Hello everyone and welcome back for Chapter 21! Thank you for reading so far and please let me know what you think of this chapter too!
Sorry for the long delay, as always – explanation below if anybody wants to see! If not, feel free to skip it!
Apologies once again everyone – this chapter would have been up last week sometime if not for (in a nutshell): My university demanded payment of all my fees with two days notice (around £3500) as the Student Loans Company here in the U.K. had not dealt with my application (I usually have a loan to cover this amount which I will pay back after I graduate). The university then added £500 of charges for the payment being overdue. I finally sorted this out, then travelled to the far end of the country to make a professional level presentation to a company which awarded me a scholarship for my research in Japan. While far away from home I got pickpocketed. After finally making it back home I discovered that our house had been burgled. Luckily my laptop was hidden so it didn't get stolen or else this chapter would have been completely gone along with the rest of the story!
I'm hoping that things will get better from here (trying not to imagine how they could get worse) and updates should also be more regular! Hope you continue to enjoy the story!
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Last chapter:
Dorothy minimized her screen guiltily as Quatre came out of the bathroom and wrapped his arms over her shoulders. He didn't seem to notice anything odd or if he did he didn't say anything but she knew he would disapprove of the lengths she was going to to satisfy her curiosity about the couple they were staying with.
"You almost done?"
Dorothy nodded, "Just a few more minutes."
As Quatre turned to go to bed Dorothy closed the website she had been on and added yet another piece to the puzzle in her head. No matter how she looked at it something wasn't adding up...why had Relena only been introduced to the company as Heero's wife two weeks before she and Quatre arrived?
Relena slid into bed and turned out the light, smiling as Heero's arms immediately wrapped around her in the darkness and pulled her close. She sighed contentedly and responded by bringing her own arms up to latch onto his. Her smile grew wider as she thought of how much Heero's reputation would suffer if everyone knew how much he enjoyed cuddling...for there really was no other way to describe it. Feeling a little bold, she turned towards him and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you for tonight Heero. I really had fun."
Even in the darkness she could see his slow smile and his arms tightened around her as she once again settled down with her back to him.
He brushed her hair to one side and pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck, "Anytime"
Relena ticked another day off on her mental calendar; six days down, two and a half to go and with the hope of something real at the end of their charade it felt as if nothing could go wrong.
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Day 7: Thursday
This was it; the final day of negotiations. Things had been going well but Heero knew that he wouldn't be able to relax until the deal was done and dusted; he had seen too many of them fall through at the last moment to be complacent.
Relena was moving about behind him, quietly getting ready and her presence soothed him in a way he hadn't thought possible. She was so much more optimistic than him and it was somewhat infectious, even when she wasn't speaking. Heero knotted his tie for the third time, finally satisfied with the length, and turned away from the mirror. Relena was seated at the dressing table fastening a necklace around her neck, but she caught Heero's eyes in the mirror and smiled. Caught off guard he smiled back but didn't speak; he didn't need to ask to know that she was probably as worried as he was.
Relena spoke, her voice quiet, "You'll get it Heero. I know you will"
He nodded, then turned back to gathering his items for the day. He really hoped that she was right.
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Relena smiled as she entered her office space, waving at the girl across from her as she sat down. Perhaps she should feel guilty but the closer the end of the charade came the more she felt the imminent relief of the pressure it was putting on herself and Heero. He had been nervous that morning, just like her, but Relena was a natural optimist and she was hoping that some of her attitude would rub off on Heero. Her inbox was full; just what she wanted to take her mind off what was happening in the conference room just down the corridor. Pushing her hair back from her face she prepared to get stuck in.
Anna, the girl beside her, tapped on the partition between their desks before leaning around.
She looked a little embarrassed,
"Relena. I know that this is a random question, but how long have you and Mr Yuy been married for?"
Relena blanked for a second, before recovering, "Almost five years now"
Anna let out a small sound of surprise, "So you must have got married straight after finishing high school, right?"
Relena nodded, her brain still scrambling for details to pad out her story, "Yes, the year after, when Heero was at university"
"That must have been so strange!"
Relena nodded again, feeling miserable.
She hated lying; especially to someone who she could soon consider a friend...would she be able to salvage the situation after the Winner couple had left...or would she forever be considered untrustworthy?
She tuned back in as Anna continued,
"Mrs Winner was asking me about it yesterday but I was ashamed to admit that I didn't really know that much"
Relena tried to ignore her heart leaping in her chest at the sudden fear of being discovered...if either Quatre or Dorothy found out about the deception it would destroy Heero's company. She tried to calm herself with logic, hiding her agitation behind a smile as she continued to chat to her workmate.
