Upper Class 13/15
Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2005 3:25 pm
This is me trying to catch up on what I haven't posted here.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.
Upper Class ? Chapter 13
By Gundam Girl
She had lost all sense of everything around her with one exception. Her muscles quivered, and she wasn?t so dense that she tried to convince herself that they did so for any reason other than because she wanted to go to him.
She did want to go to him. She wanted to touch him, to know that he was real. That she wasn?t just staring at the nephew of a marquis here to pay respects to her safe return or any other such thing. But no, the man standing before was most definitely Heero Yuy, captain of the Ivory Damsel. No other man had looked at her the same way he looked at her.
Heero?s train of thought was closely similar to hers. He hadn?t given up. He hadn?t surrendered, not to Dorothy, not to Gaulron, not even to Winner himself, and now here he was. Relena stood not more than five feet from him, and if he took two strides he would be able to pass his hand over her cheek to inhale the fragrance of her perfume?
And yet neither of them found the ability to move.
No one in the room made a sound or a motion until, quite casually, Dorothy walked into the parlor. Her only display of being caught off guard was a lift of one eyebrow. ?Why,? she gasped. ?Heero Yuy himself? Here??
Her catty voice broke the silence spell over the room and Treize and Quatre both jumped to their feet. Milliardo rose more slowly, needing a minute to register Heero?s identity.
?Yuy?? the Baron repeated.
?The scoundrel who stole Relena from my home!? Quatre exclaimed fiercely.
Treize?s voice was just as dark. ?He shall not leave here unshackled.?
The three aristocrats started for Heero. The Japanese man?s crew immediately reached for their concealed respective weapons. Yet one person was faster than any of the nine already in motion.
?Stop!? shouted Relena, throwing herself forward and pressing herself to Heero. Turning, she spread her arms and glared at her brother, fianc?e, and the duke, shielding Heero with her own body. ?Stop,? she said again, her tone a warning.
?Relena,? Milliardo began, taken aback.
?Relena?? Quatre voice?s was more despondent. The fist he had balled in anger quickly laxed.
Treize wasn?t as affected by the woman?s actions and instead advanced, curling a palm around Relena?s left wrist. ?You know not what you do here,? he said lowly. Outwardly he projected anger, but inside he felt delight at the simple act of feeling her cool flesh upon his.
?Oh, trust me,? Relena replied dangerously, lifting her other hand and forcing Treize?s away with one swift jerk. ?I know precisely what I am doing. I am declaring that Heero Yuy is not an enemy to me or to any of you.? Even without looking at him, Relena knew Heero was looking at her intensely.
?How?can you say that?? Quatre demanded without belief at what he was hearing. ?He kidnapped you, Relena! He?s a thief!?
?For the Lord?s sake, Relena,? furthered Milliardo, ?he?s a bloody pirate.? He had no idea when his sister had gotten such a backbone and he couldn?t decide how much he liked it.
?Miss Relena,? Treize interjected with narrowed eyes, ?I am a duke of England. I cannot merely disregard the law and keep this group of sea hunters free in the very streets London! The Queen herself knows that all pirates are to be jailed immediately and then??
?If you need prisoners,? Relena interrupted coldly, knowing fully well what was to happen to pirates after being jailed, ?then take them. But, by God, you will take me with them. Throw me into a cell and lock me up, but put me with these people. These good, kind people?? At last, she turned around and met Heero?s eyes. Their gazes, his confused and surprised, hers gentle but firm, remained locked as she spoke next. ?I will accept no other conditions.?
At first, Treize wanted to lash out and tell her what a fool she was. Even though he could help her if she was jailed, she should never?
But of course.
He could help her if she was jailed. And immediately afterward his character would improve in both the eyes of her brother and society. Relena would seemingly have gone temporarily mad from her unfortunate experience and he would be the one to bring her back to good health.
It was a plan made quickly ? but it was fool-proof.
