Disclaimer: Nothing here's mine, 'cept the plot. Even the title
belongs to Bob Dylan. Love you, Bob. You still rock hard core.
Author's Notes: Thank you everyone for the really nice reviews
on the first part. I'd just like to say right now in regards to
the French that will appear in almost every chapter, I do not
speak French. I've taken four semesters of Japanese, three semesters
of German and Spanish in high school, but I don't know French,
nor do I know anyone who does know French. So, I am using an online
translator which I had a feeling was probably way off. I do apologize
to anyone who speaks French. If you do, could you please just
gloss over my horrible misuse of the language, and again, I apologize;)
I hope you still enjoy reading the story.
****
To Dance Beneath the Diamond Sky
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
First period biology was never fun; who really wants to dissect
frogs at eight in the morning? But when Heero entered the bio
lab the next morning and saw Relena Dorlian, in her white middy
uniform blouse, pullover sweater vest and pleated skirt, sitting
in his usual chair, he suddenly had a new reason to wish he had
taken art.
He was a few minutes late to class, an extremely rare occurrence
as evident by the surprised look on the lab teacher's face. "Mr.
Yuy, I was about to mark you absent."
Heero ignored the man and walked down the aisle between the rows
of tables to the one he had been occupying by himself for the
entire year to date. The new student in his ballet class squirmed
ever so slightly in her seat when he stopped in front of her.
"You're in my seat," he told her.
The teacher cleared his throat. "Heero, I assigned Relena
to be your lab partner from now on, seeing as how you don't have
one and we'll be starting on the pig fetuses today.
"I see." Heero took the seat beside Relena.
There was snickering from the lab table adjacent to theirs. "Yuy
doesn't want to sit with a girl, Mr. Berardis." Kyle Longheim's
loud statement generated more light laughter. "He wouldn't
know what to do with one."
"Kyle, keep your mouth closed if nothing useful is going
to come from it." Mr. Berardis snapped on a pair of rubber
gloves and reached into a bucket for one pig fetus. "Now,
when you're dissecting these creatures, remember this. They died
so that you could have the opportunity to learn from them. If
you act like morons and play with your specimen, they will have
died in vain. Do you understand? Any funny business...Kyle...and
you'll have an F faster than you can say 'pig'."
Heero stared straight ahead during the teacher's speech, even
when he felt Relena sneak a peek at him. When he felt her eyes
on his cheek again, he spoke. "I don't work well with others.
You should ask for a new lab partner."
"Well...it's just that..." She twisted her hands in
her lap. "I don't know anyone else...and since we have ballet
class together...I thought that..."
He cut her off. "Ballet and school are two completely different
parts of my life. I don't like mixing them."
"Oh." There was a long pause. "I'll speak to Mr.
Berardis after class, then."
"All right, people. Get your supplies ready and I'll be around
with the specimens." At the teacher's words, the class reluctantly
dragged themselves into action.
Heero stood up and went to get a dissection pan and tools. While
he was up, he grabbed two plastic aprons and pairs of rubber gloves.
The blond girl would probably freak if she got pig juice on her
uniform. He started back for the table only to find Kyle already
there, sitting on the edge, talking to Relena.
As he got closer, he could just make out what the football player
was saying. "...it's in the way he walks. And I even heard
that he's been caught in Central Park with a couple other guys.
Some massive fag orgy or something." Heero's jaw grew tight.
He watched Relena shake her head and open her mouth to speak,
but Kyle continued before she could. "So, I was thinking..."
The jock smiled brilliant white. "You being new and all...that
someone really should show you around campus. I humbly volunteer
for the job." He took Relena's hand. "It's an offer
you won't get from your queer partner."
Relena tugged her hand away and smiled sweetly. "But at least
his invitation wouldn't make me want to vomit."
Kyle's smile fell. "You know, getting on my bad side isn't
a good way to start out at St. John's."
"I'd rather not be on any side of you," she retorted.
Mr. Berardis approached the table with the bucket of fetuses.
"Kyle, move it. You've got work to do." The football
player moved off after shooting Relena a deadly look. Heero cleared
his throat and walked the rest of the way back. He set the dissection
pan down in front of Relena just in time for the teacher to plop
a wet fetus into it. Mr. Berardis winked. "Have fun."
Heero sat next to her and handed her an apron and gloves before
donning his own. "Do you want to make the first cut?"
he asked her.
To his surprise, she took up the scalpel and dug into the fetus'
stomach. He watched her work carefully and methodically for a
long minute without any feminine squeamishness.
She couldn't dance...but she might not be that bad.
****
"Well," Relena said to herself several hours later as
she opened up her lunch bag. "You brought this on yourself."
