D?j? vu [part 2] (A.U.) NC-17

[melrose_stormhaven]

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Gundam Wing.
Author?s notes: *sigh* Finally, after more than a year, the second part. Anyway, this two-part is a prequel/teaser of sorts to an upcoming AU 1 x R fic of mine, Crimson Drowning. If the title hasn?t clued you in, it?s about vampires and vampire hunters. Yes, I am a vampire fan. No, I?m not a vampire.
Pairings: Heero x Relena and slight Duo x Hilde.
Warnings: Lemony-lime. And fluff. (OMG. I wrote fluff! I?ve never written fluff!)
Summary: A.U. Heero, Hilde, Duo are vampire hunters sent undercover to a small town. Heero?s cover is working in a bookshop, and Duo suggests they decorate the store for the holiday season. And where does Relena enter in the story? I guess you?ll have to read to find out. ^_^ Oh, this is mostly done in Heero?s POV.
For Caliborn and Andrea, my UA co-conspirators! And for Morrighan, one of my bosses at Club Beer. Last but not the least, Blackrose, for the wonderful book on New England.

Link for first part is here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2744326/1/

D?j? vu [part 2]


?Fine. Be Mr. Scrooge. Don?t blame me if your ghosts come haunting back.?

The Ghost of Christmas Past has haunted Heero before, many, many times, and in many, many guises, but today, it was as relentless and spiteful as the heavy snows that fell that Christmas Eve, seven years ago.

The weather had turned for the worse by the time they reached Relena?s home. Icy, snow-heavy winds swirled around them, tugging at their clothes viciously. When they finally went inside the apartment and out of their boots, it was already dark. Heero was shivering, but Relena, thanks to her coat, remained well-insulated, though she was just as covered with snow as he was.

Flipping up the switch, Relena laughed when he saw how he looked. ?Like a snow-covered squirrel,? she said, grinning.

She looked glorious, though, with her golden hair and her red cheeks, eyes bright with excitement. Heero felt desire rise within him as he remembered the fierce kiss she?d given him earlier. She?d been so passionate it both alarmed and pleased him at the same time.

The apartment was pleasantly warm, and it soon its heat warmed Heero as well. He shook the snow off his jacket, but did not leave it by the rack and instead kept it with him, slinging it over his shoulder. He wanted the jacket by his side at all times.

?I?m doing a bit of cleaning,? Relena said as she hung her sable cloak on a hanger perched on one of the rack?s hooks, ?so the apartment?s a little bare today. I even had some of the furniture cleaned.? She grinned. ?The only things left to me are my bed and my kitchen, and a few chairs and cabinets.?

?Cleaning on Christmas season?? Heero asked as his eyes swept over the room, noting the missing sofa, tables, and chairs, and the empty cabinets. Relena had really gone all out with her cleaning. She never did believe in half-measures.

?Silly, isn?t it? I?ll probably take more than a week before I get them back.?

?Where did you put all your books?? Heero asked. He looked around again. He?d been in Relena?s apartment many times over, and it was strange to see it bare of furniture and books.

?Oh, the books? I have them packed in a box, and left them with Mrs. Thompson, one of my neighbors.?

?I see.?

She smiled at him and patted a tall, wooden stool just beside a small, empty cabinet. ?Why don?t you sit down here and wait while I get dinner prepared?? She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, her lips accidentally touching his lips as she pulled away.

That was when Heero?s control snapped.

Relena was about to go to the kitchen, but Heero grabbed her by the arm and pulled her against him. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his face against her hair. ?Don?t go.?

He felt her tense for a moment, and then she took a deep breath, relaxing in his embrace. ?Heero,? she said in a quiet voice, ?I still need to cook.?

His lips brushed against the nape of her neck, and he could feel her shiver against him. ?I?m not hungry for food.? He tightened his hold around her and then, with one swift movement, he swept her off her feet and into his arms.

?HEERO!? Relena cried out, legs flailing in the air as Heero carried her, taking her to her bedroom. His bare feet made loud thumping noises as he crossed the wooden floors. She let out a rush of breathless laughter. ?What are you doing? Let me down. We?re supposed to have Christmas dinner!?

?This is your fault,? he told her calmly, ignoring Relena?s struggles.

?My fault??

