By Ai
Chapter 9She could hear drops of water falling from the faucet. The change room was pretty deserted. She squeezed the last bits of moisture from her hair and pulled it up into a quick ponytail. Remembering the feeling she got just as she stepped out of the pool, she looked around, the silence bothering her. Scrambling to pull her flip-flops on, she made a last check to see if she had left anything in the locker before hurrying to exit through the door. Breathing a sigh of relief as she found herself out in the hotel's fitness club, she took a few steps back from the door and bumped into something, making her gasp.
"It's ok Relena, it's just me." Trowa said behind her.
"Thank goodness…" she mumbled.
"Relena, is everything ok?" Quatre asked, just coming up behind Trowa. He peered at her face.
"I'm ok…"
Quatre gave her a look.
"Ok…well…I…I had a feeling that someone was watching me while I was getting out of the pool…I'm…sure I was just a bit paranoid." Relena admitted.
"Did you feel threatened?" Trowa was in serious soldier mode.
"Well…uneasy."
"I'm going to notify security a.s.a.p. I want both of you to go back to your rooms and tell Heero what happened." Trowa said.
"But I'm sure I was just paranoid." Relena retorted, disappointed at being confined to her room.
"Better to be safe than sorry." Trowa replied, jogging off.
"We better do what Trowa suggests. Come on Relena…we can explore later." Quatre led her gently back upstairs.
"Sometimes, I wish I was just a nobody…it just gets so tiring…it's like we have to live our lives in the shadows. Here we're promoting peace and freedom and yet the very things we're fighting for are being taken away from us!" Relena fumed as they stood in the elevator.
"Relena…" Quatre said in thought, "have you ever considered leaving the political scene?" he asked, recalling Trowa's earlier question.
Relena looked up at him in surprise.
"Have you?"
He sighed. "I'm not sure. After the end of the Eve wars, I thought that I would be able to stop fighting, but the political scene is just as much of a battlefield. I haven't given it any serious thought, but I do find myself wondering what it would be like if I weren't in this position…even more often these days," he admitted to her.
She nodded. "Everyday, I sit in bed at night, rubbing my temples from all the stress I get at work but I tell myself…I'm meant to do this, I have to this, I need to do this. For me…I never had the time to question myself but when Trowa talked about letting it all go…something in my heart was triggered…I don't know…I don't know…" she trailed off.
They arrived at the floor where their rooms were and they exited the elevator.
"I guess we should go talk to Heero after we get changed out of our swimwear. I'll see you there in a while." Quatre headed off to his own room, leaving Relena standing in front of her own. She reached out to turn her knob after unlocking the door…but she stopped, her fist holding the knob so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She sighed and loosened her grip before turning the door and disappearing behind it.
Straightening her top, a mauve loose fitting short-sleeved top that was off-shoulder on the left side, Relena stood up straight and knocked on the door in front of her. With the top, she wore a pretty and wide belt with her indigo boot cut jeans and black and wooden mules on her feet. Her honey blonde tresses were tied into a simple knot and she had minimal make up on with earrings that were diamond and dangled down in a straight sleek line. Her other hand held on to her small black purse and she was about to knock again when the door finally opened. Blue eyes widened.
"Relena?"
He was wearing a loose fitting white shirt that wasn't tucked in and a pair of slightly baggy jeans. His feet were bare. He was surprised to see her at his door, especially with her all dressed up even if it weren't elaborate attire.
"Uhm…I was gonna meet Quatre here to talk to you about something. Is he here yet?" She tried to peer over his shoulder.
"No, he's not here." Heero replied in his monotone.
"Well…can I come in?" She asked.
"Uh…hn." He stepped aside and allowed her to enter.
"Is Trowa back yet?" she asked.
"No."
They just stood in the foyer of the suite.
"Don't let me disturb you…I'll just sit on the couch and wait until Quatre arrives." She smiled and seated herself.
He hesitated before he sat down on the armchair beside the couch, ignoring his laptop. Seeing that he had decided to wait with her, she cleared her throat and tried to strike up a conversation.