The courtyard of St. John's was dusted with a light layer of snow,
but that hadn't stopped most of its students from seeking the
freedom of eating lunch outside. And every single one of those
students, Relena noted, were studiously ignoring her.
She opened up a plastic container of salad and speared a cucumber
slice. Kyle the jock worked fast. Within the span of four class
periods, he had informed the entire school of Relena's "loser"
qualities and alerted them to the fact that she was not to be
approached or showed a friendly hand.
So, she sat by herself and quietly ate her lunch, completely unaware
of a pair of Prussian blue eyes, watching her from the balcony
that overlooked the courtyard.
"At least you have dance class," she said out loud.
"And in four months, you can get out of this city and back
to where you belong." A job in Paris waited for her; she
had all but signed the contract. The thought formed a smile on
her lips.
And unbeknownst to her, the smile created an unfamiliar twinge
in the center of Heero Yuy's chest.
****
"No, no, no!" Treize clapped his hands together in frustration.
"Miss Dorlian...just what are you doing?"
Relena lowered her leg. "I'm sorry. This is how we were taught
in Paris."
"In case you hadn't noticed, sweetie....you're not in Paris
anymore." Dorothy Catalonia's comment was followed by light
giggling.
Treize ignored the laughter. "Watch Miss Schbeiker, Miss
Dorlian and learn it properly this time." He turned back
to the rest of the class. "Keep going everyone. We have no
time to waste. The workshop is getting closer every day."
Duo put a comforting hand on his partner's shoulder. "Hey,
I thought the move was cool, princess."
"After two weeks, I should know to keep my mouth shut and
just watch your girlfriend at all times."
"Well, that works for me...the watching her part." Duo
guided Relena into the appropriate leg position. "But as
for you being quiet, I don't think anyone wants that."
Beside them, Dorothy executed a perfect arabesque with the help
of her partner. "Don't speak for all of us, Duo-dear."
"Don't trip, Cata-lonely-a." There was something to
be said for the power of suggestion. Even with her partner's help,
Dorothy stumbled out of the arabesque and shot Duo an evil look.
"Cata-lonely-a?" Relena asked.
Duo grinned. "Long story." He took Relena's hand into
her own arabesque.
"Very good, Miss Dorlian," Treize said from across the
room. Relena stepped out of the move with a plie and a smile.
"All right everyone. Line up in the corner. I want two side
by side jete entrelace and then, gentlemen, lift your partners
by the waist and ladies, a clean scissor kick." He pointed
to Heero and Hilde. "Mr. Yuy, Miss Schbeiker, please demonstrate."
To no one's surprise, the pair executed the requested movements
with skill and grace. Relena watched Heero's hands around Hilde's
small waist as he lifted her into the air. The muscles in his
arms corded with effort until he set her down again.
"That's my girl," Duo said, proudly. He glanced at Relena.
"Hey, I wanted to ask you....are you going to the gala tomorrow
night?"
Relena nodded, still thinking about Heero's arm muscles. "Um...yes.
Millardo sort of has to be there."
"Oh. So you'll be sitting with your family then."
She gave him a puzzled look. "Who else would I be sitting
with?"
"Well...I was thinking, me and Hilde." He tucked his
braid into his black shirt. "We get free tickets. All students
do."
"I didn't know that." Relena weighed the idea of spending
an evening with her mother or her new friend and the best dancer
in the class. "I think it would be a lot of fun."
He smiled widely. "Great! We'll meet you in the lobby then!"
Duo nudged her. "Our turn, princess."
The parallel floor combination started out well enough. Two jete
entrelace, neat and clean. Relena even found herself letting down
her guard when Duo gripped her waist. But apparently, he sensed
she needed more encouragement.
"Relax," he told her softly, just before lifting her.
"You can trust me."
She froze, an unwanted memory clawing to the surface. **Detendez-vous,
Relena....vous pouvez vous fier a moi. I just want to touch you...you
can trust me, mon cher.** Duo lifted her into the air. **Do not
fight me, Relena....laissez-moi vous avoir...**
Instead of the scissor kick, she fought against Duo's arms. "No...let
me go!"
"Princess?" Duo lowered her to the ground. "Did
I hurt you?"
Treize signaled the pianist to stop. "Miss Dorlian, what
happened?"
Relena put both hands to her head. "I...I'm sorry. I just..."
She looked at Duo, her eyes filling with tears. "I'm sorry."
"Are you all right?" Treize asked. Relena nodded. "Go
get some water and sit out for the rest of the class, please."
She was in no state to protest. The wood of her shoes was the
only sound in the studio as she ran for the door. Once she was
gone, the whispers and giggles began.
Duo frowned. "Hey!" he said out loud. "Quit it,
everyone." The noises grew quieter, but didn't disappear.
