Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Seventh Heaven ❯ Colourblind ( Chapter 20 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Sorceress Fantasia 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.24.2003 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.6K | Visits: 335 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.24.2003 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.6K | Visits: 335 | Status: Completed
Title: Colourblind
Series: Seventh Heaven
Author: Sorceress Fantasia
Pairings: 1+2
Warnings: Heero POV, AU (our time), semi-songfic, sap
Archive: Lev’s Lair
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Disclaimer: When I looked at my calendar, which had this nice picture of two houses nearly buried to the roof by snow, I thought it was December. And I was so excited and eager to see Santa drop off the GW guys at my house as my Christmas pressie for being such a nice little girl this year. Then, I looked closer at my calendar, and noticed that it was only June. Six more months to go! So currently, I *still* don’t own any of the GW guys. I don’t need Santa to give me this fic because it’s mine though! ^^ As an added note, I don’t own any brands, tv shows, or song mentioned here. ‘Colourblind’ belongs to Darius and his record company.
Note: The idea for Heero and Solo’s business project is completely fictional. I’m not even sure if it can be approved. It’s the best I can come up with though, so please consider it as artistic license.
[…] are lyrics.
Thanx to Dark Tenchi for beta-ing! ^^
I yawn. Loudly. Jaw-splittingly. And dropped my pen that I was using on the pad of foolscap paper that contained all my notes for my project.
“You didn’t sleep last night?” Solo asked, grinning that little signature grin of his. “What were you doing?”
I rub my eyes and sigh. “I was just thinking too much. Couldn’t get to sleep.” Oh, that is definitely true. It’s hard to fall asleep with images of Duo flying around my head like mosquitoes, for lack of a better word.
“Thinking? Of what? Thinking dirty thoughts about your lover?”
I look away, hoping that he won’t notice the redness of my face. Yeah, so I wasn’t having quite so ‘clean’ thoughts about Duo. But hey, I’m a young, hormone driven guy! You can’t blame anyone for that, much less me. Besides, Duo’s one of the best-looking guy I’ve seen in a very long while. I swear I can hear a happy tune playing somewhere whenever he comes into my mind.
“About Relena?”
The tune grounds to a squeaky halt, and I nearly wince. “What?!”
Solo laughs, one hand over his mouth to keep his volume down. We are, after all, in the school library for our project proposal. The librarian has the tendency to kick noisy people out because he’s noise-intolerant. Gee… that sounds like a disease or something.
Finally, the laugh bug leaves Solo and he straightens up, still wearing a smirk. “You know, your face just turned white when I suggested Relena. It was like you just saw a ghost or something.”
“I might as well have seen one! Oh please! Don’t mention her *that* way! It creeps me out.” I shudder. I’m not lying when I say that. Trust me. You’ll learn to be scared of anyone when that person turns up in all sorts of places just to find you. When that happens, even someone who’s as pretty as Relena will send you running. Then I frown, wondering why in the world would Solo mention that blonde girl suddenly.
“Why are you bringing her up now?”
“Actually, I met Relena this morning along the corridor. I think she was late for lessons, so she just flew by me with a quick ‘hello’. She was running so fast I thought she was leaving a trail of fire!”
I laugh as the mental image of a flustered Relena appears in my mind. For all the time I’ve known her, I’ve never seen that in her before. She was always so… prim and proper, like a speck of dust would set her off. That’s probably part of the reason why I can’t picture myself with her. It’s not that I’m sleazy or anything, but I can’t stand being so formal all the time. But still, most of the reason is because of her stalking tendencies. “Maybe she’s stalking you instead of me now.” I suggest, though I highly doubt it.
“Nah… impossible. Her stalker type indicates that she won’t give you up so easily.” Solo brushes my idea off with a wave of his hand. “Besides, are you really that eager to get away from her?”
I peer at him with a look that I hope clearly says, ‘Are you kidding?’ Of course I want to get away from that blonde harpy. Who wouldn’t? However, I think that look does not convey my thoughts, because Solo’s still gazing at me with his head cocked to one side.
“No, I’m not eager to get away from her. I desperately, dreadfully, urgently *need* to get away from her.” I pronounce each word sharply, hoping that they’ll sink into his mind now.
“You don’t like her.”
I raise my eyebrows at him.
“Not even a teeny, weeny bit?”
I cross my arms.
“Aa… poor girl. She’ll be heartbroken…” Solo says melodramatically, sighing loudly and dabbing at his eyes with an imaginary handkerchief. That melancholy lasted for a good second before he grinned brightly as if to rival the sun. “But well… that’s not my problem, is it?”
I roll my eyes, and turn back to our project. We’ve been in this study room for quite a while already, perhaps an hour or even more, and still we’ve not a clue as to what to do. We’re still in the stages of arguing what to sell. It’s not going very well, though. We’ve sort of found out what some groups want to sell, and since we don’t want to clash with them, that has already eliminated quite a few of our ideas. Although admittedly, some groups are really lacking in creativity in the projects they want to sell and those… stuff aren’t exactly what I have in mind. Like Wayne is still adamant about selling customized CDs… Anyway, things are not going well with us. It’s hard to be creative, and still not be over-imaginative. Like Eric and Kenny, who are thinking of selling errands, in that they’ll help you do something for money. Creative, sure. But with the number of enemies those two have, they are going to find themselves in heap loads of trouble.
I’m about to ask for Solo’s opinions on our project, but he interrupts my thoughts with yet another question.
“Honestly Heero, have you ever tried getting a friend to pretend to be your lover so she’ll give up?”
Sighing, I nod. “Yeah, Cathy tried to help. But Relena saw right through it and immediately stepped up her efforts to get me because she thought that my friends were coddling me.”
Solo laughs heartily and leans back in his chair, propping his legs on the table. “You know, you should try getting a fake lover. A more convincing one. And preferably a *boy*friend. Relena will probably be disgusted and leave you alone. She just gives me the impression that she’s a very traditional person, a little homophobic, yeah?”
