In the Present
Part Six of "I Only Think Of You" (6/8)
By Chash
"Are you happy with that?" asked the fifth. The fourth smiled, looking at the figurines of Cancer and Taurus.
"Yes. Taurus was like a son to me, and so was Gemini. They were never like brothers to me. I wanted them to be happy. I thought they could be happy together."
The fifth nodded. "But as long as they're happy…?"
The fourth smiled again, sadness in his eyes. "Yes, as long as they're happy. That's all that matters," he turned to the fifth. "Goodbye, Fifth."
The fifth nodded, "goodbye, Fourth."
Darkness reigned again.
*
"Next mission," Gemini announced. "This is for," his eyes widened in surprise, "Gemini and Sagittarius. Destination Ipsen Castle base, to get Aquarius out. Departure of Airship from South Gate in half an hour."
"Come on then, we'd better hurry," Sagittarius smiled at him and offered her hand to help him down off the cart. He took it and blushed a bit, and followed her off.
"Scheming while I was away?" asked Virgo, kissing Scorpio on the cheek. Scorpio smiled.
"I thought I should at least tell her he was in love with her. I knew she loved me, and I wanted to give her a little happiness. I don't know what she'll do with it. Did you have fun without me?" asked Scorpio, turning back to Virgo.
Virgo looked away.
*
"Stupid stupid stupid," chanted Yuy, hitting his head against his hand in a steady rhythm. It had felt so good, felt so right, felt all the things he wanted to feel, but it hadn't been right. It shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't have been all the things he wanted to feel.
For a
moment, he wished Cancer were there. But he smiled a second later, remembering that Cancer was happy.
Virgo was happy too. And he shouldn't try to take that away any
more than he should have tried to pull Cancer and Taurus apart.
Even if he loved Virgo.
Especially if he loved Virgo.
*
"It is beautiful," commented Cancer. The sun was setting, red and pink and gold. Taurus smiled.
"That's what Virgo always said. He would always watch the sunset," Taurus smiled, happiness in his eyes as he saw, "in fact, there he is now. I don't think he's watching, though."
Cancer followed his lover's gaze to a lower cliff and Virgo and Scorpio kissing. "That looks like fun, doesn't it?" asked Cancer. Taurus looked away and smiled, weaving his arms around Cancer's neck.
*
On a rooftop in town, Opiuchus also watched. The roof was wet, despite the clear sky.
*
"Trowa?"
"Hm?" Gemini couldn't quite get used to Sagittarius calling him Trowa. For one thing, he still called her Sagittarius.
"What do think their plan is?" she asked after a slight pause. It almost sounded as if she'd been wanting to say something else.
"The Five's?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know. I think they want the Alliance of the Seven Empires gone."
"So why have us attack these bases? They aren't important, Trowa. They're just bases where our men were captured."
"I don't know. It doesn't make sense to me either."
"Do you think this base is smaller than the others?"
"What makes you say that?"
"They only sent the two of us."
"Probably, then."
Sagittarius turned to look at the new night, full of things she wanted to say.
*
"What's wrong?" asked Scorpio. Virgo was facing away from him, silent.
"Nothing," the word was muffled by Virgo's pillow.
"Liar. You can tell me anything, love."
Virgo pulled his head out of the pillow and turned to Scorpio. "Aries kissed me."
"I see."
"I liked it."
Scorpio was silent a moment. "I love you, Wufei. That means I want you to be happy. Do you think you might be happier with Aries?"
"Maybe," admitted Virgo, looking into his lap. Scorpio smiled, a sad smile, and kissed Virgo on the forehead.
"Then find out. If you love him more, then be with him."
"If I don't?"
Scorpio smiled. "Threesomes work."
Virgo kissed Scorpio and left.
*
All Gemini could think of was how beautiful she was. She was asleep, lying in the other bed in an inn. He should have been asleep too. Instead he was sitting on the side of his bed, watching her. She was beautiful. She was beautiful and kind and wonderful.
And in love with Scorpio.
Gemini fell against his bed and swore under his breath, and hoped it was inaudible. He didn't want to disturb her.
"I don't even know your name," he whispered.
