|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
- Chimera of Life -
Story Two: Probe the Psyche
~*~
‘Where is she?!’ Heero
nearly overturned a table with barely contained anger. ‘How could she have
eluded twenty four cameras all over this house?!’
“Yo! Heero!” Duo ran into the
hall and then skidded to a halt as Heero’s murderous glare settled on him.
“WHOA! Hey! I didn’t do anything!” He held up his hands in total surrender
while his huge violet eyes showed playful panic.
“Just get out of my way.”
The words were low and barely got out of his tightly clenched jaw while he
walked past Duo.
Duo frowned and scratched
his head. “Eh… Heero… can I help?”
“No!” The growl sounded like
a lion’s roar and Duo’s eyebrows shot up as he followed Heero silently. “Duo
stay away from me! Dammit!” Where is she?!
It was just a grumble, but
Duo still heard it and he couldn’t help but smile. Plan B worked its charm!
Hehehe… Heero never even knew that he was the one who did something to the
cameras just so he could see how his friend would react. ‘And my, my… He sure
is responding quite to the point.’
Duo cleared his throat and
Heero turned around in anger. “I told you to-”
“You wanna find Relena?” Duo
grinned as he saw Heero do a double take. Bulls eye! His friend sure was having
a harder time covering his face with his unemotional mask. ‘Goody!’
“What do you know.” It was
more of a demand than a question.
“Well… since you told me to
leave you alone…” Duo turned sideways and then started to whistle. Hands
gripped his collar in a strangle hold and Duo felt himself being shaken.
“Duo, I’m not in the mood
right now so, if you know something, just spit it out and leave me alone.” Duo
really knows how to get him riled up- damn man knows that he’s partial to
Relena.
Duo nodded- if you call
barely tilting your head up and down a nod! He was suddenly let go, and the
glorious feel of air through his nose and lungs was enough to make him kneel
and praise the Lord.
“Now, where did she go.” It
wasn’t a question- more of an order.
Duo shrugged. “I know that
she likes making her art by herself… I thought I saw her walk into her shed
earlier.”
‘Art? What art?’ Heero
wondered. “The cameras didn’t show anything.”
‘Excuse… excuse… What’s my
excuse… ah!’ Duo smiled sheepishly. “Er… you see… uhm… Hilde and I kinda was
doing our… uh… thing… and I didn’t want you to get a hold of those
footage- Hey! Where are you going?!” Duo pouted as he watched Heero walk out of
the house without even answering. “Gee… Don’t I even get a thank you?!” Heero
didn’t look back at him, but he expected it. Then, with a shrug and a
victorious grin, he continued his trek to the kitchen.
…
‘What’s in there?’ The small
tool shed came in sight and Heero frowned as he tried to remember what he saw
in there nearly two months ago. ‘Nothing…’ If there’s nothing there… what the
heck is she doing in there? And… what art?
He heard a whirring sound
and didn’t even bother to knock when he opened the door. An eyebrow shot up
from beneath his tousled hair while his eyes stared at the sight in front of
him… Relena- and for the first time in nearly ten years- her legs were
uncovered for his eyes to see… The last time he’d seen her legs, he had been
too focused on his mission- and damn! She’s got legs!
He gulped, his throat
suddenly dry, and Relena? Relena hadn’t noticed that he came in and continued
to working on the vase, going round and round on the table with her hands
delicately curving it here and –
“Oh! Heero!”
The vase, already up to her elbow, became a lump of clay in less than a few seconds and slowly, the table stopped turning.
He looked up from her
perfect legs- thankfully the small table was situated between her open legs as
if inviting him to- damn! Did he say thankfully?! Heero forced his eyes not to
look down and focused on her surprised, mud streaked face instead. What the
hell was wrong with him?! Why’d he suddenly think of her like… Argh!
“I… ah… Is there any
trouble?” She wiped her hands with a damp cloth that hung on the backrest
behind her, and then quickly stood up. Her long skirt, hiked up her legs so she
could position the table between her legs, fell down with a swish. The shed,
already small, seemed smaller. She hated it when he surprises her like this!
He forced himself not to
think about it- no more! – and focused on the small figurines on the table near
him. “I didn’t know that you do…” Heero looked around. “This.”
Relena smiled happily,
finally settling her roundabout feelings. “It’s a hobby of mine. I learned how
to do pottery from Pagan to practice my patience. It is soothing.”
Heero looked at the small
pieces of clay and vases. He had wondered why there were new bookshelves in
this old shed. Now he knows…
“Would you like to look
around?” Relena hesitantly asked as she walked to Heero’s side. “They aren’t
much… more like a work of a fourth grader, but-”
“No… they’re…” He didn’t
want to say it but, as he looked at the pieces, the lines just right…
“Good.” More than good, actually!