"So Heero, how are you?" She glanced at his face. He seemed tired and his eyes were slightly red.
"Alright."
"You really shouldn't work too hard…Brussels is such a beautiful city."
"It's my job."
Relena resisted the temptation to sigh. It was so hard to converse with Heero…he always gave such straightforward and short replies. So she settled into the couch with her hands in her lap and an awkward silence enveloped them. Finally, a knock sounded on the door.
"It must be Quatre," Relena suggested.
Heero got up and opened the door. It was Quatre, dressed in a casual shirt tucked in with khaki slacks.
"Hey Heero, sorry to bother you," Quatre said.
Heero nodded in greeting.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Heero asked, getting straight to the point.
"Well…it'd be best if Relena started off since it started with her…Trowa told us to advise you of this…it happened while we went swimming." Quatre looked over to Relena. Heero raised his eyebrows.
"Uhm…Quatre and Trowa had gone to the sauna room and I was finishing my lap in the pool…and then I got out and I just felt…eyes…eyes on me. At first, I thought I was just paranoid…and then it started to really bother me…so I ran into the change room. I didn't feel the eyes anymore but the silence was uncomfortable and then…well, I met up with the guys and Trowa went off to talk to security about it while Quatre and I headed back up."
"Eyes?" Heero questioned.
Relena nodded. "Like someone was watching me. I…" She lowered her head.
"Did you feel anything, Quatre?"
"Not really, Heero…but then I was with Trowa and I was probably distracted. Wait…I was in the whirlpool with Relena when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up on its ends. I don't know, it was a weird feeling…but I shook it off after a while."
Heero went to his laptop.
"We'll check up on it…I don't want either of you alone, you understand me?" He asked firmly and both of his charges nodded.
"Uhm…do you think it'd be possible if…you know…we went down to get some dinner?" Relena brought it up timidly.
"No. Get room service." Heero sharply ordered.
"But Heero, it's such a beautiful city…I refuse to be confined in my room." Relena protested.
"I know a lot of things have happened, Heero…but we can't hide forever." Quatre added.
"I cannot let you two out by yourselves…I know you're a pilot Quatre," he said, noticing Quatre starting to protest, "but to have to take of Relena too? It's too much, even for you."
Relena restrained herself from rolling her eyes. "I knew you'd say that."
"Which is why we're here," Quatre added. Heero raised an eyebrow.
"Well, if you go down with us for dinner, then there wouldn't be a problem. You can be my bodyguard for the night and Quatre can take care of himself. It's your duty anyway." Relena pointed out.
"I've got work to do, especially with this new threat out. It's not an option." Heero shook his head.
"You still need some dinner, Heero. Anyway, Trowa is already looking into that. Give yourself a break, Heero." Quatre insisted.
Heero looked at the two blondes, their blue eyes firm, sparkling with determination. He almost sighed; he knew they wouldn't get off his case unless he agreed to go along. He got up and went into his room.
Relena threw Quatre a questioning look and Quatre shrugged back. They decided to wait for a while. Heero came back out shortly. He had changed into gray slacks and had tucked his shirt in and he had also put on some proper shoes.
"Let's go," he said, "grabbing his jacket and keys before slamming his laptop shut. Both Quatre and Relena smiled at each other, seeing that their plan had worked and they quickly followed Heero out the door.
They were sitting in a nice restaurant that served Dutch dishes. All three of them had ordered something different so that they could try more things. Relena sighed as she chewed mouthfuls of her Chicken Waterzooi.
"Now this is what I call real authentic Belgian cuisine…not the phony stuff they serve at the hotel."
Quatre nodded while Heero took a sip of his water.
"There's such a nice ambience here. It's great." Quatre leaned back; today had been so much fun…it was like a vacation, a one-day vacation that had come unexpected.
Relena had stopped eating, leaning forward and supporting her chin with her hand.
"To think of the chaos we have to return to tomorrow morning." She sighed.
