Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Black Queen ❯ Past Tense ( Chapter 5 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Violet_Nyte 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Psychological / Drama / Angst | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.01.2002 | Pages: 4 | Words: 2.0K | Visits: 371 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Psychological / Drama / Angst | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.01.2002 | Pages: 4 | Words: 2.0K | Visits: 371 | Status: Work In Progress
LSE // 12-1-02
(The Black Queen - Chapter Four: Past Tense)
rated: PG13 - violence, language, content
shounen-ai/yaoi
Past Tense
"Look, I'm just gonna call my friend. He'll pay you. Leave the meter
running if you want. Just wait a sec, K?" I mumble, moving quickly
away from the taxi and its glaring driver. The hotel isn't all that
seedy, so I guess the cabbie isn't that bad of a guy. Nice to know he
wouldn't take a young, drunk woman to some shack-motel.
Hotels have free phones, plus they're warm and safe. Lit. Lots of
light. Light is very good.
Ring. Once, twice, pick up! Three, four... I smile to the clerk and
turn away before he tries to ask for proof I'm a guest. Ring... click!
"Aren't you suppose to say moshi something? What? Never mind. Let me
speak to Heero. Yuy. Of course he knows me. Don't give me that, I
know he's there. Relena, then. Let me speak to Relena. So wake her
up! Then get Heero. This is Helen." I sigh, shifting the phone to my
other ear.
Soon, I promise my tired body. Soon you can collapse and drift off to
the happy land of who-gives-a-fuck.
After what seems forever, Heero's tired voices comes over, "Hello?"
"Hey. I'm at the hotel. A hotel? Whatever, bring money for the cab,
K? Left my purse somewhere."
"What?" the sleepiness snaps out of Heero's voice immediately, "D -
Helen? What hotel? Are you alright? Where are you? Do you realize
what time it is?"
"Yes," I reply in all seriousness. I know perfectly well what time it
is; after all, my watch glows.
"What? Never mind. Where are you?" Heero asks, stressing each word
very carefully. What's that in his voice I hear? Is the great and
mighty Heero Yuy, Mister Perfect Soldier himself, worried?
"Hotel. Uhm," I glance around, "Gold Leaf. It's warm here, Heero, and
gots lots of lights. Be soon, K? K, bye," I hand the phone to the
clerk with another smile, ignoring Heero's frantic shouts from the
other end.
------------------------------------------------------------- ---------
"Helen? Helen?" Heero searched the area quickly for anyone listening
before shouting back into the silent receiver, "Duo? DUO!"
Click.
Standing in the hall in only his boxers, Heero stared in disbelief at
the phone before setting it back on the table. He should have gone
looking for Duo when he first left!
Storming back to his room, he threw on the nearest available pair of
jeans and all but ripped a shirt off a hanger. Without being told, he
knew something had happened. Duo just hadn't sounded right. Horrible
images flashed through his mind, horrible scenarios Duo could very
well be caught up in. Where the fuck was the Gold Leaf Hotel anyways?
Relena was waiting downstairs when he arrived, a fuzzy pink bathrobe
embracing her slender form. "Heero?" she asked, brow creasing in
confusion, "You tell D... Helen I'm sorry. Okay? Tell her."
Heero scarcely paid any attention to her, only pausing long enough to
grab the keys from her hand. At least Duo called, that had to be a
good sign. He could barely make out half what he had been saying,
though. Something about light. Gold Leaf Hotel.
He almost didn't recognize Duo siting on the steps of the building,
curled against the railing asleep - please, let him be asleep and
not... Heero approached cautiously, eyes scanning the darkness. Duo's
braid was fraying, the hair tie lost somewhere. The clothes were new.
Duo had mentioned something about a taxi, but the only car on the
street was the one Heero had grabbed from Relena's collection.
"Helen?" he asked softly, standing over the huddled form. Heero was
almost afraid to touch him, for fear he'd shatter like glass.
Duo looked up sleepily, blinking a few times and stumbling to his
feet. Heero caught one thin arm, feeling the muscles beneath the
velvet tense in fear. "Duo," he whispered very softly.
"Cab left. Wouldn't wait. Said you'd come, though."
Heero felt his blood run cold, listening to Duo's scattered speech.
For a moment he feared the worst, a relapse, but then he frowned in
sudden comprehension, "You're drunk."
