A/N: I have recently started watching Gundam Wing (the first season that I haven't seen in like 10 years) and I am still fascinated by the relationship between Heero and Relena. In tandem with watching these episodes via Youtube, and reading other fanfics, I thought I would try my hand at a Gundam Wing based fic. I have no idea why, but I was inspired by Shakespeare (though I do loath English literature so) so here goes. I own nothing!
Relena and Her Romeo
Standing at the top of her grand staircase, Relena greets everyone in her mansion, "Thank you all for coming tonight. I hope you enjoy yourselves." As she gracefully descends the staircase, an ivory-gloved hand sliding down the marble railing beside her, she registers the many faces of her guests; fellow ESUN politicians and their families, high-ranked Army officials, as well as the soldiers and body guards stationed at various positions in the ballroom. Once she is level with all others, guests crowd around her, showering her with "Happy Birthday" praises, compliments about the food, drink, and her ensemble—a floor-length, aquamarine gown with a sweetheart neckline, her elbow length ivory gloves, her single-stranded pearl necklace, paired with teardrop pearl earrings—as well as mention of urgent matters in need of discussion. She passes through the crowd, thanking them for their compliments and wishes, promising to remain available for the discussion of urgent matters throughout the course of the night.
Everyone else she passes is greeted with a friendly nod, as she makes her way towards the buffet table. Rather than picking plate and loading it full of expensive—and exquisite—delicacies, Relena opts for a glass of champagne, which she tips back and drinks the sparkling liquid in one sip. Happy birthday to me, she sarcastically wishes herself as she places the first glass down and picks up another.
Today had been difficult for her, and she knew tonight wouldn't be the ideal party. She woke up in the morning the same time she always did, ate the same breakfast and picked out the same clothes, the ones that convey the message "Queen of the World", as she reviewed her itinerary for the day: 10 am, meeting about economic conditions and how they could be improved. 11:30, Video conference with the leader of Mars colony to establish a quota for those entering the newly colonized planet. 1 pm, birthday lunch with her foster mother who would not be able to attend her party. 2 pm, yet another meeting about something she had already forgotten, though was expected to have an active roll in. 4 pm, a video conference with her old high school friends who were also unable to attend tonight's festivities, due to family conflicts. Then the party guests would arrive promptly at 7 pm, and Relena would make her grand entrance at 7:15. Everything according to plan, she sighs, though not ideal, I must make it appear so.
Champagne glass in tow, Relena weaves through the sea of guests to the beat of the classical symphony's music towards the balcony. Though it is wonderful to have people who care about her—most of whom care genuinely—here to celebrate her birthday, she could really use an unscheduled moment to herself. She chit chats with noblemen and politicians along the way, not wanting to appear rude or ungrateful, as she continues on her path. When she is within spitting distance of the balcony, someone taps her softly on the shoulder. She turns to face a tall, slender male with long, platinum blonde hair, and his companion, a dark haired, equally slim female.
"Happy birthday little sister," Milliardo Peacecraft says, embracing a now smiling queen. "I'm so glad you could make it!" she squeels as he lifts her off the ground in his embrace. After being placed back on the ground, Relena focuses her attention on her brother's companion. "Hello Lucrezia," she greets as the two females curtsying slightly. "Happy birthday Relena," Lucrezia Noin says, handing her pseudo-sister-in-law a small box rapped with a gold bow. "Hope you enjoy it." Relena accepts the box, graciously bowing her head in thanks. Milliardo and his companion encourage Relena to open her box, which holds a pair of dangling silver earrings.
"They're lovely," Relena says, smiling. "They're made from Gundanium," her brother informs her, taking a sip of the champagne glass Relena had been forced to hand over so she could open the little box. Stunned, Relena inquires where the two managed to acquire such a rare metal. Lucrezia smirks, and Milliardo explains, "I couldn't let those Gundams be destroyed entirely." Thinking of the Gundams, and of the men who piloted them, Relena's mood is somber. Noin sees the glimmer in Relena's eyes dim, and links arms with her escort. "Zechs, we really shouldn't monopolize the queen on her birthday," she says. "We'll talk to you later Relena," Lucrezia promises, dragging Milliardo away.
Relena stands alone, cradling the Gundanium earrings in her hands. Her faithful butler, Pagan, walks over to her, and inquires about the earrings. "A gift from Milliardo and Noin," she explains, asking him to bring them up to her room as soon as he can. "I don't want to lose them." Pagan does as he is bid, and heads up to the master bedroom.
Noticing that her champagne had been commandeered, Relena heads off to get another. Even if she didn't drink it, walking around with the glass reminded her that she was twenty-one, and not forty like she sometimes felt. Being Queen of the World did have its perks, though the lack of intimate relationships was not one of them. Her high school friends seemed to live in a completely different world than her, since most of her contacts and officials were around the same age as her foster mother. Even the acquaintances she acquired over the years had stopped trying to keep up appearances. The five Gundam pilots she had familiarized herself with during the war had not been in constant contact. In fact, the only pilots with whom she'd had contact with recently were Duo Maxwell and Quatre Rebabre-Winner, though their communication was often limited to politics. The other three, Trowa Barton, Chang Wufei, and Heero Yuy seemed to have dropped off the face of the Earth.
