Bittersweet Part 4
I pulled my hood up around my face and slunk through the crowd- at least Relena's fans always provided a good place to hide. Though they did have a tendency to randomly stop dead in their tracks and ogle Relena.
I got stuck behind some people doing just that and so I turned to look at Relena too.
And immediately hunched a bit further into my jacket. Heero was standing only a few feet from me, on the edge of the crowd, his eyes on Relena.
Unlike yesterday, he wasn't watching the crowd with the eyes of a predator waiting for one wrong move. Instead he was looking at the kids Relena was talking to, and I saw the tenseness at the corner of his eyes, the tight line of his mouth. I knew that look. It was one he got nearly any time we were around kids for an extended period of time.
I knew what he was thinking about, and if I didn't think that he'd shrug off any embrace of mine, I would've gone and put my arms around him. That's what I would've done before- or if we were on a job like this I would've moved close enough for him to feel my presence beside him- put a hand on his shoulder... He'd have nightmares tonight, ones about a little girl and her dog. He'd wake up cold and shivering...
Someone cursed behind me, and I realized that I was the one holding up the crowd. So I made myself take a few more steps, but I let my gaze linger on Heero.
No one was near him, no one reached out to him, and I wondered if Heero had found anyone else after all. Surely if he had they wouldn't let him brood like this...
Heero raised a hand up to his ear, touching his headset, and I saw a glint of gold on his finger. Someone stepped on my foot and I realized that I had to move, or someone would notice me blocking traffic here on the sidewalk. I turned my back on Heero and focused instead on the people in front of me, making our slow way down the sidewalk.
He still had it... he was still wearing it... or maybe not. Maybe it was a different one...
I made a few more steps and was stopped again as someone in the crowd stopped to look at Relena. I did too, hoping to catch another glimpse of Heero and found myself peeking over the shoulder of one of L4's finest and a Preventer.
Great.
Especially when I noted that the Preventer had blonde hair and a very familiar profile.
Sally.
Fortunately her attention was focused on Relena.
An insane idea suddenly popped into my head and I wondered if I had a chance of it working... I didn't want Relena to keep feeling guilty... But then again, what I was thinking about was not the smartest of ideas...
Ah well... when had I ever let that stop me?
My fingers touched Sally's belt and unhooked her headset. She immediately sensed the touch and looked over her shoulder, frowning. I tugged my hood back a little and saw her mouth make an O of surprise.
"Tell Lena not to worry, okay? It was my fault- not hers." I said quickly.
"Duo!" Sally recovered fast. She reached out a hand to me and I avoided it. "Why don't you tell her yourself?"
I nodded to where Heero stood. "Don't really want to get lectured again," I explained and saw her expression soften. "Besides," I continued, "we're all better off now. I just wanted to see everybody- you know? I didn't mean to cause any trouble. Just tell Lena it's okay and I'm doing fine."
Sally frowned at me for a moment and then opened her mouth.
Before she could speak, the crowd behind me shifted and I made my exit. I ducked into the crowd, ducking and weaving my way through. Thankfully, the crowd was moving enough that I managed to get to the next street over. From there I made it home easily enough.
Sometimes those old street-rat skills come in handy.
After I made myself a late lunch, I finally gave into the urge in the back of my head and went and sat down at my desk. I pulled open the right hand drawer and fished in the back of it, pushing some envelopes out of the way.
My fingers closed around the small box and I lifted it out of the drawer. I placed it on the desk in front of me and opened it.
Inside on a little worn bed of cotton was my ring. The one Heero had given me all that time ago, the twin to the one he had worn on his finger. I hadn't been able to bring myself to throw it away or pawn it... I picked it up, letting it balance on the tips of my fingers, looking at the gold and black pattern on the outside, the interwoven lines of a Celtic band. Then I tilted it slightly and the engraving on the inside caught the light.
I found that I was smiling, remembering how Heero had given me the ring, while we had been on that smuggling case- we had planned to be on vacation, but our duty came first, and so he had ended up slipping it onto my finger the night before the raid as we'd huddled over the plans for the next day...
He had told me that I didn't have to reciprocate, had told me it was partly because he was getting tired of the way that some of the other Preventers eyed me- something I was still sure he had made up- but I had gotten him one as well. The same pattern- the same engraving, just reversed...
Was he still wearing it? Why?
I couldn't help the hope that rose up. Maybe... maybe something was salvageable?
Or maybe it hadn't been my ring on his finger. Maybe he was wearing someone else's after all...
I shut the box and stuck it back in the drawer. Getting to my feet, I went and turned on the tv, then stretched out on the bed. I watched a few inane game shows and then the news came on.
Vice Minister Peacecraft was scheduled to leave the colony on Saturday. So she had two more days left of her trip, and then I'd be safe again.
Somehow that didn't sound as good as I thought it would. I fell asleep as the newscasters started talking about the latest trade legislation.
~*~
Fridays seemed to be the day everyone stopped in for a treat on their way to work. I was busy pouring coffee and shoving pastries into bags, a welcome diversion from my own thoughts. Nell, knowing that Sam was coming in that afternoon, was higher than any kite. She smiled even at the grouchy customers and I knew that she'd be locking up the store as soon as she could this afternoon.
Once the morning rush died down I went into the back to wash dishes and get things ready for Monday. Nell closed the shop on the weekends that Sam visited- she didn't want to miss any of her time with him.
She was still out front, serving coffee and pastries to the lucky souls who either had Friday's off, got to go into the office late or leave early. I finished up my tasks and looked for more.
Nell chose that moment to pop into the back, and she grinned at me. "All finished Duo? Go home then, sweet! Take some of those cakes, tarts too- yes you should!" As usual, Nell had spent way too much time in the bakery yesterday- she always did the day before Sam was due- she poured all that excitement and nervous energy into baking. We had way too many tarts and cakes- she'd still be able to sell them later, but the ovens had been nearly bursting this morning with all of her extra work.
I knew she'd look before I left, so I obediently boxed up a few before I took my apron off and released my braid. I was just pulling on my jacket when Nell called out:
"Duo- could you please bring some tarts? We are out!"
I grabbed a tray and moving carefully, made my way to the front of the store. Sure enough, one of the trays in the display was empty, so I slid out the tray and slid a new one in.
"You see gentlemen, I said I had more!"
"I'm never going to be able to pick now," a familiar voice complained on the other side of the counter.
No...
I straightened up and looked over the counter.
Quatre smiled cheerfully at me.
"Hello Duo. It's good to see you." He smiled a bit wider, but I couldn't find my voice.
He wasn't alone, you see.
Trowa was standing on one side of him, in his Preventers' gear, gracefully leaning over Quatre's shoulder, examining the display. He gave me only a brief smile before his gaze returned to the case.
Behind them was another person in a Preventers' uniform.
Heero.
TBC...
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