Sorry about the extremely long delay, guys. I was depressed for various reasons and didn't really feel like doing any fan-fiction. But I've brought you another chapter at last! Enjoy!
I do not own Gundam Wing.
Fire and Ice
---Chapter Four: All That I'm Living For---
"You're sure you want to go through with this, Quat? It just doesn't seem like you."
Quatre smiles at his partner, his white wings folded back neatly. "I'm sure, Duo. The Archangels think it best if the Winner and Peacecraft families are united. Since I'm the only remaining male Winner, it's only natural that Relena and I be paired together."
Duo stretches his arms and equally white wings out in one graceful motion. "If you say so, buddy. I wouldn't use the word 'natural' when talking about Relena, but that's just me." He pauses. "I'm gonna miss you."
Quatre turns sharply. "What do you mean by that? This alliance with the Peacecrafts won't change anything, Duo. You and I will still be partners and go on missions together."
Duo smirks. "You're just being naïve if you think the Archangels will allow that. Relena will be your new partner, and you'll forget all about little old me." His expression darkens. "It's probably better that way," he says softly.
Quatre wants to ask why, but instead he looks at the clock. "It's time," he tells Duo. "Time for our lives to change forever."
Duo looks away. "Yeah…"
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Quatre tossed and turned in his bed on Earth, his face scrunched up in response to the memories that always turned to nightmares. Lost in his dreams, Quatre was unaware of the person watching over him in his sleep.
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"Duo!" Quatre cries in relief. He runs toward his friend. "I can't find Relena, and I was worried that something had happened to you too."
Duo doesn't look at Quatre. "Something has happened," he says quietly.
Quatre pauses and frowns in confusion. "What do you mean?"
As an answer Duo unfurls his wings. They are no longer white like Quatre's, but solid black.
Quatre stares in horror. "Duo… why?"
"I wish I could explain, my friend. But now it's too late." A scythe appears in his hand. "Relena is dead, Quatre. There will be no alliance between the Winner and Peacecraft families, at least not through the sort of union the Archangels meant to force you into."
Quatre takes a deep breath, trying to comprehend what Duo is telling him. "Did you kill her, Duo? Was that the price you paid for those wings?"
Duo turns at last, but Quatre is too furious to notice that the blue-violet eyes are sad. "I didn't mean to kill her. She wasn't supposed to be my payment, but she was accepted as such. I have to leave, Quatre. I can't stay in Heaven after this."
"Go, then! I never want to see you again, Duo Maxwell!" Quatre screams.
Duo slashes at him with the scythe, striking the blond angel across the chest but only to make a deep scratch. "You will," he whispers as he flies away.
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Duo sat up in his bed, panting. Next to him Heero grunted and rolled over; since Duo only had the one bed in his apartment and Heero hadn't slept in a real one in at least a decade, they were sharing. Duo ignored his new bed-mate. He hadn't thought of that day in centuries. Why now? Why was he remembering his betrayal now? The dream could only mean one thing: Quatre must be somewhere in the city. And whatever punishment the Archangels had issued (and they always gave one), it was unlikely that the blond had forgiven his former partner.
"Of all the rotten luck," Duo muttered.
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Quatre awoke to green eyes watching him from the remaining shadowy corner of his bedroom. He blinked in the morning sun coming in strong through his un-shaded window. "How did you get in here?"
"I picked the lock," Trowa replied calmly.
Quatre shook his head. "I meant to ask why you're here."
Trowa shrugged. "You called to me."
Quatre chose not to dispute this point. He threw back his covers and turned to put his feet on the floor. His hand went to his head, an automatic gesture whenever he had a headache. Trowa was next to the bed in an instant, holding out a bottle of aspirin. Quatre looked at him. "Well aren't you prepared," he said in an uncharacteristically sarcastic manner. Even the slightest of headaches always made him cranky, and combining one with a bad dream was just asking for it. "Thank you, but I can't use that stuff. It does funny things to me."
Trowa put the bottle away and retreated back to the armchair in the corner, where he'd spent most of the night.
Quatre closed his eyes and willed the headache to go away.
"Is it because you're an angel?" Trowa asked suddenly.
Quatre fell off the bed. Trowa didn't move to help him this time, and the blond squinted at the vampire with one eye, rubbing his head. The headache was worse now. "What?"
"I've been thinking about it for the past few days. You aren't human, and you aren't a vampire, so you must be an angel."
"That's one of the stupidest pick-up lines ever," Quatre grumbled, rearranging himself into a cross-legged position on the floor.
"It wasn't a pick-up line," Trowa mildly protested. "It explains the white light when I tried to take your blood, and you look like an angel." He paused. "You're right; it does sound like a pick-up line."
Quatre sighed. "I'm supposed to be finding someone, Trowa. Not getting involved with vampires."
"You never answered my question, though."
