Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are the
property of Sotsu, Sunrise, TV Asahi, Bandai, etc. I don't own any part of it
and I'm not making any money out of it either. This is purely for entertainment
purposes, nothing more and nothing less.
Warnings: 2+R fic. A bit of angst and a wee bit OOC on Relena's part.
A.N: I think I'm the butt of life's joke. This fic was done a while ago, but my PC was down and I had no access to the Net. I went to a friend's house to upload it but noticed some errors so I decided to fix them. When I tried to save something went amiss; it said the document was protected; I checked for problems, but nothing turned up. Something should have clicked inside my head cause this happened before with ch. 12 of Zero Soul. Since I wasn't able save and it wouldn't let me leave without saving, I opted not to save. HAHAHAHAHA, after I did that, the entire chapter got erased... FROM MY DISK! Isn't that funny!? It's my fault for being so careless as to forget such a tragedy, thinking it could never happen again, especially on someone else's PC. I'm an IDIOT, a brainless, arrogant bastard who gets too cocky at times to realize that such things should never be assumed.
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My Ojousan
Chapter 6: Cold Heart, Warm Hands
By: veGie-kun
"Where did he go?"
"We don't know, sir," the blond-haired man replied into the cell phone. He turned to his left and saw his partner; a taller man with long brown hair tied in a loose ponytail, leaning against the black car.
"What do you mean you don't know? Did he tell you anything about his plans?" the politician's voice hitched up in trepidation.
"Sir," he sighed, "like I told you before, all he said was that he could handle the mission by himself and for us not to follow." He saw his partner walk towards his direction and turned back to his conversation, quickly commenting, "It was a direct order, we couldn't disobey. He looked ready to kill someone... and neither of us wanted to be that someone."
The taller man suddenly snatched the cell phone out of his grasp, briskly snapping at their client. "Sir, he's the best we've got. Now, if anything should go wrong, we'll contact you, until then just maintain a low profile and keep an eye out for anything that may happen." With that he turned off the device and slipped it into the inside pocket of his jacket. He turned to face his partner with a tired expression. "Wanna call it a night?"
The other man shrugged, "Nah, not really... Ya wanna go and get a drink? I hear the local pub has some of the best stuff around, not to mention a wonderful atmosphere." His partner sighed in resignation muttering a 'Why not?' before the two headed back towards the car.
As the blond opened the passenger side door, he hesitated, glancing at his partner to see if he felt the same way. "Do you think he'll be able to do what he set out to do?"
"Like I said earlier, he's the best we've got." There was a contemplative expression on his handsome face as memories came to mind. "Do you remember how he passed those qualification tests the first time round? I'd never seen anything like that in my life... makes me think he's had some prior 'special' training beforehand," he remarked, opening the driver's side door.
Puzzled, his partner hesitated in his actions, "He told us he use to be part of OZ, the Specials Division if I'm not mistaken."
"I don't think that's the case. The Specials are only trained in piloting mobile suits, not our type of 'work', yet he's able to do everything that took us months of training." A dark look passed over his green eyes.
The other blinked then chuckled aloud, "You worry too much." With that he got inside the car, his partner following suit.
"Maybe..." He looked out the window to see if it was safe to pull out.
*****
Duo's large, startled eyes looked passed the barrel of the gun into dangerous Prussian blue irises. "He-Heero!?" he stammered but was hushed when Heero pressed a finger to his lips. "What the hell are you doing here?" Giving the flabbergasted mechanic a deadly glare, he stepped inside and closed the door.
"Making sure you're not dead," came the monotone reply. He surveyed the living room, taking in all the details. His brows furrowed and his face grew stern, "Where's Relena?" he questioned apprehensively with concerned eyes.
"She's in Hilde's room, getting ready for bed," Duo answered, studying the tall figure in the dark navy suit and red tie. "Why do you ask?" His eyes widened as a revelation dawned on him. "Has our location been jeopardized?" There was worry in his voice and fear in his dark blue gaze.
"... No," the other hesitated, leaning on the wall to the right of the door, "I just wanted to make sure she was all right."
"... Yeah, sure," Duo remarked, rolling his eyes, his expression showed he didn't buy that excuse one bit. //Do you honestly expect me to believe that, Yuy? I can't believe that after all this time you still can't come to terms with your feelings for her... but I'm no better than you.// He surveyed the room, idly thinking before facing his former comrade. "Soooo," he drawled out, "Why are you really here? Why aren't you the one here protecting Relena?"
"That's my business," he answered coldly, glaring at Duo out of the corner of his eyes before closing them and taking a deep sigh, weary and exhausted over the events of the past week. "I've been keeping an eye on Representative Taylor and Relena... in fact," a mischievous smile appeared on his face, "I'm part of the organization Taylor hired to kill her: Todesengel."
"N-Nani?!" the mechanic sputtered, his eyes round with shock and disbelief. "Of all the- How the hell did you get yourself into that kind of situation?"
The other smirked, "It was easy. About a year ago I heard about that incident involving Taylor's country and their neighbors. Since his country was the first to take action, I knew they'd be the one to instigate a war but Relena interfered. She stated that allowing them military assistance would only further divide the nation and their surrounding neighbors. If Relena wasn't an obstacle, then Taylor could've easily won over a majority of the members, appealing to their greed by offering them a chance at monetary gains."
"After realizing that, I figured Taylor would do about almost anything to get rid of Relena, or at least keep her out of the way until the E.S.U.N. agreed to give him what he wanted. I decided to keep close to him and that's when I discovered Todesengel. It turns out his country and Todesengel have been associated with one another for a very long time. They use that organization for many of their political problems; apparently that country has many. So far I've managed to get by with stirring any suspicion..."
"So, how do we get them?" There was a dangerous gleam in his eyes and Heero was amazed at how serious the easy going youth had become.
"You're going to stay here to protect Relena... I already have a plan..." he remarked tentatively, "but I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it..."
*****
In a bar two men sat languidly on the counter stools, their backs hunched as they brooded over their drinks. The blond on the left was on his third shot of liquor while the brunette to his right was finishing his fourth. Their postures were relaxed and their movements gave no hints that the alcohol had taken its toll or not. In the bar's lazy atmosphere no one could have discerned these men as cold-blooded murderers. They needn't agonize about their enemies for they were men used to assassination attempts. They need not fear death; death was a close companion of theirs'.
"I don't trust him," the tall brunette spoke out of the blue.
"That's nothing new. Tell me something I don't know, Marcus," he replied sarcastically, swirling the glass before taking another sip of his drink.
"Dammit, Chris!" the other yelled, slamming his glass on the counter with an forceful 'thud', "This is serious! We could be dealing with a spy here." His face fumed with anger and many customers looked in their direction. His partner apologized to the other people for his companion's loud disruption.
With a sigh he turned on the brunette, "A spy?" there was a look of puzzlement in the younger man's face, "Are you sure?"
"Not really..." Marcus admitted, returning his attention to his unfinished scotch, "but you've seen for yourself what he's capable of; it's as if he's been involved with espionage all his life. If we're not careful, he could undermine all of Todesengel right under our noses."
"You're taking this way too seriously," the younger man chided, "Todesengel has been around for decades, it's not going to collapse because of one boy's actions." With a flick of his wrist, he downed the remaining liquor.
"Well, maybe you're not taking this seriously enough." The other rebuked, yet as he saw his partner begin another glass, he gave up the argument.
*****
"So who are they?" Duo queried from the couch.
Heero never liked being asked questions, but since those questions concerned the safety of the diplomat, he complied as best he could. "Assassins who'll do any job for the right amount of money," Heero replied nonchalantly. "They've been around since the time of the Alliance, Romefeller, and OZ."
