Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing (although I wish
I did); they belong to their respective owners (Sotsu, Sunrise, Bandai and any
other companies that I forgot to mention).
Warnings: This is a 2+R fic. If you don't like the idea of those two together then stop right now. This is my first 2+R and it probably won't be my last. Although I prefer 1+R, that doesn't mean I'll always stick with them. It might take a bit longer for this fic to get out compared to my other ones, but don't worry.
A.N: Again, I'm going a revision with another one of my fics. I realize that to some people it may seem a waste of time, especially when I could be doing something more productive, like say getting the sequel to Zero Soul done. But hey, if I'm not satisfied with my writing then I'm just going to agonize about it. It's still not as great as it could be, but I'll just have to wait for my writing to improve some more before I can get another revision of my fics done. Anyways, enjoy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Ojousan
Chapter 1: A New Beginning
By: veGie-kun
In a building on L2, an important meeting was being held to discuss some growing disputes between a few countries on Earth along with their effects on both the Earth and Colonies. Many of the representatives of Earth and the Colonies showed up along with others who were concerned over the matter. At first it started out smoothly with a few proposals and suggestions, but soon, as the proposals were turned down one after the other, it quickly took a turn for the worse. In the middle of the heated dispute was an overweight politician with dark brown hair and a small, sandy blonde haired girl.
"Vice Foreign Minister Darlian!" the overweight politician shouted. "Will you not think this over?! Our country needs help! We are smaller than our surrounding neighbors and we don't have the means necessary to repel an all out attack!"
"Representative Taylor," the blonde-haired girl said firmly, aquamarine eyes steady on the large man, "We cannot send troops or firearms to aid your country when your neighbors aren't even showing any signs of hostility. So far we have only heard of a few disputes, but no direct threats. If we were to send troops and firearms there, they, and the rest of the world, will interpret those actions as an open declaration of war."
"We can't wait for them to attack us!" he shot back furiously.
"If there is a chance that we can settle this situation without having to resort to bloodshed, then I will take that chance by all means. As I recall, there haven't been any real peace talks or negotiations between your country and your neighbors," Relena shot back calmly.
"Talking to them is pointless!" the man shouted, once more losing his temper.
"That is quite enough, Representative Taylor!" the President of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation shouted. "Vice Foreign Minister Darlian is absolutely correct on this matter. We want to try and avoid another war at all costs. The best solution is for you to set up a conference between your countries and talk this matter through. With that, we will adjourn this meeting. Have a safe journey back to your lodgings, and we will begin again tomorrow morning."
With that the conference ended and the major representatives started to file out of the room. As Relena made her way towards the exit a hand grabbed her wrist. Turning around she saw the President of the E.S.U.N.
"Mr. President," she acknowledged, "is there something you want to talk to me about?"
"No, no, no," he answered, laughing slightly, "I just wanted to say that you did a wonderful job back there handling Representative Taylor. Your late foster father, Mr. Darlian, would have really been proud of you."
"Thank you, sir. My father taught me very well." She quickly bade him farewell and made her way outside, brushing past a few men who were in her way. Once outside her bodyguards quickly approached her, following her down the stairs. The morning had been a rough one so she kept on walking, trying her best to ignore the press swarming around the building. It might not have been a major conference, but the lack of exciting news made this seem all the more interesting. She made her way to her car and one of the bodyguards opened the door, allowing her to step inside.
"Where to, Miss Darlian?" the young chauffeur asked as soon as she was seated.
"Just take me back to my hotel," she sighed in exhaustion.
"As you wish," the driver said as he started the limo.
//Another conference, another argument, another politician taking out all their frustrations on me. God, are those people so blind? Don't they know when the time for fighting ends and the time for talking begins? Do they want another war on our hands? These people will never learn; all they want to do is gain more power and territory. They don't even consider the lives of their own people... God, please help me... Heero, I need y-NO!! I am NOT going to think about HIM again. I mean it's already been THREE years and there is STILL no word from him. I am NOT going to spend the rest of my life waiting for him.... So why can't I forget him? Oh... where are you anyway, Heero? Dammit! I need to get out and loosen up.//
"Um, Randall, would you drop me off at the corner."
"Miss Darlian?" the driver asked confused.
"I want to enjoy the rest of the day and take a look around the colony before the next meeting tomorrow, and don't worry, I know my way back to the hotel."
