Who Says 18 Can't Be Sweet?
By Patty
`Heero...'
"Relena...... Relena," Noin said as she gently shook Relena's shoulder.
"Huh?" Relena muttered sleepily as she lifted her head to see Noin standing beside her.
"Relena, you fell asleep. You're working too hard hun. Take a break, it's your birthday. I think paper work could wait a day don't you think?"
"It's just another day Lu," she said solemnly as she stared blankly out the window.
"But it's your day," Noin said as she placed a gentle hand on Relena's shoulder.
"Then why do I feel so glum?" she said still gazing out the window.
Noin knelt down so she was at eye level with Relena. She gently brushed the bangs out of her eyes and said softly, "I know you still love him, I can see it plain as day. I know it is hard sweety, but someday, he will come back to you, I promise. Your brother came back after what seemed like eternity, but now that he's back, it feels as if he never left."
Relena turned her head and met with Noin's caring eyes. "Thanks Lu, I can always count on you to cheer me up."
"Come on Relena, it's time for lunch, Zechs is waiting," she said as she stood back up.
It was Relena's 18th birthday today, of course to her, it seemed just like any other day. Being a vice-foreign minister took up most of her time and everyday was just plagued with more and more work. It was overwhelming for her but she took it in strides, working hard to try and maintain peace between the earth and the colonies. Relena never really had time to enjoy a normal life of a teenage girl. While others were out dating and partying, she was either flying back and forth between earth and space or going through mountains of paper work that never seemed to end. She knew the tremendous amount of work involved when agreeing to do this job. Relena also knew that all of this work would keep her mind off of that one person, the one person who held her heart in his clutches.
Since Relena's first encounter with Heero, she knew her mind could never be free of him again. He had such a power over her that just his presence was enough to set her soul at ease. Those piercing Prussian blue eyes, the ones that held so many secrets, always looked at her with a subtle softness, something only Relena could see. Relena yearned to see him more and more each day, and with each day, came disappointment.
Just as Relena and Noin were about to go downstairs, Relena said, "Wait just a sec Lu." She walked back into her room and quietly opened her desk drawer. There, lying in a little file of its own, was the birthday card Heero had given her on her sixteenth birthday. She opened it and sighed deeply and looked out the window and muttered to herself, "Oh Heero, where are you?" Before she got too caught up in her thoughts, she carefully put the card away in the desk and met back up with Noin.
"Sorry about that, I forgot something," she said to Noin who was waiting at the top of the stairs.
She nodded and the two descended down the stairs to the dining room. Zechs was awaiting them at the table and pulled out the chairs for both Noin and Relena, he then took his seat. The servant brought out the food and placed it gently in front of the trio. Zechs took the first bite and said, "Relena, what do you want to do for your birthday today?"
Relena, looking a little down, spoke softly and said, "Nothing really, I've got all that I could ask for." She lied through her teeth. The one thing she wanted most wasn't here, she didn't know where he was, or who he was for that matter. He had disappeared out of her life as quickly as he appeared. Zechs looked over at his wife worriedly and Noin gave him the same look. "Hey Relena, how about we go out and go shopping, that always cheers you up," Noin said as she placed her hand on Relena's shoulder. Relena looked up, her eyes a little brighter. She smiled weakly and said, "That will be great, I could use some new clothes."
Relena just looked at her plate of food and didn't touch it a bit. She kept gazing out the window at the garden in the distance. "Would you excuse me, I'm not hungry right now."
"Sure," Zechs said, knowing how depressed his sister truly was.
Relena excused herself and left the dining room. Relena left the house and walked out towards the garden so she could be by herself. As she walked down the path, the spring air tickled her nose with the scent of flowers and the bees were buzzing all around, searching for sweet nectar. As the gentle breeze blew her hair away from her face, she saw a solitary tree in the distance and decided to sit under it. She took off her shoes and socks and walked towards the tree, letting the cool green blades of grass soothe the soles of her feet. Relena sat down and leaned up against the tree, pulling her knees to her chest and letting the cool breeze brush her face. `Heero...' was all she said as she saw his beautiful image dance about in her mind. `Where are you Heero?' she kept wondering but knew she wasn't going to get an answer anytime soon. She then rested her head upon her knees and wept silently.
Meanwhile back at the house, the phone began to ring. The butler answered and the voice on the other end asked for Noin. "Madam Noin, phone."
"All right, got it. Hello?" she asked. "Uhuh, I see, I like the idea. That will definitely make her feel better. I will tell Zechs. Thanks. Bye," she said as she hung up the phone. A huge smile spread across her face as she went to go find her husband. She rushed upstairs and found him in their bedroom getting dressed. She lightly rapped on the door and let herself in. "Honey, it's me. I've got something you are definitely going to want to hear." The two sat on the bed and Noin told him everything about the phone conversation. When they were done, Zechs nodded and said, "Good idea. I think that will make her day."
"Yeah, I will get her out of the house later when we go shopping. I will call before we leave the mall ok?" she said as she placed a sweet kiss on his cheek.
"Got it love," he replied as he kissed her gently on the cheek as well.
