I know updates are getting less and less frequent with me... But in all honesty, I've hit a writing... lull, and I don't want to post and post and post and be left with no backup chapter if I hit a full-on brick wall. Well, we'll see what happens. Anyway, this chapter is SUPER long, one of the longest chapters yet! I think you will like it. At least, I hope you do. Well, read it and judge for yourselves. Enjoy!
BTW, I'm gonna repost this again in case anyone didn't catch it or forgot about it... I have a nice little Yahoo List... If you sign up for it, I'll tell you when I update my fics... Plus pretty soon I'll be adding some tidbits from a couple of new x-overs I'm working on. So please join!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GrapeFics/
Ok, for real now, on with the fic!
Heero sat on Usagi's bed, waiting for her return. For someone who was saying a
quick goodbye, she sure had been gone a long time.
Suddenly tensing, his eyes glanced around the room. The hair on the back of his
neck stood on end, and he got the feeling that he was being watched.
Usagi's purple-black cat came out of the closet. She stared up at Heero, not
moving.
His mind quickly rewound to the conversation he had with Usagi about the cat. His
eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Luna," he spoke slowly.
She just stared up at him, unblinking, unmoving.
"I know you can talk," he continued, waiting for a reaction.
The small cat visibly paled as her stance faltered.
"It's true, Luna. I told him."
Both Heero and Luna turned to Usagi, who had just entered the room. She sat
down in the desk chair. "Please don't be angry with me," she pleaded to her guardian.
At her confession, Luna did indeed become both shocked and angry, but she
pushed those aside at Usagi's expression. "It's all right," she said quietly.
Heero blinked. Even though he expected it, he still was not prepared for the cat to
talk. "So it's true."
"You didn't believe me?" Usagi shot him a dirty look. Then she turned back to
Luna. "Luna, we're going away for a few days."
"I know," Luna interrupted, jumping into Usagi's lap. '" overheard them talking
downstairs. Don't worry about me. I'll go stay with Minako and Artemis."
"Good. She always takes good care of you," she murmured, hugging her feline
friend tightly.
"Usagi-chan, can't... breathe..." Luna mumbled as her face turned red.
"Oops! Gomen ne, Luna," Usagi apologized, releasing her death grip.
Luna stared at the girl for a moment before finally saying, "Take care of yourself, all
right? Be careful."
"I will, Luna, I promise."
"And you." Luna turned to Heero, trying her best to glare at him, with much
success. "You five young men had better protect her."
"With our lives," he answered automatically, and meant it.
She seemed satisfied with that answer. "Good." She faced Usagi once again. "I'll
see you when you get back, then."
Usagi opened the balcony door for her, and Luna made a quick departure. "Ja ne,
Luna!" she called after her feline friend. Closing the door, she resumed her seat at the
desk. "So, are you shocked?" she asked Heero.
"Shocked, no. Surprised, yes. But I can see that she is a fit guardian."
"She is, she really is," Usagi smiled, thinking back to all of the times that Luna had
protected her and helped her along the way.
Heero cleared his throat to gain Usagi's attention after he saw her float away to
some dreamland. As she turned back to him, he said, "Our flight leaves at noon, which
gives you roughly two hours to get packed before we leave."
Usagi nodded, staring at the floor. She looked up at him. "I've never flown before."
On a plane, at least.
"You'll be fine, don't worry," he reassured her, standing up. "Now, you should start
packing." Then he left.
Usagi opened her closet door, staring at the small amount of clothes that occupied
it. Most of her clothes were at her apartment. Sighing, she took her suitcase from
under the bed and set it on top of her desk, popping it open. All of the clothes in the
closet were put into it, as well as all the clothes in the dresser. She still had room to
spare. 'Well, maybe this Relena will like to shop. I could use some new outfits,' she
thought absently, throwing her stuffed bunny on top of her clothes.
"That didn't take long at all," she announced to herself, closing the suitcase with a
snap. Grabbing the handle, she carried it down the stairs, where an argument ensued.
"We shouldn't bring them," Quatre was insisting. "It's a pacifist kingdom."
"It's a safety precaution. You don't know if someone hell-bent on revenge might
catch word that we're in town," Heero argued, arms folded across his chest.
"Still, there have been no signs of disputes, big or small," Quatre continued,
throwing his hands about. "We would only cause potential for a conflict."
"Fine!" Heero growled, exasperated. "We'll only take the bare minimum with us."
"Good." Quatre turned to the stairway, and his face drained of its color. "Usagi!
How long have you been standing there?"
"It's fine, Quatre. She knows," Heero explained almost apologetically to the blonde
man.
"She.. what?" his eyes widened.
"I told her."
