Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ War Inevitable ❯ I don't want to hate you ( Chapter 7 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Solain Rhyo 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Action / Suspense | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.19.2003 | Updated On: 09.19.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.9K | Visits: 194 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Action / Suspense | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.19.2003 | Updated On: 09.19.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.9K | Visits: 194 | Status: Completed
Chapter Seven
Relena Peacecraft entered the hopsital and sighed in relief. She had wanted to visit Quatre as soon as she had heard what had happened, but Noin had advised Relena not to, because of all the publicity surrounding her. She had resignedly accepted Noin's advice, remaining at her office, then returning home, concern for Quatre's well being gnawing at her. She had then been informed of the attempt on Duo's life, and that Quatre had recieved the transfusion he had so badly needed. Impulsively, she had called and arranged for one of the ESUN's private jets to fly her to Port Stratford, and had left that very night, not bothering to wake her servants or bodyguards, instead leaving a brief, terse note. She arrived in the port city with the rising of the sun, and there she was met by a limo sent by the ESUN officials of Port Stratford, for they had heard what had happened. It was a short drive to the hospital, and on the way Relena drew up the hood of her overcoat to shroud her face, lest there be any publicity outside. It was too early in the morning for that, however, and so she made it into the hospital without incident.
As she pushed through the doors she removed her hood and stood still for a moment, reveling in this rare freedom. She had asked that the limo driver not escort her inside, instead that he return to headquarters. She was capable, she had told him, of looking after herself. He had reluctantly agreed, and left her to her own devices. In three years this had been the first time she had gone anywhere publicly without an entourage of advisors and personal guards. She missed this independance, missed having her own space, and she was going to enjoy it. She brought herself back to the matter at hand and approached the main reception desk. The nurse, bleary eyed from the graveyard shift, merely nodded and pointed down the hall upon Relena's inquiry. Either she didn't recognize the globally reknowned Vice Foreign Minister, or she didn't care. Relena murmurred her thanks and hurried away.
She paused outside the door, reading Quatre's name in the slot, and took a deep breath before silently pushing the door open. It was dim inside, the lights having been turned down. Relena let the door close behind her as she recognized the three people in the room. The one she had come to visit, Duo Maxwell....
....and Heero Yuy.
Remarkably, Heero and Duo had not awakened upon her entrance, which made her wonder how tired they were. Their senses were normally so finely attuned that even the small sound of the door openeing would have jolted them out of sleep. Duo, however, remained snoring softly, his head turned away from Relena, and Heero's head remained down on his chest, his arms folded in repose. Quatre, however, had either been awake, or heard her enter. He smiled weakly at her, and beckoned her closer with a shaky finger. Relena steeled her nerve against the impulse to run far, far away from this room, from the sleeping pilot between the beds, and drew closer. She stepped carefully in an effort not to make noise, and sank noiselessly into the chair at Quatre's bedside. She was struck then at how pale the blonde pilot was, how frail he seemed amidst all the machines various IV's. At the sight of the thick bandages that covered all of his torso she swallowed and brought her eyes to his.
" Thank you for coming, " Quatre said in a voice no more than a whisper. Relena smiled then, and reached out to take his hand. Of all the Gundam pilots, Relena had found an unlikely friendship with Quatre. He had rallied the entire Winner Corp to her cause when times had been tough over the past few years, and had always been willing to give his advice if asked. She had seen him from time to time for casual visits; for lunch, or tea. He was, besides Dorothy and Noin, one of her closest friends.
" How do you feel? " She whispered, more out of fear of waking the others than of necessity.
Quatre grimaced. " I've felt better. "
" But you're okay, " Relena said, " and that's all that matters. "
He nodded and gestured to where Duo lay, " What happened to Duo? "
Relena frowned, " You don't know? "
" I've been awake for all of ten minutes. You're the first concious person I've seen. "
" Duo was shot. He was wearing some sort of body armor. " She said quickly, seeing Quatre's panicked expression, " so he's okay. He's a little bruised up, is all. "
Relief flooded into Quatre's expressive eyes, followed by grim realization. " An assassin? "
She nodded, " Noin and Duo think so, yes. "
" Why? "
Relena had her suspiscions, but she merely shrugged and gave him a reassuring smile. " We'll figure it out, don't worry about it. "
He smiled back, but his sober expression remained.
