Zechs Marquise -- #8, brief encounter
Title: A Warning Ignored
Author: cozzybob
Theme + Number: 8, brief encounter
Pair: Zechs, Relena, Darlian
Warnings: gen, takes place just before the series--ie, attempt at canon, angst, tension, the usual Cozzy-ness
Summary: Zechs warns Darlian about OZ shortly before the start of Operation Meteor.
She was dressed in white, smelling the flowers by the Darlian's private pond. Zechs thought that she was beautiful, but there was a little voice in the back of his mind that told him it hardly mattered. He could stand here in the shadows and watch her, but he could never touch her. She could never know, not now, not for a very long time, maybe not ever. He would watch her, and she would sit there by the pond in her pretty white dress and never see him. She would never know.
A fist constricted around his heart. He gritted his teeth, his eyes dark with memories, and he stared. She had grown... she wasn't two years old anymore, and he wasn't six. She was fifteen and on the brink of womanhood, and she had a certain light in her eyes, an intelligence that reminded him so much of their mother. And he? He was a soldier now, and a killer too; a man bent on revenge for a crime that had been committed years ago, too many years to matter. She had forgotten, but he remembered. Every night, every day, every hour, he always remembered.
"You shouldn't be here." A man. Zechs turned, fists bared with aggression, but he forced himself to relax when he saw who it was. Zechs wasn't wearing his mask--he'd left it at the shuttle because he couldn't stand it, and a part of him thought it rude to wear such a thing in his sister's presence... it was bad enough that he hid from her, but that mask was Zechs Marquise, and for Relena, he would always be Milliard.
The man nodded to Relena, now staring into the water watching the fish. She had her hand poised just above the surface, as if preparing to catch one.
Zechs turned back to him. "Darlian," was all he said.
Darlian's expression seemed sympathetic, but his shoulders were tense. "You shouldn't be here," he said again.
"I know." Zechs leaned back against the tree and continued to watch his sister, who sighed, pulling out a schoolbook to read. There was a faint smile of contentment on her lips as her eyes roved the pages.
"Milliar--"
"Don't call me that."
Darlian closed the distance between them, gritting his teeth "I daresay you are the same stubborn boy that died in that building. Zechs Marquise..." He snorted. "Zechs Marquise is only Milliardo with a mask."
Zechs glared at him, folding his arms. "I never liked you," he said, but he knew he was being childish.
Darlian chuckled softly, his rage evaporating. "You never liked anyone. You're a spoiled brat." And then the reality came back to them. Darlian's eyes hardened again. "You shouldn't be here... Milliard."
Zechs flinched at the name, baring his fists again. "I said don't call me that."
"Why are you here?"
The forgotten prince looked away to stare at his sister again. She was beautiful, and seemed fairly innocent. He wanted her to stay that way. He sighed, unfolding his arms to stare at his hands. If he had to die protecting her, he would. She would never have to know.
"Zechs..."
He stared at Darlian. His expression must have been cold, because Darlian recoiled, looking away. Zechs sighed again. "War is coming. I worry for her." He nodded to his sister, still reading by the pond.
"She will be fine, I won't let anything--"
"I know that, Darlian." Zechs flexed his hands, watching her. "But promise me something."
Darlian frowned. "What's that?"
"Quiet down. Stop drawing so much attention to yourself."
Darlian tensed again, his eyes wide with shock. "I can't! I have responsibilities, Milliard!"
Zechs turned away from Relena, putting his back to Darlian. His voice was tight. "Please."
"Zechs--"
"Promise me, Darlian."
"I won't. You know that I can't."
Zechs walked away. "Then OZ will kill you," he said.
Behind him, Darlian grimaced. He said nothing.
Author: cozzybob
Theme + Number: 8, brief encounter
Pair: Zechs, Relena, Darlian
Warnings: gen, takes place just before the series--ie, attempt at canon, angst, tension, the usual Cozzy-ness
Summary: Zechs warns Darlian about OZ shortly before the start of Operation Meteor.
She was dressed in white, smelling the flowers by the Darlian's private pond. Zechs thought that she was beautiful, but there was a little voice in the back of his mind that told him it hardly mattered. He could stand here in the shadows and watch her, but he could never touch her. She could never know, not now, not for a very long time, maybe not ever. He would watch her, and she would sit there by the pond in her pretty white dress and never see him. She would never know.
A fist constricted around his heart. He gritted his teeth, his eyes dark with memories, and he stared. She had grown... she wasn't two years old anymore, and he wasn't six. She was fifteen and on the brink of womanhood, and she had a certain light in her eyes, an intelligence that reminded him so much of their mother. And he? He was a soldier now, and a killer too; a man bent on revenge for a crime that had been committed years ago, too many years to matter. She had forgotten, but he remembered. Every night, every day, every hour, he always remembered.
"You shouldn't be here." A man. Zechs turned, fists bared with aggression, but he forced himself to relax when he saw who it was. Zechs wasn't wearing his mask--he'd left it at the shuttle because he couldn't stand it, and a part of him thought it rude to wear such a thing in his sister's presence... it was bad enough that he hid from her, but that mask was Zechs Marquise, and for Relena, he would always be Milliard.
The man nodded to Relena, now staring into the water watching the fish. She had her hand poised just above the surface, as if preparing to catch one.
Zechs turned back to him. "Darlian," was all he said.
Darlian's expression seemed sympathetic, but his shoulders were tense. "You shouldn't be here," he said again.
"I know." Zechs leaned back against the tree and continued to watch his sister, who sighed, pulling out a schoolbook to read. There was a faint smile of contentment on her lips as her eyes roved the pages.
"Milliar--"
"Don't call me that."
Darlian closed the distance between them, gritting his teeth "I daresay you are the same stubborn boy that died in that building. Zechs Marquise..." He snorted. "Zechs Marquise is only Milliardo with a mask."
Zechs glared at him, folding his arms. "I never liked you," he said, but he knew he was being childish.
Darlian chuckled softly, his rage evaporating. "You never liked anyone. You're a spoiled brat." And then the reality came back to them. Darlian's eyes hardened again. "You shouldn't be here... Milliard."
Zechs flinched at the name, baring his fists again. "I said don't call me that."
"Why are you here?"
The forgotten prince looked away to stare at his sister again. She was beautiful, and seemed fairly innocent. He wanted her to stay that way. He sighed, unfolding his arms to stare at his hands. If he had to die protecting her, he would. She would never have to know.
"Zechs..."
He stared at Darlian. His expression must have been cold, because Darlian recoiled, looking away. Zechs sighed again. "War is coming. I worry for her." He nodded to his sister, still reading by the pond.
"She will be fine, I won't let anything--"
"I know that, Darlian." Zechs flexed his hands, watching her. "But promise me something."
Darlian frowned. "What's that?"
"Quiet down. Stop drawing so much attention to yourself."
Darlian tensed again, his eyes wide with shock. "I can't! I have responsibilities, Milliard!"
Zechs turned away from Relena, putting his back to Darlian. His voice was tight. "Please."
"Zechs--"
"Promise me, Darlian."
"I won't. You know that I can't."
Zechs walked away. "Then OZ will kill you," he said.
Behind him, Darlian grimaced. He said nothing.