Dust in the Wind
Song by: Kansas
Fic by: Windsor
Summary: Heero pops Relena's delusional little bubble
Warnings: none, semi AU, and the use of two original characters of mine-Ty and Lonni
Disclaimer: Never owned 'em. never will.
"Grace," Relena spoke into the intercom, "Send in Heero Yuy, please."
"Yes ma'am." Grace answered.
A few moments later, Heero entered her office wearing his customary green tank, but with a pair of jeans. He stopped at her desk. "What did you want, Relena?" he asked flatly.
"I want to offer you a job as one of my top executives here in the Sank Kindom. We are rising rapidly in the world's status rankings-what with all of the wars over, you could grow to be a wealthy man here, Heero. You could have anyone or anything at your disposal with no more than a snap of your fingers. Provided you get a better image of yourself, better clothes and such." She quieted, awaiting his answer.
He stared silently at her...not sure who she was anymore...he knew she was a bit crazy, but this proved it.
[I close my eyes, only for a moment and then the moment's gone]
"Well, what do you have to say, Heero?" she asked.
[All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity]
/Duo, you were right about her/ He closed his eyes a moment at the memory of his fallen comerade. He then opened them and directed his cold stare at the aloof Queen of the World. "I say-you're out of your mind. Do you realize who you're talking to? And what you just asked me? And do you realize that you're wasting your time?"
[Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind]
Relena's eyes widened. "Wha-? What do you mean, Heero? I thought I was offering you a great opportunity. What are you doing now, Heero? How are you making a living? Don't answer, I know: Working construction on one of Quatre's resource satellites up by L1 Colony. You live alone in a one bedroom flat on L1. You have no pets, no family but a significant other but the name of Leigh, who is also an accountant for Winner Resouces. Such a peachy little life, Heero."
Heero lowered his head and at her surprise, chuckled.
[Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea]
"You always were the golddigger, Relena." he began, now looking at her. "You've been sticking your nose into my life so often, you've refused to live your own. It's been the same ever since that day you found me washed up on shore. You've stuck yourself into my business ever since then. It's sad really."
[All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see]
He paced to the window over looking the bay. The sun shined, the water sparkled and the city was alive with activity.
[Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind]
Relena found her voice, "Why is that sad? And I have been living my own life, Heero. I've rebuilt the Sank Kindom and I've made it bigger and better." She sent a haughty, triumphant look at Heero's back, which he caught in the window's refelction.
"For what? Made it bigger and better for what? For your people? For me to finally love you? No, not for those reasons. You did it for you, Princess." He sneered that last word. "You've built it up for yourself. To make yourself look big and important in this world. To make people like you. And they do, but for all the wrong reasons. You ever wonder why Zechs stays Zechs and not Milliardo? He may have stained his hands with too much blood to be the rightful leader of this nation. But you've stained the name of Peacecraft. Actually, Zechs would be a better ruler than you--Princess."
[Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the Earth and sky]
She sat there, speechless. Heero turned to face her. "He would provide for his people, not for himself. You know why? Because by risking his life as a soldier he knows how precious life is, and how short. The same goes for me and all the soldiers out there. We have realized that-in the end-none of this matters." he spread his arms to gesture to the building. "All that matters is how you choose to live your life."
[It slips away, all your money won't another minute buy]
"Have you ever wondered why I live my life as I have?" he waited for an answer, but recieved none. He braced his arms on the armrests of her chair and brought his face close to hers. "Because it makes me happy. I may not be a rich VIP, but I'm happy. Leigh's a wonderful woman and that's something you will *never* be. I get to see Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei often, and surprise surprise, I even have a few other friends like your brother, and two girls, Lonni and Ty. Ty's seeing your brother, did you know that? Yeah. Lonni's with Trowa. Who are you with?" he backed away from her. "No one. You're too busy building your house of cards that could fall at any moment. And then what or who will you have? No one. Not even me." He began to walk to the door.
[Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind]
"Life is cheap, Relena. And no matter how we make a living or how much status or standing one has, Death comes to us all." /Duo.../ he thought sadly /It even came to you, Shinigami/ he squeezed his eyes shut and opened them, along with the door. "What matters is that you make the most of your life along with those in it. And I've learned that it's better to be hurt by life than not to feel anything at all..." He walked out of her office and out of her life.
Relena still sat at her desk, in shock and pain at the verbal wounds he'd dealt her. She looked around at her now empty office-ironically her empty life. Heero was right-she had no one. She was completely alone. And for the first time in a long time, she wept.
~~Owari~~