"Wouldn't stop buying me drinks," Duo mumbled, hugging his free arm
to himself and looking down at his shoes. Heero looked down as well,
glaring heatedly at the flimsy heels. Duo continued even though Heero
wasn't really listening, "Wanted me to dance. One guy wanted more,
but I ran. Heero, I ran. I ran. Ran..." Duo's voice faded off to a
soft mumble as he swayed once and went out like a light.
As Duo fell towards him, Heero caught the weight easily. For a moment,
he stood there on the steps with Duo's limp form clutched to him,
taking reassurance from the quiet sound of breathing.
The idiot had simply had too much to drink. Fear dispelled and he
carefully picked Duo up, carrying him to the car. If Duo was awake,
he would no doubt make some crack about Heero's driving. But, Duo
seemed content to curl asleep against the car door.
With the initial fear gone, Heero felt anger at Duo for his stupidity
and careless endangerment of the mission. Not to mention the risk to
Duo himself... Not that he didn't doubt Duo could eliminate threats,
but such elimination had the chance of resulting in authorities. They
would run a standard background check and find Helen Solo's invented
past, but then when they collected Duo's finger prints it would show
a different file. A far more dangerous file.
...Baka.
------------------------------------------ ----------------------------
Head in pain. Burning light. Damn light. Damn consciousness. Who gave
you permission to wake up, body? Go back to sleep!
Every part of my body protesting, I warily let my eyes open. I squint,
glaring angrily at the tiny sliver of light shooting out from an
opening in the curtains. Damn light. At least its quiet. Blessed
quiet. Not unless I count the painful pounding in my skull.
A random bit of knowledge mocks me. Hangover headaches are caused by
too much blood pulsing through constricted vessels. Logically, a
hangover remedy would involve fixing that. I'm a genius.
Stirring slightly, I wince as even such slight movement send waves of
pain through my head. How much did I drink last night, and how did I
get back to Relena's? Terror suddenly grips me; is this Relena's?
...Yes, I can see one of Heero's shirts, and the bed space beside me
is still warm from his body. Ah, Heero. That's how I came to be here.
Bet he's furious with me. How embarrassing, I hope I didn't throw up
on him or anything.
I remember drinking and dancing and... Oh, Christ. The memories
threaten to overwhelm, but I snatch the only really important one and
focus on it for a few moments, blocking out the panic.
I found Natasha.
"Heero!" I try to call, but it comes out a hoarse whisper. I try
again, louder. The words bounce painfully off the inside of my skull.
"Heero!" I call again, hauling myself out from the bed, but
miscalculating the distance and getting tangled up with the sheets. I
land on my side, eye to eye with a few dust bunnies and a pair of
shoes. My shoes.
"What? ...Nice to see you're awake," Heero says coldly from the
doorway, peering past the bed to glare in perfect 'I'm going to kill
you' fashion.
Heero Yuy, using sarcasm. Stop the presses. "You can be a bastard
later, Heero. I saw her last night. She's right here Heero, here in
the Sanc kingdom!"
"Who?" Heero asks warily, walking around to better glare at me.
"Natasha," I reach under the bed and fetch out the shoes. Ick, dust.
Ick, I'm still wearing the clothes from last night. Unacceptable.
Change of clothes in...duffel bag, since I haven't unpacked. Duffel
bag located near Heero.
Heero sighs and crosses his arms, determined not to let up on the
death glare, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I saw her." I crawl out and drag the duffel out from it's spot
by the wall, taking off the dark amethyst shirt. I never want to see
it again.
"What's this?" Heero asks sharply, kneeling next to me and gently
taking my arm in one hand. His hand trembles slightly with suppressed
emotion. Anger? likely. Concern? hardly.
I glance over, "They appear to be bruises, Heero." Maybe if I don't
panic, he won't either. Ostrich in the sand theory.
Heero's eyes narrow, but he isn't glaring at me anymore. It's
something worse than the death glare, if that's even possible. I hope
it isn't directed at me. "Did someone hurt you?"
I skiddishly pull my arm from Heero's grasp. Unaware I'm even doing,
I rub my lower arms until it hurts. The road map of scars is a
comfort. The pain is a blessing. "We should go look for Natasha."
Heero grabs my wrists, firmly. "Stop it."
