Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Shiver ❯ One-Shot

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

I wrote this as a present for Usagi, as her birthday is June 30th. Happy birthday, Usa! I heard a really wonderful song and absolutely had to use it in a fic. Hence, the birth of this fic. The song is 'Shiver' by Jamie O'Neal. I fully recommend going out and buying her cd. It's absolutely wonderful. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story!





Shiver



Heero stepped into the house, quietly closing the door behind him. It was the
middle of the night, and he had just gotten back from a rather difficult and bloody
mission. His gun had been indisposed of for the moment, so he had to resort to hand
-to-hand combat. The fighting resulted in several scratches and bruises, including a
severe gash in his right side.

Moving stealthily through the living room to the kitchen, his eyes kept watch for
obstacles to trip over in the pitch-black room. He had been trained to have heightened
senses in any situation, which definitely came in handy on late nights.

Just when he thought he was home free, a light switched on overhead, flooding
everything in the kitchen with a bright fluorescent glow. He squinted in the brightness.
When his normal sight returned, he groaned inwardly at his roommate.

"Hard night, huh?"

Usagi didn't need to even ask the question. Judging by the blood on his clothes
and his battered body, she knew this must have been one of his more intense
missions.

And she was completely fine with it... most of the time. She was aware of his
sordid past during the War a few years ago, and now he still fought to keep that peace
alive. If anything, she found his working as a Preventer to be rather noble.

But that still didn't mean that it hurt her every time she saw her best friend coming
in looking like he had been one of those crash test dummies. One thing was for sure,
though. She got more than enough practice in the first aid department!

"It was nothing I couldn't handle," he answered shortly as he accepted her arm
around his waist for stability. They awkwardly but expertly made their way up the
stairs and to the bathroom, where he took a seat in front of Usagi's vanity.

Shaking her head, Usagi pulled out the first aid kit that had seen more than its fair
share of use. Setting it on the counter, she commented, "We should really buy stock
in this first aid kit company. We'd be rich right now."

Despite his painful injuries and the fact that it was unlike him, Heero had to give a
wry smile at the comment. True, her words were very true. He patiently waited for
Nurse Usagi to diagnose him.

After giving him a quick once-over with her eyes, Usagi told him, "Take off your
shirt. You have this nasty cut on the back of your neck."

On his neck? He hadn't even noticed. After a while the pain tended to dull to a
mild fog, easily bearable. For most people, as least. Obeying her command, he
slipped out of his shirt and tossed it to the floor.

Visibly wincing, she knelt down in front of him with a washcloth and antiseptic
bottle. Yes, he sure had taken a beating. But he always won. She'd hate to see the
other guy. Pouring some antiseptic on the cloth, she gingerly pressed it to the gash in
his side.

Heero sucked in his breath at the stinging sensation. This had to be the worst part
of his missions. His body had endured much worse than this, including several
concussions and broken bones. That didn't mean the cuts hurt any less, though,
especially when being disinfected. But he rarely showed how much pain he was in,
even to Usagi. He had been trained to hide his emotions well.

Except for when he was with Usagi. There was just something about her that
brought out all the emotions in him that he had worried he lost. She was like that the
first time he met her, even though she had obviously not been happy herself.

He had been walking through the park around midnight after a mission, and he had
stumbled upon her. She was sitting on a bench staring off into nothingness, dried tears
streaking her cheeks. She had offered him a seat beside him despite her obviously
unhappy mood, and, for some strange reason, he had accepted. They didn't talk, only
sat in silence.

After that he kept running into her all around town. They talked as acquaintances,
gradually becoming friends. She hung out at the house he shared with the four other
men who he had fought in the War with. Eventually the two moved into a small house
together after his job required him to relocate. She had insisted on coming with him,
and he wasn't about to refuse her request. He rather enjoyed her company.

He was startled out of his thoughts at the blinding pain on the back of his neck. A
low growl escaped his lips.

"Gomen nasai, Heero," Usagi apologized as she quickly wrenched the cloth away.
Then she began to clean his wound more gently. Her other hand rested on his
shoulder, the cool pads of her fingers lightly pressing into his warm skin.

Usagi was the only person he allowed to tend to his wounds like this. Sure, when
he had been knocked unconscious in a battle or wounded to the point of stupor, one of
the other guys would take care of him. But if he were well enough, he'd take care of
everything himself.

She was gentle, more careful than the guys. And it wasn't because she was a girl.
She wanted to cause as little pain as possible. Her long, graceful fingers were always
careful in their movements.


