By Quicksylver
Standard diclaimers apply
Warnings? AU, angst, rape, shounen-ai...nothing to graphic though- your eyes won't pop out.
Narration in BLACK- flashbacks in BLUE (Terri ) and PURPLE (Yasmine )
Thoughts in Italics.
Enjoy my first fic attempt!
Hakodate city, Hokkaido Island
Japan
He looked out the huge bay window overlooking the quad. The light of the sun poured through the swaying leaves of the trees that were scattered over the lawn, dancing over the students seated beneath them. The sky was a cloudless blue and the wind came in a gentle breeze. A perfect day for being outdoors...if you liked that sort of thing. Frosty blue eyes observed the scene, meticulously scanning each face, each building. After years of training it came naturally. A voice, high-pitched and whiny, bombarded his ears. He turned to face it's owner.
"Welcome to the Raymond Osaka School for Boys, Mr St. Claire."
The scrawny executive assistant peered at him through bottle glasses, her twiggish form accentuated by her choice of basic clothing and the extremely tight bun that was pulled to the top of her head. Her face was thin and her skin pasty. He nooded politely and took a seat in the only other chair in the room. Chairs like this are used so that the occupant does not get to comfortable, and therefore, is uneasy and lose their confidence. To think that a simple chair could have such a subtle psycological effect on people, he smirked inwardly.
She shuffled her papers uneasily under his unmasked scrutiny. His eyes were cold and unblinking: They gave her a chill so she retreated into mindless babble.
"Let's see now...ah yes! Ivory St. Claire...Interesting name don't you think?"
Silence
"Well...hmmm...ah here it is...coming to us from Rosary Boys Prep. in South Africa...my! They have a very good reputation. Hmmm...all fees paid in advance, single room...with private bath mind you! Majoring in Modern Science and Experimental Technology...very hard classes to get into."
I know, he agreed silently.
"We are the only school that hosts Experimental Technology. Funded by the Romerfeller Foundation. We're very proud of it." she boasted.
She glanced up at the boy, he was a statue. Smooth alabaster skin like marble with a beautifully carved angel's face. His platinum hair, held in a high ponytail, cascaded past his shoulders to stop mid-back. Those eyes that gave her goose bumps were light blue with specks of silver grey. They stared, unblinking, swallowing all that they looked upon. Her bottom lip trembled, the smoldering intensity of his stare weighing down on her. if she didn't do something she was going to drown in those eyes.
"Wel that's it then" she said, her voice squeaking even higher than usual, grating even her own ears.
He stood quietly, nodded and left the room. As the door closed behind him she slumped bonelessly into the plush leather chair. Why did the headmaster have to go to that conference on L6? He should have had to face that boy, she pined wistfully. I'm not suited for this work...I'm just an assistant. She looked at the closed door. I hope I never have to see him again.
*****
He stood quietly in the centre of the the dorm room. Outside the window lay the basketball court and beyond that lay a small playground. There were children laughing and romping in the sand filled circle. He tilted his head slightly, watching them...thier innocence. The innocence that he had known once...so long ago it seemed a dream.
Earth A.C.188- Yasmine
Pune train Station, India.
She stood at the edge of the platform, holding the small hand in hers. Blue eyes stared up into hers, tearful and afraid. How could such beautiful eyes disgust her so very much? Those were of his father- that bastard. she had been only sixteen when they met and fallen in love. she had become pregnant for him so they ran away, full of hope for the future. But he had died in a horrible train wreck, died and left her pregnant and alone. Too unskilled to fend for herself, too ashamed to call on her family.
She had given birth in a half way house under the father's name for fear that some one might recognise her name and call her family... or even worse, pity her. That she could never bear. She had named him Terri, Terri Vega. It was his father's name.
For the next eight years she had endured hell, anchored by her pride and a pair of blue eyes. She resented those eyes, those pleading eyes filled with purity and love. They burned her. She should have left him at the Halfway house, left him there and gone back home. But it was too late, too late to do anything but endure those blue eyes that were draining her life away.
But then... through the darkness had come a light. Kamal, the man who loved her, who still loved her after all these years, had found her. She had been betrothed to him and had dishonoured him when she eloped. But he still loved her and wanted to marry her. Dear Allah was a merciful God. She was going home, to live.
But Kamal was adamant, the child could not come. The boy would shame both their families with his very exsistence and he would not raise another man's child. It woyld be kept secret from all but a few key people. She was relieved. it was like deadweight finally cut away, like shackles removed.
She looked down at him adn smiled thinly. He smiled in return and her heart twisted.