Beautiful! And the mere fact that he usually does not have time to appreciate
art, then this…!
“Thank you.” Relena
whispered as the compliment washed over her like warm syrup over a hot batch of
pancakes. She took a few steps to stand beside Heero and then her eyes widened
as she saw three pieces she didn’t want him to see… But, too late… Heero walked
up to the first two pieces…
“I… I could never get them
right… It’s a bit hard, trying to do it by memory.”
Heero shook his head as he
reached for the other two pieces of small statues- Wing and Zero… She got them
right to the last detail- even the colors… What did she mean they weren’t
right? “Relena, the harshest critic is oneself.” He knew from experience,
missions, and more.
She was about to put away
the third piece when what he said caught Relena’s attention and she looked at
him. She saw something she couldn’t quite understand. “Why don’t you think
about what you said, Heero?”
He turned to face her and
was about to answer when the figurine on the lower shelf caught his eye. For a
moment, that terrible memory enveloped his suddenly numbed mind.
Relena turned, but she already
knew what made his face suddenly pale… The figurine of a dog and a little girl…
Granted that she only heard ‘a little girl and a dog’ without any other
description when she finally pried that little tidbit from Wufei… She just used
her imagination. When she was younger,
she had wanted a small dog, too… So she basically thought of herself and used
the image that came to mind to make this only single memory of Heero’s past
that she knew about.
“Does it remind you of
something?” Relena tried to venture through this choppy situation. Maybe if he
talked about it…
Does it remind him of
something? Almost all too well… Too much-
“RELENA! C’MON!” Duo
suddenly appeared from nowhere, grabbed her hand, and pulled her out of the
shed.
“Duo! What-?”
Hilde’s laughter rang out
while Heero’s eyes followed Duo and a too-stunned-to-struggle Relena. He saw
Relena stiffen when she saw the pool where Hilde, still in her clothes, was
swimming in, and before she could protest, Duo pushed her into the pool.
Her playful scream and then
the hearty splash made Heero smile. Funny… it’s the first time he’s ever smiled
after he remembered that little girl… He watched as Duo jumped into the pool,
still in his jeans and shirt, before he turned away from the happy scene and
faced the little girl’s figurine.
It didn’t look anything at
all like the little girl he knew. For one, this girl does not have a hat… but
the way the girl held on to the dog… the way the grass had flowers painted over
it… it just reminded him of her.
His first lesson about
emotions… and his last…
Now, as he looked at the
figurine, he couldn’t feel that turbulent emotion anymore… He felt more…
peaceful… For the first time… It wasn’t that he had forgotten. The pain was
still there in his heart, but it wasn’t as agonizing.
“HEY HEEEEROOOO!!!! COME OUT
OF THAT SHED AND JOIN US!!!” Duo’s yell carried itself three houses away.
Heero grimaced without its
usual malice then walked out of the shed to face the pool. “No thanks. Someone
must look after three adults who are making fools of themselves.”
Relena smiled at him,
feeling rather mischievous. “Sometimes, it’s better to be a fool than to be the
smart one. At least the fool gets to have fun.”
Hilde laughed. “Hear ye!
Hear ye! That’s telling him, Rel!”
Heero just shook his head
and sat on one of the seats around the pool, content to just observe the three-
although most of his attention was focused on Relena as she laughed, splashed
Duo with water and… everything else…
…
He watched as she lay on her
back to stare at the splash of colors in the sky.
“Relena, get out of there.
It’s getting cold.” Heero stood up and walked to the edge of the pool to glare
at her.
She just smiled at him. “No
thanks… I like it… I’m not cold.” Her waist length hair swayed with the small
ripples in the water… It was mesmerizing.
“You’re going to get sick.
Why don’t you follow what Duo and Hilde just did a while ago?” Why couldn’t he
just go in there and pluck her out of the water?
“Duo and Hilde were hungry.
That’s why they left. I’m not hungry and I’m not cold. Thank you.” She averted
her eyes from him while her hands danced by her side to keep her afloat.
She didn’t know that she
looked like a water sprite even with her ankle length cotton dress that was,
thankfully, double layered, or else, he’d be seeing more than he… Heero shook
his head. She almost looks surreal…
“Relena-”
“Heero, it seemed like only
yesterday when I picked roses for the house… and now its autumn… How time
flies, doesn’t it?” She glanced down at him once again. Somehow, it felt as if
she’s oddly not herself. Maybe because when you’re in the water, you feel…
light…
Heero nodded. “Yes. Now get
out of there.”
“No.” Relena answered
promptly, obstinately. “If you wish to leave, I am not stopping you.” God only
knew how much she tried to do that before, and she never had been successful.
Heero’s lips pursed. “When
did you become so stubborn?”
