Chapter Seven
Introductions
The morning of her flight, Deirdre woke up in a panic. Her alarm hadn't gone off (she blamed it on herself having gone to bed at 3 a.m. and was too sleepy to turn it on). Celes had gently shaken her awake and now Deirdre was running around frantically, pulling on her clothes and doing her final packing.
"Have some breakfast. You need your strength!" Celes told her kindly as Deirdre sped into the kitchen, flopping her bag onto the floor.
"I don't have time! I still have to"
"Just sit down and eat something," Marcus interrupted her. She looked at him in surprise–she hadn't known that he was here.
She sat down meekly and started to eat the toast, eggs, and bacon that Celes had prepared for her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to sound polite and not agitated, as she actually was.
Marcus sighed and shrugged. "I just wanted to see you off–give you a bit of last minute advice that were I your brother, I would wish to share." Then he threw a glance up at the oblivious Celes, who was bent over the sink, long blond hair down her back with an apron tied around her tiny waist. The dim light illuminated the soft curve of her roommate's face. She looked very pretty and very innocent, yet mysterious. Deirdre looked at Marcus and decided that he'd probably already noticed.
Deirdre nodded politely and concentrated on her plate. Her stomach was a little upset and nervous from worrying about meeting "Tai" for the first timesort of. She was still having a little trouble remembering to call him Tai. Should she introduce herself to him again, or just pretend that nothing had happened? And he seemed so different. How should she treat him? Would he treat her the same?
When it was time to leave, Deirdre started to pick up her bag, but Marcus beat her too it and carried it to the car for her. She smiled at him appreciatively as he climbed into the back seat.
The ride to the shuttle port was filled with Celes' happy chatter and Marcus' assuring, deep voice. The soft, friendly tones of the car and the pretty music that Celes was playing helped to sooth Deirdre's thrashing stomach. She didn't normally like to eat before traveling because she always felt ill. Or maybe it was because the only times that she traveled were caused by stressful situations of one type or another. She'd never traveled for fun before, and this case didn't count because she was nervous about meeting Tai again.
Celes pulled into a parking spot and the three walked into the shuttle port. Deirdre looked around at the many people walking quickly in their pressed business suits, brief cases, and cappuccinos. There were some families and a few teenagers. But mostly business people who reminded Deirdre of herself three and a half years ago. And now, one of the many things which had helped her to decided to leave that life for a while and go to school–she was going to see him.
"Well, have fun! Take lots of pictures!" Celes gave Deirdre a big hug and smiled at her, her large blues eyes dancing with excitement.
Deirdre nodded and gulped as she hugged her roommate back. "Thank you for the ride. I'm sorry if it's a bother at all"
"Oh, don't worry so much! I'm happy to take you!" Celes waved off the apology with a pretty little wave. "Just have fun. I'll be here to pick you up when you come back."
"And don't let this guy walk all over you. I don't know much about him besides his very major lie, which had caused you a lot of pain. I'm not sure I think much of a man would do such a thing. But then again, as I said, I don't know him. If you need to come back early, just give me a call. I'll be here," Marcus told her solemnly as he handed her the bag he was carrying.
"Thank you for your offer and concern, Marcus, but Tai will take very good care of me. And you are right, you don't know him. Maybe you should meet him sometime. I think that it would help settle your worries greatly," Deirdre told him quietly. "I'll see you in a few days." She waved to them and walked off.
Marcus narrowed his eyes at her back. Some times she seemed like a normal college student, happy and busy and some times even a little silly. But every now and then, she was so quiet, reserved. A lady, delicate and proper, yet steely and firm. It was then that Marcus could not read her emotions yet it was also this version of the girl that he'd grown to care so much about, the version that must have been Relena Peacecraft, Queen of the World Nation, now Relena Darlian, Vice-Foreign Minister. He wondered who this Tai person was. If they'd known each other since they were fifteen, he may have known her before the wars of 195 had begun. Or else they'd met during the war, and if that were the case, he probably played a big role to have met Relena, or maybe he'd just been a lowly guard. Who knew? Deirdre certainly wasn't telling.
