Around This Life chapter 6
Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2003 8:28 pm
AN: WARNING: You WILL want to beat the tar out of Relena?s mother by the end of this chapter. Also, it is highly likely that you will go, ?squeeeeeeeee!!!? during an interaction between Trowa and Relena. Execpt for Rose.
(btw, I may have spelled Noin's name wrong, but I don't usually use her first name so BACK OFF *cough*)
You have been warned!
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I just love to write. A lot.
Around This Life
Chapter Six
I did not want to eat dinner. I had already eaten dinner. I had already dealt with enough of Mother?s cynicism and her friends? scrutiny. I did not want to eat dinner with them.
I did not want to even be in the same room with them.
Yet, I was sitting smack-dab in the middle of the table. Right between Mrs. Tansin and Mother. And across from Mr. Barton.
So, I stared at my plate.
Steak. Potatoes. Salad. Caviar.
I hate caviar.
?What a delightful dress, Miss Relena! I hope you will wear one just as impressive at the engagement party??
Shut up, I thought. Please, shut up.
Mother?s guests were bombarding me with questions. Questions about my career, my plans for the future, what I intended to name my children. Actually, they told me more than asked me.
?Of course she will!? Mother interjected, ?My Relena is always impressive. Why, as soon as he saw her, Mr. Barton was quite taken with her! Isn?t that right, Mr. Barton??
At this I looked up, and for once, Mr. Barton wasn?t looking at me.
?You?re daughter never faltered, Mrs. Darlian,? he replied, and I felt a weight drop into my stomach.
Never faltered? An image of myself the previous night drifted through my mind.
Did he just lie?
I glanced at Mother and saw her smile broaden. ?No, she didn?t,? she turned her head to look at me, ?She was quite charming and becoming when they first met.?
My eyes squinted at her. What was she up to? She was talking like Trowa and I had known each other for years, but we?d only met the previous night.
Had she?had she planned?
?My Relena was so taken with him as well, you must know. Their eyes were drawn to each other, like long lost lovers, finally reunited!?
A chorus of ?Aww?s? and ?Oohh?s? followed Mother?s statement. My mouth stayed shut, though I longed to shout obscenities at the lot of them.
Briefly, I wondered what Trowa must be thinking of this.
?Miss Relena, you are not eating! Are you unwell??
My head jerked in the direction of the voice and the pale, powder-covered face of Mrs. Swan looked intently at me, expecting an answer.
?No, I am not unwell,? I said, somewhat weakly. The events of the day (and the seemingly endless night) had made me tired, but not ill.
?Well then, what is the matter?? she asked again. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
He was looking at me.
I refused to look back.
?There is nothing the matter,? I said through as big a smile as I could muster, ?I am just nervous, that?s all. This has all happened so fast-?
?Fast? What do you mean fast?? Mrs. Tansin cut in with a laugh. ?Your mother told us you have been together for three months now!?
My eyes widened.
No way.
I looked at Mother, and her expression held a number of warnings.
No. She couldn?t have.
No?freaking?way.
?I don?t-?
?Three months seems like so little in matters like these,? I heard Mr. Barton say. ?I once heard that love is timeless, and is not bound to the rules we live by.?
Another chorus of ?Aww?s? and ?Oohh?s? sounded throughout the room, but I remained silent and stared in disbelief at that man across from me.
What the hell was going on?
?Excuse me,? I said suddenly, standing abruptly from my seat, ?I believe I must leave the table for a moment. It seems I really am unwell.?
?That?s fine dear,? someone said, but I didn?t care who. As soon as I was fully upright I was heading out of the room, toward the servants? exit door so I could get some fresh air. Once outside, I took several deep breaths in a futile attempt to calm myself down. When I realized it wasn?t going to work, I tilted my head back and screamed.
Who the hell did they think they were?! And what the hell did they think they were doing, telling me how to live my life?
My hands clenched into fists and I stood ramrod straight with my face still pointed toward the sky. There were a lot of stars out, and out of sheer luck I saw one falling for a second.
Duo once told me that if I wished on a falling star, my wish would come true.
