Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ A Place in the Sun ❯ A Place in the Sun ( One-Shot )

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A Place in the Sun


[It's hard to bear a burden, and be that lonely. Sometimes I think the guys might be a little rough on her.]

[But that's just me.]

"Happy Birthday, Relena." I bowed my head slightly as I offered the make-shift present, decked with the elegant wrappings of last-minute-found postage tape. I really hate that about being a sentimentalist pack-rat; I can never find a damned thing when I'm looking for it, but I know I *own* it.

"I... Thank you," she said, taking the small box with a white-gloved hand. Her gaze fluttered from the box to my lowered face, which was no doubt glowing with a bright pink. At least it would have matched her dress. "But Quatre... why?"

The surprise in her voice startled me. I raised my head again to look into her confused eyes. "Why not?" I blurted out, "It's your birthday, after all. There's always a good reason to celebrate someone's birthday." Even yours, I could almost hear Duo's voice in my ear.

[That smirk, as I imagined it, said too much along with Heero's silence. Too much for Relena to understand. A Gundam pilot's place is not with love, but with war. We have too much to bear through with love - which is much too much to explain to anyone but another Gundam pilot.]

[Each death, I think, is felt by the stars. Each lost future changes a hundred more lives.]

"What is it?" She asked sullenly, with a distant smile. "A dress? A tapestry?"

"Open it." I nodded assuredly, "I think you'll like it."

She did. Then she gasped, dropping the box as she lifted the teddy bear gently to her heart. "This bear... where did you find it?"

"One of my older sisters had it within her possession. From a peace auction supported by the Peacecrafts, I've heard. I figured it must have been yours, or Milliardo's. Do you like it?"

"I love it," she said, her voice brimming with both sad memories and love-filled sentiment. "I absolutely love it. Nobody's ever given me such a wonderful gift..."

I nodded to her, then looked up to see Rasid motioning that it was time for another meeting. "I've got to go, Relena. I hope you have a happy birthday, and I'm glad you like the gift." I turned to leave.

"But Quatre... Why?" Relana grabbed my shoulder, wheeling me around. Then, I noticed the tears in her eyes. "Why did you give this to me?!" Hope flickered in her eyes for a moment, and I felt tormented that I might have to clarify my actions. But as I hesitated, her gaze cleared. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

[None of the other pilots had given her a second thought. She'd had a party, none of us came.]

I licked my lips. "You deserve it."

"I don't want your pity!" She backed away, looking betrayed.

"This isn't pity. You're a brave person. You once had the entire world on your side, and you still do. For that, I appreciate you. I appreciate your efforts."

She collapsed into me, pressing her face to my shoulder. "Thank you Quatre."

I hugged her lightly. "Did you need a friend? I'm always--"

"--What I needed," she stood up, gripping the bear tightly, "Was someone who appreciated me for being Relena. Someone who thought of me as a person, and not just the robotic pacifist or mindless girl I tend to be. I think you came close enough. Thank you."

[The heart of outer space may have been elsewhere, but at least I knew where the heart of the earth lingered.]

No, I thought as I left her standing there, thank you.

*owari*

A/N: Well that was short and... short. Please, no maiming of the author, the author has many bishounen-a-licious ficcies to finish.. X_x