This just popped into my head while I was driving home after a particularly bad day. It's kind of sort of based on the song 'The Good Stuff' By Kenney Chesney. I hope you all enjoy the story. Please Read and Review! Thanks!
"Heero that's it!" Faith firmly put down the plate she had ben drying. It was another dinner he had missed. "I'm so sick of this."
Heero wanted to roll his eyes but resisted. He shut the door before shrugging out of his jacket. Taking a deep breath he sighed knowing this argument had been brewing for weeks. He took in the sight of her.
Hair back in a ponytail, a few pieces falling down from the wear of the day. She was dressed in yoga capris, a maroon tee-shirt with dark blue hoodie over top. Her feet were clad in mismatched socks like always. She was beautiful, and upset.
"Again, you are four hours late! I mean, Jesus, Heero? It's after 9!" She tried to keep the sadness and anger out of her voice. "It's the third time this week! I never see you anymore."
He leaned his hands on the counter and letting his head fall for a moment before looking at her. "I have a job to do. You know that. My job is important to maintain the peace." He argued softly trying to reason with her.
She scoffed. "You're head of Relena's security. You can Wufei are the best surely….you guys could….I don't know delegate? Or something?"
"There was an emergency."
"Again?" In her frustration she threw down the dish rag that she had had slung over her shoulder. Why couldn't he understand the former queen of the world was abusing his position? Using any excuse to see him "after hours."
"What was it this time? What emergency required you special attention?" She paced in a small line. "Was it a spider in the bathtub? Or perhaps she needed help unclasping her bra? Please tell me what was so important that you had to be the one to stay so late?"
"Faith." He warned. He knew Relena still harbored a lot of lust for her childhood crush and couldn't fault his wife. Yes over the last few weeks there had been a few days when he arrived home well after she was asleep. A few reasons had been legit and had required his immediate attention. The others however…..were less than threatening. He was only doing what was necessary.
"I have to do what is necessary. I don't' like it any more than you do, but in case you're forgetting my job is what is paying the bills to keep the roof over our heads." His voice rose slightly in annoyance.
"Oh," She chuckled dryly. "That's right I don't contribute anything."
"That's not what I meant. I-"He sighed. This was not how he wanted his evening to go.
All he had wanted was to have dinner with his wife, enjoy a beer, shag and fall into a deep sleep. He was only on call for the next three days. He was only supposed to be called if Relena had been kidnapped or killed. Time with his wife, was that so much to ask?
"But that is what you're thinking. I know my job isn't as important as yours but I take just in as much pride in it." Tears crept into her eyes. Her job was….important. She was a linguistics specialist with Preventer. She might not be physically responsible for anyone's immediate safety but she had been the one to intercept quite a few potential threats.
Hanging his head again he took a deep breath. "Look, I don't want to fight with you. I will do what is required of me whether it's going in early, staying late or traveling. That is something you will just have too-"He stopped when he saw her trembling. Tears rolled freely down her face, he realized he had been yelling at her.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself she attempted to look strong. It was clearly a façade. "I'll just have to deal with being second to your job then." Her voice was so soft and sad. She nodded only once before she walked into the bathroom and locked the door.
Running his hand over his face he grabbed his old jean jacket, heading down to a dive bar a few blocks away.
FHFHFHFHFHFHFHFHFHFHFHFHFHFHFHFHFHFHF
Entering the small establishment he found that on a Thursday night it was pretty slow. The lights were low, neon signs advertises different beers and liquors. He surveyed the room for possible threats, it was second nature to observe everything.
The air smelled a bit stale with a hint of cigar smoke. The bar keep was down at the end drying glasses and watching the small tube TV up on the shelf. There were only four others patrons. Two grizzled old men in their fifties playing cards smoking and chasing shots with cheap beer. One man sat at a table in the corner, a frost mug in front of him shuffling a deck of cards. His waiting companion drinking his own beer and checking his phone.