They talked then of more mundane topics. When Quatre asked her how about the ESUN, Relena hesitated. She didn't want to burden him with all her fears, but he was very perceptive and intuitive. And so she told him about the reports of dissent that were now coming in daily, and of Ambassador Rell's information about the Coalition. Quatre listened intently, betraying no outward sign of the pain he was in but for the occasional clenching of his fist. He was about to say something but was interrupted.
" Heya, Relena. I didn't hear you come in. Quatre! You're awake, little buddy! How do you feel? "
Relena inwardly cringed at the sound of Duo's voice shattering the silence of the room. Heero began to stir; raising his head. Quatre gave Relena a look signaling they would finish their discussion later. He turned his head to the braided pilot.
" I'm okay, Duo. How do you feel? "
Duo attempted to sit up, groaned, and collapsed back against his pillow. " Sore. "
Heero was fully awake now, and his gaze was fastened on Relena. She gave Quatre's hand a quick squeeze before releasing it and standing. " I should get going, Quatre, and let you guys catch up with each other. I'll be here in the city for a couple days at least, so I'll be back.
I'll see you later. " She gave a perfunctory smile to them all, and nodded at Heero and Duo before leaving the room. Outside, she took a deep breath to get her emotions under control and began walking towards the entrance.
" Relena. "
She froze, closing her eyes and berating herself for not running for the exit when she had the chance. She plastered a pleasant expression on her face and turned to face Heero.
************************************************************************ *************************************************************************** ****
Heero had been dreaming. He seldom dreamt, so the experience was a novelty to him. He was roused to reality by the cheerful sound of Duo's voice. He took a moment to clear his head before openeing his eyes, surprised at himself for falling asleep. He had been pushing himself rather hard of late, though -
All thoughts abruptly careened to a screaming halt as he found himself faced with Relena Peacecraft.
She was watching Duo, and was not yet aware that he was awake. Seeing her was like a shock to his system; it unsettled him, and he hated that. He was surprised to see that the past three years had changed her more so than it had the other pilots. Her hair was now short and cut pixie like to frame her face. There were small but visible lines around her eyes and the corner of her mouth. It was her eyes that betrayed the stress and turmoil of the passage of time; they were no longer held the naivete he had despised, or the ignorant hope they used to. They were calm, steady, and hardened. Relena had grown up. She had matured, yes, but it was more than that. She had lost the innocent air she had carried for so long, and now seemed saddened and somber. The last few years had not been overly kind to her.
It was then she noticed he was awake. She gave no indication of how she felt to see him, but she immediately rose to her feet and said her goodbyes before leaving the room. A second later Heero impusively stood, and ignoring the looks Duo and Quatre exchanged, left the room after her.
************************************************************************ *************************************************************************** ***********
He had stopped a few feet from her, his expression, as usual, unreadable. He said nothing, and so she did.
" Hello, Heero. "
" Relena, " he said again. A silence filled with tangible tension fell between them, until he asked, " How have you been? "
Miserable, she thought viciously. Miserable and afraid and paranoid, trying to hold up the peace you fought so hard for, and then disappeared. Instead she said in a brittle, cheery tone, " I've been fine, Heero. You? "
He ignored her question. " You've changed. "
" I had to. " She snapped, and then softened her tone. ": What I do isn't easy. "
" I know. " He said. ": You've done well, though. "
The urge to run far from Heero Yuy was growing inside her. He had promised her his aid when peace was finally achieved; promised to help her build the foundation for peace. Though she had wanted more from him at the time, she wanted his help just as much. And then he had left without a word, to cordone himself away from humanity and everything he had fought for. How little she had understood him made her realize that he was worlds apart from her, and that distance could not in this life be bridged. She tried not to resent him, tried not to wonder why he had run. Finally, she had decided not care. And while that never happened, she was able to create a protective barrier between herself and personal feelings. Feelings that had no business in the life of the Vice Foreign Minister. That barrier, however, was now crumbling around the edges. " Thank you. "
He said nothing else, so she took the opportunity to leave. " I really must be going, Heero. It was nice seeing you again. "
He took a step towards her, " Relena - "
" I'll see you later, Heero, " she said a bit wildly before turning on her heel and fleeing the hospital.
