Hearts In Ice
Part 9: Duo's Plan
written by: NemKess
"Duo, what is this?" Duo winced as Hilde pulled hard on his braid.
"OWW.. C'mon babe, lay off the hair. Please. " he grumbled, rubbing his aching scalp. It was moments like this when he actually considered cutting his hair. He'd never noticed any of his friends having this sorta problem. He glanced over to see just what had been so vital that it warranted the migraine he felt coming on. His complexion became several shades lighter when he realized what she was holding.
"Hilde, I can explain." He began.
"I thought that we all agreed to stay out of Heero and Relena's personal life. In fact," she was giving him a death glare to rival any Heero had ever come up with. "I'm POSITIVE that everyone made a pact." she held her hand up like she was taking an oath. " ' We hereby solemnly swear to let the numskulls figure it out themselves.' "
Duo quailed at the furious woman in front of him. She might be small, he thought, but damn, she's scary.
RRINNNGGG...
Duo jumped up to answer the door. Talk about being saved by the bell, he chuckled to himself. He was completely surprised when he saw who his visitor was. "Heero! I thought you'd be at the office today. Or somewhere with Relena."
"Can I come in, or are you going to quiz me on your doorstep?" the newcomer asked.
"Heero!" Hilde called out, shoving Duo out of her way. "Come in, come in. you have to forgive Duo. The years have failed to teach him manners."
Heero cracked a smile ( a small one, but still!!) at that and followed the petite woman into the small brick home. Duo noticed something as he passed by. Man, he hasn't been CRYING, has he? Nah, not Heero. Still, the red around his eyes was convincing evidence for the braided young man. He couldn't help but think that whatever was wrong had to do with Relena. Maybe Hilde had been right after all. Maybe he SHOULD have stayed out of it.
When all three were sitting comfortably in the living room, cups of tea in their hands, Duo spoke up. "So, Heero. What can we do for you?"
The Japanese man shifted a bit, looking as if he'd rather be anywhere but where he was. His face hardened with resolve tho, and he turned to look Duo right in the face. "I need your help."
Duo blinked. Of all the things he'd expected, that hadn't been one of them. "Sure, what do you need?" The thought of Heero needing help of any kind seemed, somehow, surreal.
"First, I need to know everything that's happened in the last 5 years. I don't need anymore surprises." Duo raised a questioning brow at this, but Heero refused to explain. "Second, I need any ideas you two can help me come up with."
"What exactly is it that you want to accomplish?" Hilde asked.
"My mission?"
"Uhh," Duo smirked, Hilde had never spent much time around Heero and obviously didn't understand the man's lingo.
"Yeah, you know, mission goal, mission parameters, stuff like that." he clarified. Heero nodded.
"Mission parameters- whatever works. Mission goal # 1- help restore Relena Darlian's emotions. Mission goal #2- restore relationship with afore mentioned female." duo fell over laughing. Leave it to Heero to put it like that. He stopped laughing abruptly, prompted not only by the rather deadly look his friend was giving him, but also the newest attack on his poor hair.
"Dammit, Hilde. If you don't cut that out, I'm gonna cut my hair!" he exclaimed.
"You wouldn't. You're too vain." Still, despite her brave words, her face paled at the threat.
Getting down to business, the couple spent the next three hours explaining everything they knew. She'd been grief-stricken when he left, but had pushed on. A few months later, she'd been sick. Duo didn't understand why new tears gathered in the formerly stoic pilots eyes at this news. There was the assassination attempt and the wreck that had killed her mom and Pagan. The last thing they told him about was Pierre. Duo could see the steam rolling off the other man. He defiantly didn't seem to care for the idea.
"Here ya go," he looked up when Hilde brought him another cup of tea. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Heero. All the other gundam pilots had held on to the ones they loved. Hell, even me and Wufei had that much sense, he thought. Only Heero had let go. Now he had his work cut out for him.
"Maybe just spending a lot of time around you will do the trick," Duo put in. "I mean, if she loved you, really and truly, then those feelings are still there somewhere, right? They're just buried really deep." Hilde nodded thoughtfully.