I wished he was there with me.
The sound of the door opening and closing behind me caused my head to drop, then turn to see who had come out after me.
It was Mr. Barton.
?You!? I yelled, spinning around. ?Who do you think?Why did you?What the hell were you-?
?There?s no need to yell,? he said calmly. I wanted to scream again.
?No need to yell?? I repeated, feeling an extreme need for sarcasm. ?Would you prefer that I sing to you all the ways you?ve just upset me? All the ways you?ve just committed an act of evil by openly lying like that??
The blood was pumping rapidly in my veins, and I could feel the heat on my face as I literally shook with anger.
Mr. Barton?s expression didn?t change. He still stayed calm.
?If you had listened more closely, you would know that I was not lying.?
I scoffed and threw my arms up in the air. ?Oh, excuse me, then. I didn?t know I was so def!?
?Please do not assume that I meant to insult you. My intention was to help, not harm.?
?You can help me by leaving me alone!? I yelled. With that, I turned and ran in the opposite direction, towards the garage.
I needed to vent.
And I knew exactly where to go.
* * *
?I?m sorry, Miss Relena, but it?s late and-?
?Let her in, Marve, she is obviously distressed.?
?But, Mrs. Noin, you need your rest. You can?t be conversing at this time of night! What would Mr. Milliardo say??
?That?s ?Zechs?,? a deep voice interrupted, ?And you will never refuse my sister access to my house.?
The servant who?d answered the door wisely stepped aside, and at last I was able to walk through the giant oak doors and feel the embrace of my brother and sister in-law.
Mother had first been married to a rich bureaucrat named Peacecraft, but he died before I was old enough to remember him. She never told me his name, since she had remarried a few years later and I was raised as the daughter of William Darlian. She did not want me to disgrace him, she had said. Milliardo objected to this, (very passionately, I might add,) and completely separated himself from Mother as a result. He kept the name Peacecraft, but had his first name changed to Zechs. Apparently, it had been a nickname given to him by our father. Mother had never liked the name. I still called him Milliardo.
He and I stayed very close. Apart from Duo, Milliardo and his wife, Lucretzia Noin, (who kept her name to honor her own father) were the most important people in the world to me. Their compassion and understanding was my only lifeline, and they were the only people that had never judged me. When I went to them that night, it was my sincerest hope that they would understand. Somehow, they did.
?Calm down, Relena,? Lucretzia was saying, as my chest heaved and tears fell from my eyes. I had just told them all of the events of the past twenty-four hours. ?This will all be all right. You?ll see. Though, I wish you had come to us sooner.?
?How could I?? I cried, ?I don?t even know what I?m doing anymore. This is all driving me crazy and it has only been a day. A day!?
We had moved into the dining room of the Peacecraft manor. My father had left it to Milliardo when he died, even though he was just a boy then. I never understood this, but I wasn?t about to complain. It was a beautiful estate, and my brother deserved it for the way he?d been treated by Mother.
The three of us sat around one end of the table and were served with a rather delicious wine. Being full, I declined the piece of chocolate pie Lucretzia had offered me and let my mind drift. I was taken back to a time when Duo and I had been eating chocolate pie together and I?d gotten some on my nose. It was only there because Duo had tried to put a very large piece in my mouth and was trying to make a joke out of it. Rather than use a napkin, he cleaned off my nose by nibbling on it, and when Mother found us there was Hell to pay.
The thought of my mother made me turn my head away from Lucretzia?s caring eyes. She smiled at me and brushed a fallen lock of hair behind my ear. Tenderness was her greatest gift, Milliardo had said once. He?d been right.
?If I remember correctly, inspiring such emotions is your mother?s forte,? she said. At this I had to laugh.
?Oh, I can assure you that she is getting much more efficient at it.?
Milliardo whispered something into his wife?s ear and she nodded in response. She cupped my chin with her hand and turned my head back toward her.
?Relena, do you want to marry Duo??
The look in her eyes was serious, and it made me feel suddenly uncomfortable.
?Yes,? I said, as calmly as I could.
