Behind Darkness' Mask 2/?

[Gundam Girl]

Author's notes:

Black Rose, paly, I want to apologize. First off, I AM deviating from the script, (but so do you in "Missing By A Mile,") and 'Bob' will not be making an appearance in this fic.

Disclaimer: Not mine...none of it...you people are evil, because I can't even PRETEND they're mine!

*~Behind Darkness' Mask~*

His heart no longer beat at the quick pace it had in her presence. Now he was alone, without her, and in fact, it seemed he had no heart at all, except for those little shattered pieces that had gathered at her feet in the garden.

Why had he been so. . .so. . .trusting? That was never what Dr. J told him to do. He wasn't supposed to trust anyone. Not even his so-called "friends."

Now, he was being foolish blaming them for his unsuccessful attempt to prove his love to her. But he needed to go. He needed to ask questions.

No, it was lost. Everything was over. But he had promised Quatre, and so he made his way in his red Lambrigini toward the Winner Estate.

When he pulled into the long drive, there were men in light blue suits (Fed Ex, maybe) scurrying in and out of the house. In the doorway stood Quatre Raberba Winner.

"Now please mind the woman inside with the snacks," the blond Arab said to them. "She's moody right now."

Heero glanced at him through his sunglasses. It took him a moment, but Quatre's face burst into a smile when he saw him.

"Heero!" he exclaimed. "Hi! Where's Relena? I would have thought she'd be with you. . ."

"I," Heero began, and was cut off.

"Oh, it doesn't matter," Quatre rushed on cheerfully. "Come inside, Sarah's in there, and Duo and Hilde are here."

Heero felt his stomach drop. No way in heck. Duo was so not getting the news this early. But before he could protest, Quatre had ushered him inside and into the living room where Duo and Hilde were lazily drawn across the couch while a pregnant Sarah sat in an armchair with a small bag of potato chips.

"'Sup!?" Duo asked the moment Quatre had announced, "Look who's here?" "How'd it go, pal? Where's Rellie-girl?"

Hilde grinned. "It's great that you two are finally gonna get together."

Sarah paused, her hand half-way into the bag. She was the first to notice Heero's gaze, the other three too jovial to find the feeling lay stretched out before him. "What's the matter, Heero?" the brunette woman asked. Her aqua eyes shimmered expectantly.

Heero watched her for a moment, seeking understanding, but he felt he'd have to say the words aloud. "She. . .said no."

The chatter stopped abruptly, and Duo's eyes bugged in realization.

"No?" he echoed. "How could she say no?"

"I mean she said no," Heero told him flatly, his hands bunching in the depths of his pockets. "She doesn't love me."

Hilde stared. Even though she'd known Heero for nearly eight years now, this was not him. The Heero Yuy she'd promised was loved by the Vice Foreign Minister had never looked so.defeated. "Heero," she said softly, ". . . .I'm sorry."

He turned to Quatre. "You wanted to know how it goes. Well, that's how it went. Bye." As he turned to leave, Sarah stood as fast as she could being eight months pregnant.

"Wait!" she called. "Heero, stop. This isn't over. She could surely-"

"Surely." He snorted. "It's so cheap, being sure. You were all sure, after all."

Sarah's arms fell to her sides as Quatre said, "But you love her."

Heero did pause at that. "Yes, I do."

"So you're giving up?!" Hilde cried.

"I don't see any other options."

"Like hell you don't!" Duo scolded him. "Give it a rest pal. For ten years, TEN YEARS, you've tried to pull this jack on me. I'm not gonna let you be a stupid fool anymore, Heero. When you're in love, you go with what you choose to believe in. And you believe in Relena's love!"

Heero turned to look at him. "It's not. . . " He hesitated. "It can't be this way anymore, Duo. It'll go away."

"That's a lie!" Duo shouted furiously. "You've always said to everyone -to Trowa, to Zechs, to me when I was too afraid to propose to Hilde - to always act on your emotions. Well, now Heero, you're going against your own advice. Because you're RUNNING from your emotions!"

