Disclaimer: Okie dokie people I don't own the characters but I do own idea that I've twisted them into.
This is definitely rated MA for mature adults, within this fic you will find suicide/homicide
Author's Note: By the way this is a deathfic so to anyone who is even remotely queasy about suicide you do not need to read. I was in a rather odd mood when this plot bunny visited me. There is also some drug use or at least mentioning of it so you are warned.
Romeo's Juliet
The worst thing about an addiction was that it was an addiction, there was no stopping the constant gnawing painful need for whatever it was that the person was addicted to.
His hands were shaking and he was getting more irritable than usual and that wasn't a good thing when you were waiting outside of the Head of Preventor's office, just to see what the blasted woman wanted. It couldn't be anything good because whenever he was pulled in out of his attempt to be normal it had something to do with Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian's safety and/or life. He definitely wasn't up for this; he needed a smoke desperately and maybe even a few drinks. He leaned forward in his seat to rub his face with his rough calloused hands. He peered through his fingers as the office door opened to reveal the very woman he wanted to completely avoid. He lowered his hands as their gazes locked. He could tell that she hadn't eaten enough and that the dark circles under her eyes screamed that she didn't sleep enough, either. He slowly stood up as she took a few steps closer. He stuffed his shaking hands deep into his jean pockets as the silence between the two grew longer. He watched her open her mouth a few times to say something but then closed it quickly.
"So, you were the one talking to Lady Une?" he finally asked holding his aquamarine gaze.
"Um, yeah, she…she needed to ask me a few things," she stuttered quietly as she worried her fingers absently.
"Listen…" "Um…" they both started at the same time. She chuckled softly while he smirked.
"You first," he muttered.
"Um, I was just wondering if you weren't to busy maybe later I'd see you…" she drifted off as she locked eye contact again. She spotted his sunken in Prussian blue eyes and dark circles beneath them; she stepped even closer to smell the cigarette smoke on his loose black clothes. She now knew that he was fighting for his very life and he wasn't winning. She caressed her fingertips down his cheek.
"Please, say I'll see you again," she pleaded softly.
"I can't give you any promises, Relena," he muttered, he glanced to the still open door then back to her. He gently took hold of her slim fingers to press his lips to her knuckles never taking his gaze from hers.
"I'll be seeing you, Relena." He finished, turning away from her and walking into the room. He shut the door not looking at her as she remained standing in the small area.
"Heero, I'm glad that you could make it in such short notice. Please take a seat," Lady Une stated as she motioned to the chair in front of him. She watched him stay to the shadows to stay away from the offered chair.
"I think I'll just remain standing, thank you. I've been doing a lot of seating already," he growled.
"Ah, yes, sorry about that there was a sudden development that needed to be dealt with," she answered steepleing her fingers in front of her neutral painted lips. She watched him lean against the wall crossing his arms over his chest and overlapping his ankles letting his weight be held up by the wall.
"What do you want, Une? You never contact me unless you want me to do something," he snapped impatiently.
"Heero, Relena needs a place to stay for a short while…"
"No, she can't," he interrupted.
"Heero?"
"She can't stay with me; it's no safer with me then here on her own,"
"Yes it is, Heero, I shouldn't have even let her walk out of this office on her own. There's been several times that her bodyguard and service details have found her starring into space and she's gotten to the point of not eating or sleeping. And not long ago her bodyguard found her unconscious lying in the bathroom tub. The water had already gone ice cold; he took her to the hospital immediately the doctors were just barely able to bring her back. She had overdosed on pills. I understand that you're not working out of the house and that from your neighbors you hardly ever leave your house. She needs constant supervision that we just can't give her; she doesn't want any of her problems to get out amongst the people. The doctors have already put her on medical leave from work," she pushed.
"Lady Une, I really don't think this is a good idea," he added quietly. He shut his eyes at the wave of pain that course through his body. He ground his teeth behind his close lips until it began to subside. He continued to hold his arms close to his chest knowing that they were shaking violently; he desperately hoped that she couldn't tell.
"I'm begging, I would ask one of the other pilots but they are all busy with their own businesses and jobs, not that they aren't willing to take her in, it's just that…"
"They wouldn't be able to watch her all the time with their schedules," he finished absently; he bowed his head to allow his black hair to shadow his closed eyes. He let out a sigh then slowly lifted his gaze back to hers.
"Alright, she can stay with me, just let it be known that I really think this is a bad idea," he grumbled as he started to leave.
"Heero, thank you; I know you think this is an infringement on your personal life but this could be good for the both of you,"
"It's not anything on my personal life, and I don't think this could be good for either of us. Things have changed in me that you don't know about, that no one will know about," he muttered as he paused before opening the door.
