A/N: just a little something I typed up at random over the past few hours, I don't want to lose my writing streak so I'm just trying to keep it coming. The ending is a little weak, I think I rushed it a little too much. :)) JunkoxPiper ~ because it's good to try other pairings, and after recent consideration, they ARE pretty cute together :D
"She was beautiful, there were no other words to describe her; not just outwardly, but inwardly too. Her soul was pure, her heart kind, every word spoken raised the hopes of those around her; liberty, charity, love, justice… she stood for all of these things. This woman, this angel, had given Quinn the freedom he had desired for so long; she had defended him, given him courage and strength, shown him that the world was not as ugly as he had once believed. Except now, everything was ugly when compared to her. No one had made him feel the way she made him feel, no one had loved him the way she had done…
… but her love was not the kind Quinn hoped for. Someone so beautiful, deserved beauty themselves; and Quinn could offer no such thing. He knew that. Had always known that. It hadn't meant of course, that he hadn't hoped for a miracle to happen; that perhaps, the beauty that Robyn had found within his heart, could convince her to ignore the hideousness of his face.
Quinn knows now, that no one – no matter how pure – can ever love a monster…"
Junko sighs and lowers his book, how true; but then again, is it that much of a surprise? What self-respecting woman would fall in love with a monster, really?
Things like that don't happen in stories, the girl always chooses the handsome, dashing Sky Knight, not the monster… not the Wallop. The thing is, fairy tales are just that – fairy tales – they don't happen in the real world; sometimes good doesn't always conquer evil, sometimes bad things happen that cannot be undone... but real world or made up story, the ending is always the same when it comes to love. Beauty does not choose ugly. Beauty does not choose the beast.
Well… there is that one story. But that's one story. One story out of hundreds.
And surprise, surprise, that beast actually turns out to be a handsome prince eventually.
Junko is pretty sure that underneath his thick, rough, leather skin, he's still a Wallop; no handsome young man is about to appear in the mirror one morning, in his case there's no curse to be broken. He is a Wallop, he was born a Wallop and he will die a Wallop; a brutish, clumsy creature with no complimenting features whatsoever.
Aerrow on the other hand, now Aerrow is really something; not only is he one of the most talented Sky Knights around, he's probably one of the better looking ones. That fine red hair and those emerald eyes and that dazzling, confident smile; one glance in any direction, one sweep of his hair or flex of his muscles and dozens of girls' knees buckle. Not that he's cocky or anything, and in fact, the fact that he is completely unassuming and modest seems to make him all the more attractive.
The Sky Knight and the Wallop couldn't be any further apart, the Sky Knight will get the girl and Junko will be forced to look on and watch her fall for a man ten times his own worth.
And that girl, is Piper.
The Wallop sniffs and pushes his glasses back up his snout before returning to his book, it didn't do to think about such things; thinking about Piper is almost taboo, especially when you're a blundering idiot like Junko. Dreaming about things you can't have only makes the whole ordeal all the more painful, and if he could stop himself from dreaming about her, he would. He really, really would.
But how can he not think about Piper?
Piper epitomises everything beautiful about the Atmos; she is fair, just, loyal, intelligent, considerate, devoted, loving, calming, powerful… perfect. There isn't another girl like her anywhere in the world, and Junko is certain of that fact. She is beauty personified, inside and out; her dark skin, her tantalising amber eyes, her cerulean hair are nothing compared to the pureness of her soul and the love and courage of her heart. And the Wallop is crazy about her.
Always has been.
Wallops are supposedly naturally aggressive creatures, break things first, ask questions later; and for the majority – if not the entirety – of the race, this rule is rendered true and unquestionable. However, there is this one exception; Junko is a Storm Hawk before he is a Wallop, he knows that it was his destiny to become one of the team because he has never quite fitted in with his own kind. Even during his childhood, Junko preferred the friendship of the more placid Gleeps at the price of being shunned by his own classmates; he just wasn't Wallop material. He had always wanted to fit in, but he had always known that he would not belong on his home terra.
That is why he fitted so well with the Storm Hawks; they stood for everything in which believed, they represented the truth he had so longed to find. They were people like him, people who cared and valued friendship and courage and devotion.