Deirdre slid into her seat, thankful that her neighbor was not the talkative type. He was an older man and fell asleep quickly, letting Deirdre alone to her thoughts.
She gazed out the window just in time to see a shooting star. Deirdre smiled. It was her omen. Big things always happened when she saw a shooting star. The only question was, would it be good or bad. Normally, Deirdre would chose to think it good, but with her stomach in its state of turmoil, she was leaning towards bad.
The flight was 5 hours long and Deirdre longed to stand up and stretch. Her legs were cramping up after she had listened to the few CD's she brought two times each. She could never read on a shuttle so the books she'd brought had stayed in her bag undisturbed.
As the shuttle touched down, Deirdre closed her eyes tightly, gripping the armrest. She wanted to puke. What if he wasn't there? What if Marcus was right about him? What if this was all a dream? A scam? Some sick joke to pull at her heart strings by this boy who looked like Heero Yuyher head swam as the shuttle jerked to a stop.
The man beside her got up and out of the shuttle quickly, but Deirdre let everyone pass her by before she got out. She couldn't help but be a little melodramatic thinking, as she walked to the terminal, that fate was spinning fast towards her. Heero had played such a huge role in her life. It seemed to make sense that he would continue to do so.
She walked through the busy halls wondering how on earth she was going to find Heero in this mess. Then she was at the escalators. Nervously she climbed on one and it took her down several floors. Deirdre felt as if she'd left her stomach on the floor above. What would she do if he wasn't there? What if everyone was right? She almost groaned audibly.
Hesitantly, she stepped off and stood amongst the great hustle and bustle of the people around her. She felt tiny, lost, and most of all, invisible in this huge crowd. As she frantically looked around, she saw him. Deirdre couldn't believe that she'd missed him when she first got down there. He was standing, looking up at the various escalators, watching for her descent. His back was too her, but she recognized the denim jacket and messy, uncared-for hair. She swallowed hard and took a step.
Just then he turned and saw her. And he smiled. Deirdre felt the dread, and the fright, melt away. Everything would be fine. This was Heero. He would protect her. She was safe.
"You sure you don't want me coming with you?" Huy asked as Tai threw on his jacket and grabbed the car keys.
"I'll be fine. And as I said before, We'll have a lot to talk about. But thanks. Have fun with Kieko."
As Tai left his brother there, he still could feel the hurt and tension in the air. He could feel his stomach in knots over the distrust he was cultivating in his brother. Tai hadn't expected to be affected in such a way, but he was. It was probably hurting him more than it did Huy when he did not talk.
But he just couldn't tell Huy, not yet. Even though Huy was a blabbermouth, he did keep secrets when it truly mattered, so it wasn't that Tai couldn't trust Huy. It was more, Tai didn't trust himself. Everything was jumbled together. He just did not want to risk Relena's safety.
He walked calmly to the car in the student parking and popped open the lock. As he turned the ignition, Huy's loud, banging music rocketed from the speakers. Tai quickly switched it off. He didn't feel like having the bass rocket his stomach around. Why couldn't he just forget about protecting her five minutes and tell Huy, and quit worrying about all this crap!
Tai shook his head visibly, trying to empty his mind out and put in a new CD. The softer, quieter music helped to sooth him, but he wouldn't feel better until he could explain things to Huy. That wouldn't be for a while though.
He parked at the shuttle port and walked calmly in. He hoped that Relena hadn't changed too much. Then he smirked. No, he'd be able to recognize her no matter what.
He arrived at their scheduled meeting place, but he didn't see her coming down the escalators. Tai meandered around a little, he was ten minutes early after all. When he cycled back around, and glanced up at the top of the escalators, he turned and noticed a girl standing alone, looking around blankly.
She had shoulder length deep red, almost auburn hair tied back in low pony-tail, a few whisps falling out, and large green eyes giving her a dark, owlish, very little girlish look against her pale face. She looked very lost and innocent standing there. Tai turned too the escalators again when he felt the girl's eyes on him. He turned and she took a step towards him.
Tai smirked at his own blindness and smiled at the petite girl. Her pale face flushed in response. He walked over to meet her and he noticed some of the fright and aloofness in her eyes seemed to have disappeared. "Deirdre. You look well," he told her as he took her bag from her surprised hands.
