ATE: Surprisingly this chap took the whole day to write and I've finally got it finished and posting it up at 12:31am right now. Not to mention it took awhile on planing how this would write out. I want to thank Marimelb for their review AND for being the first to review this story all together. If you're reading this Marimelb, I hope you enjoy this chap, along with anyone else who's reading this story.
Declaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, the OST (soundtrack), the song 'Good Luck & Goodbye', Daily Grind, the song 'Bannana Phone'. I only own Rhea.
Chapter 2
You know those days when you're forced awake by your alarm clock blaring at 6:30 in the morning for school and you feel like not going to school so you can sleep in? But when it comes to being off of school on a holiday like Christmas break and when you try to sleep in you end up waking up at 6:30 or an hour or two later not feeling the least bit tired? That's how it felt for me right now as I found myself waking up at 8:30 in the morning. As much as I wanted to sleep in my mind wouldn't let me. It was as if it was yelling at me like a drill sergeant while saying "Get up, maggot!" Grudgingly, I got myself out of bed, picking up some clean clothes and undergarments before going into my bathroom to take a quick shower.
While I was washing my hair with lavender scented shampoo I couldn't help but think about yesterday and wondered if it had really happened. It seemed liked it was a dream, but maybe that was because I was starting to wake up. It's always like that when I'm half asleep. It was like the time when I woke up in the middle of the night and in my half asleep state I had thought my ceiling fan had been a giant spider and I had said "Oh…my…god…!" before screaming. Mom ran into my room when she heard me and had asked me what was wrong, but all I did was point to my ceiling fan saying that it was a giant spider. I remember coming down to the kitchen the next morning for breakfast and asked Mom if I had said my ceiling fan was a giant spider (since I wasn't sure if it had been a dream or if it really happened), which she confirmed to me. I find myself laughing at myself sometimes when I think back on it. Story aside and all, I still wondered about Duo.
After I was done with my shower I dried off before getting my clean clothes on. The clothes I wore consisted of a pair of blue jeans, a light blue tank top, and a white long sleeve jacket that looked like a button up dress shirt that came down to the middle of my thighs and only button up the fourth button down from the collar button.
Then there came the next part, brushing my hair (which I knew would be tangled from sleeping and being wet). That's why I always brushed my hair before getting in the shower but I blame being somewhat half asleep for forgetting to do so before getting in the shower. After a few minutes of brushing my hair it was free of tangles and once I was done I did the rest of the morning stuff before leaving my bathroom and room. Now, I bet you noticed that I didn't dry my hair at all and you're wondering if I forgot to do it? I didn't forget. Thing is that I like to let my hair air dry by itself. I really didn't care if I got a cold because of not drying my hair. I came into the kitchen where Mom was and she smiled when she saw me.
"Good morning, Rhea. Did you sleep well?" She asked.
"I did. I tried to sleep in, but my mind had other plans for me today." I told her.
She laughed at what I said.
"I planning on going out today. Is there anything you'd want me to get while I'm gone?" I asked, sitting myself down at the table.
"There's only one thing I can think of and that would been some more coffee beans. Would you mind stopping by Daily Grind to buy some?" Mom came over and sent our plates down so we could both eat breakfast.
"I wouldn't mind. Is there a specific flavor you want?" I took a bit of the eggs on my plate.
"How about you surprise me. I'll give you some money to pay for it and if you want to get something to drink while you're there."
"Okay. I'll be taking my cell phone with me if you need me."
Once plans were set and breakfast was eaten I grabbed my cell phone, iPod, wallet, and the money Mom gave me before leaving the house. I stood outside the door so I could place the ear buds of my iPod in my ears before turning it on. I selected the song 'Good Luck & Goodbye' from the 'Gundam W Operation 2' soundtrack and listened to it as I walked away from my home.
EVERYBODY, NICE! EVERYBODY, NICE!
Ashita no kagayaki wo shinjite 'ru
EVERYBODY, CHANCE! EVERYBODY, CHANCE!
Kono te ni tsukamaeyou CARRY ON!
I liked this song and it was one of my favorites from the Gundam Wing soundtracks.