"Maybe it's just an empty threat…but I'm sure that whatever it is, we will be able to solve the problem. We've worked so hard to maintain the peace thus far; we've got to have faith till the end. Plus, we still have that ball to look forward to tomorrow night." Quatre reassured her.
"So it's no problem? The ball will still take place after the recent threat?" Relena questioned.
"Yeah, I figure they don't want all the politicians too tensed up. It'll offset the mood a bit, don't you think?" Quatre commented.
Relena nodded.
"Speaking of the ball, Lady Une has made some new arrangements." Heero interrupted. Both politicians turned to look at him in surprise. He had been quiet all evening.
"She's ordered Trowa and I to attend as well, just to keep a close eye on everything," Heero continued.
"Attend as a guest or attend undercover?" Relena asked.
"A guest. You'll be going with me, Relena. I'll be your personal bodyguard for the night. Trowa will be yours, Quatre." Heero relaxed himself back into his seat when he was done speaking.
Relena was going to object saying that she and Quatre were old enough to take care of themselves at a highly protected location when the idea of Heero escorting her to the ball sank in. It would be a first time since a long time that Heero has escorted her. Recently, she had been going with Quatre as her date.
"Thanks, Heero," Quatre smiled, "I know how you hate going to these formal functions."
Heero just nodded and turned back to the dish in front of him.
Relena leaned back as she placed her fork on her empty plate.
"Well, I'm full."
"We're done too," Quatre said, glancing at Heero.
"Okay then, let's pay the bill and get a quick tour of Brussels in." Relena reached for her purse.
"Tour? We're going straight back to the hotel," Heero interrupted.
"Heero, why do you always have to be the party-pooper?" Relena pouted.
"Someone has to. We had an agreement. Dinner only," Heero replied sternly.
"Heero, it's alright. It's still early…it'll be a waste if we don't make the most of our visit. We're only here for four days." Quatre piped up.
"I need to get back to the hotel to see how things are with Trowa."
"Well, if you need to go back, Quatre and I can just make a quick circle around town." Relena crossed her arms over her chest.
"Stop being stubborn Relena. You know I won't allow that. It's so open out there." Heero glared at her.
"Please Heero, you know how stubborn Relena is. Can we all just compromise instead of fight? We don't need extra tension to build here," Quatre pleaded.
"Fine." Heero said through his teeth. Relena smirked. Heero could never win with two stubborn politicians against him. Relena turned to Quatre.
"Do you think they'll know French here? I don't know any Flemish." Relena asked.
"Sure, Brussels is entirely bilingual."
Relena nodded and called out to a waiter close by, "L'addition, s'il vous plait."
After paying for their dinner, the trio stepped out into the beautiful streets of Brussels.
"It's so beautiful out here!" Relena spread her arms out and took in a lungful of the aromas around her.
"Yeah." Quatre agreed with her as he stepped up to her side, his head turning to see everything.
Heero lagged behind with his hands in the pockets of his slacks.
The threesome had wandered into the Grand-Place, the beautiful open area surrounded by buildings with great magnificent histories and amazing architecture. Relena spun around, trying to take everything in at once. Suddenly she stopped, and held her nose up high.
"Do you both smell that?" she asked.
"Smell what?" Quatre asked, puzzled. There were so many sights, sounds and smells around them that he had no idea what she was referring to. Relena's face lit up.
"Belgian waffles!" She quickly ran off into the crowd in the direction of the smell.
"Relena!" Heero called out and had to hurry his pace to catch up with her, dragging Quatre along. Finally they stopped in front of the waffle stand. Relena was standing on the balls of her feet.
"Can we get some 'gauffres'? Please?" Relena was like a little girl in a candy store.
"Of course, it'll make a great dessert," Quatre smiled, feeling less tension than he had for months.
So that's how Relena, Quatre and Heero (they bought one for him and made him take it), ended up on a bench in Brussels with the sun lower in the sky, each with a hot, fresh Belgian waffle in their hands.
