Shinira blinked a few times and her eyebrows slowly ascended on her forehead. Duo’s eyes got brighter every moment and his smile spread further across his face. Normally, the glow of his baby face was welcome and warming, but right now, the little agent was being thrown even further from reality every moment.

“This is GREAT!” The braided boy couldn’t hold back his excitement. He began babbling incoherently and waving his arms around like a maniac. Duo fell over backwards and laughter overtook him. Shini couldn’t quite understand what was going on. Maybe he was drunk again... but she couldn’t remember buying any alcohol before his return home and he didn’t have time to go out to a bar and come back... did he? How long was I asleep? She looked down at the excited American rolling around on the floor, lost in his giddiness.

“DUO!” Shinira yelled, attempting to get his attention. “Can you please tell me what the hell is going on here?!” Her patience was short considering the love of her life had just rejected her. His innocent eyes looked up at her from her ’vantage point’ on the bed. All he could manage was a grin. He sat up.

“Maybe later, Shini. First, you need to eat and then you need to tell me just what it is about Heero that’s bothering you. I probably shouldn’t be celebrating just yet...” The smile on Duo’s face disappeared and he stood from the floor.

“I don’t feel like eating... not right now... just let me sleep...” She complained and resisted his ‘big brother’ commands. Rolling over once again, Shinira tried sleeping again, but her obnoxious sibling refused to let her win this one. He took a fistful of her hair and yanked her off the bed.

“Put some clothes on, girly. We need to get you into party mode. I think there’s another post-war celebration somewhere downtown. A lot better than Relena’s perfect parties.” Duo scrunched his nose at the sound of her name passing his own lips. Shinira giggled a little. If anyone hated Relena more than Duo, it was Shinira. But they couldn’t kill her. Not yet. It wasn’t time for her assassination. An evil smirk touched Shini’s lips, giving her gentle features a sinister appearance.

“Fine...” She pretended to be grave and regretful and obligated, but the truth was, she really needed to unwind a little and a dance party was the perfect thing. Maybe she would get the chance to publicly humiliate the girl who had caused her brother so much stress. Shini chuckled at the thought and began scheming.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Heero was nearly asleep when Duo came bounding out of his bedroom in a pair of jeans that weren’t too tight or too loose and hung low on his hips. A deep black tank hung casually out of his jeans and his infamous leather jacket graced delicate shoulders. As Duo searched around the living room for a pair of sunglasses (though Heero couldn’t figure out why; it was nighttime), Heero noticed that he had woven a black ribbon into his braid.

“Hey, Heero! Shini and I are heading out for a party; you wanna come with us?” The Wing Pilot merely rolled his eyes and stretched his arms, popping the joints in his shoulders. Duo had, a few hours earlier, rescued him from a party and now he wanted to drag him off to another one. Heero never would understand his way of thinking. “Come on, Heero. I don’t have all night for you to make up your mind. You coming with us or not?” Shinira was going. That might make the situation a little awkward... but it wasn’t like things weren’t weird as it was.

“Will Relena be there?” If that bitch wouldn’t be there, the huge gathering of strangers might be bearable. The American froze in his rummaging and turned to look at Heero. His face screwed up into a frown that didn’t belong there.

“I don’t know... I hope not. Shinira might kill her.” A dry laugh escaped the braided boy and he continued his quest. The Japanese youth couldn’t help but smile. Shini was absolutely perfect. Anyone who shared the desire to spill Relena’s blood was a worthy human being. So why did Duo hope she wasn’t there? He didn’t want Shinira to kill her?

“You think that bitch deserves to live?” Anger coursed through his veins, putting the check he normally had on his tongue aside. He felt as if his best friend had just betrayed him with those words. All throughout the war, Heero had withstood all of OZ and then the White Fang and now, Duo and his little sister had completely destroyed him emotionally. Broken heart. Broken trust.

“Of course not.” Duo answered absent-mindedly, “someone like her will never deserve to live. But it’s more complicated than that. I have to keep her alive for a little longer before we kill her. Why else would I make you swear to protect her? Cause I think she‘s worth all this trouble? No way.” Heero went over Duo’s little speech in his mind and tried to dissect it so that he could understand what he was saying. Why does Duo need her alive? “So you coming with us?” The Deathscythe pilot slipped on the shades he had been searching for and pocketed his card key.

“Yea... sure... I’ll just put on some jeans.” Duo stopped listening after the ’yea’ and strode into Shinira’s room. The ex-gundam pilot slunk into the American’s bedroom, only to be shocked senseless. It was clean... he never kept his dormitory rooms clean, or the safe houses they stayed in. Shini must clean it for him... After a closet raid, Heero found a satisfactory pair of pants. He would have to get some of his own later.

Five minutes later the three teens were gathered up in front of the door. Duo was the only one who seemed to be looking forward to the celebration. Both Heero and Shinira had dark circles under their eyes and wanted to sleep, but seeing as Duo was leaving, neither wanted to be alone in the apartment with the other. The Wing pilot stole several small glances at the raven-haired beauty.