"He's right, Heero. That old saying about absence making the heart grow fonder is SO untrue. She has to get to know you again. You have to convince her you're not just gonna up and leave like you did last time." Duo pulled her down into his lap. She tried to get up for a minute, but conceded defeat, mostly because Duo was a very comfortable to sit on.
"You're already gonna be around her cuz of the bodyguard bit, right?" Heero nodded. "Well, be gentlemanly. Be a little more, I don't know, emotional. Prove you love her."
Heero looked decidedly uneasy. "How, exactly, do I do that?"
Duo and Hilde looked at each other and smiled. "Well, Heero. Here's whatcha do."
to be continued
Hearts In Ice
Part 10: Operation First Date
written by NemKess
"Relena!" Heero called as he jogged towards the girl. She looked up, seemingly disinterested. He slowed and frowned at the cigarette in her hand. "That's a filthy habit you know."
"Did you chase me down to lecture me?" He berated himself silently. Admonishing her choices was not going to help him accomplish his goal.
"No, actually, I was going to suggest going out for dinner tonight." She just looked at him, one brow raised. "Umm.. You and me, that is." He breathed a sigh of relief when she shrugged her shoulders.
"Sure, I've got to eat."
He couldn't help the grin that escaped. He hadn't figured she'd be so easy to convince. "Be ready by seven, dress casual."
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"It's a surprise," he only turned and jogged in the other direction when she looked at him with mild alarm. Good, he thought. Let Operation First Date begin.
He dressed with care that night. It had taken him most of the day, but he'd finally arranged everything perfectly. Hilde had pointed out that he had to show Relena that she was important enough for him to have remembered things. Small things, like their first date. That's what he was hoping to recreate tonight. It had been almost seven years ago, but the memory still held startling clarity for him. He'd found out, quite by accident, that she HATED fancy restaurants and the types of food they served there. What she did like, was a nice homey place that served Mexican food. They'd gone talked and laughed over enchiladas. It was then that they had really started to get to know one another.
He smiled to himself. That was also the night of their first kiss. He wasn't expecting tonight to end that well, but he couldn't deny that there was the slightest flutter in his stomach at the possibility.
He picked up q bouquet he'd bought earlier, squared his shoulders, and took a deep breath. Mentally, he reviewed the plan. Goal- to remind Relena of their past. Going thru his mental check-list, he was reassured that everything was in order. The only unknown variable in the equation was Relena herself. He had allowed for any number of possible reactions on her part, ranging from rage, happiness, and none at all. With one last deep breath, he went to find his date.
She was stunning. Heero had trouble keeping his eyes on the road on the way to the restraint. Her white jeans were just a size away from having been painted on and the silky sleeveless blue shirt seemed to caress her curves. He forced himself to concentrate on where he was going. Now was not the time to let himself be sidetracked by her looks. He had to remain focused on the mission.
Thankfully, it didn't take that long to reach their destination. A hand painted sign proudly announced - Enrique's : best Mexican food in Europe. He parked and went to let her out. The look on her face was worth the efforts he'd made that day. She clearly remembered the place as well as he did. He took her arm and escorted her in. Earlier, he'd spoken to the owner, Enrique, who just happened to be a hopeless romantic and had remembered him from before. They'd always eaten here at least once a week. The man had been more than happy to assist in the recreation. He personally escorted them to their old table and took their orders- a double platter of enchiladas.
The atmosphere was perfect. Though she never smiled, he was sure that he noticed a definite softening in her eyes. She even conversed with him, something that she'd managed to avoid in the three days that he'd been back. He subtly questioned her about Pierre, and couldn't help but be relieved when she didn't seem to care about her ex-fiancé.
When the meal was over and they were preparing to leave, Enrique and his son wandered over with their guitars and began playing a slow dance song. Heero held out his hand. She hesitated for a moment, but in the end, accepted the invitation.