"This is sooooo delicious!" Relena looked over to Heero. "Well, are you enjoying your waffle?"
Heero shrugged, indicating he thought it was ok since he didn't say anything negative or keep quiet.
"See, you just gotta try new stuff sometimes, Heero."
Quatre patted Heero on the shoulder.
"Yeah, you're way too tense…even though I shouldn't be speaking…but still, we're only human."
"Heero doesn't think he is." Relena rolled her eyes, earning herself Heero's trademark deathglare. Relena polished off the last of her waffle and stood up.
"Come on, we've still got plenty to see and I want to see it all before Mr. Strict there drags us back to the hotel." She was off again and the boys had no choice but to tag along.
They went on a whirlwind tour of Brussels. First, they swung by the Atomium and actually went up, barely clearing the closing time, although they didn't stop at any of the restaurants. When they were back at the bottom, Relena took Quatre by the arm and gave her camera/cell phone to Heero.
"Can you take a photo of Quatre and I? Please?"
Heero half sighed and nodded, bringing the camera up to eye level. Relena and Quatre smiled and posed in front of the Atomium.
"Ready?" He took the shot.
"Thanks Heero." Relena went to retrieve her camera from him.
"Heero, you haven't taken any photos…why don't you take one with Relena…the scenery is absolutely beautiful." Quatre suggested.
"I don't think this is necessary…" Heero started but couldn't finish as Quatre shoved him towards Relena and positioned the both of them in the right place.
"Can you both stand closer together?" Quatre waved his hand.
Relena blushed slightly as Heero reluctantly moved closer to her side. She looked up at him; his face was straight as usual. She sighed softly and smiled for the camera, even though she knew he wouldn't. She might as well do her part.
"Alright, ready? 1, 2, 3, smile!" Quatre took the picture.
"Thanks Quatre."
Then, they went back to the Grand-Place and took lots of photos. Afterwards, they went by the Manneken-Pis, the infamous fountain of the little boy relieving himself. The little statue had just gotten a new costume so he was peeing beer, as was the custom, which made Relena and Quatre laugh like crazy. They were even able to find a chocolatier that was closing late and went inside to buy some chocolates to take home.
"Can we go now?" Heero seemed to lose the patience he'd been practicing all night. To him, it seems they've been to every nook and cranny of Brussels.
"No, I want to have a beer," Relena grinned.
Heero's eyes widened. "There is NO way I'm going to agree to let you go to a bar."
"Well, that's where we're gonna go," Relena replied stubbornly and started to walk away with Quatre. Exasperated, Heero could only follow his two charges to their next destination.
They had settled into a nice authentic bar for a bucket of mussels, fries and of course, beer. Heero had noticed some guys look Relena's way as she walked to their table and settled down. He shot glares at all of them, making them look away. Their table was outside on a large terrace overlooking the Grand-Place. Relena looked dreamily at the guild houses surrounding the square while munching on a fry.
"I cannot believe that you eat so much and you're still so petite! I think your appetite compares to Duo's," Quatre joked.
"Hey! We had an early dinner. Plus, how many chances do I actually get to eat this much…I'd be a lucky girl if I didn't miss lunch that day." She sighed. "The life of a busy politician." She forced herself to smile. "On top of that, Brussels is heaven when it comes to cuisine. I'd be really stupid if I didn't go out and taste everything they're famous for."
Quatre chuckled. "Yeah, I haven't eaten this much in a while either. Actually, I haven't had a free evening in months!"
"And we probably won't get another chance until a long time after…" Relena sighed again and then took a huge gulp of beer.
"Relena, you shouldn't be drinking so much." Heero advised, taking a swig of his own beer.
"Oh Heero, just stop it already…I'm not drinking that much! Besides, I know my own limits."
"How many times have you been drinking to know that kind of stuff?" Heero questioned.
"Are you implying that I've been drinking illegally? Well, it wouldn't hurt to tell you the truth, I haven't officially drank at all and this is my first time…but so what? I can tell if I'm going to get drunk or not," Relena retorted.