The fists still in Heero's pockets trembled. "And why shouldn't I?!" he shouted back. "It was definite you loved him!" he spoke to Hilde. "She told you so before you even considered proposing, Duo!"

"Yeah, but I was afraid. And now you're afraid, and you run! You run from your desires! You've never desired anything for yourself when you're the most deserving!" He voice softened a bit. "And when what you desire is Relena, you decide to give up with a single rejection."

He looked away.

"Heero," Sarah said softly. "Let us try to help. We. . .or at least I, can help you figure something out. We don't want you to end up like this, lonely."

For moment, he could've sworn the devil was grinning gleefully at him. "Do you know what she did?" he asked softly. "No, you couldn't know, but. . . She laughed at me, at the thought that I could be in love with her. She thought me a fool, as though I was some animal incapable of true human emotion. She didn't say these things, but God help us, I could tell she'd been thinking that since she met me. And since I met her. . . " He looked at Duo. "You're right. I have desired her." This time he met Sarah's eyes.

"What can you do?"

***

"This is rather ridiculous."

Pagan watched the young woman pace the carpet for the twentieth time. "Personally, I see nothing wrong in attending, Miss Relena."

"I see everything wrong," she replied nervously. "Normally, I'd be delighted, but 'he'll' be there. Pagan," she turned toward him, "I don't love him."

He'd heard that five times within the span of fifteen minutes when he'd delivered Mrs. Winner's invitation into her hands. "It's just a ball, Relena. Better yet, a masque. If Master Yuy is in attendance -which is highly doubtful, Miss, as tenacious as he is- he won't recognize you."

Relena looked at him, dread eating at her as the truth of the words hit her. "Yes, but I'm not a masque person. I've nothing to go as. I'm not really a mysterious woman."

"Who said you had to be?" He smiled. "You wear a nice dress, find a mask, and wear them. It's simple."

She looked again at the letter in her hands and blinked. "There's something in here." she muttered, pulling out a second piece of paper. Her eyebrows arched. "Costume suggestion from Sarah." A small smile appeared. "It's a lovely idea, really. I just don't know if-"

"Miss Relena, go," Pagan said encouragingly. "If you really want to leave, place a call, and I will come to get you as soon as you like."

She sighed, defeated. He was lucky to know exactly what to do. "All right," she surrendered. "This might even help me get over the events of this morning." And Relena turned towards the stairs to prepare her costume for the following evening.

***********************************

GG: Bleh, short chapters. Darn, well, chapter three will be much longer, and you can expect more excitement to happen, trust me. For the Black Rose, I hope she isn't too mad at me for the whole "happily ever after thing."

Love to all! REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Elyn Yuy]

To sad.

Angst, bubble shrinking, in head. GOing to cry.

Elyn Yuy

[Morganeth]

^_^ you must post more soon, this story has caught me! I can't wait to see what happens next, and I'm seriously hoping Relena's going to change >_< she makes me quite bitter right now ^_^

Excellent writing ^_^ I like you're Heero, he's really well written

Morganeth Taren'drel

[Gundam Girl]

Thanks! I'm about to post the turnpoint chapter next.

[blackrose]

*pokes you with cattle prod*

ZAAAAAP!

GG: Aaaaaiiiieeeee! Don't DO that.
Rose: You deviated from the script. *glares*
GG: You're mentally unbalance, you know that?
Rose: *manic gleam* Yes. And I have weapons. *evil grin*
GG: O.O;;;

[Shinigamigrul]

Post more or i might be forced to eat YOU!!!. ^_^;;;um yeah sure where did that come from.........great story.............

[Eienvine]

Woohoo! I'm so delighted by this story. Oh, Heero, the poor sap . . . and Relena, how could you not love him? He's so cute when he's pining. Ja vohl, GG.

[Gundam Girl]

He's so cute when he's pining.

That he is. ^_^ Thanks for liking, all!