Hey kiddo's! I have returned! MUAHAHAHA! Ahem. Excuse me. I got on a power-hungry rampage for a moment. Anyway, here is chapter nine, which revolves on Christmas Eve. I am going to post this for this chappy and the rest to follow... OOCness should be expected. After all, the guys are getting into relationships. So, if anyone doesn't want that... TO BAD! That is whats going down. If you don't like it, don't read it. Simple as that! Thank you to everyone who reviewed on The War of Hearts and listened (really, I guess it would be read... XD) to my current rant on that imbecile Usagi... grrr... I needed to vent and I am glad you gave me feedback! . OMG! Also, I am currently excited to announce that I have reached my highest review count of 28 on The War of Hearts! Yay me!
Thank you's are in order!
Chrissy: Thank you so much for reviewing! They mean the world! It makes me excited to hear that you were checking for it... I might just make a sequel... I have it all planned out!
Lina Hino: Another person for the sequel... I guess I have no choice! Thank you so much for reviewing!
Gotunks: I thought of a present to Heero that I think you will like... I tried! I am trying to come up with something original! Thank you for reviewing! Update my Kryptonite! AHHH!
Rena H.M.: I hope this chappy does not disappoint you! Thanks for the review!
Saturn Tenshi: I am eager to edit your story! Send me the next chapter NOW! lol, just playing. You can't rush it! Thank you for your kind review, it made me smile!
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!
Chapter Nine: Christmas Eve
Hotaru awoke from her sleep, rubbing her eyes gently and lifting her arms for a stretch. The sun peeked through her curtains, leaving a slight opening for light to escape through, which made her curious to see the new day.
She scooted to the edge of her bed and swung her feet over the edge to rest her feet on the soft carpet below. Tomorrow is Christmas… Hotaru thought to herself as she drew back the curtains. Wow… Hotaru mouthed this as she exclaimed it in her mind, setting her sights on the beautiful sight before her. Snow coated the ground and flakes continued to fall from the sky, creating a sea of white.
"Oh, my goodness! Minako- chan!" Hotaru squealed as she ran out of her room and down the hallway. "It's snowing!"
Hotaru burst through Minako's bedroom door, only to leap onto her bed and pummel the blonde in her sleep. "Wake up!"
"Huh?" Minako croaked out, cracking open her eyes to see her surprise visitor. "Hota-chan, what are you doing?"
"It's snowing! Come look at it!" Hotaru jumped off Minako and ran to the window. She smiled and pulled back the orange curtains. "See!"
"Oh, my God! The light hurts!" Minako cried and buried her head back into her pillow.
Maybe someone else will appreciate the snow…
Rei hummed to herself as she sat on the back porch of Quatre's home. She was bundled up in a blue, fleece blanket and had a cup of coffee on the table beside her chair. The quite girl continued to hum until an idea for song lyrics hit her.
When I see you smile
Tears run down my face
I can't replace
"Hmm…" She wrote the idea down in her notebook and took in a deep breath. It's so relaxing out here, especially with the snow…
"Aren't you freezing?"
Rei turned around to see Heero standing outside the doorway, wearing a jacket and carrying a coffee mug. His nose was beginning to turn slightly red, but nevertheless, acted like it was a hundred degrees.
"Nah. It's no big deal." Rei closed her notebook and picked up her coffee cup. "It's relaxing out here. Nice and quiet, easy to think…"
Heero grabbed a chair and drug it beside Rei, sitting down and resting his beverage on his knee. "I suppose you're right. After my body goes numb, I should be able to relax."
Rei laughed and sat down her coffee. "Are you excited? Tomorrow is Christmas!"
He took a sip of coffee and turned to Rei's gaze. "It will surely be different than the Christmas' in the past."
Her head tilted to the side and she looked at him with confusion written all over her expression. "Why is that? Is it because we are here?"
"To an extent. Before you girl's came along, we never really celebrated the holiday. All we did was exchange a brief hello and 'merry Christmas'."
Rei looked at him in disbelief. "Wow. Back at home, we had a full blown celebration."
"It looks like we will this year, too."
"Yeah, I hope so. Minako would always go insane. Makoto would bring tons of food. Hotaru and Rini would play in the snow. Ami would act a little outgoing for once, and Usagi usually hovered over the presents."
"Well, what do you do?"
This question surprised Rei, for she didn't really expect him to care about it. But, she was glad he took the time to ask. "I just did a little bit of everything, nothing to important."
Heero ran his fingers through his hair, which now contained many specks of snow on its surface. "I bet you had a very important place. You do here."
Rei was caught off guard and wasn't quiet sure how to respond, but Heero got up from his seat and dusted his head, making it easy for Rei to not reply. "Come inside pretty soon. I don't want you to get sick, alright?"
With that, Heero turned and left, leaving Rei alone to sort out her thoughts.
Minako watched from her bedroom window, her eyes peering through her curtains. Hmm… Heero and Rei sharing a warm moment? Interesting… She dropped the curtain and stepped away from the window. I hope they get together, they both need someone and they seem so perfect together.
A sudden knock at Minako's door made her jump, sending her a foot off the ground. "AHH!"
"Sorry, Minako…" The young blonde turned around to see the Trowa rushing to her side. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to scare you."
Minako put her hands on her knees and took a few deep breaths, laughing a little to show him she was ok. "Yeah! It just made me jump a little…"
Trowa smiled a little and grabbed her hand lightly; bring a slight blush to her cheeks. "Come take a walk with me."