"You'll come back and get me right Mai?" [1] he asked, uncertain.
She looked to Kamal, he raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, as soon as I can Beta." [2] she lied.
He gripped her hand tighter.
"Is the lady I'm going to stay with nice Mai?
"Yes she's nice Terri" she quickly assured, the train was coming...and with it ...freedom.
"You promise Mai?"
"YES!" she snapped, yanking her hand from his. The train was so close now.
Tears welled up in his eyes but he did not cry. The train pulled in, screeching and puffing smoke. Kamal escorted her on and showed her to the seat and she took one last look through the thick window. He was struggling to keep a happy face as he waved goodbye, for what he did not know would be the last time. As the train pulled away from the station she leaned into Kamal and sobbed.
Thank you gentle Allah.
A.C. 188- Terri
Please don't go Mai. He wanted to cry but he had to be brave. He was a big boy, the man of the house she called him. He would not cry like a little kid. Nuh uh! But as the train pulled away his eyes misted over. She promised to come back, it's not like she wouldn't... right? Of course she will, she loves me. She promised that she would come back and get him and they would live happily ever after with her family. she would talk about them ever so often with a longing in her eyes. She would always yell at him after...yell for no reason about grown up things that he didn'nt understand.
Just then someone puit their hand on his shoulder and he looked up. A dark man led him out of the station to a waiting car.
"Come on boy" he said harshly, pulling him roughly.
He took him to a shabby apartment where an old woman who smelled like stale tuna fish lived. The place was old and dirty and so was she. She sneered at him with rotten, cavity filled teeth. He cringed away and she scowled.
"Welcome to your new home son" she cackled, grasping at his cheek with knarled fingers that looked like twisted tree branches.
He hated it there. She made him work so much, and when he got tired or hungry she would call him lazy and beat him. He refused to cry in front of her and that made her even more cruel. She would laugh and tell him how his mother had forgotten him and would never come back.
"That's not true...you're lying!" he would scream, then run away sobbing.
He could hear her cackle all through the place. She always knew just how to hurt him. Why haven't you come yet Mai? he would ask the walls of the little room he shared with the washing basin. But they would never answer.
Two years later he stopped asking, stopped hoping, stopped crying himself to sleep, stopped trying to reason her delay. There was no plane crash or any other horrible earth stopping disaster that could have kept her away. But she had promised, hadn't she? He couldn't remember anymore. There was only one thing left to do. He had to find her...yes, that was what he had to do.
Finding the address was a stroke of pure luck. The old bag had passed out, like she always did each night, but instead of helping her to bed as usual, he searched through her papers. And there...plain for the eye to see was a cheque. A cheque that was supposed to pay for his up keep but never did. On this 'Holy Grail' was an address. His home...his real home. He touched the parchment carefully, as if it would crumbled to pieces before him. He folded it and placed it in his shirt pocket, close to his heart. The old witch did not deserve the money. Even though he could not cash it himself, he would not leave it for her. He took her secret stash of money that she did not know he knew about and packed it away with his other meager belongings. He went into the kitchen and made a few sandwiches. He hummed as he cut the meat and cheese that were her favourites, munching on the scraps as he worked.
He then set out. A new fire of hope in his heart. He was finally going home.
With a flick of his head he turned away from the window. The past is gone, he thought nonchalantly, it never comes back. he unpacked his belongings carefully and studied his class schedule. Experimental Technology was indeed a very hard class to get into. He had used almost every hacking skill he knew to get himself into that class. Imagine...Romerfeller using geniuses to build their weapons...and nobody is saying a damned thing.
His eye fell on metal glinting in the light. It was a stiletto blade, given to him as a gift. It was the only thing he held dear, or what you might call a reasonable facsimile to 'dear'. It was dark silver with a blue glint. It had been compared to him by the giver.
Cold...Lethal...it suited him well.
He placed it in the nightstand, between his clothes. Concealed yet close...like him.
*****
"Good Morning class, this morning we welcome a new student to our hallowed halls. Eveyone...this is Ivory Sr. Claire. Welcome to Additional Mathematics Ivory. Why don't you take the free seat near the back." the teacher chimed in a sing song voice.
The entire class gave the new student the once over. Tall, blonde and cold. He nodded curtly and took his seat next to a boy with violet eyes and a long braid. The boy reached over, extending his hand in greeting.
"Hey there,I'm Duo...nice to mee'cha" he said laughingly.