She had no reason to believe that Dorothy suspected them and with the end in sight all she could do was play her role and hope for the best.
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Trowa absentmindedly stabbed the corner of his pages with a compass.
He was checking over their ledger sheets in preparation for an external review and had come across two problems; two rather large problems. One was the simple fact that something, somewhere wasn't adding up so there was money somewhere that hadn't been accounted for and he had to find it. That was nothing new; a problem he was long sued to having to solve.
But the other problem...the other was Relena, or to be more specific the money that they were paying Relena. The first payment could be explained; it was simply included in the costs of redecorating Heero's house and various other preparations related to the Winner's visit. However, the following ones were going to be more of a problem. Costs such as the car rental had to be accounted for and proved through invoices and receipts.
Further staff recruited or relocated for their purposes could also be listed...but wouldn't an external auditor find it odd that they were paying the apparent wife of their boss so much? In any company it would stink of corruption...yet if they admitted that Relena was simply employed to fit the role of a wife it would be a public scandal and they would not only lose the deal with Winner Corporations but their reputation for integrity.
With a sigh Trowa glanced at his watch and picked up the phone to ring Wufei... A frown creased his brow as he thought of Heero negotiating for their future when it seemed that one wrong step could lead to everything toppling like a house of cards.
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Wufei's phone rang just as he was locking his office door and he paused, uncharacteristically hesitating over whether to ignore it and head on to the meeting or go back in to answer it.
He scowled, maybe the tension of today being their last chance to settle the deal was getting to him more than he had thought. Decision made he stepped back inside and lifted the phone. His frown deepened rather than fading away.
"I understand. I'll deal with it after the meeting"
He hung up without saying goodbye and picked up his papers once more, filing away what Trowa had said for future reference. For now he had to focus on backing Heero up...after all, if they didn't get the deal, sorting out excuses for paying Relena would be the least of their worries.
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Heero tugged at his tie, suddenly feeling choked, and tried to think of the man waiting in the conference room as Quatre, rather than an opponent.
Quatre who he had been getting to know all week; Quatre who was a genuinely good person; Quatre who held the future of his company in one hand...it was no good, he was just making himself more nervous. Wufei hadn't arrived yet and Heero couldn't help but wish that he would hurry up as standing on his own was letting his nerves take over. He had always hated waiting...and with a decision that could change their future in the balance, company would be more than welcome. Wufei would be both his support and the person who would make their agreement a reality by drafting their discussion into a legally binding document.
Heero just managed to control his flinch as Quatre appeared from behind and placed a hand on Heero's shoulder. He was accompanied by a lawyer from his own subsidiary company, the Maguanac Corporation. The man was tall and so broad across the shoulders that he looked as if he would be more at home on the rugby pitch than constrained in a business suit and working in an office. He introduced himself as Rashid, Wufei arrived and they entered the conference room with the unspoken understanding that when they next emerged the deal would have been settled or destroyed.
Heero watched the door close with a kind of quiet desperation; there was no escaping now.
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Relena was stretching over the back of the computer chair when the door opened behind her. Josh was in the other room playing so she assumed it was him and she welcomed the break from work. She had come home early form the company building to make sure that she would be there when Heero got back. She had already done all the preparation for a meal she knew he liked and picked fresh flowers from the garden...and now she was simply trying to keep herself occupied to break the tension of waiting.
Relena glanced over her shoulder but Josh didn't appear...Heero stepped into the room quietly and she spun around to face him, suddenly concerned.
"What's wrong?"
He walked towards her without speaking and Relena began to become really concerned, "Heero! What's the matter?"
He looked exhausted, almost stumbling as he knelt in front of her.
"Heero..." Relena tried to see his face, but he wouldn't look at her.
"Heero, please, you're scaring me"
His arms came around her waist and he hugged her tightly, finally speaking.
"Relena..."
She strained to hear his quiet voice, her heart speeding up as her mind raced through all the possibilities of what could have gone wrong.
He pulled away slightly and unzipped the top of his briefcase was hands that shook visibly. Relena took a deep breath and clutched his shoulders. What on earth had happened?
A few seconds that felt like hours later and he had extricated a single sheet of paper.
"Do you know what this is?"
Relena shook her head, too keyed up to vocalize an answer.
"This", Heero's eyes became visible as he looked up into her face and Relena was startled at the raw emotion in them, "This is the future of my company!"
His face split into a grin and he laughed out loud before pulling Relena to her feet and throwing his arms around her properly, drawing her into a bone-breaking hug.