"Sure you are."
Relena felt like sticking her tongue out at Heero.
"You're seventeen too, I doubt you have that much more experience than I do." Relena finished off her beer and was about to order another one.
"Maybe we should head back…we have an early meeting tomorrow to attend." Quatre suggested, afraid that Relena was going to have a serious hangover if she didn't stop drinking anymore.
"Fine." Relena said and so they paid the bill and left. By this time, Relena's cheeks were a bit flushed but she was still walking straight. Heero and Relena did not exchange another word for the evening except for a goodnight as they headed towards their own rooms. Quatre could only shake his head; those two were impossible.
Relena plopped down onto her bed. Her clock read 4:30 p.m. She still had about three hours to spare before she had to be ready. She could feel the knot in her shoulders…today's negotiations had gotten them nowhere. Everyone was panicked and no one was willing to listen. If the threat really was valid, Relena had no idea how in the world would they be able to come up with a plausible solution with their present efficiency. She sighed and got up, her feet padding against the soft carpet as she headed to her bathroom suite. Closing the door behind her, she turned the faucet on, adjusting the temperature of the water and letting the whirlpool tub fill itself. Then she let down her hair, yanked of her nylon stockings and stripped off her business suit piece by piece. Finally, she turned off the faucet, added the complimentary bubble bath solution and settled herself into the hot water, sighing in contentment. She turned the jets on, feeling the water's massaging power and then submerged herself into the water, resurfacing when she needed to breathe. After her relaxing bubble bath, she put on a plush bathrobe and walked out to her closet where her gown for the evening hung. She smiled as she fingered the fabric. She had just purchased it from Paris. It was a beautiful long tulle dress with fragile black lace over the pale pink and a delicate fluffy strap of the black material over her right shoulder. Leaving her dress for the moment, she sat herself down in front of the vanity and got to work. First she blew dry her hair and then she twisted it into a French twist. Then, she applied a wine coloured lipstick to her lips after the lip liner and dusted a coral pink over her lids and a single coat of mascara after curling her lashes. She added a bit of blush and smiled at her reflection. It was nice and simple, the way she liked her make up. Afterwards, she put on her dress then added her accessories, long dangling diamond earrings and a choker with a large pink stone as the centerpiece. She put on her heels, stood up and twirled in the full-length mirror, admiring her own reflection. Hopefully, tonight would not be a tiresome event with tension buzzing everywhere and she would be able to enjoy herself after a long day. It was just before 7:30 p.m., 7:15 to be exact and a sharp knock was at her door. Heero was punctual as always. She got the door. Heero stood there in a black tuxedo and shiny black shoes, his hair wild but obviously combed and his face serious as always. Relena held a sigh. Did he have to be so serious? But she admitted to herself, he was awfully handsome.
"Are you ready?" He asked.
"Yes, let me get my purse." She hurried and snatched it off her bed then closed her door behind her, making sure it was locked before following Heero. It was a quiet trip down before they met Quatre and Trowa in the lobby, both of them looking sharp in tuxedos.
"Relena, you look beautiful." Quatre complimented her.
"Thanks Quatre, you look wonderful yourself."
Trowa gave her a nod of greeting and Heero offered her his arm as they headed out to the waiting limo.
It was a short ride before they found themselves in front of the mansion where the ball was to be held. Reporters had been held off at the gate, so when they had gone through, they had experienced a shower of flashes, even though the limousine's windows were tinted. Now, it was pretty quiet, the door was opened and the foursome stepped out, going up to the stairs and stepping into the beautiful foyer of the house. Soft music filtered out from the ballroom. Relena smiled and once again took Heero's offered arm; she was determined to enjoy herself tonight.