"I understand, but please remember to be careful though," he said as he pulled over to a corner. "Have fun, okay?"
"Thank you, I will." She smiled back as she closed the door and watched him drive away. //So you're alone now; what are you going to do? Um... I'll go for a walk. Yeah! That's it.//
*****
Relena spent the rest of the morning walking over to a local park and relaxing near the water of its pond. She loved the scenery; she always thought that the colonies were beautiful and seeing this park only reinforced that thought. Her mind quickly wandered off to the days when she used to come to the colonies with her father on his business trips. She was such a brat then, very haughty and full of pride. Well, you couldn't really blame her, she was sent to a school full of rich snobs where you had to be just as snobby to survive. Oh, how things quickly change. After her encounter with the boy known as Heero Yuy, she began to change drastically. She first became a lovesick puppy; yes, she willingly admitted that. Following a boy she barely knew all over the world... even to Antarctica! But then her role as the ruler of the Sank kingdom really began to make her think; she had responsibilities in this world, and, whether or not she liked them, they were hers. She grew up really quickly after that.
Relena stayed there for an hour but decided to leave when it approached noon, then she remembered that she hadn't eaten anything since the night before. Contemplating about whether to stay a little while longer, the loud growl her stomach made forced her to get up and find a place to eat. Soon, she found herself walking along a familiar sidewalk of the colony when her stomach growled yet again.
//Oh, shut up already! I know you're hungry. Just wait until I find a decent place to eat! Gosh, it's not like I don't have enough problems alrea-//
"Oi! 'Jousan!"
//I-I know that voice...//
Relena looked to the direction of the voice and saw a mechanic's shop. More appropriately 'Maxwell's Repair Shop: If It's Broke, We Can Fix It'. She moved her eyes to the door of the shop and smiled when she saw Duo. He was in his coveralls, leaning against the door's frame, wrench in hand, and a 100-watt smile plastered on his face. She laughed a little when she noticed he had some grease smeared on his cheek.
"Hi, Duo. It's good to see you again," Relena called out as she made over.
"Where were you headed to in such a hurry?" Duo asked as he led her inside.
"Actually, I wasn't headed anywhere in particular, just trying to find a decent place to eat for lunch," she replied after sitting down on the chair he offered her.
"Lunch, huh? Hey! That reminds me," he said with a grin, "I'm starving. Mind if I join you? I know this great cafe just around the corner."
"Really? Of course I don't mind. I'd love to have some company for lunch."
"Alright then. Wait in here while I go and change." He left the room and headed through another door. Ten minutes later Duo came back out wearing his red shirt, leather jacket and pants. Relena noticed that his braid and been redone and looked quite neat. His face, now grease free, was quite handsome, especially when it had that mischievous look. Flashing that trademark Duo grin again, he walked up to Relena, took her hand and did a bow. "Shall we be off now, 'Jousan?"
*****
The cafe Duo suggested was a feast for the eyes. Both classical and modern in design, it was lavishly done but not to the point where it would seem tacky; looking like it came out of a garden painting with floral decoration and vine-covered arches. The inside was splendid as well: lovely marble floors, beautiful wooden furniture, and large windows that allowed an abundant amount of sunlight to come in. The two decided to get a table outside so that they could better enjoy the flowers and the sunny weather. Once seated, a waitress appeared and Duo ordered the grilled chicken breast with carrots, green beans, and rice, along with some lemonade while Relena ordered a tuna sandwich, small salad, and tea.
"So, Relena," Duo began, "how did the conference go this morning?"
"In a way, both good and bad," she said frowning slightly. "Most of the people there look at me like I'm still some naive child. They don't seem to think I'm capable of doing my job so they're always trying to pick a fight with me, hoping I'll slip up sooner or later. But then again, there are those who think I'm doing better than most other people twice my age. Those people give me more work than I can handle without even really discussing it with me."
"You know what? As I recall YOU were once Queen of the World. Now how many of THOSE people in that stuffy meeting can say that about themselves, huh?" Duo grinned as he made Relena laugh softly. //Wow, she has a really pretty laugh... almost like soft chimes... Wait a minute, why am I thinking that? Strange... Well, it is pretty.//
"Oh, Duo, that was a long time ago... when I was a different person. I was so immature and stubborn back then." Again she thought back to the days when she thought that if everyone would just put down his or her weapons, everything would be peaceful; she knew better now.
