Chapter Eight: Blind Date Catastrophe

*When Hiiro entered the government building the next day, he had prepared himself for the blast of icy air that smacked him in the face. It was five-thirty, and he was surprised that there were guards on duty. When he questioned them, they told him they were the night shift guards waiting for the day shift to come and relieve them. Nodding at them in understanding, he quickly made his way into the lobby, which was slightly warmer- but not by much.

“Good morning Hiiro!” Mina chirped cheerfully. He groaned. Why was she here so early? Last night he had tossed and turned all night thinking about a blonde woman… and Mina just looked too much like her for comfort.

“Hello.” He managed to grunt out quickly walking by her. It seemed to appease her, because he could hear her hearty laugh as he made his way towards the elevators. He quickly made it to the thirteenth floor and then the thirteenth office and opened the door.

The office was quiet, it was obvious Relena hadn’t come into to work yet. In fact, he was surprised to find the lights were on. Had someone been in here the night before? Looking for papers maybe? A thief in Relena’s office could mean a new terrorist ring was on the prowl… then he saw it.

It was either the most disturbing sight he had ever seen, or the cutest sight he had ever seen, Hiiro couldn’t decide. There, sitting at her desk, was Serena. Her arms were folded atop the desk, her head buried in them. Her long blonde tresses were no longer in the pigtails she had worn them in the day before, but instead splayed about her arms and the desk, her eyes were closed, and her entire visage was peaceful. She was fast asleep in the same clothes as the day before.

Hiiro walked in closer to her and watched her for a moment, completely entranced by her innocent appearance. She looked so young, so pure as she was. The same face that had haunted his dreams last night was not as disturbing as he had thought it would be when he had first seen her. Instead, it gave him a calm sense of clarity and warmth. Shaking his head, he knew that though he did not want to disturb her because once he did she would once again look at him with a vile hatred, that he should anyway.

Reaching out, he gently brushed her blonde bangs out of her face and trailed a single finger down her cheek and jaw. Shaking his head, he pulled his hand away and gripped her shoulder gently. Shaking her, he managed to finally get her to open her azure eyes and blink.

“Hiiro?’ She asked in a daze with a large yawn following her words.

“You were asleep.” He told her quietly.

“Asleep? Asleep! Oh no! What time is it?” She shot up and rubbed her eyes.

“Around five forty-five.”

“Oh no! I fell asleep here last night! Oh! Relena’s going to be here at six thirty, and I need to go home and shower and change! And she has that meeting today… oh, and the appointment with… oh! Excuse me!” She rushed around, grabbing a messenger bag packed with papers and folders, and then her keys. She ran out of the office in a blur, so fast that Hiiro had to smirk. Then as the doorknob turned he looked up. Her head popped back into the room and he noticed her glaring at him.

“Don’t you dare touch anything in my desk or this office, do you hear me?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Or I’ll have you arrested for invasion of privacy or breaking and entering or something!” And she was gone. He frowned slightly.

She really hated him. Why? Because he was a murderer of course. She had everything, she was smart and gorgeous, had a good family, a good job, not to mention she was gorgeous… did he already say that? Anyway. So she had it all. Why would she ever feel anything but hatred toward him? He had nothing, was a nothing, and would never be an anything. He wasn’t even human. Yet.

But he was working on it. Did the sickening pain in his chest mean he was feeling an emotion? Sadness? Hurt? Dejection? No. It was probably just heartburn from something he ate. He didn’t know how to feel those emotions yet. Hiiro sighed. Putting on his impassive face, he looked around the room.

He needed a place to go over the personnel files. Those were first on his list because he needed to make sure the people working here could be trusted before he implemented new precautions that only they would know how to gain access in. But he had nowhere to sit. Serena didn’t want him behind her desk, Relena’s office was closed, and…someone was coming, he could hear them.

“Hiiro?” Mina’s voice rang out.

“Hnn.”

“I just got a memo from Relena- she sent it to me last night after I had already left. She said you needed a desk, and to put it in this room. I just called the janitors. They will be bringing in a desk shortly.”

“In here?” Hiiro repeated.

“Yes, is there a problem?” Mina asked dumbly.

“Serena.”

“What about her?”

“She’s the problem. She hates me. I can’t stay in the same room as her…”

“Oh, that! Don’t mind her, she just doesn’t like strangers. She’s very overprotective of herself and her friends like Relena and me.”

“She hates me because I was a soldier.”

“Oh. Well then! That’s a different story. She hates killers. Personally I don’t like them myself, but working in an age where pretty much all the men were involved in the war somehow I’ve gotten used to it! Otherwise I would never have any dates! But Serena, she’s very stubborn about that.”

“I know.”

“Come to think of it, it’s why she broke up with her last three boyfriends, because they were soldiers in the war. They told her, and she dumped them. She was crazy to have dumped Darien though; he was so perfect for her… I’m sorry! I’m rambling, aren’t I?” Mina laughed bubbly. The name caught Hiiro’s attention.