?If you want something, Relena, go and get it. There is a way. You just have to find it.?
I made no effort to hide my confusion. ?What do you mean??
She glanced at Milliardo and then back at me before saying, ?We can help you, if that is what you really want.?
I blinked at her.
?You can? I mean, you would??
She nodded. ?Yes, of course. Building a life with someone is a choice that you should make, not your mother. It?s not right for her to do this, and if you want us to, we will help you build a life with Duo, without her.?
I couldn?t move.
They would help me?
?I can?t?I can?t believe it!? I exclaimed, then rose from seat so I could embrace them. Lucretzia laughed a few things into my ear and placed a kiss on my cheek, smiling at me the way she had when she?d asked me to be her Maid of Honor all those years ago. She was the only person I?d ever heard of asking a fourteen year-old to accept that title.
Then again, she?d only been eighteen at the time.
They walked me to the door, asking over and over if I was sure I wanted to drive home (something about wine and driving, but I?d only had a little.) After assuring them that I would be ok, Milliardo pulled me to the side for a quick piece of advice.
?Whatever you do,? he said quietly, ?Don?t let her tell you how you feel. Only you can decide that. Stay calm, and remember that there?s always a way.?
I smiled whole heartedly at him. ?Thank you,? I said, and embraced him as tightly as I could. As I was walking back toward the car I?d, um ?borrowed,? I couldn?t help the feeling of relief that washed over me.
There?s always a way, my brother?s voice kept telling me. It repeated itself all the way back to my mother?s house, where I knew my only challenge was waiting for me.
Probably looking for his car.
* * *
The door to the car closed quite a bit louder than I?d hoped, but at least it was closed. It?s entirely too difficult to sneak your stolen fianc??s car back into your mother?s garage after you?d just been drinking. Maybe the wine had been a bit too much.
?I had a feeling that?s where it went,? a voice said. A new, somewhat arrogant side of me decided it was time to tell this voice off. After all, I?d just solved my problems. Sort of.
?Well, that?s what you get for lying, Mister Barton.?
I made a point of emphasizing his name because of the moment that had passed between us earlier. To think I?d actually felt concerned about his feelings, when he?d been nothing but a liar all along!
There was a long pause before he said, ?Finally.?
I turned to look at him, puzzled. ?Finally??
His expression was unreadable. ?Finally, I?m able to see the girl I came here for.?
Something sucked the air from my lungs. ?Huh??
He bowed slightly and said, ?It?s an honor to finally see you again, Miss Relena Darlian.?
I gaped at him. ?What?what do you mean, ?finally???
All of a sudden I noticed how close we were. I hadn?t even been paying attention before.
Why did I care now?
A heat surrounded my hand and shot up my arm, as I felt his right hand close around my left. He brought it up between the two of us and held it gently in front of his face, staring at the back of my fingers. I felt frozen in place as he asked, ?How does it feel??
Something in my chest was tightening. I swallowed before asking, ?What??
He gazed at the back of my hand. ?To be free??
Again the air was taken from my lungs and then another feeling, one I refused to accept, swept through me as he brought my knuckles to his lips, then released my hand and walked away.
That moment was when I truly realized that time doesn?t mean a thing.
And quickly denied the fact that I was blushing and couldn?t breathe.
* * *
For the third time in two days, the door to my room clicked shut behind me as I locked myself away from the world. What an evening! First, there was Mother. Then, there were the Gossip Mongers. Then, Milliardo and Noin. And now, there was Mr. Barton.
Mr. Barton?
Oh, what had I done?! Were Duo and I so foolish as to think that we could deceive all these people in such a way and not cause any pain? Neither of us had given a thought to Trowa?s feelings. Neither of us had cared. And tonight?God, tonight!
What if I ended up leaving Mr. Barton?s heart broken? What would I do then?
The thought of causing someone else pain made my stomach hurt. How could we be so cruel? How could I be so ignorant? So irrationally stupid?
My mind went back to the moment when his lips touched my skin.