"Sheesh..."
Treize clapped his hands. "We'll practice piroettes. Everyone
line up again, no partners. One by one, down the length of the
floor." There was much groaning as his orders were followed.
Hilde joined her boyfriend. "What made her freak?" she
asked, suspiciously. "And where were your hands when she
did?"
"I don't know," Duo replied. "Certainly not where
you're thinking they were."
"And where is that?"
He turned to her with a warning look in his violet eyes. "You
trust Yuy with your body every day. And I trust you with him.
Why can't you have that trust in me?"
"Duo..." Hilde reached for him, but he had already begun
his series of angry pirouettes and moved out of her reach.
****
In the empty hallway outside the studio, Relena slumped to the
floor and buried her face between her tight-covered knees. Her
tears stuck somewhere in her throat. Maybe Quatre had been right.
Maybe she needed therapy. Of course, she hadn't even bothered
to bring up the possibility to her mother. It would have simply
embarrassed Helen too much to have a daughter with a therapist.
**He didn't actually rape you, Relena. So, I don't think that
you coming to America with me is warranted at all.**
But she hadn't listened to her mother. After all, Helen would
have done anything not to be burdened with her youngest child
anymore. Even left her in a city, in a ballet program, where she
would have to face the man who held her down after practice and,
if not for the sudden re-entrance of the company pianist, would
have taken her virginity by force.
Her mother hadn't even believed her at first. **Jean-Paul has
been nothing but good to you and your dancing, Relena. He's taught
you more in this year than you've learned your whole life. How
can you accuse him of something like this?**
And when she finally did accept Relena's accusation, her advice
had been meager. Stay in Paris and forget. Relena chose to run
to America. Because nothing could make her forget. And in America,
she didn't have to endure her attacker's touch every day.
She swallowed and ran her hands down her legs the pink ribbons
around her ankles. Ballet. The source of the little joy she had
experienced in her life. And the stage for the most painful moment
imaginable.
The sound of footsteps signaled someone's approach. Relena lifted
her head to see a slender woman in exercise clothes coming towards
her. The woman stopped beside her and knelt down. "Are you
all right, dear?" she asked.
Relena nodded. "I'm fine. Thank you."
The woman studied her some more. "You're Millardo's little
sister, aren't you?" Again, Relena had to nod. "It's
good to finally meet you after hearing so much." She held
out her hand. "I'm Anna Une."
Relena immediately recognized the name. The woman holding out
a hand to her was the Ballet Conservatory company's leading ballerina.
And, according to Duo's gossip, Mr. Treize's current lover. She
took the woman's hand. "Nice to meet you, too."
Another woman approached in similar work-out gear. "Anna,
let's go."
"I'll be right there, Sally." Another name Relena had
heard more that once. Sally Po was also a principal dancer in
the company. Anna looked back at Relena. "Whatever makes
you cry, use it when you dance. And you will soar." After
touching Relena's cheek, she stood up and continued on her way
with Sally.
She thought about Anna's words long after she was gone. Using
her pain to dance better. Relena smiled and wiped at her eyes.
It was so silly, it might just work.
****
To say that Duo was surprised to answer his building's intercom
at midnight and hear Hilde's voice on the street below would have
been a massive understatement. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes
and pressed the button to talk again. "Hilde? What the hell
are you doing in Manhattan at this hour?!"
Her voice came back, thin and staticky. "Will you just buzz
me up? It's freezing out here."
He did so immediately, to get her off the street as soon as possible.
After the few minutes it took her to climb three flights of stairs,
there was a soft knock on the front door. Duo opened it. "I
could strangle you," he told her without any ceremony.
"It's nice to see you, too."
Duo ushered her inside and pulled her coat off. "You took
a train from Brooklyn?! At this hour...what were you thinking?!"
"I was just thinking..."
"Shh!!" Duo pointed to the hallway that led to his parents
room.
Hilde began again, in a quieter tone. "I was just thinking
that I was a real bitch this afternoon. And I wanted to apologize."
Duo looked at her for a second before grabbing the sleeve of her
green sweater and guiding her to his bedroom. Once inside, he
pointed to two items with both arms. "Let me introduce you
to the phone and the internet. Modern communication, this is Hilde."
She scowled. "You know I don't have a computer, Duo. And..."
She took a breath. "Mom forgot to pay the phone bill again
so they disconnected our line."
"Oh." Duo bit his lip. "I'm sorry; I didn't know.
But that still doesn't make it safe for you to ride the trains
at night by yourself!"
"I have mace! I can kick really high!"
In his total frustration, worry and relief, he grabbed her and
gave her a long, hard kiss. "I would die if anything happened
to you."