“Darien?”

“Yeah, her last boyfriend. She broke up with him three days ago. He was so cute too! Tall, dark and handsome! He had the classic face, the whole black hair falling into his blues eyes model look.”

“I saw him.” Hiiro volunteered.

“You, you did?” Mina’s jaw dropped. “When?”

“On the streets yesterday. He was begging her to come back.” Mina heard the scoff in Hiiro’s voice and knew exactly what he was thinking. He thought that Darien was a wimp, a loser for begging for Serena to take him back.

“You know, Darien was going to ask Serena to marry him. They’d been dating for almost three months. Serena really thought it was going to happen too. Then he told her about his fighting with the Treize faction and she flipped out. He said that if she really loved him she would be able to overlook it and still love him. I saw the whole thing. She just stood there, tears in her eyes. It was horrible. I’ve never seen her face so… heartbroken. She had thought he was different. But it just crushed her to find out that he had been killing people. Then she just told him it was over and that he should have a nice life and walked away.” Hiiro saw that Mina had begun to tear up while telling the story. Women- so emotionally unstable.

“So she doesn’t like killers and she doesn’t like me.”

“Well, maybe forcing you to be in the same room with her is a good thing.”

“You mean to teach her to get along with those who have past lifestyles that she disagrees with?”

“Exactly!” Mina chirped, wiping her eyes dry. Just then a knock came on the door. Mina opened it to find two men carrying a heavy desk and one carrying a chair in front of her. “Oh! Come in, come in!” She beckoned them. They brought the desk and chair in and put them down in the center of the room.

“Where do you want it Mina?” One of the men winked at her. Mina winked back and laughed.

“Not where you want to put it.” She joked. They laughed and Hiiro picked up on the innuendo. Shaking his head and frowning, he looked around the room trying to decide where to put it. The door to Relena’s office was slightly to the left, and right beside her door on the right was Serena’s desk. On the right wall near Serena’s desk was a row of uncomfortable chairs for her visitors. The other wall opposite the chairs had a large painting on it. Well then, he didn’t have much of a choice.

“Put the desk in front of the painting.” He instructed the workmen. They glared at him, obviously mad that h had interrupted their flirting session with Mina. But they nodded and once again picked up the desk. Placing it where Hiiro had asked them to, they stood back and looked at their work. The man carrying the chair added it and Hiiro sat down. Pulling the files out, he set them upon his table and began working instantly.

“Don’t mind him, he’s a very diligent worker.” Mina explained to the workers as they made their way to the door. She followed them. “Hiiro, I’ll see you later. See what you can do with Serena, hmm?”

“Hnn.”

“Anyway!” She muttered and turned back to the men. They closed the door behind them, leaving Hiiro in peace and quiet. He pulled out the laptop he had brought with him to work and set it on the desk. Then he picked up a pen and began inputting the personnel files into his database, marking up the sheets as he went.

The minutes blurred by, and Hiiro had no idea how ling he had been working until the door creaked open and in rushed Serena. He looked up and then looked back down. He didn’t really need to look at her right now… it would distract him.

“Oh! I was so worried I was going to be late… what?” She squawked as she looked at Hiiro and his new desk.

“Mina said Relena sent her a memo.”

“No! You can’t work there!” Serena’s face fell and she plopped down in her chair, stunned. “You just can’t…” She breathed.

“Tough.” He smirked, not looking up from his work.”

“Excuse me?” She narrowed her eyes, and Hiiro could feel her molten eyes burning holes into him. If looks could kill…

“I said tough. Deal with it. Or can’t you handle it?”

“How dare you speak to me like that!” She announced indignantly.

“Why? Afraid I’ll tell you the truth?” He smirked. Serena saw it, and her eyes and temper flared.

“You, you’re, you’re evil! You murderer!”

“I won’t deny that. I did kill.” He told her monotonously.

“Well, well, I can’t believe you’re just sitting there!” She screeched. “Don’t you have anything to say?” Serena stomped over to him and looked down at him. Hiiro looked up. She was beginning to push it.

“I’m working.” He told her.

“In my office!”

“Our office.”

“No! I want you out! Right now! I’m calling the janitors, and they’ll move your desk to the hall or some other office, but you cannot stay in here!” Hiiro had had it. He stood and looked her directly into the eye.

“I am the only thing standing in between Relena and who ever decides they don’t want peace. If I am not close enough to her, it will be pointless. Now get over your petty problems and ideals.”

“You bastard!” Serena gasped and glared harder. Hiiro narrowed his eyes and advanced on Serena. As he walked closer toward her, she backed up until she was up against the closed door to Relena’s office. Hiiro put his hands on either side of her shoulder and looked her directly in the eye.

