relena hated him… but why did Duo despise her so much?

“Do you want to know?”

That question was a test and I didn't know the right answer.

“Only if you want me to.” I said the first thing that popped into my head. Thankfully it seemed to be, if not the right answer, at least not the wrong one.

“Go grab a cup of coffee…”

I stormed through the hallways, my vision narrowed and breath short.

I was angry. Not pissed. Not irritated. Angry.

I burst into the basement looking for the room where they keep a watch on all the cameras in the safe house. Finding it I ripped the door open and barged in.

The officer responsible for keeping an eye on the monitors had been asleep until I had made my appearance and that just made me angrier.

“Is this the best security that could be offered to the Queen of the World?” I spat viciously.

“I uh…” The officer sputtered.

I heard running steps in the basement and Duo ran in and seemed to rethink his strategy when he saw just how angry I was.

“Heero… buddy… hey…” He didn't know what to do and just cut to it. “Look, this is why I didn't want to tell you… I knew you would lose it and I was afraid you would do something stupid…”

I looked at the officer and decided that I wanted him gone. It's not like he was working anyway.

“Out.” I said.

The officer scrambled out of the room spilling a box of pencils behind him. I narrowed my eyes at him and he left the pencils spilled and darted down the hallway.

“She had no right to…” I kept my eyes averted still looking out the door that the officer had run out of.

“Heero… Heero!” I looked into his concerned eyes. Oh god I loved his eyes.

And that bitch… that bitch… she had….

“Look Heero… don't say anything to her okay?” He grabbed my arms lightly and I continued to look into his brilliant eyes.

I couldn't stand it. I jumped forward and wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face into his neck.

Thankfully, instead of pushing me away and wrapped his hands even tighter around me.

“She's a kid okay? She doesn't know what she's doing. Don't say anything to her about this. She worships you and if you are angry with her it will devastate her. Are you listening to me buddy?” He asked me softly.

I nodded, my anger dissipated. But I didn't let go of him.

Not yet.

Relena had been placed in a safe house just at the edge of the colony. Inconspicuous? Hardly.

I saw a million flaws with the place immediately. One - it was too isolated. It is harder to protect a building where there are a million and one hiding places.

Two - It was too obvious that it was housing Relena. The delivery of pink pillows and comforters and other ridiculous things kind of gave it away.

Three - Two Armani-suited-sunglass-donning-guards stood at the door.

Four - That house, although having cameras in every corner, contained several blind spots that could be used strategically to move in and out of the house without being caught on camera.

And the list went on.

Initially I had thought that Relena didn't deserve being put in a room with no windows and one steel door. It looked too much like a prison cell that Duo and I had been thrown into far too many times when we were captured.

Then of course, after my talk with Duo, I wanted to handcuff and gag her as well.

She had no right to try to manipulate Duo like that.

Nobody has the right to play with someone's life.

Queen of the world included.

I ignored her after that, throwing myself into the task of making sure she is completely protected and not taking her comfort into consideration at all.

She got more and more upset as I continued to pretend she didn't exist.

Then one day she slapped Duo.

“What the fuck?” Duo exclaimed as I froze. Duo and I had been casually talking when she had pranced straight into the kitchen and slapped him with no provocation whatsoever.

“Relena?” I hissed at her.

“So now you're talking to me?” She spat at me.

I decided to ignore her and checked to see how hurt Duo was. He was more annoyed than hurt.

“Relena this has to stop.” Duo said to her in a calm voice. Hearing him being so calm soothed my nerves so I retook my seat and continued to sip my coffee.

“Every time! Heero always chooses you over me every time! Why?” Relena sobbed, tears trailing down her cheeks, “I love him!”

She made a pitiful picture, but to me she looked pathetic.

“Look Relena. I asked Heero if he wanted to live with me before you so he had already promised me. It's not because he rejected you in favour of me. He just wanted to be polite.” Duo tried to smile at her, but it was clearly more of a grimace and he was showing far too many teeth.

“No.” I said quietly but they both turned to look at me.

“No what?” Relena asked.

“No. I was not being polite.” I said harshly looking her right in the eye and I saw Duo slap his forehead from the corner of my eye.

“See?” She pointed out to Duo tearfully and Duo put his head in his hands shaking it exasperatedly.

“See what?” I challenged her. I wanted to confront her. I wanted to make her feel horrible.

I wanted her to hurt.

“You prefer Duo over me! Why? I love you and he doesn't!” Okay that stung.

That really, really stung.

Mostly because it was true.

I slammed my cup down on the table and stood up narrowing my eyes at her.

“Do you want to know why I prefer Duo over you? Do you, Relena?” I said in the coldest voice I could muster. It must have been impressive as I could see her shiver involuntarily.

“Heero, calm down buddy. Remember what I asked of you? Don't say anything okay?” Duo tried to calm me down.

He stood up and started rubbing my upper arm comfortingly.

“Y-yes…” Relena said softly.

“You're just a kid Relena. You're a spoiled kid. You get everything you want at the snap of your fingers. Hell, you even got to be a queen. But I am the only thing you could not get so now it has turned into an obsession.” I said coldly.

“It's not an obsession! I'm in love with you! I was in love with you from the day I first saw you!”

“You don't know anything about me.”

“And Duo does?”

“He certainly knows more than you. He's my best friend.”

“So let him be! I just want to be your girlfriend! Those are two very different things, you can have both!”

“Not with you around. You already tried to take my best friend away from me!” I answered not able to keep the information with me anymore.

“You told him?” Relena hissed at Duo with accusing eyes and Duo got up and left without a word.

Maybe Duo's angry with me. I broke my promise to not say anything… but she was asking for it!

“You're talking to me Relena!” I yelled at her, “It has nothing, I repeat - nothing - to do with Duo! But it is everything to do with me!”

Relena shrank back from me but Duo was not there anymore to act as a buffer or to control my anger so I let it rip.

“What were you thinking? What possibly could have made you think that this was a good idea? That I would not find out? Or did you really think that Duo was that superficial?”

She started crying but I didn't care anymore.

“It's nice to know how much I am worth to you. Now if anyone ever tries to buy me off I'll know exactly what to ask for.” I slumped into the chair and ran my fingers through my hair. “You don't love me. You would never have tried to hurt me if you loved me.”

“I would never hurt you.” She said still tearful but she seemed to have given up. “I could give you everything that Duo can't. I would have made sure that you had everything you could ever desire.”

“But I'd have lost my best friend. The only one I can talk to. The only one who I have ever…” I shook my head, “You were taking all that away from me.”

“But I want to be your best friend, your lover… your everything… and no price is too high to pay for that.”

“Including my happiness?” I countered. I looked her straight in the eye and she broke the contact.

“I don't know what Duo told you but I never tried to buy you or anything okay?” She said a bit hatefully and I felt the need to squash whatever feelings she has left for me.

“No. You tried to buy Duo. You tried to bribe him into throwing me out so that I would come crying to you and then fall in love with you and then we'll fuck and have five kids together. Isn't that what you wanted?”

“No…” She didn't sound sure about it herself and I felt my anger returning.

“But you know what would have happened if you had managed to buy off Duo? I would have disappeared. I would not have gone to you. And because Duo is the only thing keeping me alive I might have…” I stopped abruptly as I realised that that was true…

My anger disappeared completely and I got puzzled at the actual extent of my feelings for Duo. Relena, on the other hand, slammed her hands on the table and stood up abruptly looking ready to rip apart the first person she sees.

“I see how it is.” She said tersely, “Have a good life.”

And she left.

A/N: Like it? Then Review! Hate it? Then critique! Whatever u think, comment!

Until next time,

Persephone