Though he told himself not to push his luck, all he wanted to do was pull her as close as he could and lose himself to the sensation of holding her again after all this time. She felt so good in his arms, like a missing piece that had been returned. He counted his lucky stars when she rested her head lightly on his shoulder. Maybe, just maybe, this mission wouldn't be as difficult as he feared.
He escorted her all the way to her bedroom door later that night. "I had a good time." his voice was husky with the desire he was struggling to control.
"It was pleasant enough," she replied, her voice once again flat. She opened the door, entered, and shut it neatly in his face. He smiled. He could hear her heavy breathing through the door. She was affected a lot more than she was trying to let on.
With a light chuckle, he put his thumbs in his pockets and walked to his own room, whistling.
Operation First Date- Successful.
Moving on to the next phase- Operation Shopping.
to be continued..
Hearts In Ice
Part 11: Operation Shopping
written by NemKess
Relena awoke the next morning covered in sweat and twisted up in her sheets. Damn that man, she thought. She'd dreamed of him all night. Very hot, very steamy dreams. The kind she hadn't had since he'd left.
"Damn him," she muttered out loud. She didn't understand how her body could still crave his after everything that had passed. Didn't it remember the painful withdraw? She felt like a drug addict fighting off the addiction, knowing it was bad for her, but nearly helpless against the power it held over her. "No. I will not let him get the better of me." She knew better than anyone just how fickle Heero Yuy could be. She could think of no one else who would make love to someone, knowing they were leaving the next day. He'd shattered her world that day. She refused to allow him a second chance to hurt her.
She wished he'd never come. She wished she could go back to the nice, protected cocoon of unemotionalism that had held her for so long. How dare he make her feel anything. He had given up the right years ago. Squaring her shoulders, she got out of bed and prepared to greet the day, determined that Heero Yuy had gotten all he was going to get out of her.
Three hours later, Relena was standing in the middle of a huge shopping mall trying to figure out just how the devious man had talked her into this shopping expedition. She had discovered early in their relationship that they shared a rather surprising passion- to shop. You'd never know it to look at him, but Heero was worse than most girls in a mall. He had to stop at EVERY store to look. She had to bite back a smile at the memory.
She frowned suddenly. No, what am I doing here? she asked herself again. She had a million things to do, preparations to make for the upcoming summit, and she had let the maniac drag her to the mall. If she remembered correctly, it would take HOURS to get out of here. Hours of actually interacting with him. It was one thing for him to be a shadow of a bodyguard that she could ignore. This was totally different.
He grabbed her hand again and was pushing her towards a dressing room. "Here. Try this on."
She would never understand him, she decided. He could spend the entire day shopping and still only say a dozen or so words. Of course, once upon a time, they'd spend the entire time talking. A sigh escaped as she absently pulled on the sweater he had thrust at her. She hadn't done this sort of thing since he'd left. Whenever she needed something, she asked someone else, usually her sister-in-law, get it. The fun had gone out of a lot of things when she couldn't do them with him anymore.
A knock sounded on the door. "Did you fall asleep?"
"Be right out." with a sigh she looked at her reflection. She had to admit that the man had good taste. She schooled her expression into indifference and pulled the door open. She figured it must look pretty good, because he was practically drooling. Her lips twitched a bit and she had to restrain the laugh that threatened to bubble out.
"We're getting it," he announced.
After another hour, they ended up in the food court. Her eyes lit up when she spotted the Taco Bell at the opposite end. For the first time all day, she was dragging him. And the damn man was laughing at her.
"Slow down. It's not going anywhere." Though she slowed her pace, she couldn't erase the anticipation she knew he could see on her face. She LOVED Mexican food. Even the fast stuff. The thought brought back their date yesterday. She couldn't believed he'd remembered their first date so well. He'd been wearing the same outfit and had given her the same type of flowers. A big bouquet of forget-me-nots.
She was well aware of what he was trying to do. For a moment, she had doubts concerning the wisdom of opposing The Perfect Soldier. She knew that if he considered this a mission, her chances of withstanding until he gave up were slim to non-existent. The man could be stubborn as a mule. Besides, she had a sinking feeling that he was already on his way to accomplishing his mission. She'd enjoyed dinner last night, and she was enjoying today.