Like her brother, she too had woven a ribbon through her hair, but hers was silver. She was wearing a silken black button up shirt that seemed much too large for her. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing several silver bangles clinking together around her wrists. Heero furrowed his brow when he saw how indecently short her shorts were. With another look he saw that they were old and faded and the edges of them were fringed, giving her a bit of a western appearance. On her feet she wore black leather boots. He didn’t know why, but Duo’s family always seemed to be wearing a lot of black.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Shinira slithered through the crowds with the agility and invisibility of a snake. Music blared from speakers surrounding the square where an entire city had gathered. Originally, she had planned on dancing the night away and drenching herself in liquor, but now that she was here, she didn’t feel like carrying out her intentions. At the far front of all the dancing and eating and celebrating, there was a raised platform and Shinira wasn’t sure what its purpose was until someone climbed up on it and took a microphone into her hands.

Relena... She was going to ‘bless’ the people with another long boring speech.

“Good evening! I don’t mean to interrupt your good time, but I have noticed that all five Gundam Pilots are here tonight and I was wondering if they would join me up on stage.” Shinira sneered as she tracked down each boy with her eyes, slowly making their way up to the platform. An uneasy feeling took refuge in the pit of her stomach. Too many years of fighting. Call it paranoia, but she got the feeling that this was a setup. She tried to shrug it off. Relena would never try to harm Heero, would she? May as well join them... I am a pilot, after all...

Heero was the last one on stage, except Shinira, who decided, instead, to watch from the very edge. She only peeked over the side, so as not to be noticed by Duo, who wanted her to make herself known. A cheer erupted from the vast reaches of people. Something deep inside of her told her that this wasn’t right. The pilots were way too exposed up there. Shini instinctively reminded herself that just because the war had ended officially, didn’t mean there weren’t any individuals left who were still after the pilots and Relena’s life. She felt around for the pistol at her side and the belt of explosives strapped around her waist. Heero knew how to hide weapons well, so she had copied his style. Her stomach turned over and over inside of her as the thousands of people stared at the pilots. This is bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Shini shook her head. Please let this feeling be wrong...

Suddenly, a bony hand squeezed her shoulder, causing her to stiffen. But who could it be? The only people she knew well enough to touch her were up on the stage. “I know you.” His voice was thick with lust and it rolled out of his vocal chords like the purr of a kitten. Shinira didn’t turn to look at him, but she side glanced the owner of the icy fingers that lay on her shoulder. His eyes were a dark yellow with a glimmer of familiarity that Shinira couldn’t quite identify. The little agent’s back straightened and her serious side completely took over.

“What do you want?” Her voice was crisp and to the point. People with yellow eyes weren’t to be trusted... but she couldn’t remember why. No matter the reason, she knew she was dealing with someone dangerous. His other hand slipped up to her other shoulder from behind her. Out of sight. Her shoulders tensed as his hands slid down her arms and snaked their way around her waist.

“I want you.” His lips grazed her ear and then he placed a butterfly kiss on her neck. This kind of behavior from males... Shini was accustomed to, but coming from a young man with golden eyes and thick white hair, it was something to fear. She would let him touch her, if it kept him distracted. Perhaps it was her jumpy state, but the eyes just wouldn’t stop tormenting her. There was something she was supposed to know about them... something Duo had told her to stay away from... While she was concentrating on his alien appearance, he was nuzzling her throat and playing with the buttons at the bottom of her shirt.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Heero hated public displays. And Relena always insisted on making them with him. She relished in having large numbers of people seeing them together. Every moment, the princess was hanging on his arm, trying to convince him he loved her, but it wasn’t possible when she dedicated most of her life to stalking him. Suicide couldn’t even save the Japanese boy from her constant pestering. The only other option was her death... but... Why did Duo need her alive? WHY? His best friend was a strange one...

But his sister is perfect....

The Perfect Soldier snapped back to reality as this thought entered his mind. He hung his head and shut his eyes in silent agony. Pain was all he knew. How could he love her? Well... that was easy. The real question was how she could love him in return. It was the one thing that could break through all the hurt and heal the life-long suffering. And it was also something he could not allow. The newly attained peace was still fragile. Anything might happen and he couldn’t let this...this... silly infatuation dampen his abilities. But the elusive child had already made her way into his heart. Prussian blue eyes wandered through the crowd, searching for the mystic child. But when he found her, beside the platform they were all standing on, Heero didn’t like what he saw.

Shinira was set apart from the rest of the people in the square, but she wasn’t alone. Behind her, planting little kisses up and down her neck and occasionally her collarbone, was a man. Not a man. A boy. About the same age as the rest of them. His hair was white and unruly. Absolutely no hint of color. Jealousy stuck through his heart when the boy fiddled with the buttons on her shirt. A small possessive growl reverberated through his vocal chords.

“Heero, what’s wrong?” The Japanese boy blanched when Relena spoke. He didn’t think she would take the news of his affection for another very well. It wasn’t like Heero and Relena were an official couple--in fact, Heero hated her--but she acted like they were and glomped him at every opportunity.

