Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, Amagami SS or any of its characters. I wrote this fanfic for my own pleasure and purely entertainment.
Chapter 04 - Longing
It was already the fifth day of October and more than a week had passed since he arrived from the future. Heero had adjusted little by little to his current living conditions. Things became easier since he got employed as a part-time employee under GDT Builders. He had a steady flow of income, which was enough to cover his basic needs and daily expenses. The Gundam Pilot only had one last problem to deal with.
'I still need to find a more suitable location to hide the Wing Gundam.'
Heero had been fortunate that no one had wandered near the mobile suit's location. Though it was camouflaged and hidden under a dense patch of trees, the Wing Gundam would still be discovered if someone happened to go near it. His Gundam was undetectable through satellite imaging due to its plating while the heavy foliage was more than enough to deter any detection through aerial reconnaissance.
The Gundam Pilot was still deep in his thoughts when he heard someone calling him out.
"Yuy-san? Are you ok?"
He turned to look at the voice's owner, it was Tsukasa Ayatsuji, 2-A's class representative. She had long straight black hair, and her eyes always show a glint of her natural talents: reliability and leadership. In certain aspects, Tsukasa could be considered as bright, confident and pretty, though right now the girl was looking worriedly at him, waiting for his response.
"I'm fine, Ayatsuji. Anything you need?" The brown haired boy asked in return.
"Yes, could you please take the trash bins filled with dried leaves to the furnace? They're quite heavy for me to carry. Please?" Tsukasa pleaded, smiling sweetly at Heero.
"Not a problem." Having said that, the Gundam Pilot carried both trash bins already filled with dried leaves on each hand.
"Yuy-san, isn't that a bit much? The bins themselves already have considerable weight. You can just take the other once you come back..." Tsukasa trailed, quite astonished as she saw Heero carried both cans with ease.
"This saves time. I'll take care of burning the leaves." The mobile suit pilot replied.
"In that case, I'll cover you here then Yuy-san, you're free to go once you return the trash bins after burning the leaves in the furnaces." Tsukasa said to him before he started walking.
The Gundam Pilot turned his head to her and nodded slightly before going to the incinerator.
Heero passed through the second and third year buildings before he reached the school fountain where he will take a left turn that would lead him where the furnace was located. As the brown haired boy saw the school fountain, he remembered the coincidence that led him to meet Haruka a week ago. The Gundam Pilot had not seen or encountered the raven haired beauty since he saw her going to school the morning after that incident. Heero took a final glance at the fountain then continued on his way to the furnace.
'Not surprising.' He mused.
A large mound of leaves was the first sight that met him as he brought down the trash bins next to the incinerator. The other classes on cleaning duty that day had only dumped the leaves near the furnace which resulted on a miniature hill that now stood idle, instead of being fed inside the incinerator. He shook his head in disappointment before grabbing the rake that was leaning by the fence. The Gundam Pilot proceeded on raking all the other leaves littered on the ground, compiling them to the mound near the furnace.
Satisfied with his work, Heero took out a small metallic Zippo lighter and started working on a small fire using the dried leaves and twigs he collected. A few minutes later the furnace already had enough flames and the brown haired boy began the task of burning the leaves.
Haruka was humming softly as she carried a trash can full of dried leaves. Despite several offers from the boys in her class to accompany her to the furnace, she remained adamant on doing the job alone. The campus idol enjoyed burning dried leaves at the fireplace, and had also sought the chance to pass by the school fountain on the way there. She did not have any recent opportunity to stay or pass by the fountain since her peculiar meeting with Heero. The mere memory of the unconscious Gundam Pilot on top of her while she was sprawled on her back was enough to cause her cheeks to burn bright red in embarrassment.
'I wonder how he's doing.'
The raven haired beauty smiled and looked tenderly at the fountain as she continued her approach. She felt a cool breeze blowing around her, and with it carried the faint distinct smell of burnt dried leaves. Her eyes instinctively darted to where the furnace was located and noticed the smoke steaming up from the fireplace chimney. Haruka was also able to make out the outline of a person shoving dried leaves inside the furnace. 'Good, there's someone already there.' She thought, before continuing on her way to the furnace. As she got nearer, Haruka slowly recognized the student working by the incinerator. The young woman smiled softly as she halted from her approach and started watching the young man work.