She hung her head in misery.
There was still three weeks to go before his duties as bodyguard were up. Looking up and observing the light-hearted, very sexy grin on his face, she sighed again.
It was going to take a miracle to get out of this one unscathed.
to be continued..
Hearts In Ice
Part 12: Big Brothers
written by NemKess
Milliardo stretched out at his desk, a smile on his face. "I think things are going well, don't you, love?" His wife just shook her head.
"If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it. It really looks like he's managed to twist her in knots again."
His smile got even bigger. "Precisely. In the last week and a half, Heero has accomplished what we have failed for the last five years. He is getting thru to her." He knew he sounded smug, but damn, he was good. His plan was going to be a complete success.
"I wouldn't jump your guns, doll-face." He frowned at the term. "She still hasn't cracked a smile."
"Ahh.. But she will. She's only holding back now to be stubborn. Understandable, of course. I'd make the bastard work for it too. You worry too much. Nothing is going to go wrong." Indeed his sister was well on her way back.
"Milliardo." he looked up to see his sister standing in the door way.
"Yes?"
"Will you please find something else for Heero to do while I meet with Pierre? I really don't feel like dealing with territorial males." He stared into her face, liking what he saw. Yes, she was definitely on her way back.
"Sure. No problem." Watching her walk out, he grinned again. Of course, he had no intention of keeping Heero from Pierre. After all, a man had the right to establish and protect his place. Actually, Zechs wanted to be there for this. Pierre had always gotten on his nerves.
Heero and Pierre resembled a pair of pack wolves, each vying for leadership. Zechs managed to restrain the grin that was trying to escape. Poor Relena looked as if she was about to lose her cool and kill them both herself. The two rivals were currently staring each other down, Heero standing behind the vice foreign minister, Pierre seated on the other side of her desk. The whole point of this meeting was to clear up any contractual issues that remained from the engagement. It had started well enough but, thanks to a few off-handed remarks slipped in by Zechs, it had deteriorated rapidly.
"So, replaced already?" Pierre looked at Heero disdainfully. "Well, there's no accounting for taste."
"Pierre," she growled in warning. He just gave her an innocent look and continued.
"I really must warn you, man to man, she really is something of a cold fish- especially in bed."
"Haven't you heard?" Heero replied, his own voice filled with contempt. "There are no cold women. Only men who are bad lovers. Besides, she's always been more than hot enough for me."
Zechs was choking on his laughter. His sister was looking less than pleased. Her whole face was flaming with a combination of anger and embarrassment.
"ENOUGH!" she screamed suddenly, slamming her fists down onto the desk. All three males jerked in surprise. "My sex life, or lack there of, is NOT what we are her to discuss. CAN we PLEASE get back to business? Pierre, the contract has been completely dissolved. I'm not taking anything from you, You don't get anything from me. This meeting is now concluded."
"Relena, ma cher, please. Stay," she had gotten up to leave the three to themselves. "I didn't mean it."
"Pierre, there is nothing else to discuss. Goodbye, and do not come here again." With that, she slammed the door and was gone.
Zechs smiled in anticipation. Leaving these two in the same room was not a good idea. Of course, the Frenchman was too much a coward to actually do anything. Sure enough, much to the blonde's disappointment, he grabbed his coat and was heading out the door. He turned before he shut it though.
"You will regret this, Mr. Yuy."
"I doubt it." Then Pierre, too left the room. Zechs couldn't hold it anymore. He burst out laughing and could only shake his head when Yuy looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. That had been priceless. He'd wanted a more emotional sister and he had certainly had a very angry one today. He finally got enough control over himself to speak.
"That was priceless. I wish Noin could have seen it." He frowned. "Of course, being a woman, she probably wouldn't see the humor."
Heero cracked a small smile. "Probably not."
Zechs sat back and propped his feet up on the desk He sighed, putting his hands behind his head. Yes, he thought. Things are going perfectly.
to be continued..