Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon … ::sigh:: But I believe my parents are hinting towards buying me BOTH of them for Christmas! Umm … of course, they COULD mean the DVDs or something…
Editors: Aren't you guys happy this nightmare is finally over? I'm still spinning from that special. ::bleah:: Thanks to Usagi Asia Maxwell, Autumn Hime, Lady Artemis, and DevilsDarling. ^____^
Warnings:
Major sappiness. Ugh. ::looks down at hands disgustedly:: I can't believe I typed all that out … ::sigh:: Not to mention it continues on, and on, and ON! This chapter is now NINE pages! WOW!!! Nine pages of sap … -_-''' And not very GOOD sap at that. ::sigh:: Lastly, as a warning: don't pay attention to the song … it makes NO sense according to this story when translated … but it's a pretty song! :DEpilogue: It's Just Love!
Mae bure mo naku, Yobidasu no tenki ga ii kara. (I called you up without advance notice because the weather was nice.)
The large, purposely frosted glass filtered silver light through delicate swirls of crystalline roses. Usagi sighed and smiled back outside at the afternoon sun.
"Ow! Watch it, Mina!" she yelped. Her glove-covered hand hovered near golden hair that was being tied up so intricately that the bulk of it nearly disappeared in a maze of frills and curls, tendrils and braids.
"Sorry!"
Ami sighed and glanced up from the guest list. "I simply don't understand! There are two hundred and fifty-seven people coming, but the names go on until two hundred and sixty-three!"
"Did you count the five of us and Hiiro?" Rei giggled as she straightened the wedding skirt around her blonde friend.
Ami's face reddened.
"Ami's getting old?" the raven-haired bridesmaid crowed jokingly as she blushed even harder.
"Who would've thought Usa would get married first out of all of us? After she threatened to never marry?" Makoto piped up, glancing through the slight crevice of the door as guests poured into the church.
"Yeah. You're making the rest of us feel old, Usa!" Minako winked at her in the mirror.
"You are all old," she shot back, giggling as a pout formed on her twin's features.
Smiling gently back at the four of her friends in the mirror, she sighed dreamily and tried not to fidget under Minako's tampering with her golden tresses. Memories surfaced in her head.
Watashi wo machi bouke sasete. Nani you no tsumori? (You stood me up. Who do you think you are?!)
Usagi leaned back into her pillow and glanced at her watch: 10:21. Still no Hiiro.
Why do you even care, idiot Usagi? she questioned herself, miffed at her traitorous thoughts. Sniffing, she turned deep azure eyes to the white moon outside, ignoring her own question. Moonlight highlighted the room's creamy carpet and ivory-colored walls.
Ever since they were kids, she and Hiiro had been what you might call friends. Of course, perhaps it would be wiser to assume after taking into consideration the fact that Hiiro considered Duo his friend, though the world as we know it would end before he admitted it, and the poor braided man was threatened with a handgun 24-7.
Hearing the front door open, Usagi averted her eyes from the moon imprisoned behind orderly blinds and strained her ears to hear the conversation of Hiiro and this date.
A girly voiced giggled and said, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then, Hii-chan!"
Her roommate replied with a "Hn" before murmuring a barely audible good-bye and closing the door quietly.
Hashitte kita no wakatte 'ru, Kedo sonna koto wa atarimae yo!
(I know your past, but I still deserve more than that!)
"All done!" She started out of her reverie and automatically glanced up to meet two semi-teary pairs of eyes as the remaining two girls rushed to get a glimpse of their finished masterpiece. She stared at herself. A mature and poised young woman looked back out at her, deep pools of sapphire glowing with an inner fire and face radiant in subtle shades of rose. Dark lashes were curled up as golden curls piled upon her head, falling down in a short waterfall of gold.
"You're a miracle worker, Mina," she breathed and saw a reflecting grin in the mirror.
"Hey! Don't give HER all the credit! We had to take care of everything else so that she had time to devote to this!" Makoto teased, beaming at the bride.
Her eyes started to water.
"Don't cry! Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry!" Minako cried anxiously. "If you do, we'll have to spend another hour touching up that eye make-up!"
Usagi groaned. "I won't cry," she promised, face slightly contorting at the thought of another hour with Minako up in her face, going from one color to the next to create the perfect shade of eye-shadow.
"Okay, stand up," Rei commanded after one last trim of her scissors as a thin strip of rich, white silk trailed from her hand. She complied, loving the feeling of the silk sliding around her in a promising rustle.
This was the day.