"You... what?" He couldn't quite understand what would possess Heero to do a
thing like that. She knew about their past?
Walking over to him, Usagi laid a hand on his arm. "It's true, Quatre. You can
trust me."
Looking into her eyes, he saw that she felt no contempt for their actions. Her
approval and understanding meant the world to him. "Oh, there's no doubt in my mind
that I can trust you." He gave her a tiny smile before going upstairs.
"That went well," Usagi sighed.
"Don't worry about it," Heero told her. "Are you finished packing?"
She gestured to the suitcase she had set down at the bottom of the stairs. "All
packed and ready to go."
"Good. You still have a good hour and a half before we leave."
Usagi nodded. "Then I think I'll take a walk in the back." When he went to protest,
she held up her hands in front of her. "I promise not to punch any more trees."
"Fine," he consented reluctantly, "but be careful."
She was already out the door. An hour to kill... She could definitely spend an hour
walking the path through the grove of trees.
Veering off to the right, the path winded past a patch of tiny purple flowers that
grew at the base of a pink oleander bush. Usagi stopped to pick one of the oleanders,
then continued on her way.
That's what she loved about walking back here. Last time it had been night, which
was beautiful in the moon's glow, but everything was just as beautiful in the sunlight.
As the path made a left turn, she came to a stop. A large white wooden gazebo
stood beside the path. Vines were entwined in the side lattice and twisted around the
pillars, their soft green color standing brilliantly against the stark white.
Usagi approached the gazebo, slowly climbing the two steps into the large
structure. There were three benches against the sides, leaving an open space in the
middle.
Sitting down on the bench closest to the stairs, Usagi took a deep breath. The air
was crisp, carrying a subtle hint of sunlight and flowers. She loved it.
She was really happy here, living with the guys. The circumstances behind it
weren't very pleasant, and at first the idea seemed ridiculous, but now she realized it
was a good place to be, a nice change.
And then she gasped as her mind flashed with a memory.
Princess Serenity was standing in a gazebo similar to the one Usagi was in.
Serenity's eyes kept glancing about, as if she were looking for someone. Finally her
gaze landed on something, and she smiled.
As the memory faded into blackness, Usagi blinked rapidly. Where did that come
from? Then, like the memory, she heard the faint sound of music being carried by a
breeze. The song was familiar, and Usagi found herself unconsciously humming along.
The song disappeared from the wind, but still Usagi hummed. Standing, she began to
slowly twirl around the gazebo, dancing to the hauntingly beautiful melody she still
hummed.
From his bedroom window, Quatre had seen Usagi walk off, so he decided to follow
her. He really needed to talk to her. The twists and turns of the path did not reveal
Usagi yet. She must have had more of a lead than he realized.
As he took a sharp turn to the right, he thought he heard something. Continuing
down the path, he pinpointed the noise to be a song. Breaking into a jog, Quatre
hurried down the path.
He stopped as he came to the gazebo. There was Usagi, humming to herself and
dancing gracefully about the gazebo. The sunlight danced around her, bathing her in
an ethereal glow.
His breath caught in his throat as he watched the girl that reminded him of an
angel. He slowly made his way over to the gazebo and up the steps, never taking his
eyes off of her.
Spinning around, Usagi's eyes landed on Quatre. She stopped, catching herself as
she stumbled. "Quatre!"
"Sorry, Usagi, I didn't mean to startle you," he apologized quickly.
She smiled warmly at him. "I'm glad you're here. I could use a dance partner."
With quick steps, she had crossed the gazebo and took Quatre's hand in hers. They
glided across the floor in a foreign dance as she began to hum, closing her eyes.
They danced together, the only sound the sweet ballad that ended too soon for
both. Quatre spun Usagi around once more before pulling her tiny body to his.
Opening her eyes, Usagi stared up at Quatre, her hands clutching his shoulders.
Unable to help himself, Quatre lowered his head to hers, their lips meeting. Both
kept their eyes locked as the kiss became more passionate.
So many thoughts were swimming in Quatre's head, jumbled so that he couldn't
make heads or tails of them. But who needed to think when he was kissing the most
beautiful person ever created?
"Usagi? Are you over here?"
The voice startled the two as they broke apart, taking a step back from each other.
They looked up as Trowa approached.
"Quatre, good, you're here also," Trowa addressed them both, taking note of their
flushed faces. "We're getting ready to leave."
The three retraced the path back to the house in silence, each too preoccupied
with their own thoughts to make conversation. They entered the living room, where
everyone was gathered, including the newly arrived Milliardo.
"The car is packed, and we're ready to go," Duo reported, coming over to stand by
Usagi.