?Very well,? he told the young woman, shocking everyone else in the room. Even Dorothy?s surprise grew great. ?I see I am in position to argue with you.? He cast a look at Milliardo. ?I must send for the guard at once, my friend.?
?Now wait just a moment, Treize,? Milliardo protested angrily. He swept a critical eye over Yuy and his crew. They were dressed well, though not well-kempt, and a couple of them (one of the long braid and the woman with shot black hair) had smudges on their faces. ?You cannot just?? He paused when his wife sent a gentle hand on his arm. ?Lu??
Luchrezia just shook her head, her eyes pleading for her husband to understand her meaning: Relena is not daft. She has a purpose for doing this. Trust her.
At length Milliardo turned his eyes to his sister, who could not seem to take hers from the dark-haired pirate. A week ago, the sight may have turned his stomach and boiled his blood, but now... ?Relena,? he murmured to her.
Relena gave him a quick smile. ?Brother, please.? That was all it took. Milliardo lost all will of fighting her spirit, which seemed to blossom from her entire being.
Quatre was not so ready to do the same, but nor could he find the courage to voice his thoughts. You are leaving. You are leaving me of your own will to share a cell with those vagabonds.
Oh, and it hurt. It hurt in a way that he could scarcely describe. Surely he had never felt so ashamed, so embarrassed?but he noted faintly that none of his feelings could quite be attributed to heartbrokenness. And that shocked him enormously.
In a few minutes, several officers of the London police were inside the Peacecraft estate, seizing the pirate crew and, at Treize?s order, Relena. The officers were obviously surprised, but duty overrode the natural emotion and they captured her as well.
?You?re sure?? Milliardo said to his sister. ?Because with a word, I could??
?Farewell, Milliardo.? With another of her soft smiles, Relena willingly followed the policeman out of the house.
Luchrezia, visibly upset, left the parlor in a hurry. Milliardo followed her upstairs. Treize stayed only long enough to gather his coat and hat and then left the property as well.
Once they were all gone, Quatre?s knees trembled and then gave out. He expected to hit the carpet, but he felt himself caught under the arms by gentle yet strong hands and he looked up to see Dorothy staring down at him with somber fascination.
?How surprised I am,? she told the governor as she helped him into a sitting position on the loveseat, ?that you did not demand an alternative from Miss Relena.?
?I was too stunned,? he admitted. ?The entire arrangement was made so quickly ? I scarcely had time to gather my thoughts.?
?No, I doubt that is the case. After all, Miss Relena and even Mr. Treize had moments to spare for their respective decisions.? Dorothy?s lips curled into a thoughtful smirk. ?Perhaps you just had no desire to protest the situation??
?That?s absurd!? Quatre exclaimed. ?Relena is going to be held at the jail! Have you any idea how dirty those places are? A woman such as her should never even have to visit, let alone stay there!?
?And yet it is perfectly fine for the women of Yuy?s crew to be there? Despite the fact that one of them is even Catherine Bloom, wife of the late Michael Bloom?? Dorothy clicked her tongue admonishingly. ?Your ideas confuse me, Governor. They confuse me deeply.?
?Catherine Bloom?? Quatre had known Michael from the court, indeed, had spent several evening in his home in Berkshire. Quatre recalled the lady Catherine well, remembering her beauty as well as her kind temperament. ?Was that her??
?Aye. How easily the eye forgets those who look an ounce worse than themselves,? observed Dorothy, her tone slightly harsh, making Quatre wince. ?Well, what do you think now, Governor??
?What do you mean??
?Have you figured out my meaning yet? Do you know now what I meant when I told you that what Miss Relena felt for you was but infatuation?? Dorothy hesitated slightly before she spoke this next sentence, watching him carefully. ?Whereas what she feels for Captain Heero Yuy??
Quatre?s eyes rocketed from the floor to hers, and they were wide as they bore into her. ?You are not possibly suggesting?? He found himself unable to voice the rest of the thought.