"Well, you're not as immature as you were back then, but you're still as stubborn as ever." He paused when he noticed Relena making a face at him. "Ah, I remember the first time I met you, I was trying to rescue you at the time. You can't even begin to imagine my surprise when I saw that you were trying to protect the guy who was trying to kill you."
"Hey, if I hadn't done that, he could have died, and we would have never ended the war. As I see it, I did a good thing," Relena retorted.
"You bring up a good point there. Well, speaking of the guy who was trying to kill you, where is Heero anyway?" he asked as he leaned back in his chair.
"I wouldn't know. I haven't seen or heard from him in three years," she replied with a tinge of sadness.
"Oops, sorry 'bout bringing that up. It's just that I haven't seen him either, not since our last mission with the Preventers two years ago. I was just hoping that you might know, considering how you always had this knack for finding him wherever he went when you were younger."
"Like I said before, I was different back then. I'm more mature now and I've given up on such childish behavior," she tried to say in a haughty tone.
"You couldn't find him, could ya?" Duo smirked.
"Not even after two years of searching. Even I know when I'm defeated," she said with her head hung low. "Well, enough about him, our food's here."
At the mention of the word Duo perked up and graciously took his plate from the waitress, giving her a devilish wink and grin as he did so. In no time he started digging in as if there would be a famine the next day. Relena thanked the waitress as soon as her food was placed before her and began to eat as well. During the meal the two did some light chattering with Duo throwing in a joke here and there while Relena laughed softly at each one of them. Once they were done with their meal they both ordered another beverage and restarted their conversation.
"So, Duo, how's Hilde doing? I didn't get a chance to talk to her much after the wedding." Relena's mind suddenly went back to Hilde's wedding three days before. She was asked to be the maid of honor since the German girl didn't have any family members, to her knowledge, and Relena was the closest person to her besides Duo. At first Relena didn't like the idea of Hilde marrying at such a young age, but once she met her fiancé she decided otherwise. He was a real doll; handsome, smart, polite, and he literally worshipped the ground Hilde walked on. He was perfect for her so she couldn't help but be happy for the girl.
"Well, all I know is that she and Anthony are still on their honeymoon in Italy. She did call me last night though, and asked me to check up on their house. *sigh* She's all grown up now and there's nothing I can do about it."
"You miss her a lot, don't you, Duo?" Relena inquired as she took another sip of her tea.
"I can't help it; it's like I'm losing my best friend. I mean, she barely talks to me anymore, and, when we do talk, she can't even finish two sentences without mentioning Anthony. Don't get me wrong though; I really like the guy, but it's just like-"
"She doesn't have any more time for you?" Relena cut in with a caring expression on her face.
"Yeah. Before she started to date Anthony we did almost everything together; going to the movies, shopping at the mall, visiting you and the other pilots, or just goofing off." Those sudden memories made Duo even sadder now that he realized that Hilde was going to pay him even less attention once she decided to start a family. Hilde had always been like a little sister and best friend, helping out with the Sweepers and his repair shop. Now he didn't really have anyone anymore. //I'm all alone again, aren't I?//
"Duo," Relena said in a comforting voice as she placed a friendly hand on his. "Don't think that you're going to lose her. She'll always be your best friend no matter what. It's just that right now, she's really in love, and love makes you forget about some things for a while. Once she and Anthony get settled into their new life together, Hilde will have time for you again. I mean, you'll probably go through the same thing once you find someone of your own to love."
Duo didn't catch much of what she was saying because he was too busy noticing the way the light played with her golden hair, forming a halo like... like "an angel..." he said aloud.
"Excuse me? Duo? Duo?" Relena asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Huh? What? Don't worry. I was listening," he said, trying to collect his thoughts when all of a sudden an idea struck him. "Hey, Relena, do you have to be somewhere else later today?"
"No. Why do you ask?" she said with a look of curiosity that made her seem innocent and child-like.
"Well, 'cause I'm practically free for the rest of the day, and Trowa's circus just happens to be in town for this week. Since I haven't had the chance to go there yet, I was wondering if you'd like to go with me. What better time than now, right?" //Oh man, I don't know why I'm so determined to have her go with me... b-but I just have this feeling...//
"You know what? After attending that frustrating meeting this morning, I think the circus will do me a great deal of good. I would love to go with you, however, I really don't want to go dressed like this," she said as she looked at her diplomat's outfit. //If I go dressing like this, I know for sure that I'll be spotted by someone; God knows I already have enough to deal with.// "Could we possibly go back to my hotel so that I can get changed?"