They filed outside to a rented Explorer that was twin to the guys'. Milliardo drove,
and Trowa took the passenger seat, as Heero did not care to sit by the older man.
Instead, he occupied the middle seat alongside Usagi, who was sandwiched between
him and Duo. Duo made it his new unofficial duty to stay by her side. Quatre and
Wufei occupied the back seat.
The entire ride consisted of Heero glaring at the back of Milliardo's head, Duo and
Wufei exchanging words that resulted in laughing and threats, and Quatre and Trowa
trying to run interference.
Usagi, however, paid no attention to any of this. She was too preoccupied with her
thoughts, mostly trying to understand the memory she just had. The song was
familiar, yet she couldn't place it. It was different from the one that her locket played.
And dancing with Quatre had been wonderful, but she still felt like it were somehow
wrong in the scenario. The feeling was unsettling, but nothing could be done about it.
She'd have to wait for the memory to eventually play itself out.
They finally arrived at the airport. Unloading the luggage from the back, Duo tried
to get Usagi's suitcase from her, but she insisted on carrying it herself. It also helped
when she slammed it down on his foot. It was a short-lived argument.
Heero directed the group to the right waiting area, then went to get their tickets and
check in their luggage. Usagi was the only one who sat down, choosing a seat by the
window. She watched, wide-eyed, as a plane took off. "We're going to do that?" she
whispered to herself.
"How else are we supposed to get to the Cinq Kingdom?"
Startled, Usagi tore her eyes away from the window and focused on Wufei, who
had taken a seat beside her. "I'm afraid to fly," she admitted.
"A lot of people are. It's only natural. But it's safe."
"Safe?" She got a flashback of Mamoru's starseed being stolen by Galaxia while
he was on a plane to America the first time. That plane had definitely not been safe.
"Mamoru," she whispered.
"What was that?" Wufei looked at her closely.
Shaking her head, she answered, "Promise me?"
"Promise you what?"
"That we'll be safe."
Judging from her expression and her pleading eyes, this must be something that
she desperately needed to hear. "I promise." And he meant it.
"Are you two even listening?" Duo asked as he walked up to them. All he received
were a couple of blank stares. "They just announced our flight. We're boarding the
plane now."
They joined the others, receiving their tickets. As they walked down the ramp to
the plane, Usagi took deep breaths, one after another. She wasn't nervous, no. More
like petrified.
"If you keep breathing like that, you're going to pass out," Trowa said to her in a
low voice.
"What? Oh," Usagi's face reddened in embarrassment. But she gave a tiny smile
when he briefly squeezed her hand.
When Heero had bought the tickets, he was unable to get seats for all seven of
them together. Usagi looked at her ticket. Scanning the numbers above the aisle, she
found her seat, which happened to be by a window. Slowly sitting down, she shoved
an overnight bag under her seat and looked to see where everyone else was sitting.
First down the aisle was Trowa, who took a seat three rows ahead of her. He was
joined by Quatre, then Duo across the aisle.
Heero headed straight down the aisle. When he passed by her seat, he paused
briefly, then continued past her, taking a seat two rows behind and across the aisle
from her. Milliardo was behind him, taking a seat in the back of the cabin.
Then came Wufei, also heading down the aisle. Usagi expected him to keep going
past her, so she was surprised when he sank into the seat beside her. "Looks like it's
you and me," he acknowledged.
"Wufei you have no idea how happy I am that you're sitting by me," she smiled in
gratitude. "If I were sitting by myself, I know I'd freak out. Well, even more than I am
now."
"There's nothing to be scared of."
She nodded vigorously in agreement, trying to make herself believe the words, to
no avail.
As the flight attendant came out to the front of the cabin and began her
instructional spiel on flying safety, Usagi hung onto every word. She didn't want to
miss anything. At the mention of dropping oxygen masks and flotation devices, Usagi
dug her fingernails into an unsuspecting Wufei's arm. "If the plane were to have
trouble?" she practically screeched, eyes wide in fear.
"It's only precautionary instructions. Nothing is going to happen. Remember my
promise?" He gently tried to pry the girl's nails out of his arm.
"I remember." She loosened her grip on his arm, not noticing the four tiny red
welts she left in his skin. And she was relatively calmed. That is, until the captain
announced their flight takeoff. She squeezed her eyes shut as the plane slowly began
to move.
Wufei observed the nerve-wracked girl, shaking his head in mild amusement. He
covered her hand with his, and, through her fear, he caught a hint of a smile in return.
He continued to hold her hand until they had completely taken off and were flying.
"You can open your eyes now," he encouraged her.