Don't know how you do it
Like there's nothing to it


Heero was amazed that she never tired of helping him. Despite the obvious pain
from his injuries, he liked spending time with her like this. This was different than
hanging out with the guys. He was more comfortable around her.

As she finished putting the bandages on, Heero closed his eyes, content with just
being near her.

Standing in front of him, Usagi frowned. He looked tired. She knelt down so that
they were on the same eye level. "Heero, daijobu ka?"

His eyes opened, and his breath caught in his throat. Her face was close to his,
oh so close. He stared into her beautiful crystalline eyes, at a loss for words.


You just look my way
You come a little closer


What was this feeling, the one that suddenly made his heart start pounding?
Heero didn't know. All he knew was that looking at Usagi, the concern on her beautiful
face, was all he wanted to do. But he wrenched his gaze away, answering, "Hai,
daijobu."


I lose my composure
Don't know what to say


"You're tired." It was more of an observation than a question. She knew him better
than she knew herself. They had no secrets. She kept nothing from him. Well,
except for a deep, dark secret that she had buried in the recesses of her mind. Even
her friends didn't know. But try as she might to deny it, there was no mistaking it.

She loved Heero.

Usagi wasn't talking the friendly, platonic love one would feel towards her... best
friend. She was madly, truly, head-over-heels, exploding fireworks, magically in love
with him. She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment it happened, or even give a ballpark
estimation. All she knew was that she woke up one day with this feeling in her heart
that was unmistakable.

She had been living with it for months. It wasn't easy to act normally around him,
but she had gotten used to it. She longed to tell him. She had dreams of her
confession, which he avidly returned. Then they'd have a fairy-tale wedding and live
happily ever after.

Too bad real life didn't work like that.

But she was really fine by it. She always had her hope.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." Standing, Usagi tugged him to his feet and
latched her arm around his waist again. With him leaning heavily against her, they
made it down the hallway to his bedroom.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, wincing as his side bent. Damn, he was
going to have to take it easy for a couple of days with this injury. He silently cursed
the man that had overthrown him for those two seconds.

Sitting beside him, Usagi only sighed. "You need to be more careful," she told
him, already knowing that he was more than careful on his missions. She always had
a knack for stating the obvious when he was around, whether he wanted to hear it or
not.

"If I were any more careful, my brain would have exploded by now," he retorted,
shaking his head slightly.

The corners of her mouth turned upward as she kept a straight face. "That's one
thing I couldn't fix with my handy bottle of antiseptic."

He turned to her, surprised at her joking mood. Usually she was so serious about
his missions. This was an interesting change.


I'm overwhelmed, you smile, I melt


His heart sped up again. She was just so beautiful. He had always thought so,
but now it was like... he was seeing her in a different light, and that scared him. They
had been friends for a long time. Was there really anything more to their relationship
than friendship?

Usagi laid a hand lightly on his arm. "You really do need to get some rest," she
told him in a more serious tone. "Your wounds need to heal." As she said this, her
other hand traced a jagged scar that marred his solid chest.


And somewhere inside, oh baby, I
Shiver, tremble, I never
No I never once felt so much


Heero almost jumped at the contact. Her innocent touch created a spark of
electricity where her fingers roamed. Damn, where were all of these feelings coming
from all of a sudden?

Then it hit him. They weren't just spontaneous. All of these pent-up feelings have
been building for quite a while, and he had chosen to ignore them. After all, it was
easier than to admit what he feared more than death itself: he was in love with Usagi.

The thought horrified him. He had never been in love, never felt love towards
another person. He wouldn't have even known that his newfound feelings were love,
save the fact that they were towards Usagi, and he knew they could be nothing else.
The first thing he had been taught as a soldier was that emotions were for the weak.
Therefore, as a Perfect Soldier, he emitted no emotions. It took the guys several
months to get any type of reaction out of him. Even Relena Peacecraft, whom he had
feelings for for a short time, was not able to pierce through his heart enough to have a
lasting relationship, or any type of relationship. It was only after the War that Heero
started warming up to people.

Then Usagi came along, and everything changed. After a quick debate, he had
decided that the change was for the better. He was more open, more outspoken, and
he even smiled on rare occasions. She had definitely gotten to him.

And now he was in love with her. He didn't even know what to do.


It shakes me how you take me
Deeper than I've ever been
It's to the core, under my skin I
Shiver


"Hai, I need to sleep," he mumbled, turning away from her.