"Stop what, Heero? Let me go." Even though I know Heero, his hands
over my wrists is startling. I tug against the hold, beginning to
feel the pull of terror when he doesn't release me. "Let me go!"
It's getting hard to breathe.
"Let me go! Let go, let go, let go, let go, let go, let go..." I
shout, struggling to get free.
Blind panic takes hold and I twist within the iron grip, a strangled
sob fighting free as all I can see is my wrists, pinned. "Let go!"
Heero pulls me close, one hand loosening its grip and the other
stroking the tangled snarl of my hair. Reassuringly. I press my face
into his shoulder, inhaling the pleasant aroma that is distinctly
Heero. Slowly, he releases the remaining hand, but it is me who
refuses to let go, now.
My little outburst must have confirmed his suspicions. He won't
let
me out of his sight, now. I don't really mind, though.
"Sorry," he mutters, the word nearly lost in the quiet.
"Yeah," I reply, accepting his apology and offering my own with the
one word. There isn't any need to say more.
After a while, I pull away. Heero reluctantly lets me put space
between us and doesn't say anything when I intently study the zipper
on my duffel bag. Focusing my eyes anywhere but forward, I nod
slightly to his silent questions. "We can go home sooner, since we
don't have to hunt her down."
"Duo, are you sure you saw Natasha?"
"Yes," I fiddle with the zipper, to keep from rubbing the scars.
"You were intoxicated."
"Just because I was drunk off my ass doesn't mean I was seeing
things," I say quietly, more to reassure myself than to argue with
Heero. If I was seeing things, there's nothing more I'd like to do
than blame it on the alcohol.
Heero doesn't say anything, but that's because he doesn't have to. We
both know the implications. He gets up off the floor and leaves the
room, face the picture of blankness, but I catch his gaze for a moment
and see his eyes are troubled.
I wonder if mine are troubled, but there's no way I'm looking in the
mirror to find out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Author's Notes: I was hoping to get further into the story before
school started again, but I guess what I have is fine. Please feed
the muses with lots of pretty comments! ^_^ I'm sorry you have to
wait so long for the next chapter, but school is school and there are
laws against me being a complete hermit...
Feedback/reviews are very much appreciated!
copyright 2002 - Gundam Wing and characters copyright other people.
LSE - "Violet" (ManzokuBiscuit@aol.com)
Email me to join my Update ML!
http://violetnyte.fallenweb.net
(The Black Queen - Chapter Four: Past Tense)
rated: PG13 - violence, language, content
shounen-ai/yaoi
Past Tense
"Look, I'm just gonna call my friend. He'll pay you. Leave the meter
running if you want. Just wait a sec, K?" I mumble, moving quickly
away from the taxi and its glaring driver. The hotel isn't all that
seedy, so I guess the cabbie isn't that bad of a guy. Nice to know he
wouldn't take a young, drunk woman to some shack-motel.
Hotels have free phones, plus they're warm and safe. Lit. Lots of
light. Light is very good.
Ring. Once, twice, pick up! Three, four... I smile to the clerk and
turn away before he tries to ask for proof I'm a guest. Ring... click!
"Aren't you suppose to say moshi something? What? Never mind. Let me
speak to Heero. Yuy. Of course he knows me. Don't give me that, I
know he's there. Relena, then. Let me speak to Relena. So wake her
up! Then get Heero. This is Helen." I sigh, shifting the phone to my
other ear.
Soon, I promise my tired body. Soon you can collapse and drift off to
the happy land of who-gives-a-fuck.
After what seems forever, Heero's tired voices comes over, "Hello?"
"Hey. I'm at the hotel. A hotel? Whatever, bring money for the cab,
K? Left my purse somewhere."
"What?" the sleepiness snaps out of Heero's voice immediately, "D -
Helen? What hotel? Are you alright? Where are you? Do you realize
what time it is?"
"Yes," I reply in all seriousness. I know perfectly well what time it
is; after all, my watch glows.
"What? Never mind. Where are you?" Heero asks, stressing each word
very carefully. What's that in his voice I hear? Is the great and
mighty Heero Yuy, Mister Perfect Soldier himself, worried?
"Hotel. Uhm," I glance around, "Gold Leaf. It's warm here, Heero, and
gots lots of lights. Be soon, K? K, bye," I hand the phone to the
clerk with another smile, ignoring Heero's frantic shouts from the
other end.
