Chapter Six: Not Who She Was
Relena finally looked at him, and her pupils returned to normal size, and Heero was so completely relieved he took her in his arms without a bit of his usual reserve.
'God...thanks you.'
"I couldn't see," she said into his chest. "I opened my eyes, but I couldn't see. I though I'd gone somewhere else, and was lost again." She pulled back a little and gave him a wobbly smile. "But you're here."
"And so are you, back here with me," Heero said softly, craddling her to him again. He swore from that moment on to be a new man. Not to lose any of his old skills, or neglect training, but from now on he was going to try his damn hardest to become a real man. One who loved and cared for people, and wasn't afraid to show it. One who could spend his lifetime with Relena.
'Now that's progress,' said The Truth.
******************
Relena smiled at Heero as he left to get her doctor. As soon as he was gone the smile turned into a frown. Not that she was sorry to be with him again, but knowing who she was had reminded her of what she did. Everyday, for other, undeserving people of space and planet earth. What people would expect her to do again. Damn.
Well, no way in hell was she gonna do that again. Peace ran amuck. Why should she spend any more time living for others? It was time to live for herself.
So she smiled charmingly at her doctor, at her brother and Noin, and the G- pilots when they arrived to greet her. Quatre, whom she remembered she'd been closest to, gave her a kiss on the cheek and she hugged him briefly.
"...And when you get back to your duties," Zechs was saying.
Uh oh. "Brother...I've just barely recovered and you want me to go back to work? To exhaust myself again, or worse, put myself in danger when I'm not even well yet?" she asked him, narrow eyed, implying he wanted to work her to death and didn't care for her health, and wondering if he caught that.
Zechs looked startled. "No, Relena, I just thought you'd like to get back to your work, it was always so important to you--"
"I think I'd better not," she said, feigning sudden tiredness. "I don't want to faint in front of an audience during a speech." She'd milk this for all it was worth, and party behind their backs. With a new crowd. Cooler people. That's right, Relena was out to work the town. No, the whole flippin' universe!
"Of course," Heero said comfortingly. She smiled sweetly up at him, and she could see him soften. They all could. But they couldn't see behind her eyes.
Make way for the new and improved Relena! They wouldn't approve...for safety reasons, or because it wasn't proper of her to be wild, or have fun, or be anything different than what they needed and expected her to be.
Fine then. She'd just have change behind their backs...until the day came when she defied them all and their ideas of her openly. Especially Zechs. She didn't know why, but she especially wanted to shock him. And it wouldn't be hard. Diplomacy. A word that meant lies, hidden truths, mind games, wanting to win and being subtle. She was good at that. And she'd enjoy coming "out of the closet" with her new personality.
Relena smiled again, pleased with her plan, and Heero smiled back, thinking about how wonderful it was going to be now that he had finally allowed himself to be in love with Relena. Relena, sweet and patient and wonderful. Relena, who didn't change on him, but was as constant as the sun. They'd be together forever, happy, as Heero had always wished to be...
Relena finally looked at him, and her pupils returned to normal size, and Heero was so completely relieved he took her in his arms without a bit of his usual reserve.
'God...thanks you.'
"I couldn't see," she said into his chest. "I opened my eyes, but I couldn't see. I though I'd gone somewhere else, and was lost again." She pulled back a little and gave him a wobbly smile. "But you're here."
"And so are you, back here with me," Heero said softly, craddling her to him again. He swore from that moment on to be a new man. Not to lose any of his old skills, or neglect training, but from now on he was going to try his damn hardest to become a real man. One who loved and cared for people, and wasn't afraid to show it. One who could spend his lifetime with Relena.
'Now that's progress,' said The Truth.
******************
Relena smiled at Heero as he left to get her doctor. As soon as he was gone the smile turned into a frown. Not that she was sorry to be with him again, but knowing who she was had reminded her of what she did. Everyday, for other, undeserving people of space and planet earth. What people would expect her to do again. Damn.
Well, no way in hell was she gonna do that again. Peace ran amuck. Why should she spend any more time living for others? It was time to live for herself.
So she smiled charmingly at her doctor, at her brother and Noin, and the G- pilots when they arrived to greet her. Quatre, whom she remembered she'd been closest to, gave her a kiss on the cheek and she hugged him briefly.
"...And when you get back to your duties," Zechs was saying.
Uh oh. "Brother...I've just barely recovered and you want me to go back to work? To exhaust myself again, or worse, put myself in danger when I'm not even well yet?" she asked him, narrow eyed, implying he wanted to work her to death and didn't care for her health, and wondering if he caught that.
Zechs looked startled. "No, Relena, I just thought you'd like to get back to your work, it was always so important to you--"
"I think I'd better not," she said, feigning sudden tiredness. "I don't want to faint in front of an audience during a speech." She'd milk this for all it was worth, and party behind their backs. With a new crowd. Cooler people. That's right, Relena was out to work the town. No, the whole flippin' universe!
"Of course," Heero said comfortingly. She smiled sweetly up at him, and she could see him soften. They all could. But they couldn't see behind her eyes.
Make way for the new and improved Relena! They wouldn't approve...for safety reasons, or because it wasn't proper of her to be wild, or have fun, or be anything different than what they needed and expected her to be.
Fine then. She'd just have change behind their backs...until the day came when she defied them all and their ideas of her openly. Especially Zechs. She didn't know why, but she especially wanted to shock him. And it wouldn't be hard. Diplomacy. A word that meant lies, hidden truths, mind games, wanting to win and being subtle. She was good at that. And she'd enjoy coming "out of the closet" with her new personality.
Relena smiled again, pleased with her plan, and Heero smiled back, thinking about how wonderful it was going to be now that he had finally allowed himself to be in love with Relena. Relena, sweet and patient and wonderful. Relena, who didn't change on him, but was as constant as the sun. They'd be together forever, happy, as Heero had always wished to be...