Slowly her eyes peeked open. "Still safe," she sighed in relief. Then she
happened to glance out the tiny round window to her left, and she gasped. The land
below was nothing but strips of green and white, blending into the cornflower blue sky
dotted with fluffy white clouds. "Beautiful," she breathed.
"See, what did I tell you. Now, will you be all right while I make a quick trip to the
bathroom?"
Her nod was pensive, but then her head moved almost fervently. "I'll be fine." She
watched him retreat down the aisle. Settling back into her surprisingly comfortable
seat, she closed her eyes once again. She might not have been scared, but that didn't
mean she was quite ready to stare out the window again at the disappearing land
below.
"Having fun?"
Eyes snapping open, Usagi looked over at--"Duo?"
"The one and only!" his grin widened. "Hey, why don't you come sit up here with
us? There's an empty seat next to me."
Usagi hesitated. "Well, I don't want to leave Wufei by himself..."
"Nonsense! He'll be fine by himself. Just look at Heero." He jerked a thumb to
point behind him at Heero, whose eyes were closed, arms folded across his chest.
Returning her gaze to Duo, Usagi said, "Wufei will be coming out of the bathroom
soon."
"Alone?" Duo grinned wickedly. "Looks like he won't be joining the Mile High Club
anytime soon."
"Mile High Club?" she repeated, perplexed. No one had told her anything about
joining a club. Did she just miss something while the flight attendant was speaking?
"What is that?"
Duo leaned over, whispering something in her ear.
"Duo!" she practically shrieked. Glancing ahead, she caught the curious glances
of Quatre and Trowa. She quickly ducked her head to avoid their stares, her face once
again red in embarrassment for the umpteenth time that day. "But, that's so... public!"
she said to Duo, still shocked.
"Which is what makes it so exciting."
She stared at him, unable to hide her disbelief. "So, you've..." she let the thought
trail off, its implication hanging in the air.
His eyes widened. "I wasn't speaking from experience!" he exclaimed defensively,
jerking back in his seat. Lowering his voice, he leaned toward her once again. "I have
thought about it, though," he admitted guiltily. After a moment's hesitation, he asked,
"Would you like to join with me?"
A look of pure surprise crossed her face as she stared at him, openmouthed in
shock. Then she grinned a tiny grin, her eyebrows dipping evilly. "Actually, that
doesn't sound like such a bad idea." She lightly raked one fingernail up his arm. "In
fact," she continued slyly, "it sounds like fun. Why don't you go, and I'll meet you in a
minute?"
"Usagi, I was kidding!" Duo cried, earning them both curious and irritated glances
from some of the other passengers. He lowered his voice. "Usagi, I would never do
that to you."
"Too bad," she sighed, removing her hand from his arm as she leaned back. "It
could have been memorable."
'Wait a minute...' Duo's eyes narrowed as his brain worked overtime. Her own
eyes held amusement and a sense of mocking, as did her tone. "You're playing me!"
he realized in disbelief. "And I totally fell for it! I was the one that was supposed to fool
you!"
Through her laughter, Usagi apologized, "Sorry, Duo, but you make it so easy! I
couldn't resist!"
"I should really know better by now," he grumbled.
"You really should," she agreed. "But, your mockery was good for something.
You helped take my mind off of flying. And for that, Duo Maxwell, I am grateful."
Raising a hand to his chin, she planted a soft kiss on his cheek.
"Am I interrupting?" Wufei asked from behind them.
"Duo was just--"
"Going back to my seat," Duo interrupted as he stood. Winking at Usagi, he said,
"Enjoy the rest of your flight..."
"What was that all about?" Wufei asked as he sat back down.
"Oh, he was just trying to distract me," Usagi answered mysteriously, closing her
eyes. She hadn't realized just how tired she was. The lulling movement of the airplane
did wonders to reinforce that fact. So much had been going on that it must have finally
gotten to her.
Wufei watched as Usagi stifled a yawn behind her hand. Her head dropped
slightly, but she straightened it quickly. "You have time," he told her.
"Time?" she questioned, not bothering to open her eyes.
"To sleep. We have a few hours."
"Good idea," she murmured, curling her feet up underneath her. She leaned her
head against the window. After a few minutes, she mumbled, "Wufei?"
"Yes?"
"This isn't comfortable. I need a pillow."
"Would you like me to get you one?" he offered.
"No, it's all right." Stretching the opposite way, she lay her head against his
shoulder, her bandaged hand on his arm. "Do you mind?" she asked sleepily.
"Not at all."
I am absolutely amazed at how many reviews I have right now! You guys are so completely awesome! I realize that I tell you that a lot, but I figure you deserve it! Besides, you write some great things about my writing, so it's only fair that I write some great things about you too! Anyway, in the next chapter, they're going to meet... Relena! Should be fun. My aim for this chapter is to hit 900 reviews. Please help me with that! I'll love you forever, I really will! Please, please review! It keeps me motivated!