------------------------------------------------------------- ---------
"Helen? Helen?" Heero searched the area quickly for anyone listening
before shouting back into the silent receiver, "Duo? DUO!"
Click.
Standing in the hall in only his boxers, Heero stared in disbelief at
the phone before setting it back on the table. He should have gone
looking for Duo when he first left!
Storming back to his room, he threw on the nearest available pair of
jeans and all but ripped a shirt off a hanger. Without being told, he
knew something had happened. Duo just hadn't sounded right. Horrible
images flashed through his mind, horrible scenarios Duo could very
well be caught up in. Where the fuck was the Gold Leaf Hotel anyways?
Relena was waiting downstairs when he arrived, a fuzzy pink bathrobe
embracing her slender form. "Heero?" she asked, brow creasing in
confusion, "You tell D... Helen I'm sorry. Okay? Tell her."
Heero scarcely paid any attention to her, only pausing long enough to
grab the keys from her hand. At least Duo called, that had to be a
good sign. He could barely make out half what he had been saying,
though. Something about light. Gold Leaf Hotel.
He almost didn't recognize Duo siting on the steps of the building,
curled against the railing asleep - please, let him be asleep and
not... Heero approached cautiously, eyes scanning the darkness. Duo's
braid was fraying, the hair tie lost somewhere. The clothes were new.
Duo had mentioned something about a taxi, but the only car on the
street was the one Heero had grabbed from Relena's collection.
"Helen?" he asked softly, standing over the huddled form. Heero was
almost afraid to touch him, for fear he'd shatter like glass.
Duo looked up sleepily, blinking a few times and stumbling to his
feet. Heero caught one thin arm, feeling the muscles beneath the
velvet tense in fear. "Duo," he whispered very softly.
"Cab left. Wouldn't wait. Said you'd come, though."
Heero felt his blood run cold, listening to Duo's scattered speech.
For a moment he feared the worst, a relapse, but then he frowned in
sudden comprehension, "You're drunk."
"Wouldn't stop buying me drinks," Duo mumbled, hugging his free arm
to himself and looking down at his shoes. Heero looked down as well,
glaring heatedly at the flimsy heels. Duo continued even though Heero
wasn't really listening, "Wanted me to dance. One guy wanted more,
but I ran. Heero, I ran. I ran. Ran..." Duo's voice faded off to a
soft mumble as he swayed once and went out like a light.
As Duo fell towards him, Heero caught the weight easily. For a moment,
he stood there on the steps with Duo's limp form clutched to him,
taking reassurance from the quiet sound of breathing.
The idiot had simply had too much to drink. Fear dispelled and he
carefully picked Duo up, carrying him to the car. If Duo was awake,
he would no doubt make some crack about Heero's driving. But, Duo
seemed content to curl asleep against the car door.
With the initial fear gone, Heero felt anger at Duo for his stupidity
and careless endangerment of the mission. Not to mention the risk to
Duo himself... Not that he didn't doubt Duo could eliminate threats,
but such elimination had the chance of resulting in authorities. They
would run a standard background check and find Helen Solo's invented
past, but then when they collected Duo's finger prints it would show
a different file. A far more dangerous file.
...Baka.
------------------------------------------ ----------------------------
Head in pain. Burning light. Damn light. Damn consciousness. Who gave
you permission to wake up, body? Go back to sleep!
Every part of my body protesting, I warily let my eyes open. I squint,
glaring angrily at the tiny sliver of light shooting out from an
opening in the curtains. Damn light. At least its quiet. Blessed
quiet. Not unless I count the painful pounding in my skull.
A random bit of knowledge mocks me. Hangover headaches are caused by
too much blood pulsing through constricted vessels. Logically, a
hangover remedy would involve fixing that. I'm a genius.
Stirring slightly, I wince as even such slight movement send waves of
pain through my head. How much did I drink last night, and how did I
get back to Relena's? Terror suddenly grips me; is this Relena's?
...Yes, I can see one of Heero's shirts, and the bed space beside me
is still warm from his body. Ah, Heero. That's how I came to be here.
Bet he's furious with me. How embarrassing, I hope I didn't throw up
on him or anything.
I remember drinking and dancing and... Oh, Christ. The memories
threaten to overwhelm, but I snatch the only really important one and
focus on it for a few moments, blocking out the panic.
