Tears For Heero
written by NemKess
Pairing: 1+R, 2+H, 5+S
warnings: the core of this story revolves around Heero's reaction to his
child's death.
Heero ignored the stinging in his cheek and stared down at the twin caskets, Duo and Hilde's angry accusations ringing in his ears. Logically he knew they were just striking out in their grief and that he'd just been a convenient target.
Still, a weight settled onto his chest and for a moment, he thought he'd crumble from it's strain.
Upset and grief-stricken or not, there was some truth in those condemnations.
He should be crying. He should be more visibly upset as everyone else was. One of those tiny caskets held his own child as the other held the child of his friend's. Duo's twins had just turned five and they and Heero's only son had decided that they were big enough to go boating by themselves, with tragic results. Only the shadowing presence of Wufei and Sally's four year old, younger and female and therefore not encouraged to play with the boys, had alerted anyone in time to save the third.
Heero owned the only pair of dry eyes in the cemetery.
It wasn't that he didn't want to cry. His own grief was just as strong, if not stronger, than anyone else's. He loved his son more than he'd ever love anything or anyone in his life. If he could have traded places, died in the boy's stead, he would have with no hesitation and no regrets.
"Heero?"
He closed his eyes against the sad voice at his side. He couldn't turn and face her, couldn't turn and see the same accusations and disgust in the eyes of the woman he loved, the mother of his now dead child.
But as she had since their first meeting, Relena refused to be ignored. Soft, kind hands turned his face towards her and he closed his eyes, still not ready to see.
"Heero, look at me. Please." Despite the faint hoarseness her own sobs had left behind, her tone was as gentle as ever. Besides, he'd never been able to deny her anything. When his eyes finally met hers, he was both suprised and gratified to see understanding and sympathy. "It's okay, Heero. It'll be okay."
He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned his face against her neck, resting his head on her shoulder.
"It's okay, Heero. I'll cry for you."
And though his own eyes remained dry, as wet droplets slid down her face and across his own cheeks, he felt the weight lift and the healing process begin.