(D2 Entry) Butterflies of the Night, ch. 7

[Fallen Angel]

Title: Butterflies of the Night
Author: Fallen Angel, fallen_angel_2012@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13 for the most part, but contains LEMON in ch 13
Categories: Alternate Universe, Series, Romance
Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing and am making no money from this. Don’t sue.

Chapter 7: Red Flowers

{


“It’s beautiful, isn’t it, Lady Une?”

Lady Une came to stand beside Lord Trieze Kushrenada and smiled. Out the window lay hills of rolling green, interspersed with colour where the orchards were. Occasionally a crane would soar into view, just before dipping to rest in the cool water of the lake. It was indeed beautiful.

But when Lady Une saw her Lord’s face, his frown indicated he felt otherwise.

“My Lord? Is something wrong?”

“If our enemies took this land, what would become of it?” Trieze asked his wife. “Would they destroy it in order to grow crops, or would they build houses everywhere to house themselves?”

“What makes you think such horrible things, my Lord?” asked Une, frowning in turn.

“This peace treaty of General Yuy’s. It will only end in our demise, I know it.” He sighed. “Peace is a nice ideal, but Yuy is young and na?ve. He believes himself to have the strength to overcome the will of our enemies…and the will of war. But he is a fool. Our enemies will only use this lapse in our defence to take control and overwhelm us.”

Lady Une reached across one pale hand to rest on her husband’s shoulder. “If that happens, my Lord, there will be brave men such as yourself to fight once again. You were successful in the past, and you will be successful again. I have faith in you.”

“But what if I no longer have faith in myself? And what of the soldiers who depend on me? I have lost too many good men in the past, I will lose no more.”

The look of determination on his face intrigued Une as much as it scared her. “What will you do?”

“Don’t worry about anything. Better that you don’t know, my Lady.” He made an effort to smile. “Have you heard anything about the marriage of our daughter?”

Mariemaia. The beloved daughter of Trieze and Une. Though she was from a previous marriage of Trieze’s, Une loved her as if she were her own and had watched her grow from a lively child into a well educated and spirited young woman. The world saw her as a woman, anyway, at 16 years old, but Une wasn’t so ready to concede to the fact and still had her hesitations about marrying her off so soon.

“What troubles you, my Lady?” asked Trieze upon seeing her expression. “You aren’t still worried about Mariemaia, are you? Quatre Raberba Winner will be a good match for her, as well as being a good alliance for our family.”

“They’re still so young, though. Mariemaia isn’t old enough to have discovered who she is or what she wants from life. And I’m sure Mr Winner would benefit from a few more years life experience. Couldn’t we wait until they’re a little older?”

Trieze shook his head. “One shouldn’t ignore opportunity when it presents itself. No one lives forever my dear. We can never know how long we may have to spend with our loved ones.” His eyes took on a certain distance and Une knew he was thinking of his first wife, Leia Barton, who had died a number of years ago. Une never doubted his love for her, but she knew he also regretted not being a better husband to Leia when she was alive.

“Changing Mariemaia’s future,” she said softly, “won’t change your past.”

“It may not,” he conceded, “but it is the right thing to do at this moment. Won’t you trust in my decision, my Lady? Haven’t I always known what’s best?”

“You have. I’m sorry for doubting you. And in answer to your question, Mr Winner has given his final acceptance. He hopes that we will bring Mariemaia to Kyoto soon to meet with him. He has bought tickets for the Kamogawa dances and hopes we will attend with him.”

“Kyoto, hm?” Trieze nodded. “Perfect. Tell him we’ll be there.”


{ { {


Relena saw Heero nearly every night after their first meeting, usually meeting at the Ichikoko teahouse to begin with, but after that, they always went for a walk beside the Kamogawa river.

Sally and Noin were ecstatic, not just because Relena seemed quite taken with Heero but that he seemed taken with her. It was only a matter of time, they were sure, before he proposed himself as Relena’s danna. And what a perfect match it seemed! Relena would return to the okiya early in the mornings with her face bright and blushing. Sally and Noin would share conspiratory glances: it was love, they were sure.