I found Natasha.
"Heero!" I try to call, but it comes out a hoarse whisper. I try
again, louder. The words bounce painfully off the inside of my skull.
"Heero!" I call again, hauling myself out from the bed, but
miscalculating the distance and getting tangled up with the sheets. I
land on my side, eye to eye with a few dust bunnies and a pair of
shoes. My shoes.
"What? ...Nice to see you're awake," Heero says coldly from the
doorway, peering past the bed to glare in perfect 'I'm going to kill
you' fashion.
Heero Yuy, using sarcasm. Stop the presses. "You can be a bastard
later, Heero. I saw her last night. She's right here Heero, here in
the Sanc kingdom!"
"Who?" Heero asks warily, walking around to better glare at me.
"Natasha," I reach under the bed and fetch out the shoes. Ick, dust.
Ick, I'm still wearing the clothes from last night. Unacceptable.
Change of clothes in...duffel bag, since I haven't unpacked. Duffel
bag located near Heero.
Heero sighs and crosses his arms, determined not to let up on the
death glare, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I saw her." I crawl out and drag the duffel out from it's spot
by the wall, taking off the dark amethyst shirt. I never want to see
it again.
"What's this?" Heero asks sharply, kneeling next to me and gently
taking my arm in one hand. His hand trembles slightly with suppressed
emotion. Anger? likely. Concern? hardly.
I glance over, "They appear to be bruises, Heero." Maybe if I don't
panic, he won't either. Ostrich in the sand theory.
Heero's eyes narrow, but he isn't glaring at me anymore. It's
something worse than the death glare, if that's even possible. I hope
it isn't directed at me. "Did someone hurt you?"
I skiddishly pull my arm from Heero's grasp. Unaware I'm even doing,
I rub my lower arms until it hurts. The road map of scars is a
comfort. The pain is a blessing. "We should go look for Natasha."
Heero grabs my wrists, firmly. "Stop it."
"Stop what, Heero? Let me go." Even though I know Heero, his hands
over my wrists is startling. I tug against the hold, beginning to
feel the pull of terror when he doesn't release me. "Let me go!"
It's getting hard to breathe.
"Let me go! Let go, let go, let go, let go, let go, let go..." I
shout, struggling to get free.
Blind panic takes hold and I twist within the iron grip, a strangled
sob fighting free as all I can see is my wrists, pinned. "Let go!"
Heero pulls me close, one hand loosening its grip and the other
stroking the tangled snarl of my hair. Reassuringly. I press my face
into his shoulder, inhaling the pleasant aroma that is distinctly
Heero. Slowly, he releases the remaining hand, but it is me who
refuses to let go, now.
My little outburst must have confirmed his suspicions. He won't
let
me out of his sight, now. I don't really mind, though.
"Sorry," he mutters, the word nearly lost in the quiet.
"Yeah," I reply, accepting his apology and offering my own with the
one word. There isn't any need to say more.
After a while, I pull away. Heero reluctantly lets me put space
between us and doesn't say anything when I intently study the zipper
on my duffel bag. Focusing my eyes anywhere but forward, I nod
slightly to his silent questions. "We can go home sooner, since we
don't have to hunt her down."
"Duo, are you sure you saw Natasha?"
"Yes," I fiddle with the zipper, to keep from rubbing the scars.
"You were intoxicated."
"Just because I was drunk off my ass doesn't mean I was seeing
things," I say quietly, more to reassure myself than to argue with
Heero. If I was seeing things, there's nothing more I'd like to do
than blame it on the alcohol.
Heero doesn't say anything, but that's because he doesn't have to. We
both know the implications. He gets up off the floor and leaves the
room, face the picture of blankness, but I catch his gaze for a moment
and see his eyes are troubled.
I wonder if mine are troubled, but there's no way I'm looking in the
mirror to find out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Author's Notes: I was hoping to get further into the story before
school started again, but I guess what I have is fine. Please feed
the muses with lots of pretty comments! ^_^ I'm sorry you have to
wait so long for the next chapter, but school is school and there are
laws against me being a complete hermit...
Feedback/reviews are very much appreciated!
copyright 2002 - Gundam Wing and characters copyright other people.
LSE - "Violet" (ManzokuBiscuit@aol.com)
Email me to join my Update ML!
http://violetnyte.fallenweb.net