" It's nice to see you too, " Heero said softly, staring bemusedly after her.
Relena Peacecraft entered the hopsital and sighed in relief. She had wanted to visit Quatre as soon as she had heard what had happened, but Noin had advised Relena not to, because of all the publicity surrounding her. She had resignedly accepted Noin's advice, remaining at her office, then returning home, concern for Quatre's well being gnawing at her. She had then been informed of the attempt on Duo's life, and that Quatre had recieved the transfusion he had so badly needed. Impulsively, she had called and arranged for one of the ESUN's private jets to fly her to Port Stratford, and had left that very night, not bothering to wake her servants or bodyguards, instead leaving a brief, terse note. She arrived in the port city with the rising of the sun, and there she was met by a limo sent by the ESUN officials of Port Stratford, for they had heard what had happened. It was a short drive to the hospital, and on the way Relena drew up the hood of her overcoat to shroud her face, lest there be any publicity outside. It was too early in the morning for that, however, and so she made it into the hospital without incident.
As she pushed through the doors she removed her hood and stood still for a moment, reveling in this rare freedom. She had asked that the limo driver not escort her inside, instead that he return to headquarters. She was capable, she had told him, of looking after herself. He had reluctantly agreed, and left her to her own devices. In three years this had been the first time she had gone anywhere publicly without an entourage of advisors and personal guards. She missed this independance, missed having her own space, and she was going to enjoy it. She brought herself back to the matter at hand and approached the main reception desk. The nurse, bleary eyed from the graveyard shift, merely nodded and pointed down the hall upon Relena's inquiry. Either she didn't recognize the globally reknowned Vice Foreign Minister, or she didn't care. Relena murmurred her thanks and hurried away.
She paused outside the door, reading Quatre's name in the slot, and took a deep breath before silently pushing the door open. It was dim inside, the lights having been turned down. Relena let the door close behind her as she recognized the three people in the room. The one she had come to visit, Duo Maxwell....
....and Heero Yuy.
Remarkably, Heero and Duo had not awakened upon her entrance, which made her wonder how tired they were. Their senses were normally so finely attuned that even the small sound of the door openeing would have jolted them out of sleep. Duo, however, remained snoring softly, his head turned away from Relena, and Heero's head remained down on his chest, his arms folded in repose. Quatre, however, had either been awake, or heard her enter. He smiled weakly at her, and beckoned her closer with a shaky finger. Relena steeled her nerve against the impulse to run far, far away from this room, from the sleeping pilot between the beds, and drew closer. She stepped carefully in an effort not to make noise, and sank noiselessly into the chair at Quatre's bedside. She was struck then at how pale the blonde pilot was, how frail he seemed amidst all the machines various IV's. At the sight of the thick bandages that covered all of his torso she swallowed and brought her eyes to his.
" Thank you for coming, " Quatre said in a voice no more than a whisper. Relena smiled then, and reached out to take his hand. Of all the Gundam pilots, Relena had found an unlikely friendship with Quatre. He had rallied the entire Winner Corp to her cause when times had been tough over the past few years, and had always been willing to give his advice if asked. She had seen him from time to time for casual visits; for lunch, or tea. He was, besides Dorothy and Noin, one of her closest friends.
" How do you feel? " She whispered, more out of fear of waking the others than of necessity.
Quatre grimaced. " I've felt better. "
" But you're okay, " Relena said, " and that's all that matters. "
He nodded and gestured to where Duo lay, " What happened to Duo? "
Relena frowned, " You don't know? "
" I've been awake for all of ten minutes. You're the first concious person I've seen. "
" Duo was shot. He was wearing some sort of body armor. " She said quickly, seeing Quatre's panicked expression, " so he's okay. He's a little bruised up, is all. "
Relief flooded into Quatre's expressive eyes, followed by grim realization. " An assassin? "
She nodded, " Noin and Duo think so, yes. "
" Why? "
Relena had her suspiscions, but she merely shrugged and gave him a reassuring smile. " We'll figure it out, don't worry about it. "
He smiled back, but his sober expression remained.