I blink, completely taken aback. Why hadn’t I ever thought of that? Relena Peacecraft’s traditional beliefs are just as well known as her stalking tendencies. If I really do get myself someone to be my boyfriend, there’s a high possibility that she won’t be seen within a mile of me. “That might work… She comes from a very well respected linage. A gay boyfriend would mar her reputation.” I reply, feeling like a burden had been jettisoned from my shoulders. Then comes the big, big, big question. “But who?”
“Your friends?” He suggests absently, toying with a lock of hair.
“She already knows that Quatre and Trowa are a couple and although Zechs is the biggest flirt, he’s already attached to Noin… I haven’t got anyone else close enough for this kinda thing…” I look at him.
Solo continues gazing into nowhere for a moment, but I think he can feel my eyes on him. His jaws drop when he sees that calculating look I’m shooting him. “Hey, don’t look at me that way! I’ve buttered her up before; she won’t see me as a rival in love.”
“Then who? You’re the one who came up with the idea.”
“Exactly, so I’ve done my part already. Why don’t you find someone outside of our university? Surely you have friends outside!”
Ah, got me there. I’d be the first to admit that Heero Yuy is an anti-social recluse, not bad enough to drive all his friends away, but still not good enough to have many friends. My so-called friends outside are just talking acquaintances, nothing more. I look at Solo again, hoping to find some help there. Instead, his expectant look reminds me of someone.
Duo.
How could I forget him? He’d be perfect for the role! Beautiful, lovely, intelligent Duo would be able to beat Relena hands down! In terms of looks, Duo wins. In terms of intelligence, I’m pretty sure Duo wins still. Duo’s a brunette, Relena’s a blonde. Doesn’t that just speak for itself? In terms on personality, Duo wins too. So yes, Duo is the perfect candidate for this. And maybe I’ll be able to convince Duo to stay as my boyfriend after I’ve successfully chased Relena away.
Then comes the gigantic problem. Duo doesn’t know me well enough to want to act as my boyfriend. Besides, I don’t think it’s a good idea to drag him into this. What if Relena scares him off? There’s a distinct possibility.
I think I’m killing too many of my brain cells for this, I need to keep some for the project. Wait a minute. I came to the library today for the project, not for a plot to deal with Relena!
“Hey Solo. Why are you so interested in this? Shouldn’t we be doing our project now?”
“No particular reason. I’m just interested.” He shrugs. “And about our project… I’ve already thought about it last night. In fact, I’ve got some price lists and various notes printed out here.” He digs into his backpack, and tosses a stack of paper onto the table.
I’m impressed. Solo really doesn’t cut corners when it comes to serious things. I pick up the papers, and raise an eyebrow. “Florists? Solo, you aren’t thinking of selling flowers, are you?”
“I am.”
“But… why? Who would want to buy flowers?”
“Haven’t *you* ever bought flowers for your boy or girlfriend?”
Actually, no. It never even came to my mind before. Besides, I never had anyone to buy flowers for. Yeah, so I’ve been deprived, but hey… I have Duo now. Maybe I should consider buying some flowers for Duo…Wonder if he’ll like it.
“From the look on your face, I can tell that no, you’ve never done that before.” Solo notes, deadpanned with a hint of wry amusement. “Listen to my idea. We can sell roses, and we’re not just gonna sell it like a florist. We can make it to be like a game. Firstly, our customers are to buy a red rose, which symbolizes true love, and use it to confess their feelings to the person they like. After that, the person who gets the red rose is to return the other person with a white rose if they accept the feelings, or a yellow rose if they reject the other person. [1]”
Realization dawns on me. “I see… But why white and yellow?”
“White roses symbolize purity and sincerity. On the other hand, yellow roses symbolize rejected love.”
“And how are we going to keep the flowers fresh?”
“I’d admit that’s a bit of a problem, because the flowers will wilt if we leave it out for too long. So if we really do this, we’d have to go to the florist every morning to pick up the roses. After that, we can keep it fresh with a few cotton balls soaked with water, and then wrap the bottom of each stem with aluminum foil. That way, the flowers can last the whole day. And we can consider selling something to take advantage of couples established that way.”
“What’s your plan?” I ask. Knowing him, he’s already done all the necessary research. Maybe it’s a breeze, doing a project with him.
He winks at me confidently, validating my suspicion. “Easy! I was thinking of selling special pendants. We can engrave different designs on it, and there’ll be only two pendants with the same design. That way, couples can buy a pair of the pendants and generally show off their partners.”
“You’re building that up from the general trend that new couples like to show off…” I mutter, thinking of how Quatre and Trowa had showed me their gifts from the other when they had first got together. Hirde did that too, now that I think about it.
“Exactly!” Solo snaps his fingers, smirking widely. “I’ve already gotten the price lists for both the roses and the pendants. About the pendants, it’ll be a small, elongated oval shaped piece of silver metal with rounded edges. Actually, it’s a little like dog tags. The size is about 3cm by 1.5cm. Roughly there. We’ll have to come up with the designs ourselves, and this shop will help us produce it.”
I read through his printouts. Actually, I’m pretty floored by the amount of work he’s put in. Nearly everything has been done in detail. And the prices! Damn, but I’ve never seen roses this cheap before! The pendants aren’t as expensive as I’d thought it’d be too. Solo’s already worked out the budget needed; it’s about three quarters the amount given to us. That leaves us with another quarter to advertise, which is definitely more than enough.
“So? What do you think of my plan?”
“It’s… good! I like it! How did you come up with the idea anyway?”
“I read it somewhere. The roses idea came from some magazine that was lying around in the café, and I picked it up, flipped it, and viola! I saw this article about roses and the various meanings of the different rose colours. I just worked it around a bit. I came up with the pendants idea myself though. As for the cost price, you don’t have to worry too much. I know a friend who owns a flower shop, and my uncle has a friend who can help us with the pendants. We should be able to get a discount rate or something.”
“Friends? For both the roses and the pendants?” I ask, wide-eyed.
“Heero, nowadays… you gotta have a large network of friends to help you get along in the world. Makes a lot of things easier.”
I nod dumbly, not quite sure how to respond to that. I am, after all, a man of few words and even fewer friends.
“Now, all that’s left to do is to write up the report. Oh wait. We have to think of advertising too. Any ideas?”