Kicking the door shut behind him, he lowered her to the floor, but kept his arms about her. ?Your fault,? he repeated in a deadpan voice. ?You should have not kissed me like that.?

She looked up at him, eyes half-closed. Heero?s breath quickened at how beautiful she looked like that, even in the darkness, pale and delicate in his arms. His hand cupped the back of her neck, drawing her face closer. He kissed her gently on her lips. ?I want you,? he said quietly.

She opened her eyes. ?It?s dark in here,? she said. She pulled away from him, and she went to her bedside table, and turned on the lamp that stood beside a Cupid statue, illuminating the room in its dim glow. Then she turned to Heero, who was watching her intently.

She walked towards him, her steps slow and measured. Heero stood still, until she was finally in front of him. ?No,? she said softly, tilting her head slightly, as if she was thinking about something, ?I should have not kissed you like that.?

?Let me,? she said in a quiet voice, her fingers dancing against his throat, ?then show you how I should have kissed you.? Spellbound by the sudden desire in her eyes, Heero barely nodded, and with a wicked smile, Relena began to undress him. She first took his jacket off his shoulder, throwing it carelessly to the floor with a soft thump.

Slowly, she unbuttoned his shirt, placing soft little kisses on the patches of flesh being revealed. She could feel her smile as he gave a soft hiss when her lips brushed against his nipple. ?Relena??

?Heero,? she said softly, her breath warm against his bare skin. ?It?s okay.?
Then her hands drifted to his pants, fingertips ghosting over the rising mound of heat. With a brief tug, she had his belt off, then his buttons, and with a sharp pull, his pants and his underclothes. Placing a hand on his chest, she pushed him to the bed, making him sit on its edge.

Heero watched with fascination as Relena undressed herself before him, each movement smooth and graceful, slow and teasing, as if she was seducing him with every article of clothing she removed from her body. She had never been like this before, in all the times they had made love. The aggressive change in her made his heart race with anticipation and, for heartbeat, fear.

This was how he wanted to remember that night. It was Christmas Eve, and the woman he loved stood in front him, bare skin aglow against the lamp?s light. He reached out to touch her hair, running his fingers through them, and then encircling her in his arms. He drew her against him, and they tumbled into her bed, Relena on top of him, her long hair a golden curtain that shielded their faces from the outside world.

He lay flat on his back for a moment, content at looking at her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were shining. Then he leaned over to kiss her. She tasted of wine, of sugar and spices, warm and intoxicating. His hand cupped her breast, his thumb brushing against a nipple. He felt her moan into the kiss, and he slipped in his tongue, savoring the taste of her.

She then pulled away and sat up, almost straddling him. He closed his eyes as her hands began to move all over his body, touching and stroking him.

?I want you,? she said simply as her hands wrapped around him. He groaned at the touch. Then she looked at him straight in the eyes. ?This,? she said slowly, ?should be how I kissed you.? She then bent her head, her long hair brushing against his stomach, tickling him. By the time he realized what Relena meant to do, it was too late.

Heero breathed in sharply as Relena?s warm mouth engulfed him. He trembled as her lips slid back and forth against his length. All coherent thought fled from his mind, except for one: the knowledge that Relena was doing this to him. ?Relena,? he said in a hoarse voice as he tangled his hands into her hair, twisting and breathless in his pleasure.

He could feel the heat building within him, and he almost exploded then and there, but Relena pulled away at the last moment, leaving him hanging on the edge. He managed to sit up, wrap his arms around her and ask, ?Relena, what??

?Hush,? she whispered in his ear. He could feel her tremble in his arms, hear the rapid heartbeat in her chest (or was it his?). They were so melded together in the feverish heat of their bodies and passion that he could not tell which was his and which was hers. But it did not matter. Not now. Not ever.

?Let me love you, Heero. Just for tonight, please let me do this.? And with a swift, sudden downward thrust, he was sheathed inside her.

Heero thought he would die then, so overwhelmed he was. But then she moved.

?Relena!?

There were so many things he wanted to cherish that night, to remember, but what he wanted to remember the most was how hot, wet, and tight Relena was around him as she rode him, how sweet the pain he felt as she raked her fingers across his back in her passion, and how her flesh tasted of salt and honey when he bit her on her shoulder as he finally came inside her. How exquisite it all felt then, how right, and how perfect.