"Thank you" she said softly, looking shyly at her shoes. She laughed nervously then smiled at him boldly. It was a familiar series of little mannerisms when she was acting as a civilian. But put her in an office, and she'd never seem the meek little girl.
"I'm parked this way," Tai told her, motioning her to follow him. She skipped quickly to get in step with him. "How was your flight?" he asked conversationally.
"Oh, fine. My neighbors were all quiet so I got lots of sleep in." She smiled at him. "How are you?"
"Fine. Just finished a test a few hours ago. How did yours go?"
"Okay"
He unlocked the car and put Deirdre's bag into the back seat and turned to unlock her door for her. As soon as they climbed in he stopped and laughed. Deirdre looked at him with her deer eyes. "What's so funny?"
He shook his head in amusement. "Just thisthis entire situation." He climbed in and continued, "Both of us political refugees hiding away in a normal life under pseudonyms. It's justfunny."
"I see what you mean. Very ironic," Deirdre agreed. "But your name is real, isn't it?"
Tai nodded as he started the car and back out, taking them to the freeway.
"So, are you going to tell me what's going on with you now that you aren't Heero Yuy, while we're alone so I don't make a mistake?" Deirdre pressed.
"Yah. I already told you part of the reason why I didn't tell anyone that I was alive."
"Only part?" Deirdre queried.
"Yah."
"So what's the other part' that you haven't told me?"
"Family."
Deirdre cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't have a past," she told him.
"I don't, didn't. After the war I decided I should try to be normal. I went to the most logical place–a colony for war orphans. But it fell apart and all the students were shipped out. I was taken to the high school where I roomed with Huy Iwasato. We got in some pretty big messes and in the end I was diagnosed with leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. That's when Huy was tested, found to be a positive match, and so I lived. I also found out that, years ago, the Iwasato family were escaping from a colony uprising and lost one of their children in the crowd–Huy's identical twin Tai. A DNA match was done, and now I have a mother, father, two sisters and two brothers." Here Tai paused to turn onto the busy freeway and used the break in conversation reorganize his thoughts. He wanted to explain this correctly. Deirdre just sat politely listening, waiting for him to continue.
"That, family, created a new problem. If I retained any part of Heero Yuy they may have been endangered. So I just let everyone believe I was dead and moved on with my life. Since then I've been with my family and going to school." He paused again to glance at her face. She looked mildly surprised, but not extremely so.
"I'm sorry Deirdre that I hurt you all so much, but I knew that you all would be fine, and I honestly did not realize that anyone cared that much. But I made a choice to be normal and have a family and a life, so I had to shed Heero Yuy and everything that was connected to him."
At first she looked at him sternly, but then broke into a large smile. "Taiyou are kind."
Tai wasn't sure how to respond so he didn't. Instead he continued to explain the situation. "No one knows who you really are. I haven't told Huy anything. I wasn't sure what you'd want told. I'm not even sure of what you are doing or why."
Deirdre smiled at him again. "I guess it's my turn for confessions now. I started to go crazy. It's as simple as that. Between everything that was going on, I started to come unscrewed. Noin suggested that I go to college, get a degree and training for my job instead of figuring it out as I go. She also implied that I could have time to grow up and mature while away. So I did. And I'm very happy. Some times I almost dread going back. But then I see the stupid decisions people make and realize that I could still do a lot of good, helping to preserve peace."
"You are still sure of total pacifism, huh?"
"Yes. In fact, more so than ever. People argue all the time but they only fight when they are out of control. And if you only fight when you are not in control, then it's no wonder so many innocents get hurt. No, it's just better to abstain from all fights."
Tai smiled. He was glad. This was exactly as she should be, and she'd need all that conviction and more to carry on this path she'd chosen for herself. But to the important question at hand "So what shall I tell my brother?"
"Tell him I'm an old friend that you used to go to school with. That's all."
Tai nodded. "That's about what I've told him thus far anyway."
Deirdre smiled but then felt a strange silence settle. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but just odd. She looked out the window at the cosmopolitan area, lots of skyscrapers and ghetto housing subdivisions–typical.
