Disclaimer: I Don't Own Gundam Wing.
Her steps echoed in the hallway as she gingerly walked, even the smallest trip could send her straight to her physician. Even if she stood up and brushed herself off her children would pester her about it. Yet, it brought a smile to her face when she recalled how easy it used to be. The walking, bending down, getting up from bed without a second thought. Those were things that she never thought about when she was a teenager much less as a dignitary or mother.
When Relena finally made it to her study room she breathed a sigh of relief when she finally made it to her love seat.
"How do you feel?" Relena looked up, Heero sitting at her desk writing away in his book.
She clicked her tongue in amusement, "As good as I did when I left for the kitchen and came back." She smirked. Some things never change.
"Asagiri could have gotten your tea."
"I'm not that old where I can't make my own tea Heero."
"We are old though." He closed his book and set his pen aside. He insisted in writing the old fashion way. Heero was more than capable of still using a laptop, or managing the new technology of the future better than some others she dared add. However she suspected that his writings were personal and he wanted the craft to reflect his efforts. His earnestness. So when the day came to pass down his knowledge, his experience, his life, his descendants knew it was done with sincerity.
He too took a moment to stand up, stretch out his legs, and make it to her side. This close she could smell his familiar scent, and see his handsome face, the wrinkles did nothing to murk his eyes. The same man who stood by her during her most tumultuous times to her most tranquil was still there, and his presence still hooked her as it did when she was 15.
"That never gets old."
"What?" he lifted a brow.
She gave him a look, one that he knew too well, and he smirked and squeezed her hand. "Want to go to the gardens?" he asked.
"Now?" she saw the clock's arms racing to midnight. "The kids will try to stop us, or security will."
"It's not like we can make another kid."
She became straight faced, "Heero Yuy with our luck you just might get me pregnant again."
This time it was his turn to laugh. True the probability of getting pregnant again was practically impossible, but luck and them had an odd relationship. He still helped her up and they walked together to one of the secret passages in the house that would lead to the outside. It did feel like the one time Heero had snuck her out for reasons why eluded her but she was sure that was how she had conceived Odin. It brought out another giggle, and she was glad he didn't turn around otherwise he might have seen her old blush. But maybe even he was thinking about it.
Despite both of them being 80, Heero maneuvered better than she did, albeit he was holding her hand. When they made it to the gardens Heero stuck his head out, looking from side to side before guiding her out. Heero put the door back in place of the decorative stone wall that hid the entrance. As she said it was probably midnight by now but the solar lights had come on and guided their way. Roses continued to parade past her as she walked down the aisles of soft petals.
"How long till you think they'll know we're gone?" she asked as she caught a water drop on a rose.
"If Asagari, Uyuni, or the others are still awake about 10, 15 minutes."
"Best to keep them on their toes." She smirked.
And if anything happened, she was 80 years old, not in office, officially retired. And she had no plans of ever returning to any governmental positions. Relena had long ago left the hands of the Earth, Colonies, and Mars to her children, their children, and the future generations. In her musings Heero held her hand and guided them to a gazebo where they sat and watched the scenery together.
His abrupt cough made her furrow her brow. "Are you alright?"
"As fine as an old man can be."
She smiled, and leaned into him hiding her face in the crook of his neck. He rubbed her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. His hands were still strong, and only brought more memories back. Which only made her want to keep her eyes closed so the stinging tears wouldn't fall. When they were young, they didn't fear death because they expected its inevitability. They believed in their goals and efforts more than fearing the loss of their lives. Now with their goals complete, and their youth mostly gone, the fear of losing the man that had helped her so much through the unimaginable was, almost too hard.
"I'm not going anywhere yet. Don't cry for nothing."
"I've known you for 65 years and been married to you for 55 years, I'm not going to ever stop worrying about you."
He held her closer, and she quieted so she could hear his hear beat better. Although it was almost drowned out by the insect chorus surrounding them. She wondered how much longer she would have moments like this with him, hold his hand, hear his heart. But whenever she had these thoughts of future loss, Relena recalled the words Heero told her.
'At least I had this life with you.'
So frank, not a soliloquy of undying love or youth lost. Only the truth. Their whole relationship was in that one sentence. The shared partnership of maintaining peace, raising a family, and shouldering one another's burdens. Trusting without boundaries, and love without giant displays, as the silence of eyes and action were stronger.
Heero had no regrets, nor did she.
"Thank you."
"For what?" she straightened herself.