BTW, I'm gonna repost this again in case anyone didn't catch it or forgot about it... I have a nice little Yahoo List... If you sign up for it, I'll tell you when I update my fics... Plus pretty soon I'll be adding some tidbits from a couple of new x-overs I'm working on. So please join!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GrapeFics/
Ok, for real now, on with the fic!
Heero sat on Usagi's bed, waiting for her return. For someone who was saying a
quick goodbye, she sure had been gone a long time.
Suddenly tensing, his eyes glanced around the room. The hair on the back of his
neck stood on end, and he got the feeling that he was being watched.
Usagi's purple-black cat came out of the closet. She stared up at Heero, not
moving.
His mind quickly rewound to the conversation he had with Usagi about the cat. His
eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Luna," he spoke slowly.
She just stared up at him, unblinking, unmoving.
"I know you can talk," he continued, waiting for a reaction.
The small cat visibly paled as her stance faltered.
"It's true, Luna. I told him."
Both Heero and Luna turned to Usagi, who had just entered the room. She sat
down in the desk chair. "Please don't be angry with me," she pleaded to her guardian.
At her confession, Luna did indeed become both shocked and angry, but she
pushed those aside at Usagi's expression. "It's all right," she said quietly.
Heero blinked. Even though he expected it, he still was not prepared for the cat to
talk. "So it's true."
"You didn't believe me?" Usagi shot him a dirty look. Then she turned back to
Luna. "Luna, we're going away for a few days."
"I know," Luna interrupted, jumping into Usagi's lap. '" overheard them talking
downstairs. Don't worry about me. I'll go stay with Minako and Artemis."
"Good. She always takes good care of you," she murmured, hugging her feline
friend tightly.
"Usagi-chan, can't... breathe..." Luna mumbled as her face turned red.
"Oops! Gomen ne, Luna," Usagi apologized, releasing her death grip.
Luna stared at the girl for a moment before finally saying, "Take care of yourself, all
right? Be careful."
"I will, Luna, I promise."
"And you." Luna turned to Heero, trying her best to glare at him, with much
success. "You five young men had better protect her."
"With our lives," he answered automatically, and meant it.
She seemed satisfied with that answer. "Good." She faced Usagi once again. "I'll
see you when you get back, then."
Usagi opened the balcony door for her, and Luna made a quick departure. "Ja ne,
Luna!" she called after her feline friend. Closing the door, she resumed her seat at the
desk. "So, are you shocked?" she asked Heero.
"Shocked, no. Surprised, yes. But I can see that she is a fit guardian."
"She is, she really is," Usagi smiled, thinking back to all of the times that Luna had
protected her and helped her along the way.
Heero cleared his throat to gain Usagi's attention after he saw her float away to
some dreamland. As she turned back to him, he said, "Our flight leaves at noon, which
gives you roughly two hours to get packed before we leave."
Usagi nodded, staring at the floor. She looked up at him. "I've never flown before."
On a plane, at least.
"You'll be fine, don't worry," he reassured her, standing up. "Now, you should start
packing." Then he left.
Usagi opened her closet door, staring at the small amount of clothes that occupied
it. Most of her clothes were at her apartment. Sighing, she took her suitcase from
under the bed and set it on top of her desk, popping it open. All of the clothes in the
closet were put into it, as well as all the clothes in the dresser. She still had room to
spare. 'Well, maybe this Relena will like to shop. I could use some new outfits,' she
thought absently, throwing her stuffed bunny on top of her clothes.
"That didn't take long at all," she announced to herself, closing the suitcase with a
snap. Grabbing the handle, she carried it down the stairs, where an argument ensued.
"We shouldn't bring them," Quatre was insisting. "It's a pacifist kingdom."
"It's a safety precaution. You don't know if someone hell-bent on revenge might
catch word that we're in town," Heero argued, arms folded across his chest.
"Still, there have been no signs of disputes, big or small," Quatre continued,
throwing his hands about. "We would only cause potential for a conflict."
"Fine!" Heero growled, exasperated. "We'll only take the bare minimum with us."
"Good." Quatre turned to the stairway, and his face drained of its color. "Usagi!
How long have you been standing there?"
"It's fine, Quatre. She knows," Heero explained almost apologetically to the blonde
man.
"She.. what?" his eyes widened.
"I told her."
"You... what?" He couldn't quite understand what would possess Heero to do a
thing like that. She knew about their past?
Walking over to him, Usagi laid a hand on his arm. "It's true, Quatre. You can
trust me."
