CHAPTER 5: LIFE
"Leaving work early today, Hito?"
The blond secretary looked at her black-haired desk partner. "Yeah, I've got something I have
to take care of. See you tomorrow, Yama?"
He paused, shifting the small reading glasses up from the tip of his nose where they had slid.
"Actually, I was wondering..."
The girl whose name was Hito stopped in midstep and waited for the young man to continue.
"Yes, Yama? Did you want to ask me something?" She turned around to face him front on,
smiling generously in a manner that she never smiled before. For this smile was different; it
didn't belong to her, but had been borrowed for this one special occasion from a young blonde
boy she once knew. She had learned it from this boy, learned how to be gentle and feminine
when necessary but also harsh and cold when provoked. Her new smile could convey every
emotion she felt so that he with whom she was conversing could also feel her emotions. She
could now use it as if it was her real smile, as if she had always owned it. And with it, she
could win so much more than mere friendship.
Now she was smiling down upon the young man who worked at the counter with her. He too
was young, only one year older than she. By no means was he as young as her past
acquaintance from whom she had acquired the new smile. He was more than five years older
than that boy. But he was kind and handsome, dashing in his own way.
Hito felt attracted to him, and believed from the day they met that he felt the same towards
her. Since then, she had observed his actions until she could say exactly what he was
thinking at that moment. Her perception had always been strong, and her brief meeting with
that young acquaintance had sharpened it like a knife. The bond she had with the boy would
always be one of platonic friendship but would carry over with her into later decades, long
after she married and had children. He was a special boy, and he knew it. But he already had
someone special, where she didn't.
However, this new man, Yama, was more than acceptable. Hito would be happy with him,
and she sensed something, a possibility for the development of something more than just a
temporary fling.
Yama was now fiddling with his hands, as he often did when he was nervous. "Hito, I...well, I
know you're always busy and everything. I was just wondering though, just consider me, if
maybe you could find some time in your schedule to have dinner with me tonight?"
Hito flipped a blonde curl back from her forehead. It was late in the afternoon, and her hair
was falling loose. She looked at the dark man, considering his offer, before turning back on
her way out.
Yama believed he had been rejected when the girl turned on her heels. Just as he was about
to completely give up hope, Hito threw a carefree glance over her shoulder, that same caring
smile carved onto her face. "Sure. Meet me at Cafe Blanc in two hours."
Yama thought he heard wrong, and looked at her again. She had started walking and was
almost at the row of rotating glass doors before he worked up his courage again. "Actually, I
was thinking more in the line of Chattel Bistro."
"Sounds great. I'll be there." And Hito was gone.
Yama sighed in relief, putting down his paperwork and shutting down the mainframe
computer. He would leave that work for tomorrow. In the meantime, he would close up office,
being the last one out of the business complex. He had bigger things to think about; he had
rejoicing to do.
Hito headed to the parking lot, where her small Volkswagen was parked. She had been lucky
enough to find one for sale. The owner had thought it was completely broken, so she had
bought it off him for seventy-three dollars. All it really needed was a change of fuel and a new
spark plug, and the entire investment cost her not more than a hundred when she did it
herself. With the remaining hundred and fifty dollars from her last paycheck, she had bought
food and some silver utensils, more sturdy than the plastic she would have otherwise used.
As for a refrigerator, a friend from her old waitressing job donated one when their family
bought a new appliance. They only needed one, so the old fridge, which was still in fine
working order, was sent to Hito.
The car started on the second try, and she was off. A few city blocks later, she found herself
on the east side of the metropolitan area. The buildings here were more run down, much like
her warehouse loft located yet further east. Finally, she spotted her target and pulled up to the
curb.
The place brought back memories, both positive and negative. The Charlatan Motel...Hito
walked up to the door. Thankfully, it was still open, had not closed reception for the night.
Hito entered, remembering the same creak of the door that she had heard when she left a
week ago. The scrawny old miser at the front counter was inspecting the guestbooks when
she stepped up. "Excuse me," she said politely.
"Did'ja want someth'n?"
His accent was heavy and uncultured, but Hito was not deterred in the slightest. "I came here
to collect something. A man named Trowa told me to come by today."
There was something akin to fear in the back of the man's eyes. "Eh, Trowa did'ja say??"
Hito nodded. The man shook a little, recalling the brown-haired boy's threatening words. He
would have kept the money for himself had the girl not shown up. Unfortunately for him, she
had come, and he would only be fifty dollars richer rather than two hundred fifty from the
blonde boy's pocket.
"Ay, ay, 'ere. Two men by th' name o' Trowa 'n Quatre left ya' this." He withdrew an envelope
from under the desk and quickly stuffed it in her hands. "They had a mess'ge fer ya'. They
wanterd you should know tha'..." the man thought for a while, struggling to remember what
the man had said, not a hard action considering his life had depended on the deliverance of
said message. "They said tha' they both send thei' love."
Hito, puzzled at this odd gesture, opened the manila envelope. Her eyes widened as she
caught sight of money, four hundred dollars' worth. This had come from Quatre and Trowa?