The laugh faded as the blonde stared straight ahead, ignoring him completely. Duo shrugged. Whatever...and I thought Heero was bad...Jeez! The teacher announced a surprise pop quiz and Duo groaned. Ivory looked at the paper. It was child's play. Ad math was always easier than Maths in general. He was about to start when a late arrival burst into the class.
"Gomen nasai Otousan" the gentle voice gasped, out of breath. Ivory looked up in shock. No...it can't be! Same blonde hair, same blue eyes, same open friendly smile from so long ago. He closed his eyes, wanting this to be a dream...but it was real. He was all too real.
A.C. 190- Terri
Alexandria, Egypt
North Africa
He opened the cheque once more. This is it! the place on the cheque! He stooped behind some bushes so the he could stare unseen. The house was even more beautiful than he had imagined. It was huge and white with a green lawn and a high white washed iron wrought fence. Neatly trimmed hedges decorated the yard...not yard...the art. It was so pretty. He could picture his mother living like a princess. he could imagine playing hide a seek with other children in the massive garden. Then at night his mother would tuck him in and tell him stories in bed. He couldn't wait. He started to straighten up when he heard voices, men's voices. afraid that they would catch him tresspassing he crouched low and listened.
"How will we know the boy Akmed?...we don't have a description" one man said.
"The boss said that he wears a purple jacket, like the one your son wanted for his birthday" the other replied.
"Really...I wonder if he'll mind me taking it then".They both laughed.
"Nah! Them Winners have got more money that grains of sand in the desert...and when they pay the ten million to get the boy back...the last thing they'll think about is a jacket Hamid" Akmed smirked.
"Yeah...let's grab him and go already. Where is he anyway?"
"He walks home from school everyday...by himelf! Just to grab him and go. Simple!"
Terri listened in horror. Winner? That's the name on the cheque. The person they were going to kidnap was his family. They can't. He bit his lip and thought fast. He scrambled away quickly and shot off in the opposite direction. As he rounded the block he spotted him, just as they had described him...wearing the purple jacket. The boy was short and blonde, not tall and dark like his Mai. Just then an idea popped into his head. Terri took a deep breath and ran up to the boy.
The boy cried out as Terri pushed him down from behind. They wrestled but he succeeded in getting the jacket . Like a bullet he was off, turning only briefly to see the boy sstruggling to get up. He only had time to put on the jacket when he was grabbed roughly. He struggled against the hands but they were too strong. A white cloth came over his mouth that smelled like medicine. Then he blacked out.
A.C.190- Yasmine
Winner Residence
Alexandria, Egypt
The house was in disarray. She and Kamal were visiting her father when Quatre was brought in, shaken and a little bruised. Another boy had mugged him and had taken his jacket. She couldn't believe children these days. She loved Quatre...as any sister should love her brother but she was not particularly fond of him. He had been born the year that she had eloped. Everytime she looked at him ... at his blue eyes she was reminded of the blue eyes she had last seen in the train station in Pune. She could never forget them, how they burned her with their love and innocence. Innocence she had sacrificed so long ago for the lovew of a man.
She watched as Quatre was hered away by a fussy nurse, bitterness lingering in her mouth.She shook her head, she was home now. She had Kamal who loved her and who she was fond of...and she was pregnant. This time it was no mistake.
Later that day she was called into the main living room. the Winners had recieved a call from kidnappers stating that they had Quatre and that if her father did not pay Ten million dollars by midmidday the next day, they would never see Quatre again. She gasped.
"But I thought Quatre was upstairs?" she was confused.
Kamal chuckled, "He is."
"Then who...?" she started. Kamal held out a printout.
"They sent us this picture as proof."
She looked at the boy in the picture and her heart skipped a beat. Terri? Oh God! she thought.
Kamal asked if she was okay and she quickly assured him that she was. They can never know, she vowed desperately. She looked again at the frightened boy in the picture and asked:
"What are we going to do?"
Kamal luaghed outright. "Nothing of course...it's just another prank to get money out of your father."
She put the picture down and walked slowly away, her betrayal choking her.
Allah have mercy on me...I have sesntenced my child to death.
Terri
Free Port Harbour
Alexandria.
He huddled against the cold, the binds on his hands and feet cutting into his soft skin. He bit his trembling lip in oder to keep from crying. Never let them see you cry, he reminded himself over and over. But it was getting colder and harder for him to be strong. Aren't they coming? Didn't Mai love him? Why didn't she come? He was so scared. Suddenly the old wooden door slammed open and three men stormed in.
"What do you mean you snatched the wrong kid? Didn't I describe him to you nunbskulls?" the fat one demanded.