Milliardo walks with his glass of champagne—formerly Relena's—in tow, and Noin on his arm, surveying the guests. "I don't see him," he whispers to his companion. "I wonder if he managed to get past the guards." Noin looks up at the blonde in disbelief. "Zechs, you doubt his skills and determination?" she gasps, twirling herself into a waltz position, placing a hand on Milliardo's shoulder as he clasps her hand in his and places his own on her waist. "He loves her, so I'm sure he found a way inside," Lucrezia says, as she and her beloved waltz among politicians and noblemen. "Odds are he's sticking to the shadows, doing his lone-wolf thing," she rests her head on his shoulder. "I suppose you're right," Milliardo says, classical music and the beauty of Lucrezia Noin entrancing him as he steps foreward, backwards, and spins.
After snatching another glass of champagne, Relena heads towards the balcony once more. She glides towards the large, glass doors, nodding at party guests in acknowledgement. Walking past the large, burgundy curtains, she feels someone grab her elbow and yank her behind them, dropping her glass. She squirms, the thick fabric of the curtains shielding her from the light of the chandeliers. "Who are you?" Relena asks anxiously. "What do you want?" Her voice is loud, as though she would scream for help at any moment. The one who grabbed her places a finger over her mouth, breathes a quiet "shh" before holding both of her hands in theirs. She feels the other figure raise her right hand, kiss her ivory glove.
"If I profane with my unworthiest hand," the other person, a man with a familiar voice, says ,"This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand. To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss". What is he saying? Relena asks herself. The silence between the two signals to her that she should respond. Though it all sounds so familiar to her, Relena is unsure what to say. The man raises her hands, squeezes her fingers slightly, as though anxiously awaiting her response.
"To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss", the man says again. Relena searches the depths of her brain, trying to figure out where these words came from, and what she should say next. Suddenly it hits her; William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. She searches the depths of her mind, finding the right words to say. "Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much. Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss." Her hands are set free, and her palms place against his.
"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?" the man asks. Relena searches the depths of her mind once more, this time trying to match this voice with a name and face. "Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer," she responds. "O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray — grant thou, lest faith turn to despair," he says, his voice filled with longing. He wants to kiss me, Relena realizes. "Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake," she says.
"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take." His hand caresses her cheek, and his lips meet hers. This kiss is soft yet determined, passionate yet controlled. She also recognizes this as the kiss she has waited five years for, and is able to identify the other figure behind the curtain. "Heero," she breathes as his lips part from hers. He places a finger over her lips once more. "Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged."
"Then have my lips the sin that they have took" Relena responds, batting her eye lashes (though Heero could not see them), suddenly enjoying this witty banter. "Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again," he draws her towards him once more, and their lips meet. Relena feels everything that she has been deprived of in the past five years in this kiss; she feels youthful, not forty years old. She feels spontaneous, glad that this moment was an unscheduled surprise. She feels passion, an intimacy that she hasn't feel with another human being before now.
The kiss lasts longer, and Heero wraps his arms around her shoulders, drawing her closer into his embrace. She moves him closer to the wall behind them, not wanting to alert anyone of their presence behind the curtains. She slides his hands around her waist, her own behind his neck. The two part, and though she cannot see him, Relena senses that Heero is smiling back at her; Of course he would only smile in the dark, that way he could claim that nobody actually saw him smile. "You kiss by th' book," she says, finishing their romantic dialogue.
"Happy Birthday Relena," Heero whispers to her, drawing her into his embrace once more. She hugs him back, hoping that her body will communicate thanks that her words could not. Suddenly the curtain is drawn back slightly, letting the light of the ballroom illuminate the two lovers, and revealing a smirking Lucrezia Noin. "I knew I'd find you two here," she says, smiling triumphantly. "They want you to come and blow your candles out," Noin tells Relena, who reluctantly lets go of her newfound beau. "Come on out," Noin encourages, like a woman cooing a small pet out of hiding, "before your brother and all other guests notice what's going on back here."
Relena pries herself from Heero, looking back at him with pleading eyes. "I'll see you once more," Heero promises. "When all the guests leave, I'll come and find you." A hopeful Queen emerges from behind the curtains with Noin, smoothing her hair and make-up. "I'm so embarrassed," Relena whispers as the two women walk towards the buffet table and the tier cake. "You have nothing to worry about," Lucrezia reassures her blushing friend. "Imagine if Zechs was the one who found you." The thought of Milliardo Peacecraft reacting like a red-faced, overprotective older brother causes Relena to giggle.
"Where have you been?" Milliardo asks, brushing a stray strand of hair from his younger sister's shoulder, "The guests want their cake." Relena straightens herself before taking a deep breath and preparing for hundreds of hungry eyes to be on her. Her brother notices her changed aura as she flips her hair back to avoid the flames of the burning candles. "Something seems different about her," Zechs points out, clapping along with all of the other guests. "Where was she?" Noin shrugs, "She found her birthday surprise near the balcony." She winks up at the queen's brother, and claps along with the other guests, concealing her role in Relena's very happy 21st birthday.
A/N: Everytime I read this scene I laugh, because I am forced to think of my friend's tattoo; "Let Lips Do What Hands Do" inked just above the waistband of his pants lol. Reviews would be great, comments and criticism are always appreciated.