?Governor.? Dorothy?s tone was reasonable and it killed him. ?Do you honestly believe any woman would join a man in jail for anything else besides love??
Quatre thought the entire earth might have dipped and rose, bobbing on the universe like a boat bobs on the sea. He certainly felt as though his consciousness was slipping.
Relena was in love with a pirate?
And yet, even as he considered this outrageous possibility, he realized that he felt no acute pain. Certainly he felt nothing as sharp as he had the night she had first been taken from Dover.
The most confounding thing, he realized, was that when he again felt the world was steady, his eyes sought Dorothy?s. And he wanted nothing else than to keep his gave there for awhile.
o0o
Though the bailiff was greatly confused at Relena?s presence when the policeman brought them all to the jail, he followed the orders from the duke and placed Relena, gown and all, in one of the cells with the Ivory Damsel?s crew. Each cell was only big enough to hold two people at once, and Wufei and Duo stayed close enough to their wives that they were put in together. Trowa did the same with Catherine, leaving Heero and Relena a cell to themselves, further away from the others.
Heero couldn?t get himself to stop scowling. The whole time at the Baron?s house he had been unable to say a word, rendered completely speechless by his shock at Relena?s actions. And now, here she was?here with him in a drafty jail, sitting on dirt and straw and God knew what else.
All at once his power of speech returned.
?Why?? He demanded it as soon as the bailiff had walked away after locking the door. ?Why in God?s name, Relena, have you done this to yourself? What could?ve possessed you to ever?? He was cut off by her hand, pressed gentle to his cheek, and his eyes fell to hers. He stopped scowling.
Her eyes were so peaceful. Bluer than any morning sky over the sea, he found himself completely void of thought. Until those eyes filled and overflowed in seconds, the tears hastening down her cheeks sorrowfully.
?Oh, Christ,? he breathed. Her head fell forward onto his chest, and silent tremors racked her small body. In an attempt to comfort, he wrapped his arms around her and sighed. ?Jesus, Relena, I just want to know why.?
?I want to know why, too,? she whispered, bringing her face up to look at him. Her cheeks were stained and damp and it tore Heero apart. ?Why did you come after me when I was so sure I would never see you again? Why did you risk this? And now look what has happened! We?re here in this jail??
?And why is it that we are in this jail, Relena, when it should be I alone? As much as I loathe myself for getting my crew shut up here, it?s not half as much as I hate seeing you here with me. So why?? He took her by the shoulders. ?Why did you say that to the Duke and condemn yourself? Why have you joined a pirate in jail??
Relena?s lips trembled and she gasped in a sharp breath. ?I fear I can only answer you with another question.?
?Let me here it then,? he told her, eyes burning like blue flame. ?That we may come closer to answers.? Heero couldn?t explain why his heart began to gallop in his chest.
She rose to her knees so that their faces were level. Her entire body was frigid with nerves. ?Why,? she murmured, ?do I love you??
Heero hadn?t realized he?d been holding his breath, but indeed he had, and it now came roaring out of his chest like a ball from a cannon. ?You? Relena, you...? He couldn?t manage the word at first. But then he closed his eyes and rested his head against the stone of the wall he was leaning against, holding her so closely to him. ?Because I love you as well,? he told her softly. ?And I couldn?t stop myself from coming for you anymore than I could stop the winds from leading my ship here, Relena. Somethin? led me to you. And if it wasn?t God, it was my heart. Or maybe even yours.?
The words slipped into her ears and dropped to her heart. More tears filled her eyes, alarming Heero, but she just pressed more tightly to him. ?I?ve brought you here and I am so sorry,? she whispered, half-sobbing into her shirt.
?Nay, Relena. Nay. This fault is mine alone this time.? He didn?t notice he was doing it, but before he could check himself, he pushed her away just far enough to see her face.
And he leaned in and kissed her.
