Title: Maybe He's No Romeo
~~~~~
This story is dedicated to my good friend Joe Giaco, who passed away on July 1, 2002
~Nata-chan~
i"Amen, amen! But come what sorrow can,
It cannot counterveil the exchange of joy
That one short minute gives me in her sight.
Do thou but close our hands with holy words,
Then love-devouring death do what he dare-
It is enough I may but call her mine."/i
-William Shakespeare
Heero Yuy was terrified.
Forget impossibly daring jumps off of hundred-story tall buildings. No matter being shot five times and still managing to drag your ass out of a burning building. And trying to kill yourself by self-destructing a +100 foot tall pure Gundanium monstrosity? A walk in the park.
But no kind of training could prepare him for what he was about to do. He leaned against the brick wall of the building in an attemp to collect his nerves. The crowds of people walking past him regarded him curiously, wondering what a young man dressed in such fine attire could possible be doing outside a restaurant clinging to a wall in fear. Heero's eyes darted from person to person, shooting them a death glare, and they returned at once to their own business. He sunk back in slight releif, but he knew he couldn't hide out here forever.
Heero checked his watch. Two more minutes. Two more minutes until he was supposed to arrive at the designated area before he would seem late. That was okay, though. He could pull himself together in two minutes.
Inwardly he cursed. Damn Duo and his medling ways. How had he let the unnaturally energetic boy con him into this again? Duo knew Heero, he merely had to drop a few words around him to easily convince him to do anything he wanted. iHeero, you jackass! You let him outsmart you, that's what!/i
Heero checked his watch again. One minute, 12 seconds. Why did time have to pass so quickly?
And yet....and yet when he was with iher/i, time seemed to slow down to a standstill. It was almost as if just being in her presence would stop time, if only for him. Which, and he would rather die than admit this but, was the real reason he had agreed to come tonight. No conning had been nessecary on Duo's part; Heero Yuy was here...because of Relena.
Heero tugged at his collar, made one last inspection of his suit, and approached the front door to the restaurant timidly but determinedly. Once he was inside the restaurant, his eyes automatically scanned the building for any sight of her, but he was interupted when a smiling hostess appeared in front of him.
"Hello, sir? Sir? Can I help you?"
Heero looked shaken, but only for a second. "Yes," he said, surprised at the normalcy in his voice. "I'm with a Miss Relena Darlian."
"Okay, then, just come right this way," she said cheerfully as she led the way to a booth. Heero followed her mechanically, still a bit unsure of himself. The fact that Quatre and Duo had attempted to educate him on proper etiquette that morning did little to ease his fears. It annoyed him that he was acting so unlike himself tonight. Why, in any other situation he would have been perfectly calm, composed, and collected. iBut nooo! You're losing it over a girl!/i Although, he reasoned with himself, this was no ordinary girl. But he was given no more time to argue with himself, because at that time he arrived at the table where Relena was seated.
She was dressed in a navy blue off-the-shoulder evening dress that clung to her figure but was still decent enough for a vice foreign minister to appear in. Her hair was completely down and seemed to shimmer despite the dim light of the restaurant. Right now, to Heero the impossible was possible.
Heero was oblivious to anything else at that moment, and could probably have continued to stand there and stare with his jaw open at Relena for quite some time, but he noticed her starting to look a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, and he quickly closed his mouth and took a seat across from her. Relena smiled encouragingly, seeming to know how awkward of a situation this must have been for him, and he took strength in it. Once the hostess had gone off to attend to her duties, Heero cleared his throat and tried to remember what Quatre had told him to do, but he found that he couldn't quite recall most of it.
iOh come on! You're the one always giving the "act on your emotions" crap! Use that!/i Heero cleared his throat. "Forgive me for starring....," he began, looking up shyly to meet her gaze. "But you look....beautiful."
She laughed and leaned in over the table. "Thank you," she said batting her eyelashes, causing Heero to gulp and pale a bit. She laughed again. "Relax, Heero. You look so tense."
"Quite understandably. I've never been on a date before."
"That's what....oh, never mind..."
"Oh, I know. That's what Duo told you, right? I know, I can hear him now. 'Heero-kun needs to get out more often. What better than a date with a babe like you, Relena?'" he said, imitating Duo's highly cheery and friendly tone.
Relena smiled. "He means well."
Heero snorted. "I supposed when he rigged my communicator to play old Elvis music and taped the door to my Gundam shut with party streamers and decoupage he was only meaning well, right?"