"How many?" Another question.
"Including the leader, twenty-five, and all of them are as dangerous as I am." His head pivoted towards the couch and there was a serious look on his face. "They're men dead to the world, ghosts without pasts who'll take on new identities whenever threatened. If they wanted to, they could just disappear off the face of the Earth and no one would be the wiser."
"Kinda like you, huh?" Duo remarked in contempt and humor.
"Exactly. So imagine a whole organization full of them."
Duo's grin fell off and he shuddered inwardly as a picture of twenty-five tank topped and spandex clad figures formed in his mind. Each one had the Japanese's trademark glare along with small detonators in their hands. He tried to suppress the urge to cringe but a cold sensation managed to sneak its way down his spine. "Now that's scary." His mind would've continued with that train of thought but Heero cut him short.
"Trowa's informed me that Wufei and the Preventers are keeping an eye on Taylor. While I don't like that idea, their involvement might provide the necessary distraction I need to elude their watch and complete my mission."
"You've spoken to Trowa?" He asked, mildly surprised that the world-renowned King of the Hermits had actually contacted someone.
Heero nodded, "In fact, I'm the one who informed him of your situation."
"Figures... So... have you killed anyone yet?" the youth asked seriously not wanting to know the answer, but unable to think about anything else.
Heero's form slumped a bit and Duo could sense his unease. The Japanese seemed distant, concentrating all his thoughts on the carpeted floor of the German girl's house. He closed his eyes and thought back to a moment in time.
*FLASHBACK*
The pilot tumbled out of the wreckage that was once the magnificent WingZERO, now reduced to a mere cockpit with mangled limbs. The fight with Wufei and fire from the Serpents had left him with severe cuts, bruises, burns, and a major headache. The biting cold of the snowy surrounding only served to magnify his already serious injuries. Attempting to drown out the pain, he brought up images of the girl he'd promised to protect long ago. //Relena.// His attacks on the shielded base were accurate to a fault, yet that did not guarantee that the Vice Foreign Minister would not be harmed. His limping form picked up speed, desperately searching for an entrance to the underground hideout. Of course that didn't take long considering the enormous hole in the white laden landscape caused by his twin barrel buster rifle.
Approaching the huge gap he grew cautious, unsure of exactly how deep the darkness extended. The voices of reason and common sense grew louder inside his head yet this was not a time for doubts and second-guesses; he had a mission to complete. Taking a deep breath, he quieted his fears and leapt blindly into the darkness that eagerly swallowed him. The shadows consumed him wholly and Heero briefly wondered if it would ever end. He landed on the cold steel floor with a grace usually reserved for felines but a strength uniquely his own. He stood up, squinting at the dimly lit corridor; a light shone at the end of the tunnel. He pulled out the gun tucked in the back of his waist and held it close to his body. His control was shaky and his breath became labored, the pounding inside his head was getting louder. //What's happening? Why this? Why now? I can't lose it at a time like this; Relena's counting on me. She needs me!// With all uncertainties set aside, he dashed off in the direction of the light hoping to find Relena at the end of it.
*BANG*
His body froze along with his heart then they began throbbing fiercely. Everything became silent and nausea threatened to overwhelm his battered body. Without a second thought, he took off in a mad run; his grip on the gun tightened, turning his knuckles white. //She's not dead. She's not dead. She's not dead. She's not dead.// He repeated, a mantra to help soothe the painful ache in his heart. //She's not dead! I won't believe it! She can't die! She can't leave me like that!// A second shot fired but his body would not allow him to stop. Once at the light's entrance he stopped, seeing a mass of blonde hair. //She's safe.// The young woman was on the ground, supporting a small body in her lap, a little girl with short red hair who seemed to be in much pain.
With a quiet sigh, he slowly entered, drawing his gun. "I will end your suffering," he spoke firmly. The child smiled, whispering a faint 'I thank you kind sir' and he pulled the trigger. *click* The girl fainted and all eyes turned on him. "I've killed Mariemaia," he stated, "I will not kill anymore..." his voice wavered minutely, "...I don't have to..." the gun dropped from his fingers and his body shook. His eyes closed and he fell forward, succumbing to the exhaustion. The last thing he remembered were warm arms wrapping around him, providing comfort, warmth, and safety. His head leaned in the direction of her faint, pleasing scent wanting to drown in it. For the first time in years he was at peace, lulled to sleep by her beautiful, soothing voice.
*END FLASHBACK*
Heero looked up, dispelling the memories. The promise he made that day was something he could never take back; he meant what he had said and he'd do everything in his power to keep it. "... No..." he finally spoke, almost afraid of his own voice, "It hasn't come to that yet."
*****
The night wore on and the bar took on a lethargic feel, the ceiling fan spun at a slow and idle rate. The two assassins were still on the stools brooding over their drinks, "I hope he's not a spy," Chris confessed, peering closely at the shot glass, "I really don't want to kill him. He may be unsociable and difficult to talk and hold a conversation with, but he has talent... besides, good assassins are so hard to come by these days."
"That's just it!" Marcus declared, "He hasn't killed anyone yet! All he's managed to do so far is wound and disable our targets." The man calmed and shifted into a more comfortable position. "In training, he holds nothing back, fighting as if it's his last day on Earth, but out in the field he hesitates."
"Maybe he's just scared," the shorter man offered, contemplating the situation, "taking a life is always a difficult thing to get used to, especially for those new to the killing."
The brunette disagreed, "The way he fights... he's not green... he's killed before... I imagine many. I see it in his eyes... he's afraid of something..."
"Well," he offered, "in many cases when one has taken so many lives, the blood no longer washes off. Guilt is a powerful weapon; it can turn the most experienced killer into a bawling child," he grinned wickedly, "I'm just glad I don't have that problem."
"I don't either," he replied in a cold tone, "but he just might."
"What are you going to do? You can't kill him outright; it could turn out that he was clean all along. Plus," he smiled wickedly, "how will the boss take to you killing off one of his best men?"
"I honestly don't know. The only thing I can manage to do is keep an eye on him and I suggest you do the same." He waved at the bartender, rose out of his seat and laid a few credits on the counter. "C'mon, we'd better get going and see if we can find out where he went."
*****
"Hey, Heero, tell me why you're against Preventer involvement?" Duo queried, getting up from his seat. "I would've imagined that you'd be thrilled since you'd get more help?"
"I'm not saying that the Preventers are useless but this mission is different. They may have the numbers, but none of them have the necessary training required to handle Todesengel with the exception of Wufei. If they get mixed up with that organization all they'll accomplish is having their men killed. The Preventers have no idea who they're dealing with; they're dangerous, more so than you could ever imagine. It was months before I even found an any evidence of their existence; do you think the Preventers can do any better?"
"C'mon Heero, no one is unstoppable; with your help I'm sure they'll be able to take them down and put those guys away for good."
"You don't know what it was like being with them; they're people who shouldn't be trifled with!" Heero spat out furiously; his body quivered and he inserted all his will to repress the images of things that took place inside Todesengel. A noise from the bedroom hallway snapped him back to the present and he was overcome with alarm. "Look," he began, "I'll let the Preventers do whatever they want for now, but if they get too close for their own good, I'm going to do something about it. I'll contact you if and when you're close to being discovered. Until then, keep her safe." With that he made a nosedive for the door, but was stopped when Duo's hand grabbed his forearm.
"Where do you think you're going!?" Duo seethed. //Do you think you can get away that easily?// "If you haven't figured it out by now, Relena cares a lot about you and as much as you'd like to deny it, you care about her too." He chuckled offhandedly, "I can't imagine why she does though seeing as how you're never there for her."
Heero's eye's narrowed, "Let go." There was no room for arguments.