Kata wo butsuke surechigau
Ni-do to aenai ore-tachi
Jibun katte na yarikata de
Asu wo sagasou
Itsu ka aeru sa
Omae ga sagashite iru yume ni
Kaze ni sakaratte toozakaru sono senaka ni
GOOD LUCK & GOOD BYE
EVERYBODY, NICE! EVERYBODY, NICE!
Deai to wakare dake kurikaesu
EVERYBODY, CHANCE! EVERYBODY, CHANCE!
Kotae wo mitsukeru made CARRY ON!
I was now walking into town and making my way through the crowd of people as they went on went through their busy lives, be it going from place to place or their jobs. Despite listening to my iPod I could still hear the sounds of the cars driving and people talking, along with any other sounds you would hear in a busy town.
Kizutsuku nante yowa-sugiru
Kitsuku kuchibiru kamishime
Aitsu wa tooku mitsumete 'ta
Kokoro wa misenai
Jibun shidai de yume ga
kanau koto wo shitte 'ru
Dakara kono mune ni yomigaeru ano egao ni
GOOD LUCK & GOOD BYE
EVERYBODY, NICE! EVERYBODY, NICE!
Ashita no kagayaki wo shinjite 'ru
EVERYBODY, CHANCE! EVERYBODY, CHANCE!
Kono te mi tsukamaeyou CARRY ON!
EVERYBODY, NICE! EVERYBODY, NICE!
Deai to wakare dake kurikaesu
EVERYBODY, CHANCE! EVERYBODY, CHANCE!
Kotae wo mitsukeru made CARRY ON!
EVERYBODY, NICE! EVERYBODY, NICE!
EVERYBODY, CHANCE! EVERYBODY, CHANCE!
EVERYBODY, NICE! EVERYBODY, NICE!
EVERYBODY, CHANCE! EVERYBODY, CHANCE!
Right after the song ended I felt someone tapping me on my left shoulder and on instinct I turned around, only to have my eyes widened when I saw who it was!
"D-Duo?" I asked, completely surprised at seeing him.
"In the flesh!" He replied, wearing the friendly grin that I've seen him expression so many times yesterday. "Surprised to see me?"
"I-I wasn't sure if I would see you again, let alone this soon." Truthfully, I was so happy that I was able to see him again. I had been worried that I wouldn't be able to.
"Now you know. So where are you going, Rhea?"
"I was on my way to Daily Grind to buy some coffee beans for Mom and possibly get something there as well." I told him. "Would you like to come?"
I watched as his grin got wider.
"I was just about to ask you that. Great minds think alike!" He said, looking excited.
"I'll take that as a 'yes', then." I smiled.
I placed my iPod in my pocket before we started walking to Daily Grind. While we walked I glanced at Duo from the corner of my eye and noticed the outfit he was wearing, which was different then the one he wore yesterday. He wore a red wife beater tank top that was somewhat loose at the bottom with a black long sleeved leather jacket worn over it and opened, along with black leather pants and shoes. Despite being in a different outfit he still appeared to be cosplaying since his hair (or was it a wig) was still in the three foot long braid.
"What are you looking at?"
I saw Duo looking at me with a grin and I felt myself blush when I realized that he must've noticed me looking at him. He didn't appear to be annoyed that I had been staring at him, but instead seemed amused about it.
"You're outfit's different." I said quietly, but I knew he heard me since his grin got bigger.
"Of course it is. You didn't think I would wear the same thing as I did yesterday, did you?" He asked.
"No."
"It's okay. Glad you noticed, though."
"Why?" I was confused.
"Well, I gotta impress the ladies, or in this case the fair maiden."
My face heated up again and I must've looked like a tomato from blushing so much right now. That's the third time he called me that.
"Why do you keep calling me that?" I asked.
"Calling you what?" He asked, trying to sound innocent.
"Calling me 'fair maiden'."
"Oh, that! Because you are." He then looked slightly confused. "You don't like me calling you that?"
"No, that's not it." I shook my head, feeling my face heat up slightly. "It's just that no one's ever called me that before."
"So I'm the first, huh?"
"Well, yeah…"
"Aren't I the lucky one here! I have officially made an impact on your life!"