It dawned on Deirdre that she and "Tai" had never really talked before. They had spoken, but never like friends would. It was always about the war, peace, or just another of Tai's death threats. And now she realized, she did not know how to talk to him, not as a normal, friendly person. He had changed so much and friendly conversation seemed to be possible with him now, whereas was inconceivable before. But at the same time, where to begin? Soyou remember that time you tried to kill me and Duo shot you? Or how about, what was your childhood like–being trained as an assassin and all? Wonderful, just beautiful conversation starters. That would be a perfect way to start a friendship.
Yet, Deirdre couldn't just sit here in silence–they couldn't spend these few days in silence. And surely he had noticed this little issue–did it bother him even a little?
She watched him quietly. His eyes were focused on the road and his strong jaw set. It was a facial posture that gave nothing away, so she could not venture to guess what he was thinking right now. But she allowed herself to remember him as a teenager–he had lost some roundness to his face. And he looked stronger, not so tiny and almost scrawny as he'd been before. Before, she'd always harbored a secret worry that he'd break. He was always so thin, and he'd lost some of the haunted look in his eyes. Had he been sick that entire time? When had the mutated cells begun to eat him away from inside out? Would it ever come back? Was he safe?
Deirdre had a sudden urge to hug him. She didn't want him to die. He'd lived such a hard life, and had lost so much, but had also done so much for peace, for the people. It wasn't fair to say that she had brought about peace, it was really people like Tai and her brother who could see so far ahead. He deserved to reap the benefits of his hard work. He deserved to be happy. She hoped that nothing that horrible would happen. But there would be nothing she could do to stop it if it did.
Finally, she decided on a topic. "So what are you majoring in?"
"Neuroscience. I'm applying to medical schools now."
Deirdre was a little surprised. "Why did you decided to be a doctor?"
Tai shrugged. "I figure I've spent enough time destroying lives. It's about time I start trying to repair them."
"Oh." Well, this was a little awkwardbut she continued on. "What kind of doctor do you want to be?" Deirdre wasn't sure she liked the way this conversation was going.
"I don't know." There was a moment of silence but then Tai returned the question.
"Double major of political science and economics, minor in modern history. I thought it the most useful," Deirdre explained.
Tai nodded, but then the conversation ended again. Deirdre decided it was his turn to speak first.
They turned up a little street and drove through a sub-division until they reached a place lined with apartment buildings and neat little rows of trees. "This is where Huy's fiancée, Kieko, lives with her roommate Julie. I thought we'd drop your stuff off there first. I'm guessing that everyone will be over there right now anyway so you can meet them," Tai told her as he parked in front of one building.
Deirdre leaned over to look more carefully around. The buildings were newer than the ones at her college, but they were smaller. The buildings were all flat and square, red brick in the front, but around the back, Deirdre could see that they were lined with railings and numbered doors. Some had hanging potted plants in front; others had "Welcome" doormats.
Tai turned off the car and grabbed Deirdre's bag from the back seat, locked his door, then came around and locked hers after she got out. They walked quietly up a set of stairs to a door on the opposite corner, and knocked.
"Julie!! Julie!!" Kieko was screaming frantically.
"What, what! I'm here!" Julie came sprinting in.
"Did you say you cleaned the bathroom?" Kieko asked meekly.
Julie rolled her eyes heavily. "YES," she said emphatically. "YES. And I cleaned my room, and I scraped the little bit of hard water from between my toothbrush bristles too, as I'm so SURE that this girl will be mortally offended if we, who are doing HER the FAVOR, are not perfectly clean." Julie was getting very testy. Kieko reminded her of her mother whenever visitors came.
"But Tai did say that she was really clean and organized and"
"He was saying that to assure us that she wouldn't be a bother! Not that she'd be annoyed by us!"
"She's right babe. Just chill out! I'm sure if this girl can put up with Tai, heck, even likes him, that she'll be fine with this place," Huy butted in. He didn't think it would be good to have any cat-fights right now.
"DON"T call me BABE!!!" Kieko yelled as she grabbed Huy by his collar.
Huy just laughed and patted her on the head. Kieko glared at him again. Then, simultaneously, they tried to fling each other out the door–the apartment was too small to fight in.