*
"Aries?" it was Virgo's voice. Questioning, wondering, wanting to know… something. Yuy didn't know what.
"Yes?" he asked, rising and turning.
"What's your name?" asked Virgo, sitting down on the bed next to Yuy.
"Heero."
Virgo nodded. Yuy didn't know what to say.
"I'm sorry," he settled on finally.
"Don't be," replied Virgo.
"I shouldn't have done it."
"It wasn't right," admitted Virgo. "But I'm glad you did."
"Why?" asked Yuy.
Virgo reached over and kissed him. "Because I liked it."
Yuy couldn't think, he could hardly even breath. Virgo was there, kissing him, and it felt right. It felt too right, like he was drowning again. Like he was under water and would never come up. It was warm and felt wonderful, though, and he didn't want to come up. If this was drowning then he wanted to drown forever.
Virgo pulled away, and air never felt worse.
"What about Scorpio?" asked Yuy, breathing uneven and strangled.
"Scorpio understands."
"I don't understand."
"It feels right, doesn't it?" asked Virgo. "It feels as though it belongs. I thought I belonged with Scorpio, but it feels better with you. Scorpio only wants me to find out."
Yuy kissed him, and it was right.
*
"What's your name?" asked Gemini, looking at Sagittarius. They were making their way to the base, probably not the best time for such thoughts, but Gemini wanted to know. Sagittarius looked at him.
"Noin."
"Not much of a name."
"What do you mean?" she asked, amusement in her tone.
"It just doesn't sound like a first name."
"It's my last name."
"What's your first?"
"No one ever calls me by my first name."
"Well, I'll call you by your first name and you can call me Barton, because no one calls me that. Agreed?" asked Gemini. Sagittarius laughed.
"I'm Lucrezia."
"It's a nice name, why doesn't anyone use it?" asked Gemini. He was about to say it was a beautiful name, but he stopped. He didn't know why.
Sagittarius shrugged. "The only one I've known very long is Scorpio. He always called me Noin."
"Well, Lucrezia, that looks to be the base. Let's go," Gemini smiled. Sagittarius smiled back.
*
The first rays of sun in his window woke Yuy. Feeling something warm at his side, he was confused. 'Didn't Cancer get together with Taurus?' he asked himself, rolling over.
It wasn't Cancer, though. It was Virgo.
Now he was confused. Scattered memories came back to him. Virgo kissing him, how right it felt, drowning. Beauty. Lots of beauty. And Virgo.
Virgo stretched
and looked over at him.
"Good morning, love," smiled
Virgo.
Yes, Yuy decided, all was definitely right with the world.
*
"Damn, this place is maze," Sagittarius looked at yet another crossroads. "No wonder they only needed two of us. No guards, just confusing as hell."
Gemini's train of thought was going in an entirely different direction, though.
'I blew it, I blew it, I blew it! This was my chance,' was being repeated in Gemini's head as he wandered with no rhyme or reason after Sagittarius. 'Focus!' he ordered himself.
"Is there a computer around?" asked Gemini. Sagittarius looked down the corridors.
"Yeah, down there. You a hacker?"
"I'm okay. Quat taught me some stuff."
She nodded. "And he's good."
"The best. All right, I got a map. We're pretty close."
*
Not even Aquarius had guards. It was as if they thought the challenge was enough, and if an intruder got anywhere then she deserved to. Breaking Aquarius out was easy as well, and Gemini felt as if it had been given to them.
"Get ready for something at the end," he ordered, looking back at Aquarius and Sagittarius. Both nodded.
There was nothing though. Gemini almost felt sorry as he destroyed the building, as if something had been lost. He shook his head, though, and the feeling almost vanished.
*
"There's only one left now," Sagittarius announced, standing on top of the pickle cart again. "We only have one more mission."
"Wasn't the mission to destroy the Alliance of the Seven Empires?" asked Yuy.
"We were given five missions. The next is the fifth. Pisces is the last. Then it is all over. The Five say the Alliance will be gone."
Yuy nodded. Everything would be over tomorrow.
Owari.
That didn't really try to kill me. Yay!
Pairings: 1x5, 4x2, (past) 13x5, (past) 13x6, 3+9, 9+6, 6+5