I couldn't help but laugh at what he said. Maybe Duo was right. He did impact my life and I've only just met him yesterday. It really did feel like we've known each other longer than just one day. Did I really trust him that much already?
"You're still cosplaying as Duo Maxwell from Gundam Wing?" I asked.
"Apparently!" He replied.
"Is that hair of yours even real?"
"Yep! It's 100% genuine! Feel it if you don't believe me."
We both stopped walking and I looked at his face to see if he was joking, but all I saw was a serious expression and a small smile that only seemed encouraged me to feel his hair. I was reluctant at first but then I reached my hand out to touch his braided brown hair and I surprised at how soft it felt. I felt my way up the braid until my hand was on the back of his head and I saw what appeared to be a relaxed smile on Duo's face as I felt the hair on his head, his eyes closed.
"It is real!"
"Told ya."
"I can't believe this is really your hair. How is it that you got it this long?"
"Simple. Don't cut your hair once you're born."
After that discussion we continued on our way. We soon arrived at Daily Grind and upon entering I went over to the area that had all the bags of coffee beans that you could buy with Duo following me. I glanced at the labels on each of the bags and occasionally smelling them through the hole that allow people to do so. I always liked smelling the different flavors of coffee here, but I didn't like to drink it.
"So did you're mom ask you what flavor she wanted?" Duo asked.
"No. She told me to surprise her." I smiled. "Mom's just fun like that."
"What's she like?"
"Well, she very nice and understanding. She's not like the other moms that my friends have. She's acts more like an older sister and friend than a mom."
"Hmm… Sounds kinda like a friend of mine." He mused.
"Really?" I looked at him.
"Yeah. He's nice and understanding as well. He rarely gets angry, but when he does you might as well find someplace to hide."
"That bad, huh?"
"Okay, I may have exaggerated a bit there, but it does give quite a scare when he is."
I laughed. I like the fact that he had a good sense of humor. My laughter stopped when Duo held a bag of coffee beans out to me, causing me to feel confuse.
"Try this one." He told me with a smile.
I took the bag from his hand and glanced at the label that read 'Cinnamon-Hazelnut' on it. I took a sniff and found myself liking the scent.
"This smells nice. I think Mom would like this one." I was surprised when I found myself wrapping my arms around him in a hug and I must've taken him by surprise as well. "Thank you!"
"No problem!" He chuckled before suddenly wrapping his arms around me, causing me to blush, but it got deeper from what he said next (which he said quietly). "Anything for the fair maiden."
I still couldn't help wondering why he kept calling me that. Even though he told me why it was still a vague answer. Realizing that I was still hugging him I pulled away from him, turning my face away as my face seemed to get warmer and warmer by the second. But then I found myself liking that he held me. And he did it willingly!
'What's wrong with me?' I thought. 'I only just met him yesterday and I'm already attached to him?'
"I gonna go buy this bag of coffee beans and something to drink." I told him.
I went over to the counter and placed the bag on the counter before ordering a small cup of hot chocolate. After being told the price I started to get my wallet out so I could pay for the coffee beans and drink I was buying but I was stopped.
"Is it late to add a small cup of coffee to that order?" I heard Duo ask.
"No it isn't, sir." The woman at the counter said.
I turned to look at Duo, confused at what he was trying to do.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Buying a cup of coffee. What else?" He turning back to the woman at the counter. "How much will that be?"
"That'll be $28.50, sir." She said.
"Okay." Duo started to pull out his wallet and my eyes widened when I realized what he was doing.
"You're going to pay for all of it?"
"Sure am! Is there a problem with that?" He asked me.
"Y-you don't have to pay for me!" I said, feeling bad about having him do something like this for me. Almost guilty…
I was taken by surprised when he gave me a very kind smile, which made me feel speechless.
"It's not a problem for me so I don't mind."
I was still speechless even after he paid for everything and I was unaware of the fact that he had lead me over to one of the couches in my dazed state. It was when I felt the warm cup of hot chocolate in my hands that I was aware of sitting on the comfortable couch with Duo next to me with his coffee in his right hand while his left arm (I realized) was draped over my shoulders, making my face heat up to what felt like 100 degrees to me. With the way my face felt maybe I should wait before I decide to take a sip of my hot chocolate.