But want he wanted was never meant to be.

They collapsed on the bed, and for several moments, Heero was content to listen to the sounds of their breathing, to feel her damp skin against his, to smell the scent of rosemary in her hair. But the night wasn?t over. He still had something to do.

Gently disentangling himself from Relena, he rolled over and reached for his coat, which Relena had dropped haphazardly near the bed. From the corner of his eye, he could see Relena eyeing him a puzzled look.
Face hidden by the shadows, he slowly drew out the velvet box in his jacket and opened it. ?My Christmas gift to you. Merry Christmas, Relena.?

Relena looked at the ring, eyes wide. Against the lamp?s dim light, the solitaire diamond caught fire, a spark of brilliant reds and yellows in the darkness. She stared at it for a moment before she tore her gaze away.

?It belonged to my mother. It was her engagement ring.? He watched her face, gauging her reaction. Her blue eyes widened even more, then she flickered another quick glance at the ring, hands trembling slightly. ?It?s?beautiful,? she said softly, touching it with her fingertips. He felt her take a deep breath, her chest expanding underneath his hand.

?Heero??

Heero took her hand in his, and said in his gentlest voice, ?Will you marry me, Relena??

Come live with me and be my love/And we will with all the pleasures prove?Did the shepherd wait so long for his nymph?s reply? Heero never knew what waiting for an eternity meant until then.

?Heero, I?? Relena began, her lips curving to a small, sad smile. Even her eyes were sad and troubled. ?We?re only eighteen. We still have college. We have our whole life ahead of us. We have all the time in the world.? Her voice caught at the last words.

Heero touched her cheek, finding it moist and soft to touch. ?And I want to spend all it with you. No one else.?

Something flickered in Relena?s eyes, something Heero didn?t understand. ?You will?no?we will be together. But marriage is not something?oh Heero, being married to you would be wonderful, but we?re so young!? Relena slid out of Heero?s arms and out of the bed. She stood beside it, her naked body and her hair golden against the lamplight. Her pendant seemed to turn black against the light as it swung back and forth about her neck as she moved. ?I do want to be with you forever, I do, I do, you can?t imagine how much, but??

?But what, Relena?? Something black and sick twisted inside Heero, sharpening his voice.

She glanced away and gazed at the writhing shadows, black and gray against the bare walls. ?Right now, we are but shades of our true selves.? She looked at him, eyes bright. ?We?re chasing shadows, Heero. I love you. Always. We love each other. Isn?t that enough??

?Should it be??

A sigh escaped her lips. ?We don?t need to be married to be together, Heero.?

?It doesn?t have to be right now.? His eyes narrowed, suspicions forming in his mind. ?Or do you already have plans of your own??

To her credit, Relena did not look away. She lifted her chin. ?Yes.?

And with that one word, Relena destroyed his world. For a moment, Heero?s whole being went numb, and he could not mover or think.

She wrapped her arms around her, as if she was cold and needed warmth. ?I have to leave soon. There are things I have to do.? Before Heero could ask her where and why, her eyes softened, and she said, ?If you ask me to stay with you, I will. But I will not marry you.? Relena?s voice was barely a whisper. ?Please, Heero, if you truly love me, don?t ask me to stay. Don?t make me hate you.?

?And what about me, Relena?? Placing the ring on the bedside table, Heero stalked closer to her, his whole body tense with anger and fear. ?Is this why you insisted on spending Christmas together? Is that what this is all about? Because it?s going to be our last?? His hands reached out to grab her by the shoulders, the desire to shake some sense into her almost overwhelming him.

Relena took a few steps back, arms lashing out and knocking off the statue on the nightstand. It crashed on the floor, shattering into a several pieces of white porcelain. The shards gleamed wickedly in the light, sharp and dangerous to touch.

?Look what you?ve made me do!? Relena stared at the broken statue in dismay for a moment, then turned to a grim-faced Heero. Picking her way around the shards, she stepped closer to him. ?Whether it was going to be our last Christmas or not didn?t matter. I wanted us to spend Christmas together. I thought you wanted that, too.? She bit her lip and looked away. Then she began to weep, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Heero had tried to remain impassive the whole time they were arguing, to stop the rage and pain he felt inside, but the sight of Relena?s tears undid him. Relena never cried; he never thought of her as someone who did. ?Relena?? His throat was tight and dry, but he forced himself to speak again. ?Whatever your reasons are, I don?t want you to go. I want you to stay with me.?