"Dammit, Heero! How can you be so cold?" His fists clenched around his comrade's arm but the other didn't even flinch.
"I have to be," he stated in his normal frigid way, glaring with the coldest eyes that the mechanic had ever seen.
"Look," Duo sighed, loosening his grip on the agent, "can't you stay for a little while longer? She needs to know that you're alive at least."
"Duo, are you still out there?" Relena called from the corridor.
The mechanic tilted his head in her direction and shouted, "Yeah, I'm still here!" When he turned back he was met with empty space, no sign of the Japanese anywhere. "Dammit," he cursed, striking at the wall and wishing it were the cold youth. He managed to compose himself when he heard soft footsteps enter the living room.
"I heard voices; was there someone here?" she came into view. The youth looked up and he saw that she was wearing light blue shorts and button-down shirt.
"Uh," Duo hesitated with the answer; he didn't want to lie but imagined that she wouldn't like hearing that Heero left because he didn't want to see her. "Uh, well... I was just talking to Wufei," it wasn't a total lie since the Chinese youth had been there not too long ago. "He just came by to drop off a few things we might need in the following days."
"Wufei? Well, how come he didn't stay longer, I would've liked to say 'Hi'."
The mechanic racked his head, trying to remember his earlier conversation with the Preventer. "Ya see... he had to check in with Sally although, before he left, he did ask about your well being."
"Wufei said that? Are you sure we're talking about the same guy here? The last I heard, he said that he didn't approve of me."
"Times change and so do people. Wufei's a different person now; he's made his peace. You should see him, even the women at Preventer HQ get along with him."
"Whoa..." Her eyes went wide; it was a scene too hard to imagine.
"Yeah, I felt the same way when Sally told me, I was actually speechless."
"I don't think that's possible. The day Duo Maxwell is left speechless is the day when I embrace war and violence." She stopped in her teasing when she saw Duo getting ready to pounce on her. "Eep," she squeaked and made ready to run, but Duo was already on her, tickling her.
*****
The dark shadow stood outside the house, gazing through the drawn curtains at the blurred figures inside, his heart aching. He heard the muffled laughter and wished he could've been the person in there making the girl laugh, making her as happy as she sounded. Yet despite his longing, he knew it could never be; destiny had other plans for them. He cared about her, but he was too intertwined with war to ever escape it completely and he didn't want her tainted with it. After the war, she'd helped him salvage the remains of his humanity and he'd been grateful. Then, when the Century Discovery firm tried to kidnap her; he promised that whoever her enemies may be, he'd be there to protect her. Turning around, he silently made his way down the streets.
Everything he did was to spare others from the pain he'd suffered growing up during the time of OZ and the Alliance. Pain. It wasn't something he was unfamiliar with, but one could only take so much in one lifetime. How long was his lifetime going to be? How much more misery was he to undergo before it all became too much and his body and mind would say 'no more'. But, despite all that, he had a mission to fulfill and no matter what others would say they were the primary goals in his life. The situation called not for the person he wanted to be, normal, but for the soldier he was trained to be, unwavering.
He thought back to all those times he'd watched over the diplomat, protecting her from the shadows. She'd done so much to help repair the lives of everyone else that she'd neglected her own well being. Yet as much as he wanted to be the one to comfort her, he just didn't know how. He'd suppressed his emotions for so long, training to be the 'Perfect Soldier' that he no longer knew what actions to take. Only just now was he learning how to express the feelings that weren't tied with destruction, but he truly wanted her to be happy. Happiness on his part would be difficult; instead, he opted to help the diplomat achieve her happiness. //For all that you've done, I have yet to find a means to repay you. For now, let me be your shadow, let me stay by your side just a little while longer.//
*****
"So do you give up?" Duo teased. Only when the girl took back her words did he relent in his torture. With a sigh, he fell back onto the couch, taking the girl with him, a squeak of protest came but was quickly replaced with peels of laughter. They sat there for a moment before Duo remembered something that came to mind. "So, 'Jousan," he said, looking down on the lithe form in his arms, "what was it you wanted to ask me?"
Relena blushed remembering what she had wanted to ask of him earlier. Averting her eyes from Duo's she began playing nervously with the edge of her nightshirt. "Well..." her voice trailed off.
"C'mon, 'Jousan, what is it?" Duo leaned in to try and hear her words. //Hm, maybe she's gonna tell me that she's fallen madly in love with me and that she wants a kiss. ::You've got to be kiddin' right? Do you hear yourself? I know you're insane and all but this takes the cake! Sure you're devilishly handsome with a great sense of humor and in the past two days you've grown quite close to her, but c'mon! She's been in love with suicide boy for nearly five years now! Where do you think you stand in there? Nowhere!:: Geez, talk about being brutally honest! You really know how to shoot a man's pride down; can't you ease up a bit? ::When you become a man I'll show you more respect, but until then you still need a good boot in the behind!:: *sigh* I guess you're right... but you never know...//
"Play with you're hair!" Relena blurted, snapping the young man out of his trance. Duo was left speechless; he blinked once, twice, two more times and finally his mouth fell open.
"Y-Y-You want to what?!" he stuttered, unable to grasp the girl's statement.
"Play with your hair. You see, Duo, when I was younger, I never really had a chance to play with dolls, dressing them up and fixing their hair. Well, when I first met you I noticed how long and pretty-" She was stopped short when the mechanic placed his hand over her mouth, silencing her.
"Okay, now stop there," he said firmly, "You never, never, and I mean never use that word to describe any part of a guy. You can use the words handsome, cool, nice, manly, and good looking, but pretty is off limits. Got that?"
"Um... okay... Well, since you have such nice hair," she started once more omitting the word 'pretty', "I was wondering if you would be my doll for awhile?" she looked up with puppy dogs eyes and the youth had to divert his gaze or be swallowed up by those ocean blues.
"Uh..." He wavered, unsure of what actions to take. //What am I supposed to say? ::What are you waiting for BAKA!? Say no! Our pride is at stake here! I will not allow you to subject us to such humiliations just for the sake of that girl's amusement! Do you hear me!:: Oh shut up! I'm going to do this and that'll be the end of it, besides... she needs this.// He smiled down at the girl, "Sure, 'Jousan."
The girl couldn't believe her ears; he actually agreed. She clasped her hands together, smiling brightly, "Really? Oh, thank you so much, Duo! You don't know how much this means to me," Relena reeled forward and embraced Duo in a warm, tight hug trying to convey all her gratitude and appreciation. "I'm going to get some stuff but I'll be right back," she let go and gleefully bounced off the couch and towards the bedroom.
Duo settled on the sofa, crossing his legs and sprawling his arms on its head. In Relena's absence, he was bombarded by the voices in his head. //::What have you done?! How could you do this to us?:: C'mon how bad could it be?// At that moment the girl in question bounded into he room, a brush, hand mirror, ribbons, and rubber bands in her possession. The smile on her face set aside some doubts and fear, but they also inspired some new ones as well. At that moment a chill ran down his spine and he wondered if it was too late to high tail it out of there and run for the hills. //Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. ::Maybe? Maybe?! You fool! What have you gotten us into!? Oh for the love of Shinigami, someone save me!:: *GULP*//
"Turn around," the girl instructed, waiting until the youth moved, sitting cross-legged with his back to her, before getting on the couch. She positioned herself behind him, but stopped with her activity when she sensed his nervousness. Settling a hand on his shoulder, she reassured him that all would be all right and to trust her in her tasks. The gesture eased his tension and he leaned into that warm touch. Once he was settled she began her work by removing the rubber band on his braid, after which she began separating the three ropes that made it up. Before Duo knew it Relena was already brushing his hair, amazed at how soft those chestnut colored strands were.