'Heero...'
The Gundam Pilot was already sweaty while working tediously, his movements were very efficient as he wasted no time in loading another batch of leaves to the furnace. The brown haired boy had felt someone was watching him and instinctively looked back.
As he turned, both of their eyes met.
"Morishima sempai..." Heero trailed.
They remained silent for a while, content at looking each other. The wind blew lightly, bringing a gentle gale around the pair. It was mid-afternoon the sun's golden rays had bathe everything surrounding them, coloring the leaves and trees with mix hues of brown, orange and gold. The young woman continued her advance towards the furnace, she smiled at Heero before breaking the silence.
"Yuy-kun, it's nice to see you! How have you been?"
"I'm fine Morishima sempai, thank you again for the food last time." Heero answered, his Prussian eyes never leaving Haruka's cornflower blue orbs.
The young woman smiled warmly at him before asking another question.
"Say... Yuy-kun, do you like autumn?"
"I guess so... It seems so serene, especially when the leaves fall down from the trees."
Without waiting for her response, the Gundam Pilot took Haruka's trash bin on one hand and started pouring its contents inside the furnace. He then added a few more dried twigs and branches to maintain the fire. Satisfied with the flames, Heero moved to place another bunch of leaves when Haruka called him.
"Yuy-kun!"
The brown haired boy shifted his attention to Haruka just as the raven haired beauty threw both hands in the air. His deep blue eyes widened slightly as a rain of dried leaves showered both of them before touching the ground. Haruka looked at him mischievously as the leaves drifted downwards very slowly. The campus idol went back to the mound of leaves, gathered another bundle with both hands and threw it up once more. The young lady smiled contentedly, her arms were outstretched at each side when a sudden gust of wind brought down more leaves hanging from the trees near the furnace. The raven haired beauty reveled in delight as the leaves seemed to dance all around them. Heero could not help but marvel at the sight before him, Haruka's sky blue eyes were sparkling and her laughter seemed like sweet music to his ears. She moved gracefully along with the leaves as the wind blew gently. She was nothing but breathtaking, as the Gundam Pilot gazed at her, his eyes captivated by the young woman in front of him.
'She's... like an angel.' Heero mused, while looking at Haruka with a small smile on his lips.
"It does seem surreal. I also like it when the leaves are falling." Haruka sighed, her eyes still mesmerized as she glanced at Heero.
The Gundam Pilot nodded to her in agreement when both realized that the wind had already passed. Heero grabbed the rake that he had earlier placed by the furnace shack and started sweeping the leaves back into a mound. Haruka for her part took the lid from one of the trash bins and began fanning the flames through the furnace vents.
"Yuy-kun?"
"Morishima sempai?"
"I'm glad you're here with me. It was really fun!" Haruka replied, grinning happily to the Gundam Pilot.
"Same here, sempai. I had fun as well." Heero agreed, a subtle smile was barely noticeable on his face as he shoveled leaves into the furnace.
'Sakura-Yamato Private Runway, this must be it.' Heero thought to himself as he read the sign.
The Gundam Pilot was about three miles north from where the Wing Gundam was hidden. He had arrived on the closed down private airstrip after coming across it in one of the topographic maps the brown haired boy found inside GDT Builders library. In between days he was off-duty, Heero frequently visited the company's private library searching for a more suitable location to hide the mobile suit. According to the information he gathered from one of the computer terminals inside the library, the private airfield was shutdown seven years ago when most of its major stockholders pulled out. Currently, the nearest airport was around 80 miles from Kibitou, still there has been no talk or even the slightest possibility on reviving the private landing strip. The town's municipality had also shelved efforts in re-opening Sakura-Yamato Private Runway due to lack of interested investors.
'There are even no guards posted here, probably, nothing's left worth taking after it was abandoned.'