She smiled reminiscently. The two were almost too kind, too generous.
She turned towards the man. "Thanks. If ever they come by, tell them Hito says thanks."
"Ay, 'n sure will miss."
Without another word, the pretty young thing stepped out of the motel, from which she no
longer was a part of. She had a new life in front of her, and this newfound wealth would finally
buy her a small, inexpensive apartment she had had her eye on for quite sometime. Thank
you, Quatre, Trowa...
From now on, the girl named Hito would live a new life. She was a different person now, a
different woman. The reckless girl had become the tempered woman. And though she would
never forget her short experience with the young pilot couple whose secrets she would always
keep, there was a man courting after her now, Yama, and he was well suited for her new
tastes.
Yes, Hito would live very happily from here on in.
* * *
Trowa and Quatre landed on nearby colony X1-03 to refuel. They had nothing to worry about.
This too was a colony known to harbor rebels, and it was to their immense surprise that on
this they eventually met up with Heero, Duo, and Wufei, who had all coincidentally gathered
there on a whim.
The five were never together for very long, but they always regrouped later; they were close
friends, even though one did not acknowledge it, one seemed indifferent to who he fought
with, two seemed to care intensely for life, and one was always straight faced, appearing
emotionless but really caring deeply.
The five were special people, as a blonde woman had once claimed. She had no idea how
right she was. These five boys would eventually change the world, make the people of earth
and space come to see how wrong they had been. It was odd that only five teenagers out of a
majority of adult politicians and diplomats would be able to turn the path of history for the
better. That said something about society.
No matter how advanced, the leaders of space and earth could not settle this dispute between
each other, whereas the saviors of the world would be five young pilots, unique in themselves
and much stronger than anyone ever gave them credit for.
* * *
"Quatre, I want to ask you something."
"Yes, Trowa?"
"...Well, I..."
"Go on, Trowa. You can tell me."
"Quatre, there's something else that I've been thinking of. Something else about that
pendant."
"Yes, it's lovely Trowa. Thank you for giving it to me. I'll wear it forever! I really love it."
"Good. I'm...I'm glad. It's just that--well--I've been thinking about us."
"...And?"
"And I want the stone, the pendant, to be a promise pendant. A symbol of our affection and
devotion towards each other."
"...Really, Trowa? You really mean that??"
"Of course I do, little one. You know that. Only if you'll accept it, Quatre."
"Oh, Trowa, I'd love that very much. I've never had one before, and I'm so happy that it's
coming from you! I'll cherish it always, just as I'll cherish you. It'll be our promise pendant."
"...Promise pendant. We'll be together, Quatre, little one, angel."
"Together forever, Trowa. I promise."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
* * *
~OWARI
::blows nose::
ChibiQuatre: ^^* arigatou. it's from my own personal collection!
Sailor Christmas: read another? o_o
ChibiQuatre: uh....i don't have anymore for now. i'm a schoolgirl you know, i get busy.
Sailor Christmas: too busy for Quatre and Trowa? or wait! you don't mean you get busy with them!!!
::growls::
ChibiQuatre: ^^;; heh, well, i wish i had more time minna-san, but i've gotta jet!
Sailor Christmas: hey! you never answered my question!
((GW tea set falls out of nowhere, landing in front of SC. with it is a large cardboard crate))
((muffled yells emanate from the box))
Sailor Christmas: hey, look what i found! ::pulls crowbar from pocket and pries crate open to find
Quatre and Trowa sitting amidst packing materials, dazed::
ChibiQuatre: uh...Sailor Christmas, what're you doing?
Sailor Christmas: ::ignores ChibiQuatre and eyes contents of crate:: hmmm... ::sets up tea set on floor,
Japanese style:: here, bishounen bishounen. niiiiice bishounen. come to auntie SC!!!
Quatre: Trowa, she's looking at me kinda funny--
Trowa: ...she looks hungry to me...
Sailor Christmas: i AM hungry. know what i feel like eating?
Quatre & Trowa: -_-* no, what? ::look scared::
ChibiQuatre: or do we not want to know?
Sailor Christmas: i think i'll eat a little bit of Quatre and Trowa
Quatre & Trowa: !!! ::start to panic::
Sailor Christmas: with a bit of honey on the side! ^-^ mmm mmm delicious!
Quatre & Trowa: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ::scream and run around in crazed fever::
((SC chases Quatre & Trowa off stage...shrieks can be heard))
ChibiQuatre: oh my! down SC!! down girl!!! ::runs after SC with leash:: leave the poor bishounen
alone!!!
you like? i hope so...well, i've gotta go to bed right now. sorry it took so long, and towards the
end it kinda got a bit towards the lime-ish side! ^^* gomen nasai, but i hope you didn't mind
(hehe). anyways, this is the first time i've written anything with an OC in it, and definitely the
first time i included that funny little dialogue in here...that WAS funny, wasn't it? O_O oh my,
i'm starting to doubt myself now...eep. not good. help me get my confidence back! r&r is
always appreciated, people!!!
oyasumi ^_^
ChibiQuatre @ pandahgirl@aol.com