Relena?s sobs stilled, and then she turned to him. Their eyes met, and for a moment Heero saw a hardness in her eyes, but it was gone in an instant, replaced by an expression of infinite sadness. ?I don?t want to go, Heero, but I have to. But as you asked me to stay,? she reached out and gently cupped his cheek, ?then I will.?

Startled at her sudden capitulation to his wishes, Heero opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when Relena held up her palm, then put a finger against his lips. ?No more, Heero. I?ve given my word. I?ll stay, for you. That?s the end of the matter.? She then drew away, and stood still in the darkness, shadows writhing around her. Her eyes glittered strangely as she continued, ?After all, promises are meant to be kept, aren?t they??
Then she slid beside him on the bed, her warm body pressing against his own cold one, and gently kissed his cheek. ?Let?s not talk about this anymore. I promise, tomorrow, Christmas morning, things will be better.? Then she kissed him fiercely on the mouth, like she did before, out in the snow, so Heero did not ask her any more. A strange, lethargic warmth settled over him, calming his emotions and soothing his doubts. Heero let himself drown in it. She had promised, and Relena kept her promises, always. It was enough.

I believed her. I was young then, na?ve, and in love. I loved her. She told me she loved me. She promised to stay. But I should have known.

When sun rose on that Christmas Day, and Heero woke up, he was alone. The snows have stopped falling outside, and the sound of silence filled his world. There was no one else in the room, save only a shattered statue on the floor, a cold ring by the bedside table, and a chair draped with a cream-colored sweater that smelled thickly of the bittersweet bite of sweat, sex, and most of all, of her?of them.

Relena was gone.

~*~*~*~

There are haunters of the silence, ghosts that hold the brain and heart:
In the mansion of my being they have placed a room apart:
There I hear their spectre raiment, see their shadows on the floor,
Where the raven, Sorrow, darkens Love?s pale image o?er my door.

~*~*~*~

?Where are the other decorations?? Duo said, his head buried in one of the boxes on the floor. When he lifted his head to look at Heero, there were bits of glitter stuck on his hair.

Heero gave a grunt, and shifted in his seat. He glared at Duo, suddenly at him for causing all the painful memories to surface. ?It?s in the attic. Isn?t the decorations enough??

Duo pointed at the medium-sized pine tree that would serve as their Christmas tree, its branches bare of decorations. ?That tree?s as bald as an egg.? He stood up and dusted the glitter off his head. ?Give me the keys and I?ll get it.?

?I?ll go with you.?

Duo raised his eyebrows. ?You?re helping us with the decorations??

?You won?t be able to bring them all down on your own, and I don?t want you breaking them.? Heero rose from his chair, ignoring the scowl Duo gave him.

Heero tugged the sleeves of his sweater again, adjusting it for the umpteenth time. He should really throw this old thing, had tried to several times, but he always changed his mind at the last minute.

With a sharp tug, he pulled his sweater over his head, and laid it on the chair. The attic was dusty; it wouldn?t do to get the sweater dirtied.

Heero grimaced at his thoughts. What a fool he was, even after all these years.

?Let?s go,? he said sharply, ignoring the sudden stab of pain in his chest. Duo and Hilde exchanged why-the-hell-is-he acting-like-a-lunatic glances. Heero ignored that too. Then he headed for the stairs, not looking back to check if Duo was following him or not.

~*~*~*~

?Oh damn, I missed it!?

Relena stared at the ?closed? sign hung crookedly on the bookstore?s picture window with dismay. She had run non-stop from her apartment to this place to catch it open before closing time, but all her efforts had been for nothing. She could feel the heat on her cheeks as she panted for breath, snowflakes swirling about her, melting in her hair.

She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the cold, sweet air. Then she sighed. It looked like she?d have to find the books she needed elsewhere. Christmas was just a few hours away, and she really, really needed to prepare her gifts for tomorrow for her colleagues. She checked her watch, and was relieved she still had an hour or so left to find another shop before they closed.