The front door flew open and in a moment Huy was flat on his back with Kieko straddling his stomach and shaking him. They were both laughing. "You moron! Don't call me babe!!!" but she was choking on her words between the laughs.
"But it's so cu-ute!" Huy whined.
"You two are frightening me," a monotone voice from a ways above them said flatly.
The both stopped and looked up abruptly. "TAI!" Kieko clumsily slid off of Huy and they both stood up.
"Hey-ey! So you ARE the girl I ran into that night! How's it hangin'! I'm Huy." Huy held his hand out to the small redhead standing meekly beside Tai.
She smiled softly. "I'm very well. And you?"
Kieko looked over this girl carefully, then at Tai. This was not the girl she'd pictured. Kieko had thought she might be very strong, if not loud and obnoxious because she would have had to put up with all of Tai's frustrating behavior. Well, at least how he used to act. Now he was very easy to be with and an all around nice guy, despite how hard it was to actually get close to him, but from what Huy had told her, he used to be a pain. And if this girl had known him before Huy had met him
She was so tiny and quiet. Well, not exactly quiet, morereserved. She was pretty in a little girl type of way but somehow something about her appearance was unnatural. Kieko supposed that Deirdre dyed her hair–a lot of people did. That had to be it. Her eyes were large and gave the impression of openness, but even so, they looked so guarded to Kieko.
Kieko watched as the unmoved, ever cheerful and goofy numbskull she often claimed as her own walked the quiet girl into the apartment, chatting like a chipmunk. Tai was politely waiting for her to walk in before him. They walked in and Kieko called Julie, who came sidling out. Her ferocious temper had dissolved and she was looking shyly at Deirdre–her competition. Julie still liked Tai, A LOT, but she was doing well to hide it. However, just now, it was more apparent than ever. Kieko felt her heart bleeding for Julie.
Deirdre was polite and unobtrusive. They all cooked dinner together and the entire time, Deirdre was the model of poise and elegance. She thanked the girls profusely for allowing her to stay with them. Of course they shook it off and said, make nothing of it.
But every time Kieko looked at Julie, she wanted to cry. That was because it was obvious how Tai felt about this demure girl. Every move she made, he watched. When she walked out of the room, his eyes followed. When she laughed, he was smiling. When she began to look around for something, it was already in his hand for her, as if he'd read her mind and knew what she needed.
Kieko sent a significant look at her fiancé, and she could tell that he'd noticed too. And Huy did not know what to make of it. The entire week before Tai had insisted that there was nothing between he and Deirdre, but even in the first hour, it was painfully apparent. It was too bad that Julie had to see it.
It was odd, though. Deirdre and Tai never spoke to each other. They smiled and looked at each other, but they seemed incapable of speaking. The conversations were around the two, but not between them. Kieko was determined to understand who this girl was and what really was going on, because this entire time, she felt as if they were in another world, playing one role or another, but not really allowing the human in them out. Deirdre and Tai were just little dolls doing a little play, acting until the curtain fell and they could wipe off the make-up. Kieko shivered involuntarily and Huy rubbed her shoulder. He could feel it too.
Deirdre felt suddenly very shy around these people, good friends of Tai's. And it felt so awkward. Tai was polite, but he never spoke to her, but then, he didn't look angry that she was there. He was very helpful. And she couldn't help but notice the other girl, Julie, and the looks she gave Tai under her eyelashes. But Julie seemed unaware of her behavior.
Huy was a goofball–more so than Duo. Would Tai have been like that if not for the war?
But then Huy and Tai had to go home and so they all said goodnight.
"Deidre," Kieko called to her. "Here's a pillow and blanket, and this couch folds out. You can just leave any toiletries in the bathroom. We cleaned off a shelf for you, and if you like, you can leave your bag in my room."
"Thank you." Deirdre felt like a porcelain doll.
Kieko smiled and Julie looked shy. Deirdre waited for the girls to go to bed and then shut herself in the bathroom. A shower felt nice and it soothed her. Tai had changed so much. Deirdre got along with him, but she couldn't figure out how to just be friends with him. It was all so confusing. The worst part was, she actually liked him.
