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"Sinister"Written By: The Plotting Housewife Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sotsu
and associated Parties. This work is written for pleasure not profit. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Alternate Universe - Dark, Horror, Science
Fiction, Newtypes, Possession Pairings: 3x4, 5x2, Rx1 Summary: Zero doesn't care who you are. It doesn't
care where you come from. It has no use for petty human emotions.
It doesn't concern itself with the concept of conscience, or the illusion
of morality. It is the ultimate form of sentience. Once
you encounter it, there are only two choices: Assimilation, or death.
"Sinister " Chapter 2: Losing Time The irritating beep of the alarm clock next to his head sounded worse than usual this morning. It was more like a screech, or a squawk that seemed to echo off the inside of Heero's skull, exacerbating the searing pain behind his eyes. He squeezed them shut and blindly groped for the offending device. His fingers found the switch and he flicked it off with satisfying swipe of his hand. He rolled over, nuzzling into the pillow, intent on not moving until his head stopped beating its excruciating percussion. A soft, warm hand brushed gently against his face and he tried not to cringe as the touch seemed to amplify the pain. Relena shifted beside him, her smooth legs tangling with his own and he smiled despite the headache that made his eyes feel like they were going to burst from their sockets. "Darling, it's five thirty." "Mmm hmm..." he mumbled, not really caring. His hands sought out warm skin, sliding up the satiny length of Relena's nightgown. She chuckled at him and patted his cheek. "You need to be up, sweetheart." "Mmph..." "Yes, I know. I don't want to get out of bed either, but I have to be at the ESUN War Memorial at seven and you, my dear sir, are my bodyguard remember?" "Mmph..." "Honestly, Heero. Is this what civilian life is doing to you? Turning you into a useless, lazy slob?" Despite the invisible ice pick in his temples, Heero lifted his head up and blinked at his fiancé. "Who's a lazy slob?" She tapped his nose. "That's better. Come on. Up with you. Take your shower and I'll get the tea going." His jaw popped on a wide yawn, his hand coming up to rub at his eyes. "Sorry, 'Lena. My head's hurting something terrible." Relena's brows furrowed as she slipped her robe on. "Now that's a first. I don't think I've ever heard you complain about a headache." He shrugged and swung his legs over the side of the bed, sitting up and groaning as his head spun. He swallowed down a wave of nausea. "Yeah, I don't really get them. I don't know why I have one now." "Well, take some aspirin. I hope you're not getting sick, or something." She swung the door open and glanced at him over her shoulder. "I'll bring you some hot tea and some toast. You might feel better after you've eaten." "And some eggs?" She rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'll bring you some eggs, too." "Sunny side up?" Her mouth curled up in a wry grin. "At least it hasn't affected your appetite." Heero nodded absently as she disappeared through the door and stretched muscles that felt like they hadn't moved in a decade. Christ, why did he feel so old all of a sudden? Maybe civilian life was making him soft. He padded to the bathroom, cringing as his joints protested his movements and stepped in front of the mirror. Scrutiny of his reflection wasn't a habit of his, but for some odd reason he felt the need to, if only for the simple fact that he was expecting to see a pick ax sticking out the side of his head. Thankfully, there were no industrial tools protruding from his skull. He stuck his tongue out, absently noting that it looked strangely white and shrugged as he opened the medicine cabinet. He couldn't remember the last time he needed aspirin, but he figured it was the best place to start looking. He was in luck. He located the bottle and popped the cap off, shaking two into his palm. He knocked them back and filled the cup next to the sink with water. Hopefully that and a hot, relaxing shower along with some breakfast and caffeine would make him feel a little more human. He couldn't figure out what had caused such a horrific headache. He was not prone to them, couldn't even remember the last time he had one. He grabbed his toothbrush and squeezed a dollop of the whitening toothpaste Relena was so fond of onto it and stuck it into his mouth. He stared at his reflection as he brushed his teeth, cocking his head slightly when he noticed something seemed off. He leaned closer, peering into his eyes. The cobalt blue was still there, but strangely, the edges of the irises were ringed with specks of silver. He leaned back and blinked, confused. That's weird. Are eyes supposed to change color? He stepped into the shower, making a mental note to ask Relena about it when he was done. He sighed and tipped his head back, moaning as the hot water soothed the pounding muscles in his head