"Sure, no problem. The circus is going to be open till midnight anyways. We've got plenty of time." The two paid their bills and headed for Relena's hotel. Along the way Duo told Relena some of the strangest stories and jokes, hoping to make her laugh, and laugh she did. She'd laughed so hard that she actually had to stop and hold on to Duo in order to prevent herself from collapsing. Some of the people who walked by thought she was crazy. Relena tried her hardest to keep a straight face, but Duo continued to barrage her with some of the tallest tales she'd ever heard.
"Quit it, Duo! *giggle* Please *giggle* I can't take *giggle* anymore of this." Relena spurted trying to regain some control.
"Okay, okay, okay, but only 'cause were here."
Relena looked up and saw that they were at the entrance of the hotel. Regaining her composure she led him into the hotel's lobby and asked him to wait while she went upstairs and changed. //Whew, this place sure is big.// Duo thought as he noticed how the lobby was almost as big as a whole block in his neighborhood.
*****
Upstairs, Relena took great pains to find an outfit that would accomplish the goals she had set in mind: 1. Something that would make her unrecognizable to the public 2. Something that would feel comfortable and 3. Something that would make Heero regret the day he disappeared on her if he happened to see her. As she was looking through her suitcases she became more frantic, hoping that she didn't forget to pack some 'normal' clothes. To her relief she did find something in her closet. Pulling it off the hanger she set the item on her bed and began to undress, happy to get out of her current suit. //God, after four years of having to wear something like that, you'd expect to get used to them by now. Why can't diplomats just be allowed to go to conferences wearing T-shirts and jeans?... Oh, I remember now; T-shirts and jeans would make us too comfortable and we'd end up sleeping through the whole blasted meeting.//
*****
After about fifteen minutes of waiting in the lobby, Duo was beginning to get really bored. He had already gotten acquainted with half of the hotel staff, even managing to get the phone number from the cute receptionist. But when Relena stepped out of the elevator, he realized that all the waiting he had done was well worth it. The sight in front of him took his breath away and for once he was at a loss for words.
-to be continued-
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This is my first shot at trying to put Duo and Relena together, so be kind. I'd love to get comments and advice on this. I'll take any kind of comment as long as they're not flames.
Warnings: This is a 2+R fic. If you don't like the idea of those two together then stop right now. This is my first 2+R and it probably won't be my last. Although I prefer 1+R, that doesn't mean I'll always stick with them. It might take a bit longer for this fic to get out compared to my other ones, but don't worry.
A.N: Again, I'm going a revision with another one of my fics. I realize that to some people it may seem a waste of time, especially when I could be doing something more productive, like say getting the sequel to Zero Soul done. But hey, if I'm not satisfied with my writing then I'm just going to agonize about it. It's still not as great as it could be, but I'll just have to wait for my writing to improve some more before I can get another revision of my fics done. Anyways, enjoy.
My Ojousan
Chapter 1: A New Beginning
By: veGie-kun
In a building on L2, an important meeting was being held to discuss some growing disputes between a few countries on Earth along with their effects on both the Earth and Colonies. Many of the representatives of Earth and the Colonies showed up along with others who were concerned over the matter. At first it started out smoothly with a few proposals and suggestions, but soon, as the proposals were turned down one after the other, it quickly took a turn for the worse. In the middle of the heated dispute was an overweight politician with dark brown hair and a small, sandy blonde haired girl.
"Vice Foreign Minister Darlian!" the overweight politician shouted. "Will you not think this over?! Our country needs help! We are smaller than our surrounding neighbors and we don't have the means necessary to repel an all out attack!"
"Representative Taylor," the blonde-haired girl said firmly, aquamarine eyes steady on the large man, "We cannot send troops or firearms to aid your country when your neighbors aren't even showing any signs of hostility. So far we have only heard of a few disputes, but no direct threats. If we were to send troops and firearms there, they, and the rest of the world, will interpret those actions as an open declaration of war."
"We can't wait for them to attack us!" he shot back furiously.
"If there is a chance that we can settle this situation without having to resort to bloodshed, then I will take that chance by all means. As I recall, there haven't been any real peace talks or negotiations between your country and your neighbors," Relena shot back calmly.
"Talking to them is pointless!" the man shouted, once more losing his temper.
