Epilogue
"This is a beautiful place you've chosen." Relena took in the beautiful scenery of the park. Shades of red, gold and green were everywhere and there were even splotches of other colours everywhere as flowers that bloom all year round had opened their petals for the beautiful clear day.
"Arigato, Relena." Wufei smiled at his friend. "Actually, Meiran found the spot and suggested it to me when I told her about your visit." Meiran looked up at Wufei's mention of her and started to glare, then she realised that he wasn't saying anything derogative towards her and the glare turned into a confused gaze. Wufei smiled at this. "Of course, I was surprised when she did, after all, who could ever think an onna could come up with an idea alike this."
"Hey!" Meiran wasn't the only one who glared at him this time. Four more pairs of eyes turned their steely gaze on Wufei's countenance.
"That was real smart Wufei, saying something like that around these girls." Duo smirked at his friend, glad that for once he wasn't the one on the receiving end of those glares.
"Maxwell," Wufei growled warningly.
"Yes, Wuffie-wuf?" That did it.
"MAXWELL!" Duo leapt up and started running. "Omae o koroso!" Wufei started running after him, much to the amusement of everyone nearby.
"Hey ... you know ... Heero said ... the same thing ... to me ... yesterday," Duo called out to Wufei as he dashed away. "But I'm sure ... he's forgiven me ... by now." So saying, Duo slid onto the grass beside Heero and leaned down behind him. "You've forgiven me right? You're not still gonna kill me?" Duo panted, giving Heero his best puppy-dog eyes. "You wouldn't let Wufei hurt me would you?"
The braided boy's boyfriend considered the question seriously until he noticed something that had fallen out of Duo's pocket as he slid behind him. He picked up the packet of super-sticky highly translucent chewing gum and glared at his koi. "Were you planning another attempt at sabotaging my hair?"
Duo looked at him guiltily. "That was an accident. That gum was meant for ... uh ... um ... Quatre, yeah. Quat."
Heero got up.
"Hey, where are you going Hee-chan?"
"I'm letting Wufei have his way with you." Heero unconsciously reached up and touched at a spot behind his ear where his hair was slightly shorter than it was the day before.
Duo looked horrified. "You wouldn't!"
Heero grinned evilly. "Payback my pretty," he smirked and walked over and sat down beside Sally and the other girls, who were still laughing at Duo's misfortune. Wufei took the opportunity to jump on Duo while he was still shocked and pin him to the ground.
"Now you'll get what you deserve, Duokins." Wufei laughed at Duo's futile struggling and pleading as he undid Duo's braid.
A short while later Duo sat with his arms folded, a dark glare on his face and his mouth set in a sulking pout. No one would meet his gaze, every time someone would so much as glance at him, they would burst out laughing — even Trowa. Wufei sat smugly beside Meiran, proud of his handiwork. He'd wanted to do that for a long time.
"It's not that bad," Heero tried to mollify him, but couldn't stop snickering. Duo scowled darkly at him. "No really it's ..." Heero couldn't keep it up any more and fell over onto the soft grass and howled in amusement.
"Some boyfriend you are," Duo glared and flicked his head so that his two pink ribbon wound braids now lay behind him. No one could hold it in any more and they all burst out laughing, each of them in as bad a state as Heero.
"All ... all you need now ... is some matching clothes and make-up," Dorothy hooted with a hand to her side.
"I've got some," Relena piped up, holding up a small pink make-up case. Duo shied away from her with a fearful wide-eyed glance. Relena was the one who had supplied Wufei with the neon pink ribbons in the first place.
There was another round of laughter and things returned to a somewhat less humorous normal. Although, every time Duo would try to undo his braids, Wufei would glare at him and tell him to lower his hands. Duo's punishment was to wear his hair like that for the whole day.