God, what is wrong with me?! I placed my hands on my face and tried to take deep, slow breaths. This wasn?t the time to go ballistic. I just needed to call Duo. Yes! Duo would know what to do.
Yet, I didn?t move. I stood by the door and stared at the phone. It would be so easy to call him, to get all the answers from him, but that wasn?t fair. I was in this too. Certain decisions would have to be mine.
As I stared at the phone, my only way of communicating with Duo from inside the house, I wondered. Why did I care so much? Mr. Barton and I weren?t closely connected. We had only known each other for one twenty-four hour period. Why, then, did I care so much if my actions hurt him or not?
Because I?m that kind of person, I said in my head. I care about everyone, even people I barely know. Of course I would be concerned about Mr. Barton! He doesn?t know that his hand is eventually going to be refused. Who wouldn?t be concerned about his feelings?
Again, my mind drifted back.
?My name. Please say it.?
??Trowa.?
I ran my hands through my hair.
?Leave me alone,? I whispered to the memory.
There was a knock on my door.
?What is it?? I asked.
?It?s your mother,? an icy voice called through the door. ?You and I need to have a discussion.?
My eyes clenched shut. ?It?s late. Come back in the morning.?
?No. You and I need to talk now.?
Mumbling inappropriate words to myself, I walked over and opened the door. Mother slithered in without any invitation and stood in the center of my room, looking around as though she?d never seen it before. I sighed and closed the door.
She sniffed the air, then smirked. ?Mm. So, this is the scent of defeat.?
I spun around. ?Excuse me??
She chuckled and looked at me like a queen inspecting a peasant. ?I knew it would be easy to get rid of Maxwell, but I didn?t think it would be this easy.?
I glared at her. ?What?s that supposed to mean??
?You don?t want him anymore.?
?What are you talking about??
She laughed again. ?Don?t tell me that you?ve been acting properly to please Duo??
I bit back the remark that came to my mind.
?You?ve been trying to impress Mr. Barton.?
This time I laughed. ?What??
?Come now, Relena, don?t play dumb with me. You completely conformed in just one day! There?s no way you would have done that without freeing yourself of Maxwell. You want Barton.?
?How dare you!?
?Are you trying to tell me that you don?t like Mr. Barton??
?I don?t-? I stopped, suddenly unable to finish.
?You can?t say it, can you?? She grinned. ?You like him. You like him and you won?t admit it.?
?No!? I exclaimed, ?That?s not true. I feel compassion for him because of the lies you told tonight.?
?Is that compassion, Relena, or just plain passion??
I gawked at her. ?Pardon me, Mother, but how can that be possible? We?ve only known each other for one day!?
?And one night,? she interrupted. ?Or should I say, two nights.?
?You?re disgusting!?
?And you?re wrong,? she said, her voice finally lowering to a suitable level. ?Wrong about your feelings for Barton, that is. You may not like it, you may not even realize it, but a part of is drawn to him and a part of you wants him.?
?Get out!?
?Admit it.?
?Get out!?
The sound of her hand smacking across the side of my face effectively silenced me.
?Don?t you EVER tell me what to do! You are in MY house, and your foolish attachment to Maxwell has already cost you a chance at one good marriage. Don?t screw it up again with Barton! My word, a whore would have made a better daughter than you, because at least a whore would know a good opportunity when she sees one!?
She huffed and stormed out of the room. Long after she was gone, I stood still in shock of what had just happened. She?d hit me. Worse than that, she?d been right.
Oh my God, she was right.
~~~~~~~~~~
I TOLD YOU you would wanna beat the tar outta her.
And I TOLD YOU you would go, "squeeeeee!!!"
This last part was originially going to be the beginning of the next chapter, but then inspiration bit me in the eye and I decided to put it on the end of this chapter.
Never, ever get bit in the eye by inspiration, because then you see it EVERYWHERE.
***Little sneak peak so you don't start burning anything (like doggie poo) yet: Very, very romantic scene in next chapter. All I'm gonna say is, HARP.***
Buahaha!