Before the trip, she acknowledged her feelings for him, but had hoped that meeting him again, they would hadlessened somehow. But it wasn't the case.
Deirdre had needed his support before, now she was...she couldn't even afford to let herself THINK the words. She sank to her knees and wept.
Kieko tossed and turned, but she couldn't get to sleep. She could hear Deirdre in the shower. Then the water stopped for a while. Teeth were brushed. The usual. Then the shower went back on.
Kieko shot up from her bed. She knew what that meant. She'd pulled that same trick for years as a teenager. Kieko sat up, wide-awake now, waiting for Deirdre to leave the bathroom. After a short while she did, and Kieko forced herself to wait a little longer. Then she got up to go to the kitchen, quickly forming an excuse in her head.
"Deirdre! You're still up!" Kieko said cheerfully as she got a glass of water.
Deirdre sat bundled up in the sofa-bed with a large book on some political stuff that would undoubtedly bore Kieko to death. "I can't sleep. I never can in a new place, but I'll sleep too well tomorrow!" Deirdre smiled.
"Mind if I join you?"
Deirdre shook her head and scooted over a little bit.
Kieko sipped at her water. "So what are you and Tai going to do tomorrow?"
"I'm not sure. We haven't talked at all about this week's activities."
"Well, I do have to say one thing. You've got that boy wrapped around your pinky finger. I don't know how you did it. I've known Tai two years and I've never seen anyone get him like you've got him," Kieko told her. And she nearly choked when she saw Deirdre's shocked face.
"Wha-what are you talking about? Tai doesn't think of me like that!" Deirdre's eyes were huge.
This was not the reaction Kieko had anticipated. "But it's so obvious! How could you not see! That boy cares so much for you, it's crazy! And, at least I thought, it was obvious that you felt the same to him." And to Kieko's surprise, Deirdre shook her head sadly.
"I'm afraid that you've got us all wrong. Tai and I aren't together. We never have been. We are justvery good friends. He has helped me very much in several ways. He gave me a reason tokeep trying."
"Bull. I don't buy that for a second. I can't believe that you can either. Are you honestly convincing yourself of that?" Kieko demanded. And so her surprise, the tiny girl smiled.
"You are right. Maybe friends' is not the proper way to describe us. I've always cared for Tai, but, all truth be told, I don't think that we were ever really friends in the conventional way. It was morethat we looked out for each other. I guess we still look out for each other, but its not needed in the same way. Now I'm not sure what to do."
"I'm still not buying it. I think that you are in love with Tai and that you need to admit it. And that retarded boy needs to admit that he's head over heels for you!" Kieko insisted.
Deirdre seemed to be reacting a little more violently now, her voice rock hard. "Don't put words in my mouth. You don't know what I'm feeling. You don't know who I am or anything about me. You have no right to pass judgement on us." Kieko's eyes grew huge and Deirdre gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry! That just came out. I keep trying to control my tongue, but it just won't stop! I always get myself in troubleI'm so sorry! It's just that everyone's been giving me advice, and putting their two-cents worth in. I'm so tired of people thinking they understand the situation. But you weren't attacking us. I shouldn't have exploded."
Kieko's eyes relaxed into their normal position and she smiled, then laughed. "You know, when I first saw you I thought, there is no way that Tai would ever be attracted to this weak, meek, washed-out little girl. I can see that I was right, he wouldn't. You are no weak, meek, washed-out little girl after all. I hope we get to be good friends, especially if we're to be sisters-in-law some day," Kieko beamed at the dazed Deirdre. "Good night." And she went off to bed.
Deirdre sat up for a long time after Kieko had gone to bed. What was going on! This girl was accusing her of being in love with Tai, which she had no business doing as she'd just met the woman! And, not only that, she insists that Tai feels the same way, which was utterly ludicrous. Tai protected her, protected peace, and she in turn did her best to ensure that Tai would never have to kill again. That was her goal; that was the ideal she strove for up until now, and the ideal she would continue to strive for. She fought verbally so that Tai didn't have to fight physically.