"That is quite enough, Representative Taylor!" the President of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation shouted. "Vice Foreign Minister Darlian is absolutely correct on this matter. We want to try and avoid another war at all costs. The best solution is for you to set up a conference between your countries and talk this matter through. With that, we will adjourn this meeting. Have a safe journey back to your lodgings, and we will begin again tomorrow morning."
With that the conference ended and the major representatives started to file out of the room. As Relena made her way towards the exit a hand grabbed her wrist. Turning around she saw the President of the E.S.U.N.
"Mr. President," she acknowledged, "is there something you want to talk to me about?"
"No, no, no," he answered, laughing slightly, "I just wanted to say that you did a wonderful job back there handling Representative Taylor. Your late foster father, Mr. Darlian, would have really been proud of you."
"Thank you, sir. My father taught me very well." She quickly bade him farewell and made her way outside, brushing past a few men who were in her way. Once outside her bodyguards quickly approached her, following her down the stairs. The morning had been a rough one so she kept on walking, trying her best to ignore the press swarming around the building. It might not have been a major conference, but the lack of exciting news made this seem all the more interesting. She made her way to her car and one of the bodyguards opened the door, allowing her to step inside.
"Where to, Miss Darlian?" the young chauffeur asked as soon as she was seated.
"Just take me back to my hotel," she sighed in exhaustion.
"As you wish," the driver said as he started the limo.
//Another conference, another argument, another politician taking out all their frustrations on me. God, are those people so blind? Don't they know when the time for fighting ends and the time for talking begins? Do they want another war on our hands? These people will never learn; all they want to do is gain more power and territory. They don't even consider the lives of their own people... God, please help me... Heero, I need y-NO!! I am NOT going to think about HIM again. I mean it's already been THREE years and there is STILL no word from him. I am NOT going to spend the rest of my life waiting for him.... So why can't I forget him? Oh... where are you anyway, Heero? Dammit! I need to get out and loosen up.//
"Um, Randall, would you drop me off at the corner."
"Miss Darlian?" the driver asked confused.
"I want to enjoy the rest of the day and take a look around the colony before the next meeting tomorrow, and don't worry, I know my way back to the hotel."
"I understand, but please remember to be careful though," he said as he pulled over to a corner. "Have fun, okay?"
"Thank you, I will." She smiled back as she closed the door and watched him drive away. //So you're alone now; what are you going to do? Um... I'll go for a walk. Yeah! That's it.//
Relena spent the rest of the morning walking over to a local park and relaxing near the water of its pond. She loved the scenery; she always thought that the colonies were beautiful and seeing this park only reinforced that thought. Her mind quickly wandered off to the days when she used to come to the colonies with her father on his business trips. She was such a brat then, very haughty and full of pride. Well, you couldn't really blame her, she was sent to a school full of rich snobs where you had to be just as snobby to survive. Oh, how things quickly change. After her encounter with the boy known as Heero Yuy, she began to change drastically. She first became a lovesick puppy; yes, she willingly admitted that. Following a boy she barely knew all over the world... even to Antarctica! But then her role as the ruler of the Sank kingdom really began to make her think; she had responsibilities in this world, and, whether or not she liked them, they were hers. She grew up really quickly after that.
Relena stayed there for an hour but decided to leave when it approached noon, then she remembered that she hadn't eaten anything since the night before. Contemplating about whether to stay a little while longer, the loud growl her stomach made forced her to get up and find a place to eat. Soon, she found herself walking along a familiar sidewalk of the colony when her stomach growled yet again.
//Oh, shut up already! I know you're hungry. Just wait until I find a decent place to eat! Gosh, it's not like I don't have enough problems alrea-//
"Oi! 'Jousan!"
//I-I know that voice...//
Relena looked to the direction of the voice and saw a mechanic's shop. More appropriately 'Maxwell's Repair Shop: If It's Broke, We Can Fix It'. She moved her eyes to the door of the shop and smiled when she saw Duo. He was in his coveralls, leaning against the door's frame, wrench in hand, and a 100-watt smile plastered on his face. She laughed a little when she noticed he had some grease smeared on his cheek.
"Hi, Duo. It's good to see you again," Relena called out as she made over.
"Where were you headed to in such a hurry?" Duo asked as he led her inside.
"Actually, I wasn't headed anywhere in particular, just trying to find a decent place to eat for lunch," she replied after sitting down on the chair he offered her.