"What?" she stiffened in her chair but her open question went unanswered as he quickly left her office. She stared at the spot where he had stood; she absently shook her head then went back to the paperwork on her desk.
Eleven O'clock PM
Heero leaned against one of the ancient oak trees that created the beginning of the forest at the west edge of the palace property. He took another drag from the cigarette between his fingers as he kept his gaze on the single light where he knew her room to be. He watched the dark silhouette of that particular woman pacing in front of the closed balcony doors. He smirked as the intoxicating smoke from the tobacco filled his lungs, whether from his throat or his nose it didn't matter. It was now in his system, and since he couldn't anything else at this moment he would take what he could get. He flicked the spent butt to the ground and started towards the palace.
She paced back and forth within the light of her room, she knew that her bedroom was now monitored by cameras and that put her on edge even more. She was worried about Heero as usual. He had seemed so fragile in front of Lady Une's office, like if she touched him hard enough he would crumble into a thousand pieces right in front of her. During the war he had seemed so strong, so self assured, but today he had been the complete opposite. She spun around to the balcony; she hadn't necessarily heard anything as so much that she felt something. She squinted against the room's light into the darkness beyond the closed glass doors. She steadily made her way towards them making it look like all she wanted to do step outside for a moment. She tugged her teal terrycloth robe in around her tighter after opening the door to be bombarded by the sudden autumn wind blowing in from the ocean front to the east of her property.
She took in a deep breath of the salty crisp air as she stepped closer to the ledge. She leaned forward on her elbows with a soft absent smile gracing her lips, her eyes dreamily closed when a different scent came across the blowing wind. The distinct burnt tobacco smile that had filled her nostrils earlier came back to them.
"I won't jump if that's why you're behind me," she stated cutting the silence in two, the distant roar of the sea only a memory to them.
"Tell me that you're not doing this because I left, Relena. Tell me that there is some other reason why you would even want to end your life?" he asked bluntly. She turned to come face to chest with the man that she had dreamed of for so long. She lifted her head to lock gazes with his, they were filled with so many emotions that it was stunning and she couldn't quite catch the one that meant the most to her. Her hand lifted up to caress his stubbled cheek and finally rest against it.
"You left without a goodbye I didn't know what to do anymore. At first I put it behind me, I knew deep down in my heart that you would leave soon, there hadn't been any more attempts to kill me in a year. I could see it in your eyes that you were struggling to stay in one place for such a long time. It killed me that me everyday when you couldn't find peace around me, that I couldn't find peace even with myself. I was doing fine for so long after you left, I made myself believe that I didn't need you around to keep the peace going, but as the months turned into years I would look around me and see all the other delegates with their families. I wanted a family but no one wanted get to know me better than the fact that I was Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian, no one wanted to get to know just plain old Relena a 23 year old woman. I started think that I wasn't needed; I started questioning how I could even guide the people to peace when I couldn't find it myself,"
"Relena, I couldn't stay any longer, there were so many things that were changing in me. I didn't leave because no one had attempted another assassination or that I had stayed here so long. I left because the longer I stayed the more I put you in danger,"
"How were you putting me in danger? Heero, you are the safest person to be around," she whispered as she felt his entire body suddenly go tense while his eyes glazed over with pain for a few seconds. She lifted her other hand up to frame his face.
"What's wrong?" she asked worry evident in her voice. The haze left his eyes as he looked back into her watery eyes, to stare at the single tear escape her will and glide down her cheek. He brushed it away with his shaking thumb
"Will you stay with me for a while?" he asked ignoring her question.
"Stay with you?" she repeated.
"Une practically ordered me to take you away from work and the gossiping eyes of the press, but I'm asking you. Will you stay with me?" He studied her while she turned her face into his palm with a soft and welcoming smile.
"Yes, I'll stay with you. Will you tell me what's going on inside you?" she stated, her eyes fluttering open.
"Not here," he added. He closed the gap between them by pressing his lips to hers. The kiss was timid at first but it soon grew in passion. Unfortunately it was short lived as he pulled away from her at the sound of the bedroom door opening and feet running in.
"Ms. Relena, are you alright? Who are you?"
Heero turned to face the middle aged bodyguard who now aimed his gun at his chest. Relena instantly came around to in between the two men.
"I'm fine, Kevin, and this is a dear friend of mine, Heero Yuy. Tell everyone that I'll be leaving tonight to stay with him for awhile, and that everyone will be on vacation unless Lady Une has other business for them," Relena informed.
"Heero Yuy?"
"Yeah," the twenty-three year old behind her confirmed.
"Lady Une called earlier informing us that you would be by, but assumed that you would be here long before now," Kevin added putting his gun back in his shoulder holster. He eyed Heero from head to toe.
"You're not what I pictured, I somehow saw you more healthy looking," he added after awhile.