Relena didn?t freeze as she might have if he had kissed her a week earlier. Instead, she went as boneless as a wax candle and Heero held her only closer. She returned his kiss a minute later, and they shared hundreds of kisses then, as the cell grew darker and darker in the waning light. Finally, night settled completely on the city of London, casting both of them in shadows.
Relena?s heart raced and Heero blood heated. In an almost mindless fervor, Heero glanced around. Because of who Relena was, the bailiff had placed a thin but clean blanket in the cell. He reached out and grabbed it, spreading it beneath them. The task done, he returned his attention to her, pressing his mouth to her neck, to her face.
Moving by feelings, he reached for the delicate buttons in the back of her gown, got half of them undone, but when he pressed his warm fingers to her cool back, he came up from his sea of lust to look into her eyes, shocked at himself.
?Relena,? he began, half-formed apologies on his tongue, but Relena only surged upward and kissed him deeply. Heero responded immediately. He had never waited for an invitation before, but he was willing to wait with her. Now that he had one, he wasn?t going to turn it down.
She welcomed him, he accepted the welcome. She loved him, and he had never felt happier in his life, even in the dank of this cell. Someone lit a lamppost outside, and the beam of golden light fell through the tiny window above them and onto Relena, highlighting her hair, making her bare shoulders glow, while her eyes glinted up at him and effected him in a way no woman he?d ever been with had.
He loved her, and he wanted nothing more out of life than for her to let him.
o0o
Quatre had taken to puzzling his feelings out on the great terrace of Milliardo?s second floor. The expansive balcony led out from the upstairs hallway and hung over the quiet London streets.
There was a lovely sky tonight, he observed, but his appreciation was overcome by his confusion, and he could not see the stars.
What had happened to him in the past few days? He had gone from being obsessed to feeling little more than friendly toward Relena. The fire he had felt for her had been quenched to the warmth of ebbing coals, and companionable warmth at that. The change of mind was boggling.
Especially since, as he thought about it more and more, he felt as though he had no desire to marry Relena at all.
?My, but how troubled you look, Governor.?
He had never expected to enjoy hearing that slow voice that always made him think a scheme was being formed. But as he turned around he couldn?t help but give the face it came from a small smile. ?Troubles are a part of my life.?
Dorothy, framed by the light coming from the corridor, seemed to glow ethereally as she held up two glasses of white wine and offered him one. He took it with deft fingers, not even bothering to be careful that they didn?t touch. Their fingers brushed together and Quatre felt it ? a quick, urgent heat.
Dorothy did as well, but she did a better job of hiding it. ?I don?t imagine you often spend time outdoors.?
?I prefer the sight of the moon to calm me,? Quatre told her, sipping from his glass. ?Although honestly I?ve never before mentioned that to anyone.?
?Well, now, I must be special.? Tapping a finger on the rim of her goblet, she smiled. ?The stars are spectacular even on the land.?
He gave her a sideways glance; her face was pointed upward. At some point in the day she had taken the chiffon from her hair and it now freely flowed down her back and tumbled over her shoulders, wavy from its previous style. Her long, dark lashes nearly touched her eyebrows.
Quatre felt is throat dry up and quickly drank his wine to wet it again. ?I suppose you prefer the sight of them from the sea.?
?Well, stars are stars, and they are beautiful anywhere. I feel no possessive attachment to the ocean, Governor. It simply gave me a home when I gave up my own.?
?Please,? he blurted before he scarcely knew what he was saying. ?Call me Quatre, won?t you, Miss Catalonia?? Remembering what Relena had said to the suggestion, he added, ?If I call you merely Dorothy??
Dorothy tilted her head a bit in thought, some stray strands of hair falling close to her eyes and making her irises glimmer. ?Very well then, Quatre. I suppose it?s about time I showed you some kind of particular kindness.?
He smiled.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
I?m aware of just how unfinished this chapter seems, but it?s as long as the others. Also, the second part of Quatre and Dorothy?s conversation is very significant and I wanted to save some importance for chapter 14.