"He was like you described Boss...purple jacket and all"
"Well...I called the Winners and you know what they did?...huh?. They laughed at me...at ME!!...the Big Red...nobody laughs at me. You hear me?...NO ONE!
He grabbed Terri roughly and began shaking him.
"Who are you? You little punk...you hear me boy? Who are you?
Terri's teeth rattled so much from the shaking that he couldn't even speak. Not that the big man was really interested in the answer. The man threw himback against the wall and he slid down, whimpering. The men left, leaving him alone and in pain.He could still hear shouting but he was too hurt to care. His back, ribs and arms hurt so n=much that he couldn't stop a tear from escaping his tightly squeezed lids. He buried his face in the dirty mattress on which he lay, not wanting them to come back and see his tears. Never let them see you cry... Mai, where are you?, He sobbed noiselessly into the worn and ragged foam.
He sniffed and sat up, wondering what they were going to do with him. He didn't have to wait very long. Hamid came in and hauled him out of the shabby house out onto a deserted pier where Akmed and Big Red stood waiting. He pushed him toward the end of the rotting wood structure and made him stand straight.
"It'll be all over soon boy" he whispered with a pat on the shoulder.
He turned away and walked back to stand with the others. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the glint of metal and his heart jumped. Big Red had a gun! He trembled and squeezed his eyes shut. He heard the click but still refused to cry out.
They're not coming...they don't love me, he realized, his heart breaking...nobdy loves me.
There was a loud bang and a pain in his head. Then all went blank.
Ivory blinked and quickly looked away. He had been staring. He chanced another glance at the boy, now sixteen. Quatre had taken the seat near to the front and was now concentrating on his quiz paper. After breezing through the questions he took his time to study the boy. The only difference was his age, he was the same Quatre all over. Ivory cursed the fates for bringing them together like this. He Hadn't cared...none of them had cared. They had broken a sacred promise...they had left him. He would never forgive them for that.
*****
That lunch hour Quatre made his way to where his fellow pilots sat. Duo was harrassing Heero while Trowa and Wufei were poking at what could be assumed was macaroni in Special sauce. He smiled in geeting and sat next to Trowa. He listened to Duo as he ate, Smiling at his silly antics. Just then Duo got serious. he motioned with his head for them to look.
"Hey guys...there he is...Ivory St. Claire...the one I was telling you about Hee-chan."
"Don't call me that !" Heero gritted out through clenched teeth, his eyes on the blonde crossing the cafeteria.
Ivory sat at a table alone and began to eat.
"He's in our AdMath class and boy!...he could make Siberia look like a tropical paradise."
"Worse than Yuy?" Wufei asked incredulously. Heero shot him a glare which he ignored.
"That's not all...you should have seen how he was ogling Quatre earlier" Duo added.
"What?" That caught Trowa's attention.
Duo and Quatre smiled, Heero raised an eyebrow and Wufei coughed. Trowa's affection for the Sandrock's pilot was no secret.
"He was?" Quatre asked, looking at Ivory. "Well...there is something familiar about him."
It was now everyone's turn to say "What?"
Without warning Quatre stood and made his way to where Ivory sat before anyone could speak. He stood at the end of the table and cleared his throat softly. The boy looked up and Quatre was lost in the intense and chilling gaze. His voice stuck in his throat and he stood fidgeting.
"Um...I...uh...well" he stammered, embarrassed. The boy sat back and crossed his arms, obviously annoyed.
"My name is Quatre and I was wondering that since you were new here if you'd like to come over and sit with me and my friends for lunch I mean thre's space enough for you to cme and sit and maybe we can be you friends." he blurted out, glad that it was over.
"No" came the reply, flat and final. Quatre was taken aback.
"Okay" he mumbled, deflated, and turned away.
Ivory watched him as he left, his eyes narrowing. It's too late...too late to be my friend. He rose, his appitite suddenly gone. Well, I might as well check out the ExTech lab while I have some free time. It was on the other side of the campus so he had to spint, his long legs eating up the considerable distance quickly. Within two minutes he was at the doors of the Science building.
The mammoth building was brown brick with ivy growing thick on the walls. He slipped in unnoticed and crept down the main hall, keeping mainly to the tell tale shadows of of the afternoon sun. He heard voices and quickly ducked into the nearest door. It was the chemical storage room. Strange that it's unlocked, he pondered. Suddenly the doorknob turned so he hid behind one of the counters. A young arrogant voice punctured the silence.
"I'm telling you...the digitzation of the crystallized Densitron moleculs in a hyper thermic state would surely exite them enough to create a feild powerful enough to cut right through gundanium like a hot kinfe through butter."
