Relena bit her lip slightly as she began to file the nails on her right hand.
emSuch a bothersome chore,/em she thought, emwhoever invented this practice should be slapped.
Of course the whole reason she was repainting her nails was a bothersome chore as well. Why they needed to host some banquet in her honor was something Relena could never understand. Didn't everyone have more important things to do, and it wasn't as if Relena was feeling unacknowledged in her work.
"You are receiving a very important award," her mother had told her on the phone, "you should be grateful."
They could have just sent it to her office, there was no reason to have some big extravagant dinner. Not to mention it meant having to take time from her all ready busy week to write a speech.
It was all so inconvenient, and right now the inconvenience and lack of precision in painting the nails of her non-writing hand was the number one con to the whole dinner of the moment.
When she slipped on her thumb and accidentally painted a line of red along her finger she wanted to scream.
"Having problems?"
She turned to see her date standing in the door way in the white shirt and pants of his tuxedo perfectly carving out the muscles of his torso and arms, the black bow tiewas hanging from his neck.
"No," she said, "I just made a mistake on my finger nails."
"Sounds like a problem," Heero said and walked over to her vanity and pulled up an extra stool by the side.
"Would you like help?"
"I can paint my own fingernails, but thanks," she said.
He smiled, and before she could say anything he took a cloth and bottle of nail polish remover, and before she knew it he was rubbing away the streak of red on her finger.
"You're too slow," he said, "if I help it will be faster."
She growled in his direction, and rested her chin upon her hand.
"Doesn't matter to me," she said, "I don't want to go to this thing anyways."
He gave a smile.
"It isn't like you to be in a bad mood," he said.
"I am human," she said, "I can have bad moods every once in awhile."
He didn't say anything for a moment.
"Don't be rude though," he said, "people worked hard on this for you."
"They shouldn't have," she said, "the whole thing is egregious."
"How so?"
She calmed a bit at the feeling of the brush hitting her nail. He was working quickly and she marveled for a moment at how good he seemed to be at it.
"Well, it is way too extravagant, I would have much rather have the money used for something useful," she said.
"That may be true," he said, "but people put a lot of stock in these things. They want to recognize someone who inspires them. To spit on it would be to spit on their hope."
She was silent; he did have a point though she hated to admit it.
"I didn't think you would be all big on this," she said, "it almost sounds like you feel that I am slighting you."
"Not at all," he said, now he was on the middle finger, "but I am not against these sort of rituals as you seem to be."
"I am not against them," she said, "I find them embarrassing."
"Well that is different then your reasons before, I thought your point was that they weren't useful," he said.
"I can have a number of reasons," she said, "I don't think I deserve it, and there other people who should be recognized as well."
"You have done plenty," he said.
Now finished, he laid her hand on the table.
"Everyone thinks you have done enough to be recognized for it, you should be happy with that," he said.
"I can do so much more," she said.
"And you will," he replied.
"Hmmmmm"
Why did he always seem to understand things in ways no one else did. It was uncanny and at the moment annoying.
"I am not refusing to go," she said.
"No you aren't," he said.
She took a look down at her nails. They were perfect.
"Where did you learn to do nails like this?" she asked.
"It wasn't hard," he replied.
"Well, it wasn't like you were doing your own hand," she said, "I am sure if you had the results would be different."
"How do you know that I haven't?"
She cocked an eyebrow at him but then relaxed; something about his expression was telling her that he was joking.
"You seem awfully perky tonight," she said.
"Just trying to make up for your bad mood," he said.
She gave a smile.
"You know that's the real reason I don't want to go tonight," she said, "we have so few free nights together and we have to waste one on this function."
His eyes soften.
"It's only two hours," he said, "we have time, and if not. Well I can stay a few extra days."
She looked at him for a moment.
"I don't want to be a burden," she said, "it is a shame I can't be the one to visit you more often."
"We make it work," he said, "and I don't mind anything. If I did, I wouldn't come."
She smiled, her mood incredibly lighter. She hated being this selfish with him, and was somewhat embarrassed by it, as if him seeing her falter would lessen his opinion of her somehow. Of course this belief was unfounded, but it still bothered her.
"Hey, my nails are still wet, can you grave that necklace in the corner, I need to put it on," she said.
He nodded and pulled the silver necklace from its cased. He moved behind her, and she briefly closed her eyes as she felt him the place the necklace around her neck. The metal was cool to the touch, and the large heart shaped pendent pressed lightly on her chest.
"Thank you," she said, "that was the finishing touch."
"Well that is good, because now I need to help you," he said, "and you really could have done that on your own. The bottle said it was quick dry nail polish."
"Well maybe I just enjoy the way you treat me," she said.
"Whatever," he replied, "I need you to tie this."
He lifted it up one side of the bow tie and she gave a smile.
"Shouldn't you be doing that yourself," she asked as she stood and began to tie it.
"Well, I did your nails, it is time you do something for me," he said, "equal exchange."
"You do have a point," she said and then grunted when she made a mistake on the tie and had to start over, "I swear it is such a production to get ready for these things. What is the point?"
He gently gripped her wrist for a moment and smiled.
"Maybe because it makes it more fun when we take it all off," he said.
She looked at him for a moment.
"Maybe, but I bet that when it comes to that that I am better at it than you," she said.
"Try me," he said.
And it was with that, that Relena finally realized that banquets in her honor might not be a bad thing after all. They gave her something nice to undress after all.