I took this time to look around the room at the other people sitting around either drinking their drinks, talking with each other, or both. I noticed a boy wearing tan colored pants sitting not too far away from us on a couch reading a newspaper. I really couldn't tell how old he was, what color his shirt was, or what he looked like, but I did managed to see what looked to be platinum blonde hair. I saw a pair of blue eyes peer over the top of the paper the boy was read, only to widen when he realized I was watching him before quickly hiding his face behind the paper again, leaving me confused. Was that boy shy or…
"Aren't you going to drink your hot chocolate, Rhea?"
I realized Duo was talking to me and turned to look at his smiling face, only to look at the cup I held in my hands as I blushed.
"I-I am! I was…just waiting for it to cool down a bit, that's all." I replied.
"I don't think you'll have to worry about it being hot." He chuckled. "I bet it's cold by now."
I took a small sip of my hot chocolate and noticed that it wasn't hot or cold, but warm.
"It's not cold!"
I dared myself to look at Duo's face. I saw him grin before bring his face closer to mine and causing me to blush for what seemed to be the hundredth time today. Not to mention that I just remember that his arm was still around my shoulders.
"Are you sure about that or is your mind playing tricks on you, fair maiden?" He asked quietly.
I found myself staring into Duo's cobalt blue eyes and felt as if I was being hypnotized by them. I tried to look away but I found that I couldn't even do that simple action. I got lost in those eyes that I found to be beautiful and I momentarily forgot where I was, even who I was at the time. My mind seemed to go blank and the only thing I could think of were the beautiful cobalt blue eyes that I was staring at. What was…?
I suddenly felt something warm on my lips and my eyes widened when I realized what was happening! He was…kissing me…! Again! But on the lip this time! My body was tense but now it was suddenly starting to relax and I found myself closing my eyes. After a few seconds we pulled away and that was when I came back to my senses, blushing madly before looking away from Duo to hide how red my face looked right. And I realized in shock that he had stolen my first kiss and I knew I could never get it back. I couldn't believe this happened! But strangely enough, I liked it.
"Rhea? Are you okay?" I heard him ask. I didn't know what to say. When I didn't answer I heard him groan in what sounded like disappointment. "Don't tell me I did that too soon! I definitely screwed this up…"
I turned to look at him, feeling somewhat sorry for him. This wasn't his first time he's done this, was it?
"Haven't you ever dated someone before?" I asked, having finally found my voice again.
"Nope. Never had the time to do it since me and my friends have always been busy with our jobs, so to say."
"I haven't either. You know how in baseball the batter has three chances to hit the ball before they're out , right?"
"Yeah. What about it?" Duo looked at me with a questioning look.
"I was thinking that I'll give you those chances, but instead of three you'll get a total of ten chances before you're out." I told him. "Since you didn't know what you were doing a few seconds ago I'm not counting this on against you."
Duo seemed to catch on to what I was saying and looked hopeful.
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" He asked, his voice matching his facial expression.
"If you mean me agreeing to go out with you, then yes." I blushed slightly, but I didn't hide it this time.
I watched as he suddenly grinned before he took one of my hands with both of his and I realized how small mine where compared to his. He placed a quick kiss on the back of my hand as he continued to grin.
"This is great! I'm glad you agree about this. Wait a minute!"
I was confused about why he said that and watched as Duo reached his hand into one of the pockets of his jacket before pulling what looked like a hand made ring made out of silver with an oval shaped black onyx stone about the size of one of a coffee bean (no pun intended since we were in Daily Grind) set on top. By the way it looked it reminded me of tribal ware jewelry.
"I wanna give this to you." He said while placing the ring in my hand. "Think of it as a way of saying that we're officially dating. What do ya think?"
"It's pretty. It didn't cost you a lot of money, did it?"
"If by a lot of money you mean somewhere around $20, then that depends on your definition on that subject." He grinned. "Go on! Try it on!"
I slipped the ring on my right ring finger but it turned out that the ring was too big for it.
"It's a little big." I stated the obvious.
"No problem. Let me see it." I handed the ring back to Duo before he grabbed my right hand with one of his while he used the other to slip the ring on my middle finger, which turned out to be a perfect fit for the piece of jewelry. "There! Perfect fit!"