Now he asks me. I’m pretty sure that he already has a carefully formulated plan in his head, something which will probably be better than what I can come up with. Then again, he just wants my opinion. I rack my brains, willing that spark of creativity to move from Solo’s brain to mine. Suddenly, I remember something.
“Solo, you remember which week we’re supposed to set up our business?”
He blinks. “Erm… I think it’s 5 weeks from now.”
I count the weeks mentally. “Isn’t that the week where there’s supposed to be a celebration of some type?”
“Hey, you’re right, man! I think the students’ council’s organizing some dance party in the university. Great then! It’ll boost our sales!”
“I think we should talk to the students’ council and advertise our rose ‘game’ along with the party.”
“Great idea! That way, maybe we can cut costs on advertising too!” He claps excitedly, grinning from ear to ear. Suddenly, his digital watch beeps. “Oops! Forgot the time! Sorry, Heero. But I gotta run and grab some stuff. Can we continue with this tomorrow? After our lecture?”
“Sure! I have to go too, anyway.”
“Great! See you tomorrow then!” He waves a little wave, and scampers off. Vaguely, I hear the librarian telling him to stop running. Heh, I’m reminded of that stupid librarian I met a while ago, whose meddling made me miss Duo [2].
I look at my watch, and pick up my stuff. If I leave now, I’ll make it just in time to meet Duo at Sally’s. I’d better hurry; it wouldn’t do me any good if I turn up late.
*****
Wretched bus is crawling like a tortoise! I’ve been waiting at the bus station for at least a good fifteen minutes! I think I’ll just walk to Sally’s; I’m already pretty close anyway. Thankfully, the first bus ride had already brought me within walking distance. Still, I have to take a fifteen-minute walk to get there. I’m supposed to change buses, but I think I’ll rather walk now than wait more. I hate waiting.
Besides, I haven’t done my share of people watching lately. Now’s the time to rectify that. It’s easier to observe people when you’re walking anyway.
That guy walking towards me reminds me of the cookie monster by the way he’s stuffing the cookies into his mouth. His blue attire makes it worse. If he weren’t unemployed, he should go interview for the role in… is it Sesame Street? I’m convinced he’ll get it. And that spunky waitress bouncing around in the Starbucks café looks interesting. I think her bra hooks just came off, and that old man close by is ogling her. No doubt what’s on his mind. I roll my eyes, and continue walking. I’m not going to be the one to tell the girl; she’ll probably think I’m a pervert.
I look across the road and notice a blonde guy and a brunette, seemingly cornering someone. They look strangely familiar, but I just can’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe I’ve met them in the university; after all, with all the people moving around, I could never recognize everybody.
Then I spot a chestnut braid. Since I’ve seen only one guy with hair like that, I’m pretty sure that’s Duo. And he’s being cornered by two jerks. Damn.
Quickly, I run across the road, grateful for the lack of cars there. Once across, I run towards Duo and yell, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing!?”
All three pairs of eyes shoot towards me, and I glare at the two bullies. They seem startled to see me, as if they recognize me. I’m starting to think that I really *know* them. ‘Know’ as in I have talked to them before, and not just walked by them once or twice. Duo grabs that opportunity, and ducks between them and runs towards me.
“Heero!” His voice is a little flustered, as is his expression, but I can hear a bit of relief. And I’m strangely elated to hear that.
“Are you okay?”
He nods. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
I offer him a nod, and I turn back to glare a hole through the two jerks. Suddenly, I remember their names. “Mueller! Alex!”
Duo blinks in confusion. “You know them?”
“Yeah.” Gently pushing Duo aside, I crack my knuckles. The two of them look ready to run. They must remember what happened the last time we met. “So I see you’ve got a new target, huh? That’s good. But well, I’m more loyal to my choices. I haven’t changed mine. If you don’t mind, I’ll like to continue where I left off the last time.”
The threat hangs uselessly in the air, now that the two cowards have taken flight. Pathetic.
Duo runs up to me, apparently in awe. “What happened? They just… ran off like something was after them!”
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. Erm, you are going to Sally’s, aren’t you? We can talk about this there.” Oh, I hope he’s going. I recall that he said he wasn’t sure if he would be free during our phone call that day.
“Yeah, I’m free now. C’mon! You just saved me a whole lot of trouble! I’ll give you a treat at Sally’s!” He smiles at me gratefully, and my irritation evaporates.
It’s strange how he seems to be able to lift my spirits so easily…
*****
Sally’s a strange one; the type of boss everyone wants, I tell you. Apparently, she pays her employees to just stand there and look pretty, because she likes to serve the orders personally. So when she shuffles over to us, and places our order on the table, I’m not surprised in the least.
However, it’s not like her to not surprise me every once in a while.
“Duo, your coffee.” She says, pushing it towards him. Then, she turns to me and winks teasingly, “Sorry, Heero. I remembered the sugar this time.” And she saunters off like we aren’t blushing like hell.
“Erm… so can you tell me about it now? How did you know Mueller and Alex?”
Nice change of topic, Duo. I like it. At least I don’t feel like I’m treading on ice. “Those two were Hirde’s, erm my sister’s, seniors in high school previously. They used to pick on her and tried to make her life in school miserable. Things got pretty bad at one point in time, and she came home crying. So I went to school with her the next day. I found out that the two of them were on the karate team, and I well, challenged them during their karate lessons. Simply put, I beat them upside down. Hirde told me that they ran away every time they saw her for at least a full week afterwards.”
He chuckles, and shakes his head. “I wish I could’ve seen that. But Heero, you never told me that you know karate.”
“Oh, I learned a little when I was younger. My father insisted that I should learn some for self-defense.” Now Heero Yuy! Say something romantic! “And also to protect people I need to protect. Someone important to me like…” Say it, Heero!
“Like your sister?”
“Yeah! Yeah, my sister.” I mutter, feeling a headache in my mind as my inner self growled. You know, Heero, at times like these, you’re supposed to say ‘Someone important to me, like you!’ I shrug it off, a little disappointed in losing the good opportunity to get romantic with Duo.
“That’s cool. I wish my uncle had sent me for karate lessons too. Then maybe I could have keep Mueller and Alex away from me.”