Relena's gentle brushstrokes felt like soft caresses and although Duo had protested it earlier, he quickly succumbed to the small pleasure. Not since the time at Maxwell church with sister Helen had someone given him this much attention. He loved it and dreamed of what it would be like if the girl did this for him every night; his schedule never allowed him the time to bestow his hair with much consideration. "Hey, 'Jousan," Duo piped up, "how come you said you'd never done anything like this before?"
"Well," she began still brushing, "my childhood was a busy one; every time my father went into space I had to follow him so I had no time for dolls."
"What about your friends?" he queried concentrating on the movements of her hands, "Heero once told me you had this flock of girls following you around everywhere when he was at St. Gabriel's, weren't they your friends?"
"Well..." she started quietly, "in a way they were my friends, but it wasn't always so. My childhood was very lonely; Pagan was the only one I truly called my friend. When I started attending St. Gabriel's the students there didn't care much for me and left me alone; I didn't mind it all that much but no one likes to be alone. You could imagine how I felt when they started talking to me; I loved it," she confessed. "They weren't all that bad, quite nice in fact, even if it was just because of my father. Since he was the Vice Foreign Minister for the Alliance they saw me in the same light, placing me on a pedestal too high for me. Because we were very affluent, they wanted to be connected with us, believing that they could benefit from our status. The rich only associate with the rich... So," she exclaimed with renewed vigor, "to answer your question; yes, they were my friends... just not very good ones."
*****
Walking through the night, Heero pulled his coat tighter around himself despite the colony's moderate climate. His cold, analytical mind calculating and drawing up battle plans with inhuman speed. Boundaries had been set as to what those plans could entail, but instead of hampering his progress it sped it up. He easily discarded the tactics that overstepped them but soon realized that for the task at hand he would require some assistance. The only problem was where to acquire that help. Wufei was out the question; although he was once a fellow Gundam pilot, he was now a Preventer. As soon as he turned his back, Wufei would have the Preventers by his side in no time. There were few people in this life that Heero fully trusted, the last being a man named Odin Lowe. When he was just a boy, the man adopted him, becoming his mentor and guardian, teaching him how to survive and get revenge on OZ. His death left Heero without a guide; told to follow emotions he knew nothing about.
The only other one who commanded such trust from him was the former pilot of Heavyarms: Trowa Barton. The tall stoic boy had been his ally during the war and in the past their partnership had always bore fruitful results. Of all the pilots, he trusted Trowa the most, their similar upbringing and knowledge in warfare assured Heero that Trowa would do what was best. So much alike, they knew and predicted each other's moves and thoughts, acting in accordance to them. Both trained from early childhood to be 'Perfect Soldiers', they were the ones who knew what it was like to take countless lives. Their past would always be three steps behind, haunting them in their sleep, bringing forth memories they wanted buried; only in death would they ever find peace. In Trowa Heero had found a partner who could be just as ruthless when the time called for it and time was running out; he was left with no other options. The night enclosed him and he made his way in the direction of the circus. Yes, he would call upon the stoic young man once again; there was no one else.
*****
"N-N-Nani!!??" Duo choked as he stared into hand mirror. The image that stared back was a boy with two braids on each side of his head, framing his heart shaped face.
"So, Duo, what do you think? You like it?" Relena asked, happy with her work.
The mechanic turned his head and gave her a look that bordered on insanity; in the back of his mind he wondered if she had been teasing when she asked that question. His eyes twitched along with his fingers and he tried to be as articulate as he could with his words. "I-I-I... I look like I'm about to deliver a picnic basket to Grandma's house!" With an indignant expression, he crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, "Next!"
*****
Duo blinked once, then twice, then a third time as he stared at the reflection in the mirror. The person on the other end couldn't be him, it just couldn't. There was no way that that youth was him, the best mechanic on L2, Shinigami, the God of Death, the honored and revered hero of the Eve Wars. There was just no way they could be the same person.
"Duo, are you all right?"
"... I've got a pair of puffballs on my head!" He wailed, flailing his arms wildly about, dramatically. Relena patted his shoulders, apologizing over and over again. Duo suddenly pointed to his head and there looked to be tears at the corner of his eyes, "Change it please!"
*****
"......"
"Duo?" Relena's voice quivered with fear and she nudged the body in front of her. "Duo, say something," she pleaded, wondering what was ailing the youth.
"... I..." he began with a confused voice, "... I look like you... Why?" It was true; the youth slightly resemble the girl, his hair had been done in the same fashion as the diplomat when she had been younger and off chasing Gundam pilots. He could have been mistaken for a girl, but his sharp facial angles definitely labeled him as male. He began to sniffle and he drew up his knees, burying his head in his arms. "For the sake of all that's pure and holy in this universe... How could you do this to me!? That's it, now it's my turn."
*****
As the night wore on, Duo continued his ministrations on Relena's hair, wondering how he could receive so much pleasure in such a simple act. His hands glided through golden silk and he gave himself over to the task. "Duo, why do you call me that?" Relena suddenly questioned, snapping him from his thoughts.
"Call you what, 'Jousan?" Duo asked while continuing to work her hair, he laid down the brush to stick a few bobby pins in her hair.
"That," she pointed out, tilting her head to gaze up at him, "Why do you call me Ojousan?"
"Why do you ask?" His hands stopped, "You don't like it?"
"No, it's not that," she reassured leaning back against Duo's chest. "It's just that... Well, I know that it means 'Miss', but we've known each other for some time now, right? So I don't think you need to keep calling me that."
The mechanic chuckled and he resumed his task. "You see, to me 'Miss' means a young lady who's refined, intelligent, charming, sweet, and beautiful. From what I can see, you have all those qualities and more; in my book, you're the epitome of what a lady should be." Relena's blush went unnoticed and Duo went on. "But Ojousan can also mean honorable daughter."
"Honorable daughter?" she questioned, turning around again to look into his face and possibly decipher his meaning.
"Uh huh," he said, nodding his head he placed a finger on her cheek and directed her head into its original position. "When the war ended I assumed you would just go back to your fancy life as an ordinary girl; I knew it would be difficult after that whole Queen of the world thing but... I just thought that was how it was supposed to be, you know, everything going back to normal. I never expected you to take your father's position as the Vice Foreign Minister."
"I had no choice."
"There is always a choice," he reprimanded, "You could have gone back to the life you've always had before the war, before the Gundams... but you didn't. By choosing that path you gave up your chance at normalcy... and possibly happiness... At first I thought you were just being irrational and foolish, but when I saw what a good affect you had on this world, I realized you had made that decision long before the war ended." He sighed and smiled at the girl in front of him. "It was an admirable thing to do; honoring your father that way. From that moment on I couldn't see you in any other way... but you probably think that I'm crazy."
"... I don't think that... and I'm very flattered that you think so highly of me... I don't deserve such praise..."
"You're too modest for your own good... Done!" he shouted with much pride, edging back to admire his handiwork. Her hair had been separated in half, both sides braided, then twining around her head so that they formed a circle. //Perfect! A beautiful angel needs a halo. My angel... my Ojousan...//
"Ahhhh," Relena yawned, stretching out her slender limbs. Like a little child, she rubbed her eyes, trying to chase away the sleep that was fast approaching.
"Well, I guess that means we should call it a night, ne?" Duo joked, but his expression became serious when he felt Relena tense under his touch. //She's still scared...// "Don't worry, they won't try anything while I'm here; I'll protect you." Reassured be his words, the girl got up from the couch, said a quiet 'Good night'. Duo stared at her retreating form with sad eyes, wishing he could do more for her. "Oyasumi... Ojousan."