~Litia
*runs from SimplyTurquoise*
(btw, I may have spelled Noin's name wrong, but I don't usually use her first name so BACK OFF *cough*)
You have been warned!
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I just love to write. A lot.
Around This Life
Chapter Six
I did not want to eat dinner. I had already eaten dinner. I had already dealt with enough of Mother?s cynicism and her friends? scrutiny. I did not want to eat dinner with them.
I did not want to even be in the same room with them.
Yet, I was sitting smack-dab in the middle of the table. Right between Mrs. Tansin and Mother. And across from Mr. Barton.
So, I stared at my plate.
Steak. Potatoes. Salad. Caviar.
I hate caviar.
?What a delightful dress, Miss Relena! I hope you will wear one just as impressive at the engagement party??
Shut up, I thought. Please, shut up.
Mother?s guests were bombarding me with questions. Questions about my career, my plans for the future, what I intended to name my children. Actually, they told me more than asked me.
?Of course she will!? Mother interjected, ?My Relena is always impressive. Why, as soon as he saw her, Mr. Barton was quite taken with her! Isn?t that right, Mr. Barton??
At this I looked up, and for once, Mr. Barton wasn?t looking at me.
?You?re daughter never faltered, Mrs. Darlian,? he replied, and I felt a weight drop into my stomach.
Never faltered? An image of myself the previous night drifted through my mind.
Did he just lie?
I glanced at Mother and saw her smile broaden. ?No, she didn?t,? she turned her head to look at me, ?She was quite charming and becoming when they first met.?
My eyes squinted at her. What was she up to? She was talking like Trowa and I had known each other for years, but we?d only met the previous night.
Had she?had she planned?
?My Relena was so taken with him as well, you must know. Their eyes were drawn to each other, like long lost lovers, finally reunited!?
A chorus of ?Aww?s? and ?Oohh?s? followed Mother?s statement. My mouth stayed shut, though I longed to shout obscenities at the lot of them.
Briefly, I wondered what Trowa must be thinking of this.
?Miss Relena, you are not eating! Are you unwell??
My head jerked in the direction of the voice and the pale, powder-covered face of Mrs. Swan looked intently at me, expecting an answer.
?No, I am not unwell,? I said, somewhat weakly. The events of the day (and the seemingly endless night) had made me tired, but not ill.
?Well then, what is the matter?? she asked again. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
He was looking at me.
I refused to look back.
?There is nothing the matter,? I said through as big a smile as I could muster, ?I am just nervous, that?s all. This has all happened so fast-?
?Fast? What do you mean fast?? Mrs. Tansin cut in with a laugh. ?Your mother told us you have been together for three months now!?
My eyes widened.
No way.
I looked at Mother, and her expression held a number of warnings.
No. She couldn?t have.
No?freaking?way.
?I don?t-?
?Three months seems like so little in matters like these,? I heard Mr. Barton say. ?I once heard that love is timeless, and is not bound to the rules we live by.?
Another chorus of ?Aww?s? and ?Oohh?s? sounded throughout the room, but I remained silent and stared in disbelief at that man across from me.
What the hell was going on?
?Excuse me,? I said suddenly, standing abruptly from my seat, ?I believe I must leave the table for a moment. It seems I really am unwell.?
?That?s fine dear,? someone said, but I didn?t care who. As soon as I was fully upright I was heading out of the room, toward the servants? exit door so I could get some fresh air. Once outside, I took several deep breaths in a futile attempt to calm myself down. When I realized it wasn?t going to work, I tilted my head back and screamed.
Who the hell did they think they were?! And what the hell did they think they were doing, telling me how to live my life?
My hands clenched into fists and I stood ramrod straight with my face still pointed toward the sky. There were a lot of stars out, and out of sheer luck I saw one falling for a second.
Duo once told me that if I wished on a falling star, my wish would come true.
I wished he was there with me.
The sound of the door opening and closing behind me caused my head to drop, then turn to see who had come out after me.
It was Mr. Barton.
?You!? I yelled, spinning around. ?Who do you think?Why did you?What the hell were you-?
?There?s no need to yell,? he said calmly. I wanted to scream again.