All this for Christmas gifts. I could be home sitting by a warm fire, but no, I?m here, shopping outside in this godforsaken winter weather, freezing my fingers off. How could I have forgotten my gloves? And why hadn?t I shopped earlier?

She glanced at the bookstore again. The lights were still on, and she could hear faint voices from inside. Maybe she still had a chance. Fingertips tingling at the icy feel of the glass, she cupped her hands over the frosted window as she peered into the store.

There was a girl inside. Relena recognized her immediately?Hilde, the slight, black-haired girl who was in her class a week or so back, before Christmas vacation started. That was a good sign.

Relena went to the door and rapped her fingers sharply against the glass. She waved her hands when Hilde turned to her. She pointed at the locked door, mouthing the question ?can I come in?? in an exaggerated manner as she did.

?Professor D! What can we do for you? Come inside so you?ll be warm,? Hilde said as she opened the door, chimes tinkling cheerily as she did. Relena quickly stepped into the store. Behind her, she heard Hilde close door, turning the lock with sharp click.

?I?m terribly sorry,? Relena said, ?but I was wondering if you?re still open. There?s some stuff I need to buy.? She smiled sheepishly, and then grimaced. ?Last-minute Christmas shopping. Christmas can be so troublesome.?

Hilde smiled. ?You and the bookstore owner would get along well. He doesn?t like Christmas, too.?

?He doesn?t?? Relena glanced at the store decorations, at the wreath of hollies and pinecones, the Christmas lights, and at the mistletoe hanging on a post above her head. A strangely familiar setting, like she?d been here before. It only took her a heartbeat to realize why.

The bookstore was different, of course, Pagan?s was bigger, and so were the time and location, but still?how long had it been since she last stood under the mistletoe on Christmas season in a bookstore? Had it been nearly seven years? She?d been so young and na?ve then, and so much in love.

?He did a good job in decorating, though,? she said idly. Despite her own reservations, she let her eyes wander further into the store, noting the books and other reading materials stacked neatly on the dust-free shelves like soldiers in the parade ground of old. In the cashier?s booth, a tall stool sat empty, except for a familiar, well-worn, cream-colored sweater draped over it.

Relena caught her breath.

Heero.

And then she could not breathe, and her heart fluttered in her chest like a bird struggling in her captive?s hands. Her hands sought the pendant underneath her clothes, her fingers curling around it, as if it were a talisman for protection. She was suddenly lost and far away, trapped in her memories, Hilde?s voice a fading whisper behind her.

?Oh, we did the decorations. Duo managed to beg him to let us decorate the place. Christmas wouldn?t be the same without them.? Hilde looked over her shoulder, her gaze going to the spiraling staircase that led upstairs, then back at Relena. ?Speaking of the owner, he?s upstairs with Duo to get some stuff. He?s closed for the day, but if you could wait for him, I?m sure??

?Oh, no.? Relena took a step back. She wanted to get away from this store and from the memories it invoked from her as soon as possible. Whether Heero was here or not, it did not matter. She didn?t want to know, did not want to find out. Stay in my memories longer, Heero. Stay there, and leave me alone. There are still promises I must keep.

?But,? Hilde stared at her, looking confused, ?don?t you need to buy something??

?It?s okay.? She spun on her heel, and made her way purposefully towards the door. She looked over her shoulder, smiled apologetically at Hilde, and added, ?I?ll just find something else to give the other professors. It?s already late, and I need to go home. Thank you anyway.?

Before Hilde could say anything, Relena opened the door, stepped into the cold night and walked away, disappearing into the darkness, her sable coat fluttering in the breeze like raven?s wings behind her.

~*~*~*~

Hilde watched Relena?s retreating figure and wondered why the professor was so eager to leave. Was it something she said?

?Hilde? Was there someone here a while ago? We heard the bell,? Duo said between grunts. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that he and Heero were busy carrying boxes of Christmas decors down the spiral staircase. Heero didn?t seem to find his load (which was a bigger box than Duo?s) heavy, but Duo panted like a bellows.

Hilde sighed, closed the door, and looked with dismay at the dusting of snow near her feet. Now she had to sweep the floor again. ?There was someone.?

