Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing
Relena had been taught early-on that it was better not to wear sunscreen on the day of a photo-op in spite of the otherwise need to protect the porcelain quality of her skin. The problem stood that since sunblock reflected most direct light, and though it's not entirely visible to the naked eye, it always comes out in flash photography. It blanches the face for the camera lense. She never wanted to be the ghost in the historical documentation of her work.
However, the beach's siren call had won her loyalties in the end. Dorothy, of course, was involved in the instigation of it, but it was Relena's choice to face a few hours in the blistering Dubai sun.
Now she had learned her lesson the hard way about making sure not to rely solely on her sun hat or glasses for protection, so applying sunscreen really was the lesser of the proverbial evils. Relena assured herself that she'd get back in time to wash her face and reapply her makeup, and she did intend to do so with all of her might.
Dubai, however, was not like the cold days in Brussels or the wet days in London. She was lost in the heat and the laughter, and before she knew it she was running late. She was not only late for her quick makeover, as Heero informed her when he finally got her back in his charge, she was late for the very public meet and greet with the Royal Emissary of the Southeastern Arabian sector.
Relena confiscated Dorothy's matte, pressed powder and dabbed it into her undereye area, drying the traces of sweat and salt while camouflaging the hint of runaway eyeliner before emerging on the platform.
She was relieved to learn that, thankfully, his majesty was running a few minutes behind, himself. Ever the braggart, Dorothy flippantly remarked something along the lines of meetings always starting late, and how relieved she was to see Relena finally slowing down to meet the trend.
Ineffectively trying to hide her irritation at the taunting, Relena moved toward the stage's edge, planting herself so she could see the waiting throngs of reporters and cameras with Heero at her back. The sensation of his body heat, still at least half a pace from her, was strong enough that she offhandedly wondered if perhaps she had sunburned in spite of her attempts to protect her skin.
The bustle of the room hushed and stilled as the door opened and Prince Habib Abdul Is'haaq made his entrance.
It took a literal and obvious double-take for Relena to appreciate the artisan quality of his face. She stole a moment, confirming that his eye color was that of a black hematite, rather than the sparkling gray their reflective quality had initially implied. To be honest, she found it both intriguing and chilling to look at. She instinctively began to take in the rest of the chiseled shape, from his jaw to his chest to his—
Relena forced herself to turn away, but her eyes found themselves wandering back with insatiable curiosity. What really struck her about his appearance was what had likely brought the whole room to attention. "He's so tall."
The security officer, momentarily forgotten behind her, cleared his throat in what sounded like disapproval.
Relena felt suddenly embarrassed, realizing that the previous observation was made aloud. "I'm just saying," she mumbled.
"Would you have me force him to kneel?" Relena wondered how serious Heero was being, as it was always impossible to tell by his hardened tone.
"I don't think he's much used to kneeling," she whispered in reply, carefully keeping a stoic smile so the conversation went mostly unnoticed by the rest of the crowded room. "I'm sure he'd sooner see me on my knees."
Heero was not the most talkative companion even in the safety of solitude, so it was no surprise that she waited a long while for a response with the people still pressing in at her feet. "I'd rather not think you'll be on your knees for him. I'm sure you'll understand."
She didn't. Instead she shrugged lightly. "I kneel for no man."
She heard Heero let out a heavy breath behind her as the coordinator brought the Prince near, guiding their hands together in a staged greeting. She had just met the statesman's penetrating stare when Heero stepped back, offering one last comment for only Relena to hear.
"I'm sure you will always kneel for me."
Her innocent lense of the conversation shattered, leaving her standing, abashed and very alone, in front of a room full of strangers and under the direct scrutiny of a tall, sexy prince she'd never met before.
Relena blushed so deeply for embarrassment she thought she'd be sick, but her practiced smile and the reflective quality of the sunscreen covered all evidence of what she would always remember to be the most hysterically mortifying photo-op of her career.
A/N: HahahahaHAAAAA! I read this piece about a fangirl meeting Tom Hiddleston for the first time and he made a comment that even I had to blush…... and I'm not really a TH fan. It was just that sexy. *WOAH* :D
Thanks, as always, to my Beta. Stormy. ^_^