?No need to yell?? I repeated, feeling an extreme need for sarcasm. ?Would you prefer that I sing to you all the ways you?ve just upset me? All the ways you?ve just committed an act of evil by openly lying like that??
The blood was pumping rapidly in my veins, and I could feel the heat on my face as I literally shook with anger.
Mr. Barton?s expression didn?t change. He still stayed calm.
?If you had listened more closely, you would know that I was not lying.?
I scoffed and threw my arms up in the air. ?Oh, excuse me, then. I didn?t know I was so def!?
?Please do not assume that I meant to insult you. My intention was to help, not harm.?
?You can help me by leaving me alone!? I yelled. With that, I turned and ran in the opposite direction, towards the garage.
I needed to vent.
And I knew exactly where to go.
* * *
?I?m sorry, Miss Relena, but it?s late and-?
?Let her in, Marve, she is obviously distressed.?
?But, Mrs. Noin, you need your rest. You can?t be conversing at this time of night! What would Mr. Milliardo say??
?That?s ?Zechs?,? a deep voice interrupted, ?And you will never refuse my sister access to my house.?
The servant who?d answered the door wisely stepped aside, and at last I was able to walk through the giant oak doors and feel the embrace of my brother and sister in-law.
Mother had first been married to a rich bureaucrat named Peacecraft, but he died before I was old enough to remember him. She never told me his name, since she had remarried a few years later and I was raised as the daughter of William Darlian. She did not want me to disgrace him, she had said. Milliardo objected to this, (very passionately, I might add,) and completely separated himself from Mother as a result. He kept the name Peacecraft, but had his first name changed to Zechs. Apparently, it had been a nickname given to him by our father. Mother had never liked the name. I still called him Milliardo.
He and I stayed very close. Apart from Duo, Milliardo and his wife, Lucretzia Noin, (who kept her name to honor her own father) were the most important people in the world to me. Their compassion and understanding was my only lifeline, and they were the only people that had never judged me. When I went to them that night, it was my sincerest hope that they would understand. Somehow, they did.
?Calm down, Relena,? Lucretzia was saying, as my chest heaved and tears fell from my eyes. I had just told them all of the events of the past twenty-four hours. ?This will all be all right. You?ll see. Though, I wish you had come to us sooner.?
?How could I?? I cried, ?I don?t even know what I?m doing anymore. This is all driving me crazy and it has only been a day. A day!?
We had moved into the dining room of the Peacecraft manor. My father had left it to Milliardo when he died, even though he was just a boy then. I never understood this, but I wasn?t about to complain. It was a beautiful estate, and my brother deserved it for the way he?d been treated by Mother.
The three of us sat around one end of the table and were served with a rather delicious wine. Being full, I declined the piece of chocolate pie Lucretzia had offered me and let my mind drift. I was taken back to a time when Duo and I had been eating chocolate pie together and I?d gotten some on my nose. It was only there because Duo had tried to put a very large piece in my mouth and was trying to make a joke out of it. Rather than use a napkin, he cleaned off my nose by nibbling on it, and when Mother found us there was Hell to pay.
The thought of my mother made me turn my head away from Lucretzia?s caring eyes. She smiled at me and brushed a fallen lock of hair behind my ear. Tenderness was her greatest gift, Milliardo had said once. He?d been right.
?If I remember correctly, inspiring such emotions is your mother?s forte,? she said. At this I had to laugh.
?Oh, I can assure you that she is getting much more efficient at it.?
Milliardo whispered something into his wife?s ear and she nodded in response. She cupped my chin with her hand and turned my head back toward her.
?Relena, do you want to marry Duo??
The look in her eyes was serious, and it made me feel suddenly uncomfortable.
?Yes,? I said, as calmly as I could.
?If you want something, Relena, go and get it. There is a way. You just have to find it.?
I made no effort to hide my confusion. ?What do you mean??
She glanced at Milliardo and then back at me before saying, ?We can help you, if that is what you really want.?
I blinked at her.
?You can? I mean, you would??