Heero had chosen the second Sunday of October to investigate the closed down airfield, exactly two weeks since getting stranded from the future. It was late in the evening, a blanket of stars illuminated the sky while the crescent moon looked silently from above. After climbing the fences Heero began surveying the area, he first checked the guard house and security towers around the airport's perimeter. Heero was satisfied upon finding out that the structures were empty and devoid from any activity which he estimated was last present from the time the private runway was closed down. The Gundam Pilot moved on to the storage shacks that were situated beside the control tower. Both shacks did not have any locks, looking inside he only found empty barrels of fuel. He then proceeded to the control tower and was no longer surprised when all air traffic systems were missing.
'It seems they made sure to at least get back some of their losses.' He noted as he scanned the control tower for anything that would prove useful.
Leaving the control tower, Heero decided to bypass the structure that had a sign which said "Power and Generator Area" as there were no more power lines visibly connected to one of the massive electricity pylons found just about three hundred yards outside the private airport. He went to the last four structures erected at the northeastern edge of the airfield. Moving in front of the first hangar, the Gundam Pilot decided not to enter anymore, seeing the sorry state of the building. It was already dilapidated and would no longer serve any purpose. The next hangar was secured, after disabling the lock and checking the interior Heero began foraging for supplies inside. He was rewarded with 7 barrels of gasoline that were properly sealed and stored. The hangar however, was full of bent or broken rusty steel beams that were left piled at the middle. He would need a large crane or a heavy duty forklift to clear out the mess inside the hangar.
Heero closed the second hangar and continued on with the third, he had a little difficulty in picking the lock but was pleased upon seeing the structure within. The third hangar was clear from any element, a few chairs and tables were found neatly folded and leaned idly at the building's left side. The hangar's roofing was still intact, as there were no traces of water spots or moss above the ground.
"Well, this would be home for the next three months." He smirked, before sliding the hangar doors shut and securing the locks.
The Gundam Pilot paused for a while, but soon decided to check the fourth and last hangar. His anticipation was correct upon seeing a mountain of junk, steel and iron that nearly filled the area. He half-heartedly began searching for something useful when his eyes noticed something worth probing at the hangar's compartment area. Heero found an item with the size of an ice chest that was draped with a dark green tarp normally used for tents. Removing the cover, he was obviously surprised upon seeing the now uncovered article, it was a fuel powered mini-generator.
'This is really one lucky day.'
The gymnasium was filled with spectators and many more were still left standing as all seats were already taken. The atmosphere was intense, both sides were hostile, while cheering from the background was deafening, as Classes 2-A and 3-B were squaring off in a game of basketball. In the past, it was already accepted and given that the Third years would rout or beat the Second years by a sizeable lead. And exhibition games similar to the one currently being played, never attracted such an attention till word was passed around the campus that the Second years were putting up a valiant effort. Third year Class B had the best basketball team during intramurals, did not anticipate the spectacular play of the Second year transferee Heero Yuy. He led a furious run in the final half that saw Second year Class A rallying from a deficit of 18 points down. The beleaguered Third years were now only holding on to a precarious 4 point lead. However, there was only less than a minute left in the final half, and time was running down on the Second Years.
[2A] 94 - [3B] 98, 2nd half 00:53 left
The Second years were in possession, Junichi Tachibana, their point guard, had brought the ball down from half court. He was looking for Heero but found the Gundam Pilot being double-teamed by Third year forwards Kaede Sendou and Akira Rukowa. Knowing that someone was bound to be free due to the double team, the bowl haired Junichi quickly searched for the open man instead. A sudden movement towards the baseline caught his attention, it was Masayoshi Umehara, their power forward, and he was without any defender. The opposing point guard, Ryuta Maeki was guarding Junichi, and saw the Second year's plan.
"He's passing to the open guy!" Maeki shouted.
Rukowa having heard this swiftly fell down and guarded Masayoshi. However, the Third years were shocked to learn that it was only a feint from Masayoshi and Junichi. With only Sendou left to guard him, Heero ran towards Junichi who had already set up a screen. The ball was then handed to the Gundam Pilot as he passed by Junichi's back. Seeing the space was just enough, Heero jumped high and launched a 3-point shot behind the arc. Maeki could only place a hand to cover Heero's face since the Third year guard was forced to switch after Sendou rammed into Junichi's screen.