"Oh, he told me you ideserved/i that, stealing parts of his Gundam for your own. For shame," she said, waggling her finger and smiling. Heero coulnd't help but find himself smiling too, for the first time in God knows when. And he was naturally starting to relax, finding himself more and more comfortable as the evening wore on. By the time their food arrived they were chatting like old friends.
After Heero had payed the bill (of which Relena insisted was thoroughly unfair and traditional of him), the two of them left the restaurant and decided to take a stroll through a nearby park. It was dark, but a few dim streetlights kept them from being in total darkness. A chill had sprung up in the night air, but Relena leaned up against them as they walked through the park, and Heero decided that he liked this. Hell, he could get used to it.
He was sad as he walked her up to her doorstep and concluded the evening, but the shine in Relena's eyes made his heart soar. Instead of starring at the ground shyly as he did, she looked straight in his cobalt blue eyes and smiled warmly.
"Thank you for a lovely evening," she said, giving him ample space to say his proverbial lines, but he didn't quite seem to know them, and was still starring at the ground. "Is something wrong?" she inquired.
He took a deep breath. "Duo and Quatre told me this is where I'm supposed to act all gentlemenly and inquire for a kiss goodnight."
She raised an eyebrow. "Quatre told you that?"
"Well, actually, he blushed and scolded Duo for mentioning it, but he didn't say not to. Duo....I don't even want to go into what he told me...uh, I mean, umm...." he added hastily, blushing a bit at his speech blunder.
Relena laughed softly and leaned in, tilting his head up to face her, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Then she said "Good night, Heero," and began unlocking the door to her appartment.
Something inside Heero set off, and he couldn't stop himself. He put a hand on her shoulder and spun her around. "I don't think it's supposed to end like that," he blurted out and captured her mouth with his own. Relena looked a bit startled at first, but after the inital shock she wrapped her arms around his neck as he slid his around her waist. Heero's mind was in a fog, but a strangely clear fog as he continued kissing her until he pulled away slightly, a bit breathless.
"I want to see you again," he said in his usual stoic tone, but to Relena, it sounded different. She gave him a wry smile and quietly slipped into her appartment, leaving him standing there at her front door. He stood there for a moment, then turned and faced the steps.
He jumped from the top of the steps all the way to the bottom and landed, saying, "Oh yeah. She wants me."
*bangs head against the wall* That. Was. So. Stoopid. ARGH!
~~~~~
This story is dedicated to my good friend Joe Giaco, who passed away on July 1, 2002
~Nata-chan~
i"Amen, amen! But come what sorrow can,
It cannot counterveil the exchange of joy
That one short minute gives me in her sight.
Do thou but close our hands with holy words,
Then love-devouring death do what he dare-
It is enough I may but call her mine."/i
-William Shakespeare
Heero Yuy was terrified.
Forget impossibly daring jumps off of hundred-story tall buildings. No matter being shot five times and still managing to drag your ass out of a burning building. And trying to kill yourself by self-destructing a +100 foot tall pure Gundanium monstrosity? A walk in the park.
But no kind of training could prepare him for what he was about to do. He leaned against the brick wall of the building in an attemp to collect his nerves. The crowds of people walking past him regarded him curiously, wondering what a young man dressed in such fine attire could possible be doing outside a restaurant clinging to a wall in fear. Heero's eyes darted from person to person, shooting them a death glare, and they returned at once to their own business. He sunk back in slight releif, but he knew he couldn't hide out here forever.
Heero checked his watch. Two more minutes. Two more minutes until he was supposed to arrive at the designated area before he would seem late. That was okay, though. He could pull himself together in two minutes.
Inwardly he cursed. Damn Duo and his medling ways. How had he let the unnaturally energetic boy con him into this again? Duo knew Heero, he merely had to drop a few words around him to easily convince him to do anything he wanted. iHeero, you jackass! You let him outsmart you, that's what!/i
Heero checked his watch again. One minute, 12 seconds. Why did time have to pass so quickly?
And yet....and yet when he was with iher/i, time seemed to slow down to a standstill. It was almost as if just being in her presence would stop time, if only for him. Which, and he would rather die than admit this but, was the real reason he had agreed to come tonight. No conning had been nessecary on Duo's part; Heero Yuy was here...because of Relena.
Heero tugged at his collar, made one last inspection of his suit, and approached the front door to the restaurant timidly but determinedly. Once he was inside the restaurant, his eyes automatically scanned the building for any sight of her, but he was interupted when a smiling hostess appeared in front of him.
"Hello, sir? Sir? Can I help you?"
Heero looked shaken, but only for a second. "Yes," he said, surprised at the normalcy in his voice. "I'm with a Miss Relena Darlian."