?Who was it? Was it that sadistic bastard, Trowa? Isn?t that guy aware of holidays? I?m sure even whatever vampires are in this town are observing the holidays.? Duo dropped his box on the floor with a dull thud. Heero gave him a sharp glance as a rebuke, and then carefully lowered his box on the floor.

?Would you stop calling our Keeper a sadistic bastard? It wasn?t him. It was that professor of popular folklore I was talking about a while ago.?

?Oh. Why was she here??

?She was going to buy some books.? Hilde glanced at Heero. ?I told her to wait for you to come down, but she suddenly decided not to and left.?
Heero said nothing, but Hilde noted his eyes were suddenly darker than usual, as if he were remembering something. It was the same look she?d seen in his eyes a while ago, when she and Duo talked about the mistletoe.

?Well, her loss.? Duo pulled out some shiny Christmas balls from the box, grimacing at the sharp smell, acrid of mothballs. ?Come on. It?s only a few hours before Christmas, and we still have to make dinner, so let?s move!?

-end of D?j? vu-

Author?s note: I?m so evil, aren?t I? I?ve been writing all smut stories this year!

And so, you?ll have to wait for Crimson Drowning (CD) to know the full story behind this two-part prequel. I know some parts are very confusing (I should know, I got confused, too). I might change some stuff or instances though, in CD.

And if anyone hasn?t gotten it, the sweater Heero had been wearing in the present time is the one Relena had left behind. XD
The first part was the one that was most difficult to write. The sex was easier.

Where are the vampires?: Ahahahaha. Guess. :winks:

Crimson Drowning: I know, I know. I?ll post it as soon as I write it. When will that be?hmmm?maybe next month? Because I still have Unexpected Arrangements to write. XD And I have to work out the environment. I need that for atmosphere.

Crimson?s actually an original story I?m working on; I?m using the fanfic as writing practice.

Poems: Seeing that Relena and Heero are book lovers in this fic?and quite passionate, I decided to include some bits of poems?for me one of the greatest literary ways to express emotions. Poem credits go to Madison Cawein, a poet of exceptional talent and imagery. It?s an excerpt from Haunters of the Silence. Look for more of his poetry in www.horrormasters.com, in the poetry section. And if you don?t know the line from Christopher Marlowe?s and Sir Walter Raleigh?s poems, by GOD, where have you been? READ!

Flashbacks and lemon: Sorry, just flashback lemon for you guys! But at least Relena was on top and aggressive. And yes, this wasn?t a happy lemon. Andrea will kill me because of this, I?m sure.

Comments and Criticism are most welcome and appreciated. Flames will burn.

[takisha16]

OHHHHHHHHHHHH...EVIL!!!
I loved it that you updated!!
This is a great story!
I want Heero and Relena ro be together!!
The flshbacks/memories were awesome!

[star fighter]

I almost had forgotten about this story. I'm so glad you updated it. It's a very interesting prequel. I'm very curious to know why Relena had to leave Heero and how he will react when he sees her again. I'm looking forward to Crimson Drowning and Unexpected arrengements too, of course. Please, don't let us wait too much. Keep up the great work

[Morrighan]

Now you know it's mandatory that we get to read <i>Crimson Drowning</i> now.

Thanks for the dedication!

*feeds melrose's plot bunnies*

[blackrose]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaah! Why did Relena say no?!?! I sent you a book on New England so you could break them up?!?!?

Where's the rest?

*poke poke poke*

[melrose_stormhaven]

*gets holes from being poked*

At the rate I'm writing, I'll probably get the first chapter out this month. *crosses fingers*

Thank you so much everyone for reading!

[rain2cry]

You should really continue this. This is part of the reason I hate short stories, I always want to know what happens next and you could do so much with this. Please, think about continuing it, even if it's just for yourself for fun .

[melrose_stormhaven]

Hi!

I will continue this, but I'll be using a new title for this, which is Crimson Drowning.

So don't worry!

[rain2cry]

Hi!

I will continue this, but I'll be using a new title for this, which is Crimson Drowning.

So don't worry!

Ah....and there is joy is to the world!
Can't wait to see more!

[Nihal]

I will continue this

well I really hope you will...because I liked this story from the beginning (and it was a year ago or so) and I'm not a nice person when I'm disappointed mhuahuaha (psycho laugh) ... no wait! don't call the neurological war! I was only kidding! hey!