“That reminds me. Why were they, you know, trying to…” I pause, unsure of how to phrase it. ‘Bully’ and ‘intimidate’ sounds insulting.
“We’re in the same college now, and well, they just don’t like me. I think it’s my hair. You know, my hair’s been giving me so many problems. Maybe I should just cut it…” He utters absently, playing with the tip of his braid like it was a paintbrush.
Even though it’s not my hair, the idea of cutting it does not sit well with me. When I first met Duo, his chestnut braid was one of the first things that caught my eyes. It’s hard to imagine Duo without it. So I guess that explains my outburst.
“NO!”
Duo jumps a little, and looks at me in shock. I can feel every pair of eyes in the coffeehouse looking at me too, and I have a vague impression of someone laughing behind a hand, judging from the muffled sounds. So I am completely justified when I say I am embarrassed to high heavens.
“I mean… Erm… you shouldn’t cut your hair! It’s lovely! And it’s so long; it’d be a waste to cut it! And long hair suits you! You look nice with long hair! I… err…”
“You think I look nice with long hair?” He breathes, a pretty blush crawling up his cheeks.
“Yes!” I nod vigorously.
For a moment, Duo just looks at me. Then, he smiles. “I was just… joking. I won’t cut my hair. It’s like a memento of my mother. She had long hair, and I used to spend hours brushing it out for her.”
Whew! Maybe I haven’t embarrassed myself too much in front of Duo. “She must be beautiful then.”
“She was.”
“What’s she doing now?”
“Playing harps or trying to eat up the clouds like they’re cotton candy, I guess. At least that’s what she told me she wanted to do when she went to heaven.”
Crap. “I’m sorry, Duo. I didn’t mean to…”
“Hey, it’s okay. It’s been so many years; I’ve gotten over it. Besides, I was the one to bring it up.” Duo tosses his braid behind him. “My parents died in a car accident several years back. My uncle took my brother and me in after that. Lucky for that, or else I would have created a ruckus in an orphanage!”
“I’m sure the people there would love you. I don’t think anyone could dislike you.”
He rolls his eyes in amusement. “What about Mueller and Alex then?”
“Okay. Anyone with a sane mind would like you.” I reply, and I smile when he chuckles. His smiles are infectious, I swear. “Anyway, what were with those two?”
“Like I said, they don’t like me. But I’d admit that this is the first time they’ve tried to do anything to me outside of school. I don’t think they were following me though.”
I nod. “Well, hopefully they’ll stay out of your way for a while. But if they start again, just tell me. I’ll help you deal with them.”
“Thanks, but I really don’t think things will get that bad. They usually just talk down to me, but well, I can handle that. Their insults aren’t very creative.”
“Anyway Duo, I forgot to tell you this. My parents are currently stationed overseas because of their work, so they haven’t come back here for at least three years.”
He blinks at me.
“I just thought it was fair to tell you about my parents, since you told me about yours…” The look on Duo’s face is unnerving. Did I do the right thing in telling him? Or is it faux pas?
“You’re strange, Heero. But well, I guess you’re strange in a good way.” He says good-naturedly, and pulls up a chair beside me before changing seats. “Remember the last time I said we should change CDs?”
I can only nod under this close proximity.
“Well, I have my discman with me.” He says, taking it out of his backpack. Untangling the earphones, he presses one of them into my hands. “We can share it now as we eat. Our coffee and toast are getting cold!”
I peek at Duo, and I see him reaching out for a piece of toast and nibble on it. I follow suit.
Still biting into his food, Duo presses the ‘play’ button, and the music flows into me. The strums of a guitar is pleasing, to say the least. I think it’ll be a nice song. And the singer, a man, starts to sing [3].
[Feelin' blue, while I'm trying to forget the feeling that I miss you
Feelin' green, when the jealousy swells and it won't go away in dreams
Feelin' yellow, I'm confused inside
A little hazy but mellow when I feel your eyes on me
Feelin' fine! Sublime!
When that smile of yours creeps into my mind]
Heh. Did Duo pick this song as some kind of hint? Because it’s reflecting all of my recent thoughts. Oh, I’m a little depressed when I miss him, and it makes me jealous when I think of all his friends in school who are no doubt, in closer proximity with Duo most of the time. Confusion though… not quite, I think. I mean, I know what I want from Duo and why I want it. I’m just confused about the way to get it. Okay, so I *am* confused.
[Nobody told me you'd feel so good
Nobody said you'd be so beautiful
Nobody warned me about your smile
You're the light, you're the light
When I close my eyes
I'm colourblind
You make me colourblind]
Bingo. Again, all true. It seems that everyone thought I was a goner in terms of getting a significant other, so nobody had ever bothered to tell me how nice it was to be in love. Sigh… Duo is one of the best things that happened to me, I’m sure of that. As my hand covers his when we both reach for the toast, I just want to thank this singer, whoever he is, for giving me this opportunity to sit so close to Duo.
When the song is over, Duo stops the CD. “How’s the song? You like it?”
“I thought it was great. But don’t you listen to rock music? That was definitely pop music.”
“Yeah. But well, I do listen to pop music occasionally. And this is a pretty good album. Heard it on the radio station the other day, and I liked it, so I borrowed it from a friend. Besides, it’s a nice change of pace sometimes.”
“Understood.” I mentally file that little piece of info away. It might be useful someday, as a reference to buy a present.
*****
I take out the necessary utensils for preparing dinner, humming a nice little tune aloud. I had just returned home after walking Duo to the bottom of his apartment, with a promise to meet again this coming Sunday. I’m pretty sure I’m still walking on air.
Hirde pokes into the kitchen, and proceeds to raid the fridge. “Heero?”
“What?”
“Is that ‘Colourblind’ you’re humming?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“I didn’t know you listened to pop music… You’re always worshipping those new age singers.” She says, pulling the cap off a bottle of ice water.
I offer her a shrug, smiling inwardly. “It’s a nice change of pace sometimes.”
-owari-
Sorceress Fantasia @ 11th June 2003
Last beta-ed 12th July 2003
[1] The idea of the roses comes from a manga I’ve read. If it belongs to anyone, it’s not me. ^^;;
[2] Reference to Seventh Heaven part 3.