They had been offered glasses of champagne, which Relena politely accepted. She loved the bubbly texture of champagne, it was her favourite type of wine thus far. Many people came up to her and Quatre to talk about business but everyone was careful to avoid talking about the threat they faced. All the guests were determined to make this evening a pleasant one and kept all conversations quite casual. After making their way around the ballroom, Heero and Trowa doing a very good job of not looking bored, Relena and Quatre had their first dance, a waltz, while Heero and Trowa hung around the buffet table. After that, both Relena and Quatre danced with many different partners and all that time, Heero and Trowa blended into the crowd, keeping sharp eyes on the two. Quatre was still socializing and dancing when Relena stepped off the dance floor, trying to catch her breath for a bit. She caught sight of Heero still by the buffet table and decided to head over there for a bite to eat. When she had reached him, he held out a filled plate to her.
"Here, you haven't eaten all night," he simply said. She looked at the plate he held. It was filled with her favourite food items. She took the plate from him and smiled.
"Thanks," and she dug in. She was indeed quite hungry.
Quatre joined them a short while later, filling his own plate up.
"The life of a politician…I think I'm sick of dancing." Quatre joked in between bites of his salad.
"Yeah, it was nice the first few songs. I'm pooped." Relena commented, finishing the last bits of food from her plate. She leaned back in her chair.
"My face muscles hurt from smiling too much." Quatre complained and Relena laughed, nodding as she agreed with him.
Suddenly, a familiar song filled the air. Relena closed her eyes in contentment, trying to remember where she had heard it before.
"I hope you're not too tired for one more dance."
Her eyes snapped open. Both Quatre and Trowa looked a bit surprised. It was Heero who spoke. Relena opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out, so she closed it.
"Well?" He offered her his hand.
"…sure." She took it and he led her to the dance floor. He took her hand and held her at the waist with his free hand. She reached up to place her hand on his shoulder and they started to dance with the music. This time, she didn't feel tired, she felt relaxed in his hold as they moved around the floor, the music flowing into her ears. It was almost the end of the song when she finally remembered where she had heard that song before. It was the song that she and Heero had danced to at the St. Gabriel Institute…the one they had never finished dancing to and tonight, they would finally complete that dance. She smiled to herself as the last notes of song faded away and everyone stopped dancing, applause filling the air, commending all the dancers on the floor for a beautiful job. Somehow, Relena found Heero and herself heading to the balcony where they could see a beautiful but slightly distant night view of Brussels. The sky was star-studded. She gasped.
"Wow, it's so beautiful out here."
"Yeah, it's nice to get a breath of fresh air." Heero stepped beside her.
"Thanks for being such a good sport. I know how boring it can get in there." She looked at him.
"Well, did you enjoy yourself?" He asked, still looking straight.
Relena was about to reply that she enjoyed herself 'to some degree' when she thought back to the dance they had just shared and the time they were spending now and she changed her response.
"Very much so, yes. This is better than any meeting or any conference…" She trailed off as Heero turned to look at her. It was then she realized that he stood awfully close…and the distance was getting shorter and shorter…she was just drowning in his eyes. She was about to close her eyes, their noses just brushed one another's when a big bang erupted in the silence, causing them both to jump back from alarm. She looked all around her when her eyes fell on the night sky and the beautiful array of fireworks that lit it up. She sighed in contentment as each of the fireworks spread out with a boom. She turned to look at Heero for a mere second, his face lighted up by the different colours, a look of peace crossing his face. She turned back to the sky and continued to watch the beautiful colours burst and spill onto the black canvas of the sky, making her speechless.
Both of them walked back to the ballroom side by side after the firework show had ended. By the time the show had ended, quite a few people had moved out onto the balcony while others were parked along the windows to admire the beauty outside, but the few quiet minutes with Heero had been special. She was about to speak to him when a look crossed his face and he turned away.
"I have to go to the washroom, I'll be right back…see Trowa over there? Walk towards him, now." He then hurried off. She doubted that he had to use the washroom…something probably had come up. She wondered if he'd be back…but he had to be…he was her partner for the night. She sighed as she made her way over to where Trowa was standing; Heero never was able to stay for the whole time.
"Where's Heero?" Trowa asked, when Relena reached him.