Narrowing her violet eyes as she motioned for the blonde to twirl, Rei sighed, satisfied. "It's perfect. The veil?" Her hand reached out behind her, waiting for the light mesh gathered around a decorative tiara.
Minako snatched it out of Rei's hand as the fiery-tempered girl gave an indignant cry.
"Hair was my job so I get to put the veil on!" the blonde justified.
Usagi sighed as an argument ensued. "How 'bout I put on my own veil?" she offered before two pairs of eyes turned to her and both participants of the contention blushed furiously. Minako timidly handed the veil to her.
Ami's thoughtful blue eyes scanned over the finished result. "Perfect," she quirked a small smile. Her eyes automatically flew to Usagi's trembling hands, and she blinked, frowning.
"What's wrong? Isn't this what you've always wanted?"
The blonde smiled weakly back at her. "I'm just trying to get over cold feet."
"Cold feet? If you have cold feet then we are probably all going to run away from our weddings! Usagi, you and he are DESTINED!" Rei gushed as Minako emphatically nodded.
"Oh gosh, guys…" Warmth rushed to her eyes again.
"NO! Absolutely NO crying! Maybe after the wedding pictures but NO CRYING!"
Ami shot her a sympathetic smile. "I'll go now … have to get the guest list going…"
Rei and Makoto stood up and headed after the brunette. "See you at the end of the aisle, Usa!"
Her twin grinned at her one last time.
Her fears rose to her throat again. "Mina … do you … do you, you know-"
"Ever regret you and Hiiro?"
A barely audible "Yes" reached her ears, and she smiled softly at Usagi.
"Do I look like I regret it?"
She quickly backed away as Usagi rushed on, intent upon hugging her. "NO! No hugs! It'll ruin your make-u-"
A sincere, crushing embrace interrupted her. She smiled but sighed angrily when Usagi backed off.
"Look what you did! Now we have to touch up on the eyelin-"
"I love you, Minako," blue eyes sparkled at her. "And I don't really care if the eyeliner is one shade lighter," she giggled.
The blonde smiled defeatedly. "I'll be going then too … don't be late to your own wedding, okay, Sis?"
"I'm not that bad!" she cried after her, but by then the blonde was already gone.
Just Love! Ki ni kuwanai aitsu Ijiwaru wo shichau no wa,
"suki da kara" yo.
(Just love! God, I hate him! I'm mean to you only because I'm in love with you.)
Geometry. A.k.a. her worst class this year. She heaved a sigh of distaste before sinking into her chair and picking out her homework from the messy stack of papers shoved haphazardly into what might have passed for a binder half a year ago.
"All right, class, we'll check the proofs first. Miss Tsukino, how many steps did you get for the first problem?"
Usagi scowled darkly at the teacher. Why did he have to always pick on her?! "Five?" she squeaked, smiling uncertainly.
"Do you realize, Miss Usagi, that this proof was not possible with anything less than fourteen steps?" His voice was pleasantly nice, instantly alerting the danger alarms in her mind.
She glanced at him nervously, wondering whether or not that was a rhetorical question. "No?"
"That was a rhetorical question." She had guessed wrong. Again.
"Mr. Yui. How did you complete this proof?" The professor turned and smiled adoringly at his best student.
"First step is the given. Then Angle Addition Postulate to come up with angles ABC and BDE..."
His voice droned on monotonously as the professor shot her pointed looks, obviously telling her this was what a real student was like. She tried to ignore him to the best of her ability and instead glared for all she was worth at Mr. Perfect Student. He just had to embarrass her every single day, didn't he? For once, could he not get a problem wrong? Likewise, could that monster of a professor not question her on a problem she got right?
While glaring at the back of his shirt, she saw him turn and smirk at her before receiving the teacher's praise with a straight face. Usagi narrowed her eyes and fumed.
One day, she was going to get him.
Just love! Ki ni naru kara itsu mo, Muri na koto itchau no. (Just love! Because I'm attracted to you, I always say impossible things to you.)
Usagi smiled thoughtfully to herself and tugged the veil over her face, glancing again into the mirror and almost losing her breath at the sight. Was the woman reflected back at her, blinking bemusedly, truly her? Smiling, she backed out of the room.
I've waited for my prince for six years with him in my sight and finally, finally, he sees me too.
Chotto, gomen.
...Just love...
(I guess, I sorry...Just love...)
"Hiiro! Wow! You're getting hitched! Never thought I'd see the day but…"
"Shut up, Maxwell," Wufei snarled as he rolled obsidian eyes. "You're making me nervous."