"Thank you!" I gave him a smile. "I'll always wear it."
"Glad you like it." He stood up from the couch we were sitting on before turning to me. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah. Just let me get everything first."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
After we spent most of the day out Duo walked me back home. We both stood in front of the front door facing each other and I knew it was time for us to part, but this time I knew I would see him again.
"I had a good time with you." I said, giving him a smile. "I hope to see you again tomorrow."
"With the way things were today, you most likely will." Duo said with a grin. "I guarantee you will."
"That's good. Is it possible for me to get your phone number?"
"It sure is! Give me you phone and I'll put it in, while you do the same for mine."
At this we swapped cell phones as we but our numbers into the other person's phone. The funny thing was that Duo finished before me and handed me my cell as soon as I was finished putting my number. I gave him back his phone, feeling a sense of accomplishment when it was in his hands.
"Thanks, Rhea!" He then placed a brief kiss to my lips and looked at me with a soft smile. "Not only are you a fair maiden, but you're my fair maiden."
With that Duo walked away from my house and I watched as he made his way down the sidewalk until I couldn't see him anymore. It almost reminded me of yesterday, but this time it was different. I went inside and had dinner with Mom, who asked me how my day was and I told her about my new boyfriend (minus the unexpected kiss at Daily Grind). She had been surprised at this, but even more surprised at the flavored coffee beans we picked out for her. After dinner I went to my room to get ready for bed, laying in bed as I stared up at the ceil. I touched my lips with the hand that had the ring Duo gave me still on my middle finger as I remembered the kiss. I went to sleep still thinking about it.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Duo continued to walk down the rode, only glancing back to the house Rhea lived in once before his phone went off.
Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring
Banana phone
He looked at the caller ID, grinning slightly before pressing the talk button on his phone and placing it to his ear.
"What up, Heero?" He greeted.
"Did you give it to her?" Heero asked, getting straight to the point.
Duo frowned.
"Yeah, I did." He scratched the back of his head. "But in all seriousness, Heero, are you sure about this?"
"What do you think, Duo?"
"You wanna know what I think?" Duo asked. "Well, I think that this…!" It was then that that he realized what Heero did. "…Aaaannnd he hangs up on me… Figures…"
ATE: That's it for chap 2 of 'Glowing Star'. For anyone who wants a english translation of 'Good Luck & Goodbye', look no further! I have a translation of the lyrics which I found on 'animelyrics dot com'. Here it is:
Everybody, nice! Everybody, nice!
Believe in the shining of tomorrow
Everybody, chance! Everybody, chance!
Grab on to my hand and carry on...
We who just bumped shoulders
And brushed past each other,
Each in our own way -
We'll search for tomorrow
We'll meet again sometime
In the dreams you're searching for
As you face into the wind and I see your back becoming small in the distance...
Good luck and Goodbye
Everybody, nice! Everybody, nice!
Only meeting and parting - again and again...
Everybody, chance! Everybody, chance!
Until you find the answers... carry on!
Although not that hard enough to hurt,
He's biting his lips hard...
He's staring off into the distance
And won't show his heart...
I know it's up to me
To fulfill my own dreams...
So, to that smile of yours that lives again in my heart...
Good luck and Goodbye
Everybody, nice! Everybody, nice!
Believe in the shining of tomorrow
Everybody, chance! Everybody, chance!
Grab on to my hand and carry on...
Everybody, nice! Everybody, nice!
Only meeting and parting - again and again...
Everybody, chance! Everybody, chance!
Until you find the answers... carry on...
Everybody, nice! Everybody, nice!
Everybody, chance! Everybody, chance!
Everybody, nice! Everybody, nice!
Everybody, chance! Everybody, chance!
And if anyone is wondering what the outfit Duo is wearing looks like, here a link to a picture with him wearing the outfit, along with the other G-boys (without the spaces):
(http : / media . photo bucket . com / image / duo % 20 maxwell / Stellar1818/ Duo %20 Maxwell /39 . jpg ? o =32)
I hope you all liked chap 2. Please remember to leave a review. And also, if you want to suggest an idea for any upcoming chaps, feel free to share them with me and I'll give you credit. :)