The Perfect Soldier smirked as he felt the leather left his hand, the ball flew into a high arc, upon reaching its apex, and it curved down nicely similar to a rainbow. Time seemed to have slowed down, the entire crowd was silenced as Heero threw the shot, Masayoshi and the other players jockeyed for better rebounding positions in case he missed. Those two seconds were amongst the longest moments that the spectators held their breath, as the Second years were hoping that the shot will fall in. While the Third Years prayed that it would only bounce off the rim. The ball's descent was precise, Heero's release was perfect and it traveled a downward path full of resolve and finality.
It went inside the rim, hitting nothing but net.
[2A] 97 – [3B] 98, 2nd half 00:33 left
A whistle was heard, the 3rd Years have called for time out.
As if on queue, the whole left wing where the Second years had gathered went wild, it was expected as all of them were cheering and earnestly hoping for Class 2-A to win. All Third year classes were seated on the opposite side, though Class 3-B was still holding on to a 1-point lead, the Seniors were now silent as they knew that momentum is now in favor of the opposing team. Save for one young woman, seated at the middle of the first row, who was screaming at the top of her lungs, ironically cheering for the young boy that made the 3-point shot. It was Class 3-B's own Haruka Morishima.
"GO! GO! GO! Yuy-kun! I knew you can make that shot!" Haruka cried ecstatically while punching her left fist to the air repeatedly.
"Haruka..." A female voice softly called out to her.
"GO Yuy-kun! Show them what you got!" Haruka shouted, unmindful of the stares and looks being thrown at her by the other Third years.
"Haruka..." The female voice repeated.
"Yuy-kun, win this one..."
"Haruka!"
Haruka looked curiously at the person that shouted her name to get her attention, it was no other than Hibiki who was also nudging her to sit down.
"Haruka... sit down, the whole Third Year class is looking at you."
"Eh?" Haruka wondered, before turning her head around and seeing that most of her fellow Third Years were staring at her.
Finally taking a seat, Haruka still had her eyes locked at Heero, who was on his way to the Second Years bench for a team huddle when the Gundam Pilot finally noticed her. Heero took a glance at the young woman and nodded, enough to cause the campus idol to smile softly in return. Hibiki noticed the exchange and looked happily at her friend.
'So... He's the one, Haruka's been talking about.'
"There's still more than enough time. No one fouls, as we are not yet in penalty. We'll defend man-to-man and revert into a zone once they decide to go in." Heero ordered to his teammates as he presided over the huddle.
"The Third Year's are going to exhaust the time clock, which would leave us 9 seconds to make a final play."
"Heero, what do we do if they make a shot?" Masayoshi asked.
"The most we could allow is two points, however, we would need a 3-point shot in return to force overtime." Heero replied before adding, "Deny any three point shot opportunity since it would turn into a two possession ballgame, against our favor."
"Guys, we do not have any timeouts left, once we have the ball, anyone needs to at least get a decent shot."
All four of his teammates nodded, satisfied with the huddle, they went back into the court as the referee blew his whistle informing both teams that the timeout had expired.
[2A] 97 – [3B] 98, 2nd half 00:33 left
In bounding at corner mid-court, the Third Years milked down the shot clock, they decided to go and attack the painted area once the opportunity was present. However, the Second Years have clogged the passing lanes efficiently and were reverting to a zone defense whenever they attempted to go for an inside play. With their shot clock winding down to 8 seconds, Maeki made an overhead pass to a cutting Rukowa, who ran into Heero's outstretched hands. The Third Year small forward, unable to make a move due to the Gundam Pilot's defense made a back pass to an open Sendou. The Third Year Power Forward was only 15-feet away from the basket and quickly attempted a jump shot. Sendou thought he was all free as he released the ball when Masayoshi suddenly came into the picture. The spiky haired Second Year deliberately delayed himself on defending Sendou in order to time his block properly.
"Oh, no you don't!" Masayoshi bellowed as he swatted the ball with his right hand.