"Lunch, huh? Hey! That reminds me," he said with a grin, "I'm starving. Mind if I join you? I know this great cafe just around the corner."
"Really? Of course I don't mind. I'd love to have some company for lunch."
"Alright then. Wait in here while I go and change." He left the room and headed through another door. Ten minutes later Duo came back out wearing his red shirt, leather jacket and pants. Relena noticed that his braid and been redone and looked quite neat. His face, now grease free, was quite handsome, especially when it had that mischievous look. Flashing that trademark Duo grin again, he walked up to Relena, took her hand and did a bow. "Shall we be off now, 'Jousan?"
The cafe Duo suggested was a feast for the eyes. Both classical and modern in design, it was lavishly done but not to the point where it would seem tacky; looking like it came out of a garden painting with floral decoration and vine-covered arches. The inside was splendid as well: lovely marble floors, beautiful wooden furniture, and large windows that allowed an abundant amount of sunlight to come in. The two decided to get a table outside so that they could better enjoy the flowers and the sunny weather. Once seated, a waitress appeared and Duo ordered the grilled chicken breast with carrots, green beans, and rice, along with some lemonade while Relena ordered a tuna sandwich, small salad, and tea.
"So, Relena," Duo began, "how did the conference go this morning?"
"In a way, both good and bad," she said frowning slightly. "Most of the people there look at me like I'm still some naive child. They don't seem to think I'm capable of doing my job so they're always trying to pick a fight with me, hoping I'll slip up sooner or later. But then again, there are those who think I'm doing better than most other people twice my age. Those people give me more work than I can handle without even really discussing it with me."
"You know what? As I recall YOU were once Queen of the World. Now how many of THOSE people in that stuffy meeting can say that about themselves, huh?" Duo grinned as he made Relena laugh softly. //Wow, she has a really pretty laugh... almost like soft chimes... Wait a minute, why am I thinking that? Strange... Well, it is pretty.//
"Oh, Duo, that was a long time ago... when I was a different person. I was so immature and stubborn back then." Again she thought back to the days when she thought that if everyone would just put down his or her weapons, everything would be peaceful; she knew better now.
"Well, you're not as immature as you were back then, but you're still as stubborn as ever." He paused when he noticed Relena making a face at him. "Ah, I remember the first time I met you, I was trying to rescue you at the time. You can't even begin to imagine my surprise when I saw that you were trying to protect the guy who was trying to kill you."
"Hey, if I hadn't done that, he could have died, and we would have never ended the war. As I see it, I did a good thing," Relena retorted.
"You bring up a good point there. Well, speaking of the guy who was trying to kill you, where is Heero anyway?" he asked as he leaned back in his chair.
"I wouldn't know. I haven't seen or heard from him in three years," she replied with a tinge of sadness.
"Oops, sorry 'bout bringing that up. It's just that I haven't seen him either, not since our last mission with the Preventers two years ago. I was just hoping that you might know, considering how you always had this knack for finding him wherever he went when you were younger."
"Like I said before, I was different back then. I'm more mature now and I've given up on such childish behavior," she tried to say in a haughty tone.
"You couldn't find him, could ya?" Duo smirked.
"Not even after two years of searching. Even I know when I'm defeated," she said with her head hung low. "Well, enough about him, our food's here."
At the mention of the word Duo perked up and graciously took his plate from the waitress, giving her a devilish wink and grin as he did so. In no time he started digging in as if there would be a famine the next day. Relena thanked the waitress as soon as her food was placed before her and began to eat as well. During the meal the two did some light chattering with Duo throwing in a joke here and there while Relena laughed softly at each one of them. Once they were done with their meal they both ordered another beverage and restarted their conversation.
"So, Duo, how's Hilde doing? I didn't get a chance to talk to her much after the wedding." Relena's mind suddenly went back to Hilde's wedding three days before. She was asked to be the maid of honor since the German girl didn't have any family members, to her knowledge, and Relena was the closest person to her besides Duo. At first Relena didn't like the idea of Hilde marrying at such a young age, but once she met her fiancé she decided otherwise. He was a real doll; handsome, smart, polite, and he literally worshipped the ground Hilde walked on. He was perfect for her so she couldn't help but be happy for the girl.
"Well, all I know is that she and Anthony are still on their honeymoon in Italy. She did call me last night though, and asked me to check up on their house. *sigh* She's all grown up now and there's nothing I can do about it."
"You miss her a lot, don't you, Duo?" Relena inquired as she took another sip of her tea.