Looking into her eyes, he saw that she felt no contempt for their actions. Her
approval and understanding meant the world to him. "Oh, there's no doubt in my mind
that I can trust you." He gave her a tiny smile before going upstairs.
"That went well," Usagi sighed.
"Don't worry about it," Heero told her. "Are you finished packing?"
She gestured to the suitcase she had set down at the bottom of the stairs. "All
packed and ready to go."
"Good. You still have a good hour and a half before we leave."
Usagi nodded. "Then I think I'll take a walk in the back." When he went to protest,
she held up her hands in front of her. "I promise not to punch any more trees."
"Fine," he consented reluctantly, "but be careful."
She was already out the door. An hour to kill... She could definitely spend an hour
walking the path through the grove of trees.
Veering off to the right, the path winded past a patch of tiny purple flowers that
grew at the base of a pink oleander bush. Usagi stopped to pick one of the oleanders,
then continued on her way.
That's what she loved about walking back here. Last time it had been night, which
was beautiful in the moon's glow, but everything was just as beautiful in the sunlight.
As the path made a left turn, she came to a stop. A large white wooden gazebo
stood beside the path. Vines were entwined in the side lattice and twisted around the
pillars, their soft green color standing brilliantly against the stark white.
Usagi approached the gazebo, slowly climbing the two steps into the large
structure. There were three benches against the sides, leaving an open space in the
middle.
Sitting down on the bench closest to the stairs, Usagi took a deep breath. The air
was crisp, carrying a subtle hint of sunlight and flowers. She loved it.
She was really happy here, living with the guys. The circumstances behind it
weren't very pleasant, and at first the idea seemed ridiculous, but now she realized it
was a good place to be, a nice change.
And then she gasped as her mind flashed with a memory.
Princess Serenity was standing in a gazebo similar to the one Usagi was in.
Serenity's eyes kept glancing about, as if she were looking for someone. Finally her
gaze landed on something, and she smiled.
As the memory faded into blackness, Usagi blinked rapidly. Where did that come
from? Then, like the memory, she heard the faint sound of music being carried by a
breeze. The song was familiar, and Usagi found herself unconsciously humming along.
The song disappeared from the wind, but still Usagi hummed. Standing, she began to
slowly twirl around the gazebo, dancing to the hauntingly beautiful melody she still
hummed.
From his bedroom window, Quatre had seen Usagi walk off, so he decided to follow
her. He really needed to talk to her. The twists and turns of the path did not reveal
Usagi yet. She must have had more of a lead than he realized.
As he took a sharp turn to the right, he thought he heard something. Continuing
down the path, he pinpointed the noise to be a song. Breaking into a jog, Quatre
hurried down the path.
He stopped as he came to the gazebo. There was Usagi, humming to herself and
dancing gracefully about the gazebo. The sunlight danced around her, bathing her in
an ethereal glow.
His breath caught in his throat as he watched the girl that reminded him of an
angel. He slowly made his way over to the gazebo and up the steps, never taking his
eyes off of her.
Spinning around, Usagi's eyes landed on Quatre. She stopped, catching herself as
she stumbled. "Quatre!"
"Sorry, Usagi, I didn't mean to startle you," he apologized quickly.
She smiled warmly at him. "I'm glad you're here. I could use a dance partner."
With quick steps, she had crossed the gazebo and took Quatre's hand in hers. They
glided across the floor in a foreign dance as she began to hum, closing her eyes.
They danced together, the only sound the sweet ballad that ended too soon for
both. Quatre spun Usagi around once more before pulling her tiny body to his.
Opening her eyes, Usagi stared up at Quatre, her hands clutching his shoulders.
Unable to help himself, Quatre lowered his head to hers, their lips meeting. Both
kept their eyes locked as the kiss became more passionate.
So many thoughts were swimming in Quatre's head, jumbled so that he couldn't
make heads or tails of them. But who needed to think when he was kissing the most
beautiful person ever created?
"Usagi? Are you over here?"
The voice startled the two as they broke apart, taking a step back from each other.
They looked up as Trowa approached.
"Quatre, good, you're here also," Trowa addressed them both, taking note of their
flushed faces. "We're getting ready to leave."
The three retraced the path back to the house in silence, each too preoccupied
with their own thoughts to make conversation. They entered the living room, where
everyone was gathered, including the newly arrived Milliardo.
"The car is packed, and we're ready to go," Duo reported, coming over to stand by
Usagi.
They filed outside to a rented Explorer that was twin to the guys'. Milliardo drove,
and Trowa took the passenger seat, as Heero did not care to sit by the older man.