Relena, frankly, didn’t care what Sally and Noin were planning, as long as it meant she could be with Heero. Everything had changed for her since she met him; she felt as if she’d been reborn. Gone was her hate of soldiers, and her fear for the future. With Heero came a promise of peace at last, not just for herself but for all of Japan.

And it seemed he felt the same way. Each night he confided in her things she was sure he would tell no one else; his life as an orphan and in the army, life on the battlefield, his fears and his hopes. She took them all into herself and held them as precious gifts.

As tradition declared, though, he also presented her with tangible gifts. On the fourth night of their meeting, they were sitting in one of the rooms at the Ichikoko teahouse. Relena had just finished performing for him one of the shamisen pieces she would be playing at the Kamogawa dances in a week and a half when he presented her with a tiny red box.

“What’s this?” she asked. She’d received gifts before, but Heero didn’t seem the type and she certainly didn’t expect it from him: their relationship seemed to be deeper than that.

“Just open it,” he told her, the excitement on his face making him seem years younger. For a moment, Relena thought he seemed very familiar to her, but she couldn’t place it. Shrugging, she opened the box to reveal an elaborate hair ornament. It was a thin, black birch twig with an intricate carving on the end, decorated with bright red lacquered flowers. She was sure it was a priceless antique and must have cost Heero a fortune.

“Oh, Heero, it’s beautiful,” she said, turning the ornament over in her fingers, watching the flowers catch the light. She raised her hand to her hair to put it in, but he stopped her.

“Let me.”

Blushing, Relena handed him the ornament then blushed even further when he placed a hand beneath her chin to keep her steady while he slid the ornament into place.

“Beautiful,” he murmured.

“It is, isn’t it? Where did you get it?” Relena asked.

“I bought it here in Kyoto,” said Heero, “but I wasn’t talking about the hair ornament.”

He leaned forward and Relena held her breath. She knew what was coming, but didn’t know how to prepare for it. For all she was, and for all that happened to her, she’d never been kissed before. Sure, she’d been with her mizuage patron, but he hadn’t kissed her. And being with him had never been like this, with each nerve in her body tingling in anticipation as if it were on fire.

She closed her eyes and, on reflection, it was a good thing she did otherwise she might have passed out from sensory overload. The feel of Heero’s lips on hers, the warmth of his hand at her neck, the tingle of his fingertips on her neck was at the same time all too much and not nearly enough.

After a few more moments of bliss, Heero pulled away. “Relena…”

She opened her eyes. “Yes?”

“I’ve…I’ve never known anyone quite like you before,” Heero admitted. “I’m still not sure what I’m doing, or what I should be doing.”

Relena smiled. “That kiss was a good start.”

There was a brief moment of silence before they both started laughing. Relena was glad for the break in tension, though. She felt like the room was filling with too much emotion for either of them to cope with at the moment.

“A friend of mine said a gift was a good way to impress a girl you liked,” said Heero, still laughing. “If I’d known, I would’ve brought you a gift sooner.”

“Heero,” said Relena, mock-admonishing. “Aah, but it had to be one with this kind of flower,” she said, jokingly. “We had red flowers like this near where I grew up, so any other kind wouldn’t have impressed me as much.”

Heero stopped laughing straightaway. “I thought you said you were born here in Kyoto.”

Relena blinked. “Did I? Oh, I’m sorry. We’re always told to say that, since it doesn’t sound very exotic for men to hear we come from some little village in the middle of nowhere.”

“Where were you born then?” asked Heero, his voice suddenly very serious.

“I was born in a little village outside Hiroshima. I lived there with my brother Milliardo and his wife before he was conscripted. I still hope to find him someday…” her voice trailed off when she saw Heero’s expression. “Heero, what is it?”

He stood up and moved away from her, mumbling. “No…why didn’t I realise it sooner…?”

“Heero, what’s going on?” Relena demanded, also standing. He was staring at her as if she were a ghost, his eyes wide and disbelieving. She tried to move towards him, to comfort him, but he wouldn’t let her near him.

“Don’t you understand, Relena?” he asked her, almost angrily. “Haven’t you ever wondered why it seems like we’ve met before, like we’ve known each other before this?”