She gave the back of his head a perplexed look before standing. "You do that. I'll
see you in the morning." She left the room, closing the door behind her. Making her
way downstairs, she plopped down on the sofa in the living room. Heero sure was
acting strangely, even for him. She wondered if this mission had been particularly
harder than the others. It was a fruitless thought; he'd never admit to it even if it were.

Sighing, Usagi sank into the deep blue cushions, holding a pillow to her chest.
She glanced at the wall clock. Two in the morning, and she was wide-awake. What
was there to do at two in the morning? She was never up at this hour.

Grabbing the remote control, she turned the tv on and began flipping channels.
After passing up the hundredth infomercial, she turned the tv back off. Forget trying to
entertain herself. She'd just sit here until she was tired.



Lying back against his pillow, Heero groaned softly. He couldn't go to sleep. He
wasn't tired in the least. Hurting like hell, sure, but not tired. And damnit, thinking
about Usagi for the past hour didn't help him in his quest to fall into a blissful slumber.

Finally giving up on any type of rest, he climbed out of bed, all the while muttering
curses under his breath. His movements were slow and painful, and somehow he
made it downstairs without actually tumbling down them.

Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, he went into the living room, only to stop
dead in his tracks. Usagi was on the couch, her eyes closed. Why didn't she just go
to sleep in her bed?

Walking over to the couch, he stood in front of her. He leaned down. "Usagi?" he
murmured.

"Nani?" She opened her eyes, staring in question at Heero.

He took a step back, startled that she was awake. Regaining his composure, he
sat down beside her on the couch. "I thought you were asleep."

She shook her head, her golden hair wisping around her heart-shaped face. "I can't
seem to fall asleep tonight."

"You weren't sleeping when I got in?" Usually she was sleeping, which was
better for him. That way, she wouldn't worry when he came home after having the
same kind of nights he had tonight.

"Iie." She gave him a sheepish grin. "You can't sleep either?"

He only grunted in response, leaning back against the couch. He hissed and sat
forward sharply. That damn scratch on his neck was annoying!

"Still hurt?" Another obvious question. She raised her hand to Heero's neck,
drawing it back quickly as he tensed up. Tentatively, she reached for the bandage
again. His shoulders seemed to relax a bit. She grabbed a corner of the medical tape,
slowly pulling the bandage away from his skin. The cut was jagged, not too deep, but
still looked like it hurt like hell. She replaced the bandage, then folded her hands in her
lap. "It might take a while to heal," she commented.

'Just like the rest of them,' Heero thought in annoyance. Grasping his water bottle
in one hand, he attempted to open it. His fingers, however, did not want to cooperate.

Usagi reached over and plucked the bottle from him, twisting the cap off. She
returned both to him.

"Can't even open a damn water bottle," he muttered before taking a drink.

"You're still sore from fighting. You'll be better tomorrow."

Words of wisdom from the blonde girl. She was right. He was always better after
a good night's sleep. Now all he needed was to be able to fall asleep...

"So, how about it?" Usagi's voice broke through his thoughts.

He looked at her. "Say that again?"

"A game," she repeated, "to pass the time until we fall asleep. I was thinking
maybe a little Truth or Dare, possibly Twenty Questions..."

He shot her a dubious look. She couldn't be serious. Judging from the grin on her
face, she had to be joking. "Count me out."

She feigned hurt, pouting, her lips turning downward. "Aww, you're no fun."

"So I've been told."

The next few minutes were passed in silence, while each pretty much just stared
at a nice spot on the wall and the carpet, but never at each other.

Finally Usagi turned to him, saying, "I give up. We can sit here all night, which we
very well might do, or we can try to go to sleep. I, for one, choose the latter."

"And right after I made it down the stairs," he grumbled jokingly. A little part of him
really did mean it.

"We can always sleep down here..."

His eyes widened a fraction of an inch. She obviously found the idea innocent
enough. Well, what was it going to hurt?

"I wasn't much looking forward to those stairs again anyway," he answered, leaning
back against the couch in a way that wouldn't hurt his neck. He froze as Usagi's hand
was on his knee. She scooted closer to him. Curling up carefully against his good
side, she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I was really worried about you," she confessed almost sheepishly, her hand still
lingering on his knee.

He was confused, at both her actions and her words. Why would she worry more
this time than any other time? "But I'm fine," he reassured her, covering her hand with
his.

