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[lightningbaron6.livejournal.com]

He's spent a few days, including a rather bleak Christmas day, in Kiev to get away from things. Not a social call, but rather a chance to remember the happier times of his childhood, a chance to recover from ZERO's hold (even if things didn't go quite according to plan on that account).

Zechs didn't expect to wind up in the bar so soon after getting home, but as long as he's here, alcohol sounds like an attractive choice. He's really as far from alcoholic as they come, but right now, complete intoxication in spite of getting the mother of all hangovers in the morning seems to be a good idea. Feeling nothing is sometimes better than feeling too much.

He now sits in the most out of the way booth he can find, coat draped over the space beside him to dry out. An undecorated waterproof cast covers his left hand, disappearing to encase his forearm beneath the soft weave of a black sweater. His face is bruised (though the marks are beginning to turn to sickly, though still prominent, greens and yellows) and he seems to move stiffly, as if his side, abdomen and chest hurt.

A glass of scotch (neat) near one elbow is intended to lessen his sobriety, but he's barely touched it. He intends to remedy that shortly. Of course, he's already had one. That's his second.

Comments

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary gives the man with the multi-colored face a curious look.

[lightningbaron6.livejournal.com]

It takes a moment for Zechs to notice the girl nearby. When he does, he gives her a curious look. He's really not used to dealing with persons of the juvenile persuasion (he hesitates to use the term 'child' because some children are the most adult-like people he knows).

'Something interesting?'

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"That seems as if it must hurt a good deal," Mary says, frankly.

[lightningbaron6.livejournal.com]

Zechs chuckles dryly and pushes his glass to one side, for the moment. He does have the decency not to imbibe in a situation like this, after all. He'd sooner die than offend.

'It does, rather. I've had worse, though. In a month it'll be healed.'

He's not put off by her boldness.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

That's probably a good thing, considering how bold Mary tends to be, in general.

"A month is a long time to have your face hurt so." Mary frowns, curiously. "How did it happen?"

[lightningbaron6.livejournal.com]

Zechs brushes his bangs back behind his ears absently.

'I got in a bit of a confrontation with someone. Well, two someones, actually, people I work with. Some misunderstanding on all sides and general chaos.'

He rubs reflectively (and gently) at his jaw.

'The bruising should be better in a week or so. It's the hand that'll take a month or so to heal up.'

Not to mention the ribs and his side. Zechs gestures at the seat opposite.

'Sit down, if it takes your fancy.'

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary promptly takes a seat.

"Is your hand broken? I know someone who broke his wrist; he was doing it to save people, though. It was his first try at being a hero, so I do not think he did too badly. Why should people you work with want to hit you?"

[lightningbaron6.livejournal.com]

'Yes, it's broken. Fortunately it was a clean break, so just the cast was enough once it was set. I shouldn't need pins or anything. And if this person you speak of only broke his wrist on his first try, then he did quite well indeed.'

Zechs looks at Mary contemplatively.

'As to why they wanted to hit me, well, we had a difference of opinion, and we all felt very strongly about our respective views. And grown-ups can be stupid about things like that.'

He's only 22, going on 50 or so.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"Grown-ups are often stupid," Mary agrees loftily, with the wisdom of ten years old.

"But you are not supposed to hit people unless you think you are really in danger," she adds, severely. "When I was taught to hit, I had to promise I would not use it on anyone unless I thought they were going to hurt me."

[lightningbaron6.livejournal.com]

... heh.

'Oh, I was in danger, believe me. I'm a soldier, or at least I was. As such, I place a particularly high value on human life.'

Well, under normal circumstances, anyway. This was a distinctly abnormal situation, but he's not lying. He's only telling a half-truth, as Robin instructed him to do.

'It occurs to me that I haven't asked your name. Would you be willing to tell me?'

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"Then they ought not to have been hitting you, for the same reason," Mary pronounces, firmly.

A beat later, she adds, "I am Mary Lennox."