But there was just one problem in all of this. Kieko was right about one thing, Deirdre DID care some for Tai. As a teenager it had come in flashes, little bits and pieces, but once she recognized it for what it was, she could not deny it. Yet, she'd never dared call it full-blown love. But after meshing her thoughts together tonight and cranking out a logical conclusion, she wondered if it might just be love.
Deirdre mentally slapped herself. This did not change anything because Kieko's thoughts about him liking where were false. They had to be. Tai was simply protecting her; that's why he was attentive. And everyone was interpreting it as attraction. If only she could make them understandit hurt so much to have them thinking the one thing she honestly wished for.
She flopped down heavily on the pillows. But this just made things more difficult. How was she going to face him this entire week now that she did not have strictly platonic feelings for him? What was she going to do?
Deirdre could feel the gray hairs sprouting from her head this very minute.
"Stupid boys" Deirdre whispered to no one in particular, and buried her face in her very large text book.
But several other people lay awake that night. Julie stared up at her ceiling, trying to rationalize her feelings away. And Huy cursed his brother's silence. Tai was just plain confused and sad and aggravated. He wasn't giving Deirdre a second thought–just upset about his brother.
Tai clenched his fist under his pillow. This entire situation was utterly moronic. This little thing was totally screwing up he and Huy's relationship, and family mattered more than anything else in the world–right? But more than peace?
That was when a very troubling and totally new, random thought pranced through his head. Why was he allowing this girl to come between he and his brother? If his brother was the most important thing in the world to him, the most precious, how come this simple little thing could separate them? He could just send Deirdre away or break her confidence if Huy was truly more important. So why couldn't he do it?
Peace. Tai remembered now. Political unrest was beginning to resurface. And Relena would be needed to help. But as long as she was parading around as Deirdre, she could be in danger and she must survive to come back and help guide the Earth Sphere and Colonies to normalcy. So how to make his brother realized this? There was no waynot until she went public. It was just too dangerous for her otherwise. He could risk himself, risk giving himself away because it was his life, but he could not do that with hers. So Huy would just have to trust him until then.
Why did she have to be a girl though? Why couldn't she be some guy? Then he wouldn't have Huy accusing him of acting like a silly love-struck boy. ARG!
"Stupid girls" Tai whispered into his pillow.
"Did you say something?" Huy asked softly from across the room.
"No. I was justmuttering to myself."
Huy grunted and turned over in the dark.
Tai flopped impatiently on his back and glared at the blackness above him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N
//Author sits down, pen in hand, and begins to writing frantically. But there is one problem. Her characters cannot speak to each other. Author bangs Deirdre over the head. "Speak woman!! Do your thing!"
Deirdre: But what do I talk about? All he ever finds interesting is politics, and that's boring for a fictional story written by an uneducated and lazy author!
Author: I don't care! (puffs smoke out her ears, face very red, and beats her chest like Tarzan and ignores the insult to her own character) JustTALK!! (rubs now throbbing chestbad ideaa lot) Okay, Tai, meet Deirdre; Deirdre, meet Tai. Now you makes dumb small talk until you find a topic you both enjoy speaking about and carry on from there.
Deirdre: My name is Deirdre. I'm happy to meet you. What's yours?
Tai: (gives dumb stare/glare to both author and Deirdre) This is stupid.
Deirdre: No it's not. We are just starting over with our new identities. Be a good boy and play along.
Tai: Okay. I'm Tai. Pleasure.
(Deirdre and Tai stare blankly at each other.)
Tai: What exactly was it we were supposed to do now?
(Author slams face into hands.)
Author: I can't believe this
But seriously, do you have any idea how difficult it is to make Relena and Heero talk?!?!?!?!?! Like normal people do? I mean, what do they talk about in the series? Peace, and peace, and umwell, more peace. Oh! A death threats! I forgot about all the "I will kill you"s. And Relena did a lot of yelling his name out to the wind. Arg.. How can you make people fall in love if they can't even talk to each other! And this is supposed to be a romance so it's not like I can just avoid it like last time! I meanI wasn't exactly AVOIDING romance so much as just(author blushes at the admittance of her own incompetence) Anyway! I'm having a lot of trouble with these chapters, so this could take a while. But I'm working on it!! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. And boy do I love them reviews!! Toodles for now, Tygerlilee