Seeing no immediate threats he sat himself at the end of the bar. He leaned on his elbows and waited for the bartender to make his way down.
He was a tall gentleman, maybe in his late 50's early 60's his hair was white as snow. Big bushy salt and pepper eyebrows framed gentle blue eyes and a thick white mustache hid the top lip of his smile.
"What'll it be?" His voice was thick with accent, Scottish, if he were a betting man.
Taking a look at the different beers on tap and scanning the shelves of liquor he shrugged. "The good stuff." He had no idea what he wanted he was just looking for an escape from the situation at home.
The elderly gentleman didn't move, his face flushed a bit. Heero waited for him to get him a bottle or glass of something but the only thing he did was nonchalantly wipe at his eyes and shook his head. "Sorry kid, the good stuff ain't in here."
Heero looked at him not quite understanding what he meant.
"Argument at home?" He asked with a knowing twinkle in his dark eyes. He nodded towards the plain silver band on the fourth finger of his left hand.
Heero nodded.
"Trust me, the good stuff isn't in a bottle or place like this. It's at home with your wife. Remember how she looked when you married her? Or how she took so long to get ready for your first date?"
Heero let his mind wander to that special day a little over a year ago.
It had been a small affair, only close friends since neither had any family. Quatre had been kind enough to let them hold the ceremony at one of his smaller private villas in France.
He had been so nervous, pulling at his tie and fidgeting. They had decided on simple attire, slacks, button down shirts and ties. Dou kept trying to keep him from combusting with nerves and anticipation. This was the only time he could remember being nervous. It was the only time he could ever remember fidgeting. All the training and experience in the world couldn't calm his anxiousness.
Dou, who was performing the ceremony would smile and offer words of wisdom as he waited at the head of the alter.
Just as the sun was setting over the ocean view, music drifted softly in the air. Everyone's attention focused on the double door entrance. First Hilde walked down the aisle with a small bouquet smiling knowingly at Heero and winking at Dou.
The entire group collectively stood. She was beautiful. Escorted by Wufei she was a vision in white. She wore a simple gossamer gown, its straps collected delicately at the tops of her shoulders, it flitted around her calves when she walked.
Her hair was pulled back at the sides and cascaded down in a waterfall of chocolate curls. Her eyes sparkled with so much love and happiness he almost lost himself. He took her hand from Wufei's who had kissed her gently on the cheek before taking his place beside Sally in the gallery.
He had gotten so lost in her beauty that he had to be prompted by Dou to repeat his vows. She had never been more beautiful than whey she said 'I do'.
A smirk tugged at his lips, starring at the band she had placed on his finger.
The bar tender, whose name he learned was Fergus, smiled while pouring two glasses of milk. He slid one to the younger man. Heero smirked and accepted. They spoke for over an hour, trading stories, and advice about business, life and love.
It was when he caught the bar keeps eyes tracking to a black and white photo stuck to the mirror. The subject was a female in her early twenties. She was looking over her shoulder at the camera, a standard look for the time. She wore a black long sleeved dress, cat eye glasses, bouffant hair and a string of pearls around her neck.
"That's my Bonnie, taken 'bout a year after we wed." He never took his gaze off the picture. His tired eyes grew misty as memories danced before them. "I spent five years of my life drinking and rotting away in a place like this after the caner took her from me. He smiled a knowing smile.
Heero felt something wash over him. He couldn't imagine a life without Faith in it. If she were suddenly not there to welcome him home every day, or wake with him in the morning, having coffee together before heading to their respective employment. The thought of that ending was almost too much.
"But I've been clean and sober….three years now. Don't want to lose the good memories or disappoint her by throwing my life away." He shook his head clear of the memories. "I can still remember her holding Olivia, my baby girl thinking I'll never be more proud than in this moment. Or when our oldest boy Earl, he ended up marrying his high school sweetheart." He pulled the picture down and handed it to Heero for a closer look.
