MJ: Okay, the door to my studio is locked...chaos can't get in...Nobody can get in...Perfect!! Alright! I'm going to try my hand at a shounen-ai! So...

Dislcaimer: I don't own Storm Hawks. Asaph Fipke and Nerd Corp own all rights to this.

Questions of the Heart

I'm not entirely sure when it hit me that I loved him...I'd always hated him, ever since I learned of his betrayal to my father and the other original Storm Hawks. I felt I could never forgive him...Yet, here I am...In the rain, unable to kill him, even though his weapon is too far away for him to reach; he's just staring up at me, waiting for me to end his life like any other person would. So why can't I? After all the years I've hated him and wanted to kill him - make him pay for what he did - why is it now that I can't even bring my self to slice his throat? The blade's there, close enough to the flesh that with just the slightest movement it'll leave its mark. He can't move either - I've got him pinned down, and the only thing he could possibly move would be his face. Sighing, I move off him, standing up and turning away from him; I can hear him standing up, I can feel his eyes staring at my back, I can hear the questions he doesn't even voice.

"Why don't you kill me? You know you've wanted this for a while..." he growls, and I know the emotion slightly evident in his voice is confusion. After all, I did just show mercy to my greatest enemy. But is he really my enemy?

"Killing you would just prove that I'm no better." I reply calmly to his question, still now looking at him, still not wanting to meet those crimson-eyes.

"Heh, but you know I could easily kill you now becuase of this?" he asks, his voice edged with a hint of malice. I hear him pick up his energy blade, and I nearly cringed at the sound of it being activated.

"So kill me. Then you'll have the bragging rights of destroying both generations of Storm Hawks. You killed my father, so why not just get rid of the rest of the family?" I question, still calm as I almost literally come face to face with Death itself. Must be something every Sky Knight feels when they sense that their end is near...you know, the feeling that, even as you die, you can still go out proudly. I can now start feeling the cold from the rain seeping into my body, and I fight the urge to shiver - that's one thing I remeber from training, never show any weakness before an opponent. I can see that not looking at him is pissing him off, and perhaps that's the greatest thing I can say right now - I managed to piss off the most feared Talon in Atmos. I hear him step closer, and I silently draw what I have a feeling will be my last breath; I hear the blade swing up, energy crackling just above my head. A minute went by...then two more...then after what seems like an eternity he moves, but now I'm confused...He deactivates the blade and moves it down to his side - he doesn't kill me like he had intended.

"Why don't you kill me?" I ask, hearing the sigh that escapes him. I'm still confused, especially by his silence...not to mention why I'm even wondering half the stuff my mind's thinking of right now. We stand there, just two confused soldiers in the rain, silent as the cold water drenches us through our uniforms.

"I don't know..." he eventually whispers, and it's almost inaudible to the sound of falling water. I can feel my eyes widen a bit at his answer. Never once did I expect to hear those words come from him. He turns, and once again I feel his gaze on me.

"Isn't that your mission, though? To kill me?" I question softly, now doubting everything that I usually held tight to.

"It is...Yet, I can't bring myself to destroy you." Once again, I'm somewhat shocked by his reply. He can't bring himself to kill me? I'm just another Sky Knight who's in the way.

"What do you mean?"

"Perhaps it's because you're still just a child that I can't kill you." I mentally bristle at his choice of words, still not liking being called a child when I'm just as good as any other Sky Knight. I was about to say something when I feel his hands on my shoulders - I didn't even hear him move.

"Perhaps it's because you interest me..." he whispers in my ear, a shiver making its way down my spine. My eyes widen further, my brain finally registering how close he was to me right now. He suddenly spins me around and places his lips on my own. I was shocked, to say the least, that this man, who I had long considered my mortal enemy, was kissing me, much less that I wasn't putting up a fight. All I could do was widen my eyes in shock as it happened.

"Or maybe it's because I've fallen for you, Aerrow." he whispers as he moves just a fraction of an inch away from my face, our noses still touching. I can feel my heart stop for a moment, and my eyes widened again as his ruby ones lock with my own. Now I can feel myself questioning everything again, yet as his arms wrap around me and pull me tightly against him, I can't help but feel as if everything is right, that this is the way it's supposed to be. But I also know it might never work out - we're on opposite sides of the war, enemies, we can't be like this. I'm sure he knows this as well, but right now, all that matters is right now. I sink into his embrace, feeling warm despite the cold that wants to seep into my bones. He chuckles slightly, and I smile a bit, turning my face up to his. He captures my lips again, only this time, I kiss him back, eyes closing in bliss at the warmth that now flows through me. It's probably wrong for this to happen, and I can only begin to imagine what might occur if it's ever found out, but right now I just don't care. I don't care about what the world will think, what my friends will do, all those things...I don't care about them, only about this man, whose lips are warm and soft against my own. A soft whimper escapes me as he pulls away, and my eyes open half-way.

"Aerrow... We both should leave..." he murmurs, his gloved hand cupping my cheek. I can only nod, still lost in these feelings that are so new to me. He gives me one, last kiss, pulling me so close to him I can almost feel his heart beating in his chest.

"I love you..." I whisper, catching the slightly surprised look on his face. He smiles, a rare expression for him that I can only wish to see more.

"Love you too...Aerrow." he says before leaving, heading to his skimmer and taking off. Sighing, and still slightly confused at half the things I'm still thinking about, but at least I have an answer to one question that my heart has asked. Yes, I guess I never really hated him...

MJ: Okay, that was probably pretty fluffy...But hey! It's my first attempt at shounen-ai! So, please review and tell me what you think!!