-to be continued-
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Well, it wasn't how I wanted it but I guess it'll have to do considering what poor memory I have. The fic has the gist of what the original contained, the detail is another matter entirely.
Warnings: 2+R fic. A bit of angst and a wee bit OOC on Relena's part.
A.N: I think I'm the butt of life's joke. This fic was done a while ago, but my PC was down and I had no access to the Net. I went to a friend's house to upload it but noticed some errors so I decided to fix them. When I tried to save something went amiss; it said the document was protected; I checked for problems, but nothing turned up. Something should have clicked inside my head cause this happened before with ch. 12 of Zero Soul. Since I wasn't able save and it wouldn't let me leave without saving, I opted not to save. HAHAHAHAHA, after I did that, the entire chapter got erased... FROM MY DISK! Isn't that funny!? It's my fault for being so careless as to forget such a tragedy, thinking it could never happen again, especially on someone else's PC. I'm an IDIOT, a brainless, arrogant bastard who gets too cocky at times to realize that such things should never be assumed.
My Ojousan
Chapter 6: Cold Heart, Warm Hands
By: veGie-kun
"Where did he go?"
"We don't know, sir," the blond-haired man replied into the cell phone. He turned to his left and saw his partner; a taller man with long brown hair tied in a loose ponytail, leaning against the black car.
"What do you mean you don't know? Did he tell you anything about his plans?" the politician's voice hitched up in trepidation.
"Sir," he sighed, "like I told you before, all he said was that he could handle the mission by himself and for us not to follow." He saw his partner walk towards his direction and turned back to his conversation, quickly commenting, "It was a direct order, we couldn't disobey. He looked ready to kill someone... and neither of us wanted to be that someone."
The taller man suddenly snatched the cell phone out of his grasp, briskly snapping at their client. "Sir, he's the best we've got. Now, if anything should go wrong, we'll contact you, until then just maintain a low profile and keep an eye out for anything that may happen." With that he turned off the device and slipped it into the inside pocket of his jacket. He turned to face his partner with a tired expression. "Wanna call it a night?"
The other man shrugged, "Nah, not really... Ya wanna go and get a drink? I hear the local pub has some of the best stuff around, not to mention a wonderful atmosphere." His partner sighed in resignation muttering a 'Why not?' before the two headed back towards the car.
As the blond opened the passenger side door, he hesitated, glancing at his partner to see if he felt the same way. "Do you think he'll be able to do what he set out to do?"
"Like I said earlier, he's the best we've got." There was a contemplative expression on his handsome face as memories came to mind. "Do you remember how he passed those qualification tests the first time round? I'd never seen anything like that in my life... makes me think he's had some prior 'special' training beforehand," he remarked, opening the driver's side door.
Puzzled, his partner hesitated in his actions, "He told us he use to be part of OZ, the Specials Division if I'm not mistaken."
"I don't think that's the case. The Specials are only trained in piloting mobile suits, not our type of 'work', yet he's able to do everything that took us months of training." A dark look passed over his green eyes.
The other blinked then chuckled aloud, "You worry too much." With that he got inside the car, his partner following suit.
"Maybe..." He looked out the window to see if it was safe to pull out.
Duo's large, startled eyes looked passed the barrel of the gun into dangerous Prussian blue irises. "He-Heero!?" he stammered but was hushed when Heero pressed a finger to his lips. "What the hell are you doing here?" Giving the flabbergasted mechanic a deadly glare, he stepped inside and closed the door.
"Making sure you're not dead," came the monotone reply. He surveyed the living room, taking in all the details. His brows furrowed and his face grew stern, "Where's Relena?" he questioned apprehensively with concerned eyes.
"She's in Hilde's room, getting ready for bed," Duo answered, studying the tall figure in the dark navy suit and red tie. "Why do you ask?" His eyes widened as a revelation dawned on him. "Has our location been jeopardized?" There was worry in his voice and fear in his dark blue gaze.
"... No," the other hesitated, leaning on the wall to the right of the door, "I just wanted to make sure she was all right."
"... Yeah, sure," Duo remarked, rolling his eyes, his expression showed he didn't buy that excuse one bit. //Do you honestly expect me to believe that, Yuy? I can't believe that after all this time you still can't come to terms with your feelings for her... but I'm no better than you.// He surveyed the room, idly thinking before facing his former comrade. "Soooo," he drawled out, "Why are you really here? Why aren't you the one here protecting Relena?"
"That's my business," he answered coldly, glaring at Duo out of the corner of his eyes before closing them and taking a deep sigh, weary and exhausted over the events of the past week. "I've been keeping an eye on Representative Taylor and Relena... in fact," a mischievous smile appeared on his face, "I'm part of the organization Taylor hired to kill her: Todesengel."
"N-Nani?!" the mechanic sputtered, his eyes round with shock and disbelief. "Of all the- How the hell did you get yourself into that kind of situation?"
The other smirked, "It was easy. About a year ago I heard about that incident involving Taylor's country and their neighbors. Since his country was the first to take action, I knew they'd be the one to instigate a war but Relena interfered. She stated that allowing them military assistance would only further divide the nation and their surrounding neighbors. If Relena wasn't an obstacle, then Taylor could've easily won over a majority of the members, appealing to their greed by offering them a chance at monetary gains."
"After realizing that, I figured Taylor would do about almost anything to get rid of Relena, or at least keep her out of the way until the E.S.U.N. agreed to give him what he wanted. I decided to keep close to him and that's when I discovered Todesengel. It turns out his country and Todesengel have been associated with one another for a very long time. They use that organization for many of their political problems; apparently that country has many. So far I've managed to get by with stirring any suspicion..."
"So, how do we get them?" There was a dangerous gleam in his eyes and Heero was amazed at how serious the easy going youth had become.
"You're going to stay here to protect Relena... I already have a plan..." he remarked tentatively, "but I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it..."
In a bar two men sat languidly on the counter stools, their backs hunched as they brooded over their drinks. The blond on the left was on his third shot of liquor while the brunette to his right was finishing his fourth. Their postures were relaxed and their movements gave no hints that the alcohol had taken its toll or not. In the bar's lazy atmosphere no one could have discerned these men as cold-blooded murderers. They needn't agonize about their enemies for they were men used to assassination attempts. They need not fear death; death was a close companion of theirs'.
"I don't trust him," the tall brunette spoke out of the blue.
"That's nothing new. Tell me something I don't know, Marcus," he replied sarcastically, swirling the glass before taking another sip of his drink.
"Dammit, Chris!" the other yelled, slamming his glass on the counter with an forceful 'thud', "This is serious! We could be dealing with a spy here." His face fumed with anger and many customers looked in their direction. His partner apologized to the other people for his companion's loud disruption.
With a sigh he turned on the brunette, "A spy?" there was a look of puzzlement in the younger man's face, "Are you sure?"
"Not really..." Marcus admitted, returning his attention to his unfinished scotch, "but you've seen for yourself what he's capable of; it's as if he's been involved with espionage all his life. If we're not careful, he could undermine all of Todesengel right under our noses."
"You're taking this way too seriously," the younger man chided, "Todesengel has been around for decades, it's not going to collapse because of one boy's actions." With a flick of his wrist, he downed the remaining liquor.
"Well, maybe you're not taking this seriously enough." The other rebuked, yet as he saw his partner begin another glass, he gave up the argument.
"So who are they?" Duo queried from the couch.
Heero never liked being asked questions, but since those questions concerned the safety of the diplomat, he complied as best he could. "Assassins who'll do any job for the right amount of money," Heero replied nonchalantly. "They've been around since the time of the Alliance, Romefeller, and OZ."
"How many?" Another question.