"Off somewhere, he said washroom break." Relena shrugged as Trowa raised his eyebrows, but he kept quiet.
Then, Quatre approached them, obviously a bit annoyed.
"I'm so sick of talking to her." He rolled his eyes.
"Who?" Relena questioned.
"Madame Dubreuil…arggghhh." It was unusual for Quatre to be so exasperated.
"You mean Madeleine Lambert, the young widow of Monsieur Dubreuil?" Relena asked.
"Is that what she goes by now?"
"Yeah, she's using her maiden name. You know, I think she's a bit smitten with you."
"Oh great. She kept asking me about the L4 regulations that were passed last week…I have no idea how to tell her that it was absolutely necessary."
"She was probably just trying to flirt with you."
"Maybe you should give her a chance and date a little. You need a woman in your life." Trowa pointed out. Quatre's handsome face contorted.
"Please, Trowa…you don't know her! Just five minutes around her was enough to drive me insane…she's known for being flirty with anyone she could get her hands on."
They all laughed.
"Quatre, I didn't know you read tabloids." Relena commented. Quatre blushed.
"Well…it's true. Anyway, how did things go with Heero just now?" It was Relena's turn to blush.
"Nothing much happened. You know…we just danced and then that was that. He's only doing his job to make it seem like he's actually escorting me."
"You don't actually think that, do you?" Quatre asked, concern on his face.
"I dunno…he's hard to read."
"Where is he anyway?"
"Washroom break." Both Relena and Trowa replied together, making Quatre raise his eyebrows.
"You think it's weird too!" Relena giggled.
"Yeah, I wonder what really is up." Quatre said.
Not long after, the trio was still chatting when they caught the finance minister in their sight and decided to approach him.
"Minister Domoto! I'm surprised to see you here…how are you?" Relena asked.
"I'm fine…there is a large threat just sitting there…I thought I'd get used to seeing everyone before the meeting tomorrow. The president was already very kind, I was supposed to be at the meeting today." He smiled but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"You must be exhausted…where is Mrs. Domoto?" Quatre asked.
"She wanted to stay at home. She needs a break, she's been so overworked these past few days."
"We're so sorry we couldn't attend the funeral…did everything go alright?"
"Everything went smoothly, the ceremony was beautiful…"
"I'm glad to hear that." Relena gave the minister a small hug.
"Thank you to the both of you. Well enjoy yourself here tonight, I better go speak with President Loire." Minister Domoto smiled before excusing himself and disappearing into the crowd.
"Poor man…he has so much to deal with right now." Relena said sadly.
"Yeah, he's going to have to make miracles with the budget if we're to go to war." Quatre said.
"The Preventers will be able to take care of this. We won't have to fight anymore." Trowa assured them.
"I hope so…somehow, I just have a bad feeling about this." Relena rubbed her bare arms.
"Say, where is Heero?" Quatre asked.
"If anything came up, I should've been informed on my earpiece," Trowa commented.
"Maybe he was just tired of being around me all night." Relena shrugged.
"You know that's not true. I could tell he was being very sincere when he asked you to dance," Quatre informed her.
"After all this time, maybe it's best to be negative about it until he shows me otherwise. I can't be so naïve, it doesn't go well with my job." She gave a short laugh while Quatre smiled in sympathy.
"Oh, don't look at me like that guys! I'm fine, I really am. I'm too busy for these things anyway." Which was in fact true, so the guys decided to move on to another topic. It was then when Heero finally showed up.
"Where have you been?" Trowa asked him.
"Just checking something out…it's fine now." Heero waved it off.
"Well, next time, could you be more specific? We thought you got yourself locked in the washroom or something like that." Relena commented as Heero shot her a look.
"Well, all that matters is that Heero's back." Quatre said, trying to end the two's glaring contest.
"We best be headed back to the hotel, it's getting late." Heero suggested.
"Already? We've only been here for such a short time…" Relena asked.
"I wouldn't call four hours a short time. Plus, you all have a meeting at 7:00 a.m. sharp tomorrow morning." Heero reminded them.
