A Gift To Her Beloved
-----part 1-----
"Aries fighters at eight-o-clock, Libras at six-o-clock." Heero told
his fellow pilots as their Gundams fell into formation.
"And lunch at noon!" Duo cheerfully added as he took on the OZ
fighters that were closest to him. "Sorry," he told the OZ pilots.
"You're not invited."
"More fighters coming." Trowa pointed out. "From all sides."
"Everyone fly up into those clouds." Quatre ordered. "We'll be safe
there." He flew Sandrock up into the clouds with Trowa close behind
in Heavyarms.
"There is no justice in this." Wufei complained as he followed Quatre
up into the clouds.
Duo turned to follow, then saw that Heero was still battling the OZ
fighters. He turned and rushed to his friend's rescue.
The battle was fierce, Duo and Heero battling the OZ fighters, side
by side, in their Gundams. They held off the fighters for several
minutes before their fuel was exhausted.
"We have no choice." Heero told Duo. "I'll see you on the other
side."
"You'll have to come up with something else to say when you get mad
at me, ya know." Duo grinned. "Omae o korosu just doesn't have the
right edge when you're already dead, ya know?"
Both pilots pressed their self-destruct buttons.
The OZ fighters were destroyed in the double explosion. Both Duo and
Heero were thrown clear, but knocked out from force of impact as they
hit the ground.
A surviving OZ pilot staggered over to Duo, who was lying there,
unconscious. He picked up the wounded pilot and placed him into a
damaged, but still flight-worthy Aries and flew off.
-----part 2-----
"Heero?"
Heero opened his eyes. He was lying in a bed, his body wrapped in
bandages. Wufei was there, sitting at his bedside, while Quatre
fussed with the flowers Relena had been sending Heero.
"The flowers...?" Heero asked, dreading the answer.
"From Relena." Quatre replied. "I know they're annoying, but they do
brighten up the place. I think I'll use some at our wedding, Trowa.
What do you think?"
"I think proposing to you was the best idea I ever had." Trowa
replied, kissing Quatre's hair.
"Hn....." Heero complained.
Relena walked in. "How is..." she began. "Oh, he's awake! How are
you, Heero?"
"Hn...."
"My poor Heero." Relena said, fussing over him. "Please don't cry.
I'm right here now. Its okay." She hugged Heero and rocked him.
"Everything is okay."
Heero almost cheered up. Then he saw what Quatre was wearing around
his neck. Duo's cross. "Quatre..." he began, staring at it. "You and
Duo...?"
Quatre shook his head, sadly. "Duo's gone, Heero." he said, solemnly.
"I'm sorry."
Heero simply nodded. "Please go away. All of you. I'm tired."
Wufei took Relena by the arm and lead her out of the room with Quatre
and Trowa following.
-----part 3-----
Heero glared at his reflection in the mirror. He was dressed in a
black tuxedo. The others wore white, but with Duo gone, Heero was in
mourning, and refused to wear anything but the color the lost pilot
had worn nearly all his life. After a few minutes, he joined the
others in the car.
Quatre and Trowa were exchanging kisses during the entire ride.
"Can't you two wait?" Wufei asked. "You're going to be married in an
hour."
*****
Relena fussed at the reception hall over a few last minute details.
She had a surprise for Heero, a present she was sure would make her
Perfect Soldier happy.
"I love you, Heero." she told the room. "Just wait until you see what
I went and got for you." her eyes twinkled merrily as she danced
about the room, making sure everything was just perfect.
"As perfect as you, Heero." she laughed as she went about her tasks.
******
At the altar, after their personal vows had been exchanged, Quatre
and Trowa leaned toward each other, their lips meeting in a soft
loving kiss.
"Forever, Quatre." Trowa whispered.
"Forever, Trowa." Quatre whispered back.
-----part 4-----
The wedding reception was, in the opinion of all the guests, a huge
success. It would be one of the most talked about parties for years
to come. It was, after all, the heir to the Winner family who'd
gotten married. Everything was elegant and formal.
Some of Trowa's friends from the circus performed a low-key, but
still amusing tumbling act upon the stage, in honor of Trowa's
wedding, even going so far as to pull the newlyweds onto the stage
and make them part of the act.
Trowa and Quatre laughed as they joined in, everyone on stage having
the time of their lives until dinner was announced and they abandoned the stage in favor of the exquisitely set tables.
After dinner, the band began to play. Relena was singing. Her voice
was full of happiness as she sang a variety of songs requested by
Quatre and Trowa.
"I'd like to dedicate this next song to Heero Yuy." she said, before
beginning one final song.
"Doesn't she ever give up?" Trowa asked.
"Guess not." Quatre shrugged, snuggling up to Trowa as they danced.
As the song hit its chorus, the room went ominously dark. Then, the
spotlight fell upon a figure who knelt upon the floor, head bowed,
clad a long hooded white bridal cloak, their face hidden by the
hood.
Trowa and Quatre exchanged looks, then turned to Wufei, who shrugged.
Relena smiled and nodded to one of her friends, who gave Heero a push
in the direction of the young bride-to-be.
Heero reluctantly approached the kneeling figure, then knelt down and
pushed back the hood.
A look of pure wonder and joy came to Heero's face as the familiar
face smiled back at him, chestnut bangs framing violet eyes.
"Duo!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around Duo and pulling him
up from the floor and into a warm embrace.
The other pilots soon recovered from the shock of seeing their lost
friend safe and sound, and joined Heero in hugging Duo and showering
him with affection.
"Get your own." Heero told them. "Duo's mine."
"I got my own." Quatre smiled, giving Trowa a kiss. "And he's got
me."
Heero looked Duo over, then kissed him again. "Since you're already
dressed for it..." he began, smiling a rare smile.
"I'd love to." Duo replied.
Relena watched from the stage, tears of mixed joy and sadness in her
eyes.
//See, Heero, // she thought, silently //I told you I could make you
happy.//
-----OWARI-----