and achy joints. His only explanation was that he just slept wrong. Maybe he'd tossed and turned without realizing it and ended up in some strange positions. It was the only thing he could think of. After he cleaned up, his head already feeling much better, he dried off and slipped his robe on, checking the mirror one last time to see if the silver was still there. It was. And now that his headache was fading, he noticed a strange metallic taste in the back of his throat. Without thinking, he slid his finger into his mouth, suppressing his gag reflex as the tip reached far back. He pulled it out and examined his finger. No blood. He shrugged and exited the bathroom just as Relena stepped in with a tray of steaming mugs of tea and two plates of eggs and toast. "Here you go. Sunny side up, just like you like them." "Thanks, 'Lena." He slid on a pair of black dress slacks and buttoned his shirttails, rolling the sleeves up so he wouldn't get egg yoke on them. He sat down at the tiny two-person table in the sitting area of their bedroom which was situated in front of a large bay window. The window was open, letting the warm air of late spring in along with the scent of cut grass, blooming peonies, and the sounds of singing birds. "How's your headache," Relena asked as she sat down across from him. He nodded, dipping the corner of a slice of toast into the egg yoke and taking a large bite. "It's better." "Do you have to talk with your mouth full?" "No, but I know how much you love it when I do," he grinned, a small piece of crust sticking out the corner of his mouth. She scoffed. "You hang out with Duo too much." He laughed and took a sip of his tea. "You're probably right." "Speaking of which, have you decided on who's going to be your best man?" He shrugged. "It's a toss up between him and Quat. I'm leaning towards Duo though because I know he'll be more hurt if I don't pick him." "Quatre doesn't take things personally." "No, he doesn't," he said, cutting into the white of his egg. "He'll understand." "How are things going between Duo and Wufei?" "Better, I think. It was rocky there for a while, but they're patching things up." She sipped her tea, nodding. "That's good. They make a good couple. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in their bedroom." Heero choked around a piece of toast and took a drink of his tea to wash it down. He rested his hand over his chest in mock astonishment. "Why, 'Lena! I cannot believe you just said that." Relena grinned and straightened her shoulders primly. "What? I have eyes, you know." He laughed and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Well, if I swung that way, I'd be inclined to agree with you. Same goes for Tro and Quat." "Absolutely. You have hot friends, m'dear." He pouted. "What about me?" "Oh, darling, you know you're the most handsome man in the world and the only one for me." He winked and finished off his tea. "That's my girl." He stopped her when she reached for the breakfast dishes. "I got it. You go take your shower." "Thanks, honey." "Thank you for the breakfast." He took the tray downstairs to the kitchen and deposited the dishes into the sink. The kitchen window was closed so he pushed it open to let in the fresh air. He filled the sink with hot water, adding a little dish soap and dipped the dishes into it, using a sponge to scrub them. The menial task allowed his thoughts to wander and he found himself thinking about the wedding. It was only two months away now. August twenty first which was Relena's father's birthday. She'd wanted that day to commemorate the late Foreign Minister and Heero readily agreed, not really caring which day they tied the knot. He was beginning to feel a little nervous now that the big day was getting closer though he wasn't sure why. Quatre had assured him it was normal. He'd been petrified in the days leading up to his own wedding to Trowa. Heero was floored to find that out, knowing how close the two were and knowing with absolute certainty they were meant for each other. "Wedding day jitters" was what he'd called it. Though, with Quat being a perfectionist, it probably had more to do with his fretting over the minute details and trying to make sure everything went perfectly. Which it had, of course, because Quatre was the one in charge of the wedding planning. And while Heero wasn't the type to worry about those kinds of things, he could get married in a parking lot for all he cared, he still couldn't quell the dancing butterflies in his belly that seemed to get more hectic as the days went by. He really didn't have to do much of anything since Relena didn't trust him enough to pick out flowers, or cake, or decorations. She knew him well enough to know he'd go the simplest, most economic route which didn't usually account for taste. Tasteful, elegant, beautiful, that was Relena's forté. She also didn't want Duo's influence on her wedding plans. She'd seen the beer can wreaths that decorated his apartment at Christmastime. No, his job was simply to stay out of the way