[3] This song is ‘Colourblind’ by Darius. I don’t lay claim to it in any way.
Series: Seventh Heaven
Author: Sorceress Fantasia
Pairings: 1+2
Warnings: Heero POV, AU (our time), semi-songfic, sap
Archive: Lev’s Lair
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Anyone else wants this? Just email me!
Disclaimer: When I looked at my calendar, which had this nice picture of two houses nearly buried to the roof by snow, I thought it was December. And I was so excited and eager to see Santa drop off the GW guys at my house as my Christmas pressie for being such a nice little girl this year. Then, I looked closer at my calendar, and noticed that it was only June. Six more months to go! So currently, I *still* don’t own any of the GW guys. I don’t need Santa to give me this fic because it’s mine though! ^^ As an added note, I don’t own any brands, tv shows, or song mentioned here. ‘Colourblind’ belongs to Darius and his record company.
Note: The idea for Heero and Solo’s business project is completely fictional. I’m not even sure if it can be approved. It’s the best I can come up with though, so please consider it as artistic license.
[…] are lyrics.
Thanx to Dark Tenchi for beta-ing! ^^
I yawn. Loudly. Jaw-splittingly. And dropped my pen that I was using on the pad of foolscap paper that contained all my notes for my project.
“You didn’t sleep last night?” Solo asked, grinning that little signature grin of his. “What were you doing?”
I rub my eyes and sigh. “I was just thinking too much. Couldn’t get to sleep.” Oh, that is definitely true. It’s hard to fall asleep with images of Duo flying around my head like mosquitoes, for lack of a better word.
“Thinking? Of what? Thinking dirty thoughts about your lover?”
I look away, hoping that he won’t notice the redness of my face. Yeah, so I wasn’t having quite so ‘clean’ thoughts about Duo. But hey, I’m a young, hormone driven guy! You can’t blame anyone for that, much less me. Besides, Duo’s one of the best-looking guy I’ve seen in a very long while. I swear I can hear a happy tune playing somewhere whenever he comes into my mind.
“About Relena?”
The tune grounds to a squeaky halt, and I nearly wince. “What?!”
Solo laughs, one hand over his mouth to keep his volume down. We are, after all, in the school library for our project proposal. The librarian has the tendency to kick noisy people out because he’s noise-intolerant. Gee… that sounds like a disease or something.
Finally, the laugh bug leaves Solo and he straightens up, still wearing a smirk. “You know, your face just turned white when I suggested Relena. It was like you just saw a ghost or something.”
“I might as well have seen one! Oh please! Don’t mention her *that* way! It creeps me out.” I shudder. I’m not lying when I say that. Trust me. You’ll learn to be scared of anyone when that person turns up in all sorts of places just to find you. When that happens, even someone who’s as pretty as Relena will send you running. Then I frown, wondering why in the world would Solo mention that blonde girl suddenly.
“Why are you bringing her up now?”
“Actually, I met Relena this morning along the corridor. I think she was late for lessons, so she just flew by me with a quick ‘hello’. She was running so fast I thought she was leaving a trail of fire!”
I laugh as the mental image of a flustered Relena appears in my mind. For all the time I’ve known her, I’ve never seen that in her before. She was always so… prim and proper, like a speck of dust would set her off. That’s probably part of the reason why I can’t picture myself with her. It’s not that I’m sleazy or anything, but I can’t stand being so formal all the time. But still, most of the reason is because of her stalking tendencies. “Maybe she’s stalking you instead of me now.” I suggest, though I highly doubt it.
“Nah… impossible. Her stalker type indicates that she won’t give you up so easily.” Solo brushes my idea off with a wave of his hand. “Besides, are you really that eager to get away from her?”
I peer at him with a look that I hope clearly says, ‘Are you kidding?’ Of course I want to get away from that blonde harpy. Who wouldn’t? However, I think that look does not convey my thoughts, because Solo’s still gazing at me with his head cocked to one side.
“No, I’m not eager to get away from her. I desperately, dreadfully, urgently *need* to get away from her.” I pronounce each word sharply, hoping that they’ll sink into his mind now.
“You don’t like her.”
I raise my eyebrows at him.
“Not even a teeny, weeny bit?”
I cross my arms.
“Aa… poor girl. She’ll be heartbroken…” Solo says melodramatically, sighing loudly and dabbing at his eyes with an imaginary handkerchief. That melancholy lasted for a good second before he grinned brightly as if to rival the sun. “But well… that’s not my problem, is it?”
I roll my eyes, and turn back to our project. We’ve been in this study room for quite a while already, perhaps an hour or even more, and still we’ve not a clue as to what to do. We’re still in the stages of arguing what to sell. It’s not going very well, though. We’ve sort of found out what some groups want to sell, and since we don’t want to clash with them, that has already eliminated quite a few of our ideas. Although admittedly, some groups are really lacking in creativity in the projects they want to sell and those… stuff aren’t exactly what I have in mind. Like Wayne is still adamant about selling customized CDs… Anyway, things are not going well with us. It’s hard to be creative, and still not be over-imaginative. Like Eric and Kenny, who are thinking of selling errands, in that they’ll help you do something for money. Creative, sure. But with the number of enemies those two have, they are going to find themselves in heap loads of trouble.
I’m about to ask for Solo’s opinions on our project, but he interrupts my thoughts with yet another question.
“Honestly Heero, have you ever tried getting a friend to pretend to be your lover so she’ll give up?”
Sighing, I nod. “Yeah, Cathy tried to help. But Relena saw right through it and immediately stepped up her efforts to get me because she thought that my friends were coddling me.”
Solo laughs heartily and leans back in his chair, propping his legs on the table. “You know, you should try getting a fake lover. A more convincing one. And preferably a *boy*friend. Relena will probably be disgusted and leave you alone. She just gives me the impression that she’s a very traditional person, a little homophobic, yeah?”
I blink, completely taken aback. Why hadn’t I ever thought of that? Relena Peacecraft’s traditional beliefs are just as well known as her stalking tendencies. If I really do get myself someone to be my boyfriend, there’s a high possibility that she won’t be seen within a mile of me. “That might work… She comes from a very well respected linage. A gay boyfriend would mar her reputation.” I reply, feeling like a burden had been jettisoned from my shoulders. Then comes the big, big, big question. “But who?”