Instead, he occupied the middle seat alongside Usagi, who was sandwiched between
him and Duo. Duo made it his new unofficial duty to stay by her side. Quatre and
Wufei occupied the back seat.
The entire ride consisted of Heero glaring at the back of Milliardo's head, Duo and
Wufei exchanging words that resulted in laughing and threats, and Quatre and Trowa
trying to run interference.
Usagi, however, paid no attention to any of this. She was too preoccupied with her
thoughts, mostly trying to understand the memory she just had. The song was
familiar, yet she couldn't place it. It was different from the one that her locket played.
And dancing with Quatre had been wonderful, but she still felt like it were somehow
wrong in the scenario. The feeling was unsettling, but nothing could be done about it.
She'd have to wait for the memory to eventually play itself out.
They finally arrived at the airport. Unloading the luggage from the back, Duo tried
to get Usagi's suitcase from her, but she insisted on carrying it herself. It also helped
when she slammed it down on his foot. It was a short-lived argument.
Heero directed the group to the right waiting area, then went to get their tickets and
check in their luggage. Usagi was the only one who sat down, choosing a seat by the
window. She watched, wide-eyed, as a plane took off. "We're going to do that?" she
whispered to herself.
"How else are we supposed to get to the Cinq Kingdom?"
Startled, Usagi tore her eyes away from the window and focused on Wufei, who
had taken a seat beside her. "I'm afraid to fly," she admitted.
"A lot of people are. It's only natural. But it's safe."
"Safe?" She got a flashback of Mamoru's starseed being stolen by Galaxia while
he was on a plane to America the first time. That plane had definitely not been safe.
"Mamoru," she whispered.
"What was that?" Wufei looked at her closely.
Shaking her head, she answered, "Promise me?"
"Promise you what?"
"That we'll be safe."
Judging from her expression and her pleading eyes, this must be something that
she desperately needed to hear. "I promise." And he meant it.
"Are you two even listening?" Duo asked as he walked up to them. All he received
were a couple of blank stares. "They just announced our flight. We're boarding the
plane now."
They joined the others, receiving their tickets. As they walked down the ramp to
the plane, Usagi took deep breaths, one after another. She wasn't nervous, no. More
like petrified.
"If you keep breathing like that, you're going to pass out," Trowa said to her in a
low voice.
"What? Oh," Usagi's face reddened in embarrassment. But she gave a tiny smile
when he briefly squeezed her hand.
When Heero had bought the tickets, he was unable to get seats for all seven of
them together. Usagi looked at her ticket. Scanning the numbers above the aisle, she
found her seat, which happened to be by a window. Slowly sitting down, she shoved
an overnight bag under her seat and looked to see where everyone else was sitting.
First down the aisle was Trowa, who took a seat three rows ahead of her. He was
joined by Quatre, then Duo across the aisle.
Heero headed straight down the aisle. When he passed by her seat, he paused
briefly, then continued past her, taking a seat two rows behind and across the aisle
from her. Milliardo was behind him, taking a seat in the back of the cabin.
Then came Wufei, also heading down the aisle. Usagi expected him to keep going
past her, so she was surprised when he sank into the seat beside her. "Looks like it's
you and me," he acknowledged.
"Wufei you have no idea how happy I am that you're sitting by me," she smiled in
gratitude. "If I were sitting by myself, I know I'd freak out. Well, even more than I am
now."
"There's nothing to be scared of."
She nodded vigorously in agreement, trying to make herself believe the words, to
no avail.
As the flight attendant came out to the front of the cabin and began her
instructional spiel on flying safety, Usagi hung onto every word. She didn't want to
miss anything. At the mention of dropping oxygen masks and flotation devices, Usagi
dug her fingernails into an unsuspecting Wufei's arm. "If the plane were to have
trouble?" she practically screeched, eyes wide in fear.
"It's only precautionary instructions. Nothing is going to happen. Remember my
promise?" He gently tried to pry the girl's nails out of his arm.
"I remember." She loosened her grip on his arm, not noticing the four tiny red
welts she left in his skin. And she was relatively calmed. That is, until the captain
announced their flight takeoff. She squeezed her eyes shut as the plane slowly began
to move.
Wufei observed the nerve-wracked girl, shaking his head in mild amusement. He
covered her hand with his, and, through her fear, he caught a hint of a smile in return.
He continued to hold her hand until they had completely taken off and were flying.
"You can open your eyes now," he encouraged her.
Slowly her eyes peeked open. "Still safe," she sighed in relief. Then she
happened to glance out the tiny round window to her left, and she gasped. The land
below was nothing but strips of green and white, blending into the cornflower blue sky
dotted with fluffy white clouds. "Beautiful," she breathed.