"We've got it Relena! We've closed the deal!"
Relief flooded through her so suddenly that she sagged in exhaustion, then she joined Heero in his laughter, winding her arms around him too.
"Congratulations Heero!"
His eyes met hers, the colour seeming brighter with his evident joy.
"Thank you Relena. Without you..." he trailed off, shaking his head slightly.
Relena shook her head too, suddenly embarrassed, but any answer she was planning was cut off when Heero kissed her.
It wasn't the first time it had happened, but it was the first time that it had resulted out of such happiness on both their parts and Relena found herself wanting it to last forever. It wasn't hesitant or even lustful like previous ones, just an expression of pure joy.
She buried her face in Heero's shoulder when they broke apart, feeling happier than she had in ages. He seemed just as reluctant to let go of her, resting his face on her head and inhaling deeply. As long as they could stay like this she would be happy.
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Heero smiled genuinely as Relena and Dorothy giggled together like schoolchildren in the back seat. The four of them had gone out to celebrate the signing of the deal, though the official party was set for the next night, Friday, after which the Winner's would return home.
They had all truly relaxed for the first time during the visit, the tension that had been there only obvious when it dispersed. They were just two young couples enjoying a night out together.
A few drinks had led into a few more drinks and Heero had been surprised to discover just how low Relena's tolerance to alcohol was. He glanced at her again in the rearview mirror; she was really cute when she was tipsy, a happy and carefree Relena that he had only caught in glimpses since he first met her. Energy spilled off her in waves, her happiness infecting everyone around her whether they liked it or not.
Dorothy's tolerance didn't seem much better as she was still giggling uncontrollably, while Quatre also seemed happy but in a less obvious fashion. Heero had restricted himself to one drink so as not to put a damper on the occasion by refusing entirely but he saw little point in ordering a taxi when they had the car.
It took a second for his passengers to realise that he had stopped outside the house, then they piled out of the car and moved up the front path in a bubble of laughter. Relena was still leaning into Dorothy on one side while Quatre put his arm around his wife's waist from the other. They looked like school friends, laughing together over a shared joke.
Heero locked the car and followed them, still smiling softly as he watched Relena, now searching through her handbag for the door key.
Before she could find it the door opened to reveal Trowa, their babysitter for the evening.
He took in their condition with an impassive look, then his mouth twitched upwards in something that could almost be called a smile, "I take it that it was a good night?"
They piled into the hallway, voices only slightly lowered in case they would wake Josh. Relena stood on one foot to unfasten the catch on one of her heels and swayed uncertainly before Trowa caught her arm.
"Lean on me"
She smiled up at him, "Thank you Trowa!"
Heero fought down an uncomfortable surge of jealousy, turning instead to reply to Dorothy who had paused on the bottom step to say good night. He then went into the kitchen withTrowa and Relena followed a second later. Relena was retelling the events of the night but it seemed that the exhaustion of the week was catching up with her. She stopped in the doorway and yawned suddenly, then smiled sheepishly when she realised that she had stopped in the middle of a sentence.
"I'm going to go to bed. Thank you for watching Josh Trowa"
She threw him another smile and Heero's hands tightened slightly on his glass, before he drank the rest of the water in one go. Relena's hand touched his arm hesitantly.
"Night night Heero"
He nodded, "I'll be up soon"
"Night Trowa"
Heero could feel his friend watching him, but he didn't break the silence that had fallen since Relena had left the room. Heero filled the glass again. He didn't really feel like speaking to Trowa, not when the thought of Relena spending time with him made him want hurt something.
"I think I'm going to head to bed soon. Thanks for tonight"
Trowa nodded, "Anytime"
He let himself out and Heero raised a hand in farewell as Trowa slid into his own car. Suddenly he felt really tired. He filled another glass of water for Relena, before checking that the back door was locked and going upstairs.
The first thing that greeted his eyes was Relena's scarf, tossed carelessly on the floor just inside the door. It wasn't like her...he followed the trail of clothing across the carpet until he found Relena, standing with her back to him in nothing but her underwear and just reaching up her back to unclasp her bra.
Heero's cheeks blazed and he turned around quickly. Granted, she had her back to him so he wouldn't see anything he shouldn't but still...the quick glimpse he had caught was already starting his mind on trains of thought that he had been trying to avoid. He turned around again carefully as he heard the bathroom door click shut and placed a glass of water on each bedside cabinet. Hadn't she even noticed him come in?