“Your friends?” He suggests absently, toying with a lock of hair.
“She already knows that Quatre and Trowa are a couple and although Zechs is the biggest flirt, he’s already attached to Noin… I haven’t got anyone else close enough for this kinda thing…” I look at him.
Solo continues gazing into nowhere for a moment, but I think he can feel my eyes on him. His jaws drop when he sees that calculating look I’m shooting him. “Hey, don’t look at me that way! I’ve buttered her up before; she won’t see me as a rival in love.”
“Then who? You’re the one who came up with the idea.”
“Exactly, so I’ve done my part already. Why don’t you find someone outside of our university? Surely you have friends outside!”
Ah, got me there. I’d be the first to admit that Heero Yuy is an anti-social recluse, not bad enough to drive all his friends away, but still not good enough to have many friends. My so-called friends outside are just talking acquaintances, nothing more. I look at Solo again, hoping to find some help there. Instead, his expectant look reminds me of someone.
Duo.
How could I forget him? He’d be perfect for the role! Beautiful, lovely, intelligent Duo would be able to beat Relena hands down! In terms of looks, Duo wins. In terms of intelligence, I’m pretty sure Duo wins still. Duo’s a brunette, Relena’s a blonde. Doesn’t that just speak for itself? In terms on personality, Duo wins too. So yes, Duo is the perfect candidate for this. And maybe I’ll be able to convince Duo to stay as my boyfriend after I’ve successfully chased Relena away.
Then comes the gigantic problem. Duo doesn’t know me well enough to want to act as my boyfriend. Besides, I don’t think it’s a good idea to drag him into this. What if Relena scares him off? There’s a distinct possibility.
I think I’m killing too many of my brain cells for this, I need to keep some for the project. Wait a minute. I came to the library today for the project, not for a plot to deal with Relena!
“Hey Solo. Why are you so interested in this? Shouldn’t we be doing our project now?”
“No particular reason. I’m just interested.” He shrugs. “And about our project… I’ve already thought about it last night. In fact, I’ve got some price lists and various notes printed out here.” He digs into his backpack, and tosses a stack of paper onto the table.
I’m impressed. Solo really doesn’t cut corners when it comes to serious things. I pick up the papers, and raise an eyebrow. “Florists? Solo, you aren’t thinking of selling flowers, are you?”
“I am.”
“But… why? Who would want to buy flowers?”
“Haven’t *you* ever bought flowers for your boy or girlfriend?”
Actually, no. It never even came to my mind before. Besides, I never had anyone to buy flowers for. Yeah, so I’ve been deprived, but hey… I have Duo now. Maybe I should consider buying some flowers for Duo…Wonder if he’ll like it.
“From the look on your face, I can tell that no, you’ve never done that before.” Solo notes, deadpanned with a hint of wry amusement. “Listen to my idea. We can sell roses, and we’re not just gonna sell it like a florist. We can make it to be like a game. Firstly, our customers are to buy a red rose, which symbolizes true love, and use it to confess their feelings to the person they like. After that, the person who gets the red rose is to return the other person with a white rose if they accept the feelings, or a yellow rose if they reject the other person. [1]”
Realization dawns on me. “I see… But why white and yellow?”
“White roses symbolize purity and sincerity. On the other hand, yellow roses symbolize rejected love.”
“And how are we going to keep the flowers fresh?”
“I’d admit that’s a bit of a problem, because the flowers will wilt if we leave it out for too long. So if we really do this, we’d have to go to the florist every morning to pick up the roses. After that, we can keep it fresh with a few cotton balls soaked with water, and then wrap the bottom of each stem with aluminum foil. That way, the flowers can last the whole day. And we can consider selling something to take advantage of couples established that way.”
“What’s your plan?” I ask. Knowing him, he’s already done all the necessary research. Maybe it’s a breeze, doing a project with him.
He winks at me confidently, validating my suspicion. “Easy! I was thinking of selling special pendants. We can engrave different designs on it, and there’ll be only two pendants with the same design. That way, couples can buy a pair of the pendants and generally show off their partners.”
“You’re building that up from the general trend that new couples like to show off…” I mutter, thinking of how Quatre and Trowa had showed me their gifts from the other when they had first got together. Hirde did that too, now that I think about it.
“Exactly!” Solo snaps his fingers, smirking widely. “I’ve already gotten the price lists for both the roses and the pendants. About the pendants, it’ll be a small, elongated oval shaped piece of silver metal with rounded edges. Actually, it’s a little like dog tags. The size is about 3cm by 1.5cm. Roughly there. We’ll have to come up with the designs ourselves, and this shop will help us produce it.”
I read through his printouts. Actually, I’m pretty floored by the amount of work he’s put in. Nearly everything has been done in detail. And the prices! Damn, but I’ve never seen roses this cheap before! The pendants aren’t as expensive as I’d thought it’d be too. Solo’s already worked out the budget needed; it’s about three quarters the amount given to us. That leaves us with another quarter to advertise, which is definitely more than enough.
“So? What do you think of my plan?”
“It’s… good! I like it! How did you come up with the idea anyway?”
“I read it somewhere. The roses idea came from some magazine that was lying around in the café, and I picked it up, flipped it, and viola! I saw this article about roses and the various meanings of the different rose colours. I just worked it around a bit. I came up with the pendants idea myself though. As for the cost price, you don’t have to worry too much. I know a friend who owns a flower shop, and my uncle has a friend who can help us with the pendants. We should be able to get a discount rate or something.”
“Friends? For both the roses and the pendants?” I ask, wide-eyed.
“Heero, nowadays… you gotta have a large network of friends to help you get along in the world. Makes a lot of things easier.”
I nod dumbly, not quite sure how to respond to that. I am, after all, a man of few words and even fewer friends.
“Now, all that’s left to do is to write up the report. Oh wait. We have to think of advertising too. Any ideas?”
Now he asks me. I’m pretty sure that he already has a carefully formulated plan in his head, something which will probably be better than what I can come up with. Then again, he just wants my opinion. I rack my brains, willing that spark of creativity to move from Solo’s brain to mine. Suddenly, I remember something.
