NEXT
"Kora! stop right there you little thief!"
I throw back a glance at the bread shop owner. Yup, still far behind me. How could he even catch up with me? Gosh, it is only a few loaves of bread. I feel the cross inside my black shirt lightly poking at my chest, as if to scold me for the deed I have done. ...okay, okay, I know it's wrong all right? But give me a break here, God...I am only taking what I need...
I am a street rat, remember?
I run. My long braided hair is trailing behind me in the air and my slender body easily avoids the crowd in the street. Compared to that fat shop owner, I definitely have the advantage. I actually feel sorry for the guy. I throw back another glance, instead of sympathy in my eyes, I give him a grin, an evil grin that he would have expected from a street rat. "O--i, fat man, you need some exercise there." …I deserve his hatred. "Consider it as a donation to the poor!" I could see his face turn red. Poor guy, he must have worked hard in order to survive as well. What right do I have to steal from him? And then I remember the faces of hungry kids, sick ones as well.. as they are all abandoned in the darkest corners of the street. With no one to help them, with no one to....
"Itai!!!!" Unexpectedly, I was knocked down on the floor. I rub my head, trying to make the pain to go away. I have to say I was surprised, no one has ever caught me. I am always too fast for anyone. "Fuck!" the bread that was once in my hand, are now scattered on the road. I jump back to my feet and quickly pick up the bread nearest to me and got back to my feet…ready to run again. A strong hand suddenly lands on my shoulder preventing me from doing so. It is a strong grip, threatening to break the bones underneath it if I were to move. I turn around only to meet a pair of cobalt eyes. "So you are trying to be a hero ne? Well, today is just the day!" I give him an ugly smile and am ready to punch him in the nose. But he is too quick for me. His other hand reaches for my left arm and twists it behind my back.
"ITAI!!! Man that was a strong grip. You could have been a bit more gentle you know?" I stare into my attacker's eyes, delivering promises of death. But the cobalt eyes show nothing. As if they don't care. As if they... as if they were dead to the rest of the world.
"Oh sir, thank you for stopping that little thief!" The bread owner said, standing before us, still trying to catch his breath.
"It takes you quite awhile to catch up with me ne?" I break away from the icy eyes and turn to the bread owner. I strain a malicious grin. I have to appear as lighthearted as I could. Gosh, I would not allow them to see me panic. I have to think of a way to get away.. They are all expecting my return. I cannot abandon those kids, not now, not ever. Not me.
"How much." My attacker speaks in an emotionless tone.
Now, I would have expected him to blur out phrases like "no problem" or "it's my duty" or something along those lines... but "how much?"
Apparently, the shop owner is on the same wavelength as I am. "eeh? how much? um... I am not quite sure what you mean...do you mean how much he stole from me? these are all he stole from me, sir..."
My attacker raises his eyebrow. "The bread. How much?"
The shop owner is more than confused but he gives the figure to him. I, on the other hand, am furious. "Look you punk! I do not need your god damn charity there. Take me to the authority for all I care. I don't want to owe you anything, you got that?" okay.. maybe not the authority.. but hey, I was edgy okay?
My attacker barely looks at me while nodding to his servant to give the shop owner the money.
I waited for his response. Nothing verbal. Instead, he released me. "Look man, did you fucking hear me? … I ..DO ..NOT ..WANT ..YOUR ..GOD ..DAM ..SYMPATHY!" I spit out my words slowly, hoping it would drill into his head.
He turns his back to me and proceeds to leave. I caught up to him and grab his arm from behind. But with one fluid movement he disentangles himself from me.
He doesn’t look back at me nor does he say anything. Instead, he disappears into the crowd with his servant. I make it back to the abandoned church with bread in my hands. I see thekids and I force a smile on my face. Those cobalt eyes still haunt me, but I don't want these little angels to worry.
The dinner was great, these kids never fail to surprise me. Even though they are all orphans, they still retain that innocence. I will swear to God that I will let no one take that from them
"Ne, oniichan, you promise that you will teach us to read, remember?"
"Baka, I never forgot that!" Sister Helen has always taught me the importance of reading and writing... she would make me cookies just so that I will agree to read and write. I randomly pick up a newspaper and start to search for the comic section. Hey, these are kids, we always start with something fun right? But then the front page catches my eye.
It's those cobalt eyes again!
"oniichan, what are you staring at? wow.. that person in the picture is pretty. what is his name?"
"Heero Yuy", I read the caption and breath his name softly, but the kids still hear me.
"That's a weird name ne? Is he an American like you?"
I couldn't take my eyes off his picture "no, he is a Japanese I believe. Weird that he has blue eyes"
"Eeh? Oniichan, how do you know his eyes are blue? This is a black and white photo." The kids look at me innocently.
Since when do those indifferent blue eyes slip into my mind? I do not know. The Heero Yuy in the picture is wearing a black tuxedo, sitting next to an overly decorated coffin. Even though His eyes is a bit shadowed by his brown hair, I can still see there is no emotion in them. Just as I have seen this early afternoon.
Sensing that I am not going to answer their previous question, they blur out another one. "What does the newspaper say?"
That brings me back. yeah, why would he be on the front page? I read aloud, hoping to disguise my trembling hands--"Queen of the world, Relena Yuy drown in the sea, suicide or accident?"
Suddenly, I feel a cringe in my chest. He has a wife? or rather, he had a wife? I look at the picture of The queen of the world. Her blond hair just a bit past her shoulder. Her delicate fingers peacefully rest on her lap. Her blue eyes gives her a determined yet soft look. She looks perfect...
A feeling of jealousy surges through my body. Now I know why his eyes look as cold as they were earlier this afternoon.. He is grieving for his lost wife, his lost love, his world...
God, how I hate that thought. I want his eyes to come back to life once again. Suddenly I want to know what Heero Yuy's smile is like.
My violet eyes are sparkling with determination. I have one more mission in life now....
I will get under your skin, Heero.
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