"Quatre!" Duo screamed as he pulled in a giant box through the front door. "I need help!"
Moments afterwards, Quatre came rushing through the living area and to the front door, his face turning red with worry. "What's wrong?"
Duo looked at his large package and back to the Arabian boy, a wide smile adorning his face. "Nothing, I just need you to help me with this."
Quatre looked at box and back at Duo, raising one of his eyebrows in question. "What exactly is that and why did I run down here in worry to help you with it?"
Duo gave Quatre an exasperated look, rolling his eyes and continuing to heave the box through the door. "I bought a Christmas tree, duh. We need something to put the presents under."
"We are doing presents this year?"
Duo dropped the box and hit his forehead. "Yeah! What did you think we were doing?"
"Nothing, as usual." Quatre walked over to the box. "Well, I guess it worked out that I already got Hotaru something."
"Thank God." Duo lifted one side of the box as Quatre grabbed the other side. "I thought you would of forgotten or something stupid like that."
"No, Duo, I'm not you."
Heero walked into his room, shaking his head to fling the remainder of the snow out of his hair. His visit with Rei had been short, but something he had wanted for a while. She really is special, no way around it. He sat his half-full coffee mug on his bedside table, the lamp above shining a bleak reflection on its surface. Everyone sees me as an unemotional person, but really, I'm not. That is just how my past has made me seem.
I know I seem really cold more often than not, but deep down, I really am a nice guy. Sure, I occasionally bring out a gun on Duo, or fact of the matter, anyone who bothers me. But, all together, I don't think I'm too shallow. His cell phone ringing madly on his desk interrupted his thoughts. He glanced at the caller-ID, his face falling when he saw the name. Ugh. Relena. Someone I don't mind being rude to.
"Hello?" He said half-heartedly.
"Heero, is that you?" She blurted, making a complete and utter fool of herself.
"The one and only."
"How are you?"
"I was doing just fine." He put emphasis on the word was.
"Oh, well I have something very important to tell you." She informed him, the perkiness in her voice never slowing down. "I think you will be excited to go on another mission."
When those words left her mouth, Heero felt as if a boulder and been catapulted through his chest. A mission? "Excuse me?"
"The Preventors need the pilots' help more than ever. There is a new enemy, Legions Alliance, I believe they call themselves. Anyway, they sent us a demand for a ransom of five-million dollars or they said they would destroy the Earth."
The line was left silent as Heero stared at the ground.
"Heero? You there? Usually, you already say you have accepted the mission by now."
"Give them the money."
"WHAT!?"
"I said, give them the money." Heero sat on his bed and sighed. "It's not like you don't have enough."
"Heero Yuy! You, as one of the Gundam Pilots, are still under contract with the Preventors, so you have no choice but to go on this mission! Why do you not want to go on this one? Why is it so different now?" Relena's voice sounded like she was going into catatonic shock.
Heero rubbed his head and huffed. "I have some new things in my life and I'm not sure I want to give it up."
On the other end of the phone, Relena was red-faced and stomping on the ground. "What are you talking about? That is nonsense! Each of you will be leaving on the fifth of January. By that time, the Gundam's will be in full operation and Headquarters will be situated."
With that, Relena hung up the phone, leaving a small click to be heard on Heero's end. In frustration, he threw the phone against the wall, leaving a small crack. Oops, I guess I will have to pay Quatre for that…
Ami and Makoto were in the kitchen, Ami reading a book on the kitchen counter and the brunette slaving over the stove. Currently, Makoto was concocting her multitude of Christmas desserts, the aroma of chocolate filling the air.
"Ami-chan, what color icing should I put on this? Red or Green?" The chief asked, eyeing her cake in thought.
Ami tilted her book down so she could glance at the cake, almost immediately coming to a conclusion. "Green."
Makoto then picked up the icing tube and filled it with the green sugar, sticking an icing design on the end. "I really hope Wufei likes this…" She mumbled quietly, only to be heard by the navy-haired soldier.
"What did you say?"
"Um, nothing!" Makoto blushed and rubbed the back of her head, accidentally squirting the green icing in her long locks. "Damn it!"
Duo hummed a Christmas tune as he wrapped the garland around the tree, the gold sparkling in the lamp light. I am so excited…
"Duo?"
The braided pilot turned to see Heero standing in the doorway, wearing his usual tank top and cargo pants. "What's up? Look at this!" He exclaimed, gesturing towards the tree.
"It's nice. Where did you get the money for that thing?"
"Uh, I borrowed it." Duo smiled mischievously and continued to decorate the tree. "This will be our first "real" Christmas! I have never had any of this before."
Heero winced, knowing that Duo wouldn't like the idea of a mission either. "Yeah, none of us have."
There was a silence shared between them, only the clanking of the Christmas ornaments as Duo hung them could be heard. "It's weird how they all changed us. I mean, look at it all. Wufei is acting being somewhat helpful, Trowa is being a little more open, you aren't pulling a gun on me every five minutes, and I am not being such an idiot! Quatre is pretty much the same, but he seems happier."
All Heero could find himself to do was nod, but inside he agreed with everything Duo just said.
"I hope that everything stays as great as this."
"That is actually why I am here." Heero paused as he received a look from Duo. "Relena just called me. There is another mission, and this one sounds big."
Well, that was it! By the way, I do not own the lyrics to the song, My Guardian Angel, which I used on Rei's part of the story. But, tune in next time for Christmas day!
Till we meet again,
Xx Lady Xiao xX