"Awww! Is Wu-man nervous about a teensy weensy wedding? Besides, it's not as if you're Quatre or anything – he's giving her away!"
"Would both of you shut up?" Hiiro growled, untying his tie for the umpteenth time and retying it, frowning at the crooked angle it made with his chest.
Silence echoed in the room for a few blissful seconds before, "But you know what tonight is, right, Hiiro? The wedding night?" Duo snapped his fingers disappointedly. "I still can't believe you're going to get laid before any of us."
"Duo!" Quatre cried, mortified as he blushed to the roots of his hair.
"I'm not marrying her just for sex."
The braided man humphed and strolled towards the window. "Don't act all high and mighty with us, Hiiro! No man is above sex."
Trowa sighed and messaged his temples tiredly. "How did you two end up being half brothers?"
"WHAT?!" Quatre and Wufei yelped out simultaneously as two pairs of eyes tracked Trowa's every move.
"The birth certificates we had to find for the wedding indicated that Duo and Hiiro were half brothers. By their father's s-"
"WHAT?!"
Hiiro closed his eyes and tried to draw forth the silence in his mind. "I don't need to be reminded of this."
"Talk about opposite ends of the gene pool," Quatre muttered to himself.
Growling at another unsuccessful attempt to tie the idiotic tie, he glanced out of the window, mood brightening slightly. He had been so different before…
Kyou wa ude ni yori wo,
Kakete go-chisou shite ageru.
(Today, I ran from your arms as you were taking me to dinner.)
"Hiiro Yui," a voice carried past the doorway before the speaker stepped into the lab.
He looked up, eyes signaling a question that was only perceivable by a select few.
"That will be your new name, boy. Do you know who he is?"
"Hn," he muttered, again, eyes signaling a near-invisible yes.
"Just like Mr. Yui, you will be the symbol of peace for the colonies. Remember that, Hiiro. You are the symbol, not a symbol. Keep that in mind," the doctor commanded and strode out, not bothering to catch the boy's last distracted nod.
Something bubbled up in his mind at the name and then faded again, bubbled, faded, bubbled, faded ...
Over the years he had managed to convince his purged mind that he had always been like this -- without memories or emotions. Born like it, you might say. That was much easier to deal with than the devastating thought that he had once had emotions, once possessed them, once was normal, once was okay, once was ... human. Thinking that he was naturally without a conscience made it easier to cope with the uncalled for moments of longing or feelings of inexplicable happiness or even pools of sadness.
Over time his mind had started accepting the idea. And what an amazing thing the human mind is, willing to adjust to its owner's wishes and provide sympathy by allowing memories to fade into voids of night.
"Hiiro Yui," he murmured to himself, letting it slide over his tongue with ease. He was a symbol of hope now? As if the normal stresses of adolescence weren't enough ... of course, he was far from normal ... naturally he didn't experience attacks of the hateful puppy love or even strands of friendship ... and he'd personally like to keep it that way.
…right?
Parapeko ni shite ie ni , Kite o-miyage wo motte.
(Starving, I went home to wait for an apology.)
The war was still going on, and he and Usagi had a lot to sort through – broken pasts, emotions… But they'd pull through. He knew it. Somehow, they would pull through.
"So what's up with you guys?" a breathless voice drifted into the room, and he glanced up, startled out of his train of thought. A rosy-cheeked Relena beamed at all five of them.
"They're almost ready for you guys, you know." Her high-heeled sandals tapped over to him, and she sighed defeatedly. "What is the thing with men and ties? I will never understand it," she complained while unknotting the silk contraption and retying it properly.
"Miss Relena? I didn't know you were able to make it."
"Even if I had to cancel a few conferences, I'm here! I wouldn't miss this for the world," she grinned. Turning back, she automatically blurted out, "You look nervous, Hiiro."
"I'm not."
"You're not a very good liar, Yui," Wufei snorted.
"I'm not nervous," he repeated, shooting a glare at all five occupants of the room.
"Okay. Sure. You're not nervous," Duo sighed. "I'll be going though … Quatre, you should get a move-on! You're walking her down the aisle, 'member?"
All occupants of the room made a general movement towards the door. "I won't be long," the platinum-haired millionaire promised as he waved the four people out of the room.
"Do you ever regret it?" he asked quietly to the remainder of the previous crowd, studying the knot that Relena had formed, trying to memorize how exactly to tie it.
Blue eyes blinked up at him. "Regret what?"
"Letting her go." His eyes didn't seek out the other man's.
Quatre laughed. "I regret it every day."
Hiiro tensed but allowed silence to pass.
