OMG…Rei's favorite song! R+R, please!
* * * * *
Rei gasped. Maximilian looked down. "Something wrong?"
"This is my favorite song," she said, her eyes filling with happy tears.
Pegasus gently took Rei's hand and pulled her close to him. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I know."
Her shining eyes looked up to him. "How did you…"
He pressed a finger to her lips. "Shhh…"
The way you looked at me tonight,
I've never seen that look
In your eyes before.
But, then again,
I don't think I've ever looked,
Had the time to spare,
The will to share with you…
Rei began to cry softly.
After all we've been through,
Love don't come easy for me…
Pegasus stroked her hair gently, and sang the next part of the song.
The way you looked into my eyes
I could see the hurt
I saw through your disguise,
Just give me time,
I can make it up to you.
Let me heal the pain,
I'm scared of losing you.
Rei looked up, startled.
After all we've been through,
Love don't come easy for me…
'Oh my god…is he trying to tell me that he…no. He probably just knows the song and wants to sing…'
The final notes died out. Maximilian looked down into Rei's beautiful face. He saw a tear about to fall and brushed it away with his hand. "Please don't cry…"
"It's just that…I'm so happy…"
Pegasus took her hand in both of his. "I am too."
He saw that she needed some rest. Maximilian gently steered her out of the ballroom and onto a balcony that only he knew about, into the clear warm summer night.
"This is such a beautiful island," Rei said, leaning her elbows on the ledge.
"It is indeed," Pegasus agreed. He rested one hand on the balcony and put the other on his hip, crossing one foot in front of the other.
She thought. "Are you a fan of the Moody Blues?" she inquired.
"Not really," he said with a small smile.
"Then…how did you know the words to that song?"
He didn't answer; only stared out into the starry sky.
Rei narrowed her eyes accusingly. "You heard me sing."
"Once or twice."
Neither spoke for a few minutes; then Rei broke the still air. "I've been thinking…the Millennium Item…if you really want it…you can have it."
Pegasus looked down at her, sadness filling his heart. "You want to leave." He said it as a statement rather than a question.
"Oh, no! It's going to kill me to leave here…I love it so much…" Rei suddenly realized what she had said and shut up.
"Then don't leave." Pegasus laid it out so simply. "Stay. Stay here with me…" He averted his gaze to the floor.
"Max…"
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It's your decision whether you want to go or stay. I'm can't decide for you…"
Rei fingered her Millennium Item. "But…what about this?" She held it in her palm.
Pegasus took her hand and gently closed it around the ankh. "It's yours. I had absolutely no right to try to take it from you by force…by keeping you here against your will…it was wrong. I see that now. So you are free to go, and you don't have to give anything at all to me."
He released Rei's hand and turned back to the sky, both arms leaning on the ledge. He gazed out into the night.
Rei stared at her Item, then took a step closer to Pegasus. "Max…"
He whirled around. Pegasus hadn't realized how close she was to him, and so when he turned his face was only inches from hers. Orange eyes looked into orange eye.
"Rei." She realized it was the first time he had called her by her first name.
Pegasus wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
Just give me time,
I can make it up to you.
Let me heal the pain,
I'm scared of losing you…
Rei drew her arms around his waist and listened to his voice.
What have I missed?
Where have I gone wrong?
I'm gonna turn back the time
So we've just begun…
Time changes
Time changes
Time changes for the better.
After all we've been through,
Love don't come easy for me…
Rei began to cry again.
Maximilian hugged her tighter. He spoke in his smooth, silvery voice. "You do know I'm in love with you."
She nodded, unable to speak. Pegasus gently rubbed her back, calming her down. Rei looked up with her bright orange tearful eyes at him. Pegasus seized the opportunity to lean down and gently press his mouth to hers…
Rei gave in. She couldn't resist. She was in love with this man and now she would never have to leave…
Maximilian was the one to pull away. Looking into her eyes, he stated, "You aren't leaving."
"Never." Ever.
He kissed her again, but with more force and meaning this time. Maximilian's arms supported the blissfully ecstatic Rei. This kiss was much longer than the first, and Rei felt like she was floating on air.
Rei broke the kiss. "When did you know?"
"Hmm?" He rested his cheek on her head.
"When did you know you loved me?"
He looked down at her. "Last night. In the lobby, when you fell…it's been so long since I held anybody…"
"I love you so much, Max!" Rei sighed. "But there has got to be some change..."
Confused, he stared at her. "What do you mean?"
Rei reached up and brushed away Pegasus's hair that hid his Millennium eye from view. "That has got to go."
"I thought you liked it. I thought it made me look like a pirate." He smiled lightly.
"Oh, it does. But it's not fair to the other duelists!"
Pegasus looked with shame at the floor, moving his arms to Rei's waist. "What do you propose I do?"
"My guess would be that you have to have that taken out…and have a glass eye put in…so you can wear this mane of yours back in a ponytail once in a while." She stroked the fine silver hair lovingly.
"And where does the Millennium eye go?" he challenged.
Rei thought as she pulled closer to Maximilian. "Somewhere…where nobody can get it. Where it's hidden from mankind forever. And if there's one Millennium item missing, nobody can have absolute power…"
Pegasus smiled at his love. "God, you're beautiful."
* * * *
*gasp* That's the end of the main story…epilogue time!