"I can't help it; it's like I'm losing my best friend. I mean, she barely talks to me anymore, and, when we do talk, she can't even finish two sentences without mentioning Anthony. Don't get me wrong though; I really like the guy, but it's just like-"
"She doesn't have any more time for you?" Relena cut in with a caring expression on her face.
"Yeah. Before she started to date Anthony we did almost everything together; going to the movies, shopping at the mall, visiting you and the other pilots, or just goofing off." Those sudden memories made Duo even sadder now that he realized that Hilde was going to pay him even less attention once she decided to start a family. Hilde had always been like a little sister and best friend, helping out with the Sweepers and his repair shop. Now he didn't really have anyone anymore. //I'm all alone again, aren't I?//
"Duo," Relena said in a comforting voice as she placed a friendly hand on his. "Don't think that you're going to lose her. She'll always be your best friend no matter what. It's just that right now, she's really in love, and love makes you forget about some things for a while. Once she and Anthony get settled into their new life together, Hilde will have time for you again. I mean, you'll probably go through the same thing once you find someone of your own to love."
Duo didn't catch much of what she was saying because he was too busy noticing the way the light played with her golden hair, forming a halo like... like "an angel..." he said aloud.
"Excuse me? Duo? Duo?" Relena asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Huh? What? Don't worry. I was listening," he said, trying to collect his thoughts when all of a sudden an idea struck him. "Hey, Relena, do you have to be somewhere else later today?"
"No. Why do you ask?" she said with a look of curiosity that made her seem innocent and child-like.
"Well, 'cause I'm practically free for the rest of the day, and Trowa's circus just happens to be in town for this week. Since I haven't had the chance to go there yet, I was wondering if you'd like to go with me. What better time than now, right?" //Oh man, I don't know why I'm so determined to have her go with me... b-but I just have this feeling...//
"You know what? After attending that frustrating meeting this morning, I think the circus will do me a great deal of good. I would love to go with you, however, I really don't want to go dressed like this," she said as she looked at her diplomat's outfit. //If I go dressing like this, I know for sure that I'll be spotted by someone; God knows I already have enough to deal with.// "Could we possibly go back to my hotel so that I can get changed?"
"Sure, no problem. The circus is going to be open till midnight anyways. We've got plenty of time." The two paid their bills and headed for Relena's hotel. Along the way Duo told Relena some of the strangest stories and jokes, hoping to make her laugh, and laugh she did. She'd laughed so hard that she actually had to stop and hold on to Duo in order to prevent herself from collapsing. Some of the people who walked by thought she was crazy. Relena tried her hardest to keep a straight face, but Duo continued to barrage her with some of the tallest tales she'd ever heard.
"Quit it, Duo! *giggle* Please *giggle* I can't take *giggle* anymore of this." Relena spurted trying to regain some control.
"Okay, okay, okay, but only 'cause were here."
Relena looked up and saw that they were at the entrance of the hotel. Regaining her composure she led him into the hotel's lobby and asked him to wait while she went upstairs and changed. //Whew, this place sure is big.// Duo thought as he noticed how the lobby was almost as big as a whole block in his neighborhood.
Upstairs, Relena took great pains to find an outfit that would accomplish the goals she had set in mind: 1. Something that would make her unrecognizable to the public 2. Something that would feel comfortable and 3. Something that would make Heero regret the day he disappeared on her if he happened to see her. As she was looking through her suitcases she became more frantic, hoping that she didn't forget to pack some 'normal' clothes. To her relief she did find something in her closet. Pulling it off the hanger she set the item on her bed and began to undress, happy to get out of her current suit. //God, after four years of having to wear something like that, you'd expect to get used to them by now. Why can't diplomats just be allowed to go to conferences wearing T-shirts and jeans?... Oh, I remember now; T-shirts and jeans would make us too comfortable and we'd end up sleeping through the whole blasted meeting.//
After about fifteen minutes of waiting in the lobby, Duo was beginning to get really bored. He had already gotten acquainted with half of the hotel staff, even managing to get the phone number from the cute receptionist. But when Relena stepped out of the elevator, he realized that all the waiting he had done was well worth it. The sight in front of him took his breath away and for once he was at a loss for words.
-to be continued-
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This is my first shot at trying to put Duo and Relena together, so be kind. I'd love to get comments and advice on this. I'll take any kind of comment as long as they're not flames.