She turned her head up to look at him, still resting on his shoulder. "I don't know
what I would do if anything ever happened to you," she continued, almost afraid to
speak the words aloud.

Heero knew the feeling. After every mission, the one thing he thought about was
getting back home to see Usagi. Her beautiful face always washed away the hell he
went through on his missions.


"Nothing is going to happen to me," he murmured soothingly, moving his hand to
her shoulder.

"I trust you," she whispered, her warm breath tickling his neck.


I love the way your whisper
Slowly, softly lingers
In my ear


Heero held her close, just enjoying the contact of her skin with his. No matter how
much he tried to deny it, he needed her. Sure, she had compromised all of his training
as the Perfect Soldier, but he didn't give a damn about that. Usagi was the one
constant in his life, and he owed her everything. She gave him his humanity back by
allowing him to feel again.

And suddenly he wasn't afraid any more. This overwhelming desire to confess his
feelings swept over him. He wanted her to know that she was loved, that he loved her.
He could only hope that the feelings would someday be returned.

Burying her face in the crook of his neck, Usagi sighed. Why couldn't they stay
like this forever? She felt safe in his arms, and she knew he was safe because she
wouldn't let him go, ever, if she had a choice in the matter.


You move a little lower
The world starts spinning slower
Then it disappears


"Usagi?" Heero spoke, pulling away a little.

Raising her head, Usagi locked eyes with him. "Heero?"

He just about drowned in her crystalline eyes. They were so big, so blue, just like
the ocean, and just as mesmerizing. He almost forgot what he was about to say.
Shaking his head slightly, he focused once again on the situation at hand.

"Usagi, we've been friends for a while. Best friends even." At her nod, he
continued. "I've never had a family. I started training at such a young age. I don't even
remember if I had parents that loved me. I was alone until I met the guys, but even with
them I was alone. Only after years of spending time with them did I allow them to be
close to me, to become friends. After a while, they became my family, the one I never
had, the one I had unknowingly wanted."

He looked down for a moment as the memories flooded in his mind. Then he
raised his eyes back to hers. "And then I met you. Everything changed yet again for
me. It was all your doing."

When her head lowered, he tilted her chin up so she would look at him again.
"You were like an angel, sent here to show me that I could live again, could feel again.
My own personal savior." He smiled. "This time that we spend together, it is the one
thing I look forward to. You are such a wonderful person. What I'm trying to say is..."
He took a deep breath. "I love you, Usagi."

Usagi froze, her eyes widening. Did he just say what she thought he said? But
she could see it in his eyes, his strikingly bright cerulean eyes that she could stare
into for hours. He loved her? She couldn't be dreaming. Never in her dreams did his
confession sound this sweet. There was only one thing left to do now.

"Heero, I also have a confession to make." She paused. "On the day we met, you
found me crying in the park. My longtime boyfriend had just broken up with me. I
thought he was the love of my life."

At these words his eyes darkened, clouding with pain and rejection.

"But I realized he wasn't," she continued softly, placing a hand on his chest. "I
now see that it was supposed to work out that way. I was supposed to meet you. You
were sent to me, too."

With each word, her face was moving closer and closer to his until they were nose
to nose.


Your lips so close, we kiss almost


"What I'm trying to say is... I love you, Heero Yuy. You showed me that there is
true happiness and love in this world." Their faces were now so close that, when she
spoke, her lips ever so lightly brushed across his.


Just barely touch, but that's enough
To make me
Shiver, tremble, I never
No I never once felt so much


At her words, Heero was just blown away. She loved him too? It was like the dark
cloud that had surrounded his heart suddenly dissipated, and it was replaced by this
warm glow that filled his head and made him want to just hold her forever.

The fraction of an inch between them disappeared as his lips fell upon hers. The
kiss was sweet, gentle, everything that she embodied. He felt her body melt into his
as he pulled her closer, his arms holding her to him.


It shakes me how you take me
Deeper than I've ever been
It's to the core, under my skin I
Shiver


Pulling back, Heero stared at her in amazement. He grinned at his angel, his love,
who loved him back. This was the happiest moment of his existence.

Returning the grin, Usagi entwined her fingers in his, holding their hands close to
her heart. "Took us long enough, huh?"

"Absolutely," he agreed. "But we won't have to worry about that ever again,
because I never plan on letting you go."

They sealed the words with an earth-shattering kiss that lasted long into the early
morning and the beginning of their lives together.