But during those first few weeks with his new family, Junko had seen and learnt a lot more than the others had given him credit for; like Stork, the Wallop had not been an original member, there had only been four in the beginning: Aerrow, Radarr, Finn and Piper. This had resulted in excess pressure being placed upon him to understand their natures and their characters in order to understand who they were and what they were like and how they acted to one another. And that is how it began, all those years ago…
Piper was the only woman on the Condor, and yet somehow she had managed to befriend and join forces with Aerrow and Finn in their very early years, she had proven her worth and stayed with them through it all; and then, she was surrounded by males, confined on a ship with them day in and day out and still she ensured she was part of the team. She was in charge of tactics and navigation and crystals and meals and training sessions and every single thing that no one else seemed to ever remember about. And all the others seemed to do at times was complain that she was constantly on their backs.
Junko could see that, sometimes Piper feels lonely. It must be hard being different… it is hard being different, of all people, Junko knows that. And it was through this similarity that they shared that the Wallop grew to respect her above anyone else, Piper was an inspiration to him, someone unwittingly guiding him through his own troubles. Nowadays, Junko can only think of her, can only see her in his mind, will only love her.
But then we return to that age old question; who would ever love a beast?
Piper has Aerrow – it's not official, but Junko can see it when he looks close enough; and they suit each other, two beautiful people, two incredibly talented individuals with everything to live for. Aerrow isn't clumsy, he doesn't break things, he doesn't struggle to speak whenever she's in the same room; he is her equal, almost her equal, he isn't some blithering buffoon with less brain cells than fingers. He isn't Junko.
"I think you've been reading the same page of that book for at least a good fifteen minutes now."
Junko starts in an instant, sending his book flying as he nearly topples backwards over the arm of the couch; he readjusts his glasses as he hears giggling and blushes intensely as he focuses on a Piper, standing a little in front of him, mouth hidden behind slender fingers.
"Sorry," she whispers, before bending down to pick up the Wallop's text; "I'll be a bit louder next time, I just didn't really want to disturb you."
The Wallop says nothing but takes the book from her, hoping that the navigator will soon leave so that he can cope with his embarrassment alone and with some level of dignity; Piper however, remains put, gazing down at her team mate with a bemused and curious look. Junko nods in her direction. "Thank you."
When she still shows no intentions of leaving, he lifts the book to his face to hide behind it but this only results in further giggles from behind his newly resurrected screen; fingers creep over the top of the cover and Junko feels the book being taken from his hands. He watches, hands still raised, as Piper rotates the book and offers it back once again.
"It would help if you held the book up the right way, silly."
Can Junko's cheeks go any pinker?
"Come on then, budge up; what are we reading?"
To both the pleasure and horror of the Wallop, Piper carefully and gracefully slips onto his lap and sits, leaning against his chest; Junko can smell the sweet aroma drifting from her hair, can feel the warmth of her skin and she takes his hands in order to pull the book closer to the pair of them. His heart is thundering, he's surprised she cannot hear it.
"Junko? Are you able to speak?"
Junko clears his throat, "sorry… it's um, it's uhhh – it's called "The Beast of Terra Bellesa", one of my favourite stories from when I was a young Wallop."
"Oh really?" Piper's eyes light up, she doesn't know much about Junko's past any small thing he reveals to her is like gold; it's nice to know more about someone as sweet and as caring as Junko. Then she looks up at him timidly, "do you mind if I read it with you?"
A severe shake of the head from Junko, how could he tell her anything otherwise? The proximity of their bodies is sending his emotions haywire, and he loves it; this may be the closest he ever gets to her, stood on her podium, untouchable… he must enjoy every second. He breathes her in, offers her the book.
"You read it." He whispers, "I already know what happens."
She chooses to read it to him, cuddled in his strong arms where she is warm and comfortable.
"Quinn knows now, that no one – no matter how pure – can ever love a monster…
He watched them that night, from his hideaway, watched them meet under the brilliant light of the moon, watched them hold each other closely and confess their undying love for one another. He saw them kiss, deeply, passionately. And Quinn felt his heart shatter. He could see now, the difference in the love they had felt – he and Robyn. His love for her had been powerful, eternal… but her love for him had originated from sympathy. You don't love a monster, you feel sorry for it.