“Ever since I could
remember…” She closed her eyes, not really caring about the world at the
moment. “Why do you think I get into so much trouble? Because I’m stubborn…”
A cold breeze swept down
upon them. Heero’s hair swayed. Trained to endure all types of weather, he
didn’t care, but Relena shivered and it only took another breeze to make her
give up and stand in the pool.
“Okay, it’s cold… I’m
going…” Getting sick was not on her agenda. Slowly, she waded to the shallow
side, waiting for her feet could touch the tiles. She tried her best to keep
her skirt down until she finally reached the front of the stairs while Heero
glared down at her.
“Stop looking at me like
that. I’m doing what you want me to do- I’m getting out of the pool.” Relena
pouted as she took her first step, but her long, sodden dress, coupled with the
slippery tiles, made her slip. Her hands went out to grab the first thing she
could hold on to so she wouldn’t fall-
Hands.
Her tumble stopped. She
glanced up, thankful, and stared into Heero’s impassive face with the hint of
impatience in his eyes. “Come on. You can’t even get your balance straight.
That’s what you get for spending too much time in the water.”
There must have been
something wrong with her… there must have been something in the air, but as she
said before, it felt as if she wasn’t herself and she smirked at him. An impish
idea formed in her mind and before he knew it, she pulled him into the pool
with her.
They both fell down with a
loud splash. Relena quickly burst out of the water, unable to believe that cute
expression of wide eyed surprise on Heero’s face. It was the first time she’d
ever seen such an expression on him and she relished repeating the scene in her
mind while she laughed heartily, gulping down some water in the process. She
lost her balance, went down then came up sputtering only to face a wet, glaring
Heero… his hair nearly covering his face.
The sight only made her
laugh some more, even after his hand came up to comb back his hair. “You look funny! So that’s what you look
like when you take a bath.” She met his
glare with a wide smile.
“You’re going to be sorry
you did that.” Heero muttered, not feeling angry at all. Actually, he feels so…
alive! His whole body was tingling with anticipation.
“Yeah? And what will you
do?” Relena looked at him saucily. “I bet your gun is wet too.”
“I don’t need a gun to do-”
Relena’s eyes widened as she
saw his lightning fast hands spread out.
“This!”
A huge spray of water hit
Relena and she screamed playfully as she turned away, and tried to meet his
attack with some of her own. She knew that she couldn’t do it and dived into
the water instead to go behind him for a sneak attack. But Heero saw her and
did the same thing. She broke out of the water only to meet an empty pool. It
didn’t take a genius to figure out- Relena gasped as hands enveloped her waist
and a spray of water hit her face. Heero’s face loomed in front of her, a
playful smile on his lips.
“I’ve caught you.”
Relena grinned as she placed
her hands on his wet clothed shoulders. “Hmm… And what are you going to do
about it?”
His smile never left his
lips, but in a way, he didn’t know that he was smiling. All he knew was that he
felt so good, so alive. “I don’t know yet… I’m trying to decide whether to
torture you,” He sprayed water on her face and Relena instantly closed her eyes
before the water could get into her eyes. “Tickle you,” His grin widened as
Relena struggled and squealed in laughter when one of his hands, still on her
waist, started tickling her. He liked doing that- making her laugh. “Or…”
He stopped tickling her, but
the way he was looking down at her… She shuddered and couldn’t be quite sure if
that was the reason she was breathing as though she just ran a race.
A different smile lighted
her face… so different from what was usually on her lips that it… made him
catch his breath. He was beginning to feel dizzy, and he knew he was acting strange,
but he liked it… he wants this.
“Or what?” Relena whispered
as her hands slowly slipped down from his shoulders to his chest… she could
feel his hard muscles… his heartbeat… his hard nipples under her palm, under
his wet shirt… his heat seeping into her cold hands…
Stars slowly appeared
overhead while the moon waited for the wind to uncover its blanket of clouds…
His smile disappeared, replaced by a serious look and Relena suddenly noticed
how close he was to her… The way they stood was so much more intimate, just an
inch away with their lower torso meshed against each other… When was the last
time they were this close? Before he completely disappeared from her life
nearly ten years ago…
She moved her hands,
suddenly shy and touched his jaw instead. She felt how tense he was and hoped
that her own anxiety was not showing. “Heero… what are you thinking of?” Her
other hand brushed back a wet lock of dark brown hair from his face, as though
he was a little boy, but she was fully aware that he wasn’t. God! She doesn’t
want this moment to end!
“The last or…” Heero
answered. What was he feeling? He wants to hold her closer… to touch her lips
with his… As if his hands had a life of their own. One went around her sinuous
waist, to pull her closer to him... to take out that small agonizing distance
between them, while another hand went behind to the back of her neck to cup her
head.