Please review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.
Upper Class ? Chapter 13
By Gundam Girl
She had lost all sense of everything around her with one exception. Her muscles quivered, and she wasn?t so dense that she tried to convince herself that they did so for any reason other than because she wanted to go to him.
She did want to go to him. She wanted to touch him, to know that he was real. That she wasn?t just staring at the nephew of a marquis here to pay respects to her safe return or any other such thing. But no, the man standing before was most definitely Heero Yuy, captain of the Ivory Damsel. No other man had looked at her the same way he looked at her.
Heero?s train of thought was closely similar to hers. He hadn?t given up. He hadn?t surrendered, not to Dorothy, not to Gaulron, not even to Winner himself, and now here he was. Relena stood not more than five feet from him, and if he took two strides he would be able to pass his hand over her cheek to inhale the fragrance of her perfume?
And yet neither of them found the ability to move.
No one in the room made a sound or a motion until, quite casually, Dorothy walked into the parlor. Her only display of being caught off guard was a lift of one eyebrow. ?Why,? she gasped. ?Heero Yuy himself? Here??
Her catty voice broke the silence spell over the room and Treize and Quatre both jumped to their feet. Milliardo rose more slowly, needing a minute to register Heero?s identity.
?Yuy?? the Baron repeated.
?The scoundrel who stole Relena from my home!? Quatre exclaimed fiercely.
Treize?s voice was just as dark. ?He shall not leave here unshackled.?
The three aristocrats started for Heero. The Japanese man?s crew immediately reached for their concealed respective weapons. Yet one person was faster than any of the nine already in motion.
?Stop!? shouted Relena, throwing herself forward and pressing herself to Heero. Turning, she spread her arms and glared at her brother, fianc?e, and the duke, shielding Heero with her own body. ?Stop,? she said again, her tone a warning.
?Relena,? Milliardo began, taken aback.
?Relena?? Quatre voice?s was more despondent. The fist he had balled in anger quickly laxed.
Treize wasn?t as affected by the woman?s actions and instead advanced, curling a palm around Relena?s left wrist. ?You know not what you do here,? he said lowly. Outwardly he projected anger, but inside he felt delight at the simple act of feeling her cool flesh upon his.
?Oh, trust me,? Relena replied dangerously, lifting her other hand and forcing Treize?s away with one swift jerk. ?I know precisely what I am doing. I am declaring that Heero Yuy is not an enemy to me or to any of you.? Even without looking at him, Relena knew Heero was looking at her intensely.
?How?can you say that?? Quatre demanded without belief at what he was hearing. ?He kidnapped you, Relena! He?s a thief!?
?For the Lord?s sake, Relena,? furthered Milliardo, ?he?s a bloody pirate.? He had no idea when his sister had gotten such a backbone and he couldn?t decide how much he liked it.
?Miss Relena,? Treize interjected with narrowed eyes, ?I am a duke of England. I cannot merely disregard the law and keep this group of sea hunters free in the very streets London! The Queen herself knows that all pirates are to be jailed immediately and then??
?If you need prisoners,? Relena interrupted coldly, knowing fully well what was to happen to pirates after being jailed, ?then take them. But, by God, you will take me with them. Throw me into a cell and lock me up, but put me with these people. These good, kind people?? At last, she turned around and met Heero?s eyes. Their gazes, his confused and surprised, hers gentle but firm, remained locked as she spoke next. ?I will accept no other conditions.?
At first, Treize wanted to lash out and tell her what a fool she was. Even though he could help her if she was jailed, she should never?
But of course.
He could help her if she was jailed. And immediately afterward his character would improve in both the eyes of her brother and society. Relena would seemingly have gone temporarily mad from her unfortunate experience and he would be the one to bring her back to good health.
It was a plan made quickly ? but it was fool-proof.