"For everything." He looked at her in all seriousness.
"If you die on me now Heero Yuy—"
"I'm not I feel fine. Just wanted to let you know." He said it with such a calm face others would have thought he didn't care.
"Wanted to give me a heart attack you mean."
"Not very likely."
She huffed. But she wasn't really mad. He helped her stand when he thought he heard someone nearby, their little getaway would be coming to an end soon. They passed rows of gardenias and hydrangeas in further silence till they reached the fountain furthest from the house.
"They'll be here soon."
"I have no doubt." Relena sat on the fountain edge and brushed off her skirt. "Of course they would be as brilliant as you are."
He stared at her and smiled. "Look who's talking."
She beamed up at him, and for an instant felt like they were back to those teenage years. Minus a raging war and pending destruction of the Earth. Heero didn't sit next to her, looking toward the horizon instead.
"To think I would have great grandchildren."
Heero wasn't alone in that astonishment. After their teenage years, events between having children, and then being put in cold sleep against their will for almost a decade, reaching this far was truly a remarkable. Even when they had awakened and were informed of the conflict their children were facing, there was no greater shock to her than when she met her first grandchild Asagiri. Whom now had her own fully grown son.
Which is where she had to correct her husband.
"Great great grandchild."
He sighed, "Duo was right." He kept his back turned to her. "We are bunnies."
She laughed loud enough probably for their grandchildren to find them. Relena wiped a tear away and choked back and further laughter. "It's not like you didn't know his wife was expecting."
"Just slipped my mind for a moment."
To think that Helena their daughter would also be carrying the title of great grandmother. Yet she still thought of her as her little girl, as she thought of all the children she born. In an instant two forms landed before them.
"There you guys are." Hazel gold and clear blue eyes set on them.
Just as Heero predicted Asagiri and Uyuni had tracked them. Relena stood to stand by Heero's side. Although their grandchildren were in their 40s at this point they remained agile thanks in part to their training, and potentially genes.
"If you guys wanted to go out you could have at least told us instead of making us worry." Asagiri shook her head. Her mane of curly brown locks swaying with the motion.
"Not like we took your fancy car and flew down to the race track." Heero quipped.
"Can we do that?" a smirk tugging at her lips.
"No." Uyuni replied. To anyone else that would have been final. Uyuni had a strong presence no less than his father Odin. Except Uyuni somehow ended up taller than any of them coupled with his strong physic, long black intricate styled hair, and dark tan skin he inherited from his mother. He looked more like an exotic warrior than a political delegate.
"Young man I am old enough to do what I want with my husband."
"We know Oma, we know." Asagiri smiled. "But just tell us. We're not gonna keep tabs on you. It's just in case there's something going on and we have to get you." She got behind them and started directing them back to the house.
"Maybe you should remind your mother, and your father Uyuni about that." Relena pointed to him. "If we wanted to really have a night out we would have been long gone."
"Still can if you want to." Heero said.
"Okay." Relena grinned.
"Oppa Oma no." Asagiri stepped in front of them. "We're already going on a trip tomorrow anyway."
"Calm down, I was joking." Heero rolled his eyes. Relena had half hoped he wasn't but it was nice to give their grandkids a good scare.
Once inside Relena recalled the cup she left in her study room and told Uyuni and Heero to go on ahead to their room. Asagiri accompanied her as well from the study to the kitchen. Not that she was likely to go anywhere without Heero if that was her fear. Then a thought brought a smile to her face while she washed her cup.
"What is it?" Her granddaughter stared and cocked her head slightly.
Relena gazed at her, noting how youthful she still looked despite being 42. Which only made her thought even more funnier. "I was thinking, how do you feel about being a grandmother?"
Asagiri's face immediately deadpanned and Relena clutched her stomach from the laughter escaping her lips.
"Well—probably the same as it was for my mom. It's weird." She sighed. "You don't expect your kids to have their own kids. Sure grow up but you know, not procreate so fast."
"Honey you can say they have sex."
"Oma I know, but that sounds so—weird when you say it."
"What's so strange about it? Your grandfather and I had sex. Your mother did with your father. Your uncles and aunt. They all had sex."
"Oma please stop." She covered her face and laid her head on the counter.
"Did I come at a bad time?" Relena looked toward the entrance and saw another grandson.
"Shivendu, please stop Oma." Asagiri said.