"Including the leader, twenty-five, and all of them are as dangerous as I am." His head pivoted towards the couch and there was a serious look on his face. "They're men dead to the world, ghosts without pasts who'll take on new identities whenever threatened. If they wanted to, they could just disappear off the face of the Earth and no one would be the wiser."
"Kinda like you, huh?" Duo remarked in contempt and humor.
"Exactly. So imagine a whole organization full of them."
Duo's grin fell off and he shuddered inwardly as a picture of twenty-five tank topped and spandex clad figures formed in his mind. Each one had the Japanese's trademark glare along with small detonators in their hands. He tried to suppress the urge to cringe but a cold sensation managed to sneak its way down his spine. "Now that's scary." His mind would've continued with that train of thought but Heero cut him short.
"Trowa's informed me that Wufei and the Preventers are keeping an eye on Taylor. While I don't like that idea, their involvement might provide the necessary distraction I need to elude their watch and complete my mission."
"You've spoken to Trowa?" He asked, mildly surprised that the world-renowned King of the Hermits had actually contacted someone.
Heero nodded, "In fact, I'm the one who informed him of your situation."
"Figures... So... have you killed anyone yet?" the youth asked seriously not wanting to know the answer, but unable to think about anything else.
Heero's form slumped a bit and Duo could sense his unease. The Japanese seemed distant, concentrating all his thoughts on the carpeted floor of the German girl's house. He closed his eyes and thought back to a moment in time.
*FLASHBACK*
The pilot tumbled out of the wreckage that was once the magnificent WingZERO, now reduced to a mere cockpit with mangled limbs. The fight with Wufei and fire from the Serpents had left him with severe cuts, bruises, burns, and a major headache. The biting cold of the snowy surrounding only served to magnify his already serious injuries. Attempting to drown out the pain, he brought up images of the girl he'd promised to protect long ago. //Relena.// His attacks on the shielded base were accurate to a fault, yet that did not guarantee that the Vice Foreign Minister would not be harmed. His limping form picked up speed, desperately searching for an entrance to the underground hideout. Of course that didn't take long considering the enormous hole in the white laden landscape caused by his twin barrel buster rifle.
Approaching the huge gap he grew cautious, unsure of exactly how deep the darkness extended. The voices of reason and common sense grew louder inside his head yet this was not a time for doubts and second-guesses; he had a mission to complete. Taking a deep breath, he quieted his fears and leapt blindly into the darkness that eagerly swallowed him. The shadows consumed him wholly and Heero briefly wondered if it would ever end. He landed on the cold steel floor with a grace usually reserved for felines but a strength uniquely his own. He stood up, squinting at the dimly lit corridor; a light shone at the end of the tunnel. He pulled out the gun tucked in the back of his waist and held it close to his body. His control was shaky and his breath became labored, the pounding inside his head was getting louder. //What's happening? Why this? Why now? I can't lose it at a time like this; Relena's counting on me. She needs me!// With all uncertainties set aside, he dashed off in the direction of the light hoping to find Relena at the end of it.
*BANG*
His body froze along with his heart then they began throbbing fiercely. Everything became silent and nausea threatened to overwhelm his battered body. Without a second thought, he took off in a mad run; his grip on the gun tightened, turning his knuckles white. //She's not dead. She's not dead. She's not dead. She's not dead.// He repeated, a mantra to help soothe the painful ache in his heart. //She's not dead! I won't believe it! She can't die! She can't leave me like that!// A second shot fired but his body would not allow him to stop. Once at the light's entrance he stopped, seeing a mass of blonde hair. //She's safe.// The young woman was on the ground, supporting a small body in her lap, a little girl with short red hair who seemed to be in much pain.
With a quiet sigh, he slowly entered, drawing his gun. "I will end your suffering," he spoke firmly. The child smiled, whispering a faint 'I thank you kind sir' and he pulled the trigger. *click* The girl fainted and all eyes turned on him. "I've killed Mariemaia," he stated, "I will not kill anymore..." his voice wavered minutely, "...I don't have to..." the gun dropped from his fingers and his body shook. His eyes closed and he fell forward, succumbing to the exhaustion. The last thing he remembered were warm arms wrapping around him, providing comfort, warmth, and safety. His head leaned in the direction of her faint, pleasing scent wanting to drown in it. For the first time in years he was at peace, lulled to sleep by her beautiful, soothing voice.
*END FLASHBACK*
Heero looked up, dispelling the memories. The promise he made that day was something he could never take back; he meant what he had said and he'd do everything in his power to keep it. "... No..." he finally spoke, almost afraid of his own voice, "It hasn't come to that yet."
The night wore on and the bar took on a lethargic feel, the ceiling fan spun at a slow and idle rate. The two assassins were still on the stools brooding over their drinks, "I hope he's not a spy," Chris confessed, peering closely at the shot glass, "I really don't want to kill him. He may be unsociable and difficult to talk and hold a conversation with, but he has talent... besides, good assassins are so hard to come by these days."
"That's just it!" Marcus declared, "He hasn't killed anyone yet! All he's managed to do so far is wound and disable our targets." The man calmed and shifted into a more comfortable position. "In training, he holds nothing back, fighting as if it's his last day on Earth, but out in the field he hesitates."
"Maybe he's just scared," the shorter man offered, contemplating the situation, "taking a life is always a difficult thing to get used to, especially for those new to the killing."
The brunette disagreed, "The way he fights... he's not green... he's killed before... I imagine many. I see it in his eyes... he's afraid of something..."
"Well," he offered, "in many cases when one has taken so many lives, the blood no longer washes off. Guilt is a powerful weapon; it can turn the most experienced killer into a bawling child," he grinned wickedly, "I'm just glad I don't have that problem."
"I don't either," he replied in a cold tone, "but he just might."
"What are you going to do? You can't kill him outright; it could turn out that he was clean all along. Plus," he smiled wickedly, "how will the boss take to you killing off one of his best men?"
"I honestly don't know. The only thing I can manage to do is keep an eye on him and I suggest you do the same." He waved at the bartender, rose out of his seat and laid a few credits on the counter. "C'mon, we'd better get going and see if we can find out where he went."
"Hey, Heero, tell me why you're against Preventer involvement?" Duo queried, getting up from his seat. "I would've imagined that you'd be thrilled since you'd get more help?"
"I'm not saying that the Preventers are useless but this mission is different. They may have the numbers, but none of them have the necessary training required to handle Todesengel with the exception of Wufei. If they get mixed up with that organization all they'll accomplish is having their men killed. The Preventers have no idea who they're dealing with; they're dangerous, more so than you could ever imagine. It was months before I even found an any evidence of their existence; do you think the Preventers can do any better?"
"C'mon Heero, no one is unstoppable; with your help I'm sure they'll be able to take them down and put those guys away for good."
"You don't know what it was like being with them; they're people who shouldn't be trifled with!" Heero spat out furiously; his body quivered and he inserted all his will to repress the images of things that took place inside Todesengel. A noise from the bedroom hallway snapped him back to the present and he was overcome with alarm. "Look," he began, "I'll let the Preventers do whatever they want for now, but if they get too close for their own good, I'm going to do something about it. I'll contact you if and when you're close to being discovered. Until then, keep her safe." With that he made a nosedive for the door, but was stopped when Duo's hand grabbed his forearm.
"Where do you think you're going!?" Duo seethed. //Do you think you can get away that easily?// "If you haven't figured it out by now, Relena cares a lot about you and as much as you'd like to deny it, you care about her too." He chuckled offhandedly, "I can't imagine why she does though seeing as how you're never there for her."
Heero's eye's narrowed, "Let go." There was no room for arguments.
"Dammit, Heero! How can you be so cold?" His fists clenched around his comrade's arm but the other didn't even flinch.