“Solo, you remember which week we’re supposed to set up our business?”
He blinks. “Erm… I think it’s 5 weeks from now.”
I count the weeks mentally. “Isn’t that the week where there’s supposed to be a celebration of some type?”
“Hey, you’re right, man! I think the students’ council’s organizing some dance party in the university. Great then! It’ll boost our sales!”
“I think we should talk to the students’ council and advertise our rose ‘game’ along with the party.”
“Great idea! That way, maybe we can cut costs on advertising too!” He claps excitedly, grinning from ear to ear. Suddenly, his digital watch beeps. “Oops! Forgot the time! Sorry, Heero. But I gotta run and grab some stuff. Can we continue with this tomorrow? After our lecture?”
“Sure! I have to go too, anyway.”
“Great! See you tomorrow then!” He waves a little wave, and scampers off. Vaguely, I hear the librarian telling him to stop running. Heh, I’m reminded of that stupid librarian I met a while ago, whose meddling made me miss Duo [2].
I look at my watch, and pick up my stuff. If I leave now, I’ll make it just in time to meet Duo at Sally’s. I’d better hurry; it wouldn’t do me any good if I turn up late.
*****
Wretched bus is crawling like a tortoise! I’ve been waiting at the bus station for at least a good fifteen minutes! I think I’ll just walk to Sally’s; I’m already pretty close anyway. Thankfully, the first bus ride had already brought me within walking distance. Still, I have to take a fifteen-minute walk to get there. I’m supposed to change buses, but I think I’ll rather walk now than wait more. I hate waiting.
Besides, I haven’t done my share of people watching lately. Now’s the time to rectify that. It’s easier to observe people when you’re walking anyway.
That guy walking towards me reminds me of the cookie monster by the way he’s stuffing the cookies into his mouth. His blue attire makes it worse. If he weren’t unemployed, he should go interview for the role in… is it Sesame Street? I’m convinced he’ll get it. And that spunky waitress bouncing around in the Starbucks café looks interesting. I think her bra hooks just came off, and that old man close by is ogling her. No doubt what’s on his mind. I roll my eyes, and continue walking. I’m not going to be the one to tell the girl; she’ll probably think I’m a pervert.
I look across the road and notice a blonde guy and a brunette, seemingly cornering someone. They look strangely familiar, but I just can’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe I’ve met them in the university; after all, with all the people moving around, I could never recognize everybody.
Then I spot a chestnut braid. Since I’ve seen only one guy with hair like that, I’m pretty sure that’s Duo. And he’s being cornered by two jerks. Damn.
Quickly, I run across the road, grateful for the lack of cars there. Once across, I run towards Duo and yell, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing!?”
All three pairs of eyes shoot towards me, and I glare at the two bullies. They seem startled to see me, as if they recognize me. I’m starting to think that I really *know* them. ‘Know’ as in I have talked to them before, and not just walked by them once or twice. Duo grabs that opportunity, and ducks between them and runs towards me.
“Heero!” His voice is a little flustered, as is his expression, but I can hear a bit of relief. And I’m strangely elated to hear that.
“Are you okay?”
He nods. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
I offer him a nod, and I turn back to glare a hole through the two jerks. Suddenly, I remember their names. “Mueller! Alex!”
Duo blinks in confusion. “You know them?”
“Yeah.” Gently pushing Duo aside, I crack my knuckles. The two of them look ready to run. They must remember what happened the last time we met. “So I see you’ve got a new target, huh? That’s good. But well, I’m more loyal to my choices. I haven’t changed mine. If you don’t mind, I’ll like to continue where I left off the last time.”
The threat hangs uselessly in the air, now that the two cowards have taken flight. Pathetic.
Duo runs up to me, apparently in awe. “What happened? They just… ran off like something was after them!”
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. Erm, you are going to Sally’s, aren’t you? We can talk about this there.” Oh, I hope he’s going. I recall that he said he wasn’t sure if he would be free during our phone call that day.
“Yeah, I’m free now. C’mon! You just saved me a whole lot of trouble! I’ll give you a treat at Sally’s!” He smiles at me gratefully, and my irritation evaporates.
It’s strange how he seems to be able to lift my spirits so easily…
*****
Sally’s a strange one; the type of boss everyone wants, I tell you. Apparently, she pays her employees to just stand there and look pretty, because she likes to serve the orders personally. So when she shuffles over to us, and places our order on the table, I’m not surprised in the least.
However, it’s not like her to not surprise me every once in a while.
“Duo, your coffee.” She says, pushing it towards him. Then, she turns to me and winks teasingly, “Sorry, Heero. I remembered the sugar this time.” And she saunters off like we aren’t blushing like hell.
“Erm… so can you tell me about it now? How did you know Mueller and Alex?”
Nice change of topic, Duo. I like it. At least I don’t feel like I’m treading on ice. “Those two were Hirde’s, erm my sister’s, seniors in high school previously. They used to pick on her and tried to make her life in school miserable. Things got pretty bad at one point in time, and she came home crying. So I went to school with her the next day. I found out that the two of them were on the karate team, and I well, challenged them during their karate lessons. Simply put, I beat them upside down. Hirde told me that they ran away every time they saw her for at least a full week afterwards.”
He chuckles, and shakes his head. “I wish I could’ve seen that. But Heero, you never told me that you know karate.”
“Oh, I learned a little when I was younger. My father insisted that I should learn some for self-defense.” Now Heero Yuy! Say something romantic! “And also to protect people I need to protect. Someone important to me like…” Say it, Heero!
“Like your sister?”
“Yeah! Yeah, my sister.” I mutter, feeling a headache in my mind as my inner self growled. You know, Heero, at times like these, you’re supposed to say ‘Someone important to me, like you!’ I shrug it off, a little disappointed in losing the good opportunity to get romantic with Duo.
“That’s cool. I wish my uncle had sent me for karate lessons too. Then maybe I could have keep Mueller and Alex away from me.”
“That reminds me. Why were they, you know, trying to…” I pause, unsure of how to phrase it. ‘Bully’ and ‘intimidate’ sounds insulting.