[lightningbaron6.livejournal.com]

'I think we were all to blame, honestly. None of us were really right in the head. Well, except for one of us, but that's another story, or rather where everything gets unpleasant and complicated.'

He orders a pot of cocoa and pours two cups, offering one to Mary.

'I am Zechs Merquise. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mary Lennox.'

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"Do you mean you were mad?" Mary asks, interested, and picks up the cup of cocoa. "I have read of people going mad," she adds, and takes a gulp from the cup.

[imperfecthero01.livejournal.com]

It's now time for some ingenious workings of fate. Heero wanders by, completely clueless as to Zechs' presence.

Is he to be spotted?!

[lightningbaron6.livejournal.com]

Fate apparently has one weird sense of humour.

Zechs frowns down at his now-empty glass and rises carefully from his seat. Normally this would not be a problem, except that suddenly there's a person where there wasn't one before.

And it's a physical law that two bodies cannot occupy the same space simultaneously (not that Zechs hasn't occasionally tried to break that law, and come as close as is probably possible for a mere mortal).

Which, in a roundabout way, amounts to him colliding with one Heero Yuy.

[imperfecthero01.livejournal.com]

Heero bounces back a step, and regains his balance quickly. When he sees who bumped into him, his eyes narrow a little - he almost turns and walks away without saying anything, but he's a little more polite than that, today.

"Excuse me," he says flatly.

[lightningbaron6.livejournal.com]

Zechs has a hand pressed carefully against his ribs; they're bandaged, but collisions are still on the no-no list in terms of healing and general comfort.

'No, excuse me,' he replies in about the same tone of voice. What else is he supposed to do, really? 'It was my transgression; I should have looked more carefully.'

He moves as if to continue on toward the bar to replenish his drink. Normally he'd just ask, but he should be doing his best to keep his strength up. Which means moving.

[imperfecthero01.livejournal.com]

Heero watches him for a moment, before following. He really doesn't want to, but he might as well get this whole damn thing over with while Zechs is here.

"Wait."

[lightningbaron6.livejournal.com]

It's not as if he's moving very fast, so catching up isn't difficult. However, it takes Zechs a moment to realise that Heero is, in fact, talking to him. His expression is a bit surprised when he turns around.

'Was there something?'

[imperfecthero01.livejournal.com]

"How badly are you hurt?" Heero asks, motioning at the cast. It's very grudgingly that he'll ask, as it shows a bit of concern he'd rather not show, but.

[lightningbaron6.livejournal.com]

The fact that Heero shows any concern, no matter how grudging, is cause for surprise.

'It was a clean break. The ribs should heal reasonably quickly, if I don't strain them. Flesh wound to the side, and other than that, just pretty bad bruising. I've had worse, I'll live. Mostly I'm just sore and twingy.'

Zechs looks at Heero.

'How about you? Did someone look at your arm?'

He's a little less grudging in his show of concern, since he considers the entire mess to be his fault.

[imperfecthero01.livejournal.com]

"It was taken care of, yes."

No need to say that he... botched the first attempt at getting it looked at. Nor that he technically knew it would be botched before he even went.

[lightningbaron6.livejournal.com]

Zechs nods.

'That's good to hear.'

He pauses and looks around briefly, before sitting down again and speaking quietly.

'I don't really have much of a right to ask, but how's Duo doing? If you've seen him, I mean.'

[imperfecthero01.livejournal.com]

"I've seen him."

Heero pauses for a moment, before taking a seat as well, across from Zechs.

"He's recovering."

[lightningbaron6.livejournal.com]

His plans for an ambulatory excursion foiled, Zechs simply asks the bar for his drink and sits sipping it.

'I'm glad. I'd apologise to him in person, but if it's all the same I'd rather not get punched in the face again.'

He sighs and swirls the scotch around in his glass.

'Can I get you anything?'

Bad manners to play host and not offer refreshment, after all.