“Well, yes I have but…”

“You were fifteen,” he said sombrely. “Maybe sixteen. We’d just finished conscripting the men in town when we heard there were a few people living on small properties on the mountain slopes surrounding Hiroshima. Your brother was the first one we found and our leader, a man who I never really liked, threatened him when he refused to come…” he watched Relena’s breathing quicken and her face go pale as he told the story she already knew. “We rode away and, since I was lowest in rank, it was my responsibility to ride in the rear. I didn’t see you until you were right on top of me and, thinking you were an enemy, I pulled my knife on you. You were so young, so helpless, but you weren’t afraid. You…your face haunted me for years after. I still hear your words to me.”

Relena’s face went from shock to anger. “As I remember yours. You promised to kill me that day. Have you found a better way to do it, then? Gain my trust and love and then drive the knife home, is that it?”

“No,” Heero reached out for her this time, but she shied away. “I didn’t know you were the girl in the forest. If I had…I never…things would be different.”

“They certainly would. I never would’ve started trusting soldiers. I should’ve trusted my instincts.”

“Judge me if you must, Relena, but don’t judge my mistakes as if I were a soldier, Relena,” said Heero. “Your brother is a soldier, too.”

“Milliardo?” Hope filled her, dousing the anger. “He’s still alive then? Where is he?”

“Your brother is still alive, and a good soldier, well known for his bravery serving under Lord Trieze Kushrenada. As far as I know, he has returned to Japan and is awaiting relocation in Tokyo. If this peace treaty is successful, though, he will be allowed to return home.”

Relena’s heart filled with joy. Her brother. Her long lost brother whom she’d missed nearly every day of her life here in Kyoto. He was alive and maybe soon would be back with them and they could go home. Home, where Noin would no longer be just a maid and where Hilde could fall in love with whoever she wanted to. And where Relena could do the same.

But who did she want to be with now anyway? Her mind told her no one, but her heart said ‘Heero’. And he had brought her brother back to her in a way, and it wasn’t even really his fault in the first place. He was young, just obeying orders. And it was years ago…

Echoing her thoughts, Heero said, “It was four years ago…”

“I know, Heero,” said Relena, reaching her hand towards him. “And I can forgive you.”

Heero’s face lit up briefly, but just as quickly darkened again. “I wasn’t going to beg your forgiveness, Relena. I was going to tell you that, even though it’s in the past, I can’t bear the guilt and be with you at the same time.” He turned away from her. “It’s not worth it.”

Her hand fell. “What are you saying, Heero?”

“I don’t have to explain myself. I’m ending this, Relena, before we fall any further. I just…I don’t care enough about you to justify the guilt I’ll feel being with you.”

“No,” cried Relena. “You’re lying. I know you care about me.”

“Perhaps your skills with men are slipping, Relena,” said Heero curtly. “You forget what you are. What did you ever hope for between us, anyway? There could never be anything that lasted between us.”

Relena fell to her knees in dismay. She couldn’t believe those words were coming from Heero’s mouth, couldn’t believe they were real. But she refused to cry before him: she hadn’t all those years ago, she wouldn’t now.

“Very well,” she whispered. “If that’s how you feel. There were men before you and there will be others still. I will survive without you, Heero Yuy.”

She couldn’t see his face but she could tell from the way he stiffened that the words had cut through Heero’s lies and deeply affected him. But he wasn’t going to surrender, she could see, as he made his way to the door.

“Wait!” she called out.

He turned back and she raised her eyes to his as she reached up and pulled out the hair ornament he’d given her. “Here,” she said, offering it to him. “This gift was given in vain. You gave it in hopes of winning a heart you didn’t want or deserve. So I’m giving it back.”

It sat in her hand for a long time while Heero stared at it. Finally he said, “Keep it. As a memory.”

Then he slid open the door and, with the soft bang of it closing behind him, he was gone.

******************
I am so sorry about that last part: sad, wasn't it? Will Heero come back? Will Relena find a way to prove to him that the past is just that: the past? You'll just have to keep reading to find out!