She nodded. ?Yes, of course. Building a life with someone is a choice that you should make, not your mother. It?s not right for her to do this, and if you want us to, we will help you build a life with Duo, without her.?
I couldn?t move.
They would help me?
?I can?t?I can?t believe it!? I exclaimed, then rose from seat so I could embrace them. Lucretzia laughed a few things into my ear and placed a kiss on my cheek, smiling at me the way she had when she?d asked me to be her Maid of Honor all those years ago. She was the only person I?d ever heard of asking a fourteen year-old to accept that title.
Then again, she?d only been eighteen at the time.
They walked me to the door, asking over and over if I was sure I wanted to drive home (something about wine and driving, but I?d only had a little.) After assuring them that I would be ok, Milliardo pulled me to the side for a quick piece of advice.
?Whatever you do,? he said quietly, ?Don?t let her tell you how you feel. Only you can decide that. Stay calm, and remember that there?s always a way.?
I smiled whole heartedly at him. ?Thank you,? I said, and embraced him as tightly as I could. As I was walking back toward the car I?d, um ?borrowed,? I couldn?t help the feeling of relief that washed over me.
There?s always a way, my brother?s voice kept telling me. It repeated itself all the way back to my mother?s house, where I knew my only challenge was waiting for me.
Probably looking for his car.
* * *
The door to the car closed quite a bit louder than I?d hoped, but at least it was closed. It?s entirely too difficult to sneak your stolen fianc??s car back into your mother?s garage after you?d just been drinking. Maybe the wine had been a bit too much.
?I had a feeling that?s where it went,? a voice said. A new, somewhat arrogant side of me decided it was time to tell this voice off. After all, I?d just solved my problems. Sort of.
?Well, that?s what you get for lying, Mister Barton.?
I made a point of emphasizing his name because of the moment that had passed between us earlier. To think I?d actually felt concerned about his feelings, when he?d been nothing but a liar all along!
There was a long pause before he said, ?Finally.?
I turned to look at him, puzzled. ?Finally??
His expression was unreadable. ?Finally, I?m able to see the girl I came here for.?
Something sucked the air from my lungs. ?Huh??
He bowed slightly and said, ?It?s an honor to finally see you again, Miss Relena Darlian.?
I gaped at him. ?What?what do you mean, ?finally???
All of a sudden I noticed how close we were. I hadn?t even been paying attention before.
Why did I care now?
A heat surrounded my hand and shot up my arm, as I felt his right hand close around my left. He brought it up between the two of us and held it gently in front of his face, staring at the back of my fingers. I felt frozen in place as he asked, ?How does it feel??
Something in my chest was tightening. I swallowed before asking, ?What??
He gazed at the back of my hand. ?To be free??
Again the air was taken from my lungs and then another feeling, one I refused to accept, swept through me as he brought my knuckles to his lips, then released my hand and walked away.
That moment was when I truly realized that time doesn?t mean a thing.
And quickly denied the fact that I was blushing and couldn?t breathe.
* * *
For the third time in two days, the door to my room clicked shut behind me as I locked myself away from the world. What an evening! First, there was Mother. Then, there were the Gossip Mongers. Then, Milliardo and Noin. And now, there was Mr. Barton.
Mr. Barton?
Oh, what had I done?! Were Duo and I so foolish as to think that we could deceive all these people in such a way and not cause any pain? Neither of us had given a thought to Trowa?s feelings. Neither of us had cared. And tonight?God, tonight!
What if I ended up leaving Mr. Barton?s heart broken? What would I do then?
The thought of causing someone else pain made my stomach hurt. How could we be so cruel? How could I be so ignorant? So irrationally stupid?
My mind went back to the moment when his lips touched my skin.
God, what is wrong with me?! I placed my hands on my face and tried to take deep, slow breaths. This wasn?t the time to go ballistic. I just needed to call Duo. Yes! Duo would know what to do.
Yet, I didn?t move. I stood by the door and stared at the phone. It would be so easy to call him, to get all the answers from him, but that wasn?t fair. I was in this too. Certain decisions would have to be mine.