"I have to be," he stated in his normal frigid way, glaring with the coldest eyes that the mechanic had ever seen.
"Look," Duo sighed, loosening his grip on the agent, "can't you stay for a little while longer? She needs to know that you're alive at least."
"Duo, are you still out there?" Relena called from the corridor.
The mechanic tilted his head in her direction and shouted, "Yeah, I'm still here!" When he turned back he was met with empty space, no sign of the Japanese anywhere. "Dammit," he cursed, striking at the wall and wishing it were the cold youth. He managed to compose himself when he heard soft footsteps enter the living room.
"I heard voices; was there someone here?" she came into view. The youth looked up and he saw that she was wearing light blue shorts and button-down shirt.
"Uh," Duo hesitated with the answer; he didn't want to lie but imagined that she wouldn't like hearing that Heero left because he didn't want to see her. "Uh, well... I was just talking to Wufei," it wasn't a total lie since the Chinese youth had been there not too long ago. "He just came by to drop off a few things we might need in the following days."
"Wufei? Well, how come he didn't stay longer, I would've liked to say 'Hi'."
The mechanic racked his head, trying to remember his earlier conversation with the Preventer. "Ya see... he had to check in with Sally although, before he left, he did ask about your well being."
"Wufei said that? Are you sure we're talking about the same guy here? The last I heard, he said that he didn't approve of me."
"Times change and so do people. Wufei's a different person now; he's made his peace. You should see him, even the women at Preventer HQ get along with him."
"Whoa..." Her eyes went wide; it was a scene too hard to imagine.
"Yeah, I felt the same way when Sally told me, I was actually speechless."
"I don't think that's possible. The day Duo Maxwell is left speechless is the day when I embrace war and violence." She stopped in her teasing when she saw Duo getting ready to pounce on her. "Eep," she squeaked and made ready to run, but Duo was already on her, tickling her.
The dark shadow stood outside the house, gazing through the drawn curtains at the blurred figures inside, his heart aching. He heard the muffled laughter and wished he could've been the person in there making the girl laugh, making her as happy as she sounded. Yet despite his longing, he knew it could never be; destiny had other plans for them. He cared about her, but he was too intertwined with war to ever escape it completely and he didn't want her tainted with it. After the war, she'd helped him salvage the remains of his humanity and he'd been grateful. Then, when the Century Discovery firm tried to kidnap her; he promised that whoever her enemies may be, he'd be there to protect her. Turning around, he silently made his way down the streets.
Everything he did was to spare others from the pain he'd suffered growing up during the time of OZ and the Alliance. Pain. It wasn't something he was unfamiliar with, but one could only take so much in one lifetime. How long was his lifetime going to be? How much more misery was he to undergo before it all became too much and his body and mind would say 'no more'. But, despite all that, he had a mission to fulfill and no matter what others would say they were the primary goals in his life. The situation called not for the person he wanted to be, normal, but for the soldier he was trained to be, unwavering.
He thought back to all those times he'd watched over the diplomat, protecting her from the shadows. She'd done so much to help repair the lives of everyone else that she'd neglected her own well being. Yet as much as he wanted to be the one to comfort her, he just didn't know how. He'd suppressed his emotions for so long, training to be the 'Perfect Soldier' that he no longer knew what actions to take. Only just now was he learning how to express the feelings that weren't tied with destruction, but he truly wanted her to be happy. Happiness on his part would be difficult; instead, he opted to help the diplomat achieve her happiness. //For all that you've done, I have yet to find a means to repay you. For now, let me be your shadow, let me stay by your side just a little while longer.//
"So do you give up?" Duo teased. Only when the girl took back her words did he relent in his torture. With a sigh, he fell back onto the couch, taking the girl with him, a squeak of protest came but was quickly replaced with peels of laughter. They sat there for a moment before Duo remembered something that came to mind. "So, 'Jousan," he said, looking down on the lithe form in his arms, "what was it you wanted to ask me?"
Relena blushed remembering what she had wanted to ask of him earlier. Averting her eyes from Duo's she began playing nervously with the edge of her nightshirt. "Well..." her voice trailed off.
"C'mon, 'Jousan, what is it?" Duo leaned in to try and hear her words. //Hm, maybe she's gonna tell me that she's fallen madly in love with me and that she wants a kiss. ::You've got to be kiddin' right? Do you hear yourself? I know you're insane and all but this takes the cake! Sure you're devilishly handsome with a great sense of humor and in the past two days you've grown quite close to her, but c'mon! She's been in love with suicide boy for nearly five years now! Where do you think you stand in there? Nowhere!:: Geez, talk about being brutally honest! You really know how to shoot a man's pride down; can't you ease up a bit? ::When you become a man I'll show you more respect, but until then you still need a good boot in the behind!:: *sigh* I guess you're right... but you never know...//
"Play with you're hair!" Relena blurted, snapping the young man out of his trance. Duo was left speechless; he blinked once, twice, two more times and finally his mouth fell open.
"Y-Y-You want to what?!" he stuttered, unable to grasp the girl's statement.
"Play with your hair. You see, Duo, when I was younger, I never really had a chance to play with dolls, dressing them up and fixing their hair. Well, when I first met you I noticed how long and pretty-" She was stopped short when the mechanic placed his hand over her mouth, silencing her.
"Okay, now stop there," he said firmly, "You never, never, and I mean never use that word to describe any part of a guy. You can use the words handsome, cool, nice, manly, and good looking, but pretty is off limits. Got that?"
"Um... okay... Well, since you have such nice hair," she started once more omitting the word 'pretty', "I was wondering if you would be my doll for awhile?" she looked up with puppy dogs eyes and the youth had to divert his gaze or be swallowed up by those ocean blues.
"Uh..." He wavered, unsure of what actions to take. //What am I supposed to say? ::What are you waiting for BAKA!? Say no! Our pride is at stake here! I will not allow you to subject us to such humiliations just for the sake of that girl's amusement! Do you hear me!:: Oh shut up! I'm going to do this and that'll be the end of it, besides... she needs this.// He smiled down at the girl, "Sure, 'Jousan."
The girl couldn't believe her ears; he actually agreed. She clasped her hands together, smiling brightly, "Really? Oh, thank you so much, Duo! You don't know how much this means to me," Relena reeled forward and embraced Duo in a warm, tight hug trying to convey all her gratitude and appreciation. "I'm going to get some stuff but I'll be right back," she let go and gleefully bounced off the couch and towards the bedroom.
Duo settled on the sofa, crossing his legs and sprawling his arms on its head. In Relena's absence, he was bombarded by the voices in his head. //::What have you done?! How could you do this to us?:: C'mon how bad could it be?// At that moment the girl in question bounded into he room, a brush, hand mirror, ribbons, and rubber bands in her possession. The smile on her face set aside some doubts and fear, but they also inspired some new ones as well. At that moment a chill ran down his spine and he wondered if it was too late to high tail it out of there and run for the hills. //Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. ::Maybe? Maybe?! You fool! What have you gotten us into!? Oh for the love of Shinigami, someone save me!:: *GULP*//
"Turn around," the girl instructed, waiting until the youth moved, sitting cross-legged with his back to her, before getting on the couch. She positioned herself behind him, but stopped with her activity when she sensed his nervousness. Settling a hand on his shoulder, she reassured him that all would be all right and to trust her in her tasks. The gesture eased his tension and he leaned into that warm touch. Once he was settled she began her work by removing the rubber band on his braid, after which she began separating the three ropes that made it up. Before Duo knew it Relena was already brushing his hair, amazed at how soft those chestnut colored strands were.