"This is a recent development," Heero muttered then started to lead Relena inside her room, followed by the bodyguard.
"When are you planning on leaving, Ms. Relena?" Kevin asked as she watched his charge go over to her closest and dig for her suitcase.
"We're leaving as soon as she is packed and ready; call Lady Une and tell her that we will be leaving shortly," Heero informed sitting on the edge of the bed facing the bodyguard. Kevin nodded then left the room glancing back at Relena as she continued to pack her clothes quietly. He shut the door with a small shake of his head.
Lady Une continued to stare out her window into the night's darkness. She kept thinking that something was different about Heero earlier, but she couldn't put her finger on it. He had seemed distracted, and the meeting that had taken place outside her office had been different as well. She had never known him to act like that before; it looked as if he was fighting just to stand in front of her. She had done the right thing, hadn't she? She lifted her gaze up to the twinkling stars as memories started to flood her mind. She was pulled from them at the sudden beep of an in-coming vid-phone call. She sat down in front of it and took a deep breath of air, since Relena had tried to kill herself she had been nervous ever since when answering the phone, and the fact that she hadn't heard whether or not Heero had made it to the palace or not wasn't helping.
"Lady Une, Heero Yuy has arrived and is preparing to leave," Kevin announced before she could say hello.
"Good, I was starting to get worried that he wouldn't show," she muttered to herself, but she then noticed the look on his face.
"What is it?"
"I'm not sure this is a good idea, Ma'am. He doesn't look any healthier than Ms. Relena and right when I was leaving the room he started shaking. He was trying to hide it but he wasn't successful,"
"He was doing the same thing in my office, thank you for the report, Morston,"
"Ma'am," he saluted just before the line was disconnected. Lady Une stood up once more to make her way back to the windows. She leaned her forehead against the chilled glass to have a shiver violently rack up and down her spine.
"Mr. Treize, I hope you approve of my decision," she muttered to herself.
Three days later
"Well, here we are. It's not much and you'll have to ignore the mess until I do a little cleaning," Heero stated unlocking the door and opening it for her to enter before him. He glanced over his shoulder at the sound of someone calling his name. He turned around fully at the sight of a plump older woman hobbling down the few steps from her door onto the sidewalk. He made his way from the door after looking to see if Relena was there.
"Mrs. Ginny,"
"I was starting to get a little worried when you hadn't come back the next day, Heero Yuy. All sorts of terrible things started to run my old mind," she fussed slapping his shoulder softly when he came down the small steps to the sidewalk. He smirked then turned his gaze to follow Mrs. Ginny's; he spotted the black haired woman that he had escorted here.
"Who is this? You never told us you were sweet on a girl, why haven't you brought her around more often," Mrs. Ginny smacked his shoulder again and started up the steps towards her. She knocked Heero aside for him to only shake his head at the older woman's back. He followed quickly.
"Hello, I'm Ami Jefferson, it's a pleasure to meet you," Relena introduced with a smile on her face and her hand out for a shake. Mrs. Ginny smiled back as she looked her up and down. She nodded her head curtly and huffed a sigh.
"Yep, you're another one," she stated.
"Another one?" Relena pondered as she glanced to Heero as he came up.
"Why don't we go inside instead of standing out waiting for the snow to fall?" he interjected gently, yet with enough force, he pushed on Mrs. Ginny's back.
"Oh alright, stop shoving," she humphed rather loudly but the grin on her wrinkled face told everyone that she wasn't upset at all. She breezed past Relena with Heero close behind. He glanced down as Relena took hold of his hand; he tenderly squeezed it then shut the door.
"Mrs. Ginny, just what did you mean by 'another one'?" Heero asked as he turned to see her shoving some paper aside on the couch to sit down. She patted the empty section beside her and waved Relena over to sit beside her. Heero tugged one of the backed bar stools over to sit on.
"Sweetheart, you're troubled everyone around here knows it, with your gaunt face and antisocial ways. It's one of the reasons why we're always checking in on you, and dad-gumit I've gotten rather fond of you. Your art screams of problems and I don't think I've ever seen you go out with any sort of friend until now. Darling, I might be old and cranky most of the time, but I'm not blind yet I can see those dark circles and the malnutrition underneath those baggy clothes that you wear all the time," Mrs. Ginny declared with a plop of her slender wrinkled hand on her hip. She then turned her attention to Relena as she took hold of her prim white hands. She patted them motherly before locking gazes.
"I want you to listen to old Ginger Slogan, Deary, whatever your problems were, or are, you can come talk to me anytime you want. I'm always home unless I have to go to the store and I usually drag Heero along to help me. So don't ever feel like there's no one that you can talk to, I've gotten good at keeping secrets over the past eighty-some years," she winked at her.
"Thank you, Mrs. Slogan," Relena muttered with a soft smile lifting the corners of her mouth.