Lu left the room to go find Relena. Out in the garden, Relena was still crying, she just couldn't hold the tears back any longer. All of those years of repressed emotions just overloaded her heart and it finally bled, shedding years of bottled up emotions. Noin was meandering through the garden to find Relena, she knew it was her favorite spot to go when she wanted to be alone. As she was walking down the path, she heard the faint echo of sobs coming from a tree in the distance. She slowly walked over to it to find Relena, crying her eyes out. Lu knelt down beside her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Relena dear, are you all right?"
Relena looked up, her face stained with tears and eyes all glassy. "It never gets easier Lu. This day always reminds me of him. Why does my birthday bring so many painful memories?"
"Relena, life is tough, but you can't let this get you down. It's just another stepping stone. Things will get better, I promise," she said soothingly. "Now come on, it's time to go shopping."
She wore a brave smile and got up and said, "You're right, I'm not going to let this ruin my day."
Noin smiled and said, "Now that's the Relena I know." The two girls walked back towards the mansion to tell Zechs they were leaving. They walked into the library of the house to find Zechs sitting on a black leather chair reading a book. "Hi ladies, are you guys going?" he inquired.
"Sure are hun, we will be back in a few hours. Goodbye," Lu said as she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"Bye love," he said giving her a peck on the cheek as well.
The two girls exited the room and went out front to await the chauffeur. Relena's pink limousine pulled up and they left for the mall. Zechs watched from the window as the two drove off down the driveway to the mall. As soon as they were gone around the corner, he went over to the phone to set the whole birthday plan in motion. "It's time," he said to the person on the other line. "Come ASAP," he said then hanging up the phone. Zechs thought to himself `Sure hope this works.'
The two lovely ladies had been at the mall for a few hours and were cruising up and down the mall, a few bags in each hand. "Thanks for taking me shopping Lu, it always makes me feel better," Relena said cheerfully.
"Yeah, especially when we hit the sales," Lu said as they walked out the door. "Hold up a minute Relena, I've got to call your brother really quick," she said whipping out her cell phone. "Honey, we're on our way home, see you soon," Lu said as she quickly hung up the phone. "Ready to go?" she asked Relena.
"Sure am, my feet are aching!"
The two women went outside to find their limo awaiting them. The chauffeur took their bags and put them in the trunk as they climbed inside the car. Slamming the trunk shut, the driver got in the car and drove off. On their way home, Relena just kept looking out the window at the countryside, it was so beautiful, so serene. Noin looked over at her and smiled slightly. `Poor thing, I know exactly what she's going through. I hope all of this works out.' They continued driving until they reached the front door of the mansion. The two got out of the car and Noin said, "Relena, you go on in, I've got to check on something real quick in the garden."
"Ok, see you inside."
Relena walked up the front steps and the chauffeur opened the door. Relena walked in and the house was completely silent. "Hello?" she said loudly. Then she looked down at the floor to see something very strange, red rose petals. She looked back up and saw a trail or rose petals going up the stairs. Curiosity got the best of her and she followed the trail up the stairs, being on the cautious side. When she got the top of the stairs, the trail continued down the hall and ran all of the way to her bedroom door. Relena slowly opened her door and when she did, she saw that the whole room was covered with candles, all lit, and casting a beautiful glow in the room. She was lost in the beauty of it when she felt someone caresses her cheek with the backside of a rose, sending chills down her spine. "Relena," the voice whispered in her ear. `That voice..'
Relena turned around slowly to find Heero standing behind her. "Heero, I…..don't know what to say?" she said, still in shock.
"Happy Birthday Relena," he said, his face slowly nearing hers.
"I thought you didn't want to see me again, that was why you never came back," she said softly, a single tear falling down her cheek.
His eyes softened and he gently cupped her face with his hand. "Oh no Relena, that was not the reason. I had a lot of things to sort out in my life and now I know what I want. I want you," he whispered almost against her lips.
Relena turned her back to him, trying her best to fight back the tears. "Do you know the pain and suffering I have been through just waiting, wondering if you would ever come back, and now you decide to come back? Why? To hurt me again?"
She walked over to the center of the room and sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest and wept silently. Heero slowly walked over towards her, her cries yanking at his heart. He knelt down beside her. With his hand, he gently cupped her face and raised her head so she was looking him straight in the eyes. Wiping the tears from her face with his finger, he said softly, "Relena, I came back because I love you."
Her heart sank into her stomach. "What did you say?" she said in almost disbelief.
"I love you. That is why I left, to sort through my feelings and in the end, I discovered my true feelings for you. I now realize that you are my heart and soul, the only thing worth living for. I knew I had to come back, I just prayed that you were still here," he said sweetly. He then dug into his back pocket and pulled out a little black box. Holding it before her, he slowly opened it up to reveal a gorgeous diamond ring. Taking it out of the box, he placed it on her finger and said, "Relena, please marry me? You are the only one who can complete me."
A few tears ran down her cheeks as she looked at him and said, trying to keep herself from bursting, "Yes."
She collapsed into his arms and he kissed her passionately. Now they were one being, Heero had found his heart and soul and Relena had found her love that she had been missing all of her life. Who ever said 18 couldn't be sweet?