Quatre stood up. "Yes, then. I am an angel, but… well, I'm not exactly the best example of what an angel is supposed to be."
Trowa was at his side again, using the speed that only vampires possessed. "You're a fallen angel, then." It wasn't a question, but a statement.
The blond was distracted by how close the vampire stood to him. It was strange, looking up into those green eyes. "Something like that," he whispered.
"How sad." Trowa walked away, headed for the bedroom door.
Quatre blinked in surprise. "W-where're you going?" he sputtered.
Trowa turned around. "To your kitchen," he responded. "I was going to make you breakfast."
Quatre blinked, completely nonplussed. "Oh. Okay."
Trowa turned out to be an excellent cook. Since he didn't bother Quatre while the angel was doing research, Trowa also ended up spending the entire day in Quatre's apartment. When Trowa had to leave to go to work at the bar in which they'd met, Quatre went with him.
Trowa spent the night in the recliner in the corner of Quatre's bedroom. Since Quatre didn't have any nightmares that night for the first time in months, he didn't complain.
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Wufei Chang shelved the last book on the cart. He liked this time of day, just before closing, when he had the entire library to himself. He hated the early afternoons, with the excessive number of children and their parents incapable of restraining the brats. Of course, most of the children were afraid of Wufei, with his shoulder-length black hair, glasses, and stern look.
He kind of liked that they were scared of him.
He still did everything in his power to avoid getting the afternoon shift. Let the perky schoolgirls and the old bats have it. He was more of a nocturnal creature lately anyway.
He began to wheel the cart back to the circulation desk, noticing a frequent patron he knew by sight but not by name (partly because he didn't need to know his name, mostly because he didn't care) standing there. For once this particular patron, a cheerful-looking young man in his late teens with his long brown hair worn in a braid, was not alone. He was accompanied by a boy who looked to be the same age, with short shaggy hair hanging in his eyes. The two watched as Wufei pushed the cart into the circulation room behind the desk before taking the patron's book-of-choice and library card.
As the librarian scanned both card and book and handed them back to Duo, Heero studied his name tag. Wufei scowled at him. Duo grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. He doesn't get out much."
Heero raised an eyebrow at his new friend, since he'd lived the past several years on the streets and felt that qualified as "getting out", but the Shinigami just nudged the vampire toward the door. "We'll be going now!"
Wufei shook his head as the two left. Other people's oddities were really none of his concern.
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Quatre poked at the dinner Trowa had made for him with his fork, his eyebrows furrowed together in a small frown.
Trowa watched him. "Do you not like it?"
The blond shook his head. "It tastes fine. Trowa…"
"Yes, Quatre?"
Quatre sighed. "You've been here for almost a week now. You've never asked why I'm here instead of in Heaven, and you don't even seem to be bothered by the fact that I'm an angel. Why is that?"
Trowa considered the question for a moment before answering. "I suppose it doesn't bother me because I was never taught to believe in things like God and angels. To know that they are real is… 'comforting' is probably the closest word, but I'm not sure that's right. It's nice to have something to believe in. As for your reasons for being on earth, beyond that you're 'looking for someone'… I figured you'd tell me when you were ready to."
Quatre sighed. "How can you be so trusting? I used to be that way, but it was so long ago… I've forgotten how." He took a deep breath. "I used to be in Heaven with all the other angels. At a young age each angel is assigned a partner, to be their companion on missions and their friend for life. Mine… mine wasn't a Heaven-born angel, like me, but a human-born one named Duo Maxwell."
Trowa, to his credit, gave no sign that he recognized the name.
Quatre continued. "To make a long and painful story short, Duo killed another angel and became a demon. He left Heaven immediately after the murder, leaving me to take the punishment. Because my partner was gone, I became responsible for his actions. My wings were cut off and I was banished to Earth. Five hundred years later, an angel showed up here, offering me the chance to earn back my wings. Wufei Chang has the Key to the Gates of Hell sealed in his soul. If I can find him and take him to Heaven before the Enemy takes him to Hell, I'll get my honor and my wings back." He stared down at his plate. That was the first time he'd told anyone any of that, and it was a bittersweet feeling to get it off his chest.
Trowa stood up and moved to Quatre's side of the table. The blond started to say something, but instead the vampire lifted the angel's chin and kissed him gently. "Five hundred years is a very long time to suffer alone," Trowa said softly.
Quatre felt stupid, getting lost in Trowa's eyes. He didn't say anything.
"Will you let me help you?" Trowa asked.
Quatre nodded, his feeling of foolishness increasing as tears welled up in his eyes. Trowa rested his forehead against the blond's.
Quatre's meal was forgotten and remained untouched.
---End Chapter Four---
I'm not making any promises on when the next one will come out, but I would like to see some more reviews than I saw for the last two chapters. I'm not going to keep the chapter to myself until I get a certain number of reviews or anything, I'd just like some more feedback. Thanks for reading!