“Do not call me that again. I do not appreciate it.” His voice rumbled low and dark, sending shivers up Serena’s spine. Hiiro saw the goose bumps on her arms and smirked. She was scared. Then he gulped. He was so close to her, with her eyes so alive and ablaze; and her soft, pink stained lips slightly separated; and her minty-cool breath delicately teasing across his face…

“Do you understand?” He asked her more gently.

“Yes.” She whispered, afraid of doing much else.

“Good.” Hiiro matched her whisper. But his eyes had become fixed upon hers, and he couldn’t break the connection. He wondered why, if she hated him so much, why she didn’t. But neither of them did. Then a loud beeping noise did it for them. Hiiro pushed himself off the wall and away from Serena. He sighed inwardly, and then made his way back to his desk. As he switched screens to open his email, he watched Serena out of the corner of his eyes.

She was still pressed against the door of Relena’s office. Her chest was rising and falling quicker than it should have been, and she seemed slightly flushed. Had he been the cause of her flustered appearance? She was quickly recovering… but Hiiro liked the thought that he might have been able to effect her in some fashion- she certainly effected him in some way. Which way he wasn’t quite sure yet. Turning back to the computer, he saw that the mail was from Doctor J.

“Hiiro: I’m glad you’ve decided to accept this ‘mission’. She will have already been informed of this and reservations have already been made, so there is no need for you to worry about making any arrangements. You are to proceed to Café Nightlife on the corner of 6^th and Ronald Street tonight at seven thirty. You are not to back out of this date at any point until after you have finished dinner and escorted her home. Good day.”

He was not to back out of the date? Who did this Doctor think he was? He was his own boss. He would decide whether or not he wanted to back out sooner or later than after dinner. But…

He supposed the ‘dear Doctor’ had a point. He would feel guilty if the girl didn’t get home all right. But what if he didn’t like her? He supposed he would just have to deal with that. It was the only polite thing to do. Why him?

No one had ever taught him any dating protocols… He has no idea what he was supposed to do on this ‘date’. He knew he was supposed to eat dinner and pay, but that was about all he knew. If he had felt right about it, he would have asked Relena for advice, but he decided that that would not be a very good idea what with their current situation. So then how was he going to figure out what to do on the date?

“Good morning Sere.” He heard Relena’s womanly voice echo in his ears.

“Oh, good morning Miss. Relena!” Serena smiled gently at Relena.

“Morning Hiiro.” Relena said, a little more reserved. Hiiro saw her give him a sad look, and Serena shoot daggers at him through her eyes.

“Morning Relena.” He told her, his eyes conveying to her his sorrow. Relena stared at Hiiro for a moment longer.

“I know Hiiro, I know.” She blurted out.

“Are you sure?” He asked. Serena across from him looked softer somehow.

“Yes, I’m sure. Now Sere, what is my schedule for the day?” She turned to Serena and smiled brightly. “Why don’t you come into my office and tell me?”

“Alright.” Serena smiled at her and stood to follow her, avoiding Hiiro’s eyes as she walked by his desk and into Relena’s office. Hiiro smirked and dipped his head, going back to work. The date would just have to happen as it did, he had no one to ask for advice or help.

>>>)(<<<

It was exactly seven twenty-seven, three minutes away from the official start of the date. Hiiro had managed to make it through the workday with only one more slight fight with Serena, and after he had gotten back to his apartment, he had fallen asleep. She had tired him out more than any training or mission had ever done.

It wasn’t that he was physically tired… he had spent the entire day sitting down. But emotionally and mentally her sharp barbs and snide remarks had drained him. It took a lot of willpower to either ignore her, or a lot of brain power to keep up with her. He had to smirk. She did make things interesting though…

No. Now he had to stop thinking about that shrew. It was time for him to concentrate on whatever woman J had talked him into the blind date with. This was crazy. He really didn’t want to be here anymore. Not that he ever wanted to be there in the first place.

The table he was waiting for his date at was a nice, tall rod-iron one with two high stools and a rose in a small vase in the center. He hated the place. It was too… flashy for his taste. Just another high priced place for him to waste cash on something he didn’t care about. He would have been happier if he had been able to meet this girl at some local burger joint. At least, he would have felt more relaxed. Fancy places like this one always twisted his stomach, making him feel as if he didn’t belong in it.

“Reservation for Doctor J?” he heard a soft voice whisper over the loud crowd in the place.

“Right this way please.” He heard a waiter tell the girl. So here it came…

“Here you are Miss.”

“Thank you.” The girl said to the waiter. Then she turned to the person sitting at the table. Hiiro turned to look at her.

“No.” She whispered. Hiiro just smirked. *

~~~I know how much you all love me… so no one kill me for the cliffy! You know that’s my style! Didn’t you expect it? Lol. QUESTION: Does anyone know what happened to ASMR? Did the site get cancelled or something? It was just… gone! Lol! PLEAZ REVIEW! Much love, Vixen~~~