Hilde laid her head on his bare chest. "I know what you mean."
There was a moment's pause. "Do you always answer the door
in just your boxers?"
"Only late at night."
She pulled back to see him. "That's just more incentive for
me to take the train again someday."
"Don't...you...dare." He punctuated each word with a
kiss. "So...you came here to apologize. Well..." He
broke away and flopped onto his unmade bed. "Get on with
it."
"Fine." Hilde propped her hands up on her threadbare
jeans. "This afternoon....I was jealous. Crazy jealous."
"Of Relena?"
"Of anyone who gets to be that close to you! I mean..."
She paced around the bed. "I'm your girlfriend. I'm the only
one who should get to..."
Duo raised an eyebrow. "You were never jealous of Mary."
"Maybe I was. A little." Hilde sat on the edge of the
bed. "But she was different. She wasn't...."
"Pretty," Duo supplied.
Hilde frowned; he knew her way too well. "Relena isn't just
pretty, Duo. She's beautiful. Her hair is gorgeous. She's probably
never had a zit. She's rich and she speaks French and she's a
reasonably good dancer when she's not tripping over her own feet
or freaking out in the air." She paused, but only for a breath.
"She has everything. And I could never, ever compare to her
in any other way besides dancing. So when I see you with her,
laughing and joking, I get this huge ball in my stomach and all
these horrible thoughts get into my head and I turn into some
kind of evil stepsister and I don't like it!"
He waited until he knew she was through to smile at her. "Babe.
You've got at least one thing that Relena doesn't have."
"What's that?" Hilde sniffed.
Duo took her hand and pressed it against his chest. "Don't
make me get cheesy by saying it."
His girlfriend's lower lip trembled for a second before she pounced,
pinning him back to his own bed with her tiny, but strong body.
He let her hold him down while she kissed him, but when her mouth
moved down his neck, he wrestled his hands away and held her in
a tight embrace.
"Duo," she whispered. "I love you, too."
Warm hands slid under her sweater. "Stay the night?"
Hilde sat up. "I can't. You know that."
Duo pulled his hands out of her clothes to run them down his face.
Her body was so light on his. He wanted to roll her over and make
love to her until dawn, until she would never again doubt his
devotion. But, as always, she stopped before they could even approach
the beginning strains of pleasure. "I know," he said.
"I know."
"And you also know that I want to so badly." She licked
her lips, still tasting his. "But I just can't risk everything
I've worked so hard for my entire life, Duo."
"You don't have to tell me, babe." Duo rubbed his eyes
and sighed. "I couldn't really be a father right now, either."
He tilted his head back. "Still....a blowjob now and then
would be nice."
Hilde reached for his braid and yanked it. "Sure, that'd
be fun for you!"
"I'd reciprocate!"
She released his hair. "I know you would. And it'd be wonderful,
I have no doubts. That's why we can't. We're only human, Duo."
It was his turn to sniff. "Can we at least cuddle?"
Hilde laughed and snuggled down into his waiting arms. "Anytime."
They lay together, arms around one another for a long time. She
thought Duo had drifted to sleep until he finally spoke.
"I don't particularly like Yuy touching you and lifting you
either, you know."
She curled the end of his braid around her fingers. "You
don't have to worry about Heero. I'm starting to think the rumors
are all true. Maybe he is gay."
"He's not gay," Duo said, confidently.
"And just how do you know that?"
Duo smiled. "'Cause he doesn't know the handshake."
Hilde tugged his hair, even more sharply than the first time.
"Ow! Kidding!" He laughed. "I know because I see
him looking at her."
"Her?"
"Relena." Duo pried his hair from his girlfriend's fingers.
"Don't you ever see him in class? You're never more than
five inches from him."
Hilde's brow crinkled in thought. "I don't think about much
else in class besides what I'm doing."
"Well, I do. And he looks at her. As often as he thinks he
can get away with it." Duo shifted, moving her warmth more
onto his chest. "Relena says they're lab partners in their
bio class and when they got an A on one project, he actually thanked
her for her help."
"Wow. That's very unlike him." Hilde nuzzled her cheek
into the crook of Duo's neck. "I get the feeling that you're
planning something....why is that?"
Duo grinned mischievously. "Just make sure that Heero comes
to the gala tomorrow night. All will be revealed. Now, go to sleep.
That's an order."
Hilde rolled her eyes. She might as well do as he asked. It was
a Friday night, no school tomorrow and she hadn't exactly been
looking forward to risking another train ride at one AM. Plus,
Duo's arms were strong and warm and his heartbeat was rapidly
lulling her into much-needed sleep.
And, she thought just before her eyes closed, her mom's sleeping
pills wouldn't wear off until well after dawn.
****
To Be Continued