As I stared at the phone, my only way of communicating with Duo from inside the house, I wondered. Why did I care so much? Mr. Barton and I weren?t closely connected. We had only known each other for one twenty-four hour period. Why, then, did I care so much if my actions hurt him or not?
Because I?m that kind of person, I said in my head. I care about everyone, even people I barely know. Of course I would be concerned about Mr. Barton! He doesn?t know that his hand is eventually going to be refused. Who wouldn?t be concerned about his feelings?
Again, my mind drifted back.
?My name. Please say it.?
??Trowa.?
I ran my hands through my hair.
?Leave me alone,? I whispered to the memory.
There was a knock on my door.
?What is it?? I asked.
?It?s your mother,? an icy voice called through the door. ?You and I need to have a discussion.?
My eyes clenched shut. ?It?s late. Come back in the morning.?
?No. You and I need to talk now.?
Mumbling inappropriate words to myself, I walked over and opened the door. Mother slithered in without any invitation and stood in the center of my room, looking around as though she?d never seen it before. I sighed and closed the door.
She sniffed the air, then smirked. ?Mm. So, this is the scent of defeat.?
I spun around. ?Excuse me??
She chuckled and looked at me like a queen inspecting a peasant. ?I knew it would be easy to get rid of Maxwell, but I didn?t think it would be this easy.?
I glared at her. ?What?s that supposed to mean??
?You don?t want him anymore.?
?What are you talking about??
She laughed again. ?Don?t tell me that you?ve been acting properly to please Duo??
I bit back the remark that came to my mind.
?You?ve been trying to impress Mr. Barton.?
This time I laughed. ?What??
?Come now, Relena, don?t play dumb with me. You completely conformed in just one day! There?s no way you would have done that without freeing yourself of Maxwell. You want Barton.?
?How dare you!?
?Are you trying to tell me that you don?t like Mr. Barton??
?I don?t-? I stopped, suddenly unable to finish.
?You can?t say it, can you?? She grinned. ?You like him. You like him and you won?t admit it.?
?No!? I exclaimed, ?That?s not true. I feel compassion for him because of the lies you told tonight.?
?Is that compassion, Relena, or just plain passion??
I gawked at her. ?Pardon me, Mother, but how can that be possible? We?ve only known each other for one day!?
?And one night,? she interrupted. ?Or should I say, two nights.?
?You?re disgusting!?
?And you?re wrong,? she said, her voice finally lowering to a suitable level. ?Wrong about your feelings for Barton, that is. You may not like it, you may not even realize it, but a part of is drawn to him and a part of you wants him.?
?Get out!?
?Admit it.?
?Get out!?
The sound of her hand smacking across the side of my face effectively silenced me.
?Don?t you EVER tell me what to do! You are in MY house, and your foolish attachment to Maxwell has already cost you a chance at one good marriage. Don?t screw it up again with Barton! My word, a whore would have made a better daughter than you, because at least a whore would know a good opportunity when she sees one!?
She huffed and stormed out of the room. Long after she was gone, I stood still in shock of what had just happened. She?d hit me. Worse than that, she?d been right.
Oh my God, she was right.
~~~~~~~~~~
I TOLD YOU you would wanna beat the tar outta her.
And I TOLD YOU you would go, "squeeeeee!!!"
This last part was originially going to be the beginning of the next chapter, but then inspiration bit me in the eye and I decided to put it on the end of this chapter.
Never, ever get bit in the eye by inspiration, because then you see it EVERYWHERE.
***Little sneak peak so you don't start burning anything (like doggie poo) yet: Very, very romantic scene in next chapter. All I'm gonna say is, HARP.***
Buahaha!
~Litia
*runs from SimplyTurquoise*
. You are so right, I so feel like smacking Relena's mother out for that grrrrrr :evil: But *sighs* I loved the scene between Trowa and Relena, so sweet 
And *gasps* It's getting me all the more curious as to what's going to happen to Duo. 
Gosh, I can't wait to get started on the later chapters. I wish my schedule would clear up so I could work on my fics more.