imbrii (imbrii) wrote in imbrication, @ 2010-01-17 13:54:00 |
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Current mood: | sleepy |
Current music: | Hajime Mizoguchi - Latest Flame |
Entry tags: | gundam wing, i have touched the sky, vienna teng prompts |
Vienna Teng promt 29, Gundam Wing, pre-I have Touched the Sky
Series: Gundam Wing
Characters: Heero, OC Tal Yaremchuk
Pairing: None
Type: Backstory, missing scene
Warnings: Transgender topics come up
Spoilers: Set post-series
Word Count: 1014!
Etc: This is set before that monster of a American Gods/Gundam Wing crossover I'm writing starts off, a bit of backstory that wouldn't have been in the fic itself, should I ever get it off the ground. I have Touched the Sky is my tentative title for it.
29 “That’s your fifth cup of coffee,” Hikaru pointed out in that wonderfully blunt way of his. He knows I never drink more than a cup because it makes me jumpy.
I smiled wryly, taking another sip. “I need it. I feel like if I stop moving I’ll lose my nerve.”
“You’ve been planning this for over a year—“
I interrupted to correct him. “You’re the one who did all the planning.”
He ignored me, and snatched my mug before I could drink any more. “You went through with it. You won’t go back now.”
I didn’t have it in me to glare at him, so instead I picked at the bacon and eggs remaining on my plate. I was too nervous to have any real appetite today. “You have far more faith in me than I, droog.*”
“It’s justified,” he pointed out as he drank the rest of my coffee in one long gulp. I knew the careless affirmation of faith was sincere because Hikaru wasn’t the type to inflate egos or give empty praise. He was uncannily good at reading people, and the fact that he never once doubted my ability to go through with this made sure I wouldn’t disappoint him. But that didn’t stop the doubt from creeping in.
“I lived in the same place my whole life; I’m not ready for the city,” I ran my shaking hands through my hair to try to smooth out the jitters, but only succeeded in pulling too much of it out of the elastic I grunted in frustration, deciding to fix it once I was finished eating.
“You’ve been in one place too long. You’ll get over it.”
One last worry blurted out, the biggest of all. “I’m not ready for this job!”
“Tal, Preventers wouldn’t have hired you if they didn’t think you were qualified for it,” he replied as he stole a piece of my bacon.
That’s what I loved about Hikaru—he was always so sensible and down-to-earth even when I was getting upset over nothing. I never understood why he took the time to do it; I’m not sure what I ever did to deserve his trust, but I was grateful for it all the same.
I sighed, calming my nerves. I was done second-guessing everything I did. “I never would’ve applied if it wasn’t for you. None of this would’ve happened without you. Have I ever told you how much I owe you?”
“Many times. Don’t worry about it.” He stabbed another slice of my bacon with his fork.
I mock-glared at him. “But that doesn’t mean you get to eat all my food!”
“Eat faster, then,” he said with the tiniest of upward quirks to his lips. He wasn’t the type to smile often, but when he did it was brilliant. He waved the waitress over with it lingering on his face and the poor woman couldn’t help but stare. It took him three tries to communicate we wanted the check.
I took the hint and hurried up, finishing the deliciously greasy breakfast. I’m convinced Mom-and-Pop diners in the middle of nowhere always make the best eggs, and this was a strong argument in its favor. Comfortably full I washed up and convinced my stringy black hair to go back into a ponytail while Hikaru got the check.
Once back in my car, I felt overwhelmed at it all again. I was really doing this; I was starting a whole new life away from everything I’d known. For the first time in my life, I could be me, really me. Not my parent’s disappointment, the town freak.
Hikaru was watching me with those startlingly deep blue eyes of his. I smiled weakly, my chest heavy with words I wanted to say. “Thank you. You’re right, the surgery, the decision to move was what I should do. I’m going to start a wonderful job and will be able to say I’m who I was meant to be, and nobody will say otherwise. I’m not little Tal who cried when my mother forced me to wear dresses any more.” I put a hand on my flat chest, and it felt right. No more binders or baggy clothing to hide myself. “I don’t know how I’ll ever pay you back for this, but thank you.”
“You already have,” he murmured as he started the car. I held my breath, wondering if he’d tell me something about himself. He was a secretive person, prone to disappearing at random, and it never bothered me—I didn’t push, it wasn’t my business—but I knew the kind of trust it took for him to share something, and was all the more precious for it.
His hands gripped the steering wheel tight for a moment, then relaxed as he turned onto the highway. “You’ve helped me more than I can explain by being my friend.” He glanced over, wry half-smile on his face. “I’ve never had somebody like you before. I never stuck around long enough.” There was something sad in his eyes, an unvoiced regret.
I pretended I didn’t see. “Well if I have my way, you’ll be stuck with me for a long time, Hikaru Yui. Don’t you doubt that!” I laughed, pushing away the stiflingly serious air. “You’re the only person willing to listen to me ramble on about politics and indulge in my crazy theories.”
“Your thesis was far from crazy. The Preventers liked it, after all.”
I drummed my fingers on the dash, trying to spend some of the caffeine-induced energy. “Gundams are a popular topic right now, that’s all. Are you sure you don’t want to apply there?”
“I have some things I need to do before joining the Preventers,” was his vague reply. I knew that meant he wanted to let it drop.
I looked at the horizon, wondering how soon we’d see the sea. “One boat ride and another hour in the car and we’ll arrive at our fresh start.”
“Aa,” he murmured, his thoughts somewhere far away. “A new beginning for both of us.”
* Derived from Russian друг for [close] friend. Yes, I’m a linguistics dork.