"Okay, then, just come right this way," she said cheerfully as she led the way to a booth. Heero followed her mechanically, still a bit unsure of himself. The fact that Quatre and Duo had attempted to educate him on proper etiquette that morning did little to ease his fears. It annoyed him that he was acting so unlike himself tonight. Why, in any other situation he would have been perfectly calm, composed, and collected. iBut nooo! You're losing it over a girl!/i Although, he reasoned with himself, this was no ordinary girl. But he was given no more time to argue with himself, because at that time he arrived at the table where Relena was seated.
She was dressed in a navy blue off-the-shoulder evening dress that clung to her figure but was still decent enough for a vice foreign minister to appear in. Her hair was completely down and seemed to shimmer despite the dim light of the restaurant. Right now, to Heero the impossible was possible.
Heero was oblivious to anything else at that moment, and could probably have continued to stand there and stare with his jaw open at Relena for quite some time, but he noticed her starting to look a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, and he quickly closed his mouth and took a seat across from her. Relena smiled encouragingly, seeming to know how awkward of a situation this must have been for him, and he took strength in it. Once the hostess had gone off to attend to her duties, Heero cleared his throat and tried to remember what Quatre had told him to do, but he found that he couldn't quite recall most of it.
iOh come on! You're the one always giving the "act on your emotions" crap! Use that!/i Heero cleared his throat. "Forgive me for starring....," he began, looking up shyly to meet her gaze. "But you look....beautiful."
She laughed and leaned in over the table. "Thank you," she said batting her eyelashes, causing Heero to gulp and pale a bit. She laughed again. "Relax, Heero. You look so tense."
"Quite understandably. I've never been on a date before."
"That's what....oh, never mind..."
"Oh, I know. That's what Duo told you, right? I know, I can hear him now. 'Heero-kun needs to get out more often. What better than a date with a babe like you, Relena?'" he said, imitating Duo's highly cheery and friendly tone.
Relena smiled. "He means well."
Heero snorted. "I supposed when he rigged my communicator to play old Elvis music and taped the door to my Gundam shut with party streamers and decoupage he was only meaning well, right?"
"Oh, he told me you ideserved/i that, stealing parts of his Gundam for your own. For shame," she said, waggling her finger and smiling. Heero coulnd't help but find himself smiling too, for the first time in God knows when. And he was naturally starting to relax, finding himself more and more comfortable as the evening wore on. By the time their food arrived they were chatting like old friends.
After Heero had payed the bill (of which Relena insisted was thoroughly unfair and traditional of him), the two of them left the restaurant and decided to take a stroll through a nearby park. It was dark, but a few dim streetlights kept them from being in total darkness. A chill had sprung up in the night air, but Relena leaned up against them as they walked through the park, and Heero decided that he liked this. Hell, he could get used to it.
He was sad as he walked her up to her doorstep and concluded the evening, but the shine in Relena's eyes made his heart soar. Instead of starring at the ground shyly as he did, she looked straight in his cobalt blue eyes and smiled warmly.
"Thank you for a lovely evening," she said, giving him ample space to say his proverbial lines, but he didn't quite seem to know them, and was still starring at the ground. "Is something wrong?" she inquired.
He took a deep breath. "Duo and Quatre told me this is where I'm supposed to act all gentlemenly and inquire for a kiss goodnight."
She raised an eyebrow. "Quatre told you that?"
"Well, actually, he blushed and scolded Duo for mentioning it, but he didn't say not to. Duo....I don't even want to go into what he told me...uh, I mean, umm...." he added hastily, blushing a bit at his speech blunder.
Relena laughed softly and leaned in, tilting his head up to face her, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Then she said "Good night, Heero," and began unlocking the door to her appartment.
Something inside Heero set off, and he couldn't stop himself. He put a hand on her shoulder and spun her around. "I don't think it's supposed to end like that," he blurted out and captured her mouth with his own. Relena looked a bit startled at first, but after the inital shock she wrapped her arms around his neck as he slid his around her waist. Heero's mind was in a fog, but a strangely clear fog as he continued kissing her until he pulled away slightly, a bit breathless.
"I want to see you again," he said in his usual stoic tone, but to Relena, it sounded different. She gave him a wry smile and quietly slipped into her appartment, leaving him standing there at her front door. He stood there for a moment, then turned and faced the steps.
He jumped from the top of the steps all the way to the bottom and landed, saying, "Oh yeah. She wants me."
*bangs head against the wall* That. Was. So. Stoopid. ARGH!