"She loved those pearls I gave her. It was all I could afford at the time. She always took pride when she wore them." The smile Fergus had worn, obscured by his mustache fell. "Holding her hand when she was called home…"He cleared his throat taking the picture back and staring at it once more before returning it to its spot on the mirror. "That is something I'll never forget. I'll always be grateful, knowing she wasn't alone."
He turned his eyes to the young man. "Something like that puts things into perspective you know? About what' really important in a man's life."
Heero absentmindedly spun the ring around his finger. A habit he had developed over the course of his new marriage. At first it felt so foreign to him. He had never worn anything like it in his life. But now, his fingers sought it without his conscious minds approval. He noticed he did it when he was thinking of a solution or during meetings. It was his safe place. As if the small band would offer the answers he was seeking. Now, he couldn't imagine his hand without it.
Slamming the rest of his glass he shook the man's hand and pulled out his wallet.
Fergus stopped him. "Your money's no good here kid." He smiled at him.
"Thank you." He replied in earnest.
"Now one last thing." He spoke while clearing the glasses. "When you get home she'll start to cry. When she says 'I'm sorry' say so am I. Then….hold her tight and look into her eyes. That moment right then. Well, that's the good stuff my friend."
Heero nodded and checked his phone. He was amazed to find he had been there for over two hours. It was almost 11:30. Racing home he hoped he could fix the problems. The fight played over in his mind. Each replay was like a knife in the heart. The one woman who loved and cared about him felt that she should come second….to his job. He was an idiot.
Finding the porch light on and the house dark he slipped inside silently. Making his usual check of the house and locking up he headed up to the bedroom.
His heart clenched when he saw her, lying on top of the covers, curled around his pillow and the bedside lamp was on. She had clearly cried herself to sleep. One hand under her head the other around his pillow. Dried trails of tears stained her face.
Sitting on the bed beside her he brushed away stray hairs from her cheek and kissed her forehead.
Groggily her eyes fluttered open, they were blood shot and irritated. "Heero." Her voice cracked, mixed with the strain of crying and the sleep she had woken from.
He gently removed his pillow and slid into its place, his arms going around her waist pulling her close.
New tears shone in her eyes. "Oh Heero, I'm so sorry."
He silenced her with a kiss, soft and chaste. "Me too." Cupping her cheek he gazed into her light grey eyes.
"I never want you to feel like you come second to anyone or anything in my life. You are my life. I love you, more than I can say."
She smiled through her tears. "Oh Heero. I know. I….I just have to learn to share you." She blushed. "Even if it is with Relena."
He chuckled.
"It's just I know you too have history and she is rather pretty."
He grabbed her left hand and held it up for her to see her wedding ring. "You are the only woman for me. Yes, Relena and I have a history but that's exactly what it is…..history." He kissed her hand. "You are my present and future. I couldn't imagine my life without you in it."
She nodded and kissed him. "I love you Heero." She rested her head on his chest listening to the familiar cadence of his heart beating beneath his ribs.
"And I love you." He entwined their hands while the other trailed up and down her back. Silence settling over them comfortably as he would kiss her knuckles intermittently and reverently.
She sighed happily watching his lips close around her knuckle.
"I think we'll be ok." He whispered the advice of a wise old bartender still floating in his mind.
"Oh yea?" She looked up at him, their eyes meeting and holding each other.
He nodded. "We survived our first married fight." He explained.
She sat up and straddled his hips kissing him passionately before making a trail to his ear. She placed a gentle kiss on the spot that made shivers run down his spine. Her fingers trialed lightly down his chest pulling it from where it was tucked into his slacks.
"Then isn't this the part where we kiss and make up?" She nibbled his ear.
He growled and flipped them delighted at the small shriek she emitted with his sudden movement. Smiling down at her he tried to memorize her. The way she looked, how he felt. "Absolutely." He kissed and reached out to turn off the bedside lamp.