"It's Mrs. Ginny or just plain old Ginny, I've lived to long to be all prim and proper around friends," she stated with an affectionate pat on her hands before standing up. She turned to face Heero as he also stood up.
"Now, that's settled; I'm having Susan, Emma, and Tabby over for dinner and you two had better be there. You both look like you haven't eaten in a month so I'm making extra for you two to have later on as leftovers," she informed as she came closer to him to push the loose fabric to expose a much skinnier Heero Yuy.
"Hm mm, just as I thought, you haven't eaten enough. Double portions." She muttered to herself.
"That's really not necessary, Mrs. Ginny," he added.
"Of course, it is Heero Yuy. It wouldn't be very neighborly of me if I didn't fix something to our new neighbor guest," she smiled back at Relena who returned it faintly but politely. Mrs. Ginny nodded her head in a way of assertion to her own thoughts; she then left without another word to either of the young couple.
Heero shook his head with a crooked smirk on his face. He looked back to Relena who was still sitting on the couch with a slight wide-eyed stare towards the door.
"Sorry about that, somehow I forgot about her always keeping an eye on my ins and outs," he chuckled to get her attention back on the present. He went over to her to reach out his hand for her to grab.
"Come on, I'll show you around." He finished as she took hold of it and stood up. He twisted his fingers around to remain in hers as he started the tour.
"This is, of course, the main room, there's the kitchen it sometimes has food in it. We'll have to go to the store to get some essentials that you will like to eat. Through the hall here is the bathroom, bedroom, my workroom and small little room where the video and telephones are," he stated leading down the off shoot small corridor. The first door was the bathroom was fairly decently cleaned for a bachelor's house; the second was across the hall which was the phone room. At the end of the hall was the bedroom where a dresser held pictures and an assortment of empty and half empty cigarette packets. A large bed was in the middle of the room held up by a plain wood frame. She looked back to Heero after inspecting each room for herself.
"I'll sleep on the floor, you can have the bed. I just put clean sheets on it so it shouldn't be a problem," he informed.
"I don't want to take your bed, Heero,"
"Don't worry about it," he shrugged.
"You mentioned a workroom, what kind?" she asked.
"I decided along time ago that I didn't need to work with other people anymore so I started doing different things. I moved here and Mrs. Ginny saw some of my drawings she kind of inspired me to continue and sell some of the paintings that I had already did,"
"May I see it?" she asked quietly, she made her way over to the only door not been opened at his slight nod. She attentively opened the door to gawk at the multitude of paintings around the room. She stepped farther inside as the smell of turpentine and paint filled her with a heady sensation; she slowly made her way around the walls looking at each one with an eye for detail. She noted that all were nightscapes but the elements beneath that were different, some were of storms at sea, some thunderstorms on land. She realized that quite a few were seascapes and beaches, there were also some city skylines after dark. One instantly caught her eye as she turned around to face him; it was partially done on the easel. She stepped closer to it to notice the young blonde woman sitting on the edge of a concrete balcony railing, her face was lifted to the starry night sky and her eyes were closed. Relena spotted the outline of the typical angel wings flowing from her bare back. The scooped back of the unfinished robe revealed the battle scars of the normally hidden wings. The rest of the painting was unfinished but the pencil sketches remained undisturbed. She turned around to face the man that was casually leaning against the door frame watching her admire his work.
"They're all beautiful, Heero. I never knew you had this amount of talent," she praised as she strode forward closer to him.
"You like them?"
"Very much," she whispered keeping her gaze locked with his. He suddenly pulled her even closer to press his lips to hers. Their kiss became intimate almost instantly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and his arms shoved under the back of her shirt to feel the soft flesh.
Heero stared up at the ceiling his left arm tucked under head as Relena's head rested in the crook of his shoulder and chest. He listened to her breathing contently as he absently drew circles with his finger on her bare shoulder blade that was revealed by the sheet being tucked under her arm and across the middle of his chest. He couldn't suppress the sudden painful shot that ran all the way through his body; he let out a groan as his body tensed waking her up. She sat up slightly caressing his pain stricken face. Her eyes were filled with her worry and unshed tears, her gaze then wondered over his chest to see the scars of war. She lifted her gaze to his left arm as it came down to press against his chest; she spotted the tracks from his elbow.
"What's wrong, Heero? Talk to me," she pleaded as she watched him slowly relax as the pain began to pass.
"It's a long story," he managed after awhile of taking deep breaths. Relena glanced to the alarm clock on the nightstand across from her.
"We have three hours until we have to be over at Mrs. Ginny's," she stated with an impish grin hiding some of her fear and worry. He chuckled softly but once it started a small coughing fit he stopped. He raised himself up to sit against the wall and pillows, he absently watched as she wrapped the little bit of extra sheet around her front to hide her breasts from everyone's sight.
