24 Aug 2001
Pairing: 2+R
Category: Romance
Rating for this section: G
What to expect: Hetero-ai, mild angst.
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Sunrise, the Sotsu
Agency, and Bandai, and I intend only to increase their
revenues by contributing this derivative work.
/ denotes thoughts, emphasis
It's all right, it's all right, it's all right
We move through miracle days
It's all right, it's all right, it's all right
Spirit moves in mysterious ways
Afternoon sun filtered through the leaves to make dappled patterns on the grass; when an occasional breeze stirred the branches, those flecks and daubs of light seemed to lift and dance, winking in and out of sight.
Leaning against a tree at the edge of the well-traveled quadrangle, Heero Yuy wondered, not for the first time, if this was what people meant by peace: having time to look at the motion of light on grass, and the luxury of knowing that tree, grass, and light would all be here tomorrow. Doing the very same dance, for anyone who cared to look.
Not many were looking at the moment; aside from a few people idling on the sidewalk and under the trees, the campus seemed strangely empty. A bell rang somewhere inside one of the nearer buildings, breaking through the lulling drone of a distant lawnmower. Heero's head came up, listening: an alarm? None of the loitering students or professors seemed concerned, though, so he relaxed back against the tree. Some other kind of bell, then--he was still getting used to the range of things these sounds could mean.
This one, for example, apparently signaled a class change. A student came through the heavy doors, blinking at the sudden brightness. Another and another followed, until there was a steady stream of young people flocking out through the front entrance, tucking notebooks back into knapsacks and digging for sunglasses as they clattered down the steps. He watched their little groups form and reform, making study dates, bewailing horrible homework assignments, waving graded papers at one another in triumph or despair.
Then sunlight flashed on golden hair, and Heero straightened up again as Relena came down the steps with another group of classmates. She didn't seem to be the center of their attention, he noticed; that honor was reserved for whatever issue they were all discussing so intently. The others listened when she spoke, but with the friendly attention of equals--a favor he watched her return, nodding thoughtfully at some especially interesting comment from one of her classmates. They did seem to be friends, too, laughing and calling out farewells as they reached the sidewalk. It occurred to Heero suddenly that he had never seen Relena happy before--he had seen her look pleased, even delighted, but never this relaxed, confident joy.
While Heero was pondering this, Relena looked up--not at him, but down the sidewalk to his left--and her whole face lit with a welcoming smile. Duo waved back to her from among the masses of students thronging the main sidewalk, reaching out to catch her hand when he got close enough. The group with him, identified as engineering students by the sophisticated mini- computers outlined in every backpack, greeted Relena with what sounded like a gripping account of their latest midterm. She offered a laughing reply, letting go of Duo's hand to re-tie the dangling ribbon on the end of his braid. Evidently forgotten, Relena's bag gaped open where it hung against her back; without pausing in the conversation, Duo reached behind her and zipped it closed.
Something about the unconscious grace of this casual tenderness reminded Heero of the sunlight on the leaves; a shifting pattern, different in every light and with every breeze, while the heart of things stayed the same. This was the peace too, he realized. Their peace. And if they could find this--could build this--then anything was possible. Even for him, perhaps.
Giving Relena's bag a satisfied pat, Duo looked up past her shoulder; his eyes widened in disbelief as he recognized Heero. Duo started to wave, perhaps to call out a greeting--but Heero gestured for silence, shaking his head. Duo looked puzzled, but not entirely displeased, and his arm went more securely around Relena's shoulders even as he tipped the other hand in a jaunty salute.
Distracted by their friends' antics, Relena missed the brief exchange. Eventually registering Duo's inattention, she looked up questioningly; he just smiled, reaching out to touch her cheek with only a bit more reverence than usual. And when Relena followed his gaze back toward the tree at the edge of the quad, there were only leaf-shadows moving lazily on the grass.
End of Epilogue: Miracle days
(:./lilias/mystified11)