Relena’s eyes widened but
she didn’t struggle… How many times had she dreamt and wished for this to
happen? She met his eyes openly, to show him that there was no hesitation- not
from her.
He didn’t think any more and
let his compelled instincts be his guide. Heero lowered his head and met her
soft, inviting lips. His eyes slowly closed, just as Relena’s eyelashes touched
her wet cheeks, and a sigh escaped from her lips into his.
Everything seemed so right…
as if this was what was meant to be… as if this was what reality should be…
Heero nibbled at her lower
lip and Relena opened willingly so he could plunge into her and take whatever
it was he needed, and more… She wanted him to take more. He tightened his hold
on her and her hands went around his shoulders to hold his head in place as
their tongue dueled, played, and sought…
Their foreheads touched as
they gasped for air, both almost lost in bliss and something they could not
understand. Relena’s eyes were still closed but Heero’s was opened to watch
Relena’s parted, red, just kissed lips, draw in her breath. He felt proud- so
wonderful- seeing how she struggled for air, though he was doing the same
thing…
She opened her eyes and met
his.
He slowly smiled at her…
She joyfully smiled at
him…
Everything was just…
perfect- at least, for now.
So this was why people touch
lips. He could still feel a slight, memorable tingle upon his lips and felt the
need to do it once again. “I liked doing that.” Heero drew back, just a small
distance away. He couldn’t seem to get his body to move far away from her.
“So did I.” Relena whispered
while her heart sang an indecipherable song.
They stared at each other,
taking in each other’s expressions, wanting to know where they stood now.
“I’d like to do it again…”
Heero couldn’t believe what he was saying, but he couldn’t seem to stop
himself. He really liked it. Kissing was weird but… wonderful… almost like a
very relaxing drug.
Damn but she’s loosing
herself in his Prussian blue eyes… Reason… she must remember… “Is that… what
you want? What you feel you want to do?”
She saw a moment’s
hesitation in his eyes and then he stared at her steadily once again. Heero saw
her flushed face, more beautiful to him than ever before… Right then and there,
he knew… A tentative smile left his face and he almost lied, but staring into
her blue green eyes… he couldn’t. And though he knew he could easily say ‘no’,
his body was likely to betray him by still taking her lips. What would she say
after she hears his answer? “Yes. It is…”
Relena moved forward as she
gently pulled his face down over hers. Where she got the courage to be so
forward, she doesn’t know… A woman in love was the only answer she could think
of… Oh, she was taking a risky step… but it sure was worth it. “Then… you have
my permission to kiss me anytime you wish, Heero Yuy.” She whispered her answer to his lips, her
warm breath tempting him once again…
“Relena...” He barely got
the words out before their lips met and they savored each other once again, as
though they could not get enough of each other… Something was happening to him…
His body was flushed and his jeans were suddenly so uncomfortable because of
the sudden heaviness- damn! What was this woman doing to him!? But he couldn’t
stop…
The water lapped against
them as it waved to the cold night air… Slowly, the moon’s face was unveiled,
and now, she shone upon the blissful couple.
“It’s cold.” Heero whispered
against her lips before interlocking it with his once again. How he knew, he
couldn’t be quite sure except that he shivered, for the first time in such a
long time…
“Really? That’s funny… I’m
warm…” Relena whispered back as she felt a burning sensation go up, down, and
all over her body. Her center pulsed, wanting more… such an aching pleasure…
‘JEEZE! ARE YOU GUYS STILL
OUT HERE??? COME ON OUT! IT’S FREEZING!!!” Duo cried out as he walked through
the path towards the pool while he shivered in his boots. “HEERO! RELENA!”
Heero and Relena jumped away from each other as the voice penetrated the thick, hazy fog that had enveloped their brain.
“I WANNA GO INSIDE! BUT NOOOO! HILDE JUST HAD TO SEND ME OUT HERE TO LOOK FOR BOTH OF YOU!”
The pool was set with an eerie blue light from the automatic underwater bulbs and Heero and Relena was an arm’s length away from each other when Duo came to view, pouting.
“Guys! What are you doing
still in that pool?! You’re going to get sick!” Duo scolded them as he held
onto the flashlight with shaking hands. Too irritated, he didn’t even question why
Heero was with Relena inside the pool!
A funny thought came to Relena and she chanced a glance at Heero. She grinned as he met her gaze and couldn’t quite believe her eyes when he gave her a wicked wink.
‘Message received, dearest…’
She probably looked stupid with that huge smile on her face but who cares!
The two faced Duo… then with
a battle cry from Relena-
Inside the kitchen, Hilde,
working with Maya over the stove, heard a distinctive-
“AAHHHHH!!!! NOOO!!! I’M
WEEEEETTTTT!!!!!!”