"But you two are obviously destined for each other … take good care of her, all right? And don't be late." He smiled sweetly back at the groom and exited the room, closing the door behind him gently.
Sakarau nante juu-nen hayai. Ima ni itai me ni au wa yo.
(How could I be so naive, defy you? Now it hurts to meet your gaze.)
A week had passed since he had lived with the man who called himself Odin Lowe and still he wasn't given a name. Throughout the week, he had gone through vigorous training, holding many models and types of weapons in his small hands and then aiming. Odin told him about his 'side job' and how a mission could come at any moment.
He stared at himself in the mirror, noting still wide, child-like eyes, burning a dark blue flame, with blue smoke clouding over. He turned on the faucet, splashed three splashes of water upon himself, and wiped his face dry with a sleeve. The action seemed familiar ... he stood, breath abated, hoping for a memory to come to him like it often did in amnesiac patients. Nothing.
Sighing softly, he looked at himself in the mirror and hesitantly cracked a smile. His eyes, a sullen blue, dark with memories his mind can't reach narrowed slightly as his lips curved into the smile.
A few blinks of the eye went by before he relaxed his face. No, something that beautiful should never appear on so grief-stricken a face.
He'd never let a smile dawn upon his face again, he promised himself before flipping the light off with a chubby, six-year-old hand.
Just Love! Me wo hikarasete 'ru no,
Sukoshi demo nokoshitara yurusanai wa.
(Just love! Because only a little of the brightness remains in my eyes. I'll never forgive you!)
She grabbed onto Quatre's arm as he offered her a gentle smile. Her lips nervously quirked back. She could barely feel her fingers…they were that cold. The joyful melody carried towards every ear in the church as they entered, following the petal-strewing flower girl.
One by one, the required members of the bridal party made their way down the aisle. Their smiles were genuine and beautiful as people snapped pictures. The endless flashing felt like a tidal wave of bright lights.
Quatre patted Usagi's arm comfortingly and gave her a tender look when the prompt of the wedding march lifted to the air. It was the cue that signaled the bride's entrance.
Hiiro looked up as the entire church held its breath and rose to their feet, turning anxiously to the back of the church as the most alluring creature glided in through tall, imposing doors.
The whole church seemed to fall into a mesmerized trance. It was as if a single gasp escaped each of their lips at the same time. Eyes widened and admired the exquisite enchantress that appeared at the doorway. She was a seraph; she was anything heavenly that was too perfect for this world.
Her very image took Hiiro's breath away, and he was frozen to the spot.
Quatre smiled as person after person stood up to snap photos of the bride. The flower-strewn altar loomed ever closer as the grip on his arm tightened. He couldn't feel his fingers anymore … the circulation had long been cut off.
With every step, Hiiro came closer and when she reached his side, he stared at her, sharp eyes piercing as if unable to believe the sight in front of him. Usagi struggled to stop trembling.
"Dearly beloved," the priest began graciously. "We are gathered here today……"
But the voice of the holy man sank back into nothingness. They whirled by in a flash of neon lights and frilly lace. Somewhere in the mix, he remembered uttering "I do."
"Then, with the power granted to me, I hereby pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Her eyes fluttered shut as he edged closer, and their lips finally met, igniting a spark that would burn until the end of their lives.
Just Love! Kokoro wo kometa kara,
Mazui hazu nai ja nai ajiwatte, ne.
(Just love! Because what I keep in my heart should not taste so bitter…should it?)
They pulled apart, oblivious to the commotion around them as he led her out of the church, piercing blue eyes dazzling as showers of colored petals whispered down around them.
"Wufei, this is the perfect chance for us to get married too!" Duo crowed happily, already running towards the door, anticipating the furious yell and rushing after him on the Chinese pilot's part.
Makoto groaned. "You're CHEATING on me, Duo?!"
Shaking her head defeatedly, Usagi smiled up at him as he led her out of the church. He planted a soft kiss on the top of her head, silently promising her eternity.
Besides, maybe William Shakespeare deserved some credit after all – it was indeed better to have loved and lost than never loved at all. Of course, it was also exponentially better to have loved and lost and loved again than never loved at all.
~*~
She frowned at the tapped out letters on the dim laptop. Somehow the ending didn't quite work out … A warm body shifted next to her as an arm swung over her waist. Giggling, she smiled down at slightly sleepy but still piercing arctic blue orbs.
"Awake?" she teased.
"I never should have gotten that laptop for you for your birthday," he growled back groggily.
"Go back to sleep, honey," she scolded mockingly.