“We’re in the same college now, and well, they just don’t like me. I think it’s my hair. You know, my hair’s been giving me so many problems. Maybe I should just cut it…” He utters absently, playing with the tip of his braid like it was a paintbrush.
Even though it’s not my hair, the idea of cutting it does not sit well with me. When I first met Duo, his chestnut braid was one of the first things that caught my eyes. It’s hard to imagine Duo without it. So I guess that explains my outburst.
“NO!”
Duo jumps a little, and looks at me in shock. I can feel every pair of eyes in the coffeehouse looking at me too, and I have a vague impression of someone laughing behind a hand, judging from the muffled sounds. So I am completely justified when I say I am embarrassed to high heavens.
“I mean… Erm… you shouldn’t cut your hair! It’s lovely! And it’s so long; it’d be a waste to cut it! And long hair suits you! You look nice with long hair! I… err…”
“You think I look nice with long hair?” He breathes, a pretty blush crawling up his cheeks.
“Yes!” I nod vigorously.
For a moment, Duo just looks at me. Then, he smiles. “I was just… joking. I won’t cut my hair. It’s like a memento of my mother. She had long hair, and I used to spend hours brushing it out for her.”
Whew! Maybe I haven’t embarrassed myself too much in front of Duo. “She must be beautiful then.”
“She was.”
“What’s she doing now?”
“Playing harps or trying to eat up the clouds like they’re cotton candy, I guess. At least that’s what she told me she wanted to do when she went to heaven.”
Crap. “I’m sorry, Duo. I didn’t mean to…”
“Hey, it’s okay. It’s been so many years; I’ve gotten over it. Besides, I was the one to bring it up.” Duo tosses his braid behind him. “My parents died in a car accident several years back. My uncle took my brother and me in after that. Lucky for that, or else I would have created a ruckus in an orphanage!”
“I’m sure the people there would love you. I don’t think anyone could dislike you.”
He rolls his eyes in amusement. “What about Mueller and Alex then?”
“Okay. Anyone with a sane mind would like you.” I reply, and I smile when he chuckles. His smiles are infectious, I swear. “Anyway, what were with those two?”
“Like I said, they don’t like me. But I’d admit that this is the first time they’ve tried to do anything to me outside of school. I don’t think they were following me though.”
I nod. “Well, hopefully they’ll stay out of your way for a while. But if they start again, just tell me. I’ll help you deal with them.”
“Thanks, but I really don’t think things will get that bad. They usually just talk down to me, but well, I can handle that. Their insults aren’t very creative.”
“Anyway Duo, I forgot to tell you this. My parents are currently stationed overseas because of their work, so they haven’t come back here for at least three years.”
He blinks at me.
“I just thought it was fair to tell you about my parents, since you told me about yours…” The look on Duo’s face is unnerving. Did I do the right thing in telling him? Or is it faux pas?
“You’re strange, Heero. But well, I guess you’re strange in a good way.” He says good-naturedly, and pulls up a chair beside me before changing seats. “Remember the last time I said we should change CDs?”
I can only nod under this close proximity.
“Well, I have my discman with me.” He says, taking it out of his backpack. Untangling the earphones, he presses one of them into my hands. “We can share it now as we eat. Our coffee and toast are getting cold!”
I peek at Duo, and I see him reaching out for a piece of toast and nibble on it. I follow suit.
Still biting into his food, Duo presses the ‘play’ button, and the music flows into me. The strums of a guitar is pleasing, to say the least. I think it’ll be a nice song. And the singer, a man, starts to sing [3].
[Feelin' blue, while I'm trying to forget the feeling that I miss you
Feelin' green, when the jealousy swells and it won't go away in dreams
Feelin' yellow, I'm confused inside
A little hazy but mellow when I feel your eyes on me
Feelin' fine! Sublime!
When that smile of yours creeps into my mind]
Heh. Did Duo pick this song as some kind of hint? Because it’s reflecting all of my recent thoughts. Oh, I’m a little depressed when I miss him, and it makes me jealous when I think of all his friends in school who are no doubt, in closer proximity with Duo most of the time. Confusion though… not quite, I think. I mean, I know what I want from Duo and why I want it. I’m just confused about the way to get it. Okay, so I *am* confused.
[Nobody told me you'd feel so good
Nobody said you'd be so beautiful
Nobody warned me about your smile
You're the light, you're the light
When I close my eyes
I'm colourblind
You make me colourblind]
Bingo. Again, all true. It seems that everyone thought I was a goner in terms of getting a significant other, so nobody had ever bothered to tell me how nice it was to be in love. Sigh… Duo is one of the best things that happened to me, I’m sure of that. As my hand covers his when we both reach for the toast, I just want to thank this singer, whoever he is, for giving me this opportunity to sit so close to Duo.
When the song is over, Duo stops the CD. “How’s the song? You like it?”
“I thought it was great. But don’t you listen to rock music? That was definitely pop music.”
“Yeah. But well, I do listen to pop music occasionally. And this is a pretty good album. Heard it on the radio station the other day, and I liked it, so I borrowed it from a friend. Besides, it’s a nice change of pace sometimes.”
“Understood.” I mentally file that little piece of info away. It might be useful someday, as a reference to buy a present.
*****
I take out the necessary utensils for preparing dinner, humming a nice little tune aloud. I had just returned home after walking Duo to the bottom of his apartment, with a promise to meet again this coming Sunday. I’m pretty sure I’m still walking on air.
Hirde pokes into the kitchen, and proceeds to raid the fridge. “Heero?”
“What?”
“Is that ‘Colourblind’ you’re humming?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“I didn’t know you listened to pop music… You’re always worshipping those new age singers.” She says, pulling the cap off a bottle of ice water.
I offer her a shrug, smiling inwardly. “It’s a nice change of pace sometimes.”
-owari-
Sorceress Fantasia @ 11th June 2003
Last beta-ed 12th July 2003
[1] The idea of the roses comes from a manga I’ve read. If it belongs to anyone, it’s not me. ^^;;
[2] Reference to Seventh Heaven part 3.
[3] This song is ‘Colourblind’ by Darius. I don’t lay claim to it in any way.