A Downward Spiral An AU fic by Blue Rose *Okay, everyone! I'm going to get this next part out as fast as I can, since everyone seems to like this one. *Setting: right after part two (?). This definitely is gonna get far more dramatic in this section, so don't give it up for mush yet! (*_*) "Are you surprised, Anne?" Treize Khushrenada said, smiling. Anne just stood there, gazing at him. "Captain Khushrenada..." She stammered. "What brings you to Atlanta, are you injured?" "It's just this arm," he said. Treize held up his right arm, which had been already bandaged up. "I was shot by a Yankee soldier from behind. The bullet hit me in the back of the arm." She touched the bandaged arm lightly, "Will you be all right?" "Yes, but I hate to leave my men." Treize worriedly glanced towards the window. Anne didn't say anything, she was too busy looking into his blue eyes. She nervously wondered how she looked, and how she would handle being in the same hospital as Treize. "Did you miss me, Anne?" Treize asked. "Of course, and you shouldn't call me Anne." She plucked at the top hem of her apron, not meeting his eyes. "Why shouldn't I call you Anne?" He asked. "It's not proper," she replied, frustrated. "Oh?" He said, his eyes glinting maliciously. Anne laughed, much to her surprise. Then she sobered, thinking a moment. Who does he think he is! She thought angrily. Does he think that writing letters means he can possess me? I'll show him I'm not one of his little whores. "I hope you maintain good health, Captain Khushrenada." She said briskly, turning to walk away. Treize didn't reply. She had seemed happy to see him when he arrived, but she had gotten quiet suddenly. Anne seemed different somehow. She was as beautiful as he remembered, but it was a different kind of beauty. She seemed older, and her she had lost that wide-eyed look that made her seem like a schoolgirl. Treize also wondered how she felt about him. He knew that society credited him only as the man who had broke a thousand women's hearts. At the time, heartbreaking was a game to him. Treize had flirted with dozens of women and never felt a thing, he had kissed many of them and not once felt the slightest tinge of passion. Yet when he met Anne, they neither flirted nor kissed but he felt a kind of connection with her that no one else had ever given him. Anne was intelligent, and didn't hide that from anyone. She didn't simper or faint or lean on him like she hadn't a grain of sense. She had talked to him about things he never discussed with anyone before. Since the first of her letters had come to him, Trieze had not flirted nor danced nor did anything he usually did. His best friend, Zechs Merquise asked him if he was sick. Trieze wondered that if sometime during those months of correspondence, he had fallen in love with Anne Une. Anne was sitting in her room one night, when her sister Margaret appeared out of nowhere. "I suppose you know that Khushrenada man is in town." Margaret said, her voice heavy with unspoken meaning. "Yes," Anne said shortly. "Rumor has it he's here to see you." "What!" Anne looked at Margaret with angry eyes. "That's what Mrs. Macdougal of Macon said." "I don't give a darn what Mrs. Macdougal says!" Anne shouted, and left the room with Margaret staring after her. As she reached the parlor, she saw Miss Jewel sitting with someone on the settee. "Nice of you to join us, Anne." Said Miss Jewel, turning around to greet Anne. Anne looked to see who the caller was, and her face turned pale. "Hello, Miss Anne." Treize said. "Captain Khushrenada! What are you doing here?" She stammered. "The Captain just came by to drop off this glove you left at the hospital." Miss Jewel interjected. Anne raised an eyebrow, this was too much. Treize was injured, and he shouldn't be out and about calling on her. Treize saw her surprised look, and winked subtly. "Miss Jewel!" Margaret shouted from upstairs. "Could you help me with my dress pattern?" "Oh dear," mumbled Miss Jewel. "Excuse me, Captain. Perhaps Anne could get you something to drink while I'm upstairs." Miss Jewel padded quietly up the stairs, not giving a thought to the breach of etiquette she had just committed. "Why are you here?" Anne asked, the minute Miss Jewel was safely up the stairs. "I wanted to talk to you," Treize said. "You seem too focused at the hospital, like I'd disturb you if I talked to you." "You're disturbing me now," she said, sitting down on a chair across from him. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but I had to return your glove." "Who's glove is that, really?" Anne asked suspiciously. "It's your glove of course." Treize replied, ignoring her implications. "Why do you have it, then?" He leaned closer to her. "I wanted to call on you again. You seem to be avoiding me. I would like to see more of you." "I'm not falling for that. I've heard about all the girls you've courted." Anne crossed her arms and glanced at him coldly. "That was a long time ago, Anne." He said gently. "Would you like something to drink?" She asked, ignoring him. "Yes, wine would be nice." Treize watched her hurry away. He wondered why she was trying to dodge his hints. He felt stupid for trying to make her see how much he cared about her. He seemed to be making her more uncomfortable, and that was not his intention. "Here," she said. Anne handed him the brim-full wine glass. "Shall we sit on the patio?" Treize asked. Anne thought about saying how it wasn't proper, but remembered the way his eyes shown in the moonlight. As they sat on the patio, Anne sighed. Treize was sitting next to her, comfortably sipping his wine while still watching her. He had a way of watching her with a melancholy look on his face. "Why do you look at me that way," Anne asked. "What way?" Treize asked, looking like he knew what she was talking about, but wanted to get more information from her. "That...sad way. You're always watching me." He looked straight at her, "I think you're beautiful." He said. She looked at him questioningly. "I also think you're intelligent and charming." He took one of her hands in his. "Why do you shut me out?" Anne desperately tried to think of a rude reply, but couldn't manage to think of anything to say. She looked up into his eyes, and seemed to loose herself in them. "I've been told things. Gossip. They say you're going to leave me for the next attractive girl you see." Anne faltered. "Anne," he whispered. Treize reached out and brushed her cheek lightly. "That's just gossip. I did a lot of things I regret, being the son of one of the Confederacy's most prominent figures. I hope none of these things ever come back to hurt you." "Treize..." She started to say. "Let them talk," he said. He reached one hand over and brought her face close to his, kissing her lightly on the lips. "Captain Khushrenada!" A voice sounded from inside. They broke away, Anne still trying to figure out what just happened. "Captain Khushrenada, it's late. Perhaps you may call another time." Miss Jewel shouted from inside. "Excuse my staying so long, Miss Jewel. I'll leave in just a moment," Treize shouted back. Anne looked at him, not sure what had just happened, "Good-bye, Captain Khushrenada." She said stiffly. "Good-bye, Anne," he replied, kissing her once more on the cheek. Anne watched him walk away, sighing with a mixture of joy and relief. "And Anne," Treize said, on his way out the gate. "Call me Treize." |
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