"You should do the sa-"
A sharp wail broke through his sleepy words as arctic blue snapped open, completely coherent.
"It's your turn," she smiled as he groaned and swung his legs off out from under warm covers.
Grinning at him as he walked out of the room, tugging a robe on, she gently took the laptop off of her lap and tiptoed after him. A heartwarming sight met cerulean eyes. Rini's pink curls peeked up from her father's shoulder as the one-year-old closed wide, curious, blue eyes, sighing a relieved sigh.
She crept back to the bedroom and took up the laptop again. One line came to mind – the perfect one – the only one that could describe her life, her fate, the love in Hiiro and Rini's eyes.
"Go to sleep," he ordered her as he came back into the room and climbed back into bed.
"Just one more line, dear," she smiled distractedly, fingers tapping away.
"Hn," he muttered. She felt his warm breath on her arm as he moved to tamper with the machine in her lap.
Clicking save, she gasped as the laptop went dark.
"Hiiro!"
"Sleep. Now."
Sighing exasperatedly, she obliged and turned the light off, slipped under warm covers, and snuggled up to his side, utterly content.
The last line rang out in her head as sparkling sapphire eyes stared into the darkness and a glowing smile took a hold of her features. They closed as his steady heartbeat drowned out all other thoughts.
It was just love, really … but in the end, it was also so much more…
...Just love...
(...Just love...)
…………………
It's OVER! FINALLY!!! :D
Kamikaze Newt: Thanks! I needed to be reminded. ^___~ ::waves at Hiiro::
Senshi's Tenshi: Here's the epilogue! Thank you so much!! :D And always listen to the doctors because ::whispers:: they're right. ^___~
Jupiter Angel: Well! Great minds do think alike, don't they? :D I wanted to do the wedding too … though this might have gone a bit overboard. I think it got exceedingly sappy and dull. ^^;;
Jemjols: Ack! I just realized I hadn't reviewed for the last chapter of AGF!! ::tears at hair:: Lol. I'll go, I'll go. SM x GW fanfiction, yes, I'll keep on writing but … wonderful? ^____~
Jade Stellar: Tsk tsk tsk. Hiiro, Hiiro, Hiiro. Now that you're traumatized, go over to Vixen's fic and do a little of that, okay? There's a good boy. ::pats him on head:: Thanks for the review! :D
Brenda-chan: And I'm with you! :D How true, indeed. :D Thanks!
Alexz: Thank you! Though … don't you like angst more? LOL. I do. ^_____~
Pyro-Girl: It is? Dang it … I must be so weird loving angst more than this. ^^;;; But thank you! And I, for one, am SO glad it's over. ^^;;;
Serena Yuy: LOL. Thanks for all the great reviews! And you know me! Sooner or later, usually later, I always put them together! :D
Heart Soul: Ah … more title insertions. LOL. Me, smooth? :D Hiiro practiced bunches in front of the mirror. Five months! :D Loose ends tied up? Ahh … not at all, not at all. ::sigh:: I'm horrible at tying up loose ends … there are a lot of things that were never truly explained … but that's okay! :D
Key: Ack! Thank you, thank you! I can't believe anybody would miss it because I personally will NOT but … thank you! ^^
Silver Blade Silencer: Oh … I kinda cheat with your name. Cut and paste. ^^;; I want to see GW but then I don't … my illusions of it might be shattered. Like when I first watched EW … Duo's voice totally caught me off guard! LOL. And … ::blushes:: I mentioned the war again. ^^;;; And the whole part about living in a western movie in Houston? Totally a stereotype that people who don't live in Texas have. People, c'mon! Nobody rides horses to school in Texas. LOL. ^^;;; Thanks for you reviews! :D
Kaze: Thank you!! Here's the end, FINALLY! :D
Obsessed: Thank you! ^____^
Sunshine Fia: Lol … married soon? Hmm … with the six weeks limit that Usagi set and everything … I'd think this was … two months later? Lol. Depends on how you define "soon" I guess. Thank for the reviews! :D
Ryouga Saiyuki: ::glances around:: Shh! Don't tell! Lol. I actually tried to keep Hiiro's point of view limited .. at one point … LOL. Apparently it worked a bit too well. ^^;; I can't wait for more analysis! :D
Thanks everybody for sticking with me throughout this … this … Well, thanks anyway! :D
*****If anybody's interested in being alerted of updates, please email me at Angelight98@hotmail.com with the subject line "Subscribe: Mailing List" and I'd be glad to notify you every time I update something! :D
Yours, Angel.