In the ensuing confusion, the ball fortunately went to Junichi's direction and the Second year point guard wasted no time in sprinting across the court while dribbling the ball.
[2A] 97 – [3B] 98, 2nd half 00:11 left
The boy with bowl shaped haircut ran into Maki's defense and was forced into a halt, looking to pass the ball into a teammate, he saw Heero streaking through his left side.
"Heero!" Junichi called, making a bounce pass to the Gundam Pilot.
[2A] 97 – [3B] 98, 2nd half 00:08 left
Heero was able to catch Junichi's pass even though Rukowa and Sendou were chasing after him. As he dribbled the ball while making his way to the ring, the Gundam Pilot saw Takemori Akari, the hulking Third Year center, standing guard at the paint. Grim determination clearly painted in his Prussian eyes, the Perfect Soldier leapt high after taking two steps within the painted area.
[2A] 97 – [3B] 98, 2nd half 00:04 left
The two Third Years running at Heero's flanks also jumped in unison, attempting to swat the ball away from his hands. While the gigantic Akari who was standing guard underneath the basket also leapt, with the sole intention on blocking Heero's shot.
[2A] 97 – [3B] 98, 2nd half 00:02 left
Heero extended his right arm which was holding the ball overhead, he planned on making a Tomahawk dunk, however the outstretched arms of Akari in front was distorting his visage of the ring. Instead, he shifted the ball to his left hand while in mid-air and gracefully scooped a reverse lay up past all 3 defenders arms.
The ball was spinning obliquely after leaving his hand. It perfectly hit the small white square on the board. Bouncing from the glass, the ball finally went on its way down to the center of the ring before pushing through the net.
As Heero landed on the court, he clenched his left fist and pumped very subtly after seeing his shot was successful.
[2A] 99 – [3B] 98, 00:00 End of 2nd half
Game set. Class 2-A have won the match.
The Second Years erupted into an exhilarated uproar, after Heero made his dazzling shot and Class 2-A won the ball game. Victory shouts and joyous cheering echoed around the gymnasium, some were even jumping in delight as the Second Year's team rejoiced across the court. Masayoshi, Junichi and their teammates had rushed to where Heero was standing, tapping the brown haired boy at his shoulders for such a splendid performance.
"You're the man, Heero! We won!" Masayoshi announced, while their teammates were all cheering the Gundam Pilot.
"That was a difficult shot! We could never have pulled it without you." Junichi said, to which Masayoshi and the other boys agreed.
"Thanks." Heero simply supplied, as he nodded to his team.
The Gundam Pilot was about to take a step back to their bench when he heard a familiar voice screaming his name from the bleachers.
"Yuy-kun! You did it! Congratulations!" Haruka shouted, with both hands encircled around her mouth to increase her voice's modulation.
Heero turned and saw the raven haired beauty punching her right fist in the air repeatedly while shouting his name again.
"GO! GO! GO! Yuy-kun!"
The Perfect Soldier felt his lips curl upwards, a simple smile reflected on his face while he gazed at Haruka. Heero nodded to her to which she responded with a 'thumbs up' sign. Hibiki smiled softly as she observed the pretty campus idol and the stoic young boy. By then the Third Year players had moved to the mid-court and began shaking hands with their opponents. It was a clear act of sportsmanship shared by both teams that prompted Haruka to start clapping both hands.
The scene was noticed by all the Third Years who were on their way out of the gym, with Haruka's initiation they soon began to clap their hands as well. The Second Years were also touched by the raven haired beauty's lead and followed suit, grateful for the game they saw and thankful for the players performance. This clearly showed the natural charisma Haruka Morishima possessed, who was widely known, respected and well liked by the majority of Kibitou High's students.