?Very well,? he told the young woman, shocking everyone else in the room. Even Dorothy?s surprise grew great. ?I see I am in position to argue with you.? He cast a look at Milliardo. ?I must send for the guard at once, my friend.?
?Now wait just a moment, Treize,? Milliardo protested angrily. He swept a critical eye over Yuy and his crew. They were dressed well, though not well-kempt, and a couple of them (one of the long braid and the woman with shot black hair) had smudges on their faces. ?You cannot just?? He paused when his wife sent a gentle hand on his arm. ?Lu??
Luchrezia just shook her head, her eyes pleading for her husband to understand her meaning: Relena is not daft. She has a purpose for doing this. Trust her.
At length Milliardo turned his eyes to his sister, who could not seem to take hers from the dark-haired pirate. A week ago, the sight may have turned his stomach and boiled his blood, but now... ?Relena,? he murmured to her.
Relena gave him a quick smile. ?Brother, please.? That was all it took. Milliardo lost all will of fighting her spirit, which seemed to blossom from her entire being.
Quatre was not so ready to do the same, but nor could he find the courage to voice his thoughts. You are leaving. You are leaving me of your own will to share a cell with those vagabonds.
Oh, and it hurt. It hurt in a way that he could scarcely describe. Surely he had never felt so ashamed, so embarrassed?but he noted faintly that none of his feelings could quite be attributed to heartbrokenness. And that shocked him enormously.
In a few minutes, several officers of the London police were inside the Peacecraft estate, seizing the pirate crew and, at Treize?s order, Relena. The officers were obviously surprised, but duty overrode the natural emotion and they captured her as well.
?You?re sure?? Milliardo said to his sister. ?Because with a word, I could??
?Farewell, Milliardo.? With another of her soft smiles, Relena willingly followed the policeman out of the house.
Luchrezia, visibly upset, left the parlor in a hurry. Milliardo followed her upstairs. Treize stayed only long enough to gather his coat and hat and then left the property as well.
Once they were all gone, Quatre?s knees trembled and then gave out. He expected to hit the carpet, but he felt himself caught under the arms by gentle yet strong hands and he looked up to see Dorothy staring down at him with somber fascination.
?How surprised I am,? she told the governor as she helped him into a sitting position on the loveseat, ?that you did not demand an alternative from Miss Relena.?
?I was too stunned,? he admitted. ?The entire arrangement was made so quickly ? I scarcely had time to gather my thoughts.?
?No, I doubt that is the case. After all, Miss Relena and even Mr. Treize had moments to spare for their respective decisions.? Dorothy?s lips curled into a thoughtful smirk. ?Perhaps you just had no desire to protest the situation??
?That?s absurd!? Quatre exclaimed. ?Relena is going to be held at the jail! Have you any idea how dirty those places are? A woman such as her should never even have to visit, let alone stay there!?
?And yet it is perfectly fine for the women of Yuy?s crew to be there? Despite the fact that one of them is even Catherine Bloom, wife of the late Michael Bloom?? Dorothy clicked her tongue admonishingly. ?Your ideas confuse me, Governor. They confuse me deeply.?
?Catherine Bloom?? Quatre had known Michael from the court, indeed, had spent several evening in his home in Berkshire. Quatre recalled the lady Catherine well, remembering her beauty as well as her kind temperament. ?Was that her??
?Aye. How easily the eye forgets those who look an ounce worse than themselves,? observed Dorothy, her tone slightly harsh, making Quatre wince. ?Well, what do you think now, Governor??
?What do you mean??
?Have you figured out my meaning yet? Do you know now what I meant when I told you that what Miss Relena felt for you was but infatuation?? Dorothy hesitated slightly before she spoke this next sentence, watching him carefully. ?Whereas what she feels for Captain Heero Yuy??
Quatre?s eyes rocketed from the floor to hers, and they were wide as they bore into her. ?You are not possibly suggesting?? He found himself unable to voice the rest of the thought.