The ten friends shared a huge lunch together under the huge willow tree by the small lake in the park and shared conversations, laughter and fond memories of times long gone and recent. Sally laughingly told them the various ways in which she and Duo had managed to get Odin and Midii in trouble. On top of the 'Grand Masterful Magical Incident of Gum' (which involved some of Duo's newly acquired super-sticky highly translucent chewing gum) there was also the 'Famous Unbelievable Fantastic Noodle Encounter' which involved freshly made noodles, scalding water and a furious teacher and two students in the perfect place at the perfect time for a prank. There were a few more minor events that took place, but those two combined were worth almost two weeks of suspension for both Odin and Midii.
As the afternoon wore on, they started to drowse and conversations became quieter and limited to fewer people.
Relena had not released Dorothy's hand the entire time they had been there and now had it cupped close to her chest while they lay on their backs cloud-gazing and whispering softly.
Hilde and Sally were at the water's edge laughing and splashing each other lightly, pointing out and whistling to any cute guys who walked past.
Wufei sat against the tree with Meiran leaning on his shoulder, dozing. At first Wufei seemed hesitant to sit so close, but eventually Meiran's persistent closing of the gap between them forced him to sit close enough to put his arm around her waist and hold her close to his side.
Heero had given in to Duo's persistent nagging and was unbraiding his hair and gently running his fingers through the wavy chestnut locks. Duo leaned back into him and drew Heero's head down close to his neck. Heero placed gentle touches of his lips along Duo's throat, his fingers still weaving sensuously through his partners long lustrous hair while turning his koi around so they sat face to face. Duo pushed Heero to the ground and kissed him passionately, his hair acting as a screen for them as it hung down over them, partially hiding them from view.
Quatre was sitting against Trowa, who was leaning against another tree, his eyes half-closed with lethargy and pleasure. The sun filtered down through the half-covered boughs bathing them in warmth and light and everything seemed red and gold, as it had been for the time that they'd been together.
Quatre was suddenly reminded of the poem that Dorothy had wrote and sent him:
Red. Gold.
Breath. Beat.
Healing. Pain.
Sorrow. Laughter.
Companionship.
The feel of warmth from the flame of a candle.
The scent of early autumn morn.
The sight of distant silver skies.
The sound of rolling thunder.
The flavour of light.
Life.
Is this all?
Is there more?
Water drips from the tips of fingers,
Pooling into reality.
Earth squeezes up between the toes,
Colouring the transparency.
Wind blows hair askew,
Shaping the truth of thought.
Fire reflects in the eyes,
Revealing what cannot be hid.
Serenity. Contentment.
Beauty.
Quatre laughed when he though of it. Trowa looked at him through lidded eyes. "What is it?"
"Just something that I remembered that reminded me of us." Quatre smiled at his beloved and gave him a soft kiss.
"Oh?" Trowa smiled and pinned Quatre to the ground in a sudden move. "And what exactly did it remind you of?" Trowa gave him a knowing smile and Quatre laughed.
Quatre reversed their positions so that he lay on top of Trowa. He smiled playfully. "Oh how I love you, my kitten." The words just slipped out without a real thought.
Trowa looked up at him, deep into Quatre's eyes. The aqua depths looked shocked, but there was no guile in them, no deceit. Just truth, passion and love.
Trowa brought his lips to Quatre's in a deep heartfelt kiss.
He looked into those eyes again and smiled. He leaned up again and gently placed a soft kiss on the tip of Quatre's nose, then spoke words he'd wanted to say for so long.
"Ai shiteru, Tenshi."
Well that's it. Please don't flame me for leaving some things unexplained and unfinished, there will be a sequel, I repeat THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL! I'll post a teaser up for you. It's going to be called "Death's Nightmare" (wonder who it's focusing on? ; ) ) it's mostly 1x2x1, but there will be lots of 3x4x3 in there also, it's going to be a lot angstier than this one and Odin features in it as a major character (the antagonist obviously). Anyways, let me know what you thought of this story, any criticisms, comments, flames even (but not about the sequel, which I have already explained). If there's any questions, I'll post the answers up with my teaser for the sequel. Okies, I thinks that's about it from me.
Until next time,
Vialana, Mistress of Night.
Ps. If any one wanted to know, or even cared, that poem is mine, it's called "Heart".