"It starts with the war and Dr. J,"
"What?"
"You remember how I was, practically invincible or at least I thought; it was because of the drugs that Dr. J had pumped through since I first came to him after Odin was killed. Well, to make a long story short, I soon became addicted to them and after the war they became harder and harder to find until finally I couldn't find them at all,"
"That's why you left isn't it, because you knew that you would be going through withdrawals worse than you already were?" she interrupted.
"Basically, that last time I had been out on patrol I had started to shake so badly that I collapsed to the ground. I couldn't see anything in front of me, all that I knew was that I couldn't stop shaking and I kept seeing things all around me, on me. I couldn't stay there like that, what if someone attacked you and I went into another one of those again, so I decided to leave,"
"Why didn't you tell me, I would've done anything to try and help you," she pleaded tears aching to fall from her eyes she refused to let them fall in front of him.
"That wasn't everything; in my last physical exam with Sally she had found cancerous cells, a tumor around my brain. That was only two weeks before that last episode, I told her to keep it to herself and not to put it in the records, that I would be leaving soon anyway,"
"Cancer…tumor," she muttered covering her mouth her hand as the tears finally cascaded down her cheeks.
"Please don't cry for me, I can't say I've lived a good life, but since meeting you I can honestly say that it turned out better than I ever dreamed," he added leaning forward to frame her face. She pushed through his hands to bury her face into his naked chest; her arms came back around his neck as she cried softly. He remained silent as his hand ran through her loose honey hair, he couldn't even remember where the black wig had disappeared to, but he knew that they would find it later. He continued to hold her as he leaned back against the pillows again. He listened to her sniff as her tears slowly began to subside.
"Have you been to a doctor since Sally?"
"I've checked in with her every so often, the last I talked with her she mentioned that the tumor hadn't grown any bigger since the last time, but it was still to big have surgery done to remove it. There was just to much damage that could be caused if she went in or if any other doctor went in to remove it,"
"How long…how long did she…" she just couldn't bring herself to ask the whole question so she left it at that, it didn't matter because he already knew what she wanted to know.
"I estimated that I have at least another year before it finally finished its business," he answered.
"From when?" she asked not removing her head from his chest.
"I talked to her before I came to the palace to get you," he muttered. She jerked her head up to be eye level with him.
"I can't live without you Heero Yuy; I tried that and look where it got me. I love you to much," she burst.
"Don't, please, Relena you must," he framed her face again but she shook her head to sling errant tears everywhere.
"No, knowing that you were out there somewhere and that could one day come back to me was bad enough; going on knowing that you were never going to come back would be unbearable. Living in a time of peace you fought so hard for and knowing that you couldn't live in it yourself, would tear me apart,"
"I can't go peacefully, knowing that you would willingly kill yourself just because of me," he added continuing to frame her face as she closed her eyes as tears flowed freely from them.
"We'll deal with it when the time comes. I love you and I always will, no matter what," she stated after a few minutes of silence between the two of them. She curled up against him as his arms came back around her.
"I love you, too; I can't believe I've been so stupid not to see it before now. I've wasted so much precious time that I could've spent with you," he returned, he kissed the top of her head as her arms squeezed him just a little to let him know her support and understanding.
Three hours later
Relena laughed at the four elderly women that were so free with their conversation around each other. They were an absolutely joy to be around and she loved them all instantly upon meeting them and talking to them more. She would glance over at Heero every so often to catch him tensing at another painful serge or a glazed look that came over his eyes for a few seconds, when those times came she would reach under the table to squeeze his hand gently letting him know that she was with him.
She still couldn't understand why that maniac of a mad scientist would put a boy through so much just to achieve justice for a murdered pacifist. Did the man not conceive of the consequences of his actions or had he also believed that Heero wouldn't have made it through the whole war like he had. It was just inhumane to get a boy addicted to drugs just so a mobile suit system that would create the "Perfect Soldier" it was just inconceivable. Heero was a human being not some toss away doll. She looked back over to the man beside her as he laughed at the women as well. She took some solace that he had at least in a small way found some happiness, even though it was at the hands of four tenacious and matchmaking old women.
"No really, I couldn't eat another bite, Ms. Emma. You've already filled my plate twice," Heero smiled as he lifted his empty plate away from the blue eyed woman's spoon full of food.
Relena watched the play between the pseudo family that they had created for themselves. She had learned that all four had lost husbands in the war or before during the Alliance days and all their children had moved away to bring up their own families, it was actually quite sad once she started to think on it. The four women had found each other and realized that all had common interests and were quick friends, now they had taken on another challenge, Heero and now herself. They had already stated that they intended to "fatten her up" so that she didn't look as if a good wind would blow her away. She didn't mind their constant prodding; it had been a long time since she had felt this loved. She smiled at the antics that the five of them went through at the dinner table, she could tell that this was a normal occurrence and that the women took absolutely no offense to him and his loose tongue or looks of disdain as they captured his plate and filled it up again. She herself had already eaten three bowls full; how she had managed she still didn't know.