"That is true. Come on Relena, your feet are probably killing you by now anyway." Quatre smiled at her.
"Fine," she pouted but took Quatre's offered arm as they went around saying their goodbyes to various people. Then, awkwardly, she took Heero's arm as they went outside to the waiting limo. She and Heero sat on one side (by Quatre's insistence) while Quatre and Trowa sat across from them. The interior of the limousine was very quiet and the car rocked back and forth, she really was tired and her feet were aching. She felt her eyelids lower before everything faded away.
"Relena? Relena!" She felt someone shaking her gently by the shoulders.
"Hm?"
"We're at the hotel, wake up." The voice was rich and textured when it reached her ears. She opened her eyes to find her view was horizontal…her head was resting on Heero's shoulder and his hand was on her bare shoulder, shaking her gently. She quickly sat up and covered her mouth as she yawned.
"We've arrived at the hotel." He repeated. She nodded, slightly embarrassed to have fallen asleep in the car and somehow ended up resting her head on his shoulder. The door was opened for them and Heero stepped out first, helping Relena out next and the Quatre and Trowa followed.
"Let's just hope negotiations proceed better tomorrow," Relena commented as she walked into the hotel.
"Yes, I hope so too. Brussels is a beautiful city but I'd really love to get home and attend to my other duties as soon as possible," Quatre added.
Relena turned around and stared at them.
"Do you think that Deimon man is really serious about all this? Is he insane or sane?" Relena asked.
"I don't know…but if everyone is so panicked, I'm sure that they've checked and see that he is a possible threat," Quatre concluded.
"I'm pretty sure Lady Une would've already done a background check on him and confirmed his ability to carry out his threat." Trowa shrugged.
"That's just great, it really really is," Relena sighed, "how in the world are we going to solve this? He's in the shadows and we're out in the open. We've put most of our weapons out of use…"
"Relena, when did you become so pessimistic? I know you're just tired. A good night's sleep will do you a world of good…go on, go get some rest," Quatre urged her and she nodded tiredly. She managed to get to her room, whispered a quiet goodnight to everyone before disappearing behind her door. The others could only look at her disappearing form with worry before they too disappeared behind their own doors.
She kicked off her slippers and sighed. Letting her hair down and taking off her jewelry, she plopped down onto her queen-sized bed and sighed, feeling better in her pajamas. She just laid there, her hair fanning out around her like a golden halo as she stared up at the ceiling, thinking about all the problems placed in front of her. Political problems, peace problems…her own problems. She sighed and rolled over to where her laptop was on the bedside table. She might as well check her e-mail account before going to bed. She opened it and clicked into her account…nothing significant. She smiled, glad that there wasn't more bad news waiting for her. Relena was about to close her laptop when she thought of looking at the pictures she had uploaded from her phone the day before, just to amuse herself before bedtime. She went through them one by one, sighing as she remembered the beautiful city and the wonderful time she had. Then she came across the photo she had taken with Heero in front of the Atomium at Quatre's insistence. It was probably the only and will be the only photo of just the two of them together. She leaned in to get a closer look and it was the first time she noticed…Heero had a trace of a smile on his face when the picture was taken. He wasn't angry, he wasn't annoyed, he wasn't emotionless…he was actually enjoying himself! She smiled. It was quite the discovery and she felt comforted by it. She looked through the rest of the photos and then closed her laptop and slid under the comforter. Reaching over to turn out the lights, she smiled before settling herself in the warm and soft bedding for some rest before heading back to the political battlefield the next day.
A.N.: Sorry for the lack of updates…I've been so crazily busy and it's been so hard rendering my ideas on paper/computer. I love the plot; I just hope I can finish this. But I will, I will! Thanks for all the readers who have been so patient with me and who've kept with me! Domo arigatou gozaimashita! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, finally some HxR moments! Wish me luck on getting the next chapter written. Until then, ja ne
Disclaimer: Me no own GW.