He had just sat down and removed his shoes and socks when the door to the bathroom opened again and Relena stood framed in the light. Heero stopped breathing for a second.
She was wearing a nightdress.
In all the time they had lived together she had always worn pyjamas...sometimes shorts, but usually full-length trousers with a shapeless t-shirt on top. Now, she was not only wearing a nightdress, but the flimsy material stopped halfway down her thighs and made it very obvious that she wasn't wearing anything underneath.
Heero forced his thoughts away from the gutter, wondering if she had any idea just how much of her body the nightdress hinted at...how much it would make any hot-blooded male want to find out what was underneath. Heero tried very hard to think about anything but the woman standing across from him...then panicked as she crossed the room towards him. Not pausing he went into the bathroom, faintly mumbling something about needing to go to the toilet.
He was hoping that Relena would be asleep by the time he came out but luck wasn't on his side. She had picked up the trail of clothing and was taking her earrings out and putting them away. When she heard Heero she turned and gave him a dazzling smile, the kind of smile he had been jealous of Trowa for receiving before. Heero froze again, fighting with his traitorous eyes to look at nothing below her face, then he simply began concentrating on breathing normally when her hands found the bottom of his tie and tugged him lightly towards the bed. She giggled quietly, seeming amused by his reaction.
"Thank you for tonight. I had fun"
Heero nodded mutely, stepping forward to release the tension on his tie. Relena responded by stepping back again until she was touching the end of the bed and forcing him to follow. It seemed as if she was playing a childish game, unaware of the effect she was having on Heero. He took a deep breath and she tugged on his tie again, her foot catching and she fell, pulling him with her. Heero managed to avoid crushing her by catching his weight on his arms but they were still uncomfortably close. Relena's eyes met Heero's and her laughter faded to be replaced by something slightly more serious. Heero swallowed nervously and tried to turn onto his side but Relena's hand was still clasped tightly around his tie.
"Heero"
He met her eyes again, still trying to think of anything but how little separated their bodies from each other.
"Heero, do you like me?"
Heero's heart stopped for the third time that evening. Relena was so beautiful...her hair spread in a halo around her head and the hint of a smile that lurked in her eyes even as she asked him a question she would never have asked him if she were entirely sober.
Heero decided on the simplest answer, staring into her eyes so she would know that he meant what he said, "Yes"
She smiled up at him so unrestrainedly that he had to smile back, "That's good"
"Why?"
"Because I think I like you too"
They stared at each other for a second, Relena's gaze open and honest while Heero began to wonder if she would regret being so open the next morning.
She raised her face towards him and his lips gently met hers halfway. He was hesitant, questioning if this was what she wanted and Relena responded by pulling him closer. After a second Heero pulled back; she hadn't drunk enough to be more than tipsy but he still didn't want to take advantage of her unexpected admission.
She had been so careful around him in the last few days that he had worried that he had misinterpreted her actions before the Winners arrived. Simply having her say she liked him had reawakened the hopes he had tried to bury...but it wouldn't be fair to take it any further, let alone safe considering how little she was wearing and how thin it was wearing his self-control.
She held onto his sleeve, "Heero, please come to bed"
He nodded and undressed slowly before sliding under the covers. Relena immediately curled up next to him and sighed contentedly. "Night night Heero"
She was asleep almost instantly, one arm across Heero's midriff in a half-hug. Heero sighed, then grinned down at the woman beside him, his own arm tightening around her. She shifted slightly in her sleep and Heero's smile faded as he felt her body press up against his own.
He had no chance of extricating himself so he lay still and thought of cold showers until sleep claimed him as well.
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Hope you enjoyed it, all comments more than welcome and next chapter coming soon! Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Individual thanks to reviewers below:
Animeboy-12 – Thank you for your understanding! Life has the tendency to get in the way of fanfics but I am determined to finish this story, no matter how long it takes!
Mochabanana – Nice to meet you and I'm flattered to know that you've been following this fic for so long! And better late than never is pretty much my catchphrase :o) Hope you keep reading!
Seed-of-Flame – Loved the "commercial for next week's episode" I just wish my updates were as regular as once a week – I was really hoping for two weeks for this one but then life went crazy!
Love23 – Glad you liked it and hope you like this one too! There are some interesting scenes with both Dorothy and Trowa coming up within the next few chapters – some of my eprsonal favourites for both of their characters so hope you like the (even if everyone is mad at them for getting in the way of Heero/Relena fluff!)
LilaW08 – Thank you – happy that you still enjoyed the story after such a long break!