Lady Une paced back and forth between her desk and the massive windows revealing the ins and outs of the city below her. Her hands were folded behind her and her jaw was set firmly as she continued to the rantings of a very upset over protective brother that was never around.
"I can't believe that you called Yuy into this! He's about as irresponsible as the rest of those pilots,"
"None of them are irresponsible, Zechs Marquise, they have all found what keeps them going on in life. Wu Fei is with Preventors full time, Duo has Hilde and their scrap metal shop, Quatre owns his father's business now and his a huge voice in politics trying to keep everything under control from the colonies' perspectives. Trowa has found stability with the circus and his sister,"
"You never mentioned Yuy in that listing of praises, Lady Une," he growled through the speakers. She wanted to scream bloody murder at the top of her lungs.
"What I have found is that he works from home selling his paintings. He's work is beautiful, a true artist's,"
"He paints! An artist!" Zechs exclaimed.
"Yes, when Mrs. Slogan, his neighbor showed me one of the small portraits that he had given her I recognized the style from some where and did a little digging. Zechs, just about every politician and any other big money holder owns if not two then three or more,"
"How didn't you know it was his in first place?"
"He paints under the name Dark Angel," she added. She watched his face fall, and knew that he had heard about him too, even on Mars.
"Lu was just looking at a friend of ours painting done by a Dark Angel. He's a dark themed painter," he muttered as an explanation.
"Zechs, I know you don't think he has grown but he has. Yes, I know he's troubled, but so is Relena right now. If they can't help each other, than no one can?" Lady Une returned.
"I don't know, I just have a bad feeling about all this. Like it won't turn out all roses and crème; keep in touch, Une,"
"I will," she watched his nod before the screen went black.
"With each person who says that I loose a little more confidence in this little idea," she muttered to herself.
He had to get this one finished, there was no other opportunity. He couldn't afford for this to be his last painting; he still had one more that he wanted to do. So he continued to sweep the brush across the canvas filling in the paint where it needed to be; he was so enthralled in his work never noticed that he had an audience watching. Relena stood in the open doorway sipping at her cup of hot tea with a hint of a sad smile. The longer she was around him the more she knew that she couldn't possibly live without him. Their story suddenly reminded her of an old play "Romeo and Juliet", at the odd thought she chuckled causing him spin around to stare at her as if he just realized that she even on earth.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, I just love watching you work and an odd thought crossed my mind making me laugh. I'll leave you alone now," she rambled and she started to turn away from the room.
"No, it's alright, I'm not big on the whole 'artist temperament'. Besides with you here I seemed to have gotten a lot more done than I have in one sitting, you're the inspiration for it after all,"
"Me?"
"Yeah, didn't you realize that? You're in just about every painting that I've ever done," he added softly lowering his eyes from hers slightly. He turned back to his painting as he listened to her soft footfalls coming closer to him. He closed his eyes as her arms slid up his back to come around his neck. He leaned back against her soft flesh as she kissed the top of his head. His head was soon pillowed in her breasts as he gazed up-sided down into her sea green pools. She leaned over farther to kiss his forehead, she squealed suddenly as he brought her around to sit on his lap. They looked into each other's gaze only for a moment before the gap was closed once again.
"I love you, Relena, I shouldn't but I do because all it will do is cause you more pain." He managed as they caught their breath after their passionate kiss. His forehead pressed against hers he flinched as a tear landed on his hand from her eyes. He pulled her into his chest as silent tears flowed freely.
"Sh, it'll turn out alright. You'll see," he consoled quietly as he stroked his hand down her hair. He now knew the final touch that he would put in the painting before him, a single tear on her cheek. He started to paint with her still sitting mostly on his lap and held by his other arm.
"There what do you think?" he asked after awhile. She lifted her head from his shoulder to stare at the angel sitting on the railing, her face was lifted to the crescent moon and her eyes were closed. She spotted the sad smile and then the crystalline tear.
"She's crying, why? She looks so calm,"
"She remembering,"
"What?" she asked looking back to his face.
"What ever makes her happy and sad at the same time," he muttered. Her arms came back around his neck as he stuck the brush back in the water for it to rinse its self out for a little while.
"I don't know what I'm going to do; I can't live without you, Heero. The longer I'm with you the more I know it to be true,"
"What about the rest of society, your brother, our friends?"
"I can't help them any longer, I can barely help myself. My brother's never around anymore, he won't miss me to much, it'll be just like before,"
"Our friends, you know they look up to you, they'll miss you,"
"They'll miss you as well, but they will go on with their lives. Everyone dies eventually, Heero,"
"Then what do you suppose we do?"
