04-Jul-2005
Title: Cupid's Breath
Rating: NC-17 eventually
Pairing: 1x2
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters, they are the property of Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency.
Warning: I'm going to be butchering Greek mythology quite a bit.
Spoilers: None, this is AU.
Notes: This silly idea has floated around in my head for at least a couple of years. I've even written other versions of it before deleting them to start over. I think I've finally come up with a scenario and plot I like. Of course it took me about 3 months. I'm slow, very slow.
He nocked his arrow then pulled back the bowstring and took aim. His release was smooth and the arrow seemed to slice the air in two before hitting its target dead on. His prey never felt it. He drew another from his quiver, aimed and released. Again his shot was steady and true.
The cupid smiled a melancholy smile and couldn't help but feel an old, familiar envy as he watched love's dormant seeds take root and grow within two human hearts. He sighed and spread his wings then lept in the air.
He flew around the city, taking in the emotions of the humans as he watched them going about their daily tasks. Happiness over a new promotion, pride in a child who had done well in school, sorrow over a silly argument and old love mixed with comfort and trust. But as he passed near one of them, he felt a chill creep over him, making him shiver in the warm evening sun.
Hearts fill with love received and pour it into others when it's given. But that did not appear to be so with this human. Never had the cupid felt a heart so empty. He peered deeper inside the human and found a glimmer of hope buried within the lonliness. When there was hope, love had a chance. The small cupid smiled, he so loved a challenge.
The man swatted the air, barely missing the cupid, when he heard the buzz of wings. The cupid landed on his shoulder, grabbing at his collar for a handhold. As the man walked down the street, he could have sworn he caught the scent of roses.
The man exhaled a long, tired sigh as he emptied his mailbox then unlocked his door. The cupid flew off his shoulder as soon as they entered the house so he could stretch his cramped wings. The man tossed his mail on the coffee table and walked to the kitchen to put on water for tea and prepare his dinner.
The cupid flapped his wings, working out the last bit of soreness in his joints before he flew around to take a look at his surroundings. He needed to know if any dangers lurked about. Humans couldn't see him but animals could. He had to make sure there were no cats, those damnedable creatures were always mistaking him for a bird.
The furnishings were sparse, worn and mismatched, giving the living room a second-hand appearance. There were no pictures on the walls, no curtains hanging over the windows. A pair of yellowed blinds was all that offered shade and privacy.
The hallway leading to the rest of the house was no different. The walls were empty, there wasn't even a runner covering the wooden floor, which had greyed from age. The cupid returned to the living room, he didn't need to examine the other rooms to know they'd be no different. Besides the doors were closed, the only way he'd be able to open them would be if he changed to his full size and if he did, he'd no longer be invisible.
The smells coming from the kitchen attracted him and he entered, landing on the small dining table as the man turned from the stove to set a plate of food and a pot of hot tea on it. The cupid fluttered quickly to move out of the way and knocked over the pepper shaker. The man's eyes widened as he watched the shaker fall over, seemingly on its own. He shook his head and righted it as he sat down. He must have hit the table leg with his foot, he rationalized, just as it was his imagination he'd heard a sneeze.
The cupid moved to the other side of the table, keeping a safe distance between himself, the cup of tea and especially the pepper shaker. He sat crosslegged, inhaling deeply of the food's aroma while he watched the man eat. It smelled heavenly and was another reminder why he sometimes wished he was human.
The man washed, dried and put away the dishes then cleaned the rest of the kitchen as soon as he finished his meal. He retired to the living room with a freshly brewed pot of tea and began sorting his mail. One news magazine, three offers for a credit card, five flyers and a couple of bills. The lack of personal correspondence didn't surprise the cupid. Written letters and cards had been replaced in modern times by electronic ones via the internet, but the cupid still had a feeling this human didn't receive much of either. As he sat on the back of the sofa, he peered over the man's shoulder to read the name on the envelopes. He rolled the name over in his mind as if he was rolling it over on his tongue. Heero Yuy. He liked it, it had strength to it.
Heero Yuy flipped through the pages of his magazine while he watched a televised basketball game. Occasionally an article would capture his attention, pulling it away from the action on the screen. The cupid was lying on the back of the sofa with his wings stretched out and one arm dangling down the side. His head was on his other arm and he restlessly shook one foot.