"Well from what I overheard. She wasn't doing anything wrong." He gave his cousin a sympathetic side smile. Relena noted how his eyes were so similar to Marcus'. He even tied it up like him except his hair was silver like his mother's, not brown like Marcus'.
"Hey what's going on?" Isidora rubbed her eyes as she entered the room with her sister.
"It's past midnight and we have to wake up at 5 you know." Osanna suppressed a yawn.
It always felt a bit strange when Relena looked at Odin's twin daughters. They were like copies of herself. Except their personalities were completely different than hers. They were more—blunt, sharp-witted, and just as quick to sass. At least at their age she was more reserved.
"Oma and Opa were making a break for it." Asagiri summarized.
The twins smirked in unison. "We would have helped you." Osanna said.
"Why do I even bother." Asagiri sighed. Shivendu gently patted her shoulder.
It brought a smile to Relena's lips, the two reminded her of Helena and Marcus when Helena was tired over something. The twins wasted no time in discussing some last minute planning prior to their trip in—Relena glanced at the kitchen clock—in four hours. From the look of it Asagiri didn't look amused in the slightest. She did feel a bit bad for her granddaughter having to come find her and Heero.
"Alright you two finish up this talk in the morning, we don't have much time left." She gestured to the clock for emphasis.
The two women looked inclined to counter but Relena had already side stepped them to go to her room. "Shivendu do you mind helping me to my room? Asagiri's already done enough chauffeuring for the night."
"Of course. Goodnight everyone." He waved to them and caught up to her without a problem. She held onto his arm as they walked up the stairs. His skin color was even darker than Uyuni's and contrasted heavily against her old pale skin. A trait not only from his mother but also from his humanitarian travels. Yet it always brought her joy to see how diverse her family had come to be. Her brother undoubtedly felt the same having 8 grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren who all staid or were nearby Mars.
Their family reunions were never boring. Coupled with her 11 grandchildren and her 20 or so great grandchildren, their family gatherings were always filled with the chatter. Grown up and children alike. It was a sight she never got tired of, and once again she was glad that she did not sale the Darlian mansion as it had just enough rooms to accommodate everyone. For the time being at least.
"Grandmother?"
"Yes dear?"
"Do you want to delay our departure today? You're not going to get a lot of sleep in 4 hours."
"Oh trust me, I've done just fine with 4 hours of sleep."
He looked like he wanted to say something but changed his mind. Undoubtedly he wanted to mention her age but she was ready for that comeback too. Age didn't mean she was completely limited. Only that she needed to do things differently than what she could do in her youth. Although she could see how the conversation would carry out, and he was right, they would need more sleep. Which is why she told Helena that they would actually leave at 9 a.m. to give everyone a chance to get ready and loaded to the cars.
And she was happy about the time change because apparently, they were not the only ones still awake. As she stepped into her bedroom she was met with even more grandchildren. "We might as well leave now by the looks of it." She shook her head, amused.
It took her a bit but she finally reassured her hoard of grandkids that she was not in fact going to sneak off with her husband, even though it gave her ideas for the future, and they were going straight to bed. Relena was surprised none of their children had been in the room or searching for her. She had to brush away the urge to go check on them, Helena alone was in her 60s not a 10 year old.
"They're fine." Heero said next to her as they laid in bed.
"I know." She smiled and felt her wrinkles fan around her eyes. "Somethings just don't change."
"No they don't." he took her hand and kissed it. A familiar softness rested in his eyes as he looked at her.
Her younger self, the one who was just starting out to know Heero, would have blushed red and be practically speechless with such a look. Now it was an endearment that filled her with warmth, and almost brought tears to her eyes because of its sincerity.
She leaned in close and he met her half way, pressing their foreheads against each other. A silent gesture, yet said everything words couldn't. No matter how slow, fragile, hair whitened, or crinkled she became. She still felt like herself in her withered body, and the unbounded strength she felt when she was with Heero also never waned.
She would always feel that way, as she always believed in him. In this world or the next.
A/N: Finally back after forever! Forgive the delay there were many unplanned situations that have occured this summer and not enough time for me to write and edit my works. This one has been done for a while except I got stalled in some scenes, had to make names changes for the grand kids, and then let it sit for a couple of days to edit. Overall I'm pretty happy with it. Very excited to post The Portrait, that one has been done for some time and I finally have time to edit it! So hope you like both the stories!
Update: Forgot to add that I will be changing my username to gdama once I upload The Portrait. It has been long over due and I apologize for that.
Thanks for reading guys!