The other entrant grunted and the shuffling of paper could be heard.
"Let's go. A low voice odered from the doorway.
Ivory heard a loud click and knew that the door had been locked from the outside. No problem, no one would suspect an illegal search from inside a locked room. He sat at the terminal and began to type swiftly. As the CPU buzzed he thought about Quatre. It's been so long...since we last saw each other.
A.C. 190- Yasmine
Winner Residence
Alexandria.
She pulled at the handbreak and checked her reflection in the rearview mirror of the jaguar that her husband had given her for her birthday the year before. Satisfied, she stepped out onto the stone driveway. The family was gathering today for her father's birthday. Tomorrow they would leave forthe colony that would be thier new permanent residence. A servant came to take her luggage and she follwed him inside.
Everyone was gathered in her father's favourite room, the master den. She looked to Kamal, who had arrived before her, he was dark with fury. She looked to her father, whose face was totally expressionless. Each of thge family members wore masks of emotion, shock, shame, horror and yes...even pity.
"What's wrong?" she demanded. They were like statues. She panicked.
"I demand to know what's wrong...father?" her eyes pleading as she looked to him, he looked away.
"Mai?" a voice shattered her world with that one word.
Family members parted to reveal a pair of blue eyes...those eyes. NONONONONONONONO! she screamed silently. Oh God no! They'll haunt me forever. Her head swam and her heart lurched. Her new and bright future crumbled before her very eyes.
Her eyes rolled back and she fainted.
A.C. 190- Terri
He sat in a nearby chair fingering the bandage on the left side of his head. The doctor told him that he was a very lucky boy. Good thing Big Red was such a bad shot. Half a centimetre to the left and he would be dead now. But...he did not feel lucky. He knew from the look on his mother's face that she did not want him there. The others were mortified that she had even had an 'illegitimate child, as they called him, but he knew that that was just a fancy word for bastard.
The only person who had welcomed him was Mr. Winner. When he had found out who Terri was he had gathered him into his huge arms and hugged him tight. He had never been hugged like that before, even by his mother. He loved it. He looked at all of them talking in murmurs and whispers.This was not the family he expected. The balloon of his fantasy was losing air...fast. A strong hand ruffled his hair gently. He looked up...it was Mr. Winner.
"Come, let's get you to bed...it's very late and you must be very tired."
Terri nodded and smiled at the warm man. His first real smile in a long time. A plump, smiling nurse led him up to a room that looked like it had been cut right out of a fancy magazine. It was so beautiful. With tender hands she dressed him for bed, made him brush his teeth and tucked him in. He was so over whlemd by her kindness that before she left he gave her a great big hug. She laughed and hugged him back.
After she had tucked him in once more he lay under the plush comforter, staring up at the ceiling. Is this it? he asked the strutting elephants on the wall...is this the famliy I've been searching for so long. I hope so. I've wanted this so much...someone to take care of me, to love me. Maybe Mai will love me too. Please God ...let Mai love me too...and thank you for bringing me here. I just want to be happy.
The door opened and he looked up. A blonde head peeped through...Quatre.
"You awake?" he asked.
"No" Terri replied.
Quatre crept in and sat at the edge of the bed. Terrei smiled and Quatre climbed further onto the thick comforter. In hushed voices they talked, about nothing...about everything.
"Thanks" Quatre gushed,hugging him.
"For what?" Terri wondered aloud.
"For saving me Terri!" he answered, "I was pretty mad at you for knocking me down and taking my jacket like that but you were only trying to save me"
"It wasn't nothin" Terri blushed and Quatre giggled, his eyes sparkling.
"I know!" he exclaimed. Terri shushed him and they both fell into a fit of giggles. It was so late.
"...Let's make a pact." he fifnished, cracking up again from the look on Terri's face.
"What kind?" Quatre extended his pinky finger and hooked Terri's.
"OKAY...repeat after me...we'll always be be ther for each other...no matter what...Friends Forever!"
Terri repeated the words and they bobbed thier intertwined fingers three times to make it official. They both smiled at each other, the best of friends. Quatre hopped off the bed and made for the door.
"See you tomorrow friend." he said before slipping away.
"See you tomorrow...friend." Terri replied softly.
He lay down to sleep and for the first time in a long time he was happy.
The terminal beeped, the search complete. He removed the disk and let himself out of the window. He had no trouble exiting and dashed off to his first afternoon class. He had gotten what he wanted ... for now.
[1] Mai - hindi for Mother
[2] Beta- hindi for Son
Well that was Cold Flame part 1. hope you like :)
:: part II :: arc page :: email ::