That night, Quinn picked up the pieces of his broken heart and hid them away; he chose to suffer in silence, he could not deal with the humiliation of admitting that he had once believed he held the love of an angel."
Silence falls upon the pair though Junko is unaware that Piper has stopped reading; her voice soothes him, sends him into the space between awareness and slumber, the part before you begin to dream. The navigator puts down the book, doesn't turn to look at the Wallop, instead she stares out into space as she talks.
"Junko…"
"Mhmmm?" he opens his eyes, blinks a few times as his awareness increases.
Slowly, Piper turns her head a little so that she can see him; the pair's eyes lock, neither looks away.
"…what happens?"
The Wallop blinks again, taken aback slightly; "… well, er, pretty simple really. Quinn remains devoted to Robyn, despite the fact that she is in love with this Sky Knight, Theo. And then, at the end, when Robyn is in danger, Quinn… Quinn dies saving her."
A momentary silence. "And Robyn and Theo?"
"They end up together, though Robyn never forgets Quinn's sacrifice or the fact that he loves – loved – her."
Silence falls again. Junko watches Piper intently, aware of the expression of determined concentration on her face. Finally, she speaks. "I don't like that ending."
This is not what Junko had expected her to say.
"Why not?"
"What was wrong with Quinn? Why couldn't she love him?"
She is facing Junko now, eyes looking into his intently, demanding an answer. He removes his glasses, preparing a balanced but truthful response; "it doesn't work like that. Quinn is a hideous creature, Robyn and Theo are two of the most beautiful and courageous people in the Atmos – they deserve to be together. It's a happy ending; y'know… prince and princess, happily ever after… that sort of… thing…?"
Piper sits with arms folded and expression unimpressed; "so Quinn's sacrifice meant nothing then? He died courageously and that doesn't make him worthy of her love?"
Junko looks away and shrugs, "I guess," he says, voice suddenly quiet and timid, "I guess people can only love the beauty on the outside. You can be as perfect as you want to be on the inside, but if you can't see it on the outside – what does it matter?" His eyes close, he sighs. "Sky Knights are brave and handsome and daring and… and… people like me, aren't. Beauty doesn't fall in love with the beast."
Slender fingers slip through his own chunky ones, grip one hand tightly; he opens his eyes, sees Piper inches from his face. "You know, there is that one story where she does?"
"One story, Piper; just the one."
She moves closer, touches his cheek lightly; "one is all you need. The whole moral to that story is that beauty does not need to be on the outside; you say people like you aren't Sky Knight material when I know for a fact that you are the kindest, most loving, most considerate person I have ever met in my entire life. And what makes you beautiful on the inside makes you beautiful on the outside, Junko."
"I have a hard time believing that. In every story I know, the girl ends up with the hero."
She is centimetres from his face, Junko can feel her hot breath against his skin; she closes the gap, presses her lips against his, holds herself there for a moment, finally pulls back. The Wallop sits there, astounded, flabbergasted, astonished – you name it, he feels it.
"What you were trying to say was that I end up with Aerrow."
All he can do is nod, words have failed him; Piper smiles at him, her carnelian eyes dancing in the dimming light. She lowers herself back onto his chest, face buried into his neck and says quietly. "That's not my kind of happy ending."
"So… in your happy endings… the beauty - you - ends up with the beast?"
"In my happy endings I end up with a good man with a good heart and a good soul; I end up with whomever I choose, I end up with someone who loves me for who I am and not what I look like, who understands me. In short, in my happy endings, I end up with someone like you. And you're no beast, Junko."
The Wallop is pretty certain that he's going crazy. Stark, raving mad. In a minute, he's pretty certain he's going to wake up and this will all have been a dream.
A soft nudge in his chest from the girl in his arms attracts his attention, Piper sits, sleepy-eyed. "Junko…"
"Erm, yes, Piper?"
"Tell me a story, but give it a happy ending."
"Like this happy ending, right now?"
A dreamy smile, she hugs his chest tighter, "yeah, yeah… like this one."
So Junko begins his tale about a girl and a monster and a miracle. Because that's the beauty of fairy tales, one story is all you need.
This Wallop has found his happy ending.