While he was wondering if it was possible the human was beyond even a cupid's help, Heero turned off the television and rose from the sofa. He stretched and walked to the bathroom. The cupid followed and fought the urge to avert his eyes when the human began to undress.
Heero's slim waist and small rounded hips gave his chest and shoulders an appearance of broadness not evident when he was clothed. The muscles in his arms were well shaped as were the muscles in his thighs and calves. His stomach was flat and the lines along his collarbone were well defined. His nose was straight, his mouth was small and his lips were thin yet sensual. His blues eyes had an intense, piercing look that was softened by dark, thick eyelashes.
Heero turned on the shower and stepped in the tub without waiting for the water to warm. The cupid couldn't follow because the water spray was too hard for his small size. He sat on the sink counter and waited while he watched Heero bathe through the translucent shower curtain.
A few moments later, Heero stepped out of the tub and toweled off as he walked to his bedroom. He pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms and slid into bed. The cupid settled down on Heero's pillow, curling up near the crook of his neck and found his desire to help was turning into a desire of a whole different kind.
And Heero fell asleep to the faint scent of roses.
Heero's eyes opened as soon as the alarm went off and he reached out to shut it off. The cupid groggily raised his head, wondering why such an ungodly noise had awakened him instead of Euterpe's sweet voice.
The cupid was rudely reminded where he was when he tumbled down the pillow and onto the mattress when Heero got out of bed. The cupid followed Heero after he untangled himself from the sheets, leaving behind two feathers that grew to their full size seconds after he left the room and visible by the time he entered the kitchen.
The cupid inhaled the aroma of brewing coffee and landed on the counter next to the stove to watch Heero as he prepared his breakfast. He screeched and flew back against the wall when the bacon Heero was frying popped, shooting drops of grease in the cupid's direction.
Heero turned his head toward the noise but there was nothing there. It must have been a mouse, he decided. He'd have to remember to add traps to his grocery list.
After Heero finished his breakfast, he washed the dishes then headed for the bathroom. The cupid followed behind him, having been very careful not to make any more noise after his surprised shriek when the bacon had popped.
Heero took his toothbrush from its holder and applied a dab of toothpaste on it and began brushing his teeth. As he brushed, he turned on the water so it would be warm for his shave. The cupid landed on the edge of the sink to watch. He'd never seen how humans cleaned their teeth before. He found it disgusting.
After Heero rinsed the toothpaste out of his mouth, he splashed his face with the warm water then opened his medicine cabinet and took a can of shaving cream out. He squirted some foam into his hand and began smearing it over his cheeks, chin, upper lip and neck. He picked up his razor and began shaving.
The cupid found this even more interesting than the teeth brushing and quickly became mesmerized by the razor strokes Heero made along his face, leaving smooth skin in their wake where whisker stubble had been. The cupid was more impressed he did it without cutting himself.
Heero stuck his razor under the water to rinse it. He shook the razor and sprayed the cupid with water droplets. The cupid threw his arms up defensively and lost his seating on the slick porcelain. He slid down the side of the sink into the stream of water flowing from the faucet. He furiously flapped his wings and Heero got a face full of water.
Heero jerked back then bent down for a closer look to confirm what he thought he'd seen but his brain refused to believe but there was nothing there. He shrugged, chalking it all up to a change in water pressure and washed the last bit of shaving cream off his face.
He dried off then went into his bedroom to make his bed then dress for class. As he was straightening the sheets, he found two feathers. He picked them up thinking they'd escaped the pillow ticking, even though they seemed too large to stuff a pillow, and laid them on the nightstand before he finished making his bed.
After he'd finished dressing and bent down to turn off the lamp, he noticed the feathers sparkled as if they'd been dusted with glitter. He picked one up, slowly twirling it between his fingers. He couldn't tell what color it was.
A bird's feather stayed the same color while a rainbow of iridecense flickered over it. But this feather, as well as it's twin, would change color with every turn.
He pulled a tissue from it's box and gently wrapped the feathers in it. They didn't come from any bird he knew of and certainly not from his pillow. So where did they come from?
He carefully tucked the wrapped feathers in his breast pocket. He'd ask one of the professors in the ornithology department about them.
The cupid tumbled onto the cold marbled floor before springing dizzily to his feet. He hated instantaneous transport, it meant he'd been summoned and he was in deep trouble.
"By Zeus's beard! What the hell were you thinking, Duo?" Eros roared.
End Part 1
KwyckSylver
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