?Governor.? Dorothy?s tone was reasonable and it killed him. ?Do you honestly believe any woman would join a man in jail for anything else besides love??
Quatre thought the entire earth might have dipped and rose, bobbing on the universe like a boat bobs on the sea. He certainly felt as though his consciousness was slipping.
Relena was in love with a pirate?
And yet, even as he considered this outrageous possibility, he realized that he felt no acute pain. Certainly he felt nothing as sharp as he had the night she had first been taken from Dover.
The most confounding thing, he realized, was that when he again felt the world was steady, his eyes sought Dorothy?s. And he wanted nothing else than to keep his gave there for awhile.
o0o
Though the bailiff was greatly confused at Relena?s presence when the policeman brought them all to the jail, he followed the orders from the duke and placed Relena, gown and all, in one of the cells with the Ivory Damsel?s crew. Each cell was only big enough to hold two people at once, and Wufei and Duo stayed close enough to their wives that they were put in together. Trowa did the same with Catherine, leaving Heero and Relena a cell to themselves, further away from the others.
Heero couldn?t get himself to stop scowling. The whole time at the Baron?s house he had been unable to say a word, rendered completely speechless by his shock at Relena?s actions. And now, here she was?here with him in a drafty jail, sitting on dirt and straw and God knew what else.
All at once his power of speech returned.
?Why?? He demanded it as soon as the bailiff had walked away after locking the door. ?Why in God?s name, Relena, have you done this to yourself? What could?ve possessed you to ever?? He was cut off by her hand, pressed gentle to his cheek, and his eyes fell to hers. He stopped scowling.
Her eyes were so peaceful. Bluer than any morning sky over the sea, he found himself completely void of thought. Until those eyes filled and overflowed in seconds, the tears hastening down her cheeks sorrowfully.
?Oh, Christ,? he breathed. Her head fell forward onto his chest, and silent tremors racked her small body. In an attempt to comfort, he wrapped his arms around her and sighed. ?Jesus, Relena, I just want to know why.?
?I want to know why, too,? she whispered, bringing her face up to look at him. Her cheeks were stained and damp and it tore Heero apart. ?Why did you come after me when I was so sure I would never see you again? Why did you risk this? And now look what has happened! We?re here in this jail??
?And why is it that we are in this jail, Relena, when it should be I alone? As much as I loathe myself for getting my crew shut up here, it?s not half as much as I hate seeing you here with me. So why?? He took her by the shoulders. ?Why did you say that to the Duke and condemn yourself? Why have you joined a pirate in jail??
Relena?s lips trembled and she gasped in a sharp breath. ?I fear I can only answer you with another question.?
?Let me here it then,? he told her, eyes burning like blue flame. ?That we may come closer to answers.? Heero couldn?t explain why his heart began to gallop in his chest.
She rose to her knees so that their faces were level. Her entire body was frigid with nerves. ?Why,? she murmured, ?do I love you??
Heero hadn?t realized he?d been holding his breath, but indeed he had, and it now came roaring out of his chest like a ball from a cannon. ?You? Relena, you...? He couldn?t manage the word at first. But then he closed his eyes and rested his head against the stone of the wall he was leaning against, holding her so closely to him. ?Because I love you as well,? he told her softly. ?And I couldn?t stop myself from coming for you anymore than I could stop the winds from leading my ship here, Relena. Somethin? led me to you. And if it wasn?t God, it was my heart. Or maybe even yours.?
The words slipped into her ears and dropped to her heart. More tears filled her eyes, alarming Heero, but she just pressed more tightly to him. ?I?ve brought you here and I am so sorry,? she whispered, half-sobbing into her shirt.
?Nay, Relena. Nay. This fault is mine alone this time.? He didn?t notice he was doing it, but before he could check himself, he pushed her away just far enough to see her face.
And he leaned in and kissed her.