Relena's gentle brushstrokes felt like soft caresses and although Duo had protested it earlier, he quickly succumbed to the small pleasure. Not since the time at Maxwell church with sister Helen had someone given him this much attention. He loved it and dreamed of what it would be like if the girl did this for him every night; his schedule never allowed him the time to bestow his hair with much consideration. "Hey, 'Jousan," Duo piped up, "how come you said you'd never done anything like this before?"
"Well," she began still brushing, "my childhood was a busy one; every time my father went into space I had to follow him so I had no time for dolls."
"What about your friends?" he queried concentrating on the movements of her hands, "Heero once told me you had this flock of girls following you around everywhere when he was at St. Gabriel's, weren't they your friends?"
"Well..." she started quietly, "in a way they were my friends, but it wasn't always so. My childhood was very lonely; Pagan was the only one I truly called my friend. When I started attending St. Gabriel's the students there didn't care much for me and left me alone; I didn't mind it all that much but no one likes to be alone. You could imagine how I felt when they started talking to me; I loved it," she confessed. "They weren't all that bad, quite nice in fact, even if it was just because of my father. Since he was the Vice Foreign Minister for the Alliance they saw me in the same light, placing me on a pedestal too high for me. Because we were very affluent, they wanted to be connected with us, believing that they could benefit from our status. The rich only associate with the rich... So," she exclaimed with renewed vigor, "to answer your question; yes, they were my friends... just not very good ones."
Walking through the night, Heero pulled his coat tighter around himself despite the colony's moderate climate. His cold, analytical mind calculating and drawing up battle plans with inhuman speed. Boundaries had been set as to what those plans could entail, but instead of hampering his progress it sped it up. He easily discarded the tactics that overstepped them but soon realized that for the task at hand he would require some assistance. The only problem was where to acquire that help. Wufei was out the question; although he was once a fellow Gundam pilot, he was now a Preventer. As soon as he turned his back, Wufei would have the Preventers by his side in no time. There were few people in this life that Heero fully trusted, the last being a man named Odin Lowe. When he was just a boy, the man adopted him, becoming his mentor and guardian, teaching him how to survive and get revenge on OZ. His death left Heero without a guide; told to follow emotions he knew nothing about.
The only other one who commanded such trust from him was the former pilot of Heavyarms: Trowa Barton. The tall stoic boy had been his ally during the war and in the past their partnership had always bore fruitful results. Of all the pilots, he trusted Trowa the most, their similar upbringing and knowledge in warfare assured Heero that Trowa would do what was best. So much alike, they knew and predicted each other's moves and thoughts, acting in accordance to them. Both trained from early childhood to be 'Perfect Soldiers', they were the ones who knew what it was like to take countless lives. Their past would always be three steps behind, haunting them in their sleep, bringing forth memories they wanted buried; only in death would they ever find peace. In Trowa Heero had found a partner who could be just as ruthless when the time called for it and time was running out; he was left with no other options. The night enclosed him and he made his way in the direction of the circus. Yes, he would call upon the stoic young man once again; there was no one else.
"N-N-Nani!!??" Duo choked as he stared into hand mirror. The image that stared back was a boy with two braids on each side of his head, framing his heart shaped face.
"So, Duo, what do you think? You like it?" Relena asked, happy with her work.
The mechanic turned his head and gave her a look that bordered on insanity; in the back of his mind he wondered if she had been teasing when she asked that question. His eyes twitched along with his fingers and he tried to be as articulate as he could with his words. "I-I-I... I look like I'm about to deliver a picnic basket to Grandma's house!" With an indignant expression, he crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, "Next!"
Duo blinked once, then twice, then a third time as he stared at the reflection in the mirror. The person on the other end couldn't be him, it just couldn't. There was no way that that youth was him, the best mechanic on L2, Shinigami, the God of Death, the honored and revered hero of the Eve Wars. There was just no way they could be the same person.
"Duo, are you all right?"
"... I've got a pair of puffballs on my head!" He wailed, flailing his arms wildly about, dramatically. Relena patted his shoulders, apologizing over and over again. Duo suddenly pointed to his head and there looked to be tears at the corner of his eyes, "Change it please!"
"......"
"Duo?" Relena's voice quivered with fear and she nudged the body in front of her. "Duo, say something," she pleaded, wondering what was ailing the youth.
"... I..." he began with a confused voice, "... I look like you... Why?" It was true; the youth slightly resemble the girl, his hair had been done in the same fashion as the diplomat when she had been younger and off chasing Gundam pilots. He could have been mistaken for a girl, but his sharp facial angles definitely labeled him as male. He began to sniffle and he drew up his knees, burying his head in his arms. "For the sake of all that's pure and holy in this universe... How could you do this to me!? That's it, now it's my turn."
As the night wore on, Duo continued his ministrations on Relena's hair, wondering how he could receive so much pleasure in such a simple act. His hands glided through golden silk and he gave himself over to the task. "Duo, why do you call me that?" Relena suddenly questioned, snapping him from his thoughts.
"Call you what, 'Jousan?" Duo asked while continuing to work her hair, he laid down the brush to stick a few bobby pins in her hair.
"That," she pointed out, tilting her head to gaze up at him, "Why do you call me Ojousan?"
"Why do you ask?" His hands stopped, "You don't like it?"
"No, it's not that," she reassured leaning back against Duo's chest. "It's just that... Well, I know that it means 'Miss', but we've known each other for some time now, right? So I don't think you need to keep calling me that."
The mechanic chuckled and he resumed his task. "You see, to me 'Miss' means a young lady who's refined, intelligent, charming, sweet, and beautiful. From what I can see, you have all those qualities and more; in my book, you're the epitome of what a lady should be." Relena's blush went unnoticed and Duo went on. "But Ojousan can also mean honorable daughter."
"Honorable daughter?" she questioned, turning around again to look into his face and possibly decipher his meaning.
"Uh huh," he said, nodding his head he placed a finger on her cheek and directed her head into its original position. "When the war ended I assumed you would just go back to your fancy life as an ordinary girl; I knew it would be difficult after that whole Queen of the world thing but... I just thought that was how it was supposed to be, you know, everything going back to normal. I never expected you to take your father's position as the Vice Foreign Minister."
"I had no choice."
"There is always a choice," he reprimanded, "You could have gone back to the life you've always had before the war, before the Gundams... but you didn't. By choosing that path you gave up your chance at normalcy... and possibly happiness... At first I thought you were just being irrational and foolish, but when I saw what a good affect you had on this world, I realized you had made that decision long before the war ended." He sighed and smiled at the girl in front of him. "It was an admirable thing to do; honoring your father that way. From that moment on I couldn't see you in any other way... but you probably think that I'm crazy."
"... I don't think that... and I'm very flattered that you think so highly of me... I don't deserve such praise..."
"You're too modest for your own good... Done!" he shouted with much pride, edging back to admire his handiwork. Her hair had been separated in half, both sides braided, then twining around her head so that they formed a circle. //Perfect! A beautiful angel needs a halo. My angel... my Ojousan...//
"Ahhhh," Relena yawned, stretching out her slender limbs. Like a little child, she rubbed her eyes, trying to chase away the sleep that was fast approaching.
"Well, I guess that means we should call it a night, ne?" Duo joked, but his expression became serious when he felt Relena tense under his touch. //She's still scared...// "Don't worry, they won't try anything while I'm here; I'll protect you." Reassured be his words, the girl got up from the couch, said a quiet 'Good night'. Duo stared at her retreating form with sad eyes, wishing he could do more for her. "Oyasumi... Ojousan."
-to be continued-
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Well, it wasn't how I wanted it but I guess it'll have to do considering what poor memory I have. The fic has the gist of what the original contained, the detail is another matter entirely.