and nod his head agreeably whenever she asked him anything. He was not looking forward to the bachelor party either. Of course, Duo had commandeered that event which Quatre readily let him have, not fond of those things himself. It wasn't that Heero didn't appreciate the gesture, nor was he one to thumb his nose at tradition. He just wasn't a party goer. He wasn't big on the club scene, he didn't have a penchant for barhopping, or even drinking for that matter. The idea of having strippers made him even more uncomfortable, though Duo refused to listen to his protests. "It's a bachelor party, man! You can't have a bachelor party without strippers." He was also worried about how Relena felt about that, though she insisted she trusted him. It was fine as long as he kept his hands, and other parts of his anatomy, to himself. Then there was the full bar that was going to be a staple of the reception. Neither Heero, nor Relena were big drinkers, but Duo pressed that they were Sanq's "power couple" so of course they had to pull out all the stops which apparently included a fully stocked bar with nothing less than top shelf liquor. Maybe he was nervous because he didn't want an incident like the one that happened at Trowa and Quatre's wedding. What with Duo winding up drinking too much and getting into a fight with Zechs who dared to have a conversation with Wufei, Heero was not thrilled to have a repeat at his own reception. He only hoped Duo and Wufei could mend their issues. They really were great together when they got along and Heero knew they adored each other. They were basically just complete opposites and because of that, they were going to clash at times. It was the law of physics, or something, Heero was sure. "Heero!" He jumped and spun around, looking towards the doorway to the kitchen where Relena stood, staring at him with shocked eyes. It was then that he noticed his shirt and pants were soaked and there was an odd sting on the inner part of his left forearm. "Heero, what the hell?" She sprang into action, stepping carefully over the floor that was now covered in water. Heero looked down in surprise to see the sink had completely flooded over, the water still pouring out from the running faucet. "Shit!" He quickly turned the nozzle and stepped back, glancing down at his soaked clothes. How the hell had that happened? "Oh my God, Heero! Your arm!" "What?" She grabbed it, turning it over in her hands and gasping. "What did you do to yourself?" His arm was completely cut up the entire length from his wrist to his elbow. He glanced down at his other hand to see a shard of a broken teacup saucer. He looked up into her eyes, his own wide with confusion. "I don't - don't. I don't remember doing that." She pressed a large wad of paper towels against the bleeding wound. "What were you doing?" He shook his head, his eyes catching the clock on the microwave. A full hour had passed and how in the hell was that possible? He'd only had two plates, two cups with the saucers and a couple of forks and butter knives to wash. "I was just washing the dishes and thinking about the wedding. I thought..." He'd thought only twenty minutes had passed, at most. How the hell had an hour gone by without him even knowing and how did he not notice the sink overflowing, or him cutting up his arm? He gave Relena a helpless look and shook his head. "I don't know what happened." She stared at him for a moment, her own expression frazzled. "Here, sit down. Hold this over the wound. Keep the pressure on it. I'll go get the first aid kit." "I gotta...I gotta clean up this mess." "I'll do it. You just sit there and don't move. I'm cancelling the ceremony." "'Lena, no. No, you can't -" "I can and I will. You're not well and you're staying here and I'm looking after you and that's final." Her tone left no room for argument and he pressed his lips together, feeling utterly guilty and wretched. "I'm so sorry, honey." She kissed his forehead and gazed into his eyes. "Are you okay now?" He gave a reluctant nod, not entirely sure. "I think so -" "What's up with your eyes?" She was staring at him intently, a blond brow raised. He raised his uninjured arm and rubbed at them unconsciously. "Yeah...about that. I don't know. I just noticed this morning." She stepped back, giving him a strange look. "Well, first things first. I need to clean and bandage your arm. I'll be right back." She disappeared out of the kitchen and Heero slumped on the stool, beyond confused. He tried to remember if he'd noticed when he first started to get wet and couldn't. He'd never felt it. Never felt himself breaking the dish and cutting his arm up. He sucked in a shaky breath, feeling extremely unnerved. He peered under the paper towel that was now soaking through with blood, the blotches of red seeping into the top layers. He'd done quite a number on himself. "What the hell just happened?" He'd been the recipient of some strange things before, but this, as Duo would say, took the cake.
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