"See, what did I tell you. Now, will you be all right while I make a quick trip to the
bathroom?"
Her nod was pensive, but then her head moved almost fervently. "I'll be fine." She
watched him retreat down the aisle. Settling back into her surprisingly comfortable
seat, she closed her eyes once again. She might not have been scared, but that didn't
mean she was quite ready to stare out the window again at the disappearing land
below.
"Having fun?"
Eyes snapping open, Usagi looked over at--"Duo?"
"The one and only!" his grin widened. "Hey, why don't you come sit up here with
us? There's an empty seat next to me."
Usagi hesitated. "Well, I don't want to leave Wufei by himself..."
"Nonsense! He'll be fine by himself. Just look at Heero." He jerked a thumb to
point behind him at Heero, whose eyes were closed, arms folded across his chest.
Returning her gaze to Duo, Usagi said, "Wufei will be coming out of the bathroom
soon."
"Alone?" Duo grinned wickedly. "Looks like he won't be joining the Mile High Club
anytime soon."
"Mile High Club?" she repeated, perplexed. No one had told her anything about
joining a club. Did she just miss something while the flight attendant was speaking?
"What is that?"
Duo leaned over, whispering something in her ear.
"Duo!" she practically shrieked. Glancing ahead, she caught the curious glances
of Quatre and Trowa. She quickly ducked her head to avoid their stares, her face once
again red in embarrassment for the umpteenth time that day. "But, that's so... public!"
she said to Duo, still shocked.
"Which is what makes it so exciting."
She stared at him, unable to hide her disbelief. "So, you've..." she let the thought
trail off, its implication hanging in the air.
His eyes widened. "I wasn't speaking from experience!" he exclaimed defensively,
jerking back in his seat. Lowering his voice, he leaned toward her once again. "I have
thought about it, though," he admitted guiltily. After a moment's hesitation, he asked,
"Would you like to join with me?"
A look of pure surprise crossed her face as she stared at him, openmouthed in
shock. Then she grinned a tiny grin, her eyebrows dipping evilly. "Actually, that
doesn't sound like such a bad idea." She lightly raked one fingernail up his arm. "In
fact," she continued slyly, "it sounds like fun. Why don't you go, and I'll meet you in a
minute?"
"Usagi, I was kidding!" Duo cried, earning them both curious and irritated glances
from some of the other passengers. He lowered his voice. "Usagi, I would never do
that to you."
"Too bad," she sighed, removing her hand from his arm as she leaned back. "It
could have been memorable."
'Wait a minute...' Duo's eyes narrowed as his brain worked overtime. Her own
eyes held amusement and a sense of mocking, as did her tone. "You're playing me!"
he realized in disbelief. "And I totally fell for it! I was the one that was supposed to fool
you!"
Through her laughter, Usagi apologized, "Sorry, Duo, but you make it so easy! I
couldn't resist!"
"I should really know better by now," he grumbled.
"You really should," she agreed. "But, your mockery was good for something.
You helped take my mind off of flying. And for that, Duo Maxwell, I am grateful."
Raising a hand to his chin, she planted a soft kiss on his cheek.
"Am I interrupting?" Wufei asked from behind them.
"Duo was just--"
"Going back to my seat," Duo interrupted as he stood. Winking at Usagi, he said,
"Enjoy the rest of your flight..."
"What was that all about?" Wufei asked as he sat back down.
"Oh, he was just trying to distract me," Usagi answered mysteriously, closing her
eyes. She hadn't realized just how tired she was. The lulling movement of the airplane
did wonders to reinforce that fact. So much had been going on that it must have finally
gotten to her.
Wufei watched as Usagi stifled a yawn behind her hand. Her head dropped
slightly, but she straightened it quickly. "You have time," he told her.
"Time?" she questioned, not bothering to open her eyes.
"To sleep. We have a few hours."
"Good idea," she murmured, curling her feet up underneath her. She leaned her
head against the window. After a few minutes, she mumbled, "Wufei?"
"Yes?"
"This isn't comfortable. I need a pillow."
"Would you like me to get you one?" he offered.
"No, it's all right." Stretching the opposite way, she lay her head against his
shoulder, her bandaged hand on his arm. "Do you mind?" she asked sleepily.
"Not at all."
I am absolutely amazed at how many reviews I have right now! You guys are so completely awesome! I realize that I tell you that a lot, but I figure you deserve it! Besides, you write some great things about my writing, so it's only fair that I write some great things about you too! Anyway, in the next chapter, they're going to meet... Relena! Should be fun. My aim for this chapter is to hit 900 reviews. Please help me with that! I'll love you forever, I really will! Please, please review! It keeps me motivated!