Fear
Pairing: 6+1
Warnings: sap beyond tolerable limits
Summary: Heero is forced to confront his greatest fear. No, not Relena.

—

"It's called holding hands, Heero. It's an ancient custom among my people for showing affection."

Heero glanced around in both directions. "Yes, I understand that. But do we have to do it in public?"

Zechs sighed. Maybe the war was over, but Heero was as reserved and cautious as ever. Someday I'm gonna get him good and drunk and loosen him up. Zechs tried to picture an inebriated Heero, but the only image that sprang to mind was a swath of dead barmaids and pub-crawlers. Never mind. Bad idea.

As they crossed the plaza in the heart of the most populated city in Cinq, Heero was amazed yet again at the utter lack of people around. Granted, this was a Sunday afternoon when the business district in most major cities anywhere would be empty. But in Cinq it was more than that. As a pacifist nation, Cinq kept its numbers in line with available resources. Guaranteed wealth for all meant no crime, no poverty and no internal conflict. It also meant that with no one around, Heero had little defense for his claim that holding hands in public was embarrassing.

"The thing is, Heero, I've always thought you were one of the bravest people I've ever known. To face the full might of OZ and Mariemaia and to self-destruct Wing Zero like you did without flinching...well, you're simply one of the most courageous people of all time."

Heero cocked an eyebrow in the direction of the Prince of Cinq, then decided to take the bait. "You're saying that you consider me a coward now because I won't hold hands with you, Zechs?"

"No. No, nothing like that. Nothing like that at all. I just meant that...er...do you know what the greatest fear in the world is?"

Heero sighed. He'd give good money right now for an attacking gundam or an international terrorist, or virtually any other kind of distraction. "No, Zechs. I don't know what the greatest fear in the world is. Please tell me."

Zechs noted the sarcasm in the remark and snickered. "You'd think that people would most fear death or sickness or poverty. But in all the polls, the fear of humiliation always scores at the very top. Most people claim they would rather die than get up in front of an audience and give a speech, for instance."

Heero sighed again. He knew where this was heading, but the conversation had become like a snowball careening down a hillside, and there was nothing to do but get out of the way and wait for the inevitable crash at the bottom.

"Now I don't know how you define courage, Heero, but I don't think you can really call a man brave unless he faces his absolute greatest terror. Not the fear of fighting or dying or sickness, but the fear of personal humiliation. I, for one—"

Heero was certain he could live without hearing any more of Zechs' opinion. And he was pretty damn sure he could live with Zechs thinking he was a coward. But he couldn't live with that incessant Peacecraft whining that Zechs was currently cultivating and that Relena had already perfected into an art form. He threw his arms around the prince and kissed him as long and as hard as he could, right in the middle of the most underpopulated metropolitan area in the entire universe.

It's a start, Zechs thought as he came up for air.