Three weeks later
Mrs. Ginny stepped up to Heero's door and knocked once then made her way inside. It was Friday and Heero and Ami always helped her go to the grocery store on Fridays. She looked around the room instantly feeling that something was wrong, very wrong.
"Heero, Ami, where are you? Answer me, it's Ginny!" she started to panic when no one answered. She steadily made her way to Heero's art room hoping that he might be in there working on the newest painting. She opened the door to spot a finish canvas, she stepped closer to it. She recognized Heero even though he was healthy looking, he had the same genuine smile that sparked something in his eyes, she knew the woman as well even though she was a honey blonde, it was Ami. She had seen her before, she gasped as the realization hit her, Ami wasn't her name, but Relena was. The rest of the painting slightly blurred as tears came to her eyes. She continued to scrutinize the work that proclaimed their love for each other. They were holding each other in broad daylight on a beach. Waves were kissing their bare feet while they looked out to the person looking at them. She carefully lifted the canvas from the easel to see the title written in Heero's neat print. "Romeo and his Juliet" she nearly cried out as she put the painting back and ran from the room. The bad feeling that had started in her gut had now engulfed her entire body, heart and soul.
"Heero, Ami!" she cried out as she ran the best she could down the hall to the bed room. She swung the door open to well up with tears and cries at the sight before her. She collapsed to the floor in a wail of tears and anguished shrieks.
Lady Une stood next to Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and Wu Fei in the small doorway to the bedroom of the home. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she stared at the sight before her.
"This is my entire fault," she mumbled.
"You couldn't have known what was going through their heads, Lady Une," Quatre consoled as he wrapped his arms around the older woman; his own gaze not leaving that of the two on the floor.
The two faced each other with a sad yet serene look to their faces, their eyes still remained open to gaze at each other for all eternity. They each held the hilt of a dagger in the other's gut the other hands were linked as they leaned against the end of the bed.
Trowa stepped around the blood pool as he spotted a piece of paper on the bed at their heads. The flashes of the polices' cameras catching every movement that he made.
"Guys, there are two notes one for us and the other for a Mrs. Ginny. Who's Mrs. Ginny?" Trowa stated his voice barely managing to hold his own grief at bay.
"She was their neighbor and the one who called the police. She must not have seen it, I don't care about procedure right now," Lady Une stated as she took the note from his hand and left the room to find the older woman. She finally found her in the main room in a huddle of three other women who were crying just as much as the other.
"Mrs. Ginny, there's a note here written for you. We found it and believe you should read it," Lady Une mentioned as the older woman took it to read out loud for the rest of the girls around her.
"Mrs. Ginny, we both thank you so much for being so kind to us in our last moments. Please don't be sad forever, we both knew that it would be inevitable. We can't live without each other, even though we tried for so long. Tell the girls that we loved you all very much and non of this was your fault. You would've found Heero sooner or later dead in his bed or at his easel because you see he had cancer, a brain tumor from fighting in the war. I know you all knew who he really was and what he had done, and I myself find it so unfair that he was not given a chance at a long healthy life. But that is behind us now. Please, don't grief for long, we will see you again. We love you all very much, Heero and Relena (Ami)."
"Cancer…" Lady Une whispered as she looked from one woman to the next to know that they hadn't known either before the note.
"There's a post script, Ginny, read it," Emma added.
"P.S. You four girls may have any choice of paintings except for two, 'Romeo and His Juliet' and 'Angel's Memories' they belong to someone else. Please take care of yourselves, Heero."
"I wonder who those two belong too," Susan questioned as tears continued to fall from her eyes.
"Une, I think you should read this," Lady Une turned to see Wu Fei standing at the hall's entrance holding the open letter. She left the four women to grief amongst themselves.
"What is it?"
"It's from the both of them," he stated plainly as she took it from him slowly. She began reading it.
To Duo, Wu Fei, Trowa, Quatre, Lady Une, Lu, and my brother,
Please do not blame yourselves for this, especially you, Lady Une. You have no knowledge Heero's cancer or the full complexity of my thoughts. We love each other very much, so much that neither one of us could live without the other. We are the personified Romeo and Juliet, but I wouldn't change anything. Please understand that, our lives were just meant to be short and broken. I knew that the first moment I met Heero on that fateful beach during the first of the war. Don't grieve forever, go on with your long and happy lives, and live in the peaceful world that you all worked so hard to obtain. We have our own peace and freedom now, and we will see each other again. I love you all very much and though Heero never told you he did and does as well. You five guys were brothers in cause and heart, and he never forgot that.