“It’s nothing...” The Wing pilot never took his eyes off of Shinira. His schooled features giving no evidence of the despair and anguish clouding his senses. As he looked on, he felt another stab of hurt drive deep into the heart that still suffocated beneath his Perfect Soldier armor when Shinira’s gaze met his. Her eyes glittered with pain. There was no mistaking it for Heero. Pain was all he knew, after all. Her cheeks were tinted pink and her eyes had become heavily lidded and puffy. She’s crying... But no tears fell. Heero made a move towards her, but Relena continued to cling to him.

“Let go of me!” He snapped, attempting to get to his broken angel by pulling away. The princess blinked a couple of times before realizing what he was saying. Unfortunately, what Heero said and what Relena heard was completely different.

“Oh Heero! I love you too!” She threw her arms around his neck and tried to kiss him. He jumped backwards and shoved her off. The Japanese boy looked her up and down with disgust. How badly he wanted her to die. To squeeze the very life out of her with his bare hands. He had brought his pistol. All it would take was one shot and she would be out of his life forever. But Duo needed her to live. The braided boy was like a brother to him, so whatever he needed, Heero would provide.

If Duo was his brother, would Shinira be his sister?

No. Shini wasn’t like Duo. When she gave him comfort, it was very different than the way Duo gave it. He sighed, which Relena took the wrong way, as usual. “You know you love me, Heero. Why don’t you just admit it? The war is over; you can drop this act.” She put her hand on his arm and offered what she thought was a warm smile. Heero just thought it was scary. I can’t kill her... DAMMIT!

In hopes to ease his desire to murder tonight, he looked down at Shinira again. That strange boy was still exploring her neck and she was still crying. But she didn’t seem to notice anything. Shini had figured out what was going on inside his head. Her eyes pleaded with him. Don’t kill her... Heero raised his eyebrows at her. Shinira needed her alive too? Duo’s little sister gave him a sly grin, a little unfitting considering her face still looked tear stricken. ...that’s my job. The grin broadened. It was wonderful to see her smile again and the Wing Pilot couldn‘t help but return the smirk. Even though only a couple of hours had passed since he had seen her smile, it had seemed like an eternity to him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Relief spread through the little agent when Heero had beamed down at her. It wasn’t awkward anymore. For now, the two of them were at peace. His opinion of her meant everything to Shinira. And having a human leech on her neck probably wasn’t keeping her in Heero’s higher respects. She jerked back into her serious state of mind and remembered what she needed to be worrying about.

“What do you want from me?” She rasped. Her throat hurt from trying to keep back painful tears, begging to flow freely. If they fell, then he would know her secret. How he would figure it, she wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t risk it. White hair... yellow eyes... fell... It was there, but she couldn’t bring it to the front of her mind.

“I want you... haven’t I already told you that?” His voice thick and husky. Breath hot against her pale skin. Shini bit her lip uneasily. He was lying. Or at least, not telling the whole truth. It was quite obvious to the little master of half-truths. He wanted something from her and all he was doing now was trying to entice her into it. To convince her that he loved her and wouldn’t dare hurt her. As a child, Shinira would have fallen for such silly lies--and she had--but now, experience taught her that no one loved her. Because demons didn’t deserve it.

“I know you want me, but why? You‘re keeping something from me.” Shinira was forced to whisper, as her vocal chords refused to cooperate. She took his hands in hers and linked their fingers. The little agent wanted him to stop slowly unbuttoning her shirt, but she didn’t want him to avert his attention to the deities. At least, not until she knew who he was and why his appearance was so important.

“You’re right... I am. But Shinigami’s keeping something from you too. He‘s been lying to you.” Shinira’s eyes widened dramatically. She stepped out of his reach and twirled around. His golden eyes glittered with malice, but she knew that this time he was telling the entire truth. Behind those deceptive eyes was an abyss. And in the moment he had told her Shinigami was keeping something from her, she had seen a flicker of feeling pass over.

“No... he wouldn’t...” The mysterious boy nodded his head, silently saying ’yes he would.’ Shini’s lip quivered. Duo would never... She looked back at her brother, the only person in the world who she thought could be trusted. He grinned out at all his admirers. That lying smile. All her life, he had taught her not to lie or cheat. That honesty was the only way. And the entire time, he had lied to her. NO! He never lies! It’s that... that... guy’s fault! He’s trying to tear us apart... Duo only tells the truth, even if it isn’t the entire truth. When Shinira got her senses back and calmed herself, a small smile graced her lips. She had almost surrendered to his trick.

“You’re wrong. I know my brother. He would never lie to me. Maybe he didn’t tell me the whole truth, but lie? Never. Why are you doing this? What do you want from us--” And then Shinira realized just what was going on. He knew. He knew everything. That Duo was Shinigami. That she was Shinira. But he knew more than that... he knew things she did not. Shini turned her glowing eyes on him. “--Fallen?”