Two days had passed since the basketball game, classes had already ended and Heero had just arrived inside the library. He had no work after school today and the Perfect Soldier decided to study since exams were just around the corner. Also, he had planned to borrow a couple of books that focused on basic operation, repair and maintenance of 21st century fuel-powered generators. There were only a few students within the library's confines at the time. Heero had rounded the third column of bookshelves when he saw Haruka standing on a ladder while attempting to pull a hard bound picture book on the topmost shelf. The Gundam Pilot was still pondering if he'll greet the campus idol when she lost balance after pulling out the book from its place. As Haruka struggled to maintain her footing on the wobbly ladder, the brown haired boy didn't waste any moment as he rushed towards the young woman's direction.
He was also just in time to catch the raven haired beauty as she fell backwards from the ladder.
The sound of Haruka's shriek was cut short as she felt strong arms caught her body, instead of hitting the hard floor. Haruka had instinctively closed her eyes the instant she fell, as they fluttered open to look at her savior, the young woman was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was none other than Heero who had saved her.
"Yuy-kun..." The campus idol mumbled as her eyes stirred while looking at the Gundam Pilot.
"Are you alright Morishima sempai?"
"Thanks... I'm fine." Haruka replied, she smiled warmly at Heero as her cheeks turned into a soft shade of pink.
'Morishima sempai...' His thoughts raced, unable to will anything, content to look at the raven haired beauty that he currently cradled.
A moment of silence was shared as both of them gazed into each others eyes. Heero's deep blue Prussian orbs were piercing through Haruka's cornflower blue eyes. The library was already quiet and it did not help them realize their current situation any time sooner. Heero however was the first to return to his senses when he noticed Haruka's lips quivered slightly.
"My apologies Morishima sempai." The Perfect Soldier uttered, while gently putting down Haruka's legs as he assisted her stand up.
Haruka immediately missed the warm sensation of being cradled by Heero as she stood up. She looked at him and smiled sweetly, the brown haired boy averted his eyes downward as he felt a strange sensation wash up over him.
"What brings you here Yuy-kun?" Haruka finally asked.
"I'm going to study and read a few books for research. How about you Morishima sempai?"
"Oh... I'm just looking at some picture books before going home." The campus idol answered as Heero handed the book that caused the accident.
"I see, let me get them for you instead." Heero offered, already climbing the ladder.
For the next few minutes, Heero gathered 4 other picture books from that same row located at the top of the shelf. Haruka simply pointed the books she wanted and the Gundam Pilot passed it down to her while standing on the ladder. In return, the campus idol assisted him look for the books he needed. She was a bit surprise to see his choices, 2 books for the repair & maintenance of power generators and a fiction book about time travel. They chose a table near the window, both of them sitting across each other. The sun was still up by that time and as Heero was about to start, Haruka showed him the picture book she was looking at.
"Yuy-kun, I really like looking at cute things especially puppies. Here, take a look at this little one!" Haruka said, clear delight reflected on her voice.
Heero's lips curled upwards, a hint of a smile could be seen as he nodded in agreement to the young lady in front of him. Haruka proceeded to show a few more pictures before realizing that the Gundam Pilot was supposed to study inside the library.
"I'm sorry Yuy-kun, it seems I've distracted you from your studies."
"No worries Morishima sempai, I appreciate the pictures that you showed me."
"Yuy-kun, you played well in that game." Haruka suddenly opened, shifting their topic to the basketball game three days ago.
"Thanks Morishima sempai." Heero nodded to her, but was caught off guard from her next statement.
"I think you were cute while playing basketball." Haruka teased, before adding. "You looked so determined and your moves were quite graceful."
"Huh? Oh... Well..." Heero stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.
Haruka noticed this and began laughing, "I'm just teasing you Yuy-kun! But I really like how you play."
Settling down, the campus idol looked at him intently with her sky blue eyes.
"I'll be good now. You study there while I look at these books." The raven haired girl said, as she winked at him.
Within the next hour and half, Heero had already completed his notes about the generators and finished with his assignments. He was about to start with the time travel book when he noticed that Haruka was already asleep with her head cushioned sideways above her arms. The sun had already set by then and only a handful of people were left inside the library. Heero felt the cool breeze pass through the open window. He stood up and pulled out his uniform's jacket, the Gundam Pilot then draped it at Haruka's back. Satisfied, he went back to his seat and continued with his research. Heero began to jot down important notes he read from the time travel book. It was only fiction, but as he read the principles and laws that was stated there, the brown haired boy was forced to agree as any serious deviations could result to dire implications to the future from which he belonged.