Relena didn?t freeze as she might have if he had kissed her a week earlier. Instead, she went as boneless as a wax candle and Heero held her only closer. She returned his kiss a minute later, and they shared hundreds of kisses then, as the cell grew darker and darker in the waning light. Finally, night settled completely on the city of London, casting both of them in shadows.
Relena?s heart raced and Heero blood heated. In an almost mindless fervor, Heero glanced around. Because of who Relena was, the bailiff had placed a thin but clean blanket in the cell. He reached out and grabbed it, spreading it beneath them. The task done, he returned his attention to her, pressing his mouth to her neck, to her face.
Moving by feelings, he reached for the delicate buttons in the back of her gown, got half of them undone, but when he pressed his warm fingers to her cool back, he came up from his sea of lust to look into her eyes, shocked at himself.
?Relena,? he began, half-formed apologies on his tongue, but Relena only surged upward and kissed him deeply. Heero responded immediately. He had never waited for an invitation before, but he was willing to wait with her. Now that he had one, he wasn?t going to turn it down.
She welcomed him, he accepted the welcome. She loved him, and he had never felt happier in his life, even in the dank of this cell. Someone lit a lamppost outside, and the beam of golden light fell through the tiny window above them and onto Relena, highlighting her hair, making her bare shoulders glow, while her eyes glinted up at him and effected him in a way no woman he?d ever been with had.
He loved her, and he wanted nothing more out of life than for her to let him.
o0o
Quatre had taken to puzzling his feelings out on the great terrace of Milliardo?s second floor. The expansive balcony led out from the upstairs hallway and hung over the quiet London streets.
There was a lovely sky tonight, he observed, but his appreciation was overcome by his confusion, and he could not see the stars.
What had happened to him in the past few days? He had gone from being obsessed to feeling little more than friendly toward Relena. The fire he had felt for her had been quenched to the warmth of ebbing coals, and companionable warmth at that. The change of mind was boggling.
Especially since, as he thought about it more and more, he felt as though he had no desire to marry Relena at all.
?My, but how troubled you look, Governor.?
He had never expected to enjoy hearing that slow voice that always made him think a scheme was being formed. But as he turned around he couldn?t help but give the face it came from a small smile. ?Troubles are a part of my life.?
Dorothy, framed by the light coming from the corridor, seemed to glow ethereally as she held up two glasses of white wine and offered him one. He took it with deft fingers, not even bothering to be careful that they didn?t touch. Their fingers brushed together and Quatre felt it ? a quick, urgent heat.
Dorothy did as well, but she did a better job of hiding it. ?I don?t imagine you often spend time outdoors.?
?I prefer the sight of the moon to calm me,? Quatre told her, sipping from his glass. ?Although honestly I?ve never before mentioned that to anyone.?
?Well, now, I must be special.? Tapping a finger on the rim of her goblet, she smiled. ?The stars are spectacular even on the land.?
He gave her a sideways glance; her face was pointed upward. At some point in the day she had taken the chiffon from her hair and it now freely flowed down her back and tumbled over her shoulders, wavy from its previous style. Her long, dark lashes nearly touched her eyebrows.
Quatre felt is throat dry up and quickly drank his wine to wet it again. ?I suppose you prefer the sight of them from the sea.?
?Well, stars are stars, and they are beautiful anywhere. I feel no possessive attachment to the ocean, Governor. It simply gave me a home when I gave up my own.?
?Please,? he blurted before he scarcely knew what he was saying. ?Call me Quatre, won?t you, Miss Catalonia?? Remembering what Relena had said to the suggestion, he added, ?If I call you merely Dorothy??
Dorothy tilted her head a bit in thought, some stray strands of hair falling close to her eyes and making her irises glimmer. ?Very well then, Quatre. I suppose it?s about time I showed you some kind of particular kindness.?
He smiled.
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I?m aware of just how unfinished this chapter seems, but it?s as long as the others. Also, the second part of Quatre and Dorothy?s conversation is very significant and I wanted to save some importance for chapter 14.
Please review!