Bloodfire87 – Thank you, I can't quite believe I made it through Japanese university either – I was taking twice as many credits as usual to squash everything into one year so my workload was insane. I thought British university would feel easy after that but they've multiplied the workload too! Oh well, at least I'm studying something I love so it's okay!
Soul Eyes – Welcome back! Glad you liked it! Duo and Hilde are lucky in that they can start a relationship without having to worry about being watched every step of the way. Hope you enjoyed the Heero/Relena moments in this chapter and next chapter should be out soon!
Sangria24 – Happy you liked it! Heero is just completely clueless sometimes, for someone who's supposed to be so intelligent! I'm glad that you thought I captured the sense of hope because I was having real trouble with the last chapter. As for Trowa…I don't want to reveal too much about him but there will be more about his motives in the next chapter. There's also both a deliberate clue and a deliberate red herring in the last chapter…
Oh+thank you for the congratulations – now I just have to rewrite my dissertation in English and make it a lot longer than my Japanese one!
Blissful trinity – Sorry it's been so long but happy that you're enjoying it! I think Dorothy enjoys intrigue too much to leave any mystery alone! As for Trowa, as I mentioned earlier, there will be more about him in the next chapter and I'm hoping that it will be a surprise! I missed my two week estimate, but I'm going to try all over again with Chapter 22 so check back soon!
IsabelleRose – Happy that I can make you smile and that the story was able to pick up from where it left off. I always worry with the long gaps that the characters will develop more in my head than they do in the released chapters so there will be a gap in expectations between what the author writes and the audience reads. Hopefully next update will be sooner!
NightsMist – Yay, I got someone else hooked! Though my updating speed is probably a recognized form of torture, sorry! More coming soon!
Also, thank you for your e-mail – it really did make me determined to update sooner!
Crimson Tranquility – Jealous Heero is finally back, as promised! Sorry it took so long. Also really happy that you enjoyed the last chapter because I felt that there were lots of loose ends that neeed to be tied in before I could continue, yet I had a lot of trouble drawing them together into a coherent narrative (still not quite sure if I succeeded)
B.A.K11 – Glad that you're still reaidng even though it has taken me ridiculous amounts of time to update. More soon!
Hououza – Thank you for the congratulations. I still can't quite believe that I finally made it to Japanese university! I'm glad that you felt as if the outside threats are growing as Heero and Relena finally start to acknowledge what they have because I wanted to show the synchronicity of these…wasn't quite sure if I had succeeded o not! Hope you keep reading!
Heaven'sgirl – Hope you liked the Heero/Relena moments in this chapter. I'm actually really glad that so many people are picking up on Trowa and his motives…but I can't say too much until Chapter 22 has been published!
Sakura123 – Hello again! Happy that you liked the romance in the chapter (sometimes I worry that it will get pushed to one side by all the drama) With Dorothy I feel that she is almost unable to let a mystery stay unsolved, but she is restricted by her position as Quatre's wife from being too forceful in her enquiries. More about that next chapter too!
Kawaii Selene – I'm wondering if you're one of the people who picked up on some of the clues I hid in last chapter, particularly to do with Trowa. But, anway, things are starting to spiral to a close...and I hope that I manage to surprise everyone! Glad you liked it!
ShadowCat17 – Sorry for the delay, aiming for two weeks for the next update so wish me luck!
Salimaran08 – Thank you for giving in, reading and reviewing! It's before 2010! And the next update will also be before 2010 though I'm not going to promise that the story will be finished before the end of 2009 because I highly doubt that I can keep that promise. Yup, I started publishing this story just before I left for Vietnam for a year (with no internet), been admitted to hospital for six months and spent another year in Japan…really hoping that I can up my pace a little now that I'm (mostly) in the same country until I move to Italy in the spring, lol. I will try my best!
Princessyui – thank you for sticking with the story for so long and for reviewing! Happy that you liked the fluffiness! Next chapter soon!
JasLine – Glad that you felt the hope in the last chapter and hope that you enjoyed this one too!
C – Thank you for reading and reviewing as always! I will keep updating as fast as I can (am hoping that life doesn't get in the way as much as it has this month!)
Star Fantasy Writer – I think that you can cuddle Josh safely because Heero lost his gun when he got transported into my alternative universe…still, he seems very good at concealing them so I wouldn't put I past him to have one hidden somewhere! Approach with caution! Glad you liked it and will be back soon with the next chapter!
Thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing – this story has now broken the 500 review mark! I feel like doing a victory dance! Thank you for continuing to support this story and I will do my best to get the next chapter out as soon as possible!
Take care!
^_^
Chrikaru