Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to them, not to me (which is probably a good thing).
Title: Picture
Author: aomurasakiai
Pairing: Heero/Duo
Rating: G
Warnings: AU, Possible OOC
gw500 challenge: #03 - "photograph"
Word Count: 496
Receiving the change and the receipt from the cashier, I politely thank the young girl behind the counter before leaving the store, my new software program safely tucked under my arm. I usually don't go to the mall, especially not on a school day but I had finished my midterm project exactly one month, three days, eighteen hours, and twenty-six minutes early; so I think earned a little reward.
Making my way to the exit, I push up my hideously square glasses that had slipped down my nose. I hate them with a passion but my parents think that they make me look "mature" so I'm stuck with them. I desperately want to exchange them for the frameless, oval-shaped glasses I had seen in one of the display cases at the optometrist's office. Then maybe I won't be teased so much. Then… maybe I'll have enough confidence to talk to him.
There's a teen in the classroom next to mine with incredibly long hair that is always braided neatly and tied off with a short ribbon. Every day he walks by the open door of my classroom. Luckily, my desk happens to be right in the line of sight with it so I always see him pass by during break or lunch. He doesn't notice me… but then again, nobody else cares much about "the nerd" in the back row.
Sighing to myself, I make my way dejectedly towards the exit. But remembering my newly bought software, my mood picked up a little bit. It's still early in the year; I'll have time later on to find out his name… or at least catch more than three-second glimpses of him at--
Suddenly someone bumps into me, jarring me out of my thoughts.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry," apologizes a girl with short hair. She is wearing a rose-colored beret and when she kneels down, I realize that she had dropped all of her photos when she bumped into me. Setting my box down, I help her gather all the pictures and hand them to her.
"Thanks. I'm such a klutz," she says gratefully. She places them back into the small bag before walking away, disappearing into the crowd. I push up my glasses again and bend down to pick up my software; and find one of the photos under it… I must have placed my box on top of it by accident. Picking it up, I look around for the girl but she is long gone by now. I turn it over and I suck in my breath as a heart-shaped face grins at me, two violet eyes sparkling with laughter. It's him… with his long braid over his shoulder and one hand on his hip. The other is keeping his bangs from blowing into his face from, what I suspect is a strong wind. Staring at the picture, a smile forms on my lips.
I think I'll just hang onto this for a while.
Owari