Another hour had passed, Heero took a glance at the library wall clock and learned that it was already 6:15pm. The sky was a palette of golden brown as the last rays of the sun illuminated the clouds that hovered beneath it. Heero closed the book and turned to the beautiful young woman that slept in front of him. Her dark flowing raven hair was kept in place by the black headband that she was wearing, while a contented smile painted her pinkish lips.
'Her face looks like that of an angel.'
He was about to resume his reading when the sudden flash of an image rocked his mind, Heero took another glance at the sleeping Haruka when it finally dawned to him.
'I've seen this before...'
In one of the images he saw while Wing Gundam traversed the Time Spatial Transit Hole, was that of Haruka sleeping peacefully by the table, her face and hair showered by the brilliance of afternoon sun.
'This was... just like the other instance, it was meant to happen.'
"But she is definitely beautiful." Heero noted as he looked at Haruka's sleeping face.
True enough, Kibitou Senior High had a good number of attractive female students, even amongst his classmates, but no one had taken his attention and admiration similar to the prettiest girl inside the campus - Haruka Morishima. As he examined her facial features the Gundam Pilot could not help but compare her to another young lady that stood at the same level back in After Colony. He could not help but chuckle lightly as he remembered his time with Relena Peacecraft in St. Gabriel High. Relena was head strong, stubborn and determined while Haruka was lively, playful and carefree, they were complete opposites of each other. The two were only similar in ways that both were popular & charismatic with the school populace and equally persistent in getting to know him. Heero allowed a smile to break free from his lips as he remembered Haruka's manner of cheering for him inside the gymnasium. The brown haired boy also recalled the latest incident where he caught the girl in his arms as she fell from the ladder. There was also that moment when Haruka was playing with the leaves like a child while they were working by the furnace. He was still busy in his thoughts that he failed to notice the young woman is already awake and was simply pretending to sleep in front of him.
'Yuy-kun's smile...'
"You have a nice smile Yuy-kun." Haruka stated, interrupting Heero from the flow of his memories.
"What... Morishima sempai?" Heero asked, as he strained himself to recover.
"Show it to me again! Please Yuy-kun, you look cute!" Haruka teased after seeing the Gundam Pilot tensed up to her statement.
"You must be mistaken Morishima sempai. Your eyes were only playing tricks on you." Heero coolly said, while his brows furrowed slightly.
"Of course not. Now smile like that again, please." The campus idol beckoned, eagerness clearly tinged in her voice.
"I have no idea about what you're saying." The Gundam pilot evaded, now looking at her with his usual stoic demeanor.
"Ehh! You want to play that way, huh?" Haruka replied, a smile of mischief now reflected on her lips.
"What do you..."
"Here take this!" Haruka remarked, as she suddenly shot up from the chair and leaned swiftly towards the boy in front of her.
Heero was caught off guard as he felt the soft touch of her hand at the back of his head. Haruka closed her eyes and planted her moist lips gently above the area where his brows met.
'Haruka...'
Author's Notes:
Honorifics - (i.e. sempai, -san, -kun, etc.) I believe you guys have already noticed this, but I decided to include Japanese honorifics to emphasize the theme and setting of the story. This is also to give stress on the difference between Haruka and Heero's age and year level in school.
Game Players - I know... I borrowed and modified names from another famous anime/manga. Please note though that these names were changed, certain letters added or replaced. It was intended to help the reader's visual imagination, since one's subconscious would place images in the likeness of supposed characters. With that said, their names were presented in a parody.
Would like to offer my warmest appreciation to those who have reviewed so far - azayaka93, RyuujinHaou and especially to drake202 who's been very supportive. Also I'd like to say a big thanks to operation meteor for assistance on some of the techie aspects (compact reactors).
And lastly, to all the visitors - I'm truly grateful!
Please don't forget to leave a comment or review (yeah, I admit, I got fired up and inspired to finish Chapter 4 because of them).
Until next update!