Milliardo don't blame yourself or Heero for this cause of events. I know you will try but please don't. I made my choice, I couldn't have lived without him, and you saw what happened when he wasn't even able to be around me. I love you and always will. There are two paintings that Heero created. 'Angel's Memories' and 'Romeo and His Juliet' they are yours to remember us by. The rest of the paintings that Ms. Emma, Ms. Susan, Ms. Tabby, and Mrs. Ginny have not chosen may be sold at auction to any charity. The rest of you may pick some for yourselves as well. There are several that you will like.
Always remember that we love you and will be watching over you. Goodbye for now, Relena and Heero
Lady Une lifted her head with fresh tears as she looked to Wu Fei and the others as they had came up during the time of her reading the letter.
"Cancer, I just can't believe it," she muttered.
"A tumor around his brain," Wu Fei spoke up.
"You knew?" Duo stared at the Chinese man.
"Only because I found the report of his last physical before he left as Relena's bodyguard, I read through after the words cancer and tumor caught my eye. Evidently they were the cause of Dr. J's training and drug addictions turning Heero into the 'Perfect Soldier' that we knew. In the report he admits to being addicted to drugs throughout the war and a few years afterward. When it became impossible for him to find the drugs he began to dry out. Which was another reason for his leaving; he realized he couldn't protect her anymore," Wu Fei explained to the rest of the group.
"What about his artwork? I didn't even know he could draw," Duo added.
"His art room is this way," Mrs. Ginny stated coming up behind them. They all stared at the group of elderly women then let them pass first. They followed silently until they reached the door, non of them glanced toward the open bedroom where Heero and Relena's bodies were still be examined by the investigators.
"He had the most wonderful talent that I have ever seen, and I can tell you now I've seen a lot," Mrs. Ginny stated as she opened the door to reveal the extent of his work. There were unframed canvases everywhere that paint of them, but the two that took center stage where at the easel; "Romeo and His Juliet" on the wood frame and "Angel's Memories" on the floor beneath it.
"Jeez, how come he never told us?" Duo muttered.
"These are all signed Dark Angel, you mean to tell me he's Dark Angel," Quatre managed after unlocking his jaw.
"You've heard of him?" Duo questioned looking back to the blonde young man.
"I own four of his works already, I fell in love with them the second I saw them," he returned.
"So these are the two that go to Zechs?" Trowa stated changing the subject solemnly.
"Zechs?" Tabby pondered as she looked up from looking through the multitudes of artworks.
"Relena's brother," Lady Une explained softly.
"I thought he was dead," Susan interjected straightening up.
"No, he's been living on Mars with his wife since the end of that Marie Maya incident," Lady Une continued.
"How will you tell him?" Quatre asked quietly.
"The only way I can,"
He nodded his head slowly.
Zechs stared at the double casket that had been built for this particular burial. He couldn't believe it until he saw for himself, but as he stood in front of the large open casket at his eternally slumbering sister and lover it hit him harder than he ever dreamed possible. He collapsed to his knees and covered his face with his hands. He had read the letter and had seen the paintings that morning. He could tell that the emotion that was put into the art was genuine and his heart ached even more; he had read the report about Heero Yuy's physical and later doctor appointments with Sally. But he still hadn't quite believed it possible to kill him until now. The sight of their pale complexions and serene faces had been his undoing. He wasn't supposed to bury his sister it was supposed to have been the other way around in the far future, after she had gotten married and had children. After she had watched those children grow up and have children of their own, but now she would never have that joy.
He slowly got back up to his feet to brace himself against the side of the casket where they would rest for all eternity. He reached inside to move Relena's left hand and Heero's right to where they were over lapped as if they were holding hands. He closed the fingers together so that they were and always would.
"Goodbye, my baby sister; goodbye, Heero. I will wish you both, and I don't hold either of you accountable," he stated softly. He reached up and slowly closed the casket lid. He turned making his way slowly down the aisle between the pews of the funeral home; he paused at the sound of his sister' voice at his ear. He glanced over his shoulder to see the semi-transparent images of the two of them smiling.
"I love you, Milli." Relena's voice whispered across his ears, tears filled his eyes as he saw the happiness on their faces as they held each other like the painting of the beach. He had come to realize that it was the only painting that he had done with the theme being in the daylight.
"I love you too, Relli." He whispered back before they slowly disappeared from view. He turned and finally left the funeral home to go about their business of making things ready for the graveside service.
He would always remember Romeo and his Juliet, and he decided in that moment that the twins that his wife was carrying inside her would named in honor of his sister and her lover. He spotted his pregnant wife and their friends standing off to the side and made his way towards them intent on telling them the good news.
Fin
TA DAH!!!! Well, there it is finished and leaving me aching for reviews. Just so you know this is my first official one-shot and deathfic for that matter. So all the reviews I could get would be appreciated. Please and thank you