They talked then of more mundane topics. When Quatre asked her how about the ESUN, Relena hesitated. She didn't want to burden him with all her fears, but he was very perceptive and intuitive. And so she told him about the reports of dissent that were now coming in daily, and of Ambassador Rell's information about the Coalition. Quatre listened intently, betraying no outward sign of the pain he was in but for the occasional clenching of his fist. He was about to say something but was interrupted.
" Heya, Relena. I didn't hear you come in. Quatre! You're awake, little buddy! How do you feel? "
Relena inwardly cringed at the sound of Duo's voice shattering the silence of the room. Heero began to stir; raising his head. Quatre gave Relena a look signaling they would finish their discussion later. He turned his head to the braided pilot.
" I'm okay, Duo. How do you feel? "
Duo attempted to sit up, groaned, and collapsed back against his pillow. " Sore. "
Heero was fully awake now, and his gaze was fastened on Relena. She gave Quatre's hand a quick squeeze before releasing it and standing. " I should get going, Quatre, and let you guys catch up with each other. I'll be here in the city for a couple days at least, so I'll be back.
I'll see you later. " She gave a perfunctory smile to them all, and nodded at Heero and Duo before leaving the room. Outside, she took a deep breath to get her emotions under control and began walking towards the entrance.
" Relena. "
She froze, closing her eyes and berating herself for not running for the exit when she had the chance. She plastered a pleasant expression on her face and turned to face Heero.
************************************************************************ *************************************************************************** ****
Heero had been dreaming. He seldom dreamt, so the experience was a novelty to him. He was roused to reality by the cheerful sound of Duo's voice. He took a moment to clear his head before openeing his eyes, surprised at himself for falling asleep. He had been pushing himself rather hard of late, though -
All thoughts abruptly careened to a screaming halt as he found himself faced with Relena Peacecraft.
She was watching Duo, and was not yet aware that he was awake. Seeing her was like a shock to his system; it unsettled him, and he hated that. He was surprised to see that the past three years had changed her more so than it had the other pilots. Her hair was now short and cut pixie like to frame her face. There were small but visible lines around her eyes and the corner of her mouth. It was her eyes that betrayed the stress and turmoil of the passage of time; they were no longer held the naivete he had despised, or the ignorant hope they used to. They were calm, steady, and hardened. Relena had grown up. She had matured, yes, but it was more than that. She had lost the innocent air she had carried for so long, and now seemed saddened and somber. The last few years had not been overly kind to her.
It was then she noticed he was awake. She gave no indication of how she felt to see him, but she immediately rose to her feet and said her goodbyes before leaving the room. A second later Heero impusively stood, and ignoring the looks Duo and Quatre exchanged, left the room after her.
************************************************************************ *************************************************************************** ***********
He had stopped a few feet from her, his expression, as usual, unreadable. He said nothing, and so she did.
" Hello, Heero. "
" Relena, " he said again. A silence filled with tangible tension fell between them, until he asked, " How have you been? "
Miserable, she thought viciously. Miserable and afraid and paranoid, trying to hold up the peace you fought so hard for, and then disappeared. Instead she said in a brittle, cheery tone, " I've been fine, Heero. You? "
He ignored her question. " You've changed. "
" I had to. " She snapped, and then softened her tone. ": What I do isn't easy. "
" I know. " He said. ": You've done well, though. "
The urge to run far from Heero Yuy was growing inside her. He had promised her his aid when peace was finally achieved; promised to help her build the foundation for peace. Though she had wanted more from him at the time, she wanted his help just as much. And then he had left without a word, to cordone himself away from humanity and everything he had fought for. How little she had understood him made her realize that he was worlds apart from her, and that distance could not in this life be bridged. She tried not to resent him, tried not to wonder why he had run. Finally, she had decided not care. And while that never happened, she was able to create a protective barrier between herself and personal feelings. Feelings that had no business in the life of the Vice Foreign Minister. That barrier, however, was now crumbling around the edges. " Thank you. "
He said nothing else, so she took the opportunity to leave. " I really must be going, Heero. It was nice seeing you again. "
He took a step towards her, " Relena - "
" I'll see you later, Heero, " she said a bit wildly before turning on her heel and fleeing the hospital.
" It's nice to see you too, " Heero said softly, staring bemusedly after her.